Plus: Prominent P-Town illustrators show their latest works at stadler-Kahn and more!
On the first Friday of every month, I roundup up gay centric art openings. If you have LGBTQ-art tips for future First FriGAY posts, email me at jmiddleton@phillymag.com.
 
My favorite YouTube cooking-videographer, Alex Stadler, has invited P-Town illustrators Dermot Meagher and Larry Collins to display their newest works at his Rittenhouse boutique, stadler-Kahn. Stadler, an illustrator in his own right describes the duo: “Dermot’s work captures whimsical moments in pen and ink, often on the backside of invitations he’s turned down. Larry comes at drawing from a classical standpoint, working in charcoal to better understand anatomy.” Another fun fact: Meagher, whose artwork is shown above, is the first openly gay judge in Massachusetts. Through May 29, 6 p.m., free, stadler-Kahn, 1724 Sansom St. READ MORE
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What to get into on Day 2 of the 2013 Equality Forum.
  
(L-R) Out Maryland House of Delegates member Mary Washington will speak at the Elected LGBT Officials Panel, Mauckingbird Theatre Company kicks off its gender-bending take on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet and Tel Aviv drag superstar Osher Sabag performs at Tabu.
It’s Day 2 of the Equality Forum, and things are rolling right on along with a schedule of panels, parties and theatrical productions that begin at 4 p.m. Here’s a more-specific rundown: READ MORE
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In "Tease," Jan Rattia offers a rare window into the lives of those mysterious men who make their living disrobing for strangers.
Jan Rattia has been taking pictures since he was a teenager in his native Venezuela, but it wasn’t until he was well into his thirties — and feeling unfulfilled with his career in business — that he decided to turn his passion for photography into a career. A graduate of New York’s prestigious International Center for Photography, Rattia, 38, moved from Atlanta to Rittenhouse Square with his partner, Neil Thall, last year. Today he debuts his first Philly gallery show, provocatively titled “Tease.” READ MORE
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Gay singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright all but summoned Judy last night at the Kimmel Center.
I’m still kicking myself for missing Rufus Wainwright’s Prima! Rufus! Judy! performance last night at the Kimmel Center. The much–anticipated PIFA show started with excerpts from the gay singer-songwriter’s opera, Prima Donna, then flowed into his re-creation of Judy Garland’s phenomenal Carnegie Hall show, which celebrates its 52nd anniversary tomorrow (April 23). READ MORE
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Neal Santos and Streets Dept.'s Conrad Benner are temporarily taking over Visit Philly's Instagram profile.
Visit Philly (@visitphilly) just snagged local superstar Instagrammers Neal Santos (@nealsantos) and Conrad Benner (@streetsdept) to takeover its Instagram account for most of the week. Smart move considering that, added up, the two have over 18.3K followers and have been featured in several local publications’ “Best of Instagram” lists. READ MORE
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The local funny may weighs in on his favorite books, lemons and Beyoncé.
Need a giggle to jumpstart your weekend? You’re in the right place. This week I asked local comedic storyteller R. Eric Thomas to fill out this questionnaire and when he sent it back I nearly suffocated from belly laughs.
Starting Sunday, Thomas will be starring in Quince Productions’ five-night run of (in)voluntary commitment, an evening of solo performances with fellow raconteurs Daniel Student and Jennifer MacMillan that, according to Thomas, “bridge the space between traditional storytelling and an evening fully realized theater.” For his part, Thomas will tell a story about bringing his boyfriend to meet his family for the first time. From there, the piece “zooms out to encompass everything from race dynamics in the gay community to a brief — completely misinformed — overview of global politics.” For more details about the show, look below the questionnaire, which you should totally start reading now:
 What’s your Philly connection? Patti Labelle. I don’t actually know her — I only met her twice — but I moved here to stalk her. Well, stalk is a loaded word. I moved here to be close to her without her knowledge or permission. When are you happiest? All the time, really. Life is so lovely and we live in such an exciting, imperfect but progressive time. And this city is vibrant. And the arts are alive. And you’re as young as you’re ever going to be and older than you’ve ever been. I read a lot of greeting cards. But I really am happy most of the time. Except when I’m hungry, which is like every 15 minutes. Then I’m a real dick. When I’m in the mood to splurge, I … My big splurges are things like a train ride to Manhattan, a Broadway show and a steak dinner — these temporal things that stop existing moments after they come into being, but I guess that’s why it’s a splurge instead of an investment. I believe in treating yourself to experiences because they produce emotional dividends, which is a fancy way of saying, “things make you happy.” READ MORE
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"I have a wicked sense of humor. And sometimes I cross the line into offensive."
