Author: Randy Slovacek

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Arthur Laurents passes away at 93

Reports are out saying that legendary director and writer Arthur Laurents has passed away at 93 years old, dying in his sleep.

He wrote his first musical, West Side Story, in 1957, followed by Gypsy and others.

His first screenplay was The Snake Pit in 1948, followed by others including Rope, Anastasia, The Way We Were and The Turning Point. His own play, Invitation to a March in 1960, was the first of several he directed. I Can Get It for You Wholesale in 1961 was the first musical he directed, followed by others including La Cage aux Folles and Gypsy with Angela Lansbury, then Tyne Daly and most recently, Patti LuPone.

In 2000, he wrote a memoir, Original Story By. His latest book, Mainly on Directing: West Side Story, Gypsy, and Other Musicals, was published in March 2009. Most recently, he was writing a new book, The Rest of The Story and working on a potential deal for a film version of Gypsy starring Barbra Streisand.

Established in 2010, The LAURENTS / HATCHER FOUNDATION AWARD is an annual prize to be given for an un-produced, full-length play of social relevance by an emerging American playwright. In addition to being one of the country’s largest grants for new work, The Laurents / Hatcher Foundation Award is the first major award for playwrighting to be named in honor of a gay couple: Tony Award winning playwright and director Arthur Laurents and his partner of 52 years, Tom Hatcher.

Tom Hatcher, Laurent’s long-time partner died in October 2006. Hatcher had begun his career as an actor but moved into real estate as a contractor and then as a developer. He created the private park adjoining the house in Quogue, Long Island that was home for the couple.

On a personal note, my very first musical I ever performed in was “GYPSY”.  It changed my life.  I got my Equity card performing in “WEST SIDE STORY” and had the great gift of performing in the ground-breaking show many times.   His direction of “LA CAGE AUX FOLLES”  brought a new advancement to the LGBT community by being portrayed on a major Broadway stage.

Mr. Laurents’ talents were vast and great.  He will be missed.
(via broadwayworld.com)

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Brazil approves Civil Unions

Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled Thursday night that civil unions between same-sex couples must be allowed in this nation with more Roman Catholics than any other.

In a 10-0 vote, with one abstention, the justices said gay couples deserve the same legal rights as heterosexual pairs when it comes to alimony, retirement benefits of a partner who dies, and inheritances, among other issues.

The ruling, however, stopped short of legalizing gay marriage. In Latin America, that is legal only in neighboring Argentina and in Mexico City.

Brazil’s ruling sets a judicial precedent that must be honored by all public institutions, including notary publics where civil unions must be registered.

The request for the Supreme Court to recognize civil unions came two years ago from the Brazilian attorney general’s office, largely because legislation that would give same-sex couples the rights enjoyed by married heterosexual couples has been stalled in Congress for more than a decade.

Brazil’s constitution defines a “family entity” as “a stable union between a man and a woman.” But the attorney general’s office argued the clause is only a definition and not a limitation, and thus the charter does not say a stable union can “only” be between a man and a woman.

The attorney general also argued that the constitution does not specifically forbid a civil union between people of the same sex — and that failing to recognize same-sex unions violates the charter’s defenses of human dignity and equality.
(more at timesunion.com)

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Repubs: “Democrats demonize oil companies”

Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) has a message for Democrats who want to end tax incentives for major oil companies: don’t hate them because they’re rich.

I guess that’s kind of like the old line “don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.” Except oil companies aren’t beautiful.

Bishop said: “Let’s tax the oil companies. What a wonderful nonsequitor!” said Bishop sarcastically during a press conference Thursday. “How are you going to produce more oil by taxing oil companies? How do you actually believe that the tax will not be passed onto consumers?”

What Bishop loses sight of is by cutting oil subsidies – which are a gift – it’s not a tax. When oil companies are making record profits, it’s clear they can afford to lose US Government subsidies. I say Americans are paying enough at the pump. Why give the oil companies even MORE with our taxes?

Bishop’s remarks marked the introduction of a gas price reduction bill from the Republican Study Committee called the “Consumer Relief for Pain at the Pump Act,” which includes expansion of offshore drilling, opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, setting limits on environmental lawsuits and streamlining the on- and offshore permitting process.

In other words, let’s fix the problem by wrecking the environment and limiting how taxpayers can hold oil companies like BP responsible for messes like last year’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Seriously?

(via Politico)

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Attorney General Holder Vacates Immigration Decision Based on DOMA

From MetroWeekly: Attorney General Eric Holder today filed a very rare decision, vacating a decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals related to the application of Paul Wilson Dorman, in which the BIA applied Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act to a pending case.

Holder writes: Pursuant to my authority set forth in 8 C.F.R. § 1003.1(h)(1)(i), I order that the decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals (“Board”) in this case applying Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”), 1 U.S.C. § 7, be vacated, and that this matter be referred to me for review.

Attorney Lavi Soloway – a co-founder of Immigration Equality – has been one of the leading attorney-advocates on the issue of asking the government to exercise that discretion. Soloway tells Metro Weekly in an email, “This development could be a sign that the Obama administration is looking for a way to protect gay and lesbian bi-national couples who are currently barred from the regular marriage-based immigration process by the Defense of Marriage Act.

In Holder’s decision, he goes on to state four questions that he directs the BIA to consider:

1) whether respondent’s same-sex partnership or civil union qualifies him to be considered a “spouse” under New Jersey law
2) whether, absent the requirements of DOMA, respondent’s same-sex partnership or civil union would qualify him to be considered a “spouse” under the Immigration and Nationality Act
3) what, if any, impact the timing of respondent’s civil union should have on his request for that discretionary relief
4) whether, if he had a “qualifying relative,” the respondent would be able to satisfy the exceptional and unusual hardship requirement for cancellation of removal.

