NEW YORK CITY?It?s just past midnight of Tuesday as I write. I?ve had quite a busy birthday!

As I wrote last week, there was a developmental reading of a new musical called ?Allegiance? early in the evening. Over the past several days, we?ve been working on the material, learning new melodies and harmonies, trimming scenes and songs. Something?s very special about this musical, though it?s about a dark time in American history.

In the afternoon I had a soundcheck at Lincoln Center for another very special event called ?Broadway Backwards.? This is the fifth year that it?s being staged.

?Broadway Backwards? is a benefit presented by the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) Community Center and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The Center was established in 1983 as a haven for all LGBT. Today, it is home to over 300 diverse community organizations that meet there every week. Its website (http://gaycenter.org) attracts over 30,000 visitors each month, and thousands visit its West 13th Street address weekly.

Broadway Cast/Equity Fights AIDS has funded The Center for over 20 years. Its mission is to mobilize the entertainment industry to help those afflicted with HIV and AIDS. Many members of the Broadway community are active supporters of this wonderful organization. Visit http://bcefa.org.

For ?Broadway Backwards,? the ladies sing men?s songs and vice versa. But it goes beyond playing turnabout. This is a unique opportunity for gay and lesbian stories to be told with some of the most beloved musical theater and film music. The pronouns remain (if the song has a ?he? in it, it remains so), and the subtexts take on a very different character. The performances range from the absurdly funny to the dramatic and emotional.

This year the show was held at the Vivian Beaumont Theater in Lincoln Center, where ?South Pacific? is currently running. It has a beautiful space with a labyrinthian backstage area. Finding one?s way around it can be daunting; I?m fortunate to be sitting here alive.

I was assigned to dressing room 8, with ?Knots Landing? alum Michele Lee. We performed together at the 2002 Tony Awards, singing in the opening number. The other performers included Florence Henderson and Eve Plumb (?The Brady Bunch?), Raul Esparza (?Company, Tic Tic? Boom?), Becki Newton (?Ugly Betty?), Len Cariou (?Sweeney Todd?), Gary Beach (?The Producers,? ?Les Misérables?), Tonya Pinkins (?Jelly?s Last Jam?), Aaron Lazar (?A Little Night Music?) and Mario Cantone (?Sex and the City?).

To give you an idea about the selections: Raul?s number was ?The Man That Got Away?; Aaron?s, ?As Long As He Needs Me?; I sang ?Out There? (?The Hunchback of Notre Dame?). My uniquely gay bent was repression. Awesome.

Soundcheck

I had only one chance to soundcheck my song (conducted by Wayne Barker, arranged by Jeffrey Biering) as there were many other numbers that would take their turns onstage. Robert Bartley, the director, gave me a few instructions to maximize the drama factor.

After I was done, I hightailed it down to Playwrights Horizons to rehearse and perform the ?Allegiance? reading?a very emotional experience. There is something very special at work here, and I do hope this story that needs to be told ends up on Broadway.

After the reading, I got into a waiting car and returned to Lincoln Center for ?Broadway Backwards.? I headed straight to my dressing room, got my makeup and hair done and put on my Rajo Laurel black corset top.

My number was placed in the second act, seven songs in. Oh man, I had the best time! I would love to someday see a show like this staged in Manila.

After the show, I headed to the after-party and had myself a glass of wine. A very busy birthday?I couldn?t have spent it better.