Central Florida Edition July 2019
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on the inside
Central Florida Edition July 2019
“The Lightning Thief”
The New York Times Bestseller is Now An Electrifying New Rock Musical.
columns and features: • What’s Hot Central Florida
• Five Ways to Help Trans Children • Hear Me Out
• Carly Rae Jepsen
• “The Lightning Thief”
• Hot Bodies—Want More Muscle?
• St. Petersburg City Council: RRecognizes Majority LGBTWOOwned Businesses
hot shots • KindRED Pride at House of Blues Orlando • St. Pete Pride • One Magical Weekend’s Riptide at Typhoon
What’s
HOT
...everything you need to plan your month
hot shots photos by scott holland
One Magical Weekend
Riptide at Typhoon Lagoon
what’s hot By Scott Holland
everything you need to know
to plan your month
W
Welcome to the What's Hot Column, where we feature countless events in the Greater Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, and surrounding areas. This is also your connection to activities and events by local LGBT+ organizations. Continue reading on to learn What's Hot in July!
Miserable and more from Broadway and film, accompanied by a live orchestra. Tickets start at $29.50 at: amaliearena.com.
Saturday, July 6
Celebrating Independence Weekend, the reigning queen
Friday, July 5
The Amalie Arena presents Hugh Jackman in his “The Man, The Music, The Show World Tour” at 7pm. This show will see Jackman performing hit songs from The Greatest Showman, Les
from RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 4, Trinity “the tuck” Taylor, comes home to the Parliament House! Shows with the Footlight Players at 10pm (theatre) and 12am (pool stage). In addition, fireworks light up the sky, and DJ Brianna spins until 3am. Admission is $10 in Advance, $15 at Door, and $30 for VIP
(Meet & Greet immediately following the 12am show). 18+ welcome! Free Parking. For tickets go to: Tickets@ParliamentHouse.com. Neema's Latin Saturdays "Amor" at Stonewall Bar Orlando presents extra special guest Chary Lady Fox during the show at 12am. Along with Chary they will feature Isabelle and Jeivy Lalique. Door Diva Samantha Stone opens up at 9pm, and there is NO COVER until 10pm. Music by DJs Franklin Cruel and Kraig Matthews with sexy dancer Daniel Garces Palacio, and shot boy Fabian Giovanni.
Tuesday, July 9
The Straz Center for the Performing Arts presents “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” from today until July 14. This “winning adaptation” (The Hollywood Reporter) of the
best-selling Disney-Hyperion novel by Rick Riordan, is “electrifying!” (Newsday). The Greek gods are real, and they're ruining Percy Jackson's life. As a son of Poseidon, Percy has newly discovered powers he can't control, monsters on his trail, and is on an epic quest to find Zeus's lightning bolt to prevent a war between the gods. Nominated for three Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical, The Lightning Thief is “mesmerizing” and proves “lightning can strike twice!” (heaterMania).Tickets start at $25 at StrazCenter.org.
Wednesday, July 10
From today until Saturday, July 13, the International Choreographed Ballroom Dance Association (ICBDA0 presents their 43rd convention at the Orlando Convention Center. For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to: ICBDA.com
Resort from today through July 15th. The weekend of Pageantry will star the current court: Amanda D'rhod (Showgirl 2018), Jelitza Fearce (Showgirl at Large 2018), Dena Cass (Showgirl supreme 2018), Christopher Iman (Showman 2018) and Seymour Chilton (Showman at Large 2018) along with many of the formers. For more information visit: NationalShowgirlPageant.com .
Friday, July 12
Hamburger Mary's Clearwater presents, for one night only, Roxxxy Andrews from RuPaul's Drag Race. Show times will be 7pm and 9:45pm and Roxxxy will perform along with the
Thursday, July 11
The National Showgirl/Showman Pageantry System presents the finals for all their nationals at the Flamingo
Mary's divas. General admission is $5, $10 includes meet and greet and $15 includes premium seating and meet and greet. For more information, go to: hamburgermarys.com/clear water. The Orlando Improv presents Steve-O (a.k.a. Stephen Glover) today and tomorrow, Saturday, July 13, who in “Jackass” was willing to do whatever it took to become famous, even if it meant stapling his ball sack to his leg. After failing miserably at the University of Miami, Steve-O was a homeless couch-surfer for three years before he
attended Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, to help further his goal of becoming a famous stuntman. After graduating Clown College, determined to make it in Hollywood, he began to pitch his home videos to producers. Eventually, Steve-O's videos made it into the hands of Jeff Tremaine (Jackass Creator/Director/Producer), who was working with Johnny Knoxville to create a stunt-based reality show. The rest is history. MTV aired the first season of JACKASS in 2000. Tickets are $25 at Theimprovorlando.com.
