You might know classic Hollywood actor Mary Astor from The Maltese Falcon or Meet Me in St. Louis, but in 1936 her name was splashed across newspapers for a very different reason. Astor was entrenched in a messy custody battle with her ex-husband, and at the center of what was then deemed “the trial of the century” was Mary Astor’s own salacious diary.

90 years later, this saga is retold through a new show: Mary Astor’s Purple Diary (The Musical), based on a book by renowned illustrator Ed Sorel. The musical is written by award-winning cabaret performers and husband and wife team Michael Garin and Mardie Millit – Garin the music and lyrics, Millit the book.

This "fizzy little cocktail of a musical" as they lovingly refer to it, will have its second staged reading ever at New Jersey Repertory Company in Long Branch on Monday, October 26th. Mardie and Michael join the podcast to chat about the fascinating story behind the musical as well as their creative process. While the show is still in its nascent stages, they have terrific demo tracks that we’ll play little clips of throughout to give you a taste, featuring the voices of Michael and Mardie as well as Tony Award nominee Kate Baldwin singing the part of Mary Astor and Broadway’s Max Crumm as Ed Sorel.

Thanks for listening!

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The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

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