Category Archives: Theatre and Entertainment
Nick Adams Aids Walk New York Fundraising Efforts
We just saw PRISCILLA on Broadway this week! WOW! What an eye-popping, show-stopping performance! Everyone does a fantastic job, but of course, our heart has always belonged to Nick Adams, since I first saw him onstage in 2005.
We’ll be covering it more in a couple weeks, and catching up with the ever adorable, super-talented Nick Adams with an interview right here at BestGayNewYork.com, in the coming weeks!
But for now, you should know, Priscilla US will be singing at the kick off of the 2011 AIDS Walk NY on May 15th!
And Nick is walking and raising money again this year. Nick is part of the BROADWAY IMPACT group which is a community of actors, directors, stage managers, fans, producers — pretty much anyone who has ever seen, been in or worked on a Broadway show — united by the simple belief that anyone who wants to should be able to get married.
“We’re very proud to be apart of the 2011 NY Aids Walk!”
Nick gives, and gives and gives whenever he can to great causes like Broadway Bares and AIDS WALK NY. (He has even been crowned Broadway Hero by GayLifeNYC.org.) “I enjoy giving my time to great causes, and it makes me feel good to know I can help in some way.”
Nick sent us this note, to share with our readers….
Hey Friends! I just wanted to take a minute to ask for your help in raising money for AIDS WALK NYC. The cast of Priscialla is raising money for this worthy cause, and I thought it would be great if my fans rallied together and gave the most.
If we can reach my personal goal of raising $3,000 I will pick one lucky subscriber to recieve an autographed program from the show. If we hit $6,000 I will send out 5 autographed programs, and if we break $15,000 I will send someone special a program autographed by everyone in the entire cast!
Additionally, anyone donating $500 or more, I will send them an autographed program (simply email us a proof of donation along with your shipping address).
xoxox.
~ Nick Adams
Nick Adams’ Donation Page for AIDS WALK NYC
UPDATE !!! Monday May 2nd –
Thanks for everyone who donated after my last e-mail for AIDS Walk NYC! I was able to break my original goal of $3,000 and am now the #1 fundraiser from the cast! Thanks!
I wanted to up the stakes and see if we could get some more folks giving. If you’ve ever dreamt about getting a backstage tour of Priscilla from me, this is your chance. For every person that gives $500 or more, I will arrange to give you a personal backstage tour. Simply get tickets to the show of your choice and I’ll meet you after the show and give you a private tour. Some people have been paying $5,000 – $10,000 to get backstage tours, so to be able to get one in exchange for a tax deductible dontation of only $500, is AMAZING.
Nick Adams’ Donation Page for AIDS WALK NYC
Since we reached my personal goal of raising $3,000 I will pick one lucky subscriber to recieve an autographed program from the show.
If we hit $6,000 I will send out 5 autographed programs, and if we break $15,000 I will send someone special a program / poster autographed by everyone in the entire cast!
Nick Adams’ Donation Page for AIDS WALK NYC
Additionally, anyone donating $500 or more, I will send them an autographed program (simply email us a proof of donation along with your shipping address) AND I WILL GIVE THEM A PRIVATE BACKSTAGE TOUR ($5k value).
Nick Adams’ Donation Page for AIDS WALK NYC
xoxox.
~ Nick Adams
Nick Adams’ Donation Page for AIDS WALK NYC
Nick Adams Blog
Nick Adams on Facebook
Nick Adams on Twitter
BestGayNewYork.com
William Blake LIVE FROM NEW YORK Returns to Birdland May 2
Can I just say, I have never been a big fan of Karaoke! Although, in New York it can be really good sometimes.
I was in a tiny neighborhood bar the other night having my last call, and some theatre folks were doing Karaoke, practicing their voices and styles. Nothing exciting. In walks William Blake. You may recall, William first appeared on the fourth season of the American Idol as a contestant on the Hollywood stage. He then released his first studio recorded album which entitled “Day Dreamer” in 2005.
So here I am sipping the last of my drink, and THAT VOICE! I almost dropped my drink as I got a front row seat to that magical voice and William belted out several numbers!
Last year, the Carneggie Hall witnessed his debut, singing as a guest vocalist in Standard Time With Michael Feinstein. The Dallas born singer was also featured in the Jim Caruso’s Cast Party in the Town Hall, alongside him are Liza Minelli, Chita Rivera, and many other stars. He also has acting repertoire in his resume. Talk about an upcoming powerhouse!
