The Flapper
A new musical
The untold story behind Hollywood'S FIRST scandal
The Flapper - the true and untold story behind Hollywood’s first scandal - the meteoric rise and mysterious death of silent-film star Olive Thomas. Set in 1914 - 1920 and framed through the fractured memory of her husband, Jack Pickford, the show unfolds like a cinematic fever dream: from Ziegfeld’s rooftops and early Hollywood to Parisian headlines, through love, betrayal, and legacy. With a knockout period score and a devastatingly human core, The Flapper is Chicago meets Hadestown, told at the speed of Jersey Boys - a haunted, glittering, female-driven stunner built for bold staging and breakout performances.
Olive was America’s first It Girl. This is the musical that finally lets her speak.
Meet the writer
The Flapper: book, lyrics, and music by David Mauk
David Mauk is a musical theatre writer, composer, and performer based in Las Vegas. His work includes the musical The Time Machine, which premiered at the New York Musical Festival in 2017, and his current project The Flapper. David studied musical theatre writing under Tony-winning Broadway producer Ken Davenport and was a member of Davenport’s Inner Circle program. In addition to theatre, David has composed large-scale narrative scores for major international museum exhibitions, including Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs and Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs, presented worldwide. He has performed professionally on the Las Vegas Strip for over two decades and continues to develop new musical theatre work.
