COSMETIC SURGERY: The Cutting of Communication

This is my second blog post regarding my recent experience with Cosmetic Surgery.  So, if you haven't read the previous post, I hope you'll do so before reading this one.

We left off with my stating that I was shocked at a hostile response given to me by my Plastic Surgeon after I politely asked for a small request.

To give just a bit of back story, my journey post surgery began with a problem with my head bandage the first night.  It hindered my ability to swallow and breathe along with bruising my larynx.  My husband phoned the doctor at 4am to ask permission to cut it near my throat in order to handle the situation.

After that, I ended up with two very differently shaped earlobes, a missed hematoma which caused more problems with the left side of my neck and jaw, a dent near my right eye from a fat transfer to the face, and some bumps inside my lower lip that were causing me to lisp.

For over five weeks, I lived with all the problems because I felt the surgeon would simply fix them.  We spoke of it and I was never concerned.  Nor did I complain.

Upon five weeks post surgery, I had my first "Cher" gig with my new jaw and neck.  I decided to send a picture of myself in makeup and wig via a private message on Facebook so he could see his work.  Here's the picture:

And here is a copy of the resulting dialogue between the doctor and me on that private message thread on Facebook.  His dialogue is in white and mine in blue.

What really upset me is that he automatically attacked me by saying, "Heidi, I just love how you focus only on the minor negative aspects..."  Really?  I was just trying to get help to do my job better and asked nicely about the problem with the lip.  He could have simply said to come into the office sooner than the appointment I currently had, which was about a month away.  I tried to take responsibility for "pushing another button" with my kind reply.  But he then attacked me for talking about this on a private message on Facebook when he could have simply and NICELY said to not communicate any further business on his FB.  I would have gladly agreed.

In any event, we've had several texting sessions via phone since then which got even more embroiled.  You'd think that a surgeon would be the one trying to handle the concerns of a patient who is in the middle of some pretty intense pain, trauma and worry, right?  Instead, I was trying to handle him.

I'll be posting those text messages along with the steps I now have to take to not only fix the problems resulting from this surgery, but also to try and put some ethics in on this surgeon's communication.  If he just has a slight realization regarding his hostile attitude, I'll be happy with all the extra time, effort and money spent.  Meanwhile, I've been approached by a local TV station and an entertainer reporter to tell this story.  Should I?  I'm also filing a formal complaint with the Medical Examiner.

I wish he would have just been kinder and more responsible rather than so confrontational. 

COSMETIC SURGERY: Keeping up with Cher

I've got some dish to "Cher."  I took a hiatus from developing the musical starring myself and two queens in order to get some "work" done on my face.  You see, Cher is not easy to impersonate because of her unique look, voice, etc.  On top of that, the woman is still looking and sounding great at her age, and it is hard to keep up!  That's why I felt the need to finally give in and have some cosmetic surgery.

Finding the right Plastic Surgeon was not easy.  I spent years going to recommended doctors both in Las Vegas and in Beverly Hills.  I even met with the doctor who worked on Cher, herself!  But I was gun shy and could not find enough justification to spend the money or undergo such torture.  Then, a few months ago, a friend of mine and I were visiting.  I noticed that he looked really great and I asked him if he had had any work done.  He admitted that he had and he gave me the name of his Plastic Surgeon.  I met with this doctor and decided to bite the bullet and get my lower face and neck lifted.  I also decided to have some fat transferred into my lips.  The next few posts in this blog will be dedicated to telling you about the surgery, the aftercare and how sorry I feel for the surgeon who has no idea how to communicate to his patients once the anesthesia wears off.

First, let's talk about what I looked like when my poor husband, Gene, drove me home a few hours after my surgery.  You see, fat transfer to the lips can look pretty crazy.   You have to fill the lips to full capacity since 80% of the fat dies or gets reabsorbed into the body.  So, my lips were reminiscent of a platypus!  Of course, there was a tight bandage around my head and the assistant informed Gene that "the swelling has to go somewhere!"  Gene just wasn't ready for what he saw when they wheeled me out of the recovery room.

I'd show you a picture, but then I'd have to kill you!  My husband said I looked more like I had had brain surgery, with all the drooling and swelling.  Lol!

Well, my first night was pretty scary because the bandaging was causing me difficulty in both breathing and swallowing.  So, around 4am, Gene telephoned the doctor to ask if we could cut the bandage a bit to give me more room for my larynx.  We did this and then went to the doctor's office the next day for my first follow-up exam.

I did not see the doctor that day, which surprised me since he knew I had been in some distress the night before.  His assistant took off my bandaging to examine my face and all the stitches.  I'm going to show you a photo of part of the stitches now so you can see that there were a ton of them.  They went in front of my ears, in back of my ears, down the bottom of my scalp and in the scalp above the temples.  It was a lot of stitches!

When the bandages came off, there was a very large swollen mass on the left side of my neck.  I brought this to the attention of the assistant and inquired as to possible remedies for the swelling.  She said it was just "normal swelling" and to ice it.  I went home with a lesser bandage now around my face.

Still a bit loopy from the anesthesia, I found myself not wanting to take any more of the pain pills prescribed to me after the third or fourth day.  I just wanted to regain my wits.  I opted to take some Tylenol and live with the pain.  But my larynx had been injured by the overly tight bandage from the first night and I was miserable.  The large swelling on my neck was not receding from the ice and so I decided to do a little surfing on the net to see if I could find any more helpful information.  What I found was that the swelling I had was not "normal swelling."  It was a "hematoma" or blood-filled sac just under my skin.  I read that these should be drained as soon as possible so as to not cause damage; the worst being the killing off of localized skin cells.  I now had just a few days before my next follow-up appointment.  At least this time, I could tell the assistant that I had a hematoma.

