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

Listen to the Music from Art of the Pin-Up Girl

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!!

Art of the Pin-Up Girl Casting Notice in The Palm Beach Post!!

Palm Beach Post, TGIF, August 24, 2012

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!

Article from the Sun Sentinel, July 20th's Showtime - in Print!

The Good News & The Bad News

Bass Player, Dakota Dawkins & Playwright, Heather Storm

So, the "good news" (and by good I mean:  spectacular, wonderful, amazing) was that our son, Dakota played bass for the live staged reading of our show on July 21st in NYC.  He was professional and focused and gave a terrific performance.

But the "bad news" was that our invited guest - Broadway legend - Chita Rivera, was not in the city that weekend and could not attend.  However she did send her regrets and said that if we have another performance she would very much like to attend!  (So I guess it's not all bad news.)

And the unexpected treat was that another Broadway legend - Ben Vereen was performing at the theatre next door - where Popeye bumped into him and gifted him an Official Art of the Pin-Up Girl T-shirt!!

(No photo exists of the Ben Vereen encounter - but I do admit, I get a little chuckle every time I picture him wearing the T! :)

Popeye & Chita

The Colony Hotel, Palm Beach 2012

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

Dare I Say? Mission Accomplished! Staged Reading a Success!

As you may know, on Saturday, July 21st we performed the first ever staged reading of Art of the Pin-Up Girl!  Thanks to your generosity we were able to go to New York and stage the event at Shetler Studios' Theatre 54.  We had an excellent turn-out with about 80% of the house full of audience members who were delighted by the piece and the feedback was tremendous!  It was a wonderful adventure and now I feel like it was Christmas - and now it's over.  So let's relive the glorious process that brought the Pin-Up to fruition.

We began our rehearsal process on a rainy Friday morning in the Penthouse studios and began to sing through all of the songs.  Immediately we were dazzled by the rich talent of the actors and the powerful singing voices.  Then we moved on to the reading of the script and began defining the characters and how the stories would be told in the staged reading format.

Our director, Susan D. Rubin, guided us all through the script, giving character suggestions and notes for blocking and kept us on track for timing and presentation.  The actors were all extremely professional - giving it their all and each breathing life into the words and songs on the page.

Friday night we were able to get into the Theatre 54 space and work out all the technical aspects of the show - bit by bit.  So that when everyone re-convened the next morning for a full run through, we had lights and sound.  All day Saturday we pounded out the scenes, refining and trimming, singing and staging.  

The show went up at 7:30 pm and the actors gave us their best!  It was positively thrilling to hear the words and songs in the complete show - live for the first time!  Each of the actors rose to the occasion, and the audience loved it!  I was approached by so many people who told me that they could just "see it on Broadway"!  They told me that the stories were so interesting and that the music was fantastic!  One lady said she felt like she was witnessing a "real life version of SMASH!"

Special thanks to the cast - who made magic happen in a just a few short days:  Cathleen Oliva, Kristin Birdsey, Rebecca Wolf, Morgan Anderson, Rachel Moulton, Jake Thomas, David Rubin, Michelle Berkowitz, and Casey Manning.  And our make-shift band with Alex J Weir, Gregory "Popeye" Alexander and our son, Dakota Dawkins, who rocked it on the bass!

And I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge David Rubin, who not only played a charming Baron von Lind, but who also served as our Associate Producer and miraculously brought all the theatrical details together to make it a successful event!  

Of course the question on everyone's mind is "What's next?"  We know that we will be submitting for the musical theatre festival in Los Angeles, which will be held in May - in the hopes of having a fully staged production in the prestigious event.  We are also hoping to do another event here in South Florida - perhaps another reading - or perhaps just an evening of the songs, scenes and monologues - ideally in conjunction with a Baron von Lind mini-exhibit.  And of course the big dream is to have a world premier at a real theatre!

Throughout this process, it has been all about baby steps and the patience to reach completion.  So to see Art of the Pin-Up Girl up on her feet and alive for the first time was truly enthralling.  This would not have happened without this Kickstarter process and the participation of all of you!  We are eternally grateful for your belief in this dream.

There will be more pictures and (possibly) video to share.  And I will continue to post news and reviews and all the excitement surrounding Pin-Up!  

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!!

Art of the Pin-Up Girl South Florida Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Heather Storm                                                                                  Leon Rubin

561-222-5546                                                                                   561-251-8075

palmbeachbystorm@gmail.com                                               lmrubin@windstream.net

New Art of the Pin-Up Girl Musical Created by Jupiter Playwright

Set to Debut with Summer Staged Reading in New York

            JUPITER, Fla. (June 4, 2012) − Pin-up girls − those iconic, perfectly proportioned beauties who have adorned magazine pages, posters, calendars and bedroom walls for more than a century – will come to life in a new musical set to debut with a New York staged reading this July.

            The new show – Art of the Pin-Up Girl − is the culmination of a decade-long dream for Heather Storm, the Jupiter, Fla., based playwright, lyricist and singer/songwriter who has lovingly crafted the book and lyrics. 

