Frontiers Vol. 34, Issue 20 by Frontiers

JAN. 21 - FEB. 3, 2016 | VOL. 34, NO. 20

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SPECIAL REPORT Man Dead at Hands of San Diego Police p.14

BE YOUR HEALTHIEST YOU IN 2016

WILL THE L.A. RAMS EMBRACE GAY FANS? (P. 9)

FIVE HOLLYWOOD HUNKS WORTH ‘GYM-STALKING’ (P. 44)

THE COUNTRY’S 9 BEST SKI SPOTS RANKED (P. 25)

GET FIT WITH

KENTA

SEKI p.50

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Contents

JAN. 21 - FEB. 3, 2016

FEATURES

Kenta Seki: The Workout World’s Next Big Thing

Get Fit in 2016

KENTA SEKI: JEFFERY ANDRÉ; GET FIT: COURTESY OF TRAVAASA HANA, MAUI

Inside the Film Industry’s Comic Book Onslaught

ON THE COVER Kenta Seki, photographed by Don Flood FEBRUARY 3, 2016

Contents

Download our interactive digital edition with videos, expanded editorial, behind-the-scenes photos and more. Search for Frontiers magazine on

JAN. 21 - FEB. 3, 2016

DEPARTMENTS NEWSBOX 09

10 12 14

Will L.A.’s New Football Team Welcome Its Gay Fans? Flashbulb Watercooler The 2016 Presidential Race is Politics as Unusual Special Report: Questionable Police Conduct Hits San Diego DateBook

09 29

THE GAY AGENDA 19 20 20 22 22

Color Alert: The Latest Grey Matter Inside NAIAS 2016 Ask Drew Droege The Incarnations of David Bowie Gays We Love: Craig Ramsay & Brandon Liberati

TRAVEL 25 26 27

America’s Best Ski Destinations In Search of the World's Best BBQ Destination: Bern, Switzerland

19 35

CALENDAR 29

31 33 33

PaleyFest Connects TV’s Best Series With Die-Hard Fans Photo L.A. 2016 Museum Free-For-All Day Eating Out: Maple Block Meat Co.

ENTERTAINMENT 35 36 37 38 38

James Lecesne's Absolute Brightness Film Reviews Music Reviews Coming to TV Theater Reviews

COLUMNS 58 59 60 64

Billy Masters Gossip Gay Palm Springs Gaydar

25 64 Frontiers magazine is published by New Frontiers Media Holdings, LLC, 5657 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 470, Los Angeles, CA. 90036, and distributed throughout Southern California. Up to the first three copies of any single issue are free; additional copies are $10 each. Violators caught stealing or destroying issues will be prosecuted under California Penal Code 484. For magazine subscriptions, please call (323) 930- 3220. The contents of Frontiers may not be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part, without permission from the publisher. All rights reserved. Letters to the editor, artwork, photography, manuscripts and other correspondence may be submitted to Frontiers at the above address. We cannot acknowledge or return material unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Allow at least three months for processing. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles or advertising in Frontiers is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation or the HIV/AIDS status of such person or organization. Copyright © 2015, New Frontiers Media Holdings, LLC.

PEOPLE INDEX Adele 37 David Bowie 10, 12, 22, 31, 37 Connie Britton 38 Jeanne Córdova 12 4

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Kim Davis 14 Fabio 64 Carly Rae Jepsen 39, 58 Ryan Murphy 29, 38

Michael Sam Joss Whedon Tom Whitman Austin Young

09 55 26 31

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Frontiers is published biweekly, with 40,000 print copies distributed throughout California and Nevada, and an interactive digital version available via Apple Newsstand, Google Play and Amazon. Frontiers is one of five brands owned by the only LGBT publicly traded company, Multimedia Platforms, Inc. (stock symbol: MMPW). Collectively, the Florida Agenda, Frontiers, FunMaps, Guy and Next magazine represent three of America’s most populous LGBT markets and 40 cities across North America, an estimated 7.5 million readers annually. Visit MultimediaPlatformsInc.com for further information. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. PROUD TO BE AFFILIATED WITH

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Will the Rams Hail Mary? The NFL team is coming home to Los Angeles, but only time will tell whether it can welcome a key demographic—the LGBT community By Karen Ocamb

11 MINUTES The average amount of time the football is in play on the field during an NFL game, according to a Wall Street Journal study. The average game length is 2 hours, 57 minutes

SPEAK OUT

ootball is the most popular sport in America, according to ESPN and a 2014 Harris Poll, so it’s understandable that football fans in Los Angeles—which naturally includes several LGBTs—have been grieving for two decades, since 1995, about the Rams and the Raiders taking off for greener fields. But soon the Rams will be moving back home, settled after a Jan. 12-13 meeting in Houston, during which NFL owners accepted a package promising a ”world-class, iconic structure” in L.A. over a joint package that included a stadium in Carson offered by the owners of the Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers. While the Raiders won’t see the blue skies of L.A. again, there’s a long shot chance the San Diego Chargers could relocate, giving Angelenos two teams to cheer for again. The Rams came in third in the NFC West with a 4-8 overall record, according to the NFL. But with Rams owner Stan Kroenke’s plan for a $1.86 billion stadium seating 70,240 on the old Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, 10 miles from Downtown L.A.—plus space for thousands to stand and pricey premium seats—the team is sure to attract attention and lots of money. According to an AP fact-check of the Kroenke proposal, the stellar stadium “would be covered with a seethrough roof while still open to the air and capable of hosting events like the Super Bowl and the NCAA Final Four. In addition, the site would house an entertainment district, restaurants and offices.” The Rams will play at the Los Angeles Coliseum until that new complex is finished in 2019. But with all that money and promise ahead, will the Rams welcome one of L.A.’s key demographics, the LGBT community?

Absolutely, says NFL fan Jim Buzinski, co-founder with Cyd Zeigler of the important Outsports.com. Buzinski notes that it was the St. Louis Rams that drafted the NFL’s first openly gay active player, Michael Sam, in 2014. “With their drafting and deft handling of Michael Sam, the Rams have shown that they get LGBT issues. From the general manager to the coach to the players, the team treated Sam as just another player while also recognizing his historic role,” Buzinski tells Frontiers. “That’s a good sign for a franchise moving to an area where there is huge LGBT visibility.” And the Sam draft was “legitimate,” not a publicity stunt or a move to simply excite local fans since Sam was a huge football celebrity player at the University of Missouri, says Buzinski. With all the discussion about gay slurs during the current playoffs, the sports journalist underscored that the Rams players “especially treated him well, like one of the guys.” The NFL has been trying to address “gay issues” since Sam was drafted, bringing in former Washington Redskins receiver James Thrash and former NFL cornerback Wade

“The reason people liked my snap was because it defied regressive, homophobic, scary-ass losers like you.” HitFix writer Louis Virtel in a tweet to @GOP decrying Republicans’ use of a gif of him during his May 15 Jeopardy appearance

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FLASHBULB continued

THE 2016 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS, The Beverly Hilton, Jan. 10 The Hollywood Foreign Press Association awarded statuettes to whom it felt were the shining stars of the year’s film and television output. Above, clockwise from top left: Lily Tomlin, host Ricky Gervais with Jane Fallon, Laverne Cox, Jon Hamm, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeffrey Tambor, Lady Gaga, Melissa McCarthy, Taraji P. Henson, Oliver Isaac, Gerard Butler, Denis O’Hare, Jamie Lee Curtis, Judith Light, Jimmy Napes with Sam Smith. Below, clockwise from top left: Aziz Ansari, David Oyelowo, Eddie Redmayne, Damian Lewis, Alicia Vikander, Cate Blanchett, Rupert Murdoch with Jerry Hall, Rachel Bloom, Alan Cumming

SPEAK OUT “We know David Bowie the figure, the singer, the outrageous performer, but actually we don’t know anything about him. And that’s the way it should be.” Elton John speaks to SiriusXM about the death of fellow musician David Bowie, who had secretly obtained treatment for cancer in the years before his death

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AFI AWARDS 2015 LUNCHEON, Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles, Jan. 8 The American Film Institute honored the creative ensembles behind the year’s most outstanding films and TV. Top, from left: J.J. Abrams with F. Gary Gray, Claire Danes with Kirsten Dunst, Jason Mitchell with Christian Bale and O’Shea Jackson Jr. Bottom: Steve Carell with Marisa Tomei, Ryan Gosling, Brie Larson with Jacob Temblay, Rooney

GOLDEN GLOBES: PHOTOS COURTESY OF HFPA; AFI: PHOTOS COURTESY OF AFI

Davis—who came out publicly to Outsports in June 2012 and is executive director of the You Can Play project—to address players of 16 NFL teams at the June 2014 Rookie Symposium. “You will have a gay teammate at some point,” Thrash told the players. “Now, how do you protect that teammate?” Davis also spent time with the Rams directly, having already worked with Rams coach Jeff Fisher when the two were with the Tennessee Titans. In August 2014, Davis told Outsports that Fisher’s “candor” about making the Titans roster “made all the difference.” He expected Fisher did the same with Sam, who eventually left the game. Aside from Sam and Davis, there have only been five other football players who came out after retirement or death: Dave Kopay, Jerry Smith (who was ‘outed’ by Kopay after Smith died of AIDS), Esera Tuaolo, Roy Simmons and Kwame Harris. Buzinski says that publicity-generating mini-events such as “Kiss-Cams” are left up to individual teams, and he believes the Rams and fans would be fine with a same-sex kiss, if the organization puts the camera up. He also says the NFL does not have “Gay Days” as do others sports leagues because there is no real economic insensitive—games usually sell out quickly. He thinks the Rams will do their due diligence in scoping out the Greater Los Angeles community, and, just from a smart business perspective, will initiate or respond to requests from community groups for participation by a representative of the team. But until there is another openly gay football player, Buzinski says, there is nothing much one can do about the frustration of fighting homophobia in the abstract. The climate continues to change. On Jan. 14, Zeigler reported that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers—who has long fought against rumors that he’s gay and insists he isn’t—spoke out about the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association’s ban of innocuous chants at high school sporting events. Telling ESPN that some chants like “air ball” (deemed taunting by some) are all in fun, “I don’t agree with any type of racist or homophobic language, [or] any of that type of stuff from the crowd to the people on the field.” Hopefully some Rams player—perhaps Chris Long, 30, #91, Defensive End and a pick for Outsports’ new 2015 All-Hot NFL Team—will set the stage early with some pro-LGBT equality remark and then watch LGBT fans line up for every game. And maybe even do some shopping afterwards.

FEBRUARY 3, 2016

WATERCOOLER

Your cheat sheet for intelligent conversation — By Peter DelVecchio

Westboro Picket of David Bowie Prompts Rainbow Reply

In keeping with its perverse tradition of appearing at emotional events carrying “God Hates Fags” signs, the fringe fundamentalist Westboro Baptist Church intends to picket a planned Carnegie Hall concert honoring the iconic David Bowie, who died of liver cancer Jan. 9. Equality House, the rainbow-painted headquarters of the nonprofit Planting Peace, which sits across the street from the church, is responding with a fundraiser for children living with cancer, with all funds donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. “When WBC began tweeting hateful messages ... and targeting various memorials for picketing,” Planting Peace decided the fundraiser “would be the perfect way to honor Mr. Bowie and show that acts of love and compassion speak louder than messages of hate,” the group’s president Aaron Jackson said.

WeHo ‘Text PrEP’ Initiative Goes Countywide

Last year, then-West Hollywood Mayor John D’Amico announced a ‘zero transmissions’ initiative, which prompted the city’s social services to think of new ways to prevent HIV infection in WeHo. They came up with a social media campaign about the scientifically successful PrEP and PEP that links to their WeHoLife.org website. In October, when the Los Angeles LGBT Center opened its WeHo center, the city introduced cards with the Text PrEP campaign. It’s easy: Text 41411, then type in “PrEP” in the message box, hit send and a message comes up with resources and links. There’s also one available for transgender resources at Text 41411 with “Trans” typed in the message box. City Social Services Manager David Giugni announced the Text PrEP campaign at the L.A. County HIV Commission on Jan. 14 to publicize the service countywide. —K.O.

Militiamen Ask for Snacks, Get Dildos

The occupation of a remote federal nature reserve building in eastern Oregon by right-wing “militiamen” has touched off a tsunami of comedy. The hashtags #YallQaeda and #VanillaISIS sprang up almost immediately. When the occupiers requested “snacks,” social media exploded with such things as classic paintings of George Washington at war, overlaid with slogans like “First we seize the visitors center. Then we ask for snacks.” The indignities have only intensified; the “patriots” are now receiving shipments of sex toys, including “a giant dong and a bag of dicks,” says HuffPo. “It’s really ridiculous,” militiaman Jon Ritzheimer complained in a Facebook video. “Rather than doing good, they just spend all their money on hate and hate and hate and hate.”

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The right-wing obsession with who uses which bathrooms continues with the introduction into the Virginia state House of Representatives a bill that would impose a $50-per-use fine on anyone using a bathroom on state property inconsistent with their “anatomical sex.” The law would require similar restrictions in school restrooms and lockers. The bill leaves enforcement to the imagination, but oneactivist, Tim Peacock, remarks, “adults would be required to inspect children’s genitals before they use the bathroom.” “It is sad to see the number of bills introduced this session targeted at ensuring that schools and other governmental agencies can purposely discriminate against transgender adults and children in Virginia,” ACLU of Virginia’s Clair Guthrie Gastañaga said in a statement.

3 4 5 6

Jeanne Córdova

Anglicans Suspend U.S. Church Over Marriage

Potentially deepening and perpetuating a rift between the global Anglican community and the U.S. Episcopal Church that began with the ordination of gay Bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire in 2003 and widened with the church’s increasingly liberal policies regarding LGBT issues, Anglican leaders acted Jan. 14 to essentially suspend the U.S. branch from the 85 million-member worldwide church over its recent approval of gay marriage, ABC News reports. A statement from the Anglican press office in Canterbury, England, noted “deep differences” regarding marriage, reaffirmed church doctrine that marriage is between one man and one woman, and called the Episcopal Church’s position on marriage “a fundamental departure from the faith and teaching” of the wider church. Consequently, Episcopalians “no longer represent us on ecumenical and interfaith bodies,” relegating them to the status of observers.

Bishop V. Gene Robinson

Virginia GOP State Rep. Proposes Bathroom Fine Bill

Lesbian Pioneer Jeanne Córdova Dies at 67

Fiery lesbian feminist activist, author and publisher Jeanne Córdova died peacefully at her home in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 10. Her spouse, Lynn Ballen, and friends Jenny Pizer Doreena Wong and Dina Evans were with her when she passed. Close friend and fellow activist Ivy Bottini had this to say: “There will never be another lesbian activist like Jeanne. She was one of a kind. A true innovator. And a hell of a business woman. But right now I am grieving her lost presence, her laughter, her grit, and the love we both had for each other.” Last September, Jeanne wrote an open letter to the community about the fact that she was dying. It has been reposted along with many photos at FrontiersMedia.com. —K.O.

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Politics as Unusual A t his final State of the Union speech on Jan. 12, President Barack Obama talked about the progress that has been made and is still left to be accomplished, underscoring that “progress is not inevitable.” With anti-gay marriage Kentucky clerk Kim Davis watching from the balcony, Obama asked, “Will we respond to the changes of our time with fear, turning inward as a nation, turning against each other as a people? Or will we face the future with confidence in who we are, in what we stand for and the incredible things we can do together?” In a shocking Republican response, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley—who signed a law removing the Confederate flag from the state capitol—echoed that sentiment, for the first time in history saying her own party holds some responsibility for the country’s divisiveness, and urging voters to resist following “the siren call of the angriest voices,” by which she referred to presidential candidate and billionaire businessman Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Those GOP presidential candidates are also wrestling with how to wrangle the national anger. Trump continues to defy political correctness and soar in the polls, while Cruz courts evangelicals; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio seems to be assuming the mantle of the establishment candidate, as others—including expected frontrunner former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush— fade from view. On the Democratic side, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, 74, appears to be running away with the youth vote, much like Obama did in 2008 against former New York Sen. Hillary Clinton (both pictured below alongside former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley). For her part, the now former Secretary of State, deemed by most to be the most qualified in both fields, is ahead in the national polls but could still lose Iowa and New Hampshire to insurgent candidate Sanders. All eyes are now focused on the Feb. 1 Iowa Caucuses, and a week later, on Feb. 9, the New Hampshire primary. But while the winners of those important contests will gain momentum, it is not the end of the road for these candidates. In the case of the Republicans, their candidates could go on to a brokered convention this July in Cleveland, Ohio. And while that may be exciting to some politicos, others bear in mind that the next President of the United States will possibly nominate three Supreme Court justices, thereby determining the fate of the nation. —K.O.

