Sunny Thompson's portrayal of the ill-fated sex-symbol Marilyn Monroe in the show Marilyn: Forever Blonde playing at The Joy Theater today and tomorrow is truly stunning. Thompson takes the audience into the 1960s where Monroe is doing a photoshoot in a chic all white and chrome apartment and tells them her life story. She does not shy away from the unbecoming details of her career; she is completely truthful about the men and women she was intimate with simply to advance her career while she was often broke and desperate. Thompson as Monroe describes using Monroe's beautiful, bubbly, and sometimes child-like personality her big break into stardom, the whirlwind of fame and romance, and the loneness and dissatisfaction that also haunted her. She explains her love of calling people on the telephone; how talking to powerful, famous men excited her and occupied her time. Marilyn Monroe died with her phone in her hand.
This show is not some short summary of Monroe's life; it lasts for two hours that still seem to fly by as you get lost in the story. It is a one-woman show; however, the inclusion of voice-over quotes and background pictures of her friends and lovers adds characters to the show.
You can see my interview with actress Sunny Thompson below.
