tick, tick...BOOM!

www.ExpressGayNews.com • January 27, 2003 Q1
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Q_COVERstory
From
Iceland
to
Florida
World-Renowned DJ Nick Warren Brings His Sounds to Miami
By Andy Zeffer
Features Editor
Nick Warren is no stranger to travel.
When it comes to recording his cutting-edge
world beats, he leans toward the exotic.
Unusual locales where he has spent studio
time in the past have included Sao Paolo,
Budapest and Amsterdam. His most recent
project took him to Reykjavik, Iceland, hence,
the name, Global Underground Reykjavik
#024. Famous for his Global Underground
mixes, Warren continues to delight techno
and trance music aficionados with his
exhilarating sounds.
He is no stranger to touring either. He
has toured in the past as Massive Attack’s
DJ, and now as one of the biggest names on
the International DJ circuit, he has a heavy
touring schedule of his own. Just looking at
the dates of his gigs is enough to make one
tired: Thursday in New York, Friday in Miami,
Saturday in Chicago, etc. The Express
caught up with Warren, and he took time out
to answer a few questions despite his
grueling schedule.
Nick Warren brings his
“down tempo dub style and
string laden monsters” to
Crobar in South Beach on
Friday, Jan. 31.
Andy Zeffer: What can fans expect from
your gig at Crobar?
Nick Warren: After taking three months
off in 2002 and not even listening to any
dance records, I feel I have come back a
refreshed and improved DJ. I really dig the
stuff I am playing now, very musical prog/
breaks/tech stuff, with plenty of energy.
You have recorded in such exotic
locales as Sao Paolo, Budapest and now
Reykjavik. How does working in these
diverse environments affect your music?
It doesn’t really affect what I play as a
DJ, but I think that going into different
cultures is inspiring.
Would you recommend people check
out Iceland on their next vacation?
Iceland was amazing, incredible
landscapes and a thriving scene where
people party all week.
Who are some of your favorite artists
and DJs right now?
Sasha has always been my favorite DJ,
and a new guy Jan Carbon is really good. I
How invaluable was getting your start in
am into too many producers to list, but some the music scene of Bristol in the late ’80s and
new guys from Budapest called The Monks early ’90s, when so much innovation was
will be a name to watch. Ulrich Schnauss taking place?
from Norway is my favorite producer.
I have been very lucky. Working with
Massive Attack and hanging out with all the
What is your take on the whole “Star Bristol heads has kept my feet on the ground
DJ” trend, where DJs are reaching and given me the range of influences I have.
celebrity that in the past has been At the moment, some of the best music being
traditionally reserved for more visible made is from the drum and bass scene.
performing artists?
Some people like being seen as
What does “Balearic” mean to those who
superstars and some like being faceless. I don’t know?
don’t care about being on the cover of
Balearic is a state of mind. It is being open
magazines, but the lifestyle is wicked.
minded to different styles and ideas.
You describe Reykjavik #024 as your
best album to date. What makes this album
stand out from past efforts?
Reykjavik sums up everything I am into,
from down tempo dub style to string-laden
club monsters and everything in between.
You have a very heavy touring schedule, a
different city from one day to the next. Do you
enjoy touring?
I love my job. Okay the flights are a pain
in the arse but I ain’t complaining. I have the
best job in the world.
You stress the importance of melody on
this CD. Elaborate on that.
To much dance music last year was
made by people who can use a computer
but have no musical knowledge, so we’ve
got loads of dull, boring tribal progressive
house. Melody and fun are what nights
should include.
Any desire to record in South Florida?
So many places and not enough days in
the week. I would love to spend some time in
Florida, but you have a lot of great talent there
already.
Nick Warren brings his “down tempo dub
style and string laden monsters” to Crobar in
South Beach on Friday, Jan. 31.
Q2 • www.ExpressGayNews.com • January 27, 2003
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Exodus Magazine Debuts
With Joe Phillips Cover
By Andy Zeffer
Features Editor
Exodus Magazine recently published its
first issue and can be found on newsstands.
The eye-catching cover features artwork by
successful illustrator Joe
Phillips, who also serves as
the magazine’s artistic
director. In fact, much of
Phillips’ familiar illustrations
are displayed throughout
the publication, including
an especially amusing comic
strip.
Published by Nicholas
Reedy with Ross von
Metzke serving as editor-inchief, the magazine aims to
“connect gay generations
and information,” Reedy
says. Topics covered range
from gym alternatives, cruising the Internet,
and health and relationship advice.
Illustrating the generational theme, an article
written by Charles Ham describes his first
time in a gay bar during the ’70s.
More than anything, the magazine
serves to showcase young and rising talent.
The writers, photographers and illustrators
provide a fresh and earnest alternative that
sets it aside from other gay magazines. Pages
are filled with images of
attractive young men,
and not all with the
cookie-cutter buff images
the gay public is so
familiar with by now.
Exodus displays an array
of healthy images, losing
that old school strictly
body-builder veneer and
bringing
the
gay
readership into a new era.
Based in San Diego,
Exodus will be distributed
quarterly this year and
intends on becoming
monthly next year. Readers can look forward
to the next issue March 10. In the meantime,
check out its website at xodusmag.com, and
check out Joe Phillips images at
joephillips.com.
Q_THEATERprofile
Christian Campbell as Jonathan
in ‘tick, tick...BOOM’
The Countdowns of
Christian Campbell’s Life
Actor Finds Truth in ‘tick, tick...BOOM!’
By Mary Damiano
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Christian Campbell says he’s heard his
own tick tick booms.
Although the young actor has
experienced success in his career, he admits to
having the same anxieties as his character in
tick, tick...BOOM!, which is currently enjoying
a run at Parker Playhouse before moving to
West Palm Beach.
In the autobiographical Jonathan Larson
musical, Campbell plays Jonathan, an aspiring
Broadway composer who is about to turn 30
and finds himself at a crossroads in his life.
The tick tick booms Jonathan hears in his head
represent a sense of time running out.
“I just turned 30 this year,” Campbell says.
“As an artist, I’ve gone through that same
sort of anxiety about my life and what I’m doing.
I’ve thought, ‘I’m a bright enough guy—
shouldn’t I just get a job and settle down?’
I’ve been through that even in my 20s.”
It might be surprising to hear doubts
coming from Campbell. This is a guy who grew
up in the business, who’s been successful on
stage, screen and television, and who began
his own theater company so he’d have a
creative outlet. But Campbell is grounded
enough to know better than to take anything
for granted.
Campbell is from a show biz family. While
he was growing up, his father taught drama
and directed community theater. His mother
ran a dinner theater. His sister is Neve Campbell,
the actress who rose to prominence in TV’s
Party of Five.
While Neve started out as a dancer,
Christian Campbell started acting as a child.
He acted in the series DeGrassi Junior High
in his native Canada and also took singing
lessons.
Music has figured into Campbell’s roles.
