DOCSLIB.ORG

A Capital Campaign to Stabilize and Empower Music Hall for Future Generations

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Capital Campaign to Stabilize and Empower Music Hall for Future Generations “Elevation” A Capital Campaign to stabilize and empower Music Hall for future generations “In my opinion, Music Hall is, in many respects, the most successful of our cultural institutions in bringing together the disparate segments of our community, across the various racial, economic and geographic boundaries that we work so hard to bridge.” - Damon J. Keith, Senior Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 Corporation – MI-CS9021 and a is member of the League of Historic Theaters Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts Detroit is moving into the future with a whole new vision. Music Hall represents what that vision is all about. Music Hall is leading by example as an inclusive cultural hub of creative energy that resonates with people of all nationalities. Its unique spark, culturally diverse line-up and safe haven nurtures patrons and future artists. Its 5 education programs and welcoming community inspires and impacts each visitor with an unique experience that lingers as they interact with their life, job and community. Music Hall’s continued community development is what this prospectus is all about. It is time to strengthen what is happening everyday - the growing renewal of Detroit as a leader within the cultural space. Music Hall earned its nickname as “The People’s Theatre” because of its dedication to ALL of our region’s citizens and their well being. Investing in Music Hall is investing in the new Detroit. With your help, this campaign will enable Music Hall to continue to provide and expand programming and its service to the community. More importantly, it will also improve an institution that has served the Detroit community since 1928 and has come to embody the character of our diverse mix of cultures. Join the list of visionary and dedicated philanthropists by contributing to the financial infusion which enables Music Hall to expand its vision of the new Detroit. “The historic Music Hall provides the Detroit Community with innovative and quality performing arts programming and education that reflects and attracts a diverse mix of cultures” - The Detroit News 2 MUSIC HALL FACT & DATA SUMMARY Mission Statement The historic Music Hall provides the Detroit community with innovative and quality performing arts programming and education that reflects and attracts the diverse mix of cultures that make up Southeast Michigan. Chairman of The Board Alex L. Parrish In early 2008 when the country experienced a sudden and disastrous economic downturn, perhaps no community or President and Artistic Director not-for-profit suffered more than Southeast Michigan and Vincent C. Paul Music Hall with two of our “Big Three” automakers declaring bankruptcy. Date Founded: 1928 Once the recipient of approximately one million dollars in annual support from these companies, Music Hall’s funding Location was suddenly reduced to just over $100,000. Without In the center of the best selling Entertainment District in the diminishing its education or programming, Music Hall country by attendance (2 stadiums/7theaters) reduced its budget as quickly as possible and has since stabilized and has even produced a small cash surplus for Capacity almost 7 years now. 1731 Main Floor 100 Jazz Café However, its legacy debt from 2008 and 2009 remains 500 3Fifty Terrace - Serves 200,000 patrons yearly largely unchanged. This Capital Campaign will do away with this long standing burden and “elevate” the organization to Education new levels of “Community Impact” while stabilizing its 5 Educational Programs - Serves 22,000 students yearly operations and cash flow for decades to come. Annual Community Impact Music Hall, already a top-level facility and entertainment 80 Trustees 30 active corporate partners 75-plus center in Detroit is well-positioned on Madison Avenue, the community collaborations 500 vendors 3,200 artists 25 pivotal entrance of the downtown Entertainment District full time / 225 part time employees 300-plus volunteers and poised at the entrance to what will become the Detroit $12 million local economic impact 1 million plus world-wide Center for the Performing Arts. web hits 50,000 weekly email subscribers The base is in place and it’s time to elevate. Legacy Music Hall has presented more performers of world-renown Vince Paul – President and Artistic Director than perhaps any single theater in America. 3 Music Hall History Center for the Performing Arts 86 years … and more to come Music Hall opened in 1928 as the Wilson Theatre, named for its founder; Detroit philanthropist Matilda R. Wilson who believed that theatre should be available to everyone regardless of background or financial means. Wilson Theatre quickly became an important element of the strong arts and cultural tradition in Detroit. Throughout its history, Music Hall’s stage has been the place for breathtaking performances by national and international stars such as Count Basie, Christopher Plummer, Lucille Ball, Fred Astaire, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Jeff Daniels and Annie Lennox. Audiences have witnessed a true variety of performing arts from all forms of dance and music, and live theater to motion pictures; including Cinerama. The original canopy/portico at Music Hall – January 1940 Music Hall provides excellent acoustics and outstanding views of the stage from any seat in the house. The lobbies and gathering places, such as the Jazz Café and the Selma Hyman Lounge, offer opportunities for audiences to mingle, see