Features

It was the best of times; it was the silliest of times. From oil spills to Lindsay Lohan, the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day was filled with California Gurls, soccer boys and people trying to implant ideas into our dreams. But, like all good things, summer must come to an end. It’s time to graduate to fall and all its exciting new delights. continue reading »

After a long summer of beat bruises, chord concussions and Auto-tune ass kicking, has one champion has become the queen of our big old gay summer? Depends on who you ask…  
 
As August wraps up we can finally look back and say, “Phew! That was a crazy summer!” Of course, some of you are going to stretch summer out to the end of September with trips to the shore or Fire Island. But you know you’re kidding yourself, right? School’s back in session, the leaves are going to start turning and soon enough you’ll weep for summer’s departure. In the meantime let’s crown a Song of the Summer.
 
Song of the Summer is always an annual battle to the blistery, sunburnt death. But one song was “toned, tanned and ready”—and stood out as undeniable this summer. We called it way back in mid-May when we singled out Katy Perry’s “California Gurls” as Song of the Summer saying, “It’s as obvious as wearing sunscreen on a 98-degree day.” Sure enough this summer jam was as impossible to escape as a gay man in a Speedo. continue reading »

After a long summer of beat bruises, chord concussions and Auto-tune ass kicking, has one champion has become the queen of our big old gay summer? Depends on who you ask… 
 
As August wraps up we can finally look back and say, “Phew! That was a crazy summer!” Of course, some of you are going to stretch summer out to the end of September with trips to the shore or Fire Island. But you know you’re kidding yourself, right? School’s back in session, the leaves are going to start turning and soon enough you’ll weep for summer’s departure. In the meantime let’s crown a Song of the Summer. continue reading »

After playing the White House, welcoming twins and premiering her own late-night talk show, outspoken lesbian Comedian Wanda Sykes needed an escape. JC Alvarez catches up with an old friend on Cherry Grove.
 
The annual summertime trek out to Fire Island is a right of passage into “gaydom,” but if you ask me, the haul out there can be tough—especially if you’re balancing a cake! I’m visiting friends and my mother always taught me you never arrive empty handed. continue reading »

It may have taken 15 years and five studio albums, but New York gays are finally ready to hang with Robyn and her Body Talk trilogy.
 
For some of us, Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own” from June’s Body Talk Pt. 1 will forever be associated with summer 2010. It was an indisputable contender for Song of Summer (see p.19), burning up dance floors and blasting from pretty much every house on Fire Island. But the Swedish pop star doesn’t see it like that. continue reading »

Man, it’s been one hot summer and there are no signs of this heat letting up. So what else is there to do but send Wilsonmodels out onto the steamy New York streets to capture some sexy late-August meat? continue reading »

Next Magazine porn reviewer Manuel Hung sizes up the vibrant gay scene in the most unlikely of places: Beirut, Lebanon. continue reading »

On the eve of his world-famous dance party’s 10th anniversary, Ric Sena dishes on his big anniversary celebration, the evolution of the Alegria brand and his favorite parties along the way.
 
New York at the dawn of Alegria was a very different place. Many of the city’s biggest clubs were beginning to shutter and the golden age of circuit parties was dying. But Brazilian-born theater producer Ric Sena had a creative vision to bring a sexy excitement back to dance floors. continue reading »

Astarry cast is the main attraction of Paul Weitz’s Trust, a world premiere dramedy that attempts to explore the relationship between people and power through the prisms of wealth and S&M domination. It has fitful results. But the cast is so good that the play and Weitz’s confused ramblings don’t matter. Scrubs star Zach Braff is terrific as a recently minted millionaire looking for meaning in his life when he stumbles on a former classmate working as a dungeon dominatrix—played to understated perfection by the amazingly versatile Sutton Foster. continue reading »

School’s back in session—or at least it appears to be at Hudson Hall. Formerly the whimsically chic Hudson Cafeteria, the space has been revamped with a 360-degree art installation and a cafeteria-style self-service line wrapping around the exposed kitchen, replete with sporty red custom-made trays, just like the days when we broke for lunch after spending the morning learning reading, writing and ’rithmetic. continue reading »

School’s back in session—or at least it appears to be at Hudson Hall. Formerly the whimsically chic Hudson Cafeteria, the space has been revamped with a 360-degree art installation and a cafeteria-style self-service line wrapping around the exposed kitchen, replete with sporty red custom-made trays, just like the days when we broke for lunch after spending the morning learning reading, writing and ’rithmetic. continue reading »

Care for a Jell-O shot? Now, this cocktail doesn’t actually have any Jell-O in it, it just tastes like Jell-O. But it is not to be swigged indiscriminately; we’re talking about an adult-sized batch of liquid refreshment here, not a free-falling bacchanal reminiscent of our college days, that vacation in Cabo or perhaps even that extraordinary night last weekend. Rather, the Jell-O Shot Cocktail is to be sweetly sipped and is best enjoyed soaking up the days of summer while we still can. Knock back as many as you like (that is, without falling down) but if you are a lady, please try to refrain from removing your top and hurling it at a ceiling fan. continue reading »

After amazing summer hits “California Gurls” and “Teenage Dream,” is it any wonder Katy Perry’s new album, Teenage Dream, really melts our popsicle? This is no high school sophomore slump—the second album catapults her from pop starlet to a pop prom queen. But like a cheerleader at homecoming, does Perry push the sex card too far? continue reading »

DJ Danny Echi—a gay club veteran with clients including Madonna and Hillary Clinton—spins every Saturday night at Bar-tini Ultra Lounge. continue reading »

Maintaining the balance between artistic integrity and commercial concerns is no mean feat, but it’s a challenge that Jason LeBlond and Ves Pitts, the entrepreneurs behind the artist representation and consulting company Ignite, are happy to take on. continue reading »

 
Holding things together at the biggest gay nightclub in New York is no easy feat, but superstar Splash promoter Dougie Meyer keeps things hopping on 17th Street every week. He oversees  Campus Thursdays, Twink Tuesdays and the circuit-party-style danceathon every Saturday, where he’s brought international talents like Manny Lehman, Hex Hector and Yinon Yahel into the booth. (He’s also produced Splash’s Sunday School party and events in London and Paris.) We pulled Dougie aside and got him to open up. —Dan Avery continue reading »

Time Investment: 100 min.
Return on Investment: 95 min.
 
