Puppet Madame Returns To Provincetown's Pilgrim House In MADAME'S FACE-FOR-RADIO HOLIDAY HOOTENANNY

Pilgrim House, Provincetown's destination for top-flight entertainment, announced today an exclusive three-night engagement of the world premiere of MADAME'S "FACE-FOR-RADIO" HOLIDAY HOOTENANNY.

Set to be a highlight of the Massachusetts resort community's annual Holly Folly Weekend, the production will feature the talents of acclaimed puppeteer Joe Kovacs, old-fashioned Foley sound effects. new songs, and, of course, the legendary puppet Madame, who made her Provincetown debut in 1972 at the Pilgrim House with her creator, Wayland Flowers.

There will be three performances of MADAME'S "FACE-FOR-RADIO" HOLIDAY HOOTENANNY: December 3, 4 and 5 at 6pm with $25 general admission and $35 VIP tickets on sale now at pilgrimhouseptown.com. Pilgrim House is centrally located at 336 Commercial Street in Provincetown.

For decades, glittering television and stage luminary Madame has been told she has "a face for radio." This holiday season, the randy legend lights up the airwaves with a vintage-style LIVE radio experience complete with new gowns, new jokes, new songs, and the same old face. Master puppeteer Joe Kovacs returns with Foley sound effects artist Jimmy McDonald for a hilarious Christmas special that's bound to keep Madame on the naughty list and you in stitches. Please note: this production is not recommended for children!

This side-splitting "holiday hootenanny" marks the Madame writing debut of comedy writer and playwright Jacques Lamarre with original material by Wayland Flowers and critically-acclaimed director Michael Schiralli. Madame is managed by Ken Horgan with Pilgrim House Entertainment Director John Pirroni acting as show producer.

MADAME (Legendary Star) burst onto the entertainment scene on the arm of her longtime escort Wayland Flowers. After meeting at the 1964 World's Fair in New York City, the two became an inseparable duo entertaining at various gay bars and nightclubs in Greenwich Village. In 1971, their made their stage debut in Kumquats, an Off-Broadway production billed as "the world's first erotic puppet show." Wayland and Madame then absconded to Provincetown where their sold-out 1972 residency became the talk of the town. Hollywood was the next stop for the bawdy broad and her consort making their television debut on The Andy Williams Show. In short order, they scored featured appearances on the popular comedy showcase Laugh-In, 1980s music favorite Solid Gold, and as the center square on Hollywood Squares. Madame would eventually score her own syndicated sitcom Madame's Place in 1982. Aside from making countless appearances on popular talk shows, Flowers and Madame maintained a grueling schedule of nightclub engagements in Hollywood, Manhattan, Las Vegas, and more. Tragically, Flowers passed away in 1988. Since that time, Madame has intermittently returned to the stage. She officially returned to the Pilgrim House stage on the arm of longtime friend Joe Kovacs.

Joe Kovacs (Puppeteer) received two puppets from his grandfather on his 3rd birthday and never really put them down. At the age of four his hometown of Independence, Ohio saw the premiere of Red Hood Riding performed from behind the living room sofa. His family lauded the production as "Longer than Gone With the Wind yet far less dangerous to watch than the pressure cooker." A graduate of the Cincinnati school for the Creative and Performing Arts, he's been singing and dancing his way across the globe for more than 35 years. Joe first met and performed with Madame in 2004, opening for Joan Rivers and Joy Behar and appearing on VH1's I Love the 70's Vol. II. Joe has also worked for the Atlanta Center for Puppetry Arts, and building puppets and props for The Jim Henson Company in NYC. A master craftsman and performer, Joe has also worked as a director, writer, costumer, and puppet designer from New York City to the exotic island of Bahrain, and the breathtaking city of Paris. Paris Kentucky that is.

Jimmy McDonald (Foley Sound Effects Artist) grew up in Ipswich MA and graduated from The University of Southern Maine with a BM in Musical Theatre Performance. A lifelong performer, his first role at the tender age of 7 months was baby Jesus in a Nativity play which garnered such stellar reviews as "Wait, they didn't just use a doll?" and "Kinda chubby to be playing a newborn but at least he didn't cry the whole time." He is also an accomplished musician playing the oboe as well as several other instruments. His most recent role was Hysterium in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum for CLP in Cincinnati. He is incredibly excited to be sharing the stage with his partner of 8 years and the living legend that is Madame!

