Connect with us

Arts & Entertainment

Calendar: March 9

Parties, support groups, concerts and more through March 15

Published

on

Singer/songwriter Paula Cole performs at Wolf Trap on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Wolf Trap)

TODAY (Friday) 

Kaiser Chiefs play 9:30 Club (815 V St., N.W.) tonight with Walk the Moon and Transfer. Tickets are $30 and available online at 930.com. Doors open at 8 p.m.

Women in Their Twenties, a social discussion and dinner group, meets tonight from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.).

Siren presents “The Say-Something Hat Rave” tonight at Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) featuring DJs Majr and Shea Van Horn. Doors open at 10 p.m. with an open vodka bar until 11 p.m. There will be a hat contest by Brightest Young Gays.

The Lodge (21614 National Pike, Boonsboro) presents “Glamour Girls: Miss Michaels’ Quest for Miss Gay Maryland” starring Stephanie Michaels tonight. There’s a $3 cover before 11:30 p.m. with no cover after.

Nana Projects and ellen cheery presents “Alonzo’s Lullaby,” a shadow puppet show based on the 1918 Hagenback-Wallace Circus train wreck at Theatre Project (45 W. Preston St., Baltimore) tonight at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $10 to $20 and can be purchased online at theatreproject.org.

The Maryland Shakespeare Festival presents its “Bare Bard” series opening tonight with “Merchant of Venice” at All Saint’s Episcopal Church (21 North Court St., Frederick) at 8 p.m. The series features a cast of professional actors that meets and rehearses for only three days before performing. There will also be performances of “All’s Well That Ends Well” on Saturday at 8 p.m. and “Much Ado About Nothing” on Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $18 to $22 and can be purchased online at mdshakes.com.

Saturday, March 10

Freddie’s Beach Bar (555 South 23rd St., Arlington) presents Miss Freddie’s 2012 tonight at 8 p.m. Categories include Greek goddesses, beach attire, self expression, talent and Q&A. There is a $10 cover. For more information, visit freddiesbeachbar.com.

Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Paula Cole plays Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd., Vienna) tonight at 7:30 p.m.

Foursquare

On Foursquare? Add these events to your To-Do list and connect with us to find out what to do wherever you are!

S.h.e. productions presents ReHab, a monthly alternative dance party, featuring DJ Katrina tonight at Grand Central Disco and Sapphos (1001 N. Charles St.) in Baltimore. Doors open at 9 p.m. and there is a $5 cover for this 21-and-older event.

Mixtape D.C. is tonight at the Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.), a dance party for queer music lovers and their pals that features DJs Shea Van Horn and Matt Bailer playing an eclectic mix of electro, alt-pop, indie rock, house, disco, new wave and anything else danceable. There is a $10 cover for this event. Doors open at 9:30 p.m.

Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) and 495 Bears presents “Bears Can Dance: The St. Patrick’s Day Edition” tonight at 9 p.m. with DJ Bobby T. There is no cover for this event.

Phase 1 (525 8th St., S.E.) presents Hunter Valentine with Glitterlust tonight at 8:30 p.m. The crew of “The Real L World” will also be filming one of the newest editions to the cast tonight. There’s a $10 cover.

William Belli from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” performs at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) tonight. Doors open at 10 p.m. There’s an $8 cover before 11 p.m. that goes up to $12 afterward.

The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore is having a camera training session today at 1 p.m. for those interested in helping with a project to document and archive Baltimore’s LGBT stories. If interested, contact Marlene at [email protected] or 702-655-2146.

Sunday, March 11

The D.C. Kings are celebrating their 12th anniversary tonight with a benefit for the Deaf Abused Women’s Network at Phase 1 (525 8th St., S.E.) hosted by Rocky and Ken Vegas with performances by Mason Tunite, Randy Ryder and more. For more information on DAWN, visit deafdawn.org. This show will be ASL interpreted. Doors open at 7 p.m.

The Washington Area Theatre Community Honors are tonight at the Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria) at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available online at ticketmaster.com.

