Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical

"Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical" opened in New York last year, but we've decided that doesn't count. Sylvester was a California boy and San Francisco hall-of-famer, so we're decreeing this Brava Theater production the "real" world premiere by fiat. Look, remember how your first time didn't really count either? Same principle. It works. Don't question it.

"Mighty Real" is a long monologue about the life of disco star and gay icon Sylvester James (Anthony Wayne), broken up (naturally) by musical numbers, many of them Sylvester's own but a few from other artists. And yes, they work "It's Raining Men" into the mix as well (the Weather Girls were Sylvester's longtime backup singers). Don't even pretend your fingers weren't crossed in anticipation on that count, we see right through you.

Sylvester himself has the makings of a great biographical stage show, or at least a fascinating one: one of the music industry's first openly gay stars (as opposed to just being an open secret like a lot of his peers), a fixture in the disco revolution (which probably seemed like a mixed blessing to a lot of people at the time but in hindsight was good fun), and a true bootstrapper success story, a guy who came out of an impoverished Southern California background into fame and independence. It's a story of longing and the quest for identity, about a kid who took advantage of the Watts riots to loot makeup and wigs from cosmetics stores when he was 17. What's not to love, right?

On top of that, Wayne looks good (he comes out sporting leather pants, a fur coat and enough eyeliner to sink a battleship, which in terms of a show like "Mighty Real" qualifies as rabid commitment to a role) and his overweening passion for the part and the real man he plays are so manifest it borders on freaky.

The problem is that "Mighty Real" comes off a little thin. It's like one of those celebrity tell-all books that doesn't really tell all: too much air in the material. For example, at one point Sylvester is devastated by the death of a loved one. We know because Wayne says right into the microphone, "I was devastated." Is someone offstage signaling him to rap it up, like an awards show? Don't skimp on the details, man, this is theater.

"Mighty Real" hits all of the dramatic high points of Sylvester's life but doesn't make most of them particularly high or particularly dramatic. He talks a lot about his longing for a sense of self and the loneliness and isolation that come with fame and meaningless libertine indulgences, but that's all it is: talking. And singing, of course. It's a better concert than play, and doesn't it feel like there have been a lot of shows the last few years you can say that about?

It's tempting to put the blame on Wayne and call him an able singer but a weak actor who can't reel us in. Honestly though, there are times when he crushes it, and it's probably not a coincidence those are the times when "Mighty Real" stops and lets him dwell on the ramifications of something rather than hustling along. It's possible he could really do something with this part. The show doesn't cut him enough slack to do it, though.

The music's good (and we imagine if you're a fan it's even great), and you've got to admire the sincerity of the gesture. But we'd be lying if we said "Mighty Real" doesn't let itself down when all is said and done.

"Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical" plays through March 1 at the Brava Theater, 2781 24th Street in San Francisco. For tickets and information, call 415-641-7657 or visit Brava.org.