For any of us who came of age during the 1970s, the era was a pop smorgasbord of fashion, art, culture, and music. From the iconic John Travolta inSaturday Night Fever, to the music of ABBA, to classic TV series such as All in the Family, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and The Carol Burnett Show, such references have not only helped define my generation but inspired in others an ongoing love for all things ’70s.

Actor/singer Michael Vaccaro is attempting to capture that spirit in a new Web series, Child of the ’70s, which is currently fundraising at Indiegogo. An indie actor in such movies as Todd Verow’s Deleted Scenes and The Endless Possibility of Sky, Michael also won a MAC award for Outstanding Musical Comedy Performer and has recorded two CDs, Archangel and Wait for Him.

To create Child of the ’70s, he has joined with friend and collaborator Terrence Moss as co-writers. Terrence is an independent writer based in Los Angeles who operates a website for long-form content, terrencemoss.com, consisting of articles, commentaries, reaction pieces, essays, actor/actress profiles, and an ongoing short fiction series.

The two recently met with me to discuss this shared love of the ’70s and how it helped inspire their new series.

Kergan Edwards-Stout: Michael, what is it about the 1970s that entices you? Is it the music? The TV shows? Something more?

Michael Vaccaro: All of those — and more. It was a magical era. Look at TV alone. It was the best TV ever! I mean, Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, Cloris Leachman, Valerie Harper, Carol Burnett, Bea Arthur, and Esther Rolle — and so many more. Back then TV was interesting, smart, and funny — and unafraid, just like the people who were coming of age then.

Edwards-Stout: That was your time, huh?

Vaccaro: Yeah, I was young and really cute, and I could get into clubs and drink and have sex with hot bartenders! You could dance and go home with strangers, and everybody was doing it, and no one cared or judged. It was before we all started dying, and I remember such a sense of freedom and abandon.

Edwards-Stout: So you associate it with freedom…

Vaccaro: Exactly. There was a sense of achieving whatever dream you had. Take cinema — also the greatest decade. Actors and directors and writers were unafraid, fearless, raw. It’s all pretty much sucked since. And music? No one can tell me there’s a greater album, an album that better captured the feelings of an entire generation of people, than Saturday Night Fever.

Edwards-Stout: With your new Web series, Child of the ’70s, you’re hoping to capture some of that?

Vaccaro: I wanted to do something really fun that brought back many of the actors that I loved from that time. I’m casting a few of my absolute favorites, though I can’t talk about who just yet. So many deserving of attention. Look at the amazing resurgence of Betty White! I want to do that for a few of the people who helped make my childhood happy!

Edwards-Stout: Terrence, how did you become involved in writing the project with Michael?

Terrence Moss: Michael knew of the short story series I write for my website, as well as the pieces I had written about the Bitter Bartender Web series, and asked if I’d help him write Child of the ’70s. We met once a week for five consecutive weeks and wrote one episode each week.

Edwards-Stout: What about the Web series intrigued you?

Moss: Even though I only caught the very tail end of it, I feel a special affinity for the 1970s — the music, the TV shows, some of the movies, the social change. I liked the concept. And on a personal note, I liked that Michael was taking this part of his career into his own hands. I wanted to help with that.

Edwards-Stout: Is the tone reminiscent of those classic TV shows, such as Laverne & Shirley orWelcome Back, Kotter?

Vaccaro: I’m interested in capturing the feeling of Love, American Style. There’s a “look” from the ’70s that I adore: dark, grainy, saturated with earth tones. I’m trying to recapture that look. HD is so very clear and clean and bright, so I’m actually using older cameras.

Edwards-Stout: That sounds cool.

Vaccaro: I also love sarcasm, and it seems to me that everybody on television in the ’70s was sarcastic. Rhoda, Maude, Phyllis… I love that, and we’ve made our lead character, Carlo, pretty sarcastic, but also smart, lovable, and, again, unafraid. He’s also gay, and I wanted to mix that ’70s sensibility with a gay sensibility, which is what Heaven will be like for me.

Edwards-Stout: The series follows Carlo, who uproots his New York life to move to Los Angeles, as the personal assistant to his favorite ’70s TV star, played by Ann Walker, who was so memorable in Sordid Lives.

