CHIBUEZE IHUOMA AND COMPANY IN THE HADESTOWN NORTH AMERICAN TOUR. PHOTO BY KEVIN BERNE.
—The New York Times
AUGUST 20 AT 2 PM
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PUBLISHER Jay S. Jones jay@ragemonthly.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Brad L. Hart brad@ragemonthly.com EDITOR editor@ragemonthly.com ART CONSULTANT art@ragemonthly.com COPY EDITOR Ken Williams DISTRIBUTION Pride In Media
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VOL. 16 ISSUE 3
Rage Magazine inc., dba The Rage Monthly. The Rage Monthly is a registered trademark. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publishers or staff. Reproduction of any article, photo, listing or advertisement without the written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. The people, businesses and organizations appearing in The Rage Monthly are supportive of the gay community. Mentions or photographs of any person, business, or organization are not a reflection of their sexual orientation. The Rage Monthly is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, sex, color, religion, creed, national origin, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. PRINTED IN THE USA
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community
by brad hart
PRIDE CELEBRATIONS
EAT. DRINK. GIVE!
Better Brothers Los Angeles creates safe spaces to educate, inspire and connect the Black LGBTQ community to overcome the challenges of stigma and homophobia. Join them at the fifth annual Eat. Drink. Give! A Scholarship Fundraiser on Saturday, August 27. The LGBTQ community and its allies will gather for a progressive cocktail and dinner party at private residences in Baldwin Hills and historic View Park. This intimate gathering will allow old friends to be reacquainted and new friendships to bloom while doing good for the community. After two years of drive-by dinner events, the celebration is back in person, where safety remains the first priority. Guests will experience a four-course meal of culinary delights created by Chef Orlando Hutcherson. Eat. Drink. Give! was inspired by big family dinners, where relatives catch up with one another. Everyone leaves happy and full. Better Brothers Los Angeles has awarded over $100,000 in scholarships for LGBTQ students pursuing college or vocational education. betterbrothersla.com
HILLCREST CITYFEST
San Diego’s ultimate summer art and music festival will take over Fifth Avenue on Sunday, August 14. The 39th annual celebration of community spirit will feature live bands, electric dance music DJs, arts, crafts and food. This is one of San Diego’s most prominent art and music festivals, stretching nearly half a mile over seven city blocks and attracting more than 150,000 visitors from San Diego and Southern California. A grand stage with live music and headliner bands will keep attendees entertained from noon to 7 p.m., followed by headliner DJs and well-known talent the rest of the night. A massive cocktail bar and Miller-Coors Beer Garden will be available to wet your whistle, and 150 vendors will provide shopping opportunities. Free parking at the Hillcrest DMV and San Diego Unified School District parking lot (located on the corner of Campus/Normal), along with a free shuttle from the school district parking lot to the festival. A place to find one-of-a-kind items and gifts, CityFest’s Artist Village will present one of the largest arts and crafts areas of any San Diego street fair. Boasting more than 50 vendors, the International Food Court will cook up a variety of offerings for hungry CityFest attendees. The Pavilion will returns to CityFest with the rad hatter, kids garden, carnival rides, games, a balloon artist and a face painter. In addition, Cheer San Diego, Circus Mafia and other street performers will be visiting The Pavilion and other festival sites. Donations will be accepted to help pay for the upkeep of the iconic Hillcrest sign and beautification projects in Hillcrest. hillcrestcityfest.com
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Ventura County Pride Festival will run from Friday, August 19 through Sunday, August 21, with more than 5,000 attendees celebrating the LGBTQ community, supporters and allies in Ventura County. Festivities will start with a pre-Pride party and drag show at Paddy’s Bar in Ventura. Saturday’s Pride celebration in Downtown Ventura will be a public event and feature live entertainment, exhibitors, local food, and information on nonprofits, activities and support services. Sunday Funday will return to Paddy’s Bar for a post-Pride celebration and drag queen bingo. All proceeds will sustain the Community Resource Center and Diversity Collective programs and services. diversitycollectivevc.org South Bay Pride Art & Music Festival will return to Chula Vista’s Bayfront Park on Saturday, August 27. Enjoy a day of live bands, international DJs, go-go dancing and artisans galore. Plus, food, beverages, cocktails, beach activities and more. southbaypride.org DTLA Proud, the Los Angeles beloved grassroots festival, will be at Grand Park on Saturday and Sunday, August 27 and 28. Celebrate the culture, history and diversity of the growing LGBTQ community in Downtown Los Angeles and beyond. Expect food trucks, bars and local vendors, music stages and more. A group of local residents, business owners, community leaders and nightlife promoters founded DTLA Proud to create an all-inclusive community that represents the diverse LGBTQ population that lives, works and plays in the thriving heart of the city of Los Angeles. dtlaproud.org
community spotlight
by brad hart
OUT ON THE MOUNTAIN TAKE A RIDE ON THE WILD SIDE
The end-of-summer tradition returns for its 14th year with more than 6,000 people expected at Out on the Mountain, the official Six Flags Magic Mountain LGBTQ private party, on Friday, September 9. It will be a wild night of thrill rides, live performances, multiple dance parties, a drag show by Whisper & Company and more. The entire park “goes gay” for the night, which provides a safe and inclusive environment for the LGBTQ community. Event organizers have worked with several community collaborators and supported various LGBTQ organizations over the years. “We are excited again to be open for 2022’s event with tremendous interest as seen by record sales so far,” said Ray Rhodes, an event co-producer. “Six Flags Magic Mountain continues to be an excellent partner that is working to keep us safe and have an enjoyable night in an official LGBTQ event open to the community and allies.” This year, Out on the Mountain attendees may come early to the park when it opens to the public in the morning and stay or join when it becomes the private LGBTQ party later that evening.
