LGBT POV

This special performance by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles of the famous “Nutcracker” holiday favorite is one I suspect gay composer Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky would have thoroughly enjoyed.

Equal parts traditional concert, musical theatre and community ballet, “Nutcracker: a choral fantasy” this weekend at the Alex Theater in Glendale was spectacularly gay in a very down-home family way.

This brilliant re-imaging of the famous ballet transformed the 127-year-old children’s story into a colorful, deeply moving coming out drama – with wry moments of self-aware humor – that speaks directly to anyone who has ever been bullied or felt left out or awkward at family gatherings.

This isn’t the high-minded Balanchine or Nureyev or Baryshikov. This production is entertaining, visually stunning, and most importantly of all, personally gay in its inspiring, transcendent message of believing in yourself. This “Nutcracker” is a gift to the soul this holiday season.

You know the story: Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum’s house as family, children and friends gather for a splendid party. Enter Godfather Drosselmeyer, the toymaker, who frightens young Fritz but delights his sister, Clara. Drosselmeyer hands out gifts, one of which is the Nutcracker – a striking wooden toy soldier in dress uniform that becomes the object of jealousy and “keep-away” – during which he is broken. Drosselmeyer fixes him and his nephew creates a small makeshift bed under the Christmas tree for the soldier; Clara falls asleep with him as the revelers leave and the family retires.

At the stroke of midnight, Clara “wakes up” to find that the toys have come alive. The Nutcracker organizes some toy soldiers to fight the sudden appearance of the evil Mouse King, who overpowers the Nutcracker. Clara joins the fray to save her solider and stuns the Mouse King with her slipper just long enough for the Nutcracker to defeat the challenger and transform into a prince. Clara and the Nutcracker begin a magical journey where the snowflakes turn into dancing maidens.

In Act 11, they arrive in the Land of Sweets and are greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy who throws them a party with a series of dancers all representing sweets, including Arabian, Spanish, Asian and Russian dancers and Marzipan shepherds and their sheep. Enter Mother Ginger dressed as a huge gingerbread house, with dancing gingerbread children. They are followed by a waltz of beautiful dancing flowers.  After a striking moment of silence, a handsome Cavalier dances with the Sugar Plum Fairy to the world-renown music, “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.”

This concludes the party; everyone bids Clara and the Nutcracker Prince farewell. Clara tells the Nutcracker she doesn’t want the magic to end – and he tells her it won’t if she continues to believe in it. Christmas morning Clara wakes up with the Nutcracker toy solider under the tree. She has been transformed into a confident, happy young person.

Now imagine all this with a contemporary, artistic gay sensibility.

Remember how you first gasped at the unexpected lush beauty of Todd Hayne’s film “Far From Heaven?” The scenic design created for “Nutcracker” by chorus member Bill Bowersock (a real estate agent by profession) and lead Scenic Artist Earl Kells is just as sumptuous and detailed (late 50s/early 60s with a spinoff of late 19^th century rich, minus the moralistic overtones) for this small stage. The lighting by Steven Young And costumes. I don’t know how he did it – but costume designer Philip Hayman perfectly captured the sense of a “traditional” era with an overlay of both the TV show “Mad Men” and a Project Runway version of stereotypical grandparent-frumpiness. All this on men wearing sometimes low cut gowns that revealed their tattoos. And one more note: Curtis Freeman’s wigs added a perfect and true crowning touch to the characters they adorned.

Bruce Mayhall and Christopher Graham originated the new version of the old classic but Interim Artistic Director Dominic Gregorio and Director/Choreographer Billy Rugh made it art – under the producing guidance of Chris Verdugo and GMCLA Executive Director Hywel Sims.

What made it so moving was how they revised the old story and made it transcendent. Brother Fritz (Matt DeLeva) is something of a bully and here Clara is now the “sensitive wallflower” Clarence (Lee Pitts). Fritiz and some of the other children are poking and teasing Clarence, who protects himself by curling into a ball on the floor, when a young army soldier arrives home with some buddies.

This version of the “Nutcracker March” sets up a wonderful “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” sung by chorus quintet NPYNK. But more importantly for the largely LGBT audience, it reverberates with the acceptance and relief coming home felt by our wartime gay soldiers operating under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” It’s not spelled out. It’s not a message underscored in the program book. It’s just there – and that’s when the tears start to fall.

