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
New York City OUT Gay Hotel Will Open 2012
Manhattan’s newest gay neighborhood, Hell’s Kitchen, is getting gay hotel complex, The Out NYC, late in 2012. The nightlife venue, expected to draw locals as well as travelers, is scheduled to open in November 2011. The hotel’s official opening is planned for late winter/early spring 2012. The hotel complex — an adapted 1950s-vintage, drive-in motor inn — is situated on 42nd St. between 10th and 11th Avenues. A major rehabilitation and redirected use of the existing motel will turn the property into a 105-room boutique hotel with a spa, wellness center, business center and conference rooms. The entertainment complex includes the 11,000-square-foot XL nightclub, lounge and cabaret as well as a 24/7 café and a restaurant called Kitchen.
People said it wasn’t going to happen – but Parkview Developers insist it is moving forward! And they are getting lots of press this month.
It’s New York City’s first gay hotel and, perhaps, the only gay urban resort in the country, according to developer Ian Reisner, managing partner of Parkview Developers.
The idea stemmed from a gay-focused boutique hotel in Barcelona, AXEL, where Reisner stayed a few years ago. He decided New York City needed a similar hotel and, in fact, an entire entertainment complex. – It was rumored that AXEL owned the hotel – they claim they do not – other sources say yes, they are involved, to some extent.
The actual planning started in 2008.
In 2009 a 49-year ground lease was secured for the property….a 26,000-square-foot block of real estate, in a gentrifying neighborhood. “It was perfect timing to get my hands on such a big property,” Ian says. “The great recession had put a damper on real estate and you could lock in things you couldn’t lock in, in a normal functioning market.”
Stay tuned!
Broadway Premiere of “8” – All-Star Cast Reading
LAST NIGHT,
Broadway was buzzing, like it has not buzzed in a long time!
The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact launched the all-star Broadway premiere of “8” to a packed and enthusiastic audience.
The play, which chronicles the historic trial in the federal legal challenge to California’s Proposition 8, was written by AFER Founding Board Member and Academy Award-winning writer Dustin Lance Black and directed by Tony Award-winning actor and director Joe Mantello.
The production is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the case filed by AFER to overturn Prop. 8, which eliminated the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry in California. Prop. 8 was ruled unconstitutional in August 2010.
The premiere featured an all-star cast
including Academy, Tony and four-time Emmy Award nominee Bob Balaban;
Emmy and Tony Award winner and two-time Golden Globe Award nominee Ellen Barkin; acclaimed “White Collar” television star Matt Bomer;
Emmy Award-winning journalist Campbell Brown;
Golden Globe Award winner and four-time Emmy Award nominee Anthony Edwards;
Academy and Golden Globe Award winner and Tony nominee Morgan Freeman;
Tony Award nominee Jayne Houdyshell;
award-winning Broadway, television and film star Cheyenne Jackson;
celebrated playwright and gay rights activist Larry Kramer;
Academy, Emmy and two-time Golden Globe Award winner Christine Lahti;
two-time Academy Award-nominated, multiple Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning, two-time Tony Award-winning actor John Lithgow;
Tony Award nominee and Broadway Impact Co-Founder Rory O’Malley;
two-time Emmy Award-winning, Academy and multiple Golden Globe-nominated director and actor Rob Reiner;
Broadway star Kate Shindle;
Emmy Award winner Yeardley Smith;
two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Spinella;
and Emmy Award winner and three-time Golden Globe Award nominee Bradley Whitford.
The cast of “8” also featured Tony Award nominee K. Todd Freeman, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Ken Leung and Ben Rosenfield.
The “8”premiere attracted a sell-out crowd with more than 80 people lined up outside the theatre this morning to snap up the remaining tickets; some camped out overnight. Opinion and political leaders, philanthropists, business leaders and actors turned out to support “8,” including …
Lieutenant Dan Choi, Chace Crawford, Anna Deavere Smith (Pulitzer Prize winner), Fran Drescher, Adrian Fenty (former Mayor of Washington DC), Celia Keenan-Bolger, Laurene Powell Jobs, Joel Klein (Executive Vice President of News Corporation), Judith Light, Dan Loeb (CEO, Third Point Capital),Sir Deryck Maughan (Partner, Kohlberg, Kravis & Roberts), Stuart Milk, Stephen Pasquale, Christine Quinn (NY City Council Speaker), Rt. Rev. Bishop V. Gene Robinson, Barbara Walters, and Brian Williams.
WOW!
Black, who penned the Academy Award-winning feature film Milk, based “8” on the actual words of the trial transcripts, first-hand observations of the courtroom drama and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.
