Here’s The Story Behind T’s ‘The Boys in the Band’ Cover!
The photographer Inez van Lamsweerde on the set of T’s “The Boys in the Band” shoot, with the play’s cast. Credit Patrick Li
When Mart Crowley’s “The Boys in the Band” debuted Off Broadway in April of 1968, The New York Times refused to use the word “gay,” sodomy was a crime and the Stonewall riots that would ignite the LGBT movement were still a year away. So it can hardly be ignored that the play’s 50th-anniversary revival, opening this spring on Broadway, is addressing a radically different culture, one that — on the surface, at least — seems to have sacrificed this undeniably queen-y play on its march toward equality.
As the actor Zachary Quinto told The New York Times’s co-chief theater critic Jesse Green in an interview for his essay, he originally had “a dismissive take” on “The Boys in the Band,” having never seen it. But after reading the script and speaking with the producers, he eventually agreed to the part of Harold, the sharp-tongued gay man whose birthday provides the play with its setting. “The criticism was that it offered a stereotypical quality to who these characters are,” Quinto said. “But what gets lost is that characters like these had never been seen on the American stage before.”
T’s editor in chief, Hanya Yanagihara, saw an early reading of the play last summer and “was struck by how crackling and relevant this 50-year-old play still was: its humor, but also how vividly it telegraphed the characters’ shame and despair,” she says. “But what made it poignant was seeing, before me, nine openly gay actors who had made successful careers for themselves as themselves. I knew by the end of the reading that this would be an important cultural moment, and that I wanted the cast for the cover of T.”
Magazines being what they are, Yanagihara adds, it took about six months of planning before the cast gathered for T’s Dec. 17 shoot in New York, photographed by Inez and Vinoodh. Quinto and the rest of the revival’s leads — including Jim Parsons, Andrew Rannells and Matt Bomer — were joined by co-producer Ryan Murphy and director Joe Mantello, and, in a nice departure from the usual turmoil of group photo shoots (which are usually complicated by scheduling conflicts and clashing egos), there was very little drama. “Everyone was on time and played nice with each other on set: no jockeying for specific positioning,” says T’s creative director, Patrick Li. “The fact that the shoot proceeded without incident was the only thing that was unexpected.”
These men, who represent the first generation of out-and-proud gay stars, frequently work together — often in Murphy’s television projects — and their genuine affection for one another gave the shoot — and the play — its sense of intimacy and warmth
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#RHoA: So Cynthia is claiming that being on RHoA has put a strain on her relationship with Will?
It's hard enough to introduce your special someone to your loved ones, let alone having the whole world meet him or her. But that's often how it is when you're a high-profile figure like Cynthia Bailey.
There's been a lot of controversy surrounding Cynthia and her new man Will Jones this season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Not only has he been accused of being an "opportunist," but rumors have also come out about Will not being as up front about his love life with Cynthia as she thought. Tense moments with Kandi Burruss, Porsha Williams, and Eva Marcille, as well as some tears from Cynthia, have ensued.
After all of that, one would imagine that some of that on-screen drama has crept into Cynthia and Will's relationship — and, in fact, it has. "Will and I still go out. You know, we don't go out as much as we used to because it's very difficult for him. I think it's been very overwhelming for him to watch himself on the show because of all the, I mean, he's become quite the hot topic. I think we talk more about Will than we talk about any of the other men at this point, and they've been on the show," Cynthia recently told The Daily Dish. "So with that said, I think it's hard for us to hang out and then watch the show and they're saying all this stuff and then he's upset. And then we're like, 'Hey, you want to see a movie?' It's kind of like, 'No, lady, I do not want to see a movie with you. I just had my head blown off last night on your show.' Of course, that's not something that's gonna make him excited and happy to see me."
Cynthia went on to say that everything that's gone down with the RHOA crew has "put a strain on the relationship." "Even though I don't have anything to do with it, it still is no one would be talking about him if he wasn't dating Cynthia Bailey. It makes me feel bad because I don't know what to do. He's a hot topic on Wendy Williams' show all the time, and she doesn't have very nice things to say about him," she explained. "I kind of can't control that part of it. All I can do is just try to get to know him, but it becomes very difficult under so much scrutiny and press."
So for now, Cynthia said she's "giving him his space." "He's kind of pulled back a little bit, which I understand. And I've kind of pulled back because I honestly just don't know how to deal with it. I've been married the whole time I've been on the show. I got married on the show. And, you know, dealing with my husband [Peter Thomas] was a different situation than dealing with someone that I'm getting to know, then all of a sudden we're a hot topic," she explained. "So I don't know. I'm hoping that when the [season] wraps we can kind of revisit the situation."
