"Kate Winslet has gone off the rails. Jesus, girl, it's just an Emmy."—Sandra Bernhard tweets her reaction to Winslet's Emmy win. While I echo her thoughts, I don't believe Miss Sandi has ever been invited to the Emmys, let alone been nominated for one. Just keepin' it real...
I'm in a little bit of a funk this week. Maybe it's the inevitable letdown after all the Emmy revelry. Maybe it's being back in Hollywood after so long, or maybe the doctor is right and I do need to take that second pill each day. Whatever—you certainly didn't drop by to hear me ramble incessantly (but if you want to, check out Billy's Boudoir on BillyMasters.com ). This column is where I get to amuse myself—and, hopefully, you.
And we've got some important news to cover. Like what? Like the city of West Hollywood proclaiming Oct. 29 as "Go-Go Dancer Appreciation Day." There are times I'm proud to live in WeHo—but that has nothing to do with this story. I did actually learn something by reading the press release. Did you know that the first go-go dancers of record were at the Whisky A Go-Go club on the Sunset Strip? I have no idea if this is true, but it was in a press release and that's good enough for me. I'm all about capturing the zeitgeist rather than the minutiae, anyway. Mayor John Duran stated, "We have more go-go dancers per square mile than any other city in America and it's time we celebrated their efforts and hard work." Coming soon: "Crystal Meth Addict Appreciation Day"
In a related story, former gay porn superstar Ryan Idol has been convicted of attempted murder. This stemmed from an incident back in 2009 that involved his former girlfriend and a porcelain toilet tank lid. ... I trust I don't need to draw you a picture. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 9. While this is not the first time someone's accused Ryan of an attack, it does appear to be his first conviction. I always knew Idol lacked convictions.
Turning to happier news, we hear that Rosie O'Donnell has a new girlfriend. She met Michelle Rounds a few months ago at a Starbucks and they've been inseparable ever since. They went public at the annual Rosie Theater Kids Gala in NYC last week and it must be serious. When onstage, Rosie quipped, "I just bought a red bra ... with the underpants that match and everything."
We covered oodles of TV with our Emmy column, so I wanted to shine a light on my first love. Since he's in the witness protection program, we'll focus on my second love—the theatre. Given the success of Hairspray, Catch Me If You Can, Legally Blonde and many other musicals that films inspired, it's no surprise that loads of similar shows are in the works. Let's start with the musical version of Sleepless in Seattle. This has been in development for a few years and last week there was a workshop in L.A. I was thrilled that my pal Marissa Jaret Winokur took on the role played by O'Donnell in the flick. (When asked about the casting, Ro said, "Perfect!"). The bad news is that attendees were less than enthusiastic. This is the third reading, but by no means the last.
The Broadway production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert continues to pack 'em in night after night. Last week, Victor Willis from The Village People was spotted in the audience—tickled to see such a great reaction to the stage rendition of "Go West." The enduring affection for the Village People's music will likely be in full-force since 2012 will mark the group's 35th anniversary. To celebrate, the boys are kicking off a new tour at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas Nov. 9-20. Of course, Willis won't be there—he was replaced by Ray Simpson in 1979. Other replacements include Jeff Olson, who took over for my bon ami Randy Jones in 1980, and Eric Anzalone, who joined in 1995, replacing Glenn Hughes. However, Felipe Rose, Alexander Briley and David Hodo are still in the band, which is OK by me. You can get more info about this event and the tour at OfficialVillagePeople.com .
Remember when I told you about Kathleen Turner playing a nun in the play High? If so, you may recall my gushing over her smolderingly sexy co-star, Evan Jonigkeit, who in addition to showing off his considerable acting abilities has no problem producing his ponderous appendage nightly. You may have been sad to have missed out on that. Well, you're in luck—Kat and Evan are headlining a national tour of the play. First stop is Boston's Cutler Majestic Theatre Dec. 6-11. Now there are numerous chances for me to get visual proof of my allegations.
Our appropriate "Ask Billy" question comes from Len in New York: "I heard that there's some gay-porn scandal connected with the soaps. What is that about?"
There are numerous connections between the porn and soap world. Many soap actors—past and present—have turned up in both gay and straight porn. However, the story you're likely talking about is a difficult one for me to write. I adore Katherine Kelly Lang, the woefully underappreciated Brooke on The Bold and the Beautiful. Her 21-year-old son, Jeremy Skott Snider, has acted on the soap, worked as a production assistant and done some modeling—where he claims to be against shooting nudes. But that didn't stop him from turning up on SeanCody.com as "Nick" for a solo scene and an allegedly "first time bottoming" scene. (For the first time, he seemed to take to it like ... well, like a bottom.) I am sure this is causing Kat great pain—certainly more pain than it seemed to cause Jeremy/Nick! You can see exactly what I'm talking about in the pics and video on BillyMasters.com .
When Ryan Idol is preparing for the musical version of Powertool, it's definitely time to end yet another column. That last bit certainly got me out of my funk—funny what a little sex can do. For a little more, head on over to www.BillyMasters.com, the site that always delivers. If you need some personal attention, just write me at Billy@BillyMasters.com and I promise to get back to you before Hallmark comes up with a card for "Go-Go Dancer Appreciation Day"! Until next time, remember, one man's filth is another man's bible.
