The Arts and New Albany Take Center Stage at the McCoy 2012 Center Stage Gala

Gala Features Jazz Singer and Award-Winning Songwriter Anna Wilson

By Mindy Hayward, Director of Marketing & Communications

McCoy Center for the Arts, New Albany

The McCoy Center for the Arts in New Albany is pleased to announce the 2012 Center Stage Gala, featuring jazz performer Anna Wilson, on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at 7p.

The Center Stage Gala is the premier annual fundraising event for the McCoy Center for the Arts. Guests will be treated to an all-inclusive evening at the McCoy Center, including a pre-show dinner reception at 7:00PM, concert at 8:30PM, and a post-show dessert celebration. “We are pleased to host the entire evening at the McCoy to showcase our beautiful facility,” said Julia Weikert, Director of Development. “Our event chair, Jill Beckett-Hill, and past chair Lynne Redgrave, have provided outstanding leadership and we have a very talented committee of community volunteers. It will be a wonderful night to celebrate the arts.”

Now in its fifth year, the Center Stage Gala’s previously featured artists have included Broadway talents Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin, comedian Martin Short, and musicians Chris Botti and The Neville Brothers. The 2012 Gala Featured Artist is the sultry and soulful jazz singer from Nashville, Anna Wilson.

Raised in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, Anna Wilson began piano and guitar lessons and wrote her first song in fourth grade. Eager to launch her music career, she rushed through Baltimore’s Loyola University in three years and moved to Nashville 15 days after graduation.

Anna’s music is a unique mix of jazz, country, and pop which blends to form a timeless new sound and pays homage to Nashville’s musical roots.

Also a prolific songwriter, Anna has penned songs for Reba McEntire, Brooks & Dunn, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lee Ann Womack and Chris Cagle, and has collaborated with a variety of musicians, including Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum. Her performance style will provide a special, up-close-and-personal experience for Gala guests as they gather to celebrate the McCoy Center and the New Albany community.

The McCoy 2012 Center Stage Gala, featuring guest artist Anna Wilson, will take place at the McCoy Center for the Arts, located at 100 W. Dublin-Granville Rd. in New Albany, on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at 7p. The cost for this all-inclusive evening is $250 per person, and includes a pre-show dinner reception at 7p, concert at 8:30p, and a post-show dessert celebration. For reservations or additional information, please visit the McCoy Center Website at www.mccoycenter.org or call 614.245.4701 (Mon-Fri, 9a-5p). The McCoy 2012 Center Stage Gala is presented by the McCoy Center for the Arts, together with Artist Sponsor TS24, Dessert Sponsor Bungalow Home, and Reception Sponsor Turner Construction.

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by Orie Givens

She’s large and in charge, she’s chunky yet funky. RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 4 contestant Latrice Royale is everything you see on TV and more. In a recent stop on her tour, Miss Latrice visited Columbus and performed for packed-to-the-wall crowds at Union and Axis. She worked it out so much on performance night that we decided to push the interview to the next day, so we could both recuperate. We sat down on Saturday morning at Union, slightly partied out from the night before and ready to talk all things drag.

Orie Givens: How did you get started doing drag? What made you start performing?

Latrice Royale: Actually it was a dare. Back in the day, my friends dared me to like, dress up like Wanda from In Living Color. And I was a hot mess, and I did that for fun, and then I did my first drag show at the Copa back in 1990…(trails off) (laughs). It was like 20 years ago but, it really started off as a dare. And I couldn’t get enough after I won my first little drag show.

OG: Now how did you get to RPDR?

LR: Now that, you know, I was like at a crossroads with my career. I was debating on whether I was going to continue with the pageantry system, or if I needed a change. I just simply started off with an email, and sent them an email. Two days later, I got a phone call…made my video…and…started jumping through hoops (laughs).

OG: What were your first thoughts when you walked into the workroom?

LR: Oh my word, it was so surreal. And you are like, you are looking around and it’s enormous. It’s enormous…and overwhelming. And I’m just like, “Wow, I’m really here.” And it took a little bit for me to realize I was here actually, it took me until Alisa [Summers] was eliminated , then I realized, “Yeah, it just got real.” (laughs).

OG: What was the most memorable thing about RuPaul’s Drag Race?

LR: The whole experience for me was way more than I expected to get out of it. I had a lot of healing to do, apparently, and I learned a lot about myself as far as how strong and sure I was of myself. And I didn’t know that I could push myself beyond the bounds that I did. And it was a growing experience for me, you know, and you can’t really put a 100,000 price tag on that. I bonded with the girls, I was able to help them heal and I was able to heal myself through helping them.

OG: We saw a lot in the Untucked episodes that you took on a kind of motherly role with the girls, and helped them with not just drag but real life as well. How important is being a role model?

LR: I think it’s very important, because I think that has been something that has been lacking in our drag community. Not only our drag community, in the whole GLBT community. We lost touch of the family values that we used to have back in the day. I am from the old school; when a girl needed help you were there, it was not something to think about or consider. It was just done. We get so caught up in the cattiness and the bitchiness side of drag, and we’ve been entertained by that! But it’s time to show some heart too.

