THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

Tyler Perry is a strong Black woman—when he's cross-dressing as his popular Madea character, that is, in movies like Diary of a Mad Black Woman. In fact, so successful is he at playing the mouthy matriarch that he may now be the country's most successful drag queen. Madea may have met her match, however, with the news that the consummately fierce Angela Bassett has been cast in Perry's next comedy, Meet the Browns. Plot-wise, it's another in Perry's assembly line of plain-folks-who-triumph stories, with Bassett as a single mom who travels from Chicago to Georgia for the funeral of her estranged father. She gets introduced to the wacky titular clan and even finds romance along the way. Perry will co-star as both Madea and Uncle Joe, in addition to writing and directing. Audiences will Meet the Browns in early 2008.

Rosie Perez Puts on The Ritz

Rita Moreno created one of her signature roles as ditzy cabaret singer Googie Gomez in the original 1970s production of gay playwright Terrence McNally's hilarious comedy The Ritz, about a straight man hiding out from mobsters in a gay bathhouse. Now it looks like another Latina legend will be sinking her teeth into the part—Puerto Rican dynamo Rosie Perez is slated to play Googie in a revival of the show, which will co-star Tony nominee Kevin Chamberlin ( Seussical, Heroes ) . Previews begin at Studio 54 on Sept. 14, under the guidance of gay director Joe Mantello. And with any luck, the hoopla surrounding this revival will lead to a long-awaited DVD release of the 1976 film version, also starring Moreno.

Chorus Line Revival Captured in New Documentary

The 1970s Broadway smash A Chorus Line returned to the stage last year for a 21st-century revival, and cameras were there to capture every step of the difficult audition process, which featured some 1,700 dancers vying for a handful of roles. That footage is being turned into a new documentary set to arrive in theaters in May 2008, when the national tour of the Broadway revival will begin. Producers of the film are excited about the story they have to tell. Avoiding the reality-TV humiliation approach to auditions, the documentary reportedly captures the journey of professional dancers, and the highs and lows that come with looking for work in the competitive field of Broadway. ( Not for nothing is the show's opening number called 'I Hope I Get It.' )

Yes, It's Another Another Gay Movie

If there were three American Pie movies ( not counting the made-for-DVD installments ) , why shouldn't the even more sexually outrageous Another Gay Movie get another go-round? Another Gay Movie 2: Gays Gone Wild! goes before the cameras in September. Gay ( and gay ) writer-director Todd Stephens ( Edge of Seventeen , Gypsy 83 ) returns for another bawdy turn, which sends his queer quartet of heroes to Florida for spring break, where they'll enter the 'Gays Gone Wild' contest to see who can snag the most booty. Complications arise in the form of evil gay frat boys, as well as large and ferocious, er, 'panty crickets.' ( These movies are hilarious, but they aren't known for their subtlety or good taste. ) Look for the sequel to be finished in time for 2008's queer film-festival circuit.

Romeo San Vicente went to Florida for spring break once, and came home with 43 phone numbers and a horrible sunburn. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com .