Politics, pop culture and entertainment news of interest to the LGBTQ community
Broadway Bares, the modern-day burlesque spectacular produced by and benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, will return to live performances this summer with a 30th anniversary celebration titled Broadway Bares: XXX. Continue reading “Broadway Bares Returns To Live Performances For 30th Anniversary”
Ukraine 2022 (photo: UNICEF)Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS announced today that it is awarding $300,000 in emergency grants to immediately help the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. My theater tribe never ceases to amaze me in stepping up to help those in need. Continue reading “Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Awards $300K To Humanitarian Orgs Working in Ukraine”
Theater lovers and theater artists rallied together to help Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS provide a record $2,532,500 in grants last week to 127 food service and meal delivery programs in New York City and nationwide. Continue reading “Broadway Cares Provided Record $2,532,500 In Grants To 127 Food Service Programs”
This is quite wonderful. The Fred Ebb Foundation has awarded $2.6 million to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, beating the foundation’s previous donation and highlighting its place as the largest single donor in Broadway Cares history. Continue reading “Fred Ebb Foundation Donates $2.6 Million To Broadway Cares”
Recently I’ve reflected on the fact that SOME good things have come from the past 18 months. Namely, seeing how many people decided to be part of the solution instead of the problem.
Case in point: it was a year ago today that several of my CATS the Musical cast members reunited for the first time in over 30 years to raise money with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS for the Broadway community – actors, stage crew, musicians, box office, and more – during these difficult times. Continue reading “One Year Ago Today: Kicking Up The CATS Kitty Box Once Again”
Broadway Backwards 2021 will take a hopeful, musical look toward life post-pandemic in its first virtual edition set to stream with a bevy of Broadway’s best at 8 pm Eastern on Tuesday, March 30.
This year’s virtual edition of the popular theatre event will blend film and musical stage performances as an exploration of how isolation during this pandemic has particularly affected the LGBTQ community.
That and a healthy dose of musical theater and star power are what you can expect. The videos here are just a few highlights from over the years at Broadway Backwards.
The show will feature Jay Armstrong Johnson as a New Yorker who dreams a fantastical, musical theater journey guided by Jenn Colella as a late night TV host.
New performances will be merged with full numbers from past years to come together in a show that feels distinctly of the moment.
The streaming event will feature a special opening number featuring divas Stephanie J. Block, Deborah Cox and Lea Salonga.
Plus, an all-star finale are almost too good to be true with Amy Adams, Debbie Allen, Matt Bomer, Glenn Close, Loretta Devine, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Cheyenne Jackson, Eric McCormack, Ruthie Ann Miles, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Jessie Mueller, Javier Muñoz, Kelli O’Hara, Karen Olivo, Jim Parsons, Bernadette Peters and many more.
And then there will be special appearances by Chasten Buttigieg, Anderson Cooper, Ariana DeBose, Don Lemon, Debra Messing, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Robin Roberts, Tony Shalhoub and Ben Vereen?
Make sure you tune in (for free!) for an ultimate un-Zoom theatrical experience at 8 pm Eastern on Tuesday, March 30 at broadwaycares.org/backwards2021. It will be available on demand through 11:59 pm Saturday, April 3.
Of course, donations to Broadway Cares are always welcome 🙂
Promo photo for ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’Some news items you might have missed:
• NewNowNext: A new documentary special, RuPaul’s Drag Race: Corona Can’t Keep A Good Queen Down, takes fans behind the scenes to see how the Emmy Award-winning series pulled off shooting a new season amid COVID-19.
• Broadway Cares: The fan-inspiring, steamy stream of ABC Daytime: Back on Broadway, a nostalgic evening of song and conversation with the stars of All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital, raised a stellar $130,565 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the philanthropic heart of Broadway.
• Kenneth-in-the-212: It’s Wrestle Wednesday over on KIT212 – click over to see this week’s athletic twunk.
