Arts & Entertainment
MCC bids Hughes farewell
Gay church choir joined by GMCW; Chaka Khan and Meshell Ndegeocello also had recent D.C. appearances
Metropolitan Community Church of Washington (MCC-D.C.) pulled out all the stops for its Christmas concert this year but even with another diva in the house — guest singer Oleta Adams — it was still Shirli Hughes’ night, as it should have been.
Shirli Hughes at Saturday night's MCC Christmas concert. (Blade photo by Joey DiGuglielmo)
Hughes, the church’s minister of music (and a lesbian), has resigned and Saturday night’s concert was her swan song after a decade running the church’s music program. It felt as though she decided to go out with a bang — the concert was held at the Lincoln Theater (usually all MCC concerts are held at the church) and there were two big guests: Adams and a healthy fraction of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington which has its own holiday show the weekend of the 16th (go here for details).
That Adams sang beautifully was almost a given. She owned the stage during a three-song mini-set late in the second half during which she accompanied herself on electric piano with her hit “Get Here” and an exquisite cover of Amy Grant’s “Mary’s Song (Breath of Heaven)” that’s also on Adams’ Christmas album. Initially I thought she sounded too muscular for the tender lullaby but she settled into a moving rendition of the song marked by dead-on phrasing and vocal nuance.
And, of course, I know rehearsal time is often either highly limited or non-existent when you bring in a big-name artist, but it was almost tragic to hear the canned backing vocals on her opening number “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” considering the bounty of choral talent that was sitting back stage. Thankfully she joined them on closing song “Joy to the World” (mostly the Three Dog Night version but not entirely), which gave the concert a less compartmentalized feel among its participants which, prior to that, had been totally insular (the MCC choir didn’t sing a note with the GMCW; they’re much different outfits, of course, but some sort of collaboration would have been refreshing).
Natalie Carter, left, accompanied by Shirli Hughes, in red. (Blade photo by Joey DiGuglielmo)
The concert, playing to a packed house, was designed to give the church a chance to show off its abundance of talent. Several soloists — especially Marcia Newbill, Gbenimah Slopadoe, Jeffrey Herrell and Yartumo Gborkorquellie — have pro-caliber voices and could be on Broadway or in Los Angeles recording studios if they wished. Equally good, Natalie Carter’s warm, silky solo on “My Sweet Lawd” was understated yet powerful. And old MCC standbys Lisa Carrol, Tanya Harper and Michelle Lanchester (Hughes’ partner) were each in fine voice. Carrol, who possesses a lovely alto timbre, has excelled under Hughes’ guidance and has found new range in her interpretive abilities. And Lanchester, a soul growler who can ad lib with all the passion and fire of any big-name gospel act, sounded better than ever last night. She has, at times, been hampered by muddy acoustics and ill-tempered mics in the MCC sanctuary but last night the balance was perfect. There were some howling mics here and there, sadly, but they were mostly worked out by the time she came on.
Lisa Carrol (Blade photo by Joey DiGuglielmo)
Hughes opened the second half with two solos — “Ave Maria” and “O Holy Night,” both of which she’s performed previously at the church. The latter, especially, was lovely and allowed her to show off her interpretive finesse and range to their fullest. They also exemplified, by contrast, what makes Hughes such a rare talent — she can kick back and throw down with the most sanctifying gospel grooves but on her solo selections she proves she’s got great classical sensibilities as well and is undeniably a trained singer. It’s quite rare to find a musician, whether he or she is singing or directing (or accompanying as Hughes also does), who can pull off both extremes so successfully. Though mercurial at times — and she would likely admit to that — she leaves enormous shoes for the church to fill. Music can totally make or break a worship service.
The Gay Men’s Chorus sounded lovely as usual — their harmonies, tighter and more refined (but also more staid) than MCC’s — are undeniably great. Their overall pitch is as precise as a tuning fork. They continue to excel under Jeff Burhman’s sturdy leadership.
