What’s HOT South Florida (4/5/2012 – 4/12/2012)

April 5, 2012

Last Monday was the much anticipated first All American Goddess South Florida pageant at Boom. Promoter Stefan did a great job organizing and running the pageant. There were 4 qualified contestants and in the end the winner was Sonia Dela Cruz with France Stratton being the first Alternate. Both contestants are surely going to do a fabulous job representing South Florida at the Nationals.

Last Week in Review

Thursday a few members of the Hotspots Media Group and I were invited to Cirque Dreams, Pop Goes The Rock, which will playing at the Hard Rock from April 8 through the 12. This one-of a kind variety show unites generations through a mash-up of celebrated pop and rock tunes that will entertain family audiences of all ages. Cirque Dreams daring aerialists, gravity defying balancers, powerful strongmen and an array of edgy awe-inspiring acts are accompanied by a hip dance crew, cool singers and a jammin’ band performing over 20-chart topping hits live on stage. There were so many incredible acts, but my 2 favorites were the Quick Change Artist and the acrobatic tumblers.

Thursday night also featured the VIP party for Dudes’ Grand Re-Opening, which I heard was very busy and stayed that way all weekend.

Also on Thursday, Club Sugar featured Kenya Michaels of RuPaul’s Drag Race and according to friends the club was wall to wall!

Saturday night, another of RuPaul’s girls, Alexis Mateo, celebrated at Noche Latina Saturdays at the Manor as it was her official Victory Party for winning Miss Noche Latina 2012. Alexis turned it out with 2 numbers in the Latin room and a number on the main stage. In addition, she is a very sweet person. I was lucky enough to get to know her as Alexis, her b/f, Viva Mirage, Mark Demeter and I went out to Peter Pan Diner for an after nightclub/early breakfast meal! Sunday, was the day of rest as I was exhausted from a much filled week of events!

LGBT Events for South Florida

Thursday, April 5

Sidelines Sports Bar is proud to once again announce its sponsorship of the 2012 Florida AIDS Walk. Team Sidelines, a group of the popular gay sports bar’s patrons, staff, friends, family, sports team members and selected vendors will take to Fort Lauderdale Beach on May 20, 2012 to help in the fight to stamp out HIV/AIDS. This will be Sidelines’ fifth year as sponsor and participant in the annual walkathon. Sidelines’ owner, Laurie Whittaker, and staff are making plans to host several fun-filled events at the club as its team, Team Sidelines, continues to get bigger and strengthen. The kick-off party is tonight from 7 to 9 pm, when Sidelines will host a Florida AIDS Walk Beach Party. AIDS Healthcare Foundation will be there to answer questions and generate awareness. There’ll be a DJ spinning great music, beach decorations, specialty drinks, and sexy guys & girls giving away prizes! To support team Sidelines, please make a donation to the campaign by visiting the Florida AIDS Walk website at FloridaAIDSWalk.org. Your fully tax-deductible gift will make an important difference to this worthy cause.

Thursdays is Trivia Night at The Manor hosted by Malcolm Neitzy, Cruise Director of Atlantis Cruises. From 8 to 10 pm Malcolm hosts team trivia including TV, entertainment, history, pop culture, etc with prizes awarded. They also feature $2 Angus beef Sliders, which are delish! So Stop by the Manor every Thursday to see Malcolm in all his glory!

Smarty Pants will be celebrating the birthday of one of their in house diva’s, Sally West, tonight starting with a fabulous show at 8 pm.

A tisket, a tasket, pick an egg at the Pride Factory form their basket. That’s right, its time for the Pride Factory’s annual Pick-An-Egg savings event where if you spend $25 or more you get to pick an Easter egg from their basket for extra savings, gifts and goodies.

Friday, April 6

The first annual Black Heart Uniform Ball takes place from 9 pm to 3 am at Boom and stars DJs Tony K (back from retirement) and Fort Lauderdale’s own Jimmy P. Tickets are $35 in advance at (LeatherWerks main store and Ramrod) or $40 at the door. VIP tickets are available for $85 in advance and $100 at the door. The Black Heart Uniform Ball is a community building event produced by FTLLP, Inc., a Florida not for Profit Corporation. The goal of the Black Heart Uniform Ball is to build the Leather Community by creating a common goal, and to strengthen the Community and its members through financial support of a new Cancer Support Initiative at Broward House, as well as the Leather Archives & Museum. For more information, go to BlackHeartUniformBall.org

Fridays are back at Club Sugar with DJ JC spinning house, top 40, Salsa, Merengue and Raggaeton with NO COVER all night!

The Boardwalk presents DJ Chi-Chi LaRue live on stage tonight and tomorrow night.