OG: This show has brought drag to the main stream; a lot of people are now seeing drag performers that may have not seen them before. The show takes drag nationally and internationally, what do you think that does for not only the drag community but the GLBT community at large?

LR: I am so thrilled because RuPaul has done such a dynamic job of breaking drag into the mainstream; and its given us…its put a light on something that otherwise was very, you know, looked upon as not so cute. You know, people had their own judgments and preconceived notions of what drag [queens] are and what we do, but now they are getting to see that it is an art form and appreciate it for what it really is.

OG: Now let’s talk a little about the competition. In TV-land we see that every week there is a different competition, different challenge. What is the pace of the show? How long are you actually filming and recording?

LR: The entire filming is like, five weeks. So, in our time we see these bitches going every other day. So it’s really fast. When we walked into the workroom and like, “Oh my God there is nobody here,” it was really nobody here; it’s really crazy, because just last week there were 13 bitches. You see what I’m saying?

OG: Ohh, yeah, I see.

LR: Yeah, so in TV world, in your world when you are watching it, it looks effortless. It looks like we have all the time in the world. No. (laughs)

OG: I’ve seen some of the things that you do, like designing costumes; I know that takes time! So you guys are turning these things out in a day? Oh wow!

LR: [RuPaul’s Drag Race] is like, if you combine Project Runway, with America’s Next Top Model, and they had a baby…THAT’S drag race. It’s so intense, and it’s so involved. Like, you don’t have time to second guess yourself, because if you start second guessing yourself you’re gonna lose yourself and you’re gonna lose out.

OG: What was your favorite challenge in the competition?

LR: Well I loved the wrestling challenge; that was so much fun! And I still have my feelings that I should have won that challenge, but I loved the boat challenge. I got to be creative and do what I do, and show a different side of Latrice and it was just really awesome. Plus it had to do with pride and that was awesome.

OG: We saw a little bit of tension between you and Santino; is that still there? Have you guys kissed and made up yet?

LR: I haven’t seen Santino since the show. So maybe on the reunion we can do a little kissy-huggy-grabby-feely and make up. But, I have no ill will for him. I just want to make sure he understands the error of his ways and that he has to address people in a certain kind of way. I’m not your average bitch, so I won’t tolerate it or take it.

OG: In other drama, Willam seemed to have a lot of drama with the other characters, but at some points people were warming up to him. What was your experience with him? You guys did seem to see eye-to-eye eventually.

LR: I gave Willam the benefit of the doubt. I wanted to just sit back and watch and see how she would play out, see what kind of person she was. Willam is just such a warm person and she really does have a good heart, and she’s smart and funny and witty, and I love her. But, the reason that she came across the way she did, is because she didn’t come up in the drag circuit. So she had no clue how to be a drag queen and what drag etiquette was. So…she got her schooling. She definitely got schooled because these bitches not having it bitch! I don’t care if you are wearing designer shoes…you don’t know how to put on makeup! (laughs)

OG: There’s shadow, going on! Ok, so you were sent home in the show a couple of weeks ago (in TV time). Why do you think you were sent home at that point?

LR: You know everything happens in time for a reason, and you know, really I knew it was my time. I could feel it in my heart. You could see in Untucked that I was really doing my swan song then and trying to bring the girls back together ‘cause they were a hot giggly mess. But, you know I felt like, that they felt like that I was going to be OK either way, which is true; I am doing amazingly. I wasn’t sad that I left; I was more overwhelmed at the overall experience and what I got out of it. And I was just so gracious and thankful that RuPaul saw something in me. So you know, I was not mad, it was not my time. And if it came down to it, of course, they are gonna keep Phi Phi. Because, you know, she is good TV and good drama. (laughs)

OG: Now that the show is almost wrapped and you’re touring all over the country, what’s next for Miss Latrice?

LR: I’m working on several projects, and I couldn’t be busier and I couldn’t be happier with all of the things going on. I just recorded my new single, so I’m gonna be coming out with something for the kids…

OG: Oooh!

LR: Yes! A little circuit club track…a little cunt track.

OG: Do you have a timeframe?

LR: No I don’t, maybe by summer, early summer. It’s being worked on. It’s exciting. And I have some other projects I’m doing and been doing, and I am excited about that as well. So this is not the last you’ve seen of me, trust and believe! The track is called “Excuse my Beauty.”

OG: Is there anything you would like to say to your outlook fans?

LR: Just that this has been the most amazing city, I can’t even tell you. Because, like, I didn’t expect it number one…you know, you live and learn. But, Columbus has turned my party, and I just couldn’t be happier. And I love all of you, and I will definitely be back. Definitely!

We thank Latrice, Jason from LOGOtv and Sam from Roy G. Biv for their help with this interview.

