Lucky Guy is NOT to be missed!

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/28/11 at 11:22pm

As my friends and I walked into the Little Shubert tonight we said, "Well this can't be funnier than Dracula," but as Ms. Gorme told us in Golden Rainbow, "How Could I Be So Wrong?"

The book, score, performances and physical production are truly on the level of a Prince of Central Park or Rachael Lily Rosenbloom. I'm not kidding. It really is that funny. The plot (what plot?) is completely incomprehensible, but you should just go with the flow and take each scene for what it's worth; a true camp lovers delight.

Many on this board have been arguing over whether Rylance or Mantello is giving a better performance this season. Well I'm here to tell you both sides are wrong as (I'm willing to bet a rather drunk) Leslie Jordan just gave a master class on how to bring the house down with every line.

Varla Jean Merman does her best to upstage the short Jordan and has a lot of fun while trying. She had a line in response to Kyle Dean who said something about pulling saying something like, "Oh honey when I pull I always get a response." I absolutely adored her and her entourage of "buckaroos" brilliantly played to the homosexual hilt by Callan Bergmann, Xavier Cano, Wes Hart and Joshua Woodie. Slight SPOILER*** Some highlights of the buckaroos include playing tap dancing Indians while near naked, playing hula girls a la 13 Daughters while near naked, and playing old French type lords (unfortunately fully clothed). End slight SPOILER***

Jenn Colella. Dear Jenn Colella. Will someone cast this woman in a hit show? Here she plays Chicky, a hair stylist where women can just drop of their wigs, like Patti did in WOTV. Don't worry, Jenn sings about how she's going to get out of this line of work, and she ain't teasin'- get it!

Kyle Dean Massey is playing it sweet and earnest, which actually works amidst all the camp that flying around him. He does have to sing lyrics like, "we were so poor we couldn't even pay attention!," but he still sounds winning singing them.

Savannah Wise plays the love interest and has a truly bizarre song with Varla that takes place behind to cardboard cars that must be an homage to Carrie from "Don't Waste the Moon."

Kyle Dean end act one with a gospel send up that reminded me of Richard Kiley singing "Faith" from I Had a Ball. Kyle's was complete with angel chorus, tambourines, confetti and many, many key changes.

There were so many sexual puns I couldn't even keep track of them. Leslie hurdled them at us right and left, often with literal winks at the audience. After a romantic moment between Kyle and Savannah, Leslie lewdly said to Varla, "Looks like Billy Ray's got a lump in his denim for Wanda!"

I must give most of the credit where it's due to Willard Beckham who directed and wrote the book, music and lyrics. This was clearly a man with a vision and a wicked sense for camp. Bravo for achieving such a complete vision and never letting the pace let up.

We often talk about how everyone has a right to their own opinion on this site and all that blah, blah, blah, but I honestly have to wonder if someone could walk out of this show and not be laughing. I had tears in my eyes all evening, and the audience was equally along for the ride (Kyle got cat calls and applause when he took off his shirt!). A well-deserved instant standing was earned by the cast.

This may not run very long, but if you like camp, or are just having a bad day and need a laugh do anything you can to get a ticket to this show.

Updated On: 4/28/11 at 11:22 PM

[BwayTday]

Posted: 4/28/11 at 11:33pm

This looked like it could either be a complete disaster or camp heaven. I'm glad it's the latter. The cast seemed so enthusiastic about it.

"Kyle's was complete with angel chorus, tambourines, confetti and many, many key changes." That sounds freakin' fantastic. My god. Key changes are my jesus.
Updated On: 4/29/11 at 11:33 PM

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/28/11 at 11:46pm

I honestly wanted to give the act one finale a standing ovation!

[jbm2]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 12:16am

This may not run long?
What makes you say that? I thought it had an open ended run. I wont be back into the city until the first of June, and I really wanted to see this.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 12:22am

The theater is way too large for this production. It was at least half empty tonight. I guess even the papering services couldn't fill the seats. The show also wasn't done on the cheap. There were countless (amazing) costumes by William Ivey Long and the sets by Rob Bissinger were more elaborate than I thought they'd be. If this doesn't find an audience fast it will be vacating early, as did the aforementioned Dracula.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 12:47am

I really want to see this. Any idea if they're doing student rush? Was thinking about trying last minute tomorrow...

[tamra2]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 1:04am

no it was scheduled as a 12 week limited run, ends in july... i cant wait to see this!

[chrisampm2]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 1:22am

Whizzer..., it's easy to think from the opening of your post that Lucky Guy is unintentionally funny - or was Prince of Central Park purposefully campy? I've heard Rachel Lily Rosenbloom but know nothing of its physical production. Did it have a consistent vision that made it deserving of success? I'm glad that you're on this show's side and hope word spreads that this is a show you laugh with, not at.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 1:34am

They do have student rush - $21.50, 2 hours before curtain, 2 per ID.

Posted: 4/29/11 at 3:08am

Now I want to see it!

Chris, Rachel Lily Rosenbloom was definitely meant to be camp. Of course that didn't stop it from closing in previews... Updated On: 4/29/11 at 03:08 AM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 6:43am

Whizzer- you've out done yourself! That is a fabulous review! Sounds like it has some elements of Whorehouse Goes Public and (my favorite camp classic) Whoop Up! too-- hopefully they are marketing this heavily in Chelsea and Hells Kitchen...

