A RANTING, RAVING REVIEW OF A NORMAL HEART

(BY ME FOR ODYSSEY MAGAZINE)

Don’t miss this Larry Kramer revival and bring a handkerchief! I've never seen a Broadway audience exit a show, after giving it a standing ovation, utterly speechless. Literally shell-shocked by the power of this drama! It’s Ellen Barkin’s Broadway debut. (I’m not exactly sure what movies she was in, but she’s blistering as the frustrated physician who treated so many early AIDS patients that she became known as Dr. Death.) I suppose that casting Ellen is the lure to make dumb tourists take an interest in the very gay, doomsday theme of this work. When Clay Aiken’s schmaltzy talents were added to Spamalot, you had to acknowledge that Broadway was dumbing itself down by catering to unsophisticated tastes and musical revues like Mama Mia. Spiderman just closed this weekend after several disastrous openings. I had to giggle that this fabled flop couldn’t manage to successfully create special effects which enabled characters to fly, yet it’s draw seemed to primarily be those very special effects. Pitiful! A Normal Heart proves that you don’t need cheap theatrics--or expensive ones which don’t work-- if you can still think and empathize. Spoiler alert: this is actually gay theater without any male nudity!




The story chronicles the birth of AIDS and how the press's refusal to acknowledge the growing epidemic transformed a confrontational, jewish author into an activist. Ned Weeks (based on Kramer himself) is played to the hilt by the energetic Joe Mantello. The whole cast is perfect, as directed by George C. Wolf and Joel Grey--who played the original production's lead. But you can google the play and read the glowing reviews. What struck me is that Larry’s/Ned’s message is just as potent today because, like the establishment the early eighties, we’re still in denial. The truth hurts, and this isn’t a “nice” play for tourists with a happy ending. Many of Larry’s stinging criticisms of the gay community are still valid decades later. Gays identify themselves through their sexuality and thus dehumanize each other as they search for the biggest cocks or perfect abs in a soulless meat market of cruising. If you don’t believe this is still true, check out the cover of this mag! Or cruise the mens' room at intermission--kidding! And though few like to hear it even now, Larry urges us to accept the tremendous responsibility that comes with AIDS. If we have and transmit HIV to someone, we are quite possibly killing them. And that makes us murderers. Not boy-crazy, promiscuous, party animals. Murderers.


Kramer’s other common themes emerge. People hate gays (and jews) and we can’t process this fully and combat the hatred until we acknowledge this. Get out of your big city bubble: hate crimes against us are up and bullying leading to teen suicide have grown. Where are the moneyed, power gays to aid us in our struggle? Many won’t even come out of the closet. Even big celebs who are out often refuse to discuss gay issues for fear of offending their mainstream audiences. And A Normal Heart blasts mayor Ed Koch for allowing AIDS to multiply unchecked to allay suspicions that he was gay, much as Reagan ignored the crisis to draw attention away from his (according to Kramer) gay son. Which leads us to a very broad point which totally resonates today with our “democratic” president Obama, who's lost his core principles and supports tax cuts for millionaires in a recession and promotes war. Our leaders don’t always have our best interests at heart and they only respond to those who organized, consistent pressure. With ACT UP attracting a fraction of it’s numbers from the eighties, have gays lost our will to fight? Have improved treatments caused us to give up?




I know I've probably made A Normal Heart sound heavier than even it intended. It’s very dark—and I don’t mean “dark” like Wicked. But as a playwright, Larry knows when to draw back from his ranting to throw in some much-needed humor or tenderness. I once interviewed the writer-activist about his book The Tragedy Of Today’s Gays and afterward, we chatted about the importance of familiarizing ourselves with our own gay history. Well, HE chatted about it TO me. And now that I’m older I totally agree with him! He asked me if I’d seen his plays or read Faggots and I had to admit, Bunny tail between my legs, that I hadn’t. I’m glad that I’ve rectified that and am now an even bigger fan of a visionary man whose work still packs a wallop because we still haven't heeded his advice. And you can't fight mindless Broadway schlock made for tourists unless you support gripping original plays with fine acting and a conscience.



A Normal Heart through July 10th only at the Golden Theatre. Theater-goers are given a letter by the playwright which you can read here: PLAYBILL




The production will also host a series of post-show talkbacks beginning May 3. Immediately following Tuesday performances, members of the community will lead a Tuesday TalkOut, which will underscore the themes and historical context of the play.

Participants will include Freedom to Marry president and founder Evan Wolfson, designer Kenneth Cole, amfAR CEO Kevin Front, stage and screen star Cheyenne Jackson, Friends in Deed president Cynthia O’Neal, original Rent star Anthony Rapp, HRC campaign strategist Brian Ellner and many more.

The full schedule for the Tuesday TalkOut series follows:

May 3
The Freedom to Marry In—and Since—The Normal Heart
With Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry and author of "Why Marriage Matters."

May 10
Q & A
A discussion with Kenneth Cole, amfAR CEO Kevin Frost, and actor and activist Cheyenne Jackson.

May 17
Friends In Deed, AIDS and the Rent Connection
With Cynthia O'Neal, co-founder and president of Friends In Deed, and Anthony Rapp, actor and Friends In Deed board member.

May 24
Connecting the Dots of History: How Religion-Based Bigotry Stifled Early Proper AIDS Funding
With Mitchell Gold, of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, and Jimmy Creech, author of "Adam's Gift: A Memoir of a Pastor’s Calling to Defy the Church’s Persecution of Lesbians and Gays"

May 31
A Conversation About What It Means to be Gay in America Today
With Dr. Joy Browne, WOR radio psychologist

June 7
DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS—Its History and Purpose
With Steven Williams, Director of Community Relations and Operations, DIFFA

June 14
The Fight for Marriage Equality in New York
With Brian Ellner, HRC Senior Campaign Strategist

June 21
Responding to the Crisis—Past, Present and Future: The Actors Fund’s HIV/AIDS Initiative
With Joseph P. Benincasa, President and CEO and Barbara Davis, COO, The Actors Fund

Additional talkbacks and participants will be announced shortly. For updates and complete information, visit http://thenormalheartbroadway.com/talkout.php.

Tickets, priced $26.50-$116.50, are available via Telecharge.com, by calling (212) 239-6200, or in person at the John Golden Theatre box office (252 West 45th Street).