Thursday 07.17.14
Performance: Showgasm
John Early (pictured without a hat) is a funny and talented young man we met a while back (he hosted a Fire Island Performance Series benefit that we were involved with) and was a pleasure to be around. John has become the regular host of Showgasm. As he told us, “It’s a variety show!” Basically John MCs and Hamm Samwich DJs. Hamm is the “Robin Quivers” to John’s Howard Stern, always there to ground John “with her startling intellect” he yammers on too much. Each show they have a bunch of special guests. This week there’s “SNL’s John Milhiser” (he was actually fired from the show today — fuck ‘em boo, it happens to the best of us) ”food exhibitionist Thu Tran (of IFC’s Food Party — Ina Garten meets David Lynch), burlesque revolutionary Bruce Bundy (of The Hunger Games), truly gorgeous LA comic Nate Craig, chanteuse Grace McLean and dancing fools DNA Comedy.” It’s only $5 to get in, so you really have no excuse not to go. John also wanted us to mention that “unlike most events listed in GAYLETTER you will not leave feeling cold or terrorized by the art community.” You Cunt!
Friday 07.11.14
Performance: who are you? who are we? what is this?
The hilarious and cunt performer Chris Tyler emailed us a while ago to tell us about this new play he’s helping produce. The play Who Are You? Who are We? What is This? is an “interactive and immersive experience to find yourself.” It’s performed by “two awesome writer/performers,” Daphne Gardner and Carl Holder (both pictured) — I don’t know much about the lead actors, but just look at that boy’s lovely right nipple! Hi nipple! Chris told me that the plot of the play goes like this: “two struggling writers try to get their shit together before their rehearsal but get overwhelmed by their shitty jobs, overbearing mothers and low grade desperation... it’s dealing with the unique kind of millennial melancholy one experiences in their late 20s...” Sounds interesting, but honestly, after seeing that nipple I was already convinced! Click here for tickets.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT HINDMANPHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT HINDMAN
Wednesday 07.09.14
Free Concert: New York Philharmonic in Prospect Park
Who doesn’t love a picnic? Pack up the wine, cheese, deviled eggs and a bag of cherries and head over to Prospect Park tonight around 7:00PM, lay down your blanket and pop that cork because the fucking NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC is putting on a free concert that starts at 8:00PM sharp. I’m bringing some lovely tomme de savoie, a baguette and a bottle or two of organic Malbec that I plan on having all to myself, unless you’re cute in which case I’ll share.
The program for the evening will include some Strauss, Smetana (Widely regarded in his homeland as the father of Czech music, I googled) and the overture fantasy from Romeo and Juliet, by none other than Pyotr Tchaikovsky. I also hear, although it may be a rumor, that there will be fireworks. The brilliant conductor and music director of the Philharmonic Alan Gilbert will be at the helm so be assured it will be an impeccable night of music. Arrive on the early side to secure a good spot, I’m sure the savvy New Yorkers will come fast and hard for an opportunity like this!
FREE, 8:00PM, Prospect Park at the Long Meadow Ballfields. …
Saturday 06.14.14
Performance: Penny Arcade – Longing Lasts Longer
Penny Arcade aka Susana Ventura has been absent from our social calendars for a while. Now I know why. Penny has been on a massive, non-stop tour of Europe, but this Saturday she’s back in NYC and performing at Joe’s Pub for the first time in 3 years. She’s bringing us a new show ‘Longing Lasts Longer.’ Her performances are always wonderful, invigorating and full of truth, but it’s often hard to pin down a theme or a topic. Not that she needs to be that formulaic — she generally just unleashes her brilliance upon the audience, and the audience sits back and takes it, gratefully. However here’s what we have been told to expect: “An evening of dangerous ideas and radical inquiry by the undisputed Queen of Underground Performance into what it means to be human, right now! Right here!” Sounds like the perfect way to spend Saturday night. Welcome home my dear.
