Melissa Ferrick Returns With New CD & US Tour (AUDIO)

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with singer-songwriter Melissa Ferrick about her current tour and brand new CD which is her 12th original album to date. Ferrick has been performing her deeply personal brand of "rock folk" (as she calls it) for more than two decades. The self-titled album in many ways marks a new beginning was officially released with her two singles “Careful” and “Scenic View” and will soon be available in Vinyl on her own Right On Records label. In her new recording Melissa has simply delivered an eloquent and honest acoustic album with an undeniable level of maturity. For long-time fans this will be a welcome new arrival and for those who are just discovering Ferrick this is a fabulous introduction. Melissa is marking the middle of her career with a perfect solo return to songwriting and to herself as she begins a 16 city US tour from Maine to Florida. We talked to Melissa about her new music endeavors and her spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what she would like to see happen for LGBT equality in the next few years Ferrick stated, “I would like to see more acceptance, certainly. I would like to see also the inclusion of our trans brothers and sisters more integrated. I’ve felt this way for a long time. I remember when I was part of a lot of the AIDS awareness that was going on, a lot of dinners and fundraisers. I lived in New York in 1989 and I became part of the Act-Up group down there in The Village but I remember there weren’t a lot of women and I remember thinking to myself, you know if we all just came together supporting each other more we could get more done. So I think inclusion and crossing the boundaries between each other would be huge. Less separation and more combining our populations. So I’d love to see more coming together.”

Melissa Ferrick has shared the stage with Bob Dylan, Morrissey, Marc Cohn, Paul Westerberg, Dwight Yoakam, John Hiatt, Weezer, Tegan and Sara, G-Love & Special Sauce, Dan Bern, Ani DiFranco, k.d. Lang, Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, Joan Armatrading, Mike Doughty, The Indigo Girls and many others in her twenty year career. Ferrick was also a featured music honoree in OUT Magazine’s OUT100 focusing on artists who make an impact on our community. She is currently embarking on her US tour appearing October 23rd at The Falcon in Marlboro, NY, October 29th at South Orange Performance Art Center in South Orange, NJ, October 30th at Infinity Music Hall, in Hartford, CT, November 6th at One Longfellow Square in Portland, ME, November 7th at Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, MA, November 8th at Higher Ground in South Burlington, VT, November 9th at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY, November 15th at Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, MA, November 21st at New Hope Winery, in New Hope, PA, December 10th at The Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, FL, December 11th at Ponte Vedra Concert Hall in Ponte Vedra, FL, December 12th at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, FL, December 13th at Cafe Eleven in St Augustine, FL, December 15th at Cats Cradle Back Room in Carrboro, NC, December 17th at Town Crier, Beacon, NY and concluding at Club Passim in Cambridge, MA on December 26th & 27th.
For More Info: melissaferrick.com

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Susan Claassen In “A Conversation With Edith Head”

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Susan Claassen about her fabulous play “A Conversation With Edith Head” that runs October 21st to October 24th in Palm Springs, California. For six decades the legendary costume designer Edith Head worked on over eleven hundred films, dressed the greatest stars of Hollywood from Mae West to Grace Kelly, received 35 Academy Award nominations and won an unprecedented eight Oscars. “A Conversation With Edith Head” based on the book “Edith Head’s Hollywood” by Edith Head & Paddy Calistro continues the legacy of Hollywood’s iconic costume designer. The play is filled with behind the scenes stories about great movie legends and their delicious intimate encounters with Miss Head during their costume fittings and other personal recollections. As Lucille Ball stated, "Edith knew the figure faults of every top star. And she never told. Edith always knew how to keep a secret." However in this one-woman show some secrets just might be revealed and fashion tips freely given. The play is interactive allowing the audience to ask questions that pertain to the era, fielded by Stuart Moulton. Claassen’s portrayal of Edith Head is uncanny and riveting. We talked to Susan about the inspiration for her play “A Conversation With Edith Head” and her spin on our LGBT Issues.