Gene drove me again to my next follow-up which was four days post surgery.  We went into the examining room and were soon met with an assistant.  She said, "You look great," to which I replied, "Except for the hematoma."  I took off my bandage and let her see the large, swollen mass.  She went to get the doctor.  Hurray!

When the doctor saw the hematoma, he looked upset.  He questioned Gene and myself as to when we first noticed this swelling.  We told him on the day after surgery and explained that we had brought it up to his assistant who then told us it was "normal swelling."  He wasn't very happy about that and took his assistant into the hallway to speak to her.  When he returned, he drained the hematoma by opening a few stitches behind my ear and pushing the clotted blood through the opening.  Ouch!  Here's a picture of my neck after the first draining.

I went back to get this drained two more times.  Gene was always with me because I was still too loopy to drive.  During those visits with the doctor, I found him to be a bit resentful whenever I'd bring up things that I felt needed more attention such as my two earlobes that were mismatched, a dent in my skin near my eye and some fat transfer problems with my lips.  I tried to always be cordial and kind because I know how hard it must be for a surgeon to hear complaints after his work.  It's like with any artist who creates something only to have it critiqued in a less-than-perfect fashion.  But never in my wildest dreams did I expect him to react in such a hostile way to a simple request I politely asked him a few weeks later...  (more to come!)

TAKING TWO STEPS FORWARD: Much has happened since I last wrote!

Hey there!
Yes, I know it's been a while.  But great things sometimes take a bit to brew!  Much has happened since my last post.

First, let's talk about Marvin. 

You know, the crazy queen who lied and ripped off my sweet husband, my sister, our friend and myself...along with several others that I found out about after the fact.  Well, he's hiding out and laying low.  We know he was recently still in Vegas from reports of his being on a gay dating site.  Thank you to all the friends who keep me in the "Marvin loop."  I'm sure he'll get his karmic due sooner than later.







As for the musical, well, it is coming along beautifully.  We replaced Marvin with the amazingly talented, Jimmy Emerson.

We also got a top drag queen from the "Divas" show, Andrew Ryan, to professionally apply drag makeup to Tony Torres.  Although a veteran singer/actor/dancer, Tony had never done drag before.
                                                                               
He was quite concerned over it until he saw how beautiful he looked with the right hair, makeup and costume.  (See the picture of Tony as himself on the left and as the drag queen on the right.)

We are fortunate that Jimmy Emerson hosts a drag show in a small bar on Friday nights, so it gave us a place to woodshed some of the musical numbers from the show.

Here's another picture of Tony performing a number as a sort of a "Vampire Cher."  The song is called "Eternally" and it takes place on Halloween in the musical.

Tony was incredible!  It's as if he was born to do this part!

And Jimmy did a little strip in a saloon song called "Take A Good Look, Honey!"  What a character!




Here are a few pictures of his infamous number.

I had to take a short break away from working on the play due to some personal reasons.  But during that time, I got the idea to write an audio e-Book of the story based on the play, along with all the songs!  So, I've been working on that and it is really the perfect next step to getting this project off and running.  It's financially easier to produce an audio book and it will also give me a CD of the songs along with a hard copy book to sell as marketing items after the play.  I plan on raising funds for this e-Book on one of the web sites like "Kickstarter."  We'll be giving away e-Books, CDs and other fun items in exchange for donations.  We'll even give a few donors an acknowledgement in the foreward of the book itself.

Meanwhile, we garnered a remarkable fashion designer to make all the costumes!  His name is Mark Roscoe and he such a talent!  You can check out some of his designs at:

www.MarkRoscoeDesign.com

Mark just designed a new gown for the queen diva, Frank Marino.  It will be going in his show, "Divas" shortly.  We'll show you a picture of that gown and give you updates in the next post.

I thank you for taking this journey with me, and I look forward to sharing some more wonderful things with you very soon.

Always,

Heidi

That Ol' Drag Magic!

Sometimes things just fall magically into place.  I don't know why that is.  Some say it has to do with karma.  Others say it is "your time."  Whatever the reason, there is magic happening right now with possible alliances that will give this play all the horsepower it needs to reach its full potential and beyond.

I'm going to be meeting with some amazing people in L.A. over the coming weeks.  From those meetings, I will know for sure if this roll I'm on will snowball.  If the chills going up and down my body are any indication, I believe the ball is already rolling at a spiritual warp speed.

Meanwhile, I wanted to share with you some of the fun moments in our recording studio as my talented singer and actor friends gave so generously of their time and talents to assist in developing the songs and script for the play.

First, I had to find someone to replace Marvin Nathan (the con I wrote so much about in this blog.)  I was unsure of whom to ask to help with the song demos since it really calls for a gay man's take on the songs.  But I have an extremely talented friend, Rick Friedman, who can sing anything.  He sang on some demos last year for another musical I wrote, and he was utterly amazing.  So, I asked this straight male if he could sing three songs in a sort-of Harvey Fierstein manner.  He agreed to give a try, and he NAILED it!  LOL!  Here's a pic of Rick in our studio:

The other drag queen character has to sing like a cross between Tim Curry (Frankenfurter from Rocky Horror Picture Show) and the diva, Shirley Bassey.  I am fortunate enough to have a singer friend who can do this voice perfectly!  His name is Tony Torres, and he stars in "Tony and Tina's Wedding" here at Ballys Hotel.  Tony was SUPERB on the songs and I am forever grateful to him and Rick!  Here's a picture of Tony in our studio:

The third person I'd like to thank is my hilariously funny and talented friend, Bill Janisse!  There is a character in my play who is the owner of the gay bar wherein the entire play is set.  This bar owner fancies himself as the Flo Ziegfeld of drag show producers.  I needed an actor to play a cross between "Jack" from "Will and Grace" and Liberace!  Bill fit the "bill" perfectly!  Here's a picture of Bill in our studio:

My genius husband, Gene Sironen, and I are going to be finishing up all the song demos over the coming weeks and then copyrighting them all.  Once that is all done, I will post the songs on a private you-tube video for my closest friends to hear.  If you'd like to be included in the group of persons who get to hear the first song demos, please LEAVE A COMMENT on this post below.  You may have to become a FOLLOWER of this blog to do so, but it's free.

