Feel-Good New Musical ‘The Prom’ Wears a Big Heart on Its Puffy Sleeve – REVIEW

A high school principal (Michael Potts) is reassuring a Broadway star (played by Broadway star Beth Leavel) that her profession provides a public service during difficult times. “So theatre’s a distraction, is that what you’re saying?” she asks over dinner at an Indiana Applebee’s. “No, a distraction is momentary,” he replies. “An escape helps you heal.” Cue his sincere ode to the stage.

The Prom, an often blissfully goofy new musical of strong moral fiber that opened at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre tonight, makes a wholehearted case for theatre’s capacity to soothe and uplift the spirit. At once a love letter to the form and rallying cry for outsiders young and old, it’s the kind of musical that reminds audiences at every turn why any of us love musicals in the first place.

Ostensibly, Leavel’s stage diva is in town to crusade for a teenage lesbian (Caitlin Kinnunen) who’s been told she’s unwelcome at prom. Really, she’s there to revamp her image after a scathing review in The Times and to prove she’s not a narcissist. She and her thespian friends, played with addictive flair by Brooks Ashmanskas, Christopher Sieber, Angie Schworer, and Josh Lamon, discover the girl’s plight trending on Twitter and decide she’s the perfect low-touch cause for them to get behind and drum up some good press.

That only one “lesbian/thespian” rhyme ensues on their madcap Midwest sojourn is a testament to the restraint of deft comedic book writer Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone) and co-writer and lyricist Chad Beguelin (Aladdin). Both reunite here with director-choreographer Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Mean Girls) and composer Matthew Skylar (Elf). The team’s collective musical theatre pedigree demonstrates an affection for ribbing winks combined with airtight attention to form. They know what they’re doing, and it shows.

Especially impressive, The Prom is the first new Broadway musical to directly and successfully address the country’s deepening political divisions in the present day. The head of the school’s PTA is a conservative mother (Courtenay Collins) whose own daughter (Isabelle McCalla) has been struggling to come out to her. The musical grounds its story of ignorance and acceptance in characters who feel altogether human regardless of their views, including the often deluded “liberal Democrats from Broadway” who’ve swooped in to save the day and the mom who needs to open her mind before she loses her kid forever.

To that end, standout numbers seem likely to become anthems among queer or disaffected youth, including “Just Breathe” and “Dance With You,” both sung by Kinnunen with the wrenching vulnerability that comes with being young and simply trying to be yourself. The score smartly includes vehicles for the flashy talents of its meta Broadway stars, who put their chops to good use warming heartland hearts. Stay for the hint of Liza in Leavel’s eleven o’clock number alone.

It’s easy to look around at the theatre and think, “What are we doing here?” — together in the dark, ignoring news alerts piling up on our switched-off phones. It’s always the foremost question on my mind when the lights go down. The Prom’s answer — to help us understand that everyone, regardless of who they are, wants to be happy — is deceptively simple. As we’ve learned the hard way, it’s also all too easy to forget. If you skipped prom the first time around, or simply pretended to enjoy it, trust me — you deserve another chance.

Recent theatre features…
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Proof We #WontBeErased in ‘Plot Points in Our Sexual Development’ Off-Broadway: REVIEW
The Legacy of Gloria Steinem Burns Bright in ‘Gloria: A Life’ Off-Broadway: REVIEW
Stockard Channing and Glenn Close Make Magic of Maternal Strife Off-Broadway: REVIEW
‘What the Constitution Means to Me’ Is the Best Political Play of the Trump Era: REVIEW

Follow Naveen Kumar on Twitter: @Mr_NaveenKumar
(photos: deen van meer)

The post Feel-Good New Musical ‘The Prom’ Wears a Big Heart on Its Puffy Sleeve – REVIEW appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Feel-Good New Musical ‘The Prom’ Wears a Big Heart on Its Puffy Sleeve – REVIEW

WATCH: New ad features Elton John’s life in reverse
Is that Elton John or Benjamin Button?

www.queerty.com/watch-new-ad-features-elton-johns-life-reverse-20181115?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Jussie Smollett Explains Why He Said ‘F**k No’ to a White Boyfriend on ‘Empire’

Jussie Smollett said that when producers tried to give his Empire character Jamal Lyon a white boyfriend he objected immediately.

Said Smollett on The Clay Cane Show: “There was talk about Jamal having a white boyfriend and I said, ‘F**k no!’ Not for any reason except we have a responsibility and we have a such a beautiful opportunity to show two black men in a relationship together, in a healthy relationship. But it was important to say and that wasn’t anything against white men. It was just a thing of no, no, no, no… this is what I hope, this what I want to see, this what I wished I had seen as a kid because if I had seen certain things as an adolescent I would have had a much different understanding of who I am in an earlier space. I do think that is important to show.”

