WE LOVE LUCIE

Although we were little kids when I LOVE LUCY aired we both adored the show. What could be better than the zany redhead and the Latin bandleader? Even the reruns are great. And we love Lucie Arnaz…the oldest offspring of the famous duo who forever changed TV and Latin music in the US.

We jumped when we saw that the 92nd Street Y had as one of the nights of their Lyrics and Lyricists Series an evening with Lucie Arnaz and decided to see this despite the fact that we were not able to get seats anywhere in the orchestra…and you know we prefer the first six rows center, aisle, if you please. Something must have come over the designer of the Y’s Kaufman Concert Hall, who was somehow confused between the often wider Jewish tush and the often anorexic Gentile derriere and let’s not even talk about the complete lack of legroom. When the curtain went up and Lucie danced onto the stage all this was forgotten.

We had no idea that she would discuss how her father’s music came to be and the very well chosen few slides in the background showed Desi in his prime. Who knew Lucie Arnaz had such an amazing voice? She looks fabulous and a genuine smile never left her face.

Lucie shared the stage with Valarie Pettiford who sings quite well and can almost dance. Desi Arnaz, Jr, who looks exactly like his father, didn’t really speak…Lucie was the moving force of the show…but Desi on the drums was a real treat and how incredibly nostalgic to think back to Little Ricky playing drums on the I Love Lucy show.

Now let’s talk about Raul Esparza. He’s to die for good looking and he just oozes talent. He, too, talked about his Cuban roots and how he cried when Lucie sent an email asking him to do this show with her. His renditions of Desi’s arrangements of songs like Cuban Pete, the Cuban Cabby, The Straw Hat Song and Old Devil Moon were just over the top. At the show’s end when Raul has the bowtie from his tuxedo undone and the huge Cuban drum across his body and he’s singing Babalu , well, it is over the top terrific. Lucie chose perfectly when she asked him to join her for this tribute.

The Y is an often over looked venue for some great, great evenings of song and dance. If you missed it last night, you only have until Monday January 11th to see this wonderful show. It is really much more than a wonderful two hours of song, dance and storytelling; it is a daughter’s love song to her Daddy.