Looking for info on a 1965 show
Looking for info on a 1965 show
SeanMartin2
Understudy Joined: 3/21/19
#1Looking for info on a 1965 show
Posted: 3/21/19 at 7:19pm
A friend of mine is doing some research, and I think some of you are of an age where you might be able to help.
In 1965, rehearsals were on for a musical murder comedy called DADDY WAS A LADY, starring female impersonator Rae Bourbon and produced by Edward Wilson. It may have been directed by Larry Fisher, who'd directed it when it was in tryouts in 1962 in Central City, Colorado, and Kansas City. It was written by Mae West: she was originally supposed to play one of the parts, but couldnt — the part instead went to Hermoine Gingold.
The show was in rehearsals when the producer shut it down as "too vulgar" and because Bourbon wanted a dixieland jazz band in the pit as opposed to a traditional Broadway orchestra.
My friend Randy is looking for anyone who may have worked on it or knows anything about it. He's trying to find a copy of the script, but it's not shown up anywhere, not in West's archives. We dont even know what it was about, save that it was a murder mystery of some kind.
1965 wouldnt be that long ago, and a lot of you have memories like steel bear traps. Anyone got anything on this?
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#4Looking for info on a 1965 show
Posted: 3/22/19 at 12:43pm
Ray Bourbon was an interesting man.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Bourbon
#5Looking for info on a 1965 show
Posted: 3/23/19 at 6:55pm
SeanMartin2 said: "A friend of mine is doing some research, and I think some of you are of an age where you might be able to help.
In 1965, rehearsals were on for a musical murder comedy called DADDY WAS A LADY, starring female impersonator Rae Bourbon and produced by Edward Wilson. It may have been directed by Larry Fisher, who'd directed it when it was in tryouts in 1962 in Central City, Colorado, and Kansas City. It was written by Mae West: she was originally supposed to play one of the parts, but couldnt — the part instead went to Hermoine Gingold.
The show was in rehearsals when the producer shut it down as "too vulgar" and because Bourbon wanted a dixieland jazz band in the pit as opposed to a traditional Broadway orchestra.
My friend Randy is looking for anyone who may have worked on it or knows anything about it. He's trying to find a copy of the script, but it's not shown up anywhere, not in West's archives. We dont even know what it was about, save that it was a murder mystery of some kind.
1965 wouldnt be that long ago, and a lot of you have memories like steel bear traps. Anyone got anything on this?"
This sounds fascinating! I'd try and track down Mae West's siblings, or try and find cast and crew and just figure out who's still alive and who's the most contactable. I know that when Sex was done a few years back, that The Dirty Blondes in NYC managed to get ahold of her estate somehow. I'd send them an email and see if they could put you in contact.