Vaccaro: Yes, Carlo has quite a few eerie similarities to the character of Rhoda Morgenstern. He was born and raised in the Bronx, he has a sister named Brenda, and two overbearing parents, except his are Italian. He moved out of the house when he was 24. He meets and falls in love with a man named Joe.

Edwards-Stout: Now, a lot of that sounds like you!

Vaccaro: Yes, I can tell you that I, Michael Vaccaro, also grew up in the Bronx, moved out of the house when I was 24, and fell in love with a Joe. And a few years later, I took a job as a personal assistant to a movie star, which I did for a couple of years, so I have lots of stories!

Edwards-Stout: Now, I know that aside from your creative work, you also once worked for Broadway and film legend Lainie Kazan. Any stories you can tell us?

Vaccaro: Hmm… plenty of stories. None that I can actually tell. She is fantastic. Lainie’s funny, interesting, gregarious, and very generous. She truly does light up a room. I’m hoping she’ll be in the series. I have something really juicy in mind for her.

Edwards-Stout: You’ve assembled a great cast, including funny man Bruce Vilanch. What character does he play, and how did he become involved in the project?

Vaccaro: I’ve known Bruce for years. He’s a great friend, and he’s brilliantly funny and smart. I don’t know anyone who gives more of his time to different causes. He appears at absolutely every charity event! So I just called him and asked if he’d do it, and he said yes. His character will become a major part of Carlo’s life in Los Angeles.

Edwards-Stout: I went to college with another of your stars, the multi-talented Duane Boutte. Prior to this he starred in such films as Stonewall and Brother to Brother. What led him to Child of the ’70s?

Vaccaro: Duane is an incredibly talented man, and I’ve wanted to work with him as an actor since the day we met. He plays a character modeled after “Lionel Jefferson” on The Jeffersons, who was played by Michael Evans, who I had such a big crush on when I was a kid.

Edwards-Stout: Another familiar name in your cast is Natalie Toro, who starred on Broadway inLes Miserables, among other shows.

Vaccaro: Natalie and I have been best friends since the fourth grade! She is my family, my sister, and in the show she’s playing the role of Brenda, Carlo’s sister, who is a real Snooki type!

Edwards-Stout: You’re currently raising funds for Child of the ’70s through Indiegogo, and I love that for the highest-level donation, someone can not only be an Associate Producer on the series–

Moss: It’s an easy way to get some Hollywood credits!

Edwards-Stout: –But they also get a role on the show. Would they simply be Waiter #2, or would you write them a funny bit?

Vaccaro: No, I would definitely want to write something very cool for someone who helps us out in that way. I’d want it to be something really fun!

Edwards-Stout: Now, you are both out and proud gay men, so I’ve got to ask: Aside from the general ’70s theme and your very gay and gay-friendly cast, any other hot homo moments in Child of the ’70s?

Moss: I cameo in the first episode as a co-worker of Carlo’s at a phone sex company. I don’t know if any of what I said will be heard onscreen, but if anyone can read lips, it’s very… well… it should get me a lot of dates.

Vaccaro: And, we do have someone incredibly hot playing Joe, the love interest, and if I have anything to say about it — which I do, as I’m the star, co-writer and producer — there will be lots of skin!

Moss: I imagine the real hot and heavy homo moments will occur in season two and beyond. We’ll do the reverse of Queer as Folk by toning up the hot homo stuff as the series progresses.

Edwards-Stout: What plans do you have as for the character as the series goes forward?

Vaccaro: When Carlo changes his life and moves to Los Angeles, he’s a real fish out of water, and we get to explore L.A.’s very specific quirks. We have a terrific scene about his first car accident, and the very special ’70s guest star who he crashes into! We already have a group of amazing actors lined up, including Jonathan Slavin–

Moss: From Better Off Ted.

Vaccaro: –and Jonah Blechman, who was in Another Gay Movie.

Moss: They’ll play his new L.A. best friends. It’ll turn into a little West Coast gay Sex and the City.

Edwards-Stout: OK, one last question for you lovers of the ’70s! Terrence, we’ll start with you. If you could be any character or real person from the 1970s, who would it be, and why?

Moss: Well, I’m assuming Michael is going to say Rhoda Morgenstern–

Vaccaro: Oooh, don’t steal mine!

