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June 30, 2004
Bobby Gant will appear tonight (June 30th) on Dennis Miller Live 9-10pm (EST) on CNBC. On July 2nd, he will appear on The Big Idea, hosted by Donnie Deutsch, also on CNBC. Check your local listings for times in your area. Bobby will also appear in the July/August issue of Catalina Magazine.
Patrick Antosh (Costume Designer), Dan Lipman (Producer) and Robert Gant (Ben) were the guests on "Jawbreaker" with Brad Fraser this week, talking about "behind the scenes" on QAF. Here's a summary of some of the questions and answers (paraphrased):
One of the first topics of discussion was the work environment on the set of QAF. Bobby talked about coming in as an 'outsider' in the second season, how warm the environment was (both literally and figuratively -- the cold Canadian winters are brutal on his skin!), and how welcoming everyone was, especially compared to other shows he's worked on in L.A., for example. He said that he feels it has to do with the undercurrent of the show, and that it has some real meaning to it, unlike some sitcoms, for example. Patrick said he agrees with that, and that he finds himself using 'dirty language' a lot more on QAF (suggesting that it's a more relaxed atmosphere). He gave an example of being in a store shopping for clothes and having a bag of condoms spill out all over the place, props for Brian that he had been carrying with him. LOL Another reason for the more 'relaxed' environment is the explicit sexuality on the show, and how vulnerable the actors have to be at certain times.
Brad asked Dan what he and Ron look for in a new character, specifically in Bobby's case. Dan said they've always had difficulty casting people for the show, but the 'casting gods' do send them fantastic candidates. Dan talked about the passionate and heartfelt letter they got from Bobby when he was auditioning, and how he really wanted to be on the show. He came in to the casting offices in LA, and he seemed right, but they wanted to test the chemistry between Bobby and Hal Sparks. So they had him fly to Toronto, and basically he never left. He worked for a week, then they took a week hiatus, so he went home and got his stuff and moved back.
Brad asked Dan to elaborate on why it's difficult to cast the show. Dan said that what they've done on QAF, which is unique, is that they've sexualized the characters. The cast has to be able to express this, simulated of course, but they have to be comfortable with their bodies. Sex is kind of like opera... language only takes you so far. You can express behaviour with sex, and they have to be comfortable with that.
Brad said to Bobby, "it's one thing for us to talk about it, and be in the writers' room coming up with it... ("let's have them do THIS!")... but you're the guys on the set who have to strip down and do it." He asked how they handle that. Bobby said for him, personally, he grew up in a rather conservative way with the idea that "one does not do these things'... he said he remembers his first scene, where he was stripping down... "the director wanted me to have that sense of vulnerability"... so even though nudity wasn't required, since it was going to be a tight camera shot, the director asked him to be naked anyway, from the waist down. Bobby said Hal didn't have to be. Bobby is much more comfortable with it now. You get comfortable doing it, he said.
When a new character comes on, you have to come up with a whole new look... Brad asked Patrick if that's exciting, or a pain in the ass? Patrick said that because of the difficulty in casting, it's not unusual for him to get the actor the night before they go on camera... and that can be frustrating, because they don't have the person's measurements (is he six feet tall? five-foot-seven?). Being the costume person can be a bit of a nightmare, because every actor has a clear idea in their mind of what the character is like and what they'll be wearing. Patrick says it's not so bad, though, because he's been there with the actors all along, working with them to establish who they are. He works with the guest directors each week, the actors, and the producers to make the vision come to life. Going back to what Bobby was saying about vulnerability, Patrick said he loves working with the clothes and using them to do the same kind of thing... "I'll give them an article of clothing right before we're going to shoot that scene."
Patrick said that he never gives compliments on a day-to-day basis, so that when they're in a crunch, and he says "that looks good"... they're going to believe him. Robert gave Patrick a compliment and said that he makes everyone feel good, and how he ran back and forth between the rooms when there was a scene involving the girls (maybe the wedding?) and that he just kept so calm and cool.
Dan said he thinks it's about trust... trusting the producers, trusting Patrick, and knowing that the costumes or whatever aren't what the show is about.. it's about the characters.
Brad asked Dan the same thing he asked Patrick: How do you keep control of such a large group of people? Dan's response: " A lot of coffee!" LOL!!
Brad asked, " what do you do at an impasse" for example, there is something an actor doesn't want to wear, or the director has a certain shot in mind... it's a big, very diverse group of people. Dan says you have to be diplomatic, and allow people to be creative. Usually they ask for the person to give them options... they'll say, okay, you can do it your way, but you have to do it this way too. And it's not because they're trying to be tyrants, Dan explains. It's because you never know until you put the film together how it's going to look, or that you needed something you didn't think you did, given the background, or the way the scene played out. For example, you might end with a closeup on Ben... but then you realize it needs to be Ben and Michael. Or Ben turning away.
Brad talked about how something simple on paper can turn out to be much bigger in reality. "For example, in the writers' room, we talk about storylines, parties, events, etc. that we would like to work into the show. When we write down "there is a party"... it's different when you walk on the set, and you've got hundreds of people. He asked Dan for an example of something where he had to change things. They talked about the Senator's party at Dr. Dave's, and the outfit Emmett wore as Jackie O. At first, Peter wasn't sure about dressing in drag, but Patrick worked with him, and Dan said it actually became one of the most memorable scenes on the show.
There was some talk of what is enhanced from the script, in the way of costuming and big events, for example. Without giving anything away, they said there's a story with an element of competition and they wrote it to take place in Babylon, with sort of a performance piece, with gladiators, etc. Patrick talked about how these events usually reflect the theme of the show.... for example, in season 3, they did a big "Barbie" theme, when Ted and Emmett bought their "dream house" and Ben was taking steroids so they had this big muscle-bound Barbie (or Ken?) and ran with it. Dan said that the Art Department, Patrick (Costuming)... they're all so fantastic, but they realize that. :)
They also talked about how cold the weather is in Toronto, and how there's a scene they were doing late in the season on the streets, and "the weather is so cold here, we thought we might have to do it inside."
Bobby said there were some wonderful concepts... for example, when Ben finds out his ex has died (the one who infected him)... originally it was going to be a rooftop... it was a gorgeous concept, but the reality of the production is that they cannot always do that. Brad said, "we do a lot of stuff on the rooftop." Dan said they have to be realistic... if they look at the outline and see "we have 10 exteriors... we have to be good producers and we can't blow all our budget, we have to prioritize."
Brad mentioned that oftentimes, the actors don't know what's ahead for them until they get the script, much like the audience finds out. Bobby talked about the actors knowing things ahead of time... sometimes it's good, so that the actor knows the arc and can pace themselves in terms of the emotion (for example, Ben with the steroids, building to the peak of his emotions) but other times, you don't want the actors to play the 'end' of a story.
Dan touched briefly on the criticism of the show... he said (paraphrasing here), "We know we have loyal viewers, who've been with us for four years, but there is always criticism. We are trying to tell a story about the gay community, with very different kinds of characters and relationships, but it's frustrating that sometimes people try to focus on the more negative aspects."
