The One and Many Voices of Jimmy James, in PTown Until September 3rd

The ever-glamorous Jimmy James returns to Provincetown

after an eight year absence. See him before Labor Day!

It’s been eight long years since Provincetown has been wowed by the one and many voices of Jimmy James, whose incomparable, dead on voice characterizations, ranging from current pop stars to divas from decades gone by, make him the consummate vocal impressionist of our time. He is peerless.

Performing live vocals for his legions of fans for more than 30 years, Jimmy keeps his show fresh and vibrant by continuously mastering the voices of new artists, each time creating a younger, modern show, without neglecting the fan favorites that have kept so many in his audience returning again and again. It’s as exciting to see which current pop goddess he’ll bring to the stage as it is to swoon once again to the definitive voices of the all-time greats, both male and female.

I happen to be one of those long-time fans, and was in the crowd at Sage the other night, eager to hear some of the best-loved stars of my own youth, and those I had gotten to know through Jimmy’s shows, TV appearances and CDs over the years. There were audible gasps heard in the audience as the unmistakable voice of Billie Holiday came out of Jimmy’s throat, and during the evening, little squeals of delight escaped throughout the crowd when listeners heard long gone, favorite stars as diverse as Elvis Presley and Judy Garland brought to life once again. These vocals were blended seamlessly with present-day artists like Lana Del Rey singing her hit Summertime Sadness. Boy George popped up as well, along with a great story about him that Jimmy delighted in telling to that night's packed house.

Jimmy becomes Cher on stage, in style, at Sage.

A big part of the huge success of Jimmy James is the fact that he totally inhabits his characters, having mastered facial expressions, mannerisms and other attributes unique to each one.

Simple costume elements and props, along with a few more elaborate ones, complete the illusion. Channeling Cher, for example, requires a tall, shimmering, beaded headdress à la designer Bob Mackie, who happened to be sitting next to me at Jimmy’s show that night! He was there with legendary singer Marilyn Maye, who had just come from her own performance at the Art House. Filmmaker John Waters was in the audience that night as well. No one wanted to miss the chance to see Jimmy James in an all too rare appearance in PTown.

Conversely, no costuming was needed when, by simply picking up a cocktail from a front row table, Jimmy skillfully slipped right into the very persona of Judy Garland, carrying on a conversation with the audience, which was equally as satisfying as his superb rendition of her singing voice. Get Jimmy's current CD after the show to hear him, as Judy, singing her quintessential hit Over The Rainbow, along with Cher, and many other stars, songs and styles of music you'll find on the disc. Jimmy will autograph it for you, too, if you’d like.

The right facial expression, along with a bulky pair of eyeglasses and a lit cigarette, brought famed screen actress Bette Davis to the stage, with hilarious results. Jimmy James is not a comic, per se, but he is incredibly funny as he joyfully portrays a number of characters from his wide repertoire, giving us show biz stories and tidbits told in the voices of various. All of that is blended together with jazz, blues, rock and pop from the world’s greatest singers and musicians. In fact, Jimmy had opened the show with the stunning voice of Dame Shirley Bassey, singing her 1997 hit History Repeating, using her original musical track, which had been given to him as a gift. 

Jimmy James as Bette Davis, who did make a record album, as a singer!

When Bassey’s manager, Alex Gifford, saw Jimmy James perform in New York, and met him after the show, he asked if Jimmy had ever considered doing Shirley Bassey’s voice. He later gave Jimmy that original musical track, and after the lengthy process of perfecting her voice and creating a brand new personality for the stage, Jimmy debuted his new show History Repeating, inspired by that worldwide hit. The song had been written for Bassey by the Propellerheads. It had made the Top 10 on Italian music charts, became number 10 on the US Dance Music Chart, and reached number 1 in the UK. And now Jimmy James sings, in Dame Shirley's voice, to that original music track.

It's fitting that Jimmy James makes his return to Provincetown by performing at the Sage Inn, up the walkway at 336 Commercial Street. This spot was the location of the famous Madeira Room at the Pilgrim House, the first hotel in Provincetown. It was a place where many well-known stars had polished their early careers. Lily Tomlin had performed there in 1967, on the same stage where Jimmy had made his Provincetown debut more than 30 years ago.

