Seattle Gay News
Issue 31, Volume 43, July 31, 2015
Arts & Entertainment
Joe Dante interview – Burying the Ex and much more
Brilliant Dance Like a Man gives us a real taste of India
Abhijeet Rane and Meenakshi Rishi in Dance Like a Man – photo by Agasya Kohli
by Miryam Gordon SGN A&E Writer Joe Dante – frompage2screen.wordpress.com
by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer BURYING THE EX Blu-ray release There are moments in every film critic’s life when journalistic integrity, for at least a
passing second, gets thrown into the wastebasket and unbridled fan-fueled enthusiasm takes over. It’s that instance when you’re either sitting in front of or chatting on the phone with someone you’ve idolized to the point of extravagance, looking at them see dante page 8
DANCE LIKE A MAN PRATIDHWANI (AT ACT THEATRE) Through August 9 Pratidhwani is giving us a unique opportunity to experience an Indian play by an Indian playwright, Mahesh Dattani, based in India. And it’s a brilliant one, exceptionally well produced and directed by
Agastya Kohli. Dance Like a Man, presented at ACT Theatre in their ACTLab partnership, is a family comedy-drama set in one room, a rather conventional set-up for an unfolding theme of much larger scope. The play appears to be a familiar older generation versus younger generation piece about traditions and the always-changing pressures of modernity. But it’s not two generations; it’s three. We meet a young woman, Lata (Tanvee Kale) who brings see dance like a man page 5
Village Theatre Dog days of August still announces its 15th have plenty of theatrical Annual Festival of New openings Musicals Great Wall developmental production open to the public Village Theatre is proud to announce the line-up for its 15th Annual Festival of New Musicals, coming up August 7-9. Village Theatre’s Festival of New Musicals began in 2000 and has long been a nationally renowned birthplace of new musicals and the foundation of the theatre’s commitment to new work. This year’s festival will see six new musicals brought to life through the creative collaboration of over 100 artists, performed and directed by the region’s foremost theatre professionals and guest artists from across the country. STAGED READINGS New musicals Marco Polo, Barcelona, Death: The Musical, Cubamor, and Bridges will be presented in staged readings, rehearsed and fully sung using scripts. Though staged readings are not open to the general public, audiences are partly comprised of Village Originals members
who are encouraged to offer feedback and constructive critiques of the work, thereby becoming an important part of the developmental process. DEVELOPMENTAL PRODUCTION: GREAT WALL The developmental production of Great Wall is also an integral part of the Festival of New Musicals, with tickets on sale and available to the general public. Featuring limited sets and costumes, developmental productions are the next step in the process of developing a new musical, allowing authors to see a show with movement for the first time. Previously developed in the Festival of New Musicals in 2012, Great Wall is directed by Jerry Dixon with choreography by Daniel Cruz and music direction by Christopher D. Littlefield. Great Wall runs in Issaquah from August 6-9, during the see village theatre page 5
Scene from The Passion As Told by Antigona Perez – photo by Marquiciz Domingue
by Miryam Gordon SGN A&E Writer There is a lot of theater going on that started performing in July and continues into the dog days of August (parks shows, for instance – Seattle Shakespeare Company/Wooden O and Greenstage) (see my July stage openings column in the SGN, July 3, for listings); there are also workshops, readings and musical festivals that require membership fees to be a part of. But there
are still shows opening this month, and they are an eclectic bunch! Based on the different ethnicities on stage this month, our fair city looks much more cosmopolitan than the demographic studies suggest! There are also musicals and a new play based on a Seattle Gay baseball controversy. see august theater page 6
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Celebrating 41 Years!
WHEN POP GIRLS ROCK: Taylor Swift and Kelly Clarkson both in Seattle next week
Taylor Swift and Kelly Clarkson – images taken from www.riifyou.com and Cindy Ord/Getty Images of North America
by Albert Rodriguez SGN A&E Writer There have been some big shows this summer in Seattle. Next week, it gets bigger. The arrival of global music giant Taylor Swift on August 8 and pop superstar Kelly Clarkson on August 12 proves it. Each will perform in the city’s largest venues, Swift at CenturyLink Field and Clarkson at Key Arena, with two supporting acts booked for both concerts. TAYLOR SWIFT Barely nine months old, Swift’s fifth studio album 1989 has sold a commanding 5 million copies domestically and additionally 8.6 million copies worldwide. That doesn’t include individual sales for the record’s monstrous singles, “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” and “Bad Blood.” All three of these songs are expected to be on the country-gone-pop artist’s Seattle performance, which will attract upwards of 60,000 fans in attendance. The “1989 World Tour” began May 5 in Tokyo and has thus far touched down in 22 cities, as of July 24, such as Las Vegas, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Washington DC, Cologne, Amsterdam, and London. Its second leg includes shows in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Indianapolis, Nashville, St. Louis, Omaha, Atlanta, and Tampa; 26 cities total. Then comes a third leg, scheduled for Asia and Australia. The concert will
feature a 14-member live band, a mix of acoustic and electric components, and 18 songs spanning her career, though heavily centered on the newest album. For every Swiftie, as the singer-songwriter’s fans are officially called, there’s a Taylor Swift hater. It comes with the territory, I suppose, but the 25 year-old is getting it from all sides; social media, fellow musicians, snobby critics, and über hipsters that can’t even be bothered to stream any of her material; they already know they don’t like her because of her abominable commercial success. But she does have plenty of support out there, too, in the form of marquee names like Madonna, Beyonce, Emma Stone, Selena Gomez, Lena Dunham, and DJ boyfriend Calvin Harris. A high percentage of male Swifties – the majority, perhaps – are Gay; surprise! And although Swift hasn’t been a power ally of the LGBT community, a la Lady GaGa or Ariana Grande, she has been supportive of equal rights, even Tweeting a positive message when Gay marriage became legal nationwide in late June.
Without You,” “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You),” and “Hearbeat Song” off her newest effort, 2015’s Piece by Piece. If not all of them, most of them will make it onto Clarkson’s set list at Key Arena, the first time she’s performing in a Seattle venue; she previously appeared at White River Amphitheater. She canceled a show at the Washington State Fair years ago, and another at the Paramount Theatre in 2007, and then was billed on a concert at The Gorge with Maroon 5 in 2013 that got axed due to stormy weather. Hopefully, the streak ends and she doesn’t encounter any issues before her stop in the Emerald City. She doesn’t disappoint; having seen her in concert once, this girl knows how to entertain an audience. Interestingly, Clarkson covered Swift’s “Blank Space” in Toronto recently, so maybe she’ll pull it out for the Seattle show. If not, expect to hear between 19 and 20 songs backed by a six-piece band and three backup vocalists, and of course, the presence of around 17,000 loyal fans, simply called Kellebrities.
KELLY CLARKSON Clarkson, on the other hand, has outspokenly sided with the LGBT community from the earliest days of her career, back when she was catapulted to fame after winning the inaugural season of “American Idol.” The native Texan has released a series of hit singles stretching from 2002 to present date, including “Miss Independent,” “Breakaway,” “Since U Been Gone,” “Because of You,” “My Life Would Suck
Vance Joy and Shawn Mendes will separately open for Swift, while singersongwriter Eric Hutchinson, interviewing with Seattle Gay News next Friday, and Grammy-winning a cappella group Pentatonix are supporting Clarkson with short sets each. For tickets to see Taylor Swift, go to axs.com and for Kelly Clarkson, visit livenation.com. I’ll be going to both concerts, so look for full reviews of each show in the August 14 issue of Seattle Gay News.
