LGBTQ news and entertainment
I’ve long been a fan of Maureen McGovern, who began her career in the 1970s with her #1 hit, “There’s Got To Be A Morning After” (aka the theme to The Poseidon Adventure). The song not only launched her career, but won the 1972 Oscar for Best Original Song. Continue reading “Flashback Friday: The Marvelous Maureen McGovern”
With my NLGJA crew at a gay bar in Chicago – not my first time in a gay bar
I came across this cover image for The Rifleman comic book series (issue #10 released January 1, 1962) and was amazed to find it’s real, not a made-up internet meme. The Rifleman was a Western-themed television series following the lives of Lucas McCain (Chuck Connor) and his son, Mark (Johnny Crawford) living out on a ranch in the New Mexico territory. The series ran from 1958 to 1963, and was the first primetime television depiction of a single parent raising a child. Of course, I’m commenting on the rather curious placement of the ‘wood’ Mark McCain is carrying and the expressions on their faces. Looking back, some TV historian folks have noted the subtle homo-leaning touches the show had including the opening credits which featured Connors ‘firing multiple rounds’ from his rifle at crotch level.
Some #FlashbackFriday action as we take a trip on the “way back machine” to 1989 and Janet Jackson’s powerful “Rhythm Nation.”
I think it’s fair to say the song and video take on an even deeper cultural meaning as time goes by.
A friend on Facebook just shared this and it took me back. Waaaay back.
Oh yes, I grew up on PBS shows like The Electric Company, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood and Zoom 🙂
Good times.
And how about that cast for The Electric Company? Academy Award winners Rita Moreno and Morgan Freeman? Plus Irene Cara, Mel Brooks and Zero Mostel? Dang, we had it good.
The show ran for 780 episodes from 1971 – 1977.
Watch the zippy show intro below.
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| Yours truly back in 2007 for the Red Dress Event in Las Vegas |
I stumbled across this pic from the Annual Red Dress Event here in Las Vegas when I was invited to be a part of a photoshoot for the fundraiser back in 2007.
Who am I to turn down a photoshoot in a red dress? 😉
The annual charity event is organized by the Sin City Sisters is dedicated to creating HIV/AIDS awareness and visibility and raising funds to assist HIV+ people in Southern Nevada with their medications. All attendees are required to wear a red dress/skirt/kilt/toga/whatever in order to get in to show unity in our community.
The Sin Sity Sisters have been a non-profit organization for over eleven years. They exist as “an order of 21st century nuns dedicated to the promulgation of omniversal joy and the expiation of stigmatic guilt.”
Our ministry is one of public manifestation and habitual perpetration. We work to raise money for our Sisters AIDS Drug Assistance Program (SADAP). We advocate for queer rights and visibility and conduct safer sex outreach. We work to affirm the value and beauty of all persons and particularly within the queer community. We strive diligently to keep our sense of humor, never taking ourselves so seriously that we forget to have fun.
The annual event benefits SADAP which assists individuals in the community regardless of race, age or gender.
The program has distributed over $600,000 in medication assistance since 2006 helping hundreds of HIV+ in Southern Nevada.
Good work, sisters!
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| Me (2nd from the left) during my CATS days in 1987 |
I don’t do many Flashback Friday posts, but I’m thinking of a dear friend from my CATS days in the 1980s who recently passed away.
In light of that passing, several of my former cast mates have shared pics from the 1986-1988 national tour of CATS, which was my first big job in theater. For two years I was “the magical Mr. Mistoffelees” traveling across the country. Our company was the first to share the hit musical with major American cities like Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, St. Louis, Louisville, Miami, Memphis and more.
This picture, which I’ve never seen, shows me as a scruffy-faced 24 year old at some opening night party somewhere in America. How I painted over that furry face, I can’t recall.
Also in the photo are Austin Jetton, Jackie Reilly, Jonathan Cerullo and now big-time Broadway conductor Patrick Vaccariello.
It was around this time last year that many of my CATS family gathered together to take in the new Broadway revival of the show. All the chemistry, all the quirks I love about these folks, all came back in seconds 🙂
It’s stirring how the passing of old friends reminds us of the power of our long-time friends.
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.