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Gay City News reminds us that "Summer's Fresh Fruit Has Ripened" — — and Mae West will be back on Broadway on 11 July 2008.
• • The Sixth Annual Fresh Fruit Festival of queer arts is back and runs July 11-27 at venues throughout Manhattan. The festival includes both themed-evenings and shows, highlights of which follow: 
• • THEMED EVENINGS • •
• • THE CAVALCADE OF FRUITS: A preview and post-view of the festival featuring comedian Kelli Dunham, jazz vocalist Nhojj, Rome Neal, and scenes from Chip Deffaa's musical comedy "Theater Boy" and LindaAnn Loschiavo's "Courting Mae West."
• • 11 July 2008 — — 7:30 p.m.; Barnes & Noble, Lincoln Center, 1972 Broadway at 66th St. Free.
• • SHOWS • •
• • All shows are presented at Kaufman Theater at the Algonquin Theater Company, 123 E 24th St., btwn. Park Ave. So. & Lexington Ave. Tickets are available at http://www.theatermania.com or 212-352-3101.
• • COURTING MAE WEST: SEX, CENSORSHIP AND SECRETS: Written by LindaAnn Loschiavo and directed by Louis Lopardi, this show is based on true events that happened in New York City between 1926 and 1932, when "Verdi worthy-villains" rose up against the tough talking, liberal minded actress/ playwright Mae West. Fighting for the freedom to talk about sex in the Prohibition era, Mae West faces off with her critics. July 19th — 22nd. Tickets are $18.
— — Excerpt: — —
• • Article: "Summer's Fresh Fruit Has Ripened"
• • Published in: Gay City News — — www.gaycitynews.com/
• • Published on: 10 July 2008
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • "COURTING MAE WEST" opens at 6 o'clock on Saturday night July 19, 2008 at the Algonquin Theatre [East 24th Street and Park Avenue South].
• • "COURTING MAE WEST" — — showtimes
• • July 19th, 2008 — — 6:00 PM
• • July 20th, 2008 — — 2:00 PM matinee
• • July 21st, 2008 — — 6:00 PM
• • July 22nd, 2008 — — 9:00 PM
• • Tickets to "COURTING MAE WEST" are $18 per adult.
• • Theatermania.com sells the tickets — — http://www.theatermania.com/content/show.cfm/show/144297
• • Questions? Phone 212-779-3051.
• • The play is 95 minutes.
• • Get ready to come up and see Mae West, Texas Guinan, and the gang onstage in mid-July 2008.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • Courting Mae West logo • •
NYC
Mae West.
MAE WEST was arrested on 9 February 1927 along with the cast of "Sex" and the cast of "The Captive."
• • Snooty Basil Rathbone, who died in July [on 21 July 1967 in New York, NY], was cuffed and brought downtown to Jefferson Market Police Court along with Helen Menken and their co-stars. 
• • Born in South Africa on 13 June 1892, Basil Rathbone was one year older than Mae West — — but in his mind, he was worlds apart even though they were both starring on Broadway in 1927.
• • During the 1920s, most of Basil Rathbone's work was in the legitimate theater. For many of his Broadway roles he portrayed a suave, sophisticated seducer of women — — quite a change from the legendary ascetic Baker Street detective he would play later in his career.
• • Making a sensation at the Empire Theatre [on Broadway and West 40th Street] was a drama that had been highly regarded in Paris: "The Captive." Basil Rathbone was cast in the role of Jacques Virieu, a young man engaged to be married, only to discover that his fiancée [played by Helen Menken] is in love with someone else — — a woman. Since homosexuality was such a controversial topic during the Roaring Twenties, the entire cast was charged with offending public morals, and the play was closed.
• • Basil Rathbone was very angry about the censorship of his work, but even more aggrieved that show people would start whispering that he was arrested and booked — — with Mae West.
• • For years, Basil Rathbone and his wife made their home at 135 Central Park West. Mae lived in several westside locations, occasionally not far from Rathbone. But there is no record of their taking tea together to reminisce over their arrest on indecency charges in 1927.• • Brush up on your Mae West lines right on Broadway on Friday evening 11 July 2008 when the cast of "Courting Mae West" gives a free performance at the Lincoln Center Barnes & Noble at 7:30 PM. Visit B&N, 1972 Broadway at West 66th Street.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West's arresting drama cohort • • Basil Rathbone • •
NYC
Mae West.
