Pity the Piñata

Comments (0) By Hiya Swanhuyser Wednesday, May 11 2011

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We love drag. We love burlesque. We know what to expect. Flashy outfits. Colors so bright they’re blinding. Exposed skin. Exploration of racial, political, sexual, and gender issues. [cue loud record-scratch noise] What? Well, sure, when you’re in the presence of La Chica Boom, which tonight you are. The self-described Chican@ performance artist and community organizer uses drag, burlesque, and other stage conventions to blow these issues to smithereens (or, as she puts it, “destabilize white heteropatriarchy”). She’s fisted a piñata. She’s worn a shiny purple coin-shaped costume labeled “TOKEN.” And she’s a perfect fit for Celebrate the Mission, part of a series of late-night Teatro ZinZanni shows called Cabaret Lunatique that focus on San Francisco neighborhoods. Tonight’s Mission roster runs deep. Featured also is Robert Lopez, who formed the 1970s punk band the Zeros and whose alter ego is “the Mexican Elvis,” El Vez. Also onstage is Paul Flores, a hip-hop performance artist and spoken-word aficionado whose productions include the recent You’re Gonna Cry, about cultural and economic upheaval in the Mission during the dot-com boom. Other performers include writer and comedian Ricardo Salinas, actor and singer Ron Obregón, and performance and spoken-word artist Alejandra Mojica. It’s also your chance to get into a spectacular venue without having to pay for a ticket that includes a five-course meal. You’d be a lunatique to miss this cabaret.
Sat., May 14, 11:15 p.m., 2011