Election Day = Wedding Day

Way back in 2004, when the commonwealth of Massachusetts announced its passage of the first real same-sex marriage law (how that must have pissed off Mitt Romney!) my partner Tom Klebba and I decided that it was time to legalize our 15-year union.

Here's a bit of background: We had met in 1988 as members of the New York City Gay Men's Chorus (I was a charter member, Tom had recently joined) and had both been cast in the Chorus' production of "Once Upon a Mattress." The production was mostly notable for introducing us to each other, but also because it began some of our lifelong friendships (Irma Csermak, Hank Baker), was a jumping-off point for a future Broadway star (Ann Harada of "Avenue Q" fame) and sadly, a farewell to several of our theatre colleagues (Martin Teitel, David Bartee). It also was the beginning of our theatrical collaboration (Tom as director, Jay as producer) , first with "110 in the Shade" at NYU, and then subsequent off-Broadway productions under our Opening Doors banner (with a tip of the hat to Stephen Sondheim) of "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow," "Company," "Anyone Can Whistle" (its first New York incarnation since its 9-performance run in 1964), "On a Clear Day..." (with the amazing Burton Lane as our artistic advisor), and our own Cole Porter revue, "Anything Cole."

Back to our wedding: in preparation for our nuptials, we joined the Unitarian Church in Pittsfield, MA, not far from our upstate home in the Berkshires. All plans were made: string trio to play Satie, Bernstein and Ravel for the ceremony, the briefly formed Berkshire Gay Men's Chorus (in their debut and farewell performance), singing the Bock/Harnick "Sabbath Prayer," a jazz band for all-night dancing under a tent that had been magically built and decorated on our upstate property, caterers, wedding planners, celebrants, the whole nine yards. Just as we were going to press with our elaborately designed invitations (the amazing work of our niece Alana), the law allowing same-sex couples to marry in Massachusetts went into effect. Within a few days, the bad news came fast: in an effort to stem the tide of too many gay men and lesbians coming to their state, the Massachusetts legislation refused to allow same-sex out-of-state residents to obtain marriage licenses by invoking a 1913 miscegenation law that was still on the books (don't even ask; it was Romney and his ilk getting back at us).

We were devastated. What to do? Only one answer: move forward. Law or no law, the "wedding" took place as planned, on July 10, 2004, and it was a magical day for us, our family and our friends. Our upstate home flowed over with love and celebration and beautiful weather, including a knockout sunset. All was well, but...when would we be able to legalize our union?

It took four years, but finally on July 31, 2008, more than four years later, the fight was won: same-sex couples were now legally able to marry in Massachusetts!! But when to do it? Tom had the obvious answer: to marry on Election Day, our 20th anniversary, which would also (we hoped) celebrate the day our country began its long, slow but inevitable climb toward hope. We contacted the estimable Boston-based organization GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders), a group that has done more for LGBT rights that any group we know, and found an amazing 28-page document, "How to Get Married in Massachusetts," that tells you everything you could possibly need to know.

It led us to search for a Massachusetts-based Justice of the Peace. We wrote to several JPs, all of whom got back to us very quickly. But one stood out from the others. His name is Brian Birkel, he's located in Pittsfield, and he was absolutely the right guy for us. He called me immediately to discuss what we wanted. I explained our situation, the fact that we had already had the big ceremony four years ago, and now we wanted to simply say "I do" legally. He admitted that we were the first same-sex couple he would marry, and was extremely enthusiastic to work with us. Over the next few weeks I sent him some information about our lives together, our 2004 ceremony etc. From this he fashioned a brief but beautiful ceremony, held in his back yard under warm and sunny November skies, complete with the exchange of rings once again (I had not removed my ring since Tom placed it on my finger more than four years earlier, and only the adrenaline of the situation managed to get it off and then on again). Brian was clearly moved by the event, and we were so glad that we had chosen him.

