(screen capture) This definitely qualifies for a #ThrowbackThursday post 🙂 On Tuesday night, the theater world celebrated the 65th annual Obie Awards honoring the best of Off and Off-Off-Broadway in a most virtually virtuous night on the internet! Viewers were treated to a special moment as members of the 1994 York Theatre Company revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along joined members of the original Broadway and 2019 Fiasco Theater revival casts for a special performance of “Our Time” in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the York production’s Obie Award wins. Based on the 1934 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, the show chronicles the story of three friends from early adulthood to midlife – but in reverse. The musical is about optimism, idealism, holding friends accountable and the fallout when those ideas collide as we journey through life. As the show begins, we meet the three anti-heroes at difficult crossroads in their lives and their friendships. With each proceeding scene, the story is rewound ultimately arriving at their younger selves – lacking any cynicism and simply bursting with optimism about what lay ahead for them. But by then, we’ve seen the future. “How did you get to be here? What was the moment?”Cast members from the original, 1994 revival and 2019 revival of ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ The original production opened (and closed) in 1981. I was a freshman musical theatre major at Syracuse University that fall, and even though we were hours away from New York City, the new show was very much on the minds of my fellow theater students as a recent graduate has scored the lead role of Franklin Shepard. A very, very big deal. Unfortunately, in an almost ‘only in a musical’ twist, my fellow Syracuse alum was replaced before opening night. Garnering brutal reviews, the show quickly closed. It was the first (and rare) critical failure among successful collaborations between Sondheim and Broadway director/producer Hal Prince (21 Tony Awards). While the reverse storytelling reportedly confused the audience – even though each scene’s year was projected on a screen for the audience – the score has been almost universally lauded as “brilliant.” It’s been revisited in several high profile productions over the years in the hope that the show might be ‘fixed.’ The show finally hit its stride with the original London production in 2001 winning 3 Laurence Olivier Awards including Best Musical. In 2014, the show would repeat that success at the Olivier Awards winning Best Revival of a Musical. The song “Our Time” is what we would call the 11 o’clock number or emotional apex of the show. Set on the roof of an apartment house in New York City in 1957, young Frank and Charley are staring at the nighttime sky waiting for a glimpse of the first-ever earth-orbiting satellite, Sputnik. During the scene, Mary, their neighbor, arrives to view the satellite and meets the boys for the first time. Suddenly, Sputnik is there in the sky, and in that moment, for the young friends, anything seems possible. Check out the moving virtual reunion of three casts of Merrily We Roll Along singing “Our Time.”
While the show didn’t survive its original 1981 incarnation, many of the young actors in that cast were – like the show’s subjects – just beginning. Among them were future Broadway luminaries including future Tony Award winners Jason Alexander (Jerome Robbins’ Broadway) and Tonya Pinkins (Jelly’s Last Jam), as well as Tony Award nominee Liz Callaway (Baby, Miss Saigon, Cats), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) and Jim Walton (42nd Street, Sweeny Todd). In 2016, original cast member Lonny Price (Charley) directed the acclaimed documentary, Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened, reuniting many of the 1981 cast members to reflect and remember the impact the show and its idealism had on the actors. I wrote about the film here.
Clockwise from top – Idina Menzel, Lindsay Mendez, Shoshana Bean, Stephanie J. Block Eleven “Elpahbas” from the blockbuster musical Wicked unite to support the arts. This epic “Defying Gravity” features (in order of appearance) Shoshana Bean, Eden Espinosa, Stephanie J. Block, Alexia Khadime, Julia Murney, Lindsay Mendez, Lindsay Pearce, Rachel Tucker, Jessica Vosk, Idina Menzel, and Kerry Ellis. Excerpted from the virtual concert Shoshana Bean and Friends: An Evening of Broadway, which premiered live on July 13, 2020. Shoshana organized the event to support and benefit the arts programs at her alma mater, Beaverton High School. Click here for more info and/or donate. Folks, this is worth hitting play 😉 As the first comment on the YouTube page says, “This is what gay heaven sounds like.”
