A Naked Cowboy President in 2012?

Robert Burck, New York's famous naked cowboy, is running for president in 2012. The official announcement is on his Web site, with imagery vaguely reminiscent of President Obama's trademark red white and blue sunrise from the 2008 campaign.

It's not yet known if the world-famous busker will campaign in just his underwear, a cowboy hat and a guitar, his trademark uniform on the streets of New York City, where's he's been singing and dancing for decades.

This won't be the first time the Naked Cowboy's thrown his hat in the political rodeo. According to the Associated Press, Burck ran for mayor of New York City in 2009. He also majored in political science at the University of Cincinnati.

The "Reverend Naked Cowboy" also performs marriages in Times Square, starting at $499.

When reached for comment, the naked cowboy's publicist/campaign manager, Todd Rubenstein, said that Burck won't be making any official statements until after his news conference announcing his run. That's taking place Wednesday in Times Square. Rubenstein made a point to remind us here at The Post that all press pass holders can join the naked cowboy after the event for FREE naked cowboy oysters & beer.(Now, that's a way to start a campaign for president.)

While we wait for the candidate's first words about his campaign, we're left with a brief statement in his online news release:

"America needs a president who believes in America. America needs a president who will stand up for America and protect its language, its borders, and most importantly, its culture ... "

And apparently, we need a president who will do that standing (and maybe singing, too?) in his underwear.

Yeehaw!

Reichen Lehmkuhl Talks About Life in New York City and on “The A List”

Reichen Lehmkuhl first came into the public eye when he and then-partner Chip Arndt won The Amazing Race as an openly gay couple. They later split and Reichen famously dated Lance Bass at the time when the former NSync singer came out publicly.

Reichen has written a book (Here’s What We’ll Say) and dabbled in acting (Dante’s Cove on Here! TV and the off-Broadway play My Big Gay Italian Wedding) and has now circled back to reality television as one of the stars of the new Logo series The A List which premiered last night.

He talked to Socialite Life about the new show and how it came about. Here is the interview:

Socialite Life: Hi Reichen! What are you up to?
Reichen Lehmkuhl: I'm shopping for an event. I'm receiving an award from the New York Liberal Democratic Club.

SL: Congratulations! And congratulations on the new show, I saw it and it's really entertaining.
Reichen: I can't wait to see it! (Laughs)

SL: How did you end up getting involved with The A List?
Reichen: Actually, it was a year ago in October, I was asked if I was willing to move to New York to do this show and at the time I couldn't just take off from Los Angeles, so I said "no". And then, this year I put on my Facebook that I was moving to New York to do an off-Broadway play and the same casting director saw it and asked me if I would come in and do an interview for the same show, because they still hadn't cast it yet and they still wanted to do it. So I came in and they put me on tape for Logo and then, three days later, they called me and said they're going forward with this show and they wanted me. It's pretty cool.

SL: You wrote a book about your experience as a gay man in the military, "Here's What We'll Say". Was it hard for you to come out and tell your story?
Reichen: You know, it was cool to write it because I was getting it all out - all of my thoughts and feelings. When I went to publish it, yeah, it got a little scary because I knew I was exposing the way LGBT people were treated behind the closed gates of the US military and service academies and I knew I was going to get some backlash from that. So it was something that I really had to keep a thick skin about and just do it.

SL: I heard that there may be a film version of your story in the works. Is that true?
Reichen: It is true. A production company in Los Angeles has just purchased rights to shop it around the Hollywood studios. They're in the process of doing that right now. A screenplay has already been adapted and it's brilliant. It's awesome. I've already read it and it's looking good right now.

