"Lainie Kazan couldn't be here tonight. On her way to the theater, she passed a Sizzler!"—Frank DeCaro's quip about our dear friend Lainie, who had to cancel her appearance at the annual STAGE gala because she was shooting a film. Sadly, it also robbed us of the opportunity of dousing her with water and re-enacting her Playboy pictorial.
Who are the Billy Masters of tomorrow? Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. Having scores of you hang on my every word for close to two decades, I often wonder if I've inspired anyone to pick up the gossip gauntlet when I eventually start to act my age. When I was a mere tyke, there were two people who made an impact on me: Rex Reed and Rona Barrett. With those two role models, is it any wonder I turned out to not only be gay but to also be a well-known syndicated columnist? Rona brought the glitz and glamour of Hollywood into the Masters household. And Reed informed and entertained, while showing how to make a hybrid art form out of criticism and humor. If my scribblings have amounted to anything, I owe a large debt of gratitude to these two individuals.
As luck would have it, last weekend I met both of them at the same event! Would that I could have gotten a photo between the two of them, because surely I am the love child of Rona and Rex. Nonetheless, meeting them individually had to suffice—along with thanking them for inspiring me ( and getting photos, naturally ). This trajectory took place at the annual STAGE benefit. The Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event celebrated 30 years of raising money and awareness for AIDS Project Los Angeles with a salute to the movies. This year's gala brought out a glittering array of celebs, such as Betty Buckley, Debby Boone, Patricia Morison, Richard Chamberlain, Mitzi Gaynor, Donna McKechnie, Carole Cook, Helen Reddy and Mary Wilson. Hosting the evening was TMC's Robert Osborne, who also interviewed some luminaries, including Shirley Jones.
I hate to play favorites, but one of the standouts of the evening was Jason Gould and his gorgeous rendition of "The Way You Look Tonight." While spending time with him and his luminous aunt Roslyn Kind, Jason confessed that he was under the weather and wasn't sure how he sounded. He had nothing to worry about. The ageless Patricia Morison re-created "I Hate Men" from "Kiss Me, Kate" complete with clanking plates. At 99 years old, she is a marvel. Arguably, the show's highlight was the painstakingly recreated dance number of "Begin the Beguine" performed by David Engel and Jeffrey Scott Parsons.
Not only was it terrific, but they more than held their own while dancing in front of video footage of the original number from Broadway Melody of 1940 with Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell. The man holding the whole show together was John McDaniel, who not only was the music director but also did the arrangements. I was honored that director David Galligan let it be known that the one person he wanted to meet that evening was Billy Masters. Although I'm certain that we've met before ( we have so many mutual friends ), it was a pleasure to congratulate him in person. Bravo to everyone involved. Needless to say, quite a few photos and videos can be found on BillyMasters.com .
It's been one of those weeks in Los Angeles when there are more things to go to than evenings in a week. Fresh from his lead role in Broadway's Newsies and his run on Smash was Jeremy Jordan, making his West Coast cabaret debut at the Catalina Bar and Grill ( under the expert auspices of Chris Isaacson ). Not only does he have a lovely voice, but he presents himself in a natural and likeable manner. As I said to my companion that night, he's turning into the type of performer I hoped Cheyenne Jackson would be. As talented as Cheyenne is, to me he always comes off as somewhat guarded and slick—and I'm not just talking about his jerk-off video. But speaking of videos, some footage of Jordan in action can be found on our website.
Let me interrupt this survey of my week in Tinseltown by asking a question. Did I not adequately report about the video we have of Cheyenne pleasuring himself to completion? I thought I did so ad nauseum, but oodles of people say to me that they've never heard about it. Well, you can hear and see every inch of it on BillyMasters.com .
Last week, Nate Berkus married young Jeremiah Brent. Their wedding took place at the New York Public Library—how Sex and the City of them. It was the first same-sex ceremony to take place in the landmark building. Because product placement is everything, fabrics from Nate's Calico collection were on the tables as guests ate off his plates ( available at Target ). Ironically, I had a totally different story about the "couple" to share with you this week. But in light of the happy news, why go there? That said, I'm happy to start a pool if anyone else wants in.
Lance Bass is also poised for a same-sex marriage, but he's going a somewhat different route. His and Michael Turchin's nuptials will be filmed for a TV special. And why not? If numerous Bachelors and Bachelorettes can do it, so can a mega-pop star. Bass said, "We're filming it for an E! wedding special. It will probably air around Valentine's Day, so it has to be before Valentine's Day, I know that."
Could it be that a certain notable actor is worried about becoming known for all the wrong reasons? So say people close to the formerly studious stud who tell me that he's rather concerned that his name could turn up amidst quite a few others. While he's certainly familiar to being part of a lengthy crew ( and sporting a notable beard or two ), he doesn't necessarily want to be known as part of this particular list. What list, you ask? A list of witnesses in a certain tawdry case that could have tantamount ramifications on his career. Not that he's unfamiliar with getting rammed. He just doesn't want the whole world to know about it.
When I won't name a name or an alias, it's definitely time to end yet another column. Lest I do permanent damage to anyone's reputation, I'd recommend checking out www.BillyMasters.com, the site that's really into you. For your more specific needs, drop a note to me at Billy@BillyMasters.com and I promise to get back to you before Rona, Rex and I appear on a special episode of Maury! Until next time, remember, one man's filth is another man's bible.
