Open Call: Gayborhood Games
The third annual Gayborhood Games will once again crown the “Best Of” the Gayborhood on Sept. 17 at Voyeur. Bruce Yelk, the event’s producer, has put out an open call today for participants in the follow categories:
Outstanding Vocalist
Outstanding Comedian
Outstanding Drag Performer
Outstanding Bartender
Outstanding Pastry Chef/Baker
Bruce Yelk (courtesy of NightlifeGay.com)
“The Gayborhood Games searches to find the best talent in each category – whether they are an LGBT community member or someone from the straight community, from Philadelphia’s Gayborhood (name sake) or a challenger from another neighborhood, city or state, who is challenging the hometown favorites,” explains Yelk.
Competing vocalists and drag acts will perform one song or medley no longer than five minutes, and each comedian will deliver a six-minute standup routine in front of the live audience. Judges will score these entertainers on an ascending scale, with the winner in each category receiving the highest cumulative score.
Bartending contestants will each be asked to invent an original Smirnoff cocktail, the Gayborhood Games’ official vodka sponsor. Judges will sample each entry in a blind taste test, scoring them on creativity and overall taste.
The competition for the Outstanding Pastry Chef/Baker pits chefs from local restaurants and catering companies against one another in a cake bake-off. In both categories, the contestant whose creation earns the highest aggregate score will claim the title. Samples of all cocktail and cake entries will be available to audience members during intermission.
Robert “Sandy” Beach, one of this year’s judges and a seasoned performer himself, offers a few tips for contestants who want to win this thing. “Always check for spinach in your teeth,” he says, “and don’t wear an overpowering fragrance like ‘Night in Tripoli’ – you don’t want the judges to gag. Don’t laugh at your own jokes and wear comfortable shoes!”
We assume he doesn’t mean the drag queens.
For anyone who would like to attend the event, there’s only a few days left to save on discounted pre-sale tickets by clicking here.
Gayborhood Games, Sept. 17, 9 p.m., Voyeur Nightclub, 1221 St. James St., byelk@nightlifegay.com.