            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.

            “I am a believer in the idea that truth is way more interesting than fiction,” Storm says.  “And since we can trace the origins of Alberto Vargas' humble beginnings directly to his work painting the Ziegfeld Follies girls for the posters in the New Amsterdam Theater lobby, the need for this story to be a musical was carved in stone.”

            The staged reading, directed by Susan D. Rubin, is scheduled for Saturday, July 21, at 7:30 p.m. in Theatre 54 at Shetler Studios & Theatres, 244 W. 54^th St. between Broadway and Eighth Avenue in New York. 

            Casting for Art of the Pin-Up Girl, which was funded through Kickstarter, will be announced in the near future.  To reserve a seat for the reading, call 561-222-5546 or e-mail palmbeachbystorm@gmail.com. 

            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/.

###

Art of the Pin-Up Girl on social media:

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/artofthepinupgirl

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/artofpinup

Website: http://www.artofthepin-upgirl.com/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/artofpinup

Tumblr: http://artofthepin-upgirl.tumblr.com/archive

Blog: http://artofthepin-upgirl.blogspot.com/

Smartphone App:  http://artofpinup.app.gp/

Musical excerpts on Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/heather-storm

Updates on The Kickstarter: The Stories Behind the Show

"Song for a Guitar" by Alberto Vargas

Today, I am feeling very romantic and no other story in Art of the Pin-Up Girl, makes me swoon more than the love story between Anna Mae Clift and Alberto Vargas.  You see, they were quite an unlikely pair, really.  He was an immigrant from Peru and she a good Southern belle living a showgirl's life, but the moment he passed her on the street outside the stage door of The Greenwich Follies shortly after his arrival in New York, he knew he had to paint her.  I suspect, too, that he instantly loved her.

She was beautiful - a perfect muse for a painter and Vargas clearly captured that beauty as well as her ethereal grace to share with the world.   And the world - to this day - has loved her.  I've posted a collection of just some of Anna Mae's portraits on the Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/artofpinup/anna-mae-clift-mrs-alberto-vargas-how-i-love-you-s/  You can see that gorgeous face and figure in so many of his paintings.  In fact, he said that there was a little bit of her in every Vargas girl.  (I know ... "swoon")

In Art of the Pin-Up Girl, we visit the artist's studio one particular night - at an ungodly hour of the morning - when Anna Mae arrives, quite tipsy and unannounced.  She makes a few unladylike passes at the shy artist - who had still never even called her by her first name, but since he already loved her, resistance was futile.   Trying to be a gentleman, he asks her to allow him to paint her - a distraction from the heat between them.  As she lounges on the chaise, as the subject for a painting that will eventually become "Song for a Guitar", she picks up the instrument and serenades him with a love song.  It is a simple little song, that I imagine she makes up as she goes along, called "How I Love You So".  

Since I'm feeling so romantic, today I share this song with you on the SoundCloud.  http://soundcloud.com/heather-storm/how-i-love-you-so

To me it represents the beginning of a life-long love story.  You see, Anna Mae and Alberto were married and lived what I like to call "an artist's life", through better and worse, happily ever after.  And when Anna Mae died, Alberto Vargas, one of the greatest pin-up artists in history, ceased to paint.  He too passed away not long after she did, some say from a broken heart.  

Thank you for supporting our project and sharing with your friends, as we seek to keep love alive and find that there are so many reasons to swoon over Art of the Pin-Up Girl. XOXO

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1925960215/art-of-the-pin-up-girl-staged-reading-of-a-new-mus 

It's Time! Help Us Bring Art of the Pin-Up Girl to the Stage!!

Got Pinterest?

In theatre, they always say:  Don't tell me.  Show me.

So, the new craze on the net is Pinterest - a social media pin-board website that lets you capture and "pin" images from almost anywhere on the web and organize and share them however you want.  Neat, right?  Completely awesome!

I recently discovered this gem and now I'm nearly as hooked as I have been on my Art of the Pin-Up Girl Tumblr!!  There is an endless supply of all the things in the world I like and in this case, an steady stream of images to share the very visual story of Art of the Pin-Up Girl.  You see, I have created a pin-board of images and inspiration for each and every scene of the musical.  Characters and pin-ups, real and imagined are specifically placed and "pinned" so that when the  play is mounted - somehow, someday - all the resources and real life research that has lead to the writing of this piece, are all curated, collected and accessible to anyone who has an interest!  Cool, right??

Soon the music will be shared as well, and when we shift gears - into fundraising mode - you can have a full understanding of the project in detail.  It is exciting to be able to share this (long) work in progress with all the people in the world who love pin-up and who are as hopelessly romantic as I am!  And to all you cynics out there ... there are more of us than you care to dream!

Our new Twitter logo, courtesy of Baron von Lind

Come visit our Pinterest and share in the visual delights of all things Art of the Pin-Up Girl!!  Pin-Up on Pinterest!!  Now that's catchy!!