33rd Annual Fred & Adele Astaire Awards in New York City Honors Harvey Weinstein, Legendary Joel Grey

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NEW YORK, NY – On Monday June 1, 2015 the 33 rd Annual Fred & Adele Astaire Awards, which recognizes outstanding achievement in dance on Broadway and in film each season, honored Broadway legend Joel Grey as well as film and theater producer Harvey Weinstein at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. The gala evening was hosted by Two-Time Drama Desk Award nominated Actress Christina Bianco.

Each year the event is presented by Patricia Watt, the Producer of the Astaire Awards and The Douglas Watt Family Fund for the Performing Arts, as well as The Fred Astaire International Dance Studios. the event began with a VIP cocktail reception followed by the show and awards presentation. For the first time, the awards were live-streamed across the United States.

JOEL GREYLegendary Film and Stage Actor and the Recipient of The Douglas Watt Lifetime Achievement Award, Mr. Joel Grey AT the 33rd Annual Fred & Adele Astaire Awards on Monday June 1, 2015. Photo by Andrew Cohen, Long Island Exchange.

On the red carpet Patricia and I talked about the latest accomplishments and what the Fred Astaire and Adele Awards means to her.

You have done this event for so many years and it is a real passion of yours to put this event together every single year. How many years have you been doing this event?

Patricia: Since 2008.

Tell my audience about tonight’s event. What can we expect?

Patricia: It’s the first year we are going to have the member of Broadway shows performing in a week that has the Tony’s and it’s kind of unprecedented. So it’s a very special show because of that. We have a lot of support from the Broadway community. We always have support from them but more so than ever.

Patricia you are doing a terrific job!

Patricia: Thank you.

As we say in show business, “Break a leg!”

Patricia: Thank you.

Tell my audience the website where we can go to find out more information.

Patricia: www.astaireawards.org

Beautiful!

Patricia: Thank you, thank you Cognac

During the cocktail reception I also had the chance to interview Broadway Actor and Veteran Lee Roy Reams who expressed the importance of supporting the dancers.

Lee Roy tell my audience how many years you have been coming to this event?

Lee Roy: Well I am on the board of the Astaire Awards. I have been associated with the Awards when Patricia Watt became a producer and because all of us love Broadway dancing and who grew up in it and all my credits state that. You know we go back as far as…..with me it was Richard Rodgers revival of “Oklahoma” through “Applause,” “Hello Dolly,” “The Producers,” of course “42nd Street,” Beauty and the Beast,” so many shows but the important thing is the back bone of the theater are he dancers and they don’t always get the applause and the credit that they deserve and that’s what this award is all about.

Thank God, right!

Lee Roy: Yes, because of Fred and and Adele Astaire. It’s so important for people who do love dancing and the Broadway theater that they support the dancers and this is the only organization that does that and also gives so much credit and awards to those people. Support the dancers because they are the heart and back bone of the theater.

The highlight of my evening was interviewing Legendary Film and Stage Actor and the Recipient of The Douglas Watt Lifetime Achievement Award, Mr. Joel Grey.

Mr. Grey attended the event with his daughter Actress Jennifer Grey who presented The Douglas Watt Lifetime Achievement Award to her famous father.

There was not a dry eye in the theater at that moment including Jennifer who had to wipe away her tears.

Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane. I am here at the Fred and Adele Astaire Awards and I am here with two tremendous talents Jennifer Grey and of course her wonderful father Joel Grey.

Joel: That’s me.

Tell my audience, your father of course is receiving a phenomenal award but can you tell me Jennifer what was his one single advice that he gave you when you first started show business?

Jennifer: I think he is a living example and that is the best advice to ever get from anyone is to watch what people do not what they say and what he does is he doesn’t stop.

He doesn’t stop, does he?

Jennifer: He doesn’t and he gets deeper and more interesting and more soulful and more beautiful with every day.

You must be so proud of her. Tell me what does this award mean to you?

Joel: Well for a non-trained dancer it’s like Nirvana because I never really learned how to do it and I was the horror of so many choreographers!

Jennifer: Me too!!! We have that in common.

What was your most challenging role?

Joel: George M

Jennifer: You know he taught himself how to tap for that part.

Joel: No I didn’t Bob Awdy taught me.

Jennifer: He taught you for the job?

At that moment supporters and guests left the cocktail reception to view the awards ceremony so I expressed my gratitude.

Thank you both so much!

Joel: It’s good to see you!

When accepting his award, Joel Grey opened by saying, “I’m reminded that I’ve always been in love with dance and always will.”

His path to dance was a rough one, he said sharing stories of his childhood dance teacher yelling at him for having a tough time breaking into dance. His first paid performance was in a Jones Beach Dance show called Mardi Gras. After nearly giving up, Hal Prince gave him a call for a show he thought he’d be good for, which was Cabaret. To conclude, he thanked a litany of top Broadway choreographers for helping him with his career including Kathleen Marshall and Bob Fosse.

“My life was in their hands and they gave it to me,” he said.

Honorary Committee members include: Karole Armitage, Rob Ashford, Hinton Battle, Marisa Berenson, Anna Bergman, Patricia Birch, Chase Brock, Tricia Brouk, Ron Brown, Sharon Bush, Jeff Calhoun, Warren Carlyle, Marge Champion, Wayne Cilento, Louis Hirschfeld Cullman, Judy Gordon Cox, Arlene Dahl, Jacques D’Amboise, Graciela Daniele, Peter Darling, Marguerite Derricks, Kelly Devine, Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Eve Ensler, Daniel Ezralow, Jules Fisher, Roberta Flack, Mario Fratti, Christopher Gattelli, Mitzi Gaynor, Kearran Giovanni, Savion Glover, Joel Grey, Peggy Hickey, Steven Hoggett, JoAnn Hunter, Anne Jackson, Susan Jaffee, Denis Jones, Paul Katz, Larry Keigwin, Daniel Knechtges, Spencer Liff, Michele Lynch, Kathleen Marshall, Rob Marshall, Julie McDonald, Donna McKechnie, Joey McKneely, Stephen Mear, Liza Minnelli, Jerry Mitchell, Bebe Neuwirth, Phyllis Newman, Casey Nicholaw, Marsha Norman, Kenny Ortega, Robert Osbourne, Jeffrey Page, Daniel Pelzig, Jane Powell, Josh Prince, Ann Reinking, Michael Rubinstein, Wendy Seyb, Lisa Schriver, Randy Skinner, Victoria Traube, Sergio Trujillo, Anthony van Laast, Chet Walker, Patti Wilcox, Matt Williams.

The Fred & Adele Astaire Awards were established in 1982 to recognize outstanding achievement in dance on Broadway and in film. The annual awards were established with the cooperation of Fred Astaire to also honor his sister Adele, who starred with her brother in ten Broadway musicals between 1917 and 1931. The Fred & Adele Awards remain the gold standard for excellence in dance and choreography on Broadway and film. Since 1982, additional awards have been added, including the award for best choreography in film, the lifetime achievement award, and a unique award determined annually for exceptional contribution to the field.

For more information, visit www.theastaireawards.org

Supporters Attended the 52nd Annual Long Island Heart Ball At the Museum of American Armor in Bethpage

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LONG ISLAND,  NY – Supporters attended the 52nd Annual Long Island Heart Ball at the Museum of American Armor in Bethpage, New York on Friday May 8, 2015. Life is Why is the brand of the American Heart Association.

The American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. Founded by six cardiologists in 1924, the organization now includes more than 22.5 million volunteers and supporters. they fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies and provide critical tools and information to save and improve lives. Their nationwide organization includes 156 local offices and more than 3,000 employees. The American Heart Associated moved their national headquarters from New York to Dallas in 1975 to be more centrally located. The American Stroke Association was created as a division in 1997 to bring together the organization’s stroke-related activities.

