Posts

Posted on

Please Tell Coronavirus Trump Wants Economy ‘Reopened’ By Easter

(photo: public domain – Flickr/WhiteHouse)
Donald Trump has announced he wants the U.S. economy “reopened” by the Easter holiday on April 12. That’s much sooner than medical experts have previously indicated would be prudent. From the New York Times:

Even as nations from Britain to India declare nationwide economic lockdowns, President Trump said he “would love to have the country opened up, and just raring to go, by Easter,” less than three weeks away, a goal that top health professionals have called far too quick.

“I think it’s possible, why not?” he said with a shrug.

Participating in a town hall hosted by Fox News on Tuesday, he expressed outrage about having to “close the country” to curb the spread of the coronavirus and indicated that his guidelines on business shutdowns and social distancing would soon be lifted.

“I gave it two weeks,” he said, adding, “We can socially distance ourselves and go to work.”

Trump later amended his remarks saying, “This is a medical crisis, not a financial crisis,” and added his decisions will be based on health considerations and hard facts.

Posted on

Stock Markets Surge Amid Optimism For COVID-19 Stimulus Package

The U.S. stock markets surged on the news that Congressional leaders are close to agreement on a stimulus package to help cope with the ongoing coronavirus threat. From Fox Business:

U.S. equity markets registered the strongest one-day rebound in history on Tuesday amid investor optimism that members of Congress will overcome their differences to reach a deal on a nearly $2 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package.

In the final hour of trading, gains picked up steam giving the Dow Jones Industrial Average a 2,112 point gain, the biggest ever, or 11 percent, while the S&P 500 gained over 9 percent and the Nasdaq over 8 percent.

Posted on

Terrence McNally, 4-Time Tony Award Winning Playwright, Dead At 81

Acclaimed playwright Terrence McNally accepting a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 2019
Playwright Terrence McNally, a four-time Tony Award winner, died Tuesday at the age of 81 from complications to the coronavirus. He was a lung cancer survivor who lived with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Throughout his career, he created richly layered stories that often explored the LGBTQ experience: Love! Valour! Compassion!, Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Full Monty, The Ritz, Mothers and Sons. His work validated and humanized our experiences. Other McNally plays and musicals include The Rink, Master Class, Ragtime, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune,The Lisbon Traviata, Lips Together, Teeth Apart, A Perfect Ganesh (Pulitzer Prize nomination), The Visit and Anastasia. For his acclaimed efforts, he was honored by the Tony Awards with Best Book of a Musical for both Kiss of the Spider Woman in 1992 and Ragtime in 1998; and Best Play for both Love! Valour! Compassion in 1995 and Master Class in 1996. He also received 3 Drama Desk Awards for Love! Valour! Compassion, Master Class and Ragtime. In 2019, he received a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.

While he wasn’t fond of being called a “gay playwright,” since much of his material wasn’t limited to gay material, it is a topic he visited often. In a preface to the published version of Love! Valour! Compassion!, he wrote,  “I think I wanted to write about what it’s like to be a gay man at this particular moment in our history.” “I think I wanted to tell my friends how much they’ve meant to me,” he added. “I think I wanted to tell everyone else who we are when they aren’t around. I think I wanted to reach out and let more people into those places in my heart where I don’t ordinarily welcome strangers.” For even more insight into the personal life of McNally, please make sure to add the recent documentary of his life, Every Act of Life, to your viewing playlist.

In that my time living in New York City as a working actor coincided with McNally’s heyday, it’s with great fondness that I remember seeing nearly all of the NY productions listed above. Funny, life-affirming, and deeply human – that’s how I view the emotional landscapes created by McNally. To this day, I believe Ragtime is easily one of the greatest American musicals to arrive on Broadway. I saw my own life in his plays. I vividly remember having to stifle sobbing when I heard Nathan Lane, during a performance of Love! Valour! Compassion! ask, “Who will be there to hold my hand when I let go?” My husband worked with McNally on several projects over the years. At the end of each, Michael would receive a hand-written ‘thank you’ note that the word gracious can’t begin to describe. Rest in power, Terrence McNally.

