Event
BLACKBIRD: Honoring a Century of Pansy Divas
Blackbird: Honoring a Century of Pansy Divas is a full-length, musical pastiche of queer music, written and dynamically performed by solo artist Seth Eisen (from Keith Hennessy's Circo Zero) depicting eccentric and inimitable gay performers from the 1930s to the present, who despite their outsider status, established innovative ways to be out, queer and vociferous.
The themes in Blackbird unfold through Eisen's nimble use of puppetry and a hybrid of live performance: dance, music, video, song and storytelling.
Blackbird is an international history of 20th Century gay musical performance! Celebrated performers including Danny Kaye, Klaus Nomi, and Sylvester are brought to life by Eisen in addition to stealth performers, worthy of homage, including Issan Dorsey, Brazil's Ney Matogroso, Bulgaria's Azis and Jean Malin Grandfather of the 1930's Pansy Craze. Presented as a workshop production in Nov. 2008, Blackbird returns to Mama Calizo's Voice Factory, this production directed by Bay Area's Brian Freeman (Pomo Afro Homos). The musical director is Sean Feit who also starred in and wrote the score for Circo Zero's 2007 award-winning show, Sol niger. Costumes are designed & constructed by Jack Davis.
Video is designed by Alanna Simone.
Blackbird is a musical pastiche of seven gay performers from the 1930s to the present, who, despite living outside the cultural norms of their times and cultures, found innovative ways to be out, queer and vocal. These ethnically and culturally diverse, gender-variant artists coped with discrimination at various historical moments of the 20th Century. Although their stories, cultures and eras differ widely, the characters share a common resilience and a determination to pursue their art in spite of the discrimination they faced on account of their differences being gay, bi, trans, gypsy, Jewish or black. From a prohibition speakeasy to the Borscht-Belt, from a Zen priest to a contemporary Bulgarian pop singer, Blackbird, is a distinctive civil rights story revealing maverick performers who gave their new and idiosyncratic voice to the queer underground. The show spans media lineage from radio and black & white cinema to the current internet/YouTube enthusiasm.
Blackbird: Honoring a Century of Pansy Divas has a three-week limited theatrical engagement running June 24 July 10, 2010 - 10 performances only!
June 24, 25, 26, 27, (Thurs. Sun.) July 1, 2, 3, / 8, 9,10 (Thurs Sat.). All shows at 8:00 pm at Mama Calizo's Voice Factory, 1519 Mission St. (at 11th St.), in SF 94103.
Tickets are $20 - $25 sliding-scale and available at the door or at Brown Paper Tickets http://www.brownpapertickets.com/
For more information please call 415-786-9325 or visit the web site at www.eyezen.org
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LocationMCVF
1519 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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