SL: This show couldn't have arrived at a better time, with "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in the spotlight. How do you feel about Lady Gaga bringing the DADT issue front and center?
Reichen: I'm just so happy that Lady Gaga, who's probably the most well-known person in the world right now, would come out and support this cause that we've been fighting for so long - since 1993, when "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was born. I think she's kind of brand new to the cause to a lot of us, but it doesn't matter because she's using this huge voice that she has - bigger than any voice we've ever had - to bring attention to it, and that's what we need. The more that people are aware of the problem, the more it's going to get fixed - because the name "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" gives Americans this false feeling that everything's fine. If you just go in and don't say anything, no one's going to ask you and you can serve - but it's not like that at all. There's a horrible environment in the military of homophobia and discrimination and violence associated with homosexuality and someone can just accuse you of being gay, you didn't tell anyone and nobody asked you, but if someone accuses you of it, an investigation starts. So DADT does nothing and there's been over 14,000 discharges of gay people since DADT, so it tells you that the policy doesn't work.

SL: I know you're very involved in activism and advocacy for DADT organizations - in fact, you donate 10% of the profits from your Fly Naked jewelry line to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. Can you tell me a little bit more?
Reichen: All of my work with DADT is with the SLDN and the focus of my jewelry line is to bring more awareness to the issue and also to help the SLDN and that's why we 10% of the gross proceeds to fight the ban.

SL: What was your most awesome experience from being on The Amazing Race?
Reichen: My most awesome experience was running up that last hill and beating the second place team by seven minutes and having Phil Keoghan say "You just won a million dollars!" There's nothing like that!

SL: Aside from Amazing Race, you've done a lot of traveling. What do you think is a place everyone should put on their "bucket list" to visit?
Reichen: Everyone should go to the islands off of Cairns, Australia and charter a boat and dive for like three days on the Great Barrier Reef and stay on one of these amazing islands with perfect weather, the most beautiful water and just hang out there for a few days. I stayed on Bedarra Island for a week and it was probably the most heavenly vacation I've ever had in my life. I was truly relaxed. I laid in a hammock all of the time, looked out at the water and read books. It was so quiet and so nice.

SL: What is it about New York that is so appealing?
Reichen: Well, you know I always said up until this past April, when I moved here to do the play, that I loved New York City to visit, but I could never live there. And then, it's crazy, once you get an apartment here and you have a job here, and you feel a little settled and safe, it's amazing (laughs). You walk out your door and everything's at your fingertips. You can have anything you want, meet anyone you want at any hour of the day. There's so much energy here and people are so eager here to talk and get to know you and exchange ideas and I think people are very open here, compared to LA. People in LA are very nice but I think there's a lot of pressure in LA - and I kind of fell under this too - to always say everything in your life is just wonderful because having everything in your life being wonderful is what you depend on putting out there to make sure you keep getting work (laughs). Where here, I find more people are open about the everyday s**t that goes on in their lives.

SL: A lot of the first episode revolves around your work on the play (My Big Gay Italian Wedding). Was that a fun experience for you?
Reichen: It was a lot of pressure, but it was amazing. I know the show is probably going to show my weakest moments, because that's good TV, but I had to learn how to dance and learn to sing some of these songs and I ended up pulling through to the point where people told me, "Wow, you're good at this and you can really do this." It's cool to have that feeling of accomplishment.

SL: Is acting in the theater something you want to continue to pursue?
Reichen: Yeah. Right now, I'm really interested in this new play coming to Broadway called Yank! It's about a gay service member in the army during World War II. I've met with the producers and we're in initial talks about some sort of involvement that I could have in the play. If I don't have a part in the play, I want to be some sort of associate producer or a promoter because I think it's such a cool story and I want to be a part of it.

SL: We didn't get to see you actually sing or dance on The A List. Would you ever be interested on appearing on Dancing with the Stars?
Reichen: I'd love to do Dancing with the Stars. I think I would have to work harder than most people but I think I could make it work!

SL: You've done so much in your career already. Is there anything you haven't done yet that you really want to do?
Reichen: Yes. I think I want to get a little more personally political. I would love to run for office one day. I don't think in the next few years, but I want to get a little more serious and kind of study up on the legislative system in our country and, even if I do something on a local level, I think it would be cool to be politically involved - so I see that happening for me down the line. But right now, I'm really stimulated by theater and acting and the business of television - and especially reality television, which I think is the strongest and fastest-growing genre of entertainment right now and I feel so lucky to be a part of it.

