k.d. lang at the O'Shaughnessy. Photo by Sophia Hantzes.

To see additional photos of the event, check out the gallery here.

k.d. lang was definitely correct when she said, “You may feel a slight pulling to the front of the stage–especially if you’re of the female persuasion. This is normal. Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve discovered that the banjo proves to be somewhat of a chick magnet.” But, what she was wrong about was what exactly was pulling all of us to the stage. It wasn’t the banjo; it was her.

On Thursday, May 10, k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang performed at The O’Shaughnessy to a nearly full audience that gave her 4 well-deserved standing ovations. Keeping the audience in the palm of her hand for two hours, lang sang many of her powerhouse hits and added some new songs to spice things up. The Grammy-winning musician was backed by five extremely talented men (Daniel Clarke, Josh Grange, Joe Pisapia, Lex Price, and Jerry Roe), all of whom performed many impressive solos throughout the night.

Opening for lang was Jane Siberry, a Canadian singer-songwriter reminiscent of Joni Mitchell (a very high compliment in my book).  Siberry’s sassy and sarcastic opening number made me blush (lyrics mentioned thighs, hips and–gasp–tongues); surrounded mostly by older women, I felt like I was listening to naughty music in church. Adding an electric guitar to her sonorous voice, Siberry’s sound was complete.  With a storytelling approach to her music, Siberry created the perfect balance between wistful nostalgia and wit. Her set was far too short for my taste, but she noted that her job was to collect the audience’s emotions and prepare everyone for k.d. lang because “Musicians love harmony.”

Jane Siberry at the O'Shaughnessy. Photo by Sophia Hantzes

lang’s sheer joy and love of music was felt immediately when she danced onto the stage.  Spinning and leaping into the auditorium, the crowd went wild with anticipation. From the first chorus she crooned in her rich, full voice, it was clear that lang is a woman that you wish could sing you to sleep every night and wake you up with song in the morning. lang’s suave and debonair presence recalled that of 1940’s singers with a gay rockabilly twist.

All of lang’s songs were solid, but the most awe-inspiring moment was when lang performed her rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” Though I’m partial to Jeff Buckley’s version, I have never heard a more personal or emotional rendition than lang’s. The extreme sorrow of the song was perfectly captured; lang expressed a myriad of emotions in less than five minutes, and I couldn’t help but be angry at the woman who made lang seem so broken. I’m not a person who is easily driven to tears, but everyone around me was wiping away tears.

It’s impossible to ignore lang’s sex appeal, regardless of your age. While lang’s sensual voice definitely caught the audience’s attention, it was the attitude she exuded that really sealed the deal. I got a little jealous when my date wrote a quick note, “I don’t care how old she is, she can have me OMG,” on my program, but I must admit that I was feeling the same way. With everyone else in the audience drooling over lang as well, I wasn’t too worried about my date running off.

lang’s music was enhanced by her sense of humor; between songs, she joked with the audience and kept everyone light-hearted, saying, “We have perfect weather, the president just made us really happy…probably Michelle had something to do with that. God, I love Michelle Obama. YUM.” She also teased the audience, “You’re at a kd lang show…you’re letting your freak flags fly.”

k.d. lang at the O'Shaughnessy. Photo by Sophia Hantzes.

After a two-hour show and two encores, k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang pulled the evening to a close with a brand new song. lang described the song as ‘the kind where you really need a lay.” With the lyrics, “Coffee in the morning tastes much better when you add a little cream,” everyone chuckled as they related to the song. lang’s solid performance and her delightful presence definitely made this concert one to remember.

Photos courtesy of Question One.

“How important it is to tell a good story–that guides my work,” states director Joe Fox. “The heart of any good story is to get to the heart and soul of the person.”

Fox, who together with James Nubile runs the New York-based Fly on the Wall Productions, has indeed told a damn good story with Question One, their documentary showing at Mall of America this week.

