Home Arts Arts and Culture Calendar for Dec. 10: Theater, cowboys, drag queens, sparkle, burlesque, holiday shows and more!

Arts and Culture Calendar for Dec. 10: Theater, cowboys, drag queens, sparkle, burlesque, holiday shows and more!

0
Arts and Culture Calendar for Dec. 10: Theater, cowboys, drag queens, sparkle, burlesque, holiday shows and more!

It’s a jam-packed queer arts and culture calendar across Minnesota as the holiday season approaches!

[sws_yellow_box box_size=”100″]Turn of the Screw [/sws_yellow_box]
Image credit: Kari Elizabeth Godfrey

The Chameleon Theatre Circle presents
Turn of the Screw
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the story by Henry James
December 4-20, 2015
Directed by Benjamin Kutschied

A young woman journeys to a remote English manor to take up her new position as governess to the family’s two young children. But what happened to the previous governess? Layers of secrets are peeled away and tension mounts as the governess starts to question what – and who – is (or is not) real. Struggling to be the person she aspires to be, she strives to protect the children from the threats she perceives. Henry James’ famous tale of suspense, horror, and repressed sexuality is brought to the stage in a gripping adaptation by one of Minnesota’s finest playwrights.

Friday, December 4 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 5 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 6 at 2:00 pm
Monday, December 7 at 7:30 pm (Industry Night – Pay What You Can & Post-Show Discussion)
Thursday, December 10 at 7:30 pm
Friday, December 11 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 12 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 13 at 2:00 pm
Thursday, December 17 at 7:30 pm
Friday, December 18 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 19 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 20 at 2:00 pm

Cast:
The Man: Mark L. Mattison
The Governess: Laura Hoover

Crew:
Director: Benjamin Kutschied
Scenic Designer: Laura Tracy
Costume Designer: Maria DiMeglio
Lighting & Sound Designer: Mark Kieffer
Assisatnt Stage Manager: Chris Engelhard
Stage Manager: Jessi Kadolph
Technical Director: Andi Billig
Producer/Executive Producer: Andrew Troth

Tickets are $22; $19 for students, seniors, Fringe Button holders, and groups of 8 or more; or $16 for groups of 20 or more, and are available in person at the Ames Center Box Office or through Ticketmaster online or at 1-800-982-2787 (additional fees may apply).

All prices include a $2 facility fee as required by the Ames Center.

Turn of the Screw is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists, Inc.

[sws_blue_box box_size=”100″] Details
Date: Runs Dec. 10 thru 20
Location: The Chameleon Theatre Circle, Burnsville, Minnesota 55337
Admission: $22
For more information, visit Facebook[/sws_blue_box]

[sws_yellow_box box_size=”100″]FEMMES: A TRAGEDY by Gina Young [/sws_yellow_box]

Femmes_HiResPress

FEMMES: A TRAGEDY by Gina Young
directed by Claire Avitabile
presented by 20% Theatre Company Twin Cities
as part of the 10th Anniversary Season!
DECEMBER 4-13, 2015

at Nimbus Theatre- 1517 Central Avenue Northeast, Minneapolis

REMAINING PERFORMANCES:
Thursday 12/10 @ 730pm
Friday 12/11 @ 730pm – ASL-Interpreted by Jenn Welna & Melissa Lund, plus Post-Show Discussion
Saturday 12/12 @ 730pm
Sunday 12/13 @ 2pm

Hailed as “slyly riotous” and “dazzlingly reconceived” by The Hollywood Reporter, FEMMES: A TRAGEDY reimagines Clare Booth Luce’s 1936 play THE WOMEN against a backdrop of contemporary femme lesbian/queer women (sub)culture. When the curator of a burlesque show’s polyamorous girlfriend drops her overnight for a hot bartender, her friends – an activist, an academic and a party promoter – are thrown into girl/girl competition despite their best feminist intentions, and are ultimately forced to parse the ways butch/femme relationships do or don’t replicate heterosexual stereotypes. Deconstructed burlesque interludes probe the boundaries of a visibly queer feminine aesthetic in this hit comedy (er… tragedy!) from the writer of TALES OF A FOURTH GRADE LESBO.

FEATURING: Stephanie Messer, Morgen Chang, Dana Lee Thompson, Jill Iverson, Briana Patnode, Amanda Hofman-Fretham, Briana Zora Libby, and Reyna Rios.

