Roundup - Encores!, National Medal of Arts, and a Ballet Bad Boy

City Center's Encores! series to tackle Off-Broadway musicals.

Anthony J. Wilkinson's My Big Gay Italian Wedding and its sequel, My Big Gay Italian Funeral both extended through the end of the year.

Dawn Wells, Mary Ann of "Gilligan's Island," joins San Jose Rep's Love, Loss, and What I Wore.

Jason Ralph

Jason Ralph, Boy in Peter and the Starcatcher, on being shy.

William M. Hoffaman's As Is to be revived in London.

Bare returns to London.

New play about Tchaikovsky opening this fall.  Doesn't shy away from addressing his homosexuality.

Ballet student kicked out for doing porn.

29 signs you have a theatre degree.

President Obama to award 2012 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medals.  Award winners include Renee Fleming, Tony Kushner, Elaine May, and Anna Deavere Smith.

Hot String Quartet "Well Strung" Return to Provincetown

Well-Strung: the Singing String Quartet will return to Provincetown’s Art House theater this season. Since the group’s 3-month run at the venue last summer, they’ve been on a roll - with two recent hit New York productions Off-Broadway and their first album released this spring. Well-Strung will debut an all-new show for the summer, running from June 30 – Sept. 1. It is directed again by Donna Drake, and will feature new arrangements of songs by Pink, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift and Third Eye Blind among others as well as new material written by Jeffery Roberson (aka Varla Jean Merman). For tickets, please visit www.ptownarthouse.com or call 800-838-3006.

A hit last summer at this theater for their unique ‘mash-up of string quartet and boy band,’ the group features classical musicians who sing, putting their own spin on the music of Mozart, Vivaldi, Ke$ha, Pink, Adele, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and more. They are Edmund Bagnell (first violin), Christopher Marchant (second violin), Daniel Shevlin (cello) and Trevor Wadleigh (viola). Music arrangements are by David Levinson with additional arrangements by Daniel Shevlin. The show was directed by Donna Drake, conceived by Christopher Marchant & Mark Cortale and written by Ms. Drake & Mr. Cortale, with additional material contributed by Jeffery Roberson. Immediately after their upcoming P-Town run, the foursome will continue their career hot streak with a debut on London’s West End in September at the Leicester Square Theater.

The group first began performing together in a workshop production of the show directed by Ms. Drake at Ars Nova in NYC on Feb. 28th, 2012. Musical arrangements were by Mr. Levinson with additional arrangements by Mr. Shevlin. That same show sold out at Joe’s Pub in May of 2012 before having an extended run last summer at The Art House in Provincetown, MA and playing Off-Broadway at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater last fall. The group returned to Off-Broadway for the first three weeks of March, 2013, and sold-out the Highline Ballroom for one night in early May. The foursome’s debut album was released on Twist Records on February 28, and was produced by Matt Farber (Founder of LOGO Network) and Mark Cortale.

Edmund Bagnell (First Violinist) played Tobias in the 1st National Tour of "Sweeney Todd" directed by John Doyle. He was most recently seen this fall in Gian Carlo Menotti’s “The Medium” playing the role of Toby opposite Varla Jean Merman. Recent regional theater credits include Charlie Brown in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" (Summer Theater of New Canaan), Charlie in "The Big Holiday Broadcast of 1959" written by Joanna Gleason (Fairfield Theater Company), and Oramel Howland in "The Great Unknown" written by Jim Wann ("Pump Boys and Dinettes") and Bill Hauptman ("Big River") as a part of NYMF.

Donna Drake (Director) has appeared in the original Broadway casts of "A Chorus Line," "Sophisticated Ladies," "Woman of the Year," "The Wind in the Willows," "5678-Dance," "It’s so nice to be Civilized" and the original production of "The 1940s Radio Hour." She was an Emmy nominee for "Dear Alex and Annie," and received 4 Drama Desk Nominations, a Mac Award Nomination and a Theatre World Award. She also directed John Tartaglia’s "Imaginocean," which ran Off Broadway at New World Stages.

David Levinson (Arrangements) collaborated with Stacey Weingarten and Donna Drake on "Les Enfants de Paris" (world premiere NYMF 2011). David is also currently working on music and lyrics for "Boys Lost," "The Elliot's," and "Who Is Prester John?" which are in development.

