February 17, 2016 by Next Magazine NY

FEB 17, 2016

23.35

NEW YORK’S GAY GUIDE

Eat

GRAND TOUR

insidE thE latEst iMMErsivE thEatEr ExpEriEncE

thE Gay nazi Myth

likE you’rE on vacation

work out likE a firEMan

ANDREW RANNELLS BOY MEETS GIRLS

CONTENTS FEBRUARY 17, 2016 | VOL 23.35

22 lEt’s hEar it for thE Boy Andrew Rannells finally gets romantic in the fifth season of Girls

thE nExus 9

P.15

10 12 41

Commentary: In an excerpt from Stormtrooper Families, author Andrew Wackerfuss examines how the myth of a homosexual faction within the Nazi ranks took hold Gay DD The Week in Photos Shot in the Dark

15 16 16

P.18

Art: Jack Early’s largest solo exhibition to date finds the artist revisiting his childhood bedroom TV: HBO’s Becoming Mike Nichols offers an insightful look into one of cinema’s greats Film: Character actress Mary Louise Wilson earns the spotlight in a new documentary Stage: Playwright Colman Domingo’s Dot finds the dark humor in a mother’s dementia

fEaturEs 18

Walk Through: Touring Third Rail Projects’ new immersive theater experience, The Grand Paradise

nExt stEps P.22

27 30

Fitness: A workout fit for a firefighter Dining: Five New York restaurants that will transport you to warmer climes this winter

nExt wEEk 33 38

P.30 ON THE COVER: Andrew Rannells photographed by Luke Fontana (lukefontanaphoto.com)

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Calendar of Events Bars + Clubs Map

this wEEk on nExtMaGazinE.coM + More party pics and event coverage

PHOTOS: jack early cOUrTeSy OF FerGUS MccaFFrey; adaM jaSOn/cOUrTeSy OF SPin cycle nyc (Grand ParadiSe); andrew rannellS cOUrTeSy OF HbO; Pizza beacH cOUrTeSy OF Pizza beacH

whats nExt

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PUBLISHER Kevin Hopper EDITOR IN CHIEF John Russell ART DIRECTOR Michael Lombardo DEPUTY EDITOR Brandon G. Voss ASSOCIATE EDITOR Mitchell Kuga DIRECTOR OF SALES Chris Rivera ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Don Robinder, Roberto Buckley BRAND STRATEGIST Jon Norris 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 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Gabe Ayala, Ames Bex, Jeff Eason, Steven Trumon Gray, Christopher Logan, Gustavo Monroy, Edwin Pabon, Mateus Porto, Phil Shaw

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.

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

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THE

Aging good at Kiehl’s • Alan Cumming and friends get sappy • Five years of Slurp!

Visit The Nexus on NextMagazine.com for your daily dose of gay gossip, party photos, and more. B Y A N DR E W WAC K ER FU SS

WERE THE NAZIS GAY?

the author examines how the myth of homosexual influence within the nazi ranks took hold.

n the decades after 1945, Nazi stormtroopers [Sturmabteilung, or SA] continued to represent a prototypical image of National Socialism, a vision that loomed especially large in eras fascinated by a mix of sex and violence. Given the cultural sensitivities of the early postwar era, the topic of homosexuality was at first only on the margins of respectable historical works, an unfit subject for a scholar. On these margins, however, pop historians of the 1950s and 1960s alluded to dark deeds in order to titillate readers and vilify fascism. Many hinted that the presence of a homosexual faction in the SA leadership had determined the SA’s particularly malignant influence on Nazi politics. Stormtrooper homosexuality, writers hinted, had shaped organizational structure, set political goals, and enhanced an affinity for violence. While it is true that the SA embodied the most violent tendencies of the movement during its rise to power, the connection between homosexuality and violence remained unexplained, except as a reflection of old tropes of sinfulness and depravity. Fortunately, the era’s distaste for the subject of homosexuality prevented any emphasis on homosexual Nazism from taking hold. Popular culture had no such qualms. Hollywood films focused particularly on fascist sexuality as an antithesis of American democratic values, arguing that

PHOTO: cOUrTeSy OF POPUlar PUbliciTy

Excerpted from Stormtrooper Families: Homosexuality and Community in the Early Nazi Movement. Above: Stormtrooper gymnastics training as depicted in SA publication Der SA Mann.

FEBRUARY 17, 2016 9

coMMEnt of thE wEEk: “Drag just kept finding me and finding me, and I was like, ‘OK, why am I fighting this?’” —Slurp! host Paige Turner on giving up acting to become Hell’s Kitchen’s “showbiz spitfire”

WERE THE NAZIS GAY ? CONT.

family arrangements and sexual life that departed too far from approved heteronormative forms created warped masculinity in young men, who then lashed out in political violence and embraced fascist politics. Homosexual Nazis thus became a popular image of an “ideal

“Homosexual Nazis became a popular image of an ‘ideal nemesis’ for democratic societies.” nemesis” for democratic societies, part of a larger argument connecting the personal and the political in postwar America. As the scholarly prohibition on studying sexuality eroded in the 1970s, several published works did formally discuss Nazi sexuality, as well as the treatment of homosexuals under National Socialism. The latter category proved essential in documenting Nazi persecution of homosexuals that previously had been ignored or minimized, and it established the number of gay men who died in concentration camps as somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000. Through this work, gay and lesbian activists also reclaimed the pink triangle as a symbol of triumph over oppression, making fascist homophobia a powerful argument for why democratic societies should reject anti-gay attitudes. Other popular cultural depictions of fascist sexual history focused less on the victims and more on the perpetrators. Films and pulp books featuring Nazi sexuality often behaved irresponsibly, looking to history for titillation rather than liberation. The figure of the gay Nazi returned with a vengeance, and the public became fixated on scandalous images of Nazi sexuality as never before. In [Italian director Lucino Visconte’s] The Damned, the death of the patriarch on the day of the Nazi takeover triggered a scramble for dynastic succession, which the stormtrooper uncle (an Ernst Röhm archetype) initially won. He soon met his end, however, in a 20-minute Night of the Long Knives sequence that showed the stormtrooper resort party of June 1934 as progressing from shooting to skinny dipping, drinking to drag shows, and implied

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GAY D.D. FEBRUARY 17, 2016

•

GOT GAY-TENTION DEFICIT DISORDER?

