AS I SEE IT
By Aaron Ross
His voice was theatrically alive, energetic, vibrant as if the phone was a microphone that was projecting his sound to a large audience. And that's what the phone caller intended to do-reach the readers of this newspaper. Cause the name of the caller was Monty Rock and his upcoming appearance at the Palace Theatre (on Playhouse Square) with Tina Turner on May 20, deserves to be flagged out in this media. Why? Read on.
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Monty talking: "Darling can't wait to be back in Cleveland. I've changed my act you know. My hair is now jet black no more blond just finished an engagement at Rodney Dangerfield's in Manhattan. The weather here in Florida is divine. (The exuberant monologue continued jumping from one subject to another with such rapidity it made my head swim). It's been quite a time just finished two films one, Sergeant Pepper....do I speak? No, my dear, I'm in the finale singing along with every show biz great you can mentionwhat do I sing? you know the Beatles' album (Monty sings the opening bars of the Sgt. Pepper song)... yes, it's been great..movies...this new act I got ... played to standing room only audiences at Rodney's ... my act in Cleveland? ... (he lists numerous musicians).... sing...dance...re-do some of my past disco success .... camp it up... look great... 43 years young and better than ever. Hope all the High Gear readers come out to see me. Do I mind being identified with the Gays? Not at all, my dear. NOW but ! learned my lesson. What lesson? Well, what happened in the mid-60s. You must remember (I didn't) the way I was treated by the press then, all those lies about my being so outrageous and doing things I never did. I was fired from many jobs even in Las Vegas because I came OUTand it wasn't fashionable to come out then but I did because I have always been honest with myself and others. Now it's IN to be bisexual . that's what I am BIbut then, dear, it was a no-no. Am I still active in gay causes? No, I leave that for the young ones. Let them carry the banners-marchcarry on about their civil rights. I'm concentrating on my talent to perform.
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I want to be judged on what I do on stage not what I do in bed. Will my act' be "straight"? oh, no. I'm still the same old Monty still outrageous still daring but now it's part of the show no more militant defenses of civil rights no more backlashes from producers, audiences, press, because of my outspokenness. No, dearie I'm an entertainer period. What about Tina Turner? I love her. We performed together many times
saw her act in Las Vegas and she was sensational! She's got dancers, singers a complete show-Broadway that's what it is a smash! I'll be on Johnny Carson's show a few days before I come to Cleveland and I'll be plugging the hell out of my appearance there. You're going to love it. And so will all your friends the High Gear readers EVERYBODY. So come and see me, and drop backstage after the show-show me around take me to your disco spots. bars I hear Cleveland is really a swinging town. Can't wait. Well, gotta go now. It's been fun talking to you. Oh, I forgot I'm writing a book all about my life calling it (something to do with Kings and Queens bad phone connection at this point.) And I tell ALL. It's a scorcher all about those sad days when I couldn't get work because of my reputation, and my comebacks now bigger than ever because of Saturday Night Fever. I played a DJ in that one, you know. Well, gotta go. See you soon at the Palace May 20th." Click.
That phone interview was arranged by the P.R. gal at the Palace-Darcyand she felt that getting that interview here in High Gear would alert the gays to Monty Rock's appearance. Well, that's what High Gear is for all the news and information of interest to gays. And
Monty's Palace engagement surely fits. But I wonder why other "entertainments" shy away from Publicity here. Bad connotations? Poor vibes? Where would Donna Summer be without disco play at a Traxx, New Dimensions, Twiggies or 620? Possibly because the Front Row Theatre didn't see fit to "court" our favors with an ad, her engagement there was a flop. Half-empty houses and predominantly "straight" houses too. But this city is aware, and we should soon see more intertainments like the Cleveland Ballet using our pages to get the word out. So where are you Kenley with news about your E.J. Performing Arts season in Akron? Why isn't Blossom blossoming out here in High Gear with their concert happenings? It would have been a Turning Point to have that film touted here as well as the upcoming "Thank God It's Friday" disco flick, the summer season of Baldwin Wallace, Cain Park
and Carousel Dinner Theatre. Did you know that the Carousel is now showing "Cabaret"? Of course not. They're not in High Gear... In more ways than one!
HIGH GEAR/MAY 1978
sir monti
May 14 15; Saturday Nite at the Baths -actually filmed at the
Old Continental Baths in Manhattan plus A Very Natural Thing possibly the most honest depiction of our life-styles ever.
