LA WEEKLY [WEEKLY PICK]
Linda Lovelace, star of Deep Throat, wrote four autobiographies that muddled, not clarified, her unusual life. In the first two, she was a nympho; the second two, a victim. In all, however, her husband, Chuck Traynor (here, played biliously by Jimmy Swan), is clearly a sleaze who lured her into prostitution. Anna Waronker and Charlotte Caffey’s dark and haunting musical, Lovelace: A Rock Opera, is antipimp, not antiporn, even though the two are inextricably linked. Ken Sawyer’s well-staged production is fated to descend into hellish reds and writhing bodies, yet it’s shot through with beauty and sometimes even hope. As Linda, Katrina Lenk is sensational — she has a dozen nuanced smiles that range from innocent and shattered to grateful, in order to express whatever passes as kindness when, say, a male co-star (Josh Greene) promises to make their scene fun. Waronker and Caffey were members of two major girl bands, That Dog and the Go-Go’s respectively, and their music — with its keyboards, cellos and thrumming guitars — has a pop catchiness that works even with the bleakest lyrics, some originally written by Jeffery Leonard Bowman. Though the facts of Lovelace’s past went with her and Traynor to the grave (both died within months of each other in 2002), there’s strong evidence that her life was even worse than the musical’s ending suggests, but it’s cathartic to watch her stand strong and sing of her hard-fought independence before flashing lights that, in ironic defiance of the play’s title, beam out her real name: Linda Boreman.

LA TIMES
The lift of the 'Deep Throat' star makes for an unlikely, mesmerizing show.
By David C. Nichols

It's anyone's guess whether "Lovelace: A Rock Opera," Anna Waronker and Charlotte Caffey's urgent, tuneful elegy for the star of "Deep Throat," can rival that porn landmark's reach. However, we are undeniably watching something original, at once refined and electrifying.

This sense of discovery drives "Lovelace," based on a concept by Jeffery Leonard Bowman, who supplied some of the lyrics. Schematically, it echoes many a popera predecessor -- "Tommy," "Blood Brothers," pick a Lloyd Webber. Yet under Ken Sawyer's brilliant direction, the tale of Linda Boreman (the astonishing Katrina Lenk), from pimped-out spouse to adult industry superstar (under the Linda Lovelace screen name) to anti-porn advocate, carries its own darkly empathetic energy.

Beginning with historical images from 1969 projected on designer Joel Daavid's fragmented set, the libretto frames "Lovelace" in recollections from Lindsay (Sonya Bender), Linda's grown daughter. While a Greek chorus supplies hieratic interjections, Mrs. Boreman (Kendra Smith, in for Whitney Allen) tricks Linda into giving up her illegitimate child.

The narrative shifts to New Jersey and Chuck Traynor (an imposing Jimmy Swan), Linda's abusive first husband, who forces her into prostitution, drugs and eventually "Deep Throat," which makes Linda Lovelace a household name.

Throughout, "Lovelace" operates in an Expressionist whirl -- silhouetted sex tableaux, waitresses-turned-strippers before our eyes, a campy "Silicone Injection" sequence, ad infinitum. Propelled by Waronker and Caffey's restless, accomplished score, the show takes a nonjudgmental attitude toward porn and an unyielding stance on female exploitation. Even with canned accompaniment, it's remarkable how well it works.

Swan's creepy, clarion-voiced Traynor, Josh Greene's droll Harry Reems and Alan Palmer's preening Gerard Damiano are standouts amid an ace cast. But it's finally all about Lenk's heroine, and her raw yet potent singing and vast emotional range are immensely affecting. As her colleagues envelop her in David Wayne's musical staging, Lenk's vital commitment mirrors that of "Lovelace's" creators, and centers this cautionary theatrical cantata.

I know this world premiere has been kicking around in one form or another for a while, but it so perfectly embodies the concept of rock opera in both nonstandard subject matter (porn!) and execution (loud!) that it looks a classic in the ‘70s canon, by which I mean more than a few moments are reminiscent of Tommy. It's not really just about porn, of course. Charlotte Caffey (The Go-Gos) and Anna Waronker (That Dog) have crafted a tight 90 minutes based on inadvertent porn star Linda Lovelace (nèe Boreman), leading lady of that seminal (sorry) 1972 cinematic venture Deep Throat, the project that nudged blue movies into the mainstream. Katrina Lenk carries the eponymous role with aplomb and plays down her striking good looks to realize the Lovelace character, who even for the period was more winsome than pretty. As Lovelace's wretch of a husband, Jimmy Swan is spot-on as he snarls his way through Jeffrey Leonard Bowman's lyrics. The direction (Ken Sawyer) is madly stylish, though I wasn't terribly firm on what Lovelace represented when it was all over. —W.J.

