Openly gay Corey Johnson, who ran to represent Christine Quinn’s former district covering much of Hell’s Kitchen and Chelsea, declares victory tonight.
NYC: Corey Johnson declares victory in NYC election tonight
NYC: Bill de Blasio jumps to 43% in mayoral race
From the NY Times: A new survey from Quinnipiac University finds that 43 percent of likely Democratic voters plan to support Mr. de Blasio, the public advocate, in the Sept. 10 primary.
William C. Thompson Jr., who captured the Democratic nomination in 2009 but lost the general election that year to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, was supported by 20 percent of likely Democratic voters. Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker, who had been the front-runner for most of the campaign, now has the support of 18 percent.
A runoff will be held, on Oct. 1, only if none of the nine Democrats on the ballot receives 40 percent of the vote.
NYC: Donna McKechnie launches new talk/variety series at Birdland
Tony-winning Broadway favorite Donna McKechnie will be jazzing things up at Birdland beginning January 6, 2014, when she’ll premiere her new talk and variety show Donna McKechnie In Good Company.
The bi-monthly event will feature special guests, including Tommy Tune, Faith Prince, Jerry Mitchell, Andrea McArdle and more. Specific appearance dates to be announced shortly.
Donna McKechnie In Good Company will feature the actress telling stories and chatting with special guests, and performing musical numbers with Broadway artists.
The new show will be a part of the “Broadway at Birdland” concert series.
(source)
NYC: Mayoral race flipped on it’s head as de Blasio races to top of polls
A new poll conducted by Quinnipiac University shows Bill de Blasio with 36 percent of the likely Democratic vote – striking distance of avoiding a widely-expected runoff election.
The two other leading Democratic candidates, Council Speaker Christine Quinn and former Comptroller Bill Thompson, posted 21 and 20 percent respectively.
“Talk about breaking out of the pack!” pollster Maurice Carroll said in a statement acknowledging Mr. de Blasio’s quick rise. “Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, in fourth place just five weeks ago, is edging up on the magic 40 percent needed to avoid a Democratic primary runoff. And if there is a runoff, he clobbers Council Speaker Christine Quinn or former Comptroller and 2009 Democratic challenger William Thompson.”
The poll also shows de Blasio would easily beat the competition in a run-off. According to the poll, Mr. de Blasio would beat Ms. Quinn 59-30, and Mr. Thompson 52-36.
(source)
Broadway’s Rachelle Rak to star in The Big Show
Randy Report favorite, Rachelle Rak, will star in The Big Show, an immersive re-imagination of the Eugene O’Neill play Thirst told through the life story of Francis Farmer.
Via Broadway World:
Audiences will be transported to 1950 where they will experience an evening in the rec room at Sunnyland: a hospital for the mentally insane. Inspired by American Horror Story: Asylum and inventively choreographed by Charlie Sutton (Kinky Boots, WICKED) this eerie imaginative new piece features dance and stars Broadway veteran Rachelle Rak (FOSSE, Catch Me If You Can) with Purdie Baumann (SMASH, Radio City Rockette), Kristine Bendul (Cinderella, SMASH, Come Fly Away) and Alex Michael Stoll (Evita, West Side Story).
The Big Show runs Sunday evenings at 7:30pm and Mondays at 2:00pm and 7:00pm, August 18, *19 (Double Feature Benefit Performance tickets are $50), 25, 26. Tickets are $18.
The Big Show is part of an exciting fusion of current Broadway talent and accomplished visual artists to be presented byWorking Artists Theatre Project in the gallery space at 210 East 43rd Street this August. This vibrant, provocative, and interactive melange of theatre, dance, music, art, and photography is not to be missed!
More bars and restaurants joining #DumpRussianVodka campaign
A 200-member coalition of NYC restaurant and nightclubs has joined the boycott of Russian vodka.
Here’s more on their protest in Manhattan.
