The Tramway is now “running up that hill” seven days a week starting today. Another good sign for our recovery is all the planning that is happening for live performances to return to the stages of the valley. I toured Desert Rose Playhouse’s new home Friday (where Zelda’s held court for decades in the Sun Center). Robbie Wayne showed us the progress and is planning June events. Shann Carr tells me she and Jason Stuart will be performing there this summer.
The McCallum Theatre 2021-22 season goes on sale this week with presale tickets to donors first. And in 20 years, the answer to “What show was the first production for the McCallum in nearly two years after the pandemic,” the answer will be Hairspray. Barry Manilow’s “A Gift of Love V” follows in early December.
Michael Holmes of The Purple Room joined us on the #ILoveGayPalmSprings podcast and portends that the storied venue may be able to open as soon as Labor Day. His GoFundMe campaign has raised over $144,000 as of this writing but is still nearly $100,000 away from goal to help offset costs while they were closed.
It was so good to see Keisha D (recorded at Purple Room) on NBC Palm Springs as a part of DAP Health’s Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards on Sunday afternoon. Yet another casualty of the pandemic, the fast-paced one hour special helped raise funds to support services and keep the SCHA franchise alive.
PLEASE take the CMI survey this week – details and the link found below and all over our website. And join us for our first live Fun & Games event Remembering the Golden Girls” coming up in two weeks!
Brad Fuhr, your Gay Desert Guide
#ILoveGayPalmSprings
#ILoveGayCatCity
#ShopLocal and … #WeArePalmSprings
Remembering the Golden Girls: Tickets on Sale Now
How well do you know your Golden Girls? The Fun & Games Dept of Gay Desert Guide presents An Evening on the Lanai: Remembering the Golden Girls on Thursday, May 27 at 7:00 p.m., just ahead of Memorial Day Weekend. Come celebrate the Golden Girls with Season One writer Stan Zimmerman with fun trivia, clips from favorite episodes, prize giveaways, sing-alongs, and Q&A. Hosted by on-air personality Alexander Rodriguez from On the Rocks with Alexander and a regular guest on the #ILoveGayPalmSprings podcast. Get tickets
Palm Springs Tramway Resumes 7 Days a Week
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway expands from five- to seven-day-a-week operations beginning Monday, May 10 with revised hours. Monday through Thursday, the first car up will be at 10:00 a.m., the last car up will be at 6:00 p.m. and the last car down will be at 8:00 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays, the first car up will be at 8:00 a.m., the last car up will be at 7:00 p.m. and the last car down will be at 9:00 p.m. Advance online ticket purchase is still required at www.pstramway.com.
LA Pride Plans Announced
“Thrive With Pride” is the theme for LA Pride 2021, not just to highlight health and wellness as we slowly emerge from the pandemic, but more notably, to underscore the belief that thriving is an act of social justice within the LGBTQ+ community, especially for our underserved or overlooked members. The virtual festivities include a concert featuring Charli XCX streaming exclusively on TikTok on Thursday, June 10, a one-hour primetime special on ABC7 on Saturday, June 12, plus events throughout the month of June to shine a light on volunteering and community service. Learn more
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“Midnight at the Never Get”
Our theatre reviewer Stephen Radosh has a new review out, and it’s a glowing one! “Midnight at the Never Get” is a musical love story between two men set in 1965, presented as streaming performance by The Signature Theatre. Radosh writes: “within minutes you are swept off your feet and madly in love with what you are watching.” It’s so good he watched it twice! Read the full review [here].
15th Annual LGBTQ Community Survey
Please take part in the Community Marketing & Insights (CMI) 15th Annual LGBTQ Community Survey! Participation in this survey gives important feedback to our LGBTQ community media and organizations, and provides data to companies interested in serving our community, sponsoring our charities, and supporting their LGBTQ employees. The survey should take about 12 to 15 minutes to complete. Make your voice heard! [Click here to take the survey]
Cinema Under the Stars
The nights are getting warmer and while the pleasant evenings last, The Palm Springs Cultural Center continues to run their Outdoor Cinema Under the Stars program. No longer a drive-in, you can still camp-out in your own chairs or reserve one of the available picnic tables. You also pre-order a boxed dinner from Mildred’s Chicken & Waffle Dinners! On Friday, May 14 the film will be “Mainstream,” and “The Wiz” screens on Saturday, May 15. Get tickets
Desert X 2021 – Final Week
It’s the final week for Desert X 2021, open through May 16 at various locations in and around Palm Springs. Don’t miss your chance to see this one-of-a-kind event that only comes around once every two years! This free exhibition explores the desert as both a place and idea, acknowledging the realities of people who reside here and the political, social, and cultural contexts that shape their stories [Check out what’s new this year]. The site-specific exhibition is all outdoors, providing a safe visitor experience. More info
Modernism Week Online Experience on Sale Thru May 15
While Modernism Week may be over in Palm Springs, the fun continues online with the Modernism Week Online Experience. Whether you are near or far, you can still experience a taste of Modernism Week virtually with online programs, including compelling presentations, video tours and films, on sale through Saturday, May 15, and viewable through May 31. More info
Virtual Events at The Center
Looking for connection in this time of self-isolation? The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert continues to connect people, using the technology of group-meeting platform Zoom, which you can use on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Here’s just a taste of the programs they are hosting:
Social Caring in the Face of Quarantine with Alexis Ortega – Mondays at 11:00 a.m.