To celebrate the release of Cavern Records “William Blake: Live from New York,” Jim Caruso is pleased to announce that singer William Blake will return to the Birdland stage, New York, on May 2nd at 7 P.M, where the album itself was recorded on September, last year. Michael Thomas Murray will once again, join with him in this first part of Broadway Birdland concerts.
GO SEE THIS SHOW!
William Blake Monday, May 2 at 7pm
Broadway at Birdland 315 West 44 Street, NYC
212-581-3080 or BirdlandJazz.com
$30 cover charge, $10 food/drink minimum
Best Gay New York.com
Gay Life NYC.org Talks with Jonathan D. Lovitz
from Gay Life NYC.org
turns his camera on JONATHAN D. LOVITZ –
Broadway Hero of the month.
Actor, singer and model Jonathan D. Lovitz stands out in a crowd. Jonathan has an extensive stage resume and is as down home as apple pie!
Jonathan is one of those actors who exudes positive energy that effects those around him. His smile, is without a doubt contagious.
You may have read his name earlier this month
gay man was excused from jury duty in New York last week because he said that discrimination against gays makes him a second-class citizen and therefore he couldn’t be impartial.
Jonathan wrote on his Facebook page, “I raised my hand and said, ‘Since I can’t get married or adopt a child in the state of New York, I can’t possibly be an impartial judge of a citizen when I am considered a second class citizen in the eyes of the justice system.’”
“And he got off the case!” reported Village Voice columnist Michael Musto. “And that’s how the new phenomenon of ‘jury duty blocking’ was born.”
Jonathan is also a part of Setup Squad premiering this month on Logo.
the scoop – No-nonsense Renee Lee has the business solution for people who stink at dating: she hooks them up with professional “wing” women and men from her agency.
From the producers of “Pawn Stars,” “Setup Squad” is a docu-reality series where relationship misfits get saved from themselves by experts who coach them in ‘the art of the pickup.’ The “wing” women and men are snappy and sexy: two straight women, a lesbian, and a gay man (hunky Broadway star, Jonathan D. Lovitz) – all fierce and fun and full of opinions about their ineffectual clients.
They give clients a crash dating makeover, transforming them from ‘shabby & shy’ to ‘chic & confident’. Then they provide a real shot at love, breaking the ice for them in social settings. Then the real dramas unfold. Will they land the deal? Or get snubbed by their intended target? And what happens when one of the experts gets a little too cozy with their client? Find out in this highly charged reality series combining the most sizzling parts of dating shows with the most electric elements of workplace dramas.’
Jonathan says, “What started off as being the youngest kid in the family dying for attention had turned into an incredibly exciting life in theatre, film, and tv.
After years wanting to be an engineer, astronaut, and diplomat I landed on the next logical career choice: actor and entertainer!
I’ve been so blessed (and so jetlagged) to have traveled to all 50 states as well as amazing destinations in North America and Europe performing in things as varied as big Broadway musicals to insane 24-hour commercial shoots. I feel like the luckiest man on Earth, and I hope it’s just the beginning!”
Jonathan has worked consistently as a stage actor and dedicated countless hours to organizations such as Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. His participation included the annual Broadway Flea Market and Broadway Bares. He was a special performer at the Broadway Bares: Classic event held to honor the best of the first 20 years of Broadway Bares, recreating Pan from 2007’s “Myth Behavior” and later danced with Vanessa Williams in the opening of Broadway Bares XX: Strip-Opoly. He also appears regularly at events throughout New York City for organizations including the Ali Forney Center and UCP of NYC.
Please check out Jonathan’s Interview with GayLifeNYC.org and his IT GETS BETTER VIDEO.
Gay Life NYC.org has an amazing collection of inspiring videos on You Tube!
SEX ON THE BEACH…A comedy about the Sex Industry – Spanish Caribbean Style
In the sea of contradictions that is the Spanish Caribbean, these three characters of different gender and circumstances find that the best way to leave their respective countries is through practicing the oldest profession.
The transvestite La Caramelo,
the Hustler Brazo E’ Niño and
the Cuban Escort Esperanza fight their demons in hilarious and dramatic ways by confronting the choices that have taken them to where they are and the dreams they are still not ready to give up.
