On The Scene At Flush Naugle Rally

Roving JMG reporter Father Tony is in Fort Lauderdale where he dropped in at the Unite Fort Lauderdale-sponsored Flush Naugle rally in the parking lot of the Shoppes of Wilton Manors, Fort Lauderdale's all-gay shopping center. Local activists are demanding the Major Jim "Robo-john" Naugle either step down or apologize for his anti-gay statements.

At the rally, Tony interviewed Waymon Hudson (left), president of Fight Out Loud, a fledging gay activist group born of the infamous "death to homosexuals" intercom announcement made at Fort Lauderdale International. Hudson and his partner were at the airport when the announcement was made and through their activism, a apology was made to the gay community by the mayor of Broward County and the evildoer was terminated. To contribute to the work of Fight Out Loud, follow this link.

Here's a minute-long interview Tony did with Hudson.

Insert Joke Here

Tomorrow Dubya will have a colonoscopy (insert joke here) during which he will temporarily transfer power to Vice President Cheney (insert joke here) as Dubya will be under anesthesia while doctors probe him (insert joke here.) Section 3 of the 25th amendment provides for the temporary transer of power in the event of the disability of the president (INSERT JOKE HERE).

Bush transferred power to Cheney during his last colonoscopy in 2002. Cheney will be in charge of the country for about 2.5 hours. I'd like to be under anesthesia myself during that time. Being awake will be too terrifying.

New Annie Lennox Album Features HIV Prevention Anthem

Annie Lennox has a new album coming, Songs of Mass Destruction, due on October 2nd. Produced by Glen Ballard, the album includes a feminist/HIV prevention anthem titled, Sing, which features 23 major female solo artists: Madonna, Sarah McLachlan, Celine Dion, Fergie, Faith Hill, Pink, Dido, Gladys Knight, kd lang, Angelique Kidjo, Bonnie Raitt, Shakira, Melissa Etheridge, Anastasia, Joss Stone, KT Tunstall, and many others.

Early reports say the opening of Sing calls for the implementation of mother-to-child HIV transmission prevention programs in South Africa. The song comes from Lennox' involvement with 46664 (Nelson Mandela's human rights group) and the HIV/AIDS activist organization, Treatment Action Group. Vocalists from TAG also perform on Sing.

Toyota Yaris: Gayer Than The Miata?

Gay consumer site GayWheels.com has posted its latest list of the top ten vehicles searched on their site, where the Toyota Yaris continues to reign at #1.

1. Toyota Yaris
2. Saab 9-3 (sedan and convertible)
3. Mazda MX-5
4. Volkswagen Jetta
5. VW EOS
6. Dodge Caliber
7. Toyota Camry
8. Audi A3
9. VW Rabbit
10. Infiniti FX

The Yaris? Really?

PhoboQuotable - Isaiah Washington

"Whether or not it serves any particular agenda that he's nominated now, to make a point, I can't speak on that. That's theoretical. I don't know, but good for him." - Isaiah Washington, implying that yesterday's Emmy nomination for Grey's Anatomy nemesis T.R. Knight was a reward for suffering Washington's "faggot" taunts. NBC has offered Washington a guest spot on the upcoming Bionic Woman remake.

UPDATE: Readers correctly point out that Washington did make a more gracious comment during the interview: "T.R. Knight is a good actor. He has been a wonderful actor from day one. T.R. Knight, congratulations. He finally got the attention he deserved."

Bay Area Bounces

The Bay Area experienced its strongest earthquake in several years this morning, a 4.2 temblor centered in the Oakland Hills. Only light damage is reported. My last month living in SF, we had a pretty good jolt one afternoon, causing me to jump into my bedroom doorway, just like the experts tell you to. My roommate, however, ran into the kitchen to throw himself against his teetering china cabinet. Priorities.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Lousy

The reviews for I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, which opens today, are scathing. In his 1-star review, NY Post critic Kyle Smith says, "If there were a Straight Lack-of-Pride Parade, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry could be the grand marshal. The movie isn't insulting to homosexuals but to comedy. As a hetero, I'm so embarrassed, I'm thinking of going undercover until this movie fades away. If you need me, I'll be at Xanadu."

Tammy Faye Credits Gays For Saving Her

"You know when we lost everything, it was the gay people who came to my rescue and I will always love them for that." - Tammy Faye Messner, speaking on Larry King Live. Messner is near death from lung cancer and weighs only 65 pounds. (via - Towleroad.)

