New book about Grey Gardens now available for pre-order

So we'd heard about a book from Maysles Films about Grey Gardens a while back, and now it seems that the book is available for pre-order!

The expected release date is 1 May 2009. Even if the book is delayed, Amazon thankfully won't charge you until the book is actually shipped.

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Edie Beale makes yet another appearance in Italian Vogue

Edie Beale of Grey Gardens has already appeared in Italian Vogue before, but she recently made another appearance in the September issue.

The issue of this magazine is now 2 months old, but these are the first scanned images from the magazine

From Vogue Italia, by Grazia d'Annunzio, on September 2008, via Fashion Intelligensia

Edith Bouvier Beale of Grey Gardens

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Little Edie runs in her white heels!

I thought this was a very clever way to promote the upcoming Washington D.C. production of the Grey Gardens musical.

From Grey Gardens Yahoo Group, by Tony Lagarto, on 20 October 2008

The Running of the Edies

Every year here in DC we have the Annual High Heel Race on 17th Street, in the Dupont Circle neighborhood. It's been a Halloween tradition for decades, and it's just a bunch of guys in drag running down the middle of 17th Street for two blocks. It started out as a small neighborhood event, but it now attracts thousands of suburbanites from miles around. This year's race will take place next Tuesday, October 28th, at 8pm. But there will be a special Edie Beale twist this time around.

To commemorate and to promote the upcoming Studio Theatre production of the "Grey Gardens" musical, the theater company is trying to arrange for at least 30 Edie Beales to show up and participate in the race.

Here's the info...

Run Edie, Run!

Join The Studio Theatre for an outrageous opportunity to promote our upcoming production of Grey Gardens. This year's High Heeled Race on 17th Street will be Tuesday October 28 at 8pm. We need 30 Little Edie Beales to make a splash— or a dash—in the race. That's right—you get to have fun with your favorite cult mistress and dress up as "Little" Edie Bouvier Beale—the main character in Grey Gardens—and run in the race!

Ready to have a blast? Well here are some instructions:

Each participant must provide their own clothes and shoes.

We've compiled several photos of Edie at www.studiotheatre.org/ediephotos Feel free to develop your own variation on her look — just make sure you have some the following elements, use all for an extreme effect:

1. Edie always wears a scarf, old sweater, skirt or other bizarre clothing around her head to hide the fact she has pulled out all her hair. She often clasps the head wrap together with a big brooch.
2. Edie often wears sweaters wrapped around her as a skirt—usually with lots of big safety pins.
3. Edie often wears bathing suits (still with the head wrap)
4. Edie doesn't have natural eyebrows—so she draws them on with the talent of a 1st grader with crayons
5. Edie likes to imagine herself a drum majorette from time to time—she also likes to dance with the American Flag

Please contact lance@studiotheatre.org to volunteer or if you have any further questions. Solomon is doing it—so should you!

We plan to meet Monday October 27 at 6pm at The Studio Theatre to talk about the race and take a look at your outfits and provide any input you think could be helpful. On the day of the race we will meet @ 6:45pm at The Studio Theatre and march over, all dressed and ready, to the registration booth on 17th Street!

Each participant will receive one (1) comp ticket to any performance* of Grey Gardens.

*Excludes Sunday November 16, 2008 and Saturday Nights.

Lance Hayden Kump
Marketing Manager
The Studio Theatre
1501 14th ST NW
Washington, DC 20005
202.232.7267 ext 364

www.studiotheatre.org
box office: 202.332.3300

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How to tell your friends ''Merry Christmas'' with a Grey Gardens flair

Cute!

From Etsy, by umbrellybooks, on 10 October 2008

Grey Gardens Holiday Cards - Set of 8

These 4¼" x 5½" holiday cards are inspired by the upcoming book, "A Home Called Grey Gardens," by Johnny DePalma, with illustrations by Molly Crabapple. Each set of eight comes with envelopes AND one secret, sneak-peek stanza from the book.

Inside reads: Wishing you an Absolutely Terrific Holiday!

Offset printing with UV Glossy front.
Black and White - Limited Edition of 250

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Grey Gardens-inspired art by Scott Northrup

Scott Northrup is an artist with a growing body of work. His artwork is strongly influenced by great love stories and eccentricity, and some of his work is inspired directly by our beloved ladies of Grey Gardens. A few images of his work are below, but be sure to visit his site to view more of his work.

From My Tape Image, by Scott Northrup

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Grey Gardens-themed Halloween party in Knoxville, TN

As near as I can tell, Candoro Marble is a museum in Knoxville, TN. This sounds like a it could be a fun event!