old friends, make new friends and enjoy good company. The diversity of southeast Michigan’s cultures that resulted from the migration of the automotive industry’s factory workers, contributed to the unified strength that puts Detroit at the forefront in producing world renowned performers and world-class innovations. Our programming reflects the full spectrum of diversity in our country and region. Our education programs reach over 22,000 underserved youth in southeast Michigan. Music Hall’s collaborations with over 75 other The original Wilson Theater non-profits support and enhance Detroit’s continued renaissance. tower sign 4 Main Hall – Venues 150 events and 150,000 patrons annually with over 50,000 complementary tickets sponsored each year The Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts is a 1,731-seat theatre located in the city's entertainment district at 350 Madison Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was built in 1928 as the Wilson Theatre, designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1976, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Jazz Café at Music Hall – 150 events and 20,000 patrons annually with most performances provided complementary Opened in 2006, Detroit’s Jazz Café at Music Hall is an intimate, comfortable performance space that’s been home to musicians, poets, Broadway performers, and artists, from Jeff "Tain" Watts to Elaine Stritch to John Sinclair. Jazz Cafe is also home to many of Detroit's great native artists from Ralphe Armstrong to Luis Resto to Kimmie Horne. Jazz Cafe also enables Music Hall to present extraordinary talents that don’t yet have mass audiences, expanding the diversity of programming available in our region. 3Fifty Terrace – 50 events and 30,000 patrons annually with most events provided with either complementary or modest cover charge Open air rooftop terrace at Music Hall offers a view like no other. Located within walking distance of notable Detroit landmarks such as Comerica Park, Ford Field, The Detroit Opera House and The Detroit Athletic Club, 3Fifty Terrace features 11,000 sq. ft. of unique rooftop, open air space. 3Fifty offers the full array of amenities to host any type of event. Amenities include an expansive granite top bar, resort style booths, and well appointed restroom facilities. 5 Music Hall Center for the RECOGNITION Performing Arts Rendering Music Hall appreciates each contributor and will publicly recognize all contributors $25,000 and higher on a new donor wall inside the main lobby. In addition, we have naming opportunities for larger contributors are available based on the size of donation. Opportunities are listed on pages 11-13. 6 CAPITAL PROJECTS With your help: • Elevator and Staircase • The new elevator and staircase, to be located on the west side of the Music Hall building will provide direct elevator access to the popular 3Fifty Terrace rooftop venue, a fire escape that meets the most modern codes • The new elevator tower will increase Music Hall’s storefront and perception in the community. With over 19 million cars a year on Madison Avenue, the increased scale of Music Hall will stand out as one of Detroit’s most important landmarks. New elevator tower and first floor atrium • Sound and Lighting Equipment • Music Hall must rent much of its stage sound and lighting equipment for its main stage performances because it does not have in-house inventory • If Music Hall invested in its own equipment, it would save significant rental costs • In addition, it could generate additional revenue by renting its equipment to promoters who rent the theatre • Jazz Café Kitchen • Music Hall’s Jazz Café is an extraordinary venue, but an extremely limited kitchen facility has limited its potential • This project will provide a kitchen facility and the necessary appliances for the Jazz Café chefs and caterers to produce first quality cuisine at Music Hall • Sound Isolation for Jazz Café and Main Stage • Sound isolation on the main lobby landings will enable Music Hall to
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Joseph Grimaldi
    Joseph Grimaldi The most famous and popular of all the clowns in harlequinade and pantomime was Joseph Grimaldi. Despite his Italian name and family origins, he was born in London in 1779, dying in 1837. His style of clowning had its origins in the Italian commedia dell'arte of the sixteenth century, but in the popular Harlequinades of the early nineteenth century he emerged as the founding father of modern day clowns. To this day he is commemorated annually by clowns in their own church, Holy Trinity in Dalston, East London. Joseph Grimaldi was the original 'Clown Joey', the term 'Joey' being used to describe clowns since his day. Of his own name he punned 'I am grim all day - but I make you laugh at night!' Grimaldi became the most popular clown in pantomime, and was responsible for establishing the clown as the main character in the Harlequinade, in place of Harlequin. His career began at the age of three at the Sadler's Wells Theatre. He was later to become the mainstay of the Drury Lane Theatre before settling in at Covent Garden in 1806. His three year contract paid him one pound a week, rising to two pounds the following year, and finally three pounds a week. His debut at Covent Garden was in 'Harlequin and Mother Goose; or the Golden Egg' in 1806. Grimaldi himself had little faith in the piece, and undoubtedly it was hastily put together on a sparsely decorated stage. However, the production ran for 92 nights, and took over £20,000. The lack of great theatrical scenes allowed Grimaldi to project himself to the fore 'he shone with unimpeded brilliance' once critic wrote.