Verdi’s Otello fully captured by Rod Parke SGN A&E Writer
VERDI’S OTELLO 2012 MET LIVE IN HD BLU-RAY A few weeks ago, I submitted a review of a vintage Berlin production of Verdi’s Otello that berated the show for reducing this masterpiece to cheap melodrama. For the exact opposite, here’s a new Blu-ray of the 2012 Met Live in HD event that was broadcast to cinemas around the world. This time every note of Verdi’s brilliant score is respected and given its due. The result is thrilling. Everyone who saw that live show in a local cinema knows what an excellent production it was. The cast is near-perfect. The
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stage and costumes are beautiful and effective. The famed Met orchestra is at its best under conductor Semyon Bychkov. And the direction by David Kneuss makes the most of the action, especially in the many scenes with full chorus and dancers. What makes this Blu-ray better than the live transmission (or subsequent telecast on PBS) is the quality of the sound. The several crowd scenes are musically very complex, giving the engineers a big challenge to get the balances right so that every detail can be heard. This Blu-ray disc shows that they succeeded to a degree that was not fully revealed in the cinema or on the HD telecast. There was no limit to Verdi’s genius for innovative orchestration, whether for the big moments with full orchestra, chorus and singers or for the more poetic quiet scenes, as in Desdemona’s prayers be-
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fore bed. Here you get it all – almost. The only flaw in the DTS-HD surround sound is a deficiency in the bottom octave – something one might not notice if we didn’t have the superbly recorded RCA discs with Tullio Serafin conducting. On those LPs one was very aware of the constant organ pedal note that underpins the entire opening storm scene and doesn’t stop until Otello’s entrance. Oddly enough, that pedal note is hardly audible on this Blu-ray, and the bass drum cannon shot that announces the arrival of the Venetian ambassadors is likewise weak. A small flaw, given that everything else has wonderful clarity and impact. The tenor role of Otello has the most see otello page 4
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Gary Lightbody treats Seattle fans to rare, intimate solo performance by Albert Rodriguez SGN A&E Writer GARY LIGHTBODY THE SHOWBOX SODO LOUNGE July 29 Snow Patrol fans are getting restless for a new album; the band hasn’t put out a full-length record of fresh material since 2011’s Fallen Empires. This might explain lead singer Gary Lightbody’s appearance Wednesday night here in Seattle, where he surprised an intimate, capacity audience of 250 people with a handful of barely written songs that are expected to land on the group’s seventh studio album, which they unhurriedly are planning to release in the months ahead. Honestly, it really didn’t matter what Lightbody had intended to play at The Showbox SoDo Lounge, a venue within a venue occupying the bar area of the concert facility that frequently hosts top touring acts, from Death Cab for Cutie to Janelle Monae. These were diehard fans, some who’d driven all the way from Calgary for this, so just being in the same room with the UK act’s frontman was a privilege in itself; he could’ve read the Sunday comics for two hours and you wouldn’t have heard a complaint. Snow Patrol is huge overseas, a band that can pack every seat in a sports arena, maybe even a soccer stadium, and domestically can sell out large theaters in a matter of minutes. They’ve toured with U2, Coldplay, and Oasis, and have been nominated for Brit Awards, Grammys, and the prestigious Mercury Music Prize. The opportunity to see and hear Lightbody in an intimate setting proved too irresistable. After an opening set by local artist Matt Bishop, who fronts the multi-member act Hey Marseilles, Lightbody stepped on stage promptly at his scheduled time of 9:15 am and told the crowd to continue their conversations while he settled in. It was him and one guitar, that’s it. He began the show with a delicate rendition of “The Golden Floor” from Snow Patrol’s A Hundred Million Suns album, from 2008. He then lightened the
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continued from page 3 demanding entrance in all of opera. Johan Botha, a giant mountain of a man, makes it look easy and vocally bests any Otello of modern times. His magnificent instrument never fails, and his musical intelligence allows him to sing Verdi’s lines in smooth legato, both soft and very loud. His appearance is far from glamorous, but he often manages some effective acting, especially with his expressive, intensely blue eyes. Then again, there are infrequent moments, as when he punishes Cassio, when he forgets to act at all. Soprano Renée Fleming, now in her fifties, still manages the role very well, both vocally and dramatically, almost making one believe that Botha’s Otello is sexy. She doesn’t float those high pianissimos quite as well as she did years ago when I saw her in
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Gary Lightbody – Interscope
mood with “Chocolate,” a longtime fan favorite from the group’s 2003 breakthrough record Final Straw. Dressed casually in grey denims and charcoal-colored button down shirt with his hair puffy at shoulder length, Lightbody was very interactive with the audience throughout the concert, sharing stories, poking fun at himself, and politely jabbing one person in the front row who had placed his dinner at the foot of the stage. He also shared the inspiration behind a few of the songs, including his father and grandmother, allowing everyone to see a personal, emotional, behind-the-scenes side of Lightbody not usually on display for the general public. The concert wasn’t entirely centered on Snow Patrol, though. Lightbody included a few numbers from Tired Pony, his side project with fellow musicians Peter Buck and Jacknife Lee, among others. “All Things All At Once” was delivered beautifully, although the background harmonizing vocals from the original recording were noticeably missed; “Blood” and “Get On the Road” were also added to the set list. Played acoustically for the first time was “If There’s a Rocket Tie Me to It,” which
Lightbody hit out of the ballpark. Glorious was his stripped down version of “Run,” singing half of the second verse a cappella and letting the audience take the wheel on the chorus, though at one point he wittily said, “I’ll join.” Many concertgoers also lent their voices to “Crack the Shutters” and “Just Say Yes”; the latter closed out the main set. As for new material, Lightbody introduced about five songs that are currently slated to appear on Snow Patrol’s next record, but it wasn’t clear if any of them had already been recorded yet. Instead of an actual set list, a sheet with numbered entries that most performers refer to when appearing live, the tall and handsome artist opted instead for a hard-bound journal that he flipped through routinely during the concert; I assume it contained handwritten lyrics and musical chords for what he planned to play in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and a few other select cities on this brief West Coast outing. I suspect also that the new album is still a work in progress with no anticipated release date because some of the new songs unveiled on Wednesday had working titles, or no titles at all, such as “Call My Name”
Chicago opposite Ben Heppner’s first Otello, but it would be hard to find a better modern Desdemona. The big surprise in this cast is German Wagnerian baritone Falk Struckmann as a great Iago. This singer obviously studied every detail of Verdi’s musical portrayal of supreme villainy, for he misses nary a chance to punch home his evil intensions, using every trill or grace note and Verdi’s insinuating rhythms to maximum effect. His voice ain’t pretty, nor does the role require vocal beauty, but his acting in both voice and body make him an Iago to cherish and hate. I never saw Tito Gobbi in this role, but vocally Struckmann is nearly his match. A big bonus is the casting of young tenor Michael Fabiano as Cassio. Fabiano recently sang an unforgettable Rodolfo in Seattle Opera’s latest La Boheme. He not only sings supremely well but has the looks and acting chops to go with it. A further measure of
the excellent direction of this production is when Cassio is being encouraged to get drunk. The members of the chorus, who are singing along with Iago’s drinking song, also sway back and forth in what is both a dance to the music and also a depiction of Cassio’s inebriation. Because this was a Met Live in HD performance, one also gets bonus interviews between soprano Sondra Radvanovsky and Fleming, Botha, Technical Director John Sellars, Michael Fabiano, and Fight Director B.H. Barry. Subtitles are in English, French, or German.
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that received a standing ovation from several fans in the first few rows of the lounge, as did a really great tune he introduced as “Empress Song” that I fell in love with instantly. Another terrific newbie with no title, or at least the title was unannounced to us, was a song that passionately recalled Lightbody’s youth, when he was discovering Belfast and taking road trips to Derry, but it also brought to the surface memorable moments that he spent with his father, whom he’s always been close to. If the new batch of songs we heard at The Showbox are any indication of what’s ahead, we’re in for a deep, soul-searching experience on Snow Patrol’s upcoming album. The band permitted the use of its hit single “Just Say Yes” for promotional purposes for Ireland’s recent same-sex marriage campaign and has solidly backed LGBT rights; Lightbody himself attended a rally in Belfast to help get the message across to voters and Snow Patrol’s official Twitter page, @ SnowPatrolBand, tracked the election intently. Lightbody interviewed with Seattle Gay News in 2009. [Visit the SGN online archives at www.sgn.org to read the October 16, 2009 interview.]
Reviewer Rod Parke can be reached at rmp62@columbia.edu.
Celebrating 41 Years!
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home her intended Viswas (Jay Athalye) to meet her parents (Abhijeet Rane and Meenakshi Rishi). But her parents are not typical. They are dancers. This makes them very unusual, even for present times. In order to dance, her parents had to struggle very hard to break the traditional mantle of the grandfather’s generation. What we learn about dance in the production shows that more than just rebellion against elders is at stake. In India, there has been a long-established uneasiness with dance that we Westerners, seeing the exuberance of Bollywood dancing, have no idea about. For hundreds of year, dance was mostly the province of women of the temples. When patronage of temples was strong, dancing women were seen as giving their gift of movement to God. When the British colonization undercut temple patronage, many temple women, bereft of support, were turned into prostitutes, and their dancing was dishonored by the British and degraded. Reclamation of dance as a culturally accepted activity has been a key component to rectifying Indian art. The grandfather (also played by Abhijeet Rane) is a civil rights pioneer who helped overthrow the British Empire’s yoke. Yet, he
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Festival of New Musicals, then continues to Everett for two performances from August 15-16. This marks the first time a Village Originals developmental production has been on stage in Everett. Great Wall will be presented at Village Theatre in Issaquah (August 6-9) and Everett (August 15-16). Tickets to Great Wall: $25 adults / $20 youth and seniors. Village Theatre box office: Issaquah (425) 392-2202 / Everett (425) 257-8600. Open Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. www.villagetheatre.org/issaquah/vo-festival.php THE FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS The Festival of New Musicals provides an essential platform for artists to develop work at various stages. For Steve Tomkins, Village Theatre’s Artistic Director, it’s the best weekend of the year. “The Festival of New Musicals is one of the most exciting aspects of what we do,” he says. “It has grown so much since it began, and now there’s truly nothing like it, with so many talented actors and artists together on one street. There is so much excitement and anticipation as authors hear their work and actors bring characters to life, often for the first time. And, of course,” Tomkins adds, “there’s the thrill of finding that gem that goes on to really impact the landscape of musical theatre.” With a dedication to the development of new musicals that achieve national exposure, Village Theatre’s Village Originals program and Festival of New Musicals has spawned such shows as Next to Normal (previously Feeling Electric), winner of three Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize, Million Dollar Quartet, nominated for the Best Musical Tony Award and Outstanding Musical Drama Desk Award, and It Shoulda Been You, currently on Broadway. Often, musicals developed in the Festival of New Musicals also go on to be featured in Village Theatre’s Mainstage season. During Village Theatre’s upcoming 2015-2016 Mainstage season, two of five productions will be new musicals: Snapshots, debuted through the Village Originals program in 2005, and My Heart Is the
