Arts & Entertainment
Arts news in brief: Jan. 6
White House inside peek, wacky Elvis b-day party and more
Robert Mesnier, former White House pastry chef, will be giving a lecture on Saturday as part of the Washington Winter Show. (Photo courtesy of the Show)
A glimpse inside the White House
The Washington Winter Show at the Katzen Arts Center at American University (4400 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.) opens today and this year’s theme is “Celebrating the White House.”
The show features several events through the weekend including lunches, lectures and more. Today at 10:30 a.m. there will be a lecture and lunch with Nancy Clarke, former White House florist. Tickets are $125 per person or $1,000 for a table of 10. On Saturday, Roland Mesnier, former White House pastry chef, will give a lecture. Tickets are $40.
General admission tickets to the show are $20 and good for the run of the show.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit washingtonwintershow.com.
MORE IN THE BLADE: JAN. 6 CALENDAR
Celebrating the King’s b-day
Kittie Glitter and ‘Elvis’ host Elvis' Birthday Fight Club at Warehouse Theatre on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Stereo Vision Photography)
On Saturday, Elvis’ 77th birthday, ABJ Productions and L’il Dutch present “Elvis’ Birthday Fight Club” at the Warehouse Theatre (645 New York Ave., N.W.) at 8 and 11 p.m.
The show will feature six rounds of fighters duking it out in ridiculous costumes and burlesque performers Reverend Valentine, Candy del Rio and Maria Bella will entertain the crowd between rounds.
Tickets are $16 in advance and $20 the day of the show.
The show will also be performed in Baltimore at the Patterson on Jan. 14.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit fightclubshow.com.
40 days of free events
Capitol Hill Arts Workshop is marking its 40th anniversary this year and to celebrate, CHAW is putting on 40 free events in 40 days, culminating with a concert on Feb. 12 at 4 p.m. at Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church.
“This event is not only a thank you to the community and a celebration of 40 years of art-making, but a launching off point for future innovations in building community through the arts,” says Amy Moore, CHAW’s director of education and programs.
Featured events include concerts, jewelry making, gallery talks and more. On Saturday, there will be two events, animal mask making and performance for ages 6 and up at 10 a.m. and the opening on CHAW’s sixth annual contemporary photography exhibition from 5 to 7 p.m.
While all events are free, some do require pre-registration.
For more information and a complete list of events, visit chaw.org.
Sports
Jason Collins dies at 47
First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer
Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.
The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.
Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.
Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.
Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.
The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”
“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”
The Washington Blade will update this article with additional reaction when it becomes available.
Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
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