Did anyone see Andrew Lippa's, The Wild Party?

[Idina's BIGGEST fan]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 8:47pm

If so, could you just tell me who Kate was and what the show was about. I never saw it but I was just curious. Thanks in advance.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 8:52pm

Idina Menzel played Kate.

Um... Well. Queenie was a blonde and her looks could kill. She had a lover named Burrs who was a vaudeville clown except that he beat her. So she throws a party and in comes Kate - the life of the party. Kate wanted Burrs and Queenie wanted Kate's man - Black. Exccept Burrs was in love with Queenie. That's the basic gist for ya.

Read the poem. It's really wonderful.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 8:54pm

<~~~Kate. She's a whore (literally) that does crack. As for the actual story, i'm a little busy right now to give you an actual explanation.

[PramsAclams]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 8:54pm

I did not see The Wild Party, but I did see Andrew Lippa at the Lucille Lortel Theater for New Mondays and I saw him with Kristen Chenoweth at Carnegie Hall. He's pretty much my sassy passion. He refused my marriage proposal, you know.

[PramsAclams]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 8:55pm

via e-mail

[PramsAclams]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 8:56pm

and I meant Kristin. Forgive my shoddy spelling.

[Idina's BIGGEST fan]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 8:58pm

I heard that Kate was a whore, but does anyone have a clip of her singing or the song, Life of the Party? Or if you guys had clips from the show I'd love it. Thanks!

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 9:08pm

*GASP* Idina's BIGGEST fan does not have the Wild Party cd? Oh, blasphemy! Horror!

And all that other stuff.

[rKrispyt]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 9:20pm

someone suggested reading the poem - I can't find it online or anywhere for free - I've only ever found like, links to buy it and I don't wanna do all that - xmas, ain't gots no extra money to be buyin' stuff for myself.

Anybody know a link or anywhere to read the poem without paying a fee or purchasing it in a book? I know both versions but have never read the poem...

gracias in advance! :)

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 9:24pm

Man, I thought all Idina fans who came to be fans through Wicked rushed out to buy "Wild Party" "Rent" etc. after seeing the show.

Anyway, I suspect Idina's Biggest Fan is slightly young, so perhaps Wild Party is not the most appropriate show.

Its a great score though- I LOVE the CD.

[rKrispyt]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 9:35pm

oy. so silly of me to expect that someone asking a simple, non-wicked, harmless question wouldn't get some kinda s**t on this board.

Anyways, sorry to disappoint, but no, I didn't get into wicked and run out and check up on this girl named Idina Menzel. I always had kind of a soft spot for her.

Regardless, I was just listening to Lippa Wild Party yesterday for the first time in way too long and have been searching again trying to find some link to read the poem that both musicals are based on, so...if anyone knows of a link or something of the sort, kindly post or PM me.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 9:40pm

The poem is the length of a short bok, so I doubt you'll find it anywhere online.

[LilElphaba]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 9:57pm

i love that song "Life of The Party"

[rKrispyt]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 9:58pm

well poop.

[LilElphaba]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 9:59pm

alrighty then...

Posted: 12/16/04 at 10:15pm

Ummm I thought she was a broadway star who was a bit higher up than Queenie--not a whore... Black is kinda her kept man. her and QUeenie are best friends who hate each other

Of course I dislike the Lippa and am going by the brilliant LaChiusa version (Tonya Pinkins played Kate) and the poem.

E

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 11:38pm

"I've been learnin' a trade
I've slung the hash for more than just a couple of men
I've been pillowed and paid for wow wow wow..."
~Kate, the Wild Party.

I mean, I could always be wrong, I may have completely missed something, lol. But I thought she was a whore.

Posted: 12/17/04 at 1:01am

Weird! That angle doesn't seem to be handled in the LaChiusa one--or the original poem at all...

E

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 12/17/04 at 2:07am

Interesting.

The poem is a bit vague about Kate and Queenie's relationship. Frankly, the poem is vague about most of its characters. That's why both Lippa and LaChiusa ended up with such different shows.

I think that it was a bizarre piece to turn into a musical at all. And while I prefer the LaChiusa version, and think that it is more successful than Lippa's, artistically speaking, I do question both of them for attempting to musicalize a poem with such sketchy characters (not to mention absolutely no plot) in the first place.

On the other hand, I'm glad they both exist. It's a fascinating thing to view the creative process of two very different composers musicalizing the same subject matter. We can all hypothesize about how GYPSY would have turned out if Sondheim had composed it, but in this instance, we know how the same piece turned out with two very different composers. (And frankly, I'd rather sit through either version of THE WILD PARTY than yet another jukebox musical on Broadway.)

[Justice]

Posted: 12/17/04 at 6:37am

I saw La Chuissa
s version, and recently bought Lippa's. I enjoyed watching LaChuissa's, but, I felt the music to be somewhat incosistent, and was somewhat bothered by the baring of my favorite actress's (Toni Colette) breasts. Eartha Kitt was amazing, as was Yancy Arias as Black. I actually only like a few songs on that recording. (People Like Us is a great duet, and Eartha Kitt has the two really great numbers.)
Lippa's version, being more traditional music thaetre, still has not grown on me. Plus, I don't hear all the melodramatic things that happened in the other version, but then again, I haven't really listened to the whole thing. Like LaChuissa's, there are still a few songs that stand out.
And yes, Kate is a whore, and Queenie steals her man of seven years, and they are best friends that hate each other.

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 12/17/04 at 9:33am

I covered a regional production of Lippa's Wild Party for BW.com last year that was up for 2 Barrymore's this year (best direction and best supporting actress). Jennie Eisenhower, of the Eisenhower presidential family, played Kate and won her Barrymore for a truly outstanding performance.

Here's a link to the review. https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=738

[Jwaa]

Posted: 12/17/04 at 10:03am

The Wild Party is my favourite musical,
And to have seen it on stage with the original cast would actually be my biggest dream come true....Idina is amazing,Julia is so powerful, Taye has just the most beautiful voice and Brian well, just perrrfect for the part!
Vocally amazing, would be in great ore of anyone who saw it!!!!

[luvWICKED416]

Posted: 12/17/04 at 10:52am

I saw it in boston last month....it was fantastic. I WISH I could have seen julia as queenie, that role is amazing.

and ofcourse ms.idina too

[LilElphaba]

Posted: 12/17/04 at 11:00am

I love Idina to death and all but, that picture, broadwaygirls icon is just a wittle bit scary. lol