On Drowning

I watched two films in quick succession last night: A Single Man and Twilight: New Moon. Before you ask, yes I realize that these films cater to very different audiences, but I do these comparisons so you don't have to! They actually share much in common: thematically, both look at the subject of lost love, and interestingly, both prominently feature the motif of drowning.

Tom Ford's directorial debut, based on Christopher Isherwood's book and aimed as it is, to a more adult audience, is a beauty in restraint. The eponymous main character played by Colin Firth only voices over at the start and at the end, and even then more to provide a structural symmetry to the film than to elaborate, so you are left to experience the ravages of his loss, the struggles with containment of his emotion under a sedate demeanour, and his subsequent recovery and salvation, all obliquely through observation. The drowning imagery appears interspersed throughout the film and draws upon his helpless stuggles, despair and sense of morbidity. It was so moving the Pink Insider teared up at least twice.

In contrast, New Moon, based on Stephanie Meyer's vampire book and therefore aimed at peri-pubescents, follows Bella's own experience of a lost love, only instead of dying, her partner talks about it for about half an hour before just moving somewhere else. This of course, causes the heroine a considerable amount of pain and angst which she reminds you of incessantly by screaming at night and, lest you missed that she was upset, goes on and on about it in her non-stop voice overs. So when she decides to jump off the side of a cliff into the cold seas below, you almost wish she would drown, if only to stop all her inane chatter.

I know which film I prefer.

Sinderfella

I don't tend to write reviews of shows I've seen, but feel I have to for a panto I saw last night called Sinderfella. It is currently showing at the Above The Stag theatre in Victoria, and well worth the trip and price of admission. First of all, a big thank you to Anthony B for sorting out some kind of deal with them in which the Pinkies support them, and they support us in return. And I happen to think it is wonderful that we have these small cabaret type places which support gay-themed theatre.

Anyway, Sinderfella tells the age-old story of a lovely drag queen played by Bette Rinse who wants to go to the Prince's ball(s), but who is constantly thwarted by her ugly step sisters. Along the way there are a footman, a fiary godmother and a rather random camp Russian to deal with. It is very rude/ lewd, so avoid it if you are prudish. And be prepared for audience participation as along the way there is a lot of singing and dancing in your seat.

I went with a couple of friends who, shall we say, were all the merrier for a few hours in the pub previously. The cast handled their enthusiasm with consummate professionalism, and I have to say that our boistrous row (which also included Michael Da and Daniele) actually helped lift the performance. How often can you find five people who know all the lyrics to It's Raining Men, Dancing Queen, Hero (the Mariah Carey version) and Be Our Guest, and who are willing to sing it at maximum volume?

All in all not a panto for the faint-hearted, but oh so much fun if you are willing to get into the spirit of things. A must at this time of the year!

The John Rutter Christmas Album: An Impression

I would make a very bad straight man. I mean, when I get a new mp3 player or mobile phone what are the three albums I load onto it straight away? Well, the sad answer is Dreamgirls: The Original Motion Picture Sountrack, Hairspray: The Musical and The John Rutter Christmas Album. Yes, I fully admit that I am conforming to stereotype when it comes to my choice in listening music, and all three albums are about as gay as you can possibly get, short of a combined Juday Garland/ Barabara Streisand/ Cher medley. However, while the first two are pretty damn obvious, the John Rutter Christmas Album is, arguably, the gayest of the three.

I'm not sure many people are acquainted with Rutter's music, but if you are then you will realise that he really can out-Disney Disney. There is no holding back on the sheer emotional "manipulativeness" of his music; he is quite glad to use a solo oboe to denote sadness, or sleigh bells in abundance to bring forth the Christmas spirit. Every tune is simple but melodic, and even I, who grew up with Christmases in the tropics and the damp festivities of London, listen to the songs and dream of sitting by a roaring fire with egg nog, a decorated Chistmas tree and snow drifts outside.

The album is really two in one. The first thirteen or so songs consist of Christmas carols written by Rutter to traditional or medieval lyrics. The second half consists of his arrangements of well known Christmas carols. Both work really well, and I especially love the second half's slight irreverance of taking Joy To The World and reinterpreting it as a pseudo-Handellian orgy of trumpets. However, if I had to choose I would go with the first half as the one which I am most in love with.

