pH brings back 'Same Sex Different Gays' for the summer

Chicago, IL - After a successful first run of sold out shows nearly every night, pH Comedy Productions invites you to "fall head-over-heels again" for their LGBT musical sketch comedy "Same Sex Different Gays." The return engagement of their hit show, which started June 1st, features new cast members and new songs in this honest, intimate and laugh-out-loud funny show exploring the many-faceted relationships of LGBT life.

"Our first time around, we had high hopes and the show exceeded our expectations," Bev Bailey, the show's director and a repertory member of pH, told ChicagoPride.com. "I invited friends, fellow writers and directors, gay couples, straight couples and family. The response was surprise and delight from all of them. How could a show not have gay as the punchline, but the aftertaste of funny, smart scenes?"

"It felt great to shed light on some of the less talked about aspects of LGBT life," added Brett Mannes, Executive Director of pH productions and one of the cast members with SSDG since the beginning. "The response we got from crowds and reviewers was so supportive and enthusiastic that we had to bring it back for Pride and beyond."

"Same Sex Different Gays" first premiered on Valentine's Day this year and ran through the end of March, drawing audiences to their recently opened theater in the heart of Andersonville. The hour-long show consists of a myriad of songs that explore the "the ins, outs, tops and bottoms" of same-sex relationships punctuated by short comedic scenes, all tied together by an overarching plot of finding love in the gay community. Bailey's goal for the show was to create something funny and relevant that honestly discussed relationships within the LGBT community -- a play that didn't rely on stereotypes, where gay was a given and not the punchline.

The resulting show portrays everything from random hook-ups to lifelong marriages and even fags and their hags (for more details about the show, check out ChicagoPride.com's feature on "Same Sex Different Gays" and pH Comedy from this past February). Changing up a few of the songs this time around gives pH a chance to explore even more territory, leaving no stone unturned in their quest to tell an honest, if satirical, story about relationships in the LGBT community.

"There are still so many things that are true about LGBT life that pop culture or art does not really talk about much," Mannes said. "Open marriages are something prevalent in the gay male world -- there is definitely a lot to satirize there. But also, on the other end of the spectrum, so much focus is put on sex. We could use some comedy around old fashioned romance."

The show doesn't lack for variety, with songs varying from the frank, sexually charged and funny, like a duet between the least and most attractive men at an orgy, to the touchingly intimate, as in a song between two lesbian mothers about losing that feeling you get "at first" after spending a lifetime together. The new diddies came about after finding two existing songs about the same topic, for example hooking up -- one gave way to the other for the sake of freshness, allowing new songs take the place of the old.

The first new song, premiered in June, is called "The App Song" -- an all-cast ode to the infamous Grindr that features some great jokes, fabulous harmonies and a glittery microphone prop. More new songs will continue to premiere throughout this summer's run.

"One song premiering this weekend is a 'truth or dare' reveal," Bailey teased. "I don't want to give anything else away, other than after you hear some of our new songs, you may find yourself even more enamored with the cast than before."

When SSDG re-premiered in June, three of the original six cast members remained: Mannes, Patrick Serrano and Rasheeda Moore. pH, which Mannes calls a "very social, wide and deep company," looked to the pH Company and Repertory players as well as their pHarm House training program and pH college teams to cast the second run. The new cast consists of Matt Beard, Alli Braun, Trent Oldham, Mary Walsh, Jake Farrington and David Gordezky.

"What's great about this new cast is that we've actually added more performers who identify as gay rather than relying on our straight allies to try on playing gay," Mannes said. "I think this new cast adds more authenticity to the show, which is important. Authenticity was always intended to be the voice of this show."

Both Farrington and Gordezky are understudies, but starting this week they'll be taking over lead parts here and there in addition to filling in for the other four permanent males in the cast. Last week also saw Walsh, previously Moore's understudy, take over the role permanently. For Moore, a straight woman who helped produce SSG's first run, the show is one that that transcends not only gay stereotypes, but labels of gay and straight to give an honest portrayal of real-world relationships.

"I have watched the show many times, and one of my favorite things to do is watch the audience reactions, they are always like, yes, that is exactly how it is," Walsh said. "That makes me feel like we've done our job. This show is relatable, that is the point. We all go through these feelings no matter what our sexuality is."

"Same Sex Different Gays" runs every Saturday at 9:30 p.m. through August 17 at the ph Comedy Theater, 1515 W Berwyn, around the corner from Berwyn and Clark, in Andersonville. Tickets are available for $15 ($10 for students) either online or at the box office. The pH Comedy Theatre is BYOB and audience members who mention pH across the street at Ranalli's of Andersonville receive a discount on beer and other beverages.

For more information about pH Productions please visit www.whatisph.com.