GAYLETTER

Late last summer, Russian minister of culture Vladimir Medinsky told a news outlet that historic composer Peter Tchaikovsky, despite years of documented proof otherwise, was not a homosexual. While Tchaikovsky’s sexuality has little import over his epic oeuvre of music, he has long been understood by historians and Russians alike to be gay, and Medinsky’s claim functions as an attempt among many in recent months to rewrite history in service of Russia’s newly homophobic political agenda. There has been a decent amount of opposition to the controversial disavowal of the composer’s sexuality since, but none have quite as much resonance as Tchaikovsky: None But the Lonely Heart, a new theatrical concert coming to BAM this week.

Presented by Ensemble for the Romantic Century, the concert is a combination of music, theater, and dance that hones in on the composer’s uncanny relationship with his patroness, Madame von Meck, conducted solely through letters spanning an incredible fourteen years. One member of the production, however, holds a personal interest in the story of Tchaikovsky’s life: Daniel Mantei Keene, the openly gay and extraordinarily talented American Ballet Theatre member who serves as dance choreographer as well as dancer in the production. Although Mantei has been dancing for about twenty years, Tchaikovsky: None But the Lonely Heart is truly a reason for him to stand out, providing the audience with some gorgeous choreography (alongside some decent eye candy while he’s at it).

We got in touch with Daniel ahead of the production’s run at BAM’s new Fishman Space to ask a few questions about the concert, how he thinks it functions in conversation with Russia’s current political climate, and what it was like choreographing to one of the most famous gay composers of all time. …

There’s a lot of information to disseminate so I’ll get to the point. There’s a FREE night of Israeli and European dance at the Abrons Arts Center on February 28th and March 1st at 8:00PM — you just have to reserve tickets. We’re told one piece by two hot Israeli men, Niv Sheinfeld and Oren Laor, “brings it with a hot duet that involves nude partnering.” I saw a clip — it was hot! In addition there’s a lecture/performance piece titled Your Majesties by Austria’s Navaridas+Deutinger whereby Obama‘s acceptance speech at the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is recited to “revive a piece of World History and reveal the underlying absurd vagaries of the text.” Saw a clip — I agree. The last piece is by Ferenc Fehér titled Stix 66, an “ultimatum to simplicity.” I absolutely love that. Ferenc is a Hungarian dance artist who claims “it is not movement but rather the state of the dancer that influences the viewer.” I didn’t see a clip but strongly agree. Sounds like a riveting night of performance. Act fast to reserve your free tickets, and see you at the Abrons.

The show runs from February 28 through March 1 at 8:00PM, Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand St. NY, NY. For free ticket reservations click here. …

Where others have a mind for boring desk jobs and business attire, Merrie Cherry has one for supreme nightlife creativity. In 2013 alone, the Brooklyn nightlife superstar started her own awards show to honor other prominent members of the nightlife scene (the Brooklyn Nightlife Awards), while also providing fantastic hosting duties for a handful of NYC’s best spots and giving us all a much needed breath of fresh air in her uniquely unconventional brand of drag. We were lucky enough to get a hold of her for an interview in anticipation of the BNAs this coming Sunday, wherein she dishes on her dream performer for the awards show, her favorite venue in NYC, and what her first drag outfit looked like (hint: it involved shoulder “pads”…).

When did you first put on makeup/a wig/a dress? I was 6 years young. My grandmother went to the grocery store and my mother was watching her stories. This was the perfect situation for me to get into trouble.  I went into my mother’s closet and grabbed a purple leopard pattern dress, put on some of her lipstick, that did not match, and used what I now know were pads for periods, but then I used them as shoulder pads. I turned on the radio and danced it out.

How did the Brooklyn Nightlife Awards come about? I had been thinking for over a year that something needed to happen to shout out to the world that Brooklyn was a contender for a nightlife destination. …

Meeting your new boyfriend’s family is never a particularly thrilling prospect. But at worst most of us have to deal with an awkward dinner, an inescapable holiday or maybe accidental drunkenness (yours or theirs). Spare a thought, then, for Peter in Jake Jeppson’s new play The Clearing, whose boyfriend’s family unravels before him amidst tragic secrets, fiery resentment and unhealthy brotherly love.

The boyfriend in question in Les (Brian McManamon), a nervous twentysomething, and their sweet courtship is revealed to us through a series of reverse-chronological scenes which open the play. We’re also given clues to a dark history between Les and his wildly emotional brother Chris (Brian P. Murphy), who have experienced some unspoken tragedy which bonded them together and left Chris with horrifying ghostly visions. In his growing relationship with Peter (Gene Gallerano), Les begins to detach himself from the needy familial triangle of Chris and their mother Ella (Allison Daugherty). Meanwhile Peter, perplexed by the strange behaviour of the family, begins to pry and finds himself caught up in the secret events involving “Daniel” some 18 years ago.

 
From left: Gene Gallerano (Peter), Brian McManamon (Les) & Brian P. Murphy (Chris).

This brave play from Jeppson grapples with some interesting questions, and some that feel completely out of place (ie. the nature of prayer). The actors all have their moments, and the gay love story feels real and affecting. But the character you’ll fall for is the self-described “sad, old lady” Ella, portrayed with candour and courage (you’ll see why) by Allison Daugherty. …

To many LGBT-identifying people, the word “realness” evokes a very specific image in queer history. It’s the sequence in Jennie Livingston’s 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning, in which several late 80’s NYC queens display what “realness” truly means: to blend seamlessly into heterosexual culture despite your queerness. It’s about being a walking contradiction, gender-bending your way into what culture has deemed the norm. It’s about being able to pass for something you’re not and subverting the entire image you’re conveying in the process. At American Realness, the arts festival currently happening downtown at Abrons Art Center, creator Ben Pryor (pictured) has adopted this word to perfectly represent a series of new performance, dance, and art events that repurposes “realness” for a newly growing subset of American and international art.

 
We asked a few questions to Ben about the future of American Realness, doing homework in the BAM Opera House as a kid, and what “realness” means in the context of the artwork and performances on display at this year’s festival. Check out the full interview below.

What is your background in the arts? Are you an artist yourself? My mom was a publicist for contemporary classical composers. David Lang, Michael Gordon, Julie Wolfe, the Bang on a Can scene, Michael Nyman, John Corigliano… I grew up going to atonal music concerts, being seated between critics, forced to behave myself backstage at the Knitting Factory at age 12, or doing homework during sound check in the Opera House at BAM. …