Category Archives: News and Happenings
Mario Godiva Green and His Kangoo’s in Times Square
Mario Godiva Green is a Fitness Expert who started in the fitness industry at 18 and has over 11 years of experience. Originally from Chicago, he now teaches group fitness classes in New York City, privately trains, travels and teaches master classes and holds trainings, as well as makes media and event appearances all over the country. – I used to see him jumping around Chicago with his Kangoo’s and people thought he was crazy! He has elevated Kangoo to a whole new level now! Kangoos are running and rebound sport shoes that have quickly become the latest fitness trend in the US. He was the first person to ever launch Kangoo classes in the US and in NYC.
He and his Kangoo Demonstration made the Today Show’s “Wildest Moments of 2010” segment with Kathie Lee and Hoda. Green has also been featured in many news articles and segments around the country as well as all over the world.
Mario Godiva Green and his Kangoo Nation
BestGayNewYork.com
Vinoly’s $1 Billion Skyscraper 432 Park Avenue
WOULD YOU LIVE IN THE
TALLEST BUILDING IN MANHATTAN?
Count me out!
The Wall Street Journal reports that architectural plans reveal a “1,300-foot tall, (Trade Center was 1360)slender condo and retail complex” with 128 condos that feature 12-foot high ceilings, plus a “5,000 square foot, partially covered, driveway to ensure privacy and amenities like golf training facilities and private dining and screening rooms.”
50 East 57th Street (The Drake Hotel) will now be 432 Park Avenue. Built in 1926, The Drake was acquired in the early 1980s by the Swissotel company of Zurich, which undertook a $52 million room-by-room renovation of the building.
Renovations were completed in 1991. In 2006 the hotel was sold for $440 million to developer Harry Macklowe. It was demolished in 2007. The site became one of New York’s most valuable development sites in 2011.
Priscilla Halloween Costume Contest Oct 24th
At PRISCILLA, we live for a good getup, so we’ve been waiting all year for our favorite holiday, HALLOWEEN! On Monday, OCTOBER 24TH we will be hosting our GET FROCKED COSTUME CONTEST! Come to the show dressed in your most over-the-top ensemble and be entered to win a prize package that includes a $150 gift card to fabulous Times Square restaurant Glass House Tavern, a Priscilla T-shirt, a Playbill signed by the cast, a cast recording, and more! There will be a check-in place at the theatre where we will be taking pictures. We’ll post the photos to our Facebook wall, where you can “like” your favorites to help us choose the best costume! Get more details on the GET FROCKED COSTUME CONTEST
HIV Positive Man Punched by Cop at Occupy Wall Street
In the video, it appears an NYPD officer in a white shirt struck a man in a green shirt. The man immediately fell to the ground and was assisted by others nearby. After knocking the man down, the officer looked as though he was moving in to make an arrest, but the man on the ground was pulled away by another man nearby. The alleged altercation caused other protesters to react with dismay, and they started shouting. Some of the protesters attempted to force their way to the scene, but other police officers held them off to prevent the incident from escalating. According to Gothamist, the man who was punched is Felix Rivera-Pitre, an HIV-positive protester. Rivera-Pitre told Gothamist he was walking slightly in front of the police on William Street, and he admitted he “shot the cop a look.” ( see the video on Animal NewYork of the look! followed by the attack!) “The cop just lunged at me full throttle and hit me on the left side of my face,” Rivera-Pitre told Gothamist. “It tore my earring out. I remember seeing my earring on the ground next to me, and it was full of blood. I was completely dumbstruck. I’m HIV-positive and that cop should get tested.” Rivera-Pitre managed to escape arrest. “The cops were pulling me by my feet and the crowd was pulling me by my hands, and I was suspended in the air,” he added. “But there were more people than cops, and they pulled me out.”
THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING!
A video allegedly showing a New York Police Department officer striking a male Occupy Wall Street protester in the face and knocking him out was making the rounds on YouTube last night. But it seems to be disappearing and yanked by YouTube today….you can still see it on Huffington Post.
