In early November I had the pleasure of seeing the Los Angeles Gay Men’s Chorus (well, at least part of them) perform at the Kimmel Center for their “It Gets Better” show. Inspiring words were said by our excellent state Rep. Brian Sims before and after the show, which I believe helped to give the show more depth and importance. The stellar
cast was well in tune, led by the talented (and cute) Tyler Houston, as they did covers of hit songs, noticeably “Crazy,” “I am Beautiful” and even an original song towards the end. The story centered on a closeted teenager, T.J., who magically receives visitors into his room — a gay couple, a hilarious drag queen, a homophobic-yet-closed senator and a fiercely athletic gay man. Together, they are able to help T.J., along with discovering a few things about themselves and each other.
Its storyline surprised me in its uniqueness and creativity, along with some wonderful humor and a positive message. What I found particularly interesting was when the actors, at placed moments in the production, took a pause from their characters and told about their own experiences and how varied they were per person; some were positive while others had more struggles. I thought that was a nice touch that would allow the audience members, myself included, more opportunities to connect to the actors, and the characters by association. I was particularly touched when, towards the end, T.J., who had wondered if he would ever find friends who would accept him, encountered people from all walks of life — disabled, blind and many others — who sang to him. I was truly touched by it. I was bullied a bit for the assumption of being gay in middle school, and it makes me very happy to know that many young people, including ones my own age who are in less fortunate circumstances, are able to find messages of hope, like “it gets better,” in just a few clicks. If the tour should ever come to Philadelphia again, or to whomever is reading this in a different city, I would highly encourage them to see it.
Sean Morris is a junior at Science Leadership Academy.