Cole Porter Roundtable: Cole Porter as a Gay Icon

Chicago's Cole Porter Festival - A Celebration of the Man and his Music continues with the “Cole Porter as a Gay Icon,” notable Cole Porter fans, Stephen Cole, Ward Roberts and Peter Filichia, discuss Porter as a gay artist working in the 1920s-50s, hosted by Porchlight’s Producing Artistic Associate Frankie Leo Bennett.
"Anything Goes" is now playing through February 25, 2024, starring international sensation Meghan Murphy, directed by Weber, choreographed by Tammy Mader and music directed by Nick Sula, at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago.
More information on the "Cole Porter Festival - A Celebration of the Man and his Music:" porchlightmusi....
Tickets and more information on "Anything Goes:" porchlightmusi...
Additional “Anything Goes” include:
Anything Goes: Meet and Greet: • Anything Goes: Meet an...
Anything Goes: Behind the Show Backstory: • Anything Goes: Behind ...
Cole Porter in Hollywood - “Born to Dance:” www.youtube.co...
Preview: "All Through The Night:" • Anything Goes - Previe...
Cole Porter in Hollywood - “The Pirate:”
• Video
Preview: "Friendship:" • Anything Goes - Previe...
Preview: “I Get a Kick Out of You:” • Anything Goes: Preview...
Anything Goes: Meet Director Michael Weber: • Anything Goes: Meet th...
Anything Goes: Meet Music Director Nick Sula and Choreographer Tammy Mader: • Anything Goes: Meet th...
Anything Goes: Meet Members of the Cast: • Anything Goes: Meet Me...
Bios on the guests
STEPHEN COLE is an award-winning musical theatre writer whose shows have been recorded, published and produced from New York City to London to the Middle East and Australia. His shows include “After The Fair” (music by Matthew Ward); “The Night of the Hunter” (Claibe Richardson); “Saturday Night at Grossinger’s” (music by Claibe Richardson and starring Gavin MacLeod); “Dodsworth” (Jeffrey Saver), “Time After Time” (Jeff Saver); “Merlin’s Apprentice,” “Rock Odyssey” and “Casper” (Matthew Ward, originally starring Chita Rivera) which has recently been revived in an acclaimed production at the Children's Theatre of Cincinnati. Stephen has written continuity, narration and special material for fifteen different Drama League Shows including all-star tributes to Kander and Ebb, Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera, Liz Smith, Peter Stone, Angela Lansbury, Patti LuPone, Kristin Chenoweth, Audra McDonald and Neil Patrick Harris. Stephen’s most recent musical “Goin’ Hollywood” was produced in Dallas in July of 2023 and received rave reviews and sold out audiences. Stephen is the recipient of a Gilman-Gonzales Falla Commendation for musical theatre and the prestigious Edward Kleban Award.
WARD ROBERTS is an actor, filmmaker and podcaster living in Los Angeles. Born and raised in Peru, Indiana, (the same hometown as his cousin Cole Porter), Ward is currently producing a music album and documentary featuring modern artists recording contemporary takes on classic Porter tunes.
As a playwright, PETER FILICHIA ’s “God Shows Up” ran off-Broadway for six months in 2019. Additional works include: “Our Dead Classmate,” “Adam’s Gifts,” “The Whole World,” “Games,” “Old Comiskey Park,” “Restore, Me Please” and “Larry, the Big-Time Broadway Producer'' and his one-person show “A Personal History of the American Theater.” He has written eight books on the theater and served nearly two decades as a theater critic for a daily newspaper, “The Star-Ledger” as well as a columnist for TheaterWeek, Encore Monthly, Playbill and Theatermania. He was president of the Drama Desk Awards (1992-1996) and now serves on its current nominating committee, as well as on the nominating committees for The Chita Rivera Awards and The Theatre World Awards, for which he is chairperson and whose ceremony he annually writes and emcees. He has served three terms on the nominating committee of the Lucille Lortel Awards.
Video by Joe Gallagher

[@paulsomerville4005]

Thank you for posting this fascinating conversation.

[@moo639]

I don't think the reference to John Gilbert would have been wildly shocking in the 20s. Nor would people have thought gay referred to being happy. People were much more openly gay until the 50s arrived. We've spent several decades recovering from the 50s, but things were more open BEFORE then. Once WWII ended and the men came back home, Rosie the Riverter had to go back into the kitchen and gays into the closet.

[@nicaragusa]

💙💜🧡🤍🤎