Aaron Carter searches for asexual cheddar biscuits on Scruff?

RUSSELL TOVEY commented on reports that his shirtless scene made a female audience member faint during a performance of broadway’s A View From the Bridge. “On behalf of my arms and nipples, i feel the need to publicly apologize,” the out actor told Heat.

“Formation,” red lobster sales spiked last week. “’cheddar bey biscuits’ has a nice ring to it,” the chain tweeted.

all adele milestones, the international Federation of the Phonographic industry officially named her the biggest-selling music artist of 2015, bumping Taylor Swift from the top spot.

Scruff founders eric Silverberg and johnny Skandros recently defended their hookup app’s controversial ethnicity filter in a buzzfeed interview. “a person’s choice of partner is deeply personal,” said Silverberg.

ali Forney center 6 The reached its initial crowdUnited nations re9 The funding goal of $200,000 in the leased a set of six historic

archie comics character jughead was outed as asexual in a recent issue of his solo title. a federal judge recently declared that anti-gay kentucky clerk kim davis is finally obeying the law and allowing marriage licenses to be issued to same-sex couples.

hopes of converting anti-gay rev. james david Manning’s Harlem church into housing for homeless lGbT youth.

we’re contractuto a racy shout-out 7 because 4 Thanks ally obligated to publicize in BEYONCÉ's new single, gay orgy to machine-gun massacre. However, just as with the 1934 urban legend of Hitler interrupting Ernst Röhm’s champagne party in Hamburg’s Hotel Atlantik, the lurid version of the massacre gained currency because it mythologized the massacre’s underlying political meaning. The cliquish, overly emotional, and appetite-driven homosexuals who had supposedly made up the stormtroopers had grown too confident in their immu-

is pop star aaron carter 8 dating gay social media

star chris crocker? Probably not, but crocker did post some cheeky instagram photos of them getting very chummy last week.

postage stamps celebrating lGbT rights—a first for the U.n.

TOM HARDY was pho10 tographed totally naked on the set of the miniseries Taboo. He doesn’t do cock socks.

nity to law and morality, and had thus brought on their own destruction by the Nazi beast they had helped to create. As with the Eulenberg affair in the imperial period, the homosexual militarist came to represent the internal dynamics of self-destructive nationalist politics in far more dramatic and compelling ways than the far larger number of heterosexual comrades ever could. The legend, not the reality, became remembered. N

THE WEEK IN PHOTOS

SPOT TREATMENT Kiehl’s president Chris Salgardo posed with the fashionably freshfaced brass trio at the February 9 launch of the Derek Zoolander Center for People Who Don’t Age Good, tied to the release of Zoolander No. 2.

FIVE YEAR QUEERS Paige Turner and co. celebrated the ﬁfth anniversary of her weekly show Slurp! at Therapy on February 7. See p.44 for more photos.

ROUGH TRADE Promoter Brian Raﬀerty (center, with DJs Escape and Eddie Martinez) was out to save Saturday nights in New York with the February 6 launch of his new party, Trade, at Space Ibiza’s Undr. See p.43 for more photos

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Special guests Darren Criss, Kristin Chenoweth, and Ricki Lake joined Alan Cumming and the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus at Carnegie Hall February 8 for a very special concert celebrating the release of his new album Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs. See p.41 for photos from the after-party.

PHOTOS: GUSTaVO MOnrOy (kieHl’S, SlUrP, Trade); wilSOnMOdelS (alan cUMMinG)

SAPPY DAYS

WHAT’S ART

JACK OF ALL TRADES Jack Early’s largest solo exhibition finds the gay artist revisiting his childhood bedroom.

ne of the first artistic decisions Jack Early ever made was picking the wallpaper for his childhood bedroom. As a 5-year-old negotiating his sexuality in 1960s North Carolina, this took days. “Maybe I wanted poodles, or maybe the pink flower pattern, but I knew this would be very boyish,” says Early, 53, pointing to a print of toy soldiers at Fergus McCaffrey, where he’s setting up his largest solo exhibition to date, opening February 18. “It would offer me a shield of protection to have that paper.” That decision is now the large-scale backdrop for his photorealistic paintings of dripping popsicles and images of men culled from porn magazines. “The idea to make these paintings came from me stealing glances at the gym or the swimming pool of other guys,” says Early, recalling more childhood memories. “I’d burn that image in my head because who knew when I would ever see it again.” Early splashed onto the New York art scene in the late ‘80s, but a 1992 show with then-boyfriend Rob Pruitt called Red, Black, Green, Red, White, and Blue, intended as a celebration of black excellence, was unanimously panned by critics. Early, barely 30, went into exile from the art world. For nearly two decades he worked odd jobs, painting houses and doing yard work, but what saved him and ultimately redirected him back to art was music. “If anything negative popped up in my head, a little melody would take over,” he says. “I’ve written over a hundred songs.” One of those songs can be heard at his new show as the backing track to “Jack Early’s Life Story in Just Under Twenty Minutes,” an audio autobiography of sorts that will play on a loop through a bright yellow Victrola. It ends with Early rhapsodizing, in his southern twang, “I’m not really a house painter. I’m really not a musician… I’m something else. Maybe like a magician. Pulling rabbits out of the hat.” —Mitchell Kuga

