Gay Tourism Director Fakes the Big O

Painting lies in Provincetown?

Okay, so maybe the title of this post stretches the truth, but then again, Internet-based exaggeration and even outright fabrication are the essence of the following tidbit.

Revelers headed to catch the last gasps of summer in Provincetown, that quaint but international gay mecca at the tippy-top of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, this weekend may be greeted with the weird news that Bill Schneider, local tourism director, resigned last week.

Now, why would a highly regarded professional abandon his post mere days after Ptown drew 100,000 attendees to its biggest ever installment of the annual and fabulously gay summer Carnival celebration?

Well, it seems that Schneider compromised his ability to do his job because he fibbed about something in his personal life. Namely, he committed one of the gravest venal sins in all of gaydom. He lied about being a guest on The Oprah Winfrey show.

Learn more about the Ptown Pinocchio after the jump!

The East Village: NYC's Other Historic Gay 'Hood

Arpad brings a bit of old school macho to the gentrified shops of St. Mark's Place. And yes, that is a CBGB boutique in the background. Oy...  Photos by Richard J. Rothstein.

As usual this past Pride Week, there was lots of reflection about the Stonewall riots and the history of the gay movement in New York's West Village. Which is as it should be... But the blocks surrounding Christopher Street aren't the only chunks of the Big Apple steeped in queer folklore. On the other side of downtown, NYC's East Village boasts its own legendary gay past.

Esteemed writer Richard Rothstein of QueerSighted has put together a pretty fierce stroll down memory lane through the streets of this always cool neighborhood, and reveals the amazing gay places that used to be. Follow in the footsteps of Warhol, Ginsberg and old-school drag pioneers, and find out where circuit parties were born, where the notorious bathhouses were, and where queers and punks started revolutions that still influence our culture today.

Plus, Rothstein included some beefy pics to keep you clicking. Well done!

Maybe we should all meet in Tompkins Square tonight and reflect? Or there's always beers at the Phoenix, eh?

I See Your True Colors Tour Sneak Peek Shining Through--And That's Why I Love You

True Dat! It's a Dresden Doll, and All-American Girl, a She-Bopper and a Nightbird all prepping for tonight's big finale of the True Colors tour. Debbie Harry, the Indigo Girls and Rosie O. will also be on hand.

One thing that happens in Vegas? Hotel room modem issues… Later than planned, here are a bunch of photos from last night’s final rehearsal for tonight’s massive True Colors tour launch at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.  Like I mentioned before, this show is gonna be fun (if the bits I saw last night are a healthy indicator)…

I’m gonna work backwards here. The image up top is four of the big headliners prepping one of the finale numbers. I won’t tell you what it is, but it will be Abba-eqsue. That’s Amanda of the Dresden Dolls (she’s really fab and fun) on the far left, then Margaret Cho, Cyndi Lauper (duh) and Erasure’s Andy Bell. Yo Andy! What’s with the lyric sheet? Didn’t you guys record an entire Abba album?

More backstage rock glitz after the jump!

What Does Happen in Vegas Anyway?

Ahhh, Vegas... Slots greet you at the airport. And the Eiffel Tower (of the gay-welcoming Paris Las Vegas Hotel) welcomes you on the Strip. Er... Bienvenue?

Greetings from Vegas, folks! Yup, I’m here for tonight’s big debut of the True Colors tour (Um yes, you’ve heard of it. On this blog. Repeatedly.), which will see Cyndi Lauper, Erasure, Debbie Harry, the Dresden Dolls, the Indigo Girls and Rosie O’Donnell (Yep, surprise! Ro’s gonna be here tonight!) all take the stage for a big rockin’ concertapalooza, emceed by Margaret Cho. Fun, eh?

More on that soon. So far… Vegas? It’s loopy! I’m staying at the tres mad Paris Las Vegas hotel, which is like the France section of Epcot on steroids (but in kind of an amazingly festive way). I checked into my room yesterday evening just in time to catch a view of the big fountain show at the Bellagio across the street, during which nine zillion gallons of water danced and shot high in the air, all choreographed to a booming soundsystem cranking Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” Ack! These colors may not run, but they do spew geyser-style in the middle of a desert.

A bit of business: The nice folks at American Airlines flew me here. They have a big gay-specific website catering to your queer flying needs. It’s rainbow-tastic! And starting in September, they’re gonna have nonstop flights to Vegas from JFK. Woot woot!