We thank the new owners of Sage for once again offering this historic spot as a performance space for fabulous entertainment. Tucked away off Commercial Street, up the footpath east of the Purple Feather as we find it today, the original Pilgrim House nurtured many entertainers at the beginnings of their careers, and hosted well-known entertainers of all stripes. Novices as well as big names played the Madeira Room before the original Pilgrim House burned down in 1990.

By the way, we look forward to the formal change back to the name Pilgrim House, in the works already, and to performances by the many great entertainers we can expect to see on this stage once again, in the near future. New owners of the property want to restore the inn to the illustrious performance venue we've missed so much in the last few years under previous management.

The androgynous look of Jimmy James helps him
easily slip between his male and female characters.

Before Jimmy's first Provincetown performances 31 years ago, he had spent two years lip-syncing in Atlantic City, performing with a small company of female impersonators called La Cage. He was not allowed to use his own superb singing voice. That would have proven quite awkward, since each of the other cast members performed by silently moving their lips in synchronization with the recorded music and vocal tracks of big stars. Jimmy couldn't show them up.
His emancipation from lip-syncing came in the summer of 1986, when he arrived n Provincetown to perform at the Pilgrim House, alongside the likes of Wayland Flowers and Madam, and many other performers who were, or would become, genuine stars.
Before long, performing in his own show, Jimmy's own stardom began to blossom. His career really took off when his appearances as Marilyn Monroe brought him national attention on popular television programs like Giraldo, and Donahue, and the Joan Rivers Show, and a host of others. Soon his impression of Marilyn was widely hailed as the best in the world, a reputation that persists, despite Jimmy's retirement of Marilyn from his show in 1997. In fact, in 2014, an African postage stamp honoring Marilyn Monroe was famously minted, having accidentally used an image of Jimmy James as Marilyn by mistake.
Through the years, Jimmy has become known around the world for his uncanny ability to transform his voice, but his global hit Fashionista, which made the Billboard Top 10, has made him famous for his own voice, and for his talent as a songwriter. YouTube users have created all sorts of videos related to the fashion industry, and a few other topics, set to the energetic beat of the song that pokes a little fun while paying homage to the fashion industry. Over 20 million people have viewed these videos. One of my favorites is a compilation showing models stumbling on the runway in a series of catwalk disasters. Visit www.jimmyjames.com to find more of the Fashionista videos, TV appearances, the Marilyn years, CDs, and original songs by Jimmy James.

Jimmy's last PTown performance of the season will be on Sunday, September 3rd, at 9 PM, so you’ll have to get to the Sage Inn before Labor Day to see his remarkable, thoroughly entertaining show. You won’t want to miss it.

Sisters in the Name of Love: A Benefit Performance Supporting Two Essential Provincetown Health Organizations

Sisters in the Name of Love is always one of the greatest romps of the year in PTown entertainment!

Since the late 1980s one of the most highly anticipated, "must see" PTown shows has been the annual fundraising extravaganza known as Sisters in the Name of Love. It's safe to say that every drag queen in town will be on stage at some point during the evening, whether professional, amateur, hobbyist or complete novice, and that's all part of the fun of this mammoth evening of entertainment.
Seasoned performers as well as those less familiar to us will entertain a packed house at the Crown & Anchor this Tuesday, June 6th, beginning at 8 PM. There may be singers, along with comics, musicians, you name it… any sort of entertainment at all may turn up, with a particular emphasis on comedy and drag. There will be lots of big hair, sequins and boas, not to mention attitude. These queens are here to wrench the cash out of your hands for a very good cause: the health, support and wellbeing of hundreds of clients who depend on a little help from the ASGCC and HOW.
The Aids Support Group of Cape Cod began as a little Provincetown organization, among the first in the US to address the AIDS crisis back in the 1980s. It has now been greatly expanded, depending largely on a dedicated league of volunteers, and currently serves clients throughout the entire Cape and Islands. They provide counseling and support; testing, prevention, screening and nutrition services; rides to medical appointments; assistance with housing and utilities, and a host of other services.
How is Helping Our Women, another volunteer-based organization that started with a handful of women responding to the lack of services available to a friend newly diagnosed with cancer in 1992. By 1993 they had raised the money to incorporate as a full-fledged nonprofit, opening a resource and referral center for women in Provincetown who were facing the illness. By 1994 they had expanded to offer services to local women with all types of chronic, life-threatening and/or debilitating illnesses, and now offer those services and many more to women in the towns of Truro, Wellfleet and Eastham, as well as in PTown. A small monthly stipend for complimenting therapies, alternative treatments, or even utility assistance is also available to women meeting income guidelines.

