(OUTview NW) 5th Avenue Theatre and Broadway composers team up to raise money for famed Oregon high school theater program!

by MK Scott

Everything I learned about theater and performance I learned from my high school drama teacher and as a Gay kid in the late 80s it really helped me stay in school and come out. My high school drama teacher was a legend and a well-known musical theater director in the Portland theater scene for over 40 years.

James Erickson was also the head of the Beaverton High School Theater Arts Department for 29 years from 1970 to 1999, and was an enduring mentor to Broadway stars such as Brooks Ashmanskas (currently in Sunday in the Park with George), Shoshana Bean (Wicked), indie film star, Jesse Archer (A Four Letter Word, Going Down in LaLa Land), Pixar's Angus MacLane and NPR's Ari Shapiro.

(MK Remembers) A Tale of 2 different Gay Mayors at their Inaugurals!

Murray/Shirosaki in 2014         /Portin

by MK Scott

It is great to live in the Pacific NW where equality and diversity is thriving, first with Gay Marriage in Washington State and soon coming to Oregon.

One great difference is we have some of the influential Gay Political Leaders in the country and I have gotten to know most of them in the last decade. Of course you know by now, that Politics is not my beat, but when I have it has created an impact.

Last night I attended the inauguration gala of Seattle's Newly sworn in Mayor Ed Murray as I did 5 years ago this week with the Inaugural of Portland Mayor Sam Adams. 


What were the similarities? Differences? Let me tell about last night's event honoring Murray first.

(OUTscene AMERICA) Jerick Hoffer (AKA.. Jinkx Monsoon) stuns Seattle as he makes a Charitible Donation following his Hedwig Performance!

Everyone, including MK, was stunned when after the amazing Jinkx's return as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Seattle's Moore Theater last night, that he presented a BIG Check for $10K to the Seattle Based research facilities HIV Unit. The audience gave a ROARING standing ovation.

Monsoon writes on her Facebook page: “Easily the coolest thing I’ve done with my prize ($100K) money thus far. The HIV Vaccine Trial Unit at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle does amazing work. If you want to make your own donations to their research, you can find more information here.”

Well Done, Jerick/Jinkx!

(OUTscene NW) 2013 SIFF COMPETITION & Golden Space needle audience awards!

The Golden Space needle, Artist: Piper O'Neill

 3 Gay Films Win (C.O.G., Big Joy and Spooners)

 SEATTLE (JUNE 9, 2013) - The 39th Seattle International Film Festival, the largest and most highly attended festival in the United States announced the winners of the SIFF 2013 Competition and Golden Space Needle Audience Awards; the awards were presented at a ceremony held at the Seattle Space Needle. The 25-day festival, which began May 16, featured over 447 films representing 85 countries, including 49 World (18 Features, 31 Shorts), 48 North American (38 Features, 10 Shorts), 17 US Premieres (6 Features, 11 Shorts), and over 700 screenings. Additionally, SIFF brought in more than 400 filmmakers, actors and industry professionals.


"Our most successful festival in the history of SIFF is ending on a high note and setting an exciting precedent for the future with Fanie Fourie's Lobola from our inaugural African Pictures programming taking home the top audience prize for best film with a Golden Space Needle Award," said SIFF Artistic and Co-Director Carl Spence. "With once-in-a-lifetime experiences including country western rock band The Maldives performing a haunting score to Victor Sjöström's 1928 classic film The Wind and the opportunity for audiences to meet more than 200 directors with their films across 25 days with massive attendance illustrated once again that Seattle has the most engaged, lively and active audiences of any city in the US."

(OUTscene NW) BEST of 2012!

In 2012, OUTscene NW was all over the place and hit the Red Carpet at SIFF for Sissy Spacek as the star. Writers, MK Scott and Eddie Walker attended  Portland and Seattle Theater, Fashion Shows and Concerts in both Print and Video, Here are OUTscene NW's Top 5 Posts, according to our Readers (Based on Page Views.)

MK's Chats with Spacek on the SIFF Red Capet!

RED CARPET:
MK chats w/ the legendary, Sissy Spacek on the SIFF Red Carpet! (6/13)

(OUTscene NW) Greatest Moments That Gave Me The Chills During Seattle's First Day Of Marriage Equality!

by Matt Stopera

Relive one of the most emotionally exhausting days of my life, when 138 couples got married in downtown Seattle on the first day gay marriage was officially legal. Wow. CLICK HERE for Full article.

The first time I got chills was when I got to City Hall and saw these women showing off their homemade "23" bouquets for 23 years together.

Then when these guys shared this moment while they were waiting in line to get married.

(NW NEWS) The ax falls on Ken Schram's 35 year run!

Veteran Seattle journalist Ken Schram

BY Josh Kerns 
Via MyNW

When KOMO TV's Ken Schram signed off Monday night, it was the end of an era for the veteran broadcaster, and TV news in general.

After a 35 year run, Schram delivered the last of his iconic, one-of-a-kind commentaries on Monday. The station announced last week it was buying out his contract and ending his award-winning run with the venerable Seattle broadcaster.

"I don't know what happened, to be quite honest with you. It's never been fully explained to me," Schram told Seattle's Morning News as he prepared to head to KOMO one last time to clean out his desk.

"It was strange. I don't know if hard is the right way to put it," he said of his final commentary, in which he challenged opponents of gay marriage to get over it before saying thanks and so long.