As infections continue to be of concern across Sussex and here in Brighton & we wait for our vaccine, here’s some more lockdown joys to stream.
The Glam Awards recognise the best of New York’s queer nightlife. The long-running celebration is in its 22nd year but this year ofcourse it has to be online, managed through Club Cumming, queer actor Alan Cumming’s risqué Manhattan club and co-produced by Daniel Nardicio, who presents it along with Cherry Jubilee.
It includes Sharon Needles, Laverne Cox, Bob the Drag Queen, Harmonica Sunbeam and introduces Michael Musto. If you don’t know them – look them up !
It will be hosted by Drag Race’s Tina Burner and will specially honour among others go go legend Mark Allen, and the fabulous Peppermint. There are new virtual performance categories this year, and Daniel told me:” I’m thrilled to be co-producing the awards especially with all we’ve been through in 2020. The Glams are like the gay nightlife version of the Oscars if the Oscars were filled with drag queens and Botox addicts.
A huge shout-out to Cherry Jubilee who’s been presenting these awards since 1999 – when Drag Race wasn’t even around and Bianco Del Rio was only in her 50’s and dancing was illegal in NYC! Now it’s just illegal to go into venues.
Late nighters in the UK can catch it streaming at 1am our time on 26 and 29 January. Visit stellartickets.com
Also across the Pond is Hip Hop Cinderella , a musical featuring alumni students at the Rosetta Lenoire Musical Theatre Academy. It features the panto heroine with her rapping robot Runka on the planet Zolla – sounds a hoot. – go to www.amasmusical.org
Fleabag star Sian Clifford stars with Nikesh Patel in the online premiere of Good Grief by Lorien Haynes . It’s a sharp, funny brutal and quintessentially British look at grieving. It’s a hybrid film/theatre presentation and booking for shows from 15 February to 15 April is at originaltheatreonline.com
Nearer home those creative geniuses at the Brighton Early Music Festival ( BREMF ) are planning their usual annual events slated for October/November but this year will have a mix of online and live shows of medieval music. As a taster on February 5 they’ll present a new twist on traditional madrigals by Oliver Webber and Steven Devine from the Monteverdi String Band. Go to bremf.org.uk for details .
Southwark Playhouse has produced some sure-fire winners to stream in lockdown and two of their recent successes are now available for the rest of January. The Fabulist Fox Sister is a dark and funny monologue with songs performed by Michael Conley about Kate Fox, thought to be the inventor of the seance . Public Domain is a two-hander by Francesca Forristal and Jordan Paul Clarke about the evils of bingeing out on social media. Both were reviewed by me in Scene and both are unmissable. – book /more info southwarkplayhouse.co.uk
Another great offering for lovers of New York is Netflix’s 7-part series Pretend It’s a City , which finds film director Martin Scorsese in animated conversations with lesbian humourist/actor Fran Lebowitz. She’s an absolute wonder at one-liners and I particularly liked “ There’s nothing better for a city than a density of angry homosexuals. “
You can marvel at the sights of Manhattan and laugh out loud at her outrageous angry humour. Terrific. Watch on Netflix here
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