Smollett and Cane went on to talk about the movie Moonlight and the American public’s objections to sexuality.

Listen:

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Jussie Smollett Explains Why He Said ‘F**k No’ to a White Boyfriend on ‘Empire’

Cop pleads guilty to killing man who threatened to expose his secret gay prostitution farm
Joseph Mlyniec would lure troubled young men back to his remote farmhouse and make them perform sexual favors in exchange for food.

www.queerty.com/cop-pleads-guilty-killing-man-threatened-expose-secret-gay-prostitution-farm-20181115?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Jared Golden, UpStairs Lounge, Michael Avenatti, Green New Deal, Marie Antoinette, Lana Marks, Matthew Whitaker: HOT LINKS

MICHELLE OBAMA. On Trump winning the presidency: “I said what I continue to say: Being the commander-in-chief is a hard job. And you need to have discipline and you need to read and you need to be knowledgeable. You need to know history. You need to be careful with your words. But voters make those decisions. And once the voters have spoken, you know, we live with what we live with.”

MICHAEL AVENATTI. Arrested and released for felony domestic abuse.

UPSTAIRS LOUNGE. Unknown victim of deadly 1973 New Orleans gay bar fire finally identified. ‘On June 24, 1973, an arsonist set fire to the popular gay bar located on the edge of the French Quarter in New Orleans. The fire killed 32 patrons, but only 29 were positively identified. The remaining three victims were generically referred to as “unknown white males.”’

GREEN NEW DEAL. House freshman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez faces down Pelosi on climate change: “Incoming liberals, led by Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, are demanding Pelosi go beyond her promise to revive a select committee on global warming; they want her and the rest of the Democratic Caucus to back an ambitious plan to transition the economy to 100 percent renewable energy in a little more than a decade.”

HOUSE SPEAKER. The list of Democrats aligning against Pelosi.

MAINE. Democrats flip GOP House seat: “A Democrat who finished behind Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin in the first round of balloting has come from behind to flip the seat in the second of its two U.S. House races. Election officials declared Jared Golden the winner Thursday after a federal judge denied Poliquin’s request to halt tabulations under Maine’s new voting system…The ranked-choice voting system lets voters rank candidates from first to last on the ballot. It provides for eliminations of last-place candidates and reallocations of votes.”

LANA MARKS. Trump picks handbag designer, Mar-a-Lago member to be ambassador to South Africa.

SHE DELIVERS. Lady Gaga delivers pizza, coffee, and gift cards to fire evacuees.

MATTHEW WHITAKER. The acting attorney general and the masculine toilet: ‘In November 2014, a Miami Beach-based firm, World Patent Marketing, announced the “marketing launch” of a “MASCULINE TOILET,” which boasted a specially designed bowl to help “well-endowed men” avoid unwanted contact with porcelain or water. “The average male genitalia is between 5″ and 6″,” the firm’s press release said. “However, this invention is designed for those of us who measure longer than that.” In the same release, World Patent Marketing also touted the recent appointment of “Matthew G. Whitaker, former Iowa US Attorney and Republican candidate for United States Senate to the company’s advisory board.”’

SCAM OF THE DAY. NJ couple and homeless man conspired to create $400,000 GoFundMe get rich quick scheme.

A couple raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for a homeless man, now it’s being reported that all three were involved in the get rich quick scam and all three face charges of conspiracy. pic.twitter.com/FTRCDTX6hm

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 15, 2018

AUCTIONS. Marie Antoinette pin goes for $36 million: “Marie Antoinette’s pendant is simply irreplaceable and the price it fetched is about far more than the gem itself,” Eddie LeVian, the chief executive of jewellers Le Vian, said in a statement. “It captures everyone’s imagination,” he added. “This is the ultimate proof, if it were needed, that the world’s ultra high net worth individuals love rare, natural fancy coloured diamond and pearls jewels as investments, and especially those with royal provenance.”

THE JOURNEY. Documentary about discrimination against gay police officers premieres at Stonewall Inn. “What you have right now is the NYPD owning some of its history, especially an ugly part of its history,” said Detective Brian Downey, President of GOAL.

COZY. Katy Perry releases Christmas song.

CRAZY CAT VIDEO OF THE DAY. “Blink motherf**ker!”

TRAILER OF THE DAY. Tim Burton’s Dumbo.

NEW TUNE OF THE DAY. Betty Who “Between You & Me”.

MEAN TWEETS OF THE DAY. Country music edition.

THIRSTY THURSDAY. Max Souza.

