“FINDING FIRE ISLAND” – A DOCU-PODCAST SERIES FEATURING JOEL KIM BOOSTER, MARGARET CHO, MATT ROGERS, DJ LINA BRADFORD, PAUL RUDNICK AND MORE – DEBUTS ON JULY 6 VIA BROADWAY PODCAST NETWORK
“Finding Fire Island” – a docu-podcast series which brings to life how a sleepy, 19th century beach town became a modern day queer mecca for artists and the New York City theater community – debuts on July 6via Broadway Podcast Network. Queer history has often been told through the lens of loss and disappearance but Fire Island has transcended that to survive as a stunning fantasy world and cultural touchstone. “Finding Fire Island” takes its listener behind the curtain of the mystique, legends and lore of the LGBTQ+ communities (Cherry Grove and The Pines) from folks who experienced their evolution from the 1950s to today.
“Finding Fire Island” features Joel Kim Booster, Margaret Cho, Matt Rogers, the iconic DJ Lina Bradford, screenwriter Paul Rudnick (Sister Act, The First Wives Club), Brian Moylan (Vulture, author of The Housewives), Zach Stafford (former editor-in-chief of The Advocate, Tony Award winner), cabaret director Ben Rimalower, and Cherry Grove legends Bob “Rose” Levine and Thom “Panzi” Hansen. A full talent list can be found here.
Watch the “Finding Fire Island” trailer here.
“Finding Fire Island” is created and executive produced by writer, producer and native New Yorker, Jess Rothschild. Since 2019, Jess has published and hosted the podcast “Hot Takes & Deep Dives,” centered on queer pop iconography and New York City culture. Jess has received acclaim from The Huffington Post and The New York Times for her interviews with Rosie O’Donnell, Sandra Bernhard, Isaac Mizrahi, Melissa Etheridge, Roxane Gay, Mario Cantone, The L Word creator Ilene Chaiken, Fran Drescher and more. Jess Rothschild was a founding writer for the largest independent LGBT website still in existence – Autostraddle – from 2009-2013.
Of “Finding Fire Island,” Jess Rothschild shares: “As a native New Yorker, Fire Island was intrinsically formative to my identity as a gay person. As my obsession with the history and culture of Cherry Grove and The Pines intensified over the years, I began collecting interviews with notable Fire Island figures, past and present. While working on this project, I realized that this is one of the rare pieces of media about Fire Island from the perspective of a woman.”
Comedian / actor Matt Rogers adds: “The thing about Fire Island is, it itself is such a story, but when you go, it becomes part of your story.”
Comedian / musician Margaret Cho notes: “It’s important to create art about Fire Island which really memorializes the history and the important figures. There are so many stories to tell from the island as this legendary queer mecca.”
“We're thrilled to welcome Jess Rothschild and the podcast ‘Finding Fire Island’ to the Broadway Podcast Network! The epic stories, influential storytellers and fascinating Fire Island lore will capture our audience completely,” Dori Berinstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Broadway Podcast Network, said.
“Finding Fire Island” is presented by the Broadway Podcast Network, with new episodes available starting on July 6 on BPN.FM or wherever you get your podcasts. Broadway Podcast Network is the premier digital storytelling destination for everyone, everywhere, who loves theatre and the performing arts.
ICON/SINGER ISAAC MIZRAHI RETURNS TO CAFÉ CARLYLE WITH AN ALL-NEW SHOW, FEBRUARY 14-25
Isaac Mizrahi returns to Café Carlyle with his all-new show, The Marvelous Mr. Mizrahi, for a two-week residency, February 14-25. His previous residencies in the room were sellouts, receiving widespread critical acclaim. Accompanied by his band of jazz musicians led by Ben Waltzer, Mizrahi will perform a range of tunes from Arthur Freed to Grace Jones. The New York Times noted, “he qualifies as a founding father of a genre that fuses performance art, music and stand-up comedy.”
Isaac Mizrahi has worked extensively in the entertainment industry as a performer, host, writer, designer and producer for over 30 years. Along with his annual residency at Café Carlyle, Isaac has performed at various venues across the country such as Joe’s Pub, The Regency Ballroom, several City Winery locations nationwide and comes to the Carlyle fresh from his run as Amos Hart in the Broadway production of CHICAGO. He is the subject and co-creator of Unzipped, a documentary following the making of his Fall 1994 collection which received an award at the Sundance Film Festival. He hosted his own television talk show, “The Isaac Mizrahi Show” for seven years, has written three books, and has made countless appearances in movies and on television. He served as a judge on Project Runway: All-Stars for the series’ entire seven-season run.
Performances will take place at Café Carlyle from February 14-25(Tuesday-Saturday) at 8:45pm. Weekday pricing begins at $100 per person for General Seating, $150 per person for Premium Seating, and $85 per person for Bar Seating. Weekend pricing begins at $135 per person for General Seating, $185 per person for Premium Seating, and $100 per person for Bar Seating. Reservations can be made online via Tock. Café Carlyle is located in The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel (35 East 76th Street, at Madison Avenue).
Follow Café Carlyle on Instagram @cafecarlyle and Facebook for more information.