Project Runway

Could You Destroy Your House for Fashion? 

This past week, on the famed Bravo hit-reality show Project Runway, the 15 hand-selected designers had their first challenge—to make outfits out of materials found within their apartments.  Nothing was spared and all were fair game and taken in hopes of creating that dress that best expresses their style through fashion.  If you recall in Season 1, they had the Grocery Store Challenge where they were given $50 and Austin Scarlet came out with that breathtaking Corn Husk Dress.  Season 2 had the “Clothes Off Your Back” Challenge where designers had to use, literally, the clothes off their backs where we said alfeider zane to the lady who wouldn’t cut up the scarf her grandmother gave her mother the day she was brought home from the hospital….wah wah wah….NEXT!  Well, this season gave us the kookiness of a Coffee Filter dress and my personal favorite, dress coat made with white bathmat collar and chandelier and spoons as sequins.  However, the biggest Trooper this season would be my Barbie Dress Designer who only put up a mild fight when his personal pillow was discovered and stripped for material.  I wanted to cry with him. 

Local Theatre Buzz

The Last Hairdresser, July 14^th – Aug 20^th  

The Last Hairdresser a Rising Action Theatre Company production by David Goldyn, Artistic Director will premier Friday July 15^th at Boom nightclub in Wilton Manors.  David’s previous production, Southern Baptist Sissies was amazing and intricate that made you laugh until it hurt.  Show times are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:30pm.  Tickets are $25 with group rates available and are available at Gaymart, right next to Boom.  For further information, call 954*567-8550.  To read my review of The Last hairddresser Click Here.

Ella, Through September 3rd

This is a musical about Jazz icon Ella Fitzgerald who invites her favorite musicians to play with her in 1966. This takes place at the Florida Stage which is located at 262 South Ocean Blvd, Manalapan.  Call 561*585-3433 or go to www.floridastage.org  for more information. 

Are you Gypsy Rose Lee? Thru July 30^th

The Pembroke Pines Theatre of Performing Arts is currently presenting Gypsy at the Susan Katz Theater through July 30^th.   The Theater is located at 17195 Sheridan Street in Pembroke Pines.  For tickets or more information call 954*437-4884. 

Irma Vep in Coral Gables, July 12^th thru Sep 3^rd

The Mystery of Irma Vep a wonderfully crafted play with only two actors playing over 20 parts will be appearing at The Actor’s Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables July 12^th thru September 3^rd.  The Theatre is located at 280 Miracle Mile in Coral Gables and tickets can be purchased online at www.actorsplayhouse.org  or for further information call them at 305*444-9293. 

Beehive Found at Stage Door Theatre Held Over thru August 20th 

It was brought to my attention that all of the costumes for Beehive were done by the one and only Maria from Zoo 14 on Wilton Drive.  A local fashion legend in our community, she has helped dress many figures—both male and female into one-of-a-kind creations.  This play is a definite Fashion Must-See to reminisce about and era that brought about social change, creativity, and freedom. 

Beehive, the 60’s musical sensation, will be at The Stage Door Theatre May 26^th thru June 25^th with big hair and bigger hits. 

The Stage Door Theatre is located on 26^th right across from Wilton Station in the Old Florida Seafood House Plaza.  For times and tickets, call 954*344-7765.

Click Here to read Stephen's review. 

Wine Time

Monastery/Vineyard Opens to the Public 

Imagine spending the weekend with 25 men who do nothing but pray and make wine.  Sounds interesting right?  Well, in northern California, at the Abbey of New Clairvaux you can spend your time with the masters of some serious syrah.  On this 580-acre estate once owned by Leland Stanford, the railroad magnate, California Governor and University founder, you can stay at what was considered the world’s largest winery in the late 1800’s.  You can spend a three or four-day retreat that includes tours and weekend Wine Tastings.  At the Abby, you can stroll through century-old walnut trees, read in their library, eat in their small dining hall, and relax.   