PRODUCTION TEAM: Shalee Coleman (asst. director), Meagan Sogge (SM), Devin Taylor (ASM), Meagan Kedrowski (scenic/prop design), Katherine Ellwell (costume design), Courtney Schmitz (lighting design), and Queenie Von Curves (choreography).

WARNING: This play contains adult language and sexual content.

Performance runs approximately 2 hours including a 10-minute intermission.
____________

TICKETS are $5-$25 Sliding Scale – pay what you can in that range.
PURCHASE:

If you’d prefer to pay at the door, please make a reservation by emailing [email protected].

Photography by Rebecca Jean Lawrence Photography.

[sws_blue_box box_size=”100″] Details
Date: Thursday, Dec. 10 thru 13
Location: nimbus theatre, 1517 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413
Admission: Tickets via Brown Paper Tickets
For more information, visit Facebook[/sws_blue_box]

[sws_yellow_box box_size=”100″]DQGN – DECEMBER 2015 [/sws_yellow_box]
dragqueengn15

Delta Mu Productions in partnership with The Saloon is back at it and better than ever! Up to as many as 14 contestants will be picked to play from an audience raffle to go head to head in this one part Hollywood Game Night, one part Price is Right, one part Let’s Make A Deal and one part RuPaul’s Drag Race Game Show. With the help of entertainers on their team, they could win it all! Prizes totaling up to $1,000! Drag Queen Game Night! The new monthly 18+ event brings Entertainers up close and personal for on the edge of your seat, organized chaos! Seating is first come, first serve! Who will win? Who will lose? Who will pop their tuck? Experience starts at 7:00 p.m. prompt!

[sws_blue_box box_size=”100″] Details
Date: Thursday, Dec. 10 at 7pm
Location: The Saloon MN, 830 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403
Admission:
For more information, visit Facebook[/sws_blue_box]

[sws_yellow_box box_size=”100″]Miss Richfield 1981: Cone of Silence [/sws_yellow_box]
missrcone15
Created & Performed by Russ King
Directed by Michael Robins
Ever want to talk about something, but felt you couldn’t? You can now! In her new show “Cone of Silence,” Miss Richfield 1981 opens the discussion up to all forbidden topics! When she lowers the Cone of Silence, anything goes! Enjoy new music, new videos, and new activities with the audience!

Performing LOVE – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsu6dMKg57Q

Playing the famous Saw – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44Hs5Xkb-Tc

[sws_blue_box box_size=”100″] Details
Date: Thursday, Dec. 10 at 8pm
Location: Illusion Theater, 528 Hennepin Ave, Fl 8th, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403
Admission: Sold out
For more information, visit Facebook[/sws_blue_box]

[sws_yellow_box box_size=”100″]Black Hearts Burlesque [/sws_yellow_box]

blackheartsdec15
Black Hearts Burlesque is the ONLY weekly cabaret offering in the Twin Cities area, featuring the very best in burlesque every Friday at LUSH!

Hosted by singing drag sensation Victoria DeVille and starring burlesque bombshell Elektra Cute, Black Hearts Burlesque brings you the ultimate in local and national striptease talent. Join us in the all new LUSH event center for our December shows!

12.11.15
Mona Montague
Blue Belle’s Burlesque
Anytime Jones

Doors to the event center open at 8:30 and the show starts at 9:00. General Admission to the show is just $5!
FREE Parking!
If you’d like to upgrade to a premium seat, you may do so for just an additional $10, or reserve one of our swanky corner booths for bottle service. Visit www.lushmpls.com or call (612) 208-0358 for more details.
Our amazing sponsor Ketel One is offering up $6 cocktails all night!

Stick around for the new ladies night in town….it’s CRUSH @ LUSH! The DJ is spinning until 2 am and Black Hearts Burlesque is providing some heartbreaking gogo dancers! Your $5 Black Hearts cover gets you into this sexy party!

Just $5 for an epic Friday night filled with entertainment at LUSH!