From Candoromarble

Halloween Fundraiser

Friday October 31st 7pm-11pm

Suggested donation $5

High society dropouts

Come one, come all to the South Knoxville Arts & Heritage GREY GARDENS HALLOWEEN PARTY at the Candoro Marble building in Vestal!

With the support of countless volunteers, boosters and donations the South Knoxville Arts & Heritage committee is hosting a Grey Gardens themed Haloween party at the historic building.

Unfamiliar with "Grey Gardens"?

The essence of the theme is a celebration of eccentricity, nonconformism and basic indifference to status quo. Grey Gardens was the name of a documentary movie about Edith "Big Edie" Ewing Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edith "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale. These two ladies were the aunt and first cousin of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis who lived at Grey Gardens, a decrepit 28-room mansion at 3 [REMOVED] in the wealthy Georgica Pond neighborhood of East Hampton, New York.

They lived in isolation, rarely leaving the house or grounds, and in squalor without electricity or running water. The women exhibited some degree of compulsive hoarding, and allowed raccoons and cats to live in their mansion reducing their residence to just one room.

If you are a Knoxvillian this may not seem too out of the ordinary, but these ladies were high society types living in the richest of New York outskirts, and relatives of Jackie Onassis!

If this narrative interests you please research the topic more and watch the movie. These characters are inspiring and possessing even as they teeter the fine line of mental instability.

Don't have the time or desire to spend more of your precious time in front of the computer?

Come to the party and celebrate individuality in your own way!

Live entertainment, a movie screening, lots of food and a costume contest are on the agenda, and admission is just five bucks! Friday, October 31st from 8-11pm.

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Washington, D.C. production of Grey Gardens shaping up

Exciting news!

From Playbill, by Kenneth Jones, on 1 October 2008

Barbara Walsh Will Play "Edies" of Grey Gardens in DC; Casting Complete

Tony Award nominee Barbara Walsh, of Big, Falsettos and Company, will play the dual roles of middle-aged Edith and Little Edie in the Washington, DC, premiere of Grey Gardens, the musical.

The Studio Theatre will produce the Tony Award-nominated musical portrait of American decay by Doug Wright (book), Scott Frankel (music) and Michael Korie (lyrics) Nov. 12-Dec. 21.

Serge Seiden will direct Walsh, who will be grand hostess Edith in Act One in 1941 and then her middle-aged daughter, Edie, in Act Two in 1972. Walsh was Tony-nominated (and Drama Desk-nominated) for her work in Falsettos. She was also nominated for a Drama Desk Award for playing salty Joanne in the recent Company directed by John Doyle.

Barbara Broughton, the respected regional and New York actress, will play aged Edith in Act Two.

Opening is Nov. 16. The cast will also feature Bobby Smith (Gould), Jenna Sokolowski (Little Edie), Alison Cenname (Lee), James Foster Jr. (Brooks), Simone Grossman (Jackie), Ryan Hilliard (Mr. Bouvier) and Matthew Stucky (Joe/Jerry).

The creative team includes George Fulginiti-Shakar (music director), Mathew Gardiner (choreographer), Russell Metheny (set designer), Michael Lincoln (lighting designer), Alex Jaeger (costume designer) and Gil Thompson (sound designer).

According to the Studio, "Behind the closed doors of a dilapidated mansion, alongside 50 cats and piles of rubbish, live two bizarre and beautiful women who just happen to be the cousin and aunt of a Kennedy. Based on the groundbreaking documentary by David and Albert Maysles, this cult hit was nominated for ten Tonys."

Christine Ebersole won the 2007 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for playing Edith/Little Edie. She is heard on the Off-Broadway and Broadway cast albums of the show.

Grey Gardens will play the Studio Theatre's Metheny Theatre. For more information visit www.studiotheatre.org.

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The Edies' Cultural References

Over time, I've gotten a few emails about my "The Edies' Cultural References" section in the right sidebar of this site. My visitors have recognized the Robert Frost book of poetry, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, The Marble Faun, and It's All in the Stars as prominently featured in the documentary Grey Gardens. But what about these other items?

Some of them were referenced in The Beales of Grey Gardens. Big Edie recited Lorraine, Lorraine, Lorree) by Charles Kingsley:

Andromeda and Other Poems

Little Edie criticized Lois for having wanted Audrey Hepburn in Gigi:

Gigi

And Little Edie referred to Wings, saying that she's love to travel the world with two men:

Wings

The final reference, to Robert Altman's Nashville, comes from Lois Wright's book, My Life at Grey Gardens. Edie had seen the movie and loved it.

Nashville