The Question in question concerns in Maine’s 2009 campaign focused on whether or not to repeal a recently passed law signed by Governor John Baldacci that gave same-sex couples the right to marry.

Fly on the Wall was granted unprecedented access to both sides for three months of interviews and filming (provided no footage was aired until after the election]. The company name reflects the filmmakers’ strength and their modus operandi. Individuals spoke directly to the camera, without interruption or voiceovers, immersing the viewer in the lives and emotions of proponents on both sides. Audience members are offered a rare, evenhanded glimpse of individuals that may be allies or opponents.

Fox, speaking recently with Lavender, said of the Yes on One adherents, “Once you can hear their words, it gives you an understanding of what we’re up against, the depth of their commitment. Once you hear that being spelled out, you have to see their dedication first hand.”

Mother, grandmother and volunteer, Linda Seavey presents an articulate and charismatic voice for Yes on One, while manager of field operations for No on One Darleen Huntress, shown with her partner Melissa, shines as an equally articulate and dedicated worker. There are numerous other compelling personalities one comes to know–and admire, if not always understand.

Photos courtesy of Question One.

Perhaps the most conflicted person in the film is Mark Mutty, chairman of the Yes on One campaign. As his power is eroded by the Sacramento-based PR firm of Schubert Flint (who won Prop 8 in California, One in Maine and the recent North Carolina decision), Mutty laments, “We use a lot of hyperbole and I think that’s always dangerous.” He is referring specifically to Schubert Flint’s outright lies and scare tactics telling citizens that a “No” win will mean that teachers will be forced to teach first graders about explicit gay sex. Nevertheless, Mutty urges, “All we have to do is create doubt. You don’t have to convince people that you’re right.”

Frank Schubert will be working to pass a similar amendment in Minnesota. How do we counter his tactics? Fox does not have a panacea, but notes “There are two real factors: that we need to keep having conversations and need to reenergize our base and allies. A third factor is that sometimes we soft-pedal our counter actions–we also need to go for jugular–[a campaign is] not always fair.

Voices are the heart of Fox’s film. Voices and one-on-one conversations. One must consider, he says, the Scalability factor–how to have conversations on a scale that’s effective–and emphasizes that it “Starts with one person.”

What does Fox consider the impact of Question One? “Above anything else, it’s an exciting movie. It takes you into this campaign, gives you a front row seat on how campaigns of this nature do run, it’s an important film for the times we’re living in–it’s so crucial to see how we’ve lifted the veil.

Photos courtesy of Question One.

“Frank Schubert who ran all three campaigns [CA, ME, NC] is in Minnesota, and I guarantee it will be the same playbook. They will divert the issue to the schools. You can put your head in sand and say oh my god… but you can see what will happen This is a preview.

“You can be depressed or say, ‘I’m gonna fight twice as hard.’ Beyond understanding the humanity of the people–why I made the film–was to see the nuances, how they’re fighting for their lives [as they saw it]. I was a mirror—I reflected. I tried to respect the humanity of [all] the people.

The repeal did pass, but Fox stresses, “What the film does is not portray a loss per se, but how the other side won. We need to see how other side won in order to get angry, to step up to plate, to do everything we can, to ask what I can do to win in November… I wanted people to be mad as hell–to walk out of theater and say, I’m going to commit and do what I can do. You stand up and you fight in many ways.”

www.q1-themovie.com

This is an important film to see for all gay and gay allies–for anyone interested in equal rights for every Minnesota citizen; for everyone concerned that discrimination against a segment of the population will written into our state’s very constitution. It’s more than marriage itself, Fox notes, “It is being given the choice–there is no other law that stands in the way of [gays] being equal,” and asks If the ability to marry the person you love and want to make a life with is not a right, what is it?

“In the end,” Fox states, “a campaign is a mix: a cocktail of conversation, fighting, and knowing what you’re up against.”