When asked what her personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Claassen stated, “I’ve always been involved by how I live. I’ve been with my partner for 26 years and I’ve always been associated with endeavors that utilize the arts to raise awareness and to raise funds. Way back in the 1980’s we were the first organization to do Tucson AIDS Project. We raised money and tried to organize all the arts in Tucson (Arizona) to do that. So awareness is still there. We do programing that has specific themes, our guidance in that is that they are universal. You know, marriage is marriage, love is love, but we try to make stories as diverse as possible.”

Susan Claassen has been a member of Actors’ Equity Association for 46 years and is celebrating her 40th anniversary as Managing Artistic Director of the Invisible Theatre in Tucson, Arizona. Her production of “A Conversation With Edith Head” is currently touring nationally and was featured in the 2006 Republic of Georgia International Theatre Festival, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival August 2007 and played London’s West End in 2008. She received a prestigious LA Stage Alliance Ovation Best Actress Nomination in 2011 for her portrayal of Edith Head and Phoenix New Times Best Actress 2012. As Managing Artistic Director of the Invisible Theatre, she has produced over 400 productions and directed over 90 productions. In addition to her work with the Invisible Theatre she has been a consultant and director for the Waterfront Playhouse and Red Barn Theatre in Key West, Florida. She was most recently seen as Olive in Invisible Theatre’s “Olive and The Bitter Herbs” and won the 2014 MAC Award for Best Actress in a comedy. Susan has been honored as one of Arizona’s “48 Most Intriguing Women”. Susan Claassen will be appearing in “A Conversation With Edith Head” from October 21st to October 24th at Palm Springs Woman’s Club 314 South Cahuilla in Palm Springs, California.
For More Info & Tix: edithhead.biz

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Women's Week In Provincetown October 12th to 18th

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Jeanne Leszczynski co-owner of the Sage Inn in Provincetown Massachusetts about Women’s Week in Ptown that takes place October 12th through the 18th. In 1984 several entrepreneurial and fabulous lesbian innkeepers came together to talk about ways to bring gay women back to Provincetown during the fall. This small discussion blossomed into the idea of a clambake on the beach for one weekend in October that would be called Women's Weekend. The event was a resounding success and today is one of the largest and longest running lesbian events in history. For over 30 years Women's Week has grown far beyond anyone's expectation. There are over 150 events including workshops, film screenings and performances by comedians, jazz, blues and contemporary musicians to entertain those celebrating during this special week. We talked to Jeanne about what’s happening this year at Women’s Week in Provincetown and her spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what she would like to see happen for LGBT equality in the next few years Leszczynski stated, “Well mostly I’d like it to become a non-issue. I would like for everyone to be treated equally. I’m not that naive to think that is going to happen anytime soon so we will have to continue to support GLAD and MassEquality in maintaining the law of the land and of course keeping government attuned to our issues and so we know that has to continue for awhile. There’s a lot of maintenance to be done. When that day happens what I would like to see us do and I would like us to do now is to extend what we have learned about our equal rights to other minority groups and help them achieve what gay people have achieved in the acceptance in society of differences. I think we also should help in the conversation about drawing a line between government and religion. Sometimes that line gets a little grey and it takes a little wisdom to sort that through. We don’t want to intrude on anyone’s religious rights but yet government is for the whole society and not for any individual’s belief. So that I think is going to be a very interesting conversation in the next few years.”

