Exotic Caribbean

Nikki Blonsky

HAIRSPRAY marked the professional debut of eighteen-year-old Nikki Blonsky, amongst a cast including John Travolta, Queen Latifah and Michelle Pfeiffer.

Nikki was born and raised in Great Neck, Long Island, New York.  Although she graduated from the Great Neck Village School in January, 2006, she received all her dramatic and musical training at Great Neck South High School, which is a four-time Grammy Foundation Signature School, with its most recent honor bestowed in 2005.

Nikki’s high school performing credits include ‘Madame Tanardeau’ in Les Miserables, ‘Mrs. Lovett’ in Sweeney Todd, ‘Kate’ in Kiss Me, Kate, ‘Rebecca Hillicker’ in The Laramie Project and the title role in Bizet’s Carmen, which was performed entirely in French.

She has sung for many organizations and events in and around the Long Island, New York area, including an original song for 2002 Olympic gold medalist figure skater Sarah Hughes’ homecoming parade in Great Neck.

Nikki is a regular volunteer and supporter of the Special Olympics.  At last year’s New York state games, which were held at Hofstra University and presided over by New York Senator Charles Schumer, Nikki had the honor of singing the National Anthem at the opening ceremonies.  It was an especially moving experience for her, as the 3,000 Olympians in attendance began to sing along with her.

She is also a published poet, having written an original piece in honor of Jonathan Lee Ielpi, a member of the Fire Department of New York and a volunteer firefighter at Great Neck’s "Vigilant" Fire Department, who was killed in the September 11th World Trade Center tragedy.

Nikki will next be seen in the independent film, “Harold,” in which she stars with Spencer Breslin, Colin Quinn and Ally Sheedy and will be released Summer ’08.

Nikki quit her day job scooping ice cream at the local Cold Stone Creamery in Great Neck in June when she found out she had won the role of Tracy Turnblad in HAIRSPRAY.  She still lives in Great Neck with her family.

Judy Tenuta

Judy Tenuta is the most famous person that ever lived. If you don't believe it just ask her! The stand-up comic/actress who describes herself as a "multi-media Bondage Goddess" and "the Aphrodite of the Accordion", is actually a caring nurturer who wakes up at 8PM to verbally abuse countless herds of mortal swine (her audience) and converts them to her signature religion "Judyism". Her fans ranging from fetuses to fossils, gays to geishas, all beg to chew her gum and kiss her feet because she is the only fun-feminist who preaches that all women should be worshipped as "Love Goddesses", and all men have an equal opportunity to become her furniture.....It could happen!

Judy hit the stage in long flowing "goddess gowns", and took a bite out of the Big Apple. She was the very first stand-up to win "Best Female Comedian" at the American Comedy Awards. That same year she became the national spokesperson for a series of Diet Dr. Pepper commercials where she proclaimed "You can't get a body like mine in a bottle unless you push real hard."

Judy has starred in her own HBO, Showtime, and Lifetime Specials and has been seen on every major talk show. Most recently she was a special correspondent for "American Journal", and "Entertainment Tonight," where she conducted interviews with such celebrated public figures as Donald Trump and Reverend Jesse Jackson.  Judy has also had two smash comedy CD's and has been nominated twice for Grammy Awards for her "Attention Butt-Pirates and Lesbetarians", and "In Goddess We Trust". She is also the author of "The Power of Judyism" (Harper-Collins).

Judy has produced and starred in her own feature film, "Desperation Blvd." A romantic comedy about a former child star who stops at nothing to make a comeback. This hilarious but touching film costars Academy Award nominated actor Michael Lerner, Erin Moran, Will Shriner, and Weird Al Yankovic.
Some of her recent roles include...
* An ex-show girl turned wedding chaplain on "General Hospital"
* A self-absorbed group therapist in the indy film "10 Attitudes and a Date"

www.judytenuta.com

Suzanne Westenhoefer

Fearless.  Bold.  Sparkly.  Hilarious. That’s Suzanne Westenhoefer in a nutshell. She’s made a career out of telling the truth.  And, the truth is, life is funny (and no one is off limits).  From her sister’s obsession with “Passion of the Christ” to her girlfriend’s Herculean thighs, Suzanne tells stories that leave audiences in stitches.

Suzanne works mostly unscripted, so when she hits the stage it’s an unpredictable, original night of comedy magic.  Since winning her first comedy competition on a dare in the early 1990’s, Suzanne’s career has taken off.

