The stars of the upcoming Broadway musical, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert joined forces with the It Gets Better Project to record a Public Service Announcement aimed at spreading the message that there is support for LGBT youth that are bullied, that everyone should stand up to hate and intolerance, and that it does indeed get better. Will Swenson, Tony Sheldon and Nick Adams appear, and encourage everyone to take the pledge to speak out against hate. The campaign will air exclusively on CBS 2.
Founder of the It Gets Better Project Dan Savage created a YouTube video with his partner Terry Miller in September 2010 in response to a number of students taking their own lives after being bullied in school due to their sexual orientation. He shares, “The It Gets Better Project is thrilled to be partnering with Priscilla on our very first PSA. We’ve been honored and humbled by the theatre community’s commitment to standing up for tolerance and lending their voices to this vital cause. The show Priscilla could not be a better fit, thematically, with the message of it It Gets Better Project.”
The Priscilla partnership will also include a series of events to support the It Gets Better Project at the Palace Theatre this spring, further spreading the message of hope and tolerance to LGBT youth.
BROADWAY MAGAZINE- What have you started Douglas Hodge?
Fast on the heels of the huge Broadway success of La Cage aux Folles, which earned 11 Tony Award nominations, casting has been announced for the upcoming Broadway musical version of Priscilla Queen of the Desert. The London musical is adapted from a 1994 film about three transvestites making their way across the Australian outback. Will “HAIR” Swenson is set to star as Tick/Mitzi and London Tony Sheldon will reprise is role as Bernadette.
In addition to that, fans of La Cage who just can’t get enough are invited to get more or the real-drag-deal each night after the performance with a new club next door—Club La Cage. After catching the smash hit musical revival at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48thStreet), the evening continues next door at CLUB LA CAGE, nestled within the newly renovated 3rd floor bar and terrace at Hurley’s (232 West 48thStreet) . CLUB LA CAGE is open Saturdays at 11:15 PM and Sundays at 10:15 PM.
At CLUB LA CAGE, acclaimed singer and performer Raven O hosts a nightlife spectacle featuring a revolving cast of New York City’s top drag entertainers and an assortment of exciting and surprising special guests. CLUB LA CAGE will feature appearances by drag personalities Peppermint, Sherry Vine, Lauren Ordair, Flotilla DeBarge and more.
Who knows, maybe Kelsey Grammer will stop by and sing a song or two too. Sir Fraiser stars in La Cage aux Folles with Douglas Hodge, who plays the hero/ine and is one of the key reasons for the Broadway revivals success.
The revival of HAIR on Broadway has inspired a whole new group and generation of Broadway theatergoers. On March 7th, the current cast of HAIR will pack their bags and head to London to open the show in the West End. Last night at the Angela Lansbury Drama League Benefit Gala, we asked HAIR star Will Swenson about the cast heading to London and what he was looking forward to most. Watch the video above to see what Sweson had to say.
A while back we mentioned the Equality March that was occurring in Washington D.C. in October. And true to their word the cast of HAIR let the theatre go dark Sunday night, all to support a very important cause.
The National Equality March happened yesterday at the Nation’s Capital Washington D.C. and thousands came out to support the right for everyone to have equal rights!
Gavin Creel of HAIR led his cast member’s in the march and he had this to say about President Obama and his call to action, “I take him at his word…this is just the beginning.”
Well said Gavin, this is just the beginning and way for HAIR to support like this!
Special thanks to Cynthia Nixon, and Lady Gaga for lending their voices to this amazing cause!
A slew of Stars came out for the opening night of Carrie Fisher’s one woman Broadway play titled Wishful Drinking. Just a few of the stars included Jane Fonda, Martha Plimpton, Nolan Gerard Funk (Bye, Bye Birdie), Will Swenson (HAIR), Audra McDonald, and Tovah Feldshuh.