Jeanne Leszczynski and her partner Diane DiCarlo are major donors to the Provincetown Film Society, the Center for Coastal Studies, the Human Rights Campaign, the Freedom to Marry Coalition, GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders) and the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. They purchased the former Pilgrim House and Vixen Night Club in 2011 and opened the Sage Inn & Lounge in May 2012 as a center of hospitality in Provincetown throughout the year. During Women’s Week some of the concert performances at Sage Inn will include the legendary Alix Dobkin, Tret Fure as well as jazz pianist and singer-songwriter Barbara Higbie with Ptown’s own Zoë Lewis. Performing in other venues around town will include concerts by Cris Williamson, Suede and Linda Eder to name a few. Some of the fabulous comedians appearing throughout Women's Week include Kate Clinton, Jennie McNulty, Poppy Champlin, Vickie Shaw, Mimi Gonzalez, Kristen Becker, Maggie Cassella, Suzanne Westenhoefer and more.
For More Info & Tix: womensweekprovincetown.com

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LGBT Activist Jennifer Finney Boylan Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Jennifer Finney Boylan, the first best-selling transgender author in the U.S. whose writings, teachings and activism have significantly illuminated and articulated the transgender experience. Jennifer is being honored by GLAD (Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders) with the Spirit of Justice Award on October 16th at Boston Marriott Copley Place in Boston, Massachusetts. Jennifer Finney Boylan is the author of the best-selling memoir “She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders” and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. A novelist, memoirist and short story writer, she is also a nationally known advocate for transgender rights. She sits on the board of trustees of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction as well as serving as the National co-chair of the board of GLAAD, the LGBT media monitoring organization. Recently Jennifer had an ongoing role on the groundbreaking E TV Network Reality Show “I Am Cait” and serves as a consultant on the Amazon Emmy and Golden Globe award winning show “Transparent”. We talked to Jennifer about being honored by GLAD with their Spirit of Justice Award and her spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what her personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Boylan stated, “It’s what I’ve given my life to. After raising my children and being married to my wife I feel like LGBT rights are achieving the goal of a fair world. Especially for transgender people, it’s the mission that I have undertaken. Look, things went relatively well for me here in this little state of Maine in my town of Belgrade Lakes. I didn’t lose my family, I didn’t lose my job and I was able in fact to publish a book about it and tell that story and tell it the way I wanted it told. My experience especially in the first decade of this century may well have been atypical. The stories we tend to hear of transgender people are often the other kinds of stories. Particularly when we talk about transgender people of color, we’re talking about people who are on the receiving end of violence, who are likely to be homeless. All across our community you hear stories of people who have suffered loses and abuse of one kind or another and it’s intolerable and it has to stop. So I’m hoping to use my power as a storyteller to bring about that end. It can be a frustrating end and discouraging fight sometimes because there’s so much work to do and there’s so much hatred out there; but in my own experience there’s also love and understanding as well and what I would hope is true for me can be true for everyone.”

Jennifer Finney Boylan is currently the Anna Quindlen Writer in Residence at Barnard College of Columbia University. Before coming to Barnard she was Professor of English for 25 years at Colby College in Maine. As an advocate for transgender equality she has addressed the National Press Club, been the keynote or plenary speaker at gender conventions nationwide and spoken on hundreds of college campuses including Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Columbia, Barnard, Wesleyan, Amherst, Duke and Dartmouth. Jennifer Finney Boylan will accept the Award at the 16th Annual Spirit of Justice Award Dinner at the Boston Marriott Copley Place at 110 Huntington Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts on October 16th and then on Saturday, October 17th a Reading and Conversation with Jennifer Finney Boylan takes place at Danger! Awesome Event Space at 645 Massachusetts Ave at 11A in Cambridge, MA.
For More Info & Tix: glad.org

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Lawrence “Larry” Watson To Perform At Boston Gala (AUDIO)