In addition to his stage work in tick,
tick...BOOM!, he played a rock singer in the
movie Thank You Good Night and an aspiring
Broadway composer in Trick.
“As you get older and the more roles you
get, you start to see patterns in how you’re
cast, and that tells you how people perceive
you,” Campbell says. “I guess I’m perceived
as a musical person, which is ironic because
I’m really not.”
Campbell may not think he’s musical, but
audiences who have seen tick, tick...BOOM!
and have heard him sing would surely
disagree. Campbell nails the theatrical rock
and roll songs, and he says his favorite moment
in the show is when he sings “Louder Than
Words.”
Trick is the film that launched Campbell
into the spotlight, especially in the gay
community. He and co-star J. P. Pitoc were
featured on the cover of Out magazine in July
of 1999 under the header “Gay for Pay.”
Campbell believes that the hype about
straight actors playing gay roles is finally
dying down. “With Will & Grace coming
out and a lot of out actors, it’s going to take
the fear away from actors who are gay and
don’t want to play gay because they’re afraid
of being stigmatized,” he says. “Hollywood
is your own worst enemy if you’re a gay actor.
It’s the gay producers who don’t want to
hire gay actors. The gay Mafia of Hollywood
is your own worst enemy if you’re a gay
actor.”
Trick was a huge breakthrough, a little
movie that went over big. “The film did better
than anyone thought it would,” Campbell
says. “We made the film on a shoestring
budget and thought it would just do the gay
film festival circuit. It’s now on Blockbuster
shelves. It’s a gay film on Blockbuster’s
shelves. That’s a good thing. I’ve had straight
couples come up to me and say they loved it.”
Although Campbell has had success in
film, his first love remains the stage. When
he first moved to Hollywood, Campbell found
himself bored and frustrated with the lack of
originality of his television work, and needed
a way to feed his creative soul. He acquired a
theater and formed Blue Sphere Alliance, a
profitable theater company that presents
original work.
“Many theaters are created by
frustrated actors with the idea of opening a
theater and creating work for themselves,”
Campbell says. “We did that, and we realized
that we started making work for other people,
and work that people really did want to see.”
Campbell believes that despite his
success, there will be more tick tick booms in
his future. “I’ll probably go through it again,”
he says. “It’s a continual process of always
facing those fears and wondering if I’m taking
the right path and just kind of sticking with it
because you know that the only thing that
feels right is following your bliss.”
tick, tick...BOOM! runs through Feb.
2 at Parker Playhouse in Fort
Lauderdale, then moves to the Royal
Poinciana Playhouse in West Palm Beach
and runs from Feb. 4 to Feb. 16.
Showtimes are Tuesday through Sunday,
8pm, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday,
2pm. Tickets are $52 and $54 and are
available at the theater box office or
through Ticketmaster.
www.ExpressGayNews.com • January 27, 2003 Q3
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Q_MOVIEpreview
Currying Favor
Hollywood Meets Bollywood in The Guru
By Lawrence Ferber
Entertainment Writer
The fish out of water story is nothing
new to Hollywood. But rarely—if ever—has
one included Bollywood musical numbers,
porn actresses, new age sexuality, closet
cases, trannies, and, ahem, Puerto Rican
leather queens.
This is what moviegoers will find in The
Guru, a cross-cultural comedy directed by
Party Girl’s Daisy Von Scherler Mayer.
British actor Jimi Mistry plays Ramu
Gupta, a young Indian dance teacher
infatuated with American movies. Determined
to become a big Hollywood film star, he
leaves his home country—and its rousing
Bollywood musical culture—for New York
City. But instead of landing film roles,
circumstances lead Ramu to impersonating a
spiritual guru for Manhattan socialites. The
trouble is, most of the new agey, sex-positive
advice Ramu spreads around is culled from a
porn actress, played by Heather Graham, who
is misled to believe she’s coaching him on
becoming a better porn star. Mistry is best
known to U.S. audiences for his performance
in the popular comedy, East is East.
The Guru began its life with Shekhar
Kapur, Indian-born director of 1998’s
Elizabeth. His youth bore parallels to
Ramu’s—his visions of Western life were
wholly inspired and misled by Hollywood Bmovies, and once a student in the U.K., he
found people looking to him for that exotic,
erotic Eastern spirituality. He took advantage
of this perception and assumed the mantle
of “guru” until his sister showed up, appalled
by what she heard him spout.
After developing a script around these
experiences, screenwriter Tracey Jackson
was brought in to add an American comic
sensibility. Director Mayer entered the
picture after Kapur bowed out of the
directing slot due to availability conflicts,
though he remains executive producer.
“They started interviewing other
directors, and I was incredibly excited to get
this,” Mayer says. “For me, it was like a big
budget Party Girl. It had some of the same
feelings and offbeat sensibility, and that was
really something I had been looking for since
writing and directing that film. The musical
numbers, the camp humor, the ironies and, at
the same time, it’s sincere.”
Grand spectacles combining MGM
musical-inspired production numbers, as well
as more contemporary films such as Grease,
with traditional Indian singing and dance,
Bollywood films influence and are revered in
The Guru. There are four major production
numbers, including a mock Bollywood filmwithin-the-film. However, Mayer admits she
was wholly unfamiliar with the genre before
The Guru came along, so she brushed up,
especially studying the work of Indian
superstar Hritrick Roshan.
“He’s gorgeous, and he is the hunk of
Bollywood,” Mayer notes. “But what’s funny
is they’re all really buff, the Bollywood
guys—almost like Sylvester Stallone a bit.
And in India they call the star of the movie
the ‘hero.’ When [Indian audiences] saw Jimi,
who was so thin and British, they were like,
‘He’s the hero?’ It’s a very particular look.
We actually auditioned some Bollywood
actors, nobody as big as Hritrick, though.”
Mayer also crammed when it came to
porno films, another genre she wasn’t well
versed in. “I made my serious brainiac
assistant rent some,” she recalls with
amusement. “Partially because we wanted to
study the sets and partially to embarrass her.
She came back with films that all looked like
they were from mid-’80s. Joan Jett-looking
women and men with mustaches, which I
guess is a requirement. I don’t think any of
the films were gay, though, so I don’t know
why that bondage scene [in The Guru]
ended up being so gay.”
Some of those situations revolve around
Ramu’s experiences in porn, with titles like
Glad-he-ate-her. These scenes saw the actor
baring almost all for the camera—while costar
Heather Graham, who plays a porn star,
remained clothed. “Heather and I had a pact
that the point of the film was to get the men
naked,” Mayer says. “She has constantly
had to be naked, so this was his turn.”
Mayer credits Mistry, although hetero,
as being an all-opportunity flirt, much to the
pleasure of his costars and gay costumer
Michael Clancy. “Yes, he’s gay friendly,”
Mayer says. “Most actors who are good, I
find, devote a lot of time to flirting with all
the men and women around them. He also
likes people liking him. Michael said that
costuming him was the first costume session
he’s had that matched [the fun of] Parker
Posey’s. He’d put on the clothes and go right
into character. Like, he loved putting on the
tight cheesy polyester pants, which, to me,
is the sign of a great British actor. An
American would say, ‘They make me look
queer,’ and be very vain about it.”