Dr. Scott Schubach, Chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery at Winthrop University Hospital and Cognac Wellerlane at the 52nd Annual Long Island Heart Ball on Friday May 8, 2015.

This year the American Heart Association was pleased to honor Dr. Scott Schubach, Chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery at Winthrop University Hospital, as recipient of this year’s Cardiovascular Science Award and Joseph Ficalora, President and CEO of New York Community Ban Corp., Inc., as recipient of this year’s Corporate Leadership award.

During the evening I sat down with Dr. Scott Schuback and discussed the event and the goals of the American Heart Association.

Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and we are here at the American Heart Association in Long Island. It’s the 52nd Annual Heart Ball Gala. Tell my audience your story. Why are you being honored and what does this means to you. first of all introduce yourself to the camera.

Scott: It’s a pleasure to be here. My name is Scorr Schubach and I am actually the Chairman of Cardiac Surgery at Winthrop Hospital. So I am intimately involved with heart disease and I have been with Winthrop for the past twenty-five years since 1991, twenty-four years. I am a heart surgeon and I have been a member of the Heart Association on the board for the last four years and now I am Vice-President of the board. I guess I am being honored for the work that I have put in all these years and my association with heart disease. I know your LongIslandExchange.com would like to know that I am a Long Island boy. I grew up in Long Beach, Long Island.

That’s where I am from.

Scott: Long Beach High School and then I really went all over the country to the finest places to do my training and surgery, education… but I couldn’t think of a better place to come back to then Long Island and I stumbled upon Winthrop which use to be Nassau Hospital…not thinking it would be a long lasting association and here we are twenty-four years later.

Isn’t it remarkable.

Scott: Remarkable! First of all American Heart is a wonderful institution providing education, support, science to not only physicians and scientist but for the community and it is something that I am very proud to be part of, very proud!

I am very proud to be here tonight. Ir’s a wonderful organization and I have been coming for the past few years and you guys have done so much and have accomplished so much. What do you think will be the next thing on the horizon for the American Heart Association? What is the next goal that you guys are trying to achieve?

Scott: I don’t think there is a goal. I think the message is the depth and breath of the impact of American Heart. We have great new technologies for heart valves. We can take care of people in their ninety’s that we could never think about taking care of even five ten years ago. That’s the dramatic things but it really also is getting into the community and you know here in the United States smoking, obesity, lifestyle, it’s about education and you think that it is an amount that cannot be crossed but that is not true. The American Heart Association is first putting all their efforts…it’s not just about the items that create the press which is the technology. It’s getting out to the communities and preventing the problems so they don’t need this technology and I think that is the next tier. It’s not the new gadget, it’s getting out, teaching people what is right and wrong about their health.

Absolutely. I totally agree. I want you to tell my audience where we can go to find out more information what is the website?

Scott: The American Heart Association. If you just google American Heart or AHA.org…..

I think its heart.org

Scott: Heart.org too and it will take you everywhere you need to be and for where I am is Winthrop.org. We provide the latest in cardiovascular care and I think between Winthrop which is a major sponsor tonight and me and American Heart it is an unbelievable relationship that we have.

Board Certified in Surgery and Thoracic Surgery with added qualifications in critical care, Dr. Schubach is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, American College of Cardiology and American College of Chest Physicians. He trained in cardiac surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was involved in active cardiac transplant and the artificial heart program. His post-graduate training also includes a residency in general surgery at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, the teaching hospital of Dartmouth University School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Dr. Schubach has published widely in professional journals and is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery at the SUNY School of Medicine at Stony Brook.

photo1Heart Survivor Meryl Kravietz and her daughter Samantha who also suffers from heart disease with Cognac Wellerlane at the 52nd Annual Long Island Heart Ball on Friday May 8, 2015.

I also spoke to Heart Survivor Meryl Kravietz and her daughter Samantha who also suffers from heart disease. During my interview with Meryl, I inquired “What are the symptons of a heart attack for women,” Meryl answered “The symptoms are very different. It’s really not typical chest pains. You know the first think you think of is typical chest pain. Is it indigestion? For a women it’s… you can get pain in your jaw, your neck, you can get nauseated and feel like you are going to vomit. You feel dizzy as if you are going to faint and all of that.”

The more risk factors you have, the greater your chance of suffering a heart attack. By understanding your risks, you can identify ways to improve your chances for living a healthy life—free of cardiovascular disease.

For more information please visit http://www.heart.org

New Yorkers Gather for Mitzi Perdue Book Signing; Late Husband, Frank Perdue “Tough Man, Tender Chicken”

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NEW YORK, NY – Lorraine Cancro Silvetz, Sara Herbert-Galloway and Daniela Zahradnikova hosted a special evening of cocktails and hors d’ oeuvres to celebrate the book signing of Mitzi Perdue’s “Tough Man, Tender Chicken.”

All proceeds went to ICAMI’s Global Stress Initiative and the J. Luce Foundation. Guests gathered at SPACE SIXTEEN SOHO, 311 West Broadway between 6pm and 8pm on Monday April 20th for the event.

Mitzi Perdue, wife of the late Frank Perdue, earned degrees from Harvard University and George Washington University. As a former rice grower, and syndicated columnist, television and radio host, she frequently gives inspirational talks, encouraging people (particularly young people) to be all they can be.

Mitzi Perdue  Mitzi Perdue, wife of the late Frank Perdue, and Cognac at SPACE SIXTEEN SOHO, 311 West Broadway on Monday April 20th.

During the event we sat down and talked about her amazing life with her late husband Frank, Perdue.

Welcome back darlings, I am here with the fabulous author, Mitzi Perdue and she wrote a fascinating book about her husband Frank Perdue “Tough Man, Tender Chicken.” Tell my audience what inspired you to write this very provocative book?

Mitzi: Thank you so much. What really got me to write it was it occurred to me looking back on Frank’s life that what he really was, was a teacher. He built a company when it started with him and 2,000 people. By the time of his passing nineteen thousand people worked for Perdue Farms and how do you get that many people to work together and that well. I think that he was a teacher and I decided to write the book because I thought there was so much wisdom in how he went about growing that company.

He was a tough man wasn’t he, not with you though I bet he treated you like a princess, I am sure!

Mitzi: Well you know the funny thing is people would always tell me, “You must be a tough cookie to stand up to Frank Perdue.” But in fact he just treated me like with kid gloves. He was always kind to me. I think he had a great ability to adjust how he treated people according to who they are. I don’t have any backbone at all so we worked just great.

I grew up with your husband. I use to watch television. I was glued to the TV set. I would always watch all my major prime time programs on TV and I would always see your husband’s commercial about Perdue Chicken. How it was the best chicken. Of course we ate Perdue. Your chicken is the best chicken for the world to eat.

Mitzi: Your my kind of woman! I love you dearly!

The company is still under your name. Are you on the top of all this?

Mitzi: The family is. It’s a family owned business. Yes the family runs it.

That’s wonderful. That’s truly truly wonderful that you kept it in the family. Are you running it or do you have a son or daughter running it?

Mitzi: Jim Perdue is the one who runs it now. I think it’s five members of the fourth generation working in the company. Jim is third generation.

Third generation. I see.

Mitzi: The third generation Jim Perdue and there is four of the fourth generation running it and that’s kind of exciting because how many companies go four generations.

Not that many. People somehow mess it all up. The children and the siblings they’re always fighting, no one can agree but I am happy to hear that the company still is going on in the fourth generation and it’s prosperous. It still is the best chicken out there.

