Author: Alfredo Casuso

Life on the Liners – Christmas Day 2021

Written on December 27, 2021.

Life on the Liners

From Bill Miller

Christmas Day 2021

At sea on the Queen Mary 2

What is that expression about fine intentions and good deeds? I had long finished my late morning talk and looked forward to a light lunch & then an easy, relaxing afternoon. I felt firm in my decision: I was not going to the ship’s Gala Christmas High Sea. The temptations are far too great!

Well, after attending an afternoon recital, I ran into an elderly British couple – and could I help them, even take them, to the far end of the ship, to the Queens Room. Well, here comes the good deed. I walked them all the way and then, in a flash, I was sucked into the door. And into a virtual fantasyland of specially made winter cakes, smiling, white-gloved waiters and commanding, white-hatted head chefs & chief bakers. “We have a table just for you,” said a charming matire’d. Like the Titanic, I sank – and quickly. Waiters appeared: pouring tea, offering silver trays of sandwiches, then scones. Despite all intentions, I was seated at the Gala High Tea!

But then it all gets worse: I decided to take some pictures of the center display of magnificent cakes, pastries & cookies. Then, like a tugboat sidling up to an incoming liner, the ship’s head chef – a commanding, proud & beaming son of India named Kumar – grabbed my arm and began a guided tour. Snap and two waiters appeared, followed us and held three or was it four plates. “Mr Miller, must try this” were Kumar’s repeated words and that applied to just about everything – and especially his Indian chocolate. Yes, it was my own journey of late afternoon decadence. Mountains, yes mountains, of baked items were destined, like a cruise itinerary, to my table. My plans were in tatters, well at least crumbs.

Kumar (above) the kind, proud villain in our afternoon tale …

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVES MAYOR LONDON BREED’S STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARATION IN THE TENDERLOIN

Written on December 24, 2021.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Friday, December 24, 2021

Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications,mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org

*** PRESS RELEASE ***

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVES MAYOR LONDON BREED’S STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARATION IN THE TENDERLOIN

Approved Declaration allows the City to waive bureaucratic hurdles to quickly implement crucial parts of the Mayor’s Tenderloin Emergency Intervention Plan

San Francisco, CA — The Board of Supervisors voted today to approve Mayor London N. Breed’s State of Emergency Declaration in the Tenderloin, officially allowing the City to waive certain laws to quickly address the crisis of people dying of drug overdoses on the streets of the neighborhood as part of the Mayor’s Tenderloin Emergency Intervention Plan.

Similar to the City’s COVID-19 Declaration of Emergency, this action will eliminate bureaucratic barriers, allowing the City to quickly implement public health solutions relating to the health and safety of the people in the Tenderloin. The overdose problem has worsened, particularly over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the recent rapidly deteriorating conditions in the Tenderloin caused by the opioid crisis put the lives of San Franciscans in serious risk.

“The Tenderloin needs change, and that requires us to do things different,” said Mayor Breed. We showed during COVID that when we’re able to use an Emergency Declaration to cut through the bureaucracy and barriers that get in the way of decisive action, we can get things done and make real, tangible progress. It will take that same focus and coordination in the Tenderloin to make a meaningful change to this neighborhood that has been held back for too long. I want to thank the members of the Board that voted to support this urgent response and who understand that he people who live in the Tenderloin deserve better and the people suffering on our streets deserve better.”

The Emergency Declaration allows the City to expedite the implementation of emergency programs like waiving rules around contract procurement and waiving zoning and planning codes to quickly open a temporary linkage site where people with substance use issues can receive behavioral health services and get off the street. The Emergency Declaration will apply to actions taken within the boundaries of the Tenderloin Police District. Additionally, the Order will be amended to waive certain laws around hiring, which allows for the expedited hiring of 200 behavioral health clinicians to fill current vacancies.

“In an emergency, people need resources immediately not months from now. An emergency declaration allows San Francisco to cut through the red tape and obtain the contracts, resources and personnel to address the crisis conditions in the Tenderloin,” said Mary Ellen Carroll, Executive Director, San Francisco Department of Emergency Management. “We only have to look at our COVID response to see how an emergency declaration allowed us to quickly lease hotels, hire critical staff and establish testing and vaccine sites. Today’s action will expedite the opening of a linkage center and other essential resources.”

“Overdose deaths are a public health crisis in the Tenderloin neighborhood that requires an urgent and compassionate response,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, Director of Health. “San Francisco has shown what we can achieve when we come together for a common public health goal. At the Department of Public Health, we have evidence-based health tools to support people with mental health and substance use disorders. These tools save lives and support our residents on their path to wellness and recovery. The Emergency Declaration provides us with a critical opportunity to greatly expand our services and connect many more people to resources, care, treatment, and safety.”

