Based on the revered 1950s CBS sitcom, “I Love Lucy Live on Stage” made its way to Broadway in Chicago last fall. After several weeks in hiatus, the musical stage show returned to the Water Tower Place in December 2012. The musical’s extension will last until March 3.

Fresh faces are featured in the play, including Illinois alum Curtis Pettyjohn as landlord Fred Mertz. Pettyjohn shared details with The Daily Illini about his audition, character and hopes for Broadway in Chicago’s production.

Daily Illini: How did you become involved with “I Love Lucy” on Broadway in Chicago?

Curtis Pettyjohn: I have a mutual friend who is in the production, and he used to live in Chicago, but I also knew him when I was much younger in Springfield, where I grew up. He now lives in Los Angeles, which is where “I Love Lucy” first was produced. He called a mutual friend of ours here in Chicago and said that he was coming into town to do “I Love Lucy” live. Our friend said, “I know who would make a great Fred Mertz.” … She said, “Curtis Pettyjohn.” What happened was we used an iPhone and videoed my audition on an iPhone, compressed it in an email and sent it to L.A. … Days later, the director called again and said, “We want you to prepare these musical numbers from the show.” Once again, I used the iPhone and email. From that, I was cast. It’s amazing how the technology has changed things for everybody.

DI: What were rehearsals like?

CP: The rehearsal period actually went for a month, which is long for some shows. It was incredibly thorough. In the show itself — the audience, it becomes a studio audience. There is a host, which is sort of the warm-up act. There are live television commercials that are performed by singers and dancers for products sold at that time like Cold Cream and Alka-Seltzer. There is a parade of hit songs from 1952 that are performed as a part of the show. There are two episodes that are acted as though they’re being filmed. So the audience becomes a huge part of the whole experience. It’s not just about sitting quietly and watching. The audience is very involved. In the middle of the show, there is even an “I Love Lucy” trivia contest.

DI: How have the crowds reacted to the performances?

CP: “I Love Lucy,” from the time they showed the first episodes, has never been off television, ever. So you have whole generations of people who have seen episodes of “I Love Lucy.” A lot of times, we have as many as three generations of a family coming together to see the show and the people who grew up in that period, the fact that they are hearing commercials that they have not heard in a really long time, many of them are singing along. Kids love it, which is surprising that the material holds up. I have not done a show where people laugh so much from the beginning to the end. So, that part of it is pretty joyous.

DI: How do you transform into Fred Mertz?

CP: First of all, vocally there is a change. Obviously, we have used the episodes to understand better what (the character’s) movement looks like, how they carry themselves and mannerisms. There is an aging in (my character’s) body, and I have to bring my own energy down in a way that is a little bit older and stiffer. Watching (original portrayer) William Frawley … he was a master, just watching him work, he understood so well how to set up a line, how to set up a joke. The costumes obviously help a great deal and the costumes are pretty amazing for this show. For the other characters, there are an unbelievable number of wigs and hairstyles from the 1950s, but luckily, Fred was almost bald, and I am, so I don’t have to deal with any of that. Then, there’s makeup and some of that I am still utilizing from skills that I learned at the Krannert Center when I was a theater major there … slightly altering the face so I look a little bit more like Fred Mertz.

DI: How did you become interested in theater?

CP: I started doing community theater at the age of 15 in Springfield. Once I started doing that, I didn’t really want to do anything else. My focus was strong on performance. My family always stressed academics, so I had to stay on the Dean’s List most of the time, which meant that I had to study a lot as well as rehearse a lot. I have over the years, been many things. I am still a therapeutic body worker. I work a lot with people who are in chronic pain. Over the years, I at one point was the assistant producer for Chicago Shakespeare, which is a big company now but was very much a beginning company at the time. I’ve worked on historic preservation issues. I have worked in community redevelopment. My career is not quite what people would think as a typical acting career, but I always continued to do television commercials, no matter where I was living, and I’ve lived in a number of different places. 

DI: What advice can you provide for aspiring actors in the Illini community?

CP: First of all, know that it is a difficult business to make a living in. Secondly, know that you are really going to have to work very hard to learn all that you possibly can. A smart actor and an informed actor, I think is 10 times more interesting (than one that is not). The more you read, the more you know about the world around you. The more you bring that into your performance. It makes for a much more interesting and exciting person on stage and in film. Other advice — it’s a tough business sometimes, but if it’s something you love doing, pursue it. There are many ways to do what you love. Sometimes that might not mean being the star somewhere — it might be working in a different theater, it might be teaching. Wherever you find your joy is where you need to head.

Lyanne can be reached at [email protected].