That's about it! I'll post the full recap soon to the Media Clips page.
June 29, 2004
Check out two new photos (here and here) of Randy Harrison, Eric Villency (president of Maurice Villency) and Dhani Jones of the Philadelphia Eagles in attendance at the Eric Villency Hosts Benefit Party for John Kerry at Eric Villency's Tribeca Loft on June 28, 2004 in New York City. (Photo by Thos Robinson/Getty Images). The furniture and style of the loft looks familiar.... ;)
From backstage.com: Lewis Helfer directed himself in Life on the Ledge, a dark comedy about a man with a death wish. The pic ended its shoot on June 14. Co-starring are Tovah Feldshuh, Mark Blum, Gale Harold, and Daphne Rubin-Vega.
From MelanieLovesLindsay.com: Look for Thea Gill in a guest spot on the sci-fi television series, "Andromeda" starring Kevin Sorbo. She will play an alien type character by the name of Celine Yul'tan who is trapped between her past and her future!! She says she's never had a role like that before, so it should be interesting! The home page for the show is Andromedatv.com. The new season starts in September. The website has a tv listings section, so you can see when it airs in your part of the country.
Heads up for anyone planning to see Randy Harrison in "Wicked"... this was posted to Playbill.com yesterday:
Negotiations between Actors' Equity Association and the Broadway producers broke down late Sunday night, both sides reported. In a press statement issued after midnight on June 27—the date the current pact is to expire—Equity said "Contract talks between Actors Equity and Broadway producers broke down on Sunday June 27 at 11 PM, when negotiators for the Producers walked out on the current contract negotiations. The contract was due to expire at midnight. Actors’ Equity is instructing its members to report to work at their theatres until the Council convenes this week to determine a course of action." The League's simultaneous and somewhat contradictory statement read: "Actors' Equity broke off negotiations Sunday night prior to the contract deadline. Our understanding is that Actors' Equity has indicated actors will be at work Monday, and our expectation is that contract talks will resume as well."
June 27, 2004
Wow, when it rains, it pours! Lots of news this past week, and even more this weekend with Pride celebrations in New York City and Toronto. Here's the latest...
Looks like some of the QAF gang are hanging out in NYC. Sightings so far include Michelle Clunie at Caroline's on Saturday night to see Hal Sparks doing stand-up, and Peter Paige at a recent performance of "Wicked," in which Randy Harrison is playing Boq.
An excerpt from 365gay.com's " Big Four Kick Off Gay Pride Celebrations":
In Toronto, Pride was kicked off Friday night with a gay theme night at Skydome where the Blue Jays were playing the Montreal Expos. It was the first time the Jays hosted a gay night, and before the game began, the giant Jumbotron scoreboard flashed out a marriage proposal reading, "Terry, Will you marry me? Chris." Same-sex marriage is legal in Ontario and two other Canadian provinces. The first pitch was thrown by actor Sharon Gless (Queer as Folk) and the national anthems were performed by Simone Denny, the voice behind "All Things (Keep Getting Better)" the theme from the show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Sunday more than a million people are expected to line streets in the city's gay village for the annual Pride parade. [full article]
And from Toronto Blue Jays News:
Show your pride: The Blue Jays recognized Pride Toronto, the largest gay community celebration in Canada and the third-largest in the world. The team sold tickets with a portion of the proceeds being directed back to Pride Toronto. Former Olympian Mark Tewksbury made a check presentation on behalf of the Blue Jays, and Sharon Gless of Queer as Folk fame threw out the first pitch. The Canadian national anthem was sung by Simone Denny, who sings the theme song for Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.
The Globe and Mail talks about the ' infusion of family' at this year's Pride:
From a Family Pride Space sponsored by Ikea to an evening discussion about parenting with Oprah buddy and adoptive gay mom Ann-Marie MacDonald, to last night's Pride Day with the Blue Jays (a Jays initiative that included an official welcome to the gay community and an opening pitch by Queer As Folk's Sharon Gless), the annual circus of raunch is making room for some pretty tame acts. Yes, there are still scores of events you wouldn't want to bring the kids to, including Naked Night at the Black Eagle leather bar; another instalment of the all-female Pussy Palace bathhouse; or Cheap Queers, "a see-it-to-believe cabaret of weirdos and wonder." But in an effort by this year's organizers to "increase cultural diversity" and generally reach out to a broader audience, there will be lots else going on as well. "We wanted to bring in more of the community," Pride co-chair Fred Pitt says. [full article]
Hal Sparks was among the "Special Civil Rights Award" honorees at the 2004 Pride Awards Ceremony, held in NYC at City Hall last Thursday (June 24). Other recipients were Harvey Fierstein (4 time Tony Award Winner, and the only performer to have won 4 Tony Awards in different categories), Laura Linney (Sight Unseen), Alan Cumming (Tony Award Winner for Cabaret, X-Men 2, Reefer Madness), John Tartaglia (Avenue Q), Joyce Randolph (The Honeymooners), Larry Kramer (AIDS Activist and Playwright, The Normal Heart), Christopher Sieber (Chicago, Into The Woods, ABC TV's It's All Relative and Triumph of Love), plus Mayors Gavin Newsom (San Francisco) and Jason West (New Paltz). See the photo coverage.
From a review of Spiderman 2 at comingsoon.net by Scott Chitwood: The film also continues to display a great sense of humor that lets you know it never takes itself too seriously. Peter Parker continues to be the everyday-loser and he is the butt of many jokes. He is ignored, abused, and generally picked on to the great amusement of the audience. But Peter isn't the only one generating comedy. There's another scene where Hal Sparks, in a cameo role, gets in an elevator with Spider-Man. The awkward conversation that follows is hilarious and unique for a superhero film. After all, you never heard Batman talking about how his costume was itchy, and how the crotch rode up. Peter Parker also makes the laundry mistake of washing his whites with his reds and blues. The result, of course, isn't pretty for his boxers and shirts.
June 25, 2004
Click here to read a message addressed to fans of Gale Harold from Jennifer Elster, about the films "Particles of Truth" and "Life on the Ledge."
QAF co-stars Gale Harold and Michelle Clunie are said to be working on an independent feature being filmed in Coweta County, Georgia (just outside of Atlanta). The working title of the movie is "The Unseen" and you can visit the official website here. Michelle mentioned the project in her online Advocate interview, and Gale is credited in a blurb from the June 1-7, 2004 issue of "The Hollywood Reporter" which lists the film as a drama (it's also been described as "Rain Man" meets "Slingblade"). Shooting began in early June and wraps up this week or early next. The cast includes: Steve Harris, Judah Friedlander, Gale Harold, Catherine Dent, Philip Bloch, and Daisy McCrackin. One of the location shoots was in Haralson, a tiny town in southeast Coweta County, where film crews were set up along the block-long main street, clearly making use of the 'old-time' storefronts. Cardboard signs featuring the hand-written word "Unseen" and a directional arrow raised a few eyebrows prior to the arrival of the crews, although the area is not a stranger to Hollywood productions. Coweta County has been used for films like "Driving Miss Daisy" and, more recently, "The Fighting Temptations" and "Sweet Home Alabama." Director Lisa France got involved in filmmaking when she happened upon a location shoot for "Meet Joe Black" in her own neighborhood just a few years ago. Her directorial debut was last year’s "Anne B. Real." I have updated my Gale Harold page with both "The Unseen" and "Life on the Ledge." [Thanks to KM for the background information, and to RM for the initial heads up].
