This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:13] Sarah Goodman: Hi, I'm Sarah. I'm a sound designer and professional lesbian theater geek. I'm a huge fan of all things theater, Broadway, cabaret, and pop culture. I've got tattoos of Bernadette Peters and Liza Minelli. In my podcast, I'm looking at theater through a queer lens and discussing the intersection between the craft and the LGBTQ community. AKA me, my friends, and family. On today's episode, I'm surrounded by my friends and family because I was reporting live from the Rainbow Carpet at the Queering the Canon, a retrospective show at Joe's Pub, a gala for the fabulous organization Ring of Keys. My first interview of the night was with founder Andrea Prestinario, my fabulous friend who created Ring of Keys out of her apartment a handful of years ago.

And she's gonna tell you all about this fabulous organization. You can also go to Ringofkeys.org to find out more. I will say a little disclaimer that the audio got a little crazy on this episode because it was incredibly loud in the lobby at the public theater. The first few interviews were nice and quiet, and then the early show let out and there were just so many people. It was quite the gaggle of folks, but it was really fun. So hang in there for maybe not my best audio episode ever, but some really fun interviews with all of the cast and writers and VIP guests who were there to celebrate Ring of Keys on this very special night. So please enjoy my time on the rainbow carpet for the Ring of Keys Gala.

[1:42] Andrea Prestinario: Hi, I'm Andrea Prestinario. She/her, and I am the creator of Ring of Keys. Woo! And we're here at the Ring of Keys Gala. How many shows has this been now? Well, I've created, yeah, I've seven? This is so I created Queering the Canon as announced series in 2020, and this is number seven. And I have executive or creative produced all of them.

[2:02] Sarah Goodman: Oh my God, that's so exciting. Please tell me about the impetus for creating Ring of Keys. What made you want to do it? How did it all come together?

[2:10] Andrea Prestinario: Well, because it didn't exist. And we, I was like, where are our people? So my co-founder and I, Roy Orbac and I, we just felt very confused why there was no already existing community for queer women, trans, and non-binary artists working in musical theater. Because as we know, musical theater is so gay but not queer. And but what do I mean by that? People are always very confused by that. I think if you're a part of this community, you absolutely know what I mean by that. Which is to say it's a response to transphobia, misogyny, heteronormativity, in that we are a community of people that is different than sort of the cis gay male culture. And I think even in the world of even in the world of musical theater, while it's LGBTQ friendly, it is still run by men.

Right. So we needed to find our people. So we created it and it started as just a potluck in my living room. And then it grew exponentially because there was a need, and people clearly turned out and were like, I need this. I want to be a part of this in the way of like where people flock to the thing that brings them joy.

[3:13] Sarah Goodman: Yeah, absolutely. Can you tell the listeners for those who may not know the obvious connection, what is the significance of the name Ring of Keys?

[3:22] Andrea Prestinario: Sure. Ring of Keys is a song in the musical Fun Home. Fun Home made history in 2015. It won Best Musical, Tony, and it was the first musical to have a lesbian protagonist, which is insane because you know, 2015 to first have a lesbian protagonist. So the song itself is to me and my co-founder is it was seen as a queer anthem. Yeah, I think it's a song that speaks about identification. And we also just loved the idea of naming our organization something that was poetic versus like the national organization of queer women, trans and non-binary people. You know, right? Like we're excited to think. Um, are you know on a ring, and so we build these rings and of connectivity, and how exciting to continue to pun. I find many puns on the title. Tonight, our allies are keychains.

[4:15] Sarah Goodman: Oh, that's cute. I love that.

[4:17] Andrea Prestinario: And the merch tonight is carabiners.

[4:20] Sarah Goodman: Oh, hell yeah. I'm getting a carabiner, baby. Um, you're 100%. Queer the stage, baby. I love that. I love that so much. Tell me a little bit about like have you had a Ring of Keys moment, like in your own life?

[4:32] Andrea Prestinario: Oh, yeah. I mean, well, you know, one of the reasons too I felt important it was important to build Ring of Keys is because I worked in Chicago for 10 years in the aughts, the early aughts. Yeah, listeners, Andrea and I actually met 20 years ago when we were both children, and we were in this random audition group together. We didn't really keep up after that, but we knew each other long, long ago, and then reconnected because of our great friend Julianne Merrill, who will also be on the carpet tonight. Yeah, Chicago's a great place. We love great town, we loved it. I mean, I think it's not so much a dig on Chicago, what I'm about to say, but it was a dig on the aughts, which is to say I worked in Chicago for 10 years and never met another queer lesbian, trans or non-binary actor like myself.

[5:16] Sarah Goodman: That's legit.

[5:17] Andrea Prestinario: Very lonely. You know, I spend a lot of times in dressing rooms where the, you know, all women dressing rooms. I came out at one time in 2004, and she was like, You're too pretty to be gay.

[5:26] Sarah Goodman: Oh, boo to that.

