Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 298 – January 11, 2017

JAN 11, 2017 #298
GETOUTMAG.COM
Judah Gavra Photographer: Nick Star

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MIKE TODD
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AGOTA CORREA
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CONTRIBUTORS
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT
EILEEN SHAPIRO
IAN-MICHAEL BERGERON
KEVIN SALAMONE
DAN HECHING
ISSUE 298 - JANUARY 11, 2017
Big Ben aka Savyon Zabar was,
in my eyes, a moneymaking
machine, not just for his own
businesses but for many in the
nightlife scene. With that comes
a love and hate relationship with
many including myself and seeing
the responses on social media
following his recent passing, this
tenuous relationship is as apparent as ever.
Photographer Nick Star
Photographer Rick Stockwell
@rickstockwell
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articles, should not be construed to be an indication of the sexual orientation
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The Big Ben I knew was a softhearted, kind man who
always had a smile on his face. His demeanor was all
the more impressive in the knowledge that he ran an
operation spanning as many as five huge nightclubs
several weekends a year.
As those of us in the business know, nightlife work
pays by the day—there are no fixed payrolls; it’s all
about hard work, and Ben certainly paid his dues
in that respect. He not only was responsible for
covering the clubs’ operating fees, but also staffing
the venue, picking the entertainment and everything
else that goes along with the job.
Big Ben and I would often go to dinner on Sundays.
He never batted an eye at a $300 food tab. He
was always happy to share his dinner table with his
closest friends and colleagues.
More often than not he carried a bag of money
around with him. I would always encourage him
to take more caution: “You never change—even
after getting beat over the head at the club and
after getting robbed by masked men outside your
apartment.” Despite my encouraging him to be
more careful, he kept up the same routine. That was
Big Ben! He did what he wanted to do and when he
wanted.
He obviously enjoyed his work, and the industry
respected him for that: He was voted Get Out!
Magazine’s 2016 Promoter of the Year this past June.
He was the only promoter throwing parties from
Thursday through Sunday nights, as well as rooftop
parties on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
We will miss you, Big Ben. The nightclub scene will
not be the same without your leadership.
Michael Todd, Publisher, Get Out! Magazine

BY EILEEN SHAPIRO
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT
Judah Gavra
‘I Could Have Been a Big Fish in a Small Pond, But I
Decided to Swim in the Ocean’
Sometimes you are lucky enough to
meet someone who puts that extra
little sparkle in your life, as the very
talented and animated pop recording
star Judah Gavra did to me.
Originally hailing from Jerusalem, now
calling New York home, he graduated
from a top acting school and has been
doing Broadway and Off-Broadway for
the last 10 years. Impressively, he was
also one of the finalists to represent
Israel in the very popular Eurovision
contest, where he came in third place
for Israel. Currently, you can find him
at The Monster Bar as a bartender and
at Flywheel as an instructor when he’s
not recording or performing.
Judah’s positive personality and
creative songwriting ability add to
his sonically awesome delivery of
each and every song he sings. His is
a talent to be reckoned with and to
watch for in the near future!
So you are a really, really
accomplished singer!
Thank you so much, I appreciate it.
How long have you been singing?
I’ve been singing since I remember
myself. Remember when we used to
have cassettes? I used to record myself
singing with music in the background.
So is this your career now?
Yeah, of course. I don’t know if you know,
but in 2013 I almost represented Israel in
the Eurovision.
I knew you were either Israeli or Latin.
I say Israel is the Brazil of the Middle
East.
How long have you been in the
States?
I moved to New York 10 years ago, but it
wasn’t all planned. I’ll tell you the story.
So, you know the cliché story where you
came here with only carry-on luggage
and $100 in your pocket? That’s literally
what I did. I came here for two weeks
to perform for the high holidays in
Brooklyn. I was part of a cantor choir. I
had an open flight ticket for a year, and
so I decided to stay for two weeks, just
to explore, and to see what New York
City was all about. And I stayed, and I
stayed, and I stayed. I thought that if I’m
staying, I might as well go to school here
and do something with my life. Long
story short, I went to acting school here,
the American Musical and Dramatic
Academy, and that’s it. I was in New
York for two years, and I started building
my life and my friends here. After I
graduated, I booked my first show very,
very quick, and I decided I was here to
stay, and to build my career. I could be in
Israel, and be a big fish in a small pond,
but I decided to swim in the ocean. So I
was doing lots of shows, Off-Broadway
and on Broadway, and tours, mostly
musicals.

