New York Comedian Sam Morrison Pays Tribute To His Late Boyfriend In ‘Sugar Daddy’
In 2021, Sam Morrison misplaced his boyfriend, Jonathan, to COVID-19 simply 4 days after Valentine’s Day. The New York actor-comedian believes his heartbreak was an element that led to his personal Type 1 diabetes prognosis ― which his physician recommended might have been introduced on by grief ― shortly thereafter.
Morrison, who describes himself as an “anxious, asthmatic, gay, diabetic Jew,” finally got here to the conclusion that his trauma may very well be the impetus for a inventive endeavor. The result’s “Sugar Daddy,” a one-man, off-Broadway comedy that opened at New York’s SoHo Playhouse final month.
Taking the stage each night time, Morrison stated, is a chance to “reframe my relationship with grief and death in general.” Along the best way, he makes use of humor to handle the stigmas round growing old and physique picture throughout the LGBTQ group. Oh, and there’s an unforgettable anecdote involving oral intercourse, too.
Watch Sam Morrison’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers” look under.
The present’s title is a double entendre that alludes to the age hole between the 28-year-old Morrison and Jonathan, who was 51 on the time of his dying, in addition to the glucose monitor he wears to measure his blood sugar.
“This is one of those shows that’s just not for everyone,” Morrison advised HuffPost. “But once I realized it has value for me and for others, any concerns I had about it being too self-indulgent went away. It’s been really powerful for me to express my grief with others. I’m going to hopefully grow and learn more about myself from that.”
As a younger grownup, Morrison felt at odds with different homosexual males in that he was drawn to the “unconventional ideal of [male] beauty” ― or, as he casually proclaims within the present, “fat older men.”
“People would want to set me up and I would have to be like: ‘No, I’m not attracted to guys who look like me,’” he defined. “I had a lot of shame about the type of men I was attracted to, which is a big reason I didn’t come out for a long time. But Jonathan and I didn’t let those comments affect us.”
He’s additionally prepared to probe the imperfections in his relationship, albeit in a heartfelt method. One of essentially the most hard-hitting moments in “Sugar Daddy” is his recollection of a digital performing class he took within the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, shortly after he and Jonathan had relocated to his grandmother’s home in New York’s Rockland County, about 30 miles north of Manhattan.
After Morrison delivered a ready monologue over Zoom, he and Jonathan broke right into a heated, expletive-laden argument that was inadvertently broadcast to his performing coach and a room stuffed with aspiring thespians. To Morrison’s dismay, his coach assumed the combat was a part of the monologue, and praised his performing chops within the second.
“When we’re remembering people, we often put on a rose-colored lens,” Morrison stated. “There are power dynamics in every relationship, and if you’re dealing with them in a society that judges you, you’re extra-conscious of them. But as long as you and your partner are both conscious of them, of course, find love.”
“Sugar Daddy” has been warmly acquired by The New York Times and the Daily Beast, in addition to different media shops. Stars like Andy Cohen and Alan Cumming have additionally praised Morrison’s efficiency, whereas Seth Meyers welcomed the actor-comedian to ship a standup set on his late night time present final month.
Once “Sugar Daddy” wraps its New York run on Feb. 17, Morrison will start preparations to open the present in London this spring. Ultimately, he’d prefer to develop “Sugar Daddy” as a filmed particular for a streaming platform, however famous, “I don’t know what that looks like. The situation would have to be the right situation.”
And those that attend “Sugar Daddy” within the final week of its New York run could also be in for a shock in the event that they catch the present at one other venue sooner or later.
“I love making comedy that’s part of a larger narrative, meaningful in some way,” Morrison stated. “Right now, this feels like my story. I’ll keep working on this, workshopping and changing it. But I have plenty of other stories in me ― I think we all do when we dig deep.”
“Sugar Daddy” is taking part in at New York’s SoHo Playhouse via Feb. 17.