Got 2 go disco: Village People's Randy Jones brings Christmas cheer

Few boy bands bring up the kind of iconic gay imagery associated with the legendary Village People. The disco group of the 1970s & 80s embodied both gay masculinity and the "party til you drop" era that preceded the AIDS crisis.

Now local entrepreneur Marc Huestis, himself becoming a show biz legend, brings Randy Jones, the VP's original cowboy, to the stage of the Castro Theatre. On Saturday, Dec. 22, at 7:30 p.m., Can't Stop the Music with Jones as special guest will be Huestis' 25th presentation at the Castro.

Huestis has been a fixture at the Castro for years. Long ago, he worked at the theatre as a concession attendant, though he had other plans. While many of his co-workers dreamt or talked about making films, Huestis picked up a camera and did it.

His productions like Whatever Happened to Susan Jane (1982), and Chuck Solomon: Coming of Age (1986), a biopic of Theatre Rhino's founder, became cult hits within the gay community. His groundbreaking documentary Sex Is (1993) played around the world and won awards. But Huestis found it increasingly difficult to obtain funding for his projects. So, 10 years ago, he returned to the Castro Theatre, this time as a promoter.

His shows, in which classic films screened with stars in attendance, became among the community's most highly anticipated events. No less than Hollywood legends Debbie Reynolds and Jane Russell have accepted his invitations. The late Ann Miller and the late Sandra Dee made their final public appearances for Huestis.

Now, to help celebrate the Christmas season, Huestis unearths a film that has its roots from within gay culture. In 1981, the Village People, riding high with numerous hit records and sold-out concerts, made their film debut in Can't Stop the Music. Huestis recalls attending an opening-day screening of the film at the now-demolished Regency Theatre on Polk Street. "I couldn't stop laughing," he says. "Every time I see a really good 'bad' movie, there's a special place in heaven that opens up. These are rare gems, and they are few and far between."

Randy Jones has been quite busy since the VP heyday. He recently narrated the Logo documentary When the Ocean Meets the Sky, and he's acted in a number of films. He has a role in the upcoming The Gentlemen. "It's a comedy about the Hollywood film business," he said in a recent e-mail to BAR. "I play a guy trying to get cast in a film by an important director. The film will show what I'll do to get the job."

Jones remains active in the music business. In 2008, he'll be touring to promote his new CD, Ticket to the World. On the disc, he performs songs by Neil Diamond, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Pet Shop Boys, Kylie Minogue and the Bee Gees.

He has fond memories of making Can't Stop the Music, and is still close pals with Valerie Perrine, the film's leading lady and a staunch supporter of the gay community. He also recalls the late Nancy Walker. Best known as Rhoda's Mom on TV, Walker made her debut as a director on the film.

Jones recalls a difficult day on the set when Walker set him at his ease. She took him aside and quipped, "Honey, just relax! A movie is nothing more than little pieces of shit pasted together to make something pretty for people to look at!"

He's proud to have been chosen as an Iconic Figure with a Moustache by www.Movember.com, a worldwide networking website that raises funds and awareness for prostate cancer.

Jones' Castro appearance looks to be quite a night. He will lead the audience in a sing-along of "YMCA," one of the VP's biggest hits. Then he'll sit down for an interview with Liam Mayclem of KPIX-TV. There will be an autograph-signing with Jones, plus performances by Anita Cocktail and Arturo Galster as Disco Patsy Cline. You wouldn't want to miss the naughty Hootchie Cootchie by SF Boylesque. And of course, Can't Stop the Music will screen on the giant Castro screen. Tickets are $27.50. They can be purchased at A Different Light Bookstore, 489 Castro, SF CA 94114. Or you can e-mail Marc Huestis, [email protected], or call him at (415) 863-0611.

Disco lives!

A Very Disco Christmas stars Randy Jones on Sat., Dec. 22, 7:30 p.m., Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St., SF.