More at Metro Weekly

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Obama honors first responders & families of 9/11 victims

President Barack Obama visited New York City Thursday to meet quietly with first responders and the families of victims of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center and mark the death of its mastermind, Osama bin Laden.

While careful to avoid the appearance of a victory lap, Obama delivered a clear message about his resolve – and the country’s – in pursuing bin Laden.

“What happened on Sunday, because of the courage of our military and the outstanding work of our intelligence, sent a message around the world, but also sent a message here back home that when we say we will never forget, we mean what we say,” he said during his first stop – a visit with firefighters at Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9, which lost 15 men on Sept. 11, 2001.

“It didn’t matter which administration was in,” he added, “it didn’t matter who was in charge, we were going to make sure that the perpetrators of that horrible act — that they received justice.”

The president, in his first trip to the city since the Sunday raid that killed Al Qaeda’s founder, began his visit with a trip to a Midtown Manhattan firehouse, where he shook hands with firefighters.  Obama viewed a memorial plaque at the station and lunched privately with about a dozen firefighters.

“For him to come here really meant something… I could see that the president was clearly touched,” said Chief Edward Kilduff of the New York City Fire Department.

Obama then paid a similar visit with policement at the First Precint station in lower Manhattan, several blocks north of the World Trade Center Site.

From there, he traveled to ground zero, where in a solemn ceremony he placed a wreath at a memorial where the twin towers once stood. He is expected to meet later with families of victims.

It took ten years to finish the job. Obama, for his part, has no intention of gloating, telling CBS “We don’t need to spike the football.”

Obama invited Bush to join him at ground zero, but Bush declined.
(via Politico)

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House votes down honoring soldiers who got bin Laden

House Republicans say they have no plans to follow the Senate in passing a resolution honoring the military mission that killed Osama bin Laden.

The decision by GOP leaders follows new rules they enacted in January scrapping the tradition of congratulatory measures, which they complained clogged up the House floor.

The Democrat-led Senate on Tuesday passed a resolution, 97-0, commending “the men and women of the United States Armed Forces and the United States intelligence community for the tremendous commitment, perseverance, professionalism and sacrifice they displayed in bringing Osama bin Laden to justice.”

Read more here at The Hill

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NY: Pres. Clinton voices support for marriage equality

From Politico: President Clinton said the next step in the expansion of rights in the United States should be same-sex marriage in his adopted home state. While Clinton opposed gay marriage while in the White House, he has in recent years shifted his views, something he makes clear in backing the bill in New York.

“Our nation’s permanent mission is to form a ‘more perfect union’ — deepening the meaning of freedom, broadening the reach of opportunity, strengthening the bonds of community,” Clinton said. “That mission has inspired and empowered us to extend rights to people previously denied them. Every time we have done that, it has strengthened our nation. Now we should do it again, in New York, with marriage equality. For more than a century, our Statue of Liberty has welcomed all kinds of people from all over the world yearning to be free. In the 21st century, I believe New York’s welcome must include marriage equality.”

The former president’s statement in support of the New York bill comes as advocates push for its passage ahead of the end of the state’s legislative session in June. It’s passed the state Assembly three times in previous years, but failed in the state Senate the one time it came to the floor, in 2009.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said that legalizing gay marriage is a priority for his administration, though the current Republican majority in the state Senate is largely opposed to it.

Clinton is the highest-profile political figure to sign onto the Human Rights Campaign’s lobbying efforts, but not the only one. In January, Barbara Bush, the 29-year-old daughter of former President George W. Bush, appeared in a video voicing her support for same-sex marriage in New York.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have also spoken out in support of the bill.

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Blake Shelton – anti-gay tweet

Blake Shelton is getting a lot of heat today for what might have been “drunk-tweeting” or something.

Lots of web activity around this.  What on earth would make him tweet this out of the blue?

And what will the producers at The Voice do?  Not a great move for the early stages of The Voice.

And btw – why do all straight men ASSUME they have a “behind” worth touching?

UPDATE: Blake Shelton apologizes for tweeting anti-gay message

After further correspondence, he eventually tweeted this message in opposition of anti-LGBT violence:
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Let Me Entertain You – Reinking, McKechnie and Rivera

I remember when this first aired. I loved when TV had specials like this with Broadway stars.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would end up working with all three of these fantastic Tony Award winners. And in some of their biggest successes. I performed in CHICAGO with Chita in the National company; performed in CHICAGO for Ann on Broadway; and performed in A CHORUS LINE with Donna in the National company. How cool is that?

Take a second and enjoy – this was a good time. And great talent.

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Palin calls $4 Billion in oil subsidies “drop in the bucket”

For all the budget hawks out there: the former half-term governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, says that the $4 billion dollars the US government gives oil companies every year while reporting record earnings are “a drop in the bucket” in terms of balancing the budget. To be specific, that’s $4 billion A YEAR. Over the next ten years, that’s at least $40 billion. And she seems to be saying since it’s a “drop in the bucket” we shouldn’t bother eliminating these subsidies.

Mind you this is much, much more than the $430 million in proposed cuts to PBS which actually helps inform and educate Americans young and old.

I know I’d much rather see these subsidies ended and the money used to develop new, more efficient, renewable energy than to keep pouring money into old technologies that are getting us no where. It’s time to look forward, not stay stuck in the past.

I’m not sure I understand why the US government would want to balance the budget by turning Medicare – which Americans have paid into their whole lives – into a voucher system that will never cover the costs of elderly health care and cost seniors thousands, while continuing to GIVE AWAY billions to oil companies who are making more money than ever.