Just out., March 16, 2001, Page 35, Image 35

If Mondrian had designed a hospital room, it might look like this set
the redemptive power of art in a very personal
began. Knowing the role required someone
way. T he openly gay director lost his best friend,
“big, gay and warm,” Baker immediately
Stephen, a dancer, choreographer, actor and di­
thought o f his friend Leverett.
rector, to AIDS-related lymphoma four years ago.
N ot one to hide his light under a bushel,
During a bedside vigil, Colem an was struck
this big, gay, warm man has been out and
how, even in his final days, his friend was con­
proud for his entire professional career. “If they
sumed with his art. “Here he was, lying in a hos­
want to hire me," he says, “they’re going to
pital bed,” he recalls, “hooked up to all manner
have to hire all aspects o f me."
o f machines, half-dazed from the morphine and
Those aspects include his unapologetic
dementia...busily planning for his next produc­
Christian faith; Leverett uses the itinerant
tions, as he slowly let go his ties to this world.”
actor’s life as an opportunity to provide faith
T h e cast of A N ew Brain feels a connection
counseling to gay men damaged by Christian
to the material as well, concerned as it is with
churches. “I love being a gay Christian,” he
the artistic process. Two o f Portland’s brightest
says. "It pisses off all the right people.”
music theater talents, Susannah Mars and Kel­
Leverett’s ebullient spirit embodies the life-
lie Johnson, are featured, as well as gay actor
affinning theme of A N ew Brain. Andre Bishop,
Paul Floding, the co-founder o f Portland’s
artistic director of Lincoln Center Theater,
highly esteemed T heatre Vertigo.
wrote upon the occasion of the recording of the
original cast album, “W hat is most striking
Gay actor T. Doyle Leverett, a Broadway
veteran who plays Richard, “the nice nurse,”
about [A N ew Brain] is the author’s great
recently took it upon him self to help straight
heart.. .[Finn sj love of life always collides.. .with
actors Baker and David Ayers (who plays
his unabashed love o f musical theater.”
Roger, G ordon’s lover) research their roles by
“T his show is going to make the gay com ­
taking them to Silverado. Leverett, for one,
munity so proud,” says Leverett, beaming. “It’s
found Portland’s friendly atmosphere a refresh­
about choosing life— it’s all about saying ‘yes’
ing change from New York. “I was the queen of
to life."
the prom that night,” he said.
A rt’s healing power is a theme as old as the
Leverett was last in Portland with the national
tale o f Orpheus and one that has been well-told
tour of Fiddler on the R oof, one of 23 productions
in other musicals like A Chorus Line and Sunday
in the Park with G eorge or films like All That Jazz
of the show he’s done. “I’ve played everything
and Topsy-Turvy, but the desire to leave a lega­
from Tevye to Third Jew from the Left,” he says.
cy behind when faced with one’s own mortality
“I wanted to play Fourth Jew from the Left, but
is a universal impulse we all can understand.
they cast somebody younger. It’s a lousy business.”
A N ew Brain adds its own zany twist to the
Despite Leverett s assistance, Baker hasn’t
genre, and fof that reason alone it is a must-see
needed much help preparing for the role of G or­
for all music theater queens; but for those of you
don. A frequent fixture on Broadway in shows
who simply can ’t abide brainless musicals, this
such as Footloose, T he Scarlet Pimpernel, Sunset
should be just what the doctor ordered. j H
Blvd. and Les M iserahles, he made it as far as the
final callbacks to replace the lead in the original
A N ew B rain runs M arch 30 through April 22
New York production o f A N ew Brain but wasn’t
at N ew m ark T heatre, 11 l l S W Broadway. G ay
cast; the opportunity to play the role is a partic­
and Lesbian A udience night is April 3. C all
ularly sweet triumph for him.
503-274-6588 fo r tickets.
Moreover, Baker just completed his very first
gay love scene as Ted’s “appropri­
ate” boyfriend in a recent episode
of Showtime’s Q ueer as Folk. He
admits that tongue-kissing a naked
man “wasn’t bad, actually” but
ftxind it hard on his ego to spend
an entire day completely naked
performing a scene in which the
other character screams at him:
“You might try going to a gym.
Y’know, get on a treadmill for once
in your life, wouldja?”
It was Baker who recom ­
mended Leverett for the role
when the original actor cast was
injured in a train wreck less
T h e y did some research at Silverado
than a week before rehearsals
Caprial: Cooking for Friends
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