OutClique Magazine February 2020

Volume 4, Issue 3 February 2020

DIEGO & DREW

Broward Center for the Performing Arts February 6 - 16

Brett Karlin

Master Chorale of South Florida February 26

Island House Key West

Amazing Israel Freedom Travel

June 6 - 23

South Florida Symphony Orchestra Beethoven 250th February 7 - 9

HIVcare.org

Rebekka, AHF Client AHF HEALTHCARE CENTERS KINDER (SOUTH MIAMI) 3661 S MIAMI AVE, STE 806 (786) 497-4000

MIAMI (JACKSON NORTH) 100 NW 170TH ST, STE 208 (305) 405-0045

SOUTH BEACH 4308 ALTON RD, STE 950 (305) 538-1400

OAKLAND PARK 1164 E OAKLAND PARK BLVD, 3RD FL (954) 561-6900

NORTHPOINT 6405 N FEDERAL HWY, STE 205 (954) 772-2411

DOWNTOWN FORT LAUDERDALE 700 SE 3RD AVE, STE 301 (954) 767-0887

TABLE OF CONTENTS Volume 4, Issue 3 | February 2020

Cover Story 20

DIEGO & DREW

BROWARD CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Photos by Sach | www.SachAdGroup.com

6 Bars & Clubs 28 Lodging & Dining 62 Realtors & Brokers 76 Professional Services 85 Retail & Shopping 116 Health, Wellness, & Fitness 142 Events, Shows & Entertainment

Steven O. Evans, PhD

Publisher and Editor in Chief OutClique@gmail.com

Arthur Wood III

Associate Editor Arthur.OutClique@gmail.com

Sach AD Group

Director of Graphic Design

Mike Ritzi

Executive Director of Sales

Cindy Curtis Irv Scott

Sales Managers

Connie Evans Chief Copyeditor

Tom (Tomcat) Pence Distribution Manager

Rivendell Media

National Advertising

Gregg Shapiro

Senior Entertainment Writer

Denny Patterson

Senior Lifestyle Writer

Contributing Writers

Tony Adams, Andy Armano, Rod Davis, Michael Ferrara, John Hayden, Marty Kiar, Patrick Rogers, Eric Noel Roman

Distribution

Robby Wagenseil & Luis Eduardo, Miami-Dade

A publication of OutClique, LLC (954) 998-6429 www.OutClique.com OutClique@gmail.com Facebook.com/OutClique OutClique, LLC is not responsible for statements or opinions expressed in advertisements or articles.

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

By Steven O. Evans, PhD

A

h February, the month of love. I am reminded of the Song of Solomon 1:2, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his month - for thy love is better than wine.” Who knew the Old Testament with burning bushes, plagues of frogs, and guys getting eaten by whales could be such a racey book!

“

At the end of December 2019, I had the honor and privilege of going to Israel, through the Israel Ministry of Tourism. No matter what your religious beliefs, a trip to the Holy Land will change your life. And the hot men of Tel Aviv will certainly be an added bonus!

I literally hit the ground and started with the Temple of Jerusalem.

I saw modern day Judaism, the Wailing Wall, and the underground tunnels.

I got to stand at the place where Pontius Pilate held Jesus before the crowd and asked, “What should I do with this man?” And they shouted back, “Crucify him.” I stood in the Church of Condemnation that told the story of His being sentenced to death by crucifixion. In the tile of the floor were scratches by Roman soldiers who had been playing games. I sat in the church of the Flagellation that commemorated the crown of thorns that was put on His head.

I walked the Via Delorosa, the actual road that Jesus also walked while he carried the cross beam to the hill. It was filled with shops, people, and commerce, like it would have been at that time. And finally, I ended the day at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where the three crosses most likely stood and Jesus took his last breath.

I was not prepared for the emotional journey that day. I am still overwhelmed while writing this.

I know many of us have been hurt by churches. But, actually going and seeing the place where “it” all began, was a day I will never forget. All of the stories I had heard, the pictures I had seen, and the years of church music I had played and accompanied for from the Christmas and Easter musicals, solos, and choral anthems - all seemed to fall into place. There, the pieces fit in a whole new way.

I also went to Tel Aviv. It’s an amazing city, but will write more on that later. So, if you get the chance, go see Israel. The trip and journey through history will change your life.

With that, I wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day. May happiness and love be abounding to you. If you have comments or just want to say hello, please contact me directly at OutClique@gmail.com.

Steven O. Evans, PhD Publisher & Editor in Chief OutClique.com | 05

ALIBI HOLIDAY PARTY Photos Courtesy of SRL Media

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NEW YEAR'S EVE AT THE EAGLE

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LE BOY 5TH ANNIVERSARY Photos Courtesy of SRL Media

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Meet The Staff

MASTER JERRY t

t DEAN THU 8-2AM FRI 8-3AM SAT 8-3AM SUN 8-2AM MON 8-2AM

JAY t WED 12-8PM THU 12-8PM

tJASON TUE 8-2AM WED 8-2AM FRI 12-8PM SAT 12-8PM SUN 12-8PM

DAN t MON 12-8PM

22

Where you see old friends and meet new ones!!

t TOMMY TUE 12-8PM

2-15-2020

Michael Connell & Jim Walker

Congratulations!

OUTCLIQUE MAGAZINE CONGRATULATES MIKE & JIM ON THEIR WEDDING! We invite you to celebrate their special day @ The Pub with these special events.

Including the following list of events after the wedding @ The Pub 8PM THE SYNERGY TWINS 10PM DRINK AND DRAG 11PM ADA VOX AS SEEN ON AMERICAN IDOL

@ 2283 Wilton Drive • 754.220.5244 • THEPUB.COM

thePUBwiltonmanors

WILTON MANORS & OAKLAND PARK SOCIAL

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MANGOES DRUNKEN DRAG BRUNCH Photos by Larry Blackburn Photography Key West, Florida

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WHAT MAKES US CLIQUE

ED OTTO ZIELKE

Photo by Andy Armano | www.AndyArmano.com

By Andy Armano | www.AndyArmano.com

This series focuses on individuals who give to our community and make a positive impact on the lives of others. Often it is through our personal adversities that we discover who we are and transform the challenges into strength. This month Otto Zielke (Ed Oz) speaks with us about his personal transformation.

38 | OutClique.com

Ed Oz: I’m happy, sober, and healthy. Everything that’s come before has brought me to this place. My life is wonderful and I have so much to be grateful for. I am proud of my work at the Grand Resort & Spa. I used all my skills.

And I get to welcome gay men from all over the world and be my funny self.

AA EO

Share with us some of the challenges you have overcome.

AA EO

I’m so sorry about your cousin.

I have dealt with food addiction and I’m a recovering alcoholic. And, my cousin perished in 9/11.

I was working on Wall Street at the time, too, just blocks away from Tower One where my cousin worked, so I was there.

AA EO

That must have been exceptionally traumatic.

AA EO

Can you share about your weight loss journey?

AA EO

So you dealt with food addiction before the alcohol?

It was. He was probably the most outgoing, the most animated guy that you would ever meet. He did just about everything. He was at the point of his life where it was just taking off. My first thought wasn't about me. It was about him. I walked that whole day trying to find him. I was walking the streets, I was covered in silt. After 9/11, I really started eating and drinking to numb myself.

I was about 300 pounds and I was developing diabetes, so I opted for bariatric surgery. I was working at JP Morgan at the time and I started gaining confidence as I lost weight. I realized how much the weight was holding me back because all of a sudden I was up for promotions.

Yes, I couldn't eat anymore, and alcohol jumped into that place. I drank in mass amounts. I hit a bottom and came to

Photo by Andy Armano | www.AndyArmano.com

Andy Armano: You have overcome a number of challenges - any one of which would have been quite a bit. I see a good looking guy who has a calmness and confidence that I wouldn’t immediately guess you’ve had so much to overcome.

OutClique.com | 39

Photo by Andy Armano | www.AndyArmano.com

Florida to get sober and lose the remaining weight. I finally realized I had to face that addiction and I came down to Florida to get sober and it worked for me really well. I was hiding a lot of different things, I was hiding all of the scars from childhood and 9/11.

AA

South Florida is a very image conscious place. Did you have any surprising lessons down here as you lost the rest of the weight?

EO

I had lost quite a bit of weight up north, but I was still over 200 pounds.

When I started losing more weight, people in the community started to notice my weight loss and they thought maybe I was doing crystal meth or something like that.

AA EO

So some people assumed something negative? How did that affect you?

Here I was, being very open about my healthy choices on social media, letting people know about this weight loss.

Every week I was being accountable. So it

40 | OutClique.com

really fascinated me that at the same time I was getting people that were saying, "How much crystal meth did you do last week?"

AA EO

How did you deal with that?

AA EO

That is beautiful. I love it. Thank you for sharing all that with us.

I developed understanding and tolerance. They are on a different road than I am. Truthfully, 10 years ago, I probably would have been chiming in with them too, but I’ve changed. When you've gone through a transformation yourself, you have the appreciation that others have their own issues. I'm three months away from being 50 years old at this point. And I feel like I've, for the first time, feeling like come into my own as an individual and who I am. And I'm not afraid to express how I feel. I'm more authentic, I'm more honest with people.

Thank you. I hope my story helps other people dealing with similar issues.

WHAT IS LOVE?

By Eric Noel Roman

I

love music. It is the center of my life. So much that I turned my love for music into my career. I am not a professional writer, I am a professional DJ. Everywhere I go I have a pair of headphones nearby. I never skip a beat.

Music has been my best friend since I was a child. Every memory I have, I can tie a song to that moment.

I remember growing up, every morning my mom would wake me for school and have some sort of quick breakfast ready. Along with the quick eggs and toast or bowl of cereal, I got a dose of Latin grooves provided by a boom box that was barely holding together. The mixtape of choice? A small collection of Juan Luis Guerra.

This would be the routine for the span of my elementary school days. Every morning I would eat my food and think, "my goodness I hate this."

My teenage years were tied to typical rebellious music. I found myself listening to the happy tones of such bands like Marylin Manson, Korn, and Type O Negative. I related to the emotions expressed within the lyrics coupled with the aggressive instrumentation.

I expressed myself with this angry presence.

As time passed my favorite bands used synthesizers to make music. Usher in the Electronic Era of my life.

At this point my band attempts failed and becoming a Disc Jockey had never crossed my thoughts. However, I tripped over a pair of turntables and a mixer; this became the tool of expression. I gained the ability to manipulate the mood of every environment with my creativity and records. I channeled my feelings through other creations. I learned to talk through these electronic sounds. Some tones were deeper and darker, while other sounds were happy and melodic. Either way, I gained the ability of expression. I fell in love.

In turn, I have discovered that if you love what you do you will find some form of happiness.

In my case, music was my love from an early age, even if I have it attached to an irritating moment. It was still my best friend through thick and thin. I expressed myself through it. Now I feed myself with it. You can do the same. Take a hobby you enjoy, turn it into your escape. Express yourself with it. Soon enough you might become an expert and have the ability to tell others your story.

Eric Noel Roman DJ, obstacle racer, motivational writer from North Miami Beach, living life one day at a time, and making a difference one person at a time.

42 | OutClique.com

ISLAND HOUSE KEY WEST A Bright Future

By Tony Adams

Photos Courtesy of Island House Key West

C

hange is inevitable, but returning guests at Island House Key West want one thing above all else: no changes.

Because of their fond memories of staying at Island House, those guests look forward to its warm embrace, its relaxed elegance, its fabled attention to detail, its cordial staff, and its convivial atmosphere.

That is why two promo videos recently released by Island House put their loyal followers at ease. The first video features Island House owner Jon Allen talking about plans for the future, with assurances that Island House will continue to provide hospitality to the men who love it. In a town like Key West that has seen the disappearance of many gay guest houses in recent years, his words are welcomed.

Allen acquired Island House 20 years ago on June 4, 1999, transforming it into the 44 | OutClique.com

premier gay men’s guest house in the world.

About its future, he says, “When you take on something that is in terrible condition as was Island House, you know it’s going to be a long process to build it up. I knew we’d be selling an experience. That’s what the staff does. It’s their job to make people happy. They are always smiling and they remember your name. Island House really has much more in common with Disney than with Marriott. We are always fine tuning what we do, listening to our guests and making improvements. That process continues.”

Allen says he was on a mission when he acquired Island House. He didn’t come out until he was 40 and he was determined not to miss out on all that gay life had to offer. He built Island House to his own high expectations and standards. He says, “This place is my legacy, a place where you can be gay 24/7. From dayone that was the goal.”

The video also features what might be called the “next generation” of Island House ownership and management. Allen’s co-owner and husband Bobi Lore says, “I do have every intention of keeping Island House the best gay men’s resort in the world for at least another twenty years. I’ll work with the senior staff to insure that our guests have the experience they want.”

