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Articles by Jed Ryan
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
UNCLE ROY – film still. The backstory of the making of Roy Blakey’s male nude photographs from New York City’s 1970s are revealed in the new film UNCLE ROY directed by his niece Keri Pickett. Photo by Roy Blakey
As 93-year-old Roy Blakey faces
life-threatening dementia, his niece
races to preserve his legacy — as a
figure skater, ice show archivist, and
gay photographer whose male nudes
etched their way into history — all
before his final curtain call.
GERRILYN SOHN: Timeless: A Tribute to Bernadette Peters at Don’t Tell Mama: A Review
With her eternally youthful persona, it may be hard to believe that singer-actor-animal rights activist Bernadette Peters has been in show business for over six decades (Remember, she started as a child!). Peters’ diverse career has seen the performer make her mark on the movie screen, on TV, and– most notably– on the Broadway stage.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
Barbarino’s Big Nite Out (BBNO), the monthly variety show created by the charming and oh-so-TALL Scott Barbarino, is now approaching its second year! Mr. Barbarino, the head honcho of the Tuesday night festivities, frequently reminds his audiences of the inimitable experience of LIVE PERFORMANCES! Of course, Barbarino himself practices what he preaches: He got the chance to sing, delivering the audience the oh-so-appropriate and oft-redone You Belong to Me, the song that begins with that...
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
Things are about to get BIG… and HAIRY! For those of us who came into our sexual awakenings in the ’80’s and ’90’s, one thing was clear: BEAR Magazineknew its audience! In fact, it wasn’t just that Bears and the men who love them found the magazine; The magazine found THEM! Now, as we approach the dawn of 2027, BEAR has returned in all its glorious, printed form. This will mark the magazine’s first issue after 15 years away.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
The Contract, a new film now entering the film festival circuit, is a queer, erotic horror‑thriller directed and written by Joshua R. Pangborn, who also stars in the movie. Taking place in the setting of a large, isolated country house that drips secrets, The Contract is shown largely through the perspective of its main character Oliver, a naive young man who enters an unlikely gay Dom/sub relationship with a sexy but mysterious Master.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
Tyler Anthony Smith’s offbeat comedy Queen for a Day is now enjoying its New York premiere at The Tank, directed by Stephanie Shaw. Performed on an intimate space with minimal set design, the show features snappy dialogue, a seemingly infinite number of funny one-liners, and even a few musical moments– all performed with gusto by its three cast members. But it’s also a piece which, intentionally or not, may even make you THINK afterward.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
Cowboy is the sophomore production by New York City-based interdisciplinary performance group Harlow Radical. Via our titular character, this ambitious, highly entertaining (mostly) solo piece explores the legacy of one of the most popular and enduring of American archetypes: As you may have guessed, the enduringly iconic “cowboy”. The ample-sized stage of The Royal Family Performance Arts Space became a fine showcase for the performance skills of its actor Kendal Hartse.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
benevolent, the bold new drama by Sophie McIntosh, is making its World Premiere at IATI Theater in New York City, presented by Good Apples Collective and directed by Nina Goodheart. The play is set entirely in the laundry room of the fictional but based-on-fact “Inwood Benevolent Home”, a so-called “women’s charitable institution”, in 1917. Even in this claustrophobic setting, this theater piece packs quite a wallop into its 100-minute running time.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
“America is dead. Yes. But I bet your algorithm ain’t posted it yet. They ain’t contrived how to sell it to you for a dollar. But it is true! It happened last night…”— “Taffeta”, played by Roger Q. Mason in Bill. Presented by PlayPenn, Open Jar Studios in New York City was the location for a 2026 New Play Development Conference Reading of Bill: A Prayer by Roger Q. Mason, with Song by Amyra Leon. The reading was directed by Danilo Gambini with dramaturgy by Amrita Ramanan.
JACKIE BEAT’S BIRTHDAY BLOW-OUT at THE CUTTING ROOM in NYC: A Review
“It’s all about ME tonight!” For drag star Miss Jackie Beat, that’s a great thing! Having been a performer for 37 years, she has earned her bragging rights. As the “World’s Biggest Bitch” made clear on the evening of Thursday, July 30th, Jackie (Not to get so formal so fast, but “Ms. Beat” just doesn’t quite sound right…) can more than hold her own at a legendary New York City performance venue like The Cutting Room. But what was Jackie Beat’s message tonight?
