Interview| I Love Lucy: Live on Stage

Sirena Irwin as Lucy and Bill Mendieta as Ricky in the national tour of I LOVE LUCY® LIVE ON STAGE. Photo by Jeremy Daniel.

Get ready Toronto, TV's favourite comedic couple Lucy and Ricky Ricardo are back in a touring stage production opening next week for a limited engagement at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Here, we chat with Sirena Irwin and Bill Mendieta, the leads of I Love Lucy: Live on Stage, to find about more about what's in store for fans of the classic show.

Theatromania: Tell us about I Love Lucy: Live on Stage. How would you describe this production in a few sentences?

SI: I Love Lucy: Live on Stage brings to life two episodes of I Love Lucy ("The Benefit" and "Lucy has Her Eyes Examined") in full colour. But not only is the audience brought back in time to 1952 as they watch the filming of the episodes, they are a part of the experience as they ARE the live studio audience at Desilu playhouse. There is a host that takes them on the journey and they will hear commercial jingles and popular songs from the era sung by the Crystaltone Singers. They get to experience the Ricky Ricardo Orchestra and so much more. With 15 actors and seven musicians bringing the experience to life, the audience is in for a big treat.

BM: I Love Lucy: Live on Stage is a fun ride where the audience gets to time travel back to 1952 and experience the filming of two episodes of the I Love Lucy show, that groundbreaking series which was the first TV show to be filmed in front of a live audience with a multi-camera style that is still used in many sitcoms today. Not only does the audience get the fab four of Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel live and in color, but there is a host that brings them through the experience, the Crystaltone Singers that perform songs and classic commercials of the era, and of course, the audience gets to hear the Ricky Ricardo Orchestra.

Theatromania: You play two of the most popular characters in TV history. How did you prepare for these roles?

SI: Carefully! I essentially came to this role with no real knowledge of the show—shame on me, I know! So, when I was cast, I had a lot of work to do. I needed to know this character inside and out. and I wanted to know about the experience of bringing I Love Lucy to life so I did a lot of reading (after 300+ shows I am STILL reading and learning new things on a daily basis)—a lot of watching (still watching, too!)—and a lot of working on dissecting the character and then inhabiting her. It has been an incredible experience, one I am eternally grateful to have had—the ultimate education in comedy.

BM: There is a balance of meeting the expectations audiences have and bringing our own sensibilities and craft to these roles. Watching the series, researching the show’s and the creators’ history was fascinating. And in our rehearsals, as we were getting to know specifically how these characters function moment to moment, it became evident that at the core the couple have a deep, passionate love for each other. In addition, they each have their own desires. Ricky wants to achieve the American dream and be a successful band leader with the perfect wife at home. Lucy wants to get into showbiz and be a star. Since Ricky is from Cuba, I also did research of his culture and the period preceding 1952 to get a grasp of the world and the social mentality of that time. I also interviewed some people of Cuban decent that I knew here in the US, and noted the rhythms and musicality in the dialect. What was also enjoyable was that I was able to get familiar with the music of that time period—as Ricky is the leader of a big band that incorporates Latin style music, and performing and doing shows in his club is where he is king.

Theatromania: What has been the highlight of this experience so far?

SI: Each performance is a highlight for me. It is a new opportunity to have a relationship with a group of people that are there because they LOVE Lucy! I get the chance to bring Lucy Ricardo to life for them—they get to see her in action —in color. And I get to be her for that show. It’s an incredible honour. And I don’t take it lightly.

BM: There are many highlights of this experience not only in seeing how audiences and diehard fans are positively responding, but also because this is a family friendly show where many young people are being affected by it. In Chicago after a show, we spent some time talking with a young girl and her mom and even brought them backstage for a tour of the theatre. After she came back to see it again, her mom told us we changed her life. Her daughter decided to get involved in theatre and it helped her overcome her shyness and build confidence. Theatre is a collaborative art and it can teach young people the value of ensemble, responsibility and the freedom of expression through the structure of performing a show.

Theatromania: Have you encountered any challenges during the rehearsal process?

SI: Every rehearsal process we’ve gone through has been a great challenge. And you must know that, to me, challenges are a gift! Lucille Ball and the writers (Madelyn Pugh, Bob Carroll Jr., and Jess Openheimer) created such a complex character that even after doing this show 300+ times I am still searching for a deeper understanding of Lucy— of the comedy bits, the timing,  the truth. I’m always looking for each moment to be more and more specific. I don’t think one could ever tire of this part. There is always something else to discover, to try and master.

BM: The main challenge in the rehearsal process was not to rely on imitation and find the core of these human beings and discover the true comedy of each episode. Since I have been with this production from the beginning, there has been another challenge in doing three iterations of this show—LA, Chicago and now the national tour. It became important to not rely on what was done before, but rediscover the funny moments, the dances, the songs, the connections with the other characters all in a new way each time.

Theatromania: What do you hope Toronto audiences take away from this performance?

SI: I hope this show fills them with joy and laughter. I hope it warms their hearts and fills them with love. The love that Lucy continues to give—even after so many years!

BM: I hope Toronto audiences join in the fun of this production and take a ride to 1952. I hope they laugh and sing along and participate in the experience of what it would have been like to witness the filming of the TV show back then. The universality of this show and the characters is defined by the humor that arises in a marriage with the day-to-day activities of their lives and with their friends. Yet underneath all of that zaniness is love. I think that is easy to see in the seemingly simpler times of the '50s, but it also holds true today.

I Love Lucy: Live on Stage runs from October 15 to November 3 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Visit mirvish.com for more information and to buy tickets.

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