Telemundo TV goes gay
Telemundo, the Spanish speaking television network owned by NBC/Universal, will offer its viewers a different view of the Republican National Convention. Host Grace Solorzano was in town recently and toured Ybor City and the GaYbor District with coalition president Carrie West. She said she wanted to do a show on the RNC from an LGBT point of view.
According to West, Solorzano and her camera crew filmed throughout the historic district and conducted several interviews with not only West, but with local celebrity and RuPaul’s Drag Race star Alexis Mateo. While we don’t know yet what will all be featured in the finished product, Telemundo filmed along 7th Avenue at Hamburger Mary’s, the Ybor Social, King Corona, El Centro Espanol, the candle bridges and several historical buildings in the area. The crew even enjoyed Latino Night at Liquid Tampa where Lady Janet was the special guest performer. Those who met the Telemundo crew said that after the filming was done, they didn’t want to leave, and even stayed around to spend quality time with Joey Brooks.
Record-breaking shows
For the first time ever, the Suncoast AIDS Theater Project not only sold out it’s one annual show, but two encore shows as well. This year’s presentation of A Wizard of Oz, starring Matthew McGee in the hilarious role of The Wicked Witch, is by far the most popular show in the non-profit theater company’s history and is usually a one-time event as a “Prelude to Pride” in June. But a packed house filled American Stage in St. Petersburg on Aug. 6 when project honcho Garry Breul spoke to the audience. Breul acknowledged several notables in the audience for their support and leadership in the LGBT community and became emotional when he remembered those we’ve lost to HIV/AIDS over the past three decades. But tears were short-lived. When the staged reading began, laughter started immediately from the audience. And when McGee made his huffy appearance in green face at the top of the staircase, the audience reaction literally stalled the show for several minutes.
During intermission, Breul once again came on stage to acknowledge more volunteers, and also let it slip that next year’s Prelude to Pride show could very well be a re-imagined version of Gone With The Wind, starring none other as McGee as Scarlett O’Hara, of course.
Ovulation and pink cowgirl boots
St. Pete Pride everywoman Christine O’Leary, who actually lives in the Northeast, had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to open for music sensation kd Lang on Tuesday, Aug. 14, when the singer performed at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, Conn. O’Leary, who was this year’s Mistress of Ceremonies at St. Pete Pride, shared her experiences up to the performance with her followers on Facebook.
She referenced the accident she had on a Segway during the Promenade in June, sharing that “my fat left foot doesn’t fit in my pink cowboy boots now. I’ve waited years for a chance to wear them and tonight is kd Lang! Help queens or bloating swellers. What is your advice?”
Fortunately O’Leary managed to get her boots on and was ready to perform in front of a packed theater. She couldn’t be more ready, she shared.
“I ovulated and can feel my heart rate in my molars,” she wrote. “But for kd, anything!”
