Author: Randy Slovacek

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Legendary Broadway Producer/Director Hal Prince Dead At 91

Hal Prince

Hal Prince, producer and/or director of many of the theater’s most important and provocative musicals, including Damn Yankees, West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Company, Sweeney Todd and The Phantom of the Opera (the longest-running show in Broadway history), died on Wednesday in Reykjavik, Iceland. He was 91.

His legendary career began as a stage manager for shows like Call Me Madam and Wonderful Town, then produced his first musical at the age of 26, he went on to win a staggering 21 Tony Awards for his ground-breaking work.

His first Tony honor would come for co-producing the 1955 best musical, The Pajama Game. Number 20 recognized his gorgeous direction for the 1995 revival of Show Boat.

His final Tony Award was presented in 2006 for lifetime achievement.

No other theater artist comes close to his Tony haul.

The New York Times shares this never-before-seen mini-documentary on Prince’s illustrious career.

He was well-known for his workaholic habits sometimes producing three Broadway musicals at the same time.

And then there’s his long list of top-flight creative talents who often found themselves at the top of their game when working with him.

His list of illustrious collaborators included choreographers Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Michael Bennett and Susan Stroman; designers Patricia Zipprodt, Eugene Lee, and Florence Klotz; and composers John Kander, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim (his most frequent collaborator), and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

It was with Webber that Prince found two of his greatest, and most profitable successes – Evita and The Phantom of the Opera.

His last Broadway production was, fittingly, a retrospective of his own profilic career titled, Prince of Broadway.

My husband Michael worked on The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and in Germany, and knew Hal well.

Michael Caprio and I with Hal Prince in Las Vegas
L-R Hubby Michael Caprio, Hal Prince, me

The last time we saw Hal was when he did a wonderful Q&A evening here in Las Vegas.

He was a terrific and gracious man.

The theater world has lost a giant.

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Podcast: HIV & The Border Patrol, 90s Actor Made An HIV Joke, George Michael’s Ex, Gay Star News Shutters

In this week’s podcast:

• The chief of Customs & Border Patrol told Congress an immigrant’s HIV+ status is enough to justify family separation at the border

• A 90s child actor made an AIDS joke on Twitter, and no one laughed

• George Michael’s ex trashed the deceased pop star’s mansion

• A major LGBTQ news website closes its doors

• Jake Gyllenhaal shares about his iconic Brokeback Mountain role

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

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Out Music: Kat Cunning “King Of Shadow”

Out actor/singer Kat Cunning recently released her new single, "King of Shadow," which has been featured on the hit Netflix series Trinkets where she plays rocker chick, "Sabine."
Kat Cunning (image via Instagram)

Out actor/singer Kat Cunning recently released her new single, “King of Shadow,” which has been featured on the hit Netflix series Trinkets where she plays rocker chick, “Sabine.”

Since her performance of “King of Shadow” on the show in mid-June, Kat’s streaming platforms have seen 7.8 million streams with “King of Shadow” garnering over 3 million streams.

As a musician, the beguiling artist crafts alternative pop songs, drawing from her study of dance as well as her time on stage which includes appearances on Broadway in Dangerous Liaisons and Cirque Du Soleil’s Paramour.

“A lot of my music is pretty queer because I’m telling my stories and I’m queer, and I really believe in representation for anybody who’s marginalized,” she told PEOPLE in 2018. “Being a queer person, I can’t really help but write true stories about love with female pronouns.”

“The themes my music ends up being about are sexuality, religion — as one of those metaphors for sexuality and love — and also heartbreak and love,” she added.

In “King of Shadow,” Cunning exudes seductive romantic confidence that combines with rich pop production resulting in a richly-layered musical tapestry.

I like.

The multi-hyphenate artist is currently working on her debut EP. Hit play below.

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News Round-Up: July 30, 2019

• Hottie of the Day: Prior to last week's red carpet at Chippendales in Las Vegas when 'Jersey Shore' star Vinny Guadagnino returned as celebrity guest host, my hubby Michael (longtime publicist for Chipps) helped photographers get their light settings right standing in for the reality star. This was his 'back of the dress' pose.
Michael Caprio

Some news items you might have missed:

• Hottie of the Day: Prior to last week’s red carpet at Chippendales in Las Vegas when ‘Jersey Shore’ star Vinny Guadagnino returned as celebrity guest host, my hubby Michael (longtime publicist for Chipps) helped photographers get their light settings right standing in for the reality star. This was his ‘back of the dress’ pose.

• Tennessee: A group of over 300 lawyers says Coffee County District Attorney Craig Northcutt should have his law license suspended after admitting he doesn’t prosecute domestic violence crimes involving married same-sex couples. “I don’t prosecute them because I don’t recognize it as marriage. There’s no marriage to protect.”

• Sun Sentinel: The South Florida newspaper had an ‘oopsie’ when it tweeted out a headline about moving a 100-year-old house, but instead featured a hot guy and a link to a story about an ‘adult-themed’ party in Key West.

