Artists say inspiration can strike at any time, and John Pantozzi was getting a haircut at Talking Heads Barbershop in Asbury Park when an idea came to him.
Though his original plan didn't pan out, it was a nudge that told him the time was right to follow his dream.
And the brand-new Theater Q Asbury, an LGBTQ+-focused theater company, was born.
“This theater is the realization of my two passions — queer rights and the performing arts," the Asbury Park resident said.
“I believe it is more crucial than ever to celebrate and amplify the rich tapestry of LGBTQ+ experiences,” Pantozzi, who serves as artistic director of Theater Q, said, pointing to growing anti-trans legislation and book banning in the country. He wants Theater Q to be a voice for marginalized or overlooked communities, helping open conversations and building community.
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The troupe's first production, "Zanna Don't - The Reboot" will play House of Independents in Asbury Park from Oct. 11 to 13.
The show, which played off-Broadway in 2003, "turns the conventional American high school narrative upside down, imagining a world where being LGBTQ+ is the norm," organizers said. "At Heartsville High, patriotism comes in rainbow colors, and love stories are celebrated in every form. However, when two students discover they don’t conform to societal expectations, it throws their community into chaos. Enter Zanna — a magical, gender-nonconforming superhero-in-training — tasked with balancing patriotism, inclusivity, and love in a small Midwestern town."
While the show is a playful romp, the ideas of patriotism it stirs up are key just prior to the election, Pantozzi says.
Tim Acito, a Freehold native, wrote "Zanna Don't," with additional lyrics and material by Alexander Dinelaris.
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Pantozzi reached to Acito, and after a few conversations, realized Acito needed to be part of the Theater Q production.
"I realized his vision was so strong about this, I asked him to stage the show," he said. Acito also is revising some material as he works with the troupe, keeping the show relevant and thought-provoking.
The rest of Theater Q's inaugural season is set to be:
- "...what the end will be" by Mansa Ra in March, which the theater calls "an emotionally resonant intergenerational comedy that delves into the lives of three generations of Black gay men living under one roof."
- "After-Hourz," David Saffert and Jillian Snow's Liberace and Liza Minnelli tribute, in April. It offers "a truly terrific night of show-stopping glamour, timeless entertainment and candelabras," the theater says.
- "TL; DR: Thelma Louise: Dyke Remix" by EllaRose Chary and Brandon James Gwinn, in June. Theater Q says the show is "a fun, fast-paced comic musical about queer iconography where strong female characters don’t 'always gotta die.'"
Pantozzi is aware that being branded an "LGBTQ+ theater company" may limit its potential audience.
He stresses that allies are more than welcome to attend shows, and he hopes everyone will.
"(It's often said) to know a gay person is how you love a gay person. That kind of story is told over and over again for families who are bigots, then one of their own (is LGBTQ+). Granted, that doesn't always work out, but many times it does," he said.
"So what better way to come and learn about gay people? Watch us share our stories."
Theater reaches people because of its energy and immediacy, he says.
"There's something about it being live that, especially today with technology, it's one of the last bastions where we truly can shut things off and give ourselves over to what's on the stage. I think the magic of the one-to-oneactor-to-audience ratio means that people are truly connecting. It can't be replicated any other way."
Pantozzi also says it's important for a city like Asbury Park, which has a long association with LGBTQ+ history, to have queer cultural institutions, not only places like gay bars.
Bruce Springsteen acknowledged the deep queer history of the city during his set on the beach at September's Sea Hear Now Festival.
“I just want to take a moment to thank all the people who have invested themselves to bring Asbury Park back to life,” Springsteen said. “On the East Side, on the West Side — I want to thank the LGBTQ+ community for all they did for Asbury Park in the last 25 years."
Pantozzi also is planning an oral history project to preserve and tell the stories of a population that is aging.
“LGBTQ+ history is Asbury Park’s history,” he said. "We want to showcase the struggles, the joys, the spirit, of those who helped transform this city into the vibrant, inclusive community it is today.”
Pantozzi's hopes the future of Theater Q includes the continued development of new works, as well as building diversity, both on stage and off.
"It's like the rainbow within the rainbow, the diversity within the gay community," he said. "There are so many stories to still be told that are specific to aspects of the community."
Ultimately, Pantozzi says, he hopes Theater Q invites understanding.
"The biggest hope is that it just broadens the conversation. There is more that unites us than divides us. We all have similar stories. I think it's very interesting to see how those stories play out in different worlds."
Theater Q Asbury is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. You can explore memberships, starting at $10, at theaterq.org/memberships .
Go: "Zanna Don't - The Reboot"; 8 p.m. Oct. 11, 3 and 8 p.m. Oct. 12, 3 p.m. Oct. 13, House of Independents, 572 Cookman Ave., Asbury Park. For tickets, $20, and more information, visit theaterq.org or you can purchase tickets in person at Rebel Supply, 550 Cookman Ave #107, Asbury Park.
Ilana Keller is an award-winning journalist and lifelong New Jersey resident who loves Broadway and really bad puns. Reach out on Twitter: @ilanakeller; ikeller@gannettnj.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: 'Watch us share our stories': New LGBTQ+ theater troupe, Theater Q, debuts in Asbury Park
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