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Lawrence “Larry” Watson who is performing with his Jazz Group “Workforce” and special guest guitarist Shun Ng at the Promise Place School Boston Gala that takes place Saturday September 26, 2015 at the Seaport Boston Hotel. Larry Watson is an inspiration to many as a master teacher, an activist and a musician. By joining his musical talents with his life-long struggle for human and civil justice, Watson is a soulful messenger for the next millennium. He is currently Professor of Voice at Berklee College of Music. Promise Place School is an initiative of the Foundation For International Justice, Inc., which was founded by Stonewall Veteran Erica Kay-Webster to create a year-round living and learning environment for unaccompanied LGBTQ homeless youth. We talked to Watson about how he became involved with the Promise Place School Boston Gala and, as a fierce LGBT ally, his spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Watson stated, “I think that my personal commitment has grown over the years. I’ve written a musical called "Still on the Journey". One of my friends the late John Tucker passed away in the 1980’s and we went to Cornell together. He was a physician at Harlem Hospital and he came to Boston to die because he was ashamed to share who he was with the community and I felt all of his friends, all of us were guilty that he didn’t feel comfortable enough to talk about who he was. I think as I look at growing up as a child and being an artist and being different, it’s so easy for people to label one and it’s so unfair to categorize people sometimes the way they do, only for the purpose of discriminating. I think that people need to step up to the plate whether they be straight or gay or confused or enlightened, what have you, and speak out on any level of injustice and it is an injustice and it is wrong for us to marginalize children that may be transgender or children that may be gay or adults that may be because of our own incorrect reading of scriptures or our own warped politics that doesn’t have us recognize the wonders of humanity.”

Lawrence “Larry” Watson has performed in venues with Al Green, Smokey Robinson, Oleta Adams, Little Richard, Gladys Knight, The Neville Brothers, Tata Vega, Jean Carne and The Boston Pops Orchestra. He has also been the soloist at several events honoring three Supreme Court Justices, President Nelson Mandela, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, The Honorable Reverend Desmond Tutu, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and President Barack Obama. With his Jazz Group “Workforce” Watson will be performing music from the Motown Songbook as well as original works including a piece that he wrote for the Children’s Defense Fund entitled “Blessed Are The Children” which addresses moving our society forward on behalf of all our children. The Promise Place School’s First Annual Spring Gala on Saturday September 26th in Boston will be honoring Congressman Joe Kennedy, Diego Miguel Sanchez, Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, Carl Sciortino, Joe Finn and Elisabeth Jackson for their continued support of the mission to help homeless LGBTQ youth.
For More Info & Tix: promiseplaceschool.org

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LGBT Activist Diego Miguel Sanchez Speaks OUT (AUDIO)

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Diego Miguel Sanchez the National Director of Policy at PFLAG who is being honored with the Lifetime Dedication Award at the Promise Place School Boston Gala that takes place Saturday September 26, 2015 at the Seaport Boston Hotel. Diego joined PFLAG National as Director of Policy in 2013 after serving as Senior Policy Advisor to Congressman Barney Frank (MA) until his retirement from The U.S. House. Diego made history in 2009 as the first openly transgender person to work as a senior legislative staffer on Capitol Hill and for historically testifying in 2008 to the U.S. House on ENDA. Previously Diego spent 20 years as a corporate global executive in public relations, marketing and diversity management at world headquarters of Fortune 500 companies including Coca-Cola, ITT and Starwood Hotels. We talked to Diego about his work at PFLAG the nation's largest LGBT family and ally organization, being honored at the Promise Place School Boston Gala and his spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked about being honored at the Promise Place School Boston Gala Sanchez stated, “Getting a Lifetime Achievement Award means that I am not the youngest person in the room, I figure, because it takes time to earn a lifetime of achievements. But it means so much to me to be recognized for all the work I’ve been able to do. Whether it’s working for Fortune 500 corporations, working on HIV/AIDS or LGBTQ nonprofits or serving as then first openly transgender Senior Staffer on Capitol Hill under Congressman Barney Frank, my mere presence is what commanded the press. So it’s never been easy being different from absolutely everyone but it’s always special. I hope to get to set an example on being compassionate and strong, giving others room to learn and not expecting to understand everything right away and in that way I hope to inspire both current and future generations to be kind when they offer support and educate or when they advocate.”

