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Being gay is
absolutely fabulous
David Sexton shows us why in ‘It’s a
Fabulous Life’
By
ANDREA FREYGANG
Contributing Writer
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Cover everything in colored lights – you’ll be happier by far.
Nothing tops the season’s spirits. Life is like a glowing neon star.
But the most important thing is to remember who you are”
– CARLO/CARLOTTI (as performed by Daisy Deadpetals)
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It’s a fabulous life being gay, and David
Sexton has, for the second year in a row, put together a play to let
South Florida know just how fabulous it is.
A take-off on the Christmas classic “It’s a
Wonderful Life,” the show originated as a script for the South Beach
Gay Men’s Chorus. It was so well loved that Sexton decided to revamp
the concert script into the full-blown musical “It’s a Fabulous
Life,” which will take the stage this season at the newly renovated
Byron Carlyle Theater and the Broward Center for the Performing
Arts.
“Originally the music was all from other
sources, mainly traditional Christmas music, and just one original
song,” Sexton explains. “People loved the idea so much that I got
together with a couple of composers and wrote all new, original
music and created a whole new musical.”
The main character, Joe, played by E.L.
Losada (who recently won a Carbonell award for his title role in the
musical “BatBoy”), wishes he had never been born gay. As a play
within a play, Joe is working on The Lavender Players production of
“Randolph the Rainbow Reindeer.” Stress from stage drama queens and
his parents’ refusal to let him come home for Christmas lead him to
wish he wasn’t gay.
“My character, Joe, is very committed and
under a lot of pressure to get this play ready after Arthur, who
previously put the play together, dies four days before show time,”
says Losada. “All the pressure leads him to take it out on his
boyfriend, and he walks away wishing he wasn’t gay.”
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REINDEER GAMES: Carlotta (Daisy Deadpetals) gets a
fabulous ride from “Life” cast member Ezequiel Hernandez.
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However, Arthur comes back to show Joe what it
would mean to get his wish. Arthur – played by David Leddick (author of
“The Secret Lives of Married Men”) – returns as an angel to lead Joe
through a series of scenes showing him how life would be if he wasn’t
gay.
Leddick, who’s extremely excited about his part
because it was written just for him, says it’s a feel-good musical that
can be enjoyed by very diverse audiences.
“I’m a personality not an actor, so the fact
that this part was written just for me is great,” Leddick says. “I
haven’t worked in theater in over 40 years, but I even learned how to
tap dance for this part!
“This play is very inspirational and shows how
gay people cope with something. I think gay people tend to be a lot more
grown-up because they have to handle a lot more.”
“Yes, being gay gives us a unique perspective
on life,” Sexton agrees, “And it’s fabulous to be gay.”
Joe didn’t realize his impact on those in his
life and as Arthur leads him around, the light bulb goes on.
“It’s not a choice,” says Sexton, “But Joe
realizes that maybe he would choose this if he could by the end of the
play.
“The first part shows the struggle of being
gay, but by the end he realizes there’s something fabulous about being
gay, and begins to appreciate the wonderful things it gives us, and how
it is worth it to be this unique, fabulous part of culture and there’s
much to value about it.”
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Helping Joe realize his fabulousness is
Carlo (or Carlotta in the second act) who, in the first act doesn’t
want to be in drag anymore in the play within the play as Ms. Claus.
By the second act, as Carlotta, she embraces her drag identity and,
as Sexton explains, becomes this “mother goddess figure of wisdom
that helps Joe realize how wonderful and fabulous he is and helps
Joe to embrace his identity.”
Carlo/Carlotta is played by Kenny Calabria,
aka Daisy Deadpetals, in a rare out of drag appearance. Calabria is
often seen on “Deco Drive” and at Voodoo Lounge in character as
Daisy.
“It’s kind of refreshing to be another
character, let alone another gender,” Calabria says. “Carlo is kinda
like me … sometimes I don’t want to do drag. I have no desire to be
a woman, I’m not that dainty, and I welcome the fact that I get to
be a boy in this play.”
Other personalities in the play are Edison
Farrow (party promoter supreme), Ben Bagby, Ezequiel Hernandez,
Nadeen Holloway, Brian Ricci, Andy Rogow, Dean Swann, and David
Sexton. Directing the show is Robert Johanson, who is known for
helming “Wizard of Oz” at Madison Square Garden and a national tour
of the show, “Follies” with Ann Miller and “Anything Goes” with
Chita Rivera.
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HOLIDAY FINERY: Ezequiel Hernandez, Daisy Deadpetals and
Dean Swann demonstrate why “It’s A Fabulous Life.”
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“It’s a Fabulous Life” opens Nov. 25 as a
Thanksgiving Day benefit performance for Care Resource. As an official
White Party event, all proceeds from that evening will go to Care
Resource. Starting off the party is a cocktail reception at Roger’s
Restaurant from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with everyone going to the Byron
Carlyle afterwards and relaxing in the VIP section to enjoy the play.
Everyone gets to meet the cast at a post-show party at Boy Bar in North
Miami Beach.
“It’s a Fabulous Life” is on stage at the
Byron Carlyle Theater, 500 71st St., Miami Beach at 8 p.m. Nov. 25-26; 7
p.m., Nov. 27; and 4 p.m., Nov. 28., with the same timetable repeating
the weekend of Dec. 1-5. The show moves to the Broward Center for the
Performing Arts, 201 S.W. Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale Dec. 8-12.
For tickets to the White Party benefit,
visit whiteparty.org.
For tickets to the show at the Byron Carlyle, visit
ticketmaster.com.
For tickets to the show at the Broward Center for Performing Arts, visit
browardcenter.org
or call (954) 462-0222.
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