Fox will be present to answer questions at each of the 7 PM screenings at Mall of America, May 14-19. For more information and clips from Question One, visit www.q1-themovie.com.

2013 Dodge Dart Limited. All Photos by Randy Stern

Austin, Texas.

The first thing that comes to mind about the state capitol of the Lone Star Empire is its quirkiness. Austin does not represent the rest of state by the people and the openness of anyone who is different than the stereotypical Texan. Not everyone within the capitol’s environs share the ideology of its Governor. Austin folk would probably have more in common than one of its most celebrated residents – Matthew McConaughey.

While the capitol is prominent in the center of town, the campus of the University of Texas is immense in both real estate and community importance. It is perhaps a law to be a fan of the Longhorns – or, else. It is also a law to possess some form of creative outlet if you want to live in Austin. Case in point, Nakia from the first season of “The Voice” is a prominent and quite popular local performer.

After all, the city is the home of the South-by-Southwest confab and “Austin City Limits.”

I have never been to Austin. The only time I touched down in the state was to change planes at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport en route between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Burbank. It was not my decision to come to this place by my own devices. It was chosen – for a very important mission.

The 2013 Dodge Dart.

Since 2009, this vehicle was right-and-center on my radar. The journey began on November 9th of that year when Sergio Marchionne and his leadership mapped out a five-year plan for Fiat to reinvent Chrysler. Part of the plan was a fusion of Fiat-developed platforms and Chrysler design and manufacture. The aim was to create a world-class lineup of vehicles with global resonance as well as creating opportunities to sell them to North American consumers.

Every step of the way, the Dart was shaped by Fiat’s C-EVO platform currently unpinning the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and the Lancia/Chrysler Delta. For Chrysler, the C-EVO became the CUS-wide platform. By the time the North American International Auto Show opened to the global press in Detroit, the dream was fully realized. Witnessing the Dart at the auto shows in Chicago and Minneapolis confirmed my initial reactions to this byproduct of the synergy between Turin, Milan and Auburn Hills.

2013 Dodge Dart Rallye

In Austin, the dream became a production-fed reality forged by the men and women at the Auburn Hills headquarters and along the Belvidere, Illinois assembly line. As part of my mission, I came to the Texas capitol to experience the Dart with all systems operating. There was a varying selection of the newest Dart to experience out in the Hill Country – a haven for enthusiasts and leisure drivers alike. This was more than just reality being played out here.

The Chrysler story has been one that had been part of my life since right after birth. That moment was forged back when my father brought home a new 1965 Plymouth Satellite hardtop coupe and the subsequent 1970 Plymouth Barracuda. My automotive history had always been dictated in part by the Pentastar. I only have been a spectator covering the transitions, the ups and the downs of Chrysler for the past several decades.

Now, I am presented with the first offspring of Sergio Marchionne’s five-year plan to leverage Fiat’s re-born engineering and manufacturing processes onto a new wave of products under the Pentastar. Did Chrysler and Fiat do this one right? Will Chrysler’s recent financial and sales resurgence continue?

From the outside, all signs are indeed positive. The Dart appears to be a big larger than the average compact sedan, but who’s counting size when purpose matters most? It is handsome – perhaps the best looking product in its class. Yet, it is daring – forging elements of Dodge’s design tenets from various models onto this smaller frame.

Everything in the look of the Dart has been made to entertain the eye and felt to the touch – even on the outside. Though there are some who claim of derivative elements cribbed from the competition. I beg to differ. There is a high degree of personality that makes the Dart stand out in a crowd – even if the crowd happens to be other Darts.

During the drive, I was able to sample two different models – the Rallye and the Limited. While the Rallye offers up a sporty motif at the middle of the range – essentially a lateral upgrade for the SXT – the Limited shows the Dart’s luxury side with subtle upmarket cues. Aside from the three trim levels already mentioned, you could start with the SE at around $16,000, go to the top of the range with the R/T and the Aero model, touting a 41MPG highway rating. The first batch of Darts will be arriving at Dodge dealers sometime in June.

