Noah's Arc: September 2008 Archives

There's more Noah's Arc-related news today.

Darryl Stephens, who plays the title role, is on the cover of the new issue of Instinct Magazine and talks about how loyal fans of the Logo series were deeply upset when the show was canceled after just two seasons.

"Oh, people were furious when they found out the show was canceled. People who liked the show show were so touched by it," Stephens says. "They were so moved and responded with such raw emotion. It made me realize we really were doing something right, and it showed me that the show was bigger than me. Bigger than me as a gay man. Bigger than me as a black man."

Luckily, this October 24 sees the theatrical release of "Noah's Arc: Jumping The Broom." Darryl is more confident and seasoned than ever: "I'm still private about my personal life, but my being gay certainly does not have to be any big mystery or secret. Maybe in the
next few roles I get I'll learn how to settle into myself. I think that's kind of what I'm doing as a person: looking to settle into myself and be comfortable with who I am."

You gotta figure fans of the "Noah's Arc" TV series were gonna love the long-awaited feature film almost no matter what it was about. The great news is this: the movie is terrific and worth the wait. I walked out of last night's screening at Raleigh Studios with a smile because I liked it so much, liked spending time with Noah, Wade, Alex, Ricky and Chance again.

Only a cast already this comfortable with their characters and with each other could come up with that kind of chemistry and those kinds of performances in the movie that was shot in just 15 days.

I gotta start out by giving a rave to Rodney Chester (Alex) who is just a comic delight throughout the movie and gives his character the kind of larger-than-life personality that translates well onto the big screen. He has such great energy and timing but also dials it down just right in his two more dramatic scenes. Rodney has great material as his character takes it upon himself to become the wedding planner from hell for Noah (Darryl Stephens) and Wade's (Jensen Atwood) wedding at Martha's Vinyard. (The series is set in LA, but at the time the movie was shot, marriage was not yet legal in California - it is legal is Mass.).

At the end of the second season, the couple had split up and then Wade was in a bad car accident. We learn that Noah nursed him back to health and they got back together, Stephens and Atwood are sweet together, as always. Now, their characters are getting married and the core group of friends have traveled across the country to attend.

The movie covers the days leading up to the wedding where there are all kinds of revelations that take place amongst the group. I won't spill all the details but just know that every character has some major drama and relationship trouble including Chance (Doug Spearman) and Eddie (Jonathan Julian), and the slutty Ricky (Christian Vincent). I like that we peel the onion on Ricky some and learn why he is the tramp that he is.

There are some familiar faces and some new ones too. including Brandon (Gary Leroi Gray) who kind of has the Meg Tilly role if this were "The Big Chill." He's the outsider invited by one of the insiders, in this case Ricky who didn't want to be at a wedding alone for the weekend even though he isn't that into Brandon who is 19 and just coming out.

The character is in one of the movie's best-written scenes. It's at Wade's bachelor party and the kid is asking about gay relationships and male and female roles. Atwood is so good in this scene - the best he;s ever been - as he talks about Noah's feminine attributes and what he goes through inside each time he introduces his love to someone new. What do they think? What does it say about him? Wade has had some drinks and is being dead honest and it feels that way.

I love that scene.

Jason Steed's character of Baby Gat, who was after Noah in the series, is back at it in the movie and I guess is supposed to be comic relief. I found him completely annoying in almost every scene. The only good thing his character did was bring Noah's boss, Brandy (Jennia Fredrique) to the wedding and her scenes with Rodney Chester are high points.

And finally, two very talented ladies grace the movie briefly, but wonderfully. Tony winner Tonya Pinkins plays Wade's mother and in her few scenes, brings all she can to the role of a mother trying to understand. Then there is a cameo from the Pheobe Snow, the great singer who we haven't seen enough of in a few decades. She looks and sounds great and makes the soundtrack to this film (if there is one yet) a must have.