Some of the commenters on Towleroad complain that even near death, Messner is an "attention whore" who cannot pass up a chance to be seen on national TV. Perhaps. I will always remember happening upon an episode of the PTL Club back in the early 80's and being startled to see Messner interviewing an AIDS patient. Her kindness towards that man was something I'd never seen on television, particularly on a Christian program. I don't buy that Messner was innocently unaware - duped by her husband Jim Bakker - as the PTL Club defrauded viewers of millions of dollars. But that interview will always stay with me.

Broadway Friday

- This week the soundtrack for Hairspray enters the Billboard 200 at #20. Over on Hot Dance Club Play, Idina Menzel's remix of Defying Gravity climbs to #7. The cast album for Wicked has been #1 for 73 weeks on Billboard's Top Cast Albums chart.

- A Broadway adaptation of the the classic Sidney Poitier film, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, is expected in the fall of 2008. Direction to be by Kenny Leon.

- Lone Star Love, a musical comedy starring Randy Quaid, opens at the Belasco on December 3rd, previews begin November 11. It will be Quaid's Broadway debut.

- Last week's Broadway grosses are topped by Wicked for the 19th consecutive week, at $1.4M, followed by Jersey Boys and the three Disney shows: Lion King, Mary Poppins, Beauty & The Beast.

- Cheyenne Jackson reports that he will appear in Xanadu until the end of September, when James Carpinello will return from his foot injury.

- Margaret Cho will headline the off-Broadway burlesque show The Sensuous Woman at the Zipper Theatre. The show opens September 26th.

- Jo Anne Worley on the rigors of joining the cast of hit show in mid-run: "It's like jumping on a freight train that's going full speed a couple hundred miles an hour." Worley recently replaced Georgia Engel in The Drowsy Chaperone.

- Andrew Lloyd Webber has inked a deal for an American reality show that will follow the casting search for Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. Webber has had success in the UK with a similar reality series for Joseph and with a show called How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria, which followed the casting search for a production of The Sound Of Music.

- A new Harvey Fierstein-John Buccino musical, A Catered Affair, begins previews on March 28th, 2008. Starring Fierstein, Tom Wopat, and Faith Prince, Affair will be directed by John Doyle, who won the 2006 Tony for directing Sweeney Todd. The show begins a pre-Broadway run in San Diego in September.

Morning View - Hudson River

A jogger pauses to take in the view from the Christopher Street pier. And nope, I don't know him. By the way, I was trying to take a picture of the Statue of Liberty (just to the left of his nose) when he walked into the frame. True story!

Dame Bassey Gets It Started

About ten years ago, I broke my hand and arm in six places when I tripped over a big pile of air that someone had negligently left lying on the Market Street sidewalk. But that didn't stop me from attending Dame Shirley Bassey's concert that night at the San Francisco Opera House, where in a vicodin haze I was chastised by the usher for banging my cast against my armrest because I couldn't applaud. We were especially amused by the endless stream of old queens coming to the lip of the stage with giant bouquets. By the end of the show poor Shirley hardly had a place to stand. Here's 70 year-old Dame Bassey performing Pink's Get the Party Started. Shirley is immortal.

UPDATE: Here's Dame Shirley's MySpace page.

Defying Gaiety

Documentary filmmaker Bill Hussung says the world will be "shocked" to see the Broadway stars and dancers that appear in his upcoming film, Gay No More, which follows about 20 performers who belong to a Life Ministry support group that meets twice weekly in "underground locations."

Hussung: "It's an ex-gay movement with the core belief that you are gay because of a sexual trauma in your background. When you discover what that is, you can release it and be cured of gay desires. People will be shocked to learn how widespread among the New York theater community this is." Hussung says everybody in the film has signed a release agreeing to be outed as "ex-gay".

A Klieg Of His Own

Last night my houseguest and I were wandering up 2nd Avenue after dinner and ran into a wild scene around 76th street - searchlights, paparazzi, a red carpet, and a couple of hundred screaming girls. All of this outside was taking place in front of a small restaurant. I walked up and asked a few of the girls, "What's all this for? Who's coming?" Three of the girls screamed back in unison: "JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE!" I guess my face kind of fell when I said, "Oh," because the one of the girls said, "YOU know he's HOT!" Clocked.

