25^th Anniversary of The Dress 

This Saturday, July 29, will be the 25^th anniversary of The Wedding of the Century between Princess Diana and Prince Charles. The dress was designed by David Emanuel who, with the help of his ex-wife Elizabeth, took three months to make and is now the focus of A Dress for Diana (Harper Collins) which is new in stores. The gown is stored at Althorp, the estate where Di is buried.  Even though the marriage ended—the dress will live forever. 

Barbie Boy and The Pageant Queen Win 

Robert Best and Kayne made a daring and stunning Evening Gown for Miss USA, Tara Conner of Kentucky, this past week who then went on to Miss Universe—sadly loosing to Miss Puerto Rico.  This episode paired up competitors only to have Robert and Kayne—only again to make me love them both and give drama with resident “Straight Boy Drama Queen” Vincent and “I Don’t Know What I Am Doing“ Angela, all to end up with plastic or botox induced Malan—who was turned down for Season 1 and then turned down them for Season 2, made his fashion exit after a heartwarming tale of how he wanted to prove his mother wrong after she threw his sketches to the floor and said he would amount to nothing at age eight.  Maybe she was right.   

The winning dress was by Robert [“Mr. Barbie”] and Kayne [“Pageant Queen”] who selected a purplish effervescent organza material and was Sweetheart shaped at the top and billowed out into clouds around her calves.  With the end drawing near and Tim Gun reminding them how much time was left for this challenge, you heard my favorite line, “We bought 4,000 rhinestones and gosh darn it—we’re gonna use every single one!”  

Local Theatre Buzz

25 Questions for a Jewish Mother 

Judy Gold, Emmy Winning Comedian describes her experiences as a gay mother of two sons [big stretch—both her and her wife have two kids] and as the daughter of a quintessential Jewish mother.  The show opens Thursday, July 27^th and runs through August 5^th.  Performances are at the Kravis Center Rinker Playhouse at 701 Okeechobee Blvd, in West Palm Beach and for tickets or further information, call 561-832-7469. 

The Smell of the Kill 

Imagine this: three long-suffering women realize their emotionally abusive spouses have locked themselves in a basement meat locker and could freeze to death.  After searching for the key, the desperate housewives begin to see a delicious glimmer of opportunity.  What would you do?  This runs through July 30^th at the Palm Beach Dramaworks at 322 Banyan Blvd in West Palm Beach.  For tickets or further information call them at 561*514-4042. 

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. 

For Three Days You Can Light My Candle

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.   

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. 

Things on Display

Arturo Rodrigues:  The Human Comedy 

At the Bass Museum of Art in Miami they are hosting Arturo Rodriguez:  The Human Comedy, which contains large-scale canvases with portraits of people with distorted heads.  The show will continue until August 6^th.  The Bass Museum is located at 2121 Park Avenue in Miami Beach.  You can go to www.bassmuseum.org or call 305*673-7530 for more information. 

The Lawyer, 2004
Oil on canvas
52 x 34"
Collection Liza and Pedro J. Martinez Fraga

Fausto Vinueza at ArtServe 

There are over 80 original works in oil, charcoals, ink, pencil, and watercolors to mark the 100^th birthday of the late Ecuadorian artist Fausto Vinueza.  Even though he was originally from Ecuador, he became a resident of Pompano Beach for more than 15 years.  ArtServe is located at 1350 East Sunrise Blvd in Fort Lauderdale.  Call 954*462-9191 for more information. 

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. 

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.

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.    

Calling All Gay Men with Voices 

The Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus is looking for some good singers.  The second of three 2006 auditions will be held at the Sunshine Cathedral beginning at 1pm on Saturday, July 29^th.  Persons interested in auditioning should arrive no later than 1pm and bring sheet music to audition with—anything from a simple folk or pop song to a complex Italian aria.  An accompanist will be provided.  Pre-registration is not required.  The Sunshine Cathedral is located at 1489 SW 9^th Ave in Fort Lauderdale and you can visit them at www.ftlgmc.org.    

