Out in Toronto: April 9–15, 2015

Choice events in the city this week


Burlesque

Down the Rabbit Hole

I’m late! I’m late! For a very important date! No time to say hello, goodbye! I’m late! I’m late! I’m late! But this time when Alice follows the rabbit with the waistcoat and pocket watch into a hole, she’s set on a journey of queer self-discovery and acceptance. And drag and dance and stripteases. The Yes-Men drag king troupe and A Platinum Production burlesque company present their drag and burlesque-filled musical take on the tale Alice in Wonderland.

Fri, April 10, 7:30 and 10pm. Buddies in Bad Times, 12 Alexander St. buddiesinbadtimes.com

Clubbin’

Pup Night

Take a naked boy, collar him, put him in a jockstrap, make him wear a hood that has ears and a snout, give him some paws and a cute wagging tail, and what do you have? A boner. And a night that confusingly combines cuteness, sexiness and kink. The second Thursday of each, the Black Eagle Kennel Klub invites handlers to bring their human puppies to romp around on some wrestling mats, beg for treats and become aroused.

Thurs, April 9, 9pm. The Black Eagle, 457 Church St. blackeagletoronto.com

Trade

Judy Virago’s breasts. They’re firm, they’re round, they’re spectacular. Sexual orientation really has nothing to do with it; gay or straight, guys love those tits. And they’re in residence, along with the rest of her, as she hosts the Trade party. DJs Nita Aviance (NYC) and Scooter McCreight spin hot beats for horny dancing guys, and the event’s promotional material promises “full sausage shows” from the slutty go go boys, Brendan and Travis. Dress code: ripped crotch.

Sat, April 11, 10pm. The Black Eagle, 457 Church St. facebook.com/getsometrade

Community

LGBTQ Volunteer Fair

We all talk about it. We say we’ll do it someday. But few of us ever get around to it. The 519 Community Centre’s Volunteer Fair is a low-pressure opportunity for community-minded (or wannabe community-minded) people to check out volunteer opportunities with various organizations across the city. It’s billed as a great way to network, gain new skills and give back.

Sat, April 11, 11am. The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. the519.org

 

Family

Move to the Beat

Helen Lovejoy of the The Simpsons once pleaded “Won’t somebody please think of the children?” The city is full of live porn shoots, booze-ups, and more burlesquers brandishing their nipples than you can shake a stick at (and we don’t recommend menacing performers with sticks; it’s abuse). Heeding Helen’s entreaty, The 519 Church Street Community Centre hosts an event for queer families with children up to six-years-old. They sing, dance, play instruments and exercise, and there’s nary an intoxicated nipple-wiggler in sight.

Sat, April 11, 10:30am. The 519 Church Street Community Centre, 519 Church St. the519.org

Theatre

Tom at the Farm

When Tom travels to a remote area for his lover’s funeral, his inability to tell the family the true nature of his relationship with the deceased leaves him stuck comforting a distraught mother and appeasing a violent brother. He soon finds himself embroiled in the family’s elaborate fantasy life, created to cope with their difficult history. In what Buddies called a “haunting portrait of grief,” the lines are blurred between truth and fiction and lust and brutality. Best-known for the play Lilies, Michel Marc Bouchard’s latest masterpiece, Tom at the Farm, has been translated into seven languages and adapted for the screen by Xavier Dolan

Sat, April 11–Sun, May 10, various showtimes. Buddies in Bad Times, 12 Alexander St. buddiesinbadtimes.com

For more event listings, visit dailyxtra.com/lgbt-events

Jeremy Willard is a Toronto-based freelance writer and editor. He's written for Fab Magazine, Daily Xtra and the Torontoist. He generally writes about the arts, local news and queer history (in History Boys, the Daily Xtra column that he shares with Michael Lyons).

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