There was only one misstep of the evening but unfortunately, in my estimation anyway, it was a huge one — a medley of Hanukkah songs the GMCW closed its mini-set with. While musically they provided the show with a nice change of pace, thematically it was jarring and completely out of place. I’m all for diversity and respect of other faiths especially during the holidays, but MCC is a Christian church and this was a Christmas concert. A few secular songs that were included — a slightly wobbly “Christmas Song” by the church’s string ensemble and a medley of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Merry Christmas Darling” by the GMCW — were fine. And I’m not of the mindset, as are many Christians, that everything performed during a church program has to be explicitly religion in text. Yes, Jesus Christ was Jewish himself, but to include a selection of material that rejects the divinity of Christ at a Christian Christmas concert was offensive. I was probably in the minority on this point though — the number was as heartily applauded as any of the night. It’s a shame, though, as the GMCW has several gorgeous sacred Christmas numbers in its repertoire — much more appropriate would have been selections like the Bass “Gloria,” or the Mendelssohn “Say Where He is Born” or “There Shall a Star” they performed at their own concert last year.
Oleta Adams after the concert. (Blade photo by Joey DiGuglielmo)
But that’s quibbling — overall, it was a great, great night. Kudos to Adams for graciously singing autographs and posing for photos after the show.
I’ve been meaning to blog, too, about two other concerts I caught in recent weeks that are both of considerable queer appeal. Chaka Khan played a tight half jazz/half pop/funk concert during a two-night run at the Birchmere last week. I caught the first show Monday night. And bi bassist Meshell Ndegeocello was also at the Birchmere a couple weeks before (on Nov. 15) for her “Weather Tour,” supporting her brand new album. I interviewed both of them (here and here) prior to their appearances.
Chaka Khan at the Birchmere last week. (Blade photo by Joey DiGuglielmo)
Khan’s was far tighter and more generous. Playing an hour-and-45-minute set, she opened with standards like “I’ll Be Around,” “To Sir With Love” and “My Funny Valentine” before putting her own stamp on a four-song set of Joni Mitchell covers, only one of which (“Ladies Man”) she’s recorded herself. The standouts were the moody — it’s perhaps the darkest song in Mitchell’s entire canon — “Two Grey Rooms” and a highly unusual take on “Man From Mars” that gave her kick-ass band time to solo and jam. You wouldn’t think they’d pick that kind of a song on which to solo — Mitchell’s version is slow and atmospheric — but somehow it worked.
Khan closed her show with several hits — “Everlasting Love,” “Tell Me Something Good” and “What Cha Gonna Do 4 Me” (but not “I’m Every Woman”). She gamely sang an a cappella verse and chorus of “Fool’s Paradise” at a request, and gave her testimony of getting clean during an emotional reading of “Through the Fire.” She was in dazzlingly fine voice — her extraordinary pipes are as bright and strong as they’ve ever sounded. Her voice is a feat of nature — she could blow Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and Gladys Knight away with a sneeze and I’m not exaggerating.
Meshell Ndegeocello at the Birchmere in November. (Blade photo by Joey DiGuglielmo)
Meshell, conversely, is almost an anti-singer, an anti-entertainer. She’s much more a funky groove chef than a great singer. Her vocals are wispy and non-committal, but armed with her bass and a tight band, there were smoldering sonic stews being conjured throughout her hour-and-20-minute set. She also does exactly as she pleases. There were no hits (unless you count the one “Plantation Lullabies” song she performed, “Outside Your Door”) and 11 of the 17 songs she did are from the new album. I’m all for artistic license and unpredictability — you don’t go to a Meshell show expecting hits — but even that was, admittedly a bit self indulgent on her part. But she doesn’t care and that’s part of her charm. She did make some small talk and said she was enjoying herself — but she’s so laid back and “chill” it can be a bit polarizing. Nobody expects her to be Wayne Newton, of course, but I mean c’mon — isn’t there some middle ground she could stomach without feeling like a human juke box?
