Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: Oct. 22
Halloween parties, the Indigo Girls, Janis Ian and more
Ricardo Alvarez and Kelly Southall in a publicity photo for the gay-themed 'Charlie Chan and the Mystery of Love' a new work being performed this weekend by Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Company at Dance Place. (Photo by Zain Shah; courtesy of Dana Tai Soon Burgess)
Friday, Oct. 22
Reel Affirmations presents a night of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” on screen with two movies at the U.S. Navy Memorial Theatre (701 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.). “A Marine Story,” a film about a Marine officer who unexpectedly returns home from the war and is recruited to help a troubled teen prepare for boot camp until the real reasons for her return become known, will begin at 7 p.m. “Out of Annapolis,” a documentary about LGBT alumni of the U.S. Naval Academy, will being at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 each or $25 for both and a reception in between and can be purchased at reelaffirmations.org.
Apex presents an employee drag show tonight at 10 p.m. to benefit Metro Teen AIDS. The entire Apex (1415 22nd St., N.W.) staff will be performing with music by DJ45Z. The show will be hosted by Kristina Kelly and Rachel Savage. Cover for the evening is $10. Attendees must be 18 to enter, 21 to drink.
The 2011 Queen of Queen City Pageant will be tonight at 9 p.m. at the New Embassy Theatre (49 Baltimore St.) in Cumberland. The theme of this year’s pageant is jungle attire. Tickets are $9 and include one free drink. Attendees must be 21 or older. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit newembassy.org.
Ski Bums will be having a happy hour tonight from 8 to 11 p.m. at Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) during which the D.C. day trip season will be announced. For more information, visit ski-bums.org.
Choreographer Dana Tai Soon Burgess’s newest work “Charlie Chan and the Mystery of Love” opens tonight at the Dance Place (3225 8th St., N.E.) at 8 p.m. The multi-media, autobiographical piece is inspired by the popular film detective Charlie Chan and uses video projection, spoken word text and a soundtrack of 1930s and ‘40s music to tell a gay coming-of-age and coming-out story. Tickets range from $22 for general admission to $8 for children 2-17 and can be purchased at danceplace.org.
The International Drag King Extravaganza continues today in Baltimore with workshops, an art and film festival, spaghetti dinner at 5 p.m. and more. (2640 Saint Paul St.) The workshops are $45 for a three-day pass and the dinner is $10. Also part of the event is “Glitterbox” at 8 p.m. and “Lesque” at 11 p.m. at Ottobar (2549 N. Howard St.). $12 gets you into both events. Visit idkexii.com for more information and to purchase tickets and passes.
Saturday, Oct. 23
Connections 2010, a one day business and professional development conference, is today at the Washington Post (1150 15th St., N.W.) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Capital Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce has assembled a line up of speakers, business leaders and vendors for this event.
Defend Yourself will hold a self-defense class for the LGBT community today on the second floor of the Emergence Community Arts Collective (733 Euclid St., N.W.) from 1 to 4 p.m. The class costs $52. For more information and to learn how to register, visit defendyourself.org.
Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple” opens tonight at Theater J (1529 16th St., N.W.) presented by the D.C. Jewish Community Center at 8 p.m.
The International Drag King Extravaganza continues with the last day of workshops and art and film and the keynote and lunch at 1 p.m. with keynote speaker Tristan Taormino, both at 2640 Saint Paul St. Later tonight is the showcase at Sonar (407 E. Saratoga St.) at 9 p.m. This is the first time in the history of the event that is will be held on the east coast. The lunch is $20 and the showcase is $15. Visit idkexii.com for more information and to purchase tickets and passes.
Sunday, Oct. 24
GayParazzi, a new LGBT photo group, will explore the Georgetown area and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal path near the Potomac River today at 10 a.m. The group will meet in front of AMC Loews Georgetown Theater (3111 K St., N.W.) and head to the waterfront.