I'd like to leave you with a HINT of one of the biggest number in this show by placing a picture of the script cover here.  I've not shown the name of the play yet for confidentiality, but the wonderful cartoon of myself and the two original actors chosen to do the play will "Cher" with you some of what will be happening!  The cartoon was drawn by the fabulous Scott Clarke, whom I thank from the bottom of my heart.

Wish me luck in L.A.!

Heidi

POST HURRICANE MARVIN

If you haven't been following this blog, let me take just a moment to catch you up to speed.  I'm writing a musical starring myself and two drag queens.  I'm also a top Cher impersonator (real female).  Here is a picture of me with the amazing Larry Edwards who stars in "Divas" here in Las Vegas.
 
Okay, so much has happened since the conception of this project.  But to get caught up in a nutshell, here's the play-by-play:

1.  I put the idea on paper and pitch to it a few producers who all have interest
2.  I ask two iconic drag queen friends if they'd like to be involved in creating the project
3.  One of those two queens, Marvin Nathan, moves from Florida to take part in this project and also   to perform in Reno for the "Divas" show that Frank Marino is mounting there soon.
4.  Marvin is supposed to stay in my home for two days until his apartment is ready for move-in
5.  Marvin secretly cons me into letting him stay with me for over two months by stating several deceptive lies about different money sources being delayed.  He also says he's going to cash in his life insurance policy to pay us back for all the help, and also to invest in the play
6.  After too many "the money will be here tomorrow" scenarios, I start calling people to investigate Marvin's history.  It was then that I found out he has conned several others in the same manner
7.  I filed charges against Marvin
8.  After I went public with this, Frank Marino hired someone else to take Marvin's place in his Divas show in Reno.  Marvin also got kicked out of his apartment that I paid for because he could not keep up with the rent.  Marvin then became a vagrant in our local airport but was soon kicked out of there.  To this date, no one has been able to tell me where Marvin is so that I can serve legal papers on him.
9.  I cleaned up all the financial and emotion mess that "Hurricane Marvin" left in his wake and am back on track with the musical.  Marvin was in my home from the end of September to the end of November 2013. 

It is now February 21, 2014.  I've managed to complete the first draft of the script and get most of the original songs in a rough demo form.  This was not easy since I not only lost a ton of money by helping out Marvin, but I also did not have the investment money to develop the show.  Because I was counting on that investment money to be in the bank in November, I did not book many other Cher gigs and my husband did not schedule many clients in his recording studio so that we could concentrate our efforts on the musical.  It was a rough time financially.  But they say that bad things often come in "threes," as was the case with us.

The second problem to be faced during this difficult time was a legal battle in which a man wanted to cancel one of my trademarks in an effort to use it for his own company.  Here's the fact on trademark law.  You don't have a permanent trademark until you prove continual usage during the fifth and sixth years after you obtain the mark.  Up to that point, anyone can challenge your mark.  If they have enough money to keep you in costly litigation, you can either spend a fortune defending that mark or give up and let the opposition take it.  I know it doesn't sound fair.  Welcome to the business world.  So far, we've been defending the mark and are still in the middle of this situation.

The third problem was that my husband, Gene, found out he needed some surgery to remove a large polyp in his colon.  The surgery is next month.  They need to take out ten inches of his colon to ensure his safety.  It looks like it will be routine and there's a good chance there is no cancer.  But it will be costly as well as emotionally draining.  So, the last thing we needed was to be conned by a "friend" we took in and supported.

Where are we now as far as handling the above?  Well, we just met with two of the producers who are interested in this project.  They want us to do a reading of the script for them in April.  We also want to somehow do a showcase on a stage because with every original and new idea, it is much better to SEE it than to try to visualize it.  Thus, I am trying to figure out how to make this happen.  I've been considering using "Kickstarter" which is an internet site used to raise funds for projects.  But I'd rather find an investor who can see the value of this project and who will assist in seeing it through.  I'm still working on this end of things.

As for the trademark lawsuit, it is on hold for now.  I'm creating some big things for usage of the mark in the meantime.  I'll let you know what happens.

Gene is feeling fine as if nothing is at all wrong.  We feel that his surgery will also go just fine and that he'll be back to snuff in a few weeks afterward.

There are some other fun things in the works, but I'll get to those in the next blog post.  I'll also give you some fun pictures from people recording songs for the play in our studio and from script readings, etc.  So, if you'd like to follow this story, best to become a "follower" by adding your name to the list.  There is an icon to the top right that will help you to do this.  If you have any problems, just leave a reply to this post and I'll help you.

Okay, so we are off and running once again!  Can't wait to post some pics soon!

Always,
Heidi

And The Beat Goes On: Things are moving forward

Okay, so if you haven't been following this blog from the first post to now, you've missed a ton of drama!  I came up with an idea for an original musical starring me and two drag queens.  I pitched the idea to major producers who loved it, I began creating the script and songs, I brought a queen to Vegas from Florida to be in the play, he moved in with me for what was to be two days, he stayed for over two months and pulled a huge con on me and others, I got others to write letters, I filed criminal charges, the charges have moved up to the DA's office, I also am filing civil charges, that con (MARVIN NATHAN) was recently evicted from his apartment that I paid for, he has been calling people from the airport where he is now a vagrant, I have been talking with a few TV reality show producers about doing a reality show based upon the making of my play and all the drama surrounding it, and I'm now nearly finished with the script and several song demos to make ready for a presentation to the interested producers and the reality TV peeps.  Now, you are kind of caught up!  LOL!

