Curtain Up: “Pearls Over Shanghail”

 

 

 

 One of the very first ‘mainstream’ reviews I ever wrote was for a documentary about a quirky band of free-spirits who, in the early 70’s, called themselves “The Cockettes” (–in a ribald homage to Radio City’s “Rockettes”.) Back in their hey-day, this groovy little acting ensemble could best be described as pan-sexual, androgynous, and always energetic. In fact, the flamboyant, glittery, costumes and glam-rock make-up utilized by both male and female members allowed them to successfully combine drag, hippie counter-culture, wild theatrics, and sexual politics, thus creating a new kind of high art.

 

With monikers like “Goldie Glitters”, “Krema Ritz” and “Rumi Missabue“, the Cockettes influenced celebrities from David Bowie and Alice Cooper to the rock group KISS. They appeared with Adult Superstar Peter Berlin and Drag Queen Extraordinaire “Divine“–and even classic kid-vid producers, Sid and Marty Kroft were said to have borrowed from them (–just take a look at some of those old episodes of “Lidsville” and “H.R. Puffinstuff”!) In addition, their sassy, psychedelic, performances at San Francisco‘s Palace Theater before late night screenings of underground films on weekends (known as ‘The Nocturnal Dream Show‘) ultimately laid the groundwork for the whole “Rocky Horror Picture Show” phenomenon (–not to mention the entire midnight movie craze of 1970’s and 80’s in general.)

 

Another among the gender-bending flocks’ many accomplishments involved the marriage of President Nixon’s daughter Tricia. Not to be out-done by real-life, they filmed their own take on the event, resulting a raucous, cross-dressed, parody called “Tricia’s Wedding” which premiered on the very night the actual nuptials took place. Perhaps most notably though, as word of their brand of “far-out follies” spread, they made their way to Broadway in an original offering titled “Pearls Over Shanghai”.

 

Loosely based on “The Shanghai Gesture”, a ‘scandalous’ 1926 melodrama by John Colton, “Pearls” is a comic operetta involving singing sailors, ruthless opium peddlers and over-painted, ‘scarlet’ women (–well, pretty much everybody here sports enough make-up to keep Clinique in the money for years!) The most notorious of them all though, is a ‘Medusa-esque’ Dragon Woman named Madame Gin Sling.

 

To mark the 40th anniversary of the formation of this truly groundbreaking bunch, local San Francisco theater company “Thrillpeddlers” has remounted “Pearls Over Shanghai”. Originally debuting on New Year’s Eve 1970, this revival opened in June of 2009 and has played continually to packed houses since. Hailed as “a mind-blowing extravaganza inspired by the mythos of sin-soaked Old Shanghai and classic Busby Berkley production numbers”, book and lyrics are by Link Martin, with music by ‘founding Cockette member’ Richard “Scrumbley” Koldewyn. Together the duo has created 24 original songs that keep their cast of 20, singing, dancing, emoting, to the enthusiastic applause of crowds week after week!

 

During its Broadway run the part of Petruscha–a “Jaded Lady” from Russia, was played by the late recording artist “Sylvester” (known for his 1978 disco hit “You Make Me Feel Mighty Real”.) Now the role is shared by local divas Connie Champagne, Katya Smirnoff-Skyy, Veronica Klaus, and Leanne Borghesi. Also joining the harmony-filled hijinx this time around is Michael Soldier, star of the film festival fave, “The Gay Bed And Breakfast Of Terror”.

 

Given the overwhelmingly positive response at the box office, the show’s run was recently extended by popular demand until April 24 (–and word has it that still another extension is in the works which should see it presented through June.) This easily makes “Pearls Over Shanghai” The Cockette’s longest running musical hit!

