Mae West’s “Diamond Lil” to Have a Free Performance at Jefferson Market Library in Manhattan

NEW YORK - Oct. 26, 2013 - PRLog -- New York, NY -- Written in 1928 by Mae West, the stage play “Diamond Lil” has laced itself into a position of public awareness once again thanks to a frisky adaptation by playwright LindaAnn Loschiavo. The original script, a voluptuous 3-hour affair stuffed with villains and sub-plots, has been tightened and trimmed to 85 minutes.  The cast size has been whittled down, from 34 players in 1928, to eight.

“Diamond Lil” is set in 1895 on the Bowery in Chinatown. Diamond-loving Lil, a chanteuse starring at Gus Jordan’s dance hall, becomes fixated on Captain Cummings, who seems to be the leader of a Bowery rescue mission and a clean-living decent man.  Diamond Lil falls in love with this handsome missionary, unaware that he is an undercover detective who is about to arrest her and her lover Gus Jordan, ending the criminal enterprise that has brought her to prominence and filled her jewelry box with diamonds.

People often ask:   If I’ve seen “She Done Him Wrong,” why should I see “Diamond Lil” onstage?
In 1932, under the watchful gaze of the censors, Paramount Pictures took a 3-hour play about the criminal underworld and sanitized it. They boiled it down to 66 minutes, turning the white slavery traffickers into counterfeiters, eliminating the sex scenes, and refining the “Lady Lou” character. On stage, Mae sashayed in corsets and revealing garments; in the movie, her costumes carefully conceal her  cleavage.  In her stage version, Mae offered vivid encounters with kissing, touching, and man-handling. Fortunately, our script has all of the sex and none of the censorship.  And the actresses wear beautiful bustiers.

The public is invited (suitable for age 18 and over). Join us as we turn the iconic Greenwich Village library into Gus Jordan's "Suicide Hall"!

The Cast: Starring Darlene Violette as Diamond Lil, Queen of the Bowery and also featuring Sidney Myer, Anthony DiCarlo, Joanna Bonaro, Gary Napoli, Juan Sebastian Cortes, Kimmy Foskett, Jim Gallagher and live music by Brian McInnis

.
• • Watch a Video of "Diamond Lil" • •
• • http://youtu.be/xfbJHhw47OQ



Read a Review of "Diamond Lil"
L'Idea Magazine's editors had a lot to say. Here's the link: http://www.lideamagazine.com/usa-still-entertaining-mae-w... The public is invited (suitable for age 18 and over). Join us as we turn the iconic NYC nightspot Don't Tell Mama into Gus Jordan's "Suicide Hall"!

Who, What, When, Where

Who: Actress Darlene Violette and actors TBA with dramatist-journalist LindaAnn Loschiavo

What:  "Diamond Lil"

When: 7:00 pm, Friday, Nov. 22, 2013

Where: Jefferson Market Library, 425 Sixth Avenue, New York, NY — – in the same chamber where Mae West [1893--1980] faced off with the magistrate in 1927

What Else: the popular Mae West Raffle

Fee: Free

RSVP: Jefferson Market Library, T 212-243-4334

Url: MaeWest.blogspot.com

Email: maewestdiamondlil@gmail.com

Subway: West Fourth St. station via A, C, D, E, F subway

Path: West Ninth St. station

— — — — — On-going — — — — —

• • Those who prefer night life will enjoy "Diamond Lil" starring actress Darlene Violette — — and the roisterous cast who brought the Bowery denizens and Suicide Hall’s ne’er-do-wells to life — — now onstage with performances at Don’t Tell Mama [343 W. 46th Street] every Sunday evenings until November 24, 2013.

• • Reserve seats by phone: 212-757-0788; RSVP online: www.donttellmamanyc.com