SGN April 1, 2016 - Section 2

Seattle Gay News

Issue 14, Volume 44, April 1, 2016

Arts & Entertainment

“RuPaul’s Drag Race”: Robbie Turner scores a victory on ’80s flashback week

Otherworldly Midnight Special an intimately human adventure

Midnight Special – Ben Rothstein/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

(l to r) Kim Chi, Robbie Turner, and Naomi Smalls – Logo TV

by Albert Rodriguez SGN A&E Writer Not that I feel old (actually, I do), but this week’s episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race had me reaching for my yearbook.

Down to nine queens, the fourth installment of this season’s show opened with the remaining contestants bidding adios to

Spanglish-fluent, cu-cu princess Cynthia Lee Fontaine.

I mentioned at the start of the season, and I’ll say it again, that the collective talent of S8’s contenders is deeper than the past two years combined. Most of these girls are veterans; they’ve been performsee “DRAG RACE” page 8

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer MIDNIGHT SPECIAL Now playing

Roy (Michael Shannon) has kidnapped his son Alton (Jaeden Lieberher) from the cult clutches of preacher Calvin Meyer (Sam Shepard) and his cult followers with the aid of state trooper and friend Lucas (Joel Edgerton). Making a nighttime run to Florida, they make a brief stop to pick up the boy’s mother Sarah (Kirsten Dunst).

Chasing them are a pair of fundamentalist followers of Calvin’s as well as what seems to be the whole of U.S. law enforcement, NSA scientist Sevier (Adam Driver) leading the charge, his reasons for doing so kept close to the vest.

Jeff Nichols’ Midnight Special is far more than the sum of its relatively easy to explain parts. While comparisons to films ranging from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Starman, Thelma and Louise see MIDNIGHT SPECIAL page 6

New plays bloom in about jewels, beauty, Miss Piggy and being crowned April Queen of White Party Palm Springs!

“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star

Erika Jayne (Girardi) talks to SGN

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Girardi – Courtesy of David Luc Nguyen

by Teriyaki Temple (David Luc Nguyen) SGN A&E Writer The newest cast member of Bravo TV’s hit franchise looks like the perfect BarbieStepford Wife but this girl is anything but plastic! Affluent, multi-talented and un-

apologetically fabulous Erika Girardi aka Erika Jayne is a pop-star and pop-culture phenomenon who ascended to the throne as Reality TV’s newest Queen.

Teriyaki Temple caught up with the new “It Girl” as she took time out of her uber glamourous, lavish lifestyle to dish about her career in the spotlight and staying grounded despite standing tall on top of see ERIKA GIRARDI page 13

Casey Raiha as Lt. Cable and Liz Oyama as Liat in SOUTH PACIFIC at Seattle Musical Theatre – Photo by Nataworry Photography http://nataworry.com

by Miryam Gordon SGN A&E Writer There are an astonishing amount of world premieres this month (seven), all locally written! Seattle seems to be in love with new plays as the buds bloom. April openings are listed below in date order.

The Hat, Bitter Single Guy Productions and Gay City Arts, 4/1-4/9

World Premiere. The romantic comedy, by local playwright Greg Brisendine, is about a group of Gay men as they navigate dating and love in the world of Grindr, open relationships, and the intersection of relationship and friendship. ht t ps://www.st ra nger tickets.com / events/31895016/the-hat To Savor Tomorrow, Cafe Nordo, 4/7see APRIL PLAYS page 5

2 Seattle Gay News

April 1, 2016

Celebrating 41 Years!

Joan Osborne interview coming this month, ahead of Jazz Alley performances

by Albert Rodriguez SGN A&E Writer I’m pleased to announce an upcoming interview with Joan Osborne. The Grammynominated singer-songwriter interviewed with Seattle Gay News in May 2013 just before coming to the Emerald City for a set of shows at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley. Hit repeat.

Osborne will be speaking to SGN again prior to performing four consecutive nights at the same venue, April 21-24, but this time she’ll be playing acoustic with Keith Cotton and Jack Petruzzelli. In total, they’ll do six performances in four nights. You’re likely to hear beautifully arranged, unplugged renditions of “One of Us,” “St. Teresa” and “Spider Web,” or other songs from her vast catalog that includes pop standards, blues tracks and even Grateful Dead classics, as she toured with the remaining members of the legendary act in 2003. For tickets/ reservations, log onto jazzalley.com. Look for my interview with Lilith Fair alum Joan Osborne in a couple of weeks here in The Music Lounge.

A partial lineup for this summer’s ZooTunes concert series has been revealed. case/lang/viers (Neko Case, kd lang, Laura Viers) will kick things off with a performance on June 30, promoting the release of their collaborative album featuring the single “Atomic Number.” On July 17, American Idol winner Phillip Phillips and Matt Nathanson will join forces for a double-bill show that also includes opener Great Big World, followed on July 21 by UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro & Mickey. The B52s are returning to the zoo on July 24 with special guest English Beat, and then it’s back-to-back concerts from Grammy-winning comedian/singer Weird Al Yankovic on July 26 & 27. Another returning artist is eclectic music ensemble Pink Martini, who will appear August 3 & 4 with China Forbes & Storm Lange, while local singer-

Joan Osborne – fanart.tv

songwriter Brandi Carlile is scheduled to play two shows on August 23 & 24. Additional performances will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets for all concerts, taking place at Woodland Park Zoo, are on sale now at zoo.org.

Welcome back, Fitz and the Tantrums!

The pop group is putting out a self-titled new album on June 10, their first record since 2013’s More Than Just a Dream, with the leadoff single “HandClap.” The band is boosting the release of the album with a North American headlining tour that will bring them to Marymoor Park on August 20. Other tour stops include Portland, Boise, Austin, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Washington DC and West Palm Beach. “Overall, this is an album about desire – the desire for intimacy, for sex, for acceptance on your own terms and the struggle not to compromise,” explains frontman Fitz (Michael Fitzpatrick). Fitz and The Tantrums – Fitz (vocals), Noelle Scaggs (vocals/tambourine), James King (saxophone), Jeremy Ruzumna (keyboards), John Wicks (drums), Joseph Karnes (bass) – have interviewed twice with Seattle Gay News. For tickets, go to the artist’s website, fitzandthet-

antrums.com.

Speaking of Marymoor Park, The Lumineers have added a third show at the Redmond summer concert venue, as part of “The Cleopatra World Tour 2016”; they’ll now perform June 3-5 with special guests Sleepwalkers. Also happening at Marymoor Park is “I Love the 90s” featuring Salt n’ Pepa, Coolio, Tone Loc, Color Me Badd, All-4-One, Rob Bass and Young MC on August 27. For tickets to either show, visit axs.com.

One more concert to throw at you is Toad The Wet Sprocket with Rusted Root on July 20 at The Showbox Market. TTWS lead singer Glen Phillips, who also has a successful career, interviewed with Seattle Gay News several years ago. Go to showboxpresents.com for ticket info.

Finally, I’ll be attending Ellie Goulding’s concert this weekend at Key Arena, The Killers special performance at Las Vegas’ new T-Mobile Arena on April 6 and Seth McFarlane’s show on April 8 at Benaroya Hall. Look for all three reviews in the April 15 issue of the SGN.

SHAKESPEARE

First Folio!

The Book That Gave Us Shakespeare

on tour from the Folger Shakespeare Library

The Seattle Public Library invites the public to come face-to-face with the First Folio at the downtown Seattle Central Library (1000 4th Avenue) March 21 through April 17. Considered one of the most important books ever published, the First Folio is the first and most comprehensive collection of the plays of William Shakespeare.

The First Folio was published in 1623, seven years after Shakespeare’s death.

Without it, 18 of those plays would likely have been lost to time, including Julius Caesar, Macbeth, As You Like It and The Taming of the Shrew.

First Folio! The Book That Gave Us Shakespeare, on tour from the Folger Shakespeare Library, is a national travel-

Visit us online www.sgn.org

ing exhibit organized by the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC and commemorates the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.

The Library is partnering with several local organizations to provide related Shakespeare programming, free to the public, including a film series, scholar lectures, performances and more. For a list of those events, please visit our First Folio! calendar. For more information, visit spl.org/ shakespeare.

Advance tickets are available at ht t p://www.brownpaper tickets.com / event/2486090 Please come to the Central Library to check for availability of tickets once sales have ended or your preferred time slot has

April 1, 2016

“Sold Out.”

First Folio! The Book That Gave Us Shakespeare, on tour from the Folger Shakespeare Library, is made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor – and by the support of Google.org, Vinton and Sigrid Cerf and other generous donors.

The tour is produced in association with the American Library Association and the Cincinnati Museum Center.

Local support comes from Paccar, Gary Kunis, Union Bank, The Seattle Times and The Seattle Public Library Foundation.

Seattle Gay News 3

MAP Theatre presents Belleville

Kiki Abba, Brandon Ryan in Belleville – Photo by Shane Regan

by Miryam Gordon SGN A&E Writer BELLEVILLE MAP THEATRE (@ 12TH AVE ARTS) Through April 16 A loving couple, transplanted to Paris for the husband’s great job working with

Doctors Without Borders, can have issues even after a long relationship spanning years. Maybe it’s because they’re in a foreign country, but slightly bigger cracks are developing between Abby (Kiki Abba) and Zack (Brandon Ryan) than they are used to.

The oh-so-very-American and “regular” couple at the heart of the beguiling Belleville, now being staged by MAP

Theatre, feels very accessible. The couple are cute and loving; their hassles seem on the edges of their relationship and not too threatening; maybe a good conversation will fix stuff.

But the landlord/friend shows up (an amiable Tamron Harrison) and when Abby is out of the room, we find out a lot is not what it seems. The audience now has to figure out what it means. (The landlord’s wife is played by Mia Tesfay.)

Amy Herzog’s 90-minute play seeks to make us uneasy about people we think we know very well. Or at least this couple seems to think they know each other well.

They find out just how deep the waters run as their little nest is threatened by the deceptions they keep from each other.

For the most part, Herzog’s play unfolds in a way that doesn’t feel the slightest bit creepy until it does – which is a very nice bit of storytelling. Actors Abba and Ryan interact in a very unassuming and even fun way, and feel like many couples we know.

And doesn’t everyone have a few issues about something?

The end success of the play hinges on whether the underlying deceptions are strong enough, or the reasons for why things happen the way they do are under-

standable enough.

Ultimately, I don’t think they are, and so while the production goes down easy, the end result is a bit of a letdown. Herzog does not reveal enough of the character development to help us know what could lead to the lies and how one lie could lead to another until they find themselves in Paris, of all places. The economics of their circumstances don’t match up with their lives.

In fact, Abba and Ryan are both funny people with great comic timing. I’d love to see a play where they can each exploit their abilities even in a relationship play, where we can enjoy and laugh at and with them.

Certainly, they are fun enough to watch so that most of this play is very enjoyable. But the script isn’t quite enough. Still, if you like creepy, you’ll have fun.

For more information, go to www.maptheatre.com. MAP Theatre tickets are all name-your-own-price and they are committed to having audiences of whatever means come to their shows.

Discuss your opinions with SGNcritic@ gmail.com or go to www.facebook.com/SeattleTheaterWriters. More articles can be found at miryamstheatermusings.blogspot. com.

Village Theatre presents My Heart is the Drum

by Miryam Gordon SGN A&E Writer MY HEART IS THE DRUM VILLAGE THEATRE ISSAQUAH: Through April 24 EVERETT: April 29-May 27 There are many aspects of the production My Heart is the Drum at Village Theatre to really like. The technical elements are gorgeous. The set (Carey Wongas) and costumes (Karen Ann Ledger) are vibrant and beautiful. The music feels authentically and pulsatingly Ghanaian. The cast is winning, with Gypsy Rose Lee award-winner Claudine Mboligikpelani Nako in the lead.

Sonia Dawkins’ choreography is quite wonderful. And there is a tiny dancer, Lydia Delane Olson, who is a revelation at such a young age.

It is a world premiere, which means that it has never had a full production before – only workshop presentations – from which point the writers, composer Phillip Palmer, lyricist Stacey Luftig and librettist Jennie Redling, would continue to make changes.

The creatives are all clearly earnest and well-researched in their efforts. One can almost tell, via the staging, just how much they want to tell a good story.

Having seen this musical workshopped at Village Theatre’s Festival of New Musicals, I looked forward to it and to see the changes/improvements that would be made for a full production. The musical is set in a place not normally portrayed in American musical theater. A cast full of black performers and African music is an excit-

4 Seattle Gay News

ing prospect to see and hear in white-bread Seattle.

Unfortunately, the basic script is not ready to go forward without major rewrites.

More about that in a moment.

Set in Ghana, a young almost-high school-graduate, Efua (Nako) longs for university in Accra, while her father needs her to help grow cotton. When she leaves without permission to accompany her cousin Balinda (a sweetly innocent Joell Weil), they find themselves kidnapped, raped and sex-trafficked, among criminal Ghanaians who know little about HIV/AIDS, even in the year 2000.

The writers want very much to have the audience understand the economic entanglements that prevented Ghanaian cotton farmers from making a profit. They want to talk about the horrid plight of young women in Africa, if not worldwide. They want to address AIDS in the world, perhaps in the “third” world. All of this is laudable and challenging to insert into any musical.

They do succeed in creating a musical environment for much uplifting potential, which is a difficult area.

However, the writers paint in primary colors. There are no muted colors, much less shades of gray. Clichés are hit head on and brake marks are completely absent.

You could clothe the “bad men” in the second act with Snidely Whiplash capes and twirly mustaches and it wouldn’t be more obvious. Each song stands alone, uncombined with dialogue in the vein of a lot of more modern musicals, where plot and song speed the telling of the tale in more

April 1, 2016

Jarvis Antonio Green (Sakuro Kuti), Faith Bennett Russell (Ama Kuti), and Claudine Mboligikpelani Nako (Efua Kuti). My Heart Is the Drum Production photo. © 2016 Mark Kitaoka. Property of Village Theatre.

compelling ways.

The first act, currently about an hour in length, could easily be told in half that time.

The song “A World Beyond Kafrona” could easily be combined with snippets of dialogue interspersed – i.e., song lyrics sung; then dialogue: “Daddy, I want to leave.”

“Daughter, we can’t afford it, you have to stay home.” Then song lyrics sung; then dialogue: “I’m leaving anyway.” Then song lyrics sung. This is just an example.

