"Love Life" musical returns to New York City Center

The musical "Love Life," created by Kurt Weill and Alan Jay Lerner, is making a comeback more than 75 years after its original debut. The show first premiered in 1948 and received a warm reception from influential figures in the Broadway scene, including Stephen Sondheim and Hal Prince. “Love Life” tells the story of an American marriage over 150 years through various vaudeville performances. While it was innovative for its time and influenced many later musicals, it did not achieve the same enduring popularity. The show was never recorded due to a musicians' union strike, which affected its accessibility. Over time, it became known as the "lost great American musical." Now, after many years of obscurity and delays caused by the pandemic, "Love Life" will be staged again in New York City at Encores! The revival will be directed by Victoria Clark and will feature performances by Kate Baldwin and Brian Stokes Mitchell. Musical scholar Kim Kowalke believes that the show may finally be free from its past misfortunes.