There are heterosexual musical revues. There are gay musical revues. Then there are gay musical revues that sing praises to Rush Limbaugh, with lyrics such as these: “If I could manage to get my arms around him/I’m sure he’d change his ways/I’d kiss his devout little snout. …” The enamored one goes on to fantasize about his wedding night with Limbaugh, where the newlyweds would play “spank the neo-Nazi.”
Such are the goings on in “Fairy Tales,” a 21-song musical revue that gives its audience an irreverent, and often moving, look at gay life. It’s all loosely based on the life experiences of composer-lyricist Eric Lane Barnes.
“One of the main themes in my life is sexuality and spirituality,” says Barnes. “I spent many years in a Pentecostal church, and I had a long struggle with accepting myself, not just as being gay but as a human being who has a right to exist on the planet.”
So if the tears flow during “Fairy Tales,” so much the better.
“It’s sneaky,” Barnes says of his five-member revue. “We lure the audience in with comedy and then hit with something real. … It’s so gratifying to hear an audience helpless with laughter one moment and, in the next, sobbing uncontrollably.”
(“Fairy Tales” runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. at Gentry, 712 N. Rush St. Tickets are $18. For reservations, call 312-664-1033.)