This play was presented to great acclaimed in Spanish in January 2006 and won the HOLA (Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors) and was nominated for an ACE award. A new production is in the works under the direction of the Award Winning Director Alfred Preisser.
NOW IN NEW YORK!
Times Square Arts Center – The Off-Broadway Theatre
300 West 43rd St. (at 8th Avenue), 5th Floor Performances Begin May 6th
AND WE HAVE YOUR DISCOUNTS!!! Check this out –
Get your $29 Tickets TODAY!
(PLEASE NOTE: The Sunday at 3PM show will be in Spanish beginning June 5th!)
Two Easy Ways to Purchase Discounted Tickets
See Sex On The Beach for just $29.00 (regularly $47.50)
1. Visit www.smarttix.com and apply code HHCGEN01
2. CALL SmartTix at (212) 868-4444 and mention code HHCGEN01
RESTRICTIONS:
Online and phone order service fees may apply. Offer not valid in conjunction with any other offer or on previously purchased tickets. Subject to availability and prior sale. All sales final. No refunds or exchanges. Offer may be revoked at any time. Blackout dates may apply.
BestGayNewYork.com
La Cage Aux Folles’ Cagelles Hit Times Square
On Monday, April 11, members of “The Cagelles” from the Broadway revival of La Cage Aux Folles joined tourists in Times Square to kick off Garnier’s Cleaner Greener World Tour, which will collect and recycle used beauty products.
Millions of pieces of waste are expected to be collected by Garnier during the tour, which will continue on into Cincinnati, Nashville, Fort Worth, Detroit, and New Orleans.
LA CAGE
Theater Mania
Bruce Vilanch at Queens Theatre May 7th
The six-time Emmy Award-winner is known to those ‘in the know’ in Hollywood and New York as “the fat guy who writes everyone’s jokes.”
He is best known as a writer for TV awards shows; he’s co-written 21 Oscar broadcasts, as well as a featured writer for the Tonys, Grammys and Emmys and his 4-year stint on Hollywood Squares, as both a performer and writer.
This years Oscars with James Franco – was a little…strange….
New York magazine caught up with Bruce Vilanch recently and asked him what happened.
“I have to call James Franco and tell him the show’s over,” Vilanch quipped. “He doesn’t know. He took a nap and he woke up in class.”
Was Vilanch saying Franco’s sleepy performance was due to an actual lack of sleep?
“He has so many balls in the air, he didn’t get to town till Thursday before the show on Sunday. And so we e-mailed a lot. But we had a lot of meetings. He had a bunch of people who were writing for him, and if it had been him alone, it would have been different. But it was him and Anne Hathaway, and they both had to be serviced. So there was a lot of communication beforehand. But he didn’t get there.”
Vilanch continued: “I don’t think he realized how big a deal it is to do it until he was actually confronted with it. I think he thought he would kind of … I don’t know what he thought. I thought maybe it was a performance-art prank, and then I realized he sincerely wanted to do it. But it’s outside of those guys’ comfort zones. The only people who know how to host those shows are people who get up onstage every night and say, ‘Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. A funny thing happened … ‘ Or people like Bette [Midler] who get up and sing all night and tell stories.”
Was Franco maybe stoned, as was rumored? “No, he wasn’t high,” Vilanch said. “I was with him, and he wasn’t high. And I asked him, ‘Are you high, and can I have some?’ And he said no to both.”
BRUCE is performing on May 7th at Queens Theatre in the Park.
Tickets are $37, Senior $35, Student $22 and are now available online at Queens Theatre or by calling 718-760-0064. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the Box Office, 1 hour prior to performances, if available.
Running Time: 90 minutes
Bruce Vilanch Tribute site
We Got Bruce
Best Gay New York.com
LeGAYlize IT! at Stonewall Inn April 19 with Adam Joseph
Recording Artist
Adam Joseph
is creating buzz worldwide with his smooth soulful voice and original eclectic style. Since the release of his debut album “How I Seem to Be”, he has gained acclaim from some of the most respected figures in the music industry.
He just returned from Europe and told us, “I’m doing a show at Stonewall for this years 420 celebration/welcome back from my Spring European Tour on 4/19/2011!”
LeGAYlize IT! @ Stonewall Inn,
53 Christopher St. @ Seventh Ave. South
(212-488-2705)
Subway: 1 to Christopher St. – Sheridan Sq.
