Arts & Entertainment
Local events in brief
Gay Men’s Chorus concert opens next weekend, Georgetown Jingle and more
Gay Men’s Chorus plans ‘Nutcracker’ holiday show
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington begins its 30th anniversary season with its holiday production “Men in Tights: A Pink Nutcracker” on Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. at the Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University (730 21st St., N.W.).
“This year’s holiday extravaganza begins with glorious choral music performed by over 200 singers filling the stage and for the first time in GMCW history we are bringing in an organ of grand proportions for an even more majestic sound,” says Jeff Buhrman, artistic director, in a press release.
The second half of the performance is the chorus’s take on the Nutcracker suite, opening with a holiday party in which the two principal dancers meet and fall in love.
Tickets range from $20 to $50 and can be purchased at gmcw.org or at the door.
Other performances will be Dec. 18 at 3 and 8 p.m. and Dec. 19 at 3 p.m. with ASL interpretation. Look in next week’s edition for more information about this show.
Singer Pamala Stanley plans two weekend performances
Pamala Stanley will be in town this weekend performing at Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) and as part of Georgetown Jingle.
Stanley, who often performs at Blue Moon in Rehoboth, is coming back to Cobalt for a performance Saturday at 9 p.m.
Stanley will also be the main entertainment at Georgetown Jingle Sunday night. The event starts at 5 p.m. and goes until 8 at the Four Seasons Hotel Washington (2800 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.).
Created by the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, JDS Designs, Inc., the Washington Design Center and the Georgetown BID, the Georgetown Jingle is an event to celebrate fashions of the holiday season and support families battling cancer.
Funds raised will benefit Georgetown University Hospital and their Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program as well as their Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program.
Proud Bookstore hosts book signing
On Saturday, the Proud Bookstore on Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth, Del., will have five authors signing books from 3 to 5 p.m.
Three of the authors, Renee Bess, Lisa Gitlin and Sheri Reynolds will be visiting the bookstore for the first time.
Reynolds latest book, “The Sweet In-Between,” is about a gender-confused teenage girl whose mother is dead and father is in jail, growing up a Virginia tidewater town. She also authored “The Rapture of Caanan,” an Oprah Book Club selection and “New York Times” bestseller.
Gitlin’s debut novel, “I Came Out for This?” is a comic coming out tale written like a journal. It was published by Bywater Books.
Bess, whose latest book is “The Butterfly Moments” from Regal Crest publishers, writes about African-American lesbians. Moments is about a Philadelphia parole officer with a homophobic daughter who is given the task of supervising a “renegade” probation and parole officer.
Also appearing at the signing will be Stefani Deoul and Fay Jacobs from Rehoboth.
Jacobs will be reading from her newest book “For Frying Out Loud,” a collection of her latest columns plus some new, never-before-published material.
Deoul will be reading from “The Carousel,” about a woman who stops in a small northeast town to refuel and notices a pile of discarded carousel horses, bringing gossip, mystery and a restorative journey for the horses, the townspeople and herself.
Catfish Comedy will host “2026 Queer Kickoff Show” on Thursday, Feb. 5 at A League of Her Own (2319 18th Street, N.W.). This show features D.C.’s funniest LGBTQ and femme comedians. The lineup features performers who regularly take the stage at top clubs like DC Improv and Comedy Loft, with comics who tour nationally.
Tickets are $17.85 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Arts & Entertainment
Catherine O’Hara, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ star and celebrated queer ally, dies at 71
Actress remembered for memorable comedic roles in ‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘Home Alone’
Catherine O’Hara, the varied comedic actor known for memorable roles in “Beetlejuice,” “Schitt’s Creek,” and “Home Alone,” has died at 71 on Friday, according to multiple reports. No further details about her death were revealed.
O’Hara’s death comes as a shock to Hollywood, as the Emmy award-winning actor has been recently active, with roles in both “The Studio” and “The Last of Us.” For her work in those two shows, she received Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series and outstanding guest actress in a drama series.
In 2020, O’Hara won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a comedy series award for her work in the celebrated sixth and final season of “Schitt’s Creek.” She was also known as a queer ally and icon for her theatrical and often campy performances over multiple decades. In “Schitt’s Creek,” she played Moira Rose, the wig-loving mother of David Rose (played by series creator Dan Levy). David is pansexual, but the characters around him simply accept him for who he is; the show was embraced by the LGBTQ community with how naturally David’s sexuality was written and portrayed. That show ran from 2015 to 2020 and helped bring O’Hara and her co-stars into a new phase of their careers.
In a 2019 interview with the Gay Times, O’Hara explained why the show got LGBTQ representation right: “Daniel has created a world that he wants to live in, that I want to live in. It’s ridiculous that we live in a world where we don’t know how to respect each other and let each other be. It’s crazy. Other shows should follow suit and present the world and present humans as the best that we can be. It doesn’t mean you can’t laugh, that you can’t be funny in light ways and dark ways. It’s all still possible when you respect and love each other.”
Additional credits include “SCTV Network” (for which O’Hara won a writing Emmy), “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Six Feet Under,” “Best in Show,” “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” and “Dick Tracy.” O’Hara also lent her voice to “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Chicken Little,” “Monster House,” and “Elemental.” O’Hara was expected to return for Season 2 of “The Studio,” which started filming earlier this month.
Friday, January 30
Friday Tea Time will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Bring your beverage of choice. For more information, contact Mac ([email protected]).
Spark Social will host “RuPaul’s Drag Race S18 Watch Party” at 8 p.m. This event will be hosted by local drag queens TrevHER and Grey, who will provide hilarious commentary and make live predictions on who’s staying and who’s going home. Stick around after the show for a live drag performance. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, January 31
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Sunday, February 1
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community and Conversation” at noon at As You Are. This event is for those looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ+ community. Look for the Go Gay DC sign on the long table near the front window. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, February 2
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam (adamheller@thedccenter.org).
Tuesday, February 3
Universal Pride Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for people with disabilities. For more information, email [email protected].
Wednesday, February 4
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Center Aging Women’s Social and Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is a place where older LGBTQ+ women can meet and socialize with one another. There will be discussion, activities, and a chance for guests to share what they want future events to include. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Thursday, February 5
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5:00 pm if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breath work and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
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