''Steve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon'' was the world's longest-running musical

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own duri ...

. The show began its run in 1974, at the Savoy Tivoli and later moved to the larger

Club Fugazi The Club Fugazi is a small theater and nightclub located in the North Beach, San Francisco, California district of San Francisco, California. The address is 678 Green Street. Original building and endowment The theater is on the ground floor i ...

in the North Beach district of

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. The show was created by Steve Silver (1944–1995) along with a Bar, in partnership with his father, Louis Silver, and continued since 1995 under the direction of his widow, Jo Schuman Silver, with frequent changes and spoofs of pop and

political culture Political culture describes how culture impacts politics. Every political system is embedded in a particular political culture. Definition Gabriel Almond defines it as "the particular pattern of orientations toward political actions in which ...

. Performers wear disproportionately large hats/wigs and gaudy costumes while performing satirical renditions of popular songs. On April 17, 2019, Jo Schuman Silver announced to the staff that the show would be closing on New Year's Eve.

Plot summary

''Beach Blanket Babylon'' follows

Snow White "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as Ta ...

as she takes a fast-paced journey around the world in search of her "

Prince Charming Prince Charming is a fairy tale stock character who comes to the rescue of a damsel in distress and must engage in a quest to liberate her from an evil spell. This classification suits most heroes of a number of traditional folk tales, incl ...

." Along the way she encounters a large group of figures from popular culture, who together perform satirical songs. Figures lampooned include politicians and political figures from the San Francisco, California and U.S. governments, film and television stars, famous singers and athletes, and others who have been in the news. Also present are long-running characters such as

Glinda the Good Witch Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Coun ...

Mr. Peanut Mr. Peanut is the advertising logo and mascot of Planters, an American snack-food company owned by Hormel. He is depicted as an anthropomorphic peanut in its shell, wearing the formal clothing of an old-fashioned gentleman, with a top hat, mono ...

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Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...

Carmen Miranda Carmen Miranda, (; born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha, 9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955) was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress and film star who was active from the late 1920s onwards. Nicknamed "The B ...

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

, a band of dancing French Poodles, and Snow White's tour guide, a female narrator who takes on several incarnations from an Italian pizza lady to a cowgirl.

Reviews

The show was described as "A constant cascade of showstoppers" by the ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...

'' in 2010.

Awards and accolades

In 1996, the 600 block of Green Street, between Columbus Avenue and Powell Street, was renamed "Beach Blanket Babylon Boulevard" in honor of Steve Silver.

Final cast

* Chave Alexander * JM Appleby * Curt Branom * Amanda Cleary Blatchford * Ruby Day * Jacqui Heck * Albert Hodge * Paul Hovannes * Renee Lubin * Shawna Ferris McNulty * Doug Magpiong * Misa Malone * Jennifer Posie Morrison * Lizzie Moss * Kirk Mills * Tammy Nelson * Brendon North * Scott Reardon

Final production team

* Steve Silver (Creator) * Jo Schuman Silver (Producer, Writer) * Kenny Mazlow (Director, Writer, Choreographer) * Michael Anderburg (Stage Manager, Lighting Designer) * Tom Schueneman (Sound Designer, Audio Engineer) * Monique Motil (Costume Shop Manager, Additional Costume Design/Construction) * Mark Reina (Assistant Director, Choreographer) * Matthew James (Prop/Hat Construction, Technical Assistant) * Bill Keck (Music Director/Conductor, Musical Arrangements)

Former cast and alumni

* Jeffrey Scott Adair 1988–1989 (performer, hat maker) *

Michael Benbrook Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...

, 1986–1993 (performer) –

King Louis XIV Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the Li ...

Nancy Bleiweiss Nancy may refer to: Places France * Nancy, France, a city in the northeastern French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle and formerly the capital of the duchy of Lorraine ** Arrondissement of Nancy, surrounding and including the city of Nancy ...

, 1974–1977 (performer) –

Opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

divas,

* Bill Kendall, 1974-1982 (performer) - Superman, John Travolta Sat Night Fever, The Original Mr. Peanut. *Roberta Bleiweiss, 1974–1977 (performer) * John Bush, 1980–1981 (performer) * Hayden Hicks, 1983–1985 (performer)

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

Robert Danielson
- 1985-2005 -(Drummer)- Beach Blanket Babylon in San Francisco and London Tour *

Val Diamond Val Diamond (born 1951) is a stage performer and San Francisco icon. She is best known for her role in the stage musical, ''Beach Blanket Babylon''. Life and career Diamond grew up in Castro Valley, California, the daughter of Harold and Lilly. ...

, 1979–2009 (performer) –

Alexis Carrington Colby Alexis Carrington Colby (; formerly Dexter and Rowan) is a fictional character on the American TV series ''Dynasty''. She is the ex-wife of Blake Carrington (John Forsythe) whose schemes cause one problem after another for him and their children. ...

Gidget Gidget () is a fictional character created by author Frederick Kohner (based on his teenaged daughter, Kathy) in his 1957 novel, ''Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas''. The novel follows the adventures of a teenaged girl and her surfing frie ...

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

Jewish mother Stereotypes of Jews are generalized representations of Jews, often caricatured and of a prejudiced and antisemitic nature. Common objects, phrases and traditions which are used to emphasize or ridicule Jewishness include bagels, the complaining ...

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child a ...

