Nina, Madam to a Saintly City

Scandals and myths, facts and folklore, surround Nina Clifford, a notorious madam who played an influential role in fashionable Victorian society. From the 1890s to the 1920s her opulent St. Paul sporting house entertained politicians, industrialists, and the law—from cops to judges. The story of this fiery businesswoman offers a glimpse into the private lives of public leaders. Nina reverberates with the continuity of corruption and the lack of economic options that forced many women to choose between “being one man’s slave or everyone’s servant.” With numerous revivals, most recently in 2025, two versions exist, one with a haunting score by folk legend John Van Orman.