Chelsea Pines Inn

Saluting Tony Curtis

2010-10-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

Tony Curtis, one of the brightest and most popular Hollywood stars of the 1950s and 1960s, and certanly one of the most handsome, recently died at the age 0f 85. Tony has a star on the fabled Hollywood Walk of Fame, but more importantly, he has his own room at Chelsea Pines.

Back when the Hollywood studio system was just barely still flourishing (just before the advent of television changed the way we got our entertainment forever), Anthony Curtis, born Bernard Schwartz to a poor Jewish family in the Bronx in 1925, had hustled his way into a seven-year contract as one of the decorative pretty boys at Universal (where Rock Hudson, Jeff Chandler and George Nader were similarly employed) in a series of B-movies where his looks meant more than his talent. Slowly his roles began to improve in size and quality, helped by his storybook marriage to Janet Leigh of "Psycho" fame (the first of six wives) to the point where he won the role of a bigoted Southern escaped convict, shackled to Sidney Poitier, in Stanley Kramer's "The Defiant Ones," which earned him his first and only Oscar nomination.

Many starring roles followed, but two stood out then, and still do today. The better known role was as Joe, the saxophone-playing musician, fleeing across country with Jack Lemmon, both dressed in crazy-funny drag and drooling over Marilyn Monroe, as part of an all-girl band in Billy Wilder's classic comedy, "Some Like It Hot." Demurely pursing his lips and looking almost too pretty in drag as Josephine, Curtis held his own against Monroe, at her charmingly sexy best, and Lemmon, whose comic talents were at full tilt, particularly in his seduction scenes with Monroe, where he very effectively did a dead-on Cary Grant impersonation.

Even better, and two years earlier, Curtis had portrayed a dead-eyed, soulless press agent, sucking up to the vicious newspaper columnist Burt Lancaster, in the unforgettable "Sweet Smell of Success". His Sidney Falco, all sniveling, hustling deadbeat, proved once and for all that Curtis was no longer a male ingenue; this guy was an actor, and attention must be paid.

After too many years of too many sex comedies, in the late 60s Curtis won the title part in "The Boston Strangler," and made a dramatic effort to change his image once again. While his performance was well-received, tastes had changed. While Curtis continued to work sporadically for many years to come, both in film and TV, his best opportunities were over. He found new respect in his second career as a painter, and his artwork has become very collectible.

I had the opportunity to see Curtis in his final public appearance, at a showing of "Success" at the first TCM Film Festival in Hollywood this past April. He was frail and wheelchair-bound, but the spirit was indomitable, and before long there was Sidney Falco up on screen, as grasping and sleazy as ever. That's the Tony Curtis I'll remember.

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday Steve Sondheim, happy birthday to you!

2010-03-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

To paraphrase Steve, which I do an awful lot of, what more can I say? Well, probably a great deal more, so I will. There cannot be enough words to thank this man today, on his 80th birthday (wow!)

My connection to Steve began as a teenager (don't get the wrong idea). Yes, I knew all the words to WEST SIDE and GYPSY and even FORUM (I was a very precocious kid, and a determined show album princess-in-training). But I don't think I really understood what Steve Sondheim's work was all about. That didn't happen until ANYONE CAN WHISTLE. No, I didn't see it; as Angela Lansbury, who starred in the original 9-performance run said in a recent interview, if everyone who says they saw it actually had seen it, it would have run for years. But I did have a ticket for it, to a Saturday matinee in May, and as I did in those days, I bought all seven daily newspapers (yes, there were seven) to read the opening night reviews. They ranged from angry to dismissive to ecstatic, and I was really eager to see it (a show about nonconformity, kind of a musical version of A THOUSAND CLOWNS, I thought). Amazingly, the damn show closed; even with stars like Lee Remick, Angela Lansbury and Harry Guardino, the reviews killed it (thanks again, NY Times) and it disappeared. Filled with early 60s teenage rage and youthful disappointment, I returned my ticket to the Majestic Theatre and got a refund of my $2.50 (yes, that's what shows cost for the last row or two in the balcony in 1964!)

Several weeks later, on my way to see SHE LOVES ME (a miraculous show worth its own blog), I stopped by Sam Goody's record store, as I did every Saturday before my weekly theatre matinee, to see what new original cast recordings had been released. Imagine my surprise when I found a double-fold album of WHISTLE, complete with photos of the production, as though the show was a big hit and would run for years. See, all shows got recorded on the first Sunday after they opened, and even though WHISTLE was already gone, Goddard Lieberson, then-head of Columbia Records, thought so much of the score, he went ahead and recorded it anyway as a labor of love, and the score was dedicated by Steve to Lieberson as a thank you.