The Thunder Down Under gets down in Vegas. Eeek! These posters greet you at the airport. And these displays of "big balls" are not at all related, fyi.

Coming next, a glimpse of  last night’s rehearsal for tonight’s big True Colors kickoff. Quickly: Cyndi Lauper is still amazing, and has the pipes of a raging, rock goddess. Check back for all that.

It’s Still a Three-Day Weekend, People

A few not-to-miss events this weekend for you Southerners!

So after you have your moment of silence for the bravely departed, you can take your pick of Memorial Day events. Drinking on a holiday weekend is the American thing to do, and there’s the ever-popular picnic in the park; but if you’re looking for something a little more reckless this weekend, I have compiled a completely random list of fun events starting in the Deep South and working up to the Yankee North.

Splash Weekend at Hippie Hollow in Austin is always a favorite for hopping from party boat to party boat, lounging, cruising and drinking beer. The Austin bars around 4th street always have tons of crazy parties. This year there’s even an alternative to the alternative lifestyle clubbing scene. Positively Not 4th St. at The Cockpit is a rock ‘n roll party for queer kids on Saturday night featuring four bands (including The Hot as Shits!) and an after party ‘til 5 a.m.

In Atlanta, you also have options. You could do the whole night-to-not-remember thing with DJ Chris Cox on Saturday May 26 at the Loft at Center Stage; or you could go to a fundraiser for MondoHomo (a queer music and dance party week in support of the Social Forum in June) and catch bands, burlesque and a dance party at Eyedrum Gallery on Sunday the 27th. Or both!

More Memorial Weekend activities in Chicago, New York and San Francisco...after the jump!

Get Naked in Amsterdam With Spencer Tunick

Tiptoeing through the tulips... Nekked.

Prolific photographer Spencer Tunick is world-renowned for staging big events wherein he shoots pics of hundred (thousands?) of naked folks all assembled somewhere publicly. He's done it in Mexico City, in NYC diners for Poz Magazine, in Belgium, all over the planet really.

This June he's taking his long-lens to Amsterdam (a city that knows a thing or two about artsy freedom, skin and creative license) with a big public art installment and an exhibition in the Dutch capital. Already, Tunick shot some photos of over 100 folks amid Holland's world-famous tulip fields as a teaser. Watch a video here!

And on June 3rd, he'll create a new public installation in Amsterdam, which will surely involve lots of people in the buff somewhere in the city center (the location is super-secret until the day of the event). Fun, eh? If you want to participate (C'mon! Wouldn't it be nice to drop trou for art's sake, for a change?) in Tunick's Dam-tastic event, you can sign up here. As compensation, you'll get a limited edition print of the final photographic product. The deadline to sign up is May 15th, so hurry!

Following that festive-ness, an exhibition of Tunick's works will open on June 23rd in Amsterdam and run through August as part of Dream Amsterdam, a big arts event.

But really... As if you needed an excuse to, A) get naked, or B) do so in Amsterdam. Woo-hoo!

Miami Heat: Miami's Juicy Gay & Lesbian Film Fest

7th Heaven alum David Gallagher starred in The Picture of Dorian Gray which opened the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Fest. Say cheese!

The ninth Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (www.mglff.com), wrapped up this past weekeend (running from April 27-May 6), and was one big juicy affair, from its dripping orange logo to the parties, packed screenings and South Beach’s sweaty weather. Our very special correspondent Lawrence Ferber was on hand for part of the shenanigans. Here’s his report!

This year's gay film fest was kicked off by festival director Carol Coombes (that is, “quirky” fest director, according to Miami’s local paper – and that’s just how we love her!) who proclaimed orange as the new pink! Things stayed interesting too, as the fest's opening night feature was not your typical gay romp of a flick either. The Picture of Dorian Gray, directed by Duncan Roy, transplanted Oscar Wilde’s famed story, about a vain pretty thing whose portrait ages while he stays young and flawless, to 1980s NYC. Former 7th Heaven pin-up David Gallagher stars as the evil but hot little Gray, whose image in a video installation gets all gnarly, old, and deathly ill while he sleeps around and commits horrendous acts. (The film is also slated to open NYC’s big gay NewFest on May 31st. Get info here.)

Much more major Miami fest coverage (and pics) after the jump!

I Now Pronounce You Mickey & Goofy

Ummm... That's not Mickey and Minnie. That's Mickey and his pal Vance in drag. Congrats!

