Connect with us

Arts & Entertainment

Elizabeth, the enigma

Warts-and-all look at Britain’s queen

Published

on

‘Her Majesty’
By Robert Hardman
Pegasus Books
$27.95/384 pages

‘The Rough Guide to The Royals’
By Alice Hunt
Rough Guides
$16.99/272 pages

Imagine yourself at age 10.

Life then was relatively carefree. You spent your time riding bikes, playing games and being a kid. Your future stretched for miles; the possibilities were limitless.

Now imagine that you’re 10 years old and the life you dreamed about is suddenly no longer possible. You’ll never have a “best friend.”  You’ll never be allowed to make a happy fool of yourself in public. No more sloppy jeans, shopping sprees or spontaneity.

Would you chafe under the new rules?

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of York did not. She gracefully accepted the mantle of responsibility, and in the new book “Her Majesty” by Robert Hardman, you’ll see how she copes.

Her full name is a mouthful.

Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of Her other Realms and Territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith is a name that explains her life for the past 60 years, ever since her father died and made her the British sovereign. The name tells you who she is, but not completely.

While many think Her Majesty is traditional, impersonal, and rather humorless, she is, privately, quite the opposite. Queen Elizabeth loves the absurd, enjoys sharp wit, and she’s keenly interested in her subjects’ lives. She’s purposefully modernized protocol by including women on her staff and by changing some long-standing rules to include divorcees and gay citizens. She reads most letters sent to her (but doesn’t send or receive email) and sometimes answers missives personally.

She’s warm but then again, anyone who inappropriately tries “familiarity” with her may be on the receiving end of the “royal stare” that can reduce one to “jelly.”

Yes, it’s good to be Queen but the job has its downsides. Hardman says that Her Majesty doesn’t have a “best friend” in which to confide and is, in fact, constitutionally barred from discussing certain matters with non-officials. She’s expected to embrace decorum and maintain a certain regal bearing at all times, and it’s her duty to “be nice” to even the most ill-behaved government visitor.

In the past six decades, a lot of trees have died in order to chronicle the lives of the Royal Family. Most of those books seem basically the same.

This one, though, stands out.

Unlike those other books, “Her Majesty” gives readers a warts-and-all inside peek at the private face of Elizabeth the Enigma. Author Robert Hardman doesn’t allow any stuffiness here; his biography of the Queen is lively and, at times, sweetly amusing with a touch of respectful awe. Hardman dishes a bit of light scandal as he delights us with things we don’t know about his subject and her subjects.

Anglophiles will eat this book up, biography lovers will be charmed, and if you’re both, then you’ll feel quite regal. For you, “Her Majesty” is queen-sized enjoyment.

I also absolutely could not resist this book: “The Rough Guide to The Royals” by Alice Hunt, James McConnachie, Samantha Cook, Rob Humphreys, and Rupert Matthews.

This way-fun book goes back in time to the earliest monarchs and, of course, their scandals, decisions, ill-fated actions, and good deeds. There are pictures all over in this book, quick-to-read sidebars, and short, page-or-two articles that are meant for many afternoons of browsing.

 

 

Advertisement
FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM
SIGN UP FOR E-BLAST

Photos

PHOTOS: Birthdays at JR.’s

Drag queens celebrate at local establishment

Published

on

Citrine performs at JR.'s on Saturday. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Citrine, Andromeda and Silver Ware Sidora celebrated their birthdays at JR.’s Bar with a drag show on Saturday, Nov. 2.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

Continue Reading

Theater

Signature’s fresh take on classic ‘Forum’

Actor Mike Millan says ‘it’s like a new work in many ways’

Published

on

‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’
Through Jan. 12
Signature Theatre
4200 Campbell Ave.
Arlington, Va.
$40-$126
sigtheatre.org

For out actor Mike Millan, Signature Theatre’s production of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” couldn’t feel fresher. 

Set in ancient Rome, the 62-year-old Tony-winning hit (music with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart) borrows from Roman comedy, farce, and a dash of bawdy vaudeville to the tales of slaves, soldiers, courtesans, and a lovesick young man. 

Millan plays Hysterium, a nervous slave in the House of Senex, whose tagline reads “I live to grovel.”

“I’ve never done ‘Forum,’ so to me it’s like a new work in many ways,” he says. “And because it’s older and has a classic musical point of view and we’re doing it now, it’s as if we’ve been given a lovely opportunity to make it our own.” 

And indeed, they are doing just that. Directed and choreographed by Matthew Gardiner, the Signature production is introducing new bits and playing with gender: the central character Pseudolus, a sly slave role created by Zero Mostel, is played by Erin Weaver; Erronius is played by Sherri Edelen in drag; and two male actors and one nonbinary actor play courtesans.

Though Millan, 35, is based with his partner in Los Angeles, he regularly travels to New York and is pleased to make Signature in Shirlington an additional destination on his bicoastal work journey. Recently, the affable actor took time to talk about Signature and “Forum.” 

WASHINGTON BLADE: A little about the brilliantly named Hysterium, please. 

MIKE MILLAN: As a gay actor, I can say that Hysterium is one of the gayer characters I’ve ever played. He’s a sort of fop and he’s in drag most of the second act. How can you not see him as a queer character?” 

When the part was written it was sort of gay coded and now it’s just abundantly clear, you don’t think twice about it. 

BLADE: “Forum” is unapologetically fun. Is now the right time for a romp? 

