Gay List Daily’s must-do events: July 17-21

by Staff of Gay List Daily

Highbrow, lowbrow, unibrow: it’s all here. (Okay, except for the unibrow, we’ll wax that off before you can bat a bushy eyelash!)

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Take for example Ryan Seacrest. The gays don’t want him, but American Idol loves him - go figure. The same logic can be applied to culture, including some of this week’s outings. You could watch drag queens vie to be the prettiest princess or check out some of the most famous Impressionist paintings in the world. Highbrow, lowbrow, unibrow: it’s all here. (Okay, except for the unibrow, we’ll wax that off before you can bat a bushy eyelash!)

Tastes Grape, Less Filling: Wine Tasting

Tonight, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Whether you are a card-carrying oenophile (no, not the kind that have to register with the state) or more of a Boone’s Farm Betty, you can always benefit from a good wine tasting. It expands the palate and, if you’re lucky, makes your brain feel all “giggly.”

Free admission. Age 21 and up; State Street Spirits

www.statestreetspirits.com

Drag Race: Rose Room Shining Star Competition

Tonight, 10:00 p.m.

Get ready to watch the marabou feathers fly as previous “shining stars” compete for cash, prizes, bookings and the coveted title of Rose Room Shining Star. Drag diva Layla LaRue hosts. Who knew lip-synching could be a full-contact sport?

Cost: Age 21 and up, no cover before midnight; 18 and up is a $10 cover; Rose Room (inside S4); www.caven.com/rose_roomdallas.htm

The Show Must Go On And On And On...: Festival of Independent Theatres

Tonight through Saturday, August 9

Now in its 10th year, the Festival of Independent Theatres (or FIT if you are a true Thespian) is back with four weeks of programming from 10 different theatres. Now, math may hurt our pretty lil’ heads, but even we know that adds up to good odds for seeing some cute actor/waiters and maybe some great shows too.

Tickets: $12 to $16, or festival passes beginning at $49; Bath House Cultural Center; www.bathhousecultural.com

Stop The Press: Gutenberg! The Musical!

Through Sunday, July 27

We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is not a musical tribute to 80’s dreamboat Steve Guttenberg (sigh). It’s actually a two-man musical spoof of a splashy Broadway tribute to printing press inventor Johann Gutenberg. At least we have that VHS copy of Cocoon. It will never play games with our heart.

Tickets: $20 to $25; Sanders Theatre, Fort Worth Community Arts Center; www.amphibianproductions.org

Pretty From Far Away: The Impressionists: Master Painting from the Art Institute of Chicago

Through Sunday, November 2

Show us the Monet, along with the Manet, Degas, Renoir and all of those other fabulous Impressionist painters. And a great big thank you to the Windy City for playing nice and sharing the goods. What are you waiting for? It’s time to Van Gogh to Fort Worth. We promise it’s worth the Toulouse-Lautrec. (Seriously, if you don’t leave, we’ll keep making bad puns!)

Tickets: $16 (half price Tuesday and Friday evenings); Kimbell Art Museum; www.kimbellart.org