PHOTOS: jack early/cOUrTeSy OF FerGUS MccaFFrey

FEBRUARY 17, 2016 15

WHAT’S TV

A BECOMING TRIBUTE

remiering February 22 on HBO, Becoming Mike Nichols is a concise, moving documentary about the late Mike Nichols, one of American cinema’s greatest directors. Much like Inside the Emma Thompson in Actors Studio, the film is HBO’s Nichols-directed fueled by interviews beAngels in America tween Nichols and prolific gay theater director Jack O’Brien, conducted in 2014 just four months before Nichols passed away at the age of 83. It’s a shocking addendum; here the director of The Birdcage and HBO’s Angels in America is sprightly, comically self-deprecating, and sharp as a tack. Their conversation, equal parts cerebral and poignant, focuses heavily on Nichols’s start as an improv comedy star in the 1950s. It’s worth highlighting because the terror of making up jokes on the spot is what ultimately informed his approach as a director. This is evident in both his breakout debut, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and his acclaimed follow-up, The Graduate, scenes from which Nichols dissects with keen wit. “Being brave and going out empty is the only way,” he reflects. “And it’s both terrifying and thrilling.” —MK

FILM

SIMPLY THE BEST ary Louise Wilson is not a star. “A star is somebody who is promoting themselves, and my idea of acting is to disappear into roles,” she says at the start of She’s the Best Thing in It. “That’s just what character actors do.” Directed with reverence by gay filmmaker Ron Nyswaner, Oscar-nominated for his Philadelphia screenplay, the documentary, debuting February 23 on VOD, follows the octogenarian as she returns home to New Orleans to teach a class on character acting at Tulane University. The kids don’t know what to make of her methods, but they respect her. After all, she won a Tony for playing Big Edie in the musical Grey Gardens. Our education on Wilson is more successful. We learn, of course, that life hasn’t been a bed of roses for the woman who’d do anything for a laugh. We hear about how she was drawn to the campy humor of her gay brother, who struggled with his own demons and died of AIDS. “Most people that are funny are the saddest people in the world,” she tells her students. “Nathan Lane—oh, what a drag to be around him.” —Brandon G. Voss

COMMITTED TO MEMORY

playwright colman domingo’s Dot finds the dark humor in a mother’s dementia. n Colman Domingo’s dark comedy, Dot, opening February 23 at the Vineyard Theatre, three adult children must confront their mother’s dementia when returning to their Philadelphia home for Christmas. Sounds hilarious, right? “It wasn’t a challenge to find the humor,” says the out playwright. “The root of comedy is often pain.” Domingo’s acting work tends to be more serious—recent credits include AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead, Selma, and the recent Sundance hit The Birth of a Nation—but the Tony nominee’s work as a playwright is personal. Following A Boy and His Soul, his autobiographical solo show, his play Wild With Happy was inspired by his mother’s passing. With Dot, directed by Tony winner Susan Stroman, the Philadelphia native was inspired by friends who had similar struggles with their moth-

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ers. “I was struck by one story about how my friend was trying to gather her mother’s memories before they went away so she could share them with her son,” he says. “So I started thinking about memory, legacy, and those moments when the person you love no longer knows your name.” The characters in Dot include an interracial gay couple coping with their own drama. “It may be subversive, but I like to see a lot of different people on stage,” explains the Big Gay Sketch Show alum. “That’s what my world looks like.” Dot may force audiences to face mortality and call their moms, but Domingo doesn’t want to be a downer. “I just want to raise questions,” he says. “I’m 45, and there are new questions we grapple with as our parents are aging or passing away. How do you move through this? I don’t have the answers.” —BGV

PHOTOS: anGelS in aMerica cOUrTeSy OF HbO; Mary lOUiSe wilSOn cOUrTeSy OF aMPliFy releaSinG; dOT cOUrTeSy OF SaM rUdy Media relaTiOnS

STAGE

WALK THROUGH

PARADISE FOUND Touring Third Rail Projects’ new immersive theater experience, The Grand Paradise.

omewhere at the edge of the late 1970s there’s a Polynesian resort built around the actual fountain of youth—and you have to go to Bushwick to find it. welcome to The Grand Paradise, third rail Projects’ latest immersive theater experience. Populated by disco divas, gay hustlers, and other hedonists who may be more mythical than they seem, it’s a tropical meditation on sex, death, and eternal youth. as one moonlit disco queen purrs to her guests, they’ve been waiting for you. —John Russell

1. PICANTE 3424 Broadway (139th/140th Sts), SWIM TEAM picantemexicancuisine.com. tara o’con and Joshua reaver “Picante onefountain of the first take a dip inisthe of places i heard about during the new harlem renaisyouth. lifeguards wil Petre and sance. it’sromagnolo the perfect place to go for a bite and a sebastiani (right) party on the beach. classic 18 FEBRUARY 17, 2016

PHOTOS: adaM jaSOn, darial Sneed, THird rail PrOjecTS/cOUrTeSy OF SPin cycle nyc

THE BOYFRIEND EXPERIENCE Pro tip: follow the group with the votive candles to see the show’s gayest storyline involving a gay huster (edward rice, above) and a closeted guest (niko tsocanos, left).

The Grand Paradise runs tuesdays–sundays at 7pm and 10:30pm through march 31 at 383 troutman st, Bushwick. Visit thirdrailprojects.com for more.

FEBRUARY 17, 2016 19

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LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY ANDREW RANNELLS FINALLY GETS ROMANTIC IN THE FIFTH SEASON OF GIRLS. BY BRANDON G. VOSS

FEBRUARY 17, 2016 23

ehind every great girl there’s a great gay guy. Andrew Rannells returns as Elijah, gay boyfriend-turned-bestie of Lena Dunham’s Hannah, in the fifth and penultimate season of HBO’s Girls, premiering February 21—and it’s about time he grew up and became more than a candid, quippy sidekick. A Tony nominee for The Book of Mormon, the 37year-old out actor teases Elijah’s serious new boyfriend and his own post-Girls game plan.