A second video released in December records the recent renovation process. In September of 2019, Island House invested more than a quarter of a million dollars in renovations and improvements. The entire pool deck was replaced, and finishes and fixtures in the guest rooms were upgraded. Also, additions to the cafe menu kept all the favorites in place. The legendary daily Happy Hour continues to draw guests, old friends, new friends, and neighbors together in merriment.

At the bar during Happy Hour in December, two guests celebrating their tenth annual Island House visit were overheard dreaming about what they would do with their windfall should they win the lottery. They agreed that if it were ever available, they would buy Island House just to make sure it will always be there for them and that it will never change. With or without a winning lottery ticket, it seems they will get their wish.

For more info and to book your next vacation to Island House Key West, visit www.IslandHouseKeyWest.com.

Video 1: www. youtu.be/awCXib_8Pgg

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Video 2: www. youtu.be/LB4CKmIwhRk OutClique.com | 45

NEW YEAR'S EVE SHOE DROP IN KEY WEST Photos by Larry Blackburn Photography Key West, Florida

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PASSPORT NEWS Content Courtesy of Brenda D. Forman, Broward County Clerk of Courts

Photo Courtesy of Broward County Clerk of Courts

D

id you know? Any person traveling outside the United States needs a passport to reenter the country (including those traveling to Canada, Bermuda and the Caribbean). In order to apply for a new passport book/card, you must: Complete Form DS-11 Appear in person (this includes minors) Submit Evidence of US citizenship and a photocopy of the front (and back, if there is printed information) Supply original Proof of Identity and photocopy of identification (front & back) Provide one passport photo Social Security Number is required (not the actual card) All of the Clerk’s offices are equipped to provide photo services, but if you choose to bring your own photos, you must follow the requirements for passport photos. Passport services are available Monday through Friday

from 8:00AM to 4:30PM at the following courthouse locations: 201 SE 6th Street, Room 01160 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 1600 West Hillsboro Boulevard, Room 160 Deerfield Beach, FL 33442 3550 Hollywood Boulevard, Room 160 Hollywood, FL 33021 100 North Pine Island Road, Room 180 Plantation, FL 33324 A few times throughout the year, we host a “Passport Day” on a Saturday. Please check our page at www.Facebook.com/ BrowardClerkOfCourts periodically for future announcements about upcoming dates, as well as other clerk related news of interest to the community.

For additional information about passport renewals, passports for minors, and passport fees and costs, please visit www.BrowardClerk.org and click on the “Passports” tab.

48 | OutClique.com

DISCOVER ISRAEL WITH FREEDOM TRAVEL

By Denny Patterson

To some, traveling to another country is a fun hobby. To others, it’s a once in a lifetime experience.

F

reedom Travel is a full-service travel agency located in Wilton Manors.

Founded by Richard Safaty in 1994, One of their specialties is the company’s signature trip to Israel. “We have been taking clients to Israel since 2009, and this is one of our biggest trips each year,” Safaty says.

“It’s a small, boutique, luxury, gay group tour, which I host personally with my husband Omer Mizrachi, who is from Israel. We are both very proud of the product we provide. We have a professional staff employed in Israel, we use the same gay guide each year, and we use the finest Israeli operators for all of our transportation needs. I picked all of the hotels myself based on location and service level.

This is a luxury trip.”

This year’s 13-day tour will be June 9th 23rd, 2020. There are 26 available spots, and according to Safaty, they fill up fast.

“For the people who go on this trip, I hope it opens their eyes to really see what Israel is like,” Safaty says. “People often see what’s on the news or snippets in newspaper articles, but actually going to Israel and seeing the people, eating the food, and feeling the culture

and history, is truly amazing. People come back saying that this was the best trip they have ever been on. The ratings we get from customers who have gone with us are all over the top. Everyone loves it. From the hotels to the restaurants, the balance I have in the itinerary between touring and leisure time works out great. I like to give customers some of their own time to do their own thing. We offer a fully guided and escorted tour, but we make sure there’s plenty of time in there for people to do other things they might want to do. It’s a cultural experience. And it’s for everyone, not exclusively for Christian or Jewish participants.”

Trip goers will receive the opportunity to visit Tel Aviv, Haifa, Tiberias, the Sea of Galilee, Safed, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Eilat, and a private tour of Petra in Jordan. The tour is $5,499 per person based on double occupancy, and $7,199 for single rates.

“For us, not only do we enjoy taking people to Israel in a business perspective, but I love to see how they react once they step foot on Israeli soil and see the country for the first time,” he says.

Continued on Next Page

When they see the Western Wall, experience Tel Aviv’s gay pride, walk along the beach shores, walk the stations of the cross, enjoy the food and friendliness of the people, it’s all amazing. We are taking people and letting them experience a place they would most likely never go to on their own.”

For the last three years, the Israel trip has lined up along the same time as Tel Aviv’s gay pride celebration.

“The gay pride parade is really an extra added bonus,” Safaty says. “There is a huge parade and free beach party, and we are staying in the hotel right across the street. Although, some people see gay pride and don’t want to go because they want to focus more on seeing Israel, so that’s why it is only one day in the itinerary. After that day, we are off and exploring and seeing the entire country. It will be an experience to remember for everyone."

WHERE YOU’LL BE STAYING: David InterContinental Hotel in Tel Aviv: A 5-star luxury hotel set in the center of Tel Aviv. Guests will have easy access to Alma Beach, Shalom Meir Tower, and Tel Aviv’s downtown area.

Scots Hotel Tiberias: This Deluxe Hotel is uniquely situated in the center of Tiberias with direct frontage to the Sea of Galilee. Originally a hospital that was owned by the Church of Scotland.

The Herbert Samuel in Jerusalem: Located in the heart of Jerusalem, this hotel is close to many of the city’s most sought-after destinations. A bustling pedestrian boulevard lined with charming sidewalk cafes, shops, and galleries, the hotel is also within walking distance of the Old City and steps away from the vivacious Zion Square and the worldfamous Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall.

Dan Hotel in Eilat: Recently voted as one of the top ten hotels in the Mediterranean and Africa, this hotel is a self-contained vacation paradise blending luxury, style, and fun standing in a remarkable beachfront setting

on the Red Sea. SOME OF THE ATTRACTIONS YOU WILL SEE: Tel Aviv Gay Pride: The only gay pride celebration in the middle east, Tel Aviv Pride is an annual, week-long event to recognize and celebrate Israel’s LGBT community life. Over 250,000 people from all over the world attend.

Jerusalem Western Wall: The Western Wall is an ancient limestone wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was originally erected as part of the expansion of the Second Jewish Temple begun by Herod the Great, which resulted in the encasement of the natural, steep hill known to Jews and Christians as the Temple Mount. For Muslims, it is the site where the Islamic Prophet Muhammad tied his steed, al-Buraq, on his night journey to Jerusalem before ascending to paradise.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre: This church in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem contains the two holiest sites in Christianity: the site where Jesus of Nazareth was crucified and Jesus’s empty tomb where He is said to have been buried and resurrected.

Masada: Masada is one of Israel’s most popular tourist attractions. Located on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert and overlooking the Dead Sea, Herod the Great built palaces for himself on the mountains and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE. The siege of Masada by troops of the Roman Empire at the end of the first Jewish-Roman War ended in the mass suicide of 960 people.

Petra: This famous archaeological site is located in Jordan’s southwestern desert.

Dating to around 300 BC, it was the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom. Accessed via a narrow canyon called Al Siq, it contains tombs and temples carved into pink sandstone cliffs, earning its nickname, the “Rose City.”

It’s most famous structure is 45m-high Al Khazneh, a temple with an ornate, Greek-style façade, and known as The Treasury.

For more information and a complete detailed itinerary, visit www.BookFreedomTravel.com or Call Freedom Travel at (954) 565-2345.

Continued on Next Page

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Celebrating 18 Years of Gay Luxury Travel Around the World

All-Gay Dreams of Tahiti Cruise October 8-15, 2020

Private Charter of Windstar’s Wind Spirit

Papeete - Moorea - Raiatea - Taha’a - Bora Bora - Huahine

New Zealand Adventure

Treasures of Egypt

October 17-24, 2020

December 1-10, 2020

Queenstown - Milford Sound - Franz Josef Glacier

Cairo - Nile River Cruise - Abu Simbel

(Tahiti Cruise Extension or Stand-Alone Vacation!)

Visit SourceEvents.com for information on all of our journeys.

For more details and to reserve, call us at 305-672-9779 or email us at Reservations@SourceEvents.com Mention OutClique at the time of booking for special savings.

An investment in professional staging services now is MUCH LESS than a potential price reduction later!!

Contact us for a NO COST consultation.

3944 Ne 5th Ave, Oakland Park Fl 33334 754.312.5745 www.elitestagers.com

AN APARTMENT

COMMUNITY

Photo Courtesy of Marty Kiar’s office

W

EXEMPTION FILING DEADLINES

hile the timely deadline to file for any 2020 exemptions is March 2, 2020, you can still late file up until September 18, 2020. This extended late filing period allows you to apply for or renew any valuable tax-saving exemptions including Homestead Exemption and the Low-Income Senior Exemption for the 2020 tax year. There are no late fees to late file for these exemptions so do not miss out on this important opportunity even if you miss the March 2 deadline. You are entitled to a Homestead Exemption if, as of January 1, 2020, you have made the property your permanent home or the permanent home of a person who is legally or naturally dependent on you. By law, January 1 of each year is the date on which permanent residence is determined.

to the status of their request. For additional information on the Agricultural Classification, please visit our website at www.BCPA.net/ AG.asp. Should you have any questions about the Agricultural Classification, please contact Rhonda Gilbert at RGilbert@BCPA.net or Patrick Shortsleeve at PShortsleeve@BCPA.net.

Agricultural Land Classification If you believe your property, as of January 1, meets the criteria for the Agricultural Classification, you must file an initial application with our office by March 2, 2020.

Land previously granted the Agricultural Classification will receive a green renewal card from our office. This card must be completed and returned to our office to maintain the classification for this tax year.

Our office reviews all properties receiving the Agricultural Classification each year and will notify property owners in July of each year as

3. The second $25,000 of the exemption only applies to the portion of assessed value between $50,000 - $75,000.

Homestead Exemption - How is the $50,000 Exemption Applied?

1. The first $25,000 of the exemption applies to all taxing authorities and to the first $25,000 of your property's assessed value.

2. The second $25,000 exemption does NOT apply to the school portion of your tax bill.

If my office can ever be of assistance to you, please visit our website at www.BCPA.net, call us at (954) 357-6830 or email me directly at MartyKiar@BCPA.net.

Take care,

Marty Kiar

Marty Kiar is the Broward County Property Appraiser and longtime advocate for LGBTQ equality.

The Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office is located at 115 S Andrews Avenue, Room # 111, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 Follow our office at: facebook.com/MartyKiarBCPA and twitter.com/MartyKiarBCPA 64 | OutClique.com

Wilton Manors 2924 Northwest 10 th Avenue Wilton Manors, FL 33311

3 Bedrooms - 2 Full Baths - 2,123 Sq Ft. - MLS# A10788352

$750,000

Exquisitely updated waterfront home in prestigious gated Jenada Isle.

Property features, • Split 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, plus laundry room • Marble flooring and crown molding • Impact windows and doors • Designer kitchen, new Bosch appliances and Samsung refridgerator • Resort style backyard with saltwater pool • Newer dock and very private features on a canal • One year old heat pump, plus solar panels • Outdoor living room with exterior lighting • Tankless hot water heater • Entire interior of home has just been painted • Marble floors redone • Upgraded electric, with generator hook up, plus a portable generator

R James Graham rjgraham51@aol.com (954) 837 3472

945 East Las Olas Boulevard Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 www.rjameshomes.com

FORECLOSURES

By Kip Reynolds

A

ccording to RealtyTrac, there are currently 374,468 properties in the U.S. that are in some stage of foreclosure (default, auction, or bank owned) while the number of homes listed for sale on RealtyTrac is 717,682.

Many people are interested in buying foreclosed property. Real Estate Owned (REO) or bank owned are easy to target because they are readily available for purchase. Banks are motivated to get them off the market fast.

Even in an up market, there are a fair number of REO properties available. According to ATTOM Data Solutions Q1 2019 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, there were a total of 161,875 U.S. properties with a foreclosure filing during the first quarter of 2019, down 23% from the previous quarter and down 15% from a year ago to the lowest level since Q1 2008.