    [Show full text]
  • Wiltons Music Hall
    Wiltons Music Hall Wiltons Music Hall Conservation Area 1. Character Appraisal 2. Management Guidelines London Borough of Tower Hamlets Adopted by Cabinet: 4th November 2009 Wiltons Music Hall Conservation Area Page 1 of 18 Wiltons Music Hall Introduction Conservation Areas are parts of our local environment with special architectural or historic qualities. They are created by the Council, in consultation with the local community, to preserve and enhance the specific character of these areas for everybody. This guide has been prepared for the following purposes: To comply with the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Section 69(1) states that a conservation area is “an area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance.” To provide a detailed appraisal of the area’s architectural and historic character. To help those who have an interest in the area to understand the quality of the built environment and how they can protect, contribute to and enhance it. To provide an overview of planning policy and propose management guidelines on how this character should be preserved and enhanced in the context of appropriate ongoing change. Wiltons Music Hall Conservation Area Page 2 of 18 Wiltons Music Hall Wiltons Music Hall Conservation Area Page 3 of 18 Wiltons Music Hall 1. Character Appraisal Overview Wiltons Music Hall Conservation Area, located in the western part of the borough, was designated on October 2008. It is bounded by Cable Street to the north, Dock Street to the west and The Highway to the east.
    [Show full text]
  • British Music Halls Imagine Your Group Is Helping One of The
    Group 3: British Music Halls Imagine your group is helping one of the Beatles write his autobiography. You will work in small groups and use your knowledge of history to help your Beatle enrich his book. Here are the guidelines: • Below you will see your assigned historical term. Each group has a different term from a different period in their subject’s life. • You also have received sources related to that term. • Use this information to write a paragraph of 3-5 sentences for your Beatle’s autobiography. • Your sentences should connect his life to the term and use the first person. For example, “I remember watching the ships come in to the Liverpool docks.” • Write your paragraph on the board or on a piece of paper large enough for the whole class to read. • Share it with the class. • As the other groups share their paragraphs, copy the story in your “Autobiography of a Beatle” handout. Term: Music Hall For more than a century, British music halls were one of the main sources of entertainment for ordinary Britons, particularly from the working class. Music halls featured variety shows offering many different types of performance, but were best known for offering catchy songs in which the audience would join in on the chorus. Performers often laced their songs with comedy, sometimes wearing eccentric costumes on stage. While they eventually declined, music halls were still a popular form of entertainment immediately after World War II, a place where hard-working people could go and forget about their troubles. The music hall was a significant part of the Liverpool culture scene and had a large impact on the Beatles.
    [Show full text]
  • Henry Goodman
    HENRY GOODMAN Theatre: Honour George Paul Robinson Park Theatre Looking at Lucian Lucian Freud Tom Attenborough Ustinov Studio Volpone Volpone Trevor Nunn RSC Arturo Ui* Arturo Ui Jonathan Church West End / Chichester The Winslow Boy Arthur Winslow Lindsay Posner The Old Vic The Holy Rosenbergs David Rosenberg Laurie Sansom National Theatre Yes, Prime Minister Sir Humphrey Jonathan Lynn West End / Chichester Duet for One Dr Feldman Matthew Lloyd West End / Almeida Fiddler On The Roof Tevye Lindsay Posner Sheffield Crucible / West End Performances Leos Janacek Lou Stein Wilton Music Hall The Gondoliers Duke of Plazatoro Martin Duncan ENO The Hypochondriac Argan Lindsay Posner Almeida Theatre The Birthday Party Goldberg Lindsay Posner Duchess Theatre Richard III Richard III Sean Holmes RSC The Producers Max Bialystock Susan Strohman Broadway Feelgood Eddie Max Stafford Clark Garrick Theatre/Hampstead **The Merchant of Venice Shylock Trevor Nunn National Theatre Metropolitan Kabarett Compere Henry Goodman National Theatre Summerfolk Shalimov Trevor Nunn National Theatre ***Chicago Billy Flynn Walter Bobbie Adelphi Theatre Art Marc Matthew Warchus Wyndhams Theatre Guys and Dolls Nathan Detroit Richard Eyre National Theatre Hysteria Freud Phyllida Lloyd Royal Court Theatre/West End Broken Glass Philip Gellburg David Thacker National Theatre Angels in America Roy Cohn Declan Donnellan National Theatre ****Assassins Charles Guiteau Sam mends Donmar Warehouse Pericles Gower Phyllida Lloyd National Theatre After the Fall Mickey Michael Blakemore
    [Show full text]
  • The Black Clown