THE RAGE MONTHLY SPOKE WITH EVENT CO-PRODUCER DAVID FONG TO DISCOVER MORE THRILLING DETAILS. Why do you think Out on the Mountain continues to grow and is so successful? Out on the Mountain continues to be an annual highlight for the LGBTQ community because of the tremendous fun, excitement and energy from the crowds who come and tell their friends to join them the following year. The ever-changing combination of thrill rides, performances and dance parties make every year a different yet similar experience. Its full park private party experience means that people can be themselves and can enjoy the night as it is meant to be. Is anything new planned for this year’s event? This year’s Out on the Mountain includes Six Flags Magic Mountain’s 20th roller coaster, WONDER WOMAN Flight of Courage, the world’s tallest and longest single-rail roller coaster. It has already opened to rave reviews and will be an amazing addition to the other rides, including West Coast Racers, X2, Full Throttle and lots more. Specific to Out on the Mountain, there will be a new Latin dance area along with two other DJ areas. What can you tell us about the entertainment lineup? Special performers include Heidi N Closet, RuPaul Drag Race’s Season 12 Miss Congeniality. Along with three DJs: Ray Rhodes, DJ SRO and DJ Les Ortiz. Host Tiffany Vogue was featured in HBO Max’s Craftopia Season 2. More entertainers and special guests will be announced soon on the Out on the Mountain website. What do you, personally, enjoy most about Out on the Mountain? Now in its 14th year, Out on the Mountain continues to provide an excellent destination for the LGBTQ community. The blend of exciting thrill rides, enjoyable entertainment and fun dance parties that are inviting and inclusive means there is something fun for everyone in our diverse spectrum and our friends. From our community collaborators, including The OUTreach Center, The LGBTQ Center Long Beach and so many others, this event also provides recognition and support for these important organizations. Tickets and VIP packages available at outonthemountain.com. More than 80% of VIP packages are sold and are expected to sell out soon.
heidi n closet
OOTM 2021 photos by tommy flanagan
AUGUST 2022 | @theragemonthly
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hollywood
by tim parks
ACTING OUT There was a time in Tinsel Town history where the very notion that an actor — or an actress, as they were once known — was homosexual, that it most certainly signaled the end of their careers. Done. Over. Kaput. In the 1950s, actors like Rock Hudson, Tab Hunter, Sal Mineo, Montgomery Clift and the very handsome Barbara Stanwyck all tried to keep their private lives just that, private, and not have the gossip rags such as Confidential out their secret life on their covers. In the 1980s, the muckrakers at The National Enquirer believed that inquiring minds wanted to know which celebrity might be gay. Fast forward to 1997 and you have sitcom star Ellen DeGeneres — back when she was nice — on the cover of Time Magazine announcing “Yep, I’m Gay.” It was like the times they were a-changin’ and something was blowin’ in the wind, stoking the fires that it was OK to be flaming in real life. Now, we have a movie like the upcoming Billy Eichner vehicle Bros, which features an all-out cast, as was the case for the recent iteration of Queer as Folk on Peacock. There have even been instances where straight A-list celebrities like Tom Hanks, Jake Gyllenhaal and Cate Blanchett have played it pink, not giving two flying effs if it could have a negative impact on their careers. So, let’s take a look at current and upcoming projects featuring the crop of out and proud actors who grace the small and big screens.
REEL LIFE M. Night Shamalangadingdong’s next surprise twist could involve something of a fabulous nature with his next cinematic endeavor Kock, err, Knock at the Cabin. Details on the thriller are being kept hush hush, save for its cast, which includes Jonathan Groff (Glee and Mindhunter, which deserves a third season) and the swoon-worthy Ben Aldridge (Pennyworth and Fleabag). And be still my little gay heart, seeing as Aldridge is slated to star in Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies, alongside fellow outie Jim Parsons. The drama details the tragic true-life tale of entertainment journalist Michael Ausiello (Parsons) and Kit Cowan’s (Aldridge) relationship that is dealt a blow when Cowan is diagnosed with terminal cancer. The horror franchise that can’t be killed, Scream, is currently filming its sixth installment and will see the return of its first lesbian character, Mindy Meeks-Martin (played by out actor Jasmin Savoy-Brown), who survived the return of Ghostface last year — duh. Another venerable scary movie series, Hellraiser, is getting the reboot treatment for Hulu, with a decidedly different approach to the film’s villain Pinhead. Doug Bradley played the lead Cenobite from 1987 through 2005 and will pass the torch to trans actor Jamie Clayton, in the cinematic retelling of gay author Clive Barker’s novel The Hellbound Heart. Ariana DeBose brought home the Oscar gold for her supporting role in West Side Story and also made history as the first queer person of color to do so. Not surprisingly, she has several upcoming projects in the pipeline, and they include the flick Argylle — which is not about socks, but spies — the sci-fi thriller I.S.S., along with the comic book-based Kraven the Hunter. And you can also catch her on the current season of HBO Max’s Westworld.