Posted on

News Round-Up: March 23, 2020

Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg (screen capture)
Some news items you might have missed: • Instagram: Pete and Chasten Buttigieg have started live-streaming on the Gram. While their chat with actress/singer Mandy Moore was fun today, the big news is that #BeardEdgeEdge (above) is happening! #Yassss! • Reuters: Andorra, a nation of 80,000 people on the border of France and Spain, is set to legalize gay marriage, highlighting that eastern European countries with anti-LGBT laws are “on the wrong side of history”, leading human rights specialists said on Monday. A bill presented by the ruling coalition of Andorra will remove the legal distinction between same-sex civil unions and heterosexual weddings. • Out Music: Singer/songwriter Philp La Rosa’s latest single, “Paradise,” was inspired by his 7-year relationship with his boyfriend. Says La Rosa, “The journey of our love has honestly been like running through Paradise. But even in Paradise, we can trip and fall sometimes. The beauty of being in a loving relationship is we get to pull each other up, point out where we went wrong and keep running.” The synth-pop track has a mellow, chill vibe that partners well with La Rosa’s winning, winsome vocals. Hit the play button below. • US News & World Report: Addressing a shortage of ventilators for the coronavirus pandemic, Donald Trump said on Saturday, “General Motors, Ford, so many companies — I had three calls yesterday directly, without having to institute like: `You will do this’ — these companies are making them right now.” Fact check: No automaker is anywhere close to making medical gear such as ventilators. • Science Magazine: Infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci on dealing with Trump’s coronavirus exaggerations and lies during pressers: “I can’t jump in front of the microphone and push him down. OK, he said it. Let’s try and get it corrected for the next time.” • Gay Star News: Pride in London, the UK’s biggest LGBT+ Pride event, has announced it is postponing its 2020 event. The march, rally and official street parties were all due to take place on Saturday 27 June this year. Moreover, Pride bosses are also postponing the festival in the run-up to the main day. • Business Insider: Dow dives 582 points as impatience over pending coronavirus bill outweighs new Federal Reserve stimulus. #SoMuchWinning

Posted on

Who Wants To Work Out With The Chippendales At Home?

Ryan Worley of the world-famous Chippendales
With all of the hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip temporarily shut down, as well as the area gyms, the world-famous Chippendales are getting creative in finding ways to keep in shape while doing the self-quarantine thing at home. Ryan Worley, who performs in the troupe’s Vegas-based production at the Rio Hotel & Casino, is making a series of videos sharing his tips for working out at home. The clips are short, easy to understand and definitely easy on the eyes. “We’re quarantined here in Vegas but we’ve got to keep our spirits high and we’ve got to stay in shape because we’ve got a show to come back to,” says Worley. The first video offers Worley in the trademark “cuffs & collar” offering info for working out your shoulders. He uses two one-gallon jugs of almond milk (about 8 lbs each) to hit all three heads of the shoulders – front, side, and rear. Not for nothing – Worley is giving you cute-icious face and body.
The Chipps’ second video features a more G-rated Worley in a tank-top (dangit!) coaching us on how to get our glutes tight. Worley recommends doing a hip thrust (aka glute thrust, we like that term better) at home with a pillow under your upper back and your feet either on the floor or on a stair-step. Press through your heels so your upper body goes as high as possible, hold for a few seconds, then lower. The winsome Worley recommends 15-20 reps in a set depending on your fitness level, and if things get too easy you can add some weight to your hips.
Worley shares that he’s a licensed personal trainer and plans to do several more videos in the near future. Side note – Worley’s colleague Pat Tanski is taking a different tact keeping busy at home by busting moves as his adorable dog takes it all in. Hit the play button below – you’re going to like this 😉

