“I choose to live my life with a certain fearless vitality that I think more people should try.”

— James Whiteside, Principal Dancer, American Ballet Theatre

I find the ballet to be a lot like life when it comes to men – the bad boys always stand out.

To be clear, in using the term ‘bad’, I mean no disrespect to the wildly creative artists to whom I attach the term here. I rather use it to describe the fiery, matchless ability of those rare few performers whose talent is so explosive that it can’t be put into a box – those true artistes whose mastery of an art form is so advanced that it can scarcely be harnessed or contained by one genre, but instead must constantly be allowed to spill over into new arenas in order to achieve its fullest expression.

Think Nureyev at the height of his career breaking with tradition to perform both classical ballet and modern dance or Baryshnikov dancing his way to an Academy Award nomination in The Turning Point, the first of his many acting roles on the big screen. More contemporarily, think of genre-busting former Royal Ballet star Sergei Polunin, who is fast becoming a Hollywood ‘It’ boy co-starring and working alongside some of Tinseltown’s biggest names like Ralph Fiennes and box-office megastar Jennifer Lawrence.  Now add to this exclusive clique of auteurs, the always daring, never boring, James Whiteside (aka pop-dance artist JbDubs, aka Ühu Betch of the drag posse known as The Dairy Queens).

Not fully able to express the breadth of his creativity within the realm of his widely lauded, four-year run as a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, which just recently closed its current season at the Metropolitan Opera House, Whiteside has spread his talents far and wide, venturing into music and video production and becoming something of a YouTube sensation under the alias JbDubs, while simultaneously pushing the boundaries of his art in almost every direction imaginable. This week, the chameleon-like Mr. Whiteside launches an eclectic, globetrotting series of summer performances that promise to reveal more about the range of his talents than the world has ever seen before…and he couldn’t be more excited.

“My summer has a wide range of dance styles, so throughout the course of the summer I think people are actually going to learn a lot about the real range of things that I can do… from hip-hop to ballet to contemporary ballet and jazz,” Whiteside explains when asked what people can expect to see on his tour which will make stops in Los Angeles, Vail, and Tokyo over the course of the summer. “Normally my summers consist of a lot of gigs essentially,” he continues. “But this summer is a little bit different in that I have programmed a lot of it myself. So, I’m doing a lot of stuff that I really want to do and that I’m looking forward to doing as well as stuff that I’ve done in the past and really loved and want to revisit.”

Among the performances to which Whiteside is most looking forward is one that is set to debut at the Fire Island Dance Festival on July 15 and 16. It is a new work by musical theater choreographer Al Blackstone that promises to showcase a sexy, flirty side of the dancer entitled, “How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore?”. “The premise of the piece is that I am pining after this guy and these other four guys are pining after me,” Whiteside offers as something of a teaser preview of the performance. “[But] I don’t want to give it away because there’s a bit of a twist – there are some interesting things that go down in the dance. It’s great. It’s just Prince and a piano and it’s a great, sexy, jazz piece.”

Another highlight of Whiteside’s summer calendar will be the premiere of his new production company “James Whiteside Presents” at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, MA. Along with 5 Dances, a collection of works in varied styles that the he has created over the years, Whiteside will also treat the Jacob’s Pillow crowd to a performance by his sassy, uninhibited pop alter ego JbDubs, whose YouTube hit “I Hate My Job” has scored 4 million plus views. “One of the numbers that I’m going be doing [for my Jacob’s Pillow performance] is to a song that I wrote called “Wallflower”’ says Whiteside who admits to being the antithesis of the person about whom he wrote the song. “It’s basically about not being a wallflower and just getting on the dancefloor and shakin’ it! I’ve got a music video for that song with ABT soloist Cassandra Trenary [and] we’ll be doing a live version of that.”

From there Whiteside will head back to New York for two performances in the world premiere of Impressions, part of an evening with Gemma Bond at the Joyce Theatre, which will be directly followed by a 3-day dance series at The Music Center, in Los Angeles, where James will dance the pas de deux from both Romeo and Juliet and Rubies with fellow American Ballet Theater principal Isabella Boylston and Lauren Cuthbertson, principal dancer at the Royal Ballet in London. And as if that weren’t hectic enough, to round out the summer, Whiteside will take the stage at the Vail Dance Festival, August 4 and 5, and Ballet Sun Valley in Idaho, August 22 and 24 under the direction of Isabella Boylston where he will reprise the Rubies pas de deux with Boylston, while also mounting his own You Rascal You. Finally, the seemingly inexhaustible danseur will end his extensive calendar of appearances in Tokyo where he will both dance in and choreograph a specially arranged Beauty and the Beast excerpt, “Tale as Old as Time” for Tokyo Disney’s release of Beauty and the Beast.

At this point in the interview, I can’t help but ask Whiteside not only how he keeps all the performances in his schedule straight in his own mind but also how he does it all at such a break-neck pace and with what appears to be such good humor. “I choose to live my life with a certain fearless vitality that I think more people should try,” the performer says patly without missing a beat. “If you’re so serious all the time, you forget to enjoy your life and to enjoy the people around you and the beauty that is existent. I take what I do very seriously…[and]…it is out of joy and love and experience that I am pushing forward.”