Acontender for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2010 Academy Awards, the beautifully shot Peruvian drama The Milk of Sorrow (Olive Films) is subtle allegory for a county and a people recovering from tremendous violence. While it might be heavy on metaphor, the tender tale is a heartbreaking portrait of the long-lasting scars of war on our descendants. continue reading »

Time Investment: 145 min.
Return on Investment: 60 min.
 
After a heavy run on the festival circuit, French-Canadian filmmaker Rodrigue Jean’s laborious diary of Montréal sex workers, Men for Sale, finally gets released on DVD from Breaking Glass Pictures. The film has received considerable buzz for actually managing to corral 11 unnamed street hustlers and get them to talk candidly on camera about their lives—from how they got into the seedy biz to their extended drug use—every month for a year. continue reading »

Get in touch with your inner sommelier! The highly fashionable South Gate restaurant recently uncorked several flights of wireless iPad wine tablets, featuring the custom-designed SmartCellar application drawn up by the New York-based company Incentient. The cunning little contraption (it only weighs 1.5 pounds!) lets customers traipse through the excellent restaurant’s extensive wine list of over 650 bottles. continue reading »

With “fags” being the butt of jokes for years, how’s a gay comedian suppose to make it on the stand-up circuit?  

Where are funny gay men in professional comedy? Heterosexual men have dominated the field for ages. Straight women from Phyllis Diller to Sarah Silverman have landed big audiences. Lesbians like Ellen DeGeneres and Wanda Sykes have achieved significant comedic success and mainstream acceptance. However, queer men struggle for audiences and industry acknowledgement. Even renowned gay male comics often aren’t most famous for stand-up. For example, Bob Smith receives more attention for his books than his comedy, and Scott Thompson is for “The Kids in the Hall” more than for his solo humor.
  continue reading »

Marilyn Monroe made it known that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. For Mike D’Antonio, this jingle also rings true, only the diamond he loves is of the softball variety. D’Antonio has played the game since he can remember. And in 1997, shortly after coming out, he became involved with the Big Apple Softball League (BASL), hoping it would help him to connect with other LGBT people in the area. This started him on a journey to rediscover himself as a gay man. continue reading »

After a sold-out New York debut during pride, European party sensation matinée returns for take two with a sexy white party just in time for fashion week.
 
When 26-year-old Boston import Jake Resnicow first met mega-club owner Tommy Marinelli, he knew he wanted to work with him. After several pitches for parties and events, Resnicow suggested they bring the decadent mixed dance party Matinée—a phenomenon in Europe—to New York. Marinelli was into the idea, and after a whirlwind of work they pulled off Matinée’s debut on Governors Island during Gay Pride Weekend. The party was a hit, with over 4,000 revelers in attendance. continue reading »

We at Next Magazine are literally flooded with press releases and e-mails begging us to cover “the next big thing.” Rather than go through the torturous work of writing and reporting ourselves, we thought we’d let some of these folks speak for themselves. So we sent out a form letter. (It was either that or outsource it to India!) Enjoy!



Attention: Everyone looking for something exciting to do on August 28! continue reading »

Following in the footsteps of previous works like The Twilight of the Golds, If Memory Serves and The Last Sunday in June, out playwright Jonathan Tolins’ latest effort, Secrets of the Trade, is his strongest and most mature work to date. But, like his previous plays, Secrets has a terrific first act that doesn’t know where to go in the second, even if it’s peppered with zingy one-liners and benefits from a terrific cast. Secrets, which plays like an autobiographical work (though it’s not billed that way), tells the story of the young Andrew Lipman, brilliantly portrayed by Noah Robbins, who’s besotted with the theater. (We know what that means about Andrew, don’t we?) He writes a gushing letter to famous writer-director Martin Kerner (John Glover) who becomes Andrew’s advisor and mentor as he grows up, longing to ride Kerner’s coattails to greatness. That Kerner himself is gay albeit closeted (which becomes a plot point in that troubled second act) also plays a part in Andrew’s maturation, much to the chagrin of his stage parents, Joanne and Peter Lipman, terrifically portrayed by Amy Aquino and Mark Nelson. continue reading »

The Laziest Gal in Town
Jane Krakowski
A Broadway baby turned television star, Jane Krakowski recorded her nightclub debut at Feinstein’s last October on The Laziest Gal in Town. Of course, lazy is one thing this saucy, sexy chanteuse is definitely not. Whether channeling Gwen Verdon on “A Little Brains, A Little Talent” or invoking Marilyn’s signature song, “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” Krakowski is a bundle of energy wrapped up in mink. (DRG Records) continue reading »

Forget the Deep South! You don’t even need to leave Chelsea to get a taste of authentic home-cooked barbecue. continue reading »

Next Magazine’s celebs of New York reveal their favorite takeout joints.
 
Madame—the irrepressible, irreverent and oh-so-irreplaceable diva best known for her appearances on television’s Solid Gold, Hollywood Squares, countless prime-time specials as well as her own syndicated series, Madame’s Place—makes her triumphant return to the Manhattan entertainment scene in her nationally acclaimed show It’s Madame with an E! with a new man on her arm, costar Rick Skye. In between rehearsals, she relaxes with a magnum of champagne and a basketful of southern delicacies. So what meal does Madame find to be simply marvie-poo? continue reading »

Sir Ari Gold (the title was bestowed by the Imperial Court of New York) has amassed a big gay and straight following with infectious dance-pop tracks like “Human” and “Love Will Take Over.” The out New Yorker cut his teeth in the business early (“I was discovered at my brother’s bar mitzvah when I was five,” he reveals) and has sung in major New York venues and toured with RuPaul and Chaka Khan. Now he’s getting into hosting  with a new talent competition, America’s Next Gay Icon, Wednesdays at Rockbar. We handed him a mic and got him to sing like a bird. —Dan Avery continue reading »

Time Investment: 99 min.
Return on Investment: 89 min.
 
