It’s fun to see how local arts orgs here in egalitarian Stumptown approach “outreach” to the LGBT community, especially considering that some of our most august arts institutions are headed by out and proud queers.

Some institutions do it with flair (Oregon Ballet Theatre), some with promise of a Craigslist-worthy encounter (Portland Center Stage), and some don’t bother at all (ring ring, Oregon Symphony, Portland Art Museum, among others).

Therein lies the excitment being generated by the announcement from our friends up north with Seattle Opera’s new “LGBT Nights.” Though clumsily titled, the premise is promising – lure queers to the opera house with reasonably priced tickets, a chance for singles to mingle and, what else, loads of liquor – and voila, you have instant happy queer fans. Easy, right? Portland Opera, meanwhile, tried a one-off version of Seattle’s offering last spring during the run of queer composer Benjamin Britten’s “Albert Herring” in their studio theater, and reports are that it was a modest hit.

Speaking of the PDX Opera – just got word that KBPS All Classical 89.9 will again broadcast performances from the company’s 2007-08 season over the next month, so if you missed it at the Keller you can hear it on-air. The broadcast schedule is online here; it kicks off 10 am Saturday, July 19 – oh hey, that’s tomorrow – with Bizet’s Carmen, with bad-girl mezzo Jossie Perez in the title role.

(photo above: dudes strip off in Bizet’s “The Pearl Fishers,” part of Seattle Opera’s LGBT Nights series on Friday, January 23. photo courtesy Seattle Opera)