Comments on: News Reporter Nellie Bly Gets a Musical

By: carl wagner

carl wagner — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:37:37 +0000

For Jack Marshall,

My wife and I enjoyed “Stunt Girl” (I’d call it a ‘natural’ subject for a drama, Nellie Bly) but the romance with Brisbane, indeed the treatment of Brisbane seems non-historical. From Google I find Brisbane, while an editor for Pulitzer, was the force behind “Yellow Journalism”, (sensationalism in investigative reporting, not Pulitzer) and was soon working (post 1897) for William Randolph Hearst, contrary to the story in Stunt Girl which makes of him merely a romantic foil for Nellie. There is going to be criticism of this twisting of history when this show comes out in full later.
Also, from Google, it appears that Brisbane himself was the originator of many of Nellie’s stunts but more important was as much of a humanitarian as Nellie. They might actually have been a good romantic number, but weren’t.

By the way, Jack, the real problem with the Brit language is it’s too-closeness to French (colour,theatre,manoeuvre..that’s the worst). You can’t really blame them though, what with the Norman invasion in 1066 and all that.

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:54:02 +0000

Gail:

Call TACT at 703-998-4555 or send an email to boxoffice@americancentury.org.

By: Gail Benkert

Gail Benkert — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:50:29 +0000

I would like 4 tickets for “Stunt Girl” on Sun. June 29 at 2pm. at Gunston Arts Center Theatre. Thanks.

By: Gail Benkert

Gail Benkert — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:49:17 +0000

I would like 4 tickets for “Stunt Girl” for the Sunday, June 29 performance at 2pm. at Gunston Arts Center Theatre.

By: Jack Marshall

Jack Marshall — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 17:02:38 +0000

Peter was always a great guy, a charming performer, a talented writer, a great water polo player,and a lousy speller. Since The American Century Theater is about AMERICAN plays, themes and people, we spell theater the American way, without that British, pompous “-re” stuff. (TACT also spells it “shop,” not “shoppe,” and “color,’ rather than “colour.”) I say this recognizing that DC Theatre Scene” uses the wrong spelling too, but it is only reflecting the clear and unfortunate preference of its constituency, which, based on the column to the right of this article, embraces the “-re” beyond all reason. But our name is spelled correctly there, so we know Joel is not at fault for the mis-spelling—it’s Peter’s fault. He pronounces it “theatre”—I’ve heard him. Never could spell a lick. I had to talk him out of calling the show “Ye Stunte Girl.”