Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 534
Featuring content from the hottest gay and gay-friendly spots in New York, each (free!) issue of Get Out! highlights the bars, nightclubs, restaurants, spas and other businesses throughout NYC’s metropolitan area that the city’s gay a population is interested in.
Featuring content from the hottest gay and gay-friendly spots in New York, each (free!) issue of Get Out! highlights the bars, nightclubs, restaurants, spas and other businesses throughout NYC’s metropolitan area that the city’s gay a population is interested in.
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if it was me...
ISSUE #<strong>534</strong><br />
COVER:<br />
ARIEL<br />
SINCLAIR<br />
PHOTO CREDIT: JIZZABELLA<br />
PUBLISHER MICHAEL TODD<br />
MIKE@GETOUTMAG.COM<br />
DESIGN AGOTA CORREA<br />
AGOTA@GETOUTMAG.COM<br />
CELEBRITY INTERVIEWER EILEEN SHAPIRO<br />
@EILEENSHAPIRO3<br />
NYC’S NIGHTLIFE AWARD WINNING BLOGGER/<br />
WRITER & INTERVIEWER JIM SILVESTRI<br />
NIGHTLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER WILSONMODELS<br />
JEASO86@HOTMAIL.COM<br />
The publications of MJT/GOOTH ENTERTAINMENT, getoutmag.com or any<br />
other related print or Web publications or social media accounts, their images,<br />
quotations or articles should not be construed to be an indication of the sexual<br />
orientation of anyone portrayed therein.<br />
All Content © Copyright 2019<br />
MJT/GOOTH ENTERTAINMENT<br />
25-21 45TH STREET ASTORIA, NY 11103<br />
GET OUT OF THE HOUSE ENTERTAINMENT EST. 2009
BY BEN NELSON<br />
PHOTO CREDIT: STEVEN LOVE MENENDEZ<br />
LADY BUNNY IS IN FULL BLOOM<br />
Hilarious New Spring Show, April Fool<br />
No one associates the 61-year-old drag queen<br />
Lady Bunny with anything fresh, but the<br />
old dog did learn a few tricks over the winter<br />
months. She’s been performing shows out<br />
west, where audiences have cheered her new<br />
material, including her self-penned dance<br />
track about Ozempic.<br />
Beginning April 12, she’ll return to NYC’s<br />
Green Room 42 for four hilarious shows of<br />
her spring comedy special, Lady Bunny: April<br />
Fool. “Last year, I broke my toe and had to<br />
perform in one of those awful boots,” Bunny<br />
recalls. “This year, I guess I’ll have to come<br />
up with another excuse for not being able to<br />
dance.”<br />
Her latest parody medleys skewer celebrities<br />
like Todrick Hall and RuPaul. She also draws<br />
inspiration from Beyonce’s “Texas Hold ‘Em”,<br />
performing a slew of reinterpreted versions<br />
of downhome country ditties made popular<br />
by Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Bobbie<br />
Gentry, Gretchen Wilson and Shania Twain.<br />
In addition, Bunny presents an original<br />
country song she wrote about love on<br />
a farm.<br />
be wearing another loud, tacky floral print<br />
muumuu to match the show’s springtime<br />
theme.<br />
Lady Bunny’s comic genius has been<br />
featured in films and television, including<br />
Wig, the HBO Wigstock documentary, and<br />
Bianca Del Rio’s Hurricane Bianca: From<br />
Russia with Hate. Later this summer, Bunny<br />
will appear in Playland, a film that Variety<br />
calls “a haunting and haunted collage of<br />
queer history comes to life.”<br />
LADY BUNNY: APRIL FOOL takes place at the<br />
Green Room on the fourth floor of Yotel NYC<br />
(570 Tenth Avenue between 41st and 42nd).<br />
April 12, 14, 17, 24 at 7pm. Tickets are<br />
$22 at https://thegreenroom42.venuetix.com.<br />
18+ only. Please note that there is also a<br />
food/drink minimum at all performances; full<br />
dinner menu available.<br />
For fans of the comedian’s trademark<br />
Laugh-In joke routines, Bunny adds<br />
zingers that target Wendy Williams’<br />
dementia diagnoses and Caitlyn<br />
Jenner’s busy few months celebrating<br />
both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.<br />
She gets political, too. In one bit, she<br />
announces how “Joe Biden has a new<br />
VP pick who will spruce up his image<br />
and make him look younger: Dianne<br />
Feinstein!” She later muses how “You<br />
really have to<br />
give Trump credit—because he’s<br />
completely out of cash!”<br />
And then there’s the fashion. Says<br />
Bunny, “I’ll be wearing several stunning<br />
new gowns.” In other words, she’ll
getoutmag.com week in pictures<br />
MISS MONSTER PAGEANT @ MONSTER BAR<br />
>> BY WILSONMODELS / wilsonmodels.blogspot.com
getoutmag.com week in pictures<br />
BLACK PARTY @ STAGE 48<br />
>> BY WILSONMODELS / wilsonmodels.blogspot.com
getoutmag.com week in pictures >> BY WILSONMODELS / wilsonmodels.blogspot.com<br />
NIGHT OF 1000 GOWNS @ HILTON MIDTOWN