If the above descriptions don’t dissuade you, good! Village Theatre deserves to be supported for their passion in presenting new musicals and giving them a chance to grow. The production does have a great cast

who do their very best to portray this proud nation with respect and honor.

However, I would not recommend this show for younger children, even children younger than about 16. The subject matter is quite dark and a child needs to emotionally be able to handle those aspects of the plot.

For more information, call 425-3922202 or go to www.villagetheatre.org.

Discuss your opinions with sgncritic@ gmail.com or go to www.facebook.com/SeattleTheaterWriters. More articles can be found at miryamstheatermusings.blogspot. com.

Celebrating 41 Years!

APRIL PLAYS continued from cover 6/5

Café Nordo takes flight with To Savor Tomorrow, an immersive comedy that parodies the 007 spy genre, set in the airplane lounge of a swank 1960’s Boeing Stratocruiser with craft-cocktails and retro-modernist cuisine woven into the experience. Food scientist Peter Proudhurst is transporting laboratory secrets. Professor Proudhurst’s briefcase contains the revolutionary and potentially devastating secrets of modern convenience food and the controversial “Green Revolution.” (Meal included) http://www.cafenordo.com/now-playing South Pacific, Seattle Musical Theatre, 4/7-5/1 Premiering in 1949 on Broadway, South Pacific was an immediate hit. Rodgers and Hammerstein wanted to write a musical that would send a strong progressive message on racism. The plot centers on an American nurse stationed on a South Pacific island during World War II, who falls in love with a middle-aged expatriate French plantation owner but struggles to accept his mixed-race children. A secondary romance, between a U.S. lieutenant and a young Tonkinese woman, explores his fears of the social consequences should he marry his Asian sweetheart. http://seattlemusicaltheatre.org/southpacific/ Stupid Fucking Bird, ACT Theatre, 4/8-5/8 Aaron Posner rewrites Chekhov’s story of love, art, and a hapless bird (The Seagull) for a remarkable contemporary face lift. On the grounds of a country estate, two generations worth of Russians mope and love and hate. Winner of the 2014 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play. http://www.acttheatre.org/Tickets/OnStage/StupidFingBird BRASS: Fatal Footlights, Theater Schmeater, 4/8-4/30 World Premiere. The two grown children of the Brass family, Gwendolyn and Cyril, are brought into a mystery involving the premiere of Oscar Wilde ‘s first play Vera, or the Nihilists, while a villainous trio scheme to steal the jewels of a legendary actress. A mystery, a thriller, and a love letter to theater, written by locals Louis Broome and John Longenbaugh. h t t p s: // w w w. s c h m e a t e r. o r g /s e a son/2016/fatalfootlights\ Becky’s New Car, Phoenix Theatre, 4/8-5/1 Becky’s life is straightforward and painfully ordinary. She lives with her roofer husband, Joe, and college-student son, Chris, and works far too many hours at a car dealership. Hyper-wealthy Walter arrives one evening just as Becky is about to leave work, wanting to buy nine expensive new cars as gifts for his employees. He’s newly widowed, forlorn and a little adrift, and he promptly falls for Becky – who he assumes is widowed, too. After trying once or twice to disabuse him of the notion, she gives in to his fantasy. And so begins her attempt to live two lives.

https://phoenixtheatreedmonds.secure. force.com/ticket/#details_a0SF000000Hm6JiMAJ The Letters, Burien Actors Theatre, 4/8-5/1 Written by John W. Lowell and first staged in Los Angeles in 2009, The Letters is a two-character play set in a nondescript office in the 1930s Soviet Union. Anna, a demur, fortyish functionary in a nameless government agency, has been called into the office of her superior, known here only as The Director. What is the hidden agenda? Gradually, the details begins to emerge.

The letters of a famous composer are missing. A colleague has been arrested. Suspicions are being directed at Anna. What follows is a tense verbal and psychological catand-mouse game between the two. With twists. www.burienactorstheatre.org Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in The Hat, Seattle Children’s Theatre, 4/14-5/22 Back by popular demand, the favorite Dr. Seuss character introduces his eclectic entertainment with mischievous humor and madcap style. The Cat in The Hat busts the boredom of a rainy afternoon with all sorts of zaniness – including the iconic and acrobatic Thing One and Thing Two. Rhyming his way through the house while balancing cups and tools, Cat brings a cozy home to chaos where Sally, her brother and their outspokenly cautious pet Fish, are simultaneously amused, astounded and concerned, with good reason. ht t p://w w w. s c t. o rg /Shows /2 015 2016-Season/Dr-Seuss-The-Cat-in-theHat#More-Details Sherlock Holmes and the American Problem, Seattle Repertory Theatre, 4/22-5/22 World Premiere. The American Wild West and Victorian England collide in this original adventure tale. The year is 1887, the occasion is the Queen Victoria’s Jubilee, and the coincidences are suspiciously piling up. The local creative team behind 2013’s hit The Hound of the Baskervilles is at it again with more thrills, more laughs and more unbelievable deductions. http://www.seattlerep.org/Plays/1516/ SH/Synopsis My Name is Asher Lev, New Century Theatre Company, 4/22-5/21 (at 12th Ave Arts) A young Jewish painter, torn between his Hasidic upbringing and his desperate need to fulfill his artistic promise, threatens to destroy his relationship with his parents and community. Asher realizes he must make a difficult choice between art and faith. This stirring adaptation of a modern classic presents a heartbreaking and triumphant vision of what it means to be an artist. http://www.wearenctc.org/ Puny Humans, Annex Theatre, 4/225/14 World Premiere. The Queen City Comicon throbs and bustles with fans in cosplay, celebrities on the rise (or on the way down), disgruntled vendors hoping to make a buck, and desperate staff members trying to hold the whole damn thing together. A young fangirl finds out she’s pregnant, an actor

Visit us online www.sgn.org

Alyssa Norling and Sara Porkalob and Opal Peachey in To Savor Tomorrow – Photo by Bruce Clayton Tom

promoting his new movie tries unconventional means to get laid, and Sailor Moon and Darth Vader fall in love. Passion, comedy, and geekdom collide as thirteen characters’ lives intertwine over the course of one epic day. Written by locals Bret Fetzer and Keiko Green. http://www.annextheatre.org/2016-season/main-stage/puny-humans/ Chorestia, Ghostlight Theatricals, 4/23-5/7 World Premiere. In a coffee shop, a nail salon, at camp, at school, and more, women of various ages attempt to live their lives as the events of the Trojan War, played out by one all-powerful man, take place in the background and everyone runs the risk of invoking the petty wrath of the gods.

Chorestia explores what it means to be an ordinary woman in a society that is or has been at war. Written by local Beth RaasBergquist. http://ghostlighttheatricals.org/chorestia/ Eat Cake, Annex Theatre, 4/26-5/11 (Tue/Wed) World Premiere. Chaos, comedy, and cake collide in Eat Cake, the Queer wedding of the century. Ariel and Addison are throwing their dream wedding, a DIY extravaganza, but the clock is ticking and everything is a disaster. The guests won’t stop screaming at each other or running into backrooms to make out, the cake is a catastrophe of colossal proportions, and an un-invited guest shows up stoned. Written by local Seth Tankus. http://www.annextheatre.org/2016-season/off-night/eat-cake/ Kinky Boots, The 5th Avenue Theatre, 4/28-5/8 It’s a return tour. Inspired by true events, Kinky Boots takes you from a gentlemen’s shoe factory in Northampton to the glamorous catwalks of Milan. Charlie Price is struggling to live up to his father’s expectations and continue the family business of Price & Son. With the factory’s future hanging in the balance, help arrives in the unlikely but spectacular form of Lola, a fabulous burlesque performer in need of some sturdy new size 13 stilettos. ht t ps://www. 5t havenue.org /show/ kinky-boots

April 1, 2016

A Hand of Talons, Pork Filled Productions, 4/29-5/21 (Theater Off-Jackson) World Premiere. Written by local Maggie Lee, this is her third steampunk play.

The dark underworld of organized crime lurks beneath the surface of the fair city of New Providence. Lee’s first two plays in this genre were fun and punk-filled (and even Pork-Filled). http://porkfilled.com/wp/2016/03/ahand-of-talons-opens-on-april-29th/ Barefoot in the Park, SecondStory Repertory, 4/29-5/22 Newlyweds Paul and Corie are just starting their life together in a tiny fifthfloor Manhattan apartment. He’s a straightlaced lawyer and she’s a free spirit who’s always looking for the latest adventure.

Paul doesn’t understand Corie’s relaxed ways, and she wants him to be just a little more spontaneous. Something as simple as running “barefoot in the park” would be a start. http://www.secondstoryrep.org/mainstage/season17/barefoot.html Death of a Salesman, ArtsWest, 4/285/29 The 1949 play, Death of a Salesman, written by American playwright Arthur Miller was the recipient of the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. Businessman Willy Loman struggles with the differences between the Loman family’s dreams and the reality of their lives. The play is a scathing critique of the American Dream and of the competitive, materialistic American society of the late 1940s. The storyline features Willy Loman, an average guy who attempts to hide his averageness and failures behind increasingly delusional hallucinations as he strives to be a “success.” http://www.artswest.org/ The Things Are Against Us, Washington Ensemble Theatre, 4/29-5/16 (at 12th Ave Arts) In this dark and twisted comedy, two lovelorn sisters, an ax wielding hunk, and the poet and lover Federico Garcia Lorca uncover their destiny when their past comes back to haunt them. They wrestle through time only to discover the real horror is in their bones. http://washingtonensemble.org/tickets/

Seattle Gay News 5

Master illusionist Ivan Amodei to appear at the Westin Seattle Hotel April 8-10 running off to find a good book to read. But inevitably, I return to my work after a brief hiatus. This time, I have a better understanding of the illusion’s story line. What do I want to say? Which music is perfect for it? And finally, what do I want you as the audience member to experience?

“I’m privileged to share with you some of my favorite illusions that I have created over the years. Some may be dangerous, some may be funny such as “It’s Destined to Happen,” and others might be thoughtprovoking or inspirational like “Mona Lisa’s Secret,” “The Miracle Worker” and “Time is Precious,” but all of them share a vital element: an important, deeply-felt message about humanity and life.”

Ivan Amodei and assistants – ivanamodei.com

Currently in his 6th-year of sold-out performances at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, and presently on a critically acclaimed national tour that has been breaking box office records across America, Ivan Amodei will be appearing at the Westin Seattle Hotel April 8-10.

From his humble beginnings in Cosmo, Sicily, to his formative years in Brooklyn, New York, and finally to his spellbinding career as one of the world’s most acclaimed illusionists, Ivan Amodei (pronounced evon ah-moe-day) continues to amaze audiences everywhere with his one of a kind approach to the art of illusion. Mixing thought provoking story line and meaning into each custom demonstration of the human experience. The Boston Globe raves “Magic with a message.”

With a unique philosophy and showmanship that emphasizes inspiring and uplifting his audiences, Ivan has entertained thousands of people from all walks of life

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL continued from cover

and even Tomorrowland are apt, in reality the man behind character-driven entertainments as varied as Take Shelter and Mud has once again done his own, imaginative, idiosyncratic thing. His movie is a story of fathers putting their children before themselves, mothers finding the courage to let go and friends putting the best interests of others before themselves. It is a story of acceptance, possibility and self-actualization, one where a child will lead the way, the unknown future he is rushing towards an ethereal question mark impossible to know the outcome of.

Nichols plops us right in the middle of this story, with Roy, Lucas and Alton already on the road and Calvin deep in the process of getting his minions to find out where it is they are heading. The director doesn’t spend a lot of time spelling things out, doesn’t insert a lot of extraneous exposition to get those watching up to speed.

Instead, he chooses to believe the audience can put the pieces together for themselves, can understand why it is Roy is doing what he feels is right. He uses shorthand to bring out what transpires between husband and

6 Seattle Gay News

– including notable Hollywood elites, and even royal nobility. The very definition of a consummate showman and a world-class entertainer, at his shows you will witness for yourself the reason Hollywood Today hails Ivan Amodei as “The most entertaining and exciting illusionist we have ever seen.”

THE ILLUSIONS Says Amodei: “The creation of an illusion is my personal agony and ecstasy. An idea for one can come to me anywhere – a coffee shop, a deli, a quiet walk through the city.

“From there, I can’t get it out of my mind – I have to make it a reality. Shortly afterward, I begin early construction, choreography and staging of the piece. I typically have no idea where I’m going with it, which is both fun and frustrating – again, agony and ecstasy.

“Frustration usually wins, and I often go

wife, why they chose opposite paths as it pertained to their son’s well-being and what it is that brings them back together as one now.

Yet, the connections between all the characters never feel false, the various emotions driving them to do what they do rarely, if ever, in doubt. More than that, even newcomers, plopping into the proceedings randomly at key moments, feel organic and important to the story at hand.

Even more impressive, no matter how minute their screen time, it’s easy to imagine an entirely different story that would involve them and only them, their backstories just as important as any of the ones involving the core principals caught up in this tale.

There is a great moment between Shannon and veteran character actor David Jensen that defines the entire narrative in one crisp, clean nutshell. The understanding that passes between these two men, what it is both of them know and how it is they are dealing with this information, it tugs at the heartstrings in a way that is poignant, natural, hinting at spiritual depths that are as expansive as they are informal. The melancholic reality of the road before them both hits home, making the courageousness

April 1, 2016

THE MUSIC Music works on the unconscious mind.

The cello, with its versatile ability to hit high notes and deep sounds can invest a demonstration with danger, majesty, terror, levity or deep thought. The interactive ability of the cellist allows improvisation to the often-unplanned spontaneous moments of each performance, thus making each show unrepeatable from the previous.

You will hear classical pieces from composers Vivaldi, Bach and Mozart, as well as custom scored music to accompany each illusion perfectly. More importantly, it’s about how the music makes you feel.

The unique pairing of illusion and cello dramatically sets this show apart.

Ivan Amodei’s INTIMATE ILLUSIONS – a magical and musical experience at the Westin Seattle Hotel Sold out for six years running in Beverly Hills, INTIMATE ILLUSIONS will be coming to Seattle for six performances, April 8-10. Set in a luxurious European

of their sacrifice all the more affecting because of this.

