Once Again My Life Has Been Worsened by Musical Theatre
The Life
a musical in two acts: Music by Cy Coleman: Lyrics past Ira Gasman: Volume past David Newman, Ira Gasman and Cy Coleman: Based on an original idea by Ira Gasman
Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York - April 26, 1997 (465 perfs)
Synopsis
The Life depicts the pulsating life on the Times Foursquare streets in the 1980s-where everything had a cost, especially sexual activity -the garish topless bars, the transvestite joints, the hookers who worked the sidewalks at the bidding of their pimps.
Story
Jojo, an opportunistic, conniving, white hustler in the thick of the action, has a bare-knuckled program for feeding his appetite. But among these unsavory characters at that place are appealing people who have been caught in the web of these sordid surroundings. Sonja, a veteran hooker who has seen better days, befriends Queen who is on the street because her man, Fleetwood, a displaced Vietnam veteran, needs her back up. She has saved her coin and on this day plans to get away with Fleetwood and leave the life for practiced.
Returning to her hotel room, Queen discovers that Fleetwood has spent half of her savings to pay off his drug debts and feed his addiction .
Fleetwood has an unrealistic dream of attaining power, coin anda piece of the action. Jojo tells him he'll never amount to annihilation every bit a pimp as long as he's romantically involved with the woman he's selling. Jojo takes him to the Port Say-so where they observe Mary, just off the charabanc from Minnesota, a girl with the mien of an angel but, as we somewhen find out, she's no angel. Jojo grabs at her suitcase then that Fleetwood can rescue it and go her hero.
The demi-monde hangs out at a bar owned by Lacy, who has seen information technology all simply has a certain affection for his clientele. In the company of her sis whores, Sonja bemoans the wearable and tear of her life . When Fleetwoocl and Mary arrive, Memphis, the "biggest man of affairs on the cake" comments on the professionalism of his trade and before long zeroes in on the newcomer .
Reluctantly, Queen takes Mary to the room she shares with Fleetwood and tries to persuade her to get back home. Afterwards, equally prostitutes eye potential customers, a gospel group parades by. The girls defiantly stand up up for themselves, while the pimps complain about the harassment of the cops.
Jojo cajoles Mary into taking a turn equally a get-go dancer. A smashing success, she celebrates her expert fortune in Easy Money with Fleetwood and Jojo, who has her in listen for his "mentor" Lou, a gaudy Los Angeles producer of "move pictures" of the triple Ten genre, who'southward looking for fresh corn-fed talent.
One time again in jail, Queen reflects on her zipper to Fleetwood; while, enticed by Mary, Jojo and Fleetwood spend the dark with her in a threesome. Equally Fleetwood turns his attentions toward Mary, Memphis makes his movement to put "Queen in his deck." Queen discovers what's been going on between Fleetwood and Mary and decides she's finally had enough. As everyone parties at The Hookers' Ball, Lou makes off with Mary, while Queen, shunning Fleetwood, attaches herself to Memphis.
Over a game of Three-Card Monte, Jojo and the pimps discuss their "silent partner". In Memphis's spacious apartment, Queen cheers him for getting her out of jail and for the beautiful dress he gave her to clothing to the Hookers' Ball; only Memphis makes it very clear that the dress was a $half-dozen,000 loan that she must repay with her earnings. He warns Queen that she better non exit town "crusade you'll be coming back real soon for a funeral - Fleetwood's; followed shortly past your ain."
Queen tells Sonja that she must discover Fleetwood and warn him about Memphis's threat. She asks Jojo to tell Fleetwood to encounter her the next morning at Lacy'southward. Meanwhile Mary, with Lou, toasts her credence of his offer of a motion-picture show career.
The next forenoon Jojo doublecrosses Queen and comes to Lacy's With Memphis, who brutally flogs the terrified woman. When Fleetwood arrives, Queen reminds him of what they once had together. When Fleetwood returns to his hotel, he finds Mary leaving for Los Angeles.
Near the Lincoln Tunnel, Memphis'southward henchman, Snickers, pushes Queen to become "enough of activity this evening. Memphis is depending on it." She, Sonja and other girls share their hopes for the future.
Later on, nigh the Hudson River in a spot one time special to Queen and Fleetwood, Sonja hands Queen a motorbus ticket and a suitcase in a drastic endeavor to get her away from Memphis. Fleetwood unexpectedly appears and tries to talk Queen into making a new kickoff, but Queen bitterly rejects him. Jojo guides Memphis onto the scene. Fleetwood pulls a gun on Memphis, but Jojo knocks the gun loose as Memphis mortally stabs Fleetwood; Queen seizes the fallen gun and shoots Memphis. Sonja decides to take the rap for killing Memphis, claiming cocky defense; she and Queen say good-bye, then Queen departs for the bus, which will deport her to freedom, every bit Sonja surrenders to the police.
- A.E. Hotchner
Musical Numbers
Act I
- Cheque It Out! - The Company
- Use What You Got - Jojo and The Company
- A Lovely 24-hour interval to Be out of Jail Queen, Sonja
- Oh Daddy Queen, - Fleetwood
- A Slice of the Action - Fleetwood
- The Oldest Profession - Sonja
- Don't Have Much - Memphis
- Hey, Daddy - Go Dwelling - Fleetwood, Queen, Mary
- You Tin't Get to Sky Queen, Sonja, Street Evangelists
- My Body - Frenchie, Chichi, Tracey, Carmen, Sonja, Queen, April
- Why Don't They Leave The states Solitary - Oddjob, Bobby, Silky, Slick, Snickers, Jojo, Apr, Carmen,Chichi, Frenchie, Queen, Sonja, Tracy
- Piece of cake Coin - Mary, Jojo, Fleetwood
- He's No Proficient - Queen
- I'thousand Leaving You - Queen
- The Hookers' Ball - Lacy and The Company
Act Two
- Step Right Up - Silky,Slick, Oddjob, Bobby
- Mr. Greed - Jojo, Bobby, Enrique, Oddjob, Slick
- My Style or the Highway Memphis, Queen
- People Magazine - Lou, Mary
- We Had a Dream - Queen
- "Anytime" is for Suckers - Sonja, Frenchie, Apr, Shatellia, Carmen, Tracy, Chic
- My Friend - Queen, Sonja
- We Gotta Go Fleetwood, Queen
Place: 42nd Street • Time: And so
Source: http://guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_l/life.htm