![\"Photo](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Love-Actually-07-e1545034787784.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo by Lawrence K. Ho, as is the one at the top of this page.<\/p><\/div>\n
So I was a bit lost at the beginning of this very innovative and unusual\u00a0Love Actually Live<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>at the Wallis. But I\u2019m here to clear it all up for you<\/em>, so that you\u2019ll be up-to-speed right from the get-go.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a co-production of the Wallis and a company called For The Record. It turns-out that FTR has been around for about eight years, but even with all the theatre I review, I had never heard of it before! I guess I was otherwise engaged. So I\u2019m glad that I’m finally aware of this company.<\/p>\n I\u2019m actually<\/em> planning on seeing Love Actually Live<\/em> again, now that I know what to look for. And so that you<\/em> will know, as well, I\u2019m about to break it all down for you. (Well, as best I can.)<\/p>\n Basically, parts of the film are shown on several alternating big screens above and on the stage, and actors sing the soundtrack songs live. There\u2019s no dialogue from them; the spoken bits are all in the movie scenes.<\/p>\n Love Actually Live<\/em> is not<\/em> a jukebox musical of the movie, although I can only imagine how fun that show might be. But I suspect that it would be oh so hard to do. And this<\/em> production is so much more spectacular, visually-wise, than jukebox musicals are. The whole thing is quite ingenious.<\/p>\n Photo by Lawrence K. Ho.<\/p><\/div>\n Let me tell you–very creative people put this theatre experience together. The concept alone sounds simple enough, but the execution is brilliant! The whole show is so cleverly done. I can\u2019t even describe it fully; you\u2019re all going to just have to see it for yourselves. It\u2019s basically a concert of the film\u2019s soundtrack, but it\u2019s so much more.<\/p>\n Sean Yves Lessard and Carrie Manolakos. Photo by Kevin Parry.<\/p><\/div>\n The visuals are all fabulous. I especially adored the softly-ever-changing Christmas tree that\u2019s the focal point of the stage.<\/p>\n I think you have to be a big fan of the film<\/em> to fully<\/em> appreciate Love Actually Live<\/em>, as several screamers in the opening night audience did. But it\u2019s all wonderful music on its merits, and beautifully sung, so that should really be enough for everyone to enjoy. (You might want to see the whole movie beforehand, and this is the season to do that, anyway, but otherwise, just go with the flow here.)<\/p>\n Even though Love Actually<\/em>, the movie<\/em>, is not<\/em> a musical, it has a fun soundtrack, and that\u2019s what takes precedence in this production. All the singing is good, but outside of two \u201cwow\u201d vocals, (by B. Slade and Carrie Manolakos,) it\u2019s the entire presentation that\u2019s the star.<\/p>\n Photo by Kevin Parry.<\/p><\/div>\n There\u2019s a pretty big cast\u2014the program lists seventeen, while I could have sworn I counted nineteen at the curtain call! (So good thing I\u2019m a writer rather than a mathematician.) The main orchestra is on the stage, and then a string quintet is in a lit-up shallow pit right in front. And they\u2019re all fantastic.<\/p>\n The action begins with the movie\u2019s opening credits, on a screen high above the stage.<\/p>\n As soon as I sat down, I was reminded of what a great theatre the Wallis is. Somehow, all<\/em> productions get a head-start just by appearing there!<\/p>\n I was also reminded of just what a magnetic actor Hugh Grant is! I haven\u2019t seen him in anything for quite awhile, so I really loved witnessing his charisma up on that screen again.<\/p>\n Steve Kazee. Photo by Lawrence K. Ho.<\/p><\/div>\n For those of you who care about such things, there are three famous people in Love Actually Live<\/em>, but I had not read my program, nor the beautifully-written press release, beforehand so I had no idea. First, handsome Steve Kazee not only won the 2012 Tony Award for his lead performance in the musical Once<\/em>, but, more importantly to some, he\u2019s Jenna Dewan\u2019s new beau! (And she was there for the opening. I actually ran right into her as I was exiting the ladies room. And she looks exactly as she does on TV, which is rare. So good on her.)<\/p>\n Rumer Willis. Photo by Kevin Parry.<\/p><\/div>\n Also, I did not know that one of the females in the cast was Rumer Willis, (the daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, and, in her own right, a Dancing With The Stars<\/em> champion,) until the after-party. And only then because I looked closer to see just who that girl was who was rocking my former great body!<\/p>\n Rex Smith and the girls. Photo by Lawrence K. Ho.<\/p><\/div>\n And lastly, the guy who plays the Bill Nighy \u201caging rocker\u201d role is Broadway star, (and former teen idol,) Rex Smith! It took me half the show to realize it was Rex. (On a personal side note, he and I once sat next to each other in an acting Master Class, when he was already famous, and the teacher kept torturing him about his work that day. I was so impressed when Rex spoke up and put that idiot in his place. I became a fan of his just because of that one experience.)<\/p>\n B. Slade. Photo by Kevin Parry.<\/p><\/div>\n There was only one disappointment for me about this whole production. When I first became aware that Love Actually Live<\/em> was going to be a show of songs from the film\u2019s soundtrack, I was so excited because my absolute favorite Christmas song of all time is Mariah Carey\u2019s All I Want For Christmas<\/em>! I was even planning on singing along with gusto, whether or not<\/em> it was audience participation. I was looking forward to it for weeks. And then…no such song materialized. Not even at the end. I believe that omission is because they couldn\u2019t procure the rights to it, so bah humbug to the Scrooge who wouldn\u2019t give them. (But the song did<\/em> play in the background of the opening night after-party, so at least I got to hear it at the Wallis that night.)<\/p>\n And there is<\/em> a performance-ending sing-along, with a projection of the lyrics for the audience; it\u2019s just of Love Is All Around<\/em>, a song I\u2019ve never thought about in my life. But the rest of the audience was very into it. And in-shape (especially for his age) Rex Smith is practically naked while playing the guitar during it, so what\u2019s not to like?<\/p>\n Photo by Kevin Parry.<\/p><\/div>\n Actually, Love Actually Live<\/em> is all<\/em> to like! But you have only the rest of this month to do that, so I heavily suggest you go see it right now. (And what a fun way to spend New Year\u2019s Eve!)<\/p>\n Love Actually Live<\/em> running through December 31, 2018<\/strong> LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE I know that this fifteen-year-old movie is iconic at this point, but all I remembered about Love Actually is the cue card bit, that the sadness of the Laura Linney storyline ruined the whole thing for me, and, of course, Mariah Carey\u2019s Christmas song! So I was a bit lost at the<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\n Wallis Annenberg Theater For The Performing Arts<\/strong>
\n 9390 N. Santa Monica Boulevard Beverly Hills 310-746-4000 www.thewallis.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"