Category Archives: News and Happenings
Mapplethorpe Pop Up Show Flatiron Building
Pop-Up Installation featuring works of Robert Mapplethorpe
A special Robert Mapplethorpe pop-up installation arrives in NYC in Flatiron Plaza North (23rd St. and Broadway) on Friday, March 18 (6pm-11pm) and Saturday, March 19 (6pm-10pm). The installation features larger-than-life projections, a stunning array of famous and more personal works, and rare, revealing commentary from Robert Mapplethorpe himself. This is a very special chance for guests to experience first-hand the magnitude of Mapplethorpe’s legacy.
This pop-up arrives prior to the premiere of HBO’s upcoming documentary “Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures,” which will debut on Monday, April 4 at 9:00 p.m. exclusively on HBO.
Venture inside the mind of one of the 20th Century’s most important artists, and come face to face with his provocative masterpieces. Presented on a scale worthy of its artistic impact, this digital gallery features rare and revealing commentary from the photographer himself.
Where– Flatiron Plaza North (23rd St between 5th Ave & Broadway)
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
Ali Forney Wants to Buy a Church
The Ali Forney Center (AFC), the nation’s largest and most comprehensive organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth, is raising funds to buy Pastor David James Manning’s Harlem Hate Church, after it was announced that the property is up for auction.
A judge ordered Manning’s church be put up for public auction because Manning has failed to pay $1.02 million in public debts. Manning claims that these debts are largely related to unpaid water and sewage bills which he says he doesn’t have to pay because of his church’s tax exempt status.
Manning, of course, is known for the hateful language in his church sign, and his YouTube videos, one of which claimed that Starbucks puts gay semen in its lattes.
Via Ali Forney:
AFC hopes to raise at least $200K through an initial public fundraising effort, and will seek to leverage those funds to obtain additional support from local government, major donors and foundations. If the Ali Forney Center is not able to obtain the building, it commits to utilize any funds raised to increase its housing and vocational services for homeless LGBT youth in another site.
Read more HERE
Visit Ali Forney
LETS MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!
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.
CATS is Coming Back to Broadway
One of the biggest hits in theater is back and meowing. The ever-prolific Andrew Lloyd Webber will again have three musicals running on Broadway: The Phantom of the Opera, School of Rock, and now CATS.
Co-producers The Shubert Organization and The Nederlander Organization issued a joint statement:
“In 1982, the arrival of CATS took Broadway by storm. The show went on to dazzle audiences at the Winter Garden for the next 18 years, becoming one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history. We are delighted to join together to bring Andrew Lloyd Webber’s phenomenal musical back to Broadway.”
Preview performances of CATS will begin July 14. The show will officially open on August 2.
Seth Sikes Does Liza @ 54 Below
Seth Sikes won a 2015 Broadway World New York Cabaret Award for “Best Tribute Show” for his show Seth Sikes Sings Mostly Judy Garland which was performed at Feinstein’s/54 Below.
If Seth Sikes is truly “a piano bar addict,” his new cabaret act could very well be the equivalent of a 90-minute bender.
With that in mind, it may come as a surprise to many that the titular star of “Seth Sikes is Still Singing Judy Garland” is best known in New York theatrical circles for his work behind the scenes, and does not consider himself an actor or a singer by trade.
“I always wanted to work in theater and musicals, so I went to school to be an actor,” the Texas-born Sikes, 31, told The Huffington Post in an interview. “However, I realized pretty quickly that I didn’t like acting that much. Auditioning and rejection are terrible, and if I wasn’t going to be the best at it, then I didn’t want to do it at all.” (More at Huffington Post)
Each of Sikes’s previous appearances at the venue sold out and he garnered some of the most exciting reviews of the year including Theater Scene who said, “The most memorable cabaret show I’ve witnessed in the past year was that of Seth Sikes.”
The highly acclaimed singer will return to Feinstein’s/54 Below on Saturday, March 12th in a brand new show titled Seth Sikes Sings Liza Minnelli which will be performed on Minnelli’s 70th birthday.
Men’s Only Cuddle Party Workshop Jan. 31
Men’s Only Cuddle Party is … a workshop!
Though touch is natural, the skills that make it welcome and enjoyable have to be learned. Skills of communication, boundaries, asking for what you want, and saying ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ with clarity and kindness.
