Twenty years ago, when the earth was still young, I collaborated with TV personalities and writing partners Marshall Efron and Alfa-Betty Olsen and illustrator Steven Guarnaccia (below from book cover) on a book titled Sin City Fables. It was, as you can guess, a retelling of many favorite and not-so-favorite fairy tales and fables through the gauze of the urban underbelly. The writing was very, very funny, and Guarnaccia’s illustrations were spot on.
Now it’s been turned into a musical titled Fables From the Lunar Bin (book by Alfa-Betty Olsen and Marshall Efron, lyrics by Fran Landesman, music by Simon Wallace, directed by Stuart Ross. Here’s what they say about it:
Fables from the Lunar Bin is a hilarious revue complete with sketches, songs, and an impossible love story. Set on a city street, The Woman in the Moon looks down on her city and calls it The Lunar Bin. The people who live there tell the stories of their lives…everybody’s story has a moral. And every story has a happy ending, you just have to look at it the right way. Love–sacred, profane, successful or foolish–is celebrated, and even The Woman in the Moon is tempted.
There’s a reading on Tuesday, November 3, at 7:30 p.m. in New York City. It’s at the York Theater Company (619 Lexington Avenue), and reservations can be made by calling 212-935-5820 or on the website.
About Steven Heller
Steven Heller is the co-chair of the SVA MFA Designer /Designer as Author + Entrepreneur program, writes frequently for Wired and Design Observer. He is also the author of over 170 books on design and visual culture. He received the 1999 AIGA Medal and is the 2011 recipient of the Smithsonian National Design Award.View all posts by Steven Heller →