So does “fearless vitality” imply that unlike most of us humans, James Whiteside is without fear of anything? And, if so, has he always been so fearless?

“[No]. I’m not without self-doubt,” he quickly offers in reply to my facetiously posed query. “I have plenty of insecurities just like anybody else. It’s just that it’s important to me to keep pushing forward and to be proud of my struggle.”

“But as far as fearlessness goes, it wasn’t so much a choice [for me] as it was [something] that was already there,” Whiteside adds after pausing for a moment to reflect.  “I do recall a time when the PR Manager for the Boston Ballet, which was my first ballet company, came to me with a story that the local gay paper wanted to do on me. I was very young and she said, ‘You know, this is going to be in print and online pretty much forever, so are you sure you want to come out? I just need to ask you, because I know it’s your first interview like this.’

I was so confused that she would even ask. I understand that she was just trying to explain the consequences of what we were doing and that people might be put off by my blatant sexuality, but for me it wasn’t even an option. From a young age…hiding myself or being apologetic for my existence…wasn’t something that really interested me. That got me into a lot of trouble when I was a teenager. I was very opinionated and outspoken and unapologetic. It’s kind of funny, when you’re young, you’re berated for being outspoken but then you get to be a certain age and it gets to be celebrated.”

With no signs of holding back or in any way reigning in his aspirations, expect to see even more of Whiteside and his fearless vitality on the horizon. “In the future, there are so many things I’d like to do,” he tells me in a manner that suggests he’s holding something back…something big that his mind has already leapt to but he’s not quite ready to put into words. That stumbling block aside, he is still able to list some of the highlights on his personal bucket list. “One of these days, I’d like to be on Broadway,” he says clearly ticking through a well-established checklist. “I’d like to go to school for music production. I’d like to choreograph commercially for theatre and the ballet. I’ve got my irons in various fires and I don’t see myself retracting them anytime soon.”

What good news for us. Dance on Mr. Whiteside. Dance on.

Follow James Whiteside and check out his latest projects and tour dates at www.jameswhiteside.org.

To read this story on the Huffington Post, click here.

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When was the last time you were unfairly scrutinized by someone (or a group of someones) without even being given the benefit of the doubt?

After years of cynicism, I found myself charmed by the place from the moment I stepped off the ferry that deposited me on the shores of what I came to think of as a slice of paradise just off the south shore of Long Island. Granted I arrived the week after the Pines Party, the premiere event of summer on the island, so it was unusually quiet, but that does not signify as far as my rationale for sharing this anecdote. The point is that my judgment of Fire Island, based not on fact, but instead on a perception not anchored in anything more than projection, turned out to be the farthest thing from the truth.

Rather than being dismayed by the experience I had anticipated with varying degrees of loathing for most of my adult life, I spent hours touring around the island admiring the striking architecture and gardens of the homes, walking Instagram-perfect sandy beaches, watching spectacular sunsets from the docks, admiring pretty people and, if I’m honest, taking pride in the fact that decades of nurturing by the LGBTQ community had produced an oasis of such superlative magnificence. Truth be told, in all my travels, rarely has my preconception of a destination been so pleasantly off the mark. Which brings me back to Fire Island the series.

I don’t know the six guys at the center of this new Fire Island series, but I did get the chance to become briefly acquainted with one of the show’s stars during my sojourn on Fire Island last summer. As fate would have it, Patrick, the show’s southern gent, was my host at the Sharegurl property, Pines Club, where I spent those memorable few days in the Long Island sun last year. [ For the record, I highly recommend Sharegurl properties for newbies to Fire Island because they are beautifully situated and perfect for short-term stays, but I digress]. Handsome, professional, charming, polite and preternaturally friendly (and not necessarily in that order) are the words that come to mind to describe this Georgia peach who welcomed me to the island. Based upon my encounter with Patrick alone, I am inclined to believe the boys of Fire Island are not, on the whole, due the premature demonization they have received.

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Duane Wells and Davey Wavey on a road trip across Spain together for 10 days?  That just sounds crazy right? And yet it happened.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to describe Davey and I as the modern incarnation of the odd couple.

Take for example the fact I am an unabashed clotheshorse who lives to get dressed.  The more layers I can wear the better. Even in summer I find it difficult to walk out of the house without a scarf. Davey on the other hand is quite happy to wear a tank top and baseball cap year-round. He doesn’t even like sleeves in winter, which is an absolute mystery to me.

I like luxury hotels and haute cuisine. Davey likes to camp and the taste of foie gras is absolutely abhorrent to him.

I like to stay up all night and party until the small hours. Davey likes to be in bed by 10 so he can be up by 6 for his morning work out.

I could go on and on here, but you get the gist — Davey Wavey and I are very different people. And yet, despite our differences, we’re great friends.  So we thought it would be fun to take “our show” on the road  in Spain for 10 days.

I planned surprises for Davey as this was his first trip to Spain and he planned surprises for me.  The video below, traces the good and the bad, along with the highs and lows of our journey from the Costa del Sol and Granada  to Valencia, Costa Brava and Barcelona. It’s not always pretty, and, for the record, I would like to acknowledge that the lighting was doing me no favors, but it’s always fun:

Be sure to like the video (that is, of course, if you do) and if you want more detailed information on each of the places we visited on our road trip, go to: www.theduanewells.com/out-on-the-road-spain.

