A new all-male sketch-comedy revue is opening this Friday ( March 16 ) that says it will be "to anyone without a vagina what The Vagina Monologues is to women." It promises to probe and penetrate "the truths behind society's phallic fixations, fears and desires." The show is called "cocksurehanded" ( sic ) , and it's written and co-produced by a man named—if you can believe it—Jon Bigness. Of course. The show is directed by a theater artist of high repute, Frank Farrell, whose presence gives the enterprise a legitimacy far beyond the usual claims of 9" males. cocksurehanded runs Fridays and Saturdays late night at Bailiwick Arts Center. Where else would it be?
Bailiwick also has snagged notable queer performance artist Tim Miller for a return engagement, April 13-14 only at 9:30 p.m., premiering his newest solo piece, Glory Box. It tackles the subjects of gay marriage and immigration rights for same-sex couples, and is based on the travails of Miller's own bi-national relationship with an Aussie named Alistair. For tickets to anything at Bailiwick, call 773-883-1090.
Stage Door Jonny notes with pleasure the 10th anniversary of the Jump Rhythm Jazz Project, an ever-exciting collaboration between dance and song under artistic director Billy Siegenfeld. The company celebrates tomorrow through Sunday ( March 15-17 ) with performances at the Dance Center of Columbia College, featuring works choreographed to tunes by Thelonious Monk, Count Basie, Mel Torme, Johnny Mercer, Woody Herman, Clifford Brown and others. Call 312-344-8300 for details. Chicago actor and singer McKinley Carter is servin' up some hot tunes, too, every Friday night in March at Davenport's Piano Bar and Cabaret on Milwaukee Avenue in Wicker Park. What's especially great about her current program called Beg, Borrow and Steal, is that all the songs are be Chicago composers. The list of contributors includes many of Chicago's best-known cabaret and musical theater writer and performers: Cheri Coons, Kat Eggleston, Chuck larkin, Bob Mason, Beckie Menzie, Sarah Motes, Gregg Opelka, June Shellene, Ton Sivak, Shaw Stengel and Greg Walter. More than a few of these names are well-known to the GLBT community. Show time is 8 p.m.
If you were an actor, and you were offered the choice of playing the title role in King Lear in Chicago, or making your Broadway debut as a supporting actor in a play starring Gary Sinise, which would you choose? Veteran Chicago actor and Joseph Jefferson Award winner Greg Vinkler chose King Lear ( see review ) . Vinkler played one of the crazies in the recent Steppenwolf production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, starring Sinise as Randall McMurphy and Amy Morton ( Nurse Ratched ) , and directed by Terry Kinney. That production is transferring to Broadway, with an April opening at the Royale Theatre. Vinkler, meanwhile, was offered the title role in King Lear at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, where he has performed so often in the past in roles such as King John, Falstaff and Malvolio. He chose to be a star at home in a difficult role at the CST, rather than just another pretty face in an easy background role on Broadway. Broadway certainly would have meant more money and glamour, but then there's art.
Stage Door Jonny spent March 1-5 in Calgary, of all places. For those who are geographically challenged, Calgary is in the Canadian province of Alberta, just an hour east of Banff and the Canadian Rockies. Jonny was attending a festival of new Canadian plays at the Alberta Theatre Projects. Calagary is a handsome, modern city with a walkable downtown, a surprising number of very good restaurants, Western flair ( as in Western clothing and cowboys ) and a conservative but visible gay population.
The downtown area is bordered by the Bow River on the North, and by the wide swath of the Canadian Pacific railway tracks on the South. Everything in between is fashionable, although fashionable also has jumped the river to the North. Naturally, most everything gay is on the wrong side of the tracks. Really, would you have it any other way? But new office buildings, high-rise residences and hotels are beginning to creep south as well, so I found myself staying at the Holiday Inn on 12th Avenue SW, just two blocks from a cluster of gay bars and restaurants on 10th Avenue SW, directly facing the railway tracks. Almost immediately adjoining the bars is a gay-managed and staffed Italian restaurant, Marciano's, that served up one of the most humongous salads and plates of fresh pasta I've every had. And the exchange rate—roughly $1.50 Canadian for every U.S. dollar—makes restaurants, hotels and shopping a bargain.
The top restaurants all seem to be in former bank buildings, dating from Calgary's first economic boom around 1900. Among the very best, Teatro, on the "right" side of the tracks at 8th Avenue SE ( also called Stephen Avenue Walk ) and 1st Street SE. In addition to an attractive and friendly staff, Teatro has an exceptional wine list that is very fairly priced, even without benefit of the exchange rate. Next to Teatro, in the same building, is the lively Auburn Saloon, a favorite ( straight ) hang for performers from the nearby Calgary Arts Center. There also are a number of gay-friendly restaurants and clubs in the Uptown 17th Avenue area, the trendy shopping/dining strip south of downtown ( walkable, or a very short cab ride ) . The Melrose Cafe and Victoria's were recommended.
If you are on your way to or from Banff, Lake Louise or most destinations in the lower Canadian Rockies, Calgary is likely to be your point of entry/exit to Canada, and certainly merits a stop for a night or two, or longer if you wish to sample the restaurants. In addition to chain hotels ( Hyatt, Marriott, Holiday Inn, Ramada, Best Western Suites ) in the downtown area, places to stay include the local, old grand hotel, the Palliser, and two south-of-the-tracks B&B's that cater to our community, 11th Street Lodging and the Foxwood. Western Canada has one GLBT ( mostly gay ) publication, Outlooks, which serves Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, British Columbia and smaller communities inbetween. Air Canada, American and United airlines all serve Calgary from Chicago.
