New York Boylesque Stripper Festival April 26-27

BOYS BOYS BOYS! 

Who doesn’t love a hot male stripper?  
How about a creative male stripper??

Burlesque is back, just in case you missed the memo. Over the last 15 years it has been growing steadily and now more and more men are getting in on the stripper fun!
This  upcoming  weekend, Daniel Nardicio and Jen Gapay of Thirsty Girl Productions
are teaming up to present the second annual New York Boylesque
Festival—a two-day extravaganza of nearly nude dudes artfully disrobing. 
The festival kicks off Friday April 26th with nightlife icon World Famous *BOB* as emcee at Williamsburg hot spot, Public Assembly.

This Friday night Teaser Party,
DJ’d by boylesque historian Scott Ewalt features over a dozen national
and international performers and is sure to get your motor started for a
weekend of non-stop boylesque hotness! 

On Saturday April 27th, another 20 more  boylesquers , from Toronto to Tokyo will hit the Gramercy Theater
stage to do their thing. Hosted by NYC’s Drag Mama Sweetie.
Some Stripetease, Some Circus and Some Comedy!
Tickets and INFO  online
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Big Gay Hudson Valley New York Magazine Turns 5

Visit New York’s Hudson Valley!

Are you looking for a weekend getaway or family vacation?

The Hudson Valley is a getaway destination offering spectacular
mountain views, historic estates, wine trails, shopping, outdoor
adventures and much more. Millions of visitors have enjoyed our
bountiful choices – just a stone’s throw away from Manhattan.

  Let That Springtime Sunshine In!

 

Now that we’ve all made it through the winter season, it’s time to get
out and explore all that the Hudson Valley in Spring has to offer!  The
newest issue of our all-digital online magazine is packed with insider
tips to get you out & about this season.  

The Spring 2013 issue of Big Gay Hudson Valley Magazine features:

  • Our top picks for local Spring activities
  • An insider’s “CityGuide” look at Beacon, Fishkill & Wappingers Falls
  • A “Local Color” profile of openly gay Wappingers Falls Mayor Matt Alexander
  • A look back at “5 Years of Big Gay Fun” as BGHV celebrates its FIFTH birthday this year
  • …and so much more!  Read it now!
ALSO – get a look at their upcoming PRIDE WEEKEND happening over Memorial Weekend in May.

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New Yorks Dog Poop Problems

WE LOVE OUR DOGS!
      But lets face it , dog poop is gross.

It’s hard to imagine eight million people trying to avoid dog refuse on
the streets of New York City on a daily basis. It’s harder not to
imagine New Yorkers from all walks of life picking up after their
canines. Using plastic bags or trendy, mechanized devices, pet owners
have become a unified force in cleaning up the sidewalks of the Big
Apple. We forget that Health Law 1310, which went into effect in 1978,
was the first such legislation to work in a major city, and that the
strange custom of scooping in New York continues to influence
communities around the world. READ THE BOOK – New York’s Poop Scoop Law: Dogs, the Dirt, and Due Process (New Directions in the Human-Animal Bond)

How do you pick up your dogs poop? 

Many
dog
owners pick it up with a non-biodegradable plastic bag. They “recycle”
(re-use) one of those plastic bags from the grocery store. They pick up
the poop and throw it away. Those are just about the worst invention EVER!

But then what happens? It gets sent
off somewhere, to live on forever and ever and ever.

You
may not think about it, but chances are if you have a dog you’re creating
excess waste, somewhere. There are approximately 78.2 million owned dogs in the
United States. That’s a lot of poop!

NOW – We have better choice!  A smarter Green solution!

Paul Cannella, the owner of Chicago-based PoopBags.com, created a solution. 

Cannella’s PoopBags are 100 percent  TOTALLY biodegradable dog waste bags  —
Made from corn starch and other renewable resources, PoopBags are shelf stable products that will degrade, after use, at the same rate as the core of an apple. 

“I used to always run out of bags for my dog, May. I started grabbing extra bags when I could: my Mom would save them for me, I always asked for double-bagging, etc. I started looking for sources on the web and discovered just how bad plastic bags were for the environment.” says Paul. 

