PAGE 18 T Q-Notes T May 2, 1998
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Out There In Hollywood
Hi:
(^AY C(?MCPY r^E. TLiL W/il^LC. EAMLYI
Tuesday, May 12
5935-A Rivers Ave.
N. Charleston, SC
nside Desperado's Entertainment Complex)
(803) 744-HAHA (4242)
Wednesday, May 13
5317 E. Independence Blvd.
Charlotte, NC
(Behind Friday's)
(704) 568-HAHA (4242)
"Ford and Amanda
Amanda and Serge
Serge and Ford
and then
there's Otto...
It's sooo
confusingly
hilarious!
Tml
presents
'ToisonouslyFmnfl
New York Times
"AhypcHOfnicfeasF\
Atlanta Journal
Constitution
fooD Chain
At Spirit
Square
Duke Power
Theatre
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372-
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A Com
j)0|jary Farce
by McEySilver
strongly recommended for mature audiences
May 28-june 14
7:30 pm Wed, Thurs • 8pm Fri/$at
$12 Wed, Thurs, Sun matinee • $15 Fri • $17 Sat
Special opening night performance
Thurs. May 28* All seats $8
Sponsored BY
Cris and TVet to
play Carolinas
by Brian D. Holcomb
Q-Notes Staff
Cris Williamson and Tret Pure make a re
turn to Charlotte on May 17, appearing at
Tremont Music Hall. Called the “Fave Rave”
tour, they will be performing old favorites as
well as tracks from their latest album Between
the Covers. Other Carolinas appearances inriiide
Be Here Now in Asheville on May 20, the
Handlebar in Greenville, SC, on May 21 and
Camp Pleiades in Bakersville, NC on May 23.
Cris and Tret have taken their act to the
Internet and this tour’s set lists have been de
veloped based upon input from their fans via
their web page (www.cris-tret.com). Between the
Covers has gotten rave reviews from publica
tions across the country as well as from other
recording artists. Several cuts have received sub
stantial radio airplay. The second collaboration
between W^illiamson and Pure, Between the
Covers has more of a true “folksy” feel than Post
cards from Paradise. To those lesbians who grew
up memorizing Cris Williamson’s songs (The
Changer and The Changedytas the seminal les-
Theatre • Art • Music
bian album of the 1970s), it will be a welcome
return.
There are a few surprises along the way, of
course. “Please Say,” for example, is an inter
esting, and not unpleasant, venture into a reggae
sound. Reflections of the last two decades of
women’s music can be heard throughout the
disc: Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell and Melissa
Etheridge can all be heard hiding within the
tracks. The diflFerence between this recording
and others, however, is that it is just as likely
that Cris ^J7illiamson developed the sound first
and the other artists followed her l*aH
Williamson’s biography reads like that of the
women’s music movement itself. The Changer
and the Changed y/as released in 1975 and re
mains one of the best selling independent re
leases of all time. She co-founded Olivia
Records when independent labels were rare and
a women’s label was unheard of The label is
sued her next 14 tides and was a driving force
in the establishment of women’s music as a
genre.
In the years since, Williamson has received
praise both as a songwriter and as a vocalist.
She has collaborated with legends of the music
industry and has forged a sound that is entirely
her own. For the past 15 years. Tret Pure has
been her musical and personal partner, with
Postcards fiom Paradise their first full-length
collaboration. Their latest album also marks the
debut of Wolf Moon Records, founded joindy
by Williamson and Pure. T
Lifetime television scores again
by Brian D. Holcomb
Q-Notes Staff
Fresh on the heels of winning a GLAAD
Award for Outstanding Television Movie for
Any Mother s Son, Lifetime rolls out yet another
movie sure to entice gay viewers. One begins
to wonder whether Lifetime’s motto “Televi
sion for Women” should be expanded to “Tele
vision for Women...Or Those Who Occasion
ally Feel Like Them.” In any case. Labor of Love,
which premieres Monday, May 4, manages to
explore parenting, sexuality and friendsfop in
a provocative yet non-threatening way. The
two-hour film is both entertaining and inter
esting and worth a look for the story alone, but
even more for the cast.