getoutmag.com week in pictures >> BY WILSONMODELS / wilsonmodels.blogspot.com<br />
NIGHT OF 1000 GOWNS @ HILTON MIDTOWN
#1 PRESCRIBED<br />
HIV TREATMENT*<br />
*Source: IQVIA NPA Weekly, 04/19/2019 through 01/20/2023.<br />
ELIAS<br />
SWITCHED TO BIKTARVY<br />
Listen to REAL STORIES<br />
being told by REAL VOICES.<br />
No matter where life takes you,<br />
Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.<br />
BIKTARVY® is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used<br />
to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.<br />
Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.<br />
People featured take BIKTARVY and are compensated by Gilead.
IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®<br />
This is only a brief summary of important information about<br />
BIKTARVY® and does not replace talking to your healthcare<br />
provider about your condition and your treatment.<br />
(bik-TAR-vee)<br />
MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION<br />
ABOUT BIKTARVY<br />
BIKTARVY may cause serious side<br />
effects, including:<br />
Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV)<br />
infection. Your healthcare provider<br />
will test you for HBV. If you have<br />
both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may<br />
suddenly get worse if you stop<br />
taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop<br />
taking BIKTARVY without first<br />
talking to your healthcare provider,<br />
as they will need to check your<br />
health regularly for several months,<br />
and may give you HBV medicine.<br />
ABOUT BIKTARVY<br />
BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day<br />
prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1<br />
in adults and children who weigh at least<br />
55 pounds. It can either be used in people<br />
who have never taken HIV-1 medicines<br />
before, or people who are replacing<br />
their current HIV-1 medicines and whose<br />
healthcare provider determines they meet<br />
certain requirements.<br />
BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.<br />
HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS.<br />
Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take<br />
a medicine that contains:<br />
dofetilide<br />
rifampin<br />
any other medicines to treat HIV-1<br />
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY<br />
BIKTARVY may cause serious side<br />
effects, including:<br />
Those in the “Most Important Information<br />
About BIKTARVY” section.<br />
Changes in your immune system.<br />
Your immune system may get stronger<br />
and begin to fight infections that may<br />
have been hidden in your body.<br />
Tell your healthcare provider if you<br />
have any new symptoms after you<br />
start taking BIKTARVY.<br />
Kidney problems, including kidney<br />
failure. Your healthcare provider<br />
should do blood and urine tests to<br />
check your kidneys. If you develop<br />
new or worse kidney problems, they<br />
may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.<br />
Too much lactic acid in your blood<br />
(lactic acidosis), which is a serious<br />
but rare medical emergency that can<br />
lead to death. Tell your healthcare<br />
provider right away if you get these<br />
symptoms: weakness or being more<br />
tired than usual, unusual muscle<br />
pain, being short of breath or fast<br />
breathing, stomach pain with nausea<br />
and vomiting, cold or blue hands and<br />
feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a<br />
fast or abnormal heartbeat.<br />
Severe liver problems, which in rare<br />
cases can lead to death. Tell your<br />
healthcare provider right away<br />
if you get these symptoms: skin or<br />
the white part of your eyes turns<br />
yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine,<br />
light-colored stools, loss of appetite<br />
for several days or longer, nausea, or<br />
stomach-area pain.<br />
The most common side effects of<br />
BIKTARVY in clinical studies were<br />
diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and<br />
headache (5%).<br />
These are not all the possible side effects<br />
of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare<br />
provider right away if you have any new<br />
symptoms while taking BIKTARVY.<br />
You are encouraged to report negative<br />
side effects of prescription drugs to the<br />
FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or<br />
call 1-800-FDA-1088.<br />
Your healthcare provider will need to<br />
do tests to monitor your health before<br />
and during treatment with BIKTARVY.<br />
Continued on next page.<br />
Please see Important Facts, including important warnings, continued on the<br />
next page and at BIKTARVY.com.