Saturday, July 13
New Kids On The Block, the multiplatinum-selling pop super-group, unveiled an epic lineup for their highly anticipated 2019 tour. NKOTB brings The MixTape Tour with very special guests Salt-N-Pepa, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson and Naughty by Nature to Orlando's Amway Center at 8pm. Tickets start at $36.95 at Amwaycenter.com.
Friday, July 19
The Tampa Improv presents Nataha Leggero today and tomorrow, Saturday, July 20. Natasha Leggero is an
accomplished actress, writer, and stand-up comedian whose garnered attention across film, television and the web. Leggero will next be seen starring opposite Andrew Dice Clay as his girlfriend Carmen on Dice. The show chronicles life in the Vegas suburbs, as Andrew Dice Clay tries to live his life while trapped in the skin of “The Diceman.” Tickets are $25 at Improvtampa.com
Tour,” to Orlando's Amway Center. The tour features the “World of Dance” experience in which audiences will be treated to surprise dance guest performances by stars from Lopez's hit NBC dance show, “World of Dance” including Swing Latino, Briar Nolet, and The Lab. Fans can also expect a signature Lopez show each night showcasing her distinctive choreography and dancers, incredible production and set design, dazzling wardrobe, and a non-stop party mix of new and classic anthems. Tickets start at $59 at AmwayCenter.com.
Wednesday, June 24
The Straz Center for the Performing Arts presents John Cusack plus a screening of “Say Anything.” The 1989
Tuesday, July 23
International icon Jennifer Lopez brings her “It's My Party: The Live Celebration
comedy/drama Say Anything brought popular culture the love story of Lloyd Dobler (actor John Cusack) and Diane Court (actress Ione Skye). An eternal optimist seeks the heart of a “brain trapped in the body of a game show hostess.” Ranked by Entertainment Weekly as one of the greatest modern movie romances (and #11 on the list of 50 best high-school movies), Say Anything made a star out of John Cusack who went on to success in multiple films including High
Fidelity, Grosse Point Blank, and Being John Malkovich, among others.The movie will be followed by a live conversation regarding his career and the making of Say Anything. A limited number of VIP Gold Circle seats will be available that include a post-show photo opportunity with John. Tickets start at $53.50 at StrazCenter.org.
Thursday, July 25
The Straz Center presents Bring It! Live: The Dance Battle Tour. This show features the legendary coach Dianna Williams and her team of Dancing Dolls, with a jam-packed heart-pounding experience called Bring It! Live. After three acclaimed touring seasons, the hit Lifetime TV series Bring It! is back again live on-stage with never before seen routines and an all new fan vs Dancing Doll stand battles. The 2019 summer tour will feature an all new interactive show with hotter-than-ever performances inspiring fans of all ages in an evening packed with motivation, inspiration and formation. Tickets start at $29.75 at Strazcenter.org
Saturday, July 27
Supporting the release of his self-titled third album, multiplatinum and chart-topping
Email WhatsHot@HotspotsMedia.com to have your event considered for “What’s Hot.”
singer/songwriter Shawn Mendes comes to the Amalie Arena with his “Shawn Mendes: The Tour� at 7:30pm, which will mark his third global headline tour, following his sold out 2017 arena trek. Tickets start at $25.75 at Amaliearena.com. If you miss tonight you can catch him performing at the Amway Center on Tuesday, July 30 at 7:30pm with tickets starting at $26.50 at AmwayCenter.com. Neema's Latin Saturdays "Amor" at Stonewall Bar Orlando presents a J Balvin concert ticket giveaway, which will be given out during the show at 12am. The show stars Angelica Sanchez, Aaliyah Valentino, and Lisa lane. Door Diva Samantha Stone opens up at 9pm, and there is NO COVER until 10pm. Music by
a spectacular musical journey with the Hello Tour, coming to Tampa's Amalie Arena at 7:30pm. The tour is in support of Richie's new album, Live from Las Vegas. Tickets start at $55.75 at Amaliearena.com
DJs Franklin Cruel and Kraig Matthews with sexy dancer Daniel Garces Palacio, and shot boy Fabian Giovanni.
Sunday, July 28
Lionel Richie will take fans on
hot shots photos by tony fowler
St Pete Pride Parade
5
5 Ways To Help Transgender Children
2. Don't assume it's a phase – you may have gone through a phase of blond hair and rebellion in your youth, but that doesn't mean that what your child is going through is a phase too. Don't discredit the child's feelings, as there's always a reason behind them. Listen and keep an open mind even though you might not completely understand.
3. Clothes – don't force your child to wear things they're uncomfortable with. If they identify as a boy, making them wear a dress to school may be jarring and humiliating. Society is becoming freer from gender-norms, and you should be too!