Although the data suggests a decrease in REO inventory, that doesn’t mean REOs don’t pop up all the time. It’s important you’re ready for that one property that catches your eye. To help, you may want to know some pros and cons of buying REO: Pros Lenders tend to be motivated to get REOs off the market. This can make them more amenable to negotiations. If done right, you may be able to get the price down, negotiate the down payment, and perhaps closing costs.

If you are looking to move into a neighborhood that in regular circumstances you can’t afford, you might want to look at REO properties.

From small to luxury houses, there are many that you could get for a bargain REO price.

Because the property is now owned by the lender, there will be few concerns regarding the transfer of title. This means that you can avoid the possibility of taking on any expenses related to a property like liens or unpaid taxes.

Just be careful to avoid any exceptions on title.

Cons When you purchase REO you may have the right to inspect the property, but that might not be a contingency to cancel the contract.

Sometimes you can negotiate credits for repairs, but there is no guarantee of this. It is likely repairs will be necessary, so be prepared with a budget. Your Realtor® will be able to guide you appropriately.

Banks normally require additional paperwork compared to other real property sales. As a result, you might need to spend more time to arrange everything before getting the sale finalized. Do your homework! It is better if you are well informed about the processes of buying a foreclosed property before deciding to venture into this area. Remember, Realtors® are not attorneys. It is always advisable that you seek legal advice if at any time you do not understand terms.

These are just some of the pros and cons associated with REO property. If you have the financial capability, willing to learn quickly yet move cautiously, are able to be flexible, and employ solid representation, then maybe it’s the right choice for you. The best first step is to consult a Realtor® to deeply explore buying REO. Good luck and see you in the neighborhood!

Kip Reynolds, PA CRS ABR Coldwell Banker Residential RE 901 E Las Olas Blvd, Ste 101, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 (954) 854-3048 | License: 3142160 | Kip@KipReynolds.com 72 | OutClique.com

Photo Courtesy of WE Insure Group

Constantine Patsimas at

C

onstantine is originally from NYC and the Hamptons where he had several successful businesses. He visited South Florida 20+ years ago, fell in love with Fort Lauderdale, and never went back. Living in Fort Lauderdale, Constantine bought, rehabbed, and sold many homes.

In purchasing homes he gained an in-depth knowledge of insurance and how it works.

He was so impressed with his insurance agent’s vast experience and knowledge that

they got together and started WE Insure Fort Lauderdale. With his strong background in real estate and insurance, Constantine understands a client’s needs and how best to help protect their homes and businesses.

He also knows the importance of educating clients as to what they are purchasing and offers the best options to fit their needs.

You may have seen Constantine out in the community. If you do, feel free to say hello!

Constantine can be contacted at CPatsimas@WEInsureGroup.com, (954) 903-7519, or drop by the office located at 3415 Galt Ocean Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308.

WE Insure is LGBT owned and operated.

吀 䤀䴀伀吀䠀夀 匀⸀ 䠀 䄀刀吀Ⰰ 䌀倀䄀 䴀 䄀一䄀䜀䤀一䜀 倀 䄀刀吀一䔀刀

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㤀㔀㐀ⴀ㈀ ㈀ⴀ㤀㜀㜀 簀 㤀㔀㐀ⴀ㈀ ㈀ⴀ㤀㜀㜀㜀 䘀䄀堀 吀栀愀爀琀䀀刀㌀䄀挀挀漀甀渀琀椀渀最⸀挀漀洀 簀 眀眀眀⸀刀㌀䄀挀挀漀甀渀琀椀渀最⸀挀漀洀

DOES IT REALLY WORK?

By Rod Davis CEO, BBB Serving Southeast Florida and the Caribbean

W

hen you take a few minutes to read a magazine, a website, or watch tv, the miracle cures for wrinkles, hair regeneration, snoring, high blood pressure, weight loss, and every other challenge we face on a daily basis are here today and readily available, but are they? Billions of dollars are spent by consumers chasing cures and solutions that just do not work. So how can you tell if an ad is true?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the regulatory body most responsible for oversight of advertising. The FTC and the BBB both have Codes of Advertising that when followed, require claims of effectiveness and superiority be supported with solid data and, as appropriate, medical studies performed by reputable organizations using scientifically accepted methodologies. According to the FTC, companies must support their advertising

claims with solid proof. This is especially true for businesses that market food, overthe-counter drugs, dietary supplements, contact lenses, and other health-related products.

So, if there are ads and testimonials, then the claims must be true or the FTC would be issuing fines and requiring the ads be discontinued, right? Well not exactly. The number of ads, claims and transient nature of advertising make it impossible for the FTC and other regulators to stop the majority of false or unsubstantiated claims. BBB is also working with businesses to encourage them to follow good advertising practices and only make claims that are supported with applicable data and studies. BBB asks advertisers to provide documentation for claims made in our area and if they are not able to provide substantiation, to end or change the advertising to remove claims OutClique.com | 85

that can’t be substantiated. The rating for a business will be negatively affected if a business continues to run advertising that does not have appropriate substantiation.

As a consumer you play an important role in helping to promote honest advertising. Before you make a purchase with a business based on a claim, look for substantiation. The FTC provides some straightforward guidance to businesses about advertising and these examples can help you better evaluate the ads being used to get you to purchase a product.

An advertiser wishes to make the claim that a supplement product will substantially reduce body fat. The advertiser has two controlled, double-blind studies showing a modest but statistically significant loss of fat at the end of a six-week period. However, there is an equally well-controlled, blinded 12-week study showing no statistically significant difference between test and control groups. Assuming other aspects of methodology are similar, the studies taken together suggest that, if the product has any effect on body fat, it would be very small. Given the totality of the evidence on the subject, the claim is likely to be unsubstantiated.

An advertisement for a weight loss supplement features a before-and-after photograph of a woman and quotes her as saying that she lost 20 pounds in 8 weeks while using the supplement. An asterisk next to the quotation references a disclaimer in fine print at the bottom of the ad that reads, "Results may vary." The experience of the woman is accurately represented, but the separate, competent research demonstrating the efficacy of the supplement showed an average weight loss of only 6 pounds in 8 weeks. Therefore, the disclosure does not adequately convey to consumers that they would likely see much less dramatic results. The placement and size of the disclaimer is also insufficiently prominent to qualify the claim effectively.

One approach to adequate qualification of this testimonial would be to include a disclaimer immediately adjacent to the quote, in equal print size that says, "These results are not typical. Average weight loss achieved in clinical study was 6 pounds."

The FTC recently brought an action against the sellers of Synovia alleging that: Sellers of Synovia claimed their dietary supplement “paves the pot holes” in joints damaged by arthritis. But an FTC lawsuit alleges the primary potholes were in the company’s purported proof, which left consumers steamrolled by false and deceptive advertising claims. In addition, the complaint alleges the company’s testimonials were rife with deception.

According to the FTC, those purported doctor endorsements weren’t based on an appropriate exercise of medical expertise.

What about the dozens of consumer testimonials featured in ads? In many instances, the people who praised the product didn’t use the formulation that was actually for sale. In other cases, their endorsements resulted from the defendants’ offer of free product in exchange for “especially positive and inspiring” reviews of Synovia – a material connection the defendants failed to disclose. Still other testimonials were flat-out fakes allegedly fabricated by the company. And that early user “Steve” who reported such dramatic results? The ads didn’t disclose that was A.S. Research’s co-owner – and now codefendant – Stephen J. Young.

The old adage still holds, buyer beware. Before you spend your hard-earned dollars, do your research. Ask a business if they have proof to show the claims for their product/service are based on solid facts and research and if not, move on. Testimonials and reviews should also be carefully evaluated since they too can be manipulated to make a product or service seem more effective. If you see a questionable ad, report it to BBB at www.BBB.org/Ad-Truth.

OutClique.com | 87

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION } Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your What is the most important information healthcare provider right away if you ® I should know about BIKTARVY ? get these symptoms: skin or the white BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects: } Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV and stop taking BIKTARVY, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.

Who should not take BIKTARVY? Do not take BIKTARVY if you take: } dofetilide } rifampin } any other medicines to treat HIV-1

What are the other possible side effects of BIKTARVY? Serious side effects of BIKTARVY may also include: } Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY. } Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY. } Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.

part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomacharea pain.

The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (5%), and headache (5%). Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking BIKTARVY? } All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection. } All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements. BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all of your other medicines. } If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY. } If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed.

HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the following page.

KEEP LOVING.

Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

What is BIKTARVY? BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS.

BIKTARVY.COM

IMPORTANT FACTS (bik-TAR-vee)

This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY® and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains: • dofetilide • rifampin • any other medicines to treat HIV-1

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider all your medical conditions, including if you: • Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY BIKTARVY can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.

• Changes in your immune system.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

• Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.

• Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.

• The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (5%), and headache (5%).

These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.

HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

GET MORE INFORMATION

• This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

• Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5.

• If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.

Version date: February 2018 © 2018 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0051 06/18

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J. COHEN'S DAY SPA 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY

For more photos of this event, visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/outclique.

Want to submit photos? | Contact us! OutClique@gmail.com 108 | OutClique.com

HEY “MARY,” DID YOU KNOW?

By Deacon Kelly Graham

Holy Angels Catholic Community

D

uring this past Christmas season, I’d reflected on those people who have been rejected or harmed by religion. I know because it happened to me. I heard the typical saying “hate the sin but love the sinner.” Most people leave the church and never look back.

Often, never finding another spiritual home and wandering around looking for something to fill that spiritual void. I grew up in Wilton Manors and never expected this would also be the place that I would learn that I am loved and welcomed just the way I was created.

Hey, “Mary,” did you know that there was such a thing as the Independent Catholic Church?

Did you know that there is one right here in Wilton Manors called Holy Angels Catholic Community?

Independent in this case meaning - not under the authority of the Roman Catholic Pope. I love that as “independent” Catholics we are free to reinvent ourselves, be more spiritual and less indoctrinated, and free to love the way Jesus originally intended. Our motto is Love Without Judgment. We actually do welcome everyone.

When you walk in our front door, we have our

114 | OutClique.com

beliefs posted right up front: We believe that everyone should receive Holy communion as it is our food for the journey, everyone can marry and or re-marry whomever they want, ordained ministry is open to everyone regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, and everyone should be sexually responsible including contraception.

The reason I go to church is not because my mother made me or because I am going to go to hell, it's because I now have a likeminded spiritual community of people who love and support me. Isn't that what the LGBT community is all about?

“Mary,” remember that outfit you love that went out of style or it just doesn't quite fit anymore? The one we all put in the back and don't want to give away in case someday we go back to it. That was my spirituality, in the back of the closet. I found my way back to my spirituality through Holy Angels. I invite you to dig into the back of your closet and seek until you find and maybe even show up with that outfit on. Find that place where you can come as you are.

The best part of winning awards is that we get them by treating you well.

Being the only hospital in Broward County recognized as a Heathcare Equality Leader for 2019 is an important distinction we’re proud to receive. All of us at Florida Medical Center know there’s more to healthcare than medicine. There’s kindness. Attentiveness. And compassion to treat you and your family well. Every day.

To learn more or find a doctor, visit FloridaMedCtr.com

SEX & HEART DISEASE

T

here’s some misinformation out there when it comes to sex and heart disease.

Some of it involves wishful thinking (ie: sex prevents heart disease), and some of it is fear based (you’re more likely to die of a heart attack during sex). If you’re recovering from a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack, or have been recently diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, there are guidelines and advice you should consider, but that doesn’t mean your sex life won’t return to normal soon enough.

Heart disease doesn’t just affect men and women in advanced age, it can affect men and women at any age, whether by genetic inheritance or the result of negative lifestyle choices, such as smoking. So we’re considering a broad group of men and women.

Here’s to the Age-Old Question: Is Sex Good for Your Heart?

While there’s no definitive answer to prove that sex prevents heart disease, studies show it is part of an overall heart-healthy lifestyle. If you’re having more sex, there’s a good chance you are fitter and more active to begin with. Happy people are more likely to exercise, see their doctor and maintain healthy relationships, which all contribute to overall good health. One study found that men who

had sex twice a week or more were less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those who had sex once a month or less. (Research like

this typically focuses on men.) Once you’ve been released by your doctor, sex is generally safe. Your blood pressure will go up during sex, peaking around 160/90. For perspective, that

is comparable to what happens during a short run, and it goes back down afterward. Despite many Hollywood depictions, dying as a result of the exertion of sex is very rare.

When You’re Ready to Resume Your Sex Life After a Cardiac Event: Before resuming sexual activity, consult your doctor.

Keep up your physical therapy as prescribed as it will reduce the risk of complications related to sexual activity. (Could be an incentive.)

Birth control can cause an increase in blood clotting, which could actually cause a heart attack so always consult with your doctor about the right birth control, especially if you suffer from any type of heart health issue.

