The Gay Agenda

Monday, December 29: Two decades ago, Flint, Mich. native Sandra Bernhard broke onto the scene with her Off-Broadway one-woman show Without You Im Nothing. This week, Bernhard revives her solo act through a fresh examination of all things modern America in her typical no-holds-barred fashion. "Layaway Show: Buy Now! Youll Pay For It Later!" features Bernhard at her best as she sounds off on topics ranging from Proposition 8 to MSNBC babe and Out 100 honoree Rachel Maddow. Bernhard will also perform with her band The Rebellious Jezebels (think a fusion of pop, jazz, blues, and rock). The shows tonight and tomorrow night are already sold out, but you still have a chance to catch the acerbic comedienne on New Year's Eve at Joes Pub in New York City. Get tickets directly from the venue's website.Tuesday, December 30: As the holiday season comes to a close, youve got one last chance resuscitate it with the final performance of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. Inspired by the Ziegfield Follies of the 1920s, the Rockettes and their leggy eye-high kicks are still the most beloved act of the show, now in its 76th year. The fun starts at 8:00 PM EST. If youre in Austin or Houston, Texas, however, youve got three more days to check out the traveling Rockettes. Click here for ticket information. Wednesday, December 31:: By now youve probably already figured out where youll be ringing in the New Year. If its at a house party, tune in to CNNs live New Years Eve coverage with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin. Suggested drinking game: Take a shot every time Kath or Coops makes a sexually charged reference about balls (see this clip from their team-up last year) and every time one of the two mentions their love affair that, for obvious reasons, will never be (see this video of Kathy as she signed off with Larry King earlier this year.) Festivities with the perfectly suited pair starts at 11:00 PM EST on CNN. Thursday, January 1: New Years resolutions dont have to be a drag. Start 2009 off right by snagging some of the hottest tickets of the season. On the music and comedy fronts this year weve got you down for Kathy Griffin, Britney Spears, Billy Joel & Elton John, Katy Perry, Lykke Li and -- hell, why not? -- Celine Dion. Also plan for anticipated television premieres like Lost (January 21 on ABC), RuPauls Drag Race (February 2 on Logo), Nip/Tuck (January 6 on FX), and the nail-biting Glenn Close drama Damages (January 7, also on FX). Click the artists name above to get show tickets directly from Ticketmaster now. Friday, January 2: Mary Todd would roll over in her grave if she caught wind of Abraham Lincolns Big Gay Dance Party, currently running at The SF Playhouse in San Francisco. While the show is clearly tongue-in-cheek, it makes an interesting parallel between sexual and national identity at a time when the two are inextricably linked. The story begins when an elementary school teacher finds herself in a legal jam after her schools pageant outs the 16th President of the United States as a big homo. The ensuing trial is divided into three acts following the lives of the defense attorney (seeking to become the states first black female governor), an ultra-conservative anti-gay congressman also up for the states top spot, and the congressmans closeted gay son. The play is almost as farcical as the latest political scandal plaguing the state of Illinois and much cheaper than a senate seat (just $40). Tickets for tonights 8:00 PM PST performance are available through the SF Playhouse.Saturday, January 3: Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (or the Trocks as they are affectionately called) return to Manhattans Joyce Theater for a limited and must-see engagement. The all-male dance troupe, who travel the globe performing brilliantly executed moves en pointe, deliver strokes of comedic genius on ballet standards like Giselle and Swan Lake (see this clip ). Just a few months ago they strutted their stuff for Prince Charles, and if theyre fit for a prince, theyre certainly fit for a few queens. Head to the Joyce Theater website to grab tickets before they are sold out. The curtain is up tonight at 8:00 PM EST. Sunday, January 4: Lets face it, there wasnt enough shirtless Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace -- but those 14 seconds were still incredibly hot. The dashing Brit is just as stunning in his latest work, Defiance, though the flick is decidedly more serious. Set in Poland during World War II, Defiance casts Craig as one of four brothers who escape from Nazi imprisonment and start an uprising to rescue fellow Jews from the hands of their captors. Couple it with the more heavily promoted World War II movie Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise, and you've got an intense but swoon-worthy cinematic experience. Catch the trailer for Defiance here.