Mirror Winter 2016

Winter 2016 • Vol. 5 Issue 1

artS & entertainment winter iSSue

themirrormag.com

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WINTER 2016 | VOL 5 | ISSUE 1

TABLE OF 

CONTENTS

OPINION Publisher’s Editorial  12

NEWS FEATURES Southern Hospitality – LGBT Support Grows  14, 15 Japanese Community Has Long Supported Us  18, 19 How Area Restaurants Stack Up  20, 21 LGBT Vets Get Advocate in Oregon  78 Black Lives Matter Founded by Queer Folks  80, 81 OutRight – A New Name; Same Mission  88, 90 Campbell Foundation – Funding an HIV Cure  92, 93 Our Hen House – Gays Supporting Animals  94

PROFILE Trans Teen Tom Sosnick  22, 23

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

ON THE COVER the cover art (and page 57) on this issue of the mirror is by GermanAmerican pop artist Peter max. A longtime resident of new York, max is known for his use of psychedelic shapes and eye-popping color palettes. His commissions include the branding art for the 1994 World Cup, 2000 World series, hull art for the norwegian Cruise Lines’ Breakaway, U.s. postage stamps and album covers. max has also painted portraits of celebrities from presidents to pop star taylor swift. recent works by the artist, many inspired by the impressionists van Gogh, degas and monet, will be on display at Key West Gallery, 601 duval st. in Key West, beginning Feb. 8. the artist will be at the gallery on saturday, Feb. 13 from 1 – 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. and sunday, Feb. 14 from 1 – 4 p.m. For more information, go to KeyWestGallery. com. © 2015 Peter max. Used by permission.

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The 10 Hottest Tickets  46 Headlines  24 Art Classes & Workshops 28 Entertaining Tips & Tricks  32 Read, Listen, Watch  36 On Exhibit  38, 39 Festivals  30 On Broadway  26, 27 Cirque du Soleil  48, 49

FEATURES LGBT Films Straight People Must See  50, 52 Israeli Opera at Masada  84, 85 Broward Center’s Wedding of the Year  54

INTERVIEWS William Ivey Long – The Costume Designer  40, 41 Kinsey Sicks – The Politically Incorrect  44 Tony Finstrom – The Playwright  34 William Shatner – The Legend  76

WINTER ARTS PREVIEW Concerts & Comedy  58 Film & TV  60 Classical & Jazz  62 Dance  64 Local Broadway  66 Regional Theater  68 Datebook  70, 72, 74

SHORT STORY My Life on A Boat  98

2520 N. Dixie Highway | Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954.530.4970 Fax: 954.530.7943

Publisher NORM KENT norm.kent@sfgn.com Chief Executive Officer PIER ANGELO GUIDUGLI Associate Publisher/ JASON PARSLEY Executive Editor jason.parsley@sfgn.com

EDITORIAL Art Director BRENDON LIES artwork@sfgn.com Web Producer DENNIS JOZEFOWICZ dennis.jozefowicz@sfgn.com News Editor JOHN MCDONALD

john.mcdonald@sfgn.com

Staff Photographer J.R. DAVIS Senior Correspondant TONY ADAMS A&E Editor J.W. ARNOLD Editorial Assisstant JILLIAN MELERO

CORRESPONDENTS CHRISTIANA LILLY DAVID-ELIJAH NAHMOD GARY M. KRAMER RICK KARLIN

SALES & MARKETING Director of Sales MIKE TROTTIER & Marketing mike.trottier@sfgn.com Sales Manager JUSTIN WYSE justin.wyse@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Assoc. EDWIN NEIMANN edwin.neimann@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Assoc. CINDY CURTIS cindy.curtis@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Assoc. JIM ALBRIGHT jim.albright@sfgn.com Distribution Services BRIAN SWINFORD J.R. DAVIS Printing THE PRINTER’S PRINTER National Advertising RIVENDELL MEDIA 212-242-6863 sales@rivendellmedia.com Accounting Services CG BOOKKEEPING The Mirror is published quarterly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor are those of the writers. They do not represent the opinions of The Mirror or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations in The Mirror. Furthermore the word “gay” in The Mirror should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material that appears in The Mirror, both online at www.themirrormag.com, and in our print edition, including articles used in conjunction with the Associated Press and our columnists, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher of The Mirror, Norm Kent, at Norm@NormKent.com. The Mirror is published by the South Florida Gay News. It’s a private corporation, and reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs. Copyright © 2014,

South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

Associated Press Florida Press Association National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association

Feature • puBLisHer's editOriaL

All the World's A

Stage

“Let me be that I am and seek not to alter me.”

- William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing

T

his is the Mirror’s Winter Arts Guide.

We are a free, glossy, magazine, surviving in a digital age.

norM KEnT

I would like to think we are here also because you believe in us; that we conscientiously deliver credible content in an aesthetic, presentable, readable format.

We don’t just throw together a bunch of ads and try to wrap it in a cover. Our stories feature our community personalized and professional. We illuminate our lives and our losses, our champions and our contemporaries. this month we feature this season’s hottest tickets, several in-depth news features and a celebrity interview with William shatner.

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Theater has always been special to the culture of LGBT life. It is a forum for individual expressiveness and creative achievement.

But it is also the vehicle that gives our lives inspiration.

‘Newsies’ tells the story of young boys standing up for their rights not to be discriminated against in the workplace.

‘Kinky Boots’ tells the tale of two young men trying to be proud of their lives while defying the traditions of their birthplace.

‘The Book of Mormon’ musically showcases young elders finding their place in an ever-changing world.

The musicals showcased in our theaters this season also mirror lives in the LGBT community. We have learned to buck the odds; to stand up for what we believe in. We find our own way against tides that might otherwise buffet us backwards.

Theater captures the spirit of independence, from retelling the magical and defiant story of the von Trapp family in ‘The Sound of Music,’ to a new production of ‘Phantom of the Opera.’

We have each climbed many mountains to get to where we are today. We have each worn masks in our lives, many of us for too long. We have overcome what we were supposed to be and become what we wanted to be. There have been surprises along the way.

In 1965, I wanted to grow up and play center field for the New York Mets. If you had told me then that that I would be writing editorials for a gay paper 50 years later, I would have punched you in the nose.

Our lives emerge. Our values develop. Our goals are accomplished though our dreams may be altered. Some of us wind up as firefighters or astronauts. Some of us wind up on stage. Some of us are run out of town on it. Life can be unpredictable.

The future may lie beyond our vision, but it is not beyond our control. There is beauty and bounty everywhere, if we explore and cultivate it. It can be found in the aesthetics of a magazine or by witnessing the artistry of a live performance.

There is no doubt thought that Broadway life has given the LGBT community a unique forum to express its uniqueness, individuality, and creativity. We are proud to showcase the culture and commitment of our times in the Mirror for you. Share a copy with your friends. Leave it on a coffee table. Post an article on Facebook. Find a place for it in your home and heart.

As you may know, this New Year is the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. It will be commemorated and celebrated nationally and internationally. Many of his words will be respoken, some critically, others caustically, many more creatively.

Ultimately, though, it is up to each of us to make sure that life is more than “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” It is up to us to make dreams matter, visions count, and beauty happen.

Feature • News

LGBT

SUPPORT IN THE SOUTH

CONTINUES TO GROW CHrISTIAnA lIllY

W

hen it comes to LGBT rights, the South isn’t exactly where people look for overwhelming progress and change – but the new LGBT Institute in Atlanta wants to be a part of changing that.

Open since September, it resides in the nearly 2-yearold National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Right next to the aquarium and the Coca Cola museum, the center is in the heart of downtown.

“You can’t talk about civil and human rights without talking about LGBT rights,” said Ryan Roemerman, the executive director of the LGBT Institute. “The South unfortunately hasn't been able to achieve the same kind of momentum in regards to policy gains like the rest of the United States has… it’s the perfect time and perfect place to have these conversations.”

The civil rights center started in 2007, and finally came to fruition in 2014 as a brick-and-mortar location. Wanting to make sure that LGBT people were included in the history of Americans fighting for equal rights, the institute was founded.

Roemerman explains that there are so many national and international organizations working for LGBT rights, that they didn't want to replicate what they were doing, but rather, work alongside them. This includes assisting in research, educating the public, and more. Right now, the institute’s programming board is looking in depth at education and employment, criminal justice and safety, and public health and wellness. Also, they invite the public to participate in quarterly meetings to brainstorm and provide input for research.

“We wanted to build an institute here in the south that would allow us to make sure that the situations on the ground for LBGT people are understood from a southern aspect and focus,” he explained. “Also, making sure that folks understand the work that needs to be done nationally and internationally.”

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Feature • News

“The center itself was never meant to be just a museum.

It’s a platform for engagement.”

The center has permanent exhibits that teach visitors about the American civil rights movements of the 1960s and ties it to modern day struggles around the world.

Walking through the first floor exhibits, one sees an explanation of civil rights, the story of the Freedom Riders, and racist laws that were once on the books.

Then, there’s the second floor, where guests are introduced to other civil rights movements, with people fighting for rights around the world based on their gender, religion, sexual orientation, and disability. An interactive 3D gallery allows visitors to hear the stories of real people.

When the LGBT Institute opened, the semi-permanent exhibit “Forward Together: A Look at Atlanta's LGBT History Since Stonewall” opened. The exhibit was a group effort by area museums, universities, and activists. It will be on display under the middle of January.

“It makes you realize how important it is to ensure that we continue to see that the rights we have achieved are maintained,” Roemerman said. “It makes you understand how interconnected we are as a world and how the rights of one person is denied, it really is the denial of rights for all of us.”

The LGBT Institute is located at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Ga. Visit LGBTInstitute.org.

Submitted photos.

WINTER 2016  THE

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WINTER 2016  THE

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Submitted photos.

stood with LgBt Folks

Feature • News

Japanese-american Community Has Long JACL endorsed marriage equality in 1993 CHrISTIAnA lIllY

F

or more than 50 years, the LGBT people have had an unlikely ally: the Japanese American community.

The Japanese American Citizens League has participated in protests, parades, amicus briefs, and celebrations for LGBT equality, including marriage equality, for years.

“It’s addressed in the meeting minutes,” said Priscilla Ouchida, executive director of JACL. “Going way back to the ‘50s and ‘60s, they’re talking about rights of, as they called them back then, homosexuals.”

This was unheard of -- the LGBT civil rights movement didn’t even start until 1969 with the Stonewall riots in New York City, so what was it that struck Japanese Americans to protect LGBT people?

Ouchida says it sits in their own history of oppression in America -- both Chinese and Japanese people started arriving in the mid 1800s and were met with welcome arms for them to work, but not to be a part of the country. The Naturalization Act of 1870 extended the rights of African Americans to be citizens -- but not for Asian Americans.

They would forever be considered permanent aliens, and not be allowed to vote, as well as facing discrimination in laws that applied to people of color.

With multiple Japanese American groups formed in the U.S., they joined forces in 1929 to create the Japanese American Citizens League. Things got even worse for them

when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941, sending the U.S. into World War II. Anti-Japanese sentiments were rampant, and out of fear, the government rounded up Japanese Americans into internment camps for the remainder of the war. In all, about 110,000 Japanese Americans were kept in “war relocation centers” -- including all of Ouchida’s grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts, and older cousins.

It’s this experience of discrimination and imprisonment that leads Ouchida to believe that’s why the early board members of JACL were so in favor of standing up for the rights of others, including LGBT people.

“No one spoke up on our behalf,” she said. “We realized we needed to help others.”

In 1946, JACL created a campaign against anti-alien land laws, followed by helping pass the Soldier Brides Act to protect the foreign wives of soldiers and their children. This continued into the ‘50s with JACL co-signing amicus briefs for Brown vs. Board of Education, repealing Idaho’s antimiscegenation laws, marching with Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1963, calling for economic sanctions against South Afria when it was in the throes of apartheid, and much more.

Finally in 1993, JACL wrote a resolution in support of ending discrimination of LGBT members of the Armed Forces, and in any other workplace. The next year, they approved a resolution supporting equal marriage rights for all people, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Twenty-one years before marriage equality was the law of the land.

“I know we were ahead of the curb,” Ouchida said.

“I always ask myself that question, why us? Why do we stand up for others so early?”

Also, the board has ties to the LGBT community – Ouchida’s daughter is a lesbian, and other board members have LGBT children, leaving them especially invested to make the world a better place for their children.

Many Japanese identify as Buddhist, which does not consider being gay or transgender to be a taboo -another reason Ouchida thinks they were so on board with protecting LGBT people so early in the fight.

“They talk about this as a civil rights issue,” she explained, not a religious one.

This year, JACL wrote a resolution in support of transgender people and recognizing their struggles.

They’re also active in speaking out against bills that would prevent Syrian refugees from coming to the U.S., a situation all too familiar to Japanese Americans.

“The rhetoric keeps on coming up again,” Ouchida said. “We have to remind people.”

WINTER 2016  THE

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Feature • FOOd

How Do New Area Restaurants Rate? rICK KArlIn

L

et’s face it, going out for dinner is a crap shoot. Even if a place is great, the day you decide to check it out might happen to be the day that the head chef calls in sick, your server is hung-over, the busboy is preoccupied about a fight with his boyfriend, the bartender’s cat died or three staff members didn’t show up for their shifts. Or, maybe all of the above. Good luck having a great dining experience then. Or, you may hit the place on the one night when everything “clicks” and you have an incredible experience.

If you find a professional reviewer whose opinion and experience seems to align with yours, it can be an invaluable aid in choosing a restaurant.

If you haven’t, or a place you’re considering hasn’t been covered by your favorite reviewer, you need to rely on opinions from a restaurant review web site. But, how reliable are these sites?

Unfortunately some of those reviews are by people who are just plain stupid. I actually read a Yelp review where someone complained about the lack of meat on a vegetarian menu. That may be an extreme example, but you’ll see people complain that; “the food is too spicy” in review of a Thai restaurant or “the fish was undercooked” at a sushi place. Similarly, there are people who praise a place just because they don’t know any better. If you usually dine at Denny’s, the service at a top level restaurant is going to blow you away, even if it is sub-par by industry standards. When you read a review on a web site, be aware of date of the review. An older review may not be valid if the restaurant is under new management.

Your best bets for information on Wilton Manors are Yelp and Trip Advisor. Both indicate how many times the places have been reviewed, offer maps and directions, allow reviewers to post pictures and have links to the restaurants’ web sites.

Yelp uses a 1-5 star rating system, lists an average rating and indicates the date of review. Trip Advisor also uses a 1-5 star rating system, and lists not only an average rating, but also breaks the rating down into four categories; food, service, value and atmosphere. While it doesn’t give exact dates for listings, it does indicate how many weeks/months ago the review was posted.

So given all that info, how do five new spots on the Drive fare in online reviews? For these restaurants, I’ve compared the Yelp and Trip Advisor reviews to my experiences.

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What the Pho 2033 N. Wilton Dr. Wilton Manors 754-779-7769

YELP: average rating of 4.5 stars based on 66 reviews.

