I definitely agree. Like many ATC-ers, I've been suggesting it for at least 20 years. Along with Pipe Dream and The Golden Apple, Love Life has been one of my ultimate Holy Grail shows, mostly because I've never seen a production and there is no OBC recording. Regarding the score, I have the Painted Smiles recordings, the EMI selections CD, and a non-commercial recording of a '96 BBC radio broadcast. It's an excellent score, especially for Weill fans. Off the top of my head, I think Brian D'Arcy James and Laura Benanti as Sam and Susan would be good casting.
The Weill foundation has been pretty good about financing new, comprehensive cast recordings of Kurt's Broadway scores so hopefully the Encores production will get recorded. Regarding the choice of Millie, Viertel stated a few years ago that it has become economically impractical to do 3 Golden Age musicals (like this year's I Married an Angel and High Button Shoes and next year's Mack & Mabel and Love Life) in a single season. I'm sure that is why recently we have seen Big River, Grand Hotel, Me and My Girl, and now Millie, all shows which were Tony-nominated Best Musicals (and 2 won).
BTW, although it had a very respectable run of 252 performances, Love Life was not a commercial success. It was an elaborate, expensive show and did not recoup, despite the fact that Nanette Fabray won the Best Actress Tony for her performance as Susan Cooper. |