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Department of Theatre presents:

 The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat

 as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade

By Peter Weiss
Directed by Mark Mann

Program Note by Eve Nordyke, Dramaturg

In the 18^th century, people with psychological disorders, neurological conditions, and disruptive social and political beliefs were often confined to asylums where harsh treatment was used to “cure” them.  By 1808, when Weiss’ play takes place, asylum director Coulmier had introduced more compassionate treatment including artistic expression as therapy.  The Marquis de Sade, declared insane for his libertine sexuality and explicit sexual writings, was encouraged to write and direct plays using the inmates as actors.  De Sade never directed a play about the assassination of radical French revolutionist Jean-Paul Marat by 24-year old Charlotte Corday.  However Peter Weiss used the subject in his 1964 play to allow de Sade and Marat to discuss, in the play within this play, whether real social change can come from political revolution.  As Weiss said, “Our play’s chief aim has been to take to bits great propositions and their opposites, see how they work, and let them fight it out.”

The play’s relevance today lies in the complaints of social and economic inequality that led to the Occupy Wall Street movement. Protesters chanted, “We are the 99%,” referring to the concentration of wealth in the hands of the 1% richest. In 18^th century France, the focus of the Marquis de Sade’s play, commoners revolted because social equality and anti-poverty measures were not happening fast enough, thus bringing about the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror that followed.

Dates and Times:

Thursday, May 3 – Saturday, May 5 at 7:30p
Sunday, May 6 at 3p
Thursday, May 10 – Saturday, May 12 at 7:30p
Sunday, May 13 at 3p

Thursday, May 17 – Saturday, May 19 at 7:30p

Location:

Roy Bowen Theatre, Drake Performance and Event Center, 1849 Cannon Dr.

Summary:

The Marquis de Sade, when an inmate of the Asylum of Charenton, staged plays that were performed by fellow inmates. With this point of departure, Peter Weiss has created one of the most powerful and exciting plays of the century. 

Tickets:

General public $18; OSU faculty, staff, Alumni Association members $15; senior citizens $15; students, children $13

Theatre Box Office:

(614) 292-2295

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GLEE AND TWILIGHT STARS LEAP TO WHITE FROG

Somebody must have once given indie filmmaker Quentin Lee good business advice about keeping his overhead low and never giving up. Because while most of the world wasn’t looking, the gay director has racked up five well-regarded indie features, including The People I’ve Slept With, Drift and Shopping For Fangs, a couple of documentaries and several short films. Are they busting down box offices? No, but they get made and they get seen on screens at film fests and art house theaters. Ask anybody in the film business and they’ll tell you that equals success. And for Lee’s next project, the high profile stars are coming out to play. The film is called White Frog and it stars Booboo Stewart (part of the Twilight wolf pack) as a young man with Asperger’s syndrome who brings about change in his family. It features Glee’s Harry Shum Jr. in a pivotal role, Teen Wolf’s Tyler Posey, Law and Order SVU star BD Wong and Twin Peaks alum Joan Chen. Be on the lookout for it to start making the film festival rounds this summer. Then buy a ticket and support small films. It’s the least you can do after paying money to see Battleship.

ACTIVIDAD PARANORMAL

It’s not a sequel or a reboot, but it is a marketing decision, make no mistake. That’s the only way to describe the next project from the Paranormal Activity production team of Jason Blum, Oren Peli and gay writer-director Christopher Landon (son of Michael). They’re hard at work developing a Paranormal Activity-style film with a Latino cast and a plot involving Catholic concepts of evil and the paranormal. Landon will write and direct this one (he’s already written PA2 and PA3, so he’s ready) and production on the English-language film starts soon. And why? Well, with the United States Latino population growing faster than any other ethnic group, it stands to reason that there’ll be more Latino-themed cultural product coming along, and what better, more opportunistic plan is there than a tiny-budgeted horror film that grabs all its cash back and more on opening weekend? Meanwhile, as long as it doesn’t turn into a tacky Virgin Mary vs. La Llorona cage match, who’s to say there’s anything wrong with that?

OSCAR-WINNING LESBIANS MAKE A BREAK FOR CANADA IN CLOUDBURST

Olympia Dukakis won hers for Moonstruck, while U.K. actress Brenda Fricker won hers for My Left Foot. Those wins would be Academy Awards, by the way, and the lauded ladies are now going to star side-by-side in the latest film from gay Canadian director Thom Fitzgerald (Beefcake, Three Needles). Dukakis and Fricker will star as an older lesbian couple, with Fricker finding herself placed in a nursing home by her adult children. But when those same family members decide to shut out Dukakis from the home the women have built together, the pair decides to break out and run off to be married in Canada. No one seems to bother telling them that Canadian laws don’t hold in the U.S., but that doesn’t stop them from taking one last stab at freedom. Think Thelma and Louise only with two women who have kissed more than once, and then catch it when it comes to a local film festival or independent cinema near you.

