Act gay, be gay

Quite a while ago I heard about a movie called The Nance. It stars Nathan Lane. Everything I read about it said that Lane does a masterful performance. Then for a long time I didn't hear anything. Finally I saw something online that listed a website that gave a schedule – oh, great, it was in Detroit for only one night, and a night I couldn't possibly see it. What kind of movie that is reportedly so fabulous gets shown for only one night?

Then my sister sent me a note saying she had seen it on PBS and sent me instructions on how to find it online. I found it and saved the link until I had time to watch it. I decided it had better be this evening before classes resume next week.

On watching it one thing became clear. It wasn't done as a conventional movie, but a recording of a stage play. It was done as part of the PBS series Live at Lincoln Center, so a top of the line production.

Nathan Lane plays Chauncey who works in Burlesque as a nance or nancy, a gay character who excels in double entendre. This is 1930s New York, so theaters had to be very careful about what they said. A good part of the show is scenes from the act. Another good part is what goes on backstage – meeting the others in the act, threats of being raided, how offstage affects what is seen onstage, etc. The third part of the show is Chauncey's life away from the theater. It is one thing to act gay onstage, quite another to be gay offstage. And Chauncey meets Ned.

Yes, Lane does a masterful performance. Here's the link. The whole thing is 2 hours 15 minutes. Enjoy.