written and performed by Melissa Western

Melissa Western and the Minx Quartet

Tnee Dyer - musical director/keys/bvs

Joshua Hatcher - sax/double & electric bass

Euan Gray – sax/guitar/bvs

Rich Seymour – drum kit

CONTENT

It’s 1952 and everyone in showbiz wants to work the Mocambo. The extravagant Hollywood club is ‘the living room of the stars’ with its Latin American-theme, live cockatoos, lush cocktails and swinging jazz. But if you’re Ella Fitzgerald you don’t get a look in – unless one of your biggest fans is Marilyn Monroe. Ella became the first African-American to perform at the Mocambo, after Marilyn sweet talked (or rather harrassed) the owner into the booking. She promised to take a front row table every night and assured him that the press would go wild. He agreed. Marilyn sat front and centre. Ella sang. History was made.

It’s 2006 and local showbiz nobody, Melissa Western, just wants to work … anywhere. In her dreams she sings with the perfect lyricism of Ella and attracts with heady magnetism of Marilyn. She can’t believe her luck when she stumbles across the unlikely real life friendship between the two - what a great idea for the show that will catapult her to stardom. But when does imitation stop and true artistry begin? How long can she hide behind the guises of her muses? And will anyone even like the real performer behind the mask? As she delves deeper into the backgrounds of Ella and Marilyn she discovers difficult childhoods, absent mother figures, exploitation, fraught love relationships and barren wombs. Is this really the cost of stardom?

Ella, Marilyn and the Mocambo Moxie is a show of exquisite music, fascinating stories and sensual glamour. It reveals the hidden sides of two legendary icons of our time: Ella Fitzgerald as an ambitious go-getter, Marilyn Monroe as an influential business woman and shared backgrounds of heartbreaking childhoods. It also asks a question faced by many performers: how much will I have to sacrifice to make it big?

STYLE

Ella, Marilyn and the Mocambo Moxie uses both direct address to audience and charcater acting. The show is very music heavy, featuring the swinging sounds of the 50s. The context of the Ella-Marilyn story in the Latin-themed Mocambo nightclub conjures up elite 1950s Hollywood glamour and sexy latin jazz. Swing, beebop and latin jazz are the primary musical styles together with some judiciously placed ballads.

STRUCTURE

Opening: The show begins with a bold, glamorous opening number, setting the scene of the Mocambo Nightclub, Hollywood, 1952.

Scene 1: Ella Fitzgerald, just at precipise of big time stardom. She just can’t catch a break to work at the Mocambo, because she’s black.

Scene 2: Marilyn Monroe, at the pinacle of her career. Owner of her own film production company and highly influential in the Hollywood scene.

Scene 3: Melissa Western, just at the start of her career – obssessed with Ella and Marilyn and delighted to discover their unlikely friendship.

Scene 4: The Mocambo Moxie – Marilyn convinces Mocambo owner to book Ella. Wild celebration as Ella performs her debut.

Scene 5: Melissa discovers more similarities between Ella and Marilyn – difficult childhoods, absent mother figures, exploitation in the industry, fraught love relationships, childless, suspected suicide, major illnesses. Deep questioning of her own commitment to this “life in the industry”.

Scene 6: Turning point for Melissa, realisation that while she can be inspired by her muses, she can’t hide behind them forever – her own voice has to be heard.

Closing: Emotion charged finish closing with original song.

SONG LIST, RUNNING TIME

Show running time: 1 hour

Song list:

• Get Happy

• The Object of My Affection

• I Wanna Be Loved By You

• The Lady is a Tramp / Black Coffee

• Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend

• I’ve Got You Under My Skin

• A-Tisket-A-Tasket

• After You Get What You Want (You Don’t Want It)

• Lush Life

• Misty / Where Do you Start

• Bye Bye Baby / Everytime We Say Goodbye

• Hard Hearted Hannah / Still Night

PREVIOUS SHOWINGS OF WORK

Edinburgh Fringe Festival: 2007, 2008, 2009

The Butterfly Club: Melbourne 2010

Brisbane Jazz Club: 2009

Gold Coast Arts Centre: 2010

CONTACT DETAILS

Melissa Western

melissa@melissawestern.com

0414 267 009

4/1 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006