4/19/2011 10:30pm $10.
Come celebrate Stoner New Year’s Eve (and the 2nd Night of Passover) as we liberate marijuana in NYC, with music by DJ T-Boy and a Special Performance by Adam Joseph.
Special Guests and Midnight Celebrations! All proceeds go to benefit the New York Cannabis Alliance.
ADAM JOSEPH ON iTUNES Best Gay New York.com
Joan Rives Live in Times Square for Charity with New Show
Legendary comedian and Celebrity Apprentice winner JOAN RIVERS brings her live stand-up act to Times Square’s Laurie Beechman Theatre. Rivers presents an evening of her newest and most outrageous riffs on The Celebrity Apprentice, Hollywood, pop culture, celebrities, reality TV and award show fashion.
A full dinner menu and bar are available, and pianist Lance Cruce plays from the time doors open until Joan takes the stage. Net proceeds going to Rivers’ favorite charities: God’s Love We Deliver and Guide Dogs for the Blind.
The Laurie Beechman Theatre
407 West 42nd Street, at 9th Avenue
TONIGHT – Wed, Mar 30
Tue, April 5 and Thrs, April 21
PLUS May 3rd, 12th,19th and 31st
$15 f/b minimum Tickets $40
JOAN RIVERS INFO AND TICKETS
Best Gay New York.com
Kathy Griffin…Wants a TONY! Special meet-and-greet March 17th
KATHY GRIFFIN is a collector! She wants one award from every possible category!
Unfortunately for her, she will not get a Tony anytime soon. Her one-woman shows in NYC March 11 -19th – a total of eight shows, does not qualify for a nomination. 🙁
Double Emmy Award Winner Kathy Griffin is clever and creative, no doubt! Every night there will be fresh material due to the revolving door of pop culture, political and celebrity missteps. If you are in the market for an evening of laughter, swearing and negativity you’ve found the right show!
Griffin may be known as the quintessential D-list diva, but not afraid to dish on everyone from Lindsay Lohan to Cher. She has shopped for bikinis with Paris Hilton, screamed and cheered alongside the “Clay-mates,” and allegedly had a serious romantic relationship with Levi Johnston. You won’t, however, catch her riffing on the Jews, the lesbians, or Barbara Walters – this divine diva knows her limits! Kathy Griffin is a multi-faceted performer whose rapid-fire wit has garnered her multiple Emmy Awards and two Grammy Award nominations for Best Comedy Album.
CHECK THIS OUT!
Now is your chance. Gaylifenyc.org and BestGaynewyork.com has an amazing one night offer for you.
March 17th, come see Kathy Griffin on Broadway and then she will do a Talk Back with you – the audience!
This is one night only– a few tickets left!
BestGayNewYork.com and Gaylifenyc.org has secured the secret code to get this amazing offer.
Join Kathy for a very special evening!!! And we want to thank Kathy for all her support of our rights and the gay community in general!
Kathy Griffin Special Link March 17th show.
Belasco Theatre
111 West 44th Street (Between Broadway and 6th Avenue)
New York NY 10036
Boys Night Out with Best Gay New York.com for Tomorrow Morning
JOIN US! Fri 3/25-8pm- Boys Night At Tomorrow Morning
Only $35.00 (Reg. $67.50) @ The York Theatre (619 Lexington Ave, at 54th St)
“Tomorrow Morning is a warmly sophisticated new musical about the coupling and uncoupling of relationships. Witty, moving and emotionally complex, it speaks to anyone who has ever fallen in or out of love. Tomorrow Morning has received previous productions in both London and Chicago and, in 2009, won Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Musical.”
In Tomorrow Morning, two couples are separated by time, yet bound together by the uncertainty of what the next morning holds, and by the ultimately redeeming power of love.
Here is the scoop!
Purchase a $35.00 ticket to Tomorrow Morning and receive a voucher for Free admission to the Post-Show Boys Night reception featuring white wine, cheese and sodas. This is a perfect opportunity to see the show and mingle with fellow theatre-goers and the cast.
Two Easy Ways to Purchase Boys Night Tickets:
1. CALL (212) 935-5820 and mention code BOYS35
2. Visit the YorkTheatre.org and use code BOYS35
Hope to see you there!