For more information about Spain, go to: www.spain.info.

And don’t forget to tell us where you’d like to see us go next!

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LivingWells Lifestyle Events is thrilled to announce that REVUE is set to make its inaugural appearance at Pride at Dive on October 3, 2015 at Harrah’s Resort SoCal.

On the heels of a successful debut at a Graton Resort and Casino over Memorial Day Weekend, REVUE returns with Candis Cayne (I Am Cait, Elementary) as Mistress of Ceremonies and an exciting new line up that will include performances by Season 3 RuPaul’s Drag Race winner, Raja, drag superstars, Trixie Mattel and Delta Work, Dutch diva Glennis Grace, American Idol finalist Jacob Lusk and drag icon, Lady Bunny, who will also take over the DJ booth for the post party. A very special surprise guest is also planned for the show along with a smattering of special surprise performances. Show time is 8PM.

Prior to REVUE, Pride at Dive will take place at the pool at Harrah’s Resort SoCal with Junior, Von Kiss and DJ Lezley taking turns spinning the party into a frenzy. Putt Putt golf, volleyball and a swim up bar are just a few of the amenities guests can expect to enjoy at this all day pool party that will kick off the month of October as only Southern California can.

So why not take the leap and dive into fall at Pride at Dive.

Tickets are $25 for the pool party; $40 for REVUE or $60 for both. Special VIP packages including a Meet & Greet are also available. For more information, visit www.prideatdive.com.

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When people say weekend nights in Sonoma are a drag that will be a very good thing. That is, at least on this upcoming Memorial Day Weekend (May 23 -24, 2015) when LivingWells Lifestyle Events debuts the intoxicating REVUE, a new two-night extravaganza of entertainment that promises to take over the Graton Resort & Casino Events Center and convert it into the sexiest cabaret club night in Northern California.

What’s so special about REVUE you say? Well for starters, imagine all the glitz of Wigstock and the glamour of Broadway joining together on one stage, combining music, comedy and a healthy dose of drag into an evening that will redefine the meaning of a gay weekend in Sonoma.

The talent will be a superlative mix of everything from the outrageous to the sublime and the erotic to the exceedingly elegant. Augmenting the drag personalities and some familiar faces from television will be a range of talents that include musicians, comedians, vocalists, Broadway performers and surprise Grammy® and Tony® award-winning special guests. Notable performers on the bill who are sure to add special allure to this Wine Country weekend to remember include: Iconic dance music diva Martha Wash, drag superstars Lady Bunny, Jackie Beat and Candis Cayne; Tony® Award-winning performers Levi Kreis and Shoshana Bean, American Idol finalist Jacob Lusk, New York’s acclaimed Ryan Raftery, the one-man musical juggernaut behind Ryan Raftery is the Most Powerful Woman in Fashion, and cabaret legend Joey Arias.

More than just a cabaret, REVUE is a night about music, talent and some occasional outrageousness, the like of which is not to be found elsewhere in Northern California. Never before has this caliber of performers been gathered in one space in this part of the country with such high production value in such an elegant setting. In fact, I am personally inviting the audience to expect only one thing, and that is to expect the unexpected.”

Throughout the holiday weekend, the fun doesn’t end when the curtain drops.  Prior to and following the Saturday and Sunday performances, guests can take part in the pre-show VIP reception and a post-party/Meet & Greet in the Graton Resort & Casino’s Sky Bar lounge, which will be hosted by YouTube Sensation, Davey Wavey, Heatherette co-founders Richie Rich and Travis Rains and DJ’d by Toronto’s Scotty Dynamo on Saturday night and Lady Bunny on Sunday night.

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster and the Graton Rewards Center at a cost of $55 for general admission, $75 for premier tickets and $100 for special VIP passes, which include premium seating along with access to the pre and post event receptions.

And if that’s not enough to please your palette, then stay a while longer. Graton Resort & Casino offers a complete entertainment experience, featuring table games, the latest slot machines, upscale and casual dining, plus a variety of other entertainment options for visitors and locals alike.

Find about more about REVUE at at www.gratonresortcasino.com/revue. You know you want to.

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Mancunian: A person from Manchester.

Mancunian Life: Fierce, fun, vibrant, independent, sometimes raucous, always original, forever unbuttoned and decidedly passionate about music.

Now, with that settled, if you follow this blog, you already know that I just returned from my second thrill ride of a visit to Manchester Pride. Last week I told you about the city’s annual Pride event, which has long been one of the most highly anticipated events on the Pride circuit. But I would do Manchester a great disservice if I didn’t offer up a guide to some of my favorite places in the city itself. So, with that in mind, this week I’m doing just that, with an eye toward some of the hotspots I discovered for the first time on this recent visit.

For many in the LGBT community, Manchester may have only come into their purview thanks to the original version of the hit series Queer As Folk, which was set in the city’s gay village and spawned the equally popular American offshoot that pulled back the covers on gay life as some knew it. But long before Manchester’s queer culture took center stage, the city had developed a world-class reputation of its own. From music to commerce, Mancunians have, over the centuries, distinguished themselves with their industrious spirit and propensity for living life to the fullest.