Once inside the Dart, there is a lot of offer for the driver. Between the Rallye and the Limited, you can find a happy medium that fits your driving style and comfort level. The Rallye sports contoured striped cloth seats with good of amount of bolstering, while the Limited has a lovely two-tone leather surface covering a very comfortable and relaxing cabin. Front room is fine, but taller drivers may want to adjust accordingly to fit. I found a comfortable position in both the Rallye and Limited, though I favor the Limited by a hair to my tastes.

One thing to note is that rear seat room may not be as generous as I hoped. Both headroom and legroom are better served for average-sized adults than larger ones. Trunk space is very decent for its class and an additional storage area is available underneath the front passenger seat cushion.

The gulf between the two examples I drove widens when presented with the instrument panel. The Rallye offers up a basic speedometer, tachometer, fuel and temperature gauges with a small center digital screen for trip information readouts. Below that is the slot for the fob-like, insertable key that was left behind by Daimler AG after they parted ways last decade.

The Limited steps up the game by a mile. You get a tachometer and the fuel/temperature gauges on each side. In-between these two dials, a seven-inch central TFT LED screen houses the speedometer that you can select how you would like to see how fast you are going and what kind of fuel efficiency you are experiencing. The TFT seven-inch is the key to personalizing your driving environment per the way you want to see how fast you’re going and your trip information. Starting up the Limited takes a push of a button and a newfangled fob to make sure it all works when you’re in the car.

In the Dart, you are presented with an 8.4-inch touch-screen dead center of the instrument panel controlling the infotainment options depending on model. In the Rallye, the screen offers up AM/FM/Sirius satellite radio readouts and controls, along with Bluetooth connectivity. The Limited tester came equipped with the UConnect Touch infotainment suite with a Garmin navigation system along with a reversing camera. The screen is quite huge and could vie for your attention, but it is useful in all the right situations. The sound quality is fantastic regardless of model – especially the Rallye and the Limited.

Controls are good to the touch, with both audio and air conditioning/climate control knobs and switches living below the big central screen. The wiper controls are shared on the same left stalk that controls the turn signals and high beams. A knob on the lower left corner of the instrument panel controls the headlamps, probably best to set for automatic control. Cabin safety is covered by the installation of ten airbags to protect you and your passengers in every conceivable way.

Both the Rallye and Limited models I drove had the 2.0litre Tigershark four-cylinder engine. On the surface, it is your standard dual overhead camshaft, four valves-per-cylinder engine with variable valve timing and so forth. The result is a 160 horsepower mill that feels quite decent. Combined with a brand new six-speed automatic gearbox, the 2.0litre Tigershark can be at ease when at speed. Push the throttle from a standing start and it will let you know its want for higher performance even with just 148lb.-ft. of torque. In the Rallye in particular, I hit the limiter a few more times than I’d really like. I also noticed a lag in both models thanks to the occasional long first gear that hates having to re-shift up hills. All Darts have front wheel drive.

Chrysler also offers two additional engines: The 2.4litre version of the Tigershark, good for 185 horsepower or Fiat’s 1.4litre Multiair turbocharged engine with 160 horsepower. If you choose the Multiair Turbo and would rather not depress a clutch for its six-speed manual gearbox, Fiat’s DDCT six-speed dual clutch gearbox is available.

The most exciting part of driving the Dart was discovering how well its driving dynamics package has come together. The ride is solid and supple. You can feel a bit of firmness on the Rallye than in the Limited. Handling is a similar story. The best way to describe the handling package in both the Rallye and the Limited is “near perfect.” It takes curves very flat. There is just a tad of roll in the banks and curves making the drive much more enjoyable and honest. If you attack the curves, as a good enthusiast should, the Dart truly comes onto its own in both the Rallye and the Limited. The combination of a sharper, weighted steering set and refined suspension set-up invites you to grab onto a curb without trepidation. Steering wheel action is near center with no play. Reaction from the wheel is sharp and exacting. The Continental tires shod on both models grip very well, despite tire noise from rougher surfaces.