After some hugs and kisses and a few tears, the deed was done, and we were now married! Off we went to a very elegant lunch at Wheatleigh, a beautiful old mansion-turned-hotel, where we had the entire dining room to ourselves. As we had already voted for our man earlier that morning, we hurried home to watch the election results that we had prayed for but were still afraid to count on...and on November 4, 2008 all our prayers and fondest hopes came true. It would be a day to remember for all the right reasons. And it would also be a day to continue the fight, as Proposition 8 brought a temporary halt to same-sex marriage in Calfornia. But as thousands of people protested this latest indignity at rallies all over the country, we truly believe that future legislation will once again turn in our favor, and that what was begun in Massachusetts in 2004 will one day be law throughout this country.

Why Do Lesbians Have All the Fun?

I guess you could call November ‘The Month of the Lesbian’ at Chelsea Pines Inn. This month marked a terrific feature about our little hotel in JANE AND JANE, the leading magazine celebrating ‘sophisticated living for lesbian lifestyles’ (which recently went national) and our sponsorship of NYC’s most fabulous night for lesbians and the gay men and straight folk who love them, THE WOMEN’S EVENT.

On November 1 Chelsea Pines was a Palladium Sponsor of the LGBT Community Center’s 11th Annual WOMEN’S EVENT. The evening was held on the beautiful Hudson River at Chelsea Piers and the honorees were Ilene Chaiken, creator of THE L WORD, Stephanie Gibbons, Executive VP of Marketing On-Air Promotion of FX Networks and Lisa Sherman, Execuitve VP and General Manager of LOGO. By the way, Chelsea Pines Inn takes great pride in having been the first hotel in America to bring LOGO-TV to its guests.

This was our first year as a sponsor and it was a real eye-opener!
The evening started out with a cocktail hour featuring some incredibly creative and tasty appetizers. What was so immediately striking about this evening was the panoply of our LGBT community present. It was clear that this evening celebrated the entire community – all ages, all races, all body-types. We were all together, all dressed-up and ready to party! We boys were oh, so happy to be included.

The evening, a benefit for the LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY CENTER, used this year’s 11th anniversary to honor three women behind the success of THE L WORD. THE L WORD is entering its sixth and (sadly) final season. We couldn’t agree more with Gwen Marcus who said it has brought visibility and honesty to the portrayal of women’s lives, shattered harmful stereotypes, inspired young and old to come out, highlighted LGBT civil rights and other issues of importance to our community and continues to foster understanding and acceptance among non-LGBT people.

All three women, as well as Center Board Member Gwen Marcus, spoke eloquently about THE L WORD and its contributions. Additionally, Jennifer Beals fired up the crowd with an impassioned speech about our impending political moment!

Afterwards, the happily energized crowd took to the dance floor. It was an evening we were truly sorry to see end.

We were also overjoyed to be featured in JANE AND JANE this month.  If you haven’t come across it, it is a terrific mag that highlights sophisticated living for lesbians. As opposed to most male-oriented LGBT press that has become more fashion mag than informational, JANE AND JANE strikeS a perfect balance of content and design. You can now find it on newsstands across the country. Be sure and check them out at www.janeandjane.com.

In their Travel Postcard section they said ‘for travelers wishing to experience New York City’s most exciting neighborhoods, while still keeping to a budget, the CHELSEA PINES INN is a perfect home away from home.”  Thanks JANE AND JANE!

Gay Pride Sunday 'in the park with George' (and Steve and Alec)

As the owners of Chelsea Pines Inn, the most popular LGBT hotel in New York City, it behooved us to do something especially gay on Gay Pride Sunday this year. How to celebrate? Marching in the parade? Great, but done that many times. Dancing on the pier? Maybe 20 years ago. In truth, we had already decided several weeks ago where we would be on June 29: at the final performance of the amazing new production of Sunday in the Park with George, the classic Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine musical that in any other season would have trumped the Tony Awards, but with the last-minute arrivals of Gypsy and South Pacific, unfairly faded into the background and walked away empty-handed on Tony night. Don't get me wrong: the latter two shows deserve tremendous praise for their accomplishments, but it was a shame that the wonder that is Sunday has received but two Tony awards ever (scenic and lighting design for the original production, richly deserved), and not a single one for its creators or stars (Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin in 1984, Genna Russell and Daniel Evans in 2008). The best score of 1984 was judged to be Jerry Herman's La Cage aux Folles...don't get me started. Anyway, Steve's work has been iconically gay for decades, and who wouldn't want to be at a closing performance of one of his shows? We were so there!

