Big gay adventures

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EST

Big gay adventures
D.C. performers showcased on TV, abroad during summer travels
By Joey DiGuglielmo
Friday, August 28, 2009
Several gay Washington entertainers had encounters with the big time this month — a group of local drag queens known as the Diva League appeared on “America's Got Talent” and the D.C. Cowboys, who appeared on that show last year, were in Budapest, Hungary, for a weeklong engagement at the Sziget Festival, which bills itself as the largest music and arts festival in the world.

“It was a lot of fun and we met a lot of wonderful people,” says Shiqueeta Lee, a member of the Diva League. “It was really interesting to see how Hollywood and TV work. You just really can't describe what it was like to be there. We were overwhelmed with visions of what st ...

New ways for new plays

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EST

New ways for new plays
Arena Stage receives $1.1 million grant for contemporary theater
By Staff & Wire Reports
Friday, August 14, 2009
Arena Stage, one of the first non-profit theaters in the U.S., has received a $1.1 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the theater announced, which it will use for a new play development initiative called the American Voices New Play Institute.

Arena Stage affirmed its commitment to new theater with the third production of this year's gay-themed play, “Looped” by gay writer Matthew Lombardo about bi actress Tallulah Bankhead and a gay man who helps her through a looping session. Arena Stage has long been a haven for gay actors and plays — gay playwright Edward Albee has had several of his works produced there and the theater has also produced work ...

Chesapeake Pride 'like family'

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EST

Chesapeake Pride 'like family'
Annapolis-area event keeps gay community visible
By Joey DiGuglielmo
Friday, July 31, 2009
With no gay bars in the area, there's a dearth of out and proud LGBT activity in Maryland's Chesapeake Bay/Annapolis area.

That's why organizers say the relatively small Chesapeake Pride, slated for Saturday at Mayo Beach Park in Edgewater, Md., just south of Annapolis, from noon to 6 p.m., is important.

“It's a place for the community to gather at least once a year and celebrate Pride,” says Rev. Wayne Schwandt, pastor of the mostly gay Metropolitan Community Church of the Chesapeake. “The tribe needs a place to dance and celebrate itself.”

Schwandt and a group of volunteers started Chesapeake Pride 10 years ago. The Chesapeake Pride ...

Love is a many-gendered thing

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:00:00 EST

Love is a many-gendered thing
New short story collection tells tales of gay romance
By Kathi Wolfe
Friday, March 13, 2009
If art imitates life, gay romance is alive and well.

Exhibit A? The February release of “Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction,” edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane, a lively volume that presents comic and poignant tales of love by 16 gay authors who range from renowned men of letters like Andrew Holleran and Felice Picano, to emerging writers Shawn Anniston and Mark G. Harris.

In Houston, a House of Pies restaurant is often called the House of Guys, Cochrane writes in the collection's afterward. As she read stories submitted for the collection, Cochrane, who's straight and lives in Texas with her husband, writes that she imagined herself sitting at th ...

And the 'Scotty' goes to ...

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 05:00:00 EST

And the 'Scotty' goes to ...
Picks and pans from the Blade's outgoing TV columnist
By Scott Sode
Friday, February 27, 2009

The Oscars, of course, were Sunday and the Emmys won't be along until September. To tide us over and to commemorate my last column for the Blade (though I'll have one more byline in next week's spring arts issue), I've come up with a few awards of my own.

The Oscars telecast, which I always watch in totality like any good gay boy, always inspires me to want to rectify a few things. From Beyonce's butchering of every musical number I hold dear to “The Dark Knight” getting robbed in the sound mixing category, I can't help but quibble a little. But since this is the TV column, I'll stay in that arena and, to end on a positive note, focus on what's working.

tron ...

Gearing up for the gay Super Bowl

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:00:00 EST

Gearing up for the gay Super Bowl
Sunday's Oscars are full of promise for gay viewers
By Amy Cavanaugh
Friday, February 20, 2009
The stars! The dresses! The drama!

The Oscars have always been a favorite event for gays, even in years without a major gay film nominated for best picture (“Milk”) and without a gay man co-producing the event (Bill Condon, the director and writer of “Dreamgirls”).

Following is a recap of the gay nominees, some suggestions for where to watch the show and gay Oscar trivia, so you'll look like the most in-the-know person wherever you decide to watch.

Memories of Mae

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 05:00:00 EST

Memories of Mae
New biography exposes a softer side of Mae West
By Robbie Barnett
Friday, February 13, 2009
In Mae West's most famous line, she urges a young Cary Grant in “She Done Him Wrong” to come up and see her sometime. Author Charlotte Chandler got the chance to do just that in 1980.

Chandler, a straight New York City resident who gained the trust of many Golden Age legends in their later years, just released “She Always Knew How: A Personal Biography of Mae West.” It follows similar tomes Chandler has written about Joan Crawford, Ingrid Bergman, Bette Davis and others.

