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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 2002)
6.2002 36 DIVERSIONS .....................▼..................... Don your gay apparel for this cabaret The story is much too complicated to go into, but let’s just say audiences at Skamania Lodge near Stevenson, Wash., won’t be left out of it. “We include the guests in dances [and] songs,” shares Thomas, “and the actors will come to your table and harass as needed.” The menu includes all sorts of yum- mies: candied filberts on your mixed field salad, forest mushroom mousse line, port beurre rouge, smoked salmon, Intermezzo and plum pudding with Chantilly vanilla creme. A children’s choir opens the festivities, which, insists Thomas, will be “an awful lot of fan .... It’s the perfect way to start the holiday season.” A Madrigal Feast is $39.95-$49.95 a person. Group rates are available for six or more, and the lodge is providing special overnight packages. Make reservations at 509-427-7047 or www.skamaniaarts.org. G ay Portland musical treasures Kregg A m tson and Richard Bower make up half of the jazz ensemble The HollyTones with Wendy Martel- Vilkin and Jennifer Niederloh. The quar tet lights up Wilf’s Restaurant and Bar at 7:30 p.m. D ec. 10 and 17 with a C hrist mas Cabaret featuring a variety of tradi tional and hip holiday tunes. Audiences will get in the yuletide spirit with such songs as “We Need a Lit tle Christmas,” “Man with the Bag,” “Cool Yule” and “My Simple Christmas Wish (I Wanna Be Rich, Famous and Powerful).” Amtson promises “a variety of jazzy and traditional arrangements with a few surprises mixed in.” The Lake Oswego resident also sings with the Oregon Sym phony Pops, most recently playing the role of Harold Hill in its production of The Music Man. The Portland Gay M en’s Chorus has a busy December Bower is a regular in the piano bar, sought after by a multitude of cabaret singers. From 1994 to performed it all over the world. So last year the 2000 he served as music director of the Musical man made A Taffeta Christmas, which delighted Theater Company, where he won a 1999 Drammy Portland audiences to no end and is now in Award for musical direction of Funny Ghi production all over the country. This is the HollyTones’ fourth year doing Hence, the Broadway Rose Theatre Com the cabaret, and, according to Amtson, “there’s pany would be foolish not to present the new no better way to kick off the holidays than to yuletide revue from local gay musical theater enjoy live holiday music while throwing back a writer and director Rick Lewis, Q.I. Holiday martini or two at Portland’s cabaret hot spot.” Jukebox. Lewis wrote and stars in this follow Wilf’s Restaurant is at 800 N.W. Sixth Ave. up to 1997’s G.I. Jukebox. The cabaret is $10; make reservations at The new show is a salute to the Stage Door 503-223-0070. Canteen of the 1940s. Set during World War II, it features four fictitious Hollywood stars who’ve gathered a string of musical hits to entertain the troops. It’s reminiscent of U SO he Portland G ay M en’s Chorus celebrates shows of days gone by, complete with a tribute the season with traditional French flair in to the Andrews Sisters. “How do we do that its holiday concert Yule, L a, L a ! Dec. 14 with a cast of two men and two women? and 15 at Reed College’s Kaul Auditorium. H m m m ...” teases Lewis. This noteworthy holiday event is a tradition The show runs through Dec. 22 at Tualatin for Portland queers and straights alike, and High School Auditorium, 22300 S.W. Boones executive director Tony Stroh promises we Ferry Road. Tickets are $10-$ 18 from won’t be disappointed. It will be “the best of 503-620-5262 or www.broadwayrose.com. the season,” he says, with standards including In addition to whipping out musical theater, “O Holy Night,” “We Gather Together,” “Win Lewis works as entertainment director of the ter Wonderland” and the perennial Nigerian Portland Spirit and is tickled to introduce the favorite “Betelehemu.” There will also be a boat’s new cabaret concert series. “ River of memorable rendition of Tchaikovsky’s “Nut Stars!” will play host to some of Broadway’s cracker ‘Sweet’ ” as well as the much-anticipat biggest names. Kicking off the set in January is ed sing-along. Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel in Disney’s A s if the holiday concert isn’t enough, the Oscar-winning The Little Mermaid. chorus has added what we hope will turn into Soon after comes Les Miserables’ Tony-win an annual event— Brunch with Beefcake Santa. Don’t miss this buff opportunity to sit in one of four gorgeous laps and tell him what you really want for Christmas at noon Dec. 22 in the Grand Ballroom of the Governor Hotel. This holiday fund-raiser for the chorus hon ors Roy Melani for his outstanding and tireless work in bringing the Gay Softball World Series (3,000 queer athletes and their families) to Port land last August. The event includes a silent auction and raffle with theater tickets, dinner and hotel packages, artwork, autographed sports memorabilia and a mink stole up for grabs. Tickets for Yule, La, La are $12-$20 (spring for the better seats). Brunch with Beefcake Santa is $25 or $50 for VIP, which includes champagne and a gift. Tickets for both events can be purchased at 503-226-2588 or www.pdxgmc.org. 0oh la la! T * Lewis delights musical theatergoers again nee upon a time in New York City, a man brought a fantastic show to the stage called The Taffetas. People loved it, cheered it and with Yule, L a, L a and Brunch with Beefcake Santa ning Michael Maguire, Beauty and the Beast lead Susan Egan and Debbie Shapiro Gravitte, Tony winner for Jerome Robbins' Broadway. For a complete schedule of the dinner shows, visit www.portlandspirit.com. (Suggestion: A package of all four would make a great gift.) And in shopping ■ ■■ ow, there’s a lot of craft and gift sales out there, isn’t there? Don’t fret: Just go to these very queer-friendly ones right here. Riches at R im sky’s is a sale of artistic Romp through the Renaissance C an you say Madrigal ? Then say it again, honey, because on Dec. 13 and 15 the Ska mania Arts Foundation presents A Madrigal Feast that proudly romps you and yours through five courses of intrigue, mistaken identities, love potions, chase scenes and Susan Detroy’s colorful cards and prints are available at Vivace G allery’s 17 th century music. Knock Your Socks O ff! holiday sale Lesbian musician and performer Lynn Thom as directs the entire gifts and treasures ffom 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. production and serves as choral mistress Dec. 7 and 8 at Rimsky-Korsakoffee House, (“sounds a bit kinky,” she admits). She also 707 S.E. 12th Ave. Lesbian artist Serena plays “The Lady of the Manor,” and her part B arton joins 10 other women artists with ner, Simone Brooks, “runs rampant as ‘the paintings, clothing, bags, hats, jewelry, pot hunchback,’ ” she says. tery, soaps, journals and other sundry hand made objects. Plus you can have dessert afterward. Lesbian Sierra Lonepine Briano invites you to Sierra’s H oliday Shop ffom 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays until Christmas Eve, with extended hours Dec. 22 and 23. The shop, located at 208 N.W. Couch St., features artwork by Briano as well as other artists. The seventh annual H oliday Bobble is ffom 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 14 and 15 at the Sap phire Hotel, 5008 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd. This artists co-operative event offers a wide range of wares for holiday gifting using the latest in recycling techniques. Vivace G allery, 207 E. Fifth Ave. in Eugene, which is owned in part by the lesbians who bring you Sumiche Handwrought Jewelry, present the gift show Knock Your Socks O ff! through Dec. 31. The show focuses on gifts with "ARTitude and affordability” and features cards and matted prints by lesbian artist Susan Detroy. JT1 The Broadway Rose Theatre Company presents Rick Lewis’ Q.I. Holiday Jukebox through Dec. 22 Compiled by L isa B radshaw and M arie F leischmann
