THU. JAN. 27
Tsunami Benefit
Cyndi Lauper, Sandra Bernhard and Nancy Sinatra live in concert in a benefit for Oxfam International Tsunami Relief and Global Emergency Fund, tonight only, at Crobar. General admission is $40 and $125 for VIP tickets (includes: reserved viewing area for the show, access to VIP room, open bar and a very special meet & greet with cast). Proceeds from the concert will be donated to Oxfam’s tsunami fund. 8 p.m. at Crobar, 530 W. 28th St. Visit boxofficetickets.com or call 800-494-TIXS for tickets.
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FRI. JAN. 28
Texas Homos
Jan Buttram’s “Texas Homos,” a play about Lone Star gay folk, starts previews tonight at the Abingdon Theatre Company with Tony Award-Winner Melvin Bernhardt directing. The play opens officially on Feb. 2. June Havoc Theatre, Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex, 312 W. 36th St., first floor. Call 212-868-4444 for times and tickets. $25.
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MON.JAN. 31
One Love, Many Voices
OUTfront, the LGBT program of Amnesty International, in coordination with the NYU LGBT Student Services, and African American, Latino and Asian American program at NYU host a public forum and performance fundraiser for the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG), the LGBT rights group in the Caribbean nation that battles homophobic violence there. The panel discussion will include members of J-FLAG who will also speak at a panel at the LGBT Community Center on Feb. 1. Performers will include Tim’m West, ButtahflySoul, Yviue E. and Ingrid Rivera. Caribbean American gay activist Colin Robinson, who heads up the NY State Black Gay Network, will be the evening’s host. NYU Kimmel Center, room 914, 60 Washington Sq. S., btwn. Thompson and LaGuardia, 6 to 9 pm. A $5 donation is requested.
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Verbatim Verboten
David Drake, Jonny McGovern, Shequida, Susan O’Connor and Jenn Harris bring Michael Martin’s longtime Chicago and New Orleans hit, “Verbatim Verboten,” a tale of words you were never meant to hear from the rich, powerful, famous and infamous to the New York stage at Fez through Feb. 28. John Pinckard directs this smorgasbord of transcripts, the playlist updated nightly, of comments by Rudy Giuliani, Spike Lee, Madonna, Michael Alig, Enron and Texaco executives, Prince Harry, Orson Welles, Jim Morrison and others. Every Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Fez, inside the Time Café, 380 Lafayette St. below Cooper Sq. Tickets are $10 at 212.533.2680.
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Irish Rep’s Tsunami Relief
Manhattan’s Irish Repertory Theatre presents “A Concert for Concern,” to benefit Concern Worldwide USA, a non-denominational group that provides relief, assistance and advancement in developing parts of the world to assist people living in poverty. The performance will include appearances by Malachy McCourt, The Prodigals, Susan McKeown, Ciaran Sheehan, David Staller, Eily O’ Grady, Fiona Walsh, Gay Willis and a colorful assortment of surprise guests from New York’s Irish-American community. 7:30 p.m. at 132 W. 22nd St. For more information, call 212-727-2737 or visit irishrep.org.
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Get Very Intense about Your Career
Out Professionals invites you to market yourself to your peers at an action-oriented, two-hour Career Intensive for job seekers, career changers, and fledgling entrepreneurs. Harness group dynamics and self-motivation techniques to extend your networking reach. Bring 50 copes of your resume or your business card and rehearse a 90-second introduction. Career coach Ed Vladich leads the evening. LGBT Community Center, 208 W. 13th St., 6 to 8 p.m. Admission is $7 for OP members, $10 otherwise.
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TUE. FEB. 1
A Forum on Jamaica
Representatives of the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG) will appear with officials from the OUTfront program at Amnesty International to discuss the crisis of homophobic violence in that Caribbean nation. LGBT Community Center, 208 W. 13th St., 7 to 9 p.m.
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Collegiate Chorale
The Collegiate Chorale singers, led by Robert Bass, who celebrates his 25th anniversary as music director, will perform an evening of American operetta, featuring music by Victor Herbert, Sigmund Romberg and Rudolf Friml at Alice Tully Hall at 8 p.m. This concert will feature soprano Anna Christy and baritone Daniel Narducci along with the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players and The Collegiate Chorale Singers and will be directed by Roger Rees, The Collegiate Chorale’s newly appointed artistic associate. $25-60. Call 917-322-2140 for more information or visit collegiatechorale.org.