This Christmas, in what I envisage as a one-time only occurence, the Pink Singers will be performing three songs from it: Angels' Carol, Star Carol and Candlelight Carol. All are exquisite, and have Rutter's trademark interplay between the loftier tones of the sopranos and altos, and the earthier tones of the tenors and basses. My favourite of the three, however, has got to be Candlelight Carol with it's beautiful lyrics and it's spine tingling crescendos and decrescendos.

If it were up to me, I would have also loved to have performed Nativity Carol, Christmas Lullaby and the sublime Dormi Jesu. The latter is particularly difficult to perform as it calls for several moments when the music drops away and the choir sings a capella. Keeping the pitch with the changes in pitch and volume is an extremely difficult skill.

Of Latter Days

I've been on a bit of a retro roll this fortnight, what with watching Queer As Folk all over again, so it isn't too much of a surprise that I am revisiting the past, this time catching a film I saw back in 2004 called Latter Days. It was the height of summer, and the time of the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival; Simon and I were seeing each other without actually dating yet, and we went with a bunch of Pink Singers of yore (I seem to recall Stefan and John H being there) to watch what was, if memory serves me correctly, the opening film of the festival.

Now, normally I don't expect much of independent films, much less gay independent films. There is typically very little semblance of a plot, the pacing is sketchy and the acting (if one can call it that) is only slightly better than in porn, with the added disadvantage that the actors are even less enthusiastic about the "rewards" of a well-performed scene. So it was with some surprise that I emerged from the National Film Theatre with damp eyes.

I'm not going to bother with a synopsis of the film, since there are ample reviews of it out there on the web, but suffice to say it is about a young Mormon who loves to L.A. and falls for a fluffy gym bunny, and how both their lives are changed. Given the religious overtones of the film, it is unsurprising that the ending is about salvation of both the protagonists, both literally and figureatively.

Quite apart from the electric chemistry between the two young men, and a remarkable performance by the gorgeous Steven Sandvoss who plays the role of Aaron the Mormon with just the right combination of bashful naiveté and barely bridled sexiness, the film touched many cords in me at the time, dealing as it does with issues of coming out, family and friendships and purpose in life. In one sequence Aaron asks Christian, who is sitting on a sheepskin bed throw dressed in a jockstrap (the manoeuvring Christian does to achieve this situation is quite far fetched!), what he truly believes in, and whether he can build his life around it. The implication is that at least Aaron believes in something worthwhile, while Christian (oh ironic naming conventions!) is skin deep and shallow.

I remember that at the time I was reading a book called Life On The Outside by Michaelangelo Signorile which detailed his disaffection with the emptiness of the gay party circuit. It was primarily a description of the scene in the States in the late 90s and the empty body fascistic quality of being out and proud then. Having worked for a while in Florida it jibed exactly with my experience, and while it was great that there were people willing and able to be out and proud, the uniform of tight white tee, dark denim and Timberland boots, and the lack of individualism it embodied certainly did not appeal to me in the least. I mean, I fought to come out of the closet for this? A wolrd in which I felt even more of an outsider?

Thankfully, the U.K. scene is signficantly more diverse than the American one, and friendlier and more approachable for it. You may certainly fit into a stereotype if you so choose, but you don't have to, and there is certainly no pressure to conform. The point of this preamble is that Latter Days resonated with me at the time because it challenged the notion that one had to adopt muscles, hedonism and promiscuity as a mantra to truly be "gay". Heaven knows you get enough stereotyping from the straight world without the gay world also wanting to apply a label to you.

Latter Days also explores a subject dear to me: the juxtaposition of a religious belief system with being gay, two spheres of influence in my own life which are not mutally exclusive, but which are far from comfortable bedfellows. I am certainly not Mormon, but can see how it can be difficult to reconcile the ideological purity/straitjacket of a spiritual belief with the occasionally gritty and tawdry but always stimulating reality of a human, gay existence.

That said, it has now been five years since I saw the film, and I am a slightly less idealistic person for it. For one, that all-defining "belief" as a guiding principle for building your existence is a bit of a sham. What you believe in is not fixed: it changes with time and place and there is no constancy to it. In the context of the film, Aaron's original beliefs in his religion and his family, ultimately gives way to one in his newfound friends. This is not to deny that the principles set out early on have threads which run through the rest of your life, but it is possible to change the founding core without disrupting who you are too much.

Latter Days is, as you might imagine, one of my defining gay films and one I strongly recommend. Sure some of the lines are cheesy, some of the emotion is overwrought and some of the plot requires a suspension of disbelief, but with great eye-candy, superb music and sympathetic characters it makes for a very pleasant and thought provoking hour or so. Track down a copy if you can!

