The Trip

Q_COVERstory
A Journey Through Love and Time
‘The Trip’ Chronicles a Love Story and a Piece of Gay History
By Mary Damiano
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Director Miles Swain got a little worried
when a burly truck driver came up to him
after a screening of The Trip, Swain’s film
about the romantic relationship of two men
set against the backdrop of the modern gay
rights movement. “I actually thought he was
going to beat me up,” Swain says. The man
put his hand on Swain’s shoulder and
pointed out his wife and teenage son. He
told Swain that his 17-year-old son just came
out and that he and his wife didn’t know
how to handle it. He then thanked Swain for
making The Trip, because it helped him
understand things better. “That was great
for me,” Swain says. “That made everything
worthwhile.”
The Trip tells the story of Alan Oakley, a
conservative journalist in denial about his
sexuality, and Tommy Ballenger, a gay rights
activist. The two men embark on a
relationship that begins in 1973 and spans
12 years. The film employs stock footage to
show the historical events that color Alan
and Tommy’s relationship. The Trip was
filmed in 2001 on a budget of less than a
million dollars and made its North American
premiere as the closing night film at the 2002
Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, where
Swain and star Larry Sullivan appeared. It
has spent the last year on the festival circuit
garnering awards from festivals across the
country.
The Trip opened at the Gateway Theatre
in Fort Lauderdale last Friday and opens in
Miami on June 13. Swain is thrilled that
audiences are finally getting to see the film.
“There are so many filmmakers out there
trying to make films, and it’s so difficult,”
Swain says. “I got lucky. I was in the right
place at the right time.”
From Page to Screen
Swain was trained as an actor and had
no experience writing or directing when he
wrote a screenplay about a closeted
Republican journalist and a gay rights activist
who fall in love. “I didn’t think I could write,”
Swain says. “My highest level of education
was freshman year in high school.” He wrote
a 20-page version of The Trip in film school
and, encouraged by feedback from his
professors, expanded it into a screenplay.
Swain started with a budget of half a
million dollars and had to stop production
while he raised another half a million to
complete the film. Much of The Trip was
filmed at Falcon Lair, a palatial estate that
was once owned by Rudolph Valentino and
later by heiress Doris Duke. Swain got the
location for free because the owner is not
only a friend, but also one of The Trip’s
executive producers.
He assembled a talented cast that
includes screen goddess Jill St. John as
Alan’s understanding mom. Larry Sullivan
was cast as Alan Oakley because, according
to Sullivan, he has the ability to “do the Greg
Brady thing” and let his nerdiness shine
through. Will & Grace fans might remember
Sullivan’s memorable turn as Will’s ballet
dancer boyfriend on an episode called “Jingle
Balls” from 2001. He also has a recurring role
as a cop on Six Feet Under.
Steve Braun came on board as Tommy
Ballenger. Braun is an actor and musician from
Canada who has appeared in TV films Relic
Hunter and Earth: The Final Conflict, and
the TV series The Immortal.
Both Sullivan and Braun found things
in common with their characters. “I have the
ability, unfortunately, to think first with my
head and not with my heart,” Sullivan says.
It’s a trait that trips up his conservative
character Alan. Braun, on the other hand,
relates to Tommy. “If things aren’t going the
way they should, I’ll speak up,” he says. “I
try to live my life unapologetically. It’s hard
sometimes, being in the movie business, but
I think we’re similar in that regard.”
Education through
Entertainment
One of the things that has appealed to
audiences is that The Trip is not only about
Alan and Tommy’s trip, but it places them in
their historical events and becomes a trip
through modern gay history.
Representing the historical events
surrounding the plot of The Trip was
important to Swain. “You go to a black person
and ask who your leaders are, and that’s an
easy question, but you ask gay people who
your leaders are and you will get a lot of
blank stares,” Swain says. “There are so
many people in our history who did a lot of
work for us and made this a better world for
us, and they should be acknowledged. I hope
it encourages people to get out there and
learn about this history.”
Larry Sullivan, who plays Alan, concurs.