If there is one drawback to the Dart, it would be the brakes. They start out pretty touchy at first, but they do modulate once they get going. However, panic stops are sharp to the touch. I expect the brakes will be sorted out by the time the actual production models arrive at your showroom.

In terms of fuel economy, Chrysler touted competitive consumption figures for all of the engine/transmission combinations. While driving a realistic Texas Hill Country loop, I averaged 29.1MPG. With all things being realistic, that number is right where the class should be for a mix of city and highway driving. You would most likely get better fuel consumption with the 1.4litre turbocharged Multiair engine – even with the new dual clutch gearbox.

Let’s get this question out of the way: Was it worth the trip to Austin to drive the Dodge Dart? The allure of driving a car that has the potential to change the compact game and to take a company up another level was more than enough to convince me to come to Texas. It was time well spent in Austin and in the Hill Country – the results were beyond expectations.

The Dart represents a reboot for Chrysler under Fiat’s tutelage. With most reboots, the end result is better performance overall. When you drive the Dart, notice everything. Feel the vehicle, hear the engine, throw it into a curve – just keep an open mind, even if you’re married to another manufacturer.

This is why the Dodge Dart has become the most important debut this year. This is why Sergio Marchionne has put all bets down on this car. This is why Chrysler will continue its recent success.

It is why this story will continue.

—-

Randy Stern is an automotive writer from Robbinsdale, Minnesota. He can be followed at Victory & Reseda – http://www.randystern.net.

Stephanie Miller’s Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour is coming to the State Theatre today, May 12, much to Minnesota’s delight.  We’ve had a roller-coaster week with the Veep endorsing same-sex marriage, North Carolina’s Amendment One banning same-sex marriage, and the POTUS endorsing same-sex marriage, while hearing of more bullying and girding our loins for more campaigning against our own anti-Marriage Equality Amendment.  God, grant us some levity.

An answer to this prayer?  The Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour.

Do you need a safe space where you can gather with people who will laugh in the face of preposterous political stories and opinions?  Do you want to crack a smile and guffaw while throwing political-correctness out the window for simple, brazen opinion?  Even better, do you want to sit self-righteously in the knowledge that what you’re hearing is morally defensible, historically accurate, and intelligently constructed?  Yes?  We hear a bit too much about “reparative therapy” here in our fine state, so make sure you come out for some group therapy tomorrow night brought to you by laughter, the best medicine.  Homophobes will be called homophobes.  You’ll come out of this comedy show better able to argue in a political or religious debate than when you went in.*  Do yourself and your cause a favor and come hang out with the Sexy Liberals.

I had the opportunity to talk to John Fugelsang, one of the sexy outspoken members of the tour, yesterday morning.  John is known not only for his acting and comedy, but also his sharp commentaries regarding religion and politics.  Lavender will run a longer feature about John, his parents (a former nun and former Franciscan brother), and his thoughts on all-things-sociopolitical at a later date, but here are some serious snippets to woo you into joining the Sexy Liberals for some of your own reparative therapy…the kind that will hopefully undo some of the stress caused by the fight at the fore.  Imagine comedy…fueled by these philosophies.

Andy: The Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour has been touring the country for a year–how has it been received?

John: The audiences have been wonderful.  I really wanted to do this tour because I really believed there was an audience for it.  A progressive political comedy tour.  There are so many people in America who identify as progressive or liberal or Democrat or SANE or ANTI-EVIL and these folks are afraid to put an OBAMA bumper sticker on their cars when they go to their jobs or their church.  And Obama’s not even all that liberal in the big picture. We really wanted to bring this as a way of telling people ‘You’re not alone’ and in the most entertaining way possible.  What I really love about Stephanie is that I think she’s  a real radio innovator.  She’s the first person to take that zany, wacky morning zoo format and do something smart, moral, and political with it. We wanted to try to get that on the stage.  We wanted it to be the smartest, the funniest–the most morally defensible comedy show you’ll ever see.  There are lots of dirty jokes but they’re for a pristine cause.