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THE TELEVISION SET The recent Amazon debut of Anything’s Possible serves as the directorial debut of Pose alum Billy Porter. The actor helms the trans rom-com in which trans actor Eva Reign stars as a high school student experiencing love with her classmate Khal (Abubakr Ali), despite the drama that could challenge it. Porter’s Pose co-star Dominique Jackson narrated the Discovery+ docuseries The Book of Queer and appears as Bloody Mary — the urban legend, not the cocktail — on Hulu’s American Horror Stories, which adds her to the roster of what could be termed as the Ryan Murphy Players. One of those actors, Finn Wittrock, joins the DC Extended Universe as the Green Lantern for HBO Max, portraying Guy Gardner, who is described as being a “hulking mass of masculinity” with “hyper-patriotism.” That’s queer, or not really, as Jeremy Irvine is slated to play Alan Scott, the gay version of the green-suited superhero for the still-in-production project. His casting is causing a bit of con-trov-ersy, as the English say, in that some are upset that he has never publicly confirmed his sexuality. Oh, and he also starred in the horrendous 2015 film Stonewall, a whitewashed retelling of the historical events of June 28, 1969. And that is cheesing a lot of people’s whizzes, as well, and that makes it seem to be a weird role reversal, so to speak. Someone who has never shied away from being a lesbian thespian is another American Horror Story alum, Sarah Paulson. She headlined Ratched, as the nurse with the worst bedside manner this side of Dr. Kevorkian. The Netflix prequel to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been greenlit for a second season but has not yet gone into production. So, it’s a case of stay tuned. However, you can tune into the fourth season of FX’s What We Do in the Shadows, which features a bevy of pansexual bloodsuckers, like the flamboyant Laszlo (Matt Berry) who has both a wife Nadya (Natasia Demetriou) and resurrected lover Gregor (Jake McDorman). And there’s Nandor (Kayvan Novak), whose human familiar Guillermo (gay actor Harvey Guillén) is literally obsessed with his master. Audiences have the three-fold chance to become infatuated with Joel Kim Booster with his starring role in Hulu’s Fire Island, in a scene-stealing turn as Maya Rudolph’s snarky assistant Nicholas on Loot — which also stars Pose star Michaela Jaé Rodriguez — and the Netflix standup special, Psychosexual, as well. Cue Alicia Keys, because this girl is on fire! Neil Patrick Harris has come a long way from his child actor days as Doogie Howser, M.D. — remember that one? Case in point is the just released Netflix show Uncoupled, in which Harris stars as a 40-something gay man who was recently dumped and must now dip his toes back into the dating pool. The eight-part series also features other gay actors, including Brooks Ashmanskas, André De Shields and Jai Rodriguez. The romantic comedy is the brainchild of Sex and the City and Emily in Paris creator Darren Star and longtime Modern Family executive producer Jeffrey Richman, with each sharing executive producer credits. That’s a whole lotta gay street cred, and you can add hetero actor Marcia Gay Harden in for extra gay measure. Two other former child stars are also representin’ on the small screen. Mark Indelicato, of Ugly Betty fame, has resurfaced on HBO Max’s Hacks as Deborah Vance’s (Jean Smart) assistant. And Raven-Symoné is currently starring in the fifth season of the Disney Channel sitcom Raven’s Home, which recently debuted the first trans character (played by trans actor Juliana Joel), a first for the kid-friendly network. A plethora of former House of Mouse veterans, including out actors Matthew Scott Montgomery and Alyson Stoner, will be part of the ensemble in the LGBTQ-themed horror movie Howdy, Neighbor! On the flip side of the age spectrum is Murray Bartlett, who can be described as a “double d,” as in delicious and daddy! He’s been getting Physical in his latest role. The Apple TV+ show stars Rose Byrne as a Jane Fonda wannabe during the 1980s fitness craze, with the former Looking star and Emmy nominee for The White Lotus, coming on board during the show’s second season as a fitness instructor. Think porn ’stache and short shorts. Let me hear your body talk, indeed. Speaking of papis — that’s Spanish for daddy, like you didn’t know that — actor Guillermo Diaz has peppered his résumé with turns on TV shows like Weeds and Scandal. He’s currently co-starring with the sigh-he’s-straight zaddy Christopher Meloni on Law & Order: Organized Crime.
AUGUST 2022 | @theragemonthly
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PLAYING IT PINK Love, Victor star Michael Cimino has commented about his sexuality thusly, “I don’t want to put myself in a box and put myself in a position where if I were to come out as bi or gay in 10 years from now, that I was defending an identity that was being true to myself.” So, the title of his next acting gig, Netflix’s Never Have I Ever, may not equate to him taking a drink regarding doing butt stuff. Let’s face it, first love can sometimes suck. But this isn’t the case in Netflix’s teen vampire show First Kill, which has received praise for making the sexuality of its two main characters Juliette (Sarah Catherine Hook) and Calliope (Imani Lewis) a non-issue. And teen years will be the focus of the aptly named High School on Freevee, which is But I’m a Cheerleader actor-turned-writer-director Clea Duvalls adaptation of twin lesbian musicians — are there any other kind, really? — Tegan and Sara’s bestselling memoir chronicling their formative years. The show tells the dual story about finding your own identity — or identities in this case — set against the backdrop of the 1990s with TikTok creators and TV newcomers Railey and Seazynn Gilliland as the high school versions of Tegan and Sara and is set to debut in the fall. Gay director Pedro Almodóvar’s Strange Way of Life has a “stop me if you’ve heard this one before premise.” The 30-minute film details the story of two cowboys that share “an intimate relationship.” Hmm, that sounds vaguely familiar. Anyhoo, Ethan Hawke and The Mandalorian himself, Pedro Pascal, go for brokeback, I mean broke, as a sheriff and a gunslinger in the western period piece. I guess opposites really do attract. Meanwhile, the unexplored world of gay pirates on HBO Max’s Our Flags Mean Death has Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi on the hunt for treasure and discovering that they may also want to see each other booties. But there are also two actors that have been “researching” their roles, in that Nathan Foad is open about his sexuality, as is Vico Ortiz who identifies as non-binary and that is how Ortiz’s character Jim classifies as also.
CUT. PRINT. THAT’S A WRAP!
Hollywood sure has come a long way since the celluloid closet door was flung open, blowing the notion right off its hinges that being one’s authentic self would equal career suicide. While some actors have fared better than others after admitting their true proclivities, there have been more that have established themselves as capable of playing either gay or straight roles. And that can sometimes seem be a sticky wicket on two fronts. One is that being an out actor playing it straight is somewhat frowned upon, in not devoting themselves to projects that could give our stories even more visibility. On the other end of the spectrum, many out actors feel that a straight person may not have the true-life experience chops to honestly convey telling our tales. And many of these actors that have played against type, like Julianne Moore did in 2010’s The Kids Are Alright, have now expressed regret that the parts weren’t played by actual LGBTQ actors. The long and short of it is that gone are the days of gay crumbs of sensibility that fed my generation, like Jack Tripper on Three’s Company having to pretend to be gay in order to live with two women. Perhaps these are now the salad days of representation, and we can expect to line up for the buffet of entertainment continuing to nourish us, until our plates are full. Just food for thought. Damn, I think I need to eat lunch. Until next time, that’s all the news that’s fit to print.
