Queereaders discussion

This new thread is for talking about any plays, shows, or performances you've seen. Let us know what you thought of them!

It's been quite awhile since I have seen live plays since I left the cities and went rural. I used to go to the theater a lot.

The Queer one's I have seen and enjoyed a lot are The Balcony by Jean Genet, The Boys in the Band and Bent, these are also the most recent, in the early '80s. The last was The 5th of Beethoven because Peter Ustinov was starring, and he was a great!

The very 1st play I saw was Waiting For Godot in college which I loved. It's much better live than in reading and I was heavy into existentialism at the time.I still have mental images of that.

I'm not big on musicals, but when married (to a women) was forced to go to musicals at the Muny Opera in St. Louis, mostly Rogers & Hammerstein sorts, yuk IMO.Season tickets for 3 years and I said NO MORE!

I spent a year in NYC, '68-'69, and we saw a number of Broadway and Off Broadway productions. The BIG one for me was Hair which we saw 3 times. Though a musical, it really spoke to me and to the times. We also saw Play It Again Sam with Woody Allen starring and a bad play, Coco, but it starred Katherine Hepburn whom I could not miss seeing. What a woman!. She shook my hand after :-)

I was in DC for 3 years in the '70s and we went to Wolftrap several times, but the only one I remember was a modernistic production of A Midsummer's Night's Dream. It was awful. I've never liked that play very nuck either. I've always wanted to see The Tempest, but the opportunity has not arisen. I've seen a number of other Shakespeare plays and love MacBeth, Falstaff and Othello. Hamlet has been overdone IMO.

Actually we were more likely to go to the symphony, than a play, esp one with a concerto and a big Soloist. But those are in the past too. I did listen to some greats and even stood outside Lincoln Center for Pablo Casals fairwell concert.

A lot of good stuff Kernos!, even if your former wife did drag to some shows that weren't your thing. How cool to have shaken hands with Katherine Hepburn!

A friend of mine took me to a bad production of South Pacific years ago that was a torture; so I thought I hated musicals for years, but my current partner won me over by introducing me to some good ones. I really like some now, especially some of the modern ones. I think my favorite right now is Next to Normal, a fantastic more rock-oriented musical about mental illness. Really stunning!

Coincidentally, I have tickets to a production of Bent coming up! I have seen it once before ages ago, but I'm looking forward to seeing it again. I don't remember it well.

With Bent I've become confused about what I remember from the play and what from the movie.

I don’t remember the movie well as I saw it so long ago! After I see the play, perhaps I'll try and get a copy.

One of the leads in the play version I'm going to see is the handsome bloke Andy Mientus who I've seen in Spring Awakening on stage and who also was part of the cast for the TV show Smash.

totally irrelevant side note: Mientus also happens to be engaged to another fetching fellow Michael Arden that I've had a slight crush on since we saw him in the Deaf West production of Pippin and especially since we saw him pad out and sing the entire album of Joni Mitchell's Blue at a cabaret theater barefoot.

Apparently, one of the former members of Scissor Sisters is in the Bent production too: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news...

And it's directed by Moisés Kaufmann (brief advocate article about staging: http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertai...)

I'm looking forward to it immensely! Hopefully I'm not letting my expectations get too inflated. I guess I'll find out soon.

I have a folder of Andy and Michael images. I discovered them last July. Cuties. They are in nmy celebrity fantasy pinterest board ;-)

They were Engaged. I wonder if they got married?

I'm not sure, but my wild guess would be they're still engaged, perhaps in the midst of planning it? The Deaf West performance of Spring Awakening I went to was only a month or two ago; it was directed by Arden with Mientus acting in the role of Hanschen. So clearly they're still happily collaborating at the very least.

I found somewhere that they plan on marrying this Fall. Very Cute couple!

Brian J. Smith of Stargate Universe has been a fantasy since the movie Warboys. He's now doing a netflix series Sense8, but has down 3 plays in NYC, the most recent The Glass Menagerie for which he got a Tony nomination. I'd have loved to see that great play. He has done several Gay roles as well. One has hopes...

Definitely a cute couple Kernos - I'm happy to hear they're marrying in the fall!

And fun about the Glass Menagerie!! - I'd have loved to see that too! The Glass Menagerie is a great play; I've seen a few different productions of it over the years, but I haven't seen that play in a long time, and I'd love to have seen Smith in it. I wish Ron & I had time and funds to take a trip to New York - such a great city!

