Lavender Magazine 749

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SEASON FINALE

CELEBRATING PRIDE

WITH THOMAS SØNDERGÅRD THU JUN 20 11AM FRI JUN 21 8PM SAT JUN 22 7PM

In a program close to Thomas’ heart, we invite you to join us for music by composers from the LGBTQ+ community featuring the Minnesota Orchestra return of pianist Francesco Piemontesi and culminating with the fireworks of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony.

TICKETS $25 when you use the code PRIDE25.

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GET YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR THE BEST SEATS! Kids’ tickets are free through our Hall Pass program.

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All artists, programs, dates and prices subject to change. PHOTO Chris McDuffie.

CONTENTS ISSUE 749 February 8-21, 2024

Spring Arts & Entertainment 14 Self Expression, Self Love and The Love of The Peel 16 Dial M For Murder: A Twisted Classic, Twisted Again 18 Randy Rainbow’s Campaign Comes to Minneapolis 20 Good Morning, Saint Paul The Future of Park Square Theatre 22 “Intimate Spaces” - With Ryan Beatty’s Concert, The Fine Line Music Cafe Proves Less Is More 24 “Glad” All Over: An Interview with Maurice Vellekoop 26 The Curtain Goes Up For “Hairspray” At The Ordway

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OUR LAVENDER

8 From the Editor 9 A Word in Edgewise

OUR SCENE

10 Eat The Menu: Zhora Darling 28 T win Cities Muskies Scored Big At The Orlando Melt Down Tournament

OUR LIVES

29 Ask Elise: Helping Relatives Who Have Trouble With Misgendering

OUR AFFAIRS

30 Books

OUR HOMES

31 Our Rides: The Next Level in Car Audio

OUR RESOURCES

32 Community Connection 33 The Network ON THE COVER

Aria Arcana. Photo courtesy of Aria Arcana 26: Photo by Jeremy Daniel, 10: Photo by Mike Hnida, 16: Photo by Joshua Cummins, 31: Photo courtesy of Stellantis North America.

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Charles Monroe Schulz brightened the world for over 50 years with his Peanuts comic strip. Highlighting his Minnesota roots and the development of each unique Peanuts character, you won’t want to miss The Life and Art of Charles M. Schulz exhibit.

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Locally sourced advocacy and advice from lawyers you know.

Custody & Parenting Time • Child Support Dissolution • Spousal Maintenance Complex Valuation • Domestic Partnership Adoption • Third Party Custody • Appeals

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Volume 29, Issue 749 • February 8-21, 2024

EDITORIAL Managing Editor Randy Stern 612-461-8723 Editorial Assistant Linda Raines 612-436-4660 Editor Emeritus Ethan Boatner Editorial Associate George Holdgrafer Contributors Lakey Bridge, Buer Carlie, Emi Gacaj, Terrance Griep, Elise Maren, Jen Peebles-Hampton, Linda Raines, Gabrielle Reeder, Alexander Reed, Madison Roth, Jamez L. Smith, Susan Swavely, Carla Waldemar, Todd P. Walker, Spencer White

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CREATIVE Creative/Digital Director Mike Hnida 612-436-4679 Photographer Sophia Hantzes

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Publisher Lavender Media, Inc. President & CEO Stephen Rocheford 612-436-4665 Chief Financial Officer Doug Starkebaum 612-436-4664 Administrative Assistant Michael Winikoff 612-436-4660 Distribution Metro Periodical Partners 612-281-3249 Founders George Holdgrafer, Stephen Rocheford Inspiration Steven W. Anderson (1954-1994), Timothy J. Lee (1968-2002), Russell Berg (1957-2005), Kathryn Rocheford (1914-2006), Jonathan Halverson (1974-2010), Adam Houghtaling (1984-2012), Walker Pearce (1946-2013), Tim Campbell (1939-2015), John Townsend (1959-2019) Letters are subject to editing for grammar, punctuation, space, and libel.

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Entire contents copyright 2024. All rights reserved. Publication of the name or photograph of any person, organization, or business in this magazine does not reflect upon one’s sexual orientation whatsoever. Lavender® Magazine reserves the right to refuse any advertising. This issue of Lavender® Magazine is available free of charge during the time period published on the cover. Pickup at one of our distribution sites is limited to one copy per person.

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OUR LAVENDER | FROM THE EDITOR

Us…In The Arts

BY RANDY STERN

We love supporting the arts. We love being at the theatre. We love listening to music.

These are facts that are part of this community’s DNA. The way we patronize, participate, and celebrate the Arts in ingrained in the cultural psyche of our vast community.

Here’s another fact: The arts are as diverse as we are.

With that said, we’re living in exciting times in the Arts and Entertainment world. The audience has returned to live performances and galleries in force. We are becoming aware of more people who we identify with in these spaces. In turn, we are supporting these artists more than ever.

Some time ago, we used to count the number of known artists from our community in any given genre and medium on my hands. Now, the list can fill a database somewhere. We can be found anywhere we look.

That’s a good thing. It shows how much we have emerged from the challenges that we had to swerve through over the past five decades or so. Challenges that are still present, especially in Photo by Jeremy Daniel

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LAVENDER FEBRUARY 8-21, 2024

the Arts and Entertainment field.

Still, we rise. This goes beyond Billy Porter, Margaret Cho, Sasha Colby, and Elton John. We may have found an artist who has been on a local circuit who creating the best music compositions that have not been heard on Minnesota Public Radio’s Classical channel. There may be a performance artist who have been working on a given sidewalk waiting to be brought onto a stage.

We’re out there waiting for you to discover them, patronize them, and celebrate them.

We create our work unapologetically. That is what attracts us to their art and performance.

Let’s never forget that aspect of us.

This issue serves as a sampler of that’s happening in the coming months arts and entertainment-wise. Saint Paul’s Park Square Theatre turned back on the lights with new leadership.

A new production is set for Chanhassen Dinner Theatre’s main stage bringing the life and music of Carole King to its audiences.

We also introduce you to a couple of artists from our community. Randy Rainbow is coming to town later this month, bringing his famously viral act on stage. We also have a pop music artist playing in the Twin Cities within a month’s time.

Add a captivating burlesque act into this mix and you’ve got yourself a full issue!

Minnesota is a hub for the arts. We’re very proud to have a place that fosters these opportunities to express, inspire, and support each other as we create and evoke responses. Whether they are a local performer or on tour coming through our state, we will indeed patronize them through ticket sales, merchandise, and experiences.

Enjoy the show! 

OUR LAVENDER | A WORD IN EDGEWISE

Spring Break: 1855

BY E.B. BOATNER It’s difficult to believe, hunkering in these single-degree days, but Spring will come. Some, from their crystal chrysalis will fly away to far-flung lands; others, tethered by time, cash, fear of metal wings, remain home-bound. And yet…

Some century-and-a-half ago, in a second-story room of her father’s home, Emily Dickinson wrote: There is no frigate like a Book To take us lands away Nor any Coursers like a Page Of prancing Poetry – This Traverse may the poorest take Without oppress of Toll – How frugal is the Chariot That bears the Human Soul – The Belle of Amherst, it’s widely reported, withdrew from the world, rarely venturing out, much less “and about.” Oh, to nearby Boston on occasion, and a teen 17 in 1847,Emily spent a single year in Mt. Holyoke Seminary (later “College.”) Whence, then, came those 1,800 poems?

It seems that in February,1855, 24-year-old Emily, with mother, also an Emily, and sister Lavinia (Vinnie), packed bags and bandboxes and headed for Washington, D.C. to visit family patriarch Edward, currently a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Imagine the whirlwind of events,

the august personalities, a city of 50,000-plus human beings, set before a quiet girl from the college town of Amherst, Massachusetts, home to a scant 3,000.

The Dickinsons’ arrival was heralded in the Evening Star, they were ensconced in the swank Willard Hotel. The sisters, guidebook in hand, set forth, taking in Washington’s gleaming statues and monuments. Emily, however, attending grand dinners was not impressed with the grand dinners and events, the jewels and frou-frou of the elite, but nor was she overawed or silenced. One evening seated

by Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, Emily, at the introduction of a flaming plum pudding inquired, “Oh, sir, may one eat of hell fire with impunity here?”

It was a different mood she expressed in a letter to her friend Elizabeth Holland after she and Vinnie ventured by steamboat to Mount Vernon: “…one soft spring day we glided down the Potomac in a painted boat, and jumped upon the shore…hand in hand we stole along up a tangled pathway, till we reached the tomb of General George Washington … we paused beside it, and no one spoke a word, then hand in hand, walked on again, not less wise or sad for that marble story.”

