3 QUESTIONS

With performer Theo Kutsko

MONA MAKELA

Now wrapping up their final year at New Mexico School for the Arts, singer/pianist/actor/all-around performer Theo Kutsko has been rounding out a loaded schedule and college applications with weekly cabaret-style performances over at Sage Inn’s Social Kitchen+Bar

(6 pm Thursday, Feb. 17. Free. 725

Cerrillos Road, (505) 982-5952). With a combo of musical theater greatness and iconic classic rock monster jamz courtesy of Queen, Elton John and other titans, Kutsko, who was recently accepted to Berklee College of Music, brings the heat through two of our country’s greatest artistic exports. You can catch Kutsko as Fester in their school’s upcoming musical production of The Addams Family this April, you’ll find them behind a piano on Thursdays, you can learn more on this very page. (Alex De Vore)

What about classic rock and musicals speaks to you as a performer, and how are you finding ways to merge those interests?

I’ve just grown up listening to both musicals and classic rock more than any other kinds of music. I saw Wicked when I was 4, and I’ve been in love with theater ever since. I’ve also been listening to Queen since I was very little, so that’s a part of my interest in it; but also as someone who is an LGBTQ musician, I really take my main inspiration from other musicians who write about the same things I go through. I like learning about and hearing about these things I can relate to. I love Elton John, Queen and, in musicals form, Falsettos and Rent.

When I felt like I wanted to do musical theater was really once I got into Falsettos in the 8th grade. I liked musicals before that, like Rent and Hamilton and In the Heights, but Falsettos was such a good work of theater that I knew wanted to pursue it. That’s how I chose my major at NMSA. I thought, ‘I’m pretty good at my music outside of school, and I like doing my visual arts as a hobby, but musical theater is something I want to do.’ I just love performing in any way. With the cabaret genre, which is what I’m doing at Social Kitchen right now, I get to combine all of these different interests of mine: ’70s songs, Broadway and newer songs that I think are interesting and fun—I get to combine them all into this big showcase every week. Really, I just like performing in any capacity.

Do you compose as well? Do you have plans to write, record and release your own jams at any point?

I like experimenting with composition, and some of the college courses I’m looking at right now offer more information on composing. It’s definitely something I want to get more into, but I haven’t really gone super in-depth with it currently as I’m so focused on being in different shows and doing this other music I like. I’m gathering my interests and sounds. The songs I write end up being very theatrical in a Jonathan Larson kind of sense.

What would you want would-be audiences to know about your current live show?

What I’ve been telling all these colleges I’ve been doing interviews for, when they ask me, ‘where do you see yourself?’ I always say I’m going to perform no matter what— that’s where I see myself going. Doesn’t matter if it’s cabaret, like what I’m doing currently, or in a different city; on Broadway on a big stage, or on a tour. I’m going to be there, I’m going to be doing that. It just shows I’m on that path. I like to put on the best performance, be it to an audience of one or two, or to a full-packed house, I just love to perform. Even if you are not familiar or uninterested in those few genres, I put on a show that you don’t want to miss.

WE ARE: FILM FESTIVAL

Jean Cocteau Cinema 418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 466-5528 Earthseed Black Arts Alliance presents a mini festival featuring a collection of video and film works by Black creatives in New Mexico. (See SFR Picks, page 19) 6, 7:30 and 9 pm, $12

JACK'S MAGIC BAKERY

Root 66 Vegan Café 1704 Lena St. (505) 780-8249 Every Friday, Jack’s back. See Root 66 Vegan Café transform into a bakery setting with unique, non-eggy, non-milky and non-animal options. 9 am-3 pm, free

MUSIC

AL ROGERS

Vanessie Piano Bar 427 W. Water St. (505) 984-1193 Rogers ain’t a no one here in Santa Fe, his tunes are like a langauge all their own. 6:30 pm, free

IRON CHIWAWA

Tiny's Restaurant & Lounge 1005 S St. Francis Drive (505) 983-9817 A night of good old-fashioned rock n' roll. Go have fun with some classic rock. 8 pm, free (no cover)

SHAUN MUNDAY

La Reina at El Rey Court 1862 Cerrillos Road (505) 982-1931 Soul-drenched vocals with show-stopping bass guitar. 8-10 pm, free