Mitzi: You wouldn’t believe how hard we work to make it the best. In fact allow me to boast. We are all friends right?

Absolutely!

Mitzi: One of the advantages of being a family owned company is that we don’t have to worry about each quarter and what the stockholders are going to say. So we were able to invest for twelve years in something that wasn’t a payoff deal until it was a payoff. We have learned how to produce chickens without antibiotics. Our chickens are antibiotic free.

That’s wonderful!

Mitzi: But it took twelve years to get it there.

I can imagine.

Mitzi: Well because the fact is anybody can grow chicken without antibiotics the only trouble is they die. So it took a lot of learning how to produce really healthy chickens without antibiotic and we did it. Yay!!!

So you are the pioneers of organic really. You are the pioneers of organic food. Organic chicken, fresh healthy without chemicals, without any kid of antibiotic and that is probably why people from that generation lived so long. My grandmother lived to be in the ninety’s because she at Perdue Chicken.

Mitzi: Yay!!!!

Tell my audience what your life was like with Frank Perdue. Was it a glamorous life? I probably have to read the book to find out.

Mitzi: I am going to agree with you. It was amazingly glamorous.

I am sure. You must have got into every restaurant, every night club, was able to see every celebrity you could imagine. Am I right about that?

Mitzi: Well A your right. There is a PS to it. Frank really, really enjoyed living in his community being close to the charities he cared about. So he was a mixed person. He was very good with celebrities. He was also good with his close friends and he was a very unassuming man. It surprises people to know that a company that large, Frank Perdue would travel economy class. we would use the subways regularly.

How funny!

Mitzi: So there was plenty of glamor, I loved it! But there was plenty of being down to earth.

Mitzi went on to say how much she still misses her late husband, Frank Perdue and that Johnny Carson was a good friend of his. Mitzi also revealed, “There was nobody like him, he had it all. He was a successful businessman, he had a loving family and he was close to his community so how many people have it all like that.”

MitziPerdue1 Sara Herbert Galloway, Cognac Wellerlane and Co-Creater of Space Sixteen Daniela Zahradnikova at SPACE SIXTEEN SOHO, 311 West Broadway on Monday April 20th.

MitziPerdue2 Jim Luce, Cognac Wellerlane and Actress Kelly Le Brock at SPACE SIXTEEN SOHO, 311 West Broadway on Monday April 20th.

MitziPerdue3 Co-Creater of Space Sixteen Daniela Zahradnikova, author Mitzi Perdue, Sara Herbert Galloway and Lorraine Cancro-Silvetz at SPACE SIXTEEN SOHO, 311 West Broadway on Monday April 20th.

Frank Perdue was the quintessential entrepreneur, marketer, and businessman, a man whose life lessons are applicable to anyone searching for inspiration and encouragement. To write this book, Perdue’s wife Mitzi interviewed nearly 140 people, seeking to understand every aspect of the man behind the tremendously successful corporation.

For more information how you can obtain “Touch Man, Tender Chicken” please visit http://frankperduebook.com

“New York Tent” Presents Concert and Cocktails; 2015: Event-Season’s Biggest Kickoff Spectacular

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LONG ISLAND, NY – New York Tent and IDEKO Productions Presented “Concert and Cocktails” 2015, Event Season’s Biggest Kickoff Spectacular on April 14, 2015 from 6 to 8 pm. Guests walked through the red carpet into New York Tent’s newly designed location to experience the ultimate party destination. This VIP only event featured a private concert by the famed Blues Traveler and The Movin Out Band with cocktails and h’orderves provided by Sterling Affair Caterers. While on the ground of New York tent’s finest location, guests mixed, mingled, and enjoyed the opportunity to network with Long Island’s most elite.

Sponsors included “Please B. Seated” providing all of New York Tent’s rental needs. The event brought together New York City and Long Island’s top businesses, event planners, producers, designers, caterers and elite to enjoy this fabulous event. Each tenting concept is a unique vision, carefully planned and assembled. At New York Tent, they understand the complexities of organizing and producing spectacular events. Attention to detail, technical know-how, skilled assemblers, and quality materials allow the company to achieve, and exceed their clients’ expectations each and every time.

Untitled-1 David Tannenbaum, CEO of New York Tent at Concert and Cocktails; 2015: Event-Season’s Biggest Kickoff Spectacular with Cognac Wellerlane April 14, 2015

New York Tent has been producing sensational tented affairs since 1994, operating out of a 60,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility. From world class sporting events such as the NYC Marathon and large music festivals, to corporate galas, weddings and intimate parties, New York Tent services customers’ needs with hands-on planning and a sophisticated design sense that is key to executing every event with flawless precision.

Each tenting concept is a unique vision, carefully planned and assembled out of a 60,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility, which boasts a world-class washroom including a tent washing machine, water softening system and a 4th of its kind tent dryer. Led by CEO David Tannenbaum, who recently can on board, New York Tent has experienced explosive growth over the last two years garnering some of the largest investment in inventory the company has ever seen.

At the event I had the pleasure to talk to David Tannenbaum. CEO at New York Tent. Below is our interview.

Cognac interviews David Tannenbaum. CEO and Publicist Michael Mazzella from www.wunderlichinc.com at the New York Tent’s customer appreciation event season kickoff spectacular in Long Island on the 14th. The event will include over 600 of Long Island’s top event producers, investors, entrepreneurs, and editors from all the weeklies and top luxury glossy publications in New York City. They will enjoy a private VIP concert by the famed 90s Blues Traveler Band and the Movin’ Out Band.

Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here with the new CEO of NY Tent. Introduce yourself to the camera.

David: I am David Tannenbaum with NY Tent and we are having a fun-filled night here under some new tents that we brought in for the upcoming season and just happy to have our clients here to see what we can offer.

Tell my audience a little bit more about this event that is taking place right now. You are having two special bands that will be performing.

David: Sure. We have the Movin’ Out Band. Billy Joel Tribute was on Broadway playing a show “Movin Out” for quite a while and the headliner is Blues Traveler who just dropped a new album on Tuesday. We are excited to have them here and give our guests a good time.

This is an amazing thing that you guys are doing. You have this every year. Now you are new on the board. When did you start with the company?

David: I started and was brought in to give some new life into the company, bring in some new inventory, reach out to a new market and this is a great way to intro that and show that we have been around for twenty years. We are reinventing ourselves and everything we have to offer.

You have a lot of interesting people here tonight. A lot of entrepreneurs, a lot of business people. How many people are actually attending this event tonight? Do you know?

David: In the end about seven hundred people.

Seven hundred people, Wow! And you do this every year?

David: Yea, we were doing it every other year for a while. From the success of what it looks like we are having this year, this most certainly will become a yearly event.

Wow! I am sure you have a lot of great ideas that you want to see take place here for NY Tent. Can you tell my audience some of the things you might be planning in the future for this company.

David: Sure, we have some great new inventory. The tent that we are having this event is called the Arcum. It’s something nobody else in our area has. It’s in other parts of the country in other areas. We have a lot of new chairs and a lot of new liners and a lot new kinds of elements to existing tents that really separate us from the competition. We show people it’s not just a plain old white tent anymore. There is more you can do with it!

Do you have any significant clients, any celebrity clients that my audience should know about?

David: We do. Most of the time we sign non-disclosure agreements to protect their identities and what we do for them. That is why I can’t name drop but we do a tremendous amount of work in the Hamptons and in the city and surrounding areas doing a lot of celebrity wedding, anniversary parties.

Charity parties.

David: Charity as well. Tremendous amount of charity, you know and special events for raising money. We are always happy to be a part of those events. It is a good cause, we get to be involved and do what we do.

Terrific! If we want to find out more information about NY Tent where can we go? What is the website?

