And the Beat Goes On

And this is the official poster for the JTMF 10th Anniversary production of Jeffrey.

Jeffrey is playwright Paul Rudnick's romantic comedy about an actor/cater-waiter named Jeffrey living in New York City in the early 1990's. Jeffrey is so terrified of contracting AIDS that he swears off sex, forever. Of course, as soon as he does so, he meets Steve, the man of his dreams (who just happens to be be HIV+).  Jeffrey's mentor and older gay friend Sterling (an interior decorator), is in a committed relationship with Darius, an HIV+ member of the Broadway ensemble of Cats.

As the four men navigate their way through life in 1990's NYC, Jeffrey learns that love trumps fear; real friends will always tell you the truth; phone-sex with your parents is never a good idea; therapy isn't always helpful; Country/Western dancing can lead to trouble; game shows can be terrifying and Martha Stewart is a bitch.

Uncle P is reprising his role as Sterling, while several JTMF regulars join a few new-comers in this ensemble comedy from the man who wrote both Addams Family movies; In and Out and The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told. 

Box-office proceeds from Jeffrey benefit The Open Arms Foundation, which provides support and services for NJ residents (and their families) living with HIV; The James Tolin Memorial Scholarship at Mercer County Community College, which provides financial aid for Performing Arts majors at the college and The Tyler Clementi Foundation, which strives to end bullying and prevent suicides among New Jersey's young LGBT community. The Friday and Saturday evening performances feature a catered reception and silent auction. Sunday's matinee is a performance only. Tickets are on sale now here. If you are unable to attend, but would like to support our causes, you can make a secure donation via PayPal at our website, www.jtmf.org (though we honestly would much rather see you in our audience).

More, anon.

Prospero

No Rest for the Wicked

I'm Not Patrick Stewart

The first read-through for the JTMF 10th Anniversary production of Paul Rudnick's gay romantic comedy Jeffrey is one week from tonight.

The poster to your left is from the 1995 film version which starred Stephen Weber; hottie Michael T. Weiss; Patrick Stewart; Sigourney Weaver; Nathan Lane; Christine Baranski; Victor Garber; Cameron Mannheim and Olympia Dukakis, among others. The movie's good, but the play is better.

I'm reprising the role of Sterling (Patrick Stewart in the movie), a part I played 10 years ago in the first JTMF show, before were the JTMF. We were simply "The Friends and Family of James Tolin" back then. 

We had no idea that 10 years and 12 shows later we'd still be raising money in honor of the name of a fallen compadre. I do love that after directing 9 shows, I'm back to acting for the company in a play I really like and a role I love. It's also a chance to really act alongside my Dear D for the first time. Yes, we both appeared in A View from the Bridge a few years ago, but we had only one small scene together.

I'll be posting about Jeffrey probably more than I posted about Hairspray, though I promise not to get sickening about it. There will plenty of other things to talk about in the next two months, including movies like The Avengers; Men in Black III; Snow White and the Huntsman; Prometheus and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.  And I'm sure there will be plenty of "Gayest Things" to discuss. In the meantime, watch the trailer for the movie version of Rudnick's Off-Broadway hit and think about trying to get to see our production of it.



And here are the trailers for the movies I want to see this Spring:











More, anon.
Prospero

Good News, Sad News, Good News

So let's start with Good News, shall we?

The MCCC/JTMF joint production of Hairspray is well into rehearsals and I am having a ball playing a certain lady of size. There are some very talented folks in the cast, including my friend Tom as my hubby, Wilbur. Our 2nd Act number together is going to be a blast. I'd honestly forgotten how much fun being in a musical can be. 

Ticket sales are brisk - several evening shows have already sold out. Opening night's audience will include a rather large contingent from the Day Job (who just can't wait to see me in a dress). Several of them have already seen me play an arrogant, bullying director (Noises Off) and a complete  idiot (The Nerd), so they're chomping at the bit to see me play a woman, especially one who sings and (sort of) dances. And our first matinee audience will include both college friends I haven't seen in almost 25 years and at least one blogger friend I've never met in person. You can order tickets on line at www.kelseyatmccc.org or by phone at 609-570-3333. Directed by Jeremy Robinson; Choreographed by Jody Person; under the musical direction of Peter DeMets and co-starring Yours Truly in several dresses, Hairspray should be a rollicking good time.

In other Good News, the James Tolin Memorial Fund is pleased to announce our Tenth Anniversary Gala AIDS Benefit, featuring a reprise of our very first production: Paul Rudnick's gay romantic comedy Jeffrey. Having directed our last 10 productions, I am happy to hand over the reigns to founder Tracy Antozzeski (who also directed the show the first time around), so that I can reprise my role as interior designer of a certain age, Sterling. I'm even more excited that I will finally get a chance to really act with my Dear D, who will be playing the title role of actor/cater-waiter Jeffrey. The Gala will include an Opening Night Red Carpet Extravaganza; a catered reception on both Friday and Saturday nights and our biggest and best Silent Auction, ever. Tickets can be purchased by clicking the link above or by phone at 609-570-3333. Trust me, you DO NOT want to miss this one.

This second bit of Good News is also my Sad News. Jeffrey will be the final annual June AIDS benefit for the JTMF. After 10 years of very hard work by the Board and Staff, as well as the many talented people who've contributed artistically, we've decided that our current formula is no longer working for us and we'll be taking a year off to reassess and reinvent ourselves.

That's not to say that the JTMF is going away. Far from it. And that's the final bit of Good News. We'll be back. We're already looking at ways to continue to raise money for good causes in James' name and have already planned a special Halloween staged radio play* for Fall of 2013. Additionally, we're working to foster a relationship with a local NJ anti-suicide foundation while exploring other avenues for raising funds to keep both the James Tolin Memorial Scholarship going, as well as continuing to support the good work of the Open Arms Foundation, which provides support and counseling for NJ residents who are both afflicted with and affected by HIV/AIDS.

If you've supported JTMF in the past, I thank you. And I sincerely hope that you will continue to do so in our future endeavors, whatever they may end up being.

All that having been said, here's a taste of the 2002 Seattle production of Hairspray:

*Any guesses as to what said Radio Play will be? Your guess is probably right.

More, anon.
Prospero