“America’s first destination” prepares for Comic Book Capers at Carnival 2014 celebration

Tens of thousands of merrymakers will descend on Provincetown August 16-22 for the annual rite of summer’s passage – Ptown’s Carnival Week extravaganza. It is a time when village homes are transformed, and individual and group costuming rival that of Rio and New Orleans. More than a few caped crusaders and masked marauders are likely to be seen this year as the theme, “Comic Book Capers,” sets the mood for the heroic revelry and super street scene.

Carnival Week has grown to be the first and longest running festival of its kind in New England, always hosted in Provincetown, known as America’s first destination. Designated so because of the many firsts with which the town is credited, Ptown enjoys a first in American history, as the first landing spot of the Pilgrims and where the Mayflower Compact set off the greatest experiment in democracy. Many recognize the town as the first to officiate gay and lesbian marriages and as a primary destination welcoming diverse people who revel in rich artistic traditions, history, beautiful landscapes and a progressive cultural scene.

This year’s Carnival Week is packed with variety, humor and the outrageous. The fun begins on August 17, with Aquaman’s Atlantian Pool Party from 2 to 5 p.m., at the Brass Key Guesthouse, located at 67 Bradford St. Kick off this weeklong set of Carnival events with fun in the sun at this wet and wild pool party featuring swimsuit entertainment, go-go dancers and the amazing DJ Andy Morris. A $10 donation to the Provincetown Business Guild’s (PBG) Carnival fund will gain your entrance to the event, and VIP pass holders receive free drink bracelets.

More fun comes on August 18, as the Richie Rich Vendor Fair opens from noon to 4 p.m., at Bas Relief Park behind Town Hall. Come be a part of the hottest local artists, handcrafts and antiques fair the comics have to offer. Meet the vendors and their unique collections. This is a great opportunity to understand how Ptown became known as such a melting pot of fantastic art and community participation. A $75 fee will secure vendors their booths and a great super hero crowd.

The evening excitement continues with the Comic Book Capers – First Issue Costume Ball, from 9 p.m. to midnight at the Boatslip Resort, 161 Commercial St. Come celebrate the 36th Anniversary of Carnival at the original Carnival Costume Ball hosted by Provincetown’s very own Hat Sisters. Costumes will be judged for the following cash prizes: Male – 1st – $500, 2nd – $200, Female – 1st – $500, 2nd – $200, along with crowns, sashes and the honor of a float ride in our ever popular Carnival Parade! A cover charge of $10 will benefit PBG’s Carnival fund. Costumes will be judged on creativity and originality, adherence to the comic book character theme, craftsmanship and spirit/attitude.

Up next is the the Hall of Justice Party, from 3 to 5 p.m., on August 19, at Watership Inn located at 7 Winthrop St. Enjoy cocktails, beer, wine, light food and a special guest star with friends new and old at one of the founding Carnival inn parties. A $10 cover charge is required. Later in the evening on August 19 is Archie & Veronica’s Boat Cruise at MacMillan Pier, from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. For a $25 fee, one can take part in the comic merriment, as you never know what you’ll see as you dance to the beats of DJ Lee Thornhill on the memorable cruise, while taking in the amazing Ptown sunset. The event is sponsored by Bay State Cruises, Cape Cod 5 and the Provincetown Chamber of Commerce. Boarding begins at 5:30 p.m. for 6 p.m. departure, so please there early.

Head over to the Atlantic House at 6 Masonic Place for the Men in Tights Dance Party, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Don’t miss this chance to show off your assets as you groove into the night, at one of Ptown’s oldest entertainment venues. Enjoy an evening with resident DJ and Billboard Magazine reporter David LaSalle. Donations will benefit PBG’s Carnival fund & The Provincetown AIDS Support Group.