“We are grateful that the City and the Mayor will now have the tools needed to address the public health emergency in the Tenderloin,” said Simon Bertrang, Executive Director, Tenderloin Community Benefit District. “We saw that this kind of response – led by the Department of Emergency Management – has worked to guide San Francisco through the pandemic, and now people who live and work in the Tenderloin can expect some relief from the crisis that has taken over their sidewalks.”

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AsiaSF / Palm Springs Reopens to Public Friday, January 7, 2022

Written on December 21, 2021.

Media contact: David Perry & Associates, Inc. (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

AsiaSF / Palm Springs Reopens to Public Friday, January 7, 2022

Almost Two Years After Its Record-Breaking Grand Opening in January 2020
Iconic Entertainment Brand Featuring Transgender “Ladies of AsiaSF”
and Award Winning Cuisine Returns

www.asiasf.com

21 December 2021 – Palm Springs, CA:Almost two years after its record-breaking grand opening and subsequent COVID enforced shut-down, AsiaSF/Palm Springs (www.asiasf.com), is back! The SoCal branch of the storied San Francisco dinner theatre and cabaret featuring the world-famous transgender Ladies of AsiaSF, is set to welcome back its first paying customers on Friday, January 7, 2022 on Palm Springs’ main thoroughfare: 1555 South Palm Canyon Drive. Proof of full vaccination is required for all employees, guests and entertainers and masks are required for entry and when guests are not actively involved in eating or drinking.

“What a difference a pandemic makes,” said Larry Hashbarger, Founder, Chairman and CEO of AsiaSF. “For two years we’ve been hibernating and wrapped in a COVID cocoon. But now, the butterfly is ready to burst forth!”

With Vegas commercial style choreography by Ronnie Reddick and award-winning Cal-Asian cuisine, AsiaSF/Palm Springs is a unique interactive, cabaret and dinner entertainment experience. From the moment one enters, the internationally acclaimed “Ladies of AsiaSF” will entertain and enlighten you, complete with stand-out-performances featuring original creations by Julian Mendez Couture and Prime Kreations of Los Angeles who has designed for Beyoncé and Kendall Jenner. AsiaSF’s spectacular interiors, calling to mind a “1930s Shanghai” aesthetic are by Joshua Rowland Interiors. In addition, taking advantage of the Coachella Valley’s indoor/outdoor lifestyle, the location features a special outdoor pool club event space with cabanas, bar and luxurious lawn known as The Sonoran at AsiaSF/Palm Springs.

Founded by Hashbarger and Skip Young, AsiaSF has been packing in sell-out crowds at its original location for over 23 years, with legions of fans traveling to San Francisco from all over the world. Millions more have had the “AsiaSF experience” via the Fuse TV show featuring the AsiaSF cast, Transcendent. Voted “One of America’s Hottest 100 Restaurants” by Opentable, AsiaSF has hosted over 1 million patrons since it opened its doors in 1998.

“AsiaSF is a complete entertainment and food/cocktail experience,” says Hashbarger, the creator/producer of Passport – America’s premier fashion show and HIV/AIDS fundraiser – during his three decades as Director of Special Productions for Macy’s. “Our beautiful and talented transgender cast bring our guests into their world from the first second they enter the space. They serve drinks. They serve food. They dish up a stand-on-the-table and applaud-‘til-your-hands-are-sore song and dance experience that is, literally, transformative. I couldn’t be prouder of these inspiring women.“

“We’re thrilled and excited to be back,” said Aaron Nelson, President, COO of AsiaSF and also an ownership partner. “During the last few months, we’ve been doing a series of pre-opening events, including private functions for The Dinah and Palm Springs Pride. Now, fully staffed and fully vaxxed, we’re ready for AsiaSF/PS 2.0.”

AsiaSF has been a visionary pioneer in supporting the transgender community through empowerment by creating a safe space and unique employment opportunities that showcase its beautiful and multi-talented transgender stars, the Ladies of AsiaSF, who not only entertain but also educate and enlighten people about the transgender experience and human diversity.

“One of our missions of AsiaSF/Palm Springs is to create a trans-positive environment that educates and raises awareness about living your truth and being your authentic self,” Hashbarger sums up, “while at the same time providing our guests with a ‘time of your life’ experience.

New hours for AsiaSF/ Palm Springs’ seatings are:

Fridays 6:30pm & 7pm;
Saturday 5pm / 5:30pm for first seating and 7:45pm / 8:15pm for second seating ##
Sunday Dinner 5:30pm & 6pm
Sunday Brunch 11am & 11:30am (starts Sunday, January 16 / Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Weekend.

