POWER PARTY
Between 1995 and 1999, Gary Leeson was Sydney Mardi Gras’ Party Director. To many, it was a Golden Age of party perfection. This year, he’s back as party supremo. Better fasten your seatbelts! >>
DNA: Gary, your official title for Mardi Gras 2014 is Party Creative Consultant. What does that mean? What do you get to do? Gary Leeson: As Party Creative Consultant, I lead a team of creatives to design the Party. Well, we want near-naked dancing muscle hunks. Will there be plenty of those? That’s what I want too! So, yeah, absolutely thousands of them. I’ve chosen a selection for the readers of DNA. What are you most proud of achieving during your previous time with Mardi Gras? Lots of things. The Parties were of the highest standard and sold out well in advance, so creatively they were highly acclaimed and incredibly financially successful for Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras. I introduced the idea of a live act each year, which took it to another level. And big community shows where non-dancers rehearsed their arses off for a week to be part of an amazing show at Mardi Gras Party. A favourite from that time? The 60 boys who danced with Kylie in 1998. Do you have an all-time favourite Mardi Gras moment? Yes! What is that? Hmmm, is there a sealed section in this edition? Let’s just say it happened in the Dome at the 30th anniversary Party and involved two boys from Melbourne. What makes a successful Mardi Gras show? One that leaves the audience wanting more, cheering and applauding and with the feeling that they could only have seen that show at Mardi Gras. What are the challenges of having to please so many people at the Mardi Gras party? There’s a lot. You want to appeal to the most people possible and creatively you want to be leading the way. So it’s a fine line – appealing to the masses but also throwing in the really original and cutting-edge stuff. Thankfully, we have enough venues to be able to do that and people get the opportunity to dip into new scenes they may not be aware of and forge new friendships. That’s the great thing about Mardi Gras Party: you often find yourself going off on an adventure with people you wouldn’t normally meet. Have you had to deal with some insane egos over the years – performers, entertainers, DJs? Yes! I’ll say no more on this except: in my experience, the bigger the star the easier they are to work with. Mardi Gras, as both an event and an organisation, is constantly evolving. What elements remain the same? The community involvement. It’s the community that makes Mardi Gras what it is. That’s why it’s so important that the community engages with the organisation on as many levels as it can and that Mardi Gras Party be a unique experience. We’re not a music festival, we’re not a concert, we’re Mardi Gras Party. There’s a basic DNA to Mardi Gras Party and we have to respect that. There was a name change a few years ago that took the “Gay And Lesbian” out of the title. That’s now been reversed, but is Mardi Gras something that still “belongs” to us? I wasn’t a supporter of the name change so I’m glad that decision has been reversed. Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras absolutely belongs to us. I’d actually love to see the name changed to SGLBTQI Mardi Gras. Just as Chinese New Year is for everybody to enjoy and participate in, it belongs to the Chinese community. The same applies to Mardi Gras. What do the “Choose Party” and “There’s Only One Party” slogans communicate about this year’s event? If you’re in Sydney in March 2014 and you’re GLBTQI or a friend of our community and you want to party there’s only one party to choose! Is a high profile guest performer a must at Mardi Gras? A high profile guest is great and often the icing on the cake but I wouldn’t say a must. The Party itself is the “star”. Over the years a lot of people have told me what their favourite show has been and more often than not it’s been with an amazing drag queen or community show. Having said that, there’ll definitely be a high profile performer at Mardi Gras Party 2014. What’s the atmosphere like backstage before a big Mardi Gras production show? It’s usually pretty calm until the last 15 minutes before a show and then people begin to get hyped up. I’m usually so nervous that I throw up! A l ot of the performers i n the production numbers aren’t professionals. Do they ever wig out? Not at all. People are usually pretty focused. Which big name star have you most enjoyed working with? Dannii Minogue. How do you think Mardi Gras compares to other big gay parties around the world? Very well. The first Mardi Gras Party was held 22 years ago and we’re still here. I’ve seen a lot of parties come and go in that time so we must be doing something right. Every year the Parade attracts criticism. For some it’s not political enough, for others it’s too political and not glamorous enough. What does it need to do to become appreciated? The Parade will always attract criticism as will the Party and that’s a good thing. I believe the Parade can be glamorous and political and frivolous and serious and camp – it’s not just one thing, it’s everything thrown together. That’s the beauty of it, and to those who say it’s missing something I say organise yourselves and a group of friends to inject what you think is missing. What do you recall of your first Mardi Gras experience? It changed my life. I was 31 when I came out and had struggled with my sexuality. A friend invited me to Mardi Gras Party. I looked around the dance f loor at a sea of what seemed like the most beautiful gay men and lesbians and thought, “I’ve found my tribe.” What advice would you give a Mardi Gras virgin? Jump in headfirst and open yourself up to the most amazing ride of your life. There’s nothing like your first Mardi Gras, so enjoy!
A successful show is one that leaves the audience wanting more… and feeling that they could only have seen that show at Mardi Gras.