The Joint is Jumping

In December Ron Lanza declared that after eight years of presenting comedy, cabaret acts, and vegetarian meals at Josie's Cabaret & Juice Joint, he was going to sell the club. The closure got a lot of ink; fans and critics wailed; Tom Ammiano, the city supervisor, even capped the final run with a comedy routine. But the sale fell through. So this month Lanza has reopened Josie's for dinner hours only, with a caveat: When the lease runs out in December, he says, Josie's closes for good. So the next nine months are one long curtain call for the club.

The opening calendar includes an encore performance of Butt Pirates of the Caribbean -- a deeply offensive, hilarious cult show about transgender pirates that premiered locally at last September's Fringe Fest, after a long and frenetic run in L.A. It features a gaudy pirate captain with long blond tresses, a human butt in a picture frame, and audience participation (which, word has it, nearly got the Deadpanhandlers sued last year). After that comes the equally tasteless Tom Orr, who follows 1997's Dirty Little Showtunes! with Sweet Parody!, an autobiographical one-man show disguised as a satire of Broadway musicals. Butt Pirates of the Caribbean opens Friday at 8 and 10 p.m. (and continues through March 20); Sweet Parody! pre-views Sunday at 8 p.m. (and continues through March 27). Both shows are held at Josie's Cabaret & Juice Joint, 3583 16th St. (at Market), S.F. Admission is $12-15; call 861-7933.

-- Michael Scott Moore