Bingeing: 'Vikings'

with dvrs, netflix, huluplus and other streming sources 'binging' is the new way to watch tv. i binged on 'house of cards' and saw the entire brilliant series over 3 days while recuperating from surgery. i bing on each season of 'game of thrones'. i've binged each season of 'vampire diaries'. i binged the first four seasons of 'breaking bad'. i like binging. it's like watching great full length films. i turn them into events. mini-series. 

'vikings' sat on my dvr for months. i was avoiding it for some reason. once i started it by the end of episode 1 i could not stop. it became a daily event that i finished over 4 days and was damn glad i watched it that way. it is a really good series. it took me to a time and place i knew of but really nothing about. was it historically accurate? who cares! it took me to other lands, other places and peoples. it was like reading a good book. i can't wait for season 2. i'll dvr and spend a weekend with rangar lothbrok and his clan. their travels and escapades. but i won't watch it till the full season is recorded. then i'll sit down, put my feet up, open a bottle of wine and binge...on the series not necessarily the wine...i repeat not necessarily the wine.

travis fimmell plays ragnar. he embodies ragnar. he is wonderful. and damn those eyes. i repeat those eyes. he's as sexy as they come. actually he is truly hot. hot with a difference: he can act!!! 

get your hands on season 1. binge. you will not be sorry.

those eyes...damn!

Christina Bianco Sings 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart' as Adele and 18 Other Divas!!

this woman is amazing. she is brilliant!

F.R. David: 'Words'

from the soundtrack of my life

Just for a Laugh

Lea Michele Dedicates Teen Choice Award to Cory Monteith During Emotional Tribute

R.I.P. Eydie Gorme

so this is what t'he soundtrack of my life' is all about. it's those songs that filter through my brain on a continual loop. one of those songs has been 'blame it on the bossa nova'. it is truly all i really know about edyie gorme who was a bit to 'vegas' for me. ms gorme passed on saturday. but 'bossa nova' was just a catchy tune i heard in passing but stuck in my brain cells.

i have added 'what did i have that i don't have from 'on a clear day you can see forever' as it is one of my favorite musical songs. she doesn't deliver it as the great barbara harris did in the original cast but what the heck here it is anyway.

'Sunday' on Sunday

from the soundtrack of my life

one of sondheim's best

'Lovelace' Now in Theaters and VOD

Fleetwood Mac: 'Over My Head'

from the soundtrack of my life

James Franco Roast Promo: 'It Ain't Gonna Be Pretty'

here's the promo to be aired on comedy central beginning labor day 9/2

International trailer for 'Diana' with Naomi Watts

Obama Defends Gay Rights, Has 'No Patience' For Russia On Discrimination

Crushing

One More Time

Happy Birthday from Me and the Entire Gay Community

'Glee's' Brief Tribute to Corey Monteith

released prior to a 'special episode' on october 16. the series itself returns september 26.

mmmm

Gay Watch: Have a Good Laugh

john oliver on gay watch international edition.

and more seriously huff post life on the same

Crushing

'Les Miserables' 25th Anniversary Concert

before the film there was this brilliant concert live at O2. take this weeks end to enjoy it.
 brilliant!

Kristin Chenoweth Wants to Make Anthony Weiner the Right Kind of 'Popular'

fun parody of her 'wicked' song 'popular' scolding anthony weiner on the 'tonight' show. for those who do not know mr weiner is running for mayor of nyc. he is now best known for texting pics of his genitals across the nation.

'Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth'

it's what i'm reading. i suggest that the intelligent you give it a read. it says what i always have said that jesus was born and died a jew. it tells us the truth that the men who wrote the popular gospels never knew or walked with the man. below we have an interview with reza aslan's huff post interview.

and then we have his interview with the sewage known as fox news with one of their intellectual midgets. in fact this interview shot the book to #1 on the nytimes bestseller list the NEXT day!

all i say is think for yourself. his look at theman jesus run parallel to mine

Pope Francis on Gay's : 'Who Am I to Judge?'

a good unexpected turn by the head of the catholic church. this pope has potential.

Josh's Jukebox: 'In Your Eyes'

from the soundtrack of my mind

a 'glee' moment

mathew morrison

Crushing: Raul Esparza

i've enjoyed raul on broadway ('company'), tv ('law and order svu', 'the following') and in the cabaret setting. he's also one of my tribe. here is his live performance of leonard cohen's masterpiece 'hallelujah'.

