Arts & Entertainment
Arts news in brief: Nov. 4
Chely Wright doc screening, Sig. ‘Hairspray’ party and more
Chely Wright at Capital Pride in 2010. (Blade photo by Michael Key)
Wright doc gets local screening tonight
The fifth annual Alexandria Film Festival has already kicked off with “Ed Hardy Tattoo the World,” but it will continue through the weekend with many more films, including a few with LGBT angles.
First up tonight at 9:15 p.m. is “Wish Me Away,” the documentary that tells the story of Chely Wright and the process she went through to become the first country music star to come out on national television.
Then on Saturday, at 5 p.m. is the East Coast premiere of “Cancerpants,” a documentary that shows Ro Poulson’s battle to survive after being diagnosed with stage III breast cancer with the help of her partner and their friends, family and community.
Both movies will be screened in the north lodge of George Washington Masonic Memorial (101 Callahan Drive). Tickets are $10 for individual screenings or $75 for a Fest Pass. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit alexandriafilm.org.
Signature teases ‘Hairspray’ opening
In celebration of Signature Theatre’s (4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington) upcoming production of “Hairspray,” the theater will be transformed for “The Big Hair Ball” on Saturday at 8 p.m.
The party will feature Baltimore favorites like crab cakes, sliders and Natty Boh and attendees can mingle with cast members of the musical as well as take dance classes or get their hair teased at “Big Hair Salon.”
“Hairspray” will play from Nov. 21 to Jan. 29 with Robert Aubry Davis of WETA’s “Around Town” and Sirius/XM Radio making his musical theater stage debut as Edna Turnblad.
Tickets for the ball range from $75 to $250 and can be purchased online at signature-theatre.org.
Several gay films planned for Rehoboth fest
The 14th annual Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival starts Wednesday and runs through next weekend at the Movies at Midway in Rehoboth Beach, Del.
Several gay-themed films are planned including “The Green” with gay actor Cheyenne Jackson which tells the story of a gay couple who face crisis when one of them, a teacher at a private school, is accused of acting inappropriately with a student.
Sundance hit “Circumstances” tells of two teen girls who experiment with their sexuality in a repressive society in Tehran. And “Loose Cannons” is an Italian film about a gay man who comes out to his conservative family in hopes of getting out of joining the family business.
The Chely Wright documentary (see above) will also be shown as well as a documentary on Broadway legend Carl Channing.
Tickets can be purchased in person, by mail or e-mail. E-mail to [email protected] or visit rehobothfilm.com for details.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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