MIKE JEKNAVORIAN Local Interviews

GARY KEATING

Gary Keating—the founder of the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus—is back, and he’s better than ever.  Take a peek at what’s on Gary’s mind, before seeing him this weekend in the chorus’ annual holiday show.

Where did you grow up?  I grew up in Swanzey, New Hampshire.  It’s a wonderful, small town near Keene, in the southwest corner of state.  What do you miss about it there?  I do miss the seasons.  Especially the Fall.  How long have you lived in South Florida?  Since 1979.  Why did you move here?  To do my master’s degree in music at the University of Miami.  What part of South Florida do you live in?  I live in Oakland Park now.  But I lived in Wilton Manors for 17 years.  What do you like most about living here?  South Florida has been wonderful to me, both professionally and personally.  It allowed me to come out and meet my husband of 36 years.  It let me work to help thousands of people living with AIDS and to educate thousands of kids who didn’t get the disease.

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What South Florida venue do you miss that’s gone?  I regret the loss of some of the classic, historic homes lost to high-rises on Brickell Avenue, and now in Broward.  Where do you hang out in South Florida?  I love my hometowns of Wilton Manors and Oakland Park.  They remind me of small-town New Hampshire.  What’s your claim-to-fame?  I’m the artistic and founding director of the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus.  I also helped found choruses in Fort Myers, Orlando and Tampa.  Who’s your favorite composer?  Sondheim and Palestrina.  Who’s your favorite conductor?  Jo-Michael Scheibe at USC.  If you had to choose one, do you think that music or dancing could heal the world?  Music.  Everyone can join in without embarrassment!  Which one of your old jobs least prepared you for what you do now?  All of my jobs have been so totally different, but there’s no regrets.  I’ve done teaching, fundraising, marketing, artist management, running a performing arts venue, and running a symphony.

If God were to take you tomorrow, how would you like to be remembered?  As someone who cared and loved and didn’t sit on the sidelines.  What do you want to live long enough to see?  All people in the U.S. treated equally, and veterans treated like the heroes that they are.  Oh, and my nieces and nephew married, if that’s what they choose.  Will you ever retire?  Not likely!  I hope the Lord still has things for me to do. What’s your guilty pleasure?  A great Manhattan.  What’s your favorite band?  It’s still The Beatles.  What’s your fondest childhood memory?  Camping with my family.  What were you like in high school?  Involved, but shy.  What’s your favorite quote?  “Love the person you look at in a mirror first.  Then you can love the world.”  What celebrity did you act like a “fan” around?  Nell Carter.  She was amazing.  What’s the last thing that you looked at online?  Facebook, to follow my family and friends, and to “like” their adventures and successes.

WITH HUSBAND

What’s the best place that you’ve visited?  New York City.  What’s something that you learned in life only when you got older?  That alienating anyone for whatever reason is a terrible thing!  People need to feel accepted and respected.  What did you learn from your parents?  To be a hard worker, and to have total love and acceptance.  Who’s your favorite performer?  The great Leontyne Price.  What’s your best characteristic?  I hope that I’m caring and kind.  How do you enjoy spending your time?  With family, being around music, and anytime that I can be around horses.  What celebrity do you have a crush on?  I’ve had a lifetime crush on Pat Boone.  Who do you admire?  Barack Obama and Cory Booker.  If you could bring one person back from the dead, who would it be?  Selfishly, my auntie Irene Woods.  She knew who I was long before I did!  Where would you go in a time machine?  To the night that I met my husband.  It was magical.

What would your last meal be?  A lobster with good clam chowdah.  What do you worry about?  That violence is a solution for anything.  What are you afraid of?  I experienced more loss working for an AIDS agency than anyone should in a lifetime.  I’m afraid that too many Americans are experiencing that kind of loss today, especially those that are under 20-years-old.  If you were a musical instrument, what would you be?  An organ.  Are you more like a sheep or a wolf?  People see me as a sheep, but there’s a wolf in there.  Who depends on you, and for what?  My former students still do for support, and my friends do for love and support.  Who are you closest with?  My husband and my brother.  What would your autobiography be called?  I Tried to Live Life, Not Watch It Go By.  What’s on your bucket list?  More travel abroad.  What’s your greatest regret in life?  That I hurt people when I came out.  Where can we see you?  About town as a new realtor, and always with the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus!