It was truly a rough 2013.  On top of all the above, nine of our close friends/family passed away, someone is trying to cancel one of my trademarks via expensive litigation that I am winning, but not a fun time, Gene needs colon surgery and I feel like I'm in a TV reality show right now!

The support from friends has been amazing!   I am truly blessed.  Oh, and I finally got someone to send one of my original songs to a top Broadway songstress to see if she will record it.  So, fingers crossed!

For a person that has never been in litigation, I now have the trademark suit, the civil and criminal suit against Marvin Nathan, and even a civil suit against a theater owner in Myrtle Beach who breached a contract years ago and never made good.  Boy, I should have gone to law school like my mother wanted!

But, to all things there is a season, and I feel like the tide has turned and it's all gonna roll my way!

I am so very excited about how the play is turning out!  It is a real gem with a ton of potential.  All it needs is the right people behind it.  And a TV reality show wouldn't hurt, either!

I don't know how many people are reading this blog, but I've been averaging over 1000 hits per week since I started it on Dec. 13, 2013.  If you are one of those following this journey, may I ask you to join this blog by pressing the "join this site" button at the top right near where the pictures of followers all are.  This way, I'll know how many people are actually reading this.  It will give me some leverage for the reality show if I get a lot of followers, so you'd be helping me out a great deal!

I'm waiting to hear what has happened with Marvin.  He may still be at the airport, or a friend that always bails him out might move him back to Florida.  I don't think he'll be conning too many more people after this, though.  He really had a wonderful opportunity for a grand career with my play, and to work for Frank Marino in his premier drag show "Divas."  But he was just a pro at being a con!  He did not want to work.  He wanted things given to him.

I LOVE to work!  I LOVE to create!  I LOVE to help people!  And I LOVE to inspire!

So, onward I go!  Security does not come from a bank account or from anywhere outside of yourself.  It comes from within and from knowing what you can create.  It comes from confronting and overcoming barriers.  It comes from the power of truth and it comes from being at peace with who you are as a spiritual being.

I am grateful for all my blessings and I hope that you will give me the added blessing of joining my blog.  I have so many things to "Cher" with you!  Oh, speaking of "Cher," here are few pics of me from a charity event I attended last night with my husband.  Take care and hope to see you on my "followers" list soon!

 (My husband, Gene, me, impressionist star, Gordie Brown, his lovely assistant, Morgan)

(Judy Thorburn and myself)

SONG: THE DRAG QUEEN TUCK

OMG!  I am so cracking myself up as I work on this new song for the play!  It will be sung by the two drag queens as they explain to the straight chick (my part) who performs with them, how they tuck they male parts away in order to look more ladylike in their costumes.

I've decided it might be fun to give sneak peeks into the creative process as I continue to finish the script and songs for this musical.  So today, I'm going to give you a look at how I came up with the idea to write a "tuck" song, and how I did the research for it.

There is a scene in the beginning of the play where my character talks about how her husband used to sleep around on her.  So, of course, the three cast members initiate a conversation about the male organ.  (Trying to be genteel with words)

Well, one thing leads to another until my character asks the two queens how they hide their male parts.  This is the segue` leading into the DRAG QUEEN TUCK song.

So, how did I research this topic?  First, I have had many queen friends for decades.  One of my closest drag friends was the late, great Kenny Kerr.

Kenny had the first drag show in Las Vegas and paved the way for all other drag shows which followed.  He was also the first person to ever coach me in how to do my "Cher" make-up.  We have a lush history together.  He let me borrow one of his treasured "Cher" wigs that was made by Cher's own wig maker for a TV audition I had years ago.  I wrote original songs for him and I was with him days before he passed away.

Anyway, Kenny had some of the best lines he'd use in his show when someone would ask him where he put his private part.  Here are some of his answers:  "I tie one end of a string around my penis and the other and around a golf ball...shove it up my ass and yell four."  And, " Where would you like it?"  

Kenny was a master at witty comebacks and the ultimate performer.  I miss him dearly.

Okay, so now I needed to talk to a safe queen who wouldn't be offended by my prying into his personal business regarding the junk in his trunk.  I called a dear, sweet drag queen who stars in Frank Marino's "Divas" now at The Quad here in Las Vegas.  I called Larry Edwards aka Hot Chocolate.

Besides being one of the hardest working queens in Vegas, Larry is also one of the most beloved.  It was fun hearing Larry speaking so politically correct as he explained to me the various ways to disguise one's manhood.  

There is always duct tape...but make sure to shave!  There is a dance belt which hugs your stuff tightly. 

There is a gaff which is like a g-string but can leave red rings on your legs.

Then, you can add padding and/or layers of opaque tights to smooth it all out.  Does that give you enough information for now?  LOL!  Well, if not, you will be getting the "how-to" in the new song for my play called, "Drag Queen Tuck!"  

I hope this story gets you curious as to how this song will turn out.  If you become a "follower" of my blog, you will get personal emails from me with even more fun tidbits and possibly some private links to the songs as well as video.  So, if you want to follow this blog, just go to the top right of any post, click on the "Join this site" icon and follow the prompts.  You may need a free google account but it only takes a minute.  I look forward to "Cher-ing" this journey with you.  

My next post will look into how the story came about, and I'll even show you some pictures of the original show summary.  Take care!

The Shizzle Hits The Fan

On December 19, 2013 there still was no sign of any money coming in from any of the various sources Marvin had previously promoted as coming in "tomorrow."  At this juncture, I was no longer held hostage by his signed document to invest in the musical.  I was no longer held hostage by his promise of "extra money" to make up for all that we had done.  I was no longer held hostage by his supposed "ill health" or any of those things that once baited me on his hook.  The game changed.  It was time for me to investigate!

