Get Your Own Copy of The Big Voice Script!

Announcing the good news! The Big Voice: God or Merman? has now been officially licensed and published by Samuel French. You can order your own copy of the script directly from them by going to this page. And if you're a producer and you want to produce The Big Voice in your theater, you can license the play, find a couple of middle aged prima donnas who've been wanting to play romantic leads, and put the show up in your own home town.

Buna Texas, My Hometown 4

This episode brings us to a man plowing a field and a look around a flea market with some very unusual country items.

The Funniest Moment.

I have to tell you, I am so exhausted. Absolutely and completely worn out. Yesterday, during our matinee, I could barely keep my eyes open. After working so hard during the cruise, then one day home, then right into tech rehearsal and performances, it was almost too much. But I made it.

But something funny happened during the show -- so funny (and sweet, really) that I thought I was going to fall off the stage laughing. And worse, it was during a moment in the show where I couldn't laugh. So, I had to totally contain it without cracking so much as a smile -- and had to wait until we got to the dressing room. It came from a comment that popped out of the mouth of an audience member -- and I had no idea if Jim heard it. We couldn't look at each other and we couldn't do anything.

So, here it is -- and I hope it translates:

First of all, the audiences here much older than we are used to. I think it's because Tucson has many retirement communities -- and senior folks love to go to theatre. So, the Invisible Theatre has reaped the benefits of this population. (And more power to them).

The folks come in groups many times so they know each other and they make for a looser audience. Very responsive. We've played to full houses, and they've VERY reactive to the show. It's so good to hear all the wonderful laughter coming from the other side of the lights.

But they also tend to talk back now and then, which we don't mind at all. Jim loves the interaction and is really good at playing with them if they talk out loud.

However, since they are older than we are, they don't always know exactly where we're going with the show. In act two, as any of you who've seen the show know, we delve into the drama of my living with AIDS. But we slide into it gradually before we say the word "AIDS."

So, last night, I was crossing to stage right, saying my lines, after setting up the fact that we were moving to Los Angeles, "Well, it was the right move to make. We had two great cats."

Jimmy says, "Nothing could go wrong."

And then I cough (as a signal that I'm coming down with AIDS-related pneumonia). This moment always stops the show into dead silence as people take it as a sign that something has gone wrong.

When, out of blue, clear as a bell, we hear someone say, with absolute sincerity:

"He's allergic to the cats."

I thought I would come unglued. It was so unexpected. Most audiences we've played to are kind of expecting the whole AIDS thing to pop up since we mention it in our bios, etc. or they've read the reviews. But if you're older and you haven't really read anything about the show, it's natural that your mind might not go there.

Now, I can NOT stop the show at that point. I mean THIS is the point where it's all about AIDS! This is the most deadly serious moment of the play. I don't know how I maintained my poise. But I didn't crack a smile. But INSIDE I was laughing so hard, I could barely stand. And all I wanted to do was stop the show, run over to Jim and shout, "DID YOU HEAR THAT???"

So, we moved on to the hospital scene, the break-up, the reconciliation, then the end of the show.

When we got to the dressing room, we both looked at each other and just BURST out laughing into each others' arms.

God, I love live theatre. There's nothing like it. I couldn't stop laughing the rest of the day.

Buna Texas, My Hometown 3: Mom's Chicken Gumbo Recipe

I asked my mom if she would demonstrate how to make authentic south Texas gumbo. Thanks to the invention of the microwave, the "roux" is now easily made. But there's still a trick to getting it done just right...

Buna Texas, My Hometown 2

In part two of my 1986 documentary, my mom and I visit an old graveyard and then the church where my daddy was the pastor and I played piano. At the church, you will hear some TRULY deep south country singing. This is the real thing.

First Tucson Review (Arizona Star).

In its entirety:

'Big Voice' is theater with big heart and funny tales
By Kathleen Allen

Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 09.23.2007


Salvation can come in many forms: the Bible, J.D. Salinger, Bach, the Dalai Lama — you name it.

For Jim Brochu, it came in the form of belter Ethel Merman.

The story is told in hilarious detail in "The Big Voice: God or Merman?" now playing at Invisible Theatre.

This is theater with a big, big heart and funny, funny tales. Brochu and his partner, Steve Schalchlin, have made it easy to embrace this musical about growing up, falling in love with the theater and each other, and struggling to make their love deep and lasting.

Schalchlin is responsible for the often lovely, lively tunes and tender lyrics in the show, Brochu for the play.

But it is the two of them together who pour their hearts out and make the stories real and relatable.

