Nadya Ginsburg Brings 'Feral Fatale' to NYC, With Special Guests Madonna and Cher

Well, I'm not sure how that could have been any more fun.

Last night at the Cutting Room, Nadya Ginsburg delivered an affectionate skewering of two gay icons -- Cher and Madonna, who are both such caricatures of themselves these days that you really just have to be a decent impressionist to be hilarious. Thankfully, Nadya's a brilliant one! 

She then stepped into the role of herself, by far the evening's most touching performance.

Like most gay men, I discovered Nadya via her hilarious video sendups of Cher, Madonna and Winona Ryder, who was a no-show last night. 

Perhaps her best moment came when she teamed up with (the similarly underappreciated by Hollywood) Dennis Hensley for a short film, "If We Took a Holiday," about a struggling actress (Ginsburg) whose Madonna-obsessed gay BFF (Hensley) just got dumped so she tries to make his birthday special by imitating the Material Girl all day long. (The film was a sensation when it premiered at Outfest in 2014.) 

And then this past March, Damian and I had the pleasure of seeing Nadya as Cher in Dennis's fund-raising "Mismatch Game" at Los Angeles LGBT Center, where she was the undisputed star of our post-show photo session!

Watch HERE.

Afterward, I met David Ilku (of Unitard fame) and Craig Chester, both of whom I've admired and "known" online forever but never in the flesh, before spending time with my favorite Jewtalian American Princess ... catch this one if you can!

A big thank-you to Chip for the invite. xo

On the Rag, Vol. 917

 

This week's rag 'n' mag roundup features Alex Espenshade, Belmont Cameli, Lucas Oakley, Matt Damon, Fabien Franke, Playgirl's 1988 centerfold and more BELOW.

Warning

 

Reminder: You can find me giving it away on Instagram, Threads and Facebook.

Remains of the Day (07/22)

Variety: An unlikely friendship between a lonely young gay man (Austin P. McKenzie) and a spirited woman in her 70s (Didi Conn) takes center stage in the indie dramedy "Actual Nobodies," now set for an early 2027 release

Washington Blade: Was there a bit of an Up Stairs Lounge situation last week in Asheville?

Boystack: Bryan Safi shines in "Mad About the Boy," a bittersweet drama about a grieving father whose life is transformed by an unexpected friendship with a spirited drag performer

Attitude: Martina Navratilova backs WTA’s new sex testing policy for women’s tennis

Wrestle Wednesday: Denny Hastert couldn't have done it better

Instinct: Benito Skinner really wants you to watch season 2 of "Overcompensating"

MetroWeekly: A Colorado man who admitted shooting his gay neighbor after hurling anti-gay slurs has been sentenced to seven years in prison, leaving the victim permanently paralyzed

Advocate: Florida Republican lawmaker found liable for sexually harassing male staffers, faces resignation calls

Out: 21 celebrities who came out later in life and 18 old Hollywood stars you probably didn't know were gay

Broadway World: Nice to see my pal James W. Sapp (aka Jameson Currier) being remembered

West Side Rag: New emojis for my fellow Upper West Siders

Jack Greiner: Madison Square Garden’s weak lawsuit against Wired over an alleged database of LGBTQ celebrities raises bigger questions about privacy, surveillance and who controls personal data

BAR: A federal lawsuit brought by a gay former FBI employee who says he was fired for displaying a Pride flag at work is moving into the discovery phase as he seeks reinstatement and back pay

PinkNews: A look at Andy Burnham’s record on LGBTQ issues as he becomes new U.K. prime minister

ICYMI: Australian tennis star Daria Kasatkina weds Natalia Zabiiako in Greece

Hot Cat of the Day: When you AND your dad are a 10 out of 10

Femme Pride: Good for any gay man who wants to embrace his feminine side. I grew up thinking pop culture got it all wrong about my brethren -- Jodie Dallas desperately wanted to have a "sex change" on "Soap"(!), Mr. Roper constantly thought Jack "Tinkerbell" Tripper was most comfortable in women's clothing(!), and Mariel Hemingway was mortified that her mom explained to her that homosexuals were men who wanted to be women(!) -- when really the main difference is whom we're sexually attracted to. But as I have gotten older, I'm realizing there are way more of us who want to lean into their femininity (in addition to those who ultimately transition and live as women) than I ever would have imagined -- and I'm not just talking about acting "queeny." (Have you been on Grindr lately?) My apologies to Hollywood in the 1970s ... and you go, gurls! 

FWIW: Someone close to me disagrees, saying the uptick isn't about queers being more comfortable expressing themselves, but rather the result of average and unattractive guys jumping on a bandwagon in an attempt to get attention. (Ouch.)  One thing's for sure, though: We've come a long gay, baby.

Tennis Tuesday: The Best Men of Tommy Paul's Weekend Wedding

 Tommy Paul broke all our hearts this weekend when he got hitched. (Suddenly his "Gone Fishin'" bumper sticker doesn't seem so bad.) While he looked like a million bucks in his custom double-breasted Burberry suit -- and even better half out of it during the reception -- the ATP heartthrob wasn't the only one who cleaned up nicely for the event. Full report including a lovelorn Taylor Fritz, a mustache contest and a Mamdami lookalike BELOW.

'Swan' Start

Last week I saw my first ballet -- and how fortunate am I that it was performed by the legendary American Ballet Theatre, just a stone's throw from our apartment on the Upper West Side. 

It was also a reminder of how lucky New Yorkers are to have not only one of the world's great ballet companies performing every summer at Lincoln Center, but also the finest opera, orchestras and theater right in our own backyard.

I saw "Swan Lake" at the Metropolitan Opera House, where ABT presented the classic full-length production during its June and July season. Set to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's celebrated score, the ballet features lavish sets and costumes and includes some of the art form's most famous moments, including the Black Swan's dazzling 32 fouettés.

(Swoon.)

More photos including one of me in one of the remaining phone booths in Manhattan BELOW.