Mistry’s trousers aren’t the only queer
thing in The Guru. As with Party Girl, Mayer
incorporated the homo-milieu. She changed
a supporting character written as female,
Peaches, into a transsexual played by Dwight
Ewell, who also appeared in Party Girl. And
a supporting character, near film’s end, comes
out as gay—smooching his hot and hunky
lover.
Mayer says that the coming-out twist
has a warm heart to it. “The moment they get
together, they work on a romantic level that’s
genuine,” she says. “On the page, it can be
funny that they’re kissing, but that kiss is
romantic in a sweet way. It’s a real sexual
kiss, not something you see on a sitcom or
something. And that was important, making
them genuine love interests for each other.”
After the success of Party Girl, Mayer
had her run-ins with closeted gays who were
far more satirical in manner. “I was going to
these meetings with these big Hollywood
execs, and they would be like, ‘I love Parker,
she’s so hot, I want to go out with her,’” she
remembers. “And I’d think, ‘No, you want to
go shopping with her.’”
Based in New York with her husband,
Mayer has no plans to spend much time in
Hollywood anytime soon, though she would
like to do another film in the same vein as
The Guru.
“I don’t want a sequel—I want a musical
like Hairspray. Then we could do more
singing and dancing.”
Naked at the Movies
MGLFF Debuts Image for Spring Film Fest
By Mary Damiano
Arts & Entertainment Editor
The image of a happy, dancing, naked
man and woman, clothed only in strategically
placed typeface, will be the image that greets
people for the Fifth Annual Miami Gay &
Lesbian, which will take place April 25 to May
4. The image was unveiled at a fundraising
event Wednesday, Jan. 22, at the Regal Lincoln
Road Cinema in South Beach.
It was a big night for the Miami Gay &
Lesbian Film Festival, as they presented a new
film, treated fans to a wonderful party and
showcased the new image for its spring
festival.
The photograph, which will emblazon the
posters, program, ads and T-shirts for the film
festival, was chosen out of more than a dozen
entries to a competition the festival held to
find its official image for this year’s event.
The image was designed by Paul Jacober,
of the advertising agency Jacober &
Associates.
Laplante acknowledged that the image
may push the envelope in some people’s eyes,
but says the festival wanted something bold
and edgy to mark their fifth year.
“They’re not actually nude,” he said. “You
don’t see anything—the words function as a
bathing suit. It’s a little bit of a tease. We
wanted to be bold and strong in our imaging,
and we thought that this was definitely
something that would make people look at and
make them turn their heads.”
Laplante also believes the image
conveys the themes of Miami’s Latin and
tropical location. “It’s in keeping with the
Q4 • www.ExpressGayNews.com • January 27, 2003
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Heather Graham and Jimi Mistry
spirit Miami has of being a fun, sexy
place, and that gays and lesbians
from around the world come here
to partake,” he said.
The poster was presented before
a screening of The Business of Fancy
Dancing, a new film by Sherman Alexie, the
writer of Smoke Signals. The film centers on
a gay Native American poet torn between
his Indian roots and his desire to leave the
reservation behind.
Michelle St. Cloud, who appears in the
film, introduced the film and fielded audience
questions afterward. St. Cloud was
accompanied by some of her family, who live
in Pompano, Delray Beach and Plantation.
After the screening, a reception was
held in the newly restored Jackie Gleason
House on Alton Road. The house has been
completely renovated and restored by owner
Craig Eberhardt, who hosted the party.
Guests wandered the spectacular
expanse of the house, an art deco style
beauty that boasts eight bedrooms, seven
bathrooms, an indoor fountain, two full
kitchens, gym with Jacuzzi and a grand living
area shaped like a Maltese cross, complete
with a sunken oval dining room.
For those envious of such a house, it is
on the market, with a 2.4 million price tag.
Laplante said that feedback about the
event was good, with even longtime members
telling him that it was one of the nicest events
the MGLFF had ever presented.
“They were very impressed with the
house, and we were grateful for the
opportunity to have an event there,” he said.
“We’ve had events in private homes, but this
is a private home like no other.”
Laplante announced the next MGLFF
fundraiser, a screening of the HBO film
Normal, starring Jessica Lange and Tom
Wilkinson, about a married man who decides
to undergo sex reassignment surgery. The
film will be presented March 4 at a location
to be announced.
For more information about the Miami
Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, call
305.534.9924
or
visit
MiamiGayLesbianFilm.com.
Q_THEATERreview
Gayopoly Debuts at Twist
Farcical Food Chain Feeds
Board Game Celebrates Gay Entrepreneurial Spirit
off the Things We Do for Love New
Front Porch and Pop.
By Mary Damiano
Play Boasts Terrific Performances
By Mary Damiano
Arts & Entertainment Editor
As Amanda, Amanda Rockwell has
some long, tough monologues, and she
pulls them off with aplomb. Her
performance is animated and energetic,
sexy and funny. As Serge, Brandon Morris
nails his pretty boy character, who’s just
looking for love.
How high up on the food chain are you?
In the Mosaic Theatre’s production of
Nicky Silver’s play The Food Chain, a mélange
of straight, gay, bisexual and ambiguous
characters come together to figure out where
they figure into each
other’s lives and the
scheme of things.
This is a marvelous
production of a very funny
and insightful play, where
people’s lives depend on
the way society treats them.
It’s about transformation
and the need to be accepted
and loved. And it’s about
the things we do to get that
much-needed acceptance.
The play begins with
Amanda, a new wife who’s
calling a crisis hotline
because she hasn’t seen
her husband, Ford, in two Anthony Sacco and Brandon Morris
weeks, and they’ve only
been married for three
weeks.
The funniest and most honest moments
The action then cuts to the apartment of The Food Chain belong to Anthony Sacco,
of Serge, a runway model getting ready for a who plays Otto. As a self-loathing gay man
late-night visitor. When the knock on the door trying desperately to get back with his
comes, however, it’s not the guest he’s boyfriend, Sacco’s role is both emotionally and
expecting, but rather Otto, Serge’s ex-boyfriend physically challenging, and he turns in a
who is still in love with him.
bravura performance.
All of these characters come together in
Andres Alexis’s facial expressions make
Amanda’s apartment in the second act, and the enigmatic Ford an interesting and
then the play kicks into gear as a farce. How complicated character. Elayne Wilks plays Bea,
these five characters end up together, all related the crisis hotline lady, as a lonely woman who
in some way, is the crux of the story.
needs the hotline callers as much as they need
But within this wacky plot, there are a lot her. The colorful, exaggerated set adds to the
of interesting themes at work. Otto, for example, farcical nature of the play.
is so desperate to be popular and loved, and
The Food Chain is a very funny play that
so powerless to do anything about it, that he’s will help you escape from reality, while giving
supplicated his needs with another vice, you some good insight into it.
something that will always be there for him
The Food Chain runs through Feb. 2 at
and won’t reject him.
