September is National Suicide Prevention Month.

As someone who has experienced the devastation of suicide in mourning the loss of friends who have taken their own lives, it’s important to me to recognize this annual awareness campaign. In addition, like many of you, I’ve battled with my own demons and depression over the years, which has included suicidal thoughts. While no one can or should tell another how to think or feel, it’s critical to remember, however – especially in down times – that suicide is preventable. Someone loves and misses you this very moment, and help is available – whether you believe that or not. Furthermore, if you know someone who is deeply depressed because you’ve recognized the warning signs, it’s your humanitarian responsibility to reach out and offer an ear that will listen, a shoulder to cry on, or a hand to hold. Here are a few other ways to help.

1. Educate Yourself on Depression

While you may be able to spot signs of depression in a loved one, are you confident that you’re well informed on the matter? Depression is a tricky and sensitive disorder, and it will benefit both you and the person suffering from depression if you educate yourself on the potential causes and effects. For instance, onset of depression may be triggered by a specific event or a series of events, like a string of bad luck, and it also may be linked to a brain-chemistry imbalance not connected to an event, according to Psychology Today. Thus, knowing what you’re dealing with before entering the trenches is recommended.

2. Show You Care By Asking Questions

When we’re depressed, we experience feelings of loneliness or perhaps that no one cares about our predicament. But that’s not the case. In fact, friends and family are often eager to help those who are depressed, and one of the first steps to showing your support in your loved one’s time of need is to ask questions.

“Your friend may be so desperate that she’s had a suicide plan in action for weeks, or she could just be under a lot of stress at work,” writes Therese Borchard at EverydayHealth.com. “She could be having a severe episode of major depression, or just need a little more vitamin D. You won’t know until you start asking some questions.”

Some questions to ask may include:

• When did you first start to feel bad?
• Can you think of anything that may have triggered it?
• Do you have suicidal thoughts?
• Is there anything that makes you feel better?
• What makes you feel worse?
• Do you think you could be deficient in vitamin D?
• Have you made any changes lately to your diet?
• Are you under more pressure at work?
• Have you had your thyroid levels checked?

3. Provide Support Without Judgment

The last thing someone who’s already at their lowest needs is to be judged for how they’re feeling or acting. Dealing with a depressed person is not always easy, granted – they’re irritable and sometimes lash out – but it’s in those moments that you should try to put yourself in their shoes. You don’t know what’s going through their head, what stresses they’re facing that brought them to this breaking point, or the painful physical manifestation of depression they may be experiencing. So, just be there for them – without any restrictions or conditions. Let them talk, vent, cry if they need to – all the while being a soothing, reassuring voice and pillar of strength to which they can cling.

4. Suggest Seeking a Professional Who Can Help

While providing nonjudgmental support is critical to someone who is depressed, you should together recognize that you, as a friend and likely nonmedical professional, can only do so much. If the depression is mild to severe – that is, it’s more than just a “bad week” – suggest seeking professional help. Ask family and friends for psychologist and psychiatrist recommendations – while being considerate to the person in need by keeping them anonymous – and return with those recommendations and your availability to accompany your loved one to the first appointment, if they’re open to the idea.

5. Take Matters Into Your Own Hands If You Have To

If your loved one’s depression is so severe that you’re afraid they may do something drastic, like commit suicide, you have every right to step in and call the proper authorities. Your friend or family member may not like you very much at that moment – in fact, you may become mortal enemy No. 1 for a while – but when the depression is properly treated and that black cloud dissipates, they will recognize that you were acting purely out love and concern and in their best interest. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for advice at 800-273-8255, but if it’s an emergency situation dial 911.

Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. He splits his time between homes in New York City and the Jersey Shore with his dog Jaxon. Connect with Mikey on Twitter @mikeyrox.

The post 5 Things You Need to Do If Someone You Love Is Deeply Depressed appeared first on Florida Agenda - LGBT News.

For more than 20 years as a leading man, rom-com vet Hugh Grant has been the object of many actresses’ (and, yes, even some actors’) affection. But get this: He’s also been an actress himself.

As a kid, the actor’s feminine features earned him numerous lady roles in plays he and his classmates performed at London’s all-male Wetherby School.

“This was a necessity,” he says of his gender-bending days. “It was dictated that some of us had to become little actresses and, yes, I was particularly moving as Brigitta von Trapp, one of the von Trapp daughters, in The Sound of Music.”

The role, he enthusiastically notes, entailed a full-on drag transformation, with your mom’s ’90s movie crush “in a white dress with a blue satin sash.”

You’re thinking: Is this really the same Hugh Grant who charmed Julia Roberts as a bookshop owner in 1999’s Notting Hill? Who was Sandra Bullock’s pompous boss-turned-lover in Two Weeks Notice? Who famously played Daniel Cleaver and swept Renée Zellweger off her feet in Bridget Jones’s Diary? Who danced down a set of stairs to The Pointer Sisters’ “Jump for My Love” in Love Actually and then won over Natalie (Martine McCutcheon) and everyone who wished they were Natalie? (Hey, that dance scene was epic.)

Yup, same Hugh. Because before becoming the lady’s man he was, well, the lady.

