Jane Lynch ‘A Swingin’ Little Christmas’ to Happen Dec. 10 in SF
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Theatre
Kinsey Sicks Brings “Things You Shouldn’t Say” to Ner Shalom December 3
Named one of the top ten shows at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and profiled in the October 16, 2017 New Yorker Magazine.
This is the remarkable true story of four friends from San Francisco who had a life-changing epiphany at a Bette Midler concert that led to them to form The Kinsey Sicks in an effort to find joy during the darkest days of the AIDS crisis. Now that the era of Trumpism is upon us, they’re sharing their hilarious, inspiring and at times heartbreaking tale, showing that hatred and deceit can be fought with humor and heart.
Critics have described the show as “powerful,” “provocative,” “delicious,” “subversive,” “hilarious,” “stirring,” “exquisite,” “electric,” “outrageous,” “heartbreaking,” “brave,” “mesmerizing,” “flawless,” “superb,” “incredibly moving,” ”inventively diabolical,” “riotously funny,” “vitally significant,” and “an absolute must watch.” (For more fabulous reviews, go here.)
So come join America’s Favorite Dragapella® Beautyshop Quartet as they lead us all in resisting these new dark times with laughter, integrity, and heroically high hair in an unforgettable new musical exploring Trumpism, racism, AIDS, extreme macramé, oblong vegetables and, of course, Bette Midler.
(And of course, telling some of Reb Irwin’s previously best kept secrets.)
Note: This show is overflowing with adult content. Discretion advised, in the absence of any at all from the Kinsey Sicks.
VIP tickets are $45 and General Admission, $3o.
https://shalomevents.ticketleap.com/kinseysicks2017/dates/Dec-03-2017_at_0730PM
Happens at Congregation Ner Shalom 85 La Plaza Cotati, CA 94931
‘The Laramie Project’ Returns to NYC After Almost 10 Years
Direct from an award-winning run at Washington D.C.’s Capital Fringe Festival, The Wandering Theatre Company brings its bold new staging of contemporary classic The Laramie Project to New York City’s Access Theatre.
The story of Matthew Shepard broke headlines in 1998. A gay college student, he was kidnapped and beaten by two men, tied to a fence, and left to die in the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. The play is based on more than 200 interviews with Laramie residents conducted during the year immediately following the crime by playwright Moises Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project.
Nearly 20 years later, the play is more relevant than ever. The Wandering Theatre Company’s production reflects on Shepard’s murder, and “more broadly, our present political climate, which may allow people of any racial, gender, ethnic, or sexual orientation minority to feel marginalized,” says Erica Sloan of Washingtonian. Ravelle Brickman wrote in DC Metro Theater Arts, “The Laramie Project is a work that deserves to be seen, again and again. It is a sobering reminder of the hatred and fear that still divides our country.”
A movement-based ensemble, The Wandering Theatre Company explores the play using the Viewpoints method, providing the audience with beautiful dance-like movement and striking tableaus. The minimal stage becomes the town with the infamous fence looming over all. Matthew Shepard, usually unseen, silently throughout this innovative production. Nine other actors embrace 60 roles and let us touch the pulse of small-town America in the 1990s.
Natalie Villamonte Zito (PRNewsfoto/The Wandering Theatre Company)
Director Natalie Villamonte Zito says, “I chose to do ‘The Laramie Project’ three days after the presidential election; it was my response. We were starting to see hate crimes pop up again all over, toward people of Muslim faith, toward African Americans, toward gay people, so this was just an extremely important story for us to tell again now.”
The Wandering Theatre Company, a movement-based ensemble using The Viewpoint Technique, is dedicated to creating new American plays and reinventing established plays in order to spotlight issues affecting American culture and people.
Sonoma County Art Trails 2017 – Rescheduled
Due to fires that devastated our community, Art Trails is rescheduled to October 21, 22 and October 28, 29.