In the summer of 2006, Suzanne starred nightly on the GSN’s remake of the classic game show, “I’ve Got A Secret,” entertaining audiences as the “token girl” on a hilarious all-gay panel with ex-Major League Baseball player Billy Bean, radio icon Frank DeCaro and Broadway’s Jermaine Taylor.  Currently, Suzanne is making a documentary for LOGO TV with All Out Films and writing her first book.

The first openly gay comedian in New York, Suzanne did gay material to straight audiences in mainstream comedy clubs.  She was the first lesbian comedian to garner an HBO Comedy Special, which earned her a Cable Ace Award nomination.

On land or at sea, Suzanne delights audiences with over 100 performances a year at theatres, clubs, colleges, fundraisers and cruise and resort vacations (Olivia and RSVP Vacations).  Touring with the Indigo Girls and Ani DiFranco made Suzanne wish she¹d been born a rock star.

www.SuzanneW.com

Your hosts for the cruise include two of the funniest, most talented, openly gay men around. Danny Williams has shared his energy and spirit on practically every event RSVP has done over the past 20 years. Paul J. Williams, no stranger to RSVP, is a consummate humorist who brings laughter to audiences both large and small. Between the two of them, they’ll keep you informed, involved and in great spirits as you travel the seas with RSVP.

Danny Williams

Danny first became known as an entertainer when he released his hit record, “Castro Boy”.  He has performed stand-up throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including the legendary Valencia Rose, and in clubs all over the United States and Canada.  He won the Cabaret Gold Award for Outstanding Male Comic three times, the Cable Car Award for Entertainer of the Year and the Gay Community Award for Male Entertainer of the Year five times.  Danny has always been very committed to raising funds for the Gay and Lesbian Community.  For his fundraising efforts, he was honored to receive the Harvey Milk Award for Community Service.  He has MC’d hundreds of events and from that developed his style of ad-libbing. 

Danny began working for RSVP in 1989 on a cruise sailing from New Orleans on the Bermuda Star.  Danny has been with RSVP for twenty years participating in over 150 cruises and land programs throughout the world.  RSVP changed Danny’s life in many ways – in fact, he even met his partner, Brian Moser, on an RSVP cruise.  With the exception of performing at benefits, Danny feels MC’ing the RSVP cruises has been the most satisfying thing he has ever done as an entertainer.  Because of RSVP he has met the most amazing people on the planet.  Danny is very grateful for all the support RSVP guests have given him over the years. 

www.myspace.com/psdannywilliams

Paul J Williams

Paul J. Williams is beginning his third year with RSVP Vacations as one of their Hosts and MCs, having started off as one of RSVP’s headline comedians.  Whether he is hosting main stage shows, pool games or “Church Bingo” as his alter-ego, Sister Helen Holy, Paul J. brings laughter and smiles to every cruise.  He frequently works as a Host / MC for various LGBT and charitable organizations and appears around the country in his one-man show, Dishing It Out.  Paul J. is triple-threat actor / singer / comedian, surprisingly shy at times; he’s single and is a proud resident of Dallas, Texas.

Check him out at www.PaulJWilliams.com

Amy Armstrong and Freddy Allen

Of all the entertainers performing today, Amy Armstrong and Freddy Allen are the ones standing out above the rest.  This Chicago-based “Dynamic Duo” has been captivating audiences for over ten years performing in cities coast-to-coast, including Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, Key West, San Francisco, St. Paul, Seattle, Detroit, Saugatuck, Provincetown, Denver, Puerto Vallarta, Ft. Lauderdale, Grand Rapids and Chicago.  In 1998, their travels took them to Denmark where they were the featured artists at Copenhagen’s New Years Concert.  They have been the opening act for several familiar names including Mary Wilson and the Supremes, Phyllis Diller, Bea Arthur, Jennifer Holiday, Judy Tenuta, Lois Bromfeld and Judy Gold.  For over eight years, they have been considered as one of the most popular cabaret acts for RSVP Vacations.

When Amy and Freddy are not on tour, they perform around their hometown of Chicago.  They are also proud to be featured entertainers for the University of Illinois GLBT Program.

Originally from Detroit, Amy has been a professional entertainer since she was a young child.  Her powerful and soulful voice mesmerizes listeners while her hilarious and risqué humor keeps them doubled over in laughter.  Amy made her home in Chicago in 1995 and quickly became one of the Windy City’s hottest talents.

