Theater Online - New York Theater Reviews

I can’t wait to see Taylor Swift play Blanche in a revival of A Streetcar Named Desire.  That’s one part of Matthew Cleaver’s fantasy for the future, and I hope it comes true because the more significant part of his fantasy is that gay marriage becomes a reality across the nation in the United States of America.  Written and performed by Mr. Cleaver, Gay Blues is an uneven and confusing but somehow stirring piece of theatre about the struggle for gay marriage.  In the broad sense, the show tackles hatred, history, and responsibility.

What can the average citizen do to oppose a government where inequality and discrimination are sanctioned“  The answers can be found at Marriage Equality New York (www.meny.us).  While I would encourage everyone to check it out and get involved, the show suffers because it is part cabaret, part theatrical memoir, and part infomercial for MENY.  Some elements of each of these work well, but together they form an evening in the theatre with a very weak narrative and little to carry an audience through its varied pontifications that range from closeted married men to the AIDS crisis to hate crimes to impregnable politicians to the process of change.  After a half hour, one gets lost in the quagmire as Cleaver seems to be rehashing the same points again and again.

There were, however, some very bright moments.  Matthew entered singing “Love and Marriage.”  A choice lyric goes, “Love and marriage, love and marriage / It’s an institute you can’t disparage / Ask the local gentry / And they will say it’s elementary.”  This provided a perfect setup for the show as it left the audience ruminating upon a system where the institute of marriage is not perfect if the two people in love happen to be both men or both women.  He also sang an enjoyable little ditty by Ray Charles called “Fifty Nifty United States.”  Through a fun bit of, shall we say, arts and crafts, we learned by the end of the song which states allow same sex marriage and which do not.  The stats were not promising.

Cleaver fared less well with the serious songs.  He has a fine voice, but his acting chops are not yet formidable enough to pull off such numbers as “Willow Weep for Me” and “Backlash Blues.”  His writing also left a lot to be desired.  He did, however, have heart.  And more than that, he had passion, and plenty of it.  Through sheer will, he held the stage for almost two hours baring his heart and soul about his past, his fears, and why this issue is so important.  So, go visit Marriage Equality New York, get out and vote, and support same sex marriage.  If you want a great evening at the theatre though, return to the Barrow Street when Gay Blues isn’t playing to catch Our Town.