While I was familiar with the story of Joseph Merrick, a man known for his extreme deformity in 19th-century London, I never had the opportunity to see the David Lynch film or Bernard Pomerance play about his life. I was able to to cross one of the versions off my list as I sat in the audience at the opening night of “The Elephant Man” at the Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck. The play follows Merrick as he goes from working at a freak show (complete with strong man, bearded lady and “pinheads”) to living out the rest of his life at London Hospital after being discovered by a surgeon, Frederick Treves. The highlight of the show is Michael J. Frohnhoefer’s performance as Merrick. As is customary with this play, Frohnhoefer wears no prosthetic makeup (neither did actors such as Mark Hamill and David Bowie in previous productions). Instead, he contorts his body throughout the two-hour run time to convey Merrick’s deformities.Frohnhoefer’s skill in this regard is demonstrated in one of the play’s early scenes. In it, Treves, played wonderfully by Thomas L. Webb (who also impressed me in the Center’s production of “Doubt” in October 2012), delivers a lecture describing Merrick’s condition. A picture of the real Merrick hangs behind them, allowing the audience to truly see why he was known as “The Elephant Man.” As Treves discusses each part of Merrick’s deformity, Frohnhoefer transforms that portion of his body. He tilts his head, curves his mouth, holds up his arm, hunches down, twists his feet and grabs a cane with his one good hand. The actor becomes Merrick before our eyes, no makeup necessary. Frohnhoefer also has great timing for both drama and comedy. As freak show manager Ross (played by Johnny Dell) kicks Merrick out of the show and steals his savings, Frohnhoefer limps after him, crying and lost. Needless to say, it’s an incredibly sad scene. Later, as Merrick is meeting new people at the hospital, he cracks jokes that elicit a full laugh from the audience every time. And later, during a dream sequence, keep an eye out for Frohnhoefer’s take on a Merrick without deformities. They could be mistaken as different characters played by different actors, which is a testament to Frohnhoefer’s craft. The entire cast demonstrates how their characters are reflected in Merrick, despite his appearance. From matter-of-fact hospital administrator Dr. Carr-Gomm (John Adair) to Madge Kendal (Deborah Coconis), an actress hired to converse with Merrick, they all see a bit of themselves in “The Elephant Man.” I’m sure that by the time the curtain falls, the members of the audience feel the same way. “The Elephant Man” is playing at the Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck Jan. 18 to 20 at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 3 p.m., Sunday. Tickets: $22 adults, $20 seniors. Call 845-876-3080 or go to www.centerforperformingarts.org.
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Greg Fricke and James Boehmer, co-owners of Peggy Mercury in Kent, recently launched their first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts.”
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Fricke and Boehmer are not there to stock their shelves with the same products customers find at standard makeup retailers. They’re there to help customers find what works for them. That usually means asking customers about themselves and learning about their beauty habits, skin, style and the way they like to present themselves. Fricke and Boehmer believe it’s their job to help customers bring out the qualities that suit them and determine what works best for their look.
So much of the Peggy Mercury world is about emboldening people to become more creative, and possibly bolder, versions of themselves. Some of this comes through the store’s creative collaborations with artists, designers and stylists.
It’s part of an ethos that encourages them and their friends to use the shop as a kind of laboratory, trying out new creative experiments without knowing how they might turn out. Whether in fashion, painting, fiber arts or photography, the projects almost always turn out marvelously.
A line of sterling silver charms they sell started as a small project by their friend Nolan Percival. In the beginning, the pieces were for close friends and loved ones. But Boehmer and Fricke encouraged Percival to get a little more serious about the project and create a whole line for the store. Today, it’s one of their top-selling collections.
Classic styles, bold colors, and creative concerts make up the “Imaginary Concerts” line at Peggy Mercury.Provided
“Imaginary Concerts” has the duo taking their own advice.
The project started as a way for Boehmer to connect with his mother, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Taking old concert shirts from his own collection, Boehmer and his mother began cutting out the graphics with the idea that they would make a quilt together. Unfortunately, she died before they could complete the project in 2025. The pieces, which were ready for production, were put on the back burner as Boehmer and Fricke dealt with their loss and the whirlwind of projects that never seemed to cease at Peggy Mercury.
But the harsh winter of 2026 presented an opportunity to take some time and focus on themselves. Part of that meant revisiting and redefining the concert T-shirt project. This time, instead of looking to the warmth and comfort of a quilt, they turned to another passion — fashion.
Taking a page from their own book, they wanted to create something that felt comfortable to them. They took two disparate loves — one rooted in simple preppy style, with clean lines and classic silhouettes, and the other in the nitty gritty worlds of punk rock and pop — and blended them together to create something entirely new. Pulling from the staples of vintage Brooks Brothers and Charvet collections, they applied the graphic elements with bold stitching reminiscent of punk jackets of the ‘70s and ‘80s, but with a much more sophisticated air.
But the remixing isn’t just the pairing of prep and punk. The pieces are not canon. They take liberties with the realities of concert tours, combining one band’s dates with another band’s logos, mixing them all up until the reality is lost and imagination is the only truth.
Shirts from Peggy Mercury’s first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts,” hang on display.Provided
Adding to the mix is an element of perpetual creativity. Art can be messy, both figuratively and literally, and many of Fricke and Boehmer’s artist friends carry evidence of their work on them at all times. As a nod to these tireless creatives, the duo added haphazard splashes of bright color, giving the line an even more distinctive feel.
For them, “Imaginary Concerts” passes the “Peggy Test.” The mythical Peggy Mercury is a fictional figurehead for the company, a character who thrives on creativity and change. The name, much like the clothing line, is a mixture of interests: Mercury is a planet, a deity and an elusive, transformative element, while Peggy is the wonderfully stylish and boundary-pushing Peggy Guggenheim.
Everything Fricke and Boehmer put in their store has to pass this test: Would Peggy Mercury approve? For their first collection, the answer is a resounding yes.
Peggy Mercury is at 9 Maple St., Unit 2, Kent.
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