Thanks to the journalistic diligence of the fine fellows over at AfterElton.com, Disney has announced that gay folks can now have "fairytale weddings" at their theme parks. Yep, you can now get hitched alongside that spunky couple Belle and Mulan, or those lusty lads Aladdin and Hercules (I always knew something was going on between those two). Mazel!

This all came about due to an article which AfterElton ran last month about how gay folks were not allowed to have their own civil union ceremonies/weddings/ commitment services at the theme parks, like straight folks can. (Yep, who knew that heterosexuals dream of getting married in Tomorrowland?) I'm forseeing lots of burly gay knot-tying over at the Country Bear Jamboree. With a reception following on Tom Sawyer Island! Yahoo!

Yes, you can have your gay Mickey Mouse wedding cake, and eat it too!

Dinah: Totally Blowing Her Horn!

The women from Logo's forthcoming summer series, Curl Girls, hit Dinah Shore Weekend. Umm... Should we tell the blonde one that her pants are undone?

News is trickling in from the big, huge, all-female mega-bash known as Dinah Shore Weekend out in Palm Springs... My savvy Sapphic sisters over at AfterEllen have boatloads of killer coverage from all the party madness, including totally hot photos of lesbian celeb types like Jackie Warner of Work Out fame, and the completely scorching, sporty women starring in Curl Girls, a new series coming this summer from Logo all about women who surf.

Dante's Cove's Michelle Wolff and Work Out's Jackie Warner show us how the scrappy tousled tomboy hair and stringy top with white pants look can work for you, too.

More Dinah dish after the jump...

Andy Warhol: Still Dead. Still Fabulous!

20 years later... Get your Andy Warhol magnets at the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh!

New York's astute, literary mogul/drag queen Linda Simpson (who publishes and edits her own downtown magazine, My Comrade, as well as its accompanying blog) is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Andy Warhol's Memorial Service. Turns out that Ms. Simpson attended said service, held at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue on April 1st, 1987. All kinds of fancy folks turned out, of course... Here are a couple of pics (check out more here).

Bianca Jagger rocks some humongous gold pearls. And Grace Jones just rocks.

Linda herself must have been about 9 years old when she shot these pics. What a go-getter!

More Andy, and a visit to the Warhol Museum after the jump!

Abercrombie & Fitch Buffs Up London

Circuit queens and frat boys in London now can dress appropriately. An Abercrombie & Fitch store has just opened, on London's esteemed sartorial avenue, Savile Row. (And yes, I know all kinds of different folks wear A&F togs; not just circuit queens and frat boys, and those who worship them. Those husky-voiced sporty girls who play field hockey; they like A&F too, right?)

Although U.S. chains like The Gap and Wal-Mart have failed to do well in England, the A&F folks are hoping that theirs will be a different story. But where will they get all the big, dopey, strapping blond frat boys to work in the stores?

Blimey!

Sydney Mardi Gras Rocks! 250 Kylies Can't Be Wrong!

Greetings from Mardi Gras: Glam gets up close and personal, and "Millie Minogue" takes to the streets with 250 other wannabe Kylies. I should be so lucky...

Sydney's infamous Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras bash saw its legendary parade tear through the Aussie capital on Saturday. As per usual, it was a mad, merry, raucous affair. Actor Rupert Everett served as Grand Marshal, and among the 8,000 marchers were a contingent of 250 Kylie Minogue impersonators, all part of the group, "Kylie's Impossible Princesses." And even the police said that folks were generally well-behaved (but hopefully not too well-behaved.) Sounds heavenly!

After the jump are more perky pics from the event. And yes, some marchers took the opportunity to address political issues or current events in their drag. George W. Bush as a dominatrix in a bustier? Yes, of course!

The "Asian Marching Boys" float along on the HMAS Love... Ahoy, beeyotches!

Happy Mardi Gras!

Live from Sydney: It's Mardi Gras!

Perhaps you can't be in Sydney this year for the humongous Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. That's a bummer (and I'm right there with you...). But if it's any consolation, you can watch live online. Yep, the whole sequined, bewigged, blissfully raucous and cracked-out affair will be broadcast via the World Wide Web. It's tomorrow night! And it'll cost you $7.50. And you have to go here.

Grab one of those big Foster's oil-cans of beer, put on the Priscilla soundtrack (or perhaps some classic Olivia Newton-John) and watch away! And perhaps you'll even see the police cracking down on partiers. Ouch!