As Worley mentions in the videos, there’s no down-time for the Chippendales because the (fingers-crossed) plan in Las Vegas is to hopefully have casinos, hotels, and shows back up and running sooner than later. The governor in Nevada ordered all non-essential businesses to close for a 30-day period which expires on April 16. And a Chipps-approved body doesn’t happen on its own. The Chippendales are hoping to be back in full-swing when Vinny Guadagnino of Jersey Shore fame returns to handle celebrity hosting duties again. The ‘Keto Guido’ is currently scheduled to rejoin the men of Chipps from April 24 to June 7. You might recall when the Jersey Shores star flashed his ‘mini-Vinny’ onstage and the cell phone video of the moment went viral? #goodtimes Not one to sit idle, Worley recently launched a new “fantasy dates” website – BodyKink. “This is a platform that connects models with fans,” says Worley. “It’s a strictly legal website and we do fantasy dates and companionship. He adds, “BodyKink is a safe place where people can express their kinky desires and they don’t have to be ashamed for it or anything like that.” The hunky former Mormon shares that a portion of the proceeds will be donated each month to Golden Rainbow, a local charity founded by the entertainment industry that provides housing and financial assistance to people living with HIV/AIDS in Southern Nevada. Check out a few shots from Worley’s thirst-tastic Instagram:  

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Loving life

A post shared by Ryan Worley (@ryguy220) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Free the nip

A post shared by Ryan Worley (@ryguy220) on

Posted on

Biden Gets Endorsement From Huge Public-Service Union

Former Vice President Joe Biden (image via Instagram)

Former Vice President Joe Biden received a big endorsement from one of the nation’s largest public-service unions today.

From the Washington Post:

The 35-member executive board of the American Federation of County, State and Municipal Employees met Monday afternoon, speaking by teleconference because of the coronavirus outbreak, and voted unanimously to support Biden.

“We believe that it’s time to prepare to work like hell for Joe Biden and to bring the party together so we’re unified behind one candidate,” AFSCME President Lee Saunders said in an interview with The Washington Post.

Members of the board used “a lot of colorful language” to describe how President Trump’s policies have hurt workers, particularly in the Midwest, according to a person familiar with the proceedings who was not authorized to discuss a private meeting.

Posted on

IOC: 2020 Olympic Games Will Be Postponed

In a move not done since World War II, USA Today reports the 2020 Olympic Games scheduled to take place in Tokyo will be postponed.

Veteran International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound told USA TODAY Sports Monday afternoon that the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are going to be postponed, likely to 2021, with the details to be worked out in the next four weeks.

“On the basis of the information the IOC has, postponement has been decided,” Pound said in a phone interview. “The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on July 24, that much I know.”

Pound, a Canadian who has been one of the most influential members of the IOC for decades, said he believes the IOC will announce its next steps soon. “It will come in stages,” he said. “We will postpone this and begin to deal with all the ramifications of moving this, which are immense.”

Posted on

Surgeon General: Everyone Needs To Act As If They Have The Virus Now

Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams

U.S. surgeon general Jerome M. Adams is not playing. He’s not doling out “hopes and wishes.” He really, really wants people to stay home in order to help mitigate the worsening coronavirus threat.

During an appearance on the TODAY show Monday morning, he lamented that people choosing to visit beaches or spend time crowding around Washington’s cherry blossoms is how the virus is going to keep spreading.

From the Washington Post:

Adams reminded the public that the numbers of coronavirus cases they see reported reflects what happened two weeks ago and stressed that mitigation measures, such as practicing social distancing and postponing elective surgeries, are designed to ignite a sense of urgency in Americans.

He noted, however, that they are only effective as early preventive tactics. Positive cases of coronavirus have ballooned to more than 35,000 in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University & Medicine, though experts agree that the actual number of U.S. cases is much higher.

“Everyone needs to act as if they have the virus right now,” Adams said, echoing words from the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony S. Fauci. “You could be spreading it to someone else or you could be getting it from someone else. Stay at home.”

“I want America to understand this week, it’s going to get bad and we really need to come together as a nation,” said Adams to Savannah Guthrie. “So test or no test, we need you to understand you could be spreading it to someone else, or you could be getting it from someone else.”