You’ve been in New York since 1997, so you’ve probably picked up a copy of Next at some point. Absolutely. I had some friends come in from Los Angeles recently, and they asked, “What gay bars are there?” I literally didn’t know any. So many of the ones I always used to go to— Wonderbar, The Slide—are closed now. So I had to use Next to figure it out. My finger isn’t exactly on the pulse of where the young people are going nowadays. Of course, when I’m working on Broadway, musical theater folk love Flaming Saddles— because you get a little show with your drink. You and Lena Dunham should show off some of your famous dance moves there. Oh, I would love to see Lena in a gay bar. Maybe I can make that dream come true during the final season of Girls that we’re about to start shooting.

Yes, how are you processing the recent news that the sixth season of Girls will be its last? If you look at past HBO shows, six seems to be the magic number, so we sort of had a heads-up. We’ve had such a great run and it’s been such an amazing job. We start filming again in April, film through the summer, and then that season won’t air for another year, so I’m trying to delay the sadness. But I can only imagine that last day on set. I want Girls to end with a Six Feet Under montage that shows how everyone dies. Well, that was the most fabulous finale of all time, because there were no questions left unanswered. But Lena has expressed interest in revisiting these characters years from now, so I think the door will be left open for us, and that’s exciting. What are your hopes for Elijah? I just hope we continue to explore him as a fully realized human. I’m excited about season 5, because Elijah finally gets a shot at a real relationship. We haven’t really seen him with a boyfriend, other than some failed attempts, and it was really fun to play and explore that. How he fits into a relationship is really funny and sometimes sad. He is not the best at it. Did your real-life relationship with actor Mike Doyle ever inform your relationship on the show? It’s interesting because I’m older than Elijah, so I’m revisiting a time in my 20s that was equally as messy and directionless 24 FEBRUARY 17, 2016

as his. It’s a nice place to visit, but I was very grateful for the stability of my relationship at the end of the day. Coming home to my boyfriend after playing such a mess is much appreciated. There hasn’t been an official announcement about who’s playing Elijah’s boyfriend, but the most recent Girls trailer includes a glimpse of you and Corey Stoll getting handsy in Times Square. I’m putting two and two together. OK, Sherlock Holmes. Yeah, I guess that’s out there in the world now. It’s hard to keep casting under wraps, particularly because we filmed all this last summer, but we did a pretty good job keeping that secret. But yes, there’s me and Corey Stoll in the trailer. So there you have it.

“Coming home to my boyfriend after playing such a mess is much appreciated.” Does this new relationship mean more sex scenes? It does mean more sex scenes for me. I haven’t had any in a while, so I was beginning to take it personally, but they certainly made up for it this season. Elijah has a lot of sex. You tweeted, “You’ll see a lot of me this season. Literally.” What are we talking about here? Nothing you haven’t already seen. Is it stressful to stay in shape for those scenes? I’ll bet craft services on Girls is really good. It is really good! But the nice thing about nudity on Girls is that we’re playing real people, normal folks. If I were asked to be in a Marvel movie, there would be much greater pressure to fit that mold. Elijah’s just a guy hanging out in Brooklyn, so he doesn’t have to be so perfect. Speaking of imperfections, gay television characters are often criticized by gay viewers who don’t feel they’re being adequately or accurately represented. Because Elijah isn’t exactly the best role model, have you ever heard any of those complaints? I feel that all the characters on Girls are flawed, human, and multi-dimensional. We’re not claiming to represent anyone. When I did The New Normal a few years ago on NBC, Justin Bartha and I played a gay couple having a baby through a sur-

PHOTOS cOUrTeSy OF HbO

HEY, GIRL rannells in Girls

rogate, and there was a lot more pressure there because people were looking for us to be a poster-couple for gay parents. We were just trying to tell a story about these human beings trying to start a family, but it turned into a political thing where we were supposed to stand for something or represent something we weren’t prepared to represent. I know people have their opinions about Girls, but I think Elijah gets a pass. I don’t think anyone’s looking to him for guidance. Do you consider yourself a good gay role model? I don’t know. Particularly when I’m working on Broadway, I meet a lot of young people before and after the show, and I talk to kids who want to get into theater, who maybe come from places like Nebraska, where I’m from, and don’t know how to get started. I want to encourage them that you can grow out of your circumstances and go for your dreams, even

if it seems so far away. I love that. As far as being a gay role model, I don’t even know where I rank in that lineup. You’ve done brief stints on Broadway in the last couple years in Hamilton and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Are you planning a major Broadway comeback after Girls? I’d love that. I was so lucky that Hedwig and Hamilton came up at a time that I could commit to that. I love doing theater. It’s my first home. I haven’t actually opened a show in New York since The Book of Mormon, so I’d really love the chance to get to do that again. You worked with Ryan Murphy on The New Normal. Any chance we might see you on American Horror Story? You’ll have to ask Ryan Murphy about that. But I’m certainly up for getting killed. N FEBRUARY 17, 2016 25

STEPS

FITNESS

DINING

WORKOUT:

FEEL THE BURN how to get as fit as a firefighter.