Diego Miguel Sanchez was named to the Top 100 Most Powerful Latino/a Corporate Executives by Hispanic Business Magazine, Most Powerful Latinos/as in Massachusetts by El Planeta Newspaper and listed in the Out 100 and the inaugural Trans 100. He’s earned three Silver Anvil Awards from the Public Relations Society of America, a Silver Flame from the International Association of Business Communicators and was awarded National Stonewall Democrats Capital Champion Award and Q Street Lobbyists’ Legislative Staffer of the Year. Promise Place School is an initiative of the Foundation for International Justice. The Promise Place School will include a residential educational complex for homeless LGBTQ youth ages 12-24 in Massachusetts that will combine classroom settings with a safe home environment. The school will be staffed by qualified professionals, offering services including a safe and stable home environment, a healthy diet, clothing, medical services, mental health services, substance abuse education, recreational and physical fitness programs and HIV/STD testing. All students will be offered education from 6th grade and up including a GED program, guidance counseling, life skills education and vocational skills training, college prep classes, career counseling, full continuing education scholarships and more. The Promise Place School’s First Annual Spring Gala on Saturday September 26th in Boston will be also be honoring Congressman Joe Kennedy, Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, Carl Sciortino, Joe Finn and Elisabeth Jackson for their continued support of the mission to help homeless LGBTQI youth. Next week we’ll be talking to Lawrence “Larry” Watson who will perform live at the First Annual Gala fundraising event for Promise Place School with his Jazz Group “Workforce”.
For More Info & Tix: promiseplaceschool.org

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New Documentary "Paul Taylor: Creative Domain" (AUDIO)

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Filmmaker Kate Geis about her documentary “Paul Taylor: Creative Domain” and John Tomlinson, Executive Director of the Paul Taylor Dance Foundation. Paul Taylor is one of the dance world’s most elusive and admired choreographers. For 60 years he has given only glimpses into his creative process but in this fabulous documentary for his 133rd dance performance ‘Three Dubious Memories,’ the audience is allowed into his studio for an in-depth exploration of how Mr. Taylor creates a single work. In 1998 director Matthew Diamond released the Oscar nominated film “Dancemaker” about the story of the then 69 year-old choreographer’s life, his company and his dances. Creative Domain is the next chapter in the creative life of Mr. Taylor. Through the intimate lens of award-winning cinematographer Tom Hurwitz, we witness Taylor's verbal and non-verbal communication with his dancers. We talked to Kate Geis and John Tomlinson about this must-see documentary “Paul Taylor: Creative Domain” and their spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Tomlinson stated, “Well I happen to be a gay man and I have a husband and we are thank God legally married finally and very proud of that. I’ve been with my husband almost 20 years and we’ve been married for four years now. I will also say just in general I’ve always been thrilled to work in an industry where LGBT issues are basically non-issues. We don’t have issues with that. We understand that the work we do has nothing to do with the sexual orientation of the people doing it. I think part of me was drawn to this part of the world because of that because I wanted to work freely in an environment where it wasn’t an issue of what my sexual orientation was. I also think it’s important to celebrate that fact that we always were on the frontlines in that. On top of which, I work for an artist who is so broadminded and sees the world in so many ways and explores all those issues on the stage and gives you a sense of great equality throughout his work.”

Filmmaker Kate Geis is an Emmy winning documentary producer who began her career at Saturday Night Live and went on to produce documentary programming for WNET, Channel Thirteen, History Channel, A&E, and Metro TV. John Tomlinson, Executive Director of the Paul Taylor Dance Foundation has been working with dance companies for more than 30 years including some of the greatest names in modern dance. The film’s Executive Producer Robert Aberlin has co-produced two award winning documentaries both of which appeared on WNET the New York PBS affiliate and he also serves on the board of The Paul Taylor Dance Foundation. “Paul Taylor: Creative Domain” opens in New York City at The Film Society Of Lincoln Center on September 11th with Filmmaker Kate Geis, Executive Producer Robert Aberlin, dance luminaries and dancers featured in the film attending a Q & A following the film. “Paul Taylor: Creative Domain” will be released theatrically in Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago and other key cities throughout September giving a rare glimpse of the process and creator of The Paul Taylor Dance Company.
For More Info: paultaylorcreativedomain.com
 
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