GAF Glam Bang
Playbill
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.”
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