Fame—I Wanna Live Forever

Last week, Rebecca Duvall annoyed everyone except Karen.


This week, she continues to annoy everyone except Karen. She’s late to rehearsal due to working out at the gym. Karen doesn’t mind because Derek talks to her. I wouldn’t mind if Jack Davenport started talking to me. He asks Karen if she is getting the material as the understudy as he can’t work with her. She says she doesn’t mind as the Chorus Buddies filled her in. Understudies work with the stage manager, not the director. Derek is slightly impressed. Ivy, watching them, is slightly jealous. Ellis takes Rebecca’s assistant aside though he (rightly) doesn’t want anything to do with the rat. But the rat says it’s important.


Rebecca finally shows up as we quickly see Michael’s replacement singing “Lexington and 52nd Street.” Derek wants to start with “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” but Rebecca objects. She says she has some ideas for the song and wants to discuss them with Julia and Tom. For their part, they send death glares at her. I don’t blame them. “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” is a beautiful song.


Speaking of beautiful songs, Julia and Tom are working on another one. It’s a piece to be sung by Marilyn’s shadow selves. Julia and Tom work on it when Frank shows up to pick up Leo (Hi, Brian d’Arcy James!). Julia is surprised; Ellis gave her a message that Leo was staying at Frank’s. Frank says Leo has cancelled on him. And the two realize that Leo has given them the slip and call the police. The officer takes down the information and sends out alerts to the airports and terminals. Frank and Julia decide to call all of Leo’s friend. I have to echo the recapper over at Television Without Pity: Wouldn’t they have called I Was a Teenage Pothead before calling the police?


Anyway, the Pothead hasn’t seen Leo and claims that they haven’t been friendly since the drug bust. He suggests talking to Leo’s teammates on the wrestling team. Julia’s all been there, done that, couldn’t show it due to production values. He and his mother insist that Leo is not there but Julia doesn’t believe them as she stares ominously at Pothead through his bedroom window. So Julia pretty much accosts Pothead outside school and threatens him. It doesn’t go over too well, namely because telling a kid that being a Broadway librettist/lyricist means something is kinda laughable. But after looking at Julia’s puffy eyes, Pothead gives in.  He tells her that Leo’s been sleeping on his bedroom floor and that he needed a break from home. He asks Julia to give her son some space.


At home, Frank rages.  He wants to go over and drag Leo back home. And give I Was a Teenage Pothead’s Mother one-for. I’m for it—how did the woman not notice another teenager living in the house? Then again, her son is I Was a Teenage Pothead. Anyway, Julia calms Frank down. She says that he’s allowed his anger but that Leo needs a break. Frank seems to agree. So they seem to reconcile as Leo comes home. He blathers on and frankly there is a reason the recapper at Television Without Pity calls him “Dull Leo.” The boy needs acting lessons.


Anyway, happy ending all around there! At least for now—the previews show Derek asking for Michael Swift back.


Meanwhile, Tom was holding down the fort. Namely, he was making excuses for Julia. I get that she didn’t want everyone knowing her business, but I think Eileen deserved to know the truth. You don’t have to tell Derek, but Eileen is the producer. Anyway, Tom is a nervous wreck in private and leans on Sam. They grow closer and share a sweet scene once Leo is back home.


Speaking of Eileen, she’s still seeing Thorsten Kaye! And she takes him with her to a fancy art thing at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), mostly to show up Jerry. Who is there with some tall, leggy, young blonde who address Eileen as “Mrs. Rand.” Jerry decides to needle Thorsten Kaye, but the man refuses to be ruffled. In the end, Jerry looks like a pretentious ass and Eileen and Nick skip out on the second half. They go back to Nick’s apartment, which is wonderful and comes with a portrait of Keith Richards. He tells Eileen that she looks wonderful.  And I have to agree. Anjelica’s hair had been curled loosely. The two start kissing and we eventually have a shot of the two lying in bed together.


Not much on the Ivy end this time, her plot is tied up with the Rebecca-Karen plot. Namely, how they are now BFFs! Rebecca invites Karen out with her to a club. She encourages Karen to sing and we get Katharine McPhee’s rendition of “Run.” This is a fact-finding adventure—namely, Rebecca scouting Karen and sizing up her talent. She decides that Karen is definitely talented. And keeps cultivating a friendship with her. Gives her expensive clothing, takes her out, etc. Dev has to track her via Getty Images and her parents think she’s a lesbian…for some reason.


At the same time, Karen has been learning the new song “Second Hand White Baby Grand.” Ellis listens to her practice while hauling around the arsenal needed to make Rebecca’s special smoothies. Her assistants have been running around doing other tasks for the star and Ellis got the job when she tried to give it to Linda, the stage manager. Ivy is the only one who feels sorry for him. He tells her that she should be singing that song and she agrees. She then asks Ellis for his help. dun dun DUN!


Karen arranges for a dinner between her, Dev and Rebecca (who already told Karen to lose Dev as he was holding her back). They go to an Indian place and Rebecca is amazed that the name is the address. Really? Anyway, Rebecca also has a peanut allergy and Dev assures her that it is not used and she is thinking of Thai food. But Rebecca asks the waiter if they use peanuts. I’m sure it’s supposed to be “Oh look, the demanding star is demanding.” But a peanut allergy is serious business. The “Oh look, the demanding star is demanding” comes later when she asks that her water not be tap but bottled. There have been surveys and research done and it’s a fact: New York has the best tasting tap water.


As their meal continues, Dev and Rebecca start fighting. And what does Karen do? She starts to fantasize. And because they are in an Indian restaurant, because Shaiman and Wittman wanted to write the song and because Raza Jaffrey was the leading man in “Bombay Nights,” it’s a Bollywood number! And, to be honest, it was amazing. Jaffrey sounded great on it. And it looked like Katharine McPhee was having so much fun while doing the song. It was the most alive I’ve seen Karen look in a performance.


While it was amazing, it did leave a few questions. It was Karen’s fantasy yet most of the cast was involved in it. Like how does Karen know who Nick is? And that he’s with Eileen? I can fanwank that she heard rumors about Julia’s marriage as Michael wasn’t too subtle. And Tom and Sam have been obnoxious while Karen and Dennis are friendly. So she may know about Dennis’ attempts to date Tom. If you can find it, do so.


The next day, Ellis sends Karen home and so Ivy has to sing “Second Hand White Baby Grand.” And it is beautiful. Derek thanks her for it. And Rebecca, who has been lying the couch as the song is sung as a memory, pops up and thinks that the star should sing such a powerful number. Everyone looks like “Oh no.”
I think Uma is doing a wonderful job. Rebecca is so annoying yet you know she does want to do well. But she’s used to being pampered and being on set. And likes the fame she has. So does Karen. The show seems to be torn. On one hand, they want to show Karen as the diamond in the rough, the girl who has natural star power. But on the other hand, she is more interested in fame rather than performing for the sake of performing. Unlike Ivy who has been working for ten years because she loves to perform.


At least I think so. Characterization is a bit wonky.

Playbill Recap