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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 31, 2016)
GENTLEMEN JANES TODDLE ON THE CATWALK FOR A CAUSE Photo by Joshua Bessex Yazmin Shiraz, a Jane Barnes Revue Gentleman Jane, strikes a pose at the Malama Day Spa in Astoria. JANE BARNES REVUE KICKS UP ITS HEELS SATURDAY Story by KATE GIESE W Photo by Joshua Bessex The Brownsmead Flats, in drag, opened the 2015 revue as “The Brownsmead Floozies.” 12 | March 31, 2016 | coastweekend.com hat’s your idea of entertain- ment? If it’s the rollicking, bois- terous, even bawdy kind, don’t miss the Astoria Down- town Historic District Associa- tion’s sixth-annual Jane Barnes Revue. This year, the event is 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at the Astoria Event Center. Then, barring any diva-driven tantrums or catastrophic ward- robe malfunctions, a bevy of local beauties — 18 in all — will strut their stuff on a cat walk that’s been re worked to afford even more opportunities to see and participate in this delicious topsy -turvy extravaganza! Painted, bewigged and dressed to the prover- bial nines, these are the Gentlemen Janes (or GJs), almost all straight guys in drag. Joining them this year, will be ¿ ve, cross-dressing women. All are local business owners, town “movers and shak- ers” or simply good-natured souls willing to en- gage in somewhat naughty, but harmless hijinks for a good cause. It’s worth making the scene just to watch guys navigate the cat walk in women’s heels! Rumor has it that one year a GJ had a bit too much wine backstage and actually fell off the cat walk onto a table full of women. It’s signi¿ cant that the Jane Barnes Revue debuted amid the heightened historical focus of Astoria’s bi centennial year. It too draws from our colorful past, plucking a plucky Jane Barnes from the pages of Astoria history and dropping her into the middle of a drag show. Not surprisingly, the event has quickly become the ADHDA’s second biggest fundraiser. Last year’s show sold out completely! Photo by Joshua Bessex An audience member reaches to pick up a feather on the stage, while Scooter Yorktown, performed by Jade Kiosse, dances during the 2015 Jane Barnes Revue. THE LIVE AUCTION ADHDA President Dulcye Taylor will emcee the Revue. With help from Norma Hernandez, she’ll also run the live auction at intermission. “We got some great items donated,” she prom- ises. Know too that it will actually be possible to pay to get someone up on the cat walk. You put up the money and your designee will be hustled back- stage, made up, put in a dress and wig and walk the walk. Just ask locals Darren Orange and Buzz Bissinger who “surprise walked,” as it’s known, last year. When it comes to auction item donations, they’ve poured in from local businesses like Fin- nWare, Holly McHone Jewelers, the Cannery Pier Hotel and others and from area residents. “The community is always very generous,” says Taylor. Also helping are local breweries, distillers, restaurants, beauty salons (including the Mala- ma Day Spa where Riki Fleischman works her cosmetological wizardry doing the GJ’s makeup every year), used -clothing stores like Garbo’s and more. Judging from past auctions, bidders love the experience packages on offer. So, expect some re- ally interesting things to be up for grabs. For the right price, for example, you can tour the headwa- ters of the watershed. Alas, there’s no get-out-of-jail -free card, but the Astoria Police Department will give you a gun and shooting range time. As an added attraction, Marco Davis will perform during intermission. Jane Barnes Revue 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 2 Doors open at 7 p.m. Astoria Event Center 255 Ninth St . in Astoria 503-325-4356 Groups of seats are not available this year. All tickets are for single seats : VIP seats are $70; catwalk seats are $50; not-so-close seats are $40 and general admission is $20. Tickets are available at Old Town Framing, 1287 Commercial St. in Astoria; call 503-325-5221. Tickets may be available at the door, but there’s a risk the event will sell out again this year. In terms of the amount of money raised ($15,000 in 2015), it got a real boost when peo- ple in the audience spontaneously began stuf¿ ng money in GJs’ clothes—up sleeves, down neck- lines and even slipped into garters — as the stars of the show wowed everyone. One former GJ told this writer