Not since Liberace have we seen such unabashed queer showmanship!

At 7-feet or thereabouts, Leonid the Magnificent, formerly of Russia, currently of Brooklyn, brought down the house on America Has Talent – a sort of Gong Show crossed with Cirque du Soleil — that presents a summer-long American Idol-style competition, but with jugglers, bird-callers and at least one stocky man who got himself inside a big pink balloon (you had to be there).

Leonid is a sword balancer — sort of. He’s really Cher, with a Russian accent. He comes on stage near nude, with the sort of golden Adonis body reminiscent of pulpy gay-trade paperbacks of the Sixties — and, oh yeah, fucking angel wings!

We loved the way his act began as he walked toward the camera with hard, purposeful steps, crossing one leg over the other in the manner of a showgirl — to the string accompaniment of Feelings.

No, we haven’t been this catapulted out into the queer stratosphere since… well, since Siegfried and Roy raced the snow tiger around the stage in their sequined hot pants.

See the Magnificent Leonid for yourself: (more…)

Things To Do This Summer:

1. Do everyone who looks like a Glen Hanson illustration (right), and everybody who doesn’t. Get out there and spread the joy, boy!

2. Catch Project Runway from its first show, Wednesday, July 12, and never miss an episode. Can there ever be enough dizzy male designers breaking into showtunes as they cut along the bias and compete for the top spot? Exactly how obnoxious is the humorless Heidi Klum, the mistress of ceremonies whose pregnancy was forced on us last season in supposedly “edgy” maternity-wear? (No, gals, pregnant women are not all beautiful, no matter what you try to tell yourself.) And of course, Tim Gunn, who is always so earnest and prissy as he gives the budding designers his professional opinion before each competition. We love Tim. How could anyone not love him? How could anyone not want him as their personal ‘mo coach? (more…)