March 30, 2016 by Next Magazine NY

CONTENTS

MARCH 30, 2016 | VOL 23.41

24 HE’S STILL HERE

Our interview with Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, directors of the new Robert Mapplethorpe documentary premiering on HBO April 4, 2016. Review on page 14.

P.17

11 Gay D.D. 12 The Week in Photos 14 What’s Next | Music: Pet Shop Boys 16 What’s Next | Stage: Justin Sayre 17 What’s Next | Film: Daddy

FEATURES 18 Brief Encounter: Coco Peru 20 Spotlight: Sam Lansky

P.20

NEXT STEPS 30 Travel: Destination Chicago 31 Fitness: Speedo Ready 32 Dining: Umami Burger

NEXT WEEK 35 Calendar of Events 40 Bars + Clubs Map

P.24

43 SHOT IN THE DARK

THIS WEEK ON NEXTMAGAZINE.COM + More party pics and event coverage

ON THE COVER: Ken Moody and Robert Sherman by Robert Mapplethorpe.

P.31 6 MARCH 30, 2016

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BREAKING GLASS PICTURES (DADDY), SHERVIN LAINEZ (SAM LANSKY), HBO (ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE DOCUMENTARY), RICK STOCKWELL (DAN WELDEN)

THE NEXUS

A SMART, BRACING & THOUGHT-PROVOKING PRODUCTION.” “

The New York Times

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT THROUGH MAY 8

Scott

A New Play Written By Elmegreen and Drew Fornarola Directed by

Andy Sandberg

ENTHRALLING! A CANDID, SEX-FILLED FIRST-RATE COMIC DRAMA.” “

Gay City News

as featured in

NEXT MAGAZINE

Thomas E. Sullivan

Jake Epstein

Jenna Gavigan

StraightThePlay.com

#LivingALabel

PHOTO: ZACK DeZON

TELECHARGE.COM | 212-239-6200 Acorn Theatre at Theatre Row 410 West 42nd Street

PUBLISHER Kevin Hopper ART DIRECTOR Leo Winter ASSOCIATE EDITORS Alexander Kacala, Mitchell Kuga DIRECTOR OF SALES Chris Rivera ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Don Robinder, Roberto Buckley, Silvio Carvana NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Rivendell Media: 212-242-6863, rivendellmedia.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jon Ali, Ed Cosman, Lawrence Ferber, Cody Gohl, Michael Lambert, Justin Lockwood, Robert Maril, Roytel Montero, Kevin O’Malley, Dan Welden, Matthew Wexler, Jameer Baptiste

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Gabe Ayala, Ames Bex, Jeff Eason, Steven Trumon Gray, Christopher Logan, Gustavo Monroy, Edwin Pabon, Mateus Porto, Phil Shaw, Dennis Dean

A PUBLICLY-TRADED LGBTQ COMPANY STOCK SYMBOL: MMPW corporate

PETER JACKSON

President, COO & Group Executive Publisher Kevin Hopper Vice President l Operations

Maura “Mumball” Lane VP l Sales & Marketing

Dennis Dean Vice President l Creative

Richard Hack Vice President l Content

Michael Turner President l Digital Media Ventures

Jeff Sterling Vice President l Finance

Keith Chamlee Corporate Circulation Director

Tim Hart Chief Financial Officer

C. Lawrence Rutstein Chairman of the Board

ROBERT “BOBBY” BLAIR Founder & CEO

NEXTMAGAZINE.COM FACEBOOK.COM/NEXTMAGAZINENY TWITTER.COM/ NEXTMAGAZINENY INSTAGRAM.COM/NEXTMAGAZINENY Next Magazine (henceforth “Next”) reserves the right to publish images without providing credit. Next does not guarantee that credit will be provided for any materials. The appearance of subjects and contributors in photographs or editorial matter in Next is not to be construed as indicative of the sexual orientation or personal practices of any individual. No implication with respect thereto is intended, and none should be inferred. NEXT MAGAZINE PUBLISHED BY MULTIMEDIA PLATFORMS, INC © 2016 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PHONE: 212-627-0165

OPINIONS AND CLAIMS MADE BY ADVERTISERS ARE THOSE OF THE ADVERTISERS ONLY. NEXT MAGAZINE ACCEPTS NO LIABILITY FOR CLAIMS MADE BY ADVERTISERS.

8 MARCH 30, 2016

THE

GAY D.D. · WEEK IN PHOTOS · WHAT’S NEXT

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PELLE CREPIN

VISIT THE NEXUS ON NEXTMAGAZINE.COM FOR YOUR DAILY DOSE OF GAY GOSSIP, PARTY PHOTOS, AND MORE.

BOYSTOMEN

The Pet Shop Boys resplendent new album finds the synth-pop duo waxing nostalgic.

PG.14

MARCH 30, 2016 9

You Don’t Meet Them Sitting on Your Couch. Every month, Out Professionals offers OP Members and friends an exhilarating mix of networking opportunities, focusing on areas of key concern — career, community and culture. Here you’ll meet established and up-and-coming LGBT professionals and entrepreneurs – friendly, successful New Yorkers who can help you grow your business and enrich your social life. For advance notice of low-cost or no-cost OP events, go to outprofessionals.org/alerts or visit outprofessionals.org Media Sponsor

COMMENT OF THE WEEK:

PHOTO CREDITS: TODRICKHALL.COM (TODRICK HALL), ITRAINTHEREFOREIEAT.COM (BEYONCE), FULLHDPICTURES.COM (ELLEN DEGENERES), TVDAILY.COM (JOE MANGANIELLO)

“Kanye West, jump in! You could win this thing!” Bette Midler wrote on Facebook regarding the election.

Did the Beyhive get an Emmy nomination for being weird with Todrick Hall? BEYHIVE BUZZ The Beyhive is buzzing that Beyonce’s album may drop any day now. As of press time, Beyonce’s album had yet to drop, but Twitter account Shady Music Facts was doing some digging. Jezebel reported, “While there is no screenshot of the downed iTunes page, I can at least confirm that a search for Queen Bey’s page on Vevo lists her uploaded video total as 117, but when all the videos in each category column is added up, it amounts to 130 in total. This leaves 13 videos unaccounted for.” SMITHERS IS OUT The Simpsons’ biggest open secret is finally being revealed to everyone, as Waylon Smithers is set to officially come out of the closet. Smithers’ sexuality – and unrequited love for his boss Mr. Burns – has been one of the show’s longest running jokes, but an April 3rd episode will address it head-on according to a new episode description. CONSPIRACY THEORY We all cheered when Michael

Sam was drafted by the St. Louis Rams two years ago, but a new report claims that his eleventh-hour selection might have been part of a backroom deal with the league. Sports journalist Howard Balzer cites “multiple sources” claiming that the Rams struck a deal with the NFL to draft Sam, and in exchange were kept off HBO’s annual Hard Knocks series for the year. Sam tweeted that it’s plausible. EARWORM Steve Aoki, Felix Jaehn and Adam Lambert released a new track, “Can’t Go Home” and it’s catchy. “The Original High singer’s wistful, understated vocals about not giving up on love are offset by breezier dance production than we’ve come to expect from Steve in particular,” Idolator reported.

ELLEN ON TOP The Ellen DeGeneres Show has emerged as the top pick under the Talk Show category in the recently announced 43rd Daytime Emmy Nominations. NBC’s most popular show has

managed to defeat other programs with an incredible 10 nominations this year.

