Coming Out Support Newsweekly: 3/15/10

Coming Out Support (COS) Newsweekly
Volume 13 No. 10 March 15, 2010
Newsletter Editor: M. G. Auerbach Email: COSNewsweekly@gmail.com

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The Gay Agenda: Datebook: March 15-21, 2010

thru THU: 3/18: St. Louis, MO: QFest queer arts and culture. www.stlqfest.org

MON: 3/15: New York, NY: Talk Out Mondays. “The Tempermentals”, Off-Broadway’s play about the founders of The Mattachine Society, hosts experts in theatre and LGBT history. This week: playwright Bill C. Davis aamd activist Tom Viola. www.thetempermentals.com.

MON: 3/15: New York, NY: Valley of The Dolls. A stage version of the movie as a benefit for The Actors Fund. Charles Busch as Helen Lawson, Heidi Blickenstaff as Neely O'Hara, Tovah Feldshuh as Miriam Polar, Martha Plimpton as Anne Welles and Christopher Sieber as Ted Casablanca. Additional casting to be announced. www.actorsfund.org.

MON-TUE: 3/15-3/16: New York, NY: Sondheim: The Birthday Concert. The out composer celebrates 80 with The New York Philharmonic and Michael Cerveris, Victoria Clark, Jason Danieley, Nathan Gunn, George Hearn, Patti LuPone, Marin Mazzie, Audra McDonald, Donna Murphy, Mandy Patinkin, and Bernadette Peters.Laura Benanti, Matt Cavenaugh, Jenn Colella, Joanna Gleason, John McMartin, Laura Osnes, David Hyde Pierce, Bobby Steggert, Elaine Stritch, Jim Walton, and Chip Zien. www.nyphil.org.

MON-SUN: 3/15-3/21: Chicago, IL: Fresh Squeezed Theatre Series features out solo artists Tim Miller (“Lay of The Land”) and Holly Hughes (“The Dog and Pony Show”. Victory Gardens. www.victorygardens.org

WED: 3/17: New York, NY: Talk Back at “Yank”, the gay-themed World War II musical. Topic: Gay and Lesbian Characters in Musicals. www.yorktheatre.org.

FRI: 3/19: Washington, DC: Lobby Day 2010. The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network descends upon Capitol Hill to urge repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. http://www.sldn.org/events/archives/lobby-day-2010/

SAT: 3/20: Washington, DC: SLDN 18th Annual National Dinner. The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network benefit with Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA). http://www.sldn.org/events/archives/18th-annual-national-dinner/

SAT: 3/20: Northampton, MA: Screening: City of Borders. A documentary about five gay and lesbian Palestinians and Israelis as they navigate their sexuality through the political and cultural mine fields of Jerusalem. www.outforreel.org/films/city-of-borders

SAT-SUN: 3/20-3/21: New York, NY: The 17th Annual GLBT Expo. http://www.originalglbtexpo.com/index.php?ref=home

SUN: 3/21: New York, NY: ABC & SOAPnet Salute Broadway Cares, ABC-TV's annual fundraiser for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. www.broadwaycares.org.

SUN: 3/21: New York, NY: The Other Side of Broadway. The Joe Iconis Band, Meredith Patterson, and Shonn Wiley perform a Broadway Speaks OUT benefit. www.broadwayspeaksOUT.com

Newsworthy:

DADT Repeal Filed In Senate. Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, introduced a bill on 3/03/10 to repeal the ban on openly gay service members in the military, but at a hearing later in the day Republican lawmakers questioned why lifting the ban was necessary. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/us/politics/04military.html

Vatican Hit By Gay Sex Scandal. A chorister has been fired to procuring boys for the papal gentlemen-in-waiting. The Guardian reports: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/04/vatican-gay-sex-scandal

Roy Ashburn, The California state senator who was arrested for driving while intoxicated after a night at a gay bar announced 3/08/10 that he is gay. Ashburn had a decidedly anti-gay voting record. The Fresno (CA) Bee reports: http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/08/1851096/ashburn-says-hes-gay-defends-vote.html

