Local Theater Spotlight: ‘Billy Elliot the Musical’

Ty Forhan (Billy), Leah Hocking (Mrs. Wilkinson) and the cast of “Billy Elliot the Musical.” Photo by Kyle Froman

When hype typically surrounds a Broadway project most critics enter the theater prepared to be let down. By definition hype is the diabolically linked to expectation, and expectations rarely align with reality.

But sometimes something rare makes an appearance. “Billy Elliot the Musical” is rare.

The hype surrounding Elton John and Lee Hall’s 2005 Tony Award winner for Best Musical has been placed, as it should, on the role of the 11-year-old boy fighting against a social revolution swirling around him just to be who he truly is. A dancer. But the real beauty in “Elliot” is how it somehow captures the truth behind the depression and turmoil during the infamous miners’ strike of 1984 in North Eastern England, while still offering a compelling score.

Billy is a boy who recently lost his mother and is son to a father and brother both embroiled in the minors strike. Some may simply dismiss Billy’s family as over-masculine and misogynistic when they disapprove of Billy trading in his boxing gloves for a pair of ballet slippers, but it’s much more than that. This is a family who can barely put food on the table because they’ve decided to fight for what they believe in. When a boy says he wants to dance it’s as if he’s saying he cares nothing about their revolution, which is being fought in the name of their children.

Peter Darling’s award-winning choreography is the production’s true success. The ensembles’ movements are interweaved in the everyday lives of the mineworkers and the brutality of the police’s response to the strikers. One ballet lesson specifically sticks out, featuring the dance class dancing with the miners as they work.

Ty Forhan is utterly spectacular as Billy. How the directors found one boy, let alone four to embody the talent needed to carry this show is mind boggling. The pivotal scene where Billy realizes he can no longer deny who he is and his emotions explode into dance is Forhan at his most breathtaking.

Rich Hebert is also compelling as Billy’s father. Herbert peels back the layers of a man who is simply trying to take care of his family and cope with the death of his wife. In the end giving his son a better life than he’s had naturally leads to acceptance.

Leah Hocking offers comedic relief and few tear-jerking moments as Mrs. Wilkinson, Billy’s eccentric dance teacher. She’s at her best when she finds out her first star student has been accepted into The Royal Ballet School and will be leaving her. Struck by the emotions of departure, Hocking also perfectly delivers the sincerity of a woman who’s overjoyed she’s saved one child from having to grow up in the unrest spilling over the streets around them.

Jacob Zelonky is also a delight as Billy’s cross-dressing best friend Michael. I was personally happy to see that they took care to carry this part of the 2000 movie, on which the musical is based, over to the musical. They actually give him a full fledged show-stopping number, complete with full drag, backup dancers and sequined backdrop.

Ian MacNeil’s phenomenally intricate moving set plays almost like one of the dancers as beds, tables, fences and the like move on and off stage mostly by the actors. An extremely large ensemble (especially for a national tour) is draped in Nicky Gillibrand’s authentic depressive mid-‘80s era garb.

There have been many historic civil disputes put to music (“The Good War,” “Hairspray,” “The Civil War”). But too often the topic is watered down succumbing to a peppy score to keep the audience engaged. “Elliot” gives its audience a little more credit. It’s very reminiscent of “Les Miserables,” the definitive piece on the subject of musicals chronicling social unrest. When the show starts with the beginning of the miners strike, you witness a community on the verge of social mutiny. Much like the French Revolution, if depicted with the truth and resiliency of its depressive reality, you can’t help but to find a relative hit on your hands.

“Billy Elliot the Musical” runs through Sunday, March 25, at the Palace Theatre, 34 W. Broad Street, Columbus. Tickets are $28-$78. For more information visit www.capa.com.

Local Theater Spotlight: ‘Next Fall’ by CATCO/Phoenix

Actors (from left to right) Tim Simeone (Brandon), Ralph Scott (Butch), Anne Diehl (Arlene), Cole Simon (Luke), Jon Osbeck (Adam) and Ginna Hoben (Holly) appear in CATCO’s upcoming production of Next Fall. Photo credit: Dave Alkire.

Two gay men, one a staunch conservative Evangelical Christian the other a liberal atheist, fall in love. Hijinks ensue.

That’s the popular premise behind Geoffrey Nauffts’ 2010 Tony-nominated play “Next Fall,” but it’s a description that only scratches the surfaces of his 2 1/2-hour dramedy about the five-year relationship of a gay Manhattan couple.

Nauffts disguises a compelling and intricate deconstruction of the American belief system as a hearty sitcom replete with witty one-liners. Luke (Cole Simon) and Adam (Jon Osbeck) meet on a restaurant patio. Adam is trying to escape his prattling friends and Luke is the cute, younger waiter/”actor” that strikes up a conversation with the lonely older gentlemen. Soon sparks fly and later we see them enjoy breakfast together post-coitus. It’s here where Adam notices Luke praying over his food, and when Luke asks, “Is that a problem,” the true meat of our story begins.

