Preview/Q&A by Brad Balfour
Who: Quinn Lemley
What: Rita Hayworth: The Heat is On!
When: November 20th, 2023
Where: Don’t Tell Mama
(343 W 46th St.)
(212)-757-0788
info@donttellmamanyc.com
On Nov 20, the singer/style queen Quinn Lemley will present her last NYC performance of “Rita Hayworth The Heat Is On!” at Don’t Tell Mama (343 W 46th St.), the long-established cabaret center in midtown Manhattan before going on the road. Hayworth, known as “The Love Goddess” is iconic for her indelible performance in the film noir classic “Gilda” — performing the sexiest striptease on celluloid, “Put The Blame On Mame.” The hottest sex symbol of the 1940’s, Hayworth’s pin-up on the Atomic Bomb gave her the International title of “The Atomic Star.” Courted by the world’s most powerful men, Orson Welles, Prince Aly Khan, Howard Hughes she was a legend until she developed early onset Alzheimer which led to her death.
The fire-haired performer brings the star to life in her sold-out shows. Having headlined various performing arts centers and casinos across North America, Lemley received The Bistro Award and Two MAC awards nominations. Lemley’s jazz quintet performs internationally and is “The Iconic Face of the Half Note” in Athens, Greece. The New York Times defines her performances as “Dazzling…with one show stopping number after another!”
Beside this show, Lemley has directed and co-produced “Rebel Rebel, The Many Lives of David Bowie,” “Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Wall” and “The Ultimate Queen Celebration.” Seen on Good Morning America, Oprah and as a finalist on Shark Tank, Lemley has five CDs available. You can stream her music on Spotify and Apple Music. Lemley is also host of the TV show, “Secrets of the Stage” on MNN.org and a monthly virtual concert on Zoom, “Up Close & Personal.” A graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, she is a Distinguished Toastmaster at Toastmasters International and member of National Speakers Association as well as SAG, AFTRA, AEA, DTM, NSA NY, APAP, and IEBA.
This critically acclaimed concert about the life of Hayworth — the star that built Columbia Pictures — is a humorous, heartfelt and heartbreaking look at The Golden Age of Hollywood, Me Too Movement and The Price of Fame — especially in light of her tumultuous relationship with the head of Columbia, the infamous Harry Cohn. This is a look at the price of fame and a celebration of a remarkable life told with humor, wit and impeccable storytelling woven with The Great American Songbook from The Golden Age Of Hollywood.
Written and directed by Carter Inskeep (“Always Patsy Cline”), her performance is backed by a quartet or 11 piece big band. The show includes hit songs from the Golden Age of Hollywood’s legendary composers and lyricists such as Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen, and Jerome Kern. Such tunes as “Bewitched,” “Zip,” and “The Lady is A Tramp” from such iconic films as “Gilda,” “Pal Joey,” “Cover Girl” and more fill the evening.
The following Q&A was conducted online in advance of this upcoming show.
Q: When did you know you wanted to be a performer?
QL: I came out of the womb entertaining. I’ve always known that I wanted to perform. Singing and acting have always been my passion. Even as a young girl from Indiana I was always producing puppet shows, carnivals and musicals for our neighborhood. Luckily, my parents were incredibly supportive and made sure I took lessons and classes. I’m so grateful today!
Q: Talk about the first time you performed — can you describe the moment?
QL: My first show was when I was in fifth grade. I played a Far Out Foxy Lady from “A Foreign Land in Whitecloud and the Seven Dwarfs.” I guess I was bound to be a glamour gal from the get go!
Q: Have you focused on cabaret because of the intimacy of the experience?
QL: I love cabaret. I love its intimacy. It’s taught me to connect to each and every person in the room. It provides an opportunity to try things out and to take a chance, to take risks. Although it’s been a big part of my life, I haven’t focused on cabaret. My late husband, producer , manager and best friend, Paul Horton expanded my shows by putting them with 9-12 piece big bands and opening up the scope of our shows. For the past 15 years I’ve been headlining casinos and performing arts centers like The Kravis Center, Naples Philharmonic, Thousand Oaks Civic Center and BB Kings in NYC. After Covid, Paul suggested I go back to the club where I started my career, Don’t Tell Mama in NYC before going back on the road in theaters. We won the Bistro Award, MAC Nomination, rave reviews and have enjoyed a 17 month residency. I am grateful Paul booked these dates leading up to going back to theaters starting in North Carolina at the Tryon Center Nov 4, The Pheasantry in London Feb 16 & 17th, a week run at The Cape May Playhouse in July. We have our last NYC date Monday Nob 20 @DontTellMama It’s given me a chance to heal and put myself into the performance on another level.
Q: How do you choose the songs you do?
QL: First, it’s the lyrics. What am I trying to say? How do I want to say it? Where does it fit in the show? Secondly, it’s the melody and the structure. How does the melody make me and the audience feel? How do I want it arranged to tell the story? Finally, does it fit me as an artist? I love all kinds of music, but like clothing, not everything fits with my voice, personality or belongs in the arc of the story that I’m telling. I have to try the songs out and see how they feel and sound in my voice.
