I guess I knew it would happen eventually: I have officially entered the realm of the cynic, that curious place between fantasy and reality that even Rod Sterling would find uncomfortable.

It started with my telephone. That cool invention of Alexander Graham Bell that we now carry around in our pockets has become pretty much useless for communication. I rarely answer a call, since most are from heavily accented guys from Hyderabad, claiming to be from Social Security, or, now, friendly AI voices that are obviously not real people, just automated con-jobs trying to fool the unsuspecting into relinquishing their banking information.

We all know what happens then.

I find I get so many of these, even with alleged “spam-blocker” software, that I rarely answer my phone without a text message from whoever wants to call arriving first. That’s the new phone etiquette in the 2020s!

My text messages are filled with people claiming to be with the IRS, or the Texas Motor Vehicle Department, or “insert name here,” so I am starting to bulk delete them on a twice-daily basis. Many of them are from politicians, some of whom I support, all trying to get me to respond to a survey or petition, which in reality is just another fundraising technique.

If online surveys really worked, we wouldn’t be in the mess we are in right now. Instead, what we think is our voice is really just us shouting into the wind while someone has their hand in our pocket.

I suppose this is my penance for helping to create internet marketing back in the 1990s in the infancy of the web. My company created the first websites for major corporations like Trammel Crow Companies and Wyndam Hotels and a host of other businesses that all sought to have a “web presence.” And since our company was one of the early ones doing that kind of work, we got very busy.

Later, we learned to gather data from visitors, and then someone developed the “cookie,” which resided on the client’s machine and gave marketers all the data they needed to aggressively push products to the consumer.

I always found it creepy and still do.

Now email has become nothing but a cesspool of advertising and spam, so much so that some folks rarely open their mail. We, as a society, have taken one of the most powerful tools in history and turned it into a haven for dishonest hackers and con men.

And that brings me to the whole con-man thing.

The greatest con man since Charles Ponzi sits in the White House, blathering and boasting in an incoherent word salad, and, because we have become so inundated with lies and hyperbole, our news organizations hang on his every word. They amplify his gibberish and cloak it in the trappings of relevancy when, in reality, it means nothing.

It’s no wonder our country is being run by con men; we have become so used to them that it only seems natural.

Well, here’s the truth: It’s not natural and it is not normal.

We find ourselves being scammed at every turn, and truth and fiction are harder to separate than ever. AI promises to make that even worse.

If you feel the same way, then welcome to the nation of Cynicstan.

Please hold for a short survey.

Hardy Haberman is a longtime local LGBT activist and a board member of the Woodhull Freedom Alliance. His blog is at DungeonDiary.blogspot.com.

Stage Notes is a weekly aggregate post about theater, classical music and stage news, events, reviews and other pertinent information. 

Stage Notes Calendar

Opening this week:

Second Thought Theatre: Your Wife’s Dead Body, opened Wednesday-July 29.

Danielle Georgiou Dance Group: Match Point, 6 p.m. Friday at Dallas Contemporary. 

Artstillery: LUX: a solo show, Friday-July 20 at 723 A Community Space. 

Stolen Shakespeare Guild: Hairspray, Friday-July 27.

Theatre Denton: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Friday-July 27. 

Theatre Arlington: Club Cabaret: Totally Made-Up Musical, 8 p.m. Saturday. 

Lyric Stage: Lyric Under the Stars concert series, 8:30 p.m. Sunday at Lyric Stage Studio.

Theatre Three: Fight Night – The Short of It, 7 p.m. Monday. 

Broadway at the Bass: The Wiz, Tuesday-July 20 at Bass Hall, pictured.

Onstage now:

American Chronicle Theatre Co.: King Kirby, through Saturday at Cox Playhouse.

Circle Theatre: A Strange Loop, through Saturday, pictured.

Allen Contemporary Theatre: Curtains, through Sunday.

Dallas Theater Center: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, through Sunday. 

The Firehouse Theatre: Oklahoma, through Sunday. 

Hip Pocket Theatre: The Billy Club Puppets, through Sunday.

Jubilee Theater: The Fall of Heaven, through Sunday.

Art Centre Theatre: Girls Weekend, through July 19.

The Core Theatre: Southlake, through July 20.

Shakespeare Dallas: Othello, through July 20 at Samuell-Grand Amphitheater.

