John Waters Retrospective Nikki Blonsky
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Alma B Itches • Julie Armstrong • Am Taylor esented by PinkPlayMags www.thebuzzmag.ca Pr John Waters Retrospective Creations of the Filth Elder Nikki Blonsky For daily and weekly event listings visit Beyond the Hairspray OCTOBER 2020 / NOVEMBER 2020 *** free *** MEGA 30th EDITION CELEBRATION BLACK&BLUE MAJOR PARTIES WITH INTERNATIONAL AND MONTRÉAL DJS 30th ANNIVERSARY MEGA SHOW AT THE SUNDAY MAIN EVENT STAY TUNED FOR UPCOMING DETAILS! STAY SAFE! DESTINATION CENTRE-VILLE MONTRÉAL graphisme et vidéo multimédia TO BECOME AN OFFICIAL PARTNER, COMMUNITY rd EVENT PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATION, 3 EDITION ORGANIZED OR VOLUNTEER : BY [email protected] INCLUDED 2 October 2020 / November 2020 theBUZZmag.ca theBUZZmag.ca October 2020 / November 2020 3 Issue #039 The Editor Greetings and Salutations, Fall is a great time to curl up inside with a good book, listen Publisher + Creative Director to your favourite podcast, stream a flick, or binge watch Antoine Elhashem a series. Top of anyone’s list should be anything by, John Editor-in-Chief Waters, whom we spotlight as our main cover feature, Bryen Dunn with a retrospective look at the collective works behind this Art Director mastermind of mayhem. Now dubbing himself as the “filth Mychol Scully elder” in his latest book, Mr. Know-It-All, the seventy- General Manager something teenager continues to remain prominent in society, Kim Dobie despite his refusal to adhere to the lure of social media. Have Sales Representatives a read through to find out something you may not have known Carolyn Burtch, Darren Stehle about him, what he has planned for the future, and his general Events Editor views of life. Sherry Sylvain Our second feature is with Nikki Blonsky, who rose to fame Counsel playing the lead role of Tracy Turnblad in the 2007 film, Jerry Herszkopf Law Hairspray, a remake of the John Waters classic that was Feature Writers released in 1988. Writer Aaron Rothermund chatted with Bryen Dunn, Aaron Rothermund Blonsky to see what the screen and stage darling has been up Columnists to since, and what her aspirations for the future are. Earlier Alma B Itches, Cat Grant, Boyd Kodak, Paul Bellini, this year, she publicly came out as gay, which will undoubtedly Bryen Dunn factor into her forthcoming biography she’s in the process Playful. Elegant. Unexpected. Cover Photo: John Waters by Greg Gorman of writing. She also has her own podcast, Nikki Nights, that Published by premiered with her first featured guest, Rikki Lake, who Kingston | frontenacclub.com | 613.547.6167 played Tracy Turnbald in the original John Waters film! INspired Media Inc. Operating: INspired Creative, Publishers of Our guest Wigged Out columnist in this issue is Alma B The Pink Pages Directory, PinkPlayMags, theBUZZ, and The Local Itches, who created her own event, HYPER DRAG, to ensure Biz Magazine. Producers of On the Couch everyone has their chance to perform no matter who they identify. Cat Grant chatted with artist Julie Armstrong, who www.theBUZZmag.ca www.PinkPlayMags.com creates wonderful pieces of artwork from natural and recycled www.thepinkpagesdirectory.com materials. Boyd Kodak caught up with Am Taylor, a singer/ www.onthecouch.ca guitarist who is releasing a new album that also includes Mailing address a collaboration with punk icon, Jayne County. Paul Bellini 205-1691 Pickering Parkway reflects back on Paul Lynde who will soon be the spotlight of Pickering, ON L1V 5L9 a new biopic with Billy Eichner taking on the lead role. We 416.926.9588 have a special Beyond The Village column called East End Explorations, that takes a look at the following community organizations and businesses in the east end of Toronto - IN THIS ISSUE Danforth East Community Association, East End Pride, East Enders Against Racism, and Daydream Adventures. 06 John Waters Retrospective Our popular BUZZpicks events listings are now virtual, – Bryen Dunn meticulously chosen by our Events Editor, Sherry Sylvain, and 10 Nikki Blonsky – Aaron Rothermund as always, a big thank you to our designer, Mychol Scully, 14 Wigged Out: All Drag is Valid for making us all look so damn – Alma B Itches fabulous! 