The Archway

Issue date: 4/17/09 Section: Campus News

A capella groups around the world each have their own unique flavor to them, including Bryant's own The Bottom Line. However, the Student Arts and Speaker Series (SASS) is pretty sure Bryant has never seen an a capella group quite like The Kinsey Sicks.

On Monday, April 20th, SASS will be hosting the Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet, The Kinsey Sicks. the final event of their inaugural year. With a goal this semester to bring a more diverse and varied group of performances and speakers to Bryant, the committee examined the campus environment for inspiration for their upcoming events. A hate crime on campus that stirred much emotion and response from the Bryant community served as inspiration for one of their events.

The incident "showed a lot of closed mindedness," commented SASS committee member and co-organizer of this event, Brian Waddell ('11). "It bothered us." So SASS decided to speak out against this intolerance and discrimination. "We felt it was important to our mission to address this issue because we are an organization designed to promote arts and culture on campus, and art is a medium which speaks about culture from different perspectives," said Waddell.

The goal of this event is to spark discussion and promote tolerance of different ideas and opinions - NOT to embarrass or single out any part of the community. The committee feels strongly that each and every group and individual that is a part of this community has the right to freely express themselves and that is what this event is all about. The Kinsey Sicks is a great way to bring attention to any issues the GLBT community at large faces and show that the GLBT community here at Bryant has an ally with the SASS Committee. Why not do so with a fun, energy-filled performance by The Kinsey Sicks?

The Kinsey Sicks began in 1993 as a group of friends dressed as the Andrews Sisters attending a Bette Midler concert in San Francisco. An unexpected invitation to perform at a future event and the musical backgrounds of the members planted the seed for the group to grow. Since their first public performance in July of 1994, the Kinsey Sicks have produced and performed full-length theatrical productions around the country, from San Francisco, to Houston, to Ft. Lauderdale.

The Kinsey Sicks Dragappella group has recorded six CDs and has been profiled on national television and featured in the arts section of The New York Times. The founders of the group all hail from successful careers as professionals and activists. Their repertoire includes hilarious songs and parodies that tackle American political, cultural, and sexual realities using everything from revamped classics to original melodies and over the top drag that create a show worth going to see. But more than just a performance, The Kinsey Sicks promote a healthy inclusive environment for all audiences.

They have been noted by The New York Times as "the hottest ticket in town," so make sure you grab one in the Center for Student Involvement on the 3rd floor of the Bryant Center - they will go fast!

With back to back events this month and a year full of events, the SASS committee hopes that members of the Bryant community were able to explore a new avenue to arts, culture, and learning. Whether it was through a speaker like Morgan Spurlock or Nikki Giovanni, the performance by Phunk Phenomenon, or the Bulldog FilmFest, the committee worked hard to reach every end of the spectrum to bring an assorted group of events to broaden the community's horizons.

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