Bay Area Reporter :: Cabaret News

Drag queens & DJs & drinks, oh my! Besties nightlife venues & events for 2023

October 24, 2023 | by Michael Flanagan

Yes, some bars have closed, but more nightclubs and bars have recently opened than in years past, despite the pandemic. This includes winners and runners-up, many in Oakland. Celebrate them all by going out.

'The Rocky Horror Show' — Ray of Light & Oasis deliver a definitive delight

by Jim Gladstone
Oct 10, 2023

To borrow a line from playwright-composer Richard O'Brien, Ray of Light Theatre "has discovered the secret, that elusive ingredient, that... spark that is the breath of life itself!" in its electrifying resurrection of O'Brien's own "The Rocky Horror Show."

B.A.R.'s Bestie balloting begins

by Cynthia Laird
Sep 25, 2023

It's time for Bay Area Reporter readers to cast their ballots for the LGBTQ newspaper's annual Best of the Bay contest.

Kiki and Herb return for Castro Theatre holiday concert

by Jim Provenzano
Sep 18, 2023

On December 15, Kiki and Herb's "O Come Let Us Adore Them" will bring out the holiday spirit, and/or spirits, at the Castro Theatre. Justin Vivian Bond and Kenny Mellman's sometimes soused cabaret duo rounds off their tour with a Bay Area homecoming.

Help is On the Way 27: REAF's latest dazzling fundraiser

by David-Elijah Nahmod
Jul 11, 2023

Cast members from the new touring company of the classic musical "Les Miserables" will join other Broadway and cabaret stars at the Marines' Memorial Theater on July 16 for "Help is On the Way 27: Broadway & Beyond," the latest REAF fundraiser.

Katya Smirnoff-Skyy celebrates 18 Years at Martuni's

by Christopher J. Beale
May 16, 2023

J. Conrad Frank's character Katya Smirnoff-Skyy was custom-made for a specific reason: to host cabaret and sing live. This week Katya celebrates 18 years hosting Katya Presents at Martuni's piano bar, a passion project that became an institution.

Spotlight on Pride at Lyon & Swan: four gay performers are featured now through June

by Jim Gladstone
May 16, 2023

To celebrate Pride month, the queer-owned Lyon & Swan supper club has booked a remarkable slate of four local gay artists, all worthy of broad attention, to play the intimate room.

Tales of Taylor: Ann Talman's musical memoir at Feinstein's

by Jim Gladstone
May 9, 2023

Ann Talman first met Elizabeth Taylor in January 1981. The writer-performer brings her musical reminiscences of La Liz, "The Shadow of Her Smile," to Feinstein's at the Nikko on Friday, May 12.

Migguel Anggelo brings "LatinXoxo" to Stanford

by Laura Moreno
Apr 25, 2023

Migguel Anggelo, the larger than life Venezuelan-born creative genius, has put together a cabaret show called "LatinXoxo" that is an "outrageously queer concert experience."

In the Spotlight: singular talents hit local stages

by Jim Gladstone
Apr 11, 2023

A breakout glam rock cabaret star; a character actress who plays a whole cast of characters; Broadway's standby success story of the year; and a show tune interpreter like you've never heard before.

Ann Hampton Callaway has the "Fever"

by Gregg Shapiro
Mar 28, 2023

More than 30 years since the release of her debut album, jazz vocalist, songwriter, and Winnetka-native Ann Hampton Callaway shows no sign of slowing down. Her new album pays homage to the late great Peggy Lee.

Wonder Dave's Safe Words: new comedy night at the SF Eagle

by Christopher J. Beale
Mar 20, 2023

Wonder Dave, the host of the new Safe Words Comedy Showcase at San Francisco's iconic leather bar The Eagle, discussed the ups and downs of working in a not-so-queer business, and how he creates LGBTQ events to counter that.

'Cockettes: Res-Erection' - Oasis musical revue recalls famed queer theater troupe

by David-Elijah Nahmod
Mar 14, 2023

Oasis will come alive with the sound of The Cockettes on March 23-25. For those who may not know, The Cockettes were a queer theater troupe that performed in San Francisco from around 1969-1972.

Catherine Russell: singing the test of time

by Jim Gladstone
Feb 21, 2023

"Before I record something," explained Catherine Russell, who plays the Fairmont Hotel's Venetian Room February 26 as part of the Bay Area Cabaret Series, "I always test them out with live audiences, just to see if they work. Luckily, they usually do."

Claybourne Elder: gay Broadway star plays two Bay Area shows

by Jim Gladstone
Feb 14, 2023

In advance of his concerts in Napa and San Francisco, Claybourne Elder, star of 'Company,' 'The Gilded Age' and more, shared a few remarkable stories of his Mormon upbringing and theatrical good fortune.

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