Shakespeare Dallas: The Importance of Being Earnest, through July 26 at Samuell-Grand Amphitheater.

Pocket Sandwich Theatre: Star Trip: A Tale of Two Captains, through Aug. 23. 

Avant Chamber Ballet announces new season

Earlier this week, Avant’s Artistic Director Katie Puder announced the company’s 13th season which will also be its largest programming year to date. The expanded season features two distinct subscription series. Both will be presented at Moody Performance Hall in the Dallas Arts District with live music accompaniment at each show.

“I am thrilled to announce this season, which is packed with exciting collaborations, live orchestras, and beloved audience favorites returning to the stage,” Puder said in the press release. “We are particularly excited to introduce our new Family Series, offering two flexible ways for audiences to subscribe and experience the magic of ACB.”

Each series will consist of four productions. The season includes:

Classic Series

Dec. 5-7: The Nutcracker.

Feb. 14 and 15: Rhythm and Romance.

March 27 and 28: Pulcinella: Reimagined with the Orchestra of New Spain.

April 25 and 26: The Seasons.

Family Series

Dec. 7: Nutcracker: Short and Suite. Noon.

Feb. 14: Peter and the Wolf. 2 p.m.

March 28: Pulcinella Jr. 2 p.m.

April 25: Carnival of the Animals. 2 p.m.

Subscriptions are available now at AvantChamberBallet.org.

Musical Writers Festival kicks off this weekend in Frisco

The 2025 Musical Writers Festival, produced by MusicalWriters.com, will feature two exciting evenings celebrating celebrate new musical works from writers throughout the country. The festival will run Friday and Saturday at the Hyatt Regency Frisco . The festival will showcase a mix of nationally acclaimed musical theatre talents alongside Dallas-Fort Worth talents.

The event begins with the New Works Cabaret and Writer Open Mic, an evening of original songs written by musical theatre creators. These pieces will be brought to life by DFW
vocalists, along with special performances by festival guest artists Joey Contreras and Alyssa Payne.

Friday night will also include a VIP Meet & Greet at 6 p.m. prior to the performance. VIP ticket holders will enjoy a private reception with the featured artists, a grazing table, and a complimentary drink ticket.

Saturday night is the festival’s New Musicals Spotlight featuring staged highlights from four new musicals currently in development. The shows include:

BL!NK by Grace Ward and Elke Meyers, presented as a SheDFW Festival preview.

Living the Dream by Michael Chu and Ulf Anneken. This is an encore performance of a recent MusicalWriters.com Staged Reading and recent Pitch Night winner.

Wolf Ballad by Lindsay “Fiskars” Cutting, preview of upcoming MusicalsWriters.com
Staged Reading and recent Pitch Night winner.

Show to be announced by a local Dallas-based writer. This is expected to be an exclusive preview of a new musical heading into production later this year.

Those attending can purchase an All-Access Performance Pass, which includes admission to both evening events. General admission tickets and VIP access are also available, all at the festival’s website.

–Rich Lopez

Log Cabin Republicans — and others who continue to support the Trump administration — were warned that its policies would bring real harm to our community. That warning has now come true: The Trump administration has cut funding for LGBTQ+ suicide hotlines, effective July 17.

This isn’t hyperbole, anti-Trump rhetoric or “fake news.”

Even Fox News reported it: “The Trump administration announced on June 18 that it has directed the national suicide prevention hotline to stop offering specialized support to LGBTQ+ callers.”

The stakes could not be higher. The Trevor Project estimates that 1.8 million LGBTQ+ young people in the U.S. between the ages of 13 and 24 consider suicide each year, and at least one attempts suicide every 45 seconds.

I ask those in the Log Cabin Republicans: How many of you, in your youth, considered suicide? How many of you reached out for help?

No matter where we stand politically — left, right or center — there is one experience nearly universal in our community: the fear and panic of realizing who we are and the anxiety of telling our families and friends. Some young people — faced with rejection, abuse or hopelessness — decide they can’t go on. Others simply feel they have nowhere to turn.

Those are the young people this hotline was saving.

This is deeply personal to me. At 19, as a member of Gay Youth in New York, I ran a suicide hotline out of my apartment. I spoke to countless kids in pain — bullied, beaten, abandoned, institutionalized. One call I’ll never forget came from a girl whose parents had her committed after catching her kissing another girl. She escaped and called us. She told me how unbearable the institution was, and how she couldn’t go home — she felt she had no future.

