Baltimore Magazine
The Chatter
Filmmaker Seeks Divine Intervention
By Evan Serpick
August 29th, 2011

If ever there was a subject ripe to be documented, it’s Divine, a.k.a. Baltimore native Harris Glenn Milstead, the overweight drag queen whose campy, often hilarious, sometimes bizarre turns in John Waters films like Pink Flamingos, Hairspray, Polyester, and Female Troubles always threatened to steal the show.

We’re happy to report that acclaimed director Jeffrey Schwarz is at work on just such a documentary, I Am Devine, and has already shot interviews with Waters, co-stars Ricki Lake and Mink Stole, Michael Musto, Bruce Vilanch, and Divine’s mother, Frances Milstead, among many others.

The problem is, Schwarz claims he doesn’t have money to pay for “editing, music, archival footage, graphics, and plenty of LIQUID EYELINER” and so, he’s started a fundraising campaign, aiming to raise $100,000 to release the film next year. So far, he’s raised $3,368, with 56 days left to meet his goal.

Frankly, $100K sounds like a lot of cheese to me, especially when the bulk of the shooting is already done. Maybe this is what is what it would cost to do some fairly high-end post-production work, or maybe the studio(s) that own those films are asking a lot to license the archival footage. In any case, I for one, would lerve to the see a documentary about Divine, “the most beautiful woman in the world.” If you’re not familiar with her charms, watch the clip on the website, and think about contributing….

The post Bruce Vilanch To Appear In Doc On Divine, ” I Am Devine” 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!.

With his Falstaffian figure, his wild hair, and his even wilder stand-up routine, BRUCE VILANCH will headline the 15th Annual North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, produced by The Carolina Theatre of Durham, NC. The outrageously outspoken gay, Jewish comedian and comedy writerâ€s performance will begin 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13th. It will be preceded by a VIP reception and party for filmmakers and festival sponsors and donors, starting at 7:30 p.m. in the Connie Moses Ballroom. (For a complete schedule of events Aug. 12-15, click http://festivals.carolinatheatre.org/ncglff/schedule/.)

According to Bruce Vilanchâ€s official bio:

“Bruce Vilanch is a two-faced fella: Bearded, he is one of the most sought-after comedy writers in Hollywood, winner of a bunch of Emmys and noted as the ‘Hollywood Square†just to the left of Whoopi [Goldberg]. Shaved, he spent two years as Edna Turnblad, Baltimore housewife and superstar, on tour and on Broadway in the smash musical adaptation of the John Waters film HAIRSPRAY.

“Most recently in 2008, Bruce co-wrote ‘The Showgirl Must Go On†with Bette Midler, which opened at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and has since received rave reviews. And in 2006 Bruce was seen on VH1′s popular fitness and nutrition reality-series, ‘Celebrity Fit Club.†Participating in a type of extreme-makeover-body-edition, the Celebrity Fit Clubbers went through 100 days of Fit Club training. Along the way, they learned about fitness, diets, and nutrition.

“Who knows what Bruce will look like for his next performance? In addition to HAIRSPRAY, he has appeared in such legendary epics as ICE PIRATES, MAHOGANY, and THE MORNING AFTER. A frequent guest on talk shows, Bruce won his Emmys for co-writing back-to-back Oscar shows with Billy Crystal. Heâ€s written 16 Oscar-casts so far, as well as a number of Tonys, Grammys, and even Emmys, although he never got an Emmy for writing an Emmy — that would be award-show incest of the lowest order. His bizarre career was documented in the film GET BRUCE!, released by Miramax and perpetually available on Buena Vista Home Video.

“Bruceâ€s one-man show, ALMOST FAMOUS, tickled Off-Broadway audiences for three months and has made a number of appearances around the country. He is frequently mistaken for Brad Pitt.”

The Carolina Theatre presents BRUCE VILANCH at 9:30 p.m. Aug. 13 at Burning Coal Theatre in Fletcher Hall, 309 W. Morgan, St., Durham, North Carolina 27701.

TICKETS: $27-$37 ($24-$32 member and group rate).

BOX OFFICE: The Carolina Theatre: 888/241-8162 or 919/560-3030 or http://www.carolinatheatre.org/tickets/.

Ticketmaster: 800/745-3000, 919/834-4000

PRESENTER/VENUE: http://www.carolinatheatre.org/.

PARKING/DIRECTIONS: http://www.carolinatheatre.org/plan-your-visit/directions-parking.

OTHER LINKS:
Bruce Vilanch: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Vilanch (Wikipedia), http://www.jewishfederations.org/page.aspx?id=26920 (Jewish Federations of North America, Inc.), http://www.wegotbruce.com/ (fan site), http://www.lortel.org/ (Internet Off-Broadway Database), http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=4613 (Internet Broadway Database), and http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0897358/ (Internet Movie Database).

OTHER LINKS:
The 15th Annual North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival: http://festivals.carolinatheatre.org/ncglff/ (official web page). For a complete schedule of NCGLFF events, click http://festivals.carolinatheatre.org/ncglff/schedule/.

The post BRUCE VILANCH WILL HEADLINE THE 15TH ANNUAL N.C. GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

Greetings. I am a photographer who grew up in Shelburne, VT and now lives in LA.

Iâ€m seeking subjects for a sequel photography book who are gay (men or women), live in Vermont and have either a truly unique living space (quirky, odd, unusual), or live in a pastoral Vermont setting, even a farmer would be ideal.

Iâ€ll be back in VT around August 21st and was hoping to locate a subject or two.

The series features portraits of gay men and women at home including John Waters, Todd Oldham, Edward Albee, Joel Schumacher, George Takei, Tommy Tune, Christopher Ciccone, Don Bachardy, Tab Hunter, Barney Frank, Bruce Vilanch, Ross Bleckner, Simon Doonan, Michael Cunningham, Ned Rorem, Junior Vasquez, John Ashbery, Carson Kressley, David Del Tredici, Edmund White, John Bartlett and others.

The series seeks to highlight positive role models for our nationâ€s GLBT youth. The first book reached people on national television and radio, as well as in over 150 publications in over a dozen countries including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The New Yorker, Elle, Out, The Advocate, The Art Newspaper, Artforum, Art Ltd., Photo Life, Photo Selection and The Photo Review.

Photos from the series also won first place in Portraiture from London’s Worldwide Photography Gala Awards, first place in Portraiture in the Prix de la Photographie Paris competition, as well as additional awards from the Griffin Museum of Photography, the Center for Fine Art Photography, Manhattan Arts International, Artrom Gallery Guild (Rome), Kodak,CameraArts Magazine, Photo Life Magazine, Photographer’s Forum Magazine, Graphis and Applied Arts.

The series, Kings in Their Castles, can be previewed at:
http://www.tomatwood.com/kings.php.

If youâ€re aware of any subjects, feel free to reach me at this email or 310-503-7800. Of if you know of anyone who might know or know of a VT newsgroup where this message could be posted, feel free to forward this to them or post this.

Thanks so much.

Tom

The post LA Based Photographer Seeking Vermont Subjects 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!.