• Washington Blade: Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) signaled he would oppose the Equality Act, legislation to expand the prohibition on anti-LGBTQ discrimination under federal law, unless Christians get a carve-out to discriminate based on religious grounds.
• Revry: The queer streaming platform celebrates Black History Month with an entire February calendar highlighting incredible Black Queer content made by and for the community. Check out the 2019 film Trade which tells the tale of two men, one a streetwise hustler, the other a straight-laced lawyer, who meet and form a relationship that brings to light who they really are.
• Disney: Academy Award® winner Emma Stone (La La Land) stars in Disney’s Cruella, an all-new live-action feature film about the rebellious early days of one of cinemas most notorious – and notoriously fashionable – villains, the legendary Cruella de Vil. Due out May 2021.
• NBC News: Tim Boyd, mayor of Colorado City, Texas, resigned after lashing out at constituents who have been paralyzed by this week’s devastating cold snap. In a Facebook post, Boyd told town residents to stop complaining about the cold weather that has left millions across Texas stranded without power. “No one owes you or your family anything; nor is it the local government’s responsibility to support you during trying times like this! Sink or swim, it’s your choice!”
• CNN: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly laughed about Donald Trump’s recent attack statement and has no plans to engage the former President. He’s done talking Trump, with plans to focus on push to take back Senate and focus on Biden agenda. “He’s moving on,” one source said.
“You probably are not going to hear him utter the name Donald Trump ever again,” per one source. Trump also claimed McConnell “begged” for his support and gave McConnell a 20-point boost in polls. The claim has no basis in reality, per sources. McConnell is not planning to engage
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 17, 2021
A stellar lineup of theater favorites will show there’s no place like Broadway for the holidays as they welcome you into their homes and hearts during Home for the Holidays on Tuesday, December 15, 2020.
The free concert is produced by and benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
You’ll feel the holiday spirit when some of Broadway’s most celebrated stars perform songs based on traditions from their homes and from where their shows are set. With songs from comedic to heartfelt, it’s your perfect seasonal variety show.
From the welcoming warmth of Come From Away‘s Gander, Newfoundland, to the rich culture of South Africa through cast members from The Lion King, you’ll escape into a world where Broadway can help make the season merry and bright despite today’s challenges.
A shortlist of the illustrious lineup includes Alan Cumming, André De Shields, Ed Dixon, Heather Headley, Ramin Karimloo, Karen Olivo, Nina West and the Grammy Award-winning Broadway Inspirational Voices.
Every dollar donated will help those across the country affected by HIV/AIDS, COVID-19 and other critical illnesses receive healthy meals, lifesaving medication, emergency financial assistance, housing, counseling and more. The donations also support and champion organizations focused on social justice and anti-racism.
Click here to watch the free stream beginning at 8 pm Eastern on the Broadway Cares website, or you can catch the show in the YouTube above.
The stream will be available through December 19.
Matt Zarley and Leslie EllisAs a young actor, my first big break was being cast as the ‘Magical Mr. Mistoffelees’ in a brand new national touring company of the blockbuster Broadway musical CATS.
While I was ‘living a dream’ over those years back in the 1980s, a nightmare called HIV/AIDS was taking thousands of lives from us. As a company, we wanted to do ‘something.’
So in 1987, we organized one of the first large-scale benefits performances by a touring company to help those affected by HIV. Amazingly, we raised over $36K in one night.
Fast forward to today, and another viral pandemic is here. A few months ago, one of my former CATS castmates reached out to say, “Anyone want to do another fundraiser?”
And so, we did.
“With Love, Now and Forever! Cats4CovidRelief” premiered on October 23 and will be available until October 28. At this writing, combining donations at Broadway Cares and YouTube, we’ve raised over $20,000 and counting
Today, I’m talking to two of my closest CATS castmates, Grammy Award-winner Leslie Ellis and two-time OutMusic Award-winner Matt Zarley, about this recent company reunion.