CORPUS CHRISTI: THE DOCUMENTARY

Corpus Christi, the play by Terrence McNally that retells the New Testament gospels from the perspective of Jesus and his disciples as a group of gay men living in modern-day Texas, is probably the most argued-over American play to come along in the past 15 years. From its 1998 Broadway debut to regional productions, the play is frequently the target of protests, attempts to ban or cancel it, death threats and bomb scares. So you know it’s got to be good. And now the story of the play’s reception is a big screen documentary, Corpus Christi: Playing With Redemption, from filmmakers Nic Arnzen and James Brandon. The film follows the play as it cuts its controversial path across the country, including a production in Corpus Christi, Texas. Premiering at San Francisco’s Castro Theater on April 29 before its eventual cable/DVD/download future, it’s an important contribution to the dialogue over artistic freedom, the First Amendment and United States citizens who don’t really like either one.

Romeo San Vicente doesn’t walk on water, it just seems that way. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.

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by Mark Gist

On May 19 and 20, the Columbus Santa Maria replica will change from a 1490s ship to one from the 1690s, as pirates commandeer the vessel. More than 30 historical re-enactors are expected to come for the event providing demonstrations of how pirates really lived. There will be a battle both days at 2p when pirates attack the ship from open boats.

Who were the real pirates and how do they relate to Christopher Columbus?

Piracy in the Caribbean was a direct result of Columbus’s voyage. For the first hundred years after Columbus, the Spanish dominated colonization in the Americas. During the 17^th century, other European countries established colonies but Spain was still exporting vast wealth. During times of war, beginning with Queen Elizabeth I, English sailors were given charters allowing them to raid Spanish shipping. Francis Drake and Henry Morgan were both privateers and were knighted for their efforts.

By the 1690s, England and Spain were at peace with each other so privateer raids were outlawed. That left outright piracy.

The period being recreated is known as the Golden Age of Piracy, which ran from about 1690 to 1720. During this period, English and French colonial governors unofficially encouraged piracy because of the wealth it brought to the colonies. These colonies were often poorly defended and the pirates gave the colonies extra defenders.

For the Santa Maria event, reenactors are serious amateur historians coming from six different states, and will represent what pirates actually looked like, instead of what we usually see during Halloween. Therefore, these scalawags will be outfitted in clothing and weapons from the Golden Age of Piracy. There will be demonstrations of cooking, weapons, games and medicine. At this family-friendly event, kids will be able to join the crew and learn how to load and fire a cannon.

The Santa Maria Ship Museum is a full-size replica of Christopher Columbus’s flagship. It serves as a history museum and flagship for the city. Columbus, Ohio is the largest city in the world named for the famous explorer.

The ship is open from 11a-5p both days on Pirate Weekend. Adult admission is $4, youth 5-17 is $2.50, seniors 60 years and older are $3.50. Purchase tickets in the Santa Maria Visitor Education Center. Limited concessions will be available. The ship is located in Battelle Riverfront Park, 25 Marconi Blvd in downtown Columbus. Parking is located nearby on N Front St For additional information on the event, call Linda Ketcham at office at 614.645.8760 or contact the ship through its website at www.santamaria.org.

In case of rain, the battle will consist of pirates on the ship fighting off an unseen enemy.

Linda Ketchum is the Executive Director at The Santa Maria, a member organization of the Columbus Arts Marketing Association. CAMA’s mission is to promote awareness of and participation in the arts and cultural opportunities in Greater Columbus through collaborative marketing and public relations projects, and to provide professional development opportunities for members. For information visit www.columbusartsmarketing.org. Read weekly columns by CAMA members online at outlookcolumbus.com.

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by Erin McCalla

“We have become a disposable society,” Chuck West Carnahan says as he starts to explain his newest endeavor, Canned.

Carnahan, an outlook design intern and community ally, has decided to embark on a two-part project that combines film, recycling and philanthropy. First, he plans on collecting 1 million aluminum cans, which will weigh a little over 16.5 tons. Lowe’s Home Improvement has generously donated 15 collection bins to be placed all around the Capital City for citizens to donate their can collections. A bin is even conveniently stationed at the Greystone Building where the outlook office is located. So drink up, and show us your cans! (Bet you didn’t think you’d hear that saying outside of Mardi Gras…)

Over the next year, he will continually round up his bins, individually clean and crush each can and store them in a facility in West Jefferson. When Carnahan has collected the accumulation of aluminum, he plans to use the mass as a visual aid for the second part of his project: a feature length documentary.

The documentary will “explore the immense waste produced around the world every day” and the life cycle of an aluminum can. Aluminum is the most abundant metal on Earth, and he will examine how it is “birthed” through strip mining, its life on the shelf, the death of a can by throwing it in the trash without thinking, and its rebirth through recycling.

“This isn’t a story about global warming, greenhouse gases, carbon footprints or anything else that partisan politics has monopolized for its own ends,” states Carnahan. “You always hear about living sustainably in a political way. I’m going to try to stay politically neutral – if that’s even possible. Real change doesn’t come from government mandates; real change comes from individuals trying to do their best to make changes in their own lives.”

