BWW Reviews: EVERYBODY LOVES LUCY Is A Glimpse Into The Off Screen Life Of Everyone's Favorite Redhead, Lucille Ball.

Sunday 22nd March 2015, Hayes Theatre, Potts Point NSW

Elise McCann shares a brief insight into the life of Lucille Ball, behind the scenes, during the 9 year run of "I LOVE LUCY" in her one woman show EVERYBODY LOVES LUCY as she takes on the persona of the famous redhead along with an example of the show's target audience, the average American housewife.

The one hour work McCann has written with Richard Carroll is set on a sound studio stage, with the audience forming the live audience, in keeping with the history that "I LOVE LUCY" was the first scripted television program shot by three 35mm film cameras in front of a studio audience. The Stage is divided into three spaces, the central stage used to represent the studio, a dressing table to stage right and an armchair, lamp and side table to stage left, potentially also a nod to the show's original construction of distinct sets adjacent to each other. Musical Director come Desi Arnaz fill in with cheesy black wig that doesn't look anything like Arnaz's coiffure, Nigel Ubrihien, sits to the rear of the stage at the baby grand piano to provide musical accompaniment, banter with 'Lucy' and occasional vocals.

Whilst McCann seeks to take on Lucy's image with red wig and full skirted, strapless dress, which I'm not entirely convinced fits with the era given that strapless dresses were usually reserved for very special events and high glamour, and iconic scarlet lips, her speaking voice, and vocals, whilst seeking to replicate an American accent, do not have the deeper, nasally, gritty, New York tone that Ball was known for apart from the wailing open mouth cries in the opening act. McCann's vocals are clear and beautifully presented in her soprano range, they don't connect with the premise that she is Lucille Ball and the delivery of the songs doesn't really connect to a deeper expression of emotion as McCann refuses to connect to the audience, opting to sing to exits and side walls despite the intimate size of the theatre.

Some snippets of memorable episodes are recreated with varying success. Whilst the effort that Ball went too to make things look easy through late night rehearsals is mentioned, the physical comedy that is replicated lacks the impression of spontaneous, self-deprecating, awkwardness and clumsiness that people will remember from the TV show and instead comes across as forced and over thought and not natural.

Along with a glancing overview of Ball's life from the start of the I LOVE LUCY series, which is represented by Desi welcoming the audience and explaining the ON AIR light and the cameras, through to Ball's rising success above her husband, going to studio executives with the news of her pregnancy on an screen birth of Little Ricky, and a brief explanation of the end of the series and her marriage, McCann looks at the influence I LOVE LUCY had on the average American viewer. Donning a head scarf and altering the dress designed by Tim Chappel, to form a collared dress with apron, in the space defined by the armchair, McCann creates a housewife obsessed with the TV show who believes that the Arnaz's life must be similar to the Ricardo's but still evolves because of Ball's influence, suggesting to her husband that she might like to get a part time job in an era when it was still frowned upon for a wife to work outside of the home.

Whilst this work does not delve into the deeper more painful events going on when the cameras weren't rolling beyond than indicating that Ball worked long hours and the fact that the success cost her marriage or the trailblazing efforts she made further than having pregnancy acknowledged on screen, this cabaret allows the audience to remember iconic moments in television and celebrates a part of the life of a powerhouse of American Television.

EVERYBODY LOVES LUCY

Hayes Theatre,

19 Greenknowne Ave, Potts Point NSW

22 March 2pm, Thursday 26 March 7:30pm, Friday 27 March 7:30pm, Saturday 28 March 7:30pm.

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