Ah, the holiday season: that magical time of year when snow falls, children laugh and raw eggs aren't just a salmonella-carrying, old-timey hangover remedy; they're part of the cause. Kick back by the Yuletide hearth with family and sip apple cider. Or walk Canyon Road with the masses, listen to the carolers and revel in that holiday cheer.
Or something. Let's face it: The holidays suck.
And if you're anything like me, your specific peeve is the Christmas party. Now, don't get me wrong. I like a little holiday time with the family and friends as much as the next guy, and no one does Christmas dinner quite like my grandmother. (Go visit her next time you're in San Francisco. She'll feed you. I'm not even kidding.) But, sometimes, don't you just want a little variety? Sometimes, don't you just want your Christmas to be a little more, dare I say, wild?
With that in mind, I called up Linda Krauss, internal operations director and event coordinator for RainbowVision’s SilverStarlight Lounge, for some pointers on how to turn the stuffy, tired holiday party into an all-out, end-of-the-year extravaganza.
The True Blood Vampire Party
Let the corn syrup flow at this HBO-inspired gathering, which is a favorite of fang fetishists and those with an interest, passing or otherwise, in cable-TV melodrama. Start with some moody, gothic-horror decorations—wooden stakes, coffins, dark curtains—but then add a touch of small-town, Southern suburbia. For a signature drink, Krauss says, offer “True Bloody Marys,” served in cleaned Coca Cola bottles decorated with blood-type labels (“I’d like an O-positive, please”). Prop vampire fangs are a must, as are performers who can assume a good Southern accent and do a decent Anna Paquin impersonation.
The Studio 54 Party
Relive the glory days of one of New York City’s most famous nightclubs with this combination disco and cabaret event. Glamour, style and classy drinks add a touch of authenticity to the venue, as do the festive nightclub-interior adornments. Most important, however, are the celebrity personas. When SilverStarlight threw its Studio 54 party last year, Krauss says, some notable guest impersonators included Amy Winehouse, Andy Warhol, Liza Minnelli and Jerry Hall (who could be found running around the room, photographing the guests). Throw a contest for best celebrity look-alike, serve cosmos and, if you’re really daring, use a mock police raid as the lead for a skit.
The 50-Somethings’ High School Prom Party
Prom is one of those events you remember with fondness or contempt. Either way, the memories have a tendency to turn nostalgic as time moves on. A prom-themed party’s best attribute is that it opens up a whole assortment of sub-themes. How about a Paris prom? Set out little circular tables, pop open the bubbly and erect a mini-Eiffel Tower. Feeling a Mardi Gras theme? Krauss says that hurricanes are the cocktails of choice. Whatever you choose, be sure to honor classic high school traditions such as (gender-neutral) prom king and queen, couples’ photographs and slow dancing with hands held an awkward distance above the waste. Just don’t model it after my senior prom…it sucked.
The Midwinter Night’s Drag Show Party
If you’re not up to the task of putting on your own party (or even if you are), SilverStarlight’s Jewel Box Cabaret shows are, Krauss says, “really like adult playland.” The shows—which happen monthly and take on various special focuses for the holidays—offer a variety of acts that incorporate burlesque, over-the-top adult humor, musical theater, dancing and more, she adds, combined with what people commonly consider drag performance. For Thanksgiving weekend, the JBC hosts Broadway Bound & Gagged, a tribute to Broadway musicals and a benefit for Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. For Christmas, JBC throws a Ho-Ho-Holiday Show. Lastly, on New Year’s Eve, JBC’s annual theme party ushers in the new year with The Ice Palace Dance Party, which features drag personality special appearances, celebrity impersonators and, of course, a champagne toast.
Five Do-It-Yourself Party Tips from Linda Krauss
1. Come up with a theme: This can be anything, from the personal to the outrageous. Make it as humorous and fun as possible.
2. Know your budget: A great holiday party doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Once you have your theme, figure out how much you're willing to spend and work off that.
3. Create the illusion: Atmosphere matters. Decorate with an emphasis on your theme, not just the holiday. Not every party needs alcohol but, if you decide to include it, try to come up with drinks to match the environment.
4. Figure out entertainment: Offer games, skits, mixers, etc.—activities that let guests interact. If a live band or DJ is in your budget, great. If not, at least select your music ahead of time, and vary it. "You're not going to have a whole evening of Britney and Whitney and Gaga," Krauss says, "because that would drive everyone insane."
5. Know whom you're inviting: All the planning in the world won't save your party if the theme and music don't match the crowd. Inviting a younger audience? Be sure to play some hip-hop. If the guest list includes an older gay audience, Krauss says, incorporate disco.
THE JEWEL BOX CABARET BROADWAY BOUND & GAGGED
8:30 pm Friday, Nov. 26
$15
8:30 pmSaturday, Nov. 27
$10
THE JEWEL BOX CABARET HO-HO-HOLIDAY SHOW
8:30 pm Friday, Dec. 17
8:30 pm Saturday, Dec. 18
$10
THE ICE PALACE NEW YEARS EVE DANCE PARTY EVENT WITH DJ JOJO
8:30 pmFriday, Dec. 31
$15
THE JEWEL BOX CABARET BROADWAY BOUND & GAGGED
8:30 pm Friday, Nov. 26
$15
8:30 pm Saturday, Nov. 27
$10
THE JEWEL BOX CABARET HO-HO-HOLIDAY SHOW
8:30 pm Friday, Dec. 17
8:30 pm Saturday, Dec. 18
$10
THE ICE PALACE NEW YEARS EVE DANCE PARTY EVENT WITH DJ JOJO
8:30 pm
Friday, Dec. 31
$15
500 Rodeo Road
428-7777