Waronker and Caffey (formerly of the rock groups That Dog and the Go-Gos, respectively) are responsible for the book, music, and lyrics here, working from the original concept and song lyrics of Jeffery Leonard Bowman, but much of the success of Lovelace: A Rock Opera's world premiere lies in the hands of the entire production team and director Ken Sawyer. They've put together a standout group of actor-singers. Heading the cast is Katrina Lenk, whose charming and vulnerable Linda is the heart of the production, and she's got a killer voice, to boot. The silky-smooth Jimmy Swan is just plain brilliant as the man who introduces "the girl next door" to "his" world — that of drugs and sex clubs and ultimately pornography, where "the extremes of her talent" are showcased in the now-legendary Deep Throat. Smart lyrics and tunes have a shamelessly good time probing all sorts of naughty places and also lay bare the terror and isolation of a woman's sexual violation. Songs such as the lively "Let's Fuck" — sung by a terrific Josh Greene as Lovelace's co-star, Harry Reams — and Linda's own haunting ballad "Hide My Soul" are among the most memorable of the evening, but the ensemble members (Alan Palmer, Whitney Allen, Jill Marie Burke, Kelly Devoto, Sonya Bender, Curt Bonnen, Rachael Cavenaugh, and Milan Cronovich), featured in many roles, sustain an unrelenting drive throughout.

Sawyer makes solid use of every aspect of Joel Daavid's super set design; the production has visual bang and propels forward beautifully. Each actor seems very at home in this stylish vehicle and looks fantastic in Traci McWain's fine costumes. Where Lovelace: A Rock Opera falls short is the story, which is at times overly simplistic and at others full of misdirections and in the end leaves us sort of perplexed as to why any of it matters — even if we had fun, for a while.

Lovelace, a new rock opera about "Deep Throat" porn star Linda Lovelace, began world-premiere performances at the Hayworth Theatre Oct. 11 and officially opened Oct. 18.

The Hayworth, in association with Roz Bernstein Productions, presents the new work, which has book, music and lyrics by Charlotte Caffey, founding member of The Go-Go's, and Anna Waronker, a singer-songwriter and founding member of That Dog. The original concept and lyrics were by Jeffery Leonard Bowman.

Ken Sawyer (One Red Flower, Crime and Punishment) directs Lovelace: A Rock Opera, which features newcomer Katrina Lenk in the title role.

Performances continue to Nov. 23. The cast also includes Jimmy Swan as Chuck Traynor, Josh Greene as Harry Reems, Alan Palmer as Gerard Damiano, Whitney Allen as Mrs. Boreman, plus an ensemble of seven.

The authors serve as the production's musical directors. Musical staging is by David Wayne, production designer is Joel Daavid, production stage manager is Sara Gunther and costume designer is Traci McWain.

According to production notes, "In the style of previous smash hit rock operas Tommy and Jesus Christ Superstar, Lovelace: A Rock Opera recounts Linda's story. From pregnant teenager in Yonkers, New York, to her turbulent relationship with [husband Chuck] Traynor and the making of 'Deep Throat,' through to her triumphant rebirth as activist and suburban wife and mother."

On June 12, 1972, "Deep Throat" made its debut in the United States, becoming one of the first major mainstream adult film titles. Linda Lovelace (whose real name was Linda Susan Boreman) became a symbol of the sexual revolution, and the picture was a sensation. A few years later, Lovelace told of abuse and imprisonment at the hands of her husband, Chuck Traynor, and she later became an anti-porn spokeswoman. She died from internal injuries following a car crash in Colorado in 2002.

Writers Waronker and Caffey are Los Angeles natives and sisters-in-law who started collaborating for film, television and other artists when they met in 1995. Lovelace has been a work in progress since 2002, when Waronker and Caffey's initial involvement began solely as music writers. In 2006 the duo took on the task of writing the book for Lovelace, in the form of a sung-through rock opera.

Lovelace is their first theatrical endeavor.

(Caffey penned such hits as "We Got The Beat," "Vacation" and "Head Over Heels" in her Grammy-nominated band The Go-Go's.)

Waronker and Caffey said in a statement, "After a tremendous amount of research, we realized that the life of Linda Lovelace is a complicated story to tell. This isn't about a porn star or a feminist. What compelled us were all the details that lurked under the surface of this woman's life."

They added, "Musically, what we found through the years was that this story had a particular intensity that didn't lend itself to a traditional setting of a musical with dialogue. Luckily, the music we had written did indeed lend itself to that intensity, and after four years of countless books, several workshops and the guidance of our creative producers Gary Blumsack and Danna Hyams, and our director Ken Sawyer, we were 'Rock Opera'-bound. And here we are."

Jeffery Bowman provided the original concept and lyrics to the music featured in Lovelace: A Rock Opera. He is the author of nine produced stage plays, including 1995's Innacurate Information, which was presented at The Hudson Theater in Los Angeles. He is also the author of "Diva: The Unauthorized Biography of Whitney Houston" published by HarperCollins and released worldwide. In addition to his work on Lovelace, Bowman is currently writing and performing his own original songs with shows throughout the Los Angeles area.

Actress Lenk was recently nominated for a 2008 Ovation Award as Lead Actress in a Musical for her role as Velma Kelly in Chicago.