AE: What was the most
fun film moment you’ve been a part of or choreographed?
JM: Working on Scent
of a Woman was an amazing experience, because I had no idea — it was the
first film I’d ever done — and I had no idea that a dance in a film could
resonate with so many people. And in such an amazing way. It really opened up
my whole vision to what dance is capable of and how it’s capable of communicating,
and that there were other markets for me to get into as a choreographer.
AE: And what’s your
favorite dance movie ever?
JM: Probably Singing
in the Rain. There’s just nothing like Gene Kelly in that number. And he
and Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds doing “Good Morning” — that sequence is
amazing.
AE: And what about a
movie about dance?
JM: The Turning Point.
AE: Who’s your
favorite diva you’ve worked with?
JM: Female diva? I’d say Bernadette Peters. Because she’s
one of the sweetest, most incredible women you’ll ever meet. Male diva? Harvey
Fierstein, just because he’s so damned talented and incredibly brilliant, in so
many ways.
AE: Changing gears
now, are you single?
JM: I am single.
AE: Do you date
showbiz folks?
JM: [Laughs.] I don’t know! Sure, if they appeal to me.
AE: Who on Broadway
would you want to hook up with?
JM: Let’s see. Should I just start with what I saw last
night, South Pacific? There’s Matt
Morrison, my boyfriend — who’s totally straight. He was the original Link
Larkin in Hairspray and he was in Rocky Horror for me. But Matt is just
absolutely stunning and beautiful and he’s a great Cable in South Pacific. He’s spectacular.
AE: But can you pick
somebody gay? Can we get you in trouble?
JM: Somebody gay… I don’t think I know any gay people on
Broadway. [Laughs.]
Hmmmm… How about Enid
in Legally Blonde? She’s the lesbian.
AE: One last tacky
question: Did you sleep with any of the cast members of Step It Up & Dance?
JM: [Laughs.] I couldn’t! I signed an agreement that
if I did they could kill me, or sue me.
AE: That’s part of
the contract?
JM: Yes! One of the funny things in the agreement — I don’t
know if I should tell you this or not — but the contract says that I cannot
have sex with anyone of the same sex or
of the opposite sex on the show. No sex period!
Finally, speaking of
hooking up or not hooking up with
dancers: What’s a good tip for anyone who’s dating a dancer.
JM: That’s easy. Make sure you know how to give a good massage.
Step It Up & Dance premieres on Bravo Thursday April 3 at 11 p.m. before moving to its regular time of 10 p.m. on Thursdays.
No, Thanks
Wow, this interview completely turned me off to him and the show. He doesn't know of any good-looking gay men on broadway? No wonder he's single; he wants a straight man.
I'm tired of the word straight-acting. It's used to put gay people "in their place."
News flash
A Dancer's Self-Hatred
He was asked who he would hook up with. His first answer was a straight guy to which he remarked "Matt is just absolutely stunning and beautiful." Clearly looks matter to him in finding a boyfriend. The questioner then asks for a gay man and he can't think of anyone. He's worked on Broadway for 30 years and he can't think of a name? Come on! His response is that of a self-hating person. Self-hating gay men ignore all gay men because of preconcieved notions that gay men are everything a man shouldn't be. It doesn't matter how masculine you act they will always ignore you and go for the straight guy. They worship straight males because society says everything good is straight.
No, he doesn't say straight-acting directly instead he says "I’d probably want to tone down my gay quotient and up my straight butch military quotient." Which is the same thing. He is implying gay men are effeminate while straight males are butch.
I'm sure if I looked at all the guys he's cast as leads they would be if not entirely straight males almost entirely.
Let's retire the term "self-hating"
Let's retire the term "self-hating" because too frequently, it's being used inappropriately.
From your comments, I must have been reading an entirely different interview with another Jerry Mitchell. He didn't say ALL gay men are effeminate and ALL straight men are butch. You're reading meanings into his statements that I don't believe are there.
If he's guilty of anything, it's using the word "gay" to describe male behaviour that's more effeminate, camp, flamboyant, or diva-like. But that hardly makes him a self-hating gay who chases after straight guys.
Jerry's Answer
Evan,
I'm the writer who did the interview with Jerry Mitchell above. Thanks for commenting. I just wanted to chime in quickly... When I asked Jerry about who he'd want to hook up with on Broadway, I think he hesitated and then just laughed and mention his straight friend Matt Morrison to play it safe, diplomatically. He works and lives in that world, so I think he's just being cautious on a professional level. It's like being asked "Who in your office would you like to sleep with?" It might then be embarrassing if word then got out, right?
So, sure I would have preferred a real, juicy answer. But I understand Jerry's hesitancy to go there... Also, given how showbiz works (for better or for worse), he probably knows plenty of gay actors on Broadway who are out in their personal lives, but may not be out publically or professially. If he'd named the wrong person, he could be responsible for outing them. And I'm thinking he's more considerate than that.