Somehow we managed to land great seats (8th row, just on the side aisle), particularly lucky as we saw the long line of people begging for cancellations. Just as the lights went down, and a roar went up as this landmark show began its last performance, Mr. Sondheim slipped into his seat just across the aisle from us. Very cool. When I first met him many years ago, as concert producer/charter member of the NYC Gay Men's Chorus and for our Sondheim tribute evening, he had specifically asked for seats in the back of the house, because he wanted the audience to watch the show, and not watch him watching the show. Sadly, he's right. It was tough not to look over periodically to see how he was enjoying his own work, in the hands of this tremendously talented company, and I'm glad to report he seemed quite happy, applauding enthusiastically at the end of each number. The man has great talent and great taste.

I was pretty teary during Daniel Evans' heartfelt "Finishing the Hat" and was awash through his "We Do Not Belong Together" with Genna, Mary Beth Peil's moving rendition of "Beautiful" (why have I always thought it was called "Changing'?), and of course the first act finale of "Sunday". I cried all during the second half of Act Two, from Genna's gorgeous "Children and Art" through the very last moment, when I was sobbing (yes, I looked across to Steve, and he was sobbing too). As it was the last performance, and the audience had been hyped from the first moment, Daniel, Genna and company (which included the remarkable pop/jazz singer Jessica Molaskey) had to re-time their movements as the audience responded to the emotion of the moment over and over again. In its final moments, when the company is singing "Sunday" for one last glorious time, Genna was crying so hard that she was practically unable to sing her last solo line ("In our perfect park"), and Daniel was equally overwhelmed as he turned upstage and the entire company bowed to him one final time. As Genna/Dot floated off the stage, the roaring in the theatre was such that Daniel had to hold up his hand to the audience so that he could deliver his final line ("White: a blank page or canvas..."), his face wreathed in smiles and tears. As I looked across the aisle, Steve had characteristically left his seat, both in an effort to be backstage to congratulate the cast and to not be noticed by the audience. The man who has changed the face of the American musical theatre forever (no, as he put it in his speech read by Mandy at the Tony Awards this month, not single-handedly, but in collaboration with some of the theatre's greatest creative minds) had indeed been noticed; if not in person, as is his wont, but through the creation of a work of art that inexplicably moves us in ways that only great art can.

From the sublime to the sublimely ridiculous: to cap off our own Gay Pride celebration, we went downtown to Joe's Pub for an hour of outrageousness with Alec Mapa, the actor/standup comic who graces a moment or two on "Ugly Betty" and whose LOGO-TV special has been running for years (enough already, LOGO, time for a new special!) Billing himself as "America's Gaysian Sweetheart," Alec kept us convulsed by hitting all the targets: gay travel (his recounting of being a guest artist with both Rosie's cruises and an Atlantis cruise that also featured Debbie Reynolds and Charo were priceless), gay sex (his explanation of how he knows someone is a rice queen cuts right to the bone, as it were), and gay marriage, where he ends with an unexpectedly touching account of his own relationship was lovely. His outfit (very Project Runway, in a Catholic little-boys-school fashion, complete with school tie) was a winner (great legs, Alec), and when he describes the sex with his lover (howling like two cats having sex) we howled too!