And the change Carnahan wants to see is for recycling to become second nature, but knows that it isn’t a quick fix, and might take several generations.

In the documentary, Carnahan’s journey will take him beyond aluminum. He wants to travel to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and Midway Island, where albatrosses’ bellies are so full of plastic waste from the ocean that they bring ashore tons of plastic each year. Since 90% of food packaging goes to a landfill and most of the US’s landfill material is sent overseas, Carnahan wants to visit the landfills of India and the Philippines. He also wants to explore the Bauxite mines in Brazil, where most the US gets most of its aluminum. Carnahan wants to interview ecologists and scientists and spend some time with the people who live off the grid who get all they need from a self-sustaining source. He also might live with some “freegans” in New York City or Los Angeles, who only use and eat items that come out of the trash.

But how will he pay for this potentially expensive project? All the money that he earns from the aluminum cans will be donated to the Friends of the Scioto River, not to fund the filming of his documentary. The organization promotes the protection and public enjoyment of the Scioto River watershed.

“I wanted to give to a charity based on local ecology. They clean and educate – they aren’t constantly protesting something, and they do really good work,” explains Carnahan. “The Scioto is the heart of Columbus and affects every surrounding community in some way.”

So I ask again… how will he fund this project? For that, he is turning to Kickstarter, the world’s largest funding platform for creative projects. Here’s how it works: You set a goal, and the clock starts running for you to reach the set dollar amount. If you earn enough donations, you will receive the money; if you don’t reach your goal, you don’t get a penny. To play it safe, Carnahan is asking for $20,000 but hopes to receive $50,000 to make the documentary he is envisioning.

He doesn’t plan on making any money from this venture, but he hopes that he doesn’t have to spend thousands out of pocket. “If I don’t raise enough money, I’ll still be able to film it, but it won’t be as grand; it won’t be everything it could be.”

Realistically, the project will take 18 months after he receives the money from Kickstarter. He will then shoot it, narrate it and do all the motion graphics himself.

After its completion, Carnahan plans to submit the documentary to Central Ohio, national and international film festivals including the famous Sundance and Cannes. This will be Carnahan’s first feature length documentary, and he hopes to use it as a launching pad to make bigger and better films. He already has ideas for future documentaries.

“I’m an unknown so I will send it everywhere and see what I can get,” chuckles Carnahan. “I never intended to but if I can make a career out of this, then I might as well do what I love.”

Carnahan is hoping his message will inspire huge changes in the way we live our lives, so as a community, let’s try to change his life by allowing him to make the documentary on his terms. If all of outlook readers donate a dollar, he can easily make his vision a reality. There are incentives to donating larger sums – production credits, the Canned logo on a t-shirt, and even sand from Midway Island.

For more information on his plight, how to donate and the map of all the Lowe’s bins’ locations, visit www.cannedproject.com.

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by Chris Azzopardi

Idina Menzel doesn’t do anything halfway – even when she’s deciding on her gay faves. “It’s so silly,” says the homo-hearted theater queen, surfing Google for “hot gay male celebrities.” Her assistant even gets involved. “This is very important stuff,” Menzel giggles, fully immersed in her search to name her current gay crush.

Neil Patrick Harris? Too typical. George Michael? Maybe 20 years ago.

“Oh, I could do a woman” she realizes, before catching the unintentional humor in that: “I mean, not do a woman.”

And on she goes, scouring the Web relentlessly. Again, she laughs. “(My assistant) just went onto a gay porn site. That’s helpful!”

Ten minutes later, she’s got it: Jane Lynch, Wanda Sykes and Anderson Cooper, because “that makes me sound really smart.” Not that she has to sound anything but beautiful, and that she already does – as demonstrated in her 20 years on stage, from Rent to Wicked (originating the roles of Maureen and Elphaba, respectively), and as a cradle-robbing club leader on Glee.

Now the ever-sweet Broadway diva has a new live album, Idina Menzel Live: Barefoot at the Symphony, and plans to hit the road this summer for a series of tour dates. Menzel caught up with us recently to talk toes, hubby Taye Diggs’ gay tendency and learning the real definition of “white party.”

CA: Barefoot at the Symphony is the name of the new album – do you have nice feet?

IM: They’re all right. My toes are pretty in proportion to each other. No weird toes.

CA: Is the second toe longer than the big toe?

IM: No, they’re actually nice like that. It’s just that – from working out and stuff – my heels are always dry. But the toes are nice!

CA: Will your tour be a lot like this album?

IM: The album is a culmination of a year and a half of touring and playing with these amazing symphonies. So, this summer when I go on tour, I obviously need to retain some of the songs that I know people would shoot me for if I didn’t sing them, but I am going to clean the slate and freshen up the show and explore some brand-new material.

CA: Do people expect you to fly when you do “Defying Gravity”?

