Playtime

Playtime

BOYS

SIR WITH GLOVE
For one night only, ‘Melbourne’s Leather Comedian’ Dean Arcuri descends on ‘Syn City’ with his cabaret show, To Sir With Glove. Watch Arcuri sing up a storm as a cast of characters explore their inner desires, taking cabaret to a whole new level — straight to the dungeon. Wednesday, March 3 at the Supper Club. Tickets through Moshtix and www.mardigras.org.au
MAKE YOU SWEAT
SWEAT returns on March 6 for a second night of blistering house music. The first party saw a roomful of the sexiest, friendliest guys in Sydney dancing till the early hours of the morning to a soundtrack of thumping basslines, hypnotic melodies and some belting vocals. 10pm-5am, Phoenix,.
BUTT BOY
After playing to sell out crowds at the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, The Adventures of Butt Boy and Tigger has hit Mardi Gras in all its tasteless glory for a strictly limited season. The tale of the perils and pleasures of online sex plays until March 6 at the Darlinghurst Theatre. info: www.darlinghursttheatre.com
JOCKSTRAP PARTY
Head to Saddle Bar on March 5 for their first-ever jockstrap party — expect a night of hot men dancing their arses off in sexy jockstraps. DJ Tim Jones (UK) provides the music, and international porn star François Sagat will do a meet-and-greet. Complimentary drink for boys wearing a jockstrap and cockring. 8pm start, $10 on the door. Free entry for Saddle/SLPA/HCB members.
ON SKIN
Until March 5, photographer Paul D Wade holds his first solo exhibition at the blank_space gallery, 374 Crown St, Surry Hills. The exhibition looks at gay men and their skin, the adornments that get added with piercings, the ink which gets injected into the skin as tattoos, and celebrates those men who keep (and are proud of) their body hair.

CLUBS

ALL SORTS
Thursdays at the Supper Club, a collection of weird, wonderful and chic DJs come together for All Sorts, from 8pm to 1am. Regular DJs include Tobin Saunders, Ben Drayton and Seymour Butz, plus weekly special guests. Saunders’ other half, the delectable Vanessa Wagner, might even make an appearance from time to time.
GET DIRTY
After some dirty fun? Head to Extra Dirty at QBar & 34B (44 Oxford St, Darlinghurst) on Sunday, March 7. Two international DJs, six of the finest local DJs and a mass of ‘Extra Dirty’ people will make this the must-attend party over the Mardi Gras season. If you’re looking for a party that prides itself on a diverse crowd, a sexual atmosphere and alternative beats then Extra Dirty is the place to be. 10pm-5am.
MONSTA GRAS
Prepare to creep, leap, glide and slide across the dancefloor to the woof and doof of Stephen Allkins, The Uncanny and MC Dicky & DJ Dickie at the Red Rattler on March 6. Emerging from under the bed are Trash Vaudeville, Glitta Supernova, Matthew Stegh, Bronwyn Jean and more. Also featuring the spooky monsta photo booth and Marty Jay’s incredible gravity defying monsta. $25 on the door.
HOT MESS
Friday, March 5 marks a one-off extravaganza at Oxford Art Factory called Hot Mess. The Hot Mess! Horse Meat Disco trannies are a collective of four of London’s alternative drag, club and party hosts. Each has helped define what’s red hot on London’s underground scene. The night of drag, performance and great music happens from 9pm-6am, with pre-sale tickets $25 through Moshtix.
CRASH
Strap yourself in and put on your kneepads for Crash at Arq on Sunday, March 7, with a great mix of international and local DJs — Paul Heron, Dan Murphy, Jamie Head, Rob Davis and many more. Doors open 9pm, with tickets $25 pre-sale and $30 on the door.

COMMUNITY

CAMP AEROBICS
Do your bit to support the Mardi Gras in City Gym Sydney’s ’80s Camp Aerobathon fundraiser. From 6.30am-5pm on March 6, take part in City Gym classes for only $5 per class. Activities include cycling, boxing, yoga, body pump and zumba. Call 9360 6247 or email [email protected]
CITY WILDLIFE
Wildlife in the City is an informal roundtable discussion lead by Joni Taylor (Free Soil) focusing on our shared natural and urban landscapes. The talk will examine the collision between humans and nature in the urban environment. From 2-6pm on March 4 at the Performance Space, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh. www.performancespace.com.au
VICTIMS OF ABUSE
Mike Lew, a world expert in the field of adult male recovery from childhood abuse, will host workshops across Australia in April. The Victims No Longer recovery workshops are designed for men who are recovering from trauma during childhood or adolescence. info: www.asca.org.au/mikelew
FRINGE NOW OPEN
Applications are now open for artists who want to take part in the new Sydney Fringe in September. Artists should visit www.thesydneyfringe.com.au to submit their project. Submissions close April 1.
COOK WITH YIANNI
Cooking and lifestyle show Yianni’s City Life is about to begin shooting its eighth season and host/producer Yianni is on the hunt for charming, personable guests from the community who’d like to feature in the show. Email [email protected]
BENT YOGA
Bent Yoga classes offer maintenance of a healthy body, mind and spirit, and are proud to be a part of the gay and lesbian community. At the moment, Bent Yoga is offering a discount group class in Surry Hills for only $12 (cash only) per session. Other options are available, from private classes to corporate packages.
info: www.bentyoga.com

