Randy Rainbow

Randy Stewart Rainbow (born July 6, 1981) is an American comedian and singer, best known for spoof interviews that blend political satire and musical parodies from a progressive perspective.[1][2]

Randy Rainbow
Born (1981-07-06) July 6, 1981
Huntington, New York, U.S.
OccupationComedian, singer, YouTuber
Years active2010–present
Known forPolitical satire, parody music
Political partyDemocratic
Websiterandyrainbow.com

Early life

Randy Rainbow was born to a Jewish family in Huntington, New York. Rainbow is his real last name. He grew up in Commack, New York. When he was 10 years old, his father, Gerry Rainbow (né Ribner),[3][4][5] a musician and talent booker,[6] moved the family to Plantation, Florida. Rainbow credits his grandmother as his greatest comedic influence. In a 2017 interview with The New York Times, he recalled "It was really my grandmother who was the biggest influence because she'd talk back to the celebrities and politicians on TV. She was a combination of Joan Rivers, Elaine Stritch, Betty White, and Bea Arthur rolled into one." After dropping out of community college in his early 20s, Rainbow moved back to New York to pursue a theatrical career. It was then he began blogging and making comedic videos.[1]

Career

Blog

Rainbow created his blog, The Randy Rainbow Bloggity BLAHg-BLAHg, to document his theatrical experiences and "kvetch about my day-to-day as a single homo in the city."[7][8]

Celebrity videos

In his early work, Rainbow stages fake phone conversations with famous people by editing real audio clips of those celebrities. He posted his breakout video, "Randy Rainbow is Dating Mel Gibson" in 2010. It received more than 60,000 views in one week and has since surpassed 170,000 views. Subsequent videos include "Randy Rainbow Calls Lindsay Lohan", "Randy Rainbow Calls Dr. Laura", "The Morning After Chelsea's Wedding", "Randy Rainbow Gets a Job (from Rachel Zoe?)", "Randy Rainbow Kicks It with Kanye West", and "Randy Rainbow Spends Christmas with Mel Gibson". Michael Urie appeared as himself in "Randy Rainbow Getting Married?" Tituss Burgess appeared as himself in "Randy Rainbow Stars in a Show!" Brent Corrigan appeared as himself in "Randy Rainbow Makes a Sex Tape (w/Mel Gibson)". Rainbow's cat Mushi has also appeared in some of his videos.[9]

Rainbow's videos have been featured on a number of blogs. Popular LGBT blogs Towleroad and Queerty have reposted many of his videos since "Randy Rainbow is Dating Mel Gibson".[10][11] His Lohan clip was featured by Perez Hilton.[12] Rainbow made a guest appearance in Tituss and the Tightass Band, a 2010 benefit concert for The Trevor Project at New World Stages.[13] He also made a guest appearance in the third annual Living for Today benefit concert at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.[14] Rainbow appeared on the cover of Out Front Colorado.[15]

Political videos

Rainbow gained a larger audience and shifted focus during the 2016 American presidential campaign, with a series of spoof interviews and musical parodies skewering the election process and the candidates, especially Donald Trump, who became Rainbow's primary subject following his nomination by the Republican party and subsequent election. Among the musical parodies he has done about politics are:[16]