EDDIE BRUCE AND SUE MATSUKI: THE TONY BENNETT CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION in NYC: A Review
Eddie Bruce is a celebrated Philadelphia-based singer, entertainer, and media personality best known for his acclaimed musical tributes to Peter Allen, Frank Sinatra, and a certain gentleman who was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on August 3, 1926. Sue Matsuki is a multiple-award winning singer/songwriter, producer, open mic host, educator, and writer who is considered by many in New York City to be cabaret royalty.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
Brooklyn-based artist collective Adult Film’s adaptation of Georg Büchner’s hard-hitting tragedy Woyzeck is the inaugural production at Modern Sweater in Ridgewood, New York. Adult Film’s highly stylized, truly renegade interpretation of this eternal story retains all of the tragedy, pathos, and (unintentional?) black comedy that made Büchner’s original play such a persistent mainstay in literary culture for anyone unafraid to, shall we say, “take it on”.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
There’s a reason why the films from the “Hollywood of old” still hold up decades later, even in our high-tech era of HD, streaming, and a seemingly infinite uncharted territory of new, young renegade filmmakers. Classic movie geeks (like me!…) can overlook the problematic elements of the time period, albeit begrudgingly, and admire the commitment and creative skills of the cast and crew.
ETHAN MATHIAS “Wait ‘Til You See What’s Next” at Green Room 42: A Review
The kickoff song in Ethian Mathias’ appropriately named solo show Wait ‘Til You See What’s Next is a bona fide underheard musical gem: the titular number from the 1969 Broadway musical Celebration by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones. With lyrics like “See the sunlight rise; Feel it touch the sky.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
If you were like me and had been wondering how long you’d have to wait before nightlife personalities and creative kindred spirits Jeza Belle and Ike Avelli joined forces, the anticipation finally became a reality on Saturday, June 20th with the first (and hopefully NOT last!) installation of HATED RIVALRY, a variety show which not only broke every established rule but seemingly also found a few new ones to break as well… Who is Jeza Belle?
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story made its World Premiere at New York City’s Tribeca Film Festival on Thursday, June 9. The lively documentary takes its name from Robin Byrd’s tradition of having all her guests dancing to Ms. Byrd’s recording of the bawdy novelty song Baby, Let Me Bang Your Box, at the conclusion of every show. The Robin Byrd Show aired on New York City’s Manhattan Cable (Channel J) for an astonishing 21 years. But Robin Byrd was more than a public access TV hostess. Far, far more.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
In Mickey Gooch Jr.’s hilariously kooky new comedy Silverback Mountain, two gay boyfriends from New York City take an impromptu vacation to Uganda to watch gorillas in their natural habitat.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
Dial M for MacGuffin, presented by New York City’s Improvisational Repertory Theatre Ensemble (IRTE) and directed by Pat Shay, is a fully improvised theatrical experience inspired by the cinematic style of the great Alfred Hitchcock. The show, which could conceivably be different every single performance (!), describes itself as blending suspense with comedy. That said, this zany production– now playing at Manhattan’s The Producer’s Club, leans FAR more on the comedy.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
It’s getting HOT– both outside and in! The May 2026 edition of Barbarino’s Big Nite Out! at New York City’s drag palace/eatery Lips opened with Club Knocked Up from the Broadway musical fave Waitress. The song is a foot tapper already, but it was only made better and WAY more outrageous by the trio of BBNO! regular singers (Chachi Cruz, Bianca DiSarro, and Zack Carter) wearing faux pregnancy bellies (!). Do I dare ask who’s the Daddy?
