I’LL SAY SHE IS: The Historic Production of the Lost Marx Brothers Musical!
Praise for the 2014 New York International Fringe Festival production:
“THE MARX BROTHERS ARE BACK! A restored gem, overflowing with comic gold.” — History News Network
“UNCANNY and HILARIOUS!” — Time Out New York
“I feel as if I saw Groucho himself perform live on stage!” —Theater Pizzazz
“The closest thing to a new Marx Brothers work we will ever see.”—Cinematically Insane
Before making their classic films, the Marx Brothers appeared in vaudeville and then on Broadway, where they starred in three classic musical comedies of the 1920s.Two of these,The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers, remain well-known through stage revivals, and the Brothers classic films. But their 1924 Broadway debut, Ill Say She Is, was never filmed or revived.From its 1925 closing onward, it existed only in fragments and memories, effectivelylost to history.
Beginning in 2009, noted Groucho Marxist Noah Diamondspent six years researching Ill Say She Is, discovering lost fragments of the script and score, reconstructing the show, and filling in the gaps. This odyssey of historical detective work took him to newspaper and magazinearchives, performing arts collections, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and the recollections of participants in the original production. The work finally resulted in a viable script and score for I’ll Say She Is. The show had its re-premiere in 2014, firstin two historic staged readings at Marxfest (New Yorks Marx Brothers festival), and then infive sold-out, critically-acclaimed performances inthe New York International Fringe Festival.
The response was overwhelming. People came from all over the world to see this Holy Grail of classic comedy. (It even led to a new book: Gimme a Thrill, Noah’s comprehensive history of Ill Say She Is, will be published in the springof 2016 by BearManor Media.)But here is still much work to be done, and the Marxes comedy demands that the real work is done in front of audiences. For the next developmental step of the new Ill Say She Is, we have booked six weeks at downtown Manhattans Connelly Theater, May 23 July 2, 2016. We have engaged an ideal creative team to realize the first full production of Ill Say She Is since the original closed, ninety years ago.
The Marx Brothers joyous assault on authority is as cathartic as ever, and this early work reveals their profound influence on modern comedy. We feel we have rescued a forgotten piece of our culturalhistory, and we cant wait to share it. Please support this production, and help put this would-be classic Marx Brothers musical comedy back on stage where it belongs!
Before making their classic films, the Marx Brothers appeared in vaudeville and then on Broadway, where they starred in three classic musical comedies of the 1920s. Two of these, The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers, remain well-known through stage revivals, and the Brothers classic films. But their 1924 Broadway debut, Ill Say She Is, was never filmed or revived. From its 1925 closing onward, it existed only in fragments and memories, effectively lost to history.
Youtube: https://youtu.be/43IfelJ7wd4
See Campaign: https://www.rockethub.com/projects/64716-i-ll-say-she-is-the-historic-production-of-the-lost-marx-brothers-musical#description-tab
Contact Information:
Melody JaneKathy BiehlAmanda SiskNoah Diamond
Tags:
RocketHub, Reward-Donation, English, News Category, North America, Crowdfunding, United States, Global Regions, Language
The post I’LL SAY SHE IS: The Historic Production of the Lost Marx Brothers Musical! appeared first on iCrowdNewswire.
Source: ICNW