#i love how much the emersons love gilbert and sullivan

[teamramses]

The only other male person present was an eccentrically garbed individual who stood watching the discussion of the leaders. His long, rather shabby velvet cloak and broad-brimmed hat reminded me of a character from one of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas—the one that satirized the aesthetic movement and its languid poets. … Ramses, who sometimes demonstrates an uncanny ability to read my mind, began to sing softly. I recognized one of the songs from the opera in question. “ ‘A most intense young man, A soulful eyed young man, An ultra-poetical, super-aesthetical, out-of-the-way young man.’ ” 

The Ape who Guards the Balance by Elizabeth Peters

[fandomsandfeminism]

Today we are going to look at an amusing historical fact: The time that beloved poets Oscar Wilde and Walt Whitman met, got drunk, and slept together.

(Closed Captioning coming soon) 

Transcript Below:

Recently, I talked about JRR Tolkien’s long standing grudge against William Shakespeare and how it affected his books. Today I want to look at the relationship between two other literary figures, but we’re going to take a slightly...different approach. I want to talk about two very interesting authors and the time they (almost probably definitely) had sex. That’s right: Oscar Wilde and Walt Whitman, literary giants, did the do.

This is where I throw in a quick ~Content Warning~ While this video will not contain any explicit sexual material, it is, ya know, a video talking about two people having sex. There won’t be descriptions of the act itself, but if you are in a situation where someone else in the room hearing the phrase “and then these two dudes probably had sex” emanating from your computer speakers would be... non-ideal, feel free to hold off on watching this until later.

Now, I first came across this story in a wonderful article on the Toast.net by the hilarious Malory Ortberg, and I’ll leave a link to it in the information below. Its very funny and charming, and I’ll do my best to relay the story here with all the flourish it deserves. -

Let’s start by talking about Oscar Wilde and his trip to America.

Oscar Wilde was an irish author, poet, playwright, and essayist. He was born on October 16 1854 and became one of the most popular playwrights in Britain by the 1890s. These days he is most well known for “The Picture of Dorian Grey”, “The importance of being Earnest” and being spectacularly posh and flamboyant. He was part of the literary  Aesthetic Movement, which values beauty over socio-political themes in art. He was interested in Art for Arts sake, as it were.

Now, There is some debate about whether Oscar Wilde would have identified more as bisexual or gay were he alive today. Discussing the sexuality of historical figures is often complicated that way, since modern day labels are, well, modern. So a grain of salt is always needed. He was married to Constance Lloyd and together they had 2 children. Whether or not Wilde was genuinely attracted to her, or if it was a marriage out of expectation and social pressure is unknown.

But Wilde was not shy at all about his affection for members of the same sex, and once this became a widely known fact, their marriage deteriorated. Wilde went on trial for sodomy and gross indecency in 1895, where he was accused of having affairs with male prostitutes. He was found guilty and spent 2 years in jail. His imprisonment had a deeply damaging effect on his health, and he died 3 years later when he was 46. It is, overall, a pretty sad end for such a beloved figure. -

Let’s jump back to 1882. Oscar Wilde was 26 and still unmarried. I joke that Wilde specifically wanted to go to America with the purpose of ~meeting~ Walt Whitman, but the truth is a little more complicated. Gilbert and Sullivan, two well known opera writers at the time, had recently written a piece mocking the Aesthetic Movement, and they wanted to bring it to America. The problem however, was that Americans were largely unaware of the Aesthetics and their “art for art’s sake” mentality, and thus were not likely to get the joke. It was arranged then, for Oscar Wilde (deemed a true aesthetic, who embodied this idea like no other) to go to America on a series of speaking events. This would introduce the American public to the idea of aestheticism, and Wilde was pleased for the opportunity to make a name, and some money, for himself so early in his career.

Once in America though, he made it VERY clear that he very much wanted to meet Walt Whitman.  When he was asked “What poet do you most admire in America?” by a reporter, he replied “I think Walt Whitman and Emerson have given the world more than anyone else...I do so hope to meet Mr. Whitman,” and “I admire him intensely... There is something so Greek and sane about [Whitman’s] poetry; it is so universal, so comprehensive.” -

So, who is this master poet that the young, dashing Oscar Wilde was so enamoured with?

Walt Whitman was an American poet, essayist, and journalist. Born May 31st, 1819, he was a humanist, blending both realism and transcendentalist views in his works.  He worked as a nurse during the civil war and greatly admired Lincoln (he penned the poem O Captain, My Captain  in his honor after Lincoln was assassinated in 1865) He is best known for his poetry collection Leaves of Grass. He was pretty opposed to alcohol and supported prohibition. He was a deist, and generally skeptical of any organized religion.

Like Wilde, his sexuality is somewhat debated. He never married or had children (though there are some account he may have had some illegitimate children, these are unconfirmed), but he did have a strong, possibly romantic relationship with New York Actress, Ellen Grey, and kept a picture of her in a locket for many years.