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
“Truth is what I want to impart to you as we begin our journey together. Truth is what we seek. It is the only thing that genuinely matters… ” Those are among the first words we hear in The Totality of All Things, the highly provocative and highly entertaining drama written by Erik Gernard. Presented by UP Theater Company, the award-winning play enjoyed a run at 154 Christopher Street Theater, directed by Shannon Patterson.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
Theater Company della Luna’s ambitious, highly stylized musical The Perfect Story, written and directed Edoardo Tesio, features original songs, expertly choreographed movement, comedy, drama, and fantasy– all in one elaborate piece. Best of all, the cast and crew makes it all come together so effortlessly. Taking place entirely in a library, The Perfect Story is bolstered by a young, hardworking elevensom of actors and a talented, creative crew.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
What’s the best way to celebrate your 50th birthday… or, as I like to say, “The Big Five-OH!”? A multi-course meal at a fancy restaurant? A trip to an exotic location? Dancing all night long? Or, how about a birthday bash/cabaret show/album relase party named… Fifty Ways To Leave Your Forties, surrounded by all your friends and equally talented peers in attandance? That’s how Broadway World Award Winner and multiple MAC Award nominee Becca Kidwell chose to celebrate her big day.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
You & Me is an ambitious, highly stylized new drama written and directed by Anthony M. Laura. The play takes place in Kensington, a presumably made-up small town in upstate New York.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
Tym Moss and Cheryl Paley. Photo by Jeff Eason New York City’s annual Transgender Day of Visibility has traditionally been focused on advocacy, empowerment, solidarity with the LGBTI+ community and our allies as a whole, and of course… celebration! Actor, singer, producer, and LGBTQ+ community activist Tym Moss has known the importance of this for a very long time. Moss and fellow artist/activist Cheryl Paley have created and co-produced a truly unique art experience called Project TRANSCEND.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
“For a good time, call MargOH (212)***-****!” True, this the kind of thing you’d normally see scrawled on the walls of a public men’s room of ill repute. And MAC Award-nominated MargOH Channing, for the record, would undoubtedly approve that message… But jokes aside, every MargOH Channing show is indeed a guaranteed good time.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
As the very first production of New York City’s 2026 Fresh Fruit Festival on Monday, April 20th, Dennis Bush’s The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love had high expectations. Indeed, the play met this challenge with flying (rainbow flag) colors. Directed by Lester Thomas Shane, the comedy-drama offers an intimate look at four openly gay men whose lives are intertwined not only personally, but also via the trajectory of gay male history through the last five decades.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
The Adding Machine, a black comedy from playwright Elmer Rice, was originally written and performed on Broadway in 1923. The characters in Rice’s play are VERY much emblematic of their time period, at least in terms of their assigned gender- and culture-based roles… and seen from a 2026 lens, that’s NOT always a positive thing, as the audience soon learned. However, the author himself has long been regarded as having been ahead of his time and even quite prophetic.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
It’s a tense time in the newsroom at People Magazine. In three weeks, the eternally popular celebrity mag will be publishing their most anticipated annual issue: The one with the cover featuring “The Sexiest Man Alive”! (Applause, please…) That’s also the name of the new musical by Fourth Culture Collective, now playing at New York City’s wild project as part of FRIGID NY Fringe Festival 2026. Directed by Eleni Lefakis, the show was written by Jefferson Lind with music and lyrics by Sayali Gove.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
Note to all artists, from New York City to New South Wales: NEVER underestimate the power of a titillating title! Cl*t Cult, a one woman show by playwright/producer/actor Star Stone and directed by Ryan Cunningham, played as part of FRIGID NY: New York City Fringe 2026. The title rightfully implies that this extremely personal show is about the power of feminine sexuality.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
Written by Pulitzer-, Oscar-, and Tony-winning playwright John Patrick Shanley, The Pushover is currently enjoying its World Premiere at Manhattan’s Chain Theatre. Directed by Kirk Gostkowski, the play expertly manages noir, psychological drama, and black comedy with an energetic, hard-working cast: The result is one of the most unique and exciting theater experiences of the 2025-2026 season. At the center of The Pushover is the emotional interplay between the play’s three female characters.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
Fans of the überpopular HBO series The Gilded Age-– and, judging by the show’s viewership stats, there are MANY– got to know actor-singer Claybourne Elder from his role as the recurring character John Adams IV. That character was a descendant of President/Founding Father John Adams, as well as being the love interest of the character Oscar van Rhijn.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
Josh “Chachi” Cruz kicked off the March edition of Barbarino’s Big Nite Out (BBNO) at New York City’s iconic nightlife venue Lips with the ageless hit It’s Today. Originally heard in the 1966 Broadway musical Mame, the Jerry Herman song is a piece of crowd-pleasing, high-spirited decadence taken from showtune culture. As I’ve often said many, many times in the past: Good music will always be good music. It defies age. The hits from yesteryear STILL sound amazing as we approach the midway of 2026.