But what makes the play so effecting is it doesn’t simply start with love. We begin in a hospital room five years after the restaurant meet cute, where Luke is fighting for his life after being in a life-threatening accident. Adam arrives to the hospital waiting room to Luke’s conservative parents (Anne Diehl and Ralph E. Scott), up for Florida, who Luke has yet to tell he’s gay. Adam and Luke have been together five years.

This better paints a picture of the palpable tensions Nauffts is playing with in “Next Fall,” and CATCO/Phoenix’s production—running through April 1 in Studio One of the Vern Riffe Center, 77 S. High Street, Columbus—packs an emotional punch that can’t be missed.

Director Jimmy Bohr, from Ohio State University, has a assembled a refreshing cast of new and familiar faces.

Osbeck leads as Adam and impressively rides the wave of emotions his character embodies. Forced to always question his disbelief and racked with the guilt of never giving in to his partner’s one wish of salvation as he lies on his death bed. Osbeck pushes his character just far enough to show the true inner turmoil without becoming cliché.

Diehl and Scott, both local theater staples, are true pros as Luke’s Southern-accented parents. Scott is especially captivating as Luke’s intolerant father. He truly embodies the show’s antagonist, the backwoods  bigot who just won’t get a clue. But he does it with a vulnerability that makes you believe his commitment to political incorrectness. When he asks, “Was the nigger a fag?” during a pivotal scene with Simon, it stings and leaves a mark; as such a comment should.

Simon also shines as Luke, becoming a subtle scene-stealing force throughout the flashbacks that chronicle the couple’s relationship. Luke could have easily become as campy bundle of contradictions, but in Simon’s hands he becomes a realistic portrayal of the dichotomy forced upon many who choose to openly live life in their multiple truths.

Tim Simeone and Ginna Hoben are also impressive as supportive friends grappling with their own insecurities about faith while trying to mitigate the tensions between Adam and Luke’s parents.

Nauffts smartly and often beautifully weaves his thesis on the intricacies of faith and religion into a two-act docu-drama on the lives of two people who in most circles would be considered walking contradictions. It not only entertains while combating myths and stereotypes, but never takes sides, forcing to audience to take a moment and mentally catalogue their own belief systems.

CATCO/Phoenix presents “Next Fall” through April 1 in Studio One of the Vern Riffe Center, 77 S. High Street. Tickets are $11 to $40. For more information visit www.catco.org. 

Local Theater Spotlight: ‘Smoke & Mirrors’ by Shadowbox Live

Shadowbox Live keeps stepping off their well-beaten path with each passing production and their latest offering, “Smoke & Mirrors” (running through May 5), is no exception.

Instead of focusing their spring showcase on cliched seasonal topics of tropical vacations and Spring Break, the sketch comedy/rock ‘n’ roll troupe took on the theme of mystery and illusion, even enlisting the help of popular Columbus illusionist Michael Kent. It’s a great idea that offers a few high points, but the follow through doesn’t always hit the mark.

The second act is much stronger than the first, offering as a highlight of the evening “Perplexity,” lifted from their Ballet Met collaboration “7 Deadly Sins.” Julie Klein and Stacie Boord’s strong vocals belt above dancers clad in medieval Phatom of the Opera garb. The routine features a superb  Renee Horton as a central ballerina being “puppeted” by Klein and Boord.

One of my favorite Shadowbox sketches, the radio sleuth spoof “Dr. Mystery” returns featuring a hilarious Robbie Nance as Vaudevillian. Klein and Boord also shine in the sketch “Political Figures of Speech,” where a political candidate (Boord) surprisingly wins over a crowd when her campaign manager (Klein) accidentally fills her speech with bedroom innuendo.

The first act sees a few misses including “Wizard of Pawns” a well staged but poorly executed satire mixing fairy tale characters with the show “Pawn Stars.” And the skit  “Genie Adviser” goes off the rails early, a cliched look at two typical chauvinistic males (Nance and Billy DePetro) who find a genie (Klein) and are offered three wishes.

Shadowbox house band BillWho? shines throughout the night. The Stephanie Shull-led “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” is a delectable treat as is the three harmonied “Killer Queen,” featuring Boord, Amy Lay and Nikki Fagin.

“Smoke & Mirrors” is definitely a bit uneven artistically but this may be accounted for with the fact that the show opened during the run of their Stage 2 production “Torch Songs” and their popular run of the musical “Rent.” The show is definitely enjoyable, as are most nights at Shadowbox, but even Superman knew when he was wearing himself to thin.

“Smoke and Mirrors” runs through May 5 at Shadowbox Live, 503 S. Front Street, Columbus. Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for students. Fore more information visit.   

Local Theater Spotlight: Broadway in Columbus 2012-13 (BEST. SEASON. EVER.)