Friday 06.13.14
Event: SHAMELESS
I once heard someone talking about how the ultimate goal for all humans is to be shameless. Because when you think about it, being shameless, meaning free of shame, is true freedom. It’s the greatest, purest state to live your life in. It’s weird that our society attaches negative connotations to that word. And it’s time we took it back. This event is a good start. It’s a “showcase of bravado, absurdity, love, death, sex and filth brought to you by renowned producer Jen Gapay of Thirsty Girl.” The night is hosted by a fellow Aussie, the “Drag Idiot” Shivannah. You can expect performances from some shameless legends like Amber Martin, Captain Kidd (AU), Trixie Little & The Evil Hate Monkey, Glitta Super Nova (AU, pictured), Jenny Rocha & The Painted Ladies, Diety Delgado, Dee Dee Luxe, Cheeky Lane & more! It’s all going down at Drom, an unusual, but surprisingly spacious space on Ave A. Get your tickets in advance and save some cash. You gotta be shameless about these things.
Tuesday 06.10.14
What Is Queer Performance?
A week of thought-provoking queer performance workshops
As the big rainbow-touting holiday that is NYC Pride approaches, now is as good a time as ever to take a look back at the history of queer theory. Queer theory is the branch of sociology that surfaced in the 1990s out of queer and women’s studies, postulating the idea of ‘queerness’ itself in the monumental work of writers such as Judith Butler, José Esteban Muñoz, David Halperin, and many, many more. These writers’ manifestos and theories challenged contemporary social mores and brought queerness into the realm of critical thought, which is historically one of the most essential ways we’ve managed to come as far as we have in politics at large. So, naturally, any opportunity to overlap theory with actual practice is something that should always be taken advantage of. Lucky for you, one of those opportunities is available starting this week: organized by dancer, choreographer, and arts organizer Li Cata, What Is Queer Performance? is a set of workshops made by and for queer artists, bridging ‘queer writing practices with queer body based practices‘ in performance-centered classes.
Housed in the Bureau of General Services — Queer Division, the workshops are all performance-based, but not in the sense you may think. Performativity, in its theoretical meaning, is the “capacity of speech and gestures to act or consummate an action, or to construct and perform an identity.” So for What Is Queer Performance?, queer artists will be touching on “text, sound, witchcraft, impulse, free association, and movement” to inspire, teach, and provoke your inner performative instincts and bring them to the forefront. …
From top left: background image - Alexander D'Agostino by Kata Frederick; Lele Paloumpis by Adrien Weibgen; the feet of Alexander D'Agostino by Tanya Garcia and Tatyana Tenenbaum by Brian Rogers.
Sunday 06.08.14
Performance: NYC Ballet’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
New York City Ballet is impeccable. My dear friend Beth took me to see a classic night of Balanchine repertoire last week for a belated birthday gift and to my surprise there was one piece choreographed by rising star Justin Peck that rocked the house. So good even that style maven and fashion director from Vogue, Tonne Goodman, seated just a few rows back from us (yes I was staring), seemed impressed. Lucky for us NYCB’s season ends this Sunday with a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream based on the Shakespeare play penned in 1595 with a score by none other than Felix Mendelssohn. Not knowing much about the play I was intrigued to note that “Midsummer Night has long been associated with love and magic. In European folklore it is the one night of the year when supernatural beings such as fairies are about and can interact with the real world.” A perfect premise in the hands of genius George Balanchine to create an ethereal and timeless ballet that holds up some 50+ years after it premiered. I say dress up, way up have a bottle or two of champagne with your fellow dance lover and get your gorgeous asses up to the Philip Johnson designed David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for a night to remember, even the cheap seats are fierce!
A Midsummer Night's Dream act IV, scene I. Engraving from a painting by Henry Fuseli, published 1796.A Midsummer Night's Dream act IV, scene I. Engraving from a painting by Henry Fuseli, published 1796.
Thursday 05.29.14
MAD Boots Dance Duo
Dancers, boyfriends, unique individuals.
MADBoots is a New York based dance company, founded in 2011 by Austin Diaz (right) and Jonathan Campbell (left). The boys wanted to create an all-male exclusive dance troupe that pushed the boundaries of masculine identity in performance art. Their work is dramatic, impassioned, sexual, and athletic. GAYLETTER chatted with the dancers about how MADBoots was born, their relationship on and off stage, and the company’s upcoming June performance, BEAU.