David: Sure, the website is http://www.nytent.com. You can also call us anytime and we are here to help.

NYTentPublicistMichaelMazze Publicist Michael Mazzella from Wunderlich Inc. PR who invited me to the event. In our interview Michael revealed ‘Why rent a location when you can build one anywhere.’

I also had the opportunity to interview Publicist Michael Mazzella from Wunderlich Inc. PR who invited me to the event. In our interview Michael revealed “The importance is about events. The event we are having tonight is about event season kickoff! You know in the Summer there is a lot of events in New York and the Hamptons. It’s all about event season. As you can see the tent that we are under is quadruple the size of my apartment at least! It’s enormous. They have curve tents, they have metal tents, the one that we are sitting in now can hold up to tens of thousands of people and you know in New York and the Hamptons it’s all about the outdoor Summer Party and NY Tent is the perfect place to have your venue. Why rent a location when you can build it anywhere.

Celebrity Chef Chris Coleman Puts The Passion Into His Dishes at Lovecraft Restaurant in the East Village

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NEW YORK, NY – The city has plenty of restaurants that offer exceptional dining, however, there is something captivating and special about the Lovecraft Bar that has patrons coming back for more. Created in honor of legendary American Author, H.P. Lovecraft, this horror-themed bar has been inspired and modeled after his literary works. The restaurant serves a variety of drinks that include infused cocktails, a large selection of beers, and scrumptious eats. Lovecraft Bar NYC has a laid-back atmosphere that New Yorkers can’t seem to get enough of.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Celebrity Chef Chris Coleman over cocktails and dinner as he explained his passion for cooking and all things related to food.

Lovecraft NYC Celebrity Chef Chris Coleman Lovecraft NYC Celebrity Chef Chris Coleman with Cognac Wellerlane. Coleman sits with Cognac over cocktails and dinner as he explains his passion for cooking and all things ‘yummy’.

Welcome back darlings! I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here at this fabulous eatery located in lower Manhattan right here on Avenue B, Lovecraft, and I am here with Celebrity Chef Chris Coleman. He has prepared wonderful appetizers for us and I am very, very interested in what he has to say about these gorgeous appetizers and what went into creating these innovative dishes. It is a pleasure to see you again. The last time we met was/

Chris: At the Carlyle Hotel.

Tell my audience how you became the Executive Celebrity Chef here at Lovecraft.

Chris: First of all my name is Chris and the way I became the celebrity chef down here at Lovecraft; Anthony the owner and I go way, way back. Anthony is one of the owners. We met a few years ago in the Hamptons.

The Hamptons, my favorite spot in the whole wide world. Where did you meet Anthony in the Hamptons?

Chris: Me and Anthony actually met in Montauk at the Point Bar. We have built a camaraderie and friendship for a long time and he was intending to open up a restaurant in the Hamptons a few times and it didn’t happen for whatever reasons. He kept my number but we lost contact for a while. Then one day, I would say six, seven months ago he text me, “Chris are you there? Is this still your number?” I said “Sure” and I said “Who is this?” And he said “Anthony, do you remember we met in the Hamptons.” So I said “Sure” so he went on to say “I am in the process of opening a new restaurant and I am looking for a chef and I know you are very talented. I think I am interested in having you come to the restaurant, let’s meet and we will talk about it.”

And bingo! You are here.

Chris: Yes, I am here and I actually have another great chef behind me (Dine Tidjani), a good friend of mine who has been with me for at least five years. He was the head chef at Gurneys with me.

At Gurneys, Really? I love those people. They sold the business.

Chris: Yes, I was the head chef there last year. I decided to leave because I am in love with the city. This the place where it could make you or break you, New York City.

That’s right. It will either make you or break you! But you look like you haven’t broken yet. Look at these dishes that you created for us. Tell my audience what we are seeing here.

Chris: We have Chesapeake Bake Maryland Crab Cakes. A little bit of onion down here, celery, red tomatoes, part of the food is a vision, visual. All of this is marinated. I love flavor. I like the execution. I treat my food very respectively. I like the people to see the passion and the tasting style that I bring to my food and what I do. I love food!

And you want your patrons to love what you have prepared. Tell my audience about this dish. It looks amazing!

Chris: What we have down here is Prince Edwards Island Mussels. I try to do this different then way a lot of people do it around here. I do this with coconut curry sauce.

Coconut curry sauce, wow!

Chris: So we go down to the West Indies over here. It has a slight kick to it!

Sounds sexy!

Chris: I don’t know what that means!

Yes, it looks delicious! I can’t wait to eat this. The way you prepare food it is just unbelievable. So tell me more about the ingredients.

Chris: We have clam juice. When I clean my fish I reduce the salmon carcass. I use all the goodness that comes out of the carcass of the fish.

Tremendous! What is this, is it lobster?

Chris: Just mussels but the way it has been prepared the flavor, the passion that I put into it. You have to remember if you don’t cook with love and passion your food will never taste good, bottom line you have to have passion!

Tell my audience about the signature dishes here. What do people from all over, tourist and the people that live here, what are the signature entrees?

Chris: I like to give my customers top quality produce. We have down here nice grilled skirt steak.

My husband is going to try the steak.

Chris: The steak is like you are eating butter! It basically melts in your mouth. A lot of people out there want to save a dollar. They don’t use top quality; me, I rather use top quality. I want every customer that comes here, I want them to say “Wow, this is amazing!” There are over 20,000 restaurants in New York so why would they want to come to this place. I want to give that to my customers.

What is the signature seafood here at the restaurant?

Chris: Crab cakes is one of them as you can see over here. I also have nice tuna tar tare. There is only one other place that makes it the way I make it.

What about the salmon. I see you make Grilled Salmon.

Chris: It’s Wild Salmon, off the hook! The way I do it is I put it on a saute pan very, very hot. I make sure the skin gets very, very crispy. Then I put it on the grill and then I finish it in the oven. Three ways of cooking, sauteing, grilling and baking.

Celebrity Chef Chris Coleman has prepared excellent meals for many A-listers including Leonardo Di Caprio, 50 Cent, Mel B the Spice Girl, Kate Hudson and Russell Simmons. For more information about Chris please visit http://www.colemancooking.com and to find mind out more information about Lovecraft restaurant please visit http://lovecraftnyc.com

TV Host Cognac Wellerlane interviews Celebrity Chef Chris Coleman at LOVECRAFT NYC Restaurant located at 50 Avenue B, New York, NY in Lower Manhattan

TV Host Cognac Wellerlane interviews Chef Dine Tidjani at LOVECRAFT NYC Restaurant located at 50 Avenue B, New York, NY in Lower Manhattan

Bailey Houses Gala Auction at Chelsea Piers; Helping Transform Lives of People with HIV/AIDS, Other Illnesses

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LONG ISLAND, NY – On Thursday March 26, 2015 Bailey Houses Gala and Auction was held at Pier 60 of Chelsea Piers. The Gala honored the heroism of individuals and organizations that assists the Bailey House’s mission of transforming the lives of people with or at risk of HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses through housing, health services and community.

During the event I was happy to interview the cast of B.O.R.N. To Style. Cast members Brandon Hood and Devin Stokes spoke to me about their meaningful contribution towards the Bailey House.

BaileyHouseCognacposes Bailey House, Cognac poses with the cast of B.O.R.N. To Style, Thursday March 26, 2015 at Pier 60 of Chelsea Piers.

BaileyHouseBornStye

Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and we are here at the Bailey House Auction and this is a fabulous event with so many items being auctioned off and all for a very good cause. I am here with two big supporters who are auctioning off something very important and they are celebs and they are going to talk about who they are and what they are auctioning off. Introduce yourselves to the camera.