#1 PRESCRIBED<br />
HIV TREATMENT*<br />
REAL STORIES<br />
REAL VOICES<br />
ELIAS CHAD D’EVA<br />
HUGO<br />
NIKKI<br />
THERON<br />
DIMITRI<br />
ZACH<br />
PHIL<br />
Meet a few of the extraordinary people who take BIKTARVY.<br />
Watch their stories at BIKTARVY.com<br />
IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY® (cont’d)<br />
BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY<br />
Tell your healthcare provider if you:<br />
Have or have had any kidney or liver<br />
problems, including hepatitis infection.<br />
Have any other health problems.<br />
Are pregnant or plan to become<br />
pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY<br />
can harm your unborn baby. Tell your<br />
healthcare provider if you become<br />
pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.<br />
Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to<br />
breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can<br />
be passed to the baby in breast milk.<br />
Tell your healthcare provider about all<br />
the medicines you take:<br />
Keep a list that includes all prescription<br />
and over-the-counter medicines,<br />
antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal<br />
supplements, and show it to your<br />
healthcare provider and pharmacist.<br />
BIKTARVY and other medicines<br />
may affect each other. Ask your<br />
healthcare provider and pharmacist<br />
about medicines that interact with<br />
BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to<br />
take BIKTARVY with all your<br />
other medicines.<br />
HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY<br />
Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or<br />
without food.<br />
GET MORE INFORMATION<br />
This is only a brief summary of important<br />
information about BIKTARVY. Talk to<br />
your healthcare provider or pharmacist<br />
to learn more.<br />
Go to BIKTARVY.com or call<br />
1-800-GILEAD-5.<br />
If you need help paying for your<br />
medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for<br />
program information.<br />
Please see Important Facts, including important warnings, above and at BIKTARVY.com.<br />
BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, and KEEP BEING YOU are<br />
trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.<br />
© 2023 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. US-BVYC-0296 06/23
BY EILEEN SHAPIRO<br />
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT<br />
ARIEL SINCLAIR<br />
Celebrating 30 Years on Fire Island<br />
This Year, Poolside @ The Ice Palace<br />
Ariel Sinclair is one of the most creative,<br />
professional and fabulous queens to<br />
ever grace the New York nightlife scene,<br />
but she is also a Fire Island queen, and<br />
this year marks her 30th anniversary<br />
doing her pool shows at the Ice Palace<br />
in Cherry Grove. Ariel’s performances<br />
are not like a thunderbolt, but rather<br />
the perfect storm, and she is loved and<br />
cherished by everyone that knows her.<br />
As an extra added bonus, in addition<br />
to her 30th season in the Grove, Ariel<br />
will be hosting this year’s Miss Fire<br />
Island pageant, alongside RuPaul’s Drag<br />
Race winner Sasha Colby. This summer<br />
promises to be like none other at the<br />
Palace, partly because of Daniel Nardicio<br />
and friends, but also because of Ariel.<br />
I had an enchanting conversation with<br />
the queen regarding all the questions I<br />
ever wanted to ask her and about this<br />
summer’s adventure.<br />
INTERVIEW >>><br />
Hello, Ariel. What is going on<br />
in your life at the moment?<br />
Well, the 30th season on Fire<br />
Island is starting.<br />
How did you get your first gig<br />
on Fire Island?<br />
My first gig on Fire Island was<br />