 

Under the direction of Russell Blackwood, “Thrillpeddlers” specializes in staging first-class horror-fetish theater in the classic ‘Grand Guignol’ style (–think “Sweeney Todd” meets “Beyond The Valley of The Dolls”.) Little wonder that they were awarded both San Francisco Weekly’s “Readers’ Choice Award” for “Best Theatre Company” and a 2009 GOLDIE AWARD (Guardian Outstanding Local Discovery Award) from the Bay Guardian. Even their venue, the intimate Hypnodrome theater, recalls memories of the vast, lurid history the city by the bay can proudly lay claim to. Located at 575 10th Street (between Bryant & Division,) you can bet that the ethereal atmosphere it sustains is perfect for the kind of ‘tongue-in-ass-cheek” intrigue and campy fun that makes “Pearl Over Shanghai” such an all-out winner!

For more information, check out

www.thrillpeddlers.com . Better yet, if you’re going to be visiting ‘Golden-gate Gotham‘, treat your ears to a tuneful spoonful with this naughty, bawdy ‘pearl’ of an evening! Showtime and ticket information is available by calling (800) 838-3006, or order on-line by logging onto: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/67716

 

“One of the 3 best Productions in SF in 2009.” – Bay Area Reporter

 

“Wonderfully arch and exquisitely fashioned… a triumph.” – S.F. Guardian

 

“a deliriously camped-out tribute to San Francisco’s very own ‘Cockettes‘, delivers more madcap invention in two hours than most theater companies manage in an entire season!” – S.F. Weekly

 

  

 

 

Overture: The 10th Annual Cybersocket Awards

Hard drives and Hard-ons took center stage on Monday evening, February 8, when Eleven Nightclub in West Hollywood (http://eleven.la/) was the site of the tenth annual “Cybersocket Awards”. The only awards of to specifically recognize the most outstanding GLBT presences on the net, they’re voted on by the readers of Cybersocket magazine. Each year, websites are awarded for their achievements in both “Surfers Choice” categories and “Industry Choice” categories.

So why should I start my blog–one supposedly about films and theater–with news of an awards show centering around gay–and more often that not–gay erotic web sites? Because another very important purpose for my setting up this blog was to explore the affect the internet has on entertainment and the media in general. Arguable more than any other, the ‘adult’ industry has made an especially effective use of the internet right from the start. In fact, Cybersocket’s Publisher and the show’s Producer, Morgan Sommer is a bona-fide Pioneer in his own right. Recognizing early on the interactive potential of the net–particularly when it came to that all-important subject of SEX, he effectively managed to create a publication serving his readers interests in regards to both website content and the latest technologies that bring it to them. So I’d say an awards show as unique and ground breaking as this is a great subject to kick off my new blog with.

Featured categories here include “Best V.O.D.” (Video on demand)–a service practically unimaginable less than a decade ago, but now just as important as the DVD market to any entertainment company dealing in the adult genre. There’s even an award given to “Best Novelty Site” (–if you have to ask what kind of ‘novelties’ this refers to, you’re too young to be reading this!)

Eleven Nightclub is fast becoming known for it’s mega-hot bartenders and it’s hip, stylish crowd, and both were in great evidence that night. Early arrivals could be found out on the patio being interviewed by broadband broadcaster’s Tim and Roma from “The Tim & Roma Show” (www.timandroma.com). These two alone, are probably the most awesome example of how to effectively integrate more conventional media formats like radio with the internet.

Inside, the actual stage where the awards were handed out was something itself to behold. It was on a large balcony a full story above the crowd. This required the winners to ascend a spiral staircase to receive their prize. Behind the podium, an expansive TV screen on which the nominees were flashed, saved the trouble of actually having to call out each name individually. Then, when the victor was announced, their name too was emblazened across the screen. Once the evening’s program got underway, acceptance speeches were (mostly) short and sweet (A lot of award show producers could learn a thing or two from Mr. Sommer and company!)

