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

Limited Tickets Available to Tonight's "Broadway Backwards"

BROADWAY BACKWARDS

OFFERS DAY-OF RUSH TICKETS

SELECT SEATS ONLY $20

ONE-NIGHT-ONLY EVENT

BENEFITS BROADWAY CARES/EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS

AND THE CENTER

MONDAY, MARCH 18 AT 8 PM

AT BROADWAY’S PALACE THEATRE
(302 WEST 45^TH STREET)

An extremely limited number of $20 rush tickets to this year's star-studded BROADWAY BACKWARDS will be released for sale at 6:30 PM Monday, March 18, 2013. The rush tickets will be sold in the lobby of the Palace Theater (1564 Broadway). They will not be available at the box office. Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, cash only and are limited to two tickets per person. The show begins at 8 PM.

BROADWAY BACKWARDS is a one-night-only performance produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and benefiting BC/EFA and The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of New York. Now in its eighth year, BROADWAY BACKWARDS is an annual celebration where gays and lesbians see their stories onstage, told through the great songs of musical theatre, sung by their favorite Broadway performers.

This year's star-studded line-up has been honored with five individual Tony Awards, 34 Tony nominations, seven Emmy Awards, 25 Emmy nominations and one Academy Award.

This year's performers include Ward Billeisen (Encores! It's A Bird...It's A Plane...It's Superman), Stephanie J. Block (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), John Bolton (A Christmas Story, The Musical), Jake Boyd (Rock of Ages), Mo Brady (The Addams Family), Daniel Breaker (Passing Strange), Jim Brochu (Zero Hour), Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), Tituss Burgess (The Little Mermaid), Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd and TV's "Blue Bloods"), Robert Creighton (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), Victor Garber (Damn Yankees, Argo), Malcolm Gets (Amour), Anita Gillette (Chapter Two, TV's “30 Rock”), Judy Kaye (Nice Work If You Can Get It), Jose Llana (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Kyle Dean Massey (Wicked), Jan Maxwell (Follies), Brian Stokes Mitchell, Stacey Oristano (TV's "Bunheads," “Friday Night Lights”), Estelle Parsons (Nice Work If You Can Get It), Eve Plumb, Doris Roberts, Tony Sheldon (Priscilla Queen of the Desert), Howie Michael Smith (Avenue Q), Anthony Warlow (Annie), Josh Young (Jesus Christ Superstar), Karen Ziemba (Curtains), comedian/writer Bruce Vilanch, former Paul Taylor Dance Company principal dancers Patrick Corbin and David Grenke, and teen poet sensation Noah St. John.

Advance tickets are sold out. A limited number of regularly priced orchestra, mezzanine and balcony tickets may be available the door.

BROADWAY BACKWARDS creator Robert Bartley will again direct and choreograph with music supervision by Mary-Mitchell Campbell and music direction by Tim Rosser. The creative team includes co-choreographer Amy Jones, additional music directors Laura Berquist, Mat Eisenstein, Brad Haak and James Sampliner, lighting designer Paul Miller, costume designer Ryan Moller and sound designer Lucas Indelicato.

The presenting sponsor of BROADWAY BACKWARDS is Lifetime Networks with generous support from The New York Times and United Airlines.

ABOUT BROADWAY CARES/EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is one of the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 BC/EFA has raised more than $225 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.

Broadway Cares awards annual grants to more than 450 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide and is the major supporter of the social service programs at The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative and the Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic.

For more information, please visit Broadway Cares online at broadwaycares.org, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/BCEFA, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/BCEFA, watch us on YouTube at youtube.com/BCEFAtv and pin us on Pinterest at pinterest.com/BCEFA.

ABOUT THE CENTER

Established in 1983, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center is at the heart of the LGBT community in New York City, providing quality health and wellness programs in a welcoming space that fosters connections and celebrates our cultural contributions. We strive to serve the LGBT community with a full-service, multi-faceted approach to programming, from hosting arts and entertainment events, advocacy groups and family gatherings to offering youth, recovery and overall wellness programs. Each year, the Center welcomes more than 300,000 visits to our building in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan from people who engage in our life-changing and life-saving activities. We are proud to be your community Center. To learn more about our work, please visit gaycenter.org.