“With the stock footage we have, we have
older men coming up and saying that they
were at that march or this event. It’s so
humbling because those people fought so
hard just to be treated like anyone else, and
that’s important for younger people growing
Q2 • www.ExpressGayNews.com • June 9, 2003
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TLA Releasing
Steve Braun and Larry Sullivan in The Trip
up today who have no idea what people went
through.”
“There are some interesting historical
moments in the movie, and you get a sense
of what it was like back then,” says Steve
Braun. “When you think of the civil rights
movement, you think of one or two levels of
it, but those levels don’t necessarily
encompass the gay community. I was a little
embarrassed that I didn’t know anything
about it. A lot of people have since passed
on. There aren’t a lot of people left to tell the
story, making it all the more important for us
to tell it now. It’s a dramatic, remarkable
history I think people should know.”
Not a Gay Love Story, Just
a Love Story
Swain, Sullivan and Braun all believe
that The Trip is not a gay movie, but a movie
about people who happen to be gay. “It’s a
mainstream movie with gay characters,”
Swain says. “It’s really a universal love
story.”
“I’ve had gay friends who have gone to
see it and straight friends who have gone to
see it, and both seem to enjoy it equally,”
Sullivan says. “The main comment is that
it’s about these two regular guys who happen
to be in love.”
While Braun agrees, he’s also realistic
that The Trip might be a tough sell to middle
America. “Does it have crossover appeal?
Of course it does. I really hope this movie
does cross over, although I know that there
isn’t a conducive environment for these films
to cross over.”
While promoting the film, the question
of the actors’ sexuality is a recurring topic.
“It’s funny,” Braun says. “No one ever asks
me if I’m a murderer, or whether I’m immortal
or whether I’m in love with whoever I’m
playing against. I think that whatever you
are, it’s got to be real in that moment, so a
straight actor has to find something beautiful
and wonderful about the other actor they’re
acting with. I’m always amazed that people
make such a big deal about sexual orientation,
especially in the world of acting, from the
gay community as well as the straight
community. One of the points of the movie is
that it doesn’t matter.”
Both actors believe that the success of
the film’s love story hinged on their comfort
level with each other. “Luckily, Steve and I
really hit it off because that could have been
a major block,” Sullivan says. “That’s one
thing people always comment on, that they
like the chemistry between us.”
Swain believes that what The Trip has
to say is universal. “The message of The Trip
is to be true to yourself, to believe in
yourself,” he says. “That’s what I hope
people get out of it.”
Q_CONCERTreview
Singing and Dancing Queens in Concert
Gay Chorus Does ABBA—South Beach Style
By Mary Damiano
Arts & Entertainment Editor
The decade of disco and qiana was alive
and kicking when the South Beach Gay
Men’s Chorus presented their spring concert,
extrABBAganza, a musical salute to Swedish
super group ABBA—with some drama of
course, South Beach style.
The show melded ABBA songs with a
gayified Noel Coward story about New
Yorkers who break up after a very long
relationship. They find new boy toys
through the personal ads, and then each end
up in South Beach with their new insignificant
others. As fate would have it, they end up at
the same hotel with adjoining balconies.
The chorus acts as a sort of Greek
chorus for much of the show, underscoring
through song the emotions being played out
onstage.
While the musical direction of
extrABBAganza fell to choral director
Christopher Reider, the actual show was the
job of artistic director Doug Williford, who
had to make use of some creative staging to
accommodate the many facets of the
production. Because the stage at the Lincoln
Theatre has no curtain, everyone must be
onstage at once—the chorus, the actors and
the six-piece band, who got into the spirit
by wearing blond ABBA wigs. Yet even with
all those people and activity happening at
once, the show runs smoothly from one
scene to the next, and the stage never seems
crowded.
There are clever changes to denote
changes, such as the change from New York
to South Beach. And the story is played out
with both dialogue and pantomime, striking
a good balance that works well.
Adrian Williams is one singular
sensation as Rollerina, a roller-skating fairy
complete with pink tutu and magic wand.
Williams’ Rollerina served as both narrator
and mistress of ceremonies, sprinkling oneline pearls of wisdom, such as, “The camera
adds 10 pounds—personal ads, two inches.”
Williams was a delight every time he skated
onstage.