BestGayNewYork.com
Boys Night Out New York with The Men Event
is hosting Boys Nights :
Miss Abigail’s Guide…
With Eve Plumb on
Thursday March 24th
Thurs 3/24- 7pm-
BOYS NIGHT at
MISS ABIGAIL’s GUIDE…
starring Eve Plumb
Sofia’s Downstairs Theatre
(221 West 46th St)
Only $35 (reg $69) and includes admission to an exclusive 7pm Boys Night Pre-Show party where you get to MEET Jan Brady herself – EVE PLUMB while enjoying a complimentary cocktail, and ticket to the 8pm performance.
Called “PURE FUN” by Entertainment Weekly, Miss Abigail’s Guide to Dating, Mating, & Marriage (now starring Eve “Jan Brady” Plumb from The Brady Bunch!) is the story of Miss Abigail, the most sought-after relationship expert to the stars (think Dr. Ruth meets Emily Post), and her sexy sidekick Paco, as they travel the world teaching Miss Abigail’s outrageously funny “how-to’s” on dating, mating, and marriage.
During this 90-minute comedy, the producers of the show guarantee that you will laugh out loud and learn a thing or two . . . like how to have a perfect kiss (it’s all about lip position) . . . what you should and should not talk about on a date (don’t mention your troll doll collection) . . . and how to let a man think he wears the pants. So whether you’re looking for the “perfect date night” (NYTheatre.com) with “big laughs” (Associated Press), the perfect anniversary gift, or the “perfect romp for an evening out with friends” (PopWatch), get your tickets to Miss Abigail’s Guide today! You’ll be laughing about love all night long! That’s the Miss Abigail guarantee!
3 Easy Ways to Purchase:
1) Ovation Tix or visit MissAbigailsGuide and use code MEN
2) Call 877-9-MISS-ABIGAIL (964-7722) and use code MEN (between Broadway & 8th)
3) Visit the Box Office Sofia’s Downstairs Theater, 221 West 46th Street
Sign up at THE MEN EVENT to be on the hot list for all the cool upcoming events!
BestGayNewYork.com
And The Priscilla Winner is JD Gastolomendo!
who entered our Priscilla Ticket GiveAway!
Congratulations goes to our winner
JD Gastolomendo
who was randomly selected from all of the entries.
Thanks again to everyone for reading and entering. Watch for details about our upcoming 3 year anniversary party April 24th, more details to be announced soon!
And thanks to PRISCILLA ON BROADWAY!
BestGayNewYork.com
Matt Anctil from La Cage is Broadway Hero of the Month
or are you just happy to see us, Matt?
The adorable Matt Anctil
From La Cage on Broadway
has so much to say about bullying, his time in high school, the broadway beauty pageant and all the great things he does for charity.
Of course, Michael Cavnaugh,
from GAY LIFE NYC.org
caught up with him for an interview.
Check out GAY LIFE NYC.org and
Matts video on YouTube.
AND, you can catch him in
La Cage RIGHT NOW with Harvey Fierstein!
WIN Free Tickets to Priscilla on Broadway!
PRISCILLA ON BROADWAY!
Previews have just started for the hottest show of the Spring season and WE HAVE A PAIR OF FREE TICKETS TO GIVEAWAY!!!!
PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL is the feel-good theatrical experience of the year! Based on the smash-hit movie, PRISCILLA is the heart-warming, uplifting adventure of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship and end up finding more than they could have ever dreamed of. With a dazzling array of outrageous costumes and a hit parade of dance-floor favorites, this wildly fresh and funny new musical is a journey to the heart of FABULOUS!
Starring –WILL SWENSON (Tick/Mitzi)
TONY SHELDON (Bernadette)
NICK ADAMS (Adam/Felicia) BE STILL MY HEART!
The show and the stage LOOK AMAZING!
Get a Sneak Peak of the VIDEO !
OK, so what are you going to do for me,
to get these free tickets?
We will make it real easy.
Just leave me a comment and
include your email.
That’s it! How easy is that?!
I will accept comments for 7 days. Cut off is MARCH 10th at 12:00pm. At that time, we will randomly select one winner!
You will be notified that day. And we will make the final arrangements to you into the show.
Priscilla on Broadway !
BestGayNewYork.com
Harvey Fierstein and Jeffrey Tambor Take Over LA CAGE on Broadway
Jeffrey Tambor begin
staring as Albin and Georges
tomorrow evening in
LA CAGE on Broadway!
