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W42ST Daily 6/29/2020
You could say I’ve been preparing to be a roommate all my life. The first several years of my existence were spent sharing, first, a womb, then a bedroom, with my twin brother, Stuart. Growing up, personal space was an unimaginable luxury and, for years, we could hardly even imagine an individual identity: we were simply known as “the twins.”
I’ve never lived alone since. I moved in with roommates – some who remain the very best of friends, others whose unpleasant personal hygiene habits and blatant disregard for shared finances, remain burned in my memory – lovers, a husband, kids. Sharing and compromise are in my DNA. It’s like my whole life has been in preparation for living under quarantine in a New York pandemic.
Our apartment is incredible. We have a washer dryer in unit, a semi-private roof deck, and the five flights are my daily workout (this ass didn’t make itself). But it’s made for New York living. Pre-pandemic, my roommate and I barely saw each other; now, he’s ALL I see. I’ve been accepting house sitting gigs all over the city just to get some space.
Jamie Valentino gets it. A quadruplet (yes – he’s one of FOUR!), he shares a flex apartment in Hell’s Kitchen with his best friend. But all those dirty dishes, loud porn sessions, and dog poop misdemeanors are beginning to stack up. He vents here.
RAISE YOU UP
Billy Porter, Stark Sands, Annaleigh Ashford, Wayne Brady, Jake Shears – and cameos from Cyndi Lauper, Harvey Fierstein, and Jerry Mitchell – make this a joy-filled Pride celebration with a clear message. ‘Raise You Up’ is the finale number from Kinky Boots, and this gathering of former cast members from all over the world is a thing of love and beauty. Also, did I spot my friend Patricia Phillips in there?! Looking good, girl.
AN UPDATE
At the height of the COVID-19 crisis, Jeff Whiting and Open Jar Studios gathered stitchers, stage managers, choreographers, and costume designers from shuttered Broadway shows to make much-needed gowns for NY city hospitals. The project, which has now ended, delivered 51,000 medical-grade gowns, and created over 400 jobs for the Broadway community, many of whom, in turn, donated their pay to The Actors Fund – to the tune of $32,948. Read their story here.
DO THESE THINGS
LET’S TALK
This afternoon, MCC Theater hosts a conversation with artists from the LGBTQ+ community about their lives, art, and all that a global pandemic and social uprising add to the conversation. Tune in here.
LEARN ABOUT BLACK OPERA
A weekly Instagram Live session featuring frank chats with black artists about their experiences and influences. Today, host Kenneth Overton is joined by soprano Laquita Mitchell.
GO TO A PAJAMA PARTY
Tonight, Jim Caruso’s guests include Miranda Sings creator Colleen Ballinger, belter Klea Blackhurst and her young nephew Henry Elliott, jazz vocalist La Tanya Hall, and more. You’re invited (onesie optional).