We considered hanging around for a minute just to watch the bedlam, but a moment later a 60-ish man jogged by wearing sneakers, red lace panties, garters, and a camisole. Houseguest looked at me, "What is THAT all about?" I said, "Hmm, my guess is that his dom is punishing him. Something like, 'You are a bad, naughty boy. Now I want you to jog up 2nd Avenue and think about what you've done. Oh, and wear this.'" I love this town. And that's the guy that should have had the spotlight.

Open Thread Thursday

What's your favorite hotel? What's your favorite chain?
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Morning View - 41st Street

I'm sure by now that most of you heard of yesterday's explosion near Grand Central Terminal. I was at home, 30 blocks away, when the explosion took place around 6PM, and immediately got a dozen frantic phone calls from friends who know that my office is about 200 feet from the site of the explosion. It's just amazing that more people weren't killed - these AP photos hardly do justice to the damage. Transit is fucked today, of course, with most trains bypassing Grand Central.

The news coverage of ash-covered and bloody pedestrians running down the street was riveting, of course everybody thought it was a truck bomb, not an 80 year old steam pipe. The city's response was amazing, within minutes the entire area was locked down. If you work within a couple of blocks of Grand Central there is no access to your building today.

Rabbit Season! Duck Season!

Rite Aid, Grand Central Terminal, Wednesday 2pm

An elderly woman approaches a pharmacist, who is out on the floor with a phone, examing the shelves.

Elderly Woman (brandishng a pill bottle): Excuse me, do you have these in a suppository?
Pharmacist (puts phone on his shoulder): If there aren't any on the shelf, then we're out.
EW: I need them in the big bottle.
PH: I'll help you in a moment, m'am. I'm helping another customer.
EW: Well, do you have them?
PH (annoyed): Not if they aren't on the shelf.
EW: I need them in the big bottle. Suppositories.
PH: M'am, I'll be with you in just a minute.
EW: OK.
(Ten seconds pass.)
EW: Do you have them? I need the big bottle. Suppositories.
PH: M'am, please! One minute.
EW: OK.
(Ten seconds pass.)
EW: Are you looking?
PH (grabs bottle from woman): These are pills. We only have the pills.
EW: I want the suppositories. The big bottle.
PH (wearily): We don't HAVE the suppositories. We only have the pills.
EW: I want the suppositories. The big bottle. Do you have them?
PH (light bulb goes on): I only have the suppositories.
EW: I want the pills.
PH (puts bottle on shelf): Let me look. Oh, here they are! Pills! Do you want the big bottle?
EW: That's what I've been trying to tell you! PILLS.
PH (hands woman the original bottle): I only have the big bottle.
EW: Wonderful! Thank you! You've been very helpful.

The elderly woman heads for the cashier. I give the pharmacist my best "Well played!" look and we share a smile.

GLAAD Pissed At Post

GLAAD has issued a call to action over yet another anti-gay Sean Delonas cartoon published in the New York Post. If the above cartoon offends you, contact the NY Post: Jesse Angelophone 212-930-8274, fax (212) 930-8540, e-mail: jangelo@nypost.com.

Hate Crimes Bill Suspended

Lacking the 60 vote threshold needed for approval, the Department of Defense reauthorization bill (to which the Matthew Shepard Act has been attached) was just removed from consideration by Senate Majority Leader Reid. Negotiations continue to get the bill reintroduced.

Gay Adoption = Assimiliation?

My scientist buddy Dagon used to live in Manhattan but is now back in Austin, Texas, where he studies and teaches plant biology. Dagon also noticed Little David's post about the two gay men who adopted an infant baby, but his take was a little different.

I've been online too much reading theist vs. atheist fights, and as a result I have a persistent stress headache. I was reading some gay blogs too and ran across an account of two gay men "adopting their first child", a phrase encapsulating a horror of hideous heteronormative assimilation. In particular, the word "first" chilled my bones. How many babies is it going to take to satisfy these two gay men?

While I'm not sure about evolutionary explanations of homosexuality, I do feel strongly that our fate is different from that of the those who can breed, which I guess includes lesbian couples at this point. Our fate is in some ways a distinctly selfish one; however, I also have a lot more headspace for my research than many of my married, child-rearing colleagues. There are distinct advantages to the situation. I would not choose to be straight, given the choice. Call me selfish.

