Fresh Fruit Awards

On April 16, I had the pleasure of participating in the annual Fresh Fruit Festival Awards, held at The Metropolitan Room. The Fruits of Distinction Awards (or "Fruities" as they are lovingly known) honor outstanding artistic achievements by the festivals participants and to those who contribute to the LGBT and the Arts Community. I greeted attendees, and warmed the audience up with and a vocal rendition of "Cabaret" with the words changed slightly. aI then introduced the MC for the awards, Mr. Murray Hill. I am also on Fresh Fruit's Board of Directors, led by artistic director Carol Polcovar. Together we boldly promote a Queer multi-media, diverse festival, providing venues, networking, exposure, and Community that builds talent, knowledge and artistic expression. The festival has welcomed artists form all over the world as well as local performers from the NYC area. The Festival is also the most inclusive expression of LGBT arts ever held in the City of New York, with performers that have backgrounds and identities that include all racial, religious, national, sexual orientations, and gender expressions celebrated on stage and in the audience.

Honorees included Drag Divas Jacqueline Jonee and Millie Shyanitwright for their sublime job as hostess of The Art of Drag at The Cherry Lane Theater last July. Also honored were Le Petite Versailles, a drag dance troupe who perform in community gardens and gave a fairy like dance in the festival. During their dance at the Awards, they placed root vegetables near their crotches as phallic symbols. When they asked if anyone was hungry, Millie jumped out of her seat and took a suggestive bite out of a Freudian carrot. This made Carol Polcovar a bit worried about the Lesbian feminists in the audience, but all agreed that The Fruities are a delicious blend of seriousness and craziness. Other award recipients included Mariette Pathy Allen for her photography of Trans Ladies who came to the awards with Denise Leclair, the executive director of IFGE (International Foundation for Gender Education). Female to Male Transgender Performance Artist Scott Turner Schofield also garnished a Fruitie for his one-man show, Debutant Balls.

Studio 54 and Rollerina celebrated

Studio 54 is indisputably the most fabulous, decadent and notorious nightclubs that New York City - and the World - has ever seen! On April 25, Dance 208 at The Center held a fantastic dance recreating and honoring the legendary hotspot while celebrating the renowned "Queen of Studio 54" Rollerina. Rollerina is the celebrated Drag Queen who was known in the 1970s for roller skating around the streets of Greenwich Village the paths of Central Park and the dance floor of Studio 54. She would wear flowing skirts, church lady hats, crazy glasses and blessed people with her fairy wand. She is still around today, kicking and making appearances - although she no longer roller skates. She is especially revered by Drag Queen artists today, whom she paved the way for. Decorating the walls of The Center were works of art re-created by artist David Avielles that were seen at the original Studio 54, including the infamous Man In the Moon with a Cocaine Spoon wall sculpture. "The Center does not condone drug use." explained Dance 208 manager Joe Fiore. "The Moon is there for nostalgic reasons only." Joe didn't think it was proper to reveal a lady's age when he introduced Rollerina for her big speech, but she proudly announced that she was 60 years old. She later said to me "I feel like I'm 40 and I don't even use Viagra!" She also said she was proud to have me as a God Daughter. One of her favorite memories of Studio 54 was Halloween of 1977 when a prop that looked like a popper sprayed everyone on the dance floor with fairy glitter. Studio 54 is no longer around, but we all are glad that Rollerina is still here, still celebrating original gender expression and creativity and an inspiration to us all.

Multi-Media Girl

I've certainly received plenty of Press recently! This very week, I'm in magazines, newspapers, on TV and on the big screen in the cinema. Gay City News newspaper has quotes from me from Night of 1,000 Gowns on page 2 (volume seven, issue 14). HX magazine has a lovely picture of me in their Homo Dish column on page 16 (issue 866). Next magazine also has a photo of me in the Shot in the Dark photo column on page 66 (issue 15.40). Out in Jersey magazine has a photo and mention of me in an exclusive interview with Tony Sawicki of Under the Pink Carpet. (April-May 2008)I could also be seen recently on TV on Under the Pink Carpet and Out and About TV, and be heard on the Radio on Out FM (99.5 FM). As well as be seen on the big screen in A Four Letter Word movie playing at Chelsea Cinemas in NYC. As they shay, too much of a good thing - is wonderful!! Please support these fantastic media outlets!

Leslie Jordan's Pink Carpet Trip

A one night only presentation of Leslie Jordan's solo show, My Trip Down the Pink Carpet, was presented at New World Stages to benefit the Harvey Milk High School. The event that took place on April 14, and also kicked off GayFest NYC 2008. Emmy winner Jordan stars in Pink Carpet, which features direction by David Galligan. Jordan is perhaps best known for his work as Beverley Leslie on the NBC series Will & Grace. He has also be on Boston Legal, Hidden Palms and Reba. Jordan can also be seen as an institutionalized Drag Queen in the cult film, Sorrid Lives.

The show is also a tour promoting his book of the same name. The story follows his rise to fame and his experiences as an Out Gay actor. "It's basically from getting off the bus in 1982, an openly Gay actor, and working all the way up to my Emmy" says Jordan. "But underlining it all is the same journey, the journey out of the Baptist Church" Even though the book is funny, Jordan reminds everyone of the frightened Gay people in the hinterlands. "In the Gay Community, there's two kinds of people - there's the fabulous and the fearful."