The industrial revolution? Manchester was its birthplace. The Smiths, The Bee Gees, New Order, Oasis and Badly Drawn Boy? All Mancunian artists.

Beyond that, Manchester’s gay village is amongst the most bustling I have ever encountered. In fact, with over 70 bars, clubs and restaurants, visitors to Manchester are spoiled for choice in terms of gay outlets—in a way that actually defies the city’s somewhat modest size. Canal Street, the hub of gay life—with its menagerie of watering holes and packed dance clubs—is on its own an adventure in gay sensory overload.

Lest I run the risk of sounding like a history lesson or being reductive, I’ll direct you to the Manchester Media Pack App on iTunes or Google Play for more historical information about Manchester and instead turn your attention to the city’s highlights. Below were some of the spots that topped my list of my faves from my recent visit:

EAT 

Richmond Tea Rooms
Richmond Street, The Village, M1 3HZ
T: +44 (0) 161 237 9667
richmondtearooms.com

Alice in Wonderland comes to life in this wonderfully over-the-top yet strikingly traditional English-style tea room where a delectable menu of nibbles and teas are served throughout the day and evening. Meanwhile, when night falls, the adjoining cocktail lounge, with its quirky fixtures, serves up a sparkling array of handmade cocktails befitting the fantastical quality of the space.

Australasia
1 The Avenue, Spinningfields, Manchester, M3 3AP
T: +44 (0)161 831 0288
australasia.uk.com

Popular among Manchester’s in-crowd, this utterly modern restaurant delivers wow factor from its chic entrance, which draws aesthetical comparisons to the Louvre. Serving a menu of Pacific Rim flavours that combines an exotic blend of Indonesian and Southeast Asian influences, Australasia delivers a palate-pleasing experience combined with top-notch service. Popular footballers including David Beckham have broken bread in this sprawling restaurant, which becomes a bit of a scene in its own right as the evenings grow late and popular local DJs spin the hottest tunes on the restaurant’s state-of-the-art sound system well into early hours of the morning.

Bakerie
43-45 Lever Street, Northern Quarter, M60 7HP
T: +44 (0) 161 236 9014
bakerie.co.uk

Utterly charming, dining at this restaurant in Manchester’s Northern Quarter is like sitting down to a perfectly appointed picnic. Choose trays of cheeses, cured meats and vegetables along with a few bottles of good wine and while away a blissful afternoon on the communal benches in this perfectly inviting hipster hotspot.

Vermilion and Cinnabar
Hulme Hall Lane, Lord North Street, Sport City, Manchester, M40 8AD
T: +44 161 202 0055
vermilioncinnabar.com
@VermilionUK

Designed by Miguel Cancio Martins, the man behind Buddha Bar in Paris and Alain Ducasse’s Crystal of Marrakech, Vermilion and Cinnabar is a massive concept restaurant, located near the Etihad stadium. Since opening in 2007, the destination attracts more than 2,000 customers a week. While the restaurant’s menu offers authentic Thai and Indian cuisine, along with a range of fresh seafood, the cocktail lounge attracts fashionable locals, VIPs and celebrities in addition to a fair amount leading DJs.

SLEEP

Radisson Blu Edwardian

A five-star experience wrapped up in one of Manchester’s most celebrated buildings, the historic Free Trade Hall, Radisson Blu Edwardian offers style and luxury in the heart of Manchester’s city center. It also offers the rejuvenating Sienna Spa and the decadent Opus One bar and restaurant where braising is all the rage.  radissonblu-edwardian.com/manchester

DRINK

The Alchemist on New York Street
New York Street, Manchester, M1 4BD
T: +44 (0)161 817 2950
thealchemist.uk.com

Cocktail culture comes to life at the Alchemist in Spinningfields, Manchester, as expert mixologists concoct a dizzying selection of signature cocktails. When you want a proper cocktail, this is the destination that you want to favor with your presence.

PLAY

G-A-Y Manchester
63 Richmond Street, M1 3HW
T: 0161 228 1631

Like its sister outpost in London, G-A-Y Manchester attracts a pretty, younger crowd with a mix of contemporary hits, cheap cocktails and amiable bartenders.

The Thompsons Arms
21 Sackville Street, M1 3WF
T: 0161 228 3012

Prepare to dance the night away in this multi-level space, where the DJs play dance-pop anthems to throngs of friendly patrons well into the wee hours of the morning.

Velvet
2 Canal Street, M1 3WF
T: 0161 236 9003

More of a lounge than a bar, Velvet is a relaxed space where you can enjoy a cocktail or get frisky on the bar’s tiny dance floor—you choose. That said, the crowd is always fun and eclectic, which alone makes a visit to this Mancunian hotspot a must.

Queer
4 Canal Street, M1 3HE
T: 0161 228 1360

As the name suggests, Queer is a big gay club with multiple dance floors and a gay hipster clientele.

If you don’t already know Manchester, it’s time you got better acquainted. Find out more atvisitmanchester.com. Until next time, be well, live Wells!

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London may be a grand old dame of a destination, but don’t be fooled into thinking it has lost one ounce of its spunk or legendary cool with the passage of time. After years of being thought of as one of the world‘s leading gay-friendly destinations, London remains home to more than one queen and with very good reason.