CAPA just released the Broadway Across America schedule for Columbus and I’m in total shock. The 2012-2013 season will be my fifth year covering the theater scene here in Columbus and this will definitely be the best yet. The list surprisingly features a host of very recent hits (“War Horse,” “Million Dollar Quartet,” “American Idiot”), a couple crowd-pleasing Broadway blockbusters (“Wicked,”  “Beauty and the Beast”) and some of my favorite classics (“Les Miserables,” “White Christmas”).

Check out the full list below with descriptions courtesy of CAPA.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
October 9-14, 2012
Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.)

Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film, this eye-popping spectacle has won over the hearts of more than 35 million people worldwide. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is the classic story of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped in a spell placed on him by an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed to his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity. This timeless musical love story is filled with unforgettable characters, lavish sets and costumes, and dazzling production numbers including “Be Our Guest” and the beloved title song.www.BeautyAndTheBeastOnTour.com

WHITE CHRISTMAS
November 20-25, 2012
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)

The classic holiday movie White Christmas comes to the stage at last! This brand new musical shines with classic Berlin hits like “Blue Skies,” “How Deep is the Ocean?” and of course, the unforgettable title song. Irving Berlin’s White Christmas tells the story of two buddies putting on a show in a magicalVermont inn and finding their perfect mates in the process. Full of dancing, laughter, and some of the greatest songs ever written, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas promises a merry and bright theatrical experience for the whole family! www.WhiteChristmastheMusical.com 

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET
February 5-10, 2013
Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.)

Million Dollar Quartet is the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical inspired by the electrifying true story of the famed recording session that brought together rock ‘n’ roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins for the first and only time. On December 4, 1956, these four young musicians were gathered together by Sam Phillips, the “Father of Rock ’n’ Roll,” at Sun Records in Memphis for what would be one of the greatest jam sessions of all time. Million Dollar Quartet brings that legendary night to life with an irresistible tale of broken promises, secrets, betrayal and celebrations featuring timeless hits including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Fever,” “That’s All Right,” “Sixteen Tons,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “I Walk the Line,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “Who Do You Love?,” “Matchbox,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Hound Dog,” and more. www.MillionDollarQuartetLive.com 

AMERICAN IDIOT
March 19-24, 2013
Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.)

Direct from Broadway, the smash-hit musical American Idiot tells the story of three lifelong friends forced to choose between their dreams and the safety of suburbia. Based on Green Day’s Grammy^® Award-winning, multi-platinum album and featuring the hits “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “21 Guns,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” “Holiday,” and the blockbuster title track, American Idiot boldly takes the American musical where it’s never gone before. With direction by Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening), choreography by Steven Hoggett (Black Watch), and orchestrations and arrangements by Tom Kitt (Next to Normal), the result is an experience Charles Isherwood of The New York Times declares, “thrilling, emotionally charged, and as moving as any Broadway musical I’ve seen this year!” www.AmericanIdiotTheMusical.com

WAR HORSE
April 23-28, 2013
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)

A remarkable tale of courage, loyalty and friendship. England, 1914. As World War One begins, Joey, young Albert’s beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped from England to France. He’s soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary journey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man’s land. But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to find him and bring him home. This powerfully moving and imaginative drama, filled with stirring music and songs, is a show of phenomenal inventiveness that is currently playing to packed houses in London andNew York. At its heart are astonishing life-sized puppets created by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, that bring to life breathing, galloping, charging horses strong enough for men to ride. www.WarHorseOnStage.com

LES MISERABLES
May 14-19, 2013
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)

Cameron Mackintosh presents a brand new 25^th anniversary production of Boublil & Schönberg’s legendary musical, LES MISÉRABLES, with glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo.  This new production has been acclaimed by critics, fans and new audiences and is breaking box office records wherever it goes. The New York Times calls this LES MISÉRABLES “an unquestionably spectacular production from start to finish.” The London Times hails the new show “a five star hit, astonishingly powerful.”  The Star-Ledger says “a dynamically re-imagined hit.  This ‘LES MISÉRABLES’ has improved with age” and NY1-TV proclaims “this new production actually exceeds the original. The storytelling is clearer, the perspective grittier and the motivations more honest. Musical theatre fans can rejoice: ‘Les Miz’ is born again.” Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, LES MISÉRABLES is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit.  The magnificent score of LES MISÉRABLES includes the classic songs “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Stars,” “Bring Him Home,” “Do You Hear the People Sing?,” “One Day More,” “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables,” “Master Of The House” and many more.

WICKED
June 5-23, 2013
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)

Back by “Popular” demand! Variety calls Wicked “a cultural phenomenon,” and when it last played Columbus in 2010, it broke box office records for attendance and sales. Winner of 35 major awards, including a Grammy and three Tony Awards, Wicked is “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster” (The New York Times). Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald green skin, is smart, fiery, and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious, and very popular. How these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good makes for “the most complete – and completely satisfying – new musical in a long time” (USA Today). www.WickedTheMusical.com

Ohio Street Protest for Full Equality in Cleveland will feature historic mass gay wedding March 24

Equality Ohio and GetEQUAL Ohio are teaming up for the Ohio Street Protest for Full Equality taking over Cleveland March 24. This is the third rally of its kind, with average crowd of 400 taking over the downtowns of Cincinnati and Columbus late last year.