Earlier this year, the fellas (ahem) from Little Britain opened up this year's festivities. And here's a glimpse from last year and the year before...

G'day Gays!

Lesbian Spring Break 2007! (And Then Some...)

Yes, Virginia... There is a big Aqua Girl pool party with your name on it!

Virginia Woolf, a pioneer of feminist thought and an artistic visionary, wrote of the importance of a woman being able to find “a room of one’s own”—a space that is exclusively hers to create and think and establish herself as an independent entity. That was in 1929.

Flash forward almost 80 years and I’d like to think if she were alive today, instead of filling her pockets with heavy stones and wandering into the River Ouse to end it all, Ms. Woolf would be in a less gloomy mood, and she'd line up with pockets full of drink tickets at the Splash Bash Pool Party at Orlando’s Gay Day premiere women’s weekend, Girls in Wonderland. Or maybe she’d rock Palm Springs for Girl Bar Dinah Shore Week, or hit the Club Skirts parties at The Dinah. Or maybe she’s gather up her gal pals—Vita Sackville-West, Violet Dickinson, and suffragette Ethel Smyth, for starters—and haul their Bloomsbury bums over to the Aqua Girl parties in South Beach. (Let’s see Nicole Kidman put on a fake nose and play that, aiiiight?)

More major party pics and info after the jump...

Berlin Celebrates "Bear" Culture (With a Film Festival!)

German bears love movies! Especially when they're the "Golden Bears" at the Berlin Film Fest. Queer movies like "The Bubble" (featuring its four scantily clad leads, above) got screened and shown love at last week's cinematic showdown.

NEWSFLASH! This past week bear chasers stormed Berlin! But the bears they were chasing weren’t (always) hirsute daddy-types. Instead, these folks were hoping for the prizes at the Berlinale, aka the Berlin Film Festival—the annual film-fest which convenes this time every year to screen movies from all over, and to dole out awards like the Golden Bear and, in the case of gay-themed films, the Teddys.

One of the most important film festivals in the world – along with Cannes and Sundance – Berlin officially recognizes its LGBT films and filmmakers with the annual Teddy Awards, given out especially to the best queer films of the year’s entries. Writer Lawrence Ferber (who's, like, one of the most plugged-in, film-going gays on the planet) attended this year's Berlin Film Fest and penned this write up. Which you're gonna love...

And yes, this year's Berlin movie-madness featured quite a few buzz-worthy queer works...

Read all about it after the jump!

Gay Ski Week Secrets Revealed!

It’s cold out today in NYC. Finally, winter weather is here (which I frankly love). In fact, the above pic was taken outside my office window! Yes, folks are ski-jumping here in Midtown Manhattan. (Actuallty, this pic is of some French ski jumper named Jerome Gay. That’s "Monsieur Gay" to you.)

Perhaps you also enjoy ski jumping. Or maybe just skiing. Or maybe just hanging out with gay people who ski, and then who like to go to parties and whoop it up with other gays for several days in a row in a winter resort locale. If that sounds appealing, check out the new travel feature up on LogoOnline’s travel site, Trip.Out. It’s a guide to all the gay ski weeks (in North America) coming in the season ahead. (Bonus: It’s penned by sporty writer Malinda Lo, who also contributes to AfterEllen and the AfterEllen blog. She rules.) From Aspen to Whistler, from the African-American ski weekend Winter Explosion to the gay snowboarding fest OutBoard, there’s likely to be something in their make you wanna get your skis waxy.

Or, if the only expanse you’re likely to schuss across runs from your sofa to the fridge, then watch the totally cute gay movie, The Ski Trip. It was on Logo last year, but you can add it to your NetFlix queue.

See ya at the bottom!

Love All Over the World

The number of places where gays can get married just grew. Feeling like getting hitched in South Africa?

I’m feeling like traveling these days. Of course, that happens when I hear news like “South Africa Passes Gay Marriage Law.” Suddenly, I’m all set to hop a plane and jet to Cape Town. Or last week when I read “Mexico City Approves Same-Sex Civil Unions,” I’m ready to pack my bags and head to the Zona Rosa and sip margaritas in a slick sidewalk cafe in Condesa. Likewise, I’ve got to admit that the lure of traveling to places like London, Barcelona, Copenhagen or Amsterdam is boosted by the fact that I know that gay marriage is legit and recognized in all of those places...

