Terrence McNally
It is opening night on Broadway, and an unforgettable cast of characters, from the self-possessed leading lady to the starry-eyed coat check boy, is eagerly awaiting “rave” reviews. Equal parts uproarious and heartfelt, It’s Only a Play will remind you why there’s no business like show business.
Broadway favorites salute a living legend, with performances from Rivera, Tommy Tune and Ben Vereen, as well as a video tribute from legendary composer John Kander.
The life of Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally (Master Class, Ragtime): 60 years of groundbreaking plays and musicals, the struggle for gay rights, addiction and recovery, finding true love, and the relentless pursuit of inspiration.
The untold story of how legal pioneer Mary Bonauto partnered with small town Vermont lawyers Beth Robinson and Susan Murray in a 2-decade long struggle that built the foundation for the entire marriage equality movement. Despite fierce opposition, Vermont became the first state to grant same sex couples legal recognition through a groundbreaking 1999 State Supreme Court decision, and the first to legalize marriage equality by legislative vote in 2009. HRC's Marty Rouse said, "They really changed the course of American history." Featuring Freedom to Marry founder Evan Wolfson, civil rights legend Rep. John Lewis, and Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally.
A retrospective of Chita Rivera's film, television and stage career, including interviews with Dick Van Dyke, Ben Vereen, Carol Lawrence and others. Originally aired as Episode 2 of Season 43 of the PBS series Great Performances.
The life story of famous opera singer, Maria Callas, inspired by and surrounding her master class lectures at Julliard in the 1970s.
The Emmy Award-nominated 30 Years from Here examines the AIDS pandemic over the past 30 years. Activists and medical experts that share stories include Terrence McNally, Larry Kramer, Marjorie Hill, Frank Spinelli, Jerry Mitchell, and Larry Flick.
This movie contains three short stories dealing with the theme of homosexuality. In "A Friend of Dorothy", a woman joins the Navy during the 1950's and discovers lesbianism. In "Mr. Roberts", a teacher in a 1970's classroom struggles with his closeted gay status. Finally in "Amos and Andy", a father wrestles with his own emotional acceptance of a present day wedding between his son and another man.
Gregory invites seven friends to spend the summer at his large, secluded 19th-century home in upstate New York. The seven are: Bobby, Gregory's "significant other," who is blind but who loves to explore the home's garden using his sense of touch; Art and Perry, two "yuppies" who drive a Volvo and who celebrate their 14th anniversary together that summer; John, a dour expatriate Briton who loathes his twin brother James; Ramon, John's "companion," who is physically attracted to Bobby and immediately tries to seduce the blind man; James, a cheerful soul who is in the advanced stages of AIDS; and Buzz, a fan of traditional Broadway musicals who is dealing with his own HIV-positive status.
When Johnny is released from prison following a forgery charge, he quickly lands a job as a short-order cook at a New York diner. Following a brief fling with waitress Cora, Frankie develops an attraction for Cora's friend and fellow waitress Frankie. While Frankie resists Johnny's charms initially, she eventually relents when her best friend, Tim, persuades her to give Johnny a chance.
Written by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Terrence McNally, Andre's Mother is the story of Katherine Gerard (Sada Thompson) who has lost her son to AIDS. Set at Andre's memorial service, the film follows Katherine's journey as she confronts the death of her son, the anguish of his lover Cal Porter (Richard Thomas), and, in flashbacks, the key moments of denial and miscommunication with those closest to her. Originally broadcast as part of "American Playhouse" on PBS (season nine, episode four).
The Five Forty-Eight, drawn from a Cheever story about the fictional New York suburb of Shady Hill, concerns an advertising man, John Blake (Laurence Luckinbill), who is emotionally estranged from his wife and those around him. His disturbed secretary, Miss Dent (Mary Beth Hurt), whom he has seduced and then fired and discarded, pursues him harrowingly, and in a final scene in which she holds him at gunpoint in a field beyond the Shady Hill railroad station, she forces him to confront the squalor of his life.
