The Life

[Jason128]

Posted: 4/13/04 at 5:54pm

Has anyone seen this show before. I believe it was on Broadway back in 1997. Well I have never seen it, I just recently heard the soundtrack, and I am in this huge production where we do a musical revue and this is one of the shows we are doing in it. And the music is pretty good. Updated On: 4/13/04 at 05:54 PM

[Broadway724]

Posted: 4/13/04 at 6:09pm

i LOVED it, but sadly its rarely ever done anymore

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/13/04 at 6:10pm

The show is so-so. It is dark and gritty. Prostitue life in the 1970's in New York City wasn't anything to make a musical about. The ending is a bit contrived.

Many people in the black community used the term "the life" to refer to someone who was gay.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/13/04 at 6:47pm

Terrific score (one of Cy Coleman's best), terrific cast (Lillias White, Pamela Isaacs, Chuck Cooper, Sam Harris), flat & unimaginative staging (Michael Blakemore) and mediocre Fosse-lite choreography (Joey McNeely). The book unfortunately went out of its way to emphasize the tawdrier aspects of the subject matter. It reminded me of "Sweet Charity" (Coleman's best score) 20 years later -- the "dance hall hostesses" had become a bunch of tired old Time Square hos, with barely enough energy to get off of a stool (White's "Oldest Profession" stopped the show without ever standing up). The whole show had a bad case of inertia with no excitement or electricity -- it might as well have been a concert (I kept wondering what Michael Bennett or the real Fosse would have done with this material).

[Becky]

Posted: 4/13/04 at 7:13pm

MargoChanning, I agree with everything you wrote. I ended up seeing it many times, and really enjoyed myself. But objectively speaking, show was flawed. It's still one of the cast recordings I listen to the most though....and that cast was outstanding.

[Rypm25]

Posted: 4/13/04 at 7:19pm

I didn't enjoy this show at all. The first act seemed to be endless...and I was just plain bored by pretty much every aspect of this show. (except for Lillias White)

[EffieWhite]

Posted: 4/13/04 at 8:41pm

I thought that it was a couple of rich, white guy's really uneducated idea of what life was like for African-American street people. Condescending and insulting.
Oh, and Jason, you listened to the ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING!!! NOT THE SOUNDTRACK!!!!

Posted: 4/13/04 at 8:48pm

Great score at times. Not a great show. A little to pretentious in a way and very heavy handed towrds the end.

[BrooklynsChild]

Posted: 4/13/04 at 9:04pm

I liked it! It was a little dark but the music was good! MY BODY was my favorite song! The ending I didnt like though!

Posted: 4/13/04 at 9:09pm

Theres also a early recording of the score with various artists. I think Liza is in there.

[johny0828]

Posted: 4/13/04 at 10:45pm

any show with a song "the hookers ball" in it is ok in my book. plus sharon wilkins was in it, so i loved it.

Posted: 4/14/04 at 12:36am

I saw the show also when it was on Broadway, and I agree with everyone above. I enjoyed the score and listen to the OBCR frequently. But it was soooooo long. Rather, it could have used some cuts, and it would have been still very effective and tighter all around.
-DT

[Kavana]

Posted: 4/14/04 at 12:44am

awww this was my 1st bway show

[bob8rich]

Posted: 4/14/04 at 3:52am

Unfortunately I did not get to see this show - but I LOVE the score. I think "My Friend" is one of Coleman's most beautiful songs and my other favs are "I'm Leaving You", "He's No Good", "We Had A Dream" and "People Magazine" - all great songs.

I was lucky enough to meet Pamela Isaacs when she did the Cy Coleman concert during the Cardiff International Festival of musical Theatre in 2002. She is a lovely lady.

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 4/14/04 at 5:30am

everyone posting here pretty much had the same experience i did when i saw it... great score, but not a great show...

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 4/14/04 at 8:44am

gosh - I remember listening to the score once and thinking that the lyrics were some of the worst I'd ever heard...but I never saw the show.

[robbiej]

Posted: 4/14/04 at 10:12am

TERRIBLE!

TERRRRRRRRRRRIBLE!!!!

I mean...the songs sounded like trunk songs from CITY OF ANGELS, the set was crap...the costumes were straight out of SHAFT and the big ass pimp daddy bad with pulsing inset lighting (for the song MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY) was straight out of porn.

The reason SWEET CHARITY works is cause they are actually not hookers. In this show, they go around singing MY BODY, which is a hooker empowerment song. I've truly never seen anything so tacky...and I saw THE RED SHOES!!!

[wildparty20]

Posted: 4/23/04 at 8:14pm

I agree that the lyrics leave a lot to be desired...

"Why don't you just go to hell"
"Better yet, why don't you"
"Anything that I damn please is what I'm gonna do"

um... yeah... not top quality. But I love the funky orchestrations, very pop 80s. The music is very catchy. I get "Lovely Day to Be Outta Jail" stuck in my head all the time. I wish I could see a production of it, but due to subject matter, it's probably not going to be produced that often. Has anyone heard of another production of it somewhere?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/23/04 at 9:05pm

We saw it & liked it. Very un Disney . The Deuce like it used to be

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/24/04 at 3:32pm

wildparty20, the lyrics weren't all that great because Ira Gasman tried to take some of the jargon of the 1970's and include that in the songs. In "My Way or the Highway", Memphis sings "better do it Nestle Quick". That was a big phrase in the '70's. Anytime you wanted someone to hurry up you would say, "better do it Nestle Quick."

[DAME]

Posted: 4/24/04 at 3:35pm

HUSSYS!

[Phantom2]

Posted: 4/24/04 at 5:20pm

Corine2 put it best, "Dame I love your name but please get some new material."

Thank you and goodbye. HAHA

[Elphie]

Posted: 4/24/04 at 5:31pm

"You can't get to heaven, on one hallejuh..."
I love the OBCR, but have also never seen the show. Back when I was in 5th grade, I saw the show perform at the Tony's and immediately feel in love and purchased the cast recording. The scores lyrics aren't the strongest, but the music someone just captures you- Very catchy.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 4/24/04 at 6:54pm

"It's my way or the highway", that's when I wanted to leave but it would have been very impolite, as it was opening night.

[DAME]

Posted: 4/24/04 at 9:15pm

It is one of those cds I bought after seeing the show in which I have played two of the tracks and never listened to again. If I want to hear a hussy screaching I could just bitch slap my husband and get more enjoyment out of it.

Updated On: 4/24/04 at 09:15 PM