Michael Buchanan & Todd Buonopane
Songs That Made Us Gay
The Green Room 42, NYC, January 28, 2023
Reviewed by Bart Greenberg
Camp! Energy! Pizzazz! Energy! Michael Buchanan and Todd Buonopane took the stage (and the house—they had far too much energy just to stay on the platform) at The Green Room 42 for their riotous exploration of the songs from their early years that allowed them to express their sexuality. Like a gay Donnie and Marie (sort of), Michael’s a little bit pop and Todd’s a little bit Broadway, though they both have strong theater backgrounds—they met at a Goodspeed Opera House rehearsal of “the saddest musical that ever was,” A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Liza Minnelli, Paula Abdul, Tori Amos, and Bernadette Peters are just some of the gay icons cited throughout the program. Oh, and there were lots of props as well.
For Buonopane’s rendition of “Ring Them Bells,” he had placed strips of bells all over his body, including some rather inappropriate places, which only added to the chaotic fun. It was notable that while the song was performed in almost double time, his amazing enunciation never faltered. He also offered a strong medley of songs from the film of Fame, one of the seminal works that formed his theatrical personality. Late in the show, he paid tribute to one of his personal icons, Bernadette Peters, with a medley that covered a range of material from “Last Midnight” to “Sunday in the Park with George” to “Look What Happened to Mabel,” jumping back and forth among them to delightful results. All of the show’s impressive medleys during the evening were arranged by Kevin David Thomas. But perhaps the most moving moment of the evening came when, amidst all the high energy of the evening, Buonopane sat by the piano and with quiet simplicity delivered a bemused and heartfelt “Bill” without a drop of camp, every phrase imbued with multiple meanings.
Of course, Buchanan had his own moments to shine, including tearing the place apart with Paula Abdul’s hit “Cold Hearted” (Elliot Wolff) and Tori Amos’ “Michael.” He embraced a chance to be serious and brought emotional depth to “Nobody’s Side” (from Chess). A particular highlight was his performance of a number from a Broadway production he appeared in (Cry Baby), the self-descriptive “Screw Loose” (David Javerbaum/Adam Schlesinger) which was given a very appropriately screwy delivery. Joining forces, the two performers fed off each other’s energy and comic talents for the tale of “Otto Titsling” (and even more hysterical props) and the observation that “The Apple Doesn’t Fall” (Kander & Ebb from The Rink) which had some adjusted lyrics. Their finale was a salute to “The Miserable Ladies of the ’80s,” an inventive tribute to the woebegone heroines of Broadway musicals of that decade: Evita, Miss Saigon, Fantine, the two ladies of Chess, and many more. This was another medley arranged for maximum effectiveness.
Throughout the evening, the duo received excellent support from music director Mark Galinovisky on piano and keyboard, drummer Noah Hadland, and bassist Eric Wharton. But the show belonged to Buchanan and Buonopone (they even did their own choreography). Many shows claim they are a party; Songs That Made Us Gay is definitely one.
