PlayTime – issue 1047

Boys

BEAR GATHERING
The largest attended bear dance party in the United States comes to Level One at the Midnight Shift on November 20. Bearracuda has regular parties across the US with bears, cubs, pups, otters, beefcakes, furballs and other wildlife! Head down from 9pm – tickets from $25 pre-sale.

LIFESAVER PARTY
The Lifesavers With Pride host Mouth to Mouth on November 13 at The Underground at the Oxford Hotel. This is one for the night owls who like to dance to the sounds of DJ Jason from the JJJ parties. Happy hour from 9-10pm.

YA BIG MO
On November 10 the Movember Foundation is supporting the inaugural charity fundraising gig Higher Ground. The event aims to bring together young adults with a  passion for live music and spread awareness of men’s health issues, specifically prostate cancer and depression in men. It’ll be held at Tone Nightclub, 16 Wentworth Avenue. Prizes for the best moustache on the night and all the proceeds go straight to charity. $20 entry.

Clubs

PUNK PARTY
Trip To The Moon hits the Oxford Hotel’s Polo Lounge and Supper Club on Saturday November 13 for a night of music, art and dance. Punters are encouraged to dress up – sci-fi, fantasy, space age and steampunk theme. DJs all night, tickets $45 from Moshtix. www.mad-experience.co

FIERCE POP
Saturday nights from 10pm at the Stonewall Hotel, get ready to work up a sweat with Fierce Pop. Decoda Secret is joined on stage by her sexy male dancers Wil Sabin and Daniel G for a ferociously hot show that’ll have you sizzling. info: www.stonewallhotel.com

BALLROOM BLITZ
To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the London Blitz, Lost is hosting a one-off special event at a spectacular mystery outdoor venue overlooking Sydney Harbour on November 13. Miami Horror has already been confirmed as headliner. Tickets are now available lostevents.com – you’ll be texted the venue details on the day.

Community

GLOBAL VILLAGE
Global Backyard is a not for profit organisation assisting refugees in their professional, academic and creative development through a mentoring program, education and employment pathways, and by creating social enterprise projects for women without literacy. The group has released a 2011 calendar, the proceeds of which will allow for the continued support of refugees. Calendars, $25, can be ordered by emailing [email protected]

SYD-INDIA
Join the Redfern Community on November 18 to celebrate Deepavali, the Indian Festival of lights, with Nayika Indian Dance, an evening of classical Indian dance, Balinese mask dance, and traditional Indian storytelling. info: www.nayika.org

IN THE STREETS
Businesses in Marrickville are set to shut down at 3.30pm on Wednesday 17 November and march up Marrickville Road to protest the proposed expansion of Marrickville Metro Shopping Centre. Marrickville Chamber of Commerce has been fighting the proposal, the rally has been promoted widely and organisers are expecting a large crowd to attend on the day. Shops will be closed for three quarters of an hour and reopen at 4.15pm.

Diary

SYDNEY FESTIVAL
The Sydney Festival has just unveiled its 2011 line-up, so Future Fun this week is dedicated to the highlights of the Festival. First up: Emmylou Harris, the silver-haired country/folk goddess who’ll be making her first Australian visit in a decade to headline the festival. Bringing her band the Red Dirt Boys along for the ride, Harris will be playing the State Theatre on January 9 and 10, and playing at the free Festival First Night on January 8.

iOTA RETURNS
Returning to the Spiegeltent, Smoke & Mirrors splices acrobatics and magic with dazzling cabaret and taunt stomach muscles, creating a lavish and lyrical theatrical adventure. Featuring iOTA as an unorthodox ringmaster and Queenie van den Zandt as the Bearded Lady, the show won three awards at this year’s Helpmanns. The Spiegeltent, January 6 – February 6.

A GAY HISTORY
Written and performed by Bette Bourne and Mark Ravenhill, A Life In Three Acts tells the story of Bourne’s post-war childhood to the Gay Liberation Front, life in a drag commune and on the creation of the ground-breaking Bloolips company and beyond. It plays at Wharf 1, Pier 4/5, from January 4-16.

Free

WORKING LIVE
Liveworks – Performance Space’s fast and furious festival of new ideas designed to close the current Live Live season – will take over the CarriageWorks’ foyer and performance spaces from November 11 to 14, filling it with an invigorating program of performances, installations, dance pieces, and more. Many of the activities on offer over the four days are free, so check the full program at www.performancespace.com.au.

GET COMMITTED
Photographer Evan Cooper is looking for Sydney lesbian and gay couples for a new photo project, titled The Commitment Project. It’ll be a photographic exhibition of queer, gay and lesbian couples who have been in a committed relationship for 8.8 years or longer. 8.8 years is the median length of an Australian marriage. The point of the exhibition is to highlight the fact that if queer couples can beat this statistic, we are entitled to the same legal rights and respect as heterosexual ones. If you would like to be involved please send an email to [email protected] with The Commitment Project in the subject line.

QUEEN OF SHEBA
After her successful Thursday night Supper Club stint in a Grace Jones tribute show, Kiwi soul singer Sheba this week turns her attention to another legendary diva: Nina Simone. From 7:30pm on Thursday November 11, Sheba delivers a free concert of Simone’s best-loved songs. Supper Club, Oxford Hotel.

