Hello in there, from out here!

Hello!

You already know this, because you were there, but we had a GREAT SHOW on Sunday! It was like a Springsteen concert: long, multiple encores, lots of sweating, and some sentimental favorites. Actually, The Sentimental Favorites were there. Bettie Sioux Tailor wowed us again with her brand of burlesque, Denise Moffatt brought her old school chops to the table as well. Stevie Lightin' did his thang, we swooned to the stylings of Bertrand Laurence, Jan Schmidt and Phil Goldman pulled out all the stops. Omar Reyes and Meg Powers joined the Sparkling Beatniks as our special guests-- it was a GREAT night. When's the next Empire Revue?? Glad you asked! Come 'round again on OCTOBER 5th 8pm, just 8 bucks! We can't wait to see, SOME of you. . .

Yes, Bill Wood-- we're not looking forward to seeing him. Here's why:

I caught you in the act!!


You thought you could get away with teaching innocent children to draw pictures of the devil himself didn't you?



But I know what you are up to. Those "audience" members in your show last night saw the photos I showed them and now they know. Your finished. You'll never work in this town again. The schools and libraries have been contacted and you are toast! My work is done. Although I will never rest easy as long as you have those disgusting displays of pagan worship you try to pass off as entertainment at the ASS20. Your show last night was no different. Women taking off their clothes, foreigners singing silly songs, puppet shows that no one understands especially your drunken audience, Egyptian mummies screaming, mermaids and lesbonians! Shame on you. After my cataract surgery heals completely I will be back in October to make your spread of the fecal stop for good!

Singed,
Bill Wood, Your neighbor




Oh Bill . . see ya soon, ya bastard.

Become one of our intrepid sponsors!

Can you believe that back in the day a show like ours would have had its own digs? That's cool, no problem. We like the little stage we haunt, one evening a month, at AS220, and we love it when you pack the house! But you know what we miss? We miss the good old FTP.

We had, for four short years from 1935-1939 a NATIONAL THEATRE in this great country of ours and it was called The Federal Theatre Project, part of the New Deal, approved by one of our favorite Presidents, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The FTP gave hope to the hopeless, as the country struggled to climb out of the pit of the Great Depression. Headed by Hallie Flanagan, The Federal Theatre Project pulled actors, directors, stage hands, set and costume designers, writers SHOW FOLKS out the bread lines and put us all back to work! Even a brash young man named Orson Welles got his big break, stateside, with his direction of Voodoo Macbeth which featured an all-black cast! REVOLUNTIONARY!!




The FTP was disbanded in 1939. The deal was apparently too new-- the FTP was labeled, "Communist." Welcome to the dawn of the Red Scare. . .

Today, lots of artists like us who make our own work, cobble together a living just short of Piracy. And we live to have the kind of fun we muster up at the Empire Revue-- we're grateful for your patronage. For two years we've been sweatin' and dancin' and singin' and foolin' around, for your amusement, and ours! Thanks to the generous folks at AS220 for giving us a home, and thanks to EMPIRE LOAN for their unwavering sponsorship.

We're living in a different kind of great depression, now-- if you know a patron of the vaudeville arts who'd like to become one of our intrepid sponsors, come on up at the end of the show and let Keith Munslow know!



See you on July 6th!
Marya
Sparkling Beatnik