Monthly Archives: June 2016
Neverland Pool Party July 2
The Neverland Pool Party is back! One of the most unique summer parties in Chicago (the ONLY big LGBT dance party with a pool) returns for 4th of July weekend on SATURDAY, JULY 2nd. All-day party from noon-8pm with music by Neverland alum DJ JALIL Z (Miami). Deuce’s and the Diamond Club 3505 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60657
PRIVATE CABANAS: There are 8 private poolside cabanas. Purchase of a cabana comes with a premium bottle of Belvedere vodka & mixers, and admission for 4 people.
VIP POOLSIDE LOUNGE: There are 2 premium VIP poolside lounges; chic setups along the pool with sofas, a bottle of Belvedere vodka & mixers, and admission for 4 people.
**BEEFED-UP SOUND** provided by ILC, the masterminds behind Neverland’s Metro stage installations & lighting.
or Egoist Underwear (3526 N Halsted) has hard-copy tickets (no service fee) for $15 to the pool party.
XANADU onstage in Chicago!
FREE TICKETS!!!! first email I get, wins 2 tickets!
Choice of dates; Friday June 24 8pm
Sunday June 26 2pm
Wednesday June 29th 8pm
or Thursday June 30th 8pm. BestGayCities@gmail.com
AMERICAN THEATER COMPANY OPENS XANADU
A TRIBUTE TO LATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PJ PAPARELLI
DIRECTED BY LILI-ANNE BROWN
NOW PLAYING THROUGH JULY 17, 2016
American Theater Company (ATC) opens musical comedy Xanadu, the final production of its Legacy Season, on Sunday, June 5. Presented as a tribute to ATC’s late Artistic Director PJ Paparelli—a not-so-secret fan of this camp classic—Xanadu is directed by Lili-Anne Brown with choreography by Brigitte Ditmars and runs at ATC now through July 17, 2016. The production has music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar and a book by Douglas Carter Beane, based on the 1980 Universal Pictures film of the same title.
Single tickets for Xanadu range from $48-$58. Student tickets are available for $15 with valid student ID in-person at the Box Office. More information and tickets are available by visiting the ATC Box Office at 1909 W. Byron Street, by calling 773-409-4125 or visiting www.atcweb.org.
The cast for ATC’s tribute production of Xanadu includes Missy Aguilar (Calliope), Kasey Alfonso (Erato) Karla L. Beard (Melpomene), Jim DeSelm (Sonny), Landree Fleming (Kira), Aaron Holland (Danny Maguire, Zeus), Michelle Lauto (Kira U/S & Swing), Hanah Rose Nardone (Euterpe), James Nedrud (Terpsichore/Sonny cover), Daniel Spagnuolo (Thalia/Danny cover), and Cameron Turner (Swing).
Xanadu takes place in Venice, California in 1980. Struggling artist Sonny Malone seeks to create his own version of the American dream by renovating an abandoned warehouse into a venue for world-class entertainment – a roller disco! A hilarious and modern update of the1980’s camp classic, Xanadu celebrates the artist’s muse, even when it comes from the most unlikely of places.
Xanadu Performance Schedule
Regular Run: June 7–July 17: Tuesday–Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Neverland Gay Pride Chicago
NEVERLAND CELEBRATES FOURTH ANNIVERSARY WITH ITS BIGGEST CHICAGO PRIDE EVENT EVER – “THE LOST BOYS”
Neverland, the Chicago-based dance producer renown for its elaborate themes and production, is celebrating its fourth anniversary this year with its biggest Chicago Pride event ever. NEVERLAND PRIDE 2016 will take place Friday, June 24th through Sunday, June 26th with three spectacular events including the main event, Saturday night’s “The Lost Boys” at Metro. Pre-sale tickets, including $95 weekend passes to all three events (a $35 savings), are available now at www.neverlandpride.com.
“It’s our four year anniversary and we’re finally doing a Neverland-themed Neverland,” proclaims Anthony DiFiore, Neverland’s founder and Creative Director. “Our parties are always a tribute to big imagination, so for this year’s Chicago Pride, our production team is building extravagant Peter Pan and Hook elements to the main stage. Instead of traditional sets, we’re producing the night as more of a storyline with dancers and performers dressed as the famous characters.
