For More Fun ~ Join the Palm Beach Pin-Up Party!

Watch this Behind the Scenes Footage of our Pin-Up Shoot at Ragtops Motorcar Museum!!

On May 6th, 2015, most of the ladies who performed in our show at Pinned Miami, came and did a photo shoot to benefit The Palm Beach Photographic Centre.  I have been posting all of the images on a new Facebook page called the Palm Beach Pin-Up Party!  I am posting some of the pictures here too!  Of course it was the most fun I've had in a long time and you can certainly see why.  We were so fortunate to be able to shoot at Ragtops Motorcar Museum in West Palm Beach, Florida - which is a little slice of vintage heaven!  And naturally, our ladies were divine in all their pin-up finery.  

All I can say is that I cannot wait for the next time!  

Enjoy these photos and go give Palm Beach Pin-Up Party a like!

Photo by Shane Srogi starring Ariel Amour

Photo by Andy Spilos starring Melissa Coleman

Photo by Sheryl Kittrell starring Ariel Amour

Photo by Andy Spilos starring Melissa Coleman, Jacquelinda, 

Sam Steich & Lacey Nikkinen

 

Photo by Sheryl Kittrell starring Melissa Coleman

Photo by Sheryl Kittrell starring Melissa Coleman

Photo by Shane Srogi starring Ariel Amour, Melissa Coleman, Jacquelinda, 

Sam Steich & Lacey Nikkinen

Photo by Gail V. Haines starring Ariel Amour, Melissa Coleman, Jacquelinda, 

Sam Steich & Lacey Nikkinen

 

Photo by Seryl Kittrell starring Lacey Nikkinen

Photo by Shane Srogi starring Ariel Amour

Photo by Shane Srogi starring Ariel Amour, Melissa Coleman, Jacquelinda, 

Sam Steich & Lacey Nikkinen

Photo by Sheryl Kittrell starring Ariel Amour, Melissa Coleman, Jacquelinda, 

Sam Steich & Lacey Nikkinen

Ruth Etting: Ziegfeld Star and Vargas Girl

Photography by: Sarah Pardew Photography 
www.sarahpardew.com
Model: Virginia Leigh

Shortly after I began developing the book for Art of the Pin-Up Girl, I became very focused on the Ziegfeld Follies and the various characters that might have been present at the time that Alberto Vargas happened along to paint the show posters for the lobby of the New Amsterdam Theatre.  The showgirls were many, and their stories rich and all worth telling.  But one stood out to me - in a "truth is stranger than fiction" sort of way.  That was the story of Ruth Etting.

Aficionados of "The Great American Songbook" will immediately recognize her name and legacy.  Ruth was a true star - of American radio, the Ziegfeld Follies and eventually Hollywood and a recent book was written about her, calling her "America's forgotten sweetheart".  She truly had the voice and face of an angel and it was such a blessing to be able to pull videos of her from YouTube and see her perform.  She was truly luminous and it was easy to see how she rose to stardom.  I've compiled a Pinterest board of some of her material.  Strangely, when I wrote this story and the odd little song to go with it, I had not yet discovered her on YouTube - so although it sounds as though we were duplicating her songs - in fact, like many of the pin-ups from the story, I heard a voice and a longing to be understood and from that she found her way onto the page.  Yes, like Bettie Page, she came in night dreams and daydreams until she could not be denied. When I discovered her performances, it was astonishing how clearly she came through in the visions - and I could imagine her sweet voice singing our song ~ in a sexy, burlesquey, tongue-in-cheek way.

Ruth Etting ~ Love is Like That

Recorded by Ruth Etting on January 13, 1931 in New York City for Columbia Records.

Ruth's personal life was what made her so truly fascinating.  You see, she was married to a real life Chicago gangster named "Moe the Gimp" (you cannot make this up) and he was also her manager.  He basically controlled her life and helped her become the glorious star that she was.  Ah, but with gangsters, there are always stings attached.  So when Ruth fell deeply in love with her piano man, Myrl, there would be a price to pay.  In fact, Moe became so enraged (as gangsters do) when he discovered the truth, he shot Myrl!  There was a fabulous movie made about Ruth and her men, starring Doris Day and James Cagney as Moe, called Love Me or Leave Me and it is truly worth watching - especially for classic film buffs!

