Bruce Vilanch News

Jack Wrangler, iconic adult and musical theater performer passed away today from complications from lung disease. He was 62 years old. With piercing blue eyes, unruly blond hair, a chiseled physique and cocky swagger, Jack Wrangler was the king of ?70s gay porn. Forging a gay sexual revolution, he wasn't the typical object of homoerotic desire but an intelligent, full-bodied, self-confident male. Exulted for his 80-plus adult films, the openly gay superstar even conquered the straight adult world and legitimate theater. Mr. Wrangler eventually married pop vocalist Margaret Whiting and their relationship would last for the rest of his life.

It was five decades ago that Tom and Dick Smothers first took the stage together and the Smothers Brothers 50th Anniversary Tour, presented by WCBS-FM and Rrazz Entertainment and coming to the Bergen Performing Arts Center on April 24th, celebrates their success.

On Sat & Sun, March 21 & 22 - The 25th Annual Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event (S.T.A.G.E.) Honoring Michael Kearns will present two tribute concerts entitled 'The Brothers Gershwin: George & Ira' to benefit AIDS Project Los Angeles.

Oscar winning actress and singer Shirley Jones will join Broadway and L.A.'s best singers for a tribute to her career at Ryan Black's 88's Cabaret in West Hollywood on Monday, March 16th. Ryan Black's 88's Cabaret's tribute to Shirley Jones will benefit their 88's Uth Scholarship fund with 100% of the proceeds going toward a scholarship fund for young performers studying music. They will also honor Ms. Jones with their first ever 88's ICON of Entertainment Award.

Among those on hand to celebrate 2008's the best of the best in the lavish world of mystery and illusion at the Avalon Hollywood (1735 N. Vine, Hollywood, CA 90028) for The Academy of Magical Arts, Inc. 41st Annual Awards Show were Zach Quinto, Florence Henderson, Jeff Probst, Mac King, Erin Murphy, Gay Blackstone, Max Maven, Mike Caveney, Larry Wilmore, Christina Hendricks, and host, Broadway, television and motion picture star Neil Patrick Harris.

Oscar winning actress and singer Shirley Jones will join Broadway and L.A.'s best singers for a tribute to her career at Ryan Black's 88's Cabaret in West Hollywood on Monday, March 16th. Ryan Black's 88's Cabaret's tribute to Shirley Jones will benefit their 88's Uth Scholarship fund with 100% of the proceeds going toward a scholarship fund for young performers studying music. They will also honor Ms. Jones with their first ever 88's ICON of Entertainment Award.

Naked Boys Singing, the international hit musical revue now in its 10th smash year Off-Broadway, returns to Provincetown summer 2009. Opening June 25th at the Post Office Caf? and Cabaret, Naked Boys Singing is a traditional musical revue, in the vein of Vaudeville and high-camp musical theater, which reminds us that clothes alone do not make the man! The show features six handsome 'boys' of various body types with gorgeous voices, perfect comedic timing, and no clothing! With song titles ranging from 'The Bliss of a Briss' to the culinary inspired 'I Beat My Meat', Naked Boys Singing is 60 minutes of non-stop laughter!

On Sat & Sun, March 21 & 22 - The 25th Annual Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event (S.T.A.G.E.) Honoring Michael Kearns will present two tribute concerts entitled 'The Brothers Gershwin: George & Ira' to benefit AIDS Project Los Angeles.

Friends and colleagues including Bruce Vilanch, Valarie Pettiford, Rachel York, Rita McKenzie, Carole Cook, Thom Troupe, Kathryn Jootsen, Lily Tomlin, Florence Henderson, Donna Mills, Jackie Joseph, Channing Chase, Tippi Hedren, JoAnne Worley, Kate Linder and the Los Angeles cast of RENT among others were more than thrilled to turn out for this special engagement of 'The First 80 Years are the Hardest,' that marked Carol Channing's return to the stage after her accident last year that forced her, for the very first time in her 70 year career, to cancel all scheduled performances.

