THE LIFE at Illinois Wesleyan University School of Theatre Arts

Authors

• Cy Coleman
• David Newman
• Ira Gasman
• Michael Blakemore

Tony Awards and Nominations for THE LIFE

You’re not in Kansas anymore...

A thrilling expose of the darker side of 1980's New York, The Life is a defiant and heartfelt musical lament for the old Times Square. A world of pimps and prostitutes, innocents and opportunists, it's a gutsy and gritty joyride filled with both pathos and fun.

Queen and Fleetwood are just trying to get by. New York has hit a moral rock bottom, and opportunity is becoming a scarcity. Queen is now selling herself to anyone with cash in Times Square, while Fleetwood is spending that cash on his nightly fix. Such is a regular story for those in The Life – just ask Sonja, whose market value as a hooker is depleting. It seems that nothing ever improves for those in The Life, but when a mysteriously innocent farm girl named Mary shows up, and Memphis and Joio, the biggest players in town, offer to help Queen out, will things start looking up?