“All the weekend’s events will be even more theatrical than ever before,” he promises.
NEVERLAND PRIDE launches Friday, June 24th at 11pm with a special edition of GayGlow at Charlie’s spun by NANDO, one of the most energetic and happening DJs on today’s national club scene. The fun continues Saturday at 11pm when NEVERLAND presents “The Lost Boys” at Metro, a two-story concert hall that boasts one of the finest stages in Chicago. It will be a surreal night of character-driven fantasy featuring a massive set. Barcelona-based DJ Ivan Gomez will man the decks alongside Chicago’s own Alexis-R.
Wrapping the weekend will be the Sunday night Closing Party at Mid, headlined by International superstar DJ Paulo. Paulo will present a dark and visceral production amidst one of Chicago’s most powerful sound systems. Opening DJs Sean O’Hara and TVG will start the night at 10pm with Paulo taking over until 4am.
The first NEVERLAND took place July 2012. Billed as a costume party with club music, it was kind of like Halloween in the middle of the summer. “We were an instant hit with the young crowd,” remembers DiFiore. In order to create a big dance party brand, he needed everyone to come. “Guys in their late 30s and 40s would tell me they were too old for a costume party.”
In 2013, NEVERLAND introduced themes to the events, along with more elaborate production. At “Walt Disney is Dead”, Brazil’s DJ Ana Paula dressed up as Maleficent while she was spinning. For the “Ratchet Ball”, producers brought in a graffiti artist from Michigan to create graffiti on large canvases hanging from the walls of Hydrate Nightclub.
Soon, every group was represented, from muscle guys to hipsters to drag queens and more. “Today’s Neverland is like a Studio 54-style party,” says DiFiore.
Last year’s Pride party was a “Bougie Ball”. Producers went all out with the theme, from putting fake rolls of hundred dollar bills as toilet paper in the bathrooms, to firing off fake money as confetti during Sasha Colby’s performance of “Bitch Better Have My Money”. Giant gold birdcages flanked the stage with gogo dancers wearing three-foot long lion headdresses.
“What sets our team apart is that many of our artists don’t even go to big dance parties. They’re a set designer who cares deeply about what the set is going to look like, or a costume designer who is developing their own label and is working with Neverland to showcase their talents.”
Even the crowd gets in on the act, with many of the attendees arriving in full costume. “Revelers are always welcome to wear whatever they want,” says DiFiore. “Some will come in simple jeans and tees, and that’s fine! I’m excited to see lot of Pans, Hooks and of course, Tinkerbells.”
For tickets and additional information, visit www.neverlandpride.com. Pre-sale tickets, including $95 weekend passes to all three events (a $35 savings), are available now.
Navy Pier LGBT Event June 25th
“Navy Pier Pride 2016” Celebration Salutes Chicago’s LGBT Community
Chicago’s first-ever family Pride celebration outside of Lakeview
takes place at Navy Pier on Saturday, June 25
WOW!!! THIS IS BIG NEWS!
As it marks its 100th anniversary, Navy Pier will make Chicago history as it proudly hosts “Navy Pier Pride 2016,” the city’s first LGBT Pride celebration outside of the Lakeview neighborhood. This family-friendly event features entertainment and events throughout the Pier on Saturday, June 25. As part of the celebration, and for the first time in 28 years, Navy Pier is especially honored to display Chicago-centric sections of the internationally renowned The NAMES Project’s AIDS Memorial Quilt. All events for “Navy Pier Pride 2016” are free and open to the public, as part of the Fifth Third Bank Centennial Celebration®.
As one of Chicago’s top cultural destinations, “Navy Pier Pride 2016” is one of Navy Pier’s new arts, cultural and community programming initiatives. In addition to a lively atmosphere and a pier adorned in rainbows, highlights of this special Pride day-long event will include (times are approximate):
Noon – About Face Theatre’s IT’S FOR REAL is a collection of stories that connects issues around race, class, sexuality, age, gender, self-esteem, and family. Based on the true experiences of the performers in the show.
· 1 p.m. – A kickoff parade, led by the Lakeside Pride Marching Band.