Cuddle Party is led by trained and certified Cuddle Party Facilitators. The Facilitator’s job is to guide you into those skills gently and easily, in a fun, safe and light hearted way. We welcome you and create an atmosphere of respect, and remain available for questions and support.
At a Cuddle Party you gain:
* Clarity and confidence
* Boundary and communication skills
* Comfort, support and encouragement
* The secrets to welcome, relaxed, non-sexual touch
The skills you learn at Cuddle Party translate into every day life, right from the start. When boundaries and consent are clear, every relationship is easier.
Where else can you attend a workshop in your pajamas?
– NYC, NY Tickets at eventbrite $27.37
Buddha Body Yoga Studio – 39 W 29th St #302, New York 10001
Hosted by Adam Lippin – Co-Founder/CEO of Cuddlist.com where you can find a Professional Certified Cuddler in your area!
Bette Midler, Mae West, Hello Dolly
In a stroke of casting genius, Bette Midler has signed on to star in HBO’s upcoming biopic about Old Hollywood glamourpuss Mae West, based on West’s autobiography, Goodness Had Nothing to Do With It. William Friedkin (The Exorcist) is directing and Harvey Fierstein (Kinky Boots) is writing the script.
Mae West will chronicle the bawdy babes’ scandalous Broadway show, Sex, which ultimately landed her in jail for 10 days for “corrupting the morals of youth.” Midler recently garnered critical praise channeling another ballsy babe, superagent Sue Mengers, in the one woman show I’ll Eat You Last. SEE MORE HERE.
BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE!
In what will surely prove to be the hottest ticket of the year. The Divine Miss M., Bette Midler has announced that she will play Dolly Gallagher Levi in a Broadway revival of the blockbuster 1964 musical, Hello, Dolly!
Midler issued a statement saying, “I am looking forward to portraying one of the most beloved characters in all of American Musical Comedy, Dolly Levi, born Gallagher, in Hello, Dolly! I know I’m going to have the time of my life, and I am so glad to be under the wings of Scott Rudin as Producer and Jerry Zaks as Director. See you next year!”
Said composer/lyricist Jerry Herman said, “Many times through the years I’ve been asked about bringing back Hello, Dolly! – and it has always been, ‘Who would be my dream Dolly?’ – and though I’ve had literally dozens of names tossed at me, I knew that we needed more than just a wonderful singer or a wonderful actor, so I held on to the hope that she would also be a distinctly original persona. Who is out there that has the necessary stature, warmth, the incredible talent and ability, and especially the singular, outsized personality that I was looking for in a 21st century Dolly? Only one person: Bette Midler. Only Bette could bring Dolly brilliantly back to ‘the lights of 14th Street!’
New York Masturbation Booth Publicity Stunt
A few days ago
a photograph purportedly showing an officially sanctioned New York City public masturbation booth called “GuyFi” started circulating around the internet:
While the above-displayed image is real, this isn’t truly an officially sanctioned “public masturbation booth” that was installed by New York City. The “GuyFi” booth is a marketing gimmick for an adult sex toy company called Hot Octopuss.
The company issued a press release for “GuyFi” on 15 January 2016:
With a staggering 80 per cent of Americans saying they suffer from workplace stress, award-winning sex toy brand Hot Octopuss has launched the world’s first ‘GuyFi’ male stress relief booth in Manhattan.
According to Time Out, a remarkable 39% of New Yorkers ‘self-soothe’ in the workplace to alleviate stress. Hot Octopuss has created the GuyFi booth to take this habit out of the office and into a more suitable environment designed to give the busy Manhattan man the privacy, and the high-speed Internet connection, he deserves.
Adam Lewis, Hot Octopuss co-founder and designer of PULSE, the world’s first Guybrator, said:
“There’s no denying that working a nine to five job can be stressful on both your mind and body, especially in a non-stop city like Manhattan. It’s really important for guys to look after themselves so that they can stay healthy and focus properly on the task in hand. We’re told time and time again how beneficial it is to have a break away from your desk.”
While Hot Octopuss really did convert an old phone booth into what it called a “public masturbation booth,” New York City has not legalized public masturbation. A representative for the company told Mashable that they are not encouraging people to actually masturbate inside the “GuyFi” booth:
“We may be insinuating that these booths could be used in whichever way anyone would like to ‘self soothe,'” a representative tells Mashable, “but the brand is not actively encouraging people to masturbate in public as that is an illegal offense.”
