Fun fact: in 2009, the Kennedy Center did their annual honors thing, celebrating pioneers in the art, music, and theater world.

Inductees for that year included Oprah Winfrey,  Merle Haggard, dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones, composer Jerry Herman, and some bloke named Paul McCartney.

What’s not known is that director John Waters almost made the cut.  Here’s an excerpt from his nomination bid:

“His historic work, characterized by grotesque violence, the antagonizing of dwarfs, people eating dog feces, and timeless characters like Fat Fuck Frank and Sherif Shitface has created a rich and complex landscape in which forces viewers to look inward.”

Sadly, John fell one vote short.*  Apparently Kennedy Center trustee Jimmy Carter couldn’t be brought around.

Well, you win some and lose some.

On the bright side, we are proud to announce “An Evening with John Waters,” on Saturday August 13th.

The event will include an intimate dinner with John, a one-hour private meet-and-greet, and the big night-time show: a one-man, stand-up event in which he muses about his career and stuff in general.  Q & A to follow.

Better yet, you can bid for a private dinner with him!  All proceeds go to the Library.  The current highest bid is $1,500.

Details at the Henry Miller Library home page!

And after that, tequila shots at Fernwood!!!

The show has played to sold-out audiences in New York, Copenhagen, Boston, San Francisco, Tucson, Washington (DC), Sydney (Australia), and beyond!

* This may not be entirely true.