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Videos: Bruce Vilanch’s Dolly Parton Musical ‘Here You Come Again’
August 12, 2023

HERE YOU COME AGAIN: How Dolly Parton Saved My Life in 12 Easy Songs By Bruce Vilanch, Gabriel Barre, and Tricia Paoluccio

A rollicking and touching new musical about a has-been-who-never-was comedian and his unusual relationship with his longtime idol, Dolly Parton. The show is a celebration of Dolly’s music and of the profound and funny things she has to say to us all about life, love, and how to pull yourself up by your bootstraps during the toughest of times—even if your bootstraps don’t have rhinestones!

Featuring all the Dolly songs you love with a live band.

The post Videos: Bruce Vilanch’s Dolly Parton Musical ‘Here You Come Again’ first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

The Hollywood Museum is thrilled to announce its 2017 salute to the LGBTQ community‘s contributions to the entertainment industry. The fourth annual “REAL to REEL: Portrayals and Perceptions of LGBTQs in Hollywood” exhibit, in partnership with Los Angeles City Council member Mitch O’Farrell, is an educational, entertaining and informative retrospective of LGBTQ images in film, TV, new digital platforms featuring costumes, props, photos, and iconic imagery all telling the story of the milestones and influence that LGBTQ characters and plot lines have had in Hollywood from early stereotypes to modern-day representations. Additionally, REAL to REEL celebrates LGBTQ icons those individuals and couples who may be openly LGBTQ or not, and who support the LGBTQ community.

The Hollywood Museum’s REAL to REEL exhibition, which coincides with the annual Christopher Street West Pride activities, offers a historic perspective spanning 100 years from silent films to today’s films, TV shows, and digital platforms. “The museum welcomes the opportunity to create and showcase this important exhibition, sharing with the public the artistic expression and extraordinary significance of the LGBTQ culture and its effect and impact on the world through the medium of entertainment,” says Donelle Dadigan, Founder and President of The Hollywood Museum located in the Historic Max Factor Building.

The exhibit revisits monumental LGBTQ moments in history with Rev. Troy Perry, including the Black Cat riots (1967), and on display – the infamous sign that once hung at the entrance of West Hollywood’s Barney’s Beanery. Exhibit highlights include costumes from Transparent, How to Get Away with Murder, The Walking Dead, Empire, Trans America, Sordid Lives, Cruising, Orange is the New Black, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Ray Donovan, Mad Men, Arrested Development, Cabaret,K-11, as well as Cyndi Lauper’s Grand Marshall Costume (Toronto’s Gay Pride parade, 2015. Additional exhibit items include famous costumes from Hollywood’s leading designers – Mr. Blackwell, Bob Mackie, Rett Turner, Nolan Miller, Edith Head – to today’s Project Runway with Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum, as well as Days of Our Lives, The Bold and the Beautiful, Tyler Perry’s The Haves and Have Nots, Scandal, Two in a Half Men, True Blood, The Good Wife, and more. This year’s exhibit also includes, Icons in the Community such as Betty Davis, Joan Crawford, Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Liza Minnelli, Bette Midler, Ramon Navarro, Greg Louganis, Charles Laughton, Sam Harris, Bruce Vilanch, Sherman Hemsley, Gere Jewell, Jerry Herman, Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner and many more.

The Hollywood Museum gratefully acknowledges the following ABC, Amazon Studios, BBC America, CBS, Discovery Life, Focus Features HBO, Logo, NBC, Netflix, OWN, Showtime, TLC and 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures, as well as organizations serving the LGBTQ community including ONE Archives, Christopher Street West, The Lavender Effect, and The Glaad Awards, amfAR and more

ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD MUSEUM IN THE HISTORIC MAX FACTOR BUILDING:
See 10,000 Authentic Show Business Treasures spanning more than 100 years of Hollywood history! Located next to the world famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Hollywood Museum in the Historic Max Factor Building houses the largest collection of entertainment memorabilia on display in the world. It is home to thousands of costumes, props, photographs, posters, celebrity automobiles and other treasures from some of the most iconic films and TV shows ever made! See Hollywood legends – past, present, and in the making! The museum attracts thousands of fans from around the world and was recently named one of the top tourist attractions by LA Weekly and by Trip Advisor, and was voted one of the Top 10 Museums in LA by the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. The Hollywood Museum is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization.

