CFP: Edith Wharton Panels at MLA 2008

The Edith Wharton Society will sponsor two sessions at the MLA conference in San Francisco on December 27-30, 2008.

1. WWWD? What Would Wharton Do? Edith Wharton and Politics

What do we know about Edith Wharton’s politics? Her political persuasions? Her views on personal and institutional political responsibility in the modern world? What political concerns did she have? Was her writing ever meant to put forth any political thought, position, or agenda that she might feel important? What were her views on war? On the social problems facing the American public in the 1920s and 1930s? How applicable are her views to the current American scene? Please send abstracts (about 500 words) and short CV's by March 15th to Linda Costanzo Cahir (lcahir@kean.edu or Kean University, 1000 Morris Ave. Willis 103B, Union, NJ 07083).

2. Edith Wharton and the ‘Other Half’

This panel seeks to explore all aspects of Edith Wharton’s relationship to urban poverty. All approaches are welcome, as are papers connecting Wharton to other figures. Please send abstracts of 250-300 words and 1 page cvs to Hildegard Hoeller at hilhllr@aol.com by March 10th. This panel is organized by the Edith Wharton Society.

Glimpses of the Moon Musical

Glimpses of the Moon -- A Jazz Age Musical


Many of you had the opportunity last year to see and enjoy A Time to Be Born, a musical that my talented wife, Tajlei Levis, wrote and which had a critically-acclaimed sold-out run at the Lucille Lortel Theater off-Broadway as part of the 2006 New York International Fringe Festival. The New York Times called it "an elegant adaptation ... full of catty wit and jitterbugging ... with a jazzy score and enough catchy songs to make the running time fly by."
So I am thrilled and quite proud to let you know that Tajlei has written a new show, Glimpses of the Moon -- A Jazz Age Musical, which will have its world premiere later this month at the famed Algonquin Hotel Oak Room.
Based on the novel by Edith Wharton, Glimpses of the Moon is a romantic comedy and the first musical written specifically for the clubby and elegant Oak Room -- a venue which has served as the launching pad for Harry Connick Jr., Michael Feinstein, Andrea Marcovicci, Diana Krall and notable others.
Set in 1922, an age of anything but innocence, Glimpses of the Moon follows the jazzy whirl of Manhattan society, from champagne-soaked dinner parties to luxurious vacation cottages and back to New York's elegant hotels. With plenty of friends, but little money, Susy Branch and her friend Nick Lansing devise a clever scheme to live beyond their means. They’ll marry and live off the wedding gifts, while they help one another find and trade up to suitable millionaires. The plan works perfectly – until they fall in love.
The show is directed by Marc Bruni (Assoc. Director of Legally Blonde and Grease) and features a terrific Broadway and off-Broadway cast of six. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/113945.html Each performance will also showcase a different special guest star appearing as a cabaret singer from the 20’s. Currently slated to appear are Tony-nominees Liz Larsen (The Most Happy Fella and Law & Order), Alison Fraser (The Secret Garden and Romance/Romance) and Anita Gillette (Chapter Two ); and Emmy Award winner Susan Lucci (All My Children).
Opening night is (Monday) January 21st, with an initial eight-week run (through March 10th). Performances are every Monday evening at 8 p.m.
Tickets are available by calling the Oak Room at (212) 419-9331 or by email at BMCGURN@algonquinhotel.com. More information is available at: www.GlimpsesOfTheMoon.com. -- The show is quite fun. I hope you will be able to come.