Chris Marchant (Second Violinist) grew up singing and playing violin, but was not involved with theater until the end of his studies at Malone University in Canton, OH. Since then, he has been involved in numerous productions utilizing his multi-talents as a vocalist, actor, and musician. Career highlights include Tobias ("Sweeney Todd," National Tour), violinist ("Spring Awakening" National Tour), Dennis ("Sanders Family Christmas"), and "Naked Boys Singing."

Daniel Shevlin (Cellist/Arrangements) appeared off-Broadway in "The Sandbox" written and directed by Edward Albee, toured the U.S. and Asia in productions of "Rent" and "Cabaret" (Studio 54 version), and has worked regionally as both an actor and cellist in many theaters including the Arvada Center (CO), The Maltz-Jupiter Theatre (FL), Riverside Theatre (FL), Mason Street Warehouse (MI).

Trevor Wadleigh (Violist) is from Seattle and currently a member of The String Collective of New York. He has taught viola at the University of Puget Sound Community Music Community and is also a co-founder of the Puget Sound Animal Rescue.

Mark Cortale is the Producing Artistic Director of The Art House. In his inaugural season in 2011, he founded the Broadway @ The Art House series with Seth Rudetsky, which this summer of 2013 will present Broadway superstars Patti LuPone, Chita Rivera, Sutton Foster, Audra McDonald, Megan Hilty (of TV’s “Smash”), Megan Mullally (of TV’s “Will & Grace”), Christine Ebersole, Joanna Gleason, Sam Harris and Marilyn Maye in addition to other national-level music and comedy programming. He is currently producing Seth Rudetsky’s new reality series and other Broadway-themed entertainment that can be seen at www.SethTV.com. He also co-wrote and produced Well-Strung’s runs this past winter and fall at New York’s Marjorie S. Deane Theater. Mark produced the feature film "Varla Jean and the Mushroomheads," which played the 2012 festival circuit with a screening at Frameline in San Francisco. Mark also premiered the Broadway @ series this season in New Orleans, in Australia with Megan Mullally, on London’s West End this month with Patti LuPone at Leister Square Theater, and will debut as well in Santa Monica, CA in fall of 2013.

Well-Strung is sponsored by the Anchor Inn Beach House, Ptown Bikes, Mussel Beach and SethTV.com

The Art House is wheelchair accessible. 

Varla Jean Merman to premiere new show in Provincetown

Photo courtesy of The Art House

Varla Jean Merman (aka Jeffery Roberson) has been the acknowledged entertainment Queen of P-town for the past decade. Each summer brings the anticipated premiere of her latest, original and irreverent music-comedy show – a summer-long ‘hot ticket’ every year. After a typically busy year starring to critical acclaim as the title roles in the original musical comedy farces Mildred Fierce in Boston and Scrooge in Rouge in New Orleans, as well as in Menotti’s opera The Medium in New York, Varla returns to P-Town to premiere "Twice Upon A Mattress…Will My Prince Ever Come?" at The Art House from July 1 – August 31, with MRF at the piano. For tickets please visit www.ptownarthouse.com

In the new show, the artist explains, “Varla gives the mother of all gooses to everyone's favorite fairy tails. After years of kissing frogs, toads and other slimy creatures, Varla is tired of trying to make her prince come. Should she toss it all aside and embrace her inner Evil Queen? With Grimm stories, a castle's worth of couture and a libido that could wear out seven dwarves, this Ambien-addled Sleeping Beauty is wide awake and ready to give everyone a happy ending!”

2010 Elliot Norton Award Winner, Roberson’s Varla Jean Merman has been featured on television as a guest on TV’s Ugly Betty and on Bravo’s Project Runway Season 5 as the winning model for the show’s drag challenge. Other TV credits include his network television debut on All My Children in the recurring role of lady of the evening Rosemary Chicken, HBO’s Dragtime, E!’s Fashion Emergency, E! Goes to Cannes, MTV’s True Life: Mardi Gras, Francesca Page with Rossy DePalma, and has most recently appeared as Varla Jean on Logo starring in shorts for “Drag History Month.” He shared the Outfest Film Festival “Best Actor” Award and the Aspen HBO Film Festival “Best Actress” Award with his costars Jack Poltnick and Clinton Leupp for his featured performance in the cult classic film Girls Will Be Girls (Sundance 2003) directed by Richard Day. This past January he filmed the sequel entitled Girls Will Be Girls 2012. When Varla (aka Jeffery Roberson) starred opposite Leslie Jordan spring of 2012 at the Little Shubert Theatre, the New York Times wrote “If Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman had stood in front of the right pair of funhouse mirrors, they might have resembled Ms. Merman and Mr. Jordan in stature as well as comedic talent.” He also played the role of Mary Sunshine in the revival of Chicago on Broadway and appeared at the Long Wharf Theatre in Hartford Stage’s production of The Mystery of Irma Vep directed by Michael Wilson performing the roles originally made famous by Charles Ludlam.