SPECIAL REPORT:

A JUSTIFIED SHOOTING? Questionable police conduct hits San Diego, leaving a local gay man dead and his family wanting answers By Karen Ocamb

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oshua Sisson’s family is having trouble coming to terms with his loss. On Jan. 14, they held the first of three open-casket wakes for family and friends in his hometown of Fredricktown, Penn. All were in shock—the 30-year-old man, shot dead by a San Diego police officer after an allegedly violent domestic dispute, was not the man they knew, not the monster described by the local media. The news of police gun violence, currently rocking the nation, has hit home in San Diego. The family wants answers. What really happened the night of Jan. 1? Since the police-involved shooting is an ongoing investigation, San Diego Police Department Homicide Capt. David Nisleit tells Frontiers, the police won’t release helicopter footage or video from the body camera worn by SWAT Officer Richard Butera, a 13-year veteran for whom Sisson was the third fatal shooting since June 2013. The other two shootings were deemed justified by District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. Police responded to a 911 call on New Year’s Day saying the victim’s boyfriend held a large knife to the victim’s throat before fleeing their apartment on Lewis Street near Fifth Avenue around 10:30 p.m. A helicopter spotted Sisson, and Butera found him on Sixth near Arbor Street. “When Butera told him to stop, he turned around and pointed a large kitchen knife at the officer, police said. He then began to aggressively advance toward him,” the San Diego Union Tribune reported Jan. 4. Homicide Lt. Manny Del Toro told reporters that Butera feared for his safety and shot Sisson once in the chest. Nisleit tells Frontiers that Butera repeatedly ordered Sisson to put down the butcher knife before Sisson charged and Butera fired. Sisson was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died early Saturday.

and the cop told him that he wasn’t and that he’d be fine. It took about 20 minutes for an ambulance to get to him, even though the hospital is nearby.” Sisson’s apartment building is on grounds owned by Mercy Hospital. One witness told NBC San Diego something similar: “You could hear him yelling and groaning and stuff.” “That officer had other options,” says Rudiselle. “That wasn’t his only option. He could have done other things. He took a wonderful man’s life for no reason.”

he publicity surrounding Sisson’s shooting has raised questions about a possible pattern with Butera. “After Sisson’s death, family members of the people killed in the two previous shootings independently contacted The San Diego Union-Tribune to raise questions they say still linger,” that paper reported on Jan. 16. “We do these based on what exactly happened at the scene,” Nisleit told the Union-Tribune. “We have to by law, and what is due process for the officer, look at it singly.” Former L.A. County Sheriff’s Lt. Roger Clark, a ‘use of force’ expert, however, said questions should be raised. “It’s extremely rare for a police officer to shoot at another human being during his career,” he told the paper. “They should ask what’s going on here. What’s happened where you shot three people in less than three years?” “I just want to figure out why this cop is killing so many people,” Tormey says. “Like a serial killer hiding behind a badge, he just takes the opportunity when he gets it, and if he thinks he can get away with it, he’s gonna take the shot. And the DA will clear him; [Internal Affairs] will clear him. “Don’t get me wrong,” says Tormey, who claims she has friends in law enforcement. “My brother was 6’3”. He wasn’t scrawny. So if my brother was charging at this cop with a knife, and this cop really had a dead-ass reason to hat’s the official story. But the family says be scared, then by all means, call it justified homicide. there are many unanswered questions and But I don’t think it was right if there was more than a inconsistencies. “My mother talked to Josh 21-feet distance between them. I’m not saying cops are at 7:00 that night, and Josh was fine and planning all vigilantes. But this is way too many killings in way too on coming out to visit my mom in Las Vegas,” short of years for me to say, OK, maybe it was justified.” Sisson’s mother, Britt Rudiselle, tells Frontiers in a And it was not in Sisson’s character to act like that, phone interview. “What transpired between then claims his family. “I know my brother’s not gonna charge and 10:30, I don’t know, but I’m having a hard time at a cop and do anything to harm him in any way,” Tormey buying the roommate’s story.” says. “No! Absolutely not!” The roommate to whom Rudiselle is referring Sisson’s sister points to his Facebook page. “He was is Chester Dano Lindsay Jr., Sisson’s partner of so gentle, and he loved nature and life itself. And no matter six months. Sisson was not out to his family, and SoCal resident Joshua Sisson (top) was what, he always got through it knowing that he was gonna the pair described themselves as “roommates.” fatally shot by San Diego police the evening see a better day at some point,” she says. Rudiselle says Lindsay told different stories to her, of Jan. 1; SDPD Capt. David Nisleit (left); In February 2014, Sisson wrote, “Feeling blessed it her brother and the police. Sisson’s partner, Chester Dano Lindsay Jr. (right); this is the third fatal shooting by just shows when you stay positive even in tough situations “The roommate’s story was that he wasn’t there, SDPD Officer Richard Butera since 2013 doors will open and that just happened. Thanks to all my and Josh snapped over something and trashed the friends and family for believing in me even when I could apartment and the neighbors called the cops,” she not. Pain and suffering builds character it strengthens you if you dont let it says. “And then the story [San Diego Police Det.Jana Beard] told me was destroy you and thanks again for all the support!” that the roommate actually called the police on him and said that Josh threatened him with a knife.” Sisson’s sister, Laura Tormey, 22, who lives in Middletown, N.J., and isson had his troubles. A gamer who loved music, computers and workwhose husband is a firefighter and paramedic, is conducting her own invesing out, at 21 he thought it would be fun to move to San Diego with his tigation, screen-capturing her IM chats with eyewitnesses and friends of New York friends. He worked several jobs, studied computer science Sisson’s who contacted her. She’s looked into the two other Butera-involved at California College San Diego, and though he didn’t like his brief stint in shootings, in 2013 and 2014, and knows about a SDPD scandal in 2014 when the Marines, he worked as a civilian security guard at Camp Pendleton. He’d several officers were accused of sexual misconduct. also been homeless, with friends taking him in. Nisleit tells Frontiers that Butera “immediately rendered medical aid,” “I think he just felt very lost and very alone,” says Rudiselle, who was but one eyewitness messaged Tormey photos and said neighbors “watched unable to help him out financially. my brother on the ground while [police] were waiting for an ambulance to In 2008, Sisson set fire to a couch in the basement of a house in Chula come. She told me that, at one point, Josh was screaming that he was dying Vista where he was living. The fire actually went out by itself, Rudiselle says,

FEBRUARY 3, 2016

SPEAK

OUT

isson was supposed to get off parole on Jan. 22, with plans to eventually go back to Pennsylvania. “One of his close friends said he had reached out to him about two weeks before Josh was killed, and said that he was living with his partner and he was doing good and he was happy,” says

FRONTIERSMEDIA.COM

Tormey. “So I really can’t understand what the hell happened. I mean, I am a victim of domestic violence myself, so I know things can turn nasty real quick. But, I mean, to escalate to that point?” The police have also said that Sisson had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. Rudiselle says she spoke with SDPD Det. Beard, who told her, “What happened was he probably didn’t check in on his last check-in since he was so close to being released. She said that it would’ve been nothing more than administrative paperwork, and that he would not have been in trouble for that. Why they put a warrant out on that I don’t know, except to clear up the paperwork. But she said he would not have been going back to jail and would not have been in trouble.” The family is wondering about Sisson’s partner’s role in the incident. One gay contact “said he knew my brother for over three years and believed that possibly Chet might have even attacked my brother first to possibly [initiate] a fight and then called the cops on him,” Tormey says. She adds that her family thought “Chet seemed controlling to them. He recently said there was something that he needed to tell them but he needed to tell them alone. Part of me wonders if it is that shit was going south between him and Chet and that he needed to get out of there. I don’t know. But I know my brother would’ve never done something like that without a reason to. That’s not my brother, that’s not who he is.” Rudiselle says Sisson was about to get off parole, “So why would he wreck his whole life? That’s why I’m trying to find answers.” When Frontiers called Lindsay to clear up the confusion, he said he was “stressed” over Sisson’s funeral, which he did not attend, and couldn’t talk. He promised to answer questions later. Meanwhile, on Jan. 18, Lindsay wrote on his Facebook page, “Another pic of my guy, Joshua. I kept a smile on his face. I told him that was my job—making him happy! I know I did a good job! He’s always on my mind.” Sisson is on his family’s mind, too. “He was a really kind, good soul and would do anything to help his friends,” says his mother. His sister echoes the sentiment. “We just want justice for Josh,” she says.

“When politicians insult Muslims, when a mosque is vandalized or a kid bullied, that doesn’t make us safer. ... It diminishes us in the eyes of the world.” President Barack Obama, in his final State of the Union address on Tuesday, Jan. 12, speaks to rejecting politics based on racism and other discrimination

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and the family in the house did not want to press charges, but by California law, the police charged him with 13 counts of attempted murder (one for each person in the house), arson and with having a concealed weapon, since he had a knife on him when he turned himself in. Sisson’s public defender, Matthew Roberts, argued that Sisson was only trying to burn his ID and other personal items, and no one was harmed. But Sisson was found guilty and went to jail. When he got out, Roberts gave him clothes—“not something that somebody does to somebody when they think they’re guilty of a crime,” says Rudiselle. Sisson went to a gay party in Palm Springs when he got out, where according to family he got hooked on crystal meth. “Up until a year and a half ago, my brother never touched anything—only alcohol once in a blue moon,” says Tormey. His probation officer got him into Amity Foundation, a sober living facility where Sisson started cleaning up his life. “It was a safe place for him to stay until he could get on his feet,” says Rudiselle. Tormey was shocked when Capt. Nisleit told her that her brother also had a sexual assault history, something she doesn’t believe. A man who contacted Tormey said he roomed with Sisson at Amity, and the rehab would have never admitted anyone with a sexual criminal record. “What police told the media about Joshua’s criminal history makes him sound like a monster,” says Tormey. “It makes it seem like he’s some criminal vigilante that was just going crazy. And since we can’t get the sealed police report, we don’t really know what really happened.” “Josh didn’t have a violent criminal history,” says Rudiselle. “What he had was a really horrendous, bad set of circumstances that made him look like a violent criminal, which he wasn’t. And prior to that he had never, ever been in trouble.”

DATEBOOK SUN. | JAN. 24

VOICE AWARDS

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles kickoff event will take place at Estrella Restaurant, with hors d’oeuvres and cocktails from 3-5 p.m. Proceeds benefit the ‘It Gets Better’ tour and the Alive Music Project. RSVP to briannec@gmcla.org.

THROUGH JAN. 29

CLOTHING DRIVE

The cit y of West H olly wood hosts its fourth annual clothing drive for the L.A. LGBT Center for thousands of youth without a home or proper support. All items will be accepted at WeHo City Hall. Clothing, shoes, dress wear and Target gift cards are recommended.

SAT. | FEB. 6

COLLEGE & CAREER FAIR FOR THE ARTS

Center Theatre Group invites current high school students, parents and teachers to attend this first annual event, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Music Center Annex downtown. More than 35 local colleges will be in attendance. centertheatregroup.org

SAT. | FEB. 13

PALM SPRINGS WINTER CLASSIC SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT

AIDS Assistance Program, in cooperation with the City of Palm Springs and the Palm Springs Gay Softball League, presents this 25th annual tournament, in which eighty teams and hundreds of LGBT softball players will compete. Through Feb. 14. pswinterclassic.com

SUN. | FEB. 14

NATIONAL DONOR DAY

Have a heart on Valentine’s Day and consider registering yourself as an organ donor with the D MV. M o r e t h a n 12,000 patients are on the waiting list to receive a lifesaving organ transplant, and countless others are in need of donations. donoralliance.org

FEBRUARY 3, 2016

FRONTIERSMEDIA.COM

THE

GAY AGENDA

Color Alert: Grey Matter

ll the rage at men’s fashions shows early in 2015, the ‘grey on grey’ trend is still very much in effect. Sure, rocking a bunch of neutrals may sound dull, but we assure you the result is quite the opposite—layer as many grey shades as possible for a look that is at once sharply stylish and effortlessly suave. Look for all of these items available in one place at JackThreads.com, and while you’re at it, maybe it’s time to put down the Just for Men and let your salt-and-pepper locks fly free, too. —Stephan Horbelt

The Jean, $41 by Goodale • The Cardigan, $65 by Obey • The Pocket Tee, $24 by JackThreads • The Shades, $65 by Westbrook The Joggers, $34 by Woolf • The Beanie, $22 by Publish • The Boot, $275 by ohw? • The Classic Sneaker, $110 by Onitsuka Tiger The Hat, $32 by Undftd • The Socks, $12 by Stance • The Flannel Shirt, $36 by Free Nature • The Duffel, $80 by Herschel

FEBRUARY 3, 2016

THE

GAY

Auto-Erotic

AGENDA

THE LARGEST AND MOST PRESTIGIOUS showcase of what’s happening behind the scenes of the auto industry, the North American International Auto Show (which began in Detroit on Jan. 11 and continues through the 24th) recently saw the unveiling of more than 40 new vehicles, in addition to revealing next-generation car technology and brand strategy announcements from industry giants. Here are but a few of our favorite four-wheeled NAIAS stars. Head to our Instagram, @FrontiersMedia, for even more hot wheels. —S.H.

1. Audi’s new H-Tron Quattro concept 2. Jeep’s 2016 Grand Cherokee 3. BMW’s first-ever M2 Coupe 4. The Porsche 911 Turbo S 5. Ford’s 2017 GT Supercar 6. The Lexus LC 500 7. Nissan’s IDS self-driving concept car

ASK DREW DROEGE Each month, I get literally 3 to 4 questions from desperate fans seeking advice, so I’ve decided to answer a few here.

6 Do you have any quick hangover cures? —Fred, Mid-Wilshire

I find hangovers to be adorable snuggle babies that I can foster and giggle alongside for days. Hold on to this child—this hangover—for as long as you can, and when she leaves you, start drinking again. It’s called parenting.

I’m trying to get more in shape for the new year. Do you have any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks! — Rema, Sherman Oaks

Have questions of your own for Drew? Send them to editorial@frontiersmedia.com

FRONTIERSMEDIA.COM

OK, Rema. Yes, I have lots of thoughts

7 and suggestions. First of all, why are you coming to me with this question? Do I look like Dr. Oz or Susan Powter or like anyone with a shape? I mean, thank you for writing and Hi! How are you? but seriously, my first suggestion is to focus your energy on those who can help you. Oh, you’re still here. OK. Drink whole milk and run as fast as you can anywhere and everywhere.

Do you endorse hot yoga? Oil pulling? Juice cleanses? CrossFit? —Miriam, Chino Hills Miriam, I endorse all of these practices, but only immediately after a bender of pills, powders, pork and porn. Pack yourself full of toxins, then push them out hard and furious.

FEBRUARY 3, 2016

GAYS

THE THE

AGENDA

Diamond Dogged Celebrating the many incarnations of David Bowie, rock’s ultimate chameleon

David Jones, 1965

The Man Who Sold the World, 1970

Ziggy Stardust, 1972 Aladdin Sane, 1973

Diamond Dog, 1974

The Thin White Duke, 1976

Little Drummer Boy, 1982 The Goblin King, 1986

Tin Machine Singer, 1989 The Goateed Earthling, 1997

The Heathen, 2002 Rock Music’s Blackstar, 2015

FRONTIERSMEDIA.COM

LOVE

GIVE DR. DRE THE FINGER IT WAS 2006 when the rap mogul founded his now-ubiquitous brand Beats by Dre, w h i c h h a s r e s u l te d in audiophiles everywhere rocking $200 cans (tween-speak for headphones). But what if you could transform those crummy earbuds Aunt Sally gave you for Christmas (or the justas-crummy earbuds that came with your iPhone) into a high-quality sound experience? With the BoomStick—available for $99 pre-order, shipping in March—you can. As it’s compatible with any set of headphones or earphones (just plug those into your BoomStick, and the Boomstick into your device), your favorite Bowie track will be optimized to deliver richer, fuller-sounding music. “You hear instruments you wouldn’t otherwise hear. But it’s not just l o u d e r— s o u n d s a r e more realistic, making it feel like you’re immersed in the music,” says David Goldman of CNN Money. Josh Valcarcel of Wired agrees: “Hand to god, it works.” —S.H.