Nyle DiMarco (photo: Denise Truscello) Over the past few years, we’ve watched as the dashing and devastatingly handsome Nyle DiMarco has conquered just about everything he’s set his sights on. The latest in his long string of successes – DiMarco has sold a scripted comedy TV series to Spectrum. According to Deadline, DiMarco will star in the “irreverentcomedy centered around his experiences as a charismatic, smart deaf man in modern times.” “The episodes look to offer funny, character-based storytelling designed to provide a deeper perspective on the experiences of the deaf and hard of hearing communities in America,” Deadline adds. Dimarco will executive produce along with Hawaii Five-O’s Daniel Day Kim as well as John Cheng and Tara Bohn and Melrose Placed’s Sami Housman. DiMarco took to Twitter to celebrate the series news tweeting, “If I told my younger self that I would eventually have my own series about Deaf culture, I wouldn’t believe it. Deaf people leading in a series about deaf culture? Not possible! This is huge for me… thank you all!” https://twitter.com/NyleDiMarco/status/1283115014488899584 The ‘sexually fluid’ model and actor first came to the national spotlight when he won the 2015 season of America’s Next Top Model. He is the only deaf contestant in the show’s history, and the second male to win. From there, he snatched up the mirror ball trophy as the Season 22 winner of Dancing with the Stars. Check out his freestyle championship dance with Peta Murgatroyd to “The Sound of Silence.” As you watch, remember – Nyle can’t hear any of the music. This is waaaaay impressive. Although he’s best known for his victories in reality TV, the 31-year-old has also appeared in several scripted TV series like Station 19, Difficult People and Switched at Birth. And don’t forget his sold-out run on the Las Vegas Strip as the ‘Celebrity Host’ of the world-famous Chippendales in September 2016. https://www.instagram.com/p/BKbeANzh9hO/ In 2018, he was on the team of producers who brought the award-winning, Deaf-themed play, Children of a Lesser God, back to Broadway. So, yeah, this is a guy who does a LOT of things well. #NoSlackerHere DiMarco has also used his celebrity to advocate for more representation for deaf individuals in Hollywood and increased literacy in sign language for deaf children. He launched The Nyle DiMarco Foundation in 2016, which works to bring educational resources to deaf children and their families. I interviewed the very handsome Mr. DiMarco as he was about to open his run with Chippendales here in Las Vegas. Here’s my chat with him from my podcast:
And since we’re talking all things DiMarco, let’s peruse some of his woofy Instagram feed: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCcVaLalqpa/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BuUPAj8FbV3/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BsgS2CoANjr/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BqXpKTug0g7/
Broadway Bares goes virtual in 2020 Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is taking its signature sensational striptease online for the first time with Broadway Bares: Zoom In, a celebratory virtual edition streaming on Saturday, August 1, 2020. The free and frisky stream of Broadway Bares, produced by and benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, begins at 9:30 pm Eastern. Viewers can enjoy the virtual entertainment at broadwaycares.org/bares, on Broadway Cares’ YouTube channel, broadwaybares.com and on streaming media partners BroadwayWorld.com, iHeartRadioBroadway.com, Playbill.com, TheaterMania.com and the Pride Media family of sites including Advocate.com and Out.com. Although this year’s in-person 30th-anniversary celebration, originally set for June 21, was postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual evening will live on digitally through streamed sizzling striptease featuring NYC’s hottest dancers. The online event will celebrate Broadway Bares with new performances that make social distancing sexy, plus favorite numbers from years past and new appearances by special celebrity guests.
“We’re so excited to bring the heat of Broadway Bares to screens around the world for the first time with Broadway Bares: Zoom In,” Bares creator and Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell said. “This year’s performers have gone full-out in both their show-stopping dance moves and desire to make a difference. You’ve got to Zoom In because it’s sure to make your laptop tingle and your cell phone vibrate!” Though the stream is free, donations are welcome. Every dollar donated will help those across the country affected by HIV/AIDS, COVID-19 and other critical illnesses receive healthy meals, lifesaving medication, emergency financial assistance, housing, counseling and more. The donations also support and champion organizations focused on social justice and anti-racism. Sponsorship opportunities, which include pre- and post-show virtual cocktails parties with performers and recognition during the show, are available at broadwaycares.org/sponsorbares . Broadway Bares was created in 1992 by Mitchell, then a Broadway dancer, as a way to raise awareness and money for those living with HIV/AIDS. In Broadway Bares’ first year, Mitchell and six of his friends danced on a New York City bar and raised $8,000. Last year, Broadway Bares took stars and fans alike on a romp around the world at Broadway Bares: Take Off. The tantalizing twist on travel raised a record-breaking $2,006,192. The 29 editions of Broadway Bares have raised more than $21.2 million for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. (via BroadwayCares.org)
Zac Efron (screen capture via Netflix) Netflix has a hit on its hands with the new series Down to Earth with a bearded and buff Zac Efron. The travelogue follows Efron as he hip-hops around a pre-COVID-19 world exploring climate-friendly, sustainable living habits. “In this travel show, actor Zac Efron journeys around the world with wellness expert Darin Olien in search of healthy, sustainable ways to live,” Netflix writes of the new show. From eating bread baked in a volcano in Iceland, to experiencing the rarest water in the world, our host shares his furry goodness adventures from around the world and much more. Here’s the trailer. I think you’ll get my drift in just a minute.
