Reprinted without permission from Book_arts-L:
Cf also
http://www.livearts-fringe.org/2004/fringe/templates/details.cfm?id=4189
Philly Fringe 2004 presents Ben Katchor and Mark Mulcahy's
The Rosenbach Company: A Tragicomedy
Produced by the Rosenbach Museum & Library to commemorate the museum's 50th
anniversary, The Rosenbach Company: A Tragicomedy is a rousing
interpretation of the eccentric and passionate lives of the museum's
founders, created by Obie award-winning artist Ben Katchor and
singer/songwriter Mark Mulcahy.
The Rosenbach Company: A Tragicomedy explores the legendary lives,
legacy, and collections of Dr. Abraham Simon Wolf Rosenbach, an
internationally known dealer and collector of rare books and manuscripts,
and his brother and business partner Philip, purveyor of fine art and
antiquities. Born and based in Philadelphia, the brothers established a
lucrative business, and spent much of their lives co-residing in a stately
townhouse on DeLancey Place. Often the subject of international controversy
stemming from their purchases of the most beloved and well known works of
literature, including the original manuscripts of Lewis Carroll's Alice in
Wonderland and James Joyce's Ulysses, the Rosenbach brothers' names became
as widely recognized as the prestigious collections they helped to build,
which include some of the most significant libraries of the last century
(the Morgan, Widener, Huntington, and Folger libraries, among others). The
brothers' own extensive collection of rare books, manuscripts, and fine and
decorative arts has survived and today serves as the core of the museum's
holdings. The Rosenbach Company offers a story full of chutzpah, back-room
deals, and family drama.
Using projected works of animation enhanced by live actors, singers,
and musicians, The Rosenbach Company: A Tragicomedy - the first of its kind
for the Rosenbach Museum - is a concert-style performance celebrating the
brothers and a slice of Philadelphia history. The story follows Philip and
Abe Rosenbach from childhood, to the establishment of a business
partnership as adults, to the dissolution of the partnership upon the death
of one brother. The musical explores the complexity of a relationship
between two brothers with differing aesthetic values, and portrays the
strange dynamic that led to one of the most successful and influential
partnerships in the city's history. The Rosenbach Company reveals how Abe's
brilliant efforts in bookselling financed Philip's aesthetic adventures and
business schemes, and how Philip's commercial ambitions spurred Abe toward
greater feats of salesmanship. The story touches upon a number of issues:
the nature of collecting as a passionate, sometimes obsessive act; the
intricacies of running a family business; cultural pursuits versus
commercial ambition; and, above all, the significance of two men in the
history of some of the world's greatest literary and artistic treasures.
About the Artists:
Ben Katchor and Mark Mulcahy first began working together on the rock music
theater piece The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island, or The Friends of Dr.
Rushtower. The New York Times has described Katchor as "the most poetic,
deeply layered artist ever to draw a comic strip." Katchor's work has been
featured in several newspapers and magazines, including The New Yorker.
Collections of his cartoons have been published both here and abroad; they
include Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer (1996, Little, Brown & Co.),
and The Jew of New York (2000, Pantheon Books). He has also created and
produced radio and theater pieces based on his works, including Carbon Copy
Building, an Obie award-winning collaboration with New York composers Bang
on a Can. Katchor has been awarded fellowships from the Guggenheim, the
American Academy in Berlin, and the prestigious MacArthur "genius" grant.
Mark Mulcahy has been on the rock music scene for nearly 20 years. As
the front man of Miracle Legion, he toured the United States and Europe
with the Sugarcubes, 10,000 Maniacs, and Aztec Camera. As a solo artist, he
toured with Jeff Buckley, Oasis, Seal, and Elliot Smith. His work is
featured on CDs and music television stations, as well as on television and
film soundtracks, including The Adventures of Pete and Pete, Spring
Forward, The Crush, and A Matter of Degrees. At a recent concert, the band
Radiohead dedicated a song to him, and Mojo Magazine says of him: "Mulcahy
not only plays all the instruments but overlays his own vocal harmonies and
counterparts in a set of emotionally involving, highly personal songs. This
man is very much a singer-songwriter to be filed alongside Tim Buckley,
Neil Young or Jackson Browne."
Performances: Friday, September 10: 8pm; Saturday, September 11: 2pm*, 8pm;
Sunday, September 12: 8pm. *2pm matinee on Saturday will include a
post-show conversation with the
artists
Venue: The Adrienne Theater, 2030 Sansom Street Tickets: $15 / $12
students, seniors, and Rosenbach members
Box Office: 215.413.1318 Online: www.livearts-fringe.org
Exhibition of Ben Katchor's original drawings: ctober 2004 at the Rosenbach
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dan Wyman, Books http://www.DanWymanBooks.com
47 Dartmouth St. Springfield, MA 01109 USA
[EMAIL PROTECTED] ph: 413.846.6357 e-fax: 208.567.8926
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