A 1978 bio of Groucho Marx secured Chandler's reputation as a sympathetic ear to the stars. A friendship with gay director George Cukor helped with initial access. Cukor is cred ...

Hetero Haggard?

Fri, 6 Feb 2009 05:00:00 EST

Hetero Haggard?
Disgraced minister draws criticism for interviews about gay dalliances
By James Worsdale
Friday, February 06, 2009
Skepticism and disappointment are the general reactions to both Ted Haggard's self-proclaimed heterosexuality and the coverage surrounding the promotion of a documentary about him that premiered Jan. 29 on HBO.

The former evangelical church leader went on a media blitz last week with appearances on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Nightline,” and “Larry King Live” to talk about “The Trials of Ted Haggard” and admit to being a liar and a hypocrite. In 2006, Haggard confessed to a money-for-sex relationship with former escort Mike Jones, from whom he also purchased crystal meth. Haggard was forced out of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, ...

Can 'Milk' prevail?

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 05:00:00 EST

Can 'Milk' prevail?
Gay biopic faces strong competition — and homophobia in Hollywood — as Oscars near
By Amy Cavanaugh
Friday, January 30, 2009
Last fall's Harvey Milk biopic, “Milk,” just picked up eight Oscar nominations, including for best picture, but whether or not it can win is a matter of fierce debate among film fans.

Just three years ago, heavily favored “Brokeback Mountain” lost the best picture award to “Crash,” and allegations of homophobia in Hollywood immediately surfaced. But after what happened with “Brokeback” on Oscar night, does “Milk” have a better shot at the top prize and does homophobia among Academy members remain a concern? The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will hand out its Oscar statuettes — film's highest prize &md ...

Fervent 'Prayers'

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:00:00 EST

Fervent 'Prayers'
Earnest Lifetime Network film tells an important story for the right audience
By Greg Marzullo
Friday, January 23, 2009
Sometimes our prayers go unanswered and sometimes we get what we want but through very different means than what we had expected.

So it went with Mary Griffith, a Christian suburban housewife who devoted her life to developing a closer relationship to God. But when her son was outed to her, she turned up the homophobic religious rhetoric familiar to so many gay people. Her story is the subject of “Prayers for Bobby,” a made-for-television movie premiering on the Lifetime Network Saturday.

The film is a somewhat obvious attempt to teach people about the experience of gay youth and their need for familial and community support, but it still manages to be emot ...

Stay tuned ...

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 05:00:00 EST

Stay tuned ...
Worthy, inclusive 'Tara' follows 'L Word' on Showtime lineup
By Scott Sode
Friday, January 16, 2009
After you watch the season premiere of “The L Word” Sunday, you might want to keep your dial tuned to Showtime for the new gay-inclusive comedy, “United States of Tara” starring Toni Collette and premiering directly after the Sapphic soap.

“Tara,” the latest attempt by Showtime to make formerly great HBO irrelevant, follows beleaguered mother and wife Tara Gregson (Collette) as she struggles with dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder), with surprisingly funny, poignant and original results. Collette has always been known for her versatility as an actress, with parts in everything from cult hit “Mu ...

On the chopping block

Fri, 9 Jan 2009 05:00:00 EST

On the chopping block
'Queer Eye' food guy Ted Allen hosts new cooking show
By AMY CAVANAUGH
Friday, January 09, 2009
The reality television food show craze isn't showing any signs of slowing down in 2009. “Chopped,” a fast-paced cooking contest, debuts Tuesday at 10 p.m. on the Food Network with host Ted Allen.

An alumnus of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and former judge for “Iron Chef America” and “Top Chef,” Allen, who's openly gay, also hosts “Food Detectives,” a food-meets-science show, on Food Network.

The premise of “Chopped” is simple — four chefs square off by cooking a three-course meal — appetizer, entrée and dessert. Someone is “chopped” after each course and the winne ...

OUTspoken

Fri, 2 Jan 2009 05:00:00 EST

OUTspoken
2008: The year in quotes
By LAURA DOUGLAS-BROWN
Friday, January 02, 2009

From the historic presidential election to the bruising ballot fight in California, politics and marriage dominated headlines for much of 2008.

But in between the partisan barbs and protest chants, the famous — and infamous — also found time to sound off on topics from sports and pop culture to religion and coming out.

And what year would be complete without its share of celebrities finding creative ways to say they're not gay (not that there's anything wrong with that)?

MARRIAGE

“I think we need a constitutional amendment so that a foreign-born [person] can run for president, but ...

Lost in Shadows

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 05:00:00 EST

Lost in Shadows
Gay suspense movie well crafted but convoluted
By GREG MARZULLO
Friday, December 26, 2008
Given the long history of gays and lesbians being used as punching bags in cinema, it's refreshing to see a suspenseful horror film where the queer character is not the first victim to get slashed (or the psycho killer himself).