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MIKE JEKNAVORIAN Local Events

LEATHER MASKED BALL XIII

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By Mike Jeknavorian

Scandals in Wilton Manors hosted the annual Leather Masked Ball XIII last night.  The event—which was sponsored by the charitable organization, the Lambda Men’s Brotherhood—brought out many members of the leather community.  The event also featured several licentious demonstrations in the venue’s outdoor area, along with a $100 contest for the best mask.  The event went from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., with the heaviest crowds between 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

MIKE JEKNAVORIAN National Events

CHRISTMAS TOWN AT BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA

SHADE-O-METER RATING

3 OUTTA 5 WERKS: “NO SHADE, BUT SHE DIDN’T TURN IT OUT”

By Mike Jeknavorian

What’s Christmas Town?  It’s the Christmas event at Busch Gardens Tampa.  The event is included with a regular admission ticket or an annual pass.

How much did it cost?  A one-day ticket at Busch Gardens starts at $79.00.  An annual pass starts at $119.88.

How was the parking?  We parked in the disabled area, because someone who was with us had a disabled parking permit.  However, the regular parking lot was packed.  Parking costs $18.  Depending on what type of annual pass you have, parking is either free or 50% off.

Does the venue serve liquor?  Yes.  How were the drinks?  We got one well drink for $7.50 and a double wine for $12.  They were no complaints about them.

Does the venue serve food?  Yes.  How was the food?  We didn’t get any.

How was Christmas Town?  The Christmas lights were prolific throughout the park.  Furthermore, the park was segmented into various Christmas themes, such as: Celebration Village, Penguin Point (with live penguins), The North Pole (with a Santa meet and greet), a Sesame Street Christmas, and so on.  The park franchised Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as well, so you can meet him and his friends, if you heart desires.  Beyond that, some of the rides were open, but we didn’t go on any.  A lot of them had crazy wait-times, from a half an hour to an hour.

How were the shows?  There were several indoor and outdoor shows.  We only saw one indoor show, because the other ones were sold out.  For the indoor shows, there was an ice skating one, a gospel one, an animal show, an Elmo show, and a traditional Christmas one.  For the outdoor shows, there was a New-Orleans-style brass band that played Christmas music, a Three King’s show, and a synchronized light and music show.  Regarding the outdoor shows, we saw the brass band and the Three King’s show.  They were fine.  The only indoor show that we saw was the gospel show.  A Nashville-caliber gospel show, for example, it was not.

How was the crowd?  Profuse, but maybe that’s because it was a Saturday.  What could have improved Christmas Town?  For the indoor shows, many of them had people lined at least a half an hour before the doors opened.  Busch Gardens simply must adopt some kind of free reservation system to eradicate this waiting nonsense.  Since there was no reservation system, the only way that you can see the shows is to go to the park early, when then sun’s still up.  You’ll have to see the shows in the daytime, and then look at the lights at night.  But we didn’t get there until sundown, so no indoor shows for us (except for the gospel show).

What was surprising about it?  The crowds.  Who would think that Busch Garden’s Christmas event would be more popular than their Halloween event, but it definitely is.  That, and giant alligators starring at you in the night.  Were those Santa’s watch dogs?

Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Tampa is located at 10165 N. McKinley Drive, in Tampa, Florida.  The event runs from November 17 to December 31.  It closes from 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., depending on the day. 

MIKE JEKNAVORIAN National Interviews

GARETT HAWE

Hi-diddle-dee-dee, an actor’s life for me.  Out actor Garett Hawe discusses one of the mostly anticipated tours of the season, Hello, Dolly!, and life in the theater.

You’ve been in a number of shows.  Other than Hello, Dolly!, what was your favorite one so far?  I’m so lucky to have been a part of so many wonderful shows, and they all stand out for different reasons.  If I had to pick one, I would say Mary Poppins, because it was my Broadway debut.  That show was just so magical, and the experience of performing on Broadway for the first time is something that I will never forget!