These are two wonderful organizations, depending largely on funding from contributions by the general public. This yearly benefit provides a good bit of their annual budgets, as well as rollicking entertainment for our community, so be there or be square! Doors open at 7 PM, so you'll want to come a little early for a good seat and a cocktail, or two, and a bit of socializing before the show. There's likely to be an auction or two at some point in the evening, perhaps for souvenirs of the show or sometimes for priceless memorabilia, so bring your checkbook along as well.
The suggested donation for admission is just $10 at the door, but you'll want to bring fistfuls of dollar bills as well. It's customary to tip drag queens for superior entertainment, and you'll certainly want to show your wild appreciation for the outrageous costumes, performances and personas of the evening. The entertainers, in turn, will donate all their tips - every last dollar. Every crumpled, beer-soaked, martini-dripping dollar will go to providing services to clients of HOW and the ASGCC. Lets hope they're still counting the cash the next morning. See you there!

PIFF Brings More Than 50 Movies and Events to Provincetown Over Five Days

Pick up the film fest schedule at the box office, just beyond the
rotunda inside the Whalers Wharf, at 237 Commercial Street, or
in other likely spots, or go online to see what's playing and get
your tickets to see some of this year's most remarkable films.

The 18th Annual Provincetown International Film Festival is underway, running through Sunday night. This fabulous event comes in the middle of June every year, and typically brings more than 50 films and events to PTown in the space of just 5 days.
All over town, and stretching out as far as Wellfleet, there are films, seminars, talks, parties, and events honoring both filmmakers and actors, not to mention various awards to be bestowed on both first-timers and seasoned veterans of the movie industry.
Watch for stars like Cynthia Nixon and Illeana Douglas, and director Ang Lee, among others, any of whom might be found this week walking or pedaling a bicycle down Commercial Street.
You've missed your chance (Thursday morning) to hear Ms Douglas (Goodfellas, Cape Fear, To Die For, Grace of My Heart) talk about her passion for film. But Ms Nixon, this year's Excellence in Acting awardee, and Mr Lee, who is named as this year's Filmmaker on the Edge, will share the stage at Town Hall Saturday at 5 PM as they receive their awards and talk about their work.
As always, this amazing festival brings something for everyone, with feature films, shorts, foreign language, animation, multinational films, narratives, documentaries, student works, character studies, dramas, comedies, a couple of past favorites, and a couple of films with unflinching scenes of things that are downright hard to watch.
The goal of the Provincetown Film Society, and the point of this marvelous annual festival, is "to make Provincetown the global destination for creative exploration in film," and each year we stretch a bit closer to that lofty ambition. We thank the few actual staff members, the tremendous legion of volunteers, the filmmakers who travel all this way, and the local and national sponsors that make this wonderful event possible.
Now go on, get out and see a couple of movies. For some of these, this may be your only chance, ever, to see them.

Ilona Shines in 'Advanced Style'

Ilona Royce Smithkin, a Provincetown treasure, appears in Advanced Style, a delightful documentary
about fashion, style and spirit among women who are turning heads even as they are turning older.

