Arts & Entertainment
Oscars recap: Sam Smith is ‘proud gay man’; Leo DiCaprio wins first Oscar
“Spotlight” wins Best Picture, Lady Gaga gives tearful performance
The 88th annual Academy Awards awarded the best in the film industry with a major shout out to the LGBT community by Best Original Song winner Sam Smith, multiple wins for “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Best Picture win for “Spotlight” and a first time Oscar win for Leonardo DiCaprio.
Smith, along with co-writer Jimmy Napes, won for Best Original Song for the “Spectre” theme song “Writing’s on the Wall.” He used his speech to acknowledge the LGBT community.
“I read an article a few months ago by Sir Ian McKellen and he said that no openly gay man had ever won an oscar,” Smith said. “And if this is the case, even if it isn’t the case, I want to dedicate this to the LGBT community all around the world. I stand here tonight as a proud gay man and I hope we can all stand together as equals one day.”
In fact, Smith now joins the group of gay men who have won Oscars including Elton John, George Cukor, Alan Ball and Dustin Lance Black.
Host Chris Rock brought the comic relief while discussing the serious #OscarsSoWhite controversy during his opening monologue.
“You’re damn right Hollywood is racist. But it ain’t that racist that you’ve grown accustomed to. Hollywood is sorority racist. It’s like, ‘We like you Rhonda, but you’re not a Kappa,'” Rock quipped at the start of the awards.
Stacey Dash appeared on stage to a confused audience to wish America a Happy Black History Month. Dash has been vocal in the past about wishing to abolish Black History Month and the BET Awards.
Poking fun at the lack of diversity in the show continued with a spoof on what the Oscars would look like starring black people. Tracey Morgan appeared as Eddie Redmayne’s role of Einar Wegener in “The Danish Girl” “The Martian” and “Joy” were also given the diversity treatment with Rock and Whoopi Goldberg.
Leonardo DiCaprio received the first Oscar of his career winning Best Actor for “The Revenant.” He used his on stage time to address climate change, a philanthropy effort DiCaprio has advocated his time towards for years.
“Climate change is real. It’s happening right now,” DiCaprio said in his acceptance speech. “Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take tonight for granted.”
“Spotlight” won the highest award of the night for Best Picture. Alicia Vikander was awarded Best Supporting Actress for “The Danish Girl.”
“Mad Max: Fury Road” was the top earner of the Oscars, winning six awards including Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Costume Design.
Lady Gaga gave an emotional performance for her song ‘Til It Happens to You,” co-written by Diane Warren, from the documentary on campus sexual assault “Higher Ground.” Vice President Joe Biden introduced the rousing performance. Accompanied by a string orchestra, Lady Gaga played the piano eventually joined on stage by fellow sexual assault survivors leading to a standing ovation at the Dolby Theatre.
Best Picture: “Spotlight”
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu for “The Revenant”
Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio for “The Revenant”
Actress: Brie Larson for “Room”
Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance for “Bridge of Spies”
Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander for “The Danish Girl”
Adapted Screenplay: “The Big Short” by Charles Randolph and Adam McKay
Original Screenplay: “Spotlight” by Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy
Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki for “The Revenant”
Foreign Language Film: “Son of Saul”
Animated Feature: “Inside Out”
Documentary Feature: “Amy”
Documentary Short Subject: “A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness”
Live Action Short Film: “Stutterer”
Original Score: “The Hateful Eight” by Ennio Morricone
Out & About
Washington Improv Theatre hosts ‘The Queeries’
Event to celebrate queer DMV talent and pop culture camp
The Washington Improv Theatre, along with the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington DC, will team up to host “The Queeries!” on Friday, April 26 at 9:30 p.m. at Studio Theatre.
The event will celebrate Queer DMV talent and pop culture camp. With a mixture of audience-submitted nominations and blatantly undemocratically declared winners, “The Queeries!” mimics LGBTQ life itself: unfair, but far more fun than the alternative.
The event will be co-hosted by Birdie and Butchie, who have invited some of their favorite bent winos, D.C. “D-listers,” former Senate staffers, and other stars to sashay down the lavender carpet for the selfie-strewn party of the year.
Tickets are just $15 and can be purchased on WITV’s website.
Out & About
Drag Underground returns
Indiana Bones, Bombalicious Eklaver, Shi-Queeta Lee, Cake Pop! to perform
Dupont Underground and the Washington Blade have teamed up to host “Drag Underground” on Friday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Dupont Underground.
Performers include Indiana Bones, Bombalicious Eklaver, Shi-Queeta Lee and Cake Pop.
Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
The annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner is set for Saturday, April 27 at the Washington Hilton with Colin Jost serving as emcee.
President Biden is scheduled to speak and numerous celebrities are expected around D.C. all weekend for related parties and events.
The Washington Blade is the only LGBTQ outlet that is a member of the Association and is hosting a table of VIPs, including actor Billy Porter and Congressman Robert Garcia (D-Calif.).
“We look forward to the Dinner each year to celebrate our press freedoms and to thank a range of allies and supporters for their work on behalf of the LGBTQ movement,” said Blade Editor Kevin Naff.
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