BWW Reviews: I (Still) LOVE LUCY

No, you don't need to get your eyes checked. If you happen by Overture Center before January 11th and see a

bouncy redhead pestering a suave Cuban man while sporting the grimace of a beloved television star - follow her.

I Love Lucy Live on Stage is 'filming' in front of Overture's live studio audience this week and they are loving every minute of it.

From the iconic theme song to Ricky's bopping Bamba to Lucy's all too familiar grimace, the show has everything a true devotee of one of the greatest sitcoms in history could hope for. Director Rick Sparks' touring production is a couch potato's dream.

Based on the filming of two episodes of "I Love Lucy" ('The Benefit' and 'Lucy Has Her Eyes Examined'), audiences are taken on a journey through the land of Desilu Playhouse. Mark Christopher Tracy keeps the gawkers entertained as playhouse host Maury Jasper. Tracy ensures that no one strays from the 1950's fantasy with his banter or his handy dandy 'Applause' sign.

Kevin Remington and Lori Hammel are a force to be reckoned with as Fred and Ethel Mertz. Just like their sitcom counterparts the two play off of one another's frustrations. Though the show is not all about these two wacky neighbors, there is certainly not a time when they are on stage that attention is not paid. This is particular true if Fred makes a joke about his wife resembling a horse. And boy, can those two dance.

A sneaky star that people may not appreciate right away is a woman who literally had to sneak out of the theatre before the doors opened. Denise Moses, who plays several characters but includes Mrs. Birdie Mae Figg (of the Oklahoma Figg's) is just a hoot. The moment she appears as Mrs. Figg, she steals the hearts of anyone who can see into her face. Moses is further proof that the old adage is true, 'there are no small parts' because she makes those characters worth watching.

When the stage is not being overrun by Brylcreem singers or Speedy the Alka-Seltzer boy, Thea Brooks and Euriamis Losada as Lucy and Ricky were up to their old tricks as America's favorite couple. The two have an uncanny ability to exist as Lucy and Ricky on stage. It is far from a good impersonation. Brooks and Losada take on their roles with a serious gusto although the two they portray are lighthearted. Lucy's spirit is rekindled in every smile and electrified when Brooks breaks down in one of the late star's iconic tantrums, while Losada's impeccable voice wooed the onlookers. The two together are a masterpiece.

It's been nearly sixty four years since Lucille Ball graced America's televisions in her sitcom 'I Love Lucy'.

It's been nearly twenty five years since one of the great comediennes of the world passed away. But Lucy's memory, her joy, and her irreplaceable quirks have been brought back to life at Overture Center.

And if anyone reading this skips out on a chance to see this touring show, "you got some 'splainin to do."

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