a pool show. The first time,<br />
actually, on Fire Island, I entered<br />
the Miss Fire Island contest in<br />
about 1984. I didn’t win. Then I<br />
became friends with Sal Piro and<br />
he started inviting me back year<br />
after year to do the pool show.<br />
I started officially working there<br />
in 1994.<br />
So you’ve been doing this pool<br />
show for 30 years. There must<br />
be something about you that<br />
everyone loves.<br />
I know. Like I said, I am very<br />
blessed. Sometimes you wonder<br />
how are you going to do this<br />
and then before you know it, five<br />
seasons go by. I’ve seen two<br />
owners go already<strong>–</strong>this is the<br />
third owner now.<br />
So how do you decide who is<br />
going to be in the show and<br />
what you are going to do?<br />
I try to give the new baby drag<br />
queens a chance, like somebody<br />
did for me when I first started.<br />
<strong>Get</strong> some fresh blood out there.<br />
I make sure it’s a good variety<br />
show and that not everyone is<br />
doing the same thing.<br />
Who taught you how to put on<br />
your makeup?<br />
I did. No one ever did my<br />
makeup. When I first started<br />
doing it, I did it horribly. It was a<br />
mess. The more you do it, the<br />
better you get. Practice made<br />
perfect for me.
How did you get your name?<br />
Ariel, I had the name before the<br />
mermaid did. I think it was a<br />
Greek archangel. I never heard<br />
it before, so I thought, “I’m going<br />
to go with Ariel”. Then, years<br />
later, I did some pageants and<br />
they suggested it was better<br />
if I had a last name. Sinclair<br />
just kind of flew and the rest is<br />
history.<br />
What do you recall as your<br />
most fun year at Fire Island?<br />
My best year was definitely<br />
2002 because that year I<br />
was Miss Long Island from<br />
the Bunkhouse, I was the<br />
homecoming queen in Cherry<br />
Grove, and I won Miss Long<br />
Island, all in the same year. That<br />
was a good year.<br />
What was your most<br />
embarrassing moment ever?<br />
I’m sure it was like when my wig<br />
came off during a show. You’re<br />
dancing around and your wig<br />
goes flying. Then there was<br />
another time this guy grabbed<br />
me and jumped into the pool.<br />
I hit the bottom and came up<br />
with no wig on and my makeup<br />
running all<br />
over the<br />
place. I’m<br />
sure there are<br />
a lot more.<br />
How many<br />
years do<br />
you plan on<br />
doing this<br />
pool show?<br />
‘Till I’m dead.<br />
I definitely<br />
want to be<br />
cremated<br />
and have my<br />
ashes spread<br />
all over<br />
Fire Island.<br />
Whenever<br />
people go to<br />
the beach,<br />
I tell them,<br />
“This isn’t<br />
sand, it’s<br />
people’s ashes”.<br />
Do you have a favorite queen?<br />
I love every queen. They are all<br />
beautiful and talented in their<br />
own way. As a queen myself, I<br />
appreciate everything they do.<br />
Who do you hate most?<br />
Nobody, LOL I don’t hate<br />
anybody.<br />
What made you even get into<br />
drag? What’s your story?<br />
The first time for drag was<br />
definitely Halloween. I have<br />
pictures of me at four years old<br />
with my mother’s wig on. And<br />
then it kind of went away and<br />
came back. I did it one year<br />
for Halloween and once that<br />
started, I wanted to do it more<br />
often. One of the first shows<br />
I did was the Silver Lining in<br />
Floral Park.<br />
Nowadays, you work more<br />
than probably anybody that I<br />
know. How do you have time<br />
for a social life? Or do you<br />
have a social life?<br />
My work is social. I meet a lot<br />
of people when I’m doing the<br />
shows and I have fun while I’m<br />
doing it. It’s a job where I could<br />
