It's been a confusing year for The Village People: last summer, the YMCA dropped the MCA part, which left the band "deeply dismayed". And now they're being sued, for a second time, by their original "police officer"—Victor Willis is suing his former group for $1.5 million in royalties for writing hits such as "YMCA", "In The Navy" and "Macho Man." Might as well just give in and change the name to The Litigious People. more ›

Victor Willis—former "police officer" in The Village People, recovering coke addict, and ex-husband of Phylicia Rashad—has filed a lawsuit against the new Village People, seeking at least $1 million and a court order preventing them from using his image or voice. Willis wrote the lyrics for many of the original Village People hits (such as Y.M.C.A.) but left the group for good in the early '80s. The manufactured "band" continues to this day with a mostly different lineup, and Willis contends that Sixuvus Ltd., a New York company that promotes them, is illegally replicating his likeness and voice. According to the AP, he's also suing the William Morris Agency and Can't Stop Productions, which owns the trademark to the band's name. Oh, and several venues where the new group has performed are also being sued by Willis, as well as, presumably, everyone who's ever raised their arms to make a "Y." more ›

THEATER: Dance-theatre maverick Pina Bausch returns to the Brooklyn Academy of Music with Nefés, which is described as an ode to Istanbul, 'the city of water'. Originally conceived in 2002, Nefés (Turkish for "breath") “quickly became a life-affirming response to Istanbul's bouts with political upheaval. But rather than echoing the violence, Bausch invests her signature humor and emotional pathos with an acute sense of calm. Set to an eclectic score featuring Turkish songs, tangos from Astor Piazzolla, and classical guitar, Nefés also features massive video screens with which the performers interact.” - John Del Signore more ›

Holy 1980s fun! Prepare to have your mind blown: "Steve Guttenberg, Olympic skater/plastic-surgery victim Bruce Jenner and The Village People star in box office bomb/career tanker/b-movie & movie musical favorite Can't Stop The Music. In this opening scene, Guttenberg, wearing white bellbottoms, rollerskates and sashays around the streets of NYC gleefully lip-syncing to a funky Village People beat. Watch closely for Village People cameos in this clip!" more ›

We came across a new video blog called Vidocity recently, all about New York. The front page features a perky anchorwoman sitting in front of a somewhat contrived array of New Yorkish paraphernalia: The Daily News, NY stickers, Village People poster, Warhol painting. Once you are done watching the feature, you click to go inside to find the weeks stories (all on video). more ›

Happy Fat Tuesday! To help you celebrate it up here LIFEbeat Presents the Manhattan Mardi Gras. The proceeds will go to NO/AIDS Task Force. The New Orleans based AIDS service organization was virtually wiped out by hurricane Katrina. So even if we're in the Big Apple, we can help out the Big Easy. more ›

Last week we went on about all the theatre festivals that have found their way to stages lately; this week it seems like there’s a citywide Hamlet-fest or some sort of Shakespeare bug in the air. There are three productions of Hamlet going, so you can choose your poison. Still in previews is what looks like it will be a thoroughly, wonderfully traditional production of the play, at Classic Stage starring Michael Cumpsty, most recently of The Constant Wife and Democracy on Broadway. The other two versions are rather less “classic” in their approach: at La MaMa, Kanako Hiyama not only has pared the play down to an hour and a half, shuffled scenes and told the story from different perspectives, she literally puts you in the action, with the Ghost narrator in the audience and spectators cast as courtiers. Then, at Harlem’s Morris-Jumiel Mansion, Gorilla Repertory is doing the play in full, but *free* and outdoors in a roving, environmental manner. It would be pretty interesting (though pretty exhausting) to see all these adaptations in quick succession – just think how you might be talking after such an experiment. more ›