Curtain up on gay Broadway

August 24, 2003|Outbound, Christopher Muther, Globe Staff

NEW YORK -- There is a nasty rumor circulating in the lobby of the Walter Kerr Theatre.

A surly know-it-all is walking around at intermission claiming that the infamous shower scene has been cut from Richard Greenberg's Tony Award-winning play "Take Me Out." These are not words that the mixed crowd of gay couples and Ann Taylor-wearing women want to hear. The husbands of these women are, however, probably greatly relieved.

But as the second act progresses, the rumors prove to be unfounded. The key moment arrives, the cast doffs its clothes, and the audience gets its full Monty. And while "Take Me Out" shows plenty of skin, it also has a big heart under all that flesh. In fact, this story of a revered baseball player who comes out of the closet beat out competitors such as "Enchanted April" and "Say Goodnight, Gracie" at this year's Tony Awards for the Best Play trophy.

Much like the boom of gay characters on television, Broadway is also experiencing an explosion of gay-themed shows and shows dripping with gay sensibility, and we're not just talking about the chorus boys from "Gypsy." In fact, "Take Me Out" is just the tip of the pink triangle.

The biggest winner at this year's Tonys was an adaptation of John Waters's film "Hairspray" with Harvey Fierstein filling the pumps of the late Divine in the role of full-figured Baltimore housewife Edna Turnblad. Add to that the return of Nathan Lane in "The Producers" next year, the installation of the iconic Chita Rivera in "Nine," and off-Broadway offerings of lounge singers extraordinaire "Kiki & Herb" and the shameless cheekiness of "Naked Boys Singing," and you have a pretty full (as well as pricey) weekend of gay culture.

The lazy will wait until watered-down touring versions of these shows come to Boston, but it's impossible to imagine Bruce Vilanch filling out Turnblad's housecoat with any of the gleeful charm of Fierstein, who hams his way through the role with a throaty croak and wicked grin. Fierstein and Marissa Jaret Winokur, who both won Tonys for "Hairspray," are still performing at the Neil Simon Theatre.

It's also impossible to imagine that people-watching at the Boston production of "Hairspray," which opens in October, will be half as amusing as it is in New York. At a recent muggy matinee, a gay couple, one wearing a kilt, a Gay Games T-shirt, and rainbow freedom rings sat next to a pair of blue-rinse seniors. By the end of the show, the foursome appeared to be the best of friends.