So I bought the album, somehow knowing, from all the reviews I had read, that this was no HELLO DOLLY or FUNNY GIRL, the two biggest hits of the season, but something quite different. Even then, when I got it home and started to play it, my precocity was not quite sufficient to fathom the blaring orchestral chords of the overture, the Kay Thompson-like pizzazz of "Me and My Town" or anything else on side one. Confused and ready to put it aside, I flipped the album over and set the needle down on side two, and on came the plaintive voice of Lee Remick singing the title tune. It was the first day of the rest of my life. I sat dumbfounded, listening to her sing this deceptively simple song about "what's hard is simple, what's natural comes hard"...and I began to weep. I played the song over and over that night, and for many nights throughout my life. Steve somehow understood what it was like to be different, to be unlike everyone else, and it spoke to me as nothing else in my first fifteen years of life ever had before. Steve touched my soul in ways I was too young to understand, but his work from that moment forward had a profound effect on the rest of my life.

I never again missed a Sondheim show, and one viewing was never enough. From the Yale swimming pool at the world premiere of THE FROGS to the legendary "puzzle album" tribute (where Steve, tears streaming down his face, ended the evening as the replacement for dear friend Lee Remick, with a simple, poignant performance of "Anyone Can Whistle") to a performance of FOLLIES in Ann Arbor where the four leads were played by the original four Broadway juveniles now playing their older selves 30 years later. Hundreds of performances over 40-odd years (50 really, if you count the original GYPSY with Merman, and why not?), thousands of hours of my life devoted to the man and his art. And that doesn't include playing Senex in FORUM for the Gay Men's Chorus or producing WHISTLE, YOU'RE GONNA LOVE TOMORROW and COMPANY off-Broadway with my spouse, Tom Klebba, under our production company, aptly named Opening Doors (and when I found it had already been used, I chose Something Familiar as an alternate name, of course).

And now we're about to get the Encores revival of WHISTLE with an amazing cast: Sutton Foster, Donna Murphy and Raul Esparza! That's another wow. And his birthday bash at Lincoln Center this past week was as exciting and heartfelt as any Sondheim evening I have spent.

So happy birthday, Steve, and thank you for enriching all our lives for so many years. And as a final quote from Steve from his legendary talk at the 92nd Street Y:

"I had a bow-off line, it's a quote from COMPANY. It's when April says, "I don't have anything more to say." I have a lot more to say, but I don't have anything more to say. Thank you."

No...thank you.

.

Remembering Jean Simmons

2010-01-23T21:15:00.000-08:00

When most people hear the name Jean Simmons, they immediately think of the "Kiss" guy (his name is spelled GENE), but some of us think of a delicate, beautiful British-born actress, a two-time Oscar nominee and Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner, whose career spanned six decades and who left a body of work that should have guaranteed her lasting fame but is largely unknown today. At Chelsea Pines Inn, where "there are more stars than there are in heaven," Jean Simmons' star continues to shine as brilliantly as it did during the height of her fame in the 1950s and 60s.

While some of her films are considered classics, it is generally the performances of their male stars that are remembered: Burt Lancaster in ELMER GANTRY (he deservedly won the Oscar, while Ms. Simmons' equally unforgettable portrayal of Sister Sharon Falconer was not even nominated); Olivier's HAMLET (she was nominated at the age of 19 as Ophelia, but Olivier won two Oscars as star and producer); Sinatra and Brando in GUYS AND DOLLS (their egos and acting styles got all the press, but it was Jean who stole the picture and got a Golden Globe as well).

But watch the aching beauty of her performances in such dramas as ALL THE WAY HOME and HOME BEFORE DARK (both sadly unavailable on home video) or in the tv miniseries THE THORN BIRDS; she could command the screen with her stillness and her small gestures and quietly break your heart. And when given the chance, all too seldom, she could cut loose as a terrfic comedienne, as she does as the daffy best friend in the little-known Cary Grant gem, THE GRASS IS GREENER, or in the delighftul THE ACTRESS, where she portrays the young Ruth Gordon as a fledgeling actress. Even the disappointing THE HAPPY ENDING, where she is front and center as an alcoholic wife going through a divorce, seems a whole lot better than it is thanks to her portrayal. And some of us were lucky enough to see her shine on stage, in the national touring company and London edition of the brilliant Stephen Sondheim/Hugh Wheeler musical classic, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC.

In short, she could do it all, and perhaps because of that, she never quite got her due as one of the screen's great actresses. There are many great stars who were so good in so many different types of movies (Irene Dunne, Myrna Loy, Doris Day) that the Oscar eluded them throughout their working careers. Sadly, Jean Simmons now joins that illustrious group, but happily for all of us, a number of her great performances can be seen and enjoyed on home video, and Chelsea Pines will always proudly feature the Jean Simmons room.

