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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 17, 2004)
38 J U S t O U t » decomber 17.2004 eatingout I eatingout eatingout eatingout YOURSELF! Great Coffee, Pastries, Soup & Gifts On the corner of 41st £r Woodstock (503)774 0577 ¡ jp n íF i n Ufe ,, q R im i nil r, i* i Ì * laurelThirst Public House * Everyone welcome since 1 9 8 8 free Hom em ade 6 8 pm m usic e ve ryd ay Specials Free or Low all week B re a kfa st i 9 -3 ' cover m usic % ti everynight. •» 1 1 'J t f f c . Open M i c e v e ry d a y T u esdays 9pm 2 9 5 8 N E 9 lisa n (5 0 3 ) 2 3 2 - 1 5 0 4 fo r m e n u s a n d m u sic sch edu les t r y Laurelthirst.com G e n ie s D in n e r W edn esd a S p e c ia l W GROLLA C a f e R e s t .ju ra n t £ v V V |ne F ) n r M o n - S at J o in y in e N ig h t ^ • « u s for GAY HAPPY HOUR T hursdays 9 to 1 1 featuring live jazz with |im Soloway .special small plates menu 2?? o N L 1101 SE D ivisio n 5 0 3 -4 4 5 - 9 7 7 7 I V E R S I O N S Always coming home eatingout TREAT D K jH in g sw o rth «3*-. T D X S O1 ) S ~ L \ w ww .grolla.net he voices of more than 100 women soar to crescendo. Even from the audience, you can see the strong individual character of each choir mem ber: O ne woman sings with her arms straight at her sides, another sways gen tly hack and forth during the chorus, a third forms a perfect “o” with her mouth for every note. This is A urora C horus, part of the Portland vocal community since 1992. W ith participants young and old, les bian, hi and straight, Aurora personifies diversity. It exists to demonstrate the uplifting power of music and the strength of women’s lives. Choral performances range widely in theme and content hut share one constant: Aurora Chorus sings for peace, choosing songs that inspire the feeling in the singers and the audience. Aurora’s annual December concert is not meant to he about one particular holiday. Often the show focuses on win ter and the darkness, hut this year the theme is Always Coming Home. Lesbian director Joan Szymko says, “T he holi days are very much about homecoming, and being at home, whatever that home Lesbian Joan Szymko leads Aurora Chorus is, he it the family that you make or your ting. “Expedition” is an Oscar Wilde-style blixxJ family." Szymko named the concert after a poem by comedy that takes place at the South Pole, Oregon literary doyenne U rsula K. Le G uin while “Mixed Messages" concerns a group of The poem, found in Le G uin’s hook Aiiwry.s high schixders stranded on the side of the road Coming Home, is about leaving comfort behind in the middle of winter. In “Principal and the Pee,” a principal who in order to go out and explore, and returning resembles President Bush cancels winter vaca safely from the journey. Szymko composed an tion and kx:ks up the schixil, leaving his stu original piece for the show, setting Le G uin’s poem to music. dents to freeze on the playground. Finally, “Spud Toppers" is an office comedy wherein Tliis song will he performed for the first one character complains about her cold office, time during concerts scheduled tor 4 and and a m aintenance man hits on a gay office 7 p.m. Dec. 19 at C atlin Gabel Schtxil’s Cabell temp. Hall, 8825 S.W. Barnes Road. Tickets are $18 All of the acting duties rest on the shoul at the door or $15 in advance from ders of four people. The token homo is Joseph 503-AURORA-l or www.aurorachorus.org. Bolembaugh, a tall, amiable M ontana native O ther show highlights include “Seasons of who moved to Portland after graduating from Love,” from the musical Rent, and “Life Is a Song, college three years ago. His which was acting credits originally composed include It s a Wonderful Life for a chil dren’s cho with Oregon C hildren’s rus. The kids them Theatre and The Heiress with selves Triangle wrote the lyrics. PnxJuctions. Szymko If you read observes, his conduct reports from “It’s really grade sch<x)l, amazing you’d never how pro gues$ that found chil Bolembaugh was dren can a future actor. he.” From left, Chris Murray. Paige Jones. Joseph Bolenbaugh and “I was a horribly Humor Saren Nofs-Snyder bundle up for The Cold Comedy Concoction ous skits by shy kid," he says. “I would barely even speak in class to answer storyteller A nne Rutherford and Portland questions. actor Tobin G olihar lighten the nruxxJ. In one skit, G olihar’s gay character retreats to the All that changed at Willamette University in attic to escape the family hexi-ha. According Salem, where he landed a noaspeaking role in to Szymko, “The concert is going to he a com A Midsummer Night's ITream. “It was so great,” he bination of very warm, authentic, poignant recalls. "There was a huge round of applause.” music, with this really fun time as well.” O f his four roles in Concoction, Bolembaugh favors the British explorer in “Expedition.” But there’s one drawback. “The British accent has leaked into some of my cither characters, et ready to shiver. Just in time for winter, which frustrates the director,” he says. Stark Raving T heatre presents The Cold W hen he’s not on stage, the 25-year-old Comedy Concoction. works at Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children. Off the chx:k, h e’s a self- T he show consists of four world premiere described “homebtxJy." one-act plays, each with a cold or wintry set- Frosty frolics