After their three-week visit in Washington, the trio spent two weeks with a second-cousin in Philadelphia before returning to Amherst. Emily may not have travelled far or often, but she absorbed

vast amounts. One might say that in a world that processed in bits, Emily internalized in qubits. Her take on travel in “The Railway Train” anthropomorphizes while arcing from the Biblical to the celestial: I like to see it lap the miles, And lick the valleys up, And stop to feed itself at tanks; And then, prodigious, step Around a pile of mountains, And, supercilious, peer In shanties by the sides of roads; And then a quarry pare To fit its sides, and crawl between, Complaining all the while In horrid, hooting stanza; Then chase itself down the hill And neigh like Boanerges; Then, punctual as a star, Stop – docile and omnipotent – At its own stable door.

Voyage by Book or Boeing; in-home or the frozen steppes; observe, absorb, imprint. Memories make lifelong companions; poetized or not, they will sustain. 

Throughout history, communities of color have used cooperatives as an organizing tool to fight oppression and build economic solidarity.

Round up at the register at Seward Co-op this February to help fund “Dreamland on 38th Street”– an incubator for African American entrepreneurs, community gathering and event space, and a guided self-study community archive to support people to dig deeper into and document their own story.

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OUR SCENE | EAT THE MENU

Down-Under Darling

BY CARLA WALDEMAR

Earth to Zhora: “You and your pet snake, Darling: Wanna pop in for dinner?

I’m naming my new restaurant after you.” Signed, Blade Runner (aka Harrison Ford—or at least, his local wannabe).

Well, why not? The Runner-be who took over the space of the former Red Stag in Northeast may be new to Minneapolis, but not to dive bars: He’s operated several in Brooklyn, so how hard can it be? Especially when the owner of one—Five Leaves—gives him permission to duplicate its Aussie-flavored menu. So he hires a former sous chef from Young Joni and turns on the neon.

The place is dive-y dark and beige—no big rehab, no need to trade your puffer jacket for a slick black leather one. It sports occasional music nights, and—best yet—stays open until 2 (A.M., not P. M., Minnesota: Believe it.) And our accomplished server was Minnesota Nice.

So was my cocktail, the NE Old Fashioned ($15), smoothed with a subtle touch of maple syrup. There’s a small but serviceable wine list ($923 BTG) and ten rotating (and interesting) draft beers and seltzers, plus Hamms/Miller/Coors at a comfortable Nordeast $5.

Grass-fed Aussie Steak, Valrhona Chocolate Creme Brulee. Photos by Mike Hnida

10 LAVENDER FEBRUARY 8-21, 2024

Seven starters ($9-14 plus mussels, $25) head the short, well-curated menu, ranging from a classic French onion soup to Devils on Horseback (does Mom still have her recipe?), house-made ricotta, and our choice, green pea falafel—sturdy nuggets within their crisp-deep-fried skin, conveying a slight (hunt for it) sweet pea aura. It’s abetted by a brisk, citrusy yogurt Continued on page 12

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OUR SCENE | EAT THE MENU

and a salad garnish composed of sumac, mint, spicy (swell!) carrot threads and sweet, blond sultana raisins. Next time I’ll also add the fried artichokes dressed in green tahini, fennel and lemon.

We next shared our choice from the trio of salads on offer ($12-14). Large enough to fulfill the MDR of husky greens for the entire zip code, the black kale number came dressed for success with shreds of creamy aged Gouda, a toss of toasted hazelnuts, crunchy garlic croutons, and a nicelyspicy, wake-up dressing spotlighting anchovies—so, the Caesar of the moment. Or go with the watermelon-feta number, mined with dark olives. Add protein (five choices) to make a meal of it. But then you’d miss out on the sextet of Mains, ($23-32).

Who orders boring old chicken when you’re in an enterprising restaurant? Well, we, that’s who.

The kitchen’s bone-in (for better flavor) version, provides sweet and juicy flesh beneath a lemonHouse Made Ricotta with Cranberry-Seven Grain Bread

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scented, middling-crispy skin. It’s accompanied by “risotto-style” barley pearls freshened with cherry tomatoes and cukes, basil, and pickled ramps flaunting their tiny punch of acid, along with cilantro and jalapeno salsa, whose modest attempt at heat even a cautious Aussie could handle. No flashy surprises, simply chicken nicely done.

Next we summoned the cauliflower steak, which turned out be not a steak-cut at all, but the whole dang head—and a somewhat mushy one, at that. Rather a let-down, though we relished its accompanying chickpea mash (think: hummus), bright bits of pickles and olives, salsa and a verdant, creamy, herbal schug—all trying their best to make this an interesting entrée.

Maybe we should have gone with the grass-fed Aussie steak or lamb shepherd’s pie. Or the notso-Australian-but-interesting-sounding salmon en papillote with artichokes, capers, olives, cherry tomatoes and piquillo peppers.

Or the burger. Seriously. The Five Leaves number, $20, pairs it with grilled pineapple, pickled beets, sunny-up egg and harissa mayo. Now we’re talkin’, mate.

No appetite left to order the sides, but several, next time, might team up to form our dinner: the Brussels sprouts with pink peppercorn and rosemary agave, dried cherries and smoked pumpkin seeds, for instance. We didn’t manage dessert, either (three choices, $11). The rosewater Pavlova sounds uber-Australian, and the sticky date pudding coiffed with warm toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream keeps calling my name.  Zhora Darling 509 1st Ave. NE (612) 489-6030 www.zhoradarling.com

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Self Expression, Self Love and

The Love

of The Peel

BY MADISON ROTH

I got the opportunity to meet Aria Arcana, a performer and the head producer for her burlesque group, The Heartless Hellions, and attend my first ever burlesque show. When I walked into the underground brewery where they were performing, Aria greeted me with a welcoming smile in her dazzling dark blue dress.

One performer was dressed in a monkey onesie while another was covered head to toe in leather. All I knew going into this performance was burlesque is a form of self expression through dancing.

I had no idea I was going to see the performers peel their clothes off in front of me.

“You’re in control of your body and what it does,” Arcana said.

“You don’t have to be ashamed of your body because it’s something that’s beautiful. [Burlesque] is all inclusive, and that’s something you don’t see very much in most visual arts.”

OUR SCENE | SPRING ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Arcana has been in the spotlight since she was two-years-old and always found love in dancing. After taking a break when she went to college, she decided she wanted to go back into performing in 2018.

She wanted to go into musical theater. Her husband had a different idea.

“My husband brought up to me burlesque classes in Minneapolis and said ‘I think you’d really enjoy this. Go try it out,’” Arcana said.

Arcana attended her first class and has spent the past six years doing burlesque. Her craft has taken her to South Dakota, Iowa, Chicago, and as far as Rome, Italy.

Two years after her start, Arcana started The Heartless Hellions. She reached out to local companies to get funding and invested her own money to produce her first live performance. The performers were people Arcana knew well from the burlesque community.

Since their first show, the group has flourished.

Arcana has brought local and out of town performers to create a group she can always rely on when they have performances.

When it comes to the performances, Arcana always starts with the song. To her, it’s about understanding the background of the song so she can figure out what choreography should accompany her performance.

Depending on the venue, there are always going to be accommodations being made so the performances can feel the same.

“The choreography does change per the venue,” Arcana said. “Some choreography isn’t going to work in a certain space.”

Performances are also about where she decides to make her peels, which is when the performers start to take off their clothes.

“When you’re on stage and you do that first peel, the audience is ready for it,” Arcana said. “It sets up the mood for the rest of the number.”

Part of being a producer means Arcana helps teach the new people she brings onto her crew. She said she is always happy to guide new people through the process and give them advice on how to have the best performances they can have.

“I let them know the perfection is in the imperfections,” Arcana said. “We’re right there with our audience and it’s never going to be perfect, but that’s what makes it so unique.”

While Arcana does everything she can to make sure her productions go smoothly, challenges are always something that come up in the burlesque world. According to Arcana, rejection is a huge part of the art, and the selection process can be the hardest part.

Another challenge Arcana and her group face is the busyness and exhaustion from working around the clock. According to Arcana, most, if not all of her group has a daytime job along with doing burlesque.

“I have to compartmentalize a bit because when I’m at work, I’m at work and have to focus on my deadlines at work,” Arcana said. “It’s definitely difficult to manage that because I’m working all the time.”

Despite these challenges, Arcana has dreams of owning her own cabaret bar where people can come and watch burlesque performances. Her main goal is to have a place where burlesque performers from the LGBTQ+ community can feel supported.