Album Release Party - What Time Is It, Mr. Fox?

What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? will perform at Dixon Place for a CD release musical circus will include boylseque, animation, trapeze, and videos all illustrating the lyrics and meanings behind the songs, with lead singer, 3rian King’s gender-defying voice scaling the walls between Antony Hegarty and Aretha Franklin.  What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? delivers the gospel on subjects from love and identity to sex and murder. Guest highlights include, boylesque from  Matt Knife and friends from Homo Erectus, aerial by Eileen Little (Fight or Flight), and "The Ladies' Tree" a new animated film by Award-winning filmmaker, Ruth Lingford, for the band's song about Joan of Arc.  The new CD “Little Bit Of Blue” co-produced with Tony Goddess (Papas Fritas) showcases the breadth of this ten-piece ensemble, which blends soul, R&B, and cabaret with baroque and medieval flair.  

What Time Is it, Mr. Fox? originally formed in 2005 as a trio with 3rian King on voice, guitar and piano; Nathan Cohen on violin and trumpet, and Mike Leggio (Walter Sickert & The Army Of Broken Toys) on upright bass.  The band quickly became a staple in Boston’s cabaret and burlesque scene, adding drummer Nate Greenslit (HUMANWINE), organist Lori Perkins (Seks Bomba), and five female back-up singers affectionately known as The Furies.  In 2008, New Orleans soul legend, Irma Thomas, covered their song “Cold Rain” on her Grammy-nominated CD, “Simply Grand,” with the track earning high praise from Rolling Stone, USA Today, and The Village Voice. Mr. Fox’s own version of “Cold Rain” is featured on the new album.  The act consistently sells out venues like Club Passim and Oberon in Cambridge MA and The Duplex in NYC, earning the Critic’s Pick in Time Out NYC.  Adam Feldman of Time Out NYC advises, “Catch him as his star rises,” while the Boston Herald declares that the “Time has come for Mr. Fox.”

What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? began recording the new album back 2011, starting with more than 25 songs.  In a concerted effort to retain the vitality of their concert performances, many of the instruments were recorded together live.  

A string section, children’s choir, accordionist, and singing saw player add the cinematic sense of drama and lushness to the album.

The title track “Little Bit Of Blue” opens with an a cappella version of the 18^th century French nursery song “Au clair de la lune” sung by a children’s chorus, laying the unexpected foundation for a soul/R&B anthem in the tradition of “Stand By Me.”  Lead singer and songwriter, 3rian King explains this unlikely pairing was a natural process,

“’Au clair de la lune’ was the song used in the very first recording of the human voice.  The lyrics refer to Pierrot, the traditional sad clown.  He tries to win the hand of Columbine by offering her moonlight in his hand, but she rejects him for being a dreamer.  Something about that image struck me as being about genuine emotion and connection, so one day I quite spontaneously began singing these new words over the French melody in a soul blues style.  The resulting song is really about remembering that feeling vulnerable can be a good thing; it opens you up.”

The first single off the album is “Humpty Dumpty Girl” which is currently receiving radio play on Boston radio.  This track tells the tale of a woman who is losing her identity, constantly breaking into pieces that are reassembled into something unrecognizable.  It’s a commentary on celebrity, since the character in the song struggles to meet the expectations and desires of a scrutinizing public. 

The third track, “The Ladies’ Tree” sounds like a war song from the woods of medieval France, which is fitting since the lyrics are sung from the viewpoint of Joan of Arc awaiting execution.  According to historical records, the heroine was repeatedly questioned about a famous tree in her village which young girls used to dance around.  The song contrasts this innocent image with the hypocrisy and corruption surrounding her trial. The song has been turned into a short animated film by Ruth Lingford, professor of animation at Harvard University.

