Men of Laguna Beach Calendar Open Casting

Some Pictures from the Big Casting Call This Weekend

Photos From the Fourth of July Week!

Shot around town at parties, the Boom and the beach!

Actresses to Help Save the Boom

News Advisory Contact: Fred Karger

July 6, 2007 949/494-4750 or regrak@aol.com

ACTRESSES HEATHER and NICHOLLE TOM
Set to Judge
MEN of LAGUNA BEACH CALENDAR

Open Casting Tomorrow -- Saturday

Heather Tom Nicholle Tom

LAGUNA BEACH, CA – Actresses and sisters Heather and Nicholle Tom will be in Laguna Beach this Saturday, July 7, 2007 to be judges and help choose the 20 best looking Men of Laguna Beach for the 2008 Calendar. The first of its kind open casting will take place on lucky Saturday, 07- 07- 07 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Boom Boom Room, 1401 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach.

The five judge panel will be made up of three of Hollywood’s top Professionals and the two Hollywood Stars. Heather and Nicholle will be joined by Paul Weber, head of casting for MGM Television Worldwide, Ethan Petersen Senior Producer / Supervising Casting Producer, Fremantle Media / Krasnow Productions, The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, and Stan Zimmerman, noted TV and film writer and producer.

Former child stars, the Tom sisters continue to be very busy working actors today. Heather is well known to American daytime drama fans for her role as Victoria Newman on “The Young and the Restless” on CBS. She played the role from 1991 until December 2003. Heather won 2 Daytime Emmy Awards in 1993 and 1999. Younger sister Nicholle is best known for playing Maggie Sheffield on the hit TV series “The Nanny.” The Toms are excited about coming to one of their favorite spots in California – Laguna Beach.

Joining the Tom sisters will be Paul Weber, who has been MGM’s in-house casting Director since 1995 and head of Casting since 2000. In addition to his casting duties, Paul lectures and teaches acting to students all around the world.

Ethan will not only be helping to look for the 20 Best Looking Men in Laguna Beach, but will be scouting Laguna’s finest to be considered for the third season of the extremely popular reality TV show “The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency” which appears on the Oxygen Network.

And judge Stan Zimmerman has written for many hit Television Shows and Films over the past 20 years including the “Gilmore Girls,” “Rosanne” and the “Golden Girls.” He has also co-written several Movies including “A Very Brady Sequel,” “The Brady Bunch Movie” and “Annie” -- a Movie of the Week for ABC.

The panel of five well know judges will be looking for the top 20 men, who will all have photo secessions with celebrity photographer Cristopher Lapp (http://www.cristopherlapp.com/). The field will be narrowed down to the final 12. The judges will then pick the top three who will win prize money. First Place finisher -- $500.00, Second Place -- $250.00 and Third Place -- $100.00.

“Everyone trying out must either live or work in Laguna Beach,” stated Fred Karger, founder of SAVE the BOOM!!! (http://www.savetheboom.com/) the sponsor of the calendar. “We will be presenting the best-looking men of Laguna Beach to the rest of country and the world.”

It’s a great way to raise some money, showcase one of Laguna Beach’s best assets, promote Laguna and have some fun. And everyone entering will have a chance to win the $500.00 first place prize. The money raised will go to support the ongoing efforts of SAVE the BOOM!!!, and will be split with local charities in and around Laguna Beach,” said Karger.

SAVE the BOOM!!! is a grassroots organization formed in 2006 to help save the oldest gay bar in the Western U.S., the landmark Boom Boom Room and the Coast Inn in which it is housed.

-- end --

Judges Announced for Men of Laguna Calendar Contest

News Advisory Contact: Fred Karger
July 2, 2007 949/494-4750 or regrak@aol.com

MEN of LAGUNA BEACH CALENDAR
5 JUDGES ANNOUNCED

For SAVE the BOOM’S Open Casting Saturday

LAGUNA BEACH, CA – Five well known Hollywood Entertainment figures will be heading to Laguna Beach this Saturday, July 7, 2007 to be judges and choose the 20 best looking Men of Laguna Beach for the 2008 Calendar. The first of its kind open casting will take place on lucky Saturday, 07- 07- 07 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Boom Boom Room, 1401 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach.

The five judge panel will be made up of three of Hollywood’s top Professionals and two Hollywood Stars.