SoHo along with the familiar Old Compton Street and its equally gay-friendly neighboring tributaries might still form the nucleus of LGBT life in London, but these days the city’s  gay scene has evolved and is now distinguished by vibrant arteries that extend far beyond the boundaries of its well-established gay heartbeat.

Once upon a time, a trip to London meant perusing the city’s ‘crown jewels’ solely within the confines of clubs and bars like the now-defunct G-A-Y, the rock-steady Admiral Duncan or the mega club Heaven, which is in and of itself a rite of passage in London’s gay nightlife scene. But that was then and this is now.

Nowadays London offers alternatives of the variety that befit its unofficial designation as the ‘gay capital ofEurope.’

Alternative London Nightlife

Perhaps the most buzzworthy gay nightlife area in London at the moment is Vauxhall in South London. In this once run-down area of town now resides super clubs like Fire, one of the biggest and busiest nightspots in the Vauxhall gay village, which is sometimes referred to as “Voho.” 

At Fire, the crowd tends toward the young and trendy and the music plays well into the wee hours of the morning. Neighboring hotspots include the equally hipster-filled Barcode and Area as well as the more down-and-dirty leather-oriented The Hoist and The Eagle, which holds the popular “Horse Meat Disco” on Sunday nights.

Meanwhile, across town, bears and those who love to hunt them will feel right at home at XXL London, which promises three times the fun twice a week on Wednesdays from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. and on Saturdays from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. It’s a little out of the way, but XXL definitely delivers the fur on two packed danced floors, so for those so inclined it really can’t be topped.

Another great, more casual gay area in London can be found in Islington where the bars have a laidback, neighborhood-y feel. Because the area is more gay-friendly than anything else, the popular choice is the always-packed The Green which attracts an attractive, low-key crowd.   After drinks, you can also always check out the King’s Head Theatre & Pub which regularly  has something gay or of gay interest on the marquee.

Off The Beaten Path Dining

Sure London has J. Sheeky, The Ivy, Nobu and Cecconi’s, among a plethora of other fine-dining eateries to choose from, but off the beaten path you’ll find some real gems.  For instance, in super trendy Bermondsey, where celebrated Brit designer Zandra Rhodes has staked her headquarters, The Village East is an über-hot dining choice, as much for the well-heeled, artsy crowd that frequents it as for its modern and eclectic menu.

Another great option is Chino Latino restaurant at The Park Plaza Riverbank London hotel, where Pan Asian cuisine gets a modern twist. The drinks are fruity and delicious and the waiters provide mouthwatering eye candy. As an added bonus, this restaurant is also perfectly situated en route to a night out in Vauxhall by taxi, so you can begin the evening with a little dinner and end it with a whole lot of dancing.

Where To Stay

Some of the most gay-friendly accommodations in London are still, not surprisingly, located in close proximity to the better known gay areas in the city, like SoHo. That said, they are also conveniently near tube stops, which provide easy access to areas like Vauxhall and Islington. And for those on a less restrictive budget, these hotels are also a relatively inexpensive cab ride (by London standards) from Londontown’s burgeoning alternative nightlife scene. Here are three great choices and three very different price points:

Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel:  Fans of the film Love and Other Disasters, which was one of Brittany Murphy’s last, will recognize this hotel as the place where Matthew Rhys finds true gay love—most appropriate given that the hotel is a stone’s throw from Covent Garden, London’s West End (La Cage Aux Folles anyone?) and  Old Compton Street. The breathtaking entryway and genuine pearl-studded Pearl Lounge are worth the price of admission alone. Old world elegance and service at its best.

Montague on the Gardens:  Located equally close to gay nightlife in London, the Montague on the Gardens is an ideal choice for those who prefer a more boutique hotel experience. A townhouse hotel, this property has the advantage of having the British Museum as a neighbor, making it a big hit among the culturati. Rooms tend to be on the smaller side, but are impeccably designed. Tip: Request one of the newer Bloomsbury rooms.

The Egerton House Hotel: If it’s the pinnacle of luxury you seek, then the intimate 30-room Egerton House Hotel in Kensington is the place for you. A stay at The Egerton House is more akin to paying a visit to a stately country residence than checking into a traditional hotel. Each room is individually decorated, every service carried out with precision and the martinis made by the steady hand of 40-year hotel veteran barman Antonio Pizzuto are consistently named the best in London. What more could you ask for? The hotel is also walking distance to Harrods, Harvey Nichols and some of the city’s best high-end boutiques, Sweetie darling.

Bottom line—if you thought you knew London, take a look at the city again through a different lens and you just might find that all that is old is indeed new again.

Gay News – FrontiersLA – Breaking Gay News | London 2.0: Undiscovered Gay London.

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On Wednesday morning, the cohost of the December 7 event, Michael Dean Shelton, who lists himself as a principal of MDS Consulting, sent an e-mail to Hildebrand’s personal contact list of thousands of fans, friends, clients, and Facebook followers alleging that the Malibu-based celebrity realtor had hijacked money from the finale fund-raiser to cover his personal expenses.