· 1:30 p.m. – Performances by the legendary MILLY’s ORCHID SHOW, featuring Brigid Murphy as “Milly” and with an entire cast of such celebrities as Yuri Lane (“The Harmonica Beatbox Man”) and introducing rising gay icon, his 8-year old daughter, Delilah Rose, along with Alexa Grae, Robert Cornelius (former member of the group, “Poi Dog Pondering”), House-O-Matic, and many others.
· 5 p.m. – “Chicago’s Biggest Wedding,” officiated by Angelica Ross (a leading figure in the movement for transgender and racial equality, and star of the hit series, “Her Story”). Make history with us and your loved one, as we hold a massive marriage ceremony on The Pier.
· 7 p.m. – For outdoor dancing, with the Chicago skyline as a backdrop, join house music superstar and Grammy Award-nominated producer, DJ RALPHI ROSARIO, in the Miller Lite Beer Garden.
· 10:15 p.m. –Guests will observe a moment of reflection to honor those lost in the tragic events in Orlando, followed by a celebration of life with a special Pride-themed fireworks spectacular.
Another historic and moving part of the day is the return of The NAMES Project’s AIDS Memorial Quilt. The much-celebrated Quilt began to take shape in 1987 with a single 3 x 6 foot panel created in San Francisco. Today, it weighs 54 tons and is composed of more than 48,000 individual panels, each one commemorating the life of someone who was lost to AIDS. In 1988, Navy Pier became one of the first venues nationally to put The Quilt on public display.
“Throughout its 100-year history, Navy Pier has led the way in demonstrating compassion and commitment, while celebrating diversity and inclusiveness. Welcoming people of all backgrounds is at the heart of Navy Pier’s core values. We are, truly, ‘the People’s Pier,’” said Marilynn Gardner, President and Chief Executive Officer for Navy Pier, Inc., the non-profit organization that operates Navy Pier. “We believe ‘Navy Pier Pride 2016’ will be an event that embraces the ideals of respect, tolerance, love, and inclusiveness.”
“Navy Pier Pride 2016” has been in the planning stages for months and is one of the initial projects as part of Navy Pier’s bold, new Arts & Discovery programming initiative. Leading the vision and direction of this 18-month Arts and Discovery strategic planning initiative is Navy Pier’s leadership team, consultants from Dickerson Global Advisors, as well as more than 100 Chicago non-profit arts and culture organizations. Navy Pier’s cultural and community programming is supported by the Polk Bros. Foundation.
Recently appointed Guest Artistic Director, Steve Abrams, brings creative leadership and vision to the first series of Arts and Discovery programs. The programs launch this summer as a pilot initiative. As a driving force in Chicago’s diverse cultural landscape for the last three decades, Abrams brings an innovative arts background to Navy Pier. His prior experience includes senior and executive leadership roles at Steppenwolf Theatre Company and the Harris Theater for Music and Dance at Millennium Park, and producing numerous theatrical productions.
For more details on “Navy Pier Pride 2016,” and the Fifth Third Bank Centennial Celebration®, please visit the Navy Pier website at www.navypier.com or the Navy Pier Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
About Navy Pier
Located on Lake Michigan, Navy Pier is the top-attended leisure destination in the Midwest, stretching more than six city blocks and welcoming more than 9 million guests annually. Originally opened in 1916 as a shipping and recreation facility, this Chicago landmark showcases more than 50 acres of parks, restaurants, attractions, retail shops, sightseeing and dining cruise boats, exposition facilities and more. In 2016, Navy Pier celebrates its 100th anniversary with a series of special events and programming, the grand opening of its new Centennial Wheel and ongoing pier-wide redevelopment efforts as part of the “Fifth Third Bank Centennial Celebration.” Navy Pier, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization, maintains and oversees Navy Pier and its redevelopment into a bolder, greener and more contemporary urban space. For more information, visit our website at www.navypier.com.
Rooftop Pride June 24th
Center on Halsted presents TKO!
