Welcome to Outword’s second publication of 2024 which, among many other things, celebrates the vibrant theater scene in (and beyond) Northern California. We have never done an official Theatre Issue, but if we did it would resemble this edition of Outword.

Our cover beats the drum for “SIX,” the next, not-to-be-missed musical coming to Broadway Sacramento — details on page 14. Our Arts Editor also writes about a trio of equally thrilling theatrical offerings in Northern California, and all three are perfectly timed for Black History Month. The third theater-friendly article in the issue is Chris’ account of the finest Broadway cast recordings from 2023, on page 10.

Also in this issue, turn to page 6 for some very important info on registering to vote, because our community cannot afford to sit this one out in November.

The next page has equally important information regarding California’s commitment to fighting hate crimes in our state. Plus, if you want to nominate a local businessperson who has contributed to advancing LGBTQ+ leadership and inclusion in our community, you can find that info on page 9.

In entertainment news, Jodie Foster has a new six-part series on HBO that brings grrrl power to the “True Detective” franchise, and Chris Narloch also spotlights four current films on the big screen.

On page 16, we detail the latest honor bestowed on Sir Elton John, who has reached EGOT status. Go Elton…it’s about time!

Matt Burlingame looks at the calendar and gives us a pageful of priceless picks in his popular Out & About column (on page18), and you can find even more fun stuff to do on page 22, in Upcoming Events.

There’s more, of course, but you’ll just have to see for yourself by clicking on our lovely cover-girl from “SIX.” Or pick up a hard copy of the issue at one of our distribution sites.