New Edit of Poetry CD Back Cover for DIVA/CASSONE

 

Click here to visit the DIVA/CASSONE CD page on Amazon = Thank You!

THE BIRTH - a poem by Antonio Cassone

The Birth

An opening;

A blossoming,

The love becomes

A creation.

Joyous occasion,

Long-awaited bliss;

A cry from beneath

The mother’s gracious abyss.

Papa’s cigar,

Her rose petals fade;

A natural relief

This delightful conception made.

 Healthy and bright,

Bouncy and fresh and new;

Isn’t it fascinating?

This child of God came from you?

From the book

DIVA/CASSONE

A Collection of Poetry

The Reconstruction Edition

by

Antonio Cassone

© 2013; 2005 by Antonio Cassone.

All rights reserved.

Paperback and Kindle editions available at Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Diva-Cassone-Collection-Poetry-Reconstruction/dp/1484183118/ - Enjoy & Thank YOU!

You can check out and browse all of my titles; available for purchase at my author page on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Antonio-Cassone/e/B003OC3MME/ - Enjoy & Thank YOU!

VIGNETTES FROM THE MIRANDA FILES

VIGNETTES FROM THE MIRANDA FILES; 2005-06; Detroit, MI, USA
Antonio Cassone, model
Photos by C.A. McKenzie
http://www.youtube.com/cassone2007
Check out Antonio Cassone’s Author Page on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003OC3MME
Thank YOU!

Loleatta Holloway: Catch You on the Rebound, Sister

The news broke, for me, this morning. Soul singer, disco diva Loleatta Holloway has passed on to the other side. She, like so many other songstresses, is like an old friend. A lot of memories of Back Street and Menjo's in Detroit back in the day, with her wailing and Marky Mark's rap playing in the background - I am almost certain Diva Kingsley and I practiced our runway walk as their song thump, thump, thumped on the club's speaker system. Then my good friend, Cecil Gibbs, suggested I do her song Crash Goes Love on a show one night and I can't tell you how much fun of a lip sync that was for me. Nobody could holler, scream, belt, moan or even howl like Miss Loleatta Holloway. She had a signature style all her own.

To where one of her contemporaries may have sounded seemingly out of place, her delivery always made sense. It not only suited her, but it was expected. Then later in her career, she did a remake of Prince's I Wanna Be Your Lover, that I surely wore out at my drag shows here in South Florida. Her rendition is so smooth, yet upbeat and lively. I am also fond of her remake of You Light Up My Life (a lovely, soulful rendition of the Debby Boone hit), Madonna's Like A Prayer (from the tribute album Virgin Voices), Catch Me on the Rebound, Love Sensation, Hit and Run and Ride on Time (with Black Box) - all fabulous, disco/dance classics and chart successes. Not to mention all the countless times she has been sampled, remixed in to, out of, throughout, compiled, interpolated, et al.

There are so many more songs of hers that take me back, and that I still enjoy dusting off and listening to every now and then - or even do on a show on occasion. She is definitely one of my more fun 'voices' to do my female impersonation act to - and I just want to thank her - for the great songs, the fond memories at a club with friends ...and a fun, lively, on my toes lip sync for a show - either way she brought a lot of joy to so many lives.

Ms. Holloway was born November 5, 1946 in Chicago, Illinois. She got her start, rooted in gospel music with Albertina Walker and the group the Caravans. She enjoyed a long and storied career, that spanned over four decades and was a mainstay primarily on the Billboard dance chart. Loleatta Holloway died on March 21, 2011, after a brief illness and slipping into a coma due to heart failure. She will be missed, but the legacy of not only her songs, but her singing style will surely live on.

Winners from Season 7 of "Getting Ready" Revealed (2010 Cassone Channel Honors)

For a season that was the least viewed in the history of Getting Ready, which relied heavily on footage from past stage cabaret shows (for the 16-part The Cat & Judy Collection webisodes) and the series' supporting cast and guest stars, subscribers who cast their votes for Season 7's best of went with a historical choice for Best Webisode and fan favorites for the performance and technical categories.

For the sake of history and from a couple of requests I will list past winners for each category and a statement about the current honoree(s).

For Best Webisode, historically viewer's have gone with the more intimate webisodes as their ultimate favorite for any given season. Three times in the history of the series and awards has a collaborative webisode won the top category (Season 2,4 & 5 winners) or the winning webisode has been one so far off the beaten path of the rest of the season's nominees that it stands out with the voters. Usually, if it is just Cassone and/or Cassone with Miss Bea it has gotten more resonance with viewers. Miss Bea is golden! She is definitely the most winningest pooch we've ever known. Past winners for Best Webisode have been: 17: The Shower Webisode (season 1); 35: The Rum & Pups with Nancy Ross Webisode (season 2); 68: Hump Day Getting Ready (season three); 85: The Madison Avenue Collection, Part Eight (season 4); 116: Breakfast at the Courtyard Cafe (season 5) & 144: All About Miss Bea (season 6). I believe with season 7's winner it was a combination of both elements that really drove it home. The winner was the most viewed by far for season 7 and given the storyline, it defitnitely filled the intimacy bill for viewers.