Moss: –So I’ll say Clifton Curtis from That’s My Mama, because afros were out of style by the ’90s, and even if they came back in style, I can no longer grow enough hair to produce one.

Edwards-Stout: So, Michael, are you going with Rhoda?

Vaccaro: So many possibilities… I might choose Stockard Channing’s stewardess in The Big Bus, so I could ride a nuclear-powered bus from New York City to Denver.

Edwards-Stout: I loved that movie!

Vaccaro: But my ultimate choice would have to be Esther Hoffman Howard, so I could fall in love and have sex with John Norman Howard. I mean, was there ever a sexier guy than Kris Kristofferson in A Star Is Born?

This piece originally appeared on KerganEdwards-Stout.com and The Bilerico Project.

The post Bruce Vilanch To Appear In Michael Vaccaro’s Web Series, “Child of the ’70s” first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

San francisco Bay Times
Bruce Vilanch To Be Grand Marshal at KDK Mardi Gras Fundraiser
By Sister Dana Van Iquity
Published: March 3, 2011

Beaming Klieg lights and a rainbow runway will lead guests to Trigger nightclub for Krewe de Kinqueâ€s 8th Annual Mardi Gras masked ball benefit, “Studio 69 – A Night of Decadence & Dance,” on Sat., March 5 to benefit The Richmond-Ermet AIDS Foundation. Reigning King VII John-John and Queen VII Sister Dana will step down to reveal new monarchs.

The action starts with a VIP reception with Grand Marshal Bruce Vilanch from 6-7 p.m. where guests will enjoy a hosted Stoli bar, delectable hors dâ€oeuvres, music by the Dixieland Dykes + 3 jazz band, loaded gift bags, and a VIP lounge ($50). At 7 p.m. the doors open to the public ($20 advance/$25 door) where DJ Steve Fabus will spin a time-traveling music mix from the Studio 54 era to current house and dance. Peppered seamlessly throughout the night will be performers on the mezzanine, aerialist ropes, the bar top cage, and full stage.

The hilarious Bruce Vilanch took time out from his busy schedule to give Sister Dana a delightful interview.

(Bay Times) Bruce, you are a six-time Emmy Award-winner for your amazing writing talent. Do you ever get tired of writing, or get writerâ€s block?

(Bruce Vilanch) Not as weary as I get when doing nude photo shoots. Some part of my body casts a shadow on another part, and we have to do all these tiresome retakes. Fortunately, every time I get writerâ€s block, my accountant points out how much money I owe certain persons who must remain nameless, and that said people have the addresses of several of my loved ones – that gets me back in the saddle.

What is your favorite assignment, and why?

Ensuring world domination by 2012. Thatâ€s the real gay agenda, you know. Oops. Over-sharing. My two favorite writing jobs have been the Oscar show and any Bette Midler show. Maybe next year sheâ€ll host.

Your least favorite writing, and why?

Trying to make people who arenâ€t funny do funny things. Itâ€s actively painful, like ice cream brain freeze; but when it goes away, thereâ€s no relief.

You have written for so many stars, making them all sound so funny. Was Bette Midler your favorite, or someone else?

Iâ€ve been working with Bette for 40 years, which is difficult, as sheâ€s only 32. She is my original cast album. But Iâ€m particularly fond of a lot of people, all of whom are in my will; none of whom need to be, theyâ€re so goddam rich.

What was it like writing for TVâ€s “Hollywood Squares”? And how was it being in one of the squares yourself?

It was the most fabulous gig in the history of show business. Crazy money, and we only shot 36 days a year – and all of it on weekends. The downside was trying to make serious actors funny and fighting the censors who are always a step behind the public in understanding what has become acceptable in most of society, if not in their own corporate suites. But I was well-paid for the endeavor. And serious actors are great sex partners. Oddly enough, thatâ€s when they turn out to be funny.

You starred brilliantly as Edna Turnblad in Broadwayâ€s Hairspray. Was this your first time in drag?

Oh, I knew my way around a corset. But there wasnâ€t too much call for a bearded lady, and I was hirsute for 32 years. I shaved it for Edna. I HAD done one sensational drag character, a gossip columnist called Louella Fella, for a series I wrote in 1988 for Cheech Marin. We had two airings; a writers strike happened; we shut the show down; and NBC kicked us off the lot. My costumes went back to The Forgotten Woman, a very trendy plus-size boutique in Beverly Hills. Other than that, my drag career was spotty.