DIARY

STEREOPHONICS
Tuneful Welsh rockers the Stereophonics will tour Australia for the fourth time this April, following the release of their seventh album, Keep Calm and Carry On. For a limited time, you can get a download of the album with every ticket purchased online. The Phonics stop at the Enmore Theatre on April 17, with tickets on sale now through Ticketek.

GOODBYE TED E
Popular American ventriloquist David Strassman is on his way to Australia to bid a sad farewell to one of his beloved friends in Ted E’s Farewell Tour. Tragically, Ted E. Bare, the much adored cuddly bear known and loved by audiences around the world, will announce his showbiz retirement during the forthcoming tour. Catch the lovable character for the last time when he performs around NSW from May 21-24. info: www.davidstrassman.com
TASTE OF SYDNEY
Later this March, 22,000 food lovers descend on the idyllic surroundings of Centennial Park for the hotly anticipated food festival, Taste of Sydney. In a first for the festival, the Opera Bar Bandstand will deliver some of the country’s finest talent, from jazz and disco to hip-hop and country, providing non-stop live music to enjoy when you’re sampling fine cuisine. The festival runs from March 11-14. info: www.tasteofsydney.com.au
MORE GAGA
That’s right you little Monsters, Lady Gaga has announced a third and final Sydney show for her upcoming Australian tour. You can now catch the spectacular Monster Ball tour one last time at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on April 7. Tickets are on sale 9am, Friday, March 5 through Ticketmaster. Be quick though — Gaga’s star just keeps rising so this is sure to sell out.


FREE

LENNY SINGS
After some sweet soul music? Head to the The Woollahra Hotel on March 7 and 14 for the soulful dance floor action of Lenny Sings. Since coming to Australia, he’s built a reputation as one of Sydney’s premier male vocalists. 6.30-9.30pm both nights, admission is free. info: www.woollahrahotel.com.au
DRAG RACES
Bondi Beach might be world-famous for bronzed bodies, biceps and backpackers. But fierce, competing drag kings and queens? It will be on March 5 with the Mardi Gras Drag Races, hosted by Vanessa Wagner. The Olympic-style events are free to watch, so check it out from 5pm.
ODE TO BOY
Spending the ’80s in a typical British seaside town, Richard Hedger is no stranger to colourful characters, fashion disasters and theatrical goings-on. Inspired by this influential time, Richard gets up close and personal with a series of ’80s-inspired portraits that demonstrate his love of all things glam rock. His exhibtion, Ode to Boy, runs at TAP Gallery, 278 Palmer St, Darlinghurst until Saturday March 6. info: www.richardhedger.net
DELISH DIVER
Until March 13, Smith & Hall Gallery presents Matt Dive Gold, an exhibition dedicated to openly gay Australian diver and chief-of-parade at the 2009 Mardi Gras Matt Mitcham. Art meets sport in an unconventional exhibition curated by Jonathan Turner, featuring 14 acclaimed artists from seven countries. Mitcham will be at the exhibition’s opening, from 5pm on March 3. Smith & Hall Gallery, 53-59 Great Buckingham St, Redfern. info: www.smithandhall.com.au

DRAG PICS
Until March 5 at the Seymour Centre, photographer Cynthia Sciberras presents Take A Drag, an intimate photographic look at the colourful and theatrical aspects of the transgender community. Taken from 2005-2009, the photographs provide a rare look at a close-knit, diverse community of Indonesian trans women. info: www.cynthiasciberras.com.

