Madame Infamy: A New Musical

credit: New York Musical Theatre Festival

"Will scandal, surrender, or strength define them?"

Marie Antoinette, last queen of France, and Sally Hemings, the slave and mistress of Thomas Jefferson, were born into completely different worlds. Despite this, both faced a struggle that many women of the 18th century--and many women today--shared: the struggle to make choices in a world where choices were restricted or even forbidden to them.  Madame Infamy is a new musical production written by JP Vigliotti, Cardozie Jones and Sean Willis which ties together the lives of Marie Antoinette and Sally Hemings to uncover the complex and often dark nature of choice, scandal and strength.

Although I personally won't be able to attend the show in New York, I think concept of the production is fascinating and it sounds like a very promising and engaging production about areas of history that are too often ignored.

Madame Infamy is set to premiere at the New York Musical Theatre Festival next month. Tickets are available for July 23-27 and can be purchased in advance here. Casting information, press photos and a few videos featuring music from the show can also be viewed at the NYMF website.

Official Press Release:

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (“NYMF”)

Presents

Madame Infamy

SCANDAL.  SURRENDER.  STRENGTH.

July 23rd – July 27th at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre

Tickets $25 (for tickets visit www.nymf.org/tickets/2014-events/madame-infamy)

Mentioned by The New York Times as “What to Do in New York City in Summer 2014” and lauded by The Huffington Post as “a brilliant example of what might be called creative, feminist historiography,” Madame Infamy, is a new musical directed by Carlos Armesto, with concept and Book by Jp Vigliotti and Music and Lyrics by Cardozie Jones and Sean Willis. In the later half of the 18th century, America stood firmly on the backs of its slaves while Paris burned as its poorest citizens revolted against the aristocracy. Two worlds united by one electrifying score, Madame Infamy is the dark and moving tale of Marie Antoinette, last Queen of France, and Sally Hemings, slave and mistress of President Thomas Jefferson. Fighting hardship, scandal, and loss, each must find the strength to combat a nation in hopes of protecting the ones she loves.

Madame Infamy is part of the NY Musical Theatre Festival ("NYMF"), running July 23rd - July 27th at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre. Tickets $25 (for tickets visit www.nymf.org/tickets/2014-events/madame-infamy/).

Two stories in one, unfolding alongside one another, Madame Infamy exposes the complexity of life for anyone born into a world where choice is a commodity. It is the journey of two girls growing into women, struggling to drown out the voices around them in hopes of finding the voice inside. In the end, both face the ultimate battle as their worlds come crashing in on them, and must race against time to protect the ones they hold most dear. With an epic score that takes contemporary musical theater and infuses it with elements of R&B and pop, Madame Infamy will leave you wondering: how will you be remembered?

Broadway stars in the making, Madame Infamy is proud to welcome Rachel Stern (Shrek the Musical, Tarzan Broadway), Briana Carlson-Goodman (Eponine, 25th Anniversary Tour of Les Miserables; Hair, Broadway), Bashirrah Creswell (Nala, Lion King, Broadway), Kevin Massey (Memphis, Tarzan, Big River, Broadway), Q. Smith (Mary Poppins, Les Miserables, 2006 Revival, Broadway), Justin Johnston (Rent, Angel, Broadway, Roger Off-Broadway Revival) with Jelani Alladin, Elijah Caldwell, Jessica Dyer, Samille Ganges, Joshua Silver Hughes, Jake Levitt, Katie McMillen, Crystal Sha'nae, Xalvador Tin-Bradbury, and Bronwyn Whittle.

Production Team includes Keith Robinson (Music Director & Sound Designer), Amy Baer (Orchestrations) Elisabetta Spuria (Choreographer), Damon Wiggins (Scenic Designer), Shane Ballard (Costume Designer), Jake DeGroot (Lighting Designer), Paris D. Rhoad (Production Stage Manager), Arnold Mungioli at Mungioli Theatricals (Casting), Lauren Rayner (Line Producer), and Theatre C (General Manager). 

Performance Dates:  Wednesday, July 23rd at 8:00pm; Thursday, July 24th at 9:00pm; Friday, July 25th at 5:00pm;Saturday, July 26th at 9:00pm; and Sunday, July 27th at 1:00pm

Performance Venue: The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center Located at 480 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036

More Information: www.madameinfamy.com or www.nymf.org

'The family of swine brought into the barn.'

