Even though her claws didn’t entirely come out on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Las Vegas showgirl Kimora Blac still got pegged as one of the villains of season nine — a designation some attribute to a reality TV pitfall tellingly dubbed the “villain edit.” Sure, Blac bitched about challenges involving sewing . . . and bedazzling…
Overtime Theater Presents World Premiere of ‘The Last Days of Oscar Wilde’
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. From its early days in the Blue Star Arts Complex to its stint in the shadow of the Pearl, The Overtime Theater has consistently captured our attention with truly unusual (even absurd) programming that’s taken shape in nearly 100 original works since its inception back in 2007. Having…
Amy Stone Sheds Light on the Bizarre History of Cornyation
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. For many San Antonians, Fiesta is simply something that “happens” each year — a sprawling, expensive, messy celebration that lures tourists into downtown, dumps confetti all over the place and inspires folks to get dolled up in candy-colored garb to gawk at bedazzled “royalty” passing by on parade…
Get Ready to Rumble with the LGBT Smackdown ‘Wrestle Empire’
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. Possibly the most unusual aspect of San Antonio’s annual Pride Bigger Than Texas Parade and Festival (taking place July 1 in Crockett Park), Pride Championship Wrestling (PCW) bills itself as “the first LGBT wrestling organization in San Antonio and the United States.” Presented in partnership with The Royal,…
Out in the Park Mixes Drag Queens and Roller Coasters with Fabulous Results
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. Not unlike Orlando’s Gay Days at Walt Disney World — which annually attracts an estimated 50,000 color-coordinated attendees — Rey Lopez’s slightly smaller (he’s hoping for 5,000) fall signature Out in the Park functions as an over-the-top LGBT theme-park takeover. An instant hit built around the winning combination…
In The Weeds with McAllen Transplant Lika Torline
“I’ll try to give you the short version, but it’s still a long story,” Lika Torline warns me before zigzagging through the series of events that led her to launch In The Weeds Natural Skin Care, a chemical- and cruelty-free line of products she creates out of a live/work space at the Gardens at San…
The Overtime Hosts World Premiere of Spooky Gay Comedy ‘Ghostbears’
While it champions Texas-bred productions, the wild and wacky Overtime Theater also stages offbeat works concocted by like-minded playwrights from across the nation. Given his track record fusing Goth culture, Netflix fandom and David Attenborough-inspired nature docs (Among the Squirrels), not to mention setting a Greek myth in a 1950s-era Arizona diner (Iphigenia in Kingman),…
LGBTQA artists, crafters and performers unite for Queer the Cheer
Devised by local artist/educator/musician Ernesto Olivo and a handful of collaborators from varied backgrounds, the SA Queer Collective is designed to “emphasize and promote” the diverse talents of the Alamo City’s LGBTQA community. Initiated in 2013, the collective’s inaugural Cheer the Queer attracted 200-plus shoppers and browsers with its winning mix of handmade wares, tamales…
Trixie Mattel and Delta Work team up for Rey Lopez’s ‘scary dollhouse Halloween party’
Billed as a “scary dollhouse Halloween party show,” Rey Lopez Entertainment’s latest outing combines the over-the-top talents of RuPaul’s Drag Race grads Trixie Mattel and Delta Work. Allegedly safe for “ages 3 and up,” season seven starlet Mattel (born Brian Firkus) favors a “life-in-plastic aesthetic” possibly best suited for Barbie’s stepmonster. Despite her role in the…
Dixie Longate mixes comedy, drag, and Tupperware at the Tobin
Since her early days entertaining “straight Republican white women” in Orange County living rooms, wayward Southern belle Dixie Longate—an over-the-top drag character created by writer/actor Kris Andersson—has earned comparisons to Dame Edna and emerged as an unlikely ambassador for Orlando-based Tupperware Brands Corp. Putting an unapologetically trashy spin on the Tupperware-party format, Andersson’s signature show (touring…