The After-party in NYC was held at Crave on 42nd Street. Attendees included Randy Jones (Village People Cowboy), comedian Frank DeCaro (Sirius Out Q Radio), author Rich Merritt (Secrets of an ex-Marine Porn Star), Stephen Schulman (SASi PR), Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman (Gayfest NYC) and many others. Tony Sawicki and Stephanie Butler were also there to pruduce a segment for Under the Pink Carpet.

Motherboards Anniversary Gala

"Don't Tell Mama," but on April 9th, there was a fantastic anniversary party to celebrate the world's hippest Internet forum, The Motherboards! The Motherboards are a vibrant virtual community that was founded in 2001 by The Jackie Factory's Chi Chi Valenti as on online haven for refugees from her Meat Market nightspot, Mother and its parties Jackie 60 and Click and Drag. The Motherborads remain a laboratory for emerging events seven years on and a way for performers and club-folk to stay connected, no matter where they roam.

Every year, They throw an amazing anniversary celebration and this years edition took place at a newly opened hotspot in the East Village called 40 Avenue C. Motherborads Moderator Johnny Dynell (aka Daddy) was the DJ spinning the hippest tunes around. Cybersluts, clips from the upcoming Jackie 60 Movie was being screened on the video monitors with

As soon as I arrived I was greeted by The Empress herself, founder Chi Chi Valenti, who looked stunning as always! Also seen: Michale Musto, Jackie Bigalow, Seven, Lucy Baltimore, Daniel Nardicio (D List), Hatches, Basil Twist, Stuart Black, Jonah Falcon, Madelyn Madelaine, Howie V, Amber Ray, Jonny Tingle, Peace Sign, Madge Madison, Rob Roth, Miss Understood, House of Domination and countless others.

Gypsies, Tramps and Queens

At The Monster, the most popular lounge and dance club in NYC's Greenwich Village, they held a special event on April 2 they called the Night of 101 Chers, Gypsies Tramps and Queens! It was a special tribute to our most favorite Diva. Everyone was encourage to come dresses as Cher. The bartenders and the rest of the staff was also all "Cher-ed" up except for a few guys who chose to dress as Sonny Bono. I donned a curly black wig "If I could turn back time." It felt different as a brunette, but still very fabulous impersonating Cher. I came with my friend Madelyn Madelaine who ended up looking like a chic blond Cher. Monster owner and manager Charlie Rice was also all decked out as a fishnet leather Cher and greeted us with his friend dressed as the Mermaids Cher. We met up with buddies Jesse Archer (star of A Four Letter Word) Lovari (recording artist All I Want is You), Delfinia Best (Bette Midler Impersonator) and Howie V (a Cher Impersonator). Howie had an extra Cher wig on him so we threw it on Jesse Archer and quickly made him up with my lipstick and he ended up looking like a Bob Mackie Dark Lady - well sort of! Jesse Volt started her weekly drag show impersonating Cher and Devon Cass also performed as Cher. Jesse Volt announced the owners choice award for the Cher look-alikes and called out me and Madelyn. Producer Guy Guido video taped an interview with me and asked me questions about Cher! How honored and thrilled we were! You gotta "Believe!"

Sexahol Review

On April 5th, I was part of another scintillating, tantalizing and almost tantric evening of Comedy, Music and Burlesque pleasure, the monthly cabaret comedy series, Sexahol Review at the hip neighborhood of Willamsburg, Brooklyn. The Improv Comedy and music performed by Evan Laurence and David F. Slone was fantastic. Singer/Songwriter Ron Morris gave an amazing performance singing songs including the one that is rising on the charts at the Logo network, Boyfriend. Angela Harrielle made her singing debut with a surprising deep baritone voice singing, Impossible Dream. Rumor has it that the vocals were dubbed and actually sung by David Slone. The beautiful Gabrielle Sternbenz did an erotic dance. I added some glamor and comedy with my Stand-Up material and I performed two classic comedy numbers from Broadway "Le Jazz Hot" and "Whatever Lola/Clover Wants." There was also a fun ukulele player which prompted me to joke that men who play a small instrument are secure enough with the size of another "instrument." Jed Ryan was in the audience.

GLBT Expo: See and Be Seen

I often think of life as one big exhibition! This is certainly true at NYC's Original GLBT Expo held April 5th and April 6th at the Javits Center in Manhattan. The huge hall was filled with exhibitors was from Gay and Gay-friendly business, community organizations and services including fortune 500 corporations to local social clubs. It provides the perfect scene to "See and be Seen" in! I was part of the Video showcase curated by Ryan Wolowski from Out & About TV and sponsored by the Long Island Film Festival, the Fire Island Film Festival and the Road Island Film Festival. I was on stage to introduce Ryan, who did an excellent job showcasing the many Gay videos and film shorts. The video show featured works by Lovari, Casper Andreas, Josh Zuckerman, Matthew Duffy, Keo Nazari, Jade Esteban Estrada, Amber Rose Marie and others. I also had fun promoting the Fresh Fruit Festival with Nick, Walter, David, Rita and other Fruities. The brilliant and beautiful journalist Samara Riveria conducted a great interview with me for her broadcast. It was all about greeting and networking and I enjoyed seeing so many friends from the Community including maestro conductor of NYC Gay Men's Chorus Charlie Beal, drag divas Empress Charlene Chivoe, Peppermint and Appolonia Cruz, singer Brian Kent, Out in NJ editor Toby Grace, Ira Levi, The Glamazons, Paul Manchin, Quentin Elias, Charlie Demos, Michael Mallon, Tomas and others.