 The
intended link
in last week’s GRAM to THE WORLD ACCORDING TO WANZIE, May WHO magazine column - was not active. We are happy
to provide that link again
for you, should you care to read Mr. Wanzie’s article online at this time. Of
course, you can pick up the Magazine at the all the usual gay and
gay-friendly places as well as at the Fringe Festival, since What’s
Happening Magazine is this year’s Orlando Fringe Media sponsor!
Once
again, we're sorry for the inconvenience. Here's that link again!
So
stop your whining, cry baby! You can even click on the graphic
below! Or right here!
A: When he choreographed Rich Charron and me in my first ever big-time non school show, OLIVER! at The Civic Theatre in 1981 ... 27 years ago this summer!  Q: What other projects have you and
Wanzie worked on together?A: Whew, so many ... I was in the first wholly-original play he ever wrote - DAVID'S TIME, directed by Paul Wegman. I was in the Charron/Wanzie musical FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, from which MONORAIL INFERNO, was spawned, and we also acted together in VAMPIRE LESBIANS OF SODOM, all at the PH many years ago. Q: When did you first
meet/work with Pigs Director/Producer Kenny Howard? Q: What is your fondest Orlando Fringe memory/experience? A: So many ... HEDWIG the final tour, two years ago, was pretty astounding. I finally felt like I could put the old gal out to pasture! Directing AUNT VANYA for the very first O-Town Fringe, in the old abandoned building downtown (with period wool costumes and no A/C) and having Elizabeth Maupin call even the idea of it "a late night fit of artistic frenzy" was a personal to-date triumph! Directing SEVEN BLOWJOBS, THE BOOK OF LIZ, writing and acting in PIE-FACE! All the shows I have done at Fringe have fond mammaries surrounding them.Q: What is different for you, working on this particular show? A: I am singing and dancing in a very old school Broadway-type-of-aesthetic-ilk-like way (if you will) and I play a pig, which I have never done before [EDITOR'S NOTE: Not in real life anyway!]. It's challenging and rewarding and heart wrenching on so many GU-GAY GAY levels.Q: How many different costumes do you wear in WHEN PIGS FLY? A: Ten. Q: What's the most
unusual costume to wear in the show? A: That’s a toss-up between the under dressed, full-body stocking (thank God no one sees those things) and the construction worker. No, it's for sure the plushie, pink pig in pumps.Q: What was the most "Theatrical" event of your life up 'till now?  A:
Attending DREAMGIRLS
on Broadway in 83 and being told Jennifer Holiday was and had been out
sick from the show. She walked on (even though it said in the program
that her understudy was going to go on) and received a standing O just
for taking the stage. I was on the front row with Judy Milam and she
became a fag hag in THAT moment. It was soooooooooooooooooo theatrical!