But there is little doubt that Whitman’s most enduring relationships were with men. There are many men in Whitman’s life who are thought to have been involved with him, including Peter Doyle and Bill Duckett. His poems, too, are filled with homoerotic subtext, particularly “Calamus” At the time the poems were published, one reviewer, Rufus Wilmot Griswold suggested Whitman was guilty of "that horrible sin not to be mentioned among Christians."

So, it’s 1882, Oscar Wilde, the 26 year old, posh, flamboyant aesthetic has arrived for a speaking tour in America and loudly proclaimed to the newspapers that he very very much like to meet Walt Whitman, the 62 year old master poet, known for his ruggedness and homoerotic poetry.

And like clockwork, the answer came to Wilde’s hotel: Mr. Whitman will be in this afternoon, and would be happy to meet with Mr. Wilde.

What followed is a scene straight out of some steamy romance novel. The following quotes are pulled from Neil McKenna’ biography, The Secret Life of Oscar Wilde:

“Stoddart [Oscar’s friend who had accompanied him] tactfully left the two poets alone. ‘If you are willing – will excuse me – I will go off for an hour or so – come back again – leaving you together,’ he said. ‘We would be glad to have you stay,’ Whitman replied. ‘But do not feel to come back in an hour. Don’t come for two or three.’ Whitman opened a bottle of elderberry wine and he and Oscar drank it all before Whitman suggested they go upstairs to his ‘den’ on the third floor where, he told Oscar, ‘We could be on ‘thee and thou’ terms.’”

Ok, so, they go up to Whitman’s den and are getting thoroughly drunk of elderberry wine together on “thee and thou” terms. Later, Whitman was asked about the encounter. He responded:

One of the first things I said was that I should call him ‘Oscar.’ ‘I like that so much,’ he answered, laying his hand on my knee. He seemed to me like a great big, splendid boy. He is so frank, and outspoken, and manly.

Again, I need you to imagine this with me. Oscar Wilde and Walt Whitman, drinking elderberry wine in Whitman’s small, cluttered third floor writing den. Oscar Wilde placing his hand on the man’s knee. So outspoken and manly indeed.

The Biography continues though:

Stoddart went on to say that ‘after embracing, greeting each other as Oscar and Walt, the two talked of nothing but pretty boys, of how insipid was the love of women, and of what other poets, Swinburne in particular, had to say about these tastes.’

This is just a beautiful thing to imagine. Walt “I hear America Singing” Whitman, chatting about pretty boys and the insipid love of women with Oscar “the love that shall not be named” Wilde over a bottle of elderberry wine.

But, you may cry, this is all so circumstantial. Just because you have two queer poets who greatly admired each other, getting drunk alone together on homemade elderberry wine, chatting about pretty boys, left alone to be on thee and thou terms for several hours, doesn’t mean they had sex!

And I know. But I need you to hang on for one more glorious excerpt. After this meeting, Wilde was asked by a friend, Ives, about it.

Oscar told Ives that there was ‘no doubt’ about Whitman’s sexual tastes. ‘I have the kiss of Walt Whitman still on my lips,’ he boasted.

The kiss of Walt Whitman still on his lips, folks. What else can I say, honestly?

So, yeah. Thanks for watching this video! This channel is still really new, so I always appreciate comments and likes. I’ll be sure to see yall down in the comments. And as always, if you enjoyed listening to this queer millennial feminist with a BA in English, feel free to subscribe.

[johnbizzell]

Dating the disciples

Mavis appeared in a dream: “Be not afraid of me,” she said. “Be afraid of dry theatres and dryer sheets.” And lo, she did download Tinder unto my phone and commanded that some names be changed to protect the egocentric.

Monday - The Singer

Until you’ve had the warm thrum of a trained bass/baritone ask if you want to go back to his place and watch Audra McDonald win a Tony, don’t judge me. I’ve never dated more than one man in the same week in my entire life and I imprinted on the first contestant.

The London run of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill was cancelled when Audra got pregnant and the disappointment of missing her as Billie Holiday was as fresh to me as Mariah’s Meltdown was to the rest of The Gays of the Internet. “Yes,” I told The Singer. “Take me to your TiVo.”

Everything that followed is really Audra’s fault. If I hadn’t wanted to see her Pigfoot so much, maybe the others would have stood a chance. Oops.

Tuesday - The Body

Dave the banker likes to perform at amateur murder mystery parties. He usually plays the body. After three hours in a bar Time Out describes as ‘claustrophobic’ with him, I admit it’s perfect casting. On our third round of drinks (wine for me, Bud Lite for him because: Americans) I had to wrap things up: “When you’ve finished telling me about your collection of spats, I’m going to have to go.” Rest in peace, Dave.