By dan wEldEn

FEBRUARY 17, 2016 27

FITNESS

STEPS

ing the alarm! i recently attended the x-treme firefighters workout at crunch on 19th street and quickly discovered that this group class is not your average boot camp—and definitely not for the faint of heart! But if you’re tired of traditional, runof-the-mill classes, this one’s for you. during this uniquely intense workout, be prepared to climb poles, rope train, carry bodies, and do box jumps as if you were going through real firefighter training. Because there are so many elements tied into one course, you’re sure to stay engaged and entertained throughout the class. you’ll burn a ton of calories, sweat your ass off, drop weight fast, and you might even feel like passing out. there’s a slight learning curve here to understanding the station rotation, but you should get the hang of it by the second round. i’ve honestly never encountered a class quite like this. the class is led by personal trainer and group fitness instructor Paul A. Lauer with coinstructor Marc Daigle. a professional firefighter for more than 20 years, lauer’s popular group and one-on-one fitness classes—including the Beach workout, spring training for athletes, and central Park sweat—have earned him great acclaim in the industry. his fitness philosophies and demonstrations have been featured on shows like The View and Dateline NBC, and he’s been listed as a quotable authority in publications such as Fitness, Time Out New York, and The New York Daily News. Group fitness instructor daigle has participated in numerous marathons, triathlons, and ironman competitions. you can also find him teaching high-intensity classes like the athlete’s workout and overdrive and acceleration Powered by fitbit at crunch locations throughout the city. at their x-treme firefighters workout, expect plyometric, strength, and endurance all in one class, which is organized in 12minute circuits with breaks at the end of each circuit. you’re partnered with another classmate, which is unusual for group classes, and you work in tandem as you move through the stations. it’s an interesting way to meet new people! lauer is very engaged, rotating throughout the stations to help people perfect the movements, while daigle offers additional assistance. if you have any disabilities or injuries, tell your instructors first to make sure you can complete the class, possibly with specific modifications. and be sure to wear formfitting clothes; there’s a lot of movement involved, so loose or baggy clothing can cause complications—you don’t want to be constantly pulling up your pants! interestingly, this nontraditional boot camp-style workout attracts a much higher ratio of men than your typical group class. it’s going to get very popular very quickly, so book your spot at the next one as early as possible to find out if you can stand the heat. N

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STEPS

DINNER & A VACATION

Visit these restaurants to help you forget it’s winter. BY MITCHELL KUGA

ontrary to what Instagram might lead you to believe, taking a tropical vacation in the middle of February isn’t realistic for everyone. But all you really need is a MetroCard to relieve some of that frigid tension. Slip on your swim trunks (under your long johns, of course) and check out these five restaurants for a brief trip to paradise.

Surf’s up at this Hell’s Kitchen basement bar named after a French resort island located in the Indian Ocean. The setting’s shabbier than chic though, with laidback vibes facilitated by Réunion the décor: clothes lines 357 W 44th St (Eighth/Ninth Aves), strung with bathing reunionbar.com. suits; a surfboard advertising the selection on draft. Barrel up to the bar constructed out of vintage surfboards and order a frozen Corona, or if you’re going for a hang ten, a pitcher of Tiki Punch (gin, triple sec, lime juice, and Prosecco). Soak up the alcohol with boardwalk-style bar bites like the Dodo Dog, a hot dog with rougail salsa and a slab of pork belly. All day happy hour on Sundays make this tropical getaway particularly aﬀordable.

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In Hawaiian Onomea roughly translates to “delicious things,” and that’s exactly what this cozy nook in Brooklyn delivers amidst glossy pictures of lava and local beaches. Munch Onomea on home-cooked island 84 Havemeyer St (Metropolitan cuisine like shoyu Ave/Hope St), onomeanyc.com. chicken (marinated with soy sauce and ginger) with a side of Spam fried rice, or dive in head first to poke, cubes of tuna tossed with sesame seeds and green onions commonly eaten on the beach. Wash it down with bottles of Kona Big Wave’s Golden Ale or the Chee Hu, a mango margarita, as music from a Big Island radio station streams in from across the Pacific. It’s enough to make those 5,000 miles seem incredibly close. Per Se alum Michael Jacober lends a masterfully refined touch to humble Caribbean staples like jerk chicken and lamb curry, in a room festooned with plants that literally lend Glady’s a breath of fresh air. 788 Franklin Ave (Lincoln Pl/St Aquamarine walls evoke Johns Pl), gladysnyc.com. the ocean as you sip old classics with an island twist, like the Painkiller (Pusser’s rum, coconut cream, and pineapple) or the Dark N Slushie (Gosling’s black rum, ginger, and lime), concocted by beverage director Shannon Mustipher. Lobster comes grilled over an open fire, leaving smoky traces of a Montego Bay barbeque etched into the juicy meat, and a steady stream of reggae and dance hall will make you glad to stay, even after the complimentary ice cream arrives. With locations on the Upper and Lower East Side, the beach is never too far away. Jump in with the Beach Juice, a spiced ginger rum served in a twist-off juice bottle (not unlike Pizza Beach those peddled on the Multiple locations, Rockaways) spiked with pizzabeachclub.com. vitamin D, intended to ward off Seasonal Affective Disorder. The chemical reaction only enhances the feeling that you’re sitting in the retro lovechild of Malibu and Brooklyn. Napoleon-style pies are available with vegetable-focused tweaks, like The Zucca, a mélange of kabocha squash, Tuscan kale, sage oil, and smoked mozzarella. Vegan and gluten-free requests are gladly accommodated—because if the vibe is any indication, summer beach bod season is right around the corner. N

PHOTOS: OnOMea cOUrTeSy OF OnOMea; réUniOn cOUrTeSy OF réUniOn; SenOr FrOG’S cOUrTeSy OF SenOr FrOG’S; Glady’S cOUrTeSy OF Glady’S; Pizza beacH cOUrTeSy OF Pizza beacH

It’s Spring Break in the heart of Times Square at this Mexican chain restaurant founded in 1969. The food—a generic assortment of sandwiches, Tex-Mex, and steaks—is serviceaSeñor Frog’s New York ble, and sort of beside 11 Times Square (41st/42nd Sts), the point. Instead, insenorfrogs.com. dulge in the ice cream truck parade, Frogasms (Tequila melon liqueur, orange liqueur, and orange juice), and the impromptu conga line. On Sundays, check out the mayhem via Froggy Style, promoter Brandon Voss’s weekly all-you-can-drink drag brunch. Special guests like Lady Bunny and Violet Chachki keep the chaos flowing, with three seatings between noon and 4pm.

DINING

32 FEBRUARY 17, 2016

WEEK

WHAT TO SEE & WHERE TO BE FEBRUARY 19 THROUGH FEBRUARY 25

START YOUR ENGINES

PHOTO cOUrTeSy OF lOGO TV

Get a sneak peek at the eighth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race at the february 22 new york premiere event. see p.36 for more info.

