Media Contacts:
Andrea Aiello, Castro CBD / (415) 500 – 1181 /  execdirector@castrocbd.org
David Perry, The Castro / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com 

San Francisco’s Castro Theatre Hosts a Community Opening
Friday, February 6, 2026 

First Public Event Following a $ 41 Million Renovation & Restoration Is a Fundraiser for the Nonprofit Castro Community Benefit District 

8 January 2026 – San Francisco, CA:  After years of anticipation and a $41 million renovation by Another Planet Entertainment, the historic Castro Theatre will have a Community Opening on February 6, 2026, welcoming the public for the very first time back for a sneak peek at the Theatre with a film screening and a celebration of the neighborhood’s cultural legacy.The night will feature a 35 mm showing of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, bringing the community together in the newly restored space while marking the 20th Anniversary fundraiser of the Castro Community Benefit District. The choice of film reflects the Castro’s long-standing identity as a cultural and LGBTQ+ landmark.

“The Castro CBD is the heart and soul of this community. More than keeping the district clean and safe, they are a constant advocate for our LGBTQ residents and visitors and the many small businesses, restaurants and bars that make this neighborhood special,” said  Gregg W. Perloff, CEO  Another Planet Entertainment. “It is so appropriate that our first event, a special 35mm screening of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a benefit for them. We are grateful for their early and unwavering support of our efforts to restore, renovate and return to service this cultural landmark and LGBTQ icon.”

“This is more than a movie night; it is a homecoming,” said Andrea Aiello, Executive Director of the Castro CBD. “We are inviting the community to be the very first to experience the ‘New Castro’ while supporting the preservation of the queer history and culture that makes this neighborhood a global beacon.”As they enter the Theatre, guests will experience the extensive restoration, including the theatre’s ceiling returned to its original colors and detail, the fully restored 1937 Art Deco chandelier, Mezzanine, and newly designed seating created specifically for optimal film viewing in the multi-use space.

Reflecting on the milestone event, Aiello added, “I haven’t seen the interior yet, and I cannot wait to see the frescoes, the restored ceiling, the chandelier, and the mezzanine. And because this is the Castro, we’ve made sure the night is fun. You can’t show Priscilla without audience participation, so dress in your best Priscilla drag!”

Doordash is an early, strong sponsor for the event, followed by Alaska Airlines, and Zoox. Information on supporting this event and the Castro Community Benefit District’s Neighborhood Beautification Fund is available at www.castrocbd.org/theatre.

Doors open at 7 p.m. patrons can find a seat and explore the theatre, the stage show starts at 8 pm followed by the movie. Tickets for the event go on sale on Friday, January 9, 2026 and  can be purchased at https://www.ticketweb.com/event/the-adventures-of-priscilla-queen-the-castro-theatre-tickets/14731873

About the Castro Community Benefit District (CCBD):
The CCBD is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Castro through clean-and-safe programs, economic development, and cultural preservation.

About The Castro Theatre:
The Castro Theatre is a world renowned iconic venue and cherished landmark. Located in the Castro Neighborhood, San Francisco’s LGTBQ+ cultural epicenter, this designated historic landmark is the heart of the community. The Castro’s captivating interior was designed by one of San Francisco’s most prominent architects, Timothy Pfleuger.  Built in 1922, the movie palace features a lavish yet intimate interior with diverse architectural influences ranging between Spanish, Asian, Italian and Art Deco.  A century later in 2022, Another Planet Entertainment entered into an exclusive partnership with the theatre to execute a significant $41 million rehabilitation of the building. This includes major renovations to accommodate a wider variety of entertainment; opening the venue for the first time to standing room musical performances while still maintaining the seated experience for cinema, comedy and more.

The re-opening will showcase the revitalization of the ceiling’s stunning original artwork along with the sgraffito murals and a long hidden historic proscenium, all masterfully restored by Evergreene Architectural Arts. Additionally, BuildIT, the world’s first LGBTQ construction advocacy organization, has played a major role providing specialized trade professionals to the project. Other key elements include modernizing the historic chandelier, revival of the iconic neon blade sign and marquee, and the installation of the world’s largest and most versatile digital organ. The building will feature modern amenities with a new HVAC system, additional restrooms, and for the first time a fully ADA accessible orchestra, stage and dressing rooms. Another Planet’s momentous effort will ensure this cultural gem will continue to serve as an inclusive global beacon for cultural expression to be enjoyed for generations to come.