In Art of the Pin-Up Girl, we discover Ruth as a classic Vargas girl cover of Radio Magazine and explore the wonder of being a fly on the wall in Vargas' studio when she arrives for her sitting - naturally accompanied by Moe.  To say he is rude to the artist would be an understatement - but even then, beneath the shadow of this controlling gangster, Ruth is on the verge of her love affair with Myrl.  In Love Me or Leave Me, they really portray Ruth as a victim, but I like to imagine her as brighter than that and truly of the mindset that she is in the one in control of this impossible man.  She is a strong woman with a romantic spirit who is so very vulnerable to true love and although she is married, refuses to be denied her happiness.  Imagine how difficult such a thing must have been for a woman of her era.  This becomes an emergent theme in Art of the Pin-Up Girl ~ the pursuit of joy, in spite of the odds and social norms.

So, now enjoy the latest release of a song from Art of the Pin-Up Girl, which you may listen to on our SoundCloud.  Special thanks to the Sarah Pardew Photography and Virginia Leigh for the gorgeous vintage-style photo, which to me captures the essence of Ruth.  There are also links below to some of Ruth Etting's artistry, which is all positively divine.

Art of the Pin-Up Girl Finale Song Featured in Video by Celeste Guiliano Photography!

British Treasure Modern Vintage Magazine Does Cover Story on Art of the Pin-Up Girl

Open publication - Free publishing - More interactive
Click on this gorgeous digital magazine and enjoy the vintage culture and lifestyle stories, especially page 22-23 where they profile the adventure of our show!!

Announcing South Florida Casting for Art of the Pin-Up Girl

For Immediate Release
Media Contact for interviews and further information:

Bill Underwood, Liberty Media Group (561) 267-2632

FOLLOWING SUCCESS IN THE BIG APPLE,

SOUTH FLORIDA PLAYWRIGHT NOW CASTING LOCALLY

FOR STAGED READING OF “ART OF THE PIN-UP GIRL”

West Palm Beach, FL (August 20, 2012) -   For South Florida playwright Heather Storm, the prospect of turning a dream into reality are now closer than ever.

Storm, writer and creator of “Art of the Pin-Up Girl,” a musical romp through the history of the American pin-up, first envisioned the project more than ten years ago.  Following a staged reading in NYC that “went very well,” according to Storm, a second reading is planned locally.  The New York reading was staged at Shetler Studios' Theatre 54. “We had an excellent turn-out,” said Storm, “with about 80% of the house full of audience members who were delighted - and the feedback was tremendous!  We can’t wait to do it again here in South Florida.”

 

CASTING CALL: ARE YOU “PIN-UP MATERIAL?”

Casting will soon begin for a staging and future live performances of “Art of the Pin-Up,” with filming for multi-media presentation also in the plans. Dates, times and venues will soon be announced.

“We are looking for six to eight female performers who can sing, dance and act for stage and for filming, and who also can style themselves in a vintage/retro/”pin-up” look,” said Storm, who offered a look at the characters currently being cast:

Ruth Etting: 1920s radio and Ziegfeld star, alto, slim, beautiful;  Anna Mae Clift: Greenwich Follies showgirl of the 1920s, alto, blonde, Southern belle; Lena Horne: African-American movie star of the 40s and 50s, beautiful, soprano;Bettie Page:  Queen of the pin-ups, black hair with bangs, beautiful, alto, bluesy voice; Alberto Vargas:  Tall, slim, Hispanic male, handsome, gentile, can be a non-singing role;  Baron von Lind: Narrator, male, suave, conversational, dynamic, baritone.

ADDITIONAL CASTING FOR VARIOUS MALE AND FEMALE ROLES

“We are also casting additional roles, both male and female, for speaking roles and chorus,” added Storm, “and we also need excellent dancers (jazz/swing/ballroom) for full company numbers and musicians, including horns, guitar, piano, and other instruments.”