In 2003, there were very few resources for biodegradable bags — and it remains true today. While many claim to be biodegradable, only a couple actually meet the ASTM D6400 specification, which allows you to legally claim your product is biodegradable.

 Check out Poop Bags.com for an assortment of items!


The ORIGINAL and the BEST Poop Bags!

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Ross Mathews Takes a Bite out of New York City in May

As
a young kid growing up in a farm town, Ross Mathews might as well have
wished for a pet unicorn or a magical calorie-free cookie tree to grow
in his front yard. 


Either of those far-fetched fantasies would’ve
probably been more likely to come true than his real dream: Working on
television in Hollywood, California. I mean, seriously, that stuff just
doesn’t happen to people like Ross. But guess what. It totally did.

Who knew – everyone would fall in love with Ross? We have been watching Ross’s rise to fame and it is so great to see a very gay man!  Rise to such great heights. He is just so likable, honest and  real. The public responds well to him. 

Ross Mathews, is now one of the most in-demand television personalities today. Ross has traveled the world as a Tonight Show correspondent,
interviewing everyone from Oscar winners to British royalty, quickly
becoming a late-night television  staple and a favorite of the
public. 

Currently, Ross continues his Tonight Show correspondent duties, is a weekly regular panelist and occasional guest host on E!’s hit late-night talk show Chelsea Lately and a fixture on the E! Networks’ live red carpet award show coverage and E! News.

Last month Ross worked on a talk show pilot,  produced by Chelsea Handler’s Borderline Amazing Productions that Mathews  hosted, wrote and co-produced!

NOW COMES THE BOOK AND TOUR!
Ross will be at the Gramercy Theater in NY on Tuesday May 7, 8:00pm.  He
will be in New York that week doing press, as May 7 is the official
release date of the book as well!

The MAN UP  book will out May 7th.  The book, Man Up!: Tales of My Delusional Self-Confidence , will
be Mathews’ first and include a humorous collection of observations and
personal stories and takes readers inside Mathews’ personal journey as a
super fan, revealing the most embarrassing and hilarious moments of his
small town life and big city adventures, and how he managed to turn an
obsession with pop culture into one on one interactions with celebrities
like Paltrow, Tiffani-Amber Theissen, Madonna, and Michelle Kwan [to
name a few] without ever having a single restraining order issued
against him. It also will feature a foreword by actress Gwyneth Paltrow and an afterword by late-night host Chelsea Handler.

“Ross has been a friend of mine for 10 years, and this book is
hilariously sad, hilariously naïve and hilariously gay. I love this
book,” Handler said.

“The book is about my experiences, thus far, in
life. Growing up in a small town and then navigating Hollywood. The
theme that’s been running through that is something I talk about on
Chelsea a lot; what I’ve coined as “man-up.” I think I always try to
man-up,”
explains Ross. 

“What I mean by that is, understanding you are what you are and
you’re going to have your flaws, but rather than heaping a lot of
negativity on whatever makes you different or whatever makes you unique,
really shine the light on that and use it to make you stand out, I
think that’s just something innately that I’ve done my entire life,
totally on accident. I probably owe it to my mother, because she was
effusive with her compliments, even when they were undeserved. I would
love to spread that message. Like, come on, life is short you gotta love
yourself. Get over it and let’s keep movin’ on to make a difference in
the world.


Mathews
currently lives in Los Angeles with his partner, Salvador, and their
two rescue dogs, Louise and Mijo. When not working on his many projects,
Mathews is a strong supporter of the Human Rights Campaign, speaking at
many of their nationwide events and he received their Visibility Award
in 2011.

When once asked, Why do you think visibility is so important for our community?

He says, “Oh my gosh, it’s like crazy, super, big time important!
I grew up in a teeny farm town in Mount Vernon, Washington, and I was a
little gay kid and I didn’t know what it meant to grow up to be a big
gay grown-up. I didn’t know any gay people and back then I didn’t see
any gay people on TV. I didn’t learn until I went to college that I
could be a totally happy grown up, loud, proud, out gay person. It’s a
different world now, in part, not to toot my tooter, partly because
people like me are on TV, out, loud and proud for a decade now!”                        
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!!!