I'm going to see a new gay themed musical on Wednesday, "Girlfriend", music & lyrics by Matthew Sweet. Got some fairly cheap tickets. I'll post what I thought of it afterwards

Article from LA Weekly: http://www.laweekly.com/event/girlfri...

I've seen 2 movie versions of The Glass Menagerie, the 1950 version with Kirk Douglas and Jane Wyman and a TV version from the '70s with Katherine Hepburn. Both are quite good.

I did see Williams "Sweet Birth of Youth" on stage sometime in the past, in St Louis I think. His plays are powerful.

A play I'd really like to see live is Who's Afraid Of Virginia Wolff? The movie is a great. Still there's nothing like live action.

As I muddle around in the recesses of my memory, perhaps I can remember some others.

I've never seen or read Sweet Bird of Youth - I'll have to check that out! Thanks Kernos! I've read a number of Williams' other plays though and enjoyed seeing a few on stage over the years as well as some great movie adaptions. I remember getting quite a kick out of the movie adaption of one of his slightly sillier ones, Suddenly Last Summer with Montgomery Clift.

And I was lucky enough to see Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? on stage with Bill Irwin and Kathleen Turner several years ago (Ahmanson theater production: http://www.lasplash.com/publish/Los_A...) I really like Albee in general! I saw a production of another of his plays, The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?, some years ago - the first act was so funny in a completely inappropriate way that I was practically falling out of my seat. The second act gets even weirder and crosses over into more of a shocking territory. I strongly recommend reading it if you haven't already - even on paper it's quite funny (the first half at least) - it's so over the top! The only one of Albee's I remember not loving was Three Tall Women - it was an award winning show, but somehow I just didn't quite get that one.

I loved Suddenly Last Summer. The scene with Katherine Hepburn descending via elevator is memorable! It is a weird movie with the birds and the boys. I've not read it.

There's a rather good movie of Sweet Bird of Youth with Geraldine Page and Paul Newman from the '60s.

I'm not familiar with the other Albee plays, I may take a look. It has been awhile since I've read a play. Interestingly it was made only a couple of years after the Broadway premier with Tennessee Wms as one of the screenwriters.

Kernos wrote: "There's a rather good movie of Sweet Bird of Youth with Geraldine Page and Paul Newman from the '60s. ..."

I haven't seen that one yet either. I'll definitely look for it! I did see Newman in another Tennessee Williams movie adaption though, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with Newman and Elizabeth Taylor. He was quite a handsome man!

It's somewhat amazing how many of Williams' plays were adapted into decent movies. A Streetcar Named Desire was another one.

Hey all, I saw Girlfriend tonight at the Kirk Douglas Theater. It wasn't a musical, not really, more of a play with some music interspersed. Nothing life-changing, but entertaining for sure; I do recommend it for anyone in the Greater Los Angeles area!

One of the highlights was a really kick butt all girl band (great energy and exuberance!) on stage providing the music. Two male leads acted the roles (and sang in the musical parts) ... a light gay themed first-love, coming of age story set in 1993 Nebraska and interspersed with songs from Matthew Sweet's album of the same name, Girlfriend.

http://www.laweekly.com/event/girlfri...

Somehow "Bellflower, CA" soulnds like it's in the North ;-) Glad you enjoyed the play.

Went to see Bent at the Mark Taper Forum tonight. A very powerful and excellent production! Afterwards, they gave everyone a water-activated e-votive candle to float in the water surrounding the theater as a memorial to those who died in the camps. Quite moving. I highly recommend the production to anyone in the LA area that can get tickets.

I'm delighted you liked it Greg. It is a good play.

Thanks Kernos!

I think the last play/musical I've seen is Rent, in a small theater at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. I also have the movie, but heard that it was a bad adaptation.

And before that I saw 1587, a Year of No Significance, based on the book of the same name (1587: A Year of No Significance: The Ming Dynasty in Decline).

Before that I can't remember, except for Cats in New York (family vacation) and Phantom of the Opera in San Francisco (living there with my family at the time).

Greg wrote: "Went to see Bent at the Mark Taper Forum tonight. A very powerful and excellent production! Afterwards, they gave everyone a water-activated e-votive candle to float in the water surr..."

Haven't seen the play yet, but I've seen the movie (made me cried buckets). Were they very different?

