Grey Gardens 3 : From East Hampton to Broadway at Provincetown Film Festival.

PREFACE : I was not able to write about my experiences about the Albert Maysles part three -documentary about the Beales "GREY GARDENS : FROM HAMPTONS to BROADWAY at the 10th Annual Provincetown Film Festival in Provincetown (Cape Cod) in Massachusetts due to my vacations, now that I am back... I will try to remember what Ive learned from the documentary and the talk back after the movie. This was shown last June 21, 2008.

I thought about starting a thread in the OT board, but I realized that the part 3 documentary is basically about the MUSICAL, so I posted here at the main board.

and I dedicate this thread to miss pennywise , who is a big fan of the musical and the documentary:

WARNING : THIS WILL HAVE A LOT OF SPOILERS!

Grey Gardens : From Hapmptons to Broadway
by Albert Maysles
90 mins.

(these are the things Ive learned about the documentary and the talk back)
NOTE : Scott Frankel (the composer) was sick, so he did not make it to Provincetown.

-First and Foremost the part three documentary is about the musical. its adaptation and its transfer on Broadway.

- Scott Frankel, the composer is the one that got the right to write the musical based on the Maysles documentary, "Grey Gardens" he contacted his agent to get the rights.

-Scott Frankel (composer) , Dough Wright (librettist) and Michael Korie (lyricist) all knew one another before GG, I think they all knew one another from YALE UNIVERSITY (which they are all alumnis)

-(it was asked in the talk back) that Little Edie knew about the existence of the musical in 2001, right before she died and wrote them a letter (by typing it in a typewritter) that..."this might be historic" though she did not see the finish product..the creative team felt that her note was a way of blessing to them to write the musical.

- Doug Wright said in the talk back that there was a book about the Beals (written by the son? or nephew?-sorry cant remember what Doug said) and that's whats most of ACT 1 was based.

- Doug Wright said that there were facts they knew about the BEALS which was made into ACT 1- he said in the talk back- what if all these things happened in that faithful afternoon in the Hamptons~that's how ACT 1 was created:

a. Little Edy was once engaged with Joe Kennedy and he back out on her: they got this on the book... it was during Pres. Kennedy's inaguration! Little Edie said that it should be her not Jackie O!

b. Mr. Beals got a divorce from Edith Beale in Mexico.

c. Little Edie run away from her house in Hampton to go to NYC.

e. (the creative team) also think that Edith Beale (Big Edy) suffered some sort of narcissitic behavior and attention seeking disorder. she would sing in all the party to party making her husband and father very uncomfortable.

f. Edith Beale's father disowned them after the divorce and was given $60,000.00 to live for 30 years..

^^^ These are the facts that they decided to make the basis of ACT 1, IF it happened in one faithful afternoon.

-(I think, not sure about the date) in 2002 or 2003- Scott Frankel, Dough Wright and Michael Korie rented a house in Provincetown, MA to write the complete score and book for GREY GARDENS. Dough Wright said that he would borrow book from the lyrisist and vice versa.

- TWO PEAS IN A POD was the 1st song written. Its a tribute to Big Edy's song in the documentary " Tea for Two" (from No, No, Nanette) Micahel Korie wrote the lyrics first as a tribute to Big Edy's song. If you examine the lyrics very carefully, there was a proof that the creative teams (btw- are residents of Provincetown during Summers) love P-Town so much!

What need we Manhattan?

[Edith]
Just us and a cat in-

[Edith & Edie]
A cottage on Cape Cod
For two, please - two peas in a pod.

- "Another Winter in A Summer Town" was written in Provincetown too... coincidently in a WINTER morning and in a summer town. The first time Ive heard the song, I thought that probably someday when I am old...I will listen to the song and reminescent of my summers in Provincetown, when I was young!

Now, thinking that the song was REALLY written in Provincetown, it really has more meaning to me now..

Another winter
In a summer town

One little leaf adrift in the breeze
Refuses to fall from the sky
Blown by the wind
It clings to the tree
Unwilling to wither and die
The summers over
But I'm still a girl
Covorting in my carnival crown
From blossom to blossom
I buzz like a bee
Then glance in the mirror
And who do I see
A middle-aged woamn inhabiting me
Because it's winter
In a summer town!

They actually watched Little Edy footage on the beach while she's swimmming and how she loves the sun and maybe its PROBABLY VERY VERY hard for her to live in the Winter on a Summer Town.

- After they wrote most of the songs, they workshop the musical in Sundance, FL. and they have Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson from the beggining, they never considered anyone bec. they felt that they found the Edys.

-Doug Wright talked about retaining some of the most famous lines from the documentary, though he did not want it to be "campy" . He also said something that I agree~he retains some of the AMBIGIOUS endings from the documentary to the musical. he did not want to give a certain ending-he wants it to be open with interpretations like the ending of the documentary- Little Edy prancing and dancing with the American Flag~which is very haunting, yet ambigious.

-There was a part of the show about opening and getting RAVES reviews for the two actors performance on Broadway from NYTIMES. Maysles said that its almost a vindication for Little Edie, bec. when the documentary opened in 1970s, NYTIMES panned it and they said that the Maysles brothers exploited the Beales as a Side Show, Little Edie then type a letter to the editor (which) they showed in the movie defending the Maysles and she said ( I cant forget this from the documentary) that the movie is a collaboration of two mature, highly intelligent film makers shotting and collaborating with hight intelligent two artist and her last word was...

btw....this is not a circus act at all!