SL: How do you feel about having cameras following your every move and having it all out there for the world to see - and comment on?
Reichen: Well, I've been through it a lot before, this is the fourth reality show I've done. People really scrutinize me and my life and I think I'm finally to the point where I'm doing and saying what I want to do and say and not worrying about what people think. Someone's always going to have a problem with what you do or say and there's always going to be someone who thinks you should have done it differently or better but, you know, everything you do, there's so many choices you have and the way that you do it. You just put yourself out there and hope that it's interesting enough for people to watch or relate to and that's what I'm doing.

SL: Out of everything you've done, what is your proudest accomplishment?
Reichen: My proudest accomplishment is definitely graduating from the Air Force Academy because it was really hard - it was the hardest four years of my life. Everyday was hard - not only because of the things I had to do - but just to mentally tell yourself not to quit for four years because it's everyday. You're always under the gun and, especially being in the closet, I had so many reasons to quit and I didn't - I stuck it out. My second greatest accomplishment is definitely writing my book because I wrote it myself on my laptop, with my own fingers and every word is mine and it's helping people. It makes me so happy to receive emails from people thanking me for writing it, they relate to it, they tell me "I can remember that happening to me" and it just feels awesome.

SL: One last quick question, what does the tattoo on your back say?
Reichen: It says "Only God can judge me". When I finally broke free of the very public relationship and break up I had, I was getting so concerned about what people were writing about me and I read lie after lie after lie and it horrible to be judged in such a mass audience type of way. I remember I was in Hawaii and I got inspired by those words and I went and had it stuck on my back so I'd remember it forever.

SL: What's next for you?
Reichen: This will make you laugh, because you've listed all of these things I've done, but I got a letter from this soldier in Afghanistan, actually a pilot, and he was telling me that he was in this unit that was very secret, under the gun and all of the communication in and out of the unit was being monitored by intelligence and he was gay. He couldn't write in emails or phone calls or even letters how he was feeling to his partner and neither could his partner. They couldn't communicate for a period of four months and it drove him crazy to the point where they didn't know if either one of them was still into the relationship. So when he sent me this letter, he had read my book when he got out of the unit and he thanked me for the book and for what I was doing with DADT - and the letter made me cry. I wrote a poem about it and my friend who read the poem said, "You should make this a song". So, I play the guitar - I've played since I was seven but I've never performed in public or anything, so I wrote this song, I wrote the music, wrote the lyrics and I played it for this music producer and he said "We're going to make this into a single". So we are recording this single now called "Up to the Sky" and we're even making a music video. So I have a hit single coming out with a music video!

You can keep up with Reichen via his website. And don't forget to watch the next episodes of The A List on Mondays at 10:00 pm (ET) on Logo.

Broadway's Revival of "Angels in America" has Gone into Production

About a month ago rehearsals for the Broadway revival of Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia commenced. It is based on the former Tony Award winning Best Play by playwright Tony Kushner and stars Zachary Quinto, Bill Heck, Billy Porter, and Christian Borle.

Performances have already begun and because the shows are selling out so quickly, the show’s run has been extended again until February 20, 2011.

Angels in America opens September 14th at Signature Theatre Company. This play, shown in two parts — Millennium Approaches and Perestroika — is set in the mid-1980s, both the Reagan years and the height of the AIDS epidemic in America.

Among the many roles the eight actors take on are a young gay man with AIDS, his frightened, unfaithful lover, his former drag queen nurse, a troubled Mormon couple, a steel-winged angel, a rabbi; a Reagan politico and Ethel Rosenberg.

If you're in New York this Fall or Winter, make sure you catch this sure-to-be hit!