Someday A Time, Someday A Time

I've been to see a number of musicals in the last few months, and every time I see a show I really enjoy I think that this is it, the art form can get no better. This was certainly my experience of Hairspray which I reviewed not that long ago.

Modern musicals certainly get the entertainment aspect down pat, but when it comes to the passion, the classics should not be forgotten. I was reminded of this when I went to see West Side Story last night at Sadler's Wells. It is so rare to get the convergence of song, dance and storyline which elevates a simple night out into an evening of pathos, and I am very glad to say that this musical does just that.

First of all though, let me say that I have never seen West Side Story on the stage before; I have only watched the iconic film. While the film itself is amazing, there were moments of melodrama in it, and there really is a limit to the number of times you can look into Natalie Woods' glistening eyes before feeling like you want to slap her. Then again, the film was made in 1961, in a less cynical age. In the theatre though, the raw emotion and exaggerated acting makes much more sense.

Sophia Escobar, who plays Maria in this version, has a gorgeous, passionate and innocent voice, with a very natural Puerto Rican accent. You watch her and do believe that she could fall in love with Tony in the space of one night. When she reprises Tonight, she has to pluck a note out of the air unaccompanied, to which the orchestra than rises to meet. She does this with confidence and conviction, and was spot on. Brava!

Ryan Silverman, who plays her paramour, certainly has the stage presence and gentle masculinity to add to the illusion. His voice too was incredibly beautiful. The role of Tony calls for a very high tenor, and Mr. Silverman switched with ease from chest to head voices and then to falsetto in a smooth scale. My only complaint was that he was rather flat in some of the higher notes, and the final high note of Somethings Coming, his opening solo, verged on painful to hear.

The remainder of the cast was good too, although the weakest vocal link was by far Lana Gordon. She was no Rita Moreno, nor would I expect her to be, but her diction was quite poor, and she swallowed the repartee in America which meant that some of the humour was lost. That said, she is an amazing dancer. Indeed the real highlight of the show was Jerome Robbins' incredible choreography which has stood the test of time. It is energetic and poetic at the same time, and helps to propel the story.

All in all I had a grand evening and strongly recommend watching the play while it is still on. It always strikes me as snobbish when opera-lovers look down on musical theatre as an inferior art form. West Side Story demonstrates that this is clearly not the case.

You Can't Stop The Beat

Last night a bunch of us went down to see Hairspray, the stage musical. Having only just watched the film(s) a couple of months ago for the first time, I was an instant convert, and I knew I just had to see it in the theatre. Straight off I just want to say that it met every expectation and I have not seen such an energetic and enjoyable show, ever!

What do I look for in a musical? Well, like any other medium, it really does depend on the style of the show. For instance, as you know, I am a major fan of Chess, and the reason I think it is a great musical is that the songs are melodic and memorable, the storyline is believeable and emotive, and at the end of the day I leave humming a few tunes and feeling like I have been through something worthy.

Hairspray is not the same as Chess. For one it is uncompromisingly happy; and this is even when it is trying to address the important social issue of racial segregation, and by proxy, and through some none-too-veiled hints, about being happy with who you are and showing some (gay) pride. The songs are all danceable, and the characters from Tracy to Link, to Mr. and Mrs. Turnblad and even the Von Tussels are big and overblown but easy to feel empathy towards.

The original John Waters film which starred a fresh-faced and even larger Ricki Lake as Tracy and a 5 o'clock shadowed Divine as Mrs. Turnblad was pretty weird as films go, and included the memorable scene of Mrs. Von Tussel trying to pop her daughter's facial pimple. If you have not seen this version of the show there is a terrible close up of dripping pus best watched on an empty stomach.

The musical came after this, followed by the film of the musical, so by the time you get this far down the line the whole experience is sanitized. It is still thoroughly enjoyable, but partly thanks to Zac Efron who playes Link in the second film, reminds me more of High School Musical than the original film's Bride of Frankenstein.