5/7/13
New York, NY
Gramercy Theatre
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS


Check our Ross’s Blog and grab all of his social media links!


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New York City Parking Solutions with new Apps

This is a cool idea!

New York City unveiled an app Tuesday that allows drivers to find available parking spaces and pay for them with smartphones.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg
announced the pilot program to test out the technology, which he said
would help make streets less congested and modernize the payment
process.

“It’s worked elsewhere and we think it will work here,” Mr. Bloomberg
said on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, where the pilot program is slated
to launch. “This is a better technology for everyone. It should lead to
fewer problems, fewer disagreements about whether or not you’ve paid or
haven’t paid.”

Drivers who register on the PayByPhone website can use their iPhones
or BlackBerrys to pay for one of more than 260 parking spaces with
electronic “pucks”
embedded in the streets below them. The disks
transmit a signal to a server that either the space is empty or a driver
has paid to park there.

The PayByPhone app will also send text messages or emails warning
drivers when their time is about to expire and allow them to pay for
more time without walking to the meter. A traffic officer can scan
vehicles’ license plates to see if their time has expired. 

Then later this spring, officials said, a second smartphone app will make its
debut, giving drivers and the city near-real-time information about the
probability of finding a parking space on each block.

read more  at Wall Street Journal

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Surviving Mommie Dearest with Cristina Crawford in New York for a limited Engagement!

CHRISTINA CRAWFORD

in

SURVIVING MOMMIE DEAREST

 

BEST SELLING AUTHOR WHO SHOCKED THE WORLD WITH THE FIRST CELEBRITY

TELL-ALL WILL STAR IN AN INSPIRATIONAL NEW OFF-BROADWAY PRODUCTION

ABOUT SURVIVAL & HER TURBULENT RELATIONSHIP WITH

MOVIE LEGEND MOTHER JOAN CRAWFORD 

LIMITED RUN!

MOTHER’S DAY WEEK      MAY 8th -12th

 

AT THE SNAPPLE THEATER CENTER

 

Mommie Dearest Inc. in association with Producer Jerry Rosenberg have announced dates for the New York premiere of SURVIVING MOMMIE DEAREST an empowering and inspirational new production starring Christina Crawford – actress, activist and author of the 1978 best-selling autobiographical book “Mommie Dearest.”


The show features an award–winning bio-pic documentary covering
100 years of show-biz history and details the turbulent relationship
between Christina and her movie legend mother, Joan Crawford. Complete
with film clips and footage from forgotten 1940’s home movies, SURVIVING MOMMIE DEAREST is
slated for a limited run of 5 performances, during the week of Mother’s
Day and will run off-Broadway at the Snapple Theater Center in
Manhattan.

 

In addition to the Hollywood glitz and glamour of SURVIVING MOMMIE DEAREST,
Ms. Crawford who wrote and narrates the documentary, recounts the abuse
that she endured in her life, discusses her road to recovery, takes
questions from the audience and closes the 90 minute show with a book
signing.



 

Christina
Crawford’s memoir, “Mommie Dearest” created a worldwide sensation and
was published in seven foreign languages. Since then, she has written: Black Widow (a novel), Survivor, No Safe Place and Daughters of the Inquisition, in addition to publishing first the 20th Anniversary and then the 30th Anniversary
Editions of “Mommie Dearest”, with updates and some revisions. The film
of the same name was released in 1981 but without her participation in
production or final approval. She has not received any royalty payments
in the 30 years since the film was released.

 

Born in
Hollywood, California and adopted by film star Joan Crawford, Christina
Crawford was the focus of movie magazine photo shoots, press conference
interviews and studio publicity.


 Since 1993, she has lived on over 100 acres in Northern
Idaho where she initially owned a successful country inn, worked seven
years as entertainment manager for the Coeur D’Alene Casino and produced
her own regional weekly TV show that won three Telly Awards. She also
served one term as County Commissioner. Christina is co-owner of the
production “Surviving Mommie Dearest” which she wrote, co-directed and
in which she currently stars.

