Author: Alfredo Casuso
Countdown to Castro Ribbon Cutting
Countdown to Castro Ribbon Cutting
Ahoy! Movin’ on up to opening day! Count down ‘til this Friday’s ribbon cutting with Mayor Daniel Lurie, SF Board of Supes President Rafael Mandelman, State Senator Scott Wiener for the Castro Theatre following its $ 41 million renovation, restoration and revitalization by the Bay Area’s Another Planet Entertainment!
First public event: a screening of “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” benefitting the nonprofit Castro Community Benefit District!
www.TheCastro.com
Happy Birthday Gertrude Stein, Rainbow Honor Walk honoree
Happy Birthday Gertrude Stein, Rainbow Honor Walk honoree
Today on the anniversary of her birth, we celebrate the life and legacy of Rainbow Honor Walk honoree Gertrude Stein (February 3, 1874 – July 27, 1946).
A towering figure of literary modernism, Stein was a poet, novelist, playwright, and cultural catalyst whose Paris salon helped shape 20th-century art and literature, championing voices such as Picasso, Matisse, and Hemingway. Living openly with her lifelong partner Alice B. Toklas, Stein defied convention and expanded the language of identity, desire, and selfhood—leaving an enduring imprint on both modern letters and LGBTQ+ history.
www.rainbowhonorwalk.org
At the link below, read historian Bill Lipsky’s tribute in SF Bay Times.
Rob Lawless’s “10,000 Friends” interview with David Perry
Rob Lawless’s “10,000 Friends” interview with David Perry
Ahoy! Thanks to Rob Lawless for interviewing me as part of his “10,000 Friends” Project! Please support the project and learn more at https://www.robs10kfriends.com
Below: my interview with Rob as posted on his Instagram page @robs10kfriends.
“It’s the one thing that’ll be in my obituary that I did that was smart, besides marrying my husband.”
While David Perry was the last of his friends to move to San Francisco — “the A group moved, the B group moved and suddenly I had no more friends left in DC” — he’s certainly left his mark on the city.
“I’m the founder of the world’s first LGBT Walk of Fame, the Rainbow Honor Walk. It’s 3 ft by 3 ft bronze plaques to LGBT heroes and heroines in San Francisco, and you can read all about it at RainbowHonorWalk.org.”
The walk is fitting, though, as David’s been a huge fan of history since his childhood.
“I remember my mother and I were in our den in Richmond, Virginia, and the movie, ‘Titanic,’ with Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck [came on] and we sat there watching it, and I was rapt with attention.”
He became obsessed with maritime history and ocean liners. So after studying Theater & Voice at SUNY Fredonia, moving to DC and relocating to San Francisco, David traveled around the world, writing the newspaper for the Crystal Cruises’ Symphony. And in that time, when James Cameron’s “Titanic” came out, he began doing presentations on the ship, leading to a career in speaking.
Still a writer, though, David penned several hundred articles and a best-selling novel (“Upon This Rock”), while helping amplify other people’s stories through his show, “10 Percent,” and his PR firm, David Perry & Associates!
He’s lived a fulfilling life so far, but more than his work, he’s been molded by his loved ones, including his husband, his friends, his mom, his maiden aunts and his grandmother!
“I always say, if you’ve ever seen that old show from the 1980s, ‘Designing Women’ — a group of Southern women — that my family was a cross between the Golden Girls and Designing Women, and those women raised me.”
Castro Ribbon Cutting
Media contacts:
David Perry / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com
Alexandra Greenberg / Falcon Publicity / agreenberg@falconpublicity.com
Liz Liles-Brown / Another Planet Entertainment / liz@anotherplanetent.com
WHO: Another Planet Entertainment
WHAT: Castro Theatre Ribbon Cutting
WHY: After an extensive 4-year long rehabilitation of the building, the iconic Castro Theatre will reopen its doors this February. Media are invited to cover the official reopening of the venue
WHEN: Friday, February 6: 5:45pm *
* San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, along with SF Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman, California State Senator Scott Wiener, Another Planet CEO Gregg W. Perloff, APE Senior Vice President Mary Conde and community members will official open the Castro Theatre by “cutting the ribbon” prior to the Castro’s first public event: A screening of “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” to benefit the nonprofit Castro Benefit District.
WHERE: The Castro Theatre: 429 Castro Street, San Francisco
WEB: www.thecastro.com
About The Castro Theatre
The Castro Theatre is a world renowned iconic venue and cherished landmark. Located in the Castro Neighborhood, San Francisco’s LGTBQ+ cultural epicenter, this designated historic landmark is the heart of the community. The Castro’s captivating interior was designed by one of San Francisco’s most prominent architects, Timothy Pfleuger. Built in 1922, the movie palace features a lavish yet intimate interior with diverse architectural influences ranging between Spanish, Asian, Italian and Art Deco. A century later in 2022, Another Planet Entertainment entered into an exclusive partnership with the theatre to execute a significant $41 million rehabilitation of the building. This includes major renovations to accommodate a wider variety of entertainment; opening the venue for the first time to standing room musical performances while still maintaining the seated experience for cinema, comedy and more.
The re-opening will showcase the revitalization of the ceiling’s stunning original artwork along with the sgraffito murals and a long hidden historic proscenium, all masterfully restored by Evergreene Architectural Arts. Additionally, BuildIT, the world’s first LGBTQ construction advocacy organization, has played a major role providing specialized trade professionals to the project. Other key elements include modernizing the historic chandelier, revival of the iconic neon blade sign and marquee, and the installation of the world’s largest and most versatile digital organ. The building will feature modern amenities with a new HVAC system, additional restrooms, and for the first time a fully ADA accessible orchestra, stage and dressing rooms. Another Planet’s momentous effort will ensure this cultural gem will continue to serve as an inclusive global beacon for cultural expression to be enjoyed for generations to come.
About Another Planet Entertainment:
Established in 2003, Another Planet Entertainment (APE) is the largest independent promoter in the U.S. and has produced and promoted thousands of events with artists as diverse as Radiohead, Neil Young, Kendrick Lamar, Adele, Daft Punk, Lady Gaga, The Weeknd, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Lizzo, Metallica, Bruno Mars, twenty one pilots, Bruce Springsteen, Mumford & Sons, Zedd, Paul McCartney, Fred again.. x Skrillex, Florence + The Machine and Olivia Rodrigo. Named Top Independent Promoter (U.S.) by Billboard Magazine in 2015 and 2016 and Top Independent Promoter (Worldwide) in 2017, APE is the exclusive promoter for the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, the Fox Theater in Oakland, the historic Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, The Independent and The Castro in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre at Caesars Republic, as well as co-promoter of The Bellwether in Los Angeles. In April 2025, APE welcomed Channel 24, a new property in Sacramento to its portfolio. In addition, APE produces the award-winning festival Outside Lands (since 2008, ranked #4 on Billboard’s Top 50 Festivals of 2022) in San Francisco. In 2024, APE launched Golden Gate Park Concerts, an unprecedented standalone event series on the Polo Field in the iconic San Francisco park. The inaugural event with System Of A Down marked the first ever headline concert in the park after dark, preceded only by daytime events. APE also operates an artist management arm, Another Planet Entertainment Management, with a roster that includes two-time GRAMMY-nominated artist Tycho, and a private events division Another Planet Event Group.