It is a rule of thumb that where you hear scathing critical remarks coming out of someone's mouth, it usually means that the critical person has committed some transgression against those for whom he is being critical.  So, I began calling people Marvin had complained about.  One of the first calls was to a man in Florida.  Marvin said this man was always meddling in his personal affairs and would not leave him alone.  In fact, Marvin had previously told me that this same person, (we'll call him BB) had sent him money to help him get settled here in Vegas, but that Marvin sent it back because he didn't want this person meddling in his private life.

When BB began telling me stories of how Marvin had a checkered past of scamming people, my heart fell into my stomach!  The scam that Marvin had used in Florida was a tale that he was waiting for his Mother's estate to settle.  During that time, he conned a Florida condominium company to let him stay in a condo for free while they waited for Marvin to get his "inheritance" because Marvin was going to buy two condos from them!  Of course, the money never did come in and Marvin ran up a bill of over $8,000 before they kicked him out!  BB had other stories as well, but I think you get the picture.  I was hearing the same story from BB that Marvin had been telling to me!  Wow!  This guy was a professional con artist!

I called another person who we will call "T" to ask him about Marvin, because Marvin had really ragged on this guy a bunch while living with me.  What T had to say was amazing!  He told me of the same scam technique, and also that Marvin would pretend to talk on the phone to his "lawyer" or "banker" or whomever.  T found out there was no one else on the other end of the phone when he literally dialed a phone that Marvin was "talking to his lawyer" on, and the phone RANG!  LOL!

Each phone call led me to another "victim" who basically recounted the same scam stories.  Marvin pretends to need a place to stay for a day or two.  Then, he pretends some big money is coming in which keeps getting delayed, thus giving him more free room and board.  He pretends to go house or condo or car or furniture shopping, all at the same places!  It seems that Marvin loves Car Max, RC Willey and other favorites places to use in his scam stories.

I had also begun to write this blog and had the first two posts up as a way to possibly scare Marvin into getting his act together.  What Marvin did instead, after learning I was calling people to check up on him and after reading this blog, was to leave a hostile message on my voice mail!  Can you believe the audacity?  I'm going to post the voice mail on YouTube very soon because it is utterly entertaining.  Marvin steal and lies and signs fraudulent investment documents, etc. and then has the NERVE to leave me a voice message stating that he no longer respects me or trusts me or wants anything to do with me!  He further warns me that I don't want to get him on the aggressive because I won't win!  Are you kidding me with this stuff?

That night, I was really stewing over the fact that he stole from me and Gene, knowing that we were in the middle of other litigation, and that Gene needed surgery.  I was livid that he offered to "loan us the money to handle our legal situation and that he'd help with Gene's surgery, knowing that he had no intention of doing so.  I was shocked that he took money from sister knowing she had a serious heart condition and that she couldn't work to avoid stress.  I was simply and utterly dumbfounded.

Around 5am, I decided that I needed to be more proactive.  So, I warned everyone I could on Facebook.  Then, I called all the drag queens I know, including the Queen of queens, Frank Marino, who was going to hire Marvin for his "Divas" show in Reno in February.  All the queens were very understanding.  Some even cried with me.  Some called him names.  Some just gave support.

The next thing I knew, Marvin had found out what I was doing and so began posting lies about ME on his Facebook page!  Now, he was adding libel to his acts of fraud!  A friend of mine texted me Marvin's posts.  Here's the first one for your viewing pleasure:

I called one of Marvin's friends to ask him to have Marvin take the libel off of Facebook or face more consequences.  Marvin took it all off.

I then gathered all the evidence together, including letters from others who had been conned by Marvin, and filed a criminal case on Dec. 23, 2013.

I am also filing a Civil Case against him, not because I think I'll collect any money, but because I want this legally on record.

I have emails from Marvin, admitting that he owes us the money.  In fact, he even tried to scam us again in those emails by stating he wanted to the "honorable" thing and that he had another "lawyer friend" who make up a contract with a payment schedule.  Well, you can read this for yourself.

MARVIN:

Due to the recent communication to every one I know, There is not a single person who will loan me this amount by tomorrow. The reality is I do have a monthly income stream and you are correct that if Franks does not keep me hired it will effect my ability to pay you back. Lets work out this arrangement to be able to honorably pay you back, in a realistic way. As for the Attorney. He is a personal friend doing this for me. He has no desire to get involved and is preparing the document free of charge to me.

ME:

On Sunday, December 22, 2013 1:18 PM, Heidi Thompson <wowgirlprod@aim.com> wrote:

How are you going to pay this, and who is the attorney?

This sounds like more BS!  So, no.  I don't agree.  If I don't get payment by tomorrow, we are done.  Borrow it and pay someone else the schedule below.  

Your job with Frank is also hanging on this.  You've strung me along far too long.  No more, period.  Done!

Heidi

Sent from my iPad

MARVIN:

On Dec 22, 2013, at 1:07 PM, Marvin Nathan <lasvegasentertainer@yahoo.com> wrote:

The following is the arrangement of payment.
JAN. 4,      1,000.00
FEB, 4,      1,000.00
MARCH 4, 1,000.00
APRIL 4,   1,000.00
MAY 4,       1,120.00

Hiedi, I'm having an attorney prepare a settlement agreement. With a confidentiality clause. I need to give the Attorney the terms of the agreement. Do you agree to the arrangement up above. If so please confirm with me. So I can get this prepared for our signatures on or before 26th of December 2013. I like you, would like to put this behind us.
Marvin

ME:

On Sunday, December 22, 2013 12:33 PM, Heidi Thompson <wowgirlprod@aim.com> wrote:

Tomorrow, we have an appointment to file the criminal complaint.  That is our schedule unless you can show proof of your intentions today.

There are no more "tomorrow's" left.  Sorry.  You used them all up.