Studios NOT OPEN either weekend: 11 Christine MacDonald, 14 Susan Miron, 17 Tom Berto, 25 Barbara Kelly, 26 Lisa Skelly, 28 Bill Gittins, 30 Anne Regan, 31 Char Wood, 32 Dannell Powell, 63 Valerie Adams, 67 Donna DeLaBriandais
Studios open Oct 21-22 ONLY: 34 Rick Blundell, 36 Jennylynn Hall, 39 Sargam Griffin, 58 Beverly Todd Rose, 81 Caro Pemberton, 100 Jay Blums, 147 Sherri Ortegren
Studios open Oct 28-29 ONLY: 1 Martha Mellinger, 9 Ann Iverson, 70 Tamra Sanchez, 134 Carol Peek
Status undetermined at this time: 4 Hugh Buttrum, 6 Evan Garber, 8 Roxanna Ahlborn, 10 Sandra Lane, 15 Wayne Reynolds, 16 Caryn Fried, 62 Ralph Broussard
Art Trails artists are an incredibly caring group and we hope that you will visit the studios that are open to show your support and help the community to heal through art.
Please use this website for the most current information. It is changing daily as new information comes in. Thank you for understanding.
Posted 10/18/17
If you’d like to donate to the Art Trails Artist Relief Fund use this form
Check out Art Trails on YouTube
The Sonoma County Art Trails Collectors Guide is a year-round guide to local artists and businesses. After the Open Studio weekends, some studios are open by appointment only.
Click HERE for a map to Sebastopol Center for the Arts.
The 2018 Applications to participate will be available in March and due May 1, 2018.
Stand-up Comedy On the Rise in Sonoma County
“We love comedy but we haven’t been to too many shows, because we don’t want to go all the way to the city, so this is perfect,” Ellison said.
“Because we’re so close to San Francisco, a lot of comics from the city will come up here,” said Casey Williams, 41, co-founder of Barrel Proof Comedy, which produces comedy shows all over Sonoma County and in Mendocino County.
With co-producer Steve Ausburne, who also performs at Laugh Cellar, Williams has hosted a Barrel Proof Comedy podcast for the past year and half. Now Barrel Proof brings nationally known headliners on a monthly basis to Sally Tomatoes in Rohnert Park, including Comedy Central and Madtv impressionist Pablo Francisco, who will appear there Wednesday.
“We started by putting on bar shows with local talent, but the comedy community discovered you can get a consistently good audience up here,” Williams said.
“That’s the biggest difference between here and San Francisco. There are a lot of shows in the city but, at the ones that are outside the major venues like Cobbs and Punchline, you’ll go and do a show, but there are like seven people there,” he said. “Whereas here, at some of the winery and bar shows we’ve done, there’ll be 40, 50, even 100 people.”
At the Laugh Cellar, founder and producer Lisa Pidge estimated last Saturday’s crowd at 90 people. The comedy lineup that night featured headliner Emily Van Dyke from San Francisco, which she described as “a city of dorks who know how to make cell phones work.”
The opening acts were both from Los Angeles: Kazu Kusano — who acknowledged her Japanese accent by saying, “I can say some American words, like Toyota” — and her husband, hypnotist Allen Gittelson, clad in a three-piece brown suit, who demonstrated the power of suggestion with the help of audience volunteers.
Like the Barrel Proof team, Laugh Cellar founder Pidge, 48, started out gradually and built a following, producing Crushers of Comedy shows at wineries and other venues since 2014.
At Laugh Cellar, Pidge and her wife and business partner, Carlee Pidge, 35, divide the duties, with Lisa booking the talent and handling the comedy shows and Carlee running the bar and cafe, which features comedy-themed items like the $6 “Laugh Your Nachos Off.”
“We’re in Wine Country People come here from all over,” Lisa Pidge said. “There are a lot of locations for comedy. We’re trying to work together to build something in Wine Country.”
Showcasing local comedians is also part of the plan, she added. Sonoma County comedians Juan Carlos and Jill Maragos both have performed recently at the Laugh Cellar.
And the club is also building a regular audience, including Jim and Crista McKeith of Santa Rosa, who had seen Maragas perform at the Laugh Cellar, and returned for another show.
“We’re not bar-hoppers,” Crista McKeith said, “but I like to laugh. Who doesn’t like to laugh?”