In the e-mail Shelton wrote, “It came to my attention yesterday that my co-host, Madison Hildebrand, for the December 7th, 2009 event at The Abbey, West Hollywood had decided to pocket the majority of the money raised by us for his personal expenses (please see attachment). I first need to state that The Leap Foundation nor I had ever agreed or even was told prior to the event that this was going to happen. As we told you at the event, 100 percent of the sale of raffle tickets and flat donations were to go to The Leap Foundation and portion of the sale of Madison’s book was to benefit The Foundation. Madison’s decision to renege the verbal agreement is unconscionable, at best. I have tried to contact Madison without success and so this email is my next step to regain the money that rightfully belongs to The Leap Foundation.”

Hildebrand is now challenging Shelton’s claims of financial impropriety and threatening legal action if Shelton does not issue a retraction. Not only does Hildebrand say that he never had any such verbal agreement with MDS or the Leap Foundation, he argues that the entire e-mail is a misrepresentation of the facts that has left him “shocked” and “alarmed.”

In a tersely worded e-mail from Hildebrand to Shelton that was obtained by Advocate.com Wednesday, the Bravo star writes, “Hello Michael: I am in receipt of your email that you sent this morning to me and to all of my private contacts, your contacts, and guests. I have received numerous phone calls, emails, facebook messages, and text messages from my clients, friends, and strangers alerting me and asking me what the story is. You have untruthfully stated in your email that I was in breach of an oral agreement… The email you sent this morning is defamatory.  Please retract your statement and allegations to everyone you sent the email to.”

Subsequently, in a telephone conversation on Wednesday, Hildebrand went even further, asserting that if anyone failed to live up to their responsibilities at the event, it was Shelton.

“There was a clear division of responsibilities for the event,” Hildebrand says flatly. “ I told [Michael] from day one that I was interested in doing a season finale book-signing party and that my expertise was not in throwing Hollywood events and I knew nothing about it nor did I want to, but that I would certainly show up, bring books, bring the season finale and that I would even book the location and that I would do the invitation. That was my responsibility. His responsibility was to do everything else.”

However, according to Hildebrand, three days before the event, while he had done what he had promised, his cohost had not, which began to raise concerns for him and his assistant Heather. Hildebrand says that with the event only days away, nothing had been confirmed and there wasn’t even so much as an alcohol sponsor.

“Bottom line: [Michael] didn’t follow through and … left me high and dry three days before the event with absolutely no sponsors, no step-and-repeat, no confirmed celebrities … nothing. And that was his role,” the reality star says.

Hildebrand continues, “He didn’t bring the charity board … we had to rip up pieces of paper and write numbers on them (for the raffle tickets). … The whole thing was an embarrassment, and I feel bad for the people who did show up and expected something different, because I was definitely expecting something different.”

Hildebrand says at the last minute, he was forced to call in favors from friends and various vendors, including florists and liquor companies, to salvage the event for the sake of the charity and his own reputation. The Million Dollar Listing star says that he even went so far as to personally pay for the step-and-repeat (the banner used behind celebrities for press photos) as well as the lights for the event in spite of his request in the final days before the event to cancel the pricey items because he would rather have had “a nice event and have my friends and fans show up, do a book signing, and watch the finale” and donate the cost of the extras to the charity.

Hildebrand also referenced a conversation he had with Leap Foundation cofounder Bill Dorfman (pictured) on Tuesday evening, prior to Shelton sending the e-mail in question to Hildebrand’s personal mailing list.

In the conversation, Hildebrand says, he explained to Dorfman why he had deducted his expenses from the event’s tally as well as the circumstances that led him to make the deduction. In the final analysis, however, Hildebrand ultimately decided to cover the event costs himself and to send a check for the full amount raised to the Leap Foundation, even though he was unhappy with the way Shelton ran the event.

Hildebrand says, “I told [Dorfman] that … I did believe we should contribute the money that we raised to the Leap Foundation, but the reason that it wasn’t done that way in the first place was that I was upset with the process and I felt Michael really misled me and so I was deducting the expenses that I wasn’t expecting. [But] the check‘s already in the mail.”

The Advocate reached out to Shelton, Dorfman, or another representative of The Leap Foundation for comment, but by press time had received no response to calls and e-mails.

Perhaps more than anything else, Hildebrand says, he is fighting back because he’s concerned this new brouhaha will give his fans, supporters, and friends (to whom he sent an explanatory e-mail of his own Wednesday) the wrong idea about his charitable work, which he takes very seriously.

“I don’t know what Michael’s intention is … I don’t know why he’s being so vicious,“ Hildebrand says. “I’m upset, I’m hurt, and I’m disappointed that my intention to do good has been manipulated to make me look like a bad person.”

Originally published at Advocate.com. To read this post and more by Duane Wells at the Advocate, click here.

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The event, held at the Hollywood United Methodist Church, was a special all-star reading of The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later: An Epilogue that featured the likes of Zachary Quinto (Heroes, Star Trek), fresh off his evening at Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center’s 38th Anniversary Gala honoring Wanda Sykes; James Cromwell (Surrogates, Babe); Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory); Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory); Julie Benz (Dexter); and Lisa Edelstein (House), among others.

The play followed up on the award-winning production The Laramie Project, which documented the aftermath of the gruesome, hate-motivated murder of 21-year-old gay college student Matthew Shepard in 1998 and the impact the event had on the residents of Laramie, Wyo.

