Based on the 1975 documentary film of the same name, Grey Gardens is a tragic, frequently funny, and utterly unforgettable musical about two “staunch” and legendary American women: Edith Bouvier Beale, and her grown daughter, Edie. Grey Gardens begins at the grand 1941 engagement party of stunning and spirited “Little Edie” Beale to handsome Navy man Joe Kennedy, Jr., hosted by Edie’s mother, Edith Bouvier Beale. As the upper-crust, New England family gathers, so do the storm clouds of trouble that eventually leave both “Big” and “Little” Edie alone and heartbroken. The second act launches the narrative into the overgrown, cat-riddled, and bug-infested estate in 1973, where the two Edies live, alone. “Big Edie” is now bedridden, and “Little Edie” grows more eccentric by the day, haunted by dreams of love and success, long since dashed. Weaving documentary text with imaginative speculation, the musical documents the journey of the Beales from royalty to ruin. With a diverse musical songbook, including Tin Pan Alley jigs and soaring ballads, Grey Gardens is a unique tapestry of lost dreams, sacrifice, and unstoppable hope-- heartfelt, witty, and compassionate.
Grey Gardens guide sections