    Wednesday–Saturday, July 24–27, 2019 at 7:30 pm Post-performance talk with Davóne Tines, Zack Winokur, and Chanel DaSilva on Thursday, July 25 NEW YORK PREMIERE The Black Clown Adapted from the Langston Hughes poem by Davóne Tines & Michael Schachter Music by Michael Schachter Directed by Zack Winokur A production of American Repertory Theater at Harvard University With the kind cooperation of the Estate of Langston Hughes Please make certain all your electronic devices are switched off. Major endowment support for contemporary dance and theater is provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. This performance is made possible in part by the Josie Robertson Fund for Lincoln Center. Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College Mostly Mozart Festival American Express is the lead sponsor of the Mostly Mozart Festival Major endowment support for contemporary dance and theater is provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Additional endowment support is provided by the Blavatnik Family Foundation Fund for Dance, Nancy Abeles Marks and Jennie L. and Richard K. DeScherer The Mostly Mozart Festival is also made possible by Rita E. and Gustave M. Hauser. Additional support is provided by The Shubert Foundation, LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, Howard Gilman Foundation, The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc., The Katzenberger Foundation, Inc., Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc, Harkness Foundation for Dance, Great Performers Circle, Lincoln Center Spotlight, Chairman’s Council, Friends of Mostly Mozart, and Friends of Lincoln Center Public support is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Applauding the Victorian Music Hall Melissa Angelina Manserra Fourth
    Applauding the Victorian Music Hall Melissa Angelina Manserra Fourth Year Paper Citation Style: Chicago Manual of Style The Victorian music hall must be treated as a unique form of entertainment, as it recast relations between the popular and the people. It offered audiences a diverse programme, which other institutions were unable, or unwilling, to provide. Once music hall embedded itself into the cultural landscape of Victorian Britain, it became an essential component of life that provided individuals, including women, with a way to articulate their identities. This analysis will pay specific attention to the development of the music hall in London, as it primarily thrived in that city, but claims will also be made about its presence in Scotland and other regions. Programmes presented and commented on social and political trends by addressing the concerns of working- class life. Although it was a community-based institution born ‘from below’, it eventually spread to include the middle class, as it was subjected to a process of commercializationi. Music halls became a socially disputed institution because of their cultural dominance and the challenge they posed to ‘legitimate’ forms of theatre. As a result, the form of entertainment created specifically for and by the ‘common’ people, ceased to exist. Music halls transformed the social, urban, and cultural environment in Victorian Britain. The social relationship between and among working and middle class cultures shaped and was therefore shaped by this process. The primary material from this era reveals the powerful influence that music hall had on the lives of all those involved, both throughout the nineteenth-century, as well as within twentieth-century contexts.
    [Show full text]
  • Britain's Best Recruiting Sergeant
    BRITAIN’S BEST RECRUITING SERGEANT TEACHER RESOURCE PACK FOR TEACHERS WORKING WITH PUPILS IN YEAR 3 – 6 BRITAIN’S BEST RECRUITING SERGEANT RUNNING FROM 13 FEB - 15 MAR 2015 WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A MAN? Little Tilley’s dreams are realised as she follows in her father’s footsteps and grows up to become Vesta Tilley, a shining star of the music hall whose much-loved act as a male impersonator makes her world-famous. War breaks out and she supports the cause by helping to recruit soldiers to fight for king and country, but has she used her stardom for good? And is winning the most important thing? The Unicorn commemorates the centenary of World War One and the 150th anniversary of Vesta Tilley’s birth in this feisty, song-filled and touching look at the life of Vesta Tilley (1864 – 1952), who was nicknamed Britain’s Best Recruiting Sergeant and led the way for female stars in music hall entertainment. Page 2 BRITAIN’S BEST RECRUITING SERGEANT CONTENTS CONTEXT INTRODUCTION 4 A SUMMARY OF THE PLAY 5 THE PLAY IN CONTEXT 7 INTERVIEWS WITH THE CREATIVE TEAM 9 CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES PRE-SHOW WORK 1. MUSIC HALL ACTS - STOP AND SHOW 13 2. CREATING MUSIC HALL ACTS 15 3. PUBLICITY POSTCARDS 17 4. PRESENTING! CREATING THE COMPERE 18 5. A NIGHT AT THE MUSIC HALL 20 6. CAN I ASK YOU SOMETHING? 21 7. HERE’S MY ADVICE - WRITING TO VESTA/HARRY 23 POST-SHOW WORK 1. FIVE MOMENTS 24 2. WHAT MADE THE PLAY MEMORABLE FOR YOU? 25 3.
