"u don't know my alphabet."—Sexy Lukas Gage (from The White Lotus; Love, Victor; and the rebooted Queer as Folk) tweets his response to criticism that Hollywood shouldn't hire him to play LGBTQIA+ roles. When asked to clarify his sexual interest, Lukas simply said, "no."
As we went to press last week, the big news was the 75th Tony Awards. It turned into big news for "Billy Masters LIVE." We didn't plan on having a show last week. We didn't announce it in the column. But after a few days, I felt there were things worth discussing—not only the awards themselves, but about Broadway coming back. How does theater move forward? How does the world move forward? I assembled a dream panel consisting of Bruce Vilanch, who has written his share of awards shows (to say nothing of his other numerous gifts); Richard Jay-Alexander, who has directed, produced and acted in shows; Michael Musto, who has critiqued shows; and Anastasia Barzee, who has graced shows on Broadway and beyond. I represented you—the audience. I am, first and foremost, a fan. I love this business we call show. What transpired was a raucous chat that has become our fastest-viewed episode all season. Check it out on our YouTube channel, Billy Masters TV or on BillyMasters.com/TV. While there, why not subscribe to our channel? You never know when I'll pop up with all-new content.
In light of rumors that some of the numbers performed at the Tonys were not technically "live," I asked if lip-synching was common at this event—and, apparently, it is. I understand the reasons not to perform live on television with millions of people (hopefully) watching. But when it occurs during a celebration of live theater, it just seems … I dunno … icky. If you can't hack it on the live stage, stick to television and film.
Everyone online was weighing in on Hugh Jackman's physical appearance. Then he ended up testing positive for COVID. The Tonys—a celebration of Broadway or a super-spreader event? Let us look on the bright side—because even this has a silver lining. Sure, hundreds of people who paid ridiculous amounts for tickets will ask for a refund because they won't get to see Jackman in the flesh. But, this gives Hugh's Music Man standby a chance to go on—and that standby is Max Clayton. While his name might not be known to most, he is the boyfriend of Matt Doyle, who just won the Tony for Featured Actor in a Musical for Company.
We previously reported that Neil Patrick Harris was being considered to replace Jackman when he leaves The Music Man. While that still could happen, we've learned that NPH has joined the cast of another iconic show—the long-running British show Doctor Who! Showrunner Russell T. Davies said Harris will be "playing the greatest enemy the Doctor has ever faced."
I recalled when Kevin Spacey hosted the 2017 Tony Awards and came out (literally) as Norma Desmond. As it turned out, this is what led to his—wait for it—house of cards crashing down around him. While Broadway was celebrating live theater, Spacey was dancing as fast as he could in a British court. In London, Spacey was formally charged with four different sex crimes—three happening in London and one in Gloucestershire. Oh, the humanity! The case will move forward at Southwark Crown Court on July 14. But it wasn't all bleak news for Spacey. He was granted unconditional bail, meaning he didn't have to surrender his travel documents. One of the more poignant arguments was that Spacey needed to go back to the United States to visit his 9-year-old dog!
We got our first look at Ryan Gosling as Ken in the Barbie flick. It's nice to see they've gone with the short-lived "Earring Ken"—otherwise known as "Gay Ken" (as if there were a "Straight Ken"). Of course, Gosling's abs are on display. Let us hope the similarity between Ryan and Ken's anatomy does not continue below the waistline.
In an "Ask Billy" question remarkably on point, Harry from Florida asks, "I heard that Tom Brady sent a male fan his used underwear. Is it true? And how do I get some?"
First, some historical context. Way back in 2015, Tom Brady appeared in the flick Ted 2—a film I skipped since I never saw Ted 1. The following year, Brady auctioned off the T-shirt and boxers he wore in the flick. Fast-forward to the present. Tom was on Twitter promoting his Brady Brand undies, posted a photo of him in a pair of hip briefs, and said, "40k likes and I'll [re-create] these photos." A fan named Greg responded, "Tom if this reply gets 40,000 likes will you fly me out and [hand-deliver] me a pair of [game-worn] underwear?" In a word—ballsy. Once the post hit 80K likes, Brady responded: "What's wrong with you people? Check your DMs and pick a color Greg." Yes, Tom slipped into Greg's DMs. No word on the flight or the hand delivery.
When a brief in hand is worth two in Brady's bush, it's definitely time to end yet another column. OK, Greg may not get a hand job, but he will get the briefs. Personally, I'd spray them with Luminal just to see exactly where they've been. For more dirty deeds, check out www.BillyMasters.com—the site that always delivers. If you have a question, send it off to Billy@BillyMasters.com, and I promise to get back to you pronto. So, until next time, remember: One man's filth is another man's bible.