• Lambda Legal: Military leaders, medical associations, public health groups, and HIV advocates joined three friend-of-the-court briefs which argue the Pentagon’s exclusion and discharge of HIV-service members is outdated, irrational and discriminatory given the advancements made in HIV medicine.

• Newsweek: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell got his panties in a wad when #MoscowMitch began trending on Twitter after he refused to allow a vote on new election security measures to stop interference in U.S. elections. What he’s not keen on admitting is he received campaign donations from voting machine lobbyists before blocking the vote.

• Out Music: Earlier this month, I interviewed out singer/songwriter Tom Goss about his latest single, “Quayside,” from his upcoming album, Territories.

The song is born out of Goss’s own experience exploring a polyamorous relationship after his husband asked to open their marriage. It was a journey he’d not previously considered.

“I really wanted the video to reflect the uncomfortableness of my situation,” Goss recently told Parade. “I want the viewer to feel the uncertainty and fear that I did visiting the Quayside for the first time.”

“That said, we were very conscious to make sure that my actions were still my own,” he added. “Nobody ever forced me through the door, I was, and am, a person who chooses his own path. The final decision, to walk into the Quayside and to completely submerge, represents the most complicated and uncharted path of them all — polyamory.”

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Visits Gay Bar In Advance Of Vancouver Pride

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (image via Twitter/JustinTrudeau)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made headlines yesterday when he stopped in at the Fountainhead Pub in Vancouver’s West End in advance of the city’s Pride celebration this weekend.

Many believe this may have been the first time a sitting Prime Minister dropped by a gay bar.

According to Taran Parmar, reporter for City News 1130, Trudeau walked around the pub shaking hands and posing for photos for about fifteen minutes.

Parmar described the scene as, “Lots of cheering, lots of excitement, a lot of people that tried to rush him and take a picture as well as take his hand.”

“Vancouver is gearing up for #Pride weekend right now, but the spirit of pride and inclusivity is strong here all year long!” wrote Trudeau from his own Twitter account. “Thanks to the folks at @fountainheadVAN for the warm welcome today.”

The prime minister has a strong history of supporting the LGBTQ community.

In 2016, Trudeau became the first sitting prime minister to take part in Toronto’s Pride Parade, the largest LGBTQ pride celebration in Canada.

In 2017, he issued a public apology to gay Canadians who were fired from jobs and dismissed from the military from the 1950s through the 1990s. “It is our collective shame that you were so mistreated,” said Trudeau speaking at the House of Commons.

Additionally, he introduced the Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act, which erased the records of Canadians who were previously convicted of “consensual homosexual activity.” That legislation was passed last June.

Social media celebrated the visit by Trudeau posting selfies with the Prime Minister.

One Instagrammer wrote, “When the Canadian Prime Minister comes into a gay bar in Vancouver and asks your name,” adding the hashtag #LivingMyBestLife.

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PayPal Shuts Down ‘Straight Pride Parade’ Account

Super Happy Fun America VP Mark Sahady (image via Facebook)

More bad news for the organizers of the so-called ‘Straight Pride Parade’ scheduled to happen in Boston on August 31.

In an entry on the group’s website, Super Happy Fun America (SHFA), organizer Mark Sahady shares that PayPal has “permanently limited” their account. This apparently means the group can’t collect any more donations via the popular online money transfer service.

Sahady shares a letter from PayPal which says the SHFA website violates PayPal’s Acceptable Use Policy.

The letter goes on to say SHFA can still withdraw whatever funds are in their account, but the organizers are to “remove all references to PayPal” from their site.

Sahady spins this as – you guessed it – intolerant ’heterophobia.’

As I’ve previously reported, numerous corporations have refused to do business or be associated with the group.

Netflix, TripAdvisor, Bank of America and many more have sent cease-and-desist letters to SHFA for using their logos on the ‘Straight Pride Parade’ website.

In his blog post, Sahady tries to take credit for a recent drop in Netflix’s stock saying, “Thanks to all our fans who canceled their accounts in protest at the intolerance for our Straight Pride movement.”

In reality, the drop in stock price at Netflix occurred after reporting second-quarter earnings which missed target numbers. It was the first-ever drop in global growth.

All of that took place between April and June – before Netflix sent its cease and desist letter.

In other words – liars.

Several observers, including Fox News pundit Jesse Watters, have questioned the intentions of the group asking if they are just “trying to be provocative” as a response to LGBTQ Pride Month.

In fact, the organizers of the Boston march have been shown to have ties to violent extremist groups like the Proud Boys, whose chairman is scheduled to speak at the event.

NowThis has compiled this report exposing the wild, exaggerated claims by the organizers.

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California Governor Will Sign Legislation Requiring Tax Returns For Presidential & Gubernatorial Candidates

Donald Trump

Journalist Yashar Ali reports that Gov. Gavin Newsom of California will sign a recently passed bill that will require presidential and gubernatorial candidates to submit five years of tax returns in order to be on a primary ballot.

