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LGBTQ
Everyone expects death at a funeral home, but nobody foresaw the untimely demise of funeral director William Raymond O'Reilly himself. Perhaps he was murdered at the hands of his wife or underneath one of his many mistresses. Hell, the ol' bloke probably inhaled a few too many cheesesteaks and Tastykakes. No one knows for sure, but the unambiguously queer duo of Lance Pawling (pictured, left) and Messapotamia Lefae will be hot on the case at tonight's performance of The Bereaved.
Pawling and Messy Lefae have transformed the Napoleon Gallery (319 N. 11th St.) from an exhibition space for static art to an interactive funeral home. Beginning at 6 p.m. and continuing every 20 minutes, the two will engage in a series of 7-minute whodunnits with the promise that no two acts will be alike. With the sartorial wit of Lefae coupled with Pawling's indisputable talent for avant-garde installation art, expect this performance from these Dumpsta Player vets to be somewhere between grotesque comedy and campy melodrama. Dress in your best mourning garb or risk death for standing out like a loser.
LOVE NOTE RECIPIENT: The Episcopal Church of Saint Luke and The Epiphany
I AM: Executive director of the William Way LGBT Community Center, radical faerie and past host of @TEDxPhilly.
MY LOVE NOTE:
Dear Episcopal Church of Saint Luke and The Ephiphany
Since I consider myself more spiritual than religious, it is perhaps strange that I chose a church as the recipient of my love note. But the Episcopal Church of Saint Luke and The Epiphany (ECSLTE) is a special place to me and many others who lived through the worst years of the AIDS epidemic in Philadelphia. This church is a haven, a sanctuary and a place for restorations and occasional epiphanies. Hundreds of activists have been energized and inspired within its walls, and hundreds of men and women who died of AIDS were eulogized and given a proper funeral within its lofty sanctuary.
I fell in love with ECSLTE when I attended my first ACT UP Philadelphia meeting in 1990. ACT UP, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, is an activist group that has fought to bring an end to the AIDS crisis since 1987. ACT UP has met in the basement of this church at 330 S. 13th St. each Monday for almost the organization's entire history. To return to that space brings back the ghosts and memories of those weekly meetings and a very satisfying feeling of having been woven into the fabric of an activist community that taught me how to make a difference.
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WHO: DJ Kash
WHAT: The ladies of Pulse Events host this '80s- and '90s-themed dance party, featuring a promised setlist of songs by many of our childhood faves — from Salt-N-Pepa (P-push it real good!) all the way up to the Spice Girls (Tell me what you want, what you really, really want!). The three guests who deck out in the best '80s and '90s gear will win prizes, so pull out your headbands and prep-roll those jeans like there's no tomorrow.
WHEN & WHERE: Sat., Sept. 22, 10 p.m., $5, Smokin' Betty's, 116 S. 11th St., 215-922-6500, facebook.com/pulseeventsbiz.
WHY: Because you're curious to see if Aqua Net can still work wonders on that modern hipster haircut of yours.
The New Normal, Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck, Glee, American Horror Story) and Ali Adler’s new half-hour sitcom, which premiered this week on NBC, breaks so many of the gay barriers we’re used to seeing on primetime TV. Sure, Modern Family has been showing mainstream audiences a well-adjusted homo family for a few seasons, but The New Normal takes it a step further. The premise is built around a gay couple who are not only funny, super-adorable and capable of raising a healthy family, but, unlike Cam and Mitchell, they actually smooch and hug and snuggle.
The storyline follows swishy Bryan (Andrew Rannells) and geeky David (played by total-babe Justin Bartha), a well-to-do couple living in Los Angeles who have just decided to have a baby. Meanwhile, single mom Goldie (Georgia King) moves to L.A. — with her cutie-pie daughter Shania (Bebe Wood) — to escape a two-timing husband and her pestering, bigoted grandmother (hilariously played by GILF Ellen Barkin). Strapped for cash, Goldie decides to make money by becoming a surrogate mother — and that’s how she comes to meet Bryan and David. A new modern family is born.
