The ``gay positive'' band BETTY performs on the edge, making its three performers the perfect headliners for Robbie Rosenberg's new festival project, Out in the Tropics.

``It's part of the Sleepless Night: cutting-edge, high-level art, the kind of stuff that might be seen Off Broadway, or Off Off Broadway or London,'' says Rosenberg, who a decade ago launched the popular Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.

BETTY is best known for performing the theme to Showtime's hit lesbian series, The L Word.

``Because it was such a groundbreaking show, it got a lot of attention,'' says BETTY member Amy Ziff, who sings with her sister, Elizabeth Ziff, and their best friend, Alyson Palmer. ``We just played in Russia for the first International Festival of Queer Culture. It turned out to be amazing. It's pre-Stonewall there now. And they knew all the words to The L Word [theme]. It's really crazy when they're singing your words and they don't even speak English.''

BETTY's latest album is Bright & Dark, produced last year while Elizabeth was treated for breast cancer. ``The result is an honest CD, hence the name Bright & Dark. She had some dark moments and some bright moments with our friends,'' Amy says.

The band has helped raise millions of dollars for breast cancer and AIDS research and women's causes. ``We've tried to put our beliefs and ideals behind [fundraising]. As a band we're not very political. We're three women who stand and sing. We have guys who play with us. Our music is not strident. It's sexy and fun, and plaintive at times.''

Out in the Tropics, set for July 8-11 at the Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road, previews at the venue 10 p.m. Saturday with a free concert also featuring performance artist Juan Carlos Zaldivar, drag queen Adora, drag kings Drag It Out and the Miami Gay Men's Chorus.

-- STEVE ROTHAUS

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