CRAIG RAMSAY & BRANDON LIBERATI The ‘Fit + Phab’ duo and stars of Bravo’s Newlyweds have found true happiness in both their personal and professional lives

“

We met at Gold’s Gym Hollywood, of course!” says Brandon, a hair stylist and beauty expert. “I had just moved to Los Angeles, he hit on me, and now we’re married ... and Bravo filmed the entire first year. Craig says we got married in Palm Springs like a proper gay couple. We were married on Mother’s Day at The Riviera Resort. We had 100 of our closest friends and clients present as our mothers walked us down the aisle, and yes, I wore white. [The wedding was captured in the Season 3 premiere of Newlyweds: The First Year]” “Brandon and I had well-established, separate careers,” says Craig, an exercise programmer and fitness author, “and it was actually our clients who created “Fit + Phab” (fitandphab.com). We each promote conscious health and beauty wellness, and we were sharing so many clients that the business soon blended into a one-stop shop for a full beauty/health transformation. That led to us throwing highly entertaining fitness- and beauty-themed parties and events for clients and corporations. Fit + Phab now has a YouTube page and is on the lookout for a storefront in the West Hollywood/Beverly Hills area.” “Craig had already had a Bravo show, Thintervention, so he’d done television before,” says Brandon. “We were absolutely thrilled to be asked back to the network and to take everyone on our journey, discovering what marriage is for us, and how we, as two men, integrate ourselves into society. Bravo filmed our first year of married life respectfully and authentically—the good times, and some of our not-so-pretty and dramatic moments. We hope that we’re changing lives and minds, especially about same-sex marriage. The outreach so far from straight people has been overwhelming, all with the same message: #loveislove.” “Lately we’ve been creating a lot of digital content,” Craig says. “Our Fit + Phab YouTube page has two regular segments. Keeping in line with my “workout anywhere” theme, I provide seven different workout options, one for every day of the week, where people can workout from the comforts of their own bathrooms! It’s fun and funny but full of valuable and effective fitness programming. We also offer what we call “Inside Scoop,” featuring video moments Bravo cameras weren’t there to see in our first year of married life—from our bachelor party to what was in our heads during some highlighted dramatic experiences. Brandon created Beauty MUSE-ic, a musical compilation to guide and excite people while getting ready for a night out on the town. It’s designed to set the mood for each step of the primping process. The music progresses as listeners do everything from wash their hair to get dressed and is timed so listeners can track how much time they’ve spent to ensure they’ll never be fashionably late again. [Find it on iTunes]”

CRAIG & BRANDON: JASE DEAN PHOTOGRAPHY

GAY

FEBRUARY 3, 2016

FRONTIERSMEDIA.COM

TRAVEL

Aspen has become one of the world’s top spots for skiing, thanks to great trails and some of the country’s finest hotels

[2]

PACK IT

The Greatest Snow on Earth* With El Niño kicking into full force and record snow in the western U.S., plan a luxe getaway to one of these 9 snow-covered locales By Eric Rosen

Aspen, Colorado A ballsy brand if ever there was one (just look at its cringe-inducing name), Moose Knuckles is a Canadian sportswear brand specializing in stylish jackets that will have you looking sharp on the ski slope. You’ll pay a pretty penny for this outerwear (with prices hovering around $1,000), but you can rest assured that thanks to grey duck down, you’ll stay warm and dry all winter long. Our favorite choice for the chilly slopes would be this Men’s Denim Bomber ($895, mooseknucklescanada .com), because you can never go wrong with denim, leather, fur and a ton of zippers. —Stephan Horbelt

This former silver-mining town is one of the world’s premier ski spots thanks to phenomenal trails, a trendy main town and some of the nation’s finest hotels. The entire resort is actually a collection of four ski areas: Aspen Mountain (locals call it Ajax) has black-diamond runs perfect for advanced skiers; Aspen Highlands is known for its backcountry terrain; Buttermilk is home to the winter X-games (but is beginner-friendly); Snowmass is the largest, with one run over five miles long. Those looking to splurge and stay in the heart of the action opt for The Little Nell, whose 78 rooms and 14 suites are ‘Rocky Mountain chic’ with plush beds, gas fireplaces and heated marble bathroom floors.

Park City, Utah This year, Vail Resorts combined the Park City Mountain Resort and the nearby Canyons into a single area simply called Park City, traversed by a new gondola. The ski area is the largest in the U.S., with 7,300 acres and hundreds

Well, the United States, anyway!

of runs. Luxury seekers head to nearby Deer Valley (it has 70 runs, snowboarding not allowed) and its toptier hotels, like the Montage and St. Regis. The town’s Olympic Park has bobsledding, alpine sliding and one of the world’s steepest ski jumps. Warm up (and calm your nerves) afterwards with a dram of whiskey at the High West Distillery back in town.

Tahoe, California Parts of Tahoe have already gotten nearly 300 inches of snow this year, making for one of the best snow packs in recent memory. Heavenly Mountain offers spectacular lake views and easy access from both the California and Nevada sides. Luxurious Northstar, where you’ll find hotels like the Ritz-Carlton, has seen dramatic upgrades thanks to over $1 billion in investment in the past decade. Squaw Valley, meanwhile, is a bit more down-home, but there’s no arguing with the variety of runs spread across its six peaks. FEBRUARY 3, 2016

Fans of the hotel chain’s accommodations know what to expect from Ace Pittsburgh’s rooms—industrial textures, bright textiles and old-fashioned music memorabilia

TRAVEL

IN SEARCH OF THE

WORLD’S

BEST BBQ

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

RENDEZVOUS

Sun Valley, Idaho

Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico

America’s first ski resort, Sun Valley was developed by businessman W. Averell Harriman in the 1930s and is known for great downhill runs and a variety of kid-friendly chutes along the Adventure Trail, as well as miles of Nordic ski trails. The Sun Valley Lodge recently reopened with a new spa and larger rooms, many with their own fireplaces. Stop for an après ski halfway down Bald Mountain at Averell’s Bar at the historic Roundhouse Lodge.

Over 9,000 feet above sea level in the Sangre de Cristos Mountains, the Taos terrain feels relatively undeveloped since much of it is geared to the expert level and many runs can only be accessed by foot. Town is 20 miles from the slopes, but you can stay at any number of little mountain inns, like Powderhorn.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Practically in our own backyard, Mammoth is a premier ski destination thanks to consistent snowfall, terrain that ranges from basic to advanced and daredevil draws like its OlympicSized Half-Pipe [3].

Vail, Colorado Vail [2] is the country’s most-visited ski resort, and for good reason. With 200 trails spread across over 5,000 gorgeous acres, most are suitable for beginner and intermediate skiers. Experts, however, head to the black-diamond Back Bowls. The central, Alpine-inspired Four Seasons Resort Vail is the town’s top accommodations, thanks to deluxe guestrooms with amenities like stone fireplaces and private balconies, as well as an acclaimed restaurant called Flame and a quiet spa for getting the aches and pains from a day out on the slopes massaged away.

Mammoth Mountain, California

Stowe Mountain, Vermont Planning a trip back east this winter? Tack on a few extra days and trek up to this classic (and romantic) Vermont ski resort with over 100 runs. Plus, you can live out your Sound of Music fantasy at the Austrian-style Trapp Family Lodge [4] and have a stiff drink (and partake in trivia nights and karaoke) at the Topnotch Resort’s The Roost.

We Hear the SoCal Slopes are Nice...

Looking for a gay ski event super close to home? A new event is coming to SoCal—the Big Bear Snow ROMP, taking place March 3-6. Guys from the West Coast and beyond will mix up their time on the slopes with après ski events, dance parties, craft beer classes, black light bowling and more. More info at snowromp.com.

WHITMAN TAKES GAYS TO NEW HEIGHTS “I’VE ALWAYS LOVED SKIING and snowboarding,” says local event producer Tom Whitman. “I love the sport, I love the setting, I love the camaraderie. I love a good après-ski party, too. Fifteen years ago, I wondered, Why can’t I combine that with my love of producing big gay events?” It was then Whitman plotted out his very first gay ski weekend in Mammoth, which saw 250 guys. “I knew I was on to something,” he says. Since then, the crowds for Whitman’s Elevation events—Utah: Feb. 18-21, Mammoth: March 16-20—have expanded exponentially. (Mammoth packs in 2,500, 900 to Park City.) Perfect for guys who want to be surrounded with like-minded fellas outside the bar scene, these events are just as much about the social aspect as they are about shredding down mountains. “The comment I always hear is that you come away with new friends,” Whitman says. “Everyone is in such a good mood, and somehow the attitude drops away and the week becomes about celebrating a good time and about meeting new people.” Find more info on the Elevation gay ski weeks at mammothgayski.com and utahgayski.com. —S.H. 26

FRONTIERSMEDIA.COM

OKLAHOMA JOE’S

KANSAS CITY, MO. It started as a competitive BBQ team back in the ‘90s and eventually moved into super fancy (sarcasm) gas station digs. Now you can find OK Joe’s in several spots. Don’t you dare pass up the burnt ends at this place, assuming they have them available when you stop in. joeskc.com

FRANKLIN BBQ

AUSTIN, TEXAS You might find yours e l f w a i ti n g a w h i l e before gorging on Aaron Franklin’s meat (we’re talking hours). It’s worth it, of course. The salta n d - p e p p e r- b a r ke d brisket here has been called the nation’s best by Bon Appetit. franklin barbecue.com —S.H.

BERN: MRNY

A favorite among jetsetters thanks to luxury resorts like Amangani and a Four Seasons [1], Jackson Hole mixes sophistication with a laid-back frontier attitude. Its runs are among the most advanced of the major ski destinations in the U.S., and it boasts some of the country’s most awesome scenery thanks to the grandeur of nearby Grand Teton National Park. Visitors can hit over 116 runs, and stop into the Teton Mountain Lodge’s Spur Restaurant and Bar for après-ski buffalo sliders.

MEMPHIS, TENN. Here’s a city that knows a thing or two about BBQ, and this Downtown spot is a popular place to find it. Famed state-wide for its dry-rubbed meats, you’ll want to order up a slab of the charcoal-broiled pork ribs and the sausage and cheese plate to start. hogsfly.com

GOOD TO GO

Right, from top: Cycling the Emmental valley, Altes Tramdepot restaurant and brewery in Bern’s Old Town, River Aare from the Bellevue Palace Bern

Situated in the North Strip, SLS Las Vegas, envisioned by Philippe Starck, is officially taking reservations in its three distinct towers. More than its 1,613 guestrooms (Tribute Portfolio Resort’s largest property to date), you’ll also find eight restaurants, four nightlife venues and two pools. slslasvegas.com

It’s Better in Bern

The St. Regis brand opened the largest property in its portfolio last month with the St. Regis Macao (with hotels in Kuala Lumpur, the Maldives and Cairo to follow). Only an hour from Hong Kong by ferry, the 400-room hotel comes with the St. Regis’ signature butler service and grand design. stregis.com/macao

You’ll fall in love with the Swiss capital’s Old World style, baroque architecture and chic bon vivants—just leave yourself plenty of time to wander By Mark A. Thompson

BERN: MRNY

t’s hard to argue with Albert Einstein and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The former spent seven years in Bern, which is where he began writing his theory of relativity; the latter called the Swiss capital “the most beautiful we have seen.” Surrounded by the River Aare in the heart of Switzerland, Bern is famous for its 15th century shopping arcades and an iconic clock tower dating from 1530—as well as the notorious child-eating monster Kindlifresserbrunnen. Here lies a sublimely Swiss version of joie de vivre, and after wandering the city, you’ll understand why so many people fall in love with Bern. A landmark on the skyline since its 1913 opening, Bellevue Palace Bern ($$$$$) is located on a promontory above the River Aare, where it offers some of the best views of the Bernese Alps. Built in a neoclassical style with a sandstone façade, the five-star superior hotel combines Old World service with 21st century convenience and comfort. Throughout its history, the illustrious property has hosted numerous luminaries, from Queen Elizabeth to Fidel Castro, and its legendary Bellevue Bar offered a refuge for diplomats and politicians throughout World War II. The hotel’s generous rooms are immaculate and stylish, with fresh flowers and postcard vistas of the river and medieval streets. As the recipient of numerous Gault Millau points and Michelin stars, Bernese cuisine is much more than the “Bernese platter” of meats, potatoes and sauerkraut. Few restaurants have a more striking locale than Restaurant Schwellenmatteli ($$$$$), beautifully situated on the riverbank with a glass-walled dining terrace hovering over the rushing water. Those who make the climb up the hill to Rosengarten are rewarded with a bucolic garden setting populated by a crowd of fashionable bon vivants. One of Bern’s most impressive dining rooms, Kornhauskeller ($$$$$) is a stunning example of 18th century High

Baroque architecture with dramatic staircases and vaulted ceilings. Decorated with original Münger frescos, Kornhaus Galeriebar ($$$$$) serves more than 80 single malt whiskeys, while the restaurant focuses on signature Italian cuisine and Bernese specialties. Designed by Renzo Piano, museum Zentrum Paul Klee contains 40% of Paul Klee’s oeuvre, which totals more than 4,000 works of art by the Swiss-German artist— which is reason enough to visit, but there’s also Piano’s striking architecture, which has quickly become a Bern landmark. Piano’s three-wave building clings to the terrain like a triptych of silver knolls glinting in the sun. A center for education and research, the Zentrum Paul Klee is a remarkable testament to Klee’s multiple talents. You can’t help but feel exhilarated biking over the hills of the Emmental valley on a Flyer electric bicycle. The 150-mile Heart Route is not only good for your heart but also heartbreakingly beautiful—a fecund landscape of green valleys and hills rolling into lush meadows in the Alpine foothills. Burbling creeks are flanked by silvery linden trees, and an occasional cowbell rings across a pasture. If you follow the Emmental cheese route, you’ll discover more than 20 attractions related to the region’s cheese production. The landscape is dotted with inns and chalets, their window boxes bursting with Swiss red and white geraniums. Trains leave from Bern for the short journey to Burgdorf, where e-bikes are available for rent at the railway station. The Swiss Travel System runs like clockwork, and a Swiss Travel Pass enables you unlimited transportation by train, bus and boat throughout the country for your grand tour of Switzerland. All Swiss Travel System tickets and passes are available online and through Rail Europe.

Resting on a stretch of white beach and secluded in a bay, the Miraggio Thermal Spa & Resort opens this month in Halkidiki, Greece, the first of its kind in the country. Forty-eight of its 300 rooms offer private pools, and there are five restaurants and four bars on-site. inovahospitality.com —S.H.

AROUND THE WORLD

RIO DE JANEIRO CARNIVAL

Feb. 5-10 Inject some salsa into your bloodstream by partying at one of South America’s most notorious celebrations (along with around 500,000 other foreigners). It’s a wild ride meant for you to say farewell to pleasures of the flesh (which you’re bound to see a whole lot of). rio-carnival.net

SUPER BOWL 50

Feb. 7 Sure you could find out who will become the 2015 League Champion courtesy of your big-screen back home, but doesn’t heading up to San Francisco sound more fun? It’s a big year this time, as evidenced by the free Super Bowl City open to the public on Jan. 30. sfbaysuperbowl.com

SYDNEY MARDI GRAS

Feb. 19-March 6 Australia’s worldfamous celebration is as ‘loud and proud’ as it gets—a showcase of just how diverse our LGBTQ community is. This year’s festivities include the popular parade in addition to a massive picnic in the park and tons of parties and special guests. mardigras.org.au —S.H.

FEBRUARY 3, 2016

FRONTIERSMEDIA.COM

events ■ Through Feb. 27 VIVIAN MAIER Merry Karnowsky Gallery

Iconic street photographer Maier has shot more than 100,000 photos around the world. The Maloof collection catalogs hundreds of rolls of film, home movies, interviews and personal items, and this exhibition includes over 65 photos. mkgallery.com ■ Through Jan. 31 DINEL.A. RESTAURANT WEEK Throughout L.A.

It’s another week to explore your local neighborhood restaurants, this time with special deals for prix fixe lunches (2 items from $15-20 or 3 items from $29-49) with the ability to provide instant feedback via the site. discoverlosangeles.com/ dineLA

nightlife

■ Sat. | Jan. 23 CALLINGS OUT OF CONTEXT: RATKING The Broad

exhibits Guillermo Diaz, Scott Foley and Kerry Washington at PaleyFest 2015’s Scandal panel

A New York-based rap group, Ratking’s music is raw, philosophical and utterly reactive, their lyrics ricocheting between nihilistic punk and self-assured hiphop. Opening for them is mulit-instrumentalist Gabriel Garzón-Montano. thebroad.org ■ Sat. | Jan. 23 CANDIDE Center Theater

Leonard Bernstein’s satiric romp boasts an eclectic score mixing everything from Viennese waltzes to soaring arias to Latin tangos. Adapted from Voltaire’s novel, the operetta takes aim at political excess, social traditions and superstitions. Through Jan. 30. longbeachopera.org

As Seen on TV

PaleyFest bridges the gap between television's best series and the audiences that love them By Mike Ciriaco

■ Sat. | Jan. 23 HAM: A MUSICAL MEMOIR Renberg Theatre

Based on Sam Harris’ book HAM: Slices of a Life, this musical memoir examines his 30-year career as an actor, vocalist and author. Follow Harris from the Bible Belt to show biz to fatherhood. Through Feb. 7. lalgbtcenter.org

theater

■ Sun. | Jan. 24 GOLDEN STATE OF COCKTAILS Throughout L.A.

