Past Virtual Events
february 8th, 2022
John Eccles, anne bracegirdle and “Mad songs,” how a composer saved a female actor’s reputation amid scandal: a discussion with historian Diana Solomon
Historian Diana Solomon accepted our invitation to discuss the role of women on the Restoration Era stage, with special attention to the “Mad Song,” soprano Anne Bracegirdle and composer John Eccles. With the help of her composer friends (Eccles, Purcell and others), Anne Bracegirdle was able to restore her image as a “virtuous actress” amid a vicious public scandal that nearly destroyed her career. Diana Solomon has written numerous articles from the feminist perspective on the roles women played in Restoration Comedies, and also how “mad songs” played a role in creating public sympathy for Anne Bracegirdle. Our audiences got to know what it was like to be a female actor on the 17th century stage. This event featured premieres of pre-recorded mad songs performed by Amanda Forsythe and Sarah Yanovitch- Vitale. The panelists include historian Robert Lublin and HPSOB Artistic Director, Jessica Cooper.
We are delighted to be able to make our archival footage of King Arthur available to stream. However, we know that attending concerts is almost as much about the community as the music and so we would like to invite you to a Zoom cocktail making session before the stream goes live. Actors Benjamin Evett and Jason McCool will host, and there will also be interviews with cast members during the intermission!
The Henry Purcell Society put on an exciting evening of rousing tavern music from the Restoration-era Alehouse songs of Henry Purcell and his contemporaries. This zoom event was hosted by HPSOB board member Dr. Robert Lublin, theater historian, and musicologist and singer, Shannon Rose McAuliffe, and included several live performances by some of HPSOB's most beloved singers, as well as suggested ale pairings.