The cultural sensation that is ‘Bridgerton’ has brought Dazzler of the Day Regé-Jean Page to the pop culture forefront, and there he sparkles with the charismatic magic that has made him an instant star. I have’t yet had the pleasure of indulging in ‘Bridgeton’ but it’s on my long list of hopeful viewing options, thanks in no small part to Monsieur Page.
“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” ~
Dr. Angela Y. Davis lifts the entire concept of Dazzler of the Day into something more noble and powerful than I could have envisioned, and so it is with grave humility that I offer this little bit of honor that any human can bestow upon another in my admiration and appreciation for the work and courage and defiance she has used to push forward the rights of everyone. Dr. Davis also attended Brandeis University early in her educational journey, something that told me it was a very good place to matriculate. Rather than expound upon her brilliance in my limited ability, I’m relieved to let her words speak her truth – a universal truth that some are only just beginning to realize.
“Sometimes we have to do the work even though we don’t yet see a glimmer on the horizon that it’s actually going to be possible.” ~
“Everyone is familiar with the slogan “The personal is political” — not only that what we experience on a personal level has profound political implications, but that our interior lives, our emotional lives are very much informed by ideology. We oftentimes do the work of the state in and through our interior lives. What we often assume belongs most intimately to ourselves and to our emotional life has been produced elsewhere and has been recruited to do the work of racism and repression.” ~
“In a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.” ~
When the pandemic turned the entertainment world as we once knew it upside down, shuttering theaters and stages and making gatherings of all kinds suddenly dangerous and undesirable, artists had to find new ways to express themselves, and the more resourceful survivors among us took interesting turns, delving into new media entirely to satisfy the very real need to create, to inspire, to share and to thrill. Ryan Landry took a lifetime of live-entertainment and began painting, allowing for a different sort of visual expression that managed to be just as scintillating, with the same wink and wit for which his stage shows were so rightly renowned and revered. Far from letting COVID conquer him or his spirit, he simply regrouped and reinvented himself, and not for the first time.
Born in California, Landry cut his artistic fangs and danced with his personal demons in New York and Miami, before finding key inspiration in New Orleans, Boston and Provincetown, and his Warholian personality is a gleeful amalgamation of all those places. I remember when I first moved to Boston in 1995, he and his troop of Gold Dust Orphans were embarking on the start of a multi-decade run as one of the most fascinating and raw theater troupes the world has ever been blessed to witness, and in the ensuing years when I moved out of Boston I’d still get notice and watch gleefully from afar the announcements for their annual productions.
While painting in Provincetown currently occupies his time and talent, one gets the feeling that there are more chapters yet to be written, that Landry is merely biding his time for more spectacular moments in a lifetime and career of sparkling highlights. These days he has distilled the creative restlessness that drove him for so many years into a more calm entity, one that has found a certain peace from the torments that haunt so many artistic souls. The best part is that he is all the more fascinating for it, as illustrated in a recent birthday post which I am posting here. Because it exemplifies the hard-won wisdom that some of us still seek to find. Today, Ryan Landry is named the Dazzler of the Day for all these reasons and more. {For additional enchantment, and to follow where this colorful road may lead, visit his website at www.ryanlandryfactory.com.}
THE BIRTHDAY PRESENT by Ryan Landry
It’s been a long, hard road but I can now truly say that I have finally reached that strange age where I may indeed be “happy”. (Crowd gasps and so do I.) Where life was once a popularity contest I no longer feel the need to get my name on the ballot. Dumb remarks from strangers (and sometimes even friends!) that once cut me to the bone are now simply met with a bemused, yet sincere smile. A semi-sad reminder that this person (no matter how long the relationship) may have never taken the opportunity to get to know someone that I can personally say I’m pretty fond of… Me!
Is this what it’s like to feel “secure”?
Once I gathered others around me for selfish reasons, (mostly for shelter) clinging to them for dear life. I am now able to stop, look them straight in the eye and let go. They are free to leave the circle and the real joy comes from watching them come back.
