Roland Michely - photo by Bruce-Michael Gelbert

Source: www.fireislandqnews.com
By Bruce-Michael Gelbert

On August 8, Roland Michely and Joe Anania welcomed the Cherry Grove community to Hi-Fidelio in order to introduce the book “The Mind and Life of Glen Boles,” which Roland and Tim Steffen put together to frame the previously unpublished autobiographical writing of Roland’s late partner, Dr. Glen Boles, who passed away on July 24, 2009, less than two months before his 96th birthday.
Glen Boles’ life had encompassed a Broadway and Hollywood acting career, United States military service as a counter-espionage agent, and a career as a psychoanalyst. He was a longtime resident of Manhattan and Cherry Grove.
The book, nearly 500 pages long and priced at $25, is, at present, available directly from Roland.

http://www.fireislandqnews.com/2010/08/chriseileen/554.jpg Chris & Eileen Alley, Queen Beach DeBree, Mr. FI Leather 2010 Rob Ferri & James Hughes - photo by Bruce-Michael Gelbert

Source: www.fireislandqnews.com
By Bruce-Michael Gelbert

Homecoming Queen Beach DeBree and Mr. Fire Island Leather 2010 Rob Ferri attended the August 8 Arts Project of Cherry Grove Bingo Game, at the Community House, in full regalia to honor the 45th wedding anniversary of cherished, community-spirited Grove couple Chris and Eileen Alley. Later, the regulars at Sunday night Bingo surprised the Alleys with an anniversary cake.

new Miss Cherry's Epiphany & Ms.Cherry's Mary Ooofaaa - photo by Bruce-Michael Gelbert

Source: www.fireislandqnews.com
By Bruce-Michael Gelbert

The Miss Cherry’s pageant was held at Cherry’s at the Bay on August 8 and singer and former Miss Fire Island Epiphany was selected as the new Miss Cherry’s titleholder. Mary Ooofaaa, named Ms. Cherry’s, and Dallas Dubois, retaining the title of Miss Cherry Lane, were runners-up.

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Harold Seeley greets his public - photo by Bruce-Michael Gelbert

Source: www.fireislandqnews.com
By Bruce-Michael Gelbert

On August 7, the Arts Project of Cherry Grove (APCG), the Grove’s theatrical community, saluted Harold Seeley, creator of the Community House proscenium and the Cherry Grove Archives, designer of sets for shows and balls, “professional volunteer” and Disney fan par excellence-”Cherry Grove’s Mouseketeer”-for his 34 consecutive years of service to the Arts Project. The evening made for a moving and fitting tribute, and raised over $12,600 toward the $20,000 spent, this season, on securing ropes, pipes and rigging in the theater.
After the entrance of Homecoming Queen Beach DeBree and opening remarks by APCG President Michael Coffindaffer, Robin Kradles, in a Cinderella ball gown, escorted the man of the hour, sporting his signature Mickey Mouse ears, to a ‘box seat’ on the stage, and the audience awarded him a standing ovation and donned mouse ears of our own in his honor.
We saw Bradshaw Smith’s videotaped interview with Harold, about the making of the proscenium and the archival materials incorporated into and secreted within it, including Teri Warren’s fan, props from shows, and a flyer for a Bella Show at the Ice Palace. Then, on behalf of APCG, Michael presented Harold with a framed copy of his original blueprint for the proscenium and the design for a plaque honoring Harold that will hang in the Community House. Michael also showed off the theater’s first ever scenery pipe, with two statues of Harold-as-Mickey hanging from it.
The evening’s hosts, Drs. Rick Byrd and Patrick Frattelone, and Sylvia and Shirley Shapiro, all elegantly garbed, were introduced, and the performances for Harold, most with a Disney theme, began.
Embodying Ursula the evil Sea Witch, from “The Little Mermaid,” Bella yearned, “I want the good times back,” recalled the day Harold was given the key to the Community House, and declared, “Harold, you have become the Community House.” Like Bella, Margo impersonated a Disney villainess, and offered the song of Dalmatian nemesis “Cruella DeVil.” Linda Dickerman and Barbara Hirsch, as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, offered “United we stand, divided we fall,” and gave Harold a white rose. Clips of Harold, as Mickey, in APCG show “Minnie’s Girls,” and of Ruth and Susan Freedner, as “Two Lost Souls,” in the show “French Twist,” followed. The twins shared memories of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” their first Arts Project show, as well as Harold’s, in 1978, and aired Harold’s motto about recycling scenery and props: “Save everything, use it and reuse it, and use it again.” Keeping that motto in mind, Dan Daly, singing and playing the piano, dedicated, “Everything Old Is New Again” to Harold, with additional, topical verses.
Dominic DeSantis spoke of Harold’s participation in the House Blessings, as Cherry Grove’s Bishop, then Archbishop; of suggesting that Harold create the proscenium; of their getting the theater’s red curtain, donated by late owner of the Monster, Joe Scialo; and of Harold’s performance, in the show “Circus Circus,” as the clown Emmett Kelly. Sylvia Shapiro disclosed that Harold gave her a first job in design and that, “after one week, his hair turned snow white,” and Shirley Shapiro recalled the King Kong set-the New York City skyline and a huge paw-that Harold built for her scene, as Fay Wray, in the 2003 Doctor’s Fund Benefit. Tim Webster spoke of Harold’s puppet show for wily rodents in Sal Piro’s “Pros and Cons” and of Harold’s efforts, preserving Grove history, in the Archives.
Angela Mercy portrayed Barbara Streisand as Snow White, doing an enchanting, “Someday My Prince Will Come.” Luisa Verde and Gary Greene recreated a beloved non-Disney number, playing adult dolls come to life, a lusty Barbie and a leather-clad Ken-”I’m a Barbie Girl, in a Barbie World (Come on, Barbie, let’s go party”-which they introduced in Sal’s “You Go Girl!!” in 1998. Sylvia introduced Philomena, whom Harold had called “the original Cherry Grove beauty queen,” who spoke of enlisting Harold to decorate the ballroom for Night of a Thousand Gowns in 1995, when she was Empress-he “filled the stage with jewels and stars and every wish that an Empress drag queen could want”-and, by borrowing and soliciting donations, accomplished the whole thing for about $12.50. Her number here was “When You Wish Upon a Star.”
Beside the Freedners, Harold met Thom “Panzi” Hansen in 1978, and Panzi was Mary Poppins here, mixing “A Spoonful of Sugar”-or some snorted white substance-with Lucy Ricardo’s Vitameatavegamin, with the potion coming in increasingly larger Dewar’s bottles.
With Dan at the piano, the full company sang “The Mickey Mouse Club” theme, substituting H-a-r-o-l-d S-e-e-l-e-y for M-i-c-k-e-y M-o-u-s-e,” for the finale, and Harold told us, “The theater has literally been my lover for 30 years,” and invited the assembled to give the performers a standing ovation. We were then asked to the stage to sign the back of the one of the Harold-as-Mickey figures being given to Harold, with the other going into the Archives.

