The show RuPaul's Drag Race will refrain from using an anti-trans slur in the wake of controversy, according to The Huffington Post. During a mini-challenge on the show titled "Female or She-male," contestants were asked to identify whether a photo showed a cisgender ( non-trans ) woman or a former "Drag Race" contestant after viewing a cropped portion of the photo. Some transgender people claimed that the segment was transphobic, as "she-male" is considered by many to be a violent word used against trans bodies and lives. Logo apologized, saying it won't use the term any more—and will remove the "You've got she-mail" intro from new episodes.
The Tony Awards Administration Committee has announced that Rosie O'Donnell will receive the 2014 Isabelle Stevenson Award at the event June 8, according to Broadway World. The Isabelle Stevenson Award is presented annually to a member of the theater community who has made a substantial contribution of volunteered time and effort on behalf of one or more humanitarian, social service or charitable organizations. O'Donnell will be presented with the 2014 Isabelle Stevenson Award for her commitment to arts education for New York City's public school children. In 2003, Rosie's For All Kids Foundation launched Rosie's Broadway Kids, now known as Rosie's Theater Kids ( RTKids ).
Days after troubled couple Johnny Weir and Victor Voronov agreed to call off their divorce, more details of the pair's reconciliation have been revealed, according to the New York Post. Voronov wanted Weir to publicly apologize for trashing him in the media and to keep his mother away from their marriage. Weir, for his part, wants a detailed explanation of what Voronov considers cheating. The agreement also reportedly calls for biannual joint STD tests and specifies how the couple's assets will be split should they eventually divorce.
HBO has renewed Game of Thrones for the fifth and sixth seasons, according to a press release. Based on the best-selling fantasy book series by George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones is an epic story of treachery and nobility set on the continent of Westeros. It launched its 10-episode fourth season April 6.
Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway is a theatrical production at New York City's St. James Theatre. According to the New York Daily News, although it's centered around the legendary Cotton Club, there are no Black gangsters—reportedly because Allen wanted it that way. Allen, who also has been criticized for not featuring many gay people in his films, was there throughout the casting period, sources said.
Janis Joplin fans hoping to hear Broadway renditions of the blues-rock belter's biggest hits—as well as a "lost" Joplin tune—in a more intimate theater will have to wait, according to a Rolling Stone item. Producers of A Night with Janis Joplin, which opened in October, are indefinitely delaying its off-Broadway opening due to "production issues." The show—which was supposed to re-open in Manhattan's Gramercy Theatre—stars Mary Bridget Davies as the rock icon and presents what its website calls a "musical journey celebrating Janis and her influences."
War Horse star Jeremy Irvine has been set to star in the gay-rights film Stonewall, which openly gay director Roland Emmerich will helm, according to Deadline. Scripted by Jon Robin Baitz, the film is about the June 28, 1969, police raid at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, a mafia-owned bar that was a gathering place for gay and transgender individuals. The event became the flashpoint for the gay-rights movement; Emmerich plans to focus on a young man's political awakening in the backdrop of those riots.
EastSiders—a critically acclaimed dark comedy starring Van Hansis ( Daytime Emmy nominee for As the World Turns ) and Kit Williamson ( Mad Men ) as a gay couple trying to stay together in the aftermath of infidelity—has announced that the series will return for a second season, according to a press release. The production launched a Kickstarter campaign to finance the show on April 14, and will be making additional casting announcements and releasing behind-the-scenes videos shortly.
The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles ( www.gmcla.org ) announced that Lance Bass and NCIS star Pauley Perrette will co-host the 3rd annual Voice Awards, according to a press release. Among this year's honorees are India's Crown Prince Manvendra, the world's first openly gay royal; charitable couple Brian Pendleton and Chad Goldman; the Montgomery Family, the subject of the documentary Families Are Forever; and the coalition Uprising of Love. The event will take place May 3 at The Globe Theater.
SiriusXM announced it will launch The Outfield—a new weekly sports talk show on SiriusXM OutQ, Sirius XM's 24/7 channel for the LGBT community, according to a press release. Sports broadcaster Eddie Robinson will host the live call-in show, which will feature interviews with LGBT athletes and LGBT allies as they discuss sports, fitness and the advancement of openly gay athletes competing in sports at all levels. Guests for the debut program ( April 13 ) included Loyola University Chicago coach Sheryl Swoopes and public-relations expert Howard Bragman.