“Be on stage, be visible, be who you are,” Arcana said. “We want to be able to be all inclusive and prioritize marginalized communities. Burlesque is an art for everyone.”

After attending The Heartless Hellions show, I took some time to reflect. I was in awe of what I had just witnessed as I sat back and watched people stand on stage and embrace the art they have fallen so deeply in love with. When I asked Arcana what it meant to be on the performers side, she told me how empowering performing truly is.

“Having the experience of an audience applauding you for that, enjoy it and want to see you do that, it’s such an interesting experience that changes your mindset,” Arcana said. “It gives you such a different viewpoint on self image and self respect. You own yourself.”

To check out Arcana’s shows and be entranced by the performers, head over to Gambit Brewing Co. every other Friday and Sunday along with White Bear Meadery.

Arcana has found herself through the art of dancing and being able to express her passion with the people around her. The sky’s the limit with her, and Arcana has a bright future of reaching for the stars.

“You can’t keep me off stage even if you tried,” Arcana said. “I’m going to be on stage regardless of what kind of art it is.”  Photos by Forrest Barclay

Photos courtesy of Aria Arcana LAVENDERMAGAZINE.COM

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OUR SCENE | SPRING ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Dial M for Murder

A Twisted Classic, Twisted Again

BY BUER CARLIE

“What’s the most important part of one’s identity?” Tracy Brigden, Senior Artistic Producer at the Guthrie and director of the upcoming run of Dial M for Murder, muses, “Is it your sexual preference, is it your profession, is it your morality, is it your money, is it your society level, is it your job? What do you sacrifice if you’re not true to all those parts?” Brigden thinks audiences will be left mulling over questions like these after watching the Jeffrey Hatcher adaptation of Frederick Knott’s 1952 play, Dial M For Murder.

Dial M for Murder has a legacy in film and TV that rivals its time on the stage. Alfred Hitchcock was the first to recreate the story a mere two years after it debuted on Broadway and several other reinterpretations followed, culminating in the 1998 film A Perfect Murder, which starred Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow.

The play at the Guthrie is a fresh interpretation penned by playwright Jeffrey Hatcher, which twists the tale once again. “Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation is a new twist [on the original Dial M for Murder] in a bunch of different ways,” explains Brigden, “The lesbian relationship [a twist on the originally heterosexual affair], the fact that Tony…is now a failed writer [and Maxine is a successful writer], and he’s twisted and turned the storyline just enough so that if you’ve seen the movie you’ll still be surprised.”

Gretchen Egolf and Lori Vegaq. Photo by Joshua Cummins

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“When I read the play, I got goosebumps,” says Jess Rau, Head of Wigs, Hair, & Makeup at the Guthrie, “I was so excited to see that we were going to be presenting a play where the two main characters were women who were in love with each other. You just don’t see enough of that.”

Having two title roles not only for women, but that also centers an LGBTQ love story is sadly an anomaly even today. Brigden explains further, “[At] a theater like the Guthrie we’re doing 50% or more plays written [long ago]. If we’re doing so many plays from an era before 1970 that have no representation of any kind we have to ask ourselves, how do we embrace the classics and also have representation on stage?” The answer to that question comes in works like this one. Using the bones of a well-known thriller, Hatcher has created something recognizable but refreshed with modern themes and sensibilities.

Brigden did warn me that if you are expecting something in line with last year’s wildly popular Murder on the Orient Express, this is not that. “It has some witticism,” she explains, “There are situationally funny moments, but it’s more of a stylish edgy thriller than a comedy romp.”

The “stylish” part of that description has some heavy lifting behind it. Rau has researched the era extensively in addition to drawing on her own lived experience as a queer woman. “I put on my queer hat,” Rau laughs, explaining her considerations in choosing the lead’s hairstyles, “[and thought], ‘Well actually Maxine might have a different kind of hairstyle and might be presenting a little bit differently considering the time and considering…lesbian culture.’” The differences in how the two women would have chosen to present themselves was front and center for Rau and the rest of the design team.

“What size of eyelash would Maxine choose versus Margo and why?” she asks, “We chose a more natural lash for [Margo]…She chooses to be more understated in her makeup choices because she is a housewife who is closeted…

Maxine is more grounded in her queer identity. She is more femme, so her lash is bigger.”

This thought process plays out in costume, hairstyle, and more. Not only did Rau’s team seek to highlight the differences between Margo and Maxine, they also made small choices (like the lead women wearing pinky rings) that an LGBTQ audience might pick up on. “In the 50s – and other decades, too – we were trying to conform to certain social norms but there’s coding. The pinkie ring, the colors of hankies

and things like that all give off signals,” says Rau. Rau anticipates that that feeling of familiarity will extend past the design choices. “[Dial M for Murder] resonates with today’s queer culture,” says Rau, “These women fell in love [and people felt] justified in murdering them…some of the laws are from the 50s but those laws still exist around the world today.”

Still, Rau insists that the lesbian love story at the center of the play is told in a way that our community will appreciate.

“Sitting in that theater and seeing our relationships up there on the stage…” Rau stops for a moment, “Sure, it’s surrounded by murder, but there is joy and love in a lot of moments and I think if you’re a queer person or lesbian you’re going to recognize those moments.”

A three-part theatrical event 612.377.2224 / guthrietheater.org

Not only is Dial M for Murder an intricate, tense thriller, it is also an opportunity to see one of our stories told lovingly and serves as a reminder of how far we have come and how far we have yet to go.

Brigden summed it up with her own twist on another classic: “To thine own self be true. Otherwise you might wind up in jail.” Dial M for Murder is one of the Guthrie’s 2023-2024 season must-sees.

“Sitting in a room with a whole bunch of people having [the] collective experience [of a thriller] is more fun,” says Brigden, “[When] you can gasp collectively it’s just more fun,” says Brigden. It is running from now through February 25.

Oh, and as a special bonus for all of you who made it to the end of the article: look up a photo of Hatcher before you head to the theater. There is an image of him hidden somewhere on stage in homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s habit of hiding an image of himself somewhere in his movies. 

RICHARD II HENRY IV HENRY V

A king becomes a man.

A man becomes a king.

A king becomes a hero.

by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE directed by JOSEPH HAJ

Tickets start at $34 per play.

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March 23 – May 25

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OUR SCENE | SPRING ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

What can guests expect at the show?

Randy Rainbow’s

Campaign Comes to Minneapolis

BY SUSAN SWAVELY

If you’re looking for a truly iconic evening of laugh-out-loud comedy, you’re in luck.

On Friday, February 23, internet sensation Randy Rainbow is headed to the State Theatre in Minneapolis. With election season quickly approaching (let’s be real… it’s already here), a political satire is just what you need. Rainbow delivers laughs, political satire, and expertly written musical numbers to tie his whole act together. You’ll be laughing along to his classic jokes and some brand-new bangers during his new touring show: “Randy Rainbow for President.”

Who is Randy Rainbow?

Randy Rainbow is a satirical comedian who focuses on picking fun at politicians and the news. You might’ve seen his hilarious viral videos, which became popular during the height of the pandemic, or watched an interview or two with him (like on “CBS Sunday Morning”). He’s best known for his fake interviews with right-wing conservatives, where he makes jokes at their expense, and of course, his iconic political parody songs, which are based on some of the most beloved Broadway musicals. Rainbow is also a four-time Emmy and Grammy nominated singer and a New York Times Best-selling author.

This year, Rainbow is taking his hilarious comedy on the road and performing in-person for audiences all over the United States. And the best part? He’s coming to perform right here in Minneapolis!

Oh, and Randy Rainbow isn’t just a stage name, by the way.

The decorated comedian’s real birth name is Randy Rainbow—a man destined to be a famous gay comedian!

Rainbow’s comedic tour is more than just a funny show… he’s performing a satirical campaign for president along the way. With a simple, tothe-point title: “Randy Rainbow for President,” this show is sure to knock your socks off and have you doubled over at some seriously topical political comedy. According to Randy’s website, his tour for president will be putting “the ‘camp’ back in campaign” and we know that when Rainbow says camp, he absolutely means it. Expect over-the-top costumes, fabulous Broadway-spectacle, and all the charm of Randy Rainbow’s glittery persona.

According to Rainbow’s statement on the show, “Randy Rainbow for President” will “take on the hottest topics and skewer politicos of the day as only he can… bringing his most viral video song parodies to life onstage.” With so much happening in the political sphere right now, there’s no shortage of material for Rainbow to work with. And he’s well aware of the buffet of insanity that he can use to draw his creativity from!

