The Gilded Gentleman

When Oscar Wilde arrived in New York in January 1882, one of his most important intentions was to meet the great Walt Whitman, who was more than 30 years older than Wilde, and whom he had idolized since his youth.  The two poets met, and in this show, we expand on what that meeting would have been like, how each writer influenced the other, and what perhaps did and didn't happen at their encounter.  But the story is larger than that. This special show, with noted Wilde scholar and expert John Cooper, takes a look at the New York Wilde met upon his arrival and just why and how this 27 year-old Irish poet charmed them and began to develop his own unique brand of celebrity.  In today's show, John guides listeners on a journey to discover just who Oscar Wilde was at this point in his life and career, how he and the city of New York interacted with each other, and just how Oscar would likely have defined and described his own much debated sexual identity. 

The New York world that Walt Whitman knew as a young man in the 1850's was really two cities - that of New York (which was only today's Manhattan) and the growing city of Brooklyn across the East River.  These two cities in the midst of pre-Civil War and pre-Gilded Age development inspired the young Whitman to give voice to a new America and new experience.  In this first episode of a two-part series, writer and historian Hugh Ryan ("When Brooklyn Was Queer") talks about just how revolutionary Whtman's "Leaves of Grass" was, and just how Whitman would have defined his same-sex attractions, which had not yet evolved into the concepts of sexuality and gender identification that we know today.   This unique episode includes a look at the New York and Brooklyn that Whitman knew. Hugh contributes his own perspective and insight into just what that famous meeting between the older Whitman and the younger Oscar Wilde years later might have been like. 

A special bonus episode from the  Bowery Boys archives!  Join Tom and Greg for an in-depth look at the architect that, as some have said,  gave the Gilded Age its look. In the years before the great firm of McKim, Mead and White with its star architect Stanford White, another American born and Paris trained architect was translating European style with uniquely American taste. Richard Morris Hunt was one of the very first to establish architecture as an art form and his work included such iconic structures as the base of the Statue of Liberty, the grand facade and entrance hall of the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as mansions for Mrs. Astor and the Vanderbilts. Join Tom and Greg for this uniquely fascinating look at Hunt's life and influence and how he brought a refinement and sense of art into American architecture. For more images, visit the Bowery Boys website.

A look at New York's theater scene during the Gilded Age. Tim Dolan, theater historian and theater district tour guide (owner of Broadway UpClose) helps us take a look at the era's theater, including its shows, stars and theaters, some of which are still around. Through most of the 19th century New Yorkers thought of "Broadway" as a street, not a term that meant great theater or even a theater district.  This episode takes a look at what theater was like in the late 1800's and early 1900s just as Times Square was developing. This was the era of shows like Floradora and the Ziegfeld Follies. Tim discusses some famous performers, like the star Lillian Russell and the fascinating Julian Eltinge.   We look at a few theaters still playing to full houses from that time - the Hudson, the Lyceum, the New Amsterdam and the Belasco. (And a couple of those may contain a few ghosts that continue to wander their halls!) 

Take a fascinating journey back in time to visit a few British royal rulers with an intimate look at their reigns as well as at their majestic coronations.  British author and historian Tracy Borman joins The Gilded Gentleman for this unique look at history based on her book "Crown & Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy from William the Conqueror to King Charles III". In this second part of our coronation celebration, historian and author Tracy Borman, joint Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces, takes us into the world of  the Tudors to discuss just what Henry VIII and his chief minister Thomas Cromwell were really like.  We move on to the glorious rule of Elizabeth I whom Tracy says "makes us fall in love with queens".  Entering the 19th century, we look at the world of Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales who became Edward VII.  Tracy gives us a look at each of these monarch's coronations and surprisingly how they compare to that of King Charles III. If you are a royal watcher or lover of British history, don't miss this show - we end the episode with a discussion of just how the current monarchy fits into the long line of history.  

Join Carl and historian and curator, Curt DiCamillo for a fascinating look into the history of the British Crown Jewels.  Curt shares the history of the crowns and jewels, including a discussion of the oldest (and newest) pieces in the collection.  The show includes an intriguing look at how crowns likely first came to be in royal history and how they have evolved in shape and decoration from medieval times to the present day. The crowns we see today feature an extraordinary array of precious gemstones which contains stories both light and dark of how they entered the collection.   

The world of couture designers during the Gilded Age and the Belle Epoque went far beyond just the designers themselves.  Houses such as Worth, Doucet and Paquin and many others created the stunning gowns and dresses worn by both Europe's and America's moneyed elite.  But the network of milliners, hairdressers, perfumers, and even shippers and tax agents all made up the larger network that created this uniquely interdependent world.  Author Dr. Elizabeth Block (Dressing Up: The Women Who Influenced French Fashion, MIT Press) takes us deep into the Parisian fashion world of the late-19th century for a fascinating look at how these fashions were made, how much they really cost, how they were sold, and how they were shipped back to mansions on Fifth Avenue.  Discover why the House of Worth is the most well-known today, as well as some of the contributions of houses lesser known today, such as Maison Felix.  

Some tour guides and historians have said that to understand the early history of New York, just follow the population's migration up the island of Manhattan during the 19th century.  On today's show, historian and tour guide Keith Taillon takes us on a virtual tour and discusses how wealthy neighborhoods like Washington Square, Gramercy Park, Madison Square and of course the "gold coast" of Fifth Avenue developed, and what factors contributed to how it grew the way it did.  Along the way, Keith discusses many well known figures such as Astors and Vanderbilts as well as some lesser known but important trendsetters, such as the outrageous Mamie Fish and  groundbreaking (literally) Mary Mason Jones.  After this show, you'll never look at Manhattan or the Gilded Age in quite the same way again.

While the Gilded Age's rich and powerful ruled from their mansions on Fifth Avenue, the poor and immigrant communities downtown struggled simply to survive.  Arriving in New York in the early 20th century, journalist and novelist Zoe Anderson Norris devoted her talents to covering the world of the Lower East Side and do what she could to bring about acknowledgement of living conditions and to effect social change.  Zoe wrote countless newspaper and journal articles and even launched her own literary magazine to further her mission - "I fight for the poor with my pen."  Known as the "Queen of Bohemia", for solidarity, Norris created the "The Ragged Edge Klub" which met at local restaurants for cheap meals and passion-fueled conversation. Former New York Times columnist, author and independent scholar, Eve M. Kahn joins the Gilded Gentleman to share her insights and research into the life and work of this extraordinary crusader for human rights whose voice seems just as relevant and powerful today. 

XXXIX. As the famed "demon barber of Fleet Street" gets ready to flash his razor and do his deeds once again in a new Broadway production, The Gilded Gentleman goes back in time to the early years of London's Victoria era to look at just how Sweeney Todd and his tale came to be.  Born in the world of the sensational and gruesome stories of the "penny dreadfuls", Sweeney Todd and his story were quite different from what theater audiences know today.  The episode features a very special treat - an interview with Sarah Rice who created the role of Johanna, Sweeney Todd's daughter in the original 1979 Broadway production of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street".  Sarah shares what it was like to get the role, how she went about creating the character, and most of all, what it was like to work with extraordinary colleagues such as Angela Lansbury, Len Cariou, and of course Stephen Sondheim and Hal Prince themselves.  In the interview, Sarah shares the most important lessons she learned from Stephen Sondheim and Angela Lansbury in particular.