Few performers are as perfectly suited for Pride weekend as Seth Sikes.
The 33-year-old cabaret star has been thrilling audiences with his tribute concerts to Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli for nearly three years. On June 24, however, he’ll go all out with a no-holds-barred show at New York’s Feinstein’s/54 Below featuring songs made famous by the aforementioned divas, as well as Bernadette Peters and Barbra Streisand. (Catch a sneak peek of Sikes performing a tune from the musical “Gypsy” above.)
“Usually my goal is to keep the songbook alive and celebrate the ladies,” Sikes told HuffPost. “But this time, the goal is to get people in a happy, happy mood to go out dancing afterward... what celebrates Pride more than a bunch of diva songs?”
What began as a “one-night-only stunt” in 2014 has taken Sikes across the country, and even internationally, since then. Most recently, he celebrated what would have been Garland’s 95th birthday with a performance in London ― a particularly fitting tribute, as the “Wizard of Oz” star capped off her unparalleled career with a string of shows in England’s capital.
Of course, Sikes is aware that his Pride weekend show comes at a time when many LGBTQ people are still reeling from the election of President Donald Trump, who ran on an explicitly anti-queer platform. The performer, who has not shied away from politics on social media, won’t mention Trump during his performance, but rather “have some fun” while reminding people that the LGBTQ community is “mighty and not going away.”
“I talked a little bit about Trump in my last show,” he said. “But frankly, at this point, I’m so sick of hearing about him and talking about him, I probably won’t bring it up at all this time. Let’s forget the asshole for a moment!”
For now, Sikes couldn’t be happier to be honoring Pride with a brand-new show. “I think Pride is about family and community and a celebration of our unique culture. We have a lot of that to celebrate right now ― including our lady icons ― and we have a lot to be grateful for, including marriage equality,” he said. “But we can’t take any of it for granted.”
Seth Sikes performs at New York’s Feinstein’s/54 Below June 24. Next up, he’ll visit the Crown & Anchor in Provincetown, Massachusetts on July 8 and Aug. 7.
Find ways to celebrate Pride by subscribing to the Queer Voices newsletter.