“In my teenage years, I was very girly,” Grant says, “I remember when I used to go on a French exchange in Paris and all the locals called me ‘mademoiselle’ because they thought I was a girl.”

Did his femininity ever call into question his sexuality?
He ponders before settling on a response. “No. They just thought I was a girl. I looked like a girl, let’s face it. I had long, very dodgy ’70s hair.”

Fast forward 40 years and “I look like a scrotum now,” he zings.

Yes, folks: Tell your mom that Hugh Grant thinks his face looks like a man’s genitals. When I assure him that his face is not scrotum-like, he replies in his dainty English accent, “Very well. Thank you for cheering me up.”

Whether he truly agrees is uncertain, but now 55, the actor’s self-proclaimed ball-sac face makes a welcome return to the big screen in Florence Foster Jenkins. The actor portrays shoddy actor St. Clair Bayfield, who lets his equally-untalented wife, the film’s eponymous Florence, a well-intentioned socialite, believe she can sing.

According to the Oscar-bound dramedy, which is loosely based on the real-life Jenkins, their marriage was open, and after tucking Jenkins into bed, Bayfield spent his nights getting frisky with a much younger woman.

“I think it’s certainly possible to love – to properly love – different people in different ways simultaneously,” he says. Suddenly realizing that statement is essentially a summary of his own romantic life, Grant unleashes a tickled laugh. “I’ve always been an advocate of that, and sometimes I think the only reason (director) Stephen Frears thought of me for this part was, he thought, ‘OK, who do I know who has a very unorthodox domestic life? Oh, Hugh.’”

I joke that the film, then, is a documentary. He snickers and playfully agrees. The film’s subversive nature, he adds, may “speak particularly to the LGBT community.”

The topic of open relationships – or any union that breaks tradition, really – is one Grant’s clearly interested in speaking about, so he gladly elaborates: “I felt like the script and the film was kind of a celebration of unorthodoxy and of the very strange shapes that we fall into in life, in ourselves and in our relationships. It’s all great as long it’s done with passion and love, and so yeah, I think that’s what the film is.”

He’s not done with his telling discourse, fortunately.

“I’ve never really understood why people should think men and women or men and men or women and women have to be in 40-year monogamous relationships and that that’s the natural state of human beings, because I’m pretty damn sure it isn’t,” Grant insists. “I think it’s just a social norm or the ghost of a religious norm being passed down, and I’m not entirely sure it’s a recipe for happiness.”

The same could be said about Maurice, Grant’s 1987 film that brought the actor closer to the queer community after he portrayed Clive, a repressed gay man living in early 20th-century England. As Grant puts it, “My character ends up married and smug with a mustache, but you can tell everything is being bottled up.”

To this day, the movie is held in high regard, mentioned alongside Torch Song Trilogy and My Own Private Idaho in Steven Paul Davies’ book Out at the Movies: A History of Gay Cinema as well as in Alonso Duralde’s 101 Must See Movies for Gay Men. For Grant, its legacy within the LGBT community is a revelation.

“I didn’t realize that it had that status!” he says, laughing. “But I’m very pleased that it does, and I’m sure that (the book’s author) E. M. Forster would be very pleased that it does. After all, it was a novel he wrote and kept under his bed for many years, and it was only published after his death because he was too nervous of the law to publish it during his lifetime. I think he’d be pleased that it’s struck a chord now.”

Several gay roles followed Maurice, including Grant’s turn as a gay director in the obscure backstage tragicomedy An Awfully Big Adventure, released a year after his big rom-com break in 1994’s Four Weddings and a Funeral. Earlier, in 1991’s TV movie Our Sons, the actor played Julie Andrews’ son James, the lover of an AIDS-stricken man.

Reflecting on his gay roles from the late ’80s to the early ’90s, a time when taking on such parts could be considered taboo, he says, “Maybe it was considered fractionally more daring to do that, but it didn’t feel daring to me.”

Though LGBT-themed narratives have thankfully evolved beyond AIDS as a death sentence (because it’s not) and forbidden love (because it doesn’t have to be), Grant contemplates whether an out gay actor could rule the same genre he did for over two decades. Is the world ready for a gay Grant?

“We’ve had straight men playing gay men in romantic situations, but I’m struggling to think of an out gay actor playing a straight relationship in a high-profile film,” the actor says.

Grant doesn’t come up with any names because they don’t exist. Yet, that is.

“Yeah,” he says, optimistically. “I’m sure it’s coming.”

Chris Azzopardi is the editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBT wire service. He can proudly say Mariah Carey once called him a “daaahhhling.” Reach him via his website at www.chris-azzopardi.com and on Twitter (@chrisazzopardi).

The post Hugh Looks Like a Lady appeared first on Florida Agenda - LGBT News.

By Daniel Hart & Derrick Hart

For the Theater Community and its legends of fans, the arrival of Fall means a brand new selection of plays, concerts and performances. They are sure to bring out the tears, the laughter, and our appreciation for the variety of unique talents brought into our lives as the curtain rises on area stages in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties.

From mysteries, to comedies, to tragedies and more, we’ve scanned the schedules from local theaters, both big and small, to bring you those shows which hold a special interest to the LGBT community—and those who love them.

