LGBTQ news and entertainment
Oh dear. Trouble in Trump Land already.
Dana Bash of CNN reports that Donald Trump was up until all hours last night asking if he could reverse course on his not-even-announced-yet veep pick, Mike Pence of Indiana.
Really instills confidence that you’re joining a smooth running, humming right along machine, huh, Mike?
MSNBC is backing up the reports.
 |
| Nate Hackmann (center) leads the cast of IDAHO! (click pics to enlarge – all photos by Erik Kabik) |
For those readers in Las Vegas this weekend, I heartily encourage you to run to The Smith Center where Idaho! The Comedy Musical is killing audiences with tons of laughs and titular tunes.
The new musical, lyrics and book by Buddy Sheffield with co-composer credit to Keith Thompson, is a mashed up/parody version of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical canon with an emphasis on sending up their classic tuner, Oklahoma!. Think applying a healthy dose of double entendre Mel Brooks’ The Producers humor, plus hysterical irreverence like that currently trodding the Broadway boards in hits like Book of Mormon and Something Rotten! and you get an idea of what’s in store.
Sheffield and Thompson’s score is clever and tuneful with plenty of musical inside jokes for the most learned of musical theater fans. Along the way you also get nods to Les Miserables, Fiddler on the Roof and many, many more.
The project got it’s initial exposure at the New York Musical Theater Festival back in 2008 when it was honored with “Best of Fest.” I mention that to note that this is how long it takes to develop a real, honest-to-goodness Broadway musical. Eight years later the show is finally getting a major production here in Las Vegas.
The fruit of that extended developmental period of time is on full display here. The book is tight, the lyrics smart, and the creative team seems open to honest reassessment. Sources report that between the first preview and opening night the second act was tightened by 5 minutes. This is a team that demonstrates a strong sense of clarity in what they want to deliver to an audience.
The official synopsis goes thusly:
Idaho! The Comedy Musical brings a hilarious new love story to life as Cassie Purdy, a mail-order bride from Ohio, arrives to Idaho to marry the notorious Jed Strunk, a real toad gagger who’s got the personality of a festered wart and enough money to buy every last spud in town. Upon her arrival, Cassie encounters the handsome Whip Masters, falling in love to Strunk’s dismay and setting in motion a whirlwind of events that end in three couples either discovering or re-discovering the loves of their lives.
The handsome “Whip Masters” is played to perfection by handsome, gorgeous voiced Nate Hackmann (recently seen in the Broadway revival of Les Miserables) who is worth the price of admission all on his own. A big, huge, golden voice, and comedy chops to match, Hackmann let’s us know up front that, “Heck, it’s a helluva day!” because, after all, “I’m the leading man.”
Jessica Fontana (Broadway’s Cinderella)is the object of his affection, and for good reason. Fontana plays “Cassie” with much sass and a winning soprano.
Also featured in the cast are Matt Loehr (Book of Mormon, The Producers) as “Slim Johnson” (careful of the double entendre there) and Alex Ellis (Catch Me If You Can, On A Clear Day) as “Ida Dunham” (another pun there). Think Oklahoma!‘s “Will Parker” and “Ado Annie” but with a lot more good, clean sexual punning going on.
Carmen Ruby Floyd, Jen Perry and Jay Rogers all join in to farm the fun and frivolity.
Director Matt Lenz has a firm grasp of the very specific kind of humor he working with here, and he delivers keeping the pace turned up high and the humor constantly center stage.
Choreographer Michelle Lynch continually finds terpsichorean creativity throughout including heaping helpings of humor with her “Twister Ballet” and the “Everything’s Up To Date In Kansas City” stand-in “Boise’s Jist as Noisy as Kin Be” led by Loehr.
The audience was clearly happy to take this hay ride as the laughs were constant throughout. This is spud-busting, tater-tickling, home-grown humor here, and the audience was definitely down for the fun.
Myron Martin, president and CEO of The Smith Center who spearheaded the development of the Center as a haven for touring Broadway shows to call home here in Las Vegas, is now taking the Center to the next level hoping to actually create musicals that Las Vegas can send to Broadway.
Idaho! makes for a worthy first effort. Stay tuned to see if the tuner tumbles all the way to the Great White Way.
But in the meantime, head down to the Center’s Reynolds Hall and enjoy Idaho!’s fully baked fun with all the fixings.
Idaho! The Comedy Musical performs now through Sunday, July 17. For ticket info, call 702-749-2000 or click over to at The Smith Center.
According to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist polls, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton currently leads GOP White House hopeful Donald Trump by significant margins:
• Colorado – Clinton over Trump 43% – 35%
• Florida – Clinton over Trump 44% – 37%
• North Carolina – Clinton over Trump 44% – 38%
• Virginia – Clinton over Trump 44% – 35%
These four states combine for a total of 66 electoral votes, making these results noteworthy.
In the wake of yesterday’s deadly massacre in Nice, France, Newt Gingrich told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that he believes “every person who is of a Muslim background” should be tested to see whether they “believe in sharia,” and if so, those Muslims should be deported.
Gingrich went on to say that anyone who visits a website that favors ISIS, for whatever reason, should be convicted of a felony. So, if you click over to a website just to see what kind of crazy they are serving, you go to jail.
This is some seriously whack stuff, kids.
Watch below:
It’s notable that Donald Trump’s newly-minted running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, has openly opposed demonizing Muslims in America.
What we know so far about the deadly attack in Nice, France, last night:
• Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a 31-year-old French Tunisian, drove a truck 1.1 miles zigzagging through a crowd enjoying Bastille Day fireworks in Nice, France.