The Mosaic Theatre, located inside the
AlthoughAmanda has experienced the same American Heritage School, 12200 W. Broward
lack of love and popularity as Otto, she dealt with Blvd., Bldg. 3000, in Plantation. Showtimes
her pain in a completely different way, completely are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm,
transforming herself into society’s ideal.
with matinees Saturday and Sunday at 3pm.
Only Ford seems untouched by societal Tickets are $23. general admission, $17 for
conventions, choosing to do what he wants when seniors and $13 for students. To purchase
he wants, unconcerned with how his actions affect tickets or for more information, call
others.
954.577.8243 or visit mosaictheatre.com.
Arts & Entertainment Editor
In Gayopoly, the new game celebrating
the joys of being gay, you don’t pass Go, you
pass “You Go Girl.” You don’t go to jail, you
go back in the closet. And in order to get out,
you must sing a classic diva song—anything
by Cher, Barbra or Madonna will do.
Gayopoly, billed as the versatile board
game, debuted this month in San Francisco,
the first city on an eight-city whirlwind tour.
Gayopoly co-creator Lamont Dixon was at
Twist last Tuesday night, Jan. 21, to officially
launch the game in South Beach, one of the
cities featured in Gayopoly.
Dixon created Gayopoly with his business
partner, Bo James. James was in San Francisco
when he got the idea to expand on the standard
board game and create something fresh. They
formed Slypuss Productions and spent two
years turning Gayopoly into a reality.
Despite the name and some obvious
parodies, Dixon says that Gayopoly is very
different from Monopoly.
Whereas Monopoly is a game about real
estate, Gayopoly is more of a role-playing game
about the entrepreneurial spirit. Six different
characters are available—Ivana Munch, Jim
Freak, Ian D. Middel, Freeda Knight, Amanda
Bee and Lou Cinda Booty. Players have the
opportunities to start businesses and hire
employees. While Monopoly used real
streets, Gayopoly uses real hotels,
clubs and stores in each of the cities
included. For example, the South
Beach side of the board
features Twist, Balan’s,
the Abbey Hotel, the
Albion Hotel, The
Gayopoly is also the first two-sided board
game, giving it that extra gay twist. You can be
the top or the bottom, making it a versatile
board game. It was also a way for the creators
to include twice as many cities as they could
have with a one-sided game. New York City,
South Beach, Houston and Hollywood grace
one side, while San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago
and Key West are featured on the other side.
Dixon and James have worked hard to
make Gayopoly eye-catching, appealing and
different. The board folds into a triangle,
necessitating a box that makes the game stand
out. The game pieces are six cell phones, one
for each color in the Gay Pride flag. The board
is pink and blue. The rainbow dots on the dice
were a big hit with the crowd at Twist, eliciting
cries of “They’re so cute,” and “How adorable”
from the patrons.
The result is a whimsical amusement—
part game, part travelogue—playfully saluting
gayness at its gayest.
“We call it the Will & Grace version
because it’s very friendly,” Dixon says.
“Children can play it because there’s no sex or
drugs or alcohol in it. We took the positive
gay stereotypes—just the fun stuff.”
Dixon says his satisfaction comes not only
from bringing the game to fruition but also in
people’s reactions to Gayopoly. “It’s so great
to see people loving the game, and see them
jumping up and down saying, ‘Finally—
something for us.’”
Gayopoly is available online at
Gayopoly.com as well as the
businesses featured in the game
and at other stores that carry
gay-related merchandise.
Christopher Reeve and Nathan
Lane Featured at HRC Gala
Tammy Baldwin Will Be Keynote Speaker
Actors Christopher Reeve and Nathan
Lane will be special participants in the Human
Rights Campaign’s 2003 Gala, which will be
held at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City
on Feb. 6.
The event will honor the work done on
behalf of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender community.
Reeve will discuss the important role that
each individual can play in helping government
focus its attention on the needs of the citizens,
especially regarding the needed public and
private dollars to fund medical research, not
only for those living with paralysis, but also
the illnesses that impact the gay community
like HIV, AIDS and breast cancer.
Tony Award winner Lane will present an
award to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS,
a theatre-based organization that has raised
millions of dollars for various AIDS
organizations.
The keynote speaker for the event will be
Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin.
The Human Rights Campaign is the
largest national lesbian and gay political
organization, with members throughout the
country. It effectively lobbies Congress,
provides campaign support and educates the
public to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender Americans can be open, honest
and safe at home, at work and in the
community.
www.ExpressGayNews.com • January 27, 2003 Q5
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Heard It Through
the Gayvine
Queers, Quotes and Quips of Interest
‘Will & Grace’ Nabs Madonna and Moore
In television, you can tell what month it is not by the change in seasons but by
the parade of megastars suddenly guest starring all over the small screen. February,
May and November are sweeps months, the period that ratings are measured and
advertising fees are readjusted. Case in point: Next month, Will & Grace will feature
Demi Moore, and in May, Madonna will appear on the show. Moore will play Jack’s
former babysitter, but no word on whether Madonna will play herself, as Sandra
Bernhard or Elton John on their guest spots, or if they’ll play real characters, as
Michael Douglas and Glenn Close did last season.
Playing Gay at the Golden Globes
Actors playing gay last year fared better in Golden Globe nominations than
actual awards, but in at least one case, they were going head to head. Nicole Kidman
took the Best Actress in a Drama award for playing
bisexual writer Virginia Woolf in The Hours, edging
out Salma Hayek, who played bisexual artist Frida
Kahlo in Frida and Meryl Streep, who played a
lesbian editor in The Hours. Streep did win Best
Supporting Actress for playing writer Susan Orlean
in Adaptation. The Hours’ Ed Harris and Far From
Heaven’s newly uncloseted husband Dennis Quaid
lost out to Adaptation’s Chris Cooper, who did a
great job of playing a closeted husband in American
Beauty a few years ago. The Hours won Best Drama
and Pedro Almodovar’s Talk to Her won Best Foreign
Film, but HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm beat out Will
& Grace for Best Comedy TV Show. Will & Grace’s
Eric McCormack, Megan Mullally and Sean Hayes
all went home empty-handed in their respective
categories.
F-ing Bono and a Deranged Ballerina
All the censors in television must be working overtime
on MTV’s The Osbournes, because they weren’t on the ball
at NBC during the Golden Globe Awards. During the red
preshow on the red carpet, Irish actor Colin Farrell said “shit,”
but even better, Bono uttered the big F word while accepting
U2’s award for the theme song to Gangs of New York. And
speaking of censors, who let Lara Flynn Boyle out of the
house in her get-up? The actress wore a dress right out of
Swan Lake, but tackier, complete with baby pink tank bodice,
pink tutu skirt that stuck straight out, and—if you can believe
it—high-heeled pink shoes with wide pink ribbons laced up
her legs. Is this the kind of glamour we have to look forward
to in March at the Oscars?