Title of parody Release date Original song Original show, movie, or artist
Ya Got Trump Trouble! 21 Jul 2016 (Ya Got) Trouble The Music Man
Braggadocious 26 Sep 2016 Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Mary Poppins
The Nasty Woman 24 Oct 2016 The Lonely Goatherd The Sound of Music
Trump-Pence, Trump-Pence 7 Nov 2016 Feed The Birds Mary Poppins
Donald Trump, Grow Up! 23 Nov 2016 You'll Be Back Hamilton
Tweets, Tweets, And Nothing But Tweets 12 Jan 2017 Prologue: Into the Woods Into the Woods
Alternative Facts 24 Jan 2017 Jellicle Cats Cats
Fact Checker, Fact Checker6 Feb 2017Matchmaker, MatchmakerFiddler on the Roof
You're Making Things Up Again, Donald22 Feb 2017Making Things Up AgainThe Book of Mormon
Putin and the Ritz 7 Mar 2017 Puttin' On the Ritz Puttin' On the Ritz
Microwaves (Are Watching You!) 16 Mar 2017 Private Eyes Hall & Oates
Unpopular29 Apr 2017PopularWicked
The Russian Connection 15 May 2017 The Rainbow Connection The Muppet Movie
The Covfefe Broadway Medley 2 Jun 2017 Various
Russia Ties 17 Jun 2017 Summer Days Grease
Before He Tweets 5 Jul 2017 Before He Cheats Carrie Underwood
The Room Where It Happens 21 Jul 2017 The Room Where It Happens Hamilton
The Sycophant Italiano 1 Aug 2017 Cinema Italiano Nine
Yes! We Have No Steve Bannon 22 Aug 2017 Yes! We Have No Bananas Billy Jones
DACA Shame 7 Sep 2017 Danke Schoen Wayne Newton
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Korea? 25 Sep 2017 Maria; Rocket Man The Sound of Music; Elton John
Desperate Cheeto 11 Oct 2017 Despacito Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee
Sweet Indictment 1 Nov 2017 Sweet Transvestite The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Those Were The Good Old Days 14 Nov 2017 Those Were The Good Old Days Damn Yankees
She Was 16 Going On 17 (Roy Moore Was 32) 11 Dec 2017 Sixteen Going on Seventeen The Sound of Music
Buttons! 9 Jan 2018 The Patty Duke Show Theme Song The Patty Duke Show
All About His Base 29 Jan 2018 All About That Bass Meghan Trainor
Stand By Your Man (Donald Trump) 14 Feb 2018 Stand by Your Man Tammy Wynette
KIDS! 5 Mar 2018 Kids Bye Bye Birdie
You Can't Stop His Tweets9 Apr 2018You Can't Stop the BeatHairspray
Rudy and The Beast 7 May 2018 Beauty and the Beast Beauty and the Beast
Commander of Cheese! 9 Jun 2018 It Sucks To Be Me Avenue Q
WTF, You Guys!? 22 Jun 2018 Omigod You Guys Legally Blonde (musical)
A Very Stable Genius16 Jul 2018Major-General's SongThe Pirates of Penzance
If You Ever Got Impeached 27 Aug 2018 If I Only Had a Brain The Wizard of Oz
Omarosa 4 Sep 2018 Oklahoma! Oklahoma!
Kavanaugh 24 Sep 2018 Camelot Camelot
Just Be Best 15 Oct 2018 Be Our Guest Beauty and the Beast
Voting! 6 Nov 2018 What is this Feeling? Wicked
Trump's Favorite Things5 Dec 2018My Favorite ThingsThe Sound of Music
There Is Nothin' Like a Wall14 Jan 2019There Is Nothing Like a DameSouth Pacific
The Donald Trump Cell Block Tango (Part 1)28 Jan 2019Cell Block TangoChicago
Border Lies 20 Feb 2019 Borderline Madonna
He's in Love (and we're all gonna die) 7 Mar 2019 A Wonderful Guy South Pacific
The Mueller Blues 29 Mar 2019 The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues Follies
Cruella DeVos 5 Apr 2019 Cruella de vil 101 Dalmatians
Barr!29 Apr 2019BelleBeauty and the Beast
Just Impeach Him28 May 2019BreathinAriana Grande et al.
Suckers22 Jul 2019SuckerThe Jonas Brothers
Cheeto Christ Stupid-Czar29 Aug 2019SuperstarJesus Christ Superstar
GIULIANI! (Here He Goes Again)17 Oct 2019Mamma MiaABBA
He's Just a GURL Who'll QUID PRO QUO!22 Nov 2019I Cain't Say NoOklahoma!
That Don!20 Jan 2020GastonBeauty and the Beast
No Rules For Donald18 Feb 2020New RulesDua Lipa
Any Dem Will Do3 Mar 2020Any Dream Will DoJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
The Coronavirus Lament14 Mar 2020Adelaide's LamentGuys and Dolls
Social Distance22 Mar 2020Go the DistanceHercules
Andy6 Apr 2020SandyGrease
A Spoonful of Clorox25 Apr 2020A Spoonful of SugarMary Poppins
Distraction19 May 2020TraditionFiddler on the Roof
The Bunker Boy7 Jun 2020The Jitterbugdeleted from The Wizard of Oz
Cover Your Freakin' Face29 Jun 2020Put On a Happy FaceBye Bye Birdie
Poor Deplorable Troll6 Jul 2020Poor Unfortunate SoulsThe Little Mermaid
Gee, Anthony Fauci22 Jul 2020Gee, Officer KrupkeWest Side Story
Kamala!17 Aug 2020Camelot (repeated)Camelot
I Won't Vote Trump13 Sep 2020I Won't Grow UpPeter Pan
If Donald Got Fired (featuring Patti LuPone)7 Oct 2020If Momma Was MarriedGypsy
How Will You Vote?30 Oct 2020That's How You KnowEnchanted
Don't Tell Donald He's NOT RE-ELECTED TODAY!17 Nov 2020Getting Married TodayCompany
Rudolph the Leaky Lawyer15 Dec 2020Rudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerGene Autry
Sedition!8 Jan 2021Tradition (repeated by popular request)Fiddler on the Roof
Seasons of Trump19 Jan 2021Seasons of LoveRent
Marjorie Taylor Greene3 Feb 2021EvergreenA Star Is Born
Mr. Biden, Bring My Vaccine9 Mar 2021Mr. SandmanThe Chordettes
Ted and Lindsey5 Apr 2021Kansas CityOklahoma!
Clang, Clang, Clang Went Josh Hawley10 May 2021The Trolley SongMeet Me in St. Louis
The Tango: Vaccine7 Feb 2022The Tango MaureenRent
Gurl, You're a Karen14 Mar 2022Dentist!Little Shop of Horrors
Gay!4 Apr 2022ShyOnce Upon a Mattress

