Category Archives: Theatre and Entertainment
Party at Priscilla with their unique Concierge Services
THIS PAST JUNE, New York rejoiced and celebrated the passing of the legalization of Gay Marriage!
At Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, at the Palace Theatre, one evening after a performance, a young man and his boyfriend took the stage. Clutching the mic,
voice and hands trembling, Yuri Rodriguez attempted a speech. “Ever
since I met you,” he said, “I’ve never been happier and I’ve never felt
so much love and—”
Rather than gush further, Mr. Rodriguez fell to one knee and whipped
out a ring. He had been nervous, he explained last week, not just that
Stephen Troiano might decline his proposal but that “somebody in the
audience might yell something stupid.” He had nothing to fear. The
crowd went mad, and roared with applause!
This summer, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert began offering a
series of wedding packages through its “concierge service.” How cool is that?! For a
nominal fee, couples can arrange on-stage engagements, wedding
receptions, bachelorette parties or a “dance-on” cameo at the top of the
second act.
PRISCILLA has proved they are much more than just a play.
It’s a party. It’s a celebration!
Make it a proposal to remember... Take your honey up on stage after the
show and pop the question in front of the cast and audience! At
PRISCILLA, we’re all about the grand gestures!
Start married life off in style! Every Monday, newly hitched couples can
make their Broadway debut together with featured “dance-on” roles
during a number in PRISCILLA’s 2nd Act.
Book a Holiday Party at Priscilla.
Add a cast album for each member of your party for only $10 per person.
Make your group look a bit more glam with feather boas for $3 per person.
Holiday Cheer – Group members get drink tickets at $10 per drink, per person, with $9 refills.
There are lots of ways to make your event special. Check out the amazing and talented Concierge Services at Priscilla!
Maybe I can propose to Nick Adams……..
Priscilla on Broadway
Priscilla Concierge Services
Provincetown’s Famous ICONS Show Comes to New York City
“Summer’s
super smash hit drag show” (Provincetown Magazine) has been the toast
of Ptown for 2 years and the queens of ICONS are ready to make their
Off-Broadway debut.
ICONS is a wildly entertaining trip through pop
culture that recreates your favorite music videos, legendary
performances, and unforgettable moments that turned the stars into
ICONS!
Featuring performances from Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Madonna,
Britney, Whitney, Janet, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Michael Jackson, Tina
Turner, and more, ICONS will have you singing, screaming, and dancing
all night long. This high energy revue features expert choreography,
stunning costumes, hot boys, your favorite Top40 hits, and the fiercest
drag queens in NYC!
Perfect for birthdays, bachelorette parties, girls
night out, boys night out, and people looking for a one-of-a-kind post
Broadway experience that you’ll never forget!
In a town bursting at the seams with entertainment, Icons
distinguishes itself with impeccable and dynamic choreography and
dancing. It also takes the concept of a drag revue and turns it into a
really, really fun party where the energy between the performers and the
audience continues to build at a frenetic pace full of hoots, hollers,
and laughter. In short, Icons is a very good time.
Performances begin November 25th at The Snapple Theater Center in Times Square!
1627 Broadway (the corner of 50th)
ICONS NYC
Gay Life NYC.org Talks to Brian Spitulnik from Chicago
This week, GAY LIFE NYC.org Chats
with the super handsome Russian Brian Spitulnik,
currently in Chicago on
Broadway.
Not only is he super handsome, but he’s super smart. With a
MFA Degree from Columbia University, Brian talks about his writing
projects, work on The Big Gay Musical and Broadway Bares.
Please check it out!!!
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
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!
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
Grammy and Tony Winner Betty Buckley Talks About Boys of Broadway
“My new CD “Ghostlight” produced by T Bone Burnett will hopefully be released in February of 2012. I love the recording and can’t wait to share it with everyone. It’s a very haunting, romantic collection of music.”
Betty Buckley is returning to Feinstein’s at Loews Regency in NYC in her brand new show “Ah Men! The Boys of Broadway” from October 4-29. Come hear Betty sing men’s songs from Broadway shows that she has always wanted to sing, including numbers from “Sweeney Todd,” “West Side Story,” “Guys and Dolls,” “On A Clear Day You Can See Forever,” “Pippin,” and “La Cage Aux Folles.”
“I love my new collection of music for Feinstein’s. They are some of the most beautiful songs ever like “Maria” and “Younger Than Springtime.” The concept of all men’s songs has given me the opportunity to sing songs I’ve always loved and would not ordinarily get to sing.
And my pianist Christian Jacob who has done many of the arrangements is truly wonderful. My collaborators Eric Stern and Eric Kornfeld have done amazing work on the show as well. “ Betty tells Adam from Adaumbelles Quest, in a recent interview.
Read the full interview at Adaumbelles Quest!
Feinstein’s at Loews Regency is located at 540 Park Avenue at 61st Street. Get tickets! online.
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
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.