The guest rooms are labeled by virtue: Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, and Peace and contain a twin bed, desk, and private modern bathroom.  Even though there is no religious requirement, guests are asked to observe silence at night. At the vineyard they grow 10 varieties of grapes which re specifically chosen for the region’s soil and climate. They make Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Barbera, Viognier, and Muscat Blanc still in their 100 year-old brick wine cellar to produce, age, and bottle their wines. 

Lorenzo’s 3^rd Annual Italian Wine & Food Festival 

Anyone who considers themselves any kind of “foodie” knows Lorenzo’s market in North Miami at 163^rd and West Dixie Highway.  This is a staple for many in-the-biz who adore the freshest of the fresh and affordable to travel from all parts of Southern Florida.  Well, this week, Lorenzo’s is hosting their annual Italian Food & Wine Festival this Saturday, July 22^nd from 7:30pm to 10pm.  Tickets are $30 and RSVP is highly recommended.  Lorenzo’s Italian Market is located at 16385 W Dixie Highway in North Miami Beach.  You can go to www.localwineevents.com for further information and to RSVP your space.

Things on Display

Metro Pictures: Part 2 

You may be wondering if this show has to deal with the Metro Golden Mayer Production Company…no.  Metro Pictures “refers to snapshots of the city” and that the works “define, interpret and/or reject the city.”  This show is wide open to interpretation and includes stuff like a set of musical vests that “only when two participants wear them…do the sculptures emit sound.”  The exhibit is on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art until September 17^th.  The Museum is located at 770 NE 125^th Street in North Miami.  You can either call 305*893-6211 or visit them on the web at www.mocanomi.org for further information.

Possessed:  Art of Haiti 

The Coral Springs Museum of Art is hosting a show called Possessed:  Art of Haiti that features such Haitian artists as Lionel Saint Elio whoc comes from Port-au-Prince and cobbles colanders, bike spoke and bottle caps into angels or branches.  The late Georges Liautaud fashioned burnished brass and recycled oil drums into mermaids.  Also on display are a wide variety of Vodou flags and countless sculptures.  These works feature the craftsmanship of transferring commonplace metals and fabrics into art all while keeping with Haiti’s rich tradition of folklore and worship.  This show will be on until August 19^th at the Coral Springs Museum of Art that is located at 2855 Coral Springs Drive.  Call 954*340-5000 for further information or check them out on the web at www.csmart.org. 

West Palm Summer Sculpture Show 

Eaton Fine Art will be featuring works by Alexander Calder, Dale Hihuly/Dennis Oppenheim, Patrick Ireland, Mark di Suvero, and many others in their North and South Galleries.  This exhibit runs all summer long from 10am to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday.  The Eaton Fine Art Gallery is located at 435 Gardenia Street, West Palm Beach.  Call 561*833-4766 for further information or contact them at www.eatonart.net. 

Timothy Leistner is at Art Expressions

Photographs by Timothy Leistner will be shown at Art Expressions Gallery opening July 8^th and will run through the 29^th with an opening reception at 7pm the 8^th.  The Gallery is located at 1212 NE Fourth Avenue in Fort Lauderdale.  For more information, call them at 954527-7700.

Stonewall has Pride:  Party or Protest

Do you know how the myriad of Gay Pride celebrations across the nation started, or when the first Gay Pride in South Florida took place? Do you know why there are two Pride celebrations in Ft. Lauderdale each year?  The answers can be found in an insightful new exhibit, PRIDE: Party or Protest? opening on Saturday, June 17, 2006 at the Stonewall Library and Archives, 1717 North Andrews Ave, in Ft. Lauderdale. Hours are 11am to 9pm Monday through Friday; Saturday Noon to 3pm.  

Titanic:  The Artifact Exhibit, Until October

This exhibit chronicles the journey of RMS Titanic from its design and construction through its fateful maiden voyage and sinking, to the scientific recovery efforts.   

The Miami Museum of Science and Space Transit Planetarium is located on 3280 South Miami Avenue, Miami.  You can contact them at 305*646-4200 or www.miamisci.org. 