That was in 1970. And until June 18, young people like her could call someone who would not only listen but also help them find shelter and discover a community that would embrace them.

But now, thanks to Trump and those who enabled him, including the Log Cabin Republicans, we are back in 1970.

And when LGBTQ+ kids die because they have no one to turn to, those who stood by and did nothing — or worse, applauded these actions — will have blood on their hands.

Mark Segal is an American journalist. He is the founder and publisher of Philadelphia Gay News and has won numerous journalism awards for his column “Mark My Words,” including best column by The National Newspaper Association and the Society of Professional Journalist. 

Officials with Dallas Does Dance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing accessible dance education and performance opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies,  announced July 5 that the organization has officially been granted 501(c)(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service.

This designation officially recognizes Dallas Does Dance as a public charity under section 509(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code. The new 501(c)(3) status allows Dallas Does Dance to expand its fundraising efforts and offer tax-deductible benefits to donors, ensuring the long-term sustainability of its programs.

“This milestone marks a significant step forward in the organization’s mission to create a vibrant and inclusive space for the LGBTQ+ dance community in the Dallas area,” noted a press release announcing the nonprofit designation. “Dallas Does Dance has quickly become a notable presence in the local arts scene, offering a variety of dance lessons and community events. The organization’s commitment to inclusivity and accessibility has been a driving force since its inception, and the new charity status will only strengthen its ability to serve the community, because this is just the beginning of its dance legacy.”

Dallas Does Dance provides dance education and performance opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Through a variety of programs and events, Dallas Does Dance aims to foster a love of dance, build community, and create a more inclusive and expressive world.

— Tammye Nash

At least 95 people have died — including 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic — as a result of the catastrophic flash flooding of the Guadalupe River in Central Texas in the early morning hours of Saturday, July 5, according to a 3:55 p.m. update by CNN.

Dozens of people remain missing, including 10 little girls and one counselor from Camp Mystic, according to that same update, while weather forecasts are showing a “level-3-of-4 risk” of yet more flooding rainfall in parts of Central Texas, including in Kerr County, ground zero for last weekend’s disaster, and in portions of the Guadalupe and Llano Rover basins.

As the relief and recovery efforts continue, those wishing to donate to those efforts are encouraged to do so through The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country.

Brandon Whitlock is Algernon in Shakespeare Dallas’ production of
The Importance of Being Earnest

RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com

A true gay icon, Oscar Wilde’s signature piece The Importance of Being Earnest is getting the Shakespeare Dallas treatment this summer. Already in the middle of its run, this production is still serving some classic Wilde sass with some modern queerness.

And in the middle of it all is Brandon Whitlock (he/him) who plays Algernon. 

Firstly, for those who thought this company only did one kind of play…

“The name [Shakespeare Dallas] can lead to some expectations, but it does have a long history of not doing Shakespeare shows all the time,” Whitlock explained. “Part of that is just because so many theaters in town will produce musicals or modern plays that there is a whole swath of theater history that doesn’t get done all that much”

This isn’t Whitlock’s first stab at Earnest, but, surprisingly, it is his first take on it as a professional actor despite how frequently this show is staged. 

“Fun fact: When I was in high school, we did it for our one-act competition,” Whitlock said.

“Then I played John. Now I’m the other guy.

“I knew this time would be a little different for me though.”

The 37-year-old out actor got lucky with this character. 

“He does have a lot of the best lines. If it’s Lady Bracknell first, then it’s definitely Algernon next,” he said of exploring the character of Algernon. “I’m not quite as shallow as he, and I don’t have his obsessions. But usually, by the time I’m done with a character, they end up more like me.”

And he’s down for adding a touch of queerness to this role — or any of his characters.

“There are so many characters where their sexuality isn’t a subject, so at first, as an actor, I think about playing them straight. But then I think as a queer man: ‘Why shouldn’t they be gay?’”

One think Whitlock has discovered is how this show resonates today. Earnest is often presented in its original Victorian setting. But the actor finds that it does still hold up a mirror to today’s society. 

“It is a play that is very married to its period, but we’ve allowed modern influences to get through,” he said. “The way it resonates today, though, is how ridiculous these people and their needs are. It’s really easy to imagine them as influencers with these silly sort of demands. And people today aren’t much different.

“The things Wilde pokes fun at here are people that we point to now, too, just on TikTok and Instagram.”