Some heart medications will affect erectile function, but do not discontinue use before seeing your doctor.

Erectile medications must be used under the guidance of a doctor familiar with your heart issues.

If you’re a post-menopausal woman with cardiovascular disease, estrogen that’s topically or vaginally inserted for the treatment of painful intercourse is deemed generally safe.

In short: sex DOES benefit your overall health and is part of a healthy lifestyle. It can help you feel less stressed, which is absolutely good for your heart.

Our physician referral service can provide a wealth of information about our doctors and help you make an appointment. Find a physician now 1-833-764-5452 or visit www.FloridaMedCtr.com for more information.

OutClique.com | 125

THE GENESIS HEALTH INSTITUTE

By Denny Patterson

Photos Courtesy of Genesis Health Institute

W

elcome to the Genesis Health Institute in Wilton Manors, Florida!

Founded in 2007 by Dr. Ferdinand Cabrera and his husband Dimitri Bakoulis, the Genesis Health Institute focuses on functional medicine to help patients feel and look better than they ever did before.

“We do more age management treatments,” Bakoulis said. “It’s about helping people live longer, but also have a much higher quality of life. Most people who come in, they are starting to feel the effects of aging. They do not have the same energy levels they once had, they are gaining weight, their libido is declining. Especially in our community, people here want to be fit, beautiful, energetic, happy, and have great sex. We are helping with all of that with the different therapies that we offer.” The services offered at the Genesis Health Institute include hormone replacement therapy (Testosterone & HGH Peptides), IV nutrition therapy, sexual function enhancement therapies, facial aesthetics (wrinkle reducers & facial fillers), laser treatments, weight management, PRP therapies, GI health, and

128 | OutClique.com

stress management.

“These therapies allow our patients to live a longer life, but be in better shape and have less body fat, which is pretty much connected to age related diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease,” Bakoulis continued. “Our patients have more energy and are going out and enjoying life. We don’t want them to be so sedentary. I think people in our community, or gay people in general, have always been interested and open to different types of medical treatments that will enhance their lives. I think as a community, we tend to be more forward thinking.”

When Genesis started, it had zero patients and staff members. Today, Dr. Cabrera and Bakoulis have 10 hardworking and dedicated staff members working to assist over 1,200 patients.

While Dr. Cabrera serves as the Institute’s primary physician, Bakoulis is the COO and Patient Coordinator. His job is to bring in new patients and oversee marketing decisions.

According to Bakoulis, the reason Dr. Cabrera

wanted to start the Genesis Health Institute was to practice true preventative healthcare.

In traditional healthcare, you treat symptoms in a reactionary fashion, prescribing medications. Whereas, what Genesis practices is trying to eliminate or at least reduce patient prescription medications by nourishing the body with vital hormone and vitamin nutrition making certain the body functions optimally in absorbing nutrients from whole foods and drinks. The mission has always been to help patients stay youthful, healthy, energetic, and joyful.

The Genesis Health Institute is open to everyone regardless of age and sexual orientation. “I would say probably 70% of our clients are gay while the other 30% are either straight or bisexual,” Bakoulis said.

Out of all the services and treatments offered, hormone therapy is one of the Institute’s top therapies. “Women have been dealing with hormone therapy for decades now by dealing with menopause symptoms,” Bakoulis said.

“It wasn’t until probably the last 20 years or so that men have been diagnosed with andropause, which is low testosterone levels.

As aging increases, it really leads to the same type of symptoms of being irritable, depressed, low energy, gaining weight, and even some men feel hot flashes while sleeping.”

Dr. Cabrera and Bakoulis do all the treatments and therapies themselves and they both believe Genesis has been very beneficial to the Wilton Manors and South Florida communities.

Bakoulis says he enjoys the benefits of seeing people transform their lives. “I cannot tell you how many patients have come in over the years depressed over the fact that they were getting

older,” he said. “To see such a turnaround with these people’s lives is probably the most wonderful thing I have experienced being with the practice. They are healthier, happier, they look better, feel better, and are getting involved in relationships. We have also helped patients who have dealt with horrible illnesses, even cancer, be able to strengthen their immune system strong enough to reduce, if not completely overcome, those illnesses, and that is very satisfying as well.”

Since the Institute’s inception, Dr. Cabrera and Bakoulis have seen people become more aware of their health. The average age of a patient in 2007 was 50 years old. Now, patients in their 30s are coming in because they are more aware of their health and feeling the effects of aging.

Dr. Cabrera and Bakoulis will continue to educate people about their health. “Educating as many people as possible is very important because it truly changes people’s lives,” Bakoulis said. “We have patients that travel to us every 3-5 months for treatment. We even have patients who live in Europe who come to us because some of our services are not readily available everywhere else.”

Some may think it is difficult to work with a spouse or loved one, but Bakoulis says this is the best working relationship he has ever had. “A lot of people will ask how can we live together and work together. If you’ve ever worked in the corporate world, there’s a lot of politics that go on. When you work with your spouse, you don’t get that. Instead, you receive true support for success. Working with Dr. Cabrera and building the Genesis Health Institute has been a wonderful experience.”

For more information about the Genesis Health Institute, visit www.GHInstitute.com.

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GAY HERO HELPS PROGRESS SAIL FORWARD

USNS HARVEY MILK

By John M. Hayden

H

arvey Milk may be long gone, but his message of empowerment, equality, and love is about to travel the world in America’s name. Construction is underway for the USNS Harvey Milk, the Navy’s new oiler ship that will resupply fuel to ships at sea.

Its mission is much like Harvey’s was back in the day: help a community adrift needing something or someone to fuel its desire for progress. That is exactly what the gay icon did.

Many of us know about Harvey’s work from books or movies. Most famously, Sean Penn won the Oscar in 2009 for his amazing portrayal in the film Milk. Milk’s story of oppression and discrimination goes back decades, and has its roots in the very organization now honoring him: the U.S. Navy. He enlisted in the service in 1951, at the height of the Korean War. He was stationed in San Diego, CA, when, according to the New York Times, after four years of hard work, he was spotted at a “gay” park. After being interrogated, he was kicked out of the service.

From there, he moved up the West Coast to the burgeoning gay Mecca of San Francisco, CA. It was there that he found his home and his life’s purpose. Over the next 20 years he, along with his trusty bullhorn, forced people to pay attention to a community that everyone just accepted as second class. He became a founder of the Castro Village Association, one of the first gay oriented chamber of commerce-like groups in America. He shouted, “No more!” to anyone who would listen, and especially those that wouldn’t. The work led to his biggest victory and a fatal end. Harvey became the first openly gay man elected to public office in a big city, when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. The win was triumphant, but a year later would 132 | OutClique.com

U.S. Navy Photo Illustration | Photo Courtesy of U.S. Navy

bring tragedy, when he was assassinated by a fellow politician. During his short time, he successfully fought back against discrimination of gay teachers, and worked to expand LGBTQ housing and employment rights.

Now his legacy is going to sail into ports that need to hear it more than ever. In late 2019, construction finally began on the Milk. When it’s finished it will be 742 feet long with a crew of 125. Work to get this ship named after the leader has been a long time coming, stretching back to the first Obama administration. In 2012 the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution asking the Secretary of the Navy to name a fleet vessel after Milk. In 2016 the Navy awarded the honor to Harvey, announcing that this oiler would be named after the pioneering leader.

The Milk is under construction at his old stomping ground, San Diego, CA. Ships like this take a long time to build, so a dedication and launch date hasn’t been set, but once the USNS Milk hits the open water, it will bring oil to ships and an unmistakable message to the world. This ship may port in nations that still criminalize homosexuality, but the name Milk, in big letters on the sides of the ship will tell others there is hope. Hope for them personally.

Hope for their community. Hope for humanity.

HAVE YOU MET MISS BRYAN?

AN INTERVIEW WITH HITS 97.3’S BRYAN CARSTENSEN

By Gregg Shapiro

I

Gregg Shapiro: Being a Wisconsin native, do you think that being a Midwesterner works to your advantage?

Bryan Carstensen: In South Florida? I think so. I guess it’s double-edged. Being in South Florida, especially Miami, it’s very much a bubble. It’s hard to break that bubble. I feel blessed to have grown up in the Midwest. I feel like we have a humbler mentality. It’s a different kind of hustle, too. I wouldn’t want to be anything but.

GS BC

Did you study Broadcast Journalism when you attended UWM?

No. I studied psychology in school.

I started in social work. I was doing case studies and I realized that it might be too much, so I started to work in the psychology field. I had a friend in Milwaukee who worked in radio and he started doing some internet stuff. He got a job for a college radio station in New Jersey and had to move. I thought, “I have nothing going on right now,” so I moved with him. I worked in New Jersey for a bit and then he got a job offer in New York City and relocated. I relocated to New York, too. I wasn’t finding what I was fitting into, and then I got a job in radio. I fell into it in a way I never thought I would. I ended up working for Nick Cannon.

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Photo by MelBuz Photography

f you listen to Hits 97.3 (and who doesn’t?), especially the morning show, you’ve likely heard on-air host Miss Bryan. He’s the good-natured, funny, friendly guy who brings the music and the gay every day. In addition to hearing him on the radio, perhaps you’ve bumped into him at one of South Florida’s Pride events or maybe at a movie screening where he was giving away prizes to lucky winners. On the air or in person, Miss Bryan’s a sweetheart who was kind enough to sit down for a chat with me in his office at the radio station.

GS BC

Mariah Carey’s ex-husband?

GS BC GS

Right then and there?

Yes! He was looking for someone to work on an upcoming syndicated countdown show. I sent a demo of a script. I remember walking into the studio not knowing anything and there’s Nick Cannon sitting at a mic with his team. I gave him the script [laughs], and I was like this Wisconsin guy going, “Hi Nick” [laughs]! He read the script and recorded it. They left the room. I was nervous because they were going to let me know. They came back and said, “We would love to have you work with us.”

Yes, right then and there. That’s how I got my start.

Did you attend Milwaukee Pridefest when you were in the area, and if so, would you agree that it’s one of the best Pride festivals in the country?

BC

It’s a model that a lot of Prides should emulate. The friend that I mentioned was a volunteer and was on the board for Milwaukee Pridefest. I got my foot in the door

and handled some of the VIP events for Kathy Griffin and Joan Rivers.

GS

My husband and I moved to Fort Lauderdale almost six years ago from Chicago and we don’t miss winter at all. Do you miss winter?

BC

Not at all! I don’t. I’ve been here for a little over five years. I moved here in August and it was scorching hot. I was like, “What am I doing here?” Then it was a cold winter that year. I spent 24, 25 years of my life in frigid winters. Then it gets to 40 one night.

I wake up early, around three in the morning, and I go outside and I’m like, “This is so cold!”

What is going on with my body? I was wearing a hoodie and long sleeves and long johns and five different coats on! I don’t miss the snow and scraping ice off windows. That feeling where the cold hits your bones.

GS

You mentioned getting up for work at 3AM because you are on Hits 97.3’s in the morning. Is being an early riser something that comes naturally to you?

BC

No. Not at all. I don’t think it’s natural for anyone to wake up at that time [laughs]. It’s just not. I get in early. I produce and the morning show. I come in and sit at my desk. All the lights are off except my little light on my desk. I have my coffee and I sit and take it all in. It’s a slow wake-up.

GS BC GS BC

You’re ready in an hour?

I’m ready to go [laughs]!

How did the Miss Bryan moniker come to be?

When I first started working here, we were trying to figure that out. There’s usually an (on-air) name that people have. My boss used to have this office before it was remodeled. We were sitting on the couch – me

and my former co-hosts DJ Laz and Kimmy. We had to make a phone call and we were talking to someone on speaker phone. I was talking to this person and, this happens to me wherever I go, they said, “Okay, Miss. Please hold.” So, it turned into an inside joke. It happens all the time on the air, too. That’s how it happened.

Nothing more, nothing less.

GS BC

How much of Bryan Carstensen is in Miss Bryan?

GS BC

How important is it for you to be active and visible in the LGBTQ+ community?

100%. Being on morning radio, it’s hard to be anything but who you are.

I’m talking to people every day about personal situations, my relationships, my friends, my personal life. If I’m anything but who I am, it’s not real. I need to be fully who I am. Otherwise people see through that.

That’s a good question. What I love about my company is that we’re very community focused. It’s a blessing to be a part of Cox Media. When I first started working here, I didn’t know how they were going to embrace me as being gay, being visible, out and doing things in the community. But they haven’t told me not to. They said, “Do you.

Have fun.” I feel like that’s important. Here in South Florida there is a huge amount of people in this community that are either gay or allies.

