The Kings of Queens

Close your eyes and visualize a group of drag queens on a stage. Chances are you imagined a bunch of dudes in dresses lip-syncing played-out songs by Cher, Bette Midler and Barbra Streisand. Fair enough, but don’t clump the Kinsey Sicks into that category. These gals belt out original tunes like nobody’s business. “The Kinsey Sicks is America’s favorite dragapella beauty shop quartet,” says Chris Dilley, who describes his character, Trampolina, as the group’s “naive ho with a golden heart.” Combining glorious a cappella harmonies with biting satire, the Bay Area quartet has, ahem, busted out across the nation, even scoring appearances on 20/20 and CBS’s Early Show.

“Kind of like Sex and the City or Golden Girls, there are four
characters and each of them is different,” Dilley explains. “Trampolina is a
little dippy. And then we have Trixie, who is the Marilyn Monroe-esque diva,
and Winnie, who’s the anal-retentive den mother.” Finally, there’s Rachel, whom
Dilley describes as “the sex-starved id of the group. When she wants something,
nothing will stand in her way.” Watch out, fellas. 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March
18; 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 19 and 20; 7:30 p.m. Sunday,
March 21. The Improv, 7620 Katy Freeway. For information, call 713-333-8800
or visit www.kinseysicks.com. $17
to $25. – Keith Plocek

The Day-Day Is Upon Us

“We comin’ to Houston and we gon’ blow it up and have a good time,” promises
comedian Mike Epps. Among his growing movie credits, Epps is best remembered
as Day-Day from Next Friday and Friday After Next. But before
all that, Epps made his mark on the Def Comedy Jam circuit. “I miss those
days. It was real raw, off-the-cuff comedy,” he says. “You don’t have to wait
for it to be edited like a film. You go on stage, grab a mike, bust a joke,
get it off.” On his current tour, Epps is bringing some fresh faces to the stage.
Among them is James Lewis, a.k.a. Lil’ JJ, a 13-year-old comic who was on BET’s
Coming to the Stage. “He’s my lil’ protégé,” says Epps.
7:30 p.m. Friday, March 19. H-Town Arena Theatre, 7326 Southwest Freeway. For
tickets, call 800-955-5566 or visit www.tickets.com.
$40 to $50. – Eric A.T. Dieckman

All’s Phair

THU 3/18

With lyrics like “You fuck like a volcano and you’re everything to me,” Liz
Phair quickly became the nymph darling of the early-’90s indie rock set. Brash,
ballsy and more hygienic than Courtney Love, she rode said cred for several
years and three moderately successful albums. But mainstream pays the bills,
and now Phair’s been reinventing herself by way of a lush image makeover, with
appearances on movie soundtracks and even NBC’s American Dreams. But
when she’s not pushing her newly commercialized sound, Phair still kicks out
the jams — and she still looks damn good in those miniskirts she’s so fond
of wearing. 8 p.m. Thursday, March 18. Numbers, 300 Westheimer. For information,
call 713-526-6551 or visit www.numbers-nightclub.com.
$18.50 to $20. – Steven Devadanam

Missed Sister

FRI 3/19

Stephen Adly Guirgis’s latest play, Our Lady of 121st Street, doesn’t grab your attention from the get-go. A group of friends reunites for the wake of their former teacher, Sister Rose, only to discover that her body is missing. Ho-hum. But when something else disappears — namely, one mourner’s pants — tensions, among other things, become heightened. Opens at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 19. Through April 18. Alley Theatre, 615 Texas. For information, call 713-228-8421 or visit www.alleytheatre.org. $28 to $45. – Keith Plocek