Are you a saintly or a sassy Santa? The LGBT community has always been one to embrace the classic sights and sounds of the season as well as nontraditional holiday fun, including scandalous Christmas parties and saucy versions of popular carols. Whether your holiday tastes focus on the time-honored or the alternative, there’s plenty of ways to get your Christmas on in Milwaukee. Take a look at the happenings below, and let’s read an email from someone trying to be nice…but pulling a naughty.
Dear Ruthie,
I’m crushing on a gay guy at work. I traded with a friend to get his name for our Secret Santa, and I was going to use the chance to show him how I feel. I was thinking about getting him a ring. He told a co-worker how much he liked this ring so I know he’d love it.
Half of my friends say it’s too expensive and the other half say the symbolism is too much. I feel it’s the right gift to show him what I’m feeling. What do you think?
—Lord of the Ring
Dead Ringer,
Listen to your friends. Do not buy him a ring. It’s not a good gift for this guy at this time. Save your money and buy him a bottle of wine. Include a note about it being your favorite wine and that you’d like to share it with him sometime. He’ll get the message without you blowing your paycheck or coming off like a nut. After all, it’s Secret Santa not Secret Stalker.
UPCOMING EVENTS
December 11: Friends of Dorothy Party/‘The Wizard of Oz’ at Skylight Music Theatre (158 N. Broadway): Click your ruby slippers three times and head over the rainbow for a festive evening. There’s no place like the Skylight for an LGBT pre-show reception featuring food, cocktails and an Oz-themed costume contest. Then, follow the Yellow Brick Road into the theater for a heartwarming performance of everyone’s favorite story. Tickets for the entire 6 p.m. event are $50. Email maram@skylightmusictheatre.org for reservations.
December 11: 2014 Holiday Event at D.I.X. (739 S. First St.): Grab a handful of Christmas cheer with the gang at this Walker’s Point watering hole! Free appetizers and gifts make the 7 p.m. soiree one for the books. Be nice and spend the night with old friends…or be naughty and spend the night with a new one (wink, wink).
December 11 through 31: ‘Who Killed Santa?’ at Soulstice Theatre (3770 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 2): Neil Haven’s murder mystery is back featuring all of the colorful puppets, laugh-out-loud Christmas carols and kooky characters that made this holiday whodunit so popular. Performed by the Umbrella Group, this adult take on a yuletide yarn promises to keep your belly bouncing like a bowl full of jelly all season long. See whokilledsanta.com for tickets and show times.
December 12 & 13: Women’s Voices Milwaukee ‘Spirits of the Season’ Concert at Washington Park Senior Center (4420 W. Vliet St.): “Sing out, Louise!” This all-female chorus welcomes Father Christmas (or is it Mrs. Claus?) with a harmonious night of new and old carols alike. A bake sale and 50/50 raffle round out the evening that’s sure to get you in the mood for the holiday. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. with a $15 cover charge.
December 13 & 14: ‘A Concert of Note’ at Plymouth Church UCC (2717 E. Hampshire St.): Take in a change-of-pace Christmas show that celebrates poetry, prose and song through the works of Emily Dickinson, Dylan Thomas and Robert Frost. Boulevard Theatre mastermind Mark Bucher shares the stage with Beth Monhollen and the Plymouth Chorale. General admission is $20 with $5 tickets available to children and students. Show times are 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. respectively with complimentary receptions after each performance. Visit boulevardtheatre.com for more.
December 14: Christmas and Customer Appreciation Party at Harbor Room (117 E. Greenfield Ave.): The boys at Harbor Room are rolling out a 3 p.m. holiday hootenanny. Let out your belt not your wallet because the buffet is free and the drink specials are plentiful!
Have a question for Ruthie or need to tell her about an event? Email DearRuthie@Shepex.com. Be sure to “friend” her on Facebook (Ruthie Keester), follow her on Twitter (@DearRuthie) and catch her web series at ruthiesbitchinkitchen.com.