LAVENDER AFTER DARK (because life begins when the sun goes down…)
Public relations guru Andrea Alton is one of the hardest working people in New York City’s faced-paced, 24/7 entertainment scene. But on occasion, lucky audience members get the chance to see Alton’s alter ego, Molly “Equality” Dykeman, come out to play! Lovingly yet aptly described as “Everyone’s favorite train wreck!“, Molly “Equality” Dykeman brought her raucous one-woman show to New York City’s famous Stonewall Inn on Saturday, March 14th.
OUR HOUSE Has World Premiere in NYC: A Review
Screenshot Presented by TOSOS (The Other Side of Silence), New York City’s oldest and longest-producing LGBTQ+ theater company, Barry Boehm’s lively, smart, and highly passionate new play Our House is currently enjoying its World Premiere at Manhattan’s Gural Theatre at A.R.T/New York Theatres. The setting of Our House is an Iowa city on the Mississippi River. Although the city is never named, it is presumed to be Dubuque from the clue of a patch on a policeman’s uniform.
PETIT ROUGE by COMPANY XIV World Premiere in NYC: A Review
© Deneka Peniston 2026 “Il etait une fois…”, or, shall we say, “Once upon a time…” Company XIV’s deliciously decadent new production, now enjoying its World Premiere at its home Théâtre XIV, is named Petit Rouge. It is written, directed, and choreographed by Austin McCormick. Like previous Company XIV creations, this show is a high-end cocktail of song, spectacle, movement, burlesque, acrobatics, aerial dance, magic tricks, and some acts that defy easy definition (I’m looking at YOU, Syrena!).
LAURIE KRAUZ & DARYL KOJAK Bring SETS V.2 to Don’t Tell Mama: A Review
On Tuesday, February 17th, with the scattered pheromones of Valentine’s Day still lingering in the nippy air, award-winning New York City cabaret figures Laurie Krauz and Daryl Kojak presented their zesty SETS V.2 at the Manhattan performance venue Don’t Tell Mama.
GALE: YELLOW BRICK ROAD: A Review
Any movie (or TV show, or play, or piece of fan fiction, etc…) which dares to take yet another trip down that famous yellow brick road is guaranteed to face that proverbial double-edged sword. In one way, any new Oz-related piece of media released to the public has its work cut out for it. The affinity for the 1939 movie The WIzard of Oz has not faded one iota in the last 87 years. (Need proof?
JEFF HARNAR: Blame It On My Youth: Our 1980’s Don’t Tell Mama Songbook: A Review
Anyone who considers themselves an aficionado of New York City’s colorful, thriving cabaret scene may not need this description… but for everyone else, here it goes: Once you enter Manhattan’s beloved live music hotspot Don’t Tell Mama and walk past the main piano bar, there is a small waiting/mingling area just outside of the venue’s two performance spaces.
UNDRESSED : THE MUSICAL at NYC’s Red Eye: A Review
Just the idea of Undressed: The Musical, now with four remaining upcoming shows at New York City hotspot Red Eye, is a tittilating prospect. Five handsome guys, stripped down to their skivvies, take embarrassing stories from select members of the audience, pulled randomly from a bucket, and then perform an original musical based upon those embarrassing stories.
IMPACT: A FAMILY TRAUMEDY at NYC’s THE TANK: A Review
Family dynamics have always been a fruitful source of material for playwrights, and Rebecca Lynn Goldfarb’s Impact: A Family Traumedy, directed by Rosie Corr and now playing at New York City’s The Tank, is a competent and provocative example. Based on a true story, the piece revolves around a seemingly well-adjusted, middle class-but-not-rich Jewish family of five: There’s Mom (Shauna Bloom), Dad (Doug Shapiro), and three children. Sarah (played by Goldfarb) is home from college for the summer.
YAAAAAS, PRINCESS! “DIANA: THE UNTOLD AND UNTRUE STORY”
(WARNING: THIS SHOW FEATURES UNAPOLOGETIC “CAMILLA BASHING”!) Awkward Productions, the creative duo of Linus Karp and Joseph Martin, brought us the critically acclaimed and phenomenally funny Gwyneth Goes Skiing last year. As part of the Fringe Encore Series, the pair have returned to New York City’s famous SoHo Playhouse to spotlight another willowy blonde who became a darling of pop culture and who managed to become a favorite of the gays in the process.
