Gay To Do: 'The Whale,' Guerilla Queer Bar Takeover & more

The Whale

The Whale, a Philadelphia Premiere by Samuel D. Hunter, begins Thursday, Feb. 5th at Theatre Exile (1340 S. 13th St.). Directed by Matt Pfeiffer, the play tells the story of 600 pound Charlie who balloons after the loss of his partner. "Vibrant and proactive. Hunter explores his material with sharp-eared skill and sensitivity," said The Village Voice of this new work. Winner of multiple awards, The Whale is "a story of the final shot at redemption and the beauty of families we create for ourselves". Featuring Scott Greer, Kate Czajkowski, Trevor William Fayle, Amanda Grove and Campbell O'Hare.

The Whale runs February 5 to March 1. For more information, visit www.theatreexile.org.

Cut N'Paste: Heavy Metal and Reflective

The team behind Cut N'Paste are paying homage to controversial queen of late Azealia Banks Friday, Feb. 6 at The Bike Stop (206 S. Quince St.). Heavy metal, metallic, and shiny looks encouraged. Tigga Calore will perform with beats provided by Precolumbiana and Nolita Selector.

Doors at 9:00pm. $5 cover.

Philly Guerilla Queer Bar Takeover

The Welcoming Committee's missions is simple, to bring hundreds of members of the LGBTQ community to typically straight spaces in Philadelphia for one night. On Friday, Feb. 6, TWC will take over the Urban Saloon (2120 Fairmount Ave.) in Fairmount for their monthly Guerilla Queer Bar Takeover. And a good cause. All proceeds will go to support the Philly AIDS Thrift and their fantastic work with 29 AIDS agencies in the Philly region. Attending the event will also be a great way to show some support to the Urban Saloon, who was robbed earlier this week.

To be the first to find out where the secret location is each month for the Guerilla Queer Bar Takeover, sign up here.

Benefit v. 15

Hundreds will gather at the Crane Arts (1400 N. American St.) in Kensington to celebrate and raise funds for InLiquid on Saturday, Feb. 7. InLiquid supports and promotes visual artists while serving as a comprehensive hub and catalyst for the Philadelphia arts community. On display will be hundreds of works available for auction by local artists, including members of our LGBT community like Keith Breitfeller, Brian Dennis and Kathryn Pannepacker.

VIP reception begins at 5:00pm. General admission begins at 6:30pm. Tickets start at $50. For more information, please visit here.

Love Train

On Sunday, Feb. 8, the Mural Arts will celebrate marriage equality in Pennsylvania and the fifth anniversary of their landmark Love Letter project. During a guided tour of the 50 rooftop murals along the Market Frankford El in West Philadelphia, Honorable Daniel J. Anders will marry a very lucky local gay couple. Who are the happy pair? Cute as can be photographer Neal Santos and his partner of six years, Andrew Olson. A reception at the Loews Philadelphia will follow to celebrate the newlyweds.

Check in begins at 11:30am at SEPTA Jefferson Station (1170 Market St.) Train departs at Noon. Reception to follow at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel (1200 Market St.) at 1:30pm.  For tickets, please visit here.

Light the Lights: Resolved

R. Eric Thomas and Donald Harrison host another edition of Light the Lights on Monday, Feb. 9 at L'Etage. Sing along as they tackle their New Year resolutions, all in song. Featuring performances by Frankie Rowles, Ryan Wyrofsky, Aliya Bowles and more.

Doors open at 7:00pm for dinner and advanced seating. Show begins at 8:00pm. Tickets are $10 at the door.