4 8 jU S t O U t ’ decomber 3. 2004
SPECfAL
a u - h o u pa y
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Friday Night
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M u s t he at least 18. M e m b e r s h i p required.
“It’s all about a little girl who grew up in
Oregon and moved to the big city,” jokes drag
performer C hristopher Kenney (aka Edie)
about his new show, Legs. T he semiauto-
biographical variety show is opening in New
York City next spring. It tells the tale of Ken
ney’s winding journey to the Big Apple.
This and other projects have Kenney sky
rocketing toward his dream to make it on
Broadway. St) make sure to catch him while
you can, one night only, 8:30 p.m. Dec. 15 at
Darcelle XV, 208 N.W. Third Ave.
Voted New York’s Best Drag Performer by
readers of the city’s largest gay publication, HX,
Edie has been called a “triple threat” for her
fabulously long legs, glamour and talent. She
has wowed audiences from Radio City Music
Hall to Atlantis gay cruise ships and every
where in between.
The Portland native spent four years as a
dancer with Ballet Oregon (now Oregon Ballet
Theater) and five years with Pacific Northwest
Ballet in Seattle (run by none other than the
parents of current O BT director Christopher
Stowell). Finally, he got to New York and has
been there for the past 10 years, building a repu
tation as a consummate and comedic perfonner.
All that hard work paid off in spades when
just a few weeks ago Kenney received word
that he— or rather, Edie— got the part of Lucy
Brown in Wallace Shawn’s new version of The
Threepenny O/K-ra. The gender-bending show
posits Kenney-as-Edie-as-Lucy opposite gay
icon Alan Gumming as Mac the Knife. The
musical is slated for a run on Broadway in the
spring. Kenney will also share the stage with
Christine Baranski and Edie Falco.
All this fame has not dulled Kenney’s
appreciation for Oregon one hit.
“It’s really special to come hack to Portland,”
he says. “It’s a beautiful part of the world.”
Kenney visits his family here often, and
lucky for us, he also does gigs lull of a “high-
energy ’60s Mod mix of song, comedy and lots
of dance, dance, dance.”
Plus, the sweet smell of the natural world
here makes him giddy.
“I feel so proud to he from Portland,” he
says. "Love it, love it, love it!”
Latkes and lights
Jewish queers, dust off your menorahs and
head out to Keshet’s Hanukkah celebration at
5:30 p.m. Dec. 12. The Portland gay Jewish
group is hosting a special potluck with home
made potato latkes (otherwise known as edible
platters for sour cream and applesauce— which
Keshet will also provide).
Hanukkah is not the big to-do that C hrist
mas is, hut it’s still a lovely celebration this
time of year. Also known as the Festival of
Lights, Hanukkah is an eight-day commemora
tion of the rededication of the Temple of
Jerusalem. This year the holiday begins Dec. 8
and ends Dec. 15.
Keshet co-founder Laney Kihel says the
group’s m onthly potlucks evoke a hamishe, or
homey, feeling. She remembers when the .
group was first forming three years ago and a
gay teacher/father said th a t lor the first time
he felt like he could he all of himself in
one place.
You don’t have to he Jewish to attend a
Keshet potluck, just gay-friendly. For the
Hanukkah dinner, attendees will he asked to
pay $7.50 to offset the costs of the latkes
and a klezmer performer and will he asked to
bring a main dish, salad or dessert to share. No
charge for children. Also, bring your menorah!
For more information or directions, call
David at 503-226-7079.
Jump for joy
Ever see an actorbat fly? Well, you will if
you head over to Echo T heater for Do Jump for
the Holidays, the latest extravaganza by the
acclaimed Portland dance troupe.
“Actorbats” are artistic director Robin
Lane’s name for her company members— a
cross between actor and acrobat— and Line,
who founded the collaborative company 27
Edie, who was voted New York City's Drag
Entertainer of the Year, is looking forward to
her holiday homecoming
years ago, says the members of Do Jump!
Extremely Physical T heater are "highly
skilled, highly trained performers...who have
the unstoppable power of creativity.”
Lane was just 23 when she formed D>
Jump! in 1977, and under her direction and
choreography, the company has been delight
ing families with its unique and unexpected
blend of acrobatics, aerial dance and comedy.
Do Jump! creates a world that infuses athletics
with aesthetics, where humans dance in the air,
everyday objects take on a life of their own and
joy abounds. Influenced by the choreography of
Alvin Nikolai, Do Jump! is a pioneer in aerial
dance and has toured extensively throughout
the United States and Canada, including a
recent stint in Alaska.
Do Jump for the Holidays is a reprise of the
actorbats’ popular holiday show (they even per
formed it on Broadway) with brand new materi
al added— particularly “Divided We Fall,”
which is especially appropriate given the cur
rent political climate. However, audiences can
expect any political messages to he imbued with
the company’s inimitable zaniness and flair.
Returning works include “Something from
N othing,” a wow-inducing number perfonned
entirely under black light, the popular audience
participation piece “Walk Person” and (my
personal favorite) “Dance with the Dollies,” in
which actorbats partner with furniture dollies
in pas de deux reminiscent of Fred Astaire and
Ginger Rogers. Company members are joined