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GAF Glam Bang
Playbill

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GAF Glam Bang is a collection of vignettes on the style, personalities, fun facts AND fiction of the Grant Avenue Follies. Written by awards-winning playwright Clara Hsu (a fellow Folly,) its preview was filmed on July 14, 2023 in San Francisco exclusively for the PBS documentary, The Express Way with actor Dulé Hill (scheduled to launch in 2024).  We're honored to premiere the full GAF Glam Bang in Honolulu for the Hong Kong Business Association and to celebrate the Chinese Autumn Moon Festival.

About GAF 

Grant Avenue Follies is a cabaret group that brings to life the legacy of San Francisco Chinatown’s golden nightclub era. Cynthia Yee, founder of the Follies, received the 2009 Jefferson Award for public service. The Follies are active in entertaining and raising funds for senior-citizen groups and have been featured on local and national news, AARP, TV shows such as Mario Lopez's Access Daily, and Steve Harvey's Steve on Watch. The Follies are also known as the Rapping Glammas. With three viral music videos---Gai Mou Sou Rap, Glammas Wrap and That Lunar Cheer---they manifest women's beauty, love and strength wherever they go.

Synopsis

Grant Avenue Follies is actually a secret gang disguised as a cabaret entertainment troupe. Their true gang name is Glam Bang and the head of Glam Bang is Empress. However, there is a small dissenting group within Glam Bang. They privately called themselves Glam Bang-Bang. Glam Bang-Bang is led by Lady OxSay.

 

Whenever the Follies greet each other privately they would use the word “bang” (instead of “hi”), but the dissenting group would say “bang-bang”—almost the same salut, you see, but not quite; so regular members of Glam Bang would not notice the difference except the Glam Bang-Bang themselves.

 

Trouble begins when Empress shows off a glittery diamond crown. A cat fight ensues amid everyone’s effort in putting together “THE PRE-SEN-TA-TION.”

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Actors

Doris Grover, Narrator / Madam Lola

Cynthia Yee, Empress, head of Glam Bang Gangster

Pat Chin, Glam Bang Gangster aka Ms. Patty

Mimi Chin, Glam Bang Gangster / Fan Tan

Emily Chin, Glam Bang Gangster aka Lotus Buns

Marleen Luke, Glam Bang Gangster

Ruby Fong, Glam Bang Gangster

Pat Nishimoto, Lady OxSay, head of Glam Bang-Bang Gangster

Louise Ow-Ling, Glam Bang-Bang Gangster

Clara Hsu, Glam Bang-Bang Gangster

Dennis Tom, singer

Allen Ogi, hula instructor

Tech and Crew

Giray Guntel----sound and video operator

James Handsel----sound and video assistant

Credits

Clara Hsu, playwright and lyricist

Kelly Ka Wing Li, director and video editor

Miki Katsuyama Novitski, choreographer

Karl Force, music composer of Glam Bang Rap and Penny Wong Rap

Outpost Recording Studio

Video Clips of Penny Wong courtesy of GOOD MEDICINE PICTURE COMPANY & CHINATOWN SHORTS

Photos of Penny Wong courtesy of Janice L. Quan

Inga Chernogradskaia, visual designs and slide presentation

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