Category Archives: Celebrity
CHER on Broadway 2018
A musical based on Cher’s life is slated to debut on Broadway in 2018. The singer confirmed the news on Tuesday night on her Twitter account.
“Just got off phone w/Writer & Director of musical,” Cher wrote. “There will [be] performance in theatre with actors, dancers, singers!! It’ll be on Broadway 2018.”
News of a possible musical production tracing Cher’s life – and using Cher’s extensive catalog of pop hits – surfaced in January, when the singer attended a read-through of the production. According to The New York Post, Jason Moore, known for Pitch Perfect, will direct. Rick Elice, of Jersey Boys, penned the musical. Three different actresses will portray Cher at various points in her life. At the read-through, one of the actresses was Tony Award-winner Lena Hall.
After Cher attended the event in January, she tweeted her support for the project. “Just walked [off] the musical,” she wrote. “I SOBBED & LAUGHED & I WAS PREPARED NOT 2 LIKE IT. AUDIENCE CLAPPED AFTER SONGS & GAVE IT STANDING OVATION.”
Earlier this year, the singer accepted the Icon Award at the Billboard Music Awards. “I’ve wanted to do what I do since I was four years-old,” she said during her speech. “And I’ve been doing it for 53 years … I’m 71 yesterday. And I can do a five-minute plank, ok? Just saying.”
Gay Porn Star Off Broadway
Gay adult film star Chris Harder bares all in a behind-the-scenes and between the sheets solo directed by David Drake.
May 27 – June 15 at Laurie Beechman Theatre
Chris Harder will present the World Premiere of his behind-the-scenes tell-all #BigBrightStar at The Laurie Beechman Theater inside West Bank Cafe (at 407 West 42nd Street — at Ninth Avenue, accessible from the A,C,E,N,R,V,F,1,2,3 trains at 42nd Street). Directed by Obie Award winner David Drake, performances are Saturday, May 27 at 7pm and Thursdays, June 1- 15 at 7pm. Tickets are $22 plus a $20 food/drink minimum. A $35 VIP ticket that includes reserved seating, a gift bag and a meet-and-greet are also available. To purchase tickets, call 212-352-3101 or visit www.SpinCycleNYC.com.
In #BigBrightStar “professionaly naked” Chris Harder is so #grateful you’re coming to his one man show, because after all, he is a really famous gay adult film star… right? Using theater, burlesque, and like, so many #instagood emojis, Harder relives the defining moments and illustrates the real-life people that have shaped his career. But as he delves further between the sheets, Harder may just discover that a life on camera is ironically, “harder” than he thought. Trust, you’ll never tweet #OMFG the same way again.
Chris Harder is a NYC burlesque performer, writer, and yes, an “adult film star.” Harder has traveled the US and the world with his beefcake burlesque shows, including headlining the 2017 Helsinki Burlesque Festival as well as performances in New Zealand, Vienna, London and… Fargo, North Dakota. Harder is also the writer and creator of the “Nasty Drew and That Harder Boy Series,” a burlesque/drag parody of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys novels running at The Laurie Beechman Theater. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @HarderBurlesque and Google him at your own risk! www.HarderBurlesque.com.
David Drake is an actor-writer-director best known as the Obie Award-winning playwright/performer of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me, one of the longest-running solo shows in Off-Broadway history. David also starred in Vampire Lesbians of Sodom (succeeding Charles Busch for 856 performances), originated the role of “Miss Deep South” in the hit Pageant, as well as co-starring with Jim J. Bullock in End of the World Party at the 47th St. Theater, and with B.D. Wong in A Language of Their Own at The Public. His TV credits: The Good Wife, Law & Order, The Beat, NY Undercover. Feature films: Jonathan Demme’s Philadelphia, as well as It’s Pat, Naked in New York, David Searching, Bear City, Longtime Companion, and his own adaptation of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me. As a stage director, David has twice been a Directing Fellow at the Sundance Theater Lab, and has directed new works at The Public’s Under the Radar Festival, Joe’s Pub, and Rattlestick, among others. Most notably, Drake director of the 2009 world premiere of Taylor Mac’s The Lily’s Revenge, which made the “10 Best Lists” in The New Yorker, NY Post, The Advocate, Paper Magazine, and won a 2010 Village Voice Obie Award.
Lady Bunny Back at Stonewall
After a 6-month run last year, Trans-Jester! returns to Stonewall each Tuesday in May at 7PM. $24.99 + 2 drink minimum.
5 shows only and this intimate venue does sell out quickly.
So grab your tix HERE now!
A little about the show:
Lady Bunny is back to take on PC culture and asks “What we are still allowed to laugh at?” Expect new versions of Bunny’s riotous song parodies of hits by Bruno Mars, Adele and Rent. Zinger-filled Laugh-In joke routines keep the energy high, and there are also original songs in which Bunny pokes fun at everything from Caitlyn Jenner to her own sex life. Because we all need a break from politics, Trans-Jester! focuses mainly on gender politics. Do we even know what LGBTIQA stands for any more? There are also swipes at our obsession with cultural appropriation and a tale or two of Bunny reminiscing about spending her 20s and 30s with RuPaul in Atlanta and NYC.
While Bunny shies away from politics in this performance–because one train wreck on stage per night is enough and we all need a break from the toxicity–she doesn’t shy away from gender politics and the new pronoun we’re forced to learn every time Will Smith’s son puts on a dress. After Caitlyn Jenner reached out to Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz to become his “trans ambassador”, Bunny feels that it’s time for the gloves to come off while addressing that car crash. You don’t want to miss Bunny doing Cait’s twisted version of My Favorite Things.
