New "I Love Lucy" Collector Doll in Development

Mattel will be producing a limited edition "I Love Lucy" Ricky Ricardo doll for release later this year!

This limited edition will feature Ricky dressed as Santa from the memorable "I Love Lucy" Christmas Special which aired on Christmas Eve in 1956. It is expected to be available this Fall, 2008.

This is in addition to another Lucille Ball exclusive due out shortly by Summer.

This will make the 3rd "Santa" doll that featured Lucy, Ethel and now Ricky. All that is left is one for Fred, which now will be expected.

My only thoughts are that there are so many outfits of so many characters from the "I Love Lucy" show for Lucy that I wonder why Mattel is focusing on one episode. As for costs, this is a cheap way of making a profit for Mattel on this series as the outfit is the same for all characters. But I personally would like to see just Lucy in various outfits from other characters she has played during the "I Love Lucy" show.

Let's not get into the discussion of DVDs from her other series - especially when they release "That Girl" series from the 60s on DVD and even today's shows that are still being shown on TV! As soon as a season is done, they produce DVDs from today's shows - Where's "The Lucy Show", "Here's Lucy" and "Life With Lucy" DVD Series?

Oh, well, we Lucy fans will still wait and take what we can get for now, but we should demand for more from the studios and from Mattel.

Lucy-Desi Days Begins Celebration

From the Jamestown Post Journal, The "First Lady Of Comedy" may be gone, but her legacy lives forever, especially during Memorial Day Weekend in Jamestown as Lucy-Desi Days 2008 opened downtown Friday.

The Lucy-Desi Days 2008 weekend is full of both free and paid-admission events, complimented by the attendance of several celebrities and vendors in the streets of downtown Jamestown.

Also, Future clowns learn the basics. Visitors to Lucy-Desi Days got a taste of one of the most time-honored comedic styles during ‘‘Clowning 101.’’

The class was part of the event’s Komedy Kollege attraction, which also featured juggling and balloon animal lessons during the weekend.

Jamestown Welcomes Lucille Ball Fans

As reported by Sarah Crump from The Plain Dealer, Jamestown, NY welcomes all who love Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

Are you an adoring fan of "I Love Lucy" 57 years after the show's premiere? You can't pay better homage to Lucille Ball than to journey to her hometown, Jamestown, N.Y., Friday through Sunday, May 25, for an annual festival in her honor.

More than 40 events, many free, highlight Lucy-Desi Days, a well-done community effort toasting Jamestown's favorite star and her husband, Desi Arnaz. For a complete listing of events, go to www.lucy-desi.com.

There will be competitions determining the best snail snackers, spaghetti eaters and salad dressing pushers, a la "Lucy" episodes, as well as appearances by celebrities. Melody Thomas Scott, "Nikki" of "The Young and the Restless," and Wilmer Valderrama of "That '70s Show" and "Yo Momma" will talk about how Lucy and Desi influenced their careers. A weekend-long collectors show, trivia contests, bus tours of landmarks and a scavenger hunt will be among the fun stuff.

Visitors should stop at the Lucy-Desi Museum, which traces the personal and professional lives of the couple, and the Desilu Playhouse, a museum devoted to "I Love Lucy" that includes the Ricardos' New York apartment set.

Can't make it to Jamestown on Memorial Day weekend? Jamestown will host another Lucy festival Friday, Aug. 1-Sunday, Aug. 3.

Komedy Kollege Workshops To Be Part Of Lucy-Desi Days

The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center will host a Komedy Kollege to teach such clown techniques as juggling, clowning and balloon tying.

Lucille Ball performed with numerous famous clowns, including Red Skelton and Harpo Marx. Teaching the skills supports the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center’s mission to enrich the world through the healing powers of love and laughter. Hour-long classes will be held each day at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. in Jamestown.

On Friday, May 23, professional juggler Dave Fultz of Kenmore will teach Juggling 101. All necessary props will be provided, including balls, cigar boxes, flower sticks and spinning plates. A juggler for more than 30 years, he has participated in juggling conventions and workshops including the annual Spring Juggle-In at Rochester Institute of Technology and Buffalo’s International Juggling Convention. His professional appearances include the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Buffalo Bisons, Albright-Knox Art Gallery and Buffalo Public Schools.

On Saturday, May 24, multiple award-winning Squeeze the Clown will lead two sessions of Clowning 101. The classes will cover the different types of clowns, their origins, costuming and behaviors as well as discussion of comedy movement and what creates laughter. One of the top 10 clowns in the Clowns of America International competition, Squeeze has won silver and bronze medals at the World Clown Association and placed first for three consecutive years at the Mid Atlantic Clown Association. On Sunday, May 25, Squeeze will teach Ballooning 101.

A limited number of tickets are available for the workshops. For a festival booklet or to order tickets, call 484-0800, ext. 203, or visit the Lucy-Desi Center’s Web site.

Lucie Arnaz brings cabaret act to Peterborough

Peterborough, New Hampshire - Star of stage, screen, radio and television, Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, will perform at the Peterborough Players' Monadnock region theater on Saturday, May 17.

In Peterborough, Arnaz will be joined on stage by Abel, a writer, composer and producer known for his work on Broadway and beyond. In the past year, he has written, produced, arranged, orchestrated and/or conducted for vocalists ranging from pop artist Taylor Dayne to opera vocalist Jessye Norman. He recently produced and arranged new albums for Deborah Gibson (“Colored Lights: The Broadway Album”) and Valarie Pettiford (“Hear My Soul”). He is co-creator and arranger of the Broadway musical “Blame It On The Movies.” He is composing the musical score for a new Broadway musical titled “Bricktop, which features classic songs from “The Great American Songbook,” as well as Abel’s original music with lyrics by his partner, lyricist Chuck Steffan.

“Lucie Arnaz Cabaret” will take place at the Peterborough Players Theatre, where an ongoing 75th anniversary celebration is under way through 2008. The theater’s summer season begins in June with “Harvey,” a comedy by Mary Chase, and will continue through November, with special events planned throughout the season.

Tickets for Lucie Arnaz Cabaret range from $90 to $150 and include a post-concert reception with Arnaz. For more information call the Peterborough Players at 924-9344 or log onto peterboroughplayers.org.