Submissions should be made via email to:  palmbeachbystorm@gmail.com. Please include links to all digital profiles, including pictures and sound and video files (if available). The roles being cast for the reading are unpaid at this time. Copy, credit and meals will be provided for the filmed portions. Non-Union.

ABOUT ‘ART OF THE PIN-UP GIRL’ 

This original musical takes a fond look at the history of Pin-up girls − those iconic, perfectly proportioned beauties who have adorned magazine pages, posters, calendars and bedroom walls for more than a century,

Originally inspired by a coffee table book, The Great American Pin-Up, Storm set out to create a story that weaves tales of actual people and events into the tapestry of a glorious musical trip through the time and space of Pin-Up Art in America.  “Those women were real women, live models for the artists.  They lived fascinating and often scandalous lives,” Storm says.  “Their stories are firmly rooted in the lore of our American theatrical and entertainment culture - from the richness of the burlesque to the Greenwich and Ziegfeld Follies, to the Golden Age of Hollywood and yes, even Playboy.”

The 15 original songs in the musical were composed by Gregory “Popeye” Alexander, Storm’s husband and a well-known South Florida composer, producer, singer and radio personality.  Alexander is lead singer for the International Players and Memory Lane and also plays bass and keyboards for PoKoLoko based in West Palm Beach. The music was co-produced by Alex J. Weir of PokoLoko at Dreamhouse Studios in West Palm Beach.

Familiar characters who leap off the pages in Art of the Pin-Up Girl include pin-up legends Bettie Page, Anna Mae Clift, Lena Horne and Rosie the Riveter, as well as acclaimed artists Alberto Vargas and Baron von Lind – who has created an original pin-up girl poster to promote the new musical. “Lind’s lifelong obsession with pin-up inspired the narrative for the play,” Storm notes.

To listen to musical excerpts from Art of the Pin-Up Girl and learn more about its origins and the pin-up icons who inspired it, visitwww.artofthepin-upgirl.

com/.

Writer / Creator: Heather Storm. Composed and produced by Gregory “Popeye” Alexander with musical contributions and production by Alex J. Weir of Dreamhouse Studios, West Palm Beach, Florida.  Multi-media by Timothy Malbacher of Creati.com. 

Questions? Contact palmbeachbystorm@gmail.com.

Art of the Pin-Up Girl Makes the Cover of Modern Vintage Magazine!

Read our first ever cover story in the British digital magazine, Modern Vintage!  Today our story goes international!
The Art of the Pin-Up Girl:  Heather Storm has dedicated the best part of a decade to creating her life's work - a brand new musical about the all-American pin-up!

A Fresh Look at Pin-Up Girls

Read A Fresh Look at Pin-Up Girls by Rod Hagwood of The Sun Sentinel - the latest article about the great adventure of Art of the Pin-Up Girl, a musical romp through the history of American pin-up!

Original Pin-Up by Baron von Lind

Exclusively created for Art of the Pin-Up Girl

Some Press for The Pin-Up!

First it was my alma mater, The University of Florida College of Fine Arts, who graciously published my submission to "the loop" - the Tumblr blog for all the fabulous news that's fit to print in the world of Gator Nation Fine Arts!

New musical by UF Alum Heather Storm prepares for NYC staged reading in July

Then our publicist, the brilliant Leon Rubin, drafted our first press release and I am proud to announce that the response was pretty swift and thrilling!!  Truly within 10 minutes of the release, we had an inquiry from an important South Florida fashion and entertainment columnist - who will do an interview at the end of the month.  And before the day was over, The Miami New Times asked for an interview and the lovely Ilana Shulevitz set up a telephone inquiry for a piece which ran just a few days later:

Art of the Pin-Up Girl Brings Florida-Born Sex Appeal to the Big Apple

Then, lucky day!  Just last night, our friend, Tim Byrd, "the Byrdman", publisher of Palm Beach - Live, Work, Play, wrote a delightful article on our show and posted it to his beautiful website!  

Jupiter Girl Pens Pin-Up Play

We are completely excited by the progress of our show and by the great adventure that lies ahead!  Thank you for all your support and for "staying tuned" to all the news!  Viva la Pin-Up!!