Andy: I saw on The Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour’s Facebook page that you’re going to be bringing a big GAY Super-Sexy Liberal Party to us Saturday night.

John: Oh, yeah?  I didn’t see that, but it is certainly in the news this week and very relevant.  I was going to be talking about a bunch of other political issues but suddenly gay marriage is back on the front burner and I’m really excited about it.  There are few things I like talking about more than homophobia in a Christian context.  With my background especially, I get pretty angry when people try to use Christianity as a cover for bigotry.  I don’t know if you know about my parents, but the backbone of what I do is take what the Bible says versus what Jesus’s unauthorized fan clubs claim to believe.

Andy: North Carolina made the news this week with Amendment One.  Minnesota has its own anti-marriage amendment on the ballot this fall and we’re very serious about it.  Will the Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour hit the issue from a more fun perspective?  Be a little group therapy by way of humor?

John Fugelsang: Yes. From a fun perspective, but also from a moral and intellectual and Biblically correct perspective. Billy Wilder said that if you’re going to tell people the truth, make it funny or they’ll kill you…and that has been my guiding principle behind doing any kind of political stand-up and with the Stephanie Miller Show.  The good news for people who aren’t homophobes or haters is that when it comes to the issue of marriage equality, the Constitution, morality, Jesus, and intelligence, history are on our side.

Andy: About opening our minds, the topic of nature v. nurture has been coming up lately.  Do you have anything to say on the topic? 

John: I sure do, yeah. First off, in the big picture, nature v. nurture doesn’t matter if you’re serious about words like liberty and freedom for our society.  Whether you’re born that way or not born that way, if you believe in liberty and freedom, it’s irrelevant.  You can’t claim to care about liberty and freedom and then deny happiness and equality to taxpaying gay American citizens.  Now, my mom is a 78-year old former nun.  She said to me the other night after the announcement, “Who would choose to be gay in this culture? Who would sign up for a life of being scorned by their peers and [...] being despised by your own culture?  Who would sign up for that?”  And that was what a 78-year old ex-nun who was born in the segregated south said to me the other night.  I couldn’t phrase it any better than that.  We’ve all known gay children.  We all have.  And, you know, I don’t believe that “gay” and “straight” are fixed identities. I believe in the Kinsey Scale and that you can be more one than the other. Quite frankly, I’ve known gay men who occasionally have been with women and I’ve known lesbians who enjoy the occasional hook-up with a man and GOD BLESS THEM. Lesbians who enjoy the occasional romp with a man have helped me go on living.  I believe in sexual fluidity.  I don’t get hung-up on this black-and-white mentality.  I believe in self-identification and that people get to decide what they are.  We have the freedom, this is what liberty is about.

Andy:  Where do you think this whole GLBT rights movement is going?

John:  When I was a teenager, I moved to Greenwich Village.  I still live there.  It was in the ’80s right when ACT UP was beginning to flourish.  I live right across from Stonewall in Sheridan Square.  To this day, I am astonished by how much progress we have seen in 25 years.  No other minority group has achieved so much equality in such a short period of time as the LGBT population. It makes me believe in America, it makes me believe in the human race.  The great irony of all of this is that it might never have happened were it not for a plague. AIDS and the devastating indifference to AIDS by the Reagan and Bush Administrations made the LGBT people mobilize and get together and get active in a way they probably never would have without it.

You know, irony is the one religion that will never let you down.  I think that we can look at this and say that beauty can come from the most horrible of tragedies and I think that the progress that LGBT citizens have made in the past 25 years is a direct credit to the human spirit.  That a devastating plague and societal indifference to it led to the greatest, most rapid advancement of civil rights for any minority group in human history. And I give credit to all the heterosexual folks who helped it all happen, too.

