What To Read
Read This Now
Brandon Ivie Loves a Good Story
Brandon Ivie was recently named the Village Theatre’s new Associate Artistic Director as well as Creative Lead of the Village Originals New Musicals program. He promises to bring some new ideas into their successful artistic mix.
Totally Unofficial Queer Guide to PAX West 2016
Finding other queer folk at PAX or hunting down LGBTQ-oriented content can be a struggle, so here’s a list of the most queer-relevant PAX content we could find, including both panels and events at the con and parties afterwards.
Watch This: Marilyn Manson and The Burrito Lingerie Show
Last Wednesday culminated in an Auburn Taco Bell parking lot with several friends wearing seven-layer burritos as bras. I alternately shotgunned Rainier and taco sauce packets, reeling from the delight of what for most of us had been our first Marilyn Manson concert.
Ru-minations: All Stars Season Two Preview
We’ve waited. We’ve anticipated. We’ve theorized and speculated. And now Drag Race is returning this week with a brand new batch of All-Star contestants!
Musings on Hip-Hop: Young Thug and The Get Down
This week I’ve been thinking a lot about hip-hop, which is maybe a weird thing to write. I often think about hip-hop because I am both an immense fan of rap music and also deeply fascinated by its effect as a social and political movement, but this week in particular it seems like that’s all I’ve been thinking about and listening to.
Watch This: Outlander, Brewer of Dreams
The turn-of-the-century Victorian that houses Outlander Brewing is so pristine it looks like it was built last week. It could be a stylish good witch’s house, or some obscure European Earl’s summer home.
Critical Condition: Bonnie and Clyde Raise A Little Hell
That Bonnie and Clyde, the debut production of Studio 18 at 12th Avenue Arts, works at all well has less to do with the show itself than the very respectable production this new company has given it. The big question at hand is why they chose to do this flawed, short running Broadway musical at all?
Set Phasers to Stunning: Star Trek in the Park
I have a confession to make. I am not a fan of Shakespeare in the Park.
Now having said this, I performed plays in Shakespeare in the Park during my days as an actor and had a wonderful experience. I fully support theatre that is free (or donation-supported) to expose audiences to the arts who couldn’t otherwise afford it. In theory, the mix of great performances and summer weather is ideal.
Watch This: Confessions and Superstitions
Well-written confessional essays facilitate a sense of belonging and connection for both the reader and writer. They involve the unveiling and exploration of a personal truth the author has previously concealed.
Listen To This Music
Since I write one of these pieces a week, there’s no possible way to stay on top of all of the worthwhile music being released. So, in order to remedy all of my oversights, I decided to compile some of my favorite releases of the year. Hopefully you’ll forgive me for not mentioning some of these earlier.
Torrey Pines to open Twist: Seattle Queer Film Festival
Award-winning filmmaker Clyde Peterson’s latest work, Torrey Pines, has been announced as the opening night film for this year’s TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival. Peterson, a Seattle-based filmmaker, musician, visual artist, and activist, has been a frequent contributor to the festival.
The Launch of Studio 18 with Bonnie & Clyde
Hot on the heels of the hit Spring Awakening from Basement Theatrics, 12th Avenue Arts is hosting another new company, Studio 18, and their production of the Broadway musical Bonnie & Clyde. The company is the brainchild of two young Puget Sound talents, who share a passion for theatre, as well as each other Alia Collins-Friedrichs and Matt Lang.
Watch This: Treasure Hunting & the Nature of Treasure
During a recent move, one of the first boxes I carefully padded and taped contained a collection of dirt-covered bottles. They’re literally garbage—I began collecting a decade ago when my friend Riley, a professional treasure hunter, found a map of Seattle’s dumps from the turn of the century.
Celebrating Black Pride in the Emerald City
Emerald City Black Pride, an annual gathering organized by Seattle’s Center for MultiCultural Health meant to “foster pride and strengthen the sense of community among LGBTQ people of color with a focus on African-Americans”
Hello, Zello: The Greatest Adele of them All
Kristie Champagne is one of the most fun, dedicated, generous spirited, and hardest working queens in the entire Seattle scene. She’s also the best Adele impersonator…well, period. Or at least she is according to…well, Adele.