Actresses and sisters Heather and Nicholle Tom will be leading the list of judges and will be joined by Paul Weber, head of casting for MGM Television Worldwide, Ethan Petersen Senior
Producer / Supervising Casting Producer, Fremantle Media / Krasnow Productions, The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, and Stan Zimmerman, noted TV and film writer and producer.

Former child stars, the Tom sisters continue to be very busy working actors today. Heather is well known to American daytime drama fans for her role as Victoria Newman on “The Young and the Restless” on CBS. She played the role from 1991 until December 2003. Heather won 2 Daytime Emmy Awards in 1993 and 1999. Younger sister Nicholle is best known for playing Maggie Sheffield on the hit TV series “The Nanny.” The Toms are excited about coming to one of their favorite spots in California – Laguna Beach.

Joining the Tom sisters will be Paul Weber, who has been MGM’s in-house casting Director since 1995 and head of Casting since 2000. In addition to his casting duties, Paul lectures and teaches acting to students all around the world.

Ethan will not only be helping to look for the 20 Best Looking Men in Laguna Beach, but will be scouting Laguna’s finest to be considered for the third season of the extremely popular reality TV show “The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency” which appears on the Oxygen Network.

And judge Stan Zimmerman has written for many hit Television Shows and Films over the past 20 years including the “Gilmore Girls,” “Rosanne” and the “Golden Girls.” He has also co-written several Movies including “A Very Brady Sequel,” “The Brady Bunch Movie” and “Annie” -- a Movie of the Week for ABC.
The panel of five well know judges will be looking for the top 20 men, who will all have photo secessions with celebrity photographer Cristopher Lapp (http://www.cristopherlapp.com). The field will be narrowed down to the final 12. The judges will then pick the top three who will win prize money. First Place finisher -- $500.00, Second Place -- $250.00 and Third Place -- $100.00.

“Everyone trying out must either live or work in Laguna Beach,” stated Fred Karger, founder of SAVE the BOOM!!! (www.savetheboom.com) the sponsor of the calendar. “We will be presenting the best-looking men of Laguna Beach to the rest of country and the world.”

It’s a great way to raise some money, showcase one of Laguna Beach’s best assets, promote Laguna and have some fun. And everyone entering will have a chance to win the $500.00 first place prize. The money raised will go to support the ongoing efforts of SAVE the BOOM!!!, and will be split with local charities in and around Laguna Beach,” said Karger.

SAVE the BOOM!!! is a grassroots organization formed in 2006 to help save the oldest gay bar in the Western U.S., the landmark Boom Boom Room and the Coast Inn in which it is housed.

-- end --

Casting Call: Men of Laguna Calendar Auditions

Well, hold onto your hats, because SAVE the BOOM!!! (www.savetheboom.com) is getting ready to have the first of its kind tryouts for the Men of Laguna Beach Calendar. I have included the Media Advisory that went out to the press today and a copy of the flyer that we are distributing around town. Please email a copy of the flyer to anyone that you think might be interested in trying out for our 2008 calendar. All men trying out need to either live or work in Laguna Beach and be at least 18 years old. There is $850.00 in prize money for the top three vote getters by our panel of ‘American Idol’ like judges. And be sure and come to the Boom Boom Room on Saturday, July 7th from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm to witness a little slice of history and have some fun! Thank you very much for your support!!!


News Advisory Contact: Fred Karger

June 25, 2007
949/494-4750 or regrak@aol.com

WANTED: BEST LOOKING MEN IN LAGUNA BEACH FOR 2008 CALENDAR
SAVE the BOOM!!! To Have Open Casting 07- 07- 07

LAGUNA BEACH, CA – SAVE the BOOM!!! (www.savetheboom.com) today announced that it will sponsor a first ever open casting to find the 20 best looking men in Laguna Beach for its

2008 Calendar. The open casting will take place on lucky Saturday, July 7, 2007 (07- 07- 07) from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Boom Boom Room, 1401 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA, Fred Karger, Founder of SAVE the BOOM!!! announced today.

“A panel of judges will be looking for the top 20 men, who will all have photo secessions with celebrity photographer Cristopher Lapp (http://www.cristopherlapp.com). The field will then be narrowed down to the final 12. The judges will then pick the top three who will win prize money. First Place finisher -- $500.00, Second Place -- $250.00 and Third Place -- $100.00.

Boom Boom Room bartenders Ryan and Tim look calendar ready.

“Everyone trying out must either live or work in Laguna Beach,” stated Karger. “We plan on selling the calendars around town and through a distributor. We will be presenting the good-looking men of Laguna Beach to the rest of country and the world.”