As with all things excellent, tickets to these performances tend to sell out early. Check out FloridaAgenda.com for information about attending these shows, including how you can get some tickets for free.

Pompano/Aventura/West Palm Beach

TangObsession

Aventura Arts & Cultural Center

3385 NE 188th Street, Aventura, FL 33180

TANGObsession is back in the United States for one night only at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center on Saturday October 22, 2016 at 8:00 pm. TANGObsession is a Multimedia Avant-Garde Musical, filled with Tangos, Music, Dance, Love and Passion created by HumSa Productions. A show that is perfect for everyone. Featuring Tangos sung in Spanish but translated into English. Enjoy a fusion of photographs, paintings, movies and animation, all allowing the audience to follow the storyline. For the first time, enjoy Argentinean Tango dance, poetry and music under the direction of Humberto Fortuna and Creative Director, Laura Sapir. Starring, international singer, Humberto Fortuna, a full Tango orchestra with Miguel Arrabal at the bandoneón with a special guest, international violinist, Crismary Garcia. Come experience these live instruments and singing, price per tickets range from $37.50- $70.09. For more details, head over to TANGObsessions official website http://www.tangobsession.com/home-1.html

Boyz II Men & AL B. Sure

Pompano Beach Amphitheatre and Grounds

1806 NE 6th St (Amphitheatre) Pompano Beach, Florida 33060

R&B group Boyz II Men will be performing live Friday December 2, 2016 at 7:30 pm with special guest Al B. Sure. Boyz II Men remains one of music’s respected iconic groups in history. The trio holds the distinction of being the best-selling R&B group of all-time, with an astounding 60 million albums sold. The reason is absolutely clear: for the past two decades Boyz II Men have given fans a rich catalogue of hits filled with smooth harmonies and enduring themes. Hits such as “End of the Road,” “I’ll Make Love to You,” “One Sweet Day,” “Motownphilly” and many others. Al B. Sure will open the show. His history in the entertainment industry spans over two decades. Al released a historic compilation of his #1 R&B hits, as well as the “fan favorite” tunes from years past with “The Very Best of Al B Sure!” Tickets range from $33-$128. For more information, head over to the groups official website http://www.boyziimen.com/ as well as http://theamppompano.org/events-calendar/boyz-ii-men/

Jay Leno

Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts

701 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Venue – Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall

Want to get your laugh on? Kravis Center presents Jay Leno live Sunday, January 15, 2017 at 8:00 pm. The former host of NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno now revs up fans with Jay Leno’s Garage, an Emmy-winning series about his passion for all things automotive. But the stand-up comic is best known for dominating late-night TV for more than 20 years. The likeable Leno often pops in to comedy clubs to test out new material, which remains relevant, family friendly and full-throttle funny. Tickets starting at $29.00. Head over to Kravis Center official website for more details. http://www.kravis.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=performances.detail&performance_id=2376

Black Violin

Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts

701 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Venue – Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall

On Thursday December 1, 2016 at 8:00 pm, Krave Center brings you Black Violin, classically trained artists Kevin “Kev Marcus” Sylvester (violin) and Wilner “Wil B.” Baptiste (viola) blend classical, hip hop, rock, rhythm and blues, and bluegrass. The eclectic duo, who studied music together at Fort Lauderdale’s historic Dillard High School, have performed with artists such as Kanye West, Alicia Keys and Aerosmith, and have intrigued audiences ranging from guests at President Obama’s 2013 inaugural ball to unsuspecting airline passengers. Through the message of Black Violin’s music, they’ve spent the last 10 years working to encourage and empower people of all ages, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds to find what connects us, rather than shine a light on what divides us. Tickets start at $25.00. For more information, head to Kravis Center website http://www.kravis.org/blackviolin and Black Violin’s website http://blackviolin.net/

Annie

Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts

701 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Venue – Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall

On March 2, 2017 at 8:00 pm, Kravis Center presents one of the most beloved family musicals of all time, Annie returns in time-honored form. Based on the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, this brand new incarnation of the Broadway smash is directed by original lyricist and director Martin Charnin and choreographed by Liza Gennaro. Featuring such favorites as “It’s a Hard Knock Life” and “I Don’t Need Anything But You”, this curly-haired classic also reminds us that there’s always “Tomorrow”. Tickets are starting at $30.00. For more info, visit Annie the musical official website http://anniethemusical.com/index.php as well as Kravis Center website http://www.kravis.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=performances.detail&performance_id=2321&

THE BROWARD CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS UPCOMING EVENTS 

Opera Fusion: Not In My Town

Amaturo Theater at The Broward Center for the Performing Arts

201 SW 5th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

From September 30^th till October 1st 2016 at 8:00 pm, Opera Fusion will debut the world premiere of Not In My Town. Not In My Town is an original musical drama based on the life of Matthew Shepard, a young gay college student who was senselessly bullied, beaten, tied to a fence, and left to die. His friends and his community worked to make a better world, by standing up to bigotry and campaigning for passage of the national Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Not In My Town is a profound and compelling work that also sheds light on the senseless tragedies and hate crimes that are so prevalent today. Tickets range from $35-$55. For more information on this event, visit their official website http://www.operafusion.org/world-premiere-not-town-press-release-laramie-project-musical-drama/ and more information on tickets at    https://www.browardcenter.org/events/detail/opera-fusion-not-in-my-town

AHF Presents: My Big Funny Peter in Stuff Me for the Holidays!