TRIP ADVISOR: average rating of 4 stars based on 26 reviews.

SFGN: Both sites’ reviews are significantly better than my initial review of What the Pho. However, a majority of the positive reviews weren’t from people familiar with Vietnamese cuisine.

Additionally, many echoed my major concerns about the service and price point. The restaurant also won SFGN's Best Of award for New Restaurant this year.

Thirteen

2390 Wilton Dr. Wilton Manors 954-566-5950 WebsiteThirteenWilton.com YELP: average rating of 4.5 stars based on 66 reviews.

TRIP ADVISOR: average rating of 4 stars based on 29 reviews.

SFGN: I don’t know how I could have not have reviewed Thirteen, but it turns out I haven’t, even though I’ve dined there numerous times. The listings on both sites do echo my feelings about Thirteen, that the food is tasty and it’s obvious that the owners have a hands-on approach when it comes to quality control.

Dolce Pizza 2406 Wilton Dr. Wilton Manors 954-463-7677 Dolce-Salato.net

Your smile should leave a great impression.

YELP: average rating of 5 stars based on 62 reviews.

TRIP ADVISOR: average rating of 5 stars based on 74 reviews SFGN: I couldn’t agree more. I think the pizza is the best in all of South Florida and the gelato (handmade daily) is to die for. The Italian couple who owns Dolce Salato, Leonardo and Sylvia, are warm and friendly and really care about the product they put out. A couple of on-line reviews echoed my feelings about their son; “Their handsome son is real eye candy.” -Yelp

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Novel Tea 2043 Wilton Dr. Wilton Manors 754-206-4321 NovelTeaFL.com

YELP: average rating of 5 stars based on 26 reviews.

TRIP ADVISOR: average rating of 4 stars based on 74 reviews SFGN: The newest place in this list. Novel Tea has only been open for a few months. I’ve found the owners, who both happened to be there when I stopped in, to be friendly and knowledgeable. The tea tends to be a bit pricey, but then top quality merchandise often is. At the time of my visit, they were just putting together their wine and beer menu. It’s a nice change of pace from the bars as a place to meet.

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1946 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors • FL 33305 www.IslandCitySmiles.com WINTER 2016  THE

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Feature • News

Tragedy

Inspires Trans Teen to

dAVId-ElIJAH nAHMod

C

alifornia resident Tom Sosnick, 13, always knew he was born in the wrong body.

"I didn't know what the word transgender meant so I had no way to tie this to reality," the teenager told SFGN. "I struggled a lot because I could not figure out or explain how I felt. I felt at one point that it would be easier to live as a girl—I had the body for it."

Tom's questions about his gender identity had begun fairly early. "I was open with my parents about how I was feeling," he said. "In the 5th grade I had a 'realization moment.' I had this moment in the shower when I looked down and realized that my whole life was a trick. I was never a girl. I didn't feel like a girl."

In 2014, 17-year-old transgender girl Leelah Alcorn committed suicide in Ohio. Raised in a conservative Christian family who refused to accept her transition, Alcorn's violent death – she walked into oncoming traffic on a freeway – attracted international attention. Alcorn had left behind a suicide note in which she asked that gender identity issues be discussed in schools. Alcorn's tragic fate reached Sosnick, who was inspired to come out.

"It really made me want to make the most of what I have and give a voice to those who have been silenced," Sosnick said. "Though I can never speak to everyone, it was something I had to do."

Tom came out to his classmates at the Tehiyah Day School in El Cerrito, a San Francisco suburb. In a stirring speech that has gone viral on YouTube, he told his teachers and friends what they already knew.

"For some of you this may come as a shock," Tom said in the video. "For others, well, you knew or thought that I was transgender. I am no longer Mia. I never really was. And now I stand before you in my true and authentic gender identity as Tom. I stand before you as a 13 year old boy."

Tom said that his family was supportive and loving, and that they remain proud of him. He also got support from Rabbi Tsipi Gabai, Director of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at Tehiyah Day School. The Rabbi also spoke to SFGN. She declined to reveal her age, whether or not she was straight, or whether she identified with the Orthodox, Conservative, Reform or Reconstructionist sects of Judaism.

"A person should be judged by their actions, not by their labels," Rabbi Gabai said. She did acknowledge that many Jews still do not accept women as Rabbis – her own father is a Rabbi.

"My family had difficulties accepting me as a Rabbi," she recalled. "They had issues, but they didn't cut me off." She maintains a close and loving relationship with her family, who is aware of her support for Tom.

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Come Out

"My brother said you stretched things a bit, but you didn't cross the line," the Rabbi said. She added that she wasn't sure what crossing the line might entail. Like Tom's parents, she's very proud of the young man.

"We embraced him so he feels comfortable with his gender identity," the Rabbi said. "By doing religious rituals we show that we accept him – this is the message we want to send.

Acceptance of differences is a Jewish value. The Torah was given to all of us, men and women."

Rabbi Gabai pointed out that many things which are "forbidden" in Judaism do not come from the Torah, but from man.

The Rabbi said that she led Tom through a naming ceremony, establishing his new, male name as his Hebrew name.

"It takes compassion and understanding," she said. "We have to be gutsy and get out of our comfort zones."

Tom, who said that he's interested in theater, playing guitar and also enjoys rock climbing, hopes to balance activism with his everyday life. That life includes school and hanging out with friends. "I'm torn," he admitted. "It's hard to add another responsibility. As proud as I am I don't want this to define me-I want to be successful in the fields I'm trying to do. I think there is a responsibility to share knowledge."

Tom added his thoughts about people who don't accept others for who they are. "If they don't accept you they're irrelevant," he said. "Keep the people who are supportive very close to you and let the others seep out of your life."

Feature • News

"I didn't know what the word transgender meant so I had no way to tie this to reality. I struggled a lot because I could not figure out or explain how I felt. I felt at one point that it would be easier to live as a girl—I had the body for it."

- Tom Sosnick

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arts guide • departMeNts

BEING SCENE

Living The LGBT Life H E A D L I N E S

–

N E W S

&

V I E W S

J. W. Arnold

LGBT Groups Awarded Knight Foundation Grants Three South Florida LGBT arts groups will participate in a new, two-year initiative funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida, Island City Stage and the Stonewall National Museum & Archives were selected to launch “Converging Crossroads” and were charged with creating performances, workshops, pop-up concerts and other events to build visibility for LGBT arts “at the intersection of arts, society and identity” beginning in the 2016-17 season.

Chorus Executive Director Mark Kent said, “We know LGBT artists contribute substantially to the overall cultural fabric of South Florida. Thanks to the generosity of the Knight Foundation, we can bring those contributions to the forefront of the region’s cultural identity and celebrate them.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, created by the former owners of “The Miami Herald,” supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts.

For more information, go to KnightFoundation.org.

Despite torrential rainstorms throughout the weekend, Art Basel, the annual contemporary art show at the Miami Beach Convention Center, still broke attendance records, drawing more than 77,000 people, Dec. 3 – 7.

Last year, the show, which attracts wealthy art collectors from around the globe attracted about 73,000 and in 2013, nearly 75,000.

Admission to the premium fare was $47.

Along with the wacky weather and the sale of a $15 million Francis Bacon oil painting, there was a non-fatal stabbing in the convention center when a woman pulled an X-Acto knife from her purse and stabbed another patron in the neck. Onlookers mistook the violence and the area later cordoned off by police tape for a piece of performance art.

The dozens of Art Week satellite fairs in Miami Beach, Wynnwood and Midtown, most of which were housed in temporary outdoor tents, did not fare as well, thanks to the weather, but attendance figures were not available. Miami-Dade officials still put that number in the tens of thousands.

Art Basel Breaks Records

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Opera Fusion, an innovative local company based in West Palm Beach, has set the date for the world premiere performance of “Not in My Town,” a new musical drama written by Fort Lauderdale composer Michael W. Ross.

Based on the shocking 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, the gay Wyoming college student who was brutally beaten and left tied to a fence, the 90-minute, one-act opera will be performed on June 17 at 8 p.m. at the Sunshine Cathedral in Fort Lauderdale.

Composer Ross said, “As a child, I wanted to change the world.

My operas are small attempts at making it just a little bit better by shining a light on important issues.”

The development of the ambitious project by the second year company is being funded by an IndieGogo.com campaign emphasizing the group’s mission that “the operatic genre or ‘musical drama’ must take on current issues.”

Tickets for the performance, set to coincide with regional Pride celebrations, are available at the group’s website, OperaFusion.org.

Local Team Produces Mathew Shepard Opera

The 40th annual Carbonell Awards, recognizing excellence in regional theater, will be presented at a gala ceremony on Monday, April 4 at the Broward Center’s Amaturo Theater in Fort Lauderdale.

The awards, named for the Cuban-born artist Nestor Carbonell, who designed the egg-shaped bronze trophies, are presented in best productions, actors and technical categories from hundreds of eligible productions presented by more than 25 professional theaters in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

For the hundreds of actors and theater professionals who attend the glitzy event, the ceremony is lovingly called “theater prom,” as they discard their costumes for creative black tie and formal apparel.

For more information, go to CarbonellAwards.com.

2016 Carbonell Awards Ceremony Set

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DESTINATION

On Broadway J.W. Arnold

I PLEDGE…

George Takei is best known as Helmsman Sulu on the “Star Trek” television series and movies and more recently as a social media maven whose humorous posts have attracted followers in the hundreds of thousands. And now, add Broadway star to his resume.

“Allegiance,”

a new musical about the plight of JapaneseAmericans interned during World War II, opened on Broadway last fall. For nearly a decade Takei has tirelessly championed the show based on his childhood experiences. Tony winner Lea Salonga (“Miss Saigon”) and Telly Leung (“Glee”) co-star. Longacre Theatre, 220 W. 48th St., AllegianceMusical.com

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This stage adaptation of Stephen King’s novel and feature film stars Bruce Willis (“Diehard”) and Laurie Metcalf (“Roseanne”). There’s already plenty of Tony buzz around Shubert Alley about Metcalf ’s chilling performance as a disturbed fan who is seriously obsessed with a novelist and holds him captive in her home. Broadhurst Theatre, 235 W. 44th St., MiseryBroadway.com

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ALSO SHOWING

“Misery”

“Fun Home”

The 2015 Best Musical, based on Alison Bechdel’s 2006 graphic novel of the same name, explores the artist’s real life relationship with her gay father and her attempts to unlock the mysteries surrounding his life. Adapted by Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori, the show is among the first with an all female creative team. Circle in the Square Theatre, 235 W. 50th St., FunHomeBroadway.com

“Dada Woof Papa Hot”

OK, Lincoln Center is technically OffBroadway, but Peter Parnell’s new play is the first in the post-Supreme Court marriage equality decision and asks, “What next?” In this case, what can happen when a child takes over a harmonious gay household. Turns out we’re not so different from the straights after all. Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, Lincoln Center, LCT.org

TOURIST TRAPS “The Ride”

This tricked out bus with singing tour guides not only shows you the sights, but treats riders to some surprise performances along the way as street sweepers and shoppers burst into song and dance along the route. At $74 per person, you could practically swing a ticket to a real Broadway show, but sometimes it’s fun to just play tourist.

TheRideNYC.com

“Star Wars and the Power of Costume”

Featuring 70 hand-crafted costumes from the first six blockbuster Star Wars films, this multimedia exhibition reveals the creative process and uncovers the connection between character and costume. It’s worth it just to see the original menacing Darth Vader costume and C-3PO’s gilded frame. Timed tickets are $20 - $27.50. Discovery Times Square, 226 W. 44th St. DiscoveryTSX.com

Sardi’s

The menu and ambiance at Sardi’s restaurant may be a throwback to a bygone era of white glove dining on the Great White Way, but the prices are definitely rooted in 2016. Still, it’s worth shelling out $25 for a saucy cannelloni au gratin to take an up close look at the thousands of caricatures of theater legends past and present. The $35 prix fixe dinner is actually a better deal, especially if you’re taking in a show afterwards. 234 W. 44th St. Sardis.com WINTER 2016  THE

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DIY

I

Art Classes & Workshops J. W. Arnold

was inspired. As I drove north on I-95, I couldn’t help but recall the profound simplicity of some of the contemporary art I experienced at Art Basel in Miami Beach.

How hard could it be to unleash my inner Rembrandt or Picasso? Well, probably pretty hard. But, Jackson Pollock, with his mesmerizing large-scale works characterized by random scatterings of paint on canvas, again, how hard could that have been?

I was determined to find out and did what modern people do, I consulted the Internet. Siri was especially helpful as traffic came to a momentary halt on the freeway. After a few moments, she informed me the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach offers a course called, “Pouring Paint.”

Prepared to take the art world by storm, I arrived only to have my expectations dashed.

Our instructor, Roxene Sloate began the class by sharing some examples of contemporary artists and then demonstrating the basic techniques. She poured the paint on the canvas, tilted it in all directions, splattered another color with a brush, muddled sections with a quick spray of water and it looked amazing.

That’s why she was the teacher.

My classmates included retirees, a housewife and three teens taking a departure from their usual graffiti art classes. We poured and tilted and sprayed and splattered and our canvases looked like we poured and tilted and sprayed and splattered. We all quickly agreed it wasn’t as easy as it looked.

Wealthy collectors aren’t going to be offering me millions and, well, my masterpiece is going to be lucky to earn a spot on the bathroom wall. But, it was fun and practice does make perfect.

LOCAL ART CLASSES Feeling creative? Here’s your chance: Armory Art Center 1700 Parker Ave. West Palm Beach ArmoryArt.org

Situated in a stylish art deco building that once housed an armory, Armory Art Center offers nearly 200 classes and workshops ranging from painting and fine arts to ceramics and glass. The pottery and jewelry-making courses are especially popular, drawing students of all ages from youth to seniors.

The center also operates a Lake Worth annex and gallery.

Bonnet House Museum & Gardens

What better setting for a creative journey than the scenic—and historic—Bonnet House. Explore the fine arts of calligraphy, acrylics and watercolors in courses that range from three to six weeks. All classes are taught outdoors surrounded by the luscious landscapes, contrasting colors and tropical motifs of the Fort Lauderdale Beach estate. Class space is limited.

900 N. Birch Rd. Fort Lauderdale BonnetHouse.org

in Hollywood’s Young Hollywood Hot Glass ArtsPark Circle, Hollywood Hot Glass offers

Located next to the stage at

One Young Circle, Hollywood HollywoodHotGlass.com

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free demonstrations on Mondays, Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays, but for a small fee, aspiring artists can actually blow their own paperweight, flower or bowl with one of the expert glassmakers. The unforgettable experience is hot—the furnace blasts at temperatures up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Men’s Art Event

These fun art parties feature nude male models for short and long poses twice each month. Whether your medium is pencil, charcoal or oils, all levels of artists are encouraged to participate and explore your creativity. You must supply your own art supplies and reservations are recommended, as space is limited. Cost is $30 in advance and $35 at the door.