The big marquee event showcases educational programming and tastings with members of the hospitality industry, cocktail community and media. Public events include evening bar crawls and a dinner series throughout the city. Through Jan. 26. goldenstateofcocktails.com

■ Fri. | Jan. 22 NATIONAL HOT SAUCE DAY Le Jardin

■ Sun. | Jan. 24 ISLAMIC ART NOW, PT. 2 LACMA

Celebrate the spicy in Hollywood with an almost cultish following of hotheads. The Hollywood restaurant has partnered with Tabanero Hot Sauce, offering guests a sampling of spicy foods and cocktails with live entertainment, DJs and fire eaters! lejardin.la

The two-part exhibition is the first major installation of LACMA’s contemporary art of the Middle East. This second part features around 30 works by artists of Iran, Turkey and Azerbijan, each drawing inspiration from their cultural traditions. Ongoing. lacma.org

the whole experience. When an actor walks out hile in most parts of the country teleonstage and hears an audience of 3,000 fans at vision actors are confined to plasma the Dolby Theatre roar their approval, then we screens and laptops, L.A. is quite know we’re doing something right.” unique in that here they run wild in the streets This year, audiences will be howling for (sometimes literally). Any lunch at The Ivy or cast members from black-ish, Empire, Scream dinner at Katsuya is a veritable safari of network Queens and American Horror Story: Hotel, just a notables. In this sense, PaleyFest, a yearly event few of the series announced. It’s a cross-section marking television excellence that runs March of Hollywood diversity, specifically of African11-20 this year at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, is American, female and LGBT communities. When like a petting zoo where fans can directly interact coupled with similar trends in feature film (kinda with their favorite small-screen talent. how Star Wars: The Force Awakens show“PaleyFest is an annual celebration of cases a troika of black, female and both the art of making great television Latino leads), it signals a welcome and of the incredible connection new direction for the entertainaudiences have with their favorite PALEYFEST ment industry. shows,” says Rene Reyes, direcL.A. “It’s a thrilling time in terms tor of PaleyFest. “So when we’re Dolby Theatre of both creativity and diversity,“ putting the lineup of honorees March 11-20 says Reyes. “If in some small way together, it’s a combination of paleyfest.org we can help amplify and celebrate things. We are of course looking the impact these shows are making, at series that are making significant that’s terrific.” Reyes acknowledges critical and audience impact, and series that these demographics are still minorithat have a unique point of view and are ties in the realm of television, but he’s optimistic. resonating with their fans in interesting ways.” ”There’s still work to be done, of course, While critical reception and ratings are key but when you have creative talents like Ryan elements in the decision-making process, equal Murphy, Greg Berlanti and Kenya Barris workstress is placed on viewer input, which makes ing in the medium, and shows sharing incredible sense for an event that prides itself on its conpoints of view, you can’t help but get excited nection with the audience. about the progress that’s been made. I can’t “We really try to listen to our members wait to have them on our stage.” and PaleyFest attendees,“ says Reyes. They’re Now, for all those fans who are just psyched passionate about the shows they watch and let to see their favorite stars onstage at the Dolby, us know they want to see them at PaleyFest. I please remember, don’t feed the actors. love that, because it really speaks to the heart of FEBRUARY 3, 2016

■ ■ ■ ■

■ Thu. | Jan. 28 NEW FAITHFUL DISCO REDCAT

■ Fri. | Jan. 29 STARTUP ART FAIR LOS ANGELES Highland Gardens Hotel

Choreographer Meg Wolfe’s work builds communal energy into a whirlwind of artful music, nature sounds and disco rhythms. Catch it performed by a trio of accomplished dancers with composer Maria de los Angeles “Cuca” Esteves. Through Jan. 30. redcat.org

After a well-received San Francisco installment, this fair for indie artists travels to L.A. for its second iteration. stARTup will transform a charming Hollywood mainstay to create an immersive, contemporary art experience. Through Jan. 31. startupartfair.com

■ Fri. | Jan. 29 BANNED IN BURBANK The Mayflower Club

■ Fri. | Jan. 29 DREAM BOY Lex Theatre

Uncle Eddy’s Big Time Burlesque is retro and sensuous rather than lurid, naughty and sexy but not pornographic. Named Banned in Burbank because it was, L.A.’s best exotic dancers will perform. Through Jan. 30. mayflowerclub.com

Based on the novel by Jim Grimsley, this erotic work tells the story of Nathan and Roy’s unlikely high school romance against the backdrop of repression and religion in 1970s North Carolina. Through March 20. celebrationtheatre.com

SNAP SHOTS ✱

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✱

A Truly International Experience

L.A. ART SHOW 2016 L.A. Convention Center Jan. 27-31 laartshow.com

The L.A. Art Show, entering its 20th year, continues to champion international diversity in the art world IN A CITY COMPRISED OF 140 different nationalities speaking 86 languages, it’s not too surprising that the L.A. Art Show, launching this month at the Los Angeles Convention Center, is the most diverse event of its kind on the planet. Founded in 1994 as an initially quaint, regional art exposition with only 14 galleries, the show quickly evolved into a massive multi-genre platform boasting the works of 120 galleries from across 22 countries. “The art and artists that have been featured at the L.A. Art Show have been exceptional over the years,” says Producer Kim Martindale. “Now that we are entering our 20th year, it’s an opportunity to look back on all of our accomplishments and the success we have amassed. Having a strong understanding of where we have been will help us chart out our next steps and direct how we want to grow in the future.” In recent years, the L.A. Art Show has gained notoriety for featuring the largest collections of Chinese, Korean and Japanese art outside of Asia. This year’s scope expands onto another continent, with Contemporary African Art to the West, an exhibit showcasing artists from Kenya, Congo, Tunisia, Morrocco and Cote D’Ivoire. Of course there are also shows presenting works from across North and South America, including From the Streets to Canvas, which highlights the best of L.A. street art. Angelenos, regardless of their ethnicity, heritage or native country, are guaranteed to see their culture represented at the L.A. Art Show—a true feat, indeed. —M.C.

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BONKERZ! | PRECINCT Photos by Rolling-Blackouts

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BIG BAD WOLF | FAULTLINE Photos by Jeremy Lucido

PHOTO L.A. The Reef Jan. 21-24 photola.com

WORTH 1,000 WORDS

Photo L.A. celebrates its 25th anniversary with experimental photography, social awareness and a much-awaited ‘Rock in Photography’ panel

rguably, it was Thelma and Louise who snapped the very first “selfie.” In one of the most iconic moments of the 1991 Academy Award-winning film, the eponymous duo, portrayed by Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, flip a poloroid camera backwards to take a picture of themselves, proving they didn’t need a man for anything, even photo assistance. Fittingly, ’91 also heralded the debut of Photo L.A., the city’s premier international photographic art exposition. A quarter-century later, amidst a culture congested by hashtags and Instagram-fueled narcissism, Photo L.A. is back, reigning as the longest-running art fair on the West Coast, and continuing to showcase the crème de la crème of legitimate photography. This 25th anniversary event kicks off with an opening night gala honoring experimental photographer and longtime L.A. resident James Welling. For those uninitiated in the postmodern art arena, Welling is, according to The New York Times, one of the most influential contemporary photographers, and his oeuvre spans the gamut of photographic mediums—gelatin silver prints, photograms, polaroids and digital prints. Proceeds from the gala will benefit Best Buddies International, a nonprofit that creates employment opps for the developmentally disabled. That sense of social awareness continues at Friday’s Artists Take Issue: Photography and the Aesthetics of Activism, a panel on how photography can create, critique and influence dialogues concerning social, economic, political and environmental issues. Panelists will include Zoe Crosher, Jay Mark Johnson, Austin Young and Osceola Refetoff. Equally pertinent, especially in the music mecca of L.A., is the Rock in Photography panel, also on Friday. Moderated by Grammywinner Hugh Brown, and featuring panelists Guy Webster, Neal Preston, Alec Byrne and MJ Kim, this discussion of rock photography aims to metaphorically take fans backstage to visit the biggest legends in music, all through the artists’ images and firsthand anecdotes. Collectively, the panel has worked with the likes of The Beatles, the Stones, Zeppelin, The Who and Queen, just to name a few. Audiences will most likely gravitate to tales of one very specific rock demigod—David Bowie. Earlier this month, the Thin White Duke rocketed back up into the cosmos, returning to the stars he loved. Undoubtedly, fans will use the forum as a veritable wake for their late Diamond Dog. And Millennials can snap a selfie in front of their favorite Ziggy Stardust image, allowing both to be immortal on Instagram. —M.C. FEBRUARY 3, 2016

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MR. BLACK | BELASCO THEATER Photos by Davide Laffe

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■ Fri. | Jan. 29 A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM Cabrillo Music Theatre

With a zany script by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove, this slapstick musical follows Roman slave Pseudolus as he schemes his way to freedom, with complications that involve blackmail, crazy disguises and long-lost children. Through Feb. 14. cabrillomusictheatre.com ■ Through Feb. 8 1984 The Broad Stage

George Orwell’s novel about the destructive powers of Big Brother becomes a visceral stage experience, bringing the audience terrifyingly close to Orwell’s dystopian vision of tomorrow. thebroadstage.com ■ Sat. | Jan. 30 CITY OF LIGHT: A MUSICAL TOUR DE FRANCE Walt Disney Concert Hall

Tour the colorful and rich orchestral music of France alongside the Los Angeles Philharmonic in celebration of the L.A. Phil’s French festival. laphil.com ■ Sun. | Jan. 31 BULLSHIT ARTISTS Regent Theatre

The Bullshit Artists are a group of foolhardy comedians, together for an unpredictable night of madeup-on-the-spot live comedy. It’s an all-riffing show from some comic masters, including T.J. Miller, Todd Glass, Kumail Nanjiani and Jerrod Carmichael. theregenttheater.com

■ Through Feb. 9 DEVOTED MALE IN TAHITI Antebellum Gallery

A showcase of nearly 45 exclusive artistic nude photos by Verner Degray, each highlighting the model’s sensuality, strength, pain and secrets. verner-degray.com ■ Fri. | Feb. 5 CUB SCOUT Eagle L.A.

Critter Control, comprised of Chris Bowen and Victor Rodriguez, bring all the hirsute boys to the yard with this monthly East Side party, hosted by San Francisco’s Lady Bear and featuring one of L.A.’s best drink specials: $2 drafts. eaglela.com

■ Sun. | Jan. 31 CAN’T WE TALK ABOUT SOMETHING MORE PLEASANT? Royce Hall

UCLA presents Roz Chast, reading from her memoir as she recounts caring for her aging parents. The memoir is both comfort and comic relief for anyone experiencing the life-altering loss of elderly parents. cap.ucla.edu ■ Through Jan. 31 ACT 3 Laguna Playhouse

Rita Rudner and The Nanny’s Charles Shaughnessy play a couple that has been together longer than most marriages, but do they really know each other? What happens when secrets collide? lagunaplayhouse.com 32

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■ Fri. | Feb. 5 FIRST FRIDAY Natural History Museum

You’ve never experienced a museum like this, with tours, discussions, live performances and a DJ lounge. Take in a ”Stranger Than Fiction” tour with Lisa Gonzalez, where you’ll encounter the bizarre props and rare specimens that inspire Hollywood. nhm.org

Inside DTLA’s still fairly new Broad Museum

THE ART OF FREE For one day, experience some of our city’s famed museums free of charge

ith resolutions for the new year still fresh in our minds, every ‘mo in the city is determined to evolve into a better person this year. While most are sprinting straight to Equinox to pump their way to self-actualization (or at the very least into the arms of a new boyfriend), perhaps it’s a more effective strategy to flex your frontal lobe. On Saturday, Jan. 30, cultural institutions across the city will open their doors sans cover charge as part of Museums Free-For-All Day, meaning you can cram Ivy League-caliber knowledge into your skull even if you’re poor as dirt. Hell, you might even bump into adorkable eye candy while admiring a Rothko. The Broad Opened in September, the contemporary art museum’s ultramodern exterior, juxtaposed with its Gehry-designed neighbor the Walt Disney Concert Hall, makes you feel like you’re ogling art even before you pass the threshold. Once inside, head straight to the inaugural installation with works by Koons, Basquiat and Rauschenberg. 221 S. Grand Ave., DTLA, thebroad.org California Science Center IMAX charges extra, so bolt to Earth in Concert. This examination of the planet’s biodiversity is paired with music from Sheryl Crow, Jack Johnson, Pharrell Williams and other artists. 700 Exposition Park Dr., DTLA, californiasciencecenter.org Hammer Museum We may have lost Keith Haring, but the next best thing may be the Hammer’s psychedelic, Hanna-Barbera-inspired collection from his surviving roommate, Kenny Scharf. 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood, hammer.ucla.edu LACMA Any fan of Cabaret knows the Weimar Republic was a nonstop bacchanal of overindulgence until, y’know, Hitler’s rise. New Objectivity: Modern German Art in the Weimar Republic explores this crazy epoch of excess through the works of Max Beckmann, Otto Dix and George Grosz. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Miracle Mile, lacma.org Natural History Museum Jurassic Park fans should dive straight into Dinosaur Hall. Scope out fossilized skeletons of the stegosaurus, triceratops and the only Tyrannosaurus Rex growth series in the world, featuring the bones of a baby, a juvenile and an adult T-Rex. Then head up to Level 2 and interact with puppets at Dino Encounters; it’s perfect for putting on your best Chris Pratt impression. 900 Exposition Blvd., DTLA, nhm.org — M.C.

EATINGOUT Sepulveda’s New Smoke Screen

sauces. It would be a mistake not to order os Angeles seems to be experiencing the fluffy but rich buttermilk biscuits that a ‘barbecue boom’ at the moment, you can slather with whipped honey butter. what with relatively new entrants on The menu’s other must-order option is the the scene like Bludso’s and Barrel & Ashes. grits with white cheddar, smoked brisket Over on Sepulveda, just off the 405 in Culver gravy and crispy fried shallots (though ask City, one of the city’s latest openings, Maple for it to come with your mains). For those Block Meat Co., is also one of the best. who need a veggie, the grilled romaine The guys behind the ‘cue here are heart salad with fresh lemon, parmesan Daniel Weinstock (formerly at Spago) and and cracked black pepper is a good choice. Adam Cole, whose résumé includes stints Non-meat mains include a smoked at The Bazaar and ink. under Michael Scottish ocean trout, served with turnips, Voltaggio, as well as at the late butcher and a free-range chicken, though you may shop Lindy and Grundy. want to forgo them in favor of the main Cole moved around the South a lot as menu star, the beef brisket. The peppera kid, and his menu seems to be an homcrusted, thick-cut slabs of meat come in age to the region’s various barbecue styles either half- or full-pound portions, with and specialties. The setting, though, is a pickled onions and green bit more ‘SoCal spare,’ with sauce. The meat practically black-and-white tile floors, falls apart as soon as you cut reclaimed wood beams in it, thanks to a hearty proporthe ceiling and simple steel tion of fat that keeps the meat chairs—because the focus juicy and flavorful. here is firmly on the food. The pork spare ribs are Maple Block’s secret also not-to-be-missed. They weapons are Texas-built J&R are hearty and huge, practiwood smokers that use peach cally dripping with juice that wood. Even before you open holds in all that smoky goodthe door, the sweet smell of Maple Block ness, and they come with a smoking meats greets you and Meat Co. side of signature red sauce practically pulls you in, much 3973 Sepulveda Blvd., (opt for the spicy option). like a cartoon dog being drawn Culver City If you still have room left to hot pie on a windowsill. (310) 313-6328 mapleblockmeat.com over, check out Maple Block’s At lunch, diners can order banana pudding. It’s a bit plates with a choice of one, $$$$$ idiosyncratic in that it comes two or three meats; two small cold with practically frozen sides, like ranch beans or two Atmosphere bits of banana, layers of peaversions of slaw (creamy or Sophisticated smokehouse nut butter and a sprinkling of vinegar); and a choice of Standout Dishes candied bacon, though you’ll sauces including vaguely Buttermilk biscuits, pork certainly recognize the Nilla sweet red, mayo-based white spare ribs Wafer garnish. and a chimichurri-like green Drinks While there’s no cocktail sauce with more than a hint Shiner Bock, Bodegas Condado program here, there is a small of basil. There are also à la Haza Ribera Del Duero but eclectic list of a dozenNew carte options. Hours and Old World wines by the Dinner selections are a 11:30-3 p.m. daily, glass, and just as many beers bit more varied. Among the 5:30-10 p.m. Mon-Thu, by the glass and bottle, includstarters are smoked almonds, 5:30-11 p.m. Fri–Sat, 5:30–9 p.m. Sun ing Texas-favorite Shiner a pickle plate and finger-lickBock, whichpairs perfectly ing smoked chicken wings Reservations with the meats. —Eric Rosen with white and fermented red Not necessary

★★★★★

FEBRUARY 3, 2016

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The best in TV, film, music and more

The Boy Who Wasn’t There In Absolute Brightness, playwright and Trevor Project founder James Lecesne unravels the death of a gay teen through the eyes of the town he touched By Mike Ciriaco

e’s like a chalk outline,” says James Lecesne of the title character in his one-man show The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, running through Jan. 30 at Culver City’s Kirk Douglas Theater. The macabre metaphor is appropriate for Leonard, the fictional gay teenager whose murder investigation and trial provides the spine of this play. Just like a chalk outline that establishes context for a body no longer at the crime scene, Leonard is the consistent focus of this production, even though the audience will never meet him. The closest they’ll get is his blurred image. “He’s the missing link in the show,“ Lecesne says. “People feel like they know him better than they know some of the other characters.” Although unseen, the dramatic, charismatic 14-year-old is explored through a series of monologues delivered by the myriad townsfolk inhabiting Leonard’s Jersey Shore hamlet, all portrayed by Lecesne with deftness. The play’s sole performer shapeshifts between the investigation’s sympathetic police officer to Leonard’s family members and neighbors—and even one of his homophobic tormentors—not only to solve the homicide but to

'WILL & GRACE' JOINS NBC REUNION

he internet went wild earlier this month when it was announced that the Friends cast (minus Matthew Perry) would be reunited for an upcoming NBC special, but now the really important news has broken—everyone from Will & Grace will be there, too. The casts of both shows will appear in the twohour special honoring famed sitcom director James Burrows, who recently marked his 1,000th television episode—188 of which were Will & Grace. Star Sean Hayes confirmed the news to reporters during a Television Critics Association press tour.