MILLAN: The show comes with a level of escapism that is really infectious. During these tense times, it feels great to be doing a silly musical. We’re doing fart jokes in tunics, and the material and jokes really hold up. You’ll feel better leaving than when you came in.

BLADE: All that and a Sondheim score too? 

MILLAN: He’s the reason I’m here. In high school, I discovered his “Into the Woods” and remember locking myself in my room until I knew every word to “Giants in the Sky.” 

“Passion,” “Follies,” I love it all. He’s so singular because he writes from a perspective of acting and storytelling; Sondheim touches me in a way that feels quasi-religious. 

When I think about the number of times I sang “Last Midnight” alone in my car, it fills me with a joy that I’ve never gotten from any other composer or jukebox musical.

BLADE:  In 2022, you played Idina Menzel super fan Jeff in “Which Way to the Stage” at Signature. Are you glad to be back? 

MILLAN: Yes, I’m happy to be employed. It’s a tough business. Not only are we asked to be great singers, dancers, actors, and performers but we’re asked to have a social media presence and to be the most popular kid in school. 

Signature provides a safe environment to try something new and different, to experiment with a community that respects doing that. Also at Signature, it never feels like any audience members are being dragged by their partners to see a show. It’s a supportive community. 

BLADE: Speaking of partners, do you miss being away from home?

MILLAN: Sometime it’s nice to have that time away from each other; it builds a little mystery.

BLADE: Will your performance change between now and January?

MILLAN: In recent years, I’ve changed my acting approach from cracking the code on how to play a character to inviting the audience on a journey and making them part of the process. 

I was raised in musical theater, but by doing comedy, standup, and improv, I’ve come to find the joy of failure freeing. And I like being part of a changing show. I like the idea of somebody being able to say “I was there the night Patti LuPone yelled at the guy who took a picture.”

BLADE: An unexpected moment. 

MILLAN: Of course, I go in with certain things I have planned out, but I like the element of excitement that anything might happen. And I think the audience should feel that way too.

Continue Reading

Travel

2024 transatlantic cruise on Celebrity ASCENT: blog #1

Welcome to Barcelona

Published

on

The flight over to Barcelona was uneventful and landed on-time in this beautiful city. I was met at the airport by a very nice taxi driver I had pre-arranged through booking.com. He drove me to my hotel, the Barcelona Continental, on the Ramblas. It was a little disappointing. They neglected to tell those booking the road in front of the hotel was dug up and therefore you needed to be let out of the taxi across the Ramblas and had a long walk with your luggage. It is really old and not redone, except for the bathrooms, those are nice. But I would not recommend it.

I was early and they couldn’t get me checked in for a few hours, so had coffee and then met my friend Simone, also staying at the hotel. She had checked in a couple of days earlier and had the same reaction to the hotel I did. But that didn’t stop either one of us from enjoying Barcelona in all its beauty. I don’t sleep on planes, so the first day was spent relaxing and wandering aimlessly past cathedrals, long shopping streets, and wonderful little side streets off the Ramblas. Simone took off to do her shopping with more specific plans. It was an early night for me and we met again in the morning for coffee and spent a wonderful day together, shopping, walking, and seeing some great street performers. Then it was dinner with friends who we would be boarding the ship with the next morning. They kept predicting rain. It did come late at night and continued through us heading to the port to board the ASCENT. Because of the broken-up roadway we got a little wet heading to the taxi stand, which didn’t make us feel any better about the hotel.

It was a short ride to the port, and soon the beautiful ASCENT came into view. Boarding was easy and then suddenly the cruise was beginning. A walk around the ship unveiled some beautiful artwork, and small changes from the rest of the EDGE series ships I have been on. But it still felt like a welcome home. I headed to deck 15 and the Retreat lounge to meet some of the 70 people I would be traveling with. Scott and Dustin of My Lux Cruise had planned a sail-away party for all of us in their beautiful Iconic suite. They will be hosting a number of events during the cruise, which makes them such great travel agents, and friends. Another friend, the extraordinarily talented Andrew Derbyshire, who would be performing that evening, was there. He was on the ship for only one night, getting off in Alicante to head home to the UK the next day.  

I joined friends, Scott, Mike, and the irrepressible Jason, for dinner in Luminae, the dining room for the retreat.  It was to be a night where dinner came first and then the show. At 9 p.m. we were seated in the third row of the beautiful theater, to hear Andrew. He didn’t disappoint. He is better than ever. He has an incredible voice and such great stage presence. I, and everyone else, were just so sorry he wouldn’t be staying on the cruise with us. He reminded us he has been working with Celebrity for more than eight years and is one of their biggest stars. He also hosts their Pride month events doing so with great panache. As a young man Andrew performed in the West End in London, and has been a star performer for much of his life. Then it was off to The Club for a little disco music, and then off to bed with a satisfied smile on my face to complete day one on the ASCENT. 

Day two began with a knock on the door of my cabin with delivery of coffee, juice, and a bagel. I sat down to write, which I do every morning, and then headed to the gym for my first workout on the ship. It was empty, which was great, and the sun had come out and the view from the lifecycle made it fun. After the gym I headed to the retreat lounge and met some friends and had a cappuccino. The sky started to get gray and clearly it was going to rain in Alicante, our first stop. But that didn’t stop anyone from walking around the town. I was getting the best feeling this was going to be a great cruise. 

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Sign Up for Weekly E-Blast

Follow Us @washblade

Advertisement

Popular