Standing on Ceremony – The Gay Marriage Play
Two little words, – The Revision by Jordan Harrison, an amusing look at how two men might rewrite their vows to more accurately reflect the limited options available to a gay couple. – This Flight Tonight by Wendy MacLeod, which asks if there is any hope for happiness when a lesbian marriage begins in Iowa. – On Facebook by Doug Wright, adapted from an actual Facebook thread chronicling one long fight among friends on the subject of gay marriage. – This Marriage Is Saved by Joe Keenan, a satiric vignette about a disgraced evangelist and his wife who insist that his extra marital flings has only strengthened their marriage. – Strange Fruit by Neil LaBute, the story of two men in love whose plans to get married “the old-fashioned way” are stymied when reality rears its ugly head. – Pablo and Andrew at the Altar of Words by José Rivera, a moving play about two men who use their marriage vows to “say the things we never really say”. Preview performances begin Monday, November 7 with an official opening night set for Sunday, November 13, at the Minetta Lane Theatre (18 Minetta Lane, NY, NY). WE HAVE TICKETS WE’RE GIVING AWAY! StandingOnCeremony.net
and suddenly your whole world changes. In this new evening of short plays, nine renowned playwrights offer their unique takes on the moments before, during and after “I do.”
Witty, warm and occasionally wacky, these brand-new plays are vows to the blessings of equality, the universal challenges of relationships and the often hilarious power of love.
– White Marriage by Jeffrey Hatcher, in which a wife and husband discuss his “gay” sense of humor.
– The Gay Agenda by Paul Rudnick, a sadly hilarious plea for understanding by an Ohio homemaker and member of Focus on the Family.
– London Mosquitoes by Moisés Kaufman, a poignant story in which a widower tries to make sense of the loss of his long-time lover.
In support of one of the defining issues of our time, STANDING ON CEREMONY will donate a portion of all ticket sales to marriage-equality causes, including Freedom to Marry.
JUST SAY “I DO” in the comments section.
One winner will be drawn at random to get 2 tickets for the play!
Say I DO before Oct. 31st. Winner will be selected Nov. 1st!
Tickets for the Off Broadway run of Standing on Ceremony, priced from $59.oo to $79.00 (plus a $1.00 theatre facility fee), are now on sale via Ticketmaster.com and will be available at the Minetta Lane box office beginning November 3. For groups of 10 or more, call 1-800-BROADWAY, ext.2 or visit www.Broadway.com/Groups.
The performance schedule is as follows: Tuesday- Friday at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 3:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.; Sunday at 3:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
To coincide with its first performance, Standing on Ceremony has joined with Tectonic Theater Project (Moisés Kaufman, Artistic Director; Greg Reiner, Executive Director) for Standing on Ceremony: The National Event, to help take the play’s message across the country (and the globe).
facebook.com/standingonceremony
twitter.com/gaymarriageplay
Priscilla Goes to Chicago for ROSIE
The show will air tonight, 10-13-2011.
ROSIE O’Donnell may have moved her new OWN show out to Chicago, but the big Broadway supporter in her hasn’t forgotten her NYC stage roots.
She flew the entire cast of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert out to the windy city to perform a medley of “It’s Raining Men” and “I Will Survive” on The Rosie Show yesterday (10-12-2011) during the show’s premiere week.
Priscilla is the first musical to appear on Rosie, but there will be more, says Rosie!
If you remember, O’Donnell would routinely highlight stage productions on The Rosie O’Donnell Show, which ran from 1996 to 2002.
I was in the Chicago audience, front row, and the numbers were awesome!
GET TICKETS FOR PRISCILLA ON BROADWAY
Lady Bunny – Tuesdays in Oct. & Nov.at Escualita
Last Tuesday was the first in a series of Lady Bunny shows at Esculita. Bunny is performing That Ain’t No Lady every Tuesday this month.
SHOWS ARE SELLING OUT!
EXTENDED THRU NOVEMBER!
The opening night audience was filled with movers and shakers and the show got a big thumbs up from everyone in attendance!
We caught up with Bunny this week!
We know that you travel ALL OF THE TIME. You are the hardest working queen we know! In know you DJ at times in NYC, When is the last time you performed your act in NYC?
I’ve done bits and pieces here and there, but it’s been a decade since my last full-length show at Fez in NYC. I’ve tried a lot of new stuff out while gigging around the country and feel that I have enough material to mount a new full-length cabaret show.
Why the series of shows in NYC now, 4 weeks in a row? – How did that come about?
It’s Year Of The Rabbit! And while I enjoyed being on Drag U, I think I’m better when I’m uncensored–as I definitely am in this show. A cabaret audience is very different for me because I normally play clubs–but with a great stage and lighting, Escuelita is a perfect mix of club and cabaret. Since they do a strip night called Hunk-O-Mania for ladies on weekends, they have very comfortable cabaret seating with tables, chairs and couches. Sometimes the ladies leave the seats a little moist, though!
