Meet Dynasty Diva: Dolly Levi
In anticipation of the premiere edition of Divas of Dynasty, our first all-drag-revue at Dynasty Typewriter, we're catching up with some of the performers who will be gracing the stage.
Dolly Levi is a actor, dancer, choreographer and member of the Dreamgirls Revue.
When were you first introduced to drag and why did it make an impact?
D: WAAAAAAAY back in the Shakespearian times when I learned that DRAG meant Dressed Resembling A Girl.
Which of your talents are you most proud of and why?
D: It's not a matter what talents I'm most proud of, it's the fact that I'm proud that I can do what I do for as long as I've been doing it and the people who come to see it enjoy it.
What do you like to do when you're NOT in drag?
D: Research, Im always researcing for new ways to tell a story.
What’s your go-to lip-sync song, and why?
D: All That Jazz, I just wanna fucking dance. And Holding Out For A Hero. It's all about doing things that I love, telling a story you can relate to and energizing an audience, making them feel good. These songs do all of that.
If you could have an all-queen dream dinner party, who’d be invited?
D: The pioneers of our time: Charles Pierce, Quentin Crisp, Christine Jorgensen, and Danny La Rue.
Divas of Dynasty kicks off on May 25th with a star-studded cornucopia of entertainers. Directed & hosted by Tye Blue, this unique theatrical experience stars Pandora Boxx, as well as master illusionist Vancie Vega, beloved So Cal favorites Dolly Levi and Borgia Bloom. Get more info here.
THE DYNASTY RECAP
Whewf! Move over royal wedding, 'cause the Dynasty had a TRULY regal week! We finally got to announce that beginning in June, we will be the new kingdom for Harmontown! Every Monday night just got a lot less Monday-feeling and a lot more wonderful! Oh, and guess what? Tig Notaro did a drop-in set on Greg Barris's amazing Heart of Darkness show. She brought with her a winning combo of smiles and Adele moments. Wish you were there hun! Matt Braunger & Friends should be called Matt Braunger & Other Brilliants because his show was burstin' with goodness. On Friday we bowed down to the queen herself (CELINE!) in the truly amazing performance of Titanique. Celine Dion, as played by the impossibly talented Marla Mindelle, told her version of the story of the Titanic flanked by an attractive cast of quadruple threats. It was a night we'll never let go of. On Saturday, royalty made yet another appearance in the totally sold-out Comedian's Cinema Club presentation of The Princess Bride. The theater was packed and the cast was nuts. (The good kind of nuts! Like cashews!) And Sunday, a king of the art of comedy, Brent Forrester (who possesses both a mind and a heart of sustainably sourced gold) gave us a whirlwind of laughter and priceless information in the first ever Comedy Knowledge Drop. If real school was this fun, we'd all be like, doctor-lawyer-entomologists.
Oh, and dang! Our marquee got marked by THE BART MAN!
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Meet Dynasty Diva: Pandora Boxx
Photo: Adam Tyler
In anticipation of the premiere edition of Divas of Dynasty, our first all-drag-revue at Dynasty Typewriter, we're catching up with some of the performers who will be gracing the stage.
RuPaul's Drag Race alumni Pandora Boxx is a self proclaimed geeky weirdo who is addicted to glitter and making people laugh.
When were you first introduced to drag and why did it make an impact?
P: I guess I had seen drag on television before but never identified it as such. I think mostly because it was the butt of the joke. Then I saw a real live drag show and I was like, I want to go to there. Actually, the very first performer I ever saw was my gal pal Darienne Lake (who also happened to get on RuPaul's Drag Race too!). I was enraptured by how the crowd lived for her AND they gave her money! Sign me up! It also meant I could create anything I wanted. I was my own writer, producer, director and I could bring all these visions to life.
Which of your talents are you most proud of and why?
P: Drinking. Ha! Honestly, I don't know how to answer that question very seriously. I'm not well at tooting my own horn. Though I do know I seem to have a knack for making people giggle.
What do you like to do when you're NOT in drag?
P: Sleep.
What’s your go-to lip-sync song, and why?
P: Total Eclipse of the Heart. It really is a perfect drag song andI love Bonnie Tyler's raspy voice. I add a little comedy twist to it that I only just started a few years back. It was so simple but it gets a laugh every time.
If you could have an all-queen dream dinner party, who’d be invited?
P: All my friends are drag queens so I've already lived this. But if we are just talking queens in general then I'd say Madonna, Queen Elizabeth, Oprah and Kathy Griffin. Can you imagine THAT dinner party?
Divas of Dynasty kicks off on May 25th with a star-studded cornucopia of entertainers. Directed & hosted by Tye Blue, this unique theatrical experience stars Pandora Boxx, as well as master illusionist Vancie Vega, beloved So Cal favorites Dolly Levi and Borgia Bloom. Get more info here.