Crushing: It's Always the 'The Best of Times' with John Barrowman

******

*****

*****

Happy Birthday Sandra

a new clip from her upcoming 'gravity'

Matt Cardle & Melanie C's Video for 'Loving You'!!

from the soundtrack  of my life

Lookng Back: 'Coffee Talk' with Linda Richman

(madonna, roseanne and barbra)

Happy Birthday Kristen

kristen turns 45 today. when did it become right to give away a lady's age?

Two (Future) Kings and a Queen

With Hurricane Season Upon Us....

Long Live the King

well both of them. and the princess catherine. congrats and diana is ever present in wills smile though still sorely missed.

and she would have been the loveliest grandmum on earth.

and 31 years ago there was the new dad where and when he was shown to the world.

Rita Moreno to Receive 2013 SAG Life Achievement Award

it's due. she is what is called an 'egot' winner meaning emmy, grammy. oscar and tony sit on her mantle. no small fete..

here's some highlights:

 *****

Sandra Talks 'Gravity'

trailer

Carrie Preston Finally Gets Her EMMY Nod for 'The Good Wife'

'Vampire Diaries' Comic-Con Trailer 2013: Building to the Season 5 100th Episode

Another Reason I Voted for Barack

he speaks. he opens us up for thought. only the stupid won't hear!

Just for Fun

Just for Fun With John Barrowman

i love john barrowman. he's talented. he has an amazing voice. he's gay. he's out.

john going gaga

john going beyonce

Cory Montieth: Straight but Not Narrow

cory made this 'straight but not narrow'. he was a damn good guy.

Patti Lupone Goddess

awhile back i gave us patti singing 'the ladies who lunch' from the sondheim birthday concert. well here is the version from the 2011 concert version of company. damn this woman still blows us away. brava!

Aftermath

melisasa harris-perry and thomas roberts 2 news people i deeeply respect have their say after the murderer zimmerman vredict. mr roberts like myself is gay. ms harris-perry is a black woman. so we three are minorities in this country. we share the bigotry thrown our way. we are tired of it. we will not be silenced no matter how hard 'they' try to silence us.

ZIMMERMAN GETS HIS GUN!

so he gets his gun back?!? well i posit this as a non violent white man: perhaps every black parent within 100 miles of george zimmerman's residency buy their teenagers a gun. i am serious. again i am non violent. i don't own nor will i ever own a gun. but if i were black today i'd worry about this zimmerman. if i were black and saw him walking down the street i'd be ready to self defend. yup. i'd see him as a threat. i'd understand their need to stand their ground. hey it's just a thought. but i say this also: if a black teenager shots this zimmerman in self defense that teenager will be found guilty. yup that will be the case. you know it and i know it!
i don't espose vigilantism at all but and it's a BIG BUT the justice system proves once again it is not just. it's a sham.welcome to my america!!!

The Goddess: Part 3*

i expected to post this sooner but other things interrupted this audra concert. let's just say she had a bit of a well deserved intermission.

 next up audra was 'gorgeous'. the song is from the wonderful under appreciated 'the apple tree'. in one of it's 3 segments tony winner barbara harris played a chimney sweep who dreamed of being a 'movie star'. as stars collided and a tv fairy godfather granted her wish the chimney sweep was transformed into a marilyn monroe type movie star. when she saw her new self she saw she was now 'gorgeous' 
for those of us who have followed ms mcdonald from the beginning ('carousel') we have seen her blossom into a sexy, beautiful woman. now to have her sing what was basically a white sex symbol song is a wonder. she is a sexy, beautiful black woman who once again adds the 'color blind'  tag to her many brilliant performances.
'gorgeous'

'go back home' one of kander and ebbs last collaboration's from 'the scottsboro boys'

'i'll be here'. we've all been there. lose is painful but makes for brilliant songs. i really love this one.

'when did i fall in love'. a classic. but no one, i repeat no one, does it as well as audra. she understands it. the voice, the notes, the feeling. exceptional.

'some days'. audra's into was left off this clip. she introduced it by saying she has been singing it for marriage equality as of late. she said it speaks for itself. as a gay man i appreciate all the time she has given to our cause. thank you.

*(i did post this yesterday briefly but took it down in light of the freed florida murderer and then the  death of cory monteith. as well as thinking audra should be overshadowed by madness and a sad premature death, it would have been inappropriate for my sensibilities.)