Another reason to check this show out is that drag shows have become very expensive. The price of mine is as cheap as my humor–$14.98–and there’s only a 1 drink minimum. But since my singing has been known to drive people to drink, there is a strictly enforced 25 drink maximum!
We just saw you in Chicago – and you did sort of a 2 act show…will the NY show be like that? or something different?
This show is more of a production with lighting cues, sound cues, a fog machine, videos which play while I change costumes, etc. And I’m singing everything live–which is a challenge when you are juggling a microphone, lighter and Whitney Houston’s crackpipe!
I have some new snippets in my parody medleys by CeeLo, Britney, Katy Perry, Taio Cruz and Kelly Rowland. And my Laugh-In joke routine has been updated to include jokes about Gaga, Kardashian, Justin Bieber and today’s celebs. It’s actually a very ‘young” show–despite it’s ancient star! And I’m joined onstage by several sexy dancers from La Escuelita. They are so gorgeous that it’s tough to focus on my work at times!
Are you taking time off the road – or still traveling in between shows?
Within two months, I’m either deejaying or performing in Atlanta, Palm Springs, Boston, Denver, Detroit, Hawaii, San Francisco, Houston, Sao Paolo and Toronto. But all of these gigs are on the weekend so I can always make it back for my Tuesday cabaret show and then hit the road again. I’ve never been to Brazil so I can’t wait!
Will Wigstock ever return?
There has been some talk about it but it’s very tricky. We stopped it after getting rained out two years in a row. Also, in a recession, sponsors aren’t as flush with cash and as our crowds grew into the tens of thousands, the stage, sound and jumbotron video screen rental sent our production costs to the moon. And honestly, I’m not sure that NYC is the same place it once was. Like every other city it feels corporate and not nearly as funky and bohemian as it used to be. The great thing about Wigstock is that drag queens would mix with homeless people, transsexuals, pier queens, club kids and average New Yorkers. Now average Manhattanites are trust fund kids wearing Prada who act like Sex And The City wannabes. They want to be Kim Kardashian–do you really think they could appreciate Leigh Bowery or Kevin Aviance? Still, we never say never. But it helped when New York was filled with creative people who now can’t afford to live here. If we are going to do the festival again, we need an appreciative audinece.
I heard about a new DVD coming – of the parody songs…can you tell us more??
I have a lot of new videos that have been popular online so I am cutting together a new dvd to be ready December 1st. Like A Cheese Stick, Firework, My salutes to Burlesque, Sarah Palin, Amy Winehouse will all be on there. As well as the new Laugh-In routine. And I’m also cobbling together some outrageous footage of my recent trip to San Francisco’s Folsom Street fair.
And there’s a guy in NYC named Jonah Falcon with a 13 inch cock and he’s going to co-star in a video set to How Can I Ease The Pain by Lisa Fischer. A new genre–comedy porn! The perfect gift to horrify religious relatives with!
BRAVO King (Queen?) Andy Cohen was there last week. “Tuesday night I went to the opening of The Lady Bunny’s first new stage show in ten long years called “That Ain’t no Lady” at Escualita. It was as filthy as all get out and a ton of fun. Do not go if you are averse to filth!”
“Bunny had me shaking with laughter.”
–Michael J. Fox
“My jaw dropped.”
–Roger Ebert
“I laughed my tits off.”
–Chaz Bono
“No one can remove dog cum from a wig like Lady Bunny.”
–Martha Stewart
“Wait! Bunny performs more than fellatio?”
–The Harlem Globetrotters
“Bunny is such a classy lady that I wanted to take her home.”
–Eddie Murphy
“I would have personally driven her mother to Planned Parenthood.”
–Michele Bachmann
“Halfway through this show, we were hoping a tiger would run out into the audience and kill us.”
–Siegfried and Roy
GET A SNEAK PEAK from Opening NIght
That Ain’t No Lady! at La Escuelita (301 W. 39th Street), 8 PM every Tuesday in October.
Advance reservations highly suggested!