that s/he raised close to $1,700 one year. It’s all in fun, of course, and means great things for downtown Astoria. A WIN FOR DOWNTOWN The small, but effective downtown group consists of a board of directors (11 in all plus one ex of¿ cio) one full-time staff er whose sala- ry is supplemented with funds from Americorps’ RARE program and an annual budget of around $140,000. At www.astoriadowntown.com, we learn that the ADHDA has taken on some tall tasks. As a non pro¿ t formed to preserve the unique essence of Astoria’s historic downtown and promote the area’s continued health and viability, community involvement is key, as is ensuring that same is in- vested in what projects are undertaken in a given year. Just a few of these projects, include : Three annual fundraisers: the Paci¿ c North- Photo by Joshua Bessex Photo by Joshua Bessex Marco Davis, performing as Daylight Cums, is showered with praise and money, while dancing to the song “Big Spender” at the 2015 Jane Barnes Revue. The money from the event went to the Astoria Downtown Historic District Association. Otillia Bruford peeks at the camera at Malama Day Spa. The spa serves as a key hair and makeup source for the Gentlemen Janes of the ADHDA’s annual Jane Barnes Revue, set for April 2. west Brew Cup in September the Jane Barnes Revenue, usually in March or April and the new- this-year Shore Style Wedding Faire in January • The ever-popular monthly “Second Saturday Art Walk” • The Fourth of July Walking Parade • Promotional events for the holidays, like “Plaid Friday “and “Skate Into the Holiday Sea- son” at the Astoria Armory as well as downtown lighting that makes Astoria “sparkle” • Hosted a popular series of Downtown Walk- ing Tours, highlighting downtown businesses, building history and revitalization efforts. In 2015, the ADHDA amassed over 2,700 vol- unteer hours , leveraging its budget in a big way. The group’s creativity and hard work hasn’t hurt either. Peter Gimre, past ADHDA president and board member enthuses, “I’ve been with them forever. (The ADHDA) has never been stronger than it presently is so many people are involved. It seems like nearly every year, they’re getting an award from the state’s Oregon Main Street program.” James Finley’s article on Barnes for the Ore- gon Historical Society’s “Oregon Encyclope- dia.” “Although mocked over the years, even by historians, for being poorly educated and ill-mannered, Barnes received sympathetic treatment from historian George Quimby, who saw her as a strong woman able to adapt to cir- cumstances in a challenging world dominated by men. ‘In terms of upward mobility within the rigid class structures of early 19th Centu- ry England,’ Quimby wrote in a 1980 Paci¿ c NW Quarterly article, ‘JB Robson was a tre- mendous success. For her day, she was cer- tainly a liberated woman — she had the ability to endure and even enjoy what she could not change, and she knew how to use men, the only option open to a woman who seems to have had a zest for life.’” These other dimensions to her character shouldn’t put a damper on Jane Barnes Revue revelries. In fact, it seems even more ¿ tting and proper to pay homage to this redoubtable lady. And if in the spirit of fun, this is done in a ribald, less-than-genteel manner, the above-de- scribed adventuress turned respectable married lady (and mother of two boys), would proba- bly have laughed uproariously and found it all great fun, had she known. Besides, as Taylor maintains, “it’s all crazy, ridiculous fun”. She remembers when Gimre (of Gimre’s Shoes) came out dressed as Mar- lene Dietrich and warbled, Happy Birthday Mr. President. “He did a damn good job too,” she laughs. “It’s kind of a shock ’n awe thing. You real- ly don’t get it until you’ve been. Either you’ll keep coming or you’ll say ‘that’s not for me.’” WHO IS JANE BARNES? In 1814, Jane Barnes, a former barmaid from Portsmouth, England, and the ¿ rst Euro- pean woman in Oregon , made the fatal mistake of coming to the area with one man — Donald McTavish — and leaving on the ship Columbia with another — Anthony Robson, (the ship’s captain who ended up marrying Jane). In between, there was a lot of tittle -tattle and innuendo that’s come down to us, much of it courtesy of rejected suitors. Jane was notori- ous — the epitome of fallen womanhood and not very smart to boot. More balanced accounts exist — like in March 31, 2016 | coastweekend.com | 13
