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Opening Night: Magic Mike Live In Las Vegas

Cast of MAGIC MIKE LIVE LAS VEGAS Performs at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

All photos: Erik Kabik (ErikKabik.com)

Had some feisty fun at the official opening night of Channing Tatum’s Magic Mike Live last night at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino here in Las Vegas.

Channing Tatum and wife, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, were in attendance having a great time. After the show, Tatum shared a few words with the packed venue, thanking the crowd and friends and family in attendance for joining the cast and creative team for their highly-anticipated opening night performance.

Lots of quick, slick and athletic moves from the good looking MML men. Very much in the same vein as the numbers in the two Magic Mike movies.

From the press release:

Conceived by Channing Tatum and co-directed by Tatum and film franchise choreographer Alison Faulk, the show features sexy and daring themed dance and strip routines punctuated by one of a kind acts from a wildly diverse cast of performers.

There’s been some talk of Magic Mike Live “reinventing” the male revue, which I’m not so sure is completely accurate.

For the folks who’ve taken to comparing the new show with long running Chippendales or Thunder from Down Under, I would say this just a different “flavor” of male revue.

Comparing this new show to the other long-running strip shows is kind of like comparing Broadway’s Hamilton, Spring Awakening and Chicago the Musical. All have their own “edge,” and all won a lot of awards.

Having seen all three of the shows, I can tell you this – no one leaves any of them not having had a great time 🙂

Magic Mike Live is definitely fun, high energy. Less skin than you see in other shows; lots of shirtless guys dancing in jeans. If you’re looking for a bit more “exposure” than that, you might want to check out the other shows.

The only misstep for me is the hostess for the evening. She’s lovely and fun, and acts as a narrative device. But it seems like we see a lot of her. And her talking to the audience goes on a bit long. I’d just edit a bit.

Check out some video below I took along with pics by Erik Kabik (ErikKabik.com).

Welcome to Las Vegas, Magic Mike Live! Lots of room for everyone!

A post shared by Randy Slovacek (@randyslovacek) on Apr 22, 2017 at 11:23am PDT

A post shared by Randy Slovacek (@randyslovacek) on Apr 22, 2017 at 11:30am PDT

A post shared by Randy Slovacek (@randyslovacek) on Apr 22, 2017 at 12:36pm PDT

Cast of MAGIC MIKE LIVE LAS VEGAS Performs at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Jackson Williams Performs ‘air seduction’ in MAGIC MIKE LIVE LAS VEGAS

Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan-Tatum Attend Opening Night of MAGIC MIKE LIVE LAS VEGAS

Requisite poorly lit selfie with hubby Michael and Channing Tatum
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Trump Announces Pennsylvania Rally To Compete With White House Correspondents Dinner

Donald Trump shared via Twitter (where else?) that he will hold a rally in Pennsylvania next Saturday, April 29.

That just happens to be the same night as the White House Correspondents Dinner that Trump has previously announced he will not be attending.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

“I am not a hypocrite. And I haven’t been treated properly, and that’s OK, that’s fine,” Trump previously said of his historic decision. White House staff announced last month they will also be skipping the dinner “out of solidarity.”

But the president isn’t the only one who will be offering counter programming on April 29. TBS’ Samantha Bee, whose Full Frontal has been skewering Trump since the 2016 election, will also be holding her own event, “Not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” at the Willard Hotel in the Washington. The event will raise funds to support the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Trump will be the first president to miss the annual dinner, which raises money for journalism scholarships, since President Ronald Reagan.

Of course, Reagan had an excellent reason for skipping the event in that he was recuperating from having been shot by a mad man.

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Stephen Colbert Nails Parody Of Alex Jones As “Tuck Buckford”

Who says Alex Jones of Info Wars is unstable? Other than his ex-wife who’s suing him in court?

He’s just like you and me.

Well, maybe he’s just like Stephen Colbert’s character “Tuck Buckford.”

I’ve never really gotten the appeal of Mr. Jones – he just rants and rants and rants, and somehow that’s how folks want to get their news?

“Tuck’s” explanation for the Tooth Fairy is so spot-on Jones, I literally laughed out loud.

Watch below.

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Newsweek: Aaron Hernandez Committed Suicide Over Secret Bisexual Life

I’d seen reports earlier today about this theory, but ignored them thinking they were just salacious, tabloid tales.

But when Newsweek is reporting, you sit up and take notice.

He [Hernandez] was convicted in April 2015 for shooting and killing his friend, Odin Lloyd, seemingly without motive. But interviews with multiple law enforcement officials directly involved in the case say Lloyd—a semipro football player who was dating Hernandez’s fiance’s sister at the time—had information the football star did not want out: that he was bisexual.

One of the notes left by Hernandez was to his prison boyfriend, who is now on 24/7 suicide watch, multiple law enforcement sources confirm. Hernandez’s sexuality would, of course, not be relevant save for the fact that an intimate relationship he allegedly had with a male former high school classmate was at the center of the investigation into Lloyd’s murder.

Ernest Wallace, a co-defendant in the Lloyd murder case, told detectives the victim had called Hernandez a “schmoocher,” which was taken by Hernandez and his companions as a gay slur.

Wallace was also recorded saying during a jailhouse visit with Tanya Singleton, Hernandez’s cousin, that he would not have helped Hernandez get rid of the murder weapon—a crime for which he is now serving a 4½-to-7 year sentence on accessory to murder charges—if he had known Hernandez was a “limp wrist,” multiple sources say.

