The Five Minute Follies is uniting a wide range of performers for “The Marriage Equality Cabaret,” a benefit show for Freedom to Marry, Feb. 4 at The Rotunda.
The show is the brainchild of actor, show organizer and emcee Michael Subvert (aka Michael Broussard).
“It’s something I had been thinking about for a long time,” Subvert said. “I’m very much of an activist mindset and I think marriage equality is probably the most important human-rights issue going on in the country right now. I wanted to do something to help and I figured the best way I could help would be to use the talents I have, which is emceeing and producing variety shows, to raise money and give it to the people who know what to do to really help.”
To that end, Five Minute Follies has put together a bill of performers from in and outside of the LGBT community, including Brotherly Love, a small ensemble of the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus; comedian Robb Coles; Philadelphia singer-songwriter Crystal Cheatham; singing duo The Lords of Liechtenstein; comedian Jess Carpenter; singer Nathan Nolen Edwards and much more.
“Some of the performers I already knew from previous shows,” he said. “A lot of them came through casting notices. Some are from the LGBT community and some are just people who care and want to support the issue. People were very excited about the idea of the show, so it wasn’t difficult to get people at all.”
The are several organizations campaigning for marriage equality, but Subvert said Freedom to Marry is the ideal organization to support because it addresses the issue on a national level.
“The reason I picked them over any other organization is because I consider marriage equality to be a national issue, not just a local government issue,” Subvert said. “I think there’s a lot of local state organizations that are doing a great job, but we really need to look at approaching this from a national perspective. The issue of your rights as an American citizen shouldn’t be something that changes from state to state. You should have the same rights in Alabama as you have in Pennsylvania. As you cross borders, your marriage shouldn’t become irrelevant. That’s absurd. I also think that the Obama administration needs to approach this and make some very public statement about it and approach this as a national issue and a human-rights issue and deal with it.”
Subvert added that while the issue of marriage equality is a serious one, the benefit show itself is going to be fun.
“It’s not preachy,” he said. “It’s not lots of speeches about the issue. We’re certainly going to talk about the issue but we’re here to entertain and, through the entertainment, illuminate the issue. It’s a fun, upbeat musical-variety comedy show but we’ll all know why we are there. Everybody has something to say.”
“The Marriage Equality Cabaret” will be presented 8 p.m. Feb. 4 at The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St. The cabaret is still seeking variety performers with something positive to say about marriage equality and who are willing to donate their talents. Singers, dancers, comics, magicians, improv groups, clowns, sideshow acts, storytellers and especially unusual and hard-to-classify acts are welcome to inquire. To be considered, email video or audio of your act to [email protected]. For more information about the Marriage Equality Cabaret, visit www.fiveminutefollies.com.
Larry Nichols can be reached at [email protected].