petty dance community in-fighting; some involves the dance debut of the young Lata, where her mother hopes Lata can rise beyond the more meager success of her parents. It’s amusing and engaging, and easily establishes the family relationships. But throughout, there are deeper stories and more consequential decisions that we discover, as the groundwork for the present is unearthed. Ultimately, we find this is no ordinary family drama, and who they are and how they have survived is a fascinating question. This is a must-see production and one that you can feel comfortable bringing younger children (perhaps 11 and up) to give them an exotic taste of theater. You’ll learn a lot (while not feeling like you’re learning anything at all) and have a lot to chew on afterwards – something many people love about good theater. For more information, go to http://www. pratidhwani.org or http://www.acttheatre. Tanvee Kale and Jay Athalye in Dance Like a Man – photo by Agastya Kohli org/Tickets/OnStage/DanceLikeaMan or actively discourages his son (also played by younger and older generations. Once you call 206-292-7676. Jay Athalye) from dancing as not a manly get used to the switch, it becomes very easy Discuss your opinions with sgncritic@ profession. The theme of “manliness” runs to understand the back-and-forth in time. gmail.com or go to www.facebook.com/ throughout: is it manly to uphold a dancing They all speak in English/Indian accents, SeattleTheaterWriters. More articles are tradition even in the face of disapproval? Is which may take a few minutes (or more) to available at miryamstheatermusings. it more manly to make money and succeed get used to. But the effort is well worth it. financially? On a simple, elegant living room set blogspot.com. This is a perfectly cast play. Three of the (by David Hsieh), the lives of this family four actors here have to play double roles, unfold. Some of the conversation involves Drum, developed in the Festival of New rich culture of Spain, Barcelona is a stunMusicals in 2014. ning new musical about the enduring power of inspiration, art, and love. GREAT WALL, A Developmental Production DEATH: THE MUSICAL Music and Lyrics by Kevin So Music, Lyrics, and Book Book by Kevin Merritt by Paul Gordon Creative Consulting When a struggling art teacher rents a by David Henry Hwang small cabin in the woods, he’s simply hopIt’s a long shot for Kevin to become an ing for a quiet weekend away from it all. Asian-American rock star, but that’s exactly Much to his distress, a series of strange spirwhat he’s reaching for as he struggles to its and angels begin descending from the smash glass ceilings and become America’s heavens – or rather, the attic – claiming to new sensation. But after the sudden death be preparing him for his “transition.” Sensof his father, a clash of family and cultural ing that something is seriously amiss, he expectations force him to choose between starts to question his own sanity and everysupporting his family and pursuing star- thing he knows. This quirky, darkly humordom. Full of soulful melodies, this bold new ous rock musical is full of unexpected twists musical takes a fresh and honest look at the that will leave you dying for more. American dream, examining the choices we make, the risks we take, and the relationCUBAMOR ships that make it all worthwhile. Book and Lyrics by James D. Sasser Music and Lyrics MARCO POLO by Charles Vincent Burwell Music by Deborah Abramson Based on the film CUBAMOR Book and Lyrics by Peter Mills by Joshua Bee Alafia Destiny, drama, and damsels await as a Welcome to Havana, the heart of Cuba young Marco Polo sets off on his intrepid – a city alive with intoxicating music, mystiquest to explore the world. With history cal forces, and amor! Here, two Americans hanging in the balance, he travels from the and two Cubans find their paths unexpectbustling seaport of medieval Venice to Kub- edly crossed as they attempt to escape their la Khan’s fabled summer palace in Xanadu, pasts. But when romances blossom, spurred and everywhere in between. Featuring mu- on by the spirits of the island, everything sic and lyrics by the lyricist of Iron Curtain, gets complicated. Can love bridge the Marco Polo will sweep you away on a hilari- American-Cuban divide? With a Latin-inous, heartfelt musical journey as our hero spired score that blends traditional rhythms searches far and wide for the things he de- and contemporary hip-hop, Cubamor is a sires most – adventure, family, and a place moving new musical about cultural barriers he feels at home. and the transcendent power of love. BARCELONA Book and Lyrics by Christine Toy Johnson Music and Lyrics by Jason Ma When the death of her sister sends an American novelist into a downward spiral, it seems her creative spirit may be gone for good. That is, until a mysterious dream revives her with a jolt – and an inexplicable desire to visit Barcelona. In a city shining with architecture, music, and romance, time gets unlocked and stories merge as the spirit of her sister leads her on an extraordinary journey of healing and forgiveness. Featuring a magnificent score infused with the
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BRIDGES Book and Lyrics by Cheryl L. Davis Music by Douglas J. Cohen In 1965, a young woman boldly joins a march to fight for her civil rights. Decades later, another young woman faces her own battle for equality. As their stories collide across time and distance, each must come to terms with who she is in the context of a changing and complicated world. Full of soulful melodies by the creator of No Way To Treat A Lady, Bridges is an empowering story that explores our country’s past and present – how far we’ve come, how far we have to go, and the bridges we must cross to
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get there. About Village Theatre’s Village Originals Program Village Theatre’s mission stipulates a dedication to the development of new musicals that achieve national exposure, and the Village Originals program of readings, workshops, developmental productions, and Mainstage productions represents one of the strongest commitments to new musicals in the nation. Village Theatre is one of the few resident theatres to provide regular opportunities at every step of musical development, from first table reading to full-scale premiere production. Each season, new works are included as part of Village Theatre’s Mainstage five-show lineup alongside the classics. Village Theatre exists and thrives as an ongoing testament to the vitality of musical theatre; the Village Originals program, anchored by the annual Festival of New Musicals, represents a dedication to the form’s continued growth and evolution, and a determination that America’s musical theatre will remain vibrant and relevant for generations to come. The annual Festival of New Musicals, held each summer in August, draws participants from all over the country, even internationally. About Village Theatre Based in Issaquah, WA, with operations in Everett, Village Theatre is a leading producer of musical theatre in the Pacific Northwest. Producing entertaining, quality productions for the entire family since 1979, Village Theatre has grown into one of the region’s best-attended Equity theatres, with over 19,400 subscribers and 200,000-projected total attendance each season. Through its Village Originals program, Village Theatre is nationally recognized for its contribution to the development of new musicals, having launched over 145 new works to date. Village Theatre also takes pride in nurturing tomorrow’s audiences through its youth education programs, Pied Piper and KIDSTAGE, serving over 55,000 young people, families, and schools annually. Courtesy of Village Theatre
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RASHOMON: Reloaded, Recession Era Broke-Ass Theatre (REBATE) nsemble Theatre Group, at South Passage Point Park, 3320 Fuhrman Ave E, 98102, on the south side of University Bridge off Eastlake, August 1-9. An original theatrical adaptation of Akira Kurosawa’s legendary film, Rashomon. Re-imagined in Kabuki style, set in present day, the show is site specific in South Passage Point Park. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/1877492 Love Song, Porcupine and Poet Productions, Stone Soup Theater, August 1-8. Oddball Beane gets burgled and his well-meaning sister, Joan, is baffled to find her brother blissfully happy. John Kolvenbach’s offbeat comedy is a rhapsody to the power of love in all its forms. (Adult content) http://lovesong.brownpapertickets.com/ Zig Zag Festival, Annex Theatre, August 4-19 (Tuesday/Wednesday nights). Six female playwrights write a play, direct a play and advise a play. Shorts in a range of topics. http://www.annextheatre.org/2015-season/off-night/the-zig-zag-festival/
Paper Angels, SiS Productions, Dukesbay Theatre and INScape, August 7-16, 20-23 & 28-31. In 1915, eager and hopeful Chinese immigrants await permission to enter the United States at the West Coast immigration center located at Angel Island in San Francisco Bay. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/1789709 Indian Ink, Sound Theatre Company, Seattle Center Armory, August 13-30. Tom Stoppard loves to work on more than one level. Here, he introduces a poet travelling through India in the 1930s and her sister in England in the ‘80s trying to preserve her legacy. The surprising story of two people whose connection lives on through art, Indian Ink is an evocative portrait of love and loss while crossing cultural divides and a quest for divine sensuality. (Contains nudity.) http://www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/1321568 The Tumbleweed Zephyr, Pork Filled Productions, 12th Avenue Arts, August 14-29. Two brothers climb aboard the Tumbleweed Zephyr, a transcontinental train headed out of New Providence for the wilds of the Western Territories. But what starts as a simple rail journey takes unexpected turns, with airship bandit raids, twists of fate, wayward romance and the lonely call of a train whistle echoing across a clear desert sky. So grab your satchel and dust off your
best traveling hat for this epic new summer adventure! http://www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/press/1388227 The Passion As Told by Antigona Perez, Thriving Artists, 12th Avenue Arts, August 14-30. A new company and a new translation of Puerto Rican playwright Luis Rafael Sanchez brings the Greek classic to modern day. An entirely Hispanic cast transforms into a multitude of new reporters for online news and citizens who tweet and update Facebook. The discrepancy between perception and reality in the era of global information is explored. http://antigonaperez.brownpapertickets. com The Great American Trailer Park Musical, STAGEright, Richard Hugo House, August 14-29. This rock and roll country musical explores the relationships between the tenants at the Armadillo Acres Trailer Park in Florida, particularly between Pippi, “the stripper on the run,” the Dr. Phil-loving agoraphobic Jeannie, and Jeannie’s tollboothcollector husband Norbert. http://thegreatamericantrailerparkmusical.brownpapertickets.com John Baxter is a Switch Hitter, Intiman Theatre at Cornish Playhouse, August 18-September 27. When one Gay softball team claims their opponent has too many “straight ring-
ers” in the championship game, the accused players must publicly defend themselves – and their sexual past – before an impromptu tribunal. A comic, modern-day witch-hunt inspired by an outlandishly true Seattle story. htt ps://intima n.secu re.force.com / ticket#details_a0SF000000F5lRHMAZ Matilda the Musical, National Touring Company at The 5th Avenue Theatre, August 8-September 6. Winner of four Tony Awards, Matilda the Musical, based on the beloved novel by Roald Dahl, is about Matilda Wormwood, an extraordinarily imaginative and intelligent little girl with spectacularly bad parents. The Wormwoods may be awful, but the headmistress of Matilda’s school, Miss Trunchbull, is even worse! Will Matilda find happiness with a real family that values her special qualities? Will her schoolmates escape from the tyranny of Miss Trunchbull? https://www.5thavenue.org/show/matilda-the-musical/#overview The Lion in Winter, SecondStory Repertory, August 21-September 6. In James Goldman’s scathing drama of strategic manipulation, The Lion in Winter, King Henry II fights with Eleanor of Aquitaine, his estranged wife, about choosing one of his three conniving sons for an heir. Each family member schemes after his or her own agenda. http://www.secondstoryrep.org/index. html
M:I fuse still ablaze with relentlessly thrilling rogue nation by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION Now playing The Impossible Mission Force (IMF) has been disbanded. CIA Director Hunley (Alec Baldwin) has made the case the unit is a dinosaur, a relic of an age gone by, its methods and its tactics causing more harm than good. William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) fought the good fight, sticking up for his fellow agents as only he could, but with so many secrets unanswered and cases unfinished this was a losing battle from the start, especially with the biggest question of them all remaining a puzzling mystery: Where is Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise)? The fifth entry in the popular spy vs. spy series of action spectaculars, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is a relentless thriller that ends up being marvelously entertaining even if many of its signature moments and beats feel in some way repeats of events from the preceding motion pictures. Once again the IMF agents find themselves the targets of baseless accusations of conspiracy and treason. Once again they’re facing off against an impersonal Eurotrash villain (this time played by veteran Brit character actor Sean Harris). Once again Cruise does a number of his own incredible stunts making one wonder more than a little about the Hollywood superstar’s sanity. And it works, oftentimes stunningly, the script by director Christopher McQuarrie (Jack Reacher), from a story co-written with Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3), a tightly wound menagerie of double, triple, quadru-
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Rebecca Ferguson and Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation – Allstar
ple, heck even quintuple-crosses that never loses sight of the bigger picture. Things are layered beautifully, playfully, scenes joining one to the other with delectably intimate precision that’s extraordinary. More than that, the film itself is impressively self-contained, and by the time the mic was dropped and all the evil oozing through the proceedings was wheeled out as if trapped in a shiny glass box I was grinning ear-toear. The central plot mechanics revolve around Hunt’s belief that a shadow organization known as The Syndicate is responsible for acts of terror around the globe. Working on his own, he finds himself drawn to the enigmatic Isla (Rebecca Ferguson), the one woman who can confirm the international organization’s existence. But as to which side she’s actually on, that’s anyone’s guess, Ethan both saved from being interrogated by a thug going by the nickname “Bonecrusher” (Jens Hultén) by
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her only to later find the spy assisting in a convoluted assassination plot. That’s essentially the movie in a nutshell. Ethan runs down Isla, she either saves his life or puts him danger, fellow former IMF agents Brandt, Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) playing catch-up as they follow their friend’s trail, assisting him in his duties when they can, all before Hunley wrongly does them all in. Rinse. Repeat. Do it again. And again. And again. And once more, if only just for good measure. Along the way McQuarrie stages a number of crackerjack set pieces, not the least of which is the much talked about pre-credits assault on an A-400 military transport plane where Cruise dangles precariously off the side during an actual liftoff. In many ways, even more impressive is a daringly clever Hitchcock riff (think The Man Who Knew Too Much) at the Vienna Opera House, the nuts and bolts of
the sequence giddily rhapsodic. There’s also a stupendous motorcycle sequence on the Casablanca highway (you can’t have a main character named Isla and not end up in Casablanca) even if it does recall a much too similar showcase featured in Mission: Impossible II. There is a reliance on coincidence that’s a little annoying, while another big underwater sequence never feels as tense or as terrifying as it should have even with Cruise doing much of it himself. Also, Harris isn’t a particularly compelling villain, both Baldwin and Simon McBurney (as Hunley’s British MI6 counterpart) making more of an imprint in limited screen time than the guy everyone is chasing frustratingly does. Finally, there’s a truly terrible car crash sequence that utilizes some of the most glaringly inept CGI of any film this summer, an unintentionally laughable hiccup that risibly stands out for all the wrong reasons. But Cruise is as good as ever, while Ferguson successfully, and magnetically, navigates the interior machinations of a character whose motivations and desires are seldom, if ever, clear. Additionally, the film’s 131 minute running time seems to fly by in the blink of an eye, McQuarrie traveling from one action sequence to the next with confident aplomb. Rogue Nation isn’t the best entry in the Mission: Impossible series, the fourth chapter Ghost Protocol still holds that distinction, but it’s still pretty darn good, proving keeping the fuse lit on this franchise is as excellent an idea as producer and star Cruise has had at any point in his hugely successful career.