Pieces of Mind 

Bipolar?  No problem!  Ashley McNamara was diagnosed bipolar all with its characteristic highs and lows and still managed to make her life worthwhile.  She helped create the New York-based Icarus Project, a support group that takes its name from the Greek myth of a boy who flew too close to the sun.  It was well known that artist Van Gogh suffered from mental illness and it is estimated that this affects about 5.7 million people across the United States.  In 2000 the Fountain Gallery was established for artists living with mental illnesses and contains displays that are moving and raw.  Pieces of Mind runs through August 31^st at the Fountain Gallery which is located at 702 Ninth Avenue at West 48th St in Manhattan.  For further information about the Icarus Project, go to www.TheIcarusProject.net.  

Maude Maggart is the Big Apple 

Not many people know this, but Fiona Apple’s older sister is Maude Maggart and one of the hottest young stars in the world of cabaret music and an artist who has taken a decidedly different path than little sis Fiona.  She has been gaining a passionate following with music that is more high-brow than mass market.  Maude has devoted herself to the legacy of:  Gershwin, Berlin, Porter, and Ellington.  What appeals to her is the fact that “…part of the appeal of this music is the fact that it is almost a secret” and “it’s not heavily promoted—there are no cabaret videos out there.” Maude Maggart will be performing 8 pm Fridays and Saturdays through August 12^th at the Colony Hotel’s Royal Room at 155 Hammon Avenue in Palm Beach.  Tickets are $45 and call 561*659-8100 for more information.

Wine Time

Naked Grape Wine Company Opens Wine Bar 

M&Ms Aren’t Just Tasty 

If you happen to be in Mexico anytime soon, and near San Miguel de Allendale, check out Donny Johnson’s collection called Painting in Solitary.  Mr. Johnson, now 46, has been in prison since 1980 when he was charged with second-degree murder of an acquaintance over allegations of giving out cigarettes laced with PCP.  Cut to nine years later, a guard comes up behind him and startles him—he attacks thinking it’s a gang member and is given two additional terms of nine years.  He is being held at the Pelican Bay Penitentiary between the border of California and Oregon, which holds about 3,300 of the state’s most dangerous prisoners and is among the toughest in the nation. With that being said, he lives in an 8’ X 12” concrete cell, has not touched another human in over 17 years, and all meals are pushed through a slot in the door.  Charming huh?  What he does is order supplies once a month from the Commissary which include his ink—M&Ms that cost $.60 and he gets 10 packs at a time.  He puts one to five in a container, dribbles some water on them, and later fishes out the chocolate center and claims that if he let's them sit for a couple of days the color will get stronger.  Mr. Johnson said that he intends to donate the money to the Pelican Bay Prison Project, a nonprofit group that will use it to help the children of prisoners.  He said that he tries the same process with Skittles—but ends up eating all of them. For more info: “The New York Times”: “Behind Bars, He Turns M&M’s Into an Art Form”  

Who’s Writing the Next 007? 

The new James Bond novel is being completed by a mystery writer and will be published next year to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the birth of the Bond creator Ian Fleming.  The family-owned Ian Fleming Publications Ltd. Announced that it had struck a contract with a “very well known and highly respected” author whose identity “will be a closely guarded secret until publication.”  Fleming, a British spy-turned-novelist, wrote 14 Bond books before his death in 1964. 

San Francisco Ballet at Lincoln Center

Quoted “One of the best ballet companies in the world.”—by The Times (London) the San Francisco Ballet will be performing an extraordinary range of ballets, including a lavish production of Sylvia created by Mark Morris and two mixed repertory programs including works by:  William Forsythe, Christopher Wheeldon, and Helgi Tomasson.  Tickets are actually reasonable, at $30/$45/$60/$75 and be purchased at the Avery Fisher Hall Box Office at Broadway at 65^th , by phone at 212*721-6500, or on the web at www.LincolnCenter.org.  