## NOTE: On Saturday, January 8 and 15, there will be only one seating: 7:45pm. On Saturday, January 22, a second seating will be added at 5pm.

In the coming days, their new menu, specific to the Palm Springs location, will be available online. All prices are inclusive of dinner and the shows, with cocktails priced separately. For individual reservations, groups and special events go to asiasf.com or call (760) 249-2766.

About The AsiaSF/Palm Springs Management Team:

Larry Hashbarger — Founder, Chairman & CEO: In addition to being a founder and creative force behind AsiaSF, Larry was the Director of Special Productions for the Macy’s Parade & Entertainment Group. In that role, he created and produced the iconic Macy’s Passport – America’s premier fashion show and HIV/AIDS fundraiser, as well as other iconic annual events such as the Junior League Fashion Show, Macy’s Flower Show and Tree Lighting events. He has been in the San Francisco nightlife scene for over 25 years and in 1995 founded Asia – a mega late night Asian gay dance club, which became one of the most successful clubs in the City. He has been involved with and supported many non profit organizations and served on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Friends and was the organization’s Chairman for two years.

Skip Young — Co-Founder: Skip was an investment advisor for ten years and for seven years Vice President, Creative Development for RTC, a subsidiary of WPP Group plc – the world’s largest advertising conglomerate. For almost 30 years he has been President of the Choo-San Goh – H. Robert Magee Foundation, awarding choreographic grants to dance companies worldwide. Mr. Young is also an Eagle Scout.

Aaron Nelson — President & Chief Operating Officer: Aaron joined AsiaSF shortly after its inception in 2000, and became an ownership partner in 2010. A previous small business owner, his passion for the hospitality industry and attention to detail lends itself perfectly to AsiaSF’s unique offerings of nightlife, dining, and entertainment. When he has some time to get away, he still enjoys returning home to his native city of Chico, CA.

Ronnie Reddick — show director/choreographer: Ronnie is one of California’s most dynamic and multi-talented choreographers with an edge of what’s happening in the world of dance and fashion today. This multifaceted San Francisco based choreographer/dancer made his mark by combining hip hop, jazz, fashion and theatrics to create an explosive and dynamic new style, making him one of the most sought-after choreographers in the Bay Area and beyond. In the entertainment world, Ronnie has worked with such artists as Michael and Janet Jackson, Deborah Cox, Paula Abdul, Kristine W., Tony, Toni, Tone, Jody Watley, Liza Minelli, Santana, Ultra Nate, Kelly Price, Vicky Shepard, RuPaul, Jeanie Tracy, Abigail and M.C. Hammer along with many corporations like Gap, Macy’s, MAC Viva Glam Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Starbucks, API, Apple Computer, Google, Sun Microsystems, BEBE, Univision Television, E*Trade, Coca Cola, Microsoft, Bill Graham Presents and recently a video for Hillary Clinton, just to name a few. Mr. Reddick has also choreographed and worked with many designers and fashion brands, including Kenneth Cole, Puma, Barcelino, Tommy Bahama, BeBe,West Coast Leather, YB Timepieces and Diesel. He has also had the privilege and honor to be invited to teach master classes for the cast of the prestigious Las Vegas show A New Day featuring Celine Dion at Caesars Palace. Mr. Reddick also teaches at Stanford University, University of Santa Clara and just recently started teaching a few master classes at Princeton University. “Technique is only the beginning of what makes a memorable dancer, and we don’t start dancing to end up doing chorus”, says Reddick. “You have got to have that extra something.” It is through his experience and selfless devotion that Ronnie Reddick is inspiring a new generation of talent.

Interior Design: Joshua Rowland Interiors
Be it extravagant or subdued, sophisticated or subversive, Joshua Rowland Interior’s intent is the same: Make it beautiful, make it exciting and keep it engaging. His obsessions with haute couture fashion, art history, science, and an overactive imagination, create a combination of spectacularly potent influences. Joshua Rowland Interiors experience spans almost two decades as a practicing designer. Expertise includes creating luxury hospitality, residential, boutique retail, furniture and textile design. Commissions are executed with charm, luxury and bespoke details. Collaborations span treasured residences, destination wineries, boutique hotels, nightlife venues, restaurants and luxury retail hospitality located at domestic and international addresses.