Regarding his take on effeminate dancers, I appreciate Jerry's honesty. Sure, it's crappy that showbiz judges men whose behavior is perceived as feminine harshly. But I'm glad Jerry was willing to discuss it frankly. He just asks a performer to "act" and fulfill the needs of a role, whatever that may be. And for some roles, actors are expected to appear convincingly "butch," and cast accordingly. Unraveling the bigger question of whether or not that's a good or bad thing is a different subject for a different interview, I think.
And finally, for the past 17 years, Jerry has been the organizing force behind Broadway Bares, a huge fundraiser for AIDS in NYC, and as a show it celebrates all kinds of men: Big strapping guys as well exuberantly flamboyant dancers. Some are gay and some are straight. And they all put on a great show together. And it's one of the campiest, most gay-affirming things you'll ever see...
Anyway, those are just my comments. Thanks for weighing in! Have a great weekend!
John Polly
Check out music, fun vlogs and gay pop culture sass on NewNowNext.com!
Associations
I appreciate your response, John.
I don’t mind if someone says a person is feminine or masculine or any other synonym of those words. What I do object to is the association that straight men are automatically masculine and gay men are automatically feminine. The association that gay men are feminine is used to oppress gay men. Males have dominated society all over the world throughout human history. They are the ones who have decided what is good or bad, worthy or unworthy, right or wrong, significant or insignificant etc. Since there are more straight males and males that pretend to be straight then there are gay men they decided that anything straight and masculine is good, worthy, right, significant etc. and everything that is not straight and masculine is bad, unworthy, wrong, insignificant etc.
Jerry wasn’t embarrassed talking about a straight guy he works with so why would he be embarrassed referring to a gay man? What I have noticed within the gay male population particularly with effeminate behaving gay men is that they claim to be the true embodiment of male homosexuality and label masculine behaving gay men as “straight-acting” at the same time desiring masculine men which they see as only being straight. One of the well-known examples of this is Rupaul. Rupaul believes gay men are effeminate and anyone that strays from that is faking it. When someone asked him who he was attracted to on his blog he linked to a website with all these muscle-bond masculine men. So is it any surprise that Rupaul has been single most of his life? No, because he associates being masculine (which he desires in a boyfriend) with only applying to straight males. Jerry being single at his age along with his associations that gay men are effeminate and straight males masculine and talking about a straight guy he desires lead me to believe he is self-hating.
I loudly applaud his work with Broadway Bares and other gay related projects, it is greatly appreciated. Self-hatred happens in people’s minds which may lead to actions i.e. alcohol abuse, casting inadequate straight dancers and ignoring the adequate gay ones, passing anti-gay legislation, trying to “cure” your homosexuality with electro-shock therapy etc. There is not uniformity in how gay men express their self-hatred; some might get electro-shock therapy while others don’t, some might enjoy hanging around gay men while others don’t. Here is an excerpt from a Washington Post article that tested two gay activists which found both had a bias against gay people:
The man, who also is gay, did not show a race bias. But a second test found that both activists held biases against homosexuals -- they more quickly associated words such as "humiliate" and "painful" with gays and words such as "beautiful" and "glorious" with heterosexuals.
If anything, both activists reasoned, they ought to have shown a bias in favor of gay people. The man's social life, his professional circle and his work revolve around gay culture. His home, he said, is in Washington's "gayborhood."
You can take the Implicit Association Test here.
Just because a gay person participates in a gay fundraiser doesn't mean they are not self-hating.
Evan, Evan, Evan...
I think you need to go back and re-read this whole interview, you've given a whole slant and subtext to this interview that I don't think is there. I am here to tell you that Jerry Mitchell is not a self loathing gay man--he does not want a straigh man, he dates gay men, he was partners with a gay man for quite awhile (John, when did they break up?), he casts gay men in both gay and straight roles when he has the opportunity. What he says is that if a gay dancer can't give the appearance of being straight on stage (or "playing butch") he's unlikely to get cast in South Pacific, but if a gay dancer can do butch--which most can--there is no reason he wouldn't get cast. You put a whole lot of shit on him that I think is really about your own issues.
By the way--have you seen Matt Morrison--he is just stunningly gorgeous, and a really nice guy to boot. Naming him probably seemed safe as they've worked together before and nothing is likely to develop.
Look into the camera and give me your best straight look.
First, the stereotypes by which they cast and direct the people is a slap in the face of the gay community. You're dancing too gay. You're not acting straight enough. If he was auditioning for La Cage I'd scoop him up...but as a straight *dramatic pause* NEVER!
How clever. It's fun to watch the people straight America has picked to represent us on Bravo and A&E.
Second, isn't telling some to butch up the same as saying to someone "Give me your best gay look"?
Sheesh, GayTVluver