Jeffery as Varla Jean has filled concert halls and cabarets across the world including the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, the Public Theater, London’s Soho Theatre, LA’s Renberg Theatre, and San Francisco’s Victoria Theatre. He was the opening act of Vienna’s LifeBall, the largest fundraiser for AIDS research in Europe, where he shared the stage with Sharon Stone and Catherine Deneuve. His many Fraktured Classiks productions in New York include The Mailman Always Comes Twice, Screen Door and CAGED! with Lily Tomlin, Joan Rivers and Isabella Rossellini, Lypsinka is Harriet Craig, The Miracle Worker (with Charles Busch) and Varla Jean Merman is The Bad Seedling. Recent engagements also include the title role in Auntie Mame, Scrooge in Rouge, Ricky Graham’s production of Irma Vep at Southern Rep/Le Chat Noir, his recent solo show Varla Jean’s The Loose Chanteuse featuring Tom Judson, which ran in Provincetown, LA, New York and New Orleans, and last summer’s Topping Myself, which sold out its summer run.

Roundup - Goodbye "Silence!," Champion and auditions in Richmond, VA

More about Champion, the opera about gay boxer Emile Griffith.

An inside look at TKTS.

Silence! The Musical ends its Off-Broadway run.

Auditions for the Richmond Triangle Players and Henley Street Theatre in Richmond, VA.  They're auditioning for The Importance of Being Earnest and The Taming of the Shrew.

Surprise proposal in Vegas.

Julee Antonellis and Petey Gibson named to AfterEllen's 50 Hot Women in Comedy list.

Bitches.  I have no idea what it's about but I love this postcard.

Naked Boys Improvising, Saturday Nights Through the Summer

Hot Summer Nights: Naked Boys Improvising

The Improvisation News Team Presents:
HOT SUMMER NIGHTS

"You'll Laugh Your Pants Off"

Improvisational Theater like you've never seen before...
5 Improv Forms, 1 Night

You must be 18 or older to attend this show due to partial nudity, please bring ID.

Featuring:
Naked Boys Improvising
Disarmingly charming and talented, allow this all male comedy tour de force to bare all. Temperatures will rise, clothing will come off, and funny bones will be tickled.

With:
Build An Angel
You loved "Charlie's Angels", but have you met Charlize's Angels? Of course you haven't, because you're going to help us create them. Watch the Angels as they go on a nail biting mission of YOUR choosing. Warning - there may be slow mo hair tossing, so sit in the front row at your own risk.

Superhero Showdown
With the help of our audiences we'll create an original superhero and see his/her birth, life and death unfold before our very eyes on stage.

Del'Arte
Commedia dell'Arte will never be the same again as we explore the life at times of improv guru Del Close, using this ancient "high art" form.

Twitter Black Outs
Short scenes inspired by suggestions from our Twitter Followers. Got an idea for a scenario or scene inspired by the Hot Summer Nights? Contact us @ImprovNewsTeam. You just might win two tickets to our show.

***************************************
THE IN TEAM
Cast: Caitlin Venedam, Elena Tarsitani, Paulina Singer, Liz Parish, Sriya Sarkar, Laura High, Michael Sause, Johnny Harkins, Jared Wilder, Sasha Burgos-Conde, ScottyWatson, Mary Hynes, Irene Carroll, Alex Decaneas, Izzy Wolfson, Israel Savage, Michael Coyne, Mark Hudson

Sponsored By: ImprovisationNews.com, Produced By: Israel Savage, Directed By: Scotty Watson

THE DIRECTOR
Scotty Watson is an alumnus of The Second City where he performed for many years and has appeared in various other theater, film and TV productions,  including Cirque du Soleil's Mystere and regular appearances on Late Night with David Letterman. He was recently nominated as one of the 10 best improv teachers in America. His favorite food group is pie.

