Chicago Tribune

August 5, 2010

by Phil Rosenthal

Award-winning investigative reporter Chuck Collins, who first made a name for himself as host of WSNS-Ch. 44′s ground breaking “Underground News” in 1970, has died, the trade paper Variety reported this week.

Collins reportedly died after a lengthy illness in Scottsdale, Ariz., on July 9 at age 60. Chicago Tribune archival material suggests he might have been 61.

The late 1970s was a boom time for Chicago television investigations and Collins was at the forefront before moving on to NBC News, where he worked on programs such as 1983-84′s “First Camera.”

For WTTW-Ch. 11 in 1978, he helped expose a payola scandal involving WDAI-FM. For WMAQ-Ch. 5 in 1979, he helped expose strip searches of women by Chicago police. Other award-winning efforts included “Murder by Natural Causes” and “Exploiters: Children for Sale.”

“We try to choose stories in which viewers will be able to relate to the victims,” Collins told the Chicago Tribune’s Gary Deeb at the time. “The strip-search story, for instance, didn’t just dwell on the fact that it happened to a couple of people; we approached it from the standpoint of ‘Hey, it could happen to you.’ As we later found out, it had happened to thousands of women in Chicago.”

Through WTTW, Collins also co-produced the 1979 PBS documentary on aging and retirement, “Miles to Go Before I Sleep,” narrated by Helen Hayes.

But it was as host of one of WSNS’ earliest efforts, the late-night “Underground News,” that Collins initially gained notice. The Tribune, as the free-form 1970-72 program was launching, reported Collins was a 21-year-old from Lake Forest College who beganbroadcasting at Highland Park High School, where the paper said he started a campus radio station.

One never quite knew what was coming next on “Underground News.” The eclectic mix of guests included John Lennon and Yoko Ono, the Grateful Dead, Sen. Eugene McCarthy, activist Abbie Hoffman, Mick Jagger, Joan Baez, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Sen. Charles Percy.

“What was it exactly? Hard to describe,” future Hollywood writer Bruce Vilanch recalled in a 1975 Tribune column. “A talk show, but one that also featured music. Nearly everyone on it was young, and not all of them were foolish. A parade of headliners, from Woody Allen to Peter Max to the ubiquitous Jane Fonda — a three time interviewee, she held the record. A half-hour of nightly conversation, exchanging of ideas and Earth News. And all of it hosted by the genial, intelligent, and incredibly persevering Chuck Collins.”

Survivors, according to Variety, include Collins’ mother, sister and two sons.

www.ru12.org
LA Based Photographer Seeking Vermont Subjects
Tom Atwood

Greetings. I am a photographer who grew up in Shelburne, VT and now lives in LA.

I’m seeking subjects for a sequel photography book who are gay (men or women), live in Vermont and have either a truly unique living space (quirky, odd, unusual), or live in a pastoral Vermont setting, even a farmer would be ideal.

I’ll be back in VT around August 21st and was hoping to locate a subject or two.

The series features portraits of gay men and women at home including John Waters, Todd Oldham, Edward Albee, Joel Schumacher, George Takei, Tommy Tune, Christopher Ciccone, Don Bachardy, Tab Hunter, Barney Frank, Bruce Vilanch, Ross Bleckner, Simon Doonan, Michael Cunningham, Ned Rorem, Junior Vasquez, John Ashbery, Carson Kressley, David Del Tredici, Edmund White, John Bartlett and others.

The series seeks to highlight positive role models for our nation’s GLBT youth. The first book reached people on national television and radio, as well as in over 150 publications in over a dozen countries including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The New Yorker, Elle, Out, The Advocate, The Art Newspaper, Artforum, Art Ltd., Photo Life, Photo Selection and The Photo Review.

Photos from the series also won first place in Portraiture from London’s Worldwide Photography Gala Awards, first place in Portraiture in the Prix de la Photographie Paris competition, as well as additional awards from the Griffin Museum of Photography, the Center for Fine Art Photography, Manhattan Arts International, Artrom Gallery Guild (Rome), Kodak,CameraArts Magazine, Photo Life Magazine, Photographer’s Forum Magazine, Graphis and Applied Arts.