Alex wrote: "Haven't seen the play yet, but I've seen the movie (made me cried buckets). Were they very different? ..."

If I saw the movie, I saw it so long ago that I don’t remember. I should watch it again now that the play is fresh in my mind. I did definitely do some crying in the play as well Alex. :)

The actor playing Rudy was so charismatic and came across as such a sweetheart that I had a really hard time forcing myself to watch what happened to him. The other two leads were great as well.

Alex wrote: "I think the last play/musical I've seen is Rent, in a small theater at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. I also have the movie, but heard that it was a bad adaptation.

And before that I s..."

I love productions of Rent Alex! Seasons of Love and One Song Glory always get me - such a great energy in that show! Sometimes the smaller productions can be the best because they're so intimate.

I'm curious about 1587 -I've never heard of that one over here - did you like it? And do you recommend the book?

Saw "Come From Away" at La Jolla Playhouse 7/8; "Kiss Me Kate" at the Old Globe 7/11 and "Twelfth Night" also at the Old Globe 7/14...all excellent.

Ed wrote: "Saw "Come From Away" at La Jolla Playhouse 7/8; "Kiss Me Kate" at the Old Globe 7/11 and "Twelfth Night" also at the Old Globe 7/14...all excellent."

I don’t think I've seen any of those on stage Ed, though some of my coworkers told me Kiss Me Kate was fun. I've seen a film version of Twelfth Night, but I don't remember it well. Hard to go wrong with Shakespeare at the Old Globe!

Which one of the three was your favorite?

Greg wrote: "Ed wrote: "Saw "Come From Away" at La Jolla Playhouse 7/8; "Kiss Me Kate" at the Old Globe 7/11 and "Twelfth Night" also at the Old Globe 7/14...all excellent."

I don’t think I've seen any of thos..."

They were all excellent.... I had never seen "Kiss Me Kate" before..so, I think I enjoyed that the most. "Come From Away" is about the small town in Canada that took care of all the passengers who were diverted and stranded there on 9-11. A clever musical and fun, despite the underlying tragedy,...and I think a dramaturge could make a few changes that would make it a big hit on Broadway..but it was missing something (I don't know what} to make it fantastic at this time.
Even though Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare's simpler plays, the Old Globe put on a wonderful production in its outdoor theater.

Come from Away sounds really intriguing Ed - I hope they rework and launch it somewhere near me at some point.

Greg wrote: "I'm curious about 1587 -I've never heard of that one over here - did you like it? And do you recommend the book?"

I've read the Chinese version of 1587, though I don't remember much about it. Lots and lots about taxes and so on.

The play, otoh, is staged by a Hong Kong theatre troupe and only used bits and pieces from the book. It borrowed heavily from Hong Kong politics, with a healthy dose of Kun opera mixed in. I like it a lot, but I'm not sure anyone who isn't fluent in Chinese *and* Hong Kong/mainland Chinese politics would get it. Sorry.

Thanks for the info anyway Alex - always interesting to hear about books and shows from other cultures!

I'm so jealous you got to shake hands with Katherine Hepburn, Kernos. She's one of my favorite actresses and was quite something in real life too, from what I hear. :)

I saw a few plays as a kid/teen, including The Lion King, Wicked, and Jesus Christ: Superstar. I liked them all except the last one, which I found confusing, mainly because the sound quality in the theater wasn't that great and the music drowned out the singing. I appreciate it much more now that I've seen the film.

I also saw the Wizard of Oz and have been told Mickey Rooney and Eartha Kitt were both in it, but I was so little at the time that I unfortunately can't remember much.

Eileen wrote: "I saw a few plays as a kid/teen, including The Lion King, Wicked, and Jesus Christ: Superstar. I liked them all except the last one, which I found confusing, mainly because the sound quality in the theater wasn't that great and the music drowned out the singing. I appreciate it much more now that I've seen the film.
..."

Some good shows Eileen, but the only one I've actually seen is the Lion King.

I've never seen Jesus Christ Superstar, but I love the cast album, and the movie adaption was pretty good.

And oddly, I've heard so many good things about Wicked, but it's one of the those shows I haven't gotten to see yet. I know all the tricks to get great deals at several theaters in my area, but Wicked keeps coming to those few theaters that have almost no deals. That's the same thing that happened with Book of Mormon. Both of them keep coming to theaters that are expensive and killer huge.

