David Kennerley

Journalist at Gay City News

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Articles

A new wave of books celebrating queer spaces

1 week ago | gaycitynews.com | David Kennerley

In the last couple of years, there’s been an invigorating new wave of books documenting lost and current queer spaces in New York City. Among them are “Drag Explosion,” featuring Linda Simpson’s rare photos of the underground club scene in the 1980s and ’90s; “Glitter and Concrete,” a cultural history of drag; and “Bartschland,” tracing decades of Suzanne Bartsch’s fabulously queer parties. For my part, I am gratified to be part of this renaissance in chronicling LGBTQ history.
‘I’m Assuming You Know David Greenspan’: A solo show with multiple characters and metatheatrics

2 months ago | gaycitynews.com | David Kennerley

David Greenspan may be the most prolific downtown theater artist you’ve surely heard of but forgotten why. Chances are, the particulars are a bit murky. As a refresher, the boldly queer actor/playwright/director has dazzled — and occasionally baffled — theatregoers for nearly four decades, garnering six Obie Awards along the way.
Paul Mescal dazzles in a stripped-down ‘Streetcar’

2 months ago | gaycitynews.com | David Kennerley

Paul Mescal is having a moment. After soulful turns in indie films such as “Aftersun” and “All of Us Strangers” (where he bared all as a tormented gay man opposite Andrew Scott), the 29-year-old Irish actor defied expectations as the vengeful, muscle-bound hero in “Gladiator II,” last fall’s epic blockbuster. His debut stint in December hosting Saturday Night Live garnered raves.
‘B*tchcraft’ recounts the birth of a queer feminist indie rockstar

Feb 13, 2025 | gaycitynews.com | David Kennerley

Most singer-songwriters rely on their lyrics to communicate life’s joys, heartaches, and everything in between. But for the musical artist who calls herself Bitch, that’s not nearly enough. To tell her complete story, she conjured a new musical play titled “B*tchcraft,” which boldly recounts her fraught trajectory from a timid “big-boned” girl in suburban Detroit to a brash queer feminist rockstar.
‘Kowalski’ eyes epic showdown between Brando and Tennessee

Jan 28, 2025 | gaycitynews.com | David Kennerley

In the summer of 1947, Tennessee Williams was on the cusp of eminent success at age 36. Two years prior, his memory play, “The Glass Menagerie,” was a surprise hit on Broadway. His new work, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” directed by the illustrious Elia Kazan, was slated to feature Hollywood star John Garfield as the rude, hotheaded Stanley Kowalski and Jessica Tandy as Blanche DuBois, the fragile, fallen schoolmarm. The promising production was Broadway bound.
“Little House on The Ferry: The Musical” » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News

Nov 5, 2024 | fireislandnews.com | Robert Levine |Shoshanna McCollum |David Kennerley

“Little House of the Ferry” is not just a play but an immersive experience. When you arrive at The Duplex, 61 Christopher St. in Greenwich Village, the atmosphere in the room heralds the fact that you are in for an evening of exceptional entertainment, joy, and humor. The showroom has atmospheric fog; the walls and the floor are sprayed in a spectacular rainbow of color, and audience members are dressed in costumes appropriate to the play’s theme before the show begins.
‘Little House on the Ferry’: Quirky, immersive musical set on Fire Island

Nov 1, 2024 | gaycitynews.com | David Kennerley

One of the most pivotal events in the fight for LGBTQ rights in New York history took place in June 2011, as we eagerly awaited the senate vote on the Marriage Equality Act in the State. Miraculously, it passed by a slim margin. It is against this politically charged backdrop that dramatist Robert Gould chose to set “Little House on the Ferry: The Musical,” his loopy heartfelt tuner about finding love, self-acceptance, and Planter’s Punches on Fire Island.
Q&A: Jeff Hiller and Tim Bagley reflect on three seasons of ‘Somebody Somewhere’

Oct 25, 2024 | gaycitynews.com | David Kennerley

When HBO announced that the third season of “Somebody Somewhere” would be its last, their modest but dedicated fan base let out a collective howl. In other spheres, however, the news was met with shrugs and blank stares: Somebody who? That’s because the series, starring and executive produced by fearless comic performer Bridget Everett, was practically designed to fly under the click-addicted, pop-culture radar.
‘Our Town’ review: A durable classic gets a modern refresh

Oct 15, 2024 | gaycitynews.com | David Kennerley

“Our Town,” Thornton Wilder’s enduring appraisal of small-town life in early 20th century New Hampshire, is among the most oft-produced works in the American theatrical canon. It was last seen on Broadway some 20 years ago, with none other than Paul Newman taking the lead as the crusty Stage Manager. An earlier production starred the venerable Henry Fonda in the role.
‘Wake Up’ review: One man’s fraught journey to salvation

Sep 16, 2024 | gaycitynews.com | David Kennerley

During the course of “Wake Up,” the angsty, captivating bioplay written and performed by Spencer Aste, various alarm bells go off. And no, not those tinkly, melodic smartphone alarms, but shrill, jarring clangors loud enough to wake the dead. And yet the distressed Spencer, figuratively speaking, fails to wake up. That’s because the openly gay Mormon boy, who fled Salt Lake City and eventually landed in New York to pursue a stage career, has fallen under the spell of a party girl named Tina.