Hit the play button to hear us chat on this recent collaboration, reminisce about life on the road as young actors, and laugh a bit about the life-changing experience that was CATS.
While our streaming event is scheduled to be removed from Broadway Cares website at the end of October 28, the video is still up at this writing on BC/EFA’s YouTube channel on an unlisted page here.
Plus, you can see Matt’s gorgeous segment featuring Leslie singing “Memory” here.
Update: At the same time as our “With Love, Now and Forever: Cats4CovidRelief” event premiere, I joined some of my CATS castmates (Matt Zarley, JoAnn Hunter, Christine Toy Johnson, Leslie Ellis, Jonathan Cerullo) on the awesome Stars in the House at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT to talk about the fundraising event and days of CATS gone by.
You can watch the episode below. We had soooo much fun with Seth and James! We all join around the 10:30 mark.
Longtime readers of The Randy Report know that, in another life, I was an actor on Broadway and in national touring companies. My first big break in New York City was being cast in a brand-new national company of the mega-blockbuster musical, CATS, as the ‘Magical Mr. Mistoffelees.’
Now, nearly 35 years after our first performance, the company of CATS (National 3) has reunited for a very special virtual theatrical event, WITH LOVE, NOW AND FOREVER! CATS4COVIDRELIEF, a fundraiser for the Broadway Cares Covid-19 Emergency Assistance Fund, which supports The Actors Fund. This special event will premiere tonight, October 23 at 8 PM ET / 5PM PST at broadwaycares.org/catsbenefit and will be available through October 27.
More than 30 former cast members from CATS National 3 have joined forces to collaborate and create an upbeat, inspiring celebration of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s international musical phenomenon, CATS.
Donations made during the stream will help those onstage and behind the scenes get health care, emergency financial assistance and counseling during the pandemic and work stoppage. Joining the company for the musical celebration are hosts Brian Stokes Mitchell, Chairman of the Board for The Actors Fund, and Tom Viola, Executive Director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Me back in 1986 as ‘the Magical Mr. Mistoffelees’When Tony Award-winning director/choreographer Michael Bennett passed away in 1987 from HIV/AIDS, this tribe of ‘Jellicle Cats’ heard the call to action and created a one-night-only event that celebrated the career of Bennett titled, One Singular Sensation: A Tribute To Michael Bennett.
In a time before Broadway Cares or Equity Fights AIDS, CATS National 3 raised nearly $40,000 in one amazing, not-to-be-forgotten night for the Kansas City Good Samaritan Project that specifically helped those battling HIV/AIDS.
The video event was conceived and produced by award-winning director Jonathan Cerullo (The Boys from Syracuse, Legs Diamond Broadway Reunion), scripted by Christine Toy Johnson (Come From Away, Bombay Dreams), Broadway choreographer JoAnn M. Hunter (Disaster!, School of Rock), award-winning choreographer James Walski (Trip of Love), and entrepreneur Austin Jetton.
In addition, the show’s music team reunites to conduct us through the event, Jay Alger, Edward G. Robinson, Jack Gaughan, and David Geist. And rounding out the team as Sound Editor is Tony Award-winner Brian Ronan (Book of Mormon, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical).
This special reunion will feature a contemporary take on the opening number, “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats,” testimonials of hope from cast members of how they were helped by The Actors Fund, and a spectacular, new performance of the show-stopping “Memory” performed by Grammy Award-winner Leslie Ellis (‘Grizabella’) and award-winning playwright/actress, Christine Toy Johnson (’Sillabub’). There will also be a fun Halloween surprise with “The Naming of Cats.”
“In this ‘new normal’ of undertaking theater, artists must remain relevant through digital technologies to continually engage with our audiences and tell our stories,” says Cerullo, who is producing and directing the event through his company, JSCTheatricals. “Our ‘CATS4COVIDRELIEF’ benefit is the realization of exploring this new platform for entertainment in today’s pandemic environment.”