Roundup - Cyndi, Rosie, Hustling and more

Barry Manilow to play NJPAC in August.

But first, Cyndi Lauper will be there on the She's So Unusual Tour.

The Bolshoi's star ballerina, Svetlana Zakharova, has refused to take part in a production of Alexander Pushkin's novel "Eugene Onegin" in a dispute over her leading role.

[title of show] celebrates the 5th anniversary of the Broadway opening.

Matthew Silva wants to save the New York State Pavilion in Flushing, Queens. It looks like it would make an amazing performance venue.

Time Out New York offers great discounts on Cirque du Soleil's Quidam, The Amoralists' latest Rantoul and Die, Marilyn Maye at the Iridium, and Distorted Diznee/Distorted Broadway.

Wallace Shawn and André Gregory discuss their 40-year collaboration.

A summer salon with performance artist Karen Finley.

Rosie O'Donnell talks with Alec Baldwin on Here's The Thing.

Conde Nast Traveler offers some TKTS advice.

The Fishko Files has an interesting look at performing in unison.

Ten theatres that burned to the ground.

David Drake to direct Homo: The Musical! at NYMF.

Actress Tilda Swinton displays gay pride flag in Moscow in defiance of anti-gay ordinances.

An opera recently premiered about the life of gay boxer, Emile Griffith.

Gay Bride of Frankenstein gets a messy divorce.

Cherry Grove Community House and Theater added to National Register of Historic Places.

Best Gay Theatre in Chicago for July.

Gay theatrical power list - UK version.

John Barrowman weds partner.

What's gay on the Great White Way.

Emotional cheating and lesbian couples.  Fertile ground for playwrights?

Sebastian La Cause funds third season of his web series Hustling.  But there's still time to donate.

Joey Arias and Raven O

Joey Arias and Raven O bring Wanted Live to The Art House in P'town this summer.

Pro Bar offers gay entertainment alternatives in Atlantic City.

New musical about trans mayor Stu Rasmussen.

Harvey Milk 2013 premieres in San Francisco.  Theatre and opera writer Sarah Roberts shares her observations.

Shakespeare's filthiest jokes.

Provincetown's Peregrine Theatre Ensemble to present Provincetown Musicals Through the Decades on July 13th.

"I’ve seen miles of man-pole in my years as a critic."  David Cote reviews The Banana Monologues for TONY.  It may not be a gay play, but it's still a play about peen.

Interview - Matt Knife of "Homo Erectus"

Photos by Christopher Gagliardi

After attending the first anniversary performance of Matt Knife's monthly boylesque show, Homo Erectus, at the Stonewall Inn, I sat down with Matt to talk about the show, his burlesque experiences, and what's coming up for Homo Erectus in year two.

First of all, congratulations on hitting your one-year anniversary of Homo Erectus.  I had a great time at the anniversary show.  I liked the fact that you brought back The World Famous *BOB* to emcee the event, as she did during your first show.  How did you two meet?

I met *BOB* at the first annual Boylesque Festival last year she was hosting.  *BOB* used to produce a show exclusively for new performers, so asking her was a natural choice.  She is so funny, professional and supportive. So we had to bring her back!  I just feel that the show needs her energy, love and humor.

When you started Homo Erectus a year ago, did you ever think it would still be going strong?

Honestly I was not sure what would happen.  I just wanted to create a regular space for boylesque to grow.  I started this out as an experiment and entered into it with a open heart and mind.  I have been overwhelmed by the support from the burlesque and LGBTQ community.  So I think that both communities needed a show like this.  

What inspired you to start a monthly boylesque series?

I wanted to expand my own craft of costumes, performance art and fine art.  I also wanted to support boylesque performers who maybe were not getting booked as often as they should.  Homo Erectus is a great space for us to experiment, grow and shine.

Over the past year you've worked with some amazing talent - dancers, musicians, magicians, drag queens, performance artists.  What would you say were some of the highlights?

Performing for Stephin Merritt was really surreal.  I have been a huge fan of his music for years and I had wanted to realise his music theatrically for just as long.  That month's show was a tribute to his music, and all the performers were fans, so it was a dream come true for us all.

