ARTICLES & FICTION 26 "A Straight Guy at the Gay Rodeo" by John Tido 32 "All About New Year's Eve" by Alan Banks 38 "Armistead Maupin" by George Heymont 56 "Black Christmas" by Robert Arthur 66 "Chris Burns" by Robert W. Richards 78 "How to Get thru the Holidays" by David-mitchell">David Mitchell VISUALS
9 "Presto/Chango" from Man-fest
17 "Eggsotic Erotica" by Joseph McEarthy
32 "All About New Year's Eve" from Malexpress
41 "Snow Job" by Jeff Kirk
49"Workout" from Malexpress
73 "Video Encounters" from PM Productions MONTHLY FEATURES
4 Stallion Quickies
14 Letters to Casey
22 Roundup (Film, Books, Thegtro, Music)
46 Our Gay Heritage:. Gays in Film
66 Stallion Contacts
EDITORIALLY SPEAKING
The other day I went to see the new musical version of La Cage aux folles for
the second time. The performance was a Saturday matinee, and the audience seemed
hardly the sort one might expect to find at a show that glorifies a drag queen
and his lover. Most of those in attendance were heterosexual couples — wedding
rings abounded.
As / took my seat, I noted the pair next to me, a white-haired husband and wife
who had no doubt endured more years together than Georges and Albin in the show.
What's more, these two were totally solicitous of one another: he retrieved her
Playbill when it s/Id off her lap, she adjusted his hearing aid during the overture.
Before the first act began, we chatted briefly, and they revealed that this was
the first show they had seen since Annie, which they had enjoyed so much on their
last trip to New York from the mid west.
Dividing my attention between the performance and their reaction to it proved
fascinating. Obviously, they were delighted by what they were seeing, and more
than a little embarrassed to relax and admit it. At intermission, we chatted a
bit more, and they raved at length about the score, the sets, the costumes, the
choreography — but nothing about the subject matter, When l pressed them
for an opinion, the wife hesitated, then (choosing her words carefully) pronounced
La Cage 'lust wonderful — so much more Interesting than Annie -- why, there's
real people up there."
In the show's final scene, as Georges and Albin reconcile and walk off arm in
arm Into the moonlight, I noticed her slip her hand onto her husband's knee, and
he In turn responded by placing his hand atop hers. Both had tears in their eyes.
Afterwards, l asked them how they had enjoyed the show, and they replied with
a string of superlatives, "And you know," he concluded, "It's got
a message too, wouldn't you say? Why, they're just like you and. me, aren't they?"
I nodded, "Yup, just like you and me."
Jerry Douglas
Editor