 

She
has served as appointed Commissioner on the first Lost Angeles County
Commission for Childrens Services and has been given awards from the
Illinois Governor, the California Attorney General and the United States
Dept. of Children and Family Services for her work on behalf of public
awareness regarding child abuse & family violence prevention.

 

Performances of SURVIVING MOMMIE DEAREST are on May 8-9th at 8PM, May 10-11th at 5PM and Sunday, May 12th at 12PM.

 

Tickets for SURVIVNG MOMMIE DEAREST are $40 for premium seats; and $25 and are available at the Snapple Theater Center box office at 212-921-7862.

 

The Snapple Theater Center is located at 1627 Broadway / 210 W. 50th St. near the corner of 50th Street and Broadway with two entrances, one on Broadway (stairs only) and one around the corner with an elevator.


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Bronx LGBTQ Pride & Health Fair

BRONX Gay Pride 2013. 

The Bronx LGBTQ Center last month announced plans to produce a 2013
Bronx LGBTQ Pride & Health Fair on Saturday, July 20th this year.
The tentative location is set for Barretto Point Park, from 12-6pm.

“We believe this pride festival will be different from any
other LGBTQ Pride event produced, as we will be offering limited free
health services and screenings as part of the day, in cooperation with
Union Community Health Center, who is one of our main sponsors and will
be providing many of these free health services and screenings,” stated
Bronx LGBTQ Center president Tym Moss. “There will be other
health-organizations there as well, all working in partnership with one
another to serve our LGBTQ communities in The Bronx. We look forward to
bringing as many organizations and individuals together to celebrate
LGBTQ Pride in The Bronx and ensure that everyone remains as healthy as
possible,” he concluded.
More details will be forthcoming and will continuously be updated as they become available at Bronxe Pride / Eventbrite.
Inexpensive vendor booth space available now!
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Gay Cowboys Spotted in New York Bedrooms

What if…
Gunsmoke met Tom of Finland!

If your mother comes to visit, these may not be  the sheets for her…

Vice Merchants, a rebelliously luxe bedding company, has released “Cowpokes,”
a full line of sheets, pillowcases and throws aimed at gay men.

Made
from 100 percent Egyptian cotton, 400 thread count, fine Sateen bedding
fabric, “Cowpokes” features a ranch scene of playfully undressed men
engaging in acts of whimsical outdoor fun and farm work, while
frolicking in the buff! Illustrated by K. Commodore, cows, horses and
tractors further set the scene as hot men work hard and play hard in the
foreground.

They are very high quality and soft, as me and my man, rolled around in the hay, on them this past weekend!

“We’re
enthusiastic to expand our brand to cater to the gay community,” Jake
Katz, president of Vice Merchants said. “’Cowpokes’ is a design unlike
any other that allows gay men to spice up their bedroom in a subtle, yet
enticing and playful manner. With these sheets, every night can feel
like a sweaty day with the boys on the ranch.”

Vice
Merchants is a company that believes your bedding should be as sexy and
as much fun as bedtime activities. The company specializes in fine
bedding that brings edgy, richly hued graphics created by illustrators.

They
worked with Brooklyn-based artist K. Commodore has an M.A. degree from
the Rhode Island School of Design, to create these fun sheets. Her work
is known for its insightful and witty look at human sexuality, and has
been exhibited in numerous galleries throughout the United States and
Europe.

When asked, What was the motivation behind the fun farm setting???

Artists
Katie Commodoresaid,” We all got together to brainstorm the next
pattern and decided to go with a traditional toile. My art has always
been about usurping traditional mediums or styles and using them as a
vehicle for portraying sexuality. So the idea of taking a traditional
toile and using fun homoerotic imagery made perfect sense! Traditional
toile, which first became fashionable in the 16th century, has images of
pastoral scenes; what’s more pastoral than cowboys and farm hands???