LGBT science fiction, fantasy and horror group Lambda Sci-Fi is having its monthly meeting today, including election of officers and social with annual blind book exchange at 1425 S St., N.W., at 1:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring a snack or a non-alcoholic drink to share. For more information contact James at 202-232-3141 or Peter and Rob at 202-483-6369, e-mail to [email protected], or visit the group’s website at lambdascifi.org.

Monday, March 12

The Washington National Opera presents “Così fan tutte” tonight at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) at 7 p.m. The show, a modern-dress production, follows two friends as they make a bet about their fiancées fidelity. The opera is performed in Italian with English supertitles. Tickets range from $25 to $300 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org.

Busboys & Poets presents Monday Night Open Mic Poetry hosted by Beny Blaq in the Robeson Room of its Shirlington location (4251 S. Campbell Ave., Arlington) at 8 p.m. Wristbands are $4 and will be sold in the Global Exchange store beginning at 10 a.m.

Tuesday, March 13

D.C. Bi Women will have its monthly dinner at Dupont Italian Kitchen (1637 17th St., N.W.) tonight from 7 to 9 p.m.

GLAA is having a membership meeting tonight in the second floor community room at the Reeves Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 14

Uncle Kracker plays 9:30 Club (815 V St., N.W.) tonight with Sonia Leigh and Ty Stone. Tickets are $25 and available online at 930.com. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Rainbow Response is holding its monthly meeting tonight at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) from 7 to 8 p.m.

Busboys & Poets’s Beltway Drama Series presents “The Accidental Activist” by Rebecca Gingrich-Jones at its Hyattsville location (5331 Baltimore Ave., Suite 104) at 6 p.m. The play takes a look at the relationship between Newt Gingrich and his lesbian sister featuring Candace Gingrich-Jones as herself. There is a $10 suggested donation at the door.

The Lambda Bridge Club meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., SE — across from Marine Barracks) for duplicate bridge. No reservations needed; newcomers welcome. Visit lambdabridge.com if you need a partner.

Thursday, March 15

Jenny Owen Young plays the Red Palace (1212 H St., N.E.) tonight at 8 p.m. with Beach Week and Marian McLaughlin. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 day of the show. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit redpalacedc.com.

Cal State Pride Happy Hour is tonight at Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) from 6 to 9 p.m.

Comedian Barry Rothbart performs at Riot Act Comedy Theater (801 E St., N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets are $17 and available online at riotactcomedy.com.

 

Advertisement
FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM
SIGN UP FOR E-BLAST

Calendar

Calendar: March 29-April 4

LGBTQ events in the days to come

Published

on

Friday, March 29

Center Aging Friday Tea Time will be at 2 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, email [email protected]

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Social in the City” at 7 p.m. at Hotel Zena. 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.

Saturday, March 30

Fashion FREEWay will be at 2 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is an opportunity to get free clothes and also donate what you no longer need in your closet. If you’re interested in volunteering at this event, visit the DC Center’s website

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Sunday, March 31

AfroCode DC will be at 4 p.m. at Decades DC. This event will be an experience of non-stop music, dancing, and good vibes and a crossover of genres and a fusion of cultures. Tickets cost $40 and can be purchased on Eventbrite

Monday, April 1

Center Aging: Monday Coffee & Conversation 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 their choice. For more details, email [email protected]

Tuesday, April 2

Pride on the Patio Events will host “LGBTQ Social Mixer” at 5:30 p.m. at Showroom. Dress is casual, fancy, or comfortable. Guests are encouraged to bring their most authentic self to chat, laugh, and get a little crazy. Admission is free and more details are on Eventbrite.

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 details, email [email protected]

Wednesday, April 3

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. 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 & Discussion Group will be at 6 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 you to share what you want future events to include. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website

Thursday, April 4

The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. To be fair with who is receiving boxes, the program is moving to a lottery system. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. 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 with Charles M. will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breath work, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s website.