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Tim Parks has been a freelance writer for 21 years, a columnist for 16 years, and part of Team Rage since 2009. He is the award-winning author of The Scheme of Things, available on Amazon.com.
stage
by jay jones
HOT AUGUST ACTS O
ne of Broadway’s brightest stars, Bernadette Peters, will join the San Diego Symphony at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park on Sunday, August 7, for an evening of songs under the stars. Expect to hear selections from her Broadway shows and her Grammy Award-winning and -nominated albums, as well as standards, Rodgers & Hammerstein and Stephen Sondheim. theshell.org Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles will present Stephen Sondheim’s masterworks from Sweeney Todd, Company, A Little Night Music, West Side Story, Follies, Sunday in the Park with George and Gypsy. Guest star will be John Holiday, a once-in-a-generation voice who has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera and with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. The concerts will take place Saturday, August 13 and Sunday, August 14 at Royce Hall in Westwood. gmcla.org Life is better when you’re laughing. So, catch Emmy- and Grammynominated comedian Margaret Cho when she returns to SoCal this month with her unique brand of standup. Cho will stop by Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles on Saturday, August 13; and Mic Drop Comedy in San Diego on Friday and Saturday, August 26 and 27. margaretcho.com Few new wave groups were as popular as Culture Club with Boy George. During the early 1980s, the group racked up seven straight Top 10 hits in the U.K. and six Top 10 singles in the USA. Their light, infectious pop-soul hits included “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” “Time (Clock of the Heart),” “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya,” “Church of the Poison Mind,” “Karma Chameleon,” “Miss Me Blind” and “It’s a Miracle.” On Thursday, August 18, the band will play at Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa; then at The Show at Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage on Saturday, August 20. boygeorgeandcultureclub.net Coming to Orange County from a galaxy far, far away — experience Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert. Presented by Pacific Symphony, the live-to-film event will take off on Saturday, August 20 at FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine. pacificsymphony.org Known for her confessional lyrics and raspy, smoky vocals, Melissa Etheridge has remained one of America’s favorite female (and LGBTQ) singer-songwriters for over three decades. She stormed onto the American rock scene in 1988 with the release of her critically acclaimed self-titled debut album. Then she delivered memorable originals such as “Bring Me Some Water,” “No Souvenirs” and “Ain’t it Heavy,” leading to the mega hits, “I’m the Only One” and “Come to My Window,” followed by the hit single, “I Want to Come Over.” Pala Casino Spa & Resort will host Etheridge on Sunday, August 21. Then on Tuesday, August 23, she will perform at The John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. melissaetheridge.com/events Jennifer Hudson is an extraordinary talent and recently became the 17th celebrity in history to achieve EGOT status for winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. Hudson received the honor after being awarded for her work as a producer on the Best Musical-winning A Strange Loop at the 2022 Tony Awards. On Sunday, August 28 in one of San Diego Symphony’s most significant events of the summer season, Hudson will perform at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. theshell.org
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artist spotlight
by tom andrew
ONE HELL OF AN ADVENTURE
TONY WINNER LEVI KREIS There are two reasons to see Hadestown — and you definitely should see Hadestown. First, you will be treated to a show that is a show for today, even though the story has been known for centuries. The production team has given us an event that incorporates professional equality and performance in a seamless manner, as it should be. And the second reason is Levi Kreis. Kreis has been on the scene for a while. He started singing and playing piano at a very early age. But coming out derailed his career when he was in his 20s. After years of conversion therapy, lost music opportunities because of his sexuality and emotional distress, Kreis has done a 360 with his life, and his career is definitely back on track. Kreis won a coveted Tony Award for his performance in Million Dollar Quartet playing the role of Jerry Lee Lewis. He now has a few albums under his belt, and he’s happily out, married and sober, and has been for years. He has put the past behind him and says he is enjoying every bit of his time with Hadestown. Kreis plays Hermes in the centuries-old story of Orpheus and Eurydice. This retelling is filled with amazing blues and gospel music that pulls you into its arms just as much as Kreis’s performance. Hermes is a narrator of sorts but plays an integral part in the story. The role was offered to Kreis, who explained that this tour is vocally different than what people saw on Broadway because the creative team gave the cast the chance to breathe new life into it. “I feel like the creative team was really looking for an opportunity to pull together a group of actors that can really bring their own imprint to the role,” Kreis said. “I think one of the most amazing things about our first strings is that we were given the opportunity to sort of originate for the tour, and it’s a very, very different experience when you see what we’ve all individually brought to the roles.” Kreis explained that audiences who are familiar with the Broadway version will be just as happy, if not more so, with the national-tour version. Kreis and the creative team should be applauded for giving audiences a show that is rich with vocals and pushes the boundaries of the Broadway version. “It’s very unique,” Kreis said. “I find that now in my ninth
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month on tour, audiences love our cast every bit as much as they loved the Broadway cast. I think it’s unique. I think it’s different. I think there’s not a lot of creative teams that take that opportunity. Most just want to fill the roles and have no questions asked on being creative with it and just get it on the road. I really loved that we were the exception, and for me personally I have quite the history with Americana music.” Kreis grew up in the small town of Oliver Springs, Tennessee. His family was deeply Christian. So, the music that filled his house — and the church they attended — became what he knew. He started playing piano at age 5. So, this show suits him just fine. “It is in my DNA,” Kreis said. “Just to be able to wrap my own voice around the music of [composer] Anais Mitchell, with all of the gospel and the blues and the rootsy aspect of that, I knew I could bring something very specifically different and powerful that others couldn’t. I feel like they found us all because they made an effort to be creative and imaginative with our casting.” The music in Kreis’s DNA is one of the things he brings to the portrayal of Hermes. The role was originated by André De Shields, who won a Tony Award for his performance. De Shield’s version of the role was truly amazing, but most of his songs weren’t sung the way Kreis is now singing it. “One of the biggest differences,” Kreis said, “between how you see it on Broadway, the role of Hermes, and myself is that André has a beautiful, aged wisdom that sort of floats above the circumstances and brings you into the story with his magnetism in a gorgeous way. I think because of who I am I had the opportunity to ride the line between holding the audience’s hand and bringing them along but being very much immersed in the relationships and very much a part of the conflict that is fully unfolding on stage. You really do get a sense of how warm and loving I am to Orpheus. This whole sense of backstory, and Persephone and I and our little rendezvous, which is true to our history, our Greek mythology history, and you feel that more in all of the relationships. This was an opportunity to cultivate them so you can feel that they are very palatable rather than just the distanced narration. That also served it very well, but I just wanted to bring, I wanted to really experience those relationships.”