And here’s a tip, if you want to go to any of those places, Logo’s travel site, Trip.Out has handy LGBT-specific travel info to get you there.

Of course, gay marriage is never gonna be a walk in the park. Meaning, living with and loving a long-term partner or spouse or boyfriend is tricky. Just ask the Spanish Consul General in Australia, Enrique Sarda Valls, or his husband, Michael Kopietz. The two have just been involved in a brawl which resulted in Kopietz pleading guilty to assault charges, which involved Sarda Valls getting a black eye, bruises and such. Ain't love grand?

P.S. American Airlines has launched its own LGBT-specific booking page, to help you get to where you want to go. It’s part of their Rainbow TeAAm initiative. I just don’t recommend that you and your same-sex lover make out during the flight. But that’s another matter entirely...

And I'll be expecting an invite to your South African gay wedding, thanks.

Buzz Bits: Back from Vacation, Doo-GAY Howser & Pakistan's Next Top Dragster!

Quito, Ecuador circa 1955. I was just there! Though in, like, present-day time.

So, I go away on a vacation to Ecuador for about 9 days and Doogie Howser comes out, an evangelical minister admits to dabbling in crystal meth and gay hustlers, and Brad Pitt shows up in wet undies on the cover of Vanity Fair. Nice! (Go here for a photo of Harris during his B’way stint in Cabaret a few years ago. The pic is kinda, er... Ya know...)



"I'm a very content gay man..." Go Doogster!

Props to Neil Patrick Harris (who’ve I’ve seen around NYC where he frequently does Broadway theater stuff). He’s a nice guy, cool actor, and good gay. And since when did People Magazine become the go-to place for puppy-dog actor boys and boy band members to come out, eh?

USA Today seems to even think there’s a trend among those who aren’t doctors, but play them on TV and gayness. Not sure about that, but if it prompts Lost doc Matthew Fox or ER’s Bosnian resident Goran Visnjic to suddenly decide that they’re gay, that works for me.

Meanwhile, all of Pakistan is agog over the nation’s hottest new, beloved celeb: A transvestite TV starlet. Who’s sari now, eh? (Couldn’t resist that one...)

More bloggy bits to come, but here’s another nice pic of Neil Patrick Harris, posing with two of Broadway’s coolest openly gay stars, Denis O’Hare (Sweet Charity, and a Tony-winner for Take Me Out) and killer funnyman Mario Cantone. All three starred together in Assassins back in 2004. (Just fyi, O’Hare is currently shooting A Mighty Heart, which tells the story of the death of reporter Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, and stars Angelina Jolie. And he recently wrapped Michael Clayton, costarring with George Clooney and Tilda Swinton. Who says out actors can't get work? Go Denis!)



Out on Broadway: openly gay (and super-talented) actors Denis O'Hare, Mario Cantone and Neil Patrick Harris, when they all costarred in Assassins a couple of years back.

The Pavilion: The Next Chapter

The Remains of the Gay Day: It's last call for The Pavilion. Photo by Dean Kurth, courtesy of Towleroad.


Over at Towleroad, Andy reported today how Fire Island’s landmark harbor-front dance club and complex known as The Pavilion is being demolished, so that a new and improved complex of shops, a lounge and a new nightclub can be constructed in its place. As The Pavilion and its flanking structures have traditionally been (as Andy deftly states) “the architectural and social anchor” of the Pines community, you can expect that what’s going to be built to replace it will be under tough scrutiny from Pines residents, and throughout the gay community at large.

That’s why I’m proud to report that I’ve obtained a series of sketches and images from the different companies vying to win the architectural bid to build the Pavilion’s successor. The competition’s going to be fierce, as you’ll see. Let me know which design plan you favor. I'll post these without comment, so as not to bias you.

May the best plan win!

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

G.

H.

I.

J.

K.

L.

M.

N.

Let me know your fave!

Travel Buzz Bits: Travelling Trans & Dutch Delights

Lisa Jackson knows how to carry on. And I'm not just talking baggage...

One of the awesome things about traveling is confronting the unknown. Though that can all take on an entirely different meaning if you're transgender and have to deal with iffy airport security issues (like what if your driver’s license says “Keith” but you look like “Lisa”), strangers in the seat next to you, using public restrooms and all that fun stuff.

