With our US presidential election looming, this is a good time to recall the life of who is generally considered the greatest president to date: Abraham Lincoln. The fact that the progressive, anti-slavery Lincoln was a Republican seems utterly shocking from today's perspective. To top things off, a new documentary provides the most compelling evidence to date that Lincoln was also homosexual. That loud noise you just heard was a collective gay gasp from pearl-clutching, modern-day Republicans!
Lover of Men: The Untold History of Abraham Lincoln, directed by Shaun Peterson, is now available across all VOD platforms for purchase and rental following its theatrical release last month. There was some cultural hubbub about Lincoln being gay before Steven Spielberg's 2012 biopic, which included a couple of oblique references to this. More recently, Cole Escola's smash Broadway play Oh, Mary! pulls no punches in depicting him as a barely closeted, adulterous gay slut.
Peterson, however, has created the most comprehensive and scholarly exploration of Lincoln's homosexuality to date. He had at least four long-term, romantic relationships with men during his lifetime, which was tragically cut short by his assassination. While we can't say for sure that they had sexual relations, they at minimum slept together regularly. The documentary produces numerous personal letters and eyewitness accounts to this.
Yes, Abe was married to Mary Todd and they had several children. As the new film makes clear, though, theirs was a mutually advantageous marriage in terms of social standing. Lincoln likely would not have been taken seriously as a presidential candidate had he been single. In fact, Abe broke off his first engagement to Mary and seemingly proposed to her begrudgingly once his male lover at the time, Joshua Speed, took a wife.
Lover of Men is heavily detailed and includes commentary from a number of researchers and Lincoln experts. It includes some arguably unnecessary dramatizations of Lincoln with his various, alleged lovers but the film remains engrossing and convincing. Most intriguing are some of the historical questions Peterson and company raise. For instance, would have/could have a straight president abolished slavery? Lincoln was able to empathize with the oppressed of his time, more than likely because he felt oppressed himself. As a result, he is considered by at least one commentator in the film to be the one US president to date who was "most invested in America, in democracy."
On that note and in honor of gay old Abe, be sure to vote on or before November 5th!
The best original musical on Broadway this year/last season – even though it wasn't nominated for the Tony Award in that category (it was in a few others) – was the stunning but sadly short-lived Lempicka. I entered the theater knowing absolutely nothing about the renowned 20th century painter whose life it depicts. I came out a fan of the subject and wanting to learn more.
As if in answer to Reverend's prayer, a documentary entitled The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival just had its world premiere October 11th at the Mill Valley Film Festival in San Rafael, California. Its representative was kind enough to send me a screener of the film in advance. Directed by Julie Rubio, the premiere is complemented by the first US retrospective of the trailblazing artist whose revolutionary work obviously continues to captivate audiences worldwide. Her exhibition is currently running at the De Young Museum in San Francisco through February 9th, 2025.
The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & the Art of Survival traces the life and endurance of Lempicka: from her rise to international stardom in 1920's Paris, to her move to the United States fleeing fascism in 1940, to her revival in the current art market. Rubio's film (with input from the painter's biological descendants) follows this remarkable refugee as she reinvents herself multiple times. It successfully looks behind the veneer of the publicity she generated for herself and examines the bisexual, Jewish artist who embodied talent, resilience, passion and a relentless pursuit of artistic freedom.
I thoroughly enjoyed this film, even as it unintentionally makes clear some of the dramatic license taken by the creators of the stage musical. One of several examples: Lempicka ultimately settled in Mexico and died there, not in California as implied by the musical. But this is a minor qualm on my part, and anyone who didn't see the musical wouldn't know the difference. I'll happily continue to take Lempicka in whatever format or venue she appears.
Thankfully, the late lamented Lempicka is not skewered in the latest edition of Gerard Alessandrini's long-running NYC stage satire Forbidden Broadway. Subtitled Merrily We Stole a Song as homage to the recent, successful revival of Merrily We Roll Along and its late creator, Stephen Sondheim, the production now playing at Off Broadway's Theater 555 gleefully spoofs Broadway classics plus current hits and flops. The above mentioned Oh, Mary! even makes an appearance.
Interestingly, this version was originally slated to be the first Forbidden Broadway to actually play on Broadway. Plans changed a few months back so it is once again Off Broadway. The show's opening number, "Forbidden Broadway Not on Broadway," has great fun with this. Most of the revamped showtunes featured are fun, and some of them hilarious. But it also becomes apparent to longtime followers including myself that, after 30-plus years, the show's format is a bit tired and Alessandrini's repeats himself lyrically at times.
His current cast, however, is excellent. Danny Hayward makes a freakily accurate Eddie Redmayne while spoofing him and all his predecessors as Emcee in Cabaret. Nicole Vanessa Ortiz is vocally and comically impressive as both the Alicia Keys-inspired lead character in Hell's Kitchen and Audra McDonald's Mama Rose in her upcoming revival of Gypsy. As Doc Brown in Back to the Future: The Musical, Daniel Radcliffe in Merrily... and a bearded Mary Todd Lincoln, Chris Collins-Pisano is a hoot. Last but certainly not least, Forbidden Broadway vet Jenny Lee Stern nails Patti LuPone, Suffs creator Shaina Taub and Bernadette Peters, among others.
Unfortunately, the Saturday night performance I attended two weeks ago was sparsely attended, and the production just announced it will be closing on November 3rd. I honestly don't know that Forbidden Broadway will have an audience for potential future installments. That's all the more reason to catch Merrily We Stole a Song while you can.
Reverend's Ratings:
Lover of Men: The Untold History of Abraham Lincoln: A-
The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & the Art of Survival: B+
Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song: B
Reviews by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film and stage critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.