Connect with The Castro Theatre

Website | Instagram | Facebook

About Another Planet Entertainment:

Established in 2003, Another Planet Entertainment (APE) is the largest independent promoter in the U.S. and has produced and promoted thousands of events with artists as diverse as Radiohead, Neil Young, Kendrick Lamar, Adele, Daft Punk, Lady Gaga, The Weeknd, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Lizzo, Metallica, Bruno Mars, twenty one pilots, Bruce Springsteen, Mumford & Sons, Zedd, Paul McCartney, Fred again.. x Skrillex, Florence + The Machine and Olivia Rodrigo. Named Top Independent Promoter (U.S.) by Billboard Magazine in 2015 and 2016 and Top Independent Promoter (Worldwide) in 2017, APE is the exclusive promoter for the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, the Fox Theater in Oakland, the historic Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, The Independent and The Castro in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre at Caesars Republic, as well as co-promoter of The Bellwether in Los Angeles. In April 2025, APE welcomed Channel 24, a new property in Sacramento to its portfolio. In addition, APE produces the award-winning festival Outside Lands (since 2008, ranked #4 on Billboard’s Top 50 Festivals of 2022) in San Francisco. In 2024, APE launched Golden Gate Park Concerts, an unprecedented standalone event series on the Polo Field in the iconic San Francisco park. The inaugural event with System Of A Down marked the first ever headline concert in the park after dark, preceded only by daytime events. APE also operates an artist management arm, Another Planet Entertainment Management, with a roster that includes two-time GRAMMY-nominated artist Tycho, and a private events division Another Planet Event Group.

Connect with Another Planet Entertainment

Web | Facebook | Instagram

# # #

For more information on Another Planet Entertainment & The Castro, contact:

Alexandra Greenberg / Falcon Publicity
agreenberg@falconpublicity.com

 &

Liz Liles-Brown / Another Planet Entertainment
liz@anotherplanetent.com 

&

David Perry
news@davidperry.com

Trump is Drunk with Power

— David Eugene Perry

The whole speech that Trump gave today at the GOP House Retreat is worth watching in horror.  (watch the link at the end of this post). Trump doesn’t drink but he’s drunk with power. Lord Acton was right: power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  Maduro and Chavismo destroyed Venezuela — we know from firsthand experience. However, stunningly successful military extraction aside (credit to the US military) the chaos and lack of a coherent plan for Venezuela leaves me nauseated. Oh, and of course the White House is now making serious noises about “taking” Greenland — a NATO ally. 

And the rotten cherry on the top: a new official White House webpage reframing January 6th as the fault of Nancy Pelosi and the Capitol Hill police.

We truly are living through perilous times, and evidently NOTHING can be done. I shudder to think what the state of our country — our world — will be by the time this administration, this REGIME, slinks off into history.

https://www.youtube.com/live/Pr7rHjC7yow?si=2lLuw_T6ZFbBa2lm

You Can Oppose Trump and Still Support Venezuela’s Liberation

You Can Oppose Trump and Still Support Venezuela’s Liberation
— By Michel Hausmann

Dear Democratic friends,

I am a registered Democrat. I vote Democrat. I donate Democrat. I supported Clinton, Biden, and Harris. And yes, I oppose the current Trump administration. I think Trump has authoritarian instincts. I think he enriches his friends. I think he treats democracy like a prop, not a principle.

Now, to my point.

Over the last few days, I have watched many of you protest the U.S. military action that led to Nicolás Maduro being captured. I have seen the slogans: “Hands off Venezuela,” “Stop the kidnapping.” And I want to say this slowly, lovingly, and as clearly as I can—from one Democrat to another, and from one Venezuelan to anyone who cares about human beings.

There is not a single Venezuelan I know—not one—who was not overjoyed when Maduro was taken out of power and apprehended. 

Not one.

Maduro is not some misunderstood anti-imperialist icon. He is the head of a brutal dictatorship that has destroyed a nation. A dictatorship that has shut down television stations, jailed people for their opinions, tortured people, killed people, and crushed peaceful protest with extraordinary repression.

If you are Venezuelan, you do not need statistics. You have names. You have faces. You have that one friend who disappeared. That cousin who ended up in prison. That neighbor who was beaten for carrying a flag. Every Venezuelan family has at least one story like that—usually more.

And then there is what they did to the country.

Venezuela was once one of the most prosperous, educated, optimistic countries in Latin America. We were not perfect, but we were functioning. We were building. They broke it. Millions have fled. The United Nations estimates it is now nearly eight million Venezuelans—a displacement crisis larger than most people in the United States can even imagine.

Imagine the entire population of New York City, and then some, leaving their homes, their parents, their food, their language, their memories—because staying became impossible.

Here is the part I need my fellow Democrats to truly absorb.

The Venezuelan opposition, for years, has been an opposition of nonviolence. We marched. We voted. We organized. We pleaded. We did the things we teach our children to do in a democracy.

And we won. Over and over.

And the regime did what dictators do. They ignored the results. They twisted institutions. They disqualified candidates. They threatened voters. They announced whatever outcomes they wanted. And then they jailed people for complaining.

So when I see the slogan “Hands off Venezuela,” I want to gently ask: hands off what, exactly?

Hands off the dictatorship?


Hands off the prisons?


