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| Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 05:04 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 04:48 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
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| Who has memories of seeing Lucie Arnaz in her biggest Broadway hit, ''They're Playing Our Song'' (1979)? She and Robert Klein also did a 40th anniversary reunion concert in 2019 for the Actors Fund. I never saw the original production, so I only know Arnaz's performance in ''They're Playing Our Song'' from video clips and the delightful cast album. I thought I once saw her sing ''If He Really Knew Me'' on TV, but I can't find it on YouTube. Arnaz's performance earned her a Theatre World Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award and a L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award. At the 2021 Theatre World Awards podcast the other day, she expressed her gratitude for her Theatre World prize, especially since, as she wryly noted, ''the Tonys forgot'' her. ''They're Playing My Song'' was a big hit and nominated for Best Musical and Klein was up for Best Actor, so was it a surprise that she was passed over? I imagine Angela Lansbury (''Sweeney Todd'') was a slam-dunk to win that season, but did Tovah Feldshuh (''Sarava''), Dorothy Loudon (''Ballroom'') and Alexis Smith (''Platinum''), who were nominated, all stand out more, even in their flop shows? In any event, Arnaz has returned to Broadway as a replacement in ''Lost in Yonkers,'' ''Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'' and ''Pippin.'' It seems a shame that she didn't get another shot to originate a role in another Broadway show. Plus, Arnaz was a Trustee on the Board of The American Theatre Wing for 15 years (1999–2014). ... She's certainly done lots of theater across the country, once winning a 1986 Sarah Siddons Award for touring with Tommy Tune in ''My One and Only.'' I was most intrigued to find out that she once played Maria Callas in Terrence McNally's ''Master Class'' in 1999. Asked to list her favorite stage roles, Arnaz once told the MD Theatre Guide: ''Gittel Mosca in “Seesaw” (the script is flawless — really funny); “My One and Only,” (dancing with Tommy Tune); “Master Class” (the amount of material to absorb); “Lost in Yonkers” (Bella is a heartbreaking character); “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” (working with Norbert, Jonathan and Greg Jbara and that crazy score); “I Do, I Do!” (working opposite my husband, Laurence Luckinbill); “Annie Get Your Gun” (the score and working outdoors for the whole summer).'' |
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| Link | Greg in Hollywood: Happy 70th Birthday to Lucie Arnaz! |
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| What a Wonderful Show and Great Performances | |
| Posted by: bythesea2007 09:45 am EDT 07/18/21 | |
| In reply to: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! - WaymanWong 04:48 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
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| Lucie and Robert Klein were both marvelous in the tuneful, adorable show. I smiled and had a tear In my eye during it. How I wish I had seen her in the other shows she was in. Happy Birthday! | |
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| re: What a Wonderful Show and Great Performances | |
| Posted by: Snowysdad 05:57 pm EDT 07/18/21 | |
| In reply to: What a Wonderful Show and Great Performances - bythesea2007 09:45 am EDT 07/18/21 | |
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| I saw her in Seesaw. I can't compare to Michele Lee because I didn't see her, but both leads (and Tommy Tune) made a pedestrian show fun entertainment. I share everyone's feelings about They're Playing My Song, terrific score, well served by Ms. Arnaz. | |
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| re: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! | |
| Posted by: PurpleMoney 10:01 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
| In reply to: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! - WaymanWong 04:48 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
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| Happy Birthday! I saw Lucie in Annie Get Your Gun, Lost In Yonkers and Witches Of Eastwick. Had tickets for Pippin but she called out. Marsha Skaggs was in They're Playing Out Song whem I saw it in DC with Victor Garber. |
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| re: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! | |
| Posted by: AlexanderKat 12:18 pm EDT 07/18/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! - PurpleMoney 10:01 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
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| Happy Birthday Lucie! When I purchased tickets to the tour of SEESAW, I was only familiar with Lucie from her mother's sitcom and wondered if she was good enough to carry the show. I asked at the box office if there was any word on her. I laughed when he answered, "She's as good as Minnelli, if not better. " Remember this was the seventies when Minnelli ruled. Lucie was remarkable in her singing, dancing, and acting abilities. The show was retooled for the tour leaving out some of the worst numbers ("Spanglish" for one). Act one ended with Lucie showing off what an excellent dancer she was in an impressive finale. I was fortunate enough to see her in THEY'RE PLAYING MY SONG and MY ONE AND ONLY. She was so likable in every show I saw. And I love her singing on the OLC recording of "WITCHES OF EASTWICK. An underused talent. |
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| re: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! | |
| Posted by: Page 06:30 pm EDT 07/18/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! - AlexanderKat 12:18 pm EDT 07/18/21 | |
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| I loved Lucie's performance in Seesaw. One of my all-time favorite shows. | |
| Link | Lucie Arnaz |
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| re: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! | |
| Posted by: BHandshy 09:19 pm EDT 07/18/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! - Page 06:30 pm EDT 07/18/21 | |
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| It's rare to hear someone call SEESAW one of their "all-time favorite shows", but I'm glad you enjoy it. I had to comment on this thread because in all my decades of theater-going, SEESAW is the only musical during which I have ever fallen asleep. And it was with Michele Lee and Tommy Tune! | |