Q: What do like best about Fringe? A: The camaraderie, the soul food sisters, the joy in knowing that nobody in the country does it better than O-town! Oh, and this year I am most looking forward to Mawma BK’s home made pickled okra which will be for sale in the beer tent. Q: What do like least about Fringe? A: The hateful blogs! Also, the pressure to out-do yourself, if you are a veteran, can be tough. I just stick near the VA hospital and hope for the best.Q: Could you please chronicle your education/theatrical journey for us? A: I started a drama club in middle school, when I directed SORRY WRONG NUMBER, in the cafeteria in Titusville, where I was living with my dad. He told me I was going to be "a dish-washing fairy" if I kept doing theater, so I moved back to Orlando with my mom because I knew she liked musicals and clean dishes. There was a bloody coup and I took over the presidency of Thespian Troupe 1139 at Boone High School. I became district and state president, won superiors at state competition doing the nasty horse monologue from EQUUS, became bored with Kauffman and Hart and moved onto brighter horizons at the old Once Upon a Stage Dinner Theater, where I played Tommy in THE MUSIC MAN and almost died doing the SHIPOOPY! I started doing shows at the old Civic ... see question below, moved to Atlanta as soon as I graduated high school with my friend, WADmaster and recent college grad, Rich Charron (some say to be a drag queen [EDITOR'S NOTE: David, not Rich. Nobody thought that Rich was going to ATL to become a drag queen. Of course, neither of us ... ehem ... neither of them planned on doing drag on Peachtree. Just to be clear, it wasn't Rich that people thought was going to do drag! Clear? Cool!] but it was really to work as the pool boy at a bath club and then later, an office temp for KELLY GIRL) [EDITOR'S NOTE: OK, that last part - all true ... uh, so we've heard!]. I decided I wasn't cut out for either of those things and came back to Florida to attend The University of Miami as an Acting major, where I met my dear friends Becky Fisher and Joe Swanberg! I moved back to Orlando after graduating and started a theater company, The Per4mAnts with Beck and Joe. We did crazy ass shows in Sam Singhaus' old downtown bar BIG BANG. I started directing and acting more around town and then attended The Yale School of Drama, where I received my MFA in Directing in '96. I moved to NYC, had another theater co, ANT FARM PRODUCTIONS, taught and directed at colleges ... came to Orlando to do theQ: Tell us something about yourself that most of our subscribers would be surprised to know? A: I just recently attended my first Sater at Kenny & Barry’s, Stacey from WHAT NOT TO WEAR is really nice, and I want to be the gayest and least tattooed winner of MR. GAY INTERNATIONAL LEATHER AMSTERDAM ever!!!! I will wear my construction worker costume for the DAY WEAR category and the pig costume for my EVENING PIG look. It's going to happen people! Q: Anything you want to
add? A: I enjoy Chai, Cheerios and THE JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, while wearing HONG KONG FOOEY Underoos. It just makes for a great Sunday morning!
 The only thing you
can't do is plug a show that is not in the Fringe Festival, or plug a
business or web address that does not have a presence at the festival.
(Those two exceptions require the purchase of an ad.) You also may NOT
print anything negative about another fringe show. Other than those
three restrictions, you may say whatever you like. You may use whatever
language you like. Well print it. Just like the Fringe Festival itself,
our PIG PEN is 100% uncensored/100% unjuried, and the most affordable
way for you to support the immensely expensive process of presenting
the rarely produced WHEN
PIGS FLY
spectacle at Orlando Fringe 2008.OINK:
FULL PAGE (8 1/2 high by 5 1/2 wide) - $500.00 All ads are full
color.
 Howard enlisted you’re assistance to
cast your vote to help a You Tube friend of theirs, by the name
of Anthony Johnson, win a trip to New York City to audition for RENT.
Within hours of receiving that WANZeGRAM, some 400 of you responded,
and in fact, put Anthony over the top. He won the contest. The
producers of RENT did indeed fly him to New York, and within
days of his arrival they posted the closing notices for the show. So,
even though he won the contest, and he did get the trip to NYC, there
was no actual BROADWAY prize to be had.But the resilient Anthony decided to stay in the Big Apple anyway, and now Central Florida residents will have a chance to hear Anthony Johnson sing live and spend time with him at a meet & greet when WANZIE Presents brings Anthony to the Footlight Lounge for one show only – by special arrangement with cabaret producer KENNY HOWARD (Who is really doing the “bringing”, cause even though WANZIE had extended an open invitation to Johnson to perform at the PH anytime he would like, it’s Kenny who is springing for Anthony’s flight to Orlando and helping him organize his song list – just as he has so successfully done for Becky Fisher – sans the flight.)  On a recent trip to New York,
Kenny and Barry made
arrangements to meet up with Anthony at Don’t Tell Mama. They became
fast friends with the cutie-pie boy with the fabulous Broadway voice
with whom WANZIE had been having an online affair and with whom he had
in fact become somewhat engaged. WANZIE sent Anthony a Rizty
Rags-purchased $12.95 engagement ring, while the “lickable” Anthony was
living in Japan appearing as Wolfie in the Beatlejuice Show at
Universal Studios in Osaka.Under the user name "Woodlandcreature22", Anthony would sing his little heart out at 2 AM and 3 AM, from his apartment (oft times even from his bed) while in Japan, and he would post the solo performances on You Tube. He became a You Tube sensation! Upon discovering these videos on You Tube, Kenny fell in love with Anthony’s voice and WANZIE fell in love with Anthony. Fast forward to the point where Kenny and Barry have had Anthony over to their New York condo for drinks, and now they are flying Anthony down to Orlando to meet WANZIE (at least that’s how WANZIE - who is currently checking into adoption possibilities – sees it) and together producer/director KENNY HOWARD and WANZIE Presents will be sharing Anthony with all of you in the form a great evening of cabaret: Reserve well in ADVANCE. Seating is limited. “Anthony is Adorable” – Wanzie
Final cabaret performance this Sunday at the Footlight Lounge!
