TTO

The Big Love

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Tracey Ullman: A Class Act (ITV)
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The Big Love (play from 1991)

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Originally written for Andrew Mitchell's  Tracey Ullman "Go Home" Page

In April 1991, I had the great pleasure of traveling to New York to see Tracey Ullman star in a one-woman show, THE BIG LOVE. This was the first (and so far, last) time I saw a Broadway play, and I got to see it from front row center seats. I was very fortunate to see it when I did, for the show closed five days later, no doubt thanks to a scathing review from the New York Times.

THE BIG LOVE was about Florence Aadland, whose daughter Beverly was once romantically linked with Errol Flynn (she was only a teenager at the time). It was based on Florence's memoirs, also entitled THE BIG LOVE.

Going into the play, the storyline was not that interesting to me. I would not have seen this play on the plot alone. In fact, I wouldn't have been interested in it all had it starred any other actress. My sole reason for seeing the play was to see Tracey Ullman, who was and still is my favorite actress. And she gave a magnificent performance! She was playing a woman who would have been twice her age, and it was completely believable. She drew me into the story and made me interested in Florence, made me care about her and her daughter. That is the mark of magnificence.

Certainly, the rest of the audience must have thought the same thing, because we gave her a standing ovation which lasted for three curtain calls. She returned the favor in the last curtain call with a "Go Home!" bounce. If it had been up to us in the audience, the show would have stayed open for a few more weeks, at least.

Looking back on it from today, the character of Florence reminds me of Ruby Romaine, the makeup artist from "Tracey Takes On..." Their voices are very similar to each other, they both have a Hollywood background, etc. I wonder how much of Florence is in Ruby.

I hope I get the chance to see Tracey on stage again in the future. Television seems to be her ideal medium, but she's no slouch on stage -- or in any medium, for that matter.

Some mementos of the trip

Click on the images to see larger versions in a new window.

 
This is my ticket for the play -- front row center

 
My train ticket from New Carrolton (just outside Washington DC) to New York.  It was my first visit to New York City.

   
The program for the play.  Autographed programs were being sold in the lobby, with proceeds going to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.