The movie was co-written and directed by Patrik-Ian Polk and hits theaters on October 24. Go to the movie's website NoahsArcMovie.com for more information.

Here is a promo video:

Usually, the production notes you are handed before a movie screening are pretty useless except for helping you to get the spellings of names correct etc. But the material for "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom" is so filled with good tidbits that I will probably have an item from it just about every day until the movie comes out in Oct. 24.

What really caught my eye was a section detailing the involvement of legendary singer Phoebe Snow in the project. If you haven't heard of her, go to her website PhoebeSnow.com and find out. She's best known for the song "Poetry Man" but is so much more than that classic song including the beautiful "Something Real" which she sings in the movie.

Director and co-writer Patrik-Ian Polk says in the notes that when he was writing the movie, he knew he wanted to have a wedding singer in the movie's final scene and the first person he thought of was Phoebe Snow.

At around the same time, Miss Snow discovered the "Noah's Arc" TV series on Logo as she was grieving over the most devastating of losses: the death of a child.

She says: "My daughter passed away in 2007. She was the love of my life. Without her, I was worried about my own survival. For some reason, watching 'Noah's Arc' drew me back into the material world. I decided I had to find the guy who created it. He saved my life. I wanted to thank him and I went on a mission to find him."

Not too long after, Phoebe found herself invited to Polk's birthday party and they later bonded over lunch. She was just returning to performing and agreed to appear in the movie.

Said Polk: "It was kind of surreal and strange. I mean, she's the legendary Phoebe Snow - I have her music on my iPod!... She wrote us a great song and performed one of her signature songs as well. We couldn't have asked for more."

Here is a video of Phoebe singing her classic, "Poetry Man"

If you ask me, the best looking duo on the red carpet at yesterday's Video Music Awards were dreamy Jensen Atwood and Darryl Stephens of "Noah's Arc." They are hot, hot, hot! I gabbed with them about the "Noah's Arc" movie out next month (Oct. 24). Here are some of the highlights of our conversation:

Q. Tell me, are you guys together as a couple in this film?
Darryl: He was saying we weren't supposed to talk about it but if he's in the film we have to be together.
Jensen: At the end lf the second season, I was laying on the side of the road with blood spewing out of my mouth.
Darryl: He's back.
Q. Are you back as a ghost or what?
Jensen: Darryl was telling me that the info is already out there. We were trying to be hush-hush about it.
Darryl: I'm pretty sure we know that Noah is getting married.
Jensen: But Wade is in the movie.
Darryl: Noah is set to get married in this film and Wade appears in this film as well.
Jensen: Yeah! There ya go! Well said.
Q: Does California legalizing gay marriage effect the film?
Darryl: When we shot the film, gay marriage was not legal in California so the film is set at Martha's Vinyard. We completed the film then the Supreme Court made it legal and we are hoping to (defeat) Proposition 8 in November by making this film the biggest blockbuster anyone has ever seen.
Q. There were so many people upset when the series got cancelled. Do you think this might mean more movies or a return of the series if the movie does really well?
Jensen: Hopefully "Noah's Arc" can go on forever and ever. Hopefully the movie does well and they get excited about it and maybe bring the series back.
Q. Hope so. Darryl, what did you think of Jensen's calendar?
Darryl: Hot! Hot!
Q. OK, back to the movie. Anything else you want to tease the fans with?
Darryl: It kind of takes things to the next level. It's really about the love relationships and all the friendships of the characters. Everyone's relationships get pushed to the next level in the film.
Jensen: Everything you loved about "Noah's Arc" the series, you'll love ten-fold over in the movie.
Q. This is kind of like the reunion similar to the "Sex and the City" movie.
Jensen: Yeah! In a black, gay way, yes, you're right.
Q. What about the next season of "Dante's Cove"Jensen? We're waiting for it.
Jensen: They want me to be a part of the next season, I'm still waiting for word as far as when we are going to start shooting. I can't wait to get back to Hawaii though.