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| re: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! | |
| Posted by: Page 05:00 am EDT 07/19/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! - BHandshy 09:19 pm EDT 07/18/21 | |
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| I was living in Denver, Colorado when Seesaw opened on Broadway. I knew absolutely nothing about this show. Late one evening I was watching The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson which aired from NYC in the early '70s. Michele Lee and Tommy Tune were guests. Michele performed "I'm Way Ahead" and I was immediately hooked! One of the best 11 o'clock numbers written for the Broadway stage. The next morning, I called my favorite record store and pre-ordered the Broadway cast album (I wore out two LPs over the years before being released on cassette and CD). I never got to see Seesaw on Broadway, but I did see the first national tour that starred Lucie Arnaz, John Gavin and Tommy Tune. When I ushered at the Atlanta Civic Center in the mid-'70s I got to see the second national tour that starred John Raitt, Liz Torres and Ron Kurowski. Over the years I have seen several excellent regional productions. It was Seesaw that introduced me to the two-character play Two for the Seesaw which the musical is based upon. Film version starring Robert Mitchum and Shirley MacLaine is excellent. (TCM shows this on occasion.) |
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| Link | Seesaw (musical) |
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| re: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! | |
| Posted by: tandelor 09:49 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
| In reply to: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! - WaymanWong 04:48 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
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| Saw her in They're Playing Our Song I think exactly 41 years ago. I only remember that becsuse we went to a French restaurant after and they were celebrating Bastille Day. We got last minute last row balcony seats but her performance was still front row in my memory. It was a great performance in a good show. Saw her again almost 35 years later in Pippin and she was just as energetic and amazing. A genuine talent. | |
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| re: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! | |
| Posted by: pecansforall 09:25 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
| In reply to: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! - WaymanWong 04:48 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
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| She deserved a Tony nomination but I wonder if she didn't get nominated because THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG was generally considered to be "not much of a musical". Critics of the show often point out how little there is of a score. Compared to other musicals the score was rather slight (especially sparse in Act II). The show won no Tony Awards. I thought the original Broadway production was fantastic. One of my favorite memories. |
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| re: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 11:12 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 11:06 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! - pecansforall 09:25 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
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| I really enjoy Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager's score to ''They're Playing Our Song,'' and it's better than it's given credit for. The title tune is especially fun and catchy, and I adore ''Fallin','' which has one of Sager's best lyrics, and ''Fill in the Words,'' cleverly done with toy pianos. Obviously, nothing could've (or should've) beat Stephen Sondheim's spectacular ''Sweeney Todd'' for Best Score. But I would've nominated ''They're Playing Our Song'' over the disappointing scores from the flop shows ''Carmelina'' (by Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner) and ''The Grand Tour'' (by Jerry Herman). And I don't know how ''Eubie!,'' a revue of songs by Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle, largely from the 1910s and 1920s, qualified for Score. (I also believe Carol Hall deserved a Tony nomination for her wonderful pop-country songs to ''The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.'') Musical taste is subjective, but it's as if the Tonys chose to recognize more traditional musical-theater scores over more pop-sounding ones. |
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| re: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! | |
| Posted by: Leon_W 09:01 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
| In reply to: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! - WaymanWong 04:48 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
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| I saw her a few times in The Witches of Eastwick in London. Lucie was in the original big budget version at the Theater Royal Drury Lane, that was a show that I think was supposed to star Michael Crawford had he been not so difficult to everyone around him. I have fond memories of it. I also saw the downscaled version once it transferred. I personally think the score is fantastic and catchy fun. | |
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| re: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! | |
| Posted by: wmgrad1976 06:49 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
| In reply to: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! - WaymanWong 04:48 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
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| She did sing "I Still Believe in Love" on the Merv Griffin Show at the time. Link below. | |
| Link | Lucie Arnaz sings "I Still Believe in Love" on Merv Griffin |
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| re: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! | |
| Posted by: shocktheatre 07:12 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Happy 70th birthday to Lucie Arnaz! - wmgrad1976 06:49 pm EDT 07/17/21 | |
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| Is it true that Lucie turned down the lead in "Poltergeist" to make her instant classic "Second Thoughts"? Has anyone ever SEEN "Second Thoughts"? 'Splain, Lucie. |
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