What happens when a schlubby Greek slacker, an alcoholic Nazi chef and a gambling-addicted jailbird go into business together? You get Soul Kitchen (IFC Films), German filmmaker Fatih Akin’s goofy ode to youth, gentrification and food in Hamburg that won the Special Jury Prize at last year’s Venice International Film Festival. continue reading »

Time Investment: 89 min.
Return on Investment: 80 min.
 
What makes the existence of the Warsaw Ghetto so much more |upsetting, in many ways, than the infamous death camps that ultimately claimed most of its inhabitants is the fact that a semblance of life, however miserable, endured within those stifling walls, giving false hope to throngs of innocent victims who eventually lost it all. continue reading »

 
Flying high on her successful U.S. Tour (and her especially excellent New York shows), Robyn continues her winning streak with Body Talk Pt 2. The second part in a trilogy of albums issued this year, this latest installment gives us lots to talk (and dance) about. Easily as strong and consistent as its predecessor, Pt 2’s songs are a delicious mix of Robyn’s signature quirky pop—riding the line between lovelorn, bittersweet dance tracks (like “Love Kills” and sensational “Include Me Out”) that have proved her greatest success, hip-hop-infused electro (“U Should Know Better” featuring Snoop Dogg), and more humorous, clever tracks. continue reading »

 
DJ John Marto spins at Splash for Campus Thursdays, Twink Tuesdays and on Saturdays. He also plays Harmonica Sunbeam’s Take It Off Tuesdays at The Cage in Hoboken and Boys Night at Feathers in River Edge, New Jersey. continue reading »

The Original SoupMan is back in town! Yes, the grouchy “Soup Nazi” (a.k.a. Al Yeganeh) from Seinfeld reopened his soup haven at the original location on 55th Street and Eighth Avenue. It’s a little shop to be sure, but despite its diminutive stature, it has become known around the world, attracting local working stiffs at lunchtime as well as tourists who flock there to slurp themselves silly. SoupMan Chef Dan Rubano is now on hand to dole out the goods. continue reading »

The summer-ending beach party gained legendary status with last year’s appearance by Kelly Rowland. Producers are ready to top that in 2010

The sun was blazing, the music was blaring and Kelly Rowland—with the gay anthem of the summer in tow—was ready to make a surprise appearance. This formula was perfect at last year’s Ascension beach party. But how can Eric von Kuersteiner and his Fund in the Sun team follow that act this weekend? With renewed focus on the party after selling his Pines properties and a successful Bay Dance on his heels, von Kuersteiner  and his producers are ready to blow expectations out of the water with a bigger and badder party, headlined by the Freemasons. Event producer Sean Patrick Ryan shone some light on this year’s festivities. continue reading »

The athletes of New York’s gay sports leagues and clubs are the real deal. Think you can keep up? 

In this town, when someone lists “jock” on their online profile, it’s most likely because they actually play in a gay sporting league, not just because they want to sound butch. And playing on a gay team isn’t as hard as it might seem, because with 24 LGBT-organized teams and clubs in New York—not to mention two places to celebrate your victories, Boxers and Gym Sportsbar—there is a way to sweat it out at any level. From rugby to scuba diving, these organizations can help you improve your skill, your health and your social life. But don’t just take our word for it; the following six athletes tell you why they love the game—and why you will, too. continue reading »

“We read to know we’re not alone,” wrote C.S. Lewis. A group of Indonesian students holding clandestine meetings in a public library to protect their identities—and their lives—would likely agree, as would other closeted gays and lesbians from Iraq and similarly intolerant countries who have chosen the website ImFromDriftwood.com as a confessional outlet. continue reading »

The notion of compelling gay narratives from all over the world is reinforced by the U.S. publication by Serpent’s Tail of Denis Kehoe’s Nights Beneath the Nation, which takes place in parallel Dublins of 1951 and 1998. The cynical, love-bruised protagonist, New Yorker Daniel Ryan, now in his ’60s, returns to his native Ireland to confront a past full of deception and clandestine love. Expect poetic turns of phrase, a sense of mystery, and a vividly evoked provincial Irish setting as the narrator’s personal journey unwinds in unexpected directions. continue reading »

A landmark piece of writing for its depiction of a “normal” gay couple, Lanford Wilson’s Fifth of July tells the story of double amputee Vietnam veteran Kenneth Talley Jr. and his boyfriend, a botanist-gardener named Jed Jenkins who takes care of Ken amidst much family dysfunction. First staged Off-Broadway in 1978 by Circle Rep with William Hurt as Ken and Jeff Daniels as Jed, it moved to Broadway in 1980 and ran for more than 500 performances with the late Christopher Reeve (already a huge movie star from the original Superman) taking over as Ken. Following in the footsteps of the excellent 2002 Signature Theater revival that starred Robert Sean Leonard, the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor—in association with the Massachusetts-based Williamstown Theater Festival—just concluded a terrific production starring Anson Mount as Ken and Shane McRae as Jed, with David Wilson Barnes and Jennifer Mudge as John and Gwen Landis, Danny Deferrari as their friend Weston Hurley, Kellie Overbey as Ken’s sister June, Kally Duling as June’s daughter Shirley Talley and Elizabeth Franz as Ken’s aunt, Sally Friedman. Smoothly directed by Terry Kinney, this expert group of actors brought forth the pain and humanity of a group of friends still grappling with the aftermath of war, unrequited love and the fear of facing an unknown future. continue reading »

 
Were the worlds of Suzie Wong and Henry Orient ever to collide, Tanuki Tavern is where they might convene, as the illicit romance of Japan and the retro-chic of a long-lost Manhattan successfully merge at this unique gastropub in Hotel Gansevoort. continue reading »

Next Magazine’s celebs of New York reveal their favorite takeout joints.
 