4. Provide support – connect your child to the right support services where needed. This might be a thera-pist, support group, or a network of other trans children who can help them to feel less isolated. Remember that being trans is still relatively rare in society, so you'll need to be extra supportive to prevent feelings of loneliness and isolation. 5. Be your child's advocate – call out transphobia
I
It's completely natural for parents of transgender children to feel some degree of confusion or doubt; but growing past this and supporting your child's gender identity can be the difference between a happy child and a mentally unhealthy one. GI Collection are a transgender clothing, beauty and support services brand who are committed to empowering and helping the transgender community. Here, founder Carmen Liu shares 5 ways to help transgender children.
1. Research – do plenty of research and seek
advice from people with experience. The internet is an invaluable resource for connecting with others and learning about things you previously had no understanding of. It might also help to connect with LGBT alliance groups or societies as they can offer advice.
when you see it and ask that others respect your child's identity. Nobody has the right to discriminate or cause harm – and it's not always easy for trans children to stand up for themselves.
MORE ABOUT GI COLLECTION
Founded by Carmen Liu, GI Collection is a first-of-its-kind brand designed exclusively for transgender women. GI Collection includes a unique series of products and services, aimed to help transgender women feel both genuinely feminine and sexy. The brand comes as a stark contrast to the limited choice of ghastly and masculine products currently on the market, which can prevent transgender women feeling like the women that they are. Despite elements of progress over the last few years, transgender people are still shunned from society and discriminated against unfairly, plus they often lack psychological/emotional support when it comes to making the transition. But GI Collection is aiming to change things, one leap at a time.
hear me out
By Chris Azzopardi
8 New Songs For Your Summer Playlist
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Taylor Swift is a gay icon on the job! Céline Dion is flying! Katy Perry is not sexualizing buffets! And then, there's MIKA, your “Ice Cream” man, and country queen Tanya Tucker's stately comeback single, produced by Grammywinning lesbian extraordinaire Brandi Carlile. Don't let the season pass you by without giving these new summer songs a spin.
ear me out . hear me out . hear me
u “You Need to Calm Down”
Taylor Swift Homophobes, look what you made Taylor Swift do: the pop superstar's second single from her upcoming Lover album is her gayest yet. She celebrates guys in gowns (and calls out those who don't). She rightfully wonders why protesters with anti-gay signs at Pride parades waste their time. And as confirmed in the lyric video, there's a shoutout to GLAAD, with the line, “Why are you mad when you could be GLAAD?” It gets even gayer when the mega singer-songwriter calls out homophobic haters who gay-hate because, after all, “shade never made anybody less gay.” Swift's most political song (it's at least partly about Trump and she doesn't even need to say his name) comes shortly after the singersongwriter recently released a statement in support of Tennessee's Equality Act.
Chris Azzopardi is the editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBT wire service. Reach him @chrisazzopardi.
u “Never Really Over”
Katy Perry Baby, she's a firework again. That's more than could be said about Katy Perry two or even six years ago, when the motivational-anthem maker leaned heavily into self-caricature and tried, in an exceptionally on-brand move, to make buffets sexy. That “Never Really Over” has more in common with “Firework” or “Roar” is the biggest compliment I've given Perry in years. The single wipes the slate clean – yes, even the text she couldn't bring herself to send, to unintentionally hilarious effect, on the fatuous “Save As Draft” is finally leaving me – as its percussive snaps and sound-drop effects propel the track into a funky synth-club bop worthy of Robyn-level ranking in the dance-salve canon.
u “Rollercoaster”
Jonas Brothers Crying because of a JoBros song: I assure you, this is not where I saw myself at age 36 either. But here I am and here we are, the Disney boys all grown up, reminiscing on youth and presumably their up-and-down relationship with each other on “Rollercoaster.” And me, all misty-eyed, flooded with my own boy-to-man memories. Nostalgia will do that, as the JoBros toggle between bouncy Mumford & Sons choruses and mellow verses to achieve an exuberant anthem that will tug at your vulnerable daddy tears.