It’s a great way to raise some money, showcase one of Laguna Beach’s best assets, promote Laguna and have some fun. And everyone entering will have a chance to win the $500.00 first place prize. The money raised will go to support the ongoing efforts of SAVE the BOOM!!! and will be split with local charities in and around Laguna,” said Karger.

In addition to calendar photographer Cristopher Lapp, the first two announced judges will be noted Hollywood Casting Directors Paul Weber, head of casting for MGM Television Worldwide and Jason Wood, Independent Casting Director and former Manager, Talent and Casting at 20th Century Fox Television. Both Wood and Weber have worked extensively in film and television for over 15 years a piece. Other judges will be announced prior to the open casting.

SAVE the BOOM!!! is a grassroots organization formed in 2006 to help save the oldest gay bar in the Western U.S., the landmark Boom Boom Room and the Coast Inn in which it is housed.

DETAILS

MEN of LAGUNA BEACH
2008 CALENDAR

Open Casting Call
Saturday, July 7th
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
1st Place: $500
2nd Place: $250
3rd Place: $100

We are searching for the absolute 20 Best Looking Men in Laguna Beach for our first Men of Laguna Beach Calendar. These 20 finalists will then be voted on for the 12 monthly spots on what will be the hottest male calendar since Chippendales began the first all male calendar 25 years ago.

Open Casting Call:

When: Saturday, July 7, 2007
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Where: The Boom Boom Room
1401 South Coast Highway
Laguna Beach

There will be a panel of judges casting the 20 best looking gay and straight men who either live or work in Laguna Beach and are at least 18 years old.*

The Men of Laguna Beach Calendar will be sold as a fund raiser for SAVE the BOOM!!! (www.savetheboom.com) and local Laguna Beach charities.

All models must sign releases in order to be eligible to appear in the calendar and receive the prize money.

Suggested attire: shorts, board shorts, swimming suit along with a t-shirt or tank top.

For more information: email savetheboom@aol.com or call 949.494.4750

* Please bring some form of identification

Boom Boom in the LA Times

I want to pass along Dana Parsons’ wonderful column from a recent Los Angeles Times -- Orange County Edition. He really captured the essence of what we are trying to accomplish in Laguna Beach with all our efforts to save this landmark bar and over 100 years of gay history along with it.


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/orange/la-me-parsons16jun16,1,7379404.column?coll=la-editions-orange



Have also here is a link to an excellent story from last week’s Orange County Register --Laguna News Post by Christa Woodall on our move into Hollywood.
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/local/lagunabeach/article_1720660.php


Local News : Orange County

Los Angeles Times Saturday, June 16, 2007

It can be a blast trying to save a Boom
A P.R. man has a little fun with his cause: preserving an iconic gay bar in Laguna.

June 16, 2007



Fred Karger is having the time of his life. Or so I figured. How could he not be?

Yes, it's serious business trying to save the venerable Boom Boom Room in Laguna Beach, but when the effort includes a demonstration on Hollywood Boulevard and entreaties to George Clooney and Brad Pitt, how can it not be fun?

It's a charge to which Karger pleads guilty — with an explanation.

"I'm having a good time," he says Friday afternoon, "but it's a lot more work than I had anticipated. It keeps the good times in check, with long hours and meetings. It has become a kind of political campaign."

Karger has done just what a former public relations guy is supposed to do — keep the media interested in his cause. And what savvier way to do it than taking out an ad in Daily Variety that said, in addition to a somewhat impassioned narrative, "George and Brad, Please Help Save the Boom!!!"

Not that there's been any real indication that either has the slightest interest in doing so — a fact that Karger readily concedes. But if you want to enlist Hollywood's help, why not ask a couple of the coolest cats in town?

The Boom is the room that's been around since those post-World War II days when things seemed so much simpler. Located a mile south of Main Beach in Laguna, it was a popular serviceman's haunt and just so happened to attract both a gay and straight crowd home from the war.

It morphed over the years into the city's iconic gay bar, an important designation for a town that elected the country's first openly gay mayor and that sported a significant gay population. The city's embrace, if you will, of gay people, took some courage if you consider that well into the 1960s it was illegal for two men to dance with each other.

Now, the bar's existence is in jeopardy. The bar and 23-room inn attached to it has been bought by a Beverly Hills businessman who has announced plans to convert the property to an upscale hotel, minus the Boom Boom. However, he since has extended the property's lease, giving Karger and others reason to hope that he'd be willing to sell to another buyer.