‘Randy Rainbow for President’ is a live look into the musical mind of a comedic mastermind, “featuring live accompaniment by Broadway musicians…, live audience interaction and original songs written by Rainbow with Marc Shaiman (Hairspray, Mary Poppins Returns) and Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast).” Finally, the perfect space for those who love both modern politics and musical theatre. Let’s just say… it’s a show unlike anything you’ve ever seen before!

A theatre critic for the Los Angeles Times, Charles McNulty, saw “Randy Rainbow for President” at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on January 19, and had lots of amazing commentary on it. His review detailed the amazing music and atmosphere of the performance. He writes, “His platform? Make America Gay Again. (He said he’s vying to be the first twink in the White House since Jared Kushner.) But what he’s really after is to restore the nation’s fabulousness with a concentrated dose of common sense.” Audiences, both straight and LGBTQ+ alike will enjoy the quickwitted comedy and musical genius of Rainbow’s show.

McNulty says that a “mockery of all things Trump was the main order of business [of the show]. Rainbow knows his audience, an older demographic… A good percentage of those in attendance seemed on furlough from their nightly MSNBC marathon. Not a Lindsey Graham or Kim Davis joke sneaked past this politically astute crowd.” It’s nice to see a gay comedian’s spin on the news, especially in a time when a little levity is so needed.

Attendees of the show will enjoy it if they know anything at all about current politics, but those who really delve into the world of American politics will catch every expertly crafted quip. For example, McNulty says, “Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene was roasted to a blond crisp in a revamped version of ‘Look at me I’m Sandra Dee’ from Grease,” a truly hilarious use of the song.

The real genius of Rainbow’s show comes in the clever construction of his jokes. McNulty concludes, “Rainbow’s parody lyrics, which appear as subtitles, nearly upstaged him with their zingy brilliance. His high-profile admirers — including Lin-Manuel Miranda and the late Stephen Sondheim — are especially discerning when it comes to comic wordplay. Rainbow was wise to throw a spotlight on his verbal virtuosity.”

You definitely don’t want to miss out on this hilarious show, coming to Minneapolis in February. Get ready for a topical, hysterical, musical, and totally gay look at the news in Randy Rainbow’s new show. You’ll be laughing out loud and casting your vote for Randy after his show: “Randy Rainbow for President.”  “Randy Rainbow for President” Friday, February 23, 7:30pm State Theatre, 805 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis $39.00-175.00 www.randyrainbow.com/tour

Photos by Sara Lekowicz LAVENDERMAGAZINE.COM

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OUR SCENE | SPRING ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Good Morning, Saint Paul The Future of Park Square Theatre

BY JEN PEEPLES

Stephen DiMenna’s appointment as Park Square Theatre’s new Executive Artistic Director marks the dawn of an exciting new era for the beloved Saint-Paul theater. With over 30 years of experience directing and producing for stage and screen, DiMenna brings a wealth of expertise and creative vision to helm Park Square into its next chapter. His journey has taken him from humble Chicago roots to the bright lights of Broadway and beyond, preparing him for the monumental task of leading one of the Midwest’s most prestigious cultural institutions.

Originally from Chicago, DiMenna discovered his passion for directing at a young age. In 1994, he made the move to New York City to pursue his artistic ambitions. Over the next 14 years, DiMenna would be directing numerous off-Broadway productions and honing his skills under the guidance of industry veterans such as Bobby Lupone and Bernie Telsey. His success in the Big Apple was not a light task, but hard work and time invested in leading a small 99-seat theater that provided the handson experience vital to running an organization like Park Square today.

As Park Square reopens after a period of closure, DiMenna wasted no time in making his mark.

He has crafted an exciting theme for the 2024/2025 season entitled, “New Beginnings,” reflecting stories of redemption, rebirth, and renewal. The diverse range of productions will mirror the theater’s own fresh start under DiMenna’s leadership. As Board President Mark Howlett stated, “Stephen’s knowledge, passion and commitment perfectly align with our vision for the future of Park Square.”

Beyond the symbolic theme, DiMenna also recognizes the tangible steps needed to usher in Park Square’s next era. He understands the importance of attracting new and younger audiences, as well as expanding diversity on stage and behind the scenes. While staying true to the theater’s long legacy, DiMenna aims to balance beloved traditions with innovative contemporary works that reflect the cities’ vibrant diversity.

Throughout his accomplished career, Stephen DiMenna has always viewed theater as far more than entertainment. He sees it as a catalyst to inspire self-discovery, bring communities together, and give voice to diverse stories and perspectives. These values drive DiMenna’s passion to make Park Square a space where all can feel welcome, seen, and heard. His commitment to inclusion goes beyond the main stage, as evidenced by his 18-year involvement with the International Theatre Project. DiMenna has led educational and empowering theater initiatives in disadvantaged communities Stephen DiMenna. Photo courtesy of Park Square Theatre

20 LAVENDER FEBRUARY 8-21, 2024

abroad, using art as a vehicle for positive change.

These transformative experiences motivate him to bring Park Square’s productions and outreach efforts to new heights.

Park Square’s great repuation as one of the Midwest’s largest and most influential theaters is honestly in the best of hands at this time. With the power to shape discourse around pressing social issues, DiMenna envisions productions that get audiences thinking and connecting. He wants Park Square to be more than a pastime, but an inspiration towards empathy, bridge divides, and lift up marginalized voices.

While selecting seasons that engage and entertain, DiMenna also chooses works that provoke continued reflection or debate around relevant themes. He believes, “-the theater has a duty to produce diverse, socially conscious stories, even if they push audiences outside their comfort zones.” Under DiMenna’s leadership, Park Square will challenge perceptions and foster dialogue on contemporary issues.

DiMenna has confidently mentioned that community is priority- and that the potential to sit in on script reads for patrons lays as an option to keep the tradition of Park Square theater’s ambiance. The poise and excitement he spoke with while explaining his vision continues to ensure the theater public that Park Square is getting ready to elevate to levels unimaginable. Those who walked have allowed an upward movement and path for DiMenna’s inspiration to lead.

As Park Square Theatre prepares to raise its iconic curtain this winter, the Twin Cities

arts community buzzes with enthusiasm for Stephen DiMenna’s bold vision. With infectious optimism and a wealth of experience, he stands poised to lead Park Square into an era defined by inclusion, innovation, and community engagement. By attracting new audiences while staying true to longtime patrons, DiMenna will craft seasons that resonate with the diverse mosaic of the Twin Cities. His artistry and social conscience aim to make Park Square a vibrant reflection of the world outside its doors.

Though challenges inevitably lie ahead, DiMenna embraces the future with an earnest dedication to inspire change, spread joy, and celebrate the transformative power of theater. As he settles into the role, his immediate focus is on assembling a creative team that shares his values and artistic vision.

DiMenna aims to mentor and empower other theater professionals, just as he was mentored earlier in his career. He expressed that, “ there is a deep commitment and responsibility to nurturing diverse emerging directors, designers, and playwrights—especially those of BIPOC”. DiMenna also recognizes that accessibility and affordability are key to removing barriers that have made theater seem elite or exclusive. He intends to expand Park Square’s educational programs and community partnerships to welcome new audiences.

At the same time, DiMenna understands the importance of honoring longtime subscribers and supporters who have been the

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theater’s foundation. He believes a blend of innovation and tradition is key; while taking risks on contemporary works, Park Square will still deliver the classics its devoted fans cherish. DiMenna sees the theater’s rich history not as a boundary but as a foundation for future growth.

There is much anticipation surrounding what DiMenna and his team will bring to Park Square’s stages next season and beyond. However, the true measure of his leadership will be the theater’s lasting impact on artists, audiences, and the wider Saint Paul community. More than box office numbers and critical reviews, DiMenna defines success through the empathy, understanding, and sense of belonging the theater can foster. Though challenges inevitably lie ahead, DiMenna embraces the future with an earnest dedication to inspire. 

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OUR SCENE | SPRING ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“Intimate Spaces” With Ryan Beatty’s Concert, The Fine Line Music Café Proves Less Is More

BY TERRANCE GRIEP

When you think of a place that has hosted acts as mainstream as Alanis Morissette, Ben Harper, John Mayer, the Neville Brothers, and even Lady Gaga, you’d be forgiven for mentally summoning a space somewhere between Target Center and the Roman Colosseum…but you’d be wrong to do so.

Tour poster courtesy of Fine Line - First Avenue, Calico album art courtesy of Warner Music Group. (Opposite Page) Photo by Lucas Creighton.

