Arts & Entertainment
Social Agenda of Feb. 5
Friday, Feb. 5
Gay organist Charles Miller plays a recital today at 12:15 p.m. at his church, National City Christian Church in Thomas Circle. He’ll perform works by J.S. Bach, Louis Vierne, Pietro Mascagni and David N. Johnson as part of a weekly concert organ series dubbed “Magical, Mystical, Musical Machine,” which resumes today and runs every Friday at this time through May. It’s free. Gay organists David Christopher and Stephen Harouff play on the 12th and the 19th respectively. Miller plays again on the 26th. The recitals are a half hour each.
Lesbian rock/dance party HottBoxx returns to Phase 1 tonight from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. and will happen the first Friday of every month. Doors open at 9. Phase is located at 525 8th St., S.E. Cover is $5.
A dance party featuring the music of Prince, Madonna and Michael Jackson is tonight at 9:30 club, located at 815 V St., N.W. Visit 930.com for more information.
Queer Shabbaton, an urban retreat for LGBT Jews and allies, is this weekend, beginning today at 5 p.m. and continuing through Sunday at the D.C. Jewish Community Center located at 16th and Q streets. The event, which has been held successfully three times in New York, is coming to Washington for the first time this weekend. It features workshops, services, opportunities for networking, yoga and meditation, kosher food and more with several high profile Jewish LGBT speakers. Admission ranges from $80 to $140. For more information, visit nehirim.org/qsdc.
The “So You Think You’re a Drag Queen” monthly contest is tonight at Town, at 2009 8th St., N.W. Doors open at 10 p.m. Visit towndc.com for more information.
Saturday, Feb. 6
“Divas of Pop,” a dance party spanning four decades of pop’s most iconic female singers, is tonight at 9 at State, located at 220 N. Washington St. in Falls Church, Va. Doors open at 7. Visit thestatetheatre.com for more information.
A singles-only event is today at Hillwood Museum & Gardens from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. A meet-and-greet, tour and lunch will be held. Tickets are $15. It’s hosted by Zoom Lesbian Excursions. Visit zoomexcursions.com for more information.
D.C. Front Runners, a local gay running group, starts a run today at 23rd and P streets (at the Shevchenko Monument) at 10 a.m. The group also runs Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m., though sometimes at other locations. Visit dcfrontrunners.org for more information.
D.C. Metro LGBT IT Professionals meets today from 10 to 11 a.m. at SteamCafe at 17th and R streets, N.W.
Gay singer/songwriters Tom Goss and Matt Alber play two shows tonight at the DeLaski Theater, located at 1700 Kalorama Road, N.W., in Adams Morgan. Shows are at 5 and 8 p.m. Tickets are $20. Visit tomgossmusic.com/store for tickets. Goss is based in Washington and is touring on his latest album “Back to Love.” Alber, who lives in Los Angeles, became an online sensation last year for his poignant video “End of the World.”
Sunday, Feb. 7
Local drag queen Shi-Queeta Lee hosts drag brunch every Sunday at Nellie’s Sports Bar, located at 900 U St., N.W. Brunch buffet is $20. Miss Lee performs at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Visit nelliessportsbar.com for more information.
Monday, Feb. 8
Equality Maryland Lobby Day is today in Annapolis. LGBT Marylanders are encouraged to help the group have a strong presence in the state capitol. A rally is scheduled for 5 p.m., meetings with lawmakers will occur from 6 to 8 p.m. and a special “Annapolis edition” of Guerilla Gay Bar Baltimore will be from 8 to 10 p.m. at Ram’s Head Tavern. Register to attend at equalitymaryland.org/lobbyday. Or contact Mike at 410-685-6567 or [email protected].
A week of musical theater cabaret dubbed “Broadway Today and Tomorrow” is being held tonight and all week at the Kennedy Center at 6 p.m. on the Millennium Stage. Tonight’s performers are Matt Cavanaugh, Peter Mills and Kate Baldwin. Many other Broadway up-and-comers perform each night through Friday. Free. For more information, visit kennedy-center.org.
Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, the District’s largest mostly gay church, has an HIV-positive support group for people of faith every Monday at the church. For more information, contact Matt Senger at 202-546-2159 or e-mail him at [email protected]. MCC-DC is located at 474 Ridge St., N.W. Visit mccdc.com for more information about the church.
Tuesday, Feb. 9
Cobalt has “Flashback,” a retro night, every Tuesday at 10 p.m. Rail vodka drinks are free from 10 to 11 p.m. Cobalt, a gay bar and dance club, is at the corner of 17th and R streets, N.W.
Wednesday, Feb. 10
Rainbow Response has its monthly meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at National City Christian Church, located at 5 Thomas Circle, N.W. The group is a meeting of individuals and agencies collaborating to discuss intimate partner violence in the local LGBT community. The meeting is typically held on the second Wednesday of each month. Visit rainbowresponse.org for more information.
