Triassic Parq, The Musical

"Triassic Park, The Musical"at Soho Playhouse, June 23, 2012

If you're looking for a bit of cool summer froth, head downtown.

Mixing the metaphors of Gregory Maguire (Wicked), Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis (Urinetown), and Douglas Carter Beane (Lysistrata Jones), creators Marshall Pailet, Bryce Norbitz and Stephen Wargo spin the tale that "...is not Jurassic Park..." from the perspective of the dinosaurs.

Will Clark's Bad Boys On The Hudson

Always a great time.

Here's my photo of the 2007 edition of this event. The sea-worthy Rollerina and JoeMyGod.

Pridelicious!

After three years of marching, the QNY crew and associated digital activists sat this one out and returned to our favorite NYC Gay Pride Parade observation corner of Christopher and Gay. The diverse crowd was loud and proud, the parade's pace was proper, and the weather was perfect.
Here are my photo highlights:

Grand Marshal Cyndi Lauper

Pride Magazine 2012

Open publication - Free publishing - More 2012

Ben Cohen In The NY Times on Pride Sunday

Is he our favorite straight ally?  The fact that we have choices is perhaps what we celebrate most this year! (Hudson Taylor, Matt Fish.) Today's NYT style section profile is about his new underwear line but his magnetic personality shines. (Beckham in underwear is beckoning but I prefer the meekness and warmth of Ben Cohen.) I was happy to interview him for Pride Magazine this year and I wish him well with his Stand Up Foundation.

NYC Pride Rooftop Saturday Party at Hudson Terrace.

With Joe Jervis and the Baad Lamb, I attended today's NYC Pride and Rafferty/Mazur Events' "VIP Pride Rooftop Party" at the fabulous Hudson Terrace high above 621 W46th Street.

Corey Craig, The Freemasons and Moto Blanco pumped out the music for a gorgeous horde of boys (and one or two girls who would perhaps leave early to attend the women's event, "Rapture On The River.")


All three levels of the rooftop were mobbed. The crowd was very young, very pretty, with little pockets of insecurity here and there. Relax, boys! Enjoy your season! The "Grindr Extra" dancers certainly were!

more pics and two videos after the break:

Rainbow Cubes

If you've lived in Manhattan for years, you might overlook the festivities of any particular weekend. For many, however, the NYC Gay Pride March is an annual event to remember the struggles of years past and a symbol of how far the gay community has come since the 1969 Stonewall Riot. Yes, there are many parties and eye candy all weekend long, but the true beauty lies in the honesty of those who dared to express their difference individuality.

Kiehls, Cyndi Lauper, JMG, Ally Sheedy, Pride = Great Night!

As JoeMyGod's plus-one, I attended the Heritage of Pride VIP party at the Kiehl's mothership on 3rd Avenue last night for a kick-off NYC Pride event hosted by Chris Salgardo, CEO of Kiehl's. As you may know, Kiehl's is my church and its products are my sacraments. I was in heaven. And then Cyndi Lauper came in!! Ally Sheedy was there with her daughter. And Mike Ruiz, Gerald McCullouch, Santiago Felipe and Zachary Barnett. And some plaid-rockin' power bears whose names escape me, sorry to say. Open bar. Another New York night.

More pics after the break.

A Dolphin In The Hudson

Via the West Side Rag: A dolphin was spotted on Monday in the Hudson River, making its way from Harlem down to Chelsea. It passed through the Upper West Side sometime between 2 and 4:30 p.m. If you see it, call 631-369-9829 — wildlife experts are trying to determine if it needs help. (DNAinfo)

Rodiney Santiago and Ryan Nickulas of Logo’s The A List: New York.

Rodiney Santiago and Ryan Nickulas of Logo’s The A List: New York will be gracing the Time Warner Cable car in the NYC Pride March this coming Sunday! The show is over, but—lucky us—Rodiney lingers.

Cazwell's Lean "Rice and Beans"

Sabroso. The track is available on iTunes today.

Bronx Zoo

We went to the Bronx Zoo yesterday via the #2 train. We walked a bit through Belmont with its abbreviated Italian neighborhood. At the zoo, I loved the giraffes, snakes, cranes, butterflies and the meadows of strutting peacocks, with the males raising and fanning their tails for the benefit of the peahens who tried to pretend not to be impressed. All photos by the baad lamb except the last one.

