Gay Of A Certain Age - Olivia Newton Gone

 Ew, I totally turned those smiles upside down.

You know that saying, "You don't miss your water, 'til the well runs dry"? 

(Maybe that's just a cool song on the MARRIED TO THE MOB soundtrack)

I had an incident... it all starts with, what I thought was, an affinity for the movie XANADU.

A good portion of my closest friends have bonded over multiple viewings of the very flawed, but completely delicious movie.  After a few in-home viewings, we were all excited that Outfest, the yearly LGBTQ film festival, listed XANADU as their sing-a-long feature back in 2002.

As you can see, there was a huge group of us ready to sing-a-long to all of those great songs on the soundtrack! (not many of us were ready to match the very high vocals of Jeff Lynne and most chose to sit those songs out... not me!  My apologies, still to those who sat around me that night).

We were so excited, Muh Dab, Dennis Hensley, had t-shirts made!

We're XanaDUDES!

Five years later, Douglas Carter Beane had the nerve to take this movie and make it a stage show. I'm glad he did, it was very lovingly hilarious and I built a Broadway visit around seeing the show.

I was also excited to git muh picture made with star, Cheyenne Jackson!

(Look, he's TOUCHING me!)

Two years after that, I got to share the joy with my friends as we traveled all the way to Orange County to catch the Tour of XANADU THE MUSICAL!

We were so excited, we took another shot with me as Sonny and Dennis as Kira, 
but I looked cutest in this shot.

I'm sure there were a few more in-home viewings, 

but in 2015, we jumped at the chance to see it again

in the Sunnyside Cemetery, in Long Beach.

I'm not a fan of cemetery viewings, 

because I find them very uncomfortable

and difficult to enjoy;

it was not an issue this time around.

Also, before the screening, 

there was an awesome cover band 

This guy was ready to match Jeff Lynne...

Then, August 8, 2022

Olivia Newton-John died.
I thought, "Awwww, that's sad." and moved on with my day.

It hit Dennis pretty hard.
While I understood his reaction, 

I just didn't feel the same way...
She was a celebrity, among many we lost this year.

On September 9, luckily my Friday off,

I joined Dennis & former DAB, Brett Freedman

for a farewell to Olivia screening of 
XANADU

at the New Beverly Cinema.

It was well attended for a 2 pm screening.

...And, we ran into friends

Tom Ford and

John Cantwell, whom I love love love as

Love Connie.

During the movie,
I was having a lovely time,

feeling a little sad for our loss.

Then, this scene, at the big opening of the club at the end happened.

Suddenly, at the moment caught in this pic,

 I was holding back a torrent of tears!
Just seeing her sing her number with such a joyful ease,

I realized she was gone.
She had always been a delight when I'd seen her perform

on variety shows, talk show guest spots and even crappy movies.

She was such a sweet ball of sunshine

that I hadn't registered had tanned much of my growing up.

I feel like I can remember the very first time

I heard Have You Ever Been Mellow as a mere child...

Of course, I can't actually, 

but I remember that song and how it made me feel,

how it STILL makes me feel. 

Her indelible performance in GREASE

(which I watched on a loop on Showtime and many more times since)

touches me, still.

There was a huge bubble on my heart

 filled with ONJ

that I had no idea was there

and it just burst right in that moment.

(I'm still getting a little misty eyed while writing this)

She was a sneaky one, that Olivia...

So, now I really get Dennis' reaction,

he was just more in tune with his love for her

than I.

Now, I understand that for many,

we not only lost a

greatly talented, sweet and lovely woman,

but also a chunk of what made us who we are;

we feel as if we've lost bit of our childhood,

a sweet & loving bit.

Farewell Olivia,

and if possible from where you are,

Keep me suspended in time with you

Don't let this moment die...