Which explains the plan a week and a half ago to get in the faces — in a nice way — of Clooney and Pitt while they were doing the handprint/footprint thing at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Karger, wearing a sport coat, was joined at the scene by about a dozen demonstrators in yellow T-shirts bearing the "Save the Boom" message. That was Step Two of the plan that began with the Variety ad the day before.

The two movie hunks were targeted, Karger acknowledges, solely because they had been linked to the ownership group that bought the property in 2005. The stars denied any connection, and Karger says he has no reason to think they ever were involved.

Still ….

As a former P.R. man, he knows what sells. "It worked beyond my wildest dreams about getting attention," he says. "And that was without any reaction from them. It got a lot of attention. That was my hope, by invoking their names. There are still a lot of people who think they bought it, and this was to kind of further that rumor a little bit and have fun with it. These guys, they kind of kid each other."

While blithely involving Pitt and Clooney sounds a little cheesy, Karger has the same sense about the tandem that I do — this is the kind of gambit that won't bother them.

"Brad Pitt is the one who has said he won't get married until everyone can," Karger says, taking that as an endorsement of gay marriage.

"It was all done humorously," Karger says. "And the ad, which I wrote, was tongue-in-cheek, meant to get their attention and, bottom line, to find a new buyer [for the Boom Boom property]."

I ask Karger, 57, if he's out of ideas. "We're maybe at the halfway point," of the campaign, which, he says, in all seriousness, is about preserving "the heart and soul of the gay community in Laguna Beach."

OK, but anything to rival the Variety ad and the Grauman's moment? "Well, nothing really," he says, chuckling. "We've got a couple things planned over the summer, but nothing like that."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dana Parsons' column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. He can be reached at (714) 966-7821 or at dana.parsons@latimes.com. An archive of his recent columns is at http://www.latimes.com/parsons .

Save the Boom Gets International Coverage

Local resident Fred Karger’s efforts to find a gay buyer for the Boom Boom Room night club and Coast Inn took him to Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood earlier in the week and to Las Vegas on Wednesday. Supporters are vying for an audience with actors George Clooney and Brad Pitt, traveling to promote their new film, “Ocean’s Thirteen.”

Laguna Beach Independent

Dear Friends -- well it has been quite a week since we first kicked off our campaign to try and persuade George Clooney and Brad Pitt to Buy the BOOM!!! with our ad last Monday in Daily Variety. The ad has triggered an outpouring of support and interest in our efforts to find a buyer who will keep the historic Coast Inn and the landmark Boom Boom Room as gay businesses.

We have received worldwide coverage in old and new media and tremendous support here at home. We did several local and national television and radio interviews. And in searching google there are literally hundreds of stories written on our quest for a buyer. They are from all over the world and we have received many calls and emails from potential buyers and press from the UK, Asia, Italy, Canada and throughout the U.S. We have meetings coming up, and have put some of the serious buyers in direct contact with the property owner.

Still no word from George and Brad to our appeal, but they had very busy week launching the very successful release of Ocean’s Thirteen!

Below is a list with links to of some of the major coverage that we have received worldwide. Also below is a copy of an incredible Editorial from this week’s Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot and the front page photo from the Laguna Beach Independent.

Thanks for all your interest and help as we work to SAVE the BOOM -- Forever!!!

Best regards,

Fred Karger
Founder
http://www.savetheboom.com/

Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot
EDITORIAL: Boom efforts applauded

It's getting down to the wire for the survival of the Boom Boom Room and Coast Inn, two establishments that have been the bedrock of the gay community in Laguna Beach and beyond for some 60 years.





Gay activist Fred Karger, founder of Save the Boom!, is hoping that a gay angel — or more than one — will come forward with the money and wherewithal to purchase these ocean view properties and keep them as they are. Steven Udvar-Hazy, the billionaire airline businessman who bought the scenic sites a year ago, has decided he'd rather not try to redevelop them, and has put them on the market.





Price tag: $19 million. It's anyone's guess what will happen to the properties at this juncture, but a gay buyer is being actively sought. Now Karger has gone so far as to take out an ad in Variety asking actors Brad Pitt and George Clooney — who might just have $19 million or know where to get it — to step forward and "Save the Boom."Pitt and Clooney — currently in the spotlight due to the release of their new "Ocean's 13" film — were originally linked through the rumor mill to a possible purchase of the Boom and Coast Inn before it became the property of Udvar-Hazy. That rumor was vigorously denied by the stars' publicity machine, but it made headlines around the world for its connotation of the two hunky actors joined in a possibly gay venture.

