This is 'The Life': prostitution and porn celebrated in a musical

By John Fleming, Times Performing Arts Critic
In print: Thursday, April 10, 2008

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TAMPA — Recession hits the street in The Life. If today's economy is bad for many businesses, imagine how it must be affecting the world's oldest profession, though for somewhat different reasons than the subprime mortgage mess.

"Our profession goes into recession as soon as the cops arrive,'' sings a chorus line of prostitutes in the musical by Cy Coleman (music and book), Ira Gasman (lyrics and book) and David Newman (book) set in pre-Disney Times Square when it was overrun by the hard-core sex trade.

It takes a gutsy company to celebrate unadulterated sleaze, and MAD Theatre of Tampa is up to the task in its production at the Ritz Ybor, the old Masquerade nightclub. A community theater whose horizons extend beyond Rodgers and Hammerstein or Forever Plaid is bracing in these timid times for the arts.

But The Life is valuable for more than just shock value. Besides, it's not all that shocking, having had a good run on Broadway in the 1990s. It's one of Coleman's finest scores, which is saying something for a composer with hits such as Barnum, City of Angels and Sweet Charity (whose Times Square taxi dancers bear a certain innocent resemblance to The Life's whores). With Brent Douglas conducting a nine-piece band, this show is like the best jazz club in town.

There's an unlikely love story at the heart of The Life, between the prostitute Queen (the excellent Coya Bailey Jones) and her hapless pimp, Fleetwood (Frank J. Edmondson). They have some powerful duets that enliven their dysfunctional (to put it mildly) relationship. For support, Queen relies on Sonja (Eileen B. Lymus-Sanders), who virtually steals the show with her powerhouse star turn, The Oldest Profession.

Naturally, The Life has no shortage of louts. The ringleader is a hustler called JoJo (Scott Hamilton), who tells Fleetwood, "If you're going to be a pimp, you can't be in love with your woman.'' Memphis (Curtis L. Griffin Jr.), thuggish kingpin of the demi monde, has no problem following that advice; he beats Queen to a pulp.

Despite the bleak material, Coleman's score is stuffed with witty songs, such as People Magazine, a brilliantly cynical riff on celebrity by Mary (Jessica Barker), an angelic blond who is no angel, and the producer who promises to put her into porn, Lou (Billy Martinez). If anything, the show may have too much music, as if Coleman couldn't stand to drop a single song. Sometimes it feels too long.

The level of performance in The Life, directed by Justyn Wade Dansby, is uneven, but the company's spirit never flags. Elizabeth Robins-Edelson's choreography is a strong point, with some authentically skanky dance numbers. Carlye Starr's costume design demonstrates a sharp eye for truly bad fashion.

John Fleming can be reached at fleming@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8716.