Holding up a bottle of the popular Russian brand Stolichnaya, the United Restaurant and Tavern Owners Association President Paul Hurley shook his head and called for a city-wide boycott of Russian spirits and liquor. “All these vodkas here, we’re going to throw them out,” Hurley said. “We feel enough is enough.”
Hurley, who urged people to drink American-made alcohol instead, said the boycott was the first step toward pressuring Russia to change its policies toward gay people.
Paddy MacCarty, who owns a Manhattan bar called Nevada Smiths, said he’s planning to toss out every bottle of Russian vodka behind the bar.
At least 200 New York bars and restaurants are participating in the boycott, which has spread to many gay bars across North America in the wake of a newly passed Russian law that bans the so-called “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations.”
(via JMG)
Popular parody – Kristin Chenoweth skewers Anthony Weiner’s NYC mayoral bid
You KNOW it’s over when this happens…
NYC: Tony Award winner Billy Porter to kick off new “Monday Musicals at XL”
The owners of XL Nightclub have just announced that they will be ‘taking over’ Musical Mondays, renamed “Monday Musicals,” and will kick off with an exciting lineup of special events beginning with a performance by Tony Award winning Kinky Boots star Billy Porter on August 12th.
XL Nightclub will carry the concept of ‘Musical Mondays’ enhanced, supercharged and dubbed “Monday Musicals at XL,” to the Hell¹s Kitchen hotspot housed within THE OUT NYC urban resort.
For reservations, more information and the club¹s complete calendar of events, please visit www.xlnightclub.com, call 212.239.2999 or email info@xlnightclub.com.
More info at BroadwayWorld.com
NYC: Man electrocuted by urinating on subway third rail
Wow. I’d say something like “every NY-ers nightmare” except most NY-ers doesn’t urinate on the subway tracks…
From the New York Post:
A drunken man was electrocuted and killed relieving himself on the third rail in Brooklyn this morning, sources said.
Matthew Zeno, 30, was walking with a friend along the tracks for the southbound G train around 3:10 a.m., at Union Avenue and Broadway in Williamsburg when the horrific accident occurred, cops said. His 26-year-old pal tried saving him and was also shocked, police added.
The friend was able to flag down MTA workers, who in turn called for help, sources said.
Both men were rushed to Woodhull Hospital where Zeno died and the second man was listed in stable condition.
(via JMG)
NYC: Two men harass young Pride goers on Queens-bound F train
On Sunday night, two men harassed and then assaulted a group of young New York City pride goers on the subway. If anyone knows them, please contact the authorities.
From the clip’s description:
On Sunday, June 30th at around 11:45 PM, I was riding home on the Queens-bound F train following a day of LGBT Pride festivities. Two men were loudly making homophobic comments, such as “Today was a scary day for me. There were fags everywhere.” When a group of queer youth got on the train, the men proceeded to harass them, stating that the teens made them want to puke and that they would be killed if they were in Iran. The first assailant then threatened to rape them, at which point I took out my phone to document the incident.
Seeing that he was being recorded, the first assailant lunged at me, violently grabbing my arms while trying to steal away my phone. One of the youth took the phone from me temporarily to protect it and told the assailant he shouldn’t attack a woman. When the assailant threatened to punch me, I took the phone back and ran to the other side of the train to push the emergency button and alert the authorities. At this point the second assailant got up and came towards me, grabbing my body and hands to try and get the phone to destroy the evidence. I yelled and told him I was an attorney. An onlooker then got up and stood between the assailants and myself, and another person left to get the train conductor.
A group of people had gathered to stand up to the gay bashers. During this, the second assailant put his hand around the neck of a young queer woman. When the doors opened up at the Roosevelt Ave stop, both assailants fled. I followed them to the station exit while calling 911. One witness had overheard them saying they were on route to Jamaica; they’re likely commuters who regularly take this route.
I uploaded the video to YouTube to see if anyone can identify these men. I was left with bruises and scratches from both assailants which I also documented. If anyone sees them or knows them personally, please contact the authorities. This was a hate crime.