Pearls Daily (born Brianna Hurley) is an American actress, dancer, burlesque artist, filmmaker, and model. She has credits in theatre, film, television, and commercials.
Pearls Daily | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Brianna Hurley |
| Other names | Brianna Woo |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, dancer, burlesque artist, filmmaker, model |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Website | pearlsdaily |
Daily began her career under the name Brianna Hurley, and made one of her earliest professional appearances as part of the Disney Cruise Line, in the role of Snow White with The Golden Mickeys. She was a member of the 20th cast on Disney Magic from 2006 to 2007. [1] This was Daily's professional debut, having studied at the American Musical and Dramatics Academy 2005–06, as part of the Integrated Musical Theater Program. Her past education also includes classes at the New England Ballet Company, The New York School of Burlesque, The Pearl Theatre Company, and studies in acting, sketch comedy, and Spolin technique with such instructors as Hal Peller, Gary Austin, Jacqueline and Kerry Donelli, and Conn Horgan. [2]
Following a run with Teatro Jacó in Costa Rica, [3] Daily made a move from Ensemble to a leading role of Mina "Margery" Crandon in the Teller-directed Todd Robbins production Play Dead. [4] [5] [6] [7] She played the role as part of the cast of the Geffen Playhouse production of the show. [8]
Daily has a number of credits in reimagined stagings of Shakespeare plays with TP&co, including: Much Ado About Nothing , [9] Macbeth , [10] A Midsummer Night's Dream , [11] The Taming of the Shrew , [12] and The Two Gentlemen of Verona . [13]
In 2015, Brianna Hurley officially began performing as Pearls Daily, the name by which she is best known, though she still receives occasional credits as Hurley. [2] [14]
Daily has been on the Production Team of the New York Burlesque Festival as Volunteer Coordinator since 2016, in addition to performing as part of the event. She is a member of Perle Noire's House of Noire, which won "Best Large Group" at The Burlesque Hall of Fame in 2017. [15] [16] The same year, she also performed in Filthy Gorgeous Burlesque with the dance company, an event highlighted in Time Out magazine. [17] [18] Also in 2017, Daily made an appearance on the award-winning television series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel , in the role of Maxine. [19] [20] In line with her burlesque career, Daily was crowned Miss Coney Island in 2019. [16] [21] As Miss Coney Island 2019, Daily was also featured in the 37th Annual Mermaid Parade on Coney Island, and appeared on Manhattan Neighborhood Network for an hour-long interview entitled "Imagining Pearls of Burlesque" on The Radical Imagination. [22] [23] That same year, she had a featured role in I’m Not a Comedian…I’m Lenny Bruce , directed by Joe Mantegna. [24] [25]
Daily played the title role in Minky Woodcock: The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini, an immersive theater production which brought the comics of Cynthia von Buhler to life. [26] [21] [27] Buhler's character of Minky was visually modeled after Daily. [28] [29] Though most of the graphic novel is illustrated, Daily was featured on Cover No. 4 of the first Minky Woodcock comic, and she is the only individual to have portrayed a live-action depiction of the character. [30] [31] Daily was interviewed alongside Buhler and Hard Case Crime founder Charles Ardai at New York Comic Con in 2018. [32]
The success of the first release resulted in a second publication of the series, Minky Woodcock: The Girl Who Electrified Tesla, [33] which also featured Daily on the photographic cover. [34] [20] Daily previously worked with Buhler in the interactive Speakeasy Dollhouse show, Ziegfeld's Midnight Frolic. [35]
Daily was in the cast of the 2020 Hey, It's Me, an Emmy-nominated sci-fi short film which is currently streaming on Dust. [36]
Daily has played various characters in films since 2008, but ventured behind the camera to supplement her role in front of it as the Director and Producer of Briar, a horror/thriller film surrounding the character of Briar Hughes, a filmmaker with serial killer tendencies played by Daily herself. [37] [38] [39] Her husband, cinematographer Arthur Woo, handled the lighting, camera, and coloring for the film. [37] [39] Briar was presented as part of the Awesome Con Short Film Festival in 2021 by Astray Productions. [40] Briar was selected to appear at international film festivals, including The French Riviera Film Festival and the Coney Island Film Festival, and won awards for "Best Thriller", "Best Experimental Film", "Best Actress" and "Best Cinematography". [41] Daily continues her work as a producer, most recently with the release of the film Layers in 2022. [42]
