Love, Loss, and What I Wore
I weaseled my way past a marginally rude usher into a fourth row seat at this afternoon’s performance of Love, Loss, and What I Wore. Most of the audience wore raincoats. Straight males checked their dicks at the door. I wore my favorite grey Cache cowl sweater, Le Donne leggings, a pair of scuffed navy boots with sewn in Welly Socks from DSW, and underwear from Target. And of course, my raincoat (DKNY, via Century 21).
With so many watchings, I wondered this Broadway show would be threadbare, ready to be wadded up and left in a box outside the Westside Theater, waiting for Goodwill. Instead, the vignettes hung beautifully, line by line. Perhaps one secret to keeping the story fresh is the rotation of great actresses who sashay onto the stage in little black dresses and heels.
Today’s matinee featured Rumer Willis (Bruce & Demi’s kid), Annie Stark (Glen Close’s daughter) Broadway go-to gal Donna McKechnie, Sonia ‘cleavage’ Manzano (Maria from Sesame Street) and Fredi Walker Browne (I’ll bet people recognize her at the grocery store and don’t know why. Is that annoying or flattering?). There was an unmistakable skill and chemistry among all the performers. Willis and Stark show their teeth. Obvious thoroughbreds, at ease with portrayals that ranged from empty to brimming, I’ll be bragging in a decade that I saw Rumer and Annie before they diluted their energies with boffo box office and before they pop out the next generation of Hollywood royalty.
The stories of hand-made ballet outfits, wedding dresses, training bra fittings, wedding dresses, black cowboy boots, Kelly bags, wedding dresses-the audience was wrapped (ouch). It felt like spending an afternoon on queen-size bed going through old drawers with your best friend, or your best friend’s lesbian daughter, or whatever. I dare you to see Love, Loss & What I Wore and NOT think about love, loss and what youwore.
If you are an American woman you will understand. You will relate. If you are a man and you find yourself remembering your first Jerry Garcia tie or those swim trunks that caused a stir, check your propensities, check your closet…you might want to audition for the next rotation of Love, Loss & What I Wore. There are quite a few more spin cycles left in this Broadway show. Now, if they added a gay guy to the rotation…