Amaturo Theater at The Broward Center for the Performing Arts

201 SW 5th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

Want to laugh your butt off? Bring a friend with you at 7:00 pm to the Amaturo Theater to see the internationally known comedian, Peter Bisuito. Due to the success of his sold out show at The Broward Center last April, Peter Bisuito is performing a ‘Back by Popular Demand’ Holiday Concert on December 28^th 2016. Peter is the world’s ONLY Gay Muscle-Bear Comedian. Peter is not just a comic, but a theatrical entertainer including funny video presentations and Broadway style musical numbers during his show. Give the gift of laughter this holiday season and stuff your stockings with tickets to the most talked about comedian in the country. This event contains adult language or content. Tickets range from $25-$38. For more information on this event, visit https://www.browardcenter.org/events/detail/my-big-funny-peter-holidays

Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man

Abdo New River Room at The Broward Center for the Performing Arts

201 SW 5th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

Let’s talk about sex, honey! From March 23^rd till April 9^th 2017, naughty and educational, this Off-Broadway hit comedy—based on the international best-selling book of the same title. This show will take the audience on a hilarious and wild ride where no topic is taboo and the insider “tips” come from the perfect source: a gay man. “Sex Tips is breathlessly entertaining! Uproariously funny! Hysterically titillating!” raves Theatermania.com. Great for couples, date night, bachelorette parties or girls’ night out. You might even be invited on stage to demonstrate some R-rated techniques! This event contains adult language or content. Tickets are $45. To learn more about this event, visit their official website http://sextipsplay.com/about-the-show and to purchase your tickets, go to http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/107373/2073330?brand=broward&camefrom=cfc_broward_web

South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble: Celebration

Amaturo Theater at The Broward Center for the Performing Arts

201 SW 5th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

Want to enjoy some music that will make your body move to the beat? Purchase your tickets now and save the date for a night of celebration on June 10, 2017 at 7:00 pm. The Pride Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and Steel Drum Band will take the stage in the Amaturo Theater as they celebrate the contribution of gay and lesbian composers and the gay and lesbian band movement. Guest vocalists and dancers will be invited to join forces with the band. To learn more about this event, visit their official website at http://www.pridewindensemble.org/pride_jazz_ensemble and to purchase your tickets, head over to http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0D0051038B677624?brand=broward&camefrom=cfc_broward_web

Slow Burn Theatre Company: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Amaturo Theater at The Broward Center for the Performing Arts

201 SW 5th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

On October 20^th till November 6, 2016 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm relive your childhood memories and get your life again when watching The Hunchback of Notre Dame show that is based on the animated Disney film. From the Oscar Award-winning team Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid) and Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell) comes a lushly scored retelling of Victor Hugo’s epic story of love, acceptance, and what it means to be a hero. For more information on this show, head over to Broward Performing Arts Center at https://www.browardcenter.org/events/detail/the-hunchback-of-notre-dame and purchase your tickets at http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/106505/2246253?brand=broward&camefrom=cfc_broward_web

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella

Au-Rene Theater at The Broward Center for the Performing Arts

201 SW 5th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

Cinderella will be making her way to South Florida from December 13^th till the 25^th of 2016. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella is the Tony Award®- winning Broadway musical from the creators of The Sound of Music and South Pacific that’s delighting audiences with its contemporary take on the classic tale. This lush production features an incredible orchestra, jaw-dropping transformations and all the moments you love including the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball and more. Also there will be some surprising new twists! For more information about this event, visit their official website at http://www.cinderellaonbroadway.com/. Tickets starting at $35 and will be available for purchase on October 10, 2016 at 10:00 pm.

Disney’s The Little Mermaid

Au-Rene Theater at The Broward Center for the Performing Arts

201 SW 5th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

Who’s ready to go under the sea? From February 22^nd till March 5^th of 2017, Disney’s The Little Mermaid will showcase its musical here in South Florida for everyone to see their favorite love story. In a magical kingdom fathoms below, we meet Ariel, the little mermaid who is tired of flipping her fins and longs to be part of the fascinating world on dry land. Joining her Ariel is her crabby sidekick, Sebastian; Ursula, the evil sea witch; Triton, King of the Sea and the handsome and human Prince Eric. Based on the Disney animated film, this beloved family classic is now on stage with all the songs you love. For more information on this event, head over to https://www.browardcenter.org/events/detail/disneys-the-little-mermaid/. Tickets starting at $35 and will be on sale November 18, 2016 at 10:00 am.

Theatre Under the Stars – Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” at TUTS, September 2015.

Matilda The Musical

Au-Rene Theater at The Broward Center for the Performing Arts

201 SW 5th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

Matilda will be coming to South Florida on April 25th till May 7th of 2017. Winner of 50 international awards, including the Tony Award® and one of the biggest hits on Broadway, Matilda The Musical is the story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny. Based on the beloved novel by Roald Dahl, Matilda continues to thrill sold-out audiences of all ages on Broadway and in London’s West End. For more information on this event, visit their official website at http://us.matildathemusical.com/tour/about/the-story/. Tickets starting at $33 and will be on sale March 10, 2017 at 10:00 am at http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/106543/2019437?brand=broward&camefrom=cfc_broward_web/.