So what’s your favorite theater score?  These questions are getting tougher.  There are so many great scores!  The Sound of Music stands out for me.  I remember watching the movie as a kid and just being completely obsessed with it.  It’s definitely the reason I started doing theater.  When I listen to it still, it takes me right back to my childhood. Carousel and West Side Story are close behind.  I’m a sucker for the classics.

Do you have a dream role?  Again, there are so many!  I’d love to play Bert in Mary Poppins or the Baker in Into the Woods.  Did you see the recent revival of Hello, Dolly! on Broadway?  I did!  What did you think of it?  I was blown away by it.  I saw both Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters, and I thought that they were just so extraordinary.  The costumes, the scenery, the dancing… it’s all so lush.  It’s everything you want in a revival of a classic musical.

You play “Ambrose Kemper” in Hello, Dolly!.  Were you inspired by how other performers have interpreted the character, or did you avoid seeing how anyone else did it?  Well, I certainly grew up watching the movie version, and I love Tommy Tune’s portrayal of Ambrose.  However, the movie version is very different from the stage version, so I think that my interpretation is probably pretty different.  My Ambrose lives in a constant state of stress.

Is this your first time in Miami?  It’s not!  I was here once before in 2009, with The 101 Dalmatians Musical.  I’m so excited to be back!  And finally, what will you do with you down time when you’re here?  Ok, this one’s easy.  The beach!  I’m also excited for Thanksgiving.  I love pie!

The Arsht Center is located at 1300 Biscayne Blvd, in Miami, Florida.  Hello, Dolly! runs from November 20 to 25.  Tickets can be purchases online at www.arshtcenter.org or by calling the box office at (305) 949-6722.

MIKE JEKNAVORIAN Local Interviews

CHAD BUSH

In just five years, Chad Bush has turned Fort Lauderdale’s Pig Week into the country’s preeminent bacchanalian event for gay men.  But you’ll never guess what game Bush plays in his down time.    

PHOTOGRAPH BY SYLVESTER Q. 

By Mike Jeknavorian

Where did you grow up?  In Akron, Ohio.  What do you miss about it there?  Swenson’s Hamburgers.  The Galley Boy hamburger, specifically.  How long have you lived in South Florida?  Off and on my whole life, but 12 years now for this last stint.  Why did you move here?  Because I hate the cold.  What part of South Florida do you live in?  In Wilton Manors.  What do you like most about living here?  I love being in a community that supports each other.  What South Florida venue do you miss that’s gone?  Blue Marlin.  What’s your favorite naught venue in South Florida?  Well, Ramrod.  What’s your claim-to-fame?  Besides raising my son, starting Pig Week and having it grow to be the largest party of its kind in the world.

ADVERSTISEMENT

When did you start Pig Week?  I started working on it in 2014, and the first one was in 2015, so this is the fourth one.  Why did you create it?  Because there was nothing like it here in the USA.  What’s important about Pig Week?  It brings together all genres of men.  Leather men, twinks, bears, muscle men, and jocks.  All men can be “Pigs.”  Which one of your old jobs least prepared you for what you do now?  Cleaning the parking lots of shopping malls in Akron.  If God were to take you tomorrow, how would you like to be remembered?  As a man with a vision.  Do you believe in an afterlife?  I believe more in afterbirth.  I have seen that.  Do you think that this is the most amoral time that’s ever existed?  No.  I think the worst was the early 80s when the government did absolutely nothing to research HIV and let millions of gay men die from aids.  That was the worst.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS LOPEZ

What do you want to live long enough to see?  For Broward County get a vote-count right.  Will you ever retire?  I thought that I already had.  What’s the last thing that you looked at online?  How to spell “Blue Marlin.”  What’s the best place that you’ve visited?  Waipi’o Vally, Hawaii.  Who would you like to be for a day?  My dad asked me that when I was 11, and I told him Grace Jones.  He knew then that I was going to be the boy that could not throw the ball.  Who or what is the greatest love of your life?  My son and Ralf Vidal.  What talent would you most like to have?  To see the future.  What’s something that you learned in life only when you got older?  That after you get grey hair and you’re dying your beard, it’s easier to go blond than it is to go brown.