The Great Project in M.A.S.S. Arts District, Fort Lauderdale MensArtEvent.Tumblr.com

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FIND A

Festival J. W. Arnold

L

ooking for a nearby escape or just a chance to get out of the house for a few hours? Check out one of these local festivals and experience the diverse arts and culture of South Florida:

ART DECO WEEKEND – Jan. 15 – 17 It’s hard to believe that just a few years ago, Miami Beach’s iconic art deco district was crumbling and in danger of being razed. Fortunately, community activists had the foresight to encourage a renaissance along Ocean Drive. Head down to South Beach and admire the architecture, along with street vendors and live entertainment. ArtDecoWeekend. com.

SOUTH FLORIDA RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL – Feb. 13 – March 20 Take a trip to a fantasy land of kings and queens and knights and knaves at this annual festival in Deerfield Beach. Kilts and codpieces are especially encouraged. Don’t forget the sunscreen and bring a few bucks so you can chow down on one of those giant turkey legs while cheering on your champion in the joust. Ren-Fest.com

Take a trip to a fantasy land of kings and queens and knights and knaves at the annual South Florida Renaissance Festival in Deerfield Beach.

SOUTH BEACH WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL – Feb. 24 – 28

INTERNATIONAL GAY POLO TOURNAMENT – March 31 – April 3

Celebrities from Food Network and the Cooking Channel will once again headline the premiere food festival in the nation. This year, organizers expand the event northward with the Taste Fort Lauderdale series, bringing the culinary masters to Broward venues and spotlighting local celebrity chefs. SoBeFest.com.

Get out your fancy hats, girls, because the International Gay Polo Tournament is returning to Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington.

From the kick-off on Friday to the brunch and after-ceremony party on Sunday, this "sport of kings" event is sure to be memorable, whether you own a horse or just like men who ride them. PalmBeachFL.com

WINTER PARTY FESTIVAL – March 2 – 7

MIAMI BEACH PRIDE – April 8 – 10

The largest dance party on South Beach has grown over the years into a week-long celebration of South Florida’s LGBT community, benefiting both the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and local organizations.

There are events for lesbians, gay men and even gay families, including parties, picnics and brunch. WinterParty.com

In its seventh year, Miami Beach Gay Pride has grown into one of the biggest LGBT events in the region, attracting more than 100,000 participants and spectators to scenic Ocean Drive. After the parade, visit vendors and exhibitors, enjoy the live performances on the outdoor stages or just take in some people watching. MiamiBeachGayPride.com

PALM BEACH PRIDEFEST – March 19 – 20

MIFO LGBT FILM FESTIVAL – April 22 – May 1

Quaint Lake Worth is the perfect setting Palm Beach County’s annual Pride celebration. The parade winds its way through the streets as onlookers cheer, winding up at the festival at Bryant Park, featuring live entertainment, vendors and exhibitors. More than 15,000 people are expected to celebrate. CompassGLCC.com

Formerly known as the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, MiFo is one of the biggest in the country, regularly presenting regional and world premieres of the best in LGBT film. In between screenings, see and be seen at the many glitzy parties featuring the filmmakers, actors and writers of the festival films. MiFoFilm.com

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ENTERTAINING

All That Sparkles J. W. Arnold

V

alentine’s Day is right around the corner, so you run to Publix or the neighborhood liquor store to grab a bottle of champagne for that romantic night with your sweetie? Not so fast, said Craig Diamantopoulos, sommelier for Republic-National Distributing Company. Check that label before making that crucial purchase for your big night.

“Sparkling wines all get their bubbles because they go through a second process of fermentation, but that’s where the similarities end,” he said. “Only wines bottled in the Champagne region of France, following very strict rules, can technically be called ‘Champagne’, so you need to be aware what you are buying.”

The sommelier, who advises restaurants and retail stores across the region said there are many affordable “champagnes,” but other countries have their own distinct styles of sparkling wine and many are very affordably priced compared to their French cousins.

Here are some of Diamontopoulos’ picks for each:

CHAMPAGNE

Taittinger Brut La Française $47.99 – $54.99 Taittinger Comte De Champagne Blanc de Blanc $139.99 – $169.99

PROSECCO

Cupcake $10.99 – $12.99 Rosa Regale Brachetto $16.99 – $19.99

CAVA

Cordiniu $10.99 – $12.99 Pere Ventura $15.99 – $17.99

SPARKLING WINE

Piper Sonoma Brut $15.99 – $19.99 Domaine Carneros Brut $26.99 – $32.99

TALK LIKE A PRO A champagne’s sweetness will vary, depending on the sugar content. Here are the classifications you’ll want to look for on the label (and none really have to do with “dryness”): Ultra Brut/Extra Brut: No added sugar.

Brut: Nearly dry, contains no more than 1.5% sugar.

Extra Dry/Extra Sec: Slightly sweeter, can contain up to 2% sugar.

Dry/Sec: Can contain up to 4% percent sugar.

Demi-Sec: Just sweet enough, can contain up to 8% sugar.

Doux: Sweet, can contain up to 10% sugar.

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SPIKE YOUR SPARKLING WINE

Mimosas and Bellinis are traditionally associated with brunch, but for a dazzling sparkling wine cocktail that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day romance, substitute crème de cassis (black currant liqueur) to create a Kir Royale. Kir was the favorite drink of the former mayor of Dijon, Canon Kir, who originally mixed sweet cassis to balance the acidity of white Burgundy wine. Now that’s one way to impress your Valentine.

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AT HOME

Playwright Tony Finstrom’s New River condo is a shrine to all things theater.

Playwright Tony

Finstrom J. W. Arnold

Photo credit: J.W. Arnold.

P

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laywright Tony Finstrom is passionate about theater. Besides writing his own plays, he is an associate producer for Jan McArt’s New Play Reading Series at Lynn University, a judge for the regional Carbonell Awards, the organizer of the Theater League’s Silver Palm Awards and a patron of several local theater companies.

But the Michigan native’s love for theater goes much deeper than his resume. Just step into his New River condo and the evidence is everywhere. Over more than 50 years, he has amassed a collection of rare and valuable theater posters, memorabilia, books and mementos such as mugs and refrigerator magnets from virtually every Broadway show he sees.

“I have so many more in the closet,” he explained with his youthful grin and a chuckle. There must be a dozen posters in his bathroom and another half dozen lining the hallway.

Among his favorites are a paper fan promoting a performance of “The Merry Widow,” circa 1900, and a poster for a 1963 production of

“Student Gypsy” that starred Eileen Brennan and opened and closed in one week. He especially likes posters from the “flops” during the 1960s.

And then there is the Tony Awards mug, “The ‘Tony’ mug ‘Tony’ drinks his coffee out of every morning,” he added.

Finstrom, who ran a small chain of party goods stores in the Hamptons and moved to Fort Lauderdale full time in 1988, also maintains an apartment in Manhattan, a short crosstown walk from the famed theater district. The “rest” of his collection remains there, ready to welcome him home on his periodic trips to catch up on the latest openings.

“It’s very difficult to find anything from the 30s, 40s and 50s,” Finstrom said. “But I keep looking.”

Finstrom’s friendly pooch, Georgy (named for the song, “Georgy Girl”), doesn’t mind living in a shrine to theater. She’s content to sit on the couch in the study and watch Finstrom write, surrounded by a library of books about theater, and she does.

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DOWNLOADS

Read, Listen, Watch J. W. Arnold

“Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway” Michael Riedel $27

The gossipy New York Post theater columnist dishes on the power players of Broadway and no one escapes his poison pen, especially revered composer Steven Sondheim.

“The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year” Andy Cohen $26

We love Bravo TV host Andy Cohen and this hilarious look back at a year in his life as producer of “Watch What Happens Live” and “The Real Housewives” is a breezy poolside read.

“That’s What Fashion Is: Lessons and Stories from My Nonstop, Mostly Glamorous Life in Style” Joe Zee $29.99

The former creative director of Elle magazine and co-host of FAB Life takes readers behind the scenes of the wild and wonderful world of high fashion in his latest tell-all.

“Alexander Hamilton” Ron Chernow $20

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” may be the hottest show on Broadway — and the hardest ticket to obtain — but Ron Chernow’s landmark biography that inspired the hit show is a click away.

“The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle” Dr. Lillian Faderman $35

This tome reads like a textbook — Faderman is a retired college professor — but it’s important to set LGBT history straight after that factual trainwreck that was Roland Emmerich’s “Stonewall.”

“John Kander: Hidden Treasures 1950 - 2015” Harbinger Records $19.95

A version of the eponymous “New York, New York” that was rejected by film star Robert DeNiro? Hear this and other demo and archival recordings from the legendary Broadway composer.

“Encyclopedia Madonnica 20: Madonna from A to Z” Matthew Rettenmund $65

This pricy, encyclopedic 20th anniversary update gets it all down — and all right — when it comes to all things Madonna, from the Material Girl’s music, movies, tours, loves and more.

“JACO: The Film”

Robert Trujillo Presents $19.99

You’ve driven by the mural on Dixie Highway a million times, but did you know legendary bassist Jaco Pastorious called Oakland Park home and was tragically killed in a Wilton Manors bar fight?

“Straight Up: A Dan Stagg Novel” James Lear $9.99

Think Bond, Gay Bond. In his latest Dan Stagg adventure, Lear teams his titular character up with an old military pal to find out who’s murdering former members of an elite special ops team.

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Museums &

Galleries J. W. Arnold

La Dolce Moda

NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, 1 Las Olas Blvd., presents “Bellissima: Italy and High Fashion 1945-1968,” on view Feb. 7 – June 5, exploring the remarkable period of creativity in Italy that gave rise to Italian high fashion (alta moda) and was notable for extraordinary contributions in art, architecture, cinema, theater and photography. Featuring more than 230 garments and Bulgari jewels, the multimedia exhibit traces the development of Italian high fashion and examines the crucial role Italy played in its international success.

NSUArtMuseum.org Credit: Federico Garolla.

Stonewall National Museum & Archives

Wilton Manors Gallery, 2157 Wilton Dr.

The vintage images of celebrity photographer Bob Deutsch will be on the display at the Wilton Manors Gallery, Jan. 7 – Feb. 14, in a new exhibition curated by Charles L. Ross, “Star Struck.” The photographer captured many important gay icons including Joan Crawford, Elizabeth Taylor and Barbra Streisand. Stonewall-Museum.org

Perez Art Museum Miami

1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami

A mid-career retrospective of Jaimaican-born painter Nari Ward is on display at the stunning Perez Art Museum Miami, on the shore of Biscayne Bay, through Feb. 21. Rather than chronologically, this exhibition will be organized around vital points of reference for the artist, including urban space, performance and the body, the dynamics of power and politics, ideas of migration and movement, vernacular traditions, and his native Jamaica. PAMM.org

Norton Museum of Art

1451 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach

“Tiny: Streetwise Revisited,” a photography exhibit by Mary Ellen Mark, is a rare examination of intergenerational poverty, radiating out to issues of homelessness, education, healthcare, addiction, mental health, and child welfare. Mark’s images provide powerful insight into some of the more complex challenges of contemporary American life, yet also reveal a unique 30-year relationship between an artist and her subject, a young street prostitute whom she first met at the age of 13. Norton.org.

Boca Museum of Art

501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton

The Boca Museum of Art celebrates pop icon Andy Warhol with a series of special exhibitions, including “Warhol on Vinyl: The Record Covers, 1949 – 1987,” Jan. 26 – April 10; “Bob Colacello: In and Out with Andy,” Jan. 26 – May 1; and “Warhol Prints from the Collection of Marc Bell,” Jan. 26 – May 1, including the famous “Campbell Soup Cans” and images of Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis and Mao. BocaMuseum.org.

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Photo of Joan Crawford or Liz Taylor – Credit: Bob Deutsch

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ON EXHIBIT

arts guide • Features

AND THE WINNER IS...

William Ivey Long J. W. Arnold

"W

ho doesn’t like talking about what they do for love?” asked Tony Award-winning costume designer William Ivey Long. “Of course, I’m paraphrasing Marvin Hamlisch.”

Indeed, Long’s resume is impressive.

He’s racked up Tonys for “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” “Grey Gardens,” “The Producers,” “Hairspray,” “Crazy for You” and “Nine.” He also worked on the 1998 and 2014 revivals of “Cabaret,” “Bullets Over Broadway,” “9 to 5,” “Young Frankenstein,” La Cage aux Folles,” “The Boy from Oz,” “Smokey Joe’s Café,” and “Contact.” His costumes for “Chicago” continue to thrill Broadway audiences as the show continues to break records.

He also made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera with the designs for “The Merry Widow,” starring Renee Fleming and Kelli O’Hara, and has designed for artists ranging from Mick Jagger, Joan Rivers and the Pointer Sisters to animal trainers Siegfried and Roy. Long will discuss his distinguished career on March 1 at Palm Beach Dramaworks in West Palm Beach as a part of that company’s “Dramalogue – Talking Theatre!” series.

“Oh, I’ll probably have a Powerpoint,” he said with his North Carolina drawl. “I still call it fondly a slide show because I’m of a certain age. You know a picture is worth a thousand words and when we’re talking

about color and design it’s nice to have a picture.”

Long paused a second and then added another thought, “Then they’re not looking at me.”

He’ll talk about some of his favorite shows, like the Nathan Lane revival of “Guys and Dolls”: “I got to use every color in the crayon box on that one,” he said.

And “Hairspray”: “I just thought it was an amazing story from John Waters, who’s a great friend. The choreography, the movement, the direction were all perfect.

The story, the story, the story. Harvey Fierstein was the most lovable mother in the planet,” he recalled.

And “1776”: “When I worked on those (costumes), I would just go back and stand and look and think, ‘Hoorah, America.’”

Actually, historical shows and revivals prove to be his biggest challenges.

“Been there, done that, seen that,” Long said matter-of-factly.

And even when he is asked to create an exact reproduction, like the revivals of “Cabaret” or “A Chorus Line,” he said, “Your eyeballs are in a different place and time. The challenge is to make a revival as exciting but no more than the original.”

Despite his awards and accolades, some shows did get away. He was not hired to costume the epic “Angels in America,” despite his best effort and four interviews.

And he’s not sad that “Hamilton,” Lin Manuel Miranda’s rap biography of Alexander Hamilton wasn’t offered to him.

In addition to costuming the shows, Long

is the godfather of sorts for the industry, serving his fourth and final year as the president of the American Theatre Wing.

He proudly notes that Broadway shows generated $1.4 billion in ticket sales last year.

“We think that’s pretty neat that this art form is the biggest money market for the city of Manhattan,” he said, with a caveat. “The ticket prices are shocking to me. Unfortunately experimental, edgy productions will be off Broadway where it’s less expensive to produce.”

Long is far removed from his early years in North Carolina, but he credits his parent for instilling an early love of theater. They both came from Southern farm families but appreciated the arts. The local school systems offered theater courses and after they met in college, they “left the farm, so to speak, and joined the circus,” heading to Yale Drama School.

