Based on the 1975 documentary film of the same name, Grey Gardens is a tragic, frequently funny, and utterly unforgettable musical about two 鈥渟taunch鈥� and legendary American women: Edith Bouvier Beale, and her grown daughter, Edie. Grey Gardens begins at the grand 1941 engagement party of stunning and spirited 鈥淟ittle Edie鈥� Beale to handsome Navy man Joe Kennedy, Jr., hosted by Edie鈥檚 mother, Edith Bouvier Beale. As the upper-crust, New England family gathers, so do the storm clouds of trouble that eventually leave both 鈥淏ig鈥� and 鈥淟ittle鈥� Edie alone and heartbroken. The second act launches the narrative into the overgrown, cat-riddled, and bug-infested estate in 1973, where the two Edies live, alone. 鈥淏ig Edie鈥� is now bedridden, and 鈥淟ittle Edie鈥� grows more eccentric by the day, haunted by dreams of love and success, long since dashed. Weaving documentary text with imaginative speculation, the musical documents the journey of the Beales from royalty to ruin. With a diverse musical songbook, including Tin Pan Alley jigs and soaring ballads, Grey Gardens is a unique tapestry of lost dreams, sacrifice, and unstoppable hope-- heartfelt, witty, and compassionate.
Grey Gardens guide sections
