Wednesday, April 15, 2015

You’ll Love Sarah Lovy as Bodacious Hedy LaRue

Sarah Lovy as Hedy LaRue, perched on the lap of J.B. Biggley (Dorne Lefere)
Photo by Jan Cartwright
Fresh on the heels of her Barn debut as the adorable Audrey in Leading Ladies, Sarah Lovy is back as the femme fatale in another Farmington Players production.  This time Sarah portrays the vivacious and curvaceous Hedy LaRue in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.   Like Audrey, Hedy’s vocabulary is full of humorous malapropisms and both characters strive to improve their lot in life.  But while 1950’s Audrey is an innocent small-town girl, 1960’s Hedy is fully aware of her sexuality and is not ashamed of flaunting her assets to get ahead in the big city.  In that way, she is clearly as ambitious as protagonist J. Pierrepont Finch (played by Jason Wilhoite);  It’s just that Hedy takes a different path to the top of the World Wide Wicket Company.

As the mistress of company president J.B. Biggley (Dorne Lefere), Hedy first uses her relationship to get hired as a secretary. But she is clearly willing to hitch her caboose to any train that can advance her career faster. Sarah has always wanted to play a character like Hedy, saying, “It’s easy to write her off as a funny, sexy character, but there is so much more to her. She wants to be a businesswoman. She wants to be independent and not to have to always rely on her looks to get what she wants (but it doesn’t hurt!). She can be spoiled and brainless, but she’s also so witty, spunky, and most of all, kind. She isn’t the vixen that’s gonna come in and steal all the men just because she can. Hedy honestly wants to try and make something of herself.”

Sarah appears very extroverted backstage and confident onstage, so it might surprise you to hear her say: “I’m a very self-conscious and self-aware person, so playing a character that’s so overtly bodacious was definitely something I had to work on. But, in the end, I think the role has actually helped me a bit with my confidence. I walk a little taller and my head’s held high a little more. If Hedy can walk like that, so can I!”  And while Hedy is definitely a material girl, Sarah knows that money can’t buy you love, saying, “I measure success by happiness. I have seen people with all the money and things in the world who are absolutely miserable. I didn’t grow up with lots of money but I was taught to value the happiness of you and your loved ones. When I see a couple who love each other together or am surrounded by my friends I think, ‘What success!’”

Sarah has been in love with How to Succeed since age 16 when she saw it on Broadway during a class trip (“Me and my friends were singing ‘Coffee Break’ the rest of the trip.”)  She thinks How to Succeed’s appeal is universal: “I think people will enjoy the most zaniest parts and the most heartfelt parts. You get to see a guy move through an entire company. From the mailroom to almost being president! It’s the everyman’s fantasy.”  But beyond the fantasy, the theme of Brotherhood resonates even more strongly with Sarah: “In my opinion, that is the most important theme (and song) of the show. It doesn’t matter where you are. Whether in a company or life. In the grand scheme of things, we are all a community of people that need to rely on each other more. Whether you’re fighting a corporate battle or personal, you are not alone in this world. The membership is free!”

Sarah is from Berkley, MI and currently works for the Murder Mystery Improv Troupe. In addition to theater, she enjoys reading, writing, and her dog.


The Farmington Players production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is proudly sponsored by TruVista Wealth Advisors.  The show includes 13 performances from April 24 – May 16 and tickets are available online at farmingtonplayers.org or by emailing boxoffice@farmingtonplayers.org or calling the Barn box office at 248-553-2955.

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