Mayors of competing cities in the Super Bowl always bet things like a pound of Maryland crabs versus a loaf of San Francisco sourdough. But those bets bore me. Now this is the kind of bet I can get behind: Mario Lopez wagering his Extra colleague that if the Ravens won, he’d streak around their outdoor studio space wearing a Ravens helmet. And he lost. And owed up.
Sort of. Lopez didn’t get naked, but when you have a body like his, a Speedo is good enough. Watch the video after the jump.
Last night I went to the Dallas Eagle to watch the Super Bowl.
Or so I thought. I figured, hey: Leathermen … Levi’s … there was even a chili cook-off and rugby players there that night. Should be a good place to see the game.
Well, it was also Trash Disco Night. And guess what won out?
During the final minutes of the first half — when Ravens QB Joe Flacco threw to Jacoby Jones for a 56-yard touchdown on 3rd-and-10 (Jones beat Chris Culliver of the 49ers — the asshat who insulted gays in sports last week) — I cheered … and was the only one.
It was OK, I predicted — when halftime starts, the gays will pay attention. And they did. Sort of.
The space in front of the TVs was never more crowded with watchers than during Beyonce’s appearance, and when the rest of Destiny’s Child showed up, there were squeals, even though management kept the sound turned down while “Brick House” played on the dance floor. (At least we had closed captions.) One of the funniest things? The gay guys who sat aghast at Beyonce’s gyrating in a revealing costume. “Don’t kids watch this?” one said to me. “This seems a little risque for them.” “It’s a little risque for me,” I said.
I went home around the time of the blackout and actually flipped between the Super Bowl and Downton Abbey for a while … mostly staying on Downton Abbey. Hey, I love me men in tight pants, but the Dowager Countess calls …
Kelly Clarkson kinda got a raw deal at last week’s Super Bowl. The Burleson native killed the crowd singing the national anthem, but everyone keeps talking about halftime. We can make it up to her as she headlines her night in town. Matt Nathanson opens.
DEETS: Verizon Theatre, 1001 Performance Place, Grand Prairie. 7:30 p.m. $25–$50. Ticketmaster.com.
Big concert news came hours ago as Madonna officially announced the itinerary for her new world tour and Dallas makes the list. This marks her first show this way since the Blonde Ambition tour hit Reunion arena 22 years ago. I was stunned that she wouldn’t be hitting Cowboys Stadium, but this makes it much closer to home. This news only adds to her recent return to the pop culture radar with her new movie W/E, Sunday’s Super Bowl performance and her release last week, “Give Me All Your Luvin’” from her upcoming album M.D.N.A.
Will she repeat some of the imagery of her Super Bowl performance that recalled a lot of Kylie’s Aphrodite tour? Mmmmm…hopefully not, but please, Madge, no lip syncing like you did during most of your performance.
Madonna is scheduled to play the American Airlines Center, Oct. 20 with tickets to begin going on sale to the general public Feb. 21.
The NFL might want to consider changing the name of the Super Bowl to the Faaabulous Bowl. At least if last night’s game was any indicator.
It’s not enough that it featured hunky QBs Tom Brady and Eli Manning (and could have Drew Brees or Tim Tebow), running around in Spandex with other muscle bears. And there was of course Madonna’s mega-gay halftime show with scantily clad gladiators and cross-dressing scruffy guys and Nikki Minaj, who kinda-sorta seems like a drag queen to me. Even the first half recap was set to “Edge of Glory” by Gaga.
No, the real gayness was in the commercials. Watch a few of them below …
Yes, Yes… I know… plenty of gay men enjoy football, are fans even, and there are lots of LBT fans as well, but if you’re like me you greet all the hoopla over the Super Bowl with a resounding “meh.”
So if you’re looking for a way to avoid a (morning) afternoon (and evening (seriously, how long are football games supposed to be?)) of indecipherable sports jargon, over-hyped commercials and disproportionate passion for the accomplishment of moving dead pig parts 300 feet here are some alternatives with a decidedly queer bent you might enjoy (don’t worry, you can Tivo Madonna’s half time show):
1. ¡Women Art Revolution at The Museum of Fine Arts
Starting from its roots in 1960s in antiwar and civil rights protests, the film ¡Women Art Revolution details major developments in women’s art through the 1970s. The Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston presents this documentary at 5 pm on Sunday at the The Museum of Fine Arts’ Brown Auditorium Theater (1001 Bissonnet). Artist Lynn Randolph and U of H art history professor Jenni Sorkin will be on hand to provide insight into the film
!W.A.R. features Miranda July, The Guerilla Girls, Yvonne Rainer, Judy Chicago, Yoko Ono, Cindy Sherman, and countless other groundbreaking figures. Tickets are $7 and are available at mfah.org.
2. The Rape of Lucrecia at Houston Grand Opera
Written by gay composer Benjamin Britten and scored by Ronald Duncan, The Rape of Lucrecia is set during the decline of the Roman Empire. When a group of soldiers unexpectedly returns home to Rome they find that their wives have all been unfaithful, with the excpection of Collatinus’ wife Lucretia. Later that night the king’s son, Prince Tarquinius, accepts a drunken dare to seduce Lucretia. After she rebuffs his advances Tarquinius forces himself on her spurring Collatinus to rebellion against the king.
