St. Petersburg Times

Pat Benatar? A Diva? Series: PREVIEW; POP
St. Petersburg Times

Jul 4, 2002

Gina Vivinetto

Pat Benatar, the 1980s pop singer who scored big with the tough- minded Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Heartbreaker and Hell Is For Children, is the featured performer at Saturday's Diva Fest at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, part of the Pride Fest 2002 events.

Okay, spin the wheel and see how Pat Benatar measures up: (a) Benatar is a classically trained vocalist, and her mom was an opera singer. (5 points right out of the gate)

My, my. Who would have thought Benatar would score a perfect 25 points on the Divameter? Talk about Invincible. Guess there's no need for that vote. The girl is in. Benatar, it turns out, is the consummate diva. Really, who were we to question her headlining this Divafest, likely organized in part by very fabulous gay men, who, p.s., know a thing or two about divas, honey.

Diva. Diva. Everyone's a diva nowadays. People scatter the word around like so many spare pennies to the point I'm not even sure what a diva is.

Do you have to be stuck up to be a diva? Temperamental? Talented? Where's the list of prerequisites?

Elton John is a diva? According to VH1, yes. And Brandy. Celine Dion. Well, that makes sense.

But Pat Benatar a diva?

How so?

Benatar, the 1980s pop singer who scored big with the tough- minded Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Heartbreaker and Hell Is For Children, is the featured performer at Saturday's Diva Fest at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, part of the Pride Fest 2002 events.

But is Benatar a diva? How can you tell?

I propose that we develop a checklist for divahood.

I'm serious.

A diva should have to garner a certain number of points, say 15 out of a possible 25, to be considered. Then we appoint a board to vote on the matter.

So, first things first. I present my patented, tried and true - well, after this inaugural launch it will be - Divameter: A Checklist for Divahood. A diva, like a prima donna, should be:

(a) A super-talented singer. Someone with a good voice that doesn't need to be computer-manipulated, folded, spindled or mutilated. Remember those days? (5 points)

(b) A bit temperamental, or at least edgy. For instance, maybe you take notice in a restaurant when she's simultaneously handling a steak knife and ranting about a matter that perturbs her. (5 points)

(d) The user of a fake name, or better, a one-word name, like Cher or Charo. (2 points)

(e) Short. Yes, a diva should be short. Like Bernadette Peters. It makes that big, booming voice more compelling. (2 points)

(f) Able to command attention in front of a gigantic audience. (5 points)

And finally,

(g) Able to generate interest in her music, and her fabulous self, well past her stay-fresh date. Think Ethel Merman, think Liza, and - bow down now, Divaphiles - think Miss Judy Garland. (3 points)

Okay, spin the wheel and see how Pat Benatar measures up: (a) Benatar is a classically trained vocalist, and her mom was an opera singer. (5 points right out of the gate)

(b) She gave up going to the prestigious Juilliard School of Music to be a rebellious rock 'n' roller. Edgy? You bet. (5 points)

(d) She was born with the name - don't cringe - Pat Andrzejewski, then married a guy named Benatar, dumped him but held on to the name. Why? It sounded way cooler. (2 points)

(e) She is diminutive, all right: 5 feet tall, according to her online fan club. (2 points)

(f) Do you think they called it 1980s "arena rock" for nothing? Raymond James Stadium won't exactly be Benatar's first big crowd, folks. (5 points)

(g) It's been how many years since Benatar's last hit? Back when MTV was new, you say? Grunge has come and gone. She was nowhere to be found at Lilith Fair. (She probably would have wiped the floor with those sniveling, acoustic ladies prancing in patchouli.)

Still, Benatar's headlining this gig. (3 points)

The results:

My, my. Who would have thought Benatar would score a perfect 25 points on the Divameter? Talk about Invincible. Guess there's no need for that vote. The girl is in. Benatar, it turns out, is the consummate diva. Really, who were we to question her headlining this Divafest, likely organized in part by very fabulous gay men, who, p.s., know a thing or two about divas, honey.

