HOLDING THE MAN (and eating him too), IN LIFE AND IN DEATH!

 

The night they learned they were diagnosed positive!

The actors playing Tim Conigrave and John Caleo (below).

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When I read the book (HOLDING THE MAN)  sometime in 2004,  and could not really get it at first because of too much Ozziness in its humour and slang (very Melbourne) - but could not stop reading it until the very end – and still reading it even if my eyes (and nose) were stung and flowing with tears  -  running down the pages - (and i thought I was dying as well!)  reading the whole book from night to sunrise and crying way too early in the morning - as if someone in my family died, or my boyfriend died, and felt that warm love for everyone  - I wished that everyone of my friends would read it too (and undergo the same catharsis as I did .  I wished that this book was made into a film (they are working on it na), or a stage play perhaps!  (But that was just the Filipino in me, as the Ozzies are made of ice, in the emotional level, I thought) 

A year ago – - a play about Holding the Man was staged in Sydney.  And last night, I saw the preview in Melbourne.

Still I could not help myself from crying again, especially at the end of the play.  This time, from a deeper understanding, not just pure sentimentality that these two attractive gay guys deeply in love with each other despite their failings,  were so young and were dying of  AIDS related disease.

I would say that there is something about this biographical story that transcends time and boundaries made by men, by religion, by human conventions. 

It lets you close your eyes and see through your heart, to warmly embrace and comprehend the beautiful meaning of life and love, devoid of superficiality and even sentimentality. 

There is so much bravery, youthful energy and positive thoughts dispelling all fear, ignorance, stigma and negativity towards homosexuality and AIDS. 

And I think it is pure HONESTY and LOVE.

Love that transcends Sex and Death itself.  

I would say this is the Australian gay version of Erich Seagal’s Love Story,

 and once and for all redeeming the very fact that despite our differences we are all human beings – capable of experiencing love and relationships in various forms, degree and dimensions.

The final passages of the book are some of its most poignant, Tim said in the end;

I guess the hardest thing is having so much love for you and it somehow not being returned. I develop crushes all the time, but that is just misdirected need for you. You are a hole in my life, a black hole. Anything I place there cannot be returned. I miss you terribly.

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Links to reviews:

Catholic schoolboys’ story of LOVE and AIDS death.

AIDS, FRAGILE LOVE AND DYING

HOLDING THE MAN

And I found this most important link to the real photos of Timothy Conigrave and John Caleo:

HOLDING THE BABY

Tim Conigrave

 

 

THESE TWO,  ARE TRULY FOREVER YOUNG

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PRISCILLA – THE MUSICAL!

 

My friend. Potitah,  from Manila came and go but the the musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert remains in Star City Sydney and in my heart until this time and forever more! 

The main reason I guess - Potitah came here was not even to see me but to watch this musical (tse, if you were reading this ) so I made it a priority that we flew to Sydney and booked for this show.  Well, the best gay musical ever made!  

After the show, Potah said that for this reason alone – it is worth going to Australia or Sydney – the new drag queen capital of the world!  Well, I suppose so!

It is all about discrimination, racism, bigotry and love… in all its colorful levels. 

Straight people bashing gays 

Gays discriminating gays

Lower class people putting down other lower class people (mail order bride)

Ozzies discriminating each other

Lovely nature of human beings really! 

And how life could be or would be easy if we only accept (tolerate) each other and open our minds and eyes - as the song of Madonna – Confide in Me.. (?) goes : We all have a cross to bear … but in the name of understanding .. our problems will be shared… (well, something like that)

Well what I really like about the this musical – is its light heartedness appeal.  Despite the issues that were presented - it all ends up to be funny, touching and entertaining.  Plus of course, my hairs were all raising with the beyond your imagination extravaganza of costumes and colors!  It’s beyond what they call fabulous drag – it has achieved an art form which is undefinable for what it is!

The music and songs were all so gay you would know all of it!  The creative use of the characters of Dreamgirls updates the movie to the present scene.   They beautifully used love songs (Say a lIttle Pray, Always on my mind, etc)  to express relationships between father and son,  friend and friend… and not necessarily romantic ones.

And of course, I wanted to watch this for that small but important role of the Filipina mail order bride spittting pingpong balls.   I was really touched that the role compared to the movie – was elevated to still funny and yet “embraced” role.   Embraced, meaning – it now lacked (compared to the movie) the perceived mean prejudice that people (even the drag queens)  usually have when they see a mail order bride especially one that spits pingpong balls.  And the Filipina who bravely acted the role is really commendably brilliant!

Priscilla Queen of the Desert – musical is a must to see if you happen to visit Australia and Sydney in particular!

Watch the following videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Htug-MdRLIw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNBsp565UeA

And if you want to see more of the show – go to this site:

 http://www.priscillathemusical.com/tvc.php?tvcno=2

 

ENJOY!

FILIPINOS AS WORLD CLASS TALENTS !

Sarah Geronimo  (super talented young singer!)

Mark Bautista  (hmmm sooo cute !!!)

Rachel Ann Go ( her voice is phenomenal!)

 

I had the most funtastique weekend ever.  First me and N went to a Filipino concert called “Return of the Champions”.  

Sarah Geronimo,  Mark Bautista,  Rachel Ann Go were the main concert queens.  Not that I do not know all about it, but then again this concert made me renew my vows to the vocal chords and talents of the young Filipinos!  

