Skip to main content

Author: Alfredo Casuso

SCRIBBLINGS – August 2022

SCRIBBLINGS – August 2022

D:\Bill\Pictures\Tony90\Jun 19 2019\Ships B & W  Done\Nieuw Amsterdam in Pananma Canal Oct 1955.jpg

                                                    From Bill Miller 

Aug 2022

Above:  During a winter cruise, the Nieuw Amsterdam passing through the Panama Canal

Fri Aug 19th New York City:  Almost touching the clouds!   The City has at least two new observatories.   Last October, we visited the Summit, 85 floors above Madison Ave & East 42nd St.   Today, as a long delayed birthday present (from Michael, Tony & Des, actually from back on May 3rd — but yes, my own travels & the extremely hot summer weather got in the way), we were off to Hudson Yards, the extraordinary complex over on West 33rd St & the Hudson River.   We were soon off to the very top – 101 floors above the West Side.   First, it was lunch at The Peak Grill;   then it was out on the specially created deck.  And happily, the weather assisted – a very clear & bright summer’s day.   (Was that really Paris I could see on the eastern horizon?)

edge2

I love skyscrapers & skyscraper views – and my “collection” currently includes the likes of the World Trade Center (105 floors), Empire State Bldg (102), One Vanderbilt (85) and Top of the Rock (the former RCA Bldg at 60 stories);  and the John Hancock Tower in Chicago & the Terminal Tower in Cleveland;   and over the seas, the Shard in London, the Eiffel Tower (well, of course) and tallest of all – up to 146 floors at ther Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Above with extended deck, now The Edge  is added to the list and clearly visible – 101 floors at  Hudson Yards.

IMG_3785
Edge7

The summer weather was brilliant!

IMG_3840
Edge1

Looking south, we could see all the way to the Jersey seashore …

IMG_3786

Quick Review:   Lunch was excellent, service superb, of course the setting brilliant!

IMG_2273

By mid-summer, the Hudson Yards complex was said to be renting with a fury – a 50% increase in commercial rentals!

  • Edge5
IMG_3830

The mighty Hudson River just below …

Edge3

Looking west – to New Jersey & beyond …

IMG_2362

The $25 billion Hudson Yards is an almost staggering addition to the Manhattan skyline.  (But what does the stately 91-yr-old Empire State Bldg really think!)

Scheduled for final completion in two years, Hudson Yards – begun a decade ago and replacing the old rail yards & some gritty warehouses & factories – covers 28 acres and contains no less than 16 skyscrapers.   The current tallest is 30 Hudson Yards at 1,337 ft and 102 floors.  Even taller, the 106-floor The Spiral, a residential tower and located at 520 West 41st St, but is now delayed.

IMG_3787

Manhattan’s West Side

IMG_7235
IMG_3819
Edge8
IMG_2210
Edge4
U-6
IMG_7236
IMG_8534

Hudson Yards on a September evening …

Young boy’s courageous battle against cancer continues 5 years after his passing.

Media Contact: Anne Abbott / anne.abbott@me.com / (252-581-0000)

Young boy’s courageous battle against cancer continues 5 years after his passing.

5th Annual Race for CHAnge in support of pediatric cancer research set for Saturday, October 8, 2022.

24 August 2022 — Richmond, VA: The Race for CHAnge will host its 5th annual 5K, Fun Run and Silent Auction at Kindred Spirit Brewing in West Creek Business Park 12830 West Creek Parkway on Saturday, October 8, 2022 at 9:45 am. The event, which celebrates the lives of children who are battling cancer and in memory of those who have lost their fight, will begin at 9:45 AM with a Fun Run appropriate for kids 2-12 and a 5K will follow at 10 AM. This year’s event will also feature a Silent Auction with fantastic prizes donated by local businesses all over Virginia and the Outer Banks of NC.