Marti Gould Cummings is a devoted advocate for equal rights and currently sits on the board of Prevent HIV NYC as well as the planning committees for The Ali Forney Center’s Broadway Beauty Pageant and their recent summer fundraiser, Oasis. As a talk-show host, Cummings has interviewed luminaries such as Laura Linney, Rosie O’Donnell, Liza Minnelli and our dearly departed Rue McClanahan for his online program, Broadway Speaks Out! Marti recently celebrated his birthday (21 again!) at Vig27 with a benefit to support Broadway in South Africa and Broadway Speaks Out! But what meal benefits Marti? continue reading »

 
He might hail from Beaverton, Oregon, but actor/writer Jesse Archer is mainstay of gay cinema—writing and starring in A Four Letter Word and, most recently, Violet Tendencies, costarring Mindy Cohn (The Facts of Life‘s Natalie). Though his star is rising—he’ll be in the upcoming Arthur remake with Russell Brand (in a jail scene, of course)—Archer can still be found at the hottest New York parties. Currently he’s working on Half-Share, a web series set on Fire Island, and wrapping the feature Going Down in LA-LA Land. We promised Archer a spot on Glee and got him to open up. —Dan Avery continue reading »

Time Investment: 112 min.
Return on Investment: 90 min.
 
The intense color-bars-and-punk-imbued opening credits for Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (Universal Pictures), Edgar Wright’s adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novels, sums up the overall movie well: an onslaught of visual stimulus punctuated with references to old video games and punk rock. continue reading »

Time Investment: 89 min.
Return on Investment: 35 min.
 
The People I’ve Slept With (People Pictures) has a lot of potential, but its spunky premise—accidentally pregnant slutty girl plans wedding while finding and testing potential fathers/ grooms—is unfortunately stinted by an awkward sensibility and inconsistent acting. The writing is also hit or miss; aside from some requisite pithy one-liners, much of it seems trite even though it needn’t be. continue reading »

Lady Gaga’s popular videos are so popular they’ve landed her on the moon! Or so to speak: the recently announced MTV Music Award nominations predict Gaga will have an impressive date with the Moonman. She’s set two new records: the first female artist to have two videos nominated in the “Video of the Year” category simultaneously (“Bad Romance” and “Telephone”) and the most nominations ever in a VMA show (13)! Performers at this year’s show on Sunday, September 12 in Los Angeles include the recently wed Alicia Keys, the recently recovered (from her July harness stage mishap) Pink, plus Jay-Z, Usher and Katy Perry. continue reading »

 
DJ Twisted Dee ascends onto Fire Island Pines Ascension weekend Saturday, August 14 for the Ascension Tea (along with DJ Phil B) from 6pm–10pm at 236 Bay Walk. continue reading »

As kitchen-ready trucks dole out everything from falafel to Belgian wafels across the city these days, why shouldn’t the freewheeling fare include some frosty treats? We’ve included a few motorized vehicles below that will please your palate while keeping you cool. continue reading »

What does it mean to be a gay man of color in 2010? The fight to keep the spirit of Black Pride alive in New York.

It's his first time, so John Campbell is a little bit timid. Jacob Riis Beach stretches out under the crush of over a thousand people, the throngs zipping past him in bursts of uncontained excitement. In the distance ahead of him, famed early-’90s diva CeCe Peniston puts the large and comfortably gracious crowd in the mood. All around him Campbell sees fellow gay minority brothers and sisters, circling curiously or congregating in packs of family members, lovers, friends or all of the above. The sense of community calms him and, under that hot August sun, he swells with confidence: this is what it means to be gay, black and proud. continue reading »

We at Next Magazine are literally flooded with press releases and e-mails begging us to cover “the next big thing.” Rather than go through the torturous work of writing and reporting ourselves, we thought we’d let some of these folks speak for themselves. So we sent out a form letter. (It was either that or outsource it to India!) Enjoy!
 
ATTENTION: Bitches and Hos! continue reading »

Brooklyn loses a piece of its queer history with the closing of the starlite lounge.
 
On July 31, New York’s gay firmament dimmed somewhat as Crown Height’s Starlite Lounge served its final drink. The closing heralded the loss one of New York’s historical queer watering holes and, by its owners reckoning, the oldest African-American gay bar in the city. continue reading »

A collection of vignettes about ordinary people searching for something, The Transport Group’s See Rock City & Other Destinations has much to admire. First is a well-crafted score by Brad Alexander (music) and Adam Mathias (lyrics) filled with lovely melodies and smart ideas. Second is a stellar cast that includes the ultra-sexy Bryce Ryness and Mamie Parris as Jess and Dodi, who  meet cute in a diner before they head to the titular destination; Stanley Bahorek as Evan, a jilted nerd waiting for aliens to appear; Sally Wilfert, Ryan Hilliard and Jonathan Hammond as an intergenerational trio searching for lost love at the Alamo; and the sensational Donna Lynne Champlin as Kate, a woman struggling with whether she should make the ultimate commitment—marriage—in Niagara Falls. Although See Rock City is cunningly directed by Jack Cummings III in a black-box setting (the cast sets up beach chairs for the audience before the show starts), there’s not enough connective tissue tying the individual moments together. Many scenes are terrific—like Jess and Dodi at the diner, three sisters dumping their father’s ashes while on a cruise, and two prep-school boys discovering they may like each other more than they realized—but their impact is diminished because the creators haven’t found a way to tie them together. Still, Alexander & Mathias are a team to watch, and the show’s fresh score and vibrant cast make it worth seeing. continue reading »

 
If it’s August, it must be time for the  MetroStar Talent Challenge at the Metropolitan Room (34 W 22nd St, 212-206-0440). Every year, dozens of singers compete for the eight-week jury-and-audience-voted competition , which began on July 12 and will culminate on August 30, when a grand-prize winner and two runner-ups are chosen. The quarterfinals are August 9 (pitting the top 10); the semi-finals are August 16 (when the five semi-finalists will be asked, among other things, to present original versions of the same song), followed by two rounds of finals, on the August 23 and 30. continue reading »

Old World meets funky Soho at Tartinery, where rustic, thinly sliced French sourdough breads are served as classic open-faced tartines in a modern setting balancing the past and the present. You only need to look at the original exposed brick walls and the reclaimed wood ceiling, benches and steps to appreciate the antiquity positioned in such high style. Such rarefied aesthetics in construction and cuisine might be risky given the current economic situation, but still we were delighted to sit near a towering, recently transported ficus tree. continue reading »

Next Magazine’s celebs of New York reveal their favorite takeout joints.
 
