Glorious Music • Gloria Gaynor

It is Friday night, and time to kick off the weekend. And I couldn't think of a better way than to crank up the volume, put some old school Gloria Gaynor on, and get ready to dance. And we will start out one of the first of Ms. Gaynor's hit songs. In 1974, Gloria made it to the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, and and to #1 on the Billboard Dance chart with a song first recorded by the Jackson Five, and written by Clifton Davis. Here is Never Can Say Goodbye.



In 1978, Gloria delivered on the be most iconic performances in the Disco era. Written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris, I Will Survive has been covered by many, yet few could come close to touching the original.



And finally, Gaynor returned to the spotlight with a song pulled from a Broadway cast album. Written by Jerry Herman for La Cage Aux Folles, I Am What I Am quickly became yet another iconic song, and a steady part of Pride Celebrations throughout the world. Enjoy.

Dark Monday - La Cage Aux Folles

La Cage aux Folles is a musical with a book by Harvey Fierstein and lyrics and music by Jerry Herman. It was based on the 1973 French play of the same name by Jean Poiret, and focuses on a gay couple: Georges, the manager of a Saint-Tropez nightclub featuring drag entertainment, and Albin, his romantic partner and star attraction. The farcical adventures that ensue when Georges' son, Jean-Michel, brings home his fiancée's ultra-conservative parents to meet them truly allows the show to kick into full-gear.





The musical's original 1983 Broadway production received nine nominations for Tony Awards and won six, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. The success of the musical spawned a West End production and several international runs. The 2004 Broadway revival won the Tony Award for Best Revival, and the 2008 London revival garnered the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival.



The show opens with Georges introducing the Cagelles for the first time. In the original Broadway production, there were at least 2 females in the Cagelles, and they ended this number by taking off their wigs, revealing their sex. This caused some controversy, as many thought it a sell-out move to make the audience more at ease. In subsequent productions, they are played by men. The following clip is from the 2008 London revival.



The show was groundbraking, bing the first Broadway musical to star male lovers. This, of course, was made easier by the success of the French movie of the same name, but was still provocative at the time. Song On The Sand was a beautiful love song, with Georges singing about his love for the star of the drag show and his long-time love, Albin. This clip shows Davis Gaines singing from a 1993 concert, Jerry Herman's Broadway at Holiday Bowl.



The most memorable gon from the show is I Am What I Am, a show-stopper to be sure, as well as an international hit pop/disco for Miss Gloria Gaynor. It is sung by Albin, who flies in the face of societal pressures and proudly proclaims 'Life's not worth a damn 'til I can say world, I am what I am.' George Hearn played it to perfection in the original production, but there was many complaints when he went on the Tony Awards and sang the song in a tuxedo rather than doing the number in drag. In the revival on London's West End, the role of Albin was played by many different stars, including Graham Norton and most recently by John Barrowman. This is a clip from Barrowman's appearance on the Paul O'Grady Show in September.



The show most certainly broke some barriers for the LGBT community, showing gay men and drag queens to be real people to the musical audience. It might not have suited everyone's taste, but it certainly helped open the minds of many who went to see it. And it gave us I Am What I Am, a song that is a staple at every Gay Pride Parade I have ever seem. The official website of the London revival here.

Pride - I Am What I Am

I remember marching in the Gay Pride Parade while living in NYC, singing along to the Gloria Gaynor version of I Am What I Am while walking down the Fifth Avenue. It was the 80s, and we took the opportunity to be loud and proud. So, to celebrate Gay Pride Month, I thought it would be great fun to bring back this classic. Only, instead of using the version of the great Diva, why not use a version by a great gay man? That man is John Barrowman.



I am a huge fan of Barrowman, a wonderful singer and actor, an out and proud gay man. He entered into a civil partnership with his longtime lover, Scott Gill, in 2006. He currently stars in one of my favorite TV shows, Torchwood, having the hottest scenes with Ianto, played by the adorable Gareth David-Lloyd. Torchwood begins the third season on July 20th on BBCAmerica. In the opening of Season 2, Barrowman had a great scene with James Marsters [formerly Spike on Buffy, The Vampire Slayer].



Barrowman utilized the great voice of another out British actor, Daniel Boys, on recent tours, and they sang I Knew Him So Well from the musical Chess. [Boys has just released a CD I hope to get in the mail shortly and be able to review]



So, happy Pride, everyone!