The AIDS Virus hides in bone marrow, says new research. Associated Press reports: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jIzw5TNPc3bTHfHDOrmqk5VNd9rgD9E9UL400

California: Hollywood has its Walk of Fame and The Castro could have its Rainbow Honor Walk. The San Francisco Chronicle reports: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cityinsider/detail?entry_id=58674

Colorado: A preschooler was kicked out of nursey school because his parents are gay. 9News Colorado reports: http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=133945&catid=339

Cyberbullying: One in two LGBT youth are regularly bullied online. 365Gay.com reports: http://www.365gay.com/news/1-in-2-lgbt-regularly-cyberbullied/

The Buzz (People Making News)

Neil Patrick Harris will star as a live-action character and Alan Cumming, Jonathan Winters and George Lopez will lend their voices to a live-action/animated Smurfs movie, according to a report in Variety.

Cheyenne Jackson, recently on Broadway in the revival of Finian's Rainbow, has landed a role in the new ABC pilot "It Takes a Village”. Playbill.com reports: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/137604-Cheyenne-Jackson-Lands-Role-in-ABC-Pilot

Awards and Honors:

Winners: Academy Awards: http://oscar.go.com/oscar-night/winners?cid=10_oscars_gridLayout_livenow

Winners: Spirit Awards. “Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire” was the big winner which took home a slew of honors including an award for its out director Lee Daniels. www.spiritawards.com.

Features

Coming Out: Sean Hayes: The Advocate Interview. “Jack” from “Will & Grace” takes onBroadway’s “Promises, Promises”. http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/People/Sean_Hayes_I_Am_Who_I_Am/

Going Gay for the Gold. the Advocate looks at the 30 men and women nominated for Oscars for playing LGBT on film. http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Film/Going_Gay_for_the_Gold/

The Boys in The Band: It helped gay writers find their beat. The New York Times reports: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/theater/07influence.html?ref=theater

Review: Bette Bourne: A Life in Three Acts. While New York theatre is a-bloom with plays about the American gay experience, Bette Bourne’s autobiography joins the fold. Bourne has been a drag entertainment in London for over 50 years. The New York Times reports: http://theater.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/theater/reviews/08life.html

In Performance: Onstage:Theatre/Music/Dance

New York City (and Broadway)

***The Addams Family. Nathan Lane, Bebe Neuwirth and Jackie Hoffman co-star in the musical based on the TV sitcom. www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com
***A Life in Three Acts. Bette Bourne stars in his show about his life as a drag entertainer from his childhood in post-WW2 London to the present. to 3/28/10. www.stannswarehouse.org.
***My Queer Youth. Phil Geoffrey Bond's solo performance piece, a humorous look at growing up queer in Farmland, USA. . to 3/28/10. 212 695 6909.
***Next Fall. Geoffrey Nauffts' provocative play about a gay couple; one partner is a devout Christian and the other is an atheist. www.nextfallbroadway.com
***The Pride. Hugh Dancy and Ben Whislaw are lovers in Alexi Kaye Campbell’s new drama about sexual identity. to 3/28/10. www.mcctheater.org
***Sondheim on Sondheim. A new revue showcasing the out composer's music with Barbara Cook, and Vanessa Williams. to 6/13/10. www.roundabouttheatre.org
***The Tempermentals. Jon Maran's acclaimed drama about Harry Hay, designer Rudi Gernreich (Michael Urie) and friends as they form The Mattachine Society before Stonewall. www.thetemperamentals.com
***Yank! An old fashioned musical gay love story chronicles the relationship between two WW2 servicemen long before "Don't-ask-don't-tell" was part of the national discussion. Bobby Steggert stars. to 4/04/10. www.yorktheatre.org

Elsewhere...

