singer pays tribute muse, judy garland, re-creating legendary carnegie hall concert sunday @ hollywood bowl.
right before last encore of "rufus wainwright sings judy garland" on sunday @ hollywood bowl, singer , composer, little punch-drunk passionate two-hour wrestling match he'd had muse, had 1 request. "this last show ever of type i'll do," said. "so let's have fun during this, ok?"
seemed strange thing ask of audience who'd given him 1 standing ovation. really, wainwright talking himself.
wainwright had shown many emotions -- awe, resolve, rapture, embarrassment, frustration , mirth -- re-created garland's legendary 1961 carnegie hall performance, feat he'd accomplished in new york, paris , london. departing 16-month residency inside soul of woman once described "beacon" , "saint" gay men. time smile, kick heels , belt out "chicago" -- final song of garland's 1961 show.
strutting catwalk zingy support hollywood bowl orchestra, conducted broadway bigwig stephen oremus, wainwright let loose sinewy tenor on fred fisher's verses "that toddling town." took things next level when returned encore, having shed modest tom ford-designed suit black jacket, nylons, pumps , fedora: 1 of garland's famous outfits.
crowd roared. they'd been hoping along -- "real" drag show, wainwright imitating garland way down sexy gams?
delivered more interesting , more contemporary. incorporating drag elements staying true openness , whimsy of post-stonewall, post-punk generation, wainwright explored garland not tragic icon vaudevillian jester, swinging singer , visceral interpreter of lyrics love , sorrow.
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wainwright's campier gestures , wilder vocal turns recalled radical drag of performance artists including john kelly , justin bond, work critiques traditional gay culture going "over top" in new ways (kelly chooses unusual subjects, joni mitchell, while bond turns cabaret punk). waggish self-awareness showed influence of musical peers such joanna newsom or friend antony, explore archaic forms while remaining totally contemporary.
without these contexts, wainwright wouldn't taking garland's legacy forward. tribute wasn't intellectual game. supported ideas, succeeded emotional inquiry relationship gay culture , showbiz tradition.
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ultimately, though, two-character play: rufus , judy, liberated scion of gay america , idol had inspired elders have courage achieve freedoms enjoys. had see of might belong him. performance proves discovered much: great songs, new swing in vocal style, new commitment emotional honesty.
finally, though, returned gift. midway through set, wainwright saluted fans who'd attended garland's 1961 tour, 85% of whom, speculated, gay men.
"it wasn't legal gay then," said. thanked "real freedom fighters , revolutionaries" whom garland helped inspire fight rights, , lost in course of making possible younger men wainwright themselves. , sang, men , judy, "i can't give love."
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