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Mandela Bellamy plays Gwen Brown in "Glamour Girls," a lead role that is partially based on the experiences of director and co-writer Gloria Hendry in the original production that continues Friday and Saturday (Nov. 4-5) at the Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center in Leimert Park.
"She's playing me," Hendry said.Hendry was a Playboy Club Bunny in New York City from 1965-72 and she and co-writer Michael Cormier blended that period of her life into a cabaret drama set in 1967 at Club Scarlett."Glamour Girls is loosely based on my life and we dramatized the rest of it," Hendry explained.Gwen, a dancer, becomes one of the famous Vixens at Club Scarlett. It puts her on a path to a glamorous lifestyle that dissipates into serious problems. Gwen decides fame and fortune are not all that they are supposed to be and takes her life into a new direction.Bellamy, originally from Youngstown, Ohio, spent time in New York City before moving to Los Angeles to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She studied theater, graduating in 2009. Bellamy had extensive training as a dancer prior to studying drama.
"Mandela is strikingly unique and a wonderful dancer," Hendry said. "She's trained in ballet, jazz and modern jazz. She's developed into a good actress. She's had parts in Fame and made her Los Angeles stage debut two years ago."Julio Hanson plays Gwen's boyfriend, Phil Barnes, and Bobak Bakhtiari plays Club Scarlett owner Roman Carlotti are also in lead roles.Co-stars are Darline Ann Harris as Ms. Bea Turner, who presides over the Vixens, and Siri Dyal, who plays Helen Stein as the owner of a competing club.Perry Winkle Williams plays Jimmy Malone and sings a tribute to Wilson Pickett. Larney Dapper Johnson III performs a tribute to Cab Calloway.The cast also includes Bonita Brisker, Lina Green, Anna Karakhanova and Delka Nenkova.Hendry is most famous as Bond Girl Rosie Carver from the film "Live and Let Die" with Roger Moore as James Bond.
"Glamour Girls" will also be performed Nov. 11-12 and Nov. 18-19. Legendary Los Angeles-based jazz and blues singer Barbara Morrison is the Executive Producer of the show and Artist Director of the BMPAC, located at 4305 Degnan Boulevard, Suite 101, in Los Angeles.Tickets for "Glamour Girls" are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Call 323 296-2272 for reservations.For more information, please visit www.bmpac.org and www.gloriahendry.com.
