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Murder at St. Mark’s

Community players shine in lavish ‘Chicago’ production

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The St. Marks players in rehearsal for ‘Chicago.’ (Blade photo by Michael Key)

‘Chicago’
music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb
based on book by Ebb and Bob Fosse
8 p.m. Friday-Saturday
4 p.m. Sunday
thru May 21
St. Mark’s Players
3rd and A Streets, S.E.
Washington
Tickets $20 ($18 seniors and students)
202-546-9670 or visit stmarksplayers.org

The Tony Award winning “Chicago: The Musical” — with its heart of purest bile, its lyrics by Fred Ebb, and its music by John Kander — mocks everything we claim to value in life (truth, love, justice, you name it). On the Capitol Hill stage of the St. Mark’s Players, consistently one of the area’s sharpest community theaters, it’s here through May 21.

This “Chicago” with its iconic choreography by Bob Fosse and later Ann Reinking is stylishly restaged by director Rick Hayes and choreographer Rikki Howie, sharply punched up with jokes and sight gags to fit this top-notch production neatly into the historic church’s tall-ceilinged but narrow nave. But it delivers the same signature Kander and Ebb tap-dance around a seedy world of jail cells, its story forever doomed.

The satirical story of Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, and how they beat their respective murder raps, has been told many times before. At St. Mark’s it is staged with all the famed double-snap, wise crackle and syncopated pop that this show can be at its best.

Billy Flynn is portrayed by Eric Kennedy, who packs the part with animal appeal — a wolf’s whistle, a fox’s morals and a cat’s grin of self-satisfaction. Kennedy, who’s gay, imbues Billy with oodles of smarm and charm in the key role as the mercenary mouthpiece for the murderesses. But he’s more than being both sleazy and sleek in the role — Kennedy also has a great voice and a fine soft shoe to go with dark good looks.

Attention must also be paid to the three women playing the two roles of Velma and Roxie. Anya Nebel is Velma, with the voice and the lung power to belt it out and the comic tease to add sparkle to the part. Sharing the role of Roxie on different nights are the equally talented Kim Pyle (May 13-15) and choreographer Howie herself (May 20-21). All three ladies bring a comic sensibility as well as the chops and gams to sing and dance and just the right mix of curve, verve and nerve as they shimmy and shake and bring high-kicking whoopee to their dreams of making it big in show business.

Also noteworthy is Genevieve Williams as their jailor, Mama Morton, with her deep rumble of a contralto voice. With heavy hints that she is lesbian (Billy calls her “butch”),  there’s real spice in this Mama’s gumbo.

Heather Cipu also deserves notice — she shines as Mary Sunshine, hitting every high note with her operetta-soprano ode to saccharine, “A Little Bit of Good,” though later she drops the goodie-two-shoes image and matronly frock to reveal a very different persona underneath. Finally, there is Stephen Yednock as poor, put-upon Amos Hart, the one and only decent person, Roxie’s good-natured but basically dimwitted husband who is prepared at every turn to take the fall for her if he can. Yednock brings real feeling to several songs, especially his solo lament, “Mister Cellophane.”

This staging of “Chicago” is simply great right down to the terrific ensemble who among them function like a chorus, singing and dancing different roles, including the females in a first-rate “Cell Block Tango,” wicked and wonderful in red lips and black leather, and in the opening song, “All That Jazz.” Other show-stoppers include “We Both Reached for the Gun” and “Nowadays.” Special kudos go to the show’s director, Rick Hayes, also the Players’ artistic director, and as the musical director, the veteran musician J. N. Wickert III, at the baton of an 11-piece orchestra. Both are gay, as is the Players’ president Jerry Dale Jr., who also serves as stage manager for this show.

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Out & About

This queer comedy show will warm you up

Catfish Comedy to feature LGBTQ lineup

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(Promotional image via Eventbrite)

Catfish Comedy will host “2026 Queer Kickoff Show” on Thursday, Feb. 5 at A League of Her Own (2319 18th Street, N.W.). This show features D.C.’s funniest LGBTQ and femme comedians. The lineup features performers who regularly take the stage at top clubs like DC Improv and Comedy Loft, with comics who tour nationally.

Tickets are $17.85 and can be purchased on Eventbrite

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Arts & Entertainment

Catherine O’Hara, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ star and celebrated queer ally, dies at 71

Actress remembered for memorable comedic roles in ‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘Home Alone’

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(Photo courtesy of Pop TV)

Catherine O’Hara, the varied comedic actor known for memorable roles in “Beetlejuice,” “Schitt’s Creek,” and “Home Alone,” has died at 71 on Friday, according to multiple reports. No further details about her death were revealed.

O’Hara’s death comes as a shock to Hollywood, as the Emmy award-winning actor has been recently active, with roles in both “The Studio” and “The Last of Us.” For her work in those two shows, she received Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series and outstanding guest actress in a drama series.

In 2020, O’Hara won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a comedy series award for her work in the celebrated sixth and final season of “Schitt’s Creek.” She was also known as a queer ally and icon for her theatrical and often campy performances over multiple decades. In “Schitt’s Creek,” she played Moira Rose, the wig-loving mother of David Rose (played by series creator Dan Levy). David is pansexual, but the characters around him simply accept him for who he is; the show was embraced by the LGBTQ community with how naturally David’s sexuality was written and portrayed. That show ran from 2015 to 2020 and helped bring O’Hara and her co-stars into a new phase of their careers.

In a 2019 interview with the Gay Times, O’Hara explained why the show got LGBTQ representation right: “Daniel has created a world that he wants to live in, that I want to live in. It’s ridiculous that we live in a world where we don’t know how to respect each other and let each other be. It’s crazy. Other shows should follow suit and present the world and present humans as the best that we can be. It doesn’t mean you can’t laugh, that you can’t be funny in light ways and dark ways. It’s all still possible when you respect and love each other.”

Additional credits include “SCTV Network” (for which O’Hara won a writing Emmy), “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Six Feet Under,” “Best in Show,” “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” and “Dick Tracy.” O’Hara also lent her voice to “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Chicken Little,” “Monster House,” and “Elemental.” O’Hara was expected to return for Season 2 of “The Studio,” which started filming earlier this month.

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Calendar

Calendar: January 30-February 5

LGBTQ events in the days to come

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Friday, January 30

Friday Tea Time will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Bring your beverage of choice. For more information, contact Mac ([email protected]).

Spark Social will host “RuPaul’s Drag Race S18 Watch Party” at 8 p.m. This event will be hosted by local drag queens TrevHER and Grey, who will provide hilarious commentary and make live predictions on who’s staying and who’s going home. Stick around after the show for a live drag performance. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite

Saturday, January 31

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community 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.

Sunday, February 1

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community and Conversation” at noon at As You Are. This event is for those looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ+ community. Look for the Go Gay DC sign on the long table near the front window. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Monday, February 2

“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 information, contact Adam (adamheller@thedccenter.org).

Tuesday, February 3

Universal Pride Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for people with disabilities. For more information, email [email protected]

Wednesday, February 4

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. 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.

Center Aging Women’s Social and Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is a place where older LGBTQ+ women can meet and socialize with one another. There will be discussion, activities, and a chance for guests to share what they want future events to include. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website

Thursday, February 5

The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5:00 pm if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245. 

Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breath work and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.  

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