Best Supporting Player's category was very important for season 7, as the circumstances in the Best Webisode winner showed the entire season ended up relying heavily on the ensemble to carry on - in the spirit of 'the show must go on.' And with the help of Cat & Judy, it did carry on and I was happy to see that at least their webisodes got some play with voters in this category. So much so that it was the closest race in my award's history, producing a TIE! (The first ever in a competition category for the Cassone Channel Honors). Past winners are: Diva Kingsley (season 2); The Lady Fancy (season 3); Michael Bannon/Michelle Andrews (season 4); Nancy Ross (season 5) & Mama Theresa (season 6).

For Best Guest Star it was a runaway win for Season 7's winner. Unlike the Best Supporting Player, which was the closest ever - this category had over 70% of voters in agreement. Past winners in this category are: Nancy Ross (seasons 2 & 4); Tonna McKenzie (season 3); Marilyn Powers (season 5) & Bertha Quake (season 6).

Best Technical Achievement beginning with season 7 is now a competition category. Past winners from when it was a Juried category are: Diva Kingsley (season 2 & 4); David Bork; Gus Sanchez, Sharde Ross, Mike "Smurf" Lennon & Tonna McKenzie (season 5); Mama Theresa & Mark Rosen (season 6).

Now I am proud to reveal to you the winners for the best of Season 7 of Getting Ready.

...And the winner is...

BEST WEBISODE - SEASON 7

*146: DON’T TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED
Miss Bea, performer; Walter McCoy, location producer; Bitches ‘n’ Studs Grooming, Miss Bea’s stylist; Antonio Cassone, performer, producer, director, concept & editor.

BEST SUPPORTING PLAYER (tie)

*THE LADY FANCY
*MAMA THERESA

BEST GUEST STAR

*DIVA KINGSLEY, “155: Independence Day, Part Two,” “168: Stompin’ at the Biz, Part One”

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

*THE LADY FANCY, wig stylist/makeup, “The Cat & Judy Collection, Parts 1-16 (various webisodes)”

WALTER MCCOY LIFE LEGEND AWARD

*MISS TWIGGY

CONGRATULATIONS to the WINNERS!

Notes of Interest:

With 6 career Cassone Channel Honors wins, Diva Kingsley is the most winningest individual in the award's history. Steven Albert commented, "Diva Kingsley is the Meryl Streep of drag!" A huge compliment. Now that Bitches 'N' Studs Grooming has a win under their belt, Brianna Bragg is the 'Susan Lucci' of the Cassone Channel Honors with 6 nods and no wins - yet.

Season 8 nominations will be made public here on this blog come Thursday, June 3rd, with voting details.

Search for all the webisodes and so much more at the channel:

http://www.youtube.com/cassone2007

2009 Cassone Channel Honors Winners List

FINALLY! Yes, I am getting around to releasing the winners videos and ordering the rest of the trophies good people. I am so proud and pleased to release the final winners list for the 2009 Cassone Channel Honors, celebrating the best of my YouTube channel and our web reality series "GETTING READY." To see past webisodes and to subscribe to the channel, please visit us at www.youtube.com/cassone2007. To see the award winning webisodes, simply search for the webisode number in the search field. Winners were determined by voters who visited the poll sites this past summer. Nominees were determined on viewer response, alogorithms for the webisodes, etc.

2009 Cassone Channel Honors

Winners List

Best Webisode – Season 1

17: The Shower Webisode - Antonio Cassone; Performer, Director, Co-Concept & Producer. Tobin Mamber, Co-Concept

Best Webisode – Season 2

35: The Rum & Pups with Nancy Ross Webisode - Nancy Ross, Fred & Ricky, Performers. Antonio Cassone; Performer, Director, Concept & Producer. Paul Miller, Production Assistance & Landscaping. Nancy Ross, Hair & Makeup.

Best Supporting Player – Season 2

Diva Kingsley

Best Guest Star – Season 2

Nancy Ross, “35: The Rum & Pups with Nancy Ross Webisode”

Technical Achievement – Season 2 (JURIED) (Non-Competition Category)

Diva Kingsley, Hair, Makeup & Wardrobe, “25 – 27: The Diva Kingsley/Worm Photo Shoot” & Hair & Makeup for Michelle Andrews, Madison Avenue & Cassone, “45: 48 Hours – A Halloween Story in Pictures/I Put a Spell on You (A Getting Ready Extra)”

Best Webisode – Season 3

68: Hump Day Getting Ready - Miss Bea (Walter Mc, owner); performer. Antonio Cassone; performer, director, producer, concept & editor.

Best Supporting Player – Season 3

The Lady Fancy

Best Guest Star – Season 3
Tonna McKenzie, “56: Redux of 33 – The Continuous Saga of Yellow Gown”

Best Webisode – Season 4

85: The Madison Avenue Collection, Part 8 - David Bork/Madison Avenue, webisode director. Diva Kingsley, key hair & makeup. Gus Sanchez, wardrobe. Tonna McKenzie & Sharde Ross, wardrobe styling. Antonio Cassone; performer, series director, producer, concept & editor.

