Lakewood, CO 80214
by Douglas Carter Beane
Directed by Rick Yaconis
In the 1930s, burlesque impresarios welcomed the hilarious comics and musical parodies of vaudeville to their decidedly lowbrow niche. A headliner called "the nance"—usually played by a straight man—was a stereotypically camp homosexual and master of comic double entendre. "The Nance" recreates the naughty, raucous world of burlesque's heyday and tells the backstage story of Chauncey Miles and his fellow performers. At a time when it was easy to play gay and dangerous to be gay, Chauncey's uproarious antics on the stage stand out in marked contrast to his offstage life. Embedded within this show are 12 hilarious vaudeville and burlesque acts.
Director Rick Yaconis has cast Warren Sherrill (Chauncey Miles), Jihad Milhem (Ned), John Ashton (Ephram), Patty Ionoff (Sylvie), Emily Tuckman (Carmen), Amy Gray (Joan) and Emily Gomes (Rose).
"A heartfelt new play set in the twilight of burlesque." —The New York Times.
"A nearly perfect work of dramatic art…" —The New Yorker.
Douglas Carter Beane's work includes the screenplay of To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar and several plays including The Country Club and The Little Dog Laughed, which was nominated for the 2007 Tony Award for Best Play and As Bees in Honey Drown, which ran at New York's Lucille Lortel Theatre in 1997.
Group rates are available. Free Parking. Adult themes.
###