Bay Area Reporter
Camera Obscura's 'Virtue' — Rarely-seen Cautionary Tale at the Roxie
Filmmaker Camera Obscura's tech-dystopian "Virtue" comes to us like a latter day version of James Whale's "Frankenstein" to assure us that indeed, "Fire bad!" It also features a bevy of 1990s SF luminaries.
Women in Summer Operas and Symphony Concerts
The San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Opera are both presenting a number of concerts and productions, through May and June, primarily focused on women.
Katya Smirnoff-Skyy Celebrates 18 Years at Martuni's
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.
Project Nunway: The Sisters' Sartorial Celebration Returns
Holy haute couture! The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence's popular Project Nunway fashion show fundraiser returns May 26, and this time, the eleventh edition will be held in a former church, St. Joseph's Art Society.
Spotlight on Pride at Lyon & Swan: Four Gay Performers are Featured Now through June
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.
Fabulous & Fractious: The Lavender Tube on Drag Queens, Death Cleans, and CNN's Careen
With the GOP passing anti-LGBTQ laws every week and taking a stronger stand against queer and trans people existing than against sedition, watching drag feels like a revolutionary act. So watch we shall!
Arts Notes: Cal. Academy Talks; Frameline's Colin Higgins Foundation Grants
A new series of panels at the California Academy of Sciences reclaims scholarly research to underserved voices, and Frameline announced new young filmmaker grant recipients.
Town Bar Adds Style to Oakland's Nightlife
Oakland's newest gay bar, Town Bar & Lounge, is a family affair, as owner Joshua Huynh explained. The intimate bar is one of a few new LGBTQ-owned venues in the East Bay.
'1776' — A New, Queer Take on an Old Classic
It's been more than fifty years since the musical "1776" opened on Broadway. But a new production takes this old chestnut and turns it on its ear. cast entirely with female, transgender and non-binary actors.
Tales of Taylor: Ann Talman's Musical Memoir at Feinstein's
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.
Review: Queer Pakistani Film 'Joyland' is Transcendent
Saim Sadiq delivers a remarkable directorial debut in "Joyland," the first Pakistani film to premiere at Cannes Film Festival. It's also the first major Pakistani motion picture to feature a trans actor in a lead role.
Spring Books Round-up, Part 3
Our final installment of Spring books includes Edmund White's provocative latest novel, a collection debut from a local Bay Area poet, memoirs from a former meth dealer, an outspoken queer female cultural critic, and a queer Black nurse.
Review: Ana Castillo's 'Dona Cleanwell Leaves Home' Offers Seven Beautiful Stories
"Dona Cleanwell Leaves Home" is the latest collection of short stories by literary legend Ana Castillo. It features seven beautifully told stories that come to life as they seamlessly straddle the cultures and move between locations in the U.S and Mexico.
Billy Porter's Big Pop Tour
As a child in the 1970s, Billy Porter fantasized about growing up to become "the male Whitney Houston." He'll dip back into that oft-deferred dream later this week in both San Jose and San Francisco concerts.
Theatre Flamenco of San Francisco Features Adrian Santana
Theatre Flamenco of San Francisco proudly presents the upcoming show "Transitar por un Mundo sin Tiempo (Passage through a Timeless World)" on May 13 at the Herbst Theatre, featuring openly gay dancer Adrian Santana from Malaga, Spain.
Spring Books Round-up, Part 2
Continuing with the sequel to our spring book picks, here are nine new selections. We have a mind-bending tale of a tech worker's life gone awry, a memoir from a Tony Award-nominated actor, a cult survivor's childhood memories, and more.
'Imaginary Country' - Sharp & Fine's New Show Dances Into the Future
From May 12-14, Z Space will host the world premiere of Sharp & Fine's "Imaginary Country," a new dance piece that poses the question: What would happen if you could see into the future?
Dr. Carl Blake & Noontime Concerts Keep the Music Moving
Dr. Carl Blake, a board member, artistic advisor and concert pianist, underscored the beneficent mission of Noontime Concerts, the organization dedicated to presenting free classical and jazz music concerts.
Review: 'Mama's Boy' is Dustin Lance Black's Personal Cinematic Family Memoir
The new HBO Max documentary "Mama's Boy," based on screenwriter and director Dustin Lance Black's 2019 bestselling memoir, aims to tell you much more than what it shows you, yet remains touchingly personal.
Seeing and Being Seen: The Lavender Tube on 'Law & Order' and Lesbian Optics
Our intrepid TV columnist compares 'Law & Order' episodes then and now, Lesbian Visibility Week guests at The White House, and politics on the tube.