Arts & Entertainment

Calendar: events through Jan. 15

Plays, concerts, exhibits and more among week’s offerings

Published

14 years ago

January 6, 2011

Florence Lacey as Norma Desmond in 'Sunset Blvd.' Signature Theatre, which is hosting a production of the show, is having a special 'Pride Night' at tonight's performance. (Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Signature)

Friday, Jan. 7

D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) is having its monthly open mic night tonight from 8 to 10 p.m. This month the event will feature the work of the Brother Tongue poetry workshop participants. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and performers can sign up between 7:30 and 8.

ANNIEthing Goes and friends present “Absolina” a birthday celebration with DJs Zenbi, Charles Martin and vANNIEty kills tonight at 10 at Jimmy Valentine’s Lonely Hearts Club (1103 Bladensberg Rd., N.E.)

RAW, hosted by DJs Bil Todd and Shea Van Horn, will be at Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) tonight from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Free entry before 11 p.m. with a $3 cover after. There will be an open bar from 10 to 11 p.m. Attendees must be 21 or older.

Metropolitan Community Church of Washington’s fundraising team is hosting a bingo night tonight at 7 p.m. at the church (474 Ridge St., N.W.). The evening begins with four early bird games which costs $2 for four cards or $3 for eight cards. This is followed by 17 regular and special games which are packaged for as low as $25. There will be homemade refreshments available in Mama Cecelia’s kitchen.

The Foundry Gallery (1314 18th St., N.W.) is holding an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. for its newest exhibit “Celebrate Gay Marriage” which is a juried show of regional artists. The reception will feature a performance by Potomac Fever, part of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington. The exhibit will continue through Jan. 30.

Signature Theatre (4200 Campbell Ave.) in Arlington is hosting “Pride Night” tonight featuring a performance of “Sunset Boulevard” followed by a one-hour post-show cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception. The performance begins at 8 p.m. Signature has also teamed up with Fleet Transportation and is offering a shuttle service from Dupont Circle on P Street directly to the theater leaving at 6:30 and returning at 11:30 p.m. Roundtrip tickets for the bus are $5 and tickets to “Pride Night” are $86 and $91. All tickets can be purchased at the theater box office.

Apex (1415 22nd St., N.W.) and Gloss present First Fridays Ladies Night tonight with music by DJ Rosie in the main room and performances by the D.C. Kings and the D.C. Gurly Show at midnight. There is a $10 cover. Attendees must be 18 or older to enter.

Front Runners is having its monthly happy hour tonight at the Duplex Diner (2004 18th St., N.W.) at 6:30 p.m.

The Dance Party will be at 9:30 Club with Wallpaper, K-Flay, Ra Ra Rasputin and lowercaseletters at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at 930.com.

Saturday, Jan. 8

The planning committee for the D.C. Center’s sixth annual Oscar celebration, “Glamour, Glitter, Gold” is meeting today at 11:30 a.m. at the Center (1318 U St., N.W.). The committee is chaired by Michelle Ross and Timur Tugberk.

City Gallery (804 H St., N.E.) will be holding an opening reception for its newest exhibit “Leaves, Words and Screens” featuring the work of Ronnie Spiewak tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. The exhibit will continue through Jan. 29.

Pianist Alexander Paley will be giving a free all-Liszt concert tonight in celebration of what would be Franz Liszt’s 200th birthday at 8 p.m. at Westmoreland Congregational UCC Church (1 Westmoreland Circle) in Bethesda.

Team D.C. will be having an information Q&A session today at 10 a.m. at the Verizon Center. The session is open to anyone, but space is limited. To reserve a space, e-mail Ryan Bos at [email protected].

The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop will host its fifth annual juried photography exhibition and reception today from 5 to 7 p.m. at CHAW (545 7th St., S.E.). The exhibit will feature works from local and regional artists. The show will continue through Feb. 4.

Apex presents Glowing, a fusion of black lights, dayglo paint and glow sticks tonight with DJ Gigi. DJ Michael Brandon will host Caliente, a latin dance party, in the east wing dance lounge. Kristina Kelly and the Girls of Glamour will perform at 11 p.m. There is a $10 cover.

The NSO Teddy Bear Concert: “Fancy That!” will have three performances of a one-woman show with NSO violinist Marissa Regini today at 11 a.m., 1:30 and 5 p.m. in the Kennedy Center’s Family Theatre (2700 F St., N.W.).