Folsom Street East 2012

Maybe it was the rumor that this would be the last year for FSE on 28th Street given the puritanical gentrification of the neighborhood, but the event was mobbed. You literally could not move. After the break are more pics and some NSFW videos.
Here's QNY's baad lamb with Rollerina.

BLOWOFF Artist Linas Garsys

You'll want to read this Q&A with the artist who does the BLOWOFF posters.

And, go to Blowoff.us and find out how to win a very limited edition BLOWOFF poster.

See you at BLOWOFF at the Highline Ballroom this Friday!

Broadway Bares XXII

2012 Tony Award results

Posted by Mondschein

2012 Tony Award Winners
presented June 10, 2012



Well, let's see how I did, shall we?  My votes are bolded.  The actual winners are underlined.

QNY's Mondschein Takes Up His Messianic Role

Last night at St. Clement's Theater.

The Cast Of "A Letter From The Bishop" On The Will Clark Show

While Will Clark (who plays Father Mark) emceed his lively weekly Thursday P*rno Bingo show at The Ritz, and while I called the bingo numbers, the rest of the cast, including QNY's Jimmy Moon (Father John), Ken Averett (Father Ed) and Dean Wrzeszcz (The Bishop) worked the crowd, including the newly crowned 1st Runner Up in this year's International Mr. Leather Contest and his consort.

Love, Christopher Street

"Tonight Charlie Vázquez, Shawn Syms, Irene Monroe, Eddie Sarfaty, Nicky Paraiso, Bob Smith & Judy Gold, and Christopher Bram will be reading from some of the brilliant essays in "Love, Christopher Street" -- 7:00 p.m. at the LaMaMa Gallery, 6 East 1st Street and it's free. Be there!"

Orchids: My Intersex Adventure

On Showtime , June 7th, 7PM EST.

The 4 Parts Of Perry Brass: King Of Angels

QNY's Perry Brass has written a new book (his sixteenth,) King of Angels, and it is a winner. Literally. The book has won a 2012 IPPY (Independent Publisher Book Award)


Here's my review.


For more information about Perry and his books, or to purchase King of Angels, go here.

Rapture, Blister, Burn

Posted by Mondschein

"Rapture, Blister, Burn" at Playwrights Horizons, May 26, 2012

Pulitzer prize nominee Gina Gionfriddo returns Off-Broadway with a sharp look at feminism, presented in a semi-scholarly love triangle.  Catherine (Amy Brennerman) has returned to take care of her mother (Beth Dixon) after a heart attack, also in the same town where her college ex-boyfriend Don (Lee Tergesen) now serves as a dean at a local liberal arts college and is married to Catherine's college roommate Gwen (Kelley Overbey). 

In college, Catherine chose a life of academia and has published several high profile books on popular culture and the role of women.  Gwen never finished her degree, taking the path of wife and mother, instead.  Don, once with great scholarly potential and a desire to teach, has fallen into the path of inertia, working only as hard as he needs to, to make ends meet.  His position as dean pays better than teaching, yet requires less mental engagement to get the job done. 

Cast Appearance At The Will Clark Show

Meet the cast of A Letter From The Bishop on June 7th at the Ritz. The cast includes QNY's Mondschein (Jimmy Moon) as the lovable Father John!

Playwrights Horizons discount

DISCOUNT TICKETS TO RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN for BLOG READERS:

Regular run:
May 18-June 24, Tues 7, Wed-Fri at 8, Sat at 2:30 & 8pm, Sun at 2:30 & 7:30pm
Additional Monday evening performance June 11 at 7pm.


Order by June 5 and use the code RBBLOG [note two B’s]
$40 (reg. $70) for all performances May 18-27
$50 (reg. $70) for all other performances May 29-June 24

Online:
https://www.ticketcentral.com/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=10613999-17A1-44C0-9B55-02D6C3534E5E&sessionlanguage=

Call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 Noon to 8PM daily
In Person: Ticket Central Box Office, 416 W. 42nd Street between 9th & 10th Avenues

A QNY Beautiful Moment

Via the West Side Rag:

At a street fair on Amsterdam Avenue today, two men broke out in an amazing dance in front of the former Blue Donkey Bar on 83rd Street to the song “MacArthur Park” by Donna Summer, who passed away last week


Not so many years ago, two men would be arrested for doing this, even privately. Today, and here on the Upper West Side, the men watching cheered and women did not shield the eyes of their children. You'll love the move at the 1 minute mark!