Although penned by a gay author, Earnest has never felt too gay. Perhaps sassy and foppish, but two straight couples trying to get together isn’t all that queer. But Whitlock believes that what’s clever about this show is its subversiveness. 

“Something we have to remember about Wilde is that he was writing at a time when being gay was illegal,” Whitlock noted. “His famous trial was during the run of Earnest, [and] the show is about these people hiding their identities and leading this double life.

“So I think Wilde was testing that line of what he could get away with while not being blatant.”

The Importance of Being Earnest runs in repertory with Othello through July 18 at Samuell-Grand Park. For tickets, visit ShakespeareDallas.org.

On Sunday, June 22, I received an email from the Detroit Free Press at 8:09 a.m. with the subject line, “U.S. Bombs Iraq.” At 8:11 a.m., I received another email with the subject line, “CORRECTION: U.S. bombs Iran.”

I truly cannot stop thinking about this. This blunder from the largest newspaper in Michigan is so emblematic of where we are as a country right now.

Inside this typo is a portal into U.S. foreign policy: All the rush and recklessness that surely led up to Trump making this decision. The striking ignorance so many Americans have about both countries.

How many, including the president, could point to each one on a map? How many Americans, including the president, see Iran as just another country full of brown people whose lives frankly don’t matter that much? Just like the people of Palestine, the people of Afghanistan, the people of Iraq.

Certainly their lives are not as rich and vibrant and meaningful as the lives of the Americans who, in their infinite wisdom, elected Trump to be president. Again.

I make a conscious effort to be anti-racist, recognizing that I, like every white person in this country, was born and raised surrounded by racism and that I am surrounded by it still.
It is not enough for me or any white person to simply say, “I’m not racist” — or worse, “I don’t see color.” That isn’t doing any work or taking any kind of responsibility.\

Thus, we hear some of the most racist people saying things like, “I haven’t got a racist bone in my body.” And perhaps they’re right, but only because racism isn’t a signal from a rogue femur. It’s much more insidious.

When I sent a screenshot of the back-to-back Free Press emails to my sister, she called it “a time machine error.” And she is not wrong. It’s like we’re in 2003 again listening to a president lie to us in order to justify war.

And just as in 2003, this is all happening against a backdrop of fierce opposition to LGBTQ+ people and our rights.

In 2003, the Marriage Protection Amendment was introduced for the second time (the first being the year before), seeking to amend the country’s constitution to forever bar same-sex couples from getting married. President Bush voiced his support.

This harmful amendment was introduced and debated endlessly for years, finally being snuffed out by the Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell decision, one that could very likely be overturned by the same court that overturned Roe v. Wade.

Also, same-sex marriage became legal in Canada in 2003, and Michael Stark and Michael Leshner were the first couple to legally marry there. According to a 2023 CBC article, “After 42 years together — 20 as a married couple — the two still very much enjoy each other’s company, whether that’s making raspberry pancakes, discussing the news over a cup of tea or travelling abroad.”

The couple finds the attacks on LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S. today “quite scary.” As they should.

That was also the year of the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down the many laws nationwide that criminalized queer sex and the year the Massachusetts Supreme Court struck down its ban on marriage equality.

Legal marriages began in the state the next year.

As you can see, 2003 was kind of a big deal for the LGBTQ+ civil rights fight. But if you’ve been paying attention to what’s happening now, it’s hard not to see how, historically, 22 years is not long ago at all.

In 2003, we were invading Iraq searching for non-existent “weapons of mass destruction” while the nation debated whether two people of the same sex could actually love each other and even if they could, whether they should be afforded the same legal protections as heterosexual couples.

In 2025, we’ve bombed Iran under the pretense of them building nukes while the nation debates whether transgender people should be allowed to exist at all, actively pursuing policies that make it harder for them to just live their daily lives.

As Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr said in the way-olden days, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

It is easy to feel hopeless. I remember how hopeless I felt in 2003. I honestly didn’t think I would ever be able to get legally married in my lifetime. I did not think things would get better.

But they did. Not in every way. But I was able to marry my wife, be put on her insurance when I had cancer and give our son two legal moms.

These are the things I remind myself of when I watch the country hurtling into a backwards time vortex. These are the things that I hold onto tightly to keep from being sucked into that hopeless past.

It’s hard and my fingers hurt. But I’m trying my best.