Comedy nights:
AMF Boulevard Lanes: “The Above-Ground Underground Open Mic,” 7 p.m. Wednesdays. 1100 Petaluma Blvd. S., Petaluma. 707-762-4581.
Bear Republic: Comedy showcase at 9 pm. the first Friday of every month. No cover charge. 345 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg. 707-433-2337
D’Argenzio Winery: Comedy showcase at 8 p.m. third Friday of the month. $10 cover charge. 1301 Cleveland Ave., Suite A, Santa Rosa. 707-546-2466
Double Decker Lanes: Comedy showcase at 8:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at 8:30 p.m. in the lounge. No cover charge. 300 Golf Course Drive, Rohnert Park, 707-585-0226
Fogbelt Brewery: Comedy showcase at 8 p.m. the first Sunday of the month. $5 cover charge. 1305 Cleveland Ave., Santa Rosa. 707-978-3400, fogbeltbrewing.com
HopMonk Tavern: Comedy open mic at 8 p.m. every third Sunday. 230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. No cover charge. 829-7300, hopmonk.com
Rincon Valley Taproom: Comedy showcase at 8 p.m. the second Saturday of every month. No cover charge. 4927 Sonoma Hwy, Santa Rosa. 707-595-5516
Sally Tomatoes: Comedy showcase at 8 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. No cover charge. 1100 Valley House Drive, Rohnert Park, 665-9472. Headline comedy shows once a month with national touring comedians. sallytomatoes.eventbrite.com
Spancky’s Bar: “Beatdown Open Mic,” at 9 p.m. every Monday. 8201 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati. No cover charge. 707-664-0169, spanckysbar.com
Thumbprint Cellars: Comedy showcase at 8 p.m. the third Friday of each month. $10 cover. 102 Matheson St, Healdsburg, 707-433-2393
For more information on comedy shows, visit the Sonoma & Mendocino Comedy Calendar at barrelproofcomedy.com
“Private Lives Private Lies” to Enjoy Weekend Run at Healdsburg’s Raven Theatre
The talented collaboration of Sonoma County actors and Playwright Dianna L. Grayer is proud to present “Private Lives Private Lies,” an original play about the struggles and joys from the perspective of eight LGBTQ characters. The show will take place during the weekend of August 12-13, 2017, at the Raven Theatre, 115 North Street, Healdsburg. The play will begin at 7pm on Saturday, August 12th and on Sunday, August 13th, the show will begin at 2pm. Tickets are $20 Senior/Student and $25 General and are available online at Brown Paper Tickets –
www.privatelivesprivatelies.
Dr. Grayer says, “Private Lives Private Lies explores relationship discord, addiction, discrimination, and rejection in the lives of 8 LGBTQ people – the struggles they face and the joy that comes from being authentic and free. It is educational, therapeutic, hopeful, and entertaining, and pulls from every emotional realm, including love and laughter!” Playwright Dianna L Grayer’s motivation for writing this play was to bring LGBTQ relationship dynamics to life while tackling some of the issues behind the masks that everyone wears – gay or straight.
Russia’s Bolshoi cancels ballet about gay dancer 3 days before premiere
Russia‘s Bolshoi Theater has canceled a much anticipated ballet about dancer Rudolf Nureyev just three days before the opening night.
Bolshoi made the announcement Saturday, saying that Tuesday’s premiere has been canceled. The ballet about Nureyev who defected from the Soviet Union to the West in 1961 was directed by Kirill Serebrennikov, known for bold productions that poke fun at Russia’s growing social conservatism.
Serebrennikov was detained and questioned in May in a criminal case over embezzlement of government funds. He denies wrongdoing.
Speaking to journalists Monday, Bolshoi director Vladimir Urin denied reports that the show had been scrapped because of its frank portrayal of Nureyev’s gay relationships. Urin simply said that the ballet wasn’t ready and it will instead premiere next year.
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Offers Up Their Musical Version of ‘The Gay Kitchen Sink’
Rounding out Season 39 is an over-the-top, extravagantly fun series of concerts – “The Gay Kitchen Sink!”