22 LAVENDER FEBRUARY 8-21, 2024

In 1987, when the Fine Line Music Café assumed its current incarnation within the hungry concrete heart of Minneapolis’s Warehouse District, seemingly anything could happen on the local music scene: a scrappy little band called Soul Asylum was about to sign with a major record company, following in the high-heeled footsteps of Mill City’s answer to Mozart, that Uptown Nelson kid who was doing more for the advancement of purple than the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive line of the previous decade.

The Fine Line was poised to play its part in the process.

Why a small venue would attract big name artists might at first be confounding—a primary rule of show business is, the fewer the admission-paying audience members, the smaller the payoff–but that very smallness contains a yang which, in small doses, outweighs its yin, according to any artist who can afford this most precious of luxuries. Again and again, over the course of its decades-long existence, all of the hosted artists cite the same central attraction for performing in a venue whose maximum capacity is 650 souls: intimacy—that is, the ability to interact with an audience in the most familiar way possible.

One musician likely to thrive in such an environment is up-and-coming, Los Angeles-based singersongwriter Ryan Beatty.

His entire career has, in its way, been an exercise in deepening intimacy. In 2011, Ryan Beatty was just another cute kid with a cute voice and a cute pout posting cute covers of cute songs on Youtube. These postings received millions and millions of hits, enough to attract the recording industry who judged young Master Beatty to be its next flash-in-the-pan. This judgment led to the recording and releasing of a mild, bubble-gumflavored-popcorn single, “Every Little Thing,” aimed at the Radio Disney crowd.

Sam Stoll, Will Dusek, Dylan Rugh, Shad Hanley

MUST CLOSE FEBRUARY 24!

Photo by: Rich Ryan

The success of this single extended the length of Beatty’s professional pan flash, leading to the creation of Because of You, an EP (“Extended Play,” or half-album). Rallying around this enterprise, the adults around the rising star portrayed the young discovery as a teen heart throb.

Superficially, this success was the realization of a lifelong dream, but Beatty harbored a secret that roiled beneath the dream’s surface: he was as gay as a spring lamb. Because Beatty’s success rested, up to that point, upon the shoulders of a legion of shrilly, fickle, giggly teenage girls, each of whom wanted to take Ryan to prom where she might induce blushing by holding his hand and stuff, coming out of the closet was out of the question. As he would describe to one reporter in 2018, “Back then, I didn’t feel like I could be myself in any way, and the times that I did and tried to have my own identity, I never felt that it was taken seriously.”

It might seem a little shocking that such crafted dishonesty would take place in the 21st Century (although, then again, it might not)…but Beatty’s management, thinking of short-term dollar signs, insisted and persisted.

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So, as the old joke goes, Ryan Beatty got new management.

There was nothing funny about this process, though, as his management, along with his first record label, were not prepared to let the kid go. Month after month after month of music-blocking litigation ensued, and Beatty’s childhood dream of being a professional musician seemed destined to end with his childhood.

In 2016, Beatty emerged from this time-chewing travail reborn and remade and ready to be his true self. He (finally) came out as gay and completed his first full-length album, Boy in Jeans. Despite its juvenile title, that LP (or “Long Play,” a full album) revealed Ryan Beatty as a full-fledged artist, advocate…and adult, an adult no longer expressing himself superficially, but with a deep, fresh sense of integrity, independence…and intimacy.

All three “i’s” are on full display in Beatty’s current album, Calico.

Indeed, all three “i’s” serve a fourth—introspection. Calico unveils a storyteller whose mature perceptions of what happens on the inside affects how he views the outside. Beatty understands, in a way even older artists might not, that being out is more than just being honest about one’s sexuality—being out, coming out is about letting the world see all of oneself, the parts one is proud of…annnd the other parts, too.

All of this expression will come together on March 5, in Mill City’s Warehouse District, one song after another, forming a Fine Line of intimacy and creating a wholly new experience for anyone adventurous enough to try it. As Ryan Beatty himself puts it in “Ribbons,” the first single from Calico: “…you’ve never known love like that, so you dance the night away!”

Ryan Beatty www.first-avenue.com/event/2024-03-ryan-beatty/

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OUR SCENE | SPRING ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“Glad” All Over An Interview with Maurice Vellekoop

BY GREGG SHAPIRO

LGBTQ+ graphic (as in illustrated) memoirs are nothing new. But it took Alison Bechdel’s award-winning 2006 book “Fun Home,” to bring the genre to mainstream audiences, thereby generating mass public appeal and appreciation. Since then, books such as Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer” and Alice Oseman’s graphic novel “Heartstopper” have brought increased attention to both non-fiction and fiction LGBTQ+ works. Maurice Vellekoop’s marvelous graphic memoir “I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together” (Pantheon, 2024), out in February, is a perfect addition to the genre. A powerfully rendered personal story of growing up in a religiously conservative home in Canada, being the artistic one in a straitlaced family, finding necessary creative outlets for expression and, eventually, self-acceptance.

Maurice was generous enough to make time for an interview in advance of the publication of his book.

Gregg Shapiro: Maurice, I first became aware of your work with your fabulous 1997 homoerotic primer, “Maurice Vellekoop’s ABC Book,” which you wrote about in the “Deep Magic” chapter of your new graphic memoir “I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together.” Please say a few words about the “ABC Book” for the readers.

Maurice Vellekoop: The “ABC Book” pictures a series of homoerotic encounters between various gay stereotypes, arranged alphaPhotos courtesy of Maurice Vellekoop/Pantheon

24 LAVENDER FEBRUARY 8-21, 2024

betically with very simple rhyming text. For example, “E is for Executives reaching their goals, F is for Firemen sliding down poles.” It’s a naughty riff on Little Golden Books but for an adult audience. It was inspired by the subversive work of both Edward Gorey and the great homoerotic artist Tom of Finland, who is such an inspiration. Tom’s world, much as I love it, is relentlessly macho. I wanted my playful vision of gay sex to be more inclusive, so, in addition to all the bikers and cops, I drew some hairdressers and interior decorators having hot sex too!

GS: In the memoir, you also wrote about the early influence of Charles Schulz and Walt Disney on your imagination and your work. Were there graphic novelists, such as Alison Bechdel or Marjane Satrapi, who also influenced you and how you approached “I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together”?

MV: In my career as a magazine illustrator, I’ve drawn inspiration from a wide variety of sources. One artist I love is Arthur Getz, who did “New Yorker” covers from the 1940s to the 1970s. His sense of light and mood is something I’m always striving to emulate. In the world of comics, yes, definitely Bechdel; less so Satrapi, much as I revere her. Legendary Canadian comics artist Seth is a big influence. I love his book, “It’s a Good Life if You Don’t Weaken.” I borrowed the page design

and layout of “I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together” from it.

GS: In the “Bewitched” chapter you wrote about wanting a Barbie doll when you were a boy. You also wrote in the book about your love of movies. Have you seen the Greta Gerwig “Barbie” movie, and if so, what did you think of it?

MV: I enjoyed Barbie very much! Sorry, I can’t really add much further to the discourse.

GS: TV also played a role in your formative years. Do you know if Carol Burnett is aware of your drawings of her and that she’s in your book?

MV: Good question! I’ll have to get the publisher to send her a copy. I met her very briefly in New York in the 1990s. Bob Mackie, who famously designed every single costume for her weekly variety show, was having a retrospective at FIT, so I knew Carol would be there for the opening night. At the entrance I spotted her, and, blushing like a twelve-year-old, handed her a copy of my book “Vellevision,” pointing out there was a drawing of her on the cover.

She flashed that dazzling smile, said thanks, handed the book to her assistant, and went in.

GS: You had a conser vative religious upbringing, which of course has an impact when you realize that you are gay. While writing the book, were you consciously writing to a reader who also had a similar experience, and if so, what do you hope they will get out of reading your book?

MV: I was not necessarily writing for that specific audience, though I certainly thought about it. When I read, it’s to discover stories that don’t necessarily reflect my own experience. I grew up in an unusual, hermetic world

of devout Protestant Dutch immigrants and I thought my book could, in part, be a glimpse into that world. Having said all that, if my book can offer solace or help someone struggling through a similar circumstance, that would be amazing!

GS: In the “Thistletown” chapter, you wrote about how you and your sister Ingrid came out to each other. When you think about that experience today, having a queer sibling with whom to share the coming out experience, how does it make you feel?

MV: It meant the world to me to have an ally I could confide in safely at fourteen. Ingrid and I were very tight in my teens and twenties, and her artistic talent was a constant inspiration. I feel very blessed to have her in my life. And that passage is one of my favorites in the book, especially when the waitress says, “What can I get you girls?”