***Billy Elliot, Elton John’s Tony-winning musical about a boy who wants to become a ballet dancer. Chicago, IL. www.broadwayinchicago.com.
***Golden Age. Terrence McNally's drama about Donizetti set backstage at the premiere of his last opera "I Puritani". Marc Kudisch and Jeffrey Carlson star. to 4/04/10. Washington, DC. www.kennedy-center.org.
***Grease. The Gay Men’s Chorus all-male version is the word. 3/19/10-3/21/10. Washington, DC. http://www.gmcw.org/season/0910/grease.php
***Justin Bond: Angels of the Morning, The Ladies of AM Radio. 3/12/10-3/13/10. San Francisco, CA. www.therrazzroom.com
***The Lisbon Traviata, Terrence McNally's story of opera queens and diva worship. Malcolm Gets and John Glover star. to 4/11/10. Washington, DC. www.kennedy-center.org.
***The Phantom of the Oprah. The Gold Dust Orphans and Varla Jean Merman team up for outrageous gay comedy. to 3/28/10, Boston, MA. www.golddustorphans.com

On Screen (and Video & DVD)

Out on Screen...

***A Single Man. Tom Ford's debut film, an adaptation of a Christopher Isherwood novel, about a day in the life of a gay man, starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore.
***8: The Mormon Proposition is a new documentary about the involvement of the Church of Latter Day Saints' involvement in the passage of Proposition 8 in California.
***Eyes Wide Open, two ultra-orthodox Chasidic Jews who fall in love in Israel. Aaron is a married, respected butcher; Ezri is a yeshiva student, who becomes Aaron’s apprentice who becomes something more.
***I Love You Phillip Morris. Based on Steve McVicker's book about real-life events. Jim Carrey plays a convict, who falls for his cellmate, Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor).
***Prodigal Sons, a film by TG film maker Kimberly Reed about her journey back to her home town and her reunion with an adopted brother. http://prodigalsonsfilm.com/

Out On Video & DVD

***An Englishman in New York. John Hurt as Quentin Crisp ("The Naked Civil Servant") as he becomes a celebrity. Also stars Cynthia Nixon, Denis O'Hare and Jonathan Tucker.
***Breakfast With Scot. The lives of a closeted ex-hockey player and his partner are thrown into turmoil when they take in Scot, a flamboyant 11-year old who is not the sports-loving boy they were expecting.
***Outrage. Kirby Dick's documentary, a searing indictment of the hypocrisy of closeted politicians who actively campaign against the LGBT community they covertly belong to.
***Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. The stunning drama from out director Lee Daniels about an overweight teen, and her abusive mother (Mo’Nique).
***Show Business: The Road to Broadway. An incredible documentary about Broadway's 2003-04 season and four musicals: "Wicked", "Avenue Q"(gay puppets), "Caroline or Change" (Tony Kushner) and "Taboo" (Rosie O'Donnell).
***Word is Out. The 30th anniversary commemorative DVD of the famous documentary about LGBT identity. There’s a great trailer at the website. http://www.wordisoutmovie.com/

On TV Of Note: All times listed are ET. Check local listings for times in your area.

Resource:TV Gayed, GLAAD's Weekly Guide to What's LGBT on TV: Updated every Friday. www.glaad.org/tvgayed

Conferences, Seminars, Benefits, and Special Events

3/22/10: New York, NY: Talk Out Mondays. “The Tempermentals”, Off-Broadway’s play about the founders of The Mattachine Society, hosts experts in theatre and LGBT history. This week: authors Charles Kaiser and John Loughery. www.thetempermentals.com.

3/22/10: New York, NY: Sondheim 80, the Roundabout Theatre salues composer Stephen Sondheim on his 80th birthday with an all-star gala. www.roundabouttheatre.org.

3/22/10: Washington, DC: Terrence McNally: In Conversation. A panel about and featuring the out playwright. www.kennedy-center.org.