have fun and be social at the<br />
same time. When I’m not doing<br />
it, I don’t want to talk to anybody.<br />
I just want to be left alone. The<br />
work is very social and you<br />
always have to be on.<br />
You are probably one of the<br />
most professional queens.<br />
What do you attribute that to?<br />
Hard work. Definitely something<br />
I learned from my parents. They<br />
taught me to treat people the<br />
way you wanted to be treated. I<br />
try to always be on time. I try to<br />
help out and be a kind person.<br />
That’s it. It’s not easy, but<br />
alcohol definitely helps.<br />
What’s your favorite drink?<br />
Stoli Razberi and soda with<br />
cranberry.<br />
Do you have anything planned<br />
yet for this year?<br />
My plan for the summer is to<br />
have really good shows. Daniel<br />
Nardicio has a lot of really great<br />
people coming<strong>–</strong>Bernadette<br />
Peters and a great lineup this<br />
summer on Fire Island.<br />
PHOTOS BY JIZZABELLA
Daniel is so invested in the Ice Palace because for a<br />
while it was just not doing anything. It needed a little<br />
facelift and now it’s a fun place again. And I’m excited<br />
the pool will be open this year. Last summer, it wasn’t<br />
open and we couldn’t go in the water because of the<br />
sharks.<br />
When does your season start?<br />
May 19th is the first pool show of the summer. My show<br />
will always be on Sundays.<br />
So tell me everything else you are doing.<br />
Saturday’s - host @ Lips Restaurant, The ultimate in<br />
drag dining.<br />
Monday’s - Bingo 9-11pm @ The Stonewall Inn<br />
April 17th Bingo 7-9pm @ The Merrow, Long Beach<br />
April 18th Bingo 7-9pm @ One Trick Pony, West<br />
Hampton, NY<br />
April 25th Bingo 7-9pm @ La Buena Vida, Moriches, NY<br />
Starting May 19th through this summer, celebrating 30<br />
years at The Ice Palace on Fire Island<br />
Sunday Pool show 3pm sharp<br />
Monday’s Bingo 5pm<br />
Tuesday’s Bingo 9-11pm @ The Island Mermaid, Ocean<br />
Beach, NY<br />
SOCIALS<br />
Instagram: @sinclair_ariel<br />
Facebook: Ariel sinclair
BY GETOUT MAGAZINE<br />
Trendy Long Island Hotspot<br />
Opens Filled With Glitter,<br />
Glam and <strong>GAY</strong>S!<br />
Calling all Sinners and Saints! The days of queer folk having no choice but to make<br />
tedious commutes into the city in search of a safe and sexy night out are coming to an<br />
end. Halo Bar, Lounge, and Nightclub celebrates its official opening in Oceanside, New<br />
York. Open seven days a week and featuring weekly drag performances, DJs, Bingo,<br />
trivias, and specialty themed events, Halo has ignited boldly as a beacon of light and<br />
hope for the LGBTQ+ community.<br />
Housed in the location of a former gay bar, the walls of Halo create a sanctuary for<br />
individuals of any orientation, gender, or identity, where all can feel safe to express<br />
themselves, create, and most importantly, share love. As any fabulous gay bar should,<br />
Halo serves immaculate vibes from the second you emerge through the doors. From<br />
Insta-worthy LED moments and uniquely curated decor to the minute details of queer<br />
art immersed on the walls, the space at 3297R Long Beach Road, Oceanside has been<br />
revitalized to create a chic speakeasy type feel (with lots of hints of purple and gold!).<br />
“Halo was created for our community out of a combination of both absence and<br />
necessity,” shares Kyle Savage, co-owner of the club. “There is no other place on Long<br />
Island that is producing daily events specifically designed for the gay community.<br />
Every day customers come in with such gratitude and appreciation that we are here,<br />
and that’s how I know we’re giving them more than just an experience; we’re giving<br />
them a home, a second family.”