The protest’s organizers are expecting a slightly bigger turnout in Cleveland, since this time they’ll be staging a mass wedding featuring 200 couples, the first of it’s kind in Ohio. A rally highlighting speakers from both of the sponsoring organizations along with community leaders from around the state (including yours truly) will be followed by the biggest gay wedding Ohioans have ever seen.

Ed Mullen (Equality Ohio’s executive director) and Tom Morgan (director of GetEQUAL Ohio) both spoke to The Plain Dealer about the protest:

Rallies were held late last year in Columbus and Cincinnati, but Ed Mullen, executive director of Equality Ohio, said this may be the first such event in the Midwest, featuring a mass wedding.

“The more people see what same-sex couples look like and who they are, it enables us to change people’s minds about stereotypes they might have about these couples,” he said.

Mullen noted that this “soft” approach to the issue was a deliberate way of showing how these couples view marriage as “a continuation of loving relationships, and committing yourself to be with someone for the rest of their life.”

He added, “It’s more effective than shouting through a bullhorn, ‘You’re oppressing us.’ If you don’t put people on the defensive from the outset, they might be more willing to listen and learn.”

He believed this rally and similar public events such as the 2014 Gay Games in Northeast Ohio could change attitudes about the gay community and provide “the ability to get the civil rights that we do not have in Ohio.”

Tom Morgan, state lead organizer for GetEQUAL Ohio, said, “Everyone knows they’re not really getting married. This is a tangible representation of the rights we are not afforded, a physical demonstration of the state of inequality in the country and within Ohio.”

Morgan said part of the event also will include collecting signatures on petitions to legally re-define marriage in Ohio.

The protest is set to take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Willard Park located on E. 9th Street and Lakeside Ave. Over 2,400 people have RSVP’d on Facebook. I hope you all can join us, it’s going to be a great day for equality!

The Other Side: Multicultural Gay Love – Showing the World How to Make Love Work

I’ve been commissioned by Outlook Columbus, Central Ohio’s premiere lgbt publication, to write a new monthly column titled “The Other Side” that will offer stories and detailed analysis about the plights faced by gay people of color. I’ll be posting an excerpt from the story here each month with a link to the full story on Outlook’s Web site. Please support those who support us! 

Tommy & Arend

“A tiny all-white church in the rural South has voted to ban interracial couples from joining its flock, pitting members against each other in an argument over race. Members at the Gulnare Free Will Baptist Church in Kentucky voted Sunday on the resolution, which says the church ‘does not condone interracial marriage.’”

When do you think the Associated Press printed the above story? 1952? 1975? How about 1986? Nope. It was December 1, 2011. Just four days after the story surfaced it was reported that the pastor declared the vote null and void because “the vote was not only discriminatory, but it was against the law.”

As someone who grew up in predominately white, rural Delaware, Ohio, I’m well aware of the fact that racism is still alive and well in America, but I was still taken aback by this story. The landmark Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia declared interracial marriage legal nearly 45 years ago in 1967, yet the jury of public opinion still seems to be out on this issue.

This led to me to ask, what about gay multicultural relationships? Racial disparity is definitely still a major issue within the LGBT community. As a black, gay male I definitely feel the sting of double discrimination on occasion. But are couples in multicultural gay relationships dealing with a “triple layer” of injustice?

I’m in a new relationship myself with someone of a different race, so personal curiosity paired with a professional propensity toward analyzing social trends led me on a quest to search out gay couples in such situations to see how they navigated the world of multicultural love.

Finish this article over at OutlookColumbus.com

Review: ‘The House at Pooh Corner’ by The Phoenix Theatre for Children

For their pre-spring children’s showcase The Phoenix Theatre for Children is bundling up in animal fur for their presentation of “The House at Pooh Corner,” showing through March 11 in Studio One of the Vern Rifffe Center, 77 S. High Street, Columbus.

The stage is beautifully set in Hundred Acre Woods where Pooh and the gang are dealing with departure of their long-time friend Christopher Robin (he’s finally starting school). They decide to throw a farewell party but the plans are delayed by the calamity that is Tigger, a troublesome tiger cub who can’t seem to stop bouncing around.

The story directly follows that of the popular children’s tale by A. A. Milne, adapted for the stage by Bettye Knapp. Christopher Robin (Kelan Huffman), Winnie the Pooh (Joe Dallacqua), Piglet (Dionysia Williams), Eyore (Tom Patton), Rabbit (Cody Shope), Tigger (Josie Merkle), Kanga and little Roo (both played by Liz Wheeler) are all there, elaborately costumed by Tatjana Longerot.

