Overview

"A fascinating look at the gay and lesbian influence on the American stage by an internationally recognized authority on the topic From the genteel female impersonators of the 1910s to the raucous drag queens of La Cage Aux Folles, from the men of The Normal Heart to the women of Fun Home, and from Eva Le Gallienne and Tallulah Bankhead to Tennessee Williams and Nathan Lane, Gays on Broadway deftly chronicles the plays and people that brought gay culture to Broadway. Writing with his customary verve and wit, author Ethan Mordden follows the steady liberation of gay themes on the American stage. The story begins in the early twentieth century, when gay characters were virtually banned from productions. The 1920s saw a flurry of plays closed on moral grounds as well as the Wales Padlock Act, which forbade representation of ""sex degeneracy."" While authorities made consistent attempts to shutter the movement, the public remained curious, and after a few decades of war making, a truce broke out when The Boys in the Band became a national smash hit. From this point on, gay theater proved simply too popular to abolish. With this change, theater was graced with a host of unforgettable characters--from thrill killers to historical figures to drag performers, as well as professional gays such as the defiantly effeminate window dresser in Kiss of the Spider Woman, closeted gays, and those run-of-the-mill citizens who don't reside entirely within the colorful nonconformist identity, such as the two male lovers in the dinner-theater comedy Norman, Is That You? Spoken plays and musicals, playwrights, directors, and actors all played their part in popularizing the gay movement through art. Gays on Broadway is an essential chronological review of the long journey to bring the culture of gay men and women onto the American stage."

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Reviews

"""A gossipy, insightful survey of the (often closeted) gay contribution to American theater."" -- ""The Guardian (London)"" ""Daniel Henning's uplifting performance brings out the best in this audiobook...Henning revels in the flamboyant anecdotes and colorful quotes...Henning has a delightful feel for the content, capturing mischievous grins as secretly gay writers manage to slip 'insider' jokes into mainstream shows. With entertaining discussions of 'out' writers and amusing analyses of both straight and gay productions, this is a wonderful listen! Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award."" -- ""AudioFile"" ""Despite its brevity, Mordden's book is filled with hilariously quippy biographical information...[A] terrific, condensed 100-year retrospective."" -- ""Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"" ""Mordden's knowledge and research are impeccable, and his lively, conversational tone draws readers in for more."" -- ""Library Journal (starred review)"""

Author Information

"Ethan Mordden is a recognized expert on American musical theater and the author of When Broadway Went to Hollywood, Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theatre, Make Believe: The Broadway Musical in the 1920s, Beautiful Mornin: The Broadway Musical in the 1940s, Coming Up Roses: The Broadway Musical in the 1950s, and Sondheim: An Opinionated Guide. His writing has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the New Yorker. His numerous books include friendly introductions to opera and film, as well as five collections of short stories chronicling gay life in New York City. He lives in Manhattan. Daniel Henning is a director, producer, actor, and writer. His work has been seen on HBO, CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, MTV, Comedy Central, and on stages throughout Southern California. He won a 2017 Telly Award for ""Best Writer"" for the film version of his play The Tragedy of JFK (as Told by Wm. Shakespeare). As director and writer, his TV and film work includes MTV's Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory and the film Critic's Choice. He won the NAACP Theatre Award for ""Best Director of a Musical"" for The Wild Party. He is the Founding Artistic Director of Hollywood's The Blank Theatre, winning over 200 awards for his productions, including ""Best Production,"" from LA Drama Critic Circle, LA Weekly, Ovations, NAACP, etc. Henning has been inspirational to thousands of young artists through his creation of The Blank's Young Playwrights Festival (the only professional nationwide competition for playwrights aged nine to nineteen). He directed the first play by 2016 Tony Award Winner for ""Best Play"" Stephen Karam when Stephen was seventeen and a winner in The Blank's Young Playwrights Festival. Henning has also been an acting teacher and coach and is known for his ability to spot young talent. He has given opportunities to many young actors who later went on to success in Hollywood including Tessa Thompson, Noah Wyle, Alison Brie, Molly Shannon, Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer, and Sarah Michelle Gellar. He coached Sarah Michelle Gellar on her auditions for the landmark TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and they shared a close personal friendship, even traveling to Australia together with family for New Year's Eve 2000, where the paparazzi photographed Henning and Gellar dancing. For several months, Henning was rumored to be dating Gellar in the Australian fan magazines (including Big Hit Magazine), which, of course, was inaccurate as Henning was traveling with his husband, Rick Baumgartner. He is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Circle in the Square Theatre School, and American Conservatory Theatre. His work for LGBTQ Equality includes creating the fiftieth Anniversary Celebration of the Black Cat Protests (the first major LGBTQ Demonstration in the US) and directing and hosting the 2017 LA City Council LGBTQ Pride Ceremony. He was recently honored by the CA State Legislature for his work in LGBTQ Equality and nurturing the future of the Arts. He has also narrated dozens of audiobooks, both nonfiction and fiction."

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