The Halloween show was a jewel in my mind.  I love Halloween, so naturally combining burlesque and that holiday makes me happy.  That was the first big show.

"My Furry Valentine" was another fave because I love furry men and I wanted to honor them with their own show.  The bear community has been very supportive of Homo Erectus and I love that.  We will be doing that again soon.

It has been great developing a relationship with Fein and Dandee, they have played the show several times.  Dandy Darkly and Scary Ben have also been great collaborators.  Broadway Brassy was a real fun time.  Will Clark and I have been working on several projects together since he hosted.  We will be co-hosting the August 15th Homo Erectus.

Oh course Tigger's hosting and act all went over very well.  He will be joining us again this fall.

One of the things I've enjoyed is seeing your less experienced performers develop over the year. What is the best part about nurturing new performers?

Honestly, I am still a new performer.  I love helping people, challenging them to be better artists.  So anything I can do for them I will.
 

It's been my observation that the burlesque community is remarkably supportive and sharing. I've seen a number of performers and producers from other shows at Homo Erectus performances, usually right up front.  Who have been your mentors from the burlesque community?

Yes, the community is very sharing and supportive.  But I do feel that we are real with each other too.  Most of us are aware that it is nice to hear you did well, but it is also great to hear things to improve on.  

I have been doing costume design and wardrobe work for thirteen years, so I am new to the performance element of theatre.  I was lucky to have a great teacher in Go-Go Harder and his Boylesque 101 class.

Before I took his class I was frustrated with NYC, the gay community, the costuming world and my own perspective on all of the above.  My last year of grad school had wreaked my self-esteem.  I was really starting to question my value as a human.  I met Teddy Turnaround who told me about Harder's class.  Finding burlesque was the best thing that could have happened to me.  I found a my tribe of freaks.

Who are my mentors?  Just to warn you we have entered the "Name Dropping Portion" of the interview, so excuse me while I talk some people up.  Go-Go Harder was my first mentor.  Lucky Charming and Teddy Turnaround are my support unit alpha.  Tigger is the Godfather, and big support.  *BOB* has been an inspiration to all of us.  Lewd Alfred Douglas has been a great support with "Uncle Monty's Mollyhouse".

Joe the Shark and Cherry Pitz of Hotsy Totsy Burlesque have been invaluable.  They have brought me in two shows to brianstorm, co write and star in two shows.  All things I had wanted to do, but didn't think I could.

Jonny Porkpie's Pinchbottom's Pretencion really raised the bar to me as far as burlesque plays are concerned.  I was truly inspired.  We are working together a lot in the next few months.

I know you're tied into the greater burlesque community outside New York as well.  Are there any performers, from anywhere around the world, that you would particularly love to work with?

I have been really lucky to work with several men from all over.  I met Jacques Patriaque at the 2nd Annual Boylesque Festival.  He is from Vienna, and we hit it off.  I am hoping to go to Europe and perform with him.  I also think him plus Lewd Alfred and I would make a great burlesque period trio act.

Boylesque TO of Toronto are a big support, they were act two of my April show.  We always love when they come to visit.

I got to meet Waxie Moon at the festival.  He was a big inspiration to me when I started.  Waxie is not afraid to push gender and mannerisms.  I am hoping to meet him again and would love to have him at Homo Erectus.

Now to the really good stuff.  What's next for Homo Erectus?  What do you have coming up the rest of the year?

I am very excited.  July 11th is our Patriotic/Satire show.  August 15th is a burlesque play called "Timewarp" It will be a journey through the 20th century.  Sort of a Bill and Ted meets Doctor Who situation.

I am hoping 2014 some months with have two shows instead of one.  We are trying that out in September.  One show is "Back to School" hosted by Jo Weldon and will feature a boylesque group number.  The other is a Geek's Out show hosted by Iris Explosion featuring the hottest performers of NYC nerdlesque.

October is the HUGE HALLOWEEN SHOW!!!  November is "The Bizarre and Surreal."  December is still a mystery.  

There will be a lot more where that came from!!!!

The next Homo Erectus show will be July 11th at the Stonewall Inn.

The Best Gay Plays

Happy Gay Pride!  To celebrate the day, we've asked some of our favorite gay playwrights to share their top 10 LGBT plays.