From PatrickAntosh.com: It is Toronto Pride this weekend and Patrick is involved in several events. He'll be performing in the main show at "Boot Camp" on Friday night at Koolhaus. He'll be interviewed for the new travel show "PINK" for Musiqueplus (the French version of MuchMusic) on Saturday at Red Planet and performing at the Beef Ball on Saturday night. He will be on the Priape float in the parade on Sunday and attending all the parties. Don't be shy if you see him, make sure you say hello. Andrew Stopps will be covering the events for Queerplanet and we'll be posting pics of Patrick from the weekend soon.
A couple of other tidbits: Patrick was filmed in his home recently, dishing out fashion advice for an episode of "What Not to Wear" which will air on The Learning Channel in late July (click on "TLC" at discovery.com). He also has an interview in the August issue of Playgirl, but (sadly) he is not naked. ;)
Check out queerasfans.com for the latest on the 2005 convention. The winner of the poster contest has been chosen, and
Fly Night Club (the original on-location set for "Babylon") is welcoming attendees. Planning a trip to Toronto for Pride this weekend, or just want to check out the city? Visit the facts page for some helpful hints.
June 24, 2004
A full cast list is now available on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) for "Life on the Ledge". Looks like Lewis Helfer, the director (Jennifer Elster's husband), will be playing the lead role of Brian, with Max Meltzer as his alter-ego. Gale Harold plays a character named Chaz. Mark Blum and Tovah Feldshuh play the parents, and Clarie, Brian's love interest, is played by Melissa Sagemiller.
"A Home At The End of the World" (featuring Harris Allan - click here for snapshots) has been chosen as the closing night feature at OUTFEST 2004: The 22nd Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. The screening will be held Monday, July 19th, at 8:00 pm, at the Arclight Cinemas. Tickets are $50.00, and available at the door only. There is an after-party at the Sunset Room. On a more amusing note, GQ magazine printed this story yesterday:
Farrell's Willy Gets the Chop - Colin Farrell's first full frontal movie scene has been cut by film bosses - after test audiences were transfixed by the size of his enormous manhood. The actor stripped off for scenes in upcoming drama A Home At The End Of The World, but after seeing the stunned reaction of viewers at a recent screening, chiefs decided to chop the scene. Unsurprisingly, the news was not well-received by self-loving Farrell, who has demanded the scenes must be included in the DVD release of the film. A source told the Sun: "All you could hear were gasps when Colin appeared in his full frontal pose. The women were over-excited and the men looked really uncomfortable. It was such a sight it made it difficult to concentrate on the plot, so the decision was made to get rid of it." Even director Michael Mayer admits: "It was distracting." In the film, Farrell plays a bisexual man caught in a love triangle. [thanks to Bill for the heads up on this one]
Joey Guerra writes about the Future Babylon Tour which is in full force right now, especially with so many gay pride events taking place this month across the States and in Canada. "The Future Babylon Tour features décor and a performance by the RKM Future Boys, a Miami-based duo known throughout the club community for its cutting-edge style. DJ Tracy Young, who spun at last year's Houston Babylon stop, is again scheduled to man the turntables," writes Guerra. "Also returning to Houston is actor Robert Gant, who plays HIV-positive college professor Ben Bruckner on the series. Gant will ride on the Future Babylon float during the Gay Pride parade on Saturday, and he will be at South Beach to mingle with fans and sign autographs. 'I didn't realize the extent to which this character would be impacting people,' Gant says. 'It's a fine line for me, because I am politically interested, and I have some similarities in that respect to my character. My work is to tell the story of this character and realize that those broader interests will be served.' Guerra also writes that "Gant chose to reveal that he was gay soon after joining the show. 'The standing advice in Hollywood is that you can't be openly gay and a leading man,' Gant says. 'I think I had some nervousness around the fact that playing this part would mean having to confront openly the fact that I'm gay. That was scary, but I think it was exciting at the same time. I got to a place in my life where I was really ready to tell my part of the truth.' 'I know the parade will be fun, (but) ... it's a little embarrassing, I think, to sit up on a float,' Gant says with a slight laugh. 'It's fine. It's a little embarrassing, but it's OK.'"
Here are the remaining dates for the "Midori presents Queer As Folk - Future Babylon Tour":
June 26 ~ Atlanta @ Blu Nightclub
June 27 ~ Houston @ South Beach Nightclub
July 3 ~ Ft. Lauderdale @ Coliseum Nightclub
July 4 ~ Dallas @ Liquid Theatre
July 9 ~ Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
July 10 ~ San Francisco @ Mezzanine
Sep 18 - Prague, CZ @ The Industrial Palace
In an article published yesterday at dailynews.com, Greg Hernandez writes about the gay-themed cable channel " Logo" being launched by MTV Networks, which we first heard about last year, after plans MTV had with Viacom to launch a similar channel fell through. Logo will debut in February on Time Warner and Adelphia cable systems in Los Angeles. Other markets carrying Logo include New York, Boston, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. Joan Garry, the executive director of GLAAD, was part of the management team that launched MTV more than 20 years ago. She believes that MTV Networks has what it takes to ensure this venture suceeds: a strong programming vision, access to distribution, a good-sized budget and comfort in risk-taking. The closest thing to Logo could be Toronto-based PrideVision TV, which calls itself the world's first gay and lesbian television channel. But one of the major differences between Logo and PrideVision is that the Canadian channel can air racy shows unedited. "It's not gay-lite, it's gay," said Jason Hughes, director of sales and marketing for PrideVision TV. "We take risks in our programming. You get a station on a basic tier and you are really watering down the content." While shows such as "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and "Will & Grace" have been successful on basic cable's Bravo network and on NBC, respectively, program standards would prevent Logo from airing unedited versions of subscription-channel shows like "The L Word" and "Queer as Folk." But some of the racier content could appear on a subscriber video on-demand service that Logo will offer. In the interim, the subscription channel's content will be 70 percent movies.
Jeff Giles edits the Art & Entertainment section for Newsweek, and reviewed Spider-Man 2 in the current issue of the publication ("Along Came Spidey"). He took questions from listeners in the "Live Talk" segment, and got this question from Seattle, WA: Is it HOT in that Spidy costume? Jeff replies, "There's actually a funny scene where somebody in an elevator asks Spidey if the suit is uncomfortable and Spidey says it's itchy and rides up in the crotch a bit." The 'somebody', of course, is Hal Sparks (click here to see the video clip I posted last Sunday of Hal's scene). And, if you haven't OD'd on Hal photos already (I posted four site links just yesterday) here are some more from Romantic Movies.com.