Madonna Happy to Let Daughter Lourdes Take the Lead in Material Girl Line

It was a night of lace tights, skirts, and mother-daughter bonding for Madonna and daughter Lourdes Leon, 13, as they celebrated the launch of their Material Girl clothing line Wednesday night at Macy’s Herald Square in New York City.

Despite being a fashion icon, Madonna was content to take a backseat when it came to choosing the items for the Material Girl girl.

“Lola did most of the work. I just kind of hung out in the background and went, ‘That’s nice,’ but she pretty much did all of the work. I was just overseeing it,” she said.

But when your mom is Madonna and you’re creating a fashion line for teenage girls, it isn’t always that simple. “There are some definite pieces [inspired by my mom]. The tulle skirt because that’s like her thing—she made that. The necklaces, the gloves, the lace tights, the combat boots…that tough girly thing,” Lourdes told People Magazine.

As for the items in Mom’s closet that she covets most? “All of her shoes are ridiculous! I love to try on her [Christian] Louboutins,” she said.

Also on hand for the celebration was Material Girl face Taylor Momsen. “It was such an honor to be chosen by Madonna and Lola. They’re such talented people and I’m just ecstatic,” gushed the Gossip Girl star.

The night concluded with the three ladies gathering on the fourth floor of Macy’s, as dancers performed and a DJ spun many of Madonna’s songs.

“Lola has been so inspiring and it’s been so great to watch her focus, her determination.” Madonna said. “I’ve achieved many things in my life, but I have to say watching my daughter make her dreams come true and achieve her goals is more exciting than anything I’ve ever done

Tony Winner Alan Cumming, Studly Nick Adams and Others Heat Up Broadway Bares Benefit

Some of Broadway’s biggest stars played some “Strip-opoly” in New York City Sunday night to raise money for a good cause. Lucky for us!

Broadway Bares XX: "Strip-opoly" featured over 200 of New York's sexiest dancers at Broadway's hottest night in an event produced by and benefitting Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS. It was held Sunday, June 20th at Roseland Ballroom. Broadway Bares XX: "Strip-opoly" was produced by and benefits Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS.

The event was produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Executive Produced by Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell (Love Never Dies, Catch Me If You Can, Legally Blonde), and was directed by Josh Rhodes (The Drowsy Chaperone, Fosse).

The first Broadway Bares in 1992 featured seven dancers stripping at Splash bar and raised over $8,000. Since then, the 19 subsequent editions of Broadway Bares have collectively raised over $6 million to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and grown to a full-fledged production featuring over 200 of Broadway's sexiest dancers.

At this year's performance, Tony winner Alan Cumming kept most of his clothes on but got into the spirit of things with a dazzling look. Wearing next to nothing was Broadway’s best bod Nick Adams currently appearing in La Cage aux Folles.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is one of the nation's leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 BC/EFA has raised over $175 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.

BC/EFA is the major supporter of seven programs at The Actors' Fund - including The AIDS Initiative, The Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative, The Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic, The Dancers' Resource and three supportive housing residences. BC/EFA also awards annual grants to over 400 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide.

For more information, please visit the BC/EFA website at http://www.broadwaycares.org/. To see many, many more photos from this near-naked night, go to BroadwayWorld.com.

Times Square Showdown: Naked Cowboy vs. Naked Cowgirl

When last heard from, the Times Square tourist attraction known as the Naked Cowboy had tossed his 10-gallon hat into the political ring to unseat Mayor Michael Bloomberg, only to withdraw his candidacy.

Now, the Cowboy – real name: Robert Burck, 39 – wants to rope in some potential competition, the New York Post reports. The Cowboy's target: bikini-clad Sandy Kane, who calls herself "The Naked Cowgirl" and who also appears in Times Square.

Only unlike the Cowboy, who wears only boots, a hat and tighty whities, the Cowgirl often sports a stars-and-stripes cowboy hat and matching swimsuit.

