Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 387 –October 3, 2018

INTERVIEW
Zach
Zimmerman
WANTS TO HAVE
SEX WITH YOU
Zach Zimmerman is a queer
comedian who is making quite a
splash since moving to New York
last year. Time Out New York called
him a “hyper-prolific, wickedly
funny stand-up,” he has had humor
pieces published in The New
Yorker and McSweeney’s and he
has performed with The Second
City Theatricals. He sat down with
Get Out! to talk comedy, remote
control butt plugs and social
media plugs (@zzdoublezz).
Zach! Welcome to New York.
Thank you! I’ve been waiting
to be welcomed.
Do you feel like a New
Yorker?
I do! Last week, I made plans
to get coffee with a friend.
Three days later, we both
realized we had forgotten. It
was in that moment: I become
a New Yorker.
Haha. Tell me about your
comedy. You’ve got a show
at the Museum of Sex?
Yes! It’s called Let’s Have
Sex With Zach Zimmerman,
because I am subtle and do
stand-up to find a husband.
It’s a new monthly sex/
comedy/talk show with
stand-up comedians, drag
queens and an interview with
a sexpert who you can ask all
your questions. I’ll give you
terrible answers; they give you
factual ones. It’s a goddamn
blast.
Have you learned anything
from the show?
Put lube INSIDE the condom.
Game changer. I had no idea.
Also, be careful who you give
the remote to when you’re
wearing a remote control butt
plug on stage. Drag queens
can be cruel.
What got you into comedy?
Oof. Great q. I’d say at first
I was drawn to comedy
in a search for immediate
validation. My dad used to
give dinner table sermons to
me as a kid in an evangelical
household, and I never got
to talk, so now...I talk a lot.
So word of caution, parents:
Let your kids talk! Or you’re
gonna make more stand-up
comedians, and no one wants
that.
Now that I’ve matured
and don’t need (as much)
validation (though it never
hurts), I’m drawn to comedy
because of its immediacy—it
can react rapidly to events
of the week and even in the
room, its interactivity—it
invites the audience into
a dialogue while other art
forms can be a bit more oneway,
and its ability to bring
people together—literally and
figuratively.
Also, again, I am looking for a
husband.
Where can people catch you
next?
@zzdoublezz on all social
media platforms, sweetheart!
I recently did a thing on my
Instagram where I posted
just the letters to spell
out an upcoming show,
and it decimated my likes.
Zuckerberg was not happy. So
please, find it in your heart:
Dig deep, and give those likes
today.
And live shows?
Yes. Come see Queer
EyeRL at The Bell House on
October 18. It’s a Queer Eye
satire where we make over
an audience member. The
cast is stacked. It’s too fun.
And, of course, check out
the Let’s Have Sex With Zach
Zimmerman show. The next
one is October 25! Devil
emoji.

DEAR HIV,
WE DIDN ’ T
GIVE UP.
XOXO,
SCIENCE
There is no cure, but science is still
in the battle against HIV. Today’s
HIV treatments may help you get
to undetectable. That means the
amount of virus is so low it can’t
be measured in lab tests. Ask your
healthcare provider about HIV and
treatment options.
Learn about an HIV-1
treatment option at
XOXOSCIENCE.COM TM
XOXOSCIENCE.COM, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc.,
or its related companies. © 2018 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. UNBC5738 06/18