The soloists in the show did a good job
with their songs, especially Williams and
Cesar Taboada. Taboada, however, doesn’t
need a solo to stand out—every move he
makes is filled with style and showmanship.
As for the rest of the chorus, sometimes their
voices were just too heavy to do justice to the
light, perky ABBA songs, and lyrics got lost in
the phrasing. They really came to life at the
end with a wonderfully orchestrated rendition
of “Waterloo.” And the finale, in which they
sang “Dancing Queen,” was terrific. If
“Dancing Queen” isn’t the official gay national
anthem, it should be, especially the way the
South Beach Gay Men’s Chorus sings it.
www.ExpressGayNews.com • June 9, 2003 • Q3
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Heard It Through
the Gayvine
Queers, Quotes and Quips of Interest
Boxers or Briefs?
It appears that even approaching their 60s, The
Rolling Stones can’t get no satisfaction—at least not
the kind they’re used to getting. When the aging bad
boys of rock kicked off their European tour in
Germany last week, they experienced men’s
underpants being thrown onstage, not the ladies
lingerie they are accustomed to. At a press conference
the next day, Mick Jagger noted the lack of women
in the crowd, pointing out that the audience was filled
with men. But Jagger laughed off the unusual
underwear tributes. “I don’t know what that says,”
Jagger said.
Mick Jagger
‘Yo Quiero Mi Dinero’
The talking Chihuahua disappeared from TV screens a couple of years ago, but it
seems that lawyers have gotten the last word regarding the famous Taco Bell commercial.
A federal jury has ordered Taco Bell Corp. to pay $30.1 million to two men who claimed
the fast-food chain stole their idea for the advertising campaign featuring a talking
chihuahua, the Associated Press reported June 5.
Thomas Rinks and Joseph Shields, both of the
Grand Rapids area, sued Taco Bell in 1998, saying they
pitched the idea for a character called “Psycho
Chihuahua” more than a year before Taco Bell began
airing the dog commercials in 1997.
They said Taco Bell advertising executives
reached an oral agreement with them to use their
idea, but then introduced the Chihuahua
character without paying them.
Taco Bell has said it decided to use a
talking dog in commercials after the ad
agency TBWA-Chiat-Day proposed it.
—The Associated Press
Nathan Lane’s ‘Charlie Lawrence’
to Make CBS Debut June 15
Charlie Lawrence—the new CBS
sitcom starring Nathan Lane—will
finally make its way to the airwaves
Sunday, June 15.
Lane portrays a freshman
congressman in the series, which had
previously been announced as a March
mid-season replacement. Charlie
Lawrence will now air 8:30pm ET
Sunday, June 15. The series also
features Roseanne actress Laurie
Metcalf, veteran TV actor Ted McGinley
as well as Stephanie Faracy, T. R. Knight, Cast of Charlie Lawrence
Steve Stapenhorst, Misha Henson,
Shannon Cochran and Anni Long.
Lane’s newest character is a former actor who achieved fame through a fictitious
television program called Do Unto Others, similar in style to CBS’ Touched by an
Angel. When the television series ended, Charlie Lawrence—then an alcoholic—had
a stay at a Nevada rehabilitation center.
Now a congressman for New Mexico, Lawrence is based in Washington, D.C.,
where he is a fish out of water.
In a recent interview for TV Guide’s “Insider,” Lane spoke about his earlier TV
outing, 1998’s Encore! Encore!: “For some reason, I got it into my head that I wanted
to work with those particular producers from Frasier [Peter Casey and Suzanne Holmes],
and I just wanted to be an actor and leave it all up to them. The next thing I knew, I was
in the Napa Valley with Joan Plowright [playing my mother].” The comedic actor
admits that he was “terribly naive” during his first sitcom, “so, this time around, I had
to see a script. I can’t just meet with high-powered writer-producers, and, because we
hit it off at lunch, that means we’re going to do a show together.” Lane also serves as
a writer and executive producer for the new series. —Andrew Gans
Abraham Lincoln Outed
Last week, it was Jesus. This week, Abraham Lincoln is the latest historical icon
to be the subject of speculation about his sexual orientation.
In an interview with The Hill, a newspaper that covers the U.S. Congress, Patrick
Guerriero, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, raised the possibility that Honest
Abe may have been less than honest about his sexual proclivities.