THE MAN I WAS BORN TO BE: An Interview With Micky Petrillo
New Jersey native Micky Petrillo has a story to tell! And, without a doubt, nobody can tell that story better than Mickey himself: “At 59, I hit the ‘reset’ button on life! Now, I’m thriving… and turning my story into a documentary.
IKE AVELLI’S NAUGHTY NOEL:”CHRISTMAS HO”
Comedian, author (A Year in the Life of Ike Avelli… and It Ain’t Pretty), and actor (Modest Male Exposure 2: I Dream of Genes, Drag to Death) Ike Avelli doesn’t just DO comedy! He IS comedy, bee-atches! Since 2013, Mr. Avelli has written, produced, and starred in 14 original shows with such titillating names as I’ve Slept My Way To The Top….Twice (2013), I Thought I Would Be Dead By Now (2016), Lube: A Gay-sical (2019), and Bitter Betty’s (2023) in different cities to sold-out crowds.
Kaytlin Bailey’s “THE OLDEST PROFESSION” in NYC: A Review
“I’ve learned that people who say that they hate whores hate WOMEN. There is a slipperiness between ‘whore’ and ‘woman’ that is woven into our oldest stories…” Throughout The Oldest Profession, the solo show by comedian, writer, and activist Kaytlin Bailey, the performer links the history of sex workers with the status of women throughout history, from the beginning of time right on through to just yesterday. Of course, there’s more than just gender inequality that has a say in this story.
WITH BATED BREATH: Sex Zombies Invade a Midwest Town in Mark-Eugene Garcia’s comedy
The first words spoken in the sold-out October 5th afternoon reading of Mark-Eugene Garcia’s With Bated Breath are courtesy of David Rigano as he introduces a character known as “Old Lady Warner”.
“TODAY IS A GOOD DAY, NEW YORK, NEW YORK”: A Review
Written and performed by Sonja Devi and directed by Annaporva Green, Today is a Good Day, New York, New York is a one-woman show about– in its most stripped-down analysis– a 34-year old single gal and self-proclaimed “hopeless romantic” named Malina who is looking for that one Mr. Right in a city with over 4 million men. When we first meet our protagonist, she has just been awoken by the trademark loudness of Manhattan.
NINA PELTON at NYC’s 54 BELOW: “ALL I WANT FOR YOU”
“Free and easy, that’s my style. Howdy-do me, watch me smile… Fare thee well me after a while, ’cause I gotta roam. And any place I hang my hat is home!…” Those lyrics, of course, are from Any Place I Hang My Hat is Home from the Broadway musical St Louis Woman, written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer.It was also the kickoff of singer Nina Pelton’s cabaret piece All I Want For You, which took place at the New York City hotspot 54 Below on Friday, September 12th.
The “Second Coming” of ADAM & STEVE: An Interview with Craig Chester
In the ever-growing library of “must see” LGBTQ cinematic classics, one thing is clear: Audiences LOVE the 2005 gay rom com Adam & Steve. Originally released on 17 movie screens, the raunchy and sweet film became a hot commodity on DVD and would eventually become one of the highest-grossing releases from its distributor, TLA Releasing.
AS SYLVIA: Summer Minerva’s One-Person, Two-Generation Tribute to Sylvia Rivera
In a performance loaded with great dialogue, perhaps the most emblematic one in Summer Minerva’s As Sylvia came in the first third of the show: “I LIKE being Sylvia!”. The line was perfectly suited to have been spoken by both Sylvia Rivera herself, or by Sylvia’s spiritual godchild, played by Minerva in this loving and provocative theater piece. Sylvia Rivera was born on July 2, 1951, and died at the too-soon age of 50 on February 19, 2002.
MARIA KONNER: Girl Shock!: I Dressed as a Girl for Halloween but then she took over my life! Soundtrack Celebration at Pangea!
After seeing Maria Konner’s most recent live performance, I have come to believe that a true woman of rock and roll should always open her show with “FUCK YEA!” On Friday, November 14th, the popular East Village music venue Pangea was the setting for a raucous celebration of the soundtrack to author/songwriter/musician/activist Maria Konner’s book Girl Shock!: I Dressed as a Girl for Halloween but then she took over my life! (Whoa!) The title, of course, already says a lot about Maria’s...
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