Some of this might just be too ephemeral, especially as it pertains to Calvin’s cult as well as how the government, most notably the inquisitive Sevier, got on Roy and Alton’s trail in the first place. A case could also be made going in the opposite direction that the closing moments are far too concrete, Nichols making the decision to shine a light on exactly what is going on and why it matters that could be construed as being a little on the silly side. There is a reason we do not go into the mothership in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (at least in the versions of Steven Spielberg’s classic that matter, we do not), a reason we don’t actually know where it is Jeff Bridges’ character is off to in John Carpenter’s Starman other than a far off place a traveler such as he might call home. Spelling things out as Nichols does is admittedly a major risk, and I imagine many will take issue with what it is the filmmaker decides to show them.

For me, Midnight Special sits remarkably well. Shannon, while maybe not as superb as he was in his previous two collaborations with Nichols’ Shotgun Stories

theater at the beautiful Westin Seattle Hotel, you will find yourself immediately entranced in the world of an elite illusionist.

Filled with world-class magic, fantastic storytelling, audience participation and incredible live music by Celine Dion’s concert cellist, this intimate performance weaves original, thought-provoking illusions, wit, humor, and dazzling live music together with an entertaining theatrical twist.

Don’t miss this opportunity to see and experience the show that has won Ivan SIX People’s Choice Awards.

Ivan Amodei will present his dazzling 90-minute show at the Westin Seattle Hotel (1900 5th Avenue) on Friday, April 8 at 7 p.m. & 9 p.m., Saturday, April 9 at 7 p.m. & 9 p.m., and Sunday, April 10 at 2 p.m. & 6 p.m. Tickets: $75 general admission; $100 front row. For more information and tickets, visit http://www.ivanamodei.com/ontour/ or 1-866-811-4111.

RECENT REVIEWS “Totally engaging and entertaining! The small venue in a lovely hotel made it seem like a private invitation only event. Ivan is handsome, funny and very talented. I’ve told my friends about him.”

“It was more than a delightful evening.

Amazing, totally entertaining, funny, I laughed until my stomach muscles ached which is good. What a talent!!!”

“My husband and I and our guest loved the show. It was a great evening. We loved the cellist accompanying him throughout his act – it set the mood perfectly. Ivan was charming, accomplished and had captivating illusions.”

Courtesy of Ivan Amodei’s INTIMATE ILLUSIONS

and especially Take Shelter, is still incredible, proving once again he is one of the more dynamic, multifaceted character actors working today. Edgerton is almost his equal, a fact made even more impressive as he has far less to work with as far as the film’s treatment of Lucas is concerned.

Dunst, not coming into events until at almost the midpoint, has a couple of sensational moments, not the least of which is her climactic interactions with Lieberher, while Driver fleshes out Sevier in ways that are far more surprising and multifaceted than I initially assumed they would be.

This is Nichols’ show, however, and the director is in complete control right from the first frame. There is an adrenaline-fueled elasticity to events that is as smooth as it is exhilarating, all of it given extra potency thanks to the emotional complexities driving things to their conclusion. Midnight Special isn’t as clean, isn’t as tidy as the director’s previous three features, but that doesn’t make it any less tremendous, Nichols proving once again he’s one of the more creative, imaginative and flat-out talented cinematic voices working today.

Celebrating 41 Years!

An interview with Jeff Nichols Facing the inevitable: Writer/director Jeff Nichols defines parenthood aboard the Midnight Special

children. Definitely. I guess you can say fatherhood is a definite theme in all four of my movies.”

“It’s all sort of happened by happenstance,” Nichols admits freely. “I certainly draw from my position as a father when I write, Midnight Special specifically. But I grew up in like an “Ozzie and Harriet” kind of household. My parents were great. They are great. They were kind of insanely supportive of my brothers and I, supportive of our desires to not get nine to five jobs and let us take a chance in regards to what it was we wanted to do. So, no, they’re not exactly good fodder for dysfunctional family material.”

“Certainly with Shotgun Stories, that just happened very organically. I knew I could tell a story about the fear of one of my brothers dying. This was before I was married, and probably the most intense and closest relationships in my life at that time were with my brothers. We’re all very close. And, I remember hearing this DriveBy Truckers song “Decoration Day” about a feud and, again, this image just popped into my head of a guy spitting on a casket.

Why would they let someone that close to a graveside casket? Who could that be? It had to be because he was a relative, and that’s where the half-brothers came from. That naturally meant that the father character had to be this divisive force.”

“It all just went tick-tick-tick. It was a row of dominoes. And it wasn’t like I was setting out to make some crazy father saga.

It just made sense for that story.”

“Likewise with Mud, when I learned this detail about how these houseboats on the river, if the person whose name the house was under left and the state could take over the property, it just made sense that the mother character would want to leave, that the father would want to stay, but that the houseboat was in her name giving her all the power. To have this boy’s family dissolving, in this time when he sorely needed a male mentor, it all just fit together just from me learning that one tidbit of information pertaining to houseboats on the Arkansas River.”

“In that way, I think Take Shelter and Midnight Special hold a special kinship as it pertains to what it is we are talking about.

These films, it really is me in my life look-

ing at my life and using the relationships in my life to figure out the stories I am wanting to tell. In that way, they are more immediate.”

Granted, it’s a big jump to go from a vision of two guys sitting in a car hurtling through the darkness on a clandestine road trip to a science fiction-based saga bordering on the supernatural. “About eight months into my son’s life, he had this seizure,” says Nichols. “It was the kind of thing that happens to like one in a thousand kids. No long term effects. It is the type of thing most grow out of by the time they are five, things just relating to how the body processes fever.”

“But we didn’t know that. Nobody told my wife and I that. We flipped out. We thought he was dying, and it was the type of thing that shocked me awake during that first year of fatherhood when you’re just thinking about sleep deprivation and how much your life sucks, made me realize just how precious this kid was. I was gripped with this fear, and fear is actually a great place to start movies from. Fear is where I started Shotgun Stories and where I started Take Shelter from, and Midnight Special ended up following suit.”

“But fear is in and of itself not a complete thought. It is a catalyst for a thought.

It, fear, is also not what the movie is about.

What that fear did do is force me to try and define parenthood. The definition I came up with is really the character arc or the character trajectory that Michael Shannon and Kirsten Dunst’s characters take.”

This really gets to a little bit higher level of feeling I was trying to get at. When I was in the middle of writing the film, Sandy Hook happened. That devastated me. This seemed to amplify this very specific feeling I was having when my son was sick, calling out to the rest of the world what I was feeling. These tragedies could happen. They could happen anywhere. It’s fucking devastating. Fucking terrifying.”

“So, I found myself, in the middle of writing this silly sci-fi chase movie, trying to express this really personal thing I felt like was suddenly resonating with the rest of the world. When we lose our children, how do we deal with that? How do we deal with that fear that comes from the inevitability that we know that, someday, maybe sooner than we want, they are going to leave us? That is the cycle of parenthood.

We hope they leave us organically, but the point still is that they will leave us. What do we do? How do we deal? Because we still have to put one foot in front of the other, and we have to still raise our children even knowing the inevitable will someday come to pass.”

And did Nichols come up with an answer? “I came up with my own definition,” he proclaims. “I think the conclusion is that we keep trying to find who are children are.

Not who we want them to be. Not what we want them to grow up to be. But who they are for themselves and, as they grow, you can help redefine that for them. So that, by the time they leave, hopefully they know who they are. That they know what they want to do in the world. I think this is the definition of parenthood, and that’s all Michael Shannon and Kirsten Dunst are trying to do in this movie. They’re trying to understand who their boy is.”

April 1, 2016

Seattle Gay News 7

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer Writer/Director Jeff Nichols latest cinematic venture Midnight Special concerns itself with a driven father, played by frequent collaborator Michael Shannon, who kidnaps his only son from a reclusive religious cult. Hitting the road with his son and a rogue state trooper, the trio are doing all they can to make it to Florida by a predetermined date. On their trail is the U.S. Federal Government, most notably a secretive NSA scientist portrayed by Star Wars: The Force Awakens and While We’re Young star Adam Driver, his reasons for doing so going way beyond matters of national security.

The movie is an otherworldly blend of genre influences ranging from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, to Starman, to The Sugarland Express, to Thelma and Louise, the acclaimed filmmaker behind critical favorites such as Mud and Shotgun Stories playing things relatively close to the vest throughout. Originally set for release at the tail end of 2015, Nichols’ latest endeavor ended up sitting on the shelf for a little while as Warner Bros attempted to figure out what to do with it, the film not exactly an easy one for the studio to figure out how to sell to the general public.

“I finished it in June of last year,” Nichols says with a laugh. “To Warner Bros credit, I think they want the film to succeed. It’s a tough sell, a tricky film to put out into the world, and I think when they were looking at the release schedule they were admittedly worried it would get decimated by Star Wars. Additionally, this is not me not having an ego, but I also think the comment is fair, I didn’t deliver them a traditional awards contender.”

“You’re free to muse about why that is, but, that aside, when you look at the films it would have competed against in the big budget arena, and you look at the art house films, the so-called awards contenders, it would have competed against, it just didn’t make sense to release it at that time. I think waiting until now, late March, early April, this was the right decision. I think there’s freedom here for it to grow and hopefully find an audience.”

“I did go and make another movie while we were waiting,” he adds with a chuckle.

“I did do that.”

As potentially supernatural as things might end up becoming in Midnight Special, it’s still easy to see how this film fits right in line with the director’s previous three efforts, Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter and Mud. “They’re all reflections on myself,” he states matter-of-factly. “I keep growing. My life keeps changing. My point of view keeps changing. Hopefully, that means the movies themselves will keep changing.”

“The more obvious thing, though, is that I don’t like to be classified with a genre, so I hop around within those sort of things. I’m just struck by different ideas. With Take Shelter, I remember it very vividly. I had this image of a guy standing in my backyard over a storage shelter with the doors open. It just kind of came to me. I took my wife out to lunch and I was like, what if I made a movie about a guy who was having these dreams about a crazy storm, so he

Jeff Nichols – Ben Rothstein/Warner Bros. Pictures via wired.com

built a storm shelter, and all the other facets of the screenplay were born out of that idea.

Ideas like that, they just sort of float around and you attach yourself to them.”

“With Midnight Special, I had this idea of these two guys in the black car moving very fast through these rural back roads only it was night, and there was little to no light at all. I just started building it out from there. This film, especially because it is a chase film, I actually got pretty far along with the plot before I literally had to put on the brakes. I had all these elements. I had the genre identified. I knew it was a fatherson story. But what was it all about? How did it connect to anything? And that’s when I really started reflecting back on my own life, which is something I’ve done on all my films, and that’s how I found what the emotional core of the movie was.”

And what exactly does the filmmaker mean by that? “It’s when I started thinking about my own son,” he says candidly.

“It was then that Michael Shannon’s character started to take shape. It was at that point Kirsten Dunst’s character also started to take shape. And it was really where the whole emotional trajectory of the film started to happen. I think, if there is any hallmark to what it is I do, I put that emotional trajectory ahead of the rest of it. I mean, I was diligently working on the plot details, all of the cool elements, the cool things, but those are always less important to me than the emotional component. That’s the most important element.”

Family, especially fathers and their relations to their children, are a key component to all of the stories the director has chosen to tell at this point. It’s the one core component that connects each film to the one that came after it. “I’d agree, but I do think Take Shelter has more to do with marriage than it does with the father-child component,” says Nichols with a slight shrug. “I wrote that film as I was about to be a father, so it was certainly a reflection of fatherhood as a position, as a responsibility, adulthood as a responsibility, but the core had more to do with Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain’s relationship, I think.”

“But, yeah, he was a father, he had children, he wanted to save them all,” he says with a coy grin, “so, yeah, I guess you could still go with that. It is about a father and his

Visit us online www.sgn.org

Harmless Greek Wedding an instantly forgettable sequel

zan) left Greece, the priest that handled the pair’s nuptials inadvertently forgot to sign the wedding certificate. Now they have to go through the process again, for a second time, five decades after the fact, the entire family moderately amused by this crazy turn of events. It’s just another overblown drama in what feels like a lifetime filled with them for Toula, and while it all seems very Greek to those on the outside looking in for her it’s just more of the same.

When My Big Fat Greek Wedding was released on a handful of screens in April of 2002, no one could have guessed it would go on to make over $240-million at the domestic box office becoming the most financially successful independently produced romantic comedy of all-time. The movie played in theatres for almost a full year, spawned a short-lived television series (“My Big Fat Greek Life”) and made

writer/star Vardalos a bona fide Academy Award nominee (Best Original Screenplay). While far from a critical favorite, audiences went nuts for the film, and 14 years later it’s still as massively popular now as it ever was way back when.

But a sequel? Now? A decade-and-ahalf later? I’m not exactly sure I see the point. Granted, as counterprogramming to the massive, certain to be a blockbuster behemoth that is Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, I guess throwing something like My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 into the fire to see if it can emerge from the box office flames unscathed might not be the worst idea in the world. After all, no one expected the first one to play in theatres for any longer than a handful of weeks, and look how well that ended up turning out.

While I doubt lightning is going to strike twice, as sequels go, I can think of many that are a heck of a lot more painful to sit through than this proves to be. Vardalos, once again writing the screenplay, and new director Kirk Jones (Waking Ned Devine) aren’t trying to make any waves, keeping things as benign, pleasant and as perfectly innocuous as they can for every second of the film’s brisk 94 minutes.

While they hint on occasion in directions paralleling current events (the 2008 economic downturn, the recent Gay marriage debate, Greece’s ongoing financial crisis), they never do so long enough that they could ever be accused of making a political statement. This is strictly surface level stuff, the movie aiming to please everyone who watches it no matter what their race, religious background or political ideology

might be.

Personally, I found it all to be not so much insufferable as instantly forgettable, which might actually be a minor improvement considering my low opinion of the first film. Vardalos writes in broad, melodramatic strokes, and while I appreciate the fact that while the emotions are larger than life, the characters themselves aren’t nearly as cartoonish as they could be, that doesn’t make the sitcom situations she likes to concoct remotely more palatable. Thankfully, Jones manages to keep things just subdued enough that things aren’t as crazily over the top as they easily could be, the veteran filmmaker even manufacturing a touching moment or two here and there (most notably a priceless final scene of Paris at school that had me grinning ear-to-ear) that I couldn’t help but respond to positively.

But this is a movie made for those who adore the original and not many others, and even with that being the case, it’s likely they won’t be quite as enamored with this second chapter in the Toula/Ian love affair as they were with their initial marriage. There’s not a ton substantive that happens, some of the more flamboyant aspects (mainly those elements involving the returning family members) just too silly and cartoonish to be taken seriously. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 isn’t a bad sequel, it’s just a pointless one, and as such spending any additional time dissecting it further can’t help but feel like an exercise in meaningless, if still harmless, futility.