WEIRD SHIT “I mean, I was on True Blood for years. There’s some really, really weird shit written about that show. So listen, man, ‘weird’ is my middle name. I’m ready for anything. The weirder, the better,” Joe Manganiello told A.V. Club about his new role Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, the Pee-wee Herman reboot/comeback flick now streaming on Netflix. ONE DIRECTION WHO? Zayn Malik released a moody video for his laidback song “Befour.” The song appears on his debut solo album Mind of Mine, which was released last Friday.

15 MINUTES When learning what not to do, Todrick Hall looked to other former Idol contestants “To put out an EP or an album, so many finalists do that, and it didn’t really work for them,” Todrick Hall told Billboard. “So I was, like, ‘What can I do to make people to notice me?’” MARCH 30, 2016 11

THEWEEKINPHOTOS

PHOTO BY WILSONMODELS

ON THE RED CARPET On March 21, Gay Men’s Health Crisis’s spring gala honored Dustin Lance Black and former board president Louis Bradbury at Cipriani 42nd St. Also on the red carpet were CEO Kelsey Louie and GMHC supporter Alan Cumming.

PHOTO BY GUSTAVO MONROY

PHOTO BY WILSONMODELS

A POP-UP At Flatiron Plaza North, an installation featured large-scale projections of the infamous photographer’s work in conjunction with the HBO documentary, Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures.

BIG GAY SING On March 18, the New York Gay Men’s Chorus presented another edition of their campy sing-a-long extravaganza, featuring a selection of pop hits from across the pond at The NYU Skirball Center. 12 MARCH 30, 2016

SUNG WITH A GAY TWIST Chita Rivera at the Broadway Backwards After Party on March 21.

n HIV o i t n e v e r p t got jus

PrEP is a once a day pill that can keep you HIV negative.**

Call 800-541-2437 (Spanish)

prep for sex.org *condoms should be used for STD protection

WHAT’SNEXT MUSIC

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PELLE CREPIN

BOYSTOMEN

DOCUMENTARY

JUSTAKID

HBO’s new documentary paints a chilling portrait of Robert Mapplethorpe

14 MARCH 30, 2016

hat the Pet Shop Boy’s 13th studio album is coming out on April Fools’ Day can’t be a coincidence. Since releasing its debut album in 1986, the British duo has cultivated a distinct strain of sad, cheeky synth-pop delivered with self-aware wink. Much like 2014’s Electric, the group’s last release, Super takes their signature sound and pumps it with electronic uppers. The resulting record is sleek and sprightly, worthy of A Night at the Roxbury-levels of head-twerking. Beneath the sheen, a prickly current of nostalgia courses through buoyantly titled tracks like “Happiness” and “Groovy,” revealing glimpses of what it’s like to age in the youth-obsessed vacuum of pop music. The most obvious example, “Twenty-Something,” finds 61-year-old Neil Tennant slyly intoning, “Thirty’s calling round the bend/Will your ideas ever trend?” over a peppy candy raver beat. Similarly, the disco-tinged lead single “The Pop Kids” opens with a question: “Remember those days? / The early nineties” The past, and youth in particular, is simultaneously ridiculed and celebrated. Under the command of electronic mega-producer Stuart Price, Super flaunts three nearly instrumental tracks, introducing breathers from the action. In an interview, Tennant’s said that the electronic interludes are a nod to another British shape shifter who maintained pop success late into his life: David Bowie—and in particular his work in the ’70s. – Mitchell Kuga ex-lover Jack Fritscher alludes to Mapplethorpe as a Satanist. Later, the film explores Mapplethorpe’s problematic fixation with black men. Or, as Mapplethorpe’s biographer Patricia Morrisroe puts it, “Robert was looking for god in a black man.” Interspersed throughout the unflinching commentary, we are made to look at the pictures. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s recently acquired archive of Mapplethorpe’s work invites us to gaze at never before seen still life’s of flowers—“He’s done a beautiful job on flowers,” his father offers—and more landscapes of sculptural flesh. To comical effect, we hear buttoned-up curators offering their pedigreed takes on an image of Mapplethorpe shoving a bullwhip up his ass. Later, the humor is more obtuse. When the camera settles on a print of an unidentified man inserting a dildo, we hear a recording of Mapplethorpe in the background: “I think that’s what art is about, is opening something up.”

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE FOUNDATION

“

Look at the pictures,” booms Republican senator Jesse Helms, during an obscenity case he led against Robert Mapplethorpe, in 1989. HBO’s documentary, Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures, derives its name from Helms’s accusation, though the film spends most of its nearly two hours putting Mapplethorpe’s character on trial. A bevy of talking heads, from his siblings to lovers he photographed bound and exposed, candidly paint a dizzying portrait of the artist; at once seductively charming, contentiously egotistical, and relentlessly ambitious, up until his death at 42 from complications related to HIV/AIDS. The film opens, expectedly, with grainy scenes from Mapplethorpe’s conventional Roman Catholic upbringing, devised for later iterations of the artist to obliterate. Or as writer Bob Colacello puts it, “I don’t think he could’ve produced the work he did unless he was raised Catholic.” The resulting character study is enthralling. At its most chilling,

The Pet Shop Boys resplendent new album finds the synth-pop duo waxing nostalgic

APRIL 4, 2016 THE INTREPID SEA, AIR & SPACE MUSEUM Pier 86, W 46th St & 12th Ave, New York, NY

jeffreyfashioncares.org

#JFC2016

#FASHIONCARES

STAGE

FIRST STAR I SEE TONIGHT The Meeting’s Justin Sayre debuts his solo show about love and the stars.

16 MARCH 30, 2016

Though the comedian claims his fascination with the celestial bodies is somewhat recent, he’s aware of which star signs don’t mesh with his constitution. “Well I’m a Sagittarius with an Aries rising, so with Leo’s I sometimes think it’s just too much fire—though I do think they’re the show-offs of the fire signs,” he says. “And as for Scorpios, well, I think we can all agree they’re pretty rough.” Whether he’s formed a better understanding of love through the show is another story. “But I feel as though that’s okay,” he sighs. “I’m constantly confused by love. I can’t fathom it half the time. But I hope for it very much.” – Mitchell Kuga

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF KEVIN YATAROLA

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF KEITH GEMEREK

ustin Sayre found the inspiration for his new solo show, Love’s Refrain, in the stars. The production, opening at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club on April 1, where it will play for two consecutive weekends, “traces the life of the stars, like the celestial bodies, and also juxtaposes that with my experiences and self-definition of what love is,” says Sayre, a writer on the CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls. “So it’s a light evening.” Despite his lofty ambitions, inspiration didn’t strike while stargazing in the bucolic countryside. Sayre was sitting in an Uber. “I was listening to this story on NPR about how in the future, in about a million years probably, space from where we see will be dark. That all the stars that we see will be burned out,” he says. Aside from making him feel “terribly upset,” the news urged Sayre to think about how his concepts of love are deeply intertwined with images of the stars. Love’s Refrain’s dramaturgy will unfold across six sections that trace the lifecycle of a star, from nebula to supernova. Between his own writing, Sayre weaves source material ranging from Keats to astronomy books, portraying flashes of modern romanticism. Experiences from director Matthu Placek and composer David John Sokolowski, friends from New York’s downtown art scene, are also reflected in Sayre’s prose. “Since we all come from different backgrounds but share the commonality of being gay men in our thirties creating art, the piece is informed by all of our experiences,” says Sayre, who hosts the acclaimed variety show The Meeting. “It’s really like working with a bunch of dear friends and getting to play for a bit.”

