One might think the easy connection between Britney Spears and the GLBT community is that she's one of those over the top divas that we put on a pedestal.
That seems to be reason enough to go to San Jose's Retro Dome to see the musical "Becoming Britney," opening Feb. 10.
But seeing an original show with original songs (not Britney covers) shouldn't be the only appeal to the GLBT community - there's a transgender person working behind the scenes and a hot out actor on stage.
While Molly Bell has been "Becoming Britney," her co-collaborator has been becoming Daya Curley, a former actor who has just completed her man-to-woman transition.
Curley says she got involved with "Britney" and Bell about five years ago when she knew she "wouldn't be able to try out for musicals as a woman with a baritone voice." At the same time, Bell was pregnant and would be off the scene for awhile as well.
"I knew I still had to find an outlet to express my creative talents," says Curley, so she and Bell began working on "Britney." Curley admits she wasn't a fan of Spears before because she really didn't know her music. But now she's a big fan and thinks she's got great producers and what she releases is great "whether her personal life is troubled or crazy or not."
Apparently, their collaboration paid off. When they were finished writing it, Bell was ready to return to acting and they debuted the show at the New York Fringe Festival in 2008 and it played to much acclaim and an award for Bell for Best Actor.
The version at the Retro Dome is more fleshed out, says Curley. "We've got a great opening number, more elaborate sets and a more heartfelt story." Curley says the original production was more goofy but they realized that they can still have fun with the show without mocking or belittling Spears.
Co-star Adam Barry agrees that the show is fun and not really at the expense of Spears. Playing several roles, Barry will be hard to miss by gay men attending the show as he is quite a handsome man. Or should I just say yum!
Barry is very familiar with the Retro Dome stage as he recently was there in "Xanadu." And while he's an out actor living in the South Bay, he does go to San Francisco quite a bit for work and play. Sometimes you might catch him singing at Martuni's or bartending at Trigger.
He says the gay scene is a bit hidden in the South Bay. For night clubs and bars, Barry says, "Splash is a popular place that I look to go to." For dinner, and not far from the Retro Dome, he also likes to go to Aqui, even though it's not gay "but can seem that way when you go with friends."
Barry is new to the "Becoming Britney" family but he says it's a really a fun show to work on and they are even laughing a lot in rehearsals.
"Becoming Britney" plays Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm and Sunday afternoons at 2pm through March 11.
Get tickets at www.theretrodome.com or call 408/404-7711. The Retro Dome is at 1694 Saratoga Ave. in San Jose.
To learn more, visit www.becomingbritney.com.
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