鈥淔or me the most meaningful thing is that I am gay in real life and I鈥檓 unapologetic about it and I make no excuses. And I鈥檓 finally playing a character that is gay unapologetically and fearlessly so I just feel liberated every single night,鈥� says Brandon Uranowitz, who earned a Tony nomination for that performance鈥攁s Larry in the Broadway revival of Lanford Wilson鈥檚 Burn This.
The role marks Uranowitz鈥檚 third Tony nomination, but his first straight play on Broadway.
Just as playing a self-assured gay character feels freeing, so, too, does trading in a musical for an intimate drama. 鈥淪inging gives me a little anxiety,鈥� Uranowitz confesses, though you鈥檇 never know it.
鈥淚 get a little frustrated when you get put in this musical theatre box as if you can鈥檛 do the other,鈥� he continues, 鈥渂ut as far as I鈥檓 concerned it鈥檚 exactly the same. You鈥檙e just up there portraying another human being鈥檚 existence as truthfully and authentically as possible. Whether they鈥檙e speaking or singing, it鈥檚 all the same.鈥�
And it requires equal sophistication of craft. Uranowitz imbues Larry with equal parts sass and compassion as the third roommate in the trio with Anna and Robbie, who died tragically in a boating accident. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 sort of the unique special thing about playing Larry, not only has he lost someone really close to him鈥擱obbie, his roommate鈥� but this is 1987. He's a gay man living in New York City at the time. His community is shrinking exponentially very quickly,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of loss happening in his life yet he still manages to plant his feet on the ground and be this pillar of comfort and rational thinking for Anna and for Burton and for Pale. And he puts his own suffering on the back burner.鈥�
Though Wilson may have written him as Anna鈥檚 built-in support system, Uranowitz centers the play in humor and sensitivity. Larry鈥檚 total embrace of himself (in Uranowitz鈥檚 deft hands) puts the audience at ease in the story of grief and relationship tumult.
鈥淎t the end of the night I feel exhausted in the best way,鈥� he says.
Watch the video above to find out Uranowitz鈥檚 first-ever childhood role (hint: it was in Fiddler on the Roof), the show that most impacted him, and the title of the musical about his life he wants written by two Tony Award winners.
Videography and video editing by Roberto Araujo.