Blooming Today in Central Park

photo by Baad Lamb

Why Are We Giving Obama So Much Credit for So Few Empty Words?

By West Village Bill

Everyone is falling all over themselves praising President Obama for saying what we can be pretty sure he's believed all along, despite his bullshit talk about how his views are evolving on the issue: He's got no problem with gay and lesbian couples getting married.

I'm not arguing that it isn't a significant development for a sitting president to endorse gay marriage. But let's not forget the other, all-important thing he said about same-sex marriage: It should be left up to the states to decide. So even though he believes it should be allowed to happen, he's not about to impose it on states that are repulsed by the very thought of it. And he's tacitly making the argument that the U.S. Constitution doesn't grant LGBT citizens the right to marry whoever they want. I'd like to ask him why states should get to decide this matter but not whether citizens of different races should be allowed to marry. And I'm saddened that it's mostly conservative and libertarian voices who are pointing out the ridiculousness of that part of Obama's statement.

And of course, he said this a day too late to have any effect on the opinions of the people of North Carolina, who enshrined discrimination against lesbian and gay couples into their state constitution.

Ultimately, it's just empty talk in an election year. Just like this too-little-too-late election-year spin from Harry Reid on how he was wrong to let the Republicans play him for a fool.

Obama still doesn't plan to sign an executive order banning discrimination against LGBT workers at companies with government contracts. That's something he could do right now that would have a definite, positive impace on people's lives.

And we can't overlook the fact that Joe Biden's response to a question forced Obama to make a statement now. I don't buy the story that the White House was planning to endorse marriage equality sometime before the election.

And we also must not forget the all-important issue of money. Donations from deep-pocketed LGBTers were down, and he probably thought this action these words would get the checks rolling in again. And he's almost certainly right about that.

We have to demand more from this self-described fierce advocate of our community. Despite his occasional public complaints about Wall Street behavior, the banksters have gotten everything they've wanted from Obama in return for heavily donating to his first campaign. Why do we LGBT citizens happily settle for so little?

Crossposted at Hawleyblog

A Letter From The Bishop

If you plan to be in New York City on Monday June 11th, you are invited to attend the reading of A Letter From The Bishop. Free admission, but reservations are advised.

When Your Lover Comes Back As A Bird

Sy (Seymour) Lemler, who lives in Hollywood, Florida, loves the nearby nude beach at Haulover where he has been a regular for many years. In 2008, when Bobby, his partner, died, Sy, who is now 80 years old, forced himself to return to that beach alone, continuing the almost daily ritual he had shared with Bobby during their years together. On that day, Bobby came back to Sy. At the nude beach. As a pigeon.  With rare exception, Bobby has perched on Sy’s knee every day at Haulover for almost four years.

Read the rest of the story on sfgn.com

Maurice Sendak has died.

From Bensonhurst. His partner of 50 years died in 2007. From his NYTimes obituary:

But he cherished the letters that individual children sent him unbidden, which burst with the sparks that his work had ignited.

“Dear Mr. Sendak,” read one, from an 8-year-old boy. “How much does it cost to get to where the wild things are? If it is not expensive, my sister and I would like to spend the summer there.”

Listen to his voice in this interview with Terry Gross.

The Musik/Dance/Love Of Andy Kuncl

by Tony Adams

How did a boy from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, who memorized Janet Jackson dance routines and learned to dub his vocal creations on a dual cassette tape boom box, who became an organic farmer because of a romantic attachment to a man, and who became a professional back-up hip-hop dancer for a San Francisco drag queen before returning to his musical roots, find himself living in the Bushwick neighborhood of New York City with a gorgeous new five song EP on his own label, 3KB Records, entitled Musik/Dance/Love that fuses the major elements of his life?

When Andy Kuncl tells you how this all came to pass, you begin to doubt his age—a mere 36. No slouch, he is also not hyper. He has a calming personality and a serenity of heart. All his energy gets fed into his art rather than the talking about his art. He is lanky, pale and with a strokably bushy red beard and merriment in his eyes. He is the kind of man that boyfriends might describe as sweet, low-maintenance and easy-going. (The Bushwick boyfriend of five years was not asked to verify this guess.)

A tour of the bare facts of his life seems colorized even in outline form. 

Dickey Betts: Heaven is the sound of this man's fingers

by baad lamb

Heaven is the sound of this man's fingers.
Just heard about this, but tickets are still available! Dickey Betts and Great Southern TONIGHT at Society for Ethical Culture Concert Hall.