TGIF CONCERT

First Presbyterian Church 208 Grant Ave. (505) 982-8544 It's getting jazzy downtown when Trio Meson with Dave Anderson, Rick Bowman and Richard Snider joins First Presbyterian with their jazzy skills and featuring the music of Stan Getz. 5:30 pm, free (but donate)

SAT/19

SITES OF RESISTANCE: MARIE ALARCÓN, NIKESHA BREEZE, NANSI GUEVARA

Santa Fe Art Institute 1600 St Michael’s Drive, Bldg. #31 (505) 424-5050 An in-person/online conversation featuring artists Marie Alarcón, Nansi Guevara, and Nikesha Breeze, who activate the intersections between diasporic communities, cultures and places to forge sites of resistance and sources of power. Ummmm, yes. Yes to this. (See SFR Picks, page 19) 1 pm, free FILM

TONY CONRAD: COMPLETELY IN THE PRESENT (AND RELATED SHORT FILMS)

No Name Cinema 2013 Pinon St. nonamecinema.org An unusual, non-fiction film examining the pioneering life and works of the artist, musician, filmmaker and educator. The program opens with a series of extremely rare and difficult-to-see short films and live performance videos by Conrad himself. 6:30 pm, free (pls donate)

FOOD

WHISKEY, LOVE AND CHOCOLATE

Santa Fe Spirits Distillery 7505 Mallard Way, Ste. 1 (505) 467-8892 Aw yiss. Join Santa Fe Spirits Distillery and Kakawa Chocolate house for a five course pairing of award winning spirits and hand crafted chocolates. Treat yourself and the person you love (or maybe just yourself, heck) with some fine sugar, some fine drinks and some fine, fine distillers. 5:30 pm, $59

MUSIC

AL ROGERS

Vanessie Piano Bar 427 W. Water Street (505) 984-1193 Do-do-dooooo. You heard that? That’s Rogers’ twinkling keys. Our hearts are full with his musical chords. 6:30 pm, free

BALOURDET QUARTET

St. Francis Auditorium at the New Mexico Museum of Art 107 W Palace Ave. (505) 988-4640 This quartet ensemble will perform familiar favorites of the string quartet repertoire by Mozart, Stravinsky and Brahms, as well as Memento Mori – Phase 1 by composer and sonic artist Nina C. Young. 7-9 pm, $20-$85

DJ DMONIC

Social Kitchen + Bar 725 Cerillos Road (505) 982-5952 Legendary DJ D-MONIC continues his Saturday residency at Social Kitchen + Bar. Come bop. 6 pm-9 pm, free

DJ PRAIRIE DOG

La Reina at El Rey Court 1862 Cerrillos Road (505) 982-1931 A night of fresh beats and punkrock and fresh drinks. 8-10:30 pm, free

DAVID BERKELEY

Ski Santa Fe 1477 Hwy. 475 (505) 982-4429 Join Ski Santa Fe at Totemoff’s for live music with David Berkeley. Music from the mountaintop is rather sweet. 11 am-3 pm, free

SUN/20

ART

LIFE DRAWING SESSIONS

Center For Contemporary Arts 1050 Old Pecos Trail (505) 982-1338 Draw a life model. Bring your own drawing supplies, easels and whatever else you need. Only dry mediums allowed (graphite, charcoal, pastels, etc.—no paint or inks). Proof of vaccination required. Noon, $10-$20

DANCE

ECSTATIC DANCE

BODY of Santa Fe 333 W Cordova Road (505) 986-0362 A celebration of movement and connection, expect DJs from Santa Fe and around the world to take you on a musical journey each week as you learn to love the movement of the body. 7-9 pm, $12

MUSIC

CRASH KARAOKE

Social Kitchen + Bar 725 Cerrillos Road (505) 982-5952 To-the-point karaoke. Crash and his team always bring the singing and swingin' joy. Go sing your favorites or learn something new. For the love of God, no Journey. Well, maybe if you’re a cute old person. But no one else! 6-9 pm, free

DOUG MONTGOMERY

Vanessie Piano Bar 427 W. Water St. (505) 984-1193 We love ourselves an old fashioned Montgomery— shaken, not stirred. Piano tunes as the day is long, with wine to boot. 6:30 pm, free

SABINE COLLEEN

La Reina at El Rey Court 1862 Cerrillos Road (505) 982-1931 Angelic folk music by songstress Colleen. She brings you dark folk to soothe your heart and draw the poison out (and some of yall need that, tbh). 7-10 pm, free