[5:28] Andrea Prestinario: So, like that's the times we were living in. The hottest people are gay. Don't you know that? So when I met my now wife, Clea Blackhurst, who we love Clea. It's a great mute cue. We did Gypsy in Chicago in 2012 as I was leaving Chicago. We met doing Gypsy, she played my mother, I played Louise. And she was the first lesbian I met.

[5:48] Sarah Goodman: Wow.

[5:48] Andrea Prestinario: That's wild.

[5:49] Sarah Goodman: And it was wild to me that and she was just so cool. So to answer your question, I feel like it was Clea. I mean, she was like, Oh my god, you know, she's significantly older than me. And I was like, you know, I got to hear all of her stories and all of the like kind of the we're standing on her shoulders. And I continue to be very values-based on like honoring our elders and the and the queer people that have come before us.

[6:09] Sarah Goodman: Yeah, 100%. I love that. That's so sweet. And what a cute little romantic and hopeful story for those listening.

[6:15] Andrea Prestinario: Yeah.

[6:16] Sarah Goodman: What else do you want to say about tonight's event? What are you the most excited for?

[6:19] Andrea Prestinario: I just hope people have fun. In this like current hells fascist hellscape that we're living in. Yeah. I feel like these are the moments when we really need to harness our queer joy. Yes. Come together and remember that our community, we there's there's so much power in collective action, and there's so much power in community building that is a tool for resistance. And I hope that people remember that and come out and support their community members and that our keychains come out and support as well.

[6:46] Sarah Goodman: Yeah, we need you keychains. Come down. Okay, and I'm gonna ask you this, even though you told me not to, but tell me some of your queer icons.

[6:54] Andrea Prestinario: Lisa Crohn, Judith Butler. Thank you for creating this organization. Thank you. I'm so proud to be a key. And I'm I'm really excited for tonight.

[7:02] Dion McClain Freeney: I'm Dion McClain Freeney. I am on the Keys, and I'm also tonight's musical director.

[7:07] Sarah Goodman: Yes. Please tell me about your relationship with Ring of Keys.

[7:10] Dion McClain Freeney: So I am a proud key, have been for a number of years, almost since the beginning. Wow, actually. Okay. This is the third Ring of Keys concert that I have been blessed to be able to music direct. The first was way back in 2020 or 2021 when everybody was doing their thing in little boxes.

[7:32] Sarah Goodman: Yeah.

[7:32] Dion McClain Freeney: And then I also was music director for the Candor and Ebb installation. And I am back doing the retrospective, which I'm really excited about doing because it's just a cross section of really, really good music from amazing composers, both canonical and brand new.

[7:51] Sarah Goodman: Amazing. What are you most excited about for tonight?

[7:54] Dion McClain Freeney: Audience energy. Yeah. You know, like the best part of a the best part of a show, I think, is when the audience finally joins you as a performer and has the same experience that you've been having all this time. It's like get ready, get ready, get ready, you know.

[8:10] Sarah Goodman: Yes.

[8:11] Dion McClain Freeney: So that's the exciting part for me.

[8:12] Sarah Goodman: Oh, amazing. Tell me some of your queer icons.

[8:16] Dion McClain Freeney: Queer icons, my goodness, Sylvester.

[8:19] Sarah Goodman: Yes.

[8:20] Dion McClain Freeney: Comes to mind. Um, but also like his kind of unknown gospel side. And speaking of gospel, also Carl Bean, who was the first to sing Born This Way before Lady Gaga. I just want to say that for the record.

[8:37] Sarah Goodman: We're getting some queer history lessons right now.

[8:39] Dion McClain Freeney: Right. And she's even said that his song was the inspiration for it. I'm also a little bit older than some folks, so I so I kind of have that. I kind of have that inspiration in my that information, excuse me, in my pocket. Billy wrote Lush Life.

[8:52] Sarah Goodman: Strayhorn.

[8:53] Dion McClain Freeney: Billy Strayhorn, thank you. Ethel Waters.

[8:56] Sarah Goodman: Yeah.

[8:56] Dion McClain Freeney: Moms Maybelly.

[8:57] Sarah Goodman: Yes.

[8:57] Dion McClain Freeney: Bessie Smith.

[8:58] Sarah Goodman: Mm-hmm.

[8:59] Dion McClain Freeney: You know, definitely icons for all kinds of reasons.

[9:03] Jade McLeod: I am Jade McLeod. I use they/them pronouns.

[9:06] Sarah Goodman: Amazing. Tell me a little bit about your affiliation with Ring of Keys.

[9:09] Jade McLeod: Yeah, so this is my first year in New York, and thus my first year with Ring of Keys.

[9:13] Sarah Goodman: Amazing.

[9:14] Jade McLeod: Um thank you. I'm so glad for the community that Andrea's built, and to be a part of that is a really big joy.

[9:21] Sarah Goodman: That's so cool. Where are you joining us from?