IM: No, I don’t think they do. (Laughs) But I’m sure they expect me to hit very high notes, which isn’t always an easy thing to do.

CA: How did it go over when you covered “Poker Face” with the symphony?

IM: It’s funny: The audience was everyone from theater people to symphony people to just your regular audience coming to see some entertainment for the evening. But “Poker Face” was great. I did it because I knew people would like to see something from Glee and I thought the juxtaposition of the song with the orchestra could be really cool, but I didn’t realize it would become a comic piece for me. The first couple of times I did it, I realized these stories and I stopped the full-on symphony in the middle of the song, which you never do, to tell people the story behind it. Then it just started becoming this little creature that I used every night as a way of singing that song but also having fun with the audience and being really spontaneous.

CA: On the album you recall a crush you had on a gay professor during your freshman year in college. What was it about him that you were so into?

IM: Well, first, I didn’t realize he was gay until later in life, but he was just so intense and he was the kind of teacher that you know you trusted and respected so much that also could make you cry in a second, because he saw right through you and challenged you and expected the most of you. For me, when I got in front of class and felt like I was disappointing a teacher, I would just get so demoralized. That feeling never goes away. Whether you’re standing up in front of 10 people in a class or 5,000 people in an audience, the idea of opening your soul and making yourself really vulnerable is quite terrifying and sometimes, if you’re not prepared, you get really thrown.

CA: Since you have a history of falling for gay men, did Taye have to pass some kind of test?

IM: No. Please. He went to the School of the Arts in Rochester and majored in theater in Syracuse, and so many of his friends were gay before we even met.

CA: Oh, Idina, these are all red flags.

IM: (Laughs) Yeah, he’ll even engage in “runway” at parties at the house if we pull out the carpet and it’s late at night, he has a couple of drinks and Taye will even do runway… if you give him enough alcohol.

CA: Who has the bigger gay following?

IM: I think I do! (Laughs)

CA: You know, you take everything from the gays: Taye Diggs, kissing Puck on Glee, waking up with Patrick Dempsey in Enchanted. What do you have to say for yourself?

IM: That’s some good stuff, huh? In my defense, I’m a mom of a 2-year-old and – like, right now I’m in the ugliest outfit, practically PJs, and my hair hasn’t been washed in two days – and if I didn’t have those opportunities, I’d never feel like a woman again.

CA: What was your recent gay cruise experience on Atlantis’ Allure of the Seas like?

IM: I learned the white party doesn’t necessarily mean you wear white suits; it means you wear as little as possible and maybe some white Hanes underwear and angel wings. (Laughs) I learned that I will never go on a cruise ship again unless it’s a gay cruise because I am now ruined forever. The creativity and the passion and the fun will be unmatched. The best audiences of my life. It was just a blast. There are a bunch of sides to yourself, but it’s nice to just let ’er rip. And sing some duets with some drag queens!

CA: What would you tell your son, Walker, if he came out to you?

IM: Hopefully I wouldn’t have to say much by then. Hopefully he’ll grow up in an environment where he won’t think much of it and it will be very commonplace and yet, if for some reason that discussion did arise, Taye and I would say, if we were to have a son or daughter who were gay, they wouldn’t meet any resistance with us. We always take five steps forward and two steps back, but in our house, in our family and with our friends, he already is in the company of – and loved by – all sorts of people.

(Taye and I) have very supportive parents, and so it’s more the outside world that tends to put some stigma on it, even in this day and age. I’d probably say Taye has more responsibility to African-American people, not feeling like he’s let them down in some way. I think it’s just about raising a son that’s going to be mixed race and how to tackle that and what that means – even religiously and spirituality, we have a lot of stuff ahead of us. I want to be really clear and defined so that it’s not confusing.

CA: Is your character on Glee, Shelby, done for?

IM: You know, I don’t know. They’re saying I’m coming back, but you never know. Maybe they’ll go with another storyline. But I love being there. I love the energy on set, and I certainly did enjoy being hot for teacher and having the 17-year-old man with the Mohawk to kiss on. But they keep things really close to the vest, so it’s hard to tell.

CA: Are you looking at being a part of a musical again?

IM: Yeah, but nothing that I really can speak of yet. I’m trying to give people their space to create and do their thing, but that’s my goal. I’m putting my energy toward trying to get back to New York City in an original piece, just because that’s where I’ve had the most success and where I feel the most fulfilled. That process of standing at the piano with a composer and a writer as they’re creating from scratch and using you as inspiration – there’s nothing like that.

CA: Any word on a Wicked movie?

IM: No. I just always hear that if it came about Kristin (Chenoweth) and I would probably be too old, which is really annoying considering all the CGI you can do these days. I called them and told them, “What about Avatar?!” You never know, but I kind of don’t hold my breath on that one. And I feel lucky enough that I got to do the Rent movie 10 years after I actually originated the role. So we’ll see about Wicked.

CA: So much has happened in your career since playing Maureen in Rent. Is that still a part of you?

