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DECEMBER 24, 2013
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INSIDE VOL. 32, ISSUE 17 | DEC. 11 - 24, 2013
40 NYE PHOTO: © KONRADBAK | DREAMSTIME.COM
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INSIDE
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VOL. 32, ISSUE 17 | DEC. 11 - 24, 2013
LEADING BY EXAMPLE Romy Mehlman..............................................20 NEWS News Briefs ....................................................22 Rep. Linda Sanchez Says Keep Pressing on ENDA ........................................30 Covered California’s Gay Director Calls Health Care Reform a ‘Game Changer’ for the LGBT Community ..........32 SOCAL EVENTS GUIDE Calendar ..........................................................49 Eating Out ......................................................50 SnapShots ........................................................52 Food2Know......................................................55 ENTERTAINMENT Film Reviews ..................................................60 Music Reviews ................................................61 Theater Reviews ............................................62 COLUMNS Drive ................................................................64 Out & About ..................................................65 Billy Masters ..................................................66 Little Miss Know-It-All ................................67 Gossip Gay ......................................................68 CITY GUIDES West Hollywood ............................................69 Palm Springs ..................................................70 HEALTH Off the Couch ................................................75 HIV Living ........................................................76 Zero to Savvy ..................................................77 FRONTIERS MARKETPLACE Listings ............................................................78 Business Profile ..............................................79 FRONTIERS4MEN Adult Classifieds ..........................................80 Sex Ed ..............................................................85
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COVER PHOTO:
© Viorel Sima | Dreamstime.com
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Frontiers magazine is published by Frontiers Media, 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 © 2013, Frontiers Media, LLC.
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SEPTEMBER 3, 2013
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ALADDIN’S CAMPY CHRISTMAS
ONLINE
By Mike Ciriaco
Find these articles exclusively at
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WIN TIX TO SEE CHER!
PHOTO: MICHAEL ROZMAN
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This Christmas in Southern California, Santa is stuffing stockings … with Bruce Vilanch. Beginning Dec. 11, the artist formerly known as Edna Turnblad returns to the boards in Aladdin and His Winter Wish at the Pasadena Playhouse. Fellow Broadway veteran Ben Vereen plays the genie, with Home Improvement's Richard Karn as the sultan, Ashley Argota from Nickelodeon's True Jackson, VP as the princess and Jordan Fisher of Disney's Teen Beach Movie as Aladdin. Vilanch returns to his drag roots as Aladdin's mother, the Widow Twanky. FrontiersLA.com/Features
BILL COLEMAN KEEPS THE PEACE By JC Alvarez
Go to FrontiersLA.com/Cher for your chance to win a Staples Center Cher concert package!
FLUFF ‘N’ FOLD FACIALS
Cher’s Dressed to Kill Tour comes to the Staples Center on July 7, 2014, and Frontiers will choose two winners, each of whom will receive two tickets to the show and a $50 credit to Flywheel (the L.A. cab app) to get you there.
By Ed Baker
What if FDA-approved facial magic ran about $75, took 10 minutes and was conveniently located in a well-appointed, non-threateningly hip environment with trained RNs who do nothing else but this? Introducing Skin Laundry—the hyper-focused medi-spa service co-founded by entrepreneur Chris Carey and ophthalmologist Elson Lai, who has much experience using precision lasers. FrontiersLA.com/Features
BOOK
REVIEWS by The Bookworm
In need of a good read? Check out our reviews of My Brother My Sister by Molly Haskell and Princesses Behaving Badly by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie. FrontiersLA.com/ BookReviews
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AFTER ‘I DO’:
THE RIGHT WAY By Rolf Danner Rolf and Jeff tied the knot in 2008. For both, that gloriously bright California day came at the end of a long journey, culminating in the congratulations of friends and families. Little did they know that their journey had only just begun. MarriageEqualityFrontiers.com
PHOTO: ANDRE WAGNER
Bill Coleman’s influence in dance music spans three decades. Through his music label, Peace Bisquit, he aims to keep the pulse of house beating stronger than ever in 2014. In January, he will release his most ambitious project yet, LOVE + SEXO: A Peace Bisquit Compilation. The album will feature exclusive and brand-new releases from the cast of Peace Bisquit, including Michelle Williams, Ultra Naté, Colton Ford, Cazwell, Amanda Lepore, Mya and the eversoulful Angie Stone. FrontiersLA.com/Features
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FrontiersLA.com Volume 32, Issue 17 5657 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 470, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Phone: (323) 930-3220 Sales Fax: (323) 857-0560 Administration Fax: (323) 848-2058 Accounting Fax: (323) 857-0503
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firstname.lastname@FrontiersLA.com Contributing Writers Aaron Batts, Jackie Beat, Christopher Cappiello, Dr. Greg Cason, Mike Ciriaco, Peter DelVecchio, Gossip Gay, Stephan Horbelt, David Kalmansohn, Gary M. Kramer, Jim Larkins, Dan Loughry, Billy Masters, Michelle McCarthy, Dana Miller, James F. Mills, Paulo Murillo, Karen Ocamb, Marilyn Oliveira, Brian Padgett, Sebastian Martin Perez, Eric Rosen, Dominik Rothbard, Aaron Savvy, Brenden Shucart, Steve Siler, Kevin P. Taft, Paul V., Paul Waters, Duane Wells Contributing Photographers and Illustrators Jenny Anderson, Gabe Ayala, Greg Gorman, Glen Hanson, Alice Hu, Waymon Hudson, © Konradbak | Dreamstime.com, Jamie Loeb, Karen Ocamb, David Pocock, Lisa Robinson, Rolling-Blackouts, © Viorel Sima | Dreamstime.com, Jonathan Sirand, Andre Wagner
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©2013 Thanks to the dawn of the information age, we believe distribution/circulation not only encompasses hard copies printed and the pass-on rate of those hard copies, but web browsing and electronic copies being downloaded by our growing online readership. This has become a substantial boost to the number of readers of our magazine. Currently, an average of 30,000 hard copies are printed biweekly. Studies have shown each hard copy has a probable “pass-on rate” of two to three, meaning each hard copy taken will be seen by two to three additional readers. With the pass-on rate alone, estimated readership can conservatively average 55,000 to 90,000, not encompassing visitors who visit us online at FrontiersLA.com.
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BUILDING COMMUNITY
Leading by Example
Lucky Strike’s
Romy Mehlman: Bowling for a Better Tomorrow By Michelle McCarthy
The best type of philanthropy is the kind that makes you forget you are giving back. Case in point: bowling at a charity event at Lucky Strike. The company has a long history of charitable work, but with the recent acquisition of Romy Mehlman, VP of marketing, it plans to ramp up its efforts even more—and that includes reaching out to the LGBT community. We spoke to Romy about her new role at Lucky Strike and how the company partners with various charities in a fun atmosphere. How did you first get involved in charitable work? I’ve always been interested in giving back since I was little. But really, my charitable work started in a professional manner when I started working at Hard Rock International as its director of marketing for the western region about eight years ago. I always tried to tie in various philanthropic causes with the events I did with Hard Rock. It was my opportunity to give back in a meaningful way. For example, one of the initiatives I worked on was Hard Rock’s partnership with Musicians on Call, which is a nonprofit organization that brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in health care facilities. It’s still an organization I’m passionate about working with. Are you planning to bring organizations that are important to you into Lucky Strike? Yes. When I was at Hard Rock, Pinktober was a program we were involved with every year. We raised a lot of money for various breast cancer charities, mainly BCRF, the Breast Cancer Research Foun-
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dation. At Lucky Strike, I’m really pleased to continue to work with breast cancer–related charities and causes. Our company has an excellent relationship with BreastCancer.org, which is dedicated to providing the most reliable, complete and upto-date information about breast cancer. Lucky Strike has hosted previous fundraising events in which we raised more than $1.8 million. Our partnership with them continues to grow. Why is Lucky Strike upping its dedication to philanthropy? Lucky Strike has always been committed to philanthropy, but with me coming in and taking over marketing, that’s something that is really near and dear to my heart. I firmly believe it’s everybody’s responsibility to give back and do good things for people. Our CEO is also incredibly passionate. One of my primary goals here is to tie in our global and localized marketing initiatives with causes that mean something not only to myself and our CEO, but to others in the organization. Everybody from the top down. Why do you think it is important to give back? It’s everybody’s responsibility to give back. If everybody could give back in some way, it goes a long way to improving our society. In my position at Lucky Strike, I feel like it’s on me to give back even more and show leadership within the community. I think it’s so important for those who found personal or career success like myself to leverage that success and either shine the spotlight on important causes or donate
time or money. Whatever you can do. Tell us about how Lucky Strike reaches out to the LGBT community. Lucky Strike plans on hosting events for the LGBTQ community in our venues, whether it’s a networking mixer for professionals, a venue for organizational meetings, speaker events or charity events. It’s something I’m actively working on. Lucky Strike truly prides itself on being a gayfriendly company, which is one of the things that drew me to this company. We want to make sure people know it is a welcoming place for people from any background. People can feel comfortable being themselves whether they’re coming in to bowl, eat, drink or play billiards. I encourage people to reach out to me if they have ideas for hosting charity events or they want to talk about initiatives to take place at our venues. You and your wife have young twin boys. How do you give back as a family? Well, time is limited now. My wife started the first citywide concept of a dance marathon for children’s miracle network in Chicago. She and her friends organized the first one and raised $240,000 in the first year. It is a value we plan to instill in our boys as they get older. We as a family have a passion for charitable work and helping others. bowlluckystrike.com
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NEWS By Peter DelVecchio and Karen Ocamb
Hawaii Weddings Begin, Illinois Couple Weds Early
Tom Daley, Maria Bello Come Out Olympic diving bronze medalist Tom Daley, 19, revealed in a Dec. 2 YouTube video that he is dating a man, and his boyfriend has since been identified as Oscar-winning screenwriter, director and producer Dustin Lance Black, 39, The Advocate reports. Daley did not say he was gay or bisexual, only that “his life changed massively” when he met Black, that his friends and family supported him and that he hoped his fans would too. Along the same lines, without selfidentifying as lesbian or bisexual, actress Maria Bello (Prisoners) revealed in a Nov. 9 piece she penned for the New York Times that she is dating a woman. “My feelings for Clare aren’t the same as the butterflies-in-the-stomach, angst-ridden love I have felt before; they are much deeper than that,” describing Clare as her “partner” and “best friend.” Bello also says her family has been supportive.
Same-sex weddings began in Hawaii at midnight on Dec. 2 as that state’s marriage equality law took effect, HawaiiNewsNow.com reports. Thirty-seven couples married at Sheraton Waikiki's Leahi Club Lounge; the venue opened itself up for mass weddings. “It was amazing to finally actually have marriage equality here,” said Honolulu Pride Chair Michael Golojuch Jr. “A 23-year struggle. We are now complete.” Hawaii could see a $217 million increase in tourism as the state becomes a wedding destination. Meanwhile, in Illinois, whose new marriage equality statute does not take effect until next June, federal judge Thomas Durkin ordered the Cook County clerk to issue an expedited marriage license to two lesbians, one of whom has cancer in her brain and bones and has been given only weeks to live. Such waivers have been granted to straight couples in the past.
NOM DEMANDS KARGER NOT DESTROY DOCUMENTS LGBT activist and 2012 Republican presidential hopeful Fred Karger has received what Karger views as a threatening letter from lawyers representing the National Organization for Marriage in a lawsuit against the IRS, according to a release from Karger. Karger filed charges four years ago with the Maine Ethics Office for NOM’s “alleged money laundering in that state's 2009 marriage election,” another Karger release states. The NOM lawsuit accuses the IRS of leaking confidential documents to the Human Rights Campaign; the letter to Karger demands that he not destroy any documents relevant to that suit. “NOM doesn't like to obey state and federal election laws, and when I call them out, they go after me,” Karger says. Meanwhile, David C. Hart of Florida has filed a complaint with the IRS alleging that, in 2012, NOM’s charitable arm gave 82 percent of its money to its political arm, a serious violation of the federal tax code. Hart asks for an IRS investigation.
‘MOVE ON’ MOUNTS ANTI-GMO PETITION Left-wing activist group MoveOn.org has posted an online petition requesting the Los Angeles City Council ban genetically modified organisms, GMOs, in Los Angeles, according to a post at the group’s website. Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell and Councilmember Paul Koretz “are leading the charge to ban [GMOs] from our neighborhoods,” and introduced a motion to impose the ban last month, O’Farrell’s website says. “GMOs are plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants and animals,” the website says. “There is growing concern about what foods contain GMOs since there is no regulation that requires labeling on the items consumers purchase.” O’Farrell believes GMOs could be “the cause of colony-collapse disorder in honey bee populations” in Los Angeles. “GMOs change our DNA. They make us sick,” according to MoveOn.org. The petition is posted at tinyurl.com/mc8yjwm.
SPEAK OUT
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“Idiots like the ones outside tonight, dumping vodka in the streets ... they say all these stupid things.”
“HIV is still a very real— and sobering—part of life for hundreds of thousands of Americans of all races, genders, income ranges and regions of the country.”
—Out former Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir regarding picketers outside Barnard College, where Weir was speaking, protesting his refusal to support protests against Russia’s harsh anti-LGBT laws at the upcoming Sochi Olympics.
—TheBody.com, which describes itself as “the world’s leading online HIV/AIDS resource,” in a World AIDS Day post describing progress against HIV.
“I think maybe we’ve been out-marketed sometimes.” —Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, Dec. 1 on NBC’s Meet the Press, explaining why he thinks the Catholic Church and others are losing the marriage equality battle.
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AUGUST 20, 2013
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NEWS By Peter DelVecchio and Karen Ocamb
News from the Russian Front Two pro-LGBT groups, All Out and Athlete Ally, are teaming up with U.S. clothing manufacturer American Apparel to market a line of Tshirts, hoodies, hats, bags and underwear that will deploy a provision of the International Olympic Committee charter to protest Russia's draconian anti-gay law during the upcoming Sochi Olympics, the New York Times reported Dec. 2. Earlier this year Russia instituted legislation banning distribution of “propaganda” regarding “non-traditional” sexual relations to minors. The law, which sparked harsh worldwide condemnation, has resulted in a spike in violence against LGBT people by some ordinary Russians and in official harassment of gays. The new sportswear will feature a large “6,” referring to Olympic Principle 6, which holds discrimination because of “race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise” to be “incompatible with belonging to the Olympic movement.” At least four dozen Olympic athletes will help market the items, including gay New Zealand speedskater Blake Skjellerup and straight Canadian skier Mike Janyk. Meanwhile, the Side by Side LGBT Film Festival wrapped up Nov. 30 in St. Petersburg, Russia. “The festival, which has been plagued with major disruption, receiving five bomb threats [that] led to evacuations of buildings, causing scheduling changes, ended in a positive and reaffirming atmosphere in the presence of the creators of the Oscar award winning film Milk—Gus Van Sant, (director), Dustin Lance Black (screenwriter) and Bruce Cohen (producer),” the festival’s website states. Before the festival even opened, organizers were forced to fight a decision by St. Petersburg's
Nelson Mandela Dead The world mourned Dec. 5 with the death of beloved global human rights leader Nelson Mandela. He was 95. Mandela spent 27 years in prison for fighting against apartheid, emerging to be elected president of South Africa, the first country to write a prohibition against gay discrimination into the constitution. “We have lost one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this Earth,” said President Obama.
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David Pocock
city court that they were in violation of the “foreign agents” law. They managed to get that ruling overturned prior to the Nov. 21 festival opening date. The festival featured such films as Blue is the Warmest Color, a French lesbian love story currently playing in the U.S.
ANTI-TRANS STUDENT RIGHTS INITIATIVE MIGHT NOT QUALIFY At least one LGBT advocate is predicting that a bid to qualify a referendum for the 2014 election that would repeal a recently enacted law designed to protect the rights of transgender students will fail for want of enough voter signatures, the Washington Blade reported Nov. 25. The School Success and Opportunity Act, signed into law Aug. 12 by California's Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, mandates that transgender students in California public schools be permitted to fully participate in all school activities, sports teams, programs and facilities in accordance with their gender identities. “[I]t’s unlikely, [but] it’s not impossible” that the measure would qualify, given that only 75 percent of the signatures submitted by the referendum’s proponents, the so-called Privacy for All Students Coalition, are proving to be valid, said John O’Connor, Executive Director of Equality California. “They’re going to need an 81.41 percent validity rate to qualify for the ballot,” O’Connor added, pointing out that this “would be well above the average for any signature-gathering activity.” The California Secretary of State has until Jan. 8 to complete analysis of the signatures. Apparently anticipating failure with their signature drive, opponents of the new law now seem to be trolling for purported “victims” to put up as plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the new protections. During a Nov. 16 radio broadcast, the Pacific Justice Institute’s Brad Dacus explained the new strategy, according to ThinkProgress.org. Dacus urged listeners to offer up their children as plaintiffs if the kids “can validate that [a] transgender [classmate] has expressed their intention to use the opposite sex’s bathroom or locker room or shower,” which Dacus said would give his group standing to seek an injunction against enforcement of the law “as a violation of the U.S. constitution’s right to privacy.”