From manchesteronline comes this tidbit with a QAF-UK connection: Web Lighting, which provides technicians, generators, lighting and equipment for film and television productions, has recently opened a 9,000 sq ft film stage at its Little Hulton site. Designed to service commercials and corporate films, it is part of the company's drive to create a north west centre of technical excellence for the film and television industry. It already operates one stage on the site, currently being used by the BBC to film its upcoming series, Brief Lives. The company's credits include Dalziel and Pascoe, Queer as Folk, Linda Green and Murphy's Law; dramas such as Oliver Twist and David Copperfield; and films such as Sex Lives of the Potato Men. hee!
June 23, 2004
Just a reminder that the charitable donations for Robert Gant's birthday (July 13th) will be accepted only until July 1st. Money orders can be made out to SAGE and GLEHC. Don't forget to include a birthday wish for Robert. For further information, visit the chat section of RobertGant.com and look in the thread "Bobby's 2004 Bday Presents".
There is a new QAF commercial airing on the Bravo channel for the QAF S4 soundtrack, which features the sequence we usually see during the opening credits of the show, with Burnside's "Cue to the Pulse" playing in the background, but there are some extra clips of Randy, Gale and others.
If you find yourself doing a double-take while watching QAF, you may not be the only one! Several minor characters have been used more than once, and after four seasons, the 'recycling' is becoming somewhat noticeable, as is to be expected on a series like this. For instance, the hot guy with the tattoo who was cruising Brian in the steam room last week (ep.410) is one of the dancers in the opening credits; he has also been a go-go boy in Babylon. The Oncologist at Johns Hopkins who treated Brian (or who at least provided the initial consult in his office) also played the physical therapist who helped Justin with his exercises in episode 201.
Hal Sparks mugs for the camera at the Los Angeles Premiere of "Spider-Man 2" (which hits theaters next Wednesday). Photos are posted at filmmagic.com, gettyimages.com, dailyceleb.com, and RexFeatures.com. You can also catch a quick glimpse of Hal on the Extra video here.
There's a new fan site dedicated to Matt Battaglia, who plays Drew (Emmett's football player boyfriend) for a short run this season. Check out the links for background info on Matt, and letters he has written to fans. Matt says "I chose to do QAF as a way of creating a very interesting character and to stretch my creative talent. I knew that I would have more interest in my career after doing QAF and [hearing] from a different demographic. I hope that it continues and people enjoy my next 3 episodes."
June 22, 2004
Links to the preview scenes from Showtime of episodes 412 and 413 have been added to my media clips page. For those who have access, Showtime has updated their "pressonline" pictures (password required). Again, these are "spoilerish," so if you don't want to know what will happen in advance, don't peek! ;)
The QAF cast interviews are now up at The Advocate website. Be sure to pick up a copy of the magazine for yourself, though, because the online version is usually an edited one.
In Playbill.com's "Harrison Gets Wicked in Broadway Debut," Andrew Gans talks to Randy Harrison about his month-long role on Broadway in "Wicked." Here's an excerpt: When asked whether his "Queer as Folk" co-stars would catch his Wicked run, Harrison said, "If they're in town, I'm sure they'd come see me, [but] they're all L.A.-based." The Showtime series, Harrison added, "has been such a great opportunity. I love all the people I work with." There has been talk that the ground-breaking series will end its run after its fifth season next year. Should that be the case, Harrison would like the ending to "be very melodramatic — maybe I could die in a traumatic accident or get hit by a truck. But I have ridiculous aspirations for the show." As for his plans post-"Queer as Folk," the young actor said, "I'd like to come back to New York, continue doing theatre and film. I just like to work. I love acting, so I'm always happy when I have a job." Read the full article. Visit the Wicked website for a headshot and brief bio of Randy.
June 21, 2004
Pictures of Scott Lowell at the 34th Annual Los Angeles LGBT Pride Parade which took place yesterday on Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood are available on wireimage.com.
The stars turned out for the 2004 MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto last night, including local artists who have collaborated on the various Queer As Folk soundtracks (click here for a list of winners). No word on whether Gale Harold was in attendance. As reported in the July 2003 news archive, the actor was on hand at last year's event, entertaining friends Ian Spencer and Anastasia Simone, directors of Chantal Kreviazuk's "In this life" video, in the MUCH tent. Sporting a General Admission wristband, Gale told fab magazine, "I really love Toronto. I like coming back in the summer. It's great to get out (he's an avid cyclist) and see the city and the people in their best."
Sharon Gless is the subject of the TV Feature story on Zap2it.com, titled "Sharon Gless Takes a Shine to Brassy Image" by Jacqueline Cutler. The actress, who has a strong following among gay men and women going back to her Cagney & Lacey days says, "I would not have the career I have without the gay community." She talks about some of her early jobs before getting into show business, and about her close friend Tyne Daly. She also shares the difficulty she had finding roles as she aged. "I hated my 50s," she says. "When I turned 60 last summer, I thought, Who is going to [insult] a 60-year-old woman? So what if you are not a size 4? Come on, cut me some slack. I am having the best time because I cut myself some slack." About the character of Debbie, she adds, "I've never had so much fun playing a character." [Read the full article]
June 20, 2004
Happy birthday to Peter Paige, who turns 30 today. Happy Father's Day to the dads out there as well.
The cast of QAF are featured in the next Advocate magazine with the cover story "Queer As Folk Confidential." The issue is on sale from 6/22 through 7/6. To see a scan of the cover, click here; to see the inside group shot, click here.
Got a few extra thou laying around? Check out the already pricey goodies at the eBay auction of QAF items... there's a shirt worn by Peter Paige (Emmett); jeans from Gale Harold (Brian); the white scarf worn by Brian and Justin at the prom (sans blood, of course); and a poster of the entire cast.
Click here to see a clip of Hal Sparks in the new Spiderman 2 movie (note: the site has limited bandwidth and you may have to try again later). Hal will be on "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn" this Wednesday, June 23.
Update on the 2004 Scott Lowell convention (per Annie): Because of a recent roll call which removed some registrants and bumped others up from the waiting list, the waiting list for the 2004 Sco-Lo Con is now completely empty. The con itself is still full but more spots are expected to open up over the summer, so if you're interested in attending, go to the convention page and sign up.
June 18, 2004
From the Washington Blade: "When the Toronto Blue Jays take on the Montreal Expos next Friday, June 25, at the Skydome, the giant foam fingers on hands might be a bright shade of pink. That’s because the Blue Jays organization is hosting Gay & Lesbian Community Day during Pride Week in Toronto. The baseball team has been working with Toronto Pride on the event as part of that city’s weeklong slate of activities — one of the largest Gay Pride celebrations in the world. Sharon Gless, who portrays a gay-friendly character on Showtime’s 'Queer as Folk,' will throw the ceremonial first pitch that evening, and gay Canadian Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Mark Tewksbury will be there to present a check to Toronto’s Pride organization on behalf of the Blue Jays."
