CALENDAR FOR JUNE 2004

Daily (Mon.–Fri.)
HIV Testing. HCHD Thomas Street Clinic is offering HIV testing free to the public, 9 am–1 pm. There is no need to establish eligibility ("gold-card"), no donation will be asked of the person seeking testing, and the test is free. Thomas Street Clinic, 2015 Thomas, 713/873-4157 or 713/873-4026.

Daily (Mon.–Sat.)
HIV Testing. The Montrose Clinic offers free confidential HIV testing at these locations. Monday: Bricks, 617 Fairview, 4–8 pm; O, 710 Pacific, 9 pm–1 am. Tuesday: The 611, 611 Hyde Park, 4–8 pm; Club Houston, 2205 Fannin, 8 pm–midnite. Wednesday: Mary's, 1100 Westheimer, 4–8 pm; Ripcord, 715 Fairview, 9 pm–1 am; EJ’s, 2517 Ralph, 10 pm–1 am; Midtowne Spa, 3100 Fannin, 10 pm–1 am. Thursday: All-Star News, 3415 Katy Frwy, 4–8 pm; BRB, 2400 Brazos, 8 pm–midnite; Cousins, 817 Fairview, 8 pm–midnite. Friday: EJ’s, 2517 Ralph, 10 pm–1 am; Midtowne Spa, 3100 Fannin, 10 pm–1 am; The Meatrack, 2915 San Jacinto, 10 pm–2 am; Rich’s, 2401 San Jacinto, 10 pm–1 am. The clinic offers classes for those newly diagnosed with HIV or Hepatitis C. For more info: 713/830-3000.

10 (Thurs.)
The 2004 MTV Movie Awards features musical performances by the Beastie Boys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and D12 with Eminem. The aforementioned acerbic blonde rapper, as Rabbit in the movie 8 Mile, defends a gay co-worker in a free-style rap in a move to score Eminem a gay-friendly reputation. One nominee, X2: X-Men United, contains a scene in which the teen character Iceman comes out to his parents as a mutant, reminiscent of any GLBT kid faced with the same difficult experience. 9 pm on MTV.

13 (Sun.)
Gwenyth as a Guy? Our beloved Ms. Paltrow spends a good portion of the Academy Award-winning film, Shakes-peare in Love, in drag. This ’98 romantic comedy looks at a hypothetical young Billie Shakes who is low on funds and ideas but finds inspiration in the enchant-ment of his ideal woman. With speaker Lucy Puryear. $6. 6 pm at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonnet. Info: 713/639-7540 or www.mfah.org.

• 13, 15, & 18 (Sun., Tues., & Fri.)
Platinum Pride. The Gay Men’s Chorus of Houston usher in their 25th Anniversary with their most popular songs ever sung and a new specially commissioned choral work to toast their Silver Jubilee. More than singing, this show adds dancers and an extra-special band. Sunday at 3 pm, Tuesday at 8 pm, and Friday at 8 pm at the Wortham Center’s Cullen Theatre. For tickets: 713/521-7464 or www.gmch.org/tickets.

17 (Thurs.)
“Hold Me” is one of the many hits you’ll hear from Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Fleetwood Mac tonight at Cynthia Woods. If you’re lucky, you’ll also hear those same words whispered softly in your ear. If you’re even luckier, those words will be whispered by someone you love, not some random concert junkie wigged-out on ecstasy. And don’t be cute and order a Fleetwood Mac-n-fries at the burger stand. Please don’t be that guy. $45–$125. 8 pm at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. For tickets: 713/629-3700 or www.ticketmaster.com.

17–19 (Thurs.-Sun.)
Democracy Now. The Texas Demo-cratic convention (themed “Fighting for Democracy”) kicks off in town with an evening reception at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Thursday at 7 pm. The LGBT Caucus hosted by Texas Stonewall Democrats meets Friday. Free and open to the public. At the George R. Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de las Americas. For information: 512/478-9800 or www.txdemocrats.org.

PLANNING AHEAD FOR JULY 2004

July 9-11 (Fri.-Sun.)
Getting the Love You Want. Patrick Vachon, licensed master social worker and advanced clinical practitioner, teaches couples how to reignite the fire that once burned brighter between them. Using Imago Relationship Therapy techniques developed by Harville Hendrix, Ph.D., author of the best-selling books Getting the Love You Want and Keeping the Love You Want, Vachon takes couples on an intensive weekend journey into each other’s hearts. $550/couple. Friday 7–10 pm, Saturday 8:30 am–8 pm, Sunday 8:30 am–7 pm at the offices of Patrick Vachon, 1712 Fairview. Info: 713/524-1771, www.imagohealing .com, or vachonpj@aol.com .

PERFORMING ARTS

• ’s: A Tale of Possession/a day of it. Houston-based dancer/choreographer Jane Weiner and her organization Hope Stone Dance premieres two works made specifically for DiverseWorks’s 20th Anniversary. a day of it, created in collaboration with Bessie Award-winning performer David Neumann, centers on partner communication. ’s looks at lost autonomy, safekeeping, and ownership. Every Houstonian fan of dance should have at least one Weiner ticket stub laying about. $15. June 17–26, 8 pm, at DiverseWorks, 1117 East Fwy (off N. Main at Naylor). For info: 713/223-8346 or www.diverseworks.org.

