5 Queer Things You Can Do Right Now-ish: Attend a Backwards Opera and Have Dinner with LGBTQ+ Ally Amy Grant
During this post-COVID era, take some time out of your busy schedule to experience life again and let down your hair. Take in an in-person opera, network at a mixer or expand your small business — there’s so much to choose from.
1. Experience (In-Person) Opera, Again
You’ve heard of “La Bohème,” but what about reverse order “La Bohème”? In their first in-person show since the pandemic, Detroit Opera premieres “La Bohème” in reverse order. Director Yuval Sharon has decided to start the play at Act IV and work backward to Act I, with text and music otherwise unchanged. “As we move through the world of memory, we witness a resurrection and a new love blooming,” explains Sharon. “When the audience leaves the theater, they won't be left with the heaviness of inevitability. Instead, they'll be left with a notion that the pain was worth the fleeting moments of joy.” Performances will be held April 2, April 6 and April 11.
For ticket information, visit Detroit Opera’s website.
2. Live the Good Life at Frequency
Grab the crew because Frequency, the monthly LGBTQ+ mixer for creatives and professionals, is back in full swing after a six-year hiatus. Terri (Sensei) Stewart, the creator, says the event “creates a different atmosphere than the currently available spaces” for the LGBTQ+ community. “We usually have a live painting done with an artist who sets up their work for sale, and we’ll have a DJ to keep the vibes going,” she says. “It really is about connecting and networking while enjoying good music and good entertainment.” Attend the Frequency mixer from 7-10 p.m.. on April 15 at Best Western Premier Hotel in Southfield.
Visit Eventbrite to get your tickets.
3. Dine with Christian Ally Amy Grant
Christian crossover singer-songwriter Amy Grant is also a proud LGBTQ+ ally, which means all are welcome to her table when she sings and you eat at Andiamo. The six-time Grammy winner, known for pop hits like “Baby, Baby” and “Every Heartbeat,” will perform live at 8 p.m. April 8 at Andiamo Celebrity Showroom in Warren. In 2013, during her first LGBTQ+ press interview ever, Grant told Pride Source Editorial Director Chris Azzopardi that she's aware the "religious community has not been very welcoming," but that faith is "really about one relationship. And everybody is welcome. Everybody."Tickets can be purchased at www.andiamoshowroom.com.
4. Network at a Business Summit
Ready to take your business to the next level? Consider attending The Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce’s (DRLCC) Spring LGBT Business Summit. The event will offer attendees techniques on how to scale business as well as the benefits of LGBTBE Certification. In addition, local key-note speakers and influencers will discuss supplier diversity, using social media, small-business marketing and contracting. Kevin Heard, the Chamber’s president of the Board of Directors says, “Attendees will walk away with tangible steps to help them scale, shift or self-evaluate where they should go next.” The event starts at 10 a.m. April 13 at the Pistons Performance Center.
To register to speak to a buyer, visit DRLCC’s website.
5. Support Ukrainian Relief Efforts at Benefit Show
Enjoy an evening of great music in Ann Arbor at The Ark, a long-time LGBTQ+ supporter, while supporting a great cause — humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine. As Pride Source recently reported in an exclusive interview with KyivPride president Lenny Emson, the region is suffering extensive damage and unimaginable loss of life as Russian forces continue their months-long assault. For LGBTQ+ Ukrainians, the stakes couldn’t be higher, given Russia’s infamously cruel and inhumane treatment of its LGBTQ+ citizens.
The Ukraine Relief Benefit Ann Arbor (URBAA) will feature several local artists, including Madcat Ruth and the C.A.R.Ma Quartet, Jive Colossus, Jerry Mack and the Terraplanes, The Switchbacks, The Judith Banker Trio and the Andy Adamson Quinet, and more to be announced. Ticket proceeds will benefit World Central Kitchen, which has set up more than 300 meal distribution sites along the Ukraine border.
General admission tickets are $20 and can be purchased at theark.org.
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