This
Sunday is your final chance to catch this amazing performance. We
urge
you to order
your tickets right now for: PH Cabaret
Series/WANZIE Presents ANDREA CANNY Vox on a Box
Musical Direction and Accompaniment by John B. deHaas Sunday, May 11th @ 6 PM Footlight Lounge at The Parliament House Tickets Only $10 Come
Hear the Hag (6 PM) and Stay for the Drag (7 PM)
The Parliament
House and WANZIE Presents are proud to present the 2008
National Touring
Cast, from New York
City, in
the new, full 90-minute version of the show that won Patron’s Pick at
the 2006 Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival and went on to
play to packed houses at the Footlight Theater throughout that summer.  BATHHOUSE THE MUSICAL NEW NATIONAL TOUR COMPANY: Sat. 5/31 || Thu. 6/05 || Fri. 6/06 || Sat. 6/07 || Sun. 6/08 Tickets purchased for BATHHOUSE: The Musical! for performances on Friday, June 6th, Saturday, June 7th, and Sunday, June 8th, DO NOT include club admission. A separate ticket purchase is required to attend the GayDays Party/Concerts on each of those 3 nights. We’re sorry, but we are not able to make WHEN PIGS FLY tickets available through the WANZIE.com Online Box Office. Please order your tickets through www.OrlandoFrinnge.org for the performance of your choice NOW to avoid disappointment.
I shall have the honor of co-emceeing the Opening Night Gala on this coming Thursday (May 15th) along with Fringe Artistic Producer Beth Marshall, as we introduce some fabulous entertainment and invite key personnel and local dignitaries, including Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, to cut the ribbon and declare the 17th Annual Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival to be underway. The Opening Night Gala will take place on the Outdoor stage located on the “The Green Lawn of Fabulousness” (That’s the expansive meadow sandwiched in between The Orlando Rep parking lot, The Shakespeare Theater parking lot, Mills Avenue (where you can parallel park for free) and the Orlando Science Center.) Remember if surface Parking (Free) lots at the Rep and Shakespeare are full, you must park in the Science Center/city parking garage on Princeton for a nominal fee, unless you are lucky enough to score a space on Mills. Do NOT park behind the Shakespeare complex – or at the Garden Center - you’ll be towed if they don’t recognize your car! Come to “The Green Lawn of Fabulousness” early to enjoy some great food and claim a good spot for the festivities. The food choices have increased this year. There is something for everyone: Bryan Williams: Fair food - Philly cheese steaks, sausages, quesadillas, and chicken kabobs . 2008 ORLANDO FRINGE OPENING GALA
Hosted by WANZIE & BETH MARSHALL Thursday May 15th Food & merchandise vendors and beer tent open at 5
PM.