In summation, the GuyFi booth does exist, but it is a marketing gimmick for Hot Octopuss, a sex toy company, and not an officially sanctioned public space for masturbation in New York City. Public masturbation remains illegal.
Pride Flag Creator Gilbert Baker at MoMa
RAINBOW FLAG CREATOR GILBERT BAKER TO DISCUSS HIS FAMED SYMBOL OF GAY PRIDE AT THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART JANUARY 7TH
Artist Gilbert Baker, who in 1978 created the rainbow flag, the iconic symbol of gay pride that was recently acquired by the Museum of Modern Art for its permanent collection, will speak on Thursday, January 7 at 11:30 a.m., at The Museum of Modern Art, Floor 3, Architecture and Design Galleries. As part of MoMA’s “Gallery Sessions” program, Architecture and Design Curatorial Assistant Michelle Fisher will lead a conversation with Baker about the flag, which has come to represent the power of a simple image and the potential of community organizing.
Facilitated by MoMA educators, Gallery Sessions are impromptu interactions that explore the creative process, art history, and the experience of art. The Sessions take place daily in select galleries at the museum and are free with museum admission.
WHAT: Q&A with Rainbow Flag Creator Gilbert Baker
WHEN: Thursday, January 7 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: The Museum of Modern Art
11 West 53rd St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues
Floor 3, Architecture and Design Galleries
First Ever Broadway Con
FINALLY!
A CONVENTION FOR
BROADWAY AND THEATRE FANS
NOW IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
The third and final batch of tickets is on sale now! Learn more about tickets.
Created by long-time fans and professionals of the theatre community, BroadwayCon is theatre’s answer to a comic con, tailor-made for fans like you.
Featuring three exciting days ! Jan 22-24th, 2016 Broadway Con
Free Contest – PUERTO VALLARTA
The start of winter in Puerto Vallarta is cause for celebration as December marks the beginning of the whale watching season, traditional pilgrimages in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe, free daily guided Artwalks in historic downtown, culinary treats all around town, the International Pro Am golf tournament, the release of baby sea turtles, perfect weather with temperatures in the low 80’s and a calendar full of holiday festivities and free activities.
The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board is inviting everyone to join in the celebration with the launch of a mega “12 DAYS OF WINTER” (#12DaysOfWinter) promotion and participate for a chance to win daily prizes during the first 12 days of December, including artworks, bottles of tequila and raicilla and trip getaways, with the top prize being a 12-day all-expense paid vacation for two in Puerto Vallarta.
To participate register at visitpuertovallarta.com/12daysofwinter and tell the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board what you would do on a 12-day all-expense paid holiday for two in the destination. All registrants will have a chance to win one of 12 prizes. Drawings will take place every day from December 1st to 12th. Following are the details of the prizes that will be awarded:
Winners of the getaway prizes to be awarded between December 5th through 12th will also receive a choice of 2 activities in Puerto Vallarta courtesy of Vallarta Adventures and Dolphin Discovery.
ENTER!
Puerto Vallarta Brings Day of the Dead to New York
Puerto Vallarta Celebrates the
Day of the Dead in New York
The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board will promote its annual Day of the Dead Festival in the city of New York with participation in events across the tristate area of New York.
Puerto Vallarta Day of the Dead celebrations are a five-day cultural festival that includes a series of events and activities intended to make it one of the most colorful of the end of the year and beginning of Puerto Vallarta’s high season.
Held from October 29 to November 2, the Puerto Vallarta Day of the Dead Festival will promote traditional elements of the celebration as well as new artistic angles and interpretations. Traditional installation of altars will be done in hotels, restaurants and public spaces while an interactive altar will be on display at Lazaro Cardenas Park. Organizers will be giving out a passport to the installations for those interested in doing their own tour of the altars.
The festival will also include a film festival, a food tasting and a series of concerts, folkloric ballet and a presentation of a series of photos on the theme of death, as it is viewed by popular Mexican culture. Organizers will also try to break the record for the number of Catrinas in one place.
In the New York tristate area, Puerto Vallarta will be participating in the following event to promote the celebration.