Concerns are on the rise that legislation may be introduced to put the same regulatory restrictions on cable television operators as there are on broadcasters who use publicly licensed airwaves. In a commentary for Indiana Living, Tom Dorsey writes, "Shows are already being edited and iffy programming put on hold. Stuff that nobody would have given a second thought six months ago is being cut, one cable producer says. The most likely offenders on the expanded basic cable, which most people subscribe to, would be channels such as MTV and maybe Comedy Central. But if the super regulators are saying paying for channels doesn't make any difference, then shows such as 'The Sopranos,' 'Queer as Folk' and 'Deadwood,' which are on premium channels, and others would also have to undergo extreme makeovers." [full story]
In a new article from the Gay People's Chronicle titled HRC diners urged to ‘get the White House away from Bush’, author Kaizaad Kotwal writes about the Human Rights Campaign Columbus dinner on June 12th (attended by Randy Harrison), and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. Despite Kerry’s stance on civil unions and his opposition to gay marriage, he has "the strongest record on GLBT issues of any presidential candidate ever in the history of the United States," according to HRC executive director Cheryl Jacques. The article concludes with this: Randy Harrison, who plays Justin on Showtime’s gay series Queer as Folk, was the special guest of the evening. He had come to address the gathering about the importance of family and community. In an interview before the dinner, Harrison said that he was “here to support HRC” and liked returning to Ohio since he had done his theater schooling in Cincinnati. Harrison said that he is going to do some work for the Kerry campaign now that he is on hiatus from shooting the show. He said he wasn’t thrilled that Kerry had not come out in support of gay marriage, but said that he understood “he was doing it in order to be competitive and win the election."
On another political front...
Canada's Federal Election takes place next Monday, June 28th, and PrideVision TV feels it is vitally important to understand where the major political parties stand on issues that are important to the GLBT community. In an effort to help voters make an informed decision, PrideVision sent an identical email to The Liberal Party, The Conservative Party, The Bloc Québécois, The NDP and The Green Party asking what their party platform was regarding GLBT issues. The two main questions were:
1. What is your party's platform regarding GLBT issues? (i.e. your stance on retroactively providing Canada Pension Plan survivor benefits to same-sex couples, hate crime legislation, gender identity protection under the Canada Human Rights Act)
2. a) Do you support same-sex marriage? and b) Would your party ever consider using the notwithstanding clause to block same-sex marriage?
Click here to read the email and the responses.
June 17, 2004
Tickets are still available for the Queer As Folk - Future Babylon Tour event this Sunday, June 20 at Avalon Hollywood. Scott Lowell and Hal Sparks will host. Visit the Future Babylon site for more details and other tour dates.
Aaron Woodley says that while he is currently working to get Rhinoceros Eyes distributed on video and DVD, it may take a while due to the closing of Madstone Films and Theaters. He promises to post any news on this matter to his website as it becomes available.
Talk to the Hand Because the Face is Watching Five Nights of 'I Love the '90s' in an All-New Ten-Hour Event...
Following on the heels of the record breaking premieres of VH1's "I Love The '70s, '80s and '80s Strikes Back," VH1 is getting jiggy with every aspect of '90s pop culture for "I Love The '90s." The all-new 10-part series offers viewers a completely fresh look at the music, movies, TV shows, products, fashions, fads and major events that helped make the '90s "Da Bomb." "I Love the '90s" premieres Monday-Friday, July 12 to 16, beginning at 9:00 pm each night. A variety of music artists, TV and film stars, athletes, journalists and other celebs come together to dish the dot com decade; Hal Sparks is among them. Read more at yahoo.com.
From Playbill.com: The Actors' Fund, in partnership with Yahoo!, will present Auction of 1000 Stars 2004 next month. The extravagant on-line auction will feature dozens of "celebrity experiences" and memorabilia. Items ranging from "Broadway to Baseball to Hollywood" will be on sale to the highest bidder. Bebe Neuwirth, the Chair of the auction, said in a statement, "With so many tempting celebrity experiences to choose from and unique memorabilia, Auction of 1000 Stars 2004 is unlike any other auction — our list of celebrity participants reads like a Who's Who of the entertainment community." Some of the items up for bid last season included orchestra seats and a backstage visit with the cast of Nine; a visit with the cast of Showtime's "Queer as Folk"; a walk-on part in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera; as well as rare Broadway Playbills, autographed Playbills and photographs and/or books from Pearl Bailey, Lillian Gish, Colleen Dewhurst, Jason Robards, Alec Baldwin, Kathy Bates, Nathan Lane and Sigourney Weaver. [full story]
"America's Professor of Comedy," Mike Parnon, who used to teach a popular comedy course at the University of New Orleans, returns to town for a one-time "Comedy Workshop" June 26, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Martine's, 2347 Metairie Road. Local comic performers can explore Parnon's techniques for comedy writing (using their own life experiences as material), stage presence, honing comedy skills and his advice on "The Road to Hollywood." (Among his "grads" is Hal Sparks, who went from "Talk Soup" to "Queer as Folk.") More info at Nola.com.
"There probably isn't a queer in North America who doesn't know what Pittsburgh's Liberty Avenue looks like. Queer As Folk has made it famous for its non-stop gay action. Sorry, but the real Liberty Avenue looks nothing like the Mecca portrayed on the silver screen. QAF is actually shot in Toronto's gay village, along Church Street." [Actually, we did know that, right?] So what is the real Liberty Avenue like? Read more of this article, written by Michael Q. Resoner, at 365Gay.com to find out.
Tim Goodman examines the viability of Logo, the gay cable channel backed by MTV Networks, in an article titled "Narrow focus could make gay channel a bore" at RelishNow. He writes, "MTV Networks executives, perhaps wary of the initial spotlight and potential for boycotts, say there won't be sex or profanity on Logo. Well, good luck to you there, folks. But it does raise the question - why not? Sex and profanity are all over broadcast television, and they get ratings. Unfortunately, what will be ruled out of the Logo lineup is a chance to cash in on the joys of vertical integration - meaning taking episodes of Queer As Folk and The L Word from sister channel Showtime and giving them a second run."
June 16, 2004
Links to the new Showtime preview scenes from episode 411 have been added to the media clips page.
A few people have been asking about the football player who 'tackled' Emmett in episode 409. The actor's name is Matt (Matteo) Battaglia, born and raised in Georgia. He played pro-ball for the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles as a middle linebacker, and has quite a list of acting credits to his name. Coincidentally, Matt and Robert Gant (Ben) guest starred in the same episode of Friends a few years ago ("The One with Ross's Thing", May 1997). Phoebe couldn't decide between two men she was dating -- a sensitive, muscular fireman (Vince, played by Battaglia) or a sensitive, muscular schoolteacher (Jason, played by Gant).
Sharon Gless ' name is popping up in various movie reviews these days due to her appearance in the 1980 TV movie Revenge of the Stepford Wives, one of the Stepford triumvirate recently completed with the Matthew Broderick-Nicole Kidman remake. The TV cast featured Don Johnson as Officer Andy Brady, Sharon Gless as Kaye Foster, Julie Kavner (the voice of Marge Simpson) as Megan Bradey and Audra Lindley (Three’s Company’s Mrs. Roper) as Barbara Parkinson.