Chelsea Pines salutes Doris Day and Nellie McKay!

2009-12-14T08:20:00.001-08:00

Chelsea Pines is the home to film stars of the golden age, which thanks to home video and DVRs we can see and enjoy their films any time we want. But no star was bigger, brighter or more multi-talented than Doris Day. Ms. Day has had a "room" at Chelsea Pines (as do 21 other iconic film stars) for many years now, and she has been a personal favorite of mine since I was a kid. Obviously, this is true for my guests as well, as her room has always been among the most requested. And we can now thank Nellie McKay, one of the music world's most popular singers, for revisiting the world of Doris Day's music.

Nellie has made her mark as singer/songwriter/arranger/animal right activist, and her albums chart on Billboard and Amazon.com in the top 100 with regularity. Now she has taken all her passions and combined them into an amazing recording called "Normal as Blueberry Pie," a tribute album to the songs and style of singer/actress/animal right activist Doris Day. Ms. Day, whose career spanned the early 1940s as a big-band singer, then a top recording artist and Hollywood actress through the mid-60s, and finally the star of a regrettably dopey TV series until the early 70s, has taken an unfair beating in tbe film and music field until recent years and a more comprehensive look at her amazing career. With virtually all her films now available on DVD and most of her recordings on CD and MP3, and several recent books that examine her personal and professional lives, Ms. Day can now be seen for what she really was: a show business phenomenon that will probably never be repeated again.

Now 87 and living totally out of the spotlight, Ms. Day continues to own the pet-friendly Cypress Inn Hotel in the picturesque town of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calfornia, where guests are encouraged to vacation with their cats and dogs. While she rarely if ever appears in public, her popularity has reached a new peak in the 21st century. The fact is that Nellie McKay has produced this new recording, which brings Doris to a whole new (and much younger) music-listening audience, as an homage to Ms. Day's unique style and sound, without attempting to offer an imitation but more a suggestion of Ms. Day's artistry.

True, Doris was saddled with some really poor song choices by her then-husband (who famously lost all her money in bad investments while signing her to a TV-series contract without telling her, and then dying and leaving her to clean up the mess), and at least one of them (the title song from the lame "Send Me No Flowers," suprisingly by Bachrach and David) does surface on this album, and time hasn't made it any better. However, from the hundreds of songs Doris recorded over a 20-year period, Ms. McKay's other choices are generally terrific, including the first song that made Doris a singing superstar ("Sentimental Journey") and one of her last recorded songs, "Close Your Eyes" (from an amazing album with music great Andre Previn called "Duet"). Other highlights are "Mean to Me" (from what is arguably Doris' finest film performance, as singer Ruth Etting in "Love Me or Leave Me") and the Rodgers and Hammerstein chestnut "Wonderful Guy" (from "South Pacific," one of the films Doris should have made, with apologies to Mitzi Gaynor). Ms. McKay even includes an original song, "If I Ever Had a Dream," written and sung in the best Doris Day style.

It's taken too many years for Ms. Day to receive her due (she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 and a Lifetime Grammy in 2008), and her final years of performing in films and TV were formulaic, to say the least. How different would her legacy had been if she had accepted the offer to star as Mrs. Robinson in the late-60s classic film "The Graduate"? Watch her performances in such classics as "Pillow Talk," "The Man Who Knew Too Much" and aforementioned "Love Me or Leave Me" and you can see what an amazing and natural talent she had. And now we can listen to both Nellie McKay and Doris Day and revel in their very different but equally amazing musicality.

And we know that both Doris and Nellie would love Charlie Chaplin, our hotel mascot (he's really the owner, I only do what he tells me).

Celebrating 40 Years (Stonewall, Moonwalking, Woodstock and Coming Out)

2009-08-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

Just having seen the new Ang Lee TAKING WOODSTOCK (a major disappointment from a major filmmaker), it is probably time to recall the world 40 years ago this summer. And quite a world it was in the summer of '69.

Okay, we all know that Judy Garland had died, the cops were doing their usual bust of gay bars (this time the Stonewall on Christopher Street), and the drag queens and other queers finally said, "no more!" All right, it wasn't that simple, but all the years of community repression came to a boil in that singular moment, and an entire movement was born (at least in New York City; not sure that San Francisco needed that epiphany to gather momentum, but it certainly gave the green light to other urban areas around the country that it was time to kick open those closet doors and come out into the street and into the light). Our world, and the world at large, would never be the same again. While it is true that we are impatiently waiting for our hoped-for human rights breakthrough from our current administration, we must take stock of the fact that we have made incredible strides in ONLY 40 YEARS; it took women and ethnic minorities a lot longer (and still does) to accomplish what the LGBT community has done in such a short time. When President Obama was face to face with an octogenarian lesbian colleague of mine at his recent LGBT White House meet-and-greet, she looked him straight (?) in the eye and said, "When will I have the same rights as everyone else?" He looked right back at her and said that it would happen by the time his term of office was over. Let us take heart and be patient but vigilant.