PHOTOGRAPH BY SYLVESTER Q. 

What did you learn from your parents?  Everything.  They are amazing.  Who’s your favorite performer?  Nina Hagen, Nina Flowers, and Nina Simone.  Ok, well, somebody named Nina.  What’s your best characteristic?  My ability to laugh.  How do you enjoy spending your time?  Playing duck, duck, goose.  What celebrity do you have a crush on?  Jason Statham, if he gained 50 pounds.  Who do you admire?  Barney Frank.  If you could bring one person back from the dead, who would it be?  Rosalind Russell.  Where would you go in a time machine?  Well, first kill Hitler, then invest in Apple, and then tell Grace Jones that I want to be her.  What would your last meal be?  My grandmother’s gumbo and spoon bread.  What do you worry about?  My thigh.  It itches.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS LOPEZ

What are you afraid of?  This bug that I just found on thigh.  If you were a musical instrument, what would you be?  Zamfir’s pan flute.  Are you more like a sheep or a wolf?  Is pig an option…?  Who depends on you, and for what?  My family, and for love.  Who are you closest with?  My Boyfriend, Ralf.  What would your autobiography be called?  The Making of Babylon.  Ghost written by Mark Brandon, and available in May of 2020.  What’s on your bucket list?  A mop.  This place is filthy.  What’s your greatest regret in life?  Smoking cigarettes.  What’s something secretive about you that people don’t know?  That I’m an artist.  Where can we see you?  Every weekend behind the bar at Ramrod, or everywhere during Pig Week.

 

MIKE JEKNAVORIAN Local Events

POMPANO BILL’S MEMORIAL

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By Mike Jeknavorian

The South Florida LGBTQ community came together at The Pride Center in Wilton Manors last Thursday to mourn the passing of one of its brightest stars, photographer “Pompano” Bill Calcaterra.  The memorial, which was co-hosted by former nightclub owner Toni Barone and Hot Spots owner Peter Clark, featured testimonial videos from people who were closest to Calcaterra.  Speaking on video, nightclub owner Paul Hugo quipped that Calcaterra “touched” everyone that he came into contact with.  Another amusing comment came from Michael Connell, co-owner of The Pub, who said that the “first time that he met Pompano Bill was at a high, upscale bar called the Ramrod.”  The most outlandish commentary came from longtime-friend Joe Posa, and dressed as Joan Rivers, when he reassured the crowd that he met Pompano Bill at the “pearly gates,” but that he figured that Calcaterra would be “down there given all the people that he slept with.”  Posa also impressed upon the crowd that we’re “waiting for all you old farts from Wilton Manors to hurry up and get here.”  Despite the humor that came from some memorializers, Pomapano Bill was repeatedly characterized as an “incredibly generous” person whose lasting contribution was that he chronicled virtually the entire LGBTQ community in Broward County—from the 1990s to present—with his photography.

MIKE JEKNAVORIAN Local Events

THE SYNERGY TWINS

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By Mike Jeknavorian

The Synergy Twins performed at Yule Holiday Lounge last Saturday to a packed house. The twins gave a dynamic performance—which consisted of them moving around the venue at times, including standing on the bar—that was over two hours long. Considering that the musicians probably weren’t contracted for a two-hour show, the show’s length underscored their obvious love for performing.  Local singer Jennifer McClain, who was just named by the South Florida Gay News as the best artist/musician in Broward County for the fourth year in a row, made an unadvertised appearance and sung several numbers with the duo as well.

MIKE JEKNAVORIAN National Interviews

PENNY ARCADE

Penny Arcade, one of New York’s preeminent nightlife queens, and a Warhol alumni, stops by Miami on her 40-city international tour to perform her New York-centric one-woman show, Longing Lasts Longer

PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVEN MENENDEZ

By Mike Jeknavorian

Where did you grow up?  In New Britain, Connecticut, in the 1950s, when it was known as the hardware capitol of the world.  When’s the last time you went back there?  On September 29th, 2018, for the 50th high school reunion, for high school years that I didn’t attend!  Do you miss anything about the town?  I miss what New Britain was before Paul Manafort Sr. destroyed the town with so-called “urban renewal.”  Of all the venues that are gone in NYC, which one do you miss the most?  The Bottom Line.  Who’s your favorite Warhol superstar?  It’s a tie between Taylor Mead and Ondine.  Since you’ve toured extensively in Europe, what’s your favorite place there?  The island of Formentera, Baleraric Islands, Spain.