The series, Kings in Their Castles, can be previewed at:
http://www.tomatwood.com/kings.php.

If you’re aware of any subjects, feel free to reach me at this email or 310-503-7800. Of if you know of anyone who might know or know of a VT newsgroup where this message could be posted, feel free to forward this to them or post this.

Thanks so much.

Tom

Fusicology

SummerStage Presents: NYC Pride Rally featuring Me’Shell Ndegeocello , Martha Wash, The New York Gay Men’s Chorus, Vickie Shaw, Billie Myers, Bruce Vilanch and More

Saturday June 19, 2010
Rumsey Playfield – Central Park (NYC)

Strength, virtuosity and joyous revelry reflect the diversity of the LGBT community and the lineup of this incredible evening’s entertainment.

One month after the Stonewall Riots of June 27-29, 1969, about 500 people gathered for a “Gay Power” demonstration. That event, the very first New York City Pride Rally, took place in Washington Square Park and was followed by a candlelight vigil in Sheridan Square. Now in its 42nd year, the Heritage of Pride Rally continues that tradition on the last Sunday in June, providing the City’s LGBT Community with a fabulous launch into Pride Week. This year’s rally, the first at SummerStage, will include performances by Me’Shell Ndegéocello, Martha Wash, The Gay Men’s Chorus, Vickie Shaw, and Billie Myers, hosted by writer and comic, Bruce Vilanch.

Canonized, marginalized or just scrutinized, Me’shell Ndegéocello has given up trying to explain herself. After 20 years in an industry that has called her everything from avant garde to a dying breed, what unquestionably remains is the fearsome bassist, prolific songwriter and the creativity and curiosity of an authentic musical force. With that, she has earned critical acclaim, the unfailing respect of fellow players, songwriters and composers, and the dedication of her diverse, unclassifiable fans.

Like many artists, Martha Wash has felt the ups and downs of the rollercoaster-like music industry. From being the uncredited powerhouse vocalist behind C+C Music Factory’s classic “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now),” to her Grammy nomination for the cult classic’It’s Raining Men’, to seeing her debut solo single “Carry On” reach the #1 spot – in her own name – Martha has unquestionably made her mark in R&B, in dance, in disco and in music history.

The New York City Gay Men’s Chorus comprises of 250 voices. The Chorus has appeared in Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Affirming their world-class status is a roster of classical and contemporary artists who have graced the stages with the Chorus: Marilyn Horne, Roberta Peters, Liza Minnelli, Stephen Sondheim, Barbara Cook, Carol Channing, Jerry Herman, Eartha Kitt, Joel Grey– to name just a few. The New York City Gay Men’s Chorus (NYCGMC) is a member of Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA), the world’s only association committed to serving the LGBT choral movement.

Vickie Shaw returns to New York with her slow paced (she’s southern), incredibly endearing, (she’s southern), sharp, don’t mess with her (she’s southern!), comedy. Vickie doesn’t have to go far from home for material – as a recovering SoB (Southern Baptist) and out lesbian mother. She’s successfully raised two sons and a daughter (actually they’re just alive, I’m not sure if that successful), One son, his wife and their three perfect daughters and her daughter and fiancee all live with Vickie and her “husbian” in Sgt. Patch. Her census needed extra postage. Yeah there’s enough material there to fill a few hours. Vickie has performed in almost every State in the US, and had headlined in way too many venues to list here and TV out the YinYang, but trust us, this girl’s been around.

With the success of her hit single’Kiss The Rain’ from the debut record Growing, Pains, Billie Myers has proven her longevity as an artist. Myer’s live performances have been described as “electrifying” by Rolling Stone. She has toured extensively with the likes of Bob Dylan and Savage Garden and starred at Lilith Fair. Myers has worked with industry greats Desmond Child, Junior Vasquez and Peter Q. Harris. The London Times raves “Myers excels at weaving poetic narratives around starkly honest portraits of her life experiences reassuringly long on singer-songwriter talent.” Her new album, Tea & Sympathy, is out now on iTunes.

