We Got Bruce
Facebook Quokes: Miss Universe
By Mister D
April 16, 2024

“the miss universe pageant has dropped all age requirements, so it is possibly a new world for madonna to conquer, but she will have to compete against miss bahamas, who has braces on her teeth.” – Bruce Vilanch

The post Bruce Vilanch Facebook Quokes: Miss Universe first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

Long before Ellen, Boy George, “Will & Grace,” and RuPaul, there was Bruce Vilanch.  You may know him from writing the most memorable moments on the Academy Awards, or from touring as Edna in “Hairspray,” or from being front and center on “Hollywood Squares,” or from writing for Bette Midler. 

No matter how you know him, and even if you don’t know him by name, one thing is certain — Bruce Vilanch always leaves you smiling.

To this gay boy growing up in a Boston suburb, that weirdly wonderful creature who regularly popped up on television brought endless joy – and promise. It proved that somehow, somewhere, there were more people like me; that I could fit in, thrive, work, and more than anything else, have a fabulous time. 

It seemed like it was a party wherever Bruce showed up. “Donny & Marie,” “The Brady Bunch Variety Hour,” “The Paul Lynde Halloween Special” and “The Star Wars Holiday Special.” 

Was it as much fun as it seemed? Vilanch sighs. “Even sex sometimes isn’t as fabulous on the inside as it seems from the outside!”

He regularly uses his gifts to benefit causes close to his heart. He’s been a tireless advocate for gay rights, raised countless dollars for the fight against AIDS and regularly participates in Pride events – you name it and Bruce has done it. When I ask what drives him, he says, “Renting my body was not an option.”

I remember being part of the invited audience for the dress rehearsal before he hit the road in “Hairspray,” slipping into Edna’s slippers. The first person in his dressing room afterwards was his beloved mother, Henne – who was immortalized in the 1999 documentary about Vilanch, “Get Bruce!” Bruce was still in full makeup (see photo).  Henne gushed, “You were WONDERFUL.”  She turned to me and said, “Isn’t my son wonderful?”  He certainly is!

How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?   

I’ve never been in. Before Stonewall, the concept of being publicly out didn’t exist. And I’ve been around since before Stonewall. Shocking, I know. In addition, I was always fooling around with girls, until I realized that any woman I wanted to make a life with deserved more than a guy who would be trolling around looking for other guys. I chose to live an authentic life. When they say homosexuality is a choice, that’s the choice they’re talking about.

Who’s your LGBT hero? 

If I have to pick just one out of the herd, I guess it would be Noël Coward. He lived the life he wanted to live and nobody seemed to make a bother about it. Plus he was funny as shit.

What’s Los Angeles’ best nightspot, past or present? 

I am of the Studio One/Rose Tattoo era. I was too late for the Coconut Grove in its prime and now I don’t last as late, so I can’t enjoy Reflex in its prime, which is about 5 a.m.

Describe your dream wedding. 

It’s a thrupple. I’m not sure who the other two guys are, but one of them dresses left and the other dresses right and I’m the centrist.

What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about? 

I’m a tribal Jew, so I’m concerned about my tribe. Working on AIDS-related causes for so many decades has made me more interested in other minority health issues, and being on the board of the LA LGBT Center has certainly gotten me involved in that. Of course, I am dogged about the arts and censorship and preservation and restoration.  And I worry — Tiffany Haddish — she really ready?

What historical outcome would you change? 

I try not to indulge in magical thinking. Magical drinking is enough.

What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime? 

Probably Woodstock, but that’s just because I am a boomer. I wasn’t really a hippie, I wasn’t really a rocker, I wasn’t really a stoner, but the idea of half a million people hiking into the woods to hear music and to tell the previous generation that there was a new world hatching is still pretty memorable. 

On what do you insist? 

Pleasure. And free WiFi.

What was your last Facebook post or Tweet? 

Probably a postcard eulogy of a friend.  They’re thick on the ground now…again.  But this is not because of a plague. This is Mother Nature and Father Time, who are both non-binary.

If your life were a book, what would the title be? 

There was a documentary about me called “Get Bruce!” Maybe the book will be “Had Bruce!”  With a much larger cast.

If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do? 

By that time, I will be married to a Martian.

What do you believe in beyond the physical world? 

An ethical dimension. 

What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders? 

Xanax. Just when we thought we had climbed the mountain, they moved the mountain. I don’t blame them for being depressed and a bit shell-shocked. Still, our enemies eat a lot of sugar and have boundless energy, and we have to shut down divisive politics amongst ourselves and confront the common orange evil. 

What would you walk across hot coals for? 

A swimming pool, and in a big hurry.

What LGBT stereotype annoys you most? 

Anyone who tells you if you disagree with them, you are worse than Hitler. And that’s an awful lot of gay people. We’re woefully intolerant of each other and rather than finding common ground, we carpet bomb. This isn’t new, but it is especially annoying in the era that began on November 9, 2016.

