RPDR alum Manila Luzon takes the stage at Chippendales in Las VegasRuPaul’s Drag Race alum Manila Luzon headed down to Las Vegas, Nevada, this weekend as one of the headliners for Sin City’s Pride Weekend festivities. Las Vegas holds its Pride events in October because temperatures get so high in the desert city in June, the traditional month for Pride events. After performing on the MainStage on Friday evening after the Pride Night Parade, Luzon decided to check out the men of Chippendales on Saturday. Not content to leave the diva in the audience, the Chipps asked Luzon to take part in a segment of the show where audience members are asked to give THEIR best lap dance to one of the hunky performers.
Miss Luzon did NOT disappoint. Later in the evening, the show’s host spoke to Chippendales support for LGBTQ Pride in Las Vegas (several of the hunks showed up at the festival to pose with attendees) and introduced Luzon from the audience.
And, of course, the evening wouldn’t be complete without a photo with the men of Chippendales. Note: the guys are wearing pink cuffs in the pic in tribute to Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Billy Porter on SNL (screen captures)Saturday Night Live’s cold open could not resist putting its twist on this week’s LGBTQ Town Hall. Alex Moffat’s Anderson Cooper opened the sketch informing the audience that the town hall would address those issues important to “LGBTQ people and straight girls who make Pride about them.” Newly-minted Emmy Award-winner Billy Porter comes out (playing himself) to introduce the ‘presidential candidates.’ Beginning with Chris Redd’s Cory Booker, Porter said, “He may live in the projects, but ladies, he ain’t no project.” Chris Redd as Sen. Cory Booker When Booker is asked about some questionable writing he did about gays in the early 90s: “I don’t want you to think I’m dodging the question, so I’m going to go now.” Porter intros Colin Jost’s Mayor Pete Buttigieg: “Representing House of Booty Gig, it’s Mayor Pete.” Colin Jost as Mayor Pete Buttigieg Asked how he’d respond to folks who say he’s not gay in the right way: “There’s no wrong way to be gay – unless you’re Ellen (DeGeneres) this week.” Buttigieg also wondered aloud why he’s not doing better in the polls: “Why am I not winning this? I’m a veteran, I’m under the legal retirement age, and when I talk, it makes sense. Is something wrong with me?” Says Cooper: “You’re a great guy, just, as a friend. Not for president.” Next up, Porter brings the audience to attention saying, “Warning. Warning. The sentencer is here. She’s got a plan for the future. It’s Elizabeth Warren.” Kate McKinnon as Sen. Elizabeth Warren Kate McKinnon delivers a spot on Warren on her entrance: “I am so excited to be here. I had some apple slices backstage and they are hitting me like cocaine. You all know I’m not a lesbian but all the ingredients are there.” Obviously, SNL had to touch on the big viral moment of the Town Hall when Warren was asked how she would respond to a ‘traditional marriage’ supporter on the campaign trail who may underscore that they believe marriage is between one man and one woman? McKinnon’s Warren riffs: “I would say, ‘Sir, tell me your bus stop because I want to know where you get off.’ What else, what else? If someone doesn’t want to serve gay people at their small business? I bet that’s not the only thing that’s small. And when people say gay and trans shouldn’t be included in civil rights protections, well…I wish their parents had used protection.” Lin-Manuel Miranda as Secretary Julian Castro Lin-Manuel Miranda takes a turn as “the House of Urban Deliciousness,” Julian Castro: “As a Democrat. I want to apologize for not being gay. But I promise to do better in the future.” He adds, “However, I am Latino, which we can all agree is something. I’m young, I’m diverse, I’m LatinObama. So let’s get that hashtag going.” Woody Harrelson as Vice President Joe Biden Special guest Woody Harrelson offers his take on former Vice President Joe Biden, as Porter intros, “the Delaware daddy whose only vice is the Choo Choo train.” Biden drops bon mots along the likes of “The vast majority of people in America are not homophobic – they’re just scared of gay people. You know me – I went to bat for marriage equality and I believe we’re all equal whether you’re gay, lesbie, transgenital or queer.” Check out the full segment below.
Matt Wilkas and Michael Henry in ‘The Gay Hello’ When Michael Henry meets his friend ‘Kevin’ (Matt Wilkas of the web series Matt & Dan) during a walk in the park, a ‘cheek kiss’ hello becomes a matter of scrutiny for Henry. The greeting takes Henry aback leading him to ask, “What was that? That kiss. Was that romance?” Kevin explains he greets all of his friends with cheek kisses – including ‘straight Paul.’ “Little kisses are just a friendly way for two men to show they are ok with being seen as gay in public,” adds Kevin. Henry has previously explored issues like ‘pretty privilege’ and masculine/femme aspects of gay life in other videos.
