Olivia Newton-John to light up L.A. Pride this weekend...

Gay pride weekend in LA starts in just a few days. So much to do, so little time. Several friends in from out of town, parties, events. One of the most exciting things will be the first-ever appearance of Olivia Newton-John who will sing in concert Sunday night. I can't believe she's nearly 60! I was just reading an interview with her in Frontiers Magazine's Pride issue and was remembering all those Olivia hits from my youth. My faves: "Have You Never Been Mellow," "I Honestly Love You," "Pleae Mr. Please," "Suddenly" (duet w/Cliff Ritchie) and, of course, the songs from "Grease" including "You're the One That I Want" and "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and a few of those early-80s hits: "Physical" and "Heart Attack."

She promises to sing a lot of the hits and has some other surprises up her sleeve for Sunday. Here are a few excerpts from her interview with Frontiers editor Jeremy Kinser.

On her Aussie gay vs. American gay fans: "I think gay men, no matter where they are from, are some of the most loyal fans any artist can have and I feel lucky to have so many."

On playing a trashy ex-con lesbian in the movie and upcoming TV series "Sordid Lives": "Having the opportunity to play Bitsy (Mae Harling) was so much fun because she is so much different from who I am in my normal life. Del Shores is brilliant when it comes to creating characters that have both humor and heart. As a director, he really gave me the freedom to make the most of Bitsy and her 'sordid' past. I think of her as Sandy 2 from 'Grease' gone really wrong! (laughs)."
Will there ever be a 'Grease' sequel reuniting Olivia with John Travolta? "There has been talk of that for many years and for as much fun as it would probably be to make, I think the time has passed for a 'Grease' sequel. It is very difficult to have magic like that happen twice. Now I'm not saying I wouldn't if the right opportunity came along. (John) is a wonderful actor, extremely talented, and a close friend."

On her big screen musical, "Xanadu," which flopped in 1980 but became a cult hit and current Broadway show: "The music was and is fantastic and I truly believe the film was ahead of its time. (High School Musical director) Kenny Ortega was our choreographer and even back in 1980, he incorporated street dancers, skaters, and all types of dance elements that were so ahead of their time. I also think the costumes and fantasy element of the movie helped to make it such a campy cult film. For some reason, the gay community really connects with 'Xanadu'!