16 She Beat: Julie Armstrong – Cat Grant 18 Bumble-ini: Paul Lynde Biopic – Paul Bellini Thanks for picking us up. Stay 20 A Kodak Moment: Am Taylor safe, and enjoy the read! – Boyd Kodak Bryen Dunn 22 Beyond the Village: Editor-in-Chief East End Explorations – Bryen Dunn 26 BUZZPicks Online – Sherry Sylvain 4 October 2020 / November 2020 theBUZZmag.ca theBUZZmag.ca October 2020 / November 2020 5 among the best/worse for their depiction of dullness. Once he found individuals to work with, and manipulate, he often used these same individuals in several features. Some of the more recognizable names include PHOTO: Greg Gorman Greg PHOTO: Mink Gorman Greg PHOTO: Stole, Cookie Mueller, Edith Massey, and of course Ms. Filth herself, the great drag superstar, Divine, whom he was childhood friends with growing up in the Baltimore suburb of Lutherville. Always happy to remain on the fringe of society, it came as a bit of shock value to even himself when his 1988 of Brynne Courtesy Photo: Levy film,Hairspray , suddenly became a success at the box office, withRicki Lake playing the lead role of Tracy Turnblad. The script was later turned into a musical production in 2002, and a film was then made of the musical in 2007, which catapulted Nikki Blonsky to fame in the lead role. Waters made a cameo appearance in the film as “the flasher”, which also starredJohn Travolta and Queen Latifah, and was shot in Toronto. Other notable films of his include,Cry Baby, Cecil B. Demented, Pecker, and Serial Mom. The last feature film he made, his 16th, was the 2004 comedy A Dirty Shame, A Retrospective Look at starring Tracey Ullman as a raging sex addict. Waters was born, raised, and has lived most of his life in and around Baltimore, Maryland. It’s no wonder that many of his films and books make reference to theCharm City, and as a result of this there has been keen interest John WatersBy Bryen Dunn from fans worldwide to visit and experience the quirky side of this city. A retrospective exhibition of Waters’ Filmmaker, writer, and pop take on the world, and everyday living. No one knows acclaimed artwork, Indecent Exposure, was presented at more about everything, especially everything rude, clever, the Baltimore Museum of Art last year, that included more culturalist, John Waters, has been and offensively compelling, than John Waters. In the than 160 sculptures, photos, films, and sound works opening he writes, “The worst thing that can happen to produced over the past 25 years. The American Visionary called many derogatory terms a creative person has happened to me. I am accepted.” Art Museum also has a permanent larger-than-life statue over his half-century career in the Quite the opposite from one of his earlier works, Crackpot of Divine outside its entrance. entertainment industry, with many (1986), where he wrote, “I’ve always wanted to sell out, If you are planning a visit, here are a few notable but no one wanted to buy me.” places that Waters has frequented. Dining and drinking being self-described. Terms like Mr. Know-It-All has cameos from Divine, Mink Stole, haunts include Rocket to Venus, Papermoon Diner, “duke of dirt,” “people’s pervert,” Johnny Depp, Kathleen Turner, Patricia Hearst, and Holiday House, Club Charles, and the Shamrock Inn. For Tracey Ullman, and is illustrated with unseen photos something with a bit of a Canadian connection, be sure “pope of trash,” “prince of puke,” from his personal collection. Earlier this year, he received to stop by Bookmakers in Federal Hill for the infamous “sultan of sleaze”, and more a Grammy Award nomination for a spoken word version Drag Bunch shows, and you might just catch a glimpse of the book. In the last chapter of the book, he thanks his of Toronto’s very own Queen of the North, Brooke Lynn recently, “filth elder.” parents for giving him the opportunity to rebel against Hytes, who relocated there a few years back. society, upon which he was able to build his career. Read If you want to pick up one of his books, be sure to stop by Now in his 70s, and with shock value diminishing with this excerpt if you dare. Another of his books definitely the advent of social media platforms, is there anything Atomic Books, where he also still regularly picks up his worth the read is, Carsick (2014), which he wrote while fan mail from. If you’re in the mood for a movie, check else he can offer to society? The answer is most likely yes hitchhiking across the United States in 2012, from according to his publicist, who only shared that, “John is out what’s playing at The Senator Theatre, an Art Deco Baltimore to San Francisco to see what would happen, “if landmark where Waters has premiered most of his films. overwhelmingly busy with deadlines currently.” Waters I give up control” also did admit in a recent interview with director, Jim Also, worth the half-hour trek outside the city is a visit to Jarmusch, that he is working on another novel. Of course Waters is most well known for his notorious Prospect Hill Cemetery in Towson, the resting place of early film works that are now considered camp relics Glenn Milstead, otherwise known as, Divine. His most recent book, (2019), was Mr. Know-It-All by some, and of course, total trash by others. Pink released last year to critical acclaim, and is basically his Flamingos, Female Trouble, and Polyester stand out 6 October 2020 / November 2020 theBUZZmag.ca theBUZZmag.ca October 2020 / November 2020 7 to the event due to a recent separation from Burger Records, who had previously lent their name to the festival, but have now been dropped amid allegations of inappropriate conduct during previous events.