Maria and the Gays
'If it weren't for the gays, Maria would not be the phenomenon she is'. Thus spoke her brother-in-law in an interview about Maria. Indeed, her journey parallels some aspects of many gay men's lives. The journey from self-loathing to beauty, glamor and style; the journey of self-transformation. This journey oftentimes leads to a less-than-genuine life, as it did for Callas, who many times said she felt trapped in the Callas role she had strived to create. This blog is a humble tribute to the Art of the great Maria Callas in the hope that it will resonate with some of you, as her voice resonated with me, when, as a young man, I was introduced to it by a dear friend. It was the aria 'E Strano' (It's Strange) from the legendary 1955 La Scala production of Verdi's Traviata (directed by the famed director Luchino Visconti) that got me hooked on Callas for life.