Pride Month is never complete without an over-the-top, fabulous evening with the internationally acclaimed San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus!
Celebrate Pride with SFGMC and their summer show — “The Gay Kitchen Sink” at the Nourse Theater, with very special guests The Kinsey Sicks.
“The Gay Kitchen Sink” is just what it sounds like — a delightfully spirited playlist of LGBT anthems, current favorites, and huge production numbers. You’ll absolutely revel in music by gay icons like Cyndi Lauper, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Sara Bareilles, Destiny’s Child, Robyn, Taylor Swift, Kander & Ebb, Patsy Cline, and of course a little Broadway thrown in the mix.
Of course, SFGMC couldn’t put on a Pride concert without a nod to the 1967 Summer of Love. The show opens with a rousing set of pieces honoring the 50th Anniversary of this momentous San Francisco revolution. In the Age of Aquarius, the hope was harmony and understanding. SFGMC starts by letting the sun shine in!
The Chorus will also present a few selections from its upcoming Lavender Pen Tour, which journeys to six Southern states this October to spread the Chorus’ message and music of hope, tolerance, and acceptance.
Also, don’t miss The Kinsey Sicks, SFGMC’s featured guest artists for “The Gay Kitchen Sink.” The Kinsey Sicks are “America’s Favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet”… and they must be heard to be believed! The Washington Post writes, “If you haven’t made the acquaintance of The Kinsey Sicks, it’s high time you did… Uproarious… brilliant… authentically joyful,” and KQED calls them “The Royal Shakespeare Company of drag performance.”
The Gay Kitchen Sink
8:00 PM
Nourse Theater San Francisco, CA
The Gay Kitchen Sink
Friday, June 16, 2017 8:00 PM
Saturday, June 17, 2017 2:30 PM
Saturday, June 17, 2017 8:00 PM
Two Lesbian Artists Offer Art Inspired by Activist Yuri Kocjiyama
Co-Presented by the Asian American Women Artist Association (AAWAA) and Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (APICC), Shifting Movements: Art Inspired by the Life and Activism of Yuri Kochiyama (1921-2014) is a multimedia exhibition illuminating the legacy of intersectional revolutionary activist Yuri Kochiyama through artworks that highlight the values and themes that guided her, and the incredibly diverse people, struggles, and movements that inspired her throughout a lifetime dedicated to fighting for a more humane and just world.
The exhibition will take place May 4th to 25th, 2017 at SOMArts Cultural Center in San Francisco. Artists of all mediums are invited to submit artworks that address key values, themes and milestones from Kochiyama’s prolific and galvanizing life – and how it relates to today’s contemporary context.
The exhibition is open to artists of all color and any gender identification in the United States, 18 years and older.
Shifiting Movements is curated by AAWAA Curator & Exhibitions Manager Michelle A. Lee (Eating Cultures, Hungry Ghosts) and features a jury including Independent Curator Melorra Green and Artist/Visiting Professor from the University of Oregon Margaret Rhee.
Dates: May 4th – May 25th, 2017
Location: SOMArts Cultural Center,
Main Gallery, 934 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA
Opening Reception: May 4th, 2017, 6pm – 9:00pm
Admission to the exhibition is free and open to the public, with a suggested donation for the Opening Reception. For more information please visit www.aawaa.net or email info@aawaa.net.
About Yuri Kochiyama
A Japanese American internment survivor who was later instrumental to the Japanese American redress and reparations movement, Yuri Kochiyama was one of the few Asian/Pacific Islander American (API) women activists to achieve national prominence. Living in Oakland and Berkeley from 1999 until her death in 2014, Kochiyama cultivated deep relationships with local academics, activists, artists, incarcerated individuals, and community members through her organizing, speaking, and prolific letter writing, particularly to political prisoners. After moving to Harlem after WWII, Kochiyama immersed herself in the history of Black Resistance, learning from leaders such as Malcolm X, and developing a holistic and intersectional understanding of the civil rights struggles against racism, sexism, and economic disparity. As a result Kochiyama was not only a seminal figure in API history, but was also deeply engaged in African American, Latino, and Native American movements. Although Kochiyama is highly regarded within many activist circles, her story and the breadth of her influence is not generally known, even among Japanese Americans. Kochiyama’s story is part of an overlooked history of cross-cultural activism and serves as an inspirational model at a time of great cultural and socio-political upheaval.
