Mot Morenzi Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 2 hours ago, Freddie2 said: Haven’t heard Skyscraper before but those lyrics- oy! They sound like something from Tim Rice! (Don’t shoot, Mot! Only joking.) LOL! My initial scowl prevented me from seeing your last sentence at first Rice seems to be as divisive as Lloyd Webber. Both tend to be better received overseas than in America. I personally think Rice's work is clever, at least compared to many modern lyricists who write very heavy-handed and cliché-ridden songs. It's easy to pick out Rice's contributions to Aladdin, especially if you're familiar with Evita, given his knack for up-tempo lyrics. (One jump, ahead of the breadline, one jump, ahead of my doom...fill me up with your heat, with your noise, with your dirt, overdo me!) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 4 hours ago, Mot Morenzi said: LOL! My initial scowl prevented me from seeing your last sentence at first Rice seems to be as divisive as Lloyd Webber. Both tend to be better received overseas than in America. I personally think Rice's work is clever, at least compared to many modern lyricists who write very heavy-handed and cliché-ridden songs. It's easy to pick out Rice's contributions to Aladdin, especially if you're familiar with Evita, given his knack for up-tempo lyrics. (One jump, ahead of the breadline, one jump, ahead of my doom...fill me up with your heat, with your noise, with your dirt, overdo me!) Rice's favorite lyrics of mine are from Chess. I'm also a big ABBA fan and the B's from that group did the score. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryCarter Posted July 31, 2020 Report Share Posted July 31, 2020 The New York Times has an article about Lucy and Wildcat today. I don't think it's particularly flattering. Neil, I think you should write a letter to the editor! https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/31/theater/lucille-ball-wildcat.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted July 31, 2020 Report Share Posted July 31, 2020 "This is the story of how the most famous and talented sitcom star of her era — and maybe of all time — failed on Broadway." Probably because someone dimmed her bulb. I mean it's just like Lucy Ricardo wrote that. As for the book. I'm waiting on my library to get it in to give it a spin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted August 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2020 On 7/31/2020 at 10:48 AM, HarryCarter said: The New York Times has an article about Lucy and Wildcat today. I don't think it's particularly flattering. Neil, I think you should write a letter to the editor! https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/31/theater/lucille-ball-wildcat.html I think YOU should write the letter. My arguments will descend into Mrs. McGillicuddy "Oh, POOH!" and "HA!" Why is it that "Wildcat" has gradually gained the status as a "flop" over the years? There are many reasons Lucy dropped out after 6 months (8 if you count the Philadelphia out of town run) but lack of attendance or interest didn't figure into it. I can't remember which Lucy biography it was but when it came to the Wildcat chapter, it took a negative slant and quoted reviews. I went back and looked at the full text of the 7 * New York newspapers and the biography author cherry-picked the negative and left out anything that was praised. This is how these things morph into "facts". I got into a "friendly" back-and-forth with someone on Facebook about it who stated something like "it was a disaster and it was Lucy's fault". Them's fightin' words! The reviews as a whole can be summed up with "loved Lucy; hated the book (script)". Writer N. Richard Nash may have had some other great works but Wildcat is not among them. In fact, Wildcat has the same general concept as his big hit "Rainmaker". A stranger comes to town, promises are made, and the final curtain douses the cast with liquid (one ends up wet, the other greasy). Even an accomplished writer can have a dud. Lucy has been criticized (in revisionism) for inserting Lucy-isms but when the audience is bored with the goings-on, what else is a performer to do? N objected to the changes and years later complained that his concept was highjacked. I say "O, N shut your M". They didn't highjack it enough. N was lucky to have a star of Lucy's caliber interested in his work. *yes, can you believe in 1960, New York City had SEVEN major newspapers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted October 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2020 I believe I can now say "I've seen everythin', brudder!" I wonder if the audience knew they were listening to the golden vocals of one Lucille Ball. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesiluGower Posted October 3, 2020 Report Share Posted October 3, 2020 Why wasn't this ever filmed, recorded etc. Wasn't it financed by Desilu. You'd think they would have done it. Thanks Brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted October 3, 2020 Report Share Posted October 3, 2020 17 hours ago, Neil said: I believe I can now say "I've seen everythin', brudder!" I wonder if the audience knew they were listening to the golden vocals of one Lucille Ball. I bet half of them were spending the whole routine asking each other, "Is that Lucy?" And what an odd pick. I'd think your go to songs for a hill Billy number would be from Lil Abner. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted October 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2020 On 10/2/2020 at 10:58 PM, DesiluGower said: Why wasn't this ever filmed, recorded etc. Wasn't it financed by Desilu. You'd think they would have done it. Thanks Brad No it never was. Strange I think, because a TV version might have recouped most of the production cost, fronted by Desilu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted January 30, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2021 After seeing "Wildcat" in January of 1961 a Rob Miller of Providence RI wrote this letter-to-editor of Newsweek magazine: " I have a suggestion to make to Miss Lucille Ball: Next time you decide to do a broadway show, hire the unheralded writers of I Love Lucy. They’d do a better job with Wildcat than author N. Richard Nash.". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted June 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2021 I posted this to Facebook, but for those who didn't see it: 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeySanJoaquin Posted June 21, 2021 Report Share Posted June 21, 2021 Very impressive, Neil! Thanks for your efforts! 🥰 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryCarter Posted August 31, 2021 Report Share Posted August 31, 2021 Toni Lamond (sister of Helen Reddy) from the original Australian cast of Wildcat performs “What Takes My Fancy.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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