Choreographer Peter DiMuro Finds Joy in Being a 'Funny Uncle' with Annual Show

Choreographer Peter DiMuro brings his annual "Funny Uncle Cabaret" to Cambridge, MA this weekend. EDGE spoke to DiMuro about being a 'funny uncle' and why the show is important to the queer community.

Peter DiMuro started dancing professionally at the height of the AIDS crisis. He had also recently come out at that time. He worked with Dance Exchange, founded by MacArthur "genius" award winner Liz Lerman, and eventually ending up as artistic director of the company. He subsequently formed his own company, Public Displays of Motion, as well as becoming the artistic director of The Dance Complex in Cambridge, MA. At the heart of both businesses is his commitment to approach dance in unconventional ways, not the strict adherence to perfection – both physically and aesthetically – that is watch cry of professional ballet; but the looser, more radical notion that dancers can come from all aspects of contemporary life. And different abled-bodies deserve their spot on the dance floor.

It is relating dance to every day lives that comes to mind when describing his "Funny Uncle Cabaret," an annual event DiMuro sponsors and puts together every holiday season in which he relates his own experiences playing the mysterious Uncle Drosselmeyer in productions of the "Nutcracker" with his own experiences as an uncle, having adopted his niece in a lengthy process. The theme of alternative families, particularly for LGBTQIA+ people, weaves throughout the show. Act Two includes music and performances by prominent members of Boston's vibrant cabaret and drag communities.

This year is no exception. Joining DiMuro are such Boston's queer luminaries as drag performers Mizery and Linda Marie Possa, and singer Robert McFletcher Jones as well as long-time Public Displays of Motion collaborators Irene Lutts, Ann Fonte, Kristin Wagner & Tony Guglietti, and others. Vermont-based dancer Christal Brown joins as a special guest.

Peter DiMuro and his company Public Displays of Motion (PDM), present "Funny Uncle Cabaret" on Saturday, December 14 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, December 15 at 7 p.m. in Studio 7 at The Dance Complex in Cambridge, MA. For more details, follow this link.

EDGE spoke to DiMuro about the show.

EDGE: What is "Funny Uncle Cabaret?"

Peter DiMuro: "Funny Uncle Cabaret," in this 18th or 19th version, is a retelling of the Nutcracker story from the view point of Clara's Uncle- that mysterious, eccentric "funny" uncle. It also weaves other real life incidents including the lengthy process to adopt my niece, and other peoples stories of families of choice. And just like the traditional Nutcracker travels to a land of sweets in the second act, we just open the line between audience and stage and will have an open mic for those who want to sing, and a sing along song or two with a holiday theme. There's a lot of humor mixed with poignant moment or two.

EDGE: What inspired you to create it?

Peter DiMuro: What should have been a year or less, this adoption process was going on and on, and eventually it took 14 years to get Sienna, my niece, out of Mexico. Blended in with this story were my own paternal feelings wanting potentially to have a child at a time when gay men didn't have as much agency to do so. And as a performer I had been a modern dancer dancing a ballet character role- the Uncle in Nutcracker, which paralleled my life as being a Funny Uncle as an actor, too- the Paul Lynde type....especially when I came out as gay in a conservative midwestern world of the 70's and 80's.

EDGE: How has it changed over the years?

Peter DiMuro: The original script was intended to be more of a recited poem, with each section spoken but underscored by sections of the Tchaikovsky score from Nutcracker. I had seen David Suchet, then traveling with the Royal Shakespeare Co, tell a story underscored by music by Fritz Kreisler and it was so damn powerful- I borrowed the structure.

And then over the years, the stakes were different: I realized that all of us - regardless of where anyone is on the spectrum of queerness, - makes choices about family: so I reached out to find folks willing to share some performed version of their family stories. We've had dances but also singers, comics, burlesque performers involved.

EDGE: Why is it important that you tell this story?

Peter DiMuro: I am a believer in the information that lives in each of us is unique to our times- what I lived through as a gay man coming out in rural America almost 50 years ago is very different than what younger people are going through today- As it was good for me to know of gay/queer history from my immediate ancestors and contemporaries

For another project years ago, I got to interview Frank Kameny - one of the early on targeted employees in the 1950s for being gay, and fired from his government post- and turned around to be an early pioneer of gay rights. All the nuance in the stories, the importance to my own ability to do what I do, was a turning point for me.

So I hope that helping to collect and share stories of family- seeing the choices over different decades of experience helps all but especially gives younger queer people a context for what they are living for and through now.

EDGE: What is special for you about this year's events?

Peter DiMuro: This year we're including stories from a project in process, "Queer Family Story Hours," asking friends from the drag community to offer their stories of family - eventually the drag community's involvement will become its own fully realized thing- creating "performed" story hours with queer and ally identified families.

And we are opening the mic, so to speak, to the Cabaret communty as well- I have been finding myself in rooms like the Napoleon Room at Club Cafe moere and more- talk about chosen family! Amazing group of folks- comprised of lots of older gay men and the women who love us!

EDGE: Do you find the term "Funny Uncle" inclusionary or exclusionary?

Peter DiMuro: Hmmmm. Not sure I could classify "Funny Uncle" either way. Is the term derogatory or a title of special uniqueness? ... As a gay man, who was labeled as a funny uncle by the straight world, this feels like reclamation. And we are all a little "funny," aren't we? A little queer on the spectrum...?

So I suppose the intention by a straight world (if there is any more just a straight world!) could be exclusionary. It's always been, for anyone "othered," the strength that comes from taking what was intended to hurt you and turning it into a stronger force by owning it.

EDGE: Can you talk about your own experiences as a gay uncle?

Peter DiMuro: Well there is that literal story of my niece- and what ended up being a 14 year struggle to get her into the states. Our relationship was distant because of distance - but she arrived at Emerson for school during the pandemic, and I got my uncle-ing in for real. I think it is a unique and special relationship. And she is queer! The only other out relative I have- we had to adopt one in to the family!

I am also at the age where I am - due to the age? due to grey hair?- seen as the uncle type, and arggghgh the grandfather type- In the dance world, I am ancient. Whatever happened to the Daddy era for me was just out of sync with the times.

EDGE: And are you funny?

Peter DiMuro: Yes. And thank God. Humor is the only thing, aside from dancing, that has saved my life 100 times over. Modern dance can tend toward the serious- and I have a few serious dances in me- but I think that the works I do that have humor, like Funny Uncles, can also flip an audience quickly: one minute laughing at something ridiculous and then a moment unexpected happens, and they're tearing up....

EDGE: What has surprised you the most about doing the show?

Peter DiMuro: I created this at a time when , at least artistically, I thought I needed to have complete control of any stage thing I did to succeed, or to make that show successful. I am thankful I let go of that (thank you, therapists!) - and each year, I get pleasantly surprised that this odd collection of disparite artists- my own core collaborators from my company, Public Displays of Motion, the cabaret folks, comics and all- hangs together so nicely.

"Funny Uncle Cabaret" will be performed on Saturday, December 14 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, December 15 at 7 p.m. in Studio 7 at The Dance Complex, 36 Mass Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139. For more details, #follow this link.