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NEWS
Rep. Linda Sanchez Says Keep Pressing on ENDA BY KAREN OCAMB On Dec. 4, President Obama gave what was widely perceived as a remarkable speech on income inequality. “[R]ising inequality and declining mobility are bad for our democracy,” Obama said. “So this is an issue that we have to tackle head on.” The audience at the Center for America Progress applauded as Obama mentioned the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in passing. (Read the entire speech at tinyurl.com/mk4qe7n.) But not everyone was happy, especially at the juxtaposition of grand rhetoric about income inequality without sincerely tackling the legal second-class citizenship imposed on LGBT people who can be fired in 29 states based on sexual orientation and in 33 states based on gender identity. Since Congress seems perpetually stalemated, Tico Almeida, President of Freedom to Work, is pressing for Obama to sign an executive order prohibiting discrimination against LGBT employees in companies that do business with the federal government. “The president gave a strong speech, but his ENDA challenge to Congress would be stronger if the president would lead by example,” Almeida told Frontiers. “Beginning more than 70 years ago, both Democratic and Republican presidents signed executive orders banning racial discrimination by federal contractors before Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, and President Obama should now follow that tradition by signing an executive order creating LGBT workplace protections at the companies that profit from our taxpayer money. President Obama made this executive policy a campaign promise to LGBT voters back in 2008, and it's long past time the president matched words with action. The Williams Institute estimates that the president’s signature would create strong LGBT workplace protections in 16 million American jobs, so the executive order is the single most important thing President Obama could do today to promote workplace fairness for LGBT Americans.” Almeida was part of a congressional field hearing on ENDA and the LGBT Latino community held by Rep. Linda Sanchez, Nov. 25 at the headquarters of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund in Downtown Los Angeles. Almeida presented findings from a groundbreaking report, A Broken Bargain, produced by Out & Equal, the Movement Advancement Pro-
Rep. Linda Sanchez (middle) with Bamby Salcedo of the TransLatin@Coalition and Tico Almeida of Freedom to Work
ject, the Center for American Progress, the Human Rights Campaign, Freedom to Work, SEIU, the National Center for Transgender Equality, the National Partnership for Women and Families and the Small Business Majority. (Read the full report at tinyurl.com/lfnmoxr.) “LGBT workers of color are hindered by three major barriers—(1) educational barriers, (2) hiring bias and on-the-job discrimination and (3) unequal pay, benefits and taxation. As a result, LGBT people of color are some of the most disadvantaged workers in the United States—and face extraordinarily high rates of unemployment and poverty,” the summary says, noting that 14 percent of LGBT Latinos were unemployed compared to 11 percent of non-LGBT Latinos. Bamby Salcedo, President of the Trans-Latin@ Coalition, also presented a report—TransVisible: Transgender Latina Immigrants in U.S. Society, which detailed the struggles of this under-represented minority. (Read the report at translatinacoalition.org.) The hearing—which also featured testimony from Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF’s President and General Counsel and Monica Trasandes, Director of Spanish Language Media at GLAAD—came on the heels of the Senate passing an inclusive ENDA by 64-32. Much of the discussion focused on if and when House Speaker John Boehner would bring the Senate bill to the House floor for a vote.
“The difficultly does lie in the leadership and whether or not they will actually bring certain pieces of legislation to the floor for a vote,” Sanchez said. “And we’ve seen the Speaker reluctant to bring up issues like comprehensive immigration reform, tax reform and ENDA as well. I think that, with time, the more that people speak out and speak up, it will build that pressure, because then you are expecting action and pushing for action. When members begin to feel that heat, that’s when the pressure builds from the members of the House up to the Speakership. So by keeping up the pressure, the discussion, reports like this that show very clearly the negative economic impacts to the LGBT community because of discrimination and the double discrimination that exists among communities of color that are LGBT—you create that atmosphere in which change can happen.” On Dec. 3, a bipartisan group—led by out gay Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., and out bisexual Rep. Krysten Sinema, D-Ariz.—sent a letter to Boehner urging him to bring ENDA to the floor for a vote. That’s unlikely. And, Sanchez noted, the legislative calendar for 2014 is “very light on legislative days.” Upon her return to D.C., Sanchez introduced a resolution to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, two-thirds of which voted on Dec. 5 to support ENDA. “Equality shouldn’t wait,” says Sanchez.
Go to FrontiersLA.com for an extensive opinion piece.
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Covered California’s Gay Director Calls Health Care Reform a ‘Game-Changer’ for the LGBT Community BY KAREN OCAMB One doesn’t have to be a fan of Fox News to know there have been problems with the rollout of President Obama’s signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Supporters point out, however, there is a big difference between problems with the HealthCare.gov website—much of which has been fixed—and the end-of-the-world devastation anti-Obama House Republicans have been preaching as they’ve endlessly tried to repeal ObamaCare. Obama says repeal won’t happen on his watch, and he still has three years left as president. Peter Lee, the gay executive director of Covered California, our state’s marketplace exchange, concurs. “Where we are today is implementing what’s
Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee
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passed two presidential elections, a Supreme Court case and now enrolling people—and the attempts at rolling back something once you have millions of Americans having insurance for the first time and millions more seeing the benefits of having true coverage—you can’t roll it back. This is a genie that’s out of the bottle,” Lee, 55, told Frontiers in an interview prior to a teleconference call with LGBT media on Dec. 3 to announce a new LGBT marketing effort. “It’s amusingly ironic to see the members of the House being so upset that the website isn’t working very well when this is something they’ve never wanted to work in the first place,” said Lee. “And it’s a great irony that the big reason federally there’ve been such big challenges is so many states decided to be obstructionists rather than engaging—like California has done—in helping
people get enrolled. That’s a big reason the federal website was overloaded in demand and infrastructure.” California Republicans are still trying to kill ObamaCare. The state assembly Republicans have put up a misleading health care website that has come under intense scrutiny and criticism. “Republicans in California have no qualms about following their national party’s lead when it comes to spreading misinformation about the Affordable Care Act,” California Democratic Party Chair John Burton said in a statement. Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez, D-L.A., has called for an investigation, the Sacramento Bee reports. The Attorney General’s office has already shuttered 10 fake and misleading websites. Lee praised Gov. Jerry Brown and the state Legislature for expanding Medi-Cal, the California version of Medicaid (a bill authored by openly gay Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez) to extend coverage to low-income and uninsured Californians. “It’s a tragedy that many states are in essence playing politics with their poorest citizens,” said Lee. “In states that have turned down Medicaid, it’s the poorest people that will not have access. ... We’re enrolling a lot of people newly eligible for Medicaid right now.” Nearly 80,000 people signed up for private insurance plans through Covered California— starting Oct. 1 through to mid-November—making California the leader among 14 states with their own exchanges, according to the Sacramento Bee. California accounted for about one-third of the total ACA enrollees reported in the first time period, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Lee said that in October, 22 percent of those enrolled in Covered California were between the ages of 18 and 34, a demographic that’s 21 percent of the state population. “So that’s a good sign out of the gate.” “To be very specific to the gay community,” Lee said, “we so often talk about the young invincibles. And for those of us that are older, when we were 25 we did not feel young and invincible. We felt anything but young and invincible. And I think even young people that haven’t grown up in an era of the AIDS epidemic still have family members that are ill and they realize that having insurance is the right thing to do. It’s the smart thing to do. ... And the subsidies are particularly big for
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NEWS
Covered California’s Gay Director Calls Health Care Reform a ‘Game-Changer’ for the LGBT Community younger people that make less money.” Lee said that three elements are required for the ACA to work—affordable care, good marketing and effective enrollment. “So if we do not have a good mix of people enrolling this year—for 2014—rates are going to go up more in 2015. The six-month open enrollment period we’re in right now will determine rates for 2015,” he said. “If we don’t get everyone in, we’re screwed. That’s why we’re doing a pretty good job on marketing outreach—so we get a good mix in.” Though enrollment runs through March 31, Covered California wants to sign up as many people as possible by Dec. 23 to ensure insurance coverage starting Jan. 1. Otherwise the next enrollment period will be next October for coverage beginning in 2015. There’s also an increasing financial penalty for those who do not sign up. Starting in 2014, it would be one percent of the individual’s yearly income, which Lee gauged to be roughly $95 per person. Covered California is working with 11 community-based organizations, including the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, to educate LGBT people about the ACA. Christopher Brown, Director of Health & Mental Health Services at the Center, was on the teleconference call with Lee at The Village. “Many of us here today already know that the LGBT community faces significant health disparities and challenges with access to health care when compared to our heterosexual brothers and sisters,” he said. “However, I feel it is important to point out the magnitude of some of those disparities, particularly with our youth and transgender individuals: LGB youth are two and a half times more likely to attempt suicide; approximately 50 percent of transgender adults have had suicidal ideation compared to two percent of heterosexual adults; LGBT youth are twice as likely to smoke cigarettes; LGBT youth are four times as likely to have been threatened or injured with a weapon in school; Latina and white lesbians and bisexual women are about twice as likely to be without health insurance as their heterosexual female neighbors; and men who have sex with men continue to be the predominant group affected by HIV, representing 81 percent of cases among men in Los Angeles.” These inequities are “unfair, unjust and— most importantly—avoidable” through the new health care plans. Indeed, Brown said, “The Affordable Care Act is a game changer for our community, especially those with HIV,” since people with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied coverage. Lee said LGBTs are a “core demographic,” though they are still trying to figure out how to collect data on sexual orientation and gender
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Dec. 3 Covered California teleconference call at The Village, with Peter Lee (left) and Chris Brown, Director of Health & Mental Health Services at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center (right).
identity since the question is not asked during the application process. “That’s part of the discussions we’re in. We’re in the first inning of a nine-inning game. We’ve barely started.” Lee said that help to stop smoking is covered, but he didn’t know if LGBT individuals who fear they’re at risk for catching bacterial meningitis could go to their doctor for a shot of prevention. “What I do know is that all medically appropriate care is covered. The question is, What’s medically appropriate? The thing the Affordable Care Act does is say that every health plan has to cover the 10 essential benefits, which includes preventative services, mental health, outpatient, drugs. And so the Affordable Care Act, writ large, provides a platform for everything being covered.” Lee also said all health plans contracted with Covered California would be accountable for providing culturally competent health care and a mechanism would be provided for any complaints. He also said the insurance did not cover prisoners while in prison or the undocumented, though Brown noted that people who are HIV-positive and undocumented can still get coverage through the Ryan White Act. While Lee expected HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis to be covered, he was not sure about preventative medications such as Truvada. “Would someone want to get prophylaxis just in case—as a preventive measure—I’m not sure if that’s the standard of care for how health care’s provided. So what’s covered ends up going back to being what’s medically appropriate standards of care,” Lee said. Though the CDC and many in the HIV community are advocating for PrEP (Pre-Exposure
Prophylaxis), especially for those with a high risk for exposure, Lee was still not convinced. “That’s the question of what’s high risk,” he said. “Personally, I worry about people doing risky behaviors because they think they’ve got a pill to avoid getting infected. So the issues of what’s good medical practice also comes down to social practice, etc. There’s enough new infections happening because people are letting down their guard to say, ‘Here’s a new license to not worry about getting infected.’ [It] causes me personal concerns, not my medical opinion. So the medical judgment on when is a particular prophylaxis a covered preventive service or not is a medical question that I don’t have the answer to.” The ACA, Lee said, “is about changing the game for everyone. It is about health insurance being a right, not a privilege.” Asked if being gay informs the work he does, Lee said with a laugh, “Absolutely! It informs the work I do today. This [health care reform] is a really big deal. And it amazes me that this isn’t a headline in every one of the gay papers every single issue between now and through open enrollment,” Lee said. “When you think about how many in our community have died because of neglect, because of insurance companies denying coverage, because of not having affordability—this is totally changing the game of the health care and health insurance system.” Frontiers has run several stories on the ACA, including “10 Things You Should Know About ObamaCare” (tinyurl.com/kelx5go) and “Our Guide to ObamaCare” (an ongoing series at tinyurl.com/mg8gvnx). Check out Covered California at coveredca.com.
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OUR GUIDE TO OBAMACARE — PART 2 OF 3
ACA Questions Answered Personal health insurance gets a make-or-break makeover. By Paul Waters and David Kalmansohn Even its admirers (i.e., non-Republicans) admit that the online debut of the Affordable Care Act has been a disaster. But while the feds clean up their mess, Covered California, the state’s independent ACA exchange and website, has been successfully processing thousands of applications every day. The state even declined President Obama’s offer to extend some non-ACA compliant plans for current subscribers. For the millions of individuals who are unemployed, underemployed or self-employed—a population that has risen dramatically during the recession that hit in 2008—the ACA provides unprecedented opportunity and stability in the health care market. But do you know what to do? 1. When can I enroll? Apply by Dec. 23 for coverage beginning Jan. 1. Open enrollment continues to March 31; apply by March 15 for coverage beginning on the first of the following month. The next open enrollment is slated to begin mid-November for coverage in 2015. 2. What kind of coverage will I get? Plans are ranked bronze, silver, gold and platinum. A bronze plan typically covers 60 percent of costs, with an annual deductible of $4,500 to $5,000 and a yearly out-of-pocket maximum of $6,350. A silver selection pays 70 percent and drops the deductible to $2,000. A gold plan pays 80 percent with no deductible. And a platinum policy covers 90 percent with an out-of-pocket maximum of $4,000. Also, a “minimum coverage plan” is available for those under 30. 3. How much will my coverage cost? Your costs are determined by the extent of your coverage—and you cannot be turned down or charged more due to your health history. To get your quote, you need only provide your age, zip code and size of household (based on marriage, registered domestic partnerships or
parentage, not by cohabitation). For example, a 30-year-old single resident of West Hollywood can choose between several plans at each level: bronze ($185 to $222 per month), silver ($221 to $273), gold ($250 to $361) and platinum ($301 to $389). 4. What accounts for the range within levels? The larger network of providers you get with a PPO comes with a higher price tag than an HMO of the same rank. Also, there may be small variations in hospital or drug coverage. 5. How do I know if I can keep my doctor? Ask! The state and insurer websites publish physician lists, but your best bet is to call your doctors and inquire if they are in-network providers for the plan you’re considering. 6. Can I buy coverage directly from an insurance company? Yes and no. In Los Angeles County, you can purchase the exact same policies from Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Health Net and Kaiser Permanente via Covered California or the companies themselves. Coverage from L.A. Care and Molina is only available from the state, while Cigna policies are only sold privately. If you are seeking financial assistance with your premiums, you must apply through the state and do so during an open enrollment period or within 60 days after a qualifying event like losing your job or portion of your income, getting married or having a child. 7. How do I know if I qualify for assistance? By filling out an application at CoveredCa.com, you will automatically learn if you qualify for a federal subsidy. Individuals making less than $45,960 adjusted gross income are eligible for assistance; the cutoff for a family of four is $94,200. Individuals earning $15,856 or less qualify for the state Medi-Cal program; those
making between $15,856 and $28,725 may enroll in an “enhanced” silver plan, which subsidizes co-pays as well as premiums. 8. Can I talk to a person, not a computer? Yes, and you may prefer it. Certified counselors listed on the state website will guide you through the “on exchange” approach, while insurer representatives can facilitate “off exchange” applications. Or a certified insurance agent can help you with both on- and offexchange options and advise you regarding your choice of insurer and level of coverage. Regardless of which path you take, the price of your policy will be exactly the same. 9. Is there an advantage to going through Covered California? Not unless you qualify for a subsidy. (In the first month of enrollment, that was about onetenth of applicants.) Otherwise, using a certified agent or going directly to an insurance company will reduce your application process from 90 minutes to 10 minutes; plus, not a single financial question will be asked. 10. Why should I go through any of this headache? The unselfish reason? Fixing our country’s winners-and-losers system of health care requires as many people as possible to participate in the health insurance market. (This is so vital that should you not enroll, you must pay a tax penalty of one percent for 2014, two percent for 2015, and 2.5 percent for 2016.) The selfish reason? Sooner or later you will need medical care. Wouldn’t it be nice to get the services you need without destroying your health, serenity and finances in the attempt? Paul Waters is a Covered California certified agent with 1st Community Insurance. David Kalmansohn is the former editor of several national health magazines.
Next issue: ObamaCare’s effect on employer-based health insurance. Find Part 1, “Smoke, Mirrors & ObamaCare,” at tinyurl.com/mwjav4u. 36
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Find the Frontiers story “ObamaCare 101: 10 Things You Need to Know” at tinyurl.com/kelx5go.
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BY MICHELLE MCCARTHY There’s one in every crowd—that friend who starts shopping for holiday gifts while you’re still putting the finishing touches on your Halloween costume. And then there’s the rest of us—those who have turned shopping on Dec. 24 into an art form. Some may call it procrastination; we like to call it living in the moment. Here’s a guide to help you map out your mad dash to the register.