She
says that some  other scenarios considered as well, “Oh Yes! Some of
which we will make in the future! But there are only so many drawings I
can work on at once!”

“Cowpokes” is available in all sheet sizes
with prices ranging from $99 for a Twin Long Sheet set to $235 for a
King Sheet set. The print is also available in duvet and sham sets, bed
skirts, and throw pillows. A complete nine-piece bedding set can be purchased in Full for $399; Queen for $439; King (and California King) for $499.

You  won’t find these at Macy’s but you can order them now, discreetly online. And they will be shipped in a plain brown box. VIce Merchants.

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High Rise and Condo Construction Back on the Rise in New York City

SPRING has sprung in New York, (well, sort of…)and so have condo developments. The housing slump appears to be over and developments are sprouting up everywhere!

My favorite – The Rafael Vinoly-designed 432 Park Avenue. Prices range from $7 million to $95 million. It is said that one third of the residential building is already under contract. The massive tower should be finished in 2015. And it will be the tallest residential building in North America. 
It will contain a total of 126 apartments asking a combined $2.7 billion, which is, the Journal notes, the highest total asking price ever for a condominium building in Manhattan. That breaks down to $6,742/square foot.
There are actually 23 new developments in New York hitting the market right now!
Check the rest out at  CURBED  NY.
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Sneak Peak at New Yorks Broadway Bares 2013

From sea to shining sea, this year’s
Broadway Bares will crisscross the country in a racy, raucous road
trip, exploring the United States as the 23rd annual edition of the
immensely popular modern-day burlesque show arrives as Broadway Bares
23: United Strips of America.

This video offers an exclusive
behind-the-scenes look at the Broadway Bares photo shoot, hosted by this
year’s director, Nick Kenkel.

Produced by and benefiting
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Broadway Bares 23will arrive Sunday,
June 23, for two performances only — at 9:30 PM & Midnight — at
Roseland Ballroom in NYC.

In Broadway Bares 23: United Strips of
America, more than 200 of New York’s sexiest and most delectable
dancers will discover — and uncover — amber waves and mountain
majesties that only Broadway Bares could find. This trip across the
fruited plains of America will most certainly be the stuff patriot
dreams are made of. TICKETS ON SALE NOW.

WATCH NOW

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    Shine Out LGBT Music Festival in New York June 21-23

    3 days!  3  stages!   The largest LGBT Music Festival!
    The Shineout Music Festival is a celebration of gay, lesbian,
    bisexual, and transgendered musicians and supporters coming
    together with pride and love to celebrate who we are with the
    music we create and the support we give to one another.

    We are hoping that this 3-day festival is a breakthrough for all
    musicians, artists and anyone struggling to find their voice and identity.
    With it, we hope to create an annual event that not only provides
    unparalleled music and performances but also a community
    of artists and individuals bound together with strength and hope celebrating diversity, identity, character and each other.

    Be who you are. May you shine!

    – Darren Melchiorre & Chris Ryan
    Festival founders and producers


    Shine Music Festival

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    Michael Urie Plays Barbra Streisand in Buyer and Cellar

    Alex More has a story to tell.  A
    struggling actor in L.A., Alex takes a job working in the Malibu
    basement of  beloved megastar, Barbra Streisand! 

    (Barbra’s basement is FULL of her 
    collections and resembles a mini mall!)

    One day, the Lady Herself comes
    downstairs to play.  It feels like real bonding in the basement, but
    will their relationship ever make it upstairs?

    Buyer & Cellar is an outrageous comedy about the price of fame, the cost of things, 

    and the oddest of odd jobs.


    Michael Urie will be  playing Barbra Streisand Off Broadway, and
    every other character in Buyer &
    Cellar
    , playwright Jonathan Tolins new one-man play which opened  recently at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. An exceptionally gifted comedian
    and stage performer, Urie does the diva justice—and she’s just one piece of the
    story.

    Tolins’ play is well crafted, hilarious, and completely
    accessible to folks who know nothing about Barbra Streisand. Of course, the
    show’s success is thanks in no small part to Urie’s charming, whirlwind
    performance. I spoke to Michael about his work on the play, his choice of gay
    roles, and his personal feelings on the lady of the house.