The complete track listing:

1.    Little Bit Of Blue

2.    Humpty Dumpty Girl

(single available at whattimeisitmrfox.bandcamp.com)

3.    The Ladies’ Tree

4.    Deep Waters

5.    December

6.    Helium

7.    You Must Be Wrong For Me

8.    My Valhalla

9.    Paper Airplanes

10. Little Dead Rotting Wood

11. Peppermill

12. Cold Rain

13. Wrong Boy

Members:

3rian King – voice, piano, guitar

Nathan Cohen – violin, trumpet

Mike Leggio – upright bass

Nate Greenslit – drums

Lori Perkins – Hammond organ, piano

The Furies – background vocals

  Aura Valdes

  Elizabeth Bean

  Norah Solorzano

  Ruth Lingford

  Shana Cahill

WHEN: March 9, 2013 10pm

WHO: What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? With special guest, Chelsea Berry

WHERE: Dixon Place, 161 Chrystie St. NYC.  www.dixonplace.org

COST: https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pe/9754949 All ages $12 for members, $10 students/seniors $15 at door.  

CD RELEASE: On March 19^th, 2013 the album will be available for download on iTunes and whattimeisitmrfox.bandcamp.com and CD available for purchase at band concerts and on CDBaby.com.

For more information about What Time Is It, Mr. Fox?

visit www.whattimeisitmrfox.com

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website:  http://www.whattimeisitmrfox.com
listen/buy: http://whattimeisitmrfox.bandcamp.com
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/whattimeisitmrfox
twitter: https://twitter.com/mrfoxinfo

Meet Boylesque Impresario Matt Knife of Homo Erectus

Over the past several months, I've been attending the wildly fun, and occasionally raunchy, Homo Erectus, a monthly boylesque show at the famous Stonewall Inn. Featuring a mostly, but not exclusively, male group of new and established burlesque performers, musicians, comedians and magicians, the eclectic event is one of my new favorites.

Photo by Kaz Senju

I spoke with Homo Erectus creator Matt Knife about his burlesque career and the genesis of Homo Erectus.

How did you first get involved in burlesque?

I started fan dancing after seeing "Memoirs of a Geisha." After that I got invited to do dances with Brian King's "What Time is it Mr. Fox?" show at the Duplex. A year after that I took Go-Go Harder's Boylesque 101 class and started going to shows. I was hooked to the people, performance and the glamour.

What was your first performance like?

It was my Boylesque 101 showcase. Harder was so supportive and the audience was all of our friends, so it was safe and comfortable. Honestly, it was one of the most thrilling, scary and liberating moments of my life. Matt Knife was born!

Has your family ever seen you perform, and if so, what was their reaction?

My family is very supportive of my creativity. They are creative people themselves. What they care for most is my happiness, burlesque makes me happy so they are happy for me. My mother is a very private person, so this is the opposite of anything she would ever want to do. Being gay herself she is thrilled the show is at Stonewall. and is looking forward to seeing what we come up with.

What has been your best burlesque experience so far?

The thing that I love about burlesque is the community is supportive and friendly, so most experiences are fun. I did love performing for Stephin Merritt during Homo Erectus's "Busby Berkeley Dreams". It felt great to be so inspired but someone else's art, and then show them what I am able to do with it. It was a dream show come to life.

If you could work with any burlesque artist, who would you choose?

I am luck since I have gotten to work with many excellent performers already. It is my goal to have as many boylesque performers as I can cycle through Homo Erectus. I also have a fantasy that RuPaul will have some boylesquers on the show to help with a challenge and contribute to the fun. Burlesque is part of drag.

Do you have a signature style to your performances or a particular move?

Not particularly. I try to keep my acts diverse and different from each other. The common themes are darkness, sex, humor and nudity. I do have a goal of creating a fan dance using every kind of fan you can. 

What would you say to someone who is on the fence about seeing a burlesque show?

To just come anyway. The only way you will know if you would like it or not is to come. Even if you never see another one, you can at least say you tried. I can promise people will see more talent than they would see on a reality TV show.

What would you say to someone who is contemplating trying burlesque themselves?

To give it a try. Talk to performers, see shows and take classes. Burlesque is excellent drama therapy. It makes you look at yourself differently, challenges your insecurities and rewards you consistently. Again, you will never know if you don't try.

Tell me a little about Homo Erectus.

