“They wanted me in the dress and the wig and to go in this giant arena
with Bill Gates and I said I don’t sell out the character. 
And then they told me what they were going to pay me,
and I said, ‘I’ll get the bitch’s dress on right now!”
– Dana Carvey’s response when asked to play the Church Lady at an event honoring Billy Gates.

Last week, El Presidente went to survey one of his latest acquisitions – The Kennedy Center.  He was accompanied by the press and had his photo taken in the presidential box, arms aloft as if some ersatz Evita Peron.  Make no mistake – he’s got big plans.  He shared some of them, along with his cultural taste.  “I never liked Hamilton very much.  I never liked it.  But we are going to have some really good shows.  Come here and watch it, and you’ll see over a period of time it will improve very greatly physically, and we’re going to get some very good shows.  The thing that does well as Broadway hits.”  He’s also considering hosting The Kennedy Center Honors himself, and perhaps even bestowing the award onto posthumous recipients.  I guess that means Liza still has a shot!

At roughly the same time, Harvey Fierstein talked about the same thing on social media.  “I have been banned from THE KENNEDY CENTER.”  He added, “I have been in the struggle for our civil rights for more than 50 years only to watch them snatched away by a man who actually couldn’t care less.  He does this stuff only to placate the religious right so they’ll look the other way as he savages our political system for his own glorification.”  One of the first people to respond was Richard Grenell, the Kennedy Center’s interim president.  “This is a total lie.  Whoever told you this (because you obviously didn’t do your own research) should be fired from your team for purposefully making you look foolish.  I, too, have been in the fight for equality for decades.  I’m the President of the Kennedy Center and first openly gay U.S. Cabinet official.  I was appointed by @DonaldJTrumpJr to both jobs.  You aren’t banned.  In fact, come do Hairspray or La Cage here at the Kennedy Center.  This is your personal invite.  Let’s meet.  If, however, you can’t handle diverse opinions and want to be inclusive of everyone, that is.”  First, I do hope he wasn’t hired by Donald Trump Jr. – unless he’s making some bold revelation.  Secondly, I would truly love to see El in the presidential box at a Fierstein show.  What a hoot!

Remember the big-screen remake of La Cage with Nathan Lane and Robin Williams?  The hotel that the couple owned in The Birdcage is getting quite a make-over.  The Raleigh Hotel in South Beach is poised to get a $1 billion facelift – which is pretty minor by SoBe standards.  It will be turned into a boutique hotel and luxury apartments called The Rosewood Hotel & Residences.  Allegedly, there’s already over $250 million in pre-sales.