The ceremony was hosted by Drag Directress Extraordinaire, Chi Chi La Rue (–looking slimmed down and absolutely sensational) along with columnist and entrepreneur Jason Seacrest. Not co-incidentally, both were in the running for that evening’s highly contested “Best Internet Personality Awards”, and together, their clever banter and general liability kept the show alive and moving. Meanwhile, plenty of eye-candy was provided by the four well-defined (and scantily clad) “trophy boys“–representatives from some of the companies sponsoring the event along with Cybersocket.

One  interesting recollection I have about Mr. Seacrest, dates back to 2001, when “Yours Truly” helped introduce this amazing young go-getter to many in ’the video jizz-biz”. We both worked to promote the same project–a now infamous little Bi-outing titled “Goosed For Three”, and even then, he struck me as having a grasp of this “new fangled” (–to me anyway) computer technology far beyond his years; little surprise too, that he was among the very first ’bloggers” I’d ever met until then.

As expected many adult stars too served as guest presenters, yet those who got to claim the trophies were the ones who realized that today, truly successful performers keep their web site in just as good a shape as their physique! Among them, super-star Michael Brandon looked appropriately mouth-watering in what could be considered a triumphant return to So Cal, as he presented “Best Video Company” to La Rue’s own “Channel One Releasing”; however, it was hunk-director, Doug Jeffries who made his way up to accept the award. Also seen mixing with fans and members of the press were Michael Lucas, Brandon Lee, Rob Ramoni, Josh Griffin, Johnny Hazzard, Diesel Washington and Trevor Knight, as well as industry insiders like Mickey Skee, Angel Benton and Uber-agent David Forest. The night even had a few more mainstream ‘celebrity’ guests making surprise appearances–including comedy writer-personality Bruce Vilanch, who traded quips with syndicated columnist Billy Masters; likewise, Steven Daigle (of TV‘s “Big Brother” Fame) concluded the show by presenting the all important “Company Of  The Year” Award to Epoch. This win was exceptionally suitable because, offering fast, effective credit card processing primarily for ‘adult’ internet enterprises, these are the guys who make it possible for these smaller sites to ’cash-in” on their content.

Yet, more than just watching these ’cyber’ big-wigs take bows and make speeches though, for me, seeing friends and acquaintances –some of whom I hadn’t seen for a while, made the night feel something like a high school reunion (for people who didn‘t graduate all that long ago, that is.) Not coincidentally, these are the very people who gave me my introduction to the internet as a technical concept, not to mention a revolutionary marketing tool for any business. Little wonder too, more than a few of those who walked away winners this year credited such relatively recent web innovations like social networking sites (Face book, My Space, etc.) as well as viral videos, with helping to really fire up their campaigns. (Hmmm…I guess these days, there’s more to mastering the web than being a plain ol’ ‘webmaster’.)

 Congratulations to the winners, the not-winners, and everyone who attended–the above video is my little tribute to all of you who made this year’s presentation a truly memorable evening!!  For more information about the awards, log onto: www.cybersocketwebawards.com

Curtain Warmer and Lobby Cards:

   Hey there everybody! Welcome to my new blog! Once upon a time (when I was a kid,) there was a publication called “After Dark” which was additionally subtitled “The Magazine Of Entertainment’. It covered theater, films and events dedicated to both mainstream and more ‘alternative’ tastes (this was the 70′s after all.) Although this publication was a little bit before my time, I have managed to come across several copies now and then, and it never ceases to impress me that what the writers and publishers were doing back then is the same kind of highly varied  coverage of numerous artistic, traditional, or down right eclectic presentations that I myself, have attempted to emulate throughout my career. It’s been said that the greatest journey begins with just one stp. Thanks for being there with me as I take mine. Here goes…

At Larry Edmunds Cinema Bookshop On Hollywood Blvd.

Honoring the "Love Goddess", Judy Tenuta

 

At the West Hollywood Bookfair purchasing Paul Provenza's awesome tome, "Satiristas!"

With Joanne Worley At The Magic Castle

When Leo Met Gavin

Hello world!