I'd be more approving of two men settling down together, pretending to be a nuclear family, if it were part of some kink. It's the earnest mimicry of the nuclear family that kills me. I feel the gays are cut out for something different, maybe better--that's up to us.

I'm skeptical of straight people finding their lives' fulfillment in having babies and (at least!) doubly skeptical of gays' pantomiming that life trajectory. Turning one's back on powerful biological imperatives, including the urge to reproduce, is important. It is the kind of action that separates us from animals. We are, of course, animals, but we are also uniquely positioned to defy our base instincts. Failures to defy these instincts constitute massive failures as human beings.

Fascinating stuff. Ten years ago, maybe even five years ago, I would have agreed with Dagon completely. Perhaps it's my age or battle fatigue, but I can no longer muster much more than a puzzled shrug when I talk about homos who want children. I have never felt the slightest momentary twinge of interest to procreate or parent, but I must support our people that do, and in whatever manner pleases them. That doesn't mean I don't still consider heteronormative assimilation to be the greatest internal threat to the continuity of gay culture. It is.

Poz Soldier Arrested For Barebacking

A 25-year old Army private in North Carolina has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon and committing a crime against nature for having unprotected sex with an 18-year old male civilian. Fort Bragg officers warned Pfc. Johnny Dalton to not have unprotected sex after he tested positive for HIV last November. They were alerted by the civilian's mother after he fell ill and tested positive for HIV, although it's not known if his infection can be traced to Dalton.

Dalton is being held in county jail pending a $50,000 bond. According to North Carolina law, an HIV positive person must use condoms at all times and must always disclose their condition to sex partners. Dalton faces the same charges in both civilian and military court. He was not deployed to Iraq due to his serostatus, but apparently was also not challenged on his gayness.

Question: A "crime against nature"? Didn't the Supreme Court legalize sodomy nationwide? What am I missing here?

True Colors, Rich Morel, Blowoff

The soundtrack to this summer's True Colors tour is available now for download with the physical CD due on August 7th. The highlight (to me) is Morel's Pink Noise remix of Cyndi Lauper's True Colors. You probably know Rich Morel from his smash remixes of tracks by Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, and many others - not to mention his partnership with Bob Mould as one-half of Blowoff, Washington DC's smash monthly dance party. Big news: Blowoff comes to NYC on September 8th at the Highline Ballroom!

The Hottest Place For A Honeymoon In A Hotel Room

In the wee hours of the morning, Lady Randomocity called me from her mahjong game in Brighton Beach to slur the name of this week's Swag Tuesday winner, Manhattan Bill, whom she thinks is the first Gothamite to win so far. Bill sez: "Now I'm feeling the groove!" Bill wins four remastered double-disc CDs from Universal Music Enterprise's Gold Series, now available on Amazon. Thanks Bill and thanks UME! Publicists: if you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Morning View - New York Times Tower

The just finished new headquarters for the New York Times, a 52-story tower on 8th Avenue across from the Port Authority, touts itself as one of the most energy-efficient skyscrapers ever built. Designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop and FXFOWLE Architects, the tower is covered with ceramic tubing meant to "screen the double glazed, spectrally selective, low-emissivity, full-height glass wall around the building, thus reducing the building's cooling loads." Did everybody get all that?

At 1046 feet, the Times Tower is tied with the 77-story Chrysler Building for 2nd tallest in NYC, although both will soon be displaced by the nearby Bank of America Tower which will rise to 1200 feet. (When comparing building height, only the structural height is used, according to rules and regulations of the World Council on Tall Buildings.)

While the engineering innovations of the Times Tower are impressive, it seems that most Gothamites give its aesthetics a resounding "meh". I concur. Another chance to create something iconic has been botched. I'm much more hopeful for the BOA Tower.

And We Laughed

My good friend Jerry is staying with me for a week while he's here for work. We've been pals since the late 80's. Tonight he came home from a long day of meetings and noticed my passport sitting out.

"Oh, where are you going?"

"I just need a renewal. I've been meaning to do it forever. It's been expired for a couple of years."

Jerry sat down and flipped through the passport. "Wow, old picture. I remember that haircut."

We laughed. Then he turned to the first page. "Wait, was this the first time we did London?"

"Yup."

"That was a crazy trip." He looked up and cocked his head, saying, "Who all was on that trip?"

"Me, you. And three dead guys."