Posted on

Rosie O’Donnell’s ‘Broadway-Palooza’ Raises $500k For Actor’s Fund

Rosie O’Donnell offered up a heaping helping of Broadway stars (all from the comfort of their own homes) during a 3+ hour streaming revival of her eponymous talk-show on Sunday evening. From her garage/craft room, Rosie welcomed folks like Barry Manilow, Randy Rainbow, Judith Light, Billy Porter, Chita Rivera, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, and many, many more via Skype.

Billy Porter on The Rosie O’Donnell Show
And yes, there were performances including Patti LuPone (singing a lovely “Smile”), Kelli O’Hara (singing Sondheim’s “Take Me to the World”), Audra McDonald & hubby Will Swenson (also choosing to sing “Smile”), Lea Salonga (singing “Reflection”), Darren Criss (singing “Being Alive” from Company), Shoshana Bean (“Don’t Rain on My Parade”), and Kristin Chenoweth popping off a funfilled “Taylor the Latte Boy” (with her hottie boyfriend making a cameo). The project was the brainchild of Broadway and TV actor Erich Bergen who popped in every now and then to address small sound or tech issues. And Rosie’s former music director John McDaniel was on hand as well.
Kelli O’Hara on The Rosie O’Donnell Show
The event served as a fundraiser for The Actor’s Fund, which helps not only actors but everyone in the theater world during hard times including stagehands, stage managers, and more. At the end of the Broadway-palooza, over $500,000 was raised for the charity. Bravo to everyone involved! Hit the play button below and enjoy 🙂  

If you want to jump to a particular perf0rmer, here at the time marks for each (in chronological order): John McDaniel – 2:42 Jesse Tyler Ferguson – 4:56 Tituss Burgess – 8:09 Gloria Estefan – 12:57 Lin-Manuel Miranda – 19:40 Cynthia Erivo – 23:55 Patti LuPone – 28:50 Ben Platt – 36:07 Laura Benanti – 41:50 Idina Menzel – 48:10 Aaron Tveit – 53:35 Rob McClure – 54:03 Jordin Sparks – 54:31 Bernadette Peters – 55:01 Chita Rivera – 56:13 Alan Menken – 1:02:15 Neil Patrick Harris – 1:09:40 Brian Stokes Mitchell – 1:15:43 Audra McDonald and Will Swenson – 1:23:30 Andrew Lloyd Webber – 1:29:52 Stephen Sondheim – 1:30:23 Jeremy Jordan – 1:32:33 Jane Krakowski – 1:33:05 Uzo Aduba – 1:33:36 Andrew Rannells – 1:33:49 Annette Bening – 1:34:20 Judith Light – 1:37:02 Darren Criss – 1:41:23 Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker – 1:47:37 Kelli O’Hara – 1:54:16 Jeremy Pope – 2:03:20 Nate Berkus – 2:08:01 Adrienne Warren – 2:11:40 Kristin Chenoweth – 2:18:16 Harvey Firestein – 2:25:25 Katharine McPhee and David Foster – 2:29:12 Billy Porter – 2:33:40 Shoshana Bean – 2:40:17 Gavin Creel – 2:43:54 Miranda Sings / Colleen Ballinger – 2:48:19 Lauren Patten- 2:54:43 Skylar Astin – 2:59:25 Michael Gladis and Beth Behrs – 2:59:53 Ben Vereen – 3:00:21 Sutton Foster – 3:00:41 Frankie Valli – 3:01:09 Matthew Morrison – 3:01:42 Jordan Fisher – 3:04:47 Maria Tomei – 3:11:32 Lorna Luft – 3:12:02 Miguel Cervantes – 3:12:33 Andy Karl and Orfeh – 3:12:55 Elizabeth Stanley – 3:13:26 James Wesley and Seth Rudetsky – 3:13:54 Lea Salonga – 3:13:34 Randy Rainbow: 3:20:59 Barry Manilow: 3:23:59