Steven Brinberg is soon to delight audiences again as he takes on the “like buttah” Barbra Streisand in his uncanny way with his earnest, hilarious tribute to the great star in Simply Barbra: Love Is the Answer. Brinberg will appear at Rehoboth’s Blue Moon on August 18 with guest star Will Taylor, fresh from Broadway, and he’ll also appear in a dual show with another Broadway alum, David Burnham, at the Rrazz Room in San Francisco September 1–5. But what is Brinberg’s answer about takeaway he loves? continue reading »

Logan Hardcore came to the Big Apple just four years ago, but she hit the ground running.  “I got started doing drag the night I came here and moved in with Epiphany,” she says.  “I went out in a skirt and danced the night away—that’s the day the small-town boy became a city girl.”  Currently, Hardcore is something of an island girl, with sets in Fire Island on Saturday, Sundays and Tuesdays—as well as weekly gigs at Urge (Wednesday) and Vlada (Fridays) here on the mainland.  We swiped her drink tickets and got Logan to share her secrets. —Dan Avery continue reading »

Time Investment: 107 min.
Return on Investment: 70 min.
 
Controversial Chinese director Lou Ye, whose work has often been censored or outright banned in his home country, is not afraid to show the gritty banality of urban Chinese life, as he does in Spring Fever (Strand Releasing). In this gay love triangle (quadrangle?) involving a husband cheating on his wife with another man and the private eye who ends up entangled himself, Ye infuses images of rainy Nanjing with a certain cool edge—the Chinese equivalent of French ennui. He is an apparent fan of dark, lingering visuals that, although at first atmospheric, soon devolve into just plain hard-to-see. As the characters meander from love to lust, the long, dark shots begin to feel…well, long and dark. continue reading »

Time Investment: 90 min.
Return on Investment: 75 min.
 
I would love to have been in the pitch meeting for the new gay indie Brotherhood (Olive Films). “Okay, so it’s got the tender love story of Brokeback Mountain mixed with the aggressive hatred of American History X!” But you can’t be too surprised by Brotherhood’s rather extreme setting— it comes from Denmark, the land of filmmakers like Lars von Trier and Susanne Bier, who have mastered the fine line between the public’s taste for compassion and for violence. And, like those masters of Dogma 95 cinema, filmmaker Nicolo Donato actually pulls off what seems a little far-fetched on paper: a delicate, passionate and successful modern tragedy. (No happy endings here, folks!) continue reading »

Inside the minds of art rock duo B0DY H1GH
 
According to writer performance artist and Billyburg Renaissance man Max Steele, synesthesia is crucial to what he and fellow zinester Daniel Sander are trying to do with their new band, B0DY H1GH. continue reading »

If you’re reading this on August 7, drop everything and head to Cake Shop, where QxBxRx’s Summer Dance Party is probably already underway, with Lioness, Mkng Frndz and Mystery Roar. Of course if you’re on Fire Island, you won’t want to miss out singer-songwriter Matt Alber at Whyte Hall in the Pines. Empire of the Sun plays two nights at Terminal 5, August 8 and 9. On the 12th, get your diva fix as Rihanna and Ke$ha take the stage at Madison Square Garden. The following week, Mgmt plays Radio City on the 17th and 18th and Juliette Lewis takes over the Music Hall of Williamsburg on the 21st. Wrap up the dog days of summer with a pair of Scissor Sisters shows on Aug 24 and 25 at Terminal 5.
 

 
Trina is back and crazier than ever, and the chocolate rapper is ready to party like a “White Girl” on her latest single (along with special guests Flo Rida and Git Fresh). It’s a rather hysterical take on (or should we say read of) wasted white girls at the bar. Though if a white girl sang this same song about black girls—oh child!—it would be deemed all kinds of racist. continue reading »

DJ Vito Fun spins at Campus Thursdays at Splash, Fridays at Sway and Saturdays at Middle Tea in the Fire Island Pines.  continue reading »

Earlier this summer the French Culinary Institute really put on the dog, hosting the Third Annual Hot Dog Competition where its staff and students competed in a weenie fest benefiting Friends of the French Culinary Institute, an organization founded in 1990 to help chefs-to-be reach their gastronomic goals. continue reading »

A look at New York City's growing attempts to bring adult-video stores to their knees.
 
During its long history, a certain midtown Manhattan adult store—let’s call it the Love Shack—rarely, if ever, closed its front doors. It was a point of professional pride for the owners, not to mention a convenience for the randy customers. Yet one day four years ago, those doors were locked to the public permanently. continue reading »

Fire Island Black Out takes over Cherry Grove for a weekend celebrating diversity and gay ol’ fun in the sun.
 
