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Instrumental of Pin-Up Girl Song with Mosaic

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Alberto Vargas

When you think "Pin-Up Art" - you almost automatically think of "the Vargas Girl".  This was a term coined by Esquire Magazine in response to their wildly successful artist Alberto Vargas.  Alberto was from Peru and immigrated to this country by way of Europe where he studied art.  His first artistic assignment of significance was for the Ziegfeld Follies.  He was discovered by Mrs. Ziegfeld as he was painting in a store window in Manhattan.  She sent him a note asking him to contact her husband to speak about painting portraits of the stars of the show.  Mr. Ziegfeld hired him and these pictures would be displayed in the lobby of the New Amsterdam Theater to advertise the show and highlight the famous Ziegfeld girls of the day!  It was only the beginning of an illustrious career that we still celebrate today!

The Secret Art of the Pin-Up Girl

I am posting below the entire text of the first scene of our first act of the first play I have ever written - unless you count my adaptation of The Cat in the Hat for the stage in college.

This is a work in progress and I want to see if blogging it is a viable way of sharing!  I am posting an instrumental recording of the song for you to hear via Smilebox as a Pin-Up Collage - and I hope to have a full version with melody & lyric for you to hear soon.

Much of the decade was spent in low-paying was in New York and his wife was still in California. Work was almost non-existent. Then, in an eerie echo of his replacing Kirchner at the Ziegfeld Follies, Esquire hired him to replace George Petty.

The Secret Art

of the

Pin-Up Girl

Play Written by Heather Storm

Music by Gregory A. Dawkins

Lyrics & Melody by Heather Storm

Copyright 2010.  All Rights Reserved.

Intro:

Narrator, Joyce Ballentyne:

A long time ago there lived a beautiful girl. You never knew her name or perhaps you named her yourself. She was never meant to speak her mind or even come to life but through a strange twist of fate she has done just that. And tonight she lives and breathes on this stage for the first time. I’m not talking about those glossy retouched Hollywood harlots who consider nudity a career choice. Tonight we celebrate the artist’s muse. That object of desire painted as a subject of fine art by the greatest artists of their generation. A moment in time captured on the canvass; an art form as uniquely American as jazz itself. The Pin-Up Girl.

They were real women, did you know?

I know their stories, you see - I was the both artist and the subject.

Oh, I studied with the best of them… Gil Elvgren, Art Frahm - you name it …. It was a real boy’s club.

They all worked with live models …

They said that it was only the gleam in her eye that made her so desirable that she was meant to be painted.

Funny, I couldn’t find a pretty girl to pose for me. So, I did what any resourceful woman would do. I painted myself. After all, no one knows better than I the curves of a woman. Eventually, I could find girls to sit for me … after my work had graced the cover of magazines and editorials all over the world.

They say pretty girls are a dime a dozen. I say each one is unique and special and beautiful - if you just look closely enough. Perhaps they will show themselves to you. Perhaps if you look closely enough you will see why - even to this day -

we must glorify the American Girl.

ACT I:

Scene 1:

[Backstage at the Zeigfeld Follies, circa 1919]

Backstage at the Zeigfeld Follies a group of actresses/showgirls are getting ready for curtain. They are each dressed dramatically and provocatively for their scenes.

Stage Manager:

(Walks up to the door and knocks loudly.)

10 minutes ladies!

(He opens the door and sticks his head in. As he looks around at the ladies they are in a variety of poses and stages of getting dressed.)

If the audience only knew what you girls did behind the scenes …

That’s gonna be your job, right Al?

Ladies, this is Alberto. He’s an artist. Mrs. Z. found him and asked him to do some portraits of you beauties! Be nice to him!

(A tall, slim, young man steps into the doorway and the ladies all turn to look at him. Nita Naldi, Ruth Etting, Marilyn Miller & Paulette Goddard are preparing themselves for the performance.)

Nita:

He’s gonna paint our picture?

Ruth:

(from behind a curtain)

What? My agent didn’t clear that with me?!

Marilyn:

I think it’s sweet!

Paulette:

You’re not half bad lookin’ you know?