REGULAR HOURS: Wednesday – Sunday: 10:00am – 5:00pm (Exhibit: Fri, June 10th – Sun, Sept 4th)
TICKETS: $15 Adults: $12 Seniors (62+): $12 for students with ID and $5 Children under 5.
ADDRESS: 1660 N. Highland Ave. (at Hollywood Blvd.), Los Angeles, CA 90028 MUSEUM INFO: www.TheHollywoodMuseum.com or Tel: (323) 464-7776

FOLLOW THE MUSEUM:
WEBSITE: www.TheHollywoodMuseum.com

FACEBOOK: Facebook.com/TheHollywoodMuseum

The post The Hollywood Museum Announces Fourth Annual Real to Reel: Portrayals and Perceptions of LGBTQs in Hollywood Exhibit first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

Popping up on the 54 Below stage wearing a T shirt with the message about “Adele,” Bruce Vilanch launched into “Hey, Don’t Look At Me” from Follies with special lyrics about his appearance at his old stomping ground, the basement room of 54 Below. Without a break, Vilanch jumped into “Gee But It’s Good To Be Here” perfectly impersonating Ethel Merman’s high note! His accompanist was the talented Brian Nash who plays for the late open mic show at 54 Below every Monday night at 11:30 PM.

Most of Vilanch’s show was funny stories from his writing experiences on shows including the Oscars, his appearances on Hollywood Squares, and his writing for several beauty pageants. He described how one could get to the major beauty pageants by starting small, taking a local contest first, then moving up to regional, then to state, and ultimately one of the big international contests, especially if you were spotted by professional trainers “Guy and Rex.” Their training method was hysterical, especially when they got to a Miss Universe contest in high altitude Peru. Because there was a sumo wrestler shaped contestant, when she descended the staircase she would knock over all the other contestants! His job was to write the questions and answers for the contestants and they always wanted some special disease to talk about. The response of the girl contestant who blew her line was hysterically funny.

He also did a riff on Pia Zadora who lives in Las Vegas and has just been charged with assaulting her fifth husband, a cop, with his pistol! One of Vilanch’s first jobs was to write an act for her that her rich husband could put in his Las Vegas hotels. He told everyone to watch her movie “Santa Claus and the Martians” for a special Christmas treat. Marvin Hamlisch was also hired and she was to open for George Burns who was 100 years old at the time. Vilanch grew up worshiping Burns and was able to suggest old jokes for his shows which Burns remembered instantly! When Burns saw Zadora in rehearsal, he said it was the worst act he had ever seen! And he had been seeing bad acts for 100 years! Zadora’s husband paid other headliners to come and see her act.

Vilanch’s best stories, which I will not fully disclose here, were about Steve Martin when he was hosting the Oscars and not wanting to do a specific joke which dealt with his fly on camera. The censor lady had approved it and insisted it be done. At the last minute, Martin refused to do it and the Stage Manager announced the cutting of the joke which was broadcast to all the audience! There was also a very funny story about Dolly Parton singing the song she wrote for “Beethoven’s Fifth” with the two dogs at her feet. Suddenly one of the dogs took a big dump so they cut to the upper part of Parton’s torso while a stage manager swept off the droppings. However, Parton was wearing a transparent top and the waist up shot showed her naked big breasts and nipples driving the censor wild. So they cut to her face and as Parton smelled what had happened her mascara started dripping! Vilanch was back stage with Deborah Kerr who was to get the special career award. Vilanch explained that everyone who gets this award usually dies a few months later, which is why Doris Day has always turned it down. He had the job of taking Ms. Kerr, in a blackout, to a platform where she was to appear after Parton’s number. Kerr’s reaction to the smell was priceless!

He also regaled us with the stories of the Lucas repressed Stars Wars Holiday Special, done to promote the next sequel. It was to star the Chewbaca family, who spoke in that language, and featured all kinds of name guest stars including Art Carney, Diahann Carroll, and Bea Arthur. Bea Arthur was to be featured in the nightclub scene and chose to sing “The Alabama Song.” The costumes on the extras were left over unfinished costumes that kept melting. Most of them looked like Vaginas. And on her last note, Arthur knocked over the vagina on her shoulder! Sometimes you will find that clip on you tube!

All in all, there was not a dull or unfunny moment in Vilanch’s act.
He repeats Friday, June 14 at 11 PM. Reservations are a must! Given his popularity with Broadway community he’ll probably sell out.

Maitre D’ & Reservations: (646) 476-3551
To purchase tickets visit TicketWeb.com or call (866) 468-7619

54 Below – 254 W 54th St, Cellar – New York, NY 10019

The post first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

DURHAM — Comedy writer Bruce Vilanch will perform at the 15th annual North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, to be at the Carolina Theatre Aug. 12-15.