Karger's ad may be a bit tongue-in-cheek — or a bit cheeky — but it's doing the job he probably wanted: getting even more publicity mileage for his year-long campaign for somebody, somewhere to keep the Boom alive. The Boom has a long history of linkages to Hollywood stars, of course, the most famous, and tragic, being Rock Hudson, who held court there during his golden days before he was felled by AIDS. While the Variety ad has generated a lot of buzz, we doubt that Pitt and Clooney would want to be front and center in a "Save the Boom" bid. Karger, a former publicist, is pulling out all the stops to try to save his beloved Boom Boom Room from erasure, and we give him a "thumb's up" for his heroic efforts to keep part of Laguna's storied and romantic past in the present. Maybe he should take out another ad, this time asking Rosie O'Donnell and Ellen Degeneres to make an offer. Having just left her TV talk show perch, Rosie just might like "the view" from the bar at the Boom Boom Room.





George Clooney and Brad Pitt Media Coverage

KCBS2. com + KCAL -- http://cbs2.com/business/local_story_155050223.html

KNBC-TV -- http://www.knbc.com/entertainment/13436604/detail.html?rss=la&psp=news

Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot Editorial --http://www.coastlinepilot.com/articles/2007/06/08/opinion/cpt-editorial08.txt

Laguna Beach Independent Front Page Photo -- http://www.lagunabeachindependent.com/

O C Register --
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/local/lagunabeach/article_1720548.php

TMZ -- http://www.tmz.com/2007/06/03/pitt-and-clooney-mixed-up-in-gay-bar-fight

Defamer -- http://defamer.com/hollywood/gay-real-estate/brad-and-george-get-another-shot-at-purchasing-the-gay+owned-business-of-their-dreams-265705.php

E! On Line -- http://boards.eonline.com/Insider/Boards/thread.jspa?threadID=52300

Curbed LA -- http://la.curbed.com/

Towelroad -- http://www.towleroad.com/2007/06/brad_pitt_and_g.html

Boi From Troy -- http://boifromtroy.com/?p=6446

The Advocate -- http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid45717.asp

San Francisco Chronicle -- http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2007/06/clooney-and-pitt-asked-to-save-oc-gay.html

KNX (CBS) News Radio -- http://www.knx1070.com/pages/539666.php?contentType=4&contentId=573422

KPPC - Southern CA Public Radio -- http://www.scpr.org/

Misc Coverage --

http://news.google.com/news?tab=wn&client=safari&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&rls=en&ncl=1116962591&hl=en

Towelroad – Grauman’s Coverage: http://www.towleroad.com/2007/06/lagunas_boom_bo.html

The Edge Boston -- http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ci=108&ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=20863

A Socialite’s Life -- http://socialitelife.com/2007/06/04/clooney_and_pitt_asked_to_save_gay_landmark_in_cali.php

Edge Ft. Lauderdale -- http://www.edgeftlauderdale.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=20863

Boxnet -- http://www.boxxet.com/Brad_Pitt/GAY_CALIFORNIANS_APPEAL_TO_CLOONEY_AND_PITT_TO_BUY_BAR.61213146.details

Clooney Project -- http://clooneyproject.livejournal.com/2007/06/05/

Clooney Studio -- http://clooneystudio.com/

QueerFilter -- http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2007/06/clooney-and-pitt-asked-to-save-oc-gay.html

Gay Business News -- http://www.247gay.com/print_this_article.cfm?section=66&id=14976

GayLink News -- http://www.gaylinknews.com/storydetail2.cfm?storyid=14976

Huffington Post -- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/topics/Paul+Lynde

Houston Voice -- http://www.houstonvoice.com/blog/index.cfm?blogger=14

The Liberal OC -- http://theliberaloc.com/2007/06/03/doom-doom-and-gloom-gloom-for-the-boom-boom/

Yahoo Xtra -- http://nz.entertainment.yahoo.com/070604/6/kt1.html

SFGate.com -- http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=7&entry_id=17304

UKGay.com -- http://uk.gay.com/headlines/11660

Post Chronicle -- http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_21284312.shtml

Asian News Intl -- http://www.aol.in/hollywood/story/2007060406509026000006/index.html