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hear me out . hear me out . hear me out . u “Want You in My Room”
Carly Rae Jepsen You can take it from me or you can take it from Taylor Swift, who knows a cute bop when she hears one, which is why she included this slice of '80s heaven on her official Apple Music playlist. But if you're not already listening to “Want You in My Room” from CRJ's gem of a pop album, Dedicated, well, it's never too late to start living. The greatest joy within your reach at this very moment is hearing Jepsen boisterously shout-sing about having sex for two minutes and 46 seconds. And if you ask me, that's at least 10 hours too short.
u “With My Whole Heart”
Sufjan Stevens For June Pride Month, not-explicitly-out but suggestively queer musician Sufjan Stevens released two songs, with portions of the proceeds benefiting two organizations supporting LGBTQ and homeless children in America (the Ali Forney Center in Harlem, NY, and the Ruth Ellis Center in Detroit). The song's welcome lightheartedness is a shift from the dark skies hovering over his last album, the grief-stricken Carrie & Lowell. “With My Whole Heart” is sonically ambitious and upbeat, a respite that casts a shimmer with electro fragments that dissolve into a million brilliant tiny pieces.
u “Ice Cream”
u “The Wheels of Laredo”
MIKA Queer glam-pop artist MIKA leaned on his newest single “Ice Cream,” the first from his upcoming October fulllength, to weather some personal storms and some actual weather (no AC in Italy, where the song came to him) while writing this delectable treat, a sumptuous '90s throwback to signature Prince and George Michael. It's a gay parade of sounds, the beach on a blistering day. And who can argue with what it stands for: “Dare to be the more proud version of yourself,” MIKA says. “Dare to be a sensual man, dare to express out loud the desires you always keep inside your head. That's why and how I wrote it.”
Tanya Tucker If anyone was going to get country legend Tanya Tucker back in the saddle, it was going to be Tucker fangirl and openly lesbian Grammy winner Brandi Carlile. Lucky us: co-producing Tucker's first album of new material in 17 years, While I'm Livin', out Aug. 23, Carlile, along with twin bandmates Tim and Phil Hanseroth, aid in the record's wistful, understated comeback single. They wrote it. They produced it. And in the background of Tucker's poignant drawl, with their signature harmonies, that's them you hear on it.
u “Flying On My Own”
Céline Dion Our favorite goofy, rubber-faced gay icon, Céline Dion, knows just how to pick up the pieces of her broken heart after losing her husband, René Angélil, in 2016: by channeling her grief and solitude into a rousing, lifeaffirming dance anthem seemingly created solely for the purpose of helping gay hearts go on and on and on. She recently debuted the empowering club jam during her final show in Vegas, capping a 16-year residency. Her wingspan wide, her voice expectedly sky-bound, her “feet on the runway,” the song turns the page on Céline's life and career. But flying on her own? Not with that refreshingly optimistic beat in a room full of gesticulating homosexuals.
By Chris Azzopardi
I
The beloved pop underdog talks 'gift' of having LGBTQ fans, gay magic and mullet power.
It's certainly not Carly Rae Jepsen's fault that the English language is, at least when she needs it most, a total let-down. It offers her scant synonyms for describing what, exactly, she's checking off on her color-coded poster boards when making an album: “I'm always embarrassed to say, but emotions.” She giggles, the winsome sound of the greatest
pop song not yet written. To hear her floaty laugh is to experience a little miracle, a bit of magic in a time when the world's lost some of its own – in other words, hearing Carly Rae Jepsen giggle, or say anything, quite honestly, is a lot like hearing her 2015 glitterstorm of pop greatness, EMOTION: sweet, bubbly, infectious. A daydream.
Content occupying her own queer wonderland (shh, she's still our best kept secret), Jepsen's post-“Call Me Maybe” trajectory into gay darlinghood is a strange, beautiful thing considering how truly delicious her escapist bops are: framed around prismatic beats that lean into the retro pop sounds of the '80s and '90s, her lyrics speaking to the human condition, the fickleness of love her trademark. Broadening her emotion board (sex!), Dedicated, Jepsen's fourth, more-exposed album, is an exciting next step in the 33-year-old industry outsider's free-spirited career. Recently, Jepsen kept it real while talking about how the LGBTQ community's wholehearted embrace of her is “a beautiful gift in my life,” being more open to showing the public who she is, and almost getting eaten alive by gays (because of course!) during a recent shopping trip.
I saw you play with The Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 2017 and that was gay heaven. So many gays. I kept thinking, with you around, who needs Grindr? Go to a Carly show, find your husband. Or your husband for a night. (Giggles) I mean, that's all I'm trying to do, man, is set up new love lives.
Are you feeling that gay love when you're on stage no matter where you are?
I would say one of the gifts of this whole experience, from EMOTION on, has been a swell of being accepted and embraced by a community that I have loved since I began, basically. And I don't think I've ever had more fun than when I play a Pride festival; there's nothing more joyful, and the rooms and the fields are so full of an energy that you don't get anywhere else, and what a cool thing to be involved in.
Does the queer fandom for you on social media translate to everyday life? Like, are LGBTQ fans openly expressing their enthusiastic love for you on your way to Starbucks or at gay brunch?
Photos by: Markus & Koala.
(Giggles) All of my fans and my gay fans, too, are the coolest, most realest people I've ever met, so it's never been the type of fandom where you feel like you have to run away; it's more like you're meeting new friends everywhere you go and I love that about it.