BY IAN-MICHAEL BERGERON
@ianmichaelinwonderland
PHOTO BY STEVE BRENNAN
Tale as Old as Time
Saturday night, my boyfriend J
convinced me to go out.
I’d spent the day with Southern
Belle C, helping him put
together what was sure to be
the murder mystery party of the
century. (We bopped around
Chelsea for hours, searching
for costumes at Housing
Works thrift shop, props at
Abracadabra and invitations at
Paper Presentation.) He told
me my character early (Freda,
a gypsy), and I’d already
purchased my costume (a full
silk satin fantasy from the Prada
2007 collection, turban and
all), so I was able to focus on
helping him pull everything
together.
I didn’t have time to change,
showing up in a crop top,
denim overall shorts and my
Coach backpack, a Lindsay
Clan plaid shirt tied around my
waist. (Fun fact: I’m Scottish,
Clan of Lindsay, I just haven’t
had any occasion to wear my
kilt to yet.)
Everyone arrived by 11, and the
bar was in full swing. I had no
idea what to expect: Despite
the fact that Boxers has been
popular enough to spawn
locations in Chelsea, Hell’s
Kitchen, The Upper East Side
and now Washington Heights,
I didn’t know if a gay bar so far
uptown would do well.
But by 12, the bar was
shoulder-to-shoulder packed,
our animated host Zarria
Van Wales dancing around
and keeping spirits up. (I
wished she was doing a show
that night: I’m way better at
cheering for drag queens
doing the splits than dancing
myself.) Despite her energy,
something in me switched off.
Everyone was dancing and
having fun—but I wasn’t
having fun anymore. The
drinks were strong and bitter, I
couldn’t move without hitting
someone and people kept
bumping my backpack. (Who
the fuck is stupid enough to
bring a backpack to a bar on
a Saturday night? …Me, that’s
who.)
At one point, it became too
much, and I felt claustrophobic.
I slipped through the crowd
onto the upper platform, by
the front door, and managed to
snag a seat in a booth to take a
breather.
I desperately wanted to be
the fun one. I used to be the
fun one: the one who insisted
everyone go out when they
were tired, the one who
bopped from bar to bar, doing
bumps in bathrooms to make
it to 4 a.m., and that’s when the
after-party
began.
But now, just
28, barely past
midnight, I
was tired and
grumpy, and I
wanted to go
home.
So I left,
slowly walking
the 10-block
walk home,
listening to
Fleetwood
Mac. Is this
me now? I
wondered,
waiting for a
streetlight to
change. Am I
having an off
night, or have
I outgrown
going out and having fun? Is
this what it feels like to get
older?
“But time makes you bolder,
even children get older—and
I’m getting older, too.” Stevie
Nicks gets me.
My boyfriend stumbled in
around 3 a.m., drunk and
happy and young enough
to not be hungover the next
morning. A little jealous, I
helped him get off his jeans
and into bed before he passed
out.
I vowed to go back to Boxers
Washington Heights on a
weeknight, after work, when I
could have a quiet drink at the
bar, without having to dance
or stay up past my bedtime—
once 6 a.m., now 10 p.m.—
10:30 if the chapter of the book
I’m reading is too good to put
down.

I QUIT FOR OUR FUTURE.
I QUIT FOR GOOD.
You may be eligible for the
Nicotine Patch & Lozenge Giveaway
ENDS OCTOBER 18 TH
QUIT SMOKING TODAY. Visit nysmokefree.com or call 1-866-NY-QUITS.

BY OWEN KEEHNEN
EVERYTHING’S
COMING UP
ROSES FOR
LEO SCHWARTZ
Leo Schwartz became
a fan of musical theater
in the 1980s, when
he toured with the
company of Evita as
a professional horn
player. “A friend on the
tour had cassettes of
Company and Sweeney
Todd, and I was
mesmerized. I wanted
to write with that level
of sophistication and
emotional drama,” he
says.
PHOTO CREDIT: RUSS ROWLAND
The more he explored
musical theater, the
more he admired much
of the work. “There was
cleverness and character
in the lyrics and score,”
he says. “There was
craft. With some musical
theater writers, there
is astounding craft. It
appealed to my intellect
as well as my heart.”

For Schwartz, becoming a produced lyricist/composer has
been a dream come true, but one that took 30 years to
materialize. Despite daytime gigs as a fundraiser and a realtor,
he kept writing. “It’s hard to make a living as a non-degreed
composer; plus, I can’t play the piano, so that was an obstacle.
I kept juggling my time as best I could to cover my jobs and
learn how to write. I was ready to throw it all in five years ago,
but my husband [Dan] told me that regardless of where I
thought I should be by the time I was 60, I should keep writing,
because that’s who I am.” Dan’s sage advice was well timed.
Last April, Schwartz turned 60. Two weeks later, his mentor, Ken
Davenport, charged him with producing The Book of Merman
off-Broadway.
The idea for the show came after rehearsals for another
Schwartz production, Under a Rainbow Flag. “The director said
he and a friend were drinking martinis and laughing about what
would happen if two Mormon missionaries rang Ethel Merman’s
doorbell, and they could call it The Book of Merman,” Schwartz
says. “I probably rolled my eyes. The idea of writing a parody
was not appealing to me. But three days later I had a story arch
and realized I could craft an original story from that setup.”

In the show, Mormon missionaries Elder Shumway and Elder Braithwaite are
having a tough day carrying the message when the two discover that the
woman they are visiting is named Ethel Merman. As a closet theater queen,
Shumway is beside himself, but Braithwaite is hesitant to believe it is really
the Broadway legend.
For Schwartz,
the diva proved
a wonderful
inspiration.
“Ethel Merman
is an element,
primary and
foundational.
No one
embraces
musical theater
without
embracing
her. She’s like
the Mona Lisa,
always there,
always smiling.”
Originally
produced by
Pride Films
and Plays,
The Book
of Merman
enjoyed a
critically
acclaimed,
sold-out, threemonth
run
at Chicago’s
Apollo Theater,
followed by
engagements
nationwide.
The off-
Broadway
production
features an
original score
of 17 full songs.
Performances
begin October
5 at St. Luke’s
Theatre (308
West 46th
Street).
Schwartz still does a double take when he sees his name on the marquee. “It
is totally surreal,” he says. “My heart palpitates every time I see it. In an odd
way, it’s a little embarrassing, and I have a reaction like, ‘Did anyone notice?’”