SHAWN RYAN Live at The M Bar! February 21st , 2009 (8:00 pm) The 'Gay Buble' Comes to Hollywood! Shawn Ryan from NBC's America's Got Talent returns to NYC With an ALL NEW show Written by Bruce Vilanch! Whether it is acting, singing, or charming Regis Philbin on America's Got Talent, Jazz Cabaret Singer Shawn Ryan is taking the world by storm, one song at a time! Shawn Ryan is Entertainment! Called the love child of Peter Allen and Bette Midler, Shawn's crooning and comedy are an unbeatable pair! Do not miss this show!

In honor of Black History Month, best-selling author, star of lifetime's 'Any Day Now,' human Right Advocate, daughter of Civil Rights leader Ralph Abernathy, and goddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr., Donzaleigh Abernathy (www.donzaleighabernathy.com), joined an impressive list of celebrity judges including Debra Skelton - Eight years starring on 'Mad TV,' soon to be seen in James Cameron's movie 'Avatar.' Fumi Desalu - First International Super Model from West Africa. Fred Travalena - 'The Entertainer of a Thousand Faces,' who recently received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 'The Miss African American Princess Pageant Variety Show.'

This year's new entries include Johnny Mathis, Perez Hilton, The New York Times' Ben Brantley, Idina Menzel, Eden Espinosa, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Betty Buckley, Carol Channing, Cynthia Nixon, Phyllis Diller, Florence Henderson, Marsha Mason, Laura Osnes, John Schneider, Adam Shankman, Frank Wildhorn, Jonathan Tunick, Paul Gemignani.

SHAWN RYAN Live at The M Bar! February 21st , 2009 (8:00 pm) The 'Gay Buble' Comes to Hollywood! Shawn Ryan from NBC's America's Got Talent returns to NYC With an ALL NEW show Written by Bruce Vilanch! Whether it is acting, singing, or charming Regis Philbin on America's Got Talent, Jazz Cabaret Singer Shawn Ryan is taking the world by storm, one song at a time! Shawn Ryan is Entertainment! Called the love child of Peter Allen and Bette Midler, Shawn's crooning and comedy are an unbeatable pair! Do not miss this show!

Tony Award winner John Lloyd Young will guest star as a 'former wood shop instructor with a voice of gold' on the upcoming Fox series GLEE. Lloyd Young describes the role 'as great fun, the whole cast is top notch and full of talented film and theatre actors.'

John Lloyd Young plays the title character in the new film comedy 'Oy Vey My Son Is Gay.' The film is writen by Evgeny Afineevsky, Joseph Goldman and Martin Guigui and directed by Evgeny Afineevsky.

It's a story, of a lovely lady ... Florence Henderson gave audiences in Los Angele's Catalina Club an up close and 'Honest' night of entertainment with 'All The Lives Of Me,' under the musical direction of Broadway composer and Emmy Award winner Glen Roven. Friends and colleagues included Carol Burnett, Donna Mills, Robert Wagner, Rita McKenzie, Mitzi Gaynor, Norm Crosby, and Bruce Vilanch (who is credited as a co writer of the program) among others, were on hand as Florence Henderson opened with a hysterically funny number entitled 'Lifted,' before treating audiences to a look at all of her lives. She prefaced that she didnt mean lives like Shirley MacLaine has lives, but rather as a young girl growing up in KY as the youngest of ten children.

Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words continues its sit-down, open-ended run at the Triad Theater, 158 West 72 Street, Monday, February 2, at 7:30pm, with a cast that includes Scott Adsit, Kristen Johnston, Carson Kressley, Eugene Pack, Dayle Reyfel, Claudia Shear, Sherri Shepherd, Michael Urie, Kristen Wiig, Alan Zweibel

Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words continues its sit-down, open-ended run at the Triad Theater, 158 West 72 Street, Monday, February 2, at 7:30pm, with a cast that includes Scott Adsit, Kristen Johnston, Carson Kressley, Eugene Pack, Dayle Reyfel, Claudia Shear, Sherri Shepherd, Michael Urie, Kristen Wiig, Alan Zweibel

The Siegels brought their acceptance-speechless awards ceremony back to Town Hall for a delightful sampling of the best nightlife New York has to offer.

On Monday, January 26 at 7 PM, the 7th Annual Nightlife Awards Concert, hailed as 'The Nightclub World's Equivalent of the Tony's' by Stephen Holden of the New York Times, returns once again with the most -- and the best -- entertainment of any awards show in the world. The reason is simple: there are no acceptance speeches at The Nightlife Awards.