The Race for CHAnge began to honor the memory of a Richmond boy, Cooper Henry Abbott, who battled cancer for six years, eventually succumbing to the disease at the age of nine. With the hope that something good might come from Cooper’s untimely passing, family and friends organized the event and have since raised more than $120,000 to fund pediatric cancer research grants. Proceeds of past events have funded research at Children’s National Hospital, Johns Hopkins and Massachusetts General Hospital.

“Our Cooper was so strong, he could have continued fighting but there wasn’t a treatment within our reach. We continue his battle against cancer with the hope more kids will be cured of cancer. I know that if he could, Cooper would be right here fighting with us, never giving up!” said Anne Abbott, Cooper’s Mom and the race coordinator.

This year’s event will be held a few days before what should be Cooper’s 14th birthday and will take place on the heels of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month which is September. For tickets and additional information on the Race for CHAnge, please visit runsignup.com/raceforchange and follow updates on Instagram at raceforchangerva

Author David Perry presents his Novel at Orvieto City Hall 

Author David Perry presents his Novel at Orvieto City Hall 

29 August 2022 — Orvieto News: On Friday, August 26, author David Eugene Perry read from and did a presentation of his award winning novel “Upon This Rock”, inspired by and set in Orvieto. The event was at the invitation of Orvieto’s Mayor. Currently, “Upon This Rock” is being developed as a screenplay which Perry hopes will result in a film being made of the book sometime in the next few years.  Also this year, Perry and his publisher, Pace Press of California, are looking for Italian publishing partners to produce the book in Italian. 

During the event, Perry read sections from three chapters, including a paean to Orvieto during the time of Medici Pope Clement VII, a chapter that local business owner, Massimo Aloisio of Orogami, translated and read in Italian to the delight of the large crowd gathered in the Council Chamber of the Orvieto City Hall. In Orvieto, the book can also be purchased / ordered at both Libreria Valente on the Corso and at Libreria Sovrappensieri in Piazza del Fanello, Ciconia. It is also available online via Amazon. Learn more about Perry’s book at www.davidperry.com/clients/upon-this-rock

(Photos by Alfredo Casuso)

PS Homeboys Presents Pride Under the Pines 2.0

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

PS Homeboys Presents
“Pride Under the Pines 2.0”
Saturday, October 1 in Idyllwild

Hosted by Sabryna Williams & Transgender Singer/Songwriter Alexa Abraxas

Second Annual Event Features Outdoor Activities, Round-Trip Luxury Bus from Palm Springs & Interactive Screening of The Birdcage

www.PrideUnderThePines.com 

22 August 2022 – Palm Springs, CA: Last year, battered by COVID wave after COVID wave, two gay Palm Springs entrepreneurs got together and said – we’re coming out: out into the open and up on the mountain for the first ever Pride Under the Pines.  Buoyed by rave reviews and good business for Idyllwild, they’re doing it again! On Saturday, October 1 (12pm – 9pm), PS HomeBoys presents the second annual Pride Under The Pines, bringing desert heat to the cool gay heights for a day of out-and-proud food, fun, artists, vendors and fabulous entertainment. Dancing is a given, with live trax spun by DJ Galaxy from K-Gay and an interactive screening of The Birdcage hosted by drag superstar Sabryna Williams and Transgender Singer/Songwriter Alexa Abraxas. Featured performer for the day is Thea Austin, known for the wildly popular German Eurodance sensation “Rhythm is a Dancer.” 

Pride Festival tickets are $ 15; festival and movie pass (The Birdcage) packages are $ 30 and round-trip Palm Springs to Idyllwild luxury party bus plus an all-events inclusive tickets are $ 100.  Special Channel Q VIP Lounge ticket includes complementary open bar.  Vaccination for Monkeypox is strongly encouraged.   Tickets may be purchased online at www.PrideUnderThePines.com

“Pride Under The Pines was created out of love for Idyllwild and a sense of community,” said PS Homeboys owners and event organizers Niels Kosman and Jeremy Taylor who  fell in love with Idyllwild’s Rustic Theatre and its owners Gail and Graham during a trip in 2020. “Over several delicious beers the question was raised among the four of us, ‘How Come Idyllwild Does Not Have a Gay Pride Yet’ recognizing the LGBTQ-Presence in the town.  So, we created one.”