[9:23] Jade McLeod: Toronto, Ontario.

[9:24] Sarah Goodman: Oh hey! Come on, Canadians. Let's go. So what are you most excited for tonight?

[9:29] Jade McLeod: Oh man, the band is just like ripping the whole show.

[9:34] Sarah Goodman: Yeah.

[9:34] Jade McLeod: And that's very exciting to me. It's really exciting to be just in a totally sapphic, queer trans non-binary space.

[9:42] Sarah Goodman: Yes.

[9:42] Jade McLeod: In these times, it's like a gift to my heart and soul.

[9:45] Sarah Goodman: Yeah.

[9:45] Jade McLeod: So absolutely.

[9:47] Sarah Goodman: Who are some of your queer icons?

[9:49] Jade McLeod: Oh, Chapel Run.

[9:50] Sarah Goodman: Alright.

[9:50] Jade McLeod: Yeah. Stormy de la Barrie.

[9:53] Sarah Goodman: Okay. Amazing.

[9:54] Jade McLeod: Also, like Dochi. I know she's not gay, but I wish she was. There's kind of a gay vibe, right?

[9:59] Sarah Goodman: A little bit.

[9:59] Jade McLeod: I don't know. It's just like her, she's very badass.

[10:04] Sarah Goodman: Yeah, yeah.

[10:05] Jade McLeod: For reasons.

[10:05] Sarah Goodman: What's so important right now about the queer community?

[10:08] Jade McLeod: I think the queer community is like the most free. What's important to me about the queer community is that we represent freedom from like gender roles or like sexuality roles or like everything that's been given. And I think that that's what's so terrifying about us to people that aren't free. It's why they get so freaked out.

[10:29] Sarah Goodman: Yeah, but there's nothing to be afraid of. It's all liberation.

[10:30] Jade McLeod: That's right.

[10:33] Sarah Goodman: That's right, right?

[10:34] Jade McLeod: Right.

[10:34] Joanna Burns: My name is Joanna Burns.

[10:36] Sarah Goodman: Hello, nice to meet you.

[10:37] Joanna Burns: Hey Joanna, tell me your affiliation with Ring of Keys.

[10:40] Joanna Burns: Yes. So I've been a performer with Ring of Keys. Tonight I'm a songwriter with Ring of Keys.

[10:43] Sarah Goodman: Amazing.

[10:45] Joanna Burns: Having written a responsorial song to a classic canon piece.

[10:49] Sarah Goodman: Please tell me more about your song.

[10:51] Joanna Burns: Sure. So I wrote a response to I Don't Care Much from Cabaret. And mine is I know, I know. And I hear that it's like only in sometimes. It's they wrote it just for Alan Cummett, or they put it in just for Alan Cummett. I heard that recently.

[11:03] Sarah Goodman: I didn't know that until literally very recently I found out that it was not in the original production.

[11:09] Joanna Burns: No, I just learned at the box office they told me. So there's that. But so my song is called Of Course I Want to Kiss You. So it's like I definitely care is the idea. And it's like a Rogers and Hammerstein kind of, but a queer Rogers and Hammerstein. The very first day that Andrea hosted something for Ring of Keys was the most special of days. It was the first time that you know it was like the it was just a little infant kind of seed of a thing.

[11:36] Sarah Goodman: Yeah.

[11:36] Joanna Burns: And right away we just felt like this is so special. And now we're here doing this. So it was very special. This is many, many shows. I think she said seven shows. This is the seventh show. I don't even know. In five or six years. But it's like, you know, you're looking for people that are like you. And it feels like they must be there. They must be out there. You like you look around and you you think you see people like you, and you're like, I know we could be friends. But they just walk by. But something like this, you get to actually meet everybody and become friends.

[12:07] Sarah Goodman: Yeah, we're here.

[12:08] Joanna Burns: Yeah. Awesome. Well, I hope you have a great time tonight. I'm so excited to hear your song. We'll be right back with more at the Ring of Keys Gala right after this.

[12:17] Sarah Goodman: And we're back on the rainbow carpet at the Ring of Keys Gala. Okay, here's where things get a little crazy, and so the audio is gonna be a little outrageous at times. So just bear with me. Um I did the best I could to smooth it out, but it was so loud in the lobby, and we were all kind of shouting, gay shouting into our microphones. But it was a really good time. So enjoy the rest of my interviews with the fabulously talented people who were involved at this wonderful show, Ring of Keys, Queering the Canon, a retrospective.

[12:50] Zaniba Now: Hi, I'm Zaniba Now.

[12:51] Rodney Bush: And I'm Rodney Bush.

[12:53] Sarah Goodman: Amazing. And tell me how you're affiliated with Ring of Keys.

[12:56] Zaniba Now: I am a key, and I have been for a few years.

[12:59] Rodney Bush: And the two of us wrote one of the songs tonight, one of the original songs.

[13:03] Sarah Goodman: Oh my god, tell me about your song.