The critics even liked the show here is some of what they had to say:
Ben Brantley - New York Times, “Ms. Fisher knows herself, or the work of fiction she admits she partly is, and the myriad ways she might be perceived. This is essential if you are going to be turned into a sex doll, a Pez dispenser and an illustration in a book of abnormal psychology. After the show, you’ll probably start to think that Ms. Fisher didn’t really tell you everything. But as long as you’re watching her, you experience the illusion of extremely funny, subliminally sad full-frontal confession.”
Michael Kuchwara - AP, “Carrie Fisher is a raconteur in the best sense of the word. She knows how to tell a story. And ‘Wishful Drinking,’ her hilariously perceptive journey through a world of celebrity and self-destruction, is chock-full of funny, fascinating tales.”
Elysa Gardner - USA Today, “Though Fisher’s foibles, her failed relationships, her struggles with alcoholism and manic-depression, are the focus, the effect is less one of navel-gazing than wry commiseration.That generous, humble spirit ensures that Drinking is a perfectly pleasant trifle, nothing that requires or inspires great emotional commitment, but fine for a one-night stand.”
Photos: Kambouris / Steven A Henry photograph of Jane Fonda at Wishful Drinking opening night October 4th.
Yesterday HAIR stars Gavin Creel and Will Swenson were immortalized on the walls of the iconic Sardi’s Restaurant in New York City. Sardi’s has put Creel and Swenson’s caricatures on the wall for fans to see for years to come. Art was the theme of the day yesterday for the HAIR cast. Before the caricature unveiling Louise Hirschfeldt presented the cast of HAIRwith an original 1968 drawing from the first Broadway production.
Bryce Ryness of HAIR the musical fame and wife Meredith are the proud parents of a new baby girl Mercy Jane Ryness born on September 4, 2009 and we like the Woodstock esque name.
Ryness Rocks out with HAIR’s Gavin Creel and Will Swenson every night on Broadway, and the show is doing fantastic!
A fun fact about Ryness, did you know he is the lead character in the much played TV commercial for Rock Band 2, look for the guy in the DJ booth all throughout the commerical, it’s awesome!!
With more Broadway stars we have seen together in once place since the TONY Awards last month, Broadway Barks was sure a fun event to cover. The annual event had legends like Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters (co-organizers of Broadway Barks) together with Angela Lansbury, Alice Ripley, Gavin Creel and Marcia Gay Harden just to name a few.
This year’s event brought dogs and cats that needed adoption from many New York animal shelters. Many Broadway stars that we spoke with said that they were more than happy to volunteer their time to help get an animal adopted. Click here or the image above to watch the exciting video from the event.
The entire cast of HAIR will leave New York and fly to LA over the weekend to be on NBC’s Tonight Show. HAIR will be the first Broadway show to perform on the Tonight Show since Conan O’Brein took over for Jay Leno. The hit Broadway musical will also hold a LA “Be-In” for marriage equality. Cleve Jones and Dustin Lance Black will join the cast of HAIR for the equality event that will take place in LA this Monday July 23rd.
On Monday the American Theatre Wing celebrated its Annual Spring Gala. Neil Patrick Harris who will be hosting the TONY Awards this year told us what we can expect on Sunday. On the red carpet, we had the chance to speak with Kathie Lee Gifford, Angela Lansbury, Will Swenson and Gavin Creel among other Broadway stars. We asked Ms. Lansbury what she was looking forward to during the evening and and she smiled and said, “…that wonderful Australian guy who we are all crazy about…”
Hugh Jackman is currently a Hollywood megastar. He is a three time host of the TONYS awards and just recently announced that he will be coming back to Broadway. In 2008, PEOPLE Magazine named Jackman the “Sexist Man Alive.” Currently, Jackman is starring on the silver screen playing Wolverine in the X-Men Series. It was great to catch up with Jackman, click here or the image above to watch the video and to read more.
BROADWAY MAGAZINE- What have you started Douglas Hodge?