WHAT’SNEXT FILM

WHO’S

YOUR DADDY?

Gerald McCullouch stars in Daddy, a dramedy with an unexpected twist.

“

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BREAKING GLASS PICTURES

For the first hour, people are laughing their asses off,” says Gerald McCullouch about Daddy, his directorial feature film debut, out April 5 on VOD/DVD. “And then when the story changes, people get really quiet and are moved to tears. To me, that’s completely rewarding.” Few movies take turns as sharp as Daddy, in which McCullouch stars as Colin, a prototype of the older gay bachelor who has it all. The prominent Pittsburgh talk show host spends his days in front of the camera, his nights watching basketball games with his best friend Stewart, and his weekends bedding a different man. That all changes when Colin catches the eye of Tee, a college intern whose pathos brews beneath his giddy desire to please. A long night at the office sets off a heart-wrenching twist in what was seemingly a droll comedy. The movie was adapted from a play written by Dan Via, who stars in both versions as Colin’s wisecracking best friend. McCullouch also played Colin on stage, but that’s where the similarities end. “Theater is a story telling medium based on language. You talk about things but you don’t necessarily see them happen,” McCullouch says, adding that the play only contained three actors. “Film is a visual story telling terrain. I had to make everything in Dan’s play a real breathing event.” That also applied to life offstage. After the movie cut, McCullouch started dating a college student: Derrick Gordon, who made news for being the first

openly gay NCAA Division I basketball player. “The situation with Derrick ended up being way more public than I intended it to be,” says the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation alum. The two met shortly after Daddy wrapped, when Gordon reached out to McCullouch after seeing him in BearCity. “I don’t want to talk about that too much,” he says. “We’re still friends but we’re not together anymore.” Later, McCullouch admits with a laugh, “the idea of life imitating art crossed not only my mind but everyone’s mind on my post-production team.” Though the relationship between an older and younger man is central to Daddy’s plot, what attracted McCullouch to Via’s screenplay is the friendship between Colin and Stewart. By turns affectionate and biting, the two present a complicated partnership. “I personally don’t see stories about gay men my age or about how you navigate gay friendships as you get older,” says McCullouch, who is 48. “With gays and lesbians and outsiders, the word family evolves as we get older, into the families that we’ve created around us. Much more so than the families that come from blood ties. Dan’s story uniquely addresses that.” – Mitchell Kuga MARCH 30, 2016 17

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PETER PALLADINO

How did the three of you get the idea to do this show?

BRIEF ENCOUNTER

THE CRAFT OF DRAG Miss Coco Peru tells us what’s brewing in the New York premiere of The Witches of East Village BY MITCHELL KUGA

imitation is really the sincerest form of flattery, then The Witches of Eastwick should be blush red. In addition to a few television adaptations, titles like the The Bitches of Westwood and The Witches of Breastwick are both streaming on a porn site near you, which speak to the campy theatricality of the star-studded 1987 original. What better fit for a trio of iconic drag queens. Miss Coco Peru, Peaches Christ, and Chad Michael star in The Witches of East Village, a comedic adaptation playing on April 2 for one night at The Gramercy Theatre. In Peaches Christ’s script, a cinephile, a monologist, and a Cher impersonator (guess who) have been invited to perform in the iconic Manhattan neighborhood, where a mysterious fan creeps into their lives. We chatted with Miss Coco Peru—the drag persona of Clinton Leupp—about the show. Tell me what we can expect from The Witches of East Village? Chaos, cock jokes, and a few dance numbers. Plus three very beautiful, talented, aging queens! 18 MARCH 30, 2016

I saw a Peaches Christ show that she brought to Los Angeles and I had so much fun that I went up to her afterwards and said, “Put me in a show.” After being a solo performer for 25 years, I wanted to experience working with an ensemble again. Peaches looked at me and said, “Really? Because, if you’re serious I will hold you to that.” So Peaches called me not long afterwards and asked me to start thinking about what I would like to do, but I had already been fantasizing that Witches of Eastwick would be a perfect show for us to do with, of course, Chad Michaels as Cher, and then Peaches asked me what I thought about doing Witches of Eastwick with Chad! So it was, in a way, magic from the get-go. Also, Peaches wanted to celebrate those of us who have been in the business for a while and she works that into the script.

How closely does the show hew to The Witches of Eastwick? If you know the movie, you’ll see that Peaches sticks very close to it but still manages to make it a very Peaches Christ experience. And she did a brilliant and creative job in managing to keep the Veronica Cartwright “cherry scene.”

In what ways do you identify with Susan Sarandon’s character Jane, the newly divorced music teacher? Well like Jane, who practices her cello until her fingers bleed, I tend to be disciplined when it comes to my work. I show up on time, I rehearse, and I worry about everything because I want it all to be perfect! I find my freedom through discipline. Also, I need everything to be in order. In fact, I recently did an event with my gal pals Detox Icunt, Delta Werk and Trixie Mattel and they were all gagging, as the kids say, over how neat and organized my suitcase was. When I took a look in their bags, I realized that they were correct. That bothers me.

Between Broadway and the movie theaters, what is it about 2016 that screams year of the witch? Perhaps it is to counterbalance what is happening in the Republican Party and the likes of Trump, Cruz and men like that. As one of my favorite witches, Glinda, said, “You have no powers here! Be gone, before someone drops a house on you too! ” Seriously, houses need to be dropped.

In real life, would you be a good witch or bad? I suppose that I would be a little bit of both, I like to keep things balanced. Now, I’ve got to go rehearse and brew a cup of Tension Tamer Tea! N

SPOTLIGHT

SAM LANSKY:

27 AND SOBER

BUT NEVER DRY BY ALEXANDER KACALA

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SHERVIN LAINEZ

wo 20-something gay men walk into a bar and order a seltzer water with lime. This isn’t the beginning of a corny joke but the beginning of a scene set for an intimate conversation between two men who have honestly labeled themselves as addicts. On the one barstool sits Sam Lansky. Recently, Lansky released his first memoir, The Gilded Razor. The Gilded Razor honestly reveals Lansky’s tumultuous affair with alcohol, drugs, and older men during his late teens in New York as the backdrop. Praised as “the addiction memoir for the next generation,” the acclaimed memoir has received positive reviews and has been featured in People magazine, Vanity Fair, and on Entertainment Weekly’s Must List. Lansky is also the cultural editor at Time, interviewing celebrities like Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, and Adele. I didn’t have the opportunity to walk into a gay bar with Lansky, but I did have the chance to chat intimately with the 27-year-old published author. During our hour-long chat, we discussed recovery, his memoir, dating sober, and what happens when you say no to Madonna. You and I actually have something in common. I stopped drinking two and a half years ago myself. Oh wow. Congrats.

I had a really bad problem. I’m sorry to hear that. Been there. As you know.