Fortunately, there are folks like kick-ass trans rocker Lisa Jackson to share her wit and wisdom. Today you can head to LogoOnline’s travel site, Trip.Out, and read her fun feature about what it’s like to fly the friendly skies as a trans person. Give it a read!

Lisa Jackson & Girl Friday: Rockin' all over the place.

And catch Lisa Jackson (with her band Girl Friday) at their next show. It’s gonna be in NYC at Arlene’s Grocery on September 16th. Rock on!

Also on LogoOnline’s Trip.Out travel site...

Amsterdam's rooftops. Gable-friendly!

Right now’s a pretty awesome time to travel to Amsterdam. It’s considered Europe’s gay capital and boasts a buzzing scene, super-tolerant policies, gorgeous canals, great museums and sights... And cool Dutch folks. It’s the featured desination on Trip.Out.

Or if you’re not up for a trip just yet... Listen to the Swedish trio of Peter Bjorn and John’s new tune, “Amsterdam” which is off of their new killer album, Writer’s Block. It’s tastier than a big block of Gouda!

Welcome to Amsterdam. You're gonna see a lot of these...

Dank u wel!

From Norway With Love

Hans Martin Cramer of The Vineyards rocks it out. You may be hearing more from them, soon. Photo by A. Nygjerd.

New bands come from all over. Brooklyn, Omaha, Silverlake, Montreal—and yes, Norway! Music scribe T. Cole Rachel writes and spearheads the music coverage at Soundgirl (which is the cool music-focused site run by the clothing label of the same name) and he also writes about music for V Magazine and V Man. And he’s written about music for Genre, Next Magazine, A&F Quarterly and other cool mags.

Dig those crazy Norwegian musical festival mobs. Hola, Oya!



Susanna and The Magical Orchestra (left) will transfix you with her ethereal vocals; 120 Days (right) is soon to hit Stateside with their hypnotic, moody, blazing rock.



Cole snapped these candid Oya pics: The guys of 120 Days (left) kick it backstage. The gents from The Vineyards do double-time as DJ's at a slammin' all-night Oslo party.

Check out Cole's fresh report from the recent Oya rockfest (known locally as Oyafestivalen) in Oslo, which was one of those mad three-day long rock fest that featured performances from hot bands like The Knife, Band of Horses and Hot Chip, music legends like Morrissey, Yoko Ono and The Fall, and of course a bunch of cool Scandinavian bands that you’ve probably never heard of. Cole offers his picks of the best of the Norwegian bands that hit the stage. They're an awesome mix of rock-hard slamming metal and upbeat electro-pop. Yipee!

Gisli (left) is a Norwegian version of Beck meets a solo Junior Senior; Cole calls The New Violators (right) are a cross between Liberace and Morrissey--via Oslo. Smashing!



Hi ho, Silver! The rockers tear up onstage. And (right), Erlend Oye's new band, The Whitest Boy Alive turn out delirious simplistic pop.

Go here to check out Cole’s fun write-up from the event. And you’ll get schooled on the hottest music eminating from the land of fjords, Vikings and that cute pop princess Annie.

How Oslo can ya go?

Buzz Bits

SCISSOR SISTERS' LATEST CUT
Floating around today on YouTube: the Scissor Sisters new video for their single “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’.” (via Towleroad and A Socialite’s Life). It’s flamboyant visual overload!!! Bring on the floating heads!

NO KISSING IN OZ? HUH?
The current run of The Boy From Oz in Sydney had Hugh Jackman back onstage shaking his wares in spandex in his fun, Tony-winning role as Peter Allen. But this time, there's no same-sex smooching going on. Yep, the Aussie production omits the kiss between Jackman and his onstage lover, played by Murray Bartlett. Which is a major shame because Bartlett is a fox! I know because Murray was the doorman at The Slide bar here in NYC not so long ago, when he worked most of Daniel Nardicio's mad, legendary parties. Just FYI...

Crowd-surfing & Gnarls Barkley: Just another weekend at Lollapalooza!

LOTS OF LOLLAPALOOZA
Didn't make it to Lollapalooza this past weekend in Chicago? No sweat. Stereogum did—and has the pics and video to clue you in.

ELTON'S SITCOM SIDELINED
Were you looking forward to the very gay (and supposedly very good) Elton John-produced comedy Him and Us (and about a high-strung gay rock star and his entourage) coming to ABC this fall? Don’t be. It’s not on the schedule after all. Bummer.