It’s interesting to go to events and see that; all the different LGBTQ organizations. If I had the time, I could probably do things once a week at a different place with all the different events going on. It’s important for me to be who I am, someone who is gay, on the air; to let people know all the different things we can do and we can be. I didn’t come here thinking that I could make a difference, but if I can help one person in any way, even if it’s a straight person with understanding, I’m all about that.

For more on this article, go to www.OutClique.com OutClique.com | 135

February 2020 Klassic Coffee Klatch

All but 1st Skolnick Community Center Saturday

Fort Lauderdale Prime Gentlemen

First Sunday Matty's Wilton Park

1st & 3rd Tuesday Jan 16 Feb 16 Jan 16 Feb 23 Jan 18 Feb 8 Jan 23 Feb 9 Jan 31 Feb 14 Jan 31 Feb 16

Drag Queen Bingo, hosted by Nicole Halliwell Altar Boyz Evita Speaking Volumes - Book Exhibit Kinky Boots Airotic 2020 - Outlandish Series Groundhog Day: The Musical - Slowburn Theatre

Gulfstream Brewery Island City Stage Wick Theatre & Costume Museum Art Gallery 21 Lauderhill Performing Arts Center Sunshine Cathedral Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Mr. Eagle

1

Eagle

Latrice Royale - Here's to Life

1

Aventura Arts & Cultural Center

Live from Laurel Canyon

2

Parker Playhouse

Michael Walters in What a Character

4

Wick Theatre & Costume Museum

Lucinda Williams and Buick 6

6

Parker Playhouse

Lewis Black

6

Coral Springs Center for the Arts

Diego & Drew Say I Do

6 - 16

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Miranda Sings

7

Parker Playhouse

Beethoven 250th - South Florida Symphony Orchestra

7

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Latinos Salud Anniversary Gala

8

DCOTA

Pompano Stand-Up LIVE: Jimmie "JJ" Walker & Michael Winslow

8

Pompano Beach Cultural Center

Tapestry: The Carole King Songbook

8

Coral Springs Center for the Arts

Lube Party

8

Eagle Wilton Manors

Full Moon Blackout Party

9

Eagle Wilton Manors

Beethoven 250th - South Florida Symphony Orchestra

9

Tennessee Williams Theater

Lillias White

9

Aventura Arts & Cultural Center

New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players: Pirates of Penzance

9

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Want to get listed? Contact us!

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OutClique@gmail.com | 954-998-6429

February 2020 Ultimate Disco Cruise

10 - 15

Miami, Key West, Bahamas

Gold Coast Jazz - John Pizzarelli Trio

12

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Don Felder - Formerly of the Eagles

12

Parker Playhouse

Mandy Patinkin

12

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Wilton Manors & Oakland Park Social

12

Tropics Grille

Jersey Boys

13

Coral Springs Center for the Arts

Bel Biv DeVoe & En Vogue

13

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Stack Your Partner's Package

14

Mona's Cocktail Lounge

Karoke: A Night of Duets

14

Smarty Pants Bar

Yacht Rock Valentine's Fling

14

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Dance for a Cause

14

Eagle Wilton Manors

14 - 17

Peacock Park (Miami)

Coconut Grove Arts Festival Ada Vox

15

The Pub

Drink and Drag

15

The Pub

The Synergy Twins

15

The Pub

Masters of Illusion

15

Coral Springs Center for the Arts

BRUT Party

15

Eagle Wilton Manors

RSVP Cruise Shore Leave Party

15

Bourbon Street Pub

ABBA Mania

16

Coral Springs Center for the Arts

Russian State Symphony Orchestra

16

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Betty Buckley

19

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Queen of Mardi Gras Pageant

20

Bourbon Street Pub

Black Violin

21

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Mardi Gras Tea Dance

21

Bourbon Street Pub

Masked Underwaear Foam Party

21

Bourbon Street Pub

The Beach Boys

21

Coral Springs Center for the Arts

Mr. Florida Rubber After Party

21

Eagle Wilton Manors

Want to get listed? Contact us!

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February 2020 Mardi Gras Party

22

Eagle Wilton Manors

Dave Fogerty

22

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Let the Good Times Roll Party

22

Bourbon Street Pub

King of Mardi Gras Contest

22

Bourbon Street Pub

Broadway Concert Series: Stephanie J. Block with Seth Rudetsky

22

Parker Playhouse

Stonewall National Musume & Achrives Gala with Coco Peru

23

Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach

Mix & Mingle: A Casual Busniess Networking Event

24

Smarty Pants Bar

Lundi Gras Nude Pool Party

24

Bourbon Street Pub

Mardi Gras Pub Crawl

25

Bourbon Street Pub

Che Malambo

27

Parker Playhouse

South Florida Institute on Aging: Uniting Communities

27

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

The Rocket Man

28

Coral Springs Center for the Arts

Wild Kratts LIVE

29

Coral Springs Center for the Arts

Jackie Hoffman - Outlandish Series

29

Sunshine Cathedral

Russian National Ballet: Sleeping Beauty

1

Parker Playhouse

Broadway in Fort Lauderdale: Mean Girls

3-5

March 2020

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Anniversary Benefit for Grateful Paws

4

Georgie's Alibi Monkey Bar

Masterworks III - Zwilich, Mendelssohn, Beethoven

5

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Kenny G

5

Parker Playhouse

Masterworks III - Zwilich, Mendelssohn, Beethoven

7

Temple Israel of Greater Miami

Hits of the Brits: Music of the Beatles and Rolling Stones

7

Coral Springs Center for the Arts

Miss Richfield - Outlandish Series

7

Sunshine Cathedral

Scottish American Festival

7

Plantation Heritage Park

Masterworks III - Zwilich, Mendelssohn, Beethoven

8

Tennessee Williams Theater

Broadway Concert Series: Melissa Errico with Seth Rudetsky

8

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Want to get listed? Contact us!

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March 2020 Gay Men's Chorus of South Florida's Gala: The Greatest Showman

8

Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort

Full Moon Blackout Party

9

Eagle Wilton Manors

Kenny G

10

Kravis Center

Tommy Tune

11

Aventura Arts & Cultural Center

Gold Coast Jazz - Terell Stafford Quintet

11

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Art Garfunkel

12

Coral Springs Center for the Arts

March 12 Wick Theatre & Costume Museum Apr 12

A Chorus Line The Australian Bee Gees Show: A Tribute to the Bee Gees

13

Coral Springs Center for the Arts

Pee-wee's Big Adventure

14

Coral Springs Center for the Arts

Paul Anka

16

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Vic Dibitetto

19

Coral Springs Center for the Arts

Chior of Man

20

Parker Playhouse

March 20 Broward Center for the Performing Arts Apr 5

Ragtime: The Musical - Slow Burn Theatre Paula Poundstone

21

Parker Playhouse

An Intimate Evening of Songs and Stories with Graham Nash

21

Coral Springs Center for the Arts

First Wives Fight - Outlandish Series

21

Sunshine Cathedral

Florida AIDS Walk & Music Festival

21

Fort Lauderdale Beach

Christine Pedi

24

Wick Theatre & Costume Museum

The Music of Cream

25

Parker Playhouse

Bobby Collins

27

Coral Springs Center for the Arts

March 28 - Adrienne Arsht Center for the Apr 5 Performing Arts

Rigoletto - Florida Grand Opera

April 2020 Lucie Arnaz

1

Aventura Arts & Cultural Center

Broadway Concert Series: Satino Fontana with Seth Rudetsky

3

Parker Playhouse

Alan Cumming & Ari Shapiro: Och & Oh! - Outlandish Series

Want to get listed? Contact us!

3-4

Sunshine Cathedral

OutClique@gmail.com | 954-998-6429 OutClique.com | 139

ED SPARAN AND THE EPIPHANY THEATRE

By Mike Jeknavorian | www.MikeJeknavorian.com

H

i diddly dee, an actor’s life for me, and, to add, a director’s life. Not only does Ed Sparan’s tenure as a theater and cabaret performer span several decades, but his experience as a writer/director is almost just as long. From New York City to San Francisco, and now in South Florida, Sparan’s career is prolific. I sat down with Sparan to discuss his career in the performing arts, including founding his new theater, the Epiphany Theater.

Times Square. Broadway was here and I could touch it. I saw the musical Dreamgirls 18 times. It’s my favorite show, ever, because of the creativity and artistry of the cast and Michael Bennett. Also because I could relate to the character of Effie, being talented, but overweight, and being rejected. As a poor, hungry, struggling actor in New York, I lost 80 pounds the first year and finally found my true self. My confidence.

Mike Jeknavorian: To begin, you’re from Bridgeport, Connecticut, right?

MJ ES

Then you moved to Francisco in the 1990s?

MJ ES

What story at The PWA Theatre stands out?

Ed Sparan: I grew up in the Connecticut areas of Milford, Stratford, and Bridgeport. I had a very basic and quiet suburbia. I was a shy, fat, quiet kid, but when I was 15 I caught some kids robbing my parent’s house. One kid stabbed me and we went to court. Because I got him in trouble, six months later he sent some bullies after me and they beat my face. My face was repaired at the time, but years later, at age 39, that injury caused damage to my eyes. I was blind for four years. I had surgeries and my blindness is now corrected to 20/40 vision.

MJ

You moved to New York City in the 1980s, right after high school. What was New York like then?

ES

New York back then…? It’s impossible to tell you in a few words. Simply put, it was the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. New York was acceptable, diverse, original, and artsy, but it was also the decade of the AIDS crisis. I saw hundreds of friends die. Going to bed with someone back then was a life-or-death situation.

MJ ES

What was life like for you specifically when you first got to New York?

I went to school in Columbus Circle, and after school I would walk through

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San

I had spent a decade in New York City and I moved to San Francisco in January 1990. At that time my boyfriend Roger died from AIDS. With that, and being fed up with New York City, I got as far away as I could. After my older sister outed me to my parents, I drove my motorcycle to San Francisco, and within 48 hours I had a job in a gay bar and a fabulous apartment. Within a year I was the Artistic Director of The PWA Theatre, The “Persons With AIDS” Theatre. They did HIV support groups, and it was my job to take those stories and create theatre about HIV. It helped people heal to tell their stories, and it helped people who saw those plays to understand.

I created a play there called Bert’s Big Bed. It was a story of Tim who has trouble telling his partner Mark that he has HIV. Bert acts as a kind of a cyranno to help Tim tell Mark.

It was well-received in San Francisco, and it was done in other cities regionally.

I was the Director and Author, and I was negative at the time, but the play was about HIV, and the actors were

also positive. One of the actors at one of the rehearsals made a comment and said, "What do you know of our pain, Mary. You’re not on the bus!" This statement troubled me for a while.

Then I came to realize that as they get off the bus, I will still be driving it. I am the driver. I go forward. I knew I could make a difference.

This situation and this show solidified me to always be an activist. To always fight, and to never look back. We’ll be doing this play as part of the Epiphany’s 2020 season.

MJ

You recently founded the Epiphany Theatre in South Florida. How did your first few shows go?

ES

The first show we did was Gay Amnesia. It was a simple, easy, charming show with a good message. We did a few updates on it. The audience enjoyed it.

We did Heroes at The Broward Main Library Auditorium, and last year we did Die Mommie Die at Empire Stage. I directed it and played the female lead of Angela Arden.

Photo Courtesy of Epiphany Theatre

MJ ES

How do you go about selecting shows for the theatre?

I guess I choose shows that are special to me and that I feel have a message to tell the audience. We’re doing a number of shows for our 2020 season. We’re doing the British play, Stepping Out. It’s about ladies of a certain age that take a tap dance class, but instead of tap they learn a lot about themselves and friendship. Forgotten, Unforgettable Broadway! is a unique musical review that we’re doing. The songs in it are ones that you may know. They’re great songs from shows that flopped and were forgotten, but the songs live on. There are songs from shows like Dance a Little Closer, Minnie’s Boys, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Carrie. We’ll also be doing my play, Bert’s Big Bed. And finally, we’re going to do a rare show, the Kander and Ebb show, The Rink.

To learn more about the Epiphany Theatre and their upcoming shows, visit their page at www.Facebook.com/EpiphanyTheatre.

OutClique.com | 141

TUESDAY’S ANGELS DONATES $25,000 TO SUPPORT THREE LOCAL, NON-PROFIT HIV/AIDS PROGRAMS

Dexter Green, case manager, Sun Serve; David Jobin, president & CEO, Our Fund Foundation; Don Richard, Tuesday’s Angels; Chuck Nicholls, Tuesday’s Angels Donor Advisory Fund; Mark Ketcham, executive director, SunServe and Tiffany Arieagus, case manager, SunServe | Photos Courtesy of Diana Hanford

T

uesday's Angels, a donor advisory fund for Our Fund Foundation and a nonprofit which provides assistance and financial support to Broward County residents and living with HIV/AIDS, announced it will donate a total of $25,000 to support three worthy local charity programs: Children's Diagnostics & Treatment Center was awarded $5,000 for its Pediatric Dental Clinic, which cares for pediatric patients living with HIV. The prevalence of dental issues in HIV+ children is higher compared to their counterparts because of the effects of antiretroviral medications.