The Caroline Rhea Comedy Show headlines at 8 p.m. on August 20. The world-renowned comedian will showcase her talents at the Provincetown Town Hall on 260 Commercial St. Her feature credits include, “The Perfect Man,” “Man on the Moon,” “Christmas With the Kranks” and “Ready

to Rumble.” Caroline’s television career has taken off since she first starred as Aunt Hilda on The WB sitcom “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.” She starred in Lifetime’s made for television movie “Fat Like Me” and was the host of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” She was last seen in a one-hour stand up special, part of Bravo’s “Funny Girls,” entitled “Rhea’s Anatomy.” Other credits include: host of “The Caroline Rhea Show,” Whoopi Goldberg’s “Hollywood Squares,” Drew’s girlfriend on “The Drew Carey Show,” the made for television movie “Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire,” “Pride and Joy” on NBC, Comedy Central’s “Pulp Comic,” “Comic Relief 8” and “One Night Stand.” Caroline will also be the Provincetown Carnival Grand Marshall.

Also on August 20 is the Dick Tracy’s Leather Dance Party at Club Purgatory, on 11 Carver St., from 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Join the fun at the second annual Carnival Leather night and strut your stuff. Don’t miss your chance to show off this summer’s hottest leather attire. A cover charge of $5 will benefit PBG’s Carnival fund.

The crown jewel of Carnival week continues the festivities with the presentation of the 36th annual Provincetown Carnival Parade! The always outrageous and exotic entourage kicks off at 3 p.m., August 21, at the Harbor Hotel and will travel down historic Commercial Street, greeting throngs of thousands of revelers. Those interested in participating in the parade this year have the option to ride a large float for a fee of $100, a small float for $75, a “self-propelled” float (bicycle powered etc.) for $50 or simply walk in the parade for $25. Parade goers should be sure to catch the parade’s last float, which traditionally unveils next year’s Carnival theme. For more information on parade participation, click here.

Another annual tradition which takes place at the conclusion of this year’s Comic-Book-Capers-themed Carnival week is the Scooby Doo Inn Stroll. Check out some of Provincetown’s charming guesthouses like Aerie House & Beach Club, Inn at Cook St., Crowne Pointe Historic Inn & Spa, John Randall House, Sunset Inn and the 8 Dyer Guesthouse. Proprietors truly let their imagination run wild in decorating their establishments in accordance with the year’s Carnival theme for the enjoyment of participants in this stroll of local inns. The event lasts from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and is always a sight to behold. Tickets for the event are $25.

Finally, Carnival week officially concludes with the Krypton Closing Party from 9 p.m. to 1 p.m., at the Crown & Anchor on 247 Commercial St. DJ Ivan Gomez spins tunes in Paramount, while VJ Tom Yaz will help you enjoy the final hour countdown for Carnival week at Wave Bar. A portion of the $15 cover charge will benefit PBG’s Carnival fund. This party is always a favorite and guaranteed to help all Carnival-goers conclude the week with a bang. This is the one party truly not to be missed.

