Hedda! A Musical Conversation is a gloriously fun and insightful original one-woman musical on the iconic, hat-crazed Hollywood gossip and political columnist, Hedda Hopper. There are thirteen clever, engaging songs in a variety of styles and rhythms that are period sensitive. Hedda tells her story from her Quaker upbringing, to her run as an MGM bit player, to her meteoric rise as the hat-crazed Hollywood gossip columnist. Through a series of phone conversations, songs, and chats with the audience we are made privy to: her legendary feuds with Hollywood’s elite; the use of her column to promote her own political and moral agenda; her smear campaigns against Charlie Chaplin and other Hollywood Communist sympathizers; right up to the Liz/Eddie/Debbie debacle…which leads to her 11th hour number expressing a moment of self doubt and regret. But ultimately the old Hedda returns and raises her voice in triumph. Jillann Gabrielle is hysterical and electrifying as Hedda!
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Gabrielle has been touring the U.S. for four years to great critical acclaim in performances of all of her original one-woman musicals. The other two are on Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, the feuding, iconic film stars of the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond, Joan & Bette Bette & Joan, and Greta Garbo, the mysterious Swedish film star, The Garbo the Musical. In 2018, she put Hedda! and The Garbo in rotating rep at Chicago’s Athenaeum studio theatre to great critical acclaim.