-There's a lot of musical numbers footage from the musical. All the OBCR songs were featured in the part 3 documentary. If you did not see the musical on Braodway, this is your chance to catch it, its mostly preserved in the documentary, but not the entire songs...but mostly!

- There was a feature on Little Edy's contribution to Fashion with Todd Oldham and William Ivey Long as Talking Heads (that's what I call em! )

_Doug Wright mentioned in the talk back that Jerry (the real one) was a cab driver now in NYC that he has a habit during the Broadway run of GG to pick passengers at the Walter Kerr Theater, he would asked them if they like the show, if they say YES, he would reveal his true identity.

- Doug Wright also mentioned that he intentionally planted some "seeds" (that's what he call it) of problems in ACT 1 and I remember him saying that during the intermission, one thing happened there's a FOREST that grew, 30 yrs after ~which represents the vines creeping thru the entire Walter Kerr's proscenium.

_okay, I will add later after I remembered some details, its been awhile..3 weeks ago. I wish Ive taped the whole talk back, so more minute informations about the musicals..

and sorry for some grammatical errors and spellings.. I am typing it soo fast whike at work! lol!

J*


PHOTOS:





The Venue : The Vixen










The Program:




with Pulitzer Award winner playwright Doug Wright (Grey Gardens & TLM)

I asked about the London Production in the talk back. Unfortunately, its NOT happening per Doug Wright, But Grey Gardens will sprout in Tokyo, Japan in 2009 with a Japanese Cast (per Doug too!)

Edit: The Revolutionary Costume of the Day part is the fashion feature in the documentary with a clip of Christine Ebersole singing it.

The talking heads in the documentary are : Albert Maysles, Doug Wright, Scott Frankel, Michael Korie, Christine Ebersole, Mary Loiuse Wilson, Michael Grief (director) John McMartin, Matt Cavenaugh, Bob Stillman, Erin Davie, William Ivey Long (costume designer) Todd Oldham and another fashion designer (sorry cant remember his name? ) the producers and Rosie O' Donnell. and also Lee Radziwell!

and Michael Musto (oh we dont wanna forget him! )

J*

Updated On: 7/9/08 at 03:42 PM

Did you ask about Finding Neverland?

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americanboy- No idea. Most likely this Winter or Next year.. The Provincetown Film Festival is a special screening. A few Years ago, I saw Eating Out and it was finally shown on the Theater the next winter and available on DVD after a year (I am basing it on that?)

Not Barker, Todd- No Scott Frankel did not go to P-Town that weekend, bec, he was not feeling well. though he lives there during summer, I am sure, hopefully i will bumped into my friend, who knows him!

Another thing:

You guys wont be disappointed, for those fans of the musical (musical only, not documentary okay? ) bec. the documentary is ALL about the musical.. there was a featured on the stage design (ENTERING GREY GARDENS song) and costume design (REVOLUTIONARY costume song) If you did not see the musical, this is your best chance to see it bec. of the clips of the songs from the musical. Still not a 100% preserved, but the documentary is somewhat the preserved version of Grey Gardens the musical on DVD! (if there will be one? ) IF YOU LOVE THE MUSICAL....YOU WILL LOVE EVERY MINUTE of the documentary.

There's one part that I think its touching... Albert Maysles said..How can these two ladies become like that???? as in their condition in the 1970's. He said that the Beales being an "American Royalty" made them hard to be themselves and the ONLY WAY to become themselves is to detach away from the outside world~meaning NOT going out to their Grey Gardens estate and living in seclusions.

J*

Updated On: 7/9/08 at 04:07 PM

I remember specifically the two songs being written in Provincetown-I dont know if they made rewrites in Florida. The Peas in the Pod being written in Provincetown was in the documentary. I cant remember who said who? but Korie wrote the lyrics first~that I remember bec. Frankel was playing the piano (when they were talking about it) and specifically said in the documentary that was the first song written for the musical!

There were no mention of Florida except the try-out in Sundance. It was clear from watching the documentary that the three writers (as said in the beggining~that they rented a house in "Provincetown" to write the drafts and the songs of what was to became Grey Gardens) -- dont know which specific songs or complete songs, there are a lot of gray areas of where the songs are written, but as I said.. the documentary started when these three guys rented a house in P-Town to write Grey Gardens. I am not going to be "anal" about every details, but that's what I remembered or to the best of my recollections!

and Doug Wright said it again in the talk back... yes Grey Gardens came back to Provincetown again, in the form of the festival! I am sorry I have no knowledge of the interviews, just basing it on what I saw in the documentary and the talk-back!

J*

Updated On: 7/9/08 at 04:17 PM

Thanks for sharing Jay. As usual, very thorough and very informative. I always stop everything I am doing when I come across your reviews and reports!

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Thanks for the review Jaystarr! The pictures of Little Edie are gorgeous! She was gorgeous! I also love that Lee Radziwell was involved with the documentary. It has trulley come full circle for all those involved in Grey Gardens.

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**********SPOILER****************

I mean by no new footage is new footage of the Beales (as in "never before seen footages" as seen in Part 2 of Grey Gardens) There are NEW film, but mostly from 2006. Example: Albert Maysles interviewed Jerry Torre while driving around NYC, he told him how he felt about the Beales.

-Also there was a new footage shot of the Grey Gardens (new house in 2006) as was visited by Jerry Torre and Albert Maysles.. Jerry talked about the changes of the house, he pointed that the screen door was gone now... etc... also they showed old footage from the documentary of Little Edie prancing at the porch of Grey Gardens then it switch to Grey Gardens circa 2006 house- its very haunting! Its like before and After part!

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Updated On: 7/9/08 at 09:22 PM