• While Bouhlel was known to intelligence services, he was not on any watch list.
• Police were eventually able to shoot Bouhlel dead to stop the horrific massacre.
• At this writing there are at least 84 dead, and hundreds injured.
• The truck Bouhlel drove was loaded with arms and grenades. Some were reported to be fake upon inspection.
• France will observe three days of mourning beginning Saturday.
• No terrorist group has come forward yet to claim responsibility for the incident.
• The investigation has been handed over to counter-terrorism experts.
President Barack Obama issued this statement via White House press release:
On behalf of the American people, I condemn in the strongest terms what appears to be a horrific terrorist attack in Nice, France, which killed and wounded dozens of innocent civilians. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and other loved ones of those killed, and we wish a full recovery for the many wounded.
I have directed my team to be in touch with French officials, and we have offered any assistance that they may need to investigate this attack and bring those responsible to justice. We stand in solidarity and partnership with France, our oldest ally, as they respond to and recover from this attack.
On this Bastille Day, we are reminded of the extraordinary resilience and democratic values that have made France an inspiration to the entire world, and we know that the character of the French Republic will endure long after this devastating and tragic loss of life.
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, the two major party presidential candidates, tweeted these statements:
“Every American stands in strong solidarity with the people of France” —Hillary on the attack in Nice pic.twitter.com/BBGgHucSE0— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 15, 2016
Another horrific attack, this time in Nice, France. Many dead and injured. When will we learn? It is only getting worse.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 14, 2016
It goes without saying that Pence has a terrible history with the LGBT community.
He pushed for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage that the even Republican-led Indiana state legislature felt went too far in limiting LGBT rights.
And of course, there’s last year’s media storm when Pence signed into law a “religious freedom” measure that would have allowed companies to assert their “sincerely held religious beliefs” if sued for denying service to LGBT customers.
The Indiana legislature eventually amended the law to clarify that it doesn’t allow discrimination against LGBTQ people. But for LGBT folks, we remember who pushed for the disastrous legislation.
Pence also voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, against the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and no on hate crime legislation.
On other political fronts Pence has been equally frightening:
• Supports a total ban on abortion.
• Slashed funding for higher education to fund corporate tax cuts.
• Supports defunding Planned Parenthood nationwide.
Side note: When I read “Trump/Pence,” I hear “tuppence.”
For someone who’s very aware of branding, imaging and language, it’s surprising no one explained to the Donald that that refers to a “trivial amount.”
It looks like Hillary Clinton was prepared for the announcement as she shared this little video introduction to Gov. Mike Pence.
In light of the horrible attack in Nice, France, I have postponed tomorrow's news conference concerning my Vice Presidential announcement.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 14, 2016
I hate to be cynical.
But.
While I would like to believe Donald Trump has postponed his announcement concerning his selection of a running mate for the White House out of respect for the victims of the tragic attack in Nice, France, I’m certain his postponement included concern that he didn’t want his first-ever decision as a presidential candidate overshadowed by other news stories.
At the end of the day, his biggest talent is that of showmanship. And he doesn’t like sharing the spotlight with others.
According to sources, Trump has officially offered the spot to Pence, and Pence has accepted.
Pence faces a noon deadline on Friday to formally withdraw from the governor’s race in Indiana, where he has been facing a steep climb for reelection.
|
| “Hahahaha, that’s so funny. Tell me another one, sir.” |
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is ok letting folks know he really, really did want to be Donald Trump’s VP pick. Even if he’s not.
From Politico:
“Listen, no matter what phone call he makes to me today, I will take a deep breath and prepare for tomorrow,” Christie told MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace in an interview from Mendham, New Jersey.
“I’m a competitive person, so I’m not gonna say it won’t bother me if I’m not selected,” Christie continued.
“Of course it bothers you a little bit, because if you’re a competitive person like I am and you’re used to winning like I am, again, you don’t like coming in second. Ever.”
The Broadway revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber mega-hit CATS begins previews tonight at the Neil Simon Theater.
I have a soft spot in my heart for the show as it was my first big – and I mean BIG – break in theater after moving to NYC in the 80s.
I often joke “I did CATS when it was a good credit!” – meaning that when I did the show it was as part of a brand new company and only a handful of people on the planet had performed in the show at that point. Now that it’s back on Broadway I’m going to have to give that line up I think.
I was the “Magical Mr. Mistoffelees” from 1986-1988 in the national touring company. Quite heady doings for someone from Fort Worth, Texas, who was not yet 22 when I was cast.
I danced my ASS off. I danced so much that I lost 14 pounds in the first month or so, and never gained it back over the entire run.
I learned so much about how to handle a role over a long run (over 800 performances) over two years – stamina, staying in shape, finding new acting moments each night, working with the same actors, and then new actors in the same roles.
I also came to terms with myself as a young, gay man. I fell in love for the first time. I had my heart broken for the first time. Not a single day of which I would ever change. All inside a pretty safe environment of a traveling theatrical family.
It was a wonderful gift. One I’ve never lost appreciation for.
In any case, I’m wishing all those new kitties a fab run. Especially Ricky Ubeda – winner of So You Think You Can Dance – who gets to wear the black and white costume now as “Mistoffelees.” He’s a brilliant dancer and I can’t wait to see him spin!
“So this is this, and that is that,
And there’s how you address – a cat.”
 |
| Me back in 1986 as “the magical Mr. Mistoffelles” |
A photo posted by Eliad Cohen (@eliad_cohen) on Jul 14, 2016 at 5:49am PDT