Sept. 21 Daily Briefing: Magical moment for director, pride grand marshals named, pharmacy fined, and more

Good morning and happy Thursday. Last week we got an email from a reader who wanted us to know about a near-miss he experienced with a type of crime we had honestly never heard before — “jugging.”  This happens when thieves stake out unsuspecting victims at banks (where they could be withdrawing cash) or retail stores, follow them, and rob them while they are juggling smartphones and car keys in parking lots or at home. In the case of the reader, he noticed he was being followed and wisely began to head toward the police station.

The suspicious vehicle eventually stopped following him, but he still filed a police report. We’re glad he’s safe and will use this opportunity to remind you it’s always good to be aware of your surroundings.

🎶 Setting the mood: “Almost Like Being In Love” by Nat King Cole (Originally from “Brigadoon”!)

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LEADING OFF

Magical moment: ‘Brigadoon’ has special meaning for its director

In a full-circle moment, Michael Pacas is directing the musical “Brigadoon” at Palm Canyon Theatre, nearly 50 years after he first performed in the musical as a 15-year-old choir boy.

Driving the news: “Brigadoon,” the magical tale written by Lerner and Loewe, who later created “My Fair Lady” and “Camelot,” has its final four performances starting tonight and running through Sunday.

Looking back: Pacas said “Brigadoon” was his first ever role in community theater, but it almost didn’t happen. 

• “I was trying to break into theater in Baton Rouge,” he recalled this week. “But the audition notice for ‘Brigadoon’ said you had to be 16 years old to audition, and I was just four months shy. So I had to lie to get in the cast.”

Why it matters: “Brigadoon” was the first time Pacas got out of his social circle and met new people, some of whom he’s still in contact with all these years later.

Where it led: Since that first production, Pacas has performed and directed countless musicals and plays throughout Chicago and now in Palm Springs.

• He and his husband retired here several years ago, and Pacas has kept busy by acting and directing in shows at the Palm Canyon Theatre, Desert Theatreworks, and Desert Ensemble Theatre.

If you go: The final four performances of “Brigadoon” begin tonight at 7 p.m. and run at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with a matinee performance on Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online here.

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BRIEFLY

🏳️‍🌈 Pride grand marshals named

• James “Gypsy” Haake, one of the world’s oldest living drag queens at 91, has been named the 2023 Pride Parade Grand Marshal by Greater Palm Springs Pride. 
  
  
• Haake’s career began in 1951 as a Broadway chorus boy and has since included roles in films, television shows, and various drag performances. He retired in 2009 but returned to host a female impersonator show at Oscars until 2019.
  
  
• Trixie Matell and Ethylina Canne will also be honored as the Celebrity Grand Marshal and Community Grand Marshal, respectively. The parade takes place on Nov. 5, highlighting a weekend-long Pride event featuring musical acts and more.
  
  
• What they’re saying: ““The oldest living drag queen embodies the history and evolution of drag culture, serving as a living testament to the struggles and triumphs of LGBTQ+ individuals throughout the years,” Greater Palm Springs Pride President and CEO Ron deHarte said in a statement. 

💊 Palm Springs-based pharmacy fined by state AG

• California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office announced Wednesday that a Palm Springs pharmacy, LASR Enterprises, Inc., will pay nearly $1 million to settle allegations of defrauding the Medi-Cal program.
  
  
• The pharmacy, with multiple locations across the Inland Empire, was accused of unlawfully seeking and receiving reimbursement from Medi-Cal for over-dispensed drugs or those dispensed without a valid prescription.
  
  
• The California Department of Justice’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse investigated the case and negotiated a $925,000 settlement agreement. The amount is over five times the loss incurred by Medi-Cal.
  
  
• Up next: The settlement will be divided between the state and federal governments.

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TODAY’S EVENTS

Boys & Girls Club 75th Anniversary
4 p.m. | Boys & Girls Club of Palm Springs
This special anniversary celebration begins with a club open house and will feature a demonstration of club programs and a tour of the new health and wellness center. 

VillageFest
7 p.m. | Downtown Palm Springs
The weekly street fair features art, entertainment, shopping, and food. The Palm Springs Art Museum also has free admission tonight starting at 5 p.m.

Measure J Oversight Commission
5:30 p.m. | In-person and online
This regular meeting of the oversight commission will cover an update on the Measure J budget and a discussion of the Plaza Theatre project. Check out the agenda online here.

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SAVE THE DATE

• PSUSD Diversity and Racial Equity Conference on Sept. 30 at Palm Springs Convention Center.
  
  
• Boo2Bullying Wellness Festival  on Sept. 30 at Sunrise Park.
  
  
• Palm Springs Vintage Market returns for the season starting Oct. 1
  
  
• Evening Under The Starsbenefitting AAP – Food Samaritans on Oct. 14 ($200)
  
  
• Modernism Week October from Oct. 19-22. ($45-$150)
  
  
• Center Stage 2023, benefitting The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert, on Oct. 20. ($350)

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AND FINALLY …

If you weren’t at the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce’s Business Expo & Taste of Palm Springs last night (pictured above), you missed one heck of an event.

Driving the news: More than 1,000 locals converged on the grounds of the north course of Indian Canyons Golf Resort off East Murray Canyon Drive to sample food and beverages from 45 different area restaurants and mingle among a total of 140 different business booths.

• They were treated to the sounds of Kings of Queen, a tribute band rocking the house to the music of Queen.

Why it matters: The event, celebrating its 14th year, serves as an unofficial kick-off of to “the season” in the city — a chance to enjoy the pleasant evening weather, show support for small businesses, and support a good cause.

• In this case, the cause is the chamber itself. Funds from the event help to not only keep the lights on there, but pay the salaries of employees who assist area businesses and make Palm Springs “like no place else.” 

💭 Our take: If we’ve learned anything in the nearly three years we’ve been around, it’s this: Running a business is hard. And while people often forget that chambers are also businesses, we know that behind impressive events like last night’s expo is a tiny team of talented people working nearly nonstop to make them happen. Our hats are off to the entire PS Chamber crew for all you do!

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🎃  Kendall thinks it’s actually perfectly healthy to eat pumpkin scones for every meal.

🥧 Mark is pretty sure he and Kendall have synced their tastebuds since he was last seen eating pumpkin pie from a cup that was conveniently sitting in a cooler just inside the entrance to Stater Bros.

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