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News Round-Up: April 21, 2017

Some news items you may have missed:

• Fitness model Nick Sandell (above) is giving you serious “seriousness.”

•Xavier JugelĂ©, the French police officer murdered last night in an apparent terrorist attack on Paris’s Champs-ÉlysĂ©es was a member of Flag, an organization for LGBT police officers in France, and a local hero to his community.

• Intelligence gathered by the FBI last summer suggests that Russian operatives attempted to use Trump advisers, like Carter Page, to infiltrate the Trump campaign.

• After meeting with President Ramzan Kadyrov of Chechnya, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that reports of gay men being rounded up, tortured and killed in the Chechen nation are unfounded.

• With little to show for his first 100 days as prez, Donald Trump is pushing for another run at health care reform. A new amendment to proposed legislation would undermine Obamacare’s existing conditions mandate.

• Caitlyn Jenner, who voted for President Trump, now says she’s breaking with the Trumpster in a new 20/20 interview airing on ABC tonight. She’s so over Trump she won’t even play golf with the prez. Watch below.

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Hillary Clinton: “We May Never Be Able To Count On Trump Administration To Lead On LGBT Issues”

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

While giving a speech last night at a dinner for The LGBT Center, former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton warned of “clouds gathering on the horizon” for LGBT rights.

“The progress that we fought for, that many of you were on the front lines of, and that we’ve celebrated and maybe even taken for granted, may not be as secure as we once expected,” said Clinton.

She later added, “I think we have to face the fact that we may never be able to count on this administration to lead on LGBT issues.”

Clinton also addressed the situation in Chechnya, where gay men have been reportedly detained, beaten, tortured and killed just for being gay.

“In recent weeks, we’ve heard terrifying accounts from Chechnya of gay and bisexual men being taken from their homes and families, tortured, even killed. And when government authorities were confronted with these reports, their response was chilling. They said that you cannot arrest or repress people – who do not exist. The United States government — yes, this government — should demand an end to the persecution of innocent people.”

The New York Times recently published an op-ed taking President Trump to task for his “record of empty talk” on LGBTQ rights.

As we all know, during the presidential campaign, Hillary was endorsed by just about every LGBT organization in the U.S.

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Flashback Friday: Shaun And David Cassidy Sing “Tell Me It’s Not True”

I just discovered this clip of brothers David and Shaun Cassidy from the 90s when they were starring (as brothers) in the Broadway production of Blood Brothers with Petula Clark.

As folks know, the song is usually performed by the role of the mother and joined by the full company at the end of Act Two. It’s a big, moving company number that brings down the house.

Interestingly, Shaun and David’s characters are the only folks who don’t sing the song since they are lying dead on the ground at the time.

It makes me wonder why it’s the brothers Cassidy singing here and not Petula. Maybe she didn’t want to get up and sing that early?

In any case, it’s the only time I’ve ever seen the song performed by the two “brother” characters, and I think it’s quite lovely.

Sadly, the world recently found out David is suffering from dementia.

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Randy Rainbow Parody: “Just My Bill (O’Reilly)”

Randy Rainbow helps us close out the week with this lovely parody of the classic Show Boat tune, “Bill.”

But in this version, the “Bill” being rhapsodized is now-former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, who recently got fired for his many sexual harassment issues.

I’ve shared Randy Rainbow’s work many times on The Randy Report. Make sure you check out more of his funny, funny material here and here and here and here.

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Trump Whines About “Ridiculous Standard” Of First 100 Days Threshold

As we get closer to the 100 day mark in the Trump presidency, President Babyhands looks like he’s already setting up to deflect on his failure to deliver on many of his campaign promises.

Check out this tweet he dispatched this morning: “No matter how much I accomplish during the ridiculous standard of the first 100 days, & it has been a lot (including S.C.), media will kill!”

The fact of the matter is, even as Trump attempts to spin his lack of legislative achievements into “something,” Trump hasn’t done much but nominate and get a Supreme Court justice seated.

And, I should mention most presidents get their SCOTUS nominees approved. In fact, you have to go back 30 years to the last time a nominee didn’t win approval in the U.S. Senate.

In that we’re at Day 91,  let’s look at some of the things Trump “promised” to do:

• On cyber-hacking: “I will appoint a team to give me a plan within 90 days of taking office.”

Remember, today is Day 91.

• On defeating ISIS: “They will have 30 days to submit to the Oval Office a plan for soundly and quickly defeating ISIS.”

Umm, that was 61 days ago.

• Obamacare: Trump told American voters you would have Congress “immediately deliver a full repeal” of the Affordable Care Act on Day 1.

Way tardy – that was 91 days ago.

• Undocumented immigrants: “Day one, my first hour in office, those people are gone.”

That was… well, you get the point.

The fact is Trump really didn’t understand the reality of governing. That you can’t just bark and yell and things happen as you’d like.

I’d say, “Well, at least Trump is popular,” but I’d be lying.

In fact, according to Gallop polls, Trump has the lowest average approval rating for any president in the history of Gallup polling.

Trump averaged just 41% approval for his first quarter as president.

For perspective, the previous “lowest average” president was Bill Clinton, and his “lowest” was 14 points higher at 55%.

President Obama had an average of 63% approval.

In spite of all this, though, Trump continues to sell his presidency like a used car salesman, extolling features that don’t really exist.

Perhaps it’s time that Trump stop bitching and whining (and golfing) and get something done.