Actress, television star and renowned transgender advocate Laverne Cox is coming to San Diego to be the keynote speaker for San Diego Pride's annual Spirit of Stonewall Rally and flag raising this summer, according to a press release. The rally will be held Friday, July 18, adjacent to the Hillcrest Pride Flag at the corner of University Avenue and Normal Street. The Spirit of Stonewall Rally and flag-raising will serve as the official kickoff of this year's 40th Anniversary San Diego LGBT Pride Weekend.
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment plans to release The Rodgers & Hammerstein Blu-ray Collection on May 6, according to Broadway World. This Amazon-exclusive collection will feature six of the 15-time Academy Award-winning movie musicals by the Oscar- Tony- Pulitzer- Grammy- and Emmy-winning team of Rodgers & Hammerstein, including Best Picture winner The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, The King and I, South Pacific, State Fair and Carousel. Bonus materials include a sing-a-long version of The King and I for die-hard musical-theater lovers, and more than an hour of behind-the-scenes features for Oklahoma!
Adam Lambert took to Twitter to dish details on his forthcoming new album, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Lambert has been cooking up the new tunes in Sweden with producer Max Martin and a team of songwriters. The American Idol alum also addressed an annoyance of his: fans who write it's "so sad he's gay." Lambert said such statements are "indirectly offensive.#realtalk" He added, ""I will not be defined or victimized by my orientation. Hallelooooooo! It ain't a DISABILITY!! It's just a disposition ya'll."
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama recently attended a performance of the revival of A Raisin In The Sun at New York City's Ethel Barrymore Theatre, according to Deadline. This latest version of the revered 1959 Lorraine Hansberry play stars Denzel Washington in the Oscar and Tony winner's first return to Broadway since 2010's Fences. The Kenny Leon-directed and Scott Rudin-produced play sees A Raisin In The Sun return to the very theater where it first opened more than 50 years ago.
Despite rumors that the YMCMB label recently signed openly gay hip-hop artist Fly Young Red, Cash Money Records rapper and president Mack Maine took to Twitter to dispel the claims, HipHopDX.com noted. Maine posted, "I don't know if this is a publicity stunt but we ( YMCMB ) haven't signed any new artist recently....Love." Fly Young Red also posted it was a rumor.
In Utah, a loyal subscriber has written a letter of complaint after not being warned about a kiss between two male characters in Pioneer Theatre Company's production of Deathtrap, Ira Levin's 1978 murder mystery, according to Advocate.com . The woman wrote that she was "disgusted and infuriated" by the play's "brazen homosexual content," particularly because she brought her teenage son to the show. After giving the subscriber a refund, the Salt Lake City theater company posted the letter anonymously on its Facebook page along with its letter of response.
Investors are suing Rubin Singer—the fashion designer who, among other things, made Beyonce's body suit for her Super Bowl halftime show—claiming that he stiffed them, The New York Daily News noted. The 35-year-old couture creator is in trouble for blowing $560,000 in seed money to support an "extravagant lifestyle," according to a Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit. One lender, Michael Lehr of San Francisco, says he used his personal credit card to loan Singer $160,000 to stay afloat only to have his credit ruined when the designer failed to pay him back.
Speaking of Beyonce, two Cook County ( Ill. ) women are suing her, the United Center and Live Nation, saying they were trampled on their way into one of the entertainer's recent Chicago concerts, according to The Chicago Tribune. Raquel Castellanos and Gabriella Davidson were near the front a large group of premium general admission ticket holders on Dec. 13, 2013; another gate was later opened without explanation, prompting the crowd to shift and leading to the two being trampled, according to the lawsuit. Castellanos broke her ankle and Davidson was knocked unconscious, their attorney said.
Flamboyant rockers KISS, singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel, grunge band Nirvana, the E Street Band and chart-toppers Hall and Oates entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame April 10, although the original KISS quartet did not perform, according to The Chicago Tribune. The New York Daily News noted that for Nirvana's induction, Joan Jett sang lead with the band on "Smells Like Teen Spirit" while Lorde sang "All Apologies." Inductee Linda Ronstadt was absent due to her battle with Parkinson's disease while Yusef Islam ( formerly Cat Stevens ) also did not attend.
NBA Hall of Famer Bill Russell said that gay athletes' current fight for equality and acceptance reminds him of some of the same struggles Black athletes faced in the 1960s, according to The Huffington Post. Russell—who won 11 NBA championships with the Boston Celtics—said talk about whether gay athletes can be good teammates or if they might disrupt locker rooms are the same questions Black athletes heard years ago, when colleges and professional leagues were struggling with the concept of integration.