“We’ve confirmed all casts from all shows. On Jan. 24 we tape, and it airs Feb. 21.” “It’s the reunion of all reunion shows,” he continued. “It’s going to be unlike anything everyone’s ever seen.” Hayes famously portrayed Jack McFarland on the show, alongside Eric McCormack, Debra Messing and Megan Mullally, all of whom will appear. Will & Grace ran from 1998 to 2006. In addition to shooting almost every episode of Will & Grace, Burrows directed episodes of Friends, Frasier, Cheers and Taxi. —Dominic Preston FEBRUARY 3, 2016

film AFERIM!

Opens Jan. 22

*****

Romania’s Oscar entry for Best Foreign Language Film, Aferim! is set in 1835 Wallachia. Constandin (Teodor Corban) is a constable who travels across the countryside with his son Ionita (Mihai Comanoiu) to find Carfin (Toma Cuzin), a wanted gypsy. The film is a road movie—set on horseback—that offers a pointed allegory as the characters discuss religion, sex, other cultures and the law as they encounter bigoted priests and enemy Turks as well as slaves and villagers. Filmed in exquisite black and white and set against an atmospheric landscape, Aferim! tends to be rather talky, but its powerful climax will likely leave viewers speechless. —Gary M. Kramer

IN THE SHADOW OF WOMEN

exhibit how one eccentric kid was able to touch the lives of an entire community. While Leonard is an original character, he shares similarities with Lecesne. “Like Leonard, I was a flamboyant kid,“ he says. “I think people worried about it, but they never openly worried about it like they do now. The cues were there to ’tone it down,’ ’get in line,’ to 'not be so joyful,' for one thing. I was a little too over-the-top about everything. In that sense, I’m very much like Leonard. I was very inventive, probably annoyingly so. Games and shows and backyard circuses. That part of me is very much in the Leonard character.” These similarities are no coincidence. Lecesne adapted Absolute Brightness from his 2008 novel of the same name. “I think it was a little ahead of its time,“ says Lecesne. “I addressed issues I had been seeing with LGBT youth, like bullying. How do we encourage young people to be themselves—fully authentically, flamboyantly, extravagantly themselves—and still keep them safe? 2009 and 2010 was the period with ’It Gets Better’ and Tyler Clemente. The media really took up the cause of LGBT youth in a brand-new way. Suddenly there was a groundswell of support. I wanted to revisit the novel, the story, and really be in the room with people and talk about some of these issues and think about them out loud in a way that might provoke people, and look at them in a new light.” LGBT adolescents are a cause close to Lecesne’s heart. In 1998, he founded the Trevor Project, the first nationwide 24-hour crisis intervention hotline for gay youth. The name is an allusion to Lescerne’s 1994 Academy Award-winning short film Trevor, the story of a gay 13-year-old who attempts to take his own life after his friends reject him because of his sexuality. The character of Trevor traces back even further, debuting in Lescerne’s Drama Desk award-winning one-man show Word of Mouth. Over the past 30 years, a common theme consistently resurfaces throughout the actor-writer’s theatrical oeuvre.

Filmmaker Philippe Garrel’s black and white r o m a n ti c d r a m a h a s the handsome Pierre (Stanislas Merhar), a filmmaker, cheating on his lovely wife Manon (Clotilde Courau) with the sweet Elisabeth (Lena Paugam). But when Pierre discovers Manon is cheating on him, he gets upset and they break up. In the Shadow of Women is like an Eric Rohmer film in that the characters talk about what they want but don’t want what they have (or get). Garrel’s film, narrated by his son Louis, is arty and has some wry observations on love and relationships, but it ultimately feels too slight to be consequential. —G.M.K.

PRESCRIPTION THUGS Opens Jan. 22

*****

Chris Bell’s Big Pharma shakedown Prescription Thugs is part-documentary, part-family history and part-autobiography. If it was a dog, it’d be a mutt—shaggy, scrappy and kind of lovable. Taking off from the death of his brother Mike “MadDog” Bell, a lower tier WWE wrestler, the film investigates the particulars of death by prescription drugs and, more broadly, the social acceptance of the drug-pushing tactics of pharmaceutical companies in tandem with the larger medical community. It’s not an eye-opening documentary—anyone with a working knowledge of the subject might be able to quote some of the facts included—but it’s honest and heartfelt, never more so than when the filmmaker implicates himself. —Dan Loughry

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ALSO IN Out Now

>> theatres January 22

About Ray

The Boy

Band of Robbers

Dirty Grandpa

Concussion The Hateful Eight

January 29

Joy

The Finest Hours

The Revenant

Kung Fu Panda 3

PHOTO CREDIT TK

*****

PHOTO CREDIT TK

Opens Jan. 29

music THE NONKEEN the gamble (R&S Records)

*****

THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY Kirk Douglas Theater Through Jan. 31 centertheatregroup.org

“How do we encourage young people to be themselves and also make sure they are OK and safe?” says Lecesne. “I think the show, in an entertaining, thought-provoking, funny way, raises these questions. Hopefully it makes us think about young people in their own environment, and what they are doing to encourage young people to be themselves. It’s what I’m all about.” While the last three decades of Lecesne’s work may be united by a common thematic thread, he admits to at least one major change along his artistic arc. “I’m just a better writer,” he laughs. “Time has gone by. I got better at what I do. When you’re younger, there’s such a hunger—to be noticed, to be famous, to hit it big. As you get older, it’s more like, ‘I have these great gifts I get to give.’ With Absolute Brightness, I love the experience of being onstage, sharing this with people. It’s the greatest thing in the world. I’m happy to do it wherever, under any circumstances. That’s the biggest difference—the generosity I feel.” This sense of largess can largely be attributed to Lecesne’s spirituality. He practices Nichiren Buddhism and is a member of the global Buddhist association Soka Gakkai International. “Part of being a Buddhist is contributing to making a better world, because it’s not in good shape,” he says. ”Part of it is the idea that you can—and must— be a cause toward making some sort of difference in the world. It sounds so Pollyanna, but if we don’t, we’re sunk.” The next step for Lecesne’s plan to improve the world is to bring Absolute Brightness to cities other than New York and Los Angeles. “I’m curious to do the show in places where the message may not be as welcome,” he says. ”There are places around the country where people need to hear this and be reminded that every life is precious. One of the great things about the Trevor Project is it’s hard to argue with the value of a human life.“

PHOTO CREDIT TK

NEW RELEASES

>> music

Out Now

January 22

January 29

David Bowie Blackstar

Megadeth Dystopia

Bloc Party Hymns

Hinds Leave Me Alone

Savages Adore Life

Panic! At the Disco Death of a Bachelor

Suede Night Thoughts

When not working on his solo pieces, the well-regarded pianist Nils Frahm, along with childhood friends Frederic Gmeiner and Sebastian Singwald, set forth on this improvisational instrumental debut with roots that stretch deep into their shared past. Field recordings from their days at PRIME CUTS: a sports exchange, incidental sounds and “this beautiful mess” the unreliability of primitive recording “chasing god equipment—as well as a rule of only using first takes through palmyra” before digitally manipulating the results—combine “the invention on these nine tracks of mysterious industrialism (as mother” in musique concrète) and melodicism, all encapsulated by the mid-way point’s title: “this beautiful mess.” Think of ambient maestro Brian Eno on a dissonant bender and you might have some idea of this fetching debut’s appeal. —D.L.

SIA

This Is Acting (Sony)

*****

Over the past 18 months, Sia has graduated from behind-the-scenes songstress to a bonafide pop star (wig camouflages be damned). Her prolific, emotionally deep, smart and infectious tunes have propelled Rihanna, Ne-Yo and Beyoncé, and this seventh studio effort features many tracks that PRIME CUTS: never made the cut for other artists (including Adele). “Reaper” With golden-touch assistance from frequent producer/ “Move Your Body” collaborator Greg Kurstin, plus Jack Antonoff (fun.) “Alive” and Kanye West (who co-penned the effort’s best track, “Reaper”), Sia is poised for 2016 chart domination. Her DNA is so strong that you can almost hear each of the other artists’ voices tackling these songs. The bottom line is that her songwriting prowess and knack for eternal earworms is undeniable, let alone that juggernaut of a voice. —Paul V. Vitagliano

SUEDE

Night Thoughts (Suede Ltd)

*****

Suede went away once, because we didn’t appreciate them enough. But we were good, so they came back. In 2013 they released PRIME CUTS: their first album in more than 10 years. “The Fur and the Luckily we didn’t have to wait so long for Feathers” Night Thoughts. Once again produced by Ed “I Can't Give Her Buller, Night Thoughts doesn’t dare stray far What She from the Suede formula. If you're looking Wants” for experimentation, there's nothing for you here, but if you crave the britpop perfection of Suede’s glamorous earlier releases, this is just for you. Lead single “Outsiders“ is musically and thematically very Suede. You can almost hear the tears mingling with the mascara and dripping onto Brett Anderson’s microphone. Elsewhere, “Pale Snow“ and “Tightrope“ are typically grandiose ballads, as beautiful as they are overwrought. Appreciate Suede for what they are, not what we want them to be, and perhaps they won’t go away again. —Dominik Rothbard FEBRUARY 3, 2016

By Dominik Rothbard

Upping the 'True Crime' Ante E

stage

THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY Kirk Douglas Theatre Through Jan. 31

*****

Direct from a successful Broadway run, James Lecesne’s one-man show is an enjoyably heartwarming affair about the murder of a 14-year-old boy named Leonard. That might sound odd, but what makes it so delightful is Lecesne’s performance, which has him becoming a myriad of characters from a small Jersey town as they recount the effect a small, flamboyant kid had on their lives. Sure, the murder of the boy is tragic and all-too-real, but the focus of the production isn’t on the murder itself, or even the trial of whomever committed the crime. The focus instead is on Leonard, known for his platform sneakers (made out of high-top Converse shoes and a stack of flip-flops), described as a kid who was just “too much.” But even so, he clearly brought something positive to anyone he encountered. Lecesne easily shifts between these fun and intriguing characters, and at a swift 75-minute clip, the story barrels ahead to a heartbreaking but hopeful finish. —Kevin Taft 38

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and Connie Britton as the morally corrupt Faye Resnick. They even managed to pull Cheryl Ladd out of semi-retirement to play Shapiro’s wife. But can this concept sustain itself with such a high-profile case? We all know how it goes down—(spoiler alert)—he gets off, so the appeal here really is going to lie with the actors. Can Billy Magnussen be an authentic Kato Kaelin? Can we buy Malcolm Jamal Warner as defensive linebacker Al Cowlings? The whole idea of 10 episodes of this madness seems like a fever dream, but if it helps erase the memory of Murphy’s last dud Scream Queens, then at least American Crime Story will have done its job.

DEATHTRAP

Sierra Madre Playhouse Through Feb. 20

*****

This popular 1978 comedy-thriller by prolific playwright-novelist Ira Levin (Rosemary’s Baby) holds up well in director Christian Lebano’s taut and amusing revival. Best remembered for its fine 1982 film adaptation starring Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve, the play has a provocative plot twist midway through that’s probably quite familiar to many yet still best not revealed here. When middle-aged suspense-genre novelist Sidney ( the superb Christopher Cappiello) is suffering a career slump, he is called upon by budding young scribe Clifford (splendidly played by David Tolemy), who wants the elder writer’s advice on his completed play manuscript, called Deathtrap. Opportunism, marital matters and other zesty plot developments lead to thrills and ironic laughs. A splendid supporting cast (Shaw Purnell as Sidney’s high-strung wife, Don Savage as his attorney and especially Karesa McElheny as a daffy psychic neighbor) add to the intrigue and fun. An evocative and elaborate production design enhances the pleasures. —Les Spindle

DEATHTRAP: GINA LONG

ver wish you could go back in time and experience the O.J. Simpson trial all over again, only with all your favorite direct-to-DVD movie stars playing the roles of the pivotal players? Well, me neither, but Ryan Murphy and FX are certain there are people out there who do. Capitalizing on the momentum of The Jinx and Making a Murderer, American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson hopes to take the true crime genre one step further with stunt casting. We’ve got Cuba Gooding Jr. as Simpson, John Travolta as Robert Shapiro, Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark, David Schwimmer and Selma Blair as Robert and Kris Kardashian, Nathan Lane as F. Lee Bailey

AMERICAN CRIME STORY: THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON Premieres Feb. 2 on FX

hbard

THE X-FILES Jan. 24, FOX It’s back! Break out your Scully and Mulder mousepads and rejoice, because it’s baaaaack! Nine seasons and a couple of movies weren’t enough to unravel the complicated mythology The X-Files built up all those years, but thanks to FOX they get six more episodes to wrap things up. (But will it wrap up?) David Duchovny has already expressed interest in doing an additional X-Files miniseries, but its likelihood is dependent on the success of this one, so tune in! Joel McHale, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ambrose and Robbie Amell join much of the original cast. Note: after this premiere, the show moves to Mondays.

GREASE: LIVE Jan. 31, FOX Perhaps bouyed by the success of NBC’s The Wiz Live!, FOX has decided to throw its hat into the live musical remake arena with Grease: Live. Once again, this is all about the casting. Aside from Carly Rae Jepsen, who will portray Frenchie, and Vanessa Hudgens, who takes on Rizzo, the younger castmates are fairly unexciting (though Gossip Girl’s Trip Van Der Blit, Aaron Tveit, plays Danny Zuko). When we look at the adults, though—Ana Gasteyer, Mario Lopez and Eve Plumb all co-star—it gets more exciting.

SET YOUR

TELEVISION LONG DIVISION

Thursday, Jan. 21

Peter Pan Live

Disney Channel Programming

“Call Me Maybe“

Grease: Live

Zach Galifianakis co-created and stars in Baskets, a surreal comedy about Chip Baskets, who has a burning desire to be clown. Sort of a spiritual prequel to Bobcat Goldthwait’s Shakes the Clown. (10 p.m., FX) Saturday, Jan. 23 Are you missing Chelsea Handler as much as I am? Netflix has the cure with its four-part docu-series Chelsea Does, in which Ms. Handler brings her wry sense of humor to topics like drugs, marriage, racism and technology. One can only hope Chuy makes an appearance. (Netflix) Saturday, Jan. 23 Oprah’s Where Are They Now returns for an all-new season where she checks in with Dick Van Dyke, Chaz Bono, the cast of Growing Pains, Kid N Play and transgender teen Jazz Jennings. (10 p.m., OWN)

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow DEATHTRAP: GINA LONG

Jan. 17, Bravo The CW should consider changing its name to The DC, as the network now has three hours of programming taking place in the DC Universe. This spin-off of Arrow and The Flash seems likely to keep the hit parade going. Legends of Tomorrow focuses on Rip Hunter (Arthur Darville), a rogue time traveler responsible for most of history. Brandon Routh trades his Superman cape to become The Atom, and Victor Garber plays Firestorm. Expect plenty of crossovers.

are once again host-free and will be simulcast on both TBS and TNT. The obligatory Fashion Police special will follow the next day on E! (8 p.m., TBS/TNT) Wednesday, Feb. 3 Richard Dreyfuss is Madoff. Those words sound like something you’d see on the marquee of a Reno dinner theater, but no, ABC has made a twopart miniseries on the life and crimes of Bernie Madoff. Blythe Danner plays his wife Ruth. (8 p.m., ABC)

Monday, Jan. 25 American Dad, the most underrated animated show on television, returns for its 13th season, and its third for TBS. I’m sure you’ll agree that Roger the Alien is the most accurately portrayed gay character on TV. (9 p.m., TBS) Sunday, Jan. 30 The Screen Actors Guild Awards FEBRUARY 3, 2016

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BE YOUR

HEALTHIEST YOU IN 2016 By Stephan Horbelt, Eric Rosen & Patrick Rosenquist

BE YOUR

HEALTHIEST YOU IN 2016

o assist you in achieving wellrounded fitness, BE YOUR we dispel the intimidation of guided meditation, uncover how pet ownercan actually boost YOU INship 2016 your well-being, relay the current state of HIV and satisfy your wanderBE YOUR lust with half a dozen ‘get fit’ destinations. Bonus: We introduce you to our cover YOU IN 2016 model, Kenta Seki, featured in a brand-new E! reality series and poised to become the exercise world’s next big deal.

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differs from practice to practice. The techniques range from zeroing in on your breathing to repeating a word, called a mantra (think of the stereotypical “Om”), until your other worries or anxieties fade from view. This can also include focusing on your imagination—say, picturing yourself in the Bahamas—or the soothing rhythm of a “sound bath,“ a series of tones designed to instill a sense of calm. From there, the idea is to reach a state of total silence—but the goal isn’t to stay there for the duration of your session. “You’re going to get pulled back to different thoughts—your dry cleaning, bills, something else,” says Schwartz, “and you just have to guide yourself back to total focus.” While this sounds easy and pretty flexible, there are some pratfalls to avoid. The first, according to Schwartz, is not sticking to regular sessions. Transitioning between the different parts of meditation becomes easier when you understand and become comfortable with the process, and once you let go of the idea that you’re somehow messing up, it’s easier to reap the benefits. These can include reduced anxiety to better focus on the other parts of your life.