Devin: Well my name is Devin Stokes of B.O.R.N. To Style.

Brandon: And I am Brandon Hood from B.O.R.N. to Style

B.O.R.N. to Style, Tell my audience what that is all about.

Devin: B.O.R.N. to Style is a makeover show

A makeover TV show

Devin: Yes. It’s a TV show on FYI. B.O.R.N. stands for Borrowed, Old, Refurbished and New. We are just giving women the drama of the past into today. We give them a whole lifestyle makeover.

Brandon: It’s about Jonathan and his fabulous store in Harlem. He has a vintage boutique. He specializes in vintage. We makeover women. We uplift them. It’s retail therapy. It’s a dysfunctional family fashion wise.

Devin: It’s more than just a makeover series. I feel it is a lifestyle makeover series. A lot of the women we deal with are going through changes in their life and we are trying to incorporate that change into their everyday life.

Both Devin and Brandon spoke about their store’s contribution to the Bailey House Auction and Gala.

I understand that you have a very significant item that you are auctioning off tonight right here at the Bailey House. Tell my audience what that is all about.

Brandon: We are auctioning off a $250 gift certificate for the B.O.R.N. Boutique at 57 East 125 Street between Madison and Park. Also what comes with that is a style makeover by yours truly, Jonathan, Kristen, Jay, Devin and myself so that is going to be like bananas within itself.

Why do you love the Bailey House so much? Tell my audience what is so spectacular about this organization.

Devin: Well as a young gay man, Bailey House really caters to those who are effected by HIV and being part of that stereotype, it’s very helpful to know that people are helping those as opposed to criticizing them and that is a cause that I can stand up to.

Brandon: Absolutely, this is something that is in the community and what stops us is the un-education of what is going on with HIV and AIDS. So I appreciate the Bailey House to support and donate the items to be auctioned.

To find out more about B.O.R.N To Style TV show please visit http://www.fyi.tv/shows.

BaileyHouseTedAllen

The gala was hosted by Ted Allen host of Food Network’s “Chopped” and spokesperson for Dining Out For Life

I am here with Ted Allen who is a big supporter of the Bailey House. We are standing right here in the dining room after this wonderful event. Tell my audience why our are a big supporter of the Bailey House.

Ted: Well, I think Bailey House has been doing an amazing job for people with HIV and AIDS. All the way back to 1983 by the way which was the first year the New York Times published the acriment “GRID” Gay Related Immunization Deficiency before we ever had the word AIDS and today thirty something years later Bailey House is still here evolving changing with the different population that are now more impacted by HIV then the original group. So HIV is even more of an issue now for women of color but there is also a whole new generation of young gay men that don’t realize, that weren’t around the first time this epidemic hit us.

And it still is dangerous. It still is. They need to get checked out.

Ted: You are absolutely right. That it is still totally dangerous. There are treatments. It is no longer the death sentence, automatic death sentence that it was.

I know in the 1980’s I lived through it. Thank God!

Ted: Thank God!

But people have to remember it is still deadly if you don’t treat it and that is why we are here today and you are here to tell my audience to bring awareness that this is such a very valuable organization that provides information about HIV.

Ted: Information, housing, art programs, to get children involved, helping people get off the streets living productive lives and people who just got out of prison for example. There are so many layers. I think Bailey House is doing an incredible job and I am thrilled to have the chance to join.

I also spoke to Jane Pauley, a respected television anchor and journalist who is a longtime supporter of Bailey House and a powerful advocate in the field of mental health.

BaileyHouseJanePauley

I am here with the star herself, Ms. Jane Pauley and she is a tremendous supporter of the Bailey House. Why is this organization so important? Tell my audience why you are a big supporter.

Jane: Well, I think its terribly important that we see the whole community we live in and sometimes there are important people who are on the margins of the community who don’t get included. The Bailey House, this is a fun party, but the point is that we see the people who are neighbors who we don’t always see and that is what the Bailey House has done. I am honored to be here. I am honored to be a small part of it.

Tell my audience where we can go to support, contribute and donate, what is the website.

Jane: http://baileyhouse.org

BaileyHouseJanePauleysuppor

Today Bailey House serves hundreds of men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS in neighborhoods throughout New York City. They provide housing and services that help clients address homelessness, poverty, hunger, substance use, mental illness and other critical issues that make survival hard, if not impossible. They look forward to expanding their services and providing home, hope and community to thousands more men, women and children living with poverty and HIV/AIDS here and around the country.

19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Kick-off Cocktail Party At Martha Washington Hotel in New York City

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HAMPTONS, NY – Sponsors and honorees gathered at the 19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Kick-off Cocktail Party on Tuesday March 24, 2015 at the Martha Washington Hotel Ballroom in New York City celebrating the June 13th, 2015 event which will be held on the grounds of the Hayground School in Bridgehampton.

During the event I spoke to several supporters and sponsors including John Tortorella, Kathleen de Monchy, Jane Pontarelli and Regional Vice President of Long Island Kathy Munsch of the American Heart Association. My interview with Kathy Munsch was educational and very informative.

Kathy Munsch began her tenure at the American Heart Association in 2000 as a Senior Regional Director and was later promoted to Regional Vice President. She manages the Long Island office, the Long Island Board of Directors, a development staff and is responsible for the integration of her development staff with other departments in the Founder Affiliate such as Communications, Quality Improvement Initiatives and Professional Education. Before joining the American Heart Association, she was Executive Director for a grass roots breast cancer organization raising funds for education and awareness for Long Island women.

Kathy Munsch Hamptons Heart Ball Kathy Munsch Regional Vice President of the American Heart Association Long Island at the 19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Kick-off Cocktail Party on Tuesday March 24, 2015.

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She began her career with not-for-profits working for ten years at the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence starting as their Supervising Paralegal and then becoming their Events Manager.

Through her leadership, more than 2,000 companies on Long Island have participated in National Wear Red Day, a component of the Go Red For Women Movement, which educates women of all ages by raising their awareness of cardiovascular disease.

Hamptons2 Hamptons Heart Ball Kathy Munsch, Regional Vice President of the American Heart Association Long Island and Cognac at the 19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Kick-off Cocktail Party on Tuesday March 24, 2015.

TV Host Cognac Wellerlane interviews John Tortorella, Katlean de Monchy and Regional Vice President of Long Island Kathy Munsch of the American Heart Association at the 19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Cocktail Soiree at the Martha Washington Hotel in Manhattan.

Hamptons3 Hamptons Ball Real Estate Agent Jane Pontarelli and Cognac at the 19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Kick-off Cocktail Party on Tuesday March 24, 2015.

TV Host Cognac Wellerlane interviews Real Estate Agent Jane Pontarelli at 19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Cocktail Soiree at the Martha Washington Hotel in Manhattan.

I am here at the Martha Washington Hotel for the 19th Annual Heart of The Hamptons Ball Kick-Off Cocktail Party and I am here with this young lady and she is going to introduce herself to the camera.

Kathy: Hi, I am Kathy Munsch Regional Vice-President for the American Heart Association of Long Island.

This is the first time I have ever come to your actual kick-off party which is a preempt to the actual Heart of the Hamptons Ball.

Kathy: Yes and every year there is a kick-off. It is really to introduce our honorees, our chairs, our committee members, our sponsors and it is a chance for everybody to get together.

And to mingle and network.

Kathy: Yes.

Tell my audience what we can expect for this particular evening, at this event.

Kathy: Well, The Heart Ball is really to celebrate our achievements throughout the year and our mission is to make our communities healthier. We will have our honorees and we will have a survivor talk. A young woman will talk who is fourteen years old. When you hear her story and you see how inspiring she is you will say wow.