Porn or Plum Part?
Wanted: actors to have sex onscreen for new film—that’s the order John Cameron
Mitchell is having a hard time filling. The Hedwig and The Angry Inch creator is
working on a new film, whose working title is The Sex Film Project, and wants the
actors to have sex for real for the camera. He’s not getting much help from casting
directors, so Mitchell has put out an open call. Any experienced actors who don’t
mind getting down and dirty for their art can contact Mitchell at Safeword Productions,
PMB# 339, 70A Greenwich Ave., New York, NY, 10011. Deadline is Feb. 15.
Q6 • www.ExpressGayNews.com • January 27, 2003
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www.ExpressGayNews.com • January 27, 2003 Q7
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Q_THEATERreview
Phantom Haunts
Hollywood Playhouse
Musical Melodrama an Uneven Hit
By Mary Damiano
Arts & Entertainment Editor
The story of The Phantom of the Opera
has been told many times, on film, TV and on
Broadway. Phantom, the version currently
playing at the Hollywood Playhouse, has
some fine moments, and will satisfy most
audiences, so long as they’re not set on
comparing it to the splashier Andrew Lloyd
Webber rendition.
The story is familiar—a disfigured man
who haunts a Paris opera house becomes
obsessed with a beautiful young woman and
her beautiful voice. Tally Sessions plays the
Phantom, and he certainly has the vocal
chops to do the role justice. His Phantom is
not a sophisticated gentleman type, but
rather a displeased schoolboy. As the
Phantom’s object of devotion, Christine,
Jennifer Zimmerman possesses a soaring
voice that could inspire such obsessive love.
The two leads work well together, and
their duets, such as “You Are Music,” provide
some of the finer moments of the show.
Lourelene Snedeker steals every scene
she’s in as the scheming, over-the-hill
wannabe diva, Carlotta. She’s bitchy, comical
and appropriately haughty, especially during
her showstopper, “This Place is Mine.” Later
in the show, Carlotta shows what an awful
singer she is. It takes special talent for a
wonderful singer to sing badly, and Snedeker
nails it.
Even though Phantom is an enjoyable
show, there are some problems. Zimmerman’s
Christine has such a regal bearing that it’s
Q_DININGguide
Q8 • www.ExpressGayNews.com • January 27, 2003
CYMK
Cast of ‘Phantom’, running through Feb. 16 at the Hollywood Playhouse
hard to imagine her as a simple farm girl. And
on a stage full of outlandish costumes,
Christine looks too modern.
The second act falters with a long and
awkward flashback scene that explains how
the Phantom came to be. The scene is much
too long and drips with maudlin
sentimentality, slowing down the otherwise
well-paced show.
The set is inventive, with some of the
action taking place on a metal catwalk directly
above the audience.
Phantom is a small-scale crowd pleaser,
a nice bit of fluff that will temporarily satisfy
a theater appetite.
Phantom runs through Feb. 16 at the
Hollywood Playhouse, 2640 Washington St. in
Hollywood. Showtimes are Wednesday through
Saturday at 8pm; Matinees Wednesday,
Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. Tickets are $22$32.50. To purchase tickets, call 954.922.0404
or visit hollywoodplayhouse.com.
Advertise_954-568-1880
Q_CULTURALevents
Monday, Jan. 27: Acting Studio Open
House—Learn about the Acting Studio’s workshops,
instructors and facilities. 7-9pm at 2450 Hollywood
Blvd. in Hollywood. Please RSVP at 954.929.4553.
Monday, Jan. 27: Book Discussion—Art
Historian Irma Jaffee discusses her book Shining
Eyes, Cruel Fortune: The Lives and Loves of Italian
Renaissance Women Poets at 10am at the Museum
of Art, 1 East Las Olas Blvd. Admission is $5.
954.525.5500.
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Gay Male Empowerment
Project—This is the first of 12 programs designed
to help gay men improve their quality of life and to
avoid common pitfalls. 7-9pm at ArtServe, 1300
E. Sunrise Blvd. For more information please call
Richard Del Prete at 954.768.0434 ext. 1100.
Tuesday - Sunday, Jan. 28 - Feb. 2: Miami
Improv Festival—MIF features all forms of improv
and sketch groups from around the world. There will
be performances, workshops, seminars and organized
events and parties for festival participants. 10am 1pm at Dreamers Theatre, 65 Almeria Ave., Miami.
m i a m i i m p r o v f e s t i v a l . c o m ,
[email protected], 305.668.4821.
Tuesdays, Jan. 28 – Feb. 25: Children’s
Book Writing Workshop—Gloria Rothstein’s
instructional workshop focuses on having fun while
writing and also learning about the children’s book
market. 6:45 – 8:45pm at the Main Library in Fort
Lauderdale. $70 in advance, $75 at the door.
954.357.7401.
Friday – Sunday, Jan. 31 – Feb. 2: Shell
Show—At the Pompano Beach Civic Center, 1801
NE 6th St., Pompano Beach. For show hours, call
954.786.4111.
Saturday, Feb. 1: Tim Dorsey—Annual book
and author luncheon will be held at 10am at the
Riverside Hotel, 620 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort
Lauderdale. Author Tim Dorsey will review his fifth
and latest book, The Stingray Shuffle. $30/person.
For reservations, call 954.764.6366 or
954.525.5107 by Jan. 28.
Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 1 & 2: South
Florida Depression Glass Show & Sale—A
gathering of select dealers from across the country
with quality items of collectible American glassware
from the 1920s to ’70s. Saturday 10am - 5pm and
Sunday 10am - 4pm at the War Memorial Auditorium,
800 NE 8th St., Fort Lauderdale. For information
call the South Florida Depression Era Glass Club,
954.985.1120.
Saturday – Sunday, Feb. 1 – April 6:
Florida Renaissance Festival—10am - 6pm at
Quiet Waters Park, 401 S. Powerline Rd. Adults/
$15, Kids/$5, Season Pass/$75, Kings Feast/$59.
ren-fest.com, [email protected], 954.776.1642
or 800.373.633.
Sunday, Feb. 2: Mother Daughter Book
Discussion Group—Stargirl will be discussed at
11am at the Two St. Coffee Garage, 209 SW 2 Ave,
Fort Lauderdale. Complimentary refreshments will
be served. This is the group’s first meeting.
954.357.7504.
Sunday, Feb. 2: Sun Celebration Circle
and Ritual—The ancient Druid and Celt MidWinter tradition includes drumming, dancing,
chanting and feasting. Bring percussion instruments
and food and drink to share for the feast. 7pm at the
Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Lauderdale,
3970 NW 21st Ave between Commercial and Oakland
Park. Free. All are invited. For information:
uucfl.org/cuups/, [email protected],
954.484.6734.
