100 WOMEN WE LOVE 2008
Lily Tomlin’s extraordinary career as a funny lady bloomed on the TV show Laugh-In in 1969, the year of the Stonewall rebellion. Fittingly, she has woven feminism and LGBT life into her characters—the not-so-hardworking phone operator Ernestine, Violet Newstead in 9 to 5 and the numerous personas populating The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, the one-woman play written by Tomlin’s partner Jane Wagner, for which Tomlin won a Tony Award. She was also nominated for an Academy Award for her turn as Linnea Reese in Robert Altman’s Nashville, played recurring roles on TV shows from Murphy Brown to The West Wing, and has won six Emmys, a Grammy, and a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 1977. Tomlin, who has called Wagner the most influential person in her life and career, narrated 1995’s landmark LGBT documentary The Celluloid Closet. –KL
In no particular order…
Hats off to the 100 Women We Love, class of 2008 (in no particular order, ’cause we love ’em all!).
Jen Gapay
Burlesque is not just about stripping. “It’s helping women become more empowered with their bodies,” says Thirsty Girl Productions founder and co-founder of The New York Burlesque Festival, Jen Gapay (center). She saw her first burlesque performance in the late ‘90s. Since that time, burlesque—which has roots in vaudeville and celebrates all body types—has been making a comeback, and Gapay has been producing some of the largest events in the country. Now in its sixth year, the Festival brings performers from around the world to sold-out crowds. During July 4th weekend, Thirsty Girl will produce The Establishment, a big-tent cabaret experience at the Rothbury Festival, a multi-stage outdoor music event in Michigan. –LL
In no particular order…