- To contact Gina Vivinetto, e-mail gina@sptimes.com

3 Make PrideFest a Family Affair Series: LAST NIGHT IN TAMPA
St. Petersburg Times

Jul 3, 2002

Tamara Lush

The Gay Skate event marked the beginning of this year's PrideFest, the Tampa Bay area's annual gay and lesbian celebration. This is the ninth annual PrideFest. When the event started in 1993, it had a budget of $14,000 and an attendance of 3,000 people. Its growth has made it Florida's largest gay pride event, with 30,000 people attending last year.

Nearly 100 people showed up for Gay Skate. Most were men in their 20s and 30s, wearing faded jeans and T-shirts. For the last 12 years, Gay Skate has been held each Tuesday night at the Tampa skating rink, but the crowd was larger than usual Tuesday night because of the festival.

For Rett Hough, it is especially fitting that PrideFest coincides with Independence Day. It was on the Fourth of July 11 years ago that Hough came out as a gay man.

For the Diaz-Sotelo family, this is a week to celebrate.

Denise Diaz and Tea Sotelo are lesbians. Diaz's 14-year-old son, Noah, is gay.

Starting with Gay Skate at United Skates of America on Tuesday night, the three went to their first PrideFest event as a family.

"We don't have to hide," said Noah, who was flipping through a PrideFest program after a fast skate with his mother's partner.

"We want to have a good time and be proud of who we are," said Rick Walen, the treasurer of Pride Tampa Bay, the nonprofit group that organizes the weeklong festival. The St. Petersburg Times is one of the event's sponsors.

For the first time in the event's history, there will not be a parade. Instead, said Walen, the group will host a rally and commitment ceremony at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday morning. It is the first time that organizers have rented the stadium, and they hope that 20,000 people will attend.

Walen said that he and the other organizers want people from all walks of life - gay and straight - to attend at least one of the events. Some of the happenings - such as the Wet Party, in which men are encouraged to wear swimsuits to a night event at the Florida Aquarium - are clearly for adults only. But other events are for families, such as the Family Values picnic at Fort De Soto Park in St. Petersburg on Sunday.

Nearly 100 people showed up for Gay Skate. Most were men in their 20s and 30s, wearing faded jeans and T-shirts. For the last 12 years, Gay Skate has been held each Tuesday night at the Tampa skating rink, but the crowd was larger than usual Tuesday night because of the festival.

Desmond Clark of Tampa organizes the weekly skating party, which is alcohol- and smoke-free. He is usually the DJ, but on Tuesday Walter Winston of Orlando spun hip-hop and techno music. A disco ball glittered at the front of the rink, and more than one person reminisced about skating to such 1970s tunes as Xanadu and I Will Survive as children.

Rett Hough of Tampa volunteers each Tuesday to work the front door at Gay Skate.

"I sit up here and flirt," he said, then greeted a man awash in Lancome cologne. "Hey there!"

For Hough, it is especially fitting that PrideFest coincides with Independence Day. It was on the Fourth of July 11 years ago that Hough came out as a gay man.

For some of the skaters, rolling around the rink is the one time they can be open about their sexuality. One man said that he lives in a small town where no one knows he is gay - and he fears what would happen to him if people did find out.

Sotelo, who is 34, and Noah Diaz had no such concerns. They held hands Tuesday night as they zipped over the shiny wood floor of United Skates of America, and waved at Denise Diaz.

Diaz, 39, isn't much of a roller skater. She sat on a bench and watched the pair glide and giggle.

"It's important to come out as a family," she said.

Performing for Pride Series: STEPPIN' OUT IN PASCO COUNTY
St. Petersburg Times

Jun 28, 2002

Barbara L. Fredricksen

"This is the first time we have done anything like this," said event chairman and master of ceremonies John M. Evola about the week- long celebration and the variety show. Until now, the local observance has been low-key and centered around one favorite gathering place of Suncoast Pride members, Evola said.