Provincetown's own Ilona Royce Smithkin, at the age of 94, charms the audience as she shares the screen with a number of other stunning women of a certain age, each creating their own fabulous look and sense of style, despite their advancing years. This upbeat documentary is the feature film debut of Lina Plioplyte, who one day discovered the blog Advanced Style by fashion enthusiast Ari Seth Cohen, and she became intrigued by the attitudes of the women she found in Cohen's photographs. The film debuted this past September and was screened in PTown several times during Women's Week.
Cohen's blog had taken shape when he began noticing stylishly dressed older women on the streets of New York City, and began photographing their spirited use of colors, hats, shapes and all sorts of accessories, each one creating an absolutely unique style for herself. He wanted to share his photos and show the individuality and self-confidence these women were exhibiting as they dressed exactly as they pleased, regardless of anyone else's opinions, and as he asked permission to take their photos, friendships began to form with a number of these very independent doyennes of style.
One of these women is Ilona, who divides her time between her Provincetown and New York apartments, spending her summers swimming in Provincetown Harbor and enjoying the view and the sea breeze from the balcony of her third floor, water front Commercial Street apartment in the East End, in the heart of Provincetown's Gallery District. Ilona's distinctive paintings and drawings can be found in the Karilon Gallery, at 441 Commercial Street, on her website Ilona and Friends, in the permanent collection of the Provincetown Art Association and Museum, and in a number of important private collections. Her work has included landscapes, nudes, still lifes, and portraits of Tennessee Williams, Ayn Rand and a host of other famous subjects.
A renowned artist, teacher, and in the last few years, a chanteuse, Ilona now performs in Eyelash Cabaret, the wildly popular annual PAAM fundraiser, sharing the stage with singer, songwriter and "band in a body" musician Zoe Lewis, who met Ilona many years ago, and wrote a song about her unique eyelashes.
Click this link to find "90 Is The New 40," a Huffington Post article on Ilona written by Ari Cohen in 2011, as Ilona was turning 90, and watch the four-minute video you'll find there. If you don't already know Ilona, you'll fall in love with her on the spot. You'll find out the story behind those eyelashes, too. See more of Ilona, and other strong, stylish women, when you watch Advanced Style, streaming on Netflix, and watch for the DVD to be released at a future date.

Fabled Foodie Anthony Bourdain Visits Old PTown Haunts, Where He Started Out

Anthony Bourdain posed for photos when corralled by a number of folks
who spotted him walking down Commercial Street Monday afternoon. 

Anthony Bourdain, arguably the world's most famous foodie, has been in PTown for the last couple of days, returning once again to the place where his culinary career began. He and his film crew spent a good bit of Sunday afternoon at the Top of the Pot, on the second floor of the Lobster Pot, shooting video for one of his television shows, all of which center on kitchens, chefs and food. And the passion that launched his career, and continues to carry him around the world on a quest for great and unusual foods, began with his very first job in a kitchen, right here in Provincetown.
Bourdain's best-selling book Kitchen Confidential:Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, is a tell-all exposé of things many would find unsavory, things that go on in even the best restaurant kitchens. When he wrote about what he called "twenty-five years of sex, drugs, bad behavior and haute cuisine," he changed the names of several people and places in order to protect the not-so-innocent. This was the '70s, after all…
As a youth, along the coast of France during a family vacation, a French oysterman had given him something that would change his life. Aboard his new friend's boat, young Tony tasted his first oyster. Then, at the age of 18, and sharing a Provincetown summer rental with friends, he reluctantly went to work as a dishwasher in a waterfront restaurant. As he took up the mundane chores of cleaning shrimp, bearding mussels and peeling potatoes, he liked the life he found in the kitchen. He liked the camaraderie (and the carousing) of the restaurant staff, both after work and during.

In his book he called that first restaurant the Dreadnaught, avoiding any repercussions as he told stories of his escapades with fellow employees, many of whom he identified with pseudonyms. That job led to others in the culinary world, and he became inspired by Provincetown chef Howard Mitcham, who had a genuine love for food. Bourdain soon entered into the Culinary Institute of America, and eventually  worked in many of the acclaimed kitchens of New York City, and as Executive Chef of Manhatten’s renowned Brasserie Les Halles.
Upon the great success of Kitchen Confidential and other writings, his first television series, A Cook's Tour, invited us along as he traveled the world in search of the perfect meal. Other TV projects followed, and his career has morphed into that of a tour guide of sorts, taking us to far-flung corners of the world in episodes that are part travelogue and part cuisine quest, with a bit of local food lore and culture as a garnish.

The Flagship restaurant, now a private home, had an old dory for a bar.