QFest closes with the mild growl that is BearCity 2: The Proposal. This episodic comedy, about a group of mostly hairy, heavy gay men, works better when it is dramatic. Anchored by a solid performance by Gerald McCullouch as the thoughtful Roger, the film opens with his character proposing to his 23-year-old bear-loving boyfriend, Tyler (Joe Conti). Tyler has his doubts about marriage, but he agrees to get hitched. So, Roger, Tyler and their friends — commitment phobic Fred (Brian Keane) and his goofy partner Brent (Stephen Guarino), and plus-sized Mike (Gregory Gunter) and his hot partner Carlos (James Martinez) — head to Provincetown for a wedding during Bear Week.
Dumb subplots abound about Fred wanting to make a documentary on bears, and Mike and Carlos being too busy on the phone to be with each other. And, of course, the expected trust and jealousy issues arise when Roger reunites with his ex and Tyler confides in Big Dan (T. Doyle Leverett). The humor is mostly at the expense of physical schtick — a whale-watching trip that gets naughty before it goes awry, or a foam party that devolves into a slapstick fight. This does a disservice to these characters, who all appear to be very comfortable in their own skin. The relaxed cast members actually make the sensitive moments about Roger and Tyler’s wedding jitters, or the relationship issues between Fred and Brent moving. Unfortunately, there is no subtlety when Kathy Najimy (as Brent’s mother) bulldozes her way through this film trying far too hard to be funny. (She’s not). BearCity 2 features plenty of fur and skin, and more daddy jokes and bad — unbearable — puns than necessary, but when the film charms its ingratiating.
City Paper Grade: C+
Tonight, the Cocktail Revue will host Sultry Summer Strumpets, one of the few shows you'll see in the city for $5 that's high on class and low on clothing. The show features a sensuous, lust-inducing drag performance from the lovely Oscar Wildchilde (pictured) and other beautiful drag bods like Miss Mary Wanna, Candy Mayhem, Bianca Dupree and Bravissimo Burlesque's Miss Rose. 10 p.m., $5, Rogue's Gallery Bar, 11 S. 21st St., 215-561-1193. Confim on Facebook.
The Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus (PGMC) humbly began with four men singing carols in gay bars. Since then, 
the organization has grown into the premiere men’s chorus in the Philadelphia region, boasting a roster of over 100 members and myriad milestones. Tomorrow at 8 p.m., PGMC is celebrating three decades of history and achievements with "Legacy: Celebrating 30 Years Towards Harmony," a concert that aims to showcase the best of the group through a variety of songs, at Prince Music Theater (1412 Chesnut St., 215-731-9230).
The artistic director for the event, Joe Buches, explains, “We are always looking to reach new audiences [through] a varied repertoire, it is my goal to have music that will speak to many people.” His eclectic song selection will include choral classics like “Brothers, Sing On” and “Hallelujah, Amen,” as well as contemporary fare from Madonna and the Disney musical Newsies.
Legacy also marks the world premiere of “Raise Our Voice,” a newly commissioned work with lyrics by the Equality Forum's Chip Alfred and music by Michael Djupstrom. Alfred wrote the lyrics after conducting a series of interviews with PGMC members and listening to their stories. It is a piece that “speaks to the history of the Philadelphia Gay Men's Chorus and why it was formed” and a testament to why the organization “continues to remain strong after 30 years.”
With every Pride Parade comes an eclectic mix of outfits and costumes. Some are completely outrageous, some are painstakingly elaborate and others are endearing for their simplicity. Whatever the case, here is a small sampling of the interesting looks at this year's festivities.
For those who love stomping through Center City, the Pride Parade is only one chance to do so this weekend. The other is Philly Dyke March 2012, which will pound the pavement beginning at 3 p.m. in Kahn Park (11th and Pine streets) tomorrow. An annual event, the Dyke March gathers lesbians to protest against the domination of male voices amongst the LGBT populace.
Organizer Morgan Levine of Stimulus Productions hopes to “reach a record number of attendees this year,” setting the bar at 750. While allies have always been invited to the rally beforehand, she mentions this year they are now welcome to march along in unity. Planners behind the march come from a wide variety of lesbians spanning numerous cultural backgrounds, and hope the makeup of the protest will reflect this diversity. Club Adesso (10 p.m., $7, 1519 Walnut St.) will give marchers the chance to cool down afterward with a party thrown by Stimulus.
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