The OUTIES: the Best (and Worst) of 2014

It’s that time when I once again look through the rear view mirror and award the OUTspoken OUTIES for the past year.  I reviewed the events of this past year in the areas of politics and culture and am presenting an unapologetic, subjective, biased list of winners (and losers) who are deserving of the OUTIES trophy. In no particular order, here are the OUTspoken OUTIES of 2014.

Best Politician: Hands down, it’s Larry Hogan.  The Republican managed to rise from obscurity in a state that is 2 to 1 Democratic and ran a steady race to upset Anthony Brown (see below).  His economic message was focused, and his debates’ searing zingers hit the mark. The Brown strategists’ ineptitude and voter apathy helped.

Worst Politician: Hands down, it’s Anthony Brown.  Having cruised to a primary victory, aided by the Democratic establishment, a solid running mate and outspending his opponent by a 5 to 1margin, Brown went negative too early to lift Hogan’s name recognition giving him a chance at victory and squandered a clear opportunity to be the state’s first African-American governor.

Worst Example of Citizenship: The tens of thousands of voters who sat out the election but undoubtedly will grumble ad nauseam about how bad our elected officials are.

Worst Political Bet: Equality Maryland’s PAC for riding the front runner and endorsing Brown before the primary while alienating Mizeur and Gansler supporters in the process.  With three proven allies for LGBT equality running, EQMD should have remained neutral until the general election.

Most Gratifying Success: The passage of the Fairness for All Marylanders Act (FAMA) resulting in non-discrimination protections for transgender folks without having to deal with referendum drama.  The hyped bathroom scare didn’t work.

More Good Fortune for Trans: Movies, TV shows and a cover story on TIME helped propel more visibility for the transgender community.  Recall how Will & Grace and Real World helped gays to be more accepted.

Worst News for Trans: Two more brutal murders of trans women in Baltimore with little likelihood the cases will be solved.

Doing More With Less: A scaled down Equality Maryland, financially and in staff, managed to be a significant player along with other groups and individuals in getting FAMA enacted.

Best Local LGBT Organization: FreeState Legal Project for providing important pro bono legal assistance to those LGBT folks who can least afford it.

Most Altruistic Organization: Repeat winner Brother Help Thyself, which raises much needed money for non-profit LGBT orgs. Great work and they do it every year!

Most Popular Job: Executive Director at the GLCCB.  Three people have held that (or interim) position during 2014.  Here’s hoping for more stability at the Center.

Least Popular Move: Shifting the Pride block party to the MICA-Mt. Royal-Artscape area from Mount Vernon and eliminating Druid Hill Park met with significant blowback from communities.  The GLCCB is listening.

Best ‘I Got the Message’ Organization: The GLCCB, under fire for a lack of transparency and inclusiveness, has taken a series of concrete steps to help alleviate concerns.  It needs to continue.

Best Eatery to Lunch in Mount Vernon: Tavern on the Hill on Cathedral Street offers up a broad menu, tasty food and friendly service at a reasonable price.

Best Mount Vernon Restaurant for Dinner: The Mount Vernon Stable, an area fixture, provides a nice atmosphere for LGBT folks and serves fine dinners (and brunches and lunches) from a friendly staff.

Sorry to See You Go: The closing of The Quest was a blow to the Highlandtown locals and others who wanted to venture from other LGBT venues.  Its neighborhood feel is hard to duplicate.

Best Gay-Friendly Theater: Basically all local theaters are LGBT-friendly.  But Toby’s of Columbia with its large number of resident gay performers and staff gives it an edge.  Sometimes when visiting it seems like Pride with a buffet.  And the shows are reliably superb.

Best Gay Film: The BBC-produced Pride, which ran at the venerable Charles Theater, was my favorite.  It told a heartwarming story of how blue collar laborers and gays bonded to form a strong and successful alliance during the 1980’s miners’ strike in the U.K.

Best Gay Play: Iron Crow Theatre’s Homo Poe Show wins here. Well directed and acted, Homo Poe Show is a weird play in true Iron Crow tradition that consisted of a series of short pieces in an attempt to present Edgar Allan Poe’s works through a queer lens—forevermore.

Best Gay Musical: Dundalk Community College’s splashy production of one of my all-time favorites La Cage Aux Folles wins.  Given that there were gay main characters, the music and lyrics were penned by a gay composer Jerry Herman and the book written by Harvey Fierstein who is also gay, there is no question it deserves the OUTIES trophy.  Moreover, La Cage gives us the unofficial gay anthem “I Am What I Am.”

Best TV Show with a Gay Character: Move over Modern Family and make room for the Boston-based The McCarthys.  Ronny, the gay character played by Tyler Ritter (who is straight), is a hoot as is the rest of his snarky, loveable, sports-obsessed Irish-American family.

Best Kiss Since Al and Tipper Gore: Michael Sam locking lips with his sculpted abs boyfriend Vito Cammisano on ESPN upon learning that Sam was the first openly gay player to be drafted in the NFL.  Sadly, he failed to make a team—yet.

Theatre Review: La Cage Aux Folles at Dundalk Community Theatre

Edward J. Peters as Albin, Jeff Burch as Georges, and Randy Dunkle as Jean-Michael

Ce qu’est un grand spectacle A kaleidoscope of lovable characters in a town on the French Riviera, zany humor, high camp, splashy costumes, chromatic sets, superb music, stellar performances, and a good dose of family values place a big exclamation point on the conclusion of Dundalk Community Theatre’s 40^th season with the entertaining production of La Cage Aux Folles.    

