From DallasVoice.com
Jack the lad
By J.S. Hall - Contributing Writer
Jul 2, 2008 - 4:07:06 PM
Out actor Barrowman regales readers in breezy autobiography
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| “Anything Goes: the Autobiography,” by John Barrowman with Carole E. Barrowman. (Michael O’Mara Books Limited, April 2008). 256 pp., $29.95. |
“Anything Goes: the Autobiography,” by John Barrowman with Carole E. Barrowman. (Michael O’Mara Books Limited, April 2008). 256 pp., $29.95.
A mainstay of musical theatre production in London’s West End, openly gay actor John Barrowman came to international prominence after playing Captain Jack Harkness in the 2005 revival of “Doctor Who.” A reformed con man and time traveler from the 51st Century, Jack’s roguish charm and roving eye for beauties of any gender (and/or species) quickly endeared him to many viewers. Now the lead of “Torchwood,” the “Doctor Who” spin-off series concerning weird goings-on in Cardiff, Wales, Barrowman has become a highly visible gay role model — a distinction he’s readily accepted.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Barrowman and his gregarious family emigrated to a Chicago suburb in the 1970s because of his father’s job transfer. Barrowman’s Scottish brogue made him stand out, so he gradually adopted the American accent that serves him so well as Captain Jack. The encouragement of some high school teachers led to participation in the drama club (he co-starred in “Oliver!” with future queer actors Anthony Rapp and Andy Dick) and then college.
His first big break came while visiting Britain in 1989 and sounds like something out of a musical in itself. The West End production of “Anything Goes” needed a last-minute replacement for the lead part of Billy Crocker — the first role Barrowman played in high school. He quickly won over cast and crew and soon found his niche.
Fans of musical theater will undoubtedly enjoy Barrowman’s first-hand stories of the madness that frequently goes on within the wings and behind dressing room doors. For the most part, he’s gentlemanly when it comes to difficult co-stars — relying on obvious pseudonyms and/or discretion. But he’s quite candid about being wooed by Valentino aboard the designer’s sumptuous yacht.
“[He gave] me a taste of high living — but all the things he’d shown me, I wanted to get on my own,” Barrowman writes.
Perhaps the most interesting revelation comes rather late in the proceedings.
“When I was eighteen I found myself in a compromising position on a bed in a New York loft with a man whom I would consider to be one of the finest actors of my generation. Nothing ended up happening, but over the years our paths have crossed at a distance … ”
Additionally, Barrowman’s bawdy sense of humor is frequently on display here. Quite often, so are his private bits, as he’s quite fond of dropping trou to relieve the tensions and flagging energies of weary cast and crewmembers during long shoots. Although toilet humor isn’t to everyone’s tastes, it’s hard not to crack a smile at the thought of farting contests with David Tennant (the Doctor) or to grimace in mortification at several pants-pooping moments onstage.
Gay “Doctor Who” and “Torchwood” fans may be disappointed that there are relatively few anecdotes about Barrowman’s times on these shows. Instead, he regales readers with tales of his parents and their legendary parties; his scrappy grandmother Murn; his low-key civil partner Scott Gill; and memories of filming the ultra schlock-fest “Shark Attack 3: Megalodon” in the huge swimming pool of a chilly holiday resort on the Black Sea.
Barrowman maintains that growing up knowing he was gay “was no big deal,” and when he came out to his family, the news was hardly a revelation. However, the producers of “Central Park West,” a short-lived nighttime soap, made it quite clear they wanted Barrowman to stay in the closet and not be seen in public with Scott. Fortunately, the show was cancelled soon after that discussion.
“Anything Goes” doesn’t pretend to be great literature, just great entertainment. Like Barrowman himself, the book is predominantly chatty and breezy, but contains occasional surprising depths. In his acknowledgments, Barrowman hopes that readers “feel as if you and I are lounging in our pyjamas on the couch in my Cardiff living room, sharing a bottle of champagne or a pot of tea, with music in the background, having a blether and a laugh about my life so far.”
In these respects, it succeeds quite admirably.
POETRY AT THE PUB
The literary magazine Sojourn has invited queer verse writer Christopher Soden,
pictured, to be a featured reader at the Poetry Reading Series on Thursday. The reading will be held at The PUB, which is located on the second floor of the north wing of the Student Union at the The University of Texas at Dallas.
800 W. Campbell Rd., Richardson.
972-883-2111. July 10 at 8 p.m. Free.
Thse articles appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition July 4, 2008.
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