Bunny may also shock you with revelations about her own gender identity. “She” asks pertinent questions about cultural appropriation prior to declaring her undying love for black cock in a vulgar version of Uptown Funk which has left recent audiences in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London reeling with mirth.
Theater queens rejoice! In her loooooong career in nightclubs, Bunny has never delved much into show tunes, but in Trans-Jester, Bunny brings it on home with a show-stopping finale featuring two classics from Gypsy and Follies. The eclectic evening also resurrects songs by country star Lynn Anderson, Millie Jackson and even an original tune which pokes fun at the dating life of whatever sex it is you want to call this “Lady”.
Trans-Jester’s NYC run brought out a wild mix of celebs like Susan Sarandon, Rupert Everett, Andy Cohen, Patricia Field, Anohni, Bianca Del Rio, Michael Musto and John Cameron Mitchell.
Here’s what the press had to say:
Michael Musto for Out.com: “Long running drag star Lady Bunny is currently doing the most screamingly, gratifyingly, crap-your-pants funny show in town. Upstairs at the Stonewall–which was always a riot–Bunny is appearing in Trans-Jester, poking merciless fun at pc normatives. She spins and shimmers in amazing voice. The show is all like that–raunchy and eye opening, fetidly appealing yet thought provoking.”
John Cameron Mitchell: “A scream for sanity from the nastiest, most big-hearted comic performer around.”
Huffington Post Gay Voices: “A gag-worthy show you can’t miss.”
Tickets are as cheap as her humor: $19.99 online and $24.99 cash only at the door.
Please note: This show is raunchy. Not politically correct by definition–that’s the whole point. So if that’s not your cup of tea, you should honestly skip it. Or prepare to grab a drink and laugh, cheer and possibly even be challenged by a salty old kook who isn’t afraid to express herself from a viewpoint which is often unique.
Trans-Jester is written by Lady Bunny and Facebook sensation Beryl Mendelbaum.
5 shows only, so please reserve for guaranteed seats in this intimate venue.
Harvey Fierstein in gently Down the Stream
THIS IS SOOOOOO EXCITING!!!!!!
Gabriel Ebert will join fellow Tony winner Harvey Fierstein in the world premiere of Martin Sherman’s Gently Down the Stream at the Public Theater.
The off-Broadway production will begin performances on March 14, 2017 and run through April 23 (instead of the previously announced April 16).
Sean Mathias directs the staging, which is set to open on April 5.
The cast will also include off-Broadway alum Christopher Sears.
SYNOPSIS: Beau, a pianist expat living in London meets Rufus, an eccentric young lawyer, at the dawn of the internet dating revolution. After a life spent recovering from the disappointment and hurt of loving men in a world that refused to allow it, Beau is determined to keep his expectations low with Rufus.
But Rufus comes from a new generation of gay men who believe happiness is as much their right as anyone else’s, and what Beau assumed would be just another fling grows into one of the most surprising and defining relationships of his life. A remarkably moving, brilliantly funny love story, Gently Down the Stream reflects the triumphs and heartbreaks of the entire length of the gay rights movement, celebrating and mourning the ghosts of the men and women who led the way for equality, marriage and the right to dream.
You Need to Know Your Gay History—Says Harvey Fierstein
The Tony winner unearths the emotional past of the gay rights movement in Gently Down the Stream.
“You’re going to put in the work either way, whatever you do,” he says. “You’re still dedicating this amount of hours, this amount of time, and pieces of your life and your energy. Why do something that’s trivial garbage when you can do something that has higher aims?”
Fierstein has been telling gay stories onstage for more than 30 years, and has long been a vocal defender of LGBT rights. It seems only fitting that he would feel drawn to this play, which depicts key moments and icons of the gay rights movement. “It’s really important,” says the actor. “Gay history got washed out and washed over, but unless you know who you were, you can’t know where you’re going.”
What Fierstein relishes about playing Beau is the ways in which the character has been shaped by his history and his era. “He survived through these periods—[but that] he didn’t come through it whole is what I think I love most about him,” says Fierstein.
“He talks about himself as somebody who walks around with excess scar tissue. I like to think that I too have excess scar tissue, but I’d like to think that I’ve recovered more. And that’s what makes him fascinating to play. You don’t want to play yourself. You don’t have to get a script to do that.” Because for Fierstein, there’s just no interest if the work is too easy.
Director: Sean Mathias
Starring: Harvey Fierstein, Gabriel Ebert, Christopher Sears
Show Times: Tuesday – Friday @7:30pm; Saturday – Sunday @1:30pm and 7:30pm
Tickets from $50 publictheater.com Playwright: Martin Sherman
Michael Urie in Torch Song Revival
Second Stage Theatre has announced that it will stage a 35th anniversary production of Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song Trilogy this fall starring Buyer & Cellar’s Michael Urie as Arnold Beckoff.
Fierstein has provided director Moisés Kaufman with a newly edited text; the revival will be titled simply Torch Song.