Veteran Director Tom Colonna successfully leads his energetic troupe through seamless set and costume changes and well-delivered songs and comedy to provide non-stop joy.  On the evening this particular performance was reviewed, however, there were mic issues including unevenness in the volume among the ensemble and a feedback episode during the second act.  Hopefully, the sound problems will be worked out in subsequent presentations, but that flaw did not detract from the overall quality of the show and the delight theatergoers will soak in like the warm Saint-Tropaz sunshine—the setting for the musical.  #hocoarts

For full review, visit MD Theatre Guide.

La Cage: The Best of Times is Now

It’s a pity that La Cage aux Folles is playing in Baltimore for only a week. The touring production of the multiple Tony® Award-winning musical currently mounted at the Hippodrome Theatre is a winner in every aspect, be it performing, staging, costumes, scenic design, music and direction.

La Cage aux Folles made Tony® Award history by being the first show ever to win the coveted prize three times for best production. La Cage aux Folles is already legendary in theatre yore; the superb composer Jerry Herman (Mame, Hello Dolly!), Harvey Fierstein (Torch Song Trilogy) who wrote the book and director Arthur Laurents collaborated in a fun-filled musical comedy based on the 1973 play La Cage aux Folles by Jean Poiret.

La Cage aux Folles opened on Broadway in 1983 and had spawned two hit revivals. Earlier two successful French films with the same title had been adapted from the play and a third one premiered in 1985. In 1996 the American film The Birdcage, based on the French movie, became a box office smash.

While the production for the tour’s version has been scaled down some and a few tweaks have taken place, the core plot is the same as the original. Georges, played by venerable performer and headliner George Hamilton, owns a glitzy, drag nightclub in Saint-Tropez, and his gay partner, Albin, played by Christopher Sieber, moonlights as a glamorous drag diva, Zaza.

Georges’ 24 year-old son Jean-Michel (Billy Harrigan Tigue) shocks both he and Albin by announcing that he is engaged to (gasp!) a woman—the daughter of the head of the conservative Tradition, Family and Morality Party whose goal is to close down the local drag clubs. Jean-Michel wants his fiancée’s parents to meet Georges as well as his birth mother. But the flamboyant Albin/Zaza must not be seen for at least that one night.

What ensues is a hilarious, outrageous romp, testing family bonds amidst the battle between conservative family values and genuine young love. One of the highlights was the frenetic “what are the boys doing on the plate?” sequence.

The campy, naughty drag performances by the nimble and fun-loving Les Cagelles ensemble and their interaction with the actual audience, especially in the first act, were top-notch.

Tony® Award-winning Director Terry Johnson, who helmed much of his work in London’s West End, was masterful in bringing the production to the high level it achieved.

George Hamilton, who had some Broadway musical background when he appeared in Chicago, is best known for his work in film and television (The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing, Love at First Bite, Doc Hollywood, Dynasty). While he does not possess strong vocal chops, his singing was serviceable. “Song on the Sand” was particularly performed well.

Drawing on a half-century of experience, the fit-as-a-fiddle, dashing Hamilton had the timing and instincts down pat. And while at times he appeared a little stiff in his movements and dialogue, he exuded a warm charm and played beautifully opposite Christopher Sieber. The chemistry between Hamilton’s Georges and Sieber’s Albin/Zaza is what makes the show work.

Tony® Award nominee Sieber’s performance was superb. No stranger to La Cage, he had played the role of Georges opposite Harvey Fierstein on Broadway. He also received plaudits for Spamalot, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Beauty and the Beast among others.

True, Sieber’s numbers were showier than others in the score, but he delivered big time. “A Little More Mascara” was performed very well. And he brought the house down with his scintillating rendition of the gay anthem “I Am What I Am.”

The supporting cast also contributed mightily to the show’s quality. Jeigh Madjus effectively played the over-the-top, flamboyant housemaid, Jacob. Billy Harrigan Tigue as Jean-Michel was excellent as were his duets with Hamilton (“With Anne on My Arm” and “Look Over There”).

Allison Blair McDowell played Anne, Jean-Michel’s somewhat conflicted fiancée. She did a creditable job defending her love for her fiancée while acknowledging her love for her family. Her father, the conservative morals politico M. Dindon, was played wonderfully by Bernard Burak Sheredy.

Gay Marshall was excellent portraying the mischievous restaurant owner Jacqueline where the unmasking of Albin’s true identity took place. The remainder of the cast performed admirably as well.

Tim Shortall’s scenic design made efficient use of the stage, and the sets transformed flawlessly. Matthew Wright’s costumes were colorful and imaginative. Jonathan Deans sound design was expertly executed and the performers were well mic’d.

And the musical production team of Todd Ellison, John Miller, Joey Chancey, Jason Carr and Lynne Page saw to it that Jerry Herman’s score was delivered perfectly by an outstanding orchestra and cast. As the finale pointed out, “The Best of Times” is now.

La Cage aux Folles runs through November 6 at the Hippodrome Theatre. Matinees are performed on both Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are available at the Box Office or through Ticketmaster. Visit the website for more information.

Photo by Paul Kolnick