For those of you were alive during that fateful summer, watching astronaut Neil Armstrong take his "first small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind" as he did his now-historical moonwalk, is something you will never forget. Many of us thought at the time that by now we would routinely be flying to the moon, to Mars, to other galaxies. Human mistakes, lack of funding and perhaps an inability for our country to dream have slowed things down considerably; now, if you can afford beaucoup bucks, a ride on a rocketship may be yours, but for the rest of us, it really is only a dream. When Walter Cronkite passed away last month, we were reminded of that historical moments and how we all felt and thought and dreamed, even while the war in Vietnam raged on. A paradoxical time, to be sure.

No, I didn't make it to Woodstock, and I didn't actually know anyone who did, but the tales have become more fanciful over the years, and you might think that everyone in their teens and twenties were there, but you would be wrong (it's like all the theatregoers who swear they saw ANYONE CAN WHISTLE or CARRIE in their original incarnations; if it were true, those shows would still be running). But we all took the same drugs, listened to the same music and did our best to score with our sexual partners of choice. As I mentioned earlier, TAKING WOODSTOCK, which is yet another coming-of-age, coming-out story, doesn't even really conjure up the music of the day (perhaps the rights were too expensive), and only pretends to get its bell-bottom jeans dirty with mud and rain. Save your money, go to Amazon and buy the new special edition of WOODSTOCK, which includes amazing footage of the singers and the songs and three days of peace and love.

And finally, my coming out...well, let's just say it was something akin to Columbus discovering America. I mean, I always knew it was there, but it was the repressive 1950s and the exploding 1960s, and frankly, I was just overwhelmed. Yeah, I had a couple of gay sexual encounters, but I always beat a hasty retreat back to the closet, where I was starved and stangled but safe. But in the summer of '69, thanks to a new feeling in the air, in the world, I finally allowed myself to feel, to be my true self...and to sleep with three guys, sometimes simultaneously, sometimes just one at a time, but oh what a time it was. I was 20 and suddenly I could conquer the world as a gay man. There were many bumps and many obstacles still to come, but at that moment in time, none of it mattered. Many "relationships" followed this time, and ultimately the two relationships that formed and forged my life (my late partner Sheldon, my beloved husband Tom) were still to come, but for the first time in my life I could begin to understand what I was about and why I was here at all.

So a 21-gun-salute to the 40th anniversary of what was, in many ways, the first year of me.

CHELSEA PINES to be featured on NEXT TRIP RADIO with Duane Wells

2009-04-09T09:25:00.000-07:00

Today Tom Klebba, Director of Sales & Marketing at CHELSEA PINES INN will be a featured guest on the Duane Wells travel radio show.

Come here all about Chelsea Pines' exciting new enhancements including the addition of 1-Bedroom Suites and a business center!

HERE'S THE THING airs daily Monday through Friday, 2 - 3pm EST, on NEXT TRIP RADIO.

Next Trip Radio, the 24 hour a day, seven day a week destination for travel. Each day Duane, an editor and writer whose work covers everything from politics and entertainment to travel and style, can be heard discussing the world of travel from the inside OUT.

A native of the South, Duane Wells decided early on in life that the world at large and not just the rural South would be his playground. In fact he claimed at an early age as his motto the phrase, “The best is yet to come!”

In addition to being an independent publishing professional, Duane is currently Editor-at-Large for GayWired Media in which capacity he oversees content related to politics, entertainment, travel and style for the GayWired Media family of websites. Duane also serves as a contributing writer for magazines including: Passport, Instinct, OutTraveler, URB, DYSONNA The Magazine and the Toronto-based Canadian luxury travel and design magazine, Homefront where he debuted a quarterly lifestyle column called Living Wells in 2007.

A resident of Los Angeles, Duane has most recently been living in London where he has been toiling over a number of projects which include his first novel, Heaven or Hell, Darling?, a collection of his previously published work as well as a collection of short essays entitled, One Day I Woke Up and Everyone was Wearing Culottes!

Stop by and give them a listen!

Election Day = Wedding Day

2008-11-17T07:11:00.000-08:00

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?

2008-11-10T09:32:00.000-08:00

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)

2008-06-30T06:24:00.001-07:00

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

2008-06-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

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!”