New York Botanical Gardens – Puerto Vallarta continues its celebration of the gardens’ exhibition: FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life. Now on its last week, the Day of the Dead weekend is the perfect time to see the show. Patrons were able to win a trip to Puerto Vallarta at the beginning of the exhibition when the Mexico Tourism Board held its private event on the location and visitors will once again be able to win a trip to Puerto Vallarta with stay at Garlands del Rio by registering online at https://goo.gl/yIwi8G
El Museo del Barrio – Puerto Vallarta will be mounting a 10 feet tall Day of the Dead altar when it joins the Mexico Tourism Board, El Museo del Barrio and the Junior Council for its annual arts education benefit. This year, it is using marriage vows as inspiration to celebrate love – gained and lost. DIA DE LOS MUERTOS: Till Death Do Us Part will take place on Thursday, October 29th from 8PM – 11PM at the Angel Orensanz Foundation. Participants will also be able to participate on a silent auction and bid on trips to Puerto Vallarta with stays at Velas Resorts. http://goo.gl/R1mRje
Daniel Valle’s 5th Annual Dia de los Muertos Celebrations- the Family friendly day-long event embraces traditional elements of the Day of the Dead as celebrated in Mexico and offers an educational opportunity to learn its history and reasons behind the holiday. With food vendors and folkloric dancers the event will be fun for all. The celebration will take place at Court Square Studios with doors opening at 10 AM. Participants will be able to sign up for a trip to Puerto Vallarta as well as beach bags full of goodies from the destination. http://goo.gl/tZ2fqV
For more Information please visit: www.visitpuertovallarta.com
Blind Yorkie Needs Home in New York
PLEASE HELP MITCHELL!
Poor little Mitchell; who could be so cruel? The ten-year-old blind Yorkshire terrier is so afraid when he was picked up by New York City Animal Care and Control and brought to the Brooklyn shelter this past week. Some miserable culprit had spray painted little Mitchell green on his face, in his eyes, and on his back soaking right into the skin of his caudal spine. (base of his spine)
Mitchell was brought in on October 22, and is due out and ready for rescue on Sunday, October 25. According to his medical notes, even though he is extremely stressed, Mitchell did allow handling although it is advised to move very slowly as this little guy must have been through more than most animal advocates even want to know. The emaciated, six-pound dog is heavily matted around his legs and face and has extensive dental issues, however no flea infestation or active parasites were noted. A volunteer writes the following: “Mitchell is a 10 year old Yorkie mix who came in as a stray- matted and emaciated. During Mitchell’s medical exam, it was noted that he is also BLIND. This little guy needs some TLC- Can you give him some?”
When making inquiries about Mitchell, reference A1055686. For more information on adopting from the New York City Animal Care and Control, click here. A Facebook page for Mitchell can be found here. To adopt from the General Adoption List, click here. To adopt from the At Risk List, click here. Please share Mitchell’s story with friends, family and social media contacts. Sharing saves lives, and every life counts.
Alan Cummings gay New York Restaurateur FLORENT
Showtime is working on a comedy project named “Florent,” which would star everyone’s favorite openly bisexual actor Alan Cumming as a New York City restaurateur Florent Morellet. Cumming’s passion project, “Florent” will reportedly be directed by CBS drama series “The Good Wife’s” Rosemary Rodriguez.
The half-hour show “Florent” was shopped to Sundance Channel earlier this summer. According to Deadline, the show is being written by “Nine to Five’s” Patricia Resnick. The two executive producers, Jonathan Baruch and Howard Braunstein, will also work for the project. If “Florent” goes to series, the 50-year old Cumming would make a transition to it after the completion of “The Good Wife.”
The outlet reported that the show is inspired by the original story of Morellet who had opened a restaurant in a Meatpacking District in New York during early 1980s. “Florent” is aimed to explore the light and dark of that time and will gradually turn into a destination for everyone starting from New York’s literati, the neighborhood hookers and hustlers, AIDS activists, sex workers to New York city’s cops and local LGBT community.
read more at Movie News
New York Broadway and Ballet Benefit
BROADWAY AND BALLET’S BIGGEST NAMES UNITE TO FIGHT HIV/AIDS AT SECOND ANNUAL BROADWAY AND BALLET
HERO AWARDS
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS PERFORMING TOGETHER
The HIV Experience Resources Organization (HERO) has announced that on October 26th 2015 at 8pm it will present, in partnership with Broadway Cares, Equity Fights AIDS, and in association with Stage48, the second annual “BROADWAY AND BALLET, HERO AWARDS,” at Stage 48, 605 West 48th Street in Manhattan. The event will benefit HERO, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that helps newly diagnosed and people living with HIV/AIDS. www.hivhero.org
The 2015 Honorees are: MELBA MOORE, receiving the Broadway HERO Award; GAREN PRICE SCRIBNER (An American in Paris) receiving the John Adams HERO Award and GAY MEN’S HEALTH CRISIS receiving the HERO Partner Award.
