Midnight in Cairo

"A vibrant portrait of the talented and entrepreneurial women who defined an era in Cairo. One of the world's greatest twentieth-century cosmopolitan cities, Cairo was a magnet for the ambitious and talented. During the 1920s and 30s, a vibrant music, theater, film, and cabaret scene flourished there, defining what it meant to be a "modern" Egyptian. Women came to dominate that scene-as stars but also as impresarias, entrepreneurs, owners, and promoters of the entertainment industry. Raphael Cormack unveils the rich histories of independent women like vaudeville star Rose al-Youssef (who…