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A NEW MUSICAL EXPLORING THE HUMAN SIDE OF THE PORN INDUSTRY

Inspired by a tradition of classic musicals about show business, Pretty Filthy is the untold showbiz musical, based on interviews with adult entertainers. Armed with their notepads and recorders, The Civilians crossed the mountain range that divides Hollywood from the "other Hollywood"—the San Fernando Valley, world capital of porn. The artists conducted interviews and visited sets to get an insider's glimpse into a world that is far more than the sum of its (very) visible parts. The Civilians' time in the Valley captured a singular time in our culture; this digital era that's radically transformed the business of sex. Pretty Filthy is ultimately a story about trying to make a life and a living in an ever-changing world—a task that's all the more complicated when your work is so intimately tied to customer "satisfaction."

NEWS & REVIEWS

On the Culture Front with Pretty Filthy

February 20, 2015 – Huffington Post
"At the Abrons Arts Center in a fully-realized production helmed by artistic director Steve Cosson, [the songs] burst to life." "I wouldn't be surprised if 'Pretty Filthy' turns out to be one of the best musicals of 2015."
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Think a Musical Can't Be Sexy? Think Again.

February 17, 2015 – Classicalite
Pretty Filthy, the new off-Broadway production, focuses on the "other Hollywood," the porn industry, and is sure to change your opinion on musical eroticism.
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NYTimes In Performance | Luba Mason

February 16, 2015 – The New York Times
Ms. Mason sings "Beautiful" from "Pretty Filthy," a musical about the porn industry, accompanied by the composer Michael Friedman on piano.
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Interview with Steve Rosen and Alyse Alan Louis and Review by David Cote

February 14, 2015 – NY1
Energetic, funny, and daring without being prurient, "Pretty Filthy" is not exactly wholesome stuff, but its tales of dreams and disillusionment is all-american.
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How the Sausage Gets Laid

February 14, 2015 – Vice
Unless you have an erotic fixation with jazz hands...this might make a musical about porn sound like a terrible idea, two great tastes that just don't go well together, like semen and Starbucks.
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Drawing Out an Excellent Portrait of a Controversial Business

February 12, 2015 – Flavorpill
"The Civilians musical, for all its 'filth,' is the most accessible, accurate, and informative portrayal of pornography."
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The Civilians Uncover the Craft and Humanity of Porn in ‘Pretty Filthy’

February 11, 2015 – American Theatre
Director Steve Cosson explains how his troupe’s new show fits into a tradition of backstage musicals—and not just because of the crescendos and climaxes.
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Fun From Porn Centric Off-Broadway Show

February 8, 2015 – AM New York
"Treats the subject with humor, keen insight and affection." The Civilians' "aesthetic is a refreshing alternative to standard forms of theater."
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A Musical Take on the Porn Industry

February 8, 2015 – The Lo-Down
A "big, jolly, laugh out loud Broadway style musical." "I don't think I've ever seen a more human look into the 'adult entertainment' industry." "Smoothly directed…lively book…sharp lyrics."
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You May Never Look at Porn the Same Way Again.

February 8, 2015 – TheaterMania
"If you're able to set aside prudishness for 90 minutes, you're in for a rare treat." "Fascinating and eye-opening."
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Some Seriously Good, Clean Fun.

February 8, 2015 – Variety
"Deliciously funny and surprisingly sensitive musical." "Both entertaining and enlightening about the industry." "Bravo to The Civilians for catching the last breath of a dying industry."
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Four Star Critics' Pick!

February 8, 2015 – Time Out New York
"The Civilians' wry and racy quasidocumentary-cum-musical about the porn biz." "Irony-laced show tunes that transcend pastiche, replete with cunning linguistic turns." A "versatile cast."
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A surprisingly wholesome musical about the porn industry

February 8, 2015 – New York Post
"Winningly guileless — almost downright innocent. It's also frequently hilarious."
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The Hardbitten Sex Business Laid Bare

February 8, 2015 – The New York Times
A "pretty funny...and, yes, pretty dirty show" performed by a "thoroughly winning cast."
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EXCLUSIVE: Photos From The Civilian's Porn Musical

February 4, 2015 – TheaterMania
A first peek at scenes from the much-talked-about new musical, Pretty Filthy.
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Pretty Filthy's place in the Approval Matrix

January 25, 2015 – New York Magazine
In NY Mag's deliberately oversimplified guide to who falls where on their taste hierarchies, Pretty Filthy scored a place amidst "Doctor Who," Keith Haring, and Björk.
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One of America's most inquisitive and controversial theater companies.

January 23, 2015 – TheaterMania
The Civilians explore everything from Disney's geese to California's porn.
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'Pretty Filthy,' Musically Speaking

January 21, 2015 – New York Times
The Civilians take on the porn-star life in a show at Abrons Arts Center. Think "Kiss Me, Kate," with an X-rated verb replacing that smooch.
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Porn Stars Love Wicked...and Other Things We Learned

January 9, 2015 – TheaterMania
From "The Brady Bunch" to Cetaphil, the Civilians share what they learned about the porn industry while researching their musical.
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Pretty Filthy tops the Winter Preview

November 17, 2014 – The New Yorker
The Civilians make charmingly straightforward musical theatre.
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