[13:04] Zaniba Now: It's a song called What I Wanna Do. And it's a sort of a response to the Suntime song sooner or later. And it's, yeah, I mean you can say a little bit of a couple of things. It's a very horny song.

[13:14] Rodney Bush: Love that.

[13:15] Zaniba Now: Yeah, it's it's it's it's strangely erotic. And this audience is usually very thirsty.

[13:19] Sarah Goodman: So it's always well last time. Tell me about your queer icons.

[13:24] Rodney Bush: Lady Gaga.

[13:26] Zaniba Now: Gaga.

[13:27] Rodney Bush: Gaga. Mayhem's a Mahem's a banger.

[13:29] Zaniba Now: Elton John.

[13:29] Rodney Bush: For sure.

[13:31] Zaniba Now: I would say David Bowie and uh Debbie Harry, I would count somehow.

[13:35] Rodney Bush: And share, of course.

[13:36] Zaniba Now: Queen Latifa.

[13:37] Rodney Bush: Hell yeah, Queen Latifa.

[13:39] Sarah Goodman: Tell me a little bit about what is important about queer community right now.

[13:42] Rodney Bush: I think that community in general is very important right now.

[13:47] Zaniba Now: And always, actually.

[13:48] Rodney Bush: I don't think we can survive without people around us and very rich connection.

[13:54] Zaniba Now: So 24-7, 365, rain shine, war peace.

[14:00] Rodney Bush: We need people.

[14:01] Zaniba Now: That's right.

[14:01] Rodney Bush: We need our people.

[14:02] Zaniba Now: And we're here.

[14:03] Rodney Bush: We're here tonight to celebrate each other.

[14:04] Sarah Goodman: What are you most excited about for tonight?

[14:06] Rodney Bush: Besides the burger, I'm very excited to see all the performers and Peppermint, who I love.

[14:10] Zaniba Now: So this is a good thing.

[14:11] Rodney Bush: And I'm excited to hear Nicole Weiss sing our song.

[14:14] Nicole Weiss: Yes.

[14:15] Sarah Goodman: And how are you affiliated with Ring of Keys?

[14:19] Nicole Weiss: Great question. I met Andrea, who is one of the co-founders a few years ago at a Ring of Keys event. I just showed up and was like, I want to meet more queers. And then I've just done a couple events with them, and I've, yeah, I love the community and stuff.

[14:34] Sarah Goodman: So exciting. And you're singing tonight in the show.

[14:36] Nicole Weiss: Yes.

[14:36] Sarah Goodman: Yay! It's gonna be amazing. What are you most excited for tonight besides your performance?

[14:41] Nicole Weiss: I think all of the outfits.

[14:43] Sarah Goodman: Yeah.

[14:43] Nicole Weiss: There's I just saw a couple downstairs, and they are good.

[14:47] Sarah Goodman: You and your songwriters are coordinated. That was an accident?

[14:50] Jade McLeod: Completely by accident.

[14:51] Rodney Bush: That's so cool.

[14:51] Jade McLeod: One's wearing black, one's wearing pink, and I'm wearing black and pink.

[14:54] Sarah Goodman: Tell me what you think is important about queer community right now.

[14:58] Jade McLeod: Oh my god. Everything. Yeah. We just need each other. Yeah. Being in like non-queer spaces, I feel like just something is like off. And I feel kind of like very masky. And then when I'm in a queer space, I just feel like I get to be yourself. Yeah. It's like home. And we need to like take care of each other, literally, because shit is going down.

[15:20] Rodney Bush: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[15:21] Sarah Goodman: So who are some of your queer icons?

[15:23] Jade McLeod: Oh my god, they told me that you were gonna ask this downstairs, and I was panicking. I literally Googled like who is queer and famous. Because I was like, my mind goes blank when people ask me to do this kind of thing. Oh my god!

[15:34] Sarah Goodman: So you're doing great.

[15:35] Jade McLeod: I was gonna say Zaniba who wrote the song. And Kate McKinnon is also the only person that came to mind. So funny and like just out and awesome.

[15:46] Rodney Bush: Yeah. Oh, amazing. Well, thank you so much for joining me tonight. I hope you have a great performance. I'm really excited to see the show. Nice to meet you.

[15:52] Sarah Goodman: Alright, so I'm here with the iconic Miss Pamel.

[15:56] Pamel: Oh my gosh. Oh my god, thank you so much for joining me tonight.

[15:59] Pamel: Honey, I'm so excited to be here. It's buzzing, everybody's fabulous. The energy is just very palpable, and I'm so excited. It's like it's feeding me.

[16:08] Sarah Goodman: Yes.

[16:09] Pamel: Yes, we're feeding the children tonight and each other, because we need community, right?

[16:14] Sarah Goodman: Yeah.

[16:16] Pamel: I hate to say more than ever, but maybe it's not that. Maybe it's always continuous.