“It’s 1979 in New York City and Arnold Beckoff is on a quest for love, purpose and family,“ read 2ST production notes. “He’s fierce in drag and fearless in crisis, and he won’t stop until he achieves the life he desires as a doting husband and a Jewish mother. Now, Arnold is back…and he’s here to sing you a torch song. The Tony-winning play that forever changed the trajectory of Broadway returns for a new generation.“
“’Thirty-five years?’ I thought, ‘It’s time!’ I’m thrilled that Second Stage Theatre will be reviving Torch Song Trilogy next season,” commented Fierstein in a press statement. “In conversation, I’ve been encouraging director Moisés Kaufman to look at the play with fresh eyes. I would never think of rewriting the plays but have given him a newly edited text that re-conceives the way I want the story told. Theatre is a living breathing entity and so are audiences. Even the most faithful stage recreations are tinted by the moment in which they are experienced. I’ve asked [2ST artistic director] Carole Rothman to call the evening simply, Torch Song, and let’s see what truths we can preserve, what histories we can rediscover and what futures we can forge together. Living theatre has always been my life’s goal.”
After an acclaimed Off-Broadway debut, Torch Song Trilogy opened on Broadway in June 1982 and played an award-winning three-year engagement at the Little Theatre (now the Helen Hayes Theatre). Fierstein played the lead role of Arnold Beckoff, a gay drag performer in a tempestuous relationship with his bisexual, closeted lover. The play won Fierstein two Tony awards—both as playwright (for Best Play) and for Best Actor. It was produced throughout the country and also turned into a film in 1988 starring Fierstein, Matthew Broderick, and Anne Bancroft.
Torch Song is set to begin previews September 26 and will officially open in late October at Off-Broadway’s Tony Kiser Theatre. Additional casting and a complete creative team will be announced at a later date.
Devils Wears Prada on Broadway!
“Is there some reason that my coffee isn’t here? Has she died or something?”
That’s a snippet of Meryl Streep’s dialogue from the 2006 comedy The Devil Wears Prada. Now Sir Elton John and Paul Rudnick are writing a musical adaptation for Broadway.
DEADLINE reports, A production timeline is TBA for the show, which will be produced by Kevin McCollum, Fox Stage Productions and John’s Rocket Entertainment. The ’70s hitmaker and Lion King and Aida composer said of the new project: “Re-imagining The Devil Wears Prada for the musical theatre is super exciting. I’m a huge fan of both the book and the feature film and a huge aficionado of the fashion world. I can’t wait to sink my musical teeth into this hunk of popular culture.”
“To bring The Devil Wears Prada to the stage, we knew we needed to find artists as inimitable as the characters in the story,” Bob Cohen of Fox Stage Productions and McCollum said a joint statement. “We needed artists whose work has run the gamut from music and publishing to drama and fashion. We could think of only two names: Elton John and Paul Rudnick. That’s all!” John is writing the music, and Rudnick is penning the book and lyrics.
Rudnick’s myriad credits include Broadway’s I Hate Hamlet and such other stage fare as Jeffrey and The New Century, along with the the screenplays for In & Out and Addams Family Values. He also has authored novels and written for The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Vogue and other magazines.
Michael Alig’s OUTRAGE
MTA,Chris Christopher & K.A.N.O.B.I alongside Superstar DJ KEOKI present the newest and most eclectic party in New York City!
OUTRAGE Mondays at the Rumpus Room!
TONIGHT, Jan 16th, Come to Outrage and let Monsignor Michael Alig dunk your mug in a barrel of Holy Water before bestowing upon you a Holy Club Kid name complete with authorized Baptismal Certificate!
If you can’t make it tonight, follow the Outrage page for more upcoming events.
Bunny Gives TRUMP Advice
This is a snippet from her hot new show Trans-Jester! at Stonewall Inn in NYC.
“The show mocks PC culture and is really meant to be a much-needed break from politics before we go crazy, but I did add a little post election humor. Enjoy! And if you are in the NYC area any Wednesday at 7PM and would like to see what the New Yorker called my “latest masterpiece”–here is the link for more info/tickets.
KISS ME KILL ME on DVD
FINALLY! After touring the world for over a year at Film Festivals this awesome Casper Andreas movie, KISS ME KILL ME, will be available on VOD & DVD December 7th!
FULL OF STARS! From director Casper Andreas (“Going Down in LA-LA Land”) and screenwriter David Michael Barrett (“Such Good People”) comes “Kiss Me, Kill Me,” a sexy gay thriller. Dusty (“As the World Turns” four-time Emmy nominee Van Hansis) blacks out while confronting his cheating boyfriend Stephen, (“Queer as Folk” gay icon Gale Harold). When Dusty comes to, Stephen was murdered and he’s the prime suspect. The movie also stars Brianna Brown (“Devious Maids”), Yolonda Ross (HBO’s “The Get Down”), Jai Rodriguez (“Queer Eye”), Matthew Ludwinski (“Going Down in LA-LA Land”), Craig Robert Young (“The Last Ship”), Kit Williamson (“Mad Men”), Jonathan Lisecki (“Gayby”), D.J. “Shangela” Pierce (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”) and Michael Maize (“Mr. Robot”).
I have always enjoyed a good who-done-it. Growing up, I was a huge fan of both Agatha Christie novels and suspense thrillers, so when screenwriter David Michael Barrett sent me the script for KISS ME, KILL ME, I got very excited. Not only was this a bona-fide murder mystery, it was centered in a world I am very familiar with – gay West Hollywood. We had quite an extensive development period, which gave me plenty of time to school myself in film noir. David’s knowledge of the genre was extensive, and the screenplay pays homage to many of the greats, from Hitchcock to DePalma to even Verhoeven.
