Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Kinley Preston previews Lips Chicago dinner theater
by Julia Hale
2019-08-21

This article shared 3798 times since Wed Aug 21, 2019
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Lips, billed as "the ultimate in drag dining," is locating its fifth location in Chicago. The South Loop venue, opening to the public Aug. 23, includes acts such as lip-synching, live vocals, choreographed numbers, bawdy humor and campy comedy, according to a July 24 press release.

Kinley Preston, the Chicago activist, transgender showgirl and entrepreneur, is one of the Lips Chicago performers. Originally from Nebraska, Preston has been doing drag since 2011.

"[Lips] is considered a 'drag bar,' [but] it's definitely on the more upscale side of drag," she said.

With locations in New York City, Atlanta, San Diego and Fort Lauderdale, the Lips brand has become increasingly prominent over the past two decades. "A lot of the [Lips] girls have gone into movies, or gone onto RuPaul," said Preston. "[Lips] can open so many doors."

Preston emphasized that Lips is a dinner theater and that reservations are required, explaining, "It's not just another night at the bar; it's a ticketed event. It's produced and treated just like any other show that comes to town."

Little Goat Diner's Tom J. Schmitt is the executive chef. "All of the items on the menu are named after cast members," Preston added.

Lips also has interactive elements to the shows as well. "From the hostess to the bartender, they're all queens," said Preston. "The performers are interacting with the tables, greeting them and helping take food and drink orders."

Preston had been in contact with Lips owner Yvonne Lame ( Mark Zschiesche ) since 2016, before Lame came to see her perform in March 2019. "I was performing at Hydrate one night, and [Lame] came to see me and hired me the next day," said Preston. "The visions been in the making for a while."

The July 24 press release calls Lips Chicago "the grandest location yet," mentioning eight-foot crystal chandeliers, pink leopard walls, velvet curtains and an onstage throne. In a 2018 Windy City Times article, Lips co-owner Ed LaFaye said, "The whole idea behind the Lips decor was that it should look like a drag queen's jewelry box had exploded all over the room."

Preston said she assisted designer Robert Tabar with the decor of the Chicago location, adding, "Along with [performer] Tori Sass, we helped create his vision—sewing, rhinestoning, putting all the chairs and tables together. It was cool being there from the beginning, to see the transformation of it."

The Lips Chicago building was previously a Ford dealership, with reinforced steel beams on the ceiling, allowing for a big, open space to perform. All the decor was made in-house, according to Preston.

"It's like a doll house you'd see at Disney World," she said, acknowledging that the extravagant decor is gaudy, but in a luxurious, well-thought out and detailed way. "It's very grand. I've traveled all over the country, and there's very few stages that can compare to it, as far as the grandioseness of it. [The owners] put a lot of time and thought and detail into it."

Lips is different from other drag venues, according to Preston, in that the owners "care about their staff. I think that's very rare in the industry—bar/club owners that give a shit about their girls," she said. "[The owners] definitely put a lot of thought and time into the girls and making sure that they're comfortable and respected, and not exploited."

Lips Chicago will be open Wednesday through Sunday, with a different theme each night. Wednesdays are "Twisted Broadway"; Thursdays are "Dinner With The Divas"; Fridays and Saturdays are "Glitz & Glam"; Sunday afternoons are "Dragalicious Gospel Brunch," hosted by performer Ruff N' Stuff; and Sunday evenings are "Showstopper Sundays," hosted by MiMi Marks.

"Thursday night's more of their illusion night, where you're gonna see Cher, Madonna, JLo, Taylor Swift," said Preston, though she thinks the gospel brunch will be an audience favorite. "It's a lot of fun. There's gospel numbers mixed in with some high energy hits that people are familiar with."

The restaurant will initially have two back-to-back shows on Fridays and Saturdays.

Along with Chicago queens, Lips also brought some performers from other locations to feature in shows here, among them Shavonna Brooks and Aria Cassadine from Atlanta, Delilah Brooks from New York City and Gemma Stone from Fort Lauderdale.

"Entertainers have been with them for upwards of 20-plus years," said Preston. "People don't leave them, and that says a lot. [It's] not just another gig."

Call 312-815-2662 or visit LipsChicago.com for more information.


This article shared 3798 times since Wed Aug 21, 2019
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Jamie Barton brings nuances of identity to her Lyric Opera 'Aida' performance 2024-03-18
- Chicago's Lyric Opera is currently featuring a production of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida starring Michelle Bradley as Aida, Jamie Barton as Amneris and Russell Thomas as Radamès. The opera runs through April 7, 2024, with Francesca Zambello ...


