The Queen City, indeed

Queen City Theatre Company, which an acquaintance inaccurately calls "the gay group," deals with all kinds of characters, from the agonizing Italian hero and heroine of "Passion" to the heterosexual-political triangle in "Chess." (Or quadrangle, if you throw in the wife of the Russian.)

But when it celebrates lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender life with a Queen's Fab Fest -- as it will do June 27-30 -- it provides a slice of that culture wider than any other mainstream group in the Queen City will serve up.

Even before it begins, QCTC will do a single performance of William Finn's "Falsettos" June 23 in McGlohon Theatre at Spirit Square. That show is sort of pansexual: It revolves around a Jewish extended family of a married man and his ex-wife, son, gay lover. psychiatrist and lesbian neighbors. Proceeds from this evening and the Gay Fab Fest benefit Campus Pride, the Charlotte-based national organization working to create a safer college environment for LGBT students.

There follows a bonanza at Duke Energy Theatre: Miss Coco Peru in "There Comes a Time" on June 27; "Out of the Boxx: An Evening with Pandora Boxx" June 28; "Twisted Broadway: A Broadway Cabaret" June 29 and "The Wizard of Oz: A Sing-a-long With Buff Faye" June 30. (If I only had the nerve!) You'll find details and ticket links at www.queencitytheatre.com.

Anyone with pretensions to living in a world-class city (or even a place network newscasters can mention without appending "North Carolina") realizes great cities make space for every type of expression, regardless of ethnicity or race or sexual preference. So whether you're gay or not, you've gotta be glad Queen City represents part of the cultural life of the Queen City.