Freddy, Amy’s pianist and music director, has been a professional musician for over twenty years.  After moving from St. Louis in 1995, Freddy successfully made his name as one of Chicago’s most well known pianists.  When he is not performing with Amy, Freddy works as a free-lance musician and teaches piano and voice.

Amy and Freddy have produced four very successful albums: Amy and Freddy – the Debut, Life Is A Cabaret, Naturally Flawless and Feeling Good.  All of the recordings have been recognized nationally, and have received rave reviews.

Amy’s beautiful voice, edgy humor and quick wit, combined with Freddy’s impeccable musical arrangements and sly repartee creates an evening of enjoyable and unforgettable entertainment.

www.AmyFreddy.com

Peter Donnelly

Peter Donnelly is an award winning songwriter, performer and recording artist.  With crystal clear and precise vocal clarity, he weaves lyric and melody with dexterity and artistry.  His moving and infectious live performance blends warm songs reflecting contemporary topics, expertly melded with anecdotes about life’s little comedic circumstances, making for an intimate, very humorous and thoroughly memorable evening.

Donnelly is the creator and host of the Coffeehouse at the Mews in Provincetown, now in its 18 th season.  He was also the founder and member of the musical trio Comfortable Shoes which enjoyed a national following for six years and backed up Bebe Neuwirth at Carnegie Hall for a benefit performance for the New York Pops.  His latest project, the Big Taboo, is a gay men’s songwriter’s festival which takes place annually in Provincetown and draws songwriters and their fans from across the country.  Donnelly has three recordings of original songs and has had three songs featured in independent films.  He has songs on several compilation recordings along with artists such as Janis Ian and Patty Larkin to mention a few.

www.peterdonnelly.com

The Sundance Association

RSVP welcomes The Sundance Association for Country-Western Dancing on board, as they bring a full schedule of two-stepping and line dancing lessons and dances open to all passengers. Lessons will be provided on three different days, catering both to novices and advanced dancers, with two-step and waltz instruction by Troy Inman of Atlanta and Lee Fox of Ft. Lauderdale, and line dance instruction with Dave Hayes of San Francisco. Then come on out for country-western dancing every evening with DJ's John Hoffman and Ingu Yun direct from the world-renowned Sundance Saloon in San Francisco. The Sundance Association is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that produces the twice-weekly Sundance Saloon, and the annual country-western dance weekend, the Sundance Stompede. For more info: www.sundancesaloon.org.

Eric Nilson

Eric J. Nilson is a Managing Director – Investment Officer at Wachovia Securities.  He specializes in working with the GLBT community nationwide, and has taught numerous lectures around the country on the financial markets, as well as for the Wharton School of Business’ CEBS program, and has been a guest lecturer on Royal Viking Lines, Ocean Cruise Lines, and RSVP Vacations.  In addition, he is the Chair of the Finance Committee for GLSEN, has been a guest on the CBS Radio Network, and is the past president of the Oberlin College Alumni Association and a Trustee of the Hermes Foundation.  He has been featured in FORTUNE, NORTHERN OHIO LIVE and ON WALL STREET magazines.

Neil Giuliano

Neil G. Giuliano serves as President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

Prior to GLAAD, Mr. Giuliano served for ten years as the mayor of Tempe, Arizona (1994-2004) and also had a 25-year career as a senior administrator at Arizona State University (ASU), the largest public university in the United States. His posts with ASU included directing student leadership development, alumni relations, federal government relations and community relations. Mr. Giuliano also served as lead organizer and co-chair for the final 2004 Presidential Debate held at ASU.

As mayor of one of the largest cities in the generally conservative state of Arizona, Mr. Giuliano was among the nation's most visible openly gay elected officials, whose track record of successful coalition building won him endorsement by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and overwhelming public support. He was active with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, served on the Board of Directors and as Vice-Chair of the National Advisory Council of the National League of Cities, and is profiled in the book Trailblazers: Stories of America’s Openly Gay Officials.

Mr. Giuliano established a Human Relations Commission, sought appointment of a Hate Crimes Liaison officer in the Police Department, secured management support for a non-discrimination policy that includes sexual orientation and gender identity, and cast the tie-breaking vote providing domestic partner benefits for city employees.

Mr. Giuliano received a BA degree from the Hugh Downs School of Communication in 1979 and a M.Ed. degree in Higher Education Administration in 1983, both from Arizona State University, where he served as Student Body President.