[sws_blue_box box_size=”100″] Details
Date: Friday, Dec. 11 at 9pm
Location: LUSH, 990 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413
Admission: $5
For more information, visit Facebook[/sws_blue_box]

[sws_yellow_box box_size=”100″]Ultimate Reveal 4 [/sws_yellow_box]
nudienubiedec15

It is time once again for the bi-annual burly smack down! The showcase of the past 6 Nudie Nubie monthly winners and crowning of our Ultimate Reveal 4 champion who will join the ranks of:
Vivienne Le Détruire – Ultimate Reveal 1
Sassy von Straddler – Ultimate Reveal 2
Deeva Rose – Ultimate Reveal 3

**Ultimate Reveal 4 Competitors**
June – Kinky Labedo
July – Magnolia Lace
August – Lily de Brassiere
September – Jean Luc Dicard
October – Veronica Vixen
November – Vod Sinclair

These burly babies are making their dreams come true! All vying for fame, fortune & an amazing prize package!
-3 PAID bookings in 2016
-A photo shoot with Grinkie Girl Photography
-A feature spread and interview in an online edition of MN-Ups Magazine
-An extra special prize pack from Midwest Makeup Supply
-Choreography from RedBone & Foxy Tann for their next winning act
-a Scholarship at The Playful Peacocks Showgirl Academy

This is your chance to help the newest and brightest get their start! Be there to cheer on your faves and help support the next generation of potential peelers and wannabe wiggles! And as always, you will get to witness the talents of past Ultimate winners and local luminaries galore! Celebrity judges! Cheap cocktails! A rowdy dance floor after the show!
Tickets are only $5 and only available at the door. Get there early, get yourself a table and settle in and watch some history unfold!

The Nudie Nubie Show – An Amateur Reveal is sponsored by:
ExperTease Fitness, Playful Peacock Showgirl Academy, the fox den salon, MN Ups Magazine, Midwest Makeup Supply, Foxy Tann’s HardCore Pasties, and Grinkie Photography, LLC

[sws_blue_box box_size=”100″] Details
Date: Friday, Dec. 11 at 10:30pm
Location: Town House Bar, 1415 University Ave W, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55104
Admission: $5
For more information, visit Facebook[/sws_blue_box]

[sws_yellow_box box_size=”100″]TCGMC Presents “Under the Mistletoe: A Holiday Romance” [/sws_yellow_box]

tcgmcdec15

“Under the Mistletoe” features classic holiday favorites “Santa Baby,” “The Christmas Waltz,” “We Need a Little Christmas” (from the Broadway musical Mame), and the unforgettable version of “Jingle Bells” made famous by Barbra Streisand on her first Christmas Album. TCGMC’s “Holiday Romance” continues with brand-new arrangements of Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe” and Straight No Chaser & Kristen Bell’s “Text Me Merry Christmas.” Rounding out the program are “New Year’s Carol” by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo, the men’s chorus premiere of Matthew Culloton’s “In dulci jubilo,” and a reprise of Kevin Robison’s “Silver Bells” from the recent TCGMC Holiday CD, Joy.

[sws_blue_box box_size=”100″] Details
Date: Friday, Dec. 11 at 4pm
Location: Ted Mann Concert Hall, 2128 S 4th St, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
Admission: Tickets via Ted Mann
For more information, visit Facebook[/sws_blue_box]

[sws_yellow_box box_size=”100″]2nd Annual Toys for Tots Drive – Brunch [/sws_yellow_box]
toysfortots15

Join us for our annual day of food, drinks, Marines and toys for Twin Cities children.

Please bring $10 and an unwrapped toy to LUSH on Saturday, December 12th from 10:00-2:00! Your generous donation allows you to enjoy LUSH’s delicous BRUNCH BUFFET!! BRING FRIENDS – All ages welcome!

We will raffle off some great prizes and award a Grand Prize for best toy. A United States Marine will be onsite to collect your toy and for pictures 🙂

No child should go without a toy over the holidays, please join us in making the day brighter for a child in need.

Hosted by Jim, Daryl, Chris, Justin, Patrick, Greg, Barb, Michael, Tommyand James.

We are GENEROUSLY SPONSORED by LUSH

[sws_blue_box box_size=”100″] Details
Date: Saturday, Dec. 12 at 10am
Location: LUSH, 990 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413
Admission: $10
For more information, visit Facebook[/sws_blue_box]

[sws_yellow_box box_size=”100″]”Drag Queens and Cowboys” an ICOM/NSGRA joint function [/sws_yellow_box]

dragqueenscowboys
Please Join the “Imperial Court of Minnesota” and the “North Star Gay Rodeo Association” as we Announce Candidates for ReIgn 24 of the Imperial Court of Minnesota.
$5 door $10 Beer Bust & door.

