SNAP: Charlene Nero

Not only did Tanja-Tiziana donate a faboo photograph to our art auction, but also she was on hand capturing the night through her lens. This is a stunning photo of our auctioneer Charlene Nero in the moment. (Props to Sharron Mathews for gettin' in the shot) Brilliant! Check-out Tanja's website. Loves it!

CAPTURED: Art Attack!

Here is some rough footage caught on my iPhone of last night's auction. Highlights: a steamy striptease by the Steam Whistle boys; the karaoke throw-down between Kitty Neptune and "the guy in the back corner"; and a whole whack of peer pressure. This was one heck of a night! Thank you to all the sponsors, donors, & volunteers.

NOW TO NURSE MY HANGOVER.

Work!

BUUZ: Art Attack

The Auction catalogues have arrived and they are H-O-T. Buddies annual auction is this Thursday! Hosted by Keith Cole with special guests, including Nina Arsenault. What's up for auction? Amazing packages, electronics, jewelery and art.
Check-out the full online catalogue here

MAJOR: Silveira Goes Gaga

Our favorite Clicks singer posted this amazing rendition of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance. OMFG

BUZZ: Enza Captures Opening Night!

Enza Supermodel Anderson was in full force opening night @ Silicone. It's awesome that people on the subway were looking at photos of Buddies between sips of coffee and transit delays.

DIVA OFF: Fab Magazine, Dubarry vs. The Pope

COVERAGE: The Toronto Star, Richard Ouzounian

The Toronto Star: Nov 12, 2009.

It took Nina Arsenault eight years and 60 separate cosmetic surgeries to turn from an unmemorable man to an unforgettable woman.

That's the story she's telling in The Silicone Diaries, which opens at Buddies in Bad Times on Saturday.

Arsenault's story has been front and centre for several years now in various magazine articles and television features, but she feels she has to tell her own story on the stage to get to the truth.

"Most of the time, I'm dealing with a team of people who are trying to manage my narrative and make it more palatable to middle-class audiences," she says in a voice that may seem as breathy as Marilyn Monroe's, but has reserves of steel underneath it.

"Believe me, I don't have to add sensation to my story."

She's right. The sheer facts of the saga; its thousands of pills swallowed, hours of pain endured and everything from black market silicone to a Mexican castration doesn't have to be enlivened for the stage.

"In fact, I spent an enormous amount of time getting back to the truth of the memories. My story has never been told in its simplicity before and that's what I'm trying to do here."

Arsenault credits her director, Brendan Healy (the newly appointed Artistic Director of Buddies) with helping her immeasurably by introducing her to the work of the late monologist Spalding Gray.

"I admire what he did so much," she says. "He can look that camera in the eye and not waver, keeping that voice steady and true. I find now that when I'm working a moment too much or exaggerating it, I feel it right away and pull myself back to the truth."

When asked what made her choose this particular journey in her life, Arsenault laughs with a bitter edge.

"I didn't choose it. It chose me. These are my deepest obsessions – beauty, my body. I literally tore my body apart, but it gave me so many of the things I had wanted from life since I was a child.

"This is a deep, deep passion and I'm not going to apologize for it or let people pathologize me for it."

Click HERE for the rest of the article.

SOUND BITE: Proud FM

Nina Arsenault stops by the Proud FM Studio to discuss The Silicone Diaries. Thanks to our friends at Proud FM, Shaun Proulx and Mark Wigmore, for a great interview.

SKOOLING: High School Confidential

Today's Lesson: CAROLE POPE.

Before High School Musical and Breaker High there was High School Confidential, the iconic song by the Canadian band Rough Trade, led by Carole Pope. The Juno and Genie award winning singer was the first openly lesbian rock star. Her intriguing relationship with Dusty Springfield continues to provide mystique to her persona. This is classic 80's New Wave, and it never grows tired.

Here's is a circuit remix of HSC, recorded for Queer As Folk.



Carole Pope is performing one show only, November 27 @ Buddies. If you have never seen her live... she is a must see (Add it to your iCal RIGHT NOW).

End Skool.

PAPARAZZI: I HEART SILICONE

YYZ photographer, Kai Yapp, was out snapping images of the I Heart Silicone club night. Thank you to Skmpeez for outfitting our boyz, Leo Guzman and Michael Pihach. Nina you looked amazing.

COVERAGE: XTRA! Nina Arsenault's Daring Covershoot.

Nina Arsenault bares it all on this week's cover of XTRA! A remarkable photo evoking strength and vulnerablity. It's Nina like you've never seen her before. Check-out the full article by Chris Dupuis here.