Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 523

OCTOBER 5, 2023 | ISSUE 523
MJT/GOOTH ENTERTAINMENT

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9/30/23 4:51 PM
getoutmag.com week in pictures
>Photos by Mike Todd
KARYN WHITE AT CITY WINERY NYC
OCTOBER 5, 2023 | ISSUE 523
MJT/GOOTH ENTERTAINMENT
ISSUE #523
PUBLISHER MICHAEL TODD
MIKE@GETOUTMAG.COM
DESIGN AGOTA CORREA
AGOTA@GETOUTMAG.COM
CELEBRITY INTERVIEWER EILEEN SHAPIRO
@EILEENSHAPIRO3
NYC’S NIGHTLIFE AWARD WINNING BLOGGER/
WRITER & INTERVIEWER JIM SILVESTRI
NIGHTLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER WILSONMODELS
JEASO86@HOTMAIL.COM
The publications of MJT/GOOTH ENTERTAINMENT, getoutmag.com or any
other related print or Web publications or social media accounts, their images,
quotations or articles should not be construed to be an indication of the sexual
orientation of anyone portrayed therein.
All Content © Copyright 2019
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BY EILEEN SHAPIRO
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT
CANDACE BUSHNELL
“TRUE TALES OF SEX, SUCCESS
AND SEX AND THE CITY”
@ THE GREEN ROOM 42
PHOTOS BY FADIL BERISHA
It’s often said that when you write about
something, it’s best to take it from things
you know and from personal experience.
Candace Bushnell took her column in the
New York Observer–“Sex In the City” –so
personally that she could have easily taken
the role of Carrie Bradshaw without even
acting….. And now she will be presenting
her spectacular one-woman show at the
Green Room 42 (570 10th Avenue, inside
the Yotel Hotel) with four performances
from October 11-15, 2023.

Hello, Candace. What can fans expect
at your show?
Basically, the story of how I created Sex
in the City. How hard I worked to get
there. Why I invented Carrie Bradshaw.
And what happened to me afterwards.
Along the way, I answer some of fans’
biggest questions, like “Was there a
real Mr. Big? Did I really have three
friends like the ones that were on the
TV show–a Charlotte, a Miranda and a
Samantha?” And of course, in answering
all of that, in a sense, it’s the origin story
of Sex and the City, combined with
pieces of my life story. How I came to
New York and some of the things that
happened to me along the way and how
I got Sex in the City and beyond.
What inspired you to want to do that?
It was actually something that I just
said “Yes” to. And it took off. I met this
man named Mark Johnson. He’s one
of the producers of the show. David
Foster has a one-man show. And Mark
Johnson basically developed it with him
and I happened to meet David Foster
and I met Mark Johnson and he said, “I
think that you two can do a one-woman
show.” It was something that I never
thought about doing, but I just said,
“Well, I’ll give it a try.” So, I wrote a script
and people really liked it and before I
knew it, we had a Broadway director–
Lorin Latarro. We raised money and we
took it to Bucks County Playhouse to
develop it and I did it at the Daryl Roth
Theater off Broadway.
When you go up onstage and do a
show, it’s obviously way different
than being an author. Are you
nervous? Are you excited? What are
you feeling?
I am really excited. I’m not nervous
about doing it. I think if I were really
nervous about doing it, I wouldn’t do it.
If I felt uncomfortable or if it stressed me
out, I wouldn’t do it. I mean, it is stressful
because you have to rehearse a lot and
there’s a lot that goes into the show. A
lot of behind the scenes stuff. But it’s
not something where I feel like “Oh,
my God. I don’t want to do it.” It’s kind
of a side of my personality that I guess
I never explored before when I was
younger. Now I’m in my 60s and this
came along and I said, “Yes, why not? If
not now, when?”
I actually heard that you were trying
to turn it into some kind of TV series.
Is that true?
Well I wrote a book called Is There Still
Sex in the City? That was sold to be a
TV series, but it fell apart, like a lot of
things during the pandemic. I have a
couple of other TV things that I have
been working on, but now there’s a
strike. So, some things are on hold and
we’ll see what happens.
What was it like to be the reason for the
most popular show on the planet?
Honestly, it’s not something that I really
spend any time thinking about. I’m
always working. Usually, I’m writing a
book. I mean right now, I’m not writing a
book because I’m doing the stage show
and hopefully a couple of other things.
Honestly, after the pandemic I just don’t
feel like locking myself away and writing
a book, which is something I’ve done for
years. After the pandemic, I was like, “I
want to go out and see people, I want to
be around people.” But I’m always working
on something new, so I’m usually thinking
about that thing. Not the TV show. The
TV show is great and it has been a great
experience, but I still have to get up and
work every day.