What’s your favorite LGBT movie? 

“Get Bruce!” of course, OK, that wasn’t even nominated for a GLAAD Award, even though part of the movie was my acceptance speech when I personally won a GLAAD Award. Aside from that, I am very partial to an indie drama called “Parting Glances,” which was the first AIDS movie that I can recall. If you don’t think you can handle it, know that the young Steve Buscemi is one of the leads and that alone should get you to Netflix and chill.

What’s the most overrated social custom? 

“How are you,”  “Thoughts and prayers,”  “Sorry for your loss,” referring to rich kids as “children of privilege.”

What trophy or prize do you most covet? 

The World’s Largest Penis, which is not the same as the World’s Largest Dick, which I have already been called.

What do you wish you’d known at 18? 

That pizza wouldn’t make me happy for more than a minute.

Why Los Angeles? 

I’m deeply shallow.

The post Long before Ellen, Boy George, “Will & Grace,” and RuPaul, there was Bruce Vilanch first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

Plot Summary:

Still Waiting In The Wings follows the trials and triumphs of of actors waiting tables in Times Square. While dreaming of the Broadway stage, the reality of slinging hash under florescent lights mixes sweet aspirations with bitter drama. There’s no people like show people and there’s no telling what can happen when they’re pitted against each other. Nick Adams, Ed Asner, Carole Cook, Lee Meriwether, Patricia Richardson, Chita Rivera, Seth Rudetsky, Sally Struthers, Bruce Vilanch, and Cindy Williams round out this heartwarming homage to Broadway with some delightful cameos.

Awards

2 wins

2018
Garden State Film Festival
Won, Jury Award
Best Musical Feature
Jeffrey A. Johns (producer), Q. Allan Brocka (director) JJ Spotlight Productions

2017
Fort Worth Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival
Won, Jury Award
Best Feature Film
Jeffrey A. Johns, Q. Allan Brocka JJ Spotlight Productions

Waiting In The Wings: The Musical DVD (USA)

Waiting In The Wings Soundtrack:

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The post 2018: Still Waiting In The Wings Musical DVD & Soundtrack with Lee Meriwether, Ed Asner, Sally Struthers, Cindy Williams, Leanna Cornett, Patricia Richardson, Carole Cook, Bruce Vilanch, and some surprises! first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

He’s a comedy writer but, for Bruce Vilanch, there was nothing funny about Election Day 2016.

As the results came in, Vilanch was working on a project in Los Angeles.

“I was writing, and every now and again, I would shift from my work to go online to see what was going on,” said the “Hollywood Squares” alum.

“At first I went to Facebook and there were all these people saying, ‘This is getting scary,’ ” Vilanch, who supported Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, said. “And I thought ‘gee, you mean she’s not winning?’ ”

“And it just got worse, and worse, and worse,” said Vilanch — sporting a shirt with the message “Dance Like Russia Isn’t Watching” on it, along with his signature red-framed glasses.

“And then people began calling. It was like that scene out of ‘American Horror Story’ this season, where people can’t believe what’s going on and have to share,” he said.

“So it was a strange, surreal evening,” Vilanch, a writer for the Academy Awards, said. “You step into an episode of ‘Twilight Zone,’ or something.”

The post Bruce Vilanch: ‘And it just got worse, and worse, and worse’ first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

Darren Criss (Glee, Hedwig and the Angry Inch) will be among a cast of 14 participating in WordTheatre’s In the Cosmos, to be performed on Saturday, August 26, at 8pm at Ford Theatres.

The event is described as “a wild ride through the universe. From creation myths to the Big Bang to alien life forms, a constellation of actors will bring to life the story of the Cosmos in the words of the great poets, astronomers, comics, philosophers and more. Accompanied by rousing renditions of classical and contemporary music, we will contemplate our galaxy with such visionaries as David Bowie, Elton John, Monty Python, Copernicus, Galileo, Einstein, Carl Sagan, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Stephen Hawking, and Diane Ackerman.”

In addition to Criss, the cast will include film and television stars Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us), Bellamy Young (Scandal), Chris Bauer (True Blood), Bruce Vilanch (Hairspray), Ryan Michelle Bathe (Army Wives), Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey), Jason George (Grey’s Anatomy), Stephen Tobolowsky (Silicon Valley), Gil Birmingham (Hell or High Water), Rhashan Stone (Mass Effect: Andromeda), Joey King (Fargo), Fred Melamed (A Serious Man), Sarah Clarke (24), and Gil Bellows (Patriot). The show is created, produced, and directed by WordTheatre artistic director Cedering Fox.

For tickets and more information, click here.

The post Darren Criss, Bruce Vilanch, Among a Cast of 14 in WordTheatre’s In the Cosmos first appeared on We Got Bruce!.