“We’ve all heard the rumors,” Guerriero told The Hill. Although many historians
dismiss the notion, a growing number of gays believe Lincoln was one of them, said
Guerriero, whose organization represents thousands of gay Republicans.
The Hill reports that Lincoln’s sexual orientation has been the subject of several
recent books and articles. Writer Larry Kramer claims that Lincoln, as a young
lawyer in Springfield, Illinois, bunked for several years with a local storeowner named
Joshua Speed. According to Kramer, Speed wrote in his diary that Lincoln “often
kisses me when I tease him” and that the two would frequently “hug and hug.”
Q4 • www.ExpressGayNews.com • June 9, 2003
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Need_Wood?
By Woody Miller
Dealing with the Big A
Gay Guys Fear Age More than AIDS
Hey Woody!
I don’t like bars, so the way I meet
people (or rather try to meet people) is online
though ads. I’m 48, very healthy, active,
good looking and blessed to look 35.
When I place an ad with my true age, I
get no responses. Absolutely zero. If I lie
and place the exact same ad and picture only
this time saying I’m 35, I get lots of responses.
It’s the exact same me—only one is the real
me and it gets me zip, and the other is a
dishonest me and it gets me plenty of
responses. I’m at a loss as to how to proceed.
Even people my own age don’t respond to
my 48-year-old ads, but they respond to my
35-year-old ads. I think the whole gay
community is f***ed up.
I don’t believe in being dishonest. I don’t
want to start a relationship where the first
thing I say is dishonest. I don’t even want a
one-night stand if I have to be dishonest to
get it. But I also don’t want to be without sex
for extended periods of time. What should I
do?
—Truth or Dare?
Which answer do you think will preserve
your relationship? Dishonesty: “No, honey,
those jeans don’t make you look fat” or
Honesty: “No honey, those jeans don’t make
you look fat. Your fat makes you look fat.”
I rest my case.
You’ve equated lying about your age
with, say, lying about your HIV status or your
marital status. Age is a state of mind, anyway.
So what if you feed people the fantasy that
they’re responding to a 35-year-old? You
might actually end up teaching them it’s
possible to fall in love with someone despite
an initial resistance to their age.
Second, Learn to omit. Who says you
have to offer your age in an ad? And if
someone asks you, tell him, “Age is
unimportant. I’m not interested in your age,
and you shouldn’t be interested in mine.
We’ll just end up categorizing each other.”
Hey Woody!
I spent the night with a guy, but we
didn’t do anything because we were too
drunk. We had all our clothes off and
spooned, but that was it. Now I’ve got this
Dear Truth:
itch on my waist, my groin and my butt, along
I have to acknowledge your honesty, with short, wavy lines on the skin and dozens
integrity and self-respect. And your of itchy bumps. How could this be an STD if
stupidity. For writing to me, I mean.
we didn’t have sex?
Dude, I dedicated my book to a friend
—Itching to know
by thanking him for “teaching me how to lie
about my age.” Man, did you write the wrong Dear itching:
guy.
You’ve probably got a skin-mite
I understand your dilemma, though. Gay infection called scabies. You don’t have to
men have a phobia about age. Whatever you have sex to get it—just prolonged skin
say after 40, they hear as a communicable contact. The mites are like boyfriends—they
disease. So if you say “I’m 43,” they hear burrow just under the surface of the skin and
“40-leprosy.” They’re more afraid of catching annoy the hell out of you. Female mites lay
age than AIDS.
eggs that hatch in a few days. Your doctor
You have two choices: First, understand will prescribe something to kill the mites and
the difference between harmless and harmful corticosteroid ointments to relieve the
lying. You’re acting as if all lies are equal. itching. I hope this teaches you a lesson. If
They’re not. It’s impossible to live in a world you’re going to catch something from a trick
where no lying is allowed. Check out Jim at least have the decency to f*** him.
