It's Not Over Until the Two Gay Cowboys Sing

It's June 17th, are you married yet in California?

Well, the day has finally come when the recent Supreme Court legalization of gay marriage has kicked-in. In perhaps unrelated news, we're having a heat wave here in Los Angeles. Perhaps due to all that great romantic energy...?

Starting this week, gays can get legally married in California, but it may be just a swan song if we don't beat the ban initiative on the November ballot. Remember, if you ARE getting married, please consider registering at one of the fundraising causes to beat this initiative, which can be found at HRC, EQCA and the coalition group, Equality for All.

Nothing says "congrats on your marriage" like equal rights, right?

From here until election day, Equality for All reps will be at my monthly mixers, and info on the organization and movement can be found there, along with great raffles to raise money money (see bottom of post).

SPEAKING OF SWAN SONGS

Yes, the rumors of a BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN opera are true!

The New York City Opera has attained the rights to Annie Proulx's short story and commissioned 70-year-old composer Charles Wuorinen to write it. He previously adapted Salman Rushdie's Sea of Stories to the opera stage.

Why all the snarky comments about this news story? Everyone seems to think it's so unusual to turn this story into an opera. To those might I list a few other stories that have been turned into musicals that might be considered head-scratchers as well, yet went on to success:

> An over zealous stage mom (no, not Dina Lohan, but you know, very similar) is so obsessive about turning her two children into stars, that she drives them and everyone else away leaving her one daughter to find fame in the otherwise sleazy arena of burlesque. Based on the true life memoirs of a stripper. Sing out Louise!

> Adapted from a long time urban myth, this musical is about a serial killer in London who is so obsessed with revenge, that he sets up a barber shop to lure his victims and slit their throats. To make it economically feasible, he enlists the help of his neighbor to use the dead bodies as meat for her restaurant. And I'm telling you dem pussycats is quick!

> Also based on a true story (by the way, I did meet the subject of this one!), this musical takes place at an Abbey and involves a rather free-spirited nun who falls in love then marries the man whose children she is contracted to take care of. Before they can have their happy ending, they must escape from the Nazi's through the Austrian hills. How do you solve a problem like Maria? (and Nazi's - they are so pesky)

> Based on the diaries of Anna Leonowens - a British governess - this musical involves a British school teacher's visit to Siam in the 1860's right before the fall of it's monarchy and her relationship with the falling royal court. Shall we dance?

So you see, there have been other examples of somewhat odd story lines being turned into musicals so let's just keep our fingers crossed. The musical is set to debut in 2013.