Saturday & Sunday, Feb. 22 & 23: 3 rd
Annual Miami Subs Sea Side Soccer Six
Tournament—More than 25 amateur teams are
expected to participate in the tournament at Mills
Pond Park in Fort Lauderdale. Adult players or teams
interested in competing should contact Bare Foot
Sports at 843.379.3440 or adultsoccer.com.
Live Theatre and Dance
Through Sunday, Feb. 2: Romeo and
Bernadette—In this musical by Mark Saltzman,
Shakespeare’s Romeo is reborn from an Elizabethan
stupor and stumbles upon his true love, Juliet. Her
real name, however, is Bernadette and she’s the
beloved daughter of a Brooklyn mob boss. Coconut
Grove Playhouse Main Stage, 3500 Main Hwy.,
Coconut Grove. 305.442.2662.
Through Sunday, Feb. 9: Addicted: A
Comedy of Substance—This one-man-show is at
the Coconut Grove Playhouse, 3500 Main Hwy,
Miami. For information and tickets call
305.442.4000 or 305.358.5885.
Through Sunday, Feb. 9: Park Your Car in
Harvard Yard—Caldwell Theatre Company, 7873
N. Federal Hwy., Boca Raton. For information on
this comedy call 561.930.6400; for tickets call
561.241.7432.
Through Thursday, Feb. 13: Mamaleh!—
Mamaleh! follows the mishegoss and memories of
Jewish-American women in a tuneful and toe-tapping
style. Hollywood Playhouse, 2640 Washington St.,
Hollywood. 954.922.0404. mamaleh.com
Through Sunday, Feb. 16: Phantom—The
classic story of the mysterious figure who haunts
the Paris Opera has been transformed into a
mesmerizing musical by Tony Award winners Maury
Yeston and Arthur Kopit. Hollywood Plalyhouse,
2640 Washington St., Hollywood. For information
and tickets, call the Box Office, 954.922.0404.
Tuesday – Thursday, Jan. 28 - 30: Lord of
the Dance—A celebration of Celtic heritage
through dance and song. 8pm at Coral Springs Center
for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive in Coral
Springs. For tickets and information call
954.344.5990.
Friday and Saturday, Jan. 31 and
Feb. 1: Miami City Ballet—Swan Lake
Act II, Theme and Variations and Black
Swan Pas de Deux. 8pm at the Broward
Center for the Performing Arts, 201
Southwest 5th Ave. For information, call
305.929.7010.
Wednesday - Sunday, Feb. 5 - 23:
Elton John and Tim Rice’s AIDA—A
captured Nubian princess who becomes the
handmaiden to the daughter of the Pharaoh,
Princess Amneris. Aida, whose noble rank
is unknown to the Egyptians, falls in love
with her captor, Radames, who is also
Amneris’s betrothed. Broward Center for
the Performing Arts, 201 Southwest 5th
Ave. 954.462.0222.
Fridays: Separate Checks—Spice
up your night with South Florida’s favorite
Comedy Improv Troupe, where you the
audience create the show! (Bring odd
objects to be used in the show.) Every Friday
night at 9:30pm at the Blue Box, upstairs
at the Hollywood Playhouse, 2640
Washington St. Admission is $7/adults, $5/
students. For more information call 954.327.9159.
Fridays and Saturdays: Just the Funny—
Whose Line is it Anyway? meets Saturday Night
Live. Performances are Friday and Saturday nights
at 11pm at Dreamers Theatre, 65 Almeria Ave in
Coral Gables. Tickets are $10. For information call
305.69.FUNNY or visit justthefunny.com.
Music
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Barbara McNair—Singer,
nightclub entertainer, and star of motion pictures
and television, Barbara McNair performs at 7:30pm
at Pompano Beach Civic Center, 1801 NE 6th St,
Pompano Beach. For information call
954.786.4111.
Wednesday, Jan. 29: Bobby Stringer—
Rhythm & Blues from 7-9pm at the Hollywood
Beach Theater, located at Johnson St. and the
Broadwalk. Weather permitting. 954.921.3404.
Wednesday, Jan. 29: Itzhak Perlman—
Violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman performs with pianist
Rohan de Silva. 8pm at the Broward Center for the
Performing Arts, 201 Southwest 5th Ave.
954.462.0222.
Thursday, Jan. 30: Music of the World—
Singer Ken Stuart performs 7-9pm at the Dania
Beach Branch Library, 255 E. Dania Beach Blvd. in
Dania Beach. For information call 954.926.2420.
Thursday, Feb. 13: Jimmy Buffett and the
Coral Reefer Band—Far Side of the World tour,
8pm at American Airlines Arena. aaarena.com
Thursday, Feb. 20: Liza in Concert—Liza
takes the stage for a night of music, memories and
non-stop energy at the Waterfront Theatre at
American Airlines Arena, 7:30pm. aaarena.com
or Ticketmaster.
Friday, Feb. 21: Santana—Carlos Santana
brings his 2003 Shaman Tour to American Airlines
Arena at 7:30pm. aaarena.com.
Radio
The Norm Kent Show—Interviews and
commentary with Norm Kent, weekday mornings
at 8-9am on WFTL 1400 AM. The Call-In Line is
877.644.1400.
Issues Over the Rainbow—MarkyG hosts
this gay and lesbian early morning talk show. Sunday
mornings at 7:25am on PARTY 93.1 FM.
Party931.com
Television
SoFla Q TV—Television for the alternative
lifestyle. For information call 305.534.3975 or visit
soflaqtv.com.
www.ExpressGayNews.com • January 27, 2003 Q9
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Naked_Curiosity
Singing A Country Song
By Dennis Scott-Bush
You can take the boy out of the country,”
Rick joked. “But you can’t take the country
out of this boy.
My cliché-quoting friend was referring
to his recent trip from rustic, rural America to
the mean streets of Manhattan. Rick
and a buddy of his had
planned to make the sojourn
together but his friend could
never commit to specific
dates. After about six
months
of
unsuccessfully trying to
solidify an itinerary, Rick
opted to just go on his own.
“On the cab ride from the
airport, I was actually afraid,”
Rick confessed. “Not of the
ride itself but because of all
the scary things you read
about and see on TV.”
After checking into
his hotel, he headed south to Chelsea and
the Village. Rick had practically memorized
the listings in the Damron’s Guide. He knew
which bars were likely to attract a clientele to
which he would be attracted. He was ready
for an adventure and he got one sooner than
he expected.
Rick is an amiable guy. He greets
strangers as warmly as friends. While waiting
in line to use the urinal, he struck up a
conversation with Brad and, before the guy
ahead of them had finished his business, Rick
had picked up his first big-city trick.
“You’d have thought I was in Vegas,”
Rick teased. “Because I hit the jackpot with
Brad.”
