From
the island of Lesbos to the Sistine Chapel to
the Stonewall Inn to "Yep,
I'm Gay" on
the cover of Time,
Jade Esteban Estrada
takes us on a whirlwind tour in "ICONS: The
Lesbian and Gay History of the World, Vol. 1."
This irreverent, funny and moving solo musical
is a feel-good session for gay people, but it
could prove an eye-opener even for the choir,
whose members may not know that Sylvia Rae
Rivera belongs in the gay hall of fame.
Sylvia Rae is the cross-dressing hustler who,
along with many other gay folks, had had a very
hard day on June 27, 1969, the day of Judy
Garland's funeral. All she wanted was to
"get drunk and dance" at her favorite
club. In the wee hours, the police raided the
bar, as they often did, but this time, Sylvia
wouldn't cower and cry. She threw her shoe at
them, and the Stonewall Riot came to pass. And
it begat Gay Liberation and domestic
partnerships and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.
As Oscar Wilde says here, "To love oneself
is the beginning of a lifelong romance."
This charming parade of figureheads also
includes Sappho, Michelangelo, Wilde, Gertrude
Stein and Ellen DeGeneres. An introductory song
hints at who might turn up in
Vol. 2: rocker
Melissa Etheridge, 9/11 hero Mark Bingham,
Virginia Woolf and Andy Warhol.
Each gets his or her own song, costume and wig
in this mini-extravaganza, directed by Jeff
Wills. Sometimes the songs are simplistic
("I want to sculpt humanity/I want to paint
life's destiny," sings Michelangelo), but
the monologues are full of wit. Sappho, who here
resembles Mariah Carey, gives her age as
"2,630-something." Michelangelo wishes
he could hold the hand, among other things, of
his David. The onstage costume changes are a
hoot;
Mr. Estrada starts undressing as one
character, and only when the wig hits his head
does his voice or walk change to the next
figure.
Perhaps the best monologue is that for Stein,
who sports sensible shoes and a harsh gray wig
here.
Mr. Estrada plays her perhaps too sternly,
but it's fun to watch her defy the show's thrust
by insisting she's no gay icon: "I was just
me." And she and Alice B. Toklas were
"like any other married couple."
Stein reminds us of the notorious Nazi pink
triangle, but otherwise refuses to pose as a
martyr. "Don't get caught up in all this
gay activism. We're all in this together,"
she insists. "It's not a gay thing. It's a
human thing."
True. But once in a while, the footwear's gonna
fly.
©2004
Dallas Morning News