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A Sinful Songbook
Lincoln Center’s “American Songbook” series presents 2003 Tony Award winning actress Jane Krakowski in her solo concert debut, “Better When It’s Banned: A Sinful Songbook, “ selections from the era of Prohibition and the Hayes Code. Highlights of the evening include Cole Porter’s “My Heart Belongs To Daddy,” Noel Coward’s “Mad About the Boy,” and songs made popular by Ethel Waters, Mae West, Sophie Tucker, Billie Holiday and Marlene Dietrich. Allen Room, Frederick P. Rose Hall at the Time Warner Center, Columbus Circle, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $40-$75 at 212-721-6500.
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WED. FEB. 2
Remembering the Holocaust
Elysium Between Two Continents, an arts group that fosters German-American cultural understanding and exchange, hosts a musical-literary program commemorating the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps in a Carnegie Hall program entitled “Memorial Flame to Lives the Nazis Extinguished.” The evening will feature compositions by Viktor Ullmann and Pavel Haas, as well as the American premiere of a piece by Karl Wiener, and texts by survivors such as Fania Fenelon, Primo Levi and Simon Wiesenthal. Weill Recital Hall, 57th St. and Seventh Ave., 8 p.m. Tickets are $22-$35 at 213-247-7800 or CarnegieHall.org.
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Queer Groundhog Double Bill
The dyke of darkness, comedian Marga Gomez trashes Condi Rice, Jet Blue, polyamory and the Cheneys at a Knitting Factory evening, joined by the Isle of Klezbos, the genre-busting klezmer queerish sextet. Klezmer shows respect and the back of its hand toward tradition. 8 p.m. at 74 Leonard St. in Tribeca, btwn. Broadway and Church St. Admission is $10. Call 212-219-3006 for more information.
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THU. FEB. 3
Comic Blizzard Forecast
Kim Cea, the comic diva David Noh raves about in his In the Noh column in this week’s issue, hosts an evening of “Homo Comicus,” featuring Jessica Kirson, Courtney Knowles, Guy Winch and more. Gotham Comedy Club, 34 W. 22nd St., 8:30 p.m. There’s a $12 cover and a two-drink minimum, but no additional charge for busting a gut. For reservations, call 212-367-9000.
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FRI. FEB. 4
Rhymin’ on the Bowery
Taylor Mead, the star of more than 100 films, a key actor in the Warhol Factory constellation and fresh from his appearance in Jim Jarmusch’s “Coffee and Cigarettes,” will wax poetic about the pleasures and horrors of sex and Bush (you decide), in this evening at the Bowery Poetry Club. Mead will appear at 6:30 p.m., with a $5 cover, followed at 7 p.m. by Rick Shapiro, with a $7/$5 cover, providing a mix of comedy, poetry, Bill Hicks, Buddy Hackett and a hardcore streaming strain of Beat politics and nihilism. Boulder, Colorado slammers and Buck Wild precede Mead beginning at 5 p.m. with free shows. 308 Bowery. For information, call 212-614-0505.
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I Remember Harlem
In the first of four weekly programs on Friday nights in February, Bill Miles’ documentary film on the early years of America’s most famous African-American community (1600-1930) is screened. Miles makes use of extensive archival material and personal interviews to tell his story. The filmmaker will be on hand to discuss his work in an event sponsored by the Freedom Socialist Party. Freedom Hall, 113 W. 128th St., btwn. Malcolm X Blvd. And Seventh Ave., 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 212-222-0633.
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The Cherry Orchard
Earl Hyman plays Firs and Wendell Pierce plays Lopakhin in this new staging of the Chekhov classic running through Feb. 27 at the Classical Theatre of Harlem. Thu. – Sat. at 8 p.m. and Sun. at 3 p.m. at the Harlem School of the Arts Theater, 645 St. Nicholas Ave. near 141st St. (Take the A, B, C, or D trains to 145th St.) Call 212-539-8828 for tickets.
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Disposable Men
HERE Arts Center presents “Interactive Tales of Disposable Men” created and performed by James Scruggs through Feb. 12. An African-American odyssey, the play is directed by HERE’s co-founder and executive director Kristin Marting, and runs on Tue., Sat.–Sun., Tue. at 8:30 p.m. (post-performance discussions on Feb. 9 & 10 with Dr. Carlyle Van Thompson, Woodrow Wilson fellow in the humanities at Medgar Evers College). 145 Sixth Ave. Ticket are $20 at 212.868.4444.
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SAT. FEB. 5
That’s Totally Ridiculous!