One of the things I loved most about the script was that it wasn’t a spoof of a thriller; it was the real thing. It also didn’t take itself too seriously, and even had characters commenting on the outrageous events, often balancing them with humor. I knew this script would be a challenge on such a limited budget, but I was excited to, for the first time, shoot scenes of violence and suspense. After all, what’s more fun that car chases, dream sequences, gun and knife fights? I love to challenge myself, and I’m determined to make each film better than my last. I never went to film school. Being an actor, I picked up a lot about production on set, but it wasn’t until I was actually directing and producing that I truly became a filmmaker. I have worked in a variety of genres, from serious dramas, like my award-winning Swedish-language short “A Last Farewell,” to comedies, a musical, and relationship dramedies. But there is nothing more exciting than taking on a new genre.
“Kiss Me, Kill Me” is my seventh feature film as a director/producer. I am proud to work in LGBTQ cinema, and tell the stories of my community, but I don’t see myself as a “gay filmmaker.” Every movie I’ve made explores universal themes, that all kinds of audiences can relate to, like my last film, “Going Down In LA-LA Land,” which has consistently been one of Netflix’s top viewed dramas. It was an extraordinary experience to see so many people come together to help make KISS ME, KILL ME, not just our crew but our Kickstarter backers, too. The movie has played in over three-dozen festivals all over the world. I’m proud of that. And that’s a testament to how much everyone loves a good mystery. Just like me.
BUSBY BERKELEY Film Fest!
“BUSBY BERKELEY,” a nine-day festival spotlighting the early movie musical trailblazer famous for his eye-popping kaleidoscopic production numbers, will run at Film Forum from Wednesday, December 7 through Thursday, December 15.
He really took off when Ruby Keeler, via a single cut, moved from tapping in front of a painted backdrop to dismounting from an actual cab on a three-dimensional set of 42nd Street, complete with traffic, mounted police, and hundreds of dancers, all in character – but that was only the beginning. Dance director, choreographer, auteur… and visionary. In his heyday, Busby Berkeley (1895-1976) mounted a series of still must-be-seen-to-be-believed
Says Bruce Goldstein, Film Forum’s Director of Repertory Programming, “Berkeley was the first to realize the endless cinematic possibilities of the musical form. Imitators have never even come close to what he created in the early 30s – not even with tools like CGI.”
Berkeley was born to an actress mother in Los Angeles and first performed on stage at age five. After a stint in the army during WWI, he began his career as a dance director and choreographer, working on nearly two-dozen Broadway shows. His film career began with producer Samuel Goldwyn, but he became a household name with his a string of iconic successes at Warner Bros.: 42nd Street, Footlight Parade, Gold Diggers of 1933, and many others, featuring one astounding production number after another.
In addition to his work as a choreographer and dance director (though neither title does justice to what he actually did), the festival also includes features films entirely directed by Berkeley, including Gold Diggers of 1935 (featuring the spectacular “Lullaby of Broadway” number); Hollywood Hotel (which introduced the song “Hooray for Hollywood”), the Technicolor extravaganza The Gang’s All Here, with Carmen Miranda sporting the world’s largest fruit basket; Strike Up the Band and Babes on Broadway, both featuring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney; For Me and My Gal, with Garland and Gene Kelly (in his debut); Take Me Out to the Ball Game, with Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Esther Williams, and written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green; and a rare non-musical, They Made Me a Criminal, starring John Garfield, Claude Rains, and the Dead End Kids. Most films in the series will be screened as part of double features (two films for one admission), and most of the features will be screened in archival 35m prints.
December 7, the opening day of the festival, is the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. In addition to the Berkeley double feature that day, Cavalcade of 1941, a vintage short including FDR’s famous “date that will live in infamy” speech, will be screened.
“Busby Berkeley” has been programmed by Bruce Goldstein, Film Forum’s Director of Repertory Programming.
Public Screening Schedule
DECEMBER 7 WED
DOUBLE FEATURE
ROMAN SCANDALS (1933, Frank Tuttle) 35mm
Eddie Cantor, Ruth Etting, Gloria Stuart
3:30, 7:55
STRIKE UP THE BAND (1940, Busby Berkeley) 35mm print preserved by UCLA Film & Television Archive
Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Paul Whiteman and Orchestra
Songs by George and Ira Gershwin.
