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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE November 21,2003

eveningsout

The creators of 'Hairspray' join its tour in Cincinnati

by Kaizaad Kotwal

Cincinnati-Three gay, big daddies of the entertainment world are about to descend on Cincinnati, and the city may never be the same again.

In addition to their one-night-only appearance on December 8, John Waters, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman will be bringing their Broadway tour of Hairspray to the city for a two-week run starting December 2.

These three creative masterminds will offer an exciting evening of hilarious storytelling and a peek into creating a hit show on December 8.

Waters will have an open microphone to share stories about his formative years and his career. He will share the stage with the music and stories of Marc Shaiman and his

partner, Scott Witman. The evening also includes a question and answer session.

Waters, a cult figure in his own right, has some colorful monikers in keeping with his personality and his films. He's been called the "The Pope of Trash," "the Prince of Puke," "the P.T. Barnum of Scatology," "the Sultan of Sleaze," and "the Baron of Bad Taste." But say what you will, Waters is hard to ignore and his work in many ways is seminal and has changed the course of pop art, independent film and now, Broadway musicals with Hairspray.

So large is the cult of Waters that the governor of his home state Maryland proclaimed February 14-20 as John Waters Week.

"I pride myself on the fact that my work has no socially redeeming value," Waters has said on several occasions, but this is part of his allure: He has a deep sense of irony and an indubitable sense of subversion. Baltimore, which he has fondly dubbed the "Hairdo Capitol of the World," is the setting for all his films.

Some of his films include Pink Flamingos (with the inimitable drag performer Divine), Polyester, Serial Mom, Pecker, Cecil

LAW

B. Demented and, of course, Hairspray.

Gay audiences in particular have loved the work of this gay director, identifying strongly with the sense of the outsider he brings to his work.

Composers and lyricists Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman won a Tony award in June for the Hairspray score. Their kiss after accepting the award made headlines the next day-most viewers had never seen two men kiss on national TV before, let alone a long, passionate one. Four months earlier, as they accepted a Grammy for the show's cast album, Shaiman said, "To everyone out there

R&P

Scott Witman

who thinks Broadway is just for Jews and gays, I have only this to say: Oy gevalt, my lover and I just won a Grammy!"

Shaiman started his career as vocal arranger for gay icon Bette Midler, eventually becoming her musical director and producer. He brought herthe Grammy winning songs "The Wind Beneath My Wings" and "From a Distance."

He has been nominated for an Academy Award five times for his work on South Park-Bigger, Longer and Uncut, Patch Adams, The First Wives Club, The American President and Sleepless in Seattle but has never won a statuette.

Shaiman resides between Los Angeles and New York City with theater director and collaborator Scott Wittman. According to Shaiman, their 24-year relationship is his proudest achievement.

Witman conceived and directed Patti LuPone's triumphant Carnegie Hall debut. He directed Bette Midler, Elaine Stritch,

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John Waters

Madeline Kahn, Patti LuPone, Debra Monk, Andrea Martin, Lainie Kazan and Lypsinka in the Ethel Merman tribute Doin' What Comes Natr'lly. For PBS, he has directed Sarah Jessica Parker, Martin Short and Nathan Lane in their solo performances with the Boston Pops.

The 1988 film Hairspray is a comedy about star-struck teen-age celebrities, their stage mothers and the quest for mental health. Set in 1962, it the story of Baltimore's Tracy Turnblad, a plus-size gal with plus-size hair and an even bigger heart. Her only one passion is dancing and when she wins a spot on the local TV dance program she is transformed from an outsider to a teen celebrity overnight.

Marc Shaiman

The film was a box office and critical success, but the Broadway musical has been even bigger, winning multiple Tony awards and recently launching a national tour.

The Cincinnati show will star gay comic Bruce Vilanch as Tracy's mother Edna Turnblad, the role made famous on Broadway by Harvey Fierstein.

Hairspray plays the Aronoff Center December 2 through December 14. Ticket prices range from $25 to $75; call 513-241-2345 for more information.

"An Evening with John Waters, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman" is at the Aronoff Center on December 8 at 8 pm. Tickes are $25 to $40; VIP tickets are $100 and include a reception with the speakers afterward.

KAIZAAD KOTWAL

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Out in Hollywood

Openly gay actor Wilson Cruz, most famously known for his role on the 1990s show My So Called Life, was the featured speaker at a diversity event sponsored by the Ohio State University GLBT Alumni Society.

The event, held in the main auditorium of the Law Building, was packed to capacity, partly with students who were receiving extra credit by attending Cruz's speech.

Cruz talked at length about growing up gay, struggling to come out, and working in an industry like Hollywood so embedded in types and external images. Cruz referred to coming out "as the most powerful act" he has ever committed. He said he decided to come out to himself by saying the words "I am gay" aloud to himself in the bathroom.

"Nothing changed,” he said, “except that I felt that I had finally walked into my own body. I know that sounds weird or ethereal, but it was truly transformative.” Cruz made his speech accessible by personalizing his experiences for a mixed crowd of college students struggling with many of the same issues of acceptance, friendship, and growing up.

In talking about his role on My So Called Life, Cruz recounted the day his agent called to tell him "they were interested in auditioning me for this sexually ambiguous kid, much like Jodie Foster in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. And I'll tell you, that was just code for 'He's a big old homo!””

-Kaizaad Kotwal