Michael Longoria (image via Skollar PR)Michael Longoria, best known for his star turn on Broadway as Frankie Valli in the Tony Award-winning musical Jersey Boys, releases his new album today, Like They Do In The Movies.The collection of classic, romantic songs from movies also features the debut of an original song written by Longoria, “Kiss Me (Like They Do In The Movies).” This is the out artist’s third studio album following Broadway Brick By Brick (2016) and Merry Christmas Darling (2018). As a singer-songwriter, Longoria has performed his original songs at Joe’s Pub, The Cutting Room, CB’s Gallery, and Caroline’s on Broadway. The acclaimed artist has been nominated for Best Male Vocalist and Best Cabaret by The Glam Awards in 2016. I had a chance to chat with the handsome actor/singer about his new album as well as the process that goes into creating a new project. The Randy Report: You’ve written a terrific new song for the album – “Kiss Me (Like They Do In The Movies).” I expected a slow, romantic ballad, but instead, it’s a driving, urgent uptempo. What was the inspiration for the song? Michael Longoria: The lyric pleads, “Kiss me like they do in the movies. Like you would in the last row, come on, let’s go. You have to show me now.” When I was recording these amazing movie love songs, I found myself wondering if this kind of love exists in real life. There is a sense of urgency in the beat, mixed with the sweeping strings characterize musically the internal conflict we have when we expect things to be like we have seen played out on film, but in reality, it doesn’t always happen as a screenwriter might dream up.
TRR: I understand you grew up on Mariachi music. How did that, as a musical foundation, form how you listen to or approach music? ML: Because I didn’t speak Spanish, I had to learn Mariachi songs by hearing and emotion. My parents would teach me how to pronounce the words and then explain the general idea. The music and melody would reveal what the true meaning was without me knowing the words. I somehow would know what to feel when belting out a classic Mariachi tune. TRR: Is there a favorite song on the new album? ML: Besides “Kiss Me,” which is my favorite because it’s about my own life, I love singing “It Must Have Been Love” from the movie Pretty Woman. It’s a heartbreaking song about being alone on Christmas after a breakup. Michael Longoria releases his new album ‘Like They Do In The Movies’ (image via Skollar PR)TRR: The song list for the new album is wide-ranging – how hard was it to whittle the list down? Was there a song you really wanted that didn’t make the album? ML: So many songs didn’t make the album but were on the long list. I wanted to record “Cruel Summer” from Karate Kid. I find that song so sexy in its tragedy. Another breakup song with an upbeat arrangement. TRR: Many of the songs on the album are so iconic and the performances by the original artists are embedded in our psyche (“Wind Beneath My Wings,” “I Will Always Love You,” “My Heart Will Go On”). Was it hard to disassociate the original? Or did the original serve as a springboard? ML: I was originally discouraged from taking on “My Heart Will Go On” and “I Will Always Love You.” But once I started to dive deep into the lyrics and storyline, the songs became about my life. That’s the sign of a great song. A lyric that tells a human experience and a melody that colors the emotion of that experience. The singer brings breath and sound to these words and then that sound stays in your head. It’s amazing how music can move the human spirit.
TRR: With years of experience on stage in long-running shows and concert work, do you approach studio recording projects differently? If so, how? ML: Yes! When I’m recording a song it’s just me and an engineer after we record the band. I’m in a small sound box singing my feelings all alone with an amazing engineer recording my every breath. It’s a very intimate and emotional journey when you record like that. When you listen to Like They Do In The Movies, you are hearing into my deepest emotions. It’s not a performance I’d give under pressure for a 2,000 seat theater. It’s more of a one on one singing just you and me vibe. TRR: This is your third studio album. With that experience now, is there any advice ‘2019 Michael Longoria’ would tell ‘2016 Michael Longoria’ about recording an album? ML: Keep writing! Tell your story. Someone will need to hear what you are going through and it will let them know they are not alone. Like They Do In The Movies, produced by Grammy nominee and 12-time Emmy Award winner Michael Croiter, is available now in stores and online. Longoria celebrates the new release with concerts in New York (last night at The Green Room 42), and in San Francisco on October 16 at Feinstein’s At The Nikko. Follow Michael Longoria on Instagram here.
Sebastian LaCause (screen capture) Award-winning actor, writer and director Sebastian LaCause (Hustling, He’s With Me, Life’s A Drag) has a new, provocative film project in the works – Holy Water. In the intro video for the upcoming short film, LaCause explains the story follows “a gay priest at a crossroads of identity and self-acceptance as he struggles to come to terms with an HIV diagnosis.” Explaining that film and other entertainment can have a positive social impact, the filmmaker hopes to spark positive momentum toward fighting HIV related stigma and homophobia that many within the community feel in their homes, schools, and society at large. The struggle for his protagonist in Holy Water is not only with his sexuality but also the “dark consequences of not knowing your value.” The priest in his film is described as “someone who has spent a lifetime denying large parts of himself in order to feel worthy,” says LaCause. “He is someone who has spent a lifetime not loving himself and not knowing his value.” (screen capture) And speaking of ‘value,’ LaCause shares part of the journey of the project that led to an epiphany of his own. After sharing the concept of the film at a ‘pitch-fest’ in Los Angeles, LaCause was about to move from one studio executive to the next when the executive he’d just spoke to asked, “Why are you the one to tell this story?” LaCause took a long pause before telling the exec, “Because I’m HIV-positive.” In the video below, it’s clear that information is something LaCause has felt very private about for some time. Speaking the words out loud, the effect on him is obvious. “And I suddenly felt free,” he continues. “I’m done with shame; I’m done with fear; I’m done with hiding.” “I could care less about negative expectations, or backlash, or ruining my career because I now know what’s the point of having a career if you don’t feel worthy of it?” “I have been running away from myself my whole life. It feels good to be speaking my truth.” The honest, visceral, authentic moment definitely evokes an interest in how LaCause will bring Holy Water to fruition. Watch the video pitch below. Note – while the video is from a crowdsourcing campaign, this article is not meant to elicit donations. Feel free to do so, but the interest here was in the storytelling by LaCause and his desire to fight HIV stigma.