We left it up to the playwrights to define what constitutes an LGBT play (Kathleen Warnock cheekily suggested The Odd Couple as one of hers before changing to Sontag: Reborn, and Tony Asaro chose several non-traditionally gay plays including Lips Together, Teeth Apart, which he called a gay play with all straight characters).

Without further ado, here are their choices.  We'll add ours at the end.

Tony Asaro, composer/librettist of Our Country.

1. The Normal Heart, Larry Kramer
2. Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams
3. Angels In America, Tony Kushner
4. Lips Together, Teeth Apart, Terrence McNally
5. The Zoo Story, Edward Albee
6. Fifth of July, Lanford Wilson
7. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Tennessee Williams
8. Twilight of the Golds, Jonathan Tolins
9. The Children's Hour, Lillian Hellman
10. Torch Song Trilogy, Harvey Fierstein

Kathleen Warnock, whose Grieving for Genevieve just finished a run at the Venus Theatre.

1. The Haunted Host, Robert Patrick
2. The Madness of Lady Bright, Lanford Wilson
3. Street Theater, Doric Wilson
4. The Secretaries, Five Lesbian Brothers
5. Angels in America, Tony Kushner
6. Hedwig & the Angry Inch, John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask
7. The Baltimore Waltz, Paula Vogel
8. Corpus Christi, Terrence McNally
9. Monstrosity, Lucy Thurber
10. Sontag: Reborn. Adapted & performed by Moe Angelos

She gives honorable mention to The B Factor by Donnetta Lavinia Grays, Milk, Milk Lemonade by Joshua Conkel, Almost Home by Meryl Cohn, and No Need for Seduction by Victoria Libertore.

Duncan Pflaster, whose latest play, Messin' With the Kid, had a reading last week.

1. Angels In America, Tony Kushner
2. Torch Song Trilogy, Harvey Fierstein
3. Bent, Martin Sherman
4. The Boys in the Band, Mart Crowley
5. A Late Snow, Jane Chambers
6. Cloud Nine, Caryl Churchill
7. Beautiful Thing, J. Harvey
8. The Dying Gaul, Craig Lucas
9. Untold Decades, Robert Patrick
10. The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Paul Rudnick

Robert Patrick, Caffe Cino playwright and author of Kennedy's Children.

1. Fifth of July, Lanford Wilson
2. As Is, Wiliam M. Hoffman
3. Street Theater, Doric Wilson
4. Michelangelo's Models, Robert Patrick
5. The Madness of Lady Bright, Lanford Wilson
6. Goodnight, I Love You, William M. Hoffman
7. The Bed, Bob Heide
8. The Brown Crown, Haal Borske
9. Torch Song Trilogy, Harvey Fierstein
10. Moon, Bob Heide

GT-NYC
We agree with the lists above and would add:

The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me, David Drake
The Laramie Project, Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project
Rent, Jonathan Larson
Jeffrey, Paul Rudnick
Love! Valor! Compassion!, Terrence McNally
Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, Moises Kaufman
Falsettos, William Finn
The Sum of Us, David Stevens
Take Me Out, Richard Greenberg
The Tempermentals, Jon Marans
The Ritz, Terrence McNally

So what have we missed?  Any particular favorites that should be added to the list?

As an extra bonus, Robert Patrick has sent us a link to his lecture, "Caffe Cino: Birthplace of Gay Theatre."  While checking it out, look at the other videos he's posted, which include productions of several of his plays.

"Bare" to make its Westchester premiere July 26-28

BARE will be making its Westchester premiere at the White Plains Performing Arts Center on July 26-28.

The musical is a coming-of-­age story featuring five high school seniors at a Catholic boarding school. Knowing their stay in this insular world is drawing to a close, each of them questions where they are in their lives and what the future holds for them. Answers are sought in the church confessional and in less formal venues including a stage, a rave, and a well-­locked dorm room. The story zooms in on the love relationship between two boys, Peter and Jason. Peter a socially awkward loner and Jason the golden boy popular jock. Throughout the story we see the struggles, trials and tribulations that they face in keeping their relationship alive and hidden, and how their love affects their friends and the people around them. Will the world accept them? This is a musical about going against adults, religion and everything that you've been told.

BARE is directed by Jeremy Quinn with musical direction by Stephen Ferri, choreography by Lexie Fennell Frare and lighting design by Jamie Roderick.  It has a book by Jon Hartmere and Damon Intrabartolo with music by Damon Intrabartolo and lyrics by Jon Hartmere.

