The Lost World Of Industrial Musicals

7:30pm - Sunday, Jul 17, 2016

The Lost World Of Industrial Musicals

Get ready for the mutant offspring of Broadway and business! For decades, corporations commissioned “industrial musicals” — original shows about selling bathtubs, tractors, gasoline, and everything else — only for insiders at conventions and sales meetings. Industrials expert Steve Young, a former write for both David Letterman and “The Simpsons", screens some of the most twisted examples ever committed to film, from Kellogg’s, Citgo, American-Standard, and more — and no, you won’t find any of this on YouTube!

"The Bathrooms Are Coming"? "Diesel Dazzle"? "Got to Investigate Silicones"? When Letterman writer Steve Young began finding obscure corporate musicals while gathering albums for the "Dave's Record Collection" segment, he had no idea of the journey he was beginning. Now, twenty years and one book later, Steve is the world's authority on the bizarrely entertaining shows created for company conventions and sales meetings from the 1950’s to the 1980’s. He's been a guest on NPR's "Fresh Air" and Dave Letterman's "Late Show," he does presentations at conventions and festivals, and he loves to screen ultra-rare films from his collection. Thrill to in-house musical propaganda from General Electric, Kellogg’s, Citgo, American-Standard, Purina, and more, with Steve’s informative and hilarious commentary. It’s a secret world of Americana that will astonish, amuse, perplex—and make you want to get out there and sell something!

Sunday, July 17
Doors 7pm | Show 7:30pm
Tickets $12 in advance www.riotheatretickets.ca / $15 door
*19+ only for entry and bar service
**Sorry, no Groupons or passes accepted for this event.

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