One of the most sought-after jokesmiths in the entertainment industry, Bruce Vilanch has become a recognizable face in his own right, thanks to the feature-length documentary Get Bruce! and his one-time stint as a regular on Hollywood Squares, for which he also served as head writer. He is perhaps best known as a regular gag-writer for the Academy Awards, which he has done since 1989.

Event Information
Saturday June 19, 2010
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
All Ages
Cover: FREE

Links
Direct Link: http://fusicology.com/event/nycpriderally
Short URL: http://bit.ly/amXJjY
Venue URL: http://summerstage.org

The Daily Swarm
UPDATE: MICHAEL MUSTO WEIGHS IN ON LCD’S NEW ONE TOO…
THE QUIETUS

The Voice’s Michael Musto gets interviewed by the Village Voice:

Have you ever heard of LCD Soundsystem?

No. But I need a new sound system. Is it any good?

What about Bruce Vilanch?

Yes, I’ve heard of him. He’s a highly paid wit and happens to be a friend of mine. They’re right—I could never be him.

What do you make of the allegation that you’re the lesser of this particular pair?

I’m OK with it, though we’re not in the same racket at all, so it’s like saying “Sandra Bullock can never be Barbara Walters.”

Is James Murphy even pronouncing your name right?

As with everything else, he got the pronunciation dead wrong. But I sort of like “MOO-sto.” It’s vaguely continental sounding.

Queerty.com
The Gay Porn Oscars Are Just As Interminable As the Regular Oscars, and
Other Things the GayVN Awards Have Taught Us
by Dixon Gaines

Like the swallows returning to Capistrano in springtime, every year about this time, the world of gay porn descends upon San Francisco to fete itself with the GayVN Awards, the Oscars of dudes doing dudes. Lubed-up luminaries Brent Corrigan, Michael Lucas and porn impresario Dink Flamingo (Dink! We love you! Call us!) all trod the red carpet, and Queerty was front and center, reporting from the oddly sticky Castro Theater and the thumping after party.

Suffice it to say, it was an education. Here are 10 lessons we learned at the Gay Porn Awards, so you don’t have to.

10. Gay porn has a Tupac & Notorious B.I.G.

Proving that the porn world can have beef on par with the rap world, Michael Lucas launched his opening salvo against megatwink Brent Corrigan on Saturday. Just seconds after a representative from the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection praised the adult film industry in their ongoing efforts to keep kids out of porn, Lucas strode on stage to deliver his invective. First coolly slamming Corrigan, who falsified his age to appear in porn at the age of 17, Lucas then castigated GayVN Awards for nominating and awarding Corrigan. Lucas was met by boos after his bombshell slam and continued to receive boos throughout the evening. See related story for more on the Lucas-Corrigan battle.

9. Margaret Cho is dirtier than a room full of porn stars

As befits an event with nominees entitled Piss! and Fisting Ranch Hands, it was certainly a dirty evening all around. But surprisingly, the filthiest of them all was presenter little ‘ol Margaret Cho. Of course, anyone who’s seen her salute to Gwen the Vagina Washer knows that Margaret does her best work blue. Madame Cho was downright raunchy, with topics ranging from comparing her boyfriend’s spunk to MSG to requiring a neck brace after sucking so much big dick. She capped off her set by singing a pervy paean to Ricky Sinz and his 9 and a quarter inch long schlong, which allegedly made Ricky blush twelve shades of red. If you’ve embarrassed a man whose money shots have been dissected like the Zapruder film, you know you’re working dirty.