New Yorks LGBT Homeless Need Help Now
The Ali Forney Center, the nation’s largest organization working on behalf of homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth, today released a compelling new video viewable online in support of the Campaign for Youth Shelter. The video, outlining the stark facts of the plight of LGBT homeless youth in New York, was released to promote an October 24 rally in Union Square, at which New York’s LGBT community will demand shelter for all youth in the city. Said Carl Siciliano, founder and Executive Director of the Ali Forney Center: “We hope that this video will promote awareness of the terrible peril that LGBT youth face when left homeless in the streets. With the recent spectacle of elected officials taking budgetary actions to endanger and abandon homeless youth in New York City, we hope the rally on October 24th will send a loud and clear message that the LGBT community demands that they be protected. No youth should be left in the streets without shelter.” The October 24 rally will be held in Union Square, beginning at 6 PM. It is in support of the Campaign for Youth Shelter, and is being planned by representatives from the Ali Forney Center, the Bronx Community Pride Center, Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, Green Chimneys NYC, the Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn, and Queer Rising. Information on the rally and the Campaign for Youth Shelter online. The Ali Forney Center (AFC) was started in June of 2002 in response to the lack of safe shelter for LGBT youth in New York City. The Center is committed to providing these young people with safe, dignified, nurturing environments where their needs can be met, and where they can begin to put their lives back together. AFC is dedicated to promoting awareness of the plight of homeless LGBT youth in the United States with the goal of generating responses on local and national levels from government funders, foundations, and the LGBT community.
Watch video
Among the key points featured in the video:
In New York, an LGBT youth is eight times more likely to experience homelessness than a straight youth.
LGBT youth who are homeless face a significantly higher risk of HIV infection, suicide, and physical and sexual assault than their homeless straight counterparts.
40 percent of all homeless youth in NYC are LGBT, according to a 2008 census conducted by the Empire State Coalition.
Despite the scope of the problem, in 2011, both Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Cuomo have proposed drastic cuts to services for homeless youth.
RENT’s Sean Michael Murray
Gaylifenyc.org
chats with the super handsome and talented star of Rent at New World Stages.
Sean Michael Murray!
He talks about his Broadway debut in American Idiot, his quirks, stupid human tricks and some great messages about living your life to the fulllest.
Please check it out.
Gaylifenyc.org is a website for (HERO) HIV Experience Resources Organization – a non-for-profit company operating in New York State. It features Entertainment News and On The Town updates. It’s also dedicated to helping people getting around, get through and get over the system that hinders timely assistance for the newly diagnosed & people living with HIV/AIDS. And it’s dedicated to entertaining you, and keeping your spirits up where they should be. HERO is 100 % Volunteer based.
Aynsley Bubbico and Peter & I
Aynsley can next been seen in the new Off-Broadway musical “Peter & I,” from October 6-16, along with Chris Dwan, Ben Hart, Geoffrey Kidwell, Emily Padgett, and Jared Zirilli. With a book and lyrics by Matte O’Brien, music by Matt Vinson, directed by Matte O’Brien, and musical direction by Amanda Morton, “Peter & I” explores the mysteries surrounding the life and death of Michael Llewelyn Davies (who was J.M, Barrie’s muse for Peter Pan and the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up) and his lover at Oxford, Rupert Buxton. (we talked about this show a couple days ago it sounds great!)
Aynsley Bubbico is a rising actress who just finsihed four seasons on the hit ABC Family series “Greek,” playing the recurring character of “Laura.”
Adaumbelles Quest caught up with Aynsley in between rehearsals.
Get the scoop and check out the interview!
Lady Bunny in THAT AIN’T NO LADY! Tuesdays in October at La Escuelita
The raunchy, demented drag diva LADY BUNNY, of Wigstock fame presents her first full-length one wo-man show in almost a decade at the popular latin nightspot La Escuelita every Tuesday in October at 8PM. Fast-paced and action-packed with glitzy costumes and Bunny’s trademark gravity-defying bouffant wig, THAT AIN’T NO LADY is a cabaret designed for a night club crowd–no lengthy monologues or sappy show tunes here. For mature audiences who enjoy irreverent humor! Though she just finished her second season of RUPAUL’S DRAG U on LOGO as the Dean Of Drag giving contestants “Lady Lessons”, Bunny’s deliciously bawdy brand humor is far from ladylike. Bunny re-works pop songs into hysterical parodies, using recent smashes like Ke$ha’s TIK TOK (which Bunny transforms into BIG COCK) to classics like ALL THAT JIZZ. No musical genre is sacred so expect to hear from everyone from Katy Perry to Taio Cruz to Britney and Whitney. Sprinkle in zany Laugh-In style joke routines for added politically incorrect fun. The wacky blonde will also re-create some of her hit youtube videos, including her rap debut with a parody of Like A G6–the ode to uncircumcised men entitled Like A Cheese Stick, which was featured on Perez Hilton and Dlisted. Finally, a tribute to recently departed musical giants Amy Winehouse and Nick Ashford of Ashford and Simpson. And just wait until you get a load of Bunny as the monstrous “Scare” in a wicked spoof of Cher in BURLESQUE. With a ticket price of $14.98 that’s as cheap as her humor and a recession-friendly 1 drink minimum, THAT AIN’T NO LADY provides over an hour of laughs for a decidedly affordable price. However, since Bunny’s singing has been known to drive audiences to drink, there is a strictly-enforced 25 drink maximum. And this show re-introduces a quintessentially NYC venue with a great stage and atmosphere while bringing some much-needed trash back to the increasingly Disney-fied Times Square area. After the show on opening night, Bunny will spin a dj set to satisfy the everyone’s gripe that they hate today’s dance music. So expect to hear dance classics like Deee-Lite, Crystal Waters, Whitney Houston and absolutely no Rihanna, Ke$ha, Gaga, Katy Perry or Britney. GET YOUR TICKETS FOR LADY BUNNY NOW!