When you wrote your column, were you
living out Carrie Bradshaw’s fantasy or
was she living out yours?
Well, Carrie Bradshaw was my alter ego.
So, Carrie Bradshaw was me. I’d been
writing professionally for 15 years when I
got that Sex in the City column. It wasn’t
something that just came to me. I had been
working–writing about women, money,
power, relationships. So, Sex In the City
for me was really just a continuation of the
work that I had already been doing for 15
years. The column was a success because
I knew what I was doing. And living that life.
A single woman and chronicling living in the
city and society and how people behave
socially.
These guys, Kim Cattrall and all of them,
they were your real friends. I mean their
characters.
As I say in the show, I had lots and
lots of girlfriends. Obviously,
living in New York for years,
I had lots of girlfriends
and I have been writing
about women and
women I know for
years. So, there were
lots of different types
of women before
a TV show. They
don’t want you to
have hundreds
of characters. If
there are too many
characters, you can’t
keep track.
I know you had
a lot to do with
the actual
production
of the show.
When it came
out, were
you disappointed? Was there anything
you would have changed? Is there
something you would have rather had?
No. When it came out, I was thrilled.
What are you most looking forward to at
The Green Room 42?
I love performing in New York. New York
City audiences are great. I’ve done this
show a couple of times at the Carlyle and
a couple of times off-Broadway at Daryl
Roth Theater. I’m just looking forward to
doing it in New York. There is audience
participation, and it’s really fun.
So one last question. Was there really a
Mr. Big?
That is one of the questions that I answer in
the show. And it was–and I tell the story of
the real Mr Big.
CONNECT
WITH CANDACE
INSTAGRAM:
@CANDACEBUSHNELL
CANDACEBUSHNELL.COM

BY MIKE TODD
COMPOSER
RANDY EDELMAN
WELCOMES CLIVE DAVIS TO HIS EPIC PERFORMANCE
@ CHELSEA NYC 9/22/23
Fate whispers to the warrior: “You cannot withstand the storm”. The warrior whispers
back, “I am the storm”…I’m sure whoever wrote that had to be referring to musical
warrior Randy Edelman, songwriting nobility who leaves his audiences raptured and
breathless. In an intoxicating performance at the chic new nighttime hotspot Chelsea
Table and Stage in the heart of New York City on September 22, Randy Edelman killed
it. The audience was swinging from the rafters, and the sold out space was swollen with
icons and rockers from every species of music, including one of the most prominent and
divine living legends on the planet, aside from Randy himself.
PHOTO CREDIT: BILLY HESS
Celebrated record producer Clive Davis entered the venue with his entourage, wearing
a dapper, verdigris attire, and carefully chose his seat to the slight right of the piano.
It was apparent that he was excited to see Randy perform. He watched and listened as
the award winning symphonist took command of the stage and captured the audience
from the moment he sat down at the piano and began to play. The crowded room
was noticeably touched and silent as Randy honored Davis with the story of his
quintessential song, “Weekend In New England” (as recorded by Barry Manilow).
While in the UK, Randy received a long distance call from Davis, requesting the
song for Manilow, and the rest became music history forever, while the rocky
beaches of New England’s shore rode the wave of fame.
Through his music and stories, Randy shared the ever changing
direction of the soundscape of his career. There was no sun,
there was no moon, no direction, no sense of time….just fine
musical notes swirling up and around the room like thunder
screaming across the sky.