Yikes, that was ice cold! We later learned that poor Chi Chi is working two jobs – grocery store cashier and car wash attendant – back in Shreveport and is practically bankrupt, in debt by the thousands.

Prior to performing the song in front of a small crowd and the judges panel, the trios rehearsed their numbers for producer and RuPaul music collaborator Lucian Piane. Some mild drama ensued, when Bob The Drag Queen’s diva attitude clashed with Lucian’s technical advice. Derrick was also given some constructive criticism: don’t sing. But he saw this as an opportunity for a “pop star’ breakthrough and decided to sing anyway.

The trios – Les Chicken Wings (Robbie Turner, Kim Chi, Naomi Smalls), Street Meatz (Acid Betty, Thorgy Thor, Bob The Drag Queen), Dragometry (Derrick Barry, Naysha Lopez, Chi Chi DeVayne) – performed their compositions, followed by critiques from the judges panel, comprised of RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Lucian Piane and Blondie members Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, who has seen every single episode of Drag Race. His loyalty to the show came in handy, as he was the only judge spotting Chi Chi wearing the same pair of boots for both the challenge and runway (a faux pas, apparently).

The runway theme was “neon queen realness” and it was an eyeful, let me tell you. Plus, it was in fast-motion; we only got to see the girls park themselves at the end of the catwalk, instead of strutting the length of it. I can’t honestly describe the outfits because I’m not sure where to start, so I’m just going to tackle a few of them.

Naysha’s airbrushed costume was pretty, though it looked like something plucked directly out of a Cirque du Soleil show, while Naomi’s outfit was total Raver Barbie, a hot pink combo of plastic mini skirt with matching halter top and visor, plus legs for days. Then there was Thorgy’s overly busy ensemble that kept reminding me of those yellow highlighting pens we all used in college. Imagine if a thousand of those yellow highlighting pens exploded everywhere; that was Thorgy.

Les Chicken Wings rocked the challenge, singing a cleverly written tune about, well, you guessed it: chicken wings. Robbie, dressed in a punk pussycat getup – leopard-print leotard, black jacket, mesh gloves, platinum blonde wig and goth makeup – was the wing-leader of the band and amusingly spat at the audience on the final note. Meanwhile, Street Meatz was good, too, but didn’t display the cohesiveness that Les Chicken Wings did. And, Dragometry got an A for effort, an F in execution. There was nothing horribly wrong about their performance, but it was all forgettable.

With Robbie scoring a much-needed first win, and with the Wings out-plucking the competition, the entire trio was safe.

Ditto for the New Yorkers, though not before Michelle snuck in her usual power trip critique (honestly Michelle, STFU!). Derrick got another free pass, leaving Naysha and Chi Chi in the bottom two, where they had to lip sync for their lives to Blondie’s “Call Me” with Blondie staring at them the whole time! Chi Chi worked it out, while Naysha did nothing memorable, except pull

off her wig (which I barely remember). For the second time this season, the Chicago queen was told to “sashay away,” which means all the Latinas have left the building.

This was one of the best episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race from the recent three or four seasons, but topping it was the “Untucked” installment that followed shortly, available now on YouTube. Debbie Harry proved how cool-as-shit she is by going into the Untucked lounge and wishing Robbie a Happy Birthday, along with Chris Klein.

They stayed for a few minutes and hung out with him, Naomi and Kim Chi, complimenting the three of them on their song.

After they left, the other six queens entered the room and Chi Chi got a surprise video message from his mom, who gave him some wonderful encouragement.

“Where I come from, nobody makes it,” said a tearful Chi Chi. Wow, such a bold, painfully honest statement from him. But I loved the outpouring of support from all of the girls, especially Naomi who literally gave a shoulder to Chi Chi to cry on and later helped brush his hair.

An even more touching moment was at the conclusion of “Untucked,” when Naysha has to pack her stuff up in the workroom. She writes a sincere letter to Chi Chi and gifts him two items of clothing, a onepiece bathing suit and a peek-a-boo jumpsuit. That was incredibly thoughtful and sweet.

The fifth episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race will air on April 4.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 – Universal Pictures

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2 Now playing With Toula (Nia Vardalos) and Ian’s (John Corbett) 17-year-old daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris) about to graduate from high school, the two loving parents find themselves stressing over her desire to attend college at NYU and not stay home and go to Northwestern. It doesn’t help that Toula’s entire family lives in the houses on either side of them, the girl’s grandfather Gus (Michael Constantine) particularly obnoxious, browbeating the teen for not having found a nice Greek boy to settle down with and marry.

Like he should talk. Turns out, when he and his wife of 50 years Maria (Lainie Ka-

“DRAG RACE” continued from cover

ing for a long time in places where the drag culture is traditionally strong (i.e. New York, Chicago, the Southeast) and had a significant following before appearing on the show (Derrick Barry, Kim Chi, etc.), which is what’s made this season more fun to watch, simply because the competition is stiffer and the ladies are more unique and entertaining.

That said, either there wasn’t a mini challenge, or it wasn’t presented on the online stream version, because we jumped right into the main challenge with RuPaul telling everyone about the days of being in a punk band and drawing influence from Wendy O. Williams and Blondie, who actually appeared on the show – didn’t Debbie Harry look every bit the fab legend she is?!

For the main challenge, the queens were allowed to handpick their own teams of three, and then compose and perform an original song inspired by the ’80s. Robbie Turner, Kim Chi and Naomi Smalls quickly linked arms, while the Big Apple gals (Acid Betty, Thorgy Thor, Bob The Drag Queen) gleefully formed “Team New York,” forcing the leftovers – Derrick Barry, Naysha Lopez, Chi Chi DeVayne – to work together. The teams had to choose from three musical styles of the new wave era, “punk,” “party,” and “synth.”

Something we all love about Drag Race is the shade. This week’s shade was delivered courtesy by Derrick, who reduced Chi Chi with the line, “This is a girl who shops at Michael’s for every outfit she owns.”

8 Seattle Gay News

April 1, 2016

Celebrating 41 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

April 1, 2016

Seattle Gay News 9

10 Seattle Gay News

April 1, 2016

Celebrating 41 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

April 1, 2016

Seattle Gay News 11

12 Seattle Gay News

April 1, 2016

Celebrating 41 Years!

ERIKA GIRARDI

low diamonds and emeralds.

continued from cover

TT: My stylist and friend, Kermit Allen, owner of the Kermit Dane Salon in Seattle, begged me to ask a question about your lovely locks. “Being in the spotlight and having your hair done on a daily basis must be really hard on your hair. What’s your secret to keeping your hair healthy between your pop life and everyday life?”

EJ: Lots of treatments and conditioners, but most importantly who takes care of your hair.

TT’s Translation: She’s like the Barbie my mom and dad never let me play with.

Her hair is un-be-weaveable! If someone wanted to play with my hair, I’d just pull my weave off and tell them to go to town.

Beverly Hills!

Teriyaki Temple: How does it feel to be crowned Queen of White Party 2016?

Erika Jayne: I am beyond honored and I’m so excited to be your Queen of White Party 2016.

TT: What will be your first royal decree as Queen?

EJ: Bow down and kiss my Cartier panther ring. All Hail the new queen in town!

TT’s Translation: Kiss her 7-carat diamond encrusted pussy (feline) ring that has emeralds for eyes and black onxy for its nose worth only $60K. Meeeeeooooooowwwwww!!!!

TT: Have you ever attended WPPS before?

EJ: (Yes) I have performed Friday night at the Boxers and Briefs Party a few years ago.

TT’s Translation: Yes, I made all of the Gay boys confused and questioning their sexuality again.

Not gonna lie Erika Jayne is a hottie!

She would have messed up my tuck if I saw her at the Boxers and Briefs party. I wonder if her other panther is V-jazzled with diamonds as well. *wink wink* TT: Any chance we will see you perform one of your many dance hits?

EJ: Yes, huge chance.

TT’s Translation: This just in, Erika will be performing at the T-Dance on Sunday.

TT: Will your husband Thomas be joining you? How do you think he would react to having thousands of hot, sweaty shirtless guys dancing with you and grinding on him?

EJ: Honestly, he has seen the show a million times and always has a good time.

TT’s Translation: Thomas and Erika Girardi are secure in their 16-year marriage. Despite the December - May relationship you can tell they are really into each other. That’s really sweet! Also, Thomas is kind of a big deal. His case against PG&E inspired the film Erin Brockovich starring Julia Roberts in 2000.

TT: You have many credits to your name, which include: singer/song-writer (recording artist/chart topper), actress, entrepreneur, dancer, model, television personality and humanitarian. Is there something else you’d like to add to your list of accomplishments in the coming year?

EJ: You forgot Sex Goddess and Rocket Scientist, currently working on both. ;) TT’s Translations: I’d come and worship at this Sex Goddess’ TEMPLE!!! You can’t help but admire a woman who has two private jets and still has a lot of ambition. Most people would sit on their arse all day.

TT: Despite all of your success and good fortune you come off so approachable and relatable.

Why do you think your fans feel so connected to you?

EJ: I think they understand I am a regular person.

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Girardi’s 7-carat pussy feline ring – Courtesy of David Loc Nguyen

heterosexual female, what is it about the (LGBTQ) community that you identify with and/or appeals to you?

EJ: I grew up in the community and LGBT people have been my family, friends and mentors over the years.

TT’s Translation: I Heart Erika Girardi!!! Woman has a heart of gold, but seriously…… I think it’s made of gold and I’d be willing to bet it’s encrusted with rubies or something shiny!

TT: Your tagline is “The Pretty Mess.”

How did this tagline come to be?

EJ: It was a poem I wrote that turned into a song and then into a “tagline.”

TT: What makes a person pretty?

EJ: Confidence.

TT: What makes a person messy?

EJ: Insecurity.

TT: Would you say you are the perfect balance of the two? Are there any things that tips the scale from one side to the other?

EJ: I think we as human beings are all complicated and therefore we are all a bit of a “Pretty Mess.”

TT’s Translation: Erika’s 2010 album and title track, “Pretty Mess” has an awesome music video. Check it out on YouTube. Furs, diamonds, tiaras, disco balls, black satin sheets, hair flipping and guys dancing around in corsets.

FAAAABBBUUULLOOOUSSSSS!!!!! It’s what I imagine Rich Simons fantasizes about when he masturbates.

TT: I noticed that from time to time you re-tweet some of Miss Piggy’s posts.

What draws you to her? Would you say you admire her?

EJ: I love Miss Piggy!! Attitude, fierceness and fashion.

TT: Speaking of Pork, On the “Real House Wives of Beverly Hills” you are quoted as saying “you can’t do diets…. You don’t have time for that vegan stuff BS.” How do you keep such a gorgeous figure?

EJ: Exercise and lots of water.

TT: What did you eat for breakfast this morning?

EJ: Huevos Rancheros.

TT: What is your “go to” comfort food?

EJ: Mexican food.

TT’s Translation: If she weren’t so darn relatable and cute I’d be so jealous and hate her! Sigh….

I’m Jayne Doe-eyed for this Diva.

TT: What’s something you’d like to confess that not many people know about you?

EJ: I hate curry and I sleep in socks.

TT’s Translation: Curry is gross anyway. Sleeping in socks? Not gonna lie, that’s kind of weird. I thought classy people went to bed in a onesie or a smoking jacket like Hugh Hefner. Maybe she sleeps in socks and wears one of those million dollar fantasy bras you see in the Victoria Secret fashion show made out of sapphires, yel-

Visit us online www.sgn.org

TT: Would you consider taking one of your RHWOBH co-stars on your “Pretty Mess” tour with you or at least have them watch your performance? How do you think they would react?

EJ: Yes, the girls would be great on tour. Everyone would be wonderful.

TT’s Translation: Hahaha, I couldn’t imagine Kim and Kyle Richards (Paris and Nikki Hilton’s aunts) cutting lose and dancing with the MO’s. I could totally see Lisa Vanderpump, Camille and Erika cutting a rug though!

TT: You’ve mentioned Erika Jayne is the “fantasy charter/alter ego” you created to keep your stage persona separate from who you really are. What is something Erika Jayne would do that Erika Girardi wouldn’t?

EJ: Erika Jayne would go to the supermarket in a rhinestoned cat suit.

TT: Would it be correct to say Erika Jayne is almost like your drag name?

EJ: No, I am not a drag queen, but thanks for the compliment.

TT’s Translation: She is all woman, baby! Us Drag Queens bow down to the Queen of White Party and the Queen of the Gays! Long Live Erika Jayne!

Stay tuned, we’ll talk more Pussy when we chat with Kaya Jones from the PussyCat Dolls (PCD)!!!!

For more information about Jeffrey Sanker’s White Party Palm Springs 2016, happening April 8-11, visit www.jeffreysanker.com. For more about Erika Jayne, visit: www.erikajayne.com and follow me @TeriyakiTemple on Twitter or add me at www.facebook.com/teriyakitemple.

TT: If you weren’t in the entertainment industry what would you be doing?

EJ: Secretly, I want to be Cat Woman.

TT’s Translation: Puuuurrrrfeeectttt!!!

I’m noticing a trend here.

Move over Anne Hathaway, Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry and Julie Newmar for some hot fresh pussy in the glitter box!

TT: You are often cited as an advocate and ally of the LGBTQ community. As a

TT: How has your perception of the Housewives Franchise changed since you are a part of the organization?

EJ: I had no valid opinion before I joined because I never watched but I can say that I had come to really enjoy the people I work with, even with the bumps along the road.

Richard Simmons – Courtesy of David Loc Nguyen

April 1, 2016

Seattle Gay News 13

Volunteer Park

• BACON MANSION

E. PROSPECT ST. • SHAFER MANSION E. ALOHA ST.

12TH AVE. E.

E. ROY ST.

16TH AVE. E.

15TH AVE. E.

13TH AVE. E.

• B&B ON BROADWAY E. ROY ST. • UNDER U 4 MEN

E. VALLEY ST. 14TH AVE. E.

11TH AVE. E.

FEDERAL AVE. E.

10TH AVE. E.

BROADWAY AVE. E.

E. WARD ST.

E. MERCER ST.

MALDEN AVE. E.

BROADWAY E.