Philly attorney and A-gay Brian Seaman may spend his days dishing legal jargon with other lawyer types, but his heart and soul is dedicated to the stage. As managing director of Mazeppa Prodcutions, he has helped bring fab musicals to the city, like last year’s run of Spring Awakening and, starting this July, Avenue Q. This weekend, Seaman and other Mazeppa folks are hosting the third-annual Cocktails & Cabaret fundraiser to generate money for future productions. Like it sounds, the evening will flow with tasty libations and hors d’oeuvres, and be capped off with cabaret-style performances of Broadway hits by a handful of talented Philly songbirds.
This week, I asked him to fill out G Philly’s version of the Proust questionnaire, where he revealed him self to be quite the wit. Keep reading to find out which former SNL star he’d like to have a beer with, who he thinks does the best Carol Channing impersonation and why the wording on his future wedding invitations has his mom in a tizzy.
 What is your idea of perfect happiness? 8 a.m. on a summer Saturday morning on Fire Island. What is the trait you most dislike in yourself? My inability to get home any night of the week until it’s dark out. What is the trait you most dislike in others? Arrogance and self-importance. What is your greatest extravagance? Really good theater tickets. Nothing like seeing a show from up close, even if the show is terrible. What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Piety. What do you consider the most underrated vice? Gluttony. I don’t trust people who never eat full-fat ice cream or go to a buffet. Which person, living or dead, do you most admire? I don’t know about admire … but I think Tina Fey would be great to grab a beer with. Which words or phrases do you overuse? No doubt, I overuse the word, “buddy.” I call everyone “buddy.” To the point where an ex said to me, “umm, I am not your buddy, I am your boyfriend.” We didn’t last very long. What is the quality you most like in a man? A sense of humor. Nothing makes me happier than when a guy READ MORE
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The author of Grindr Illustrated draws profile photos from the popular hookup app.
Since it launched in 2009, Grindr has become so much more than a mere hookup app. In the feature story in the current issue of G Philly, we show how it’s having an impact on the local job scene, and now it looks like it’s making waves in the art world, too. On the new Tumblr page Grindr Illustrated, an artist is plucking people’s profile pics and turning them into colorful illustrations. The page currently boasts around 50 images that run the gamut from shirtless selfies and provocative beach shots to frisky couples looking for a third. I’ve posted a few below. See anyone you know?
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Plus: An Attic Youth Center benefit at Bluestone Art Gallery and an artsy after party at Fire & Ice.
“My art is raunchy and thats how i like it … i’m not one to play it safe,” that’s how local artist Jaden Remy describes his work leading up to his show tonight at his NoLibs art space Gallery Kinetic. Remy, a mixed-media artist whose body-focused works incorporate everything from illustrations and design to photography, will be joined by fellow Moore College of Art and Design artist Marissa Koupf. He says Koupf’s work — mostly dark, realist body sketches inspired by the female figure — is a perfect complement to his own, because “She does a lot of the body … evoking emotions such as anxiety [and depression],” plus, he says, “we both like it raunchy.” 7 p.m.-10 p.m., free, Gallery Kinetic, 831 N. Second St., jadenremy.com. READ MORE
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The all-female dance troupe teams with Fresh Blood for a show that "coils and digs into contemporary questions of women’s self-knowledge."
1096
In this show, all-female dance troupes Pasión y Arte Flamenco Company and Fresh Blood begin back in time to the birth of the first female gynecologist, Troutula of Salerno, in 1096, then zip toward present day, touching on pivotal moments in women’s history along the way. The plot “coils and digs into contemporary questions of women’s self-knowledge, complicity, complacency,” asking “how do we reclaim our history?” April 5-6, 7:30 p.m. and April 7, 3 p.m., $25, Fleischer Art Memorial, 719 Catherine St.
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Have an event you’d like featured on G Philly? Send details to jmiddleton@phillymag.com.
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