And we laughed. Does that seem strange? We invoked the memory of three friends who died over a decade ago....and we laughed. I've noticed that a lot of guys our age have a black, macabre sense of humor about AIDS sometimes. You kind of have to. Sometimes.
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Shelter Kitty: Week Eleven

Shelley's new favorite place to nap is on top of my stove, which longtime readers will know I disabled years ago - so no worries about her getting burned. I guess she figures that if she's right there next to the counter, there's no chance in missing out any possible roast beef sandwich preparations. She's warming up to friends a lot easier, but still dives under the bed when the street buzzer goes off. It doesn't appear that I will be able to break her of sleeping on me. Guess I'll have to get used to it.

Dubya's Only Ask

"My only ask was that if his daughter doubted my tolerance to her orientation that I would hope that he would help make it clear to Mary that this is a--I was just worried about--the reason I'd federalized the issue is because I was worried about the courts' defining the issue and that we'd end up with de facto marriage that was not traditionally defined, I guess is the best way to put it."- Our chronically syntax mangled president, speaking to Andrew Hayes in his upcoming book, Cheney: The Untold Story of America's Most Powerful and Controversial Vice President. (via - New Republic.)

So Dubya was worried that Mary didn't like him. As a commenter on New Republic put it, "Although I take a back seat to no one in my hatred of George W. Bush, I think it's clear that he's not a bigot. That's why it is so reprehensible when he panders to the bigots in his base."
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And Baby Makes Three

My pal Little David just penned a lovely and amusingly sarcasm-laden tribute to his friends Mark (pictured) and Dan who have just adopted an infant girl, Ella. Go read David's dissection of his friends' "flagrant attack on the American family", resulting in their getting Ella via a "godless municipal government in thrall to the homosexual agenda." Good stuff.

Flush Naugle Campaign Gains Steam

The Flush Naugle campaign has energized Fort Lauderdale's sleepy activist community and in a way, we should thank Mayor Robo-john for that. Living in what many consider to be the nation's gayest city, Fort Lauderdale's LGBT folk have long been lulled into a sort of quiet bliss, enjoying the robust gay tourism trade that has been heavily courted by the Visitors and Conventions Bureau, whose materials tout the area as the "America's top gay resort", a claim made credible by the collapse of South Beach's gay scene several years ago.

If you live in the tri-county area, get down to Fort La-de-da's City Hall next Tuesday. Even if you think the Flush Naugle campaign is trifling, remember that Naugle is a servant of Dark Lord D. James Kennedy, whose slimy anti-gay tentacles hurt us nationwide.

RELATED: Back when quaaludes were the currency of gay clubbing, the town was often called "Fort Luderdale." Then the gay spring break thing happened and the moniker morphed into "Fort Liquordale". Now the t-shirts in the gay shops proclaim the city as "Fort Leatherdale".
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PhoboQuotable - Terry Mangum

"I believe I'm Elijah, called by God to be a prophet. I believe with all my heart that I was doing the right thing." - Terry Mark Mangum, 26, (left) arrested for the murder of 46-year old Southwest Airlines flight attendant Kenneth Cummings, Jr. (right), whose charred remains were found in a shallow grave on the Texas ranch of Mangum's uncle. Mangum says, "I am definitely not a homosexual," and that God asked him to carry out a code of retribution by killing a gay man, because "sexual perversion is the worst sin."

Hate crime or insanity defense? The line between hate and crazy is thin, indeed.

Morning View - Sardi's

On West 44th just off Times Square, Sardi's restaurant opened in its present location in 1927, six years after opening just a few doors from where it is now. Sardi's is famous for the caricatures of celebrities that cover its walls - gaining a spot on Sardi's wall is considered by some to be the mark of having "made it" in show biz. The idea for the Tony Awards was born at Sardi's and for many years the nominations were announced there.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of Universal Music Enterprises, this week's Swag Tuesday haul is a collection of four digitally remastered double-disc CDs from Universal's Gold Series, and they are a queen's dream: Patti Labelle, Olivia Newton-John, Gladys Knight & The Pips, and Carpenters, comprising 150 hits in all. These four releases are now available, with additional titles added to the series all the time.