The bill, known as SB-27, passed the California Assembly and Senate earlier this month. The law would require candidates for U.S. president and California governor to submit their five most recent years of tax returns, with sensitive information like Social Security numbers redacted. The state would then publish those returns for the public to review. If a candidate for either of those offices refused to submit their returns, they would not be listed on the primary ballot.

This is unquestionably a bill directed toward and inspired by President Donald Trump’s refusal to release copies of his tax returns. When Newsom signs the bill today, California will become the first state to require such a disclosure by law.

All of the major Democratic presidential candidates have released years’ worth of tax returns, and when Newsom ran for governor in 2018, he allowed reporters to review six years of his tax returns.

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Poll: Slight Majority Of Americans Believe Trump Is Racist

According to a new poll by Quinnipiac University, a slight majority of Americans believe Donald Trump is racist (51 percent) versus 45 percent who say he is not racist.

Think how incredible it is that we are even having such a conversation – is the president of the United States racist?

Of those polled, 80 percent of black respondents say Trump is racist, 11 percent disagree.

Among Hispanic voters, 55 percent say Trump is racist, 44 percent disagree.

There’s a gender divide on the issue as well. While 55 percent of men do not feel Trump is racist, 59 percent of women do believe the Commander in Chief is racist.

When it comes to impeachment proceedings, 60 percent say Congress should not begin impeachment proceedings, 32 percent support moving forward with articles of impeachment.

Regarding the recent Mueller investigation, 52 percent of respondents said they believe Trump attempted to “derail or obstruct” the investigation, 40 percent disagreed.

And 71 percent of those polled are “concerned” or “very concerned” a foreign government will try to interfere in the upcoming 2020 elections.

A huge majority – 87 percent – disagree with the president and believe political campaigns should be required to contact the FBI if contacted by a foreign government with dirt on their political opponent.

And 59 percent support additional laws to protect U.S. elections versus 31 percent who do not. Of those, 54 percent of Republicans (surprise) think current laws are enough.

More details at Quinnipiac University site here.

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LGBTQ News Site Gay Star News To Shutter

Online LGBTQ news site Gay Star News is reportedly going to cease operations on July 30.

BBC News correspondent Ben Hunte tweeted the news saying that staff had been informed of GSN’s closure via meetings before pay day.

As someone who writes in the LGBTQ news space every day, Gay Star News will be missed. It’s one of my ‘go-to’ sites I check every morning over coffee.

PinkNews CEO Benjamin Cohen tweeted, “Sorry to read this – good luck to staff for the future.”

Darren Styles, owner of Attitude Magazine, shared his sadness and asked Gay Star News employees to check in with him as he had some job openings saying, “Can save some jobs at least.”

The news site began in January 2012. By 2015, GSN reported that the site was attracting five million unique users per month, and was listed in the top five LGBTQ news sites worldwide.

Directors of the site said when they launched that the goal for GSN was to become the first global 24/7 LGBTQ news website.

In a GSN article, they wrote, “The gap in the market was most glaring with global reporting, particularly online. Gay, bi and trans people worldwide are connecting more than ever, but there was no shared place they could go for quality news, information and entertainment.”

Gay Star News will most definitely be missed. Best thoughts to the staff.

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News Round-Up: July 29, 2019

(image via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunks: Broadway hottie Jim Newman (above) finds he has his Fire Island pool all to himself with no one to play with his beach ball. I’m sure he’d have no problem finding company… 🙂

• NewNowNext: A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of Russian LGBTQ activist Elena Grigoryeva. Officials do not intend to pursue hate crime charges, claiming the murder was not motivated by her activist work, nor her bisexual identity.

• Instinct: In its series finale, Andi Mack served up Disney’s first gay couple.

• Gr8erDays: If you love entertainment/pop culture info from days gone by, follow this Instagram account for daily infograms about celebrity birthdays and more from TV, movies and more.

• Politico: Kamala Harris on Monday unveiled a plan to achieve universal health care coverage by growing Medicare with the help of private insurers, an effort that splits the difference with her chief Democratic presidential rivals and equips the California senator with her own signature health care proposal ahead of this week’s debates.

• Roanoke Times: A small number of Republicans tried to have Rep. Denver Riggleman censured for having the nerve to officiate a same-sex wedding for two of his supporters. p.s. The attempt failed…

• Out Music: Kelechi drops his latest bop, “Forever Tonight,” with an upbeat 1980s vibe complete with fat beats and pop/soul roots. I’m hearing a little Human League groove in there perhaps…?

“I make romance pop music,” Kelechi recently told Out.com. “I want people to fall in love with the feeling they get when they listen.”

I have to say I like the simple approach to the video. Lately, I find overly-complicated music videos can get in the way of listening/enjoying the music.