FEBRUARY 17, 2016 33

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 19 MOM RADIO Macri Park, 462 Union Ave (Metropolitan Ave/Conselyea St), macripark.com. John Sperandeo and Zachary Clause bring you a variety show featuring drag, cabaret, and Lifetime movies to soothe your maternal soul, with drink specials until 9pm. 6pm–10pm; free.

LAURA JANE GRACE Jazz at Lincoln Center, 3 Columbus Circle (Broadway/60th St), americansongbook.org. The transgender lead singer of punk outfit Against Me! shows off a softer, unplugged version of her fiery oeuvre in the intimate Appel Room, as part of the American Songbook series. 8:30pm; $30–$85.

GAY SECRETS The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave, oscarwildetours.com. Oscar Wilde Tours presents a two-hour tour uncovering homoerotic gems in the hallowed halls of this New York art institution and delving into LGBT histories from around the world. 6pm; $40.

THE PARTY BY OSTBAHNHOF House of Yes, 2 Wyckoff Ave (Jefferson/Troutman Sts), Bushwick, houseofyes.org. Underground Berlin comes to life at this mega party featuring performances from Bottoms’ Jake Dibeler and Olympia Bukkakis, and DJs Lauren Flax, SPRKLBB, and Berlin-based Day to Lonoda. 9pm; $16.

WEEK MADONNATHON Rockbar, 185 Christopher St (Weehawken St), rockbarnyc.com. DJ Jene spins Madge’s greatest hits both old and new at this Madonna-themed dance party featuring exclusive giveaways for the best Madonnainspired look. 9pm; $5. DISTORTED DIZNEE The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W 42nd St (Ninth/Tenth Aves), spincyclenyc.com. It’s the gayest place in the world at this drag revue featuring distorted takes on all your favorite Disney classics, with a pinch of Rihanna and Cher—because your childhood wasn’t weird enough! 9:30pm; $20 (plus $20 food/drink minimum).

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20 ELECTRO BRUNCH Intermezzo, 202 Eighth Ave (20th/21st Sts), intermezzony.com. Tina Burner tears up this Italian restaurant serving $25 bottomless marys, mimosas, and bellinis, with DJs Jimmy Prada and David Serrano. Sundays too. 1pm–5pm; prices vary. HISTORIC GRAND CENTRAL Grand Central Terminal, 89 E 42nd St (Park Ave), outprofessionals.org. Take a walking tour of this architectural marvel with Out Professionals and delve into the tragedy that lead to its creation and Jacqueline Kennedy’s role in its construction, followed by a mixer at the Grand Central Oyster Bar at 4pm. 2pm; $15 members/$25 non-members. BROADWAY’S GREATEST HITS 54 Below, 254 W 54th St (Eighth Ave/Broadway), 54below.com. Scott Siegel presents the third installation of this musical theater bonanza featuring Avenue Q’s Stephanie D’Abruzzo, Kelli Rabke, and Maxine Linehan. 7pm; $40–$85 (plus $25 food/beverage minimum).

MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St (Thompson/Sullivan Sts), lprnyc.com. The openly bisexual musician takes the stage to perform her distinct blend of jazz-inflected, politically-charged soul music, with Brooklyn-based art collective Chargaux opening. 7:30pm; $30 in advance/$35 general admission. LOADED SATURDAYS This N’ That, 108 N Sixth St (Berry St/Wythe Ave), Williamsburg, thisnthatbrooklyn.com. Get loaded at this Brooklyn dance party featuring DJ Mikey Pop, spinning pop and dance mixes, hosts Elizabeth James and Ragamuffin, and photos by B. Hollywood. 10pm; free.

C’MON SATURDAYS Hardware, 697 Tenth Ave (47th/48th Sts), hardware-bar.com. Upcoming RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Thorgy Thor tears up the stage, with beats by DJ Scotty Rox. 10pm; free. THA BOY: PUMP EDITION Phoenix, 447 E 13th St (First Ave/Ave A), phoenixbarnyc.com. Promoter Scotty Em brings you this weekly bash hosted by Tammy Spenks with a special giveaway from Pump underwear. 10pm; free. SLAY SATURDAYS Atlas Social Club, 753 Ninth Ave (50th/51st Sts), atlassocialclub.com. A new weekly party featuring special guest DJ Ryan Skyy spinning house and Top 40, go-go stud Vinny Vega, and host Epiphany. 11pm; free. MY PUSSY IS A TIGER Trans-Pecos, 915 Wyckoff Ave (Weirfield/Hancock Sts), Ridgewood, thetranspecos.com. A birthday carry for musician Tygapaw featuring DJs Rizzla, Ushka, and queer collective Kunq at this Queens performance space. Midnight–5am; $10.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 21 FROGGY STYLE BRUNCH Señor Frog’s New York, 11 Times Square (41st/42nd Sts), vossevents.com. It’s Spring Break in February at Brandon Voss’s weekly bottomless drag brunch, featuring special guests Bootsie LeFaris and Epiphany. DJ Roxy Cottontail provides the beats. Noon–4pm; $45.

LATE WITH LANCE! Triple Crown Underground, 330 Seventh Avenue (28th/29th Sts), lanceshow.com. Peter Michael Marino plays his musical theater-crazed alter ego to host this variety show—the last of the season— featuring special guest YouTube sensation Christina Bianco. 7pm; pay what you can.

GUYS ON ICE Celsius NYC, 41 W 40th St (Fifth/Sixth Aves), guysocial.com. Guy Social presents a winter tea dance featuring a drag queens on ice spectacular starring Milk and Michael Paul Dionysiou. 5pm–10pm; $25 advance/$30 general admission.

RISING STAR Rise, 895 Ninth Ave (56th St), risebarnyc.com. Warm up those pipes. It’s the first round of auditions for this all-new 10-week singing competition hosted by Marty Thomas. The winner receives a $1,000 cash prize and their very own show at Rise. 10pm; free.