To enter to win, you need merely comment on this post. Only your first comment counts and please remember to leave your email address. Publicists: if you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

HRC Debate: Gravel In

The HRC has relented and given Sen. Mike Gravel a belated invitation to join their upcoming presidential debate to be aired live on LOGO. Last week Gravel wrote a Huffington Post column blasting his exclusion and with the support of some LGBT bloggers, the HRC reconsidered. Today Gravel wrote an open letter of thanks to the gay community for backing his attendance at the debate. While Gravel is a marginal candidate at best - and having met the man, I think that's a good thing - he remains the sole presidential candidate that fully supports marriage equality. I'm sure he'll call out the others on that during the debate, and that too will be a good thing. The debate takes place August 9th at 6pm and has been extended to 90 minutes.

RV Park Rejects Kid With HIV

The ACLU is battling an Alabama RV park for banning a 2-year old boy with HIV from using their swimming pool, a violation of the Americans with Disablities Act. The child's foster mother had mentioned at the park's office that the boy had HIV and management told the family that the child could not use the pool, shower, or common areas of the park without a note from his doctor.

Well into the third decade of AIDS, ignorance and discrimination continues. And don't make careless assumptions about Alabama, these outrages happen everywhere, every day.

Success!

It took three visits to the 42nd Street Quik-E Mart, but I finally scored me some Krusty-O's. A shipment had arrived just before we did and the place became a bit of a madhouse as the word got out. The boxes bear this disclaimer: "Product shown is not representative of product inside." Because people would totally expect their cereal to be laden with worms and a jagged metal Krusty-O. Although that would be cool.

Bilerico Project Relaunches

Somehow last week I forgot to mention the latest news from the Bilerico Project, the Indiana-based LGBT activism blog which has relaunched with an impressive array of top-rung contributors:

Over thirty prominent LGBT community members have decided to make The Bilerico Project home including Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force executive director Matt Foreman and National Center for Transgender Equality executive director Mara Keisling. The site also showcases entertainment features like “A Town Called Dobson” political cartoon strip, comedian Michael Buckley’s pop culture video show, “What The Buck?!,” and an advice column by Michele O’Mara, one of America’s top LGBT couples therapists.

Other contributors include author and activist Candace Gingrich, blogger Lane Hudson, author Patricia Nell Warren, author and activist Reverend Robert Goss, noted political science professor Ellen Andersen, blogger Pam Spaulding, and journalist Karen Ocamb. Other journalists, activists, editors, bloggers, authors and spiritual leaders are also regular contributors.

Check out the new Bilerico Project. Bookmark it.

Mrs. Edwards Gets It

"This president talks a lot about good and evil and the need to seek out evil doers. But he doesn't seem to recognize the evil in hate crimes. The right to live without the fear of being murdered for whom we love is not a special right." - Elizabeth Edwards. Why isn't SHE running?

Maine Munchies

This weekend I ran into Lady Randomocity while she was tossing back at a few during happy hour at the Regal Beagle, where she told me that Adam of Ellsworth, Maine was the winner of Swag Tuesday's Weeds prizes. Adam: "My guy and I just started watching Weeds, and I'm totally hooked...I can't wait to get my ticky-tacky lil' hands on that DVD. Nancy would be pleased with my plans for the gardening kit, too. Lady Randomicity has certainly puff-puff-passed an awesome prize my way!"

Thanks Adam and thank you, Showtime. The third season of Weeds kicks off at 10pm on Monday, August 13th and is immediately followed by the debut episode of Showtime's new comedy series, Californication, starring David Duchovny. Publicists: if you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Morning View - Playpen

This 8th Avenue porn shop reminds me of how hundreds of NYC businesses have kept the World Trade Center image in their signage.

Broadway Barks

Yesterday the Farmboyz and I headed down to Schubert Alley for Broadway Barks, the 9th annual pet adoptathon created and hosted by Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters and presented by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The casts and stars of virtually every Broadway show made appearances, from Xanadu's studly Cheyenne Jackson (left) to Tony winners David Hyde Pierce, Beth Leavel, and Angela Lansbury. Each of the performers took the stage with a dog to tell its story and plead for the puppy to have a new home.

Would you believe my highlight of the afternoon was seeing Jo Anne Worley? She has joined the cast of Drowsy Chaperone as Mrs. Tottendale. Ms. Worley dove right into the press pit and began taking pictures of the guys taking pictures of her. Still a riot. The afternoon was a big success - I think I heard an announcement that all the animals on hand were adopted, although they could have been referring to just one of the many agencies on site.

BELOW: Various stars (John Glover, Harry Hamlin, MTM) and the casts of Curtains, Jersey Boys, A Chorus Line, Legally Blonde, etc.