Phillyist is happy to welcome Erin Gautsche into the fray. Erin is currently the Program Coordinator at the Kelly Writers House, thus making her the former boss of Editor Jill. (Oh, how the tables have turned!) Erin joins the staff to cover local food, local beauty, and general local quirkiness, from a place of prestige on Miss Martha Graham Cracker's Top Eight.

Phillyist has to admit that we’ve been stalking Martha Graham Cracker (also known as his/her alter ego, the talented Pig Iron Theatre Company co-founder Dito van Reigersberg) from afar since we saw our first performance of the Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret over a year ago. And by stalking, we mean Phillyist goes to events just because we know that Martha will be there, then we stand at a respectful distance and feel all dizzy with love, because we do not trust ourselves to actually speak intelligent words to someone as cool as Martha. We were one of the first to discover that Martha was on MySpace – because we were checking. Phillyist makes our most uptight, academic elitist, hetero-normative, stick-in-the-mud friends go see Martha, and they leave in awe after their first experience. And they always go back for more.

Come on over to the dark side of our obsessive adoration, and go to The Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret this Thursday, February 1st, 9pm at L’Etage (2nd floor of Beau Monde, 6th and Bainbridge). When Martha takes the stage in strappy sandals, a sparkling gown low-cut gown framed with a lush crescent of dark chest hair, prodigious biceps bulging, wig just-so, and belts out a truly transcendent cover of Elton John’s “Rocket Man,” you’ll know why Phillyist sent you. And get there early, friends, because those in the know are already planning to attend.

THE MARTHA GRAHAM CRACKER CABARET
With Dito van Reigersberg, Victor Fiorillo, Ned Sonstein + Andrew Nelson
+ Special Guest vocalist Christie Parker + Special Guest DJ Kik
Thursday, February 1st, 9pm - $10 Cover
L'Etage, 2nd floor of Beau Monde, 6th and Bainbridge, Philly, 215-592-0656

Image via Martha Graham Cracker's MySpace page.