OTHER BROWARD AREA PERFORMANCES

Dolly Parton’s Pure & Simple

BB&T Center

1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise, FL 33323

On November 27, 2016 at 7:30 pm, Dolly Parton will debut her Pure & Simple tour to audiences here in South Florida at the BB&T Center. Dolly will perform her hit songs all while weaving in a few new songs from her new double-disc album Pure & Simple with Dolly’s Biggest Hits. She will delight fans by playing songs they have not heard live for decades. She will bring energy and endless personalities that will make you want to get up out your seat and keep you for wanting more. Tickets are starting at $45.25-125.25. For more information, head over to Dolly Parton’s official website http://dollyparton.com/tour-schedule-upcoming-events as well as ticket purchasing/seating at http://bbt.centersunrise.com/Tickets-Active.php?eventID=2097607&venueID=1171

Cocktales: Shame On Me

Empire Stage

1140 N Flagler Drive,

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

Get ready for some juicy tea! Cocktales: Shame On Me, is an 80-minute show that runs from October 6-30, 2016 at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The show, based on true events, will have the audiences at the edge of their seats as Debra Ehrhardt’s discusses her encounters with the men who came in her life, and the men who were not so gentle. Raised in a religious home, she will take the audience with her on this journey of how her sexual awakening began as a young adult. Hold on tight because Debra will lead us into a rocky road full of excitement, hilarity, and plenty emotions. Tickets are $20.00 – $35.00. For more information visit http://www.empirestage.com/ and for ticket information visit http://tix.smarttix.com/Modules/Sales/SalesMainTabsPage.aspx?ControlState=1&SalesEventId=6023&DC=/

The First Step – Diary Of A Sex Addict

Island City Stage

2304 N Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors, Florida 33305

Who’s ready for some comedy mixed with a little bit of sex? From January 12-February 12, 2017, The First Step – Diary Of A Sex Addict looks at sexual obsession that will leave your heart beating fast. This show depicts the story of a gay guy named Joe who takes the audience on his journey from his sex addict to recovery. This show is funny, steamy, and full of temptations that will have your fantasies going through the roof. Maybe your body as well. Tickets are $35.00 per seat. For more information, visit https://boxoffice.islandcitystage.org/Home/Shows/TheFirstStep/

Perfect Arrangement

Island City Stage

2304 N Dixie Highway Wilton Manors, Florida 33305

Topher Payne’s cutting comedy Perfect Arrangement runs November 10-December 11, 2016. Its classic theme and vibrant new colors mix with Communism as two US State Department employees, Bob and Norma, are assigned to identify sexual deviants within their ranks. What no one knows is that both Bob and Norma are themselves gay. Let the sipping of the tea begin. Inspired by a true story about how the origins of the gay movement took place. Get your tickets now to see this “All-American” couple’s drama unfold. Tickets are $35.00 per seat. For more information, visit http://islandcitystage.org/boxoffice/perfect-arrangement/

ADRIENNE ARSHT FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER UPCOMING EVENTS

Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions

KNIGHT CONCERT HALL

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts

1300 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132

Who wants to catch a Pokémon, or maybe even battle? So why not head over to the Adrienne Arsht Center and get your game on at 8:00 pm on December 3^rd, 2016. Brought to life by a full orchestra, Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions is the must-see video game concert of the year, giving fans and newcomers of all ages the chance to experience the evolution of the Pokémon franchise like never before! Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to meet up with friends of all ages to catch, battle, and trade Pokémon from your favorite games! All-new orchestral arrangements and carefully timed visuals draw from recent and classic Pokémon video games. For more information on this event, visit http://www.arshtcenter.org/en/Tickets/Calendar/2016-2017-Season/Live-at-Knight/Pokemon/. Tickets range from $46-126.

Dirty Dancing The Classic Story on Stage

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing

Arts of Miami-Dade County, Inc.

1300 Biscayne Blvd. Miami, FL 33132

DIRTY DANCING – THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE hits the floor in Miami, Florida on Nov 29, 2016 – Dec 4, 2016. You don’t want to miss this unprecedented live experience, exploding with heart-pounding music, passionate romance, and sensational dancing. Seen by millions across the globe, this worldwide smash hit tells the classic story of Baby and Johnny, two fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds who come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives. Featuring the hit songs, “Hungry Eyes,” “Hey Baby,” “Do You Love Me?” and the heart stopping “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.” Tickets range from $29.00 – $107.00 based on seating. For more information, visit http://us.dirtydancingontour.com/ and http://www.arshtcenter.org/en/Tickets/Calendar/2016-2017-Season/Broadway-in-Miami/Dirty-Dancing/

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing

Arts of Miami-Dade County, Inc.