#EMPIRE: Gabby Sidibe is Soul Sister #1
Go ahead Queen!
#RnB Flashback: The Emotions ‘Don’t Ask My Neighbor’
The Emotions (Pam, Shelia, Wanda and Jeanette) are an American Grammy Award-winning soul/R&B vocal group from Chicago, Illinois. They were at 70’s and 80’s R&B powerhouse Their association with Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire brought them their greatest success.
With White's assistance, The Emotions released the albums Flowers, Rejoice, and Sunbeam in 1976, 1977, and 1978. One of those songs was the Fan favorite ‘Don’t Ask My Neighbor’ from the platinum album ‘Rejoice’ in 1977. A soulful ballad sung by the ladies. With the Hook that says Don't ask my neighbors, Don't ask the friends I hang around, Don't be afraid to come to me, Don't ask my neighbors, come to me, Don't be afraid of what ya see, You'll find I love you, come to me, Don't be afraid.
Lets reminisce shall we right HERE
#HIPHOPNEWS: Nicki Minaj The ‘Best Female EVER’? So Says Birdman
In a recent interview with Rap-Up Magazine the Cash Money mogul celebrated the accomplishments of his signee, who has been absent from social media as of late.
“Nicki’s been working,” he explained. “That’s all I can say. She’s been working and she’s focused. I always say she’s the best ever, best female ever in hip-hop, hands down, facts,” he added. “There’s no getting around it. I just think she’s focusing on her new project.”
He also bestowed her with G.O.A.T. status. “I don’t think no female ever, in the modern time or before time, is more talented than Nicki Minaj,” said Baby, who continued to shower the chart breaker with praise.
“There’s levels to this shit. Very much levels to this shit. She’s an elite. Sometimes, you can put Nicki in a room with males on a rap, but if you put her on females, it’s nothing. She’s a monster in her own race,” he said. “She’s just a special talent. I’m blessed to have her a part of my team. She’s a special talent I’ve never heard before.”
Nicki has ditched social media in order to focus on completing the long-awaited follow-up to 2014’s The Pinkprint, which she has called a “classic.”
Thoughts?
#WTF is going with Daniel Craig's Face?
Daniel Craig, is that you? That's the question many people were asking after the James Bond actor presented at the 71st EE British Academy Film Awards in London on Feb. 18. Daniel appeared puffy and somewhat unrecognizable. Some fans even described him as appearing "plastic." "Bond looks... different," tweeted one.
"What happened to Daniel Craig's face?" another wondered. Many assumed he overdid it with Botox and fillers. Whatever the case, 007 has successfully confused the world with his new look.
#OOOPS! Jonathan Cheban Allegedly Exploded On The Kardashian's Family Feud Taping
On Saturday the entire Kardashian clan, with exception of Kourtney and Kylie, participated in Family Feud and it seems to be as dramatic as an episode of KUWTK, let's just pray that there were E! cameras rolling on the set.
Khloe, Kendall, Aunt Cici, Kris, MJ and Jonathan were all set to participate on the Kardashian side while Kim, Kanye and three of his cousins were ready to play for the West side. Apparently Jonathan exploded backstage when he found out that he wasn't allowed to compete because Kris wanted MJ instead.
The botox and food addict was allegedly flown from Miami to appear on the show and "flipped out" on Kris when she decided that MJ (her mom) should take his place. After his freakout the staff decided to make Kris and MJ play as one person.
Is he kidding? Yeah, it's a little shady for Kris to make the change at the last minute after he's already flown across the country but it's called Family Feud for a reason, so why was he even there in the first place? That family was no shortage of members so why did they need to recruit him from Miami anyway?
MJ should have had her own position from the beginning and not have to be crammed in next to Kris. Who does Jonathan think he is, Mariah Carey? He doesn't have the status to conduct such a diva act. If anyone should have shared positions with anyone, it should have been Jonathan & Kim because he's so far up her ass, no one would see the difference!
Jonathan's reps claim there was no backstage blowout. Mmm. What do you think about this beef?
Patti Labelle Joins Season 3 Of Own’s ‘Greenleaf’
OWN & Lionsgate are reporting that music legend Patti LaBelle will have a recurring role on the upcoming third season of the popular dramatic series Greenleaf.
Ms. LaBelle will portray Maxine Patterson, a famous Christian motivational speaker and the CEO of a global Christian self-help empire. She is also an old friend of Lady Mae’s from college days and will serve as her sounding board and greatest ally as she attempts to consolidate her power at Calvary.