• Black Coffee. Belgian detective Hercule Poirot returns to The Alley in Agatha Christie’s murder mystery classic. Who killed the eccentric weapons specialist Sir Claude Amory? Only Poirot can figure out the misgiving clues from a colorful cast of characters. $17. July 2–18 at The Alley, 615 Texas Ave. For tickets: 713/228-8421 or www.alleytheatre.org.

• Boy Groove. Sick of boy bands? So is Chris Craddock, who wrote this Spinal Tap-esque spoof of a boy group’s rise to fame, with tunes like “You Make My Hips Buck,” and their eventual plummet to public disdain. A certain “park incident” brings about their comic demise. $23 Fridays & Sundays, $25 on Saturdays. Through July 10 at 8 pm, Sundays at 6:30 pm, at Theater LaB, 1706 Alamo (off 2100 Houston Ave.) For tickets/more info: 713/868-7516 or www.theater labhouston.com.

• The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged]. Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Wingfield adapted all 37 of Billy Shakes’ plays into a hilarious 90-minute performance. How? Watch and find out. $20–$35. Through June 27 at the Ensemble Theatre, 3535 Main St. For info: 713/520-0055, ext. 306.

• Life Beyond the Loop. Precious Trees, Houston’s most guarded planned community, is under attack, by indecency. When an adult business opens nearby, a popular televangelist declares war, transmogrifying the peaceful neighborhood into a war-torn First Amendment battleground. Three actors portray an endless list of characters—including George and Barbara Bush—each with distinction and clarity. $18. Through August 28 at at Radio Music Theatre, 2623 Colquitt (near Richmond and Kirby). Thursday and Friday at 8:30 pm, Saturday at 8 and 10:30 pm. For reservations: 713/522-7722.

• Oliver! Lionel Bart’s adaptation of the Dickens classic features such famous songs as “Food, Glorious Food,” “Consider Yourself,” and “Where Is Love?” $25–$68. June 1–20, Tuesday–Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 and 8 pm, Sunday at 2 and 7:30 pm, at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, 800 Bagby at Walker. For tickets: 713/558-8887, 888/558-3882. or www.tuts.com.

• Texas Folklife presents Accordion Kings and Queens, when masters of the accordion make some mad melodies June 10 and 11 at 7:30 pm; and Bayou City Blues, a look at Houston’s great African-American blues and zydeco heritage on June 12 with a curtain talk at 6:30 and performance at 7 pm. Dress lightly. These are outdoor events and Houston night air can get as hot as the music. Free. Both shows: Miller Outdoor Theatre.

• The Unexpected Guest. Set on a foggy estate in Wales, a lost traveler enters a home and finds a woman, smoking gun in hand, standing over her dead husband. But no mystery’s ever solved that easily in Dame Agatha’s world. The ending will surprise you. $14. Through July 3 at the Company OnStage, 536 Westbury Square, 713/726-1219, www.companyonstage.org.

PERFORMING ARTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

• Beauty and the Beast. We all know this endearing fairy tale. Love can see through any surface, no matter how rough-hewn. We know it because we’ve seen it since childhood. Here’s a chance for your wee-ones to see it for the first time, and introduce them to the theater. $7. Through June 26, Sundays at 11 am & 1:30 pm, at the Company OnStage, 536 Westbury Square. Tickets/info: 713/726-1219, www.companyonstage.org.

RADIO

• After Hours. Saturdays, midnight to 3 am. Featuring the QMZ (Queer Music Zone) with Jimmy Carper. KPFT 90.1 FM, 713/526-5738.

• Queer Voices. Mondays, 8-10 pm. Features, news, music, interviews, reviews, and commentary. KPFT 90.1 FM, 713/526-4000.

ART/PHOTOGRAPHY

• Bugs and Butterflies: A Rainforest Adventure. The movie A Bug’s Life is a big dirty lie. Bugs don’t sing and dance. They fight. They kill. They rip your heart outta your chest and show it to ya before ya die. Wait, that was Bruce Lee. This particular IMAX picture features a cast of real insects, starring Papilo the butterfly and Hierodula the praying mantis. The film follows the two from their birth to their inevitable encounter in a rainforest of Southeast Asia. Predator meets prey. This ain’t Pixar, baby. This ain’t pretty. At the Houston Museum of Natural Science, One Hermann Circle Drive. Tickets/info: 713/639-4629 or www.hmns.org.

• Collectors in the Burbs II. It’s field trip time. Join the gang at The Orange Show for a junket to Bernard and Wanda Williamson’s U.S Folk Art and Mexican/Latino Art collection. Sunday, June 13, 12:30 pm at The Orange Show, 2402 Munger St. For information: 713/926-6368 or www.orangeshow.org.

• Fade in: New Film and Video. What’s new in fine art motion pictures? Artist Robert Pruitt gives a Steel Lounge Talk at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, 5216 Montrose. Friday, June 25 at 6:30 pm. For information: 713/284-8265 or www.camh.org.