Coming to Town

Please note: we have organized this by date of appearance. New additions this week are highlighted in Bold Red.

Hide Your Fur, July 24^th 

Pink will be performing her latest songs at Revolution, 200 W Broward Blvd, Ft. Lauderdale Monday, July 24.  Tickets are $25 and are available at www.ticketmaster.com. 

Mimi Does Miami, Aug 5^th 

Mariah Carey will be launching The Adventures of Mimi, her first US tour since 2003, Saturday, August 5^th at the American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd, Miami.  Tickets range from $19.50 to $129.50 and go on sale Friday, June 2^nd.  Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or 305*358-5885. 

Calling All Azzmastahs, Friday, August 11^th 

The one and only Margaret Cho will be in concert Friday, August 11^th at 8:30pm at the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne, FL.  LISP, the greatest gay rapper in the world, will be her Special Guest.  Tickets go on sale THIS FRIDAY [June 2^nd] at 10am so call the Ticket Office at 321*242-2219 or www.ticketmaster.com.

Melissa Etheridge Live Saturday, August 19^th  8pm 

New Greatest Hits CD “The Road Less Traveled” in stores now!

Tickets available at Ticketmaster locations or you can charge by phone:  305-358-5885 / 954-523-3309 / 561-966-3309 or www.ticketmaster.com. 

Mizner Park Amphitheater is in Boca Raton and this is a Fantasma Productions Concert Event.  For further information go to www.fantasma.com or www.melissaetheridge.com

Mary J. Blige, Aug 25^th 

Mary J Blige will be in concert Friday, August 25^th at the Bank Atlantic Center at 2555 Panther Parkway in Sunrise.  Her special guest will be Jaheim and will be singing all her greats—hopefully my favorite song Ain’t Gonna Cry from Waiting to Exhale, and anyone that knows me, knows how MUCH I love that song!  For futher Information go to www.ticketmaster.com. 

Her Hips Don’t Lie, Sep 16^th 

Shakira and Wyclef have added a second show 7:30pm on September 16^th at the American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd, Miami.  Tickets are $19.50-$87 and you can get them through www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 786*777-1250. For more info about Shakira: www.shakiraheaven.com

The Chicks Will be in Town, Oct 7^th 

John Mayer & Sheryl Crow, October 11^th 

Tickets are now on sale for John Mayer and Sheryl Crow who will be live in concert October 11^th at the Sound Advice Amphitheatre.  Go to www.livenation.com, www.ticketmaster.com , or you can call 561*966-3309 for more information.  If you are truly a fan, you can also go to www.johnmayer.com and/or www.sherylcrow.com as well.

I’m Verklemnpt, October 28^th

Yes, the legendary Barbara Streisand will be performing Saturday, October 28^th at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sawgrass and will be having special guest Il Divo perform with her. Tickets are priced starting at $100 to $750 and VIP packages up to $1,800.  Much of the proceeds go to charities, one of which being The Streisand Foundation, which expects to raise millions from this tour.  Tickets are available through www.ticketmaster.com.    

Happy Birthday Rembrandt! 

This year marks the 400^th anniversary of the birth of the art world’s greatest painters—Rembrandt.  In his hometown of Amsterdam, while strolling around the quaint city filled of shops with windows you can take in a little culture as well as some carcinogens.  At his home, they have well over 50 original Rembrandts that have not been in this home since they were crafted.  Some of these paintings come from a variety of places like museums and private collections—all for this celebration.  Now puff-puff-pass. 

Museum of the Week

Brooklyn Museum Hosts Graffiti 

Graffiti is a show put on by the Brooklyn Museum that features over 20 large-scale works from various artists such as Sandra Fabara’s Lady Pink and John Matos’s Crash.  This exhibit compares modern graffiti with that discovered on ancient Roman, Pompeian, and Mayan architecture.  It also explores how the now “illegal” art form and self-expression has moved its way into private collections and galleries.  Graffiti will be on display until September 3^rd at the Brooklyn Museum which is located at 200 Eastern Parkway at Washington Avenue.  You can call them at 718*501-6331 or visit them on the web at www.brooklynmuseum.org. 