Will she be here tonight?

Kathy: She will be at the gala and you will hear her story.

How wonderful is that. You are doing such a wonderful job with the Heart Association. This is such a wonderful organization and it helps people of all ages that are suffering from heart disease.

Kathy: Yes it is and you know we are trying to make everybody more aware of prevention Eighty percent of heart disease can be prevented. We have made some great strides especially with women. Letting everyone know that heart disease is not an old man’s disease that many women are effected. It’s the number one killer for them. So really educating everyone on different ways that you can help prevent heart disease.

Yes, I know, I remember when Star Jones told me she was one of honorees a couple of years ago.

Kathy: Yes, she is a survivor.

She did not only talk here at the Heart of the Hamptons Ball but she also spoke at Fashion Week, I got a clip of her talking about that.

Kathy: She is a great speaker and very good for the American Heart Association and tells a story where you know she knew the signs and the symptoms but she didn’t think it was happening to her and she ended up with open heart surgery. She is here today because of modern technology which comes from all the research dollars with all the money we raise.

Thank God!

Kathy: Making a difference in everybody’s lives.

Absolutely. Tell my audience where we can find out more information about the Heart Association and how we can support it.

Kathy: You can go to www.heart.org and you can pull up Hamptons Heart Ball or you can find everything, anything you want to know about heart disease you can find on our website. There is a tremendous amount of information that is really important for everybody to understand.

Hamptons4 Hamptons Ball Michael Wellbrock, Cognac Wellerlane, Joy Marks, Alan Marks at the 19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Kick-off Cocktail Party on Tuesday March 24, 2015.

Hamptons5 Hamptons Ball Lucia Hwong Gordon at the 19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Kick-off Cocktail Party on Tuesday March 24, 2015.

The American Heart Association is this countries oldest, largest voluntary organization devoted to battling cardiovascular diseases and stroke. The organization was founded by six cardiologists in 1924. The American Heart Association now includes more than 22.5 million volunteers and supporters working tirelessly to eliminate these diseases. They fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies and provide lifesaving tools and information to save and improve lives.

Hamptons6 Hamptons Ball Joy Marks at the 19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Kick-off Cocktail Party on Tuesday March 24, 2015.

Their nationwide organization includes 144 local offices and nearly 2,700 employees. They transported their national headquarters from New York to Dallas in 1975 to be more centrally located. The American Stroke Association was created as a division in 1997 to bring together the organization’s stroke-related activities. Their mission is building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Our Fabulous Variety Show Presents: Fire and Ice with D.E.O.X. of the Raffa Show in Southampton

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SOUTHAMPTON, NY – This past weekend “Our Fabulous Variety Show” presented Fire and Ice with D.E.O.X. of the Raffa Show at 230 Elm Venue located at 230 Elm Street in Southampton, NY.

The organization was founded by two lovely ladies, Kasia Klimiuk, (Artistic Director, choreographer, producer, and CFO) and Anita Boyer, (Director, Choreographer, Producer, & COO).

OFVS consists of an ever evolving troupe of dedicated thespians who are on a mission to hone the craft of live performance while raising funds and awareness for both local and national non-profit organizations.

Before the performance I had the privilege of interviewing Co-Founder Kasia Klimiuk.

Entertainment Journalist Cognac Wellerlane interviews Kasia Klimiuk and Anita Boyer Founders of Our Fabulous Variety Show and the star of the Show DEOX Of The Raffa Show at 230 Elm in Southampton, NY

Hello darlings I am Cognac Wellerlane and we are here in Southampton on a very snowy nigh but that doesn’t stop this entertainment troupe from performing right here at 230 Elm Street and this organization is called OFVS. Introduce yourself to the camera darling.

Kasia: My name is Kasia Klimiuk and I am the producer for “Our Fabulous Variety Show.”

And that’s what OFVS stands for.

Kasia: Correct.

Tell my audience what we are going to see tonight.

Kasia: Tonight you are going to see a very entertaining show which actually features one of our amazing performers Danny Ximo of the Raffa Show. Tonight he will be performing as D.E.O.X.,

Nice!

Kasia: That character actually debuted in our production “Spectacular Christmas Carol,”

Yes you recently had a Christmas production. I was unable to attend that but I figured I want to check you guys out and see what It’s all about because the Hamptons is buzzing about your entertainment troupe how wonderful it is.

Kasia: Thank you, yeah he actually debuted as “Christmas Present” and he was one of the ghosts in the show. It sought of is a fusion of masculine and feminine and he had a show called The Raffa Show that he had done here several times before. He has done it all over the world. It’s a show where he impersonates iconic female entertainers like Liza Minnelli, Raffaella, Lady Gaga, Rhianna, Tina Turner, everyone.

He must be amazing.

Kasia: He is amazing!

Wow!

Kasia: You are in for a treat tonight. Tonight he will be doing a lot of Raffa Show favorites. A lot of them were sung by Alan Cumming.

Oh, I interviewed Alan Cumming.

Kasia: Did you?

Yes. He is fabulous. He really is. He is just one of the most talented actors there is out there and I adore him. I interviewed him several times, once at the Hamptons International Film Festival when they were giving him an award. Wendy Williams presented the award and I was there for that.

So this is very exciting, He performs and he has his own interpretation of all these celebrities.

Kasia: Yes he does it to the T. It’s like you are watching Liza.

Now how did you get involved?: Why did you get involved into this?

Kasia: I am a performer, actress, singer dancer. Actually my partner Anita Boyer and I started the organization back in 2010. The two of us were running a half marathon and we had to raise the money for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America because that’s what the half marathon was going to benefit. We decided to put on a show. We met doing “Cabaret” at the Southampton Cultural Center and we got a bunch of talented friends together. It was a one time thing and it evolved into an amazing theatrical troupe that has grown exponentially. We have been rated Dan’s Papers Best Theater Group on the South Fork for two years in a row, 2013 and 2014, it just keeps growing and getting better.

I see that! After this particular show what are you working on next?

Kasia: We actually are planning our 2015 season. We are going to be bringing back “The Spectacular Christmas Carol” in December at Guild Hall for two weekends this year, one weekend last year.

I would love to come that.

Kasia: We are also working on another project, “Our Fabulous Adventure in Wonderland” which will be based on “Alice on Wonderland.”

Very nice. Who is involved in the team of people putting this all together.

Kasia: It is just Anita and I.

Just you two! Oh my God. Now I understand this another reason why I wanted to come tonight. You mentioned something previously that you were working for a charity to raise money and I noticed that on the website you work with other organizations to raise funds. That’s really what I am all about. I believe in giving back to charities. Where do we participate? Where do we contribute? How can we get more involved?

Kasia: This is part of our mission. Every show we choose a beneficiary and we donate a portion of the proceeds to a local organization. The last show we donated to HUGS which was a youth organization that teaches students about anit-drugs, anti-suicide and we actually donated 2,500 dollars to them at our last show.

That’s wonderful.

Kasia: Each Time we try to pick an organization. We also started a performing arts scholarship for our June show last year. One of our dancers was a recipient for that. She was a local high school senior, she got that scholarship.

How nice! How lovely! Tell my audience where we can go to find out more information. What is the website?

Kasia: www.OurFabulousVarietyShow.org

Co-Founder Anita Boyer has a strong passion for choreography, dance, singing, and putting on spectacular events for worthy causes, Anita co-produced the original Fabulous Variety Show which helped raise over $8,000 for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. Anita graduated from Ohio University with a major in Video Production and brings to the group her almost 20 years of dance experience and her event planning savvy. Anita is the coordinator for the East End Arts Teeny Awards program, she teaches dance for the Riverhead Faculty Community Theatre (RFCT) and DanceHampton in East Hampton, and she choreographs and directs shows all over the East End! Most recently she directed and choreographed Godspell for RFCT which was a fabulous success! She loves working with such a talented group of people to put on these shows!