Sunday, Jan. 9

LAMBDA SCI-FI, a monthly meeting and social of LGBT science fiction, fantasy and horror fans, will have its annual blind book exchange today at 1:30 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring a snack or a non-alcoholic drink to share. The meeting will be held at 1414 17th St., N.W. For more information call James at 202-232-3141, e-mail to [email protected], or visit the group’s website at lambdascifi.org.

D.C. Kings will be at Phase (525 8th St., S.E.) tonight with “One Hit Wonders.” Doors open at 7 p.m. and the performance begins at 10. There is a $5 cover.

The Baltimore Museum of Art (10 Art Museum Drive) is having its free family Sundays with “Collage Wacky Warhol Wigs” today from 2 to 5 p.m. Today is also the last day to view the exhibit “Andy Warhol: The Last Decade.” Tickets to the exhibit range from $15 for adults to $5 for children 6 to 18 years old.

Burgundy Crescent Volunteers will be helping fight hunger in the D.C. area today from 9 a.m. to noon, with D.C. Central Kitchen. Volunteers will help cook, working along chefs who have graduated from the Kitchen’s job training program. No experience is required, just an interest of cooking. The Kitchen provides job skills by using rescued and donated ingredients to teach unemployed and homeless individuals how to cook, then turns this food into free meal services. E-mail [email protected] for more information.

Monday, Jan. 10

The fourth Mid-Atlantic Band Battle IV Preliminaries start tonight at 7 p.m. at Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave., E.) in Vienna. The preliminaries continue through Thursday.

Tuesday, Jan. 11

The Baltimore Museum of Art (10 Art Museum Drive) begins “Rest, Restore, Renew,” its winter yoga series, today from 6 to 7:15 p.m. There are six sessions and they are $95 for members and $110 for non-members.

Join Burgundy Crescent Volunteers to help pack safer sex kits from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight at FUK!T’s new packing location Green Lantern, 1335 Green Ct., N.W.

Wednesday, Jan. 12

The Big Gay Book Group will meet tonight at 7 p.m. at 1155 F St., N.W., Suite 200. The book for discussion will be “Great Speeches on Gay Rights” edited by James Daley. For more information, visit the group’s website biggaybookgroup.com or e-mail [email protected].

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

Thursday, Jan. 13

DCBiWomen will be having its monthly dinner at Café Luna (1633 P St., N.W.) tonight from 7 to 8 p.m. For more information, visit dcbiwomen.org.

Exposed Tattoo and Baller Inc., present the D.C. Tattoo Arts Expo starting today at the Crystal City Doubletree Hotel (300 Army Navy Drive) in Arlington with a VIP welcome party in the Sky Dome from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. The expo will continue through the weekend, ending Sunday.

Friday, Jan. 14

DJ Joshua and TheNewGay present BALLS! Tonight from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. at Velvet Lounge (915 U St., N.W.) featuring the debut DJ set of Steve Scarlata. There is no cover for this event. Drink specials include $3 Natty Boh and $4 kamikazes.

Gross National Product returns with “The Sound of Palin” at Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St., N.E.) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $10 to $20 and can be purchased at atlas arts.org.

Saturday, Jan. 15

Blowoff, a dance party featuring gay DJs Bob Mould and Richard Morel, will be at 9:30 Club (815 V St., N.W.) tonight. Doors opens at 11:30 p.m. Attendees must be 21 or older. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at 930.com.

Books

Celebrate Pride month by reading these books

History, pop culture, and more

Published

16 hours ago

June 14, 2025

Terri Schlichenmeyer

(Photo courtesy of Terri Schlichenmeyer)

You’ve done your share of marching.

You’re determined to wring every rainbow-hued thing out of this month. The last of the parties hasn’t arrived yet, neither have the biggest celebrations and you’re primed but – OK, you need a minute. So pull up a chair, take a deep breath, and read these great books on gay history, movies, and more.

You probably don’t need to be told that harassment and discrimination was a daily occurrence for gay people in the past (as now!), but “American Scare: Florida’s Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives” by Robert W. Fieseler (Dutton, $34) tells a story that runs deeper than you may know. Here, you’ll read a historical expose with documented, newly released evidence of a systemic effort to ruin the lives of two groups of people that were perceived as a threat to a legislature full of white men.

Prepared to be shocked, that’s all you need to know.

You’ll also want to read the story inside “The Many Passions of Michael Hardwick: Sex and the Supreme Court in the Age of AIDS” by Martin Padgett (W.W. Norton & Company, $31.99), which sounds like a novel, but it’s not. It’s the story of one man’s fight for a basic right as the AIDS crisis swirls in and out of American gay life and law. Hint: this book isn’t just old history, and it’s not just for gay men.