IM: Yes, because I put it in my show all the time in some capacity, so it actually forces me to get back in touch with that time in my life and what it represented and how I’ve grown since then.

CA: What about Wicked? Do you have nightmares about going green?

IM: Yes! I actually have those recurring theater nightmares. It’s not always just Wicked; it could be Rent, and they just desperately need me. The girl playing the role at the time can’t get in and there’s no one around. They call me and I’m like, “Of course I remember how to do it!” and I get on a dark and dreary stage that looks nothing like any set I’ve ever been on before and I can’t remember a single line and I don’t know how to put the green makeup on and I start having a meltdown.

You know what’s “wickedly” awesome? Idina Menzel will be performing at the Columbus Commons with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra’s Picnic with the Pops at 8p on June 23. And who knows, you might be able to “rent” a moment of her time at a special meet and greet brought to you by your pals at outlook. Details to come.

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Gypsy

Book by Arthur Laurents
Music by Jule Styne
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Suggested by memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee
Original production by David Merrick & Leland Hayward
Entire production originally directed & choreographed by Jerome Robbins

April 25-29, May 3-5 (April 25 is a school matinee performance)
Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall, 30 S. Grove St., Westerville

If you thought you knew stage moms, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Before TLC and Lifetime had us couch-bound and pleasure-bitten, there was Gypsy, the show about a mother to end all mothers… set to music.

“This show puts Toddlers & Tiaras to shame,” says Abbey Bay, the production stage manager. “Those moms don’t make their kids remove their clothes for the sake of stardom.”

The Otterbein University Department of Theatre and Dance production of Gypsy is a tragically glittered story of ambition and the bitter pursuit of a mother’s success. The musical famously trails the story of Rose and her two daughters as they chaotically traverse the country on the vaudeville circuit. Rose will stop at nothing to get her daughters’ names in lights, landing them in the unlikeliest of circumstances. Belting and, yes, even burlesque ensue.

“Rose is using her daughters’ talents rather than cultivating them,” says junior Musical Theatre major Lili Froelich, who plays the prodigal daughter and tap dancer, June, this spring at Otterbein. “While June’s mother, known as Mama Rose, ‘aids’ her in becoming a performer, her stimulus is not from her daughter’s desire to perform, but rather from her own displaced anguish from her lost performance past and her need to keep the family afloat through rough financial times.”

Froehlich, who hails from Fort Worth, Texas, assured us that her own life and upbringing were very different. “My mother always encouraged me to do what I loved, and once I discovered my passion for performing, aided me in every way possible.”

Aiding in every way possible is precisely what Mama Rose is trying to do, according to Otterbein senior Emma Brock, who plays the matriarch onstage. “I totally believe that Rose is just trying to make everyone happy… It’s a balancing act between knowing when you need to put yourself first and when you put others first.”

Brock adds her personal connection to this role, “When do I say enough is enough and when do I stop pleasing everyone and do things for me? Unfortunately, Rose never stops. She pushes so hard to make people happy that she pushes them away.”

It’s this sort of blind ambition that eats us alive, but that we, as viewers, just can’t get enough of. It’s the very thing that keeps us tuned in when reality TV’s Amber Lee is screaming at all those dance moms! The drama of this rags-to-riches story is equally matched by the luster of stage lights and sparkling high notes, a constant battle between illusion and reality, mother and daughter. You can almost feel the mascara running. This is two acts of commercial-free entertainment that you don’t want to miss.

Otterbein University Theatre will present Gypsy at 7:30p Thursday April 26, at 8p April 27 & 28, at 2p April 29, and 8p May 3-5 in the Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall, 30 S. Grove St., Westerville. Tickets are $25 each.  Student Rush discounts are available one hour prior to curtain, pending ticket availability. Call (614) 823-1109 or visit the Art Scene page at www.otterbein.edu/drama for more information about the Otterbein University Theatre season.

The box office is open 10a – 4p. Monday through Friday and one hour prior to performances. The box office is located in Cowan Hall, 30 S Grove St., Westerville.

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“Mambo!”

The Sharks and the Jets are rumbling and taking over the Ohio Theatre until April 22^nd. West Side Story first debuted on Broadway in 1961 when Arthur Laurents readapted the Shakespearean story of Romeo and Juliet, with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and choreography by Jerome Robbins.

It was revived in 1980 and most recently in 2009 with the contemporary inclusion of Spanish lyrics and dialogue.

As expected, the athletic choreography and its execution were unparalleled, and choreographer Joey McKneely drew heavily from Robbins’ original moves. The skill level of these dancers can’t be spoken of enough, and I audibly “wow-ed” during “Cool” and “America.” The dance-fighting of the street gangs if occasionally mocked by comedians or SNL, but it takes incredible discipline and endless practice to be a part of this production. The movements were as exciting and beautiful and energetic as I had hoped and expected.

