The Happiest Medium » Kevin R. Free

It’s Time For Mini-Fridge Elevenses With Legendary: A Man-tasia!

Karen Tortora-Lee — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 20:16:23 +0000

The Mini-Fridge Elevenses*

11 Questions, 11 Answers … ZERO calories, and 100% YUMMY!

*Elevenses is a snack that is similar to afternoon tea, but eaten in the morning and might consist of some cake or biscuits with a cup of coffee or tea. The name refers to the time of day that it is taken: around 11 am.

Legendary: A Man-tasia

What becomes a legend most? Is it truth? Is it fantasy? Is it a sequined gown and pearls? In LEGENDARY: A MAN-TASIA, three gay men explore their love affairs with themselves, each other, and – of course – Jennifer Holliday.

Show Times:

Thursday, June 28 7:00 PM
Friday, June 29 8:30 PM
Monday, July 2 7:00 PM

Answers by: Kevin R. Free,

Playwright

1. Your tag line is featured above, so we know the PR version of what this play is about. But when you talk to your family and friends, how do you explain the show to them?
Kevin: I tell them it’s a drag musical without the drag. It’s a musical in which all the characters don’t sing. Instead, they lip-synch!

2. Here’s a scenario: After the show some audience members go have a drink. What’s the part of the show you hope they’re discussing?
Kevin: I hope they discuss how Michael Awusie, the young actor who plays our protagonist, Larry, performs Barbra Streisand’s version of “My Man” from the soundtrack of Funny Girl.

3. What drives your show – character, theme or plot?
Kevin: Theme, I think. I tend to write about identity struggle with. In this play, my characters struggle with who they are as gays. This was my first attempt at writing a gay play. This play will probably end up being something different a year or so, but I’m really in love with it right now.

4. What’s the one thing someone said about the show so far that made you the most proud?
Kevin: Well, this is a world premiere, so no one has said much of anything about it just yet. People seem to be excited about the lip-synching in the show. When I say, “people,” I mean ME. And my friends who know how much I LOVE LIP-SYNCHING.

5. Let’s fantasize for a moment. Let’s take the “off-off” off. Imagine this show is on Broadway. What would that change about the production itself?
Kevin: Well, if the show is on Broadway, that would mean that someone really rich can afford the rights to all the songs. Also, I HOPE I COULD GET THE REAL JENNIFER HOLLIDAY TO BE IN THE SHOW!!!

6. Taking that one step further – after paying everyone what they’re worth of course, what is the most lavish, luxurious, frivolous thing you would spend money on if there was no constraints? (Think of the helicopter in Miss Saigon).
Kevin: Well, we would of course include a Deus ex Machina with Diana Ross or Patti LaBelle descending to stage to end the show. YOU ARE ROCKING MY WORLD WITH THESE FANTASIES!!

7. Is there a scene, a moment, anything that gets a completely different reaction depending on the audience that night?
Kevin: I don’t really know yet, but I am hoping that the moment the cast performs Jennifer Holliday’s “I Am Changing” is both polarizing and unifying.

8. What’s your favorite line from the show?
Kevin: “What song is that? Just some more MMMMMMMYeahhhh blackgibberish!”

9. Is the world of this play sustainable outside a theatre? In other words … do you think people live the way the characters do?
Kevin: I don’t think people live this way, but how many times have you been feeling particularly emotional about something and then the perfect song comes on the radio? I kinda love that about the universe.

Would you want a world where they do?
Kevin: YES. I often wish I could burst into (recorded) song. Like they do on “Glee.”

10. You scan the audience and you see a face that stops you dead in your tracks – who is it?
Kevin: Bishop Eddie Long.

And why are you shocked?
Kevin: Because he’s the real-life big, black homophobe who runs a mega-church in Atlanta who is a fantasy character in LEGENDARY.

11. Time for Elevenses! Go to the mini-fridge of your fantasy hotel. What’s your dream 11:00am snack?
Kevin: Melba toast with butter & jam. And Aperol & Prosecco to go with.

Thanks, Kevin, for having your Elevenses with us here at THM! We can’t wait to see Legendary: A Man-tasia!

If you’d like to catch Legendary: A Man-tasia at The Mini-Fridge Festival find out more by clicking this link.