Long supports renewed effort to get the arts back into core school curriculums and even the effect of the media. He applauds shows like “Glee,” “Project Runway,” “America’s Got Talent,” and even “American Idol” for renewing interest in the arts, theater and performing.

He’s also thrilled with NBC’s commitment to bring live musical broadcasts back to network television: “All that live stuff is fantastic. You can’t poo poo 18.4 million people watching Carrie Underwood (in “The Sound of Music”).

In the meantime, Long stays very busy.

Believe it or not, he said, “There are goals yet to be met.”

“Your eyeballs are in a different place and time. The challenge is to make a revival as exciting but no more than the original.”

- WILLIAM IVEY LONG ON COSTUMING BROADWAY REVIVALS

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Photo Credit: Kate Pollard.

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POLITICALLY INCORRECT The Kinsey Sicks

Are Back

And Have Aspirations for Higher Office J. W. Arnold

T

hat’s right, America’s original dragapella beautyshop quartet, The Kinsey Sicks, are returning to the Parker Playhouse, Feb. 21.

They are rarely politically correct — especially when it comes to our nation’s leaders — and have been inspired to seek the Republican nomination for President of the United States.

Their show, “Electile Dysfunction,” promises plenty of pandering and even more bluster to best the crowded primary pack.

The Mirror caught up with the girls during a whistle stop on their campaign tour and quizzed them relentlessly about their policy positions.

These were the responses that were fit to print:

SFGN: What are the planks in your presidential platform?

Winnie: We pledge to eradicate such rampant evils as health care, evolution, and pleasure.

SFGN: What’s wrong with the other candidates’ positions?

Trixie: The other candidates don’t understand the importance of fighting global warming. If the earth’s temperature continues to rise, where will we wear our chinchillas?

SFGN: If you are the nominees, what will your campaign song be?

Trampolina: Definitely “How do you solve a problem like Scalia” from “The Sound of Music.” Rodgers and Hammerstein were so ahead of their time!

For tickets to The Kinsey Sicks in “Electile Dysfunction,” go to ParkerPlayhouse.com.

Submitted photo.

SFGN: Why should Republican voters choose you?

Rachel: We are the most qualified to be President because we are the least qualified to be President. We have absolutely no relevant experience whatsoever.

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arts guide • Features

10 Hot

Winter & Spring Tickets J. W. Arnold

Jan. 14 – Feb. 14, Island City Stage, Wilton Manors Associate Artistic Director Michael Leeds directs the world premiere of his comic mystery about a birthday party in which the guests are asked to dress as the actress in one of her signature roles—and results aren’t pretty.

IslandCityStage.org

BARRY MANILOW

Jan. 17, BB&T Center, Sunrise Barry Manilow sings all his biggest hits from his days backing up Bathhouse Betty in Manhattan to “Copacabana,” “Mandy” and more in “One Last Time!” Sure sounds like a farewell tour to us, if that’s possible. Ticketmaster.com

MADONNA

Jan. 23 – 24, American Airlines Arena, Miami This show promises to be one of the best, especially with costumes designed by Alessandro Michele for Gucci, Alexander Wang, Fausto Puglisi, Jeremy Scott for Moschino, Nicolas Jebran, Miu Miu, Prada and Swarovski.

Ticketmaster.com

BILL MAHER

Jan. 24, Fillmore, Miami Beach When it comes to politics and politicians, comedian and HBO host Bill Maher has one of the sharpest tongues around. Expect plenty of commentary on the Republican presidential primary circus at this stop in Miami Beach.

FillmoreMB.com

ANDREA BOCELLI

Feb. 13 – 14, Hard Rock Live, Hollywood The legendary Italian tenor returns to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood for two romantic Valentine’s Day weekend shows. You’re definitely going to get a little somethin’ somethin’ later if you take your guy or gal. MyHRL.com

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“MATILDA THE MUSICAL”

March 1 – 6, Kravis Center The Broadway hit about an extraordinary girl who dares to take a stand and change her destiny comes to West Palm Beach. Based on the story

by Roald Dahl (“Pippi Longstocking,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”). Kravis.org.

“A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM”

March 18 – April 10, Miami City Ballet Miami City Ballet celebrates its 30th anniversary with this fusion of world-class visual art and groundbreaking dramaturgy, a reimagining of George Balanchine’s ballet, set to the timeless music of Mendelssohn. MiamiCityBallet.org

“THE PASSENGER”

April 2 -9, Florida Grand Opera The South Florida premiere of Polish composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s 2010 opera (He died in 1996 having never seen the work performed) about the personal horrors of the Holocaust and its lasting scars. FGO.org

“BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL”

May 10 – 22, Broadway Across America, Fort Lauderdale Long before she was the chart-topping music legend, Carole King was Carol Klein, a Brooklyn girl with passion and chutzpah.

This jukebox musical is definitely the highlight of the season at the Broward Center.

BrowardCenter.org

“HEATHERS THE MUSICAL”

June 9 – 26, Slow Burn Theatre, Fort Lauderdale Based on the classic 1989 film, this hilarious and homicidal new musical relives the greatest teen comedy of all time. Slow Burn has been hitting these quirky shows out of the park in their new home at the Broward Center. BrowardCenter. org

Andrea Bocelli, Facebook.

“WHO KILLED JOAN CRAWFORD?”

THE CURE JUNE 27 • BAYFRONT PARK AMPHITHEATRE CHARGE BY PHONE: 800-745-3000. ALL DATES, ACTS AND TICKET PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. TICKET PRICES SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE FEES.

arts guide • Features

FIRST LOOK

‘Toruk’

from Cirque du Soleil J. W. Arnold

T

he far away world of James Cameron’s blockbuster film, “Avatar,” comes to life on the stage in Cirque du Soleil’s “Toruk – The First Flight.” A mythical tale set centuries before the arrival of humans, the immersive story is told through Cirque’s signature acrobatics, stunning visuals and unbelievable costumes.

The show comes to the BB&T Center in Sunrise, March 3 – 6, and American Airlines Arena in Miami, March 10 – 13. For more information and tickets, go to CirqueDuSoleil.com.

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"Weekend" delves into the nature of identity and love over the course of a weekend between two young men, Russell (Tom Cullen) and Glen (Chris New).

Submitted photo.

arts guide • Features

FILM

10 Best LGBT Films Every Straight Person Should See

T

he Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA) recently announced its membership’s picks for their second “GALECA 10 Best” list: The 10 Best LGBTQ Films Every Straight Person Should See. Critics from the 120-member organization (Mirror A&E Editor J.W. Arnold is a member) submitted their personal choices for the list, selecting feature-length (70 minutes or longer) narrative films released theatrically in the U.S. Television movies, documentaries and short films were not eligible.

According to project chairs John Esther and Wesley Lovell, the goal was “to present films that we thought not only best reflected LGBTQ life and history—but which were also cinematically compelling and even groundbreaking. We weren’t looking for a traditional list of feelgood, positive portrayals of our world. We looked for love and stars, laughs and scars, bad boys, mean girls and veritable wars We looked at it all.”

They also acknowledge the films may not offer perfect representations of the community or the sheer diversity, but does showcase how broad LGBTQ entertainment critics’ interests and influences reach. The results sparked plenty of discussion—and some heated debate— within the organization.

Here are GALECA’s picks, in alphabetical order:

“THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT”:

More than portraying drag queens with a sensational truth, director Stephen Elliot’s joyful film glimmers with vibrant visuals and Oscar-winning costume design that remain influential today. Yet amid the lip-syncing, frock-wearing and smack-talking irreverence is a simple story of three men. One wants to be there for his son (Huge Weaving). One wants to escape the misery surrounding the departure of an accepting husband (Terence Stamp). One (Guy Pearce) just wants to explore life outside the big city without realizing that finding safety so far from home isn’t as easy as it seems.

(U.S. release date: August 10, 1994. Running time: 104 minutes. Fox Home Entertainment.)

J. W. Arnold

“BOYS DON’T CRY”:

A provocative milestone in LGBT cinema, co-writer/director Kimberly Peirce’s knockout feature debut relays the true-life story of Brandon Teena (Oscar winner Hilary Swank).

Upon release, “Boys Don’t Cry” opened up widespread dialogue about gender identity, violence toward the LGBTQA community, female sexuality and a lot more that, frankly, too many take for granted as par for the discourse in today’s discussion about queer identity, theory and rights. Let the conversations begin.

(U.S. release date: Oct. 8, 1999. Running time: 116 minutes. Fox Searchlight Pictures.)

“BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN”:

Modern audiences have become increasingly more accepting of gay relationships on the big screen, with much of the credit going to the decades-spanning film. Painted with humanity and genuine emotion by master filmmaker Ang Lee, the film followed two ranch hands, Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), as they find love and fairly graphic passion on a bleak mountainside in 1963.

Returning to the “normal” world, over the years they find their hearts crushed by the strictures of society.

(Release date: December 9, 2005. Running time: 134 minutes. Focus Features.)

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FILM

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

“HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH”:

The film version of John Cameron Mitchell’s stage musical, about an East German singer who attempts to come to terms with the botched sex-change operation that left her with an “angry inch,” has rightly developed a cult following. Taking musical conventions and turning them on their bejeweled ear, the movie digs its painted nails into an infrequently celebrated subculture and winds up more than enlightening.

(U.S. release date: January 19, 2001. Running time: 91 minutes. New Line Cinema)

“MILK”:

Featuring a thoughtful, tour-de-force performance by Sean Penn (Oscar’s choice for Best Actor), director Gus Van Sant’s biopic of civil rights icon Harvey Milk — the first openly gay person to be elected to office in California (in 1978) and who was later assassinated by a former colleague — stands as a supremely affecting biopic.

(U.S. release date: Nov. 26, 2008. Running time: 128 min. Focus Features.)

"Milk"

“THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT”:

In the end, all any of us can hope for is a little piece of this world where we can build a family and live the life we’ve always wanted. Cowriter/director Lisa Cholodenko’s film paints the portrait of a suburban family whose peaceful veneer is cracked by curiosity and doubt. Starring Oscar nominees Annette Bening and Julianne Moore as a lesbian couple whose two children (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) seek out and insert their biological father (Oscar-nominated Mark Ruffalo) into their dynamic, the film tackles common issues facing many modern families.

(U.S. release date: July 9, 2010. Running time: 104 min. Focus Features.)

"The Kids are All Right"

“MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE”:

Set against the backdrop of Thatcher’s tumultuous and reactionary England, director Stephen Frears’ film tells the tale of two lovers, Omar (Gordon Warnecke), a Pakastani, and his old friend, Johnny (Daniel DayLewis), a local gang member. Thanks to Omar, the two begin to run a laundermat together. But this is lower-class England, where there is always trouble looming for immigrants and young, gay men.

(U.S. release date: Sept. 7, 1985. Running time: 93 mins. Orion Classics.)

“WEEKEND”:

“LONGTIME COMPANION”:

The film’s cinematic importance cannot be understated. The film’s studio release, at a time when the fear of AIDS was reaching a nadir, was something of a marvel. Another brick in the wall of hate crumbled.

Knowing this film is tantamount to feeling enlightened and enriched.

(U.S. release date: May 11, 1990. Running time: 100 minutes. Samuel Goldwyn Company.)

“MAURICE”:

Director and cowriter James Ivory’s adaptation of E.M. Forster’s novel exquisitely captures the love and longing of young gay men in Edwardian England. From the sets to the scenery to the Oscar-nominated costumes, the film is loaded with such style, one may wish it were once again those grand ol’ repressive times. Viewers will relish, though, the progressivethinking capper. Sit down, swap out “Downton Abbey” and pass the cognac.

(U.S. release date: Sept. 1, 1987. Running time: 139 mins. Lorimar Home Video.)

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One Friday night, Russell (Tom Cullen) and Glen (Chris New) meet at a gay club. The two go back to Russell’s and have sex. From that night on, these two strangers begin to develop an intimate and somewhat intellectual relationship, delving into the nature of identity and love over the course of a weekend. Russell and Glen’s encounter will leave an indelible impression on each other — and viewers as well.

(U.S. release date: Sept. 23, 2011. Running time: 96 min. IFC Films.)

"My Beautiful Laundrette"

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Matt May and Jennifer Sierra-Grobelaar are the creative minds behind “Diego & Drew Say I Do,” premiering this spring at the Broward Center.

Submitted photo.

arts guide • Features

THEATER

Broward Center Hosts the

Wedding of the Year J. W. Arnold

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he way Matt May and Jennifer SierraGrobelaar finish each other’s sentences, you’d think they were an old married couple.

“No, we’re more like Will and Grace,” chuckled May, who is a fixture in the South Florida theater community.

The two longtime friends are still headed to the altar—as the co-writers and producers of “Drew & Diego Say I Do,” a new show making its premiere in the Broward Center’s Abdo New River Room this winter, and it’s definitely their love child.

“When we first started craft the show, we spent so much time together, night after night after night, writing, writing, writing until it was done,” said Sierra-Grobelaar. “As ideas come up, we text each other continually throughout the day. Not only do we spend most of our free time together, (the show) has become a fabric of our being.”

The audiences at the Broward Center are the guests at the wedding of Drew and Diego.

While it may be easy to draw comparisons with other popular audience-participation shows like “Tony & Tina’s Wedding,” May and Sierra-Grobelaar promise a different experience for the audience.

“In a sense it’s similar, but the way I view it, shows like that don’t have a script. Those shows are largely based on improvisation,” explained Sierra-Grobelaar. “This is a departure…there is a purpose to the story and we’re not just focusing on the negative aspects of families. It’s

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really about celebrating love.”

Celebrating love with two handsome grooms with two eccentric families, an uptight wedding planner, an ex-boy band crooner and a diva in drag, all the essential components for a fabulous gay wedding.

The audience will participate in the ceremony, dance the night away, sample a Southern/Puerto Rican feast and taste the wedding cake, too.

The opportunity arose at a dinner earlier this year with the Broward Center’s Jill Kratish. Over the past two seasons, the center has expanding programming in the flexible Abdo New River Room space and developing a new audience base as a result.

Fort Lauderdale’s sizable LGBT community has long been supportive of the Broward Center and gay-themed programming does well there. May and Sierra-Grobelaar also credit good timing.

“I’ve had this idea in my head for a while and three days later, the ideas started flowing and we said let’s give it crack,” recalled May. “We had the majority of the script completed when the Supreme Court came down with the marriage equality decision.”

The duo is feeling the pressure as the premiere approaches.

“I think it’s both exciting and scary. We’re not just the writers, but also a part of the producing team. We’re on the hook to make this successful and pay all the bills,” said Sierra-Grobelaar, who coordinates marketing for Neil Goldberg’s

Cirque Productions in Pompano Beach and was an associate producer of the Broward County centennial production, “We.” “The Broward Center is a phenomenal facility with great people,” May added. “We’ve bounced lots of ideas by them and it’s been a collaborative effort across the board, which is comforting that we’re all in it together.”

They’re also thankful for their director, who Sierra-Grobelaar called, “the miracle that is John Manzelli.”