I only had one complaint about the show. The use of Spanish dialogue and lyrics, while making the musical more authentic and believable, somewhat detracted from the performance – especially if you don’t speak/understand a lick of the language. Sure, everyone knows the plot of West Side Story, and can probably allude to what the Sharks and their girlfriends are saying, but if you’re a first timer, you might spend time trying to figure it out, rather than enjoying the spectacle before you. And the traditional fans sometimes just want to hear the original lyrics that they have come to know and love. All that being said, I found it impressive that there were so many talented bilingual actors to fill the roles.

In fact, all the main characters played their parts well. Riff (Drew Foster) was everything you needed him to be – loyal, misguided yet endearing. Bernardo, played by understudy Waldemar Quinones-Villanueva, was all machismo with hips that seemed to be on a swivel. Tony (Ross Lekites) was honest and earnest and had an intensity that one would expect from the Romeo-based character. Maria (Evy Ortiz) was painfully naïve and somewhat grating – but that is no fault of the vocally impressive Ortiz. I believe it’s how Maria was written and therefore should be portrayed. Anita, played by Michelle Aravena, evoked chills and made my eyes well up with tears during her final scene at Doc’s pharmacy. She stole the show and I think the audience agreed, judging from their reaction to her bow during the curtain call.

Even though I know how the tale ends, I can’t help but still silently wish that Tony is successful in stopping the fateful rumble, or that Tony and Maria can get to their “Somewhere” before Chino finds them. That maybe this time it will be different. But alas, it wasn’t. Maybe next time.

The score, the choreography, the palatable drama and timeless story make this tragedy a mainstay in musical theater.

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Tom Hardy as gay rugby star. Yes, we buy it.

It wasn’t bad news to hear that Mickey Rourke wanted to play Welsh gay rubgy star Gareth Thomas in a new film about the athlete’s 2009 professional coming out process, but it was, admittedly, odd news. After all, Rourke is in his late 50s and Thomas in his mid-30s. How would it work? And then came news that even Rourke wasn’t convinced he was up for the role’s physical demands. Enter Tom Hardy, currently in talks to take on the part. Talk about easy casting. This is a man whose body is more than up to the challenge (see Warrior or Bronson for all the proof you need) and whose chameleon-like abilities can see him dance around the edges of a film like Inception or practically into the woodwork in films like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. And as for gay? He did that already too, slow-dancing with Gerard Butler in Rock-n-Rolla. Somebody teach this guy the finer points of rugby and get the cameras rolling.

Sofia Vergara in bed with Sharon Stone and…

Take one actress best known for an iconic lesbian role and another actress that lesbians simply wish would switch teams, put them both in a new film and what do you have? Sharon Stone and Sofia Vergara in bed together in something called Fading Gigolo. And while you’re pretending that the title of the film isn’t inherently off-putting and that you’re just happy to hear about a lesbian component in a new comedy, here’s bit of a twist in the fantasy good news: their sex scene will also involve John Turturro, the writer and director of the project, who stars in the Hung-like film as a man forced into prostitution out of economic necessity. Look, don’t blame the messenger. And besides, it could be Woody Allen in that threeway instead of Turturro, because he’s co-starring in the film, as well. So just count your blessings.

What that gay guy from Happy Endings is doing next

No, Adam Pally isn’t gay. He just plays one on TV. And the slovenly, irresponsible, no-rule-or-stereotype-abiding “Max,” on the hilarious, fast-paced sitcom Happy Endings, is unlike any gay character yet seen in primetime on a major network. So it’s good news to see the likeable Pally taking on a film role, during the show’s summer hiatus, in A.C.O.D. (which stands for “Adult Children of Divorce”). The comedy also stars Amy Poehler and Adam Scott, Jane Lynch, Jessica Alba and Catherine O’Hara. Weirdly enough, Poehler and Scott play romantic partners on Parks and Recreation but here Poehler will be Scott’s stepmother, the third wife of his older father. No word on what Pally’s character gets up to, but he’s showed a very specific kind of range on the other TV projects, notably as the “Young Hollywood Douchebag” on Californication and, well, the “douchey” guy on NTSF:SD:SUV. Here’s to future typecasting.

Barbra Streisand and Downton Abbey creator takes on Gypsy

The sharp-tongued Dowager Countess might look askance, eyebrows at full arch, at a man who works for a living, but the man who invented her, Oscar-winning writer (for Gosford Park) and Downton Abbey imagineer Julian Fellowes, can’t seem to stop. Not only is season three of the hit Brit period soap already shooting, but now Fellowes has been hired by Universal to take a pass at the screenplay for their upcoming adaptation of Gypsy. Barbra Streisand and Joel Silver are producing the feature based on Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents’ Tony Award-winning musical. For the young people out there, it’s the story of famed burlesque dancer Gypsy Rose Lee and her relationship with her mother Momma Rose, that already hit theaters in 1962. And as producer, it’s Streisand’s prerogative to play Momma Rose. And that’s just what she’s doing. Get ready, gays.

Romeo San Vicente gives roses to his Momma because she was nothing like Momma Rose. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.

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