It’s Delightful. It’s Delicious. It’s De-Merman!
A DIVA-DRIVEN MUSICAL
PLAYING OFF BROADWAY
OCTOBER 2018
BookOfMermanMusical.com

“A NIFTY GLIMPSE OF GAYS GONE BY.”
—Michael Musto, Out Magazine
BOOK, MUSIC, AND LYRICS BY MARK SONNENBLICK
CO-CONCIEVED BY SAM BOLEN
CHOREOGRAPHY BY ANDREW PALERMO
DIRECTED BY MAX FRIEDMAN
BY ARRANGEMENT WITH VISCERAL ENTERTAINMENT
AND MARK CORTALE PRODUCTIONS
1965. An Illegal Greenwich Village gay bar. Two men caught in a passion
they can’t control and a political revolution they don’t understand.
A timeless musical romance inspired by the Great American Songbook.
A NEW MUSICAL IN THE
HEART OF NYC’S MIDTOWN
EAST ARTS DISTRICT
“SO SMART, SO FUNNY, SO MOVING!
THE AUDIENCE BRISTLES WITH THE EXCITEMENT
OF BEING PRESENT AT THE BIRTH OF WHAT
COULD BE A MAJOR MUSICAL.”
-The Bistro Awards (2017 Bistro Award Winner)
OCTOBER 2–NOVEMBER 4, 2018 | AT SAINT PETER’S
E M 6
ENTRANCE ON 54TH STREET JUST EAST OF LEXINGTON AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY
YORKTHEATRE.ORG | (212) 935-5820 | #MIDNIGHTATTHEYORK

week in pictures >> BY WILSONMODELS / wilsonmodels.blogspot.com
RUPAUL’S DRAG CON NYC - JAVITZ CONVENTION CENTER

week in pictures >> BY WILSONMODELS / wilsonmodels.blogspot.com
CORONA BEACH BOWL @ LUCKY STRIKE

week in pictures >> BY WILSONMODELS / wilsonmodels.blogspot.com
MISS'D AMERICA @ BORGATA ATLANTIC CITY

BY MARK CHESNUT
THE PERFECT
GAY GETAWAY
IN ATLANTIC CITY
Once the autumn and
winter months roll around,
many people assume you
need to board a plane if you
want to enjoy a great gay
getaway. But a year-round
LGBT vacation paradise lies
much closer: Borgata Hotel
Casino & Spa (theborgata.
com), the upscale resort in
Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Decidedly one of the best
hotels in Atlantic City,
Borgata offers an impressive
array of LGBT-friendly
activities through its OUT
at Borgata (out.theborgata.
com) program, which
includes hotel packages,
entertainment and special
events year-round. I recently
attended Pride Bingo, which
starred “RuPaul’s Drag Race
All-Stars” winner Trixie
Mattel, and the property
also hosts the annual
Miss’d America Pageant in
September. Every Thursday,
hotel guests can enjoy the
Burlesque Show, a glittering
production with male
and female dancers and
performers.

In case you’re considering tying the
knot, the resort also provides lots of
possibilities for same-sex weddings and
honeymoons.
Borgata offers so many options for
relaxation and excitement that you
could easily spend several days there
without leaving the grounds. I stayed
in the Water Club, the luxurious tower
with stylish accommodations that offer
spectacular water views. We sampled
mouthwatering cuisine at several of the
15 dining venues, including a variety of
hip restaurants run by celebrity chefs
including Bobby Flay and Wolfgang
Puck. And the Borgata bakery is a true
delight, with thick sandwiches and
sweet treats like “cupcake in a jar” and
adults-only spiked milkshakes.

Must-try amenities include
two expansive spas as well
as two beautiful indoor
swimming pools, where the
lush landscaping just might
make you feel like you’ve
jetted off to a tropical getaway
(there are also two large
outdoor pools for the warmer
months). You can also indulge
in some elegant shopping,
and there are four unique
nightlife options, including
Premier Nightclub, where top
DJs from around the globe
often keep the beats flowing,
and the light system is simply
hypnotizing. And let’s not
forget the 161,000-square-foot
casino, for travelers who crave
gaming.
Borgata also proves its LGBT friendliness
through its membership in the International
Gay and Lesbian Travel Association and
the Greater Atlantic City GLBT Alliance.
In addition, the Human Rights Campaign
Foundation named Borgata one of the “Best
Places to Work for LGBT Equality” in both
2016 and 2017.
OUT at Borgata: OUT.THEBORGATA.COM
In case you do decide to
leave the property, both the
legendary boardwalk and
the Rainbow Room, Atlantic
City’s gay bar, are less than 10
minutes away by car.
Big-name performers are
among the draws at Borgata,
with upcoming shows by Sting
and Shaggy (September 21),
Modest Mouse (October 7),
The Temptations and the Four
Tops (October 26), Garbage
(October 26), the Doobie
Brothers (November 3), Il
Divo (November 24) and 98
Degrees (December 15).

THOMAS
TALKS
ABOUT: BOYFRIEND
Thinking about going
to a sex party with
your significant other?
It would absolutely
be in your benefit
to have a few very
direct conversations
about boundaries and
expectations before
going. You can even
make an exit plan
should one of you
decide that you don’t
want to go through with
it. For many, this first
conversation might seem
like the most difficult to
have, but there may be
plenty more to come.
Rules and boundaries
may have to be adjusted.
My boyfriend and I
went to our first sex
party! I think we did
everything right:
We talked about
boundaries and stuff
before, and neither of
us stepped outside of
them. It was fine, but
he enjoyed it more
than me. The issue now
is that he wants us to
keep going, but I don’t
want us to. How do
you close the door
after you’ve already
opened it? - Male, Gay,
31
It’s great that you guys
set up predetermined
boundaries before going
to your first party. It’s
really important that
people going in with
their significant others
have conversations
beforehand about what
is and isn’t acceptable.
I’d recommend you
both now talk about
why you do and don’t
want to keep going.
Did you just not enjoy
it? What would make it
more enjoyable for you?
Was it difficult for you
to see him with others?
What did he like about
it? How would you feel
about him going without
you? Unfortunately, it
may not be as simple
as just closing the door,
but a new approach or
an adjustment to the
boundaries might allow
both of you to have your
needs met.
I’ve been going to
group sex events with
my partner for a while
now, and it’s usually
very fun. These events
are the only time we
allow each other to
have sex with other
& PARTIES
people. I recently
found out he’s been
meeting people on
apps and then telling
them to come to the
sex party to hook up.
Technically, he’s only
having sex at the party,
but he’s like setting it
up beforehand. This
seems like a grey area?
IDK. Thoughts? - Male,
Gay, 26
Yikes. Total grey area,
and perhaps even a bit
deceptive. Technically,
he abided by the rules
of no sex outside of the
parties, but it sounds
like he was planning for
these parties in a way
that you didn’t know
about. I imagine, to
some degree, you may
feel left out, and this is a
good place to start. I’m
curious if you’d prefer
he doesn’t plan for them
beforehand, or if you’d
just like to be kept in
the loop. Both would
require an adjustment
to what he’s currently
doing. I’d begin here,
with exploring exactly
what you’d like him to
change. I’d also open
up the discussion to
see what else might be
going on that should
be addressed (is he
planning in other ways
too?).
Sex/Love/ReLationShip advice? Send youR queStionS to: thomaStaLkSabout@gmaiL.com
@thomaSWhitfieLd84

SUPER MEN’S
SPA
THE REASON
TO CHOOSE
UTOPIA SPA:
•Relaxing atmosphere
•Professional skills
•Clean and hygienic
•Respectful and friendly
20% OFF
Nails & Waxing
● NAILS
● WAXING & TRIMMING
● BODYWORK
● FOUR HAND BODY WORK
● BODY-SCRUB (TABLE SHOWER)
● FACIAL
(212) 989-5075
163 W 22 ND STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10011
(BTWN 6TH & 7TH AVE.)
HOURS: SUN 11AM-11PM
MON - SAT 10:30AM - 11:30PM
www.UtopiaSpaNYC.com
965 Lexington Ave
2FL @ 70th Street
Tel: 212 -879 -0402
Hours: 10:30AM-11:00PM
Trains: 6, F, Q

SUCCESSFUL
MEN'S
SPA
SPA HOURS
11AM-10PM
‬
Cover: The Book Of Merman
Photo Credit Russ Rowland
ISSUE 387 - OCTOBER 3 2018
PUBLISHER
MIKE TODD
MIKE@GETOUTMAG.COM
(646) 761-3325
DESIGN
AGOTA CORREA
AGOTA@GETOUTMAG.COM
NATIONAL ADVERTISNG
REPRESENTATIVE
RIVENDELL MEDIA
(908) 232-2021
CONTRIBUTORS
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT
EILEEN SHAPIRO
IAN-MICHAEL BERGERON

JOIN US IF YOU (TRUTH OR) DARE...
OCTOBER 31 ✟ 8PM
COSTUME CONTEST
AT MIDNIGHT!
MADONNATHON.COM
TICKETWEB.COM
HIGHLINEBALLROOM.COM
431 W 16TH STREET BTW 9/10 AVE