I know. What did your journey into sobriety look like? 20 MARCH 30, 2016

I sort of document towards the end of my book my experiences in substance abuse treatment and ultimately getting sober when I was 19. Looking back on it - what I can see I didn’t even realize how much every step along the way for me, everything I learned, every rehab I ended up in, every false start, every relapse was bringing me to this point where I could finally be ready to let that go. To let that part of my life go now so I could step into this new sober identity. So much of my identity was wrapped up in being this messed

up kid - that was a really hard thing for me to let go of. Once I was ready, I was really, really ready. There is no one-size fits all approach to addiction, treatment, or recovery. A lot of different things work for a lot of different people. I am not an advocate, necessarily, for being completely sober. It’s what’s worked for me. It’s what’s allowed me to have what feels like a really truthful and gratifying life. I can only speak from my experience and say what has worked for me. I think there are pressures facing young gay men especially in relation to drugs and alcohol and also body image, which I write a lot about in my book. For me, it was really important to be a voice to come through from the other side of that stuff. Even in my 20s, I have seen my friends grapple with substances abuse, addiction, and body image issues. To be on the other side–to have come through a pretty gnarly addiction to now be in this place where I have been able to (knock on wood) stay sober for almost eight years. It’s really cool to be able to share my experiences of how bad it was. How gruesome it really got for me. To be on this side of it saying you can get to this side. No matter what you’ve done. No matter how screwed up your experiences were. No matter how dark or gnarly it got. You can still have a really great life.

I totally agree. I think the reason why I have been so drawn to this story is because it is incredible that you are living this moment out loud. I feel that a lot of people come to this realization that they need to make a change and that change is rehab or recovery or sobriety or whatever it is. But then I feel that there is a shameful silence associated with that process. I think our community needs more of an example of this–to see someone young who they can relate to and see that there are multiple paths. That is something I really wanted to project with my story. I do know for me being young and gay and living in New York, it felt like the way to establish my identity was to go out a lot and party and do a lot of drugs and sleep with older guys and that made me feel cool and edgy. Ultimately, I feel so much stronger in my identity now. You know? That’s not saying everybody needs to be sober. You can still have your own path and make your own mistakes. But I didn’t see a lot of examples or role models doing it a different way. If I am able to do or be that for people now, that is an incredibly moving thing.

What about your dating life? How is that? Well I think it’s pretty good. I don’t at this point think in my life it’s not an impertinent to get me to date or go out and have a good time. The one thing I do hate about being sober is I can never make a move and then blame it on being drunk. You know? I can never send a text and then apologize for it the next morning. I have to own everything I do all the time. I never have that excuse.

You should blame it on something else - like sugar. Blame it on Red Velvet Cake. Right. Like, “I’m on a juice blend. I was not thinking straight. I’m so embarrassed. Please forgive me.” But besides that, being sober – I am sure there are dudes out there who are like, “I don’t want to deal with having a sober boyfriend because he is not going to be any fun.” But that’s not someone I probably would be interested in to begin with.

Do you have any incredible stories from any of your celebrity interviews? When I went to interview Madonna before Rebel Heart, she was playing a drinking game with all of the reporters she was meeting with. So she had shot glasses set out and a bottle of tequila. So I go and sit down with her and she is like, “Here’s the deal. If you ask a terrible question and I say it is a terrible question, I have to take a shot. And if I give a terrible answer and you say it is a terrible answer, then you have to take a shot.” I totally panicked. Here I am in this room with Madonna on camera and she is telling me to drink. I was like, “What I am going to do?” I have been sober for so long, I can’t blow that now. Even for Madonna. So I looked at her and just said, “I’m really sorry. I don’t drink so I can’t play this game.” She then asked,” “What do you mean you don’t drink?” I just said,” I stopped drinking a long time ago.” And then I saw in her eyes that she got it. She just instantly got it. I didn’t have to say anything else. I could tell it made her warm up to me. We ended up having a really good conversation because I told her. It was one of the most intense moments of my life, though. Telling Madonna no.

Last question: what would your Real Housewives tag line be? Let me think about this. I want to get the phrasing exactly right. Ok. I would say, “For me the party might be over, but the drama’s just begun.” N

LANSKY’S MEMOIR THE GILDED RAZOR IS OUT NOW FROM GALLERY BOOKS. MARCH 30, 2016 21

CHELSEA CINEMAS 260 WEST 23rd STREET - 212-691-5519 Featuring:: Reserved Seating • Luxury Rocking Chairs • Upgraded Gourmet Treats

EVERY THURSDAY at 7:00PM HOSTED BY HEDDA LETTUCE

APRIL 7

APRIL 14

For current Chelsea Cinemas movie listings and showtimes, please visit our website BowTieCinemas.com

Facebook.com/BowTieCinemas

@BowTieCinemas

24 MARCH 30, 2016

PHOTO CREDIT: ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE FOUNDATION / COURTESY HBO

HE’S STILL HERE

ON THE COVER KACALA: How did this journey begin?

BY ALEXANDER KACALA

“…My whole point is to transcend the subject. …Go beyond the subject somehow, so that the composition, the lighting, all around, reaches a certain point of perfection. That’s what I’m doing. Whether it’s a cock or a flower, I’m looking at it in the same way. …in my own way, with my own eyes.” – Robert Mapplethorpe Now, it is Mapplethorpe’s turn to be the subject. The prolific New York City photographer is the subject of Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato’s latest documentary. The creative forces behind production company World of Wonder, the duo are established as innovative story tellers, profiling icons Tammy Faye, Michael Alig, and Chaz Bono to name a few. BailEy and Barbato have turned their lens on Mapplethorpe in Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures premiering on HBO Sunday, April 4. They opened up to us about their journey on this film, living out loud and why Mapplethorpe mania has captivated us all.

BAILEY: Well, Sheila Evans at HBO, she is the queen of all documentaries. We have made many films with her over the last couple of decades. She said, “You know you should look into Mapplethorpe.” We went off and started investigating and discovered the LACMA and Getty were planning these two huge retrospectives. We then realized if we wanted to do this we had to get on with it. It feels like we are having a Mapplethorpe moment. He would have been 70 this year. There seems to be a resurgence of interest in that time - New York in the 70’s and 80’s. Pre-internet. Pre-gentrification. Pre-AIDS. Pre-social media. People are interested in this period of history and it was a perfect moment. KACALA: I read somewhere that you said our interest in male eroticism is very heightened right now, especially in the LGBTQ community. That also feeds into this Mapplethorpe mania, right? BAILEY: Absolutely. Yes. He was a pioneer of that. He was not afraid to be naked. To shoot explicit sexuality at a time when even though everyone in the art world was gay, a lot of people were in the closet. He was very open about it and willing to shoot photographs about that life and make people look at them as art. Not pornography. BARBATO: In general, he is a major pioneer in the LGBT community. Where we are today, we fortunately have so many rights. There has been a huge evolution, but it’s important not to forget some of the key pioneers to get us where we are at. The ones who were pushing on the fringe, whether it’s Mapplethorpe or the drag queens. The people who aren’t necessarily – and who may never be in the mainstream. The cultural shape shifters, who from the outside in the mainstream were pushing our agenda forward in a non-overtly political way. Because as you know Mapplethorpe was not a political activist by any stretch of the imagination. Continued on next page.