8. Porn stars can be achingly sincere

Sure, they’re there to pick up awards for things like Best Cumshot and Best Threeway, but just because they’ve got monster cocks and rosebud puckers doesn’t mean these spunky kids don’t have heart. Many award-winners were genuinely moved Saturday night, profusely thanking their co-stars and directors, and spoke sincerely about their dedication to their art and craft. Most notable was Hall of Fame inductee Dean Phoenix, who teared up as he thanked and praised the many friends he made along the way. It was enough to bring a lump to your throat and your pants.

7. Porn award apparel runs the sartorial spectrum

Unsurprisingly for an evening saluting dudes who work bare-ass naked, there was no dress code at the GayVN awards. You had models in designer suits right next to studio mavens in jeans and sneakers. But of course, there were a few daring souls sporting outré apparel odd enough to make Mr. Blackwell rise from his grave: kilts and sleeveless shirts, leather harnesses and even a few weirdos decked out in head-to-toe vinyl.

6. Raging Stallions Studios is the Miramax of gay porn

Raging Stallion Studios was certainly the belle of the balls on Saturday, nabbing Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor. Its sumptuously shot and intricately plotted (for porn) movies recall the lavish films – Shakespeare in Love, The English Patient,Chocolat – that the Brothers Weinstein pumped out at their arty apex. Which raises the question, does this make Raging Stallions star Ricky Sinz the Gwyneth Paltrow of the porn world?

5. You would think a gay porn after party would be, you know, dirty

For an event dubbed “Shameless” and billed as a decadent follow-up to an already decadent evening, the after party to the awards ceremony proved surprisingly tame. Sure, there was the requisite shirtless bumpin’ ‘n’ grindin’, and even an S&M tie-up corner tucked away in the VIP section, but it’s nothing that we couldn’t have seen somewhere in the East Village back in 2004. Where were the sex pigs greedily servicing a line of patrons? Where was the all-nude dancing? And most importantly, where was the center-ring grudge fuck between Michael Lucas and Brent Corrigan? After all, an after party to a porn show with no sex is like going to the Soul Train Awards after party and being told there’s no dancing.

4. Celebrities love porn, too

Us Weekly was right, celebs are just like us. We love porn and so do they! In addition to headliner Margaret Cho, stars like Bruce Vilanch, Alec Mapa and whatever remains of Janice Dickenson’s mind showed up to present awards. Even actual Academy Award-winner Dustin Lance Black was spotted at the afterparty, watching bemusedly (or perhaps arousedly?) as two boys in their tighty-whities were tied up and whipped with a cat ‘o nine tails. Just like Paddy Chayefsky would’ve done!

3. The Oscars and the GayVN Awards have a few things in common

You might think that there’d be little daylight between the Oscars and the GayVN Awards, but there were a few striking similarities between the two kudos-athons. Like the Oscars, the GayVN stretched for an irritating three-and-a-half hours. Also like the Oscars, the proceedings stopped dead in their tracks for a middling musical number culminating in a not-quite-good-enough payoff. Thankfully, unlike the Oscars, the GayVNs smartly did what it could to speed the plow. As the night drew on, the MC blitzed through awards like Best Editing and Best Set Design by skipping the nominee list entirely, announcing the winner and moving directly on to the next category, dropping the envelope on the stage. Hugh Jackman, take note for next year!

2. Come tor the porn, stay for Janice Dickinson

The GayVN Awards has one bright, shining advantage to the Oscars: the acceptance speech. Rather than a rote list of lawyers, agents and fellow Scientologists, pornsters keep it real and fascinating in their podium banter. We’re thinking specifically of the award-winner who thanked his co-stars, saying, “You couldn’t ask for two nicer guys to rape you.” And then there’s the presenter who, after Best Top Ricky Sinz left the stage, solemnly intoned, “I’ve had him fuck me, he’s excellent.” But the best in show blue ribbon goes to Janice Dickinson, who kicked off her time on stage by announcing, “We’re here at the Castro Theater!” adding, apropos of nothing, “Harvey Milk!” with a regal sweep of her arm. She hung out on stage for about 30 minutes longer, tossing out the occasional smutty bon mot, like saying, when asked what she would do if she were a prison warden, “I’d have sex with all the guards! My dad taught me everything I know!” The bitch is clearly insane and hilarious, and should be airlifted immediately into the next Oscars the second that shit turns too dull.