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HORSE TRADE THEATER GROUP IN ASSOCIATION WITH FRIGID NEW YORK PRESENT THE 2012 MINI-FRIDGE

JUNE 28 – JULY 4 @ UNDER ST. MARKS The mini-festival will play at UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1st Avenue and Avenue A) June 28-July 4. Tickets ($15/$12 students & seniors) are available online or by calling 212-868-4444.

Grab A Snack From The Mini-Fridge

Karen Tortora-Lee — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 20:17:10 +0000

What’s in this year’s Mini-Fridge? Some tasty treats you won’t wanna miss – and in honor of the mini-festival which highlights a small but savory platter of hors d’oeuvres made up of FRIGID and FRINGE deliciousness we here will be presenting Mini-Fridge Elevenses. What is Elevenses? If you were too lazy to follow that link we’ll tell you: In the United Kingdom and Ireland, elevenses is a snack that is similar to afternoon tea, but eaten in the morning. It is generally less savoury than brunch, and might consist of some cake or biscuits with a cup of coffee or tea. The name refers to the time of day that it is taken: around 11 am.

But here at The Happiest Medium Elevenses is Eleven Questions for our Mini-Fridge participants. So, grab a snack out of your own fridge and sit back because in the next few days we’ll be featuring some great Q&As with:

Kill the Band: Mock Bottom Presented by Killy Dwyer and Kill the Band

KILL THE BAND presents a surreal, multi-media theatrical experience to celebrate the release of their triumphant second comedy rock album, MOCK BOTTOM! Part CD release party, part psychodramedy, MOCK BOTTOM mockuments the farcical cycle of the band’s breakdowns and break throughs. Free CD included with your ticket!

Thu 6/28 & Sat 6/30 @ 10pm

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Bye Bye Bombay Written & Performed by Cara Yeates

A multimedia adventure to Bollywood and beyond! Join Gauri and her puppet guides as she dodges rickshaws, Russian dancers and lecherous directors. A foreigner lost in a maze of masala, will this lost traveler learn more than just the art of crossing roads in India?

Thu 6/28 @ 8:30pm, Fri 6/29 @ 7pm, & Sat 6/30 @ 7pm

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Intium/Finis Presented by Theatre Reverb

A sensual tale of violence and revolution born in a futuristic metropolis. Theatre Reverb combines media, red-light cabaret, live music, Judeo-Christian and Hindu myth, and classical Indian dance-theatre to envelop spectators in a lush sci-fi noir. This unique, total theatrical experience is the result of a cross-discipline collaboration between artists from the US, Central Europe and Asia.

Sat 6/30 @ 5pm & Sun 7/1 @ 7pm

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Bare. Presented by Peter Aguero

Raw stories paired with raw burlesque. Curated and hosted by Peter Aguero (The Moth, The BTK Band), Bare. will rip the heart out of your chest, place it lovingly back in, and proceed to do it all over again. This special Mini-Fridge volume stars Adam Wade, Sarah Jenness, Diana Spechler, Magdalena Fox, Francine, Amelia Bareparts, and Mary Cyn as The Kraken.

Sun 7/1 @ 9pm

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Bible Burlesque Presented by Brain Melt Consortium

To raise money for the Edinburgh production of their biblical feminist burlesque-themed play, Rachel and Ali have decided to put on a night of hot, lurid bible stories – but they’ve got very different ideas about what that means. An hour of comic meta-theatrical sexy-time. In Biblical proportions. From the creators of the 2012 FRIGID hit, Daughters of Lot.

Sat 6/30 @ 8:30pm

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Lord Gregory & Mademoiselle Godin’s mini XMAS Spectacular Hosted by Gregory Levine and Michelle Leona Godin

Xmas - What an awful word, non?! And everything so shabby nowadays. Well, perhaps you’ve been going to the wrong parties… Aristocratic siblings Lord Gregory and Mademoiselle Godin — whose twisted bond of love and jealousy has only grown stronger since the terrible day their zygote split in the womb — cordially invite you to the unseasonable soiree of the year: a splendid Xmas gala showcasing the stars of the 2012 mini-FRIDGE, and featuring the marvelous musicians, comedians and performance artist of the Horse Trade family. You will be sadly gauche if you are not in attendance!

Fri 6/29 @ 10pm

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Legendary: A Man-tasia Written & performed by Kevin R. Free Directed by Christopher Burris

What becomes a legend most? Is it truth? Is it fantasy? Is it a sequined gown and pearls? In Legendary: A Man-tasia three gay men explores their love affairs with each other, themselves and – of course – Jennifer Holliday.