The stage is dark and offstage you hear voices. Ms. Zora Taylor yells, “I am Mrs. Frankie Lymon!” “No, I am Mrs. Frankie Lymon!,” says Ms. Elizabeth Walters. “No, I am Mrs. Frankie Lymon!,” Ms. Emira Eagle timidly speaks. A beat. Then that familiar baritone starts to do0-wop and the curtain is raised to reveal a large band, dancing teenagers and Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers singing “Why Do Fools Fall In Love?” What a prologue!
In another edition of What If? I present to you Why Do Fools Fall In Love, the musical. Based off the true story of Frankie Lymon, Why Do Fools Fall In Love was billed as a 1998 romantic drama staring Larenz Tate, Halle Berry, Vivica A. Fox and Lela Rochon.
The story follows Frankie Lymon, lead singer of the 1950’s doo-wop group Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers. He got his start at age 13. Their first hit single was the song “Why Do Fools Fall In Love?” The group eventually went on to get five more top ten singles before Lymon left the group to go solo. At the age of 15, Lymon began using heroin, this addiction would trouble him for the rest of his life, cause him to lose most of his money and eventually see him to his demise. Over the course of his lifetime Frankie Lymon was married three times, to three different women. His wives began battling for the rights of his estate after Diana Ross covered the song “Why Do Fools Fall In Love” in 1981. In 1986 the trials began with all the women claiming to be the rightful “Mrs. Frankie Lymon”.
Sounds like a good story right? The film version is told through a series of flashbacks and the current day court hearings, which I think would be interesting in a theatrical setting. I can almost hear it now, an upbeat comedic number for Ms. Walters as she recalls the day she and Frankie first met, a sultry love song for Ms. Taylor who sings of her affection for the late musician, and a mournful ballad for the timid Ms.Eagle who remembers her sweet loving husband. The colorful sets of the 50s and 60s, the costumes, the music, the story would make for a well-done musical. So who should be cast? My picks for the four main characters are below.
Frankie Lymon – Joshua Henry
Zora Taylor – Tracey Nicole Chapman
Elizabeth “Mickey” Walters – Taraji P. Henson
Emria Eagle – Anika Noni Rose
Sound off in the comments below, what do you think about a Why Do Fools Fall In Love musical?