Holy Crap: Cory Monteith Died, R.I.P.

this was a damn shocker to wake up to on a sunday morning. damn another young death of a talented man. i really enjoyed him on 'glee'.  he was a charming, accessible performer. he will be missed.
 gone to damn soon!

here's some of cory's best

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Unfrackin' Real: I'd Like to Smack the Smile Off This Murderer's Face

just for the record: white guy here. the american judicial system again appears a joke. ya know oj and casey anthony and on and on... what the frack. now anyone can get a concealed legal weapon and kill anyone that appears threatening and hell just kill him. i'd have a few on my list if i were so inclined. but i'm not. the 6 women jurors should be ashamed of themselves. if i were on that jury they'd be there till the messiah comes (for the first time). but remember he was not proved 'innocent! not that that matters at all at this point. shame on the system and those 6 women. shame shame shame.

murderer

Cheyenne Jackson

it's possible mr jackson is on his way to being a gay icon. singer, actor, all around entertainer. he's heading toward neil patrick harris stature. we need more like the two of them. open, gay, thoughtful and just damn nice guys. i'll throw the wonderful john barrowman into this category also.

cheyenne has a new cd 'i'm blue, skies' out now. sure i wanted a broadway album but this release written by and sung by cheyenne is top notch.

here's a taste of it with 'don't wanna know'

 to get a glimpse of the real cheyenne check out this interview. the gay world has another good role model. thank you cheyenne.

James McAvoy in 'Filth'

if a trailer is supposed to grab you and draw you into a theater to see it this one succeeds brilliantly. it opens in scotland 9/27 and across the rest of the u.k. on 10/24. the u.s. release date has yet to be announced.

Spotlight: Steve Grand

it's a pleasure and a joy to share 'all-american boy' written and performed by steve grand. steve is an out gay man. he is country. he has heart, soul and balls. as a gay man i always feel a sense of pride when someone comes out. i am proud that young gay men and women will have another role model. not having role models made my childhood and adolesence pure hell. i can only think those days are almost well behind us.
'all-american boy' is 'that' song about unrequited love. the longing of the gay man for his straight buddy. c'mon most of us went through this at least once in our youth.
i congratulate and honor you steve. i wish you great success. you indeed arre the new all american boy.

******

and here's a brief glimpse at the man behind the music 

ABC Family is Unstoppable This Summer

the unstoppable, thank the gods, 'pretty little liars', the new 'twisted' and 'the fosters' shine along with the well written and acted 'switched at birth' and the funny cute zanny 'baby daddy'  all make summer tv watching a good time. (i don't watch melissa and joey but it's here too.)

check the promo. then give these shows a try.

Pet Shop Boys: 'Electric'

their new cd drops on 7/16.

'electric' tour dates:

September 12 - The Jackie Gleason Theatre - Miami Beach, FL

September 13 - Mahaffey Theatre - Saint Petersburg, FL

September 14 - Symphony Hall - Atlanta, GA

September 16 - Beacon Theatre - New York, NY

September 17 - Beacon Theatre - New York, NY

September 19 - Music Centre at Strathmore - Bethesda, MD

September 21 - House of Blues - Boston, MA

September 22 - Mann Centre for the Performing Arts - Philadelphia, PA 

September 24 - Olympia Theatre - Montreal

September 25 - Sony Centre for the Performing Arts - Toronto

September 27 - The Colosseum, Caesar's Windsor - Ontario 

September 28 - Auditorium Theatre - Chicago, IL

October 2 - Paramount Theatre - Seattle, WA

October 3 - Queen Elizabeth Theatre - Vancouver

October 4 - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall - Portland, OR

October 5 - Fox Theater - Oakland, CA 

October 7 - Fox Theater - Oakland, CA

October 8 - Copley Symphony Hall - San Diego, CA

October 11 - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, The Joint - Las Vegas, NV

October 12 - Shrine Auditorium - Los Angeles, CA 

October 15 - Mexico City Arena - Mexico City

\

A Glee Moment: 'Hung Up'

from the soundtrack of my life

jenna ushkowitz

(they really need to give this talented cast member a lot more to do)

'Burn'

ellie goulding is new to me. i fell upon this her new release and video. i am impressed.

The Goddess Part 2

next up was audra singing the classic 'summertime' from her tony winning winning performance in 'porgy and bess'.

kander and ebb's 'first you dream from 'steel pier'

'migratory v' is not a favorite of mine but it's redeeming value here is audra playing the piano on stage in concert.

we end this segment with audra going sally bowles with 'maybe this time from 'cabaret' and might i add brilliantly.

(to be continued)

The Goddess

'live from lincoln center' ended it's season in may. it's host for this past season, audra mcdonald, was given her moment to shine with her own concert. for those of you who missed it i will post some of the highlights.

it's fitting that audra began the evening with 'i happen to like new york' the city that is home to the venue.

then came sondheim's 'moment in the woods from the brilliant 'into the woods'.

next up the comedic 'baltimore'

(to be continued)