"I might as well ask you what your paychecks are. Paul, what's your penis size?"—Chris Evans interviews Paul Rudd and asks the two most sensitive questions you could ask an actor. Paul answered, "It's even bigger than my paycheck."
After months of being incredibly careful and staying away from virtually all humanity, I've thrown the whole wind into the caution and ventured back into the real world. Well, Provincetown. While this isn't the Ptown of yore ( or mine ), it's still lovely to get away. But is it even Provincetown? Certainly not a typical July 4. But the businesses are making the best of things. Bars that were unable to open because they don't serve food suddenly added sandwiches to their menu. Regardless, all eateries must close by 11 p.m., at which point the streets basically roll up. So, while it's still lovely, don't judge Ptown by this summer.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that Fire Island is as busy as ever. One particular person joined in the Fourth of July celebrations while knowing he had COVID-19. I won't name him or vilify him because, surely he wasn't the only positive person there. Many of these vacationers probably have the coronavirus—they just haven't been tested. But that doesn't make them any less contagious. I simply say what I said during the AIDS crisis—assume everyone is positive and act accordingly. You can still enjoy your life and be somewhat social while also being safe.
Marc Shaiman is a big supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement. His musical version of Hairspray tackled racial tensions in Baltimore, circa 1962. During the climactic "You Can't Stop the Beat," Motormouth Mabel sings, "And tomorrow is a brand new day, and it don't know white from Black." Shaiman made the following declaration: "But PLEASE note, in all future productions, the colorblindness that was a goal for many years will be improved, and the lyric will now be 'And tomorrow is a brand new day, and it sees both white and Black!'"
Speaking of Hairspray, the star of the film version just came out officially! No, not John Travolta. And, no, not Queen Latifah. The Tracy—Nikki Blonsky. While this was not news to those of us who know and love her, it was a bold public proclamation from a bold kinda gal. She made the announcement as only she could. She posted a video of herself dancing in the yard along to the music of Diana Ross' "I'm Coming Out." The caption was simple. "Hi, it's Nikki Blonsky from the movie I'm Gay!"
Back in May, Nikki and I excitedly talked about her being on "Billy Masters LIVE!" Unfortunately, I planned to only feature out LGBT guests during June. So I made a note to circle back to Nikki at the end of June. And then, poof, she came out! We'll have her on soon.
This past week, "Billy Masters LIVE" started off on a sexy note. Tuesday's show featured Tom Judson ( aka Gus Mattox ), Florian Klein ( aka Hans Berlin ) and David Pevsner discussing working in gay erotica and in the legitimate theatre. A very fun episode with lots of dish. And then on Thursday, we featured singers Sam Harris and Billy Gilman. It was my first time: a ) having a guest named Billy and 2 ) "meeting" Gilman. And the whole show was a complete delight. Not only did they have so much in common in terms of career trajectory and attitudes about singing, they're also big fans of each other. Check us out on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3 p.m. ET on Billy Masters TV on YouTube, or on the TV tab at BillyMasters.com.
Our provocative "Ask Billy" question comes from Dennis in Baltimore: "I just watched 'Hamilton' and LOVED IT! But it got me thinking: With people wanting only gay people to play gay roles, and trans people to play trans roles, and only people of color can play those roles, how is it that Hamilton can have every color of the rainbow playing mostly Caucasian historical characters? I loved it and believe that's what colorblind casting is all about, but it seems like we're heading backward. Where does that leave Hamilton?"
If you've got a question you want me to tackle, dash it off to Billy@BillyMasters.com , and I promise to get back to you before anyone else from the "Hairspray" film cast comes out! Until next time, remember, one man's filth is another man's bible.