AFER and Broadway Impact will now license “8” to schools and community organizations nationwide in order to spur action, dialogue and understanding. AFER and Broadway Impact will coordinate these staged readings across the country, so that “8” will live on beyond its September premiere.
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!
Bryant Park 9 11 Memorial Today
A special ceremony at the World Trade Center site today is happening – and other events throughout the city are marking the day.
A sunrise ceremony in Battery Park was showcasing poetry and musical performances.
At Tribute Park in Queens, a piece of World Trade Center steel is being unveiled.
Other events include peace walks and candlelight vigils.
Later in the day, a special project will collect and record what visitors say they want the world to remember about Sept. 11.
WATCH 102 Minutes That Changed America throughout the day –
Watch unfiltered videos from nine New Yorkers who witnessed the day that changed America.
LGBT Gay Night Out at Cirque du Soleils ZARKANA Sept. 30
Cirque du Soleil® invites you to GLBT Night at Zarkana. Sept. 30th
This epic spectacle plunges audiences into a fantastically twisted world where 71 international artists perform highly-acrobatic feats, heightened by original live music. WCBS-FM calls it “THE BEST CIRQUE SHOW IN YEARS!” And TIME Magazine declares, “PERFECT! ZARKANA IS IDEAL AT RADIO CITY. IT’S THE SHOW OF THESUMMER!” Be there as Zarkana transforms the grandest stage in the world into a world of unreality as only Cirque du Soleil could imagine.
With every ticket purchased you are invited to join us at our pre-show party at Industry (355 W. 52nd St). We will have an OPEN BAR from 6:15pm-7:15pm.* Just show up at Industry and present your Zarkana ticket for entry.
At 7:15pm the Zarkana double decker bus will leave Industry and provide complimentary transportation to Radio City Music Hall.
SPECIAL OFFER: $69 (Orch.First Mezz), $55 (2nd Mezz)
Ordering Info: Go to http://www.radiocity.com/t
You must present your ticket purchased using boys night code BOYSZARK to the Zarkana representative at the entrance to the pre-show reception (Industry Bar, 355 W 52 St) to get your wrist band (valid for open bar (for free beer wine, soda and well cocktails). Admission to pre-show party is limited to those 21 years of age and over with Valid ID. Space on the bus is limited and available to the first people who board. This offer is only valid on 9/30/11 and cannot be combines with any other offer or used on previously purchased tickets. Limit 8 tickets per person. Subject to availability. All tickets subject to service fees. Schedule and pricing subject to change. Other restrictions may apply. Tickets for people with disabilities may be purchased by phone by calling radio City Music Hall’s Disabled Services department at 212.465.6115. All rights reserved.
Andy Warhol’s New York – Dead But Not Forgotten
New Yorkers will savor glimpses of the city’s icons—vanished (Schrafft’s), current (Serendipity 3), and never realized (the Andy-Mat); art lovers will appreciate the listing of Warhol’s many gallery shows; anyone interested in fashion and celebrity will be intrigued by the details of his stylish world. There are sidebars on Warhol’s residences, favorite restaurants, and factories. Brief biographies of personalities in the book describe the cast of glittering characters that enter and leave the stage as Warhol’s mesmerizing story unfolds. Nine original drawings in the book were made specially for Andy Warhol’s New York City by the artist Vito Giallo, a former studio assistant of Warhol’s who assisted in the making of hundreds of Warhol’s ink blot drawings, and who later owned the antique store where Warhol bought thousands of items that were posthumously auctioned at Sotheby’s. The eighty sites are divided into four walks: A “star system” lets readers know at a glance what sites are still in existence, which have been razed, and which are still standing but no longer the Warhol-associated site described.
Andy, Andy everywhere.
Few figures have influenced New York City—its art, its commerce, its style, its nightlife, its legend s—like Andy Warhol. The eighty sites in Andy Warhol’s New York City bring to life the electrifying world he created and include his Factories and residences, as well as clubs, museums, boutiques, restaurants, and dozens of glamorous and gritty places in between.
I Upper East Side (above East 70th Street)
II Upper East Side (East 57th to East 68th Street)
III Midtown
IV Downtown (Murray Hill, Chelsea, Rose Hill, Union Square, East Village, Greenwich Village)
About $11 online now!
Big Gay Ice Cream Shop Opens Today!
In summer of 2009,
BIG GAY ICE CREAM truck
made a splash onto the streets of NYC.
TODAY, BIG GAY ICE CREAM SHOP opens at 125 East 7th street!
The store’s opening festivities, will take place from noon till 5 p.m., and will be “full of weirdness.” – says one of its owners!