Are there any new projects that you
are working on right now?
Yes. I’m working on a new cover, and I’m
working on a brand-new original single.
When is that new single set to be
released?
The single will come out probably in
two or three months. When I usually
release a new single, it comes with
a video. I’m producing a good highquality
video that I’m actually proud of.
It’s very difficult, and it takes forever,
because I’m a perfectionist. I would not
let anything out until it’s perfect. It takes
me two or three months, even more
sometimes.
I can see why.
Then in 2013 my friend, Tomer Adaddi,
and I wrote a song. We decided that we
could write a hit; it’s not that difficult.
He is an established composer, and I
would write the lyrics. We wrote it. It’s
called “We’re Beautiful.” He had already
represented Israel in the Eurovision
three years before that.
What exactly is the Eurovision?
The Eurovision Song Contest, it’s big
in Europe. It’s a huge competition. It’s
the most viewed television show in the
world.
So what happened next?
Then they called him three years later
and asked him to submit a song. So he
asked me if I’d like to submit the song
we wrote, and I said, “Of course. Are
you kidding me?” So we submitted the
song, and the song got in. Everything
happened very quick. I was in the middle
of rehearing for a show in New York, but
I had to go to Israel and start rehearsing.
I went to Israel and was there for six to
seven months competing. I got third
place. I didn’t win, but if I had I would
probably be performing somewhere
now. After that it opened lots of doors.
Any last comments?
We talked about how I got into New
York, my story, how I left the theatre
to do music. So I have three singles
out now. The first single that was in
Eurovision is named “We’re Beautiful.”
The second single is called “Stay,” and
the third single, the most recent one,
which is a ballad, is called “Falling.”
You are going to make it out there.
You never know. That’s what I learned
from Eurovision. You just need to create,
to be out there. If you don’t do it,
nobody else will.
Facebook:
facebook.com/JudahGavraMusic
Twitter: @JudahGavra
Instagram: @JudahGavra
YouTube: youtube.com/judahgavra
So when you’re not performing or
recording, how do you pay the rent?
I’m an instructor at Flywheel and I work
at The Monster.
Are you single?
I am single, and I’m ready to mingle!

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The Test
BY IAN-MICHAEL BERGERON
@ianmichaelinwonderland
After two years of City
MD visits (when I was still
on my parents’ insurance,
that is), I decided that I
needed to find my own,
full-time doctor.
I made an appointment
with Dr. L, whose office
was in Hell’s Kitchen. She
was young, she was cute
and most importantly she
was a woman—I’m not
sure why, but I prefer to
be treated by a female
doctor. Maybe because I
feel safe that they know
what they’re doing.
For my first appointment,
I wanted to run a full STD
test. I hadn’t done one
in at least three months,
so it seemed the perfect
way to get acquainted.
Hi, nice to meet you, do I
have gonorrhea?
After the nurses took
my blood pressure and
weighed me, she came
into the office and sat
down. “So,” she jumped
right in, “have you always
been underweight?”
“Oh my God,” I gushed,
“thank you so much.”
She peered up at me
over her clipboard,
unsmiling. My face grew
hot. “Uhm, yeah, I guess
I’ve always been smaller.
Gotta keep fit for the
ladies, am I right?” She
still didn’t smile, despite
the obvious fact that I’m
a homosexual—I was all
done up in a hot pink
Ralph Lauren polo, hot
pink gingham shorts
and red leather Persian
slippers for God’s sake.
She went through her
notes, insisted on setting
up a physical the next
month to make sure I
wasn’t malnourished or
something, then had the
nurses come and take a
blood and urine sample.
The next week, a Friday
before a three-day
weekend, I got a call.
“Hey Ian-Michael, it’s Dr.
L.”
“Hey! What’s going
on?”
“We got your test
results. Everything is
fine, except you have
chlamydia. No big deal,
but I had a prescription
faxed to your pharmacy
so you could get it before
they’re closed until
Tuesday.”
“Um.” I wasn’t sure
what to say. “I have
chlamydia?”
“It’s common for men not
to show symptoms. Just
take the pill, don’t drink
any alcohol and it’ll be
gone.”
“But…isn’t chlamydia a
women’s disease?” I could
practically see her peering
at me through the phone.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean that.
I’m just surprised.”
“Just get the prescription
filled. It’ll go away in a few
days.”
I took the pill, then went
on a journey through my
last two month’s sexual
history. Who did I have
sex with? Who did I fool
around with? Who gave
it to me? Did I give it to
anyone?
In the end, I decided that
it didn’t matter who I
got it from. I told anyone
who as much as put their
mouth on my dick that I
had it (a task indeed), and
resolved to stay celibate—
for a week, anyway. But
I had no idea how I’d be
able to go the next week
without a fucking drink.
PHOTO BY STEVE BRENNAN