On June 10th, I posted an item about an article written by Matthew Christian titled " The Video Gay Ghetto: Homosexuals are welcome in TV land, so long as they know their role" published at WeeklyDig.com. Mr. Christian has responded to my comments and explained his point of view more fully. While we may not agree on the entertainment value or "watchability" of Queer As Folk, I do see his point about wanting there to be more television shows in general that are truly representative of the gay community, or that feature more relatable characters than the stereotypes that are often presented to us. When I quoted CowLip as saying that the show isn't meant to represent the gay community as a whole, I was in fact echoing the same sentiments as Mr. Christian's article. In his words, "the broadness of gay life never gets shown on TV. Only camera-friendly gay faces and titilating gay storylines ever hit the airwaves. You're welcome to enjoy it. I just wish there were more gay characters on TV that I could relate to, and that don't give my coworkers the impression that I'd naturally like to join them on a foray to a drag bar. Again, it's just not my style." The article published by the Dig (from which I quoted) was cut down from the original slightly by Mr. Christian's editor. The full article can be found here.
June 15, 2004
The Melanie loves Lindsay site reports that Thea Gill is currently working on a Canadian feature film called "18" playing a character named Hannah. The film has an impressive cast, including Ian McKellan, Alan Cumming, Carly Pope and Brendan Fletcher. Thea says, "The director is Richard Bell, a young and very talented guy. My character is a singer in the 1940's and you got it...I sing! I'm nervous but excited and I'm working with Bramwell Tovey, the maestro for the Vancouver Symphony which is a complete honor." CJAD.com reveals this amusing encounter in an article about the film: "Vancouver director Richard Bell didn't have to engage in any wizardry to get Sir Ian McKellen, whose star has risen after playing Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings screen epics, to play the lead in his new film, 18. But a few chance meetings helped immensely. They came together at a Toronto International Film Festival bash and Sir Ian wanted to continue the evening's festivities. With another Vancouver director, Carl Besai, the group piled into McKellen's limo. Sir Ian told the driver to take them to Woody's. Bell, believing McKellen wanted to go to the gay bar used as the location for Queer as Folk's Babylon club, said it was closed due to the lateness of the hour. 'No, Richard, Woody Harrelson's,' McKellen said. And off they went." [read the full article]
Here's more on Robert Gant's film for "POWER UP!" from his official website: Bobby, along with actress Cady Huffman, who originated the role of Ulla in "The Producers" on Broadway, has just finished filming "Billy's Dad is a Fudgepacker." The short film is an homage to 1950's educational films [ed.: reminds me of Mental Hygiene, in which Gale Harold had a very brief appearance]. The movie will premiere in November at POWER Up's annual dinner gala and award ceremony before making the festival circuit.
Some exciting news for Gale Harold fans.... Jennifer Elster teamed up with her Particles of Truth co-star once again this Spring to work on another film in New York City. "Life on the Ledge" is the name of the feature, directed by Jennifer's husband, Lewis Helfer. It's a dark comedy about a guy who wants to die until he finds out that he is actually dying. The main character's alter-ego speaks to him throughout the piece, giving him advice. Broadway star Tovah Feldshuh will also appear in the film. Principal shooting took place in April and May of this year. You may recall that in an interview published at filmstew.com last June, Jennifer talked about this new project and about working with Gale on Particles of Truth. “There’s a nice chemistry between us,” Elster suggests. “There was just a really nice rapport. We have a great relationship and, through this film, a really great friendship has blossomed, which I’m so happy about ... I’m sure we’ll work together again.” This time around, however, Elster will stay behind the scenes, helping her husband produce the film. More details to follow, so stay tuned. Particles of Truth is coming to theaters this Fall, opening in New York on September 17th. The soundtrack and DVD will follow early next year (2005).
Gale isn't the only one who has been busy this hiatus... Logan Hoover (twin brother of Kegan Hoover, and part-time portrayer of Brian's son Gus) is making a movie too. In this week's People magazine (June 21), in the 'StarTracks' section on page 8, is a picture of Vin Diesel, holding a baby, with another child in a carrier on his back. The caption reads, "Baby Weight: Toronto, May 28. On the set of The Pacifier, Vin Diesel, who plays an ex-Navy SEAL turned babysitter, totes his costars, Logan Hoover, 3 and Bo Vink, 10 months." The film, which will be released next year, features a few more familiar faces. Chris Potter, who played Dr. David Cameron on QAF, is Captain Bill Fawcett. Also in the movie is Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls) who worked on "Fathers and Sons", the Showtime movie that also features Gale, playing a doctor named Elliot, which leads us to the next item....
Elliot has updated his Screen Grabs site with new pictures from Season 4. Episodes 1 through 4, as well as 7 and 8, are now up.
Changes have been made to the airdates for Randy Harrison and Hal Sparks' "Issues Over the Rainbow" interviews on Party 93.1 radio. Randy's will air on July 11th, and Hal's will air on August 8th (I've updated the calendar to reflect these dates). The complete list of what's ahead is posted to the IOR upcoming shows page. MarkyG shares his personal story this month, and there is a 2-part series on Gays and Religion, as well as interviews with Margaret Cho and Melissa Etheridge.
Randy Harrison was the guest speaker at the 2004 Human Rights Campaign Columbus Dinner at the Hyatt Regency this past weekend. Keep an eye on the HRC photos page for pictures.
A new interview with Randy has been posted to Outlook News. The actor shares his thoughts on the show, and its effect on viewers. “People say ‘The show is a comfort in my life,’ or ‘I’m isolated and this is something I can watch with my family,’ which surprises me,” he says. “I hear from kids who were suicidal that they felt comforted by the show. So it does do wonderful things. I don’t know that that’s what should be expected from a TV show, sadly. 'No one ever expected The OC or 90210 to drastically change the community of Beverly Hills.'"
From the Comics Continuum at comics2film.com, comes this comment regarding Spiderman 2: "Hal Sparks, one-time Talk Soup host who is a regular on Showtime's Queer as Folk, has a short appearance as an elevator passenger in one of the film's funniest moments." Apparently one of the television commercials for the movie airing right now features a short clip of the elevator scene.
Robert Gant, Jane Lynch and John Wesley Shipp will star in POWER UP!'s 4th Year Grant Program, according to outinflint.com. POWER UP! is the only non-profit organization to finance, produce and distribute members' films through their unique film grant program. Their mission is to promote the visibility and integration of gay women in entertainment, the arts, and all forms of media. For the past three year's POWER UP! has had a film in competition in the Sundance Film Festival. This year's grant recipients are writer Melanie Aswell, and director Leanna Creel for POST GAY starring Jane Lynch, produced by Honey Labrador & Deb Schneider; writer/director Jamie Donahue for BILLY'S DAD IS A ?. starring Robert Gant, produced by Steak Haus & Julie Vizza; and writer/director James Brukhammer for STARCROSSED, starring John Wesley Shipp, produced by Andrea Sperling, Lisa Thrasher & Chris Stenson.
June 10, 2004
For those who like to know what's ahead on QAF, I've added some Showtime preview scenes for episodes 409 and 410 to my media clips page (viewable in both Windows Media Player and RealPlayer). I will be updating with newer interviews and articles shortly, but there is at least a sampling to get you started.
