Diner Diva

Lady Sings the Brews

Antonio Gonzales

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More About

• Gavin Borchert
• Sylvia O'Stayformore
• Dina Martina
• Ann Sothern
• Sandra Kurtz

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Can there be such a thing as a laid-back drag show? Conventional wisdom says drag is all about over-the-top-ness, but Sylvia O'Stayformore's current revue works its magic as a classy, low-key cabaret (rather than a theatrical happening à la her Re-bar predecessors Hedwig and Dina Martina), with the camp flame turned way down low—the better to beckon you playfully closer. Backed up by jazz quartet fm, and sporting a blonde coif and cat-eye glasses recalling an out-of-focus Ann Sothern, Sylvia offers a conversational way with lyrics and a lyrical way with conversation. All the songs, from torch ballads to commercial jingles, celebrate coffee, and frankly, I dreaded an evening of Starbucks jokes. But this show looks back further, as a nostalgic nod to diner culture—if this were a grad thesis, it'd be titled "Coffee 5¢, Donuts 5¢: The Waitress as American Feminine Archetype, 1930-60." Re-bar, 1114 Howell St., 206-233-9873, www.rebarseattle.com. $10. 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat. Ends Sat. Jan. 28. GAVIN BORCHERT

Enertia

This company was founded by alumni of Kaleidoscope, the prominent youth dance group, and you can tell by their repertory—which mixes heady contemporary dance by artists like Amy O'Neal and Paige Barnes with street-smart breaking and hip hop from Hassan Christopher—that they've brought along the creative inclusiveness of their schooling. They're heading for the prestigious Dance and the Child conference in the Netherlands this summer, but we can see them here and now. Velocity MainSpace Theater, 915 E. Pine St., 2nd floor, 206-325-8773, www.velocitydancecenter.org. $12. 8 p.m. Fri. Jan. 13-Sat. Jan. 14, 7 p.m. Sun. Jan. 15. SANDRA KURTZ