Breast Cancer Benefit - photo by Bruce-Michael Gelbert

Source: www.fireislandqnews.com
By Bruce-Michael Gelbert

The Concerned Women of the Grove (CWOG) held their 15th annual Breast Cancer Benefit, on the luxurious grounds of Heaven ‘n’ Earth, at the east end of Bayview Walk, on the perfect summer afternoon of August 7. The event benefited Gilda’s Club New York and the Stony Brook Center for Breast Cancer Research. Pink, the color of the breast cancer awareness ribbon, was the de rigeur hue of the day.
There was a silent auction of donated items such as theater and opera tickets, gift baskets, autographed baseballs, a cap and a CD signed by Lady GaGa, t-shirts and scripts signed by television series and movie casts, artwork, jewelry, and gift certificates for restaurants.
Hot and cold hors d’oeuvres flowed from the kitchen, overseen by Mella Yodice. Young Korissa Falco raised $600 for CWOG by kayaking across the Great South Bay. Representatives of the two beneficiaries spoke informatively to the assembled about the work of their organizations.
Donna Piranha returned to Cherry Grove to host a show as part of the benefit. She had tambourines distributed to the crowd and we accompanied her in a gospel-style number and in the apt “Soul Survivor.” She also brought brave survivors of breast cancer and tireless CWOG volunteers to the stage. Bella contributed her Carmen Miranda tribute medley, “Weekend in Havana,” and Mary Ooofaaa also did a number. CWOG has raised over $600,000 for the fight against breast cancer in the past 15 years and, with Bobbie Green costumed as a birthday cake, Donna led us in singing “Happy Birthday” to this worthy organization and closed the show with “Proud.”

Daisy Spurs - photo by Bruce-Michael Gelbert

Source: www.fireislandqnews.com
By Bruce-Michael Gelbert

On August 6, Daniel Nardicio presented his “Wizard of Oz”-themed underwear party at the Ice Palace, with a green-faced Bianca Del Rio in the role she was born to play, the Wicked Bitch, I mean Wicked Witch, of the Deep South, and a couple of Tin Woodsmen, and lots of Emerald City-green balloons, hanging from the ceiling. DJ Bill Coleman was responsible for the music.