The royal family's failed flight to Montmédy marked a downturn in the reputation of the royal family; the escape attempt and its aftermath inspired a torrent of pamphlets, caricatures and other libels which targeted the family from Louis XVI to his young children.

The caricature below, titled 'The family of swine brought into the barn,' represents the royal family as pigs being brought back to the Tuileries Palace after their escape attempt. Notably, Marie Antoinette is depicted here in the nude with her breasts bared, while the rest of the family is given clothing.

 [credit: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie]

A caricature of Louis XV and Madame du Barry

 

 credit: Devoir de Philosophie

 

Marie Antoinette was not the only figure in the French court to deal with an onslaught of caricatures, propaganda and slanderous pamphlets. Madame du Barry, who was heavily criticized by the denizens of Versailles even before her official presentation at court, was also the subject of frequent literary attacks. These attacks took the form of popular court ditties, published pamphlets, such as one which claimed to reveal the secret lurid history of the king's new mistress, as well as caricatures.

 

The above undated caricature is believed to depict du Barry and Louis XV; the pair are portrayed here as two birds perched on an ornate sofa in an apartment at Versailles. Both are wearing symbols of their status, such as jewels and a sword, despite their degrading animal form.

Wet Nurses and Breastfeeding in the 17th - 18th Century

Marie Antoinette and the infant Madame Royale
credit: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie

"The way [children] are brought up now, they are less hampered; they are not swaddled, they are always in a crib or held in the nurse's arms, and as soon as they can be outdoors they are accustomed to it little by little until they are almost always out. I think this is the best and healthiest way to raise them." [translation: Olivier Bernier, Secrets of Marie Antoinette]

When Marie Antoinette wrote these words to her mother Maria Theresa in 1778, she was still only a few months pregnant with her first--and long awaited--child. But she, like so many mothers, was already thinking ahead about the best way to raise a healthy, happy child. Antoinette's words in this letter were a clear reflection of the growing trend towards what was considered a more natural and healthy way of raising children. 

This trend included foregoing the once-traditional practice of swaddling in favor of allowing free movement, exposing young children to the outdoors instead of secluding them inside and--whenever feasible--employing mothers to breastfeed their own children instead of sending them to wet nurses.

 Louis XIV and his wet nurse, Marie de Longuet de la Giraudière by Charles Beaubrun.
credit: Photo (C) RMN-Grand Palais (Château de Versailles) / Droits réservés

By the 17th century, wet nurses were considered a standard for royal children and were frequently employed by any families with the means to pay for them. Royal women who were duty bound to produce as many heirs as possible were typically discouraged from even attempting to breastfeed their own children, due to the belief that breastfeeding would make future pregnancies more difficult. The wet nurses employed by royalty would have been carefully screened--not just for their ability to breastfeed successfully but for their medical and social background as well.

Detail from Farewell to the Nurse by Etienne Aubrey, circa 1776-1777.
credit: The Clark Art Institute

The wet nurses for royalty would have typically been given temporary accommodations within the court. While these nurses would naturally spend a significant amount of time with their royal charge, the parents would be presented with little trouble in visiting. Mercy recounts in his letters to Maria Theresa that both Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette spent much time visiting the infant Madame Royale, who even began to recognize them separately from her nurse and many attendants.

The wet nurses employed by the rest of the population, however, were more likely to live separately from the child's mother and family--perhaps even as far away as the countryside from Paris. This usually meant that the child would live full time with his wet nurse and her family, sometimes for as long as 18 months.

This type of arrangement would naturally encourage the development of feelings and strong attachment between the infant and their nurse. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who was a staunch supporter of mothers breastfeeding their children (except in cases where the mother's or child's health might be affected) considered this type of development a drawback which "alone should take from every sensitive woman the courage to have her child nursed by another. The drawback is that of sharing a mother's right, or rather of alienating it, of seeing her child love another woman as much as and more than her..." 

In the above painting, Etienne Aubrey skillfully depicts the emotional separation between an infant and his wet nurse; the desperation and sorrow on the faces of the child, his nurse and the nurse's husband and the pained expression of the child's real mother and father are all a testament to the emotional suffering that the typical wet nurse experience could cause. 

The Young Mother by Jean Laurent Mosnier. 18th century.

This portrait is almost the antithesis of the above painting of Louis XIV and his wet nurse. Not only is the woman in the painting the child's actual mother, but the infant is shown wearing free, flowing clothing that gives them ample ability to kick and move about; the sweet, content smile on the face of the mother and child was perhaps the artist's way of praising the shift away from confining, strict child rearing.