We left the theatre, happy and exhausted, and a little sad that we had missed the fireworks across town at the pier. But no, we were in luck: the fireworks had just started, and as we crossed 8th Street going west, we could see them just above the trees and tall buildings. We stopped to marvel at them, and a young woman stopped with us, enjoying them but confused. "Why are there fireworks tonight?" she asked us. "It's Gay Pride night!" we answered in unison.
And for us, it really was. Thanks, Steve, and thanks, Alec.

Gay Pride Week at Chelsea Pines Inn

Welcome to Gay Pride Week 2008, one of the world's largest LGBT celebrations! And Chelsea Pines Inn, now in its third decade of serving the LGBT world community, is right in the center of it all. Men and women from all over the world converge on New York City to commemorate the event (the 1969 Stonewall riots) that began the gay rights movement in this country. Hard to believe that it's thirty-nine years since that day, and next year will be thirty-ten (okay, four-oh for those that insist!)

In addition to welcoming our worldwide guests, Chelsea Pines is proudly sponsoring a number of events this year. The NYC LGBT Community Center, located just around the corner from us, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and earlier this week held its largest-ever annual Garden Party event, right down the street from us on the pier. Thousands of guests attended this gala event, as honorary chair Ruth Reichl (food doyenne, "Gourmet" editor and former food critic of the NY Times) offered up food from dozens of the best restaurants in New York City. Chelsea Pines was a major sponsor of this event, as it was earlier this year for the sold-out musical theatre evening, Broadway Backwards, held at the American Airlines Roundabout Theatre, and featuring such luminaries as Sandy Duncan, Neil Patrick Harris and his lover David Burtka in their first professional appearance (they sang the amazing lesbian duet from Rent, and it was hot!) and Kerry Butler and Cheyenne Jackson, stars of the suprise Broadway hit, Xanadu.
Chelsea Pines owner Jay Lesiger was chair of this event, and has been asked to chair the 2009 edition of Broadway Backwards as well. And coming up is another exciting event, The Center's annual Women's Event dinner/dance, the largest event of its kind in the country, to be held on November 1 at Chelsea Piers, and honoring several lesbians for their significant achievements in the world community. Chelsea Pines Inn is proud to be a major sponsor of this event as well.

We also just concluded our first annual sponsorship of GayfestNYC, an annual series of new LGBT plays presented every year. We kicked this off by hosting Leslie Jordan, the diminutively brilliant Beverly Leslie on the groundbreaking Will and Grace, who did a one-man evening as the initial fundraiser for GayfestNYC.

But we're not just sponsors in life, we're participants too! This week day manager Richard Oberle, sales and marketing guru Tom Klebba and owner Jay Lesiger had their own "boys' night out" as they attended three back-to-back events. First was a kickoff party for a new Aussie magazine called DNA at the hot HKLounge, where swimwear models showed off their goods in white Speedos for the crowd. Then we were on to "gay night" at the fabulous Xanadu (check out their hilarious videos on Youtube, produced for Tony Award hype, featuring amazing cameos by Nathan Lane, Cynthia Nixon and Patti Lupone, and while you're there, check out our Youtube item; just type in "Chelsea Pines Inn," click your red-shoed heels three times and you're there!) If you haven't seen Xanadu, then you must! Kerry Butler's dead-on take of Olivia Newton-John will kill you, Cheyenne Jackson is amazing to look at and listen to (a dimwit to treasure), and those inimitable scenery-chewers Jackie Hoffman and Mary Testa have never been better served. And after the cheering had ended, we joined the cast and the audience at a private party at The Ritz, a glam bar on Restaurant Row, where everyone sipped, chatted and cruised into the night.
Sunday is the culmination of the week's events, as thousands and thousands of LGBTers and the people who love them join forces for the annual parade and rally (Chelsea Pines marks its 20th consecutive year as a sponsor of the Heritage of Pride parade, honoring our late founder, Sheldon Post) . This year the rally will be located right around the corner from us, on Hudson Street just below 14th Street. Should be amazing. In the midst of this we're attending the final performance of the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine classic, Sunday in the Park with George, where we will join the cheering crowd saying farewell to this amazing reinvention of one of the greatest musicals of the 20th century. We'll then rejoin the revelers as they party into the night, stop by Joe's Pub to see the unstoppable Alec Mapa do his standup act, then come back for fireworks on the pier, and the ending to another amazing Gay Pride celebration.
Hope you'll be here celebrating along with us. But if you can't, then come to Chelsea Pines this summer, where we're offering rooms at our beautifully renovated hotel at special promotional prices, and the city will be offering a nonstop summer festival of arts and special events that can't be beat!