The dialogue of the Opera (which is in English by the way) is punctuated by two choruses, one male and one female, who engage the audience in the emotional responses of the male and female characters respectively.
The Rape of Lucretia plays at the Houston Grand Opera (510 Preston) at 2 pm on Sunday. Tickets start at $38 and may be purchased at HoustonGrandOpera.org.
4. The Drunken City at the Rice University, Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts
“The city’s like a monster, like a sleeping dragon or some dark creature in the night that cracks open an eye, and whispers dark dangerous dark ideas into your ear.”
The Drunken City is populated by thoroughly unpleasant people, the kind of loud sequin-wearing party girls who can immediately turn a hip bar passe and the men who hunt them. Marnie, the alpha-female and soon-to-be bride, has taken her co-worker bridesmaids out on the town for a ladies night. Seriously inebriated, they soon run into Frank and Eddie. Frank quickly takes a shine to Marnie, despite her girlfriends objections. Eddie, on the other hand, isn’t interested in any of the girls but seems to know their shared boss quite well (if you catch my drift). The play is sprinkled through with warnings about human desire and the dangers of consumption.
The Drunken City is presented by the Rice University College of Visual and Dramatic Arts at Hamman Hall on the Rice Campus (6100 Main) at 3 pm. Tickets are $10 and are available at the door or by calling 713-348-PLAY .
Steve Bullitt as Hay and Mitchell Greco as Gernreich
4. The Temperamentals at Barnvelder Movement/Arts Complex
The off-Broadway hit The Temperamentals, by Jon Marans, explores the events surrounding the founding of the Mattachine Society, one of the first “gay rights” groups in America (although the Society for Human Rights has it beat by a quarter of a century). The story centers on Harry Hay (Steve Bullitt), a communist and Progressive Party activist and his lover Rudi Gerneich (Mitchell Greco), a Viennese refuge and costume designer. Set in the early 1950′s in Los Angeles, the play is an intimate portrayal of two men who created history and the epic struggle they overcame.
Sunday’s curtain for the Celebration Theater produced play is at 3 pm at the Barnvelder Movement/Arts Complex. Tickets are $30 and may be purchased at buy.ticketstothecity.com.
5. Closing Night of Bring It On: The Musical at Theater Under the Stars
Bring It On: The Musical finishes up its run at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts (800 Bagby Suite 300) on Sunday. Theater Under the Stars (TUTS) presents this musical re-imagining of the 2000 film with a matinee at 2 pm and an evening showing at 7 pm.
Two rival cheer-leading squads are out for the national championship, and neither is going to give up without a fight. The ensemble for the show features some of the nation’s most skilled competitive cheerleaders led by Taylor Louderman and Adrienne Warren as the leaders of the rival squads.
Tickets start at $24 and are available on-line at TUTS.com, by phone at (713) 558-TUTS (8887), or in person at the Theatre Under The Stars Box Office (800 Bagby).
The eagerly awaited new single from Madonna’s new album M.D.N.A. is now official. She teased us with the album art a few days ago and now her first single and video. She dropped her single “Give Me All Your Luvin’” today. A smart move as usual to tease her halftime performed at Sunday’s Super Bowl, especially since she centered the video around cheerleader back up dancers and very assisting football players along with M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj along for the ride. She’s looking good with a sort of brushed out Adele-ish do. The song is both cute and cool thanks to its beat. She seems to be vying for her more pop-friendly days of True Blue and Like a Virgin than her more exploratory, complex stuff like Ray of Light and Confessions on a Dancefloor, so she may be coming full circle to her early days. Either way, she’ll likely score with “Luvin.’”
But enough about my thoughts on it. Here’s your new Madonna.
FASHIONS AND FORWARD | The Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit at the DMA, above, was a highlight of the arts scene in 2011, while Dirk Nowitzki’s performance in the NBA playoffs gave the Mavs their first-ever — and much deserved — world title. (Arnold Wayne Jones/Dallas Voice)
A lot of eyes were focused on Dallas nationally in 2011 — for good and bad — but much of what made the city a fun place last year has specific queer appeal. CULTURE The rise of the reality TV star. 2011 was the year Dallas made a big splash across everyone’s television sets — and it had nothing to do with who shot J.R. (although that’s pending). From the culinary to the conniving, queer Dallasites were big on the small screen. On the positive side were generally good portrayals of gay Texans. Leslie Ezelle almost made it all the way in The Next Design Star, while The Cake Guys’ Chad Fitzgerald is still in contention on TLC’s The Next Great Baker. Lewisville’s Ben Starr was a standout on MasterChef. On the web, Andy Stark, Debbie Forth and Brent Paxton made strides with Internet shows Bear It All, LezBeProud and The Dallas Life,respectively.
‘A’ to Z | ‘The A-LIst: Dallas,’ above, had its detractors, but some reality TV stars from Big D, like Chad Fitzgerald, Leslie Ezelle and Ben Starr, represented us well.
