I didn’t expect singing and, yes, I found it hard to swallow at first — which never happens! But once I got past my initial resistance, I found Leave It on the Floor quite delicious.
You might even want seconds. Especially if you like black men with abs that look like the stairs to heaven.
The best way I can describe this film is to say it’s like Paris Is Burning on MDMA. It’ll either take you on an emotional roller coaster (while voguing), or it’ll make your eyes roll to the back of your head.
An accurate portrait of homophobia in the black community, it tells the story of Brad, who we find alone on the streets of Los Angeles after he has been kicked out of his house for being gay. He begins a journey, much like Dorothy, meeting a few friends and singing a few songs along the way.
Brad ends up becoming a part of the underground ball culture, where you choose your own family and fate. Along the road he encounters love, death and glamour. Oh my!
Like a disco record with each song blending into the next, Leave It on the Floor is a reminder that no matter what happens in life, the beat goes on.
Leave It on the Floor opens Wednesday, Sept 14 at 9pm at the Scotiabank Theatre.