12:30, 5:25, 9:45
PLUS “Cavalcade of 1941” 35mm
DECEMBER 8 THU
DOUBLE FEATURE
DAMES (1934, Ray Enright) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Joan Blondell
12:30, 4:00, 7:30
FASHIONS OF 1934 (1934, William Dieterle) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
William Powell, Bette Davis, Frank McHugh
2:20, 5:50, 9:20
DECEMBER 9 FRI
DOUBLE FEATURE
THE GANG’S ALL HERE (1943, Busy Berkeley) DCP
Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, Benny Goodman and His Orchestra
12:30, 4:30, 8:30
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME (1949, Busby Berkeley) 35mm
Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Esther Williams
2:35, 6:35
DECEMBER 10 SAT
DOUBLE FEATURE
42ND STREET (1933, Lloyd Bacon) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
Warner Baxter, Bebe Daniels, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell
12:30, 4:25, 8:20
THE GANG’S ALL HERE (1943, Busby Berkeley) DCP
2:20, 6:15, 10:10
DECEMBER 11 SUN
DOUBLE FEATURE
GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 (1933, Mervyn LeRoy) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
Warren William, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Ginger Rogers
12:30, 4:30, 8:30
FOOTLIGHT PARADE (1933, Lloyd Bacon) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell
2:25, 6:25
DECEMBER 12 MON
Separate Admission
FOOTLIGHT PARADE (1933, Lloyd Bacon) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
12:40
DECEMBER 12 MON
DOUBLE FEATURE
THEY MADE ME A CRIMINAL (1939, Busby Berkeley) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
John Garfield, Claude Rains, Ann Sheridan, the Dead End Kids
4:05, 7:20
NIGHT WORLD (1932, Hobart Henley) 35mm
Lew Ayres, Mae Clarke, Boris Karloff
2:45, 6:00, 9:10
DECEMBER 13 TUE
DOUBLE FEATURE
THE GANG’S ALL HERE (1943, Busby Berkeley) DCP
12:30
42ND STREET (1933, Lloyd Bacon) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
2:35
DECEMBER 13 TUE
DOUBLE FEATURE
BABES ON BROADWAY (1941, Busby Berkeley) 35mm
Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland
4:25, 8:45
FOR ME AND MY GAL (1942, Busby Berkeley) 35mm print courtesy Harvard Film Archive
Judy Garland, Gene Kelly
6:45
DECEMBER 14 WED
DOUBLE FEATURE
GOLD DIGGERS OF 1935 (1935, Busby Berkeley) 35mm
Dick Powell, Adolphe Menjou, Gloria Stuart
12:30, 4:15, 8:00
WONDER BAR (1934, Lloyd Bacon) HD
Al Jolson, Kay Francis, Dick Powell, Dolores del Río,
2:25, 6:10, 9:55
DECEMBER 15 THU
Separate Admission
42ND STREET (1933, Lloyd Bacon) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
12:30
DECEMBER 15 THU
DOUBLE FEATURE
HOLLYWOOD HOTEL (1937, Busby Berkeley) 35mm print preserved by Library of Congress
Dick Powell, Rosemary Lane, Hugh Herbert, Benny Goodman and His Orchestra
4:35, 8:40
IN CALIENTE (1935, Lloyd Bacon) New 35mm print courtesy Library of Congress
Dolores del Río, Pat O’Brien, Glenda Farrell
2:35, 6:40
For more information, links and showtimes, visit www.filmforum.org
For downloadable photos and press notes, go to: www.filmforum.org/press
Chita Rivera is BACK!
TONIGHT!
Lady Bunny @ Stonewall EXTENDED
“Watching Lady Bunny perform at Stonewall Inn feels like sitting down at a dance club and listening to someone artfully complain; that’s exactly what the show is.” –Refinery29“Bunny throws down the gauntlet by making a distinction between her post-Holly Woodlawn badass drag self and the gay-world trans stereotype that some people relegate her to.” -The New Yorker
Trans-Jester is written by Lady Bunny and Facebook sensation Beryl Mendelbaum.
53 Christopher Street
Lady Bunny Does Stonewall Bar
TRANS-JESTER starring Lady Bunny
The hardest working drag queen in the world is DOING STONEWALL!
“Long running drag star Lady Bunny is currently doing the most screamingly, gratifyingly, crap-your-pants funny show in town. Upstairs at the Stonewall which was always a riot , Bunny is appearing in Trans-Jester, poking merciless fun at pc normatives. She spins and shimmers in amazing voice. The show is all like that–raunchy and eye opening, fetidly appealing yet thought provoking.” – Michael Musto, OUT
“A scream for sanity from the nastiest, most big-hearted comic performer around.” -John Cameron Mitchell
“A gag-worthy show you can’t miss.” – Huffington Post, Gay Voices
In addition to new parodies of selections from Adele, Rent and Bruno Mars to hilarious, effect punctuated by zany Laugh-In style zingers, Bunny has widened her repertoire to include insightful social commentary. (Well, she thinks it’s insightful, anyway.) Targetting the current overemphasis on political correctness, Bunny breaks down some of the latest buzzwords that we’re all supposed to remember for every for every occasion as we “evolve.” Sometimes, Bunny feels, that we’re actually evolving away from common sense! Take the new name for our community–LGBTIA. Does anyone even know what that means?
While Bunny shies away from politics in this performance–because one train wreck on stage per night is enough and we all need a break from this toxic election–she doesn’t shy away from gender politics and the new pronoun we’re forced to learn every time Will Smith’s son puts on a dress. After Caitlyn Jenner reached out to Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz to become his “trans ambassador”, Bunny feels that it’s time for the gloves to come off while addressing that car crash. You don’t want to miss Bunny doing Cait’s twisted version of My Favorite Things.
Bunny may also shock you with revelations about her own gender identity. “She” asks pertinent questions about cultural appropriation prior to declaring her undying love for black cock in a vulgar version of Uptown Funk which has left recent audiences in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London reeling with mirth.
Theater queens rejoice! In her loooooong career in nightclubs, Bunny has never delved much into show tunes, but in Trans-Jester, Bunny brings it on home with a show-stopping finale featuring two classics from Gypsy and Follies. The eclectic evening also resurrects songs by country star Lynn Anderson, Millie Jackson and even an original tune which pokes fun at the dating life of whatever sex it is you want to call this “Lady”.
Back by popular demand, the show is now back for one month from August 31st-October 1st. Performances are from Wednesday to Saturday at 7PM. Please note: no shows on Thursday September 8th and September 9th. Stonewall is an intimate venue, so please reserve now to guarantee seats! The tickets are a low $19.99–as cheap as her humor–and there may be tickets for cash only at the door after the online sales close nightly at 5:30PM. (There usually are.) There is a two-drink minimum and the drink prices range from $7:50 (beer) to $12 (well drinks). There is no drink maximum, and Bunny’s singing will drive anyone to drink. Doors open at 6PM and seating is first come, first serve.