I just wonder if, at this point in your career, you can go into a gay bar as yourself and not be gay-mobbed.
I mean, I was in New York recently with my boyfriend and we were shopping and we
found what was gonna be a store for everything glitter, based on, like, drag, and I was like, “I better go and see if I can find some sparkly gloves for the Cyndi Lauper event”. I walked in and he just grabbed my hand and slowly walked me out, and he was like, “I love you, love, but you're gonna get eaten in there,” because we got noticed by, like, six different people on the way in. I was like, “But I want the gloves!” So yeah, sometimes it's a little bit crazier.
And did you get the gloves?
I got gloves elsewhere; I was really bummed about it!
I'm sorry that the gays got in your way.
(Giggles) No, no! Normally it's something I love, but there's sometimes when, yeah, it's gonna be a bigger deal.
Why do you think gay audiences have embraced you as much as they have?
I have been asked that question a couple of times and both times I was perplexed because I don't know that I have the exact, proper answer. It's a beautiful gift in my life. I think that, maybe, when I'm writing I'm thinking about not being shy of what I'm actually feeling and really getting to the heart of all of the insecurities and concerns and wishes and desires I have, all combined at once. I think maybe authenticity and that realness is something that connects. I'm hoping that's the reason, but I wouldn't know for sure.
Perhaps, more so than in straight adult culture, there's a willingness to indulge and unabashedly celebrate extraness and even kitschiness.
Perhaps! I definitely have not been shy about the playfulness and the joy that I find in writing music. If that connects, then I feel wonderful. I think that's the whole purpose for why I write: to connect to like-minded people.
We also love someone who's an underdog, and someone who we can claim as our own. I wonder if you think your outsiderness in the pop world has been part of your queer appeal, because I think it has been.
There's a part of me that thinks that I sort of exist on an island, but it's how I like it. (Giggles) I don't think I totally belong in the L.A. world of pop music, but it's been a really big learning curve for me that's wonderful and I get to celebrate the world that we've created in some way. And it's a much more comfortable one for me than one – I don't know, you feel like you lose your identity in the other one, I think. In this one, I feel like identities get to be
celebrated for how weird and wacky they become.
You recently told The Guardian you're “more confident in your weirdness,” and I think that's something a lot of queer people feel or hope to feel.
Its funny reading articles back about things that you've said, and sometimes in the past I've shied away from ever reading anything that someone has printed about me because it's always felt so false. Lately, with this round, I read things back – and there are mistakes here and there – but, in general, I'm terrified by how real and exposing it all is. Its like, “Yeah, OK! I made a decision to be really honest and this is how it unfolds.”
Being a public person is having a responsibility sometimes to show that kind of love and that kind of support and to step out there and to do that.”
Because you're being more yourself at this point in your career?
I don't think I could do this anymore if I wasn't allowing myself to be real. And it wasn't that I was fake before; I just was scared of showing all of me. I think even with this album there was a real decision to go to the places, even the melancholy ones, because those are feelings that I experienced too, that I needed to explore, and I'm hoping that it's the right move. It's a scary thing, always, to expose yourself, but I think even if it's embraced or not embraced it's still gonna feel better than playing the safe game.
Who are your gay icons?
My friend Brandon Hamilton. He was the first man in my life who really taught me about the challenges he was overcoming, and he's been such a beautiful support in my life and such an inspiration. He would be my number one.
I love that you chose a friend. How about musicianwise?
I'm a huge Cyndi Lauper fan. I was really gifted, because two days ago I got to talk to her on the phone for an hour while she interviewed me (for Interview magazine), which I'm still
coming to terms with (giggles). I was freaking out. My cheeks were hurting from grinning the whole time. To me, her whole career and the way she embraces the community, and also is just comfortably, at this point in her life, killing it and looking for ways to give back and doing gracious things like getting on the phone with me, that's like, if I could be anything when I get older, I would love to be someone who follows that footpath.
Oh, I already see it.
Aww, thank you. I hope so! And I hope I still have as much fun with my hair! It's purple right now! (Giggles)
What was your first reaction when you saw Mark Kanemura snatching his wigs to your song “Cut to the Feeling” in his viral video?
(Giggles) Honestly? I was like, we should've just had this guy do the video. It's a thousand times better than anything we could've made, oh my god. And then the second thought was, how do I meet him? So it was wonderful: We reached out and just invited him to a festival show and said, “We'd love to invite you (onstage) for 'Cut to the Feeling'; you can do whatever you want to do; the stage is yours,” and when we arrived that day he was super chill and super calm and acted, in the best way, too cool for school. I was like, “You don't even know, but this is amazing,” and I was like, “I don't need to know what you're gonna do but come on out and do whatever you want.” He blew my mind away, because he came out, and you thought the Instagram video was amazing, the live show was, like, even 10 times better. I had a hard time continuing to sing because I just wanted to laugh out loud and party with him!