The post Jared Golden, UpStairs Lounge, Michael Avenatti, Green New Deal, Marie Antoinette, Lana Marks, Matthew Whitaker: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Jared Golden, UpStairs Lounge, Michael Avenatti, Green New Deal, Marie Antoinette, Lana Marks, Matthew Whitaker: HOT LINKS

HISTORIC: 27 Taiwanese and Multinational Companies Speak Out for LGBTQ Equality in Taiwan

Today, in the lead up to November 24 referendums in Taiwan in which marriage equality and inclusion of LGBTQ issues in school curricula are on the ballot, 27 Taiwanese and multinational companies operating in Taiwan released a statement in support of LGBTQ equality. The major businesses are joined by six non-governmental organizations operating in Taiwan and globally.

Noting that diversity and inclusion are good for business, and that discrimination significantly harms LGBTQ people and imposes enormous productivity costs, the statement calls for full equality under the law, including marriage equality and the continued inclusion of LGBTQ issues in school curricula. The full text of the statement is included below.

In total, there are five ballot initiatives on November 24 that will impact LGBTQ people in Taiwan. Three initiatives would harm LGBTQ people, including two attempting to undermine a landmark Taiwanese Constitutional Court decision supporting marriage equality and another that would repeal a portion of the Gender Equity Education Act — which supports LGBTQ inclusion in Taiwan’s school curriculum. In contrast, two other initiatives would affirm marriage equality and the importance of the Gender Equity Education Act.

Last year, Taiwan’s Constitutional Court made international headlines by issuing a first-of-its-kind ruling in Asia affirming marriage equality. The court’s ruling mandated that the Legislative Yuan update Taiwan’s marriage law by May 2019 to allow same-sex couples to marry. While LGBTQ advocates in Taiwan have made important progress in recent years, including majority support for marriage equality and support by the current president of Taiwan, these gains could be threatened by the anti-LGBTQ ballot initiatives.

The companies signing the statement in support of LGBTQ equality represent thousands of employees in Taiwan and are drawn from a broad range of industries, including financial services, consumer products, professional services, and technology. Six LGBTQ organizations, led by the Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBT) Hotline Association, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), and Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, organized the effort to secure corporate signatories.  

“We’re thankful these Taiwanese and multinational companies are speaking in one united voice in support of LGBTQ equality. These companies know that achieving marriage equality in Taiwan is not just the right thing to do, it’s also good for business. We believe that respecting diversity and inclusion can bring harmony and strength to society.” — Jennifer Lu, Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBT) Hotline Association

“These major businesses are speaking out in one united voice to make clear they stand with the Taiwanese LGBTQ community in their fight for equality,” said Ty Cobb, Director of HRC Global, Human Rights Campaign. “This is a pivotal moment for equality in the region, as Taiwan is set to become the first in Asia to recognize marriage equality. In order to keep the momentum moving forward, now more than ever, it’s important that fair-minded voices speak out and voice their support for LGBTQ equality.”

“We applaud these leading Taiwanese and multinational corporations for publicly standing with their LGBTQ employees and the entire community in Taiwan,” said Erin Uritus, CEO, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates.  “These companies know that creating an environment where their LGBTQ employees feel welcome and respected – both within their companies and in society more broadly – is not only the right thing to do, it’s also good for business and good for Taiwan.”

—

Statement in Support of LGBTQ Inclusion in Taiwan

Diversity, inclusion, respect, equality and non-discrimination are values that we cherish and seek to uphold in our companies and in our business dealings. We do this not only because it is the right thing to do, but because it makes our companies and our society stronger and more successful.

Research has shown that a diverse workforce is more creative, productive, and competitive. Policies that support and promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace also help businesses in Taiwan attract and retain the top talent we need to remain competitive in the global economy.

As such, employees in same-sex relationships deserve the same right to marry in Taiwan as other couples. Furthermore, Taiwanese students deserve an education that prepares them to engage in a world where diversity and inclusion is prioritized.

For these reasons, we support marriage equality and diversity and inclusion efforts in Taiwan. We believe our businesses—and Taiwan’s society and economy—are strongest when we put aside our differences and find strength in our commonalities.

Taiwanese companies

9floor

ALPHA Camp

Backer-Founder co.ltd

Bounty tavern

Canmeng International Inc.

CASETEK HOLDINGS LIMITED

FunNow

Hahow

justfont.Inc

KUNNEX Incorporated

Morningshop

Oriented Enterprise Co., LTD

Pegatron Corporation

Portico Media

Proteinshop

QLL PTE. LTD.

ystudio.co., LTD

Multinational companies in Taiwan

Airbnb

Deutsche Bank

The Dow Chemical Company

Ernst & Young (EY)

Google

HP

IBM Corporation

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Microsoft

Oracle

Non-governmental organizations

Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBT) Hotline Association

Human Rights Campaign

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates

Council for Global Equality

Freedom to Marry Global Action

Open for Business

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