Eastern State Penitentiary's Bastille Day Celebration in Philadelphia Features Free Theatrical Performance as Thousands of Tastykakes Fly From the Prison's Towers

-- The Bearded Ladies bring the spirit of revolution to Eastern State's Bastille Day celebration --

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Jul 07, 2015, 08:35 ET

PHILADELPHIA, July 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Eastern State Penitentiary is teaming up with The Bearded Ladies, an experimental cabaret troupe, to present the French Revolution in a spectacle of song, dance, and beheading for the penitentiary's annual Bastille Day festival, to be held Saturday, July 11, 2015.

Eastern State Penitentiary's Bastille Day celebration in Philadelphia features free theatrical performance by The Bearded Ladies as thousands of Tastykakes fly from the prison's towers. Photo: Daryl Moran

This playful reenactment of the storming of Bastille, will be emceed by the voice of Paris herself, Edith Piaf (portrayed by John Jarboe, Artistic Director of The Bearded Ladies), and will include appearances by Napoleon, Joan of Arc, Benjamin Franklin, and a six-feet-tall French Baguette. The performance will tackle education, the departure of Mayor Nutter, the arrival of the Pope, and other recent Philadelphia phenomena, and it will feature confetti cannons, stilt walkers, a cardboard horse, and a catwalk so long it divides the whole of Fairmount Avenue.

The performance will begin at 5:30 p.m. in front of Eastern State Penitentiary on Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia, PA, and will culminate in a playful reenactment of the storming of the Bastille. Dozens of French revolutionaries will storm the grim walls of "the Bastille" (Eastern State Penitentiary), will capture Marie Antoinette (portrayed by Terry McNally, co-owner of London Grill and Paris Wine Bar) and, ignoring her mocking cries of "Let them eat Tastykake!" will drag her to a real, functioning guillotine as more than 2,000 Tastykakes are flung from the prison's towers.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, the public can visit easternstate.org/bastille.

Following the beheading, local Fairmount restaurants will come alive with French-themed entertainment as well as food and drink specials, and the penitentiary will reopen for rare twilight tours. Twilight tour admission is $8 online, or $10 at the door. Not recommended for children under the age of seven.

Bastille Day is presented by Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, written and performed by the Bearded Ladies Cabaret, and sponsored by Tastykake and Kronenbourg 1664.

About the Bearded Ladies
Bearded Ladies Cabaret is a troupe of artists who insist that art can be both intellectual and accessible, entertaining and meaningful, stupid good and just plain stupid. They fuse cabaret and theater to tackle the politics of gender, identity, and artistic invention with sparkle and wit. Bearded Ladies are always live, always smart, and never quite what you expect. Bearded Ladies are currently the cabaret company in residence at The Wilma Theater. Shows include ANDY: A Popera, Bitter Homes and Gardens, No Regrets: A Piaf Affair, Wide Awake: A Civil War Cabaret, Beards Are For Shaving: A 007 Cabaret, and Marlene and the Machine.

About Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, but stands today in ruin, a haunting world of crumbling cellblocks and empty guard towers. Known for its grand architecture and strict discipline, this was the world's first true "penitentiary," a prison designed to inspire penitence, or true regret, in the hearts of convicts. Its vaulted, sky-lit cells once held many of America's most notorious criminals, including bank robber "Slick Willie" Sutton and Al Capone.

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is located at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia, PA, just five blocks from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The penitentiary is open seven days a week, year round. Admission is $14 for adults, $12 for seniors, and $10 for students and children ages 7-12. (Not recommended for children under the age of seven.) Tickets are available online at easternstate.org or at the door, subject to availability. Admission includes "The Voices of Eastern State" Audio Tour, narrated by actor Steve Buscemi; Hands-On History interactive experiences; history exhibits; and a critically acclaimed series of artist installations.

For more information and schedules, the public should call (215) 236-3300 or visit www.easternstate.org.

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SOURCE Eastern State Penitentiary