“The only way to meditate incorrectly is to not meditate at all,” she says. Secondly, while most sessions should last about 20 minutes, a lot of people find it hard to carve out time to meditate. For those with cluttered schedules, Schwartz recommends opting for the morning. “If you make a habit of getting up 20 minutes early, you can get yourself into the routine of meditating every day,” she says. Again, even if you think you’re not hitting the mark, it won’t matter. It’ll become easier. Finally, most people overestimate the amount of discipline that meditation requires. “A lot of people who are new to the practice think you have to be totally still, and very much in the moment,” she says. “You can shift if you’re uncomfortable. You don’t have to be a statue. At Unplugged, if you move around, we’re not going to hit you with a stick,” she jokes. It may be hard to start—and keep up with— but meditation is an easy way to take care of your mental health. “I’ve seen some great changes in clients after a few weeks,” claims Schwartz. You can change, too. Just find a quiet place, get comfortable and say Om.

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or something so simple, meditation can be pretty intimidating to outsiders. Actually, that’s probably the reason it’s so hard to approach—how, exactly, do you learn to quiet your mind? What’s the trick? Well, there isn’t one, but that doesn’t mean that cultivating your inner peace is as elusive as it seems. Suze Yalof Schwartz is the CEO and founder of Unplug Meditation, a guided meditation studio located in West Hollywood. She’s been learning and teaching the skill for years, and is eager to bring the practice to a wider scope of people. “Most styles of meditation are centered around a few simple things,” claims Schwartz. “The process is simple: your mind wanders, you bring it to a single focus and then you clear your head. After that, you let it wander again.” Schwartz believes that most people think of meditation as a continual and unbroken state of clearheaded bliss, and when they don’t achieve it, they mistakenly believe meditation isn’t in their skill set. “It’s more like a dance. You move back and forth between your mind wandering and letting it calm down. You do this several times,” she explains. The method you use to clear your head

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Achieving inner peace through regular meditation is simpler than you think, and the benefits range from increased attention to improved immunity and stress reduction By Patrick Rosenquist

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Responsible pet ownership comes with great benefits, not least of which is a boost in the owner’s happiness and well-being By Patrick Rosenquist

ets are good for your health” is something you’ve probably heard a few times. But how, exactly, does taking care of an animal boost your happiness and well-being? The reasons are complicated, and a lot of them are interrelated—you’re way more likely to head out for a stroll when you’re obligated to take your furry friend on a walk a few times each day. Companionship, too, plays a central role, alleviating stress, depression and, of course, loneliness. And not just because you have a pet at your side; it’s actually easier to make friends and be social when you have an icebreaker as adorable as a Tabby or a Pitbull. Stacie Wood-Levin has been the Senior Animal Control Officer at the Burbank Animal Shelter for 15

years. In her time, she’s seen the benefits of pet ownership firsthand, though she cautions that adopting an animal is a personal and deep commitment. “When someone comes by looking for an animal, we try to steer them toward pets compatible with their lifestyle. If you spend your weekends hiking, you’ll want an animal that keeps up. If you’re more of a couch potato, you want a pet that will be happy sitting by your side,” she says. The age, breed and individual temperament of the animal is crucial. While a Yorkie can be active and a fan of attention, it may not fare well on long hikes; a French Bulldog can be more sedentary, but some crave activity. A pet is a complicated creature no matter the size or stripe, so being choosy—at least for the

benefit of the animal—is prudent and advisable. Wood-Levin tries to steer people toward pets suitable and beneficial for them. For example, like a lot of shelters located in Southern California, the Burbank Animal Shelter is always eager to pair seniors with older pets. “A lot of advanced-in-age clients come in looking for puppies or kittens, because maybe they recently lost an animal,” she mentions, “but that can be a bad fit. You don’t want a puppy constantly trying to play with you if that isn’t who y o u a r e ,” she says. While the shelter does not train service animals, it does help potential beneficiaries pick out the perfect pet to train. Those with autism, for example, can bloom after experiencing pet ownership, but it takes a certain kind of animal and client. “You’d want a dog that’s even-tempered, easy to travel with and very caring,” Wood-Levin says. Those qualities also apply to any other service animal, whether or not the pet officially bears the title. If you are looking for an animal to, say, aid with depression or other mental health issues, those qualities are a great starting point. As far as breeds, Wo o d - Levin i s quick to point out that, despite their bad rap, Pitbulls fit all those qualities. “They’re loving, and they’re child-friendly,” she says. Southern California’s shelters have a surplus of Pitbulls in custody; usually bred for protection or appearance, their surprisingly docile nature can mean they e n d up as strays. After all, as

the saying goes, their bark is much fiercer than their bite. Aside from dogs, other animals can be beneficial, too. “You can own a dog if you have a busy schedule, but a cat is much easier, because they’re more independent,” says Wood-Levin. Outside of the norm, a rabbit can be a great choice for someone itching for a pet. “They’re low-maintenance, and they don’t take up much space. They’re great for someone living in a studio apartment,” she adds. Any pet is going to help with loneliness, so no matter the animal you choose, th e b o n d yo u develop is most important. A dog might be great if you’re looking to hit up the dog park and talk to guys (everyone loves a cute pooch), and who doesn’t stop and awe when a cute kitten crosses his path? Either way, Wood-Levin is quick to remind us that pet ownership is not to be taken lightly. “We always stress that owning a pet is a huge responsibility,” she says. That responsibility, though, comes with great health rewards.

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JOHN KRASINSKI, 36 To say that his performance in the new film 13 Hours, playing one of the Navy SEALs present during the 2012 Benghazi attack, is far removed from the role that made him a household name (The Office’s deskchained Jim Halpert) would be an understatement. The star of the new Michael Bay flick is lean and ripped, sporting abs and arms any one of us would kill for. Even more impressive, Krasinski had only 16 weeks to transform himself. He did so at Rise Movement, the gym owned by his personal trainer, Jason Walsh, located in West Hollywood on Melrose. As Krasinski recently told Men’s Health, “I didn’t know what I wanted until Jason told me what it was. I had shoulder and back pain, and I couldn’t do one pullup. His whole thing was, we won’t touch a weight until you work out these pains.” By the time he shot the film, Krasinski was up to 20 pullups—no small feat. He has five-days-perweek workouts to thank for that; 90 minutes in the morning, 60 more in the afternoon. The trick for those shirtless scenes? His trainer curtailed Krasinski’s carb intake for weeks, also cutting fluids the night before the shoot so he was a bit dehydrated. But the real secret, Walsh admits, is 44

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one popular among bodybuilders—Krasinski would eat sorbet right before shooting, because the sugar would cause his muscles to swell. “It looks like you’ve shrinkwrapped the muscles,” Walsh says. See, sugar isn’t all bad. Remember that trick before the summer season’s pool parties. TRY THIS: Krasinski’s favorite exercise is the bench press. “There’s that number you can keep pushing,” he says. “It’s almost a game instead of a workout.” His least favorite? The Bulgarian split squat. “That’s the worst.”

JAKE GYLLENHAAL, 35 One of Gyllenhaal’s four 2015 films, Southpaw, saw the hunky actor portray Billy Hope, a boxer who turned to training to get his life back on track after losing his wife and daughter. We’d never seen him quite so lean and vascular, which was no doubt the result of five months spent in the Lb4Lb Boxing Gym here in Los Angeles. Gyllenhaal reportedly packed on 28 pounds of lean muscle for the film, as he’d previously lost a ton of weight for the film Nightcrawler (which had him at only 147 pounds). Gyllenhaal and Lb4Lb owner Terry Claybon discussed their daily workout routine with Men’s

Journal, and it’s sure to have the rest of us feeling lazy. The actor started every morning with an eightmile run and followed that up with 15 minutes of jump rope. Boxing drills included defensive footwork movements, shadowboxing and bag work. Then there were 2,000 daily sit-ups, and the 250-pound tractor tire that Gyllenhaal found himself lifting and flipping 20 times per day. Things were a bit more lax when it came to diet for Gyllenhaal. “We trained really hard every day, all day, and you can eat a lot when you’re in that mode,” he says. “It was always high protein. I remember eating a lot of Chipotle.” TRY THIS: Set your core on fire with ‘scissors.’ Lie on the floor, arms at your side, legs raised six inches off the ground, knees slightly bent. Cross your legs right over left, then left over right for one repetition. Repeat 24 more times, not letting your feet touch the ground ‘til you’re done.

MARIO LOPEZ, 42 He’s come a long way since his days as AC Slater on Saved by the Bell, but shockingly, he appears to be in the same great shape as the high school wrestling star. Today he’s a host of NBC’s Extra, where his healthy

If it’s fitness motivation you seek, look no further than Hollywood’s ripped leading men, whose sweaty regimens and stringent nutrition plans can inspire us all By Stephan Horbelt

lifestyle and adamant workout routine are evident. The L.A. resident refers to his gym time (six days each week) as body part-specific, a tradtional approach to building muscle, with boxing-inspired workouts thrown in for good measure. “I dedicate entire sessions to, say, chest and arms, or back, but I also like to mix it up and shock my system,” he tells BodyBuilding.com. “From one day to the next, you might find me in the squat rack working legs or in the middle of the ring sparring or swimming laps in the pool. When it comes to nutrition, Lopez is a big fan of reducing portion size as opposed to removing taste. “You can get really lean while eating delicious food,” he says, something he’s attempted to help men everywhere with by penning a book titled Extra Lean: The Fat-Burning Plan That Changes the Way You Eat for Life ($16, 272 pp., Celebra). TRY THIS: Lopez’s typical diet looks something like this: fruit, yogurt and granola for breakfast; chicken, broccoli and rice for lunch; sushi for dinner.

IDRIS ELBA, 43 In addition to blowing us away with his acting chops on the British detective series Luther, Idris Elba is

one of the sexiest men working the small screen. In a recent cover story for Men’s Health, the Brit tells the magazine, “Some guys want to be toned or want to jog for miles, but my ultimate fitness goal is to be fight-ready. That’s what I strive for. That’s what I consider fit. I want to know that if I’m being wrestled to the ground, I’ve got the strength to fight a man off.” The 6’2”, 195-pound film and TV star has trained in kickboxing for a decade, claiming that shadowboxing is one of the best workouts a man can do, not least because it requires no equipment. For Elba, working out has a huge mental component, too. “When I’m fit, I’m more focused,” he says. “I have greater patience and my temper is more stable, so I’m better in almost all my relationships. When I’m out of shape, I’m emotionally lazy.” TRY THIS: Elba claims he doesn’t have much time to workout on the set of the upcoming Star Trek Beyond, so he relies on a body-weight circuit that includes jump rope, a heavy bag, jumping jack, squats, pushups and planks.

TOM HARDY, 38 Simply put, this British actor loves to kick ass

on-screen. With roles ranging from a famed hardened criminal (2009’s Bronson) to Batman’s nemesis Bane (2012’s The Dark Knight Rises) to a vigilante speed demon (the Oscar-nominated Mad Max: Fury Road), Hardy is never not in amazing shape. Not bad for a Hollywood hero who claims to be “a bit crap at sports.” It might come as no surprise that Hardy is a CrossFit fanatic, even known to bring his Tactical Gym Box (basically a jungle gym for adults; purchase one for yourself at beaverfitusa.com) on set with him. FitnessHacker.com reports that for Hardy’s 2011 performance in Warrior, in which he played an MMA fighter, the actor reduced his carb intake to lower his body fat ratio and get lean. His trainer split his daily workouts into four sessions—the first when he woke up, then at lunch, a few hours before dinner and the last before bed. Each session lasted a little over 20 minutes. TRY THIS: Kettlebell Swings with a 24-kg bell are reportedly one of Hardy’s favorite exercises. Place the kettlebell on the floor in front of you. Bending your knees, grab it with both hands, then swing it underneath your body and up to shoulder height. You should feel it in your butt and hips. FEBRUARY 3, 2016

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Examining treatment and prevention breakthroughs, an increased HEALTHIESTquality of life and the persistent stigma that currently YOU IN 2016 makes up the HIV landscape By Patrick Rosenquist BE YOUR

1. PrEP and TAP are stemming the spread of HIV.

Since its approval by the FDA in 2012 as a means of preventing HIV infection, Truvada—generally referred to as PrEP—has become the biggest news in stemming the spread of HIV. “For the first time since the disease’s beginning, we have a new way to stop infections,” says Terry Smith,

Associate Director of Prevention at APLA Health and Wellness. PrEP is 99% effective according to Smith, who is excited about the dramatic reduction in infections Truvada has offered the gay community. Furthermore, Smith believes “Treatment as Prevention”—the idea that someone who is virally suppressed has a lesser chance of spreading the virus to those who are 46

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HIV-negative—may be a key tool in stemming the spread of HIV. “Those on treatment are 96% less likely to spread the virus,” he says.

2. Treatment of HIV is simpler and comes with fewer side effects.

Treatment has changed dramatically. Long dramatized and experienced as an unusual and complicated cocktail of drugs, HIV treatment has been reconfigured as a ‘one pill a day’ regimen, with a minimal amount of side effects. “The biggest change in treatment is the combo drug,” says Jeff Bailey, Director of Client Services at AIDS Project Los Angeles. “It means more people are able to adhere to treatment, because it’s simpler,” he says.

3. Those with HIV are finally living on par with those without the disease.

On World AIDS Day 2015, Prudential Insurance announced a new plan— citing a dramatic increase in both

longevity and quality of life, those with HIV became able to purchase life insurance plans. “The biggest problem with those in treatment is that we are experiencing an aging population, and they experience the same things everyone aging does: diabetes, high blood pressure and more,” says Bailey. Aging with HIV has become similar to aging without the virus, he says, the biggest

complication being making sure that medicines prescribed to patients don’t interfere with each other.

4. Stigma persists, though the media’s portrayal is breaking barriers.

Unfortunately, stigma has not decreased among the general population. When Charlie Sheen announced he was HIV-positive late last year, the reaction was a mix of revulsion and worry. He also revealed that he had spent a large sum of money—in the millions—to keep his disease a secret. Within gay-friendly media, portrayal of the disease better reflects the contours of those living with the virus. Both How to Get Away with Murder and Looking have portrayed HIV-positive characters in a realistic light, and have even featured serodiscordant romances (relationships between two people where one is HIVpositive, the other negative) as something safe and routine.

5. Access to treatment is improving.

Since the passage of the Ryan White act, access to treatment in the United States has been strong. Those within 400% of the poverty line were given treatment without thought to their ability to pay. Bailey also mentions that California has been especially proactive when it comes to providing treatment. “It’s never been a problem for those already connected to medical care—whether through Medicaid or another program,” he says. The biggest change in treatment availability has been the shift of patients from programs funded through the White Act to ACA-expanded Medicaid or Covered California schemes. “Unfortunately, you see people transitioning to these programs, and they may experience a small copay that’s new,” says Bailey, adding, “It can complicate treatment for those who can’t afford the increase.”

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he state of HIV in America is changing rapidly. We are finally at a point when, even with no solid cure in sight, the tide of the epidemic could finally reverse. Last year, San Francisco launched its “Getting to Zero” movement. Based on UN initiatives, the program believes the idea of zero new infections—or deaths—is no longer a fantasy but a real possibility. Medical breakthroughs and changes in society have meant those living with the disease are experiencing fuller, longer lives. Here are some of the biggest stories shaping the poz world.

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Already slacking on your ‘get fit’ promises? Here are six getaways to help you get in shape while also satisfying your wanderlust By Eric Rosen

In Utah’s scenic southwest, in a landscape of redrock canyons and cliffs, and within easy reach of Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks, this resort offers some great flexible (and affordable) options for an impromptu wellness getaway. Guests can benefit from a comprehensive fitness and nutritional assessment at Intermountain Healthcare’s LiVe Well Center and then create a tailored program of hiking, meditation, fitness training, customized massages and more.

2. The Ranch at Live Oak, Malibu

It might be the middle of winter, but in L.A. it pays to stay beach-ready year-round. Since it opened in 2010, The Ranch Malibu has whipped guests into shape with a rigorous program of hiking, yoga classes, pool workouts and more, not to mention 1,500-calorie daily vegetarian menus created by the property’s “nutritional alchemist.” While the 48

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fitness program here is non-optional, at least there’s a daily massage included to ease the pain. There is no television and no internet reception—or anything else to distract you—but for rates starting at $6,800 per week, you’ll want to stay focused on your goals.

3. Travaasa Hana, Maui

On Maui’s secluded east coast, at the end of the famous Highway to Hana, lies this plantation-style resort where guests are invited to detox in rooms without television, internet, clocks or radios. It’s the ultimate unplugged getaway. The resort has just reopened after an extensive $12 million renovation project that endowed all 70 bungalows and suites with enhanced amenities and comforts. In addition to wellness programs that include a sun-dried pink clay body wrap with organic myrtle, sandalwood, lemon and sea algae, the hotel also offers active visitors adventures like outrigger canoe excursions along the coast from the hotel’s beach on Hana Bay.

4. Ananda in the Himalayas, India

This luxury spa retreat is located in a former Maharaja’s forest estate in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas, about 150 miles from New Delhi. The hotel features 75 deluxe rooms and suites as well as three villas, all with views of the Ganges or Rishikesh Valley. While here, guests will receive detailed Ayurvedic consultations to tailor a holistic program for rebalancing energy through individual menus, yoga in open-air pavilions, meditation and Tibetan-inspired treatments in the 24,000-square-foot spa. Guests can also trek the nearby mountains, raft on whitewater, take tours of temples and even golf.