“
It is in my DNA. Just to be able to wrap my own voice around the music of [composer] Anais Mitchell, with all of the gospel and the blues and the rootsy aspect of that, I knew I could bring something very specifically different and powerful that others couldn’t.
photo by rachel love photography
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disenfranchisement because of being a gay man.” Kreis said he is happy with the decision to come out when he did, but is very clear about when to do that, and that it is a personal choice. He feels the community should support everyone on their individual journey of when to come out and when to make it public knowledge. “It’s been quite a feat navigating always being out and ultimately finding my own success,” Kreis said. “Is it harder? Yes. Would I have been further along right now had I had a different history to look back on? Probably. I would also encourage anyone to do what they need to do and to do it in the time that makes sense to them.” Kreis, now married to Jason Antone, shared a few personal things like who his secret crush is, what his favorite comfort food is, and with the help of Antone whether he is more a David or a Patrick from Schitt’s Creek. “I am married, and he is sitting right beside me,” Kreis said. “My secret crush is Henry Cavill. My favorite comfort food is fried chicken and . . . Jason? Am I more a David or Patrick from Schitt’s Creek? Jason says definitely David!” Hadestown will be staged at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa from Tuesday, August 9 through Sunday, August 21. scfta.org or 714.556.2787
photo by t charles erickson
Kreis is careful to say that none of the vocal changes have altered the story or the original script. It has, if anything, changed the mood of the piece. Kreis gives his Hermes a very sexy and flirtatious feel. “It is a fine line,” Kreis said. “Riding the fine line and be a part of the story and allowing all of that to be rich and realized and really dig those grooves and within to convey those relationships and step right out to be with you all as well. That’s the beautiful dance that I’ve sort of had the freedom to mold and grow over the nine months of doing the role.” This isn’t the first article written on Kreis at The RAGE Monthly. His first interview was published in 2010, when he was quoted saying: “To think that opportunities become limited because of anything such as sexuality, age, race, etc. is to not have faith in the absolute support the universe has in our creative expression.” To think those words, said 12 years ago, sadly still ring true today in the entertainment business. “I have told my story a lot,” Kreis said. “I spent most of my 20s being denied employment from multiple record labels. When the marketing team finds out that I’m gay, they don’t know what to do. That was literally my 20s, not being able to work. Being denied my education from the Southern Baptist college. Surviving a gay bashing in New Jersey. Six years of conversion therapy. I’m at the age where I have experienced
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theatre
by brad hart
DEL SHORES’ A VERY SORDID WEDDING
It’s 2015, 17 years after Sordid Lives and Peggy’s unfortunate death after tripping over G.W.’s wooden legs, and life has now moved on for the residents of Winters, Texas. Based on the 2017 hit film of the same name, A Very Sordid Wedding explores the questions, bigotry and the fallout of what happens when gay marriage comes to communities and families that are not quite ready to accept it. Bigoted “religious freedom,” marriage equality and cultural acceptance are all explored with Del Shores’ trademark approach to using comedy and his much-beloved Sordid Lives characters. He deals with these essential current social issues and the process of accepting your family for who they are instead of who you want them to be. Del Shores’ A Very Sordid Wedding will run Wednesday, August 17 through Sunday, August 28, at Desert Rose Playhouse, 611 S. Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs. desertroseplayhouse.org
AN LGBTQ PERSPECTIVE OF US HISTORY IN THE WORLD PREMIERE OF LAVENDER MEN
Award-winning writer and performer Roger Q. Mason’s genre-pushing play courageously re-imagines one of America’s most beloved historical icons, President Abraham Lincoln, through a queer person of color’s storytelling lens. The much-anticipated production, directed by Lovell Holder, is a historical fantasia that follows Taffeta, a self-proclaimed “fabulous queer creation of color.” Taffeta invades Lincoln’s private world to confront issues of visibility, race and LGBTQ inclusion that still challenge us today. Developed as part of Skylight’s SkyLab, a playwrights-in-residence program, the play received a reading on Broadway at Circle in the Square Theatre in 2019. It got a feature on The Kilroys list in 2020. The play’s lead character inspired a short film, “Taffeta,” which has won several awards including Best of Fest at BFI Flare Film Festival, Jury Prize for Best Queer Short at SCAD Savannah Film Festival, and Best Short Film, Best Queer Film and Best Director at the Lonely Wolf Film Festival. “If our craft is going to survive, we need the characters in our plays to reflect the diversity of the people in our audiences,” playwright Mason said. “Lavender Men imagines a space for the Black, Queer, plus-sized body as the center of America’s theatrical narrative.” Lavender Men will play from Saturday, August 6 through Sunday, September 4, at Skylight Theatre, 1816½ N. Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles. lavendermenplayla.com
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OLD GLOBE COMMISSIONS NEW ADAPTATION OF DIAL M FOR MURDER
In San Diego, The Old Globe will stage a new version of the celebrated murder mystery that inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece. Tony is convinced that his wife Margot has been cheating on him, although it now seems that the affair is over. Still, in his jealousy, Tony spins a web of suspicion and deception that will tighten around them and trap them both in danger, recrimination and murder. The New York Times called Dial M for Murder “a cat-and-mouse waiting game, with enough twists and sudden hitches to keep the chills and thrills running.” “Dial M for Murder is one of the great crime thrillers written for the stage, and it really delivers,” Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein said. “It’s a stylish, smart and sometimes shocking piece that generates huge jolts of excitement and suspense, and in Jeffrey Hatcher’s new version, the play is as fresh and immediate as it was when it first premiered. We’re very happy to have The Globe’s good friend Stafford Arima in the director’s chair — his extraordinary imagination will fashion an unforgettable evening of edge-of-your-seat entertainment. I’ve been looking forward to this production for a very long time, and I can’t wait to share it with San Diego.” Dial M for Murder will play in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre in Balboa Park through Sunday, August 28. theoldglobe.org
WHAT HIDDEN SECRETS CAN A PHOTOGRAPH REVEAL?