Of her acting persona, Daily has said "I am here to change your mind about the girl next door. Inspired by the great actors of the silver screen, I am here to create characters that are not afraid to get dirty, play dirty and have impact. I am the unexpected leading lady". [2]
Other on-screen appearances include commercials for Pepsi, Olay, Canon, Bergdorf Goodman, and Nat Nast, in addition to modeling spots in such publications as Moped Magazine, The Rev Magazine, Titan Comics, and EM Magazine. [2] [43]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2007 | The Golden Mickeys | Snow White | The Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruiseline |
| 2011 | Magnolia Day | Marie | Heather Lanza, New York, NY |
| 2012 | A Christmas Carol | Ghost of Christmas Past | Teatro Jaco, Costa Rica |
| 2012 | Hollow | Lady Von Tassel | Be Bold Productions, NY |
| 2012 | Alice in Wonderland | Alice | Literally Alive, The Players Theater |
| 2012 | Adapting | A543000 | Heather Lanza, New York, NY |
| 2012 | Are you there Ann-Margret? It's Me! | Fantasy Ann-Margret/Ensemble | The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater, New York, NY [44] |
| 2013 | The Laundry War | The Girlfriend | Steve & Marie Sgouros Theatre |
| 2013 | Much Ado About Nothing | Beatrice | TP & Co, New York, NY |
| 2013 | Play Dead | Mina "Margery" Crandon | Teller, New York, NY |
| 2014 | Macbeth | Lady MacDuff/Witch | TP & Co, New York, NY |
| 2015 | For Madmen Only | Stevie | Chris Fink, Stage 48 |
| 2015 | Ziegfelds Midnight Frolic | Martha Mansfield | The Liberty Theater [35] |
| 2015 | Twelfth Night | Maria | TP & Co, New York, NY |
| 2016 | The Life + Death of Kenyon Phillips: Songs of Addiction | The Evil Nun | Cady Huffman, The Box |
| 2018 | The Illuminati Ball | Weird Sister/Dancer | Speakeasy Dollhouse, The Weylin |
| 2018 | Lady L’Amours Final Bow | Cheryl | Chad Austin, Duane Park |
| 2019 | I’m Not a Comedian…I’m Lenny Bruce | Self | The Box [25] |
| 2019 | Minky Woodcock: The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini | Minky Woodcock | Speakeasy Dollhouse, Theater 80 |
| 2022 | The Last Goddess | Ava | Anthony Augello |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2008 | Dying in the name of | Angel of Death | Greg Lemaire, New York, NY |
| 2012 | Shadows of Life | Meg | Anthony Laura, New York, NY |
| 2015 | Hide the Sausage | Tallulah | Trajectory Films [45] |
| 2015 | The Pact | Martha Mansfield | Cynthia Von Buhler, Speakeasy Dollhouse, New York, NY [46] |
| 2019 | Trust is a Flower | Sharon | Alexandra Warrick, New York, NY [47] [48] |
| 2019 | Silent Partners | Layla | Jokes Yanes, Miami, FL |
| 2020 | Return Haunted | Apple | Rob Gabe [49] |
| 2020 | Checkmate | Violet | Waleed Sokkar, New York, NY [50] |
| 2020 | Briar | Briar Hughes | Self-Directed, New York, NY (as Brianna Woo) [40] [51] |
| 2020 | Hey, It's Me | Zola | Courtney & Mark Sposato, New York, NY [52] |
| 2021 | I’m Losing You | Mom | Houndstooth Studios [53] |
| 2021 | Valerie | Lilith | Christin St. John, New York, NY |
| 2021 | Bad P.I. | Erica the Bartender | Coren Rhodes, New York, NY |
| 2022 | Layers | Producer |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | Pan Am | Parisian Nightclub Dancer | Christopher Misiano, New York, NY |
| 2014 | Royal Pains | Burlesque Dancer | Charles McClelland, New York, NY |
| 2016 | The Story of Us | Hairdresser | Richard Somes, New York, NY |
| 2017 | The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel | Maxine | Amy Sherman-Palladino, New York, NY [19] |
| 2019 | Stripped | Teddy | Stephanie Michelle Bonner, New York, NY |
| 2022 | FBI | Stripper | Alex Zakrzewski/CBS, New York, NY |
Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint.
David Lawrence Geffen is an American business magnate, producer and film studio executive. He co-created Asylum Records in 1971 with Elliot Roberts, Geffen Records in 1980, DGC Records in 1990, and DreamWorks SKG in 1994.
Elizabeth Lee McGovern is a British-American actress. She has received many awards, including a Screen Actors Guild Award, three Golden Globe Award nominations, and one Academy Award nomination.
Donald Margulies is an American playwright and academic. In 2000, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Dinner with Friends.
Daisy and Violet Hilton were English-born entertainers, who were conjoined twins. They were exhibited in Europe as children, and toured the United States sideshow, vaudeville and American burlesque circuits in the 1920s and 1930s. They were best known for their film appearances in Freaks and the biographic Chained for Life (1951).
