Champagne Charlie tells the history of champagne and the thrilling tale of how the go-to celebratory drink of our time made its way to the United States, thanks to the controversial figure of Charles "Champagne Charlie" Heidsieck.

Champagne Charlie tells the story of a dashing young Frenchman, Charles Heidsieck, who introduced hard-drinking Americans to champagne in the mid-nineteenth century and became famously known as Champagne Charlie. Ignoring critics who warned that America was a dangerous place to do business, Heidsieck plunged right in, considering it “the land of opportunity” and succeeding there beyond his wildest dreams. Those dreams, however, became a nightmare when the Civil War erupted and he was imprisoned and nearly executed after being charged with spying for the Confederacy. Only after the Lincoln administration intervened was Heidsieck’s life saved, but his champagne business had gone bankrupt and was virtually dead. Then, miraculously, Heidsieck became owner of nearly half the city of Denver, the fastest-growing city in the West. By selling the land, Heidsieck was eventually able to resurrect his business to its former glory. For all its current-day glamour, effervescence, and association with the high life, champagne had a lackluster start. It was pale red in color, insipid in taste, and completely flat. In fact, champagne-makers, including the legendary Dom Pérignon, fought strenuously to eliminate bubbles. Champagne’s success can be traced back to King Louis XV and his mistress Madame de Pompadour, Napoleon Bonaparte, countless wars and prohibitions, and, most important to the United States, Charles Heidsieck. Champagne Charlie tells the history of champagne and the thrilling tale of how the go-to celebratory drink of our time made its way to the United States, thanks to the controversial figure of Heidsieck.

In this rich, imaginative survey of variety musical theater, Gillian M. Rodger masterfully chronicles the social history and class dynamics of the robust, nineteenth-century American theatrical phenomenon that gave way to twentieth-century entertainment forms such as vaudeville and comedy on radio and television. Fresh, bawdy, and unabashedly aimed at the working class, variety honed in on its audience's fascinations, emerging in the 1840s as a vehicle to accentuate class divisions and stoke curiosity about gender and sexuality. Cross-dressing acts were a regular feature of these entertainments, and Rodger profiles key male impersonators Annie Hindle and Ella Wesner while examining how both gender and sexuality gave shape to variety. By the last two decades of the nineteenth century, variety theater developed into a platform for ideas about race and whiteness. As some in the working class moved up into the middling classes, they took their affinity for variety with them, transforming and broadening middle-class values. Champagne Charlie and Pretty Jemima places the saloon keepers, managers, male impersonators, minstrels, acrobats, singers, and dancers of the variety era within economic and social contexts by examining the business models of variety shows and their primarily white, working-class urban audiences. Rodger traces the transformation of variety from sexualized entertainment to more family-friendly fare, a domestication that mirrored efforts to regulate the industry, as well as the adoption of aspects of middle-class culture and values by the shows' performers, managers, and consumers.

THE STORY: It's a very special day at the racetrack, where Champagne Charlie, a race-track regular, has had a race named in his honor. A dreamer and teller of tall tales, Charlie is accompanied by his wife of fifty-three years, Mary Lee, an incur

Charlie Magri is one of the most popular boxers ever to have stepped into the ring. The exuberance and energy of the former WBC Flyweight Champion earned him a core of dedicated fans and, throughout his career, his determination and his ability to overcome adversity inspired all those who watched him. At last, one of boxing's most deserving legends has decided to tell all about his amazing life in this, his own true story. As a young boy Magri's exceptional promise as a boxer became apparent when he fought for Stepney's Arbour Youth Club. His impressive start as a Junior ABA Champion earned Charlie a reputation and, when he became a fully fledged senior fighter, he experienced what he describes as the best two years of his life. In 1974, he was unbeaten domestically, he won the ABA and then he took home the silver medal in the European Under-21 Championships. These victories cemented his determination to remain a winner. It was only a matter of time before Magri turned professional and, with legendary manager Terry Lawless as his mentor, he went on to become the British Flyweight Champion. Having secured the European crown, Magri set his sights on conquering the world. In March 1983, he entered the ring at Wembley and defeated Eleoncio Mercedes inside seven rounds to become the WBC World Flyweight Champion...and the legend of 'Champagne Charlie' was born. In this exciting and revealing autobiography, Charlie Magri tells of his childhood, growing up on a tough estate in the East End of London. He describes how his height and his name made him stand out from the crowd at school and how, from an early age, he learned to defend himself with his fists. He tells of the early days of his career and how his passion for boxing kept him off the street and out of the local gangs. He speaks of his amazing triumphs and, conversley, his heart-breaking defeats and how he has struggled to come to terms with life after boxing. What shines through his whole story is Charlie's enthusiasm for life, sense of humour nad genuine concern for others. This heart-warming tale of a man's passion for his sport and desire to win is a must read for any boxing fan and will make you laugh and cry in equal measure.

In this rich, imaginative survey of variety musical theater, Gillian M. Rodger masterfully chronicles the social history and class dynamics of the robust, nineteenth-century American theatrical phenomenon that gave way to twentieth-century entertainment forms such as vaudeville and comedy on radio and television. Fresh, bawdy, and unabashedly aimed at the working class, variety honed in on its audience's fascinations, emerging in the 1840s as a vehicle to accentuate class divisions and stoke curiosity about gender and sexuality. Cross-dressing acts were a regular feature of these entertainments, and Rodger profiles key male impersonators Annie Hindle and Ella Wesner while examining how both gender and sexuality gave shape to variety. By the last two decades of the nineteenth century, variety theater developed into a platform for ideas about race and whiteness. As some in the working class moved up into the middling classes, they took their affinity for variety with them, transforming and broadening middle-class values. Champagne Charlie and Pretty Jemima places the saloon keepers, managers, male impersonators, minstrels, acrobats, singers, and dancers of the variety era within economic and social contexts by examining the business models of variety shows and their primarily white, working-class urban audiences. Rodger traces the transformation of variety from sexualized entertainment to more family-friendly fare, a domestication that mirrored efforts to regulate the industry, as well as the adoption of aspects of middle-class culture and values by the shows' performers, managers, and consumers.

Machine generated contents note: List of Illustrations -- Introduction -- Chapter One: The First Sip -- Chapter Two: Young Charles -- Chapter Three: Discovery of the New World -- Chapter Four: Reading the Stars -- Chapter Five: The Panic -- Chapter Six: The Lion of New York -- Chapter Seven: Southern Comfort -- Chapter Eight: "It's War" -- Chapter Nine: The Beast -- Chapter Ten: Into the Jaws -- Chapter Eleven: "We Are Not in Venice" -- Chapter Twelve: The Homecoming -- Chapter Thirteen: The Man Who Never Forgot -- Chapter Fourteen: "War Seems to Follow Me" -- Chapter Fifteen: The Denver Miracle -- Epilogue -- Bibliography -- Notes -- Index.