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Arts news in brief: Jan. 28

‘Faux queen’ pageant at Ziegfeld’s, another dance company at the Kennedy Center and more

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Mark Morris Dance Company (Photo courtesy of the company)

Gay-helmed dance company at George Mason next weekend

He is the dancing world’s strapping bad boy, with a fullback’s girth and at 6 feet, 2 inches tall, he towers over many other dancers, though these days he is now largely retired from performing. And he has been called by Time Magazine “the most prodigiously gifted choreographer of the post-Balanchine era.”

He is 54-year-old Mark Morris, founder and still chieftain of the world-renowned Mark Morris Dance Group, now in its 30th year during a 17-month-long anniversary season touring to 20 cities including the D.C. area on Feb. 5 and 6, in performances and discussions at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.

Morris, who is gay, was born in Seattle in 1956, and at the age of 16, after graduating early from high school, traveled to Spain where, at the time, he felt he was destined to be a flamenco dancer. But because of the fascist repression of the Franco regime, he returned to the U.S. and in 1976 began living with other artists in a loft in Hoboken, N.J., and performing in New York City.

In 1980, with a collection of friends, he staged a concert of his own choreography and called them the Mark Morris Dance Group. Since then, he has worked with Mikhail Baryshnikov to found the White Oak Dance Project and has been much in demand as a ballet choreographer, most notably with the San Francisco Ballet, and for staging operas for the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. In 2001, his company moved into its first permanent headquarters, the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn.

Open about his sexual orientation, Morris has been outspoken also on the topic of marriage equality, though he chooses to call gay marriage “queer marriage.”

“We have been coming to Fairfax many years,” says Morris, who looks to the D.C. area for its “steady and devoted audience for what we do.”

This includes his plan to perform the D.C.-area premiere of “Petrichor,” set to the music of Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, which first premiered in Boston in 2010. The company will also perform three classical works from the Morris repertory — 1990’s “Going Away Party,” set to music by Bob Willis and His Texas Playboys; 1999’s “Silhouettes,” set to music by Richard Cumming; and 2008’s “Excursions,” set to music by 20th century gay American composer Samuel Barber.

Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 4 and 5, at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts at its campus, at the intersection of Braddock Road and Route 123, in Fairfax City, Va. Tickets are $22, $36 and $44, by phone at 888-945-2468 or visit www.cfa.gmu.edu.                       — David Hoffman

Alvin Ailey dance company celebrates 50th at Kennedy Center

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is celebrating its 50th anniversary with seven performances at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) starting Tuesday. It’s named after the choreographer, a gay groundbreaker in his field who died of AIDS in 1989.

All of the group’s performances will include “Revelations,” a tribute to Ailey’s African-American heritage that uses traditional spirituals to explore the places of “deepest grief and holiest joy in the human soul,” as their promo material states.

On Tuesday at 7 p.m., Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 5 at 1:30 p.m., the company will be performing “Anointed,” “Cry and the Hunt” in addition to “Revelations.”

On Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m.,, the company will perform “Night Creature,” “The Evolution of a Secured Feminine” and the “Prodigal Prince” as well as “Revelations.”

The second performance on Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. and the Feb. 6 performance at 1:30 p.m. will include “Three Black Kings,” “In/Side” and “Forgotten Time.”

On Feb. 5 after the matinee, there will be a free post-performance discussion with a moderator and members of the company.

Tickets range from $30 to $99 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org. — David Hoffman

Show tunes and cocktails continue at the Jefferson

After its kick off in December, “Show Tunes and Cocktails at the Jefferson” continues as a monthly sing-along in the Jefferson’s Quill Bar (1200 16th St., N.W.) Monday from 7 to 10 p.m.

Orchestra leader Glenn Pearson, a Helen Hayes Board member, will be playing the piano “to encourage everyone in attendance to shed their inhibitions” and sing.

“For many years, following our annual October benefit, several guests stayed and broke into an impromptu gathering to sing show tunes around the piano with [Pearson],” says Linda Levy Grossman, Helen Hayes President and CEO said in a press release for the event. “Now it’s become a signature part of the evening.”

Specialty cocktails and featured appetizers will be available and attendees will have an opportunity to win Washington Theatre TixCertificates (flexible $20 gift certificates redeemable at almost 50 theaters throughout D.C.).

The Jefferson is donating 20 percent of the proceeds to support the Helen Hayes organization.

Admission is free and discounted parking is available with validation. — Juliette Ebner

Drag queen contest for ‘real’ women to be held

A contest for women born as biologically female but with drag sensibilities will be held Sunday at Ziegfeld’s at 3 p.m.

The Imperial Court of Washington is hosting Miss Faux Queen, an event modeled after female impersonation contests and a similar pageant that was held in San Francisco in the ’90s. There will be four categories — interview, international costume, interview and talent.

Contestants will dress similarly to drag queens with padding, wigs, makeup and more. All contestants will have a “drag mother” to guide them. Miss Faux Queen International is for in-town contestants while the “national” event is for out-of-town participants.

Admission is $20. Ziegfeld’s is at 1824 Half Street, S.W. Doors open at 2. For more information, e-mail to [email protected].

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Books

Celebrate Pride month by reading these books

History, pop culture, and more

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(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.

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Music & Concerts

Indigo Girls coming to Capital One Hall

Stars take center stage alongside Fairfax Symphony

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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. 

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Calendar

Calendar: June 13-19

LGBTQ events in the days to come

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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

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