May 21 22: The Boys In The Band a distorted, downbeat view of gay life but still interesting plus The
Ritz the film version of the B'way hit for straight audiences, but funny. May 28-29: The Queen didn't see it don't know what it's about but the title's a good gay clue plus The Charles Pierce Review one of our great gay impersonators caught live. June 11-12: Andy Warhol's Trash and Lonesome Cowboys two with Joe Allesandro and it's worth the price of admission to see this sullen, macho stud cavort bare-ass the bare---????
And every Friday at midnight The Rocky Horror Picture Show a cult flick that's been playing here and everywhere for months and years because it's simply outrageous, camp, gay and great! Wait till you see the transvestite from Transylvania cavort in drag, creating a blue-
rock
with the drag Divine you have another chance on June 13,
and 14 at the Heights. Thanks, George.
As I write this, I wonder how many High Gear readers feel "threatened" by the media exposure our Gay haunts are getting. In the past 12 months the newspapers and TV stations have repeatedly given space and time to our bars like Traxx and 620, Shaker Club and Twiggies with the result that these places have been getting quite a number of "curiosity seekers" many of whom are not Gay. Now I know that Hank Berger of Traxx welcomes all the publicity he can get. And his recent booking of a straight act S.J. Mendelson is in keeping with his concept of making his bar a place where ANYONE can go and mix and dance, which is fine for many, but equally a nono for others who don't want to encounter their straight brothers and sisters, co-workers and friends in a predominately gay environment. My personal opinion of all this do what you feel comfortable with. We are fortunate in this town to have enough diversity of bars to satisfy anyone's preferences. There's the Vaults, next door to
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desireand talking and meeting old and new friends and the friendliest, nicest, warmest bartenders you'll ever hope to see. It's amazing when you go down to the area of West Ninth and St. Clair to see what's become of that one-time bleak, deserted part of town. Parking is now at a premium. The emergence of the straight "Apple" disco has actually created a traffic jam on almost every night, what with literally thousands converging on Traxx, Vaults, 620, The Club Baths and the Apple at any given hour between 8 p.m. and bar closing time.
The above is not a slight to the other bars and baths around town. I'll cover them in future issues. But do drop in to our new Gay Community Center next to New Dimensions the next time you're downtown. And I do wish Hank Berger success with his new Traxx places he plans to open in Brooklyn Heights, New York and Philadelphia. His idea of what a gay disco bar should be is sure to be a success wherever he opens it.Have you visited hisTraxx downstairs? If you don't want to bump asses and tits upstairs, retreat to the downstairs where, up to now, it's only for gay males. And if you gals don't want to bump your asses and tits with cocks visit the downstiars of New Dimensions where, up to now, it's for gals only. So you see High Gear has something for everyone in this the gayest location in the nation (well, almost, anyway). The im-
portant thing to remember is let's not war between ourselves. Champion the High Gear advertisers by visiting their places. Mention that you saw it in High Gear when you do. And en-
Courage non-High Gear advertisers to get in these pages for only in solidarity is there strength.
(Continued From Page 11) some readers, particularly English majors, this must be a cardinal sin, for haven't we been taught that a piece of writing, or any work of art, must speak for itself? Curzon, who apparently is a college English teacher with a Ph.d., acknowledges this rule before breaking it. And quite possibly he has more than, a point in breaking it; perhaps our reading would be more fruitful if the writer could comment briefly on his work. This doesn't mean that we have to accept fully his evaluation. The writer is an artist painting a picture, a photographer snapping a photograph. He presents us with the finished product, and we often see things in it that he doesn't see, making own frame of reference. In his preface Curzon also explained his title, writing, "In an honest portrayal of ourselves, I believe, lies the truest meaning of the revolt of the perverts. I hope you agree."
Speaking of smart, astute eyed blond hunk for his Traxx, small, intimate, friendly, a interpretation according to our
pleasure while seducing the straight couple in the film and the straights in the surprisingly
showmen and businessmen who DO know the value of High Gear reader patronage, how about a hand to George Fitzpatrick, the amiable, jovial manager of the Heights Art Theatre on Coventry and Euclid Hts. Blvd. Just read what he has scheduled there (after some very gay-full houses gayest film made for mass styles....big, so you could find such a revolt a tremendous im-
the last time he programmed this way) .....
responsive straight audience. Do they know all about this stuff? See it and watch them react with gay abandon to what surely must be the wildest,
viewing and don't forget if haven't seen Pink you Flamingos and Desperate Living
neighborhood watering hole that explodes into a mass of faces, bodies and chatter every Sunday afternoon til. And there's 620 around the corner from both a bar that gets my vote as heing the ideal for so many different gay lifeyour own cornerwith a varied clientele so you can find your own "type" and dancing if you
I agree. Daniel Curzon gives petus. Let us follow in the path of this potent writer and man.