Rita Wilson is Roxie Heart and Usher is Billy Flynn

The Grammy Award musical Chicago will have Usher playing Billy Flynn Rita Wilson starring as Roxie Heart now through August 6^th at the Ambassador Theatre on 219 West 49^th Street.  You can go to www.telecharge.com or www.chicagothemusical.com for more information or call them at 212*239-6200. 

Price Increase at The Met 

I am saddened to report that the suggested price for admission to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York will be going up to $20 as of August 1^st.  They say that it will help the Museum maintain financial equilibrium and allow them to continue the programming we have come to expect with over 30 special exhibits a year and dozens of free gallery talks and tours every week.  But, I’ve done some research on other galleries and found admission charges:  $20 Museum of Modern Art, $18 Guggenheim, $15 Museum of Fine Arts, $15 Whitney Museum of American Art, and $8 for the Brooklyn Museum. 

How Do You Spell Gabanna? 

The ultimate Bling ring. Recently, Motorola launched it's new $600 gold Dolce & Gabanna version that comes with D&G wallpaper and a charm. A limited edition of 1000 phones were made and they are only available at Dolce and Gabanna stores worldwide.

The D&G protective leather carrying case is, well, extra. Good luck getting one.

On the Auction Block

McConaughey Puts His Mako For Relief Efforts 

Matthew McConaughey is auctioning off his 1971 Corvette Stingray he’s named Mako—for the shark, on eBay to raise money for hurricane relief.  All sales from this convertible will go to The Oprah’s Angel Network for Katrina and Rita recovery efforts.  Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on August 29^th and Rita slammed into southeast Texas on September 24^th.  McConaughey was born in Uvalde, TX and grew up in Longview and bought the Mediterranean blue sports car in the lat 1990’s and has driven to Mexico and back many times and all across Texas—with the top down.  For more information go to www.oprah.com. 

Guitar With a Past 

Robert Johnson’s Gibson guitar is on the auction block for a whopping $6M.  The Delta Blues God died at the age of 27 in 1938 and is the subject of the famous myth that he is said to have gone to the crossroads of US Highways 61 and 41 in Clarksdale, Mississippi and sold his soul to the Devil to play his guitar better.  Mega rich guitar fans can go to www.rjguitar.com for more information. 

Home Decor

How About an Oscar? 

How would you like to bid on a Best Director Oscar for the 1944 Bing film Going My Way?  The director, Leo McCary, won the Oscar is now in the hands of Doug Allen, President of Illinois-based Mastro Auctions, which is handling the sale.  Minimum opening bid for this piece of history is $25,000 and you can bid online and they are expecting to get six times the opening price.  Going My Way won several Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor award for Bing Crosby. 

Home Decor

This Ain’t Your Grandad’s Corncob Pipe 

What could be America’s future?  At a Toronto biotechnology conference last week, dresses made from CORN made their debut.  Yes—corn!  It is made by NatureWorks LLC who makes the raw materials into Ingeo by fermenting sugar extracted from corn and turning it into plastic-like pellets that are then sold to apparel makers like Linda Loudermilk Inc.  More clothes than you think have gotten their start in a genetics laboratory—about 52% of cotton grown last year was genetically engineered with a bacteria gene to resist bugs without the need for pesticides.  Also, genetically engineered crops have a much higher yield per acre and use fewer pesticides.  In the United States there are plans for corn-based disposable diapers that biodegrade quickly rather than filling landfills for decades but they have been selling in Italy and Spain.  Next year, Linda Loudermilk Inc. will begin selling five different items, such as jeans made from Ingeo.  They claim that depending on how it is finally used, the fiber can feel like cotton or polyester and is much more environmentally friendly.  Biotechnology is playing a growing role in the apparel industry and answers to its customer’s concerns over our country’s reliance on foreign oil used to make synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon.