 |
| Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines: The Famous Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Resort Communities on the Atlantic |
| Home | Calendar | Art | Gallery | Organizations| Location | Real Estate | Directory | Classified | Shopping | Letters | Links | Email Us |
| |
| |
|
|
|
| Bella's 25th Anniversary Show |
by Susan Freedner
|
 |
|
|
|
Photo by
Joseph R. Saporito |
|
|
|
There was an overflow crowd at the Ice Palace at the Grove Hotel in Cherry Grove on Sunday, August 5 as a stellar icon of the Grove was to give a celebratory 25th Anniversary performance. Bella is not another DQ (drag queen) female impersonator doing lip synch gay anthems of gay icons, as wonderful as many of those performances may be. Bella is Bella... a blazing burst of energy performing songs we've never heard by women we don't know while looking fabulous. Her opening number was "Sing You Sinners," her wig and make-up were flawless, and she wore a flesh-colored dress with geometric swirls of various shades of orange bugle beads with touches of orange feathers that recreated a matching boa with coordinated beaded shoes and earrings. She was glamorous, elegant and looked marvelous, darling.
advertisement
As professional a performer as Bella is many of us consider her to be her best when she tells stories. She is a raconteur extraordinaire. She began by talking about how she started performing at the Ice Palace with shows on Monday nights at 11 p.m. from June to September, with 300-350 in attendance. After a few years she noticed that the audiences were smaller and she asked her friend Angelo if she wasn't attracting the crowds the way she used to, Angelo replied that it wasn't Bella, it was that the people were gone... it was the mid-80's and our friends were dying of AIDS. It's good to remember how decimated the Grove was and how wonderfully it has rebounded.
Bella had a few chosen friends/guest performers and the first was Angela Mercy, and she, too, is no ordinary lip synch DQ. She performed "The Revolutionary Costume for Today," by 2007 Tony Award winner Christine Ebersole, as Edie Beale, from "Grey Gardens", and it was sensational.
Since it was Bella's celebratory show, there were fewer other performers and more Bella, and that is what the audience came for and that is what they got. Bella began talking as only Bella can... dishing individual people in the audience... her very good friend Demi Tasse, as well as her friend Mella Yodice.--you have to be a friend to really get dished.
People in the audience began to call out and request that Bella tell favorite stories from many years ago. Tell the one about the monkey... and she did. You had to have been there for that is truly a classic Bella tale... she ended by giving helpful advice to the audience... never walk on the sand while wearing pantyhose.
Next to perform was gorgeous and buff Donna Piranha with the aptly named "Get This Party Started."
The next story retold by Bella is probably my own personal favorite: Bella going to Rye Playland in drag when she was 13-years-old. It is very funny, very personal about Bella's early teenage years, her friends, her Mom, and although there are gross moments, it is really, really funny. To enhance the retelling Bella went into minute detail about what she wore, even the shoes from Miles that cost $2.99.
She dished the audience again, and again and then another story... let me say that I do not remember ever hearing this next story and that the dénouement-- "your dog;" "no not my dog; your dog"--took me totally by surprise and left me gasping for breath with laughter
There were a few performances while Bella changed her dress; Ivanna Cocktail, overcoming a very scary near fall on a very slippery floor, to recover and wow the audience with "I Wanna Know What Love Is;" Lee Sharmat as Annie Lennox doing "Would I Lie to You;" and Angela Mercy as Celine Dion, with Rob as a black-leather wearing Elvis... what amazed me was how much like Celine she looked... including the long blonde wig, women's white pencil-leg jeans, white blouse with rhinestones and jeweled belt.
Bella returned wearing a stunning fuchsia dress with matching cape and performed a signature song and long-standing audience favorite, "You Gotta Have Boobs." She regaled the audience with details of the various size natural boobs she's experienced through the years. The 25th Anniversary celebration continued when the audience joined Bella in partaking a special cake for the occasion.
Full-disclosure makes me state that Bella is my new landlady, that this is our first, and hopefully not last, year renting her 3 BR first floor unit; but, more importantly, I am proud that Bella (Richie Iorio) is my friend. We have mostly come to know one another after appearing in numerous Arts Project of Cherry Grove shows for the past 25 years, or more, in the Community House. People bond during rehearsals and especially if there are situations during a performance; we kid with one another and have developed a warm and considerate friendship. GBCG (God Bless Cherry Grove)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
• Clothing, Jewelry,
Bed/Bath, Books,
Gifts, Cards and
much more.
All these items
in your community
online Mega-Mall.
• Qnews Mega-Mall
|
|
|
|
Return to top
We are pledged to the letter and the spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity
throughout the Nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in
which there are no barriers to obtain housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familiar
status, sexual orientation or national origin.
Equal Housing Opportunity. All material presented herein is intended for information purpose only.
While the information is believed to be correct, it is presented subject to errors, omissions,
changes or withdrawal without notice.
HOME | CALENDAR | ART | GALLERY | ORGANIZATIONS | LOCATION | REAL ESTATE | DIRECTORY
CLASSIFIED | SHOPPING | LETTERS | LINKS | EMAIL US
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2001-2007© FireIslandQnews, All Rights Reserved
Design, Implementation, and Maintenance Provided By Circa58/59
Privacy Policy, Disclaimer
|
|