PHOTO CREDIT: HALO NIGHTCLUB<br />
As the new kid on the block, Halo is fast and furiously building a pristine reputation for<br />
its themed events and dance parties featuring queer DJs, artists, designers, and drag<br />
performers. “Being part of the Halo family isn’t just fun, but it’s so important to me as<br />
a drag performer to be a part of a team that is trying to make sure that the Long Island<br />
LGBTQIA+ community has a place they can go to feel safe and also have the time of their<br />
lives” says drag queen Bella Noche.<br />
Whether you pop in on a Monday for one of their movie nights, text the group chat to<br />
check out a drag event, or dress to impress for one of the iconic Saturday night dance<br />
parties, you are guaranteed to feel the magnetism of the Halo energy immediately upon<br />
your visit. “The bartenders are always super friendly and attentive. It’s a great place for<br />
the community and allies to gather,” shares Nassau resident Jason Schaefer.<br />
“We are happy to be here as the newest gay owned and operated bar, safe and inclusive<br />
for the community,” says co-owner Robert Lassegue, who boasts years of experience<br />
managing the famed Ice Palace in Cherry Grove. Want to dance under the halo? Check<br />
out Halo on Instagram at @halo_oceanside or visit their website at www.halobar.us for<br />
upcoming event schedules.
NOW EXTENDED<br />
WE WON THE POPULAR VOTE!<br />
"HILARIOUS!<br />
YOU CAN'T MISS THIS!"<br />
- PIX11 NEWS<br />
BOOK & LYRICS BY<br />
SHIMMY BRAUN &<br />
MOSHIEL NEWMAN DAPHNA<br />
MUSIC & LYRICS BY<br />
BILLY RECCE<br />
DIRECTED & CHOREOGRAPHED BY<br />
JEN WINEMAN<br />
THE PARODY<br />
MUSICAL<br />
IVANA . MARLA . MELANIA . STORMY . IVANKA<br />
HENRY VIII AND HIS SIX WIVES HAD NOTHING ON<br />
DONALD, THE 45TH, AND THESE FIVE LADIES...<br />
THEATER 555 . 555 WEST 42ND ST.<br />
FIVETHEMUSICAL.COM . @FIVETHEMUSICAL
BY JIM SILVESTRI<br />
JASMINE<br />
RICE-LABEIJA<br />
NYC’S FAVORITE<br />
OPERA DRAG<br />
DIVA IS NOW THE<br />
FIRST LADY OF<br />
“FIVE.”<br />
INTERVIEW >>><br />
Q: Jasmine Rice LaBeija, hello!<br />
Thanks for finding time in your<br />
busy schedule to chat with us!<br />
Are you able to get in enough<br />
“Me time” since you started<br />
appearing in “Five: The Parody<br />
Musical?”<br />
Hi, Jim. Thank you for inviting<br />
me to this wonderful interview!<br />
I believe “Me time” is a state<br />
of mind. Whenever I feel like I<br />
need to concentrate and think<br />
about myself and my well being<br />
is considered “Me time” for me.<br />
Ever since I was a little kid, I<br />
have always lived in my own<br />
fantasy dreamland. So I am used<br />
to creating my own “Me time”<br />
wherever and wherever I want.<br />
Now if you are talking about time<br />
to “rest”, that is a different story.<br />
Q: Congratulations on “Five’s”<br />
extended run through the end<br />
of April at Theater 555! You’ve<br />
performed on many stages<br />
as a drag queen and an opera<br />
singer, but how unique is the<br />
experience of appearing in a<br />
musical production with a full<br />
cast?<br />
Thank you! I am so excited to be<br />
making my off-Broadway debut. It<br />
all happened quite fast. I basically<br />
only had a week to fully learn and<br />
get on stage. But the experience<br />
was and is amazing, as the whole<br />
cast and team welcomed me<br />
with open arms and gave me full<br />
support. This experience is quite<br />
unique as the whole cast and<br />
crew is so diverse<strong>–</strong>which made<br />
the process easier, in my opinion,<br />
as I felt safe enough to really<br />
express myself as a performer<br />
and vulnerable enough to ask<br />
for help when needed. It’s truly a<br />
dream team.<br />
STEPHEN LOVEKIN, SHUTTERSTOCK FOR FIVE, THE PARODY MUSICAL<br />
Q: “Five” is a loving parody of<br />
Broadway musicals in general,<br />
and also specifically the recent<br />
hit “Six”, which follows King<br />
Henry VIII’s sextet of wives.<br />
“Five” even adds today’s<br />
politics to the parody mix by<br />
making its characters five<br />
women in ex-President Trump’s<br />
life: current wife Melania,<br />
ex-wife Ivana, ex-wife Marla,<br />
daughter Ivanka and mistress<br />
Stormy Daniels.