WORKSHOP

BELLYREENA BELLYDANCE CLASS

Move Studio 901 W San Mateo Road (505) 660-8503 Got a cute lil belly? Why don’t you use them? Get shakin’ and bakin’ (away those calories). 1-2 pm, $15

IMPROV TO VOICE OVER

Online tinyurl.com/2p93tjx5 This one day workshop is geared toward anyone interested in learning the foundation of voice over technique. No prior experience needed. 2-4 pm, $50

MODERN BUDDHIST MEDITATION: LEARNING TO BE CONTENT/FEEL SATISFIED

Center For Contemporary Arts 1050 Old Pecos Trail (505) 292-5293 Find inner peace, contentment and satisfaction within your mind. It’s not in the people, places or things around us. Only by training in meditation on Buddha’s profound wisdom can we find the inner space and clarity that gives us the kind of life we really want. Proof of vaccination required, and then let the peace flow through you. 10-11:30 am, $10

MON/21

DANCE

SANTA FE SWING

Odd Fellows Hall 1125 Cerrillos Road Class starts at 7 pm and the open dance at 8 pm. 7 pm, $3-$8

MUSIC

DOUG MONTGOMERY

Vanessie Piano Bar 427 W. Water St. (505) 984-1193 Doug Doug Doug... so much piano, so little time! Jk, we’ll make time for your sweet tunes. 6:30 pm, free

TUE/22

MUSIC

DORIAN ELECTRA

Meow Wolf 1352 Rufina Circle (505) 395-6369 Pop music agitator Dorian Electra makes music that is unbound by genre. Since the 2019 release of their acclaimed debut album Flamboyant, Electra has gained an intense cult following around the globe. Guest acts include Coucou Chloe and 3L3D3P. 7 pm, $19

MUSEUMS

BLAIR CLARK

From Painted Reflections: Isomeric Design in Ancestral Pueblo Pottery at IAIA’s Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.

IAIA MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY NATIVE ARTS

108 Cathedral Place (505) 983-8900 Experimental exPRESSion: Printmaking at IAIA, 1963–1980. Exposure: Native Art and Political Ecology. 10 am-4 pm, Wed-Sat, Mon 11 am-4 pm, Sun, $5-$10

MUSEUM OF INDIAN ARTS AND CULTURE

706 Camino Lejo (505) 476-1200 Painted Reflections: Isomeric Design in Ancestral Pueblo Pottery. A Place in Clay. 10 am-5 pm, Tues-Sun, $3-$9

MUSEUM OF INTERNATIONAL FOLK ART

706 Camino Lejo (505) 476-1200 Yokai: Ghosts and Demons of Japan. Música Buena: Hispano Folk Music of New Mexico. 10 am-5 pm, Tues-Sun, $3-$12

NEW MEXICO MUSEUM OF ART

107 W Palace Ave. (505) 476-5052 Storytellers: Narrative Art and the West. Poetic Justice: Judith F. Baca, Mildred Howard and Jaune Quick-To SeeSmith. Ansel Adams: Pure Photography. 10 am-5 pm, Tues-Sun, $7-$12

GEORGIA O’KEEFFE MUSEUM

217 Johnson St. (505) 946-1000 Spotlight on Spring. 10 am-5 pm, Thurs-Mon $20

NEW MEXICO HISTORY MUSEUM

113 Lincoln Ave. (505) 476-5200 In Search of Domínguez and Escalante. The Palace Seen and Unseen. The First World War. Setting the Standard: The Fred Harvey Company. 10 am-5 pm, Tues-Sun, $7-$12, NM residents free 5-7 pm first Fri of the month.

NEW MEXICO MILITARY MUSEUM

1050 Old Pecos Trail (505) 474-1670 New Mexico’s Civil War. Art! Of War. 10 am-3 pm, Mon-Fri, free

WHEELWRIGHT MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN

704 Camino Lejo (505) 982-4636 Abeyta | To’Hajiilee K’é (See SFR Picks, page 19); Indigenous Women: Border Matters (Traveling). Portraits: Peoples, Places, and Perspectives. 10 am-4 pm, Tues-Sat, $8

EL MUSEO CULTURAL DE SANTA FE

555 Camino de la Familia (505) 992-0591 Permanent Collection: Local Generational, Native Contemporary, Latin America, Latino Urban, Slide Collection. 10 am-4 pm, Tues-Sat, $8