All the casts’ faces are covered, as to not destroy the illusion, which could have made the show seem very stationary, but overly expressive movements and the extremely excitable Merkle as Tigger kept the audience of grade-schoolers intrigued. The play is also just over an hour, appropriately short for the attention spans of little ones.

Stephanie Gerckens’s set was one of the most elaborate I’ve seen from CATCO-Pheonix. Colorful and full of nuance it looked like you’d walked into a 3-D version of a Winnie the Pooh storybook.

My 4-year-old isn’t one to say still for longer than a few seconds, but “The House at Pooh Corner” cast and crew have created a show that kept him in his seat and wide-eyed for the duration. That’s a not a feat to be taken lightly.

“The House at Pooh Corner” by The Phoenix Theatre for Children runs through March 11, 2012 in Studio One of the Vern Riffe Center, 77 S. High Street, Columbus. Tickets are $10 for children and $20 for adults. For more information visit http://www.phoenix4kids.org. 

Star-studded L.A. premiere of ‘8’ made history last night with worldwide online live-stream [VIDEO]

Last night the American Foundation for Equal Rights hosted a historic night of theater when they live-streamed the West Coast premiere of the Dustin Lance Black play “8,” based on the Proposition 8 trials in Los Angeles, which sought to reverse a 2008 state-wide vote the declared same-sex marriage illegal in the state.

The premiere last night at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles was directed by Rob Reiner and the cast featured the likes of  George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Martin Sheen, Kevin Bacon, John C. Reilly, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Colfer, Matthew Morrison, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Matt Bomer and George Takei.

Here’s a brief description from 8theplay.com:

Uncover the truth about marriage for gay and lesbian Americans. “8”—a new play by Academy-award winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk, J. Edgar)—demystifies the debate around marriage equality by chronicling the landmark trial of Perry v. Schwarzenegger. Learn about the historical context of marriage from expert testimony. See the human cost of discrimination. Uncover the arguments used to justify bans on marriage for gay and lesbian couples. Using the actual court transcripts from the landmark federal trial of California’s Prop. 8 and first-hand interviews, “8” shows both sides of the debate in a moving 90-minute play.

And here’s the “8” trailer:

The play saw a star-studded staged reading (Morgan Freeman, Cheyenne Jackson, John Lithgow, Rob Reiner, Ellen Barkin) on Broadway back in September to rave reviews, which has subsequently spawned a national phenomenon of sorts. Over the past few months AFER (the organization behind the plantiff’s lawyers during the Prop 8 trials) has been at the forefront of a nationwide marketing effort to promote the West Coast premiere that live-streamed on their website and YouTube.

Here’s a video of Reiner previewing the big night:

The big event last night was the kick-off to the “8” national tour. AFER is also sponsoring staged readings at colleges and universities across the country. If you want your city to host a reading visit 8theplay.com for more information.

Now do yourself a favor and take the time to watch the full all-star West Coast premiere below:

Local Theater Spotlight: ‘God of Carnage’ by New Players Theater

Nick Baldasare, Sonda Staley, Tim Browning and Jill Taylor in New Players Theater's "God of Carnage."

In “God of Carnage,” Yasmina Reza’s 2009 Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning play brilliantly featuring rich white parents behaving badly, all the cards—along with the clothes, the contents of a purse, the flowers and some bodily fluids—are lain out on the table.

Two high society parents—one liberal, the other conservative—civilly meet one afternoon over a pretty brutal schoolyard fight between their 11-year-old sons. After a few well-placed insults, some heavy booze and projectile vomit, what can only be described as carnage quickly ensues.

New Players Theater (showing “Carnage” through Nov. 18 at the Columbus Performing Arts Center, 549 Franklin Ave, Columbus) makes a bold (and much appreciated) move staging such a recent Broadway hit as their first major show of 2012. I personally love when local theater troupes tackle productions hot from Broadway. It shows bravado and a keen eye for the the taste of a modern theatergoer, and NPT hit this one way out of the park.

Director Matt Hermes (last seen in a brilliant undertaking of Beethoven in Available Light Theatre’s “33 Variations”) is astute and takes his time with Reza’s powder-keg of a script, translated by Christopher Hampton. He slowly builds the tension with tempered movements and by the end has the actors flailing about uncontrollably to accentuate their animal-like behavior.

Sonda Staley, a wealthy society wife, and Jill Taylor, a bleeding heart intellectual, are firecrackers that explode with brilliant comedic timing, both perfectly delivering Reza’s searing wit. While Nick Baldasare—a smarmy lawyer who treats his phone like an intricate dance partner, weaving in an out of conversations with ease, to the brutal annoyance of his wife and hosts—and Tim Browning hilariously run the gamut of The Three Stooges, drinking buddies and sparring neanderthals.