[sws_blue_box box_size=”100″] Details
Date: Saturday, Dec. 12 at 5pm
Location: The Saloon MN, 830 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403
Admission: $5 door $10 Beer Bust & door.
For more information, visit Facebook[/sws_blue_box]

[sws_yellow_box box_size=”100″]TOYtally F**ked Christmas from Martina’s Broadway Cabaret [/sws_yellow_box]
totallyfucked
2 Performances! Dec 12th and 19th @7pm

Love it or hate it, Christmas comes every year, and this year, Martina and her crew are back for more! The Drag bus crashed head first into the heart of Broadway. Packed with beloved carols, Broadway anthems, and ill-informed political satire, Silver Slipper Productions brings their signature blend of comedy and music to Bryant-Lake Bowl this holiday season for their third year.

This year we are visiting the Island of Misfit Toys!
I’m so excited for our hilarious and talented cast.
Seth Gabriel-Mayotte
Becky Gebhart
Jesse Frankson
Zakary Morton
Boo Segersin
Katie Jenson
and
Martino Gabriel-Mayotte
as Martina Marraccino

“I really do love Christmas, that’s why it’s so fun to crap on. So, Merry Friggin’ Christmas, and please come see our show!” – Martina Marraccino –

Martina Marraccino is the brainchild of singer/songwriter/dancer Martino Gabriel-Mayotte. Martino grew up outside of Detroit and attended the American Musical and Dramatic academy in New York and is a stage actor in the Twin Cities.

Martina has been gracing stages since 2004 and has been seen at Heaven (NY), Gigi’s Nightclub, Stilettos, The Malebox, Menjos (Detroit), Caesars, Distractions, and R House (Toledo). Here in Minnesota she has Performed and Emceed all over the cities, Sequin Sundays, Drag and Dance, Dykes Do Drag, Dragged Out, Lip Service, Pumps and Pearls, Dragmanity, Esme’s Traveling Gender Show and Tell, and this October will be the 7th Anniversary of Martina’s Broadway Cabaret at Bryant Lake Bowl Theatre. Come see Martina and her cast of amazing Twin Cities singers and actors in Martina’s Broadway Cabaret and Thank You for supporting local art!!!

[sws_blue_box box_size=”100″] Details
Date: Saturday, Dec. 12 and 19 at 9pm
Location: Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater, 810 W Lake St, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55408
Admission: Via Bryant Lake Bowl
For more information, visit Facebook[/sws_blue_box]

[sws_yellow_box box_size=”100″]MME Stuff Drive Benefitting Aliveness Holiday Baskets [/sws_yellow_box]
mmestuff

Join the current and former MMEs at December’s gear night as the raise “stuff” for the Aliveness Program’s holiday baskets.

Household items, small appliances, new clothes, winter clothing, and non-perishable food items. Cash and Gift Cards also appreciated.

[sws_blue_box box_size=”100″] Details
Date: Saturday, Dec. 12 at 10pm
Location: EagleBoltBar, 515 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415
Admission: Free
For more information, visit Facebook[/sws_blue_box]

[sws_yellow_box box_size=”100″]Mary Brewster Presents: “Christmas Sparkle!” [/sws_yellow_box]

christmassparkle15
Join Mary Brewster on Saturday, December 12th, 10pm at the Town House Bar for “Christmas Sparkle!”

It’s the HOliday season; Mary Brewster has put together an amazing cast of entertainers, ready to twirl and spread sparkleliciousness…..just in time for Christmas!

Special guests: BJ Holly, Ginger Snap, Gucci Velour, Kendra Blake, and Uneek Case

During the show, Mary Brewster will be performing a special song to benefit the Town House Bar’s 3rd Annual “Warm Hands, Warm Hearts” fundraiser; EVERY DOLLAR you tip will be used to purchase items for St. Stephen’s Street Outreach, a team that provides the first contact for individuals experiencing homelessness.

With almost 20 years of stage experience, Mary Brewster knows exactly what it takes cook up a show at the Town House Bar. A bit of pizazz. A trace of comedy. A tad of razzle dazzle. A smidge of old school. A hint of glitter. A pinch of high energy. A dash of sequins. Add to it a cast featuring some of the greatest entertainers in the Twin Cities, and you’ve got SPARKLE.

Are you ready to get your CHRISTMAS SPARKLE on?