Although he doesn’t want to publicize the details yet, we can say that if all goes according to plan, Saturday will indeed be delightfully weird.
VILLAGE VOICE got the scoop on the opening menu! The opening menu will feature cucumber-lime rainbow paletas (paletas are new rage in desserts) from La Newyorkina, treats from the Treats Truck, Danny Macaroons’ peanut butter cup, salted caramel, and plain macaroons, and three ice cream sandwiches from Melt Bakery: the Classic (vanilla ice cream and chocolate chip-walnut cookies), the Lovelet (cream cheese ice cream and red velvet whoopie pie), and the Rue McClanahan (bourbon ice cream with praline-pecan cookies).
Normal Hours of operation will be noon until 10 p.m. daily, and noon until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Boys Night Out at SISTER ACT Sept. 7th
SISTER ACT Boys Night Package includes discount ticket (see prices below) and Pre-Show Boys Night Reception at Industry Bar located at 355 W. 52nd St. beginning at 6:30pm. This feel-amazing smash features an electrifying new score by 8-time Academy Award® winner ALAN MENKEN (Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, Enchanted) mixing the sounds of disco, soul, funk, R&B and Broadway……. Direction is by 4-time Tony® winner JERRY ZAKS (La Cage aux Folles, A Funny Thing…, Guys and Dolls). 1) Visit http://www.broadwayoffers.com/ and use code SABYSN97
will be hosting a Boys Night
on September 7th.
Join Broadway’s fiercest diva and all her single ladies for a night you won’t forget… at SISTER ACT!
OFFER:
Orch/front mezz: $87.50 Rear mezz A-E: $65.50 Rear mezz F-J: $51.50 (regular price, no discount)
Ordering Info:
2) Call (212) 239-6200 and use code SABYSN97
2) Bring a printout of this posting to the Broadway Theatre 1681 Broadway, New York, NY
Between West 52nd and 53rd Streets
BestGayNewYork.com
PRIVATE ACTS The Acrobat Sublime
“The practice of acrobatics is the artistic and athletic metaphor for the process
of making an impossible dream a reality.”—Harriet Heyman
Nearly twenty years ago, author and journalist Harriet Heyman enrolled her two toddlers in an acrobatics class at a hole-in-the-wall circus school in San Francisco. Although her children’s interest in the sport faded, Heyman’s evolved into an obsession. She’s studied the language, history, and tradition, has trained on the flying trapeze for over fifteen years, and now brings her knowledge and passion for this art form to the pages of Private Acts: The Acrobat Sublime. In three captivating essays, Heyman describes firsthand the life-changing experience of training as an acrobat, and what motivates these artists.
Acey Harper’s black-and-white photographs document gravity-defying acts in this collection of sensual and mesmerizing images that capture the explosive energy of acrobats. Harper “…came to recognize them as partners and collaborators in creating theses unique images, which are part photography and part performance art.”
PRIVATE ACTS shows these artist-athletes in a different light, liberated from the confines of the tent and stage, stripped of costumes, make-up, and body paint. The photographs reveal the acrobats’ physical agility and raw emotions, and their beautiful, well-trained bodies captured in diverse settings across the country—from the beaches in the Marin Headlands, forests in Vermont, and the Black Rock Desert, to a gritty urban New Jersey steel mill, the streets of San Francisco, and the New York City subway. – The book features many performers from New York City.
Although technological advancement has steered the masses away from more traditional forms of entertainment, Heyman believes there is “…a direct evolutionary line from the flesh-and-blood circus acrobats to the pulp and celluloid Superman to IMAXed Avatar.” Acrobatics is experiencing a renaissance in contemporary popular culture and PRIVATE ACTS: THE ACROBAT SUBLIME pays homage to this art form through striking photos of artist-athletes who are passionately dedicated to their craft.
PRIVATE ACTS: The Acrobat Sublime By Harriet Heyman
Photography by Acey Harper
Hardcover / 224 pages / 9½” x 9½” / 100 photographs
Rizzoli New York Private Acts: The Acrobat Sublime
25% of New Marriages in the state of New York are between Same-Sex couples
A surge in wedding licenses following the Marriage Equality Act means a quarter of new marriages in the state of New York are between same-sex couples.
According to figures released by the New York Post, the number of of applications for licenses rose by a third on the same period last year.
Of the 5,587 applications filed in early August, the city of New York estimates 1,400 were gay couples.
The number has been estimated as applications in the state no longer require genders to be specified.
Instead, the figures for this summer were compared with the same period over the last three years, where the number of applications was around 4,200.