Maybe you’re ready for some fun and who doesn’t like a movie? You know you do, so you’ll want “Sick and Dirty: Hollywood’s Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness” by Michael Koresky (Bloomsbury, $29.99). It’s a great look at the Hays Code and what it allowed audiences to see, but it’s also about the classics that sneaked beneath the code. There are actors, of course, in here, but also directors, writers, and other Hollywood characters you may recognize. Grab the popcorn and settle in.

If you have kids in your life, they’ll want to know more about Pride and you’ll want to look for “Pride: Celebrations & Festivals” by Eric Huang, illustrated by Amy Phelps (Quarto, $14.99), a story of inclusion that ends in a nice fat section of history and explanation, great for kids ages seven-to-fourteen. Also find “Are You a Friend of Dorothy? The True Story of an Imaginary Woman and the Real People She Helped Shape” by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Levi Hastings (Simon & Schuster, $19.99), a lively book about a not-often-told secret for kids ages six-to-ten; and “Papa’s Coming Home” by Chasten Buttigieg, illustrated by Dan Taylor (Philomel, $19.99), a sweet family tale for kids ages three-to-five.

Finally, here’s a tween book that you can enjoy, too: “Queer Heroes” by Arabelle Sicardi, illustrated by Sarah Tanat-Jones (Wide Eyed, $14.99), a series of quick-to-read biographies of people you should know about.

Want more Pride books? Then ask your favorite bookseller or librarian for more, because there are so many more things to read. Really, the possibilities are almost endless, so march on in.

Music & Concerts

Indigo Girls coming to Capital One Hall

Stars take center stage alongside Fairfax Symphony

Published

3 days ago

June 12, 2025

Tinashe Chingarande

The Indigo Girls are back in the area next week. (Photo courtesy of Vanguard Records)

Capital One Center will host “The Indigo Girls with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra” on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20 at 8 p.m. at Capital One Hall.

The Grammy Award-winning folk and pop stars will take center stage alongside the Fairfax Symphony, conducted by Jason Seber. The concerts feature orchestrations of iconic hits such as “Power of Two,” “Get Out The Map,” “Least Complicated,” “Ghost,” “Kid Fears,” “Galileo,” “Closer to Fine,” and many more.

Tickets are available on Ticketmaster or in person at Capital One Hall the nights of the concerts.

Calendar

Calendar: June 13-19

LGBTQ events in the days to come

Published

3 days ago

June 12, 2025

Tinashe Chingarande

Friday, June 13

“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 2 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s new location at 1827 Wiltberger St., N.W. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected].

Women in Their Twenties and Thirties will be at 8 p.m. at Wundergarten. An update will be posted the night of the event on where to find WiTT’s table. There’ll be a Pride flag to help people find the group. For more details, join WiTT’s closed Facebook group.

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Pride Month Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach bar and Restaurant. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Saturday, June 14

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Pride Month 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.

Rainbow History Project will host “Behind the Scenes With the Senior Curator of ‘Pickets, Protests and Parades’” at 7:30p.m. at Freedom Plaza. This behind-the-scenes experience offers a rare glimpse into the creative process behind this groundbreaking showcase of DC’s LGBTQ+ history. Learn about the bold design decisions that shaped the Quote Wall and Hero Cubes and the powerful stories that almost made the cut. Tickets cost $82 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

Monday, June 16

“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 details, email [email protected].

Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary. Whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more information, visit their website at www.genderqueerdc.org or check us out on Facebook.

Tuesday, June 17

Bi+ Roundtable and Discussion will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting. Check out Facebook or Meetup for more information.

Wednesday, June 18

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.

“Legends Live Loud: A Queer Karaoke Experience” will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This will be a dynamic, Center-wide karaoke event celebrating the brilliance and cultural impact of some of our most colorful queer icons. The Center will honor legends through music, pop culture, dance, and inextinguishable liberation. For more details and to sign up, visit the DC Center’s website.

Thursday, June 19

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Book Club” at 7:30 p.m. at Federico Ristorante Italiano. This book club is co-hosted by EQUALITY NoVa and is another opportunity to engage in a fun and rewarding activity. The group doesn’t discriminate when it comes to genres it reads – from classic literature to best selling novels to biographies to histories to gay fiction. For more details, visit Eventbrite.

Cultivating Change Foundation will host “Cultivating Pride Happy Hour” at 5:30 p.m. at Dacha Beer Garden. This Pride month, the organization is inviting LGBTQ+ people and allies in food and agriculture to come together in communities nationwide. These informal gatherings are a chance to connect, celebrate, and build community, whether it’s over coffee, a cocktail, or a conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.