HERO awards are given to those organizations and individuals who have gone above and beyond to help the HIV/AIDS community. The event will screen short tribute videos highlighting the accomplishments of the honorees and organizations, and feature many stellar performances by Broadway and the ballet world’s finest. LBGT advocate, communication consultant, and NGLCCNY Director Jonathan D. Lovitz will emcee. The TONY Award winner and GRAMMY nominated Melba Moore will be giving a performance of her new single “JUST DANCE,” choreographed by Nathan Madden. Attila Joey Csiki and Tobin Del Cuore will perform a duet by Lar Lubovitch called “Concerto 622,” a legendary piece of choreography that was created during the AIDS epidemic.
The event features 14 original performances from top dance companies and Broadway shows: Olympic gold medalist Ioannis Melissanidis, Michael Leon Wooley (Little Shop of Horrors, American Buffalo, Walt Disney’s The Princess and the Frog), Stephen Hanna (On The Town, Billy Elliot), Michael Cusumano (All Shook Up, Chicago, American in Paris), Attila Joey Csiki (An American in Paris), Tobin Del Cuore (Lar Lubovitch Dance Company), Josh Green (Wicked), Daniel Robinson (Hairspray), Patrick Boyd (Grease, The Wizard of Oz, Gypsy, Touch: A Love Story), Cristy Candler (Wicked, Chicago, Rock of Ages), top 20 recording artist Kelly King, Sean Michael Murray (American Idiot), Sean Stewart (American Ballet Theatre), Alina Fay (American Ballet Theatre alumni), Jose Sabastian (ABT), founders and dancers of “Ten Hairy Legs” Dance Company – Tyner Dumortier & Alex Biegelson, Luis Villabon (A Chorus Line), Nathan Madden (An American In Paris, Chicago),directed by Mark Robinson.
Tickets are $25 for general admission and $100 for limited premium seating and are available at the Stage 48 Box Office. For advance tickets and/or to learn more about HERO, visit www.hivhero.org and/or http://www.heronews.org.
HIV Experience Resources Organization (HERO) is a non-profit 501(3)(c) organization founded in 2009 by Michael Cavnaugh, former vice president of Event Presentation at Madison Square Garden. HERO helps people find the most pressing, up-to-date information available critical to their heath. HERO’s websites, HIVhero.org and HEROnews.org, provide local, national and international resources and interactive tools which provide assistance in: finding doctors; getting medication; mental health counseling; housing; financial assistance; medical insurance; and much more. It also serves as a portal site providing free content and video production, promoting the services, activities and fundraising efforts of many community/partner organizations. HERO chooses and features a video interview of a Broadway HERO of the Month on its website. Many of the performers at this year’s Broadway and Ballet HERO Awards are Broadway HEROes for www.hivhero.org.
Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) is the nation’s leading provider of HIV and AIDS care, prevention services and advocacy, serving nearly 9,000 people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS in New York City, the epidemic’s largest U.S. epicenter. As the world’s first HIV and AIDS service organization GMHC is an expert in providing services that every person affected by the epidemic deserves. GMHC is on the front lines caring for people who are both HIV negative and positive, including: testing, nutrition, legal, mental health and education services. GMHC also advocates for stronger public policies at the local, state and federal level with the goal ofending AIDS as an epidemic in New York State by 2020. Most recently, GMHC and other HIV and AIDS organizations successfully persuaded the federal government to recommend widespread use ofPrEP, a new daily treatment that is over 90% effective in preventing HIV infection. For more information, visit www.gmhc.org.
Gay Palm Springs Getaway
Just in time to book a warm winter getaway, JetBlue Airways has announced it will begin a seasonal flight schedule to include the return of a nonstop flight from JFK to PSP starting January 14, 2016.
The new flight will operate five times a week, Thursday through Monday until May 1, 2016. Seats are on sale today with introductory fares of $99 one way. This is the ninth destination in California for JetBlue.
“The City of Palm Springs continues to experience a tremendous renaissance and we are delighted to welcome JetBlue to Palm Springs International Airport,” said Mayor Steve Pougnet. “Their arrival is just more proof that Palm Springs is the premiere resort destination in Southern California and beyond.”