About the Presenter:
Asian American Women Artists Association
The Asian American Women Artists Association (AAWAA) is a national non-profit arts organization dedicated to ensuring the visibility and documentation of Asian American women in the arts. Since 1989, AAWAA has been a resource for the arts and academic communities, working to further the recognition of Asian American women artists. Through exhibitions, literary readings, speakers’ bureau, publications, and educational programs, AAWAA offers thought-provoking perspectives that challenge societal assumptions and promote dialogue across cultures and generations. For more information on AAWAA and its mission and programs, please visit www.aawaa.net. Contact AAWAA at 1890 Bryant Street, Suite 302, San Francisco, CA 94110, (415) 252-7996, or info@aawaa.net.
Co-Presented By:
Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center
The Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center’s (APICC) mission is to support and produce multi-disciplinary art reflective of the unique experiences of Asian Pacific Islanders living in the United States. Since 1998, the Center has promoted the artistic and organizational growth of the City’s Asian/Pacific arts community by organizing and presenting the annual United States of Asian America Festival. For more information on APICC and its mission and programs, please visit www.apiculturalcenter.org. Contact APICC at 934 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, (415) 829-9467, info@apiculturalcenter.org.
Shifting Movements is also funded in part by: National Endowment for the Arts, the RJL Memorial Fund, San Francisco Arts Commission, and Grants for the Arts.
Spreckels Theatre Company presents The North Bay Premiere of the Broadway musical “Big Fish”
The critically acclaimed, award-winning Spreckels Theatre Company presents the North Bay premiere of the Broadway musical “Big Fish,” based on the celebrated best selling novel by Daniel Wallace and the acclaimed film, directed by Tim Burton. The show’s book is by John Augus witht Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa. It is based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and the Columbia Motion Picture written by John August
The story begins when a young man endeavors to sort out fact from fiction regarding his father, Edward Bloom, a charismatic teller of tall tales. The musical flashes back as it follows the father’s mythological adventures. With music, dancing, eccentric characters and spectacular surprises, Edward Bloom’s fantastical fables take his son and audiences on a magical journey that finds truth in the impossible.
Directed by Gene Abravaya
Music Direction by Lucas Sherman
Choreography by Michella Snider
Costumes by Pamela Enz
CAST: Starring Darryl Strohl-DeHerrera as Edward Bloom, Heather Buck as Sandra Bloom and Mark Bradbury as Will Bloom. Featuring Bobby Finney as Karl the Giant, Larry Williams as Amos Calloway, Katee Drysdale as Josephine, Jordan Martin as Young Will, Serena Elize Flores as the Witch, Shawna Eiermann as Jenny Hill, Dwayne Stincelli as Dr. Bennett, Nate Mercier as Don Price and Roy Kitaoka as Zacky Price.
WHEN: Aug. 12 to Aug. 28, 2016
8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays;
2 p.m. Sundays
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25
TICKETS: $16 to $26
$16 children 12 and under; $22 students; $24 seniors/youth; $26 general. Student Rush: Spreckels welcomes SSU and SRJC students to take advantage of its student rush price. Present student ID at the Spreckels box office 10 minutes before curtain for special admission of $12. Reservations recommended.
WHERE: Spreckels Performing Arts Center
Codding Theatre, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park, CA 94928
PLEASE NOTE: During major road construction in Rohnert Park, the Snyder Lane entrance to the Spreckels Performing Arts Center will be close. Use the entrance from Rohnert Park Expressway and turn left to access the Spreckels Performing Arts Center parking lot.
PHONE: 707-588-3400
For tickets, call the Spreckels Box Office at 707-588-3400. Box Office hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 12 to 5 p.m. and one hour before showtime. – See more at: http://www.rpcity.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=3037873&pageId=3359716#sthash.24MYbMB9.dpuf