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Existential sci-fi thriller Self/Less self-destructs by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer SELF/LESS Now playing Billionaire New York real estate tycoon Damian Hale (Ben Kingsley) is dying. With precious little time remaining, he is approached by the mysterious Albright (Matthew Goode), a charismatic young man who offers him an intriguing proposal. For a price, he will preserve this titan of industry’s mind in a new, organically grown shell, an empty vessel, if you will, giving him another five decades or more of life to continue with his work and hopefully add even more of value to the world at large. It is called “shedding,” and although the risks and the challenges involved are enormous, the opportunity to, not so much live forever, but to be given a second lifetime, are just too irresistible to ignore. There are issues, not the least of which everyone everywhere has to believe he has died, and that includes his estranged daughter Claire (Michelle Dockery). But after hitting the ground running in New Orleans, and making a new friend in the outgoing Anton (Derek Luke), other than a few disturbing visions, things are going pretty well, Damian starting to think he’s made the right decision about continuing to live on inside another human form. Suffice it to say, just when all looks fine that’s when the biggest problem of them all rears its ugly psychological and physiological head in director Tarsem Singh’s (Immortals, Mirror Mirror) latest thriller Self/Less, a movie that owes just as much to the 1966 John Frankenheimer classic Seconds as it does a random “Twilight Zone”
Ryan Reynolds in Self/less – www.aceshowbiz.com
episode. Turns out, the shell Damian is inhabiting wasn’t grown, it was stolen, the body that of a former Middle East war veteran, Edward (Ryan Reynolds), with a wife, Madeline (Natalie Martinez), and young daughter, Anna (Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen), both of whom believe the man they loved drowned in a tragic accident. All of which is fine. Singh sets the mood beautifully, building tension with his typically fanciful skill, and while the film isn’t as visually opulent as say The Cell or The Fall you can certainly tell the guy who helmed those two picturesque stunners is the one barking out orders behind the camera. Kingsley projects the right amount of melancholic regality, while the early sequences with Reynolds learning to enjoy and utilize his new physical form crackle
with jovial hedonistic electricity. Goode is suitably menacing yet in a hypnotically entrancing way, while Victor Garber’s early scenes as one of Damian’s best friends and confidants deftly plant seeds for revelations and surprises to come later in the story. But there are cracks in the façade, and at a certain point no amount of directorial embellishment can mask them. David and Alex Pastor’s (The Last Days, Carriers) script gets sillier and sillier as it moves along, building to bursts of outright stupidity that are almost laughable in their outlandish lunacy. The way Madeline and Anna react to David/Edward is insane, impossible to believe long before the truth comes out, while Albright’s actions as he tries to get his latest project back into the fold are flat-out insulting to any viewer with
Latest Vacation a very bad trip by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer VACATION Now playing It’s been thirty years since Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms) and his family took a crazed, bizarrely hyperactive cross-country road trip to Walley World that, as littered with pitfalls and calamity as it was, proved to be one of the more memorable events of the low budget commuter airline pilot’s life. With his own family in a bit of a disaffected rut, he decides to rent a vehicle, pack everyone in and hit the road, redoing the vacation of his youth but now as a husband and a father and not as the youngest wide-eyed son along for the ride. Thus the seeds are planted for Vacation, the fifth film in the apparently endless saga of the Griswold family begun back in 1983 when Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo and the rest of their clan hit the road in National Lampoon’s Vacation. That film, directed by Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day), written by John Hughes (The Breakfast Club), spawned three sequels (only one of which, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, is any good) and an exceedingly loyal following. More than that, it’s been slowly but surely reevaluated over the decades, becoming just as much a critical favorite now as it was a smash-hit with audiences back during its original release. I feel pretty safe in saying no amount of time will cause anyone, anywhere to look at this new Vacation as anything close to
a classic. As comedies go, this is pretty disastrous, and save for a few beguiling moments and one winning performance there’s little of merit to talk about. If anything, the movie commits the same sin as Poltergeist did earlier this summer, trafficking almost entirely on the goodwill and affinity for the older film without ever making a case to exist for any reason of its own accord. But this film fails on an even more ca-
rible Bosses 2) doing an absolutely horrific job of achieving anything approaching balance between the tender and the profane. The bright spot is Christina Applegate. She’s Debbie Griswold, Rusty’s loving if exasperated wife who’s doing her best to understand what it is her husband is attempting while at the same time trying to express her own wants and desires as the craziness careens out of control. She makes even the most idiotic and disgusting mo-
Christina Applegate, Ed Helms and Chevy Chase in Vacation – filmpulse.net
lamitous level, forgetting the elements that made the Ramis/Hughes effort so memorable and long-lasting. It trades in platitudes instead of sincerity, elevating the gross-out antics to an even higher plateau yet leaving out the heart, soul and honesty that made all that icky silliness matter in a way it never could have otherwise. This is just a string of ever-escalating insults and debauchery, screenwriters and directors Jonathan M. Goldstein and John Francis Daley (Hor-
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ments sparkle with an ebullience and an authenticity the rest lacks in spades. Whether it’s acting like a complete moron at her old sorority house, or inadvertently bathing in a hot spring filled with human waste, she somehow makes even the most idiotic and insulting moment sparkle in ways they never could have otherwise. But that’s about it. Helms, who I’ve more often than not loved in everything from Cedar Rapids, to Jeff, Who Lives at
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even a modicum of intelligence. At a certain point, the whole thing begins to morph into The Bourne Identity, the rules the writers initially set forth in regards to Shedding continually broken time and time again as events progress to their inevitable conclusion. I think what might be the worst about all of this is that the film wastes a very good performance from Reynolds. He’s doing yeoman’s work here, forced to mine multiple emotional territories as he’s essentially portraying two very different people inhabiting the same human physique. He brings to life Damian’s discomfort and untapped humanity at the whole situation with graceful complexity, a scene between Reynolds and Dockery late in the film heartbreaking in its authentic simplicity. The actor is excellent, even when the film around him is falling to pieces, and as plusses go that isn’t one to marginalize or make light of. And it does fall to pieces. Even with an intriguing (if not entirely as original as I imagine the writers believe it to be) start, even with a terrific performance from Reynolds, even with some unique visual flourishes from the always idiosyncratic Singh, Self/Less is ultimately something of a minor disaster. The film gets increasingly brain dead as it progresses along its relatively pre-ordained path, building to a final 20 minutes that are as idiotic as they are unintentionally silly. There’s nothing creative or inspired about what ends up happening, the only thing novel being just how bad this misbegotten train wreck of a sci-fi thriller finally becomes.
Home, to even the first The Hangover, never connects with the material in the same way Chase did, a thing made all the more apparent when the man himself (along with cheery D’Angelo) appears for a third act cameo. The dynamic between Rusty’s two boys James (Skyler Gisondo) and Kevin (Steele Stebbins) is only interesting for the briefest of moments, building to an anemic climax that’s hardly worth the effort it took to get there. There is some fun to be found in the Chris Hemsworth sequence (he’s an ultraconservative Texas television weatherman married to Rusty’s sister Audrey, played by a thoroughly wasted Leslie Mann), the action superhero having a blast upending his cinematic persona in rather clever fashion. I also quite liked a brief sequence between Gisondo and young actress Catherine Missal, the pair sharing a cute, enchanting poolside chat that goes all kinds of wrong when Rusty takes it upon himself to be his eldest son’s romantic wingman. Still, I have to ask myself, what’s the point, Vacation so content to trade in the continued love for its titular predecessor that it rarely, if ever, makes a point to exist in its own right. The jokes rarely land. The characters aren’t real. The emotions aren’t authentic. The heart beating at the center doesn’t ring true. It forgets why the original film has grown in stature to become a classic, becoming nothing more than a road trip comedy running in never-ending circles leading to a destination that’s as pointless as it is forgettable.