An album of never-before-seen World War II-era photographs arrived at the desk of U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum archivist Rebecca Erbelding. As Rebecca and her team of historians began to unravel the shocking story behind the images, the album soon made headlines worldwide. In Germany, a businessman sees the album online and recognizes his grandfather in the photos. He begins a journey of discovery that will take him into the lives of other Nazi descendants — in a reckoning of his family’s past and his country’s history. Here There Are Blueberries tells the story of these photographs and what they reveal about the Holocaust and our own humanity. La Jolla Playhouse’s world-premiere production by Tony Award nominee Moisés Kaufman and Amanda Gronich can be seen through Sunday, August 21, at Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive. “We are honored to welcome back Moisés, Amanda and Tectonic Theater Project for this searing new devised work that centers on a recently discovered photo album from Auschwitz. As the characters investigate the album and the shocking aspects of the human psyche it exposes, the play asks us to explore how that kind of evil can co-exist with the mundane,” said Christopher Ashley, the Rich Family Artistic Director at La Jolla Playhouse. lajollaplayhouse.org
YOU BELONG AT THE PROM
The national tour of the 2019 Drama Desk Award winner for Outstanding Musical will play at Center Theatre Group/ Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles from Tuesday, August 9 through Sunday, September 11. Four fading Broadway stars are in desperate need of a new stage. So, when they hear that trouble is brewing around a small-town Indiana prom — and the press is involved — they know it’s time to put a spotlight on the issue and themselves. The town’s parents want to keep the dance on the straight and narrow — but when one student wants to bring her girlfriend to prom, the entire town has a date with destiny. Now, Broadway’s brassiest are coming to join the fight and they are ready to kick-ball-change the world. centertheatregroup.org
LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE CONCLUDES ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON WITH A DAZZLING AND MAGICAL MUSICAL
Slap on your roller skates, pump up the glitter and get hip to the muses in Xanadu. The laugh-out-loud musical stage adaptation of the 1980 film won the Outer Circle Award for Best Musical. Xanadu follows Clio, the lovely and precocious Greek muse who decides to don her roller skates and legwarmers to become Kira to help Sonny Malone, a chalk artist with half a brain and a heart of gold, rediscover his own creativity. With both help and hindrance from the other muses — and from a clarinetist-turned-real estate mogul named Danny Maguire — Sonny and Clio work to rebuild their “apex of the arts,” a roller disco. Xanadu is a rare musical with a big heart and an even bigger funny bone with a tongue stuck firmly in its cheek. The hit score includes “I’m Alive,” “Magic,” “Have You Never Been Mellow” and “Xanadu.” “What a euphoric way to close what has been an exceptional 100th anniversary season for the Playhouse. With a hilarious book by Douglas Carter Beane and spectacular musical numbers, our subscribers and audiences will close out the summer in a wildly entertaining way,” said Ellen Richard, executive producing director. Xanadu will be staged from Sunday, August 7 through Sunday, August 21, at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Drive in Laguna Beach. lagunaplayhouse.com
AUGUST 2022 | @theragemonthly
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theatre spotlight
by tony reveditto
WELCOME TO MOULIN ROUGE!
TONY AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL CELEBRATES NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
R
eleased by 20th Century Fox, Baz Luhrmann’s film Moulin Rouge! premiered at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. The film was a commercial success, grossing $179 million at the box office. It grabbed eight Oscar nominations at the 74th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won two for production design and costumes. The musical grabbed several Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and Nicole Kidman for Best Actress. Eighteen years later, Moulin Rouge! The Musical opened to critical acclaim at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in summer 2019 and reopened in September 2021 following the shutdown of Broadway due to the pandemic. Moulin Rouge! The Musical is the winner of 10 Tony Awards in 2021, including Best Musical; two Drama League Awards, including Outstanding Production of a Musical; five Drama Desk Awards; and 10 Outer Critics Circle Award Honor citations, including New Broadway Musical. As in the film, the musical celebrates over 160 years of music — from
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Offenbach to Lady Gaga. The stage musical features many of the iconic songs from the movie and also includes recent hits. Christian, a poor young English poet, has come to Paris circa 1899 to follow the Bohemian revolution taking hold of the city’s drug- and prostitute-laden underworld. He enters the glitzy Moulin Rouge of Paris, a dazzling and spectacular universe where the Bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows. Christian becomes infatuated with Satine, a singer at the Moulin Rouge. But she has been promised to a duke by the manager in exchange for funding for his next production. The young lovers start meeting in private, but as her wedding to the duke nears, unimaginable secrets are revealed. André Ward plays the role of stage director Toulouse-Lautrec in the show. Ward is no stranger to Broadway, having performed in Escape to Margaritaville, Rock of Ages, Xanadu, Saturday Night Fever, Something Rotten and The Producers. Andre has tackled some impressive characters in film and television, including Pose, The Forty-Year-Old Version, Master of None, High Maintenance, Elementary, Difficult People and Broad City.