Their young and yet so powerful voices went on and on and on!   They are really magnifico numero uno!   Even N who is hard to please – was wowed and bowled over by these young talents.

And I think these new young artists will follow suit to become world class performers who would even be joining Miss Saigon in the future….

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AND THEN… Miss Saigon in Melbourne.  

Another showcase of fine Filipino artists and performers.  Leo Valdez was amazing – he totally lifted the whole show in his shoulders.  He gave the role of the Engineer a totally new dimension and it was beautiful.   I was reminded of Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Carribean.  He was so camp and funny and the audience just loved it. 

Laurie Cadevida is a class act of her own.  I have not seen Leah Salonga’s performance but then Laurie carried it so well and gave her own unique interpretation.   I love her and there is denying her Filipino heritage as you can clearly see in her personality.

The whole show was funtastique magnifique!  The set was beautiful.  The cast perfect.  The only thing that I was worried about was all the full on unstoppable kissing scene of the casts and even Kim and Chris.  At the end of the show, when we were meeting the casts,  Kim called Chris “babe or honey” and then it clicked on me that this two were lovers in real life afterall!  They must have developed friendship on their months of training and rehearsals in Sydney.  :0 

After the show, we had this chance to talk and congratulate the pinoy performers – Laurie and RJ Rosales and also the Aussie performers – David Harris and Juan Rodrigo.  Leo Valdez was nowhere to be found!  But Laurie and RJ are really very nice and down to earth people – no star complex as you can see. 

(BTW, Laurie is so small and short !!!! but her talent is beyond measure!)

Wish there are more of these pinoy performers to grow and bloom in the future!!! 

This weekend, I was just sooo proud of being a pinoy!

THE MISADVENTURES OF A FILIPINA: AS A MAIL ORDER BRIDE SPITTING PINGPONG BALLS vs THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA: QUEEN OF THE DESERT

The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert

My Criticism 

In my previous post, I mentioned about my abject confusion with the films Priscilla and To Wong Foo.  This should not be the case though, because Priscilla is definitely a superior film in terms of character presentation and storyline.  But then, I chose not to like this film, because there is a particular issue in the film that degrades the Filipino community.   The film was too harsh in presenting that Filipina mail to order Bride.   As if the Filipino image needs more assault from the Australian movie industry.

It is something that is so disturbing as being a gay film, it is supposed to veer away from stereotyping, racism and sexism.   

One of the characters in the film is Bob who became a friend of Bernadette (the main transvestite character).  Bob has a Filipino wife Cynthia, played by Julia Cortez, as the stereotypical mail-order bride.   Watching the film three times without reading reviews and feedbacks,  I took that issue objectively and yet I still came to the same thoughts and feeling that there is a malicious intent in presenting the Filipina mail order bride as an asshole character in order to show the drag queens or gay characters in a much better light.   The following review shares and expresses my views correctly: 

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“Priscilla has also been criticized for being overtly misogynistic and racist.  The film plays on many stereotypes for comedic effect.  Tick, Adam, and Bernadette are involved in three hilarious scenes which have also been characterized as being offensive, underneath all the jokes and laughter.  The film includes three extremely stereotypical characters (aside from the drag queens): the butch woman at the Palace Hotel bar, a Filipino stripper (Bob’s mail-order-bride), and a small group of Aboriginal people.  At the Palace Hotel, the queens are approached by an older butch woman, played by June Marie Bennet, wearing a mans undershirt who tells them coldly,  “We’ve got nothing here for people like you.”  Bernadette, very calmly retorts, “Listen here you mullet, why don’t you just light your tampon and blow your box a part because its the only bang you’re ever gonna get sweetheart” (The Adventures).  After a brief silence, the bar erupts in laughter.  By insulting this woman publicly, the queens have gained acceptance and are able to “bond homosocially with the male redneck population” (Robertson 34).

Bob’s Filipino wife Cynthia, played by Julia Cortez, is the stereotypical mail-order bride.  In a flashback, it is revealed that on Bob’s trip to the Philippines, she got him drunk, seduced him, and married him in order to get a free-ticket to Sydney.  In one of the films most bizarre scenes, Cynthia, who has an alcohol problem and seems a tad crazy, gets quite drunk and comes to the bar, where she interrupts the drag queens performance to do a striptease of her own.  Her show is much more popular with the locals, as she shoots ping pong balls out of her G-string.  “Cynthia, castrating, foreign, manipulative, and perversely sexualized, is thus characterized as a sort of madwoman”.

Usually I am not a politically-correct guy. As a matter of fact, I detest bandwagon mentality of political correctness. However, enough is enough, let portrays Asian in other lights than the typical molds of nerdy scientists with broken accents, dragon ladies, and mail-order brides with exotic sexual appetites.

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And so to correct myself for forgetting,  I am sooo not looking forward to see that film made into musical again.  I dread seeing that Filipina mail order bride spitting Pingpong balls.  And honestly, woe to the actress who would be playing that role! 

 

TO QUEEN PRISCILLA OF THE DESERT, WITH LOVE FR WONG FOO!

 

I so get mixed up with these two super drag queen movies.  Wong Foo being the American and Priscilla the Australian version.

Queen Priscilla is to be shown as a musical.  The world premiere being in Sydney this month.  Wow!  That is something to look forward to.

This one looks like a freightening circus (not serious!) drag queen though!