BAR KEEPER You know your friend, the budding “mixologist”? The one who’s always saying, “Try this. Does it have enough vermouth?” If you accidently referred to him as a bartender and he’s now ignoring your calls, make it all better by buying him a gift at Bar Keeper. Choose from barware, glassware, spirits, bitters and more. And pick up a little something special for yourself while you’re at it. 3910 W. Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake. barkeepersilverlake.com
BLUECOLLAR WORKING DOG Your holiday gift list isn’t complete if it doesn’t include your best friend—your dog. But you won’t find any bows or rhinestone charms here. BlueCollar specializes in supplies for the working, sporting and active dog. They also offer low-cost pet health services such as vaccines, physical exams, micro-chipping and nail trimming. 1533 Echo Park Ave, Echo Park. bluecollarworkingdog.com
FIREFLY Glistening in the glow of Venice Beach, Firefly is an “eclectic, thoughtful collection of everything you need to live a well-styled California life.” That includes oneof-a-kind cards, scarves, handmade Peruvian blankets, 14k gold monogrammed necklaces, books on contemporary art and architecture, soaps, candles and a treasure trove of silly whimsy. 1409 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice. shopfirefly.com
GENERAL QUARTERS General Quarters bills itself as a men’s lifestyle clothing store and barbershop that is loaded with SoCal heritage clothing and accessories for today's informed man. Brands carried include Schott NYC, Hudson 1670, Field Notes, Imogene & Willie and Tanner Goods. Make sure to make an appointment with the barbershop if you want a close shave while you’re shopping. 153 S. La Brea Ave., L.A. generalquartersstore.com 38
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HEALING HANDS WELLNESS CENTER Healing Hands Wellness Center offers the tranquility of a day spa without the infamous spa prices. Treatment rooms are private, and top-notch practitioners strive to make clients feel comfortable and nurtured. The holistic bodywork services include massage, acupuncture and chiropractic treatments. Gift certificates are available. 303 S. Crescent Heights Blvd., L.A. healinghandswc.com
HEMINGWAY AND PICKETT Opened in 2011, H&P is a gift store that caters to men with its art, design and small furniture products for the home—with an emphasis on items from Australia. You can also find handcrafted pottery, photography, books, music, paper goods and kitchenware. “Hemingway and Pickett is not about people’s homes or lives being more perfect; it is about them being more interesting.” 3208 W. Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake. hemingwayandpickett.com
HOLLYWOOD BASKETS Unless you want to lose friends and alienate people, don’t give anyone a fruitcake. Not even ironically. What you want to do is make your loved ones feel special by handing them a unique, tailor-made basket. At Hollywood Baskets, you can choose from themes such as
champagne, cookies, fruit, wine, beer, gourmet food, baby items, movies, candy, spa accessories and more. And you can have your basket delivered or shipped. 2219 W. Olive Ave, Burbank. hollywoodbaskets.com
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Our Last-Minute Gift Guide
OZZIE DOTS
SUNBEAM VINTAGE
If you’ve always wanted to gift your boss one of those ugly Christmas sweaters, Ozzie Dots has you covered. This East Side staple is also the place to shop for friends with a dramatic flare or those in the Witness Protection Program. Ozzie sells wigs, fake moustaches, petticoats and tutus, eyewear, vintage clothing, costumes, makeup, masks and more. 4637 Hollywood Blvd., Los Feliz. ozziedots.com
Do you have someone on your list with impeccable style? Well, this vintage shop tucked away in Highland Park will fulfill all of his/her mid-century modern dreams. Sunbeam is a mom-and-pop affair (which we love) with reasonable prices. You’ll find everything from lamps, tables and dressers to prints, credenzas, couches, coffee tables and more. The inventory is always changing, so you’ll discover a new gem every time you stop in. 106 S. Avenue 58, Highland Park. sunbeamvintage.com
TASTE OF PACE POKETO In its own words, Poketo was “born out of a belief in ‘art for your everyday.’” Both an online destination and brick and mortar shop, Poketo strives to produce design-driven wares that take art off of gallery walls and bring it into people’s lives. The shop sells a roster of unique wallets, apparel (ties, socks, scarves, beanies), accessories, stationery, games, decorations and much more. 820 E. 3rd St., DTLA. poketo.com
RAFFI JEWELLERS What better way is there to say “happy holidays” than with a sparkling piece of jewelry? Raffi Jewellers is your one-stop shop for engagement rings, wedding bands, anniversary rings, diamond jewelry, gemstone jewelry, timepieces and accessories. Raffi travels the globe, visiting key diamond and gemstone centers, trade shows and the world’s watchmaking hubs to handpick its selection of bridal jewelry and luxury Swiss timepieces. 8490 Santa Monica Blvd., WeHo. raffijewelers.ca
REFORM SCHOOL
PHOTO: HOMEGROWNJOY.WORDPRESS.COM/ TAG/GIFT-WRAP-IDEAS/
This isn’t a gift idea for those on your naughty list. ReForm School in Silver Lake sells wares you’re not going to find at any other store. Where else can you find Wild Man Beard Conditioner, a trapper’s axe, a make-your-own-ukulele kit, a backyard tipi, Amish-made scooters, a Ryan Gosling coloring book and a raised gardening kit, just to name a few? This shop is all about being fun, oddball and offbeat. 3902 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake. reformschoolrules.com
SPICE STATION If your Auntie Louise is always talking about making the recipes from the latest issue of Everyday With Rachael Ray— if she could just find all the fancy ingredients they call for—get her a gift set from Spice Station. Find spices you’ve never even heard of, and they’re all listed in alphabetical order. Choose from blends, chiles, salts, spices, sugars and teas. 3819 W. Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake. spicestationsilverlake.com
Do you really want to wow that coworker who loves to cook? Sign him up for a cooking class at Taste of Pace. They offer various categories of classes, so check out the schedule online. One of our favorites is the Saturday Farmer’s Market Cooking Class, where you learn to cook based on what’s seasonally available at the local farmer’s market. 652 Mateo St., Ste. 207, DTLA. tasteofpace.com
TWEAK Owner and giftologist Tara Riceberg wanted to put the joy back into shopping—and she really goes for it. Tweak doesn’t have employees; it has elves. It’s not a store but a gift factory, and each item comes with an elf card that lets you know which elf wrapped your gift. You can purchase books, cards and unique stuff for your home or office. Tweak says this is the place “where Harry Potter, Dorothy Draper, Leonardo Da Vinci and Santa Claus would shop if they lived in Hollywood.” 8384 Beverly Blvd., L.A. bestgiftstoreever.com
URBAN PET He’s mastered the doggie door, stopped using your pillow as a ‘special friend’ and switched to chewing his dog toys instead of the corner of your coffee table. Your dog has landed himself on the nice list this year, earning a handsome reward. Head to Urban Pet for all your pet needs— supplies, training classes, teeth cleaning, furtographs and much more. There are Urban Pet locations in mid-city, Silver Lake and Pasadena, so check out the website to find which one is closest to you. theurbanpet.net
VILLAINY GENERAL STORE Don’t think of “general store” as in picking up a bale of hay and some goat’s milk on your way home. Think of it as an updated version of that concept, a place lined with utilitarian items as well as interesting gifts. Villainy is the perfect spot to load up on any cookware needs on your list—cast iron skillets, simple cookbooks, cutting boards, oven mittens, kitchen utensils. Thrown in for good fun are antique curios such as postcards, vintage toys, pulp fiction, pinup art and junk drawer items. 1519 W. Sunset Blvd., Echo Park. villainyla.com
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BY MIKE CIRIACO
Pop your cork at these L.A.-area New Year’s Eve celebrations
was for the LGBT community It seemed every victory n equal wo ns nia ifor Cal 2013 was a pendulum. gay ther challenge. Just as ano yet nearly by ey red Mil nte en cou wh immediately c hysteria. Then, exploded into homophobi literal wet dream er/ div ish Brit n, marriage rights, Russia ddo age sm. t towards the brink of arm tored our sense of optimi twerked society straigh e-sex relationship and res sam a in s he’ ced h oun Tom Daley ann promise of a fres und the corner with the Luckily, 2014 is right aro umn for SoCal’s col n’ ‘wi the in cks che ny more n at one of the start—and hopefully ma tha r yea t pas the y to scrub away Here are 10 ns? LGBTs. What better wa atio ebr rthy New Year’s Eve cel city’s sure-to-be-notewo nd. recomme that we wholeheartedly
The Black and White Ball The classiest New Year’s Eve party in Santa Monica is at the Viceroy Hotel. The property’s Black and White Ball features a hosted bar, hors d’oeuvres from Executive Chef Tony DiSalvo and some of the city’s top DJs spinning poolside. viceroyhotelsandresorts.com #Boom! An Alcohol and Drug-Free New Year’s Eve Experience New Year’s isn’t always synonymous with champagne. #Boom!’s substancefree event at the WeHo Park Auditorium offers a sober alternative. This 18+ party features sounds by DJ Alexander and a drag competition. tinyurl.com/ljuzbgy Bootie L.A. NYE 2014 Sh!t Show! To quote the Beastie Boys, “Sounds sound sweeter through the Echoplex / It’ll spin you around and throw you in a hex.” For a sweet New Year’s Eve, hit up Bootie L.A.’s party at Echoplex and The Echo, showcasing the talents of Lobsterdust, King of Pants, ShyBoy and more stellar DJs. theecho.com 40
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Diamond Ball Paul Nicholls and Woody Woodbeck return with the biggest, most spectacular New Year’s Eve party in WeHo. Diamond Ball is back, and it’s turning out The Factory. Australia’s notorious DJ Kitty Glitter will be manning the turntables for this premiere event, while the divas of Danity Kane reunite for the glitzy occasion. To top it off, at midnight Wayne G remixes Gaystar Countdown, highlighting the brightest moments of 2013. diamondball.net
Masterbeat 2014: New Year’s L.A.
New Year’s on Mount Olympus
Brett Henrichsen and crew kick off New Year’s Eve early with the inauguration of their newest event, Launch, on Saturday, Dec. 28 at the all-new Circus Disco. Then WE Party Airlines lands at Avalon on Monday, Dec. 30, building up to the main event on Dec. 31—NYE at The Mayan featuring DJ Alyson Calagna. The weekend is rounded out with First Dance 2014 at Arena on Jan. 1 with DJ Micky Friedmann. masterbeat.com
This New Year’s Eve, The Abbey transports you to the realm of the gods. Tickets include a hosted bar, appetizer and champagne toast, as well as expedited entry. Togas are highly recommended. abbeyfoodandbar.com
Fu Year’s Eve Gay Pimp Jonny McGovern guarantees New Year’s Eve will be wild and raunchy at Fubar. Easily the most scandalous party of the night, Fubar tag teams West Coast athleticism with East Village depravity. Expect edgy gogo boys, raucous jams, a complimentary champagne toast, hard bodies, kinky dudes and just a dollop of regret. No cover. fubarla.com
New Year’s Fireworks Cruise If you’re looking for an alternative to the WeHo New Year’s Eve club crawl, just change your definition of cruising. Harbor Breeze Cruises offers a 21+ nautical fiesta through Long Beach Harbor. Activities include a fireworks display, appetizers, dancing and, most importantly, an open bar. tinyurl.com/ mo93nq9 Find our roundup of Palm Springs New Year’s Eve celebrations in this issue’s City Guides section.
The Not Inappropriate Show For all the same-sex moms and dads looking for family fun before ditching the gaybies with a sitter, be sure to hit up Upright Citizens Brigade’s The Not Innapporiate Show. This New Year’s Eve sketch comedy tradition hosted by Bob and Naomi Odenkirk features material suitable for younger audiences. losangeles.ucbtheatre.com NYElectric W Rooftop 2014 If you’re the kind of queen who loves to look down on others, then the W’s rooftop New Year’s Eve party is perfect for you. Looking down on Hollywood from the hotel’s 12th floor, the night offers a panoramic view, a hip crowd and four hours of open bar. ournightlife.com
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DECK the HALLS By Marilyn Oliveira ~ Photography by Alice Hu As the editorial director of Evite, I can personally attest to the importance of setting the scene for any party. The winter holidays seem to require an additional dose of magic to live up to guests’ expectations. Don’t decorate your home for your holiday soirée—style it to reflect your theme right down to the last detail.
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A White Christmas »
» » » » » »
A holiday classic, this theme is perfectly feasible in Southern California if you style your party right. Evite party stylist Jessica Bailey transformed my Hollywood home into a winter wonderland by sticking to a white-on-white color scheme that works with any décor. Skip the colored tree lights and stick to the ethereal look of clear lighting. Incorporating silver and etched-glass ornaments among the white will add interest and depth. Wrap gifts in papers of varying shades of white for a cohesive look that turns presents into elements of décor. Upgrading to fabric linens in white instantly adds a luxe look and feel to the table while setting the stage for a wintry scene. Incorporating decorations and figurines of varying heights keeps the tablescape from appearing flat. Short on time? Stick to ready-made menu items such as store-bought cupcakes, tarts and cookies in variations of white so they don’t clash with the color scheme. Signage dresses up a food or snack table with extra detail and is extremely simple to create.
Find more ‘White Christmas’ décor ideas at FrontiersLA.com. DECEMBER 24, 2013
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DECK the HALLS A Bachelor Christmas » » » » » »
The antithesis of a precious holiday party, the bachelor-themed shindig incorporates things a guy already has on-hand and keeps the fuss to a minimum. The décor is fun, the food and drinks simple and the tree—well, the tree brings new meaning to the term BYOB. Green beer bottles make festive ‘branches’ for a delightfully different makeshift tree. A simple frame is easy to bolt together using wood cut to size at your local hardware store. Skip the frilly giftwrap and stick to practical wrappings—butcher paper, tissue paper or paper with low-key woodgrain or sweaterpattern prints. Rely on bows to dress up plain giftwrap or add a festive touch to unwrapped gifts. A ‘flight of reinbeer’ makes a great decoration as well as a trendy tasting bar. Pour a range of light to dark beers, ales and stouts in shot glasses and line them up in front of a mini keg for a sleigh effect. Turn any table or cart into a signature bar by sticking to a single cocktail or drink and decorating with seasonal accents. Cheesy, carb-laden finger foods go best with beer. Just display with a few bottles as backdrop.
Find more ‘Bachelor Christmas’ décor ideas at FrontiersLA.com.
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Frontiers Wedding Guide
SLICES OF HEAVEN By Kristin Banta
The Butter End Cakery
ASTUDILLO-PHOTO.COM
CAKES Fantasy Frostings Fantasy Frostings has been a familyowned-and-operated business for the last four decades, offering custom cakes, cupcakes and dessert bars for any occasion imaginable. With an eye for design and a keen understanding of flavor, this team of talented cake artists, led by owner Leslie Maynor-Anderson, can help you create a delicious masterpiece that reflects your style and palate. Each dessert is individually crafted to surpass your expectations in both presentation and taste. I’m obsessed with all Fantasy Frostings’ flavors, but the almond cake and the banana pecan cake are particularly to-die-for. 301 Pasadena Ave., South Pasadena. fantasyfrostings.com
Kimberly Bailey heads a small team of foodie-artists who only use local, cagefree eggs, organic milk, hormone-free butter and amazing chocolate and vanilla bean in their recipes—and instead of fondant, The Butter End Cakery uses a premium rolled-chocolate covering to decorate its cakes. Each is not only delicious but truly a unique work of art. The chocolate almond cherry cake with cherry cream cheese buttercream is my absolute favorite! 2709 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. thebutterend.com
Vanilla Bake Shop Voted by Los Angeles Magazine as one of the city’s top bakeries, Vanilla Bake Shop has been featured by many industry tastemakers, from The Food Network to Martha Stewart. Amy and Jeremy Berman, along with their team, create stunning cakes and confections focusing on high-quality ingredients and impeccable design. Whether you are looking for a cake or an unforgettable dessert bar, you’re covered. For the record, the French macaroons are so good they make me feel a little dirty. 512 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica. vanillabakeshop.com
CAKE ALTERNATIVES
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Porch Pies
Sweet Arleen’s
This artisan bakery specializes in Southern pies and delivers nationally. Each pie is made to order with the finest ingredients and highest attention to detail. From rustic to classic, these pies are the perfect fit for any celebration where foodies gather and love is celebrated! From large pies to mini pies, ranging from berry to chocolate, these are absolutely my favorite pies on earth. The buttermilk pie in particular is simply poetry. Just sayin'. porchpies.com
Using only premium ingredients, Sweet Arleen’s has a reputation for delivering uncompromising product quality and balanced flavor profiles. Undefeated three-peat champion of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars and The Cooking Channel’s Unique Sweets bread pudding favorite, they’re doing something right! For something different and memorable, I recommend serving a selection of the bread puddings, as they are truly magical. 960 S. Westlake Blvd., Westlake Village. sweetarleens.com
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SOCAL EVENTS GUIDE
EVENTS
NIGHTLIFE
THEATER
EXHIBITS
go to FrontiersLA.com/Entertainment for more listings
Wed. | Dec. 11
CHILL AT THE QUEEN MARY
DESIGNING DREAMS
Long Beach Chill is SoCal’s only frozen holiday adventure, featuring an indoor six-lane ice tubing run. Grab an oversized tube and feel the chill as you barrel down at bone-chilling speeds. The Queen Mary’s giant dome—once home to the Spruce Goose—has been frozen over and transformed into a giant igloo, home to The Ice Kingdom, an exhibit featuring larger-than-life ice creations towering over two stories tall. queenmary.com Tue. | Dec. 10
DECK THE HALL Walt Disney Concert Hall Go Tell It on the Mountain, The Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show, returns. The five-time Grammy-winning gospel legends and Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductees perform inspirational renditions of Christmas music both familiar and lesserknown, as well as gospel classics such as “Amazing Grace.” The LA Times heralded the debut Deck the Hall performance as “a heavenly Christmas gift.” laphil.com Wed. | Dec. 11
33rd ANNUAL MESSIAH SINGALONG Walt Disney Concert Hall Angelenos are invited to belt out the “Hallelujah” chorus— and all the other glorious choruses from Handel’s beloved Messiah—at the L.A. Master Chorale’s 33rd annual sing-along. Music Director Grant Gershon conducts the professional chamber orchestra and four professional soloists—plus the 2,200-member audience, which will serve as the choir. lamc.org
London West Hollywood After-School All-Stars Los Angeles unveils its inaugural holiday fashion show and toy drive, an evening benefiting inner-city L.A. youth residing in low-income communities. This all-ages event will feature a fashion show with some of today’s hottest designers in apparel, shoes, jewelry and accessories. la-allstars.org Thu. | Dec. 12
THE ADDAMS FAMILY Fox Performing Arts Center New musical The Addams Family, based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by cartoonist Charles Addams, appears for one show only. The show features an original story where a grown-up Wednesday meets a ‘normal’ boy who remains anonymous to the family until one fateful night of dinner. foxriversidelive.com Thu. | Dec. 12
amfAR INSPIRATION GALA Milk Studios The American Foundation for AIDS Research, amFAR, holds its fourth annual Inspiration Gala and will pay tribute to three welldeserving honorees for their outstanding contributions to the fight against AIDS. Chelsea Handler hosts while Grace Jones performs. The night will feature honorees Goldie Hawn, Aileen Getty and the Hugo Boss Company. amfar.org
CHECK PLEASE!
