Arts & Entertainment
Out & About
Queer music fest kicks off Thursday at the Phase, the Nationals hold LGBT family day, ‘Sugar’ author to present book and new Vida opens on U Street
Queer music fest kicks off Thursday at the Phase
The fifth annual Phasefest Queer Arts and Music Festival kicks off Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Phase 1 Lounge (525 8th St., S.E.) with performances by the Athens Boys Choir, Jen Urban and the Box, Coolots, Frankie and Betty, Ashley Linder, Nikki Smith and Erin Brown.
It continues Friday night with performances by Men, People at Parties, Tayisha Busay, Rad Pony, Lost Bois, G.U.T.S. and Glitter Lust.
The festival ends Saturday night with a performance by the queer, all-female band Sick of Sarah, as well as Hunter Valentine, Allison Weiss, Mitten, Melissa Li and the Barely Theirs, Clinical Trials and Michelle Raymond.
Admission is $10 on Thursday and $20 each night for Friday and Saturday. A festival pass is also available for $45. All attendees must be 21 or older.
For more information, visit phasefest.com.
Local sports teams continue gay days

The Washington Nationals continue to promote their gay-friendly ways. Sunday is LGBT family day. (Blade file photo by Michael Key)
The Washington Nationals are hosting their first LGBT Family Day on Sunday as they take on the Florida Marlins.
Tickets are $16 for Outfield Reserve seat or $25 for an Outfield Reserve seat, a hot dog, soda and a bag of chips and are available online at nationals.com/lgbtfamily.
First pitch is at 1:35 p.m. and kids will be able invited to run the bases after the game.
Also Team D.C. presents the second annual “United Night Out” Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at RFK Stadium as D.C. United takes on Chivas USA.
D.C. Different Drummers will have a pre-game performance and the national anthem will be sung by Peter Fox.
Tickets are $25, a portion of which will benefit Food & Friends.
For more information and to purchase tickets online, visit UnitedNightOut.com.
‘Sugar’ author to present book
Wayne Hoffman, former Washington Blade reporter, will be in the D.C. area doing two events for his new gay-themed novel, “Sweet Like Sugar,” which is set in and around D.C. and follows the friendship between Benji Steiner and Rabbi Jacob Zuckerman
Hoffman will be leading a discussion at Bet Mishpachah at the D.C. Jewish Community Center (1529 16th St., N.W.) starting at 7:30 p.m. with services to follow at 8:30. He will also have a reading at Barnes & Noble (4801 Bethesda Ave.) in Bethesday on Sunday at 2 p.m.
For more information, visit Hoffman’s website, waynehoffmanwriter.com.
New Vida opens on U Street
Vida Fitness has opened on U Street after a four-month renovation overhaul, unveiling more than 40,000 square feet of fitness space with four levels devoted to cardio, strength, group and personal training making this Urban Adventures Companies fourth location in Washington at 1612 U Street, NW.
This is the largest, most fully equipped location and is the company’s flagship site.
David von Storch is president of Urban Adventures Companies, Inc. His expansion of the U Street complex delivers high-end amenities that are found in Vida’s other three locations at Verizon Center, Logan Circle and the Renaissance Washington Hotel.
For the first time, with Vida Fitness added into the mix, the U Street complex will include all of von Storch’s four Urban Adventures affiliate companies under one roof. Capitol City Brewing Company will build a restaurant space specifically designed for upscale dining. Bang Salon is also located on the first level. The Aura Spa is slated to open on the first floor in late spring 2012.
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.
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’
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.
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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