Capturing the attention of the crowd, however, was a performance by the Daisy Spurs, a troupe of young, sexy, gender-and-ethnicity-diverse, in-your-face, confrontational, punk dancers and singers, giving an exhilarating performance. Those of us who had been to Daniel and Go Go Harder’s “boylesque” show, “The Island of Misfit Boys,” the night before, had already seen some of them in action and knew that they were exceptional dancers, but their appearance at the underwear party, showing them and their colleagues working together as an ensemble, was a wild horse of a different color.

Cherry Tarts frolicking with Copettes - photo by Bruce-Michael Gelbert

Source: www.fireislandqnews.com
By Bruce-Michael Gelbert

On the sunny afternoon of August 4, the Grovettes, under Captain Sue Panzer and Coach Andy Porzio, beat the Suffolk County Copettes, the police team under Captain Rich, in the Cherry Bowl Volleyball Tournament once again. The teams played two 21-point games and a 15-point game. The Grovettes bested the Copettes, 21 to 15, in game one; the Copettes beat the Grovettes, 21 to 13, in game two; and the Grove team won the deciding game, 15 to 10, and won the tournament.

Mark Atten, who was in the first games in 1984, continued to play for the Grovettes and Steve Baldassare returned to play for the team. Sal Piro and Paul Jablonski called the games and Doreen Rallo served as referee.

After the opening parade of teams, cheerleaders, band, and colors, Porsche kicked off proceedings on the volleyball court by singing the “Star Spangled Banner,” assisted by DJ Chuck McTague, and Cherry Queen Dallas Dubois threw out the first ball. Between the first and second games, the cheerleading Cherry Tarts relieved several of the Copettes of their shirts and convinced them to dance; Lavinia Draper sang “Let’s Hear It for the Boy;” and the Suffolk County Emerald Society Pipe & Drum Corps played patriotic songs and “Amazing Grace.” Between games two and three, Dallas offered “Dance Ten, Looks Three” and Ariel Sinclair, head Tart, confided, “My Vagina is Eight Miles Wide.”

After the games, a collection was taken up for absent Grovette Fran Reinhardt, whose father died earlier in the week, and a poolside victory party, complete with complementary hotdogs and hamburgers, was held at the Grove Hotel/Ice Palace.

Matt Alber in FI Pines - photo by CJ Mingolelli

Source: www.fireislandqnews.com
By CJ Mingolelli

Matt Alber, as many of you know, is a wonderful artist, who happens to have been gifted with an incredible voice. I had the opportunity to speak with Matt today and found him to be a very friendly, down-to-earth  person, and thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

He’s really taking pleasure in his visit to Fire Island, and is looking forward to returning for future events, and of course, to relax and have fun.

He’s also here on Fire Island (for his first time) to entertain us all with his music and message… not to be missed!  Matt will be playing at Whyte Hall’s Brandon Fradd Theatre, FI Pines, at 9pm.  One time only!  Tickets are available on line-  visit FIPPOA’s website at http://fipap.org/fiptix.php

Click on the video below to hear the interview, and one of Matt’s favorite songs. ( A special thanks to Jim Bozzi for being my camera man! )

Matt Alber interview with CJ Mingolelli

Dancer - photo by Koitz

Source: www.fireislandqnews.com
By Bobby McGuire

The Fire Island Dance Festival, Dancers Responding to AIDS’ (DRA) signature event, celebrated its sweet sixteenth year in Fire Island Pines with an undisputed artistic and financial success. This year’s festival, hosted by two-time Emmy Award winner Bruce Vilanch, presented eleven dances by world renowned, established and emerging dance companies and choreographers. The event, twice hailed by the New York Times as “the charity event of the season,” was held on the weekend of July 17 to 18, outdoors at the Fire Island Pines home of Jon Biondo, Tim Horman and Ryan Coutou, against a backdrop of the sun setting over the Great South Bay. The three sold out performances drew record breaking crowds and raised $260,000 for Dancers Responding to AIDS, a fundraising program of Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS.

Fire Island Dance Festival Sixteen (FIDF16) featured the innovative work of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; American Ballet Theatre principal Marcelo Gomes; Joffrey Ballet Chicago principals Fabrice Calmels and Erica Lynette Edwards; Mark Stuart Dance Theatre; and San Francisco Ballet principals Yuan Yuan Tan and Damian Smith, performing choreography by Christopher Wheeldon. FIDF 16 also showcased a pièce d’occasion by Shea Sullivan and featured a “Legacy Tour” performance by the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Continuing the tradition started in 2006, DRA offered choreographic sponsorships to foster the creation of new dance works, an effort that yielded four new dances, which had their premieres at this year’s Festival by Stephen Petronio Company, Travis Wall, Camille A. Brown and Andrea Miller’s Gallim Dance. MOMIX presented a special performance as part of an exclusive festival kick-off party on Friday, July 16.