[16:20] Pamel: Yeah. We continually need community of all different kinds, and obviously in moments like this, but just like even personal moments. And so it is great to know that our community, I believe, being one of the most sort of intersectional communities that there are, we're part of every race, every gender, every religion, every nationality, every political group, LGBTQI plus people are part of it.

[16:48] Sarah Goodman: So it makes it only makes sense that like our community is very agile.

[16:53] Pamel: Yeah. And can respond in a way that is necessary for us to be able to thrive and survive and experience and manufacture joy underneath a really oppressive fascist regime.

[17:08] Sarah Goodman: Yikes. Right? It's amazing that we can still find joy, that we can still find community, that we're still out here doing our thing. And so you're hosting tonight. What are you most excited for about the evening?

[17:19] Pamel: I'm excited to hear all the songs because I'm here at Soundcheck. Oh, and I got a chance to see the list of songs, and it is stellar. So if you're watching this, you missed it.

[17:29] Sarah Goodman: Tell me who are some of your queer icons.

[17:32] Pamel: I mean, you're a queer icon, clearly. Hello. You know, queer icons, they come in all shapes and sizes and levels of notoriety.

[17:35] Pamel: For sure. For sure. I think right now, because I cycle through them.

[17:44] Pamel: Right now, as we look back at history, as history is being erased, as accurate history, that the contributions of African Americans and people of color in this country.

[17:55] Sarah Goodman: Yes.

[17:55] Pamel: And then also LGBTQIA plus people in this country is being erased. I look back at people like William Dorsey Swan, who was born into slavery, became an adult as a freed person, formerly enslaved person, and was one of the first LGBTQI folks to do drag and advocate for their own rights for LGBTQIA rights at the federal level when they got arrested and petitioned the president for release.

[18:20] Pamel: And then an unlikely queer icon, it's Prince.

[18:28] Pamel: My name is Petrulina Ray.

[18:30] Sarah Goodman: And that's what I don't know what else you want to know. How are you affiliated with the show?

[18:34] Pamel: Andrea and who created Ring of Keys.

[18:38] Sarah Goodman: Yes.

[18:39] Pamel: One of the co-founders. She is my family. She is married to my Aunt Clea.

[18:44] Sarah Goodman: Yeah, we love Clea.

[18:46] Pamel: I know, I know. And I've loved Clea, and so here we are.

[18:50] Sarah Goodman: Oh my god. Can you shout out a couple queer icons?

[18:53] Pamel: Clea's gonna hate me, but Ethel Merman.

[18:56] Pamel: Yeah. Judy Garland.

[18:57] Pamel: Yes. Elaine Stritch, uh, Angela Lansbury.

[19:01] Pamel: The girls.

[19:02] Pamel: Carol Channing.

[19:03] Pamel: Yeah, love it.

[19:04] Pamel: My girls.

[19:05] Pamel: Love the girls. Those are my girls.

[19:07] Sarah Goodman: My name is Tom Atmatos.

[19:09] Tomas: What is your affiliation with Ring of Keys?

[19:11] Tom Atmatos: I am one of the performers tonight, actually.

[19:14] Sarah Goodman: What are you most excited about for tonight?

[19:16] Tom Atmatos: Um doing my number.

[19:18] Sarah Goodman: Tell me about your song.

[19:20] Tom Atmatos: I will be singing sooner or later.

[19:22] Sarah Goodman: Shout out a couple queer icons.

[19:23] Tom Atmatos: What's your name?

[19:24] Sarah Goodman: I'm Sarah.

[19:25] Tom Atmatos: Are you queer?

[19:25] Sarah Goodman: Yes, hi, I'm gonna get Sarah.

[19:28] Tom Atmatos: Oh my god, that's so kind.

[19:30] Madison McBride: Hi, my name is Madison McBride.

[19:32] Sarah Goodman: Madison, how are you associated with Ring of Keys?

[19:35] Madison McBride: I met Andrea when I was doing We Won't Sleep. And she didn't win the best and pulled me into everything.

[19:40] Sarah Goodman: Yeah.

[19:41] Madison McBride: Oh my god, amazing. Exciting.

[19:44] Sarah Goodman: Tell me a few of your favorite queer icons.

[19:46] Madison McBride: Oh my gosh, I already know. It's gonna be Doshi.

[19:49] Madison McBride: Yeah. The Supreme.

[19:50] Madison McBride: Yeah. And of course, Queen Latifah.

[19:52] Sarah Goodman: Did we not watch the Ahlars?

[19:54] Madison McBride: I mean Latifah. She was so good.

[19:56] Madison McBride: She's incredible.

[19:57] Sarah Goodman: What are you most excited for for tonight?

[19:59] Madison McBride: Oh, just the performances. Everyone's so talented.

[20:02] Madison McBride: Yeah. The environment is just a chef's kiss.

[20:06] Grant Evan: Hi, my name is Grant Evan. I am my pronoun today them.