Jwan Yosef (via Instagram) Some news items you might have missed: • ManCrush Monday: That time when Ricky Martin’s other half, Jwan Yosef (above), showed off his ‘baby lifting arms.’ #dang • Gold Derby: Openly gay former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has been entered for Emmy consideration in the category of Best Comedy Guest Actor for his guest-hosting stint on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” • CNN: The body of former GLEE actress Naya Rivera, 33, who was missing since Wednesday, has been found floating in a Southern California lake. Rivera’s role on GLEE gave queer Puerto Rican representation to millions. She is the third original GLEE cast member to die. In 2013, Cory Monteith died of a drug overdose and Mark Stalling committed suicide in 2018 after being found guilty of possessing child porn. • TheaterMania: Hamilton has become the first cast recording to reach the top two on the Billboard 200 albums chart since 1969 thanks to the musical’s premiere on Disney+. In 1969, the original cast recording of Hair spent 13 weeks in the no. 1 slot. Hamilton had previously peaked in the no. 3 position back in 2016, tying with The Book of Mormon. • Miami Herald: Florida resident Joseph Fucheck is facing criminal charges for waving a pistol at a Black homeowner in North Miami-Dade while claiming to be a 35-year Navy SEAL veteran. Except – it was a decades-old lie perpetrated by Fucheck. The Navy SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, which maintains paperwork for all SEALs since World War II, has no record of him. • CBS17: An Arkansas police officer told a colleague he would ‘shoot any protesters’ who might come to his door. But Calvin Salyers, 33, has now been charged with manslaughter after shooting through his door on June 3 killing a fellow police officer who dropped by to pick up a patrol car. • Podcast of the Day: A podcast about gay TV, Gayest Episode Ever, explores LGBT+ themed one-off episodes that classic sitcoms (like The Golden Girls, Frasier, and Cheers) would do back in the day when it was rare to see queer characters represented on broadcast television. The podcast – hosted by Drew Mackie, a journalist, and Glen Lakin, a screenwriter – offers insight into the evolution of queer visibility, gay rights, and how culture can both affect — and BE affected by — what we see on TV. The episode below dissects a 1977 episode of Maude when Bea Arthur’s title character argued with her neighbor Arthur over the opening of a gay bar in town.
L-R Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli (image via Netflix) LGBTQ comic book fans have been waiting (and waiting, and waiting) to see actual queer superheroes on the silver screen for what feels like an eternity. So imagine my surprise when guy-on-guy lip-lock action between two immortal superheroes occurred halfway through Netflix’s new big-budget action flick, The Old Guard, which premiered this past weekend. The film stars Charlize Theron as the leader of a group of 6,000-year-old badass mercenary warriors. These immortals can feel pain but never die. As one says early in the movie, “Just because we keep living doesn’t mean we stop hurting.” In the first half of the film, there are flickers of something going on between two of the heroes, Joe (Marwan Kenzari, best known for his turn as Jafar in the live-action Aladdin)) and Nicky (Luca Marinelli, honored at the Venice International Film Festival last year for Martin Eden). A smile here, a glance there, but queer audiences have been teased before, so… But near the mid-way point of the movie the two are kidnapped by a squad of military-types. Tied up in the back of a van, Joe checks on Nicky. “I need to know he’s okay,” he tells one of his captors. Military guy mocks Joe saying, “What is he, your boyfriend?” “You’re a child,” says Joe as he launches into a deep declaration of love. “He’s not my boyfriend. This man is more to me than you can dream. He’s the moon when I’m lost in darkness, and warmth when I shiver in cold. And his kiss still thrills me even after a millennium.” Swoon….but wait – there’s more! “His heart overflows with a kindness of which this world is not worthy,” continues the immortal. “I love this man beyond measure and reason. He’s not my boyfriend…he is all, and he is more.” Ignoring their kidnappers, Nicky tells Joe with a smile, “You’re an incurable romantic,” as he leans in for a deeply intimate kiss.
According to Vulture, Greg Rucka – who penned the acclaimed graphic novel and is credited with the movie’s screenplay – stipulated in his contract that if and when a movie of The Old Guard was made, that scene would have to be included. While we’ve certainly seen same-sex kisses in movies before, we can’t recall a smooch like this in a $70 million action film led by star power the likes of Charlize Theron. This is some big-deal exposure. To underscore how big a deal this is, Forbes reports the superhero flick was Netflix’s most-watched movie this weekend and posits there very well could be a sequel ‘in development’ announced after the boffo debut. The Old Guard is currently streaming on Netflix, and you can check out the full trailer below.