I had always heard that the Lobster Pot was that first PTown restaurant that had launched Bourdain's career, and others swear that "reliable sources" claim it was any number of other spots in town, so I asked him.
It was the Flagship, built on pilings on the edge of the harbor in the East End. Started in 1930, it was a funky place full of the warmth of old wood and the feel of a true New England fishing village. Although several restaurants moved to the spot after the Flagship closed, after some 60 years in business, none of the many ever really succeeded in filling the joint the way the Flagship had, and the remodeled building is now a private home.
Mr. Bourdain was unable to say just when the program he had been woking on here would air, but he promised to let the folks at the Lobster Pot know once the date was set. The Lobster Pot, by the way, just re-opened Friday, for their 35th year in Provincetown.
I had my first steamers of the season there on Monday.

PTown Halloween 2013

Official SpookyBear events run Thursday through Sunday.

Each year Provincetown's SpookyBear event gets bigger and bigger, with more bears in attendance and more activities, too. It is presented by The Northeast Ursamen, a non-political, gay fraternal organization that exists to provide bears and their admirers with opportunities to meet and enjoy time together in a variety of safe and fun social events. The group was founded by a couple of dozen men in the Hartford/Springfield area in October of 1992, making it one of the longest-running Bears clubs in the country.
There are many events and parties, with prizes for costumes, of course. Click the link above to see a fun video about the superheroes and villains seen above, and a complete schedule of events ranging from Tea Dances and parties to the screening of the cult classic Rocky Horror Picture Show (free, everyone invited) at the Crown & Anchor Cabaret Friday night at 8 PM, to the Farewell Breakfast Buffet on Sunday.  It's always great to have the Bears in town.

PBG website offers huge list of events.

Click this link to Halloween in Provincetown, 2013 to visit the Provincetown Business Guild page presenting a comprehensive list of events and attractions found in Provincetown this Halloween season.
One of this year's highlights will be the return of the biennial "Hell Town on Winthrop" tonight, Oct 29th, from 7:30 PM to 10 PM. Their blurb on the PBG site promises "blood-curdling screams, howls from hell and bone-chilling cries for help. Take a stroll down Winthrop Street if you dare and experience for yourself that FEAR IS REALITY.  Ghosts and ghouls and twisted souls are waiting for you behind every fence and every corner and maybe even up in the trees.  Beware and keep your eyes open, your senses about you, and hold tight to your friends…one misguided step, one quick  turn of your gaze and you may be dragged down to the underworld.  Enter at your risk and exit if the demons allow it. Not for the faint of heart."
A suggested donation of $5 benefits the Soup Kitchen in Provincetown, but all are welcome. Presented by Richard Conley, The Watership Inn, Bayberry Accommodations & The White Wind Inn. For further information please call 508-487-0094.

Annual Ghost Town attraction runs Thursday - Sunday.

Click this link to read the story of the fictional 1736 village of Provincetown, featured in the 5th Annual  Ghost Town indoor haunted attraction, found at the Aquarium, 209 Commercial Street. This entertaining website offers information and tickets, as well as a spooky video.

You'll be warned to "prepare yourself for a frightful journey through condemned buildings, pirate ruins and scary grave-sites as you encounter terrifying creatures of the living dead. Keep your wits about you as you wind your way through areas of death, decay and doom trying to find your ultimate escape." For more information call 508-487-9601.

Beaux Arts Ball promises a spectacular costumed event with guest Taylor Dayne

The Beaux Arts Ball is a spectacular party and dance to be held at Town Hall on Saturday, November 2nd, with revelers expected to show up in full costume. This event was a long-running PTown tradition from 1915 until the 1950s, and was revived in 2011. This year's special guest Taylor Dayne will perform, and VIP ticket holders will get a chance to meet her, along with enjoying many other perks offered to those who buy the upgraded ticket for this fundraising costume ball. Proceeds will benefit Town Hall, Provincetown International Film Festival and Helping Our Women. Visit the Beaux Arts Ball website for info and tickets.
There's something for everyone this Halloween, and simply being on the streets and watching all the costumed revelers each night is always great fun. Happy Halloween!