Last year’s inaugural event on October 23, 2021 drew over 800 people to the town’s fresh mountain air and charming ambiance. Area businesses, restaurants and hotels were thrilled with the uptick in business.

“I saw this wonderful leopard print full length jacket walking down the street across from our theatre and just knew we needed to meet the owner, the rest is History,” said Gail Sutherland and Graham Sutherland, the definition of straight allies. “As the Entertainment Center of Idyllwild, our goal is to be diversified and all-inclusive so we are truly honored and excited to be a part of something as special as this event”.”

Partners for the 2nd Annual Pride Under The Pines include:  PS HomeBoys, The Rustic Theatre, Roadrunners Print & Ship, GED Magazine, KGAY Radio and Gay Desert Guide, Oscars Palm Springs, DAP Health, Channel Q, Palm Springs Animal Shelter and FIGHT Magazine.

“Our LGBTQ+ rights are under attack,” said Jeremy and Niels in a statement noting the importance of Pride Under The Pines and similar events serving as a voice of the community to defend those rights. “With the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade and possibly Obergefell vs. Hodges under threat, we feel the need to defend our rights. Elections are a month after Pride Under The Pines so putting our rights into the spotlight is important. Pride is not exclusive to the LGBTQ+ community but an all-inclusive event to spread diversity awareness.”

Pick up for the KGAY Party Bus is at 11am in front of Chill Bar Palm Springs (217 E Arenas Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262) with return leaving at 9pm from The Rustic Theatre (54290 N. Circle Drive Idyllwild). 

Stand Up. Speak Out and Rise Up!

Michael Holmes’ Purple Room Palm Springs Reopens August 30

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

Michael Holmes’ Purple Room Palm Springs Reopens August 30

Hollywood Legend Marilu Henner Makes Her Purple Room Debut
Labor Day Weekend, September 2 & 3

www.purpleroompalmsprings.com

15 August 2022 – Palm Springs, CA:   Keep Palm and carry on! Starting Tuesday, August 30, Michael Holmes’ Purple Room in Palm Springs (www.purpleroompalmsprings.com) is back with all your revered favorites plus some rising new stars, and that’s just on the cocktail menu!  Throughout September enjoy jazz legend Rose Mallett on Tuesdays & Thursdays with Darci Daniels & Charles Herrera serving up classic Rat Pack Era stylings on Wednesdays. And, of course, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, the Desert’s best and most generous Happy Hour rules over Frank’s Bourbon Bar with no cover, 4pm – 6pm.

“We’re looking forward to really roaring into the ‘20s,” said Michael Holmes, owner and manager of the iconic Desert hot spot, having bought and refurbished the storied venue in 2015. “It’s been a challenging couple of years, but like that song in Follies goes: We’re Still Here!”

After the opening week, things really get worked up for Labor Day Weekend, Friday & Saturday, September 2 & 3 when Hollywood legend Marilu Henner makes her Purple Room debut in her acclaimed cabaret show Music & Memories that was such a smash at New York’s 54 Below. With the energy of a teenager, the wisdom of a sage, and the memory of a superhero, the star of “Taxi,” “Evening Shade,” and “Gettin’ the Band Back Together” takes you on a journey through her decades long career filled with Broadway shows, movies, two hit sitcoms, and three husbands! Hilarious and heartfelt, this is an evening you won’t forget!

Friday, September 9 Verve recording artist and Hollywood “It Girl” Brenna Whitaker returnsto the Purple Room with her signature sound and powerful vocals in an evening of jazz standards and classics from the American Song Book including songs made famous by Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and more. Whitaker will also perform selections from her self-titled album released by Verve Records and her newest album recorded in Nashville.

