Philadelphia cabaret performer Tyler Houchins will reprise of his NYC debut solo performance, Down a Yellow Brick Road, celebrating the legendary Judy Garland, on Thursday, December 29 at 7:00 PM at Don’t Tell Mama. Music director is Mark Hartman.
The show takes audiences over the rainbow with a selection of greatest hits from Garland’s catalogue in a retrospective of the star’s life. Audiences will hear favorites like “The Trolley Song,” “Zing Went the Strings of My Heart” and “For Me and My Gal.” Houchins notes that Garland’s catalogue represents something very American and nostalgic—classic material that the more it ages, the better it gets.
Also important to Houchins is that Garland became an influential figure in the LGBTQ+ community and is widely regarded as a gay icon, owing in part to her star role in The Wizard of Oz. For many, Dorothy mirrored the struggles that those in the LGBTQ+ community face. Some have also identified parallels of Dorothy accepting those who are different and creating a chosen family of her friends. The term “Friend of Dorothy” became a popular self-identifier, particularly for gay men. Garland’s performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” contributed to the rainbow’s status as a gay symbol, later becoming the basis of the LGBTQ+ flag.
Tickets are $20 at the door (cash only, $15 for MAC members), with a $20 two-drink minimum. Doors open at 6:15 p.m.
Don’t Tell Mama is located at 343 W 46th St New York, NY