Co-Founder_Anita_Boyer Our Fabulous Variety Show Co-Founder Anita Boyer poses for a photo-op with Entertainment Journalist and Host Cognac Wellerlane.

Here is what she had to say:

Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here with Anita Boyer the other half of this wonderful organization. Tell my audience again what the name is.

Anita: “Our Fabulous Variety Show”

Now that’s an interesting name. “Our Fabulous Variety Show,” what made you call it that?

Anita: Our original show was to raise money for our half marathon that we were running in Las Vegas for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America and we kind of based the whole poster off of “Welcome to The Fabulous Las Vegas Show” sign so that’s where the fabulous comes in.

I see.

Anita: Throughout the process of putting on all these shows we have really been trying to embrace the whole “Our” concept. We love to get input from every single member of the cast. Everyone has an idea; we always hear it and try to utilize it. We do try to really focus on the “Our” The “O” the Our of “Our Fabulous Variety Show.”

Later I chatted with the star Danny Ximo, D.E.O.X. of The Raffa Show.

Our_Fabulous_Variety_Show Our Fabulous Variety Show Danny Ximo as D.E.O.X. of The Raffa Show poses for a photo-op Entertainment Journalist and Host Cognac Wellerlane.

Welcome back, I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here with the star of the show who is going to be performing tonight. Introduce yourself to the camera darling.

D.E.O.X.: Tonight I am going to be DEOX which is the initials of my name and my stage name. Daniel Eduardo Orlando Ximo and actually my artistic name is Danny Ximo. It’s two complicated. I am so many personalities!

I love it! I love the whole idea! I love the concept and I can’t wait to see the show. I want you to tell my audience about your act and what it is all about. The whole thing, everything!

D.E.O.X.: Well actually you know this is the first time that the show is gong to have a twist. Before it use to be more like a female impersonation and now it is going to be something in between. Between a male and a female. That is why I have a beard, I have lip gloss, I have eyelashes.

Did you do your makeup? Did you do it yourself?

D.E.O.X.: Yes!

Beautiful!

D.E.O.X.: Thank you. Tonight is going to be different once again. You know we did the Christmas show and that is when I introduced DEOX to the fans of “Our Fabulous Variety Show,” I got a very good response from the audience. I am excited now about introducing my new baby to the audience.

How many characters are you going to be performing?

D.E.O.X.: It’s weird. It’s a transition. The show is going to be a transition with music, with different costumes, dance, it’s going to be a variety show.

Will you be impersonating celebrities?

D.E.O.X.: Yes, when I did female impersonators I did more specific.., like Liza Minnelli, this and that. Tonight something like that is going to happen in a different perspective.

Do you have a specific character, a specific personality that you just adore to impersonate?

D.E.O.X.: I think I sang “New York, New York” by Liza Minnelli more times than she did herself. They love my Liza Minelli and I love her!

I can’t wait to see this.

D.E.O.X.:  I also invite the audience to go to YouTube and they can find my previous shows on the Raffa Show DEOX and they can look for the videos on youtube.

D.E.O.X. : Big Spender, Friday Dec. 5th 2014, Guild Hall East Hampton New York.

Terrific! Tell my audience where we can go to find out more information about you. Do you have a website?

D.E.O.X.: I don’t have a website but I have a facebook page which is Facebook/Raffa Show Feat Deox. That is the page of my show and then I have my own page which is Facebook/Danny Ximo

Interview: “Dice Man” to Perform at NYCB Theatre in Westbury Long Island, Friday January 30, 2015

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LONG ISLAND, NY – America’s most controversial and outrageous comic, Andrew Dice Clay, or to many of his adoring fans the ‘Dice Man’ will be performing at the NYCB Theatre in Westbury on Friday January 30, 2015 at 8:00 PM.

Last year the Dice Man published “The Filty Truth,” a story of his rise to fame. His story is written by David Ritz. In this unapologetic and uncensored autobiography, Andrew Dice Clay, is roaring to set the record straight. Below is an interview with the irreverent comic:

AndrewDiceClay1 Andrew Dice Clay, will be performing at the NYCB Theatre in Westbury on Friday January 30, 2015. Photo Courtesy, ‘Dice’.

Born in Brooklyn, NY what encouraged you to become a comic?

Dice: I never intended to be a comedian. I wanted to be a drummer first – I wanted to be like Buddy Rich. Then I started doing the impressions and next thing you know I am a comedian.

The man that we see on the stage telling jokes, is that the same man at home with his wife and kids?

Dice: I’ve always said that if I did half the things I talk about on stage at home, I’d be looking at 25 years to life. The Dice Man is character – the only thing we have in common is that we are both from Brooklyn.

Your whole act is politically incorrect. Does it ever worry you the consequence of something you might say could cause a law suit?

Dice: F*#K THAT! I am a comic, what are they are going to sue me for? Being F#@king Hilarious and a Little Fithy?

Explain to my audience about this performance that will be at NYCB Theatre in Westbury on Friday, January 30th.What will we see?

Dice: The audience can expect one of the funniest comedy shows that they have ever seen. It’s filthy, vulgar, graphic but first and foremost Funny! And if you’re over 18, you won’t find it offensive at all, because I talk about the same things everybody else does but won’t admit.

I understand you recently had your autobiography THE FILTHY TRUTH published. What inspired you to tell the story of your life?

Dice: I had offers to tell my story years ago, but it never felt right. I had not lived enough life to tell my story if you know what I mean. I think after the Woody Allen resurgence the timing felt just right.

How long did it take for the story the get published start to finish?

Dice: That’s hard to say cause I wrote a lot of the book years ago when offers started to come in. But the finished book I have to say about 2-and-a-half years.

Where can go to find out more information about your tour dates and anything we need to know about the Dice man?

Dice: You can go to www.andrewdiceclayofficial.com or Twitter @TheRealDiceClay.

Tickets to the show on Friday January 30, 2015 at 8:00 PM can be ordered at http://venue.thetheatreatwestbury.com

Horror Enthusiasts Attend the 8th Annual Macabre Faire Film Festival at Upsky Hotel in Hauppauge

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LONG ISLAND, NY – This past weekend horror enthusiast attended the 8th Annual Macabre Faire Film Festival at the Upsky Hotel in Hauppauge, NY. From Friday January 16th through Sunday January 18th, horror fans from across Long Island alongside celebrity guests such as Cleve Hall – “Monster Man,” Jonathan Tiersten – “Sleep Away Camp,” Eileen Dietz – “The Exorcist,” Robert Mukes – “House of 1000 Corpses,” Elizabeth Shepherd, Rutanya Alda, Lesleh Donaldson, Sharon Lentz, Jim Krut, Tiffany Shepis, Stacey Nelkin and several local independent filmmakers enjoyed a scary good time as the NY Horror Show and Macabre Faire Film Festival returned to Long Island.

I had a chance to chat with Founder Elsie Ginsberg who is dedicated to growing the Macabre Faire Film Festival and Twitch Twitch Productions. Both Elsie and Adam Ginsberg, her husband’s mission, is to accommodate those who love the scare…The thrill…The unknown…And the entertainment provided by experiencing something outrageously different than the norm. They provide unique theatrical productions, films, events, radio, videos, original music and live character appearances for all types of events.

Macabre Fair Film Festival Actor Cleve Hall from the SyFy Channels Monstor Man poses for a photo-op with Cognac Wellerlane at the Macabre Faire Film Festival on January 16, 2015.

