Episode 20: Drag King Legend, Comedian - Murray Hill

In May 2017, Uli Schackmann and her loyal canine companion, Jackson, took off on a six-thousand-mile solo bicycle trip from Alaska to Key West, Florida, to raise money and bring attention to the cause of HIV/AIDS. What began as a daring dream-come-true quickly became a physically and emotionally challenging adventure as Uli battled her own fears and the elements, surviving encounters with bears, rattlesnakes, cougars, and other wildlife. However, her most profound and life-changing encounters were with the people she met along the way—complete strangers who exhibited to Uli, a gay woman and a U.S. immigrant, both the best and the worst of humanity during a very divided time in America.

Uli's Journey - Angels along the Way
Uli's website
AMFAR

Recorded at The Newsstand Studio at 1 Rockefeller Plaza in NYC. Special thanks to Joseph Hazan & Karen Song. Produced by Wanda Acosta

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MURRAY HILL is a NYC legend, comedian, TV host, MC,  an international entertainer,  a relentless shtick slinger, larger-than-life personality, and freewheeling ad-libber. He plays Fred Rococo in Bridget Everett’s Somebody Somewhere (HBO). The show was awarded many “Best of 2022 & 2023” Awards, including “Best New TV Series” from AFI and was just renewed for a third season. He hosts the new competition show Drag Me To Dinner (Hulu). He can be seen on Amy Schumer’s Life & Beth and Welcome to Flatch (FOX) and upcoming in Paul Feig’s movie Grand Death Lotto (Amazon Studios) starring John Cena and Awkwafina.

Murray was just a special guest correspondent for ABC News and Hulu’s live historic “Pride Across America” which featured Pride marches in SF, NYC, and Chicago. NBC News selected him as one of the 30 most iconic and influential drag performers in modern history and was selected as one of Logo30 for being a change maker in entertainment.

Murray was awarded the New York Voices commission from Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater, where he debuted About to Break. His infamous holiday show A Murray Little Christmas has been a perennial sold-out destination for a decade at Joe’s Pub in NYC. He performed his solo comedy show at Just for Laughs, New York Comedy Festival, and Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

For 10 years, Murray hosted Dita Von Teese’s international tour Strip Strip Hooray. He starred for two seasons at the Sydney Opera House in Club Swizzle, which toured major festivals throughout Australia. He’s in music videos for Peaches, Countess Luann, TV on the Radio, The Regrettes, LeTigre, Joan as Police Woman, Bridget Everett, and Gossip.

The New York Times anointed Murray “Downtown’s New ‘It’ Boy.” He’s been included in “Best of New York” lists in the Village Voice, Time Out, PAPER, and New York Magazine; inducted into PAPER’s Nightlife Hall of Fame; selected as OUT’s Top 100 influential performers twice; included in New York Magazine’s “Fifty Most Iconic Gender Benders of All Time” and PAPER’s “Top Ten ‘It’ Boys in NYC Nightlife History”; and named one of the Top 12 gender-bending performers in NYC by Time Out. He was recently awarded the Trailblazer Award by Queerty. His campaign for Mayor of New York in 1996 was inducted in the New York Historical Society.

Photo: Patrick James Miller

Recorded at The Newsstand Studio at 1 Rockefeller Plaza in NYC. Special thanks to Joseph Hazan & Karen Song. Produced by Wanda Acosta

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PATRICIA FIELD,  is a native New Yorker and one of fashion's greatest visionaries whose multi-faceted career has spanned more than five decades. 

Her distinctive approach to dressing is evident through her work as a costume designer. Field single handedly changed the way women dress through the HBO series Sex and the City  and it's feature films. For her work on SATC Field won an Emmy Award and received five nominations for Best Costume Design. 

Field also received an Academy Award nomination for the film, The Devil Wears Prada  as well as continued recognition for her work on television series such as Ugly Betty, Hope & Faith, and most recently for the hit Netflix series, Emily in Paris.

Field is also a seasoned retailer, establishing her eponymous boutique in New York City in 1966, which remained a fashion landmark for 50 years.

In 2016 Field sold her iconic retail property and launched a new concept, ARTFASHION.  Born out of her long personal ties to New York art community legends like Keith Haring and Basquiat, ARTFASHION now sees Field as curator, working with an impressive group of today’s talented visual artists who, under Field’s guidance, have applied their unique aesthetics to hand painted one-of-a-kind clothing.

In February 2023, Patricia published her memoir, Pat in the City: My Life of Fashion, Style, and Breaking All the Rules, where she chronicles everything from love, passion, culture, and the phenomenon that occurs when all three intersect with art.
Pat Field on instagram

Recorded at The Newsstand Studio at 1 Rockefeller Plaza in NYC. Special thanks to Joseph Hazan & Karen Song. Produced by Wanda Acosta

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CARL CAPOTORTO, is a writer, and actor best known for his portrayal of Little Paulie Germani on HBO's The Sopranos, and has appeared in several classic indie features, including Five Corners and Mac. He is a native New Yorker, born and raised in the Bronx, and lives in Manhattan. He is also the author of Twisted Head: An Italian-American Memoir (Random House, 2008), based on his solo show of the same name. His plays have been presented at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center (three seasons), Yale Repertory Theatre, the Vineyard Theater, Theater for the New City, and many other venues around the country. 

In this episode, Carl talks about growing up in the Bronx, discovering the liberating effects of Disco for a young gay man, his experience playing a tough guy on The Sopranos and the joy of living life authentically despite the challenges of family and  self discovery. 

Recorded at The Newsstand Studio at 1 Rockefeller Plaza in NYC. Special thanks to Joseph Hazan & Karen Song. Produced by Wanda Acosta

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Multidisciplinary artist Mickalene Thomas is one the the most well know contemporary artists in the art scene today. She is a queer identified, African American woman working and residing in Brooklyn NY.  Her visual work examines ideas around femininity, beauty, race, sexuality, and gender. 

In this episode, Mickalene speaks about her complex relationship with her mother, who inspired and influenced her photography and paintings, and set a trajectory for her visual work, as well as personal recollections on her journey of self awareness, queer liberation and coming to terms with the past.

Mickalene Thomas's work is held in many collections, including, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Brooklyn Museum, The Guggenheim Museum, The Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Studio Museum of Harlem among many others. 

Photo: © Mickalene Thomas

Recorded at The Newsstand Studio at 1 Rockefeller Plaza in NYC. Special thanks to Joseph Hazan & Karen Song. Produced by Wanda Acosta

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Rebecca Weinberg an Emmy Award winning Fashion Stylist, Costume Designer and Brand Ambassador, she is best known for her creations and styling on the hit tv series Sex & the City. Rebecca is a tastemaker, a visionary and a downtown NYC queer personality. 

In this episode, Rebecca shares her childhood memories of growing up with her single mom,  her adventures during those rebellious teen years, falling in love for the first time and her emancipation to New York City after coming out to her mom.

You can follow Rebecca on Instagram @rebeccaweinbergstyle

Recorded at The Newsstand Studio at 1 Rockefeller Plaza in NYC. Special thanks to Joseph Hazan & Karen Song. Produced by Wanda Acosta

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In this episode,  we welcome shapeshifting DJ,  producer and activist Lauren Flax.  Lauren began her career in the underground Detroit music scene where she evolved her style into techno, house, and electro music. More recently she is producing and recording her own music and we are pleased to showcase some of her music throughout this episode.

She began her DJ career in the underground dance and rave scenes of Detroit as a resident at the Motor Lounge. Flax played the very first Detroit Electronic Music Festival in 2000 on the Motor stage. While originally starting off as a jungle DJ, Flax evolved her style into techno, house, and electro music. Flax moved to Chicago in 1999, where she honed in on music production while continuing to DJ. By 2002, she relocated to New York City which shortly followed the release of her first remix, "Much Finer" for Le Tigre. In 2019, Flax joined the mostly Detroit-born New York collective The Bunker New York, on which she released "One Man’s House is Another Woman’s Techno EP" (2019). The EP was highly successful and sold out quickly.

More recently she linked up with UK rave veterans Jerome Hill and Posthuman, putting out suitably club-ready fare on their respective Super Rhythm Trax and Balkan Vinyl labels.  She has also found the time to release Out Of Reality, Flax’s new EPa record that sits at the opposite end of the electronic spectrum.

Right now, her activism is dedicated to making the Rave scene safer in the most fundamental of ways by hosting invaluable harm reduction classes and overdose response training. 

You can follow Lauren on Spotify and Instagram @laurenflax

Recorded at The Newsstand Studio at 1 Rockefeller Plaza in NYC. Special thanks to Joseph Hazan & Karen Song. Produced by Wanda Acosta

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ZUHAIR NASHER is a queer-identified, first generation Yemeni-American man born and raised in Queens, New York.  He is a risk manager in the financial services and technology industries, and a marriage officiant, presiding over weddings and ceremonies throughout the country.
 
For more information and bookings, visit:  http://www.wordsthatlast.com.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studio at 1 Rockefeller Plaza in NYC. Special thanks to Joseph Hazan & Karen Song. Produced by Wanda Acosta

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Andrea is an original patron of Sundays at Café Tabac, and a participant in the upcoming documentary film based on those fabulous Sunday nights in NYC  circa 1993.

Originally from Washington DC, Andrea arrived in NYC as a model working with some of the biggest names in fashion, and became a sought after muse. After the tragedy of 911, Andrea decided to change careers and became a canine specialist recognized by the ASPCA of NYC for her fearless dedication and praised in Time Magazine for her dog care system.
dreadogworld.com

Recorded at The Newsstand Studio at 1 Rockefeller Plaza in NYC. Special thanks to Joseph Hazan & Karen Song. Produced by Wanda Acosta

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ELINA STREET, is a Franco-American filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY and co-director of "The Lesbian Bar Project,"  the documentary film and campaign dedicated to raising awareness for the alarming trend of lesbian bar closures nationwide. Elina and her team have also created  a fundraising project with the help of Jagermeister's #SaveTheNight  campaign, to raise $200K in critical funds to help save our bars.
 
In this intimate interview, Elina shares with us the seeds of this project through her coming out story and the vital role New York City's lesbian bars played in her own self-discovery and empowerment.

You can watch Elina and Erica's film at www.lesbianbarproject.com and we urge you to also consider making a donation through their website, to help save our bars. 

The fundraiser runs only until the end of June, so please support this effort without delay. 

Recorded at The Newsstand Studio at 1 Rockefeller Plaza in NYC. Special thanks to Joseph Hazan & Karen Song. Produced by Wanda Acosta

• Find us: @cafetabacfilm on Instagram & Facebook
• Email us: info@cafetabacfilm.com
• Website: cafetabacfilm.com/podcast
• LEAVE A REVIEW