Tonight I’m going to see Miss Brigitte in Mack and Mabel and hopefully the girl can tap my troubles away. Even though she doesn’t read them she’s getting glowing notices and I can’t wait to see the big tap number. You just don’t see tap numbers anymore. I mean what gay boy hasn’t secretly wanted to break out in tap on some joyous occasion? My list of people I’ve always wanted to see perform but never have will be reduced by one this Saturday. I’m going to see Miss Lesley Gore at the Old Town School of Folk Music a few blocks away from my house! I own most everything there is to own by Lesley (not Leslie) from 60’s. Her body of work is truly mountainous. Yes, I love ‘It’s My Party’ but I also love a lot of her lesser known singles. While many saw ‘You Don’t Own Me’ as some feminist anthem, I think it just a girl setting her fella straight. First the scold, then the kiss. I’m really excited to be able to see her at a place like the Olde Towne School rather then some pre-packaged oldies show. She finally came out of the closet a while back and I would imagine it was an incredible strain for her to be a pop icon and a lesbian in the 60’s, but she doesn’t seem to bitter about it. She was sort of outed in ‘Grace of My Heart’, the box office dud starring the fabulous Illeana Douglas. Illeana’s character who was based on Carol King couldn’t figure out how to write a song for what they thought was a squeaky clean pop princess until they discovered she was a lesbian and they wrote a very Lesley Gore-ish tune called ‘My Secret Love’ or something like that. It was very clever.

Filed under: My Way Of Life