Hands off the torture chambers?
Hands off the stolen elections?


Hands off the machine that turned one of Latin America’s great countries into a refugee factory?

That is what that slogan sounds like from where we are standing.

Now, let me be fair—because I am not asking you to become a cheerleader for the Trump White House.

You can oppose Trump and still applaud the removal of Nicolás Maduro. You can hold two thoughts in your head at the same time. Trump is not the moral compass of the universe, and Maduro still belongs in prison. These things are not in conflict.

Some Democratic leaders I deeply admire, including Cory Booker, have described the military action in Venezuela as “unlawful and unjust,” an “extrajudicial assault on another nation’s sovereignty.” I understand that concern. Truly. But here is the uncomfortable truth: Venezuelan sovereignty was compromised long ago.

Venezuela today is not a fully sovereign nation. It has become a client state of Russia, Iran, and Cuba. Even the security detail that failed to protect Maduro on January 3 was composed of Cuban nationals, not Venezuelans.

For years, the Venezuelan people have begged our neighbors and the democratic world to support a real transition to democracy. What we live under is not simply an authoritarian government. It is an occupation by proxy.

In that sense, Venezuela today resembles countries like France or Belgium during World War II—whose futures would have looked very different without intervention from the United States and its allies.

I understand why U.S. military action triggers deep discomfort. Latin America carries the scars of failed interventions, and Iraq and Afghanistan are fresh reminders of how badly things can go. That history matters. But Venezuela is closer to Panama than to Iraq.

In December of 1989, the United States intervened in Panama—without congressional approval—to remove Manuel Noriega, a despotic dictator who governed through violence and intimidation. Since then, Panama has become one of the most stable democracies in Latin America, with one of the highest GDPs per capita in the hemisphere.

No, it is not ideal that military force would be required to remove a regime. I understand that argument.

But I also believe that when all other options have been exhausted, the world’s strongest democracy has a responsibility to act.

Many of us rightly support Ukraine because we do not want it to become a Russian puppet state. Venezuela already is one.

I also want to be honest about something else.

I do not believe Donald Trump is acting out of a principled commitment to spreading democracy. I am not naïve. Oil, power, and geopolitical leverage are clearly part of what motivates him. I wish that were not the case. But from where Venezuelans are standing, motives matter less than outcomes.

We spent decades asking the world to help us restore democracy through peaceful means. We exhausted elections. We exhausted dialogue. We exhausted patience.

If the choice is between waiting indefinitely for morally pure leadership while a dictatorship continues to torture, imprison, and exile its people—or accepting an imperfect intervention that opens a real path to democratic transition—I take that bargain without hesitation.

Not because it is ideal.
But because the status quo is unbearable.

There is nuance here, and I think many Democrats are losing it because, in recent years, we have trained ourselves to see the world only through one lens: oppressor and oppressed.

Every conflict becomes a casting call. Roles are assigned immediately—sometimes before we even read the script. Please do not do that to Venezuela.

Venezuela is not a TikTok explainer. It is not a poster. It is not a shortcut for your worldview. It is a real country, full of real people, who have been trapped under a brutal dictatorship for a quarter of a century.

And to be clear, this story is not over.

Many Venezuelans went from pure joy when we heard Maduro was apprehended to deep confusion and anxiety after Trump’s press conference and the messaging that followed. Because what we want is not just one man removed.

What we want is a democratic transition that is legitimate, stable, and led by the people Venezuelans actually chose.

For the Venezuelan democratic movement, that leader is María Corina Machado. And the president-elect, in the eyes of millions of Venezuelans, is Edmundo González Urrutia.

The opposition won the July 28 election by a landslide. The United States has recognized González as the winner and as president-elect. The European Parliament has recognized him as the legitimate, democratically elected president.

All of this took place in the midst of one of the most unfair elections we have ever lived through.

So here is my ask, as a Venezuelan Democrat, to my fellow Democrats:

If you want to protest, protest for something real.

Do not chant “Hands off Venezuela” as if Venezuela is a dictatorship you want to protect from consequences. Instead, be champions of Venezuelan democracy.

Demand the release of political prisoners.

Demand an internationally recognized transition.


Demand that the United States—regardless of who is president—recognize the legitimate democratic leadership of the Venezuelan people.

And please, I say this with love: do not have loud opinions about realities you have not taken the time to understand.

If you want to stand with oppressed people, start by listening to them when they tell you who the oppressor is. Do not erase Venezuelans with a slogan. If you want a slogan that actually fits, try this:

Hands on democracy.

Michel Hausmann is a Venezuelan-born theater director, producer, and writer. He is the recipient of the Drama League Award for conceiving and directing Seven Deadly Sins, “the biggest live professional theater production in the country” during the pandemic (The New York Times). He is the founder and Artistic Director of Miami New Drama, the largest bilingual theater company in the country and resident and operator of the historic Colony Theatre on Miami Beach.