GS: Like a lot of gay teens, you found a safe haven in your high school’s theater department. Are you still in touch with any friends from that time, and did any others also come out?

MV: No, I’m not in touch with friends from high school. But I recently reconnected with an art school buddy who I always wondered about.

He recently came out—in his late fifties—and is happily partnered. It’s never too late!

GS: In the “Vissi D’Arte” chapter, there is a drawing of you reading “A Boy’s Own

Stor y.” Does Ed White know he’s in your book?

MV: [Laughs] I will have to send him a copy too! I am a big fan of Edmund White, but at the period referred to in the book, the late eighties, he seemed to represent a trend toward a very heavy, bleak, and cerebral gay literature that was not exactly fun to read.

GS: What do you think your parents, who are both deceased, would think of “I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together”?

MV: What my dad would have thought is anyone’s guess. He was such an unusual, unpredictable creature. I’m sure he would have been proud of the accomplishment, whatever his feelings about his own portrayal. My mother was really dreading the book. She was a very private person, and the book represents a huge invasion of that privacy. Also, though she was quite literary, all the books she loved were written long ago, and she just would not understand the level of candor that modern readers expect from a memoir. Despite her dread, she was unfailingly supportive of the project, always ready to answer my questions, even when what I was asking was quite intimate.

GS: You wrote openly about your struggle with depression, often depicting two imaginar y beings representing a kind of good and evil duo. You were fortunate to find Maggie, the right therapist for you.

Regarding the book’s title, would it be

fair to say that some of the most productive “time together” was actually what you spent with therapist Maggie?

MV: The title can be read a number of ways, some of them ironic, so that’s an interesting take. I never thought about it in quite that way, but now that you raise it, yes, absolutely.

I was so fortunate to have found someone so wise, funny, pragmatic, and kind. Nowadays, therapy is so much more accepted than it was twenty-five years ago. But if there are readers who are curious but skeptical, I hope my book illustrates how therapy can work to produce profound change.

GS: One of the things that I loved about the book was the visual histor y of your hair throughout the book. In the “God’s Temples” chapter, you even mention that the hair on your head darkened when you turned 13. Please say something about the part, pardon the pun, your hair has played in your life.

MV: I was lucky to have inherited my hairdresser mother’s thick, luxuriant hair (in her case dark brown, in mine, white-blond in childhood, later a duller gold, now mostly silver).

There was a long period in the 1990s when I had a sort of 1970s shag. I looked a bit like the singer Beck, and I used to get a lot of puzzled stares from people wondering, “Is it him?”.

However, cool as I thought I looked, this look did not go over well in the gay bars of Toronto, where a rigid conformity prevailed. Eventually, I cut it off and have had a kind of Tintin-esque coif ever since.

GS: Earlier I mentioned Bechdel and Satrapi, whose graphic memoirs were turned into a Broadway musical and a movie, respectively. What would it mean to you if “I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together” was adapted for another medium?

MV: It would be amazing if somehow Disney decided it was time to do an animated film for adults, based on my memoir. Especially if they could recreate the loose, sketchy style of “101 Dalmatians” and “Jungle Book,” my favorite period.

GS: Have you started working on or thinking about your next book project?

MV: Yes! My book agent and I are pitching a children’s book written and illustrated by me.

I’m also working on some new erotic drawings, which may end up as a book. For lots of reasons, as a young man, I didn’t think I was attractive, and I spent many years in celibacy.

Now, when I look at old pictures of myself, I see a pretty, rosy-cheeked, full-lipped twink. So, I’m drawing that character getting all the wild sex he so desperately wanted but couldn’t allow himself to have. I can’t decide whether the project is terribly sad or crazily empowering, maybe it’s a bit of both! 

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OUR SCENE | SPRING ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Curtain Goes Up For

“Hairspray” at The Ordway

BY LAVENDER

What started as a commentary by John Waters on the state of interracial relations and body image set in Baltimore of 1962 became both a film and musical theater hit. Hairspray was presented through performances by the likes of Ricki Lake, Divine, Harvey Fierstein, John Travolta, Nikki Blonsky, Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Nina West – to name a few.

It is now the Ordway’s turn to bring the commentary of Waters and the musical production of Marc Shalman to the Saint Paul stage.

As part of their Broadway series, the Ordway brings back the story of 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad and her quest to change the world from the set of a television dance show in Baltimore.

There is no question that we love the story of Hairspray. It is one of our favorite stories. To explore the reasons why we love it so much, we chatted with Craig First, who plays Brad – a high school student who is one of the “council kids” – and who is also the Dance Captain for this touring production. He said that Hairspray is a “timeless” story about “joy and acceptance and love, regardless of where you come from, who you are in this world, I think we all just need a reminder of that every single day.”

First joined the production in August of 2022, and has been on the tour that visited the Twin Cities last year. He said that the big difference for the Ordway production this time around is “the new cast members. This is the third leg now of the tour and we pretty much turned over the entire cast, like almost an entirely new cast. A lot of the people who have come back are now playing new roles. The person who played our male authority figure last year, he’s now playing Edna. The person who was our Tracy standby, she’s now full-time Tracy. She’s incredible. She brings a whole new life to the show.”

He also added that with the new cast, “it’s a cool experience to see new perspectives on the roles and new dancers, new singers. Everyone has a new life. So that’s definitely a reason, I think, to come out. And also, it’s a timeless story. I’ve seen the show I can’t even count how many times now. I think it’s 350 and I’m still not tired of it. I still leave with a huge smile on my face.”

Photos by Jeremy Daniel

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Continued on page 28

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OUR SCENE | SPRING ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

After watching the film version of the musical, First began performing in Hairspray at a community theater as Link Larkin. He followed up with another stint with a production. In Birmingham, Alabama. From there, First would join the cast on the second leg of the tour of the show, after it celebrated its 20th anniversary on stage in 2022.

One thing about this musical version of Hairspray: You do not just sit through the entire performance. “We do the show and sometimes by the end of the show,” First explained, “we have people on their feet dancing and singing and they’re trying to learn the choreography as they’re going. We can see the audience and we can literally see them trying to do it with us. Even though they don’t

know a single bit of the choreography, they try to pick it up.”

“I think that’s the main thing for me is the joy that it brings to the audience members, and I think it’s infectious,” added First. “The music is catchy and it’s fun to listen to and it makes you dance along.”

While you are trying to get the choreography from your seat, it always comes back to the story and the message of Hairspray. “I think it’s important that we tell these stories so that we learn from the past and that we can see the positive message that love, and acceptance can bring to a society,” said First.

First and the touring cast of Hairspray will be at The Ordway Musical Theater from March 12-17. Tickets are available now.

In fact, First personally invites you to, simply, “come see the show. It’s fabulous. It’s super fun. There’s a reason why it’s lasted for 20-something years now. It’s a great time!”

You will have a great time. Simply because, “you can’t stop the beat” when they say “Good Morning, Baltimore” on the Ordway stage.  Hairspray March 12-17, 2024 Ordway Music Theater, Saint Paul $44.00-122.00 www.boxoffice.ordway.org

OUR SCENE | SPORTS

Twin Cities Muskies Scored Big At The Orlando Melt Down Tournament

BY LAVENDER

The Twin Cities Muskies represented the Twin Cities Goodtime Softball League and Lavender Magazine at the Orlando Melt Down tournament. The team placed fifth and came home with two Most Valuable Player awards. A large charitable donation was made to a local charity based on our performance. 

Photo by Eric Sawyer

28 LAVENDER FEBRUARY 8-21, 2024

OUR LIVES | ASK ELISE

Helping Relatives Who Have Trouble With Misgendering

BY ELISE MAREN

Ask Elise is an advice column meant for suggestions regarding LGBTQ+ community member dilemmas of any kind. If I am not qualified to answer your question (regarding issues for transgender individuals, people of color, etcetera), I will ask someone who is qualified and cite them. Your question is equally important and may help another community member. If you have a question, please submit it to elise.m.maren@gmail.com listing your pronouns and pseudonym if desired. If you need someone to talk to for more urgent or serious matters, please consider using the following hotlines: The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender National Hotline: (888) 843-4564 Trans Lifeline: (877) 565-8860: Trans Lifeline is a trans-led organization that connects trans people to the community, support, and resources they need to survive and thrive.

