in the mid-70s, i had the great pleasure and honor of writing lyrics for and managing the duo jade & sarsaparilla … we did an album which has just been re-released by amoeba music:
http://www.amoeba.com/jade-sarsaparilla-janet-hood/albums/834447/
to this day, still one of the best projects i've ever been involved with … janet hood and linda langford are incredibly talented and this was pretty edgy content back then (still is in many circles) … i really think this music holds up … check it out!
http://playbill.com/news/
The Miss Glamouresse contestants will once again compete for New York audiences this summer when the Bill Russell-Frank Kelly-Albert Evans musical Pageant returns for an Off-Broadway run at New World Stages.
The musical, which features an all-male cast playing the beauty queens, premiered Off-Broadway in 1991 at the Blue Angel, with subsequent productions in London and Australia. Pageant continues to be a popular regional title across the U.S. The original New York cast featured David Drake and Tony Award winner Dick Scanlan.
The new production, staged by Matt Lenz and choreographed by Shea Sullivan, will begin performances Aug. 9 at New World Stages, according to an Equity casting notice.
Details of the Off-Broadway run have not been officially announced; however, casting notices indicate that Pageant will play select performances at New World Stages each week. The creative team held an industry reading of the musical last spring.
Pageant has book and lyrics by Tony nominee Russell (Side Show, Elegies…) and Kelly, and music by Evans. It was originally conceived by Robert Longbottom (Side Show).
"We authors are thrilled that Pageant is coming back to parade its special kind of beauty Off-Broadway," Russell told Playbill.com. "In the years since the original production, the heels of Misses Deep South, West Coast, Great Plains, Bible Belt, Industrial Northeast and Texas have been filled by many fine actors around the world. But of course we expect to find the most talented and beautiful contestants in NYC. We're especially excited to be working with Shea Sullivan (choreography) and Stephen Yearick (costumes) – both of whom have extensive experience in the world of pageants. Let the beauty begin!"
"It is like no beauty pageant you’ve seen before," according to press notes. "Six contestants vying for the title of Miss Glamouresse compete in swimsuit, talent, evening gown and spokesmodel. You even get to choose the winner."
Casting is underway for the production. Mark Hartman will musical direct.
A reading last spring featured Tom Deckman (Spamalot), Jeff Hiller (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Silence!), Michael James Scott (Book of Mormon), Tyler Maynard (Altar Boyz, Little Mermaid), Constantine Rousouli (Ghost), Tony Sheldon (Priscilla Queen of the Desert) and David Turner (On a Clear Day, Arcadia, The Ritz).
a month ago our dear friends glen and gino got married … i wrote this for the occasion and was honored to be asked to read it at the wedding …
wonderful men
glen and gino
gino and glen
are two of the most
wonderful men
and i remember way back when
they became a couple
and now they’re getting married
how i wish that all could know
the history they’ve carried
these oh so generous
and giving guys
who’ve weathered the whys
and wherefores of a long relationship
with its glorious highs
and transcended lows
this is how a true love goes
and grows
and grows
they’re meant to travel side by side
this ceremony might lack a bride
but not loads of love
good will
or history
why anyone would deny them this
joyful day
communal bliss
is much more than a mystery
how i wish the biased others
could be here now
(not really
but as metaphor)
to see how long love can endure
can soldier on
can smooth the way
to one special wedding day
i’m guessing
that when glen and gino
each came to understand
he was gay
neither could ever
but ever
have imagined a day
they’d be standing
in front of family and friends
publicly cementing their impressive bond
that idea would not have dawned
on them
or any of us
of a certain age
we need to page backand recall
how far the arc of history
has bent toward justice
in a very short time
at least as arcs of history go
and though we know
that many out there
are repulsed by the idea
that this is going on
they will soon be history
they will soon be gone
in the meantime
we revel
in this special love
in gratitude
admiration
and great esteem
for this well-found match
this tested team
composed of these two
wonderful men
glen and gino
gino and glen