, French whore, "

" Finale Chanteuse *Sandy Flavin 1981-1984 Understudy to Val Diamond and Susan Parks (1981-1983) Performer 1984–1985. Was the youngest performer to be hired up to 1981.
Glenda Glayzer
1975–1979 (performer) - AM I BLUE *Ed Goldfarb, 1995–2005 (music director) *Christopher Goodwin, 2005-2007 2011-2019 (performer) Donald Trump, Armistead Maupin, Princess Leia, Mr. Peanut * Alan Greenspan, 1978– Hat-Maker (Finale Hats Creator/Executor, Special Effects, Props) * Brent Holland, 1984-1990 1998–2000, (performer) -

Ben Jones
2008-2009 (performer) – Elvis, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson, Michael Phelps, Arnold Schwarzenegger * Teresa Leonard, 1980–1981 (performer) *

Chris March Christopher Andrew March (February 25, 1963 – September 5, 2019) was an American fashion and costume designer, best known for his appearance as a contestant on season 4 (2007–2008) of Bravo's ''Project Runway''. He was also on season 4 (201 ...

, 1990–2000? (costume/hat/wig designer; performer) –

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

Monica Lewinsky Monica Samille Lewinsky (born July 23, 1973) is an American activist and writer. President Bill Clinton admitted to having an affair with Lewinsky while she worked at the White House as an intern in 1995 and 1996. The affair, and its repercus ...

* Dani Marcus (performer)- Snow White * Anna Ty Bergman (performer) * Ellyn Marie Marsh, 2002–2003 (performer) – Barbra Streisand, Britney Spears, Hillary Clinton, Pineapple Princess *Stirland Martin, 1993-2004 (performer) -

, Witch Doctor, French Poodle, Willie Brown,

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

Mike Tyson Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "The Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson is cons ...

, DIddy,

Nutcracker A nutcracker is a tool designed to open nuts by cracking their shells. There are many designs, including levers, screws, and ratchets. The lever version is also used for cracking lobster and crab shells. A decorative version portrays a person w ...

Armistead Maupin Armistead Jones Maupin, Jr. ( ) (born May 13, 1944) is an American writer notable for ''Tales of the City'', a series of novels set in San Francisco. Early life Maupin was born in Washington, D.C., to Diana Jane (Barton) and Armistead Jones Maup ...

, 1974 (writer) * Tony Michaels, 1974 (performer) – Beach Blanket Babylon at Club Olympus * Tony Michaels, 1975–1978 (performer) – Beach Blanket Babylon Goes Bananas! * Skye Dee Miles * Shoni Mero (performer) Hillary Clinton * Robin Murray stage manager 1980-1988 * Jeff Robertson, 1980–1981 (performer) * Rick Roemer, 1977–1979 (performer) – Beach Blanket Babylon Goes to the Stars! * Jill Shutt, 1989–1992 (Val Diamond's understudy) *

Paul Thomas (director) Paul Thomas is an American pornographic film actor and director. He is a member of the AVN Hall of Fame and the XRCO Hall of Fame. Biography Thomas was born in Winnetka, Illinois to an upper-middle-class family in 1949. His father was of Gre ...

, 1974 (performer) - Beach Blanket Babylon in San Francisco *

Ledisi Ledisi Anibade Young (; born March 28, 1972), better known simply as Ledisi, is an American R&B and jazz recording artist, songwriter, music producer, author and actress. Her name means "to bring forth" or "to come here" in Yoruba.Ledisi AllMusi ...

Young, 1990–2001 (performer) *Richard Waits (performer) *

Adam Savage Adam Whitney Savage (born July 15, 1967) is an American special effects designer and fabricator, actor, educator, and television personality and producer, best known as the former co-host (with Jamie Hyneman) of the Discovery Channel televisi ...

(stagehand)

Tours

Two tours were produced, in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, in celebration of Beach Blanket's 20th and 25th anniversaries. The show also has a smaller touring cast that caters primarily to corporate events and parties around the world. London: * Val Diamond * Doug Magpiong * Tony Stroh * Erica Wyman * Dana Adkins * Tony Tripoli * Renee Lubin * Cristina VanValkenburg * Lisa Burnett Bossi * Stirland Martin * Kenny Mazlow * Robert Danielson (musician) Las Vegas: * Jeffrey Scott Adair (performer) * Shelley Werk (performer) * David Reynolds (performer) * Kenny Mazlow (performer) * John Paul Almon (performer) * Robin Cohen (performer) * Patrick Reese (performer) * Richard Pardini (performer) * Robert Hempstead (performer) * Janice Sands (performer) * Joan Benson (performer) * Stuart May (performer) *

Wanda Houston Wanda Houston is an American singer and actress. Biography Houston is originally from Chicago, Illinois. She started singing in gospel choirs of West Side, Chicago. She was born to John and Bessie, the oldest of four. Houston comes from a creati ...

(performer) * Sylvia MacCalla (performer) * Holly Vonk (performer) * Clay Adkins (performer) * Jacqui Marshall (performer) * Diane Ellis (performer) * Richie Sacks (performer)

Beach Blanket Babylon, London, Restaurant

Named after the show, however not to be confused with the unrelated Beach Blanket Babylon, a London restaurant with branches in

Notting Hill Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a cosmopolitan and multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting Hill Carnival and Portobello Road M ...

and

Shoreditch Shoreditch is a district in the East End of London in England, and forms the southern part of the London Borough of Hackney. Neighbouring parts of Tower Hamlets are also perceived as part of the area. In the 16th century, Shoreditch was an impor ...

.https://www.southwark.gov.uk/assets/attach/2207/London%2520Gazette%2520April%25202013.pdf

References

External links

''San Francisco Chronicle'' Review – 4/29/2010
*Early Video ** ** ** ** ** ** {{cbignore Performing groups established in 1974 1974 musicals Cabaret Theatre companies in San Francisco Revues North Beach, San Francisco