FRIDAY
>> Holidays are a drag — and that means big fun with fabulous Christmas Queens
Yes, the Christmas season will have officially started by the time you see this, so what better way to ensure a fabulous Yuletide than with the Christmas Queens?
Some of the most popular drag queens from the “RuPaul’s Drag Race” reality TV competition will put on some holiday cheer at a benefit show for the Hawaii Theatre on Friday, performing numbers from their latest album, “Christmas Queens 3.”
Expect plenty of eyeball-rolling, and moan-and-groan-inducing laughs, and we’re not talking about the super sexy acts here. The two previous “Christmas Queen” albums, released over the last two years, reached No. 2 on the Billboard Comedy charts.
CHRISTMAS QUEENS BENEFIT DRAG SHOW
Featuring RuPauls Drag Race contestants Manila Luzon, Thorgy Thor, Ginger Minj, Phi Phi OHara and Peppermint
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Where: Hawaii Theatre
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When: 9 p.m. Friday
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Cost: $60-$100; 21+
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Info: 528-0506,
hawaiitheatre.com
Among those scheduled to appear are the cross-dressing, cross-eyed Manila Luzon; the cello-straddling Thorgy Thor; Season 7 runner-up Ginger Minj, who calls herself “a cross-dresser for Christ” and brags, “I’ll have you down on your knees and begging for Jesus in a minute,” along with Season 4 runner-up Phi Phi O’Hara and Season 9 runner-up Peppermint.
FRIDAY-NOV. 26
>> Sale features Printmakers’ artistic works
The Honolulu Museum of Art School’s annual sale of work has started already, but this weekend’s showing will feature an expanded selection with the addition of the Honolulu Printmakers Print and Book Fair.
The fair, which runs Friday through Sunday, will include the works of more 60 artists, many of whom will be on hand to discuss their work. Sale items include limited-edition prints made with a traditional, hand-pulled printmaking technique (as pictured here by Laura Smith), screen-printed shirts and bags, handmade books and cards, and self-published zines and minicomics. Special deals can be hand on misprints, seconds and printer’s proofs.
HONOLULU PRINTMAKERS PRINT AND BOOK FAIR
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Where: Honolulu Museum of Art School, 1111 Victoria St. (Printmakers fair on 2nd floor.)
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When: Printmakers reception, 5 p.m. today; fair 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; school sale, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. today, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
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Cost: Free admission
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Info: 532-8700,
honolulumuseum.org
Beyond the printmakers’ sale, be sure to check out the museum school’s ongoing sale of works from its student studios. The sale, now in its 11th year, offers items created in metalwork, ceramics, glass fusion and weaving, with 30 percent or more of the proceeds going to supporting school education programs. New sale items are added every day of the sale as space allows, so even if you’ve gone once already, it would be worthwhile to visit again. The museum school sale runs through Sunday.
THURSDAY-DEC. 2
>> Kapono to perform isle favorites at Blue Note
Henry Kapono turns back the clock with a series of “Back in the Day” performances at Blue Note Hawaii starting Thursday.
Accompanied by some of the islands’ top musicians, he’ll perform the music of Cecilio and Kapono – or C & K, as he and partner Cecilio Rodriguez were known back in the ’70s and ’80s, when they were at their pinnacle.
The duo’s folk, pop, rock and Hawaiian stylings were a sensation, with hits like “About You,” “Friends” and “Sailing” early on and “Goodtimes Together” later. Their sweet vocals help gained them a national following, resulting in a contract with national recording company Columbia, who produced their first three albums. The duo received a Hawai’i Academy of Recording Arts Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.
BACK IN THE DAY WITH HENRY KAPONO
Featuring special guests Gaylord Holomalia, John Valentine, Blayne Asing, Alx Kawakami, Konrad Kendrick and Jon Hawes
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Where: Blue Note Hawaii, Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, 2335 Kalakaua Ave.
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When: 6:30 and 9 p.m. Thursday through Dec. 2
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Cost: $21.25-$45; VIP packages also available
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Info: 777-4890,
bluenotehawaii.com
Joining Kapono will be Gaylord Holomalia of Kalapana, vocalist John Valentine, Na Hoku Hanohano winner Blayne Asing, Alx Kawakami of Manoa DNA, former Stomp drummer Konrad Kendrick and bassist Jon Hawes.
SUNDAY
>> Country duo to play fully acoustic concert
Chart-topping country duo Thompson Square is known for genre-bending style, bringing rock, pop and an introspective approach into its sound.
The husband-wife team of Kiefer and Shawna Thompson has often performed a few acoustic numbers at their concerts, and they’re going fully acoustic for their “This Is Us” tour (no connection to the TV show), which comes to The Republik on Sunday.
The couple got their start in Nashville in the early 2000s and had a hit in 2010 with “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Songs chart. They’ve followed that up with the 2012 hit “If I Didn’t Have You” and 2013’s “Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About.” That earned them Vocal Duo of the Year awards from the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music — twice — during those years.
THOMPSON SQUARE
Presented by BAMP Project
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Where: The Republik, 1349 Kapiolani Blvd.
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When: 8 p.m. Sunday
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Cost: $35-$40
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Info: 941-7469,
jointherepublik.com
Influences on their rich sound range from Reba McIntire, Etta James, Merle Haggard and Bruce Springsteen to the Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters and the Cure. That eclectic mix was featured on their first two albums, 2011’s “Thompson Square” and 2013’s “Just Feel Good,” and perhaps represented by Shawna’s ever-changing hairstyle, which has gone from jet black to streaked and is now fully blond and punk-rock short. But their affinity for acoustic sound is evident in their recently released version of U2’s “With or Without You,” performed beautifully on acoustic guitar and piano.