The Heat Is On

Hosted by

Mike Albo

with

Justin Bond

Our Lady J

Lady Rizo

Michael Carbonaro

Huxley Vertical Cabaret Nouveau

The Gay Agenda

…a cabaret extravaganza in celebration of GAY PRIDE! Benefiting the Visual AIDS Exhibition "Tainted Love"

The Heat Is On is La MaMa’s benefit cabaret series. All the proceeds went towards the Visual AIDS exhibition, Tainted Love, at La MaMa La Galleria from June 4-28, 2009.

Mike Albo

As a writer, artist, monologist and performer, Albo has completed four critically acclaimed, sold-out solo shows: MIKE ALBO, SPRAY, PLEASE EVERYTHING BURST and most recently, MY PRICE POINT- all co-written with his longtime friend, Dr. Virginia Heffernan. He has performed across the United States and Europe. Fast-paced, hilarious, highly emotional and punctuated with dance, his performances have been praised in many publications including The New Yorker, the New York Times, Paper, Time Out, The Independent in London, The Boston Globe, the Pittsburgh Tribune, and the LA Times. He is a founding member of the legendary downtown dance troupe, THE DAZZLE DANCERS.

Justin Bond

Singer, songwriter and Tony-nominated performance artist Justin Bond is an Obie, Bessie and Ethyl Eichelberger Award winner and was named one of the top 40 greatest New Yorkers by Time Out New York and was listed by Time Out London as one of England’s 50 Funniest People. He won rave reviews for his GLAAD nominated show ‘Lustre’ which premiered in 2008 at PS122 in the East Village and then went on to present the show in Manchester, England for Queer Up North and in a three and a half week run at London’s Soho Theatre (‘Justin Bond is a trans-atlantic cabaret messiah’ -Time Out London). Justin Is a regular performer at Joe's Pub in The Public Theatre in New York and her also starred in the title roll of ‘Sinderella’ with his friends The Tiger Lillies which premiered at the South Bank Centre in London in December of 2008. In 2007 he premiered ‘Justin Bond is Close To You’, a reinterpretation of the classic Carpenter’s album ‘Close To You’ in its entirety in Central Park which was subsequently presented by The Sydney Opera House in Australia. Justin will make his curatorial debut at La MaMa La Galleria in November.

Our Lady J

Is a New York based singer/songwriter known for her visionary gospel stylings and powerhouse pianist skills. Along with her "Pink Champagne Orchestra" and "Train-To-Kill Gospel Choir," she has sold out crowds at The Zipper Factory, Ars Nova, The Beechman Theatre, as well as world venues including London's prestigious South Bank Centre and the Spiegeltent (Manchester, UK). She has also traveled the globe as music director and arranger for Justin Bond's series of original song cycles. This year, Out Magazine named her as one of the "Out 100," a list of the people who helped shape LGBT culture in 2008.

Michael Carbonaro

Actor, magician, comedian, and performance bizzarist working in New York, Los Angeles, and Venus; he kicked off his film career starring as Mikey Falcone in the indie film you never heard of called, A TALE OF TWO PIZZAS, alongside Vincent Pastore and Frank Vincent (who you may have heard of) A year later he was featured in CHAPPELLE'S SHOW on Comedy Central. (for like a second, but it was funny). Michael then went on to star in the successful Off-Broadway hit comedy, JEWTOPIA, as the lead character Adam. He played Jewish. People bought it. Following that, he took on the bold role of Andy, a somewhat-innocent, fresh-faced teen, in the 2006 smash comedy, ANOTHER GAY MOVIE. For his work, he was recognized with the OUTfest "Best Actor" award. In addition to his work on camera, he performs magic, comedy and other weird acts at various clubs around New York and Los Angeles, including the ever-popular JOE"S PUB, CAROLINE'S ON BROADWAY, CLUB LARGO, and THE BOX.

Lady Rizo

Comedienne, Chaneuse, and Cabaret Superstar, Lady Rizo teams up with Michael Carbonaro for a ritual performance, pinned to knock your sex off. Carbonaro and Rizo are currently collaborating on a full evening of "Magical Happenings and Bizzare Rituals" set to take place in New York this Fall and running through the end of time, and back into the past starting now.

Huxley Vertical Cabaret Nouveau

Founded originally by singer/multi-instrumentalist/composer Seth Bedford with a group of musically like-minded friends in Austin, TX, Huxley Vertical Cabaret Nouveau began as a vehicle for introducing to his hometown the music of Weimar kabarett and French chanson that had influenced Bedford for so long. With the encouragement of friends, Bedford relocated to NYC and reestablished the ensemble in its current lineup of two violins, viola, bass, piano, trumpet, accordion, mandolin, toy piano, and other instruments, as well as Bedford's distinctive vocals. As a classically trained composer, Bedford writes the songs and scores all the arrangements. Although Bedford and the band are based out of New York, he maintains ties to his musical roots in Texas, playing in Austin as well as venues across the United States and Canada, singing in English, French, Spanish, German, and Russian. In March 2008, the band released its first full-length album, Huxley Vertical Cabaret Nouveau and frequently performs at New York City's Duplex Cabaret Theatre. The album is available on Apple iTunes, Amazon.com, CDBaby.com, as well as other online and brick-and-mortar retailers.

THE GAY AGENDA

THE GAY AGENDA is your semi-favorite-two-man-musical-theatre-post-punk- band. Micah and Nicholas, two harmonizing homos with their ears perked for the latest sounds in the cutting edge world of musical theatre, concoct mangled love ballads and disjointed show stoppers to delight the twisted, sentimental show queen in all of us. THE GAY AGENDA has a single goal: Complete and utter world domination through SHOWTUNES. They’ve been spreading infection since 2007 from such hallowed halls as The Public Theater to Chicago’s adventurous About Face Theatre, and every naughty nook in between. To contact the boys, write to: thatgayagendaband@gmail.com