MARCH 30, 2016 25

THEN AND NOW: Robert Sherman and Ken Moody

KACALA:I have heard you say before that a lot of your subjects – Tammy Faye, Monica Lewinsky – they live out loud. What you just mentioned is a representation of that as well. Mapplethorpe was living out loud because he was overt with his sexuality in his art. Right? BARBATO: Yes. When we started making this film, we initially had some ambivalence about him because we didn’t really know him. We knew of his art work. We knew of his ambition. We knew things on a surface level. Fenton and I - we didn’t know if we liked him. That is an unusual way for us to start a film. We are usually really into it. We have very strong feelings about our subjects from day one. We knew we admired his work and he played an important role in our tribe. But we didn’t know if we personally liked him. Over the course of making the film, that was the very thing. The daring way in which he lived his life out loud. His commitment to living an authentic life. Not editing the brutal honesty of his ambition. The way he led his life was mirrored in the way he approached his art. It was a 360 experience. He was his art and he put it all out there. When Fenton and I really came to understand that, we realized we like this guy. People still don’t put it all out there. People pretend and edit and don’t tell it like it is. But 30 years ago, when most gays were still in the closet, he was photographing golden showers and fist fucking. 26 MARCH 30, 2016

KACALA: Sounds like a great Tuesday to me! BARBATO: (Laughs) Right? It’s not about what he was photographing. It’s not about your moral position on golden showers. That’s not what Robert Mapplethorpe is about. He is about challenging you to expand the way you look at the world. That’s what his art was about then and that’s what it’s about now. It’s as important if not more important than 30 years ago. RuPaul says this all the time, keep your pistol in your pocketbook. Be ready. Because the pendulum is back and forth. We think we have all these freedoms. It can take just a minute for that pendulum to swing the other way. KACALA: Right. Ru says, “That doors open and doors close.” That life is very circular and it moves in cycles. I have heard her say this regarding Drag Race. That right now this door is open for her, so I’m going to keep walking through it. But she said she knows that door will close. BARBATO: Totally. It does feel like we are on this cusp of things shifting. The rise of Trump. The closing of the borders. All the rhetoric. BAILEY: It’s about close mindedness and closed hearts. And Mapplethorpe was on the reverse. He wanted to open things up.

ON THE COVER KACALA: I’m actually a huge fan of Just Kids. It’s probably the last book I read all the way through. What was your experience with the book and Patti through this process?

BAILEY: I love that film.

BAILEY: Love the book. Read the book. Loved it. It’s a great account. It’s her account of their story. I think she says in the foreword. It was a deathbed promise she made to Robert. He wanted her to tell his story.

KACALA: The other thing about Robert was that he was a survivalist. He was committed to doing whatever he had to do to create art. That was seen in his relationship with Patti Smith and later on in his relationship with Sam Wagstaff. That’s interesting too. His ability to be this survivalist. I will do whatever I have to do to create my art.

BARBATO: It turned out he asked a lot of other people to tell the story. We are a huge fans of Patti Smith’s and huge fans of that book. BAILEY: Her book helped keep Robert in the public eye. BARBATO: We think that book is a chapter in his story for us. It was important to start with him. When we made this film we interviewed 50 people but we maybe spoke with 100 - for pre interviews and stuff. We really wanted to track down any archive and audio of him and really let him tell the story. They had an important relationship. She is important to his story. But we wanted it to be his story, not hers. BAILEY: In his own words. Of all the people in the film, he is the one who speaks the most. He is the number one interview. It is his voice.

BARBATO: We were mid-way finishing our film when we saw it but we loved it.

BAILEY: Absolutely. Now, some people get caught up in that and say, “Oh well. He was a nice person.” But I think on the other hand it’s an inspiration. Weirdly, I was thinking about this the other day. You said survivalist and I do think of the show Survivor. The tagline of the show is, “Outwit, outplay, outlast.” Although he died very young, everything Mapplethorpe did has ensured that he has outwitted, outlasted, and outplayed many of his contemporaries. You know? The way he planned his final exhibition that caused a big scandal, his foundation. It was all very carefully planned. KACALA: And I mean we are still talking about him today. BAILEY: Exactly.

KACALA: That reminds me of the Amy documentary. That was told from her vantage. Do you see that parallel between your film and Amy?

For more with Barbato and Bailey, go to nextmagazine.com.

DIRECTORS: Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey

MARCH 30, 2016 27

AWESOME CLASSES • TONS OF WEIGHTS • PERSONAL TRAINING • NO JUDGMENTS • CRUNCH.COM

LOVE YOUR

LOVE YOUR WORKOUT.

Get a boost with this 5-Day Pass! Visit crunch.com/nextmag to redeem.

17 New York City Area Locations Pass expires 4/30/16. Pass valid for 5 consecutive days only. Must be local resident & show valid, local ID. Must be first time guest, 18 years or older or accompanied by an adult. Some restrictions apply. Offer cannot be combined with other offers. Pass not applicable to Crunch Essential locations. Pass valid at Crunch New York City locations only. ©2016 Crunch IP Holdings, LLC

TRAVEL · FITNESS · DINING

DESTINATION:

CHICAGO Where to STAY, PARTY, PLAY and EAT.

here is something really grand about Chicago. Whether it is the overpowering strength of its architecture or the overwhelming vibrancy of its gay community, Chicago is a destination that demands your attention. From dive bars in historic Boystown open until the wee hours of morning, to the grand museum halls displaying important works by masters Monet and Matisse, we have your gay guide that will show you exactly why Chicago is no one’s second city. BY ALEXANDER KACALA

MARCH 30, 2016 29

TRAVEL

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THEGUESTHOUSEHOTEL.COM, SIDETRACKCHICAGO.COM, AND WOODCHICAGO.COM

STAY

Live truly like a local at The Guesthouse Hotel (4872 N Clark St; 773-564-9568; theguesthousehotel.com). In the historic and gay centric Andersonville neighborhood, this brick condo building-turned-luxury boutique hotel is one mile from Lake Michigan’s shore and an eight-minute cab ride north from the heart of Boystown. You enter through a quaint yet sophisticated lobby with Chicago centric art adorning the walls and a library full of old vintage books in the back.

PARTY Start your night off with a stiff drink at Marty’s Martini Bar (1511 W. Balmoral Ave; facebook.com/martysmartinibar) in the heart of Andersonville. This chic, low-lit lounge serves classic cocktails amid Toulouse-Lautrec-inspired decor. With friendly bartendTHEGUESTHOUSEHOTEL ers and a great patio open during the warmer months, this hole in the wall pours some strong drinks. Two and you should be good to go. Cab or Uber into Boystown, and continue your night at Sidetrack (3349 N. Halsted St; sidetrackchicago. com). Over the years, Sidetrack has grown from one SIDETRACK room with less than 1,000 square feet to a collection of spaces spanning more than eight storefronts and multiple levels. Lots of fabulous, well-attended events make up the bar’s weekly calendar, including Showtune Sundays and Musical Mondays-both popular sing-along parties amongst locals. Across the street, Roscoe’s Tavern (3356 N. Halsted St; roscoes.com) is an eclectic Boystown hangout that boasts a lively dance floor, as well as karaoke on Wednesdays and amateur drag contests on Tuesdays. Divey establishments like the Closet (3325 N Broadway St), a lesbian bar with a nice mix of women and men, or Chicago’s first gay bar, Little Jim’s (3501 N. Halsted St.) are both open late until 4 am.