Andy: Speaking of administrations, what do you think of our right-wing Minnesotans?  Any words of support you can offer us?

John: It is the cruelest bitter irony ever that the state that gave us Bob Dylan also gave us Michele Bachmann, isn’t it? You know, look.  You can’t stop progress.  The status quo is always more organized–that’s why they’re the status quo, because evolution takes a long time and social progress takes a long time.  Michele Bachmann and Tim Pawlenty will live long enough to be ashamed of where they stood on marriage equality in the eyes of their own grandchildren.

Andy: Do you think it’ll just happen one day that we’ll wake up and everything will have changed for the better?

John:  No, it’s gradual. Our grandchildren will be shocked that gays were despised in our culture just as I’m shocked when my mother tells me about the segregated South that she grew up in. It’s a sign that we’re improving as a species. It’s generational.

Andy:  I was reading the other day about how tired we are of culture wars–how they’ve just got to stop.  We’re tired.  We’re done with them.

John: It’s never going to happen. It’s human nature to be fearful.  All this liberal/conservative crap, it’s really just a struggle between love and fear.  Are we going to to open our hearts and open our minds and grow and evolve or are we going to hide in our caves with our rocks and keep everyone else out?  Loving involves risk. Anytime you choose to love a person or a child or a group or a cause, you’re gonna get your heart broken. You’re gonna get disappointed. You’re gonna look silly because you chose to love. And it’s still the right way to conduct yourself.

Indeed.  Many thanks to John Fugelsang for taking time out of his busy day in Madison yesterday to talk to me about the show tonight at the State Theatre here in Minneapolis.  This was a generally serious conversation, but now you know what will be fueling the funny tonight.

Stephanie Miller’s Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour (with John Fugelsang and Aisha Tyler)
Saturday, May 12, 8pm
State Theatre, Minneapolis
Tickets: HERE 

_____________________

Follow John Fugelsang on Facebook and Twitter.

The Stephanie Miller Show can be heard on AM950 from 8-11 weekday mornings.

*In the spirit of objectivity, please be sure to inform us when the Sexy Conservatives come to town to talk about Marriage Equality and fighting homophobia and we will promote the hell out of that event.  We’re serious.  Take us up on it.

OutLoud! Photo courtesy of Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus

OutLoud!, a small ensemble comprised of select members of the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus, is a force to be reckoned with in its upcoming show Forces of Nature on May 11 and 12 at the Ritz Theater. Channeling the four elements of nature (earth, air, fire, and water), these talented men will perform creative arrangements of crowd-pleasing favorites like “I Feel the Earth Move,” “Landslide,” “Ring of Fire,” “Glitter in the Air,” “Proud Mary,” and so many more.

Directed by Bob Schlidt, OutLoud! is an audition-only group formed out of the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus in 1993. Current members include Dan Lekatz, Ryan Rollinson, Sean Sweeney, Scott Dutton, Rob DuBois, Josh Grant, Matt Hoppe, Erik Hamberg, Nathan Croner, Mike Stebnitz, Robbie McNamee, and Eric McCool.

The Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus is an award-winning community chorus made up of volunteers of all ages across the metro area. The non-profit organization provides men with an opportunity to connect with others with a common passion–music. But TCGMC isn’t just focused on creating entertaining performances. TCGMC uses music to build community and promote equality. In a recent press release, TCGMC says, “As an organization that celebrates diversity and uses music as a way to transform, educate and heal, TCGMC works towards the elimination of homophobia and intolerance through community outreach.”

Forces of Nature will be performed on May 11 and 12 at 8:00pm at the Ritz Theater in Minneapolis. Tickets are priced at $29 for general admission, and guests also have the option to sit at 4-seater cabaret tables (complete with a bottle of wine or non-alcoholic alternative) for $168. For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Ritz Theater Box Office at (612) 436-1129, or visit the website at  www.ritzdolls.com. Tickets are selling quickly–don’t miss out!