SHAWN PELOFSKY SHARES TRAGIC DATING TALES AT THE COMEDY STORE
BY MICHELLE MCCARTHY
It’s rough enough being single. Throw in the holidays and it’s enough to make you want to deck everyone’s halls. But wait— there’s help. The hilariously funny Shawn Pelofsky has created a support group of sorts at her comedy show Check Please! You can look forward to an outrageous evening of tragic dating tales, angry love songs and excerpts from her new book, The Death of Dating. The lineup includes a great cast of comedic talent—Melinda Hill, Theo Von, Michael Patrick Duggan, Nikki Lynn Katt, The Rabbi & The Hillbilly and musical guest Jonathan Allen. What inspired you to write The Death of Dating? Here I was, a fabulous, single female comedian in L.A., who after years of failed attempts to find ‘the one’ kept meeting other fabulous single women who had also been through the dating trenches. With the advancement in technology, we all now have so many choices at our fingertips, and that itself has changed the way people communicate and the face of dating. I have tried to meet a man in every way possible—blind dates, Plenty of Fish, JDate, Atlantis Cruises, eHarmony and in a super desperate attempt, Blendr. I thought to myself, Why not do an edgy tell-all of my dating journey? It's the tale of my search for love with humor, heart and, of course, great sex. What are some of your most unique dating experiences? Is ‘unique’ code for ‘crazy’? How about the time I had sex with the glassblower on an Atlantis gay cruise while dressed as Princess Leia? What about the JDate I brought to my Grandma Bertha’s funeral? Or how about one of my personal ‘doing it for my country’ favorites—me overseas one holiday to entertain our troops and getting together with a smoking-hot U.S. paratrooper in a storage unit the size of a panic room in Djibouti, Africa.
PHOTO: LISA ROBINSON
Through Jan. 5
Are you currently single? Ironically, just two months after finishing the book, I met the love of my life. I still can't believe it. He’s Brazilian. I know—take a moment. I actually think the book was great therapy for me. I had done the work, and therefore the universe was obviously listening. What advice can you give to single people during the holidays? Drink—a lot. No, I’m just kidding. OK, kind of. Honestly, I have been single for most of my life during the holidays, and I always used that time to spend with my friends and family. Enjoy the ones you are with and always remain optimistic. I never stopped believing there was someone out there for me. What can we expect at Check Please!? The show will be full of edge and sass, so basically I’m expecting an audience full of gay men and women. Think of it like a Sex and the City screening. Check Please! takes place Saturday, Dec. 14, at The Comedy Store. For tickets, go to thecomedystore.com.
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EATING
Fri. | Dec. 13
OUT
ROCKIN’ THE HOLIDAYS Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs The Edge’s magical second act, Rockin’ the Holidays, debuts live in the Woodstock Room, fresh on the heels of its powerful November debut show, Top Rock. This show will bring together the signature 12-person cast under cover of Santa hats and mistletoe for multiple weekends. Dec. 13-14, 20-21. theedge palmsprings.com Fri. | Dec. 13
A CLUB CALLED RHONDA Los Globos L.A.’s most renowned dance party for music lovers is back. This time around, set your phasers to ‘stunning.’ DJs for the evening include Theo Parrish, Wolf + Lamb, Felix Dickinson, Mudd and more. For discounted entry before 10 p.m. to this interstellar-themed party, go to eepurl.com/ITzjn. Fri. | Dec. 13
SOMETHING EXTRA THIS HOLIDAY SEASON BY BRIAN PADGETT
From the nutty flavors of the Transmontanus’ dark beads to the fruity hints of the dark green Ossetra, the myriad types of caviar only heighten the misconceptions of unapproachability and exclusivity associated with this delicacy. Under the watch of Executive Chef Giselle Wellman, West Hollywood’s Petrossian is doing its part to demystify people’s caviar perceptions. Open daily for brunch, Petrossian has been playing host to weekday power breakfasts for years, and the Egg Royale—a delicate mixture of soft scrambled egg and vodka whipped cream, topped with caviar—has cast a spell over L.A. diners. The caviar salad, a whimsical reimagining of the classic Cobb, is at once a celebration of California’s agricultural bounty and Angelenos’ desire for all that is light. The cupped leaves of the butter lettuce house generous portions of shaved egg, chives and parsley, woven together with crème fraîche and caviar. Inspired by Eastern European culinary culture, Wellman’s cold borscht is elevated thanks to a lavish dollop of caviar, infusing the earthy beet-based soup with unexpected nautical spice. Dinner options abound, and the Mediterranean sea bass is a notable standout. Served with airy cauliflower spinach ravioli, the dish is anchored with a vibrant tomato consommé and gilded with caviar. Dried caviar powder, which captures the ingredient’s flavorful essence, is integrated in Wellman’s caviar pasta, providing the dish with subtle notes of seaside elegance. Caviar powder is just one of many delicacies available to purchase this holiday season at Petrossian’s on-site gourmet boutique. In addition to countless caviar samples, Petrossian’s chocolate, cheese and charcuterie gift baskets make perfect gifts for the gourmand who thinks he has it all. With the now open Petrossian Champagne and Caviar Bar at LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal, the holidays have never been tastier.
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SPARKLE Acme Theatre Star-studded holiday benefit Sparkle: An All-Star Holiday Concert comes to L.A. for the first time with an exclusive and intimate performance. Tony Award nominee Andrew Rannells leads the impressive list of stars that includes Sharon McNight, Ginifer King, Stacey Oristano and many others. actorsfund.org Sat. | Dec. 14
PARTY MONSTER Eleven Nightclub Created and produced by Gary Thomas, Party Monster is a high-energy EDM dance party invading West Hollywood every second Saturday of the month. Shake a leg with the hottest DJs and dancers and enjoy a live, fashionable atmosphere with live performances. eleven.la Sat. | Dec. 14
THE NUTCRACKER Long Beach Terrace Theater The Long Beach Ballet will continue its annual holiday tradition with six performances of The Nutcracker. As always, the production bursts with special guest performances and additional surprise treats the entire family will love. Through Dec. 22. longbeachballet.com
Sun. | Dec. 15
NOH8 5TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Avalon Hollywood The NOH8 Campaign presents its fifth annual anniversary celebration, featuring live performances by DMC of RUNDMC, Ryan Cabrera, Derek Jameson and DJ Mandy Jiroux. This free event is open to all ages! noh8campaign.com Mon. | Dec. 16
DIVERSITY: THROUGH THE DIRECTOR’S EYE Pasadena Playhouse This forum explores the current state of diversity in SoCal theater, focusing on the director’s role and questions like, What’s working? What aren’t we doing? How can we work together to increase diversity in Southern California theater? Those interested must RSVP to diversityforum@SDCweb.org Tue. | Dec. 17
STOMP Saban Theatre From its beginnings as a street performance in the UK, Stomp has grown into an international sensation over the past 20 years. Synchronized stiff-bristle brooms become a sweeping orchestra; eight Zippo lighters flip open and closed to create a fiery fugue; wooden poles thump and clack in a rhythmic explosion. Through Jan. 5. stomponline.com Tue. | Dec. 17
FELIZ NAVIDIVA Cavern Club Theater Kay Sedia, America’s top-selling Tupperware diva and star of the hit stage threesome Chico’s Angels, goes solo in her one-woman holiday show called Feliz NaviDiva. The special is spicier than ever as she takes the audience on a holiday journey with stories, music and all her sexiness. Through Dec. 19. kaysedia.com Tue. | Dec. 17
EVITA Blok This weekly Hollywood party is a showcase of the hedonism and joie de vivre you’ve come to expect from nightlife promoters Luke Nero and Andres Rigal. Free. facebook.com/evitalosangeles
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HOT ROD Micky’s Sleazy weekly party Hot Rod is where you’ll find real men and dirty boys, with live fetish shows to boot. Leave your inhibitions on the boulevard and enter at your own risk! mickys.com Thu. | Dec. 19
AUNTIE MAME Egyptian Theatre Join Outfest for its annual ringing in of the holiday season with the sublime Auntie Mame starring Rosalind Russell in the title role. Whether it’s your first or 50th viewing, nothing compares to sharing the wit and wisdom of Auntie Mame with an audience of devoted fans. 6 p.m. Absolut reception, 7:30 p.m. screening. Tickets available at fandango.com. Thu. | Dec. 19
SECRET SERVICE Revolver Thursdays are getting shaken and stirred courtesy of Tom Whitman. Get your gay weekend started a little early with resident DJs Casey Alva, Josh Peace, Derek Monteiro and Drew G. No cover. revolverweho.com
A HOLIDAY SPECTACLE It isn’t the holidays until the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles presents its annual musical extravaganza, Holiday Spectacular: Festival of Carols. This year’s presentation will kick off the group’s 35th season when it returns to the Alex Theatre in Glendale. Full of color and theatrical performances, special guests and the powerful 240-voice chorus, the show has become a holiday tradition for families throughout Los Angeles. This year’s performance will be conducted by GMCLA’s newly installed artistic director, Dr. Joseph Nadeau, who comes to the chorus following 15 years as the artistic director of Heartland Men’s Chorus in Kansas City. The chorus’s very own youth performing ensemble, Outside Voices—formed in 2012 and consisting of young LGBTQIA people aged 14-24 who live in the Los Angeles area—will perform alongside the chorus in some of GMCLA’s most beloved numbers.
“We have an amazing lineup of performances for our 35th season,” says Chris Verdugo, Executive Director of GMCLA. “Holiday Spectacular will be a beautiful, festive kickoff for both the chorus and for the holiday season! We’re excited to bring our subscribers and our audience members the quality of GMCLA choral performances that they’re accustomed to while also adding some unique twists, such as the more than 500 voices that will fill Disney Concert Hall at our 35th anniversary concert in July 2014!” To purchase tickets to Holiday Spectacular: A Festival of Carols, which range from $20-75, go to the GMCLA website. GMCLA’s Holiday Spectacular: Festival of Carols Dec. 14 (3 & 8 p.m.) and Dec. 15 (3 p.m.) Alex Theatre, Glendale gmcla.org
Find more photo albums — and additional photos from these events — at FrontiersLA.com/Entertainment.
» TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY | THE ABBEY |
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Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion, Josh Groban—just to name a few.
JONATHAN’S GOT TALENT
As a well-known fan of the late Pavarotti, if he were still alive, how would you have liked to collaborate with him? I wish I had a chance to sing with him live. A recording is always great and can be cherished by many, but to sing live with him would have been everything.
BY MIKE CIRIACO
When Jonathan Allen came out to his family on his 18th birthday, they responded by kicking him out of their home. While this reaction would crush most gay teenagers, Allen was instead motived to sublimate his emotions into competing on America's Got Talent, where he rose to the semi-finals. Now, off the heels of a successful Radio City Music Hall performance, the young vocalist is tackling the next step in his artistic journey with his new Music of the Night holiday show at Rockwell. Allen took a brief respite from rehearsals to chat about the upcoming show, coming out, his musical influences and more. What can fans expect to see in your upcoming Rockwell Table & Stage show? Fans can expect to see me—my love, my passion and my pain. I will be performing some of my favorite selections, such as Nessun Dorma’s “Turandot” and “Bring Him Home” from Les Miserables. I’ll also
be performing holiday favorites like “O Holy Night” and “The First Noel.” How does a more intimate venue like Rockwell (in comparison to Radio City Music Hall) affect your performance? You don't have to be as ‘big’ in the intimate settings. I will have a better chance of connecting with my fans—as they will with me—at Rockwell, and I just love the venue! Has your recent success improved your relationship with your family? In so many ways! There are still some people who won’t come around, like my parents, but you love them from afar and hold on to the other relationships that much tighter. What advice would you give an LGBT teen who is considering coming out to his/her family? Do everything from a place of love and understanding. Someone
once told me that sometimes we have to be the teachers to those individuals who taught us. So always be yourself, and know that if you are not accepted in one place, someone somewhere else is waiting to accept you as you are. And there are great resources for gay and questioning youth, like The Trevor Project, an organization I look forward to working with in 2014 and beyond. Who has been the greatest influence on you as a singer? There are so many artists whom I love that inspired me to pursue singing. To pick just one would be a shame. I mean, there’s Pavarotti,
What do you feel is the biggest challenge to coming out for gay teenagers in the 21st century? Thankfully it’s not as hard as it was for past generations. Society has become more accepting, and that is wonderful. There are still things that can get better, but it has to start in our homes. Unfortunately, that is where it all starts, and it is up to all of us to help change the mistakes of our past in the home. Where do you see yourself a year from now? I can only hope that I am still doing what I am doing today but on a larger scale. And I hope everyone will keep up with my activities at JonathanAllen Music.com. Music of the Night takes place at Rockwell Table & Stage—1714 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz—on Dec. 18. rockwell-la.com
Find more photo albums — and additional photos from these events — at FrontiersLA.com/Entertainment.
» PIE | AKBAR |
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BY BRIAN PADGETT
FOOD2KNOW: Gourmet Boutiques We all have that person in our lives for whom it’s difficult to shop, but contrary to L.A. belief, there is one thing we all must do—eat. This holiday season, these L.A. gourmet boutiques are serving something for everyone.
Joan’s on Third
The Little Next Door
Monsieur Marcel
This culinary emporium offers an extensive selection of cheeses, olives, freshly baked pastries and hand-selected gourmet retail items from around the world. 8350 W. 3rd St., L.A. joanson third.com
From handcrafted pastry gift baskets to an eclectic, food-friendly Old World wine selection, this Mid-City epicurean market will please the gourmand in your social circle. 8142 W. 3rd St., L.A. thelittledoor.com
With an assortment of rare ingredients and kitchenware, the husbandand-wife team of Stephane and Katy Strouks has catered to finicky Francophiles from their Farmer’s Market abode for nearly 20 years. 6333 W. 3rd St., L.A. mrmarcel.com
Find more photo albums — and additional photos from these events — at FrontiersLA.com/Entertainment.