Please note: This show is raunchy. Not politically correct by definition–that’s the whole point. So if that’s not your cup of tea, you should honestly skip it. Or prepare to grab a drink and laugh, cheer and possibly even be challenged by a salty old kook who isn’t afraid to express herself from a viewpoint which is often unique.
Trans-Jester is written by Lady Bunny and Facebook sensation Beryl Mendelbaum.
53 Christopher Street, New York City, NY 10014
New Music from Lady Bunny
INTERNATIONAL LGBTQ STARS COLLABORATE ON NEW DANCE ANTHEM ’KEEP ON DANCING (UNTIL WE’RE FREE)’ // HOUSE OF WALLENBERG
HOUSE OF WALLENBERG TEAMS UP WITH YO MAJESTY AND LADY BUNNY
PROCEEDS FROM THE NEW SONG WILL GO TO THE PULSE ORLANDO FUND, SUPPORTING THE FAMILIES AND VICTIMS OF THE RECENT NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING
Swedish artist, DJ and producer Petter Wallenberg (aka House of Wallenberg) has teamed up with Jwl B from queer rappers Yo Majesty, and drag superstar Lady Bunny on a new song ‘Keep on Dancing (Until We’re Free)’. The track has been recorded specifically for the Pulse Orlando Fund, in support of the families and victims of the massacre at took place at Pulse Nightclub on June 12.
Petter Wallenberg said: “Queer clubs used to be safe spaces where we could be free. The Orlando shooting changed that. Now when we go out we find ourself prepared for the worst. But its important to not let fear win. As our song says, we need to keep on dancing, loving and fighting. This is our tribute to the Orlando victims but also a manifest for everyone’s right to be free.”
Jwl B said: “I’m from Florida and I lost friends and family from the gay community in the Orlando massacre. I felt I had to do something positive to bring happiness and create a fund raiser. I say to all my angels that lost their lives that we’re gonna keep on dancing until were free.”
Lady Bunny said: “The gay community has remained strong in the face of discrimination, bashing and AIDS. While the shooting at Pulse was grim, it renewed our desire to bond together and fight. A big part of our spirit comes from a club culture in which we gather to dance and celebrate the freedoms we do have. That will never die!”
House of Wallenberg is the music project from Swedish artist Petter Wallenberg.
BUY IT!!! iTunes: https://goo.gl/WIXuUs
Spotify: https://goo.gl/1duLdz
YouTubeVideo: goo.gl/fPfs25
EVEN MORE BUNNY NEWS!! The hardest working drag queen in the business!
New York Gay Pride Parties
At Three of The Cities Sickest Pride Events Ever: Bathhouse, Bruta Pride and Night of 1000 Queens
Voss Events, the leading New York City nightlife production Company, renowned for its innovative and outrageous parties, is announcing three main events for the city’s 2016 gay pride celebrations: BATHHOUSE, a 70s themed dance party, BRUTA PRIDE, an all new 360 degree nightlife experience from the masterminds behind Fuerza Bruta, and NIGHT OF 1000 QUEENS, featuring some of the brightest stars from RuPaul’s Drag Race.
The second Pride edition of BATHHOUSE will take place Friday, June 24th at XL Nightclub. The Over 16,000 square foot party space will be converted into a 70s-style raucous and steamy bathhouse complete with an adult theater, locker room, live performances and over thirty men on stage in nothing more then towels. “In the early ‘70s, the bathhouse was a symbol of gay freedom, a place to literally shed one’s inhibitions and secrets,” says event producer, Brandon Voss. “Nearly fifty years later, we’re recreating the experience by inviting today’s generation to shed their inhibitions – and iphones – with complimentary towels and a clothing check.” DJ W Jeremy spins. Must be 21+ to enter.
The next night welcomes the world premiere of BRUTA PRIDE, June 25th an all-new multi-million dollar production from the masterminds behind Fuerza Bruta, taking place at the Daryl Roth Theatre at 101 East 15th Street. Club fans will be wowed by an interactive 4D theatrical experience, mind-blowing immersive performances and beats by DJ Hector Fonseca. Must be 18+ to enter.
Then on Sunday, June 26th, guests are invited to grab their wigs and twirl with a thousand queens at NYC’s largest drag event, NIGHT OF 1000 QUEENS. Beginning at 9pm at Stage 48 (605 West 48th St), the night will showcase some of the world’s best drag performers from RuPaul’s Drag Race including Alyssa Edwards, Courtney Act, Derrick Barry, Detox, Kennedy Davenport, Naomi Smalls, Raja, Roxxxy Andrews, Shangela, Trixie Mattel, and Willam. Beats provided by Lady Bunny. Must be 21+ to enter.
Tickets to all events and discount weekend passes are available now at www.VossEvents.com
Magnus Hastings new book!
WHAT A GORGEOUS BOOK! And for a coffee table art book, its very affordable at about $35! Why Drag?
You saw the exhibit last year…now buy the book! 224 pages of the biggest and most diverse queens across America and beyond, all answering the question, Why drag?
Everyone loves to gag over photographs of their favorite queens, and chances are, some of the photographs have been taken by talented drag queen photographer, Magnus Hastings. His popular Facebook page, Dragged Around the World, archives some of his best work.
