Direct From Paris! JOSEPHINE BAKER and Company 1964 Washington, D.C. Flyer

Description

This is a rare single page advertising handbill (flyer) promoting ticket sales for the one-week, Post-Broadway engagement of the legendary JOSEPHINE BAKER and Her Company at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. beginning March 16th, 1964. (The production opened February 4th, 1964 at New York's Brooks Atkinson Theatre and ran for 16 performances before a brief regional tour. The show would return March 31st, 1964 to New York's Henry Miller's Theatre for an additional 24 performances.) ..... The show starred JOSEPHINE BAKER and featured GEOFFREY HOLDER, the AVIV DANCERS (Mary Ann Bruning, Carol Flemming and Jerry Scott) and the LARL BECHAM TRIO ..... Biography: American born JOSEPHINE BAKER (1906-1975) landed a role in the road company of Sissle and Blake's
Shuffle Along
(1923) at the age of 17 and made her Broadway debut the following year in
The Chocolate Dandies
(1924). She appeared with Ethel Waters in the floor show at New York's Plantation Club and soon became a crowd favorite. In 1925, at the peak of France's obsession with American Jazz and all things exotic, Baker traveled to Paris to perform in
La Revue Negre
at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees. She made an immediate impression on French audiences, however it was the following year, at the Follies-Bergere Music Hall that Baker's career would reach a major turning point. In a performance called
La Folie du Jour
, Baker danced wearing little more than a skirt made of sixteen bananas. The show was wildly popular with Parisian audiences and Baker was soon among the highest paid performers in Europe, having become an overnight sensation. Her striking beauty cemented her celebrity status as she rivaled Gloria Swanson and Mary Pickford as the most photographed women in the world. She returned to the United States periodically, but her talents were never fully appreciated due primarily to racism and the American public's unwillingness to accept the idea of a black woman with so much sophistication and power. She dedicated the last years of her life fighting for racial equality. Josephine reluctantly agreed to perform at New York's Carnegie Hall in 1974 for a benefit. Due to previous experience, she was nervous about how the audience and critics would receive her. This time, however, cultural and racial growth was evident and Josephine received a standing ovation before the concert even began. The enthusiastic welcome was so touching that she wept openly on stage. On April 12th, 1975, just days after performing at the Bombino Theatre in Paris, Josephine slipped into a coma and died from a cerebral hemorrhage. (Reprinted in part from the Bio.True Story website.) ..... CREDITS: Musical Direction by SHERMAN FRANK; Directed by FELIX G. GERSTMAN; Produced by SHERMAN S. KRELLBERG ..... DETAILS: Advertising handbills (heralds) were distributed or inserted into the playbills of other productions to help generate ticket sales for upcoming shows. This single page, two-sided handbill measures 6" X 9" inches and includes a photo of JOSEPHINE BAKER, performance dates, venue and production credits on the front and promotional text and a ticket order form on the backside ..... CONDITION: With the exception of light creasing, this rare handbill is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard ..... SHIPPING DISCOUNTS: Check my "Other Items" for additional rare Broadway playbills and other theatre related memorabilia. Multiple purchases qualify for shipping discounts when all items are combined into a single payment. Please wait for a revised invoice before sending payment ..... THANKS !!!
Pay me securely with any major credit card through PayPal!