• Machu Picchu: Unveiling the Mysteries of the Incas. What was Machu Picchu? For years, archae-ologists believed it to be the birthplace of the Incan culture. More recent discoveries suggest it was a 15th-century resort getaway built for Pachacuti, the first ruler of the Inca Empire. Artifacts, photographs, and com-puter displays reveal the mystery of the Incas. $9.50 for adults, $7 for children/seniors. June 11–September 6 at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, 1 Her-mann Circle Dr. Info: 713/639-4629 or www.hmns.org.

• Our Country: The History of Country Music. The history of America and the history of country music are both documented and paralleled in this visually stunning IMAX film. Historical footage is edited with images of the mountains of Appalachia, the Grand Ole Opry, and the deserts of California. Featured artists include Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Houston’s own Lyle Lovett. Through June 7 at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Info: 713/639-4629 or www.hmns.org.

• Passport to the Universe. This is not the dinky star show you went to as a kid. Academy Award-winner Tom Hanks narrates this full-dome, high-definition video at the Burke Baker Planetarium. Passport to the Universe brings you close-up views of star fields and planets through a virtual re-creation of our universe. Take the kids, bring the visiting relatives, or treat yourself to some-thing just as entertaining as it is educational. $5 ($3.50 kids 3–11 & seniors 62+). At the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Info: 713/639-4629 or www.hmns.org.

• Persepctives 141: Aaron Parazette. Michael Auping, chief curator of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, discusses Parazette’s stunning exhibit. Friday, June 17 at 6:30 pm at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, 5216 Montrose. For information: 713/284-8265 or www.camh.org.

• Perspectives 142: Boys Behaving Badly. Machismo and vulnerability, violence and fear. Painting, photography, and video works of a number of artists explore the sundry facets of maleness. June 25–September 12 at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, 5216 Montrose. For information: 713/284-8265 or www.camh.org.

• Real Time. In celebration of Gay Pride, Real Time looks at gay life through the eyes of photographers Kelli Connell (Ohio), David Hilliard (Connecticut) and Joe Schmelzer (California). The artists use a variety of approaches to capture the autobiographical and metaphorical essence of gay identity and the workings of relationships. The results are both intimate and grandiose. • Free. Real Time runs through June 26 at DiverseWorks, 1117 East Fwy. More info/tickets: 713/223-8346, www.diverseworks.com.

• The Shape of Space by Alyson Shotz. Though the Rice U gallery is closed for the summer, Brooklyn-based artist Alyson Shotz’s window installation can be viewed through the gallery’s front glass wall. An eye-catching “curtain” suspended from the gallery’s ceiling, the installation consists of thousands of different sized ovals hand cut from Fresnel magnifying plastic. Reflec-tion is an ongoing subject of Shotz’s work, often using mirrors to explore how we perceive nature. Free. June 1–August 29 at Rice University, Sewall Hall, ground floor. Access thru Campus Entrance 1 at Main St. and Sunset Blvd. Free parking available at Entrance 10 off Greenbriar. Info: 713/348-6069 or www.ricegallery.org.

• Summer Print Sale. Emerging and mid-career artists showcase their black & white, color, and digital photography in this one-day-only sale. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Houston Center for Pho-tography educational and outreach programs. But what is a mid-career artist? That means they’re not dead yet, so their prices are affordable. Saturday, June 19, 10 am-6 pm, at the Houston Center for Photography, 1441 W. Alabama. Info: 713/529-4755 or www.hcponline.org.

• Video Art Now looks at video as a recently accepted artistic medium. Some of the most captivating video art from around the globe examines what we watch on video and how we watch it, experimenting with projection spaces. Through July 4 at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, 5216 Montrose Blvd. For information: 713/284-8250 or www.camh.org.

• Watercolor Summer Art Classes for Kids. Build your child’s creativity and appreciation for the arts with hands-on watercolor classes. Six weeks of three-day sessions focus on a different subject each week (including nature, nautical, and portraits). Classes begin June 14 at the Watercolor Art Society Houston, 1601 W. Alabama. For information: 713/942-9966 or www.watercolorhouston.org.

• Watercolor Summer Showcase. In the summer heat, nothing cools you off more than a tall drink of water. Make the Watercolor Art Society’s summer show your artwork oasis. Styles range from abstract to realistic. June 12–July 2, 10 am–3 pm, at the Watercolor Art Society Houston, 1601 W. Alabama. For information: 713/942-9966 or www.watercolorhouston.org.

• Yale Street Arts & Flower Market is a Heights market created for local artists to display and sell their original works of art. Fresh-cut flowers are also available. Entertainment is provided by local musicians and is a highlight throughout the day. The market is free & open to the public from 9 am–5 pm and continues the first Saturday of each month, coinciding with the Heights 1st Saturday events. The market is located behind Kaplan’s Ben-Hur at 210 West 21st Street just off Yale. Free parking is available in the Kaplan’s parking lot. Info or booth rental: Mitch Cohen at 713/802-1213 or visit www.YaleStreetMarket.com.

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