30 MARCH 30, 2016

PLAY Across Michigan Avenue from the tourist swamped Bean in Millennium Park sits a gem that many visitors don’t know about. The Chicago Cultural Center (78 E Washington St; cityofchicago.org) is the nation’s first and most comprehensive free municipal cultural venue. It’s also the home to Preston Bradley Hall, a large, ornately patterned room with the largest Tiffany dome in the world. No trip to Chicago is complete without a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago (111 S Michigan Ave; artic. edu) the number one ranked museum in the world according to TripAdvisor’s 2014 Traveler’s Choice Awards. Explore America’s greatest collection of Impressionist paintings, including world-famous works by Monet, Renoir, Seurat, and Van Gogh. Chicago winters may be CHICAGOCULTURAL CENTER cold, but summer weekends at Hollywood Beach (W Hollywood Ave and Lake Shore Drive) are scorching hot. Also known as Kathy Osterman Beach, Hollywood is a popular beach for all locals, but the gays hang out on the south side of the beach (the right side). Most popular on Sundays during the summer. WOOD

EAT Close to The Guesthouse, walk north into the heart of Andersonville to dine at Hopleaf (5148 N. Clark St; hopleafbar.com) a creative Belgian-focused gastropub with loads of brews at this lively hang. The impeccable selection of Belgian and U.S. craft beers perfectly complements an elevated bar menu of mussels and frites, sandwiches, and seasonal dishes. Wood (3335 N. Halsted St; woodchicago.com) is a stylish spot situated in the heart of Boystown with small and large American plates. Executive Chef Ashlee Aubin has won the prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand Award three years now, offering diners dishes full of exceptional flavor and quality. They also do happy hour and brunch. Count us in. N

FITNESS

pring has sprung. It’s almost that time of the year when the gays will flock to the beaches, pools, and parks - donning the least amount of clothes while worshiping the sun. Before, make sure you have trimmed winter’s cushion of fat. Here are four ways to burn off the winter insulation for a speedo ready body.

1. Upgrade and update your workouts. It’s time to amp up the mundane routine you’ve been doing throughout the winter months. Many of us plateau without even realizing it because we’ve fallen into a routine we are comfortable with. Break this cycle by hitting it hard at the gym with an intense new routine. Be sure not to skip legs, abs and the butt. Those are what truly make a speedo work. Talk to a personal trainer about a new routine or find one that works from a website you trust. Just remember to push yourself to the max every workout.

4WAYS TO GET SPEEDO READY BY DAN WELDEN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICK STOCKWELL

2. Cut back on carbs and sodium. I love bread, pasta, pizza, fast food and most things with carbs and high sodium levels. However, if you’re looking to burn winter’s blubber, you need to cut way back on carbs and sodium. Transition into a low carb, low sodium, high fiber and high protein diet. Nutrient packed fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and copious amounts of water should be the focus of your diet until the summer ends.

3. Burn it off with HIIT. Don’t waste your time running endlessly on the treadmill. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is alternating between high and low intensities. For example, on the treadmill you would alternate between jogging for 30 to 60 seconds then sprinting for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat this process five to ten times. Another way of incorporating HIIT into your workout is super-setting exercises such as high knees, burpees and mountain climbers with your typical weightlifting routine. Do barbell curls then directly after completing the set do high knees for 30 to 60 seconds. This will help keep your heart rate elevated throughout the workout.

4. Give up soda and other sugary drinks. Soda is bad for you! It does not matter if it’s sugar free and zero calorie. That does not make it healthy and can even have adverse effects on the way you metabolize sugar. Break this habit now and replace your soda or sugary/sugar free drinks with water or a fresh squeezed juice. Add fiber to your water for additional benefits. Your goal should be at least three liters of water a day or more. Buy a liter bottle and aim to finish three by the time you get off work. N MARCH 30, 2016 31

DINING THEALTONBURGER

A BURGER WORTH A WAIT Pitch perfect and chill, Umami delivers. BY ED COSMAN

32 MARCH 30, 2016

PHOTOS COURTESY OF UMAMIBURGER.COM

he Hamburger. It used to be just the stuff of backyard slurp. I wonder how many of them wasted an equal amount barbecues or a quick dinner for mom to make that of time earlier that morning one street north to sample a the little ones would actually eat. The fanciest thing Dominique Ansel Cronut. Surely at least some trend chasers you could do with it was call it Salisbury Steak in a family have done so. restaurant. Fifty years ago, along came McDonald’s and it was But the joke is on them! While certainly an excellent now ubiquitous, if not very interesting; that brand bringing burger can be had at Black Tap, theirs are by no means the the all- beef patty (not to mention the special sauce et al) to best ones in town. Those are found a dozen or so blocks the world. Ten years ago or so at a new celebrity haunt, the up Sixth Avenue at Umami Burger. It’s a small chain that Waverly Inn, introduced a Very Expensive burger at $13. It was originated in southern California by a man obsessed with justified by touting the special blend of beef that heretofore taste and texture. No detail of the experience was too small unknown butcher Pat LaFrieda supplied. The cognoscenti for him not to tinker with, luckily for us. There are non-beef made it a Must Eat and so the price basically doubled quickly options of course, and I did try the off-the-menu duck burger to $25 (and turned the meat guy into a Name.) once, but seriously – do you go to Le Bernardin and order As far as I can tell, thus begat our romance with the chicken? There are roughly eight beef burgers at the moment Fancy Burger. Or at least the expensive, allegedly pedigreed (they are always tinkering so it’s hard to be accurate) of burger. Much has been written about them and many have which I have had the Truffle, the Cali, the Manly (the day I been consumed (though not surpassing the Golden Arches didn’t shave,) the Hatch and the original Umami. All were of course.) One such place, Black Tap, opened around the terrific in their own way and which one is best is a matter of corner from me less than a year ago personal choice. Mine favorite is the TRUFFLEBURGER and I must confess that several times I original. They are all priced between forked over a bit less than $20 includ$13 and $16 so that doesn’t need to ing tax and tip when I was craving a be a decision making factor (but you delicious burger, despite the fact that can figure out which is the $16 one.) is was a casual counter-only place. The There is one critical mistake you must last time I was there, I even sprung for not make though. Do not add to (or a chocolate shake which I found to subtract from) the way it comes out of be good although not spectacular. the kitchen. No extra ketchup, and if I will not be going again, however – there’s an item you don’t like on one that visit was just before their fancy particular version, choose another. The shakes exploded on Twitter and the balance of umami has been carefully Today show. Now there are lines litresearched and they are perfect As UMAMI BURGER erally around the corner whenever Is. The sides are uniformly good and 432 6th Ave, also Brookfield Place it’s open, populated by people silly the service is very Cali-chill. And no and Williamsburg. enough to wait for two or three hours lines – most of the time. N UmamiBurger.com in freezing temperatures to dine and

WEEK

WHAT TO SEE & WHERE TO BE APRIL 1 THROUGH APRIL 7

PHOTO CREDIT: INSTAGRAM.COM/BETTEMIDLER & MARC JACOBS

CONTACT LISTINGS@NEXTMAGAZINE.COM IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE LISTED. LISTINGS ARE FREE AND SUBJECT TO EDITORIAL DISCRETION.

STARDUST REVIEW

Bette Midler, Blondie, Michael Stipe and others will perform the music of the late David Bowie on APRIL 1 at Radio City Music Hall.

MARCH 30, 2016 35

FRIDAY APRIL 1 NYLS CHARITY DRAG SHOW Rise, 895 Ninth Ave (56th St), risebarnyc.com. Carmella Cann and The Countess Mascara host this annual drag show-charity presented by Outlaws. Britney Virazzano, Ashley Elbows, and Chard Onnay tear up the stage to benefit The Door, which offers assistance to askrisk youth in NYC, many of whom are gay. 6pm–8:30pm; free.

