Out in Saigon
“I only came out two years ago so it’s all kind of new,” says 21-year-old actor John Yi who is in the ensemble of Miss Saigon. “Not knowing anything is kind of to my advantage as I’m open to anything.” Yi brings that openness not only to exploring Toronto’s gay nightlife, “the energy of the gay community is so different,” but to his work. “There is a scene where I have to shout in Ma-Anne Dionisio’s face and throw her to the floor. I found it devastating. ‘Use it,’ she said. ‘These kids were soldiers forced to kill their families, so devastation is something you can use.’” Yi is on summer holidays from his studies at Elon University in North Carolina where he is finishing a BFA as well as “conservatory-style musical theatre training,” so he is overjoyed at the chance to work with and learn from “such talented professionals. They’ve been on Broadway forever.” There is another advantage with Miss Saigon says Yi, “To be around other gay actors of an Asian descent. It’s comforting to know that there are more of me out there. More brothers. “ — Drew Rowsome

Miss Saigon is at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St W until Sun, Aug 1. Info: dancaptickets.com

Cross-gender dream in High Park
“Ron Kennell plays the Nurse and Caroline Gillis plays the Friar and Benvolio. Both of these actors are incredibly intuitive when it comes to poking fun at the constraints of gender,” says Dora-winning actor Clinton Walker who plays both Mercutio and Lord Capulet in the gender fucking, multi-role juggling, play-within-a-play version of Romeo & Juliet at CanStage’s annual outdoor Dream in High Park. “I’m in the fortunate position of getting to play both the stern daddy and the wild circuit party brat. Now, if only I get the two of them to get busy on stage somehow,” jokes Walker. The titular leads, played by Jeff Irving and Christine Horne, remain true to their genders of origin but Walker feels it’s an improvement over the original Shakespeare convention of casting fey boys to play female parts. “Truthfully, Shakespeare’s women were too emotionally complex to be played by twinks. No offense twinks.” — Matt Thomas

CanStage’s Dream in High Park: Romeo & Juliet plays Tues-Sun at 8pm at the High Park Amphitheatre until Sun, Sept 5. Info: canadianstage.com

Hairy balls out
“I usually get cast as a drag character. A slutty maid or an aloof drag queen,” says Francesco Caruso who is appearing in Toronto Youth Theatre’s production of Hair. “This character, Berger, is more androgynous and appeals to both men and women. I don’t usually carry myself with that much weight but I’m learning to walk with balls-out bravado. And I think it will carry over into my own life.” Caruso was a self-confessed “shower singer” who “played in many bands accompanying shows. I was really jealous of the attention the actors got. Especially when the show’s music was good and the actors sucked.” Hair’s music intrigued Caruso, “it’s really beautiful,” but, being 20 years old, it is music from the distant past. While researching to get “into the aesthetic of the time” Caruso discovered that, “the writers were actually lovers in the past,” which gave an extra balls-out inspiration to Caruso’s interpretation. Because it is a youth theatre, Hair’s notorious nude finale is being reworked but Caruso, disappointing all chicken-lovers but not true musical theatre afi cionados, that the youthful 20-member cast will deliver “hippies, drugs and sex. Lots of colours and lights, a really good spectacle.” — Drew Rowsome

Hair runs Wed, July 21 to Sat, July 31 at the Lower Ossington Theatre, 100A Ossington Ave. Info:torontoyouththeatre.org