The cast includes Travis Amiel, Richie Barrella, Sarah-­Teresa Brown, David Cronin, Colin Earyes, Kaitlin Ferrara, Natalia Fogarty, Kerri George, Terri-­Ann Gordon, Aaron Michael Krueger, Darian Marchetto, Kurt McMannus, Triona O'Callaghan, Paulette Oliva, Thomas Oliverio, Sydney Parra, Analise Rios, Adam Salazar, Stephanie Savino, Melissa Trainor, and Adam Welsh.

BARE will be performed July 26-­28, 2013 (Friday & Saturday evenings at 8 PM; Sunday at 7 PM).

To Purchase Tickets: call 914.328.1600 or order online at www.wppac.com or visit the WPPAC Box Office at 11 City Place, White Plains, NY 10601. For Group Sales, please call 914.328.1600. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students (22 and under). 

Broadway Bares 23

Have you ever found yourself thinking, "Christopher Sieber is a good actor, but why haven't we ever seen him in bondage gear"?  If so, I hope you attended last night's Broadway Bares, because Sieber, who is probably one of the best sports on Broadway, wore a great outfit during the first number of the show.  And that was just one of the many highlights in this great evening of burlesque featuring some of the most talented actors and dancers in the Broadway community.

This year's theme, The United Strips of America, featured a bawdy tour of the country following boyfriends from each coast (played by Max von Essen and Michael Cusumano) who decide to take a road trip and meet up in America's heartland.

Along the way, they meet a variety of characters and see a lot of nudity.

Every year I'm amazed by the incredible talent on display at this show.  Terrific choreography, great music, talented guest stars, and some of the most stunning dancers in New York.

Among the outstanding numbers were a fashion-inspired New York number; a beautiful dream-like number for Maine featuring a ship captain and a mermaid; some incredible aerialist numbers; a Mormon  wedding (with a passel of wives and the requisite magic underwear); a Latin dance competition for Florida; a sexy cowboy number for Texas; and several other equally great numbers.

While I've always been blown away by the aerialists (and they were amazing), this year's best number was a Vegas number with Max von Essen on a romp right out of The Hangover.  Fun and hilarious.

Soon Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS will announce the amount of money that this year's event raised (and send around some pictures), so stay tuned for the results.  This year's event is looking like it will have raised a record amount.

Mermaid Parade Today

Today is the 31st Annual Mermaid Parade in Coney Island.  We know many members of the NYC theatre community (especially a number of burlesque performers) who participate and we hope they have a great time (and take a lot of photos).

If you want a fun way to enjoy the beautiful weather, head out to Coney Island today!

New York Neo-Futurists To Present Annual Pride Show June 28 and 29

It nearly Gay Pride Weekend, and the New York Neo-Futurists are gearing up for the annual Pride Show.  The show will be presented at The Kraine Theatre (85 East 4th Street) on June 28 and 29 at 10:30 PM.

Following the format of their weekly performance series, "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind," the Pride Show will feature 30 plays in 60 minutes, all with queer themes (or queer takes on some of their more popular plays).  The Pride Show is always a raucous, sold out event, so you should get tickets as early as possible.

The performances will feature a larger cast than normal, including Emma, Cecil, Yolanda, Dylan, Cara, Mike, Borg, Roberta, Jeffrey, Kevin, Nicole, Christopher and Dan.

All proceeds from the two performances will go to the Global Fund for Human Rights to fight for LGBTQ advocacy and activism in Uganda. The Fund for Global Human Rights finds the best human rights activists in countries around the world and gives them the resources to do their work.  They currently support twenty-five LGBTQ advocacy groups in countries across the globe, from Pakistan to the Democratic Republic of Congo.  The Fund currently supports five LGBT advocacy groups in Uganda, including SMUG (Sexual Minorities Uganda).

For more info and to buy tickets, visit their website.

Doric Wilson's "Street Theater"

I can think of no better tribute to the late Doric Wilson than last night's special benefit performance of his play, Street Theater.  In what has become an annual tradition, this one-night-only performance of Wilson's play about the Stonewall Uprising benefits the theatre company he founded, TOSOS, and the LGBT Community Center.