In short I know myself now. Fully. I say this because I have been enormously insecure for most of my life. A crippling insecurity that has unfortunately kept me from enjoying and appreciating so many wonders that life shows only to those with open eyes. There are things that I would change about myself physically of course. (God knows I should exercise more and I am calling on the Gods to help in this quest! lol) But inside… I want so badly to explain it to you….
If you are young and still going through all the drama that THAT entails I would like to pass on a little something if I might. Allow me to share with you this gentle joy I now know. It’s a tiny comfort, a small but mighty strength that I hold in my heart today. I guess when you get right down to it, the bottom line, the very core of life is nothing more than a cliche and that’s probably because it’s true. This “secret to happiness” is nothing more than passing by a mirror on your way out the door, suddenly stopping as if by an unseen hand, turning your head to your own reflection and watching as the shape of a smile comes from God knows where and cleanses your face.
It’s that pure, almost holy smile that you get from knowing without a doubt that you are loved.
Thank you all for the kindness and love you have shown me.
I promise it will not go to waste. xxx ~ Ryan
Not to put too-fine of a point on how ageless I am, it needs to be disclosed that I once babysat Calvin and I used to play cards with the grandmother of Bryan. So yes, I go way back with these two Dazzlers of the Day. Today they are launching Stepbrothers – a far and triumphant cry from the little kids I remember quite fondly, and a bold evolution of their training brand. Calvin and Bryan have been honing their unique brand of fitness and wellness for well over a decade ~ their knowledge, experience, and camaraderie combine for the powerful synergy of inspiration and aspiration that personifies the best kind of trainers.
Visit their new website for available fitness plans and an extensive menu of options for anyone looking to forge a healthier lifestyle.
From www.trainsb.com: Stepbrothers is a health and wellness company organized by two fitness coaches who’ve made it their priority to empower others and create a community of strong and like minded individuals. Stepbrothers offer 15 years of experienced coaching within the fitness industry and pride themselves in their abilities to instill the importance of hard work and discipline into everyday people while being able to enjoy and embrace the journey.
With our #TRAINSB program, we’re aiming to bring more flexibility around our workouts, while keeping the same energy and community we do with our in-person PT sessions. The result is a fully customized workout and nutrition plan, that adapts to your goals, schedule and needs.
There aren’t enough fancy superlatives in existence to properly give appreciation for this Dazzler of the Day: Dolly Parton. The name alone conjures myriad images of admiration and unabashed adoration and love. Dolly has done no conceivable wrong for decades, an almost -impossible feat in today’s world of celebrity. It’s thanks to her formidable talent coupled with a down-to-earth understanding of who she is that has enabled her to flourish in fields far too numerous too mention, and in such successful form as to render a full and proper description of her highlights the stuff of multi-volumed biographies.
For me, my fandom boils down to her acceptance of people as worthy of equality across the board, no matter who you are or where you came from or what you believe. That and her two stunning scene-stealing roles in classics that defined and bookended the 80’s: ‘9 to 5’ and ‘Steel Magnolias’ – each a gay boy’s dream and mandatory chapter in the ‘How To be Gay’ manual.
Dolly’s popularity stretches across the world, and her fans run the gamut from the aforementioned gays to the traditional country music appreciators to the philanthropic-minded community. She was recently offered a statue celebrating her in Tennessee I believe – but politely declined saying it would distract from the more pressing issues at hand. That is grace. That is humility. That is a human being using her compassion to bring others up rather than raise herself higher. Not that she needs further exaltation – she is one of the most beloved entertainers the world has ever known, and her legacy is already signed, sealed and delivered no matter what other remarkable feats she will likely perform in the years to come. That’s part of her enduring appeal – the possibility of something even more astounding around the corner. And so Dolly Parton is our Dazzler of the Day – she practically personifies what this feature is all about – dazzling star power, soul-stirring compassion, and the consistent desire to make the world a better and more fabulous place.