Set and lighting designer Tracie Lynn Duncan’s upscale Brooklyn living room is the perfectly ironic backdrop for such buffoonery, but I must admit I didn’t care for the plywood-based hardwood floor high rise the set sat on. A large floor rug would have set the same stylish tone, but eliminated the overwhelming creaking that plagued the performance.

It’s clear that Reza is playing with the age-old juxtaposition of the id and superego in “Carnage,” but she delights in the emotional bloodbath so well that you forget your getting a lesson in Freudian psychoanalytics.

New Players Theater presents “God of Carnage” through Nov. 18 in the Van Fleet Theatre at the Columbus Performing Arts Center, 549 Franklin Ave, Columbus. Tickets are $20 with Sunday shows operating under the company’s “Pay-What-You-Will” program. Visit www.newplayers.org for more information. 

Queer Corner’s hitting the air waves in March!

Queer Corner is taking’s it’s shtick to the radio!

I’ll be hosting a new show with my friend Deo on TalktainmentRadio.com called “Queer Minded!” Heres’ a brief description:

Queer Minded is your weekly hub for all that’s queer and happening in Columbus, Ohio and around the nation. We give our take on the latest LGBT news and entertainment with spicy commentary, exciting guests and always interesting audience feedback. So come kiki it up with us each week with hosts Deo & Dwayne! There’s never a dull moment when you’re Queer Minded!

Each week “Queer Minded” will dedicate a section of the show to “Queer Corner,” which will features the week’s most important LGBT news bites from. Don’t worry loyal fans, I’ll still be posting my take on the LGBT news that matters here on Queer-Corner.com. But please be sure to also support my new endeavor!

Check out the video below announcing the details of our first show, “Safer Sex: How to Make Safe Sex Sexy”:

I’m really excited about this new opportunity and do hope that you’ll support “Queer Minded!” The first show is set to air an the end of March. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and stay tuned for the exact date of our premiere.

And make sure to send us all of your SAFE SEX stories/opinions, future show idea and any other questions you might have to deoanddwayne@gmail.com!

Local Theater Spotlight: ‘Sleeper’ by Available Light

Because of my former position as Associate Producer/Theater Critic at Metromix.com and my current position as a critic/consultant for the Theatre Roundtable of Central Ohio, I have the unique pleasure of seeing lots of community and professional theater in the fine state of Ohio for free. So why not share the love with my readers at Queer Corner? Every week the Local Theater Spotlight will feature a review from a show currently running in Central Ohio. Because, let’s be honest, we queers love us a night at the “theatre!”

Whitney Thomas Eads and Brant Jones in "Sleeper" by Available Light Theatre

Available Light Theatre has become known for their cultural and historical deconstructions (“Killadelphia,” “How to Stay Human,” “Pride & Prejudice,” “33 Variations“), this time they present a little bit of both with “Sleeper,” David Ian Lee’s controversial post-9/11 portrayal of America’s perception and misconceptions of terrorism, showing in the Columbus Performing Arts Center’s Van Fleet Theater, 549 Franklin Ave., through Feb. 25.

Lee’s script left much to be desired but director Matt Slaybaugh’s stellar staging and casting propels the long-winded drama to impressive heights.

“Sleeper” takes the audience on a whirlwind ride though the personal lives of more than a dozen characters in the early 2000s, leading up to the kidnapping, torture and eventual death of an American doctor by terrorists in Afghanistan.

Bobby Guffin (Brant Jones) excessively travels for work as an excuse to continue ignoring his wife, Teri Guffin (Whitney Thomas Eads), instead of dealing with the loss of their young child, while rising conservative television personality Rachel Anderson (Melissa Muguruza Weaver) ignores her husband and daughter for her career and justifies it with a higher duty to bring down the Democratic Party. These are the play’s two main conflicts. Once Bobby is kidnapped the second act takes a sharp turn from dramatic to political as the Afghan brothers (Jordan Fehr and Drew Eberly) passionately argue dogma, while Teri (a civilian-turned-political-pundit as a result of her husband’s disappearance thrusting her into the national spotlight) and Rachel spend an explosive episode  of “American Agenda” arguing patriotism.

Jordan Fehr and Drew Eberly in "Sleeper" by Available Light Theatre

Witty one-liners, stark opinions and charged quick-fire exchanges are the fruit of “Sleeper’s” appeal, and is also where the actors are superb. Fehr and Eberly steal much of the second act and were definitely the night’s highlight for me. Fehr perfectly captures the inner struggles between his duty to his country and his personal conviction, while Eberly takes on the burden of Lee’s most controversial point, putting a sympathetic face on a terrorist.

Jones and Eads accurately ride the wave of emotions affiliated with a dysfunctional marriage. Weaver takes the cake as the show’s antagonist, a rabid Anne Coulter/Bill O’Reilly hybrid, her second act battle with Eads had much of the audience on the edge of their seats. And Franklin Grace, Dan Welsh, Stefan Langer, Sarah Gehring are a kind of “Fantastic Four,” scurrying about, quick-changing through several different roles.