    [Show full text]
  • V&A Acquires Wilton's Music Hall Archive
    V&A Acquires Wilton's Music Hall Archive vam.ac.uk | @V_and_A Embargoed until 30 October 2017 The Victoria and Albert Museum, London (V&A) has acquired the archive of the world’s oldest surviving grand Victorian music hall, dating from 1871 to the present day. Wilton’s Music Hall extensive archive features an array of material including an 1871 sketch of the interior, a campaign poster to save the building from destruction and handmade tickets constructed from old beer boxes that record the history of the building and its most famous performances. In 1853, five houses located on Grace's Alley in London’s East End were combined into one venue by John Wilton, becoming a Music Hall attracting the greatest talents of the day. Over the next 100 years Wilton’s Music Hall had a varied career becoming a Methodist Mission from 1888 and, surviving the Blitz, standing in as a rag sorting warehouse in 1956. The threat of destruction loomed in the 1960s and campaigners fought to protect the beloved former music hall. Amongst them, poet and comedian Spike Milligan, whose letters can be found in the archive, alongside photographs and sketches that document the campaign history. In the 1970s, the building was awarded Grade II listed status and the first trust to raise funds to buy the lease was founded. Despite the initial repairs, the Music Hall became derelict and attracted artists due to its atmospheric space. Behind the scenes photography shows the shoot for the notorious, banned music video for Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Relax.
    [Show full text]
  • Career Record Arthur Duncan
    Career Record Arthur Duncan Date Name Location Result Rounds 22.3.1909 Jim Jackson Myddelton Hall WP 6 Kentish Town Islington 29 .4.1909 Jim Austin Myddelton Hall Draw 6 Holloway Islington 18.5 1909 George Colbourne Myddelton Hall WRTD5 6 Islington Islington 4.12.1909 Alf Holmes Collins Music Hall WRSF6 6 Islington Islington 11.12.1909 Harry Beasley Collins Music Hall WP 6 Islington Islington 13.12.1909 Bill Cockayne Theatre Euston LRSF2 6 Kentish Town 1.1.1910 Jim Austin Collins Music Hall WP 6 Holloway Islington 26.2.1910 Bob Quiman Pitfield Street Baths ? 6 Hoxton 5.3.1910 Harry Shires Collins Music Hall WKO5 6 Islington 19.3.1910 Harry Beasley Pitfield Street Baths ? 6 Islington Hoxton 14.4.1910 Jim Austin Collins Music Hall WP 6 Holloway 18.6.1910 Harry Rudge The Ring WP 6 Holloway Blackfriers Date Name Location Result Rounds 30.7.1910 Ernie Miller The Ring WKO1 6 Walworth Blackfriers 27.8.1910 Tom Cook The Ring WP 6 Camberwell Blackfriers 15.9.1910 Pony Moore The Ring WKO4 10 Ireland Blackfriers 29.9.1910 Harry Rudge The Ring WP 10 Holloway Blackfriers 10.10.1910 Cpl Hutton The Ring WP 10 Stratford Blackfriers 20 .10.1910 Barney Brarnshaw The Ring WKO1 10 Bermondsey Blackfriers 3.11.1910 Patsy Cokeley The Ring WKO4 10 ST Georges Blackfriers 26.11.1910 PO. Roche ? 10 Chatham Kent Lightweight champ 15.12.1910 Frank Wheeler The Ring LRSF3 10 Finsbury Park Blackfriers 5.1.1911 Harry Meekins The Ring WRSF5 10 Battersea Blackfriers 12.6.11 Jack Spiers The Ring WRTD4 10 Islington Blackfriers 31.7.11 Jack Spiers The Ring WP 20 Islington
    [Show full text]
  • Early Music Hall in Bristol
    EARLY MUSIC HALL IN BRISTOL by KATHLEEN BARKER PUBLISHED BY THE BRISTOL BRANCH OF THE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, THE UNIVERSITY, BRISTOL Price Si,oty Pence 1979 Wine is a thing Thait makes a body sing - Pass round the bottle and start ... (Hooray for Daisy, Theatre Royal, 1959) In this spirit was music hall born, in Bristol as elsewhere; in the ta vems and the ,randier earring houses, aJt the Pleasure Gardens where song and dance accompanied al fresco refreshmeil't.The first trace of organised entertainment in a Bristol public house comes in 1786, when the proprietor of the Old Trout Tavern .in Cherry Lane off Stokes Croft advertised "Comus' Court" to be held on 6 June, when The Gentlemen of the original Catch-Club, Castle-Ditch, have generously offered their kind Assistance for that Night only ... N.B. This Evening is intended to be chearful and harmonious, with Variety of SONGS by Mr. DEARLE, for his Benefit, being the last Night of his performing in Bristol. - Admittance One Shilling, at Eight o'Clock.1 There were also a number of attempts between about 1740 and 1778 to set up an equivalent of London's Vauxhall or Cremorne Gardens as adjuncts to the then popular spa at Hotwells. Unfor­ tunately all such attempts foundered either on West Country wea­ ther or artistic temperament or a blend of both.2 With the decline of the Hotwells at the turn of the century, no more Pleasure Gardens were opened on that side of the city, but from 1813 the owner of the Three Blackbirds Tavern (on the north side of Stapleton Road, opposite the present railway station) began to let his Gardens for Grand Gala Fetes, usually to cele­ brate Royal birthdays.