The Night They Raided Minsky's is a 1968 American musical comedy film written and produced by Norman Lear, with music and lyrics by the duo of Charles Strouse and Lee Adams, and directed by William Friedkin. Based on a 1960 novel by Rowland Barber, the film is a fictional account of the invention of the striptease at Minsky's Burlesque in 1925. It stars Jason Robards, Britt Ekland, Norman Wisdom, Forrest Tucker, Harry Andrews, Denholm Elliott, Elliott Gould and Bert Lahr.
Cynthia von Buhler is an American artist, author, playwright, performer, and producer.
The New Victory Theater is a theater at 209 West 42nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, near Times Square. Built in 1900 as the Republic Theatre, it was designed by Albert Westover and developed by Oscar Hammerstein I as a Broadway theater. The theater has been known by several names over the years, including the Belasco Theatre, Minsky's Burlesque, and the Victory Theatre. The theater is owned by the city and state governments of New York and leased to nonprofit New 42nd Street, which has operated the venue as a children's theater since 1995. The New Victory presents theater shows, dance shows, puppet shows, and other types of performance art shows from all around the world.
Wilhelmina Beatrice "Bess" Houdini was an American stage assistant and wife of Harry Houdini.
Jennie Elizabeth Eisenhower is an American actress, director, and realtor. She has performed in theater productions Off-Broadway and in regional theatre, being nominated for seven Barrymore Awards and winning two of them. She has played minor roles in several feature films. She is a great-granddaughter of Dwight D. Eisenhower and granddaughter of Richard Nixon, both presidents of the United States.
Joseph Morris Weber was an American vaudeville performer who, along with Lew Fields, formed the comedy double-act of Weber and Fields.
Play Dead is a 2010 Off-Broadway show co-written by magicians Todd Robbins and Teller, the latter best known as the non-speaking half of the illusionist duo Penn & Teller. The show also features Charlotte Pines as Margery Crandon, Geri Berman as Eusapia Palladino, Don Meehan as Albert Fish, and Drea Lorraine as Phantoms.
Elizabeth Jane Hurley is an English actress and model.
American burlesque is a genre of variety show derived from elements of Victorian burlesque, music hall, and minstrel shows. Burlesque became popular in the United States in the late 1860s and slowly evolved to feature ribald comedy and female nudity. By the late 1920s, the striptease element overshadowed the comedy and subjected burlesque to extensive local legislation. Burlesque gradually lost popularity beginning in the 1940s. A number of producers sought to capitalize on nostalgia for the entertainment by recreating burlesque on the stage and in Hollywood films from the 1930s to the 1960s. There has been a resurgence of interest in this format since the 1990s.
Gladys Leslie Moore was an American actress in silent film, active in the 1910s and 1920s. Though less-remembered than superstars like Mary Pickford, she had a number of starring roles from 1917 to the early 1920s and was one of the young female stars of her day.
The Empire Theatre is a former Broadway theater at 234 West 42nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1912, the theater was designed by Thomas W. Lamb for the Hungarian-born impresario A. H. Woods. It was originally named for female impersonator Julian Eltinge, a performer with whom Woods was associated. In 1998, the building was relocated 168 feet (51 m) west of its original location to serve as the entrance to the AMC Empire 25, a multiplex operated by AMC Theatres, which opened in April 2000.
L. Lawrence Weber was an American sports promoter, stage show producer and theater manager. He was active in arranging vaudeville shows, legitimate theater and films. He once tried to bypass laws against importing a boxing film to the US by projecting it on a screen just across the border in Canada and filming the screening from the USA side.
Village East by Angelika is a movie theater at 189 Second Avenue, on the corner with 12th Street, in the East Village of Manhattan in New York City. Part of the former Yiddish Theatre District, the theater was designed in the Moorish Revival style by Harrison Wiseman and built from 1925 to 1926 by Louis Jaffe. In addition to Yiddish theatre, the theater has hosted off-Broadway shows, burlesque, and movies. Since 1991, it has been operated by Angelika Film Center as a seven-screen multiplex. Both the exterior and interior of the theater are New York City designated landmarks, and the theater is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Shore Theater is a former theater in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. The seven-story neo-Renaissance Revival building, with office space as well as a theater, is located at the intersection of Surf and Stillwell Avenues, across from Nathan's Famous and the Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue station. Completed in 1925, it was one of several structures that was intended to boost the development of Coney Island as a year-round entertainment destination. After being abandoned in the 1970s, it stood unused for several years before being redeveloped into a hotel in the late 2010s; however, as of 2022, the building is still closed and undergoing construction.
Minky Woodcock is fictional comic book crime series created by writer-artist Cynthia von Buhler. The title character is a private detective who has appeared in two limited series published by Titan Books' Hard Case Crime imprint and a theatrical show. The storylines feature sizeable appearances from historical figures such as Harry Houdini, Arthur Conan Doyle, Nikola Tesla and Josephine Baker.