5. Cal-A-Vie, Vista, California

Just a short jaunt down the freeway from L.A., this wellness oasis is one of the most famous in the world, thanks to state-of-the-art programming that includes over 100 classes and activities,

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1. Red Mountain Resort, Utah

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Clockwise from left: Utah’s scenic Southwest; Vista, California’s Cal-A-Vie, just a short trip down the freeway from Los Angeles; Ananda, a luxury spa in the foothills of the Himalayas; Maui’s plantation-style Travaasa Hana; the sleek and modern (and technology-free) The Ranch Malibu; Costa Rica’s Camp Fit; create a tailored fitness program at Red Mountain Resort

like rigorous mountain runs, TRX, CrossFit and personal training sessions. It also offers flexibility in the form of programs that last three, four or seven days instead of typical week-only options.

6. Camp Fit, Costa Rica

There’s nothing like getting your butt kicked ... as long as it’s in paradise. Take your partner, a friend, or just come on your own to this Costa Rican hilltop retreat, just a half-mile from the beach on the country’s Pacific coast. While here, guests will be run through rigorous obstacle courses, beach workouts and CrossFit regimens in the resort’s outdoor jungle gym. But it’s not all sweat and suffering. Take a break to surf, paddleboard, zipline, horseback ride or take in a sunset cruise. Then feast with fellow travelers around communal tables in the open-air restaurant, where menus balance local produce with lean proteins and allnatural wood-fired bread. FEBRUARY 3, 2016

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SoCal Kenta Seki made YOU INnative 2016 his reality TV debut as the BE YOUR protégé of workout guru Jillian HEALTHIEST YOU IN 2016 Michaels, but he’s got his own projects in the works, too, with a well-trained eye on total fitness domination

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Enjoy the active lifestyle with improved mediaction and lifestyle changes, HIV poz people e

guess you can say I do everything for Jillian,” says Kenta Seki, the newly christened fitness guru and, yes, protégé of workout goddess Jillian Michaels, best known for her tough love on NBC’s hit show The Biggest Loser. Seki, 28, helps Michaels with fitness shoots, various shows and by expanding her ever-increasing brand of health and lifestyle accruements. He’s been a force in her sizable empire for years, and now he’s poised to breakout and begin his own spin on staying in shape. Seki, who has been in the business for over a decade, first came to the attention of Michaels after his boyfriend at the time—now his fiancé—showed her a series of photo shoots he’d done in his early 20s. She was taken aback—both by his physique and his presence. “Of course, he’s hot—look at him!—but he had something else, another quality,” says the former competition show host. She figured he’d be a good addition to an upcoming taping of her 90-day fitness DVD—shoots that require an astounding amount of personal discipline and loyalty. As both Michaels and Seki describe it, putting together these filmed routines is grueling. “People always ask why I don’t have ‘regular people’ in these DVDs, which is a fair point,” says Michaels. “The answer is, I have to include people who can do these hour-long workouts repeatedly, and do multiple workouts a day perfectly, for a whole week.” Seki adds, “You do regular coverage, you sometimes have to shoot a repeat because they want to make sure they have the footage, and you’re absolutely exhausted by the end.” Seki not only met this high bar but managed to help Michaels—a towering figure in the field, if ever there was one— fine-tune her shoot. For someone as hands-on as

Michaels is, this was a new experience. “He stood out,” she says. Seki went through hours of workouts, watched the results and suggested meaningful changes. And, despite Michaels’ tough persona on The Biggest Loser and the upcoming E! series Just Jillian, she took his suggestions gracefully. “From that moment on, I’ve always thought of him as my little brother,” she says.

and more. I expanded from yoga into other areas,” he says. “I was in the fitness business before I understood exactly what I was doing.” From there, Seki not only expanded his clientele but branched into media. With an upbeat attitude and a willingness to endure long hours and repetitive routines, Seki landed jobs in fitness videos for companies as diverse as Ultimate Fighting Championship

eki grew up in Southern California, mainly in the Pasadena area. His love of fitness started early, and he became fascinated with yoga at age 9. “My older sister was the one who introduced me to it,” he says. “She was learning about the practice, and I wanted to know more about how it worked. I just thought it was great.” Soon after, he began taking lessons on his own and was a standout student. “I just devoured it,” he says. At age 16, already seven years into his yoga training, the manager of a studio he frequented asked if he could cover a lesson or two while she was on vacation. “I don’t think that’s something that would happen now, and admittedly, I don’t know if it’s actually legal,” he says, chuckling. But it was a comfortable environment. He’d been learning alongside this group for a while, and despite his age, they trusted his devotion and knowledge of the discipline. “That’s when I first realized I wanted to work in fitness,” says Seki. Shortly after his 18th birthday, Seki officially began his career as a yoga instructor. After working in studios, participants asked him if he could teach them privately. “Before I knew it, I was a personal trainer,” he says. “I went with what people wanted and what I thought worked—I added bells, weights FEBRUARY 3, 2016

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and Bosu. By his own count, in the short time between the start of his career and meeting Michaels—the moment his life “changed forever”—he participated in over 100 shoots. It was that fateful shoot with Michaels, though—after she had first glanced at his photos—that he moved from a model to a hands-on participant. “He was an amazing guy; he would do the exercises and still be friendly and fun. He’d help me tweak stuff—what the other people were doing, how we shot it and more. He spoke his mind,” says Michaels, adding, “He was the best athlete in the bunch.” From their first encounter, she knew she had found a reliable partner. “I have a lot of affection for Kenta,” Michaels says. While Seki is very happy to see himself as her protégé, Michaels sees him as poised for something bigger—and game for a different title. “I see him not so much as a student; I think he’s past that. He’s ready to take on different things. He has a book concept in the works, he’s working on fitness videos; he’s doing his own thing.”

peaking about Seki, Michaels sees him as a man other 20-somethings can relate to, even if his problems are within the realm of reality TV and burgeoning stardom. “A lot of people at that point in life are trying to figure out what to do; maybe they’ve established themselves or learned from someone else, but they want to move past what they’ve been given and make their own name,” she says. “He’s relatable in that way. I want people to get to know him and what he does. His eagerness to take on new responsibilities is something, I think, we all deal with.” As for Just Jillian, both Michaels and Seki are hoping the show speaks to a broad audience, and explores lifestyles that parts of America may not be familiar with or are hostile toward. The center of the show, after all, is Michaels’ struggle to raise a family with her longtime partner, Heidi, while working full-time. “I’m excited about normalizing this kind of family, and I hope even those who are homophobic relate to it in some way,” she says. As part of that push, Seki’s role as the readyto-battle 28-year-old is, as Michaels believes, both entertaining and very normal. While not all of us are poised to take over the fitness world, a lot of America—even those who may not relate to him at first glance—are dealing with a situation similar to Seki’s. “I love being a protégé, of course,“ he says, “but I want to make my own.“

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or now, Seki will appear as a regular on Michaels’ recently premiered new E! show, Just Jillian, which chronicles her life in Los Angeles as she expands and manages her popular brand of fitness wear. “You’re going to see me get drinks with her, talk about our lives, where she wants to be and where I want to be—and, of course, it’s a reality show, so there’s drama,” he says. A running theme of the show is Seki branching away from Michaels and starting his own line of fitness DVDs, called Fit Fusion Fifteen. When it launches later this month, it will be the flagship product of AT&T U-verse’s line of streaming health and wellness programs, bringing Seki into nearly 20 million homes. On Just Jillian, Seki’s major plotline involves the formation and production of the series, which came about with Michaels’ blessing and support. “Since I was always under her wing, there was this idea—after a point—of, ‘When am I going to get my own brand?’ It was time for me to step up and move beyond what Michaels has done for me,” says Seki. Fit Fusion Fifteen is a collection of workouts that excite Seki, with a twist on classic moves—as basic as

push-ups—adding a burst of novelty and a sense of thrill for exercisers. “I want it to be based on effective and good science; stuff I’ve learned over 15 years in the business that’s dynamic and approachable,” he says. His new take on the push-up, called the Matrix pushup, involves a swoop up and around for the participant, increasing exertion and revitalizing a move most of us have been familiar with since grade school phys ed. “I want to highlight what’s cool and fun,” he says. After Just Jillian and Fit Fusion, Seki isn’t sure what’s next, emphasizing that establishing a reliable and trustworthy brand—one those looking for solid workouts and health tips can rely on in a sea of junk science and shoddy advice—is important. He is, after all, building upon a name with wide reach, and he has to live up to Michaels’ standards.

FEBRUARY 3, 2016

An Ever-Expanding

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Clockwise from far left: Ben Affleck, Gal Godot and Henry Cavill star in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, hitting theaters in March; Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.; X-Men: Apocalypse stars Olivia Wilde, Oliver Isaac and Michael Fassbender; Krysten Ritter, the star of Netflix’s Jessica Jones; Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool

Navigating the labyrinthine world of comic book-to-screen adaptations, we vet the genre’s incoming talent, log concerns of fervent fans and preview projects currently on the Hollywood horizon By Drew Mackie

“LAST YEAR WAS A BIG ONE FOR COMIC BOOK MOVIES.” That’s something you could have said about every passing year since 2005, when Batman Begins kickstarted a new bat-trilogy, but it was especially true of 2015. Last year alone saw the movie that broke Joss Whedon (Avengers: Age of Ultron), the introduction of Paul Rudd to the Marvel cinematic universe (AntMan) and last—and least—the third failed attempt to make a watchable Fantastic Four film. Fans of comic adaptations could burn through the Netflix series Daredevil and Jessica Jones while they waited for the next weekly installment of standard broadcast series Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and all the while, the studios breathlessly hyped

the slew of mask-and-cape movies coming in 2016: Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Captain America: Civil War, X-Men: Apocalypse and Deadpool (no subtitle needed), among others. So, yes, this time next year, we’ll be saying once again, “Last year was a big one for comic book movies.”

t’s gotten to the point where people have largely stopped talking about comic adaptations as a thing-of-the-moment and have accepted them as a major cog in the Hollywood machine. “I believe it’s a trend the same way that, you know, Spaghetti Westerns were a trend,” explains Sina Grace, an L.A.-based cartoonist who has worked for Marvel and Image Comics. “It’s not a balloon that’s going to pop; it’s going to be en vogue for a full generation. It’s not like a trend in the way that Tamagotchi was a trend.” Longtime comics fan, TV producer and writer Ted Biaselli says he objects to the idea that the superhero movies genre has run its course. “The same could be said for romantic comedies—that if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all,” he says. “But people still watch them, because the characters and the storytelling are what matters.”

“There have been superhero movies for over 40 years. Yeah, they come in waves, and it happens to be the golden age for them right now in terms of execution,” Biaselli says. “The technology has finally caught up to the point that these movies look how we want them to look, and everybody is racing to do more of them because they’re so lucrative. But in 20 years there will be a great superhero whose story needs to be told.” Certainly by virtue of the studios’ multi-year franchise strategies alone, superhero movies—and TV series that are cinematic in scope—aren’t leaving pop culture anytime soon; they’re so mainstream that even your mom knows who Iron Man is. (That Robert Downey Jr. really is so charming.) And while any ardent comics fan says it’s been interesting to see beloved characters projected onto bigger screens, many also look toward the new year with trepidation. Will Marvel and DC, the comic book world’s two competing giants, be able to support the moviespanning universe they’re creating? Case in point: Batman v. Superman, the followup to 2013’s Man of Steel. It will feature Henry Cavill’s Superman taking on Ben Affleck as the FEBRUARY 3, 2016

sixth-ever big-screen Batman, but it also needs to lay the foundation for future DC cinematic outings Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash and, most important of all, 2017’s tentpole epic Justice League, which has the unenviable task of bringing the universe’s heroes together while trying to outshine 2012’s Avengers. Batman v. Superman hits theaters March 25, and it may not surprise you to learn there are already big opinions about it. Kyle Cummings, an L.A.-based artist and comics fan, points out that while he’s excited the film will introduce the first-ever cinematic depiction of Wonder Woman (played by newcomer Gal Gadot), he worries that DC is putting superpowered carts before superpowered horses. “We’ve never seen Wonder Woman on the big screen before, we don’t know what their approach is and we don’t know if it’s going to be successful,” Cummings says. “And they’re already filming her movie.” That’s not the only concern espoused by comics geeks heading into 2016. Tobias Trost, a comics fan and animation line producer, holds the DC characters especially dear but also describes the end of Man of Steel as “destruction pornography.” He conjectures that DC’s effort to distance its movies from Marvel’s 56

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by ‘skewing gritty’ might result in something other than the Wonder Woman he’d been waiting for. “This Wonder Woman looks very dark and warrior-like, as opposed to looking aspirational,” he cautions. “Of course, I haven’t seen the movie. And of course I’m going to see it. There’s just nothing I’ve seen yet that thrills the little kid in me.”

t’s not naysaying so much as protective nerdery, and it comes from a real place. While Avengers: Age of Ultron was a financial success, raking in a staggering $1.4 billion, Marvel aficionados and casual moviegoers alike found the film a bit overstuffed. (Meanwhile, Ant-Man, connected but not quite as beholden to overarching mythology, got a little more breathing room. It made a comparatively paltry $500 million.) The next Marvel installment—Captain America: Civil War, due May 6—features a big roster of characters and introduces Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, who’s getting his own movie in 2017. It’s enough to make you relieved that the X-Men are relegated to their own pocket cinematic universe as a result of their movie rights being owned by 20th

Century Fox. When X-Men: Apocalypse hits theaters on May 27, there will by nary an Avenger in sight. To Cummings, the narrower focus of Civil War gives him hope. “It looks more like the Avengers 2 I wanted to see rather than the Avengers 2 we got,” he says. “Age of Ultron had this problem of ‘We’re bragging about this interconnected universe we’ve built,’ but the ABC TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. barely tied in at all, and the Netflix shows might not either.” Aside from Batman v. Superman and Civil War, 2016 will also see less tentpole-ish adaptations in the form of Suicide Squad and Doctor Strange. The former unites an oddball assortment of DC B-listers—Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Cara Delevingne as Enchantress, for example—in a way that might relieve that film from the pressures facing Batman v. Superman, which has the tall order of bringing together Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman and somehow making everyone happy in the process. And Doctor Strange brings a more fringe Marvel character to the mainstream the way Ant-Man did. Benedict Cumberbatch is playing the title character, a hero whose mystical powers will add a new dimension to the more scientifically focused Marvel movies but which also distance him

Clockwise from far left: Brandon Routh stars as The Atom in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, airing on The CW Jan. 21; Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange; a still from Netflix’s Daredevil Season 2; Black Panther, portrayed by Chadwick Boseman in Captain America: Civil War; Marvel’s unreleased 1994 film version of The Fantastic Four; Melissa Benoist as Supergirl; Glenn Close in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy; (below) the Ant-Man action figure

thematically from the other films. Working in Doctor Strange’s favor is the fact that it co-stars Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One, an all-powerful mystic who in the comics is male. Swinton’s participation is just one of many examples of esteemed actors diving into superhero films in a way that might not have happened quite so freely in previous decades. Think Rene Russo in Thor. Think Glenn Close in Guardians of the Galaxy. Among those bringing gravitas to 2016 are Holly Hunter in Batman v. Superman, Viola Davis in Suicide Squad and Leslie Uggams opposite Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool, a Marvel adaptation due Feb. 12 and taking place in the X-Men universe.

f course, comic book adaptations have made for big business on the small screen as well. On Jan. 21, Legends of Tomorrow becomes the third CW series to feature DC characters, after Arrow and The Flash. The three exist in a shared universe. Each was developed and produced by (the openly gay) Greg Berlanti, who also developed Supergirl, which airs on CBS and doesn’t appear to exist in the Berlantiverse—as of yet.