Pet Project for Pets has been awarded $10,000 for Keeping Pets with their People.

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This program provides assistance to more than 1,650 pets and their financiallychallenged owners who are affected by HIV/ AIDS, terminal illnesses or disability, and disadvantaged LGBT seniors. Clients are able to keep their loving companion pets at home and out of overcrowded shelters. They also receive pet food, supplies, and vaccines at no cost regardless of financial hardship due to their illness or disability. If homebound, volunteers will deliver provisions.

SunServe was awarded $10,000 for its Bus Pass Program. SunServe has a long partnership with Tuesday's Angels providing bus passes to clients affected

by HIV/AIDS for transportation to medical appointments.

“We are proud of the work Tuesday’s Angels, Inc. has accomplished over the past 25 years. Members of our advisory group are particularly pleased to now be working with the Our Fund Foundation in distributing grants to worthwhile organizations in the South Florida area,” said Chuck Nicholls, coordinator and liaison for the Tuesday’s Angels Donor Advisory Fund.

In addition to these grants, Tuesday’s Angels also pledged financial support for Our Fund Foundation’s new HIV/AIDS Fund which was recently created to combat the spread of new transmissions in South Florida. While rates of new HIV cases have plummeted nationally over the past 20 years due to education, information, and the success of lifesaving antiretroviral medication, Miami-Dade and Broward Counties are not in alignment with this trend. In fact, Miami-Dade and Broward Counties have been the top two counties in

the nation for new infections since 2014.

Research indicates that MSM (men who have sex with men) represents more than twothirds of the newly reported HIV infection and AIDS cases in the two-county region.

For the past 25 years, Tuesday's Angels has raised and distributed more than $2 million in emergency assistance for thousands of men, women, and children in financial need who are living with HIV/AIDS in Broward County.

Established in 2011, Our Fund Foundation has grown into the third largest LGBT foundation in the nation. As South Florida’s only LGBT community foundation, Our Fund Foundation promotes a culture of philanthropy by uniting donors with organizations; advancing LGBT issues in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties; and supporting causes within the LGBT community.

Chuck Nicholls, coordinator and liaison, Tuesday’s Angels Donor Advisory Fund and Dr. Ana Calderon-Randazzo, executive director, Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center | Photos Courtesy of Diana Hanford

For more information on Our Fund Foundation, visit www.Our-Fund.org or call (954) 565-1090.

OutClique.com | 145

Tickets and Flexpasses

are 16-Feb available online at Jan 16, 2020

www.islandcitystage.org or Tickets by calling and954-928-9800 Flexpasses

Useare promo code “OCQ”online for a 10%atdiscount. available

www.islandcitystage.org or by calling 954-928-9800

Use promo code “OCQ” for a 10% discount.

Sponsored by Jim Laird Sponsored by

Jim Laird

Group and non-profit rates available.

All performances at Wilton Theater Factory, Main Stage, 2304 N Dixie HWY, Wilton Manors, FL 33305

1 DRAMA DESK AWARD • 1 DRAMA LEAGUE AWARD 3 OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS • 1 GRAMMY AWARD

EXCLUSIVE

JANUARY 23 - FEBRUARY 9, 2020

A CELEBRATION OF BEETHOVEN

By Denny Patterson Photos Courtesy of South Florida Symphony Orchestra

I

n honor of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th birthday, the South Florida Symphony Orchestra (SFSO) is inviting audiences to a musical performance that cannot be missed.

Come celebrate one of classical music’s greatest creative geniuses February 7 and 9, 2020, with a special presentation of his epic Symphony No. 9, with a full choir led by Dr. Giselle Elgarresta Rios, and the famous “Ode to Joy” finale, featuring bass-baritone Neil Nelson, soprano Robyn Lamp, mezzo-soprano Mabel Ledo, and tenor Edgar Miguel Abréu. This concert will also showcase Schumann’s beloved Piano Concerto performed by SFSO favorite Svetlana Smolina. Keep reading to learn a little more about this concert’s special guest performers.

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Neil Nelson – Bass-Baritone Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Neil Nelson moved to the United States with his family when he was two years old. An excellent musician and linguist, he is known to possess one of the purest and most resonant bass-baritone voices of recent times. Nelson graduated with a degree in music performance from the New England Conservatory of Music and has performed operatic roles for several orchestras, including the Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Palm Beach Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Berkshire Opera, Orlando Opera, The New York Harlem Opera Theatre, and the Tartar State Opera Theatre in Kazan, Russia. Winning awards such as the Stephen Shrestinian Award for Excellence, the Heinz Refuss Singing Actors Award, and appearing as a finalist in the New York Metropolitan Opera Auditions launched him into his professional career.

2

Robyn Marie Lamp – Soprano Robyn Lamp’s performances are earning her recognition and roles from rare Bel Canto gems to well-known classics. Her voice has been described as robust, easily produced, and golden, but warm. In the summer of 2017,

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2 Lamp sang the role of Adele and covered the Metropolitan Opera soprano Angela Meade’s Imogene in Bellini’s rarely heard “Il pirata” at Caramoor’s Music Festival. In addition to performing in the SFSO’s Beethoven concert, the 2019-2020 season will find Lamp appearing as Clotilde and covering the title role in Bellini’s “Norma” with the Boston Lyric Opera.

She also returned to Gulfshore Opera last year to sing an all Puccini concert and can be seen portraying the title role in Puccini’s “Suor Angelica” with South Florida’s Opera Fusion.

3

Mabel Ledo – Mezzo-Soprano According to the New York Times, Mabel Ledo is a “warm, expressive mezzo-soprano.”

Gaining recognition for her sultry voice, Ledo was most recently heard with Vero Beach Opera as Suzuki in “Madame Butterfly.” In recent years, Ledo appeared with Florida Grand Opera as the Babylonian princess, Fenena in “Nabucco,” and has been heard as the volatile gypsy, Carmen, with Piedmont Opera. She also appeared with Florentine Opera as Estella in the world premiere of “Rio de Sangre” by acclaimed composer Don Davis. From Lincoln Center to Carnegie Hall, Ledo has performed throughout the country, and internationally.

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4

Edgar Miguel Abréu – Tenor Dominican American tenor Edgar Miguel Abréu holds a Master of Music degree in vocal performance from Florida International University. This past season, he returned to FIU Opera Theatre to sing the role of Cardona in Amadeo Vive’s “Doña Francisquita.” Last season, he sang the 1st Jew is Florida Grand Opera’s production of Strauss’s “Salome.”

Abréu has also performed at Opera Fusion and Gulfshore Opera. On the concert stage, he was most recently seen performing Beethoven’s Choral Festival with FIU. He has also performed Handel’s “Messiah,” Mozart’s “Missa Solemnis,” and Castelnuovo- Tedesco’s “Romancero Gitano.”

5

Dr. Giselle Elgarrestas Rios – Chorus Director Dr. Giselle Elgarresta Rios is a renowned choral conductor, educator, soprano, and global advocate of the arts dedicated to fostering music and art development. Her global appeal has been illustrated by her commitment to the arts, as she effortlessly shifts between her tasks as a conductor, singer, charismatic public speaker, scholar, and administrator. She has been instrumental in furthering interest for the arts in South Florida through strategic collaborations and board engagements with organizations such as Martha/Mary concerts, Peer Music, and Florida Grand Opera. She is one of the selected distinguished women leaders in the International Women’s Forum, and a member of the United Nations Association – Miami Chapter. In Rios’ most recent endeavor to further the arts, she has become the coFounder and co-Executive Director of the Josef Gingold Chamber Music Festival of Miami.

6 4

Dr. Alan Mason – Chorus Pianist Dr. Alan Mason is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, where he was awarded Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees, and the University of Miami, where he was awarded the Doctor of Musical Arts degree. Mason’s area of specialty is vocal and choral accompaniment, and he is sought after across the country and abroad for his unique skills at collaborating with conductors and singers. Mason has accompanied the Rome OutClique.com | 151

Festival Chorus, the Varna Festival Chorus in Bulgaria, the Hebrew Union College Chorus in Jerusalem, and regularly accompanies the large festival chorus at the National Biennial Conventions of the Union for Reform Judaism.

Mason has had a 33-year career as a university professor, most recently at Barry University, where he taught from 1996 until his retirement in 2014.

7

Svetlana Smolina – Pianist Svetlana Smolina is a highly acclaimed pianist who has performed with orchestras and in recitals worldwide. Some of her most notable appearances include Mariinsky Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Orchestra National de France, Odessa and Nizhny Novgorod Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, New Florida Philharmonic, Shreveport Symphony, and the New York Chamber. A frequent guest at festivals, Smolina has performed at the Salzburg Festival, Hollywood Bowl, Ravinia Rising Stars, White Nights, Maggio Musicale, Mikkeli, Ruhr, Easter, Rotterdam Phillips Gergiev, and International Gilmore. Smolina is also a recording artist who has broadcasted for NPR, BBC, PBS, RAI, Cultura TV, and other networks.

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For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.SouthFloridaSymphony.org.

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Feb. 7 Broward Center, Ft. Lauderdale

Feb. 9 Glynn R. Archer Center, Key West BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9 SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto in A Minor

BEETHOVEN 250TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Featuring Neil Nelson, bass-baritone (from Porgy and Bess); Robyn Lamp, soprano; Mabel Ledo, mezzosoprano; Edgar Miguel Abréu, tenor; and the South Florida Symphony Festival Choir, lead by Dr. Giselle Elgarresta Rios, chorus director, and Dr. Alan Mason,chorus pianist

Neil Nelson, bass-baritone

Robyn Lamp, soprano

Mabel Ledo, mezzosoprano

“Classical Music Standout of the Season” Miami Herald

Edgar Miguel Abréu, tenor

Dr. Giselle Elgarresta Rios, choir director

Dr. Alan Mason choir pianist

T I C K E TS O N S A L E N O W !

S O U T H F LO R I DASYM P H O N Y.O R G | 954 .52 2 .84 4 5

NOTHING ORDINARY ABOUT HER

AN INTERVIEW WITH JULIE MARIE WADE

By Gregg Shapiro

P

Gregg Shapiro: Julie, you are one of the people featured in filmmaker Freddy Rodriguez’s Open Dialogues: Stories from the LGBTQ Community, to be screened on an ongoing basis from February 8 through May 17, 2020.

How did you come to be involved in the project?

Julie Marie Wade: It was all just serendipity really. My spouse Angie and I had gone with our friend Denise (Duhamel) to an art opening at the Hollywood Art and Culture Center.

Denise and I wrote a book together called The Unrhymables: Collaborations in Prose, and our cover art was provided by a fantastic artist named Michelle Weinberg, who was a guest curator at this exhibit and whose work we wanted to support. While there at the Center, I happened to meet Jeff Rusnak, Director for Development, and he mentioned 154 | OutClique.com

Photo Courtesy of Kim Striegel

rolific, award-winning lesbian poet and memoirist Julie Marie Wade is a powerful presence in South Florida. A professor of poetry, memoir, lyric essay and hybrid forms at Florida International University, she is the author of 11 books, including the 2019’s The Unrhymables: Collaborations in Prose with Denise Duhamel. Her work is even incorporated into The Betsy Poetry Rail at The Betsy Hotel in South Beach. Wade, who lives with her wife Angie in Hollywood, has a new book, Just An Ordinary Woman Breathing, part of the 21st Century Essay series from Mad Creek Books/Ohio State University Press, out in February 2020. She was gracious enough to take time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions.

the upcoming Open Dialogues project to me.

Jeff took an interest in my work and later reached out to me about being interviewed for the documentary. I’m always interested in any way I can contribute to the visibility of LGBTQ+ lives, so I was happy to participate.

GS

In addition to being one of the subjects of the doc, you provided “wall text” for the project. What can you tell me about that?

JMW

I haven’t seen the wall text yet, but I’m looking forward to viewing it at the opening reception. All I know at this point is that I gave permission for an artist to create a visual-textual rendering of one of my poems from a book, published in 2014 by A Midsummer Night’s Press, called When I Was Straight.