Marie Antoinette was a notable supporter of the movement towards motherhood breastfeeding. According to Antonia Fraser, Marie Antoinette attempted to breastfeed her first child, Marie Thérèse, for nearly 18 days before ceasing, perhaps on the directive of her physicians or her husband. 

After the birth of her daughter, Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI decided to pay for the weddings of one-hundred men and women to be blessed at the cathedral of Notre Dame. In addition to giving 500 francs to each of the newly married women, Marie Antoinette arranged to help pay for the care of the first child from each union--if the new mother decided to employ a wet nurse, 10 livres would be sent per month until the child was done breastfeeding; if the new mother breastfed her own child, 15 livres would be sent per month until breastfeeding was no longer necessary. Although she was unable to breastfeed her own children, Marie Antoinette could still encourage other women to practice what Rousseau considered necessary for the foundation of an attractive domestic life.

 Portrait of a family by Johann Friedrich August Tischbein. Circa 1795-1800.

credit: Photo (C) BPK, Berlin, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / image MHK

Rosseau believed that the shift away from mothers breastfeeding their own children was detrimental to the family as a whole and not just the infant or their mother. In Emilie, he wrote: "... home life takes on a less lively aspect; the touching spectacle of a family aborning no longer attaches husbands, no longer imposes respect on outsiders; the mother whose children one does not see is less respected. One does not reside in one's family ..." In other words, the detachment between the child and its parents caused by the practice of wet nurses encouraged a detachment between the mother and father themselves, as well as all other branches of the family tree.

Rousseau believed that the return to what he considered the natural state of breastfeeding would "tighten the conjugal bond" between husband and wife and inspire a closer-knit, loving family unit. This above portrait by German artist Johann Friedrich August Tischbein seems to reflect Rousseau's views. The father in this portrait is content, gazing at the viewer and perhaps asking them to admire the picture of a devoted mother, his wife, and their content child.

Book Review: The Gardener of Versailles by Alain Baraton

 [I was given a review copy of this book in exchange for my opinion.]

There is no shortage of books written about the palace and gardens of Versailles; books about the illustrious place range from standard coffee table photo collections, a nearly endless series of walking guides, and even more unique books like the hauntingly beautiful 'Unseen Versailles,' featuring the eerie photos of Deborah Turbeville. And the books just keep coming--it is an almost sure bet that at least one new book will be published about Versailles every year.

Which is why The Gardener of Versailles by Alain Baraton is ultimately such a unique treasure. Alain Baraton has worked on the actual grounds of Versailles since the 1980s, and his part-memoir, part-garden history stands out from other 'Versailles' books because of the author's own history with the site. The real experiences and thoughts of someone who has worked (and lived!) on the grounds of Versailles add a personal touch that can't be achieved in a simple photobook or even general history of the palace and gardens.

The Gardener of Versailles is part memoir, part garden history, and part fireside story. Baraton writes the way you might envision an uncle recounting stories about his life or his adventures--and it is easy to imagine a little wink here and there as he recounts some of the more unusual stories, such as the one about the mysterious elegant woman who decided to drop her coat (under which she was wearing only her birthday suit) while on a private visit to the gardens after the devestating storm of 1999.

One of the most inviting aspects of the book for me was Baraton's love of the personal and human history of Versailles. In a hypothetical fantasy of the perfect visitor's tour, Baraton says that he would love to "open the hidden door that leads to the private apartments where the rulers actaully lived, laughed, worried or relaxed. ... their private lives unfolded on the other side of doors that the monarchs were careful to close behind them." His appreciation of the human history is reflected in his personal anecdotes sprinkled throughout the book, where the history of Versailles is mingled with stories about sneaky tourists attempting to stay overnight on the grounds, eccentrics who think they are Louis XIV, and lovers who risk constant discovery in order to enjoy a frolick together in the gardens.

Baraton also discusses the many changes in the gardens since he first began working them--most notably in how they are maintained. Baraton mourns the loss of the use of traditional gardening tool and techniques, such as using wooden hoes and collecting leaves for compost in favor of modern machines that may do the job faster but lose the intricate, personal touch of traditional gardening.

Above all, it is Baraton's passion for the gardens which clearly shines as the heart of this personal, sometimes eccentric, but always inviting garden memoir that is a must for anyone with an interest at at more personal look at Versailles.