Equality Maryland’s 2010 Signature Gala with special guest Governor Martin O‘Malley, is tonight at the Samuel Riggs Alumni Center at the University of Maryland, College Park. There is a VIP reception at 5:30 p.m. and the dinner and program beings at 6:30. For more information and to learn how to purchase tickets, visit equalitymaryland.org.
The Imperial Court of Washington presents “Dragging Out the Gospel” hosted by Co Co L. Blackwell at Green lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) at 7 p.m. One performer will be chosen by audience participation as the best performer and will qualify for “drag gospel performer of the year.” Doors open at 6 p.m. There is a $3 cover.
Lesbian band the Indigo Girls will be at the Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave.) in Alexandia tonight at 7:30 p.m. with Mount Moriah. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com.
Monday, Oct. 25
SAGE Metro D.C. will be having its monthly meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.).
The D.C. Gay Flag Football League presents speed dating at Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) tonight from 7 to 10 p.m. There is a $15 cover and check in is at 6 p.m.
Hope Operas, whose founder is openly gay, has its third week of five new shows tonight to raise money for charity. The shows are at 8 p.m. at the Comedy Spot, in Ballston Mall (4238 Wilson, Blvd.), in Arlington. Each show benefits a different charity. Tickets are $12 per show. For more information call 323-788-8970 or e-mail [email protected].
Adele Stan will be at Busboys & Poets’s 5th and K streets location tonight signing and discussing “Dangerous Brew: Exposing the Tea Party’s Agenda to Take Over America,” an anthology she co-edited with Don Hazen.
The Indigo Girls will be at the Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave.) in Alexandia, tonight at 7:30 p.m. with Mount Moriah. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com.
Tuesday, Oct. 26
The Mautner Project will be having a workshop entitled “Getting Unstuck” tonight at its headquarters (1875 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Ste., 710) from 7 to 8:30 p.m. with Gail Waldman. To RSVP call 202-332-5536 or e-mail [email protected].
Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) will be holding a “Glee” watch party tonight on the deck in the pub room at 8 p.m. featuring a $3 beer special all night.
Wednesday, Oct. 27
Secrets (1824 Half St., S.W.) is holdings it monthly amateur dance contest tonight beginning at 11 p.m. Contests must sign up at the main bar between 10 and 10:45 p.m. This month’s contest is masquerade themed and contestants are encouraged to wear masks.
The Pink Party is hosing a candlelight vigil in Dupont Circle today from 6 to 9 p.m. in connection with the national Facebook effort to wear purple on Oct. 20 to “show support for LGBT people and protest/mourn the youth suicides.” Attendees are asked to bring their own candles and cups.
Thursday, Oct. 28
Gays & Lesbians Opposing Violence will have its monthly meeting tonight at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) from 7 to 9 p.m.
Ganymede Arts presents Gerald Duval’s “Edie Beale Live at Reno Sweeney” starring Jeffrey Johnson, tonight at Noi’s Nook at go mama go! (1809 14th St., N.W.) at 8 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit ganymedearts.org.
LAMBDA SCI-FI book discussion group meets today at 7 p.m at 1425 S Street NW. This month’s book is “Soulless,” by Gail Carriger. For more information or to RSVP, call Peter and Rob at 202-483-6369 or James at 202-232-3141 or e-mail [email protected] or visit lambdasf.org.
Friday, Oct. 29
Margaret Cho will be at the Warner Theatre (513 13th St., N.W.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. with her show, “Cho Dependent.” Tickets are $40.50 or $57.60 and can be purchased at livenation.com.
Zoom Urban Lesbian Excursions hosts “Night at the Museum” tonight at 8:30 p.m. at the Museum of Crime and Punishment (575 7th St., N.W.) as it turns into a haunted torture chamber. Attendees are welcome to wear costumes but masks are prohibited. Tickets are $23 and can be purchased at zoomexcursions.com.
The D.C. Kings will be at Apex tonight at 11 p.m. as part a special ladies night featuring a few Halloween-themed performances.
