Broadway Brunch at Hamburger Mary’s

Posted on by Thor

I joined the staff of the Orange County Regional History Center when they went as a group to Hamburger Mary’s for Broadway Brunch. Mimosas flowed and then we ordered some very juicy burgers and cheese fries. The Minx, and Nicky Monet, acted as the hosts who kept the show lively. The Broadway Brunch Bunch dancers and some stellar singers show up to this weekly showcase to belt out their favorite show tunes. No two shows are alike. Production numbers were from Mary Poppins, Hairspray, Grease, Les Miserables, and so much more.

I had seen Dream Girls on Broadway when the show opened so I couldn’t resist singing along to those tunes. One act consisted of a singer slowly coming out of what might have been a sleeping bag or sheet w-Honda around her. She spread her arms and it became clear that she was a butterfly. It was an amazing act and I just sat back and enjoyed instead of stressing about trying to catch it all. Acts often circulated around the room collecting tips and singing up close and personal. One singer pressed between two men on the History Center staff and pressed them to her chest.

If you haven’t been to the Sunday Broadway Brunch, you need to go. The hosts stressed that the fun shared here needs to flow out into the world so that hate has no reason to flourish. In Orlando we lost 49 joyous souls. By singing laughing and dancing, we honor their memory.

Guests will each pay a $2.99 entertainment fee and be required to
purchase an entree or two alcoholic beverages.  Call 321-319-0600 to
grab your seat!

 Upcoming show dates:

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Josean Garcia at Hamburger Mary’s

Posted on by Thor

Josean Garcia and I met at Hamburger Mary’s on Church Street. I
was there first. I didn’t know what he looked like and he didn’t know
what I looked like, but we found each other. Hannah Miller who founded AdoptOrlando, was meeting us as well, but her car got rear ended by some guy rubbernecking rather than paying attention to traffic. She arrived shortly after Josean and I had met.

I was seated by the waitress at a round table in the center of the room. I thought a booth might be
better, but accepted the location offered. He felt
uncomfortable when he arrived, with his back exposed to a room full of people that he
couldn’t see. We moved to a booth close to a back exit door. I felt more
comfortable and so did he. He now always thinks about possible escape
routes anytime he is in a public place.

Josean has experienced an incredible amount of loss. First, he lost his mother, Deserie Garcia, and then on June 12th he lost his best friends Amanda and Mercedes at Pulse. He escaped from the nightclub that evening. “It’s been two months since my best friends , my sisters joined my mother in heaven.” he said on Facebook on August 12th.

Josean is an incredibly talented singer and song writer. His R&B music often addresses the darker side of life. Since the horrible shootings at Pulse, his life has been on hold. He can’t believe this happened in Orlando and that he was there. I love that he feels Orlando has gained a new found “weirdness” along with the
incredible outpouring of acceptance. Rainbow flags are still
seen everywhere. He will
start creating music again when the time is right. He is thinking that New York City could be where he should go to further his career. When we got our wines, he insisted we toast. His grandmother always said
the you should toast anytime you are with friends to celebrate life. We
all need to feel a connection to friends. He knows how to celebrate life while remembering his dearest friends lost at Pulse.

You can donate to the Amanda Alvear or Mercedes Flores GoFundMe accounts if to would like to help.

Orlando’s Got Talent at Hamburger Mary’s

Posted on by Thor

Orlando’s Got Talent at Hamburger Mary’s (110 W Church St, Orlando, FL) was a hilarious time. First off, the burgers art thick, juicy and tasty and the talent on stage was quite real. Well, the women were men but the comedy was spot on. Terry joined me on this sketch excursion and we were lucky enough to get a table right next to the stage. A pink drink with a cherry in the bottom kept me laughing even louder.

There are many events at Hamburger Mary’s, like Hambingo, Trivia, Cabaret and Broadway Brunch which offers Broadway show tunes. Any one of these events is a guaranteed good time, so head on down to Church Street.

Broadway Babes At The Historic Cheyenne Saloon

Posted on by Thor

On December 12th of 2012, there was a one night Broadway Babes extravaganza at the Cheyenne Saloon and Opera House, 128 West Church Street, Orlando FL. Joshua Eads-Brown, AKA, Ginger Ming, was the hostess along with The Minx.  They began the evening in lusty red can-can girl outfits. For this one night only the old otherwise abandoned saloon sprang to life.

Rainbow banners were hung with pride. The saloon is an absolute gem. It is a shame it hasn’t found a new owner yet. There was a small army of talented performers that night. I was seated on the second level near the stairs down to the main floor. Many numbers began at the top of the stairs, so at times I was blinded by the spotlight. Jimmy Rossi helped throw together the incredible talent in the show. Heather Barbor gave a particularly campy performance. Many performers came from Hamburger Mary’s (110 West Church Street Orlando, FL) next door, where Broadway Brunch happens every Sunday at Noon.

The show tunes were followed by a dance party with Cap’n Kirk Hartlage spinning the tunes. I slipped out as the dancing heated up.

Broadway Brunch

Posted on by Thor

On Sunday July 21st I finally had the chance to experience “Broadway Brunch” at Hamburger Mary’s (110 West Church Street Orlando, FL). Mark your calendar, every Sunday there were show tunes, drink specials, and an
amazing show with Broadway performances by The Minx, Ginger Minj, and
special guests. Seating at 11:00am with show starting at Noon. If you want to jump start your Sunday, this is the place to do it.

Joshua Eads-Brown, who performed as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, first told me about “Broadway Brunch”.  When I arrived, the place was already packed. I asked for a table with a decent view of the stage. My table in Siberia wasn’t ideal, but it didn’t matter since performers circulated around the room. At first an artist named Timothy Thomas, Aka Snaps, was doing a painting of the Brooklyn Bridge live on stage. He was fast. He finished one bridge painting and started another while I waited for my burger.

The show began with Ginger Minj and the Minx warming up the crowd. They asked, “How many gay men are in the house?!” Should I be gay for the day? No, I kept my hands busy on the sketchpad. There was some serious clapping in the audience. They asked, “How many lesbians are in the house?!” One woman clapped.  “Lets try that again! How many lesbians are in the house!?” The same woman clapped, but this time a two year old girl started clapping as well. There was plenty of laughter. “I guess it’s true that we know or ‘orientation’ since birth!” “Alright, how many straight people are in the house?!” I was surprised that more than half the audience clapped. 

April Fresh danced and lip synced to “Everyone is Beautiful at the Ballet“. The over the top performance was hilarious and endearing. There was a cast of about a dozen performers all singing for the love of music and tips. If you have ever secretly wanted to slip some bills down a mans cleavage, this is your chance. Ginger Minj referred to one actress as “the Face” since she is so expressive. It is true that when she was on stage you had to watch every emotion as it flickered across her face. The whole cast came out in nuns habits and sang “Raise Your Voice!” There were people celebrating birthdays and they were asked to go on stage to share shots of NyQuil and turpentine. Ginger raised her glass and said, “We tried this at a McDonald’s once, but we got arrested in the ball pit”. In closing the show, Ginger said, “Do something special for someone and, if men can look this good, there is no excuse for ugly women!”