She said, “There are a lot of good directors in South Florida, but he really gets this project. He was able to get so much out of our talent in the stage reading workshop and as we go into our two week rehearsal face, we already know we’re in a great position.”

The duo are equally enthusiastic about their cast, which includes Mike Westrich, Jeffrey Bruce, Sharyn Peoples, Merry Jo Cortada, and Benny Antipuna and Eric O’Keefe in the title roles.

One thing is certain, there are no pre-nuptial agreements involved because this marriage is guaranteed to be a success.

“Diego & Drew Say I Do” will be presented in the Abdo New River Room of the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale, March 31 – April 10. Tickets are now available at BrowardCenter.org.

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winter arts preview A preview of what's to come

pages 58 - 68

arts guide • preview

ConCeRTS & CoMeDY J. W. Arnold

haRD RoCK liVe aT The SeMinole

PaRaDiSe in hollYWooD haS a STaR-STUDDeD

line-UP, inClUDing

FRanKie Valli anD The FoUR

SeaSonS,

Jan. 29.

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outh Florida’s performing arts and concert venues continue to attract the biggest names, including:

Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Paradise in Hollywood has a star-studded line-up, including Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Jan. 29; Andrea Bocelli, Feb. 13 – 14; Fall Out Boy, Feb. 26; The Beach Boys, Feb. 27; K.C. and the Sunshine Band, March 19; and SNL’s Tracy Morgan, May 21. MyHRL.com After a New Year’s Eve blowout featuring Billy Joel, the BB&T Center in Sunrise hosts Garth Brooks with Trisha Yearwood, Jan. 14 – 16; Barry Manilow, Feb. 5; Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Feb. 16; Lord of the Dance with Michael Flatley, Feb. 19; Jeff Dunham, Feb. 27; Cirque du Soleil’s “Toruk,” March 3 – 6; and Demi Lovato with Nick Jonas, June 24.

TheBBTCenter.com The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus opens the year at Miami’s American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd., with “Circus Xtreme,” Jan. 8 – 18, followed by Madonna, Jan. 23 – 24; Placido Domingo, Jan 28; Cirque du Soleil’s “Toruk,” March 11 – 13; and Rihanna, March 15. AAArena.com The Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach, presents Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Jan. 19; comedian Bill Maher, Jan. 24; Bryan Adams, Feb. 20; and Lewis Black in the “The Emporer’s New Clothes: The Naked Truth Tour,” April 8. FillmoreMB.com

While the region’s performing arts centers typically host theater productions and symphony concerts, they also welcome musical and comedy acts, too: We’re not sure what category they fall into, but The Olate Dogs, winners of “America’s Got Talent,” come to the Broward Center on Jan. 10.

Also appearing are Paul Anka, Jan. 13; Mo Rocca, Jan. 13; Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth, jan. 14; TV icon Bob Newhart, Jan. 18; Jackson Browne, Jan. 20; The Temptations and The Four Tops, Jan. 23; Chris Mann, Feb. 19; Josh Groban, Feb. 27; Tony Bennet, March 15; Don Rickles, March 26; and Kathy Griffin, March 31. BrowardCenter. org Across town at the Fort Lauderdale’s Parker Playhouse, 707 NE 8th St., are Wynonna, Jan. 21; Gaelic Storm, Jan. 27; Lea DeLaria, Feb. 13; Darlene Love, Feb. 20; The Kinsey Sicks, Feb. 21; David Feherty, Feb. 24, Rosanne Cash, Feb. 27; Red Hot Chilli Pipers, March 15; and Paula Poundstone, April 10. ParkerPlayhouse.com In West Palm Beach, the Kravis Center also serves up an eclectic schedule, including Paul Anka, Jan. 12; Kristin Chenoweth, Jan. 16; writer Nora Ephron, Jan. 18; Jackie Mason, Jan. 26; Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner, Feb. 2; Patti LaBelle, Feb. 3; Penn & Teller, Feb. 6; fashion icon Iris Apfel, Feb. 15; Tony Bennett, March 11; political comedy troupe, the Capitol Steps, March 15 – 27; Sophia Loren, March 28; Johnny Mathis, March 29; and Bernadette Peters, April 7. Kravis.org

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arts guide • preview

Zoolander No. 2.

FilM & TV J. W. Arnold

2016

aWaRDS SeaSon Admit it, you love the awards

ceremonies. It’s in our LGBTQ DNA. From the fashion parade down the red carpet to the final trophies, these are among the biggest events on the entertainment calendar. Here are the dates to save or at least set your DVR: Jan. 10 – Golden Globe Awards (Hollywood Foreign Press) Jan. 17 – Critics’ Choice Awards (Broadcast Film Critics) Jan. 23 – Producers Guild of America Awards Jan. 25 – Screen Actors Guild Awards Feb. 13 – Writers Guild of American Awards Feb. 14 – British Academy Film Awards Feb. 26 – Directors Guild of America Awards Feb. 27 – Golden Raspberry Awards Feb. 28 – Academy Awards March 6 – Dorian Awards (Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics)

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IN THEATERS

ust in time for the presidential primary season, “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” (Paramount) hits screens Jan. 15, along with the comedy “Ride Along 2” (Universal). Another girl power sci fi film promises to be a hit with “The 5th Wave” (Columbia), Jan. 22, along with hunky Zac Efron and Robert De Niro’s comedy, “Dirty Grandpa” (Lionsgate). Dreamworks should dominate the box office on Jan. 29 when DreamWorks Animation releases “Kung Fu Panda 3.”

Joel and Ethan Coen have amassed an all-star cast including George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Channing Tatum, Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton and Scarlett Johansson for their Universal epic, “Hail, Caesar!” opening Feb. 5. For a lighter film, that weekend, “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” (Screen Gems) also opens. Ben Stiller revisits his airhead male model in “Zoolander No. 2” (Paramount), opening Feb. 12 Walt Disney Animation releases another heartwarming film, “Zootopia,” March 4, but don’t count out Tina Fey’s “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” for the start of the spring movie season. “The Divergent Series” comes to a conclusion with “Allegiant” (Summit Entertainment), March 18, before the expected box office blowout, “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” (Warner Bros./DC), hits the screen. Somewhere out there, theaters may find some room that weekend for Nia Vardalos’ sequel, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” (Universal).

Looking further down the calendar, several expected big releases include “Mothers Day” (Open Road Films), April 29; “Captain America: Civil War” (Marvel), May 6; “Snowden” (Open Road Films), May 13; “The Angry Birds Movie” (Columbia), May 20; and “X-Men: Apocalypse” (20th Century Fox/Marvel), May 27.

"

ON TV

Downton Abbey” has returned for its final season on PBS, but there are plenty of other good shows coming or returning to the airwaves this winter.

If you like your boys (or girls) young, “Degrassi: The Next Class,” comes to Netflix on Jan. 15. Agents Mulder and Scully are back on “The X-Files” (Fox) on Jan. 24. FX premieres its real crime drama, “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson” on Feb. 2. Shonda Rhimes’s hits, “Scandal” and “How to Get Away with Murder” (with a hunky gay character played by Jack Falahee) return to ABC on Feb. 11. The engrossing Netflix original, “House of Cards” will be available for a binge watch on March 4. An incredibly funny, but overlooked series, “Schitt’s Creek” comes back for a second season on Pop (former TV Guide Channel) on March 16.

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arts guide • preview

ClaSSiCal & JaZZ J. W. Arnold

The JoY oF CoPlanD’S “aPPalaChian SPRing SUiTe” iS CoUnTeReD BY The

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nder the direction of Maestra Sebrina Maria Alfonso, the South Florida Symphony again offers a season of inventive programming, beginning with Program II: “The Choral,” Jan. 21 – 15.

Opening with Mozart’s Symphony No. 36, “Linz,” the orchestra then teams up with the Master Chorale of South Florida for Beethoven’s masterwork, Symphony No. 9, “The Choral.”

Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov’s most popular work, “Scheherezade,” is the centerpiece of Program III: “One Thousand and One Nights,” Feb.24 – 28. Mexican American violinist Elena Urioste is the featured soloist in Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor and the program concludes with Joan Tower’s massive composition, “Sequoia.”

“Spring is in the Air,” literally and figuratively, for the final concerts, Program IV, April 2 – 5. The joy of Copland’s “Appalachian Spring Suite” is countered by the dark, harmonious melodies of the Brahms Symphony No. 4 in E minor.

The South Florida Symphony performs its programs in Key West, Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton. For show times and tickets, go to SouthFloridaSymphony.org.

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arts guide • preview

he venerable Miami City Ballet is celebrating its 30th anniversary this season and artistic director Lourdes Lopez has lined up an exciting season that pays tribute to the company’s history and provides a vision of the future of professional dance in Miami.

Program II, Jan. 8 – 31, opens with George Balanchines 1968 choreography to Leo Delibes’ exquisite musical score, “La Source.” This ballet vividly recreates the elegant milieu of 19th-century ballet. ] A provocative study of choreographic contrast and collision, Peter Martins’ stirring and quirky Barber Violin concerto, is the perfect expression of the neo-Romantic score, one of the most melodically alluring and widely performed concertos of the 20th century. Closing the program is Twyla Tharp’s signature work, “In the Upper Room,” set to the postmodern score of minimalist Philip Glass.

Program III, Feb. 12 – 28, features another new work by the talented young choreographer Justin Peck, “Year of the Rabbit,” alluding to the cyclical nature of life and channeling diverse encounters through the corps de ballet. Paul Taylor’s masterpiece “Sunset,” set to music of British romantic composer Edward Elgar, suggests the complexities of love, camaraderie and the poignancy of separation as experienced by six soldiers and the girls they leave behind. Rounding out the program is George Balanchine’s “Bourrée Fantasque,” a joyful fusion of French style set to music by Emmanuel Chabrier.

Ballet meets world-class visual art and dramaturgy as the anniversary season concludes with George Balanchine’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” March 18 – April 10. The wholly original full-length ballet debuted in 1962 and Miami City Ballet offers a new interpretation of the masterpiece, set to music by Felix Mendelssohn.

Miami City Ballet offers each program at the Arsht Center in Miami, the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale and the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. Show times and tickets for all performances at MiamiCityBallet.org.

For modern dance fans, the Duncan Theater at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth offers a Modern Dance Series, featuring the popular Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Jan. 22 and 23; the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Feb. 26 and 27; a Latin-infused performance from Limón, March 18 and 19; and the amazing on-stage contortions of Pilobolus, April 1 and 2. All performances take place at 8 p.m.

DanCe J. W. Arnold

Tickets for all performances at PalmBeachState.edu/Theatre/Duncan-Theatre.

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Book of Mormon. Facebook.

arts guide • preview

BRoaDWaY J. W. Arnold

The inDePenDenTlY

PRogRaMMeD KRaViS on BRoaDWaY

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ith three world-class performing arts centers within a 70 mile stretch of I-95, South Florida regularly attracts the best touring productions straight from Broadway. The 2016 season is no exception: Broadway Across Miami at the Arsht Center continues its season with “Motown The Musical,” featuring the music of Diana Ross, The Jackson Five and more, Feb. 2 – 7; a polished new production of Broadway’s longest running hit, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera,” Feb. 24 – March 6; and the Tony Award-winning revival of Kander & Ebb’s classic, “Cabaret,” set in pre-World War II Berlin, April 12 – 17.

ArshtCenter.org Broadway Across Fort Lauderdale at the Broward Center kicks off 2016 with a repeat engagement, Jan. 26 – Feb. 7, of the hilarious show, “The Book of Mormon,” from the creators of “South Park;” the second South Florida stop for Cyndi Lauper’s feel good musical, “Kinky Boots,” March 1 – 13; a stage adaptation of the 80s hit movie, “Dirty Dancing,” April 12 – 24; and one of the most anticipated shows of the season, making a South Florida debut, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” May 10 – 22. BrowardCenter. org The independently programmed Kravis on Broadway series at the Kravis Center in West

Palm Beach has some of the most interesting shows coming to South Florida, including the quintessential backstage musical comedy, “42nd Street,” Jan. 5 – 10; the Barry Gordy story, “Motown The Musical,” Feb. 9 – 14; the adaptation of Roald Dahl’s dark children’s book, “Matilda the Musical,” March 1 – 6, that nearly snatched a Best Musical Tony; the toetapping adaptation of Woody Allen’s gangster story, “Bullets Over Broadway,” March 22 – 27; and Jason Robert Brown’s tuneful and touching, “The Bridges Over Madison County,” April 26 – May 1. Kravis.org

Motown the Musical.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED

QUESTIONS

Answered by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone

Q: How did you come up with the idea for The Book of Mormon?

Trey Parker: Matt and I went to see Avenue Q when it opened in 2003, and we were like, "Wow, this is actually really good." When it was over I was thinking, "This is exactly the kind of thing I’ve always dreamed about doing."

Matt Stone: During intermission, we saw that we were thanked in the Playbill. "Well," we thought, "that's weird."

Bobby Lopez: That's because I saw the South Park movie when it open in 1999, and I just thought, "Oh my God, this is exactly what I want to be doing." A week after that, the idea came to me for Avenue Q. Trey Parker: It happened purely by coincidence that Bobby showed up that night, he introduced himself and we went across the street for a drink.

Matt Stone: Bobby is younger than Trey and me, so he looked at us like elder statesman and asked what he should do next. We asked, “What did he want to do?” And he said, "I want to write something about Joseph Smith and the Mormons."

Bobby Lopez: When I said Joseph Smith, they were like, "We’ve wanted to do that, too!" They had it in their heads to do some kind of Joseph Smith musical, but never did. I said, "If you guys want to do that, that’s fine, because I’d really love to see what you do, more than what I would do."

Trey Parker: It just became ridiculously obvious that we should team up and do something about Mormons. So we said, "No, let’s do it together."

Q: What came first, the story or the score? Can you tell us about some of the songs?

Trey Parker: "Hello" was literally the first thing we wrote. As soon as we figured out the show was going to be about missionaries, we realized that it would be a great introduction to just ring a massive amount of doorbells and somehow work them into a musical number.

This symphony of doorbells and white boys with good haircuts and white shirts and black ties ‐‐ saying "hello" and offering you a free book ‐‐ seemed very much an opening number to us. It is totally Disney in sensibility, and totally Mormon in attack.

Bobby Lopez: There’s this idea that Mormons are these very naïve, hopeful, smiling, trusting people from the Midwest. In "Hello" and "Two by Two," we used the energy and optimism, and the relentlessly hopeful and sunny feeling. It’s a great way to start because we go to the opposite in a few scenes.

Q: Did you have any musical theater influences in writing the show?

Trey Parker: There’s a lot of Rodgers and Hammerstein references in the show, because that’s what it feels like to me.

When you’re doing this sort of happy‐go‐lucky, optimistic Mormon, it just plays right into it. For the second act pageant, "Joseph Smith American Moses," we always thought it would be so awesome to do our own version of "Uncle Tom’s Cabin" from The King and I. We did this improv where we put on African drum loops and started singing African melodies. We had such a great time doing it, it was ridiculous.