Did you figure out where those wigs he tossed went when he threw them up and they disappeared?
(Giggles) I asked him about it!
Ha!
No, seriously! (Giggles) That was, like, the first question I asked him: Who helped with the wigs? Was there someone catching them? Was it CGI? I have so many questions! And he's like, “No, it's just the way the camera happens, that when I threw them, they kind of disappeared.” I mean, what can I say, it was a little bit of gay magic right there.
“Now That I Found You” was used in the season three trailer for Queer Eye. Was that a big deal for you?
Yes! I love that show! And I love those men! And I love the whole concept of just what the
show is doing. I think right now it's such a wonderful time for people to be making creative projects that are uplifting and inspirational and make you feel good at the end of your day, and whenever I watched it I always felt like (she affects a fairy-like accent; it's magical), maybe the world is a wonderful place! And being a part of that in any way, I was so thrilled.
You've been giving us gay content since the gay twist at the end of the “Call Me Maybe” video, with “Boy Problems” and “Party of One” being very LGBTQ-inclusive. Not to mention, your lesbian aesthetic in the former. That mullet! You're not queer, so where does your queer sensibility come from? Basically, how are these videos so gay?
(Giggles) That's an amazing question. I grew up in Canada, and this is gonna sound maybe strange, but the idea of the struggles and the confusion – and even different, fucked-up opinions – didn't really come into my consciousness until later, when I kind of got to see the world. And I was outraged. And it blew my mind, because it just seemed so normalized to me to not be thinking about any person who loved whoever they loved as anything other than normal. So I think part of that is a bit of the reason why I fight the good fight: to try to make people see it the way I've been seeing it my whole life.
That is definitely conveyed in these videos. Are you consciously saying, “We should get a trans woman for this video,” or “I'm gonna rock a mullet for this video,” or “I'm gonna cast a real gay person like Mark to be in the 'Party of One' video”?
Inclusiveness is always something that just comes naturally to me, but also, the mullet, I just had broken up with my boyfriend and felt empowered to rock whatever fucking hairstyle I wanted and I felt powerful when I had it, so that was not a decision to look any certain way but just to look myself.
After EMOTION, an album that's essentially become a gay classic, what kind of pressure was on you when recording Dedicated as its follow up?
I wasn't intending for myself to feel pressure,
but I feel like there's always pressure when you love what you do and you want it to connect. I think it's mostly pressure I put on myself versus feeling pressure from the outside world. I wanted to make something very different, I wanted to honor the fact that I was going through a breakup, and some melancholy. There was some expectation of me to always maybe write the feel-good songs – and I felt good – but I also wanted to indulge the feeling of sad too, which is probably more on the second half of the album. I think I went there. But I feel like honesty is always the best move; being authentic, you can never really go wrong. I'm hoping that by at least being real that will connect on some level to the people who need it.
What was the vibe when you wrote and recorded what I'm already calling the Song of the Summer, “Want You in My Room,” with Jack Antonoff?
The beginning lyric of that song, the lighthouse line about how the idea that when somebody you're obsessed with, it's like that light beam comes back to your mind every couple of seconds and they go away and they come right back again – it's obsessive. And Jack is always so playful and fun to write with. He was shouting, “I want you in my room!” We were both dancing and I was just shouting, “On the bed! On the floor!” And we were laughing (giggles) and it was like, “Let's just go there.” And when I write songs, I always put a word theme afterwards about, “What is this about?” so that the album is made up of lots of different – (giggles) I'm always embarrassed to say, but emotions. And when I put that song on the billboard of my little list of stuff I was like, “SEX.” “This. Song. Is. About. Sex.” And it was really fun because I haven't had something as simple as that.
Sonically, it's a real throwback to the '80s. Artistwise, did you have anyone in mind when recording it?
I think at that moment in time probably embracing a little bit of Squeeze, a little bit of Cyndi, and a little bit of getting to shout-sing in a way, because it isn't coy. There's a big part of my personality that's shy, but there's also a real part of me that goes to that place when I'm private, so it was really fun to be, unabashedly, “Let's just go there.”
You've said you find inspiration from your friends and their love lives, as well as your own. What kind of conversations had you been having with your LGBTQ friends about love and sex that might've found their way into some of these songs?
You know, my friend Brandon and his boyfriend came down to stay with me and listen to some of the first songs as I was working on selecting them, and they were mostly supportive. (Giggles) They were like, “I
like this one!” “I don't like this one!” That kind of stuff. I was like, “Cool cool cool.”
