Country singer uses her coming out experience as inspirationBY ABBY WALKER, SAN DIEGO LGBT WEEKLY
Published on Thursday, February 24th, 2011 Being the first openly lesbian country music star was the last thing that Chely Wright ever wanted. Even at the young age of nine, she recognized that homosexuality and the conservative realm of country music didn’t mix. Wright told herself repeatedly that she would have to hide the truth if she wanted to have a successful singing career in Nashville. She thought she could justify sacrificing one area of her life for the benefit of another and it would all balance out in the end. But over the years, the lies began to take a toll on her personal life. In 2007, after much contemplation and prayer, Wright realized the only way she was going to be happy was to finally be true to herself. Read the full article Multi-talented Felder brings Bernstein to lifeWhen Leonard Bernstein composed the music to the 1957 Broadway production of West Side Story, he solidified his place in musical theater history. Over 50 years later, his life and work is retold inHershey Felder in Maestro: The Art of Leonard Bernstein, a one-man show at the Old Globe Theatre.
This production is the latest in a string of plays about well-known composers that Felder has not only starred in but also written. Previously, Felder has created homages to Gershwin (George Gershwin Alone), Chopin (Monsieur Chopin) and Beethoven (Beethoven, As I Knew Him). “I investigated other composers and then I started to look into this character,” said Felder. “It took quite awhile to understand what was so interesting about him but it’s his contradictions that make him fun.” “Also, there’s a whole lot of good music involved,” he continued. Read the full article |
The magic of ‘Mary Poppins’ comes to San DiegoBY ABBY WALKER, SAN DIEGO LGBT WEEKLYPublished on Thursday, August 4th, 2011
If you’ve been fascinated with the “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” world of Mary Poppins since childhood, you won’t want to miss the Broadway musical Mary Poppins. The stage production plays at the San Diego Civic Theatre from Aug. 10-21. The musical is much more than just a retelling of the beloved 1964 Disney film adaptation and its infamous songs, such as “Jolly Holiday,” “Spoonful of Sugar” and“Step in Time.” Elements of the original book by P. L. Travers help to round out the stage production and introduce the audience to a side of the story of Mary Poppins that they may not be familiar with. “Some of the characters and quirky lines are directly from the book, which makes it more exciting for those that haven’t read the book,” said Q. Smith, who plays Mary Poppins nanny nemesis, Miss Andrew. “They can look at Mary Poppins with fresh new eyes. Don’t expect the movie but expect the best parts of the movie and the book together.”Read the full article |