Guest Attends the 62nd Annual Tony Awards

I have always been a huge fan of Broadway. Ever since I was a child, attending the Tony Awards has been a lifetime goal. This past week, I had the fortune of reaching this goal. Through a connection with a work colleague, I was able to volunteer at the ceremony as a Talent Escort. Once it was settled, I booked my flight to New York and reserved a room at Chelsea Pines Inn to have what would be the best weekend ever.

Tony Day started with a 9:15am call to go through the dress rehearsal. Since I was a first year escort, I was not actually assigned a celebrity, instead I was a "floater." This meant that I was just to hang out nearby and be utilized when needed. I found myself sitting in the front of Radio City Music Hall when Whoopi Goldberg walked out on stage to start her beginning bit and it was an unreal experience.

The people who were also volunteering where amazing. Everybody was very enthusiastic about theater and the arts and it was great to be around company who really understood and appreciated it all. I made some great friends early during the rehearsal. We helped out when needed and explored the areas around Radio City so we would be ready depending on what happened.

At one point during the rehearsal I found myself sitting a few seats away from Liza Minnelli and Glenn Close while the original cast of 'Rent' performed on stage. I don't think there are words in the English language to really surmise what this felt like. Some of the highlights of the rehearsal included Patti LuPone being a hardcore diva, Mary Louise Parker having issues being tall and the overly hilarious fake award winners' speeches. The rehearsal went smoothly though and we had a break from one to five. I spent this time napping and changing into my suit, not really sure what to expect from the evening.

The award show went splendidly. Being a floater, I stood in the back of the theater and watched the whole show. Whoopi did a great job bringing together all aspects of Broadway and really providing a well-done comedic element to the show. There were performances by the eight nominated 'Best Musical' shows and then five others. The opening by 'The Lion King' made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and set a great precedent for the show. It was almost symbolic showcasing a song that talks about life cycles and how Broadway really stands the tests of time.

All in all, the experience was amazing. Seeing the best of Broadway in a historical theater surrounded by people who understood and appreciated the art was mind blowing. I definitely made it a point to figure out how to do this every year, and I can't wait to see what the 63rd Annual Tony Awards will bring.

GAYFEST NYC Launches This Month

This month marks the start of a theater event here in New York called GAYFEST NYC. From May 14 – June 15, new plays with a gay and lesbian theme are portrayed throughout the city. A few weeks ago, the event held a huge kick-off event to benefit Harvey Milk High School. Leslie Jordan, an Emmy Award Winner, performed stories from his upcoming book, My Trip Down the Pink Carpet, which will be released in June. The evening also included an award being given to Jordan by Terrence McNally. He received the Community Service Award from GAYFEST. The evening was a hilarious and heartwarming account of a man who exudes “Southern Charm” without the “Southern Gothic.”

Chelsea Pines Inn had the distinct pleasure of being Jordan’s home away from home during his stint in New York. Welcoming him with open arms, the staff couldn’t help but smile and pose with him while he ran around cracking us all up.

Check out our pictures with Jordan and be sure to catch this year’s GAYFEST NYC which promises to be an amazing theatrical event!

~CPI



“Leslie Jordan and owner, Jay Lesiger, celebrate Leslie’s triumph at Gayfest ‘08”



“CPI’s Richard Oberle visits with Leslie Jordan after Gayfest ‘08”



“Leslie clowns with CPI’s Sean Weathers”



“Leslie Jordan gets face–time with Paul Newman at Chelsea Pines – star to star!”