Episode 3: Ross talks about working to reach your potential, phone plans, pot roast, and more!

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Photo by Scott Pakudaitis.

Noah Bremer’s inspired direction of Capital Crimes: The St. Paul Gangster Musical makes for a raucously entertaining history lesson at St. Paul’s History Theatre. The legendary Ma Barker, played with sociopathic grit by Cathleen Fuller, is willfully naive, shall we say, about her gangster son, Fred (Matt Erkel), and his cohort, Alvin ‘Creepy’ Karpis’s (Josiah Austen Gulding) exploits in bloody crime. St. Paul’s police chief is fine with the Karpis-Barker gang holing up in the Minnesota capitol, until they do a bank job too close to home right across the river in Minneapolis.

Bremer, known for his stylized directorial aesthetic, brings a combination of vaudeville and film noir mixed with and expressionistic edge that not only artfully suits the 1930s era with a gorgeous speakeasy set by Erica Zaffarano, but which also serves the playwright David Hawley’s crisp dialogue. Hawley has a sharp ear for the pathological, self-pitying rationalizations such hardened criminals often have.

Photo by Scott Pakudaitis.

Drew Jansen’s music and lyrics also capture that pathological edge and are for the most part sung well by the cast. And thank you E.J. Subkoviak for giving a far, far, far more honest performance as J. Edgar Hoover than Leonard DeCaprio’s in last year’s bitterly disappointing Clint Eastwood film fiasco. Though Capital Crimes is reminsicent of a stylized comedy style that you might have seen something like in a ’30s cabaret, it still tells the truth better than Eastwood’s cowardly realistic drama. And in that way this musical speaks some truth to power, which Eastwood’s film totally retreats from. So thank you also, Mr. Hawley and Mr. Jansen for reminding us that J.Edgar Hoover was really a pretty monstrous man and not some poor misunderstood gay man who if he could only have loved another man openly wouldn’t have been such a freak (that he was), like screenwriter Dustin Lance Black would have us so pathetically believe.

Photo by Scott Pakudaitis.

Josiah Austen Gulden continues to be one of the best emerging musical actors around. He’s utterly magnetic as Karpis, a man who uses people like horses chew grass. For Karpis, men are things to be killed or used sexually, but only if there are no women around. (Is he really that much different than Hoover?) And women, for him, are primarily for sex and temporary moments of security when on the run. The moment where Karpis reveals that he has had sex with men in prison is portrayed by Gulden with a matter of fact quality that is disarming.

Matt Erkel brings out visceral brutality in Fred Barker. You wanna go up on stage and strangle him. Kimberly Richardson as Paula Harmon, his significant other, gives a melodramatically juicy portrayal -and I mean that in a positive way- as a booze-ridden ‘broad’ in the classic ’30s performance style. It’s a beautifully heightened turn. Jake Endres charms as Pioneer Press reporter, Nate Bomberg. His scenes make us laugh, but we still get a sense of the danger a good reporter must navigate when dealing with dangerous criminals at such close range.

Photo by Scott Pakudaitis.

Some will legitimately say that the stylishness of this production might undercut the seriousness of the crimes involved. I respect that view but I would submit that Bremer’s stylish aesthetic jolts us into looking at the brutality portrayed in a fresh way. Consider how jaded so many have become about violence because of media and popular film images. Bremer makes us see this in a way you won’t see in media, spectator sports, video games, and action films. It’s a different sensibility that affects the viewer differently. It’s actually less passive because it’s live.

Note: Leonard DiCaprio is a brilliant accomplished actor. His body of work is remarkable and he works in integrity. Regrettably, however, he was misled by Eastwood and Black, two men one would have thought would not have done such a thing. Shame on those two.

Capital Crimes
Through May 20
History Theatre, 30 E. 10th St., St. Paul
(651) 292-4323
www.historytheatre.com