"Your use of Naked Cowgirl is essentially identical to the Naked Cowboy and is clearly in violation [of the Naked Cowboy trademark]," reads a cease-and-desist letter Burck sent the Cowgirl, says the Post. He also told the paper, "If she's going to sell stuff and make money off of it, then, yeah, she's going to have to pay."

Burck is reportedly seeking as much as $150,000, though his manager, Todd Rubenstein, says their side is willing to negotiate a deal.

Only Kane, said to be 50-ish and from New Jersey, ain't willin' to wheel and deal. "I've been naked for years," points out Kane, a veteran of New York's comedy circuit who generated some heat after closing her act by setting her breasts on fire.

"You know how much money I make?" she tells the paper. "Two dollars a picture. I'm not selling any products."

Kane also notes that, before this duel, she and Burck were set to perform a duet, which apparently fell apart when he asked her to sign a franchise contract. "The song ain't going anywhere anyways," Kane insists. "It's not like he's Tim McGraw or Keith Urban."

Paparazzi!: All Hail the King (and Queen)

In what's become a annual ritual, a beaming Jennifer Lopez and husband Marc Anthony celebrate their Latin roots at the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City on Sunday.

The Tony Awards Winners!

The 'Great White Way' went Red on Sunday night when John Logan's Broadway hit landed the lion's share of honours at the 64th annual Tony Awards, including Best Play and Best Director.

The hit show, starring Brits Alfred Molina and Eddie Redmayne, picked up five awards at New York's Radio City Music Hall.

Bon Jovi star David Bryan's Memphis was also the toast of Broadway, picking up four awards - including the night's Best Musical honour. Fela! and La Cage aux Folles claimed only three of their 11 nominations each.

Onstage husband and wife Denzel Washington and Viola Davis were big winners, claiming the night's Best Actor and Actress prizes for a Play for Fences, which was also named Best Revival. Scarlett Johansson was a first-time Tony Awards winner for her Broadway debut in A View From The Bridge and Catherine Zeta-Jones was named Best Actress in a Musical.

Green Day's American Idiot was a double winner.

There were also special awards for British playwright Alan Ayckbourn and actors Marian Seldes and David Hyde Pierce.

The show was a true celebration of all things musical and theatrical with highlights including a show-stopping performance by Glee stars Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele, a dramatic rendition of Send in the Clowns by Zeta-Jones and stunning segments from hit musicals Fela! and La Cage aux Folles.

Green Day helped give the big show a rocking start as they performed two songs from their American Idiot musical.

It was couple's night in the audience with Johansson joined by husband Ryan Reynolds, Michael Douglas supporting his wife Zeta-Jones and Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith and Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith turning out.

Even Jay-z, who had performed at the Bonnaroo festival in Tennessee on Saturday, and his wife Beyonce dressed it up for a night at the theatre awards.

Host Sean Hayes was perfect, cracking jokes at the expense of some of his movie star audience members and dressing up as both Annie and Spider-Man for added laughs.

The 2010 Tony Award winners are:

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play - Scarlett Johansson (A View From The Bridge)
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play - Eddie Redmayne (Red)
Best Direction of a Play - Michael Grandage (Red)
Best Direction of a Musical - Terry Johnson (La Cage aux Folles)
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical - Katie Finneran (Promises, Promises)
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical - Levi Kreis (Million Dollar Quartet)
Best Costume Design of a Play - Catherine Zuber (The Royal Family)
Best Costume Design of a Musical - Marina Draghici (Fela!)
Best Lighting Design of a Musical - Kevin Adams (American Idiot)
Best Scenic Design of a Play - Christopher Oram (Red)
Best Scenic Design of a Musical - Christine Jones (American Idiot)
Best Lighting Design of a Play - Adam Cork (Red)
Best Sound Design of a Musical - Robert Kaplowitz (Fela!)
Best Performance by a Leading Lady in a Play - Viola Davis (Fences)
Best Performance by a Leading Man in a Play - Denzel Washington (Fences)
Lifetime Achievement Award - Alan Ayckbourn
Lifetime Achievement Award - Marian Seldes
Isabelle Stephenson Award - David Hyde Pierce
Best Orchestrations - David Bryan & Daryl Waters (Memphis)
Best Original Score - David Bryan & Joe Dipietro (Memphis)
Best Book of a Musical - Joe Dipietro (Memphis)
Best Choreography - Bill T. Jones (Fela!)
Best Revival of a Play - Fences
Best Play - Red
Best Revival of a Musical - La Cage aux Folles
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical - Catherine Zeta-Jones (A Little Night Music)
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical - Douglas Hodge (La Cage aux Folles)
Best Musical - Memphis