1300 Biscayne Blvd. Miami, FL 33132

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will bring outstanding performances in Miami, Florida on Thursday, February 23rd – Sunday, February 26th, 2017. Alvin Ailey once declared, “I want to hold up a mirror to my audience that says, ‘this is the way people can be; this is how open people can be.’” Now more than ever, we need the power of dance to bring us together, connected by our common humanity. It’s why people say: You don’t just see an Ailey performance, you feel it. This February, engage your emotions at an Ailey performance that includes their latest acclaimed premieres and Mr. Ailey’s Revelations, an enduring masterpiece that transcends color and creed to unite us in hope. Tickets range from $29.00 – $125.00 based on seating. For more information, visit https://www.alvinailey.org/ and https://www.alvinailey.org/performances-tickets/tour-schedules

Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing

Arts of Miami-Dade County, Inc.

1300 Biscayne Blvd. Miami, FL 33132

Knight Concert Hall

Who’s ready to get their sappy on come Friday, February 10 at 8:00 pm in Miami, Florida? Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs is the name of the hugely acclaimed cabaret show actor and activist Alan Cumming premiered in 2015 at New York’s legendary Café Carlyle to ecstatic reviews, and has since wowed, and continues to wow audiences all across America, Canada and Australia. Alan’s diverse career has found him performing at venues around the globe including Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, the London Palladium and the Sydney Opera House, and recording an award-winning album of songs (plus a dance remix), among his many accomplishments. Tickets range from $49.00 – $89.00. For more details, visit http://www.arshtcenter.org/Tickets/Calendar/2016-2017-Season/Live-at-Knight/Alan-Cumming/

Chaka Khan in Concert

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing

Arts of Miami-Dade County, Inc.

1300 Biscayne Blvd. Miami, FL 33132

Knight Concert Hall

Chaka Khan A.K.A. “The Queen of Funk” will be performing live in Miami, Florida on Friday, February 17, 2017 at 8:00 pm. Chaka Khan is the epitome of her 1978 hit song “I’m Every Woman”. Chaka is a true Renaissance Woman. A singer, songwriter, producer, visual artist, author, actor, philanthropist, entrepreneur, activist and mother, Chaka is an international music icon who has influenced multiple generations of artists and continues to do so. Chaka is a ten-time GRamMY® Award-winner who has the rare ability to sing in eight music genres, including R&B, jazz, pop, rock, gospel, country, classical and dance music. Come out and support and enjoy this musical icon. Tickets range from $45.00 – $125.00. For more information, visit http://www.arshtcenter.org/Tickets/Calendar/2016-2017-Season/Live-at-Knight/Chaka-Khan/

Before Night Falls

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing

Arts of Miami-Dade County, Inc.

1300 Biscayne Blvd. Miami, FL 33132

Ziff Ballet Opera House/Presented by Florida Grand Opera

Based on the famous memoir of Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas, Before Night Falls follows Arenas’s life from childhood poverty in the Cuban countryside to his emigration to the United States in the 1980 Mariel boatlift and his last decade suffering from AIDS in New York City. Before Night Falls is a full-length opera in two acts scored for a full orchestra. The music is by Cuban-born composer Jorge Martín with a libretto by Mr. Martín and Dolores M. Koch. The musical style is melodic and richly textured, full of contrasts with some Cuban inflections along with a chorus of almost Verdian grandeur. Catch this amazing opera on Saturday, March 18 – Saturday, March 25, 2017. Tickets range from $16.00 – $229.00. For more information, visit http://www.arshtcenter.org/Tickets/Calendar/2016-2017-Season/Florida-Grand-Opera/Before-Night-Falls/ and http://www.aopopera.org/beforenightfalls/

OTHER MIAMI AREA PERFORMANCES

Andrea Bocelli

American Airlines Arena

601 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132

World-famous tenor Andrea Bocelli will be coming to Miami, Florida on Sunday February 12, 2017 at 8:00 pm. Bocelli has completely redefined the genre of classical vocal music, having played a key role in bridging the gap between the highbrow listeners and the mainstream. Bocelli’s music has not only appealed to people across different social strata, but across generations and cultures. Bocelli has sung in French, Spanish, English and German besides his native Italian and has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide. Bocelli has recorded over twenty pop and classical albums in addition to seven complete operas. Tickets range from $75.00 – $375.00. Presale begins Monday September 19, 2016 at 10:00 am. Additional fees are applied at Checkout. Prices are subject to change. For more information, visit Andrea Bocelli official website at http://www.andreabocelli.com/ as well as ticket information http://www.ticketmaster.com/andrea-bocelli-miami-florida-02-12-2017/event/0D0050FCDD21B089?artistid=773296&majorcatid=10002&minorcatid=203

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By Chef Alex Stupak

Ingredients

1 small white onion, minced
¼ cup cider vinegar
4 avocados
10 oz roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped
4 Tbsp pistachio oil (found at specialty markets or Williams-Sonoma)
½ cup fresh lime juice
4 pickled jalapenos, minced
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
1 fresh jalapeno, thinly sliced
Whole cilantro leaves
Tortilla chips

Assemble
1. Soak the minced onion in the cider vinegar for 1 minute. Drain the onion in a small strainer and rinse under running water.
2. Pit the avocados and scrape the flesh into a mixing bowl. Using a potato masher, lightly mash the avocados, until they are chunky, but not smooth.
3. Add the onion, pistachios (less one tablespoon), pistachio oil, lime juice, pickled jalapeno, chopped cilantro, and salt. Fold the mixture together, being careful not to overwork the avocados.
4. Spoon the guacamole into a serving bowl, and garnish with the whole cilantro leaves, fresh jalapeno, and remaining tablespoon of pistachios. Serve with tortilla chips. Makes 4 servings.

