10. MUSIC: AKA, Jennifer Lopez
J. Lo's eighth studio album came out this week, and aside from that irritating "I Luh Ya Papi" single (saying "luh" 50 times -- really?), AKA includes "Tens," an infectious ode to ball culture. Ever expect America's favorite Fly Girl to sing lyrics like "Eating the runway, serving the runway... Where my glam queens at"? OK, J. Lo, we forgive you for that World Cup song. -- Neal Broverman
9. TV: TrailblazersLogo is shining a spotlight on some people who only need more attention: young LGBT community organizers and activists. These activists span the country, and their issues cast an even wider net: support for
transgender kids, marriage equality in churches, and telling Mormon kids it gets better. Airing Thursday; check
Logo for more details. --
Michelle Garcia8. DANCE: Boston Ballet at Lincoln CenterThe Boston Ballet concludes its 50th season with its first-ever engagement at New York City's Lincoln Center, beginning Wednesday and ending June 29. Performances will include the New York premiere of
Resonance, which the Boston Ballet commissioned from Jose Martinez, along with such classics as Nijinsky's
Afternoon of a Faun and George Balanchine's
Symphony in Three Movements. Among the Boston troupe's stars is gay soloist John Lam (above); you can see him talking about the Lincoln Center engagement in this Facebook
video. And see the performance schedule and order tickets
here. --
Trudy Ring7. FILM: Yves Saint LaurentDirected by Jalil Lespert and starring Guillaume Galienne in the title role,
Yves Saint Laurent is a biopic about the legendary French designer that charts his path to international stardom. Laurent's couture ushered in an era of liberation for women in the 1960s, and the film depicts many of his groundbreaking designs as well as his love affair with his business partner, Pierre Berge.
Yves Saint Laurent will
screen Saturday at Frameline, the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival with screening in New York and Los Angeles starting on June 25. Watch the trailer below. --
Daniel Reynolds6. MUSIC: Stranger Than Fiction, Matt PalmerThis L.A.-based out pop/R&B singer-songwriter raised enough Kickstarter bucks to release his own EP, which features songs including "Break-Up," a cover of Garbage's "Only Happy When It Rains," and "Teardrops," with its sexy, gay-themed video.
Out now. --
Neal Broverman5. DVD: Breaking ThroughNow
available on DVD, this inspiring documentary highlights openly LGBT elected officials at numerous levels and from across the country. The film showcases their stories of self-doubt and triumph as these trailblazers share the obstacles they've experienced in their lives and careers as well as how they overcame them. An official selection of several film festivals and winner of numerous awards,
Breaking Through gives viewers a rare peek at the lives of those who dared to come out of the closet and into power. --
Jase Peeples4. THEATER: The NanceIf you don't live in New York or a city that gets Broadway tours, you may be frustrated at missing the best of the Great White Way. But Broadway on Screen captures many of those shows on film for distribution in movie theaters nationwide, and one of its latest releases is
The Nance, Douglas Carter Beane's multiple award-winning play starring out luminary Nathan Lane as a gay comedian relegated to portraying camp stereotypes in burlesque shows during the 1930s. With engagements beginning Monday, it'll be in theaters from Anchorage to Boca Raton. Find a screening near you
here, and watch a trailer below. --
Trudy Ring
3. TV: Teen Wolf Season 4 Premiere MTV's sexy supernatural series returns Monday at 10 p.m. with several fresh faces -- and toned torsos -- who have joined the pack for the fourth season of adventures at Beacon Hills High School. Dylan Sprayberry (
Man of Steel), Mason Dye (
Flowers in the Attic), and Khylin Rhambo -- who will be playing Mason, the newest gay addition to the student body of BHHS -- team up with returning cast members Tyler Posey, Dylan O'Brien, Tyler Hoechlin, and Holland Roden as a mysterious team of supernatural hit men begins racking up a body count. Check out the hair-raising teaser below. --
Jase Peeples2. EVENT: New Orleans PrideLGBT pride in the Big Easy? Sounds like endless fun to us. Grand marshal Chris Salvatore heads up the parade, capping of a weekend of performances, brunch with out lawmaker Brian Sims, an '80s costume party, and the parade after-party with DJ Pornstar. Today through Sunday;
PrideNewOrleans.com. --
Michelle Garcia1. FILM: Jersey BoysDirected by Clint Eastwood,
Jersey Boys is the much-anticipated adaptation of the popular Broadway musical, which follows four New Jersey ne'er-do-wells as they form the now-iconic 1960s band the Four Seasons. Popular hits like "Walk Like a Man," "Sherry," "Rag Doll," and more provide the soundtrack for their rocky road to fame, and Christopher Walken appears in a supporting role. Another supporting role goes to Mike Doyle as Bob Crewe, the gay composer and production wizard who helped the Four Seasons and other musicians reach the top of the charts; read more about Crewe
here.Jersey Boys opens in theaters this weekend. Watch the trailer below. --
Daniel Reynolds