Vote for NICK ADAMS – Broadway Valentine Hunk!
Be My
Valentine? 😉
First of all, I wanted to thank everyone for supporting me for Priscilla! It seems like just yesterday, my fans were demanding on facebook that I play a leading role, and now it’s happened! What a dream come true, and YES you played a huge role in helping me reach a life goal I set for myself over 20 years ago. Thanks so much!
I’m currently being featured on Broadway.com for their weekend poll. The question is Which Broadway Hunk Would You Like to Be Your Valentine?
I thought it would be fun to get my closets friends & fans involved — so, if you’d like me to be your valentine, click on the link below, scroll down, and vote for Nick Adams 😉 It’s simple, you don’t need to register, and literally will take you 3.7 seconds.
This is just for fun, BUT if I end up winning, I will randomly select someone from the e-mail list who clicked the link and voted to receive a special care package from me in NYC.
Broadway Hunk Valentine POLL
Happy Valentines Day,
Xxoo,
~ Nick Adams
P.S. Performances start February 28th!
You can get tickets at PRISCILLA ON BROADWAY
Best Gay New York.com
My Big Gay Italian Wedding Approaches 1 Year Anniversary
“so friggin’ excited to make his
Off-Broadway debut in
My Big Gay Italian Wedding!”
MBGIW is a hit! Adam has been in the show since its opening last May, and this May, the show will celebrate it’s one year anniversary!
Previously, you may have caught him in the national tours of Legally Blonde: The Musical! (Nikos/US Warner), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Jimmy Smith); We first spotted this hottie in Chicago in Altar Boyz at the Drury Lane Water Tower (Juan/US Matthew).
Michael Cavnaugh from GayLifeNYC.org caught up with Adam and crowned him Broadway Hero of the Month. Adam Zelasko chats with HIVHERO.org and founder Michael Cavnaugh about his role in My Big Gay Italian Wedding, being from Buffalo- his qurks and what makes him one of the hottest new stars in New York City. Check out this super hot, and sweet guy.
He is smart, gorgeous and has the best hair in show business! – You can also catch him at the Chelsea David Barton gym, where he just started working as a personal trainer.
MY BIG GAY ITALIAN WEDDING
will soon celebrate its one year anniversary!
Co-Presented by DINA MANZO from THE REAL HOUSEWIVES of NJ, she and some of the other housewives stop by often and will make appearances in the show! (Everyone except Danielle Staub!)
So what’s it all about? Planning a wedding can be hell, but planning to ruin a wedding can be a hell of a lot of fun! Andrew and Anthony are getting married and everyone wants to “help”! MBGIW spins into hysterical fiasco as everyone tries to have their way. From a saboteur ex-boyfriend to a loud, opinionated, outspoken Italian mother, personalities and culture collide in a music and dance-filled extravaganza.
The show has gotten rave reviews! And currently has tickets on sale thru late May.
Since the beginning, the show has attracted many stars making guest appearances! Originally it launched with Amazing Race star and hottie/model/author Reichen Lehmkuhl and also with David Moretti from The Lair.
Besides the Real Housewives making an appearance now and then, there have been appearances by Lance Bass, Austin Peck, and out-and-proud Salon Takeover Diva Tabatha Coffey ! – Tabatha will be coming back to the show, later this month!
“You can’t have a big gay Italian wedding without big and beautifully teased hair,” says Coffey, “so I knew that this was the show for me. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the holiday season in New York than with these big, buffed boys and beautifully buffed broads at My Big Gay Italian Wedding.”
Mid-March the show will host a special “Soap Week” with guest appearances from various soap opera stars.
ILENE KRISTEN is currently in the role of Aunt ToniAnn. Perhaps best known for her portrayal of Delia Ryan on Ryan’s Hope, she is currently the gambling, beer-guzzling and always inappropriate hairdresser Roxy Balsom on One Life to Live.
She originated the role of Patty Simcox in Grease and portrayed the infamous Leona Helmsley in Mayor.
Back to Dina Manzo. She commented in an interview last year, about her involvement with the show. “I’m very dear friends with the writer, who’s also one of the stars, Anthony Wilkinson. And I went to see the play. He had a preview of it in Staten Island, and I just loved it. I fell in love with what it stands for, obviously. I told him, “Now is the time to bring this a little further with gay marriage being in the spotlight. We can have people who were a little hesitant to approach the topic come and see it and laugh and see how heartfelt and funny it is, and approach it in a different way — open some other minds to the possibility of equality.”