"Making A Difference: Jared Hoffman" is the first of a four-week series celebrating Gay Pride Month, on proudparenting.com. Jared is a student activist at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and was interviewed by Josh Aterovis. In the article, he writes, "This fall, Jared also plans to move in with three of his friends to create a themed quad for GLBTQ Awareness. 'We plan to focus on raising awareness of the gay community on Trinity's campus and we intend to provide a Safe Zone for members of the community to come and feel at ease.' Some of the ways they plan to accomplish this will be through monthly programs including screenings of movies, discussions, and community service opportunities with the Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective. They'll also have weekly viewings of such shows as The L Word and Queer as Folk in their common room, there will be a table with information about coming out and other important issues, and they'll post flyers and host other events." [full story]
Matthew Christian has written an article titled "The Video Gay Ghetto: Homosexuals are welcome in TV land, so long as they know their role" for the WeeklyDig.com. Here's an excerpt: "Showtime's Queer as Folk set the standard for cookie-cutter gay characters. There's the oversexed stud who wants someone to love him for his soul rather than his pectorals. There's the 40-something club kid gone to seed. There's the best friend who keeps getting into abusive relationships. And let's not leave out the fresh-faced college kid who's learning how predatory gay men can be. And what gay clique would be complete without the chunky drag queen with the heart of gold? It's as disingenuous and inauthentic as the 'rainbow of races' seen in so many commercials for toy stores. The characters do have some depth, but no breadth, and that spells pigeonhole." Would someone please tell me what show Mr. Christian is watching? Ron Cowen and Dan Lipman have explained time and again that QAF is not representative of the gay community as a whole -- nor does it aim to be. And as far as the "fresh-faced college kid" Randy Harrison himself has pointed out that Justin was just as 'predatory' as anyone else on the show, if not more so, in the way he went after Brian in the beginning. Certainly Mr. Christian has a right to his opinion, and he may very well watch the show and see the characterizations as stereotypes; but I beg to differ.
Here's some news for the QAF music aficionados from canoe.ca: Although Ambulance Ltd. is the opening act for Matt Mays and El Torpedo Saturday night, it likely won't be long before the group begins headlining shows of its own. Ambulance Ltd. formed four years ago, signed with TVT records, recorded an EP last summer and released its debut album this past April. Since its debut, the group's indie rock sound has ranked second on college radio stations and has garnered positive reviews in Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair. The band has been influenced by a variety of artists, from the Beatles to the Smiths. Vocalist and guitarist Marcus Congleton describes the band's sound: "A lot of our stuff has '70s undertones to it, not so much the punk side, but the indulgent side that punk was rebelling against." Congleton, drummer Darren Becket, guitarist Bengi Lysaght, bassist Matt Dubin and keyboardist Andrew Haskell make up Ambulance Ltd. The band recently performed Heavy Lifting on Conan O'Brien and the track Primitive was included on this week's episode of Queer as Folk (408). Expect to see Ambulance Ltd. on MuchMusic this summer, as they filmed a segment in Brooklyn last month. The group performed last night at Babylon in Ottawa; they're in Montreal tonight, then Toronto and London the following two nights. Visit ambulancenyc.com for clips from the band's new record, and for more tour info.
June 9, 2004
Madstone Films and Madstone Theaters have shut down operations. In a prepared statement delivered Monday, Madstone said simply, "The company was not able to achieve its business goals." Company spokeswoman Erin Owens told indieWIRE that Madstone laid off about 180 people. Chip Seelig and Tom Gruenberg co-founded the company in 1999, but Seelig hadn't been affiliated with the company since February. Madstone Films started a unique initiative to fund first-time directors as they made digital features; the first three filmmakers selected for the program were Lisa Siwe, Joan Stein, and Aaron Woodley. Woodley's film, "Rhinoceros Eyes," which premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival, is the only completed film in the program; it debuted in theaters this spring. The program is also now shut down. Read the full story.
The new Q&A for June is up at scottlowell.com. My favorite is the one where Scott is asked to cast the characters on QAF as 'Looney Tunes' characters. Here's who Scott said he would put in each role (hee!):
Brian: Pepé Le Pew. Michael: Sniffles Mouse. Justin: Henery Hawk. Ted: Elmer Fudd. Emmett: Bugs Bunny. Melanie: Tasmanian Devil. Lindsay: Miss Prissy Hen. Ben: Foghorn Leghorn. Debbie: Yosemite Sam.
Scott is asking fans to check out a friend's website. Her name is Jennifer Foster (www.jenniferfoster.net) and according to Scott (as per his website), "she's a wonderful singer/songwriter friend from Toronto. Her first album 'Speedyhead' is a fave of mine and she's just got a distribution for her latest 'Fit For Mars' (which I also L-O-V-E!). It'd be great for all the ScoLos out there to check her out and dig her groovy fun vibe."
In a review for the Boston Herald, Robert Nesti writes about the play "The Last Sunday in June," presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company, at the Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St. (hmmm... Tremont? LOL!!) in Boston, through July 3. "Just what we need, another gay play," says one of the characters in Jonathan Tolins' "The Last Sunday in June," now having its Boston premiere by the SpeakEasy Stage Company. The difference here is that Tolins, the author of "The Twilight of the Golds" and a writer on the first season of Showtime's "Queer as Folk," gives it a post-modern spin. Throughout this comedy/drama, set on New York Gay Pride day, the characters muse on how much their situation resembles a gay play, specifically "The Boys in the Band,'' the granddaddy of the genre. [Read the full story]
June 8, 2004
Official pictures for the episodes up to and including 411 have been posted to the Showtime pressonline site. There are 4 episode pictures and 4 'behind-the-scenes' pictures for each episode. If you cannot access the site, follow the URL pattern below to see them all:
Episodics:
http://www.sho.com/site/queer/season4/images/episode/episodics/ep401_1.jpg
http://www.sho.com/site/queer/season4/images/episode/episodics/ep401_2.jpg
etc.
Behind the scenes:
http://www.sho.com/site/queer/season4/images/behind/bts_401_1.jpg
http://www.sho.com/site/queer/season4/images/behind/bts_401_2.jpg
etc.
A picture of Hal Sparks hosting the GLAAD awards in San Francisco can be seen here. More pictures from the event are available in the photo gallery on the GLAAD site.
Shawn Postoff, a Canadian filmmaker who is also one of the QAF writers (his most recent story credit was episode 405), won Best Short Film for "Credit Role" at the Flint Film Festival in Michigan this past weekend. The Resolute Pictures site provides this summary: "Two small-time actors debate the merits of watching the credits at the end of a Hollywood flick. They discover that with the right attitude, the uninspired crawl of anonymous names can be transformed into a life-affirming parade of comradeship. Who knew that end credits could be so cathartic?"
The QAF fan fiction archive " Across the Pond" is temporarily unavailable. Updates will be posted at the temporary livejournal site created for that purpose, until the site is back up and running.
