The Life...- Page 2

[magruder]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 6:03pm

Velma? She sings "All That Jazz," "Cell Block Tango," "I Can't Do It Alone," "My Own Best Friend," "I Know A Girl," "When Velma Takes the Stand," "Class," "Nowadays," and dances "Hot Honey Rag". So she participates in nine musical numbers. That's a leading role.

[Phantom2]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 6:07pm

"My Friend" is one of my favorite songs. Pamela Isaacs was great in the role of Queen.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 6:12pm

Pamela Isaacs was outstanding.

[magruder]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 6:21pm

Oh my lord, I've stumbled into an alternate universe!

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 6:34pm

If this is an alternate universe, I'm happy to be a resident. I'd love to live in a place where a good show with a great cast is respected and admired.

[Steve2]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 6:36pm

I am sorry but I don't remember who the understudies were.

[magruder]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 8:00pm

A good cast I'll grant you, but that show! After it finished, I wanted the Barrymore Theatre to implode like the house in Poltergeist.

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 8:06pm

I disagree about that. As Velma, Bebe sang...

All That Jazz (her number)
Cell Block Tango (with 5 others)
I Can't Do It Alone (solo)
My Own Best Friend (duet w/ company backup)
I Know A Girl (solo)
When Velma Takes the Stand (solo w/ male backup)
Class (duet)
Nowadays (duet)
Hot Honey Rag (dance duet)

God, if that isn't a LEAD, I dunno what is...

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 8:18pm

i just know that i like the Life recording better than the Chicago recording. they say that some shows work better on disk (like someone earlier said), IE: Sweet Smell of Success and The Life

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 2/14/05 at 12:44pm

Magruder&Thesbijean, you are two hundred percent correct. Chita Rivera was also nominated for a Tony as Best Lead actress in a musical in the original production of CHICAGO. Velma is indeed a "lead actress role."

Obviously, this changed for the film, but not the stage musical. :)

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 2/14/05 at 12:45pm

many shows "work" better on cd. When one hears the recording of MACK AND MABEL, it is so glorious you tend to assume the show was great...........

often, that is not the case.

[robbiej]

Posted: 2/14/05 at 12:49pm

THE LIFE was, without a doubt, the tackiest show I haver ever seen. THEY'RE HOOKERS!!!! I mean...for the love of God...they're not the lovable 'dance hall hostesses' of SWEET CHARITY!

I kept turning to my friend and saying 'Not Since Carrie!' There were some in the audience who clearly enjoyed it. And then there were others, particularly in my section, who simply had to laugh at it all.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 2/14/05 at 12:54pm

Add to that list of shows that work better on disc: STEEL PIER.

THE LIFE was awful to sit through - a complete waste of an incredibly talented cast.

[Justice]

Posted: 2/14/05 at 2:18pm

I like the score, and the show was great, thanks to Lillias White.
I really hated Queenie's songs. I thought they went on forever, especially her two ballads that come right after the other. (Pamela Isaacs really messes up the beautiful one "My Friend" on the cd)
All they needed to do was make Queenie a supporting character like the rest of the cast, and the show would have been perfect.

I did like the show. I wish I would have seen it again.

(P.S. The elevator stage effect got an applause...such a rarity in theatre)