SCREAMING MIMI
Mariah hit the stage to kickoff her concert tour in Miami this weekend. Glitter aside, it was all about that voice.

Harisu works the stage; kisses babies. Hurrah!

KOREAN QUEEN
Harisu is a transsexual pop star/model/actress in Korea, who’s become a media sensation. She’s even appeared in ads for “menstrual pads” in her homeland. This weekend she made an appearance greeting fans in Changchun of Jilin Province, China. She danced, performed and kissed babies. You can watch one of her videos here (for the tune “Foxy Lady”). It’s very J-Lo. Or get your fill at her site, Love Harisu. Go, Harisu!

"OUT, OUT" AT 400
Shakespeare’s MacBeth received its 400th-year anniversary performance this past weekend at Hampton Court palace in England, where it’s believed that the play first debuted in 1606. And yes, all the roles were played by males. That’s Lady MacBeth on the left (in the corset) above.

AND FINALLY...
The OutGames wrapped up in Montreal this past weekend. Cyd and his crew at OutSports have all kinds of commentary—and pics!

Where the Lady Boys Are

For the eighth year running, Bangkok's Lady Boys are gonna do up the Edinburgh Fringe Fest this month in Scotland. But first they're gonna toss some beach balls around.


I’m not sure when they’re gonna make it stateside (what are they waiting for?) but if you just happen to be in the U.K. (in Edinburgh for this month’s Fringe Festival, or in Newcastle in September) you’re gonna want to catch The Lady Boys of Bangkok, who have become a major smash all over Britian, thanks to their super-glamorous and sometimes raucous stage shows. They’re currently on their Full Moon Party Tour, and all 16 self-described transvestites present “an intoxicating outrageous entertainment cocktail of flamboyantly costumed, lavishly choreographed fun and music including the show-stopping Can-Can and ‘Lady Marmalade’ from Moulin Rouge.” So it’s cabaret, it’s comedy, it’s lyp-synching and drag done up Bangkok-style.

I like their glam way of defining themselves. On their site they answer the question: What are the Lady Boys? “The Lady Boys of Bangkok are an honourable part of the rich cultural heritage of Thailand. They are people of a highly artistic and creative nature who believe that they have the right to define their own sexuality. The Lady Boys of Bangkok are all performing arts graduates. They are all men—and without doubt the world’s greatest female impersonators.”

And yes, if you really want to see more, you can order the DVD online (though it’s coming from the U.K.)…

Hot!

It's All About Snakes

I'm kind of feeling like it's all about snakes today. So here are some slithery picks.

SNAKES ON A PLANE
Yes, the movie's hype is darn near unavoidable, but I'm very excited by this. Sure, the basic premise is pretty hilarious. I'm just hoping the filmmakers have really had fun with this. Samuel L. Jackson is likely to be great, and I'm even more excited about Juliana Marguiles as a plucky flight attendant. There's also a very fun, fey male flight attendant on board (shocker!)… And then there's all those snakes. I'm totally there on opening night. That'll be shrieking in the back of the theater.

Go watch the trailers here. And watch the cheesy/totally great video for the ridiculous theme song by the band Cobra Starship. It's very kitshy/80's in its vibe. I loves it!

LIZARD & SNAKES: ALIVE!
Perhaps, they're cashing in on the Snakes On a Plane media frenzy, but New York's American Museum of Natural History (which is perched grandly on leafy Central Park West) is currently featuring the big, crazy interactive exhibit, Lizards and Snakes: Alive! right now. It got a great write-up in the New York Times recently, and it's running from now through January. And you can go and visit cuddly fellows like these pictured below!

Isn't the Emerald Tree Boa cute? Tell him I said "hey!"

And yes, there are lizards, too. Wassup Rhinoceros Iguana?

THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES
If all this snakey talk is making you feel uneasy, then I've got a soundtrack for you. The slitheringly titled, Seattle-base four-man band, These Arms Are Snakes, have a new disc, Easter coming this fall. That's because the tone of their blisteringly raucous noisy rock (which their press materials call "post-hard/math core") is mix of aggression, melodic punkiness, grungy angst and simply driving rock. If this sounds up your alley, check ‘'em out! And FYI: Keyboardist/bassist Brian Cook just happens to be gay. Rockin'!

These Arms are Snakes are these guys. And that dude in the back with the beard? That's Brian Cook. Yay!