For 1 hour after the show, 2-4-1 drinks will be offered.
PLEASE NOTE: Online ticket sales end 2 hour before showtime–ie 6PM. No credit cards are accepted at the door– Cash payments for admission only. Credit cards are accepted for drink purchases.
MORE LADY BUNNY
New Yorks Broadway FLEA MARKET & AUCTION Sept. 25
Broadway dreams can come true as you find showbiz treasures, meet the stars and bid on once-in-a-lifetime items and experiences at the 25th Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction. Make your plans now to spend Sunday, September 25 with Broadway Cares and thousands of other theatre fans in Times Square and along West 44th Street for those one-of-a-kind keepsakes. This not-to-be-missed event for any serious Broadway theatergoer is free and open to the public and has been called one of the “Best Once-a-Year Markets” in New York City. From photos with your favorite Broadway star to buying that lost cast recording, signed show posters and Playbills, rare costume sketches or special gift for a theatre-lover you can’t find anywhere – this year’s Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction promises to offer something for everyone. Autograph Table & Photo Booth | Grand Auction Pre-Bids New for 2011 are special “flash auctions” which feature instant experiences with Broadway stars live on the Grand Auction stage, including: Among the shows signed up for tables are The Addams Family, Anything Goes, The Book of Mormon, Follies, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, Mary Poppins, The Phantom of the Opera, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Rock of Ages, Sister Act, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Wicked and Cirque Du Soleil’s Zarkana, as well as Actors’ Equity Association, The Actors Fund, Broadway Impact, The Broadway League, Givenik, Paper Mill Playhouse, Seth’s Broadway Chatterbox and United Scenic Artists. You also can place early bids now on dozens of unique theater items and experiences that will be offered throughout the day in the silent auction and in the day’s exciting finale, the live auction. Online pre-bidding ends at 12 pm ET on Saturday, September 24. For the first time ever, the Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction will encompass all of 44th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, and will stretch across Broadway into Times Square, filling the wide pedestrian plaza between 43rd and 44th Streets.. “We look forward to turning this year’s construction challenge into a golden, sun-drenched opportunity to expand into Times Square’s wonderful pedestrian plazas,” BC/EFA executive director Tom Viola said. “Filling Broadway between 43rd and 44th Streets, there will be booths overflowing with theatrical memorabilia and at the end of the afternoon the Grand Auction. I hope you will take the few steps across Seventh Avenue with us, as you enjoy the high energy and activity that every year stretches down 44th Street to Eighth Avenue. Whatever the terrain, the best of Broadway shows up for the Broadway Flea Market. I hope you will too!” Dozens of tables from Broadway’s most popular shows will set up shop for what Time Out New York calls one of the “Best Once-a-Year Markets” in New York City. Fans can buy that lost cast recording, signed show posters and Playbills, rare costume sketches, props and special gifts theatre-lovers can’t find anywhere else. Silent auction lots offered every half-hour will give way to the live Grand Auction at the end of the day featuring a collection of unique items and experiences that will offer something for everyone. One of the most popular sites at Broadway’s “one-day sale” is the Celebrity Autograph Table at which your favorite stars from Broadway and Off-Broadway sign autographs and pose for photos in exchange for donations to BC/EFA. Last year, some of the big prizes at the grand auction included a chance to appear in “Wicked” that sold for a whopping $16,500 and a tank top worn by Daniel Craig in “A Steady Rain” and signed by Craig and co-star Hugh Jackman that fetched $6,500. The auction and market, which cost about $60,000 to produce, plus three other Broadway Cares/Equity Fight AIDS events – the Easter Bonnet Competition, Gypsy of the Year and Broadway Bares – helped the group last year award some $10 million in grants to The Actors Fund and to more than 400 AIDS and family service organizations.