RAGS TO BITCHES Here, 145 Ave of the Americas (Spring/Dominick Sts), dutfnyc.com. Playwright Tommy Jamerson premieres his campy comedy—“a battle of wits and wigs”—about two drag queen frenemies competing for the 23rd Annual US Open Legs Drag Pageant. As part of the Downtown Urban Theatre Festival and playing with Irene Hernandez’s One Size Fits All. 7pm; $18. MOUTHFEEL Baked, 279 Church St. (White/ Franklin Sts), mouthfeelmag.com. Get baked

and wear your bib to this mixer—a coffee grinder—presented by the boys from the gay, counter-cultural food magazine. They’ll be beer, cake, and beats. 8pm–11pm; free. H-OTTER PET SHOP BOYS RELEASE Rockbar, 185 Christopher St (Weehawken St), rockbarnyc.com. Get all West End girl in the West Village as you celebrate the release of the Pet Shop Boy’s energetic 13th album, Super. The monthly otter party features resident DJs Jim Mainiero and Kevin Graves. 10pm; $3.

GHE20 G0TH1K Studio 299, 299 Vandervoort Ave (Metropolitan/Maspeth Aves), Bushwick, ghe20g0th1k.com. Venus X is back for a new weekly residency at this Brooklyn warehouse. Expect the same futuristic turn up that spawned the label Hood By Air, with special performances from the likes of Jay Boogie and resident DJ Total Freedom. 10:30

pm; $10 before 11:30 pm/$15 after.

ELEVENELEVEN Open House, 244 E Houston St (Aves A/B), openhouse-nyc.com. Make a wish. Resident DJs Michael Magnan and Donkey spin with guest A Village Raid at Ladyfag’s weekly downtown turn-up. Club kids and hostess Stephanie Stone and co. keep things extra cute. 11pm; free before midnight/$5 general admission.

MARTI GOULD CUMMINGS 54 Below, 254 W 54th St (Eighth Ave/Broadway), 54below. com. “I grew up listening to classic rock with my dad in the car,” recalls the downtown starlet, who’ll celebrates nineties rock with his band, Marti and the Cummers. Expect to hear classics from the likes of Green Day, Rod Stewart, and Led Zeppelin. 11:30pm; $40 premium seating/$20 general admission (plus $20 food/drink minimum).

SATURDAY APRIL 2 RAINBOW RUN Pier 25, 225 West St (Harrison/N Moore Sts), eventbrite.com. The first annual Rainbow Run—a causal 5k/10k designed for all fitness levels—benefits the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, which serves LGBT people living with HIV/ AIDS. 9am; $35 for 5k/$40 for 10k. SPRING SINGLE-MINGLE Bamboo 52, 344 W 52nd St (Eighth/Ninth Aves), guysocial. com. A “cocktail nom-nom mixer” presented by Guy Social in the private backroom of this Japanese restaurant. Enjoy baked goods, a full bar, and sushi menu as you mingle with single men. 8pm–midnight; $15. MANSTER The Monster, 80 Grove St (Seventh Ave), manhattan-monster.com. This Honey

SUNDAY APRIL 3 FROGGY STYLE BRUNCH Señor Frogs New York, 11 Times Square (41st/42nd Sts), vossevents.com. Kim Chi’s on the menu this week—and we’re not talking about fermented cabbage. The RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant makes a special appearance at Brandon Voss’s bottomless drag brunch, with resident queens Bootsie LeFaris ad Ebonee Excell holding court. Noon–4pm; $45. EVERYDAY PRIDE Nowhere, 322 E 14th 36 MARCH 30, 2016

Davenport-hosted turn-up is ideal for cutting a rug in an iconic West Village destination. Expect hot (possibly leather strapped) go-gos and a chill, all-inclusive vibe at this fête. 10 pm; free with password before 1 am/$8 general admission.

RAZOR 5000 Secret Project Robot, 389 Melrose St (Irving/Knickerbocker Aves), Bushwick, secretprojectrobot.org. A Horrorchata production—always a diverse turn up— featuring a very special live performance from Mexico City’s Zemmoa. DJs BeBe and Honey Daniels spin, with shows by Bushwig staples Merrie Cherry, Untitled Queen, Lady Quesadilla, and Raul de Nieves. 10pm; $10.

com. Get your life at Brian Rafferty’s circuit party featuring guest DJ Rodolfo Bravat from Brazil and New York’s own DJ Escape. Free sponsored drinks before 11pm and eye candy make this an ideal stopping point for the night. 10pm–5am; $10 advance/$15 before 11 pm/$20 general admission.

FURBALL Santos Party House, 96 Lafayette St (White/Walker Sts), santospartyhaus.com. This legendary bear party celebrates twelve years of being furry, fuzzy, and fabulous. DJs Corey Craig and W. Jeremy spin as a gaggle of go-go bears shake it, with hosts Greg Boas and Doug Langway, 11pm; $15 advance/$20 general admission

TRADE Undr, 637 W 50th St (Eleventh/ TwelfthAves), brianraffertyproductions.

St (First/Second Aves), nowherebarnyc.com. Frankie Sharp DJs this AIDS walk happy hour raffle fundraiser. Celebrate a good cause while sipping $2 PBR and $4 wells. 4pm–8pm; free. VERS Atlas Social Club, 753 Ninth Ave (50th/51st Sts), atlassocialclub.com. Get your post-brunch dessert at Scotty Em’s weekly turn up. Go-gos Jeremy Ward and Mikey James shake it to beats by DJ Jroc, with two-for-one drinks. 5pm–10pm; free.

BATTLE HYMN Flash Factory NY, 229 W 28th St. (Seventh/Eighth Aves), battlehymn. club. Lady Fag presents her brand new weekly party with this mantra: “The gospel according to the dance floor.” Amen. Before midnight expect to hear disco and house music, with things revving up with techno later in the night. The party will feature new DJs every week, with The Carry Nation spinning opening night. 9pm–3am; Free before 10pm/$10 after.

MONDAY APRIL 4 JEFFREY FASHION CARES Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Pier 86, W 46th St (12th Ave), jeffreyfashioncares.org. Jeffrey Kalinsky’s annual gala unites fashions most fabulous with a cocktail reception, a haute couture runway show, and a silent and live auction benefitting Lambda Legal, the Hetrick-Martin Institute, and ACRIA. 6:30pm–10:30pm; $500 seated/$300 general admission.

MISCAST Hammerstein Ballroom 311 W 34th St (Eighth/Ninth Aves), mcctheater.com. The Color Purple’s Cynthia Erivo, 2 Broke Girls’ Beth Behrs, and Kimmy Schmidt’s Tituss Burgess, among others, perform roles in which they

would never be cast, in this benefit for MCC Theater. The gala honors Oscar-winning Marisa Tomei, with cocktails and dinner before the show. 6:30pm; $100–$150. WELL-STRUNG Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St (Astor Pl/E Fourth St), joespub.com. The sexy singing string quartet performs cuts from their latest production, POPssical, putting their playful spin on music from Mozart to Miley. 7:30pm; $25. RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE VIEWING PARTY Macri Park, 462 Union Ave (Metropolitan Ave/Conselyea St), macripark.

com. Alotta McGriddles welcomes you to her weekly Brooklyn viewing party featuring giveaways during commercial breaks. Stay for The Look, her variety show with Heidi Glum, Lady Simon, and Crimson Kitty, where you’ll play games like Are You Smarter Than A Drag Queen? 9pm; free. THE BOB SHOW Barracuda, 275 W 22nd St (Seventh/Eighth Aves), (212) 645-8613. After tearing it up on screen on the latest episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race, catch Bob The Drag Queen in the flesh at her long-time weekly residency, with DJ Natsu pumping combustible, radio-ready pop. 11pm; free.