Saturday, Oct. 30
Douche Bag City, an exhibition of video animation, painting and sculpture by Federico Solmi, opens today with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. at Conner Contemporary Art (1358 Florida Ave., N.E.).
Jimmy Valentine’s Lonely Hearts Club (1103 Bladensburg Rd., N.E.) is hosting its Halloween Homecoming tonight from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. featuring DJs Junebullet of She.Rex, Natty Boom of Anthology of Booty, and vANNIEty Kills of Anniething Goes. Costumes are required for entry. Tickets are $15 and must be purchased online. Visit jimmyvalentineslhc.com for more information and tickets.
Tom Paxton and Janis Ian, “Together at Last,” will be at the Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave.) in Alexandia, tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com. Ian is a lesbian.
Phase 1 (525 8th St., S.E.) is having its annual Halloween costume contest tonight. Best costume will win $100 and there will be other prizes for sexiest and mot hilarious. Doors open at 7 p.m. and attendees must be 21 or older to enter.
Sunday, Oct. 31
Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) is having a Halloween costume party tonight from 8 p.m. to midnight. First place wins $250 cash, second place wins a $100 Nellie’s tab and third place wins a $50 Cubano’s dinner. There’s no cover for this event.
Photos
PHOTOS: Blade Summer Kickoff Party
Ashley Biden accepts award for Beau Biden at annual Rehoboth fundraiser
The 19th annual Blade Foundation Summer Kickoff Party was held on Friday, May 15 at Diego’s in Rehoboth Beach, Del. An award presentation was held for former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden. Ashley Biden accepted the award on her brother’s behalf and gave remarks. Other speakers included Delaware state Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Dr. Robin Brennan and Washington Blade Editor Kevin Naff. The event was a fundraiser for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
Photos
PHOTOS: Taste of Point
Annual fundraiser supporting LGBTQ youth scholarships and mentorships held at Room & Board
The Point Foundation held the annual Taste of Point fundraiser at Room & Board on Wednesday, May 13.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Theater
‘The Inheritance’ is most-nominated at this year’s Helen Hayes Awards
42nd annual celebration of excellence in local theater set for May 18
Helen Hayes Awards 2026
May 18, 2026
For tickets go to theatrewashington.org
Last year, when out director Tom Story took on the daunting task of directing Round House Theatre’s production of “The Inheritance, Parts One and Two,” he knew that casting would be important, maybe even paramount, to the endeavor’s success. So, Story didn’t mess around.
Penned by queer playwright Matthew López, “The Inheritance” (inspired by E.M. Forster’s 1910 novel “Howards End”) is based on gay culture in the wake of the AIDS crisis.
Story looked at actors he knew, and some he didn’t. He wanted low drama and maybe players who could relate to the LGBTQ experience. In the end, the production’s 13-person cast was entirely queer except for brilliant local favorite Nancy Robinette as Margaret, the wise housekeeper.
Clearly, Story’s vision resonated with audiences. Round House’s production of “The Inheritance” is the most-nominated work of this year’s Helen Hayes Awards, earning 14 nominations. It’s also one of Round House’s highest grossing popular successes ever.
The queer cast members whose ages ranged from about 22 to 60, worked hard and enjoyed the process, and along the way garnered an Outstanding Ensemble in a Play (Hayes) nomination for their efforts.
The ensemble included Jamar Jones as Tristan, a brilliant doctor who leaves New York for Canada after deciding there’s no place for a gay, HIV-positive Black man in America. For the experienced actor, being part of “The Inheritance” was profound: “I think it was a divinely orchestrated production.”
He adds “I really feel that it’s so rare that you get to work on a show of that magnitude…size, time, where virtual strangers genuinely fell into rhythm. We became a cohort. I never felt a sense of unease, or reluctance to try things. I could be as big or bold as I wanted to be; or I could be small. Fail, mess up, try again. I didn’t feel judged.”
Jones considers Richmond his home, but says “I’m based where the work is.” Currently, he’s back at Round House rehearsing “Sally & Tom” (May 27-June28), a play within a play/meta exploration of the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings by Suzan-Lori Parks.