Also, how cool to have seen a show with Eartha Kitt, even if you were too young to remember it :)

Eileen wrote: "I'm so jealous you got to shake hands with Katherine Hepburn, Kernos. She's one of my favorite actresses and was quite something in real life too, from what I hear. :)

I saw a few plays as a kid/..."

She is grand. We have decided to have a Hepburn festival at home starting with Stage Door (1937), "The calla lilies are in bloom again..." A wonderful movie with many actresses who later became famous.

I live rurally, but I try hard to see theater. Two years ago I saw Richard Schiff in an adaptation ofThe Chosen at Barrington Stage in Pittsfield, MA. I saw a really special "A Doll's House" at Williamstown Theater Festival some years ago.

Two weeks ago on vacation I saw Smoke on the Mountain, a play I'd never heard of, in a mortuary in a small town in western Kentucky. It was delightful.

I saw the Addams Family with Bebe Neuwirth some summers ago on Broadway.

Oh and I have been on the board of the local community theater for many years. We'll do "Miracle of 34th Street" in December. "Shrek" is being done locally by another group this summer. I saw a touring Broadway company of it a few years ago and it was delightful.

And I grew up in the LA community where the Kirk Douglas playhouse is now. My friends and I ushered when we were teens to see plays at theaters in LA.

A very good play that I saw at a tiny theater in LA:"Stoneface" about Buster Keaton's life. I know it's been redone at the Pasadena Playhouse, if you have the chance, it's inventive, creative and truthful.

Julia wrote: "I live rurally, but I try hard to see theater. Two years ago I saw Richard Schiff in an adaptation ofThe Chosen at Barrington Stage in Pittsfield, MA. I saw a really special "A Doll's..."

Some fascinating stuff Julia - I haven't heard of some of those, but I would've so loved to see them, Smoke on the Mountain in particular! I'm gathering from the "mortuary" that it was a small, intimate setting as well. I haven't heard of "Stoneface" either, but that one also caught my eye.

I wonder if reading either of those would give me some feel for them? Some plays are great read; others only seem to come to life performed. I'll keep an eye out in case they get a production in my area sometime.

One lesser known play (at least by me) that I saw a few years ago was Black Watch. It was put on by a Scottish troop - a wonderfully inventive performance about the Iraq war and the war on terror in general .. a touching mix of dance, play elements, traditional Scottish music, a bit of everything really. I loved it.

With "A Doll's House," do you mean the Ibsen play? If so, I enjoyed that one as well as some others by Ibsen.

Also, it's great you're involved with the community theater! There wasn't much theater in the areas I grew up - it was only as an adult that I discovered it. My partner of the last 20 years loves theater, and he's gotten me to love it too. I'd assumed it must be boring until I started going with him to shows I could relate to. Now I love it!

Ron & I went to see Girlfriend again last night at the Kirk Douglas Theater - wanted to see something light & fun to take my mind off work & family pressures!

Greg, answering and responding to what you wrote aways back and much more recently.

Yeah, I saw A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen at Williamstown Theater Festival. It was a very good production except they set this play from the 1880's where divorce is rare and scandalous in the 1970's. That choice didn't work for me.

It was odd to see Smoke on the Mountaina play in a funeral home --my niece said she wouldn't go with us because she thought there might be bodies downstairs-- but it worked, because the play was set in a Baptist church, and the audience sat on pews, it was like a church without being one. In a small town like we were in, there was possibly no community space and I guess you do plays where you can get the space. In reading about the play, it's often done in the south, as it's a sort of juke box musical with gospel songs.

I've heard of Black Watch and it's one I'd like to see.

"Girlfriend" looks like it was splendid!

Julia wrote: "Greg, answering and responding to what you wrote aways back and much more recently.

Yeah, I saw A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen at Williamstown Theater Festival. It wa..."

Oh I definitely agree with you Julia about setting A Doll's House in the 1970's! That changes the dynamic entirely and would require the play to be rewritten.

And yes, Girlfriend was delightful - not weighty in significance but very sweet and entertaining. Definitely one that's still fun seen twice. Maybe I'll see it one more time before it goes - who knows when if ever it will be produced again somewhere near enough for me to get to. I think it's only been produced three times over the past 8 years: once in NY, once in SF, and once here. They don't even have a cast album yet, but they said there might be one released in future.

