"Voices sweet as birdsong." (New
York Times)
"One act that should not be missed." (Billboard Magazine)
A Sensation! With a
phenomenal
performance record that includes an Off-Broadway show, an extended run
in Vegas, two feature films, six CDs, and appearances throughout the
US, Canada, Mexico and Europe, the Kinsey Sicks hardly need an
introduction. For over 15 years America's Favorite Dragapella
Beautyshop Quartet has served up a feast of music and comedy to
audiences at performing arts centers, music venues and comedy festivals
in every kind of town you can imagine, in over 40 states! Their
award-winning a cappella
singing, sharp satire and over-the-top drag have earned the Kinsey
Sicks a diverse and devoted following.
Humble Beginnings. The Kinsey Sicks began in 1993 as a
group of friends who went to a Bette
Midler concert in San Francisco dressed as the Andrews Sisters.
Assuming they'd be among many drag queens, they found themselves to be
the only ones (other than Bette, of course). They were approached that
night to perform at an upcoming event. Their reply - "we don't sing"
-
was quickly disproved when they realized that all of them had musical
backgrounds. They began singing and harmonizing that night, and the
seed
for the Kinsey Sicks was planted.
Becoming a Phenomenon. In July 1994, the Kinsey Sicks
drew a large and enthusiastic crowd at
their first public performance on a street corner in San Francisco's
Castro District. Since then, the Kinsey Sicks have produced and
performed full-length theatrical productions around the country in such
prestigious venues as the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, the
Nordstrom
Recital Hall in Seattle, the Broward Center in Ft. Lauderdale, the
Hobby Center in Houston, the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen and the
Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles. Their earlies shows, such as
"Sicks Appeal," "Sicks-Tease," "The Balled Sopranos," "Motel Sicks: A
Dragapella Summer Vacation," "Everything But the Kitsch 'n'Synch" and
"GreatesTits," all premiered at San Francisco's New Conservatory
Theatre Center. Their more recent musicals -- "I Wanna Be a
Republican," "Condoleezzapalooza," "Oy Vey in a Manger" and "Wake the
F@#k Up America" have toured internationally and have drawn the
attention and devotion of unexpectedly diverse audiences.
Off-Broadway and Las Vegas. In 2001, the girls
produced and starred in their critically acclaimed
Off-Broadway hit, "DRAGAPELLA! Starring the Kinsey Sicks" at New York's
legendary Studio 54. That production received a nomination for a
Lucille
Lortel award (the Off-Broadway Tony) as Best Musical of 2001 and wowed
audiences with a much-
coveted extended run at the Las Vegas Hilton. The show was ranked by
critics as one of the best shows in Vegas, and heralded by reviewers as
"a feast for the eyes, the ears and the funny bone."
Recordings, TV and Print. The Kinsey Sicks have
recorded six CDs: Dragapella, Boyz 2 Girlz, Sicks
in the City, I Wanna Be a Republican, Oy Vey in a
Manger: Christmas Carols and Other Jewish Music and their latest
and most devilish offering, Sicks! Sicks! Sicks! They have been
profiled on national television, including "20/20" and "CBS Early Show
with Bryant Gumbel," and were the subjects of a lengthy cover feature
in the arts section of the New York
Times. (That article is posted on this website as well.)
Film. The Kinsey Sicks are the subjects of two feature
films. Their concert film, "I Wanna Be a Republican" premiered in 2006.
The behind-the-scenes documentary, "Almost Infamous", which premieres
in June, 2008 at the 32nd San Francisco International Gay and Lesbian
Film Festival, chronicles the adventure of the group's extended run at
the Las Vegas Hilton in 2006.
When the Kinsey Sicks began in 1993, its founders were a group
of
refugees from successful careers as professionals and activists. Member
Ben Schatz ("Rachel") is a Harvard-trained
civil rights
lawyer, former Director of the national Gay and Lesbian Medical
Association, and one-time presidential advisor on HIV issues. Schatz
created the first national AIDS legal project and
authored Clinton's HIV policy during the 1992 presidential campaign. Irwin
Keller ("Winnie") is a University of Chicago-trained
lawyer and
linguist and former director of the AIDS Legal Referral Panel of the
San
Francisco Bay Area. Keller authored Chicago's gay rights ordinance,
passed into law in 1989. In 2004, the KINSEY SICKS were joined by
actor/singer/designer Jeff Manabat, who is responsible for
Trixie's inordinate glamour and soaring counter-tenor, as well as the
entire group's hot couture. Beginning in October of 2008, the Kinsey
Sicks are joined by the hilarious and talented Spencer Brown
("Trampolina"), a Kansas City-based actor and singer, already known for
his drag character Daisy Bucket (pronounced, of course, "bouquet").