You appear in a wonderful<br />
guest starring role as Hillary<br />
Clinton! So that’s a LOT of stuff,<br />
but it’s all good silly fun too.<br />
And the audiences obviously<br />
love it. What makes it so good,<br />
in your opinion?<br />
People always say, “it’s funny<br />
because it’s true.” I think that’s<br />
the magic of comedy. I think it’s<br />
so good because it is poking fun<br />
at a situation and a time where<br />
it’s quite shocking these things<br />
even actually happened. We are<br />
making these hard truths easy to<br />
swallow. No pun intended, lol. It’s<br />
also good because while we poke<br />
fun and joke about the situations<br />
that happened in these women’s<br />
lives, we also show how these<br />
women all come together as one<br />
at the end. To show the audience<br />
that even with all these different<br />
hardships and experiences these<br />
ladies have gone through, they<br />
have something in common that<br />
unites them. Which makes us<br />
realize that we are all human, with<br />
empathy and compassion.<br />
Q: How did you get this role?<br />
What was the casting process<br />
like?<br />
Well, the producers of the show<br />
have known me for years. They<br />
have seen me perform several<br />
times throughout<br />
my drag career.<br />
Moshiel called<br />
me one day and<br />
said, “My casting<br />
director and GM<br />
Chase is going<br />
to call you about<br />
a performance<br />
opportunity.” He<br />
called me that<br />
night to explain the<br />
show and offered<br />
the role. I just<br />
knew from the first<br />
moment Moshiel<br />
messaged me that<br />
it was going to be<br />
something special,<br />
so I accepted it on<br />
the spot.<br />
what’s the most surprising thing<br />
about being part of a production<br />
like this?<br />
I was truly surprised and in awe of<br />
everyone’s talent and dedication.<br />
At first, I was really skeptical of<br />
how I would play Hillary and fit in<br />
as an Asian 5’11 250 lbs individual.<br />
But when I saw how they<br />
created the show and the whole<br />
production, I was instantly made at<br />
ease to find my own voice within<br />
the character. That was really<br />
surprising to me. It almost took me<br />
back to my childhood of seeing<br />
Cinderella (1997). How the diverse<br />
cast made the TV movie so special<br />
and it was pure magic. I believe<br />
the whole cast and crew is making<br />
magic every night and it is truly a<br />
surprise every time we do a show.<br />
Q: I understand former Trump<br />
lawyer-turned-arch-nemesis<br />
Michael Cohen came to an early<br />
show. Did you get to meet him<br />
and did he give anyone any<br />
advice about their roles?<br />
I did not meet him. I wasn’t<br />
available for that meeting.<br />
Everyone has their journey and<br />
an ah-ha moment. I am glad to<br />
hear that he is now fighting for<br />
democracy and on the right side<br />
of history.<br />
Q: Do you feel more of a<br />
connection to Hillary now that<br />
you’re playing her?<br />
I’m not sure if connection is<br />
the correct word to use. I am<br />
definitely grateful to be playing her.<br />
Especially since she has paved<br />
the way for so many and the glass<br />
ceilings she has smashed. No<br />
matter where you stand politically,<br />
you can not deny the contributions<br />
she has made for our country. I<br />
believe she will go down in history<br />
as one of the greats and I am<br />
so honored to be playing her.<br />
Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to meet<br />
her one day.<br />
Q: “Five” is totally a fun<br />
show, but you are also a very<br />
politically minded and active<br />
queen. What’s your best<br />
advice to people out there<br />
today who are worried about<br />
the state of the country and<br />
the world?<br />
I’m not sure if I am someone<br />
to really give advice, but this is<br />
what I think: People sometimes<br />
make the mistake of being a<br />
one-issue voter or very narrow<br />
minded in their thinking of the<br />