Paparazzi!: Daddy Duty

Proud papa Hugh Jackman follows son Oscar, 10, and daughter Ava, 4, as they race ahead during a New York City stroll Thursday.

Paparazzi!: Scoot Over

Who needs a cab? Apparently not Hugh Jackman, who hits the streets of New York City on a scooter Wednesday.

Sean Hayes Named Host of This Year's Tonys

Current Promises, Promises Tony nominee and past Will & Grace Emmy winner Sean Hayes will host June 13's 64th annual Tony Awards ceremony, CBS – which will broadcast the show live from Radio City Music Hall – announced Monday.

The Tonys honor Broadway's best. This year's top nominees include the musicals Fela!" and La Cage aux Folles, with 11 nods each, and the revival of the drama Fences, starring Denzel Washington, with 10.

"I am absolutely thrilled to be hosting the Tony Awards," Hayes, 39, said in a statement. "As the new guy on Broadway, it's an honor to be included in the established alumni."

Hayes was also the subject of a controversial Newsweek essay on April 26, in which journalist Ramin Setoodeh suggested that gay actors (Hayes has recently come out) could not be believed in straight roles. The reaction was swift and severe.

Hayes's Promises costar, Kristin Chenoweth, led the charge, labeling Setoodeh's position "moronic."

All-Star Roster

Besides Hayes and Washington, other familiar names nominated for Tonys this season include Jude Law in Hamlet; Alfred Molina, in Red; Liev Schreiber in A View from the Bridge; Christopher Walken in A Behanding in Spokane; Kelsey Grammer in La Cage; Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury in A Little Night Music; Linda Lavin in Collected Stories; and Valerie Harper in Looped.

For a complete list of nominees, visit the Tonys website.

2010 Drama Desk Awards unveiled: “La Cage Aux Folles” Wins Best Musical Revival

La Cage Aux Folles was named outstanding revival of a musical Sunday at the Drama Desk Awards while one of its stars, Douglas Hodge, won the lead actor in a musical revival prize beating out actor Nathan Lane (Addams Family) and Cheyenne Jackson (Finian’s Rainbow), among others.

Catherine Zeta-Jones (A Little Night Music) tied for the outstanding lead actress in a musical revival with Montego Glover (Memphis). Sondheim on Sondheim starring Vanessa Williams and Barbara Cook was named outstanding musical review.

Other winners include: John Logan, Red (outstanding play), Memphis (outstanding musical), A View From a Bridge and Fences (outstanding play – tie), Liev Schreiber (A View From a Bridge) was named best actor in a play and Jan Maxwell (The Royal Family) won best actress in a play.

For a full list of the winners, go to BroadwayWorld.com.

Paparazzi!: Perfect Pitch

Decked out in the winning team’s jersey, Glee hunk Matthew Morrison knocks it out of the park with a rousing rendition of the national anthem at New York’s Citi Field on Sunday. The New York Mets triumphed over the New York Yankees, 5 to 3.

You can hear Matthew's performance below:

The Tony Awards Nominations are in...

One thing not lacking on Broadway this season was star power – with such marquee names as Hugh Jackman, Daniel Craig, Scarlett Johansson, Liev Schreiber, Denzel Washington, Justin Bartha, Alicia Silverstone, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Christopher Walken, Jude Law, Sienna Miller Sean Hayes, Kelsey Grammer, Laura Linney and even Uncle Fester from The Addams Family packing in the crowds.