The bio-play traces their very different boyhoods — Brochu grew up in Brooklyn, where he learned math from "The Price is Right" and optimism from "Queen for a Day." But mostly he dreamed of being the first Brooklyn-born pope.
Schalchlin grew up in Arkansas, the son of a Baptist minister. He longed to make music his life, and to step out of the closet with pride. Both would be hard for him.
The two met on a cruise — Schalchlin played the piano, Brochu flirted and fell in love.

And together they created and blossomed and went through painful times.

Schalchlin's songs capture the melancholy, the joy and the sorrows of relationships and growing up.

"How Do You Fall Back in Love?" is a tear-jerker of a duet with lyrics like "How do you reconnect what's disconnected / Unsay things you never meant."

And they detail the spiritual quests and questions the men go through. "Sometimes When I Pray" is a poignant song that questions whether there's a God to hear the prayers and ends with the words of a grandmother on her death bed: "If God has hands, they're your hands. If God has eyes, they're your eyes."

There's nothing preachy, or overly goosey and sentimental about "The Big Voice." Rather, it's a warm, compelling piece told and sung well by men who haven't a false bone in their bodies.

As they say, if you can fake sincerity, you got it made!

Buna Texas, My Hometown 1

Although I was born in Arkansas, my family moved around a lot. My high school years were spent in a tiny, little town called Buna, Texas down in the southeast corner of the state up against the Louisiana border, on the border of the Big Thicket National Forest. Buna was actually a sweet town full of interesting and warm people.

In 1986, just after Jim and I met, I made a trip back home to Buna and brought a video camera along. It was one of the first things I ever shot. With my mother in tow, we cruised around Buna. The tape was locked away in a cabinet for a long time. Finally, last month, we transferred the VHS tape to a digital file. I've edited the footage and have uploaded it to YouTube in six parts. Here is part one:

In Memory of Jeff Pierce.

Jim and I had the privilege of meeting Jeff Pierce when we were in Houston earlier this year. Jeff was the longtime husband/spouse to J.D. Doyle, who has, for years, kept up an archive of GLBT performers -- and who has a radio show that is available over the Net. Jeff, an intensely spiritual man, was one of the kindest and most loving persons I've ever met. Unfortunately, he died this August of cancer. I wasn't aware of his passing until J.D. called me this morning to deliver the news and to tell me that he had put a tribute page to Jeff on his site.


Jeff & J.D.

J.D. is one of the nicest persons I know. I send him my most ardent sympathy for his (our) loss. And thank you, J.D., for the personal message you gave me this morning involving "When You Care." I'm honored that the song means so very much to you.

First Video from Tucson!

We FINALLY got connected to the Net here at the place where we're staying. Yay! It's so nice to be back online. So, here is the first video from Tucson. Also, be on the lookout for a new video series I just finished editing: a six part visit to Buna, Texas where I graduated high school. It's a video I shot in 1986.

Meanwhile, here is Tucson:

Made It To Tucson

Just wanted to write a quick note. We won't have regular Net access for a few days, but Tucson is lovely (and flat!). The mountains surrounding this place are startlingly gorgeous.

Streetcars and Judy!

Arthur in San Francisco did a video featuring all the classic San Francisco street cars, which I talked about in one of my SF videos. This is just great, especially with the Judy Garland soundtrack!

Atlantic Crossing '07 4: The Night Crew

Tirso previously asked me to write a song for him and the people who work on the night crew.

Atlantic Crossing '07 3: The Challenge

Long nights of working on new songs during the cruise got the attention of some people working on the night crew. So, they presented me with a challenge...

Atlantic Crossing '07 2: Dublin (2)

Part two of our Cross Atlantic cruise is also Part Two of our day in Dublin at the NewsTalk radio station with Fionn Davenport. This is the interview in which Jim defends Joan Crawford.

Atlantic Crossing '07 1: Dublin (1)

On our cruise across the Atlantic, we first hit Dublin, where Jim had set up a radio interview on a local NewsTalk show. This is the first of two parts. Our friend, producer Steven Rivellino, joined us.

Home (For A Day).

We are home from our cruise. I made four videos onboard and I'll be posting them over the weekend. We are only home for a day -- then we are off to Tucson for three weeks to perform "The Big Voice" again!

Our first article has appeared. Stay tuned for some very fun videos. First, Jimmy sets up a radio interview by.. well, let's just say it has something to do with Kathy Griffin. Then, Steve meets some very interesting people aboard the ship and one of them presents him with a challenge. Do I meet the challenge? Stay tuned!