Arts & Entertainment

Arts news in brief

Center hosting stand-up benefit, Ginger Rogers tribute planned and more

Published

14 years ago

February 3, 2011

Comedian Ben Lerman will perform a Center benefit at the Source Monday night with Jessica Halem. (Photo courtesy of Ben Lerman)

Center hosts gay comedy night Monday

The idea is simple — laugh your butt off when two New York City stand-up comics double up the gender jokes for one-night only in D.C. – Monday at the Source Theatre, 1835 14th Street N.W.

And it’s all for a good cause, says David Mariner, director of the Center, D.C.’s LGBT community center. “They’re both fabulous and funny,” he says.

The event is a Center fundraiser. Expect bawdy humor as both comics are well-known for leaving no possible humor in LGBT life unexplored,

Listen for Ben Lerman’s hilariously autobiographical rap-song, “Ben Lerman Plays Ukelele,” and “Tough Love Lesbo” with its girl-group vibe, and “Chubby Chaser,” the thumping disco shout-out to the skinny folks who “like ’em plump.” Called both “sick and brilliant” by Time Out New York, he’s a regular guest on XM Sirius satellite radio shows and made his TV debut in 2009 on HERE-TV’s Hot Gay Comix.”

Then there’s Jessica Halem, described as a “funny on-your-face queer feminist comic,” who explains it all this way: “My parents were two crazy radical Jewish hippies who must have taken some bad acid, got in their VW van, and (then) decided to raise a girl — me.”

Tickets are $20 and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Center. Seating at the Source Theater will be limited, so advance purchase recommended through www.brownpapertickets.com/event/145229.

Whitman-Walker partners for black HIV/AIDS event

Whitman-Walker Clinic will join other local health organizations to present National Black HIV-AIDS Awareness Day for a community event at Metropolitan Community Church, 474 Ridge Road, just north of 5th and K Streets N.W., from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday.

The event includes free HIV testing and counseling, workshops, food and entertainment.

The Clinic plans to offer needed ongoing primary care for those diagnosed and information for others on prevention.

Whitman-Walker will off free HIV testing at both its sites Monday. Hours at the Elizabeth Taylor Center (1701 14^th Street, N.W.) are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and at the Max Robinson Center (2301 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., S.E.) from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. A Rogers film tribute is planned at the AFI Silver. (Still courtesy of 20th Century Fox)

AFI Silver plans Ginger Rogers centennial festival

Yes, this year she’d be 100. And yes, what she did with dance partner, on stage and silver screen, Fred Astaire was harder, because she did do it with him but “backwards and in high heels,” as the adage goes.

To honor the centenary of her birth, highlights of all 10 of Ginger Rogers’ films with Astaire will be shown starting today through April 6 at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, 8633 Coleville road in Silver Spring, Md.

Also, Rogers’ most memorable non-dancing performances will be shown — many notable for their first-rank directors and co-stars – such as “The Major and the Minor” on March 26 and 29 (with Cary Grant and directed by Billy Wilder) and “Monkey Business” on March 18, 19, 23 and 24 (costarring again screen idol Cary Grant but also Marilyn Monroe and directed by Howard Hawks).

The series begins with “Flying Down To Rio” today at 5:30 p.m. and again at 6 p.m. Sunday and 5:30 and 9:30 p.m. Monday. Other highlights include “The Gay Divorcee” at 7:20 p.m. on Tuesday and 9 p.m. Wednesday and a cascade of other great hits like “Top Hat,” “Swing Time” and “Stage Door” follows. “Kitty Foyle,” for which she won the Best Actress Oscar, is slated for March 27 and 28. For a complete list of films and days and times, go to www.afi.com/silver.

Wizards Night Out Saturday at Verizon Center

After continuously coming up short and winless on the road at 0-24, the third-worst road start in NBA history, the losing-streak-away Wizards will play a home game against the Atlanta Hawks at 7 p.m. Saturday at Verizon Center, 601 F Street N.W.

So if you like the bouncing round ball, the dribbling, the passing, the jump shots, the fouls and the rebounds — and yes, we’re talking basketball here, not romance — Saturday is a good night to come out for this game, which is sponsored by Team D.C., the Blade, Nellie’s Sports Bar, and Youth Pride Alliance.

A portion of the proceeds — $10 of every ticket purchased — will benefit Capital Queer Prom and Youth Pride Alliance. Nellie’s will host the official after party. For more information, visit verizoncenter.com/wiz/2011wiznightout.

Books

Celebrate Pride month by reading these books

History, pop culture, and more

Published

12 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

2 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

2 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.