As I was growing up, I remember how often my parents referenced my future life as a wife (to a man) and mother and how vigilantly they and others curated my heterosexual development. In this way, I never had a “queer youth.” I was never encouraged to explore my gender expression or my sexual orientation because these were treated as foregone conclusions, and I know I’m not alone in this experience. Instead, what I have is a queer adulthood that was first preceded by a compulsory heterosexual youth. The poems in “When I Was Straight” illustrate how it felt for me, “the strai(gh)t-jacketing,” if you will, to come of age inside a life that doesn’t match your truest self or your most authentic desires.

South Beach and Key West are presumed to be the queer(est) places. But I’m living proof that queer people are everywhere. I grew up in the small, conservative suburb of Fauntlee Hills (West Seattle) and later lived and taught in the tiny, rural enclave of Barnesville, Ohio.

I’ve been a long-term resident of Pittsburgh, PA, and Louisville, KY, and now I live in Hollywood, FL gay as ever, gaily married since 2014, and legally recognized as gaily married since 2015.

I’m delighted to be part of something that celebrates Hollywood queers and queerness and by extension, our ubiquity across the human landscape. We really are “here and queer,” and I hope this exhibit continues to guide those who may be fearful or reluctant to embrace us to do more than “get used to” our presence. The Open Dialogues exhibition will provide an opportunity to encounter us as individuals, to glimpse more fully who some of us actually are.

Photo courtesy of Ohio State University Press

The first half of this book is comprised of a series of poems all bearing the same title “When I Was Straight” and one of those will be incorporated into this exhibition of LGBTQ+ art next month. The premise of this sequence of poems is simple: people are most often presumed to be straight (as well as cis-gendered) and treated as such from the time they are born, often even before they are born, which for some of us necessitates a complicated and often painful coming-out process later on.

GS

As a Hollywood resident, what does it mean to you to be part of such an event taking place at the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood?

JMW

Notions about “queer places” circulate widely in the culture, it seems. People might expect an exhibition of queer art and artists in San Francisco, New York City, and Provincetown, for example, and in South Florida, I think Wilton Manors and

For more on this article, go to www.OutClique.com

For more information on the Open Dialogues: Stories from the LGBTQ Community at the Art & Culture Center / Hollywood, go towww.ArtAndCultureCenter.org/Open-Dialogues.

OutClique.com | 155

Opening

Reception

Saturday

Feb. 8, 2020 5 - 8 pm

OPEN DIALOGUES:

Stories From the LGBTQ Community Saturday, February 8 - Sunday, May 17, 2020 Join us for Open Dialogues, a short documentary video produced by the Center and directed by award-winning filmmaker Freddy Rodriguez. Open Dialogues includes an exhibition of artifacts from the Stonewall Museum & Archives and text by author Julie Marie Wade. And get your own original Pride/Ally mini-flag created by artist Nicole Storrs.

Visit ArtandCultureCenter.org for a full schedule of events!

Open Dialogues: Stories From the LGBTQ Community is funded by the following Funds at the Community Foundation of Broward: Richard Frisby and Edward Burkhart Fund, Leonard & Sally Robbins Fund, Frederick W. Jaqua Fund, James Bell-Greenbaum Charitable Fund. The Art and Culture Center/Hollywood is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supported in part by its members, admissions, private entities, the City of Hollywood; the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; the David and Francie Horvitz Family Foundation; and the Josephine S. Leiser Foundation. We welcome donations from all members of the community who wish to support our work.

1650 Harrison Street Hollywood, FL 33020 954. 921. 3274 ArtAndCultureCenter.org

THAT’S A WRAP

INTERNATIONAL CONDOM DAY

By John M. Hayden

V

alentine’s Day is a day of love, chocolates, and the end of 11 weeks of sappy jewelry commercials. But the day before, February 13th, is the real day for celebrating. It’s International Condom Day (ICD). Flowers and a nice dinner are fine, but on this day, you show you care by what you wear: a condom.

The informal, but potentially very fun holiday is tied to St. Valentine’s Day, but has taken on a life all its own. AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) serves hundreds of thousands of people fighting HIV and AIDS through unrelenting advocacy. Their goal is to get the number of new infections down to zero. Part of that is getting everyone to wrap it up before they give it up.

AHF has IMPULSE, which brings its message to gay men. As everyone has their own history, their own experiences, and their own perspectives, AHF goes into a variety of communities for ICD. Their Affinity Groups include “FLUX,” focused on the transgenered community, and “LOUD,” which works in the Hispanic/Latino community. “Spark” focuses

on women and “BLACC” reaches out to the black American community.

“The organization is organically working in culturally sensitive ways with primary, high-risk populations to create education, awareness, testing, and prevention initiatives and messaging that resonates with the various targeted populations,” AHF told OutClique.

For decades, they’ve been sharing the love, as in LOVE Condoms. “We’ve given out millions of free, bright-red LOVE Condoms in over 30 countries since 2008.” Love is the word to watch. It is the essence of ICD. Even in the age of PrEP, condoms are at the forefront of the fight because they are accessible to everyone, at any income, and, hopefully, anywhere. “Turns out,” AHF says, “there is tremendous demand for attractive condoms that governments and public health agencies are not tapping into. As a leading sexual health organization, we believe condoms must be readily available and affordable for everyone who needs them because they are the most cost-effective form of prevention for sexually transmitted diseases.”

For more on AHF’s events for International Condom Day and their programs, check out their website, www.AIDSHealth.org.

158 | OutClique.com

AMATuRo TheATeR BRowARd CeNTeR FoR The PeRFoRMiNg ARTS

February 12, 2020 | 7:45pm

John Pizzarelli Trio

For Centennial Reasons: 100 Year Salute to Nat King Cole “The genial genius of the guitar” – Toronto Star “a rare entertainer of the old school” – Seattle Times

March 11, 2020 | 7:45pm

Terell STafford QuinTeT

A Tribute to the Music of Billy Strayhorn & Lee Morgan Stafford is “one of the great players of our time” – McCoy Tyner

BRowARdCeNTeR.oRg | 954.462.0222 | goLdCoASTjAzz.oRg

TRAVEL BACK IN TIME to the ’70s and ’80s

AMBROSIA

STEPHEN BISHOP

“Holdin’ On To Yesterday”

“Save It For a Rainy Day”

“How Much I Feel”

“On and On”

“You’re the Only Woman”

“It Might be You”

“Biggest Part of Me”

PETER BECKETT

JOHN FORD COLEY

lead singer of Player

“I’d Really Love To See You Tonight”

“Baby Come Back” “This Time I’m In It For Love”

“Nights Are Forever Without You”

AMBROSIA

JOHN FORD COLEY

STEPHEN BISHOP

PETER BECKETT

FEBRUARY 14 Au-Rene Theater

TICKETS at BrowardCenter.org

Ticketmaster 954.462.0222 • Broward Center’s AutoNation Box Office Group Sales 954.660.6307 The Broward Center 2019-2020 season is presented by the Broward Performing Arts Foundation.

saturday, november 23rd at 8pm

Photo Courtesy of Marketing Success Associates

BRETT KARLIN Artistic Director,

Master Chorale of South Florida & Master Chorale of Tampa Bay 168 | OutClique.com

L

eading performances praised as “intense, richly detailed…polished and well-crafted” (Miami Herald), “finely nuanced and expressive” (South Florida Classical Review), and “integrating choral and instrumental sonorities with clarity and impact” (Palm Beach Arts Paper), Brett Karlin is quickly establishing himself as a dynamic conductor of choral-orchestral masterworks.

Having worked with a wide variety of ensembles, Karlin is a passionate performer of large-scale symphonic masterpieces, while equally at home with historically informed performances of distinctive Baroque repertoire.

As the artistic director of both the Master Chorale of South Florida & Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, Karlin leads over 250 singers through choral-orchestral masterworks and prepares the choirs for collaborative performances with other artists and ensembles, including The Cleveland Orchestra, Russian National Orchestra, The Florida Orchestra, Itzhak Perlman, Eric Whitacre, Andrea Bocelli, and Kristin Chenoweth, among many others.

Now entering his 17th season with Master Chorale of South Florida, Karlin will conduct the 120-voice chorus, orchestra, and guest artists through classical monoliths—Bach’s Magnificat, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah—as well as the premiere of a commissioned work by leading American composer, Jake Runestad, at the 2020 Chorus America Conference.

As artistic director of The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, Karlin will prepare the Chorale for several masterworks and pops concerts with The Florida Orchestra, including a concert series and workshop with choral luminary Eric

Whitacre. Karlin will also lead the ensemble in two performances – Faure’s Requiem and a concert of holiday favorites. The 201920 season for Master Chorale of Tampa Bay comes on the heels of a 40th anniversary season, which featured a concert tour to New York City for the ensembles debut at St. John the Divine Cathedral and Carnegie Hall.

In addition to these appointments, Karlin has previously held the positions of music director for the Broward Symphony Orchestra, chorus master for Florida Grand Opera, and mentored the next generation of classical musicians as the director of Florida’s Singing Sons and Seraphic Fire’s Miami Choral Academy. Karlin has also maintained guest conducting engagements with a variety of choral, orchestral, and academic ensembles, including The Symphonia, Lynn Philharmonia, Seraphic Fire, and several All-County/Honor Choir ensembles.

In 2009, he became the assistant conductor for Seraphic Fire, where he assisted with the ensemble’s critically acclaimed and 2012 Grammy-nominated CD, A Seraphic Fire Christmas. Karlin also served as assistant chorus master and singer for the Professional Choral Institute's recording of the London version of Brahms' Ein Deutches Requiem, which received a 2012 Grammy nomination for "Best Choral Performance." This season he’ll lead Seraphic Fire in several performances of A Seraphic Fire Christmas.

Karlin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Voice from Florida State University and a Master of Music from the University of South Florida. An avid lover of music from the Baroque era and historically informed performance (HIP), Karlin can be found tuning harpsichords and listening to J.S. Bach when not working with ensembles.

OutClique.com | 169

OUR Y T GE Â ETS K C I T !

NOW

DIGNITY IN AGING COLLABORATIVE: The Community Foundation of Broward The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation Jewish Federation of Broward County The Jim Moran Foundation United Way of Broward County

RUDABEH SHAHBAZI CBS MIAMI

MASTERWORKS III WITH ELLEN TAAFFE ZWILICH

First Female Composer Awarded Pulitzer Prize in Music in 1983

By Denny Patterson

T

he South Florida Symphony Orchestra is boldly integrating the old and the new by bringing together preeminent composers of different eras for its Masterworks III series.

On March 5, 7 & 8, 2020, audiences will receive the pleasure of hearing the world premiere of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, featuring renowned Grammy Award winning cellist Zuill Bailey. A Florida native, Zwilich is a prolific contemporary composer whose work has been performed by most of the leading American orchestras and major ensembles abroad. In her compositions, Zwilich combines craft and inspiration, reflecting an optimistic and humanistic spirit that gives her a unique musical voice. Zwilich has been the recipient of several awards, including the Pulitzer Prize in Music, making her the first woman ever to win this prestigious award.

OutClique had the chance to talk more with Zwilich about the upcoming Masterworks III series and her overall passion for music.

Denny Patterson: Hi, Ellen! Thank you so much for chatting with me today. Tell us, what can audiences expect from your upcoming Concerto for Cello and Orchestra performance with the South Florida Symphony Orchestra?

Ellen Zwilich: A concerto is a way to feature a particular instrument, in this case the cello, but I always think there has to be a back and forth between the orchestra and soloist. It’s not just showing off what you can do. It’s the musical conversation going back and forth. I think the reason why I love the cello so much is because it has the entire range of the human voice. From the bass up to the highest soprano. I sometimes say string instruments are singers or steroids. For me, this was an

174 | OutClique.com

Photo by Bill Keefrey

opportunity to write a piece that features the cello but is also part of the overall orchestra fabric. This piece is in three movements and there’s not going to be a stop between the first and the second and the second and the third. It’s one extended piece in so many ways.

People sometimes ask what I listen for, and I say, listen for the next thing. If I’ve done it right and the performance is doing it right, it’s like somebody takes your hand at the very beginning of the piece and holds your hand until you get to the very end. Open your ears and listen for the next thing.

DP about?

And this is the world premiere of this piece! What are you most excited

EZ

I do a lot of imagination of how the sound is going to be, and I’m pretty good at that, but it is never the same as the actual sound of people performing. I have been inspired by the fact that this will be playing, and Sebrina will be conducting. I feel we are kind of in the same neighborhood. It’s like a community thing. The relationship with the audience inspires me.

DP EZ

You have worked with Maestra Sebrina before?

Oh, yes. She and I go back a long way. I think she was still in school when she conducted a piece of mine. It was at a special event featuring young conductors.

DP

What about this concert’s featured artist, renowned Grammy Award winning cellist Zuill Bailey? Have you worked with him before?

EZ DP EZ

No, but I love his playing. He’s terrific.