Q: how did you develop this show?
QL: “Rita Hayworth – The Heat Is On!” Has had three stages of development. The first stage was when I got out of NYU, I was starring in a show off Broadway. A reviewer saw me and said, “You look like Rita Hayworth — you should meet Carter Inskeep and do the story of her life.” That was pre-internet, so we read every biography, watched her films on tape and went to the library. Read every article we could find on microfiche. The question that we kept asking was “Who is Rita Hayworth — the public personae, but more importantly, who was Margarita Cansino? The girl who has hopes and dreams and just wanted to be loved?” Just like me, like all of us. We had tremendous success, got rave reviews, were on Oprah, Geraldo, Good Morning America. I was in my mid 20s then. In my 30s, I met my manager, producer, best friend and husband, Paul Horton. He changed my life. He had us rewrite the show, use the songs from the Great American Songbook during the Golden Age of Hollywood to help tell the story instead of limiting it to songs from Rita’s films. He had it orchestrated for a big band and for a quartet so we can play intimate and large theaters like The Kravis Center, Naples Philharmonic and BB Kings. We toured throughout North America. During Covid, Carter rewrote the book to make the story about resilience and accepting our choices. He had us go back to Don’t Tell Mama’s in NYC where we started the show after Covid, before going back on tour in theaters. Our residency was so successful we got extended from 4 to 17 months, got rave reviews, won the Bistro Award and a MAC Nomination. Besides this one performance left in NYC Monday Nov 20, I am going to London in February at The Pheasantry. I am so grateful he put this in motion. It’s been a lifesaver since Paul unexpectedly passed in March. It was his vision to do this residency. The story is so rich, deep, funny and moving. I’ve been able to tap into her story on a deeper level than I ever could have when I was younger. I have been able to put myself into the role in a way that I never dreamed was possible. The audiences are responding.
Q: Do you try to make your shows thematic or sometimes just a simple revue?
QL: All of my shows are thematic. Rita Hayworth is about Rita and The Golden Age of Hollywood. Burlesque to Broadway is about the women who went from Burlesque to Broadway and Beyond.As a director and producer, I’ve done these shows: “The Ultimate Queen Celebration,” “Rebel Rebel, The Many Lives of David Bowie” and “Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Wall.” My TV Talk show on MNN, “Secrets of the Stage” is where I pull back the curtains and explore the creative process. My speaking keynote is about resilience thru the lens of my relationship with my shows Rita and Burlesque to Broadway.
Q: You did have a burlesque moment — did it feel liberating, powerful or what?
QL: I did a show called Burlesque To Broadway. It was so liberating. I was onstage with four beautiful and talented women who celebrated their talent, beauty and humor. It was powerful to claim and own my femininity and fun to tease. As the great poet Mel Brooks said, “When You Got It, Flaunt It”. Every woman should step into her power and “Be”!
Q: Besides the songs you’re already playing, what are your benchmark songs and who are your heroes?
QL: My heroine is Julia Child. I got to have lunch with her at her house in Cambridge with her husband Paul. Her spirit was incredible. She was a woman who took massive action and didn’t let anyone or anything stop her. Other icons of mine are Cher, Ann-Margret, Lady GaGa and Diana Ross. My benchmark songs… I’m putting a list of songs from ’70s and ’80s rock — “The Show Must Go On,” “You Take My Breath Away,” “Rock and Roll Suicide” — Queen and Bowie plus others to celebrate my late husband, Paul Horton’s genius and talent. Plus, “Don’t Fret World” from his Rock Opera which was his anthem.
Q: Who would you like to perform with or show to be in?
QL: My dream is to work with the French artist, arranger and producer Benjamin Biolay. And of course I’d love to work with David Foster.
Q: What goals do you have for this show and for yourself?
QL: We are going back on the road in theaters. I’m on a plane now headed to Tryon Arts Center in NC. Going to London. I’m hoping to find producers and promoters who will help us tour and produce a run on the West End of London. I’d like to do a national tour. Also we would like to do a NetFlick special filming the show for broadcast. Paul was my agent as well as producer, so I need to find an agent that can help me internationally. I am also looking to get my TV Show, Secrets of the Stage, picked up by a major network with sponsorship. As a director, producer, I’m working on our tour of The Ultimate Queen Celebration with Yvan Pedneault and MiG Ayessa, both endorsed by Queen. It is the best Queen tribute band on the market. We will be at The Egg in Albany, May 11th, and are routing around that. The audiences are on their feet. It’s a Queen party. Starting next month, I’m working on a new show with ’70’s – ‘80s rock that is a tribute to Paul and our incredible 20 year journey together through music. And I’m grateful to have so many talented colleagues with me on my journey.
For more info go to: www.QuinnLemley.com