Gay Canadian singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright will return to New Zealand in February, where he'll play in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Opera hunk Rufus Wainwright He'll appear at Auckland's Civic Theatre on Tuesday 23 February, Christchurch's James Hay Theatre on Thursday 25 February, and Wellington's Town Hall on Saturday 27 February as part of the International Arts Festival. Wainwright, 36, has been dubbed a 'baroque pop star', highlighting his ability to navigate the border between pop and classical music. He first came to NZ in February last year for a sell-out show at Auckland's Powerstation. The musician has just released his second live solo album and accompanying DVD, Milwaukee at Last!!! and will be releasing a highly anticipated new studio album later in 2010. He came out as gay while still a teenager. In 1999, he told Rolling Stone magazine that his father recognized his son's homosexuality early on. "We'd drive around in the car, he'd play Heart of Glass and I'd sort of mouth the words, pretend to be Blondie. Just a sign of many other things to come," he laughed.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 9th December 2009 - 1:47pm