On Saturday, September 10, another Purple Room Premiere as beloved American Idol finalist Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon takes our audience on a beautiful musical journey from his humble beginnings in Baltimore to his electrifying performances and “coming out” story as Top-6 finalist on the 17th Season of American Idol. Accompanying himself at the piano and with guitar, Harmon performs audience favorites from American Idol, songs that inspired his journey from Leonard Cohen to Fleetwood Mac, and his new original music set for release this year.  You won’t want to miss this. To quote Sir Elton John: “Jeremiah’s performance took my breath away.” 

Now, sit back for one of the Purple Room’s most popular artists, returning for the first time in more than two years for one show only on Friday, September 16: Clint Holmes in his Peter Allen tribute“Between the Moon and New York City”. The Grammy nominee is the consummate entertainer, writer, performer, recording artist, and one of the country’s finest vocalists. As the show’s director Will Nunziata says: “Clint is peerless when it comes to his acting, singing, and storytelling, and he also has a danger about him. Clint enters the stage and the molecules of the theatre change.” 

Saturday, September 17 get ready to rock with Palm Springs’ favorite Scot Bruce in his acclaimed show Elvis: The Early Years – a rollicking, uncanny trip through the legendary songs of the King himself. As close as you can get to Elvis without visiting Graceland.

Beloved singer / songwriter Chadwick Johnson returns “home” to the Purple Room on Friday, September 23 in celebration of his new album ‘Unbreakable‘. Chadwick weaves together a message of love and resilience with both modern and classic songs from the Great American Songbook.  With the voice of an angel, and the artistry of a master storyteller, Chadwick creates soul stirring compositions that unearth the complexities of the human experience.  On Saturday & Sunday September 24 & 25, things get campy when New York City’s legendaryLady Bunny brings her new show “The Greatest Ho on Earth!” for a night of “udder mayhem” and filthy fun. A talented comedienne, actress and singer, Ms. Bunny has graced your TV screen on shows like Sex and the City and RuPaul’s Drag U, and she is the emcee and creator of Wigstock, the outrageous drag festival of drag and music which electrified New Yorkers every Labor Day for over 20 years. For “The Greatest Ho On Earth”, Ms. Bunny will titillate and maybe even traumatize you! Audiences can expect a hilarious night of comedy, storytelling and song. Armed with her glitzy outfits, sky-high wigs and razor-sharp wit, Lady Bunny will have you laughing uproariously in the Desert.  NOTE: This show has mature content. No audio or video recording or social media postings will be allowed during the show.

The Purple Room closes out the month on Friday, September 30 as Broadway Barbara returns to Palm Springs for her Purple Room debut following a string of raucous, sold out shows in London, Los Angeles, and New York City! Everything’s Coming Up Barbarais the definitive Barbara Dixon experience, packed full of songs, stories, and (if you’re lucky) a Fosse dance move or two. You won’t believe your eyes (or ears) as Barbara over-shares her way through a whirlwind tour of her life and career, with ribald show biz tales and comedic interpretations of classic Broadway tunes.   Leah Sprecher, as the fictional Barbara Dixon, satirizes the autobiographical cabaret shows of song-and-dance broads like Elaine Stritch, Liza Minnelli and Barbara Cook in this uniquely hilarious show. 

Winner of NBC’s The Voice Alisan Porter makes her Purple Room debut on October 1 and then hang onto your swizzle sticks as the legendary Marilyn Maye returns for three shows October 7, 8 & 9. Another Purple Premiere takes place October 14 & 15 withNiki Haris in Simply Classic in which this former Madonna backup artist owns the stage in a tour-de-force of popR&Bdance music and jazz. The high energy quintet Black Market Trust, Desert favorites, return October 21 & 22. On Sunday, October 23  (and again on November 20), Palm Springs JUMP! pays tribute to the legendary stars who called Palm Springs home or performed in Palm Springs — from Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby to Lucille Ball, Keely Smith, Elvis Presley, Sonny & Cher and many more featuring the talents of veteran singers Charles Herrera, Darci Daniels and Michael Holmes, plus the musical flair of Palm Springs celebrated pianist, Joel Baker. 