Fire Island is truly an escape for everyone. And that’s never more apparent than during Fire Island Black Out, or FIBO, an annual weekend welcoming gays of color and their friends to the gay island paradise for performances, parties, and plain old fun in the sun. However, Philadelphia promoter and FIBO organizer James Wellons notes that FIBO is not just an all-black event. “The original organizers of FIBO chose the name due to the event’s locality and as a reflection of the majority of its initial attendees,” he explains. “As FIBO progresses so does its ethnic composition.” We chatted with Wellons about this year’s event and what guests of all colors can hope to find. continue reading »

After an unaccountable rave review for John Gregor’s With Glee in the New York Times, the press descended on this whimsical production and we scratched our collective heads in befuddled amazement. First seen at the 2007 New York Musical Festival (NYMF) and well-directed here by Igor Goldin (late of the Yank! team), With Glee, I’m sorry to report, is a dreary, derivative, cloying, unfocused and underwritten waste of time. The five actors (Zach Bandler, Christopher Davis Carlisle, Jason Edward Cook, Dan Lawler and Max Spitulnik) who play thirteen-year-olds sent away to reform school, are fine—as are the two character actors (Greg Horton and Erin Jerozal) who play all the adult men and women in their lives, though Horton chews the scenery a bit as the 90-minute show progresses. But devoid of plot, dramatic build and any basis in reality, With Glee is a grim 90 minutes of relentless disappointment. continue reading »

If for some peculiar reason you haven’t actually been to Cola’s, it’s probably fair to assume that you’ve at least walked by the Chelsea mainstay many times. But most are aware that the little Italian eatery has been a neighborhood staple for years, offering a vibrant menu inspired by owner Nicola Accardi’s recent travels to Puglia, Sardinia, Sicily and Rome. continue reading »

Next Magazine’s celebs of New York reveal their favorite take-out joints.
 
Nick Accardi has been an proud Chelsea business owner since 1988, first opening Italian eatery Cola’s Restaurant in Chelsea before delivering a much-needed breath of fresh air to ’mo central with the neighboring Viceroy. Accardi trained for many years in Italy studying various regional styles of cooking, and his passion for food has led him to eat his way all through Manhattan. So what cuisine quells Accardi’s cravings? continue reading »

 
If you’re a bear—or just a Goldilocks who likes hangin’ with a hairy harem—then you’ve probably know Joe Fiore. He’s the mastermind behind the Drenched pool parties, Woof!, Dance 208, Rockbear Sundays at Rockbar, and the recent Howl party at Cherry Grove’s Ice Palace. On August 7, he’s bringing back the flavor of legendary DJ Lary Levan and the Paradise Garage with Dance: 208 Garage Classics at the LGBT Center. “I was a DJ wannabe and volunteered at the Center Dances to get experience,” Fiore says of his nightlife origins.  “When the head of the dance committee left they asked me to run it. Honestly I just wanted to dance but I found out I liked running the party, too.”  We threatened Joe with a bottle of Nair and got him to spill his guts. —Dan Avery continue reading »

Time Investment: 100 min.
Return on Investment: 80 min.
 
The premise of Get Low—a man throws his own funeral party—suggests a quirky “based on a true story” comedy. Instead, Aaron Schneider’s film is decidedly serious, with Robert Duvall in an impressive (Oscar-worthy?) turn as eccentric loner Felix “Bush” Breazeale. The film’s striking opening shot, a house in flames in the dark of night, immediately establishes the tone. David Boyd’s hauntingly beautiful cinematography and authentic Southern locations establish a strong sense of place as we are introduced to Felix and the 1930s Tennessee townsfolk who fear and shun him. After the hermit confounds the local preacher with his request, an undertaker’s protégé brings the idea to his boss, savvy salesman Frank Quinn (Bill Murray, always a pleasure). Soon, Quinn and Buddy (nicely played by Lucas Black) are putting together the service. When Mattie Darrow (Sissy Spacek), who has a mysterious connection to Felix’s past, enters the fray, he begins to open up to those around him. continue reading »

 
Time Investment: 108 min.
Return on Investment: 93 min.
 

Reading Jonathan Ames’ 1999 novel, The Extra Man, the quirky characters and New York setting make it an obvious choice for transferring to the silver screen. Fortunately directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini have delivered a cinematic version of The Extra Man (Magnolia Pictures) that possibly improves on Ames’ outstanding book. continue reading »

 
We may be in the thick of summer, but fall is just six short weeks away. That’s not such a bad thing with the inevitable slew of new fall music releases. And ironically, a lot of the summer’s hottest songs are translating into fall’s most anticipated albums.
  continue reading »

 
New Jersey-based Dominican-born DJ Eddie Elias has been wowing audiences for more than 10 years with residencies at Club 57 (Saturday, July 31), Voyeur in Philly, Alegria and the new Alegria afterparty, Verve. continue reading »

What came first, the band or the studio track? In today’s producer-run music biz, that line gets blurrier by the hour. And so it was for Sean Bumgarner, best known as DJ Sean B, one of the creative forces behind the nightlife phenomenon known as Spank. “[Best Mate] was formed as a way to perform tracks from a studio project I started in 2008,” he explains. “Now the band and live performance is finding its way back into the studio, influencing my music writing and developing parts for tracks we have been playing.” continue reading »

A peek into some of the gay paradise’s most exciting homes reveals thrilling design, tireless care and even a little whimsy.

Anyone who has walked along the boardwalks of Fire Island has probably stopped to crane their neck or stand on their toes and get a glimpse inside the island’s uniquely exquisite homes. Even here at Next Magazine we get curious. So we decided to invite ourselves into three of Fire Island’s most impressive dwellings to inquire about their history and island style. Join us on our tour of these magnificent getaways and maybe find some inspiration for your own beach abode. continue reading »

The gender-bending art-house classic Orlando returns to theaters with a message that’s as timeless as its protagonist.
 
There’s a pivotal scene in the film Orlando when the titular hero is about to receive a royal estate from Queen Elizabeth I (a deliciously camp Quentin Crisp). Before she grants her boon, though, the queen issues Orlando an order: “Do not fade, do not wither, do not grow old.” Sitting across from Tilda Swinton, who played the ageless androgyne in Sally Potter’s 1992 indie masterpiece (based on the Virginia Woolf novel of the same name), it’s easy to think she took Crisp’s directive personally. continue reading »

Go ahead, blame Canada. With an art, music, dining and nightlife scene rivaling the Big Apple’s, Toronto is fast proving to be the new destination for hip gays.
 