[sws_blue_box box_size=”100″] Details
Date: Saturday, Dec. 12 at 10pm
Location: Town House Bar, 1415 University Ave W, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55104
Admission: Unknown
For more information, visit Facebook[/sws_blue_box]
[sws_yellow_box box_size=”100″]All Is Bright! – An Afternoon of Holiday Music with FMGMC [/sws_yellow_box]

fmgmcallisbright
Come join us for our holiday concert, “All Is Bright! An Afternoon of Holiday Music with FMGMC” under the direction of Angel Lira. We will be performing a wide range of music – several old favorites, and some you might hear for the first time. We are featuring the complete collection of Dan Forrest arrangements of holiday music for men’s choirs! Come join us; you’ll be glad you did!

Tickets: $10.00 General Admission, Children 12 and under are free. Available at the FM Pride Collective, by emailing [email protected], or at the door the day of the show.

[sws_blue_box box_size=”100″] Details
Date: Sunday, December 13 at 2pm
Location: The Fargo Theatre, 314 Broadway N, Fargo, North Dakota 58102
Admission: $10
For more information, visit Facebook[/sws_blue_box]

[sws_yellow_box box_size=”100″]Emerge – A Christmas Cabaret [/sws_yellow_box]

emergedec15
Join us on Sunday, December 13 for Emerge – A Christmas Cabaret. The evening will begin at 6:00 PM with a catered dinner. Then at 7:00 PM the Cabaret will begin in the Sanctuary. During the program you will relive memories and hear songs from your childhood. Then we will emerge into adulthood and hear music you’ve come to appreciate. After intermission and dessert we will emerge once more to hear more traditional Christmas music and end with a huge sing-a-long. It’s an evening you don’t want to miss.

Tickets for the dinner and show are $25. Tickets for just the show and dessert are $15. You may purchase tickets from the Lay Delegates or any Praise Team and Band member. You can also buy them online at https://www.easytithe.com/f/?k=MXSVE1XHQUPGGW2J

You may also call the church office Tuesday – Thursday 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM and speak to David Coleman or email at [email protected]. All proceeds will support the sharing of AGC’s musical gifts with the 2016 General Confernece of Metropolitan Community Churches.

[sws_blue_box box_size=”100″] Details
Date: Sunday, Dec. 13 at 6pm
Location: All God’s Children Metropolitan Community Church, 3100 Park Ave S, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55407
Admission: $15-25
For more information, visit Facebook[/sws_blue_box]

[sws_yellow_box box_size=”100″]Bebe Holiday [/sws_yellow_box]
bebeholiday
The doors open at 7:15 PM. The tickets are on sale now at … be sure to get them in advance because they are selling fast! Tickets are only $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

I am very very excited to share my Annual Holiday Charity Extravaganza, Bebe Holiday.
We will have a wide arrange of local celebrity live singers and entertainers;
-T Mychael Ramb, Kathleen Johnson, Esera Tuaolo, Karen Mona Johnson, Kiana Marie, Lidia Sanguma, Erin Schwab, Elisabeth Martin, Graydon Francis.
Drag Entertainers; Nina D’Angelo and Julia Starr
The dress code is your most fierce ugly sweater, because there is an Ugly Sweater Contest that the winner will receive a magical mystery prize.

As mentioned, this is a charity event. I am thrilled to be teaming up with our friends at The Bridge for Youth in bringing this experience. They are one of the first homeless youth shelters in the nation. Since 1970 this group has helped thousands of homeless and runaway youth and their families.

[sws_blue_box box_size=”100″] Details
Date: Wednesday, December 16 at 7pm
Location: The Pourhouse, 10 S 5th St, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
Admission: $15 in advance, $20 at the door
For more information, visit Facebook[/sws_blue_box]

Previous article Jeffrey Hatcher’s Turn of the Screw an eerie queer tale
Next article Around the Region: 911 tapes released in Iowa hotel discrimination case
Andy Birkey has written for a number of Minnesota and national publications. He founded Eleventh Avenue South which ran from 2002-2011, wrote for the Minnesota Independent from 2006-2011, the American Independent from 2010-2013. His writing has appeared in The Advocate, The Star Tribune, The Huffington Post, Salon, Cagle News Service, Twin Cities Daily Planet, TheUptake, Vita.mn and much more. His writing on LGBT issues, the religious right and social justice has won awards including Best Beat Reporting by the Online News Association, Best Series by the Minnesota chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, and an honorable mention by the Sex-Positive Journalism awards.