Dustin Holden is an out-of-the-closet “gleek.”
That was the first word he used to describe himself in a telephone interview. For those not hip to the lingo, gleek is a proudly self-deprecating word used to identify hardcore fans of Glee, Fox TV’s popular show about teen identity and the age-old conflict pitting jocks and cheerleaders against theater goobs and glee-club geeks. The production numbers, often pop-music/musical-theater mashups, are epic, and Holden says they are the inspiration for his recent work as director for Out Tonight, the Emerald Theatre Company’s annual cabaret.
Having performed in the ETC cabaret for a number of years, Holden first took on the job of directing the show last season. His aim was to make the evening’s performance more like a unified concert and less like a talent show, where everyone took a bow at the end of their performance but nobody actually received a prize. The theme for his first ETC revue was Glee, naturally, and this year he hopes to at least reference his favorite show by naming the cabaret after Paul McCartney’s soft-focus Wings hit “Silly Love Songs,” which was prominently featured in episode 34 of the show.
As one might expect of a program dedicated to all things romantic and ridiculous, full-throated voice will be given to “Love Shack” by the B-52s and to Meatloaf’s “I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That).”
“Savannah Bearden is performing Bjork’s “It’s Oh So Quiet,” Holden says, dishing on the actress’ aversion to singing on stage. “Savannah doesn’t really do musicals. I don’t think she likes them very much.
“We’re working with that,” he says, hinting at a running gag.
“Out Tonight” at TheatreWorks, June 8th-17th. $15. for Reservations, call 272-0909.
