September 30, 2023
Island City Stage
Tickets
By John Hayden
Trick or treating is at the end of October, but a true treat comes to Wilton Manors at the end of September. Comedian Tim Murray is bringing his new, original show, Witches!, to Island City Stage. “It’s a comedy show with original comedy songs about witches,” Murray told OutClique. “The theme is how we find our queer powers when we are in our LGBTQIA coven. That’s when we start to really uncover who we are. I’m in full wicked witch drag the entire show.”
Queer culture has long identified with witches; often misunderstood, persecuted, and shunned by society in general. The ‘Lavender Scare’ of the mid-twentieth century can draw a direct line back to the Salem witch trials of the 1600s.
Witches! explores how we embrace our inner-witch, and who we allow into our coven. Many of the people in Murray’s coven are from his college days at University of Miami. “That was a huge turning point for me. Trust is a big part of it, and just being there when you need them. I think a lot of times in the gay world in general, there are people that are fun to hang out with, but would they be there if you got a flat tire? These people have my back.”
Murray’s infatuation with witches goes back decades. “Every queer kid watching Wizard of Oz loved the Wicked Witch of the West, loves Ursula from The Little Mermaid. It felt so right and so easy to make a show about it and the metaphor of witchiness and queerness.”
It doesn’t hurt that one of the quintessential queer musicals of all time came out during his formative years. “I’m really obsessed with the musical Wicked and have been since it came out when I was like 16. If I’m going to make a musical comedy show with a theme, I want it to be about that. I’m obsessed with Elphaba like a lot of queer people are. She’s so othered. She’s belting, which we love. She’s fabulous.”
If you attend the September 30, 2023, show at 7pm, be prepared to be part of the show. One of Murray’s specialties is audience interaction. “Oh yeah, baby, oh yeah! If there are drag queens that are lip-synch assassins, I’m a crowd work assassin. I feel like anything that can get thrown at me, I can turn around. That’s my superpower as a comedian.”
The goal is for everyone to learn a little about themselves and laugh a lot. “This show is so magical for me to perform for gay men especially.”
Wilton Manors Return
Despite being an Ohio native, South Florida holds a big place in Murray’s heart. He played Island City Stage before with his good friend, actor-influencer Michael Henry. Murray found the venue through his professional relationship with managing director, Marty Childers.
“I love, love, love it. Marty and I have known each other since I did a show for him in Kentucky, his old stomping grounds. I convinced Michael Henry that we should play a show in Wilton Manors. We had so much fun and the crowds were so kind and so gay.”
He’s also in love with South Florida’s LGBTQIA+ social scene. During his time at ‘The U’, he and friends would drive up to Fort Lauderdale and go to clubs like the now defunct Coliseum.
These days he’s very familiar with the entertainment offerings on Wilton Drive, and he’s already making his post-show plans. “I’m going to the Eagle, baby. That’s where I went both nights the last time we were there. Hunters was really fun, and Alibi. But both nights I ended up at the Eagle and had a great time.”