Jacques Lamarre (Writer) is a Connecticut-based playwright who has premiered three works at Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, CT: Born Fat, Love & Spumoni, and Italian Mom Loves You co-written with and starring Daniel Franzese. For TheaterWorks Hartford, he premiered I Loved, I Lost..., Raging Skillet, Christmas on the Rocks (co-writer), and Secondo: The Sequel to I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti. His plays have been seen at Asolo Repertory Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Cincinnati Playhouse on the Park, Half Moon Theatre, Stoneham Theatre Company, Florida Repertory Theatre, Center Stage at the JCC, New Jewish Theatre, Emerson Theatre Collaborative, Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre, Penobscott Playhouse, Crossroads Repertory Theatre, Beaumont Community Players, Triangle Rep, Philly Fringe, Little Theatre of the Rockies, Georgia Ensemble Theatre, Zeitgeist Stage, and The Warehouse Theatre. Other plays include Save the Robots: The Sci-Fi Musical (Midtown International Theatre Festival), Gray Matters (MITF), My Vhite House Christmas Spashial Live From Trump Tower, Red State Road Trip, Trigger Warning, Honey LaBrea: The Lonely Thetan - A Scientollywood Comedy, The Wedding Binder, among others. Jacques has co-written 18 shows, a film and two Fleet enema commercials for drag superstar Varla Jean Merman. JacquesLamarrePlaywright.com

Michael Schiralli (Director) is a New York City-based theater and film director, Michael was Artistic Director of Half Moon Theatre at CIA's Marriott Pavilion where he directed numerous productions including: John Cariani's premiere of Cul-De-Sac; Jacques Lamarre's I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti and Lamarre and Daniel Franzese's recent comedy Italian Mom Loves You, among others. Some recent NYC credits include Why'd You Do It? (NY Times critic's pick); Nico Underground (NY Times critic's pick); Succession's David Rasche at 54 Below; the critically acclaimed A Chanukah Charol starring Jackie Hoffman (New World Stages); Jeff Ward's Take One (Fringe) David Simpatico's Prom Queen (Playwrights Horizon). Other notable productions: Sleepless Variations with Mary Testa & Michael Starobin (Barrington Stage); 20 years of Jackie Hoffman's solo shows including The Kvetching Continues (Time Out Award); The Tragic And Horrible Life Of The Singing Nun (NYMF, 3 awards); 22 years of Varla Jean Merman shows and videos including Enough About Me: An Unauthorized Autobiography and the upcoming Ready to Blow; Coco Peru shows including Undaunted (GLAAD Award best theater LA); Kristine Zbornik's shows including Ball of Confusion; The Vendler Television Playhouse (Guiding Light TV Cast); Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice with David Rackoff (Culture Project); Born Again Again! with Tammy Faye Starlite; Valentine's Day Massacre with Jackie Hoffman, Paul Dinello, Eric Drysdale, David Rackoff (Drama Dept.); Wasp Cove with Julie Klausner; Nothin's Easy and Nobody's Happy with Colette Hawley; Gas, Food, Talent (West Bank); Darlene Love's True Love with musical direction by Bette Sussman (N.Y., L.A.); Laura Nyro Project with Catherine Russell, Elaine Caswell and Jenifer Kruskamp (MTC); Songs for a New World with Beth Leavel and musical direction by Jason Robert Brown (Helen Hayes PAC); Damaged Care (U.S. House of Congress); Rachel Shukert's Everything's Coming Up Moses with Seth Rudetsky; MTW's Holiday Extravaganza with Kristin Chenowith; All You Can Sing with Phoebe Snow; Free & Equal (Yip Harburg Foundation); the feature film Varla Jean And The Mushroomheads; the new musical Hit Her With The Skates (UCPAC Hamilton Stage/Broadway World pick); and the American Songbook with Jackie Hoffman at Lincoln Center.

Winner of Yankee Magazine's Best of New England 2013 Editor's Choice Award for Best Outer-Cape Oasis and multiple TripAdvisor Certificates of Excellence, Pilgrim House is Cape Cod's gathering place for foodies, art enthusiasts and conscious travelers who desire a high level of service and comfort.

The Pilgrim House opened for business around 1810 and counted Henry David Thoreau among its guests. The original structure, set so far back from the street that there was room for a gazebo or bandstand in its front yard, might have dated to the late 1700s. In the mid-twentieth century, like its modern counterpart, the Pilgrim House doubled as a nightspot. In the 1950s, a dance orchestra played on Saturday nights in what was then called the Sea Dragon Club. In the 1960s, what was now known as the Madeira Club played host to all kinds of talent, including Judy Garland and Lily Tomlin. The array of entertainers that have graced its stage include Wayland Flowers and Madame, Margaret Cho, Lea DeLaria, and such drag legends as Divine, Dina Martina, and Miss Richfield 1981.

The staff and the owners' commitment to preserving the environment and supporting Provincetown's history and artistic heritage is felt throughout all aspects of the property-Zen-like outdoor patio, garden and herb wall, vibrant artwork that graces the walls, a robust environmental initiative that includes electric car charging stations, rooftop solar panels and comfortable rooms designed to meet all needs. At Pilgrim House, every detail has been thoughtfully planned. To learn more, visit pilgrimhouseptown.com.

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