“...Amazing! Defiant, tender, erotic and historically detailed!... [Ms. Marinangel] transforms herself into a no-holds-barred Dietrich, who regrets nothing – and reveals everything, including bitter family secrets and hundreds of lovers (of all genders) – told with bawdy good humor.”
— Dr. Sue Horowitz, Ph.D. Positive Entertainment, NYC
“It’s not a performance, it’s not a show, it’s an experience!”
— Chuck Niccolls, MA’AM Reeanctor, PA
"Throughout the play, you can’t take your eyes off of Cindy Marinangel. You can feel her unique appeal, see the inner life of Dietrich — a woman full of grit and ambition, who defied convention, seduced the world, and forged her own path. With Marinangel’s own sultry beauty, smoky voice and androgyny, she reveals a series of Dietrich’s stormy love affairs that pushed the boundaries of social convention of the time. Marinangel and Dietrich are women full of sizzle and decadence reminiscent of Weimar Berlin.”
— Joyce Rappaport, Black Tie International Magazine, NYC
ABOUT DIETRICH
Starring Cindy Marinangel
Written by Willard Manus ("Joe and Marilyn: A Love Story," "Frank and Ava")
Directed by Glenda Morgan Brown
Produced by Sea Angel Productions, LLC
DIETRICH is a 90-minute, one-woman play with music that has been critically acclaimed from L.A. to NYC. Inspired by the legendary Marlene Dietrich and based on actual events, this is a captivating night of theater. The play takes audiences on a journey through the star's storied life: from her departure from Berlin, Germany, in 1930 (with encouragement from film director Josef von Sternberg to join one of the Hollywood studios); to her rise to fame in Hollywood; to being approached by the Nazi party in London to contribute to their propaganda and refusing to do so; to her political activism. In the intimate setting of her dressing room, the beloved cultural icon interweaves personal anecdotes and reflections that expose her multifaceted personality. This is not just a tribute but a nuanced exploration of the woman behind the myth.
THE PREMISE
It is May 3rd, 1960, early evening, before Dietrich's show at the Tatiana Palast Theater in Berlin, Germany — one of the stops on her post-war European tour. It is also her return to her birth country since she left decades earlier. It is a complex moment of defiance and reconciliation for her, having been branded a traitor by some; a turncoat who deserves to be shot and killed on stage for rejecting the Nazi regime in her homeland. Since she arrived, she has been facing death threats, bomb threats and protestors. She spent much of World War II fundraising for the U.S. troops and the Allied so they could oust the Nazis from Germany and the rest of Europe. She boosted the morale of American soldiers by entertaining them on the front lines. Her return to Berlin, a city marked by its dark past, is both a personal and political statement, highlighting the tension between patriotism and survival. Through out the play, she weighs whether to go through with her live performance despite threats on her life by Nazi sympathizers.
ABOUT MARLENE DIETRICH
Known for her collaborations with Jewish director Josef von Sternberg, Marlene Dietrich defied the Nazi regime by becoming an American citizen in 1937. She sold more US war bonds than anyone and for years, entertained soldiers on the front lines. Dietrich also worked with the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.), the predecessor of today’s CIA, to record a series of anti-Nazi albums, using propaganda to weaken the morale of Nazi troops. She donated her Hollywood earnings to help Jewish refugees escape persecution and find housing and jobs in America. Her extraordinary efforts earned her many awards, among them, the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom, France’s Legion d'Honneur, and Israel’s Medallion of Valor, making her the first German-born, as well as the first woman, recipient of this prestigious honor.
In today’s world, Dietrich’s defiance is profoundly relevant. Her unwavering stance serves as a powerful reminder of the need to confront hate and extremism, reflecting the same struggles against tyranny and division that some face today.
ABOUT CINDY MARINANGEL
Cindy Marinangel is an award-winning international actress, producer and filmmaker. She is a Lifetime Member of The Actors Studio, studying under Mark Rydell, the late Martin Landau, Ellen Burstyn and Alec Baldwin, as well as a Chicago Second City Conservatory graduate (Stephen Colbert, Nia Vardalos). Marinangel has sung as Marlene Dietrich in Times Square for International Peace Day.
CINDY MARINANGEL ALSO produces and performs an hour-long CABARET SHOW as the icon.