» GINGER | EAGLE L.A. |
Photos by Rolling-Blackouts
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Fri. | Dec. 20
Mon. | Dec. 23
FRESH CLASSIC FRIDAYS
MUSTACHE MONDAYS
Eleven Nightclub
La Cita
It’s one of the most popular nights in West Hollwood, with some of the city’s hottest man candy as well. The party features world-class DJs, dancers and pop artist performers, which makes for one hell of an entertaining night. eleven.la
Keep your weekend going at this DTLA dance haven, home of resident DJs Total Freedom and Josh Peace. Dress up, drink and dance the night away. Every week expect a constantly rotating roster of talented guest DJs. facebook.com/ mustachemondays
Sat. | Dec. 21
ERIC HIMAN Room 5
REACHING OUT TO L.A. YOUTH
BY SEBASTIAN MARTIN PÉREZ
On World AIDS Day, REACH L.A. debuted The Ovahness Collection Pop Up Shop and Fashion Event in the Macy’s Beverly Center Men’s Store. The Ovahness Collection is a series of T-shirts designed by local artists centering around HIV infection. Hosted in partnership with the Macy’s Foundation, the event featured music, performances by house and ball dancers and presentations of the T-shirts by the designers themselves. REACH L.A., Realistic Education in Action Coalition to Foster Health, is a nonprofit HIV agency based in South L.A. It provides free HIV testing services, counseling and case management to the region’s predominantly African-American and Latino youth. Francisco Armenta, who designed one of the T-shirts, shared his concept with an audience that was mostly comprised of those youths. “I wanted to declare all-out war against HIV, because we’re losing the battle every day.” Ernesto Hinojos has been a board member with REACH L.A. for seven years but has been active in fighting HIV since the beginnings of the pandemic. Reflecting on the path that HIV awareness has taken, he said, “Medicine has made living with HIV and AIDS possible, but not any easier to manage. Funding is the reason for these advancements, and we still need funding to educate people about the disease. I don’t want people to forget what our losses meant to us. It breaks my heart to see young men contracting HIV today.” African-American and Latino gay, bisexual and MSM youth aged 18-24 have
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the highest prevalence of HIV in the nation. African-American youth are eight times more likely to become infected with HIV than white “non-Hispanic” gay, bisexual and MSM youth, and the rate of infection has increased to 22 percent for Latino gay, bisexual and MSM youth, doubling over the past 10 years. Greg Wilson, Deputy Director and Manager of Health Programs for REACH L.A., explained the importance of hosting the day’s event in a highly visible place like the Beverly Center. “Why here? It has to do with visibility. Gay African-American youth lack spaces other than West Hollywood. But they often tell us [at REACH L.A.] that they’re made to feel uncomfortable and under-appreciated in these spaces.” “Even though the house and ball community provides that space for our youth, it is still very much a subculture. People have to be ‘in the know’ to participate in it. Media outlets have given it more attention throughout the years, but the word still needs to spread within our community,” he said. Olivia Eng, Cause Marketing Manager for Macy’s, shared her reasons for partnering with the organization: “It’s exciting to see the work that REACH L.A. is able to do, and the impact it creates. Their programming goes a long way by showing youth new ways to approach their future. It’s so important to have a brand like Macy’s line up with an agency like REACH L.A., because we want to help promote diversity and access.” facebook.com/REACH.LA
Hailing from Tulsa, singer/songwriter Eric Himan makes his way across the nation supporting the release of his newest work, Gracefully. Now take the opportunity to see him live during his stop in L.A. Himan has opened for various artists, including Patty Griffin, Leon Russell, Edwin McCain and others. erichiman.com Sun. | Dec. 22
TRAVELING THE SILK ROAD Natural History Museum of Los Angeles This exhibition transports visitors to ancient cities through immersive recreations of settings that feature life-size models, engaging videos and hands-on activities telling the story of peoples and cultures of the golden age. Explore a time when the information superhighway was a network of land routes across deserts and mountains. Through April 13, 2014. nhm.org/silkroad Sun. | Dec. 22
CHARLES PHOENIX RETRO HOLIDAY SLIDE SHOW MOCA Grand Avenue Lavishing the very best of his ‘found’ vintage holiday Kodachrome slide collection with his quick-witted commentary and keen eye for oddball detail, Charles Phoenix supercharges the classic living room slide show into a laughout-loud extravaganza of holiday fun and frivolity—past, present and future! charlesphoenix.com
Through Dec. 29
TOTEM Orange County Great Park Festival Site Cirque du Soleil is pleased to be back in the L.A. area with an allnew, awe-inspiring big top touring production. Totem traces the fascinating journey of the human species from its original amphibian state to its ultimate desire to fly. Inspired by many founding myths, Totem illustrates—through a visual and acrobatic language—the evolutionary progress of species. cirquedusoleil.com Through Jan. 12
FAULT METAPHORS Museum of Latin American Art Curated by Felipe Zúñiga González and Abril Castro-Prieto, this exhibit articulates two views of the city of Tijuana developed by artists Mónica Arreola and Omar Pimienta. Arreola uses landscape photography to bring metaphor to life while Pimienta pays homage to Colonia Libertad. molaa.org Through Jan. 2
REINDEER ROMP Los Angeles Zoo The L.A. Zoo creates a oneof-a-kind holiday wonderland with the return of the popular Reindeer Romp, the only opportunity to see real reindeer in L.A., as well as decorations and holidaythemed arts and crafts. Also making an appearance every weekend until Christmas will be Santa Claus for photos and gift requests. lazoo.org Through Jan. 12
THE LION KING Pantages Theatre
Through Dec. 22
I’LL EAT YOU LAST Geffen Playhouse Bette Midler reprises her recent Broadway starring role in this ‘Chat with Sue Mengers,’ a late Hollywood talent agent. Midler is said to incarnate the colorful agent as she holds court in her Beverly Hills Home. geffenplayhouse.com
From its initial debut here in 2000 until now, the excitement and enthusiasm for this spectacular stage production hasn't diminished but has instead grown by leaps and bounds. The Lion King returns to L.A. for a limited engagement with the same jaw-dropping production that has made this musical a classic. hollywood pantages.com
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SERVICE » BRUTUS | FAULTLINE |
Photos by Rolling-Blackouts
MATTHEW AT THE BURGER LOUNGE BY MICHAEL MENZIES
There are a lot of ‘bests’ at The Burger Lounge, a restaurant in a minimall on Sunset at Alta Loma. The best hamburgers in Los Angeles (moist and delicious), the best booths in the city (comfortable and private) and the best manager (Matthew Perrye, a friendly and likeable guy who, if he were an actor, would be cast as the best friend). I asked Matthew a few questions. He answered them with charm. You came from Chicago. Was Los Angeles what you expected? Most people have ideas of what Los Angeles is like before arriving here— going out every night to fabulous places, posing for photo shoots, bumping into celebrities everywhere. I expected people were shopping or at the beach all the time. (I brought a ton of board shorts.) Being from Chicago, my expectations were perhaps less than someone from a smaller place. However, moving here, I found everything bigger and more intimidating than I anticipated. There was so much going on. Once I started making friends and began working, the city became a lot smaller and a lot more comfortable. The board shorts didn’t hurt either. You share the name of a famous actor. Do you ever take advantage of it in making reservations or in some other way? When I first moved to L.A. and wanted to try all the restaurants here, I did use my name to get same-night reservations at places that were new and popular and trendy. I didn’t feel bad about it because technically I am not lying— Matthew Perrye is my actual birth name. The actor lacks an ‘e’ at the end of his Perry. That’s not my fault! Where in the world would you most want to visit? I have a friend who moved to Australia, so I would love to make it there and see the country. And her, too, of course. Greece as
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well, specifically Mykonos. I also think Spain would be fun to visit and explore. I have been to Italy and I have been to France. Both were amazing and made me fall in love with Europe. Definitely Paris again! What is currently on your IPod? I listen to my playlist in the car and at the gym. It’s a mix of my current favorite songs. [Find Matthew’s playlist of favorite songs at FrontiersLA.com.] What is your ultimate ambition? I am taking my real estate license exam in December and hope to become successful in that field. I also want to find a guy that I really like and have a great relationship and eventually get married and have one or two kids. Your favorite TV show? Scandal. Best show on television right now. The best! Amazing storyline, plot, characters, writing. Shonda Rhimes is a genius, and that show is super addictive. Everyone I know who watches the first episode becomes obsessed and hooked on it. Boxers or Briefs? Boxer briefs. Being a gay man in West Hollywood, one always needs to wear cute underwear. Service is a biweekly column delving into the life of L.A.’s service workers. Find the extended interview with Matthew at FrontiersLA.com.
Find more photo albums — and additional photos from these events — at FrontiersLA.com/Entertainment.
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FILM
REVIEWS AMERICAN HUSTLE Starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence Opens Dec. 13
***
American Hustle is a bad hair Lollapalooza of a movie. David O. Russell’s fictional take on the 1970s ABSCAM scandal is a fitfully entertaining sting flick elevated by some stellar performances (and bad hairstyles), yet sprawling and flat for long stretches. It takes a good hour to get all the players into place—Irving Rosenfeld (Bale), a lifelong con man; Sydney Prosser (Adams), his conniving mistress; Richie DiMaso (Cooper), a rogue FBI agent; and Rosalyn Rosenfeld (Lawrence), Irving’s impetuous wife. There are scams, double-crosses and betrayals, yet it’s a strangely enervated film (until the last half hour). This is partially a result of Amy Adams, miscast as a con with mysterious motives. She’s a great many things as an actress, with a gift for empathy and emotional directness, but she’s not enigmatic. Bale shows a lighter side than usual with his vain, hair-addled Irving Rosenfeld. He has a great opening scene where he’s painstakingly gluing his comb-over into place. And Lawrence lights up the screen every time she appears— she’s pathetic and cagey and funny all at once. She may be the left-behind wife, but she isn’t going to be anybody’s mark, especially as Lawrence has become O. Russell’s de facto muse. —Dan Loughry
AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
NARCO CULTURA
SAVING MR. BANKS
Starring Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper Opens Dec. 25
Now showing
Starring Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Colin Farrell Opens Dec. 13
**** John Wells adequately directs a fantastic cast in this compelling adaptation of Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer-Prizewinning play. Violet (Streep) is the venom-spewing, gasp-inducing, pill-popping Oklahoma matriarch who is particularly stricken by her husband Beverly’s (Sam Shepard) disappearance and death. The family— kids Ivy (Julianne Nicholson), Barbara (Roberts) and Karen (Juliette Lewis), along with Violet’s sister, Mattie Fae (Margo Martindale), her husband Charles (Cooper) and their son, Little Charles (Benedict Cumberbatch), all convene in the homestead. Tensions rise and subside as the characters suffer and confront long-held secrets and dark truths. Each actor gets a fantastic speech or two, and Letts’ screenplay is full of zingers both comic and pointed that speak truth to power. Among the best is Charles’ sermon to his wife about her treatment of their son, but small, telling moments, as when Barbara recounts her prom date with the sheriff (who takes her to identify her father’s body), are terrific, too. Roberts is especially strong here, holding her own against La Streep, who plays Violet to the hilt. Streep exaggerates the simple process of taking a pill, emphasizing that she is ‘capital A’ acting. August: Osage County is best during its ‘less is more’ moments, but the film is still highly satisfying. —Gary M. Kramer
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**** An intense, ripped-from-the-headlines documentary, Narco Cultura chronicles the effects of the drug war in Juarez, Mexico, where the death rate has increased tenfold in less than five years. The insecurity of life in Juarez is emphasized throughout— most painfully when the mother of a dismembered victim wails in anger. Narco Cultura rides along with Richi Soto, a crime scene investigator, which is equally horrifying and fascinating. It is no surprise his family pressures him to quit his risky job. In contrast, Edgar Quintero is a badass corrido writer and singer in the band BuKnas de Culiacán. His life is in L.A., not Mexico, and there are scenes of him performing at sold-out concerts indicating his success celebrating the drug/narco culture through his music. Other interviews in this striking film include a journalist who sees a lack of control over the increasingly dangerous situations and a criminal, interviewed in jail, who recounts being haunted by the crimes he committed. Narco Cultura also touches on growing cemetery construction in Juarez and border concerns. The prismatic approach to the topic may be all over the place, but it provide an obvious, powerful, necessary—and, yes, desperate—wake-up call for change. —Gary M. Kramer
***
Two of my least favorite words in the English language are “Disney classic.” So a film about the creation of one seemed akin to water torture. Yet director John Lee Hancock’s Saving Mr. Banks, about Walt Disney’s struggle with P.L. Travers to adapt her Mary Poppins books, is an enjoyable entertainment that’s a great piece of Disney schmaltz. The film soft-pedals Travers’ disdain of the final product (she never let any studio adapt her work again), it doesn’t come near dealing with her bisexuality and it turns the story of her rough Australian childhood into tiresome family dysfunction. Yet it captures her acerbic character, which Emma Thompson essays to perfection, and gives Tom Hanks an opportunity to shine in a robust turn as Walt Disney. It’s also peopled with lovely supporting parts throughout, from Paul Giamatti as Ralph, the author’s optimistic L.A. driver, to Colin Farrell’s nimble work (in the weakest part of the film) as Travers’ alcoholic dreamer of a father, to Rachel Griffiths as the aunt who becomes the basis for the much-loved Mary Poppins. Griffiths is such a salty delight, I’d welcome a remake of that tired Disney classic with her in the title role. —Dan Loughry
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MUSIC
Britney Spears Britney Jean (Jive)
**
REVIEWS
I’m a pretty passive Britney fan. She’s wowed me with a few of her singles, but I generally don’t lose my gay cookies with each new record. Produced by will.i.am and featuring tracks written by Sia, Luciana, Katy Perry and Diplo, one gets the feeling that, sadly, she is now nothing more than the shiny object used to put a face/body behind the songs. In other words, where is Britney’s true personality in all these “personally honest” songs? Having said that, a few of the songs are decently strong. Disc opener “Alien” (subtly produced by William Orbit) is a pleasing, midtempo earworm that doesn’t rely on bells and whistles. Those come in later on the EDM-laced tracks like the raunchy, trap-lite “Tik Tik Boom” (featuring T.I.); the ode to clubbing, “Body Ache”; and the ravetastic “Till It’s Gone.” And though “Perfume” is a winner, it has more to do with the Midas-touched Sia than it does with Britney herself. Similarly, the Perry-penned “Passenger” could be the B-side to “Roar.” And OMG, skip right over the banal “Chillin’ with You” (featuring sister Jamie Lynne). It’s not a terrible record, but she’s kind of like tofu that only takes on the flavor of the producers around her. —Paul V.
bEEdEEgEE
Blue Zoo
Brendan Benson
Kelly Clarkson
Mutual Benefit
SUM/ONE (4AD/Ada)
2x2 (Expanded Edition) (Cherry Red Records)
You Were Right (Readymade Records)
Wrapped in Red (RCA)
Love’s Crushing Diamond (Fat Possum Records)
***
Gang Gang Dance keyboardist Brian DeGraw’s bEEdEEgEE solo debut SUM/ONE is a half-instrumental, half-vocal electro piece that’s half-interesting. It opens with “Helium Anchor,” featuring spoken-word self-help jargon embedded into effectively ambient electronic swirls of pizzicato strings, harps and vocal choral sweetener. And it hits a number of highs along its journey—the Bollywood-inspired “Quantum Poet Riddim,” the sweeping “Empty Vases,” the Bhangra rhythm of “Bricks.” Yet as soon as I latch onto a detail in a song, it disappears. Buoyant as they are, the songs are also weightless (as in without substance). Only one positively lights me up—“(F.U.T.D.) Time of Waste,” a potential club-banger featuring Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor—and it’s easy to hear why. The song has movement. Taylor’s vulnerable voice adds an instant human element and a hint of melancholy (as it does to all the best Hot Chip tracks). And the lyrics pay homage to a muchloved and relatable human activity—wasting time. Or, as Taylor and DeGraw so eloquently put it, “All I want to do is fuck up the day.” It’s fleet-footed fun. If this is DeGraw’s idea of wasting time, I wish he’d fuck up the day more often. —Dan Loughry
*****
Thirty years ago, UK's Blue Zoo released the debut album 2x2, a shimmering synthpop masterpiece akin to ABC's The Lexicon of Love but with more leopard print and guyliner. The album, long out of print, has found its way back into record stores (and our hearts) thanks to Cherry Red Records (doing God's work at this point) resurrecting and remastering the master tapes and compiling a 19-track expanded edition of the classic album. Anyone who hasn't heard the band's bigger hits—”Cry Boy Cry,” “Forgive & Forget” or the grandiose “Love Moves in Strangeways”—should immediately head to YouTube to check ‘em out. Unfortunately the limitations of compact discs mean we don’t have room for the fantastic extended mixes that came with each 12”, but that's a minor caveat. More troubling is the wildly different 7” version of “Love Moves in Strangeways,” which replaces the album version here. Also, the tracklisting has been mysteriously shuffled, which keeps the album sounding fresh, though the original album order is missed. These are minor quibbles. This is an amazing album that’s been virtually impossible to find for 30 years. If you’re a fan of ‘80s New Wave and synthpop and you've never heard of this band, pre-order your copy now. You won't be sorry. —Dominik Rothbard
**
As if it were a commercial for an upcoming Raconteurs album, Brendan Benson’s sixth solo album You Were Right appears with little fanfare. In his 17th year of recording, Benson has figured out exactly how much experimentation he's comfortable with and offers nothing more, nothing less. The folky alt-country tunes breeze by pretty ineffectually, suggesting Benson should be spending a little more time with his Raconteur counterpart Jack White. The first real spark comes deep into the 15-track album, on “I'll Never Tell,” which comes off as a hybrid of Queens of the Stone Age and Robbers on High Street. It's a welcome break from the homespun monotony of “You Were Right.” The hooks are there, but just barely. Like a tray of those brown-and-serve rolls, this album is close but doesn't feel done yet. Benson obviously fell in love with the analogue techniques he used to record his previous album, What Kind of World, but he split the difference here, and that muddies the waters. Perhaps the album was rushed to make room for 2014's already scheduled Raconteurs album, but that's not an excuse for an overlong album bereft of ideas. Stick to Benson's 2005 breakthrough, The Alternative to Love, or better yet, wait for the Raconteurs. —Dominik Rothbard
****
Every artist wants to have an original, holiday hit that assures annual play when winter rolls around. Ka-ching, baby! But in all seriousness, Kelly Clarkson has it going on here with a few of her new songs. The title track kicks off the disc with Kelly unleashing those massive pipes atop a seriously charming and festive melody that’s low on schmaltz and high on emotion. Then the popping “Underneath the Tree” and “4 Carats” aim to rival the retro, hip-smacking vibe of Phil Spector’s output of the ‘60s. Complete with a sexy sax solo, the former is the kind of song that makes you look forward to Christmas Day. Now, as for the updates of holiday songs you’ve heard a bazillion times, she adds some pumpkin spice to many. She mounts “Run Run Rudolph” with a Gospel, rock ‘n’ roll harness and gives “Please Come Home for Christmas” an extra level of plaintive rawness. Much credit should be given to producer Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen, The Bird & The Bee) for letting Clarkson really sparkle here. But how could she not? She remains one of the most powerhouse singers on the pop landscape, and this charming collection will heartily warm your nuts by the fire. —Paul V.