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 7:53am

Was Prince of Central Park purposefully campy? Now there's a question! I want to give the creators the benefit of the doubt and say parts of it were. I mean when Worley's entrance line to her jogging instructor was, "A size 8? In my dreams! (looks at boobs) Gravity, gravity, what did I ever do to you!," or when she sings lines like, "Crap happens at the speed of light/Crap like a blast of dynamite," you have to hope there was some intentional camp involved.

Rachael, as EricMontreal noted, was camp on purpose, but the thing both show most share with Lucky Guy is they were so shocking in what came next. Your mouth was always on the floor saying, "Did they just do that?"

Michael Bennett, yes Whorehouse Goes Public is another good example.

I was laughing both at it and with it if that's possible. The show is very self-aware so I think they're in on the camp too, but some of it is just plain bad at the same time.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 8:09am

I have a friend that was in Central Park and once asked her a question along the lines of- 'what were they thinking?' and she said they were really going for a show that would appeal to the matinee ladies who lunch set--cute more than camp--most unintentional camp only becomes so after a gay audience gets a hold of it--

Kind of a fine line between camp and kitsch-- the Trailer Park Musical being an example of more kitsch- what whizzer describes above with drag queens, low-brow sexual humour and overtly gay chorus boys being definite camp

Rachael Lily Rosenbloom has been cited as the only 'truly' intentionally camp musical ever on Broadway- meaning it was designed specifically for the sensabilities of a mostly gay audience.


Updated On: 4/29/11 at 08:09 AM

[jbm2]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 8:50am

really excited to see this now... I hope it doesn't close early! What is the shows running time?

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 9:23am

It ran about 2 and half hours, although it started late.

Interesting about Prince of Central Park. I mean I kinda knew it was never all out on purpose camp, but some of it was just so ridiculous I assumed they were in on the joke too. I guess it makes sense they were going for a female matinee audience with all the plots about weight loss, life after divorce, etc.

Lucky Guy is almost like a Charles Busch type musical. It is aimed at a gay audience with camp taste. It's too bad they couldn't find a way to work both Worley and Greene into this show (throw in Dee Hoty while we're at it and I would REALLY be in heaven!).

[jbm2]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 10:01am

I have a 12 year old tbat I will be with... is this show "appropriate" for that age??

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 10:10am

And don't forget Karen Morrow! I'm sure she would be dynamite in the Varla Jean Merman role!

I am endlessly fascinated by 'camp' and its definition - because it really is an almost intangible sensibility - but one I really think is intristicly linked to the gay culture.

The kind of 'camp' that most people relish is the "Mommie Dearest" brand that is obviously unintentional - most of the classic Broadway flops that connoisseurs really take delight in: CARRIE, BUTTRIO SQUARE, VIA GALACTICA, PRETTYBELLE, DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES, RAGGEDY ANN, and yes PRINCE OF CENTRAL PARK fit into this kind of category - they may have had some 'moments' of self-aware kitsch, but they were mostly earnest in their execution. The joy comes in their 'I can't believe they thought they could get away with this ridiculousness' moments that would be jaw dropping and in poor taste to most straight audiences but find some incandescent appeal to gay men. These are the shows that historically often played out of town try-outs, completely oblivious, in fact until they landed in a New York theatre filled with homosexuals, who laughed them out of New York.

LUCKY GUY sounds something akin to RACHAEL LILY ROSENBLOOM or WHEN PIGS FLY - that were written specifically to appeal to the camp sense of humour of gay audiences. Its not quite the same brand of camp because its largely intentional, but it sounds like LUCKY GUY, despite that still has some moments that cross over into unintentional camp regardless, which are probably the moments that would make this a 'must see' for most of us who delight in such things



Updated On: 4/29/11 at 10:10 AM

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 10:31am

The show does, indeed, close in July. And I can confirm the theatre was more than half full. And Whizzer, I probably scanned your ticket last night.

[gschuber]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 10:44am

I'm seeing this on Sunday, May 8 and could not be more excited! Thanks for the update.

2 questions:
- Does this show have a Playbill?
- Are they selling window cards? I love the promos I'm seeing around Times Square. Varla posted one on her facebook page and said "it was nice to finally be on a trash can, rather than in one".

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 10:49am

Yes to both.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 10:55am

Michael Bennett, thank you for your lovely summary of camp and what it means to the gay community. Recently I was having a conversation with my father about some shows and I mentioned an actor was a little camp. He didn't know what I meant, and when I tried to explain I found that I was having a very difficult time helping him understand.

I guess I believe that true camp is always completely unintentional. If you are aware of the camp then you are really parodying the genre, or perhaps warming embracing it, but you aren't necessarily creating camp in its purest form. But as you so eloquently stated, it is an "intangible sensibility."

RobbieJ- Maybe it was more than half full, but the upper portion of the theater appeared very empty to me. Sounds like you would know best though. Did you work there for Dracula too?

gschuber- there is a Playbill, and yes they are selling windowcards, t-shirts and I believe a mug.

Updated On: 4/29/11 at 10:55 AM

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 10:59am

Well...right now, the upper rows are blocked off because of the productions tables and staff that are taking up that section. So that limits the capacity right there.

And yes...oh yes...I sure did work there for DRACULA. I started ushering there when I was struggling financially...but I have such a good time with that staff that now, even though I'm on surer footing, I still usher. I've been through THREE MO' TENORS, VIAGARA FALLS, DRACULA and now, LUCKY GUY.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 11:02am

How was Viagara Falls? I was always kind of tempted to see it thinking it could be good for a few laughs...

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 11:09am

It was...something. And yes...you should have seen it.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 11:54am

Oy Viagra Falls... I tried to block that one out.