Controversy

In mid-August 2020, critics of Randy Rainbow circulated several dozen of his tweets, all but a few published between 2010 and 2012, featuring jokes widely described as racist and transphobic.[17] Rainbow apologized on August 20 in an interview with The Advocate.[18]

Personal life

Rainbow is Jewish and openly gay.[19] He was born on Long Island, lived in Queens for 17 years, attended community college in Plantation, Florida, and since July 2019 has resided in Manhattan.[20][21]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
2016GOP DropoutRandy Rainbow6 episodes
2018RuPaul's Drag RaceSpecial GuestEpisode: "Breastworld"
2020Better ThingsAndrewEpisode: "New Orleans"
2020Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday CelebrationPerformer
(song: "By the Sea")		Television Special

Musical career

Rainbow has released several recordings on Broadway Records. He released three singles in August 2012: an original jingle for Chick-fil-A written while he was employed there,[22] a cover of "An Old-Fashioned Wedding," and a parody of "Born This Way" called "Born This Gay."

He released the holiday EP Hey Gurl, It's Christmas! on November 8, 2019, featuring a studio version of "Trump's Favorite Things"; the title track is an original song.[23]

Following the launch of his Pink Glasses Tour,[24] Rainbow released his debut studio album A Little Brains, A Little Talent on October 29, 2021.[25] The album includes several studio versions of his YouTube parodies, plus the two original songs "Pink Glasses," and "Randy Rainbow For President!" both co-written by Rainbow.[26] The album also features a studio version of "The Jitterbug," a scrapped song from The Wizard of Oz, and two bonus tracks: "If Donald Got Fired" (featuring Patti Lupone) and "Mr. Biden (Bring My Vaccine)."

