Arts&Entertainment Dreamy Convergence: Ann Hampton Callaway and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Music Whoever paired multiplatinum-selling singer and composer Ann Hampton Callaway with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) gets our heartfelt gratitude. Swoon! To set the mood for what’s ahead, do yourself a favor by putting on a Callaway song now. We’re playing “Blues in the Night” from the Broadway musical Swing! starring the fierce and fabulous Callaway. Her intelligence, radiant stage presence and command of the material are so evident. She will be performing with the always superb SFGMC in the program “LUSTER–An American Songbook” at Davies Symphony Hall on Tuesday, March 25 and Wednesday, March 26. They will be presenting timeless classics from George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and Irving Berlin. The performance will also include the world premiere of Tyler’s Suite, a multi-movement work created by top American composers of this century and presented in collaboration with the Tyler Clementi Foundation. Callaway is a master at performing works from The Great American Songbook, in part, because she is such a gifted writer herself. Her music and lyrics have been performed and recorded by Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Patti LuPone, Michael Feinstein, Blossom Dearie, Peter Nero, Karrin Allyson, Donna McKechnie, Harvey Fierstein, Lillias White, Barbara Carrol, Amanda McBroom, Liz Callaway and Carole King. She composed “At the Same Time” for Barbra Streisand and that recording, Higher Ground, debuted nationally at #1, giving Callaway her first of three platinum records. We could continue raving about her (not to mention the SFGMC), but it’s time that you get to know Callaway in her own words. We were thrilled to interview her for the Bay Times. Bay Times: When you write songs, do you sometimes have a particular singer in mind and, if so, how does that affect your process? Conversely, when you sing songs associated with certain artists, such as Ella and Streisand, do those pre-existing associations influence your own approach to the material?
Ann Hampton Callaway: Most of the songs I write come from my heart and are pieces that reflect where I am in my life, what I am feeling and what interests me. Sometimes I finish a song and think, this would be perfect for so and so. I might fine tune it for them if I want to pitch it. When you are writing something for a particular singer like Barbra Streisand, it is so important to know their range, their stylistic preferences and, most importantly, their personality and what their views are about love and life. When I am singing songs associated with Ella and Streisand, I try to do two things- reflect what they taught me and put my own stamp on the song. My arrangements are a big part of singing for me. They reflect my point of view about the lyrics and help me tell the story in an engaging and fresh way that shares something personal and conveys something universal. BT: How do you characterize The Great American Songbook, and what distinguishes it from other forms of popular music? Why do you think it’s important to keep such material alive and thriving? AHC: I have dedicated much of my life to The Great American Songbook because it is our nation’s legacy and contains timeless masterpieces that express and illuminate the most profound experiences of our lives. Europe has given the world the enduring beauty of classical music, and they have done so well to keep their legacy alive. We are in danger of losing our identity if we forget the best of our artistry. Writers like Gershwin, Kern, Porter, Rodgers and Arlen have given all of us songs that say, “I love you,” better than we can. They are poetic and yet conversational. They plumb the depths of the soul in unique and powerful ways that anyone can relate to and be uplifted by. I sing all over the world and the response to the quality of this music is always extraordinary. BT: Please tell us a bit about your formative years, growing up with so much talent in your family. Was there a particular moment when you knew that you wanted to be a performer and songwriter? AHC: When I was born, the doctor didn’t say, “It’s a girl.” He said, “It’s a baby diva!” Growing up with such a talented mom who sang gorgeously, played everything on the
piano, and taught voice was the perfect inspiration for me and my sister Liz. The funny thing is that I didn’t know I had talent until 3rd grade when Miss Lawrence told me I had a pretty voice. I thought everyone sang and that music was just a part of life. Our dad was a famous journalist in Chicago and gave me my love for writing. He gave me his old rhyming dictionary when I was ten, and I immediately started writing poems and songs. When I played Mame junior year at New Trier East High School that pretty much sealed the deal. It was a thrilling experience that I was not expecting. I had thought I might become an opera singer, but that role and what I learned about myself started me on my way and opened “a new window.” BT: From among your many experiences in live performances on Broadway and in other settings, do you have any particular moments or special memories you would like to tell us about? Favorite occasions or programs or projects? AHC: When I moved from Chicago to NY, I dreamed of being on Broadway. I had no idea it would take 21 years to become an overnight sensation! Starring in Swing! was an incredible experience. I got to create my role, select my songs, arrange them, and work with a wonderful family of talented and interesting people. Singing in Carnegie Hall tributes is always a thrill. Working with stars I admire like Liza Minnelli, who was my guest on my TV pilot Singer’s Spotlight, was amazing. And any time I get to sing