    Read more and the interview by Naveen Kumar at Towleroad! 
    RUNNING THRU  MAY 4th  GET TICKETS  NOW

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    New York’s Center Dinner to honor DOMA Plaintiff Edie Windsor, April 11

    Friends
    and supporters of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender
    Community Center (the Center) will gather at Cipriani Wall Street on
    Thursday, April 11 to honor community leaders Edie Windsor, Terrence
    Meck and Neil Tallantire.
    Special guests Neil Patrick Harris and David
    Burtka
    will join the Center to recognize the remarkable work of these
    individuals, while helping the Center raise funds to support its
    life-changing and life-saving programs and services.

    The
    accomplishments of all three honorees extend far beyond the
    organization: Edie Windsor, for her long-standing contributions and
    whose case went before the Supreme Court in late March to challenge the
    Defense of Marriage Act; Terrence Meck, Executive Director of the
    Palette Fund, which makes grants in support of queer youth, patient
    navigation, and nutrition and wellness; and Neil Tallantire, Senior Vice
    President, Diageo, for his leadership of Diageo’s philanthropic support
    of the LGBT community.

    “We’re fortunate this year to have such
    wonderful friends who stand up every day for fairness and equality for
    LGBT people,” said Glennda Testone, the Center’s Executive Director.
    “Years from now, history will remember Edie Windsor as a hero of the
    LGBT civil rights movement. Her long history with the Center and her
    contributions to the community overall inspired us not just to honor
    her, but also to name the award after Edie and her late wife Thea. From
    this year on, the Center will recognize outstanding activist individuals
    with the Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer Community Trailblazer Award.”

    Center
    Dinner Co-Chairs Timothy Chow and Greg Zaffiro join Testone and the
    Center’s Board of Directors in hosting the evening. The dinner will also
    celebrate two important milestones in the Center’s history: the 30th
    anniversary as the heart of the LGBT community in New York City, and the
    commencement of a transformational building enhancement project
    designed to expand on the vision of its founders and meet the needs of
    the community in the years to come. For more information on the Center’s
    renovation, visit www.gaycenter.org/buildingforyou.

    WHO: Actor Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”) and partner David Burtka; Windsor v. United States plaintiff Edith “Edie” Windsor; financial guru Suze Orman (“The Suze Show”); MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts; Broadway star Nick Adams; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center Executive Director Glennda Testone; and Event Co-Chairs Timothy Chow and Greg Zaffiro.

    WHAT: The Center Dinner, an annual gala fundraiser to support the Center’s vital programs and services

    WHEN: Thursday, April 11, 2013

    6:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception/Silent Auction
    7:30 p.m. Dinner and Awards
    Cocktail Chic Attire

    WHERE: Cipriani Wall Street
    55 Wall Street
    New York, NY

    How to Purchase Tickets: Tickets are available at www.gaycenter.org/centerdinner; tickets start at $500. 

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    Shanna Sharp Record Release Party April 25th

    Shanna Sharp

    Often compared to Sara Bareilles and Alanis Morissette, Shanna has been called the
    “southern Adele” with her soulful vocals and rich, introspective lyrics. 
    Raised in Montgomery, Alabama,
    Shanna grew up listening to Sarah McLachlan and Jeff Buckley and
    developed an affinity for moving songwriting and vocals. 

     In 1999, Shanna took her shot to live
    in New York City with only $200 in her pocket to pursue music and acting. 
    Once in NYC, she attended Circle In The Square Theatre School and performed
    music gigs at popular venues such as Bowery Electric, Roseland Ballroom, Crash
    Mansion and The Bitter End.  She later traveled frequently to Europe to
    tour between 2002 and 2007.   Since then,
    Shanna has settled back in NYC, has toured
    the southeast, and she currently resides in Harlem.  

    Shanna has an amazing
    new album, Silver Linings Under Grey!! There will be  record release show on April 25th at Rockwood Music Hall- Stage 2.