Girls

SUPER RESCHEDULED
Australia’s funniest, funkiest female trio, The Super Supremes, return to Slide bar on Wednesday November 17 (their planned November 4 show was cancelled due to ill health) for their last Sydney show before they move to Melbourne in 2011. Expect a fun-filled tribute to the very best soul music divas, from the Supremes to Destiny’s Child. Tickets through Ticketek or on the door.

POWER POP
New York native and indie power popette Ingrid Michaelson is packing her quirkily endearing stage presence, touchingly heartfelt lyrics and stripped back, infectious songwriting, and heading our way for her debut Australian tour. Catch her at an all-ages show at the Factory Theatre on November 11. Tickets are $39 plus booking fee. info: www.ingridmichaelson.com

LESBIAN CHRISTMAS
Join the Parramatta Lesbian Social Group for their annual Christmas Party from 6pm on Saturday November 13. The ladies will converge at the Wentworthville Hotel, 56 Station Street, for a night of free fun, including: free use of the jukebox all night, free pool table all night, a visit from ‘Lesbian Claus’ with some presents, plus discounted food and drinks along with a few surprises on the night. For info, call Janice on 0424 188 296 or www.parramattalesbians.webnode.com

Pubs & Bars

IMPERIAL BINGAY
Tuesday night Bingay at the Sly Fox Hotel has returned to its original home, the newly-reopened Imperial Hotel. Everything else remains the same — hostesses Tora Hymen and Naomi Palmer, extra special prizes and more bingo fun than you can poke a stick at. Bookings essential. Call David on 9206 2110.

TASTE OF ITALY
Italian beer Peroni have just launched the new Momenti Peroni pop-up bar located at 304 Victoria Street Darlinghurst, which is open until 19 December. The bar celebrates the tradition of aperitivo, the authentic Italian tradition of serving delicious small plate food with alcohol as a relaxing prelude to dinner. At Momenti Peroni, an aperitivo tasting plate will be served with any drink purchase between 5.00pm-7.00pm each day.

CAMP CLASSIC
Xanadu will come to life once more on November 19 for a special Twenty10 fundraising event. The Xanadua-themed fundraiser will take place from 8pm at the Red Rattler Theatre, 8 Faversham St Marrickville. Performers for the night include Glitter Supernova, Xavier Moustache and Jade Starr, with DJs Matt Vaughan and Huckleberry Spin. The night is a strictly over-18s event for supporters of Twenty10
info: www.twenty10.org.au/in-xanadu

Song

FRESH FROM BERLIN
The public response to the upcoming Berlin Philharmonic concerts from 16–20 November under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle has been so great that the Sydney Opera House has announced an extra treat: the unique ensemble – The 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic – will present one concert on Saturday 20 November in the Concert Hall at 2pm. The 12 Cellists will also perform Australian composer Brett Dean’s Twelve Angry Men based on Sydney Lumet’s eponymous film. info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com

DOCTOR’S ORDERS
Quirky pop diva Emma Dean is releasing her new album, Dr Dream and the Imaginary Pop Cabaret, on November 12. She’ll launch the album with a show on Saturday November 20 from 7:30pm at The Raval in Surry Hills supported by Martyn Badoui and Mikki Ross. Tickets are on sale now via Moshtix.

CHAMBER POP
Kasey Chambers has spent the past two months on her national Little Bird tour, supporting her outstanding new album of the same name. She’s joined on the road by John Watson on drums, Bill Chambers – multi instruments, Jeff McCormack on bass, Michael Muchow on guitar and Ashleigh Dallas on fiddle. As well as the gorgeous new songs from Little Bird, Kasey will also perform all her classic hits from her previous four solo recordings – see her at the State Theatre on November 20. Tickets through Ticketmaster.

Stage

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES
Unsolved takes a humorous look at the mysteries surrounding the supernatural, the criminal and the romantic. Four talented thesps have created a show that tackles the profoundest of all life’s unanswered questions: What is the meaning of existence? Why do we fall in and out of love? And does the Virgin Mary really appear at that fence post in Coogee every afternoon? It runs from November 18 at the Newtown Theatre.
Info: www.newtowntheatre.com.au

MORE GLEE
It’s hard to turn on the TV without seeing comedian Tom Gleeson – you may have seen him on Good News Week, The 7PM Project, Thank God You’re Here or on the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala. Now you can see him for yourself live on stage when he plays the Comedy Store from November 10-21. info: www.comedystore.com.au

NAKED THEATRE
Often I Find That I Am Naked follows the life of Jezebel, a professional Australian woman who spends her time shopping, drinking cocktails and looking for love any way she can: speed-dating, Facebook, text sex, RSVP, STD clinics, rehab and even hiring a private detective. Fans of Sex and the City and Bridget Jones’s Diary will love this madcap cabaret that takes a hilariously honest look at the ups and downs of single life. It’s playing at Darlinghurst Theatre in Potts Point from November 9-28. info: www.darlinghursttheatre.com