MAYOR LONDON BREED DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY IN THE TENDERLOIN

Written on December 17, 2021.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Friday, December 17, 2021

Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org

*** PRESS RELEASE ***

MAYOR LONDON BREED DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY IN THE TENDERLOIN

Official Declaration allows the City to waive bureaucratic hurdles to quickly implement crucial parts of the Mayor’s Tenderloin Emergency Intervention Plan

San Francisco, CA — Today Mayor London N. Breed declared an official State of Emergency in the Tenderloin, allowing the City to waive certain laws to quickly address the crisis of people dying of drug overdoses on the streets of the neighborhood as part of the Mayor’s Tenderloin Emergency Intervention Plan. Similar to the City’s COVID-19 Declaration of Emergency, this action will eliminate bureaucratic barriers, allowing the City to quickly respond to the conditions relating to the health and safety of the people in the Tenderloin. The overdose problem has worsened, particularly over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the recent rapidly deteriorating conditions in the Tenderloin caused by the opioid crisis put the lives of San Franciscans in serious risk.

“The situation in the Tenderloin is an emergency and it calls for an emergency response,” said Mayor London Breed. “We showed during COVID that when we’re able to use an Emergency Declaration to cut through the bureaucracy and barriers that get in the way of decisive action, we can get things done and make real, tangible progress. We will use that focus and coordination to disrupt the illegal activity in the neighborhood, to get people the treatment and support they need, and to make the Tenderloin a safer, more livable place for the families and children who call the neighborhood home.”

The Declaration of Emergency must be ratified by the Board of Supervisors within the next seven days, and will exist for no longer than 90 days.

“We are losing over two people a day to drug overdoses, mostly to fentanyl, and mostly in the Tenderloin and SoMa. This is a public health emergency demanding a crisis level response, with massive urgency, coordination, and determination to confront this epidemic. We’ve demonstrated during the pandemic that our city can step up with solutions to match the scale and threat of a deadly epidemic. We need an emergency response for drug overdoses, with immediate rapid crisis intervention, outreach and coordination on our streets, with expanded treatment and detox. We have to act now with everything we have to save lives. This official declaration of an emergency will give us the tools we need to respond with the speed and scale required,” said Supervisor Matt Haney.

The Tenderloin Emergency Intervention plan is a three-phased approach to creating a healthier, safer neighborhood. The first phase, which has been underway, has included critical problem definition, neighborhood assessments, community stakeholder engagement, targeted enforcement interventions, and infrastructure improvements. The second phase, which began earlier this week and will continue through the beginning of 2022, focuses on direct intervention for the most destructive problems facing the Tenderloin. The State of Emergency will allow operations during this phase to be more quickly implemented, including prioritization of connections to existing social and health services, more coordinated enforcement and disruption of illegal activities, and streamlined infrastructure response and improvements. The final phase of this intervention focuses on transitioning to sustained operations, which will help keep streets safe and accessible for everyone who calls the Tenderloin home.

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THE MOUNTAINTOP Continues 14th Season for Dezart Performs

Written on December 13, 2021.

media contact: David Perry & Associates, Inc. (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

THE MOUNTAINTOP Continues 14^th Season for Dezart Performs
January 14 – 23, 2022

Olivier Award Winning Play by Katori Hall Reimagines
Martin Luther King, Jr. on last day of his life

www.dezartperforms.org

13 December 2021 – Palm Springs, CA: It’s April 3, 1968 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has just delivered his iconic – and final – speech. It’s his last night on Earth and the first day on the job for a very unusual housekeeper named Camae. For playwright Katori Hall it’s the opportunity for a fantastical, moving and prophetic two-step tour-de force for actors Shanté DeLoach and Cortez Johnson. The 2010 Olivier Award winning drama ispresented by Dezart Performs (www.dezartperforms.org)January 14 – 23, 2022 at the Pearl McManus Theatre in downtown Palm Springs.

“There are 54 years but sadly many similarities between April 1968 and now,” says Michael Shaw, Dezart Performs founding artistic director who is also directing the production. “The issues of race, equity, justice that Dr. King fought and marched for are still will us. In her own way, Katori Hall is as eloquent in her words as was Dr. King in his.”

Not only because of its timing as his final public appearance, but because of its Biblical scope and cadence, Dr. King’s “Mountaintop” speech is considered one of the greatest of the 20^th century. Given in defense of the Memphis, Tennessee sanitation workers strike, it has come to symbolize the over-arching and centuries long struggle for racial equity in the United States. Deeply rooted in that history, Katori Hall has crafted a play that tackles the legacy of one of America’s seminal icons and presents him in all his glorious and flawed humanity. When Dr. King first meets Camae, it is over a hidden flask of alcohol and shared cigarettes: specifically humanizing elements. Also, the language of THE MOUNTAINTOP is at once eloquent and earthy, as grounded in Hall’s Tennessee heritage as King’s soaring rhetoric is based in religion and philosophy.