Start your Pride Parade weekend with community for Center on Halsted’s annual pride bash overlooking Halsted Street on the Richard M. Daley Roof Terrace. Jump in and groove to the killer sound of our dueling djs:
DJ Billy Brown vs. DJ Gemini Jones
Lady Bunny PERFORMS & OFFICIATES
$20 entry includes admission with two drinks, nibbles, and cash bar
PRICE
$20 entry includes admission with two drinks, nibbles, and cash bar
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Purchase tickets here: https://community.centeronhalsted.org/TKO
Gay Queer Rap Hip Hop June 23rd
Thursday, June 23rd
7:30 – 11:30PM @ MANHOLE
VIP Access $35 (Buy Tickets)
-Includes: 1 hour premium hosted bar
-Artist Lounge Access
Includes:
-1 hr premium hosted bar
-Artist Lounge Access
-Premium bottle service w/ table for 5 people
-Artist Meet & Greet
-Express entrance to AfterParty (Berlin) w/ Champagne service
THE LARK opens in Boystown Chicago!
LKH Management (LKH), the group behind Andersonville’s recently opened Replay and Elixir, announced that its eighth property, Lark, will officially open to the public Thursday, June 16.
The first 50 people through the bar and restaurant’s doors that day, beginning at 5 pm, will receive a voucher for one free pizza, available for redemption by July 31, 2016. Between 5 pm and 2 am, everyone who visits the new venue will be eligible to enter to win free pizza for a year*.
Located at 3441 N. Halsted, in the former Halsted’s Bar + Grill space, Lark will offer an ideal environment for drinks seven nights a week, where guests can listen to music from the 80s and 90s until 2 am Sunday through Friday and 3 am Saturdays, as well as watch music videos from those eras playing on the 13 large screen TVs.
“We’re excited to bring this new addition to the bar scene in Lake View, which features the beautiful original wooden bar from the former Cullen’s Bar & Grill on Southport,” said Mark Liberson, LKH president. “Our weekend guests will enjoy having the chance to select albums from our collection of LPs, play retro board games and dine on our artisanal pizzas with their drinks.”
Lark will also offer authentic Neapolitan wood-fired pizzas, as well as pasta, sandwiches, entrées, salads, appetizers and weekend brunch. Lark plans to be among a handful of officially certified Neapolitan pizza establishments in Chicago. In order to obtain certification from The Associazione Verace Pizza Napolitana (VPN), Lark must adhere to strict guidelines, including what ingredients are used, how the dough is made and how long the pizzas are cooked.
Chefs Bernardo Ibarra (Girl and the Goat) and Kaz Medhat (Magnolia Café), recently leading the culinary team at Replay and Elixir in Andersonville, will helm the Lark kitchen. Creating a menu rich in flavors, the chefs will incorporate inspirations from Italy and beyond while Lark’s beverage director, Vlad Novikov, will curate drink offerings consisting of craft cocktails, extensive wine by the glass options and 16 tap beers.
The 2,400 square foot venue will accommodate approximately 90 people, and open onto one of Lake View’s largest existing patios, doubling the venue’s capacity with nearly 100 additional seats. In addition to bar and table seating, guests can choose to sit and watch the chefs prepare and cook the pizzas around the Mugnaini pizza oven, dine and drink at the historic handcrafted wooden bar, or lounge in comfortable seating surrounding Lark’s working fireplace.
“We can’t wait for everyone to join us and enjoy a taste of something they won’t find elsewhere in the neighborhood,” said Chef Bernardo. “We’re thrilled to share all the special features of the new oven, and to create delicious dishes beyond pizza, incorporating wood-fired items throughout the menu.”
Exposed brick and handcrafted wooden details will line the walls of the new venue. DJs will play 80s and 90s records Thursday through Sunday nights from 10 pm to close.
Lark will be open Monday through Friday 5 pm – 2 am, Saturday from 10 am – 3 am, Sunday 10 am – 2 am. Dinner will be served every night from 5-10 pm. Brunch will be available 10 am – 3 pm Saturday and Sunday. Late-night pizza and limited menu options will also be available nightly until close.
Please visit http://www.larkchicago.
*One winner will receive one free pizza per week for one year (52 total pizzas) starting Monday, June 20, 2016. Limitations will apply.
BIG BOOK OF DRAG AND ART
WHAT A GORGEOUS BOOK! And for a coffee table art book, its very affordable at about $35! Why Drag?