If you haven’t discovered LaCause’s terrific web series, Hustling, it’s definitely worth watching. Thoughtful, sexy, pensive, provocative…and did I mention sexy? Over the course of three seasons, the series snatched up tons of nominations and awards for Best Writing, Best Drama Series, Lead Actor, Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting and Soundtrack at the Indie Series Awards, Webby Awards, LA Webfest and more. For an idea of where LaCause may head with Holy Water, check out the teaser for the third season of Hustling below.
Sometimes, the Twitters can do awesome things. 🙂 For those of you who haven’t seen Avengers: Endgame, avert your eyes… Twitter user John Grosjean remixed Captain America lifting Thor’s hammer during the penultimate fight sequence with the 1986 song “The Touch” (from the Transformer movie) and it’s quite the perfect pairing.
Cameron Hawthorn (via Instagram/photo: Fredrick Broden) After making a splash with his oh-so-romantical music video, “Dancing In The Living Room,” out country singer Cameron Hawthorn’s follow-up single takes the action from a living room two-step to busting a move in a barroom line dance. Continue reading “Out Music: Cameron Hawthorn ‘Oh Hot Damn!’”
Rip Taylor, the over-the-top “King of Camp and Confetti” comedian passed away Sunday in Beverly Hills at the age of 84. Variety reports:
Taylor, whose high-energy personality and confetti-throwing antics quickly made him a mainstay on television, made appearances on everything from sitcoms to talk shows, including “The Gong Show,” “Password,” “The Merv Griffin Show,” “The Mike Douglas Show,” “The Tonight Show,” “Late Night with David Letterman” in addition to a hosting stint for “The $1.98 Beauty Show” — a parody of beauty contests whose big prize was a bouquet of rotten vegetables.
Taylor saw even more success outside of game shows and late-night TV, headlining Las Vegas’ The Flamingo Hotel’s Rockettes Extravaganza — where he won Entertainer of the Year three consecutive times — and touring the country in lead roles for productions such as “Sugar Babies,” “Anything Goes, Oliver,” “Peter Pan” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”
Taylor also made appearances in several popular spoof films including “Reposessed,” with Linda Blair and Leslie Nielsen, and “The Silence of the Hams” in addition to other appearances in “The Monkees” and “The Bradys.”
Taylor is survived by his longtime partner, Robert Fortney.
“He didn’t have an easy childhood,” publicist Harlan Boll posted on Facebook about his longtime client. “Abused and bullied, he said he discovered early, that they weren’t hitting you if they were laughing.”
Amid all the political angst I’m scrolling through today on social media, I came across Barbra Streisand who took to Twitter today to remind us all of this iconic moment in the annals of entertainment when two powerhouse artists gave us reason to feel uplifted. When La Babs guested on The Judy Garland Show 56 years ago today, and they sang a duet of Streisand’s take on “Happy Days Are Here Again,” with Garland’s “Get Happy” that would go down in television history as musical magic.
Such a special moment in my career. She was incredible. Totally unique. Just been reminded this aired 56 years ago today on CBS. pic.twitter.com/3hrUUjo4hY
Mel Tormé, in his book The Other Side of the Rainbow: With Judy Garland on the Dawn Patrol, explained that it was Garland who called him into her dressing room, played Streisand’s record of “Happy Days Are Here Again,” and sang a counter-melody of her signature song, “Get Happy.” “The result was electrifying, one of those chance discoveries in which two great songs jell into one extraspecial opus,” Tormé wrote.
I’m declaring this video the ‘Best Ad of the Week’ – because hockey butt is something we need to talk more about, amiright? National Hockey League player Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings is featured in a new ad from State & Liberty which shows off all the stretchy comfort of their Stretch Dress Pants. In demonstrating all the features of the pants, Larkin is downright hypnotizing as he squats, lunges and moves in the trousers. Happy Friday, everyone!
With the NHL season starting up tomorrow, we wanted to bring in a specialist to help shed light on a topic a lot of people are not comfortable talking about – The Hockey Butt. pic.twitter.com/egGPXduu8N
