Singer Ricky Martin has been offered the role of Che Guevara in the Broadway production of Evita but he has not yet accepted, according to the New York Post. Elena Roger, who hails from Argentina, will play the title role in the revival, which was first produced in London in 2006. The original production last ran on Broadway 1979-1983 after 1,567 performances; Patti LuPone starred as Eva "Evita" Peron, Mandy Patinkin was Guevara and Bob Gunton was Juan Peron, according to Wikipedia.org .
The Feast of Stephen, James Franco's movie adaptation of Anthony Hecht's gay poem of the same name, won a Teddy Award at the Berlin Film Festival for excellence in queer cinema, according to Movieline.com . The silent black-and-white short, which is filled with nudity, traces a young man's daydream from a New York basketball court to a beating in Central Park.
Out singer Clay Aiken spoke at a Feb. 27 Human Rights Campaign gala at North Carolina's Raleigh Convention Center, according to NewsObserver.com . HRC provided a speechwriter to help the American Idol alumnus, but he decided to write his own words; Aiken said the original speech was too political, and included a slam of former President George W. Bush. In part, Aiken said, "'Some of you thought, when you saw my name on the billing tonight, 'It's about damn time.' ... The decision to talk openly about your sexuality is a really difficult and confusing one. And I know that, sometimes I think, more than anybody. But I also know the power and truth of living honestly is very liberating," according to MetroWeekly.com .
In California, pro basketball team the Golden State Warriors will hold its first "gay night" March 11 when the team hosts the Portland Trail Blazers, according to Outsports.com . The event—organized in part by the San Francisco Gay Basketball Association—will include a halftime show by Cheer SF and the Oakland East Bay Gay Men's Chorus performing the national anthem.
Lindsay Lohan said told the British tabloid The Sun that she'll never love another woman if things don't work out with DJ Samantha Ronson, according to an Advocate.com item. Lohan said, "If I wasn't with Samantha, I would probably be with a boy next. She's the only woman I've been attracted to." She added that Ronson's family did not approve of her.
In her upcoming reality show The Price of Beauty, Jessica Simpson circles the globe with friends Ken Paves and CaCee Cobb—and discover that different cultures have varying ideas of beauty, People.com reported. Among the places they visit are France ( where they visit a Parisian fashion house ) to Uganda, where brides are kept in "fattening huts" for two months so they can gain more weight and be more beautiful.
Rostam Batmanglij, the keyboardist/guitarist for the rock band Vampire Weekend, has come out of the closet to Out magazine, according to SPIN magazine. Among other things, Batmanglij said that he hoped "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend," a song by side project Discovery, would become a gay anthem. He also talked about the Vampire Weekend song "Diplomat's Son," which includes the lyrics "That night I smoked a joint / With my best friend / We found ourselves in bed / When I woke up he was gone."
Kathy Griffin takes on a rare dramatic role when she plays a lesbian activist on the NBC series Law & Order: SVU March 3, according to Zap2It.com . She reportedly kisses Detective Olivia Benson ( played by Mariska Hargitay ) in the episode entitled "P.C.," which focuses on another lesbian who dies from a neck wound.
Pop singers Ke$ha and Adam Lambert struck a friendly chord at a party at Providence, a gay New York City nightclub, according to PlanetOut.com . Both singers have described their sexual orientation as "alternative," although Lambert kissed Ke$ha several times while they partied. Lambert told a radio show the next morning, "It's an energy thing. She's really pretty, we were laughing, and we just started kissing." He added that she tasted of "Goldschläger and maple syrup."
The Los Angeles Coroner's Office has found that the late actress Brittany Murphy did not abuse drugs or alcohol and was not excessively thin, according to People.com . The final report stated that the Clueless actress had "elevated levels" of Vicodin and over-the-counter drugs in her system but there were no illegal substances. Also, she measured 65 inches ( 5'5" ) and weighed 115 pounds. Murphy was found in her home Dec. 20.
Out actor Neil Patrick Harris is reportedly playing a very devious character when he guest-stars on the hit TV series Glee, according to E! Online. Harris is rumored to be on an episode that will air in late spring. ( Also, Molly Shannon is rumored to turn up as an enemy of Sue, played by out actress Jane Lynch. ) In related Glee news, the cast is headed for the White House to perform April 5 at the annual Easter egg roll.
Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe has filmed a public-service announcement on behalf of The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization that helps LGBTQ youths, according to MTV.com . "It's something I've always been quite passionate about," Radcliffe said. "Because I grew up around gay men, it was always a natural thing to me. It was never something I ever gave a second thought to." Radcliffe added that there will soon be a Trevor Project iPhone app. Trained counselors are available 24/7 at 866-4-U-TREVOR ( 488-7386 ) .
Openly gay Internet gossip columnist Perez Hilton passed a lie-detector test In Touch magazine administered to him, the publication reported. Hilton claimed that embattled singer John Mayer told him that Mayer had oral sex with a man. Polygraph examiner John Grogan said, "We tested him several times, on the same questions, and he passed multiple times."
Pamela Anderson, Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater Evan Lysacek, reality-TV vet Kate Gosselin and actress Shannen Doherty are among the celebrities set to mambo on ABC's Dancing with the Stars starting March 22, according to MTV.com . Others competing on the show that gives its champion a mirror-ball trophy are The Insider's Niecy Nash; the most recent Bachelor, Jack Pavelka; astronaut Buzz Aldrin; British actor Aiden Turner; football player Chad Ochocinco; lead Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger; and sports reporter Erin Andrews.