As for who among them will take home the Tony, the selection process narrowed Tuesday morning with the announcement of nominations by the American Theatre Wing, with the stirring musical Fela!, about Nigerian Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti, and the moving revival of La Cage Aux Folles, featuring pitch-perfect performances from Kelsey Grammer and British actor Douglas Hodge, outdistancing all other shows – with 11 nominations each.

Hot on their heels was the revival of August Wilson's Fences, starring nominees Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. It received 10 nominations.

In the field of leading actor in a play, besides Washington, are Jude Law in Hamlet; Alfred Molina, as the artist Mark Rothko, in Red,
Liev Schreiber in the revival of Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge and Christopher Walken in Martin McDonaugh's A Behanding in Spokane.

In addition to Viola Davis, the nominated leading actresses in a play are Valerie Harper as the late legend Tallulah Bankhead in Looped; Linda Lavin as a New York author in Donald Margulies's Collected Stories;
Laura Linney as a disillusioned journalist in Time Stands Still and Jan Maxwell as a member of a theatrical dynasty in the classic The Royal Family

Best play nominations went to In the Next Room, Next Fall, Red and Time Stands Still.

Sorry, Morticia and Gomez

In the best musical category, while the critically wounded The Addams Family managed to gain two nods, for supporting actor Kevin Chamberlain (who plays Fester) and for its score, it was basically shut out, with its stars, Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, ignored.

Also glaringly overlooked, in the straight play category, was Hugh Jackman in A Steady Rain, despite the box office – and sexual heat – both he and costar Daniel Craig generated during its limited run.

On happier notes, the best musical nominees are Green Day's American Idiot, Fela!, Memphis and Million Dollar Quartet, about a 1956 jam session starring Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley.

Lead actor in a musical nods went to Kelsey Grammer, La Cage Aux Folles; Sean Hayes, Promises, Promises; 
Douglas Hodge, La Cage Aux Folles;
 Chad Kimball, Memphis; and Sahr Ngaujah, Fela!

Lead actress in a musical nominees: Kate Baldwin, Finian's Rainbow;
 Montego Glover, Memphis;
 Christiane Noll, Ragtime;
 Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture; and
 Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music.

Other nominations worth noting are Scarlett Johansson's for featured actress in A View from the Bridge and two nominated musical featured actresses who long ago earned the stars on their dressing room doors (and already have Tonys on their mantles): Barbara Cook, the original Marian the Librarian in 1957's The Music Man, now in the running for her contribution to the new musical compendium Sondheim on Sondheim, and everybody's favorite, Angela Lansbury, who plays Catherine Zeta-Jones's mother in the revival of Sondheim's A Little Night Music.

For a complete list of nominations, go to the Tony Awards website.

The 64th annual Tony Awards will be telecast on CBS, live from Radio City Music Hall, on Sunday, June 13th, in a three-hour show beginning at 8 p.m. ET. No host has been announced as yet, though past emcees have included Jackman, Lansbury and Neil Patrick Harris.

Forget the Gowns! Lady Gaga Steals the Spotlight at Met Gala in Crystal Catsuit

While all eyes were on the glamorous gowns on the red carpet outside of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday night, inside the Costume Institute Gala, it was all about Lady Gaga who stole the show in sheer crystal catsuit.

Skipping the red carpet so she could prepare for her mini-concert, Gaga performed four songs in front of a New York City-themed backdrop–while clad in a crystal-encrusted catsuit by Giorgio Armani (who notably designed her Grammys ensembles).

The ensemble and the show had the star-studded audience tweeting away:

“GaGa singing beautifully at Met Ball. (she’s not the lamp post – underneath on the piano),” joked Jimmy Fallon.

Cash Warren, there with wife Jessica Alba raved about her performance. “Jess and I are front row center. Insane! She’s amazing,” Warren Tweeted, adding, “haven’t heard a voice that wonderful in person in a long time.”