Heidi

Sent from my iPad

MARVIN:

On Dec 22, 2013, at 12:21 PM, Marvin Nathan <lasvegasentertainer@yahoo.com> wrote:

Dear Heidi and Gene,

It is unfortunate, I do apologize for any problems I might have caused. I owe you 5,120.00 in total. I will contact you on the 26th in a email outlining this with a plan to pay this back to you. This I hope will stop the demeaning behavior of us both. I will take care of this in a fast, and mature way. I do have a list of what it is. Its updated in your favor. If you want it , write me back and I will send it.

Thank You,

Marvin Nathan 

So, there it is.  You would think that with all of this proof along with letters from others who have also been scammed by Marvin, that the legal system would cooperate in getting this menace put behind bars.  But it is not that cut and dry.

In order for the DA's office to even take notice, I feel I must get some press on this story.  So, I've reached out to George Knapp, John Katz and Robin Leach to see if I can get any traction on this story via their media status.

I'm sending this data to an LA Producer interested in pitching a TV reality show about the making of my play.  This whole ordeal with Marvin would make dramatic TV as a reenactment alongside the making of the musical.

I'm calling in some favors from some friends.

I'm filing a Civil Suit.

IF NO ONE DOES ANYTHING WHEN A CRIME IS COMMITTED, THEN CRIME WILL CONTINUE TO BE COMMITTED!

Our legal/justice system is in need of some serious work.  But, then again, so are many things.  I just want to know that I did whatever I could do to keep someone else from going through the emotional, spiritual, and mental Hell that comes from being betrayed and financially raped.

I will keep you posted as to how this case unfolds.  I know I will at least get a civil judgement and it will go on public record.  At least, I can get that done.  Let's see if the press comes in like the cavalry or if I'm left to fight the good fight on my own.

For now, this is a wrap.  I've got a musical to complete and the show will go on!  I've done all I can. 

Stay tuned for posts regarding the development of the musical.  The first meeting with the Producers is next month.  I've got a ton of work to do to prepare.  Thank you for listening and for being there.  It means a lot!

THE END OF THE MARVIN SAGA...FOR NOW...

Broadway in December (Day 3)

My alarm went off at 8am!  That was really 5am Las Vegas time, but I was determined that the three of us get rush tickets to a matinee.  So, I called my sister to ensure she was up and we soon headed out to get in line at the theaters where we were to wait for the $37 rush tickets.

Gene and I walked Renee to the theater where "Pippin" was playing.  I decided to stay with her while Gene went over to the theater where "After Midnight" was playing.  Had I not already seen "Pippin," I would have gone with my sister to the matinee.

While in line for Pippin tickets, we met two young male students who were also waiting for rush tickets.  Talking to them helped to pass the hour as we all shivered in the brisk, New York air.

Gene called and told me he was the only person in line at the theater where the new show "After Midnight" was offering rush tickets.  I felt sorry for him because he didn't have anyone to help him pass the time.  But, he got our two $37 tickets as soon as the box office opened at 10am.  So, I left Renee in line with the two young students while I walked over to the TKTS booth in Time's Square to meet Gene.

Renee and I were hoping to get discount tickets to see Kinky Boots that night.  Gene had already seen it and said it was good.  Kinky Boots won the Tony for "Best Musical" as well as several other categories.  It features drag queens, which makes it very applicable to my life since I'm writing a new musical starring myself and two queens.  Thus, it was the best play for us to see.  Gene decided to go with us to see it again because he is orchestrating the songs for our original musical.  We bought three tickets, met Renee who had her Pippin rush ticket in hand, and all went to lunch at a little deli.

Renee was happy because she got a seat to Pippin right next to the young man we were talking with in line.  So, she didn't feel lonely.  She actually ended up getting really great seats in the mezzanine and had a wonderful time!  Pippin was one of the best Broadway musicals Gene and I had ever seen.  My heart was joyful knowing Renee would have that same experience.

As for Gene and myself, our seats for "After Midnight" were the farthest seats on the left where we missed half of the view of the stage!  LOL!  To top that, the performers used the stairs in front of our feet, so we had to keep them tucked close to our seats.

"After Midnight" was basically a Cotton Club Review with a great big band, wonderful singers and dancers, and two celebrity performers:  Dule` Hill (from the TV show, "Psyche") and American Idol winner, Fantasia.  Well, it was a good show, but not a great one.  There were some talented acts, though.  Fantasia was especially amazing.  Her voice was a splendid match for the old classic tunes she sang against a backdrop of some of New York's finest musicians.  As for Dule`, well, he didn't shine quite so brightly as he does on TV.   But it was an interesting experience, especially with our seats being where they were!  LOL!

I really didn't want to walk the long way back to our hotel after the matinee in the cold.  I was really tired, but we stopped in various stores to keep warm until we got there.  A little rest and then off to Kinky Boots!

I must say that it was hard to sit in discounted seats way up in the back mezzanine for Kinky Boots!  LOL!  I'm usually the diva who has premium tickets.  (Our view of the set)

I ate a ton of humble pie during this trip, but I must say that I am grateful for being able to go at all!  I am especially thankful to have spent such quality time with my husband and my sister.

Kinky Boots was highly entertaining as well as educational.  It gave me confidence that my new musical would have a wide audience appeal and that drag queens were gaining popularity.  Maybe this play would give me the writing career I'd been chasing since nearly getting a musical I wrote on Broadway in 1985?  Maybe I needed to be in this situation and in this place at this time in order to accomplish what I wanted to accomplish?  I was trying to find the good in all that was happening around me as the gnawing in my gut reflected my concern over what I knew I must face with Marvin upon returning home.

A picture I took of garbage bags covered in melting snow best depicted my emotions at that moment.  Marvin's snow job was melting and there was a ton of garbage underneath.