Dear Elise, My grandma is in her 90s and she is fantastic at using my correct name but frequently misgenders me (they/them, she/her). How do I help her build off of what she already does well in order for her to see me better fully as I am? Also, my grandma was always adamant that my dead name was wrong for me, so I do not know how much of her using my correct name is her understanding my trans identity and how much is she just thinking the name fits me better.

Best, W. Green

Dear W. Green, I am sorry to hear that you are facing this dilemma. One of my trans friends who I interviewed for the last Ask Elise reinforces identity to loved ones by saying in response to remarks like “incorrect pronoun or gender* is going to dinner tonight” by referring to themself in the third person.

For example, a response could be, “Yes, they will be there!” or “Yes, this human (or person) will be there!”

Another tip is having a friend or affirming sibling around if possible when spending time with loved ones who misgender you. Then you have a second person to help reinforce the correct pronouns so that the onus and emotional work is not always entirely on you. That can be exhausting.

An effective way to help her understand the weight of misgendering others is to express how it makes you feel. You could start by saying something along the lines of, “I appreciate how you use my correct name, but it makes me feel uncomfortable and distressed when you do not use they/ them or she/her pronouns for me. It makes me feel like you do not respect my identity and I want to believe that is not your intention because I know you care about me.

Here are examples of the ways in which you commonly misgender me.” Then you could educate her on how to respond when you misgender someone. It might be helpful to recommend practicing using the correct pronouns with her. If she does not understand they/them pronouns grammatically, it might be worth the conversation.

Although you do not need it to be valid, it might even be worth discussing science behind transgender identity to help her see that your experience is rooted in reality and not just your own mind. There was a 2022 study called Brain Sex in Transgender Women is Shifted Towards Gender Identity.

I have attached my reference at the end.

My last article is about helping loved ones understand name changes and that might provide some extra inspiration even though she already uses the correct name.

Good luck with your grandma and please know that your community supports you wholeheartedly.

With love, Elise Kurth, F., Gaser, C., Sánchez, F. J., & Luders, E. (2022).

Brain Sex in Transgender Women Is Shifted towards Gender Identity. Journal of clinical medicine, 11(6), 1582. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11061582

Photo courtesy of BigStock/fizkes LAVENDERMAGAZINE.COM

29

OUR AFFAIRS | BOOKS

Books

BY E.B BOATNER

Mr.Texas

Deliver Me

Everything’s bigger in Texas; pocketbooks and politics, heroes and skulduggerists. What could have been mere diatribe on the Mare’s Nest that is regional politics, or a fantasy where Shining Good stands tall to vanquish Grift and Greed, Wright crafted a delicious satire of Texas Big, and moral Small, revealing the seemingly vast abyss between them may be bridged over a disturbingly short span. Blank slate rancher Sonny Lamb, exalted hero after storming a burning barn to save a child, is lured by canny lobbyist L.D. into running for state legislature–as his pliable country Candide. But Sonny’s an idealist, and wife Lola wants a baby. Soon. As in every good tale, fickle fate has its own agenda, beyond virtue or vice, for all. Razor-sharp; hilarious.

Giolito’s legal thriller draws the reader into darkness. Two little boys, pals since they were six, are lured into lives they neither comprehend nor control. Billy, from a struggling first-generation, loving immigrant family, and Dogge, the only child of wealthy, dysfunctional parents who barely acknowledge his existence. A highway separates their two disparate neighborhoods, but watching over it all is a wannabe crime kingpin who manipulates a legal system unable to arrest anyone under fourteen, providing the pair a pathway to crime, drugs, seeking status as trusted runners for the Boss.

Trying to work within this unworkable system is Detective Inspector Farid Ali, whose hands are tied even as one child fires fatal shots at the other. Giolito is also the author of international bestseller, Quicksand.

Lawrence Wright Knopf $29

Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet Ben Goldfarb Norton $30

America’s expanding roadways expedite human needs, but become death traps or hindrances to millions of animal lives. Traveling, counting, interviewing scientists, Goldfarb reveals the dangers inherent in our willful ignorance. The “What’s a few deer, too many already” view seen under the costs in human deaths, injury medical costs, raised insurance rates, is sobering, but obscures the breadth of the problem. If migrating animals can’t, their food sources and available mating choices plummet, they starve and are weakened genetically. Pacific salmon, a human food resource, die when upstream spawning routes are barred. Goldfarb’s clear, detailed explanations of specific problems and possible solutions are readable, and thoroughly researched. Workarounds practiced for years in many European countries are being introduced here. May they be in place in time.

30 LAVENDER FEBRUARY 8-21, 2024

Malin Persson Giolito tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles Other Books $18.99

The Last Note of Warning Katherine Schellman Minotaur Books $29

Schellman’s third Nightingale doesn’t relent. It’s 1925 Prohibitionist New York; protagonist Vivian Kelly is more financially secure; before; her sister’s married Danny Chin, head bartender at the Nightingale, the speakeasy where Viv lives her best life after working delivering goods by day for a tony dressmaker’s shop. Even that innocuous job is fraught with danger; delivering a frock, Viv discovers the client’s wealthy husband murdered in his home study. In a world unfair to the poor, Viv is detained for the crime, given a week to absolve herself, while friends Black, white, Asian, straight and gay, come to her aid. Unfairness, as much or more even than murder itself torques the tension of the tale, highlighting the importance of friendship, forgiveness and grace under pressure. 

OUR HOMES | OUR RIDES

The Next Level in Car Audio

BY RANDY STERN

As we merrily roll along in our vehicles, we are often entertained by the sound wafting from the speakers. Most of us take it for granted.

That is until our “jam” comes on.

Our favorite song, voice, or music instrument often dictates the mood we’re in. It calms us or spurs us on. We’re at the mercy of what comes out of a speaker and how we react to it.

There is a science to all of this. It is also an art to sending that signal from the vehicle’s audio system through your ears into your brain.

Consider this: We are experiencing a new level of in-vehicle entertainment. We have emerged from car radios rebroadcasting on the AM dial through a single speaker to a sophisticated touchscreen-driven infotainment system equipped with well over a dozen speakers of reproduced sound from many different sources.

Today’s in-vehicle audio experience now comes with a label. Some of which represent the ultimate in audio reproduction. We’re not just talking about Bose and JBL anymore.

Photos courtesy of Stellantis North America

We’re talking brands, such as Bang & Olufsen, McIntosh, Naim, Klipsch, and Bowers & Wilkins – to name a few. Names associated with extremely expensive home entertainment systems applied to some of the finer vehicles on the road.

Using brand names to entice customers into ticking that box on the order sheet is one bold marketing move. It lures audiophiles in

towards having their in-home audio experience reproduced inside of their chosen vehicles.

This was once a practice that was rarely offered directly to customers at any given dealership, which was why installing aftermarket audio systems were once a booming business when vehicles only offered a radio, a tape player, and four decent speakers.

The question comes to mind whether today’s audiophiles who are used to peerless sound from their high-end high fidelity audio systems can enjoy the same level of sound reproduction in an automobile.

Among the brands of high-end audio componentry found in current automobiles is McIntosh Laboratory. Established in 1949, the Binghamton, New York-based company produces hand-crafted pieces of audio art. McIntosh amplifiers and speakers are considered iconic in the audio reproduction world as they are well known for the continued use of tubes in their components and their ubiquitous and bespoke VU meters.

Continued on page 34 LAVENDERMAGAZINE.COM

31

COMMUNITY CONNECTION Community Connection brings visibility to local LGBTQ-friendly non-profit organizations.

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ANIMAL RESCUE

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BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS

Quorum

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Mystic Lake Casino Hotel

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ENVIRONMENT

The Nature Conservancy

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Aliveness Project

Community Center for individuals living with HIV/AIDS – on-site meals, food shelf, and supportive service.

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The nation’s largest professional dinner theater and Minnesota’s own entertainment destination.

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Family Tree Clinic

Children’s Theatre Company

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Keane Sense of Rhythm

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Rainbow Health Minnesota

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Red Door Clinic

Sexual health care for all people. Get confidential tests & treatment in a safe, caring setting.

525 Portland Ave., 4th Fl. Minneapolis, MN 55415 (612) 543-5555 reddoor@hennepin.us www.reddoorclinic.org

LIBRARIES

Quatrefoil Library

TNC is an environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature thrive.

1101 W. River Pkwy., Ste. 200 Minneapolis, MN 55415-1291 (612) 331-0700 minnesota@tnc.org www.nature.org/minnesota

Your LGBTQ+ library and community center. Free membership, events, and e-books/audiobooks. Check us out!