GIRLS

LADY SINGS
After sell-out shows at the Red Rattler last August, sassy cabaret act Lady Sings It Better are hitting the Sidetrack Theatre in Marrickville for Mardi Gras, March 3–7. The premise is simple: six women take on some of the great male musicians of the 20th century. The result is a sexy, playful show that invites you to consider how a song can change meaning when reinvented in a female voice. info: www.sidetrack.com.au
QUICK CHICKS
They’re funny, they’re sexy, they’re Six Quick Chicks. This show is a rollercoaster hour of character-driven comedy, quick-fire repartee and burlesque. Each Chick brings her own flavour but they’re united in their extravagant imaginations. Never a dull moment as these bent cabaret ladies strut their funny wares across the stage in a provocative mix of high and lowbrow art. Catch them at Slide, 41 Oxford St, on March 4 at 7pm. info: www.slide.com.au
AMANDA MUGGLETON
Stage star Amanda Muggleton features in a Showcase production of Me & Jezebel by Elizabeth Fuller — a one-woman tour de force at The Playhouse in the Sydney Opera House until March 6. The show is the hilarious true story of how Bette Davis invited herself over for a night and stayed, uninvited, for 32 days, turning Elizabeth Fuller’s home and family life upside down. info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com
SNATCH & GRAB
Snatch & Grab is Sydney’s coolest indie girl night, held every Thursday at Phoenix, 34 Oxford St. The night recently hosted a special event from hot international electro band Dragonette, and there are more special events on the horizon. Join the Snatch & Grab Facebook group to keep up to date. And don’t forget to RSVP before each event for discounted entry.
VELVET
If you fancy tipping the velvet with a mid-week tipple, check out Velvet Wednesdays at The Bank Hotel, 324 King St, Newtown. From 7pm till late, the girls night has a great line-up of DJs, including Sandi Hotrod, Renae Stanton, Kate Monroe, GI Jode & more. Plus, it’s free entry.

SCREEN

BREAKFAST BY MOONLIGHT
The Moonlight Cinema in Centennial Park is nearing the final days of its season for the year, but there are still a few great films to see.  Try the gorgeous classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s on Friday, March 5, or enjoy the performance of the dreamy Dan Sultan in madcap Aboriginal musical Bran Nue Dae the next day. info: Visit www.moonlight.com.au
WOMEN IN FILM
Women in Film & Television NSW (WIFT NSW) is producing three film screening events this month to celebrate International Women’s Day 2010. On March 8 and 9 at the AFTRS Theatre in Moore Park, check out international and Australian short film showcases. Then on March 11 at TAP Gallery in Darlinghurst, enjoy another showcase of Aussie shorts made by or for women. info: www.nsw.wift.org/wow
ALICE IN 3D
From March 4, Tim Burton’s re-imagining of Disney’s Alice In Wonderland bursts forth from the 3D screens of the IMAX Theatre in Darling Harbour. Sessions have been on pre-sale for a couple of weeks, so get in now to book your seat. info: www.imax.com.au
AUSSIE FILMS
The Australian Film Festival screens solely Australian film content, and is open to any medium, from feature and short film to online content, television and whatever can be classified as ‘film’. The inaugaral festival includes a diverse selection of features, as well as a mammoth day of shorts to check out on March 7, the day the festival finishes. It’s all at the Ritz Cinema in Randwick. info: www.australianfilmfestival.com.au
QUEER TV
Join Pandora Box and the girls as they present some very Aussie, very queer short films and documentaries on Foxtel Aurora on Sundays from 8pm, Tuesdays from 5.30pm and Thursdays 9.30pm with QueerTV. Pandora Box and Matt Taylor deliver all that’s oh so homo in Sydney and around the nation.

PUBS

WOOF WOOF
Caling all scruffys, gruffys and mongrels — on Saturday, March 6, Saddle Bar hosts Who Let The Dogs Out? from 8pm-3am. Free entry all night, with DJ Shigeki pumping a whole lot of howling dance tracks to unleash your inner animal. Level One, 85-91 Oxford St.
SHOWING INK
Come and show off your tatts at Hot Ink, a hot tattoo party for men and women at the Clarence Hotel’s Outback Bar on March 4. There are tattoo competitions with vouchers donated by local tattoo and piercing studios, bookshops and gyms to be won. Plus special guest tattoo artists, DJs and live entertainment. 9pm, $15/12 entry. info: www.heavilytattooedbear.com/events
TASTY
Tasty, Australia’s most notorious gay dance club, is coming to town for Mardi Gras — and you’re all invited. Influenced by music from the ’70s through to today, the Tasty Festival Bar will feature Melbourne DJ Gavin Campbell who has a national reputation for spinning beats that are wild, sexual, energetic and addictive. Join in the Tasty fun on Saturday, March 6, 9pm-3am at the Mardi Gras Festival Bar, Supper Club, Oxford Hotel.
CLARENCE KARAOKE
The weekly My Inner Diva karaoke competition runs at the Clarence Hotel every Wednesday. Find your inner Aretha, Tina or Donna and let your shimmy shake, your rattles roll, and your greatest love of all shine with a weekly dose of karaoke fun. Free to enter, thousands of tracks to choose from and fun prize. Visit www.clarencehotel.com.au
BOOGIE WITH BOB
Bob Downe’s Retro Gras 2010 promises to have you laughing, singing and dancing, as Bob spins the retro classics along with guest DJs at the Supper Club on March 5. He’ll also be joined by special guest drag queens and singers. It’ll be a highlight of this year’s festival, and not to be missed. $15 entry.
CHIC SUNDAYS
Celebrate Sundays in style with Chic Sundays at the Beresford Hotel from 3pm. Hosted by Decoda Secret with special guests each week, with DJs Murray Hood, Kitty Glitter, Jimmy Dee and many more. Happy hour is from 5pm-7pm, with $5 pints and spirits.
info: www.theberesford.com.au