We were flying home the next afternoon.  I made the decision that night that Marvin was no longer my friend for putting us all in the position of being in New York without getting us any money back.  I made the decision that, even if he really were getting the life-insurance check or the money from the Credit Union settlement, I did not want him involved in the musical as an investor or as a performer.  I made the decision that I was going to investigate him when I got home by calling everyone he had spoken about during the two months he stayed in my house.  I made the decision that he was no longer in charge of the game and that there were no more "tomorrows."  I was done waiting.  The ball was now in my court and the shizzle was going to hit the fan at warp speed...

There may be Hell to pay soon, but for now...there were big pretzels!  LOL!

The next morning, Renee and I went to a Farmer's Market on the edge of Central Park.

There, we got ideas as to how to market and sell her famous "TOFFEE ADDICTION" products.  We felt we had done something productive and got some great contacts.  Be on the lookout for "TOFFEE ADDICTION" toffees, toffee pop corn and other toffee-related items!  And, if you want a free taste, give me a call!  I've been getting a lot of my friends hooked on the stuff!  LOL!



(Please join my followers by pressing the "join this site" icon at the top right of any post.  It's free and will simply alert you when I post something new.  I promise you will be entertained as you follow my journey to get Marvin behind bars and get my new musical produced.  It will also help to bring attention to the legal authorities and promote the play.  I'd really appreciate the support.  Thank you!)

Broadway in December (Days 1 & 2)

Although we were not able to sell Marvin's hotel room or show ticket in order to have money for expenses, we somehow made it go right for the three of us to go to New York.  Trying to feel holiday cheer when you are worried you've just been scammed along with your sister, your husband and your friend, is not an easy task!  But being in NYC for the holidays and seeing some Broadway shows was on my sister's bucket list.  So, I swallowed my discontent as best as I could.

I had prepaid for three hotel rooms at a great rate in a nice hotel near Central Park.  Since we only needed two rooms, the manager of the hotel was kind enough to at least give me and Gene a room with a view of the Park as a gesture for losing the non-refundable fees for Marvin's room.

The view from that room had a beautiful but dismal feeling about it.  I snapped a shot with my phone because it captured how I was feeling right then.  I felt gray...

 

We had hoped to go see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular that night, but the sale tickets were gone by the time we got to the TKTS booth in the middle of Time's Square.  So, we had something to eat and then walked around in the cold, Winter night.

Rockefeller Center was nearby.  I thought it might be nice for Renee to see the big Christmas tree and the ice skating rink.  Of course, she got some great pictures.

The next morning, I let Gene sleep in while I went over to my sister's room just down the hall.  She was so excited to be there and wanted to get outside to see the sights.  We were able to get discount tickets for the Radio City Show that afternoon.

Even though the weather was freezing with flurries of snow, walking the seven blocks to Radio City Music Hall was not too bad, especially when you are holding the arm of a husband you love dearly. Renee stopped at some of the street vendors to find a knitted beret.  Then, we waited in the show line for a short while.

The gnawing in my stomach over the situation with Marvin was somewhat dulled as I watched my sister's enthusiasm upon entering Radio City Music Hall.  She is a photographer amongst her many other talents, and her camera was now being engaged from nearly every angle in this most festive and iconic theater lobby.

I love watching artists as they devour their craft!  Renee was in her element!

After the creative photo shoot in the lobby, we filed into the famous theater itself.  Our seats were not too far from the stage, which was pretty cool considering we got them at a substantial discount.  As the audience took their seats, an elderly gent sat next to Gene.  He was alone.  My sister looked at me with the telepathic message that we should invite him to go with us to see Billy Crystal later that night.  So, Gene and I struck up a conversation with him.

The old gent had indeed come alone to visit the city and see a few shows.  His wife had died years earlier.  We asked him if he'd like to join us later that evening to see Billy Crystal, and he agreed.  We all then gazed at the perfection of this magnificent Christmas Spectacular, decorated with the dazzling Rockettes and sprinkled with 3-D technology, grand sets and beautiful music.  It was a glorious experience I highly recommend!

After the show, we walked back to our hotel to rest.  But the walk was overflowing with holiday scenery, so Renee's camera and artistic eye were hard at work the entire way!

I have to say that the store windows in Bergdorf Goodman were the most beautiful of all!  Thank goodness the store was right next to our hotel because it was really cold outside!

That night, we walked for about 40 minutes to get to the theater where Billy Crystal was performing his one-man show, "700 Sundays."  We were on a budget, so walking was the cheapest way to get to where we needed to go!

We waited to make sure the older gent we had invited earlier found us in the theater lobby.  I took a picture of him with my sister once we arrived at our seats.

I was so happy that we could put Marvin's ticket to good use.  And, I was even happier to finally get to see Billy Crystal in this particular show.  You see, I had read the book ten years ago, and I absolutely fell in love with it and him.  I was in NYC when he first performed the show around the time I read the book,  but I did not get a chance to see it.  This was to be his last time ever to perform the play and I was finally there to witness it in person.  Here is a picture of the set from our seats in the mezzanine.

If you haven't read the book, "700 Sundays," please consider doing so.  It is about Billy's family and the number of Sundays he had with his father until he died.  The story captivates you and Billy Crystal is one of the best performers ever to grace a stage.  I was in hog heaven!

In the play, Billy talks about how he either wanted to be a Yankee baseball player, a comic, or a comic Yankee baseball player.  He said he wasn't sure if he could be a great ball player but that when he saw comedians performing in the Catskills, he looked at them and said, "That, I can do!"

Well, I looked at Billy Crystal performing up on that stage in a play he had written and I said to my husband and my sister, "That, I can do!"  I was exhilarated!  It was the perfect night...well, except that Marvin never did get any money into our bank account and I had to figure out a way to see a few more shows so that my sister did not feel cheated.  It was important, so I figured it out.