Many travelers to Ptown schedule a trip around Carnival 2014 but may desire to stick around a little longer to enjoy some post-festivity rest and relaxation. For these folks there are still a great number of things to do in Ptown following Carnival week all the way through September in what locals refer to as “Second Summer.” There are quite a few attractions, shows and entertainment available to sustain one’s extended stay in Ptown following Carnival. A few examples:
Miss Richfield 1981- She’s a summer tradition to both locals and visitors alike; she’s unwittingly un-PC, hysterically clueless and the ingenious creation of her alter ego, Russ King. She’s also in her eleventh year performing in Ptown, to the delight of locals and visitors alike. In her all new show “Play With My Poodle,” Miss R joyously looks for a suitable mate with colorful videos, twisted sing-a-longs, and a healthy heap of audience interaction. Come see her one-of-a-kind show running from July through September at the Crown & Anchor (247 Commercial St.). You won’t regret it.
Dina Martina – Absolutely packed with ludicrous song, horrifying dance, overburdened costumes and sidesplitting video, Dina Martina’s shows are impossible to describe – other than that they’ve become synonymous with jaw-dropping pathos and mind-blowing comedy. Dina Martina has been hailed as “alarmingly funny”, “dazzling and mind-blowing,” and “as graceful as a Coke machine moving about on a hand truck.” What a Dina Martina show is, quite simply put, is a smart and hilarious evening of entertainment that you will never forget. Ms. Martina’s show runs from July through September at the Crown & Anchor.
Illusions – Provincetown’s longest running & most electrifying Drag Revue!
From raucous comedy to celebrity impersonations to fierce musical numbers, you’ll be doubled over in laughter as four of America’s top drag divas perform in a high energy hour of non-stop entertainment! Starring Felicity Layne, Billie Jean, Tisch DeWilliams and Anita Cocktail, the show runs from July through September at the Crown & Anchor.
Kate Clinton – Kate Clinton is a faith-based, tax-paying, America-loving political humorist and family entertainer. She is an author (3 books), performer (9 CDs, 3 DVDs), columnist, film and stage actress, TV commentator, and as a blogger, vlogger, facebooker and tweeter she is multi-formatted to the max. With a career spanning over thirty years, Kate Clinton has worked through economic booms and busts, Disneyfication and Walmartization, gay movements and gay markets, lesbian chic and queer eyes, and eight presidential inaugurals. She still believes that humor gets us through peacetime, wartime, scoundrel time and economic down times. Don’t miss her show which runs from July through August at the Crown & Anchor.
Eddie Sarfaty – Comedian and writer Eddie Sarfaty has appeared on The Today Show, Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, Logo’s Wisecrack, The Joy Behar Show and is one of the subjects of the documentary, Laughing Matters. Eddie’s appeared at clubs and colleges across the country, and has entertained at corporate conferences, on cruise ships and at a variety of special events. He’s been featured at numerous comedy festivals, including the prestigious Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, and The Toyota Comedy Festival in New York. Check out his show at the Post Office Cabaret (303 Commercial St.) where he’ll be performing nightly through July 20.
Electra – Electra has been performing his “Living the Legends” one-man review nation-wide and in Puerto Rico for over 30 years. This south Florida based entertainer has won numerous awards including Miss Gay NY, Miss Florida Fi, Miss Continental Elite, and National Entertainer of the Year. His uncanny lookalikes and precision pantomime is only topped by his unique and gaudy humor. Electra has been called the King of Queens and the Man of a Thousand Ladies by the New York Post, Miami Herald, and Florida Sun-Sentinel. This summer marks his first adventure at the Post Office Cabaret, where he will present not one, but five different shows a week from July all the way through September.
Lip Schtick – This one person tour-de-force has been wowing audiences with its on-stage-right-in-front-of-you character and costume changes. LipSchtick offers masterful impersonation, laugh out loud comedy, classic drag-style lip sync, and live vocals. LipSchtick has it all and is a night of entertainment which appeals to everyone. Catch the show at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House (236 Commercial St.), which will run weekly on Sunday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, until Sept. 14, 2014.
The Golden Girls – In this parody of the iconic sitcom, Varla Jean Merman (Blanche) matches wits with Ryan Landry as Dorothy, Olive Another as Sophia and Brooklyn Shaffer as Rose. Merman and Landry play together as never before in this hilarious sendup. The show runs through August 30 at the Art House venue (214 Commercial St.).
Jinkx Monsoon – Jinkx Monsoon, the alter ego of Jerick Hoffer and season five winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, will star in off-Broadway’s hit production “The Vaudevillians” at The Art House from June 27 to September 20, 2014. The drag-comedy sensation will reprise her role as Kitty Witless, alongside co-star and co-writer Richard Andriessen, better known as Dr. Dan von Dandy. The show makes its leap to Provincetown after extending its Off-Broadway run five times in New York earlier this season.
An Evening at the Bird Cage – Audiences love this show in which Scott Townsend and Joe Posa bring their incredible likenesses, voices, comedy and illusion with uncanny precision. Scott’s Cher, with amazing costumes, an incredible look and spot-on live vocals, are second to only Cher herself. He also takes audiences on a whimsical ride down memory lane with a parody of the late iconic Judy Garland, then leaves the audiences wanting more as he thrills with his alter ego character, Thirsty Burlington. Not to be out done is the uber-talented Joe Posa, a member of Actors Equity and The Screen Actors Guild, whose Joan Rivers impersonation makes audiences everywhere do a double take. Everything from her quick wit and ability to read audiences and mannerisms are second to none. Joe also thrills us with his recreations of two of our favorite living legends – Barbra Streisand and Liza Minnelli – and then revs it up by bringing the King of Pop Michael Jackson back to life. This is a performance not to be missed. The show runs from July through early September at the Post Office Cabaret.