Encores’ THE LIFE - Performances & Reviews

https://www.playbill.com/article/city-center-encores-production-of-the-life-directed-and-adapted-by-billy-porter-begins-march-16

The City Center Encores! production of the Tony-nominated musical The Life plays the Manhattan venue March 16–20 with direction by Tony and Emmy winner Billy Porter (Kinky Boots, Pose). Get a sneak peek of the production in the video above.

The cast features Jelani Alladin as Lou, Alexandra Grey as Queen, Antwayn Hopper as Memphis, Grammy nominee Mykal Kilgore as Young JoJo, Grammy winner Ledisi as Sonja, Erika Olson as Mary, Destan Owens as Old Jojo, and Ken Robinson as Fleetwood.

The ensemble includes Joe Beauregard, Angela Brydon, Tyler Eisenreich, Asmeret Ghebremichael, Semhar Ghebremichael, Jeff Gorti, Albert Guerzon, Heather Lang, Nathan Lucrezio, Tiffany Mann, LaQuet Sharnell Pringle, Devin L. Roberts, MiMi Scardulla, and Tanairi Vazquez.

The Life—with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Ira Gasman, and book by David Newman, Gasman, and Coleman—was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and tells the story of Queen and her fellow sex workers, who strive for a better life against oppressive forces in post-disco Times Square. 

As concert adapter and director, Porter, who received the blessings of the Coleman, Gasman, and Newman estates, has reshaped the work into a musical drama, humanizing the production’s Black characters in their struggles, passions, and desperate bids for success.

forgetmenot: sounds like you were at yesterday's invited dress ... do you happen to recall the run-time? there's nothing on the NYCC website. thx!

forgetmenotnyc said: "Runtime was over 3 hrs."

How on earth did they manage that?  Did they add a lot of book scenes?

Also did the songs themselves bare much resemblance to the original show (for example, "My Body" and "Easy Money"?

 

Updated On: 3/16/22 at 01:55 PM

ugh -- i can feel my enthusiasm for this waning ...

3 hours!? And I thought The Tap Dance Kid​​​​​​​ was endless. Lord have mercy.

Updated On: 3/16/22 at 03:05 PM

Does anyone know of any promo codes for this?

What's this with Encores productions having longer playing time than the original shows? It used to be that there was judicious trimming of the book and the running time was about 2 hours.

forgetmenotnyc said: "Runtime was over 3 hrs."

Sometimes the Encores shows get shorter as the week progresses due to a tightening of cues, a stronger grasp of the material and an infusion of energy. Actors can be somewhat worn our for the dress due to the exhausting demands of the short rehearsal schedule.

 

Updated On: 3/16/22 at 04:19 PM

If Billy Porter wants to tweak or f--k with the book that's fine by me but when you start messing with the music by adding a funk beat to just about every number, that's another matter. I don't go to Encores so much for the book as I do for the music. I want to hear the original arrangements. Last nights' performance was really hindered by poor sound design and the funky arrangements made everything sound alike. It was musical wallpaper. Cy Coleman deserved better.

I was told by several reliable sources that Act One is over 90 minutes long and Act Two is a half hour. I’m also told that the lead female character is now trans, which I have no problem with at all, but I thought Encore’s mission was to do shows as originally written, and apparently this has a LOT of rewrites and I was strongly advised to wait for reviews before buying a ticket to this one. The consensus was that this is a complete mess.

At the invited dress, Act I was 1:23 and Act II was :55. (And change).

Alexander Lamar said: "Matt Rogers said: "I was told by several reliable sources that Act One is over 90 minutes long and Act Two is a half hour. I’m also told that the lead female character is now trans, which I have no problem with at all, but I thought Encore’s mission was to do shows as originally written, and apparently this has a LOT of rewrites and I was strongly advised to wait for reviews before buying a ticket to this one. The consensus was that this is a complete mess."

The new Artistic Director doesn’t think so:

“I think of it, not as a different direction, but as a natural growth and evolution as the series goes through time,” she explains. “Encores!is still about reviving Broadway musicals, but, in that act of reviving, inherently, there is an inquiry intowhywe revive shows. What is the act of revival? For me, the answer is very layered. We do it because knowing the history of this form deepens our love and appreciation of it. For artists working now, to be connected to the history of the musical and how it has changed over time is just profoundly rich and meaningful.”

I really wanted to go to this, just to be able to hear “My Body” live - I know someone asked this earlier, but I’ll ask again - is the song recognizable? I know James Sampliner said he was basically re-writing the score."

If Encores’ new mission is to rewrite the work of deceased authors and re-orchestrate a score to “improve” it, count me out. The Encores! Orchestra playing the ORIGINAL orchestrations has always been the thing. 

I hope the Board of City Center realizes this new direction is all a big mistake and hire a new artistic director for next year. 

Updated On: 3/16/22 at 07:53 PM

Preview Video

 James, I love you, but this made me sad.