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What will you do with your down time when you’re in South Florida?  I intend to show my collaborator’s wife, Marina, all the sights.  It’s her first visit here.  Other than your own plays, what’s your favorite play?  Anything by Tennessee Williams.  Which one of your old jobs least prepared you for what you do now?  Being a social worker in back-woods Maine.  How did you come up with your name?  I named myself Penny Arcade coming down from LSD at age 17.  It stuck.  If God were to take you tomorrow, how would you like to be remembered?  For my kindness and action in compassion.  What do you want to live long enough to see?  For my 11 and 13-year-old friends, Gandan and Diesel, to grow up to be 21!

Will you ever retire?  Actresses like me never retire.  What’s the weirdest question that a fan’s asked you?  “What are you really like?”  What celebrity did you act like a “fan” around?  Liza Minnelli.  I was completely tongue-tied.  What’s the last thing that you looked at online?  An “enlarged heart portal.”  It came up on my chest x-ray.  What’s the best place that you’ve visited?  The best…?  Every place has something ‘best’ about it.  There is no best place.  What’s something that you learned in life only when you got older?  That the only approval that really matters is my own approval of myself.  What did you learn from your parents?  How to work hard.  What’s your current state-of-mind?  Enlightened.

What were you doing before we spoke?  Thinking of getting out of bed.  What’s your idea of perfect happiness?  Swimming in the clean, clear, beautiful ocean.  What’s your greatest fear?  Pain, sickness and immobility.  Living or dead, who’s the greatest political figure in America?  Vito Marcantonio, the first-born Italian-American representative from New York’s 18thdistrict, who put the word ‘service’ into public service.  Who’s your favorite performer?  Tammy Faye Starlight and Bina Sharif.  What’s your best characteristic?  Enthusiasm.  How do you enjoy spending your time?  Walking around.  I’m a flaneuse.  What celebrity do you have a crush on?  Hmm…?  I don’t have crushes on people that I do not personally know.

PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVEN MENENDEZ

Who do you admire?  Noam Chomski.  If you could bring one person back from the dead, who would it be?  James Baldwin.  Where would you go in a time machine?  To 1910.  I’d go to New York City and around the world.  What would your last meal be?  Sushi and an ice cream sundae with hot fudge.  What do you worry about?  Money, for old age, and for arthritis.  What are you afraid of?  Serial blood-lust murderers.  If you were a musical instrument, what would you be?  A viola.  Are you more like a sheep or a wolf?  A wolf.  Who depends on you?  People who no one else will help.  Who are you closest with?  Steve Zehentner, my best friend and collaborator of 26 years.  What would your autobiography be called?  The Broken Genius Girl Must Be Sacrificed.

What music do you listen to when you’re upset?  Old R&B, like Solomon Burke, old blues, and doo-wop.  What’s on your bucket list?  Singing a concert of my original songs and my favorite covers.  What’s your greatest regret in life?  That I didn’t honor my heart’s desires in my teens and 20s and 30s.  I thought that I needed ‘proof’ to follow them.  What’s something secretive about you that people don’t know?  Pretty much everything!  I only share what makes me the same as others, not what makes me different.  But, ok.  One thing is, I’m very timid.  Where can we see you?  My website has my schedule, and my Facebook page is totally open—I run it like a magazine or a diary.  You can also see me at the Live Arts Lab at Miami Dade College this Thursday to Saturday!