     Shanna was a member of the plus size pop burlesque group The
    Glamazons
    who were 2006 season finalists on America’s Got Talent! The starlet regularly performs in the 
    raucous west village piano bar scene of downtown NYC. 

    Event Details

    Who: Shanna Sharp

    What: Record Release Party!

    When: April 25th, 2013 @ 7PM

    Where: Rockwood Stage 2

    196 Allen St  New York, NY 10002
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    Antigone Rising at New Yorks Mercury Lounge April 12th

    I hope everyone grabbed TIME magazine this past with 2 historic gay covers!

    Have you heard of NY’s Antigone Rising?? One of the band
    members, Kristen Ellis-Henderson, is on the  girl cover of Time
    Magazine along with her wife Sarah. The issue features “portraits of the
    gay marriage revolution” and boldly declares “Gay marriage already
    won.”



    Antigone Rising has been an all-female force to be reckoned with in
    the country rock world since their debut release in 2005. After more
    than a decade of relentless touring and critical acclaim, the band
    (Kristen Ellis-Henderson, Cathy Henderson, Dena Tauriello, and Nini
    Camps) is poised to release a new EP in 2013. The first single is “That Was The Whiskey,” a foot-stomping, rollicking good time co-written by Lori McKenna.

    The band is performing on Fri., 4/12 at Mercury Lounge!

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    Gay Pier Dance has a new location in New York

    From outside, to inside, now back outside, a new location. 
     NYC PRIDE  SAYS….

             NYC Pride is thrilled to have found a new home for its famous Dance on
    the Pier:     Hudson River Park’s Pier 26 in Tribeca. Dance on the Pier, now
    in its 27th year, will again serve as the official closing to NYC Pride
    week on Sunday, June 30. 

    NYC Pride is very excited about the move back to an outdoor venue. While last year’s Dance and
    Rapture were a great success and Pier 57 a phenomenal host, producing the event indoors was a detour from
    tradition necessitated by the loss of Hudson River Park’s Pier 54. Dancing unabatedly in full view of this great
    city is something that many of the events’ attendees have come to love and expect. It is with great pride that
    we bring the Dance and Rapture back outside to their rightful place in the sun.

    “We wanted this year’s dance events to be more than just memorable; we wanted them to be historic.
    With Supreme Court decisions looming and major changes on the horizon, we felt it was our duty to bring
    these events back in line with their original intention: to be a celebration of acceptance, love and community,
    outdoors, for all to see! We look forward to creating another world-class dance experience that our attendees
    will love,” said Chris Frederick, Managing Director of NYC Pride.


    “Not only are we thrilled that the event will be back outdoors, but the space is roughly forty feet wider
    than our previous outdoor venue. Hudson River Park Trust is currently wrapping up massive renovations on
    Pier 26 and it’s still in close proximity to Christopher Street and the many historic locations that are so
    important to our community. We are very happy with the move and look forward to a host of future events on
    this amazing new pier,” said Mo George, Dance Director of NYC Pride.

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    Gay Marriage Bureau Takeover in New York City

    This is pretty cool!   40+  years  ago….June 4, 1971. Less than two years after the Stonewall uprising, a group of men and women from the Gay Activists Alliance
    (GAA) walked into the New York City Marriage License Bureau carrying
    coffee urns and boxes of cake to hold an engagement party for two male
    couples and to protest the “slander” of City Clerk Herman Katz, who had
    threatened legal action against same-sex “holy unions” being performed
    — yes, already then, in 1971 — by the Church of the Beloved Disciple,
    which had a largely gay congregation.
    There was a great article with some awesome vintage video yesterday at the Atlantic!
     
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    Queer + SOBER Gay Pride Weekend Returns to New York

    Year after year, Pride weekend in New York is the epicenter of gay culture. Itʼs usually centered on a weekend of debauchery, and drugs…until now. Queer & Sober offers something unique to the gay community. Pride – with a twist!