INTERVIEW BY SWIFFER JET
T-Boy
Music Video
Premiere
Get out and get ready! T-Boy—downtown NYC singer,
songwriter, actor, longtime DJ at the iconic Boots and Saddle
Drag Lounge and Get Out! cover boy last spring—is premiering
a new music video for his latest single “You Tried It!” on
Thursday, January 12, at Miss Peppermint and Scotty Rox’ “Do
The Right Thing” at the Ritz Bar and Lounge. It is the third video
directed by Mikhail Torich and featuring cameos by Danilo Silva,
Ari Kiki, Peppermint, Honey Davenport, Kareem McJagger and
many more, and it is all about The Shade. Don’t try him!
Hello! It’s been almost
a year since the release
of the explicit “Lick My
Boots” music video,
which got thousands of
views. What is coming up
next?
Right now, my focus is
on my new video, my
third with director Mikhail
Torich.
You’ve been a spotlight
in a documentary film,
“Black Velvet.” Tell us
a bit about it. How’s it
going?
Black Velvet is the little
documentary by Tobias
Daniels. We’ve opened the
film up for more editing,
so currently that’s the tea.
The film follows me, a gay
black performance artist,
and the ins and outs of my
nightlife experience over
the past 20 years and my
past in the pre-”Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell” Navy.
Most entertainers love
having a little extra in
store other than the
actual performances.
Do you have something
special saved for your
longtime fans?
I teamed up with Jeffrey
Grubb of House of
Alchemy on a t-shirt line,
with proceeds going
to both final editing on
“Black Velvet” and the
Anti-Violence Project.
Tell us about this video.
What’s it about?
It’s a rap song called “You
Tried It,” where I talk
about the shadiness and
contradictions of NYC
nightlife. Society puts “us
in boxes,” then “we turn
around and make rules for
each other.” I refuse to be
put in a box!
Have you been “tried” in
a club? What’s your own
worst experience? I hope
it’s not about Markus
Kelle!
Yes, I have been “tried”
many times! The time I
showed up to work at a
gay sports bar and another
DJ was doing my job.
When I questioned the
manager, his response was
simply, “You should have
figured it out!” Another
time I was DJing a twink
party, and the host, a white
boy all of 20 years old,
asked me if I was the

night’s DJ. I said yes, to
which he replied, “Had to
ask, cuz you’re black!” My
favorite of all though: I’m
banned from The Cock!
Why, you ask? My ex (of 10
years) refuses to let me in,
lol! Talk to me personally
about THAT tea! My song
“You Tried It” is about all of
these experiences.
How did it all begin?
What was the process?
Did the music video start
with some screenplay?
Script? And what about
the premiere?
I moved to NYC with one
motivation: to create music.
I’m doing that now. I can
die a happy queen. Music
video director Mikhail
Torich and I collaborate
flawlessly on every project.
This is our third together.
I believe if it ain’t broke,
don’t fix it! He draws
me out a fully realized
storyboard concept for
each video we do, so we
know exactly what are we
filming.
Before I describe “Do The
Right Thing” at the Ritz, let
me tell you about its host!
Peppermint is one of my
dearest friends. She’s not
only the hardest-working
queen in all of NYC, but
she attaches herself to
some of the most
legendary parties in the
city. This party is all hip
hop and R&B with an LGBT
twist. I have been both
DJ and performer there.
Pep started the party with
another friend and legend
Cazwell. Scotty Rox holds
down the DJ booth now,
and the party is slammin’!
Barbra Streisand is not
the end-all-be-all of the
gay experience. I have a
background in hip hop,
and I can at least get my
life every Thursday with
Peppermint.
T-Boy’s music video “You
Tried It” premieres at Do
The Right Thing Thursday
at the Ritz Bar & Lounge
on January 12.
Ritz Bar & Lounge
369 W 46th St
(bet. 8th and 9th ave)
New York, NY 10036
You can also find T-Boy
DJing Fridays and
Saturdays at Boots &
Saddle Drag Lounge in
West Village, NYC.
facebook.com/T-Boyislive
facebook.com/just.tboy
youtube.com/user/TBoynyc
torich.nyc
Photo Credit: Mikhail Torich

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BALLROOM