‘Sweet Charity’ dancer returns to Hobby stage
By Donalevan Maines
Brian Wanee made his first trip to Houston to rendezvous with a guy he was dating who was in the cast of Aida. This time around Wanee is onstage himself, at the Hobby Center, “eating fancy chow and drinking fancy wine” in Sweet Charity.
The June 26-July 8 Theatre Under The Stars production about a dime-a-dance girl stars Paige Davis, the Emmy-nominated star of The Learning Channel series Trading Spaces . Wanee is a dancer in the ensemble, which means he’s seen in a three-piece suit in a nightclub, a brass band uniform, and a beatnik outfit.
“In one number, all of the gay men are onstage in high-fashion chic,” Wanee said in a recent phone interview. “We do The Frug, and it’s like going to a nightclub every night.
“But the highlight of the show,” he said, “as far as dancing and gayness goes,” is the big production number for “If My Friends Could See Me Now.”
OutSmart spoke with Wanee in April, when the show was in Lansing, Michigan, and starred Molly Ringwald.
“Molly is really great. She gives it her all every performance,” Wanee said. “She is our inspiration, our leader.”
However, Davis was scheduled to replace Ringwald in San Antonio, prior to the show coming to Houston. Wanee said he looked forward to Davis’ arrival because, he said, “The gayness factor will really be up. She is quite a bit more peppy and lively. I think the gay community will jump on board for that.”
Donalevan Maines interviewed Spamalot‘s production stage manager Ken Davis for the May issue of OutSmart magazine.
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