Ruth:

Ask him how naked we should get.

Alberto:

(With a very thick accent. Nervous, clearing his throat.) As a matter of fact, Mr. Zeigfeld has asked me to make an artistic study of each of you and if you are true to yourselves, only you know how naked you want to be.

Marilyn:

I like to be very naked …

Ruth:

(sticking her head out from behind the curtain)

Back off Marilyn! A guy like that has a gal!

Nita:

Leave a little to the imagination, would ya?

Alberto:

Also, it’s for the lobby - for the show.

Paulette:

Where did they find you anyway?

Alberto:

I happened to be painting in a store window.

Marilyn:

You must be really good!

Ruth:

Or really lucky!!

Nita:

Come on girls! Think of the possibilities! What if Al here, paints a painting of me that ends up on the wall of some handsome Joe who thinks I’m the prettiest gal he’s ever laid eyes on.

He’d adore me - without ever even having met me in the flesh.

Ruth:

Yeah, cause if he met ya, he’d change his tune!

Marilyn:

I think it’s a great idea!

Paulette:

You’ll make us pretty won’t you?

Alberto:

Of course, dear Madame. I can only paint truthfully that which I see before me. (Girls swoon.)

[Enter Piano Man. He sits at the piano and opens his music book.]

Piano Man:

Alright ladies, time to vocalize, harmonize and fraternize ….

Paulette:

What do you think, piano man?

Alberto here says he’s gonna paint a picture of us. Some of us aren’t so sure …

Piano Man:

All I know is, I’m in favor of anything that will glorify the American girl!

Maybe you should try it on for size. How about this? …

Song: Pin-Up Girl, sung by 4 stars of the follies.

PM: Don’t ya want to be a Pin-Up model, struttin’ all your stuff.

Don’t ya want to wear the beads the bobbles, enough is never enough.

Ruth: I’ll be your pin-up girl, hanging on your wall.

I’ll be your pin-up girl. I promise not to fall.

Group: I’ll be your pin-up girl. Marilyn: (I‘m the girl next door.)

Group: I’ll be your pin-up girl. Marilyn: (Watch me crawl across the floor.)

Group: I’ll be your pin-up girl. Marilyn: (Satisfaction guaranteed.)

Group: I’ll be your pin-up, pin-up. Marilyn: (Baby, I am all you need.)

Paulette: Well, you give me so much power for the little clothes I wear.

And I know how you like me baby - tell me if you dare.

Nita: I’ll be your great fantasy.

Icing on your cake.

I’ll be your pin-up girl.

I’ll give you pleasure you can’t fake.

Group: I’ll be your Pin-Up girl. Ruth:(Truly divine.)

Group: I’ll be your Pin-Up girl. Ruth: (And I’m gonna make you mine!)

Group: I’ll be your Pin-Up girl. Ruth: (With delicious delight.)

Group: I’ll be your Pin-Up girl. Ruth: (That will keep you up all night!)

Marilyn: You know your pin-up girl will never let you down.

Paulette: As long as I’m up on your wall, I’ll always be around.

Ruth: Your secret fantasy - oooo your hearts desire.

Nita: Baby, I’m your pin-up girl,

Group: Let me take you higher!

Nita: I’ll be your great escape.

I’ll ignite your fire.

I’ll be your pin-up girl.

Don’t deny your heart’s desire!

Group: I’ll be your pin-up girl. Ruth: (This is all real.)

I’ll be your pin-up girl. Marilyn: (Your heart I will steal!)

I’ll be your pin-up girl. Nita: (With my feminine wilds.)

I’ll be your pin-up girl. Paulette: (I’ll be your sensual child.)

Group: Pin-Up Girl

And I can change, oh, I can change your pent up world.

Come on boys and girls

Let me be your pin-up girl.

Let me be your pin-up girl.

Let me be your Pin-Up

I’m a diamond

I’m a pearl

So, let me be your pin up girl!

The Stage Manager:

(Walks up to the door and knocks loudly.)

5 minutes ladies!

(The ladies react and rush back to their preparations. Lights dim.)