The epilogue to the original production, which was adapted for film by HBO in 2002, revisits many of the subjects of the first play, only to find out that the town and many of those who still call it home have changed very little in the last 10 years. What had changed in this new production, however, was the inclusion for the first time of interviews with Judy Shepard, Matthew’s mother, as well as with Matthew’s killers, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. As read by Johnny Galecki (McKinney} and Zachary Quinto (Henderson), transcripts of conversations with the murderers, while simultaneously evoking painful and haunting memories, offered riveting insights into the psyches of the men behind the crime that stepped up the push for hate-crimes legislation across America.

The moment that perhaps brought the symbolic importance of the event to the fore occurred toward the end of the production when actress Helen Shaver (The 4400, The L Word) read the following words from Judy Shepard: “Ten years of change, but no progress.” It was, like the event itself, a powerful reminder that in the 11 years since Matthew Shepard’s brutal murder, there is still, as Mrs. Shepard has reminded us time and again, no gay-inclusive federal hate-crimes law, no end in sight to the military’s discriminatory “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, and no movement on reversing the Defense of Marriage Act.

This week, however, at least one aspect of that could change, as the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, recently passed by Congress, heads to President Barack Obama’s desk, where it is expected to be signed into law. Over a decade after Matthew Shepard’s murder sent shock waves throughout the LGBT population, the new federal hate-crimes legislation not only represents the progress that Judy Shepard and countless others have fought for, but a fitting memorial to Matthew Shepard, whose life and horrific death reignited a movement.

Originally published at Advocate.com. To read this post and more by Duane Wells at the Advocate, click here.

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It stands to reason then that Levi’s junior album, Where I Belong, is as much a joyously, soulful collection of contemporary standards that traverse the musical spectrum as it is the heartfelt testimony of a boy from a small town in Tennessee who grew up preaching the gospel in fundamentalist Baptist churches across the South and then spent years in “reparative” therapy attempting to pray away the fact that he’s gay. Ultimately, he found himself abandoned, denied, and betrayed by elements of the very Christian community he had once so desperately fought to be accepted by.

As it was with his previous albums, One of the Ones and The Gospel According to Levi, each of the tracks on Kreis’s latest release help to bring more vividly into focus the autobiographical portrait of a singer who refused to be “repaired” by the Christian community that raised him to think he was broken or bullied into playing it “straight” by the mainstream community of major music labels that courted him along the way. Just like the words of his new single from Where I Belong suggest, Levi Kreis clearly wants “everything or nothing at all.” And with a busy career that currently combines touring with a new album and a critically acclaimed starring turn as Jerry Lee Lewis in the hit musical Million Dollar Quartet, it seems as though Levi is getting exactly what he asked for.

As he celebrates the exclusive debut of the video for his new single “Nothing at All” here at Advocate.com, I sat down with Levi for a conversation about the very personal spiritual journey that inspired his new album, what it means to reconcile faith with sexuality, and how the last few years have brought little change for gay and lesbian Americans from less urbanized parts of the country who still struggle to simply be accepted as the “God-created” human beings they know themselves to be.

Advocate.com: With your third album, Where I Belong, it genuinely seems that you’ve finally found your voice and that you’re actually presenting Levi Kreis’s naked, unbridled truth in song. Would you say that’s an accurate assessment?
Levi Kreis: I’m glad you feel that way, Duane, because I absolutely feel that. I feel like it took me being on the road for over 300 dates and doing two studio albums to sort of be able to very specifically define the truest representation of who I am musically. And it’s no surprise that brought me back to the church and my gospel roots with a little bit of a Southern flair [added] to it.

[This album] just feels more accurate and honest from a musical standpoint. I’ve always been pretty open and willing to be vulnerable… but it feels nice to have both the musical aspect and the lyrical aspect come together in a way that I feel is really a true reflection of who I am.

It’s interesting that you describe this new album as a more honest example of who you are, because I get the sense that you’re having much
more fun with this record than you did on your debut album, One of the Ones, which was, dare I say, a much more somber, heart-wrenching affair.

[Laughs]

Yeah, [One of the Ones] was not necessarily what you’d play on a hot summer day if you wanted to feel good about life.

[Laughs]

Writing is my therapy. It’s how I deal with wherever I am in life. At the period of time in my life [when I was recording] The Gospel According to Levi, I was dealing with wanting to articulate what my past was… come to terms with it and let it go. And [the album] accomplished that for me. I have been able to let that go and it feels really freeing.

Now Where I Belong represents yet another new direction for you in much the same way that your sophomore effort, The Gospel According to Levi,
represented a significant departure from One of the Ones. But would it be fair to say that this new album symbolizes not a compromise but a
meeting point for you between the two musical extremes you previously explored?

I like the way you put that because if it feels like Where I Belong strikes a balance it’s because I finally feel balanced. I never want to take away that old desire I had as a kid to be a music minister and I’m always going  to want to make music that is positive, inspirational, and healing. But there’s just no brooding in my life
right now.

I think that acceptance and coming to terms with what my past has been has put me in a place of such gratitude for all the stuff that you and I both know that we’ve gone through — for my roots and [for] that installation of faith — that is still instilled in us and a part of who we are.

[It’s about] putting all of the misconceptions aside and saying that I’m really OK to sit here in balance and harmony with the absolute protection of the whole journey.

