Michael Urie To Star In Off-Broadway’s The Tempermentals
March 24, 2009 by Tom
Ugly Betty’s Michael Urie is heading to the stage again, this time as the lead in Jon Marans play The Tempermentals, which begins performances April 30 at the Barrow Group Studio Theater. It’s a limited engagement – the man’s busy, you know – it opens May 4 and will run through May 18. The show is directed by Jonathan Silverstein.
Here’s something I did not know: ‘Temperamental’ was a code word for “homosexual” in the early 1950s, part of a created language of secret words that gay men used to communicate. (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been called temperamental 
).
The play tells the story of two men in the early 1950’s, Harry Hay and Rudi Gernreich, who built the first gay rights organization in the United States. The two were actual men who founded the Mattachine Society.
This seems like a pretty big role – Michael’s career seems to be on the rise! He’s going to be big on stage and screen, it appears. Woot!
This looks quite interesting – those of you who will be in New York at the time should check it out!
Image: Bauer-Griffin
Trivia fact: Rudi Gernreich was also a fashion designer who gained even greater notoriety for designing the “monokini” (topless bikini) and other naughty swimwear.
Alas, I live in California and will not be able to attend, but I totally would if it were playing in LA.
I know Urie loves the theatre (he had said so in his podcasts and other interviews).
Way to go! Keep rising, Michael! You are fantastic.