09.07.17 Publisher’s Desk

09.07.17 Publisher’s Desk

Musical theater is god to me. Yes, I subscribe to the idea that theater is spelled with an er not re at the end. Theatre is like pineapple on pizza. It’s weird. It just doesn’t belong. I digress.

Broadway ranks at the top of the list of my favorite things, right next to Air Supply, of course. I’m holding out for the day I get to see the Broadway show based on Air Supply songs. Can you imagine? My gay heart would explode! Until then, it’s enough for me sit in the park and watch American Stage Theatre Company put on Hairspray, or go to the Calvary Church to see Central Florida Community Arts’ concert version of Titanic: The Musical. Both were incredible, by the way. We are lucky to have such amazing local talent bringing to life Broadway shows that many people don’t get a chance to experience. We are also fortunate to have fabulous venues for Broadway tours to entertain us.

There isn’t much in life that can’t be explained by musical theater. For example, there is an uncanny resemblance between Donald Trump and the Wizard in Wicked. The manner in which both use false information to manipulate the masses is eloquently detailed in Steve Yacovelli’s Watermark column from June, 15, 2017, entitled “Make Oz Great Again.” I often relate my fear of getting sober to “Follow the Fold” from Guys and Dolls where you simply trade your soul for help. In reality, it was more like Dear Evan Hansen’s “You Will Be Found,” where all you have to do is reach out and someone will be there for you. It’s a pretty humbling yet amazing experience.

Growing up, I always wanted to be an actor. I was a huge fan of theater—although it wasn’t always the case with musical theater. My relatives in Bradenton would try their best to get me to like Les Miserables. At the time I had no appreciation for a solid two-hour-and-40-minute singing marathon, specifically not one with zealots singing along to every word.

I had a brush with Broadway greatness when I was in high school. That’s where I first heard the soundtrack to Miss Saigon. I simply fell in love with it. I’m not sure why. In retrospect I imagine I was attracted to it because it had a strong female lead. Kim, played by Lea Salonga, was a woman who would do anything to protect her child. Maybe it reminded me of my mother and her strength and willingness to sacrifice for her children. Mix in a dramatic love story and some sappy songs, I never stood a chance. Imagine how crushed I was when it lost the Tony for Best Musical to Will Rogers Follies. Who even remembers that show existed? And now I have to be mad at Bette Milder for Hello Dolly! taking the Tony for Best Revival over Miss Saigon this year. Again, I digress.

Although Miss Saigon introduced me to the wonders of Broadway, it didn’t make me a musical theater fanatic. That honor goes to Rent. I was a little slow getting on board the Rent love train. Everyone I knew was obsessed with it. I tried to listen to the soundtrack, though. Every time I got to a song where answering machine messages were sung, I would turn it off. It just didn’t strike me as good theater.

In 1998 I moved to New York City. My boyfriend at the time was a Rent super fan. For our anniversary I thought it would be a great idea to surprise him with tickets to see Rent. My desperate need to create a romantic evening of surprises and his hatred of the unknown almost foiled the whole evening. Yet again, and for the last time, I digress.

That night everything I thought I knew about musical theater was out the window. I was enamored with the grit and passion of the characters and how the themes related to my fears and insecurities. There was this in-your-face attitude that demanded acceptance for its diverse cast. It moved me so much that I have seen it well over 30 times.

Here we are now, 20 years after its opening night, celebrating Rent’s anniversary tour. The demand for acceptance in diversity is every bit as important today as it was back then. In this issue we take a deep look into why Rent was so important back then and its appeal to a whole new generation. We also check in with the national tour of The King and I, as well as the world premiere of GRINDR the Opera.

In the news, we celebrate Rick Kriseman’s showing in the St. Pete mayoral race as we brace for a runoff between Kriseman and Rick Baker; a group of Disney cast members band together in their search for kidney donors; Orlando rallies behind Michael Wanzie as he hosts a fundraiser for a family member; and Watermark takes a deep look into the Tampa Bay International Film Festival and its partnership with the newly formed Come Out St. Pete.

We strive to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. I hope you enjoy this latest issue.

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