A Venue for Blue
Located in the up and coming Ivanhoe Village, entertainer Blue Starr will unveil her very own venue in September. Aptly named The Venue, it will be the official home to babybluestar Productions, including VarieTEASE. Beginning in September, it will run a VarieTEASE-R for about three weeks and then a variety of shows in October. Starr says this will include VarieTEASE and the ladies of the Peek-a-Boo Lounge, boy-lesque, adding some drag burlesque, drag king shows, improv nights and even coffee house-esque nights.
She hopes the space will offer something for the entire community. She says they will also offer affordable rentals to the arts community and as a venue for weddings and fundraisers. “Speaking of fundraisers,” Starr adds. “[The Venue] will also be a way for me to be able to perpetually raise money for The Barber Fund and other charities.” She says a portion of all ticket sales will go to a charity. “I am also trying to work with the venues that have supported me throughout my journey,” she says.
This would include partnering with local flare like Tako Cheena or Savoy to offer patrons a full evening experience; dinner and/or drinks and a show. “We need something fresh that will lend itself to the growth of Orlando and I really do believe [Ivanhoe Village] will become and Orlando staple,” she says. Earlier this month, it was announced that The Venue will be a locale for performances as part of Orlando International Fringe Festival's expansion into Ivanhoe Village for 2013.
It's a Sin to be Off-Limits
Watermark reported earlier this year that a new LGBT nightspot, SIN Orlando was slated to open March 23 at the former MrSisters location. Since then, we learned that SIN began scouting other locales. In July, the club posted on its Facebook page, “we’re looking at a few warehouse spaces in the downtown area that we are considering.” Shortly after, a Facebook page going by the name Off Limits Nightclub launched in July, listing its address as 5310 E. Colonial Drive, the address for the now defunct MrSisters and marketing itself as a straight/hip-hop club. On July 23, a post read, “we have now gotten fully inspected and have passed all inspections.
Now we are going to be preparing for our opening. Orlando/South Florida/North Florida/Central Florida Get Ready for the Hottest Nightclub to come around in a long time. Grand Opening soon to follow after our opening.” In that same time period, a website launched, offlimitsorlando.com, which simply offers the headline “Are you ready to experience another rerun of Mr Sisters?” Beneath that are links to articles pertaining to the owners of MrSisters, including a murder for hire case that one of the owners was suspected in, bankruptcies, denied liquor licenses listing the current owners as the owners of the soon-to-be Off Limits Nightclub and ongoing litigations with the club owners.
On August 9, SIN posted, “updates will be coming shortly! We are excited to announce things shortly. We have been working behind the scenes to provide Orlando with the best club that has yet to come!” It was rumored that SIN could not open in the initially desired former MrSisters venue due to ongoing litigation against the clubs owners. A source close to the situation verified that indeed litigation is currently underway and told us that part of the depositions, taken last month, entailed disclosing a number of accusations, including the murder for hire scandal.