Marcia Gay Harden stars as Annie Pines, a
36-year-old woman who has had plenty of re
lationships, but little commitment. All of her
friends are having children and she feels that
she needs to get started if she is to have one
before it is too late. Her best friend Mickey,
played by David Marshall Grant, has been stay
ing with her since he was dumped by a long
term lover. He, an elementary school art teacher,
also loves children, so the two commit to liv
ing together and having a child...even though
Mickey is gay.
Naturally, there are all sorts of mishaps and
misunderstandings that could happen and
many of them do, but the film definately takes
olfin some unexpected ways. Perhaps the fun
niest, and oddest, moment of the film is the
first time that the couple attempts to procre
ate. Annie is ready with her turkey baster, but
Mickey feels that is too Impersonal a way to
create a child. He prefers “organic farming” (his
term, not mine). The ensuing scene is comical,
to be sure, but also quite touching and not
something that you will have seen before.
Marcia Gay Harden and David Marshall
Grant have played a couple before: they played
Joe and Harper Pitt, the dysfunctional couple
at the center of Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer and
Tony AyfatA-yntmm^ Angels In America. In that
play, Joe struggled with his sexuality and Harper
struggled with reality. Their characters in La-
bor of Love are all set in those areas. Perhaps too
much so. Harden has also appeared in numer
ous films, including Millers Crossing, The Spit
fire Grill and The First Wives Club, as well as
portraying Ava Gardner in CBS’ Sinatra. Grant
is probably best known to audiences as Melissa’s
py friend in thirtysomething. He also appeared
in HBO s And The Band Played On and on
Broadway in Bent.
After its debut May 4, Labor of Love will
enter Lifetime’s seemingly endless rotation of
films, so you will have plenty of opportunities
to tune in. And you should...this is perhaps not
the finest drama in the world, but it is a very
tender look at friendship and family. Its ap
proach to certain issues is unique, as is the way
they are resolved. Lifetime is certainly filling a
niche, although not one necessarily anticipated
on a major cable network. Good work, guys! ▼
Lilith Fair announces ’98 schedule
by Brian D. Holcomb
Q-Notcs Staff
The early 90s were all about Lollapalooza.
It appears that the late ’90s will be all about the
Lilith Fair, which debuted in 1997, heedless of
naysayers who claimed that an all-female ros
ter could not sell large venues. Organizer Sarah
McLachlan, fortunately, did not listen to the
music industry experts and assembled what was
to become the top-grossing festival tour of
1997, according to Pollstar. Lilith Fair also won
the trade magazine’s award for “Tour of the
Year.” In one brief year, Lilith has moved from
phenomenon to standard, expanding the list
of venues and performers and with sell-outs
predicted across the country.
McLachlan is the only artist who is con
firmed for the entire tour schedule, from June
19 to August 31. Natalie Merchant will play
almost the entire tour, with a brief break in
August. The Charlotte date is set for July 23,
almost exactly a year after Lilith Fair ’97 be
came the most exciting show of the summer.
Other artists currently scheduled to play in
Charlotte are: Meredith Brooks, Holly Cole,
Queen Latifah, Holly McNarland, Trish
Murphy, Rebekah and Bonnie Raitt. Over 40
artists are currently signed to play at least a
portion of the tour; most will play for two weeks
or less, depending upon their own schedules
and how recendy they have appeared in the area.
Additional artists may be added to the lineup
as Lilith Fair gets underway.
The 1998 tour features 57 performances
across the United States and Canada. As in the
’97 tour, there will be a Main Stage, as well as
Second and Village stages. There is a greater
effort this year to include emerging artists at all
levels, even including an opportunity for local
talent to join the tour for a day.
Lilith Fair ’97 contributed over $700,000
of profits to charitable organizations and plans
for this tour are to expand giving. F.ach com
pany that chooses to sponsor the tour must
commit to a major tie-in with at least one na
tional non-profit organization. (Currendy these
include The Breast Cancer Fund; the Rape,
Abuse & Incest National Network; LIFEbeat,
a national HIV/AIDS resource and awareness
organization; and Planned Parenthood). In ad
dition, $1 from each ticket sold will be donated
to a local charity, usually a domestic violence
center. For more information, visit the Lilith
Fair website at www.lilithfair.com. ▼