But then we realized we should make it a bigger number. We went back and actually watched the "Uncle Tom’s Cabin" sequence. It was really long but it told such a huge story, and our number didn't. So we were like, "Let's follow The King and I, and really make it clear that the story has a much deeper and profound meaning to the Africans."

Bobby Lopez: When we were writing "Making Things Up Again," the first number in the second act, we had just seen Sunday in the Park with George. I think Trey was sort of influenced by it, which is weird because I consider myself the Sondheim freak out of everyone. Trey just sat down and started plunking out this Georges Seurat‐like rhythm, which became the whole motif for "You’re making things up again, Arnold."

Trey Parker: There’s just nothing more perfect in the universe to me than a good musical. And a bad musical makes you want to kill yourself. A good musical is to me so much more moving and powerful than a great movie or a great book, or anything..

Q: The Book of Mormon is provocative, in the same way that South Park is provocative. Are there boundaries?

Matt Stone: There's a catharsis in being able to really laugh at some of the goofier ideas of religion without necessarily laughing at the people practicing them. We never like to make a "point," per se.

We want to give you room to feel what the show is saying to you. We don’t want to tell anybody what the point is, or what the politics are.

It’s up to you to figure out what it meant.

Q: Are there boundaries in what you can do or say on stage?

Trey Parker: There is a line that you can cross all you want as long as you have a reason for doing it. If it has a point and it has a story and it has genuine, real character and emotion, then you can pretty much do whatever you want as long as you’re being truthful.

Q: How would you describe the show to someone who is a traditional musical theater fan?

Bobby Lopez: The musical is a machine that's designed to bring you down and raise you up, and to give you a positive, uplifting experience. I want the musical to show people the nadir of human experience. For this musical, it's about faith. It's about religious feeling. And I think we show a character that loses his faith, and we give his faith back to him in a better way at the end. And I hope that the experience of the audience mirrors that, whether it's a religious experience or just feeling entertained.

The Book of Mormon

January 26-February 7, 2016 • Broward Center for the Arts Get Tickets at BrowardCenter.org

arts guide • preview

MIAMI-DADE

J

Regional Theater J. W. Arnold

oseph Adler of GableStage, 1200 Anastasia Ave. in Coral Gables, has the magic touch when it comes to landing the rights to the hottest plays right off Broadway. His award-winning theater’s season includes: Terrence McNally’s comedy, “It’s Only a Play,” Jan. 23 – Feb. 21; “A Minister’s Wife,” the musical based on George Bernard Shaw’s “Candida,” March 26 – April 24; and Marco Ramirez’s explosive boxing play set during the era of Jim Crow, “The Royale,” May 28 – June 26. GableStage.org On the Miracle Mile in Coral Gables, Actor’s Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre opens its season with a grand production of Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story,” Jan. 27 – Feb. 21, followed by “Sondheim on Sondheim,” James Lapine’s musical retrospective of the master composer and lyricists later works, March 16 – April 3. The comedy “The Tin Woman,” May 18 – June 12, and Jonathan Tolins’ gay favorite, “Buyer & Cellar,” close out the season. ActorsPlayhouse.org Zoetic Stage, in residence at the Arsht Center, surprised the South Florida theater community by taking home last year’s Carbonell Award for Best Musical for Sondheim’s “Assassins,” their first attempt at a musical. This season, the daring company follows with another Sondheim classic, “Passion,” Feb. 18 – March 13. But first, they stage the regional premiere of Gina Gionfriddo’s “Rapture, Blister, Burn,” Jan. 14 – 31, about three women who debate, “Is the grass always greener?” ZoeticStage.org

S

BROWARD

low Burn Theatre Co., in the midst of their inaugural season at the Broward

Center’s Amaturo Theater, are definitely the cool kids on the block, taking on challenging shows that may or may not have been commercial successes on Broadway. They stage “Violet,” Jan. 21 – Feb. 7, about a scarred woman on a bus journey; “Spring Awakening,” March 17 – April 3; and the Off Broadway cult hit, “Heathers The Musical,” June 6 – June 26. SlowBurnTheatre.org Island City Stage is now producing its shows in the Island City at the Abyss Theatre, 2304 N. Dixie Hwy. in Wilton Manors. For this season, Artistic Director Andy Rogow has again lined up a series of plays that will appeal to the company’s LGBTQ audience, including the world premiere of Associate Artistic Director Michael Leeds’ new play, “Who Killed Joan Crawford?,” Jan. 12 – Feb. 12; Jeff Talbott’s “The Submission,” April 7 – May 8; and another world premiere from Michael Aman, “Feeding the Bear,” June 2 – July 3. IslandCityStage.org Out west in Coral Springs, Broward Stage has two stages and a penchant for musicals. Among the offerings this season are “Carnival,” Jan. 22 – Feb. 28, from the composer of “Funny Girl;” the Burt Bacharach jukebox show, “What’s New Pussycat?,” Feb. 19 – March 27; “Evita,” March 18 – April 14; and the early Sondheim retrospective, “Putting it Together,” May 13 – June 19.

I

PALM BEACH

n Boca Raton, The Wick Theatre and Costume Museum, 7901 N. Federal Hwy., loves that big, old fashioned Broadway musicals. Marilynn Wick’s company opens her 2016 schedule with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic, “South Pacific,” Jan. 7 – Feb. 14; followed by the Kander and Ebb comedy whodunit, “Curtains,” Feb. 25 – March 27; and the Irving Berlin review, “I Love a Piano,” April 14 – May 22. Audiences always know the costumes are going to be fantastic.

TheWick.org Last fall’s “Sex with Strangers” at Arts Garage, 180 NE 1st St. in Delray Beach, was a critical and theatrical hit for the resident theater company led by Keith Garsson and Genie Croft. They follow that show up in the cool performance space with “Reborning,” Jan. 24 – Feb. 14; “The Devil’s Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith,” Feb. 28 – March 20; and “Smoke,” March 26 – April 17.

ArtsGarage.org Palm Beach Dramaworks, 201 Clematis St. in West Palm Beach, has a thing for American classics. Their season includes Eugene O’Neill’s semi-autobiographical “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” Jan. 29 – Feb. 28; John Patrick Shanley’s “Outside Mullingar,” March 25 – April 24, about feuding Irish farmers; and the play about the incomparable Louis Armstrong’s last months, “Satchmo at the Waldorf,” May 13 – June 12. PalmBeachDramaworks.org Andrew Kato’s Maltz Jupiter Theatre, 1001 E. Indiantown Rd. in Jupiter, also knows how to put together a first rate musical production. “The Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Revue,” open Jan. 12 – 31, with a special “Pride Night” performance, followed by Cole Porter’s classic, “Kiss Me, Kate,” March 8 – 27, with the drama “Frost/Nixon” sandwiched in between, Feb. 7 – 21.

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Copland Appalachian Spring Suite Schumann: Cello Concerto in A Minor Carter Brey, cello Brahms: Symphony No. 4

For tickets, visit SouthFloridaSymphony.org For more information, call 954-522-8445

arts guide • dateBOOK

WINTER ARTS GUIDE 2016: DATEBOOK Miami City Ballet will perform 'Program Two' on Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. and Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. at the Broward Center for Performing Arts.

Broward County Star Trek -- The Ultimate Voyage Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 sW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. A live symphony performs music from the franchise while footage from the show is projected onto a 40-foot-wide screen. tickets $30 to $65. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

An Evening With Jackson Browne Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 sW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. the singer-songwriter is known for his songs “running on empty,” “Here Comes those tears Again,” “doctor my eyes” and more. tickets $49.50 to $124.50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

Violet Jan. 21 to Feb. 7 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 sW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. After being scarred by her father, violet takes a bus from north Carolina to Oklahoma with hopes a tv evangelist can cure her. On the way, she meets a black soldier who teaches her to see her own beauty. tickets $45. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

Gaelic Storm Jan. 27 at 8 p.m. at the Parker Playhouse, 707 ne eighth st. in Fort Lauderdale. the Celtic band mixes traditional Gaelic sounds with modern flair. tickets $23 to $43. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.org.

Def Leppard Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. at the BB&t Center, One Panther Parkway in sunrise. the band debuts their new single, “dangerous,” and is joined onstage by styx and tesla. tickets $31.70 to $121.70. Call 800745-3000 or visit thebbtcenter.com.

Colin Hay with Special Guest Heather Maloney Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. at the Parker Playhouse, 707 ne eighth st. in Fort Lauderdale. the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist for men at Work is joined onstage by Heather maloney. tickets $27.50 to $47.50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.org.

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The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra Jan. 30 at 2 p.m. at the Parker Playhouse, 707 ne eighth st. in Fort Lauderdale. A nostalgic look at the days of Big Band music. tickets $28 to $38.

Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.org.

Bruce Vilanch and Jessica Kirson Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Coral springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral springs drive in Coral springs. the two comedians come together for a rip-roaring night of laughs. tickets $38.92 to $60.12. Call 954344-5999 or visit CoralspringsCenterfortheArts. com.

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Dukes Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m. at the Coral springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral springs drive in Coral springs. the band’s sound is rooted in the Jersey shore tunes of the 1970s. tickets $36.04 to $78.44. Call 954344-5999 or visit CoralspringsCenterfortheArts. com.

An Evening with Under the Streetlamp Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. at the Parker Playhouse, 707 ne eighth st. in Fort Lauderdale. Cast members of “Jersey Boys” perform doo-wop, motown, and rock n’ roll. tickets $39.50 to $49.50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.org.

Black Violin Feb. 5 at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the Parker Playhouse, 707 ne eighth st. in Fort Lauderdale. the local, classically trained violinists play jazz, hip hop, funk, and classical music. tickets $7.20 to $55. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse. org.

Barry Manilow Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the BB&t Center, One Panther Parkway in sunrise. Get ready to sing along to “mandy,” “Can’t smile without You,” and “Copacabana.” tickets $19.75 to $179.75. Call 800-745-3000 or visit thebbtcenter.com.

Casablanca Feb. 5 and 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 sW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. the classic story of a man choosing between the woman he loves and fighting the Nazis is told in the style of radio theater tickets $25. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

I Love You Because Feb. 5 to 28 at the Coral springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral springs drive in Coral springs.

A modern twist on Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.” tickets $39.22. Call 954-344-5999 or visit CoralspringsCenterfortheArts.com.

Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling and Michele Balan Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the Coral springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral springs drive in Coral springs. martling is best known for eliciting laughs on “the Howard stern show,” and is joined by Balan, a finalist on “Last Comic Standing.” Tickets $38.92 to $60.12. Call 954-344-5999 or visit CoralspringsCenterfortheArts.com.

Masters of Illusion: Believe the Impossible Feb. 6 at 8 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 sW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. A show of illusions, escapes, dance, and more will have you wondering, how did they do that? tickets $33 to $53. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

Symphony of the Americas: Opera to Broadway Feb. 9 to 14 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 sW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. the original singers of Broadway and opera perform classics. tickets $20 to $85. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

The McCartney Years Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Coral springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral springs drive in Coral springs.

A tribute to the Beatles’ Paul mcCartney’s career in the mid 1970s, as performed by Yuri Pool. tickets $36.04 to $78.44. Call 954-344-5999 or visit CoralspringsCenterfortheArts.com.

Romance/Romance Feb. 11 to march 6 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 sW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. two one-act plays looks at love in turn-of-the-century vienna and modern day manhattan. tickets $45. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

arts guide • dateBOOK

WINTER ARTS GUIDE 2016: DATEBOOK Miami-Dade County Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. at the Fillmore miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave. in miami Beach. the hip hop duo have put out singles like “downtown,” “thrift shop,” “same Love,” and other favorites. tickets $59.50 to $80.50. Call 305-673-7300 or visit FillmoremB. com.

Jarrod Spector Jan. 20 at 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 ne 188th st. in Aventura. the star of “Jersey Boys” performs in his first solo concert. tickets $40 to $45. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.

Tchaikovsky’s Winter Romance Jan. 21 and 22 at 8 p.m. at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in miami. the Cleveland Orchestra performs tchaikovsky and schumann. tickets $49 to $183. Call 305-9496722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

Ringing True Jan. 22 to Feb. 7 at the miami theater Center, 9806 ne second Ave. in miami shores. rebecca Joy Fletcher is the star of this one-woman show, taking the audience on a journey through her thoughts on marriage, a spiritual awakening in Paris, and talmudic interpretations of her dreams. tickets $25. Call 305-751-9550 or visit mtCmiami.org.

Three Hysterical Broads… Off Their Medication Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 ne 188th st. in Aventura. valarie storm, traci Kanaan, and sheba mason hit the stage for a triple threat of comedic dynamite. tickets $34.50 to $39.50. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.

Madonna Jan. 23 and 24 at 8 p.m. at the AmericanAirlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd. in miami. the queen of pop, originally scheduled to perform back in August, is back in miami for a two-night show of old favorites and new hits. tickets $40 to $355. Call 786-777-1000 or visit AAArena.com.

Norma Jan. 23 to 30 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in miami. Priestess norma falls for the enemy, Pollione, and has children with him.

When he turns his eyes to Adalgisa, a temple virgin, norma turns to murder. tickets $25 to $229.

Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

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Bill Maher Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. at the Fillmore miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave. in miami Beach. the television host mixes raunchy humor and politics for a noholds-barred show. tickets $59.50 to $129.50. Call 305-673-7300 or visit FillmoremB.com.

Always… Patsy Cline Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 ne 188th st. in Aventura. A story of Cline’s friendship with Louise seger, a fan from Houston. tickets $40 to $45. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.

Jake Ehrenreich’s A Jew Grows in Brooklyn Jan. 24 to 26 at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 ne 188th st. in Aventura. ehrenreich shares laughs of his upbringing. tickets $45 to $75.

Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.

New World School of the Arts: Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in miami. the symphony is lead by conductor, Alfred Gershfield, and joined by pianist Christopher O’riley. tickets $20 and up. Call 305949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

Live in Central Park (Revisited): Simon and Garfunkel Tribute Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 ne 188th st. in Aventura. A tribute to the 1981 concert put on by the duo after playing solo for 10 years. tickets $40 to $45. Call 305-4668002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.

The Cleveland Orchestra: Brahms and Prokofiev Jan. 29 to 30 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in miami. Lead by Franz Welsermost and joined by violinist William Preucil and cellist Mark Kosower, the orchestra plays Prokofiev and Brahms. tickets $39 to $173. Call 305-9496722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

Brazilian Voices Concert: Bossa Nova Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 ne 188th st. in Aventura. the south Florida all-women’s vocal group performs jazz, bossa nova, samba, and pop. tickets $35 to $40.

Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.

Cabaret Follies Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 ne 188th st. in Aventura. A vegas style show pulling from erika moon’s “viva Paris International Show” and “Burlesque Magnifique.” tickets $37.50 to $47.50. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.