We gay men are good at having opinions.
Which is why I love any friend who's not afraid to tell me, like, “Please don't leave the house in that.” Or, “I'm really not a big fan of this.” At the same time, when they say something complimentary, it means 10 times more. But I think in the writing of this album, because it took me so long and there were some experiments along the way, there was a real feeling that it was like little snapshots of my life, sort of processing my life as it was happening, so it was very personal. It's probably my most personal album in a lot of ways. But, at the same time, with everything that I ever write I'm always looking to connect on a bigger level with people who are hopefully feeling similar things, and for that I think I strive to feel less lonely in it.
That feeling of “you are not alone” is something I felt at your show in Toronto.
I can remember the first show that I did in New York at Irving Plaza, or maybe it was the second show. It was a big deal, this night to me, because I was blown away by the size of it – and that they were there for us, and we were headlining. I know I had played stadium shows before, but this one felt way more important in all the good ways, and I remember walking out on the stage beforehand, 30 seconds beforehand, and thinking, “I'm terrified. What if I blow it?” And then hearing the crowd and going out there and feeling like, wait, this is the safest place. This room is so full of love. I felt like I could fall flat on my face and everyone would cheer and be like, “Stand back up again!” And I felt so grateful in that moment, that somehow in this world the reality that we had created together was one of love and safety and acceptance. I still, to this day, don't know how that happened. It's the luckiest gift of my life. I've never really been nervous in the same way since. I've just felt really accepted. As editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBTQ wire service, Chris Azzopardi has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in GQ, Vanity Fair and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.
hot shots photos by scott holland
KindRED Pride
House of Blues Orlando
Photo By: Jeremy Daniels
“The Lightning Thief” The New York Times Bestseller Is Now An Electrifying By: Scott Holland New Rock Musical
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The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, an “electrifying” (Newsday) musical adaption of the New York Times best-selling novel written by Rick Riordan, will play Straz Center's Morsani Hall July 9-14. With more than 100 million copies of the book series sold worldwide, this global phenomenon has found a new home on the live stage in a “mesmerizing” (TheaterMania) theatrical event that provides “a spectacularly fun adventure that will thrill everyone in the family!” (Chicago Parent). Following a sold-out run in New York City, where it garnered three Drama Desk Award nominations including Best Musical, “this family-friendly show delights with warm musical numbers and entertains both kids and adults with sophisticated humor.” (Philadelphia Inquirer). As a son of Poseidon, Percy Jackson has
newly discovered powers he can't control, monsters on his trail, and is on a quest to find Zeus' lightning bolt to prevent a war between the Greek gods. Based on the best-selling novel by Rick Riordan and featuring a thrilling original rock score, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is an action-packed theatrical adventure that has been celebrated by audiences and critics alike. The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical has a Drama Desk nominated book by Joe Tracz, music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki, direction by Stephen Brackett, choreography by Patrick McCollum, set design by Lee Savage, costume design by Sydney Maresca, lighting design by David Lander, Obie award-winning sound design by Ryan Rumery, fight direction by Rod Kinter and orchestrations by Wiley DeWeese and Rob Rokicki. The production is
presented by special arrangement with Rick Riordan and the Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency. It was a pleasure to sit down with Sarah Beth Pfeifer (who plays Clarisse and understudies for Annabeth), who is part of our LGBTQ+ community, for this exclusive Hotspots interview:
How old were you the first time you performed?
I was around 3 and I was in my house and probably making my brother miserable putting on a play.
What was your first paid gig?
Right out of college (in DC) I worked at Toby's Dinner Theater, run by Toby Ornstein. Toby was also an educator and was my teacher and it was a great way to start in the business.
world. We embrace theatricality, on how we stage the epic events happening in this show. For more information on Sarah, go to sarahbethpfeifer.com. The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical will play the Straz Center's Morsani Hall July 9-14. Performances are Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30pm., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8pm and Sunday at 1 and 6:30pm. Regularly priced tickets are $25-$68 and may be purchased by calling 813.229.STAR (7827) or 800.955.1045 outside Tampa Bay, in person at the Straz Center Ticket Office or online at strazcenter.org.
When did you know performing would be your career?
When I was a freshmen in high school, I did a production of “Godspell,” and it was the biggest sigh of relief as the community we built around this show was so accepting. It let me know that high school was going to be ok and that I found my niche.
What has been your favorite role other than this one?
I love getting to create characters, meaning new work, and I have worked a bunch with Rob Rokicki, who composed the score to The Lighting Thief. We are now working on a new show that I hope I have a role in. And fingers crossed that this role will be my favorite ever.
What is your fantasy role?