The show will open with a message from the minister of Spirit of Life, Judy Davenport. That's followed by The Lord's Prayer by tenor Gregg Galla, a medley of old standards by Dominic Elia, a tribute to Elvis by Jerry Francis and excerpts from two comedy recordings, God Save the Queens and Out of the Closet.

"These are comedy albums I used on my radio show, Gaily Speaking, on WDET (PBS) in Detroit," Evola said. "There's one cut by 'Stone Lawrence,' a play on the name Rock Hudson - Hudson and Lawrence are both rivers, you see," Evola said. "Another is in the old This Is Your Life format."

Fans of Elvis, country music, sacred music, Broadway tunes and comedy should enjoy the "Suncoast Pride Variety Show" tonight at the Spirit of Life Metropolitan Community Church in New Port Richey.

The show is today's featured event in the week-long celebration of Gay Pride Month by Suncoast Pride, a local gay and lesbian organization. Both gay and straight people are participating in the variety show.

"This is the first time we have done anything like this," said event chairman and master of ceremonies John M. Evola about the week- long celebration and the variety show. Until now, the local observance has been low-key and centered around one favorite gathering place of Suncoast Pride members, Evola said.

So far this week, the group has had held a brunch, a road trip to St. Petersburg to gather with other gay people, a film festival, a game night, and a pool tourney. The variety show, a noncompetitive bowling tourney on Saturday and a special religious service on Sunday will wind up scheduled events.

The show will open with a message from the minister of Spirit of Life, Judy Davenport. That's followed by The Lord's Prayer by tenor Gregg Galla, a medley of old standards by Dominic Elia, a tribute to Elvis by Jerry Francis and excerpts from two comedy recordings, God Save the Queens and Out of the Closet.

"These are comedy albums I used on my radio show, Gaily Speaking, on WDET (PBS) in Detroit," Evola said. "There's one cut by 'Stone Lawrence,' a play on the name Rock Hudson - Hudson and Lawrence are both rivers, you see," Evola said. "Another is in the old This Is Your Life format."

After an intermission, country and western singer Evan Daniels will perform several songs, including the Travis Tritt hit T-R-O-U- B-L-E, and Tim McGuigan will do Razzle Dazzle from the Broadway show Chicago.

"I've been performing in this area for six years," McGuigan said. His first professional show was Broadway...Off Broadway at the Show Palace Dinner Theatre. He later performed in La Cage aux Folles, Annie and the Show Palace awards night, where he won "Showman of the Year, 1999."

Francis has performed since he was 6 or 7 years old.

"I started out in Rio (de Janeiro), Brazil, when my dad was there working for IBM," Francis said. Now a full-time entertainer, he performs mostly in the Tampa Bay area for clubs and organizations. Besides the Elvis impersonation, he does Frank Sinatra, Neil Diamond, Kenny Rogers and songs made famous by Glenn Miller, he said.

Daniels left his job at Tampa International Airport two years ago to devote himself to his singing career after he won a singing contest at the Louise Mandrell Theatre in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. The Canadian native later was named "male entertainer of the year 2001" at the local Orange Blossom Country Music competition.

"I didn't even know I could sing," he said. "I went to a karaoke place one night, and somebody said, 'Why don't you get up and sing' and the rest is history."

Daniels will also headline a show at Spartan Manor on July 13.

There will also be door prizes given during the variety show, Evola said.

Suncoast Pride's celebration continues with:

SATURDAY: Noncompetitive bowling, 1-4 p.m., Lane Glo North, 6935 Ridge Road, Port Richey. Lane Glo has donated nine lanes for free bowling to current and new members (first-come, first-serve) and free shoe usage to all participants.

SUNDAY: Religious services at the Spirit of Life Metropolitan Community Church (see address above), with a special message by minister Judy Davenport.

All events are open to the public.

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