Motown the Musical Feb. 2 to 7 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in miami. the true story of Berry Gordy, the founder of motown, as he left behind boxing and went into the music biz, launching the careers of the likes of diana ross, michael Jackson, smokey robinson, and other legends. tickets $29 to $150. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

The Tenors Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in miami. the Canadian quartet tour in anticipation of their new album, “Under One sky.” tickets $35 to $250. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

A Band Called Honalee Feb. 5 at 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 ne 188th st. in Aventura. the band brings alive the sounds of ‘60s folk music. tickets $40 to $45. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.

Jazz Roots: Patti LaBelle Feb. 5 at 8 p.m. at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in miami. the musical legend is joined onstage by Ashleigh smith, winner of the sarah vaughan vocal Competition. tickets $40 to $130. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

Ball Room: South Beach Style Feb. 6 at 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 ne 188th st. in Aventura. A night of salsa, merengue, rhumba, mambo, and more. tickets $45.50 to $49.50. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.

Phoenix Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 ne 188th st. in Aventura. singer nelly Lenz has survived the Holocaust, and it ready to restart her life after facial surgery and searching for her love, Johnny. tickets $11. Call 305-4668002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.

Hello Gorgeous! A Live Tribute to Barbra Streisand Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 ne 188th st. in Aventura. rebecca Clark pays tribute to streisand in this concert with no sync or voice track. tickets $40.50. Call 305466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.

Miami City Ballet Program III: Year of the Rabbit Feb. 12 to 14 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in miami. the company performs “Year of the rabbit” by Peck and stevens, “sunset” by taylor and elgar, and “Bourree Fantasque” by Balanchine and Chabrier. tickets $20 to $99. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

arts guide • dateBOOK

PAID CONTENT

WINTER ARTS GUIDE 2016: DATEBOOK Palm Beach County Hubbard Street Dance Chicago Jan. 22 and 23 at 8 p.m. at Palm Beach state College’s duncan theater, 4200 Congress Ave. in Lake Worth. the dance company enters its 39th season of contemporary styles. tickets $45. Call 561-967-7222 or visit PalmBeachstate.edu.

Lula Washington Dance Theatre Jan. 22 and 23 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. the dance company was created by Lula and erwin Washington after seeing a performance by the Alvin Ailey American dance theatre. tickets $29. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

Driven To

Success Q and A with Michael Shroyer, Human Resource Manager for JM Lexus

M

ichael Shroyer is a native Floridian who graduated from the University of South Florida and currently resides in Ft. Lauderdale. With over 25 years of Human Resource experience Michael oversees the ever-growing associate roster of JM Lexus, the #1 Lexus dealer in the world for 23 straight years. In February of this year, Michael married his partner Earl of 14 years.

Why is JM Lexus a great place to work?

The people, the culture and benefits. When I started working at JM Lexus, everyone went out of their way to make sure I felt welcomed and at home. The company truly lives its' core values of treating their associate as their most valued asset.

Tell us about your new Lexus GX. I walked past the GX in the parking lot for several months admiring it. I knew from the first time I saw it that I wanted it. When I took it for a test drive, I was hooked. I left with it that night.

Why did you pick the Lexus GX? I wanted a comfortable SUV that looked and drove great. I owned a Lexus several years ago which was purchased from JM Lexus even before I worked here. The car was great and the service I was given at the dealership was amazing. Combining the quality of Lexus vehicles and the VIP services offered… it was an easy decision.

Where are your favorite places to drive your new car?

I love taking it on a road trip. The car is so comfortable to drive. I go several times a months over to the west coast of Florida to see my family.

Where does this car rank on list of cars you’ve had?

It ranks as a clear cut number one. Considering that my first car was back in 1970 and could barely be called an automobile. My most recent car was a Mercedes, but I love the Lexus much more. The navigation, phone, computer system is so much better and user friendly. The SUV is much more conformable and I feel safer driving it.

Sponsored by JM Lexus.

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Carmen Jan. 22 to 24 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Bizet’s opera tells the story of the seductive Carmen going after a soldier, don Jos, and brings out his racy side. tickets $25 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

The Slocan Ramblers Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Hailing from toronto, the bluegrass band celebrates the soul of American music with the banjo, mandolin, guitar, and bass. tickets $30. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

Rhapsody & Rhythm: The Gershwin Concert Experience Jan. 25 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. everyone knows the music of the Gershwin brothers, but this show also tells their story with home videos and photos. tickets $29. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Jan. 25 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Pianist Khatia Buniatishvili joins the orchestra to perform works by Haydn, mozart, Arensky, and rachmaninoff. tickets $29 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

Cleveland Orchestra Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Conductor Franz Welser-most leads the orchestra through works by tchaikovsky, mozart, and ravel. tickets $39 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

Jackie Mason Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. the rabbi turned comedian has captured the funny bones of America for decades. tickets $25 and up.

Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

Michael Feinstein Conducts the Kravis Center Pops Orchestra Jan. 27 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Feinstein leads the orchestra through Broadway favorites. tickets $30. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Jan. 28 and 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. the renowned detective takes the stage to solve some of the greatest mysteries in London. tickets $39. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

arts guide • departMeNts

LAST WORDS:

William A H E A D

Shatner

M A X I M U M

F

ifty years ago, William Shatner first hit the airwaves as the dashing starship captain James T. Kirk on “Star Trek,” inspiring generations of devoted fans. But in the decades since that first journey into deep space, he has also created unforgettable characters as the star of the police drama, “T.J. Hooker,” the eccentric attorney Denny Crane on “Boston Legal,” and a quirky caricature of himself in the infamous Priceline commercials.

The energetic 84-year-old shows no signs of slowing down. On February 2, the actor brings his one man show, “Shatner’s World,” to the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach and shares his phenomenal journey from classically trained thespian to cultural icon, told by the most important character he has ever played—himself.

Never at a loss for words, Shatner shared some thoughts with Mirror:

ON HIS CRAFT:

An actor brings himself to every role. You can’t think too much outside the box because that’s “you” and that “you” changes with time and experience and age.

ON HIS MOST FAMOUS ROLE:

As a young man, playing Captain Kirk—jumping and running, getting the girl—that was fun.

ON HIS SHOW:

I’ll entertain you and make you laugh and cry for two hours… at my age!

ON HIS GUILTY PLEASURE:

You know, you reach an age when you don’t want to feel guilty about any pleasure.

ON HIS NEXT PROJECT:

I have a reality show, “Better Late than Never” on NBC, in February with Henry Winkler, Terry Bradshaw and George Foreman… we get into all sorts of adventures.

William Shatner appears in “Shatner’s World” on Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. Tickets start at $25 at Kravis.org.

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J. W. Arnold

Feature • News

OUT AND PROUD Oregon creates first

liaison to serve LGBT vets CHrISTIAnA lIllY

A

Photo: Sen. Sara Gelser, Facebook.

n Oregon senator created a veterans liaison for the state’s LGBT veterans.

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Oregon's LGBT veterans will soon have someone looking out for their needs.

Sen. Sara Gelser, a Democrat, was able to get her bill, SB 946, passed in both the state House and Senate and then signed off by Gov. Kate Brown in August. Brown is also the first openly bisexual governor of a state.

The liaison position, expected to be filled next year, would help LGBT veterans who were discharged due to Don’t Ask Don’t Tell have their statuses upgraded.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, Oregon has about 15,000 LGBT veterans.

“I was motivated to introduce this legislation when I learned about all of the benefits denied to LGBTQ vets who were pushed out of the military based on their sexual orientation,” Gelser said. “It seemed a tremendous injustice, and I was particularly concerned about aging vets. I wanted them to have access to needed services, an apology for being mistreated, and a thank you for their generous service to our country.”

Gelser added that when the bill was in its infancy, the plan was to restore statelevel benefits to those who were discharged because of being LGBT. However, she expanded it in order to ensure that all needs of LGBT veterans were met.

“Our new coordinator will help those who were wrongfully discharged for who they loved apply for a reinstatement of benefits. However, it will also allow for outreach and coordination for a variety of issues important to this population of veterans,” she said.

The bill was co-sponsored by Oregon Sen. Peter Courtney and Rep. Brian Boquist, a Democrat and Republican, respectively.

Getting bipartisan support was a “reflection of a commitment to equality and of respect towards those who selflessly stand up to serve.”

“I was concerned that it might get stuck, but at the end of the day most of my colleagues believed that when you put on the uniform of United States you should have the same benefits and protections as all other members of the military.”

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BLACK LIVES MOVEMENT HITS HOME WITH

DEATH OF COREY JONES Two founders of the national movement are queer CHrISTIAnA lIllY

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fter the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting and death of Trayvon Martin, Alicia Garza wrote a short, but history-making statement in social media -- seeing it, her friend Patrisse Cullors turned it into a hashtag, which went viral.

#BlackLivesMatter

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Since then, the movement has spread across the country, bringing together activists of all ages and races. Garza, Cullors, and their friend Opal Tometi are credited as the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement.

“I thought, wow, we’re onto something and obviously this wasn’t just something that myself, Alicia, and Opal felt,” Cullors said.

Cullors is the founder and a board member of Los Angeles’ Dignity and Power Now and the director for truth and reinvestment at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights.

Many people are surprised to hear that the founders of BLM, not only are women, but that two identify as queer.

Cullors said that the LGBT community has been a large part of the movement, and many LGBT people have stepped up in their neighborhoods to spread the word of equality.

“We’re not a monolithic group,” Cullors said of black people. “We come in different shades and different sizes, we have different sexual orientations, different gender identities, different gender expressions. We are children, we are adults, we are teenagers.”

“To try to talk about LGBT people and black people as separate entities is a mistake and we have to talk about the intersections in which people live,” she continued.

Since BLM got its start, the “Say Her Name” campaign has urged people to not ignore the murders of black transgender women. Many other variations have since popped up as well including #GayLivesMatter and #BlackTransLivesMatter.

According to an extensive report by BuzzFeed News, 24 transgender women were killed from November 2014

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to November 2015, double the previous year’s numbers.

Seventeen of them were black.

Naomi Parker is an outspoken activist who has lived in Wilton Manors for 23 years, including running for Wilton Manors commissioner.

“It was started about black lives mattering in terms of not being visible,” she said of the movement. “If you’re looking through that lens of only one ethnicity or that lens of just one race, then you don’t really see anybody.”

Protesters and activists have furthered the movement in Ferguson, MO and Baltimore, MD, but recently the movement hit home in South Florida with the death of Corey Jones, a black musician who was killed in Palm Beach Gardens in October 2015.

Although details are not clear, according to reports, Jones was driving home from a late gig when his car broke down on I-95. As he waited for his band mate to get help, an off duty officer pulled over, thinking he had come across an abandoned van. It’s believed that Jones was alarmed and pulled out his gun, which he owned legally. The officer shot at him six times, hitting him three times, and Jones’s body was found 80 to 100 feet from his car, according to CBS News.

The officer who shot and killed Jones was put on administrative leave, then fired.

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“It just really hits home because you think you’re driving home late at night... we’re coming home late from gigs, that could easily be one of us,” said Valerie Tyson, a local musician.

Because she is well known within the musician community, and is a sort of “elder statesman” to younger musicians, she tries to keep a positive tone on her social media and encourages young people to respect themselves and be kind to one another.

“We’ve got to do better than this. This is not how we do things,” Tyson said. “Every time you turn on the TV, someone is getting gunned down, some person is losing their life, and nine times out of 10 over nothing. Over nothing. As a human being, I hurt for them.”

Tyson attended a rally honoring Jones, and was moved by the fact that a variety of people attended.

Cullors said that many people have been confused about why there has been such a focus on black lives, but feels that “when we really deal with issues of black people, inside this country and outside the country, we will make the rest of this country better.”

Parker points out, “All lives matter. But black lives matter, women’s lives matter differently -- not better, I’m just saying differently -- in the sense that when you have a factor of invisibility that’s why it takes on a different light.”

When asked what advice she would give to local South Florida activists, Cullors said: keep going.

“It’s important to know that myself and Alicia Garza and I are out, queer women and that when we joined this movement, especially the movement for black lives, we just said ‘Black Lives Matter.’ There weren’t many spaces for black people to come as our whole selves, especially with our sexual orientation. It’s critical that we see that there’s an evolution in this current civil rights movement.”

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The Israeli Opera at

Masada:

[Preserving History through Performance Art]

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istory buffs, travel enthusiasts and opera lovers can all find something to adore at the Israeli Opera productions that are performed at Masada. Against a desolate but magnificent scenery, the Israeli Opera delivered open air performances this past summer that brought history and passion to life in a region that has not changed in many epochs.

Located in the modestly populated Judean desert, Masada is a site that remained untouched for more than thirteen centuries. The structures and remains of human inhabitants gradually collapsed and were superimposed until the 1960s. Limited restorations have been executed as Masada is now a National Park and Unesco World Heritage Site.

The Israeli Opera at Masada is an event where history and visual representation meets art and the representation of sound. It is a beautiful mixture of pictures and words that come together at the site of an ancient fortress where the Jewish people had heroically fought off 5,000 Roman Soldiers. It is a symbol of the defense of liberty and taking a stance against oppression.

This past summer, the Israeli Opera held performances of Tosca and Carmina Burana at Masada during the week of Tel Aviv Gay Pride. The Carmina Burana is a manuscript of 254 poems from the 11th and 12th centuries. In 1936 Carl Orff composed music based on twenty four of the poems from Carmina Burana. This became a classical musical sensation with themes ranging from spiritual pieces to songs about morals and virtue, to love songs.

Armando Olmedo, who serves on the Board of Directors for the Florida Grand Opera, was present for the Carmina Burana performance at Masada. When asked what he thought about the production he witnessed, Mr. Olmedo said “It was by far one of the best outdoor productions I have ever seen, especially under arid conditions, both technically and performance wise. To put that quality of a production on outdoors in the desert is very impressive.”

Olmedo elaborated more on the visual piece of the production and explained that a procession of white horses were incorporated into the show. He described the scene as “an Indiana Jones like version of the story sprinkled with Lord of the Rings.”

David Treitel, Executive Committee Member of the Florida Grand Opera Board of Directors, was present at the performance as well and had this to add “the setting and the lighting was an incredible backdrop.” He added that “the production encouraged artists to be challenged musically to perform in another type of setting” and that “the musical direction was first rate.”

Both Olmedo and Treitel discussed how the Florida Grand Opera is exploring areas for future cooperation with the Israeli Opera. One such idea is to create a package for South Florida opera lovers and patrons to travel to Israel and witness these types of performances. The Israeli Opera is planning a performance of Rigoletto in Jerusalem in June 2016 after Tel Aviv Gay Pride concludes, and will continue its performances at Masada with the production of Samson and Delilah in September 2016. The production promises to be “larger than life” and will be sung in

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French as the tale of the valiant Samson faces betrayal by the temptress Delilah is enacted.

It sounds like a wonderful theme from a film noir genre that will manifest as “opera noir,” as it were, before audiences.

Treital added that “Israel is a magical place to visit. There are historical and religious landmarks as well as beautiful beaches, and cultural activities.” With regard to the historical landmarks present in Israel that Treital pointed out, it is commendable and important that the Israeli Opera is honoring these historical stories and preventing history from being lost by having these types of performances.

