The Arts Project of Cherry Grove (APCG) kicked off their 2017 pre-season of events away from Fire Island, with its Fourth Annual Winter Spectacular at the historic Stonewall Inn of Greenwich Village on January 29. The show was organized by Homecoming Queen & Ms. Fire Island of 2014, Whore D’Oeuvre; who co-hosted the event with reigning Homecoming Queen and Miss Fire Island 2011 Logan Hardcore. Chauncey Dandridge was the DJ, familiar Grove friend Mike Salinari presided at the bar, and Mr. Fire Island Leather 2010 Danny Logan was on hand as a cocktail server. All performers donated services and tips raising over $1,000 for APCG, according to the organization’s treasurer, Eric Coyne.Musical entertainment included such performances as Gusty Winds’ moving rendition of Grace Slick’s “Dreams,” always a tour-de-force. This writer, Mr. Fire Island Leather 2001 (the first) sang “Someone to Watch Over Me,” from George and Ira Gershwin’s “Oh, Kay!” and “I’m Still Here,” from Stephen Sondheim’s “Follies.”Miss Fire Island 2014, Brenda Dharling also worked the room offering a mash-up of “People Like Us” and “I’m Coming Out.” Saline Dijon sang near-namesake Celine Dion’s “If You Asked Me To.” Then co-host Logan returned to tell us, “And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going (to rehab),” mixing together “Dreamgirls” and Amy Winehouse, and Whore D’Oeuvre declared “(This is my) Fight Song.” Logan and Whore then waxed spiritual with “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,” to music from the fourth movement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, followed by “Oh Happy Day.” The show closed in style with Whore D’Oeuvre’s cover of Tracy Chapman’s moving and still-pertinent “Talkin’ ’Bout a Revolution”.Upcoming APCG’s winter events include:
- The Annual Out-of-Town In-Town Party in Fort Lauderdale, Florida shall take place on February 26 at J. Marks Restaurant, at 1245 North Federal Highway; followed by a meet-and-greet with filmmaker Parker Sargent and Cherry Grove Invasion of the Pines legends at the Mod Wine Lounge, at Gateway Shopping Center, 1828 East Sunrise Boulevard. The meet-and-greet includes the Florida premiere of Parker’s documentary film “The Panzi Invasion,” at the Classic Gateway Theater, 1820 East Sunrise Boulevard in conjunction with the Stonewall Museum.
- The In-Town Party in New York City will follow on March 5, at Bocca di Bacco, in Chelsea, 169 Ninth Avenue at 20th Street.
- The 31st Annual Night of a Thousand Gowns Charity Ball will be held on March 11 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, which will include guests from the Imperial Court of New York’s (ICNY). This year’s theme is “Casino Royale”, and APCG will run a casino, with proceeds to be divided between ICNY and APCG.
Visit www.artprojectcg.org for further information.