Ably directed by TOSOS Artistic Director, Mark Finley, Street Theater was smart, moving and insanely funny.  Featuring a cast of some of the best TOSOS performers (and stars of the Off-Off Broadway scene), the show was a delight to watch.

The audience featured a variety of well-known downtown actors, playwrights, activists, and friends of Wilson.

The outstanding cast featured Christopher Borg, J. Stephen Brantley, Rebecca Nyahay, Eilis Cahill, Jason Pintar, Chris Anderson, Travis C. Artz, Jeremy Lawrence, Michael Lynch, Tim Abrams, Ben Strothmann, Chad Austin, Russell Jordan, and Desmond Dutcher.

Congratulations to everyone involved in this wonderful performance.

Broadway Bares This Sunday

Hard to believe that it is almost time for this year's Broadway Bares benefit supporting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.  The show is Sunday, June 23rd - 9:30 PM and Midnight.  The midnight show sometimes gets a little racy.... just sayin'.

This is one of the must see events of the year.

The theme this year is:

The United Strips of America.  All the dance numbers will feature states from this fair land of ours.  Here are some samples.

My former home state:

My current home state:

And a state that I have no connection to, I just like the... um... wood:

TOSOS to present a special performance of Doric Wilson's "Street Theater"

On Thursday, June 20th at 7:30 PM, TOSOS and the LGBT Center will present a a special presentation of Doric Wilson's award-winning satire about Stonewall, Street Theater.

A participant in the Stonewall Uprising, Doric Wilson wrote Street Theater not so much as a history of the event but as a record of the people he knew and the incidents he was involved in on Christopher Street in the months, days and hours leading up to the night gays fought back. The play focuses on a panorama of drags, dykes, leathermen, flower children, vice cops and cruisers— the innocent and not-so-innocent bystanders who would turn June 28, 1969 into Stonewall—the D-day of gay history. 

Frequently called the “father of modern queer theatre,” Doric Wilson’s 50 year dedication to queer culture was recognized with the first Robert Chesley Award for Lifetime Achievement in Gay Theatre; the 2007 IT Award for Artistic Achievement; in 2009, the ATHE (Association for Theatre in Higher Education) Career Achievement Award for Professional Theatre; and last year the Fresh Fruit Festival presented playwright Doric Wilson with the 2010 PassionFruit Award for Enduring and Continuing Pioneer Work in LGBT Theater.

This performance benefits TOSOS and the LGBT Center.

Tickets - $20 in advance

https://mycenter.gaycenter.org/my-center/cultural-programs/event-registration-street-theater

$25 cash at the door

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, 208 West 13th Street 
(between 7th Ave. and Greenwich Ave)

Directions: http://www.gaycenter.org/contactus

Facebook invite:

https://www.facebook.com/events/336453583148272/

About the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center

A beacon of hope for 29 years, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center builds and supports our community through arts and culture, wellness and recovery, HIV/AIDS services, family services and life-saving youth programs designed to foster healthy development in a safe, affirming environment. The Center envisions a world where LGBT people will no longer face discrimination or isolation because of who we are or who we love. We offer a welcoming home to 300,000 visitors each year and we are committed to serving all LGBT people through a variety of programs, services and activities that are designed to meet existing and emerging needs. The Center is many things to many people. We invite you to experience our home at 208 West 13th Street in person and online at gaycenter.org.

About TOSOS

In 1974, playwright and gay activist Doric Wilson founded the first professional gay theatre company. It was called The Other Side of Silence (TOSOS for short). In 2002, directors Mark Finley and Barry Childs and Wilson resurrected the company, rededicating it to an honest and open exploration of the life experience and cultural sensibility of the GLBT community and to preserving and promoting our theatrical past in a determined effort to keep an important literary heritage alive. TOSOS has presented a number of critically acclaimed plays by playwrights David Bell, Meryl Cohn, Linda Eisenstein, Mark Finley, Robert Patrick, Chris Weikel, The Five Lesbian Brothers, Lanford Wilson and Charles Busch. TOSOS also runs the highly successful Chesley/Chambers play reading series under the directorship of Kathleen Warnock. The program is a recipient of grants from The Dramatists Guild Fund. For more information about TOSOS visit www.tosos2.org.

Facebook: http://facebook.com/tososnyc

Twitter: @TOSOSNYC

Website: http://www.tososnyc.org

Email: tososnyc@gmail.org