D’Anne Witkowski is a writer living in Michigan with her wife and son. She has been writing about LGBTQ+ politics for nearly two decades. Follow her on Twitter @MamaDWitkowski.

We’re back! Stage Notes is a weekly aggregate post about theater, classical music and stage news, events, reviews and other pertinent information. 

Stage Notes Calendar

Opening this week:

Dallas Winds: New Mornings, A Star Spangled Spectacular, Friday. 

American Chronicle Theatre Co.: King Kirby, Friday-July 12 at Cox Playhouse.

Art Centre Theatre: Girls Weekend, Friday-July 19.

The Core Theatre: Southlake, Friday-July 20.

AUDITION: Allen Contemporary Theatre: Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, Saturday and Sunday. 

Pocket Sandwich Theatre: Star Trip: A Tale of Two Captains, Saturday-Aug. 23. 

Second Thought Theatre: Your Wife’s Dead Body, Wednesday-July 29, pictured.

Onstage now:

Broadway Dallas: Disney’s The Lion King, through today.

Sundown Collaborative Theatre: The Amphibians, through Sunday.

Theatre Three: Xanadu, through Sunday.

Circle Theatre: A Strange Loop, through July 12, pictured.

Allen Contemporary Theatre: Curtains, through July 13.

Dallas Theater Center: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, through July 13. 

The Firehouse Theatre: Oklahoma, through July 13. 

Jubilee Theater: The Fall of Heaven, through July 13.

Shakespeare Dallas: The Importance of Being Earnest, through July 18 at Samuell-Grand Amphitheater.

Shakespeare Dallas: Othello, through July 20 at Samuell-Grand Amphitheater.

Echo Theatre commemorates its founder Linda Marie Ford England after her passing

In an email on Tuesday, Echo Theatre had sent its In Memoriam to one of its founders. Linda Marie Ford England died on June 21. She was locally famous for her window messages in the numerous panes of her Lakewood home. But she also helped establish a theater for and by women that has evolved over its tenure to become a theatrical voice for all women+ that has been inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community in its productions. Echo recently closed Open, a one-actor show about a female queer magician who must save her partner, Jenny.

From Echo:

Linda Marie Ford England passed away on Saturday, June 21, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. She was born in Queens, New York on August 25th, 1964 to her two loving parents, Timothy and Phyllis Ford, and was the oldest of 5 children. She attended the University of Oklahoma to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama. She was a loud and proud member of the Alphi Phi sorority where she made lifelong friendships. Upon graduating from OU, she remained in Tulsa where she met the love of her life, Andy England. Shortly thereafter, Andy followed her to New York while she pursued her acting and stand-up careers and he continued his work with American Airlines. The two eventually relocated to Dallas, Texas and were wed on June 9, 1990. Throughout the years in Dallas, the Englands started their incredible family of three sons; Tim, Matthew, and Christopher England. Their Echo Family sends them love and light.

In addition to her career in acting, Linda was the driving force behind the 1998 founding of Echo Theatre, Dallas’ esteemed Women’s Theatre. It was Linda who gathered the tribe of women who launched the mission. Alongside her colleagues Pam Myers-Morgan and Suzy Blaylock, a new kind of company was born, dedicated to performing works solely written by women playwrights and demanding gender parity in play production in order to break barriers and open eyes. Now in our 27th Season, with an expanded mission informed by our times, we continue to produce the works of Women and Women+ Playwrights. We miss our friend and are forever indebted to her bright, brash, brilliant vision. She remains an inspiration to continue the mission of the theater she sparked.

A Celebration of Linda’s Life in the Theater is being planned for this August.

Donations in her memory may be made to Echo Theatre and In My Shoes.

Lyric Stage announces its 32 season of shows

A bit of old news at this point, but during June, Lyric Stage revealed its new roster of shows for its upcoming season. The company will produce four shows at its Lyric Studio Space with one show at the Moody Performance Hall. The season kicks off this October.

“Lyric Stage’s season promises to be nothing short of extraordinary, so stay tuned for the announcement of our talented creative teams and audition dates. We encourage you to purchase season tickets, which will go on sale July 1 for these live and spirited performances,” Scott Guenther, Lyric Stage managing and co-artistic director, said in the mid-June announcement.