Zumba for Beginners with Shaun Samaro – Mondays at 10:00 a.m.
Managing Emotions During a Pandemic with Jill Hingston, Ph.D – Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m.
Fifty+ Fit with Lynn Simonson – Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m.
Prostate Cancer Support Group – 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 4:00 p .m.
Trans Tuesdays with Jill Hingston, Ph.D – Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.
Seated Wellness with Lynn Simonson – Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.
Women’s Chat with Kim Kieler – Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.
Men’s Chat with Stuart Huggins – Fridays at 10:30 a.m.
LGBTQ+ Youth Virtual Hangout with Miguel Navarro – Fridays at 2:00 p.m.
Who Cares: Caregiver Support Group with Perry Wiggins – Fridays at 3:00 p.m.
Full list of The Center’s Zoom programs [here]
City of Palm Springs Rescinds Face Covering Order
The City of Palm Springs’ emergency order requiring face coverings was rescinded this week to align with CDC guidance, now that the California Department of Public Health has officially updated its former guidance. Under the State guidance, applicable in the city, for fully vaccinated persons, face coverings are not required outdoors except when attending crowded outdoor events, such as live performances, parades, fairs, festivals, sports, events, or other similar settings. Face coverings are still required in most public indoor settings. More info
I Love Gay Palm Springs Podcast – Episode 96
John Taylor, comedian Shann Carr and Gay Desert Guide’s Brad Fuhr present Steven Tifft of Brandini Toffee, The Purple Room Supper Club‘s Michael Holmes, Jimmy Boegle of CVIndependent.com Senior Research Director at CMI.info David Paisley, Gay Desert Guide Theatre Reviewer Stephen Radosh and TheStandardPS.com publisher Nino Eilets.
The #ILoveGayPalmSprings Podcast is broadcast on Facebook Live, Fridays at 11:00 a.m. The#ILoveGayPalmSprings Podcast is also available on Apple TV, Roku TV, Amazon, FireTV and Android devices via OutAt.tv. Tune in Friday mornings at 10:00 a.m. (or later on-demand) to stream us to your TV. You can also listen on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and more!
THIS WEEKEND
Dressed to Kill: Fashion & Beauty Through History at the Met Museum
Gay Desert Guide’s Fun & Games Dept. and TheMenEvent.com present Dressed to Kill: Fashion & Beauty through History at the Met Museum on Saturday, May 15 at 11:00 a.m. Join Professor Andrew Lear for this fun & informative live online tour (w/Q&A) on changing styles of beauty and the astonishing lengths to which people have gone to attain it. From the grand hairdos of Imperial Rome to the outrageous wigs of the court at Versailles; from gold ear spools in pre-Columbian America to neck rings in Africa and Southeast Asia; and from 300 years of torturous corsets to 3000 years of artful cosmetics, the history of fashion is on dazzling display at the Met. Get tickets
Screening of “Mama Gloria” to Benefit Safe Schools
A screening of “Mama Gloria” is presented by the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert on Saturday, May 15 at 2:00 p.m. This feature documentary profiles Gloria Allen, a trailblazing 74-year-old Black transgender activist who started a charm school for homeless trans youth and is now aging with joy and grace. Luchina Fisher and Mama Gloria will lead a discussion following the film [view trailer]. All proceeds for this fundraiser go to Safe Schools Desert Cities to be used for program expenses and annual events such as Pride Prom, Rainbow Youth Summit, and the Youth Zone @ Palm Springs Pride. Get tickets
Desert Theatricals Live Cabaret Series
The City of Rancho Mirage presents Desert Theatricals Live Cabaret Series as dinner theater every Saturday through June 5th. Purchase a table for 4 to include a meal and glass of wine per attendee and complimentary valet parking. Gates open at 6:15 p.m., dinner is served at 7:00 p.m. and show begins at 8:00 p.m. The show this Saturday, May 15 is An Evening with Valerie Perri, and upcoming performances include: The Mod Squad (May 22), Scott Dreier in “Doris and Me” (May 29), and An Evening with Jonathan Karrant and Joshua White (June 5). Get tickets