1220 E. Lake St. Minneapolis, MN 55407 (612) 729-2543 www.qlibrary.org

EVENT VENUES

Radio K is the award-winning studentrun radio station of the University of Minnesota.

330 21st. Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612) 625-3500 www.radiok.org

Landmark Center

A classic venue, with a grand cortile and beautiful courtrooms, accommodates celebrations of all sizes.

75 W. 5th St. St. Paul, MN 55102 (651) 292-3228 www.landmarkcenter.org

GRANTMAKERS/FUNDERS PFund Foundation

PFund is the LGBTQ+ community foundation that provides grants to students and grants to non-profits.

PO Box 3640 Minneapolis, MN 55403 612-870-1806 www.pfundfoundation.org

32 LAVENDER FEBRUARY 8-21, 2024

PERFORMING ARTS

Chanhassen Dinner Theaters

MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS

Radio K

MUSEUM

Minnesota Historical Society

Create your own adventure at MNHS historic sites and museums around Minnesota. mnhs.org

Walker Art Center

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725 Vineland Pl. Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 375-7600 www.walkerart.org

Children’s Theatre Company excites the imagination with world-class familyfriendly theatre for kids, teens, and adults.

2400 3rd Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55404 (612) 874-0400 www.childrenstheatre.org

Guthrie Theater

Open to the public year-round, the Guthrie produces classic and contemporary plays on three stages.

818 S. 2nd St. Minneapolis, MN 55415 (612) 377-2224 www.guthrietheater.org

Plymouth Congregational Church

Many Hearts, One Song; Many Hands, One Church. Find us on Facebook and Twitter.

1900 Nicollet Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 871-7400 www.plymouth.org

St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral

An inclusive and affirming community transforming lives through God’s love.

519 Oak Grove St. Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 870-7800 www.ourcathedral.org

Westminster Presbyterian Church

An open and affirming congregation, welcoming persons of all sexual orientations, gender expressions and identities.

1200 Marquette Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 332-3421 www.westminstermpls.org

Lyric Arts Main Street Stage

SENIOR LIVING

Minnesota Opera

Fostering meaningful connections for older adults for 50+ years. Offering quick drop-in chat line, phone & visiting companionship services.

2550 University Ave. W., Ste. 260-S St. Paul, MN 55114 (612) 721-1400 www.friendsco.org

Theater with character. Comedies, musicals, & dramas in a professional, intimate setting where all are welcomed.

420 E. Main St. Anoka, MN 55303 (763) 422-1838 info@lyricarts.org www.lyricarts.org World-class opera draws you into a synthesis of beauty; breathtaking music, stunning costumes & extraordinary sets.

Performances at the Ordway Music Theater - 345 Washington St., St. Paul, MN 55102 (612) 333-6669 www.mnopera.org

Minnesota Orchestra

Led by Music Director Designate Thomas Søndergård, the Minnesota Orchestra, one of America’s leading symphony orchestras.

1111 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 371-5656, (800) 292-4141 www.minnesotaorchestra.org

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

Leading performing arts center with two stages presenting Broadway musicals, concerts and educational programs that enrich diverse audiences.

345 Washington St. St. Paul, MN 55102 (651) 224-4222 info@ordway.org www.ordway.org

Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus

An award-winning chorus building community through music and offers entertainment worth coming out for!

1430 W. 28th St., Ste. B Minneapolis, MN 55408 (612) 339-SONG (7664) chorus@tcgmc.org www.tcgmc.org

RELIGIOUS & SPIRITUAL

All God’s Children Metropolitan Community Church

A welcoming, inclusive, safe place to explore and discover God’s love for ALL God’s children.

3100 Park Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55407 (612) 824-2673 www.agcmcc.org

Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church

Everyone is welcome at Hennepin Church! Vibrant Worship. Authentic Community. Bold Outreach.

511 Groveland Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 871-5303 www.hennepinchurch.org

Friends & Co

Senior Community Services

Providing non-medical services that meet the changing needs of older adults & support their caregivers.

10201 Wayzata Blvd., Ste. 335 Minnetonka, MN 55305 (952) 541-1019 www.seniorcommunity.org/lav

SOCIAL SERVICES

Lutheran Social Service of MN

Serving all Minnesotans with personcentered services that promote full and abundant lives. lssmn.org | 612-642-5990 | 800-582-5260 Adoption & Foster Care | welcome@chlss.org Behavioral Health | 612-879-5320 Host Homes | hosthomes@lssmn.org Supported Decision-Making | 888-806-6844 Therapeutic Foster Care | 612-751-9395

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Get away to Stillwater for delicious dining, fun shops, and unique nightlife in this charming rivertown! info@DiscoverStillwater.com www.DiscoverStillwater.com

YOUTH

The Bridge for Youth

Emergency shelter, crisis intervention, and resources for youth currently or at risk of experiencing homelessness.

1111 W. 22nd St. Minneapolis, MN 55405 (612) 377-8800 or text (612) 400-7233 www.bridgeforyouth.org

THE NETWORK Locally Owned & Operated Since 1950

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33

OUR HOMES | OUR RIDES

In 2020, Stellantis looked to collaborate with McIntosh Laboratory to develop a series of reference audio systems inside their vehicles.

The audio component firm had previous experience with in-vehicle audio back in the late 1990s and early 2000s through BMW, Ford, and Subaru. These elevated audio systems are now equipped in select Jeep Grand Cherokee, Wagoneer, and Grand Wagoneer SUV models.

How has Stellantis arrived at creating the highest level of audio playback in these vehicles. Rustyn Robinson, the Global Technical Lead – Audio Integration/Acoustics at Stellantis explained that bringing an audio system into a vehicle “gives us the opportunity to create a home experience in a small environment.”

“The vehicle interior has many reflective surfaces and most of the speakers are not pointed at the occupant as can be done in a home setup,” Robinson added. “Unlike the home setup, fortunately, the occupants cannot move around so much in a vehicle, so we can design for tight area. From an engineering standpoint, we consider the size of the cabin, as larger cabins present a greater challenge, as well as the anticipated road and engine noise levels in the cabin. We also are now considering EV vs. traditional gas vehicles, as EVs have a different noise profile due to the absence of engine noise.”

Sound reproduction inside small, confined space – such as an SUV – is a challenge unto itself. As Robinson explained that the primary challenge in doing so is “the ability to reproduce clean bass while not rattling trim panels.

This requires proper placement and integration of audio system speakers. Another chal-

lenge is finding a place in the vehicle to package a subwoofer box. There is usually a lively discussion between cargo volume and audio performance. During initial development, we also determine the market level of the vehicle and from there we can determine the level of systems that would be offered.”

Where does McIntosh Laboratory comes into play? Bill Peffer, Senior Vice President and Head of Jeep Brand North America for Stellantis explained that “Jeep is an aspirational American automotive brand, and McIntosh is an aspirational brand for high-end audiophiles.

The union of both of these brands in the Jeep brand’s first premium SUV was a natural.”

In turn, there is an expectation that the sound playback from the McIntosh audio Reference system inside of a Grand Wagoneer

(L to R) Photo by Randy Stern, photo courtesy of Stellantis North America.

34 LAVENDER FEBRUARY 8-21, 2024

– just like the one I recently driven while working on this story – is of the highest level possible. As Robinson explained, the McIntosh systems are expected to deliver on “clean power, high output, low noise” in order to replicate the experience of their in-home systems.

“The focused and stable sound stage with crisp and clear vocal content while maintaining clean earth-shaking low frequency content (bass) presents a challenge in any environment,” added Robinson.

“For McIntosh,” Robinson explained, “we were able to accomplish this with new speaker designs in our Jeep SUVs that had never been done before. Utilizing CAD, we were able to place the speakers in the precise locations needed to reproduce the sound properly. We then spent many hours (and miles) of tuning and tuning and more tuning with Jeep brand and McIntosh engineers, which allowed us to bring the McIntosh experience into the Jeep Grand Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee.”

There is a deeper, more technical treatise that brings out more detail regarding the state of audio playback inside your vehicle. Know that work is being done to ensure that every source – radio, smartphone music files, podcasts, movie discs, streaming television, video games, and so forth – are being put to the test inside each new vehicle manufactured today.

Therefore, you can play your favorite “jam” with confidence through your audio system.

Now that the bar has been raised, we expect that the next car, truck, SUV, or minivan we buy or lease will have the sound quality of sound reproduction as your in-home theater-type surround sound reference set-up. Know that automobile manufacturers, such as Stellantis, are working towards doing exactly that. As Robinson concludes with assurance that “the McIntosh systems in the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Grand Wagoneer take these attributes to a new level.” 