The Gertrude Stein Club, a local group of gay Democrats, is having a speed dating event tonight at the D.C. Center at 6 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Attendees will go on three-minute dates, fill out evaluation forms and be informed of matches upon which contact information will be shared. Cost is $10 in advance or $15 at the door. The Center is located at 1804 14th St., N.W. Visit steindemocrats.org for more information.
Ladies First night is tonight and every Wednesday at Fab Lounge, located at 1805 Connecticut Ave., N.W. For more information, visit myspace.com/ladiesfirst.
Thursday, Feb. 11
D.C. Lambda Squares, a local gay square dancing group, meets every Thursday for square dancing. For more information about the group or to find out when beginner classes are available, visit dclambdasquares.org.
Friday, Feb. 12
Gay District meets tonight. The group was formerly known as the Twenties Group but has expanded its age range for gay, bi, trans and questioning men from 18 to 35. The group meets for weekly discussion from 8:30 to 9:30 every Friday at St. Margaret’s Church located at 1830 Connecticut Ave. Those interested can visit the group on Facebook under the name “GD: Gay District.”
A new Friday night drag show at Ziegfeld’s has started with a new hostess. The Ladies of Illusion hosted by Kristina Kelly has performances every Friday at 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. Ziegfeld’s is celebrating its one-year anniversary this weekend.
Saturday, Feb. 13
Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, the District’s largest mostly gay church, has its annual Valentine’s dance tonight at 7 p.m. at the church. Refreshments will be served. A $7 donation is suggested. Contact 202-638-7373 or [email protected] for more information. The church is located at 474 Ridge St., N.W.
“Love,” a concert by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, is today with shows at 5 and 8 p.m. at Church of the Epiphany located at 1317 G St. N.W. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at www.gmcw.org/tickets, by phone at 202-293-1548 or at the HRC shop at 1633 Connecticut Ave., N.W. The concert will feature a chorus transcription of Brahm’s “Liebeslieder Waltzes” by chorus member Robert T. Boaz and a performance by the Rock Creek Singers, a chamber ensemble of Chorus members.
Impulse Group DC held “10’s Across the Board: A Celebration of 10 Years” at Bravo Bravo (1001 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) on Sunday, Dec. 14. Impulse Group DC is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) and affinity group of AIDS Healthcare Foundation dedicated “to engaging, supporting, and connecting gay men” through culturally relevant health and advocacy work.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Rob Reiner, most known for directing untouchable classics like “The Princess Bride,” “Misery,” “When Harry Met Sally…,” and “Stand by Me,” died Dec. 14 alongside his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, in their Los Angeles residence. While investigations are actively underway, sources have told PEOPLE Magazine that the pair’s son, Nick Reiner, killed his parents and has been taken into custody.
Reiner was a master of every genre, from the romantic comedy to the psychological thriller to the coming-of-age buddy movie. But in addition to his renowned work that made him a household name, Reiner is also remembered as a true advocate for the LGBTQ community. In 2009, Reiner and his wife co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, helping fight against California’s Prop 8 same-sex marriage ban. They were honored at the 2015 Human Rights Campaign Las Vegas Gala.
In a statement, HRC President Kelley Robinson said: “The entire HRC family is devastated by the loss of Rob and Michele Reiner. Rob is nothing short of a legend — his television shows and films are a part of our American history and will continue to bring joy to millions of people across the world. Yet for all his accomplishments in Hollywood, Rob and Michele will most be remembered for their gigantic hearts, and their fierce support for the causes they believed in — including LGBTQ+ equality. So many in our movement remember how Rob and Michele organized their peers, brought strategists and lawyers together, and helped power landmark Supreme Court decisions that made marriage equality the law of the land — and they remained committed to the cause until their final days. The world is a darker place this morning without Rob and Michele — may they rest in power.”
Reiner’s frequent collaborators have also spoken out as the industry is in mourning, including figures like Ron Howard and John Cusack.
A joint statement from Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest (who starred in Reiner’s “This is Spinal Tap”) reads: “Christopher and I are numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michele Singer Reiner and our ONLY focus and care right now is for their children and immediate families and we will offer all support possible to help them. There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared and the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage, and their global care for a world in crisis. We have lost great friends. Please give us time to grieve.”
While attending the 2019 HRC Los Angeles Dinner, Reiner spoke out about the need for equality: “We have to move past singling out transgender, LGBTQ, black, white, Jewish, Muslim, Latino. We have to get way past that and start accepting the idea that we’re all human beings. We’re all human beings, we all share the same planet, and we should all have the same rights, period. It’s no more complicated than that.”
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington perform “The Holiday Show” at Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., N.W.). Visit gmcw.org for tickets and showtimes.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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