Veterans of the Ridiculous Theatrical Company gather to remember its late founder and longtime heart, Charles Ludlam. The multimedia presentation and panel discussion will include Ridiculous actress Lola Pashalinksi, photographer Leandro Katz, Ludlam biographer David Kaufman (“Not So Ridiculous”) and artist Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt. The afternoon is moderated by Joe E. Jeffreys, a Ridiculous scholar and Tisch School of Arts professor. New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, Bruno Auditorium, 3 p.m. Admission is free, but seating is limited. For more information, call 212-870-1630.
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Authors Chat
Movie buffs take note! Housing Works Used Book Café continues its wildly successful “author2author” series with David Thomson and Geoffrey O’Brien tonight at 7 p.m., discussing Thomson’s new book, “The Whole Equation: A History of Hollywood.” Both authors will be available to sign books and answer questions after the reading. 126 Crosby St., one block east of Broadway between Houston and Prince Sts. 212-334-3324.
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Deeper Dating
Psychotherapist Ken Page offers a workshop on a concept that’s hard to argue with—deeper dating—for single men interested in meeting others committed to spirituality and values exploration. LGBT Community Center, 208 W. 13th St., 7 to 10 p.m. The cost is $20. For more information, visit deeperdating.com.
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SUN. FEB. 6
Atomic Reading Series
Billed as “the reading series with something for everyone,” Atomic, curated by Cherly B., this month hosts Karen and Adriana from Atlanta’s Cliterati, Dirty Phoenix, AmyJo Goddard and London’s Tim Wells. Lucky 13 Saloon, 273 13th St. at Fifth Ave. in Park Slope, 7 p.m. There is no cover charge. For more information, visit lucky13saloon.com.
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Brooklyn Arts Exchange
The Groundhog Series for Family Audiences offers a series of afternoon performances through the month for children and parents. Today is “Spanish as a Living Language” at the Brooklyn School for Collaborative Studies that includes original scene work, poetry and theater games created by students and performed in Spanish and English directed by Albert Elias. 2 p.m. at 421 Fifth Ave. at Eighth St. in Park Slope. Call 718-832-0018 or visit bax.org for more information. $10 adults/$8 children or low-income folks.
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TUE.FEB. 8
Fat Tuesday
Pianist and vocalist “Big Chief” Rich Campbell and PARTI GRAS will be playing at Helen’s celebrating Mardi Gras with a seven-piece band playing New Orleans classics. 169 Eighth Ave. btwn. 18th and 19th Sts., 8 p.m. Chef Sara offers a special Creole menu. Admission is $15, with a $15 minimum. Call 212-206-0609.
Volunteer for Tribeca Film Fest
The 2005 Tribeca Film Festival (Apr. 21-May 1) is looking for volunteers in special events, the box office, screenings and the “Family Festival” in addition to many other departments. Information about volunteering and an application can be found on the Web site at: tribecafilmfestival.org or at 212-941-2404. There will be two Q&A events for anyone interested in volunteering at this year’s festival. You must RSVP at: volunteers@tribecafilmfestival.org. Tonight at 7 p.m. at Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick Street (at Laight Street). Take the #1, #2, #3, A, C, or E trains to Canal Street.
SAT. FEB. 12
Sweat and Lust
M8 continues its Euro-style, ubermacho fest—skinhead, biker, army, rubber, punk, sports kit, leather—with a celebration of hot man-on-man-on-mat action as the Metro Wrestling Alliance returns. This time around Greccogear.Com will arm the boys for battle in sexy, vintage fight wear. Raffle winners take home hoodies, T-shirts, DVDs and other cool stuff. Barber and bootblack give good head-to-toe. Guinness draft, hourly drink specials, submission wrestling videos and lots of hot men ensure for a night of sexy mayhem. Pussycat Lounge, 96 Greenwich St. at Rector St. 1-9-4-5 trains all within the block. Dress hard. $10. More info at M8NY.com.
SUN. FEB. 13
African-American Theater
New York’s historic Town Hall will be the setting for an extraordinary salute to the endurance and influence of Woodie King, Jr.’s New Federal Theatre (NFT), for 35 years a seminal force in the Black Arts Movement, co-hosted by Ossie Davis and Lynn Whitfield. In addition to celebrating the NFT’s vital contribution to the arts internationally, the gala will feature a special “roast and toast” to Negro Ensemble Company co-founder award winning actor/director/writer, Douglas Turner Ward and an awards presentation honoring significant contributors to the development of the theatre. The gala celebration will kick-off at 3 p.m. at Town Hall followed by a dinner with the honorees, performers and national committee members. Tickets for the 35th Anniversary Gala Benefit are $75, $175, and $300 (includes dinner) and can be purchased by calling Lorelei Enterprises at 212-838-2660.
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