THE LIFE: Will it ever be revived?

[Skimbleshanks2]

Posted: 10/17/16 at 1:23pm

THE LIFE was one of my favorite musicals of the '90s... Has there ever been talk about bringing it back to Broadway? Would love to see it again...

[newintown]

Posted: 10/17/16 at 1:31pm

Well, you know, they'll bring back any flop nowadays, even though the chances that the flop will make money the second time around are so slim as to be nonexistent...

It received pretty bad reviews, with Variety calling out its "impossibly hokey book and stock characters," and the Times adding that there was "a lot wrong" with the show, including a book full of "irritating lumpiness and misjudgments."

The only thing some people liked were some of the songs, so maybe an evening at 54 Below showcasing the score alone could work, to a tiny degree. But I doubt that there's any commercial viability there.

[AC126748]

Posted: 10/17/16 at 1:59pm

There's a lot of affection for this show around here, and I really don't get it. Some of the worst lyrics I've ever heard, a contrived book, and a score that is wholly unmemorable. The original production was notable for some great performances (especially White and Cooper, who rightly won Tonys), but as a work of theater, it's best assigned to the dustbin of Broadway history.

[nealb1]

Posted: 10/17/16 at 2:47pm

Love this show - saw it in July of 1997, and the final performance in June of 1998.  Both performances Lillias White stopped the show with "The Oldest Profession," and got a standing O in the middle of Act 1.  I wish this show would be revived....

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 10/17/16 at 2:53pm

I like the score but the show wasn't all that great the first time around. We live in such a politically correct time now, I'm not sure a musical about mostly black prostitutes and their pimps would go over so well.  

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 10/17/16 at 2:53pm

Maybe not commercially, but a revival can be produced by a not-for-profit theatre company.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 10/17/16 at 2:58pm

Was this ever lisenced out?  Don't know of any production of it after Broadway.  

[Cesare2]

Posted: 10/17/16 at 3:18pm

Tams-Witmark has it. http://www.tamswitmark.com/shows/the-life/

I saw the show.  I doubt that there's much interest in reviving it.

[10086sunset]

Posted: 10/17/16 at 3:39pm

I can still here Chuck Cooper singing "My Way or the High Way."

The show was flawed but also endearing...

[newintown]

Posted: 10/17/16 at 3:53pm

The major problem with the show (and you either get it or you don't), is that its foul, prurient, cutesy approach to prostitution was already old in the 60s (30 years before the show happened). It was obviously written by a group of filthy old gross straight white men without a socio-political thought in their collective heads.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 10/17/16 at 4:08pm

Yes, it was sort of a "Disney-fied" version of Pre-Disney Times Square as I recall.  Charity Valentine could have made an appearance at the "Hooker Ball" (the name of an actual production number) and she would have fit right in.

[Glittergrrl]

Posted: 10/17/16 at 9:18pm

If there is a revival, they can have my money.  I really liked it.  Lillias White sang the hell out of "The Oldest Profession" and I still play "My Body" when I need to get my girl power going.  

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 10/18/16 at 6:50am

I saw a Chicago storefront production of "The Life" in 2007. "The Oldest Profession" was the highlight and Mary's subplot was funny. The second act turned dark and unpleasant. Queenie got smacked around a lot and I recall a scene of her being pushed into a car to give a blowjob while sporting a black eye. It was during the "Someday Is for Suckers" sequence. Was the Broadway production that violent or did they tone things down?

The recording puts "My Friend" after "We Gotta Go." This production put it before. The book made it seem like Queenie wasted a chance to escape by singing a long duet with her friend. I remember thinking it was a poor book choice. The actress playing Queenie tried to play it tough but the book kept giving her moments where she was dimmer than Charity Valentine.

 

[AC126748]

Posted: 10/18/16 at 6:57am

I can't imagine a scenario in which "We Gotta Go" would work as the last number, unless the book was rewritten. On Broadway, the show ended with Queen escaping and Sonya confessing to Memphis' murder, even though it was Queen who killed him. Was that not the case in the Chicago production?

[newintown]

Posted: 10/18/16 at 8:20am

And the only "violence" I recall, although Chuck Cooper was supposed to be menacing, was that he carefully ripped Pam Isaac's (clearly trick) dress.

[EvanstonDad]

Posted: 10/18/16 at 9:10am

I never saw this show, but I do remember the Tony Awards performance of "My Body." I sat there with part of me saying "Am I actually seeing this?" while the other part of me was saying "This is actually kind of awesome." The ladies knocked that song out of the park. I bought the cast recording based on that number, but was underwhelmed by the rest of the score.

Updated On: 10/18/16 at 09:10 AM