The Kinsey Sicks
Oy Vey In A Manger
Holy Hadassah -- your holiday shopping needs are all taken care of. This all-live soundtrack recording of the Kinseys' eponymous holiday show contains 24 tracks for both Jews and Gentiles to abhor, including seasonal favorites.
Who Are The Kinsey Sicks?
For over a decade, The Kinsey Sicks, America's Favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet, have served up a feast of music and comedy to audiences across the United States. Combining award winning a cappella singing, sharp satire and over-the-top drag, The Kinsey Sicks have developed a large and loyal following.
The Kinsey Sicks began in 1993 as a group of friends who went to a Bette Midler concert in San Francisco, dressed as the Andrews Sisters. Assuming they'd be among many drag queens, they found themselves to be the only ones (other than Bette, of course). They were approached that night to perform at an upcoming event. Their reply -- "we don't sing" -- was quickly disproved when they realized that all of them had musical backgrounds. They began singing and harmonizing that night, and the seed for The Kinsey Sicks was planted.
In July 1994, The Kinsey Sicks drew a large and enthusiastic crowd at their first public performance on a street corner in San Francisco's Castro District. Since then, The Kinsey Sicks have produced and performed full-length theatrical productions around the country in such prestigious venues as the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, the Nordstrom Recital Hall in Seattle, the Ogden Theatre in Denver, the Colony Theatre in South Beach, and the Wheeler Opera Hall in Aspen. They have packed the houses with shows such as "The Balled Sopranos," "Motel Sicks: A Dragapella Summer Vacation," "Everything But the Kitsch 'n'Synch" and "GreatesTits," all of which premiered at San Francisco's New Conservatory Theatre Center.
In 2001, the girls produced and starred in their critically acclaimed Off-Broadway hit, "DRAGAPELLA! Starring the Kinsey Sicks" at New York's legendary Studio 54. That production received a nomination for a Lucille Lortel award (the Off-Broadway Tony) as Best Musical of 2001 and a Drama Desk Award nomination for Best Lyrics.
The Kinseys Sicks have been profiled on national television, including on "20/20" and "CBS Early Show with Bryant Gumbel," and were the subjects of a lengthy cover feature in the arts section of the New York Times. (That article is posted on this website as well.) They have won numerous a cappella awards and have recorded four CDs: Dragapella, Boyz 2 Girlz, Sicks in the City and I Wanna Be a Republican.
The Boyz Behind the Girlz
When THE KINSEY SICKS began in 1993, its founders were a group of refugees from successful careers as professionals and activists. Original member Ben Schatz ("Rachel") is a Harvard- trained civil rights lawyer, former Director of the national Gay and Lesbian Medical Association. Schatz created the first national AIDS legal project and authored Clinton's HIV policy during the 1992 presidential campaign. Irwin Keller ("Winnie") is a University of Chicago-trained lawyer and linguist and former director of the AIDS Legal Referral Panel of the San Francisco Bay Area. Keller authored Chicago's gay rights ordinance, passed into law in 1989. The KINSEY SICKS sound was sweetened in 1998 by the addition of the golden pipes of actor/singer/theatre educator Chris Dilley ("Trampolina"). Since 2004, the KINSEY SICKS have been joined by actor/singer Jeff Manabat ("Trixie"), a veteran San Francisco performer, previously seen in "When Pigs Fly" at the New Conservatory Theatre Center.
Spoken Word: Song Parody