Besides attendance at a late 70s outdoor gig with his band "The Allman Brothers" (perhaps you've heard of them), I caught him at BB King's eight or 10 years ago and shared a table with strangers, nearly in the front row. That concert was fantastic: the band was tight; the music compelled you to move and groove. The fans were fanatical, friendly and fun. And Mr. Forrest Richard Betts, in his unmistakeable jazzy-bluegrass-country-blues, played his bittersweet life up and down the neck of his Gibson. When Dickey plays, every note drips with pathos, yet every melody and improvised lead makes your heart soar. The blues have never sounded so happy.

Flashback to I don't know when, but this amazing clip of a long-ago performance illustrates exactly what I mean. Listen to the rich, warm, controlled happiness pouring out of that lead between the verses of this old-style country-sad song. Pure heaven.



Another video treat after the jump...

ACT UP NY - Mike Diamond

Tonight At The Center For Fiction

Ghost, the Musical

"Ghost, the Musical" at Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, April 20, 2012

Posted by Mondschein

Yes, another Whoopi Goldberg film has made its way onto the stage, landing at the Lunt-Fontanne laden with scads of sparkling, flashy lights and some remarkably clever stagecraft.  Yet, like its predecessors (The Color Purple, and Sister Act), the results are mixed at best.  (Full disclosure, I did not see The Color Purple.) 


Bruce Joel Rubin's cursory book remains true to the film, telling the story of Sam (Richard Fleeshman) and Molly (Caissie Levy), young lovers parted by Sam's murder at the hands of a hired thug.  Unable to move "into the light" Sam eventually connects with Oda Mae (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), a two-bit psychic with heretofore unrealized abilities.

Macbeth

"Macbeth" presented by Aquila Theatre at Gym at Judson, April 21, 2012

I first encountered Aquila when the company was in residence at the University of South Carolina.  Their approach to theatre was one of minimal production values but highly clever direction and staging.  Their production of The Iliad was eye-opening as they created the Argo using only a half dozen 6 foot poles. Aquila moved to New York in 1999 and has produced here regularly along with national tours and international performances. 

Broadway and 88th 1971

This gem comes to us via the West Side Rag.

Our Curiously Closeted Ex-Mayor Advocate

Unless I missed something, ex-mayor of New York City Ed Koch has never come out of the closet. That is why I am surprised to read this. While I am glad he has expressed dissatisfaction with Obama's refusal to ban by executive order discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity by employers with federal contracts, I find his game of personal hide and seek mystifying. He's 87. Not much too lose by coming out. He is like those closeted priests who begin to feel proud of having kept their secret for many years. They don't want to give it up or let go of it.

Lilac and Wisteria Blooming Today In Central Park

Photos by Baad Lamb

Four lovable baby New Yorkers: Ozzie/Amalia and Boo/Scout

Which pair of twins is cuter? The newly-christened-by-live-cam-viewers baby hawks Boo and Scout in their nest above Washington Square? Or, the Upper West Side angelic Amalia and Ozzy, the children of adoring parents Eric and Asaf. Let's compare exposure. The hawks you can watch 24/7 on live cam. The kids are brought to us on their Facebook page with a regularity that will make you feel like their babysitter/aunt/uncle. Let's compare parenting skills. The hawks often replenish the nest with paper trash from the park and today I watched one of them bring a dead mouse into the nest, tear it apart and feed bloody bits of it to Boo and Scout. Amalia and Ozzy have been swaddled gorgeously and are now sporting the sweetest little outfits imaginable. No shredded road kill in their crib. All in all, the four of them seem to be getting the best New York has to offer. The cuteness is relentless.

Houston, Do You Read Me?

What happens when you get 36 LGBT bloggers, writers, journalists and editors together in one hotel in Houston for a weekend?
Read all about it in my sfgn.com recap!

(Photo of Tony Adams and Houston Mayor Annise Parker by Joe Jervis)

That Dorilton Penthouse

Out walking our nabe one afternoon, we were seized with curiosity to see the inside of the gorgeous Dorilton. We walked into the lobby and announced that we were there for the open house (there is almost always an open house in a large condo or coop building on a Sat/Sun afternoon. If there is more than one, feign confusion and the doorman will always help you select one.) This is the penthouse we toured that day. The publisher of the NY Times has purchased it. He must be in good shape because despite the $3 million plus purchase price, you still have two flights of stairs after you get out of the elevator! The private rooftop terrace is heaven.