Ribbon-cutting ceremony 6 PM. The band Bric-a-Brac will perform following the opening ceremonies. AND A FULL SLATE OF INDIVIDUAL FRINGE SHOW PERFORMANCES COMMENCE ON OPENING GALA NIGHT Complete Show Schedules Available On: www.OrlandoFringe.org. During the festival, 65 individual productions will be presented in seven separate indoor venues, one outdoor (Red) venue, and a bathroom venue - all running simultaneously throughout the 12-day festival. In all, more than 700, individually-ticketed performances, will be presented; and that does not include the free performances that will take place on the outdoor stage on "The Green Lawn of Fabulousness". Of course, I hope you will be seeing the show in which I am involved. Here’s what the critics have said about the concept, script, music, and lyrics of WHEN PIGS FLY: You can view a portion of our Fringe Preview appearance by clicking on the following link: View Preview Video.“A GLEEFULLY OVER-THE-TOP MUSICAL REVUE! Sophisticated Lyrics. Catchy upbeat music.” PIG HAS BEEN PICKED! WHEN PIGS FLY made the Fringe Picks List on the Orlando Sentinel’s Metromix.com nightlife website. You can view the recommendation by clicking on this link: While on Metromix, be sure to see backstage pictures from the Preview Night of myself getting ready to host, David Dorman getting ready to be a Queen, and Doug White as our Pink Plushie Pig! Check it out here:http://orlando.metromix.com/events/photogallery/fringe-picks/405478/content?photo=5 And speaking of Fringe Picks, remember to routinely check for my own WANZIE’S FRINGE PICKS, which will be added to WANZIE.com almost daily during the festival, and in special edition WANZeGRAMs. I don’t do full blown reviews. I simply list the shows I’ve seen which I feel I would like to recommend to my subscribers. If I see a show I don’t like, I don’t list it at all; in fact I don’t even mention that I saw it. Knowing that art is subjective and that my tastes may not parallel your own, and since I am an actor and producer in the Fringe, I don’t feel comfortable reviewing the shows of my peers in the completely critical way that would be expected of a bona-fide theater critic writing reviews as a profession. However, if you are indeed reading this NOTE FROM WANZIE right now, you must in fact have some idea of what my general likes and dislikes are, so you can either take my picks or leave them. Again - I try to keep the whole thing positive for the most part, by only listing the shows I like. I will not mention shows I mildly disliked, or even didn’t really care for at all. However, NEW THIS YEAR; I will, as a public service, list any show I’ve seen which I whole heartedly believe to be a complete and total waste of time. Hopefully there will be none of those to list this year, but we all remember the likes of Jumblefunk, so should I stumble across something so awful that I wouldn’t want my worst enemy to suffer through it, I might just have to list it in my new – "Run The Other Way" – section of WANZIE’S FRINGE PICKS.http://orlando.metromix.com/events/photogallery/2008-fringe-preview/399712/content In the meantime, I’d like to call your attention to a very late entry into the festival (taking the place of a cancellation), which will not be able to benefit from a listing in the hard-copy Master Fringe Program. Looks like a pick to me:  See you at the Fringe! I’m WANZIE and That’s All I Wrote!
you can always view the latest version online: Click Here!
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A: I first met Kenny at a Christmas
party that Wanzie was throwing while I was visiting Orlando, when I
still lived in NYC. I seem to recall it was over a crockpot of
barbecued weenies! He flew me down from NYC to direct the production of
the Charron/Wanzie musical LIZZIE, which he and Barry produced
at the Darden Theatre. Then, in 02, I called him from NYC and
asked if
he wanted to direct Becky and me in HEDWIG and well ... we've
been partying ... I mean working together ever since. Same thing really
with Kenny. It's always a laugh riot party!
title role in HEDWIG in 2002 and realized how
much I missed air, space, sunshine and friends, never left. Had another
O-town theater company, NAKED ORANGE for almost 5 years and now have a
great dual gig where I teach Directing at UCF and co-run PLAYFEST at
Orlando Shakes, where I am also an Associate Artist.