This celebrated artist has been photographing drag queens for the past 10 years- and his artwork showcasing queens is taking the world by storm! LAST YEAR, Hastings’ first photo exhibition in New York, Why Drag?, ran during Pride, at the OUT HOTEL. The best part about this unique exhibition is that each queen he photographs explains why it is that they do drag (but you’ll have to the exhibit to see that!) – Now, you can get the book!
Magnus Hastings came up through the London Gay scene and quickly gained recognition as one of the forerunners of his type of the pop art photography. playing with campy ideas when it was not fashionable to do so and embracing drag queens as a subject and study. He says, a “child of drag,” prone to putting on his sister’s clothes and dancing around his childhood home. But he didn’t truly discover the drag world until much later, long after he himself had stopped dressing across gender lines.
He completely revamped the Gaydar franchise in 2009 and has been published worldwide in magazines such as Glamour (uk), GQ (uk), Cosmopolitan (Italy),People (usa) , US weekly (use), Attitude (uk) ,AXM (uk), Bent (uk), QX international (uk), Blue (australia), Boyz (uk), Nois (spain) to name a few.
In 2003, on a visit to Sydney, Hastings walked into the Arq nightclub and saw the drag queen Vanity Faire lip-syncing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz in a flawless Dorothy outfit. The experience changed his life.
“I started shooting drag because it’s my home and my world and it feels like my family,” Hastings said.
Watching that performance connected Hastings to a part of himself that he’d abandoned due to social pressures as a child but that he still longed to explore.
With Vanity’s guidance, Hastings began photographing the city’s vibrant drag scene and developing a polished, dynamic style of portraiture reflecting his subjects’ creativity and humor.
As he traveled the world, he continued capturing local queens with a focus on those who best represented the art’s diversity and daring, from the bearded to the “fishy,” or ultrafeminine.
His images attracted a larger audience when he started posting his photos to his Facebook group, “Dragged Around the World.”
Magnus now lives in Los Angeles with his Jack Russell named George and is heavily involved in photographing the drag scene.
‘Why Drag?‘ with photographs by Magnus Hastings and a foreword by Boy George, was published in May by Chronicle Books. BUY THE BOOK!
Why Drag?
Lady Bunny @ Stonewall Inn – EXTENDED
If you ain’t seen it yet – you MUST!
LADY BUNNY @ Stonewall Inn with her new show, Trans-Jester!
EXTENDED Now thru May 18th!!
Recently Susan Sarandon took a front row seat at Bunnys new show. BOTH are fellow Bernie Sanders supporters.
Says Bun Bun, “It’s Thelma and Sleaze! I was pleasantly surprised that Susan Sarandon popped by my show Trans-Jester at The Stonewall Inn last night. She popped backstage and said the show was “so smart.” Now I might have believed her if she hadn’t been snorting poppers at the time.
Anyhow, it was lovely of her to come and she is both lovely and sweet. And although we are both Bernie Sanders supporters, it was far from a #feelthebern rally. This show is pure comedy and barely mentions the election or politics. I save those toxic posts for Facebook!”
In the last five years, Bunny’s performed two sold out solo shows at La Escuelita. But that venue closed! So Bunny has brought her blend of raucous, irreverent comedy to the even more legendary venue Stonewall.
In addition to new parodies which re-work selections from Adele, Rent and Bruno Mars to hilarious, effect punctuated by zany Laugh-In style zingers, Bunny has widened her—don’t go there!–repertoire to include some actually insightful social commentary. (Well, she thinks it’s insightful, anyway.) Trashing the current overemphasis on political correctness, Bunny breaks down some of the latest buzzwords that we’re all supposed to remember for every for every occasion as we “evolve.” Sometimes, Bunny feels, that we’re actually evolving away from common sense! Take the new name for our community–LGBTIA. Does anyone even know what that means?
Theater queens rejoice! In her loooooong career in nightclubs, Bunny has never delved much into show tunes, but in Trans-Jester, Bunny brings it on home with a show-stopping finale featuring two classics from Gypsy and Follies. The evening also resurrects songs by country star Lynn Anderson, Millie Jackson and even an original tune which pokes fun at the dating life of whatever sex it is you want to call this “Lady”. A proud slut, Bunny lampoons her own senile attempts to keep up with technology in order to still get sex, and the folly of a mature showgirl who appears to be teleported from a 1960s TV set dating the youth which the internet of 2016 yields.
Wednesday thru Saturday evenings. The showtime is 7PM sharp. “I know this show is in a bar and it’s by a drag queen–we are often late–but each performance must end by 9PM so that Stonewall can get back to it’s regular nightly programming. So please arrive a little early and we will start very close to 7PM if not at 7PM”
For more info/tix:
http://
Colt Prattes Dirty Dancing
Looks like newcomer Colt Prattes will be filling in Patrick Swayze’s dancing shoes. ABC and Lionsgate have announced that Prattes will play the iconic role of Johnny in the upcoming Dirty Dancing remake.
Prattes is a singer, dancer, and actor ( and crossfit enthusiast )best known for his appearance in P!nk’s “Try” music video, where he showed off his performance skills and chiseled physique. He also toured with P!nk and starred in Rock of Ages in Las Vegas.
In the three-hour musical airing on ABC, Prattes will portray Johnny, the dance instructor at the Catskill Mountains resort who teaches Baby — played by Abigail Breslin — to be his new partner. Debra Messing has also been cast to play Baby’s mother.
Jose Rivera JR Does Adele
NYC-based Puerto Rican-American performing artist and choreographer José Rivera, Jr. has released a gorgeous, immersive video cover of Adele’s song “When We Were Young,” directed by Blake Pruitt. In the video, he grapples with his feminine and masculine identities while reflecting on memories of a past lover, seeking to address his own body dysmorphia through physical expression.