MIKE JEKNAVORIAN Local Events

BATTLE OF THE WITCHES

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By Mike Jeknavorian

New York-based drag performers, Sherry Vine and Jackie Beat, performed a special Halloween show, Battle of the Witches, at The Pub last Sunday.  Vine and Beat first matched raunch-for-raunch in several solo numbers, before culminating with a reading battle in the song “I Got You Bitch,” set to the tune of  the Sonny and Cher’s, “I Got You Babe.”  The show was at 9:00 p.m., and it was precipitated by Lady Fancy’s monthly Gospel Jubilee.

MIKE JEKNAVORIAN Local Events

BOB DYLAN AND HIS BAND

Bob Dylan played a standing-room-only show in Fort Lauderdale last month as part of his 2018 tour

SHADE-O-METER RATING

5 OUTTA 5 WERKS: “10s ACROSS THE BOARD – LEGENDARY STATUS”

By Mike Jeknavorian

Who’s Bob Dylan?  I’m sure that we all know who he is.  What’s the Au-Rene Theater?  It’s the main theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.  It holds about 2,600 people, and it has three levels.  How was the venue?  It’s first-rate.  How was the parking?  They have valet, or you can park in the garage for $12.  The garage is about a block away.  Does the venue serve liquor?  Yes, and there are multiple bars.  We got one double chardonnay for $19.  How was the drink?  Fine.

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Does the venue serve food?  They have some snacks.  How was the food?  We got a chocolate bar.  It was good; it costs about $3.  Where were the seats?  At the back of the mezzanine, a.k.a., the second level.  How much were the tickets?  About $110 each, including those annoying Ticketmaster fees.  The flat price was $93.75 each (how did they come up with 75 cents?).  Was the show sold out?  Yes, completely.  They even had a standing-room-only area.  Was there an opening act?  No.

How was the show?  I’ve seen him several times before, and, concerning the sound of the whole band, there’s no one that sounds quite like them.  The closest comparison I can think of is The Stones.  The reason that The Stones sound different than everyone else is that the songs are driven by Richards on the guitar, as opposed to just about what everyone else does, where the rhythm section (the drums and bass) drives the song.  It’s said that this is a dangerous way to play, but, if one can do it right, there’s nothing that sounds like it.  The same thing is going on here with the Dylan band—He’s leading the songs from the piano.  Regarding the songs, it’s common knowledge that Dylan’s not going to perform them as written, and this show was no exception.  The set consisted of a mix of standards and the obscure.  Standards consisted of “It Ain’t Me, Babe” (a fabulous subverted version of it), “Highway 61 Revisited,” “Like A Rolling Stone” (this one really got the crowd jazzed up), and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright.”  The band consisted of either four or five members (I couldn’t quite tell because of the distance) and, particularly with the lighting, came off like the house band from a David Lynch film.

How was the crowd?  Here’s where it gets interesting.  No photography was permitted, and the ushers were swirling around like hawks over this one.  The crowd mostly consisted of baby boomers, and we all know how they are when it comes to cell phones—those fingers had to of been itching like mad to satisfy the Facebook beast.  And satisfy it they would, for they started with the phones during the last few songs.  The ushers tried to stop it, but there was just too many at once.  I can guess why Dylan prohibits the phones, but one wonders if it would be less distracting to just let them do it than to try to hold them back, because, ultimately, there’s really no stopping them.  You also had a fair amount of ones who left halfway through the show, no doubt, because they weren’t getting the typical “rock concert” experience.  Have they watched one live video of Dylan’s that was recorded over the past 30 years?

What could have improved the show?  Really, nothing.  Either you like him or you don’t, but the music was on point.  And for those who are critical about Dylan’s voice, it is what it is.  They should know what they’re getting into by now.  Regarding the abundance of merchandise, I’m not sure that that aligns with Dylan’s no-nonsense image.  What was surprising about the show?  The way that Dylan interacts with the crowd.  I thought that I remembered him at least greeting the audience in the past.  There was none of that here.  He never addressed the audience (not once), he either stayed behind the piano or very far upstage the entire time, there were no spotlights or video screens of him, and his exit consisted of one brief bow with the rest of the band.  I can’t think of anyone in the history of show business who’s at this level that did something like this.  Even Elvis and Michael Jackson—both were known for having little interaction with the audience—said at least a few words to them.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located at 201 S.W. 5thAve., in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.