ERinVA wrote:
So the fact that Michael dresses in women's clothing may or may not be related to his sexuality but the two are not inextricably linked. The only reason it's in there is because it plays well to a British audience, which might of course be confusing to different cultures.
Again, I readily concede that cross dresser =/= gay. Michael is both, however, and because he's played just for laughs in this story, it just felt to me that it was somewhat dismissive of the LGBTQ community
It's true that Michael is a comic character in the stage version, but I would not dismiss him as only that. While he puts on a lot of bravado, he does have real feelings, which he shows in the Winter Scene with Billy when he tells Billy he would miss him and trusts Billy enough to reveal his sexual orientation (and his crush) to him. I have always thought that the ending with "Love You Forever" theme playing as the curtain lowers with Michael sitting there alone on his bike is one of the most moving parts of the entire show. I can't help but think of poor little Michael left behind and all alone in a community of men that, while they might accept cross-dressing as a joke, and may have come a long way in accepting Billy's desire to dance, mainly out of respect for Jackie, are still not likely to welcome Michael as a gay person in their midst. Some Michaels that I have seen have played that final bit looking very forlorn indeed. Most nowadays seem to have been instructed to play the last few seconds more neutrally. I actually prefer the more emotional version.
Excellent points, all! I found two scenes (the coming out and the goodbye) to be the most moving of the entire production. I ended my review by making note of both scenes:
I will say, however, that next to the letter reading sequence, my favorite moment in the whole thing involves Michael. It's Christmastime and the boys are about to part ways after a community-wide party, when Michael places Billy's hands on his chest. When asked why he did that, Michael suggests that he's trying to warm Billy's hands before he goes. Then he leans in and kisses his friend on the cheek. There was a tenderness to it that I found genuinely touching. I was actually sad for Michael when Billy recoiled, falling back on the heteronormative/cissexual/cisgender theme of insisting that just because he's into ballet doesn't mean he's gay. At the end of the story, when Billy leaves town, he does make a point to kiss Michael on the cheek when they exchange goodbyes. That made me smile.
I did wonder what became of young Michael, and I share your skepticism that he was ever much more than the town's flamboyant novelty. Coming from the area that I do, even as a straight male I easily empathized with the kid being so incongruous with such a conservative community. The easiest way I can underscore this point is to note that I live in the congressional district that actually elected Rand Paul in 2010. I identified quickly with both Billy and Michael on that level, which I suspect accounts for some of my sensitivity to how Michael was portrayed.
By the way, welcome to the forum, Travis.
Thanks! It's refreshing to find a forum on the web that's so thoughtful and civil as this one appears to be.