This recipe is from Chef Alex Stupak of Empellon Cocina and Empellon Taqueria in New York City. Empellón is a Mexican-inspired restaurant group by Chef Alex Stupak, with locations in New York City’s East and West Village, with its newest location opening in Mid-town.

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KT Tunstall on why kissing girls wasn’t just a phase, admiring gender-fluid teens and channeling her masculinity

Is she or isn’t she?

Truthfully, KT Tunstall understands the confusion regarding her sexuality – she’s responsible for it, after all. Tunstall, whose breakthrough song, “Suddenly I See,” became every dreamer’s anthem after it was prominently featured in The Devil Wears Prada, opened up about those rumors – and why kissing girls was “a really important part of my formative years” – on the heels of her latest album, KIN.

How do you explain your big lesbian following?

Listen, I’ve been super well aware of that from day one and have been so grateful for it.

How did you become aware? 

From day one of releasing an album where I have fucking rainbow suspenders on! (Laughs) The British album cover for Eye to the Telescope was an homage to Patti Smith’s Horses album and I loved Mork & Mindy too, and so we didn’t think about it. It wasn’t me pretending to be gay, but I’m on the front of my album with these bright rainbow suspenders on. All the gay community thought I was gay – and they still think I’m gay! They’re just waiting for me to figure it out.

Have you figured it out?

Not yet! (Laughs) Listen, I am absolutely all about no boundaries and no labels. I’m gender fluid. (Laughs)

Is that how you’d describe your sexuality?

No, I wouldn’t. I am hetero, but you know, I’ve certainly – I did theater studies at college for Christ’s sake; of course I had fun with girls. It was weird in that community not to. And I get the feeling that it’s weird now for people to be kind of hung up about it – certainly in younger people I’ve met, which is such a beautiful shift. There are amazing people spearheading that, like Cara Delevingne, Kristen Stewart and and Eliot Sumner – she’s fucking awesome. It’s not even really an issue (for them), and I’m so glad.

How do those people inspire you?

I look at them as someone from the older generation and I just am so relieved that there isn’t as much angst. I feel less angst in this new generation of young people. It feels that there are less and less shackles on young people to adhere to old norms and that inspires me just to be brave in everyday life and to honor how confident and self-assured they are becoming at a much younger age than I did. I feel like I’m keeping up with teenage confidence here.

Tell me about studying theater.

I wanted to be an actress when I was younger, so I started in a theater group when I was 8 years old and started performing when I was quite young. By the time I was 15, I went on this really amazing theater course called Scottish Youth Theatre and it was the first time I left home. We were living in a kind of dorm room situation, and it was people who were into all sorts of music that I hadn’t been subjected to. I didn’t go to my first show until I was 15. I grew up at a very sheltered time in Scotland.

What was your introduction to the gay community then?

It was during that time when I went to live in Glasgow. I had lived in St. Andrews – very, very straight up academic. When I went over to Glasgow for the theater course, many of the lecturers were gay, and it wasn’t that it was surprising – I wasn’t shocked by it. It was much more that I realized that there was this whole world of life that I hadn’t known about. And there was definitely a very open attitude: If you like this person, then kiss them and that’s completely normal.  That’s how fucking life should be, quite frankly. Why on earth would anyone have any problem with someone enjoying themselves? It doesn’t make any sense.

And you were kissing girls then. Would you call that a phase?

No; I think it would be disrespectful to call it a phase. It was part of life. It was learning about love and learning about lust and desire and sexuality and becoming an adult and experiencing people. It was a really important part of my formative years.

What’s interesting now is the gender fluidity issue, I think. That’s really exciting and something that I just personally would relate to much more had that been talked about when I was 17, 18. That’s what I would be leaning my ear into because, I mean, when I get on stage something quite masculine happens to me. I think this is also why people have questioned my sexuality. There’s definitely a kind of masculine energy, and I’ve always felt that way and that comes through me when I perform.

I think it’s also playing a guitar! (Laughs) I feel like I have a cock! The guitar is basically like a strap-on. But then it depends how you play it, because I don’t know if Joni Mitchell felt that way. There’s definitely something that happens when I take to the stage, and it’s definitely much more prevalent than when I’m walking around buying eggs in the supermarket. (Laughs)

I read a really great article with Eliot Sumner–Sting’s daughter–and I was quite envious thinking, “Wow, imagine being in my youth and it not really being an issue what gender you are,” because I always felt so tomboy. I grew up with brothers, and when I was younger, I always had lots of male friends – mostly male friends. Actually, now, I have mostly female friends, and I think that I’ve kind of inhabited being a woman. I really love my femininity, but I felt like a stranger to it before.

Which track on the album do think your LGBT fans might enjoy most?