Here is a theatrical trailer of sorts from the production I saw - it gives an idea of what it's like: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=en-Bm7hYDsk

Went to see "Shakespeare's R & J" last weekend - a play within a play where four Catholic school students enact the play. Not a perfect play or a perfect production, but it was worth seeing. I liked the actor portraying Juliet - I liked that his performance wasn't campy.

Here's a link to a blurb about the production I saw at the Long Beach Playhouse: http://www.theatreinla.com/shakespear...

Phillip wrote: "Greg wrote: "I liked the actor portraying Juliet - I liked that his performance wasn't campy."

I don't think camp would work well for a heart-felt production of a true-love story such as Romeo and..."

Yes, exactly Phillip. The guy playing the nurse did some falsetto stuff because that role has more comedy in it, but Juliet was not played in a feminine way at all.

His voice was soft and heartfelt but not falsetto. It was fairly un-self conscious. He started off at the beginning of the play as a young man acting as what he understood as a woman in the Juliet parts, but then as the show progressed, he more and more dropped the pretense and was engagingly heartfelt. It became very unclear by the end whether he was playing the part of Juliet himself or expressing his own feelings through the performance. I think that tension of what was going on between the guys putting on the performance of R & J in the play within the play became the central question. It seemed pretty clear by the end that they were expressing a subtext.

The play did have some flaws though .. not sure if it was the source material or the direction, but the first 1/4 was way too frenetic for such a small, intimate theater. And some of the subtext seemed a bit off in spots (this was probably an issue in the source material I'm guessing, but it's hard to be sure).

The Juliet guy's performance was one of the high points. He had charisma, and what came through in all his small gestures, mannerisms, and expressions was engaging, endearing even.

For NYCers a new Gay play:

'Perfect Arrangement' Finds Comedy In A 'Scary' Time For LGBT People
Because "everybody knows what it's like to have a secret."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/p...

Went to see "Indecent" at the La Jolla Playhouse. Very good. Written by Paula Vogel.... based on a true story about a Polish Yiddish playwright who pens a play that features a love affair between two Jewish women in the early 1900s. Everything went well as the play was produced throughout Europe..but when it hit Broadway... a rabbi filed a complaint of obscenity. The entire cast was charged and the charges were upheld.
Great cast....but...a two hour play without intermission!

Damned fundies... What's indecent about Indecent

well...you can imagine that 100 years ago...a lesbian love scene was enough to cause a scandal...but, what also threw it over the top was that one of the lovers was the daughter of a brothel owner who made his daughter work in the brothel after he found out. The father was Jewish ... so, a Jewish rabbi in NYC found that as an attack against all Jews. (Oh, and the play ends with the father about to throw the Torah to the ground.)

That;s not enough for it to be banned.

shouldn't be...but it was. It's interesting though that there were no problems with productions in Europe.

Ed wrote: "Went to see "Indecent" at the La Jolla Playhouse. Very good. Written by Paula Vogel.... based on a true story about a Polish Yiddish playwright who pens a play that features a love affair between t..."

An excellent theater Ed! I haven't seen that show yet, but I'll check if it's still playing - sounds interesting!

In NYC I have seen The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, Wicked, Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark, Les Miserables, Avenue Q (Off Broadway), If/Then, Kinky Boots and Chicago.

Monica wrote: "In NYC I have seen The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, Wicked, Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark, Les Miserables, Avenue Q (Off Broadway), If/Then, Kinky Boots and Chicago."

Some good ones Monica! Which was your favorite, or is it hard to choose?

I saw If/Then in New York too! The rest of my playgoing experiences have mainly been in my home state of California. If/Then was enjoyable (especially with Menzel), but I loved 'Next to Normal' so much (the last show created by the team that created If/Then) that my expectations were unfortunately way, way high. If/Then was such a different show than Next to Normal. I think I'd like If/Then even better if I saw it again now after I had time to settle expectations.

I'm seeing If/Then with Menzel in San Diego on Sunday!

Ed wrote: "I'm seeing If/Then with Menzel in San Diego on Sunday!"

Have fun Ed! I thought Menzel was great in it!

Hi everyone.
Just last week I saw something that kind of blew me away.
It was a new take on Checkhov's The Cherry OrchardThe Cherry Orchard.
There's a troupe in Milan called Nina's Drag Queens and they basically turned it into a mini musical/drag spectacle. It was pretty amazing I have to say.