One of the most fascinating spaces that human beings can occupy is the place where art, science, and design meet. Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, our Dazzler of the Day, exemplifies the power that this magical crux can produce. Her recent artwork for the ‘I Still Believe In Our City’ campaign highlights the mounting racism raging against Asian Americans, while working to heal those wounds with hope and beauty.
Ms. Phingbodhipakkiya comes from both the scientific and artistic worlds, where a promising passion for ballet was derailed by a skiing accident. After that point she turned to studying neuroscience and researching Alzheimer’s before returning to the artistic world through design and education. The connections between science and art have long flourished beneath the surface – a connection that both scientists and artists intrinsically seem to understand, but that is often lost on the viewer or general public. Phingbodhipakkiya puts this connection front and center in much of her work, simultaneously challenging and celebrating all the ways in which they are intertwined.
Even more powerful is when this sort of work collides with society, as seen thrillingly through her ‘I Still Believe In Our City’ project, which has taken New York by colorful storm in this stunning subway series designed to illuminate the rising anti-Asian racism in the age of COVID-19 and rampant disinformation.
Her work is instantly impactful, vibrant with strong, saturated blocks of color, and features a gloriously diverse array of people – a celebration of the women and people of color Phingbodhipakkiya has sought to highlight in her various fields, particularly in the STEM world. Such representation is vital in telling the many stories of contributions and advancements made by the heretofore-unheralded. Making those who have traditionally been invisible into a visible and potent life-force takes the sort of powerful alchemy that Phingbodhipakkiya explores with striking results.
Visit her website here for a more comprehensive collection of her many accomplishments.
Fresh from her stunning and spellbinding performance delivering the Inaugural poem for President Biden, our Dazzler of the Day is poet Amanda Gordon. She makes history as the youngest inaugural poet, and her book of poetry ‘The Hill We Climb’ will be available this fall. Until then, we have her glorious words and her brilliant voice, lifting up our country when we needed it the most. This is the epitome of what it means to be dazzling.
{See TheAmandaGordon.com for more inspiration.}
For our second outing of dazzlement, Mike Heslin is crowned Dazzler of the Day thanks to his recent hit ‘The Influencers’ in which he wears just about every hat possible. Hailing from California, he’s got an impressive Boston background thanks to a degree from the Boston Conservatory and work at A.R.T. where the genius of Diane Paulus produced such brilliant moments. Any friend of Boston is a friend of mine. Heslin looks to carry out his own brand of brilliance, and in every realm of entertainment that the current madness of the world allows. A deeper dive into his accomplishment may be found at his enchanting website: https://www.mikeheslin.com
Mike Heslin is a director, writer, producer, and actor whose work has appeared on screens and stages across the country. He is the creator, writer, director and performs in the new series ‘The Influencers’ – a scripted mockumentary which follows six social media “stars” vying for a dream brand deal, now streaming on Prime Video.
A California native who made his way to the East Coast to earn a BFA with an emphasis in Directing from the Boston Conservatory, Mike can be seen in the film ‘I Dream Too Much’ (SXSW/Attic Light Films – EP Richard Linklater), on TVLand’s Younger, and in Lifetime’s ‘I love You But I Lied.’ On stage, Mike has appeared in the national tour of the Tony Award-Winning play ‘War Horse’, as well as in ‘Mamma Mia’ and Diane Paulus’s ‘The Donkey Show’ at A.R.T.
He is also known for playing the smooth talking Rupert in ‘Boy•Friends’, a new digital comedy based on the popular and acclaimed web series ‘My Gay Roommate’, which Heslin also produced.
Mike is the proud Co-Founder of Well-Versed Entertainment, a full-service production house, overseeing everything from initial concept and development through production and post-production.
There are only a few times when cultural milestones and artistic talent merge into one magnificent moment of synergistic beauty and power. This image by Glen Hanson is one such magical burst of the kind of kismet that is all too rare, and all the more exquisite for it. Inspired by the recent inauguration of President Biden, it features the powerful women that played as much a part (maybe more?) in his victory as he did.