Treasures of Sacred Mayan Kings 

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City you can catch their latest exhibit called Treasures of Sacred Mayan Kings that feature statues and artifacts from the Mayan Empire of Mexico and Central America which flourished from around 600 BC to 200 AD.  The most important thing to remember is that the Mayan culture is a visual one, obsessed with lines, whether painted in brilliant colors into earthenware pots or engraved into the resistant surfaces of jadeite and shell.  Also in the collection are life-size heads perfectly round and almost real.  Important to remember that the Mayan kings not only commissioned depictions of feathered serpents and great gods but also thought to incarnate those deities in the here and now and fully believed that they bestowed privilege to the royal owner.  The Met is located at Fifth Avenue and 82^nd Street and call 212*535-7710 for further information.  This show runs until September 10^th.    

Belly Dancing Class

Did you ever feel the need to shake it?  Well, now you can learn to belly dance in a class setting from 9-10am this Saturday at TY Park at 3300 N. Park Road in Hollywood.  For $12 you can experiment and, if you like, $100 for ten classes.  Classes are held on Wednesdays from 5:30pm to 6:30pm and you can call 954*985-1980 for further information.  

Ralph Fiennes is a Faith Healer 

Ralph Fiennes, Cherry Jones, and Ian McDiarmid brings to life t6he play Faith Healer by Irish playwright Brian Friel which is centered around:  faith, chance, trust, and betrayal.  This is one play not to be missed!  It is at The Booth Theatre at 222 W. 45^th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue.  For further information, call 212*239-6200. 

Patti LuPone is Making Some Pies 

Patti LuPone, noted gay theatre icon for playing such roles as Evita Perone in Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita has teamed up with Michael Cerveris and make some gruesome pies in Sweeney Todd.  The show, which opened in the fall, was nominated for six Tonys and will run through Thanksgiving.  Pie anyone?

Try Bathing Jeff in SoHo 

While in NY’s trendy SoHo district check out Patrick Corbin’s Bathing Jeff, Part 1 which is a powerful piece about the death of his friend and dancer, Jeff Wadlington from AIDS in 1994.  This chronicles, through poetry and dance, the lives of his fellow Paul Taylor dancers as they all gather in New Mexico with his partner and family during his last days.  This is important since this year marks the 25^th anniversary of the first evidence of AIDS and is Gay Pride Month.  Mr. Corbin himself sits at the side of the stage and reads from his own personal journals of this time and describes helping wash Mr. Wadlington’s body just after death—the center of this piece.  

For Three Days You Can Light My Candle Sept 14^th – 17^th

Tickets are now on sale for Rent which will be at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts September 14^th thru 17^th.  Tickets are available at the theater Box Office and at www.ticketmaster.com .  You can also check out other shows at www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com  or at www.browardcenter.org . 

25 Years of Memories  

The Broward Center will be hosting the 25^th anniversary tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats for seven performances from August 2^nd through the 6^th.  Tickets are $20-$58 and can be purchased at either 954*462-0222 or www.ticketmaster.com or www.browardcenter.org.   

Fond Farewell

Sadly, Red Buttons, the comedic star of early television who won an Oscar for his dramatic role as Sgt. Joe Kelly in Sayonara died last Thursday in Los Angeles.  He penned the title “Yiddish Leprechaun” and was one of the last comedians trained in the Catskill’s Borscht Belt.  He was 87. 

Fashion File

Tweety Chic 

Warner Brothers has announced that they have joined forces with the newest fashion Empress…Nicky Hilton.  They are creating Tweety Designed by Nicky Hilton that will feature canary yellow clothing that will also feature the image of Tweety Bird.  Why Tweety?—It’s her childhood nickname.  As I posted last week, she merged with a Chicago based development group and taking over hotels, so, maybe Nicky is the one to watch out for.