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continued from cover and their overall body of work as one of the reasons you now do what it is you do. They helped you fall in love with cinema, sent you tearing off to your local video store, library or doing Netflix and various other Internet searches for films and directors you might otherwise not have without their influence. Such was the moment when I got a message confirming I’d be interviewing iconic director Joe Dante. Ostensibly our brief phone conversation was going to center on this week’s Blu-ray release of his latest comedy-horror hybrid Burying the Ex, but that didn’t mean the hope wasn’t there for a broader discussion about the filmmaker’s career. Heck, with Innerspace finally hitting Blu-ray as well, with talk of Warner Bros rebooting Gremlins and chatter that a
to his own misery. Everything changes when a tragic accident sends Evelyn to an early grave, a distraught Max unsure if he’s more upset due to the fact he’s lost her or because now he doesn’t have to figure out a way to break things off. Just as things are getting back to normal, that he’s finally put grief aside and moved onto a new relationship with the bubbly Olivia (Alexandra Daddario), up pops Evelyn out of the grave undead, ready to continue with her boyfriend as if her death never in fact happened, and chaos unavoidably ensues. It’s a fun, fast and exceedingly funny riff on zombie movies and romantic comedies, screenwriter Alan Trezza fleshing out his award-winning short film into feature length, taking things to increasingly, and winningly, surreal and silly places in the process. For the guy behind classic genre riffs like Piranha, The Howling,
Gizmo, the Gremlin in Joe Dante’s Gremlins – pabridges.co
new take on The Howling might be around the corner, there was plenty to yak about yet so little time to try and fit it all in. Needless to say, I was still more than excited to give it a go, even if the possibility of my devolving into a geeked-out unintelligible mess was a distinct possibility. “Don’t geek out,” Dante pleasantly laughs. “Let’s just have fun and chat.” Burying the Ex is a small, rambunctious little flick revolving around the horrormovie loving Max (Anton Yelchin). He’s starting to think things aren’t going to work out with his overly smothering girlfriend Evelyn (Ashley Greene), the beautiful, perky young woman attempting to control all aspects of his daily life. Yet he’s afraid to break up with her because he can’t bring himself to hurt her feelings even though he knows their relationship is doomed to failure, unwilling or unable to do what he probably should, leaving things as-is much
Gremlins and The Burbs this was an almost perfect fit, so much so getting the script into Dante’s hands was relatively straightforward. “Alan gave it to me,” Dante says matterof-factly. “I met him and I wasn’t aware that he’d made the short film a few years earlier and then subsequently expanded it into a feature-length script, so I didn’t know what to expect. I liked it. I liked the characters. I liked the fact that there were some really interesting women characters in it. It was really good.” “But, we struggled along for a number of years trying to get the funding. We kept seeing other films with similar premises being made and yet ours wasn’t, which was annoying. But then around the time World War Z came out zombies were suddenly hot again and the money finally came in, the only proviso being that we could only have it if we were able to get the movie completed in a very short time frame. And so we
Rick Ducommun, Corey Feldman, Tom Hanks and Bruce Dern in The Burbs – lonestarfilmsociety.com
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Funeral scene from Joe Dante’s Burying the Ex – www.btlnews.com
leapt to work, cast it and then shot it in only 20 days, which is pretty crazy. It was just one of those opportunities that if you don’t strike when the iron is hot then you don’t get to make the movie at all.” It’s not a lot of time, especially with a picture as sometimes convoluted and complex comedically and structurally as this one. Not that the veteran filmmaker was daunted by the challenge. “It’s my background,” states Dante. “Working with Roger Corman, I’m used to going fast if need be. I’m pretty used to working quickly. The movie didn’t have a ton of locations. It didn’t have a big cast. The makeup requirements were kind of challenging, and that takes time, but the rest of it could be done fairly fast as long as everyone was on their game. The cast was really into it and were fun to work with. The crew gave me their best efforts. Look, the film is what it is; I never intended it to be Lawrence of Arabia. But I think it’s an entertaining, very funny
a scant 20-day shooting schedule. “I really wish I could tell you,” he chuckles. “It was like I woke up one morning, I looked out, and it was like, wow! We’ve got all these people. Guess it’s time to make the movie.” “As it turned out, they were the exact right people for these parts. They really became them. I don’t think Ashley had been given the opportunity to do comedy and she really relished it. Alexandra, of course, she’s on her way to major stardom because she’s not only gorgeous but she’s really talented and a lot of fun to be around. And, Anton of course, is just making all of these wonderful, interesting career choices. He’s fearless. In order to satisfy himself he’ll do these pictures that don’t cost a lot of money or can pay him a lot of money but he just wants the parts, wants the challenge. Then he’ll go on and do stuff like Star Trek and that will pay for another year of working in all of these quirky, low budget productions.”
Ashley Greene and Anton Yelchin in Burying the Ex – frompage2screen.wordpress.com
movie. That’s what matters.” Also, much like a number of Dante’s previous features like Matinee and Gremlins 2: The New Batch, it allowed him the opportunity to riff and play around with various horror tropes and concepts in ways bordering on the bizarre while at the same time giving him ample room to pay homage to the genre he loves. “I can’t remember now if the hero, Max, was a horror fan in Alan’s first script,” says the filmmaker. “I remember he worked at a Halloween store, but I’m not sure things were quite as movieoriented as they ended up being. That was a lot of fun to play with and add. There are some nice touches there, I think.” As for the cast, Yelchin, Daddario and Greene are all fairly popular young stars, and it’s hard not to wonder how he was able to wrangle them into a low budget independent effort such as this, especially one with
Yelchin is very good here, adding a quiet, introspective melancholy to the picture I personally found sublime. “He’s not unlike the character he is playing,” explains Dante. “He’s not a wussy pushover like Max, of course, but he is very thoughtful, very analytical, and those are facets he made sure to bring to his performance. [Anton] is really one of the brightest actors I’ve had the pleasure to work with in quite a long while.” Then there’s Greene. In many ways she was one of the best things about The Twilight Saga, enlivening things so much with her presence that sitting through those forgettable tween fantasy-romance-adventures her character was the only one I’d potentially liked to have known more about if I’d have been able to. She’s sensational, delivering a tour de force comedic perforsee dante page 13
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Celebrating 41 Years!
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continued from page 8 mance that’s as ferocious as it is juvenile, as terrifying as it is emotionally affecting, so much so it’s hard not to wonder after the film ends why sadly the actress isn’t a bigger star than she is. “Well, you know, when you look at the number of people in movies and television who are famous for one reason or another for a period of two or three years, if they don’t get the right parts or get the right breaks they tend to fall through the cracks,” he states with a hint of melancholy. “This doesn’t mean they’re not talented. Quite the opposite. It just means they haven’t made a lot of the right commercial choices, and Hollywood likes commercial choices, so they more often than not get left behind for the new wave of young people coming up into ascendance right behind them. It’s always been difficult to maintain a career in Hollywood and, today, with so many more venues, so many more outlets to act, that’s ironically going to become even more difficult. I really have a respect for anybody that can maintain a successful career in Hollywood for any length of time because, with the way things are now, that’s a very difficult thing to do.” “But Ashley? Ashley is a terrific actress. She’s very, very funny here, I think, very talented. As I said, these were the exact right people for these parts. We were very lucky to get all three of them.” Both of Dante’s most recent efforts, the unsettlingly – and entertainingly – flighty 3-D thriller The Hole and now this, didn’t get much support from their domestic distributors, getting tiny theatrical releases augmented with day-and-date availability on VOD. This would not have been the case twenty, maybe even ten years ago, a fact not lost on the director. “They would have been released by studios,” Dante says plainly, devoid of emotion. “That’s just the truth of the matter as far as that goes. But that day is over. Plain. Simple. Done. And we’re not going to be going backward.” “Listen, I’m pretty used to people discovering my movies in other ways than theatrical exhibition. Almost all of them made their mark on home video. A picture like Innerspace, it didn’t make any money at the box office but it was one of the first VHS releases to come out in Letterbox and ended up getting passed from household to household and developed this loyal cult following.” “I think a lot of filmmakers from the ‘80s owe their extended careers to home video. It came along and saved them. These movies used to just come along, exit theatres and go straight into the dustbin or they’d show up at 3 a.m. on a local UHF channel on Sunday morning. But then the video store phenomenon happened. It helped spawn filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino. It gave people the opportunity to just pick and choose whatever they wanted off of the shelves, and movies that had no publicity or very little cache suddenly were getting this great word-of-mouth from people who were watching them on video. That’s how cult movies were born.” Innerspace is just one of the director’s films to only over time be slowly regarded as a classic. While The Howling was a critical favorite and Gremlins was a box office smash, more often than not the director’s output didn’t meet with either the acclaim or the financial success he or the studios that funded them had initially hoped for. Years later, however, Piranha is regarded as one of the great, perceptively ingenious exploitation satires of its time. Gremlins 2: The New Batch is thought of as a richly
comedic satire superior to its still popular predecessor. Same in many ways goes for the Tom Hanks starring The Burbs, while in many circles the filmmaker’s sweetly melancholic Matinee is thought of as a lost, unheralded classic worthy of rediscovery. “That’s a generational thing,” says Dante. “I’m a firm believer in that you can’t tell the worst movie the week it is released.