• THE CANTERBURY E. REPUBLICAN ST. E. HARRISON ST.

E. THOMAS ST.

10TH AVE. E.

E. DENNY WAY

E AV

• UPS STORE

.

• CLUB Z BATHS

• THE STRANGER

11TH AVE.

E. HOWELL ST.

• CASTLE SUPER STORE

NAGLE PL.

Cal Anderson Park

• LAMBERT HOUSE

BROADWAY

HARVARD AVE. E.

Seattle Central Community College

C.C. ATTLEʼS• BOYLSTON AVE.

E. JOHN ST.

• NEUMOʼS

N

P

GAY CITY HEALTH PROJECT •

• NEIGHBOURS

.

E AV RE T.

S IKE

BELMONT AVE.

• GLOʼS

R

• SEATTLE EAGLE

BO

E

PIN

ST.

• BALTIC ROOM

• LINDAʼS • BILLʼS OFF BROADWAY

O

AY EW

IV OL

• HOT MAMAʼS PIZZA • TOYS IN BABELAND

W

HO

• R PLACE

.

ST

IN M

L

EL

SUMMIT AVE.

• REBAR

• STEAM WORKS

• KREMWERK

• THE CRESCENT

A EW

ST

• GSBA

T.

S RT

• SIMPLY FRAMES & MINER GALLERY

NEW YORK EXCHANGE • STUDIO 229 • PANACHE • LAUGHING BUDDHA TATTOO •

BELLEVUE AVE.

• SEATTLE COUNSELING SERVICE FOR SEXUAL MINORITIES MELROSE AVE.

• JULIAʼS

DENNY WAY

E. OLIVE ST. GLSEN ONYX LEATHER • SEAMEC

• STOUT • PURR

• UNICORN • POST OPTIONS •WILDROSE • HOT HOUSE

BATHS

CLUB Z - (men) 1117 Pike near Boren - 622-9958 HOT HOUSE SPA & SAUNA - (women) SW corner of Pike & 11th (stairs behind Wildrose) - 568-3240 STEAM WORKS - (men) 1520 Summit - 388-4818

RESTAURANTS & BARS

88 KEYS - 315 2nd Ave. S. - 839-1300 BALTIC ROOM - 1207 Pine St. - 625-4444 THE BOTTLENECK LOUNGE 2328 E. Madison St. - 323-1098 C.C. ATTLE’S BAR & GRILLE 1701 E. Olive Way - 726-0565

THE CANTERBURY - 534 15th Ave. E. - 322-3130 CHANGES IN WALLINGFORD 2103 N. 45th - 545-8363 THE CRESCENT - 1413 E. Olive Way - 720-8188 THE CUFF COMPLEX 1533 13th Ave. - 323-1525 DIESEL BAR - 1413 14th Ave. - 322-1080 GLO’S - 1621 E. Olive Way - 324-2577 GNOCCHI BAR - 1542 12th Ave - 328-4285 HOT MAMA’S PIZZA - 700 E. Pine St. - 322-6444 JAZZ ALLEY - 2033 6th Ave. E. - 441-9729 JULIA’S - 300 Broadway Ave. E. - 860-1818 KREMWERK - 1809 Minor Ave. #10 - 682-2935 MAE’S CAFE 6412 Phinney Ave. N. - 782-1222 MADISON PUB - 1315 E. Madison - 325-6537 NEIGHBOURS - 1509 Broadway - 324-5358 OUT WEST - 5401California Ave. SW THE PINE BOX - 1600 Melrose Ave - 588-0375 POCO WINE ROOM 1408 E. Pine St. - 322-9463

RETAIL SHOPS

CASTLE SUPERSTORE #17 1017 E. Pike St - 204-0126 DOGHOUSE LEATHERS 1312 E. Pike St. - 257-0231 EMERSON SALON - 909 E. Pike St. - 323-7437 NEW YORK EXCHANGE 231 Broadway Ave E - 726-7978 ONYX LEATHER - 1605 12th Ave. #8 - 328-1965 PANACHE - 225 Broadway E. - 726-3300 RUCKUS 1465 E Republican St. - 257-4805 STAN’S ADULT SUPERSTORE 9630 16th Ave. SW - 762-3299 TOYS IN BABELAND - 707 E. Pike St. - 328-2914 UNDER U 4 MEN 709 Broadway Ave. E. - 324-6446 WILD AT HEART 1111 NW Leary Way - 782-5538 YOUR CHOICE VIDEO 9811 16TH AVE SW - 768-0711

BELLINGHAM

LOVER’S 193 Telegraph Road - (360) 752-1862 RUMORS CABARET 1119 Railroad - (306) 671-1849

BAR MYX - 1212 California St. - 425-610-4071 LOVER’S - 112 SE Everett - (425) 353-3607 LOVER’S - 3402 Broadway - (425) 252-8754

KENT

LOVER’S 25801 104th Ave. S.E. - (253) 852-1720 THE FANTASY SHOP 604 Central Ave. S. - (253) 850-8428 NASHVILLE’S SPORTS BAR (Drag Shows) 114 - Railroad Ave. N. - (253) 852 - 0909

14 Seattle Gay News

April 1, 2016

E. PINE ST.

E.

D MA

T.

NS

ISO

• DOGHOUSE LEATHERS

E. PIKE ST. • CHOP SUEY • MADISON PUB • DIESEL BAR • PONY

PONY - 1221 E. Madison St. - 324-2854 PURR - 1518 11th Ave. - 325-3112 R PLACE - 619 E. Pine - 322-8828 RE-BAR - 1114 Howell at Boren - 233-9873 SEATTLE EAGLE - 314 E. Pike - 621-7591 SHORTY’S 2222 2nd Ave - 441-5449 SPINNAKER BAY BREWING 5718 Rainier Ave S - 725-BEER(2337) STOUT -1530 11th Ave - 397-3825 TOULOUSE PETIT 601 Queen Anne Ave N - 432-9069 UNICORN - 1118 E Pike - 325-6492 WILDROSE - 1021 E. Pike - 324-9210 ZIPPY’S GIANT BURGERS 5633 Airport Way S - 466-5954 9614 14th Ave SW - 763-1347

EVERETT

• THE GASLIGHT INN

• POCO WINE ROOM

• THE CUFF COMPLEX • GNOCCHI BAR

E. UNION ST.

SEATTLE

• RUCKUS

E. UNION ST.

LA CONNER

THE HERON INN & WATERGRASS DAY SPA 117 Maple Ave. - (877) 883-8899 info@theheron.com

OLYMPIA

DARBY’S CAFE 211 5th Ave. S.E. - (360) 357-6229 LOVER’S 3959 Martin Way E. Suite D - (360) 456-7300 JAKES - 311 4th Ave. E. - (360) 956-3247 URBAN ONION 116 Legion Way - (360) 943-9242

PORT ANGELES MAPLE ROSE INN 112 Reservoir Rd - (800) 570-2007

SPOKANE

ANDY’S 1401 W. 1st Ave. - (509) 747 - 0304 IRV’S (Drag Shows) 415 W. Sprague Ave. - (509) 624 - 4450 NYNE BAR AND BISTRO 232 W. Sprague Ave. - (509) 474 -1621 SPOTLIGHT LOUNGE 321 W. Sprague Ave. - (509) 624 - 0722

TACOMA

CASTLE SUPERSTORE 6015 Tacoma Mall Blvd. - (253) 471-0391 CLUB SILVERSTONE 739½ St. Helens Ave. - (253) 404-0273 THE FANTASY SHOP 2301 6th Ave. - (253) 272-6640 LOVER’S 7002 Tacoma Mall Blvd., #F - (253) 475-2271 THE MIX - 635 St. Helens Ave. - (253) 383-4327 RAINBOW CENTER 2215 Pacific Ave. - (253) 383-2318 SHAKABRAH JAVA CAFE 2618 6th Ave. - (253) 572-2787 TANDEM FOR GEAR, CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES 3019 6th Ave, Ste. B - (253) 301-3026

TUKWILA

LOVER’S 530 Southcenter Blvd. - (206) 248-5085

WENATCHEE

THE CELLAR CAFE 240 N. Mission St. - (509) 662-1722

Celebrating 41 Years!

community calendar

Meetings Events Activities

FOR A CALENDAR LISTING: Send details to: SGN, Attn: Community Calendar, 1707 23rd Ave, Seattle, WA 98122. SGN phone: 324-4297. Fax: 322-7188. E-mail: sgn2@sgn.org. INCLUDE: Date, time, location, contact phone # for publication, brief description of event & sponsoring organization. DEADLINE: Tuesday 5pm.

ACCESSIBILITY: Is your event accessible to LGBTQ people with disabilities? See Jean’s List webpage www. scn.org/activism/calendar/disabilities.html for Marla Nonken’s disabilities accommodations lists.

NOTE: Phone numbers accompanying listings are within area code (206) & locations of meetings/ events are in Seattle unless otherwise noted.

SATURDAY - April 2

Plate of Nations (3/25-4/10). Fifteen local venues with global menus on MLK Way S in the Rainier Valley offer $15-$25 meals to share with 2 or more people, showcasing some of Seattle’s best international cuisine. www. plateofnations.com. Sponsored by the MLK Business Association.

Go Long SR 520 Bridge10K Run/Walk. 7:30am-10K run/walk; 10am-5pm-Grand Opening Celebration. Husky Stadium. Run or walk across the world’s longest floating bridge before it opens to traffic. This event will never be repeated. www.520golong.com Seattle Frontrunners Fun Run. 9am. Greenlake (outside Evans Pool). Every Saturday. GLBT running & walking club sponsors weekly runs, monthly potlucks, track & field activity, annual Run With Pride. 448-8518. www.seattlefrontrunners.org.

Yoga With Andrew Conner. 9:30-11am. Amor Spiritual Center, 2528 Beacon Ave, Suite B. Meets every Saturday. A love offering is suggested but no one will be turned away.

Crystal Meth Anonymous. 10:30am. Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, 1729 Harvard Ave. Also meets Mon @ 6:30pm, Thurs @ 6:30pm, Sun @ 6:30pm. More info: crystalmeth.org.

Youth Job Fair for LGBTQ & Allies. 1-3pm. Miller Community Center, 330 19th Ave E. All youth of any age are encouraged to attend. There will be many opportunities for high school age (14-19) & young adults (19-24). Metro routes 8, 12, 43. For more information gwen.wessels@seattle.gov Imperial Prince & Princess Ball & Investitures: A Stormy Night in Hell. 5pm. Neighbours Nightclub, 1509 Broadway. $15 suggested donation. www.imperialcourt ofseattle.com Northwest Bears Potluck and Meet & Greet Beer Bust. 6pm. The Cuff, 1533 13th Ave at E. Pine St. Meets 1st Saturday each month. Northwest Bears is a Gay men’s social and service organization providing a focal point within the Gay community for Bears and Bear admirers. www.nwbears.com.

Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 6pm-12 midnight. Call for location & details. Every Saturday. (253) 671-2838. www.oasisyouth center.org.

(Also meets Thursdays & Fridays 4-10pm.)

Rainbow Duplicate Bridge. 6pm. Bus-accessible Central Area location. Every Saturday. Games also on Tuesdays & Thursdays. $4 fee includes coffee & snacks.

For more information visit www.rainbowbridgeclub.org or email rainbowbridgeclub@gmail.com “Everything Broadway” - Seattle Men’s Chorus in Concert (4/2-4/3). Sat: 8pm; Sun: 2pm. McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St. SMC presents the definitive guide to showtunes. Tickets: $28-$78. www.seattlechoruses. org; 206-388-1400.

Seattle Red Dress Party. 9pm-2am. Fremont Studios, 155 N 35th St. A special evening where people of all backgrounds come together for a celebration full of dancing & music, spirits & laughter. 100% of net proceeds go to support HIV/AIDS charities. Tickets: advance general admission $35, advance VIP $75; at the door general admission $45, at the door VIP (if available) $90.

The Libertini’s P(ART)Y BENDER (4/1-4/3). Fri & Sat 10pm; Sun 8:30pm. Pocket Theater, 8312 Greenwood Ave N. Join Seattle’s sexiest interarts gang for the next go-round of their regular P(ART)Y series -- a lost April Fools weekend of wacky new work! Tickets: $10 in advance, $14 at the door. www.thelibertinis.com

SUNDAY - April 3

For information on GLBT-friendly religious/spiritual organizations in the Greater Seattle area, call or email Rick at the SGN office: 206-324-4297; sgn2@ sgn.org.

Border Riders Motorcycle Club First Sunday Ride.

Contact Border Riders for details and rendezvous point.

Meets 1st Sunday most months. BRMC provides a social & educational fraternity for individuals interested in recreational motorcycle touring. www.borderriders.com Plate of Nations (3/25-4/10). Fifteen local venues with global menus on MLK Way S in the Rainier Valley offer $15-$25 meals to share with 2 or more people, showcasing some of Seattle’s best international cuisine. www. plateofnations.com. Sponsored by the MLK Business Association.

Gay Men’s Bowling in Lynnwood. 9:30am. Brunswick Majestics Lane, Lynnwood. 9:30am Every Sunday.

Spectators welcome. Join us for lunch afterwards!

Sponsored by the Snohomish County Gay Men’s Task Force. For info email John at johndmarsh@mac.com; www.gaysnohomish.org

April 2 thru April 10

Freely Speaking Toastmasters. 7pm. FredLind Manor, 1802 17th Ave. Every Monday (except holidays & the last Mondays in August & December). Seattle’s only LGBT speaking club. www.FreelySpeaking.org Orca Swim Team Workout. 7-8:15pm. Seattle University, Connolly Athletic Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday listing at 5pm.)

Trans Youth Group. 7-8:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Monday. A chance for youth to talk with others about their experiences & concerns related to identifying as Transgender. www.lamberthouse.org Lambert House Art Night. 7:30-9:30pm. 1818 15th Ave. Every Monday. Bring your ideas & let’s have some fun.

322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org Washington Gender Alliance Support Group Meeting in Shoreline. 7:30pm. Center for Human Services, 17018 15th Ave NE, Shoreline. Meets every Monday. For information email info@washingtongender alliance.com Queers, Crackpots & Fallen Women AA. 8-9pm.

SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Monday. Open women only AA group. 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org.

TUESDAY - April 5

Seattle Sunday Bowling. 10:30am. West Seattle Bowl, 4505 39th Ave SW (at SW Oregon St). Open bowl every Sunday for the GLBT community & friends. You don’t have to worry about how you bowl! $6.50 + $2 shoe rental. (425) 785-4725.