SILENCE! The Musical..Special Price
SILENCE! The Musical And now, at last, this delicate symphony of suspense has been turned on its ear and retold in the only way it can be – as a musical. A singing chorus of floppy eared lambs narrates the action; Buffalo Bill gleefully dances a hoedown while kidnapping hapless Catherine Martin; and even Dr. Lecter, scary as ever, sings about the life he’d like to lead someday outside the prison walls. 1- CLICK HERE and enter code HHC. 2- Visit Silencethemusical.com and click on Buy Tickets Now and enter code HHC. 3- Call 212-352-3101 and use code HHC. Offer valid for the 10:30PM performance on Saturday nights. Not valid on the 8PM performances. Offer may be revoked at anytime and is subject to availability. Not valid on prior purchase. Offer cannot be combined with other discounts of promotions; blackout dates and restrictions may apply.
is the hilarious unauthorized parody of The Silence of the Lambs. In the Academy Award-winning film, rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling matches wits with the brilliant but insane cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, to catch the serial killer known only as Buffalo Bill.
Now playing through September 24th at
Off-Broadway’s Theater 80 on St. Mark’s Place.
SPECIAL OFFER: $29 (reg $48) for Saturday at 10:30PM performances.
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!
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.
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
Initial Casting for Broadway Staged Reading of Dustin Lance Black’s New Play “8” Sept. 19th Event
This past week, the American Foundation for Equal Rights in partnership with Broadway Impact announce initial casting for the highly anticipated one night only staged reading of “8,” a new play chronicling the historic trial in the federal legal challenge to California’s Proposition 8. 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. The new play will have its world premiere on Broadway at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre in New York City on Monday, September 19, 2011 for an exclusive, one night only fundraiser to benefit AFER. Additional casting for the all-star benefit will be announced soon. Following the New York debut on September 19, AFER and Broadway Impact will license “8” to schools and community organizations nationwide in order to spur action, dialogue and understanding. AFER and Broadway Impact will help produce these staged readings across the country, so that “8” will live on beyond its September premiere. The story for “8” is framed by the trial’s historic closing arguments in June 2010, but features the best arguments and testimony from both sides of the issue. Scenes include reenactments of many of the well-documented jaw-dropping moments of trial, such as the admission by Proposition 8 supporters’ star witness David Blankenhorn that “we would be more American on the day we permitted same-sex marriage than we were on the day before.” The video of the trial has been kept under seal due to a federal protective order. AFER’s attorneys have filed a motion asking the court to make the full and unedited recordings available for all to see (Hearing scheduled for August 29th before Judge Ware at US District Court), but there is no guarantee that the footage will ever be available for viewing and this is precisely the reason Black wrote “8.” Proceeds from the September 19 reading will go directly to the fight for full federal marriage equality and to support educational efforts on the freedom to marry nationwide.
The play is written by AFER Founding Board Member and Academy Award-winning writer Dustin Lance Black and will be directed by two-time Tony Award-winning actor and director Joe Mantello.
Anthony Edwards, Morgan Freeman, Cheyenne Jackson, Christine Lahti, Rob Reiner, Yeardley Smith and Marisa Tomei will appear in the auspicious one night only event
September 19, 2011.
The production is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the case filed by AFER to overturn Proposition 8, which eliminated the right to marry for gay and lesbian couples in California.
AFER prevailed in federal district court when, based on the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Judge Walker concluded that California had no rational basis or vested interest in denying gays and lesbians marriage licenses and thus found Proposition 8 “unconstitutional” on August 4, 2010. It is currently under appeal by the anti-marriage Proponents and is being expedited through the courts system at a relatively rapid pace.
Unfortunately, the American public was not given a chance to witness the historic trial because the Proponents of Proposition 8 launched a number of desperate attempts to forever hide the trial videotapes. Although the trial proceedings were open to the public, and all courtroom testimony and events were thoroughly documented, the trial video most vividly compares the weakness of the Proponents’ arguments to the well-reasoned, valid and constitutionally-based arguments and evidence put forth by AFER’s renowned legal team, plaintiffs and expert witnesses.
For more information including how to buy tickets, visit: www.afer.org/broadway8
For information on how your local theater can produce “8,” visit: www.BROADWAYIMPACT.com
Follow “8” on Twitter: @8theplay or on Facebook.
Little House on the Ferry – Musical About Fire Island
Announcing The New Off Broadway Show ‘Little House on the Ferry’: A modern gay love story set in the weekend holiday resort of Fire Island, New York. Eleven original songs, a cast of New York’s twelve most exciting new musical theatre actors, spectacular costumes, ground-breaking multi-media effects and cameos by some of New City’s notorious LGBT community members. This show is about a group of friends in a Fire Island share house over a summer weekend. The story centers around Randall who is reluctantly in an “open” relationship with his older boyfriend Timothy. Randall goes to ‘Tea’, (or happy hour), where he meets Jake; a younger, good-looking romantic who falls in love at first sight with Randall. Randall must ultimately decide between staying with Timothy or taking a chance and going with Jake. Also in the Share House, adding diversity and trouble, are Donnie, the “House Mom”, Bobby, a large muscle boy lusted after by weekend guest Antonio, who is willingly tempted by all the island has to offer. Auditions: The Company is also looking for male Non-Equity actors, singers and dancers with strong physique and character. All ages welcomed. Those interested can submit a resume and headshot to info@littlehouseontheferry.com
Off Broadway 3 Week Run: November 3rd until November 20th…. American Theatre of Actors Chernuchin Theatre. 314 W. 54th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenue). The eighty minute show runs at Wednesdays & Thursday 7pm , Fridays & Saturdays at 7pm & 9pm and Sundays at 3pm – November 20th the Sunday show is at 7pm. TICKETS ON SALE NOW.
Free Song! Go to Littlehouseontheferry.com/song and download the new theme song: “We’re On (Clap Clap) Fire Island”.