MCC’s set:
1. Andaluza (piano solo)
2. The Christmas Song (strings)
3. Gloria We Sing
4. Hallelujah
5. Amen
6. My Sweet Lawd
7. Emmanuel Medley
8. Jesus Brings Joy
9. Perfect Praise
10. Wonderful Child Medley
11. Ave Maria
12. O Holy Night
13. In the Bleak Midwinter (GMCW)
14. I’ll Be Home For Christmas/Merry Christmas Darling (GMCW)
15. Music of Hanukkah (GMCW)
16. Hark the Herald Angels Sing/Angels We Have Heard on High (Oleta Adams)
17. Breath of Heaven (Oleta Adams)
18. Get Here (Oleta Adams)
19. Carols from around the world — a cappella (various soloists)
20. Joy to the World (MCC w/ Oleta Adams)
Chaka Khan’s set
1. High Wire
2. I’ll Be Around
3. To Sir With Love
4. My Funny Valentine
5. Hissing of Summer Lawns
6. Two Grey Rooms
7. Man From Mars
8. Ladies Man
9. Angel
10. Everlasting Love
11. Through the Fire
12. Tell Me Something Good
13. Fool’s Paradise
14. What Cha Gonna Do 4 Me
15. Ain’t Nobody (encore)
Meshell Ndegeocello’s set
1. Grace
2. Faithful
3. Dirty World
4. A Bitter Mule
5. Bright Shiny Morning
6. Lady Cab Driver (Prince)
7. Outside Your Door
8. Blood on the Curb
9. Feeling for the Wall
10. Chance
11. Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear
12. Oyster
13. Crazy and Wild
14. Weather
15. Rapid Fire
16. Don’t Take My Kindness for Weakness
17. Dead End (encore)
Movies
‘Things Like This’ embraces formula and plus-size visibility
Enjoyable queer romcom challenges conventions of the genre
There’s a strange feeling of irony about a spring movie season stacked with queer romcoms – a genre that has felt conspicuously absent on the big screen since the disappointing reception met by the much-hyped “Bros” in 2022 – at a time when pushback against LGBTQ visibility is stronger than it’s been for 40 years.
Sure, part of the reason is the extended timeline required for filmmaking, which tells us, logically, that the numerous queer love stories hitting theaters this year – including the latest, the Manhattan-set indie “Things Like This,” which opened in limited theaters last weekend – began production long before the rapid cultural shift that has taken place in America since a certain convicted fraudster’s return to the White House.
That does not, however, make them any less welcome; on the contrary, they’re a refreshing assertion of queer existence that serves to counter-balance the hateful, politicized rhetoric that continues to bombard our community every day. In fact, the word “refreshing” is an apt description of “Things Like This,” which not only celebrates the validity – and joy – of queer love but does so in a story that disregards “Hollywood” convention in favor of a more authentic form of inclusion than we’re ever likely to see in a mainstream film
Written, starring, and directed by Max Talisman and set against the vibrant backdrop of New York City, it’s the story of two gay men named Zack – Zack #1 (Talisman) is a plus-sized hopeful fantasy author with a plus-sized personality and a promising-but-unpublished first novel, and Zack #2 (Joey Pollari) an aspiring talent agent dead-ended as an assistant to his exploitative “queen-bee” boss (Cara Buono) – who meet at an event and are immediately attracted to each other. Though Zack #2 is resigned to his unsatisfying relationship with longtime partner Eric (Taylor Trensch), he impulsively agrees to a date the following night, beginning an on-again/off-again entanglement that causes both Zacks to re-examine the trajectories of their respective lives – and a lot of other heavy baggage – even as their tentative and unlikely romance feels more and more like the workings of fate.
Like most romcoms, it relies heavily on familiar tropes – adjusted for queerness, of course – and tends to balance its witty banter and starry-eyed sentiment with heart-tugging setbacks and crossed-wire conflicts, just to raise the stakes. The Zacks’ attempts at getting together are a series of “meet-cutes” that could almost be described as fractal, yet each of them seems to go painfully awry – mostly due to the very insecurities and self-doubts which make them perfect for each other. The main obstacle to their couplehood, however, doesn’t spring from these mishaps; it’s their own struggles with self-worth that stand in the way, somehow making theirs more of a quintessentially queer love story than the fact that both of them are men.
All that introspection – relatable as it may be – can be a downer without active energy to stir things up, but fortunately for “Things Like This,” there are the inevitable BFFs and extended circle of friends and family that can help to get the fun back on track. Each Zack has his own support team backing him up, from a feisty “work wife” (Jackie Cruz, “Orange is the New Black”) to a straight best friend (Charlie Tahan, “Ozark”) to a wise and loving grandma (veteran scene-stealer Barbara Barrie, “Breaking Away” and countless vintage TV shows) – that fuels the story throughout, providing the necessary catalysts to prod its two neurotic protagonists into taking action when they can’t quite get there themselves.
To be sure, Talisman’s movie – his feature film debut as a writer and director – doesn’t escape the usual pitfalls of the romcom genre. There’s an overall sense of “wish fulfillment fantasy” that makes some of its biggest moments seem a bit too good to be true, and there are probably two or three complications too many as it approaches its presumed happy ending; in addition, while it helps to drive the inner conflict for Zack #2’s character arc, throwing a homophobic and unsupportive dad (Eric Roberts) into the mix feels a bit tired, though it’s hard to deny that such family relationships continue to create dysfunction for queer people no matter how many times they’re called out in the movies – which means that it’s still necessary, regrettably, to include them in our stories.