[20:09] Sarah Goodman: Grant, thank you so much for joining me on the Rainbow Carpet. Tell me what you're most excited for for tonight.

[20:15] Grant Evan: I am most excited to see all of these future and current queer icons on one face.

[20:21] Sarah Goodman: Icons. Who are some of your favorite queer icons?

[20:24] Grant Evan: My favorite queer icons, gotta say Billy Porter.

[20:28] Sarah Goodman: Okay, yeah.

[20:29] Grant Evan: Trailblazing for all of the musical theater divas.

[20:32] Sarah Goodman: Amazing. What are you most excited for for tonight?

[20:35] Grant Evan: I think I'm most excited aside from seeing all of these queer icons. Right now we're in a terrible, terrible time.

[20:40] Grant Evan: It's right. And the least we could do is put ourselves forward.

[20:43] Sarah Goodman: That's right.

[20:43] Grant Evan: Hey, we're here, we exist, and we will continue to do so.

[20:46] Sarah Goodman: That's right. Our community is strong and we will not be disappeared.

[20:50] Grant Evan: Right? We're here.

[20:52] Joe Lampert: Awesome. Hi, I'm Lampert, Joe Lampert.

[20:54] Sarah Goodman: And I am Barcia.

[20:56] Joe Lampert: Okay, we've got some queer icons in the house. Let's talk about your affiliation with Ring of Keys.

[21:01] Joe Lampert: Well, first of all, I've actually, if you can believe it, never been to an event at Joe's pub.

[21:07] Sarah Goodman: It's your first time.

[21:08] Joe Lampert: It is my first time, although I know how I know the ring. I know the keys. I know the biz. And yet somehow it's like I've been out of town for all the major incredible events.

[21:16] Sarah Goodman: Oh wow.

[21:17] Joe Lampert: This is a huge exciting night for me.

[21:19] Sarah Goodman: So exciting.

[21:20] Joe Lampert: Me too. First time, Ring of Keys. What brought you here?

[21:23] Joe Lampert: I love anything to do with intergenerational queerness.

[21:28] Sarah Goodman: Yes.

[21:28] Joe Lampert: And I see that we have a lot of intergenerational queers, which is what our show is about.

[21:33] Sarah Goodman: Yes. April 21st here at Joe's Pub. Tell me more about that.

[21:37] Joe Lampert: Well, basically, we're making like sort of a duo show of stories and songs. A night that talks about intergenerational queer friendship.

[21:43] Sarah Goodman: Oh my god.

[21:43] Joe Lampert: We don't tell our stories, who will?

[21:45] Sarah Goodman: Yeah, hell yeah.

[21:46] Joe Lampert: And this feels so apt. I can't wait. So many incredible voices are gonna be here tonight, so I'm stoked.

[21:51] Sarah Goodman: Oh, that's so exciting. Whatever, whatever they said. Please shout out a couple queer icons.

[21:56] Joe Lampert: Oh my god. Obsessed with Margaret Hamilton.

[21:59] Joe Lampert: I'll get you my pretty yes!

[22:01] Sarah Goodman: Yes!

[22:02] Joe Lampert: Okay, and Katie Lang.

[22:04] Sarah Goodman: Yeah.

[22:05] Joe Lampert: Katie Lang is a joint icon, die con for us. It's a micro icon. Obviously, Bitch from Bitch and Animal on the Foundation.

[22:10] Sarah Goodman: Hell yeah, we like Bitcoin on the pod.

[22:12] Joe Lampert: Oh, she has?

[22:13] Sarah Goodman: Yes, she's been on my podcast.

[22:14] Joe Lampert: We love it.

[22:15] Joe Lampert: Yeah, I mean, like, it can be anybody from Tegan and Sarah to, you know, I mean, I think Katie Lang is pretty much the good intergenerational one.

[22:22] Sarah Goodman: Yeah.

[22:23] Joe Lampert: Joan Armitrading.

[22:24] Sarah Goodman: Oh, love Joan Armitrading.

[22:25] Joe Lampert: Yeah.

[22:26] Joe Lampert: Tracy Chapman.

[22:26] Sarah Goodman: Yeah.

[22:26] Joe Lampert: So I don't know if she likes to be a gay icon, but she is.

[22:30] Joe Lampert: Anjoly and Gia, even though she ends up dead.

[22:34] Sarah Goodman: Oh.

[22:35] Joe Lampert: Tonight we're all alive. They all are amazing. Thank you.

[22:38] Esther Fallic: I'm Esther Fallic. I'm a comedian. I'm a musical theater performer.

[22:42] Sarah Goodman: Tell me about your real affiliation with Ring of Keys.

[22:45] Esther Fallic: Well, I'm trans and they like queer people.

[22:48] Sarah Goodman: Yeah.

[22:49] Esther Fallic: And then in the theater. I'm in the theater. I'm in the theater. I actually went to, I did college improv with Aslan France, who just left Ring of Keys, but was one of the heads of it a couple until like last year.