TUESDAY APRIL 5 AIDS CRISIS SCREENING WITH DON LEMON The Center, 208 W 13th St (Seventh Ave/Greenwich St), gaycenter.org. A screening of an advanced episode from The Eighties, a seven-episode CNN original series produced by Tom Hanks, in association with Mark Herzog. CNN’s Don Lemon will moderate a panel following the episode, which explores the political and cultural consequences of the AIDS epidemic. 6:30pm; free with RSVP.

KARAOKE TUESDAY Pieces, 8 Christopher St (btwn Greenwich Ave/Gay St), piecesbar. com. Kareem McJagger and Marti Gould Cummings host this West Village karaoke night. VJ OhRicky handles the tracks while you enjoy $6 cocktails all night long. 8:30pm; free. GAY COLLEGE TUESDAY The Ritz, 369 W 46th St (btwn Eighth/Ninth Aves), ritzbarandlounge.com. DJ Steve Sidewalk spins at this weekly bash for sexy college boys, with a

hot body contest hosted by Honey Davenport. It’s twink-tastic! 10pm; free. FRANKIE’S The Jane Hotel, 113 Jane St (W Side Hwy), thejanenyc.com. Frankie Sharp’s Westgay has been reincarnated as an elegant rage at this upscale boîte. A fabulous roster of downtown DJs, porno go-go boys, and special guest performers keep it very cute. 10pm; cover varies.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 6 THIS ONE NIGHT AT THE OPERA The Red Room, 85 E 4th St, (Second/Third Aves), redroomnyc.com. Cabaret artist Salty Brine celebrates Queen’s A Night At The Opera, as part of his series Spectacular Living Record Collection Cabaret. Playing every Wednesday this month, expect to hear Queen’s iconic album through a theatrical filter that renders it both shocking and familiar. 8pm; $20 (plus two drink minimum).

BROMO Bossa Nova Civic Club, 1271 Myrtle Ave (Hart St), Bushwick, (718) 443-1271. It’s no

bromo at Butched’s second installment of dance floor debauchery. A Village Raid joins Butched’s Joey Quinones and JT Almon on DJ duty, with bromos Cameron Dang, Forrest Wu, and Gio Rgi Mjavanadze holding court. 10pm; free.

CAKES Metropolitan, 559 Lorimer St (Metropolitan Ave/Devoe St), Williamsburg, metropolitanbarny.com. Brooklyn boys shake their asses at Untitled Queen and Elizabeth James’s weekly humpday rage. DJ Matty Beats spins and the winner of the “Dance Off Pants Off”

competition takes home $50. 10pm; free. AN EVENING OF DECADENT FILTH House of Yes, 2 Wyckoff Ave (Jefferson/Troutman Sts), Bushwick, houseofyes.org. Call it what it is. Polari’s homage to faerie godfather John Waters features music by Macy Rodman and No Bra. The Faguettes serve you go-go and freaky filthy circus acts, with shows by Divina GranSparkle. 10pm–3am $5 before midnight/$10 general admission.

THURSDAY APRIL 7 CHER AND CHER ALIKE The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W 42nd St (Ninth/ Tenth Aves), spincyclenyc.com. RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Alaska 5000 and her one-man band sidekick Handsome Jerry present the premiere of their tribute to the singular diva. Expect to hear highlights from Cher’s 38 MARCH 30, 2016

discography as well as reenactments from her IMDB page. Runs through May 16. 7pm; $22 (plus $20 food/drink minimum).

VIDEO GAME NIGHT Boxers HK, 742 Ninth Ave (50th St), boxersnyc.com. Stretch out those fingers. There’s a video game competition in the basement as DJ Steve

Sidewalk spins your favorite Top 40 throwbacks upstairs. 9pm; free. HAUS OF MOUTH The West End Lounge, 955 W End Ave (at 107th St), thewestendlounge. com. Laugh your way uptown at colorfully comical queens Brita Filter and Terra Grenade’s weekly variety show. 9:30pm; free.

BARS+CLUBS

MANHATTAN

554 W 28th St

THE EAGLE

516 W 42nd St

667 10TH Ave

301 W 39th St

ESCUELITA

656 Ninth Ave

104 Dyckman St

CASTRO

742 Ninth Ave

BOXERS HK

344 W 52nd St

BAMBOO 52

369 W 46th St

THE RITZ

157 W 24th St

XES

215 W 40th St

315 W 46th St

VODKA SODA/BOTTOMS UP

SHADOW BOXERS

ATLAS SOCIAL CLUB 753 Ninth Ave

355 W 52nd St

INDUSTRY

FLAMING SADDLES 793 Ninth Ave

WEST END LOUNGE

955 West End Ave

9TH AVENUE SALOON

401 W 47th St

BARRAGE

405 W 51st St

POSH

348 W 52nd St

THERAPY

402 W 54th St

DIVE BAR LOUNGE

697 10th Ave

HARDWARE

500 W 48th St

FAIRYTAIL LOUNGE

859 9th Ave

RISE BAR

DISIAC LOUNGE

992 Amsterdam Ave

SUITE

227 E 56th St

LIPS

236 E 58th St

TOWNHOUSE

1742 Second Ave

THE TOOLBOX

UNCLE CHARLIEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S 139 E 45th St

221 E 58th St

EVOLVE

MARCH 30, 2016 41

42 MARCH 30, 2016

1.DJ Hannah, DJ Billy Lace&Producer Jake Resnicow 2.Ramon&Sean 3.Alexander&Vinny 4.Alex&Alex 5.Jason&Chris

IN路THE

SHOT DARK

PEEPSHOW@XL

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GUSTAVO MONROY

ALEGRIAXTREMEXVI@WEBSTERHALL 1.Brett Henrichsen&Brian Rafferty 2.Justin&Ignacio 3.Lady K&Jimi 4.Rob&Sam 5.Julius, Charles&Scott

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILSONMODELS

MARCH 30, 2016 43

1.Arsenio, Nick&Joe 2.Tom&Glen 3.Erik&Eddie 4.Leo&Michael 5.Bassil&Toufic

IN路THE

SHOT DARK

BRUTRENEGADE@ROOFTOP76

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GUSTAVO MONROY

THEBLACKPARTYRITES@1260ATLANTICAVENUE 1. John, Steve, Frank&Jhonny 2.Brandon&Brian 3.Rafael&Stan 4.Corey&Antonio 5.Dimitri, Tristan, Ian&Stefan

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GUSTAVO MONROY

MARCH 30, 2016 45

1.Mr. He, Benji Harless&Peroxide 2.Charles&Severely Mame 3.Dylan Monroe& Tim 4.Bob The drag queen&Monet XChange 5.Marti Gould Cummings&Aquaria

IN·THE

SHOT DARK

FRANKIE’S@THEJANEHOTEL

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILSONMODELS

BROADWAYBACKWARDSAFTERPARTY@JOHN’S 1.Tom Viola, Glenna Testone&Danny Whitman 2.Jay Armstrong Johnson&Ricky Ubeda 3.Tony Sheldon&Karen Mason 4.Brad Oscar&Tituss Burgess 5.Brandon Rubendall, Adam Roberts&Jake Odmark

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILSONMODELS

46 MARCH 30, 2016