The 1990s are alive and well in Washington, D.C., where CrazySexyCool – TLC musical plays its world premiere at the Arena Stage.
The musical, which chronicles the rise and fall of Grammy Award-winning girl group TLC, has been in development for years. Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chili” Thomas first plans revealed for a stage adaptation of its musical catalog for Broadway at the inaugural ’90s Con, to be held in 2022.
After Kwame Kwei-Armah initially turned down the project, the British playwright and director finally agreed to be the man to tell the TLC story on stage. Kwei-Armah exclusively told BroadwayWorld that he had to include TLC hits like “No Scrubs,” “Unpretty,” “What About Your Friends” and “Waterfalls,” but he wanted to weave them into the story in a way that felt organic. The theater artist also knew he had to find a way to properly portray the tragic death of singer Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez, who died in 2002 at age 30 in a car accident that honored her legacy without bringing the musical to an abrupt halt.
To CrazySexyCool ends its run Aug. 9 at the Arena’s Krieger Theater, home of the Tony Award-winning musical. Dear Evan Hansen made its world premiere in 2015 – BroadwayWorld collaborates exclusively with Kwei-Armah. He discusses the musical’s development, TLC’s involvement, and the future, including the possibility of the musical moving to Broadway or life beyond the Arena.
What was the audience reaction at Arena and what did you learn?
Kwame Kwei-Armah: Once you get to a preview, you’re known to stop looking at the stage and start looking almost exclusively at the audience to see at what point they lean forward, at what point they lean back, or when they start coughing. So far I feel very, very good that the audience seems to be totally into it. There are moments that we have prepared for shock and we get this reaction. And there are times when there is some jokes and some excitement, and they react very positively to it. Overall, we see that people really enjoy looking at TLC’s story through this lens.
What was it like working with Chili and T-Boz? How involved are they in the production of the musical?
KSA: They’re very involved in it. It was relatively joyful. Each of them has their own personality and expresses their joy in different ways. They were both there for the premiere, and it just so happened that their friends sat next to them, laughing, giggling, and (confirming) behavior patterns throughout the performance. I only got a couple of notes from them after the premiere, which was really good. Throughout the whole process, I flew to Atlanta and read the script to them myself, and then they (made notes for me). They were with us all this time. And it’s very important when you’re telling someone’s life story that they allow you to find the essence of it, even though they may not have said some of the lines.
You were repeatedly offered to participate in the project, but at first you refused. At what point did you change your mind?
KSA: I was walking down Broadway with Billy Diggins, the manager of TLC, and he was talking about it. And then something just struck me. I said, “I think I know how to do this with something that would seem unique to me.” These women have lived through some cataclysmic events that would break most mere mortals. So what is the spirit that keeps them going? Then I asked, “The Left Eye spirit—what is the Left Eye spirit? How does it contribute to who women are today?” I wasn’t the only one saying, “Let me tell the (TLC) jukebox version.”
What does CrazySexyCool different from a traditional jukebox musical – if at all? When you started with a clean slate, where did you start?
KSA: I think every person, when they start, says, “This is a different kind of jukebox musical. It’s different from all the others.” And I don’t think I did it at all. I think the jukebox musical is a genre that can be like any other genre: (it) can be done well, or it can not be done well. And I tried to do it as well as I could. When I started, I started… with songs. I start with the lyrics and then try to create scenes that fit seamlessly into the song. One of the joys (of this) is opening night, T-Boz said while on stage: “I didn’t know my lyrics were so deep.” And this made me very happy.
Talk to me about accounting for the death and legacy of the Left Eye. What have you learned about her through this process?
KSA: I thought Left Eye’s death was the biggest thing that happened. But the fact that (playwright) Hana Sharif challenged me was absolutely wonderful. She said: “That can’t be the be-all and end-all, because if it is, then that would be the end of the show.” So – even though it’s huge, and we’ve made it into something very, very big during the show without a shadow of a doubt – it’s not the end of the show. Trying to cope with someone’s death that was so iconic and meant so much to the band was no easy task. But in fact, I believe that the Left Eye was on the lookout. She strove for inner peace. She was looking for peace. When this accident happened, she was eager to show her best side. As long as this was my North Star, death was not the end of the story, but a continuation of this quest.
After reading your early drafts of Chilli and T-Bozu, what was their reaction and did it change the course of the piece?
KSA: Yes. And again, they have different personalities, so they perceive things differently. (Reads) Chili, I read all the characters and the production. It took about three hours. It was one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of my life, reading to someone about their life in your words. She stood up and hugged me. She kind of shed a tear and hugged me for five minutes and just said, “Thank you.” So it was wonderful. And then (she) started giving me some notes about it. While T-Boz was very enthusiastic and really, really liked (it), at one point he said, “I don’t know if you captured me right. I don’t know if you (captured) what I do in the group right.” And then I toured with them a little bit and I said, “You’re absolutely right. I didn’t get some of your humor. You’re really damn funny, and I didn’t get it enough. I didn’t get your songwriting enough.” So yes, they did influence the direction. And at the premiere, I was overjoyed that they both hugged me and said, “Thank you so much.”
Since this is a world premiere, what do you feel is still a work in progress and what did you learn from the Arena?
KSA: I won’t say which ones exactly, but I know there are a couple of songs that seem fat but that I don’t really need in the show – one or two in particular. I have some thoughts on how I should rearrange some of the characters. I think there is always something to work on. It’s mostly about building some scenes that I can rewrite and tighten up.
What is the goal? Do you want it to appear on Broadway or in New York? Tour?
KSA: I think all of the above. There’s always talk going on at these kinds of shows, so I’m just keeping my fingers crossed and hoping—well, not just hoping, but knowing—that a lot of people are coming (to Washington), a lot of people are making positive noise, and that we can just build on that positive noise and go all the way.
When the run completes, does he immediately go back to working on those settings?
KSA: Absolutely. I’m already making them. And then we will decide when is the best time for us to take the next step. But the next step will happen.
Tell me about the casting of Holly Gabrielle Conway, Jade Milan and Stoney B. Woods for TLC. What was it like finding three women to embody this iconic girl group?
KSA: First of all, I have to praise Telsey, our casting agency, because they worked there for two years and never stopped until the last moment. Our three women, who fit together beautifully, came in different waves. Holly arrived quite early during the early workshop. We said, “We got you.” And then our Left Eye came into the room and I said, “Oh my God, God sent you.” And then the last one to join was our Chili. Even at the last auditions, the other two women read and watched some of our candidates for the role of Chili and asked their opinion because it was really important. They were supposed to be a partnership.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Photo credit: Julieta Cervantes
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Michael Gioia has held various senior editor positions at People, Parade, The Messenger, Star and Playbill, where he covered Broadway and the theater industry for nearly seven years… (more about this author)