THE MOUNTAINTOP follows the opening show for the esteemed Dezart Performs, GIRLFRIEND, the first ever musical for the company and its first outdoor dinner theatre production, mounted at the Rancho Mirage Amphitheatre. Next is Heidi Schreck’sdramatic exploration of compassion and forgiveness as seen through the eyes of a nun in a Bronx soup kitchen, GRAND CONCOURSE (March 4 – 13). Rounding out the calendar is the one-person comedy/drama EVERY BRILLIANT THING (April 1 – 10) by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe and directed by Deborah Harmon. EVERY BRILLIANT THING was originally the final production of the 2020 Season, delayed by COVID. Individual tickets are now on sale for shows. Season packages for Dezart Performs’ Pearl McManus Theater productions are also on sale online at www.dezartperforms.org or by calling (760) 322-0179

“For the health, safety and well-being of our patrons, staff and artists, Dezart Performs’ COVID-19 policy requires guests to be fully vaccinated,” reminds Shaw. “Upon arrival at all events, guests must present a photo ID along with proof that they meet the CDC definition of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, either in the form of a physical vaccination card or a photo of the card. Also, mask must be worn indoors at all times, except when eating or drinking.”

Shaw and the company stress, that this policy is subject to changes at any time, in accordance with local, state and federal guidelines. Please check the Dezart Performs website for current policy guidelines before attending any scheduled performance date.

Dezart Performs, one of the Coachella Valley’s preeminent theatre companies, recognizes that the performing arts enrich the life and culture of a community, promote greater understanding and provoke insightful discussion. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theatre company, its mission is to provide an artistic home for bold and cutting–edge plays, creating an atmosphere of artistic growth for actors, writers, and directors who uniquely contribute to the diverse theatrical environment in the Coachella Valley.

All performances take place at the Pearl McManus Theater (at the historic Palm Springs Woman’s Club) 314 S Cahuilla Road, Downtown Palm Springs. Tickets may be purchased online at www.dezartperforms.org, or by calling (760) 322-0179. Showtimes are Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 2pm and 7:30pm; Sundays at 2pm.

14^th Dezart Performs Complete Season Listing

THE MOUNTAINTOP

January 14-23, 2022

Written by Katori Hall

Drama

Directed by Michael Shaw

Pearl McManus Theater

2010 Winner, Olivier Award for Best Play

A re-imagined depiction of Martin Luther King Jr.’s last night on earth set entirely in Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel on the eve of his assassination in 1968. After delivering his famous “I’ve been to the mountaintop speech”, King goes to the Lorraine Motel to rest. His world is spun on his axis when he meets Camae, a young, feisty and foul-mouthed maid, who delivers his room service.

“Funny and emotionally charged… a powerful, poetic take on [King’s] legacy.” -Philip Brandes, Los Angeles Times

“Intriguing, shocking, funny… a stunning evening.” – Dale Reynolds, EDGE Los Angeles

* * *

GRAND CONCOURSE

March 4-13, 2022

Written by Heidi Schreck

Directed by Michael Shaw

Drama

Pearl McManus Theater

2015 Lucille Lortel Award Nominee

Having dedicated her life to religious service, Shelley runs a Bronx soup kitchen with unsentimental efficiency, but lately her heart’s not quite in it. Her brisk nature masks an unsettling fear that her efforts are meaningless. When Emma – an idealistic but confused college dropout – arrives to volunteer, her reckless mix of generosity and self-involvement pushes Shelley to the breaking point.

“Insightful with a moving, even shocking epiphany.” – Huffington Post

“[Heidi Schreck] writes fluid, natural dialogue and creates detailed characters that offer generous opportunities for actors… the words have the ring of plain truth.” – The New York Times

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EVERY BRILLIANT THING

April 1-10, 2022

Written by Duncan Macmillan, with Jonny Donahoe

Directed by Deborah Harmon

Comedy/Drama

Pearl McManus Theater

You’re six years old. Mom’s in the hospital. Dad says she’s “done something stupid.” She finds it hard to be happy. So you start to make a list of everything that’s brilliant about the world. Everything that’s worth living for. 1. Ice cream. 2. Kung Fu movies. 3. Burning things. 4. Laughing so hard you shoot milk out your nose. 5. Constructions cranes. 6. Me. You leave it on her pillow. You know she’s read it because she’s corrected your spelling. Soon, the list will take on a life of its own. A play about depression and the lengths we will go for those we love.

“A heart-wrenching, hilarious play…One of the funniest plays you’ll ever see about depression—and possibly one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see, full stop!” —The Guardian