'The Marilyn Tapes', at Don't Tell Mama
| Lenore Zann as Marilyn Monroe |
The Marilyn Tapes, written by and starring Lenore Zann as Marilyn Monroe, with music and lyrics by Cliff Jones, at Don't Tell Mama from the 15 May - 26 Jun 2005.
Marilyn Monroe�s legendary romances with the likes of Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller and Kennedy brothers Bobby and Jack, her bouts with pills and booze, and her on and off screen overpowering sensuality dominate the myth of Marilyn. Few knew that this image belied the real Marilyn. In unraveling the Marilyn myth, actor/writer Lenore Zann reveals the truth behind the headlines with her portrayal of the screen goddess who was anything but a dumb blond.
A rat-pack era nightclub provides the setting for Marilyn to banter with her musical director, Billy (played by David Raleigh) and muse on the turns her life has taken, from the 16-year-old Norma Jean Baker to Playboy�s first centerfold to the pinnacle of Hollywood.
Looking beyond the manufactured image of Marilyn the movie star, Zann paints a picture of an unloved and lonely young woman who hid behind the fa�ade of tight gowns and wavy blonde hair. She shows us a Marilyn of intelligence and passion, one deeply committed to civil rights and social justice.
Inspired by the recently found �long-lost tapes� of a 1962 recording session with Marilyn Monroe prior to her death, The Marilyn Tapes leads us on a poetic musical journey into the legend: the dramatic, lonely yet ultimately transcendent, roller-coaster ride of her life.
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