3/29/10: Portland, OR: Bear to Make a Difference, a benefit for the Matthew Shepard Foundation. www.matthewshepard.org

3/31/10-4/04/10: Palm Springs, CA: The Dinah 2010. The women’s golf and party weekend. Featuring Meredith Baxter, Suzanne Westernhoefer, Ke$ha, and more. www.thedinah.com.

3/30/10-4/04/10: Breckenridge, CO: OutBoard. the annual LGBT snowboarding festival. www.outboard.org

Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: The Oscars

1. Question. Name this Oscar-winning film musical in which a woman playing a man playing a woman sings an Oscar-winning original musical score. Hint. Its star found the sound of music as a nanny. Answer: Victor Victoria, the 1982 movie starring Julie Andrews as an opera singer who masquerades as a drag queen. Hency Mancini and Leslie Bricusse wrote the score.

2. Question. Name this film musical with Nazis that picked up 8 Oscars. Inspired by a gay author’s diaries, scored by a gay song-writing duo, and starring a gay icon daughter of a gai icon, its plot included a bisexual meange a trois. Answer: Cabaret, the Kander & Ebb musical based on Christopher Isherwood’s diaries, which starred Liza Minnelli, daughter of Judy Garland.

3. Question. Name this X-rated Oscar winner (the only X-rated movie to win “Best Picture”) about a hustler. Its director was gay. One of its stars was a recent graduate, the other is known today as father of a humanitarian. Answer: Midnight Cowboy, John Schlesinger’s film starring Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, father of Angelina Jolie.

4. Question. Name these actors who won their Oscars portraying true life stories of LGBT people: A) a TG girl who transformed herself into a boy only to be raped and beaten to death when his secret was discovered; B) a gay southern writer transfixed by a midwestern murder and its murderers; C) a Florida lesbian serial killer Answers: A) Hilary Swank, Oscar winner for “Boys Don’t Cry”, the true story of Brandon Teena, born Teena Brandon; B) Philip Seymour Hoffman as writer Truman (“In Cold Blood”) Capote in “Capote”; C) Charlize Theron in “Monster” as serial killer Aileen Wournos who was put to death by lethal injection in 1992.

5. Question: Name this Oscar winning actor, who played a gay windowdresser with Hollywood dreams in a film based on a Latin writer’s prison drama. The film became a Broadway musical which made Chita Rivera and Vanessa Williams sing and dance. Answer: William Hurt, who starred in “Kiss of the Spider Woman” which became a musical.

This Week’s Trivia Quiz: Sondheim at 80

Stephen Sondheim, one of America’s Broadway legends, turns 80 on the 22nd. An out man, he’s included gay talent and gay characters in his works. A new revue of his music opens on Broadway soon (Barbara Cook and Vanessa Williams star). To watch excerpts from Sondheim musicals: http://www.bluegobo.com/index.php

1. Question: Name this Sondheim musical about a conflicted possibly bisexual or gay bachelor who, at age 35, seeks commitment. Hint: In the most recent Broadway revival, the lead came out as bisexual in the Sunday New York Times. In the original cast, the lead was gay.

2. Question: Name this Sondheim musical about two real-life brothers, one straight and one gay. The straight one was a hustler, gambler, producer and cokehead. The gay one designed Boca Raton.

3. Question: Name this Sondheim musical, based on a true story about a mother of two vaudevillians, who in real life ran a lesbian boarding house after one daughter ran off with a boyfriend and the other became a star. It’s rumoured that the older daughter liked women.

4. Question: Name this Sondheim backstage musical, choreographed by a bisexual man who created two more backstage musicals without Sondheim, one about Broadway and one about Motown.

5. Question: Name this Sondheim musical about crimes against political leaders. In its recent Broadway revival, it starred an out comic and an out TV sitcom star as real-life crimesters.

The first person to submit the correct answers gets their name in print right here. Email your answers to: COSNewsweekly@gmail.com. If you do not want your email address to appear in the blog format of this newsletter, please indicate that. http://cosnewsweekly.blogspot.com/