Arts & Entertainment
Arts news in brief: Dec. 16
Ellen Greene with GMCW, Chantry in recital and more
Ancient music specialists in recital this weekend
Singing group Chantry will be performing the first concert of its season, “O Magnum Mysterium” at St. Bernadette’s (70 University Blvd. East) in Silver Spring on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
The group, founded in 2001, features between 10 and 16 professional early music voices. Some members are gay.
General admission tickets are $27 in advance and $30 at the door and student admission is $13 in advance in $15 at the door. For more information on the group and to purchase tickets, visit chantrydc.com
Greene joins Chorus for weekend shows
Ellen Greene in a still from her show ‘Pushing Daisies.’ (Photo courtesy ABC via GMCW)
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington has its annual holiday show opening tonight at Lisner Auditorium (730 21st St., N.W.) and continuing through Sunday.
The show will feature Ellen Greene, the original Audrey from “Little Shop of Horrors” singing with the full chorus.
Tonight’s performance is at 8 p.m. Saturdays performances are at 3 and 8 p.m. and there will be a final performance Sunday at 3 p.m. featuring ASL interpretation.
Tickets range from $20 to $50 and can be purchased online at gmcw.org.
TV’s Taylor in ‘Ann’
Emmy Award-winning actress Holland Taylor, who has appeared on shows like “Two and a Half Men” and “The L Word,” comes to the Kennedy Center’s stage with her one-woman play “Ann,” opening tonight at 7:30 p.m.
The show, written by Taylor, tells the story of Ann Richards, the second female governor of Texas.
Tickets range from $54 to $95 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org.
The show will run through Jan. 15.
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)
a&e features
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)
PHOTOS: Freddie’s Follies
Imperial Court of Washington drag group has ‘dissolved’
What to watch for in 2026: midterms, Supreme Court, and more
A reminder that Jan. 6 was ‘textbook terrorism’
Claudia López criticizes Trump over threats against Colombian president
A look back at the best books of 2025
D.C.’s 10 best theater productions of 2025
The year in photos
Safer Ways to Pay for Online Performances and Queer Events