Here is what Elsie had to say:

Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and it’s January 2015 and I am here with Elsie, the lady that coordinated this whole event and the founder of the Macabre Faire Film Festival and she is going to introduce herself to the camera.

Elsie: I thought you did such a lovely job but If I have to do it again I am Elsie Ginsberg but many know me as Elsie Macabre in the filmmaker world and social media but this is me.

Tell my audience about the Macabre Fair Film Festival for those who are unaware of what this evening is really suppose to be about.

Elsie: Well for starters this is our eighth Macabre Faire Film Festival and that all has happened in a matter of two and half years I believe. A lot of people wonder how we managed to do all of that. Well actually we do several different showcases a year. So here we are at the eighth one but January is always the biggest. Why, because we have two sets of awards. Tonight is the night that we actually award the best of the best of all the screenings that we did for 2014. Those are called the Macabre I Awards. Then on Sunday after we have screened what we currently have is 126 independent movie titles that will be screening in four different rooms. On Sunday we will be awarding best in category that night.

Macabre Fair Film Festival Actor Jonathan Tiersten from Sleep Away Camp poses for a photo-op with Cognac Wellerlane at the Macabre Faire Film Festival on January 16, 2015.

So there is 26 films

Elsie: 126 films; Oh, we don’t play around. We set out our goal to shine a spotlight on independent filmmaking. If we are not willing to really make it a carnival of films then we are not doing what we promised we were going to do. So come hell or high water, we do our best to bring in as much as we can, great films from around the world not just nationally but internationally. We have got filmmakers who have flown in today from the UK, from India, from Canada, from Los Angeles, so we really are excited and with every single one we are doing we are just growing more and more and more. This is really important to us. the red carpet event, because this is our way of elevating the expectations from a genre film festival.

When you’re dealing with horror film festivals, sy-fy film festivals, a lot of times we just kind of like you know put on our jeans and T shirts and get ready for the film festival.

Macabre Fair Film Festival Actor Robert Mukes from House of 1000 Corpses poses for a photo-op with Cognac Wellerlane at the Macabre Faire Film Festival on January 16, 2015.

Not here, your event is very elegant. I must say people are dressed and approaching with gowns and furs like me and diamonds like you. It’s really a very festive glamorous evening. I really feel like I am in Hollywood.

Elsie: Well thank you Cognac. From you I will take that. It means a lot to me. You know again I stay very firm. Myself and my husband, Adam Ginsberg, we really feel passionate about what we are trying to accomplish here. We already have said we want to try and get this to the point of being the Oscars for the genres community especially horror. This is how we do things. So it’s not only looking fabulous and walking the red carpet and having a fabulous evening but also the respect that we are presenting to the actual films that are screening. It’s very important that the sound be right, the screens are right and what we schedule to happen when it is suppose to happen and that’s it. Unless there is the unexpected Murphy Law situation the show will go on no matter what we will make sure that everything in the program happens.

Macabre Fair Film Festival Actress Eileen Dietz from the Exorcist poses for a photo-op with Cognac Wellerlane at the Macabre Faire Film Festival on January 16, 2015.

Now I understand that you are going to have a roster of celebrities attending. Tell my audience who those fabulous people are going to be.

Elsie: Oh, we have a nice roster. We have Robert Mukes from “House of 1000 Corpses.” I cannot wait to see him and he is going to tower over us. He is almost seven feet tall.

That’s pretty scary. That’s scare right there!

Else: He is so handsome and he is so sweet. He is a great package. On top of that we are going to have Cleve Hall “Monster Man” SyFy Channel. He is coming in. Eileen Dietz, you spoke with her.

I remember last year.

Elsie: She is back again. She is our film festival ambassador. So it’s important that she is here. We are going to have Elizabeth Shepherd.

Macabre Fair Film Festival Actress Elizabeth Shepherd from Omen II poses for a photo-op with Cognac Wellerlane at the Macabre Faire Film Festival on January 16, 2015.

Yes, I want to interview her, Elizabeth Shepherd (Omen II)

Elsie: I have to tell you I am very excited about having her here because I love “The Omen,” I love “Omen II,” and I love “Omen III, The Final Conflict” and to know that we were able to get someone of that caliber to walk our red carpet I mean along with everybody else, I have this little special place to meet her.

Is Victoria Price going to be here?

Elsie: Victoria Price unfortunately…

Couldn’t make it?

Elsie: Well you know she has got a real job and when that knocks on her door she has to take care of business. So it kind of happened. Trust me I spent a lot of time speaking with her and we were suppose to meet up and talk about her father (Vincent Price), talk about the book that she has coming out. I just want to spend some time with her but she has promised that she is going to see about spending the weekend with us next year so it will happen.

Macabre Fair Film Festival Lesleh Donaldson from Curtains and The Funeral Home poses for a photo-op with Cognac Wellerlane at the Macabre Faire Film Festival on January 16, 2015.

Ok, we look forward to that. This is going to be a fabulous evening! After the red carpet people will be walking in to the banquet hall. Tell my audience what we will be seeing inside the banquet hall.

Elsie: We have a little dinner set up for them and then during the dinner we have a special screening of a short film called “The Secret” directed by Andrew Leckonby. He was one of our best short film winners a couple of years back. Unfortunately we lost Andrew in October and we were very saddened by it and even thinking about it now I, it’s a little hard to think about it. We wanted to do something special for him so we knew how much it meant to him to have his work seen so we decided that we were going to screen his short film here so that everyone can see it one more time. After that we are going to liven things up with a undead comedy show with Salvatore Rizzo. The Dead Father will be hosting a low rent version of the “Johnny Carson Show.”

How hysterical!

Elsie: I mean it’s a horror convention at the end of the day so I thought that would be a lot of fun. Then we have the lovely Nicole doing the dark side of opera. We have a tribal dance group that is going to be doing a show as well and then we have Robert Frankenberg who is going to be doing “Symphony of Oblivion” where he is going to bring us into a horror movie sound scrape live on stage.

This is incredible!

Macabre Fair Film Festival Sharon Lentz who played Sara Collins in Dark Shadows poses for a photo-op with Cognac Wellerlane at the Macabre Faire Film Festival on January 16, 2015.

Elsie: We try, we try. It means a lot to us. We respect the films. We respect the experience and we only hope that this is an infectious behavior what ever else you want to call it. We really want the filmmakers to feel the same way. A lot of filmmakers say “We love what we do,” love it even more. Love it even more and when you present it present it with the utmost pride and respect because I know that we are doing that for you so we hope you do it too! We are just ready to have a great time.

And so am I! Tell my audience where we can go to find out more information about The Macabre Faire Film Festival; what is the website?

Elsie: Please go to Facebook/Macabre Faire Film Festival. I am always reachable. Send a private message, send me an email. Whatever it is I am here.

Macabre Fair Film Festival Shay Cully, Actor Robert Mukes and Founder Elsie Ginsberg poses for a photo-op with Cognac Wellerlane at the Macabre Faire Film Festival on January 16, 2015.

Macabre Faire Film Festival’s mission is to provide a respectful, competitive, celebratory and affordable film fest event that is judged by a panel for independent filmmakers to enter their Strange-ifical, Weird-ifical, Horror-ifical, Sci-fi-tastical, Fantastical and Macabre-licious films to be viewed by the fans with the opportunity to win awards, increase film visibility via press and possibly obtain distribution via the Festival’s Distribution Alliances on both the East and West Coast of the USA. All this while maintaining manageable entry fees.

TV Host Cognac Wellerlane interviews Founder Elsie Ginsberg at the 8th Annual Macabre Faire Film Festival at the Upsky Hotel in Hauppauge, NY on January 16, 2015.

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