Meditation for GBT Men. 11am-1pm. Cal Anderson House, 400 Broadway. Suitable for beginning & experienced meditators. Sponsored by Dharma Buddies.

Contact Forrest Rode, 920-6117, Mike Chin (509) 990-0007, or Doug Allison, doug.l.allison@gmail.com. www.dharmabuddies.org. (Women may wish to contact our sister meditation group at www.LotusSisters.org.)

Just for Today. 12-1:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Sunday. Drop-in 12-step (Narcotics Anonymous) group open to anyone in recovery. 3222437; www.sasgcc.org Paths to Recovery Al-Anon Family Group. 12-1:30pm.

Seattle University Student Center, 901 12th Ave, Room 122. Every Sunday. LGBTQ supported. The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives & friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength & hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness & that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Greater Seattle AIS 24-hour number 625-0000; www.seattle-al-anon.org Rain City Soccer Club - Ripple Effect. Sunday afternoon. Location varies. Ripple Effect soccer team plays an almost weekly recreational scrimmage game for LGBTQ players in Seattle. To sign up visit www. raincity soccer.org “Everything Broadway” - Seattle Men’s Chorus in Concert (4/2-4/3). Sat: 8pm; Sun: 2pm. McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St. SMC presents the definitive guide to showtunes. Tickets: $28-$78. www.seattlechoruses. org; 206-388-1400.

PFLAG/Kittitas County. 4-5:30pm. First United Methodist Church, 3rd & Ruby Sts, Ellensburg. Meets the first Sunday of every month. For information, (509) 925-7937.

Orca Swim Team Workout. Sun: 5-6:15pm; Mon/Weds/ Fri: 7:30-8:45pm. Seattle University, Connolly Athletic Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. Every Sun, Mon, Wed & Fri. Pre-registration required. Orca Swim Team workouts are for both competitive & recreational swimmers. www.orcaswimteam.org Shame to Grace Sunday SAA. 6-7:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Sunday. SAA is a fellowship of men & women who share their experience, strength & hope with each other so they may overcome their sexual addiction & help others recover from sexual addiction or dependency. Seattle SAA helpline 237-8828, SAA

Visit us online www.sgn.org

International Service Organization 1-800-477-8191.

SASG 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Crystal Meth Anonymous. 6:30pm. Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, 1729 Harvard Ave. Also meets Mon @ 6:30pm, Thurs @ 6:30pm, Sat @ 10:30am. More info: crystalmeth.org.

Pride League Bowling. 6:30pm. West Seattle Bowl, 4505 39th Ave SW. Every Sunday (except during the summer). Regular league bowling. Jeff, 932-3731.

The Libertini’s P(ART)Y BENDER (4/1-4/3). Fri & Sat 10pm; Sun 8:30pm. Pocket Theater, 8312 Greenwood Ave N. Join Seattle’s sexiest interarts gang for the next go-round of their regular P(ART)Y series -- a lost April Fools weekend of wacky new work! Tickets: $10 in advance, $14 at the door. www.thelibertinis.com Noche Latina - Latino Night. 10pm. Neighbours, 1509 Broadway. Every Sunday.

MONDAY - April 4

Plate of Nations (3/25-4/10). Fifteen local venues with global menus on MLK Way S in the Rainier Valley offer $15-$25 meals to share with 2 or more people, showcasing some of Seattle’s best international cuisine. www. plateofnations.com. Sponsored by the MLK Business Association.

SOBER - On Meds. 1-2pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Monday. 12-step group open to anyone in recovery & living on a medicine regimen. 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Strength Over Speed. 2-3:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. FREE drop-in support group (not a 12 step) for Gay & Bi men who desire recovery from meth. For information visit www.strengthoverspeed.org. SASG 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Seattle Counseling Service IRUO Project Celebration. 6-8pm. Central Library, 1000 4th Ave. Join us for the unveiling of the Immigrant, Refugee & Undocumented Outreach (IRUO) project research findings & a celebration of the courage of those who particIpated in the study. www.seattlecounseling.org Crystal Meth Anonymous. 6:30pm. Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, 1729 Harvard Ave. Also meets Thurs @ 6:30pm, Sat @ 10:30am, Sun @ 6:30pm. More info: crystalmeth.org.

Pozitively Me! 6:30-8pm. Gay City Health Project, 517 E. Pike St. Every Monday. A group and conversation about HIV for Gay & Bi men newly diagnosed and for Gay & Bi men facing the challenges of living with HIV longterm. www.gaycity.org.

April 1, 2016

Plate of Nations (3/25-4/10). Fifteen local venues with global menus on MLK Way S in the Rainier Valley offer $15-$25 meals to share with 2 or more people, showcasing some of Seattle’s best international cuisine. www. plateofnations.com. Sponsored by the MLK Business Association.

Amor Open Meditation. 5-6pm. Amor Spiritual Center, 2528 Beacon Ave, Suite B. Meets every Tuesday.

Gay Men’s Task Force of Snohomish County in Everett. 6-8pm. Snohomish Health District, 3020 Rucker Ave Ste 309A, Everett. Meets 1st Tuesday each month.

Open to all Gay & Bisexual men in Snohomish County.

David, (425) 339-5238.

LGBTQ Questioning & Allied Youth Drop-in Group in Renton. 6-8pm. Renton Area Youth Services (RAYS), 1025 S 3rd St, Renton. Meets every Tuesday. Confidential. Snacks provided. Bring friends or come alone - anyone 12-18 is welcome. Questions? Call Sarah Hardin, 425-271-5600 ext 155, or email sarahh@rays.org Strength Over Speed. 6-7:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. FREE drop-in support group (not a 12 step) for Gay & Bi men who desire recovery from meth. For information visit www.strengthoverspeed.org. SASG 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Diverse Harmony. 6:30-9pm. Seattle First Baptist Church, 1111 Harvard Ave. Every Tuesday. Diverse Harmony is the nation’s first Gay/Straight Alliance Youth Chorus. Youths ages 13-22 are welcome regardless of sexual orientation. www.diverseharmony.org Queer Young Females Group - For Female-Identified Youth, Ages 22 & Under. 6:30-7:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Tuesday. Topics range from family issues to school happenings to like/lust/love relationships. All Queer females welcome. Come discuss how smart. strong Queer women live their lives. 322-2515, www. lamberthouse.org Tuesday Night Sex Addicts Anonymous (GLBTQI).

7-8:30pm. All Pilgrims Christian Church, 500 Broadway E (enter at 509 10th Ave E; buzz in, Dickson room). Every Tuesday. SAA is a fellowship of men & women whose primary purpose is to stop addictive sexual behavior & help others recover from sexual addiction. Seattle SAA helpline 237-8828. SAA International Service Organization 1-800-477-8191.

“The Orchid & the Skull” Workshop Production. 7pm.

West of Lenin, 203 N 36th St. “The Orchid & the Skull” welcomes you to a house of ghosts where you’ll encounter elaborate desserts, hard alcohol, silver bracelets & four women spiraling into hell - or rising into heaven. www.parleyproductions.com Over 40’s Group - For Lesbian Women 40 & Older.

7-8:30pm. University Congregational Church, 4515 16th Ave NE, Pilgrim Room. Every Tuesday. Open group for Lesbian women, 40 & older, in every stage of coming out or being out. 545-3521.

Rain City Jacks. 1st & 3rd Tuesday each month at 7pm; 4th Sunday each month at1pm. West Queen Anne/ Interbay. Location & membership details provided upon request. RCJ is a traditional jack-off club. Friendly, sexpositive, non-profit and private. Membership required.

Adult men only. Enroll at the door. www.raincityjacks. org, email info@raincityjacks.org or call 1-888-809-5035.

Rainbow Duplicate Bridge. 7pm. Bus-accessible Central Area location. Every Tuesday. (See Saturday listing at 6pm.)

U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors. 7pm. Bellevue College, Courter Family Athletic Pavilion, Building G. 19 member jazz ensemble is the official touring big band of the U.S. Army. Featuring big band, swing, bebop, Latin, contemporary jazz, standards, pop tunes, Dixieland, vocals & patriotic selections. FREE but RESERVATIONS REQUIRED: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2511318 Different Drummers. 7:15-8:30pm. Every Tuesday.

Hand drumming classes for Gay men. Learn traditional African & Afro-Caribbean rhythms & basic hand drumming techniques. Drums are provided. For info & location call Dennis at 363-4500 or www.outdrum.com What About Me? 7:30-9pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Tuesday. Drop-in social, support & discussion group for Gay & Bi men of all ages. 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Spiritual Empowerment. 7:30-9pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. A group for all LGBT & friends of any

Seattle Gay News 15

spiritual belief to explore how spiritual practice can enrich their life. 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Washington Gender Alliance Open Support Meeting in Bellingham. 7:30-9pm. St James Presbyterian Church, 910 14th St., Bellingham. Every Tuesday. (360) 445-2411; www.washingtongenderalliance.com. (See Wednesday listing at 7:30pm for details.)

Seattle Otters Water Polo Team. 8-9:30pm. Medgar Evers Pool, 500 23rd Ave E (at E Cherry St). Every Tuesday & Thursday. GLBT & GLBT-friendly co-ed water polo team is open to all who want to play. Otter Hotline 414-8797. www.otterpolo.com.

Seattle Poetry Slam. Doors 8pm, Show 8:30pm. Rebar, 1114 Howell St. Every Tuesday. A spoken word poetry event that features a weekly open mic, feature poet, and slam (poetry competition). Come out and express yourself. LGBTQ- & QTPOC-friendly; all genders welcome. $5. 21+. seattlepoetryslam.org

community calendar

WEDNESDAY - April 6

Plate of Nations (3/25-4/10). Fifteen local venues with global menus on MLK Way S in the Rainier Valley offer $15-$25 meals to share with 2 or more people, showcasing some of Seattle’s best international cuisine. www. plateofnations.com. Sponsored by the MLK Business Association.

United Way of King County Community Resource Exchange. 9am-2pm. CenturyLink Field Event Center.

FREE services for people experiencing homelessness: care packages, long-distance phone calls, housing info, health services, education & employment programs, tax preparation, legal assistance, haircuts & foot care, vets services, youth services, hot meals & much more. uwkc.org/cre Mature Friends Morning Exercise/Health & Fitness Get-Together. 10am. Ballard Odd Fellows Hall Bldg, 1706 NW Market St. Every Wednesday. An hour of health-related activities, a walk around Greenlake & lunch at a local restaurant. www.maturefriends.org 2016 Neighborhood Expo. 4:30-7pm. Fremont Studios, 155 N 35th St. The FREE Neighborhood Expo is a great opportunity to meet local business owners and mingle in a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere. Over 100 small businesses, nonprofits and governmental agencies.

Including the neighborhoods of Ballard, Fremont, Green Lake, Greenwood/Phinney, Queen Anne, U-District & Wallingford as well as members of the GSBA, Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce, The World is Fun (TWIF), and the Seattle Good Business Network/Seattle Made.

Fun games with prizes, food samples from area restaurants. A place to find out about governmental projects.

True Colors: Connecting LGBTQ Teens in Shoreline.

4-5pm. Every Wednesday. Discussing your important issues, building a supportive community. For information, location & to REGISTER call Lindsay Bagley 362-7282 x 8018 or email lbagley@chs-nw.org GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): A Support Group & HIV/STD Prevention for Youth (14-20) in Everett. 6-8pm. CCA Building, 3331 Broadway - Bottom Floor, Everett. Every Wednesday.

Sponsored by PFLAG Everett chapter. David/Brenda, (425) 263-2908. globeleaders@hotmail.com The Rowing Team Peer Recovery Group. 6-7:30pm.

All Pilgrims Church, 500 Broadway E. Meets every Wednesday. This peer recovery group provides a safe & supportive faith community to share your recovery journey with, God answers our prayers & sends us a boat.

Sometimes rowing furiously for yourself & sometimes for others. All are welcome.

Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club. 6-7:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Wednesday. Discuss the best LGBT novels with other book-lovers in a safe, comfortable conversation. Come once or come every week. Check our website for this month’s book. http:// faculty.washington.edu/swittet/SGLBookClub/ SASG 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Southeast Seattle Lesbian Evening Group. 6pm.

Southeast Seattle Senior Center, 4655 S Holly St. Meets the 1st Wednesday of every month. RSVP to Kate Hawkins 722-0317. www.sessc.org. FREE. Lotus Sisters Meditation & Dharma Discussion North. 6:15-8pm. Ravenna Bryant neighborhood. Meets every Wednesday. Call 525-7295 for location. www.

LotusSisters.org.

QueerSpirit. 6:30-8:30pm. Seattle First Baptist Church, Companis Office, 1111 Harvard Ave. Open conversation about the future of our group. Where would you like to see the group go? What do you need from the tribe?

What might you like to focus our conversation around?

All Gay, Bi & Gay-identified Trans men are welcome to attend all QueerSpirit events. RSVP to peterjabin@ gmail.com Seattle Frontrunners Fun Run. 6:30pm. Volunteer Park (in front of Black Sun across for museum). Every Wednesday. (See Saturday at 9am.)

The Gay Uncle Time – Seattle’s Monthly Celebration of Pop, Camp, Gay, Underground and Trash Culture of the ’60s & ’70s and Beyond! with Fabulous Special Guests. 7pm. The Jewel Box Theatre @ The Rendezvous, 2322 2nd Ave. Meets 1st Wednesday each month. $6 cash at the door.

HIV/AIDS Support Group. 7-8:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Wednesday. Please arrive by 7:00pm. FREE peer-facilitated emotional support group for HIV+ men who are newly diagnosed or newly dealing.

322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Ingersoll All-Trans Drop-In Support Group. 7-9pm.

Seattle Counseling Services, 1216 Pine St, Suite 300.

All Transgender, Gender Variant, Gender Queer, Gender Questioning, allies, family & friends are welcome. This is a drop in group to get & give support, social interaction & information for the whole Gender community. www. ingersollcenter.org PFLAG/Renton Monthly Meeting. 7pm. St Luke’s

16 Seattle Gay News

confidential crossdressing social & support organization for Transvestite & Transsexual individuals, primarily MTF, which offers confidential membership, private monthly meetings, frequent events on the town, & help in coming out. (425) 827-9494.

Gay Fathers Association of Seattle. 7:30-9pm. Group Health, 201 16th Ave E, Central Bldg, Lower Atrium.