What I Learned from Jim Carrey
PHOTO: ADRIAN AGUILAR / NOEMI NUÑEZ
CREATIVE ENERGY IS A MAGIC GENIE
In anticipation of his Comedy Knowledge Drop, we asked writer/show runner/producer Brent Forrester to recount some lessons learned from working for over twenty years on some of television's most iconic programs, including The Simpsons, The Office, King of The Hill, Late Night With Conan O' Brien, and more.
Brent Forrester: I once spent two weeks alone in the Ritz Carlton in New York with Jim Carrey, working on the script for “Liar, Liar.” There was no reason for us to be working in New York. We both lived in L.A., but Jim was so powerful at the time, he just called Universal and said “I want to do this rewrite at the Ritz!” and they immediately booked us a penthouse suite in Manhattan. The Mask and Ace Ventura had just come out, and Jim was at the height of his comic powers, but so famous that he found it unpleasant to walk the streets, where he’d mobbed by crazed fans and people asking him for money. He preferred to sit around the Ritz, endlessly brainstorming comedy bits that he could use on Letterman and SNL. It was mostly my job simply to write these bits down, and this put me directly in the path of Jim’s volcanic fire hose of creativity. I have never experienced anything like the sheer volume of his original creative output, and the contact with his energy so adrenalized me that I couldn’t sleep for two days. I remember asking Jim at one point where this creative energy was coming from and he said: “Sometimes it’s okay to just put things out in the universe.” I was puzzled and he went on: “Even if you just stand on the corner going ‘boing, boing,’ eventually people are going to say, ‘let’s go see the boing-boing man.’” It was a mysterious teaching! But what I felt him trying to express was a philosophy of pure creativity, without self-criticism; a faith that simply generating material energetically, without the burden of self-doubt, would inevitably result in useable material. Jim showed me that creative energy can be like a magic Genie. Unselfconsciousness unlocks it. Self-criticism puts it back in
the bottle.
Join us at Dynasty Typewriter on Sunday May 20th where Brent will be sharing more stories and tips from his time behind the frontlines of comedy. Tickets available here.
Meet Dynasty Diva: Borgia Bloom
In anticipation of the premiere edition of Divas of Dynasty, our first all-drag-revue at Dynasty Typewriter, we're catching up with some of the performers who will be gracing the stage.
Borgia Bloom is a performer from Santa Barbara who loves all things drag, especially old school.
When were you first introduced to drag and why did it make an impact?
B: I was first introduced to Drag (definitely before puberty ) when I saw a photo of Divine in PEOPLE magazine and was fascinated with her. Then again when i saw Priscilla Queen of the Desert... I was absolutely mesmerized by what looked like to me as real life fantasy.
Which of your talents are you most proud of and why?
B: I'm most proud of is the ability to lose myself on stage... and I only want it to get stronger.
What do you like to do when you're NOT in drag?
B: When I’m not in drag I love to explore LA ( just moved here from Santa Barbara ) I’m constantly looking for inspiration in all forms. I feel empty otherwise.
What’s your go-to lip-sync song, and why?
B: “Don’t Leave Me This Way” by Thelma Houston.
If you could have an all-queen dream dinner party, who’d be invited?
B: If I could have an all queen dinner party I think it would be fun to invite queens to make me laugh.. Eating and laughing are my favorite things .. Sherry Vine, Heklina, Peaches, Bianca Del Rio, Lypsinka, Bunny, Sharon Needles, Chad Michaels, Vicky Vox... and Goooorrrllll I would just sit back and take IT ALL IN!!!
Divas of Dynasty kicks off on May 25th with a star-studded cornucopia of entertainers. Directed & hosted by Tye Blue, this unique theatrical experience will also star Pandora Boxx, as well as master illusionist Vancie Vega, beloved So Cal favorites Dolly Levi and Borgia Bloom. Get more info here.
What I Learned from Greg Daniels (The Office)
PHOTO: ADRIAN AGUILAR
STRIVE FOR A TONE OF NATURALISM
In anticipation of his Comedy Knowledge Drop, we asked writer/show runner/producer Brent Forrester to recount some lessons learned from working for over twenty years on some of television's most iconic programs, including The Simpsons, The Office, King of The Hill, Late Night With Conan O' Brien, and more.
Brent Forrester: Greg created the American “Office,” and co-created “King of the Hill” with Mike Judge. But long before that, we writers together on The Simpsons. Early on, I was
impressed by Greg’s attraction to observational comedy, and “naturalism” even
when writing for animation. I first noticed it in his classic Simpsons episode, “Bart
Sells His Soul” which was based on a funny true story Greg told about some friends
from college. On “King of the Hill” he took these observational instincts even farther.
