| The Wild Party | |
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Original cast album |
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| Music | Andrew Lippa |
| Lyrics | Andrew Lippa |
| Book | Andrew Lippa |
| Basis | Joseph Moncure March's narrative poem The Wild Party |
| Productions | 2000 off-Broadway 2004 Edinburgh Festival Fringe |
The Wild Party is a musical with book, lyrics, and music by Andrew Lippa. It is based on Joseph Moncure March's 1928 narrative poem of the same name. It coincidentally debuted during the same theatre season (1999–2000) as a Broadway production with the same name and source material.
Contents |
ACT 1
A prologue introduces the audience to two vaudeville performers, Queenie, a showgirl and Burrs, a clown. They appear to be a perfect match, since both are attracted to sleaze and kink, and they move into a Manhattan apartment together. (Queenie Was A Blonde.) After a couple of years, boredom and distrust have replaced the passion in their relationship. Tired of Burrs and his physically brutal ways, Queenie makes plans to throw a party where she can embarrass him. (Out Of The Blue)Their guest list is a motley mix that includes a prizefighter named Eddie and his wife Mae; the flamboyant and incestuous d'Armano brothers; Sam Himmelsteen, a theater producer; Dolores, a hooker and her lesbian madam, Madeleine True, and a mute dancer, Jackie. (What A Party) After being yelled at by an annoyed neighbor, Queenie rallies the crowd and gets them in the party mood. '(Raise The Roof).' Fashionably late is Kate, a semi-reformed prostitute and longtime rival of Queenie, bringing along a strapping young gentleman named Mr. Black. Queenie sees Mr. Black, who is immediately attracted to her, as her opportunity to make Burrs jealous. At the same time, Kate is determined to nab Burrs. '(By Now The Room Was Moving). The couples take to the dance floor to carry out their plans. '(The Juggernaut) The tension between the two couples becomes obvious to all, and the d'Armanos suggest that Queenie and Burrs perform a number from their new Broadway show. (A Wild, Wild Party). Her performance fascinates Mr. Black even more, and the two discuss their growing feelings for each other. Burrs sees the chemistry between Queenie and Black, and violently scolds her for it. Meanwhile, Eddie and Mae are enjoying the party and vocalize their amorous feelings for each other (Two Of A Kind). After much abuse from Queenie, she gives in, and wonders if she really is happy (Maybe I Like It This Way.) Meanwhile, Kate is unsuccessfully trying to seduce Burrs; he's not paying attention to her, as he's focused on Queenie. He confesses his anger and sadness towards Queenie's flirting with Black. (What Is It About Her?)
ACT 2
Kate finds she is unable to attract Burrs, after yet another trial (The Life Of The Party). Mr. Black has completely fallen for Queenie, and he declares his dedication to her (I'll Be Here). Meanwhile, Burrs has started to slip into insanity and turns apathetic, drinking ridiculously and hallucinating. (Let Me Drown). Queenie and Black have hit it off (Tell Me Something), and they begin to have sex as the party evolves into an orgy (Come With Me). Burrs finds Queenie with Black, and pulls out a gun. Queenie manages to talk him out of his rage, and the couple shares a moment of true love for once. This is interrupted, however, by Black, who takes the gun and shoots Burrs dead (Make Me Happy). Black flees the premises, and Queenie is left wondering how her plan could end in such tragedy (How Did We Come To This?).
Directed by Gabriel Barre and choreographed by Mark Dendy, the off-Broadway production opened on February 24, 2000 at the Manhattan Theatre Club and ran for 54 performances. It starred Julia Murney as Queenie, Brian D'Arcy James as Burrs, Idina Menzel as Kate, and Taye Diggs as Mr. Black. A cast album was released by RCA Records.[1]
In 2004, The Wild Party was produced as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In recent years it has been staged in cities throughout the United States, including Chicago,[2] Baltimore,[3] Cincinnati,[4] Memphis,[5] and Valparaiso, Indiana.[6]
A production of The Wild Party was announced in early 2008 to be presented February 2–24 by the Gallery Players in Brooklyn, New York, with a cast featuring Grease: You're The One That I Want runner-up Allie Schulz.[7]
Ben Brantley of the New York Times said of Lippa's score, "[it] has a jittery, wandering quality, conscientiously shifting styles and tempos as if in search of a lost chord . . . The ballads . . . are of the high-decibel, swooning pop variety made popular by Frank Wildhorn. Mr. Lippa fares better with pastiches of jazz, vaudeville and gospel vintage, although these, too, suffer by comparison to the Kander-Ebb songs for Chicago." CurtainUp said, "The Wild Party may not be the perfect musical we've all been looking for but it's great fun to watch and puts enough talent on display to have warranted a longer run than it will have."
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The Wild Party won the 2000 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical of the 2000 season, Lucille Lortel Awards for Scenic, Costume, and Lighting Design, and the 1999-2000 Obie Award for Best Choreography. It was nominated for twelve additional Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding New Musical.
The Andrew Lippa and Michael John LaChiusa versions of The Wild Party are markedly different in their storylines. In Lippa's version, the plot is tightly focused on the central love triangle of Joseph Moncure March's original poem, and the cast is much smaller. Many of the characters in LaChiusa's version do not appear in Lippa's version at all.
There are major differences in the music and tone of the two shows, as well. Lippa's songs are not wholly dependent on the plot of the show, and can be understood better than LaChiusa's can be understood out of context. Comparatively, the LaChiusa score is tightly interwoven with the plot of the show, and most if not all of the songs make little impact outside of the story.
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