known were going to be a part of the zeitgeist at the time, that those elements would still ring true ten or twenty years later. I’ve been lucky enough to make a lot of those pictures.” Talking about his older films, the subject of remakes understandably arises. With the 1980s apparently under assault by Hollywood looking to make all things old
Werewolf from Joe Dante’s 1981 thriller, The Howling – Shout Factory
There’s so much else going on in the zeitgeist that colors the reception of the movie that it takes a little while for people to oftentimes get the full measure of it. A lot of movies that we now consider these great classics like The Wizard of Oz or Touch of Evil or It’s a Wonderful Life, these were all movies that either didn’t make money, had been short on critical reception or sometimes both. Now, of course, in hindsight, people look again at some of these pictures, certain things rise to the top and a number of movies that were completely ignored during their initial release are suddenly now on the list of the best movies ever made.” As we’re chatting I remark that the new Blu-ray release for Innerspace arrived the very day I watched Marvel’s Ant-Man, that I was struck by just how smart, how prescient, that Dennis Quaid-Martin Short science fiction comedy hybrid proved to be all these years later. It’s a superior effort, and as much as I enjoyed Ant-Man, Dante’s film is an undeniably more satisfying adventure in almost every way that matters. “I think you find that to be true more of-
new again, with talk in the air of rebooting Gremlins, with remaking The Howling, with the director’s Piranha already given a gore-filled makeover back in 2010, his thoughts on the matter seem more apropos than ever. “Usually when they remake one of these movies, and if they’re doing it right, they’ll find some way to exploit some avenue of the movie that wasn’t done well or take it in a different direction that still stays true to the ideas of the original,” Dante explains. “Films like Warren Beatty’s Heaven Can Wait, which is a remake of Here Comes Mr. Jordan, but substitutes football for boxing and still manages to be a classic in its own right. It’s a wonderful movie.” “There’s nothing wrong with remakes. A lot of our favorite movies are remakes. It is odd that, now at least, people only seem to want to make remakes. It’s like, let’s take something that worked before and it will somehow be worth spending all of this money on. But they make things like this Robocop remake or this Total Recall remake, you get all of these remakes that people don’t really want to see because they’re
Scene from Joe Dante’s Pirahna – www.liveforfilms.com
ten than you think,” he muses. “It’s a measure of a pretty good movie, isn’t it? If it’s a movie that you like and you go back and watch it again, sometimes you’re a little disappointed because there isn’t much more there than what there was when you saw it the first time. But, sometimes, maybe a lot of times, it surprises you, and you see things in the movie that you didn’t notice the first time, you start seeing things that no one, not even the filmmakers, could have
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not finding a way to make them new, to make them matter. The original is just fine, thank you.” Not that the original creators of these classics are entirely being left out of the creative discussion. Just this summer, George Miller re-emerged at the ripe young age of 70 to unleash Mad Max: Fury Road upon an unsuspecting world, the film not only one of the year’s biggest surprises but also proving to be one of its absolute best
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motion pictures. “That’s very true,” he agrees, “But George is a very talented filmmaker. And, let’s not forget, he wasn’t remaking his own film. He was making another one of them. He was continuing the story. It was an addendum, if you will.” So would that mean he’d take Warner Bros’ call if they asked him to take another shot at Gremlins? “The problem with that is that I think Warner and Amblin own the project and they have their own ideas as to what they’d want to do next with it,” he says with a shrug. “Now, I’m not sure they know what those are. But, they’ve apparently been working at it. Nonstop. All the time. At least, that’s what I keep hearing. It’s a popular question in interviews, that’s for certain.” I can’t help but admit my love for Gremlins 2 during this part of the conversation. With that being the case, I ask him if the Presidential aspirations of Donald Trump might have given him any ideas of where things potentially could have gone next, wondering if it might be time for Daniel Clamp to start a Gremlins-aided campaign for the Oval Office. “Daniel Clamp is a much nicer person,” says Dante with a hearty laugh. “He’s too good a guy to go in the same direction as Trump, no matter how much chaos he might have inadvertently caused with those Gremlins way back when. And, actually, more of Daniel Clamp was based on Ted Turner than he was anyone else. So there’s that, too.” As for those hoping for domestic Bluray releases of past Dante efforts The Burbs and Matinee, there’s sadly not a lot for the director to say on the subject. “I don’t know about domestic,” he answers candidly. “I hope so, at some point, but right now I just don’t know. I do know that if you have an all-regions Blu-ray player there are a pair of excellent Blu-rays, one from France for Matinee and the other from England for The Burbs. The latter disc even includes the rough cut of the film, which I am happy people get a chance to see. But, domestic releases? Hopefully it will happen for both films. I can’t say I know when, though.” And what’s next for Dante? What’s on the table? “Staying in the business,” chuckles the director. “I have projects I’m working on, but I hardly ever talk about them because I’m tired of talking about things that don’t for whatever reason end up panning out. But, now that I have a European passport, I’m looking to make some projects in Europe, which I’m excited about. I’m excited to see some of those hopefully get off the ground.” With time running out, I ask the filmmaker what he hopes will happen now that Burying the Ex is bowing on Blu-ray after barely getting any sort of theatrical exhibition earlier this year. His thoughts are hardly surprising. “Ten theatres is not much of a theatrical release,” Dante says good-naturedly. “But that’s the general rule nowadays. Small movies like this tend to be more about the VOD than the theatrical distribution. The deal is how to get people to pay to see the movie, whether in the theatre, VOD or via DVD or Blu-ray instead of going to a pirate site and downloading it illegally. That’s the trick.” “But I have no idea what to expect. Like The Hole, [Burying the Ex] wasn’t supposed to be a VOD release; it was supposed to be theatrical. I have no idea how they compute the returns, how they track how many people watch it. At the end of the day I just hope they enjoy the film. It was fun to make and the three stars are terrific. It’s an entertaining picture.”
Seattle Gay News 13
Meetings Events Activities
TO GET A CALENDAR LISTING: To have your meeting or event considered for the Community Calendar, please mail, fax, or drop off details to: SGN, Attn: Community Calendar, 1605 12th Ave, Ste 31, Seattle, WA 98122. SGN phone: 324-4297. Fax: 322-7188. E-mail: sgn2@ sgn.org. INCLUDE: Date, time, location, contact phone # for publication (if possible), brief description of event & sponsoring organization. DEADLINE: Tuesday 5pm. ACCESSIBILITY: Is your event accessible to LGBTQ people with visible or hidden 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.
community calendar
SUNDAY - August 2
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 Seattle Soto Zen. 9:15am-Zazen Instruction, 9:30amZazen. 101 Nickerson St, Lower Level. Follow the traditional forms of the Soto school of Zen in a spirit of warmth & inclusion. Anyone interested in meditation, whether new or experienced in Zen practice or other traditions, is welcome. 323-1659, www.seattlesotozen.org 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 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.
14 Seattle Gay News
17018 15th Ave NE, Shoreline. Meets every Monday. For information email info@washingtongender alliance.com Les Be Honest. 8-9pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Every Monday. Open women only AA group. 322-2437; www. sasgcc.org.
TUESDAY - August 4
SATURDAY - August 1
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. Rain City Rock Camp for Girls Summer Camp Showcase. 12:30pm. The Crocodile, 2200 2nd Ave. Concludes a week-long rock n’ roll summer camp for girls ages 8-17. During the week, 75 girls form bands, learn to play instruments & write an original song together, 18 bands will play original songs to 400+ fans. $10 admission, www.raincityrockcamp.org Olympic Music Festival (6/27-9/13). Sat & Sun @ 2pm. Tickets & info: 360-732-4800; www.olympicmusic festival.org. 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 Community Alliance for Global Justice presents 9th Annual Food Justice Dinner. 5pm-Happy Hour; 6:30pm-Dinner. University Christian Church, 4731 15th Ave NE. Keynote: Dean Jackson, Executive Director Hilltop Urban Gardens (HUG) - “Growing Racial, Economic and Gender Justice in Tacoma.” As a Trans-identified food activist, Dean will share how their identity influences and shape’s HUG’s food justice work for racial and economic justice. Tickets: $40-$100. Wheelchair accessible; free childcare available. www.cagj.org; 206-405-4600. Theatre22 Presents Wizzer Pizzer: Getting Over the Rainbow (7/24-8/1). Thurs-Sat @ 8pm; Sun @ 2pm. 12th Avenue Arts, 1620 12th Ave. Somewhere over the rainbow, Gays are checking into Dr Nora’s Reparative Therapy Clinic, where an ex-Gay/ex-Lesbian couple teach them to be born again straight. Adrian, a drag queen (best known for his Judy Garland impersonation), checks himself in after losing the amateur drag contest. So does Frank (a rugged, straight guy who bears a striking resemblance to Adrian’s best girlfriend Frankie). When Frank finds love at the clinic with the poster girl for cured Lesbians, all Oz breaks loose. Wizzer Pizzer is a wild, outrageous modern ride back out the Yellow Brick Road. Tickets: general admission $25, senior/student/ military $14. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/907129 Movie in the Park: The Great Gatsby (2013). Dusk. Lake Union Park, 860 Terry Ave N. Film follows live performance by local swing band Easy Street. www. mohai.org
August 1 thru August 9
Emerald City Metropolitan Community Church Seattle. 11am-Worship. Chapel at University Temple United Methodist Church, 1415 NE 43rd St. MCC is a progressive Christ-centered faith community committed to providing a nurturing environment for individual & community growth thru Jesus Christ while celebrating unity in diversity. MCC is Seattle’s oldest Gay-friendly church. 325-2421, www.mccseattle.org. 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, 303 17th Ave E. Every Sunday. Drop-in 12-step (Narcotics Anonymous) group open to anyone in recovery. 322-2437; 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. Every Sunday afternoon. Location varies. Ripple Effect soccer team plays a weekly recreational scrimmage game for Gay guys in Seattle. Perfect for guys looking for more relaxed play, who are just getting back into soccer, just learning the game and/or want to supplement their competitive play with a recreational team. To sign up visit www. raincitysoccer.org Olympic Music Festival (6/27-9/13). Sat & Sun @ 2pm. Tickets & info: 360-732-4800; www.olympicmusic festival.org. 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
July 31, 2015
Shame to Grace Sunday SAA. 6-7:30pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. 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 International Service Organization 1-800-477-8191. SASG 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Noche Latina - Latino Night. 10pm. Neighbours, 1509 Broadway. Every Sunday.
MONDAY - August 3
SOBER - On Meds. 1-2pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. 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, 303 17th Ave E. 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 Healing Words. 6:30-8pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Every Monday. Drop-in group open to all who are healing from trauma, addiction, or just the challenges of life in general. 322-2437; www.sasgcc.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. 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 Unity Gay Men’s AA Group in Tacoma. 7:30pm. New Heart MCC, 759 S 45th St. Tacoma. Every Monday. (253) 474-8897. Washington Gender Alliance Support Group Meeting in Shoreline. 7:30pm. Center for Human Services,
Simply Positive. 2:30-4pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Every Tuesday. Drop-in support & social group for anyone HIV/AIDS positive. 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Artful Expression. 6-7:30pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Every Tuesday. This is an ongoing art group to visualize the journey thru creative expression. 322-2437; www. sasgcc.org 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. “We will be discussing issues concerning the local Gay community & value your opinion, voice, comments, suggestions & attendance. Come join us as we build community 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, 303 17th Ave E. 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. 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. Lots of social activities in addition to Tuesday meetings. 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.) Different Drummers. 7:15-8:30pm. Every Tuesday. Hand drumming classes for Gay men. It’s easy, it’s fun & anyone can do it! Learn traditional African & AfroCaribbean rhythms & basic hand drumming techniques. Experience connection, community & spirituality. Drums are provided. For info & location call Dennis at 363-4500 or www.outdrum.com What About Me? 7:30-9pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Every Tuesday. Drop-in social, support & discussion group for Gay & Bi men of all ages. 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Here & Now Gay & Lesbian AA Meeting in Tacoma. 7:30pm. Christ Episcopal Church, 310 N “K” St, Tacoma. Every Tuesday. Spiritual Empowerment. 7:30-9pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. A group for all LGBT & friends of any spiritual belief to explore how spiritual practice can enrich their life. 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org 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
WEDNESDAY - August 5
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, followed by a walk around Greenlake & lunch at a local restaurant. MF is a social group for Gay men & women, 40 years & over. www. maturefriends.org 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
Celebrating 41 Years!