How would you describe MADBoots, and how is it different from other dance companies?
Jonathan: There aren’t a lot of male-centered dance companies in NYC, so that kind of makes us different. But beyond being all male, we like acknowledging both the masculine and feminine qualities of being a man, which I think aren’t always acknowledged in dance. In conventional dance companies, men have to be the macho ones, partner with the girls and lift everyone. There are so many different sides of being a male artist, and we really try to acknowledge that with a unique movement vocabulary.
Where did the name MADBoots come from?
J: We wanted something that was different and something we thought people might remember because it was sort of odd. The name is partly inspired by Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer. In the book, Oskar, the little boy and narrator of the story, says he’s in heavy boots when he’s sad. So, we thought of being in boots as a kind of a state of mind or state of being. …
Saturday 05.17.14
Performance: Mr. Murray Hill in You Bet Your Ass
The king of “showbiz” Mr. Murray Hill is back, performing a new show as part of Marxfest at The Cutting Room called ‘You Bet Your Ass.’ For those of you not familiar with Marxfest it’s “a series of events celebrating the lives and work of the Marx Brothers, all taking place throughout the month of May, 2014, in New York City.” The show is presented by Thirsty Girl & Porkpie International. “After being interviewed by Murray in his own inimitable style, contestants compete to win 1950s-level cash prizes in this saucy live game show…” The show also includes “commercial breaks” and features the announcer Jonny Porkpie, the pick up artist Melody Jane and of course it’s not a Murray show without some burlesque dancers. Expect the burlesque stars Trixie Little & The Evil Hate Monkey, Lady Scoutington and Anita Cookie. The tittle of the show may mention ass, but as you can see they’ll be serving plenty of pussy too!
Monday 05.12.14
ANTIFREEZE — An event presented by NYPAC
Hosted by Zackary Drucker, with performances by Colin Self, Joseph Keckler & Dynasty Handbag
Friday 05.09.14
ABT’s big gun: James Whiteside
An in depth visit with the ballet dancer
We met James Whiteside at a downtown social event where a friend of ours pointed out that he was the new principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. When we were introduced we were like OMG, he’s so hot and knew at that moment we had to feature him. After doing some research later that night we discovered that James’ boyfriend is non other than Milk, one of the contestants from this season’s Rupaul’s Drag Race. We had the rare opportunity to meet James at the ABT rehearsal studios, follow him to the locker room and rehearsal space for an interview and photo shoot. In anticipation of the May 12th start of ABT’s 2014 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House we bring you this up close and personal vivid with James.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up? I pee. ..
Anything after that? A morning routine? Yes. I always make a cup of coffee and bagels or eggs, and I read a book, whatever I’m reading currently, and then I walk over to the ballet building and listen to music while I stretch.
When did you start dancing? I started dancing when I was 9 years old at a school called Fairfield Dance Center, in Connecticut.
Is that where you grew up, in Connecticut? Yeah, Fairfield. Between Fairfield and Bridgeport.
Where did you go to school? I trained at the Dance Center when I was a kid until I was about 15, and then I went to Virginia School of the Arts in Lynchburg, Virginia, and then I moved to Boston and started working professionally when I was 17. …
Saturday 05.03.14
Performance: Miguel Gutierrez at the Whitney Biennial
Miguel Gutierrez is a choreographer who’s been around the block a few times. I’m not saying he’s old, but let’s be honest, in the dance world, once you’re close to 40 you’re practically Barbara Walters. Miguel wanted to tackle the subject of age in his latest performance Age & Beauty Part 1: Mid-Career Artist/Suicide Note or &:-/. The piece deals with “mid-career anxiety, futurity and tropes about the aging gay choreographer, and is the first of a three part series of queer pieces addressing longevity, sustainability, aesthetic signature and burnout.” It’s a duet with a fresh faced, 24-year-old dancer named Mickey Mahar, who is tall and skinny and would fit right in on the dance floor at 11:11. Time is an inevitability none of us can escape, we all age (some better than others), the real trick is to face it with honesty and acceptance. Miguel’s performance does this in an unapologetic and revealing way. Go see it if you can!
