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It took us nine months to get to last night. Ha! Like making a baby. And we delivered! A big cast - and this isn't even all of us! Can you spot me? And according to the audience, it was worth every minute. "That was an amazing evening. So impressive, both for the text and the performance. You were wonderful. But that was no surprise." (B.C. journalist) "What a brilliant performance last night. So brave of you - and you rocked it." (N.P. artist) "Bravo à vous les comédiens !

Well. How shall I put this? I have to learn to manage my expectations. The lovely folks of Brignoles - the Palais Comtal and head of Vieux Amis de Brignoles. There is good news! Read on...

I was so excited about a visit the Nursery for the Counts of Provence. Read all about that special place - and my high hopes - here. Cool mural I happened upon - of Sis 2 Aliénor.

I had to see Kushner for myself. When I called him Lafayette, he denied it. Wonder who he was supposed to be? So I signed up to go to the reception for the US ambassador at the Musée Masséna in Nice. Mrs. Kushner, Mr. K, Interpreter, new Nice Mayor Ciotti Curious what it was like? Read about it here.

I'm always on the hunt for Queen Marguérite of France - born Marguérite de Provence - one of four sisters from medieval Provence who all become queens about whome I'm writing a musical. There is lots about her husband everywhere. Louis IX was one of the most admired kings of France. He ruled from 1226-1270 - for 43 years. Louis XIV wins with 72 years. He outlived his son AND grandson. In Notre-Dame But my Louis - Marguérite's Louis - went on to be named a saint. The only king

A NON-Forgotten Woman of France 822 years ago TODAY, Eleanor of Aquitaine died. April 1st, 1204. She's notable for many things - notably for being a two-time queen - first of France, then of England. Long live Eleanor of Aquitaine! By Ann Kramer. I own this because I messed up: I thought it was about MY Eleanor - of Provence! Just about every time I tell someone I’m writing a musical about Eleanor of Provence, they say, “Oo, she was amazing! I love Eleanor of Aquitaine.”

A perfect way to start my International Women's Day. By discovering talented female artists I'd never heard of. And seeing ones I did not know in the spotlight. All this in a major Paris retrospective: Musée des Arts Décoratifs and its "100 Years of Art Deco - 1925-2025." Ok, maybe not as big a spotlight as they deserve. There were only one or two items per woman. But I got the sense the MAD was really trying to be more inclusive. IT'S A START. THE WOMEN I KNEW OF - but s

If you follow me at all, you know I love to write about Forgotten Women. Lately, of France. Well, sometimes I'm guilty of forgetting about my forgotten women. Of moving on to the next fascinating story. Today three of those women banged on my door, screaming Remember me?? Clotilde - Eglise de la Madeleine Clotilde, the first queen of France and the reason France is Catholic. That was at my first stop, l'Eglise de la Madeleine. Then, at the Hotel de la Marine, the banging got

Doing my 2025 end-of-year newsletter was SO HARD. I could only cite one thing per month. It killed me not to share all the other things. So here they are. Plus what I learned - so good for me to remember, maybe helpful for you? IN THE 1ST MONTH OF ‘25 - (aka January) I said, oh what the heck. I'll get a pass for the Readers Room - into which you can bring very little, so you need to use a locker - LESSON LEARNED : ALWAYS TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR LOCKER I though

I just saw Dear Evan Hansen in Paris. In French . Both the book and lyrics. Which is unusual here (more on that below). So how was it? It was the same. And also pretty different. The French reviews were raves. From review Radio-France But what are American responses to the French version? I’ve been scouring the “Interweb” - and I haven't found any. NADA. (I did find one review from an Anglophone newscaster, but she lives here - so her French POV is stronger than mine.) So I

WHEN WE SING TOGETHER, OUR HEARTS MEET. Musicals - or " comédies musicales " are booming in Paris. Which is surprising . And may also be a sign of something – bigger. (IMHO) Musicals are a typically American art form. They tend to be sunny, optimistic, open-hearted and open-throated. Even when there is darkness – as in my two favorite musicals, Man of La Mancha and Fiddler on the Roof - there is light at the end of the tunnel. As the Greeks would say, catharsis . This kin

What's special about the Holidays in Antibes? This is just from 24 HOURS (Sat - Sun. Dec. 13-14) I share here a wee slice here from the huge holiday log. (You'll get that reference below) NUMBER 1 - A TON OF SAILBOATS. Why not? It's 60 degrees. NUMBER 2 - A CHURCH CHECK-IN The Chapelle de Saint Bernardin dates back to 1513. No, it was NOT NAMED FOR THE DOG. I've been wanting to go here for two years - and finally I made it! Chapelle de Saint Bernardin HONEY, I SHRUNK THE MON

Do we all need a little music, laughter - a little joy? ( I do!) If you're in the south of France... Please join us for Liberté, Baby! A rousing affirmation of freedom of expression We're partnering with Fall Of Freedom - so you get a chance to join artists like musician John Legend, film director Ava DuVernay and author Ann Patchett in making/riding creative waves for a better world. (ok they won't be here in person - but they will be in spirit!) Singer/songwriter John

Many people go to the City of Lights for food, fun, shopping. ME, I'm on a mission - FINDING FORGOTTEN WOMEN OF FRANCE Who (and what) did I find this trip? A woman who is not forgotten - she's everywhere, in plain sight - but do we really notice her? THE VIRGIN MARY Mary and Jesus. No, her face isn't stained glass - one of the hazards of cell phone photography! Did you know the entire country of FRANCE IS CONSECRATED TO THE VIRGIN MARY? I didn't. I also didn't realize that a

I've been to Notre-Dame. Notre-Dame. Nice clean up job after the fire, non? I've been to the château in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. St-Germain-en-Laye. Cool place, no Marguérite. Nada. I've been looking for traces of Marguérite de Provence, the wife of Louis IX and eldest sister in my musical about four sisters in medieval Provence who all become queens (!). Marguérite upper left. Clockwise: Sancie, Béatrice, Aliénor. Next I head to Sainte-Chapelle. Heaven on earth to her husband,

Marguérite and Louis, Queen and King of France in the mid-1200's, live in lots of different châteaux in the course of their 36-year marriage. In Aigues-Mortes - about to set sail for the Crusade in Outre-Mer. Does she look pregnant to you? One day, I'd like to visit them all. Especially Pontoise...(below) - for salacious reasons (wink wink). Ramparts of the Château de Pontoise, where the love birds used to hide from his mother so they could play hide the sausage. Photo: Phil

In October, I had to be in Paris to teach a workshop on playwriting. So I decided to multi-task – and go in search of traces of Marguérite, Queen of France in the 1200’s. I'm always on the lookout for these "Forgotten Women of France..." I did find a statue of Marguérite - but not in Paris, in a small church in Auvergne. Marguérite is Queen One of my Four Queens musical , inspired by sisters in medieval Provence who all become queens. Clockwise from upper left: Marguérite, S

Max Gallagher, Jon Bonner, Celine Rosenthal, Lizzie Hagstedt, Oliver Aston, Amy Bastani, and me. I've "produced" readings in New York...

Since we visited Forcalquier a year ago and discovered the amazing story of the four sisters in medieval Provence who all became queens -...

✈️ Just back from @BEAM 2025, the UK bi-annual musical theatre conference - and it was everything I hoped for and more. Birmingham...