Trick became tour guide and, then,
bedmate, again, with more sightseeing and
sex every day and night for Rick’s entire week
in New York. Brad was a city boy, born and
bred, and he loved to show off all the
fabulous things New York had to offer. At
the airport, Brad promised Rick that he would
come visit him, as soon as he could. Daily
phone calls, e-mails and instant messages
kept the instant boyfriends feeling
connected.
Brad had plenty to talk about, during
they conversations. He was always doing
exciting things with interesting people. Rick
began to feel like he couldn’t compete with
that kind of fast-paced urban lifestyle. The
only movies Rick saw were ones he got on
DVD. The nearest museum was a few hours
away. With each successive exchange, Rick
grew more sure that if Brad ever came to visit
him, he would be bored and disgusted.
“I had visions of Green Acres,” Rick
admitted. “Only instead of the lawyer-turnedfarmer, Brad would think I was closer to Arnold
the pig.”
A few days later, Rick prepared himself
for the worst, when Brad started their chat
with, “I have something serious to talk to
you about.” But, instead of giving Rick
the brush off, Brad told him that he’d
bought an airline ticket and would
be coming for a visit in less than
two weeks.
“You were the country
mouse who came to the city
and, now, I’ll be the city mouse
coming to the country,” Brad
explained with a giggle.
Rick worked himself into more of
a dither with each passing day. He
convinced himself that Brad would
take one look at his modest house,
turn around, and head right back to
New York. He believed that Brad
would complain about the lack of restaurants
and entertainment. He was certain that, other
than sex, he had nothing to offer his
sophisticated, jaded beau.
To mark Brad’s arrival, Rick invited a few
friends over. With the nearest gay bar two
hours away, most of the gay folks in the area
preferred to socialize in each other’s homes,
rather than make the long drive for a beer
and the possibility of a lust connection.
Brad brought only a small carry-on bag
which surprised Rick. He expected several
large pieces of luggage with some posh
selections from Brad’s massive collection of
stylish clothes.
“Just an extra pair of jeans and a few
shirts. I saved space by not packing any
underwear,” Brad noted.
That was the first of many surprises.
Contrary to Rick’s assumptions, Brad loved
his house, found his friends delightful and
was perfectly content with Rick’s laid-back
life.
And where’s the twist that brings home
the column’s message and reflects back to
the opening?
Brad moved in with Rick.
He
telecommutes to his office in New York and
goes back for a few days each month for
meetings and other business. That was nine
months ago. Last week, Rick e-mailed to say,
“Even when you have trouble believing that
it’s possible, there are happy endings.”
The country boy is singing a love song.
D. Scott-Bush’s work appears in
publications throughout the country.
E-mail my be directed to
[email protected].
By Charlene Lichtenstein
For the week of 1/27/03
Prepare for a planetary pile-up this week as the Sun “conjuncts” explosive
Uranus. Our long term dreams can be thwarted by what we spontaneously
say, think or do. Ready for fireworks in February? Keep on poking those
embers, bubbele.
ARIES (MARCH 21 - APRIL 20)
Gay Rams prefer to go it alone when Sun conjuncts Uranus. Pals become
more trouble than they are worth. Take a breather until next week when
everybody’s nose sniffs up new business and moves out of yours. But for
now, keep your knees together.
TAURUS (APRIL 21 - MAY 21)
Sun conjunct Uranus creates potholes in your superhighway of success. While
the temptation is to act or react, clever queer Bulls will trot along and
graze. This corporate situation will soon downsize and you’ll be in a good
position to capitalize on it.
GEMINI (MAY 22 - JUNE 21)
Pink Twins find that their tasty plans don’t seem quite so delicious when Sun
jabs crusty Uranus. Stop and take a serious look at the blueprints to see if
a few of the finer points are missing. Review and replan; next week you will
act up with authority.
CANCER (JUNE 22 - JULY 23)
All dressed up with no place to go; Pink Crabs yearn to scratch a low down
dirty itch. But where is a suitable scratcher? Wiggle around until next week
when your urges can be unleashed in all their hot and heavy fury.
Temperatures rising....waters boiling....
LEO (JULY 24 - AUGUST 23)
Partnerships may hit a snag when the Sun shunts Uranus . Keep your sunny
side up, proud Lion, as your commitment is tested. Rome wasn’t built in a
day so don’t expect quick fixes. Of course a few quickies here and there may
not be a bad idea....
VIRGO (AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 23)
If you’re headed down a primrose path at work the Sun conjunct Uranus has
you stepping on a few thorns. Gay Virgins fall into the sub-basement quicker
that you can say “Pass the paperclips”. However, if you’re angling for a new
job, this could clear the way.
LIBRA (SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 23)
Fun has a way of getting out of hand this week so perhaps it’s best to stow
the stash and settle into a easy chair while this transit howls overhead. Gay
Libras play dropsie. You break, you buy cousin. Pack your credit card and
your knee pads.....
SCORPIO (OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 22)
Don’t rush into anything while the Sun hamstrings Uranus now. Queer
Scorps are awash in great decorating ideas but often the best ideas on
Monday are no nos by Friday. Crushed velveteen bucket loveseats make a
statement, but do you want to be quoted?
SAGITTARIUS (NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 22)
Proud Archers may become a little too expressive when the Sun conjuncts
Uranus this week, saying things they would normally chew on for a while and
swallow. The secret is not to bite off more than you can handle. (Ain’t it
the truth, kids!)
CAPRICORN (DECEMBER 23 - JANUARY 20)
A bear has trampled on your carefully constructed financial portfolio. Before
you sell short, chalk it up to market fluctuations and bide your time. Pink
Goats will be the master of both the bulls and bears by next week. Pack your
whips.
AQUARIUS (JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 19)
There is considerable commotion occurring in your own sign this week as
the Sun and Uranus collide in Aqueerius. Venture Out and create a social stir.
You’ll have ‘em talking for weeks, so give ‘em something to talk about.
Hold the front page!!
PISCES (FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 20)
If you get your wires crossed, blame it on Sun conjunct Uranus. Prophetic
Guppies are apt to stash their crystal balls and let others do the divining.
Use this transit to explore relaxation techniques like meditation, yoga or
even hypnosis? Clear your mind. Huh?
© 2003 MADAM LICHTENSTEIN, LLC., All Rights Reserved.For Entertainment Purposes Only. Check out her
site www.AccessNewAge.com/Stargayzer for egreetings, horoscopes and Pride jewelry. Her book “HerScopes; A
Guide To Astrology For Lesbians” from Simon & Schuster is available at bookstores and major booksites.
Q10 • www.ExpressGayNews.com • January 27, 2003
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Maximum_Volume
Pumping It Up with
New Album Releases
Nick Warren: ‘Reykjavik #024’
(Studio Distribution)
World-renowned DJ Nick Warren brings music lovers another Global
Underground compilation, this one titled Reykjavik #024. Warren recorded the
CD in Iceland, and its sound will hit the floors of Crobar in Miami on Jan. 31
when the artist makes a live appearance here in South Florida. Fans of global
trance and techno are advised not to miss the show.