Enter Drosselmeyer (Shawn D. Ingram), the toymaker. A sizable vision in pink, there is nothing drab or frightening about this new star of the party who acts as an intercessor on Clarence’s behalf. I confess, I was immediately struck by how similar Drosselmeyer seemed to the Patrick Swayze drag queen character in “To Wong Fu, Thanks for Everything – Julie Newmar.” I wondered if it might not be a subliminal homage to the late straight actor and asked Ingram about this after the show. But he said his character was intended to represent the wide range of people the chorus represents and he had not thought of the Swayze.  Ah, well. My heart’s imagination sent a “thank you prayer” heavenward anyway.

Clarence is fascinated by and drawn to Drosselmeyer, who gives Fritz the handsome Nutcracker toy soldier (Andrew Thomas) as a Christmas gift. Clarence is disappointed but then – in this fantasy tale of how gay boys are nurtured – Drosselmeyer gives Clarence the gift of self-expression, a sprinkling of fairy dust, makeup and special tap dancing shoes (the song here is Elton’s John’s “Expressing Yourself” featuring the lyric, “What the hell’s wrong with expressing yourself?”). This song grows into a tap dancing, gay version of the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes’ famous chorus line kick. (Wild applause and whoops!)

Clarence’s Christmas gift is a ballerina (Michelle Benton) – which he loves – but Fritz mocks Clarence and breaks the ballerina by stealing her tiara. Drosselmeyer repairs the ballerina but Clarence is ashamed and runs to his room. Later he sneaks downstairs, steals the Nutcracker and falls asleep with him (“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”).

When the clock strikes twelve in this gay Land of Dreams, Clarence wakes up to snow angels and the Sugar Plum Fairy (Benton) who sets him on a journey of self-discovery. Much as Dorothy encounters new friends in the “Wizard of Oz” who look like  her friends back in Kansas, Clarence encounters Fritz as an annoying court jester instead of having a confrontation with the Mouse King. Clarence initially avoids Fritz and, continuing on his journey, encounters many interesting strangers – exotic dancers, a Shepherd, his wife and their small flock of sheep (students from Creative Planet School of the Arts who received exuberant and sustained applause with their appearance), and a colorful group of soldiers who bring out a giant candy courtesan (Mother Gigogne or Mother Ginger) who pops out candy kids from under her skirt.

Apparently worn from the journey, Clarence is about to give up when the Sugar Plum Fairy re-appears to give him encouragement. But so does Fritz the jester who attacks the Fairy and once again, steals her tiara. This time, however, Clarence stands up to Fritz and gets the tiara back. Then, as if this new-found confidence has called forth the Nutcracker – the handsome solider suddenly appears. This leads to the final stage of Clarence’s coming out process as the two dance to the “Sugar Plum Fairy” song. Clarence embraces his new self-awareness and the Land of Dreams erupts with joy.

Clarence awakens emboldened by the miracle expressed in his dream. His happiness at this Christmas gift of self-confidence enables him to embrace his family, including his standoffish father who finally accepts the hug – and Clarence makes peace with Fritz by offering him the Nutcracker back – which Fritz then returns to his brother. The Nutcracker takes on a new symbolic significance as if Fritz understands that Clarence likes boy soldiers in a different way than just a Christmas toy.

And in the end, everyone – including members of the cast with tears in their eyes – welcomes Clarence to the LGBT family. After his hug, John Duran waves his arm out to the audience as if to say welcome to the whole LGBT community. The chorus and cast then sing “Believe,” part of which goes:

“Believe in what you feel inside

And give your dreams the wings to fly

You’ll have everything you need –

If you just believe.”

After the sustained standing ovation, the chorus came back to sing “Auld Lang Syne” and “Happy Holidays.”

Backstage openly gay Assembly Speaker-elect John Perez took pictures with actress Dee Wallace and her daughter, “Nutcrack” actors Lee Pitts and Andrew Thomas and soap star Kate Linder.

Lee Pitts, who came to Los Angeles to be an actor and played Clarence with meaning and skill, told me that the show was deeply personal for him since he experienced a lot of the same emotions during his own coming out process to self-acceptance.

In addition to their extraordinary contribution to the LGBT community, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles also takes cultural education trips to area high schools. After the show, Gregorio, Benton and Rugh held a Q& A with students from South East High School, who loved the show. Passing the artistic torch – and an understanding of LGBT sensibility – to a new generation.

Here are some photos snapped by me and by the professional photographer for the Gay Men’s Chorus.