Going Goth in 1939
Last night we attended an advanced preview for Gotham Follies of 1939 at the Montalban, with the show’s creator Russall S. Beattie (pictured at top in profile) describing the origins and inspiration for the unauthorized vaudeville-burlesque parody of Batman. We will provide a full account ASAP, but for the time being, Gotham Follies is the first of four shows Beattie has planned in collaboration with the Montalban, all of which are intended to be Los Angeles-only productions. This means that they can be crafted at a more elaborate scale than Beattie’s previous show, The Empire Strips Back, because they need not be scaled down to work as touring productions.
Gotham Follies of 1939 is based on Beattie’s book, Gotham 1919-1939, which presents a sort of alternate history version of the Dark Knight’s story, as if culled from archival materials of the period. The concept is that the book represents what really happened, and the live show will be a revue based on those events – with the onstage cast playing actors costumed as the characters. Things take a turn, however, when the “real” Joker hijacks the show, demanding to play himself.
Opening night is scheduled for June 1 at the Montalban in Hollywood.
