Grey Gardens: From
East Hampton to Broadway, a new documentary film by East of Doheny with
Albert Maysles, premiered on Monday March 3 in New York, hosted by East of
Doheny and The Actors Fund at The
Paley Center for Media (25 West 52nd Street) and was preceded by a
reception and followed by a discussion with the musical's composer Scott
Frankel and lyricist Michael Korie, moderated by journalist Patrick Pacheco (Los Angeles Times, NY1 News).
"Grey Gardens: From
East Hampton To Broadway unfolds the creative journey of Albert Maysles'
cult classic, Grey Gardens, from
non-fiction film to the legendary Broadway musical it became," describe press
notes.
Film summary: This new 50-minute documentary unfolds the
creative journey of Albert Maysles' cult classic, Grey Gardens
– from nonfiction film to spectacularly mounted Broadway musical. Captured in
the 1975 Maysles' film Grey Gardens,
the indomitable Edith Beale and her daughter Edie, aunt and cousin to
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, were revealed to be a most unique and engaging
mother daughter act- inhabiting a folie a deux built upon powerful
independence, quirky eccentricity, courage, devotion and love. Their essence
and their story soon catapulted them to cult icon status, an ironic
counterpoint to Mrs. Onassis' own such status, and culminating in the ultimate
homage: being portrayed on the Broadway stage.
The documentary will feature behind-the-scenes footage of the show's
rehearsals, performance and insightful interviews with the creators and cast,
as well as a revealing interview with Albert Maysles and relevant insights from
Beale authorities, devotees, cultural commentators, audiences and fans.
Photos by Heather Oppelt