224 pages of the biggest and most diverse queens across America and beyond, all answering the question, Why drag?
Everyone loves to gag over photographs of their favorite queens, and chances are, some of the photographs have been taken by talented drag queen photographer, Magnus Hastings. His popular Facebook page, Dragged Around the World, archives some of his best work.
This celebrated artist has been photographing drag queens for the past 10 years- and his artwork showcasing queens is taking the world by storm! LAST YEAR, Hastings’ first photo exhibition in New York, Why Drag?, ran during Pride, at the OUT HOTEL. The best part about this unique exhibition is that each queen he photographs explains why it is that they do drag (but you’ll have to the exhibit to see that!) – Now, you can get the book!
Magnus Hastings came up through the London Gay scene and quickly gained recognition as one of the forerunners of his type of the pop art photography. playing with campy ideas when it was not fashionable to do so and embracing drag queens as a subject and study. He says, a “child of drag,” prone to putting on his sister’s clothes and dancing around his childhood home. But he didn’t truly discover the drag world until much later, long after he himself had stopped dressing across gender lines.
He completely revamped the Gaydar franchise in 2009 and has been published worldwide in magazines such as Glamour (uk), GQ (uk), Cosmopolitan (Italy),People (usa) , US weekly (use), Attitude (uk) ,AXM (uk), Bent (uk), QX international (uk), Blue (australia), Boyz (uk), Nois (spain) to name a few.
In 2003, on a visit to Sydney, Hastings walked into the Arq nightclub and saw the drag queen Vanity Faire lip-syncing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz in a flawless Dorothy outfit. The experience changed his life.
“I started shooting drag because it’s my home and my world and it feels like my family,” Hastings said.
Watching that performance connected Hastings to a part of himself that he’d abandoned due to social pressures as a child but that he still longed to explore.
With Vanity’s guidance, Hastings began photographing the city’s vibrant drag scene and developing a polished, dynamic style of portraiture reflecting his subjects’ creativity and humor.
As he traveled the world, he continued capturing local queens with a focus on those who best represented the art’s diversity and daring, from the bearded to the “fishy,” or ultrafeminine.
His images attracted a larger audience when he started posting his photos to his Facebook group, “Dragged Around the World.”
Magnus now lives in Los Angeles with his Jack Russell named George and is heavily involved in photographing the drag scene.
‘Why Drag?‘ with photographs by Magnus Hastings and a foreword by Boy George, was published in May by Chronicle Books. BUY THE BOOK!
Chicago PrideFest 2016 Jordin Sparks
IT’S OUR STORY | TAKE PRIDE
As the Northalsted Business Alliance prepares to welcome thousands of celebrants for Chicago Pride Fest on June 18-19, the organization marks the month by sharing Pride stories. Be it individual, collaborative community memories, or examples of neighborhood initiatives, NBA will share narratives across social media using the #OurStory hashtag.
Northalsted Business Alliance Executive Director Christopher Barrett Politan explains the initiative. “As our collaboration with The Legacy Project continues to take shape, it’s an honor to celebrate Pride Month with the LGBT trailblazers who adorn the neighborhood on The Legacy Walk. Most importantly, it is a reminder to take pride in not only our individual accomplishments, but our collective pride in the neighborhood and community.” Collective Pride is weaved throughout the festival as Pride Fest goers are encouraged to donate at the gates to support the neighborhood initiative to provide a clean, beautiful and safe space for everyone to celebrate.
A centerpiece of Pride Month is the two-day Chicago Pride Fest, which celebrates the past, present and future of the LGBT community. Entertainment options abound with Jordin Sparks lighting up the stage on Saturday, while former Danity Kane members Aubrey O’Day and Shannon Bex of the Dumblonde duo shake things up on Sunday. pridefestRising star Daya of ‘Hide Away’ fame joins Dumblonde in the Sunday line-up.
Other performers over the two-day festival include:
Boy Band Review, Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus, Chicago Spirit Brigade, Emii, Fabio Campos, Goldhouse, Jason Maek & Zaena, Lakeside Pride Orchestra, Luciana, My Gold Mask, One Night Band, Rod Tuff Curls, Sushi Roll and Wedding Banned.