Photo by Dick Mitchell

Homo Erectus started shortly after my Boylesque 101 showcase. My classmates and I were addicted to performing and wanted to continue. There was no monthly boylesque show, and I have two degrees in theater production. So I had the means to fill that void. I wanted to create a safe place for a performer to express themselves and for an audience to enjoy themselves. Homo Erectus is here to challenge the gay community to rethink it's labeling system and embrace those of us that do not fit into boxes. New York gays are pressured to be a certain "type" with little compromise extended if you are not the ideal. There are plenty of places to see perfect bodies in the city. At Homo Erectus we want to empower people who feel ugly, unwanted and left out to. Show that we are here to entertain them and there are others like them. What better place to take a stand than Stonewall?

What are the themes of some of the upcoming shows?

Well, we are planning an '80s Night, A Happy Birthday Homo Erectus Show featuring duets, Steampunk, Showgirls Parody, Halloween, Geeks and a Canadian Invasion. Many, many more!

Lightning Round

Boxers or briefs? Jock straps.

Glitter or sequins? Both are needed in my life, but to quote World Famous BOB "Glitter is the poor girls diamonds".

Oscars or Tonys? Oscars, but award shows are so silly these days.

Rock or country? Rock!

Brooklyn or Queens? Both are awesome! But I live in Brooklyn.

Thanks for joining me, Matt.  I can't wait to see this month's show, Homo Erectus: The Rites of Spring which will be held at the Stonewall Inn (53 Christopher Street) on Thursday, March 14th.  Tickets are $10, plus a two drink minimum.  Get there early because the show always draws a big crowd.


Matt Knife was born when Savlador Dali kissed Andy Warhol in Studio 54. That union created the pop surrealist Matt Knife. He is often found in Dark Haunted Theaters where another time meets the present. Sassy, classy and always dapper. Matt is also a professional costume designer, painter, make-up artist and the Producer of Homo Erectus, NYC's only monthly Boylesque show.

One Night Only - Alison Fraser in "A Tennessee Williams Songbook"

Tony-nominee Alison Fraser will be performing a one-night only benefit concert of "A Tennessee Williams Songbook," in which Fraser will reprise her sensational performance that brought down the sold-out house at the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival last year.

In a jewel box of pop songs, this seasoned actor-singer reveals a voice that ranges from  mellow ballads to grinding, gritty blues.  Accompanied by piano powerhouse Allison Leyton Brown who can rattle the rafters in a dazzling array of musical styles,  Fraser takes us on an emotional journey of romantic longing as she interprets hits from the '30s and '40s including Mississippi blues, Latin love songs, and silky jazz classics. 

Among popular pleasures in the lineup: “It’s Only a Paper Moon” (from A Streetcar Named Desire), “The Party’s Over Now,” “If I Didn’t Care,” and a sultry “St. Louis Woman."  The collection of songs from Williams’ plays was compiled by Festival curator David Kaplan, who directed the concert.

"A Tennessee Williams Songbook" is coming to New York for a one-night only performance tomorrow, February 25th at 8 pm at Five Angels Theater, located at 789 Tenth Avenue (between 52^nd and 53^rd Streets).  Tickets are available online and all proceeds benefit the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival.

If you are unable to make tomorrow night's performance, you'll have another chance to see "A Tennessee Williams Songbook" at the Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival beginning March 20th, where it will run for three performances.

Photo by Josh Andrus

Alison Fraser was nominated for Tony Awards for The Secret Garden and Romance/Romance. She has appeared in concert at Carnegie Hall, The White House, The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, The Tisch Center for the Arts, The Folger Shakespeare Library, Joe's Pub and Symphony Space.

Allison Leyton Brown performs live at the upscale Feinstein's, the legendary Birdland, and many other venues. She plays keyboards and organs regularly with the New Orleans-inspired band Smith & 9th Ward, The Outer Borough Brass Band, New York’s Finest Jazz Band, and fronts the trio House of Stride.

The Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival is the country’s largest performing arts festival dedicated to America’s great playwright. It  takes place in various venues throughout the seaside village of Provincetown.  This year’s theme of Tennessee Williams and Women: 50% Illusion takes place Sept 26 – 29.   Theater artists from around the globe come together to perform classic and innovative productions celebrating the enduring influence of  Tennessee Williams in the 21st Century.   Visit www.twptown.org for more information.