Thankfully, the musical itself strikes the delicate balance between the two. Yes, the pimple crushing scene is preserved (although since we were in the gods, we were spared the visuals) and Mrs. Turnblad was more Divine than John Travolta. Indeed, much is made of Michael Ball is Edna, and I have to say that it is entirely justified. As a wonderful musical tenor, Mr. Ball is forced to since in a slightly higher register than usual and manages to keep the slight raspiness of man obviously pretending to be a woman. The other stand out performances for me were Ian Talbot as Mr. Turnblad, Adrian Hansel as Seaweed (what a voice!), Leanne Jones as Tracy, and an utterly outstanding Johnnie Fiori as Motormouth Maybelle.

Did I think the stage show better than the film? You betcha! The actors were clearly enjoying themselves, the dancing was electric, and at the end you just could not help getting up and doing a little boogieing. I was eyeing some of the choreography and definitely think that if the Pinkies can convey even half the amount of excitement on stage this Saturday we will have given a truly outstanding performance.

A Review Of The A4Tech Ergo A-Shape Keyboard And Mouse

This is going to be a quick review of the A4Tech Ergo A-Shape Keyboard and Mouse. I am not affiliated to the company in any way, shape or form, but have had a couple of people asking me how my new keyboard(s) are coming along, so I thought I'd kick off with the simpler one.

As I mentioned, when I was back in Singapore I had a play around with my cousin's Microsoft natural ergonomic desktop 7000 (seen in profile on the left). The main advantages to this keyboard is that it caters to your hand position in three dimensions. The keyboard is split, with the keys inclined so your wrist stays straight, it is also tilted away from you so that there is an slight "limpness" to the angle of the wrist, and on top of that both palms are rotated inwards, to give you as natural a position as possible. Typing on it was a real dream, plus the keys have a good travel, spacing and a comfortable bounce. I took to the new configuration like a duck to water. The only trouble with the setup is that the keyboard and mouse combo is ridiculously expensive.

So what is a skinflint supposed to do? Hurrah, eBay to the rescue and, a quick couple of clicks later, an A4Tech Ergo A-Shape keyboard and mouse arrived. The title is a bit of a mouthful, but the A-shape refers to the rather odd shapes of the keys, which incline outwards along a plane running to the right of the trapezoidal and convex Y, H and N keys. I've never seen this key configuration before, but the principle is quite nicely illustrated on the box, and in the animated picture here.

In practice, I am not totally convinced of its merits. Firstly, when I type on a regular keyboard I certainly don't type with my wrists knocking each other. Instead, I type as the lower picture suggests, with my wrists at a comfortable angle. What shape the keys are doesn't really matter in the least - they could be square, or circular, or, in this case, parallelograms with a slight concave upper surface, and it could not change the ergonomics of how I type. Of course this keyboard doesn't have the angling in the other two planes which the Microsoft keyboard has either, so, in reality, it is little more than a normal keyboard - a significant failure for a self-proclaimed ergonomic keyboard.

As a regular keyboard though, it works fine. The keys, in spite of their odd and rather redundant shape, are sufficiently precise with little "clickiness" or "smooshiness" (highly scientific terms for the feel when typing) and are damped just the right amount. My only annoyance with the keypad is that the enter key is half sized. I am used to bashing a huge enter key with my little finger, and find that instead of typing a carriage return, I end up hitting the # button more frequently than desired.

The keyboard comes with the usual media and internet control buttons at the top, and the good news is that all of them can be configured to whatever you like, including web shortcuts. Clicking on 'home' for instance now takes me to Google Reader, while 'email' opens up Yahoo! Mail. The only trouble is that the drivers for the keyboard come on a 3.5" floppy. Wha?! Thankfully the seller loaded the relevant programs onto a CD or I'd have to dig into my electronic trash collection to find one of those prehistoric drives.

I should also mention the mouse which comes with the system. It is smaller than the Belkin one I was using previously, and therefore more comfortable for my dainty hands. This too has its own drivers, and all three mouse buttons can be configured as you like. By default the middle mouse button calls up a menu with cut and paste and assorted other functions. I disabled it because it was getting in the way of opening new pages in Firefox.

Both the mouse and keyboard connect via radio to a base station which interestingly comes with its own charger for two AAA batteries. This is really useful since the mouse basically eats batteries for lunch. In contrast, the keyboard with uses two AAs has no such problems. The base station then connects to the PC via two PS/2 connectors, and not USB.

So, do I recommend the keyboard and mouse? Well, it professes to be an ergonomic keyboard, and it isn't really, which is a bit of a disappointment. That said, typing on it is pleasant enough, and it is a full-functioned keyboard, especially when you consider that it is probably out of production now and therefore very cheap. Know what you are getting into before buying!