DP EZ

How did your passion for music begin?

What do you hope audiences take away from this concert?

You know, it’s odd for me to not have an answer for that. I just want them to listen to it and let it speak to them. Have their own personal reaction to it. I just want them to have open ears and I hope it resonates with them.

Probably when I was a toddler and we had a piano in the house. Although, nobody played. My mother played a couple little things. I climbed up on a piano and smashed down a couple keys and I still feel

like I’m that toddler. I am absolutely in love with it. It just never died down since my childhood. When I was about 10, I started writing things down.

DP EZ

What is the biggest perk of being a musical composer?

The joy of being able to do it. The day I don’t get up and feel privileged and happy and excited about doing it, I’m going to quit. I still have that passion and that’s something to be grateful for, to have this kind of fulfillment in your life. I work hard and I’m grateful for the relationships I’ve had with performances and audiences. It’s a unique experience and I am honored to be able to do what I do.

DP

Your work has led you to become the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Music. Can you tell us more about winning this prestigious honor?

EZ

It’s funny because I went to a high school in Coral Gables in the 1950s and there was never any problem with me being a girl. I was concertmaster of the orchestra, they would call me concert mistress, but being a girl wasn’t a problem. I played trumpet in the band, I wrote things that they played, and I conducted in high school. I never had any sort of anti-woman experience where someone said I couldn’t do this because I’m a girl. I was kind of shocked at how much attention there was when I won the Pulitzer Prize, and I had a tremendous amount of encouragement and mentoring. I just never had a problem being a female. It never occurred to me until a writer for the Los Angeles Times told me that I was the first woman to win the award.

For more on this article, go to www.OutClique.com

For more information and ticket prices, visit www.SouthFloridaSymphony.org.

OutClique.com | 175

Saturday March 7, 2020 8:00pm

All Saints Episcopal Church 333 Tarpon Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 For tickets please call 954-832-0060 or visit www.FTLGMC.org $25 General Admission and $40 VIP Hamish’s Fund at Our Fund

Funding for this organization is provided in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council

NOTHING LIKE LIVE

ENTERTAINMENT! WHAT HAPPENS IN PALM BEACH ...

A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC, COMEDY AND THE ICONIC LAS VEGAS! FEATURING ALEXIS MICHELLE, SARGE, CLINT HOLMES, RITA RUDNER AND TONY ORLANDO Saturday, April 11 at 8 pm

Enjoy this star-studded evening of laugh-out-loud comedy and remarkable music all in one!

Tickets start at $35

Tickets start at $35

For more information visit our official website kravis.org or call 561.832.7469 Group sales: 561.651.4438 or 561.651.4304 All shows in Dreyfoos Hall. All programs and artists subject to change Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, Florida 33401

CELEBRATE YOU Two continents. Over 53 nations. One love.

Greater Fort Lauderdale invites everyone under the sun to the very first Pride of the Americas.

Join hundreds of thousands of individuals who together will bring global attention to LGBT+ advocacy. All are welcome to fly your flag high, make an impact and radiate life – because who you are is worth celebrating.

Make your plans at sunny.org/PrideAmericas

April 21-26

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South Florida Symphony Orchestra (954) 522-8445 www.SouthFloridaSymphony.org Wick Theatre & Costume Museum (561) 995-2333 www.TheWick.org

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OutClique@gmail.com | 954-998-6429

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OutClique@gmail.com | 954-998-6429

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Emerald Elite Senior Home Care (954) 629-1377 Ernest@EmeraldEliteCare.com

Miami

2900 Biscayne Boulevard Miami, FL 33137 (305) 764-3773

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2097 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors, FL 33305 (954) 358-5580

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Freedom Travel (954) 565-2345 Rich@BookFreedomTravel.com www.BookFreedomTravel.com

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Universal Travel/American Express Tim DeLorge (954) 525-5000, ext 243 Tim@Universal-Travel.com

(561) 533-9699 www.CompassGLCC.com

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Assure America Title Company Richard Mandel (561) 414-4057 Richard@AssureAmericaTitle.com www.AssureAmericaTitle.com

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OutClique@gmail.com | 954-998-6429 OutClique.com | 187

Diego & Drew RETURNS TO THE BROWARD CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

By Denny Patterson 188 | OutClique.com

Photos by Sach | www.SachAdGroup.com

B

ack by popular demand, the Silver Palm Award-Winning interactive theatrical experience “Diego & Drew Say I Do” is coming back to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts February 6-16, 2020. Originally premiering in 2016, this critically acclaimed musical comedy has been proclaimed “the wedding of the year” by South Florida Gay News. I mean, what’s more fabulous than a gay wedding?

“Diego & Drew Say I Do” is the story of Diego Torres and Andrew Boudreaux III who are cordially inviting you to join them on their special day as they head down the aisle. Two eccentric-yetlovable families, an uptight wedding planner, an ex-boy band crooner, and a drag diva create the perfect storm of hilarity. From the moment the doors open, you will have the opportunity to participate in the ceremony, trade zingers with Big Daddy, and dance the night away with these kooky families. Plus, dinner will be served! The festivities are complete with a Southern/Puerto Rican feast. OutClique had the opportunity to chat more with the blushing grooms about the show. Ben Antipuna (Diego) and Eric O’Keefe (Drew) are ecstatic to play these roles and get married all over again.

Denny Patterson: Hi, guys! Thank you for chatting with me today. What can audiences expect from “Diego & Drew?”

Ben Antipuna: I think when they come, audiences can expect a very interactive experience where it will feel like they are attending the wedding of two friends. During the wedding, they will participate in the dancing, the ceremony, the dining, and as we’re progressing through the show, the hilarity will begin with the feuding families because one is very southern and traditional while the other is Latino and from South Florida. The families do things differently. Also, a great thing about the show is that it shows the audience, especially those who may not be familiar with a gay or non-traditional wedding, that the two grooms are the normal ones and the families are the outlandish, crazy ones.

Eric O’Keefe: Exactly. This show is fun and

interactive with a lot of dancing, eating, and music. Audiences can expect to attend almost a real wedding.

DP BA

Ben, what do you enjoy most about playing Diego?

For me, I think the interaction with the audience. We all sit in the same room and the characters will come up to your table and ask how you’re doing. They’re like your long lost cousin. Being able to stay in character and play improv with the audience throughout the show is one of my favorite moments.

DP

Same question to you Eric regarding Drew. What do you enjoy most about playing him?

EO

Well, Drew is from the south and he has a southern accent which is a little different for me. Actually, everything about it except for living here is very different for me [laughs]. Drew is a lot and there’s a lot going on in the show. Everything about Drew is kind of different for me. I really like getting to play around, like this is his wedding and he really loves Diego, so he kind of just runs around and chases after Diego for most of the show and tries to make everything for him. Drew’s family is crazy.

Well, both families are crazy, but he has some homophobic grandparents and stuff like that.

DP BA

Are you two excited to work with your stage husband again?

EO

Of course! Especially now, since this is the second time we have done this

Definitely. It’s funny because when we first did this show three years ago, Eric was younger and just starting out in his career, so I got to lead him through this and make sure he had his food and water. You know, keeping tabs on “my husband.” We kept in touch over the years and he has done a lot of great theatre here in South Florida, so it’s going to be an interesting dynamic going back into this with someone who is now more experienced.

It’s going to be exciting for both of us.

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show. Since we have known each other for a couple years, it will be better this time. Ben is awesome and he is great to play around with.

A lot of this is improv and because of that, we are kind of bouncing off each other and making stuff up, and it’s a lot of fun.

DP BA

Why did you initially want to be in “Diego & Drew?”

Good question! At the time, I was on a contract for a Norwegian cruise line, and a friend said I should audition. I remember being in my tiny cabin at sea reading the script and not thinking anything of it because I was so far removed from the situation. Hearing shortly after that I got the part, I was like, wow, that’s awesome! I was excited to come back and work on this brand-new show at the Broward Center.

EO

Honestly, I got asked to be in it. Either way, if I had not known about it, something like this is very fun. Improv is great because it is different every time you do it. The show turns out different every night. I have never done something like this before because I normally just do musicals. It has been great to be involved with a very interactive show.

DP BA

And why did you want to come back and reprise your roles?

Because the show was so different down here in the South Florida community. We got a huge response and we did a lot of outreach to local charitable organizations and businesses. Like we did the engagement party at Matthew’s Jewelers, who also made custom wedding bands for us.

We were really involved with the community at the time. When I heard “Diego and Drew” was going to be performed again, I was like, I must do it again. Typically, shows come in and there’s no community outreach or involvement. It was nice to see business owners and their friends come have them hear their names and businesses mentioned during the show. It was a great experience.

190 | OutClique.com

EO

I grew up in New York, so I grew up seeing a whole bunch of shows. Not just on Broadway, but ballets and that kind of stuff.

DP BA

What do you do to prepare for your roles?

It’s interesting because a lot of it is interactive. You feed off the audience and in rehearsals, we go over scenarios because the audience will try to stump you and ask questions like where we met, where we’re from, what do our siblings do, etc. They try to get a lot of questions out of you like that and you just have to know your responses immediately. During rehearsal, besides going over blocking and things of that nature, we go over these scenarios of what life is like for us.

EO

I have to start speaking in my accent to myself while getting ready or else that will flip in and out. I am just trying to be more like Drew and focus on that this time around. Practicing all possibilities with Ben

EO

I’m in love with this cast. We have such a great cast and it’s the same this time around, plus a few new faces and I know a lot of them as well. It’s exciting to see how different the show will be this time. I feel pretty attached to it.

DP BA

Have you always had a passion for acting and performing?

Yes. I think I started in 7th or 8th grade after going to a local production of “Annie” and seeing some of my classmates in it. I was involved throughout high school then went off to college and studied musical theatre. After that, I moved to the Fort Lauderdale area to work with Cirque Dreams and was with them on and off for 15 years. I did cruise ships, theme parks, national tours, then eventually got into the more managerial side of theatre. Now I work here at the Broward Center full-time and just got off the road in February with “The King and I.” OutClique.com | 191

because the show is not going to be the same as last time. It changes every night, but this time I will be more comfortable.

DP BA

It sounds like this production has been quite challenging for you both.

I would say so, but it’s very enjoyable because the director allowed us to bring our characters to life with what we had.

EO

Definitely. I’m not a big dancer and I have had to do a lot of shows where I had to dance a lot, so this production is a different kind of challenging. It’s weird to go from knowing exactly what’s going to happen each night to knowing only about 10% of what’s going to happen.

DP BA

What have you learned the most by being in “Diego & Drew?”

Going with the flow. Diego is the title character of the show, but audiences are watching everyone because so much is going on. We may not be directly involved, but everyone is looking in our direction and looking for our reaction to the situation. I also had to learn to take a step back and follow everyone

else and be in the moment.

EO

I would agree with Ben. You’re not going to know what happens next, so just go with the flow.

DP

Eric, you recently got married in real life. Congrats! Was your wedding as stressful as Diego and Drew’s?

EO

Stressful in a different way [laughs].

Diego and Drew’s wedding is kooky, so I wouldn’t say anything that crazy happened at my wedding. My wedding was pretty smooth, so I am thankful for that because their wedding doesn’t go as planned.

DP BA

Do either of you have anything lined up after “Diego & Drew?”

As of right now, no. Like I said, I work full-time at the Broward Center. During the day I will be in the accounting department handling finances, then I will come down for the show. I’m looking forward to it.

EO

I do, but I am not allowed to talk about it just yet. Something coming in May at the Kravis Center.

For more information and tickets, visit www.BrowardCenter.org.

192 | OutClique.com

Matthew’s Jewelers – Official Engagement Party Host and Designer of Custom Wedding Bands for the Grooms

www.MatthewsJewelers.com

Men’s Wearhouse – Provider of the Grooms Attire

www.MensWearhouse.com

Georgie’s Alibi Monkey Bar – Where the Grooms 1st Met Bring your ticket stub from Diego & Drew Say I Do and receive 20% off food purchases. www.AlibiWiltonManors.com Jennifer McClain’s Cast Party at Tropics Grille – Official Cast Party Host

www.TropicsGrilleotd.com

Cabaret Barbershop – Where the Grooms get coiffed!

Stop by the Cabaret and see Tomy and Kalo for your next big event. www.CabaretBarbershop.com Event Décor Direct – Provider of select décor for the ceremony.

www.EventDecorDirect.com

World Aids Museum and Educational Center – Certain proceeds raised during each performance of Diego & Drew Say I Do will benefit WORLD AIDS MUSEUM & EDUCATION CENTER in Wilton Manors, Florida.

Make sure to bring cash to the show so that you may to dance with your favorite groom, and help this worthy organization! www.WorldAidsMuseum.org

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