Point: Counterpoint. New York had Studio 54. West Hollywood had StudioOne.
The documentary “StudioOne Forever” is showing all weekend at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and I highly recommend it.
I lived just blocks away from the fabled disco, tucked away in WeHo’s gay district. But I didn’t know hardly any of the story that is woven into the fabric of our LGBTQ+ history.
It’s a story of finding and building community, star-studded, cocaine-fueled nights of music, the AIDS crisis and now what it was like to survive it all some 40 years later.
John Duran lived those days and was on city council to help decide the fate of StudioOne. He was prominently featured as one of the few who made it to the other side. I’m not sure that deconstructing the old factory to be reconstructed after development of the property is a good idea. But certainly a memorial to StudioOne is in order.
Brad Fuhr, your Gay Desert Guide on KGAY 106.5 Palm Springs
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Palm Springs International Film Festival 2024
The 35th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) continues through its second weekend with dozens of screenings at multiple local venues. The film Studio One Forever screens on Friday, January 12 at 8:30 pm at Palm Canyon Theatre, with special guest Felipe Rose in attendance. Rose is the original native member of Village People, and you can also help celebrate his birthday with a Meet & Greet and Concert on Saturday January 13 at 7:30 pm at Four Twenty Bank. For more film fest ideas, check out a list of recommendations here. The festival will wrap up with Best of the Fest screenings taking place Monday, January 15. More info
Felipe Rose of the Classic Village People
KGAY and Four Twenty Bank are proud to present Felipe Rose of Village People for a Sexy and Seventy Birthday Concert Disco Bash on Saturday, January 13 at 7:30 pm. Get ready to dance and sing along to the iconic hits that made the Village People a worldwide sensation. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness Felipe Rose’s electrifying performance and relive the disco era. All proceeds go to Palm Springs charities! Get tickets
Divas in the Dust: Varla Jean’s Kasserole Kiki
Divas in the Dust presents Varla Jean Merman’s Kasserole Kiki on Friday & Saturday, January 12 & 13 from 7–8 pm at Fuego Events (Note: this event was previously scheduled for The Sonoran). After a holiday season of entertaining family, friends, and strangers, international comedy chanteuse Varla Jean hauls open her talent cupboards to see what she can whip up for Palm Springs with a giddy goulash of tasty new songs, spicy leftovers, and a splash of well-brand liquor. Served up with a side of glamorous gowns and wash-and-wear wigs, this piping-hot dish will have you popping Tums and begging for a second helping. Get tickets
Ten Minute Play Festival
Revolution Stage Company presents the Ten Minute Play Festival on Saturday and Sunday, January 13 & 14, with two different parts each day playing at 2 pm and 7 pm (Saturday) and 5 pm (Sunday). Each play is 10 minutes in length. The Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening performances will include The Rustin Arrest by Lorenz Qatava, about the 1953 arrest of Black and gay civil right leader Bayard Rustin [More info]. The RSC is dedicated to showcasing emerging playwrights, making their stage available for full productions of their work in 2024 during this, their very first play festival. Tickets are just $15 to come and show your support for writers and their new work! Get tickets
Avenue Q
Revolution Stage Company (RSC) presents Avenue Q, running now through January 25. A smash hit on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in the West End, this Tony Award-winning adult musical comedy features the cheekiest puppets in town, skillfully brought to life by the Coachella Valley’s top musical theater performers. Take a delightful journey through the challenges of growing up, the pursuit of grand dreams, and the quest to discover life’s true purpose. Get tickets
The Maestro and the European Pop Orchestra
The McCallum Theatre presents The Maestro & The European Pop Orchestra this Friday–Sunday, January 12–14 . The European Pop Orchestra is a professional and energetic pop orchestra, consisting of a pop band and a classical orchestra in one. This unique combination allows the vibrant orchestra to play almost any musical genre and bridge the gap between pop and classical. Together with singer and wife Wendy Kokkelkoren, orchestra leader and violin soloist Guido Dieteren and his orchestra prove that pop and classical blend harmoniously. Get tickets
