Siegfeld Follies at Club Mwah

Fanny Brice is one of the most famous showgirls who have graced the stage of Siegfeld Follies. She was also one of the most influential, most popular showgirls. When she died in 1951, her celebrated life was made into a Broadway musical and a movie.

Barbra Streisand played Fanny Brice in the Broadway musical Funny Girl which made her an overnight sensation. She also starred in the movie of the same title and won the Best Actress award at the Oscars. A sequel was made in 1975. Earlier, a biopic of Fanny Brice was made and it was called, Rose of Washington Square which came from the title of a song she sang in her days at the Follies.

Fanny Brice was born in New York of Hungarian-Jewish descent. Fanny topbilled Siegfeld Follies in the early 1900’s until the late ’30s. Her signature song, My Man, became a big hit in the early ’20s. Another song that is closely associated with her is Second Hand Rose. Fanny recorded nearly two dozen songs. She was also posthumously awarded the Grammy Hall of Fame for her recording of My Man.

From the stage, Fanny made a crossover to the big screen. She did several movies like Everybody Sing with Judy Garland, and in the film versions of Siegfeld Follies. As an artist, she was strict, disciplined and meticulous. She is also honored with her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood Blvd.

While Fanny made people happy on stage and in the movies, Fanny, privately was painfully miserable. She visited her husband who was in prison at Sing Sing every week. Later, Fanny would divorce him and marry a songwriter and stage producer. Both marriages ended in divorce.

Siegfeld Follies was mounted by Florenz Siegfeld and was inspired by the Follies Bergere of Paris. The Follies were lavish revues that combined Broadway theatrical presentations and top-notch vaudeville shows. It became the launching pad of many entertainers. The show featured girls in lavish costumes and skimpy outfits. Girls who did not fit the standards of Siegfeld were turned down. Hollywood legends Marion Davies, Paulette Goddard, Barbara Stanwyck played chorus girls in Siegfeld Follies. Norma Shearer who later became a Hollywood superstar was turned down for the part.

The Follies are constant inspiration to many theatrical productions. Cabaret, Chicago showed snippets of showgirls in the image of the Follies of the olden days. Showgirls and choruses are acts that will continue to enliven the stage. It is a dance of life.

The golden days of the Follies Bergere and Siegfeld Follies are relived at Club Mwah, a theater-cum-bar located at the third floor of the Venue Tower along Boni Ave. in Mandaluyong City. Club Mwah is synonymous to opulent, first rate and quality entertainment.

For one, the owners do not scrimp on their budget and costumes. And the costumes are visual delights. "We don’t want to shortchange our patrons. We always try our best to give them what they deserve. It is a commitment and we are not reneging on that," says Pocholo Malilin, vice president and administrator.

Club Mwah’s latest presentation entitled Bedazzled 6 is a testament to the commitment the owners promise to its costumers. Bedazzled 6 presents new numbers plus a reprise of the Cell Block Tango dance sequence from the musical Chicago. Club Mwah’s president Cris Nicolas does the dirty dancing – the gigolo part in Bedazzled 6.

Madonna’s Vogue is being given a Thai choreography with a golden temple as background set. It also uses exotic Thai costumes. "These are all imported from Thailand. The silk, the necklace, everything," says Pocholo. Pocholo adds that the materials used in the golden costumes and Bangkok temples in the background were all imported from Thailand.

The African tribal dance on the other hand, is hip and contemporary with luminous spider web converted into a wall with tumbling, scaling jazz dancers garbed in golden ethnic get-ups, headdresses and cannibal sticks to boot. The stage is transformed into an African meadow complete with colorful ostriches. Another number, Follies de Mwah brings the audience to Seoul, South Korea with its Sakura Flower Festival theme.

The Goldfinger number (made famous by Shirley Bassey in the James Bond movie Goldfinger with Sean Connery playing Mr. Bond), showcases beautiful damsels in black gowns gliding on the ramp. It is reminiscent of the temptresses in the movie. Other head turning numbers are Bedazzled 6’s version of Miss Saigon complete with a helicopter in mid- air and some GIs and I Am What I Aam with its gender-bending dancers in doble-cara get-ups.

Club Mwah continues to live up to its reputation as an upscale entertainment venue and party place. It is also a favorite place for launching new products and services. Lately, it has become a TV (taping) and movie venue. The Dept. of Tourism has also accredited Club Mwah as a must-see place for tourists. Club Mwah is a recipient of three international awards. And it does not stop to enthrall Metro Manila’s bar crowd.

For details, call 532-2826 or visit www.clubmwah.com