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SPUNK Pieces, 8 Christopher St (Greenwich Ave/Gay St), piecesbar.com. Bring your dollar bills, ya’ll. Luis Gomez’s party stars 20 dancers serving lap dances and pole stunts to beats by DJ Xavier Mazara. Host Holly Dae keeps the action moving. 9pm; free. THE MEETING Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St (Astor Pl/W Fourth St), joespub.com. Justin Sayre and the International Order of Sodomites paying tribute to Cabaret, the iconic 1966 Broadway musical set in 1931 Berlin, at their February showcase. 9:30pm; $20 (plus $12 food/drink minimum).

FEBRUARY 17, 2016 35

AUGUST 22 1 MONDAY FEBRUARY DARKMATTER Mercury Lounge, 217 E Houston St (Essex/Ludlow Sts), mercuryloungenyc.com. South Asian trans performance duo DarkMatter headlines two shows at this Lower East Side club with special guests Tïna-Hanäé, DJ Ushka, and others. 6:30pm & 9:30pm; $18.

FIRE ISLAND SHARE-A-THON The Center, 208 W 13th St (Seventh Ave/Greenwich St), gaycenter.org. It’s never too early to plan your summer on Fire Island. You’ll be able to find the perfect summer situation no matter your budget. 7pm–9pm; $10 general admission/$100 for share providers (admits two).

BRING ON THE MEN Metropolitan Room. Cabaret producer and cancer survivor Joseph Macchia courts some of the most talented men of Broadway in a benefit for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Mark Nadler, Eric Comstock, and Jeff Harnar, among others, perform. 7pm; $20 general admission/$95–$115 VIP.

RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE SEASON 8 NEW YORK PREMIERE Stage 48, 605 W 48th St (Eleventh/Twelfth Aves), vossevents.com. It’s finally here: the New York Premiere of Logo’s hit drag competition show! Season 6 winner Bianca Del Rio hosts, and the entire cast of season 8 cast performs live. 9pm; $50.

WEEK HARMONY 2016: THE GAYEST FROLIC IN NEW YORK Diamond Horseshoe, 235 W 46th St (Broadway/Eighth Ave), nycgmc.org. Broadway hunk Nick Adams hosts Big Apple Performing Arts’ annual gala benefit for the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus and the Youth Pride Chorus. Kick things off with the VIP reception, then keep the party going courtesy of promoter Brian Rafferty’s Dance Party Extravaganza, from 9pm to midnight, featuring DJ Lady Bunny. Performances by The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Erika Jayne and Adams himself strike the perfect harmony. 6pm–midnight; $45 dance party ticket/$95 general admission/$295 VIP.

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 23 STRIPPER FEVER Fairytail Lounge, 500 W 48th St (Tenth/Eleventh Aves), fairytailloungenyc.com. The dancers at this Hell’s Kitchen go-go bar are giving you fever every Tuesday night. Make it rain for the studs of Adonis Lounge and Spunk as they bump and grind to throwback tracks from the ’70s and ’80s. 9pm; cover varies.

KNOCK OUT Barracuda, 275 W 22nd St (Seventh/Eighth Aves), 212-645-8613. It’s a heavyweight clash of queens every Tuesday night as drag divas Judy Darling and Miz Cracker battle it out on stage at this Chelsea bar. DJ David Serrano spins pop, hip-hop, and EDM all night. 11pm; free.

FRANKIE’S The Jane Hotel, 113 Jane St (W Side Hwy), thejanenyc.com. Regular DJs Nita Aviance and William Francis bring the beats for Frankie Sharp’s elegant rage at this upscale boîte. Special guests perform each week as New York’s coolest neo-club kids turn look and go-go boys shake their junk. 10pm; cover varies.

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 24 STEVE GRAND Gramercy Theater, 127 E 23rd St (Lexington/Park Aves), stevegrand.com. The gay heartthrob performs his brand of countrified poprock, with special guest openers Matt Hartke and Maggie Peake. 7pm; $20.

GAYZER TAG Bowlmor Chelsea Piers, Pier 60 (W Side Hwy/23rd St), gayzertagfeb.eventbrite.com. It’s a night of gay games from Guy Social. Enjoy unlimited lazer tag, pool, and bowling, plus arcade games with host Joey Israel at this sprawling West Side entertainment complex. Grey Goose cocktails are $8 all night and pitchers of beer are $14. 8pm–midnight; $15. THE STOLI KEY WEST COCKTAIL CLASSIC Boxers HK, 742 Ninth Ave (50th St), gaycities.com/cocktailclassic. New York’s best

queer bartenders shake it up at the launch of this third annual LGBT bartending competition. Paige Turner joins Stoli’s national LGBT ambassador Patrick Gallineaux to host, and you can enter to win a trip to Key West courtesy of GayCities. 8pm–11pm; free. HUMP Rumpus Room, 249 Eldridge St (Stanton/Houston Sts), rumpusroomnyc.com. Promoters Hannah Shoshana Fisher and Paul Iacono bring you this fabulous Lower East Side turn-up. DJs DeSe and Michael Cavadias spin for a stylish mixed crowd. 10pm–2am; free.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25 16 YEAR ANNIVERSARY Posh, 405 W 51st St (Ninth/Tenth Aves), poshbarnyc.com. Celebrate this millennial Hell’s Kitchen bar’s sweet 16 starting with happy hour from 2pm– 9pm. DJ Panos Mitos spins from 6pm–9pm before DJ JRoc takes over. Morgan Royel hosts the festivities with contests, prizes, shows, go-go boys, rotating open bar specials all night, and hors d’oeuvres from Bamboo 52 and 123 Burger Shot Beer. 2pm; free.

his upcoming show, Transfigure, based on the concept of a children’s flip book featuring trans bodies. 6:30pm–8:30pm; free. THROW BACK THURSDAYS Vodka Soda & Bottoms Up, 315 W 46th St (Eighth/Ninth Aves). Shawn Paul Mazur and Matthew Gagnon bring you a blast from the past with DJ Patrick Kuzara spinning your favorite hits from the ’80s and ’90s. 10pm; free.