I would love to play Elphaba in Wicked. If you are a high belting musical theater actress of a certain age, it's on your bucket list. It's a very difficult role to master, but it would be very satisfying.
Do you have a girlfriend? How do you make the distance work?
Yes I do, I have a fiancé , and we just got engaged in the fall. The distance is hard, but smart phones make it much easier with texting and face time. It helps that she is my favorite person in the world.
What should our readers expect from “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical?”
It is an epic pop rock musical with an amazing score and a super incredible dynamic cast. It’s about Percy Jackson, who as a kid always felt like a screw up and he finds out early in the show that he is the son of the Greek God Poseidon. He goes on an epic quest to save the
Sarah Beth Pfeifer
hot shots photos by tony fowler
St Pete Pride Festival
hot bodies
By Tom Bonanti
Want More Muscle?
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Four Things You Must Do!
Living the fitness lifestyle means that you've got to examine just about every aspect of your life. You've got to toss the cigarettes, curb the booze, and plan carefully each meal of the day. Workouts must be consistent, challenging, and a regular part of the daily schedule. Losing weight and staying healthy is a daily commitment. If your goal is to pack on muscle, it'll take even more effort and determination. Before you become daunted, listen to bad advice, or go for anabolic steroids, read and follow these simple rules! It's all about quality over quantity. You don't have to live in the gym to build bigger muscles; instead go into the gym with a plan. Go for shorter, more intense and
calculated workouts. Use challenging weights and execute proper form with each rep of every set. Rather than eating everything in sight, consume fresh, nutrient-dense foods that'll fuel your workouts and help build pounds of lean muscle. Take in plenty of water and get the rest you need for muscle fibers to rest and recover from the gym. Speaking of good nutrition, you've got to run a calorie surplus if you want to build that body. Just as you must operate on a negative calorie balance when losing fat, you need to start eating if you want to gain muscle. I'm not talking about beer and pizza, midnight left-over raids on the fridge, or a couple of Big Macs on the way home from work! You've got to fuel your body with the right materials to make muscle gains. High protein, nutrientdense foods like lean turkey and chicken, cold water fish like salmon, low-fat cottage cheese, yogurt, and tofu, whole grains, and
plenty of fresh vegetables and some fruit are great choices. The International Sports Sciences Association recommends .8 to 1 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass to ensure that you'll gain muscle and not fat. On heavy workout days try eating 250 to 5oo extra calories than on less active days. Here's where a good protein powder can help you consume those extra, much needed protein calories. Getting bigger muscles requires more time in the sack! Yes, that's correct: a large part of the muscle-building process happens while you're sleeping. Your body needs rest to recuperate from those pounding workouts. While you're sleeping important physiological changes take place with your endocrine system that help build
stronger bigger muscles. Eight or nine hours of quality, uninterrupted sleep is a healthy goal to shoot for every night. Keep a positive attitude and be patient with your body. The path to a more muscular physique is never a straight shot to success. There'll always be minor setbacks like tendonitis, and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) that may prevent you from giving it your all. Work schedules and personal conflicts can sometimes stall you from getting to the gym. Just remember to stay focused. Keep your goals and stick with them. Be resilient, creative, hardworking and you'll get to where you want to be! Tom Bonanti is a certified personal trainer and massage therapist (MA#40288) with his own one on one facility www.pumpnincgym.com in Ft. Lauderdale. Contact trainertomb@aol.com with questions or to set up an appointment today!
St. Petersburg City Council
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Recognizes Majority LGBTQ-Owned Businesses
In a historic vote, the St. Petersburg City Council recognized majority LGBTQ-owned businesses and will include them in the city's Small Business Enterprise program. The move will help to ensure that majority LGBTQ-owned entities, like other minority-owned businesses, are competitive in procuring city contracts. “This is an important step forward for LGBTQ business owners and the community as a whole,” said Jon Harris Maurer, Equality Florida Public Policy Director. “Leveling the playing field for minority-owned businesses ensures that our neighborhoods continue to reflect the vibrant tapestries they are. We applaud the City of St. Petersburg for making its message clear: open for business means open to all.” This ordinance takes effect immediately. In addition to monitoring usage of LGBTQ-owned businesses, the city will also provide them with training programs and services to ensure businesses are familiar with how to do
business with the city and are informed about procurement opportunities. The ordinance states, “The city of St. Petersburg is committed to providing all business owners, including historically underrepresented business owners, with equal opportunities to compete and succeed, and is committed to increasing the number and diversity of supplier options.” Equality Florida is proud to stand with the City of St. Petersburg as well as local LGBTQ leaders in ensuring a future where LGBTQowned businesses play an integral role in the prosperity of their community. Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community. Through education, grassroots organizing, coalition building, and lobbying, we are changing Florida so that no one suffers harassment or discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.