And why didnâ€t you get the role for the movie version instead of that Travolta character? You got any dirt on that?

Hairspray was two years of pure joy, and I even got into the 8-a-week schedule in an OCD way that I never knew I had. As for the movie, it was New Lineâ€s plan to discover a new girl for Tracy, as John Waters had the first time, and to stunt cast Edna with a big star. Otherwise, Iâ€m sure Harvey Fierstein would have recreated his Broadway role. As it was, for the first 45 minutes of the movie, I thought John Travolta was Kirstie Alley.

Our Krewe de Kinque fundraiser is for the Richmond-Ermet AIDS Foundation, a very worthy AIDS cause for which you have appeared in many a fabulous fundraising show. Why do you keep coming back for REAF?

They keep offering me cute production assistants named Zack and Chad. I love REAF because it is a clearing house for a lot of charities that canâ€t afford to pull together fundraisers. These organizations work close to the bone – more than 90 cents of your donor dollar goes to the people who need it, not the overhead of the administration.

The Krewe de Kinque Bal Masque is so thrilled to have you as our Grand Marshal. Have you ever been to Mardi Gras? Did you have to show your dick to get beads?

I usually have to show beads to get dick. I have been to Mardi Gras a couple of times, and I couldnâ€t tell which was more fun: going early when everybodyâ€s still into it, or going late, when theyâ€re all fed up and chronically bombed. If youâ€ve ever felt like you wanted to barf in the street but were afraid, Mardi Gras is the place where you can do it with no judgment.

You have the worldâ€s most unique tee shirt collection. Have you picked out your special tee shirt for our event?

Still searching, searching, searching… If either Dolce or Gabbana would simply return my call…

Did your “show business career” really start as a chubby child model for Lane Bryant?

Hey, itâ€s not “Uncle Jockoâ€s Revue” in Seattle; but itâ€s close.

Any last comments you care to make, before we get to see you IN THE FLESH?

Iâ€m auditioning for a life partner. Applicants should walk over on all three of their legs and say hi.

Thatâ€s the kind of wacky, naughty, fun stuff you can expect at Krewe de Kinqueâ€s Mardi Gras Bal Masque on March 5, 2344 Market @ Castro. Tix & info at SFKINQUE.com, (415) 867-5004. Come let the good times roll!

The post Interview: Bruce Vilanch To Be Grand Marshal at KDK Mardi Gras Fundraiser first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

We are really excited to see Bruce Vilanch at Milwaukee Pridefest this weekend. We had such a good time talking to him when he was coming to Chicago to host IML in April of 2006. Please enjoy this classic interview with the very funny Bruce Vilanch and please join us this weekend in Milwaukee on the Summerfest grounds.

Bruce Vilanch put the F. U. in funny for a lot of folks. And boy does he on todayâ€s podcast! Heâ€s on todayâ€s show to talk about why heâ€s coming to Chicago, why the Academy Awards blackballed Brokeback Mountain and where he keeps his enormous collection of t-shirts.

Although he started out wanting to be an actor, Bruce turned to journalism and writing for a career which really took off when comedy legend Bette Midler hired him to “punch up” her act. Hollywood soon called and he moved to Los Angeles to write for television shows like Cherâ€s post-Sonny TV variety hour titled “Cher” as well as provide material for comedians like Richard Pryor, Lily Tomlin and Joan Rivers.

And of course, he is the man behind most of your favorite jokes that appear on the Oscars and the Tony award ceremonies. We think that next year he should hold his jokes hostage and demand that a gay man host the ceremonies- itâ€s the least we can do after the tragedy of having “Brokeback Mountain” lose to “Crash.”

When Harvey Fierstein left the the popular Broadway hit “Hairspray,” Bruce returned to his acting roots to take over the part of Edna Turnblad.

Listen as we chat with Bruce about John Travolta taking on the same role for the film adaptation of the Broadway musical adaptation of the original film.

To go to the podcast: Click Here

The post Listen To Bruce On “Feast Of Fools” first appeared on We Got Bruce!.