The Laguna Playhouse presents 'I LOVED LUCY', 10/5-10/31

PRESS RELEASE:

Comedienne Lucille Ball left an indelible imprint on fans throughout the world, but most saw only the public persona. Now, go behind the scenes and get a glimpse of the personal side of Lucy when The Laguna Playhouse presents the World Premiere of I LOVED LUCY by Lee Tannen, based on his best-selling memoir, October 5 – 31, 2010. The play is directed by Todd Weeks, and stars Broadway actors Diane J. Findlay as Lucille Ball and Jeffry Denman as Lee.

Few people knew America's comic sweetheart the way Lee Tannen did. Though distantly related by marriage and forty years apart in age, Lucy and Lee became the nearest and dearest of friends during the last decade of Lucy's life. It was a time Lucy spent out of the spotlight and around a backgammon table, and Lee was lucky enough to be sitting across from her for much of that time.

Based on Lee's best-selling memoir, I LOVED LUCY offers a front row center look at a very different Lucy-a woman who was so much like and unlike her TV alter ego. See what is was like to be her friend, the way she truly was and the way she chose to live. Learn the stories and the shenanigans that Lee shared with her in Beverly Hills, New York, Washington DC, and Colorado. This is Lucy like you've never known her before.  It's a funny, irreverent, and bittersweet portrait that will add to the love of a great showbiz legend.

"Lee Tannen has a unique insider's knowledge of Lucille Ball," says Laguna Playhouse Artistic Director Andrew Barnicle. "He spent years as her friend and confidant, and he saw her through many of the ups and downs in the last decade of her life. Yes, she was a comic powerhouse. She was also stubborn, philosophical, affectionate, mercurial, vulnerable, and very human. Lee and Lucy's dynamic relationship is the basis for I LOVED LUCY, which is a funny and poignant story of their relationship, which began with him in abject awe and ended with deep love and mutual respect. The play has been adapted by Lee from his popular book of the same title, and we're honored to produce the World Premiere right here at The Laguna Playhouse."

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Tickets are $30 to $65. For more information, call (949) 497-2787, or visit LagunaPlayhouse.com.

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