Amanda McBroom: Such Good Friends, with Michele Brourman
The Purple Room Supper Club presents an evening with Amanda McBroom for two nights, Friday and Saturday, January 12 & 13, singing songs by her favorite female songwriter friends: Ann Hampton Callaway, Dorothy Fields, Marilyn Bergman, Carol Hall, and accompanied by her Musical Director and writing partner, Michele Brourman. Amanda takes us an a sublime evening of song and stories sure to delight. Dinner at 6 pm, Show at 8 pm. Get tickets
Gilligan’s Island – The Musical
Desert Theatreworks presents Gilligan’s Island – The Musical, playing through January 28. America’s most iconic sitcom from the 1960s comes to the stage reincarnated as a fun family musical. Written by the original TV show’s creator, Sherwood Schwartz, all the show’s beloved characters seem to have leaped straight from the TV screen to the big stage, bringing their hilarious adventures along with them. The skipper and his hapless first mate, Gillian; millionaire Thurston Howell and his wife, Lovey; film starlet Ginger Grant; farm girl Mary Ann Summers; and the professor battle hurricanes, quicksand and even an alien with their usual fierce determination. Will they finally make it off the island? Get tickets
Rat Pack Tribute
Commemorate the era of Frank, Sammy, Dean, and Marilyn when the Rat Pack Tribute comes to The Show at Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage on Friday, January 12 at 8 pm. Travel back in time to the glamorous and dazzling nights of early 1960s Las Vegas when three of the world’s most beloved performers and the enchanting Marilyn Monroe were the talk of the town. Las Vegas served as the playground for their boundless energy, wild shenanigans and their timeless music that is as popular today as it was then. Add a touch of platinum-blonde glamour with the alluring charm of Marilyn Monroe, and you’ve got the recipe for a Vegas-style evening filled with excitement and charm. Get tickets
Happy Nude Year Western Xposure Mini Event
Western Xposure’s Happy Nude Year takes place at CCBC Resort over the long holiday weekend, Friday–Monday, January 12–15. This “mini-event” is a chance explore your exhibitionist side in a more intimate gathering with a smaller crowd, and get back outdoors after so much time hiding from the cold. Enjoy pool parties, movies in the hot tub, video games, cruising parties at The Barracks, and the Western Xposure Bear Trail. Greet the new year in the buff with all the bears for the final Happy Nude Year event (it is being retired after this year). Get tickets
Brothers of the Desert Member Meeting and Member/Allies Lunch
Brothers of the Desert‘s monthly membership meeting will be held at the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert on Saturday, January 13 from 11 am–1 pm. This month’s Members/Allies Luncheon will be held at Blackbook Bar following the Member meeting. Make reservations by Friday, January 12. More info
Theresa Caputo Live
On Saturday, January 13 at 8 pm the Long Island Medium, Theresa Caputo, is back on stage at The Show at Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage to share personal stories about her life and explain how her gift works. She will deliver healing messages to audience members and give people comfort knowing that their loved ones who passed are still with them, just in a different way. Get tickets
Albert Frey: Inventive Modernist
The Palm Springs Art Museum’s Architecture and Design Center Edwards Harris Pavilion presents Albert Frey: Inventive Modernist, opening this Saturday, January 13 and running through June 3. This is a comprehensive exhibition and publication on the architect’s life and work. Born in Zurich, Switzerland in 1903, Frey had early career successes in Paris and New York before moving to Palm Springs where he realized his unique “simple but severe” style of Desert Modernism, cementing his legacy as one of the most influential architects, not only in the Coachella Valley, but also in the United States and the world. This large-scale retrospective, curated and designed by Brad Dunning, will present rare and many previously unexhibited architectural models, drawings, films, photographs, and furniture. Get tickets
Modern Men Open Rehearsal & Auditions
Audition to join Modern Men Coachella Valley Men’s Chorus to participate in their Spring Concert, titled “Greatest Hits.” Come to the Palm Springs United Methodist Church on Saturday, January 13 from 11 am–noon for an introduction to the show and a quick read-through of some of the music. See our event listing for a link to their online audition form: More info