    New York City is a great town, we all realize this. However, for many in the sober community, – particularly for “newbies” just starting out – New York City can be daunting, overwhelming, and lonely, especially when trying to find new and interesting social
    outlets that arenʼt tinged with memories of their former ways.
    Queer & Sober was willed into reality to provide a safe and entertaining experience for members of the LGBTQ sober community through high-quality events that feel like the real thing. An attendee says “Itʼs so much fun, I had to double check that all of us dancing weʼre actually sober!” Q&S has done some great parties before like New Yearʼs Eve and Halloween, but Pride weekend always takes center stage.

    Though Q&S is very vocal about the fact that they are not AA or any of he “Aʼs” but that many people from 12 step group flock to their events. “The ones that come are the ones that still like to have a good time.” Sayʼs one of itʼs organizers. The organization is known for hosting exceptional events that take people to a different place of total joy, it captures their imagination and hopes to inspire others to live life, still have fun, and be happy, joyous, and free. 

    Having fun in sobriety! What a concept. Q&S does one thing and does it really well. They enhance oneʼs experience as a sober person. What used to be the standard, lackluster, poorly attended, second rate, “high school” dance in a cafeteria, is now a real party that feels like the nightclub has finally been brought to the sober peeps. Itʼs been said that one of the greatest threats to staying sober is boredom. This is particularly true for newcomers – many of whom lack a basis or reference for enjoyment without the aid of mind-altering substances.  
    One of the creators of Q&S says, “What we are seeing trending now is that people these days are deciding to get sober younger. Harder drugs like Meth are bringing them in by the masses. We have to do our part to keep them interested, engaged, and most of all entertained during Pride.  Otherwise, they think sobriety is dull and eventually leave. We want them to stick with sobriety and not only survive, but thrive.”
    This all evolved from a desire among four friends to throw an experimental sober Pride Party in 2010 with a theme of The Wild West. Facebook was just taking off so everyone that everyone knew was invited. Sexy Go Go boys were hired, a  DJ was flown in from Miami;   The organizers thought, “Well, letʼs see if 100 people come…” In the end, 700 people showed up and danced the night away – all of them sober.

    That experiment – formed out of ambition and a desire to provide fellows with a safe and exciting Gay Pride – confirmed that something like that was not only needed – but wanted.

    Over the years, Q&S keeps reinventing Pride weekend. Their annual themes have ranged from Superheroes to Love. This year, the theme is Circus so itʼs really over the top. The Big Top if you will!        Get more details  at  Queer + Sober. 
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    New Yorks Elaine Stritch Farewell Concert at Cafe Carlyle in April

    WOW! Four-time Tony nominee and Broadway.com Audience Choice Award winner Grand Dame, Elaine Stritch has announced that she will play her final engagement at Cafe Carlyle this April. 

    Her farewell show, titled Elaine Stritch at the Carlyle: Movin’ Over and Out,
    will play the intimate club April 2 through 6. 
    The 88-year-old legendary New York performer is leaving her home in NYC and relocating to a condo in
    Michigan, her native state.

    Fans nervous that this departure means retirement for Stritch need not worry! The incomparable star told The New York Times,
    What actor would ever say they’re done? I loved being on Broadway, but
    performing has become exhausting, and I just don’t want to live in New
    York anymore… I just don’t have the energy, darling. I’m 88! I don’t
    look or always feel it, but I’m 88!
    See more  at  Broadway.com
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    Sleeping at New Yorks MoMo – with People Watching You

    No way I could this! 

    Tilda Swinton sleeps in glass box for a surprise performance piece at New York’s  Museum of Modern Art,  

    As part of her installation ‘The Maybe,’ the ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ the actress napped in a transparent box full of cushions while museum-goers gawked.
    If you missed her yesterday, Swinton will return to the glass case several times to appear in the
    installation, but the exhibition dates remain a mystery even to MoMA
    employees.
    “There is no published schedule for its appearance, no artist’s
    statement released, no museum statement beyond this brief context, no
    public profile or image issued,” MoMa said in a Tildastatement. “Those
    who find it chance upon it for themselves, live and in real-shared-time:
    now we see it, now we don’t.”

    Read more @ New York Daily News
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