{"id":1982785,"date":"2025-08-27T16:24:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T16:24:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=1982785"},"modified":"2025-08-27T16:24:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T16:24:13","slug":"my-big-gay-broadway-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/my-big-gay-broadway-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"My big gay Broadway summer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It\u2019s the first day of Pride Month, and Restaurant Row in New York City\u2019s Hell\u2019s Kitchen is electric with anticipation. In a week, Broadway\u2019s finest will descend on <strong>Radio City Music Hall<\/strong> for the Tony Awards. Showtunes emanate from the storied piano bar <strong>Don\u2019t Tell Mama<\/strong> \u2014 a ballad from <em>Jesus Christ Superstar<\/em> here, a showstopper from <em>Wicked<\/em> there. Suddenly, I\u2019ve wandered in, a negroni in hand, and I\u2019m belting along. New York City in June is a fusion of the Tony Awards and Pride, and it\u2019s idyllic for theater gays like me.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It\u2019s also the week of <em>Out<\/em>\u2019s Pride of Broadway celebration at <strong>Somewhere Nowhere NYC<\/strong>, and I\u2019m prepping for <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.out.com\/events\/out-advocate-pride-of-broadway\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:red-carpet;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">red-carpet<\/a> interviews. Between crafting questions for <em>Out<\/em> cover stars Megan Hilty and Lea Salonga and <em>The Advocate<\/em>\u2019s cover star, Cynthia Nixon, I record a hopeful Pride message to share on social. Since <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.out.com\/media\/wicked-holding-space-meme-response\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:going viral for my \u201cholding space\u201d interview;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">going viral for my \u201cholding space\u201d interview<\/a> with <em><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.out.com\/film\/wicked-film-musical-cast-comparison\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Wicked;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Wicked<\/a><\/em>\u2019s Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande last year, and amid a dark political climate, I try to connect with the queer community that has supported me. I\u2019m inspired by the view from my capacious terrace at <strong>Stay Pineapple <\/strong>in Hudson Yards that\u2019s mere blocks from Broadway\u2019s beating heart. Musical theater has informed my queerness since I was seven, singing the original Broadway cast album of Man of La Mancha verbatim (\u201cDulcinea,\u201d indeed) while dreaming of someday signing Playbills at a stage door.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Throughout a bustling eight days, I stay in two other Midtown hotels. <strong>LUMA<\/strong>, a block from Bryant Park, serves a homemade ice-sandwich bedazzled with rainbow sprinkles. A robot decked in Pride gear and rainbow angel\u2019s wings delivers back-up toiletries to my room with a view.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Michael Shayan and Tracy E. Gilchrist and the drag performer Plasma <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><small class=\"image-media media-caption\">Michael Shayan, Tracy E. Gilchrist, and Plasma at equalpride\u2019s Pride of Broadway bash.<\/small><small class=\"image-media media-photo-credit\">courtesy Tracy E. Gilchrist<\/small><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>The Grayson Hotel<\/strong> (one of Hyatt\u2019s Unbound Collection) offers a room with a vista of the Empire State Building so prominent, I imagine I see King Kong grasping its spire. The hotel welcomes me with a Pride flag, bonbons, wine, and Lather lip balm (a necessity for those, ahem, Pride-ful encounters). At The Grayson\u2019s restaurant and lounge, <strong>Harta<\/strong>, I order the Unicorn Rainbowl Punch, a Bombay gin-based, cotton-candy-topped, purple glittering goblet of joy that is a must-share with a special friend.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The lead-up to the Tony Awards is frenzied as shows that don\u2019t win are on the bubble of closing. I\u2019m determined to see a few. An 11th-hour ticket to the delightful <strong>Smash<\/strong> for about $80 lands me in the fourth row of the Imperial Theatre. I catch two more shows that week, including <strong><em>Death Becomes Her<\/em><\/strong>, which I can confirm is \u201cFor the Gaze\u201d and gays.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong><em>Real Women Have Curves<\/em><\/strong> costars a friend I know from Los Angeles, stand-up comic Sandra Valls. We were likely the only lesbians singing showtunes at the sapphic bacchanal, The Dinah in Palm Springs, back in the day. Now she\u2019s made her Broadway debut at 59. I laugh and cry throughout the show, due to its timely themes about women\u2019s relationships, immigration, and living one\u2019s dreams.