with my dazzling sister, Liz Callaway, it is a joy because of the love and history we share. And I am so happy to be working with The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. My work with gay choruses through the years has been inspiring, because music is the most powerful way of celebrating our identity and journey and knocking down barriers in society to get to the real ways we humans are all connected. BT: You have a long track record of volunteerism and philanthropy. Please tell us a bit about these efforts and why and how you have participated in them. AHC: Being the daughter of a journalist shaped who I am and my sense of responsibility for the many challenges we have in our lives. When I learn of a crisis or a tragedy, I write a song. It’s too hard to sit and be sad and do nothing. Music calls to me and I respond. I’ve written songs about AIDS, gay pride, 9/11, the Tsunami, Katrina, world peace and now bullying. I used to think I was just an idealist and that writing these songs wouldn’t make a difference. But when President Gorbachev wept at my song “At the Same Time,” and Governor Mario Cuomo woke me up at 8 in the morning to thank me for writing it, I got that people do listen and can be touched in their hearts when it comes from yours. BT: We are really looking forward to your upcoming performance here in San Francisco with the SF Gay Men’s Chorus. How did you become con-
nected with the Chorus, and what are your thoughts about the upcoming concert here with them? AHC: I was excited when Tim Seelig shared the news about Tyler’s Suite and that I had been selected by the great Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz to compose music to honor the young gay man who took his life after being bullied on the Internet. I loved the lyric that Pamela Stewart wrote after interviewing Tyler’s mother, Jane. The song “I Love You More” is such a personal and tender way to celebrate what can never be taken: the love between a mother and her son. When I was rehearsing the song with Tim and the extraordinary Chorus, it felt so healing and uplifting, as did the entire work. Tim is a great conductor and has led choruses like this one to great things. I know that our celebration of The Great American Songbook in Act One and Tyler’s Suite in Act Two will be unforgettable. The talent and heart that these 300 men makes for a giant love fest. BT: What are some of your favorite places to visit, and things to do, in San Francisco? Have any of them inspired your work? AHC: My first out of town job as a singer in my early 20’s was a month at the top of The Hyatt where I met my first female partner, so this city will always remind me of that special time. I love singing for Marilyn Levinson’s cabaret series and at Yoshi’s. And years ago, I had a wonderful time at The (continued on page 26)
Geography Club Plays Out All the Dramas of Queer Teen Life
Film
Geography Club, a gay student group. The club, a secret gay-straight alliance, is named “something boring” to protect the queer kids and prevent other students from joining.
the issues surrounding peer pressure and self-expression credible despite the supporting characters being underdeveloped and the film being somewhat haphazardly constructed.
While Russell finds himself first observing and then participating in Geography Club, Kevin wants to keep his sexuality secret. Geography Club plays out all the dramas of teen life, from Russell’s anxiety about being asked to date a girl to a bullying incident and Kevin’s angst about coming out. The film makes
In a recent Skype session, Cameron Deane Stewart spoke about playing Russell and making Geography Club.
Gary M. Kramer Geography Club, now out on DVD, is a loose adaptation of Brent Hartinger’s fine young adult book about gay teen Russell Middlebrook (the appealing Cameron Deane Stewart) navigating high school and his sexual identity. Russell has a secret relationship going with school quarterback Kevin ( Justin Deeley). The relationship is evolving at the right speed for both boys. However, after Min (Ally Maki) spies the guys kissing one night, she invites them to join 22
Gary M. Kramer: What were you like as a teen? Cameron Deane Stewart: Oh, boy! I’m 22 now. A couple years ago, I was in high school myself. I was the kid who was friends with everyone, but I didn’t really have a group that I felt I fit into. I was athletic, but didn’t play sports in high school. GMK : W hat appealed to you about Russell?
Cameron Deane Stewart
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CDS: Russell is mature for his age. He is strong-hearted and strong-willed. I guess I fell in love with his vulnerability. I felt there were so many positives that could come from playing him. The ultimate goal is for people to see Russell as the character he is.
GMK: How did you identify with him?
isn’t (a stereotype) in the novel or in the film.
CDS: Everyone struggled with something in high school. I came from a pretty conservative place in Texas. I watched kids in high school get bullied, or they didn’t come out, or were stereotyped as the gay kid. This film was an opportunity for me to send a message to the youth that love is universal and that there is group out there that is going through exactly what you are.
GMK: Do you feel pressure playing a character that has become a favorite of readers?
GMK: What do you think about Russell being a role model? CDS: So many times, in TV and movies, the gay characters are—I don’t want to say stereotyped—but they centralize on one idea of what that person may be. Russell breaks that mold. He’s average. A guy’s guy, in some sense. I wanted him to be relatable and I wanted to show a different aspect of a kid struggling with his (identity). I wanted him to be an everyman, not extraordinary or out of the ordinary. I wanted him to be relatable emotionally, and break the (gay) stereotypes as much as I could—not a caricature of what the gay kid might be. He
CDS: Sure! He’s not quite Harry Potter, but it is fantastic to have such a built-in following. The goal from the beginning was to show an honest portrayal of a kid struggling in high school. I had not read the books prior to filming, and so I based the character off the script. But I wanted it to be as truthful as possible to what novelist Brent Hartinger and screenwriter Edmund Entin wrote, and bring it to life. GMK: How did you approach the character? CDS: The best way I can describe it is taking experiences from people I saw who struggled to come out, or tried to find a group they fit into. Everyone has been in a situation where they don’t fit in. You take that and mold that to fit the character. I guess I never felt in with the Jocks. I was athletic, but there’s that period where I felt like an outcast, and (continued on page 26)