issues. But life and the world is<br />
way more complex than that.<br />
Q: From your<br />
own recent<br />
experiences,<br />
STEPHEN LOVEKIN, SHUTTERSTOCK FOR FIVE, THE PARODY MUSICAL
If it was as simple as just making<br />
one small change, we would be<br />
living in a world peace era where<br />
everyone lives harmoniously. But<br />
as humans, we are flawed and<br />
that just simply can’t happen. I<br />
say educating yourself and trying<br />
to learn all issues as much as<br />
you can is very important, as<br />
knowledge is power. Everything is<br />
linked together and one action has<br />
a ripple effect that affects all. Also,<br />
not being scared or embarrassed<br />
of being wrong. You admitting you<br />
are wrong is also a form of you<br />
being right at the end.<br />
Q: If I may ask, how is your<br />
hearing? You experienced<br />
some sudden hearing loss right<br />
before the show, and I was<br />
wondering if you’ve been able<br />
to adjust or recover since that<br />
happened.<br />
That was such a troublesome<br />
time for me. I don’t know why my<br />
life is so dramatic. I guess I was<br />
just born to do drag, hahahaha.<br />
I suddenly woke up from my nap<br />
and was severely deaf in my left<br />
ear. Apparently, it is a medical<br />
mystery why people experience<br />
sudden hearing loss. Glad to<br />
report that most of my hearing<br />
is back, except for one specific<br />
frequency and I do still have<br />
some ringing. I also didn’t know<br />
so many people go through<br />
this. It was an eye opening and<br />
humbling experience. It made me<br />
realize all the things I have are so<br />
valuable and can not be taken for<br />
granted, as it can be gone in an<br />
instant. Everything happens for a<br />
reason and I do believe I became<br />
a stronger individual and an artist<br />
because of it.<br />
Q: When you’re not in “Five,”<br />
you host Saturday brunch at the<br />
Spot, “Lo & Behold” Sundays at<br />
Balcon and “Messy Mondays”<br />
at Rise Bar plus “Jasmine Live”<br />
at Pieces Bar on Thursdays.<br />
What else is coming up for you?<br />
I have some big performances<br />
coming up. One thing I can<br />
announce is that I will be at<br />
Caramoor this summer for their<br />
music festival which is presented<br />
in collaboration with the LOFT<br />
LGBTQ+ Community Center.<br />
I believe it is already sold out,<br />
but the waiting list is available.<br />
The best way to keep up with<br />
my project is definitely through<br />
social media. So, PLEASE follow<br />
me on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter,<br />
Venmo, Cashapp, PayPal, Zelle<br />
@JasmineRiceNYC<br />
Q: And finally: if you’ve had<br />
time to watch, who are you<br />
rooting for to win “Drag Race”<br />
Season 16?<br />
I really haven’t been able to catch<br />
up on Drag Race, as I’m doing<br />
eight shows a week, on top of my<br />
other drag shows. The only thing<br />
I’ve seen so far is when it pops up<br />
on my social media. From what I<br />
have seen, I think someone who<br />
has that star quality is Nymphia<br />
Wind. She is an incredible, well<br />
rounded drag artist. She can sew,<br />
do makeup, hair, and perform. I<br />
like someone who knows all the<br />
aspects of their craft. I also think<br />
she will go beyond S16. The<br />
ultimate true winner at the end of<br />
the day is not only winning your<br />
season, but if you can continue to<br />
keep people engaged after.
WINNER - LUCILLE LORTEL AWARDS<br />
OUTSTANDING MUSICAL<br />
“YOU'RE<br />
GUARANTEED TO<br />
LAUGH YOUR<br />
ICEBERG OFF! ”<br />
Dave Quinn<br />
people<br />
“A PERFECT<br />
MARRIAGE OF GREAT<br />
BROADWAY-CALIBER<br />
THEATER AND<br />
HARD COMEDY. ”<br />
MATT ROGERS<br />
LAS CULTURISTAS<br />
BOOK BY<br />
MUSICAL ARRANGEMENTS BY<br />
Nicholas Connell<br />
CHOREOGRAPHED BY<br />
Ellenore Scott<br />
DIRECTED BY<br />
DARYL ROTH THEATRE<br />
101 EAST 15TH ST, NYC<br />
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800-447-7400<br />
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