Because Some Men Want the Unexpected

Comments (0) By Phillip Valys Thursday, Sep 27 2007

On the day of Judy Garland’s funeral, Bunny the Drag Queen leapt off her barstool and fumed, “God did not create us in his fucking image to fucking judge one another.” That, and the “all men are created equal” truism from Thomas Jefferson, spurred director Michael Leeds to helm Some Men, an off-Broadway play by Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally. And sure, it broaches the gay marriage hot-buttoner – heck, the first scene is a same-gender wedding – but it’s also a patchwork of introspective vignettes profiling eight decades of gay civil rights milestones.

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Sketches chronicle everything from hush-hush trysts between an Irish chauffeur and Jewish banker in 1920s Southampton to male shenanigans in balmy ´70s bathhouses to the above-mentioned transvestite, Bunny the Drag Queen, belting out Garland’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” mid-Stonewall Riot soliloquy. Now that’s history done right.

Not-so-coincidentally, Some Men’s Florida premiere coincides with the grand opening of Rising Action Theatre (840 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Fort Lauderdale). Watch Oakland Park mayor Larry Geher snip the ceremonial ribbon, then sip free champagne after curtain call. Curtain is at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $25 to $50. Call 1-800-595-4849, or visit www.risingactiontheatre.com.
Fri., Sept. 28, 8 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 30, 8 p.m., 2007