BWW Reviews: I LOVE LUCY: LIVE ON STAGE

I LOVE LUCY: LIVE ON STAGE, is playing now until August 18, at the Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts. Tickets are on sale at the Blumenthal box office: 704 372-1000 and online at BlumenthalArts.org.

For the I LOVE LUCY enthusiast, this show will entertain. The ensemble was very well cast with Sirena Irwin as Lucille Ball and Lucy Ricardo, Bill Mendieta as Desi Arnaz and Ricky Ricardo, Kevin Remington as William Frawley and Fred Mertz and JoAnna Daniels as Vivian Vance and Ethel Mertz. I was taken with Daniels portrayal. She wasn't forced and captured the spirit of both, Vivian and Ethel.

I didn't know what to expect being part of this 1952 era, recreation of I LOVE LUCY. As the show rolled out, I saw the behind scenes "warm-up" for the filming of two original episodes including "The Benefit" and "Lucy Has Her Eyes Examined", Mark Christopher Tracy was dead-on as Maury Jasper, a warm-up man from the fifties. Since the show was put in that format, seeing the recreation of the episodes, along with the behind the scenes, I was disappointed that more of the off-camera story wasn't revealed during the show.

The script intimated William Frawley's alcoholism when he said with impatience, he'd wait for them at Musso and Frank's (a gin mill on Hollywood Blvd.). I wanted more about the actors who played the I LOVE LUCY characters. The subtlety of the scene where the ingénue is standing-in for Lucy, Desi is hovering about and walks out with her, as Lucy makes an entrance, the situation seemed missed on Lucy. I wanted to see more of the intimacy of their relationship, after the cameras stopped filming. The reason Lucy and Desi decided to work together in this "new television format" was so Desi would be able to stop touring, stop philandering and their marriage would be able to get a steady footing. For me, the undercurrents weren't evident enough in the script. And where were the writers, Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll Jr. to make comedy adjustments during the filming of the episodes?

The advertising jingles, Brylcreem "A Little Dab'll Do Ya!", and "See the USA in Your Chevrolet" were fun to hear, recreated beautifully in vintage style with the Crystaltone Singers. The music of The Band was very entertaining, as was the slapstick comedy of Lucy's antics.

Compliments go to Shon LeBlanc, Costume Designer. The costumes were beautiful with attention to detail including the use of peplum skirts, petticoats and even an authentic acrylic handbag. The makeup design by Desiree Falcon and hair design by Diane Martinous, completed the illusion.

At the end of the show, I turned to my audience neighbor, who told me she was 86-years-old and I asked, "So what did you think?" She had tears running down her cheeks as she said, "I loved it! The actor who played Ricky Ricardo was really something!" A real I LOVE LUCY enthusiast.

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