Katrina Took His Gold 

Former A-Team personality Mr. T. gave himself a makeover.  After being one of the countless celebrities helping the victims of last years Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf, he witnessed many “sorry celebrities” that would just go down, take some pictures, and leave.  He vowed not to be one of those celebrities.  He is now not going to be donning the piles of gold chains after seeing the things he saw.  He said, “if you’re not going down there with a check and a hammer and nail…don’t go.”  But what about the haircut?

Christina is New Face of Pepsi 

Christina Aguilera is the new face of Pepsi after turning down Coca Cola last year.  Look for her in such spots as Rio de Janeiro samba-ing and India belly dancing. 

Home Decor

Blind Me 

When decorating, there is one place now that was left untouched or even seldom thought about—blinds.  Now, you have the option of purchasing specially made Insert-a- Blind™ where you can put digitally printed art inside the blinds that can create murals, match wallpaper, canvases, or prints.  Starting at $250, these blinds, when closed, appears uniform with no gaps or light holes.  Since it is not glued or laminated to the blind, the look of the blind can be altered quickly, easily, and affordably.  For more information contact Budget Blinds in Coral Gables at 305*345-3037 or www.budgetblinds.com and click on the “Surround Décor” in the left column.   

Vintage Posters are Chic 

What are you supposed to do if you are young and can afford some art but the ones you would like are out of your price range or do not fit your personal style?  Simple, use old advertising posters that fit your life.  Vintage posters are becoming a hot collectible for affluent young homeowners who are in between the income and age bracket for certain purchases.  I am not talking about the Def Leppard and Bon Jovi posters of yester-year, but vintage advertising for specific things:  how about a 1930’s Duncan Yo-Yo ad?  Posters are the people’s art and were advertisements meant to be seen from the street.  What brings hordes of collectors?  The bright colors and ideas attract them and people are spending $20,000 to $30,000 on images that were worth less than $100 a few years ago.  Most posters feature travel, railroads, beaches, golf, ocean liners, skiing, horses, and food.  But seriously, the best definition of a good poster is one that makes you smile. Check out Vintage Advertising Posters and Prints at Art.com

How Green Are You? 

There is a new material that has been around almost since the beginning of time and we all know about it—but only think about its alcoholic purposes.  Yes, I’m talking about cork.  Cork is now popping (no pun intended) up and around the chicest of households lately in the dawn of the Green Movement.  What’s amazing about cork is that it is a plentiful and sustainable material that can be used for flooring, walls, furniture, fabric, and a plentitude of accessories.  What’s amazing about cork is that I comes from the bark of cork oak trees mostly in Portugal and is actually harvested same as you would with wool.  It is hypoallergenic, waterproof, and resistant to insects, mold, heat, and fire.  There are a wide variety of websites and businesses devoted to cork products, at www.corkstore.com you can purchase such things as:  cork fabric, wall material, and flooring.  While my favorite items are at www.danielmichalik.com who has a Cortiça Chaise chair for only $4,800 you can also go to www.vivre.com and purchase some bathmats, vases, and votives for under $25.  If you'rr serious in getting some wall tiles, then go to www.amcork.com and if your tastes go to fabric go to www.kohlerinteriors.com, which contains 13% cork.  And you thought it was just for your wine bottle!

Art News

The Met Says It’s the Real Madonna 

Last week the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC said that they rigorously examined a 14^th century painting using high-tech equipment before buying an 11-by-8 inch “Madonna and Child” for $45M and proved that it was not a 19^th century forgery—the most expensive purchase ever by the Met.  Keith Christiansen, Curator of The Met said that prior to purchase, they used X-rays, infrared reflectography, studied pigment samples, and confirmed its Renaissance origins.  The painting, done by Duccio di Buoninsegna,  is currently hanging in the second-floor European Paintings Gallery.  The problem is that there are no documents showing who owned the painting before the 20^th century and Christiansen says that it is common for something this old. Why didn’t they just go down to the local CSI Office?