This sun drenched desert oasis vacation destination is returning to its glory days as a Hollywood playground, a central gathering spot for modern architectural design aficionados, musicians and artists drawn by nature’s inspiration, and an increasing crowd of cool-seekers.
It could be the surge of super hip (and becoming super large) events like the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Modernism Week, and Coachella and Stagecoach Music Festivals. Or the openings of incredibly unique museums such as the Architecture and Design Center in downtown Palm Springs, or nearby Sunnylands, with an public garden and walking paths inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings.
Perhaps it’s the parties… pool parties in the summer, cocktail parties by the pool in winter. Mai Tais at tiki bars. S’mores by firepits in the evening under the stars. Bachelorette parties abound. This is where people get away to.
Maybe it’s the Hollywood glitz and glamour. The Rat Pack lived, loved and played here…it doesn’t get any better than that. Stars such as Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope and Lucille Ball all built homes here (that you can now rent!), adding a touch of stardust. Wearing a favorite vintage outfit, shopping for midcentury modern treasures in Uptown Design District, dining alfresco in downtown bistros under the warm sun…now that’s a vacation.
But frantic and hurried it is not. The pace is relaxed, the colors are saturated by the warm desert light, and the living is easy. Nestled at the base of the majestic San Jacinto Mountains, the City of Palm Springs is the ancestral home of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. The streets, lined with palm trees, are perfect for exploring boutique shops, art galleries and museums while soaking up the warm sunshine.
WHERE TO STAY?
INNdulge, of course!
Our favorite place to stay in Palm Springs! Whether you want to socialize with friends or spend time with someone special – we love this place!
Book now for the winter and grab a $99 a night room special!
- 24 Poolside Rooms & Garden Suites
- Complimentary Continental Breakfast
- Large Heated 24-hr Pool
- Pool chiller during summer months
- In room DVD Players
- DVD Library
- 12 Man 24-hr Jacuzzi
- Wi-Fi Property Wide
- Full Kitchens in all Suites
- Microwaves
- King Sized Beds
- Refrigerators
- Coffee Makers
- Hair Dryers
- On Site Gym
Seth Sikes Sings Judy Garland
He has only performed his show Seth Sikes Sings Judy Garland four times but sold-out on each time at New York’s premiere nightclub!
And he is garnering draw-dropping reviews:
Chip Deffaa of Theater Scene said, “He has a very engaging presence on-stage. He looks like he belongs there on that stage, singing these songs with unbridled zest. He holds back nothing. And I hope he will do more singing. I enjoyed every minute of his act. It’s the best tribute to Garland I’ve ever seen. When he sings “You Made Me Love You”–and he sings it as well as anyone you are ever likely to hear sing it today–you can sense his love for Garland. Seth Sikes has made his return to performing in a very big way.”
Liz Smith said, “I went off to see him last week and couldn’t have been more charmed. He’s young and handsome and enthusiastic. He doesn’t look Judy-ish (he’s blonde, for one thing) and he doesn’t try to duplicate her sound. He tells his tales of being attracted by early MGM musicals, Judy, and later overwhelmed by the lady alone onstage, at Carnegie Hall. Sikes has boundless energy and a true, strong voice, with just the right amount of throb and drive and melancholy, depending on the number. But not too much. He never, ever veers into caricature. He wrote a good deal of the beautifully melded patter and links between the songs. The place was packed….”
Rex Reed of the NY Observer said, “Seth Sikes, a new kid on the block from Paris (Paris, Texas, that is) with a voice loud as a cymbal and brassy as Merman singing a duet with a trumpet belted out small gems and big treasures alike to a sold-out house screaming for more.”
Besides his incredible talent Seth has a unique story. After attending acting school he decided he didn’t have the talent to break through so he worked behind-the-scenes instead. In recent years he directed BUNKED! (Outstanding Musical at the NY Fringe Festival) and The 7th Annual Broadway Beauty Pageant. On Broadway he was the Assistant Director of The Nance and Off-Broadway’s Tribes, Pageant and Lincoln Center’s Sondheim: The Birthday Concert.
But the call to perform was too great and he put together a show which has enabled him to get back on-stage. Seth‘s next performance is on September 18th at 54 Below. GET TICKETS NOW!
Sneak Peak video HERE
