A review by Tim Tavcar

portray the gamut of gay experience?

Can a single performance express the
first stirrings of sexual self-awareness,
the anxiety of coming out to family and
friends, thejoys and sorrows of life as an
openly gay man in a country that often
denies that human right to love whom
we choose‘?

In the fall of 1998, the Connecticut
Gay Men’s Chorus took on that
Herculean task with their 1998 recording
of Outl, The Musical. Based on chorus
members’ answers to questionnaires
about their own experiences, Out! con-
tains tales of and feelings about self-real-
ization, the “first time,” coming out to
family, and affirmations of gay life to the
world at large.

But the line between art and reality
isn’t drawn there. When the‘CGMC sent
similar questionnaires to the families of
chorus members, they received dozens
of responses. More than thirty of these

I s it possible for one artistic work to

form an integral and powerful part of the"

text of Out! and contribute mightily to its
ultimate success. I

Winston Clark is the work’s triple
threat; besides writing ‘Out./, he conduct-
ed the chorus and provided the virtuoso
accompaniment. Peter Winkler offers an
engagingly eclectic score. The whole‘
package is presented as an evening of
high-energy, playful, quality musical
theater, and the energy, muscianship and

_ honesty of this disc helps it recreate
what must have been an exhila-
rating live performance.

The chorus negotiates a veritable
smorgasbord of songs (31, not
including encores) with ease, grace
and excitement. Confident delivery
of stylistically diverse selections
such as the doo-wop close—har-
monied “The Kiss,” the jazz-to-
disco depiction of that most basic of
basic needs “Gotta,” and the hard-
driving gospel aflirmation of free-
dom in “No Tumin’ Back” are all
testament to solid musicianship and
a hell of a lot of hard work on the parts
of all involved.

While some of the individual solos
are handled with what some might tenn

Truth as Entertaining
as Fiction

. ‘.2 ‘-I
5 Rnlugnfl

less than professional vocalism, they are ,

never handled with anything less than
total sincerity, which only validates the
universality of the human experience
they so eloquently express.‘

Is there anything I didn’t like about
Out/? Frankly, yes. But my reservations
are largely textual in nature; as these

songs express individual points of view, »

it would be churlish to quibble over
those I do not share. The beauty of this
ambitious work is that there is something_
among its songs and stories to which
almost anyone can relate.

Finally, perhaps the best thing about
the disc is that it exists at all, and that

fie  r ' a
tilt! true.

Connecticut Gag Men 5 Chorus
OUT! The Muscial
After 9 Records

existence owes itself to the talents, loves,
labors, generosity, and devotion of and
for the community it so joyously cele-
brates. Kudos to chorus and
conductor!V

Tim Tavcar is director of A Vocal
Minority, Vermoritlv own gay menls chorus.

At this writing, Out! The Musical was not
available at a store near you. However, you
may order your very own copy (and more for
family and friends) by contacting the following:

After 9 Records

1650 Broadway, Suite 1210
New York, NY 10019
Website: http://www.atter-9.com
The CD5 catalog ID is: TWCD—2024D

 

Don’t

for Me....

Lucy Kaplansky, Richard Shindell,

Williams, three of the most compelling singer-
songwriters of the ‘90s are Cry, Cry, Cry. They
have taken breaks from their solo careers to
record and perform other people’s music. The
sabbatical has produced an album that, according
to Shindell, could be subtitled, “It’s the song, stu-

pid.”
On March 6,

$20.7

  Cm

at 8:00pm at the Unitarian
Universalist church in Burlington the collabora-
tion will happen live. The show is sponsored by
the Peace and Justice Center and tickets are $18 -

  
 

Starved,
for
attention?

in DESIGN
LETTEl""“E*'?' You“‘gcan't eat good design,
.. but it feeds you.
  i M A v A l(
BUSINESS cirrus ,
llllllflld BIIOII
- 802.860.1044
NEWSLETTERS mayaii@uioiiainoiisii.nt

and Dar

. - - M
0,... till itirlmi
mm LSuiu|tlW

"Extensive Selection

Over 200,000 book, music and video titles
Over 2,000 periodicals in l0 different languages from l5 different countries

Everyday Discounts

30% discount on current New York Times cloth bestselle 3
10% discount on most other hardcover:
Over 500 listening stations to preview CD:

BORDERS con: INSIDE?

IOOKS, MUSIC, VIDEO, MID A (ME.
29 CHURCH sr ' CHURCH STREET MARKETPLACE ° 802-885-2711

Our: iill.M;d,;,-
. ylir
dill’ 8 Saturday

    
  
 

DRAX ALL
CHECKLIST:

IZI Makeup

|_7_l Gown

|_7_l Wig
' lZl Nylons

L7_l Pumps
IZI Drag Video

 

" "L I
///Ilflllii/.i,{,/t"ll/III:/i'?;l’fi:§l0 ‘,
I he 

 

Waterfront Video
has the essential

collection of
drag titles:

 

Priscilla Queen
of the Desert
Female
Impersonator
Pageant
The Queen
Cabaret

Wigstock »
To Wong Foo
La Cage Aux
Folles I, ll, & Ill
Birdcage a
Paris is Burning
Torch Song Trilogy
Ladyboys

388-2200

   
   

1*BunuNcToN
 I3] Battery St.
660-5545