Times Square & West 44th Street, NYC
• Spamalot karaoke with Tony Award-nominated Spamalot star Christopher Sieber
• An on-the-spot appearance in the hit Web series “Side by Side by Susan Blackwell“
• A coaching session with Chicago star Kara DioGuardi, former American Idol judge and head judge on Bravo’s Platinum Hit
• Your favorites tunes sung especially for you by Rent star Anthony Rapp and Wicked star Julia Murney
• Your outgoing voice mail message recorded in the voice of the diva of your choice by singer and comedian Christine Pedi, known for her spot-on impersonations.
It’s a flea market like no other!
Some of the celebrities this year willing to sign autographs for a $25 donation – or pose for a photo for $10 – are Adam Godley, Nick Adams, Patina Miller, Sutton Foster, Tony Sheldon, Rory O’Malley, Alice Ripley, Annaleigh Ashford, Josh Gad, Joyce DeWitt, Nikki M. James, Patrick Page, Victoria Clark, Roger Rees, Adam Pascal, Montego Glover, Beth Leavel and Charles Busch. (All appearances subject to change.)
BID RIGHT NOW LIVE ONLINE –
all kinds of cool things – like
DRINK UP WITH THE “GIRLS” OF PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT
Please check the website, Facebook and Twitter for an update on
Sunday morning and throughout the day if clouds are gray.
See you there!
BestGayNewYork.com
Peter & I revisits Michael Llewelyn Davies Oct 6-16th
Off Broadway rock opera
Peter & I,
will be playing at the American Theatre of Actors from
October 6th-16th.
Based on true events, Peter & I is a musical brimming with questions of faith, loss, salvation, love and immortality. It explores the mysteries surrounding the life and death of Michael Llewelyn Davies and his lover at Oxford, Rupert Buxton. It is believed that Michael and Rupert drowned themselves in a still pond at Oxford University just short of Michael’s 21st birthday in May 1921.
Michael, who was J.M, Barrie’s muse for Peter Pan and the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up, could never escape the wonder and pain that came from being thought of as the “Pan Boy.” Although the majority of this poignant piece takes place over 100 years ago, it themes are still very much relevant today especially in regard to the recent number of gay suicides taking place across the nation.
Was Michael gay? Did he kill himself in a suicide pact with his male lover while in Oxford?
Or he may have drown, and caused his lover to drown when he tried to save him. – We may never know.
The piece explores the clash between fantasy and reality; the inertia that is a tragic necessity of our everyday lives, but also threatens to take over our dreams. The beauty of this piece is its ability to give new light to the characters we know and love; the humanity and depth behind the fairy tale.
Peter & I stars Aynsley Bubbico (TV’s GREEK, How I Met Your Mother, Jersey Shoresical), Chris Dwan, Ben Hart (Avenue Q), Geoffrey Kidwell, Emily Padgett (Rock of Ages, Grease), and the oh-so handsome Jared Zirilli (Wicked and AIDA – photo above).
Book and lyrics for Peter & I were written by Matte O’Brien who will also direct the show. Music was composed by Matt Vinson. Amanda Morton (16 Days) is the Musical Director for the piece.
Get a listen to NOT SCARED at rehearsal.
GET TICKETS NOW AND SAVE WITH OUR PROMO CODE!
type in discount code “BESTGAY” get $10 tickets.
BestGayNewYork.com
New York City OUT Gay Hotel Will Open 2012
Manhattan’s newest gay neighborhood, Hell’s Kitchen, is getting gay hotel complex, The Out NYC, late in 2012. The nightlife venue, expected to draw locals as well as travelers, is scheduled to open in November 2011. The hotel’s official opening is planned for late winter/early spring 2012. The hotel complex — an adapted 1950s-vintage, drive-in motor inn — is situated on 42nd St. between 10th and 11th Avenues. A major rehabilitation and redirected use of the existing motel will turn the property into a 105-room boutique hotel with a spa, wellness center, business center and conference rooms. The entertainment complex includes the 11,000-square-foot XL nightclub, lounge and cabaret as well as a 24/7 café and a restaurant called Kitchen.
People said it wasn’t going to happen – but Parkview Developers insist it is moving forward! And they are getting lots of press this month.
It’s New York City’s first gay hotel and, perhaps, the only gay urban resort in the country, according to developer Ian Reisner, managing partner of Parkview Developers.
The idea stemmed from a gay-focused boutique hotel in Barcelona, AXEL, where Reisner stayed a few years ago. He decided New York City needed a similar hotel and, in fact, an entire entertainment complex. – It was rumored that AXEL owned the hotel – they claim they do not – other sources say yes, they are involved, to some extent.