andré ward as toulouse-lautrec (center) and the cast of the north american tour photos by matthew murphy
THE RAGE MONTHLY CAUGHT UP WITH WARD WHILE ON THE NATIONAL TOUR. You were born in Las Vegas, but where is your home base these days? Yes, I was born and raised in Las Vegas. My family moved there in 1941. My grandfather got to Las Vegas via Mississippi, moving west for better and better opportunities. Now I am living in Harlem; New York has been my home for 27 years. In recent years, you portrayed the character of Manhattan, a member of the Master of Ceremony Council, in the Netflix series Pose. What was it like to work on this iconic series? It was an amazing surprise, because it went from being a one-episode guest star — and because Ryan Murphy was directing, he really liked the four of us — Billy (Porter), Jack (Mizrahi), Cameron (J. Cameron Barnet) and I’s chemistry. He thought this demographic and dynamic represented a lot of television and before we knew it, he was bringing us back. It was such a beautiful surprise to be part of such a beautiful amazing ground-breaking series and to represent four queer men of a certain age, who have different personalities and who represent four different types of humanity, which was really cool! Now you are involved in the touring company of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, what is the most rewarding aspect of being a part of this show? Oh, my goodness, the joy we bring to the audiences. I had a friend at the show last night who I have known since I was 14 years old. She said she was laughing, and she was crying, and I was singing the songs in my head with the show. What I like to say is [this is] what we need in the world right now, in these times. The show is about truth, beauty, freedom and love; and who can’t get on board with more love in the world?
You play Toulouse-Lautrec, so how is your character woven into the storyline? Toulouse is the character that is writing the show within the show that we’re doing. He is an artist through and through to his bones. He likes this trek with an aristocratic family but identified more with the Bohemian population. Toulouse is not so secretly in love with Satine but knows that it is unrequited love and that they are just friends. He is satisfied with their loving friendship and being best friends with the man who captures her heart, Christian. He helps them, even though it breaks his own heart. What message do you hope audiences walk away with after seeing this show? That we are more alike than different and in those differences we can celebrate. The show tours for another year. After that, what is on the horizon, and what is next in your career? Any specific goals or projects coming up? Well, I got this show right before the pandemic. I have been waiting to do this show for two years, and then go back to New York to see what is next for me. Doing Moulin Rouge! The Musical has been percolating in my soul for two years and I am so excited to bring this musical to the country! Today, the Moulin Rouge has lost almost nothing of its grandeur and its 60 artists present the Féerie revue show: two hours of amazement between cabaret and music hall styles where dance scenes and surprise acts interspersed — without forgetting the Moulin Rouge’s most emblematic dance, the French Cancan. Moulin Rouge! The Musical runs through Sunday, September 4 at Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles. broadwayinhollywood.com or 800.982.2787 It plays Wednesday, November 9 through Sunday, November 27 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. scfta.org or 714.556.2787
AUGUST 2022 | @theragemonthly
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steam queen
by jay jones
WORLDS COLLIDE AND SECRETS EXPOSED
IN MYLES YAKSICH’S ALBATROSS Writer/director Myles Yaksich’s feature film debut Albatross is a dark drama that examines the concept of self (identity, ethnicity and sexual orientation) in the context of society, while illustrating the compromises people are willing to make to feel as though they belong. Two seemingly separate narratives, spanning 30 years, converge at a dinner party between a pair of newly introduced couples in 1959 New England, revealing that the attendees know much more about one another than they first thought. Born in Canada, and having lived in Asia for over a decade, Yaksich brings to his films his experiences from his travels and pulls from his life as a member of the LGBTQ community. Currently living in Los Angeles to pursue filmmaking full time, Yaksich has already had two successful short films with both securing awards from multiple film festivals. Albatross has also received several awards across three continents including Best Indie Film, Best Script and Best Director. What inspired you to enter the world of filmmaking? Cliché, as it may sound, I’ve been interested in making films since I watched Jurassic Park for the first time as a kid. Thankfully, my parents encouraged creativity, enabling my participation in the visual arts, performance dance, film camps and acting programs; we even made a 30-minute “short film” — a murder mystery set in the 1930s — when I was in grade school. But it wasn’t until later, after college and an overseas career in finance, that I decided to tap into those creative roots and pursue filmmaking. And despite the detour abroad and a relocation to LA, fate brought me back to Canada to create my feature directorial debut, Albatross. Why did you make this film? After leaving my career in investment banking in Singapore, I moved to LA with a plan of making two shorts and a feature-length film. After completing Poppies in 2018 and Erin in 2019 (both are available on
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Amazon Prime Video), I knew it was time to take the plunge and write a feature-length film. From a production perspective, Albatross really came about because of the COVID restrictions enforced during the global pandemic. In 2019, my producing partner, Jennie Lew Tugend, and I had been developing another project in LA, but when the pandemic hit, that was put on hold. I returned to Canada with my backpack and carry-on — thinking it would be a few weeks — but soon realized it would be a lot longer. Jennie and I talked about strategy, and I suggested a pivot, starting a new project to film in my hometown. This evolved into Albatross. Where did the idea of the script come from? Thematically, I was driven to write Albatross to work out and reconcile some of my feelings about how differences are perceived, responded to and politicized, and whether we choose to react with emotion or intellect. Over the past decade, it’s become more challenging to have open conversations about complex issues without an immediate and total judgment over the perspectives, choices and behaviors of others. There’s an interesting juxtaposition in North American culture; despite our layered complexity, we tend to prefer the certainty of binary outcomes. Whether it’s “yes/no,” “right/wrong” or “black/white,” it’s easier to ignore the nuance of the gray area — the area which I feel more accurately reflects our daily lives. And that’s the area I wanted to explore in Albatross — peeling back the layers on challenging and robust characters, and seeing how they respond to each other over the course of one night in 1959, New England — a time when you couldn’t just leave the dinner table. From a structural perspective, writing a COVID-compliant film required a story with minimal cast and few locations. I referenced genres that facilitate those production constraints, such as horror or closedloop mystery, and ultimately wrote Albatross, a story that merges genres and exemplifies my directorial voice.