Maybe “Hard Girls” because that song is really about being vulnerable and not wearing an entire tub of hair gel on your head and all the makeup in the world and just being you, authentically you and not worrying. That song is totally meant to be a celebration about just fucking not worrying too much about that stuff and letting people get to know you for who you are.

What went through your head the first time you heard “Suddenly I See” in Devil Wears Prada?

I was floored! As an artist, having your song used in a movie–you never get the whole song used and you never get your song used without there being dialogue over the top of it. And the whole three-and-a-half minutes of the opening of the movie is just my song, unadulterated! I remember my manager saying to me, “Enjoy this because it’s probably never going to happen again.”

How did you feel about Hillary Clinton using “Suddenly I See” as her 2008 campaign song?

It was great. I’m not American, I can’t vote, but I would always want to see the Democrats in power, so I was really happy to be able to contribute in any way to try and make that happen. I don’t know what (a campaign) song would sound like right now – it’s crazy times. I wouldn’t even know where to start. It’s like watching a game show. It’s like watching The Hunger Games or something. It’s just completely bonkers. But seeing a woman in the position of President of the United States would be an amazing thing.

And Donald Trump – many artists aren’t appreciating the fact that he’s been using their songs.

Yeah, he used one of my songs. I can’t remember where but someone tweeted that he used it. It was just fucking abhorrent and it just makes you want to have a wash. I want my work nowhere near that disgusting man.

I don’t want to classify the last album, Invisible Empire, as having a “lesbian folk” sound but…

(Laughs) Listen, I was playing folk music and I was buttoning up the top button of my shirt – that’s all I need to say.

When I listen to your latest album, it sounds like a kindred spirit to your debut, Eye to the Telescope. I hear similarities between the two.

Me too! It feels like the spiritual follow up to the first album. It feels like it’s taken three records to write my second album! And it’s not to disrespect the other albums, because I love them and they’ve been really important and I’m really proud of them. But I think from a personal point of view, there’s a lot of familiarity in terms of where I was at when I wrote this record, where I’m really very unselfconscious and I totally love the music and I’m just having fun. I think it’s taken me a long time to get away from that incredibly powerful gaze of millions of people looking to see what you’re going to do next. It’s hard.

When did you start feeling “that gaze”?

I think after the success of the first record. Making the second record, I was just fucking exhausted. I was so tired. I’d been literally touring solid for two years and you’re in the studio trying to make a record and it’s just like… you’re just burned. And there’s a low possibility of you being able to make the best follow-up record that you can. I actually really loved that second record; I was just bummed because I wanted to do it garage-band style live and the record company really didn’t want to do that, so we ended up making a slicker record than I was intending on making. But you know, I’m proud of it. I think I listen back and I love it, but I was definitely feeling the effects of becoming famous. It was very weird.

How would you describe fame?

You just feel like you’re in a bit of a glass box. And I’d been fairly shy when it comes to interacting with the tabloid press. I absolutely kept my fucking head down because that side of it can be quite frightening in terms of your lack of control of how you’re perceived by everybody. I really just kept my head down and didn’t really engage. I just didn’t want to do it; I didn’t want to go there. I’d actually feel much more comfortable with it now than I did then.

Funny enough, (this album) was made in quite a similar way (to the first album). It was made in Tony Hoffer’s studio and he has this really cute, cool DIY homemade studio and – same as the first record – I played a lot of the stuff myself and I think that was important for me, for this record. I put just as much of my undiluted self into this record because that’s where the joy comes from.

Chris Azzopardi is the editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBT wire service. He can proudly say Mariah Carey once called him a “daaahhhling.” Reach him via his website at www.chris-azzopardi.com and on Twitter (@chrisazzopardi).

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What to do with your leftover tropical fruits? The mango still sitting in your fruit and vegetable drawer and the pineapple chunks left over from your fab Sunday Fun day brunch need a purpose. This simple baked salmon will delight and amaze guests with very little effort. If you have a convection oven and haven’t given it a whirl, this recipe will showcase the benefits of circulating air to keep the temperature steady.

INGREDIENTS

• I whole filet of salmon (farm raised)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup diced mango
• ½ cup diced pineapple (or other tropical or citrus fruit)

INSTRUCTIONS

Set your Convection oven to Bake 400 Degrees 

1. Coat a stone baking sheet with extra virgin olive oil. Cover entire sheet all corners. Try to use just 1 tablespoon.
2. Lightly spread olive oil on skin and lay salmon filet skin side down on
3. Pile chopped mango and chopped pineapple on top of salmon. The fruit should cover the entire filet. Dice more fruit to cover if needed.
4. Pour remaining olive oil over fruit and salt with ½ teaspoon sea salt.
5. Convection cook for 18 minutes on 400 degrees
6. Remove filet and slice down the middle. If uncooked (raw throughout slice), return to oven for 5 more minutes. If the center of the cut is rare but the sides of the slice are cooked, remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.
7. Slice and serve with baked fruit on top, skin will remain in the pan.

The combination of the fruit and the convection baking makes this the moistest salmon dish you have ever experienced. Convection ovens create a dry atmosphere so the fruits will slightly brown but the fish will main moist. This summer dish is best served at room temperature with stove top couscous.

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