Every Thursday. Support meetings for Gay fathers & Gay men who are currently or previously married. Safe, anonymous, non-judgmental environment of caring fathers & friends. www.gfas.org or our message board at http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/gayfathersseattle Gay Male Sexuality & Relationships. 7:30-9pm.

SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Thursday. A discussion group that is strictly focused on sexual topics and relationship issues related to being a Gay male.

322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Amor Chorale Rehearsal. 8-9pm. Amor Spiritual Center, 2528 Beacon Ave, Suite B. Meets every Thursday.

Calling all sopranos, altos, tenors & basses. The Amor Spiritual Center currently has openings for singers in its Chorale group.

Seattle Otters Water Polo Team. 8-9:30pm. Medgar Evers Pool, 500 23rd Ave E (at E Cherry St). Every Tuesday & Thursday. (See Tuesday listing at 8pm.)

FRIDAY - April 8

Episcopal Church, 99 Wells Ave S, Renton. Meets 1st Wednesday each month. PFLAG/Renton: 425-2354139. PFLAG/Puget Sound: 325-7724. www.seattlepflag.org.

Mature Friends Weekly Bridge Group. 7:30pm. Call for location. Every Wednesday. All levels welcome. MF is a social organization for Gay men & women, 40 years & over. www.maturefriends.org Orca Swim Team Workout. 7:30-8:45pm. Seattle University, Connolly Athletic Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday listing at 5pm.)

Washington Gender Alliance Open Support Meeting in Everett. 7:30-9pm. Everett United Church of Christ, 2624 Rockefeller Ave, Everett. Every Wednesday.

Trained peer facilitators lead a structured support meeting helping people deal with issues of gender identity & expression. All adults are welcomed, including those who are questioning, allies, or identify as FTM, MTF, Transgender, Queer, or Intersex, among others. (360) 445-2411; www.washingtongenderalliance.com.

Pride Skate Seattle. 8:30-11pm. Southgate Roller Rink, 9646 17th Ave SW. First Wednesday of every month.

With special guest hostesses Butch Alice and Abbey Roads. $8 admission includes skate rental. Must be 18+, with 21+ bar. Performances, roller skating, and fun! See you there! www.southgaterollerrink.com

THURSDAY - April 7

Plate of Nations (3/25-4/10). Fifteen local venues with global menus on MLK Way S in the Rainier Valley offer $15-$25 meals to share with 2 or more people, showcasing some of Seattle’s best international cuisine. www. plateofnations.com. Sponsored by the MLK Business Association.

Alcoholics Anonymous “Safe & Sober Group.”

12noon-1pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Open meeting of AA. 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org.

BABES Women’s Support Group/Lunch Meeting.

12 noon-2pm. Call for location. Every Thursday. The BABES Network is a peer led agency; a sisterhood of women facing HIV together. 720-5566 or 888-292-1912; www.babesnetwork.org.

Aging Lesbians in South Seattle (ALISS). 12:452:45pm. South East Seattle Senior Center, 4655 S Holly St, Rainier Ave S & S Holly St. Meets 1st Thursday each month. Discussion and activities group for Lesbians approaching 60 and over. All Lesbians welcome. May buy lunch at 12 if desired. Contact Fai at 722-0729 or email alissquestions@gmail.com. Metro route 7. Wheelchair accessible.

April 1, 2016

Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 4-10pm. Call for location & details. Every Thursday. (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter.org (Also Fridays 4-10pm & Saturdays 6pm-12 midnight.)

Q Hour. 4:30-5:30pm. Orion Center, 1828 Yale Ave. 1st & 3rd Thursday of every month. A group for LGBTQ youth 13-21 & their allies. Sponsored by Youthcare.

FREE. 622-5555 x 212.

Seattle Human Rights Commission. 6-8pm. Seattle City Hall, 600 4th Ave. Meets 1st Thursday each month.

SHRC is made up of 15 citizen representatives who advise the Mayor, the City Council, & all City of Seattle Depts in matters regarding human rights. Meetings open to the public. 684-4540.

Shifting Gears. 6-7:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Thursday. Drop-in support group (non 12-step) for anyone of any orientation or gender who desires recovery from drugs or alcohol. 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group). 6:30-8pm. Call for location. Every Thursday. Sponsored by Youth Eastside Services, which offers many programs for GLBT youth.

(425) 747-4937.

Crystal Meth Anonymous. 6:30pm. Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, 1729 Harvard Ave. Also meets Mon @ 6:30pm, Sat @ 10:30am, Sun @ 6:30pm. More info: crystalmeth.org.

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation - Contemplative Service. 6:30pm. 7141 California Ave SW. 935-0418, office@wsuu.org, www.wsuu.org Boys’ Group - For Male-Identified Youth, Ages 1422. 7-8:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Thursday. Youth take the opportunity to talk about issues that relate to their everyday lives, with the facilitation of a male volunteer. 322-2515 ext 16. www.lamberthouse.org Rainbow Duplicate Bridge. 7pm. Bus-accessible Central Area location. Every Thursday. (See Saturday listing at 6pm.)

Seattle Prime Timers Coffee Reunion. 7pm. Kaladi Brothers Coffee, 517 E Pike St. Metro routes 2, 10, 11, 43, 47, 49, 60 & the new Capitol Hill/First Hill streetcar go within 3-4 blocks of Kaladi Brothers.

Buddhism & Recovery. 7:30-9pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Thursday. A meditation/recovery group. 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Emerald City Social Club. 7:30pm. Call for details & location - phone staffed most Tuesday evenings or leave message. Meets 1st Thursday each month. ECSC is a

Plate of Nations (3/25-4/10). Fifteen local venues with global menus on MLK Way S in the Rainier Valley offer $15-$25 meals to share with 2 or more people, showcasing some of Seattle’s best international cuisine. www. plateofnations.com. Sponsored by the MLK Business Association.

AA Ageless in Recovery. 12noon-1pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Meets every Friday. A drop in AA group for older & wiser people 55+. www.sasgcc.org Re-Parenting Ourselves. 12noon-1pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Meets every Friday. A peer support group for adult children of any addiction. www. sasgcc.org SLAA Road to Recovery. 12noon-1:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Meets every Friday. Ongoing 12 step group for sex & love addicts. www.sasgcc.org Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 4-10pm. Call for location & details. Every Friday.

(253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter.org (Also Thursdays 4-10pm & Saturdays 6pm-12 midnight.)

Strength Over Speed. 6-7:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. FREE drop-in support group (not a 12-step) for Gay & Bi men who desire recovery from meth. www.strengthoverspeed.org. SASG 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Lambert House Queer Movie Night. 7-9:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Friday. Lambert House is a nationally-recognized activities & resource center for GLBT & questioning youth, ages 14-22. 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org Rain Country Dance Night. 7-11pm, lessons at 7:15pm.

The Cuff, 1533 13th Ave. An evening of country-western dancing for the LGBTQ community. FREE. www.raincountrydance.org.

Orca Swim Team Workout. 7:30-8:45pm. Seattle University, Connolly Athletic Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday listing at 5pm.)

LGBT Friday Night Al-Anon Family Group. 7:45pm.

Seattle Counseling Service, Rainbow Room, 1216 Pine St at Melrose Ave. Every Friday. The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives & friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength & hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness & that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Greater Seattle AIS 24-hour number 625-0000; www.seattle-al-anon.org

SATURDAY - April 9

(See previous Saturday for ongoing activities.)

Plate of Nations (3/25-4/10). Fifteen local venues with global menus on MLK Way S in the Rainier Valley offer $15-$25 meals to share with 2 or more people, showcasing some of Seattle’s best international cuisine. www. plateofnations.com. Sponsored by the MLK Business Association.

A Gathering of Men in Edmonds. 8:15-11:30am. Edmonds UUC, 8109 224th St SW, Edmonds. Meets 2nd Saturday each month. Men gather monthly for drumming, singing, storytelling & sharing of life experience. www.agatheringofmen.org Early Bloomers Plant Sale. 10am-2pm. Washington Park Arboretum, Graham Visitors Center, 2300 Arboretum Dr E. Features a great selection of spring-flowering plants. Parking & admission FREE. www.arboretum foundation.org

SUNDAY - April 10

(See previous Sunday for ongoing activities.)

Plate of Nations (3/25-4/10). Fifteen local venues with global menus on MLK Way S in the Rainier Valley offer $15-$25 meals to share with 2 or more people, showcasing some of Seattle’s best international cuisine. www. plateofnations.com. Sponsored by the MLK Business Association.

Lotus Sisters Guided Meditation. 11am-1:30pm.

SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Meets 2nd Sunday each month. 329-5908; www.LotusSisters.org; www. sasgcc.org 12th Annual ICON. VIP 5pm, General Admission 6pm.

Seattle Marriott Waterfront Hotel. Hosted by Aleksa Manila, with performances by Shanghai Pearl, Iva Handfull, Atasha Manila, Brian Buck, Mod Carousel, Arnaldo!

Drag Chanteuse, Isaac Scott, Nickolai Pirak, Ernie Von Schmaltz, Indigo Blue, La Gaviota & Sparkle Leigh.

Benefits Seattle Counseling Service. REGISTER online

Celebrating 41 Years!

at www.seattlecounseling.org/icon Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s Cineoke! 6:30pm doors; 7pm show. Re-bar, 1114 Howell St. Meets 2nd Sunday each month. It’s like Karaoke - only better! Pick any scene to sing along to, while the film and lyrics are projected onto the screen. $8 cover ($5 for Three Dollar Bill Cinema members). www.threedollarbillcinema.org.

Knights of Mantra Monthly Meeting. 7:30pm. The Cuff, 1533 13th Ave. Meets 2nd Sunday each month.

K of M/Jet Chapter is a fun-loving leather/Levi social & charitable organization that raises money for various causes & organizations. 329-0886, mailbox@jetchapter kofm.com

org; 451-SAFE (451-7233).

SEAMEC interviews, researches & rates candidates for public office on issues of concern to the LGBT community. 905-9941, www.seamec.org Seattle Area Support Groups & Community Center (SASG) builds community & cultivates powerful, healthy lives by providing emotional support and personal development services to those affected by HIV/AIDS, the Queer communities, and those who love them. 3222437; www.sasgcc.org Seattle Commission for Sexual Minorities - 684-4503.

Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities is a community mental health service for GLBT persons & their families. 323-1768.

Seattle Out & Proud - 206-322-9561; www.seattle pride.org Seattle Police Department Sexual Minorities Community Advisory Council: kim.bogucki@seattle.gov Seattle PrideFest - www.seattlepridefest.org Servicemembers Legal Defense Network - (202) 328-3244; www.sldn.org SHIFT: A Peer Recovery Network - www.shift recovery.org Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Abbey of St. Joan - 860-3666; www.theabbey.org Snohomish Health District HIV/AIDS Program provides free confidential/anonymous HIV counseling & testing 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, until 7pm Tuesdays.

(425) 339-5298.

Social Outreach Seattle (SOSea) - www.facebook. com/socialoutreachseattle SPORTS & RECREATION: Bent Car Guys: www. bentcarguys.org; Border Riders Motorcycle Club: www.borderriders.com; Bottom Dwellers Scuba Club: www.bottomdwellers.org; Capitol Hill Cyclers: join their Facebook group or email capitolhillcycling@ groups.facebook.com or jordan.l.simonson@gmail.com; Cascade Flyers: www.cascadeflyers.org; Different Spokes Bicycling Club: www.differentspokes.org; Emerald City Mudhen Rugby: www.mudhenrugby. com; Emerald City Softball Association: www.emeraldcitysoftball.org, www.eteamz.com/womensecsa; Ethyl Forever Car Club: ethylforever@ hotmail.com; Olympic Yacht Club: www.oycnw.org; OutVentures: outdoor education & recreation activities, www.outventures.org; Pacific Northwest Gay Rodeo Association: www.pacificnwgra.org; Puddletown Squares: www. puddletownsquares.org; Rain City Soccer: www.raincitysoccer.org; Rain Country Dance Association: a

country-western dance organization catering to the LGBTQ community but open to all, www.raincountrydance. org; Sea Dawgs: LGBT ice hockey - SkateSeaDawgs@ gmail.com and on Facebook; Seattle Frontrunners: www.seattlefront runners.org; Seattle Gay Basketball Association: www.seattlegaybasketballassociation. com; Seattle Orca Swim Team: www.orcaswimteam. org; Seattle Otters Water Polo: www.otterpolo.com; Seattle Quake Rugby: www.quakerugby.com; Seattle Tennis Alliance: www.seattletennisalliance.org; Seattle Unified Bowling Association (SUBA): magee98106@ aol.com, www.teamseattle.org/bowling.htm, www. theprideleague. com, Century 21 League; Seattle Volleyball Club: www.seattlevolleyballclub.com; Ski Buddies: www. skibuddies.org; Team Seattle Gay Sports Network is an umbrella organization for a wide range of local GLBT sports activities, 367-4064, www. teamseattle.org (see website for comprehensive list of sports clubs); Triangle Recreation Camp at Bender Creek: recreational camping for GLBT folks. Must be 21; ID required. trc@camptrc.org, www.camptrc.org, 1122 E Pike St #1069, Seattle 98122-3934.

Strength Over Speed - www.strengthoverspeed.org Tacoma/Pierce County - Rainbow Center, 2215 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, a resource center for the LGBTIQA community of Pierce County, (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org TRANSGENDER: Emerald City Social Club: (425) 827-9494; Gender Alliance of the South Sound: www.

SouthSoundGender.com; Gender Diversity: www. genderdiversity.org; Gender Justice League: www. genderjusticeleague.org; Gender Odyssey: www.genderodyssey.com; Hermanos Trans Latino & ForeignBorn Support Group: 322-7700; Ingersoll Gender Center: 329-6651, www.ingersollcenter.org; The New BoyZ Club: www.olympiaftmgroup.webs.com; Olympia Trans Discussion Group: www.facebook.com/pages/ Olympia-Trans-Discussion-Group/262449878114; Washington Gender Alliance: (360) 445-2411, www. washington genderalliance.com WOMEN: Aging Lesbians in South Seattle (ALISS): Fai, 722-0729, alissquestions@gmail.com; BABES: support groups for HIV+ women. 720-5566, 1-888-2921912; Festival of the Babes: www.festivalofthebabes. com; Lesbians Over 40: 722-0729; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Older Lesbians Organizing for Change/WA State Chapter: gloria@oloc.org, mary@oloc.org, www.oloc. org; Pacific Northwest Lesbian Archives: www. pnwlesbianarchives.org; RainshadowWomen: RainshadowWomen@aol.com; Seattle Girls of Leather: www.sgol.org; Tacoma Lesbian Concern (TLC): www. tacomalesbianconcern.org; Women of West Seattle (WOWS): a fun, member-driven social group for Lesbians, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/womenofwestseattle; YWCA Women’s Health Outreach: providing low or no-cost mammograms for income eligible 40+ LBTQ individuals. Follow us at http://lbtqhealth-ywca.blogspot. com, twitter.com/ingridWHO or email lbthealth@ywcaworks.org, 461-4493.

