Gay country star Orville Peck collabs with The Wiggles for ‘Friends of Dorothy’ song
Orville Peck and the Wiggles have teamed up for LGBTQ+ anthem ‘Friend of Dorothy’ (The Wiggles – Kids Songs and Nursery Rhymes/ YouTube)
Gay country singer Orville Peck has collaborated with popular children’s characters The Wiggles for new smash hit ‘Friends of Dorothy’.
Country singer Peck, who in June of last year sent the internet into a frenzy by getting his little Orville out in a nude cover shoot for Paper (well, nearly), appears on the song from The Wiggles’ new country album, Wiggle Up, Giddy Up.
The song, released 7 March, is an homage to the group’s friend and Wiggles character Dorothy the Dinosaur – but is also a nod to their support for the LGBTQ+ community, via the phrase ‘friend of Dorothy’.
“We’re friends of Dorothy / We’re friends of Dot’s / If you’re a friend of Dorothy’s / You’re friends of mine,” Peck and the Australian children’s characters sing on the banger.
And for anyone out there frothing at the mouth that the Wiggles are doing something ‘gay’, calm down. There is nothing explicitly LGBTQ+ in the song, aside from some mild slang such as “what’s the tea” and “you are fierce.”
The term ‘friend of Dorothy’ is a phrase that has long been used by the queer community to identify each other, more commonly in times when homosexuality was persecuted.
The most widely accepted origin of the phrase stems from the portrayal of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz by gay icon Judy Garland; being a ‘friend’ of Dorothy — or a fan of Garland — became a coded way for LGBTQ+ individuals to identify one another in the mid-20th Century.
Peck also recently dropped his trademark mask in a first look at rehearsals for Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club – which also happens to be his Broadway debut.
“The emcee has been my dream role since I was a teenager,” Peck previously said in a statement. “The nature of the character allows for complete freedom of individual expression. It can be portrayed through such a vast range of emotions, perspectives and performance styles. That kind of freedom is every actor’s dream.
“I truly cannot believe I’m getting to make my Broadway debut in one of my favourite shows and in probably my favourite role in all of musical theatre.
“I grew up in the theatre. I was a working actor and a dancer for many years before I started making music. I did the hustle, and the struggle, for a long time, trying to make things happen for myself. But it taught me so much of who I am as a performer and a person, so it feels very full circle to be making a return at this point in my career.”
Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club will run at the August Wilson Theatre in New York, and Peck’s first performance is scheduled for 21 March.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
How did this story make you feel?
