rufus is a filthy queer...
Posted on 12/08/2017 9:38:37 AM PST by Sopater
Performing in a classier place than usual with a fleet of musicians behind him working on union time, Rufus Wainwright didn’t shoot his mouth off nearly as much as he usually does during his elegant and dramatic two-set performance Saturday night with the Minnesota Orchestra at Orchestra Hall.
In the one instance when he did go on a brief political tangent, though, the 44-year-old piano-pop tunesmith was met with protest by one of the orchestra’s veteran members, principal trumpeter Manny Laureano, who stormed off stage.
The awkward moment came midway through the second set, as Wainwright sat at the grand piano and introduced “Going to a Town,” one of many fan favorites performed on Saturday — essentially a greatest-hits show with the added orchestration.
“I’m so tired of you, America,” is famously/infamously the refrain in the Juno Award-nominated 2007 song, which also offers lines questioning Christians intolerant of same-sex marriage. (Wainwright, a Toronto native and New York resident, has been married to husband Jörn Weisbrodt for five years and they are raising a daughter together, Viva).
Wainwright actually kept his comments relatively brief and, by his standards, rather innocuous, saying he had refrained from political talk at shows in prior months but was “a little in shock over what happened last night,” a reference to the GOP tax plan that passed in Congress overnight.
“It’s a call to arms,” Wainwright said. “We have to fight for this country.”
Even before the short speech was finished, Laureano conspicuously rose up from his seat in the back row of the stage, swung his arm in an exasperated gesture, put his horn down and walked off toward a rear exit. Conductor Sarah Hicks and other members of the orchestra offered no visible reaction and carried on without him.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
If he loses any gigs, he is victim of political harassment and can sue.
The rats get away with it because the elephants don’t fight back. Trump does and “Hurrah” for Manny!
BRAVO!
Hooray for Manny Laureano!!
It’s nice to see a man with principles.
Too many are silent while being lectured to by the “elite” who think they know what’s best for us. Imagine if the roles were reversed. How tolerant would liberal performers be about getting a lecture from a conservative?
I'm afraid you would have been the only one who booed.
Those gigs are usually night time jobs. Back in the 70's in the plant where I worked, there was a nice secretary who was also a violinist for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.......
Bravo! Encore!
I would imagine Minnesota is raging lefty due to all the Nordic immigrants? Finland Norway Denmark, etc.
Bless you. Would that he had swung his arms in exasperation while practicing at home, a much better time, without a doubt. You could report on it.
Several FReepers in or formerly in the Symphony biz have said it’s rife with homos.
And the basses were loaded.
This article is almost unreadable.
I was at water, Paul and Mary concert in Indianapolis a number of years ago when that happened. After their first set they came back on stage and started bad mouthing GWB and the republicans in general. About half the audience including me and Mrs. Redangus got up and left. I don’t care what a performers politics are, everyone has their rifht to an opinion. But when I’m paying money to hear music or watch a movie I don’t want to be preached to. Same goes for athletes. They have no trouble finding a forum if they want to vent, but not on the field or court.
Wainwright is a bigot.
Good for Laureano.
rufus is a filthy queer...
A lawsuit if fired.
Poor Viva.
Read Laureano's own words for a different perspective instead of taking the (Communist-sympathizing) Star Tribune and its reporter's report at face value.
See https://mannylaureano.com/2017/12/05/so-how-was-your-day-a-summation/
Claims that he did a cursory look at who Wainright was ahead of the concert, but did not come across the depth of the guy's hatred for Trump and the GOP. He also claims that he did not 'gesticulate' or 'storm off stage', rather he walked off stage after putting away his instrument, and on the way ut informed the second chair that they would need to fill in for him.
Also read the Powerline Blog article where I first read about this story, for other commentary.
The quote should have read, I understand the trumpeter’s disgust, but that was the wrong time to express his disagreement with the entertainer. The trumpeter should already have known. Wainright has been talking this way in public for many years. Manny may find it more difficult to get work on this level for a while.
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