Best Supporting Player – Season 4

Michael Bannon/Michelle Andrews

Best Guest Star – Season 4

Nancy Ross, “95 & 96: The Madison & Michelle Valentine’s Day Spectacular, Parts 1 & 2”

Technical Achievement – Season 4

Diva Kingsley, key hair & makeup, “85: The Madison Avenue Collection, Part 8” &
Production assistance “95 & 96: The Madison & Michelle Valentine’s Day
Spectacular”

Best Webisode – Season 5

116: Breakfast at the Courtyard Café - Diva Kingsley & David Bork, Miss Bea (Walter McCoy), performers. Antonio Cassone; performer, director, producer, concept & editor.

Best Supporting Player – Season 5

Nancy Ross

Best Guest Star – Season 5

Marilyn Powers, “119 & 120: The New Illusion’s Cabaret, Parts 1 & 2”

Technical Achievement – Season 5

David Bork, driver, “118: Madison & Cassone’s Reckless Victim’s Tour”

Gus Sanchez, Sharde Ross, Mike ‘Smurf’ Lennon & Tonna McKenzie, stage set
(several webisodes)

Best Webisode – Season 6

144: All About Miss Bea - Miss Bea, performer. Antonio Cassone; performer, director, producer, concept & editor.

Best Supporting Player – Season 6

Mama Theresa

Best Guest Star – Season 6

Bertha Quake, “121 & 122: Tha Nappy Hapcy Rossiversary, Parts 1 & 2” & “124: A Twist, A Kiss and a Bevy of Drag Husbands”

Best Technical Achievement – Season 6

Mama Theresa & Mark Rosen, scenic design/decoration, “128 & 129: Planning a Party”

Best Sister Channel – Local (South Florida) (Juried)
Wiltonman4u (Tobin)

Best Sister Channel – National (under 2500 subscribers) (Juried)
Chanel Wynn – tssexychanel

http://www.youtube.com/tssexychanel

Best Sister Channel – Global (over 2500 subscribers) (Juried)
Blanche Babcock
http://www.youtube.com/BlancheBabcock

Pioneer Award –
Wiltonman4u (Tobin Mamber)

Public Service Award –
Meghan Chevalier and Stopping the Hate

http://www.youtube.com/meghanchavalier
http://www.youtube.com/stoppingthehatecom

TALLY OF INDIVIDUAL WINS

(Antonio Cassone – 6)

5 – Diva Kingsley

4 – Nancy Ross
Miss Bea/Walter McCoy

3 – Tobin Mamber
Tonna McKenzie
David Bork/Madison Avenue

2 – Gus Sanchez
Sharde Ross
Mama Theresa

1 – Fred & Ricky
Paul Miller
The Lady Fancy
Michael Bannon/Michelle Andrews
Marilyn Powers
Mike Smurf Lennon
Bertha Quake
Mark Rosen
Chanel Wynn (tssexychanel)
Blanche Babcock
Meghan Chavalier
Stopping the Hate

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE WINNERS.

Nominations for the 2010 Cassone Channel Honors will begin in March.

Funky Chick (Photography Archives #016)

"Funky Chick"
Model: Anya Allen
Photo: Antonio Cassone
Hair, Makeup & Wardrobe Styling: Diva Kingsley
(2006)

Something a little naughty, mysterious and a bit provocative - Anya Allen's modeling came alive when Diva Kingsley threw a little style her way. I was so proud of her! Check her expression... Looks like she may be up to something.

Brava Diva (Photography Archives #009)

Model: Diva Kingsley
Photo: Antonio Cassone
Haulover Beach, FL, USA; 2006

We woke up at 5 am and drove down to Haulover Beach to catch a most magnificent sunrise and click some pics of Diva. Diva has been one of my most consistent models and has never let me down. We have been friends for 22 years. There has never been a time of disappointment from Diva; whether as a model, entertainer, makeup artist, wardrobe stylist...and, most of all, friend. 22 years of nothing but greatness and ...consistency. Diva was my Photography by Cassone's sites Feature of the Year 2006, is a former Miss Gigi's 1996-97 and captured the title Female Impersonator of the Year 2008. This has remained one of my favorite pics in my portfolio. I especially loved Diva's choice of colors for wardrobe and makeup. We definitely CAN indeed say, as my fellow Italians would: "Brava Diva!"

Seven the Hard Way (Photography Archives 007)

Model: Anya Allen
Photo: Antonio Cassone
2005

In a lot of ways, Anya was my first muse... we were at Gigi's and I had my camera and voila - I started snapping pics and have been snapping them ever since. We did more work together and collaborated with Diva Kingsley a few years back. The result of those shoots garnered Anya enough votes to be my Photography by Cassone sites Feature of the Year. It has been three years since we have seen each other, let alone worked with each other, but I am happy to report that she and her partner are coming to South Florida over the holidays. We hope Diva is up for another collaboration...let the snapping begin.