The official blog of New Mexico GLBTQ Centers and our regional gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer community centers. This blog is written by volunteer authors in addition to our Executive Director.
Cheyenne Jackson is in talks to join the first Broadway production of The Normal Heart, Larry Kramer's landmark play about the early years of the AIDS epidemic, reports The New York Times.
Joe Mantello, a Tony award-nominated actor for Angels in America and Tony award-winning director of Take Me Out, will play Ned Weeks, the play's protagonist, based on Kramer. Love! Valour! Compassion!'s John Benjamin Hickey will play Ned's lover, Felix Turner. Ellen Barkin will make her Broadway debut as Emma Brookner, the wheelchair-bound doctor who realizes the seriousness of the AIDS crisis. Jackson will likely play Tommy, an activist. The production will be directed by Oscar- and Tony award-winner Joel Grey.
The Normal Heart will begin preview performances at the Golden Theater on April 19 and open on April 27, a day before the deadline to qualify for Tony award consideration. Kramer's play first opened on April 21, 1985 and ran for 294 performances. The revival follows an acclaimed staged reading of the play in New York last October, which raised $150,000 for charity.
A film adaptation to be directed by Ryan Murphy with Mark Ruffalo attached to star is in the works.
Calls for marriage equality dominated the Human Rights Campaign gala in New York, which was headlined by Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo, stars of the Oscar-nominated film The Kids Are All Right.
By Julie Bolcer
The Human Rights Campaign held its 10th annual New York gala Saturday night and put the focus on efforts to achieve marriage equality in the state. Headliners included Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo from the Oscar-nominated film The Kids Are All Right.
Moore, who stars with Annette Bening in the Lisa Cholodenko film about a lesbian couple and their family, told The Advocate on the red carpet that she felt cautiously optimistic about the chances for marriage equality in New York this year. She and Ruffalo both appear in videos for the New Yorkers for Marriage Equality campaign, which most recently included former first daughter Barbara Bush.
“I think, you know what, get it together,” said Moore. “I think we will be shocked. We’ll look back at this time and we’ll be shocked historically. It’s going to seem like barbarism the same way segregation did.”
Inside the Waldorf-Astoria ballroom in Manhattan, where video screens displayed the evening’s theme of “No Excuses,” elected officials and advocates sounded even more hopeful, with New York city council speaker Christine Quinn announcing her plan to lobby state senate majority leader Dean Skelos in Albany on Monday ahead of advocacy groups' lobbying effort the next day. The Republican from Long Island pledged during the election not to block another vote of the bill, which has passed the assembly three times but failed in the senate by 38-24 in 2009 with no GOP members voting in favor.
“I will give him all of your personal regards and tell him the Waldorf-Astoria wasn’t even big enough to hold all the people who want him to do the right thing right away,” said Quinn of her visit with Skelos, who does not support the bill.
Also key to the effort is Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who has made repeated public calls for marriage equality this year, although he did not attend the gala on Saturday. Instead, Alphonso David, whom the governor appointed to the new position of deputy secretary for civil rights last month, spoke briefly on his behalf during the cocktail hour.
“Governor Cuomo is committed to making marriage equality a reality in New York this year,” he said.
That goal is aided by the addition in the past year of three senators who support equality, thanks to groups including HRC, the Empire State Pride Agenda, and Fight Back New York that worked to unseat senators who opposed the measure. Currently, 26 senators, all Democrats, support the bill, which needs 32 votes to pass. Bipartisan support is a must in the closely divided chamber where Republicans hold a 32-30 majority and some Democrats oppose the bill.
HRC president Joe Solmonese reviewed his group’s local and national efforts including the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” during his remarks, which followed an introduction by Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir, who told reporters afterward that he is planning a move to New York.
Solmonese said, “The next step in the national journey for all of us is right here in New York. HRC will do everything in our power to play an effective role in bringing marriage equality to New York State very soon.”
U.S. senator Charles Schumer of New York reinforced the push for marriage equality in his keynote address, which was introduced by Brian Ellner, HRC senior strategist in New York. The senator also announced that he was recommending that President Barack Obama nominate out lesbian Alison D. Nathan to the federal bench in the southern district of New York. The president recently nominated J. Paul Oetken to the same court on a recommendation from Schumer.
Moore, a Golden Globe nominee for best actress in the same category won by costar Bening this year, received the Ally for Equality Award from HRC. Ruffalo, an Oscar nominee for supporting actor for The Kids Are All Right, presented the honor.
Earlier, the actor reflected on the red carpet about the social impact of the film.
“There’s an honesty in the film that resonates with people,” he said. “It makes people understand that these relationships and families are no different. I think it’s had a significant contribution to the pro–gay marriage fight.”
A performance by the cast of the new Broadway adaptation of Priscilla Queen of the Desert rounded out the evening.