Anthony Wilkinsons first production of My Big Gay Italian Wedding was In 2003, beginning with a six week run at The Actors Playhouse in New York City, eventually moving to Theatre Four and extending for almost a year. Three years later, Anthony wrote and starred in another gay musical, Boys Just Wanna Have Fun, which also ran at The Actors Playhouse.
A supporter of gay rights and Marriage Equality, Anthony realized it was time for the return of My Big Gay Italian Wedding, and returned to the original script, transforming it and creating a show that was bigger, better and more explosive than before.
The re-creation premiered in September of 2009 at the historic St. George Theatre in Staten Island, as a one night only benefit for Pancreatic Cancer Research. The reception it received proved that the time was right for the show’s return to the off-Broadway stage, where Anthony is once again reprising his original role. Spring of 2010 the show opened at St. Lukes Theatre, 308 West 46th Street, and is going strong!
My Big Gay Italian Wedding info and tickets.
Sneak Peak at You Tube
Telecharge (212) 239-6200 or Toll Free: 1-800-432-7240
If you haven’t already, stop by GayLifeNYC.org and HIVHERO.org
to check out all of the news and interviews!
Best Gay New York.com
Joshua Conkel and Robert Mapplethorpe…Gentrifusion
RED FERN THEATRE COMPANY
Proudly Presents
GENTRIFUSION
An installation on
New York’s dynamic cultural shifts
LIMITED ENGAGEMENT
JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 13, 2011
THE LABA THEATRE AT THE 14TH STREET Y
In GENTRIFUSION, playwrights Carla Ching, Joshua Conkel , Michael John Garcés, Jon Kern, Janine Nabers and Crystal Skillman, explore the different truths surrounding the gentrification of New York’s neighborhoods. The playwrights were charged with breaking down the cliched idea of “gentrification”.
Their pieces dig deeper to address the ways that change both improves and diminishes a community. All residents are given voice in this series, ultimately discovering that both long time residents and the new crop of gentrifiers benefit and suffer in different measures and different ways.
Joshua Conkel’s short play is ,
Robert Mapplethorpe
Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
Is the “gay ghetto” dead? Some queens just can’t agree on anything.
According to Josh, “My piece is about a war of words between a trans street person and a well-to-do gay man whose just adopted a baby. It’s about assimilation vs identity within the gay community and the death of “gay ghettos” due to gentrification.”
Tickets are $25 and are now available online at Theater Mania or by calling 866.811.4111. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the theater box office ½ hour prior to the performance.
LABA Theatre at the 14th Street Y
344 East 14th Street between First and Second Avenues
4/5/6/N/R/Q to Union Square; L to First Avenue
Best Gay New York
SIMPLY BARBRA returns to the Metropolitan Room January 8th
makes his
long awaited return to the
Metropolitan Room
on January 8th!
He brings his latest SIMPLY BARBRA show to the posh cabaret for one night only.
This latest edition celebrates Barbra’s grammy-nominated album LOVE IS THE ANSWER, her return to the big screen in LITTLE FOCKERS and the release of her first book MY PASSION FOR DESIGN.
Gifted singer and actor Franc D’Ambrosio(PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, GODFATHER III) makes a special guest appearance with “Barbra”.
“When you first hear Steven sing , for the first brief moment, you almost think, ‘My God! Is that really her?’ [Streisand] It’s so captivating! Not only does he have a wonderful take on her — not at all mean-spirited — and this ability to imitate her, he also captures a lot of moments and nuances that are terrific. It was very impressive.” – Marvin Hamlisch
Steven does not lip-sync his performances but accurately portrays Streisand with his own voice! With over a decade of performing experience, his amazing show has Steven in demand literally worldwide!
Steven has performed across the globe singing live as the legendary Barbra Streisand. From London’s West End to Hong Kong…..Seattle to Florida….in Canada, Mexico…in concert with Marvin Hamlisch…appearances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center….he has released two acclaimed CDS….and was hired by Miss Streisand’s management to perform at her best friend Donna Karan’s birthday party!
We have some great interviews with Steven from last year !
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