Lea Delaria, Artemis at Lakeside Pride's 'Women in Music' Nov. 16
Lakeside Pride Music Ensembles presents "Women in Music"—a celebration featuring female composers, conductors and performers—at Preston Bradley Center, 941 W. Lawrence Ave., on Sunday, Nov. 16, at 3 p.m.
This concert, hosted by Orange Is the New Black star Lea DeLaria, will feature a special guest appearance by Chicago's lesbian feminist chorus Artemis Singers. The Lakeside Pride Symphonic Band, under the direction of Kyle Rhoades, will perform the masterworks planned for this evening.
DeLaria broke new ground more than two decades ago as the first "openly gay" comic to appear on national television, with appearances on The Arsenio Hall Show and as host of Comedy Central's all-gay special, Out There.
Tickets for the concert are $25, and VIP passes that include a meeting with DeLaria (1:30-2:45 p.m.) are $75. Visit www.LakesidePride.org .
Chita Rivera at Moraine Valley on Sept. 27
Broadway legend Chita Rivera will perform a solo concert celebrating her 80th birthday at Moraine Valley Community College's Dorothy Menker Theater, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills, on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m.
Rivera will re-create signature moments from her legendary career including numbers from West Side Story, Sweet Charity, Chicago; Kiss of the Spider Woman, Bye, Bye, Birdie and The Rink.
Tickets are $40 for the general public, and $35 for seniors and students.
'Over the Rainbow' at Sidetrack Nov. 12
The 4th Annual Over the Rainbow, a benefit to raise money and awareness for those who struggle with cancer in the LGBT community, will be held Nov. 12 at Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted, 7-10 p.m.
Performers appearing in Over the Rainbow include Matt Alber, Amy Armstrong, Molly Callinan, Circuit Mom, Get On The Floor Dance Company, Sharriese Hamilton, Kelly Lauren, Mimi Marks and Chadwick Stadt.
The night will also include a silent auction. The proceeds will benefit Gilda's Club Chicago, a support community for people living with cancer along with their families and friends. Since its beginning in 2011, Over The Rainbow has raised more than $46,000 for charities such as the American Cancer Society, Howard Brown Health Center, Fred Says, The Night Ministry and Gilda's Club Chicago. Over The Rainbow was created in memory of Gio Cosentino after he lost his battle to cancer in August of 2011. Although the subject matter is very serious, "OTR" is a very upbeat celebration of his life.
Tickets may be purchased in advance online for $20 or $25 at the door. Admission will include one drink ticket and a chance to win two round-trip tickets from Southwest Airlines.
For info, email Jimmy@overtherainbow773.com or visit www.facebook.com/OverTheRainbow773.
'Chicago Fire' stars join Great Chicago Fire Festival
Television and film actors Jesse Spencer and Taylor Kinney, both stars of the hit NBC drama Chicago Fire, will join the inaugural Great Chicago Fire Festival, the free spectacle of fire on the Chicago River set to take place Saturday, Oct. 4.
The Great Chicago Fire Festival—celebrating Chicago's grit, greatness and renewal following the historic Great Chicago Fire of 1871—is presented by Redmoon with the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and Chicago Park District.
Activity will take place between the State Street and Columbus Drive bridges beginning at 8 p.m. Kinney and Spencer will light one of 15 massive "fire cauldrons" that will be lowered from bridges to watercraft waiting on the Chicago River below.
Visit www.chicagofirefestival.com and www.redmoon.org .
Big Freedia in town Oct. 10
New Orleans "Queen of Bounce" Big Freedia will perform at Concord Music Hall, 2047 N. Milwaukee Ave., on Friday, Oct. 10.
The New Orleans City Council declared Aug. 21 "Big Freedia Day." In addition, the Fuse reality-television star's show, Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce, has recently been renewed for a third season.
Tickets are available in advance for $18.
Organist Carpenter part of symphony series
Concert-hall organist Cameron Carpenter will be part of the 2014-15 CSO ( Chicago Symphony Orchestra ) at the Movies series.
The organ of Orchestra Hall will take center stage on Halloween as Carpenter performs his original score for Robert Wiene's silent thriller The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari on Friday, Oct. 31, at 8 p.m.
The original three events include Pixar in Concert on Friday, Nov. 28, at 8 p.m.; Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey on Friday, March 13, 2015 at 8 p.m.; and Fritz Lang's Metropolis on Friday, May 29, 2015, at 8 p.m.
"Caligari" was named as an additional event, along with MGM's 1925 silent classic Ben-Hur, presented Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. ( with The Police's Stewart Copeland on drums ); and Frances Ford Coppola's The Godfather, with two performances on Tuesday-Wed., Feb. 3-4, 2015, at 7 p.m.
Tickets for all CSO concerts can be purchased by phone at 800-223-7114 or 312-294-3000; online at www.cso.org; or at the Symphony Center box office at 220 S. Michigan Ave.
To read a 2012 Windy City Times interview with Carpenter, visit www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Musician-Cameron-Carpenter-plays-to-the-tune-of-his-organ/37260.html .
LGBT singer Aaron Paul releases 'Raw'
London-born, Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Aaron Paul—a member of the LGBT community—has released the new CD Raw.
Raw is Paul's first solo album after leaving the boy band Worlds Apart. Worlds Apart racked up several top 30 U.K. singles.
One single is "I Don't Care," and there is Reginald Todd's "I Don't Give A F*ck" remix. ( Todd is also the album's executive producer. ) See the video of the single at http://youtu.be/nPVeOpX2UMk.
'True Trans with Laura Jane Grace' on AOL
AOL Originals announced True Trans with Laura Jane Grace, a 10-episode series following the transgender pioneer and lead singer of the punk band Against Me! who publicly came out as a transgender woman at the height of her music career in 2012.
Each episode will follow Grace and other trans* individuals as they share stories about the harsh realities of growing up anxious about their own identities. Additional episodes will feature life after transition, showcasing Grace's life as a parent and her day job being a rock star.
The first four episodes of the series will be available Friday, Oct. 10, in a special advance celebration of National Coming Out Day on the AOL On Originals home page: on.aol.com/show/518250660-true-trans/518387725. Additionally, the series will be available on mobile devices through the AOL On app.
'Black Gay Guys Rock Monologues' Sept. 24
In commemoration of National Gay Men's HIV/AIS Awareness Day, AIDS Foundation of Chicago will present "The Black Gay Guys Rock Monologues" Wed., Sept. 24, 6-8:30 p.m. at The Baton Show Lounge, 436 N. Clark St.
The event will feature spoken-word artist, comedian and singer ButtaFlySoul as well as Marquez Rhyme. A discussion will follow.
To RSVP, visit stepupgettested.com/events/the-black-gayguys-rock-monologues/ .
'Sex in the City II'Sept. 25 at University Center
AIDS Foundation of Chicago is holding "Sex in the City II" on Thursday, Sept. 25, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at University Center, 525 S. State St.
The conference will explore how HIV/AIDS is impacting the African-American MSM (men who have sex with men) community.
The one-day conference will include plenary sessions focusing on the treatment engagement, retention in care, the social determinants of health and stigma that are often triggers.
For more information, visit www.aidschicago.org/prevention.
