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subject: Exclusive Interviews With The Reality Show Cast "the A-list New York" On Logo [print this page]

What happens when you take six, hot, social elite gay men in New York City and turn the cameras on? You get the ingredients for what could be a reality television hit series. I had the pleasure of attending an exclusive screening, cast meet 'n greet, and party for Logo TV's (one of the Viacom MTV networks with LGBT targeted programming) new reality show, "The A-List: New York" ("The A-List") this past Monday night at Therapy in New York City. The show was created by the producers of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" and is being promoted as a show in the same vein, although I think the cast from this show is more homogeneous in its make-up of mostly models, one of which is an aspiring actor as well; a model agent, and a celebrity photographer. Enter Reichen Lehmkuhl, Rodiney Santiago, Austin Armacost, Derek Lloyd Saathoff, Ryan Nickulas, and Mike Ruiz. All except Mike were in attendance. Not to be overlooked, is the equally entertaining and bestie/assistant to Ryan, TJ Kelly. After meeting the cast both on screen and in person, I am looking forward debut of "The A-List" on Monday, October 4, 2010 at 10pm ET on Logo. For you early adopters, the first episode is already available for download on iTunes.

In the first episode, each member of the cast is introduced. The episode culminates with the cast members meeting up for opening night of the off-Broadway production of "My Big Gay Italian Wedding" which stars cast member Reichen.

Take a look at the video containing interviews with the cast from Monday night at Therapy. Thank you, Nando (Nandoism.com), who reported with me. We never met in person before, making this a true example of online networking in action. Also, thank you, German Marin (MarinNYC.com), who helped with photography and videography- at times simultaneously. My apologies in advance for the amateur nature of the video compilation. I am learning to edit on the fly and hope to get some better equipment for Christmas. It is just one of the many things that a broke blogger who is gaining some notoriety struggles with at times.

Interviews with the Cast of Logo's "The A-List"

During the first episode, much of the drama surrounds Reichen, Austin, and Rodiney. When interviewing the cast, however, I gained a deeper understanding of the men behind the show that you don't always observe on television. I was impressed, for example, by Reichen's passion and involvement with the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) as a spokesperson against the military's "don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) policy. Also, Reichen has a jewelry line called Flying Naked. I found Austin's dimples and mid-western charm endearing. He was also confident about his body image while disapproving of the modeling industry's strict requirements. It will be interesting to view body image issues from a male perspective, especially since it is most often addressed pertaining to women.

Upon screening the episode, I did not like Derek because my only impression of him was his addiction to spray tanning. When interviewing him, however, I found that Derek had one of those magnetic personalities that made me feel as if we had known each other for years. He ended up being one of the best interviews of the evening, but unfortunately the lighting was the poorest by the time we got over to speak with him. Derek spoke like a true ambassador for the show and with great enthusiasm.

Last, but certainly not least, are besties and co-workers at Darius Salon, the Ryan and TJ. The chemistry between these two is absolutely electric! I wasn't surprised to go back through my footage and find that Nando and I spoke with them for 8 1/2 minutes- about twice as long as the others. There's something about them that make you want to push "play" and be entertained. It will be fun to watch Ryan and TJ dish on other cast members throughout the season. We also get a look at Ryan's romantic life. He's married to Desmond who works in the finance industry. Talk about opposites attract! The couple wishes to have a baby, and we can expect to see more on that subject throughout the season.

While Mike was not present, I agree with his statement in the first episode about this show having the potential to make or break him. More than the others, I feel he has a long established career and highly regarded as a celebrity photographer. My initial thought was that he doesn't need this show and risks ending up on the fast track to a revival of VH1s "The Surreal Life" if the show doesn't do well.

That's it from me! Please comment with your thoughts about my review and the show itself when it airs on Monday, October 4, 2010.

by: Ife Blount

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