Watch out, Big Apple! If there’s one city that’s giving you a run for your money (a super-challenging feat, mind you), it’s Toronto. Less than 90 minutes from New York by plane, this dynamic destination is a burgeoning gay mecca that’s intent on becoming the New York of Canada: with a multi-diverse population and riveting nightlife scene, complete with its own little gay beach. Hey, everyone is actually friendly! (Did we mention how hot Torontonians are?) continue reading »

We at Next Magazine are literally flooded with press releases and e-mails begging us to cover “the next big thing.” Rather than go through the torturous work of writing and reporting ourselves, we thought we’d let some of these folks speak for themselves. So we sent out a form letter. (It was either that or outsource it to India!) Enjoy!
ATTENTION: People of Earth
You have to behold our theatrical shenanigans, entitled Abraham Lincoln’s Big, Gay Dance Party at the Acorn Theater, in the Theater Row complex,  GPS coordinates N40° 45.5196’, W073° 59.5947’. continue reading »

Poseidon: Pines party 2010 rises from the nightlife seas with a greek-god theme and an all-star lineup.
 
Forget Atlantis, because the Fire Island Pines is about to top that underwater kingdom in legendary fashion. Joining forces with Josh Wood Productions for the second year in a row, this year’s Pines Party—an annual benefit for the Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association Charitable Foundation and the Stonewall Community Foundation—will take to the seas for an underwater-themed beach spectacle featuring DJs Moto Blanco, Corey Craig and Warren Gluck, performer Alexis Jordan and the party’s signature tented surroundings. We spoke with Josh Wood about his plans for this year’s aquatic affair. continue reading »

I’ll Be Damned, a new musical by recent NYU graduates Rob Broadhurst and Brent Black—who wrote the show in the Tisch Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program—is the second production by JARADOA (Just a Roomful of Artists Doing Outreach and) Theater that I’ve walked out on at intermission. The first was the mind-numbingly self-indulgent Shafrika, the White Girl, which shares Damned ’s director, April Nickell, and choreographer, Luis Salgado. continue reading »

Nisos (176 Eighth Ave, @ 19th St, Nisos-NY.com, 646-336-8121) kicks it off with the Mezé Platter ($10) of wonderful traditional Greek dips—around 5 o’clock the bar with wide-open windows becomes like High Tea in The Pines. continue reading »

Next Magazine’s celebs of New York reveal their favorite take-out joints.
 
A New York spoonlebrity from a small-town crafts fair to living a diva’s life in New York City! SpoonEllen’s appearances include AIDS Walk, Pride Parade, Gotham Volleyball, FIP and P-Town. This spoon socialite has been photographed with Kathy Griffin, Billie Jean King, Tracy Austin, Cazwell, Michael Musto, Randy Jones and many of New York’s most elite drag queens! SpoonEllen is also known for her fashion sense, recently receiving acclaim for her Pride gown and Spoon Gaga! So what supper sends the sensational Spoon swooning? continue reading »

Lee Chappell doesn’t just throw parties. His events—from Saturday-night throwdowns at the Roxy to the Dr!p pool bashes, the Foreign Affairs cabaret, and the recent Desire masquerade ball—are the stuff of gay legend. “My start in nightlife came from the creative need to be my own person and look the way I wanted,” Chappell explains. “The punk, New Wave and goth aesthetics run rampant through my blood. When the late-’70s and ’80s hit, so did I!” Chappell says he’s planning on reviving both Dr!p (as a series of one-offs) and Foreign Affairs (as a Fashion Week event at Barneys). We hid his eyeliner and got Lee to open up. —Dan Avery continue reading »

Time Investment: 110 min.
Return on Investment: 45 min.
 
In 1960s Brazil, a strict military regime stifled all forms of artistic expression. Out of this suffocation, Dzi Croquettes was born. Inspired by the similarly named San Francisco drag troupe the Cockettes and led by Brooklyn-born Bossa Nova and samba jazz legend Lennie Dale, the group’s ambiguous drag and oozing sexuality acted as a wake-up call to the oppressed Brazilians and an underground movement was born. continue reading »

Time Investment: 91 min.
Return on Investment: 75 min.
 
Al Gore’s global warming doc, An Inconvenient Truth, not only changed how we look at the environment, but how we look at documentary films. Magnolia Pictures has heralded this “activist filmmaking” movement with documentaries like Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Outrage and Food Inc. Countdown to Zero, the company’s newest release, is director Lucy Walker’s case for nuclear disarmament. continue reading »

OMG! Not even a year after dropping his latest, Raymond vs. Raymond, Usher is already releasing a sequel album, Versus, on August 24 with eight new tracks. Fresh off his surprise hit, “OMG,” and brand-new sexy video for ballad “There Goes My Baby” comes the new album’s lead single, “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love.” And we’re falling in love with this hot club song… continue reading »

Music duo Moto Blanco (a.k.a. Danny Harrison and Arthur Smith)—perhaps best known for their Grammy-nominated mixes of Mary J Blige’s “Be Without You” and “Just Fine”—are set to take you on magical journey at Pines Party on Fire Island on Saturday, July 31. continue reading »

In his role as culinary director, Burke will undoubtedly bring his fun, inventive culinary artistry to the table to create an interesting bill of fare featuring modern American cuisine for Bowlmor Times Square’s stand-alone restaurant, a full-service dining room dubbed The Gray Lady. continue reading »

Don’t you dare call it Liberace’s Bathhouse or a haunted mansion. For Cherry Grove’s magical Venetian palace, The Belvedere, is at the very core of what makes Fire Island special.
 
When taking the ferry from Sayville to Cherry Grove there is always that magical instant when, to the left of the boat, a bright light starts to come into focus. As you get closer, a white palace starts to solidify on the horizon. A glow in the distance, it looks like a magical realm, a place completely out of the ordinary, where unexplainable things happen. Of course this is the Belvedere, Fire Island’s storied all-male guest house. And anyone who has stayed here over its long history can tell you that magical things do indeed happen. continue reading »

Jack Mackenroth, decorated swimmer. No, this doesn’t refer to a sequin-speckled Speedo. The shiny metal discs are medals—and lots of them. Mackenroth has competed as a swimmer in every Gay Games for the past 20 years and he’s accumulated more than 25 medals from the quadrennial competition. continue reading »

Adonis afterhours, the new saturday night/sunday morning party at greenhouse, take the fun into the wee hours.
 