The motivation behind this special collaboration is community. The cast and creative team have created a performance that combines today’s technology – managed by top professionals in their field – music and theatre to bring to you an exciting and eclectic program.
“In revisiting my love affair with ‘Memory’ for this benefit, I was surprised and humbled by how powerful collaborating with my former castmates combined with the emotion of the current global unrest and social injustice would have on me,” says Leslie Ellis, who played Grizabella. “I am deeply moved to have been a part of this benefit that aims to raise money and awareness to help everyone in our community who is in need right now.”
“CATS was the biggest deal back in its day – if you had CATS on your resume, you’d made it,” says JoAnn M. Hunter, who played Victoria. “When Broadway director/choreographer Michael Bennett died of AIDS in 1987, our cast came together as a family – a community – to help those impacted by the AIDS epidemic. And here we are again, thirty-plus years later, doing our part to help with this pandemic.”
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS launched its COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund on March 17, just days after Broadway theaters and national tours shut down because of the coronavirus. The special fund, administered by The Actors Fund, continues to assist those in the entertainment community who are facing health care crises and other immediate needs in the wake of the ongoing pandemic.
Please join me for this special celebration of CATS and community – WITH LOVE, NOW AND FOREVER! CATS4COVIDRELIEF – a fundraiser for the Broadway Cares COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund supporting The Actors Fund on Friday, October 23 at 8 PM ET / 5 PM PST. If you could see your way to making a donation of any amount – what we do together makes a difference! – please visit broadwaycares.org/catsbenefit.
About CATS National 3:
In 1986, a talented group of theater artists were hand-picked to be a part of an amazing new ‘Jellicle’ tribe known as CATS National 3. As the first national touring company of the blockbuster Broadway musical to be presented in major U.S. cities like Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, St. Louis, Louisville, Miami, Phoenix (and many more), CATS National 3 broke box office records, received rave reviews, and was the first CATS company to play outdoor theaters due to the high demand for tickets. Then, as now, CATS National 3 stepped up to help during a worldwide pandemic.
In the 1980s, it was the beginning of the HIV/AIDS crisis. When Tony Award-winning director/choreographer Michael Bennett passed away in 1987 from HIV/AIDS, this tribe of ‘Jellicle Cats’ heard the call to action and created a one-night-only event that celebrated the career of Bennett titled, One Singular Sensation: A Tribute To Michael Bennett. In a time before Broadway Cares or Equity Fights AIDS, CATS National 3 raised nearly $40,000 in one night for the Kansas City Good Samaritan Project that specifically helped those battling the then “mysterious” HIV/AIDS virus.
Participating members of CATS National 3: Mark Agnes, Jay Alger, Deborah Geneviere Athens, Joanna Beck, Anthony Vincent Bova, Lisa Dawn Cave, Jonathan Cerullo, Leslie Ellis, Robert Barry Fleming, Jack Gaughan, David Geist, Adrea Gibbs, JoAnn Hunter, Austin Jetton, Christine Toy Johnson, Aja Kane, BK Kennelly, Deidre Lang, Brian Liddicoat, Charmaine Liddicoat, Karen Longwell, Kari Nicolaisen, Bill Nolte, Donna Pompei, Cathy Sue Pyles, Rachelle Rak, Arminae Reames, Edward G. Robinson, Randy Slovacek, Julie Stiel, Beth Swearingen, Fred Tallaksen, Amiee Turner, James Walski, Matt Zarley.
The cast of CATS National 3 todayAbout Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS:
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is one of the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources, and generosity of the American theater community, since 1988 Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has raised more than $300 million for essential services for people with HIV/AIDS, COVID-19 and other critical illnesses across the United States.
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the major supporter of the social service programs at The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative and the Samuel J. Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts. Broadway Cares also awards annual grants to more than 450 AIDS and family service organizations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., providing lifesaving medication, healthy meals, counseling and emergency assistance.