There were downsides, though. Drew Ginsburg served as the token gay on Bravo’s teeth-clenching Most Eligible: Dallas, and the women on Big Rich Texas seemed a bit clichéd. But none were more polarizing than the cast of Logo’s The A-List: Dallas. Whether people loved or hated it, the six 20somethings (five gays, one girl) reflected stereotypes that made people cringe. Gaultier makes Dallas his runway. The Dallas Museum of Art scored a coup, thanks to couture. The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk not only featured the work of the famed designer, but was presented the designs in an innovative manner. Nothing about it was stuffy. Seeing his iconic designs in person is almost a religious experience — especially when its Madonna’s cone bra. Gaultier reminded us that art is more than paintings on a wall. (A close runner-up: The Caravaggio exhibit in Fort Worth.) The Return of Razzle Dazzle. There was speculation whether Razzle Dazzle could actually renew itself after a near-decade lull, but the five-day spectacular was a hallmark during National Pride Month in June, organized by the Cedar Springs Merchant Association. The event started slowly with the wine walk but ramped up to the main event street party headlined by rapper Cazwell. Folding in the MetroBall with Deborah Cox, the dazzle had returned with high-profile entertainment and more than 10,000 in attendance on the final night. A Gathering pulled it together. TITAS executive director Charles Santos took on the daunting task of producing A Gathering, a collective of area performance arts companies, commemorating 30 years of AIDS. Groups such as the Dallas Opera, Turtle Creek Chorale and Dallas Theater Center donated their time for this one-of-a-kind show with all proceeds benefiting Dallas’ leading AIDS services organizations. And it was worth it. A stirring night of song, dance and art culminated in an approximate 1,000 in attendance and $60,000 raised for local charities. Bravo, indeed. The Bronx closed after 35 years. Cedar Springs isn’t short on its institutions, but when it lost The Bronx, the gayborhood felt a real loss. For more than three decades, the restaurant was home to many Sunday brunches and date nights in the community. We were introduced to Stephan Pyles there, and ultimately, we just always figured on it being there as part of the fabric of the Strip. A sister company to the neighboring Warwick Melrose bought the property with rumors of expansion. But as yet, the restaurant stands steadfast in its place as a reminder of all those memories that happened within its walls and on its plates. The Omni changed the Dallas skyline. In November, The Omni Dallas hotel opened the doors to its 23-story structure and waited to fill it’s 1,000 rooms to Dallas visitors and staycationers. Connected to the Dallas Convention Center, the ultra-modern hotel is expected to increase the city’s convention business which has the Dallas Visitors and Conventions Bureau salivating — as they should. The hotel brought modern flair to a booming Downtown and inside was no different. With quality eateries and a healthy collection of art, including some by gay artists Cathey Miller and Ted Kincaid, the Omni quickly became a go-to spot for those even from Dallas. 
SPORTS The Super Bowl came to town. Although seeing the Cowboys make Super Bowl XLV would have been nice for locals, the event itself caused a major stir, both good and bad. Ticketing issues caused a commotion with some disgruntled buyers and Jerry Jones got a bad rap for some disorganization surrounding the game. But the world’s eyes were on North Texas as not only the game was of a galactic measure, but the celebs were too. From Kardashians to Ke$ha to Kevin Costner, parties and concerts flooded the city and the streets. The gays even got in on the action. Despite crummy weather, the Super Street Party was billed as the “world’s first ever gay Super Bowl party.” The ice and snow had cleared out and the gays came out, (and went back in to the warmer clubs) to get their football on. The XLV Party at the Cotton Bowl included a misguided gay night with acts such as Village People, Lady Bunny and Cazwell that was ultimately canceled. The Mavericks won big. The Mavs are like the boyfriend you can’t let go of because you see how much potential there is despite his shortcomings. After making the playoffs with some just-misses, the team pulled through to win against championship rivals, Miami Heat, who beat them in 2006. In June, the team cooled the Heat in six games, taking home its first NBA Championship, with Dirk Nowitzki appropriately being named MVP. The Rangers gave us faith. Pro sports ruled big in these parts. The Mavericks got us in the mood for championships and the Texas Rangers almost pulled off a victory in the World Series. With a strong and consistent showing for the season, the Rangers went on to defend their AL West Division pennant. Hopes were high as they handily defeated the Detroit Tigers in game six, but lost the in the seventh game. Although it was a crushing loss, the Texas Rangers proved why we need to stand by our men.
— Rich Lopez
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition January 6, 2012.
The interwebs are gaga already over this “leaked” clip of what could be Madonna’s new single, “Give Me All Your Love” on WAT.tv. This seems pretty early considering her album is set for a spring release, but perhaps, things are getting done quicker than planned. Which could be good news for Madge fans in anticipation for some new material. Plus, there’s been talk that she’ll be next year’s halftime performer at Super Bowl XLVI and maybe she just wants some new material by then.
In this song, she reliably delivers her straight up pop and while it may not be as challenging as previous work, it’s completely Madonna and that’s all anybody wants, right?
What do you think? Listen after the jump.
UPDATE: The original leak had been removed since last night, but Perez Hilton had the song in full on his site.