The League of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association ( CSOA ) will celebrate its 25th annual Corporate Night on Monday, June 16, at 7:30 p.m. with special guest Melissa Etheridge performing with members of the CSO, led by conductor Sean O'Loughlin. Etheridge has released a new anthem, "Uprising of Love," which was the inspiration for a new coalition by the same name. All of the proceeds from the song go toward the organization, which supports the safety and dignity of LGBT Russians.
North London's 326-seat, not-for-profit Almeida Theater was the runaway winner at the 2014 Olivier Awards, along with the West End version of the Broadway hit The Book of Mormon, according to Variety. The Almeida and Headlong co-production of Lucy Kirkwood's new play Chimerica"netted five awards—the largest haul of the night—plus three for Richard Eyre's production of Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts. "Mormon" won the award for Best New Musical. Best Actor in a Musical went to Gavin Creel, Stephen Ashfield won Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his highly praised turn as Elder McKinley, and Casey Nicolaw won for Best Choreography.
O'Shea "Ice Cube" Jackson vented his frustration after the trophy for Best Onscreen Duo went to late actor Paul Walker and Fast & Furious 6 costar Vin Diesel at the 2014 MTV Movie Awards, US Magazine reported. The controversy started when Ice Cube claimed the Best Onscreen Duo award only went to Walker, who died last November in a car crash, as part of a "sympathy" vote by fans. After fans tweeted their outrage, the actor-rapper later tweeted, "Re: The MTV Awards. I wasn't really mad we didn't win. I would never diss the actors who won. Not even Paul Walker."
Speaking of Paul Walker, the people behind Fast and Furious 7 have hired his two brothers, Caleb and Cody, as Walker's body doubles, allowing the team to wrap up shooting on the actor's final film in the franchise, according to MTV.com . Universal wrote on Facebook, "The FAST & FURIOUS saga is about family. The characters are connected by the bond of family, and it is how all of us who have worked together for more than thirteen years feel about each other."
Beyonce joining her sister Solange on stage was just one of the many highlights at this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which took place in Indio, Calif., according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Also, the most anticipated show on the Coachella bill was probably the first major comeback gig for the celebrated Atlanta hip hop duo Outkast ( Andrew 3000 and Big Boi ) since 2002. Other performers include Lorde, Pharrell Williams ( whose set had guest appearances from Gwen Stefani and Snoop Dogg, among others ) and The Pixies.
A pair of rhinestone earrings Marilyn Monroe wore to a 1955 Hollywood film premiere have sold at auction for $185,000, according to an ABC News item. Julien's Auctions said in a statement that the actress wore the jewelry when she attended the opening of The Rose Tattoo. Monroe did not appear in the film, which is based on a Tennessee Williams play.
The acclaimed documentary God Loves Uganda will premiere on Independent Lens May 19 on PBS, according to a press release. The movie explores the role of the U.S. evangelical movement in Uganda, where U.S. missionaries have been credited with both creating schools and hospitals as well as promoting religious bigotry. The film also records the tense atmosphere of fear created when the Anti-Homosexuality Act, which passed in February, wins widespread support.
Good Morning America's Robin Roberts recently opened up about some of the reactions she got when she came out as gay, according to The Huffington Post. In a new interview with Good Housekeeping, Roberts said she was overjoyed by many of the responses, but that there was also some criticism from people who asked why she hadn't disclosed her 10-year relationship with her girlfriend earlier. ( Roberts responded, "News flash: Some people like their anonymity. This is what's right for me." ) She made headlines when she came out in a Facebook post last December, and subsequently talked about her longtime girlfriend Amber on air.
Sony Masterworks and superstar Dolly Parton will celebrate Record Store Day on Saturday, April 19, with the release of a limited seven-inch vinyl, according to a press release. The blue vinyl features two tracks from Parton's upcoming album Blue Smoke: "Blue Smoke" and "Home." The album will be released May 13.
Annie Baker's The Flick—a highly polarizing drama that prompted an abundance of head-scratching and some audience walkouts during its off-Broadway run last year—has won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for drama, the L.A. Times reported. The three-hour play follows the employees of a single-screen movie theater as they clean, converse and otherwise pass the time silently in front of the big screen. This year's finalists in the Pulitzer drama category were The ( curious case of the ) Watson Intelligence, by Madeleine George; and the musical Fun Home, with book and lyrics by Lisa Kron, and music by Jeanine Tesori. The award comes with a $10,000 monetary prize.
A New York state judge ruled that a lawsuit claiming Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc tried to undercut a business partner's relationship with pet products retailer PetSmart Inc can proceed, according to The Chicago Tribune. New York-based Age Group, which manufactures and licenses products for distribution, sued Martha Stewart Living last year in state court in Manhattan for breach of contract and other claims.