1. An award-winning porn is all in the name

Rather than a bunch of dick-dazed dummies, the audience was actually a pretty hip and clever crowd, a pack of sticky-fingered savants who had a taste for porny wordplay. Among the nominees that got the biggest audience responses were The Twink Whisperer, The Porn Ultimatum, Paging Dr. Finger, Black Meat, White Heat (“Sounds like a recipe!” cackled Vilanch), Spread Dat Buttah and of course, that new bisexual classic, Bi Pole Her 2. Oscar Wilde would be so proud. And probably a bit horny.

Bruce Vilanch to host 12th annual gay Miami Recognition Dinner
From the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:

Join us for Miami’s premier annual celebration

The 12th Annual Miami Recognition Dinner
Saturday, October 18, 2008
6:30 PM – Midnight
InterContinental Miami

Honoring:

Ilene Chaiken
(The L Word)

Joan Schaeffer

Keith Boykin

Keith Boykin Confirmed as Third Honoree!
Keith Boykin has been actively involved in progressive causes since he worked on his first congressional campaign as a student in high school. A founder and the first board president of the National Black Justice Coalition, Keith has spoken to audiences all over the world and delivered a landmark speech to 200,000 people at the Millennium March on Washington. He served in the White House as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton, who appointed him, along with Coretta Scott King and Rev. Jesse Jackson, to the U.S. presidential trade delegation to Zimbabwe in 1997. Boykin is currently the editor of The Daily Voice newspaper and a host of the BET television show My Two Cents.

Writer/Performer Bruce Vilanch to Host the Awards Ceremony
After years behind the scenes writing topical jokes for Academy Award hosts such as Billy Crystal and comedy personalities like Bette Midler, Vilanch became a celebrity in his own right after becoming a wisecracking regular on the revamped Hollywood Squares game show, seated to the left of center square Whoopi Goldberg. He is openly gay and is notable for breaking the Hollywood stereotype of a homosexual man. In 2005 he starred on Broadway as Edna Turnbladt in the musical Hairspray and appeared on the VH-1 reality series Celebrity Fit Club 3.

For information on sponsoring the event or joining the Host Committee, please visit www.theTaskForce.org/miami or contact Michael Bath, Special Events Manager, at 305.571.1924 or mbath@theTaskForce.org.

Hyler in critical condition after crash
Variety
Manager-producer hit by car on Friday night
By CYNTHIA LITTLETON
August 17. 2008

Manager-producer Joan Hyler remained in critical condition Sunday at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center after she was hit by a car on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu on Friday night.

Hyler sustained “severe and multiple injuries” after being struck by a passing car as she headed to a home in the area, according to information posted on the hospital’s website by Hyler’s family. The report said she was in the intensive care unit but able to respond to doctors’ instructions. A hospital spokesman confirmed that she was in critical condition as of Sunday morning.

Joan Hyler Management reps a range of thesps and scribes including Diane Lane, Eric McCormack, Alfred Molina, Amber Tamblyn and Bruce Vilanch. A former top agent at WMA and ICM, Hyler is a past proxy of Women in Film.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SAN FRANCISCO, April 22, 2008

For press materials and hi-res color press photos,

Visit http://www.shawnryanlive.com

SHAWN RYAN and FRIENDS! An All-Star Benefit Concert Tues., June 3, 2008 (7:30 pm) One Night Only The Rrazz Room in SF (All Ages Welcome)

Shawn Ryan from NBC’s America’s Got Talent Semi-Finalist returns to SF to Headline a Benefit Concert for The Young Actors’ Theatre Camp Scholarship Fund. Featuring Bruce Vilanch, Wesla Whitfield, Terese Genecco, Shaynee Rainbolt, Sony Holland, Connie Champagne, Spencer Day, Barry Lloyd, and Nicole Julien !

