PERFORMING ARTS

Dengue Fever revives the music of Cambodian pop singers from the '60s. (By Kevin Estrada)

-- Stephen Brookes

Tim Miller

Reinterpreting Broadway musicals into a gay coming-of-age story, performance artist Tim Miller took the appreciative audience at Dance Place on a bold journey Saturday night. The solo performance piece, "Us," was an in-your-face bigot-bashing rant by Miller, a member of the "NEA Four" -- artists whose federal funding was revoked during an infamous battle in the 1990s over controversial art.

Toting a suitcase full of album covers wrapped in an American flag, Miller proceeded to unpack the plight of being a gay couple in this country. (In a few months, the visa of his Australian partner of 14 years runs out and, because there is no federal recognition of gay unions, the two will be forced to leave in order to remain together.) As Miller tossed the album covers onto the stage, they were transformed into steppingstones toward freedom for gay adolescents. " 'Cabaret' helped me expand my fashion sense," quipped Miller. "I then cobbled together my Liza Minnelli outfit." Breathless, he laughingly recited synopses of a dozen musical story lines, giving them all hilarious gay and politically left interpretations -- " 'Fiddler on the Roof' is all ab out gay marriage. Well, at least the consistent expansion of the definition of marriage!"

While the satire and serious commentary on the lack of civil rights for gay and lesbian Americans were ingeniously woven together, the staging and delivery were somewhat monotonous. Miller's vocal tone at times ranged from whining to shrill with no aural relief from the litany of descriptions and injustices. Although he is known for physicality in his work, "Us" lacked body and spatial dynamism, and at times it reverted into a podium speech.

In a tribute to Gypsy Rose Lee and as an advocate of "stripping away the lies and hypocrisy" in our nation's laws, Miller pulled off a coup with the finale. In a slow and perfunctory striptease he ended the show naked and asked:

"When is it going to be our turn?"

Tim Miller performs the same program March 15 and 16 at the Baltimore Theatre Project.

-- Barbara Allen

Natural Black

Reggae shows almost always start late. If the flier says the concert starts at midnight, tack on an hour. Or two hours. Just don't think of 12 a.m. as the start of anything but a new day.

Saturday night (a.k.a. Sunday morning) at Zanzibar, a Guyanese-themed reggae showcase kicked off at 1:30 a.m. -- 90 minutes later than advertised -- with opening artist Redemption. But headliner Natural Black didn't hit the stage until 2:36 a.m., giving him just 24 minutes before the house lights went on and his mike was shut off. Natural Black was hampered by another frequent occurrence at reggae concerts: a singer crooning to backing tracks, not a live band, giving the gig a high-grade-karaoke feel.

Middle act First Born, backed by the Entourage band -- yes, actual musicians -- brought its five-part harmonies to a number of roots-reggae songs that touched on the usual themes (Jah, weed, self-pride) while also sending many shout-outs to Guyana. This is a talented group of singers, and considering this was just the second concert First Born and Entourage have performed together, it was a solid set.

But it was a letdown when Natural Black had to rush through his otherwise great roots-meets-dancehall cultural songs, none of which he fully finished. When host Tony Carr came onstage to wrap things up, Natural Black said, "Rasta nah done." He charged through the 11th and final fraction of a song, but that was it. The crowd wasn't happy, and several patois cuss words were shouted into the early morning air.

-- Christopher Porter