The onscreen pairing of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz is at the heart of one of the most popular TV shows in history. Who would have thought that, to get on the air, they had to battle both a network and a sponsor who thought the show couldn’t possibly succeed? Playwright Gregg Oppenheimer—son of I Love Lucy’s creator Jess Oppenheimer—spins the hilarious true story behind America’s beloved TV comedy.
Directed by Michael Hackett.
Includes an interview with playwright Gregg Oppenheimer.
An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast production, starring, in alphabetical order:
Ron Bottitta as William S. Paley, William Frawley, and others;
Seamus Dever as Jess Oppenheimer;
Sarah Drew as Lucille Ball;
Abigail Marks as Vivian Vance, Betty Garrett, and others;
Matthew Floyd Miller as Don Sharpe, Bob LeMond and others;
Rob Nagle as Hubbell Robinson and others;
Oscar Nunez as Desi Arnaz;
And Nick Toren as Harry Ackerman
Music performed by Doug Walter. The I Love Lucy theme song used with permission of MPL Music Publishing and Songwriters Guild of America. Original music by Doug Walter.
Sound Effects Artist, Aaron Lyons. Production Manager, Rick V. Moreno. Script Supervisor, Nikki Hyde. Senior Radio Producer, Ronn Lipkin. Associate Artistic Director, Anna Lyse Erikson.
Editor, Mitchell Lindskoog. Recording Engineer, Sound Designer, and Mixer, Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood
Recorded before an audience at UCLA’s James Bridges Theater.
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“It’s the sounds that bring the memories flooding back. The ubiquitous Latin rhythms of the I Love Lucy theme song. The staccato dialogue and fine sound design that mimic the feel of the early 1950s. And, especially, the marvelous performances of Oscar Nunez and Sarah Drew, who capture every nuance of Ricky and Lucy’s voices. It’s late 1949, and radio and film star Lucille Ball is looking for the right show with which to break into the newfangled world of television with her real-life husband, successful bandleader Desi Arnaz. There are some bumps in the road, but the pair end up creating a template for practically every television situation comedy to come. Written by the son of the show’s creator, this play is full of bright nostalgia and insider insights.”
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AudioFile