SONG

JUMP AND DANCE
Groove Terminator’s hot new project Jump Jump Dance Dance are an LA-based Australian electro-rock duo with a debut album due for release later this year. The boys have collaborated with heavyweight mixers Dave Sardy (Soulwax, The Ting Tings) and Mark Needham (The Killers, Bloc Party) on the album. Catch them when they play the Future Music Festival at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Saturday, March 6. info: www.jumpjumpdancedance.com
BLISS
Dangerous ideas abound in Peter Carey’s landmark first novel, Bliss, which has been transferred to the stage by Opera Australia. Is this reality or some kind of hilarious hell? What is true love? And why did an elephant sit on my car? This much-anticipated work stars the electrifying Peter Coleman-Wright as Harry Joy, the blithe and savvy advertising executive who, after a close encounter with death, finds his world is not what it was. The work runs from March 12-30 at the Sydney Opera House. info: www.opera-australia.org.au
NancyE hayes
Nancye Hayes is an actor, dancer, singer, choreographer and director who began her career in JC Williamson’s production of My Fair Lady in 1961. Since then she has sung and danced her way through a cavalcade of musical successes including Pippin, Irene, Annie, Chicago, Sweeney Todd and Nine. Join the veteran stage performer in a night celebrating her career on March 7 at Kit & Kaboodle, 35 Darlinghurst Rd, Kings Cross, as part of Showqueen’s Legends series. Tickets through Moshtix.
AFRO BEATS
Afrobeat/funk/soul/Latin band the Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra is one of the best live bands in the world and features 11 of the hottest and baddest musicians New York has to offer. Theirs is high energy, rhythmic, contagious and political music that turns your shoes into dancing machines and your hips into a frenzy. They have tirelessly spread their gospel to over 30 countries, from New York’s Rikers Island Prison to Carnegie Hall. Now it’s Sydney’s turn: catch them at the Manning Bar on March 4. info: www.manningbar.com


STAGE

KING LEAR
A father divides his assets between his three daughters, setting in place a turn of events that will end in tragedy. One of the greatest works in Western literature, King Lear is a profoundly moving study of human frailty and the nature of love. Celebrate the 20th year of Bell Shakespeare as John Bell leads some of Australia’s most respected actors and exciting new talent in Marion Potts’ richly poetic production. March 5-16 at the Sydney Opera House. info: www.bellshakespeare.com.au
RADIO HUSBANDS
Andy & Adrian, the popular breakfast radio co-hosts on Melbourne’s JOY 94.9, are making the journey north for Mardi Gras with their stage show. In Radio Husbands, the boys bring the fun and madness of their breakfast show to the stage. Fresh from their 2009 tour where they played to packed houses in Melbourne, Hobart and Adelaide, the boys are now making their Sydney debut. It’s part cabaret, part comedy, part variety, and 100 percent fun. One night only at the Supper Club on March 4 from 8pm. Tickets through Moshtix.
GODZONE
There’s a fervour in the revivalist tent, where Reverend Kevin of Rudd Ministries, in a sermon from the German translated via Mandarin, tells his congregation that religion is the new politics and vice versa.
Max Gillies has been pricking pomp, slaughtering sacred cows and beating up bête noirs for decades. In Godzone his trail of destruction continues with a new cast of victims, including some of the most recognisable faces in Australian politics. It plays at Riverside Theatre from March 10-13. info: www.riversideparramatta.com.au
TOP OR BOTTOM
Comedian Jackie Loeb and broadcaster Bernie Hobbs join the madcap Bob Downe and four other amusing Aussies as they position themselves for a night of sexual power plays as part of The Great Debate at this year’s Mardi Gras festival. Pondering the question ‘Top or Bottom, Butch or Femme: who rules the roost?’ the line-up of debaters also includes Sydney Star Observer’s editor Scott Abrahams — one man never short of an opinion! It’s on at the Factory Theatre, Marrickville, 7.30pm, March 4. info: www.factorytheatre.com.au

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