September 5, 2012
Actor Leslie Jordan Headlines Houston Oct. 13 'Fun'-Raiser
Steve Weinstein READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Don't tell "Will & Grace's" Karen, but that character's nemesis, Beverly Leslie, will be headlining a totally fun fund-raiser in Houston on Oct. 13.
Leslie Jordan, the "vertically challenged" (OK, short) actor who played Leslie, will be appearing at Sycamore Heights Bed & Breadfast in Houston's Heights district. The event marks the fifth annual Coming Out Party, one of the principal fund-raisers for local LGBT groups.
In addition to "Will & Grace," Jordan is well known for starring in the TV series "Hidden Palms," as well as Brother Boy in "Sordid Lives," which he also played on stage. Known for his infectious Southern drawl and wit, Jordan is an accomplished author and playwright.
I've had the good fortune to have seen his one-man theatrical memoir "My Trip Down the Pink Carpet" in New York, in which Jordan relates his experiences growing up gay in Tennessee and all of the fabulous people he's met in Hollywood. More recently, he has been touring to ecstatic reviews in another one-man autobiographical play, "Like a Dog on Linoleum," in which he discuss his father's death in a plane crash and his own battle with substance abuse. He also has won an Emmy for "Will & Grace."
Jordan, who has become a sort-of one-man advertisement for being totally and completely out in show business, thus makes a perfect match for a Coming Out Party. He will be participating and performing in a dinner at Sycamore Heights on Friday, Oct. 12.
On Saturday, Oct. 13, Jordan will perform part of his one-man show. He will be joined by several other entertainers, including a bevy of Bayou City drag queens. Tickets are only $30, which includes an open bar. There are also VIP tickets and ticket packages available.
The event is being sponsored by OutReach United and raises much-needed funds for the Montrose Counseling Center and the Pride Houston Scholarship Fun, among other worthy causes.
Get tickets (before they sell out!) at http://outreachunited.org. Fore more information email A.J. Mistretta at [email protected].
Be there, or, in Beverly Leslie's words, be filled "with gin and regret."
Steve Weinstein has been a regular correspondent for the International Herald Tribune, the Advocate, the Village Voice and Out. He has been covering the AIDS crisis since the early '80s, when he began his career. He is the author of "The Q Guide to Fire Island" (Alyson, 2007).