Vilanch is best known as the joke and gag writer for the Oscars, the Tonys, the Grammys and other awards shows. His life and often requested skills as a joke writer were the subject of a 1999 documentary titled “Get Bruce!” Vilanch was an entertainment writer for the Chicago Tribune, an assignment that put him in touch with Bette Midler, who in 1970 hired him to write jokes for her.

He continues to write for Midler. He also has contributed material to comedians Lily Tomlin, Joan Rivers and others. His extensive writing credits include the television shows “Donnie and Marie,” “The Brady Bunch Hour,” and Dolly Parton‘s variety show “Dolly.” He played the role of Edna Turnblad in the touring show of the Broadway production of “Hairspray.”

Vilanch will perform at the festival at 9:30 p.m. Aug. 13.

The four-day festival is dedicated to screening films that reflect the many voices of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. The 2010 festival will present 73 feature and short films from the United States, Canada, Argentina, India, Israel, France, New Zealand, Peru and Colombia.

In other festival highlights, director Robert Gaston will present an exclusive North Carolina sneak peek of his new film, “Flight of the Cardinal,” filmed entirely in North Carolina.

“Howl” is a documentary about the late poet Allen Ginsberg and the making of his ground-breaking Beat Generation poem of the same name. It was produced and filmed by Academy Award-winning documentarians Rob Epstein (“The Times of Harvey Milk“) and Jeffrey Friedman. It includes animation by Ginsberg collaborator Eric Drooker that captures the essence of the poem.

“Edie and Thea: A Very Long Engagement,” a documentary from the makers of “The Brandon Teena Story,” tells the story of two women who met in the early 1960s and shared their lives and their love for the next 42 years. “Gen Silent,” from director Stu Maddox, director of “Bob and Jack’s 52-Year Adventure,” is a documentary about elderly LGBT people who go back into the closet to survive in the health care system. Maddox will lead an audience discussion after the screening.

The festival will have three short film programs for women, four programs of men’s shorts, and a program of five transgender shorts.

The 2010 festival Plaza Party takes place at 8 p.m. Aug. 14 with partial proceeds benefiting the LGBT Center of Raleigh. A VIP Reception and party for filmmakers, sponsors and festival donors takes place at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 13 in the Connie Moses Ballroom.

Tickets for the festival 10-Pass, Bruce Vilanch and the Plaza Party 2010 go on sale at 11 a.m. Monday. The Festival 10-pass is $75, $63 for Star Members. Tickets for Vilanch are $37, $27 and $22 for Star Members. Tickets for the Plaza Party are $10 in advance and $13 at the door.

For information on the VIP Reception and party, call the box office at 560-3030. Tickets may be purchased online at www. carolinatheatre.org and www.ncglff.org or call the box office at 919-560-3030 or toll free at 1-888-241-8162.

Tickets for individual films are $9 and $7.50 for Star Members and go on sale at 11 a.m. July 28.

For more information and a complete list of films, visit www.ncglfff.org.

The post Bruce Vilanch Performs At Gay & Lesbian Film Festival In Durham August first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

You may recognize his face from TVâ€s “Hollywood Squares” trading quips with Whoppie Goldberg or battling his weight on VH1â€s “Celebrity Fit Club”. Or maybe you might remember him from his gender bending role as Edna Turnblad in the Broadway rendition of the John Waters hit “Hairspray”. This is your chance to catch the bespectacled, cherubic comedian live in Key West this Thursday and Friday May 27-28, 2010, at Duval Streetâ€s Bourbon Street Pub.

His impressive resume began as a comedy writer for such stars Bette Midler, Dolly Parton and Pia Zadora and Bruce Vilanch uses these iconic ladies as fodder for his stand-up routine as he weaves his personal experiences into comedic gold.

A recent Denver review explains that, “Vilanchâ€s act — itâ€s really a chat rather than stand-up,” and that the show is indeed very funny.

Doors open at 9PM and tickets are $20. Award winning host, TV/Radio personality, comedian and interviewer Scott Nevins opens the show.

Tickets are available at the door. Call 760-322-3554 or visit Bourbon Street Pub online at www.bourbonlivekw.com

Bourbon St. Pub
724 Duval Street
Key West, FL 33040

Vilanch also co-wrote Eartha Kittâ€s disco hit, “Where Is My Man?” found below.

Enjoy!

The post Reminder: Bruce Plays Key West this Thursday and Friday May 27-28, 2010, at Duval Street’s Bourbon Street Pub. first appeared on We Got Bruce!.