As mentioned the play is a bit on the long side, just creaking past 2.5 hours with a 10 minute intermission. Lee spends much of the play unnecessarily in exposition to make his controversial points clear. And a crowded cast also doesn’t help. But Slaybaugh’s swift direction keeps the play moving from character to character and country to country. The set (Dave Wallingford) and lighting (Jarod Wilson) designs also help elevate the production, literally. A bed is placed on a platform center stage during act one where Eads spends much of her time while much of the action swirls around it, until an impressive first act demolition, signifying Bobby’s capture, turns it into “an undisclosed location.”

Ultimately “Sleeper” does have its faults but with Available Light at the helm it’s still a night of theater that can’t be missed.

“Sleeper” by Available Light Theatre runs through Feb. 25 in the Van Fleet Theater at the Columbus Performing Arts Center, 549 Franklin Ave., Columbus. Tickets are on AVLT’s popular Pay What You Want System. Visit www.avltheatre.com for more information.

Local Theater Spotlight: ‘The Rubenstein Kiss’

Because of my former position as Associate Producer/Theater Critic at Metromix.com and my current position as a critic/consultant for the Theatre Roundtable of Central Ohio, I have the unique pleasure of seeing lots of community and professional theater in the fine state of Ohio for free. So why not share the love with my readers at Queer Corner? Every week the Local Theater Spotlight will feature a review from a show currently running in Central Ohio. Because, let’s be honest, we queers love us a night at the “theatre!”

Acacia Duncan, Kim Garrison Hopcraft, Kal Poole and Rudy Frias in "The Rubenstein Kiss" by CATCO.

CATCO hit the proverbial jackpot with their latest show, “The Rubenstein Kiss,” enjoying an extended run at the Vern Riffe Center, through Feb. 24., as they are hosting the North American premiere of  James Phillips’ London hit based on the true story of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, executed by the government during the 1950’s for treason, charged with sharing information about the atomic bomb with the Soviet Union.

Director Steven Anderson has assembled a knockout cast. And paired with the trope’s stellar design team the show is a definite must see for any theater goer or history buff this side of the Mississippi.

Phillips’ scripts sees some considerable lag at the onset but this quickly subsides as the leveled character dynamics unfold. The story begins with a chance meeting at a museum in front of that iconic photo of the Julius/Ethel kiss (renamed Jakob and Esther Rubenstein). The Matthew and Anna (Ruby Frias and Acacia Duncan) cute meet lead right into a historical flashback with the Rubensteins (Kal Poole and Kim Garrison Hopcraft) having dinner with Esther’s brother David Girshfeld (Geoffrey Martin) and his new fiance, Rachel Liebermann (Julia Free), years before being accused, thus laying Phillips’ stylistic foundation.

It’s soon discovered that Anna is the Girshfeld’s daughter, still haunted by her father’s decision to testify against his own sister she’s on a crusade to reopen the Rubenstein case and acquit her and uncle. And without revealing too much, Matthew’s Rubenstein connection becomes a gasp-inducing jaw-dropper. But the main thrust of the story is this unfailing commitment between two people. Despite their circumstances and with death in sight, Jakob and Esther stay true to each other and their belief of their innocence.

Poole and Hopcraft bleed with love onstage. They are a dramatic dream team that truly captures all of the nuance in unconditional love. Both particularly brilliant in a second-act climax that includes their last interrogation before loosing their last appeal on death row.

Duncan and Frias appropriately travel the typical boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl arc, before the aforementioned revelation sends it off the rails. Duncan also shines in Anna’s few tense scenes with her parents about how the trial and subsequent Rubenstein’s execution destroyed the family.

Supporting players Free and Martin were also strong. Free was force to ride a high emotional wave as a woman just trying to protect her family, while Martin visibly captured the immediate and lifelong guilt of his actions. But attention must be given to Joe Dallacqua who nailed stodgy FBI detective Paul Cranmer, a man battling with the duties of his job paired with his inner conflict over his ultimate respect of Jakob Rubenstein.

The set (Michael S. Brewer), lighting (Cynthia Stillings) and sound (Keya Myers-Alkire) moved almost like it’s own symphony, changing and sometimes twirling with the characters as they swept between eras, while Tatjana Longerot’s vivid costume designs kept us grounded whether in the ’50s or ’70s.

“The Rubenstein Kiss” is making its stop in Columbus while the creator’s debate changes before taking the show to Off-Broadway in New York City. If cut down from it’s long-winded ,two-act 2.5-hour length, I could see this play making a pretty big splash on Broadway. Drama, romantic comedy, sex, betrayal and espionage. It’s a good a night for anyone at the theater.

 “The Rubenstein Kiss” runs though Feb. 24 in Studio Two of the Vern Riffe Center, 77 S. High Street, Columbus. Tickets are $11.50-$40. Visit www.catco.org for more information. 

Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman signs Freedom to Marry pledge

Just after posting the previous story about Freedom to Marry’s petition to have marriage equality added to Ohio’s 2012 election ballot, I learned that Columbus’ Mayor, Michael Coleman has just publicly signed the Mayors for the Freedom to Marry Pledge and the Ohio Elected Officials Freedom to Marry pledge.

Here’s the official announcement from Equality Ohio:

Equality Ohio is pleased to announce that Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman has signed the Mayors for the Freedom to Marry Pledge and the Ohio Elected Officials Freedom to Marry pledge supporting the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. We appreciate his willingness to discuss this issue with community leaders and reach the decision to support full marriage equality. Thank you Mayor Coleman, and we look forward to hearing your 200th anniversary State of the City speech and cheering for you as the Grand Marshal of the Columbus Pride Parade in June.

It’s been reported that Mayor Coleman has been dragging his feet on signing the petition after many mayors, both democrat and republican, across the state and the nation have already signed on. It was a move that was puzzling as Columbus is considered one of the country’s largest gay meccas and Coleman has always been very pro gay rights.

Many local gay rights leaders and organizations came together and put in many man hours to have petitions signed and meetings with the mayor to change his mind.

Whatever the motivations or reason the lag, I say thanks to Mayor Coleman for finally signing the petitions, your commitment to equality is a great example to the state and the nation! And special thanks to all those who tirelessly fought to make this happen!

UPDATE (2/16 at 2:11 p.m.): The Columbus Dispatch has picked up the story and includes the below quote from Coleman’s spokesperson, Dan Williamson, stating why the mayor changed his mind:

“One of the things that pushed the mayor over the top on this issue was a meeting he had with a city employee, a veteran who came back,” Williamson said. “He told the mayor he’s now openly gay, but he had to hide things from his fellow soldiers,” while the don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy was in effect. “He said he was overseas fighting for everybody’s rights but his own.”

 

Freedom to Marry Ohio has started a petition to get marriage equality on the 2012 ballot

An new organization called Freedom to Marry Ohio has started a petition to have a marriage equality added to the state’s 2012 election ballot.

According to a press release for the organization, Freedom to Marry Ohio is a coalition of past and present elected officials, candidates, community and business leaders who are advocating for Marriage Equality in Ohio.The organization is led by Statewide Co-Chairs Tim Hagan (former Cuyahoga County Commissioner) and Andrew Ginther (President of Columbus City Council), and John O’Grady (Franklin County Commissioner). You can find out more by visiting their website, Facebook and Twitter pages.

As their first major project their gathering signatures to have same-sex marriage added to the 2012 ballot. They need 385,245 to make it happen.

The first big step to hitting that number is a goal of 1,000 signature by Wednesday, Feb. 22, which would validate the petition with the Ohio Ballot Board, said Ian James, Freedom to Marry Ohio’s volunteer outreach advocate. If the 285,000 signatures aren’t acquired by the July deadline the organization would be forced to shoot for the July 2013 deadline for the 2013 ballot.

It seems a major component of Freedom to Marry Ohio’s strategy is to included specific wording in the Ohio Constitution that would legalize marriages between same-sex partners, but while giving religious institutions the right to refuse performing same-sex marriage ceremonies. A long time argument for many against marriage equality has been that such laws would force churches to marry gay couples, thus impending or their First Amendment rights to freedom of religion.

If added to the ballot the decision for voters would be to amend the current same-sex marriage ban to read as follows:

In the State of Ohio and its political subdivisions, marriage shall be a union of two consenting adults and no religious institution shall be required to perform or recognize a marriage.

You can sign the petition at Mary Jo Kilroy‘s (who is currently running for Congress) Campaign Headquarters at 1349 E. Broad Street, Columbus. James also said there are now 200 volunteers committed to helping reach the petition’s goals. So get your pens ready!

The Other Side: AIDS in Black (Gay) America

I’ve been commissioned by Outlook Columbus, Central Ohio’s premiere lgbt publication, to write a new monthly column titled “The Other Side” that will offer stories and detailed analysis about the plights faced by gay people of color. I’ll be posting an excerpt from the story here each month with a link to the full story on Outlook’s Web site. Please support those who support us! 

Research by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that there are more new HIV infections among young black men who have sex with men (MSM) than any other racial or ethnic group of MSM. And that the number of new infections among young black gay men is nearly twice that of young white gay men.

This is a statistic that’s kept me up at the night for the better part of three years, when I first started volunteering in the prevention department at AIDS Resource Center Ohio, and has stumped decades of HIV prevention specialists and researchers from across the nation.

I recently took a full-time job with ARC Ohio’s newly developed Greater Columbus Mpowerment Center that will address this problem, and with National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day being February 7, outlook and I thought addressing this issue apropos. But hopefully by the end of this article you’ll realize this struggle is one that deserves your attention year-round.

Finish this article over at OutlookColumbus.com