Finally, no tricks, but a real treat on Halloween weekend for three shows, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, October 28, 29 & 30 the unforgettable and unstoppable cabaret and stage superstar Sam Harris in Openly Gray! What a great way to kick off Pride Week in Palm Springs! November 4 & 5 brings a bundle of cuddly cabaret royalty back to our stage with the incomparable Christine Andreas whose Manhattan performances at Feinstein’s/54 Below had the NY Times accusing her of “electrifying her audiences, transforming them with pure alchemy and delicately killing with the sheer beauty of her voice.” 

On November 11 & 12, Amanda McBroom returns to the fabulous Purple Room (her Palm Springs home away from home), with her amazing musical director, Michele Brourman, in an evening of her very favorite songs covering the musical galaxy, from standards by such greats as Cole Porter, Stephen Sondheim, Jaques Brel and Joanie Mitchell, to brand-new  McBroom tunes…with a few Amanda classics thrown in for good measure, of course. Amanda McBroom has been called “the greatest cabaret performer of her generation, an urban poet who writes like an angel and has a voice to match.” Her name first came to the attention of the music public when Bette Midler’s version of Amanda’s song THE ROSE hit number one all over the world in 1979. 

Described by The New York Times as a “one-of-a-kind performer who combines the sass of a classic blues mama with the skill of a Broadway star,” Lillias White brings her “glorious” voice and “slightly superhuman” ability to communicate the heart of a song (The New York Times) to her Purple Room debut for two performances November 18 & 29. Her turn in Cy Coleman’s Broadway musical, The Life, won her the TONY® Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

The Holidays officially start on Friday, November 25 (and again on December 23) with Scot Bruce in Elvis’s Blue Suede Christmas followed on Saturday, November 26 with the suave, crowd pleaser Jonathan Karrant, returning to the Purple Room for the release of his special new Holiday album, a collaboration with The Joe Alterman Trio.On December 2 & 3, raise your glasses and drop your pants for the very naughty and very nice The Skivvies: Sleigh My Name, a night of eclectic seasonal tunes and comedic, genre-hopping mashups. Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley not only strip down the arrangements on cello, ukulele, glockenspiel and melodica, they literally strip down to their underwear as they perform. 

Always a sensation, the incomparable and loveable Diane Schuur returns for two shows, December 9 & 10, with her show “Happy Birthday, Deedles!” in reference to her childhood nickname.  Schuur captures the essence of Dinah Washington on her newest album with a reflective version of Washington’s well-known “This Bitter Earth.” Co-produced by Schuur and Grammy winning saxophonist Ernie Watts, the project entitled Running On Faith features Schuur’s piano performance throughout.

Handsomely attired and talented to boot, Branden & James with special guest Effie Passero from Postmodern Jukebox return to The Purple Room after their wildly successful festive shows last season. Come fill your spirit with the holiday season as the three powerhouse performers present classic Holiday songs, as well as some lesser-known carols and feel good hits! Youtube sensation Jonah Wei-Haas will join on the keys.

“It’s a season to put into your stocking and hang it up for Santa,” Holmes laughs. “As always, the Purple Room staff – front of house, back of house, onstage, off, in the wings, in the kitchen and behind the cocktail shakers say Thank You! See you at the bar.”

About Michael Holmes’ Purple Room
The sophistication and glamour of the Rat Pack era comes alive at Michael Holmes’ Purple Room, the desert’s premier supper club.  Tucked away in the Club Trinidad Hotel, The Purple Room is where Frank, Sammy, Dean, and their pals cavorted on and off the stage in the swinging 60s. Step in and you’ll be transported back to the elegance of the era:  an intimate and inviting room, classic cocktails with a modern twist, world-class cuisine, and the best in live entertainment – six nights a week!  Hobnob with celebrities, locals, and visitors alike at Michael Holmes’ Purple Room — where Palm Springs plays!  Michael Holmes’ Purple Room Supper Club can accommodate any type of event from Birthday celebrations to Anniversary parties to corporate buyouts. For parties of 10 or more, please call (760) 322-4422.

www.purpleroompalmsprings.com