FEBRUARY 6, 1998 GAY PEOPle's ChroNICLE
17
EVENINGS OUT
Dancer knows what it
means to hold his head high
by Kaizaad Kotwal
Whenever I feel afraid
I hold my head erect
And whistle a happy tune So no one will suspect I'm afraid.
Anyone who has felt alone, different or afraid for any reason, understands too well the above ditty from Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I.
Openly gay performer John Bantay, currently touring with the show's Broadway revival as dance captain and swing performer, knows what it means to hold one's head high and forge ahead with dedication and success. The road show is now playing in Columbus, and will be in Cincinnati next week.
Bantay's résumé is as varied as they come, from Broadway shows to a tour of Sesame Street Live and 21⁄2 years as a backup dancer for the Chippendales. He has appeared in shows like Hello, Dolly with Carol Channing, Anything Goes with Mitzi Gaynor as well as the Broadway revival of King with Donna Murphy and Lou Diamond Phillips.
Bantay grew up as a gay first-generation Filipino in San Francisco. Asked which was more difficult in America-being gay or being Filipino-Bantay said that “both brought their share of difficulties."
"The Catholic church and the family were always hovering around," Bantay said, and while he still believes in a God, he has abandoned the Catholic faith.
"I got tired of feeling guilty,” he said. “There are lots of discrepancies in what the church says and does."
Bantay said his traditionally Catholic and Filipino family was surprisingly accepting when he came out as a gay man.
"It was rather uneventful,” he recalled. "I told my sister first and she said that everybody already knew."
Even so, Bantay's family chooses not to talk about it, "They accept it, our relationship is the same and I would like to talk about it but don't want to push it in their face or force the issue," Bantay said.
When it comes to auditioning and getting the role, Bantay is not so reserved.
"I go to every audition and I don't care what they're looking for," he said with confidence. "I know I am a talented singer and dancer and I want them to see me as a performer, not as a Filipino performer,” he said.
While the roles for Asians has been on the rise, there is still a great scarcity compared to the number of talented performers out there. Thanks in part to shows like M. Butterfly and Miss Saigon and an increased emphasis on non-traditional casting, Asians have gained greater mainstream visibility.
Currently, Bantay is ecstatic about being in the Broadway tour of King and I because "I love the show so much."
"The book is so strong, the story is so
powerful and it's such a treat to work on Jerome Robbins' choreography," he exclaimed. Additionally, Bantay believes that the show speaks specifically to gay audiences because of its central message of learning to accept what's different regardless of ignorance and cultural misconceptions.
Bantay said that the sub-plot which involves Tuptim and Lun Tha is “about loving someone against all odds, being true to one-
John Bantay
self and doing whatever it takes to be together."
In his own life Bantay has realized this to be true, especially in his current relationship his first with someone who is HIV-positive.
Being with someone HIV-positive has been a great learning experience, Bantay said.
"Being so close to someone like him forces one to really tune into the issues," Bantay said. "But I also believe that it is my duty to show that you can have a relationship with a positive partner. You can do it, all you have to be is smart and safe."
Doling out advice to aspiring performers as well as individuals struggling to come out, Bantay said, "be true to [yourself] if it is your passion, regardless of what mom and dad say and believe me I know all about that. Even in 1998 there are many people still deeply in the closet, and I cannot believe that they are happy. Those frustrations and anger come out elsewhere in life."
You can spend an evening with The King and I at the Ohio Theatre in Columbus until February 8, Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be ordered by calling 614-431-3600 or any Ticketmaster location.
The show will also play in Cincinnati February 10-22. Showtimes are Tuesday through Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be ordered by calling 513241-7469 or any Ticketmaster location.
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