In addition, the perennially popular Pride Pet & Family Parade at 12:30PM on Sunday Funday, hosted by Ms. Foozie will open the second day of the festival.
Chicago Pride Fest June 18-19 11 am – 10 pm
Halsted from Addison to Grace $10 Entry Donation
About the Northalsted Business Alliance (NBA)
Formed in 1980, NBA represents more than 100 businesses along the Halsted Street corridor. The organization hosts major events throughout the year including Chicago Pride Fest, Northalsted Market Days, Frost Fest, Pride Prom and the Halloween Parade. For information about NBA and The Legacy Project visit www.northalsted.com
SAGE Chicago Event June 10th
WE ALL GET OLD. And we need to have respect for those before us, who fought for some of the rights we have today, and where we have gotten to.
SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) is the country’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ aging people.
SAGE offers innovative services and programs to LGBT older people nationwide—throughout New York City and through our national affiliate program, SAGENet. From arts and culture, to health and wellness, and much more, SAGE’s innovative services and programs support thousands of LGBT older people in communities around the country. Additionally, SAGE’s leading programs—such as SAGEWorks, our employment program for LGBT older people—are often expanded into various sites around the country.
On Friday, June 10th, the Chicago Steering Committee of SAGE will host its annual SAGE & Friends event. This annual affair provides a great opportunity to engage SAGE’s Chicagoland area supporters – individual and corporate donors, community partners, and policy advocates – in a fun event that showcases and supports the work which SAGE is advancing on a national level and in the Midwest. SAGE will be honoring Congressman Mike Quigley at the event. $50, open nbar and appetizers. June 10, 2016
5:30 – 6:30 PM , Wyndham Grand Hotel, 71 E Wacker Drive, downtown Chicago!
As the voice for LGBT older adults, SAGE works across the country to advocate for public policy changes that will improve the economic security, community support and health and wellness of LGBT elders. We partner with policy makers, agency heads and members of Congress, to ensure that policies and laws are inclusive of and support LGBT older adults.
Help Chicago Homeless Start Over
From Alderman James Cappleman –
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I have worked hard to encourage the City of Chicago to adopt a housing first model to reduce the number of people living with homelessness after noticing its success in other parts of the country. This strategy works best when two components are in place: a sufficient amount of subsidized housing coupled with wrap-around services. The most difficult piece to this model is having a dedicated source of funding to make an investment for long-term cost savings. I’m working with Mayor Emanuel to have a steady stream of funds available so that we can remain focused on housing. Some of this funding will be through a 4% surcharge for a new Airbnb Ordinance and there will be some additional funding coming from the Clarendon-Montrose TIF development. Our pilot program to get 70 people living under the viaducts along Lake Shore Drive directly into housing is now underway. We have had a number of meetings with housing advocates, the folks living under the viaducts, city departments, and other community leaders to create a plan that will work. After all of these individuals without homes are in their new apartments, the Dept. of Family & Support Services (DFSS) will assess what worked well with this project and where improvements can be made. Afterwards, DFSS will select more areas throughout the city where people are living outside in encampments to implement this housing-first strategy.
How You Can HelpI’ve asked Inspiration Corporation to help me with a “New Home Starter Kit” drive. This starter kit will provide these 70 individuals going into new apartments with some of the needed supplies to start life in their new homes. To organize this process of purchasing this starter kit, my office has created a registry with Target. If you’re able to help, please click here to go to the registry and purchase needed items that will assist these individuals start their new life in an apartment. Inspiration Corporation will host a day at their Uptown headquarters where you will be invited to help put these starter kits together so that they can be distributed. A substantial number of people living on the streets have told me that they became homeless right after they were released from Cook County Jail with no employment or disability in place and no family available to help them start over again. Without these necessary supports in place, it’s no wonder why we have such a high recidivism rate in our prisons. Later this month, I will be meeting with Cook County Sheriff Dart’s Office, DFSS, and the Dept. of Public Health to discuss how a more effective transition could be made when people are released from jail. I am pleased that so much is coming together to help those in need. It’s a very complex process, but lasting solutions require thoughtful planning with everyone working together. Best,
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