The show is currently in production in Atlanta, GA and will return to OWN this summer. Ms. LaBelle will also have a recurring role on the new season of Lee Daniels‘ STAR as Queen Latifah‘s mother and most recently appeared on VH1’s Daytime Divas.
Greenleaf was one of the top 5 original scripted series on ad-supported cable for African American women and total viewers and a top 10 original scripted series for women 25-54 in 2017.
Get it Mama Patti!!!!
#HELP: Dr. Timothy J. Cunningham prominent Atlanta doctor goes missing after flu warning!
Two weeks ago, Dr. Timothy J. Cunningham, a team lead with the Center for Disease Control’s Division of Population Health, told his co-workers he was feeling sick. The respected researcher stated he would finish his work from home and left work and he has not been heard from again. This has caused panic and concern, because Cunningham warned his family and others that his disappearance and possible death might occur because he knew a secret about the flu shot. Allegedly, he said it was the cause of this year’s deadly outbreak.
In January, Dr. Cunningham allegedly told his colleagues and family his fears about this year’s flu shot. Some media outlets have reported he was warned by co-workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that if he kept talking and expressing his opinion he could lose his job or something else could happen. Despite this warning, Dr. Cunningham continued to express his medical opinion. As a member of the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), Cunningham was an expert on contagious epidemics. He had been deployed to combat Zika and Ebola and holds the rank of a US Navy Commander as a member of the EIS. He is also a graduate of Morehouse College and Harvard University, so he is well trained to spot an outbreak. Cunningham was also recognized in 2017 by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of the “40 under 40” to watch in the city.
Many media outlets have reported that earlier this year he stated, “Some of the patients I’ve administered the flu shot to this year have died, I don’t care who you are, this scares the crap out of me. We have seen people dying across the country of the flu, and one thing nearly all of them have in common is they got the flu shot.”
All of this information was allegedly given to media outlet YourNewsWire by Cunningham and he asked the outlet to release the information if he went missing or mysteriously died.
His family has placed flyers in his neighborhood and across the city in an attempt to bring awareness and find him. Many people concerned about his disappearance feel it is suspicious it is not being treated with the same attention as other missing person cases.
Cunningham is described as about 5 feet 11 inches tall and 230 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information on his location is asked to call 911 or Atlanta’s Adult Missing Persons Unit at 404-546-4235.
White Teen Who Lied About Being Raped By 3 Black Men Found Guilty
Texas teen faces probation for four felony charges.
One Texas teen has taken a plea deal after admitting that she lied about her sexual assault at the hands of three Black men.
Breanna Harmon walked into her church last March, claiming that she had been raped by three black men. Today, she had to admit that she made the whole attack up.
According to Star Telegram, Harman pleaded guilty to four counts of tampering with physical evidence and government documents, which are felony charges.
“We’ve had major crime before, but nothing like this,” Denison, Texas, Police Chief Jay Burch said in a press conference.
Last year, she came into her Denison church looking battered, wearing nothing but her undergarments and a shirt. She had been reported missing just hours earlier.
Harmon claimed that she’d been kidnapped by three Black men in ski masks and that two of them raped her while the third held her down. At first, She told authorities that the assault occurred in a field near the church. She was later charged with a misdemeanor for lying to authorities.
She was later hit with felony charges when Grayson County prosecutors found that the extent of her lies required more serious charges. For example, Harmon admitted that she cut herself out of depression that her engagement was going to be broken off. She hurt herself and lied about the violent episode to avoid upsetting her family.
Burch explained, “We believe the crime scenes——from the initial ‘kidnapping’ scene at the apartment complex to the point of [Harmon’s] condition when she walked into the church——were staged.”
Harmon will be sentenced on March 20, and it is expected that she will either be given probation or a deferred adjunction arrangement under the terms of her plea deal.
#GOSPEL:‘Stellar Awards’ To Feat. Mary Mary, Snoop Dogg + Kirk Franklin
The debut of Snoop Dogg‘s gospel album and a reunion of gospel duo Mary Mary just a few of the highlights for this year’s 2018 Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards. The show will be hosted by Grammy winning superstar Kirk Franklin and will be held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on March 24.
According to the press release, the iconic rapper, actor and television personality will grace the Stellar stage with music from his new inspirational album Songs of Love. The sisters—Erica and Tina Campbell—will come together for a spectacular performance of their classic hits and more.
Other scheduled performers include: Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Travis Greene, Tye Tribbett, Anthony Brown & group therAPy, Kierra Sheard, KeKe Wyatt, Jonathan McReynolds, Tasha Page-Lockhart, Todd Dulaney, Koryn Hawthorne and Ricky Dillard & New G, among others.
