J. Harrison Ghee in ‘I Am What I Am’As we swing into Pride Month 2023, hit play and bounce-bounce-bounce along with this totally infectious remix of that gayest of gay anthems, ‘I Am What I Am.”
Broadway legend Jerry Herman delivered unto us his glorious theme song of self-love in his 1983 Broadway blockbuster, La Cage aux Folles. And while there have been many disco-tastic takes on the upbeat theme bop, this takes Pride joy over the top!
J. Harrison Ghee (who just won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical for “Some Like It Hot”) leads a talented group of artists serving up some seriously beatsbeatsbeats along with some subtle (but recognizable) shades of characters from Broadway musicals and plays.
I spy some Dorothy Gale & Toto (Wizard of Oz), Tony & Maria (West Side Story), Jenna and Dr. Pomatter (Waitress), Danny & Sandy (Grease), Dolly Levi (Hello, Dolly!), Joseph (of Dreamcoat fame), Les Miz patriots and more. Plus, there are cameos by Marti Cummings, Ianne Fields Stewart, and Davon Williams.
The whole magilla was directed & produced by Jimmy Larkin; James Alonzo White delivers fierce choreography; and Devin Lewis skillfully handles music production duties.
A little Les Miz anyone…?And let’s hear it for the terrific company that represents in all-shapes, all-sizes, all-ages, all-shades of rainbow Pride joy!
As regular readers of The Randy Report may recall, I knew and worked with Jerry Herman. I can assure you he would have LOVED this.
Bravo!
Victor Borbolla and Javi Perez as ‘Tony and Maria’Jerry Herman and I wrote La Cage Aux Folles 40 years ago and it still thrills me to see what it means to the community. Lecturing don’t change the world. Living with pride does. https://t.co/P81EfhNnLl
— Harvey Fierstein (@HarveyFierstein) June 26, 2021