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Tag Archives: Roaring Twenties
SPEAKEASY – The Irony of the Young Lovers’ Duets
Curious Colorful Night – It’s a Dream – Momentary Bliss Three lovers’ duets that are not what they seem to the ear Ah, young lovers’ duets. A hallmark of musicals, especially those of the 1920s and 1930s, and so of … Continue reading
Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Literary Lyricism, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1920s, 1930s, Curious Colorful Night, curiouser, drag ball, duet, ingenue, irony, It's a Dream, Jane Allison, John Allison, Lewis Carroll, lovers, magical realism, Momentary Bliss, musical, Queer, Roaring Twenties, Speakeasy, Subculture, Wonderland
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SPEAKEASY – Advice from a (Lesbian) Caterpillar
Two songs from “Speakeasy” explore two sides of a closeted 1920’s lesbian For many years I hoped to write a musical about the queer subculture of Roaring Twenties New York, but didn’t find my “in” until I came upon the … Continue reading
Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Literary Lyricism, Notes in the News, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1800s, 19th Century, Alice in Wonderland, Caroline Chrysalides, Caterpillar, Female Friendships, flappers, Jane Allison, Jazz Age, lesbian, Lewis Carroll, LGBTQ, magical realism, musical, My Passion, operetta, Roaring Twenties, sexual revolution, Speakeasy
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The Inspiration for SPEAKEASY’S DUCHESS BENTLEY – The Terrific, Trangressive and Tragic Tale of Gladys Bentley – Part 1
In the musical Speakeasy – John and Jane’s Adventures in the Wonderland, Jane Allison first meets Duchess Bentley, Harlem nightclub singer and unabashed lesbian, when she finds herself outside a door being angrily knocked upon by Minister Fish, who implores … Continue reading
Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Notes in the News, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1920s, 1930s, Alice in Wonderland, Bri Molloy, Camille Atkinson, Gay, Gladys Bentley, Great Depression, Harlem, Lewis Carroll, LGBT, musical, Prohibition, Queer, Roaring Twenties, Speakeasy, Tim Connell, Ubangi Club, Wonderland
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Speakeasy – THE LOBSTER QUADRILLE vs. THE LOBSTER CHARLESTON
Introducing the latest dance craze from the Roaring Twenties: The Lobster Charleston! The Lobster Charleston Yes, it’s a novelty dance, like the Turkey Trot, or the Chicken Dance, or the Macarena, the Mashed Potato and Gangnam Style. But it’s imaginary, … Continue reading
Speakeasy – MEET THE “SWELL” ENSEMBLE
The ensemble for the showcase production of “Speakeasy” has been assembled. Doubled in size from the group that performed in the December 7 reading, it is a wonderfully talented and diverse ensemble. A “swell gang”, in the parlance of the … Continue reading
Posted in Live! On Stage, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1920s, 1930s, cast, ensemble, musical, Roaring Twenties, showcase, Speakeasy, swell
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THE SPEAKEASY KICKSTARTER REWARDS – from Signed Collectible Postcard to VIP On Stage Performance Cameo
When we decided we would need to turn to Kickstarter to raise the funding necessary to mount a showcase production of “Speakeasy – John and Jane Allison in the Wonderland”, we learned that creating an attractive set of rewards for … Continue reading
SPEAKEASY – Attack of the 30 foot Incidental Music!
So many notes… so little time… The other day I had a meeting with Speakeasy‘s music director Jonathan Fox Powers. One of those sessions where you make sure composer and music director are on the same page as it concerns … Continue reading
SPEAKEASY – The WHITE RABBIT goes slumming in HARLEM
Harlem HARLEM IT’S SO BECOMING LET’S ALL GO SLUMMING IN THE WILD UPTOWN “Going slumming in Harlem”. This is what rich and middle class swells and flappers, socialites and the elite, white folks from downtown Manhattan, called going uptown to … Continue reading
Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1920s, 1930s, Alice in Wonderland, automat, Buffet Flats, Cotton Club, Gladys Bentley, Harlem, Harlem Renaissance, interracial, lesbian, musical, Negro Vogue, Prohibition, rent party, Roaring Twenties, Speakeasy, Ubangi Club, White Rabbit
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