QNY Fave: Ivan C. Morales

Here's a recent cute photo of Ivan who is a friend of QNY.

(Image by PhotoFreedom)

Miami Beach Pride 2012

Nicola Verlato and Evol Roundup and Photos

by baad lamb

Go here first if you have not already read about Nicola Verlato and Evol at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery  April 7th to May 5th.

Loved the show! But I also had 8PM ticket to Dance Brazil at the Joyce, so I was unable to spend as much time as I'd have liked (gallery opened at 7). One thing I forgot to do was consult the price sheet so I would know how much each of these artists currently command for their work. I will go back, since the show is up till May 5th, and I strongly encourage everyone to check it out. Like the best movies, Verlato should be seen "on the big screen," and Evol's meticulous precision is best appreciated very close up.

The stark contrasts between these two artists may be the point of showing them together. Verlato's compositions are all about Renaissance realism, with so much color and motion that people are literally flying through the air, while Evol's people-less architectural waste-scapes are so still and silent and cardboard-beige they feel totally airless. But they share the stage in at least one important aspect: the painstaking, time consuming process of bringing their visions to fruition. Whether Evol's smallest piece of found cardboard or Verlato's epic canvases, the sketching, refining, painting, cutting, masking, spraying, masking and spraying again, touch-ups and tiny finishing details all track a similar hands-on style of slow and deliberate craftsmanship that is increasingly rare in our instantaneous internet twitterverse. If they were to meet up, I'll bet they'd spend a lot of time sharing frisket tips and techniques.

Tons of pics after the jump...

Once

Posted by Mondschein 


"Once" at Jacobs Theatre, March 8, 14 and 28, 2012

(Photos: Joan Marcus)

It's been a couple of years since I've seen a show multiple times.  The last was Lincoln Center's sweeping revival of South Pacific, which I saw once in previews, once mid-run, and the closing performance. The beauty and romance of that show is very different from Once, based on the 2006 movie of the same title.

After a successful run off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop, Once has moved uptown for what I hope will be a lengthy run. It brings its own sense of romance, intimate and touching, while hunkered down in a Dublin pub.  Each of its characters are searching for his or her respective place in the world.

Leading the quest are the generically, yet conspicuously named Guy (Steve Kazee) and Girl (Cristin Milioti).  He, a vaccuum repairman and frustrated musician, is foundering after having his heart broken by a recently emigrated girlfriend; she, by an estranged husband who has returned to their native Czech Republic.  She encounters Guy at the pub and is immediately drawn to him, sensing his despair, and manages to turn him to his music to resolve his pain.  The spark between them smolders slowly as each convinces themselves of reasons to stay apart.  She sees his departed girlfriend as first love unresolved, which would forever be a barrier between them.

NYU "It Gets Better"

At The Alamo, They Are Serious!

Luv this! And be sure to listen to the message from the disgruntled customer.

Nicola Verlato and Evol at Jonathan LeVine

by baad lamb

these two photo from Jonathan LeVine Gallery website

I won't miss this opening at Jonathan LeVine, 6 to 9 this Saturday night, when two of my favorite artists share the two main rooms at this always intrigueing gallery.

I first fell in love with the paintings and sculptures of Italian transplant Nicola Verlato in April, 2010, when I went to see "Three Handed", LeVine's triple bill show featuring Verlato with fellow Brooklynite painter Eric White, along with Fulvio Di Piazza of Palermo, Italy. Verlato's hyper-realistic paintings often depict muscular bodies with twisted and exaggerated features, and tell contemporary stories using swirling compositions reminiscent of high renaissance church ceiling paintings. I can't help but think of him as today's Thomas Hart Benton.








This  show's other featured artist, Evol, the street artist from Berlin, caught my eye on various docu-blog photo sites like Unurth and Ecosystem, but I was lucky enough to see his work up close for the first time at the Scope Art Fair back in March of 2010. His meticulous architectural recreations, whether two dimensional or three, are more than tromp l'oiel, they are tromp l'idée. If your think you know what you are looking at, think again.

I'll try for a full report, after the viewing.

Blowoff This Friday Highline Ballroom

and QNY has had a pair of tickets to give away! (Tickets snagged. The giveaway is over.)

New Taxi For NYC

Its aesthetics are arguable, but what a huge missed opportunity. If only this new fleet were wonderfully silent and non-polluting all-electric vehicles. I bet the mayor would have preferred that.