[23:00] Sarah Goodman: Wild.

[23:01] Esther Fallic: Yeah.

[23:01] Sarah Goodman: Oh my god, what are you most excited for for tonight?

[23:04] Esther Fallic: I'm just most excited for the smiles on people's faces, once they see me perform.

[23:09] Esther Fallic: What a treat for them.

[23:11] Sarah Goodman: Of course it is. Wow. It's gonna be amazing.

[23:14] Esther Fallic: Excited. What's the song you're singing tonight?

[23:17] Esther Fallic: I'm singing Take Off Your Sunday Clothes.

[23:19] Sarah Goodman: Yes, it sounds really horny and I'm ready.

[23:21] Esther Fallic: What are you most excited for tonight?

[23:23] Esther Fallic: Oh my god, just to be with queer community.

[23:25] Sarah Goodman: Yeah.

[23:25] Esther Fallic: I feel like we're always our best selves when we're with each other, right?

[23:28] Sarah Goodman: Oh my god. I know I'm my best self.

[23:30] Esther Fallic: That's right.

[23:32] Sarah Goodman: Yeah.

[23:32] Esther Fallic: Yeah.

[23:33] Esther Fallic: Can you shout out a couple queer icons?

[23:35] Esther Fallic: Yeah, a couple of queer icons. Let's go. Let's see. Let's give it up for some like trans women in cabaret. I love Justin Vivian Bunn.

[23:42] Sarah Goodman: Yes.

[23:44] Esther Fallic: Amazing. Lisa Stephen Friday.

[23:46] Esther Fallic: I don't know what it is about these trans women and three names.

[23:48] Sarah Goodman: Three names.

[23:49] Esther Fallic: Yeah. They got a lot to give.

[23:51] Sarah Goodman: Yeah, they got a lot to give. Two names won't cut it.

[23:53] Clea Blackhurst: My name is Clea Blackhurst, and I'm singing tonight.

[23:56] Sarah Goodman: Oh my god. Absolutely thrilled.

[23:59] Clea Blackhurst: And tell me a little bit about your affiliation with Ring of Keys.

[24:01] Clea Blackhurst: Well, I'll tell you this. I believe I am the third or fourth member of Ring of Keys. Because my wife, Andrea, started the whole thing.

[24:10] Clea Blackhurst: And so I really had no choice. Because we were in our living room and it seemed awkward for me not to join.

[24:16] Sarah Goodman: You're like, I'm already here and I'm day, and I guess I have to do that.

[24:19] Clea Blackhurst: That's right. And so Elna's thrilled that I we it has a step and repeat now. I mean, it's really growing up.

[24:25] Clea Blackhurst: It's beautiful. So many people now involved, and so many, I mean, just unbelievable talents brought together and the great it's just so much fun. And I'm thrilled to be here. Absolutely thrilled.

[24:34] Sarah Goodman: What are you most excited about for tonight?

[24:37] Clea Blackhurst: I am most excited about you know, I think the queering the canon concerts are so exciting.

[24:43] Clea Blackhurst: I love especially setting up a song you know, and then the re and then the reply song is thrilling.

[24:49] Clea Blackhurst: So you get all these new, all this new music written by these fantastic contemporary writers in response to, and it's not direct in response, it's like what inspired you about this song or something that brings something up, and that so I've already seen some of the response songs, and I'm really looking forward to people hearing them.

[25:08] Sarah Goodman: Yay! And tell me a little about the song you're doing tonight.

[25:10] Clea Blackhurst: I am doing Put on Your Sunday Clothes by my favorite composer, Jerry Herman.

[25:16] Sarah Goodman: I love it.

[25:16] Clea Blackhurst: Larry Herman. It's kind of as you might guess, one of the setup songs that inspire somebody to write. We're gonna put them on and then we're gonna take them off, I care.

[25:25] Sarah Goodman: I believe that is part of the thing.

[25:27] Clea Blackhurst: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[25:27] Sarah Goodman: So, Cleo, you are quite the icon yourself.

[25:30] Clea Blackhurst: Oh, yes. You are a fabulous, amazing musical theater performer.

[25:34] Clea Blackhurst: Thank you. Who are some of your queer icons?

[25:37] Clea Blackhurst: I mean, do people have to be queer to be the icon?

[25:39] Sarah Goodman: No, they don't have to look.

[25:41] Clea Blackhurst: I mean, obviously like Judy, you know what I mean?

[25:43] Clea Blackhurst: Yeah, yeah.

[25:44] Clea Blackhurst: Anybody. The strong, I mean, the strong, obviously, Ethel Merman has been very good to me.

[25:49] Clea Blackhurst: I have a show about her, and she's given me so much over the years, although we never met, obviously.

[25:55] Clea Blackhurst: And I think that's I think what I loved most about her in terms of being iconic, yeah, is she really pioneered this character archetype that nobody cared whether she got the man at the end.