Lyric’s 32nd season includes:

Oct. 10-26: The Rocky Horror Show. In this cult classic, stranded sweethearts Brad and Janet discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter and the hunky, muscular Rocky. This 25th anniversary revival won’t be complete without its familiar shoutouts from the audience, cascading toilet paper and an array of other audience participation props. 

Dec. 5-21. Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings. Back for another holiday season, this classic by Stewart Ross will put everyone into the holiday spirit. Sprinkled among the Christmas offerings are audience favorites, like the trio’s three-minute-and-eleven-second version of The Ed Sullivan Show  featuring the Rockettes, the Chipmunks and The Vienna Boys Choir among others.

Feb. 11: Dallas Divas. For one night only, just before Valentine’s Day, see this showcase of some of the most talented voices in Dallas. This Lyric Stage tradition features area singers performing songs ranging from Broadway to pop. There might even be a few surprise guests. Performance held at Moody Performance Hall.

April 17-May 3: Sweet Charity. This musical  explores the turbulent love life of Charity Hope Valentine, a hopelessly romantic but comically unfortunate dance hall hostess in New York City. With amid-1960s score by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and a book by Neil Simon, this captures the energy, humor and heartbreak of Life in the Big City for an unfortunate but irrepressible optimist with signature showtunes like “Big Spender,” “If My Friends Could See Me Now,” “I’m a Brass Band” and “Baby, Dream Your Dream.” 

July 17-Aug. 2: Little Women. This story is brought to life in this musical filled with personal discovery, heartache, hope and everlasting love. Based on Louisa May Alcott’s life and book, the story follows the adventures of sisters Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March.

Tickets are availble now at LyricStage.org/season32.

Review: These ‘Curtains’ are well hung at Allen Contemporary Theatre

Despite never having heard of this show until its season’s inclusion by ACT and a couple other companies, I can confidently say that last Friday’s opening performance of this Kander and Ebb mystery musical is now unforgettable. This is largely thanks to Laura Jennings’ fast-paced directing and a talented cast that perfectly blends humor with beautiful voices and harmonies.

A murder-mystery musical, especially from the minds behind Cabaret collaborating with Rupert Holmes and Peter Stone, initially seemed like a questionable endeavor. Yet, these four delivered a hilariously entertaining and thrilling production from start to finish. It was, however, ACT’s creative team and cast who truly brought this wild show to life.

Jennings deserves much credit for skillfully directing over 20 actors onstage with precision. Their accurate staging provided a strong foundation for the show, while maintaining the energetic comedy. Becca Tischer’s choreography was also a delight, with her moves filling the stage, performed by the large cast.

Set behind stage at a theater in 1959 Boston, the star of Robbin’ Hood of the Old West, Jessica Cranshaw, dies at curtain call which is later determined to be a murder. Lieutenant Frank Cioffi is on the case and thrilled as a theater fan himself, but he has to determine who’s attempting to kill off more folks in the cast and crew. He sequesters the cast and crew for his investigation while they also rework the show for its next-day performance. Niki, the first understudy, is overlooked to take the part of Jessica which is given to the show’s songwriter and former actor Georgia. Her partner in music and life Aaron isn’t all that thrilled while producers Carmen and Sidney Bernstein scramble to save the show with the oblivious, eccentric and self-absorbed director Christopher.

Eddy Herring triumphed as the enthusiastic lieutenant leading the investigation. His comedic portrayal balanced being in the action while remaining central to the show. Emily Fabrega, as Niki, was a delightful understudy and romantic interest. While occasionally verging on Disney-princess-like, Fabrega ultimately conveyed the character with ideal innocence and compassion.

Shea McMillan, as the reluctant star Georgia, had a strong presence and voice, subtly commanding attention with her lovely, floating vocals. Blake Rice delivered a beautifully delicate performance as Aaron. Michael McMillan’s portrayal of Bobby, felt slightly disconnected despite his lean into the character’s cockiness. The intended love triangle among the three never fully materialized, and McMillan’s solid performance sometimes seemed to be playing catch-up to the energies of the other actors.

Scott Hickman was spot-on as the detestable Sidney Bernstein and as show investor Oscar. Beau Dameron was rich with his character’s excited vibes. Jennifer Grace, as the stage manager Jenny, was a lethal comic weapon; her timing and delivery were always an eye-catcher, giving so much to a role that could have been overlooked.