The actual planning started in 2008.
In 2009 a 49-year ground lease was secured for the property….a 26,000-square-foot block of real estate, in a gentrifying neighborhood. “It was perfect timing to get my hands on such a big property,” Ian says. “The great recession had put a damper on real estate and you could lock in things you couldn’t lock in, in a normal functioning market.”
Stay tuned!
Broadway Premiere of “8” – All-Star Cast Reading
LAST NIGHT,
Broadway was buzzing, like it has not buzzed in a long time!
The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact launched the all-star Broadway premiere of “8” to a packed and enthusiastic audience.
The play, which chronicles the historic trial in the federal legal challenge to California’s Proposition 8, was written by AFER Founding Board Member and Academy Award-winning writer Dustin Lance Black and directed by Tony Award-winning actor and director Joe Mantello.
The production is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the case filed by AFER to overturn Prop. 8, which eliminated the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry in California. Prop. 8 was ruled unconstitutional in August 2010.
The premiere featured an all-star cast
including Academy, Tony and four-time Emmy Award nominee Bob Balaban;
Emmy and Tony Award winner and two-time Golden Globe Award nominee Ellen Barkin; acclaimed “White Collar” television star Matt Bomer;
Emmy Award-winning journalist Campbell Brown;
Golden Globe Award winner and four-time Emmy Award nominee Anthony Edwards;
Academy and Golden Globe Award winner and Tony nominee Morgan Freeman;
Tony Award nominee Jayne Houdyshell;
award-winning Broadway, television and film star Cheyenne Jackson;
celebrated playwright and gay rights activist Larry Kramer;
Academy, Emmy and two-time Golden Globe Award winner Christine Lahti;
two-time Academy Award-nominated, multiple Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning, two-time Tony Award-winning actor John Lithgow;
Tony Award nominee and Broadway Impact Co-Founder Rory O’Malley;
two-time Emmy Award-winning, Academy and multiple Golden Globe-nominated director and actor Rob Reiner;
Broadway star Kate Shindle;
Emmy Award winner Yeardley Smith;
two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Spinella;
and Emmy Award winner and three-time Golden Globe Award nominee Bradley Whitford.
The cast of “8” also featured Tony Award nominee K. Todd Freeman, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Ken Leung and Ben Rosenfield.
The “8”premiere attracted a sell-out crowd with more than 80 people lined up outside the theatre this morning to snap up the remaining tickets; some camped out overnight. Opinion and political leaders, philanthropists, business leaders and actors turned out to support “8,” including …
Lieutenant Dan Choi, Chace Crawford, Anna Deavere Smith (Pulitzer Prize winner), Fran Drescher, Adrian Fenty (former Mayor of Washington DC), Celia Keenan-Bolger, Laurene Powell Jobs, Joel Klein (Executive Vice President of News Corporation), Judith Light, Dan Loeb (CEO, Third Point Capital),Sir Deryck Maughan (Partner, Kohlberg, Kravis & Roberts), Stuart Milk, Stephen Pasquale, Christine Quinn (NY City Council Speaker), Rt. Rev. Bishop V. Gene Robinson, Barbara Walters, and Brian Williams.
WOW!
Black, who penned the Academy Award-winning feature film Milk, based “8” on the actual words of the trial transcripts, first-hand observations of the courtroom drama and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.
AFER and Broadway Impact will now license “8” to schools and community organizations nationwide in order to spur action, dialogue and understanding. AFER and Broadway Impact will coordinate these staged readings across the country, so that “8” will live on beyond its September premiere.
Russell Fischer of Jersey Boys is Broadway Hero of the Month
THIS MONTH, Gaylifenyc.org interviews the handsome and super talented, Russell Fischer from the Broadway hit show, Jersey Boys. He talks about the incredible way he got the role, his creative halloween costumes, his charity work and so many amazing messages.
It is so great to live in a city where people really care.
The gay community does more than give lip service.
People like Michael Cavnaugh from GAY LIFE NYC.org is out there donating countless hours to his site. Not only scurrying around town, doing fabulous interviews, but also constantly gathering and updating HIV and AIDS resources on his site.
Broadway actors are out there donating their time to worthy causes. It’s really a great community we have here!
These interviews are so great – and so inspirational – check it out!
Bryant Park 9 11 Memorial Today
A special ceremony at the World Trade Center site today is happening – and other events throughout the city are marking the day.
A sunrise ceremony in Battery Park was showcasing poetry and musical performances.