****
Jordan Lee, the songwriter of Mutual Benefit, has released a delicate, gossamer collection of songs on his lyrical debut, Love’s Crushing Diamond. He’s being compared to Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver and any other performer who employs a high-tenor/falsetto atop alternative-folk and classical minimalist strings, and while those are apt assessments, Lee’s eccentric Americana and felicity with arrangements also aligns him with the great iconoclasts Van Dyke Parks, Rufus Wainwright and Joanna Newsom. He’s an original, in short, though it’s tough to say how singular his vision may be based on the seven tracks/32 minutes of this release. His innate positivity and mellow mien would be soporific in anyone else’s hands—I’m often struggling to stay awake when I listen to music this serene—yet there’s an attention to sonic detail that’s mesmerizing here. The wind chimes that run through the opener “Strong River” and reappear like a soothing motif throughout give the songs the contours of a pleasant, invigorating daydream (“Strong Swimmer” is nearly hallucinatory). And his melodies— subtle, pliant, haunting—sound both future-forward and plucked from a shared, sepia-tinted past. Love’s Crushing Diamond is a small, perfectly polished gem, yet it has the weight of great expectations attached to it. —Dan Loughry
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THEATER REVIEWS THE LION KING PANTAGES THEATRE | 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Hlywd. Through Jan. 12 | broadwayla.org
The Broadway community is abuzz this month about the imminent closing of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, the hitech, over-budget bomb that tried to form an unhappy alliance among a visionary theater artist (director Julie Taymor), rock legends (U2’s Bono and The Edge) and an entertainment behemoth (Marvel Comics) but ended up losing more money than any show in history. Right on cue, The Lion King returns to the Pantages, reminding us that a similar marriage—Taymor, Elton John and Disney—produced the highest grossing musical in Broadway history. Even a slightly pared-down traveling version of the opening 10 minutes of Taymor’s brilliantly imaginative staging reminds us why multigenerational audiences continue to flock to this visually stunning and emotionally irresistible hit
16 years after it opened. One hardly needs to recount the plot of the beloved tale of young Simba (Nathaniel Logan McIntyre, alternating with Jordan A. Hall), the leonine crown prince born to King Mufasa (L. Steven Taylor) and Queen Sarabi (Tryphena Wade) who flees his African kingdom after the evil Uncle Scar (Patrick R. Brown) convinces the cub he is responsible for the king’s death. With a Homeric sweep, the story brings a grown Simba (Jelani Remy) back to Pride Rock to claim his kingdom and his good name after learning many hard life lessons. The truth is that the Elton John/Tim Rice score is mostly mediocre, some of the extended dance sequences overstay their welcome and the humor in Roger Allers’ and Irene Mecchi’s book is aimed at a decidedly childish demo-
PHOTO: JAMIE LOEB
graphic. But who cares? The revolutionary vision of Taymor’s breathtaking staging is the star of the show, and her many coups de théâtre thrill us with increasing intensity as the evening progresses. Beyond the opening procession of puppets and actor-filled animals striding down the aisle, we have the glittering night sky of “They Live in You,” a wildebeest stampede, and the stunning black-lit evocation of undersea life transforming into Mufasa’s spectral floating head in “He Lives in You.” The young McIntyre has impressive stage presence, especially when paired touchingly with Taylor’s powerful king. Remy’s grown Simba is a sinewy triple
threat, with a touch of Marc Anthony in his delivery of “Endless Night,” and Nick Cordileone brings a sardonic cynicism to Timon the meerkat. Brown’s Scar is more sleazy than sinister, but his back-up band of hyenas are hilarious, and the male dancers are particularly exquisite punctuating his “Be Prepared.” Kudos to the entire tireless ensemble for pulling off Taymor’s vision and turning the cavernous Pantages into a warm Serengeti. Every child under 13 was too young to have seen The Lion King in its last L.A. visit. Gay uncles and aunts, get your holiday tickets. —Christopher Cappiello
PETER AND THE STARCATCHER AHMANSON THEATRE | 135 Grand Ave., DTLA Through Jan. 12 | centertheatregroup.org
PHOTO: JENNY ANDERSON
Like a grown-up version of a kid’s backyard play, Peter and the Starcatcher is old-fashioned, new-fangled and a lot of fun. Based on the popular children’s novels by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, the Tony Award-winning play is deftly transferred to the Ahmanson stage in bric-abrac fashion and a sense of wonder that harkens back to childhood—apropros for a story about a 13-year-old boy who hates adults and wants to be a boy forever. Essentially a prequel to James L. Barrie’s classic Peter Pan (and Disney’s animated version), the play tells how 62
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an unnamed orphan became Peter Pan, where the Lost Boys came from, who Captain Hook really is and how Tinkerbell first took flight. All of this is done on an elaborately minimal set where props are used again and again, actors play multiple roles, settings are implied and the frenetic pace takes some getting used to. As directed by Roger Rees (Mud) and Alex Timbers (Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson) and written by Rick Elice (Jersey Boys), it’s sort of a whacky affair with a rhythm that harkens back to Barrie’s play and
an almost Monty Python-esque sensibility. While this might not be everyone’s cup of tea, any concerns you might have about the plot or staging disappear once you get into the second act, which is where the play really takes flight. The supporting cast is pretty amazing, donning different ‘caps’ for different roles—whether they portray Lost Boys, pirates or mischievous mermaids, they are game for anything. But it is the three main characters who make an impression. Act One focuses mainly on the Starcatcher herself, Molly, played with an empowered naivety by Megan Stern. While she clearly is older than the 15 years of age she states her character to be, she is able to handle childlike moments with a can-do spirit she gets from her father, Lord Aster (Nathan Hosner). As for Peter, he begins life in the play as an orphan known simply as “Boy” and is portrayed with confused
pluck by Joey deBettencourt. While his character becomes the focus in Act Two, his arc grows slowly and meaningfully. By the end you are “cockadoodledooing” right along with him. But it is the role of Black Stache, originally played by Tony winner Christian Borle (Smash) that is the play’s showstopper. Played here by John Sanders (who also portrayed the character on Broadway), Stache is a fey, sly, jaunty villain with the physical dexterity of Charlie Chaplin and the comic timing of a less-annoying Jim Carrey. Stealing every scene he’s in, Sanders embodies the iconic character so well that you miss him when he’s not onstage. Thankfully, Act Two is rife with Stache moments, one of which will have you in hysterics for a full five minutes. And kudos to him for adlibbing a minor staging fumble with one of the most hilarious moments of the evening. —Kevin P. Taft
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DRIVE By Steve Siler
2015 BMW i3
2013 L.A. Auto Show Goodness
In about six months, the 2015 BMW i3 electric car will start whirring along the roads of Southern California, and just before this year’s L.A. Auto Show, I got a chance to drive the futuristic little thing. Here’s what I learned. For starters, there’s a lot of design going on here. Large glass panels, futuristic body panels, center-opening doors and cool light designs give the i3 a look like nothing else on the road. The cabin
looks more like an industrial design project than a car interior, with floating info screens and a beautiful slab of open-pore bamboo that sweeps down from the glovebox cover underneath the iDrive screen. The seats don’t look comfortable but they are, and both rows of seats were designed so that passengers can easily slide across to the other side to get out in case parking is really tight. Very clever. But alas, even BMW has a hard time
making an electric car fun. While it has that characteristic electric car rush of acceleration, its steering does not feel as natural as in most BMWs, and its super-skinny tires and aggressive stability controls render handling very, uh, cautious. At least the price is attractive: $42,275 for the all-electric model; add $3,850 if you want to add a Chevy Volt-style, range-extending engine in the back.
Other L.A. Auto Show Highlights
2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA The new, compact Mercedes GLA250 and GLA45 AMG attempt to bring the style of the CLA class to the crossover segment. Sporty and fun-looking, it will arrive in March with base prices in the mid $30Ks.
2015 Porsche Macan Due early next year, the Macan is essentially the Cayenne’s little brother. Smaller and lighter but at $51K no cheaper, the Macan embodies the Porsche spirit better than the porky Cayenne. Make mine blue.
2015 BMW i8 Low-slung styling, swan-wing doors and a powerful plug-in hybrid powertrain will make the i8 the sexy counterpart to the i3 when it arrives next Spring carrying a price of $135,925.
2015 Lincoln MKC Lincoln’s take on the Ford Escape brings better interior materials, lots of tech and great looks. It becomes available next summer at a starting price of $33,995.
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Best Concept: Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo Designed for a video game then brought to life as a oneoff concept, the Vision Gran Turismo is a mouth-watering, rolling impossibility. Still, it proved sexy enough (and phallic enough) to get more than a few of us kinda horny upon the sight of it. Indeed, things like this are why I love cars so much.
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IT’S NOT THE ACRONYMS; IT’S WHAT THEY DO IN BED! I have been thinking a bit about the concept of community lately. It’s a damn perplexing noun. It is one of those ‘one size fits all’ words that is grievously overused, never more brazenly than by we festive gay units. ‘Community’ can mean a veritable boatload of stuff. It can be used to describe a hamlet, village or town and even interacting living organisms. It can help define a ménage sharing beliefs, resources, preferences, needs or risks. It is just an identity to assist the masses to feel massively more comfortable to identify a superabundance of like junk. Our councilmembers and candidates overuse it in bundling queer folk, and no one is more blatantly guilty of its abuse as an all-purpose tabernacle than me. In gay gibberish we employ it to cover each and every niche-assorted acronym like LGBT. And there’s the rub. We are a virtual bevy of distinct groups yet queerly allow bundling. Writer Sam Killermann expanded our tent to include LGBPTTQQIIAA. That is any combination of letters attempting to represent all our identities. His near-exhaustive acronym includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, questioning, intersex, intergender, asexual, ally and more in our massive mess of humanity. But the truth is we are not really a united community at all. More like alphabet soup. I mean, L is a fierce community unto itself. So are B and P and B and G. I guess ‘questioning’ is a clueless community yet still its own bunch. I hope both ‘intersex’ and ‘intergenders’ are a happy clique community, yet I’m certain they don’t want my kind tossed in with them. I just read that a proposed mini-version of San Francisco’s Folsom Street Fair bash to be tossed behind the Gold Coast would be a “BDSM Play Party” for a community that digs doms and subs and daddies and pets. You gotta admit that’s fairly specific. True, we join in lockstep on some social, political, ethical, moral, aesthetic and doctrinal issues, but the true like, love, licking and loathing of penises and vaginas and boobs and pecs in some various ways does indeed separate our big-tent ‘community’ into a whole bunch of species. That’s really what we are. A cadre of distinct species that are easily grouped by simplistic language but not really in stark reality. Under a big banner of fetishes,
we make up a bevy, a bundle, a troop or clump of cads most easily explained away as community. And here’s where it really can trip you up. Killermann’s checklist notes ‘ally’ is tossed in with us. So now our community includes virtually everybody that doesn’t hate us. If all the world is a stage, where the hell is the audience sitting? At WeHo’s Transgender Day of Remembrance, hetero Mayor Abbe Land, a confederate to our species, spoke of the 238 trans people known to have been murdered in hate-based attacks. “We as a community say that is intolerable.” I get it. I mean, she couldn’t really say, “We as a virtual potpourri of species made up of LGBPTTQQIIAAs and more say that is intolerable.” A couple of weeks ago at a ‘community’ forum on Pride tossed by the Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board, I was so moved by several transgender voices. Speaking about West Hollywood’s Pride, transgender resident Anna Melissa—someone I likely have little in common with—said, “Right now, I don’t believe we feel welcome.” What community? I was ashamed for our bundled bunch. If the proposed BDSM Play Party is approved, I likely would not feel welcome, and I’m way cool with that. We just have to realize we are together in this, and we need to respect and love if not understand one another. It seems to me there is no harm in bundling us species as long as we don’t use it as an excuse to lack compassion and understanding. The truth is that all of us in the LGBPTTQQIIAA neighborhood are joined at the hip. We need to take time to understand one another before we pretend to be united. I guess to me the smug term ‘community’ seems a bit too cold, and ‘species’ I know will never cut it. I prefer ‘family,’ because that’s what we are. The necessity to protect a community is formal, but the desire to protect your family is personal. I mean, you love your toothless drunken uncle, your demented cousin, your slutty sister and your sweet grandma because they are your melting pot of family. The truth is that we are family, and we often forget that. Of course LGBPTTQQIIAA is silly, but giggle at it as a reminder to love all the species that make up our family—er, our community. DECEMBER 24, 2013
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MASTERS
Paul Walker
Just before this column went out came word of the tragic death of Paul Walker. The actor had attended an afternoon car show and toy drive to benefit victims of the typhoon in the Philippines organized by Reach Out Worldwide, a nonprofit organization he founded in response to the earthquakes in Haiti. After the show, Walker went for a ride with his friend, proracer Roger Rodas, when their Porsche hit a tree and immediately burst into flames. I can confirm that Walker was really one of the good guys—someone who always did what was in his heart without much interest in fame or fortune. He was beautiful inside and out. Rest in peace. Did you know we just celebrated a milestone? It was 10 years ago that Massachusetts legalized gay marriage, becoming the first state in the union to do so. Since then, the world hasn’t come to an end, a plague hasn’t befallen us, and nary a locust has been spotted. Although I suspect the unexpected rise of the House of Kardashian was something not even Nostradamus could have predicted. After being wooed by numerous networks, Anderson Cooper just signed a new contract with CNN that locks him in through the 2016 presidential election. In addition to his nightly show, AC360, he’ll continue to be a roving reporter for the network. The new contract also allows him to continue as a contributor to 60 Minutes. There was one clause in this new contract that sounds like Cooper could very well attempt a new daytime talk show for CNN. Could this be the hush-hush project he and Kathy Griffin shot a pilot for a few months ago? Maybe we’ll find out during the dynamic duo’s New Year’s Eve special. By the time you read this, I’ll be winging back to Los Angeles for a brief stay. Yes, even from the brink of death I can bounce back if there’s something 66
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“Lemme tell you, everybody just relax. Everybody is either a w*p, a n****r, a k*ke, a ch**k, a fairy, a m**k. Everybody's something. So why don’t we all calm down? Be thankful that we’re all living in America and stop, everybody, getting so damn uptight. And this goes for the Indians—both dot and feather.”
good going on. I have quite a week ahead of me. The Pasadena Playhouse is continuing its “Panto at the Playhouse” series with Aladdin and his Winter Wish. I remember seeing Aladdin at the Old Vic in 2004 with Sir Ian McKellen as the outrageous Widow Twankey. This time around, the role will be assumed by the larger-than-life Bruce Vilanch. The last time I saw it in London, the guest star playing the Genie of the Lamp was Pamela Anderson, who is larger-than-life in her own way. Someone who makes every season just a bit brighter is the effervescent Leslie Jordan (whose proposed Doritos Super Bowl commercial—written by twins Gary and Larry Lane—is a hoot and a half). Leslie’s new show, Show Pony, will be at the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center Dec. 12-15. You won’t want to miss that. And now it’s time for my favorite feature of the year—Billy’s Holiday Gift Giving Suggestions! Each week until the end of the year, I will share some of my favorite things that could help make someone’s holiday bright (unless they are Jewish, in which case “Happy Thanksgiving” will suffice. I think my devotion to Faye Dunaway and Mommie Dearest are well-documented. It may make Dunaway cringe, but it’s a portrayal that is considered infamous. Helping cement it as a classic is something being called the Mommie Dearest Official Collectible Doll Gift Set. The doll comes with two classic looks—the “Don’t fuck with me, fellas” outfit from the Pepsi boardroom, and the nightgown from “No wire hangers, ever!” complete with wire hanger and a second head where the face is covered with faux cold cream! It also comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by Dunaway (OK, I made that last part up). It’s a bit pricey, but I can’t imagine anything making a true fan happier—except perhaps a subscription to BillyMasters.com. One of my favorite comedians is Christopher Titus. This past year, Titus toured the country working on a new show. While I played an extremely minor role in its development, I must say there are fewer things I’m prouder of. An abbreviated cut of Voice in My Head aired on Comedy Central, but the full-length show (over twice as long) is available on Amazon.com. Better yet, get all five of his
specials at ChristopherTitus.com. Our “Ask Billy” question comes from Jarrod in Chicago: “Have you been watching Dracula? Love all the homoerotic subtext, but hate that they killed off the gay couple.” I must confess that I’m shocked— someone other than me is watching
Jonathan Rhys-Meyers
Dracula? While I always enjoy seeing Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, this is pretty painful to sit through ... and I’m still on medication! I had far more fun with Johnny in the men’s room at the Golden Globes a few years ago, but that’s another story. Back to Dracula, the gay aspect is intriguing. At a certain point, Dracula wants to get control of someone’s stock in a company. He surprises the guy and his male lover at an underground gay club, giving us perhaps the first dramatization of queer nightlife in Victorian England, complete with dancing male couples and a drag show! The lovers themselves are quite a fetching pair— Lewis Rainer (28 years old) as the young ward of Anthony Howell (42). While I don’t know anything about their personal lives, neither man seems to have any problem with same-sex kissing (Lewis even gets to kiss Rhys-Meyers). Both fellas also sport quite fetching physiques, even given their limited screen time. I’ll share some choice bits on BillyMasters.com. By the by, Dracula was developed as a limited 10-episode run. When RhysMeyers was cast, NBC head honcho Bob Greenblatt insisted that his estimated $100K salary per episode (doing some quick math, that equals a cool mil) be “deferred” until all 10 episodes were in the can. Why? Greenblatt was running Showtime during the filming of The Tudors, which suffered extensive delays due to Rhys-Meyers’ “unreliability.” Incidentally, all actors are under contract for subsequent seasons, should they be warranted.