The cover of Rainbow's debut studio album, "A Little Brains, A Little Talent."

Discography
  • A Little Brains, A Little Talent (2021)

Awards and nominations

Rainbow was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Best Short Form Variety Series in 2019,[27] 2020,[28] and 2021.[29]

References
  1. Morris, Bob (June 23, 2017). "YouTube Star Randy Rainbow Brings Sass to His Trump Bashing". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  2. "Randy Rainbow Has Built A Viral-Video Empire From His Queens Apartment". www.wbur.org. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  3. "Gerald (Gerry) Rainbow, Class of 1953 - Monroe High School - Classmates". www.classmates.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  4. "Obituaries - Levitt Weinstein Memorial Chapels & Cemeteries". www.levitt-weinstein.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  5. "Gerald Ribner". Obituaries. tributes.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  6. "In an Ugly Election Year, Randy Rainbow Uses Musical Parody to Bring on the Laughs". Archived from the original on July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  7. Voss, Brandon (July 26, 2010). "Mel Gibsons Rainbow Connection". Advocate.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  8. "RandyRainbow.com". Therandyrainbowblahg.blogspot.com. March 20, 2013. Archived from the original on February 7, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  9. "Randy Rainbow". YouTube. Archived from the original on May 23, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  10. Mandell, Sean (July 20, 2016). "Randy Rainbow Spells It Out: 'We Got Trump Trouble, America'". Towleroad. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  11. "Randy Rainbow News and Photos". Queerty. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  12. "ICYMI: Will & Grace Cast Sparked Even More Reunion Rumors With This Broadway-Style Hillary Clinton Support Song!". Perez Hilton. November 1, 2016. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  13. Hetrick, Adam (October 30, 2010). "Tituss Burgess Performs Trevor Project Benefit Concert Oct. 30". Playbill. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  14. Hetrick, Adam (October 22, 2010). "Jill Paice and Kate Jennings Grant Added to Living for Today Concert". Playbill. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  15. Compton, Julie (October 13, 2016). "Comedian Randy Rainbow brings humor to tense election year". NBC News. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  16. "Randy Rainbow Videos". YouTube. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  17. Bollinger, Alex (August 19, 2020). "Randy Rainbow's racist & transphobic tweets resurface. There are dozens". LGBTQNation. Archived from the original on August 25, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  18. Artavia, David (August 20, 2020). "Randy Rainbow on Emmy Nom and Resurfaced Racist, Transphobic Tweets". Archived from the original on August 25, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  19. "Randy Rainbow Is the Gay Jewish Crooner of the Christmas Season". www.advocate.com. December 13, 2019. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  20. mike (July 15, 2019). "Randy Rainbow Moves To Upper West Side". I Love The Upper West Side. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  21. Robinson, AuthorPam (July 17, 2019). "Huntington Native Randy Rainbow Nominated for Emmy". HuntingtonNow.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  22. "WATCH Randy Rainbow Serves Chick fil A to Sarah Palin". www.advocate.com. August 2, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  23. "Randy Rainbow — Recordings". Randy Rainbow. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  24. "@RandyRainbow". Twitter. June 7, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  25. "RANDY RAINBOW'S 'A LITTLE BRAINS, A LITTLE TALENT'". Life Entertainment. October 22, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  26. "Randy Rainbow: A Little Brains, A Little Talent CD 2021". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  27. "Emmys 2019: List of Nominations". Variety. July 16, 2019. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  28. "72nd Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners". Emmys.com. Emmy's. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  29. Lieber, Sarah Jae (July 13, 2021). "HAMILTON, Cynthia Erivo, Bernadette Peters & More Earn 2021 Emmy Nominations - See the Full List!". Broadway World. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
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