Thursday 14 January 2010

Everybody Has a Song In Them.

This isn't easy for me. It's a big step and I'm sure certain people in society will soon turn against me. But I've been in denial for too long and really just have to admit it to myself. Maybe just by saying it out loud I can start coming to terms with it. The main thing is that I hope I have your support for I, Michael Legge, like musicals.

I really thought I hated musicals but I don't. I love them. It's definitely crept up on me although the signs were there from an early age. When I was 11 I went on my first plane journey to America (it's just off the coast of Ireland) and was incredibly excited about it. But when other kids my age were asking to see the cockpit or thinking that the safety instructions leaflet was "cool" I was happy sitting in my seat singing loudly to The Broadway Channel on the in-flight radio. My Mum kept asking me to sing quietly, especially during "I'm Just A Girl Who Can't Say No".

When I first moved to London I shared a room with a man and a television. One day I came home to find the television on and the man reading. I took my biker jacket off, got out of my silver toe-capped cowboy boots and settled down to watch My Fair Lady. I watched the whole thing and sang along to every song. The man left.

In fact, me and the man even lived next door to Ron Moody at the time. We sent him a Christmas card. How did I think that I hated musicals when I once sent Ron Moody a Christmas card?

Well, I'm out now. My family know (they sort of always knew), my friend's know (Bennett Arron once bought me Fiddler On The Roof on DVD as a joke. I didn't get the joke. I love that film) and finally now I know. I love musicals. I even know when they're good ("Cabaret") and when they are absolutely appalling ("Grease"). Someone who hated musicals wouldn't know that. They'd be too busy watching Top Gear and thinking about Cheryl Cole's bum to care about the quality of Sunday In The Park With George.

In hit me like a ton of bricks last night while I was watching (and loving) Hairspray at the Shaftsbury Theatre. It was fantastic. I laughed at all the funny bits which obviously upset some people as they kept looking over at me. I was in a theatre, after all. A bit of decorum, please. But that didn't dampen my enjoyment of the show. I loved the songs, the story (it's about time someone said something negative about racism) and Phill Jupitus in a dress. I really recommend going especially if you hate musicals like I thought I did. I need more people to come out and maybe you'll have the same realisation that I did. Musicals are great.

Go with a friend. You don't want to come out when you're alone. No-one will know. I was with my friend Ros Bell and she was so supportive when I finally admitted what I was to her. Thank you, Ros. I'm glad you were there.

Now I'm going to go off and bore everyone rigid with my knowledge of musicals. I'm currently listening to A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim and yesterday you would never have guessed that. It's my favourite musical ever. I even went to see it at the National Theatre TWICE. With two different women who didn't want to see me for much longer after seeing the show.

Fuck them. Who needs women when you've got We Will Rock You?

Oh. I'm sad now.





www.twitter.com/michaellegge
www.preciouslittlepodcast.co.uk

1 comment:

Scott said...

I saw Chess in a theatre in the west end in the late 80's. Seeing a musical written by half of the rock superband ABBA is as close to a religious experience as there is!!