Anything you hope viewers come away with after watching the film? Conversation. The willingness to converse with those who are not cut from the same cloth is so important, perhaps now more than ever. Everyone has a story and a background that shapes their views, ideals and comfort levels, and conversation is such a great way to connect with others who have a different life experience. Albatross shows some of the stories that shape who we are and underscores that we aren’t always what we appear on the surface. Our feelings about each of the characters changes throughout the film, as we peel back the layers of their individual stories. What’s next for you? Following Albatross, I’ve got a couple exciting projects in the pipeline. Firstly, The Barracuda Alchemist follows a queer, struggling artist as he navigates the elite LA scene. A dark character-driven drama, the film explores identity, sexuality, judgment and corruption. Secondly, I’ve collaborated with Kevin Kreider (Netflix’s Bling Empire) to develop the diverse and inclusive romantic comedy, Chasing Tides. The film focuses on an egotistical actor plagued with a bad reputation who must date a do-gooder to improve his image and land a dream role. Anything else you’d like to share with The RAGE Monthly? Albatross is available Tuesday, August 2 on most transactional platforms including Apple+ and Amazon, DirecTV and DVD (Barnes and Noble, Best Buy, etc). Let us know that you enjoyed the film by leaving us a rating and review on whichever platform you used to watch the film. Please follow our journey on Instagram @albatross_film or Facebook @albatrossmovie to learn more about the making of the film and the team behind the project.
director myles yaksich with cast and crew of albatross
The cast of Albatross is wonderful. How/why did you choose them? Creating a film takes a village, and the incredible cast of Albatross was assembled by casting director Ashley Hallihan. We had an incredibly short casting window — less than two weeks — and we reviewed hundreds of submission tapes from across Canada. We had a very limited call-back window, which was also conducted by Zoom, and ultimately had to trust my gut in selecting the cast that most closely reflected the characters I had written. By nature, the story and script parallel a stage play, and I knew it would be important to tap into Canada’s rich theatre community. And I am so thankful we did. The nuanced performances by Sarah Orenstein, Romaine Waite, David Keeley, Katherine Gauthier and Thom Nyyhus (and the entire cast) not only brought the characters to life but elevated them. How do you hope this film resonates with the LGBTQ audience? Throughout Albatross and its characters, there’s a throughline of authenticity that explores the potential consequences of making compromises. This idea of social acceptance is very much a part of the LGBTQ+ experience, and I hope that these themes resonate with the audience. Perhaps the audience may see themselves or loved ones in some of the characters. As an LGBTQ+ filmmaker, I may have a particular slant toward specific issues or relationship dynamics, but I went into Albatross with the intention of writing a diverse and inclusive film that also explores gender and age differences, race bias and socio-economic status. As a result, there are nuanced discussions about the generational impact of trauma, and hopefully Albatross can help break down some of the barriers that deter us from discussing it and encourage conversation.
AUGUST 2022 | @theragemonthly
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drink up
by scott leonard
THE RTD COCKTAIL CRAZE
CONVENIENCE, HEALTH FACTORS, BETTER QUALITY AND VARIETY CONTRIBUTE TO THE POPULARITY OF READY-TO-DRINK ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
San Diego-based SouthNorte, the maker of Mexican-style craft beers, has entered the canned cocktail category. Founded in 2016 as a small craft beer company, SouthNorte has now evolved and is bringing the bold flavors of Mexico to ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails in an authentic way. Premium tequila and fresh lime star in all three offerings. Paloma combines blue agave tequila with red grapefruit. Mexican Mule blends blue agave tequila, ginger beer and a hint of jalapeño. Matador mixes blue agave tequila with pineapple. southnorte.com
Summer is sizzling and rock legend Sammy Hagar invites San Diegans to cool off in style. Hagar’s new Sammy’s Beach Bar Cocktail Co. will host a series of indoor and outdoor events throughout San Diego to launch the Red Rocker’s top-shelf sparkling rum cocktails, culminating with an appearance by Hagar on Thursday, August 18. “San Diego represents the beach lifestyle that’s at the core of my new sparkling rum cocktails in a can,” said Hagar, a longtime SoCal resident. “I can’t think of a better place to celebrate summer than the beaches and bars of America’s Finest City.” Hagar’s Puerto Rico-made Beach Bar Rum steeps island flavor into his new Beach Bar Cocktails, which come in four award-winning flavors: Tangerine Dream, Pineapple Splash, Island Pop and Cherry Kola Chill. sbbcco.com
Arthur Galego, a gay Palm Springs resident, co-founded SunDaze, a revolutionary line of juice-based, ready-to-drink cocktails. SunDaze 100% Valencia orange juice blend uses an exclusive fermentation process that transforms fruit juice into a delicious alcoholic refreshment low in calories and sugar. Each cocktail contains 100% of your daily dose of Vitamin C, antioxidants and probiotics, and is also gluten-free, vegan and has no added sugars. The drinks are light, refreshing and available in three flavors. Classic Citrus reimagines Valencia orange juice at its boozy best with a simple formula and a sophisticated flavor that challenges the best mimosa. Botanical Citrus blends Valencia orange juice, rosemary and ginger root for an aromatic, zingy taste. Spicy Citrus mixes Valencia orange juice with jalapeño and Thai chili for a kick that makes you think you’re sipping straight from the spicy rim of a cocktail glass. drinksundaze.com
LGBTQ-owned Sincere Cider is a true expression of the crisp, clean flavors of contemporary cidercraft. It’s made in California with a unique blend of culinary apples and French wine yeast. Sincere Cider is fermented until dry, then backsweetened with just a touch of fresh-pressed apple juice. Sincere’s unique blend of organic culinary apples comes from the Yakima Valley in Washington. The cider is cultivated and canned in Napa, California. Sincere Cider is available in two flavors. The flagship Dry Apple with 5.6% alcohol by volume (abv) and five grams of sugar. Ginger Agave is flavored with chili peppers, orange, lemon and lime zest 6.2% abv and 10 grams of sugar (blue agave nectar). sincerecider.com
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