The “Question & Answer” Theatre Review:
1. What’s your vote – was Abraham Lincoln really gay?
You decide. It’s totally not the point.
2. Is there really a dance party going on at City Lights Theatre Company?
It’s a riot, with some dancing thrown in, but mostly a lot of great laughs and yet, there are still a ton of poignant moments. But the dancing is hysterical especially by Tina (Alika Ululani Spencer). She cracked me up every time she was on stage. Maybe City Lights will start a dance party after every show. They were playing some uber hip, top-40 songs before the show started and at intermission; it definitely made me want to dance.
Cast of "Big Gay Abe"
3. What is this show all about anyways?
Take away the dancing and the extremely comedic script, written by Aaron Loeb, shines! The conflict is very Inherit the Wind – ish. It’s really all about what should be taught, in regards to homosexuality and sex education, in public elementary schools and higher. Where’s the line and why is it different in so many communities across America? What do you want your teachers to teach your children at school in regards to sex education and homosexuality?
The best part about Abraham Lincoln’s Big, Gay Dance Party is that it’s never preachy, never down-your-throat and is totally free of what the right-wing deems as the “gay agenda”. It basically opens the conversation up and gets you thinking. And there, in lies, the success of the production. It makes some bold statements, but it makes you start thinking, it starts conversations and gets people interested in a subject that affects so many of our friends, families and co-workers.
4. Why would City Lights Theatre Company pick this show over the standard holiday fare?
It gives you an option to step away the craziness of the holiday season and lets you unwind and forget your troubles. Many theatres are doing a holiday show, so why not do something completely different? City Lights will find their audience! (To be fair, the whole show is centered around a third-grade teacher, Harmony Green, who “outs” our greatest president at the annual Christmas pageant and is put on trial — there’s the Christmas connection.)
With this production, City Lights takes a risk and one that I think will pay off. The production itself is extremely complex. There are three acts and each night the three acts are performed in a different order. The best part? An audience member chooses the order of the three acts by picking a character: Regina (Lani Carissa Wong), Tom (K. Michael Riley) and Jerry (Alexander Prather). Each act lets the audience see the story through their eyes.
After, the audience member picks, the show is set-up to easily accomodate all of the costumes, props, light and sound cues within seconds. Each scene has a little fun dance interlude that director, Gina Marie Hayes, kept moving at a great pace. It never felt chaotic on stage – always calm and collected. (While I wonder what was happening backstage?!) It was never a dull moment for anyone in the cast. We saw the order: Regina, Tom & then Jerry and it felt “so right” that I didn’t believe that the acts weren’t “pre-chosen” and it was all a set-up. I was assured afterward that it’s completely random each night — talk about crazy!
5. Does the cast pull it off?
Overall, the cast does a fantastic job. I can’t even imagine doing a show that’s in a different order every night — talk about being on your toes. It’s probably a lot of hard work, but a total blast to perform. The material, itself (notwithstanding all of the craziness) is also extremely difficult. It goes from comedic to serious to campy within seconds. There were some scenes that were fantastic and spot-on and others seemed a little out-of-sync. With a few shows under their belt, I can only imagine the production getting stronger with each performance. I really enjoyed Wong’s accent and character when she played Esmerelda Diaz – one of the highlights of the night. Noah Averbach-Katz played Anton Renault – a big time NYC news reporter – and the Judge. Both characters were fun to watch! Alexander Prather does a great job playing the in-the-closet son; his changing physicalities throughout the night were often priceless. One of my favorite characters was Harmony Green (Karen DeHart). What a deeply touching performance! DeHart becomes the heart of the show.
6. Is it worth seeing?
Definitely. You’ll have fun, you’ll be entertained and best of all, it will get you thinking about some very important issues in your own community and in our current legislation.
7. Where can I get tickets?
Go to City Lights Theatre Company’s website! Or, you can win tickets right here!
How to enter to win two tickets to see Abraham Lincoln’s Big, Gay Dance Party at City Lights Theatre Company – Tickets are for December 12th at 2pm!
Winner will be chosen on Wednesday, December 8th, 2010. You’ll be contacted in whatever way you entered!