Carrey’s movie, Liar, Liar, if you want to see
Woody Miller is the author of Men
how constantly telling the truth can ruin your
Are Pigs But We Love Bacon. E-mail
life.
him at [email protected].
www.ExpressGayNews.com • June 9, 2003 • Q5
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Q_CULTURALevents
Monday, June 9: Auditions—Local
recording artist Frank Cornelius Jr., will hold short
auditions for local teen singers after his concert
(7pm at the Dania Beach Paul DeMaio Branch
Library, 255 E. Dania Beach Blvd., Dania). The
winner gets a recording session with Platinum for a
demo record. 954.926.2420.
Monday, June 9: WWE Raw—Show starts
at 7pm and will be televised from 9 – 11pm.
American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd. in
Miami. 305.960.8500.
Wednesday, June 11: Writing Out: Book
Talks with Gay and Lesbian Authors—Come hear
established and emerging gay and lesbian writers,
including Mary Britton, E. Robert Dunn, Rev. Jerry
Stephenson & Ricki Stuart. 7 - 9 p.m. on the 6th
floor of the Main Library, 100 S. Andrews Ave, Fort
Lauderdale. 954.357.7464.
Wednesday, June 11: Broward County
Oral History—Learning Through Listening: an
Oral History of Broward County, with Dr. Gwen
Hankerson and other recorded material providers.
4 - 6pm at the AARLCC, 2650 Sistrunk Blvd., Fort
Lauderdale. 954.357.7555 or 954.625.2812.
Thursday – Sunday, June12
- 15:
FishStock 2003—This brand-new, one-of-a-kind
festival full of fishing, food and fun celebrates the
sport and lifestyle that anglers and their families
enjoy so much. AmericanAirlines Arena, 601
Biscayne
Blvd.,
Miami.
305.960.8500.
www.fishstock.com.
Saturday, June 14: Gay Pride Authors
Forum—A panel of four authors including local
writer Lori Cardona will read from 4 - 6pm at
Borders, 2240 E. Sunrise Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale.
954.566.6335.
Saturday, June 14: A Night Out with the
Rough Riders—Hosted by The Outlawz of the
End Up Nightclub, 19 North Federal Hwy., Dania.
Doors Open at 6pm. $5. www.theoutlawz.biz,
[email protected].
Saturday, June 14: Urban Tribe
Fellowship—Get plugged into a diverse, open and
affirming community that meets the second Saturday
of each month to meet new friends and discover an
alternative to bars and clubs. This diverse group is
supportive and fully non-discriminatory. Bring your
choice of sides, salads, dessert, beverages or come
early and help set up. 7pm. For information call
Jim Gabriel at 561.750.3993 ext. 2 or e-mail
[email protected].
Saturday,
June
14:
Miami
Cup
Championship—The Olympic Boxing Teams
from Puerto Rico and Colombia square off against
each other for the inaugural Miami Cup
Championship. 4pm at the Waterfront Theatre at
American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami.
305.960.8500.
June 14 and 15: Fort Lauderdale Gun &
Knife Show—9am - 5pm at the War Memorial
Auditorium, 800 NE 8th St., Ft. Lauderdale.
954.828.5380.
Q_DININGguide
Q6 • www.ExpressGayNews.com • June 9, 2003
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Saturday, June 28: WIN Prom Night—
Everyone is invited, dress up or down. 7:30 - 11:30pm
at the Italian American Civic League, 2310 N.E. 7th
Ave., Wilton Manors. $15/members, $18/non-members
(includes 1 free drink, finger foods, snacks and desserts).
Live Band, full cash bar, 50/50 raffle & door prizes.
www.WomenInNetwork.com or 954.961.7176.
Saturday, June 28: Unity Church Charity
Dinner—Tickets are on sale now for a charity
spaghetti dinner. Auctions and door prizes. 5 - 8pm
at Unity By The Ocean, 3703 Galt Ocean Dr., Fort
Lauderdale. Tickets are $10. 954.568.1002.
Live Theatre and Dance
Through Sunday, June 15: How to Succeed
in Business Without Really Trying—The Stage Door
Theatre, 8036 W. Sample Rd., Coral Springs.
954.344.7765.
Through Sunday, Aug. 3: Menopause The
Musical—This joyful musical parody is set to 28
classic baby-boomer songs. $32. Stage Door’s 26th
St. Theatre, 1444 N.E. 26th St. in Wilton Manors.
954.344.7765.