Gay News

Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez is set to slay at The Big Gay Cabaret 2024-03-05
- Out and proud performer Jai Rodriguez is set to play at The Big Gay Cabaret this March for three days. Presented by RuPaul Drag Racer Ginger Minj, this monthly series highlights the wide world of cabaret ...


Gay News

THEATER 'R & J' puts a female, queer spin on Shakespeare 2024-03-05
- Romeo and Juliet is the theatrical gift that keeps on giving. It's been reworked for the masses numerous times, whether in direct adaptations or musicals such as West Side Story. Shakespeare's plotline points have even inspired ...


Gay News

Center on Halsted hosts 6th Annual Intergenerational Talent Show 2024-03-03
- On the evening of Feb. 29, Center on Halsted held its 6th Annual Intergenerational Talent Show in front of a packed audience at the Hoover-Leppen Theater. The event brought together participants of the Center's youth and senior ...


Gay News

THEATER When growth is paramount: Jim Corti helps fuel Aurora theater expansion 2024-03-01
- Out actor/director/choreographer Jim Corti made his Broadway debut in 1974, in the ensemble of Leonard Bernstein's musical Candide. Director Harold Prince's acclaimed Tony Award-winning revival is often cited as a ...


Gay News

Theater Review: Billy Elliot, The Musical 2024-02-19
- Book and Lyrics: Lee Hall; Music: Elton John. At: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora Tickets: 630-896-6666 or Paramountaurora.com; $28-$79. Runs through March 24 Billy Elliot: The Musical may nearly be two decades old, but ...


Gay News

'West Side Story' gets a sex-positive spin with new burlesque show 2024-02-19
- In partial observance of National Condom Day, which was Feb. 14, Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) presented A West Side Story Burlesque at the Harris Theater for two hour-long performances on Feb. 17. The show, ...


Gay News

Second Glance Productions hosts LGBTQupid Soiree 2024-02-16
- In celebration of Valentine's Day, Chicago based film and media production company Second Glance hosted The LBGTQupid Soiree. The event, which was focused on spinning attitudes on this particular day, was presented at The iO ...


Gay News

Carisa Hendrix mesmerizes as Lucy Darling in Teatro ZinZanni 2024-02-12
- Since 2019, Teatro ZinZanni has gathered together amazing performers from all over the world to create an experience in Chicago under the Spiegeltent in the Cambria Hotel building, 32 W. Randolph St. Over the years, ticket ...


Gay News

THEATER Dot-Marie Jones talks Goodman production, 'Glee,' 'Bros' 2024-02-12
- Running through Feb. 18 at the the Goodman Theatre, the production Highway Patrol works with a script conceived entirely from Emmy-winning actor Dana Delany's (TV's China Beach) digital archive of hundreds of tweets and direct messages ...


Gay News

Dr. Lady J explains how opera can be a drag 2024-02-10
- On Feb. 8, Center on Halsted, in partnership with Lyric Opera of Chicago, presented a lecture by historian, drag activist, podcaster and curator Dr. Lady J. The event, titled "Castrated Superstars, Cross Dressed Divas, and Queer ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Raven-Symone, women's sports, Wayne Brady, Jinkx Monsoon, British Vogue 2024-02-09
- In celebration of Black History Month, the LA LGBT Center announced that lesbian entertainer Raven-Symone will be presented with the Center's Bayard Rustin Award at its new event, Highly Favored, per a press release. She joins ...


Gay News

Chicago-based production company to host all-inclusive, LGBTQ-focused Valentine's Day event 2024-02-07
--From a press release - CHICAGO — Second Glance Productions will host the LGBTQupid Soiree this Valentines Day, Wednesday, February 14, 2024. The event will be held at the iO Theater, 1501 N. Kingsbury St., from 6 pm to 11 pm ...


Gay News

THEATER Nostalgic 'Sunsets' still offers a timely reflection of LGBTQ+ community 2024-02-07
- Nostalgia reigned on a variety of scales this past weekend in Chicago. During her Celebration tour, at a majestically packed United Center, Madonna acknowledged the last 40 years of her career, highlighting her '80s interactions with ...


Gay News

The Jeff Awards announces the 50th-anniversary non-Equity theater nominations 2024-02-06
--From a press release - (Feb. 6, 2024 - Chicago) — Celebrating its 50th anniversary awarding recognition for Non-Equity theater, the Joseph Jefferson Awards announces its nominations for theater excellence among Non-Equity theater during the ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.