At Tribute Park in Queens, a piece of World Trade Center steel is being unveiled.
Other events include peace walks and candlelight vigils.
Later in the day, a special project will collect and record what visitors say they want the world to remember about Sept. 11.
WATCH 102 Minutes That Changed America throughout the day –
Watch unfiltered videos from nine New Yorkers who witnessed the day that changed America.
LGBT Gay Night Out at Cirque du Soleils ZARKANA Sept. 30
Cirque du Soleil® invites you to GLBT Night at Zarkana. Sept. 30th
This epic spectacle plunges audiences into a fantastically twisted world where 71 international artists perform highly-acrobatic feats, heightened by original live music. WCBS-FM calls it “THE BEST CIRQUE SHOW IN YEARS!” And TIME Magazine declares, “PERFECT! ZARKANA IS IDEAL AT RADIO CITY. IT’S THE SHOW OF THESUMMER!” Be there as Zarkana transforms the grandest stage in the world into a world of unreality as only Cirque du Soleil could imagine.
With every ticket purchased you are invited to join us at our pre-show party at Industry (355 W. 52nd St). We will have an OPEN BAR from 6:15pm-7:15pm.* Just show up at Industry and present your Zarkana ticket for entry.
At 7:15pm the Zarkana double decker bus will leave Industry and provide complimentary transportation to Radio City Music Hall.
SPECIAL OFFER: $69 (Orch.First Mezz), $55 (2nd Mezz)
Ordering Info: Go to http://www.radiocity.com/t
You must present your ticket purchased using boys night code BOYSZARK to the Zarkana representative at the entrance to the pre-show reception (Industry Bar, 355 W 52 St) to get your wrist band (valid for open bar (for free beer wine, soda and well cocktails). Admission to pre-show party is limited to those 21 years of age and over with Valid ID. Space on the bus is limited and available to the first people who board. This offer is only valid on 9/30/11 and cannot be combines with any other offer or used on previously purchased tickets. Limit 8 tickets per person. Subject to availability. All tickets subject to service fees. Schedule and pricing subject to change. Other restrictions may apply. Tickets for people with disabilities may be purchased by phone by calling radio City Music Hall’s Disabled Services department at 212.465.6115. All rights reserved.
Big Gay Ice Cream Shop Opens Today!
In summer of 2009,
BIG GAY ICE CREAM truck
made a splash onto the streets of NYC.
TODAY, BIG GAY ICE CREAM SHOP opens at 125 East 7th street!
The store’s opening festivities, will take place from noon till 5 p.m., and will be “full of weirdness.” – says one of its owners!
Although he doesn’t want to publicize the details yet, we can say that if all goes according to plan, Saturday will indeed be delightfully weird.
VILLAGE VOICE got the scoop on the opening menu! The opening menu will feature cucumber-lime rainbow paletas (paletas are new rage in desserts) from La Newyorkina, treats from the Treats Truck, Danny Macaroons’ peanut butter cup, salted caramel, and plain macaroons, and three ice cream sandwiches from Melt Bakery: the Classic (vanilla ice cream and chocolate chip-walnut cookies), the Lovelet (cream cheese ice cream and red velvet whoopie pie), and the Rue McClanahan (bourbon ice cream with praline-pecan cookies).
Normal Hours of operation will be noon until 10 p.m. daily, and noon until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Boys Night Out at SISTER ACT Sept. 7th
SISTER ACT Boys Night Package includes discount ticket (see prices below) and Pre-Show Boys Night Reception at Industry Bar located at 355 W. 52nd St. beginning at 6:30pm. This feel-amazing smash features an electrifying new score by 8-time Academy Award® winner ALAN MENKEN (Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, Enchanted) mixing the sounds of disco, soul, funk, R&B and Broadway……. Direction is by 4-time Tony® winner JERRY ZAKS (La Cage aux Folles, A Funny Thing…, Guys and Dolls). 1) Visit http://www.broadwayoffers.com/ and use code SABYSN97
will be hosting a Boys Night
on September 7th.
Join Broadway’s fiercest diva and all her single ladies for a night you won’t forget… at SISTER ACT!
OFFER:
Orch/front mezz: $87.50 Rear mezz A-E: $65.50 Rear mezz F-J: $51.50 (regular price, no discount)
Ordering Info:
2) Call (212) 239-6200 and use code SABYSN97
2) Bring a printout of this posting to the Broadway Theatre 1681 Broadway, New York, NY
Between West 52nd and 53rd Streets
BestGayNewYork.com
