Synopsis
Katchor and Mulcahy's sung-through pop-musical chronicles the life and
times of Abe Rosenbach, the world's preeminent rare-book dealer in the
first half of the last century and his brother Philip, a savvy dealer of
decorative arts. Their collection ranges from James Joyce's manuscript
of Ulysses to John Tenniel's original illustrations for Alice in
Wonderland
Mixing
projected animated images with live actors, singers and musicians, the
show explores such issues as the obsessive nature of collecting, the
relationship between cultural and commercial pursuits and the men's
historical significance as the owners of some of the world's greatest
literary treasures.
This
production was originally produced and commissioned by The Rosenbach
Museum & Library for its 50th anniversary celebration.