Grammy winning vocalist and reality star Tamela Mann is this year’s recipient of the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award and the legendary Rev. Milton Biggham will receive The Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones Legends Award. Stellar Honors Hall of Fame Inductees includes Kurt Carr, Ben Tankard, and Dr. Marabeth Gentry – President of the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses.
“Each year we strive to bring new and innovative performances and collaborations to the Stellar Awards and this year is no different, with the inclusion of mainstream hip-hop rapper and mogul, Snoop Dogg.” stated Stellar Awards Founder, Don Jackson. “Snoop expressed his desire to release a gospel album in honor of his mom who is an evangelist and he’s teamed up with Gospel superstar Tye Tribbett, there’s no way we couldn’t bring this explosive performance to the Stellar Awards stage.”
2018 Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards telecast will premiere on TV One on Friday, March 30 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.
Click here for a list of this year’s nominees!
Ryan Seacrest Ignores Sexual Abuse And Harassment Claims On ‘Live with Kelly and Ryan’
Ryan Seacrest IGNORES the recent sexual abuse and harrasment claims….
Less than 24 hours earlier, Variety published a story detailing sexual misconduct allegations lodged against him by his former E! News stylist. But when it came time for Live with Kelly and Ryan, the ABC talk show went on with no mention of the claims.
Seacrest and Kelly Ripa began Tuesday’s show detailing their teeth-whitening excursions before interviewing Kiefer Sutherland and Christine Baranski, playing games with the studio audience, and announcing their plans for Oscars coverage.
Ripa even mentioned that Seacrest still plans to appear on the red carpet Sunday for the Academy Awards.
In a statement to PEOPLE, Seacrest’s attorney Andrew Baum says, “It is upsetting to us that Variety is electing to run a ‘story’ about untrue allegations that we were made against my client, after they were told that the accuser threatened to make those false claims against him unless he paid her $15 million. At that time, the claimant threatened to issue a demonstrably false press statement unless she was paid. Instead, my client proactively and publicly denied the claims and agreed to fully cooperate with E!’s investigation about the matter.”
Mo'Nique has reacted to The Tiffany Haddish Netflix Deal!
Comedian Tiffany Haddish confirms she has a Netflix comedy special on the way, no thanks to Mo'Nique...
The news came out after a fan of Mo'Nique tried to say if Tiffany got a multi-million dollar deal with Netflix it was because of Mo'Nique standing up for Black female comedians with her Netflix boycott
That's when Tiffany corrected the fan insisting her Netflix deal came before Mo'Nique's boycott.
Mo'Nique responded positively to the interaction.
How Nice!
Jeffrey Dean Morgan Pays Tribute To ‘Walking Dead’ Co-Star Chandler Riggs After Heartbreaking Midseason Premiere!
(via deadline) SPOILER ALERT: This story contains details of the midseason premiere of The Walking Dead.
Fans are still reeling from events from last night’s episode of The Walking Dead — including some of the cast members. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who plays the not-so-likable, barbed wire bat-toting Negan, proved that he is nothing like his character by paying tribute to Chandler Riggs, whose character Carl saw his demise in the midseason premiere.
Carl’s death was inevitable since the midseason finale, but when it actually happened people were all up in their feelings — Morgan especially. In a lengthy Instagram post, he had nothing but loving words to describe his experience working with Riggs.
“You, my friend, are an incredible young man,” he wrote. “Well before joining this cast I was a fan… a fan that loved watching you grow up in front of a camera. From the moment you first put on the way too large sheriffs hat as a boy… to the end, the hat so befitting of the man Carl had become. Wiser and more compassionate than all of us. You held all of our hearts.”
Read the heartfelt lovefest below.
He goes on to say how he was a fan of the Negan-Carl relationship in the comics and says that although it is sad Riggs is leaving the show, he is a “powerful actor.”
WOW!
Vanilla Ice Accused Of Hiding Millions In His Divorce
Vanilla Ice‘s estranged wife is accusing him of hiding millions in assets in property to keep her from getting it in their divorce.
Laura Van Winkle pulled the plug on her 19-year marriage to Robert Van Winkle when she filed for divorce in October 2016.
In new court docs, Laura accuses Rob of transferring money, she thought was going into a trust, to his company, Van Rap, LTD.
She learned of the shady activity while looking over financial records as part of the divorce.
Now, Laura wants Rob to submit all of his bank records and company financials to make sure she collects all of the money she’s owed.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES?
Courtesy of P.O.Wm
‘BABY TEE’
Piece of advice, stop shopping in the baby section. We can all see It’s not working out.
#EGGPLANT NATION Meet Smiley Cub!
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.
ENJOY!
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