Greg gave “reporters pads” to all the writers, slim notebooks that we could carry in a
back pocket, for making notes about of things we observed. This love of
observational, naturalistic comedy peaked at “The Office,” where Greg set a new
standard for realism in American network TV. One way he achieved this was by
occasionally inserting deliberately un-comedic footage, like a Xerox machine slowly
churning out copies, as a way of undercutting the artificial “comic” tone. The
“mockmentary” form was helpful to Greg in creating the naturalistic tone he loved.
The documentary says “real life” and helps re-enforce that realistic tone.
Join us at Dynasty Typewriter on Sunday May 20th where Brent will be sharing more stories and tips from his time behind the frontlines of comedy. Tickets available here.
Secret History of The Hayworth Theatre *Updated*
One of the most exciting things about inhabiting a historic building is uncovering the rich layers of the past, and ladies and gents, our majestic venue has had quite a life. In an ongoing series, we'll be combing through our scrapbook backstage to uncover and share some fun finds.
'Nuff said. Not dated.
And to all those fart-heads turned away in ‘92, know that our doors are open to you now.
Meet Dynasty Diva Jasmine Masters
In anticipation of the premiere edition of Divas of Dynasty, our first all-drag-revue at Dynasty Typewriter, we're catching up with some of the performers who will be gracing the stage.
Jasmine Masters is a RuPaul's Drag Race alumni from San Diego who likes to have fun and enjoy life to the fullest.
When were you first introduced to drag and why did it make an impact?
J: I was first introduced to drag by a TV show called Putting On The Hits. I entered a contest trying to win tickets to go see Patti LaBelle and I won! I have been doing drag every day since then, and that was 23 years ago. I never wanted to be a drag queen, but I wouldn't change a thing. It's the best job ever. It's had a major impact on me and I'm doing something I love.
Which of your talents are you most proud of and why?
J: I'm most proud of all my talent I seem to learn more and more new things that I can't do that I never thought I can do and not every body can do them. Like rolling down stairs and not getting hurt. lol.
What do you like to do when you're NOT in drag?
J: When I'm not in drag I like to cook/eat watch TV hang out with my friends spend time with family and make new outfits.
What’s your go-to lip-sync song, and why?
J: My lip sync go to song is "You Are My Friend" by Patti LaBelle because no matter where I'm at, or what the situation is, I am going to tear that song up. Everyone is going to feel it.
If you could have an all-queen dream dinner party, who’d be invited?
J: Too many Queens to name and a lot of Queens others may not know. I will start off with my whole entire Master drag family: Fila Masters, Destiny Masters, and Crystal Masters. Other than them, just give me a big table because I want all the Queens at my dinner party.
Divas of Dynasty kicks off on May 25th with a star-studded cornucopia of entertainers. Directed & hosted by Tye Blue, this unique theatrical experience will also star Pandora Boxx, as well as master illusionist Vancie Vega, beloved So Cal favorites Dolly Levi and Borgia Bloom. Get more info here.
What I Learned from Bryan Cranston
PHOTO: ADRIAN AGUILAR / JAY GOODWIN
LEAD THROUGH POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
In anticipation of his Comedy Knowledge Drop, we asked writer/show runner/producer Brent Forrester to recount some lessons learned from working for over twenty years on some of television's most iconic programs, including The Simpsons, The Office, King of The Hill, Late Night With Conan O' Brien, and more.
Brent Forrester: In addition to being a great actor, Brian Cranston is an excellent director. I watched him shoot an episode of The Office I wrote (“Work Bus”) and I was blown away by his technique with the actors. He seemed only to compliment them, yet was able to redirect their performance at will. When I commented on his magic touch he shared a secret with me: “Sometimes I compliment an actor on something they haven’t done yet.” When I asked him to elaborate he said: “Like if I want John Krasinski to be thinking about his dead uncle in this next take, I say, John, I love how you were thinking about your dead uncle in that last take. Do that again!” I said, “Doesn’t he know you’re bullshitting him?” He said, “Yup. But as an actor, it feels so good to get direction that way!”
Join us at Dynasty Typewriter on Sunday May 20th where Brent will be sharing more stories and tips from his time behind the frontlines of comedy. Tickets available here.
Photo Recap: Conan Helps Launch "Up & Up with Moses Storm"
Brought to you by Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco , Up & Up is an all-new comedy and musical experience hosted by Moses Storm. The last premiere edition featured sets by Pete Holmes, Ron Funches, Laurie Kilmartin, Matt Braunger, and a special guest appearance by the man himself, Conan O'Brien. Up & Up is an ongoing event which gives Team Coco a chance to present showcase of their favourite stand-up comedians and performers, and share them with a live audience.
Photography by Sela Shiloni