Out singer-songwriter Wrabel shares this new collaboration with Kesha, “since i was young.” “Kesha is like a sister to me,” the artist shared in a statement. “She’s changed my life and changed the way I want to create and showed me what it means to be an artist and what it means to celebrate life, for all of its ups and downs and all-arounds.” “This song was basically just a conversation on that,” he added. “It’s rare to get to work with someone that’s seen you as so many things and in so many phases. From drunk and sad, to sober and still sad, to sober and in-love and happy.”
Thee Billy Porter (photo: John Ganun) On his acclaimed live concert album, At The Corner Of Broadway And Soul, Billy Porter serves up this soulful gospel take on the Stephen Sondheim classic, “Sunday.” The 2006 album is a collection of 16 Broadway, Gospel and original R&B songs that were performed live in 2004 at Joe’s Pub at New York’s Public Theater. It is a soulful and empowering compilation of some of Billy’s favorite songs and composers who inspired him from the time he was young to become the success he is today. It teaches you about taking chances and not taking “no” for an answer and more importantly lifts you up through his interpretation of the music. Some of the songs on the album include “Heaven” by Rick Ian Gordon, “Why I Sing,” by Kirk Franklin, “Let it Sing,” by Janine Tesori, “Awaiting You,” by Adam Guettel, “King of the World,” by Jason Robert Brown, “Sunday” and “Last Midnight” by Steven Sondheim, and a six original tracks written by Billy himself. Back then, Billy seemed to be a bridge between Broadway and Soul. He wanted to produce an album that allowed him to express himself fully in both worlds so this CD is divided into two parts each devoted to a single genre. “Pausing on a Sunday…”
VINCINT (photo: Matthew Takes) New music from top-notch out artists for your weekend… First up, acclaimed singer-songwriter VINCINT has teamed up with the cast of Netflix’s Emmy Award-winning series, Queer Eye, to unveil the music video for “Be Me.” Directed by Jake Wilson (Cher, Lizzo, Jonas Brothers), the video was filmed by VINCINT and the Fab Five using their iPhone cameras during quarantine. The track is pure musical joy. “It’s a celebration of the self!” says VINCINT. “A moment to believe that you can be more than what you thought you ever could. This video is a burst of light in a time where light is so needed.” “Be Me” premiered in the official trailer for Season 5 of Queer Eye – which is set in VINCINT’s hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I covered VINCINT’s earlier release, “Save Myself,” here.
California-based Tommy Boi serves up a bit of hopefulness with this heart-on-sleeve pop ballad, “blessing in disguise.” “I grew up as a pastor’s kid so coming out was always like this scary thing that I knew I was going to have to do eventually,” says the young out artist. “I was also made fun of in high school because I was new and kids assumed, I was gay before I was ready to come out. “It was really painful and hard to know people were making up rumors and talking about me,” he adds. “Anyways, I think this song was just a culmination. It’s me singing to myself while I’m going through it, hoping that everything turns out to be okay in the end.” I hear Tommy is currently working on a music video for the track, but to be honest – I like being able to experience Tommy’s open, plaintive vocals set atop the haunting, melancholy piano soundscape without a visual to distract me. Look for his new four-song EP due out late July.
Kim Petras in “Broken Glass” (screen capture) Pop sensation KimPetras has teamed up once again with producer and DJ Kygo to release the music video for their pop-tastic collaboration, “BrokenGlass.” The video for the song, which appears on Kygo’s third studio album, Golden Hour, depicts Petras as the queen of a dystopian-inspired, post-apocalyptic nightscape. Kygo is certainly the artist of the moment. Last week, the producer/DJ held 16 spots on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart beating out Lady Gaga’s 13.
Neon Trees drops their new single, “Mess Me Up,” in advance of their upcoming album, I Can Feel You Forgetting Me due out July 24. “’Mess Me Up’ is the gut-punch of our new album,” says NeonTrees‘ lead singer, Tyler Glenn on the single. “It’s a plea to not let the pain of a break-up linger, set to the tune of a slow dance.” “What I love tonally is it sounds like that one last dance on prom night before we end it all,” adds the out frontman. “If you’re gonna mess me up, get me addicted, ruin a few good years of my life–Act like you know me and don’t do it slow.”
Out singer-songwriter Wrabel shares this new collaboration with Kesha, “
California-based Tommy Boi serves up a bit of hopefulness with this heart-on-sleeve pop ballad, 
Neon Trees drops their new single, “Mess Me Up,” in advance of their upcoming album,