The City Clerk, Michael McSweeney, told the Post: “Last week, we averaged 335 license applications a day, busier than ever.
“We’ve had to work extra hard to handle the increase, but even as same-sex marriage starts to feel routine here, everyone seems profoundly happy to be here.”
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.
NJ Bridal Salon Refuses to sell to Lesbians
The decision has prompted thousands of couples in neighboring states that don’t recognize same-sex marriage, such as New Jersey, to plan their nuptials in New York. But as Bernadette Coveney-Smith, who specializes in planning gay weddings, explained last month to the Los Angeles Times, it can be a struggle for couples to find dress shops, florists and other vendors who are comfortable working with same-sex couples. The Yelp reviews, meanwhile, have become so rabid that Yelp reportedly is considering removing those that don’t abide by its policy of commenting on a business, not employees’ beliefs.
HOW STUPID IS THIS STORE?!
Here Comes the Bride in New Jersey, is making news for refusing to sell a gown to a lesbian who plans to marry in neighboring New York, which legalized same-sex marriage earlier this summer.
Alex Genter has complained that the manager at Here Comes the Bride in Somers Point, N.J., lectured her about her gay lifestyle after Genter crossed out the word “groom” and replaced it with “partner” and her fiancee’s name on paperwork she filled out for her planned purchase. “She said she wouldn’t work with me because I’m gay,” said Genter, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. “She also said that I came from a nice Jewish family, and that it was a shame I was gay. She said, ‘There’s right, and there’s wrong. And this is wrong.’ “
Genter visited Here Comes the Bride this month along with her parents and other family members for a day of dress-shopping, according to the article. She is planning to marry next summer in New York, which in June became the sixth state to legalize gay marriage.
Since the New Jersey incident made news, Here Comes the Bride has been hammered by hundreds of scathing reviews on Yelp, and a Facebook page called Boycott Here Comes the Bride has attracted 433 followers. The woman who refused to work with Genter, and who has been identified as “Donna,” told a Philadelphia Daily News columnist that she had indeed rejected Genter’s business but accused the angry bride of “stirring up drama” by going public about the incident.
Donna said she was trying to arrange a meeting with Genter’s parents in an apparent attempt to smooth things over, the Daily News said, but she didn’t say anything about meeting with Genter herself. – I wouldn’t even take a free gown from this salon at this point.
Jack Mackenroth Releases Scorching Hot Calendar for Charity!
New Yorker Jack Mackenroth competed in the fourth season of Project Runway. Mackenroth was the first openly HIV-positive contestant in the show’s history. Proceeds Benefiting amfAR — As the first television personality since Pedro Zamora to be vocal about his HIV status, Jack Mackenroth has quickly become the most visible, out HIV+ advocate and educator in the country. . . if not the world. With the release of his 2012 calendar, he hopes to raise both money and awareness for AIDS research, and to show through his photographs that a person living with HIV can be in top physical form, healthy and sexy. All proceeds from the calendar will go to amfAR (Amfar.org) to help find a cure for AIDS. Mackenroth has been living with the disease for 22 years. Designer, athlete and HIV/AIDS activist and educator Jack Mackenroth has had the priveledge of shooting with some of the best photographers in the business. Each month of the 15 month calendar will feature a different photographer with a very different style. Jack is a role model to many people in the HIV community and a fitness model that many aspire to emulate. Photographers taking part in the project include Adam Bouska, Rick Day, Carsten Fleck, Frank Louis, James Franklin, Karl Giant, Tommy Synnamon, Mattheus Lian, Richard Gerst, Ray John Pila, Sonny Tong, Thomas Evans, Krys Fox and Preston Cros. “I have amassed such an amazing collection of images that I wanted to put out a calendar that will help to combat the silence and stigma associated with being HIV-positive,” says Mackenroth. He adds, “If I can raise money for HIV/AIDS research, it’s even better.” Jack has been a vocal and visible advocate of the HIV community, touring the country through numerous speaking engagements and special appearances at events. He continues to speak around the country and will be planning calendar signing events in the upcoming months. His memoir, “Making Lemonaids” will be released this winter. The autographed calendar will be available for pre-sale starting in mid-August, with shipping starting Sept. 15, 2011. All proceeds benefit amfAR—The American Foundation for AIDS Research. (Amfar.org) The calendar’s dimensions are 8.5 x 11 inches, and are available through (ONLINE NOW) for $14.95 (plus tax and shipping).
This month he launches his 2012 Calendar with 100% of
The American Foundation for AIDS Research
For additional information, please visit Jackmackenroth.com.
BestGayNewYork.com
