The Wild Party (Lippa musical)
Encyclopedia
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
.
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 incest
uous 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?).
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
.
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
, Baltimore
, Cincinnati, Memphis
, and Valparaiso, Indiana
.
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.
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."
Act two
, 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.
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.
Andrew Lippa
Andrew Lippa is an American composer, lyricist, book writer, performer, and producer. He is a resident artist at the Ars Nova Theater in New York City.-Biography:...
. It is based on Joseph Moncure March
Joseph Moncure March
Joseph Moncure March was an American poet and essayist, best known for his long narrative poems The Wild Party and The Set-Up.- Life :...
's 1928 narrative poem
Narrative poetry
Narrative poetry is poetry that has a plot. The poems that make up this genre may be short or long, and the story it relates to may be simple or complex. It is usually nondramatic, with objective regular scheme and meter. Narrative poems include epics, ballads, idylls and lays.Some narrative...
of the same name
The Wild Party (poem)
The Wild Party is a narrative poem. Written in the classical epic style, it is Joseph Moncure March's first published work.Upon its 1928 publication, the poem was widely banned, first in Boston, for having content viewed as wild as the titular party...
. It coincidentally debuted during the same theatre season (1999–2000) as a Broadway production with the same name and source material
The Wild Party (LaChiusa musical)
The Wild Party is a musical with a book by Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe and music and lyrics by LaChiusa. It is based on the 1928 Joseph Moncure March narrative poem of the same name...
.
Synopsis
ACT 1A prologue
Prologue
A prologue is an opening to a story that establishes the setting and gives background details, often some earlier story that ties into the main one, and other miscellaneous information. The Greek prologos included the modern meaning of prologue, but was of wider significance...
introduces the audience to two vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
performers, Queenie, a showgirl and Burrs, a clown. They appear to be a perfect match, since both are attracted to sleaze and kink
Kink (sexual)
In human sexuality, kinkiness and kinky are terms used to refer to a playful usage of sexual concepts in an accentuated, and unambiguously expressive form....
, and they move into a Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
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
Prizefighter
A prizefighter is a boxer.Prizefighter may also refer to:*Don King Presents: Prizefighter, a video game by 2k Sports released in 2008*Prize Fighter, a video game by Digital Pictures released in 1994 for the Sega CD...
named Eddie and his wife Mae; the flamboyant and incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
uous d'Armano brothers; Sam Himmelsteen, a theater producer; Dolores, a hooker and her lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
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
Orgy
In modern usage, an orgy is a sex party where guests engage in promiscuous or multifarious sexual activity or group sex. An orgy is similar to debauchery, which refers to excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures....
(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
Tragedy
Tragedy is a form of art based on human suffering that offers its audience pleasure. While most cultures have developed forms that provoke this paradoxical response, tragedy refers to a specific tradition of drama that has played a unique and important role historically in the self-definition of...
(How Did We Come To This?).
Productions
Directed by Gabriel Barre and choreographed by Mark Dendy, the off-BroadwayOff-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
production opened on February 24, 2000 at the Manhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club is a theater company located in New York City. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has grown since its founding in 1970 from an Off-Off Broadway showcase into one of the country’s most acclaimed...
and ran for 54 performances. It starred Julia Murney
Julia Murney
Julia Kathleen Murney is an American actress, singer and theatre performer, primarily featured in theatre and television commercial voice-overs. Until 2005, she was commonly known as the Broadway actress who had technically never appeared on Broadway...
as Queenie, Brian D'Arcy James
Brian d'Arcy James
Brian d'Arcy James is an American actor and musician.-Personal life:James was born in Saginaw, Michigan, the son of Mary , a seller of children's books, and a lawyer father, Thomas F. James. Brian's maternal grandfather was Harry F. Kelly, former Governor of the state of Michigan...
as Burrs, Idina Menzel
Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is widely known for originating the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.-Early life:...
as Kate, and Taye Diggs
Taye Diggs
Scott Leo "Taye" Diggs is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Broadway musical Rent, the motion picture How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the television series Private Practice...
as Mr. Black. A cast album was released by RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
.
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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, including Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Cincinnati, Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, and Valparaiso, Indiana
Valparaiso, Indiana
Valparaiso is a city in and the county seat of Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 31,730 at the 2010 census, making it the 2nd largest city in Porter County.-History:...
.
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.
Critical reception
Ben BrantleyBen Brantley
Benjamin D. "Ben" Brantley is an American journalist and the chief theater critic of The New York Times.-Life and career:...
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
Frank Wildhorn
Frank Wildhorn is an American composer known for both his musicals and popular songs. He is most known for his musical Jekyll & Hyde, which ran four years on Broadway, and for writing the #1 International Hit song "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?" for Whitney Houston.-Early years:Wildhorn was born in...
. Mr. Lippa fares better with pastiches of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, vaudeville and gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
vintage, although these, too, suffer by comparison to the Kander-Ebb
Kander and Ebb
Kander and Ebb were a highly successful songwriting team consisting of composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb . Known primarily for their stage musicals, Kander and Ebb also scored several movies including their most famous song, the theme song from Martin Scorsese's New York, New York...
songs for Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
." 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."
Song list
Act one- Queenie Was a Blonde- Queenie, Burrs & The Company
- Out of the Blue- Queenie & Burrs
- What a Party- The Company
- Raise the Roof- Queenie & The Company
- Look at Me Now- Kate & The Company
- Poor Child- Black, Burrs, Kate & Queenie
- An Old-Fashioned Love Story- Madeline
- By Now the Room Was Moving- The Company
- The Juggernaut- Queenie, Black, Kate, Burrs & The Company
- A Wild, Wild Party- D'Armano Brothers, Queenie, Burrs & The Company
- Two of a Kind- Eddie & Mae
- Maybe I Like It This Way- Queenie
- What Is It About Her?- Burrs & Queenie
Act two
- The Life of the Party- Kate
- I'll Be Here- Black
- Let Me Drown- Burrs, Kate & The Company
- Tell Me Something- Queenie & Black
- Come With Me- Queenie, Black & The Company
- Jackie's Last Dance- Instrumental
- Make Me Happy- Burrs, Black & Queenie
- How Did We Come to This? / Queenie Was a Blonde (reprise)- Queenie & The Ensemble
Awards and honors
The Wild Party won the 2000 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding MusicDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Music
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music is an annual award presented by the Drama Desk, a committee comprising New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors...
, the Outer Critics Circle Award
Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical of the 2000 season, Lucille Lortel
Lucille Lortel
Lucille Lortel was an American actress and theater producer who is remembered as the namesake of an off-Broadway playhouse and theatrical award....
Awards for Scenic, Costume, and Lighting Design, and the 1999-2000 Obie Award
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City...
for Best Choreography. It was nominated for twelve additional Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding New Musical.
Comparison with LaChiusa's Wild Party
The Andrew Lippa and Michael John LaChiusaMichael John LaChiusa
Michael John LaChiusa is an American musical theatre and opera composer, lyricist, and librettist. He is best known for complex, musically challenging shows such as Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party, and See What I Wanna See...
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.