Christopher Brick plays gay teen Anthony Castellano and Peter Mac plays Judy Garland in ‘Judy and Me’ at the St. Luke’s Theatre, 308 W. 46th St.
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By Joelle L. Quartini
Friday, October 24, 2008
Theatergoers at a production of “Judy and Me” got more drama than they expected when an audience member began yelling homophobic epithets during the show.
The man screamed: “I hate the f---ing queers,” and “I hate these faggots,” before running out of the theater.
“The cast reacted by not reacting,” said John Schaefer, the show’s producer. “The crowd, however, was aghast, and several audience members left due to overwhelming feelings of hurt and offense.”
“Judy and Me” is the story of a 16-year-old boy trapped in a closed-minded town and battling homophobia and domestic abuse. He finds his only consolation in the music of Judy Garland, who comes to life and counsels him through his struggles.
The rude outburst from the audience member occurred when Anthony, the main character, discovers his true feelings for his male friend and kisses him.
And it’s not the only homophobic incident to plague the play recently. Earlier in the week, homophobic graffiti was scrawled outside St. Luke's Church reading "St. Luke's is queer." It has since been removed. The St. Luke's Theatre is located at 308 West 46th Street.
“I fear that we are in a time when homophobia is at an all-time high,” said Peter Mac, playwright and Judy Garland impersonator.
“Hopefully, I can communicate through this play a message of acceptance and hope,” Mac said. “It is clear that despite all of the progress our community has made, there are many people who still need to be educated."
Indeed, hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity bias continue to rise across the United States.
According to statistics released this week by the FBI, while general hate crimes have remained steady in the past few years, sexual orientation related offenses have continued to rise, nearly 5.5 percent from 2006 to 2007.
Five of the nine hate crime murders reported that year were related to the victim's real or perceived sexual orientation.
“Judy and Me” originally played in cabaret space Rose’s Turn in 2002. Because of enthusiastic response, it then ran for three years at the Arthur Seelen Theatre and then The Producers Club. It is currently in an open-ended run.
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