Nellie McKay - photo by Amy T. Zielinski
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On June 23, the Gramercy Theatre was the site of “Better and Better,” a momentous event. The classic theatre featured cabaret seating and an artfully and simply draped stage, “beams” of textile framing the mirror bright Yamaha piano. Great talent was coming together to raise funds to fight suicide in LGBT youth in support of the “It Gets Better” Campaign founded by Dan Savage and GLSEN, the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network.
Frank DeCaro, comedian and talk show raconteur, kicked off the evening. Resplendent in a red jacket—was he once a Continental Airlines info guy?—he warmed the audience up in style. When Alec Mapa took over to perform MC duties, we were well and truly off!
DeCaro had set the bar high, and Mapa leapt over it and took it with him. We learned new vocabulary words like “Sh-art” and when “that” happens, and one loses Dolce and Gabbana foundation garments, thrifty men weep! Mapa regaled us with the highlights of his day, including how his brain prefaces Anderson Cooper’s Tweets—Oooh, GIRL!—and how daunting it can be to meet someone you admire face-to-face. Mimi Imfurst, who catapulted to fame with RuPaul’s Drag Race, regaled us with a live song about “turning back to herself,” resplendent in a very patriotic cape and patchwork denim dress.

Singer/songwriter Rachel Sage, looking like a ’40s singer, with a flower tucked behind one ear and hair in a smooth magenta chignon, got the audience involved. We sang “Hey Na NA NA NA” with her, and learned about imaginary lovers in “Invisible Light” and that touring may sometimes be “Trouble.” Broadway diva Daisy Egan, who had heard about the benefit a mere 48 hours previously, shared her interior monologues on “Broadway Baby” and “I Enjoy Being a Girl.” She was sassy and fun, the audience demanded more from her, and she complied with “I’m The Greatest Star.” This girl is talented and funny, but when you win a Tony early on, the only way is up!

Nellie McKay provided one of the highlights of the evening. Leading off with “Change the World,” she dazzled us with her fertile brain, combining several styles of music all in one. Her new album, “Home Sweet Mobile Home,” promises to be as quirky and fun as her previous releases and her sense of humor and half-bubble-off-plumb perspective helps people see what’s really going on. Continuing with “Bruise on the Sky,” her contemplation comes through taking us with her. Ruminations continued with “No Equality” which McKay prefaced by saying she has lots of questions for President Obama, who was also in town that night. “No Equality” features a quote of “circus music,” during the musical break that, again, highlights the perspective that keeps things fresh. As she finishing her set with “Won’t U Please B Nice,” I thought of several couples for whom this would be an appropriate song.

Dan Savage and his husband Terry spoke to their passion for their project, for GLSEN and how important it is to teens. Their favorite way of expressing their passion for the Trevor Project, as well as It Gets Better, is that the video campaign talks the kids off the ledge, while GLSEN makes certain that many never get there in the first place. Warm and sweet, they were very sincere in their work, and inspiring as well.

Betty, the band par excellence, rounding out the evening with their songs “It Girl,” “Did You Tell Her” and the delicious a cappella “Metro,” about the power of secrets, sent us off into the night with their inspiring “Hercules.” There was a reception afterward and then we went out into the warm early summer night to think about the ways that we could all make things “Better and Better.”
To participate in this worthy endeavor, go to itgetsbetter.org, click on ‘take action,’ and then click on ‘donate now’ to make a tax deductible contribution.