Says Rivera, “I create accessible work in a digital, shareable format to inspire change and encourage conversation on how we perceive our physical selves. The response to my live work OF CAKE & VANITY (inspired directly by my dysmorphia) created a dialogue on mental health between friends, family, and me. Seeing live performance is a privilege. Theater and most live performance was not accessible to me as a +60lb overweight gay Latino teen with an abusive, controlling father. Videos on my computer and smartphone were an escape for a physically and emotionally trapped kid. By queering traditional narratives, my work provides visibility for bodies of all backgrounds, ethnicities, shapes, sizes, and identities in an effort to merge them with pop cultural norms i.e. ‘making difference mainstream.'”
WATCH AND LISTEN
Choreography: Ali Perkins
Band: Jordan Auber, Percussion Steve Conroy, Bass Albert Goold, Keyboard Max Yassky, Drums
Dancers: Alexa Andres, Andrew Chung, Becca Co, Rebecca Marie Hidalgo, Justin Robert Thomas Smith
Camera: Dan Rodriguez
Mobile Recording: Cesar G | cesargmusic@gmail.com
Sherry Vine’s Queer TV Network
Drag Darling Sherry Vine Launches Queer Network, gaySVTVworld
The Internet is getting a whole lot gayer! International drag darling Sherry Vine and former Here-TV executive Josh Rosenzweig are combining their style, humor and sensibility into a one-stop, digital destination for all of the world’s LGBTQ entertainment needs. gaySVTVworld premieres February 14 with original shows, specials, music videos, short films and more: all free at YouTube.com/MissSherryVine.
“The world needs gaySVTVworld because they are hungry for original programming from top queer talent,” says Sherry Vine. “We got ‘em all: Haus Of Mimosa, Pickles, David Serrano, Chris Semers … and this is only the beginning.”
“gaySVTVworld is created by and for LGBTQ audiences,” adds Josh Rosenzweig. “Nobody is going to tell our stories like we will. While our visibility has increased enormously over the last decade with the launch of several LGBT television networks, it is essential that the community have an online space to call our own. A destination where we can go to find like-minded artists and feel the power of the collective.”
While gaySVTVworld draws inspiration from a traditional television model, it also presents a modern digital age spin with all shows under-seven minutes long. “We’re offering short content so people can view several episodes in the same amount of time as one traditional TV show,” explains Vine. “Maybe you only have five free minutes on your way to work or during a lunch break. That’s enough time to catch a hilarious episode of Fashion Puhleez on your smart phone!”
The network will kick off its first season with a slate of eight programs, releasing daily, beginning with Sunday’s Sherry and the Greek, an original talk series starring Vine and Chris Semers, discussing a variety of fun topics and performing skits, characters, and musical numbers.
On Monday, queer notables share their pop culture picks on EduGAYtion. Then Tuesday, The Rachel Zoe Show meets Project Runway in Fashion Puhleez, with lead players in the beauty industry discussing fashion, club couture and styling.
House of Mimosa presents The Anita & Gina Marie Show, a comedic show that chronicles the daily antics of two women as they cause mayhem throughout Astoria, Queens (singing out – or rather, airing out – all their dirty laundry) gets viewers over hump day. Then its Throwback Thursdays with Pickles, a look back at a public access show that offers a glimpse into the gay, downtown art and nightlife scene of New York in the nineties.
Celebrate the end of the workweek with The Flames of Hell’s Kitchen, a telanovela about the life of Sherry Vine, her manager Gloria, assistant Busted and sexy Latino boyfriend, Diego. In the first season, Sherry wins big, loses everything, slips back into a life of drugs, and faces an intervention. The show stars David Serrano, Busted, Patty McKeever and Al McKeever.
Finally, on Saturday, it’s movie night as gaySVTVworld presents The SVTV Short Film Fest, an online festival dedicated to spotlighting the very best LGBTQ filmmakers from around the world. Each week is a new short film along with interviews from the filmmakers and special bonus features.
In addition, What’s In Your Purse?, a hilarious two-minute segment featuring Vine cornering nightlife celebrities and forcing them to reveal the contents of their bags, will run throughout the week.
“We knew launching a network was an ambitious endeavor but there are so many things we didn’t think of,” admits Vine. “Josh and I and our amazing team have literally been working every day on gaySVTVworld for almost a year now.”
“So much of that time has been spent on brainstorming ideas, reaching out to people we wanted to work with and deciding on a slate we felt confident about,” continues Rosenzweig. “We have several shows that are in various stages of development. Our intention is to continue to keep rolling out new programs, music videos and comedy sketches.”
Sherry Vine’s hilarious video parodies have made her a YouTube sensation, being viewed over 14,000,000 times! She got her start in downtown NYC but today tours the world with her live singing and comedy shows. Vine has appeared on the off-Broadway stage, in numerous films including Stonewall and Wigstock and she starred in two seasons of Here TV’s variety show, She’s Living For This, produced and directed by Josh Rosenzweig.
Josh Rosenzweig served as SVP of Here TV for ten years where he produced over two hundred hours of television programming including She’s Living For This and Heart of Broadway: An Inside Look at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. He was also the host of the hit TV talk show Just Josh. Rosenzweig has directed many music videos, award-winning films and over forty productions for the theater. He has been nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards.
gaySVTVworld premieres February 14 at YouTube.com/MissSherryVine.