[26:07] Sarah Goodman: That's what I think even men in it. Does anybody care?

[26:10] Clea Blackhurst: And even get your gun where she throws the whole competition to get him, let him think he won.

[26:15] Clea Blackhurst: Even that, although people find that offensive, now it's actually kind of wonderfully subversive, isn't it?

[26:22] Sarah Goodman: I mean, she's like, nobody cares.

[26:24] Clea Blackhurst: You're right. It's great.

[26:25] Clea Blackhurst: And all those children of the 30s, was were there men involved? Did she get the man? Who cares?

[26:29] Clea Blackhurst: It's irrelevant.

[26:31] Sarah Goodman: Irrelevant. Irrelevant.

[26:33] Clea Blackhurst: No, that's kind of my favorite thing about her. Is she pioneers a certain kind of strength?

[26:37] Sarah Goodman: That's right, a strong woman.

[26:38] Clea Blackhurst: Yeah, there she is.

[26:39] Sarah Goodman: To talk a musical theater, it doesn't get stronger.

[26:42] Clea Blackhurst: Oh, I love that.

[26:43] Sarah Goodman: I love you, Clea.

[26:44] Clea Blackhurst: Thanks for letting you two.

[26:45] Sarah Goodman: My pleasure.

[26:47] Julianne Merrill: My name is Julianne Merrill.

[26:49] Sarah Goodman: Julianne and Merrill, how are you affiliated with Ring of Keys?

[26:52] Julianne Merrill: Oh, with Ring of Keys. I went to Andrea's apartment in 2017 when she called and said, You want to support some queer artists in musical theater?

[27:01] Sarah Goodman: Uh-huh.

[27:02] Julianne Merrill: I said, Yeah, sure.

[27:03] Sarah Goodman: You said of course, of course I do.

[27:07] Julianne Merrill: That's right. You've been MD, you've been heavily involved in the shows. But tonight you're just here to watch, right? You're just a spectator and supporter tonight.

[27:13] Sarah Goodman: What are you most excited for about tonight?

[27:17] Julianne Merrill: Well, I think the fits are pretty on point.

[27:20] Sarah Goodman: Right? We know how to dress.

[27:21] Julianne Merrill: I've been enjoying the fits. It is a proper gala, if you will.

[27:25] Sarah Goodman: That's right, we're on the rainbow carpet right now, baby.

[27:27] Julianne Merrill: Indeed. I've also heard that like there's a bunch of new songs that are being debuted.

[27:31] Sarah Goodman: Yes.

[27:31] Julianne Merrill: I've also heard that there's like some new singers in town that I should be made aware of.

[27:37] Sarah Goodman: Hey yeah.

[27:37] Julianne Merrill: So that's exciting. Love it. As well as like a lot more non-binary casting options. So pretty pumped about that.

[27:44] Sarah Goodman: So exciting. Can you shout out some queer icons that have meant a lot to you?

[27:49] Julianne Merrill: Oh, queer icons to me. I mean, honestly, I'm a giant Elton John fan.

[27:53] Sarah Goodman: Yeah, we love Elton John.

[27:55] Julianne Merrill: So I just like every outfit that he wears, I idolize.

[27:59] Sarah Goodman: What's important about queer community right now?

[28:01] Julianne Merrill: Oh, I mean, community's where it's at. I'd think community is just as strong as a family bond.

[28:07] Julianne Merrill: We need each other, we need to see each other, we need to show up for each other, we gotta support each other.

[28:12] Julianne Merrill: We gotta lift each other up, we gotta hold each other. So plus like these are my people and these are my friends.

[28:18] Sarah Goodman: That's right. I love to see everyone living their best lives.

[28:22] Julianne Merrill: Yeah, and I got involved with Ring of Keys because of you.

[28:24] Sarah Goodman: We got a little bit cut off at the end there. We were rapping, we were being ushered into the show.

[28:29] Julianne Merrill: The show was absolutely fabulous. I cannot recommend enough that you go out there and support the next Ring of KEYS Queering the Canon Show.

[28:38] Julianne Merrill: Please keep them on your radar. These shows are absolutely fantastic. They feature some of our favorite musical theater songs and brand new musical theater songs.

[28:48] Julianne Merrill: The performers are always top notch, and the community is stellar, and we always have such a great time.

[28:53] Sarah Goodman: So thanks again to Andrea Prestinario, and all of my buddies over there at Ring of Keys.

[29:00] Sarah Goodman: Also want to give a shout out to Catherine Winter who helped me with tech on the rainbow carpet. Thanks, Catherine. You're the best.

[29:06] Sarah Goodman: Make sure to follow and subscribe to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram and TikTok at Good Show Podcast.

[29:14] Sarah Goodman: This show is a proud member of the Broadway Podcast Network. Check us out at bpn.fm slash good show.

[29:20] Sarah Goodman: I'm Sarah Goodman. Thanks for joining me. Goodbye.