They may call New York the city that never sleeps, but finding a place to party after last call ain’t easy. Nightlife entrepreneur/promoter Shelby Stone saw a need for an after-hours party where the gays could dance till dawn—and beyond. Her brainchild, Adonis Afterhours, debuted in the Times Square Art Center earlier this year, but didn’t really click until she teamed up with DJ Eddie Baez and moved the early-Sunday-morning jam down to Soho’s eco-friendly Greenhouse, home to Suzanne Bartsch and Kenny Kenny’s legendary Vandam. We chatted with Baez about his style, his partnership with Stone and what he hopes to bring to Adonis. continue reading »

The wildly popular inaugural season of London’s National Theater broadcasts, NT Live, concluded with Nicholas Hytner’s sold-out production of Dion Boucicault’s 1841 comedy of manners, London Assurance. Filmed and broadcast on June 28, this superbly cast and staged production sparkled throughout thanks to the delicious, over-the-top comedic performances of Simon Russell Beale and Fiona Shaw as Sir Harcourt Courtly and Lady Gay Spanker, two of the greatest comic roles in English theater. Assurance was last seen on Broadway in the Roundabout’s excellent 1997 staging that was nominated for Tonys for Best Revival of a Play, as well as Best Actor and Best Featured Actress for Brian Bedford and Helen Carey, who played Courtly and Spanker, respectively. Since a transfer of Hytner’s pitch-perfect production seems unlikely, this invaluable document of Boucicault’s hilariously funny play was a welcome treat! A second season of NT Live will launch in fall 2010 with Shakespeare’s Hamlet starring Rory Kinnear, Danny Boyle’s production of Frankenstein and the Tony winner Fela!, among others. continue reading »

Original Braodway Cast Recording
Promises, Promises
 
The fabulous new cast recording of Bacharach & David’s 1960s time capsule Promises, Promises finds Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth in terrific voice and having a blast. Even though the orchestrations have been reduced (by Jonathan Tunick) and a couple of songs have been added (unnecessarily), this new cast recording of a scintillating score is a wonderful and necessary addition to your Broadway collection. (Masterworks Broadway) continue reading »

 
What used to be the Mexican-flavored interior of Blue Moon is practically unrecognizable since Silom set up shop with somewhat spicier Thai trappings and tastes from Bangkok’s famous Silom Road. As much as we might mourn the old Chelsea staple, the food presently delivered is actually very good. continue reading »

Next Magazine’s celebs of New York reveal their favorite take-out joints.
 
Michael Musto writes the fabulous, long-running entertainment column La Dolce Musto in the Village Voice and the brash and funny blog La Daily Musto on VillageVoice.com. The author of four books and contributing writer to several others, he’s a regular commentator on shows like Countdown with Keith Olbermann and Theater Talk. So what’s a must-have for Musto when it comes to New York takeaway? continue reading »

New York personality Marti Gould Cummings doesn’t do drag per se. He’s more of an androgynous gender-bender with a hard-on for the Great White Way. In Take the Mic at Dixon Place he scouts for fresh talent, while his online series, Broadway Speaks Out!, sees stars like Liza Minnelli and Gavin Creel talking about LGBT equality. On July 18, Gould turns his birthday party at Vig 27 into a benefit show for Broadway in South Africa, with stage talents like Kate Shindle and Adam Kantor. We hid his chandelier earrings and got Cummings to come forth. —Dan Avery continue reading »

Time Investment: 148 min.
Return on Investment: 140 min.
 
There’ve been high expectations about Inception (Warner Bros), director Christopher Nolan’s elegant mind-fuck of a follow-up to 2008’s The Dark Knight. With only the trailer’s folding cities and slow-motion car crashes to whet our appetites, it’s a credit to the studio that it’s excited us so much for this dense, confusing movie about ideas and the dream state. continue reading »

Time Investment: 92 min.
Return on Investment: 30 min.
 
It’s no secret that Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn likes violence. His previous brutal works—Pusher, Bleeder and Bronson—explore the different ways humanity’s primal instinct to bash each other’s heads in still thrives in the modern world. In his latest gory escapade, Valhalla Rising (IFC Films), he takes that aggression to the Middle Ages. The almost-wordless epic follows a mute warrior named One-Eye (the always-excellent Mads Mikkelsen sporting—you guessed it—a single eye), who, along with a young boy, escapes imprisonment  from a band of pagans who force him into gut-ripping battle in the northernmost part of the world. The duo reluctantly tag along with a naïve band of Christian Vikings on their way to the  Holy Land only to wind up in a strange new world (possibly the New World) that they begin to perceive as “hell” or possibly Valhalla, the Norse “hall of the slain.” continue reading »

It’s clear from the Robert Mapplethorpe-snapped, butt-cheeks-squeezing album cover that the Scissor Sister’s new release, Night Work, is meant to be plump with a sexy, playful dirtiness. And it definitely delivers! continue reading »

DJ Corey Craig is king of poolside (and oceanside) parties, making waves at Asbury Park’s Rip Tide Pool Party on Sunday, July 18 and as the opening DJ of the Fire Island Pines Party on Saturday, July 31. continue reading »

With the onslaught of new cabaret acts fronted by burgeoning gay Broadway stars, gay Glee-wannabes and gay musical-theater fanatics it’s hard to be gay and stand out in the crowd. But for geek-ish musicians Nicholas Williams and Micah Bucey, going gay was the only thing to do with their Smothers Brothers-influenced cabaret act. “Our goal is to take over the world through show tunes, so I can’t imagine calling ourselves anything else,” declares the rubber-faced Bucey, 30, who by day is studying for his Masters of Divinity degree at New York Theological Seminary. So with tongue firmly planted in cheek they named their band The Gay Agenda (ThatGayAgendaBand.WordPress.com) and have been performing their snarky original songs and mini-musicals (covering everything from Disney to the Virgin Mary) in sold-out shows at La MaMa ETC, Joe’s Pub and the Players Loft for the past two years. continue reading »