"The Kinsey Sicks" performs at Telluride's Opera House, 3/2

28 Feb "The Kinsey Sicks" performs at Telluride's Opera House, 3/2

[click “Play” to hear Susan’s conversation with Ben Schatz]

Don we now our gay apparel. It’s Gay Ski Week in Telluride, when the town pulls out all the stops as the week builds toward the Telluride AIDS Benefit art auction and gala fashion show, Friday, March 4, and Saturday, March 5. En route, there’s a nonstop line-up of what to do, starting with something really b-a-a-a-d.

And Telluride likes it like that: here, really good is really b-a-a-a-d. We are talking about America’s favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet, “The Kinsey Sicks,” scheduled for scandal at the historic Sheridan Opera House, Wednesday, March 2, 7:30 p.m. The event is co-production between telluride.arts and Gay Ski Week.

Now ribald and rouged, “The Kinsey Sicks” began in 1993 as a group of friends who attended a Bette Midler concert in San Francisco dressed as the Andrews Sisters. Since then, well, how high is up? “The Kinsey Sicks” have performed to riotous applause all over the world, from San Francisco to Sydney, Australia.

“The hottest ticket in town … taking the cabaret world by storm … voices sweet as birdsong.”
The New York Times

“The Kinsey Sicks” is Spencer Brown, Irwin Keller, Jeff Manabat, and Ben Schatz.

As chief lyricist for The Kinsey Sicks, Ben/Rachel is largely irresponsible for lyrics designed to make you cringe.

While an undergraduate at Harvard College, Ben was torn between pursuing a career as a gay activist and a professional life on the boards. Eventually he decided activism was more important. Anyway, he didn’t have the talent to be a performer.

Ben went on to attend Harvard Law School and, upon graduation, started the first national AIDS legal program. He later served as Executive Director of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association and was appointed to President Clinton’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. Eventually Ben discovered that (a) activism and theater are not mutually exclusive; (b) talent is overrated; and (c) making people laugh is much more fun than suing them, and no less effective in making them think.

For tickets, go to http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/142738.

Click the “play” button for more on the “Les Girls”  and the show from Ben.