Saturday, April 7

Discotekka presents the Easter Egg Hunt with DJ Charlie Rojas.

The Ramrod presents Pig Dance XLIV.

Tamarac Theatre Of Performing Arts presents “Gypsy” today through April 29 (no show Easter). Show Times are Saturdays 2 pm & 8 pm and Sundays 2 pm. For reservations & group sales call 954-726-7898 or buy tickets ($25) online at TTOPA.org .

Bill’s Filling Station presents their annual Easter Basket concert hosted by Nikki Adams at 11 pm with a $100 grand prize.

Authors Neil Plakcy and Lloyd Meeker will join together for a special author series presentation to highlight their recent works from 3-5 pm at the Stonewall National Museum & Archives, 1300 East Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale. Three time Lambda Literary Award Finalist, Neil Plakcy is the author of the Mahu mystery series, about an openly gay Honolulu homicide detective. The series includes seven books, the latest being Zero Break.

Lloyd Meeker’s novel Traveling Light was released by MLR Press in 2011. This event is FREE and open to the public.

Sunday, April 8

The Depot Cabana Bar and Grill presents an Easter Egg Grab Bag from 1 pm to 4 pm benefitting Cathode Matt’s annual Saints and Sinners Christmas event for children.

The Manor presents an Easter T Dance starting at 8 pm and starring DJ David Knapp with no cover!

Bill’s Filling Station presents their annual Easter Bonnet contest (for those of you who haven’t been there before the Bonnets get outrageous) hosted by Miss Kitty at 6:30 pm with a $100 grand prize and a fabulous gift basket for the runner up. Directly before the contest at 6 pm they feature a free Easter buffet, so bring your Easter bibs!

Hot Stuff

In honor of the Rodeo’s 7th anniversary Chic Optique is offering all customers that mentions there ad in Hotspots 20% off their great collection of eyewear.

Once again Scandals will have their very popular VIP ranch during Rodeo weekend April 20-22 and the 3 day passes are on sale now either online at ScandalsFLA.com or at Scandals after 7 pm every day (ask your bartender).

Piano Showcase (5170 North Federal highway) is having their BIGGEST sale of the year. It only happens once a year so if you are thinking of a piano, now is the time.

The legendary New York concert special Diana Ross—Live In Central Park will be released for the first time on DVD on May 15, by Shout! Factory. Originally broadcast in 1983, the concert has never before been made available for home entertainment. Diana Ross—Live In Central Park will contain the entire concert special as it was broadcast, and the bonus features include the complete rain-shortened concert as well as a new commentary by director Steve Binder (The T.A.M.I. Show, Elvis: The ’68 Comeback Special). Historic is the first word that comes to mind in describing the phenomenal free concert that Diana Ross gave for the people of New York City nearly 30 years ago. Or, to be precise, concert and a half.

To call the event memorable would be an understatement. On July 21, 1983, Diana Ross—already a legendary superstar for more than two decades—arrived in all her radiant glory on the makeshift Central Park stage and began singing her heart out. From her first number, Diana had the audience’s love. She wanted to give them her all and she was well on her way, but nature had something else in mind. What started as a hair-whipping wind and bothersome drizzle soon became a threatening torrential downpour.

Diana—soaked through and through but never leaving the open-air stage—braved the rain as long as she could, but ultimately put an end to the show at the halfway mark. Not one to disappoint, Diana promised to return the next day. Recalling that fated first concert, Diana remembers: “The entire park was wall-to-wall people. It was an electrical storm. It was alive with energy…an incredible moment of my career. The rain came down like sheets of shimmering glass. I think about that day that turned into night. I wasn’t afraid, even though many were afraid for me. I just wanted the thousands that came to the performance to be safe. My dream came pouring down.”

Alas, Diana realized that canceling the remainder of the show was the wisest choice, but she says now, “I promised the audience that I would be back the next day, that we were not going to cancel.” “This may be the most important moment of my life,” Diana at one point told the multitude that had braved the storm to see her and had now returned to Central Park and the millions more watching at home. Now, with this release, we can all share once again what Binder, who received a Cable Ace Award for his direction of the show, calls “one of the most historical and greatest music concert events ever staged by any artist in Central Park.” Initially broadcast live around the world, with Diana’s proceeds going toward a new Central Park playground built in her name, this renowned concert was never again shown on television and remained largely unseen for 30 years. Now, with the release of Diana Ross—Live In Central Park by Shout! Factory, the entire spectacular concert, and the rain-shortened concert that preceded it, will be made available for the first time on DVD.

Today, so many years later, the only downpour will be the flood of joy overcoming everyone who watches Diana Ross—Live In Central Park.