By Michael Barbieri****Look! Up on the stage! He’s a singer! He’s a drag queen! He’s a fabulous, former gay porn star! With so much talent on display, Anita Procedure’s breakout show Adult Performer, at the Laurie Beechman Theater, proved that this is one procedure you must have!
Anita Procedure is the drag persona of Jonathan Reinhart, who’s made a name for himself in musical theater, on television and in the world of adult gay films. Also known as the Baritone Bombshell, Anita has a retro 1940s-style glamour that’s reminiscent of big-band girl singers—complete with slinky sequined gowns, hair piled high with a vintage bumper bang and a sexy, torchy attitude.
A Los Angeles-based performer, Anita was making her NYC debut, and her show came recommended very highly. Other than the fact that she was a drag performer who sang live, however, I didn’t know what to expect.
Well, the lovely Ms. Procedure entered through the audience singing “Let Me Entertain You” from Gypsy. At first, the selection seemed a bit hackneyed, but when it developed into a medley that also included “In My Own Little Corner,” from Richard Rodgers’ Cinderella and a bit of Bernstein and Sondheim’s “I Feel Pretty,” it all made sense and worked beautifully. Throughout the opener, the thing that really jumped out at me was just how very good Anita’s voice was! Her natural baritone range was strong and clear, but then she transitioned into a lovely falsetto, for more, shall we say… womanly tones, with a break from chest to head voice that was practically flawless.
Another aspect of Anita’s appeal was her sincerity. Her opening patter included stories of coming out of the closet as a young teen and of his/her sexual awakening. These recollections led into Etta James’ “Something’s Got a Hold On Me,” complete with skillful riffs and orgasmic wails, which built to the song’s climax—pun definitely intended! She also related the story of how she followed her boyfriend into the porn industry, reasoning that “I like attention, I like sex, I like performing, so…” The subject of her porn career brought us a couple of sexually suggestive songs, including a scandalously filthy parody of the Pussycat Dolls’ “Loosen Up My Buttons.” I’d tell you the title, but you can probably figure that out for yourselves!
As Anita left the stage for a costume change, we were treated to two original songs by her excellent musicians, Jack Lipson at the piano and Benny Lipson on bass. Known as jackbenny, these brothers are stars unto themselves. Jack gave us “Asking,” a jazzy, humorous, yet slightly wistful piece with lyrics like “When did you first know that you were gay? …I’m asking for a friend,”and “Where do you learn how to walk in heels? …asking for a friend.” Benny’s solo, “Queer,” was an equally poignant song about acceptance and not conforming to stereotypes.
When Anita returned, now resplendent in a black and white sequined number, she told more stories about her acting work, both in the adult industry and on the legitimate stage. We also heard her rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Do What U Want,” a medley of songs about California and a Grindr-themed “Where the Boys Are,” complete with hysterically raunchy messages from her own Grindr feed!
For me, the only moment in the show that didn’t quite work was the pairing of Gershwin’s “Summertime,” done in falsetto, but to my ear, a bit off pitch, and Lana Del Ray’s “Summertime Sadness,” which together seemed disjointed and somewhat out of place with the rest of the show.
Anyway… back to porn! Anita wondered what life would be like if she returned to the business and indulged in a very funny Norma Desmond moment, singing “As If We Never Said Goodbye” from Sunset Boulevard, accompanied by black and white slides of some of her boy-self’s best screen moments: legs in the air, taking it from behind and such. And while her alternate lyrics to the song were hilariously vulgar, the photos were not explicit—just inappropriate enough to get the appropriate laughs!
I think what made Anita Procedure so endearing was that she was always open and honest about her life. She owned her drag—she never pretended to be female, sometimes referring to herself with male pronouns, other times with female. She also owned her past as an adult performer, as if to say, “this is what I did, I enjoyed it, I was good at it, and that’s that!” Her ultimate message seemed to be that no matter what you do in life, hold your head high and be proud!
Anita’s message was driven home most spectacularly in her closing number, a medley of “Sing (Sing a Song),” written by Joe Raposo for “Sesame Street,” and a song simply entitled “Sing,” by Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls. The number began sweetly, but when she moved into the latter song, her vocal picked up strength and the number became a driving, moving anthem to self acceptance, pride and living your own truth! It was a stunning performance, with Anita truly feeling the timely lyrics like “Sing for the children shooting the children, sing. Sing for the president, sing for the terrorist, sing… sing for the teachers who told you that you couldn’t sing.” It was a powerful ending to a fantastic show!
Needless to say, I was thoroughly impressed by Anita/Jonathan. And while it might be tempting to say that Anita is simply a gimmick, I don’t think that’s entirely true. Anita simply seems like another side of Jonathan, created to showcase the considerable talents of this unique adult performer!
Talent, glamour and a touch of naughtiness! What else do you need but Anita Procedure?!
Leave a Reply