Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Shore Thing Film Premiere


Film Premiere events are always exciting, but I attended a unique movie opening night screening on September 28th that was truly exhilarating. This premiere had something much better than the Glamour of Hollywood, it had the exuberance of Coney Island! Thrills, screams and fun are what it’s all about at the annual Coney Island Film Festival. Carney Culture is evident with screenings held at inside a Freak Side Show theater and in the Coney Island Museum. They even had an awards ceremony amongst flashing lights right on the El Dorado Bumper Car racetrack floor! I had a role in a new film called Shore Thing, screened at the Festival. Shore Thing was written and produced by my buddy Lovari and edited by James Hill. Jade Esteban Estrada (Comedy Central) and Ryan Wolowski (Out & About TV) were also in the film, which was an exciting and chilling mystery with intellectual humor based on Shark attacks. I played a flirtatious librarian who helped the main character with research. Shore Thing was shot partially in Coney Island and is a movie not to be missed!




































Broadway Flea Market

Broadway fans were in paradise on Sept. 21 at the 22nd annual Broadway Flea Market. Celebrities from the Theater and also from Dance, Opera and Daytime TV came out to show support at this fundraiser for Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS. A public street fair in the heart of the NYC Broadway theatre district at Shubert Alley and West 44th Street with tables of antique and modern show biz collectibles, posters, Playbills and souvenirs for sale were enjoyed by the public. There was also a live auction and a Celebrity table where fans could, for a donation, greet and get autographs from the biggest stars on Broadway. I had a blast using my charm (and press pass) to be able to play with some notable theatrical props. – Like trying on the bouffant flip wig worn by Tracy Turnblat from Hairspray and Nellie’s Sailor cap from South Pacific, cradling the Wicked Witch of the West infant doll from Wicked, holding roller-disco skates from Xanadu and swords from Spamalot. I also had fun meeting some celebrities including Whitney Thompson, winner of last season’s America’s Top Model and Amanda Baker, Babe from All My Children, who told me Eden Riegel told her to keep a look out for the Under the Pink Carpet TV crew at the event.



















Drags & Dolls Burlesque

Drags & Dolls is the name of the newest Performance Art Burlesque show that is taking Downtown by storm! The show, produced by Vera Wylde celebrates Femininity through the arts of Burlesque and Drag/Female Impersonation. Drags & Dolls takes place monthly at the Gene Frankel theater in NYC. The audience had fun tying to tell who was a GG (Genetic Girl) and who was a TG (Trans Girl). Weather they could or not, we all had a great time! The performers besides myself included Alexia, who although born female, loves being a Drag Queen, sometimes called a Bio Queen. Other sexy and beautiful performners were Tina Cione, Layla Lepore and Vera Wylde! We had so much fun in the backstage dressing room, not to mention the fun being on stage, teasing all the Guys with our sexy moves!










New Jersey State Pride


New Jersey, the Garden State, is the birthplace to many international celebrities including Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston, Jon Bon Jovi, Debbie Harry, Gloria Gaynor and many others- including myself, Lady Clover Honey. That is just one of the reasons I was delighted to be a performer at the State of New Jersey’s official Gay, Lesbian, Bi and Trans Pride festival on September 14. The event was held in Mill Hill Park in NJ’s capital city, Trenton. Thousands of people came from all over the central NJ area to take enjoy the festivities which included picnics, vendor and exhibition tables, political speeches by NJ Senators and Congress members and powerhouse musical concert performances. Other performers included singer/songwriter recording artists Lovari, Nhojj, Thomas, Carrie Ashton, The Swippers and physique model/dancer Tass. The event called NJ Capital Rainbow Fest was hosted by Lady Diana and helped to celebrate the rich heritage of LGBT people and their contributions to NJ and to society at large.











































Friday, September 12, 2008

Howl! Downtown "Low Life" fun

A crazy atmosphere reminiscent of an old-fashioned carnival was the order of the day in Tompkins Square Park on Sunday, Sept. 7. Tony Sawicki and I trekked to downtown Manhattan and stopped backstage at the annual Howl! Festival, named in honor of the groundbreaking poem by Allen Ginsberg.

AKA Howlucination! Low Life City, this outdoor theatrical showcases the urbane culture of Manhattan ’s Lower East Side –- and especially the Bowery — in decades past. Ragtime music alternated with modern experimental rock. Performers sported period costumes characterized by top hats and tails for the men and ostrich plumes, lace and gowns for the ladies. The stage crackled with avante garde energy.

Backstage frenzy prevailed with performers dashing about frantically in various stage of undress, some rehearsing last minute dance moves while others swapped spit with old friends and colleagues. Flashbulbs popped as photographers from the local press captured the madness for posterity. Tony and myself oscillated between taking stills for DishMiss, shooting video for Under the Pink Carpet, and generally having a blast with a colorful posse of downtown pals, including Adam Joseph (who appears with us on A Four Letter Word DVD), Nasty Canasta and Johnny Porkpie (who perform with me at Sexahol Review) Chi Chi Valenti, Johnny Dynell, World Famous *BOB*, Michael Formika Jones, Epiphany, Acid Betty, Dirty Martini, Hattie Hathaway, Joey Arias, puppeteer Basil Twist, Tigger, Trina Rose, the Dueling Bankheads and many others.

Legendary diva Lady Bunny even made a surprise appearance, not soooo surprising since Tompkins Square Park was the original home to her Wigstock Drag Extravaganza!







Thursday, September 11, 2008

4 Letter DVD Release Party!

The hit Gay romantic comedy film which I make a fun and glamorous appearance in, A Four Letter Word was released on DVD with a huge celebratory bash at XES Lounge in New York City. The movie, produced and directed by Casper Andreas received rave reviews during its international cinematic release. The crew and cast including Jesse Archer, J.R. Rolley, Virginia Bryan, Allison Lane , Margret Echeverria and others involved in the film were all present to join in on the fun. I was also there on hand since I played a small part in the film as an attendee at a Drag Queen Bridal Shower for a Fag Hag - what perfect casting!! I also hosted a special Drag/Transgender New York City premiere screening of the film last year. Adam Joseph, who performs his song Faggotty Attention in the movie, was DJ-ing. A special feature on the DVD is the Under the Pink Carpet report where Tony Sawicki conducts hilarious interviews the A Four Letter Word cast discussing various topics including the importance of male full-frontal nudity in Gay movies!