And in truth, “calling out” toxic tropes – the ones that reflect society’s negative assumptions and perpetuate them through imitation – is part of Talisman’s agenda in “Things Like This,” which devotes its very first scene to shutting down any objections from “fat shamers” who might decry the movie’s “opposites attract” scenario as unbelievable. Indeed, he has revealed in interviews that he developed the movie for himself because of the scarcity of meaningful roles for plus-sized actors, and his desire to erase such conventional prejudices extends in every direction within his big-hearted final product.
Even so, there’s no chip-on-the-shoulder attitude to sour the movie’s spirit; what helps us get over its sometimes excessive flourishes of idealized positivity is that it’s genuinely funny. The dialogue is loaded with zingers that keep the mood light, and even the tensest scenes are laced with humor, none of which feels forced. For this, kudos go to Talisman’s screenplay, of course, but also to the acting – including his own. He’s eminently likable onscreen, with wisecracks that land every time and an underlying good cheer that makes his appeal even more visible; crucially, his chemistry with Pollari – who also manages to maintain a lightness of being at his core no matter how far his Zack descends into uncertainty – isn’t just convincing; it’s enviable.
Cruz is the movie’s “ace in the hole” MVP as Zack #2’s under-appreciated but fiercely loyal bestie, and Buono’s hilariously icy turn as his “boss from hell” makes for some of the film’s most memorable scenes. Likewise, Tahan, along with Margaret Berkowitz and Danny Chavarriaga, flesh out Zack #1’s friend group with a real sense of camaraderie that should be recognizable to anyone who’s ever been part of an eclectic crew of misfits. Trensch’s comedic “ickiness” as Zack #2’s soon-to-be-ex makes his scenes a standout; and besides bigger-name “ringers” Roberts and Barrie (whose single scene is the emotional climax of the movie), there’s also a spotlight-grabbing turn by Diane Salinger (iconic as Francophile dreamer Simone in “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure”) as the owner of a queer bar where the Zacks go on one of their dates.
With all that enthusiasm and a momentum driven by a sense of DIY empowerment, it’s hard to be anything but appreciative of “Things Like This,” no matter how much some of us might cringe at its more unbelievable romcom devices. After all, it’s as much a “feel-good” movie as it is a love story, and the fact that we actually do feel good when the final credits role is more than enough to earn it our hearty recommendation.
Friday, May 23
“Center Aging Monthly Luncheon and Yoga” will be at 12 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. For more details, email [email protected].
Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity and/or expression. For more details, email [email protected].
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at DIK Bar. 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, May 24
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar and 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.
Black Lesbian Mixer will be at 11 a.m. on Zoom. This is a support group dedicated to the joys of being a Black lesbian. For more details, email [email protected].
Sunday, May 25
“The Queen’s Table: A Women’s Empowerment Brunch” will be at 11 a.m. at Zooz. This event will celebrate queer women’s strength. For more details visit Eventbrite.
Monday, May 26
“Center Aging Monday Coffee and Conversation” 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].
Tuesday, May 27
Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary. Whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know you’re not 100 percent cis — this is your group. For more details, visit genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.
Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This support group is a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing so. For more details, visit the group’s Facebook.
Wednesday, May 28
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.
Thursday, May 29
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. To be fairer with who is receiving boxes, the program is moving to a lottery system. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. 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 with Charles M. will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breathwork, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s website.
Photos
PHOTOS: Helen Hayes Awards
Gay Men’s Chorus, local drag artists have featured performance at ceremony
The 41st Helen Hayes Awards were held at The Anthem on Monday, May 19. Felicia Curry and Mike Millan served as the hosts.
A performance featuring members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and local drag artists was held at the end of the first act of the program to celebrate WorldPride 2025.
The annual awards ceremony honors achievement in D.C.-area theater productions and is produced by Theatre Washington.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Adams Morgan queer bar broken into and vandalized
‘Things Like This’ embraces formula and plus-size visibility
Calendar: May 23-29
Comings & Goings
New doc chronicles gay hero’s journey from rape to forgiveness
Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C
WorldPride events round-up
Wes Moore signs HIV decriminalization bill
Federal judge scraps trans-inclusive workplace discrimination protections