He featured songs including “If Love Is Real” (recorded by Olivia Newton-John), an
emotional “You” (as recorded by the Carpenters), and Randy’s own charted hits, “The
Uptown, Uptempo Woman” and “Pretty Girls” (used in the film The Beast Inside). And
there was much more music to enjoy as well.
He shared the riveting melange of his film scores in an enraptured showcase of
emotion and passion. The crowd remained entranced by the poetry and the intimacy of
his musical display. They could feel what he felt….and what he felt was intense.
A musical heterodox at times and certainly an anomaly, Randy speaks in all genres,
some not yet invented or known publicly to the wider world encapsulated within his
musical soundtracks including “Last of the Mohicans”, “My Cousin Vinny”, “While You
Were Sleeping”, “Kindergarten Cop”, “Ghostbusters ll”, “Dragonheart”, “Beethoven”,
“The Bruce Lee Story”, and over 100 other film and television scores.
There is a wistful elegance to Randy songs, whether they be about the demise of
romance, the echoing of a dream or the longing for deeper love. Randy Edelman
has emerged as a solo artist with an exuberant mystique connected to his one-man
shows, proven by the well deserved standing ovation he received from a congregation
that included artists like Grandmaster Caz, Screamin’ Rachael (Queen of House
Music), DJ So Gaudy, actor Apache Ramos, Desmond Child, representatives from the
UN, and a host of others…

BY JIM SILVESTRI
MEET THE NEW MISS FIRE ISLAND:
GIA BIANCA
STEPHENS!
Hello, Gia. Congratulations on being
crowned Miss Fire Island! Thanks so
much for finding time to chat with us after
this whirlwind week. Are you still super
happy and energized or are you already
focused on the next crown, lol?
Thank you so much! I am still taking some
time to enjoy this huge win. This means the
world to me, and I want to soak it up over
the next year. As far as the next pageant is
concerned, I actually qualified for Miss Gay
America 2024 a few weeks before Miss Fire
Island…so my preparations were already
well under way.
What made you want to try out for Miss FI
this year?
I always love any experience that connects
me to our queer history. Any dedicated
competitor should know about the rich
tradition that is Miss Fire Island. In my
mind, the contest itself is an institution, and
everything in my gut was telling me to give it
another go. I registered to compete without
hesitation as soon as they began accepting
contestants.
I see you’re currently in Salt Lake City,
your home town. That must be an
interesting town to have a drag career!
What’s been your experience with that?
It’s been amazing. My out of town guests are
always shocked at the passionate drag fans
and thriving queer community we have here.
I’ve been performing, hosting and fundraising
for over a decade, and being a small part
of so much growth and exposure for drag
artistry has been a real honor.
So, how many pageant crowns have you
collected so far…and is there one that
holds the most sentimental value for
you?
I’ve collected a dozen titles over the years.
Each crown has its own glory–but aside
from Miss Fire Island, my most important
and special crown was Miss Gay New
York America 2022. I competed earlier that
year for a different MGA prelim and wasn’t
successful. I wanted to challenge myself, so
I took another package to NYC a few months
later and won. I put in the work, I asked for
feedback and I won the crown. I’m proud
of myself for taking my drag to one of the
fiercest and most competitive drag markets
in the country. That win instilled so much
confidence in me and proved I’m on the right
path. The best part is, I won the title on my
36th birthday.
What would your best advice be for a
girl who’s considering entering national
pageantry?
Oh wow…That’s a big question! First, I’d say
to do your homework. Every system has its
own standards and scoring methods. Read
the contestant handbook cover to cover,
many times. Bring your best possible self to
the stage, and remember: If you want to be
the best, you have to compete with the best.
IG: @giabiancastephens
Photo: Jeff Eason

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