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The week is packed with enough singular experiences for a decade. There\u2019s a trip to <strong><em><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.advocate.com\/exclusives\/central-alabama-lgbtq-pride-award\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:The Kelly Clarkson Show;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">The Kelly Clarkson Show<\/a><\/em><\/strong> where <em>The Advocate<\/em>\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/iM5NUVvX4rA?si=jr30A_GYbBTeuyqY\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Communities of Pride Award is announced;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Communities of Pride Award is announced<\/a>. Then the <strong>New York City Gay Men\u2019s Chorus<\/strong> surprises me by making me an honorary member before their Heal Me at the Disco show at the <strong>Skirball Cultural Center <\/strong>in Greenwich Village. On a rainy Saturday, I venture out of Manhattan to Brooklyn, where I visit the newish sapphic space <strong>Boyfriend Co-op <\/strong>and \u201chold space\u201d with one of the proprietors whose partner is a fan<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In an ordinary year, the zenith of my Broadway\/Pride trip would be attending the <span>Tony Awards <\/span>rehearsal, where I\u2019m tittering and gobsmacked while witnessing the <em>Hamilton<\/em> reunion and Audra McDonald\u2019s visceral \u201cRose\u2019s Turn\u201d live. During a commercial break, I jog to the restroom on the mezzanine and nearly run smack into Erivo, who\u2019s hosting. We gasp, smile, and nod. She\u2019s working, and I only have two minutes to hit the loo before the show starts again.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">For the theater kid in me who stopped pursuing that passion decades ago, my friend Valls, whose dreams came true, helps fulfill some of mine. We\u2019re backstage at <em>Real Women Have Curves<\/em>, about to exit through the stage door, her Sharpie for signing autographs handy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cHey, anyone remember \u2018holding space?\u201d she shouts. The crowd cheers. Then, a fan behind the divider locks eyes with me. \u201cTracy, can I get a picture?\u201d I hug him, smile, and pose. I\u2019m ready for my close-up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong><em>This article is part of <\/em>Out<em>&#8216;s Sept-Oct issue, now on newsstands. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.b2bmediaportal.com\/equal\/subscribe.aspx?f=OTM&amp;pageid=5&amp;status=new&amp;promo=JPO1122E\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Support queer media and subscribe;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Support queer media and subscribe<\/a> <\/em><\/strong><em><strong>\u2014 or download the issue through Apple News, Zinio, Nook, or PressReader.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">This article originally appeared on Out: <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.out.com\/travel-nightlife\/my-big-gay-broadway-summer\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:My big gay Broadway summer;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">My big gay Broadway summer<\/a><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">RELATED<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s the first day of Pride Month, and Restaurant Row in New York City\u2019s Hell\u2019s Kitchen is electric with anticipation. In a week, Broadway\u2019s finest will descend on Radio City Music Hall for the Tony Awards. Showtunes emanate from the storied piano bar Don\u2019t Tell Mama \u2014 a ballad from Jesus Christ Superstar here, a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1982786,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[24076,338134,40246,356111,354478,356112,25614,356107,356110,312633,356108,356109],"class_list":["post-1982785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-ariana-grande","tag-cynthia-nixon","tag-cynthia-erivo","tag-holding-space","tag-jesus-christ-superstar","tag-musical-theater","tag-new-york-city","tag-pride-flag","tag-pride-month","tag-radio-city-music-hall","tag-the-tony-awards","tag-tracy-e-gilchrist"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/My-big-gay-Broadway-summer.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1982785","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1982785"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1982785\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1982786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1982785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1982785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1982785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}