About GLAAD

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) www.glaad.org, with offices in New York City and Los Angeles, is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

DJ Randy Bettis

From mega-events of thousands to intimate house parties, DJ/ Producer Randy Bettis is among the most sought-after mixmasters in the dance-music industry.  Recently voted DJ of the Year by JustCircuit subscribers, the buzz about his dancer-centered style continues to grow.
Bettis broke through the clutter in 2005 with back-to-back acclaimed performances at 3 of the largest dance parties in the world: Saint-at-Large New Years Day Event, The Black Party and the Heritage of Pride Pier Dance in New York City. In October 2005, Randy’s artistic prominence was validated when he was named by Billboard to the nationwide panel of club DJs who create Billboard’s weekly Hot Dance Club Play chart.
In 2006, Bettis took it to the next level, embarking on his first-ever national tour and unleashing the power of digital-age partnerships. Randy’s Gay Days Tour 2006 brought the spirit of the legendary celebration to 26 cities nationwide and was voted Best Circuit Tour of 2006 by the members of JustCircuit.com. He launched new portals for fans with a weekly mixshow on G.I.R.L. (GayInternetRadioLive.com) and with satellite broadcasts on SIRIUS Radio’s OutQ “Saturday Night Out.”
Over the past year, Randy celebrated the release of his Party Groove: GayDays Volume 4 (Centaur Music) with the nationwide GayDayS Tour 2007, once again earning a nod from JustCircuit.com as Circuit Tour of the Year. He recently returned from a highly successful DJ performance aboard the RSVP Mediterranean Cruise and two mixed-CD releases are slated for release in 2008.

www.djrandybettis.com and www.betboyz.com

VJ Tom Yaz

Since he was a teenager, VJ Tom Yaz has pushed the pop culture envelope.  Boston-born, he is unique in his profession in having at his disposal an enormous library of historical clips that pre-date MTV – it’s an interactive experience that shows that everything old is new again.

Tom has spent the last six years in Provincetown at the Crown and Anchor’s Wave Video Bar, a must-visit nightspot that brings together tourists and townies alike.  In the past few year, Yaz has appears at such events as the Hope Event at Boston Ritz Carlton, video installations at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston’s Human Right’s Campaign’s post-party, the pre-opening party for the film “Marie Antoinette”, and at clubs in Chicago Miami and New York.

He wants to recycle the great music from different generations and make it fresh and accessible for a room or crowd of any size or age.

www.yaztv.com

DJ De León

Argentina-born De León has emerged as a powerhouse DJ, blending his unique brand of body-shaking House and kinetic crowd connection to mesmerizing effect before packed audiences at top venues from Avalon in Hollywood to Space in Miami and beyond.  De León bridges progressive house with powerful baselines, thunderous tribal kicks, unforgettable electronic melodies and hypnotic vocals to create experiences that are both magically appealing and all his own.

In the tradition of DJ's such as Danny Tenaglia, Victor Calderone and Chus & Ceballos, De León's unique and uplifting sound style connects intrinsically with the very broadest of audiences, launching a DJ career built on performances with some of the world's leading mainstream events and commercial dance brands such as AVALAND @ AVALON, SUPERBOWL XL (Detroit) in 2005, and headlining the hottest LGBT dance massives such as Jeffrey Sanker's WHITE PARTY in Palm Springs, Miami's WINTER PARTY and NATION in Thailand; a rare feat shared only by a handful of DJ's.

Not only adept in front of a live audience, De León's original hit single "SHOW YOU" has become a fan favorite and garnered critical acclaim with features on top-tier commercial compilations such as Tony Moran's "The Event", Abel's "Alegria Universo" and Global Underground's "MIXED:2". De León's next release, a remix of "AMNESTY" by Chris Cox's new vocalist SK8, is out this Spring on Tommy Boy Records!

For everything De León, including tour dates, live audio, Top 10 and more, please visit www.djdeleon.com

DJ Robbie Leslie

Widely recognized as one of the top disc jockeys in the industry, and RSVP’s resident DJ for over ten years, Robbie Leslie has been performing internationally for over 30 years.  He is the prototype of the modern Circuit DJ and has entertained dancers coast-to-coast, plus clubs in Sydney, Moscow, Copenhagen, London, Maui, San Juan, and Toronto.  He was the most popular DJ at New York’s legendary mega-club The Saint, and held residencies at Studio 54, Palladium, Underground, and 12 West.  A multiple award winner, he frequently performs at New York, LA, and South Florida venues.

www.robbieleslie.com