Katy Perry joined in on the Gaga lovefest, Tweeting, “I love @ladygaga She’s still cool.”

Meanwhile, a Michael Kors-clad Brooke Shields said that the performance was one of the highlights of the night, “I love whenever I can see Lady Gaga.”

Paparazzi!: Fashion Idol

Adam Lambert sticks to the sidelines in New York City on Tuesday night during a fashion show for design duo The Blonds. The avant-garde American Idol star sat front row with a myriad of Manhattan fashion scenesters.

Lady Gaga Hits New York Like a Rocket

Lady Gaga sure didn't look – or sound – tired.

Following the cancellation of four previous shows due to exhaustion, the pop sensation unleashed a high-energy performance in New York Wednesday night as part of her Monster Ball Tour, and delivered the first of her four sold-out performances at Radio City Music Hall.

The singer, 23, put on quite the show for her hometown crowd, which included Sting, wife Trudie Styler, Donald Trump and, according to a source, Madonna and daughter Lourdes. She opened with "Dance in the Dark," wearing a costume featuring lightbulb-like adornments, followed by "Just Dance," with her playing a keytar and strutting onstage like a human disco ball.

"This, New York, is my first of four dates with you. So tonight I might not go all the way," Gaga teased her audience before making a sexually explicit remark that drew roars.

Concertgoers, many in their own outrageous Gaga-esque outfits, were equally tireless throughout the show. They were on their feet for the duration, dancing and singing, effectively transforming the iconic locale into a pulsating nightclub. Gaga balanced out the visual- and production-heavy show with her powerful voice in the ballad "Speechless" and a torchy revamp of "Poker Face."

Later, after putting a gay-friendly spin on "Boys Boys Boys" in a red bikini outfit, Gaga advised the crowd: "Don't you ever let anybody tell you that you can't be whatever you want. I was the little girl from New York that felt like a freak in high school."

Spanish Hotelier to Open Gay Hotel In New York

The Spanish hotelier Axel Hotels will bring its gay hotel chain to New York City in 2011, On Top Magazine has learned.

Axel currently operates “hetero-friendly” hotels in Barcelona, Berlin and Buenos Aires, considered the gay capital of South America. Visitors can choose between the typical “do not disturb” sign or the more risky “please disturb.”

In an email, Renate Siebenhofer, development director of the hotel chain, confirmed the group's plans to open its fourth five-star hotel in the U.S.

“We are pleased to inform you that we have been able to identify a site in New York we consider spot-on for our group: The AXEL HOTEL NEW YORK will be located in Hell's Kitchen and is slated to open its doors to the public in spring 2011,” Siebenhofer said.

New York City is increasingly courting the gay travel dollar.

Last year, in a marketing effort titled Rainbow Pilgrimage Campaign, the city spent $1.9 million to promote the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. The riots, which took place in Greenwich Village, are often credited with sparking the modern gay rights movement when patrons of the Stonewall Inn, mostly drag queens, rebelled against police harassment in 1969. Rioters violently fought back against officers over the course of several days.

Officials say an estimated 10 percent of the city's 47 million visitors in 2008 were lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

The hotel chain's ambitious plans include three additional U.S. hotels to be built in its most gay-friendly cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami.

Amsterdam, London, Paris and Miami are considered high priority projects, according to internal documents.

The gay and lesbian tourism market is red hot due in part to the fact that gays on average travel more often and spend more. A 2006 study by the U.S. Travel Association found that gay men spend an average of $260 more per trip than their straight counterparts.

Paparazzi!: New York State of Love

Even among the million-plus revelers crowded into New York City's Times Square, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony found a little space for romance under the bright lights.

Paparazzi!: Chilly Rihanna

Rihanna is all smiles in the snow as she rehearses in New York's Rockefeller Center in preparation for a segment for New Year's Eve with Carson Daly.