Whether it is acting, singing, or charming Regis Philbin on America’s Got Talent, Pleasanton native Shawn Ryan is taking the world by storm, one song at a time! Shawn Ryan is Entertainment! And this evening’s line up of entertainment makes this a Not to be Missed event to be sure! (Theatre Camp Info is below)

Tickets ($45) are now on sale at http://www.therrazzroom.com or by calling 866/ 468- 3399.

To arrange an interview with any Cast Member, please call John Ainsworth at 323/ 401- 4342.

Shawn Ryan is one of the rising stars performing jazz and standards today – having what the LA Times calls “a charm that is rare!” After placing in the semi-finals of NBC’s 2006 Summer hit, America’s Got Talent, Shawn’s star continues to ascend. He currently has two albums and numerous national TV appearances. Most recently taking on the gender-bending role of Karen Adams in ABC’s Women’s Murder Club. Shawn is also the co-founder of The Young Actors’ Theatre Camp (YATC) along with his partner of 7 years, John Ainsworth. YATC is an Overnight Intensive Theatre Training program for students, ages 8-18 that allows for students to work alongside industry professionals.

View Shawn Ryan’s performance on America’s Got Talent : www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZEwC-tKoo8 View The Young Actors’ Theatre Camp Footage: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvMcPxoSXZo

Calendar Editors, please note…

What: SHAWN RYAN and FRIENDS!

Who: Shawn Ryan returns to SF for a Star-Studded Benefit featuring Bruce Vilanch, Wesla Whitfield, Terese Genecco, Shaynee Rainbolt, Sony Holland, Spencer Day, Nicole Julien, Connie Champagne, Barry Lloyd, and the Kelly Park Trio for an unforgettable evening to raise money for the Young Actors’ Theatre Camp Scholarship Fund.

Date: Tues., June 3, 2008 – 7:30 pm

Venue: Rrazz Room at the Hotel Nikko 222 Mason St., San Francisco, CA 94102

Tickets: $45 in Advance / $60 at The Door, All Ages Welcome

Telephone: 866/ 468- 3399

Website: http://www.shawnryanlive.com

I’m in New York and chilling out, but I found this from my friend Richard Knight. Jr at Windy City Times out of Chicago. Here are his own words. He’s SO shameless!:

From the department of shameless self-promotion:

For almost four years now I’ve been writing film reviews and doing interviews for Windy City Times from a queer perspective, and for the last year I’ve also been working on a TV pilot that incorporates those two things—and more. The project is called “Movie Queens,” and my co-host is performer-playwright and fellow film fanatic David Kodeski, who worked as a producer for almost 10 years on “At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper.” I’m happy to announce that the Web site for “Movie Queens” is now online with about 20 minutes of content ( with more to come ) —including a mini-version of our interview with queer icon Bruce Vilanch. Stop on by Movie Queen Manor at www.moviequeens.net and say hello.

And as always, you can check out my archived reviews at www.windycitymediagroup.com or www.knightatthemovies.com . Readers can leave feedback at the latter Web site, where there is also ordering information on my book of collected film reviews, Knight at the Movies 2004-2006.

OSCAR BOSSES GET THEIR DEAD ACTRESSES MIXED UP
2008-02-27 23:39:40 -

Red-faced Oscars bosses had to make last-minute adjustments to their In Memoriam tribute to dead stars after realising they’d mixed up their actresses.

The Academy Awards producers have been heavily criticised for leaving Brad Renfro out of the tribute segment and Whoopi Goldberg from an Oscars past glories celebration, but they almost had a bigger headache.

Oscars lead writer Bruce Vilanch tells PlanetGossip.Eonline.com, producers got late actress Laraine Day’s tribute clip all wrong.
He reveals, “It was actually Claire Trevor (Day’s The High & Mighty co-star).

It’s something that Laraine Day’s family would watch and say, ‘Jeez, that’s not Mom!’ (But) it got fixed.” Trevor actually died in 2000.