Before “The Crown”: Dramatizing Britain’s Monarchs on TV and Film

Long before The Crown, filmmakers have been taking us into the lives of British royals. From the legendary Arthur and his Round Table, past the Plantagenets, through the Tudors, right up to the Windsors of today, kings and queens have come back to life thanks to great actors giving memorable performances.

John Kenrick pulls back the curtain on a legacy that includes Camelot, Becket, The Private Life of Henry VIII, Elizabeth R, Edward & Mrs. Simpson, The King’s Speech and The Queen – to name a few! This event will take place in the Library’s meeting room (where coffee & tea will be available) as well as live on Zoom. For the Zoom code, please email marylynn.becza@mmt.mainlib.org 

So join us for a cuppa – or if Zooming in from home, perhaps one of the Queen Mother’s favorite cocktails? – as we anticipate this November’s premiere of The Crown’s long awaited fifth season.

Our presenter: Entertainment historian John Kenrick has worked in the theatre at every level from amateur to Broadway, eventually serving as personal assistant to 6 Tony Award winning producers, including the team behind the original production of Rent. He has taught musical theatre history courses at NYU, The New School, and Philadelphia’s University of the Arts. John’s books include Musical Theatre: A History, and he is featured in The Cambridge Companion to Operetta. He is the creator of the educational website Musicals101.com. One of his students put it this way: “He didn’t just make me laugh – he made me care.”