Jones plays both a contemporary violinist and an enslaved fiddler, parts that have required him to learn to “air fiddle.” He’s all over it: “I want to represent the art and to be as precise as possible. Taught by an instructor, I’ve made strides with movement of the bow; next up is finger placement.”
Will he leave the play a violinist? “I’ll report back on closing night. Maybe I will have added something to the special skills list on my resume.”
For about a decade, Jones worked in living history, interpreting, performing, and writing pieces about the enslaved people of Colonial Virginia. Among the many historical characters he portrayed was Jupiter (Thomas Jefferson’s longtime enslaved manservant), an experience that’s proved a connection and preparation for his current role.
The 42nd Helen Hayes Awards celebration recognizing excellence in professional theater in the DMV will be held on Monday, May 18, 2026 at The Anthem on the District Wharf in Washington, D.C. Named for Helen Hayes, the legendary first lady of Broadway, the program consists of the awards presentation hosted by Felicia Curry, Awa Sal Secka, and Derrick Truby, followed by an after-party at nearby Whitlow’s.
With works selected from 149 eligible productions presented in the 2025 calendar year, nominations were made in 41 categories and grouped as either “Helen” (non-Equity/small Equity presence) or “Hayes” (Equity-heavy).
The many nominations are the result of 49 vetted judges considering 1,997 pieces of work, such as design, direction, choreography, performances, and more. The productions under consideration included 42 musicals, 107 plays, and 33 world premieres.
The following are more of this year’s queer nominees.
A past Helen Hayes Award recipient and nominee, Fran Tapia is competing against herself this year in the Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical (Helen) category. Nominated for her memorable turn as the diva barkeep in GALA Theatre’s “Columbia Heights Bolero Bar,” an immersive musical centered on songs of longing and immigration set in a diverse neighborhood on the eve of a divisive presidential election
“It was a challenging time, because a lot of what was happening in the show was happening in the neighborhood,” says Tapia who lives in Columbia Heights just eight minutes from GALA.
Based in D.C. since 2019, Tapia says “Being recognized in a country that is not my homeland but where I’m building my artistic home, is deeply meaningful. And the variety of roles I have been able to play speaks to the richness of DC theater and the collaborators who trusted me with these roles.”
Her other individual nomination is for the title role in Spooky Action Theater’s “Professor Woland’s Black Magic Rock Show,” a passionately comedic political satire. She approached the mysterious central character as nonbinary.
Tapia (“Chilean, Latina, queer and proud immigrant”) says while very different, both performances involved particularly strong characters. She’s grateful audiences responded positively to her work.
Stanley Bahorek, who moved to D.C. with his husband four years ago, is best known as an accomplished actor with a long list of Broadway and regional credits (including playing Carl, the gay son in Studio Theatre’s recent production of “The Mother Play”). Now, he is nominated for Outstanding Music Direction (Helen) for his work on “A Strange Loop,” a production of D.C.’s Visionaries of the Creative Arts (VOCA) in collaboration with Deaf Austin Theatre. He shares this nomination with Walter “Bobby” McCoy.
Michael R. Jackson’s Tony and Pulitzer wining play “A Strange Loop,” is the story of Usher, a Black, queer theater usher trying to write a musical. VOCA’s take on the work is seen through a deaf BIPOC lens with a deaf Usher played by a deaf actor (out actor Gabriel Silva). Invited by director and longtime friend Alexandria Wailes (who is deaf), Bahorek (who is hearing) joined the creative team as a sort of hybrid associate director/ music supervisor.
“I’m fluent in conversational American Sign Language (ASL),” he says. “I sort of functioned as a sherpa between the hearing and deaf and hard-of-hearing creatives. It’s been a great thrill to be a part of VOCA’s biggest production to date.”
If he and McCoy take home the prize, who makes the acceptance speech? Bahorek takes a beat before replying “That’s something we still need to talk about. And soon.”
A full list of award recipients will be available at theatrewashington.org on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
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