There is a thing called "General Rush Tickets" wherein people can stand in line before a theater opens in the morning to get what they call "rush" tickets at a very low price.  Normally, I would never get up early and walk blocks in the cold just to wait in line for over an hour to save some money.  But, for my sister...yes, and these "rush" tickets were all only $37!     (Renee and Heidi in hotel lobby)

I made a plan for the following morning.  Gene and I would walk Renee over to the theater that had rush tickets for "Pippin," because she really wanted to see that.  Gene and I had seen it already, so we would go to another theater that had rush tickets for a new show called "After Midnight."  We would all buy matinee tickets and then meet at the TKTS booth in Time's Square to buy discount tickets for another show that evening.  That was the plan.  I set my alarm and went to sleep.

(I will continue the NYC trip on the next blog post.  I hope you will join my "followers" by clicking on the "join this site" icon to the top right of any blog post.  It will help me in many ways and I'd really appreciate the company and support!  See you next post!  Heidi)

The Con Is Out Of Our Home

Hurray!  After two months of no privacy, Gene and I finally came out of pocket to move Marvin into his new apartment on November 20, 2013!  Marvin was totally taken off guard.  I believe he was hoping to stay with us until he left to work with Frank Marino (Star and Producer of top drag show, "Divas") in Reno the first week of February.  But I really needed my space back to write, and Marvin had been talking to a man named Santos at an apartment complex for over two months about holding an apartment for him.  So, we thought it best for him as well.  (Hello Santos, if you are reading this!)

A few days later, I took Marvin to the grocery store and gave him $20 to buy a few things.  I asked him if we could go to his bank to talk with a manager about his big check taking so long to post.  I told him I'd have to pawn my wedding ring that afternoon in order to take care of financial obligations and that I'd really appreciate being able to at least speak to the bank myself.  He refused, stating that "Howard" (the fictitious lawyer) was on it and that he did not want to cause any problems.  I was very upset and realized at that moment that Marvin didn't care about anyone else but himself. 

It was nearing Thanksgiving.  Gene and I were a little down because our four grandkids (The Dungan Family) had just moved to Florida.  It would be the first year we weren't spending the holidays with them.  I had asked Marvin to invite a fellow drag performer named Brian to Thanksgiving at our home for dinner.  Gene is the BEST at cooking Thanksgiving dinner and I wanted to make it a nice day.  But Marvin's friend declined (I found out later on that it was because Marvin lied to him about me, thus causing Brian to think I was a bi_ch.)  So, Gene and I decided to go to the Venetian Hotel on Thanksgiving to enjoy the holiday decor and entertainment.  It was lovely.

     

                      

Then, a few days after Thanksgiving, my sister had a big, family dinner.  We brought Marvin so that he could have some nice food and company.  We also made sure he had plenty of leftovers to take home with him.

It was getting closer to December 16, the day we were all to leave for New York City.  None of Marvin's money had come in yet.  But he said at least his disability checks had been straightened out and that we could have one of those totaling $1,800 in the next few days.  This at least would cover what he owed my sister, "B" and then give us some spending money for the trip.

On the day that the disability check was supposed to post,  I was at my sister's home helping her to package toffee items she was giving as gifts.  Her toffee is addicting!  In fact, she now calls her company "TOFFEE ADDICTION!"  Lol!  More on that later.  I spent all day at her home hoping that Marvin would make good on this most recent money transaction.  But, he didn't and now I was horribly worried about how the four of us would be able to afford to go to New York in just a few weeks.

I spoke to Marvin about this a few times over the next week or so.  He just kept saying things like, "Oh, I'm not worried about that."  I told him it would be impossible for us to go if he didn't get some money in and that I was most concerned for my sister not having stress due to her heart condition.  I wanted to make sure she had a good time and got to see some shows.  I got nowhere.

Finally, on December 12, I asked Gene to call Marvin and see if he would let us try to sell his hotel room and Billy Crystal show ticket in order to have some spending money for the trip.  His airfare was non-refundable or transferable.  But maybe we could find another person to take the room and show.  Finally, Marvin said, "Yes, go ahead and sell them.  I can't afford to go."

What?  He can't afford to go?  If I had $126,000 coming from a life-insurance policy along with $50,000 coming from a settled lawsuit, I'd find a way to get some pocket money to go on a trip where most everything else was already paid for.  Wouldn't you?  This was the first real sign that Marvin was a liar and a thief...or at least the first sign for which we took notice.

By December 14, I had not been able to sell the hotel room or the show ticket.  So, I left a message for Marvin asking him as a friend to please get some money in from somewhere so that we could at least have spending money for this trip.  I reminded him of my sister's heart condition and told him to make it go right somehow.  Marvin later spoke to Gene and said he'd get some money in while were in NYC and put it in our account.  Do you think that ever happened?  If it weren't for the help of a dear friend, we would not have been able to go.  But, the three of us did spend a few days in Manhattan.

I'll put up some pics on the next blog post and tell you about the big blow-up I had with Marvin as we continue together on this crazy journey.  If you would be so inclined as to help me get justice and to also promote this blog and my play, I'd really appreciate your sharing this blog with friends and becoming a follower.  I need to bring attention to this matter so that the law takes it more seriously.  Also, I intend to get the play produced starring myself and two queens, which is the reason I brought Marvin to Vegas from Florida in the first place!  So, I cannot wait to tell you what is going on with the play!

Did I confront Marvin?  Did I investigate him by calling several persons?  Did he leave a vicious voice message on my phone that I am going to post to youtube so you can hear it?  (You will LOVE that!)  Did I press charges and take pictures of the precinct?  What else did I do?  LOL?  Find out by pressing the "Join This Site" icon to the top left and become a follower.  It's free and you will receive an email notice whenever I post here.  Thank you for reading this.  I truly appreciate it!