TV: 'Upright's West Side Stories': MY TRIP DOWN THE PINK CARPET

BroadwayWorld.com, the premiere theatre site on the internet, is proud to continue its newest offering in the streaming video space. 'Upright's West Side Stories' chronicles the adventures Upright Cabaret producer/hosts Chris Isaacson and Shane Scheel as they travel the left coast in search of great theatre... and a few cocktails.  

Featuring talent from the Great White Way to the sandy beaches of LA, 'Upright's West Side Stories' takes you up close and personal with some of your favorite entertainers in show business.  

Recently, the boys of Upright Cabaret attended the L.A. premiere of Emmy Award winner Leslie Jordan's new show entitled "My Trip Down The Pink Carpet", and then sat down with Mr. Jordan and Director David Galligan to discuss the show, approaching off-Broadway run, and important social issues.

Despite his diminutive 4'11" frame, Leslie Jordan is a man with a giant propensity for scene stealing. Best known for his recurring (and Emmy-winning) role as Karen's nemesis, Beverley Leslie, on the groundbreaking series Will & Grace, Leslie Jordan delivers a truly fresh, laugh-out-loud take on Hollywood, fame, addiction, gay culture and learning to love yourself  in MY TRIP DOWN THE PINK CARPET which is premiering this Thursday, Dec 4, 2008 at theRenberg Theater at the Village before its off-Broadway run in New York in Spring '09. 

Directed by David Galligan, who staged the show from its original book of the same name, MY TRIP DOWN THE PINK CARPET is filled with comically overwrought childhood agonies, revealing celebrity encounters (sharing a cell with Robert Downey Jr. or being Luke Perry's neighbor), gypsies in Romania, and of course, Leslie's delicious stories that never disappoint.   

Raised in a highly conservative, deeply religious family in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Leslie--who describes himself as "the gayest man I know"--boarded a Greyhound bus bound for LA and never looked back. His impish mug, pocket-sized physique, and inescapable talent for high camp made him highly marketable in commercials, and television was the next logical step. Along the way he immersed himself in writing for the stage, and his one-man testimonials, such as "Hysterical Blindness" and "Like a Dog on Linoleum" have become cult off-Broadway hits. But fame came at a price. A self-proclaimed alcohol and substance abuser , Leslie spent jail time more than once, and had to face his inner demons before he was able to reach a full recovery and reap the rewards of his success.   

Honest, heartfelt and hilarious MY TRIP DOWN THE PINK CARPET is a look at the life at an icon in the gay community and one of televisions beloved stars.

"Leslie Jordan's 'My Trip Down the Pink Carpet'" 
 
12/4-6, 11-14, 18-21/08, Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 8:00pm (Sunday at 7:00pm) 
 
The Renberg Theater at the Village 
1125 N. McCadden Place 
Los Angeles 90038 
 
Free parking. 
 
Tickets on sale now at 
www.lagaycenter.org/boxoffice or www.thelesliejordan.com/tour 

For more information about Chris, Shane and the Upright Cabaret visit www.uprightcabaret.com.