Reykjavik #024 is actually two fantastic discs. One disc is more elegant
down-tempo (think sipping Martini’s at The W hotel among a cutting-edge crowd)
and the other a collection of up-front club vibes (think dancing your cares away
until drenched and it’s the break of dawn).
The sounds are rich and sumptuous, with one beat that hooks the listener in leading to another. Warren has also
emphasized the use of melodies in his latest work, so it’s not just thumps and bumps one is listening to. You can close
your eyes and actually feel yourself being carried away on a journey of elation. The first disc is relaxing enough to pull
out a yoga mat and do some stretching to it, or just to meditate in the living room while sipping tea or coffee.
Regardless, the effect is calming on the nerves. The second disc is one to put in the car on a Saturday night and crank
up while driving to your favorite destination with friends.
Warren creates Global grooves that will appeal to anyone with a taste for the exotic. Reykjavik #024 is a worthy
addition to the collection of any dance music fan.
—Andy Zeffer
Vivian Green: ‘A Love Story’
(Sony)
Vivian Green has one of the best sounds and styles to come on the R&B
scene in ages, and she makes a stunning debut with her CD, A Love Story.
Green got her start as a backup singer for Jill Scott, and the training and
experience shows now that she is in the spotlight. Green’s voice and her choice of
material is sultry, soulful and sophisticated. Her songs are tinged with jazz,
especially in the piano that opens many songs, but she stays true to the groove.
Green is an old-fashioned chanteuse with a fresh edge. Listening to A Love
Story conjures up images of Green in a classy gown, center stage, charming and
wowing her audience.
A Love Story opens with the sunny, optimistic “Wishful Thinking,” the perfect song to introduce Green to
listeners.
“No Sittin’ By the Phone” will transport you to a smoky jazz club, as Green’s voice channels the spirits of divas
who came before.
“Emotional Rollercoaster” is the CD’s heart-wrenching centerpiece, a smooth song about loss and betrayal.
“Final Hour is another winner on this outstanding set, a slow number that really showcases Green’s sensuous voice.
A Love Story is an elegant set of songs that captures classic R&B vibes with a modern twist and ensures Vivian
Green a place of honor for a long time to come.
—Mary Damiano
1. Lose Yourself_Eminem
2. ’03 Bonnie &Clyde_Jay Z Feat. Beyonce Knowles
3. Work It_Missy”Misdemeanor”Elliott
4. Beautiful_Christina Aguilera
5. Bump, Bump, Bump_B2K & P.Diddy
6. Game Of Love_Santana Feat. Michelle Branch
7. Die Another Day_Madonna
8. Miss You_Aaliyah
9. Jenny From The Block_Jennifer Lopez
10. Cry Me A River_Justin Timberlake
Nikki Nite Y100 • Miami 100.7
Midday’s 10am-2pm • Monday Thru Friday
www.Y100.Miami.Com
[email protected]
Readonline
www.OURweeklynews.com
www.ExpressGayNews.com • January 27, 2003 Q11
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Expressions
On The Right
High Noon in Europe
Dissenting Europeans Were Put Off by President Bush
The United States faces a military
challenge abroad without the backing of
France, Germany, and Clinton. Mr.
Clinton's speech on Jan. 23 was devoted
mostly to disparaging the Bush taxreform proposal. In doing so he used a
quaint device: Tax reform would amount,
he said with mock-serious facial concern,
"to sending more money to me." That
was his way of saying that he is now
rich, which indeed he is, having been paid
in the past year $9 million in speaking
fees. In one of those speeches, in
Raleigh, N.C., on Dec. 11, 2002, he said,
"I hope the Democrats will support the
position the administration now has in
Iraq, which I think is the correct one."
The administration's position hasn't
changed in the last six weeks. What has
happened is the effective disengagement
of France and Germany from the foreign
policy of the senior partner of the NATO
alliance. European opposition to the
Bush policy on Iraq has energized an
opposition and given Mr. Clinton a vision
of a golden harvest for the Democratic
Party in which his wife looms as a central
figure. There are those who wonder that
someone who served so recently as
commander in chief would choose a moment
on the probable eve of a military engagement
in which American lives are exposed to
disparage the entire operation in which they
are engaged.
The dispatch in The New York Times
by correspondent David E. Sanger is worth
study. It is titled, "To Some in Europe, the
Major Problem Is Bush the Cowboy." An
unnamed U.S. diplomat reports that he hears
complaints "all the time." "Much of it is the
way he talks, the rhetoric, the religiosity,"
the diplomat reports. "It reminds them of
what drove them crazy about Reagan. It
Q12 • www.ExpressGayNews.com • January 27, 2003
CYMK
reminds them of what they miss about
Clinton. All the stereotypes we thought
we had banished for good after Sept. 11
-- the cowboy imagery, in particular -it's all back."
What is it -- one gives intensive
thought to the question -- that the
estranged French and Germans found so
offensive in Reagan? One thinks back ...
Reagan said early on in his
administration that communism was
headed for the ash heap of history, where
it belonged. This astonished a
professional diplomatic community that
lives and breathes off ambiguity. Not
much later, President Reagan said that
we were dealing with an "evil empire."
This caused true commotion: Chiefs of
state were not expected to use language
that issued from moral formulations,
what some people no doubt thought of
as "religiosity."
And then Reagan, speaking in
Berlin, pointed up to the stone masonry
with its turrets and machine-guns and
man-hunting dogs that for 25 years had
kept immured Germans who longed for
freedom. Reagan addressed the leader of the
Soviet Union by saying: "Tear down that
wall."
The dissenting Europeans were early
on put off by President Bush, we learn from
the dispatch in the Times, because he had
said shortly after taking office that the Kyoto
treaty was "dead." The language was
By William F. Buckley, Jr.
probably unwise, but Bush's decisiveness
was in wholesome contrast to Mr. Clinton's
evasions. He signed the Kyoto treaty but
never submitted it to the Senate, knowing
that there -- excuse the language -- it would
be "dead." Bush went on to reject U.S.
submission to an International Criminal
Court. His doing so projected a developing
awareness of the underside of the
cooperative, internationalist mystique. Such
involvements contend with developments
like a U.N. Human Rights Commission that
will be headed up by Libya.
A confrontation on the point of
collective action is now directly ahead, and
some have warned of it for years. The
senior Bush insisted in 1990 that the
United Nations had to endorse the Gulf
War, which was done. But now the junior
Bush is up against a de facto mutiny from
the creeping superordination of the United
Nations over U.S. policy. President Bush
will either ignore the call to go to the U.N.
to authorize military action, or he will go
to the U.N. and live with a French veto.
Outlive a French veto?
If Mr. Bush has correctly analyzed the
best interests of the United States, he will
proceed to take action to remove Saddam
Hussein. That is how such cowboys as
Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan would
have acted, unafraid, in doing so, to invoke
the blessing Abraham Lincoln invoked in his
mission, about which there was a very great
division.