On Monday night at the St. James Theater on Broadway, things got a little gay.
More than usual, I mean.
After a performance of the musical Hair, three same sex couples were married onstage, thanks to New York state’s gay marriage law, which had taken effect on Sunday. Yes, that’s right, everyone! Gay people totes got married, and straight husbands across the world did not magically transform into drag queens.
Although I have to admit: I kind of wish they had.
Among the three happy couples was accomplished Broadway star Terri White — star of 2009′s Finian’s Rainbow – who married her partner Donna Barnett. Actor Ryan Dietz married playwright Josh Levine, and stage doorman John Raymond Barker tied the knot with usher Jared Pike. Run and tell THAT, Chris Brown!
The marriages were performed by fellow actor, writer, and Tony nominee Colman Domingo, who was ordained by the Universal Life Church for the historic occasion. As it turns out, Hair has been one of the most active Broadway supporters of same-sex marriage laws, having canceled an October performance last year so that the cast and crew could attend a gay rights rally in Washington, D.C.
And it went a little something like this!
I’d be curious to know how many audience members stuck around for the nuptials, and if any of them had a problem with the festivities And if they did? You just paid cash money to see a musical, my friend — the gay is implied.
I wonder if any other big houses on Broadway or elsewhere will follow suit with “encore” marriages, but I think it’s a lovely way to show solidarity and support in an industry that’s historically been a haven for artists of all orientations.
Keep it gay, my friends. We wouldn’t want you any other way.
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