"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)
The point is clearly that two chubby queens drinking pink cocktails can be the powerful cause of an epiphany, especially when trying to decide which stereotype to hate or be.
Art has a double face, of expression and illusion.
Anyone who designates GYPSY as a "kid classic" is too foolish to waste any further time on.
"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers." Thomas Pynchon, GRAVITY'S RAINBOW
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Philip K. Dick
My blog: http://www.roscoewrites.blogspot.com/
Subjectively, I found this essay to be high in Ick Value. Objectively, it's a good warning of the pitfalls of freshman-level comic/sentimental writing. However, I've no doubt that it (and the writer) will find some admirers.
I mean, yeah, it's bad writing... but I really am having difficulty discerning what the conclusion he reached was. That musicals are better than jerks?
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
Musicals are just a McGuffin here; the writer's "message" is that the boring older boyfriend who really likes him is a much better choice than the hot but self-obsessed fantasy man. A profound message that's NEVER been expressed before, right?
That was my take away, if I had any take away. As mentioned I guess it's meant to be a comic piece but with a sentimental "touching" element. It just makes me feel sorry for Hugh (and anyone who has seen this guy's work on stage as the byline says his work has been). Honestly I've had far worse first dates that I haven't walked out on, and from the little said, the actor guy doesn't really come off worse than the author.
And yeah--Gypsy is a kid classic like Peter Pan? Why didn't he mention those other kid classics--Sweeney Todd and Oh Calcutta?
Just wasted 5mins reading that turdfest--what a dickwad !
I suppose one must be tolerent of all types of sexual identity but from my relatively isolated perspective, I had no idea these 'types' still existed.
Lisping bitter old queens were a majority in my surrounding social set but their self-deprecating humour always cracked up the room.
Pointless, arrogrant, juvenile, ignorant---now I've wasted ANOTHER 5mins
Drunk goes into a confessional, priests waits a respectful few minutes-silence-waits-silence then decides to knock, then knocks again. Voice comes back 'There's no paper in here either'.
I couldn't finish it. The superficial ramblings of a self-absorbed twink "playwright" just doesn't do it for me. I guess I'm just not Out's target audience if they feel there was value in publishing that crap.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
That's the author? He writes about himself like he's the most handsome twink one could find.
To me it seemed like he tried to pull of a "Moments in the Woods" - Actor Prince Charming vs. Older Boyfriend Baker; even with the same kind of conclusion at the end. Didn't quite succeed, as it was indeed just cringeworthy in style and writing.