Artist Glen Hanson is no stranger to powerful images, striking combinations of color and cunning detail, while capturing the essence of the subject and somehow imbuing it with a new grace and potency that conveys the original while adding an extra level of fabulousness. Hanson’s artwork has long impressed me, and just about everyone else. He takes caricature to a whole new art form, managing to convey exactly who he is depicting and somehow revealing a little more truth to who they are, perhaps more than even the subject realizes. That takes an understanding of beauty, the talent to cull those features that are most telling, and the delicate art of judicious editing that eliminates distractions, distilling an image to its most primal and evocative elements.
Glen Hanson is also our very first Dazzler of the Day – the magnificent sort of creature who takes the place of our former Hunk of the Day feature, opening up this space for something that transcends the label of ‘hunk’ into something more expansive that allows for every single one of us to dazzle. And what an impressive cherry-popping endeavor Hanson has undertaken, but in the words of Reading Rainbow, you don’t have to take my word for it. Here’s part of his impressive bio from his own website:
From the runways of Milan, to Animated TV shows, magazine racks, toy stores, book shelves and even the fragrance isle of your local drug store, Glen Hanson’s witty, stylish and sexy imagery is everywhere!
Over the course of his multifaceted career, Glen has predominantly divided his time between the two worlds of illustration and animation.
His illustrations have appeared in a variety of publications around the world including BRITISH VOGUE and GQ, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, NEWSWEEK, THE WALL ST. JOURNAL, MAXIM, VARIETY and D.C. COMICS and on book covers for RANDOM HOUSE, KENSINGTON, HARLEQUIN, and most recently, the popular “GODDESS GIRLS” series for SIMON & SCHUSTER.
His roster of advertising clients includes TIMEX, GRAND MARNIER, McDonald’s, and SUNSILK shampoo. His development illustrations for MATTEL’S “MONSTER HIGH” dolls set the tone for the brand on packaging, design and the animated spin off. He has created poster images for the Off-Broadway hit musical “ALTAR BOYZ”, Seth Rudetsky’s “SETH’S BIG FAT BROADWAY SHOW” and the play “MISS ABIGAIL’S GUIDE TO DATING, MATING and MARRIAGE”, on CD covers for House Music Label PURPLE MUSIC and BLINK 182’s “THE MARK, TOM and TRAVIS SHOW” for which Glen was awarded a certificate of excellence from the AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF GRAPHIC ARTS.
Throughout North America, Glen’s images adorn gift set boxes and print ads for BOD men’s and women’s fragrance products. They have also appeared on the runways of Milan on a series of t-shirts as part of the spring and fall ’05 collections of European men’s wear designer, ANDREW MACKENZIE. Ads designed by Glen for those collections were featured in both L’UOMO VOGUE and FLAUNT magazines. REV JEANS Italy as well hired him to create a line of sexy t-shirt images and NYC based designer KARA ROSS has used his fashion illustrations to promote her line of high end accessories.
In Animation, Glen started out by designing characters for TV’s BABAR, BEETLEJUICE and DARIA cartoon shows. In 2000 he was nominated for an ANNIE AWARD for his art direction and design on MTV’s internationally syndicated SPY GROOVE series. He has since developed shows for NICKELODEON, FILM ROMAN, STUDIO B, and DISNEY. He co-wrote, designed and storyboarded a series of animated promo spots for SOAP NET entitled “CRESCENT HOLLOW” and in 2009 he combined all his talents to direct, design and storyboard the animated music video “GHOST TOWN” for UNIVERSAL MUSIC recording artists SHINY TOY GUNS.
Whatever the medium, Glen brings his unique talent, passion and enthusiasm to everything he creates… writing comics and TV shows, conceptualizing visual merchandise and campaigns for entertainment or corporate clients, or just capturing the likenesses of the famous and the fabulous with his signature style.
{Find more of Hanson’s brilliance at this website: http://www.glenhanson.com/index.php}
