Tagged As: Wicked, Broadway, Stephen Schwartz, LDS, Salt Lake City, Donny Osmond, Grease

The entire state of Utah was apparently afraid that the Church of Latter Day Saints monetary contributions to raise public support for Proposition 8, the ban on gay marriage, in California. Not since rumors that Donny and Marie Osmond were a little too close for comfort has the state had such a crisis.

Yes, the state was afraid that the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City would have to find another production if Stephen Schwartz, the lyricist would deny the entire state the right to see Wicked the Musical.

The Wicked National Tour is scheduled to come through LDS land from April 8, 2009 to May 3, 2009. If anything, I would think the LDS would be financing a campaign to keep the story that preaches evils such as tolerance and condemns political backhandedness.

What would the church do without such grand gestures? They have already attempted to recruit fans on LSD to the LDS with Donny Osmond in Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. They apparently have moved Donny Osmond to be in charge of West Coast recruiting by putting him and his sister at the Flamingo Showroom at the Flamingo Hotel (currently my head is about to explode with all the wondrous ironies of putting their beloved performer in such a flamboyantly named theatre).

Now they have the lead in the production of Grease at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on n Broadway with Natalie Hill. So I guess this makes Hill LDS Agent 007 on the East Coast. She too is “concerned” about being persecuted by the traditionally LBGT friendly theatre community (there is now blood streaming out of my right ear).

The sad part is that I can understand why the Mormon Church is afraid of gay marriage. If both gay marriage and polygamy were legalized then their religion would in fact encourage the gay orgies that I am sure every social conservative has nightmares about after catching a rerun of Will and Grace.

Still I love to read an article that allows a marginal religious group to draw national attention after marginalizing the rights of another group. There are times when real journalism, not just bits on the Daily Show and the Colbert Report are funny (the LDS reportedly fears hostile actions being taken against those of their faith by some kind of gay mafia).