RADIO BLAH BLAH Excelsior, 563 Fifth Ave (15th/16th Sts), Park Slope, excelsiorbrooklyn.com. Disturbed queen Louvel presents a monthly cabaret show in the mezzanine lounge of this Brooklyn gay bar, featuring two hours of live music, awkward sex stories, and plenty of surprises. 10pm; free.

LEON MOSTOVOY LECTURE LeslieLohman Museum, 26 Wooster St (Canal/Grand Sts), leslielohman.org. Through his work, this trans artist has been an activist for sex workers, ex-cons, and the AIDS epidemic. He’ll speak about these topics and more, in anticipation of

HOUSE THURSDAYS G Lounge, 225 W 19th St (Seventh/Eighth Aves), glounge.com. A rotating cast of house DJs spin all the classics at this weekly dance party featuring Chelsea’s hottest go-go boys and $5 house vodka. 10pm; free.

KILLER QUEEN Eastern Bloc, 505 E Sixth St (Aves A/B), easternblocnyc.com. Hostess Severely Mame presents this killer rock ’n’ Roll funk party featuring DJs Sammy Jo and Darren Dryden, with $2 vodka drinks between 11pm– 11:30pm, and shot specials all night. 11pm; free.

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BARS+CLUBS

MANHATTAN

554 W 28th St

THE EAGLE

516 W 42nd St

667 10TH Ave

301 W 39th St

ESCUELITA

656 Ninth Ave

9TH AVENUE SALOON

401 W 47th St

BARRAGE

369 W 46th St

THE RITZ

753 Ninth Ave

315 W 46th St

VODKA SODA/BOTTOMS UP

157 W 24th St

XES

215 W 40th St

SHADOW BOXERS

ATLAS SOCIAL CLUB

BOXERS HK 742 Ninth Ave

344 W 52nd St

BAMBOO 52

POSH

355 W 52nd St

INDUSTRY

793 Ninth Ave

405 W 51st St

348 W 52nd St

THERAPY

DIVE BAR LOUNGE

697 10th Ave

HARDWARE

500 W 48th St

FAIRYTAIL LOUNGE

DISIAC LOUNGE

402 W 54th St

104 Dyckman St

CASTRO

FLAMING SADDLES

WEST END LOUNGE 955 West End Ave

859 9th Ave

RISE BAR

SUITE

992 Amsterdam Ave

227 E 56th St

LIPS

236 E 58th St

TOWNHOUSE

1742 Second Ave

THE TOOLBOX

139 E 45th St

UNCLE CHARLIE’S

221 E 58th St

EVOLVE

FEBRUARY 17, 2016 39

LATE-NIGHT CRUISING

CLUB

LESBIAN

FOOD

NEIGHBORHOOD BAR

HAPPY HOUR

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

DANCING

WHAT’S THE SCENE?

>>> MAP KEY

185 Christopher St

ROCKBAR

115 Christopher St

114 Christopher St

TY’S

100 7th Avenue S

STONEWALL 159 W 10th St

438 Hudson St

HENRIETTA HUDSON

59 Grove St

MARIE’S CRISIS

80 Grove St

THE MONSTER

8 Christopher St

PIECES

53 Christopher St

BOILER ROOM

93 Second Ave

THE COCK

86 E Fourth St

505 E Sixth St

EASTERN BLOC

447 E 13th St

PHOENIX

322 E 14th St

JULIUS

NOWHERE

208 W 13th St gaycenter.org

37 W 20th St

BOXERS

LGBT CENTER

225 W 19th St

G LOUNGE

61 Christopher St

DUPLEX

BOOTS & SADDLE

281 W 12th St

CUBBYHOLE

THE HANGAR

167 Eighth Ave

GYM SPORTSBAR

275 W 22nd St

BARRACUDA

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1. Will, Jason & Ryan 2. Jairus, Terra Grenade, Matt & Jeremy 3. James & Jonathan 4. Hugo & Douglas

IN•THE

SHOT DARK

SUPERBOWLSUNDAY@BOXERSHK

PHOTOGraPHy by GUSTAVO MONROY

ALANCUMMINGAFTERPARTY@THEWHOTEL 1. Alan Cumming & Ricki Lake 2. Justin Vivian Bond & Jeremy 3. Neve Campbell & Christian Campbell 4. Robbyne Kamil & Vivian Reed 5. Luke, Oliver, Jamar & Sam

PHOTOGraPHy by WILSONMODELS

FEBRUARY 17, 2016 41

1. Roger & Jason 2. Nicolaas & Brian 3. Neon Flux & Lady K 4. John & Landon 5. Juan & Derek

IN•THE

SHOT DARK

TRADE@UNDRSPACEIBIZA

PHOTOGraPHy by GUSTAVO MONROY

THEINVASION@THESTONEWALLINN 1. Samantha & Ari Kiki 2. Jordan & Gabe 3. Sussi, Aquaria & Harry 4. Chauncy D & Mike 5. Katrina, Elextra Gray & Aiden Arnett

PHOTOGraPHy by WILSONMODELS

FEBRUARY 17, 2016 43

1. Exquisite, La’fem Ladosha & Sateen 2. Vinny Vega & Jason 3. Frankie Sharp & Matty Glitterati 4. Matt, Nicky & Lexi

IN•THE

SHOT DARK

FRANKIE’S@THEJANEHOTEL

SLURP!FIVEYEARANNIVERSARY@THERAPY 1. Jesse, Chris Ryan & Andrew 2. Julio & James 3. James & Drew 4. Cory & Jamal 5. Darren, Craig, Jamar & Matty

PHOTOGraPHy by GUSTAVO MONROY

44 FEBRUARY 17, 2016