    [Show full text]
  • Lin Elinor Petterson, ‘Gendered Spaces and Theatricality
    GENDERED SPACES AND THEATRICALITY IN PETER ACKROYD’S DAN LENO AND THE LIMEHOUSE GOLEM Lin Pettersson Universidad de Málaga [email protected] This paper examines theatrical acts of performance in Peter Ackroyd’s Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem (1994) and looks into how the author engages the Victorian world of music hall with the Ripper murders. I will focus on how the protagonist Elizabeth Cree uses her performatory skills to commit murders in terms of theatricality by turning the city of London into her stage. By stepping into the footlights and later transfer the spectacle off stage, Elizabeth Cree destabilizes gender and space as fixed categories by bending limits and crossing boundaries. In doing so she depends on the performatory condition of the city. In my study the protagonist’s interaction with the city I will examine how she approaches it first as a flâneur, an urban stroller and observer, and then, look into how she steps in from the margins to enact murder on the centre-stage of London. Keywords: Theatricality, gender, neo-Victorian fiction, Peter Ackroyd, London Peter Ackroyd (b 1949) has established himself as one of the most popular London writers, alongside Iain Sinclair, as he shows a certain predisposition towards the city. Ackroyd has repeatedly insisted on the inherent performativity of the capital and in London: A Biography (2000) he argues that theatricality is London’s single most important characteristic (152). In his neo-Victorian novel Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem (1994), which evolves within the Victorian music hall, historical accuracy and literary authorship are at play.
    [Show full text]
  • Marie Lloyd Comes Home to Hoxton “Queen of the Music Hall” Marie Lloyd Was Born in Hoxton
    PRESS RELEASE Marie Lloyd comes home to Hoxton “Queen of the music hall” Marie Lloyd was born in Hoxton. She died in 1922; but she’s coming home to Hoxton, reincarnated by great music hall artiste Jan Hunt in a fun-packed bill of Victorian music hall, presented by the world-famous Players’ Theatre, at Hoxton Hall Sunday December 2nd 2.30 p.m. (matinée for adults and children) & 7.00 p.m. Seats £18 (under 12’s £10) Book tickets: www.hoxton.hall.co.uk. Enquiries: 020 7684 0060 Jan Hun t Star of Crackerjack , television’s The Good Old Days and Showboat , Jan first played Marie in The Life of Marie Lloyd in the 1970s, at Hoxton Hall. She revivifies Marie’s famous songs: the ever-popular My old man said “Follow the van! And don’t dilly dally on the way” ; the mock-innocent Oh, Mr Porter, what shall I do? I wanted to go to Birmingham and they’ve taken me on to Crewe! and the poignant The boy I love is up in the gallery. The Players’ Theatre Formed in 1936 as a club. Its small tunnel-shaped theatre under the arches at Charing Cross was star-packed: Peter Ustinov, Hattie Jacques, Ian Carmichael, Barry Cryer. It no longer has a permanent theatre, but puts on regular music hall shows, for public and private audiences, and develops new young artistes such as Ellie Bamber, who progressed from the Players to Trevor Nunn’s Aspects of Love and to A Mother’s Son with Martin Clunes.
    [Show full text]