Writer and director Guillermo R. Rodriguez's “The Shadows” mixes the fright-movie genre with queer motifs to create a compelling, but ultimately confusing, piece.

Stephen Grimes (Joe Lia) is a wildly successful horror-novel writer with the gorgeous Tudor-style home and Mercedes Benz to prove it, but like all great writers, he's stuck with a serious case of writer's block despite a lawsuit-threatening deadline. His soon-to-be ex-wife ...

Hounding Huckabee

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:00:00 EST

Hounding Huckabee
Former prez hopeful goes up against Jon Stewart with hilarious results
By SCOTT SODE
Friday, December 19, 2008

It was a little late, but in the month or so since the passage of Proposition 8, many television personalities have stepped up to affirm their support for marriage equality.

Keith Olbermann's “special comment” on love is a particularly striking and moving video essay on the topic, as are the images of Whoopi Goldberg marching with her gay friends outside a Mormon temple in New York City, and Wanda Sykes coming out publicly to applause and cheers at a protest rally in Las Vegas.

But one person who has really stood out amid all the post-Prop 8 hubbub is, perhaps not surprisingly, “news”caster/hipster hero/generational icon/former bad Oscar host Jon St ...

Sounds of the season

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 05:00:00 EST

Sounds of the season
Three musical legends unveil first-ever Christmas albums
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
Friday, December 12, 2008
Three of pop music's biggest female singers have released their first-ever Christmas albums this season, with varied, but mostly solid, results.

Lesbian Melissa Etheridge's “A New Thought For Christmas” comes almost exactly a year after “The Awakening,” her last release. Sheryl Crow's “Home For Christmas,” available only at Hallmark Gold Crown stores, is her second album this year — the solid “Detours” dropped in February. Aretha Franklin only records intermittently these days. “This Christmas” is her first album of all-new material since 2003's “So Damn Happy.”

That these albums exist at all ...

Pop puppet

Fri, 5 Dec 2008 05:00:00 EST

Pop puppet
Songwriters, producers mostly to blame for so-so Britney release
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
Friday, December 05, 2008
Sometimes in pop music the big, much-heralded comeback record isn't quite what it's cracked up to be while the lesser-hyped disc that comes before or after it is the real gem.

It happened with Mariah. “The Emancipation of Mimi,” her 2005 monster comeback, was a decent effort but this year's “E=MC2” is a much better record.

For Britney, the inverse is true. “Circus,” which dropped Tuesday (Spears' 27th birthday), is getting good buzz — first single “Womanizer” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is Spears' biggest hit since “… Baby One More Time” 10 years ago. But last year's “Blackout&rdq ...

Mayor of the movement

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 05:00:00 EST

Mayor of the movement
'Milk' features superb acting, incomplete story
By RYAN LEE
Friday, November 28, 2008
During the last decade of his life, Harvey Milk had an almost pathological urge to rescue gay people. Whether closeted school teachers or young street trade, particularly the latter, Milk was obsessed with finding gay people who felt trapped in the darkest corners of their beings, and showing them that happiness and freedom were alternative options to how they were living.

Three decades after Milk was executed at point-blank range by a political rival in San Francisco's City Hall, his mission is revived in Gus Van Sant's new biopic, “Milk,” which opened Wednesday in Washington.

The wisdom and passion Milk (Sean Penn) offers in this movie comes at an ideal t ...

Making 'Milk'

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:00:00 EST

Making 'Milk'
Cleve Jones, Emile Hirsch on biopic of first gay elected official
By AMY CAVANAUGH
Friday, November 21, 2008

For Cleve Jones, who worked on Harvey Milk's campaign for San Francisco City Supervisor in the 1970s, seeing that period of his life onscreen in “Milk,” which will be released in Washington on Wednesday, was “very eerie.”

“The designers and artists did a great job of making it very real and a poignant experience,” he says. “To suddenly find myself working on sets where everyone looked, spoke and acted as we did back then was quite lovely.”

Jones, 54, is a gay activist best known for starting the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt in 1987, and he says that meeting Milk was “the most important thing that ever happened to ...

And the 'Band' played on

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:00:00 EST

And the 'Band' played on
Groundbreaking film finally released on DVD
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
Friday, November 14, 2008
Love it as an endearing, pre-HIV nod to yesteryear or hate it for its dated, gay-is-grim outlook, 1970's film “The Boys in the Band” was finally released Tuesday on DVD and it's an important movie to get the deluxe treatment even if it's widely viewed as a cultural artifact.

Brought to the screen by the legendary Billy Friedkin (who's straight and also directed “The French Connection” and “The Exorcist,” two '70s classics, and another gay-themed film, 1980's “Cruising”), “Boys” is an adaptation of a 1968 off-Broadway play written by Mart Crowley that, miraculously (as this almost never happens), retained its entire stage ...

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