What is most relevant to the important connection between the songs of Carmina Burana and the history that the Israeli Opera is preserving through its performances at Masada is how these performances tell stories about the human condition and the struggles in life that humanity faces just like the story of Masada’s history. One of the most notable songs of Carmina Burana, ‘O Fortuna,’ contains the following words:

O Fortune, like the moon you are changeable, ever waxing and waning; hateful life first oppresses and then soothes as fancy takes it; poverty and power it melts them like ice.

The state of being fortunate is symbolically compared to the moon, as a changing force and a fact of life that has no guarantee. As the moon is used as metaphor for change containing both darkness and light in O Fortuna, we can also think of the moon as a metaphor that hovered over the mountainous backdrop of Masada during the First JewishRoman War during 70 CE. The desert moon witnessed the darkness of tyranny and repression but also saw the light of valor, courage and faith.

In terms of history and the magnitude of what Masada means for modern times, the wind that blows against the Dead Sea whispers the memories and history of the Jewish people in the silence of the Judean Desert, but mankind must be able to hear its whisper. It is important to be aware of history and honor it through preservation efforts.

You can see magnificent performances and help preserve history by attending the Israeli Opera performances at Masada.

Their website address is: Opera-Masada.com/en/.

If you live in South Florida or anywhere in the U.S., you can also contact the Florida Grand Opera about their travel packages to Israel for opera lovers. Their website address is: FGO. org.

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$70/hour & $95/90 min.

HIGHEST RATED IN USA MASSUERFINDER.COM

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Feature • News

Julie Dorf's speech at the OutRight Gala in 2015.

OutRight Fighting for LGBT People

Across the Globe International org changes name; keeps mission the same

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n New York City, a group of LGBT advocates celebrated a major milestone on Sept. 28, 2015: the 20th anniversary of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.

Also on that day, the group renamed itself to the much shorter OutRight International.

“I heard people try to pronounce IGLHRC in every language under the sun and it didn’t sound the same any time someone said it,” Jessica Stern, executive director of OutRight, joked. “But more substantively, we’ve always been fighting for people who are bisexual, trans, and intersex, so it was important that our name reflects the values.”

Founded in 1990 and with just a staff of 20 around the world, the organization is one of the oldest LGBT groups in the country, and its goal was to not just protect LGBT people in the U.S., but around the world. One of its first major victories was actually local – getting human rights organizations to even recognize violations against people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, including at Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

singer/song writer Jill sobule with Julie dorf, founder of the international Gay and Lesbian Human rights Commission now known as Outright Action international.

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taking a stand at taiwan Pride in October, 2015.

Also, OutRight was a part of the amicus brief in the famous Karen Atala and Daughters v. Chile case in 2004, where a woman fought for custody of her children after a Chilean judge deemed her an unfit mother when she came out as a lesbian.

When the case was heard before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights – the first LGBT case – she was granted custody rights. It was a huge victory of LGBT rights in the western hemisphere.

Right now, OutRight is working with LGBT groups and allies in Syria and Iraq to help protect them from attacks from ISIS. In 2015, the group documented more than 30 people executed by ISIS for being LGBT – or at least perceived to be.

Some of the 30 were “targeted based on nothing more than their reputation,” Stern said.

Sometimes the change isn’t just legislative, but cultural.

OutRight has worked with the Iranian independent media to change even their language when it comes to LGBT people.

When referring to a gay person at all, writers were using derogatory terms. Together, they were able to find a better word, neutral word – hamjens-garaa, translating simply as “attracted to the same sex.” It caught on, and even Iranian state media started using the word.

“We’re literally changing the way the state interprets our communities,” Stern said. “If you change the language people use, you change the humanity with which you see people.”

And how can people help their LGBT brothers and sisters around the world? Stern says to educate yourself about the issues and to donate to organizations you trust.

“If you go out on a date with someone of the same gender and you don’t think twice about your safety, or you go home to your partner at night, or you go to a gay wedding and you never have to think, is someone going to follow me home? Is my photo going to appear in the paper tomorrow? Am I going to be arrested for this? Will I lose my job as a result of having a social life? Well, the best thing you can do is try to create that opportunity for someone else,” Stern said.

“We’ve always been fighting for people who are bisexual, trans, and intersex, so it was important that our name reflects the values.”

Jessica Stern, Executive Director of OutRight

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Kathy Hochul & Jessica stern.

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n o i t a d n u Local Fo n e r d il h C p l e H o t t n Awards Gra

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he Campbell Foundation, based in Fort Lauderdale, recently awarded yet another worthy cause to research HIV/AIDS.

“They’re going to have to be on these drugs a lot longer than their adult counterparts.

While the drugs are making people live longer, they’re getting these comorbidities and a lot of it is cardiovascular.”

Ken Rapkin, program officer at the Campbell Foundation

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The foundation awarded $48,900 to Dr. Sahera Dirajlal-Fargo for her research on young patients with HIV, namely the inflammation of the lining of their blood vessels. She is a physician at the in the University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio.

According to the CDC, in 2009, there were 10,834 people with HIV/AIDS younger than 13 years old in the United States. Thankfully, while the number of women with HIV giving birth has increased, with proper diagnosis and treatment, the number of babies contracting the virus from their mothers has decreased.

Unfortunately, the numbers for HIV positive children is much higher around the world -- the majority live in Sub Saharan Africa. According to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, more than 600 children are newly infected with the disease every single day. Ninety percent of them contract it from their mothers during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding.

Without treatment, most of them won’t live to turn 5.

However, as they live longer, they’ll be spending decades taking drugs that can do damage to their bodies.

“They’re going to have to be on these drugs a lot longer than their adult counterparts,” Ken Rapkin, program officer at the Campbell Foundation, said of pediatric patients. “While the drugs are making people live longer, they’re getting these comorbidities and a lot of it is cardiovascular.”

With children growing into adulthood with the disease, Dr. Dirajlal-Fargo wants to better understand the impact of the medications they are taking

The Best Way To Protect Your Rights Is To Use Them.

CIVIL RIGHTS AND CRIMINAL DEFENSE.

for such a long time. Inflammation in the blood vessels has been a major issue. With the grant money, she hopes to determine whether markers of inflammation in young HIV-positive patients is linked to markers of cardiovascular risk and insulin resistance.

“It is imperative that we evaluate children and adolescents’ risk of developing these diseases,” Dr. Dirajlal-Fargo said in a press release.

While the doctor has looked at 10 cases, for better research she requires a larger sample. She will be following 50 HIV positive children, matched in age and gender to HIV negative children to compare changes over time.

“We know all this stuff about adults, but what about children? They’re not just little adults,” Rapkin said.

As per the requirements of the grant, Dr. Dirajlal-Fargo will report back to the Campbell Foundation with her findings and also provide updates on her study.

Since The Campbell Foundation’s inception in 1995 it has given more than $10 million in funding with $1 million given to direct service organizations.

The foundation’s mission is to support nonprofit organizations conducting clinical, laboratory-based research into the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, and related conditions and illnesses.

In addition to the above grant the foundation recently announced its end of year giving to 10 local organizations including Broward House, Care Resource, FoundCare (formerly CAP), Latinos Salud, Poverello Center, and Tuesday's Angels. Each organization will receive $5,000.

The Law Center of: Norman Elliot Kent and Russell Cormican 12 S.E. 7th Street, Suite 709 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

Telephone 954-763-1900

Visit CampbellFoundation.net for more information about their work.

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Our Hen House NON-PROFIT CONNECTS GAY RIGHTS TO ANIMAL RIGHTS dAVId-ElIJAH nAHMod

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ould there be a connection to Stonewall, marriage equality and animal rights? "Our Hen House," a non-profit founded in 2010 by happily married lesbian couple Mariann Sullivan and Jasmin Singer, eloquently argues that there is.

"Mariann and I have been together for eight years, married for two and a half," Singer told SFGN. "Our Hen House exists because of a need Mariann and I saw to mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals. The world is changing for animals. There is more awareness of their plight than ever before and delicious vegan food is now everywhere – though sometimes you have to seek it out."

Veganism – the following of a plant based diet completely free of meat, fish or dairy, is said to have many health benefits. But for Sullivan and Singer, following a vegan diet has a much deeper cause.

"The number of animals exploited and killed, all for completely unnecessary reasons, is staggering," Singer explained.

"It's roughly 286 land animals in the USA every second, 24/7 in the USA alone.

These animals live out their entire lives in absolute hell. The

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industry, and all too often the mainstream media, are literally banking on us not caring enough to look.

Most people don't."

But most people, Singer ads, don't want animals to be treated cruelly.

"Mariann and I are no exception," she said. "Once we kept looking, we realized it was a lot more dismal than we thought."

And so the couple set out to create educational media to raise awareness regarding the realities of animal cruelty by the meat and dairy industries. They're not waiting for mainstream media to call, they're doing it themselves, highlighting people from many different walks of life who have become activists for this cause.

"Famous and not," Singer said. "In the arts, in the legal world, in academia, in the kitchen. This allows us and our listeners to see how replicable their efforts to change the world for animals are. Given the horrible ways farmed animals are treated in animal agriculture, combined with the vast amount of vegan food widely available, it was a no-brainer."

Singer, who was once overweight, said that she lost 100 pounds on a vegan diet.

"We always encourage those who are veganskeptical to open their minds and their palates and start with something that is attainable to them, maybe three vegan days a week," Singer suggested. "You will probably find that you eat vegan food more often than you realize, and that your non-vegan foods are very easily veganizable –and delicious."

There is a definite parallel between veganism, animal rights and LGBT rights, according to Singer.

"The rationalizations used to oppress any group, be they LGBT, animals, or insert-the-blank-marginalizedgroup-here, are often the same," Singer said. "Groups that are considered 'less than' for whatever reason are often 'othered,’ and animals are no exception. I will never claim to know the story of anyone who has been oppressed – the only story we really know is our own. But I feel like it’s my responsibility to try to live in an ethical continuum with my beliefs."

"Our Hen House" has posted "Coming Out For Animals," a short video, on YouTube which serves as an introduction to the organization and its cause.

"We made the video short because we wanted people to watch it," Singer said. "Though we don't have plans for a longer video at the moment, the issues discussed in "Coming Out For Animals" are frequently part of the dialogue on the weekly "Our Hen House" podcast – so there are indeed many hours of listening that anyone interested in these topics, and several other topics revolving around animal rights, can explore."

For more information on getting involved with "Our Hen House," or listening to the podcast, please visit: OurHenHouse.org.

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Feature • sHOrt stOrY

camping on the high seas i

JoHn PArKE

n 1956 I was just 16 when I completed my training and enlisted in the British Merchant Navy. I already suspected I was gay but had a rather romantic and unrealistic view of life. I had a steady girl friend and believed I should wait and see how things would turn out.

I joined an ageing passenger liner on the China run as a bell boy and entered a very strange but intriguing world where gays were accepted as part of life.

Homosexuality might have been illegal in both the Royal Navy and Merchant Marine, but life on land in the middle of the twentieth century was far more restrictive than on the ships. I knew about the queer world on the high seas as my brother had sailed out before me and I used to meet him when he docked. “…but …don’t be fooled by the glitz and glamour of passenger liners..” he would also say.

The crew lived in cramped “peaks” often containing ten or more people. They were usually situated on the water line, which meant that portholes were closed most of the times. The peaks contained upper and lower metal bunks under which there was an iron drawer and an iron locker alongside. Nothing else, no other furniture, it was the equivalent of steerage.

The toilets or “heads” were basic as were the showers, which rarely had curtains. Every liner had gay crewmembers and some had more than others.

I never found any hostility on board perhaps because there was “safety in numbers;” a lone gay man on a small ship might have had a tough time. Ships provided the only space where gays could be not only out, but outrageously camp. Efficient, able-bodied seamen by day, queens and butches strutted their stuff below deck at night, dressed up as their favorite Hollywood stars.

The homosexuals were known as “queens” and were almost always very effeminate. Each queen had a woman’s name, usually of their own choosing.

The assumed name either went with the surname, Harry Malone would be “Molly,” John Garland was a sure bet for “Judy,” or many picked theirs out of admiration for a gay icon.

There were also names that reflected the personalities. “Fag Ash Lil” always had a cigarette hanging from his lip and Languid Lil was the most laid back person I ever met. Somehow I never managed to acquire a moniker, though “Polly” surfaced once or twice. Right from the start I felt absolutely at home at sea. I accepted everything as the norm. In the merchant navy you were either gay or straight. There was no in between. Bi-sexuality was unknown.

There were “married” couples made up of a queen and a man. The man would be considered straight since he probably had a wife and children at home. I

don’t recall the “male” in this relationship ever being spoken of as a fagot. But the strangest element in this world was the rule that gays never had sex with each other. It was explained with the phrase: “Bread and bread never made a sandwich.” I didn’t really fit into any category. I was effeminate but not considered a “queen” and because I was a bit of a “bear” it was said of me: “He’s no fairy he’s too hairy.”

We were a formidable group. Almost a secret society as we tended to stick closely together against all odds. Well known for our wit and biting humour the straights were often reluctant to engage us since they invariably came off worse in a verbal encounter.

We even had our own language called “palare” which had its roots in Italian, Romany and cockney slang.

It was used as a cover to allow gay subjects to be discussed aloud without being understood; on the other hand, it was also used by some, particularly the most visibly camp and effeminate, as a further way of asserting their identity.

We could hold a basic conversation using mainly “palare.” “Vada the bona cartes on the butch omme” meant look at the great genitals on the butch man.

“Swooping on the trinkets” stood in for oral sex and “opening the handbag” for farting. I remember on a train journey when a group of us shared a compartment with a particularly odious homophobe.

We infuriated him by chatting in “palare.” He would have been even angrier had he known we were pouring scorn on the size of his dick. Some ships I served on were particularly queer. One was a freighter, which did a seemingly endless voyage to and from New Zealand; all but one of the catering crew was gay.

We virtually ran the ship. “Diane” had a relationship with Andrew, a strikingly handsome deck hand from the Scottish Isles, who was devoted to him. “Tiny Tears” had sex with every one of the engineer officers and when the chief engineer kicked up a fuss about it someone attempted to attach his door knob to the main electric circuit. “Rose” was the funniest man on board. A hulking six-footer he and I used to assume a character and be those people for a day. One morning while we were scrubbing out the dining room, two old scullery maids and the captain came in and stood amazed listening to us as we chatted on. To say it was a strange ship is putting it mildly.

I was comfortably queer at sea at a time when life on land demanded compulsory straightness.

It was the experience of a lifetime. In those ten years I travelled the world, met wonderful people, and developed long lasting friendships. I quit following a serious illness and came to realize that shipping out was a form of avoiding reality and decided to become a land lubber and finally settle down.

John Parke lives in Bristol, England. He is currently recording the history of the city.

He lives with his husband Trevor Haddrell, a renowned English painter.

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