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, 303 17th Ave E. 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. Seattle Frontrunners Fun Run. 6:30pm. Volunteer Park (in front of Black Sun across for museum). Every Wednesday. (See Saturday at 9am.) HIV/AIDS Support Group. 7-8:30pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Every Wednesday. Please arrive by 7:00pm. FREE peer-facilitated emotional support group for HIV+ men who are newly diagnosed or newly dealing. 3222437; 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. No fee, donations welcome. www.ingersoll center.org PFLAG/Renton Monthly Meeting. 7pm. St Luke’s Episcopal Church, 99 Wells Ave S, Renton. Meets 1st Wednesday each month. Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays is a national support organization for parents, spouses & families of GLBT persons, as well as those minorities. PFLAG/Renton: 425-235-4139. PFLAG/ Puget Sound: 325-7724. www.seattle-pflag.org. Seattle Movie Bears Movie Night. Check website for details. Every Wednesday night. Gay & Bi men enjoy a movie at a local theater with opportunity to socialize before & after movies. More info: http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/seattlemoviebears; or e-mail: seattlemoviebearssubscribe@yahoogroups.com 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. 9-11pm. Southgate Roller Rink, 9646 17th Ave SW. First Wednesday of every month. $7 admission includes skate rental. Must be 18+. After-party at Company, 9608 16th Ave SW, with drink specials & karaoke. www.southgaterollerrink.com
THURSDAY - August 6
Alcoholics Anonymous “Safe & Sober Group.” 12noon-1pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. 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). 12:302:30pm. South East Seattle Senior Center, 4655 S Holly St. A discussion, support & political group for all Lesbians. In addition we often have social activities. We have lunch at the center at 11:30am ($3 for 60+, $6 under 60). Facilitator: Fai, 722-0729, faiscranes@yahoo.com. Metro route 7. Wheelchair accessible. 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. First Thursday Art Walk in Downtown Seattle/Pioneer Square. 5-9pm. Art galleries in Downtown Seattle/Pioneer Square host opening night receptions. Seattle Art Museum is free today. 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. The commission advocates for justice & equal opportunity & collaborates with & educates the public & private sectors about
community calendar
Whidbey Island Music Festival (8/7-8/16). Fri-Sat: 7:30pm at St Augustine’s in-the-woods, 5217 Honeymoon Bay Road, Freeland; Sun: 2pm at Greenbank Farm, 765 Wonn Road, A 201, Greenbank. Tickets IN ADVANCE: general admission $20; students $10 - www. brownpapertickets.com; AT THE DOOR: general admission $25; seniors $20; children FREE with paying adult. 1-800-838-3006; www.whidbeyislandmusicfestival.org. 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 - August 8
(See previous Saturday for ongoing activities.) TRC Foam Party (8/7-8/9). Triangle Recreation Camp, Granite Falls. www.camp trc.org 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. We create a safe, confidential & sacred space in which a man can speak his truth from the heart, to heal & empower himself. We are fiercely non-political, non-sectarian & non-judgmental. All men are welcome. www.agatheringofmen.org Olympic Music Festival (6/27-9/13). Sat & Sun @ 2pm. Tickets & info: 360-732-4800; www.olympicmusic festival.org. Georgetown Art Attack. 6-9pm. 2nd Saturday each month. Reflects the industrial-strength character of the neighborhood. For information stop into Georgetown Records at Airport Way S & S Vale or visit www.georgetownneighborhood.com Ballard’s Second Saturday Artwalk. 7-10pm. Pick up maps at participating shops & galleries located in the Ballard business district (Ballard Ave NW & NW Market St area). Meets 2nd Saturday each month. Enjoy an evening of art as local galleries & businesses showcase artists from Ballard & beyond. 784-9705. Whidbey Island Music Festival (8/7-8/16). Fri-Sat: 7:30pm at St Augustine’s in-the-woods, 5217 Honeymoon Bay Road, Freeland; Sun: 2pm at Greenbank Farm, 765 Wonn Road, A 201, Greenbank. Tickets IN ADVANCE: general admission $20; students $10 - www. brownpapertickets.com; AT THE DOOR: general admission $25; seniors $20; children FREE with paying adult. 1-800-838-3006; www.whidbeyislandmusicfestival.org.
SUNDAY - August 9
how to prevent & eliminate discrimination city-wide. Meetings open to the public. 684-4540. Shifting Gears. 6-7:30pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. 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. 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. Starbucks, 1600 E. Olive Way. Meets 1st Thursday each month. www.seattleprimetimers.org Buddhism & Recovery. 7:30-9pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. 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 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. You are not alone. For information, community events & “questioning” visit www.gfas.org or our message board at http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/ gayfathersseattle Gay Male Sexuality & Relationships. 7:30-9pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave. E. 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
Visit us online www.sgn.org
“Wild & Precious.” 7:30pm. Calamus Auditorium, Gay City, 517 E Pike St. A story about what it means to be a man in our one wild & precious life. This is one man’s version of our social change history -- Gay liberation celebrated in original song, story, poetry, costume, photos. Tickets: general admission $20; students/seniots $10. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1739894 Battle of the Bitches: Jackie Beat & Sherry Vine. 8pm. Julia’s on Broadway, 300 Broadway E.
FRIDAY - August 7
(See previous Sunday for ongoing activities.) TRC Foam Party (8/7-8/9). Triangle Recreation Camp, Granite Falls. www.camp trc.org Lotus Sisters Guided Meditation. 11am-1:30pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Meets 2nd Sunday each month. Senior students lead the meditation, provide dharma talks or reflections & lead discussion. 329-5908; www. LotusSisters.org; www.sasgcc.org (Meets in 2nd floor meeting room; no elevator.) Olympic Music Festival (6/27-9/13). Sat & Sun @ 2pm. Tickets & info: 360-732-4800; www.olympicmusic festival.org. Whidbey Island Music Festival (8/7-8/16). Fri-Sat: 7:30pm at St Augustine’s in-the-woods, 5217 Honeymoon Bay Road, Freeland; Sun: 2pm at Greenbank Farm, 765 Wonn Road, A 201, Greenbank. Tickets IN ADVANCE: general admission $20; students $10 - www. brownpapertickets.com; AT THE DOOR: general admission $25; seniors $20; children FREE with paying adult. 1-800-838-3006; www.whidbeyislandmusicfestival.org. Leo Party - A Benefit Show for Seattle Counseling Service & Camp Ten Trees. 6pm. Neighbours, 1509 Broadway. Hosted by Aleksa Manila & Roxy Doll. Featuring RuPaul’s All Stars Chad Michaels & Yara Sofia. Also performing: Case de Manila, Kristie Champagne, Fraya Love, Gabriela Scott, Gaysha Starr, Haus of Paradisco, House of Black, Isaac Scott, Markos Sisters, Latin Rose, VELO & MORE SURPRISE PERFORMERS! PLUS GoGo Boys & Girls! Curtis, Jackson, Alberto, Bliss, Kersti, Randall, Taylor, Carlos, Bo & Dave. Tickets: $12 advance, $35 VIP; $20 at the door, $40 VIP. www. strangertickets.com/go/leoparty 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! You’re the star of your favorite movie musical. Pick any scene to sing along to, while the film and lyrics are projected onto the screen. There are hundreds of songs to choose from, or you can bring your own special request (on DVD). $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. Social functions include Mr & Ms Wrangler Contest, La Femme Grotesque, Movie Auction Night, Memorial Day Weekend Camp-Out, Sir Guy Contest, Beggars Feast, holiday parties & other events. 329-0886, mailbox@jetchapterkofm.com
TRC Foam Party (8/7-8/9). Triangle Recreation Camp, Granite Falls. www.camp trc.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, 303 17th Ave E. 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 Columbia City Beatwalk. 7-10pm. Columbia City Gallery, 4864 Rainier Ave S. 1st Friday each month, May thru September. Columbia City retailers, restaurants & cafes combine the love of good music with good books, fine dining & provocative art. An evening of folk, reggae, R & B, ethnic music & more. Admission to all venues: $5. www.columbiacitybeatwalk.org. First Fridays in Yakima. 7-9pm. 223 N 1st St, Yakima. Meets 1st & 3rd Fridays. Social, support, education & advocacy group for the Yakima area GLBTQ community & their allies. All are welcomed & invited. (509) 576-0276. www.gayakima.com/1stfridays.html 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. Destiny Gay AA Group in Tacoma. 7:30pm. New Heart MCC, 759 S 45th St, Tacoma. Every Friday. (253) 474-8897. Orca Swim Team Workout. 7:30-8:45pm. Seattle University, Connolly Athletic Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday listing at 5pm.)
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 Another Gay Social Club! - www.meetup.com/AnotherGay-Social-Club/
July 31, 2015
Seattle Gay News 15
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
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. A wide range of fiction and non-fiction for the LGBT community and allies can be borrowed free of charge. LGBT MS Connection - 250-5002; LGBTMS Connection@gmail.com. Support group for LGBT persons with MS and their partners and their caregivers. Sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. 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.maturefriends.org; Northwest Bears: www.nw bears.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. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.) 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 Olympia/Thurston County: www.RainbowCenterOly. 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, including Alaska Airlines, Amazon.com, Amgen, AT&T, Bank of America, Deloitte, Macy’s, Microsoft, Russell Investments, Safeco Insurance, Starbucks Coffee, Xerox. www.outandequal.org/affiliates/seattle PARENTHOOD: Families Like Ours provides a gateway for LGBT families interested in adoption & provides a network of safe placement agencies, training, support & resources: 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/proudand-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: 425-483-
16 Seattle Gay News
community calendar
6642, 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. 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) is a non-profit organization that builds community and cultivates powerful, healthy lives by providing emotional support and personal development services to those affected by HIV/AIDS, the Queer communities,
July 31, 2015
and those who love them. Our work is done in a spirit of safety, trust, inclusiveness, and celebration of individual differences. 322-2437; 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 providing comprehensive mental health services on a sliding scale. 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 Seattle Treatment Education Project (STEP) E-zine is an electronic resource distributed to people affected by HIV/AIDS, case managers, front line workers & other health professionals. Now a part of Lifelong AIDS Alliance, 328-8979, www.thebody.com/step/steppage.html 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 South Sound Q Calendar - LGBTQ events in Tacoma, Olympia & Sound Puget Sound area; www.South SoundQCal.com Spokane/Inland Northwest - www.outspokane.com; www.stonewallnews.net 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; Festival of the Babes: www.festivalofthebabes.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.rain countrydance. org; Sea Dawgs: LGBT ice hockey - SkateSeaDawgs@ gmail.com and on Facebook; Seattle Frontrunners: www.seattlefrontrunners.org; Seattle Gay Basketball Association: www.seattlegay basketballassociation. 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. thepridel eague.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 Justice League: www.genderjusticeleague.org; Gender Odyssey: www.genderodyssey.com; Hermanos Trans Latino & Foreign-Born Support Group: 322-7700; Ingersoll Gender Center: 329-6651, www.ingersoll center.org; The New BoyZ Club: www.olympiaftmgroup. webs.com; Olympia Trans Discussion Group: www.facebook.com/pages/Olympia-Trans-DiscussionGroup/262449878114; Washington Gender Alliance: (360) 445-2411, www.washington genderalliance.com WOMEN: BABES: support groups for HIV+ women. 720-5566, 1-888-292-1912; Festival of the Babes: www.festivalofthebabes.com; Lesbians Over 40: 7220729; 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; WOWS: a fun, member-driven social group for Lesbians, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/womenofwest seattle; 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. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.) Yakima: First Fridays - (509) 576-0276. www.gayakima.com/1stfridays.html 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; Health Education Youth Outreach: for LGBTQ youth, ages 16-24 - Jessica Hatlo, 206957-1665, jessicah@llaa.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; www.MatthewsPlace. com; 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; 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; Queer Youth Space: 206-495-9963; www.queeryouth space. 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) (non-emergency), 1-877-SAFESAFE (1-877-723-3723) (crisis line); Seattle Young People’s Project (Queer Youth Resource Board): 860-9606, www.sypp.org; Teen Link: 461-4922, 1-888431-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/Orion Center: 622-5555; YouthCare/Isis Program (Transitional Living Home for LGBTQ Young Adults, 18-22): 5228412; Youth Suicide Prevention Program (OUTLoudGLBTQ): 297-5922, ext 116, 1-800-273-TALK, www. yspp.org
Celebrating 41 Years!