The June 2004 issue of Movieline's Hollywood Life magazine includes a mention of the QAF Season 4 premiere parties, on page 12: DRAMA CLUB: The fourth season of the groundbreaking series Queer as Folk received quite a welcome as Showtime and Motorola teamed up to launch a publicity blitz including preview screenings and soirees in six cities across the U.S. Guests were more than happy to party it up on the drama's behalf at NYC's Cobalt Club in the chic Gramercy Park Hotel. Pictures previously posted to wireimage accompanied the entry (Kyan Douglas, Lady Bunny and Michelle Clunie; Randy Harrison and Motorola's David Pinsky). There is also a picture of Hal Sparks at the Johnnie Walker Gold event on page 18 (caption: Queer as Folk's Hal Sparks sees gold people).
June 7, 2004
Boston.com news reports that an estimated 10,000 people turned out at the Esplanade yesterday for the 19th AIDS Walk & 5K Run, which raised more than $1 million for HIV and AIDS prevention and services, according to organizers. State Public Health Commissioner Christine C. Ferguson, stand-up comic Margaret Cho, and actor Scott Lowell made remarks before the 6.2-mile walk. [full story]
The Toronto Star reports that this fall, Citytv and, south of the border, the TBS network are going to start running " family friendly versions" of Sex And The City every weekday around the supper hour. Linwood Barclay writes, "All the stations will have to do, to make the adventures of Carrie and Miranda and Charlotte and Samantha palatable for early evening viewing when children may be watching, is remove or tone down references to sexually provocative subject matter. Not only will this make the show go a lot more quickly, it'll allow for plenty more commercials. If they can present Sex And The City without the sex, there's no reason the following shows can't be edited to satisfy all sensibilities..." The author goes on to list shows like The Sopranos and Sunday Night Sex Show, and says this for QAF: "Queer As Folk: Terrific! Great characters, interesting situations, an absolutely perfect kind of show for the dinner hour, once you remove any references to gays and lesbians or any other gender-related issues." I think I'll pass! [full story]
"Wicked," the Broadway musical in which Randy Harrison will be performing this summer, took home three prizes at the Tony Awards Sunday night, including the actress-musical award for its green witch played by Idina Menzel, who acknowledged she had once played Dorothy in a fourth-grade school production of "The Wizard of Oz." The musical's other awards were for its opulent sets (Eugene Lee) and costumes (Susan Hilferty). Reports Variety.com, top honors went to "Avenue Q" and its "clan of perky puppets".
June 6, 2004
Out.com has a few pictures of the QAF cast from the Season 4 Premieres, March 31–April 14, 2004, sponsored by Motorola, on their "Scene" page: Michelle Clunie and Peter Paige at the San Francisco premiere, April 7; Hal Sparks and ABC News’ Diana Paymer in Chicago, April 2; Randy Harrison and Motorola’s David Pinsky in New York City, March 31; and Robert Gant and costar Harris Allan at the Los Angeles premiere, April 14.
The 15th Annual GLAAD Media Awards were held in San Francisco last night (June 5) at the Westin. Hal Sparks hosted the event, and Wanda has posted a recap of her experience over on Hal's Lair, along with a photo of Hal with Joan Garry, Executive Director of GLAAD, taken right after the banquet and before the after-party. She writes, "The awards banquet was attended by over 700 persons. To start, they showed a clip of television and other media nominees, and Queer as Folk was represented by Hal and Robert Gant as "Michael" and "Ben," plus a quick shot of Sharon Gless. As host, Hal opened the proceedings with a lengthy comedy monologue that was heavy on political potshots at the Bush administration's anti-gay agenda." There are photos available on wireimage.com, filmmagic.com, and getty images.
From the Daily News - TV: Sparks warms to young 'folk', by Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith: "Queer As Folk" star Hal Sparks says the addition of a baby to the series cast this season required adjustment. "That's right---a crying infant, ladies and gentleman! Just when you thought the days couldn't get any longer," quips the comic/actor. Sparks says he loves children and did his best to bond between scenes with the twin infants being used on the show to portray his and Melanie's offspring. "It makes the scene go much smoother and it makes their experience less shocking. They don't start crying the minute Mom hands them off to me. Instead of, 'Who's this weirdo?' It's, Oh, I know him, he's a friend, we play." Unfortunately, Sparks says, the babies he has bonded with won't be around next season. He explains: "Each season starts three or four days after the last one, which means we'll need new babies altogether. These will be much too big by then. People would be like, "How come the kid has a pituitary disorder? In three days, the child has quadrupled in size!"
Thea Gill was the celebrity host at a Gay Day event in Orlando at Walt Disney World last night, as over 2,500 girls took over the state-of-the-art House of Blues venue at Downtown Disney to dance the night away with Circuit Sensation DJ Pride, Go-Go girls, acoustic bands on the patio and a special live show. More information available at the Girls in Wonderland site.
June 3, 2004
People en Espanol's hottest and most-anticipated issue came to life at the magazine's 3rd annual "50 Most Beautiful" gala held on Wednesday, May 19th at Splashlight Studios in New York City. The magazine transformed its best-selling issue into a star-studded celebration featuring some of today's hottest and most talented Hispanic celebrities and featured a musical performance by Luis Fonsi. In attendance was Robert Gant, one of the most beautiful (of course!) and there are a couple of photos posted to the gallery on his website. On a 'corrective' note, Bobby will be featured in the August/September issue of Estylo Magazine in a fashion spread, and not in the June/July issue as was previously reported.
Harris Allan has answered a slew of questions posed by fans at his message board. You can read his answers in the Q&A thread at the Harris Hideaway.
Queer as Folk UK, the revolutionary British series that started it all, is back on PrideVision TV in Canada for a special 5 week run! Tune in Fridays at 10:00pm EST / 7:00pm PST beginning tomorrow, June 4.
June 1, 2004
Mel Karmazin resigned today as president and COO of Viacom (owner of Showtime Networks). Tom Freston and Leslie Moonves have been appointed Co-Presidents and Co-Chief Operating Officers, effective immediately. It is expected that Chairman and CEO Sumner Redstone, 81, will relinquish his role as chief executive within three years. For more information, here is the Viacom press release.
Scott Lowell will be participating in the AIDS Action Committee of Massachussetts' Walk & 5K Run, Save Tomorrow, Walk Today on Sunday, June 6, 2004. On June 20, Scott will be in the Los Angeles Pride Parade (warning: Website has LOUD music!) and will sign autographs at a "Meet & Greet" booth following the parade.
July 13th is Robert Gant's birthday, and as a special gift to the actor, representatives from his website "Be The Change" are accepting donations for two of Robert's favorite organizations: SAGE (Senior Action in a Gay Environment) and GLEHC (The Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing Corporation). SAGE is the nation's oldest and largest social service and advocacy organization dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) senior citizens. GLEHC is a non-profit organization dedicated to building and operating high-quality affordable residential communities which provide a safe nurturing environment that supports the well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender older adults. Robert is passionately involved in both organizations. Fans can donate funds in the form of money orders, payable DIRECTLY to SAGE and GLEHC, by July 1st. The donations will then be made, in Robert's name, to both organizations. A list of participants will be sent to Robert, along with any birthday wishes fans would like to add. For further information, including the address where donations can bet sent, visit robertgant.com.
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