YOUTH: B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group): Youth Eastside Services offers many programs for GLBT youth, including B-GLAD, (425) 747-4937; Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; GLSEN/Washington State (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) & Washington State GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) Network: GLSEN works to create safe schools for LGBT students. WA GSA Network supports youth-led GSA’s to fight harassment & homophobia in Washington state schools. 330-2099; www.glsenwa. org; www.wagsa. org. GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): a support group & HIV/STD prevention program for GLBTQ youth, 14-20, in Everett, (425) 263-2908, www.globeyouth.org; It Gets Better Project: www.itgetsbetter.org; Lambert House: an activities & resource center for LGBT youth, 14-22, in Seattle, 3222515, www.lamberthouse.org; Lifelong HEYO (Health Education Youth Outreach): for LGBTQ youth, ages 16-24: 957-1665; www.llaa.org/HEYO; www.Matthews Place.com; The Mockingbird Society: 323-KIDS (5437), www.mockingbirdsociety.org; Oasis Youth Center: for GLBTQ youth, ages 14-25, in Tacoma, (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcen ter.org; Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)/Puget Sound: 325-7724, www.seattle-pflag.org; Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets (PSKS): 7268500; www.psks.org; Pizza Klatch: weekly lunchtime support groups for LGBTQ youth in Thurston County, www.pizzaklatch.org; Prism: for LGBTQ youth, 14-21, in Puyallup - Cherise.Alexander@ multicare.org; www. facebook.com/PuyallupPrism; Proud Out Wonderful (POW!): for LGBTQ youth, 13-21, in South King County, 206-326-9112, www.facebook.com/proudoutwonderful; Q Youth Resources: in Kitsap County - 360-698-3335; www.kchaf.org; Renton Area Youth Services (RAYS): LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth drop-in group, ages 12-18 - Sarah Hardin, 425-271-5600, ext 155; sarahh@rays.org; Safe Schools Coalition: www. safeschoolscoalition.org; 451-SAFE (451-7233) (nonemergency), 1-877-SAFE-SAFE (1-877-723-3723) (crisis line); Seattle Young People’s Project (Queer Youth Resource Board): 860-9606, www.sypp.org; Street Youth Ministries (SYM): 524-7301 ext 111; www.streetyouthministries.org; Teen Link: 461-4922, 1-888-431-TEEN; The Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor; www.thetrevorproject.org; True Colors - Connecting LGBTQ Teens: in Shoreline, 362-7282 x 8018, lbagley@chs-nw.org; Vista Youth Center: for LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth, ages 14-21, in Kennewick, 509-396-5198, www.vistayouthcenter.org; YouthCare/ Isis Program (Transitional Living Home for LGBTQ Young Adults, 18-22): 522-8412; YouthCare/Orion Center: 622-5555; Youth in Focus: 723-1479; www. youthinfocus.org; Youth Suicide Prevention Program (OUTLoud-GLBTQ): 297-5922, ext 116, 1-800-273TALK, www.yspp.org

April 1, 2016

Seattle Gay News 17

community calendar

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Allyship - an organization of LGBTQ individuals fighting for economic and social justice. www.LGBTQ Allyship. org, allyship@yahoo.com, 279-8169.

American Veterans for Equal Rights - www.aver.us Bellingham/Whatcom County - www.theslowlane. com/guide.html BiNet Seattle is a mixed gender, social group for Bisexuals, their partners & other Bi-friendly folks - www. binetseattle.org.

Bremerton/Kitsap County - www.outwestsound.org Capitol Hill Alano Club - www.chacseattle.org Central Washington University GALA Hotline: (509) 963-1994.

DIFFA/Seattle (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS). 763-8885; www.diffaseattle.org DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT: Crisis Clinic, 461-3222 (24 hour line); King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) - 24-hour crisis line for information, support, & medical & legal assistance: 1-888-99-VOICE; Northwest Network - support & advocacy for Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse & Dating Violence, 568-7777 (voice), 517-9670 (tty), www.nwnetwork.org; Pierce County Domestic Violence Helpline: Teresa, (253) 798-4166; Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities - offers on-going support groups for men: 323-1768; Seattle Police Dept Domestic Violence Unit, 684-0330; State Wide Domestic Violence Hot Line, 1-800-562-6025.

In an emergency call 911. Report domestic violence and sexual assault.

Equal Rights Washington - 324-2570; www.equal rightswashington.org Everett/Snohomish Cty - www.gaysnohomish.org Freely Speaking Toastmasters - www.freely speaking.org Gay City organizes events & activities for Gay & Bi men & offers anonymous & confidential HIV/STD testing at the Center for LGBT Health, 517 E Pike St. More info or to schedule an appointment, 860-6969. www.gaycity.org Gay & Lesbian National Hotline (GLNH): 1-888-THEGLNH (1-888-843-4564). Non-profit, peer-counseling, information & local resources telephone hotline for GLBT people across the country.

GLSEN/WA - Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network - 330-2099; www.glsenwa.org Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) - 3639188; www.thegsba.org HIV/AIDS Program, Seattle/King County Dept of Public Health, provides confidential/anonymous information about & testing for HIV/AIDS. 205-7837. For a comprehensive list of HIV/AIDS service organizations see the GSBA Guide or visit www.thegsba.org or call Lifelong AIDS Alliance, 328-8979.

Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle & the Olympic & Rainier Empire - www.facebook.com/ISCSORE; www. imperialcourtofseattle.com Lambert House - 322-2515; www.lamberthouse.org LGBT Library - 517 E Pike St. Open Mon-Fri 2-8pm; Sat 2-5pm.

LGBT MS Connection - 250-5002; LGBTMS Connection@gmail.com. Support group for LGBT persons with MS and their partners and their caregivers.

Lifelong AIDS Alliance - 328-8979, www.lifelongaids alliance.org MEN: Gay City: 860-6969, www.gaycity.org; Knights of Mantra: 329-0886, www.jetchapterkofm.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.mature friends.org; Northwest Bears: www.nwbears.com; The Olympians: www.TheOlympians.net; POZSeattle: www.pozseattle.org; Q-Squared: www.qsquared.org; Rain City Jacks: 888-809-5035, www.raincityjacks. org; Seattle Gay Couples: www. seattlegaycouples. org; Seattle Men in Leather: www.seattlemeninleather. org; Seattle Prime Timers: Gay & Bi men 40 & over, www.seattle primetimers.org.

MUSIC: Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony.org; Rainbow City Band: 1-866-841-9139 ext 2126; rainbowcityband@onebox.com; www.rainbowcity band.com; Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus: 388-1408, 323-0750. www.flyinghouse. org.

Northwest Lesbian & Gay History Museum Project - gayhistnw@aol.com Northwest Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf - www. nwrad.org Out & Equal Workplace Advocates/Seattle Regional Affiliate supports the work of LGBT employees and the growing number of ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) making a difference within local companies. www.outandequal.org/affiliates/seattle PARENTHOOD: Families Like Ours provides a gateway for LGBT families interested in adoption: 441-7602, www.familieslikeours. org; Family Works offers support, information & activities for LGBT families: 694-6727, www.familyworksseattle. org; Gay Fathers’ Association of Seattle offers support groups & social activities: www.gfas. org; Proud & Loud Families - Northwest, www.meetup.com/proud-and-loud-families-northwest,

plfnorthwest@aol.com; Queer Parent Networking Dinners: 568-7777, info@ nwnetwork.org; Rainbow Families of Puget Sound: www.rainbowfamiliesps.org PFLAG is the national organization for parents, families, allies, and LGBTQ people united for equality with chapters in Seattle, Bellevue/Eastside, the Puget Sound region and across Washington state. PFLAG Seattle: 206-325-7724, info@pflagseattle.org, and www.pflag seattle.org; PFLAG Bellevue/Eastside: 425-4836642, info@bellevue-pflag.org, http://community.pflag. org/PFLAGBellevue; PFLAG Pacific Northwest: www.pnwpflag.org; PFLAG Washington state: www. pflagwsc.org.

PEOPLE OF COLOR: Asian/Pacific Islander Queer Network Program at API Chaya, 467-9976; Center for MultiCultural Health, 461-6910, www.multiculturalhealth.org; Entre Hermanos, GLBT Latinos/as, 322-7700, www.entrehermanos.org; Ile LaiLai, 7813565, iya@ilelailai.org; Men of All Colors & Cultures Together (MACCT), 923-8313, macctseattle@yahoo. com, www.macctsea.org; Nubian Pride Productions, nubianpride@gmail.com; People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN) offers rapid HIV testing, M-F, 10am-5pm, 322-7061, www.pocaan.org and on Facebook; Seattle Two Spirit, SeattleTwoSpirit@ hotmail.com; Sistah 2 Sistah, LBT women of African descent, 322-7061, 255-8951; Sistah Sinema, www. sistahsinema.com, info@sistahsinema.com; TrikoneNorthwest, GLBT South Asians, (425) 985-4376, www. trikonenw.org; Two-Spirit Honor Project, 1-866-6850164; U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle.

Pride Foundation - 323-3318; www.pridefoundation. org Project NEON is a program of Seattle Counseling Service providing FREE information & services to Gay & Bi men to reduce health risks associated with methamphetamine use. 323-1768. www.crystalneon.org Public Health-Seattle & King County Online Comprehensive Health Information for Sexual Minorities: www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/personal/ glbt.aspx Q Law: The GLBT Bar Association of WA - 682-6711; www.q-law.org; Q Law GLBT Legal Clinic - 235-7235.

Resource & Referral Line can connect you to LGBTfriendly resources throughout Puget Sound and beyond.

Call 323-LGBT Mon-Fri 2-8pm; Sat 2-5pm. At other times leave voice mail and your call will be returned. Or visit www.gaycity.org to view list of resources online or through Facebook.

Safe Schools Coalition - www.safeschoolscoalition.

Visit us online www.sgn.org

_______________________________

10 HOUSEMATES

10 housemates

_______________________________ 11 for rent

11 FOR RENT

_______________________________

12 12 housing wanted WANTED HOUSING _______________________________ 13 13 housing for sale

HOUSING FOR SALE

_______________________________

14 HELP WANTED

14 help wanted

_______________________________ FREE ROOM & BOARD? IN SEATTLE? PLUS CASH?!?

Live-in caregiver and admin support person sought for a senior professional member of the community. Very nice West Seattle home. The candidate should have experience as a caregiver or in the hospitality profession, be highly organized, and have solid, verifiable references. Prior experience as a professional admin a plus.

Must have a valid license and be able to drive. Very unique opportunity with substantial potential upside. Please call 206-478-3844.

15/3 _______________________________ 19 19 home services

HOME SERVICES

________________________________ SGM HANDYMAN SERVICE Painting, decks, drywall, miscellaneous repair. References. 20 years experience. Serving West Seattle and beyond. Chuck, 206935-6730. 15/3 ________________________________

20

20 HEALTH & health & well being

WELL-BEING

________________________________ ENERGY/BODYWORK Therapeutic massage. 29 years experience. Relaxation, major/ minor injuries, chronic muscle pain. Small Queen Anne home office/studio. Massage table or massage chair. Convenient parking. (I’m a Gay-friendly straight male graphic artist, web author.)

First session 50% off = $45/1.5 hours (travel extra). By appointment only. References available.

Chris Pringer, Reiki Master, 206286-0899. If you get a voice message mentioning “extension #,” please hang up and call back again. Brochure, testimonials, etc. via chalicebridge.com/BMIBrochure.html. 44/21 _______________________________

21

21 licensed LICENSED massage MASSAGE non-sexual

- NON-SEXUAL

________________________________ EXCEPTIONAL BODYWORK Given by highly trained LMP. I specialize in injury treatment, acute, chronic, and repetitive stress motion. I have a studio on CapHill, and one just north of the UW. Insurance accepted.

Matt Shafer, LMP, 206-235-7766.

21/12 ________________________________ RELAXATION and DEEP TISSUE massage on Capitol Hill. Last minute appointments welcome until 9pm. Jeff, LMP, 206-6500542. www.broadwaymassage. com. 11/3 _______________________________ 22 for sale

36 escorts

36 ESCORTS

________________________________

37 BODYWORK

37 bodywork

________________________________ DADDY BEAR Magic touch bodywork.

12noon-8pm.

206-328-5828. 16/6 ________________________________ EROTICALLY CHARGED nude full body rubdown from playful top, stimulating the senses. Get seduced. Incalls in Renton area.

Scott, 206-355-4469. 12/3 ________________________________ GREAT MASSAGE given by highly-trained, clean-cut, handsome guy. I have two private studios, one on CapHill, and one just north of the UW. Call/text Matt, 206235-7766. In/out calls. 21/12 ________________________________

22 FOR SALE

38 men

38 MEN

________________________________ RAIN CITY JACKS Seattle’s own JO Club, RCJ hosts three group jack-off events every month. Hot, friendly, safe fun!

Adult men only. 888-809-5035. info@raincityjacks.org; www. raincityjacks.org. 15/12 _______________________________ FREE & ANONYMOUS HIV & STD COUNSELING/TESTING Walk-In or by Appt GAY CITY HEALTH PROJECT 517 E. Pike St. MON-FRI: 3pm-8pm SAT: 12:30pm-5pm More Info & to Schedule Appt 206-860-6969 _______________________________ SEATTLE PRIME TIMERS A social organization for Gay and Bisexual Men over 40 and their admirers. www.seattleprimetimers.org; info@seattleprimetimers. org SGN/ _______________________________

dress for the occasion use a condom to prevent hiv & other stds

________________________________

18 Seattle Gay News

April 1, 2016

Celebrating 41 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

April 1, 2016

Seattle Gay News 19

20 Seattle Gay News

April 1, 2016

Celebrating 41 Years!