Volunteer Park
• BACON MANSION
E. PROSPECT ST. • SHAFER MANSION E. ALOHA ST.
12TH AVE. E.
E. ROY ST.
16TH AVE. E.
15TH AVE. E.
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• 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.
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• BROADWAY GRILL
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11TH AVE.
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• CLUB Z BATHS
• THE STRANGER
NAGLE PL.
Cal Anderson Park
• LAMBERT HOUSE
BROADWAY
HARVARD AVE. E.
Seattle Central Community College
• LINDAʼS • BILLʼS OFF BROADWAY
C.C. ATTLEʼS• TOMMY GUN• THE SOCIAL•
B&O ESPRESSO • BOYLSTON AVE.
BELMONT AVE.
E. DENNY WAY
• SUPERSTAR TATTOO
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• HILL HOUSE
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• SIMPLY FRAMES & MINER GALLERY E. JOHN ST.
• THE LOBBY • PLATINUM RECORDS
• SEATTLE EAGLE
GAY CITY HEALTH PROJECT •
• NEIGHBOURS
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• BAUHAUS • BALTIC ROOM
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• GLOʼS
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• AURIFICE • R PLACE • HONEY HOLE SANDWICHES • TOYS IN BABELAND
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• REBAR
• STEAM WORKS
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DENNY WAY
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• JULIAʼS
METRO CLOTHING CO. • STUDIO 229 • PANACHE • LAUGHING BUDDHA TATTOO •
BELLEVUE AVE.
• SEATTLE COUNSELING SERVICE FOR SEXUAL MINORITIES MELROSE AVE.
HAIR CONNECTION•
E. OLIVE ST. THE SGN GLSEN ONYX LEATHER • SEA-MEC
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 DOUBLE HEADER - 407 2nd Ave. S. - 464-9918 GLO’S - 1621 E. Olive Way - 324-2577 JAZZ ALLEY - 2033 6th Ave. E. - 441-9729 JULIA’S - 300 Broadway Ave. E. - 860-1818 KREMWERK - 1809 Minor Ave. #10 - 682-2935 THE LOBBY - 916 E. Pike St. - 328-6703
•WILDROSE • HOT HOUSE
• POCO WINE ROOM
ON
E.
E. PIKE ST. • CHOP SUEY • MADISON PUB • DIESEL BAR • PONY
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 POCO WINE ROOM 1408 E. Pine St. - 322-9463 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 TOMMY GUN - 1703 E. Olive Way WILDROSE - 1021 E. Pike - 324-9210
RETAIL SHOPS
CASTLE SUPERSTORE #17 206 Broadway Ave. E. - 204-0126 THE CRYPT - 1516 11th Ave. 325-3882 DOGHOUSE LEATHERS 1312 E. Pike St. - 257-0231 EMERSON SALON - 909 E. Pike St. - 323-7437 METRO CLOTHING CO. 231 Broadway Ave E - 726-7978 ONYX LEATHER - 1605 12th Ave. #8 - 328-1965 PANACHE - 225 Broadway E. - 726-3300 STAN’S ADULT SUPERSTORE 9630 16th Ave. SW - 762-3299 TABOO VIDEO - 1012 1st Ave. - 622-SEXY 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
IS AD
ST.
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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
BAR MYX - 1212 California St. - 425-610-4071 LOVER’S - 112 SE Everett - (425) 353-3607 LOVER’S - 3402 Broadway - (425) 252-8754
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
KENT
TUKWILA
BELLINGHAM
LOVER’S 193 Telegraph Road - (360) 752-1862 RUMORS CABARET 1119 Railroad - (306) 671-1849
EVERETT
LOVER’S 25801 104th Ave. S.E. - (253) 852-1720 THE VOYEUR 604 Central Ave. S. - (253) 850-8428 NASHVILLE’S SPORTS BAR (Drag Shows) 114 - Railroad Ave. N. - (253) 852 - 0909
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• THE GASLIGHT INN
• THE CUFF COMPLEX E. PINE ST. • PURR • THE CRYPT • POST OPTIONS • DOGHOUSE LEATHERS
E. UNION ST.
SEATTLE
MALDEN AVE. E.
BROADWAY E.
• THE CANTERBURY
July 31, 2015
LOVER’S 530 Southcenter Blvd. - (206) 248-5085
WENATCHEE
THE CELLAR CAFE 240 N. Mission St. - (509) 662-1722
Seattle Gay News 17
_______________________________ 10 housemates
19 19 home services
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10 housemates
11 for rent
11 FOR RENT
_______________________________ 12 12 housing wanted
HOUSING WANTED
_______________________________ 13 13 housing for sale
HOUSING FOR SALE
_______________________________ land LAND for sale FOR SALE _______________________________ EDMONDS – 1/3RD ACRE + STREAM Lovely, wooded, possible ocean view on private dead end. Ar chitect and environmental home builder will build your dream home while being environmentally friendly and caring about your long term health. $125,000. Call 425-287-9971. 31/3 _______________________________ real estate REAL ESTATE _______________________________ SEATTLE’S TOP GAY REALTORS Buying a Home? Choose a Top Seattle Gay Realtor Offering FREE Buyers Representation! Relocating anywhere in the country? Visit: WWW.GAYREALESTATE. COM 31/3 _______________________________
HOME SERVICES
NATURAL & ORGANIC
Products are available for you at our site: Google www.Amway.com/HunterMacao. [NOTE: Firefox search doesn’t work.] Also view the major retail stores we are partnered with. Take advantage of our great deals. 30/3 _______________________________ TIDY’S LANDSCAPING, SCRAPING & HAULING Call Today & Take The Easy Road To Satisfaction. FREE Estimates, FREE Appointments & You’re Always FREE to Call Tidy (206354-8949. 30/3 _______________________________
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
_______________________________ RELAXATION and DEEP TISSUE massage on Capitol Hill. Last minute appointments welcome until 9 pm. Jeff, LMP, 206-6500542. www.broadwaymassage. com. 30/5 _______________________________ 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. 34/12 _______________________________
22 for sale
22 for SALE
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EXTRAORDINARY ESTATE SALE
SATURDAY & SUNDAY AUGUST 1 & 2 4001 Fauntleroy Way SW WEST SEATTLE Vintage Items, Glassware, Outdoor Furniture, Mid-Century Modern Chairs, Lamps, Outdoor Pottery, Silverware, Wall Hangings, Paintings, Picture Frames, Religious Items, Books, Electronics, Sewing Machine, Mid-Century Modern Table, Vintage Iron Decor, Camping Gear, Antique Light Fixtures, Bird Houses, Candles, Silver Pieces, Vases, Candle Sticks, CDs, Fishing Poles, and if you can believe it, a 2 Man Tent. Stop by, great stuff, from a life fully lived. 31/1 _______________________________
37 BODYWORK
38 MEN
37 bodywork
38 men
_______________________________ AMAZING BODYWORK! Deep tissue, erotic bodywork by handsome, hairy-chested, hung therapist. Reasonable rates. Photos, phone number and reviews at website: www.amazingbodywork. com. Robert. 31/6 ________________________________ EROTICALLY CHARGED nude full body rubdown from playful top, stimulating the senses. Get seduced. Incalls in Renton area. Scott, 206-355-4469. 25/3 ________________________________ 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. 34/12 ________________________________
_______________________________ 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. 31/12 _______________________________ 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/
FOSSE JACK and SAILOR ST. CLAIR in association with Theatre Off Jackson present THE TENNESSEE TEASE Break open your best bottle of bourbon and ease into the hot August nights with The Tennessee Tease, a new burlesque play based on the works of Tennessee Williams. Produced by Fosse Jack and Sailor St. Claire in association with Theatre Off Jackson. The Tennessee Tease brings together Williams’ plays, memoirs, and original burlesque to explore the life and works of this Gay American icon. As Tennessee Williams crafts his memoirs, a cast of talented actors and burlesque artists bring to life Williams’ iconic characters alongside his family members, dearest friends, and lovers. Fact and fiction collide as Tenn imagines his life in letters, il-
18 Seattle Gay News
July 31, 2015
luminated through the art of the tease. The Tennessee Tease features Olatsa Assassin, Jesus La Pinga, Jesse BelleJones, Hisam Goueli, Diva le Deviant, Apollo Vidra, Belle Bizarre, Al Lykya, Razzberry Rocket, Fosse Jack, Sailor St. Claire and local burlesque legend Eartha Quake. The show will take place on August 13, 14 & 15 at Theatre Off Jackson – doors at 7:30 p.m.; show at 8 p.m. Tickets are available for $20 in advance and at the door. This is a 21+ event. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/1851133; 24/7 customer service: 1-800-838-3006. Accessibility: TOJ is wheelchair accessible. Please contact the producers or TOJ if you require accommodations for wheelchairs or other assistive devices. info@theatreoffjackson.org; www.theatreoffjackson.org.
Celebrating 41 Years!
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July 31, 2015
Seattle Gay News 19
20 Seattle Gay News
July 31, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!