Continue Reading

Theater

Talented pair of local queer actors tackles ‘Little Shop of Horrors’

Ford’s production features terrific score

Published

on

Chani Wereley (Audrey) and Derrick D. Truby Jr. (Seymour) in the 2024 Ford’s Theatre production of Little Shop of Horrors. (Photo by Scott Suchman)

‘Little Shop of Horrors’ 
Through May 18
Ford’s Theatre
511 10th St., N.W.
$33-$95
Fords.org 

Ever since premiering off-Broadway in 1982, “Little Shop of Horrors” has drawn a devoted following of avid audiences as well as performers eager to act in the show. Now playing at Ford’s Theatre, the doo-wop, dark comedy features a terrific cast including a wildly talented pair of local queer actors who’ve longed to appear in the show since they were kids. 

Set in the urban 1960s, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s hit show with a terrific score follows the wacky rise of Seymour, a nebbishy florist in a Skid Row shop who changes his fortunes by unintentionally marketing an exotic, human eating plant.  

Chani Wereley, 28, who plays Seymour’s love interest Audrey, a hyper femme downtowner with an edge, has had her on eye the role for years. Wereley says, “Audrey’s been around the block more than once, but I approach her as a person who moves through the world with love and hope.”

The queer D.C. native adds, “On long trips to visit family in Canada or Florida, the first thing we’d do is pop a ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ video [film version] into the car’s VHS player. I’ve watched is so many times, I could quote the whole movie to you.”

After auditioning to play Audrey in director Kevin S. McAllister’s production at Ford’s, Wereley never thought she’d book the part, and when they said she got it, she cried.  

Similarly, Tobias A. Young, 34, the pansexual actor who voices the part of the bloodthirsty plant affectionately dubbed Audrey II, explains his intense interest in the work: “I started watching the film in ’86. Growing up as a little gay boy in Calvert County, Md., I wanted to be blonde Audrey [played by Ellen Green in the movie]. I didn’t know much about musicals at the time, but I was absorbed.” 

When asked by Ford’s to play the voracious plant Audrey II without auditioning, his reply was an unhesitant “yes.” 

Voicing a role requires Young to sing from backstage in a black box rigged with monitors and a mixing board. He says, “people ask if I’m singing from inside of the ever-growing, scary plant. No, I’m not, and that’s fine. But let’s face it, actors love to be seen on stage, but I don’t feel entirely unseen as Audrey II.”

He’s worked hard and successfully with formidable puppeteers Ryan Sellers and Jay Frisby to bring parts of himself to the carnivorous plant — his sassiness, own movements, and even a tilt of his head; their efforts have drawn the actual Young into the show. 

Both Wereley and Young possess gorgeous, emotive voices as evidenced by Wereley’s striking rendition of Audrey’s “Suddenly Seymour,” and Young’s soulful “Feed Me (Git It).” Additionally, both actors are also big on queer representation in theater. 

When her young pals were listening to Britney Spears, Wereley was dancing to retro tunes like “Mashed Potato Time,” and her favorite song to this day, the Shirelle’s girl group anthem “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.” As Audrey, Wereley eschews the character’s usual platinum hair for a bouncy brunette, cherry-streaked wig, tight pencil skirts, swing coats, and her very own half-sleeve tattoo. 

“It’s important for people to see themselves on stage,” she says. “Seeing me or someone like me is inherently interesting. Being that person on Instagram or with the institution, cast, or audiences is meaningful. It’s important.”

In 2011, a couple years after finishing high school, Young landed a part in “Dream Girls” at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, and he’s been working professionally ever since. Growing up, he didn’t see a lot of himself – Black and queer – on social media. He now wants to be open and honest for those out there who might not feel seen, he says

An introvert who lets everything loose on the stage, Young says, “theater is a safe space for queer people. That’s the first place we feel safe, particularly in school. And this is why we need theaters in schools, now more than ever.”

He adds, “What’s great about Ford’s is its surprises, especially when they switch up casting. It’s meaningful to see the shows you love, but why not see them with a twist? Using unexpected actors and incorporating queer people just makes it that much better.”

Continue Reading

Nightlife

D.C.’s gay DJ collective CTRL returns

Electropop group resurfaces at Trade on March 30

Published

on

CTRL is back after a six-year absence.

Finger lasers, confetti cannons, drag shows, photo booths, throwback tunes, and a touch nerdy: after a long break, D.C.’s gay DJ collective CTRL is throwing its first party in six years.

