Quinn Lemley: Burlesque to Broadway

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Quinn Lemley

Vintage Stagecraft

Cabaret Scenes, November 2014

Quinn-Lemley-Burlesque-to-Broadway-Red-Dress-Cabaret-Scenes-Magazine_212Quinn Lemley has been practicing the art of what she calls “vintage stagecraft” for some time now. A singer/dancer and show conceptualist, she has headlined many of North America’s Top 50 theaters (according to Pollstar), and has toured internationally in Switzerland, China, and particularly in Greece where she is “the iconic face” of The Half Note Jazz Club in Athens. Born and raised in Columbus, Indiana, Quinn celebrates her small-town roots as she honors the values of hard work and independence that are the hallmark of the American entertainers she admires—women like Cher, Carol Burnett, Bette Midler and Oprah.

Quinn has released six CDs: the just-released Burlesque to Broadway, as well as Sirens Songs of the Silver Screen, Cocktails with a Twist, Dance or Die, The Heat Is On! and Live! At the Half Note.

Before launching Burlesque to Broadway, which she has created with producer Paul E. Horton, Quinn first made her mark interpreting the life and career of the iconic beauty Rita Hayworth with Rita! Hollywood Goddess, and The Heat is On! Quinn developed her mastery of Hollywood history, iconography and Big Band showmanship. From her early days studying opera in France (at 16 she was the youngest student of the great diva Christianne Castelli), Quinn has set out to master and modernize large-scale nightclub singing (with its heavy dose of material from the Great American Songbook and Broadway).

Visit: https://quinnlemley.com/

Before we get to Burlesque to Broadway, tell us how your Rita Hayworth show came about.

Quinn-Lemley-Burlesque-to-Broadway-Gold-Dress-Cabaret-Scenes-Magazine_212x320I was starring in a show off Broadway called Born to Rumba! where I played a former Cuban showgirl in the 1950s, and Richie Ridge of Broadway World came with his partner, Preston Ridge. They said that I had an uncanny resemblance to the screen siren Rita Hayworth and that I should meet the author of Always Patsy Cline, Carter Inskeep. He and I created Rita Hayworth! The Heat Is On! for cabaret rooms, starting at Don’t Tell Mama with a quartet, and expanding and developing the show for performing arts centers with an 11-piece big band. We read and watched everything we could related to Rita’s life and the time period in Hollywood. We recently performed the show at 54 Below and at the RRazz Room in New Hope.

Burlesque to Broadway sounds like a logical next step. What was the impetus for it?

The seductive striptease in Gilda, with “Put the Blame on Mame,” and “Zip” from Pal Joey were intriguing. Rita only removes one black glove in her Jean Louis gown and it is one of the most provocative and sexy moments on celluloid. We all know the musical Gypsy, but I wondered what Gypsy Rose Lee’s nightclub act was. I started researching her, Mae West, Sally Rand and other women who came out of burlesque and went on to shape music, fashion and culture as we know it. They all used the power of the tease to create themselves and break through the glass ceilings in a time when women didn’t really work. I discovered great music, costumes, humor and fabulous stories which I use in Burlesque to Broadway.

What can the audience expect from Burlesque to Broadway?

A lot of fun! It’s a theatrical concert celebrating women and those who love them. There is tease, but it is not a strip tease show like a lot of other burlesque shows. This about the music, the history of burlesque, Broadway and beyond, glamorous costumes, humor and the power of the tease.

Quinn-Lemley-Burlesque-to-Broadway-Fur-Cabaret-Scenes-Magazine_212This being a show about burlesque, can we expect a showgirl or two?

Absolutely! In sequins, feathers and fans, the show features Stacey Harris as Razz, Samantha Stoltzfus as Gracie, Jenna Rubaii as LoRita St. Lo and Chelsea Turbin as Trixie L’Amour.

What songs can we expect to hear?

There are 19 songs and numbers, which all touch on the art, deception and humor of striptease seduction.  There are classics, such as “Let Me Entertain You,” “My Heart Belongs to Daddy,” and “Ten Cents a Dance,” to songs of empowerment like “You Don’t Own Me,” and “When You’ve Got it, Flaunt It.”

Who is the creative team behind the show?

Musical direction is by Daniel Lincoln, who leads a nine-piece band. Choreography is by David Eggers (Nice Work if You Can Get It) and costumes are by Wendall Goings (Rock of Ages). Orchestrations are provided by Steve Rawlins (who has collaborated with Bette Midler on some of her projects). Joe Hardy, who won a Tony Award for Child’s Play, serves as the show’s directing consultant.

Quinn-Lemley-Burlesque-to-Broadway-Showgirls_Cabaret-Scenes-MagazineBurlesque to Broadway
November 17 & 24 at 8 pm
The Cutting Room
44 E. 32nd Street, NYC
212.691.1900
http://thecuttingroomnyc.com/