Perhaps as a result of the stellar job the CW series has done reinterpreting DC characters, hardcore comics fans have been slow to warm to Supergirl. Trost posits that the show caters more to CBS viewers than those who might watch CW shows. “I want to applaud it. It’s been since Wonder Woman that there’s been a female superhero on TV, but the storytelling has been too easy and too light,” he says. “I want them to keep trying to get it better.” Those same fans more eagerly received Marvel’s Netflix series Daredevil and in particular Jessica Jones, the latter of which premiered in November and featured Krysten Ritter as the superpowered private investigator title character. Beloved by comics readers for years, it wasn’t a character who’d achieved mainstream visibility previously, but that’s another effect of this boom in comic book adaptations: more and more obscure characters are getting a chance in the spotlight in ways their fans never would have dreamed possible even a few years ago. Upon being asked what obscure comics character he’d like to see on-screen, Grace picks the DC hero Booster Gold, “Miami Vice-style.” “Does the world need to see that? I’m not sure. But I’d be stoked,” he says. Grace, who counts

the indie film Diary of a Teenage Girl among his favorite comic adaptations of 2015, also points toward the vast possibilities existing for adaptations beyond Marvel and DC material. “Now that we’ve been shown you can successfully and honorably adapt a comic book to film or TV, I think it’s a perfect time for a lot of these studios to look at all the other publishers—Image, Dark Horse, Oni, Boom—and start to put the same TLC into those. There’s just so much to mine there.” Trost has a dream project, too: the ‘80s Marvel series Power Pack. “If Netflix wanted to do a tween angst show, something more kid-friendly, I would love to see that,” he says. Meanwhile, he looks beyond 2016 and considers the possibilities for diehards like him. “I know all genres wax and wane, and I don’t know if future comic adaptations will be as successful as they are right now, but there are a billion comic book stories out there.” FEBRUARY 3, 2016

THE WORLD OF BILLY MASTERS

From left: Carly Rae Jepsen, Caitlyn Jenner, Chi Chi LaRue, Ricky Gervais, Chris D’Elia

DRAMA AT THE GOLDEN GLOBES, A BULGE IN QUESTION, ‘ROCKY HORROR’ REACHES BACK

Awards of a Different Stripe Two days later, I was at a very different awards show: the Cybersocket Awards, the only gay porn awards show in Hollywood. If you want to feel old, try walking through a room filled with scantily dressed gay porn stars in their 20s. I think Christian Owen summed it up best when he asked me, “Is there anyone here from our days?” Ah, yes, how could I forget my thriving gay porn career? Chi Chi LaRue hosted the event with aplomb, and Frenchie Davis blew the roof off the 58

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joint (while the “talent” were blowing other things). After Davis left, the Best Sex Scene was awarded to Two Americans For One Frenchie. And I thought I was versatile! Grease: Still the Word Speaking of Frenchie, the actress who played Frenchy in the film version of Grease has joined the cast of the live FOX remake. The fabulous Didi Conn has signed on the dotted line, alongside Barry Pearl, who played Doody in the movie. Also joining the production is Joe Jonas and his band, DNCE, who will double as Johnny Casino and the Gamblers at the sock hop. Boyz II Men will play a trio of Teen Angels, serenading the Frenchy of Carly Rae Jepsen. You’ll recall that Frenchy doesn’t get a solo in the film. Well, she does now! ‘Rocky Horror’ Reaches Back Another musical remake is reaching back into its illustrious history when it comes to casting. FOX has tapped Tim Curry to play The Criminologist/ Narrator for its remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. While I would like to applaud this casting, Curry’s physical state is less than optimal since his stroke. But perhaps it will make his performance all the more ... potent. The powers-that-be have also cast Adam Lambert in the musical as Eddie. Break Out the Aqua Net Before we change topics, NBC has announced its next live musical will be Hairspray. Kinda soon for a new version of that great show, but anything to get the taste of John Travolta out of my mouth, so to speak. I hear there is already a Link on board—Nick Jonas is guaranteed to reprise the role he played at the Hollywood Bowl in 2011. And it’s a no-brainer that Harvey Fierstein should get the chance to immortalize his inimitable Edna for posterity—to say nothing of posterior! Plus, he’s already got an in with the producers; he revamped the book for The Wiz: Live! While we’d all love to see the original Tracy from the musical play the role, Marissa Jaret Winokur has made it clear via Facebook that won’t happen. “Thank you all for your delusional support that I

could play a 16-year-old! We are all very excited for Hairspray on NBC, but ‘Mamma I’m an OLD girl now ... welcome to my 40s!’” That said, she’d make a formidable Miss Baltimore Crabs or Mrs. Pingleton—or the gym teacher! Last, I think it’s obvious that Motormouth Mabel should be played by Black-ish breakout star Jenifer Lewis. After all, the part was written for her, she did the original demos and workshop, and eventually starred in the Broadway production. Duh! Ask Billy: Well, Which Is It? Our “Ask Billy” question comes from Gary in Sacramento: “Do you watch Undateable? Last week, Chris D’Elia was in his underwear and it sure looked like he has a huge penis.” Not so much a question as a statement, but one I’d question. Let me say how thrilled I am that anyone is watching Undateable—perhaps the best sitcom on TV. Once they decided to go live every week, the show has been on fire (everywhere except in the ratings). They do the show live twice on Fridays—once for the east and once for the west. And this explains Gary’s statement. In the West Coast feed, D’Elia’s undies were about to burst. Let’s just say they went in a different direction for the East Coast. I’ll post both versions on my site. When we’re analyzing bulges, it’s definitely time to end yet another column. But before I wrap, let me take a moment to apologize to Project Runway alum Blake Patterson. You know how you watch people on TV and think you know them? When I saw Blake at the Cybersocket Awards, I knew I knew him; I just couldn’t place him. I figured he couldn’t place me when I greeted him a tad too familiarly, while taking inventory of his thread and bobbin. Once I got home, it hit me—I’ve never met him before! Oops, sorry. But perhaps he’ll now be a fan of BillyMasters.com, the site that has a whole lotta bobbin’ goin’ on! If you have a question, send it off to Billy@BillyMasters.com, and I promise to get back to you before Ricky Gervais replaces Chi Chi LaRue as host of the Cybersocket Awards...and nobody can tell the difference! So, until next time, remember, one man’s filth is another man’s bible.

PHOTO CREDIT TK

Golden Globes Controversy Did you hear about Shuttlegate? Because of increased security at the Golden Globes, everyone not in a limo had to park in a single garage about a mile away from the venue. The lines in the garage were endless, with celebs and civilians alike waiting over two hours to go through a metal detector and board a shuttle. The trades quoted people as saying, “This is like waiting to get off the Titanic” and, “It was like a prison camp.” Such a first-world problem. Meanwhile, there are people in Uzbekistan who don’t even have cable! To avoid this, I found a parking spot nearby and walked to the hotel. Well, I attempted to walk to the hotel. A burly cop of undetermined gender stopped me and said I could not cross the street to the venue because it was a secured area. “Really? I don’t think so.” The hand on the taser told me I should think again. Undaunted, I walked down the block to the next corner. Again, I was stopped. But this time I said that the other security guard sent me there. “S/he said it would be OK.” Success. I think Ricky Gervais is the perfect host. Everyone in Hollywood has a love/hate relationship with the Globes. On one hand, it’s a joke. On the other hand, it’s an indicator of the Oscars since Academy ballots are due days later. You know who’d like to host next year? Caitlyn Jenner. The reality star was not thrilled when Ricky said she didn’t help the image of female drivers. OK, perhaps it was mean. It may have been unintentional, but Cait did kill someone. So did Matthew Broderick. So did Brandy. And Laura Bush. Let’s not even get into Teddy Kennedy—and I’m a Bostonian! Cait, lighten up. At least the charges were dropped.

QUEERSAY

BY GOSSIP GAY

TRANS TRASH TALK

ive today’s youth a video camera and they are sure to turn out something amazing. That’s exactly what happens with L.A. teen activist group TransYouth Speak. Part-support group and part-”hang out and have a good time,” this collection of trans-identified 14- to 26-year-olds aims to challenge the media’s negative portrayals of trans life by using social media for social justice. Recently the group made a hit YouTube video called “What’s Your PGP?” in hopes of educating cisgender viewers about the proper usage of preferred gender pronouns. This 90-second PSA was a hit; in fact, it’s now being used by major colleges and county mental health departments to educate students and employees about trans issues, including the proper way to honor one’s PGP. The online response, however, has not been so kind. Not only have hetero haters come out, they have viciously attacked these youth in droves, calling them “filthy, delusional bullshitters ... who should be silenced at all costs.” Perhaps the most misinformed comment was one posted anonymously. (Of course!) Just because trans is a hot topic in the media, that doesn’t mean things have gotten better yet. These trans youth need the support of their LGBTQ elders, who need to see the hate and marginalization many of them experience on a daily basis. Anonymous: I sexually identify as an attack helicopter. Ever since I was a boy, I dreamed of soaring over the oilfields, dropping hot sticky loads on disgusting foreigners. People say to me that a person being a helicopter is impossible and I’m fucking retarded, but I don’t care. I’m beautiful. I’m having a plastic surgeon install rotary blades, 30mm cannons and AMG-114 Hellfire missles on my body. From now on, I want you guys to call me Apache and respect my right to kill from above and kill deedlessly. If you can’t accept me, you’re a heliphobe and need to check your vehicle privilege...” TransYouth Speak group leader and youth mentor Sebastian Spiegel says, “Apparently cisgender men have nothing better to do than go out of their way to find videos on YouTube and criticize already bullied teenagers for just expressing who they are. It’s cowardly and heartbreaking.” While online bullying is nothing new, it’s important that these youth know they are supported. I think I speak for us all when I send these amazing activist teens our love, honor and respect. You deserve better, and we support you in your awesome, social justice efforts.

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hat do Chad Michael Murray, Luke Wilson, Frances Fisher and Francesca Eastwood (daughter of Clint) all have in common? They star in writer/director J.T. Mollner’s upcoming feature-length film Outlaws & Angels, set to premiere at Sundance. Not only is the flick slated to run in one of the festival’s prime time slots, but its role-reversing vengeance is sure to send your jaw spiraling. (Trust me, I’ve seen snippets.) All I can say is that this Tarantino-esque western empowers women in the most shocking of ways!

For more Gossip Gay, go to FrontiersMedia.com. Drop me your dirty little secrets at QueerSay@hotmail.com, and don’t worry, I never give up my deep throat!

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FEBRUARY 3, 2016

PALM SPRINGS

TACKLING ISSUES THROUGH ART The first-ever Tolerance Theater Festival heads to the desert, a day-long event of one-act plays dealing with homophobia, racism, misogyny and more By James F. Mills

Tolerance Theater Festival Tolerance Education Center, Rancho Mirage

Jan. 23 toleranceeducationcenter.org

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n today’s world, filled with terrorist attacks, mass shootings and racial unrest, tolerance for people who are different seems in short supply. That’s why Rancho Mirage’s Tolerance Education Center is hosting the Tolerance Theater Festival on Saturday, Jan. 23. The day-long event will present staged readings of one-act plays dealing with themes of homophobia, racism, anti-Semitism, misogyny, bullying and xenophobia. “You change the world one person at a time,” explains Barry Schoenfeld, the festival’s organizer (pictured below). “The idea is to give people a glimpse into another person’s situation and hopefully change people’s attitudes. If one person sees one play and thinks, ‘I’m not going to be such an asshole bully,’ or ‘I’m not going to think so badly about the gays,’ or ‘I’m not going to think Jews have horns,’ then we’ve accomplished our goal.” The staged readings start at 2 p.m. and continue throughout the afternoon and evening. Comedian Dana Atkins will serve as emcee, offering laughs between each reading to help lighten the mood, because as Schoenfeld explains, “We’re going to tackle some really tough subjects.” About halfway through, they’ll take a dinner break for food trucks in the center’s parking lot. Then they’ll return to the plays. Among the works being presented are Manny and Jake (1987) by Harvey Fierstein, the story of two gay men—one HIV-positive, the other negative—negotiating sex; Bert & Jessie (1992) by Robyn Barr Gorman, about two female roommates discussing what constitutes womanhood when one falls for a transgender woman; Push (2010) by George Cameron Grant, concerning the aftermath of a bullied teen jumping off a subway platform to his death; and Law & Order: Fairy Tale Unit (2007) by Jonathan Rand, a dark comedy about police investigating fairy tale crimes. Additionally, students from Raymond Cree Middle School in Palm Springs will perform tolerance-themed monologues during the day. “We hope students as well as adults will come,” says Schoenfeld, a marketing consultant who splits his time between Los Angeles and Palm Springs. “We’re programming the PG stuff

during the day and the R-rated stuff once the sun goes down. You can come for one and leave, or stay for the whole day.” Suggested admission is $10, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. All the actors and directors involved are donating their time. The idea for the Tolerance Theater Festival came during the summer as Schoenfeld was distressed by the horrific events happening around the globe. He went to the public library and bookstores and consulted actors, directors and friends, asking for recommendations for plays. “I probably read 50 or 60 plays in the end and narrowed it down,” says Schoenfeld. “It was exhausting, but we got some great plays.” A grant from the Palm Springs Unified School District helped pay for the performance rights. Melisse Banwer, executive director of the six-year-old Tolerance Education Center, was fascinated by the idea and readily agreed to host the festival in its 98-seat theater. “We’ve done quite a few experimental things in our theater, and this just sounded wonderful,” she says. “I love trying new things.” With a mission of promoting tolerance, civility, respect and understanding, the Tolerance Education Center, founded by Holocaust survivor Earl Greif, hosts weekly programs for students and adults, so a Tolerance Theater Festival was in keeping with the work they do. As far as Schoenfeld can determine, there has never been a Tolerance Theater Festival held anywhere in the world. He hopes the idea will catch on and more such festivals will pop up. Schoenfeld, though, is used to breaking new ground. In July 2013, when the local bar scene proved unsatisfying and the various social clubs and groups for gay men weren’t as diverse or inclusive as he felt the area deserved, Schoenfeld created the California Community of Men. “CalComMen holds weekly coffee get-togethers, monthly workshops, quarterly retreats, and we’re up to almost 5,000 members,” he says. “We’re making a difference in these men’s lives, and we want to make a difference with the Tolerance Festival, too.”

Sat. | Jan. 23 TOUR DE PALM SPRINGS Downtown Palm Springs

The 16th annual bicycling event featuring 10-, 25-, 50- and 100mile routes depar ts from Palm Canyon Drive and Alejo Road. tourdepalmsprings.com Sun. | Jan 24 MAYOR’S RACE AND WELLNESS FESTIVAL Ruth Hardy Park

A 5K and 10K race through downtown and uptown Palm Springs, plus health and wellness information booths. healthyplanethealthyyoups.com Thu. | Jan 28 CARNIVAL CABARET Oscars Café and Bar

Fri. | Feb 5 NICKERSON-ROSSI DANCE Annenberg Theatre

An ensemble troupe offers up drag cabaret shows Thursdays through Saturdays at 7 p.m., Sundays at 1 p.m. oscarspalmsprings.com

The modern dance troupe is choreographed by Michael Nickerson, plus there’s a performance by Martha Graham dancer Lorenzo Pagano. psmuseum.org

Fri. | Jan 29 SIMPLY BARBRA Purple Room

Say “Hello, Gorgeous” to Steven Brinberg doing his acclaimed Barbra Streisand impersonation. Shows Jan. 29-30 at 7 p.m. purpleroompalmsprings.com

Through Feb. 21 ANGELS IN AMERICA Desert Rose Playhouse

The first part of Tony Kushner’s classic deals with AIDS, homophobia and politics in American society. desertroseplayhouse.org

THE JIG IS UP CELEBRATING TRADITIONAL IRISH music and dance, Riverdance has been going for more than 20 years. First performed as a sevenminute intermission piece during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest held in Dublin, it became so popular that husband-and-wife production team John McColgan and Moya Doherty expanded it into a full stage show in February 1995. Since then, more than 25 million people in 46 countries have seen Riverdance, making it one of the most successful dance productions ever. The Hollywood Reporter calls it “the sort of spectacle and experience that comes along once in a lifetime,” while The Times of London calls Riverdance “a family evening unlike anything else!” The 20th anniversary world tour of Riverdance heads to the desert Jan. 22-24 for five shows at Palm Desert’s McCallum Theater. Tickets and more info can be found at mccallumtheatre.com —J.F.M. FEBRUARY 3, 2016

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L-IQUID YOUTH. You will want to know about this new product! Men’s Day Formula Benefits: • Raises energy levels • Builds more lean muscle tissue • Burns fat • Increases muscular performance & strength • Promotes muscle recovery • Helps increase testosterone levels • Boosts libido • Helps with erectile dysfunction (E.D.) • Improves complexion • Helps sustain elasticity in skin • Helps to reduce cardiovascular disease • Helps control cholesterol levels • Increases nitric oxide production • Improves nutrient delivery

Asian + Thai Massage

2 Locations - 10am-10pm - Visa/MC

McCall Fitness

Customized Chiropractic Wellness Solutions.

Men’s Night Formula Benefits: • Improves quality sleep • Increases growth hormone levels • Burns fat • Cleanses and removes more waste from the body • Helps to regenerate aged skin cells • Helps increase testosterone levels Mccallfitness.com

TO ADVERTISE CALL 323.930.3220 OR VISIT FRONTIERSMEDIA.COM

GAYDAR

BE KIND, PLEASE REWIND There was a time in the not-so-distant past when a celebrity’s worth was measured by the fitness VHS tapes he or she had for sale at Sam Goody STOP THE INSANITY!

SOUTH BEACH SHENANIGANS

SLIM-FAST MY ASS

THIGH MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE

BREAK OUT THE SHAKE WEIGHT

BOW-FLEX BOD

After her infamous sex tape, we know the title is accurate

Oh, how they fall ... Is there anything this woman can’t do?

Sorry, Dixie, we’re holding out for Delta’s Suzanne Sugarbaker Workout Welcome back to this Gaydar regular

We fully support this

Salad-tossing with the Kardashians

May be the only tape you’ll watch more than once As if Joan or Zsa Zsa ever broke a sweat in their lives

She may be the least musically talented Jackson, but she can step like a mutha

Travolta knows jazz hands

Cher’s fitness needs no AutoTuning

Another victim of senseless CGI

She’s the boss, bitches

Remember when this was the ideal man? (Us neither)

FRONTIERSMEDIA.COM