Did something specific happen to bring about your newfound balance? In other words, was there a catalyst for this change in your life and your
outlook, or has it just come as a result of surviving the journey? 

Wow, that’s a really good question. First of all, I think that there was a bounce-back effect that happened with me internally after doing a year of press for The Gospel According to Levi. Laying my story out over and over and over — and having a passion about pushing diversity and seeing the commonalities between all of us — the bounce-back effect of all of that was that I didn’t realize that for years I needed to get that off my chest. I really did need to surrender myself to a very specific message like that album. [On The Gospel According to Levi] I said my peace…and that message was out there. With Where I Belong… it was an expression of a weight that had been lifted off my shoulders.

Another answer to that question is that I have, after becoming more regular inmy church in Los Angeles, begun to put a lot of emphasis on forgiveness. I actually put a journal together where I [acknowledge] that we all do what we know based on our limited knowledge and experience — that no one has per se done this to me — that we are all a complicated mess and [that] our history makes us all who we are [in a given] moment.

Therefore I can visualize that person in my past and say, “I realize that you do what you do based on your limited knowledge and experience, that it’s not about me and I understand that we are on a journey and I choose to see the God expressing himself through you, [so] I choose to forgive and let go.”

I filled that journal up with probably 200–300 pages because when you really start to do that homework, you begin to realize all these little things that have been picking at the back of your brain that you probably haven’t even thought of before. It is the most releasing experience. So I think that probably correlated with the experience of The Gospel According to Levi to maximize this whole freedom that I felt by the end of that campaign.

You know, Levi, I hear a joy in your voice now that wasn’t there when we last spoke and it really shines through in the music.

[Laughs] Absolutely…absolutely. That’s good. I feel it.

You know, whereas I might have felt before that the purpose of my voice was to confront, now I feel that there is a broader, more all encompassing purpose that I have adopted for my voice. Acceptance is a huge part of why my voice…does sound different. It feels different for me completely.

On the subject of acceptance, you have finally recorded “Stained Glass Window,” which you origina

lly wrote for the Del Shores play Southern
Baptist Sissies. That song and that play were both very personal for you, weren’t they? 

Yeah. Del Shores put [Southern Baptist Sissies] up in 2001 in Los Angeles… and it kind of developed its own life.

“Stained Glass Window” was a song I wrote based on the play because that play happened to be a very defiant moment for me in that I was
able to put aside my internal conflicts.

I had just showed up in L.A. fresh off the bus [when] someone dragged me into this play called Southern Baptist Sissies, and by halftime — I like to call intermission halftime — I was in my chair in the fetal position bawling my eyes out. I had no idea that so many other people had gone through what I had gone through. I didn’t re

alize that my story was the story of other people. I was floored.

Del Shores happened to have been sitting behind me at the time and he leaned over and asked me if I was going to be OK. I said, “I don’t know who wrote this play, but it’s
just tearing me apart!” [Laughs] And then he said, “I wrote it. Hi. I’m Del Shores.” We got to talking about my six years of “reparative” therapy and growing up in the church and [Del] extended his hand and said, “You can come back and see this play as many times as it takes you to put your past behind you.” So I think I went to see the play 36 times. [Laughs]

Somewhere along the way, one of the monologues from the play called “All the Colors” is what inspired the writing of [“Stained Glass Window”]. A lot
of Del Shores fans and some fans of my own have wanted that song to be recorded for a very long time, so it brings me much joy to finally have
a copy of that song on an album.

That song is a testimony, so I’m sure your fans appreciate the fact that you’ve recorded it. Speaking of which, you once told me that fans often come up to you after your shows to share their personal stories and how much they relate to your own personal odyssey. Is that still the case?

Yes.

And I am still amazed at the amount of [stories]. I never fail to be amazed at the [gay] youth who are still struggling, because it is a reflection of the communities that they are from and how [those communities] have not advanced in their thinking.

Now that I’ve been sort of urbanized, I sort of don’t realize as much as I used to that there are areas of the country that are still very much thesame as they were when we were growing up. It’s always a little bit of a shock when a 16-year-old comes up to me after a show and says, “My dad just kicked me out and I don’t know what to do” or “I don’t know how to come out to my mom or to my friends” — just to hear that they’re still dealing with very personal conflicts, with their religion and who they are as God-created human beings, still amazes me.

I keep thinking that our consciousness in this country is a little bit further along than sometimes I find that it is when I hear some of these stories.

Listening to you talk about your spirituality and your beliefs, it’s clear that you’ve genuinely struck a balance between your faith and your sexuality for yourself. But for many in the gay and lesbian community what you believe is quite simply not their reality because organized religion has put them down and served as their primary foe for so long. What do you say to those folks about God?

I would say that if you have known love that is true, then you have known God because God is love.

We don’t have to beat ourselves into believing any sort of doctrine…and we don’t have to try to wrap our brains around any concept that may be highbrow, high-minded, or might be coming from elders that we grew up with…or even our moms and dads, which is the common place that sort of thinking comes from.

The fact of the matter is that all we have to do is to choose to see and we will see God. Look for that divine intelligence that is in back of all that is brilliantly alive
and you will see it.

Originally published at Advocate.com. To read this post and more by Duane Wells at the Advocate, click here.

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