Born in an Eritrean restaurant more than a decade ago, this longstanding gay nightlife electropop group is resurfacing with a comeback event at Trade on March 30.

Gay DJs Adam Koussari-Amin, Jeff Prior, Devon Trotter, and Brett Andreisen hosted the first CTRL party at now-closed restaurant Dahlak, on the corner of 18th and U Streets. After a year of hosting pop-ups in that restaurant’s dining room, they upgraded down 18th Street to now-closed gay club Cobalt. There, the parties grew: drag shows, a pop-up photo booth from David Claypool, and quirky activations like throwing hot dogs into print-outs of Putin’s mouth. Their productions grew as well, like producing the now-defunct Brightest Young Gays (BYG) Pride events at Wonderbread Factory and Union Market and the ‘Get Wet’ pool party with David Brown’s Otter Crossing at the Capitol Skyline Hotel.

CTRL wasn’t done. The group received its biggest stage yet after a call from Ed Bailey, the owner of now-closed gay club Town, as well as current gay bars Number 9 and Trade. At Town, the opportunity “allowed our creativity to flourish with even bigger performances, bigger photo experiences, crazier hand-outs, and the same electropop dance vibes our fans had come to know us for,” says Koussari-Amin.

CTRL pressed pause when Town shut down, which “was a huge loss to the LGBTQIA+ community and D.C. nightlife in general,” says Koussari-Amin. After that, it hosted an occasional spinoff called QWERTY. Post-pandemic, Koussari-Amin has spent a few nights solo as DJ at Trade and other venues.

After connecting with Jesse Jackson, the Trade general manager, as well as with Bailey, who agreed to host the inaugural event, Koussari-Amin was determined to shift CTRL back to life.

However, getting the old band back together proved to be a challenge. While the rest of the group have either left Washington, D.C., or are pursuing other projects, Koussari-Amin received their blessing to stay on and find new members. 

“When it came to finding new partners, both DJ Dez [Desmond Jordan] and DJ Lemz [Steve Lemmerman] were obvious choices,” he says, noting that “they also have distinct styles and interests.” Dez has a residency at Pitchers and Kiki as well as pop-ups, and Lemz throws events like Sleaze and BENT.

 “It seemed important to come back to the nightlife table with an experience that could complement all the amazing experiences that have even built up since CTRL threw its last event at Town. Bringing back both the DJ collective and the CTRL event with Dez and Lemz means new voices, perspectives, sounds, and excitement.”

“CTRL is an opportunity for the community to come together, enjoy music, drinks, and good vibes,” adds Jordan, noting that for him, it’s an event that celebrates queer identity.

And after months of planning, CTRL will kick off its monthly party series at Trade on March 30 for the first gig after its glow-up.

The trio says that its core inspiration “is driven by the indie and electropop favorites of new and old, like Goldfrapp, Ava Max, Charli XCX, … We’re also all huge fans of slut and trash pop music like Kim Petras, Slayyyter, Cupcakke,” as well as pop diva remixes, new bops, and songs that reside inside and far beyond the expanse of Top 40.

CTRL is also bringing back its activations that complement the tunes. Summer Camp is set for drag performances, David Claypool is back with his photo booth, and Koussari-Amin promises “to have all sorts of weird and wacky handouts like we used to.”

After the March premiere, April’s party is “CTRLella”, a Coachella send-up. Future events will feature various different themes, and they plan to throw a party during Capital Pride; they’re also looking to be a central part of Trade’s expansion into the adjacent space.

 Koussari-Amin says that “the event’s signature experience [is] a lynchpin in connecting D.C.’s expanding generations of queer folks, giving everyone a safe space to let loose and feel a rush no matter who they are.” 

For his part, Bailey continues to support CTRL and its collective intention, expressing its essential nature as a party for partiers by partiers. “CTRL is the kind of party that represents what people want. It’s just a real party by real people that just want to hear good music and dance with their friends.”

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Sign Up for Weekly E-Blast

Follow Us @washblade

Advertisement

Popular