STAGE SHOWS SHINE DURING GAY PRIDE MONTH IN JUNE

Published: May 17, 2022

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts and The Parker, an affiliate venue, celebrate Gay Pride month this June and continuing throughout the summer.

Head over Heels, which Entertaiment Weekly called “a giddy neon anthem of acceptance,” is presented as the culmination of Slow Burn Theatre Company’s acclaimed season in the Amaturo Theater from Friday, June 10 through Sunday, June 26. The magazine noted, “Head Over Heels is packed with characters questioning their sexuality, a shepherd donning drag to get the girl, and a powerful, gender-fluid soothsayer addressed by they/them pronouns…. the joyful production dials the camp to 11; this is a show with its tongue planted firmly in its cheek, except when it’s in someone else’s mouth.”

Head over Heels, from the visionaries that rocked Broadway with Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Avenue Q and Spring Awakening, is a laugh-out-loud love story featuring the music of the iconic 1980s all-female rock band The Go-Go's with their hit songs, "We Got the Beat," "Our Lips Are Sealed," "Vacation," and Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven is a Place on Earth" and "Mad About You." In this modern musical fairy tale where once-upon-a-time is right now, a royal family sets out on a journey to save their beloved kingdom from extinction in what New York Magazine called "a clever, delightful, bubbly, exuberant party!" The season is presented by American National Bank, South Florida’s premier community bank. Performance times vary and tickets are $49-$65. Students and teachers can access $25 tickets with their credentials.

The celebration moves over to the Lillian S. Wells Hall at The Parker as Scott Stander presents Happy 100th Birthday Judy satrring overnight internet sensation Debbie Wileman as Judy Garland Monday, June 20 at 7 p.m. Wileman has gained over 1 million online views for her spot-on recreation of Judy Garland and she is now, direct from London, onstage to dazzle Judy's fans as well as her new followers. Fresh off her newest album release, I'm Still Here orchestrated, conducted, & produced by Steve Orich, orchestrator of the Grammy^® Award-winning album Jersey Boys, Wileman commands the stage – all with a live orchestra, conducted by Ron Abel. She features the famous hit songs from Judy's illustrious career, and, as an added treat, she sings songs of today (from Lady Gaga & Adele to Amy Winehouse & The Beatles, and more) that Judy would sing if she were with us today. Tickets start at $58.75.

With his pop sophistication and scrappy new wave, Joe Jackson shows his talents in the “Sing, You Sinners!” tour with a stop at The Parker on Wednesday, June 22 at 8 p.m. In an 1982 review of Jackson’s Night and Day release, The New York Times wrote of the song that would be that album’s third single, “The album's most far-reaching song, ''Real Men,'' addresses contemporary sexual anxiety in a mixture of graceful chamber music and punchy pop-rock. The song's most telling lines - ''Time to get scared/Time to change plan/Don't know how to treat a lady/Don't know how to be a man'' - describe this current state of confusion over sexual roles as poignantly as any in recent pop. Songs as probing and compassionate as ''Real Men'' aren't the eruptions of an angry young man but the polished, thoughtful artifacts of an important pop-rock voice just beginning to hit his artistic stride.”

Presented by the Broward Center and AEG Presents, Jackson is a musical chameleon who always makes a statement on his albums by combining influences such as punk, jazz, swing, pop, rock and new wave with his wry, surreal and wickedly humorous lyrics. Jackson hit the charts with "Is She Really Going Out With Him" and "Steppin' Out." His eclectic live concert features band members Graham Maby (bass,vocals), Teddy Kumpel (guitar, vocals) and Doug Yowell (drums, vocals, electronics). Tickets are $37.50-$87.50.

The celebration continues through the summer in the Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center. The Broward Center and AEG Presents bring RuPaul's Drag Race “WERQ The World Tour” in an all new production to the Au-Rene Theater on Friday, July 8 at 8 p.m. An experiment gone wrong sends the audience spiraling through time with no way of returning to the present. Kameron Michaels, Rose, Vanessa Vanjie, Yvie Oddly and all finalists from the upcoming 14th Season join the audience on a journey through iconic periods of history in hopes of finding their way back to 2022. The tour is presented by Voss Events in collaboration with World of Wonder and VH1. This event contains adult language or content. Tickets are $39.50-$89.50 with $119.50 Spirit Club Level tickets and a $249.50 VIP Package that includes a premium seat and a meet and greet with the cast before the show.

America's favorite musical satirist, two-time Emmy nominated singer, writer, and comedian Randy Rainbow takes the stage in the Au-Rene Theater on Sunday, August 28 at 8 p.m. In “The Pink Glasses Tour,” Rainbow takes on the hottest topics and skewer politicos of the day as only he can, as he brings his most viral video song parodies to life onstage. Featuring live accompaniment by some of Broadway's finest musicians, the show will also include personal stories, an audience Q&A, and brand new original songs written by Rainbow with Marc Shaiman (Hairspray, Mary Poppins Returns) and Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast). Tickets are $37-$67 with $127 Spirit Club Level seats. VIP tickets which include premium seat location and a post-show meet and greet with Randy Rainbow are $97.

Ticketmaster is the only official ticketing service of the Broward Center and Parker Playhouse. Buy tickets online at BrowardCenter.org, or Ticketmaster.com; by phone at 954.462.0222 or in person at the Broward Center’s AutoNation Box Office.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located at 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The Parker, located in Holiday Park at 707 N.E. Eighth Street in Fort Lauderdale. For more information visit BrowardCenter.org, like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BrowardCenter and Facebook.com/BrowardCenterEducation, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BrowardCenter, subscribe to our channel at Youtube.com/user/BrowardCenter and join the conversation with #BrowardCenter.

The Broward Center 2021/2022 season is generously underwritten by the Broward Performing Arts Foundation. AutoNation, Bank of America, Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, MasterCard and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center are proud sponsors of the Broward Center. Programs are also sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

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