I Love Lucy: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Sitcom

World premiere of I Love Lucy: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Sitcom — The hilarious true story behind America’s most beloved TV comedy by Gregg Oppenheimer, son of I Love Lucy creator-producer-head writer Jess Oppenheimer and one of the world’s foremost experts on the show. The onscreen pairing of Lucille Ball (Sarah Drew) and Desi Arnaz (Oscar Nuñez) is at the heart of one of the most popular TV shows in history. Who would have thought that to get on the air they had to battle both a network and a sponsor who thought the show couldn’t possibly succeed?

Each of the five performances at UCLA’s state-of-the-art James Bridges Theater will be recorded live in front of an audience for future radio broadcast, distribution on CD, digital download and online streaming.
WHO:
• Written by Gregg Oppenheimer
• Directed by Michael Hackett
• Starring Sarah Drew as Lucille Ball and Oscar Nuñez as Desi Arnaz
• Also featuring Ron Bottitta as William S. Frawley, Seamus Dever as I Love Lucy series creator / head writer Jess Oppenheimer, Abigail Marks as Vivian Vance, Matthew Floyd Miller as radio and television announcer Bob LeMond, Rob Nagle as CBS programming chief Hubbell Robinson and Nick Toren as CBS executive Harry Ackerman
• Produced by Susan Albert Loewenberg
• Presented by L.A. Theatre Works

WHEN:
• Thursday, July 12 at 8 p.m.
• Friday, July 13 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, July 14 at 3 p.m.
• Saturday, July 14 at 8 p.m.
• Sunday, July 15 at 4 p.m.

WHERE:
James Bridges Theater
UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television
235 Charles E. Young Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90095
(enter UCLA from Hilgard just south of Sunset Blvd.; park in Lot 3 on the lower level)

HOW:
310-827-0889 or www.latw.org
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TICKETS:
$15-$60