—Joan Rivers defends Alec Baldwin’s alleged use of an anti-gay slur against a cameraman.
Lastly, we hear the Peters Twins have broken up. This would be Elijah and Milo Peters, the twins who have been doing gay porn for Bel Ami. And we hear it was quelle drama—or however you’d say it in Bratislavan. The company didn’t renew their contract once they discovered that one of the twins did a bisexual scene for a rival website. At least that’s the official reason. It probably didn’t help that various U.S. law enforcement agencies were investigating the site because the footage violates most states’ incest laws. Bel Ami didn’t need that headache, so the Peters peters were deleted tout de suite. Since then, Milo has made the most buzz. First came reports that he has a girlfriend who also ‘models.’ Then up popped an escorting
Elijah and Milo Peters
profile (which is a no-no while working for Bel Ami) where he lists himself as bisexual but offers his services to other men with this charming phrase: “I’m for every fun.” I bet he is! As for Elijah, we hear he has reunited with the rest of his family—sans twin. This means that for the time being my baby Bobby Clark remains the luckiest man alive, as you’ll see on BillyMasters.com. When brothers who play together don’t stay together, it’s definitely time to end yet another column. Not the most festive way to end a column, but between Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and the Peters Twins, it’s hot enough to thaw out any winter wonderland. You know what else will make your days merry and bright? Checking out BillyMasters.com, the site that has more hanging balls than the tree at Rockefeller Center! Regarding anything else hung, you can inquire within via Billy@BillyMasters.com and I promise to get back to you before Faye endorses the Mommie Dearest doll! Until next time, remember, one man’s filth is another man’s bible.
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ILLUSTRATION BY
GLENHANSON .COM
ADD SOME ZING TO YOUR CAROLING! Let’s be honest—life is like a reality show. If you want attention—or ‘face time’ on-camera (even if there isn’t a camera anywhere in the general vicinity)—then you have to stand out in a crowd. And during the hectic holidays, with everyone trying to steal focus with their hideous Christmas sweaters and drunken shenanigans, it takes real work to assure the spotlight remains firmly planted on you. You have to be creative! What’s that you say? You’re not the creative type? Well, thank the baby Jesus (aka The Birthday Boy), I am! Whether you’re going Christmas caroling, gathering around a bitter old queen who’s tinkling the ivories at your local sodomite piano bar or just warbling out a few seasonal ditties after a few too many at your annual holiday office party, you can make sure you are the center of attention—thanks to me and the sick and twisted lyrics to one of my world-famous song parodies. Belt out one of these classless classics and, honey, it’s all about you. You’re welcome! GO TO HELL (Sung to the tune of “Silver Bells”) Dirty sidewalks, filthy sidewalks, full of social rejects Buying Tickle-Me-Elmo’s and Furbies Stupid breeders, children-beaters, cashing their welfare checks And the whole time I am thinking, please... Go to hell! Go to hell! It’s Christmas time and it’s shitty See them shop ‘til they drop. Wish they would drop dead today Icy street curves and a cab swerves, crashing into a store Running over a half-dozen shoppers
People freaking, gas is leaking, couldn’t wish for much more Throw my lit cigarette and I think... Burn in hell, burn in hell! The taxi explodes, ain’t it pretty? A homeless man warms his hands. God works in mysterious ways JINGLE BELL COCK (Sung to the tune of “Jingle Bell Rock”) Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell cock! Look at it swing, that big juicy thing Throbbin’ and bobbin’ all over the place Smearin’ lipstick all over my face! Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell cock! Look at it strain, that one pulsing vein Drippin’ and rippin’ through your underwear. Don’t shoot in my hair! Had lotsa’ big ones, lotsa’ long ones, but this one’s got the girth Suck a weiner today, ‘cause there’s no better way, to celebrate the baby Jesus’s birth Do a dance, drop your pants, show me your meat! Get it hard as a rock Stuff my stocking with a big meaty treat, that's the jingle bell cock! Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell cock! You’ve got the tool of a well-endowed mule Couldn’t care less what your Christmas list said. This year you’re gonna get some head Zip ‘em down, whip it out, feed me your meat, and hope that my jaw don’t lock ‘Cause Christmas dinner should be AllYou-Can-Eat, that's the jingle bell cock! This year I wanna pearl necklace from a guy with big feet. That's the jingle bell cock! The prettiest face you’ll ever come across is sticky and sweet Thanks to your jingle bell cock!
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COLUMNS
Queersay THE SURPRISE OF THE CENTURY It’s been nearly two weeks since we've stuffed ourselves with far too much Thanksgiving meat, but that’s no reason for our giving of thanks to end. As we stumble (some of us quite literally) into the most consumerist time of year, it’s important to remember the things that shape our lives with love, purpose and meaning. I’m not referring to WeHo go-go boys or Marix lowcarb margaritas. Rather, I’m talking about the beautiful moments that sometimes go unseen in the hustle and bustle that is La La Land. While I usually spend this column tearing Hollywood celebs—and the WeHo boys who think they are Hollywood celebs—to judgmental pieces, this time good ol’ Gossip Gay is going to take a beveled step back, open up my cold, dead heart and tell you a story of love that might just bring a tear to your mascara’d eye. Long have I worked in Tinseltown production, bringing reality trash to life. Bravo, MTV and even NBC—my creative fingers have titillated some unscripted ‘dramas’ of which I am very proud, but none more so than my work with one hard-ass media queen. It doesn’t matter which media maven I’m referring to because that’s not the point of the story. What is most gossip-worthy is her surprisingly warm heart. We recently had a cameraman who was slowly slipping away to a rare form of stage-four cancer. We were in the tragic throes of losing one of our favorite point-and-shoot professionals. Big, burly and kind, he was a bear in flannel clothing and I couldn’t have loved him more. Ready to go after years of fighting, he wanted to work up to the very end. You see, his daughter was planning on marrying her long-term boyfriend during
Drop me your at dirty little secrets m. .co queersay@hotmail r give I neve And don't worry, oat! up my deep thr y, go to For more Queersa Queersay. m/ .co LA ers nti Fro
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Christmas of next year. Even with all the prayers, angels and miracles in the world, there was no way our co-worker was going to make it to 2014’s holiday season. He had accepted this, albeit with a heavy heart, and had dedicated his last few months to work—to finance the “wedding of the century” for his daughter. We were sworn to secrecy about our friend’s terminal condition. He didn’t want the executive producers—much less the talent—getting wind of his limited days. However, as is the Hollywood way, secrets were spilled and the aforementioned media maven heard of the tragic situation around early October. Not once did she acknowledge the situation—not even a simple “I’m sorry.” Cold, right? Well, work was canceled and we were all called in for an emergency meeting. Of course, in the production world, especially at the end of the fiscal year, ‘emergency meeting’ means ‘hardcore layoffs.’ We all prepped for the worst, booking a table at a local bar where we could get bombed after receiving our pink slips. But we stumbled into something else entirely. You see, Ms. Media Maven clandestinely spent the month of October planning an impromptu ‘wedding shower of the century’ at the lot’s insanely beautiful multi-purpose event space. Not only was the entire crew there but also our friend’s daughter, her soon-to-be-groom and over 75 of their close friends and family. For our friend, this was truly the surprise of the century! Never before have I seen such under-the-radar altruism, and never before have I experienced an impromptu party for a man more deserving. The evening was magical, and although it would never in any way, shape or form cure our co-worker, it touched his heart in every way imaginable. For that I couldn’t be more thankful. Our friend died Nov. 11, 2013, peacefully at home with his daughter by his side, but not before sharing his life with us in the most meaningful of ways.
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CITY GUIDES
CITY CALLS FOR SOLUTIONS TO MINIMIZE TRAFFIC CONGESTION
WEST HOLLYWOOD TO HOST SOBER NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY BY PAULO MURILLO The sober New Year’s Eve party formerly known as Club Freedom is back in the city of West Hollywood with a new name and attitude. The city is scheduled to host #BOOM!, an alcohol and drug-free New Year’s experience for adults 18 and older from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Nationally renowned spin master DJ Alexander will mix some tunes into the New Year with the help of a special appearance by WeHo Cheer and a variety of other entertainment, dancing and interactive activities. There will be prize drawings, the crowning of Miss #BOOM! 2014 and a sober midnight toast to countdown into the new year. “I think it’s great that the city’s support of the recovery community includes the holidays,” WeHo Human Services Commissioner and founder of The Tweakers Project Jimmy Palmieri told Frontiers. “#BOOM! is for anyone who wants to come and have a safe and sober night. It’s
much more than just a dance party, and it’s free. The parking’s free, the snacks are free and the drinks are free—and by drinks, I mean non-alcoholic. I don’t know where you’re going to get that kind of deal in West Hollywood.” He added. The event is on a first come, first served basis due to space limitations, so show up early. Free parking will be available to the first 300+ vehicles in the five-story lot adjacent to the West Hollywood Library. RSVPing and reserving on tinyurl.com/boom2014 does not guarantee admittance into the event for latecomers. The event was created by the West Hollywood Project, an ongoing centralized database to help promote alcohol and drug-free events in the West Hollywood area. For more information, contact Robert Gamboa at (323) 212-5352 or rgamboa@publicstrategies.org.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE C I T Y ’ S S U P P O R T OF A SOBER EVENT LIKE #BOOM!? “This is a great event for anyone who is tired of the drinking and the partying on New Year’s Eve. It also supports those who don’t want to drink and drive, not to mention wake up the next morning feeling sick and hungover. Those who attend will start the new year feeling great.” —Daniel Rita
“I strongly support this type of event. When I was in my early 20s, I just didn’t find many situations where people were sober. There was always an ulterior motive with drugs and lots of drama. It just wasn’t very fun. I really enjoy going to the clubs sober. I feel healthier. I really look forward to this event.” —Sherman Hutchison
West Hollywood City Council unanimously approved council item 5B at a Nov. 18 meeting, which calls for the use of traffic control officers at nine WeHo intersections during evening rush hours to alleviate gridlock and traffic congestion. “Together we’ve taken the first big step towards improving circulation in West Hollywood,” Mayor Pro Tempore John D’Amico stated. “This coordinated, citywide plan has the potential to improve afternoon and evening commute times by up to 20 percent, saving time and reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” he added. “Being a pass-through city means thousands of commuters traveling East and West through West Hollywood each day.” Councilmember John Duran stated. “Employing traffic officers may reduce intersection blockage and driver frustration.” Studies reveal that officers can prevent vehicles and pedestrians from blocking intersections. Traffic officers can also enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety during peak hours. Staff will report back to the City Council at the first council meeting in February with an implementation plan. Traffic officers are expected to be in place by late February 2014. For more information, please contact Michelle Rex, Deputy to Mayor Pro Tempore John D’Amico, at (323) 848-6460 or mrex@weho.org or Ian Owens, Deputy to Councilmember John J. Duran, at iowens@weho.org.
SPEAK OUT “West Hollywood is a party city, but not everyone wants to party, so this event gives people a safe place to go. It also seems to be very central, so I think it will be wellattended. At the same time, it is a little too close to the bars, and that might be challenging for guys who are newly sober, so it’s important to be vigilant.” —Chris DePooter
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DESERT
HOT TOPIC Amy & Freddy
RING IN THE NEW YEAR! BY JAMES F. MILLS
2014 is almost here! As hard is it is to image, 2013 is nearly over and a new year is practically upon us. Palm Springs may not have a Times Squarestyle celebration for welcoming the new year, but there are plenty of options for ringing in 2014 in the desert. Here’s a roundup of some of the best New Year’s Eve celebrations Palm Springs has to offer. Copa Palm Springs 244 E. Amado Rd., (760)-866-0021 coparoomps.com A throwback to the nightclub era, the justopened Copa is fashioned around an elevated performing stage and a Ushaped bar. Comic song duo Amy & Freddy from Chicago perform at the 7:30 p.m. show, while the L.A.-based fiveman R&B band Sip of Soul plays at 10 p.m. Admission is $65 in advance, $85 at the door with party favors and a champagne toast included. For those wanting a meal beforehand, the Tropicale restau-
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rant a few doors down the street has a three-course meal for $85. “If you’re looking for the biggest bang for your buck and to have fun with friends, the Copa is the place to go,” reports promoter Kerry Hendrix. “It’s the newest, hottest club in town. So come here to celebrate the new year.” Riviera Palm Springs 1600 Indian Canyon Dr., (760)-327-8311 psriviera.com Palm Springs’ grand dame of mid-century modern hotels offers several options to satisfy your tastes with a poolside grand buffet. The early seating, which costs $48, runs from 5 to 7 p.m. and features acoustic guitarist Michael Keeth. The later seating, which costs $95 and includes a champagne toast, starts at 8 p.m. and features the Mercedes Moore Band playing 1960s-style soul music. For those not wanting to eat, $40 gets you admission to the Sidebar poolside area and a champagne toast.
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Additionally, in the hotel’s Starlight Lounge, pianist Martin Ross (and friends) performs starting at 7:30 p.m. Then at 11 p.m. Ross assumes master of ceremonies duties while DJ Shasta plays dance hits to ring in 2014. Admission is $40, which includes a champagne toast. “The Riviera is absolutely the most iconic spot in Palm Springs,” says Tom Wright, general manager of the hotel’s Circa 59 restaurant. “The hotel itself is where all the Hollywood elite came to play. It’s steeped in history. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin hung out here. We renovated the hotel in 2008, so now it is very contemporary but still has a retro feel to it. What better place to celebrate the new year?” The Riviera also has several New Year’s Eve room packages available. The Purple Room 1900 E. Palm Canyon Dr., (760)-322-4422 purpleroompalmsprings.com Retro is hot right now, and the city’s newest restaurant, dating back to 1960, is one of the hottest. Recently reopened, The Purple Room offers New American cuisine and a fresh take on comfort food. For New Year’s Eve, there are three seatings for the three-course dinner. The 5:30 p.m. seating costs $60, with singing chef Barry Minniefield performing. The
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7:30 p.m. seating costs $90 and features the Gand Band with special guest pop-country-jazz singer Bobbi Eakes. The 9:30 p.m. seating is $120 with unlimited wine, champagne and party favors, plus the Gand Band and special guest pop singer Christina Moon Gaeta performing. “The Purple Room is the hottest ticket in town,” says owner Tony Marchese, who also owns Trio restaurant. “Ring in the new year in retro style.” CCBC (Cathedral City Boy’s Club) 68300 Gay Resort Dr., Cathedral City (760)-324-1350 ccbc-gay-resort.com The clothing-optional, 44-room resort on 3.5 acres may be a gay man’s playground, but it also celebrates the new year with a party from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. There will be hors d’oeuvres and drinks in the banquet room, plus champagne at midnight. Meanwhile, a DJ spins music poolside while go-go dancers add to the fun. Porn star Robbie Mendez will also be there celebrating his 30th birthday, joined by Tony Vega. Plus, CCBC offers a free shuttle bus transporting people to and from restaurants/bars in town. Special room rates are available for the celebration they’re billing as “Nude Year’s Eve.”
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DESERT MIXOLOGY BY JAMES F. MILLS Behind any great event is a great bartender. The person mixing those drinks can keep guests happy and the party lively. That’s where Joseph Cortina comes in. Cortina, who goes by the nickname “Jojo,” is more than a bartender— he’s a mixologist. “A simple bartender can make simple drinks, but a mixologist learns and studies these cocktails,” says the Coachella Valley-raised Cortina. “A mixologist studies the velocity of these cocktails. He studies the sugar content and alcohol content. He studies the state and taste and consistency of them.” With today’s ever-changing tastes in drinks, the mixologist has to stay on top of his game, something Cortina prides himself on. “You’ve got to know all the new products. You’ve got to know the liqueurs. You’ve got to be able to combine all these new flavors and new fusions,” says Cortina, who not only went to bartending school but has taken classes on wine and beer. “You’ve got to know what works well with what, the same way a chef mixes his spices and ingredients.” For the past decade, Cortina has worked as a mixologist. In 2009, he opened his own professional bartending company, At Your Service. He and his At Your Service staff have worked many events in the Coachella Valley—everything from weddings, anniversaries and engagement parties to film festivals, art
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receptions and fundraisers. “My goal is to be at your service. I’m passionate and fun and have a happiness of life,” says Cortina. “I want you to be happy. I want you to enjoy yourself. I’ll do whatever I have to do to make that happen.” Cortina prides himself on going the extra mile, often creating a signature cocktail for an event. One such cocktail that has won raves is a drink that has come to be known as the “Jojo Special,” consisting of orange, pomegranate and peach liqueurs along with Southern Comfort. “It’s refreshing, citrusy and fruity at the same time,” he says. Another is his “T Rex,” which includes orange and blackberry liqueurs, peach schnapps, citrus vodka and rum. “It’s sweet and sour and delicious,” he says. Not only does Cortina make signature drinks, he’s known for his smile while on the job. “I’ve got the signature smile,” he says. “When the people are happy at the end of the shift, I’ve got a grin from ear to ear, knowing I’ve got a job well done. They say it’s a million dollar smile. I’m happy. I enjoy that I can bring happiness to others. That makes my day.” Contact Jojo Cortina at (760) 485-1296 or atyourservice_2011@hotmail.com.