Amy Foster Parsons and Mario Estep were brilliantly cast as Carmen and Christopher. Parsons, as Carmen the show’s producer, was basically legendary. Her portrayal was an expert blend of beautifully bitchy authority, comic timing, maternal tenderness and some impeccable song and dance. Estep was a fabulous surprise as the flamboyant show director. His over-the-top, bleach-blonde Christopher, complete with affected voice, grand gesturing and self-indulgence, was consistently at a “10”—an impressive feat.

Every actor on stage was astonishingly ideal for their role which was a magical element. They did their homework and delivered a ridiculous tale of non-stop laughter and incredible show tunes. Curtains was a winning choice for this ACT.

The show runs through July 13. 

–Rich Lopez

Today, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” budget reconciliation bill which includes steep cuts to Medicaid, SNAP and federal student loan programs. While that may not seem like an LGBTQ issue, it is an “everybody” issue. And the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law has put together some information to show how much of an impact these cuts will potentially have on LGBTQ people:

Medicaid

• The bill reduces federal Medicaid spending and requires beneficiaries to show that they are working or in school for 80 hours per month to keep their health insurance. An earlier provision banning Medicaid from covering gender-affirming care was removed from the bill.

• LGBT adults are twice as likely as non-LGBT adults to have Medicaid as their primary source of health insurance (13 percent vs. 7 percent).

• Approximately 1.8 million LGBT adults rely on Medicaid as their primary source of health insurance, including 2 million lesbian and bisexual women, 1 million LGBT adults living with a disability, 560,000 LGBT parents with children under 18 in their households, 390,000 cisgender gay and bisexual men and 185,000 transgender adults

• Cuts to Medicaid funding will have a disproportionate impact on subpopulations of LGBT people who are more likely rely on the program for their primary health insurance, including 26 percent who rely on Medicaid and are living with low incomes, 19 percent who are raising children, 18 percent who have disabilities, 17 percent of cisgender lesbian and bisexual women, 16 percent of people of color and 12 percent of transgender people.

• Expanded work and community engagement requirements will create further barriers to accessing Medicaid. Approximately eight in 10 LGBT adults on Medicaid either are working (46 percent), have worked in the past year (9 percent), are students (12 percent), or are unable to work (13 percent).

SNAP

• The bill shifts costs for food assistance to the states and tightens eligibility requirements.

• Nearly 2.1 million LGBT adults rely on SNAP, including 3 million LGBT adults living with a disability, 3 million lesbian and bisexual women, 900,000 LGBT adults who have children under 18 in their household, 500,000 cisgender gay and bisexual men and 250,000 transgender adults

• LGBT adults are more likely than non-LGBT adults to have received SNAP benefits in the past year (15 percent vs. 11 percent).

• Almost seven in 10 (69 percent) LGBT adults who received SNAP benefits in the past year had household incomes under $35,000, two-thirds (66 percent) were living with a disability, and nearly half (49 percent) had a child under 18 living in their household.

• More than 90 percent of LGBT adults who received SNAP (91 percent) in the past year were either currently working (42 percent), had worked in the past year (6 percent), were students (8 percent), homemakers (9 percent), retired (5 percent) or were unable to work (21 percent).

Student Loans

• The bill caps federal student loans for graduate students and parent PLUS loans for undergraduates.

• More than one-third (35 percent) of LGBTQ adults aged 18 to 40 — an estimated 2.9 million LGBTQ people — hold more than $93.2 billion in federal student loans.

• About half (51 percent) of transgender adults, 36 percent of cisgender LBQ women and 28 percent of cisgender GBQ men have federal student loans.

— Tammye Nash

Former Congressman Colin Allred has announced his campaign to become the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate and challenge incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn in 2026.

Allred represented Texas’ 32nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019 until 2025. Rather than running for re-election to that seat last year, he chose to challenge Sen. Ted Cruz, but lost that race by 9 points. The District 32 seat is now held by Rep. Julie Johnson, the first openly LGBTQ person elected to Congress from a Southern state.

In a video announcing his campaign, Allred said, “Texans are working harder than ever, not getting as much time with their kids, missing those special moments — all to be able to afford less. And the people that we elected to help — politicians like John Cornyn and Ken Paxton — are too corrupt to care about us and too weak to fight for us.”

Paxton, the right-wing Texas attorney general who has made attacking the state’s transgender population a priority of his tenure in office, will be stepping down from that office to challenge Cornyn in the Republican Primary.

— Tammye Nash