S AT U R D AY, N O V E M B E R 0 3 , 2 0 0 7Yank! WW II Musical Is A Real FindGoing to any play or musical Off Broadway or Off Off Broadway isalways a risk.</p><p> Most of the time, when you're checking out a new workthat doesn't have the stamp of approval of being acclaimed in Londonor major artists attached, you're in for a bumpy night.</p><p> This is especiallytrue if you're going to a gay-themed play.</p><p> Since I write for TheAdvocate, I check out those works even more frequently than most andtherefore I see a lot more bad gay plays than other types.</p><p> So beinginherently interested in the subject matter doesn't make you easier onthem; it makes you a lot harder. (I assume the same is true for peoplewho regularly attend plays by or about blacks, Latinos, Asians, etc.They've seen every cliche a million times before.)So despite some friendly reviews from theater websites, myexpectations were low when heading to Park Slope in Brooklyn to see anew musical, "Yank!" about gay soldiers in World War II by twobrothers, Joseph and David Zellnick.</p><p> The bare bones "set" -- no set tospeak of -- didn't inspire confidence either.</p><p> So what a delightfulsurprise to say that the show is entertaining as it is, could easily getbetter and deserves a future life Off Broadway.The discovery of a journal in an antique store in San Franciscobookends the story of wide-eyed Stu (a very charming Bobby Steggert)joining the Army after Pearl Harbor and finding himself drawn toMitch (Maxime de Toledo), another grunt who is so strapping hisnickname is "Hollywood." (Stu's nickname becomes a play on "light inthe loafers," though the guys in his squad don't really think that.) Theygo through the stress of basic training, Stu finds fellow travelers in thesteno pool and gets recruited for "Yank!" magazine by a more defiantlyopen gay man who takes Stu under his wing.</p><p> Misunderstandings, witchhunts, a supportive lesbian in the upper ranks and Iwo Jima all comeinto play during the two and a half hour show (including intermission).The songs range from serviceable to memorable, all in the vein of musicof the Forties, with big band ballad "Remembering You" as atouchstone.</p><p> The title song "Yank" is a highlight, as is "Tap" wheretap-dancing becomes a metaphor for realizing you're gay (or rather,celebrating it), and "Your Squad Is Your Squad" uses the full ensembleNext Blog»sal1mineo@hotmail.comSEARCH BLOG FLAG BLOGFOLLOW BLOGP O P S U R F I N G .</p><p> C O MS U R F I N G T H E WAV E S O F P O P U L A R C U LT U R EB Y M I C H A E L G I LT Z & F R I E N D SPOPSURFING.COM: Yank! WW II Musical Is A Real Findhttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2007/11/yank-ww-ii-musical-is-... 1 of 37/25/09 12:02 PMFAV O R I T E L I N K SAmericablogFive O'Clock Lightning baseball blogDeep Pop -- Lori Lakin's BlogThe Back Page -- Jason Page on ESPNRadioCine-Blog -- George Robinson's BlogDocuments On Art & Cinema - DarylChin's BlogBrucie G's Wondrous Blog OfAdventure and Mystery -- BruceGreenspan's BlogB L O G A R C H I V E▼ 2009 (17)▼ July (3)1939 -- The Greatest Year ForMoviesSwimming Bans Those Hi-TechSuits!Best Movies Of The Year -- TheMaster List► June (3)► May (1)► March (2)► February (1)► January (7)► 2008 (86)► 2007 (781)► 2006 (2412)► 2005 (5)C O N T R I B U TO R SBiboyAaronMichael in New York POPSURFING.COM: Yank! WW II Musical Is A Real Findhttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2007/11/yank-ww-ii-musical-is-... 2 of 37/25/09 12:02 PMPOPSURFING.COM: Yank! WW II Musical Is A Real Findhttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2007/11/yank-ww-ii-musical-is-... 3 of 37/25/09 12:02 PM