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HEALTH
OFF THE ESY COURT PHOTO
VO TV OF BRA
COUCH
By Dr. Greg Cason
6 BIG MISTAKES GAYS MAKE AT HOLIDAY GATHERINGS Everybody has the potential to be a drama queen during the holidays. Emotions run high, and the added stress makes everything worse. We are all running around with our panties in a wad while trying to buy that last-minute gift, decorate our Christmas trees and manage the onslaught of marginal friends and distant relatives.
Dr. Greg Cason is a licensed psychologist based in West Hollywood, specializing in cognitive therapy with individuals and couples. He can be contacted by going to DrGreg.com.
According to a telephone survey of 768 adults done by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research in 2006, 68 percent of people reported fatigue, 61 percent reported stress and 52 percent reported irritability during the holidays. This leads us to make some big boo-boos during holiday gatherings that can have a higher cost than the interest on our credit cards. Here are six of those mistakes and what to do about them. 1. Coming out at the holiday dinner table. Every year I hear of people doing this, and it is not just about sexual orientation either. It also can be about marriage, adoption, sobriety or HIV-status. When you do this you suddenly shift a dinner that is about everyone together and make it all about you. Solution: Find another time to tell people. Important news is often best handled oneon-one or in small groups. If you must tell people when you are home for the holidays, I recommend making the day before the holiday, the holiday itself and the day after the holiday to be off-limits. Make those days about togetherness. Either come home early to share the news or stay another couple of days and tell them then. That way people have the breathing room to be able to absorb your news and show support. 2. Going home without your partner because your parents disapprove. Going without your partner would be like you agreeing with everyone concerned that your relationship is inferior or an abomination. Solution: Your parents probably don’t like to be told what to do, so give them a choice. Either you come home with your husband/ wife/partner or you don’t come home at all.
The two of you are a package deal. And if they make you sleep in separate bedrooms, tell them they will have to do the same when they come to visit you. It’s only fair. 3. Eating too much. Most people gain one to two pounds during the holidays. That may not sound like much to you, but that’s like 10 pounds in gay weight. And most never lose it, so after a few years it really adds up! Solution: Just like going to the grocery store, it is best not to arrive hungry or you will make bad decisions. Eat some protein 30-minutes before—it takes that long to feel full, and protein takes longer to digest, so you will eat less. Also, beware of the infamous “food pushers.” When people try to push hors d’oeuvres or extra helpings on us, we tend to eat them out of politeness. But if you say “no,” that should be that. If they continually push, they are being “food pushers.” The best way to handle a food pusher is to be firm but polite. Put your hand on their shoulder, look them in the eye and say, “Thank you, but no.” Repeat as necessary. 4. Drinking too much. Obligatory parties, awkward silences and mounting stress (or mounting other things) can all lead one to take extra sips of the holiday punch. Not only will drinking cause you to say and do things you will later regret, the ride home could be treacherous. Mothers Against Drunk Driving estimate that drunk driving accounts for 52 percent of traffic deaths during the holiday season. Solution: Feel free to imbibe, but slow yourself down by alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. You will cut your consumption in half. And, do everyone a favor and take a cab or car service to the party (and back) so you aren’t tempted to
drive (and swerve) home. 5. Texting, Grinding, Emailing. Ugh! Do I really have to say why this is tacky during a gathering at any time of the year? But at the holidays it is a special insult. It basically says to the people you are with that what is on the telephone is more important than they are. Solution: If you must do it, include the other people. “I have to answer this text from my boyfriend. Do you mind?” or “Look at this hot guy I’ve been chatting with.” If you cannot share it because you really don’t want to show the hot guy’s dick pic to your mother and her bible study group, then take it to the place where we typically engage in behavior that others don’t want to see—the bathroom. 6. Planning the perfect dinner/party. We gays are good at making things perfect, and in doing so make those close to us and ourselves perfectly miserable. Personally, I think the only things that are meant to be perfect at the holidays are Martha Stewart’s house and the baby Jesus, so the rest of us can just relax. Solution: Rather than focusing on impressing others, focus on making them feel comfortable. A loving embrace, quick chat and a holiday cocktail will make a bigger impression than a 27foot pine adorned in Tiffany ornaments alongside a choir of imported orphans from some needy E astern Bloc country. Sure, more people may talk about the orphans with perfect pitch the next day, but more will fondly remember the welcome feeling the entire next year. Do as the ‘80s group Frankie Goes to Hollywood recommends and “relax“ this season. Remember, you get to do it all again next year, so why not just focus on family, friendship and fun this year? You’ll be glad you did.
If you have any questions and/or comments, please direct them to: Frontiers, 5657 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 470, Los Angeles, CA 90036, or email them to feedback@frontiersla.com. DECEMBER 24, 2013
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HEALTH
HIV
LIVING WITH MICHAEL WEINSTEIN PHOTO: GREG GORMAN
President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) president@aidshealth.org — aidshealth.org
NOW MORE THAN EVER Whether you are seeing more and more gay bareback porn, reading ads for men looking for condomless hookups or looking at stats from the CDC, there is little doubt that unprotected sex among gay men is on the rise. There are too many different explanations to cover them all here. However, what we do know is that this generation didn’t live through the holocaust of the ‘80s and ‘90s. And listening to their elders talk about the ‘bad old days’ resonates about as well as our parents talking about how poor they were during the Great Depression. We know that young people think they are invincible and that self-esteem plays a huge role in sexual risk-taking. It is not a surprise that gay men—as do all men—prefer intercourse without condoms. Knowing what we know, what should we do about it? There is a line of argument that promoting condom use is a lost cause. According to some, even if we talk ourselves blue in the face, no one is listening. We are supposed to come up with a whole new strategy—sero-sorting, PrEP, risk-reduction, etc. It all sounds so sensible. The problem is that it won't work. The idea behind sero-sorting is that if men only have unprotected sex with partners of the same HIV-status they will be safe. This has been tried—and failed. While it might work for a few individuals, when it is applied community-wide, it leads to more infections, because men may lie or not realize they have turned positive since their last test. PrEP, which is giving HIV medications to negative men to prevent infection, has also failed to protect the majority of men in every clinical trial. Relying on negative men to take this medication every day just doesn't happen most of the time. And the idea that you can significantly reduce your risk by withdrawing before coming has no evidence to back it up. If you have multiple partners over a long period of time, without condoms there is a very high likelihood that you will turn HIV-positive and contract other STDs. Sorry to deliver the bad news. Mutual monogamy, masturbation and confining yourself to handjobs or even blow-jobs drastically reduces your risk. Anal sex without a condom greatly increases it. Reducing the number of your sexual partners also improves your odds. So, despite the rise in unsafe sex, bareback videos and ads for bare hookups, condom promotion remains the best strategy we have to protect our community. Now, when the fear of HIV has receded because of the improvements in HIV treatment, it is more important than ever to promote safer sex. We won't reach everyone (although the majority of gay men still do use condoms), but if we let our guard down and give up on safer sex, it is guaranteed that many more men will become infected. The battle for LGBT equality dates back to the late ‘60s. Bringing down rates of smoking has taken even longer. No one said that health promotion was supposed to be easy. It may not be fashionable to tell gay men that they need to use condoms, but it is the only strategy that has proven effective over the long term. The opinions of this column do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Frontiers magazine.
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HEALTH
ZERO TO
SAVVY WITH AARON SAVVY, ACSM Certified Trainer
JUMPSTART YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION Ugh! Here we go again, creeping up on another year and another shot at following through with our New Year’s resolutions. But do we really understand—or even care—about creating a new fitness plan for the new year? I see it year after year, like clockwork—the new gym memberships are purchased and already existing members dust off their cards in hopes that this time they will get that better body. Like most people, you’ve probably forgotten or fallen through on almost every single one of your New Year’s resolutions. You probably tell yourself, “I’ll just enjoy the holiday and start anew come January.” But whether you realize it or not, you are setting yourself up for failure. You are what you eat, and the thousands of unnecessary calories you’ll consume between now and New Year’s Eve will make it that much harder to get your mind in “workout mode.” Let’s fix that, because you’ll be damned to let one more year beat you, right? This is the time to give yourself that wake-up call and a verbal pep talk acknowledging and reprimanding yourself for your current state of being. Our bodies are the single most important thing we have. If it breaks down, your job, family and, most importantly, your health will suffer severely. This is the time to start reprogramming yourself and instilling a new, positive, “must-do” attitude. We use this tactic on a daily basis when we wake up, go to the bathroom, shower, brush our teeth, eat, go to work, etc. Now insert “Go to the gym.” With time, going to the gym will become second nature. You simply have to do it! You don’t think about it, you don’t question it, you just go. Commit to two days a week of going to the gym, then shoot for three, then four, then five. I did not achieve my personal fitness goals over night—it took time and consistency. Nothing worthwhile comes with ease, and we all know that. There are thousands of companies that are rich and successful because we fall for their “get in shape quick” schemes and fitness gizmos. Right now, at this moment, decide to accept and commit to building a new you! Creating the mental aspect takes constant self-coaching. Verbally ask yourself, “What are my physical results going to be if I exercise regularly?” Answer the question in writing and reflect on the results— weight loss, muscle gain, definition, toning and a boost in energy and self-confidence. Also focus on how your life will change—you’ll be able to run the marathon you always wanted to run, finally take up snowboarding or simply have enough energy to go out with friends after a long day at work. So you’ve been out of shape for five-plus years? So you don’t see a change in three weeks or even three months? Don’t let yourself get frustrated—you’ve been out of shape for five-plus years, so give yourself a year! Allow your body a chance to react to your new healthy lifestyle. Your body has been going in one direction for a long time. It takes time for the body to slow down and then finally go into the direction you want it to.
For additional questions, feel free to visit me at aaronsavvy.com. DECEMBER 24, 2013
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MARKETPLACE END NECK + BACK PAIN 323-460-4071 [65SC0917]
JOBS AVAIL./WANTED
ATTENTION ADVERTISERS Read your ad carefully when it initially appears. We are not responsible for errors or minor copy changes after first issue of publication. If an error is found, please contact the classifieds department immediately for corrections. Frontiers assumes no responsibility for error or omission of copy. The right to reject, edit, cancel and determine proper placement of a classified ad is the right of this publication. [04CS0000]
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
ANNOUNCERS No experience necessary Host music/talk-shows for our radio stations. P/T $10-15/hr, $200+ per show plus fantastic benefits 323-468-0080 714991-1966. [15SC2221] Pride Card Services, a full-service, gayowned and operated merchant payments processor, is seeking a National Account Executive to add to its West Hollywood Sales team. Pride Card Services provides support to HIV/AIDS, civil rights and equality-focused charities while offering affordable and reliable payment solutions to the businesses in the LGBT community and LGBT-friendly organizations. Responsibilities include door-to-door selling in the LGBT community, making cold calls, following up on warm leads, making 60+ calls per day, activating dormant accounts, as well as project and account management. The successful candidate will participate in a two (2) week comprehensive training program to learn about the Signature credit card processing system and how to use Signature ‘s proprietary database to assist in direct sales efforts. The ideal candidate will have deep roots in the gay community, 2+ years’ demonstrated direct selling success (preferably in the payments processing industry), excellent verbal and written communication skills, professional presentation skills and ability to work as a team player. Knowledge of Microsoft Office required. Associates degree in business, sales or related field is preferred. Pride Card Services offers competitive compensation and benefits. Interested candidates should send resume, references and salary history to: employment@4pride.com with ìNational Account Executiveî in the subject line. No phone calls please.
PUBLIC RELATIONS Since our establishment in 1975, Castle Antiques, Inc. has consistently been a major wholesaler to antique dealers and interior designers. Today, majority of our sales is done online via various e-commerce sites. Our goal is to expand our business and thrive in this current competitive environment, and we are in need of a Public Relations position that would help us achieve this goal both online & regular.
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We are in search of outgoing, creative, detail-oriented, and deep driven individual. We want a well-spoken individual who can help us represent our company. We would prefer a nonsmoker and drug clean person. Qualifications: • Must have a degree in Marketing/ Public Relations and or related field. • Verifiable experience in public relations and/or related field. • Passion for interior design • Ability to conceptualize and implement various public relation strategies and promotional projects. • Excellent writing and verbal communication skills that would be useful with interactions with employees, and networking with various industry executives and clients. • Ability to prepare media kits, press releases, blogs, brochures, corporate communication and other information campaigns. • Has the capability to write and produce audio-visual presentations and other promotional videos. • Skills to organize and implement product launches & exhibits, tours and other promotional activities. • Possess grasp of current market and media trends. Has a proactive approach in finding strategic solutions for the company. • Must be savvy in social media marketing. • Knowledge in market research. • Has the creativity and smarts to generate new clients. Excellent interpersonal skills that projects through expert negotiation and consultation skills. • Computer savvy. • Does not mind performing minor administrative tasks. Preferred: • Basic knowledge in graphic design Contact: AVOOSH@MSN.COM [15SC1717]
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MARKETPLACE
Announcing
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Drive past the bustling intersection of Fountain Avenue and Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake and you might miss the recent arrival of Spruce, the Los Angeles edition of one of New York City’s most celebrated and awarded flower boutiques. It is not because it is particularly demure or due to any particular design flaw that Spruce might so easily escape recognition, but instead because the space is so unlike any other floral emporium in the City of Angels. In fact, it is in this very quality that Gaige Clark— the owner, mastermind and floral artist behind Spruce’s visionary approach to floral design—revels. For the last 15 years, the originality of Clark’s floral arrangements has been setting the global design community ablaze while simultaneously setting the scene for television shows like Ugly Betty, Ellen, Law & Order and Damages, as well as a who’s who of clients that includes a mix of celebrities, socialites and royals. With two stores in New York and now one in Los Angeles, Clark has, with her unique approach and in her own inimitable way, evolved the art of floral design and the essence of floral boutiques one elegant stem at a time. “I hate when people say, ‘I’m an artist,’ but I feel like I am a creative director and what I do is I create spaces, and then when I create the spaces I put flowers into them,” Clark explained over a glass of Spruce juice, the refreshing signature concoction that welcomes customers into her minimalist chic vision of the world. “This is the most modern store I’ve built, and the aesthetic of this store is based on the Getty and homes that I visited in Palm Springs. What I wanted to create was a flower laboratory. I wanted to deconstruct flowers to their essence like no one’s ever done before.” Check. There is something absolutely postmodern about Spruce. The store’s white walls are lined with shelves showcasing
individual blooms in architectural vases, flowers and leaves submerged in jars and wooden crates packed with perfectly upright, neatly lined rows of roses unfettered by a shred of embellishment. In its sleekness, Spruce represents, in short, the antithesis of the traditional flower franchise and the penultimate in modern. No wonder then that Clark counts among her greatest compliments the words of a writer who after visiting her Silver Lake outpost wrote, “If there was a flower shop in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, it would be Spruce,” a description that is admittedly so fitting it would be difficult to best. As if revolutionizing the very idea of floral design vis-à-vis her three stores weren’t enough, Clark has her sights set on so much more. On the horizon is the imminent launch of a Spruce product line that will include bath salts, body lotion, hand soap and an antibacterial countertop spray, in-store classes in floral arranging and a book that will, among other things, explore Clark’s experience of growing up genderqueer. There’s also the leather store in Provincetown she hopes to buy, and plans for Spruce stores in Paris and Japan. Needless to say, Clark is as long on ambition as she is on creativity. Asked about the source of her seemingly boundless drive, Clark credits her upbringing. “I have two very charismatic parents,” she explains. “My mother really, really drove me, and my father does stand-up comedy. He’s so funny. So I think I got humor from him and the ability to be able to look beyond the tragedy in our lives. The key to it I think is laughing at things. That’s why I’ve always been able to say, ‘What’s next?’ You know, you lift yourself up, you dust yourself off and accept.” And bloom, clearly.
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SEX ED
HORNY HO HUM BY JIM LARKINS It’s another Saturday night, you’ve rested up from the busy work week and you know tomorrow you can snooze through the morning. This was once the point where a sexual pleasure-fest wasn’t even a question—it just happened. But as weeks turned to months, and months dominoed into years, your relationship developed a yawn that left you reaching for the remote rather than your lover. The problem is, a mutually compatible, healthy sexual appetite is a key part of an intimate relationship, and neglecting it can drive a serious wedge between the closest of partners. But before you beat yourself up over letting the sexual embers cool down, consider that you could be fighting a physiological uphill battle. “There’s biological evidence that novel experiences cause the release of dopamine, the chemical messenger that affects the pleasure center in your brain,” says OB/GYN Renee Horowitz, founder of the Center for Sexual Wellness in Michigan. “That’s why it’s so much easier to get excited in a new relationship— everything is novel, and your brain responds accordingly.” But unless you plan to switch partners every time the excitement slips into low gear, you might want to consider throwing a little changeup into your sexual routines. Adjustments to your erotic protocol can be as simple as trying a new position, exploring a different lovemaking location or enjoying
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