Mae West: Colorado Springs

Inspired by the wit of MAE WEST, Dorothy Parker, and other women, Paul Gemignani and Lonny Price have developed a limited engagement revue exclusively for a Colorado theatre festival held in September.
• • Background: Each year, the Colorado Festival of World Theatre chooses one person to receive the Donald Seawell Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre (the "Donny" award), and this year's honoree is the acclaimed Stephen Sondheim, notes reporter Matthew Schniper in the latest issue [30 August 2007] of the Colorado Springs Independent.
• • Maestro Paul Gemignani, who has collaborated with Stephen Sondheim for the past 36 years, and acclaimed Broadway director Lonny Price, along with Broadway stars Marin Mazzie, Jenn Colella. and a surprise guest star, will hold two performances of Beautiful Girls: A Sondheim Tribute on September 22 - 23, 2007.
• • The Independent interviewed Price and Gemignani via long-distance.
• • Indy: The Festival of World Theatre contacted you and asked you to come up with a show to honor Stephen. Why a show about songs written for female characters?
• • Lonny Price: Stephen writes great for men and women. But a lot of the seminal songs — "I'm Still Here," "The Ladies Who Lunch," "Broadway Baby" — are for women. I've always felt that there are these incredible show-stoppers, and wouldn't it be interesting to have an evening of just female performers singing these female characters. . . .
• • Indy: So there's a central storyline about a woman's journey through stages of her life as reflected by Sondheim works — — not just a mixtape, best-of on stage?
• • Lonny Price: . . . Essentially, it's "Girl grows up, girl leaves home, girl finds guy, girl falls in love with guy, girl gets guy, girl loses guy, girl gets bitter and sits at the end of a bar and drinks." I am using quotes from female writers such as Mae West, Maya Angelou, and Dorothy Parker — kind of other women's take on this situation or these particular stages, and Steve's as well. ...
— — — excerpt — — —
• • Beautiful Girls: A Sondheim Tribute
• • The Festival Pavilion at the Pikes Peak Center: 190 S. Cascade Ave.
• • For info or tickets: call 227-0086.
• • Source: Colorado Springs Independent — — www.csindy.com/
• • Byline: Matthew Schniper
• • Published on: 30 August 2007
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1932 • •
NYC
Mae West.