Melissa Etheridge casts a one-way gaze in her Off-Broadway debut
queerty.comWelcome to Curtain Call, our mostly queer take on the latest openings on Broadway and beyond.Two-time Grammy winner and 15-time nominee Melissa Etheridge delivers the story of her life in My Window – A Journey Through Life, a nearly three-hour solo performance now playing Off-Broadway that packs in 24 songs and just as many anecdotes.
If that seems like a lot of Etheridge, it is. But the singer-songwriter’s star power is undeniable, and at 61 years old, she still delivers the emotional ferocity that is the very definition of rock ‘n roll.
The background behind her songs gives them even more depth, but a hunger for the spotlight casts a shadow on the intimate relationships that often buckle under the pressure of her creative pursuits.Related: 10 music videos from queer artists to jam out to all dayBursting out of a road case like Harry Houdini, Etheridge immediately engages the audience, jumping into a chronological retelling of her life, from her childhood in Leavenworth, Kansas, to a brief stint at Berklee College of Music, followed by her slow rise to success, playing lesbian bars throughout Los Angeles until being introduced to Island Records’ Chris Blackwell.
Sixteen studio albums later, Etheridge is undeniably a force to be reckoned with.Written in collaboration with current wife Linda Wallem Etheridge, whose writing and producing credits include That ‘70s Show and Nurse Jackie, her stories have the well-crafted arc and casualness of sitting at your favorite bar with a bestie.