Wednesday - The Renaissance Man

Graeme’s coeliac disease can be difficult to manage when he’s dressed as a rococo settee at Renaissance fayres. “It’s honestly a nightmare,” he said through mouthfuls of bunless burger at Rory Dolan’s. The staff there are very obliging, as you know, so I had them sneak a particularly glutinous cracker into Graeme’s next 12oz 'pint’ and went to meet The Singer in Harlem. We wandered through Riverside Park and played giant Jenga. I was insufferable and couldn’t get enough of it.

Thursday - The Drama Teacher

Shakir teaches English as a new language through drama to SIFE kids - that’s Students with Interrupted Formal Educations, usually those who have immigrated as teenagers and need to learn a new language and catch up academically. He spoke passionately about his work, his time touring in musicals, his family, the books he loves and how sad it was that I’m leaving in March. He paid for dinner. In exchange I took him to a terrible art gallery filled with flies and told him I had plans at the weekend.

Friday - The Joker

Michael does improv at a comedy club. I hope his skills helped him come up with something else to do when I cancelled on him at the last minute. I’m sorry readers, my story had started to sound like a Gilbert and Sullivan patter song and I couldn’t face an encore. New York was back in a polar vortex but my feelings were beginning to defrost (oh, she thinks she’s Carrie Bradshaw). In the absence of a microwave for human hearts I booked a flight to Miami and prepared to thaw.

This week’s musical experiences: Sing at Loews Lincoln Square, Lady Day at Emmersons Bar and Grill on a guy’s couch, a late night workshop of The Name of This Life at Theater for the New City, Piaf at Carnegie Hall

Visitations from Saint Mavis: Let’s be honest, most of the above don’t count, but if you ever get the chance to hear Hymne à l'Amour in Carnegie Hall whilst your belly is full of wine and your mind is full of possibilities, do it. Je ne regrette fucking rien… yet.

[londontheatre]

Audra McDonald, Will Swenson and Seth Rudetsky

It’s a pleasant evening, filled with anecdotes and ad libs galore. I was one of those who had only come to know who Audra McDonald is when her name received star billing for a production of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill. The West End run for that show, originally scheduled for the summer of 2016, was postponed for a year after she became pregnant with second husband Will Swenson. Swenson is also the support act (in more ways than one) for this series of concerts at Leicester Square Theatre in which McDonald engages brilliantly with the audience, as does the musical director and host, Seth Rudetsky.

Those who have followed McDonald avidly will have noted that this is not the first time she has done concerts at LST in which she invites the audience to join in a verse of ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’ from Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner’s musical My Fair Lady. That wasn’t the only musical theatre standard of the evening; the show opened with ‘When Did I Fall in Love’ from Fiorello!, a show I know nothing about, mostly because the only record of a West End run I was able to find was one at the Piccadilly Theatre in 1962. That production was apparently ‘too American’ for London audiences. The show closed (not counting the encore, ‘Summertime’ from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess) with ‘Climb Every Mountain’ from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music, the other joint winner of the 1960 Tony Award for Best New Musical.

There was a narrative of sorts going on with the eclectic (albeit all-American) selection of songs. ‘The Glamorous Life’ from the motion picture version of Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, was a bittersweet song about working mothers who never ever have enough hours in the day to get everything done. Elsewhere, If McDonald expressed reservations about singing ‘Maybe This Time’ from Cabaret, because it had been performed so many times before, and by the great and the good, caution was thrown to the wind when it came to singing ‘You Don’t Bring Me Flowers’, as a duet with Swenson, a song made famous by Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand. Swenson delighted the London crowd with a Gilbert and Sullivan number from The Pirates of Penzance, done with the sort of confident swagger that the Pirate King character ought to have.

Both Rudetsky and McDonald converse at quite a pace, and it is just as well that they enunciate so clearly – and so freely. Of the many topics under discussion were her studies at the Juilliard, and the many roles McDonald has played across theatre, film and television. Occasionally more than genre was combined, most notably in the 2013 NBC Television broadcast of The Sound of Music Live! You know when you’ve had a bad day and think, ‘one day we’ll look back on all this and laugh’? That ‘one day’ seems to have arrived for Audra McDonald, as she reminisces with much hilarity on past successes and failures, jumbled up lines and bringing certain family members to shows in which she played less than ladylike characters.

McDonald has remarkable control over her voice – in such a relatively intimate space, she uses her microphone perfectly, an impressive achievement, given her opera training, in which she learned how to sing unamplified above the sound of a symphony orchestra. It was easy to follow a song’s narrative whether I had heard the number before or not. McDonald acts as brilliantly and superbly as she sings, and her engagement with the audience was relaxed and assured. She is as skilled and accomplished with tunes from the Great American Songbook as she is with, for instance, ‘I’ll Be Here’, a song from the 2008 musical Ordinary Days. All things considered, a phenomenal performance.

Review by Chris Comaweng

LISTINGS Mark Cortale presents AUDRA McDONALD with special guests WILL SWENSON and SETH RUDETSKY as pianist & host April 12th to 15th 2017  Leicester Square Theatre 6 Leicester Place London, WC2H 7BX

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