By Wayman Wong
01 Dec 2003
LEAVE IT TO ‘DIVAS’
Imagine Jack McFarland from TV’s "Will & Grace" doing his campy cabaret act, Just Jack, dedicated to Liza Minnelli, Ellen Greene, Maya Days and Marla Schaffel — only ten times funnier. That’ll give you an idea of Tom D’Angora’s deliriously delightful show, Divas I’ve Done. He’s joined by a bevy of backup gals — Noel Cody, Christine Gonzales, Stephanie Harwood and Alex Kissel — and he’s returning Dec. 28 and Jan. 25 at 8 PM and Jan. 27 at 9 PM to Don’t Tell Mama.
D’Angora has been described as "the love child of Paul Lynde and Charles Nelson Reilly" by David Hurst in Show Business Weekly, while Margaret Cho simply says, "Tom is brilliant!" In Divas I’ve Done, this self confessed "show queen" toasts Minnelli by chiming in with "Ring Them Bells" and salutes Jane Eyre star Schaffel with a spoof of "If I Were a Rich Man" retitled "If She Won the Tony." But the show’s highlight is his tribute to Greene: "Somewhere That’s Pink," a sweet and inspired parody of "Somewhere That’s Green" from Little Shop of Horrors. In it, he fantasizes about domestic bliss with his boyfriend in "a co-op of our own."
There’s something so fun and infectious about D’Angora’s devotion to his divas. The 6-foot-3 actor from Boston boasts, "You can’t buy a better drug on the street than seeing Liza live." And he was so amazed by Days that he saw her in Aida 32 times and brought her three-dozen roses every time. D’Angora, 24, realizes his obsession is "absurd and funny. I’m like Gypsy [Rose Lee]. No one laughs at me, because I laugh first." And what do his divas think? Days says, "I loved Tom’s show and belly-laughed a lot. His conviction [as an actor] is so amazing. He’s awesome!" And Schaffel says, "I had the best time. It was so much fun, and Tom’s hysterical!"
D’Angora first became infatuated with soap opera divas at age seven. He adds, "My dad’s a hairdresser who runs Diva Salon — that can explain a lot right there. He’s in great shape, he’s a pairs figure skater and he’s very gay. Mom’s straight. They were high school sweethearts, and I came out of that. She was a total fag hag. They’re divorced, but they’re still very good friends like Will and Grace, and they’re the coolest parents."
Meantime, D’Angora’s day job is working at the TKTS booth, flyering for Forbidden Broadway and Little Shop ("I wish they brought back Ellen to play Audrey"). That’s where he met his boyfriend of two years, Michael Duling, 22, who directed Divas: "We used to go clubbing and pick up guys, but now musical theatre is our life. We stay home and listen to Gypsy or rent Annie. And we’ve talked about the wedding. I want Maya Days to sing ‘Listen to My Heart’ and Kelly Clarkson will fly in to do ‘A Moment Like This.’ It’s gonna be fabulous!"
For more information, visit www.tomdangora.com.
WHERE THE GUYS ARE
There’s so much to see in New York: In passing years, Rick Jensen has become one of cabaret’s most popular songwriters, and he’ll appear Dec. 1 and 8 at 7 PM at The Duplex, 61 Christopher St. (212 255-5438). . . . Tim DiPasqua plays Dec. 5 and 12 at 7 PM, also at The Duplex. Go and hear why Stephen Schwartz calls him "one of the most melodic of the contemporary cabaret writers." www.timdipasqua.com. . . . And Andrew Lippa, who whipped up one Wild Party, will raise the roof on Dec. 15 at 10 PM at the Ars Nova, 511 W. 54th St. (212-868-4444).
Todd Murray will croon from his tuneful album, "When I Sing Low," and share the stage with Anna Bergman at Scott & Barbara Siegel's "CD Picks of the Month" on Dec. 7 at 7 PM at Dillon’s, 245 W. 54th St. (212-307-9797). . . . Other talented twosomes around town include Mark Nadler and KT Sullivan (Dec. 1-3 and Dec. 9-10 at 7 PM at Mama Rose’s, 219 Second Ave., 212-533-0558); Marcus Simeone and Sue Matsuki (Dec. 4, 11 and 18 at 9 PM at The Duplex), and Scott Coulter and Lennie Watts (Dec. 15-17 and Dec. 21 at 7 PM and Dec. 19-20 at 9:30 PM at Mama Rose’s).
Celebrate a "Miracle on 47th Street," a benefit concert for God’s Love We Deliver, with John Tartaglia, Max Von Essen, Deven May and many more on Dec. 15 at 7 and 9 PM at the Supper Club’s King Kong Room, 240 W. 47th St. (212-921-1904). And have a "Billy Holiday" with the brilliant Billy Stritch on Dec. 19-20 at 9 p.m., also at the King Kong Room. . . . Over at Feinstein’s, 540 Park Ave. (212-339-4095), the amazing Michael Feinstein sings from "The Great American Holiday Songbook" now through Dec. 27. . . . Finally, Andrew Gans, who writes the ever-diverting "Diva Talk" column at Playbill On-line, opens his act, "The Story Book," on Dec. 29 at 9 PM and Dec. 30 at 6:30 PM at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W. 46th St. (212-757-0788). He’ll send his lovely voice sailin’ on the timeless tunes of Stephen Flaherty & Lynn Ahrens, Frank Wildhorn and Alan Menken.
TIME FOR A THUMB’S-UP AND THANKS
Wow, 2003 has just flown by since we started "The Leading Men" column in January. What was your favorite "Amazing Musical Moment" by a "Leading Man" of Broadway, Off-Broadway or cabaret? Pick your No. 1 performer and song, and e-mail me at waymanwong@hotmail.com; we’ll feature some of them next month.
Meantime, thanks to all the great guys we interviewed in 2003: Tom Andersen, Antonio Banderas, Brent Barrett, Bobby Belfry, Matt Bogart, John Bucchino, Stephen Buntrock, Norbert Leo Butz, Michael Cavanagh, Matt Cavenaugh, Larry Ching, Gavin Creel, Tom D’Angora, Justin Daniel, Jonathan Dokuchitz, Jarrod Emick, Hunter Foster, Ty Giordano, Simon Gleeson, Brian Lane Green, David Gurland, Jeff Harnar, Michael Hunsaker, Adam James, Tom Kitt, Marc Kudisch, Robert Sean Leonard, Daniel Letterle, Jose Llana, Michael McElroy, Howard McGillin, David Miller, John Pizzarelli, Noah Racey, Johnny Rodgers, John Selya, John Tartaglia and Welly Yang.
Happy holidays and until next year, let’s hear it for the boys!
Wayman Wong edits entertainment for the New York Daily News. He has been a movie and theater critic for the San Francisco Examiner, a writer for The Sondheim Review and a Drama-Logue Award-winning playwright.
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| (L.-R.) Noah Racey, Adam James and Tom D'Angora
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| photo by Ben Strothmann |
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