Saturday, June 14: Los Fonomemecos—
Salsa 98’s top morning show DJs, Los
Fonomemecos, stage their special style of comedy
with their hilarious characters,
antics and skits about Latin life, culture, and
politics. $29 - $49. Broward Center, 201 S.W. Fifth
Ave.
Music
Saturday, June 21: Gay Men’s Chorus of
South Florida Beat of the Future—A dynamic
musical production filled with vibrant songs and
dances that ricochet off the stage. 8pm at the
Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 S.W.
5th Ave., Fort Lauderdale. For information contact
GMCSF: [email protected], 954.832.0060.
Art Exhibitions
Through Sunday, June 15: My Reality:
Contemporary Art & the Culture of Japanese
Animation—This exhibit investigates the influence of
Japanese animation on modern art. Norton Museum of
Art in West Palm beach. 561.832.5196.
Through Monday, June 30: United and Proud!—
An exhibition in celebration of Gay and Lesbian Pride
Month is in gallery six at the Broward County Main
Library, 100 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale.
Radio
The Norm Kent Show—Interviews and
commentary with Norm Kent, weekday mornings
at 8am on WFTL 1400 AM. The Call-In Line is
1.866.432.1400. www.NormKentShow.com
Television
SoFla Q TV—Television for the alternative
lifestyle. For information call 305.534.3975.
Advertise_954-568-1880
Maximum_Volume
Pumping It Up with New Album Releases
Nina Simone:
‘Four Women: The Phillips Recordings’
(Verve)
The world suffered a great loss
when legendary singer and pianist Nina
Simone passed away at her home in the
South of France this past April at the age
of 70. Now the jazz label Verve pays
tribute to this legend with Four Women:
The Phillips Recordings. The four CDboxed set is a fitting product celebrating
the reclusive and eccentric, yet equally
brilliant and unique jazz artist. The songs
on the 75-track collection were recorded
between 1964 and 1966 for Phillips
Records, an era which brought Simone
further into public view and revealed her
eclectic nature. Lovers of jazz, blues, folk, R&B and gospel will relish this release.
These various genres are woven throughout the collection. Standards include “I
Put a Spell on You,” “Trouble in Mind,” “Nobody Knows When You’re Down
And Out” and the title track. All the while, Simone’s nerve and raw vocal power
shine.
The beautiful packaging and fascinating Ashley Kahn essay are a bonus,
especially to music history buffs, or those who want to learn more about the
intriguing Simone. Simone gained attention when she took on an angrier, more
political tone during the racial tensions of the 1960s and eventually left and
renounced the U.S. in 1969. Complementing the CD is a DVD of a 1985 performance
by Nina Simone at the London jazz club Ronnie Scotts. This boxed set is perfect
for relaxing time at home or any intimate gathering, such as a candlelit dinner
party.
—Andy Zeffer
Cyndi Lauper: ‘The Essential Cyndi Lauper’
(Legacy Records)
It is hard to believe that Cyndi
Lauper made her debut album She’s So
Unusual exactly 20 years ago. Her powerful
voice, wavering between soft and sweet
on ballads and funky and raw on a rock
number immediately captured the public’s
attention. That, coupled with her
outrageous looks and bubbly persona,
made her a superstar. Lauper secured her
place in the echelon of top recording artists
and is an American classic. Now Legacy
Records presents The Essential Cyndi
Lauper, featuring hits such as “Girls Just
Want to Have Fun,” “Time After Time,”
“True Colors” and “Change of Heart.” Her hit “I Drove All Night” is also featured,
and Celine Dion’s most recent cover doesn’t even hold a candle.
The CD also showcases lesser-known tunes from the ’90s, such as “Who Let
in the Rain,” “Unhook The Stars” and “Sisters of Avalon.” These fan favorites
show Lauper’s artistic growth and ability to reinvent herself. Sadly, Sony Music’s
lack of support as well as the media and public’s perception of Lauper as a strictly
’80s persona kept these gems from becoming the dazzling hits they should have
been. Lastly, the fun and kooky guilty pleasure “The Goonie’s R’ Good Enough”
is thrown in, giving movie buffs a bit of nostalgia to bop along with.
—Andy Zeffer
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