Arts & Entertainment
Taste of New York
D.C. gay restaurateurs bring Manhattan-style drag shows to their cafe

‘Speakeasy’ at L’Enfant Café & Bar
Beginning Jan. 14
2000 18th Street, NW
lenfantcafe.com
For L’Enfant Café & Bar co-owners Christopher Lynch and Jim Ball, boredom is the mother of invention.
After working all weekend, says Ball, he and Lynch sometimes like to go out on Sunday nights. Increasingly they became uninterested in what was offered so they decided to do something themselves. Together they’ve come up with “Speakeasy” at L’Enfant, a bimonthly supper club and cabaret featuring well-known, downtown New York drag artists.
The likable duo — who long ago switched from being boyfriends to business partners/friends — is recreating a vibe they once knew in Manhattan, where they lived prior to opening L’Enfant in Adams Morgan in 2003. They’re modeling “Speakeasy” on Bar d’O, the storied West Village lounge where legendary performance artist and drag diva Joey Arias headlined a cabaret of talented drag performers throughout most of the ‘90s and early 2000s.
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Initially Lynch and Ball aspired to find a “Joey Arias type” for “Speakeasy.” But then reconsidered and thought why not go for the real thing? In September, the canny partners contacted Arias via Facebook and pitched their plan. To their delight, Arias agreed.
So far, there’ve been two “Speakeasy” test pilots at L’Enfant: In late November, Arias and fellow Bar d’O alumnae Flotilla DeBarge and Sade Pendarvis performed two Sunday night shows of soulful song and hilarious banter for sold-out houses. Outrageous, smart, spontaneous and a tad messy, the evening was a success by all counts.
Then in mid-December, DeBarge (whose vitae includes Broadway and film work) returned with a solo holiday show. “Speakeasy’s” regular bimonthly Sunday night schedule kicks off Jan. 14 with both a 7 p.m. dinner show, and a 10:30 cocktail late show. Reservations are required (go to lenfantcafe.com). In addition to Arias and DeBarge, Lady Bunny of “Wigstock” fame is slated for upcoming appearances.
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Arias’ signature look is black lingerie and Betty Page bangs. He’s widely known for channeling Billie Holiday. His credits include a six-year stint as the Mistress of Seduction in “Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity” in Las Vegas, and this April he brings his well-received New York show “Arias with a Twist” to D.C.’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre. Rarely does Arias do small “Speakeasy” sort of gigs anymore. But what keeps him interested in coming back, “is the idea of trying new material and experimenting with something new: Looks, jokes, new tunes and to see what works. It’s important to remember where you started and keep your chops up.”
Arias adds, “I’m also interested in [including] D.C. talent. But [they] have to sing live and be witty … not nasty! It’s not a drag show. ‘Speakeasy’ is a real cabaret with first class service and entertainment. No one does this anymore.”
Flotilla DeBarge is equally smitten with “Speakeasy”: “I take a little getting used to. I’m big and brash — a mix of early Bette Midler, Tyler Perry’s Medea and some Louise Jefferson. So far D.C. audiences seem to be embracing me, my humor, my whole persona. I’m very grateful to them and [L’Enfant owners] for giving me free reign with what I do.”
“Speakeasy” isn’t the first time Lynch and Ball have filled idle hours with fun at their intimate venue. When faced with dull Saturday afternoons a year ago, they perked things up with “La Boum” (which in French means “teenage house party”). Once a week, they close the blinds and serve a boozy brunch with loud music and entertainment. As very hands-on hosts, Ball successfully plays the comic to Lynch’s straight man. They appear to enjoy themselves immensely and work hard to ensure that their customers do the same.
ADD THIS EVENT TO YOUR FOURSQUARE TO-DO LIST!
As restaurateurs, Lynch and Ball agree that a lot of what they do is theatrical. They liken opening their café’s doors to raising the curtain. When customers arrive, the owners and staff are on. For them, launching a cabaret at L’Enfant is a natural extension of serving food and drink.
“’La Boum’ is fully booked through April. People love it. Judging from early response, it looks like it will be the same with ‘Speakeasy’,” says Lynch. “We think it’s going to be explosive.”

The 2025 Baltimore Pride Parade was held on Saturday, June 14.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)








































































You’ve done your share of marching.
You’re determined to wring every rainbow-hued thing out of this month. The last of the parties hasn’t arrived yet, neither have the biggest celebrations and you’re primed but – OK, you need a minute. So pull up a chair, take a deep breath, and read these great books on gay history, movies, and more.
You probably don’t need to be told that harassment and discrimination was a daily occurrence for gay people in the past (as now!), but “American Scare: Florida’s Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives” by Robert W. Fieseler (Dutton, $34) tells a story that runs deeper than you may know. Here, you’ll read a historical expose with documented, newly released evidence of a systemic effort to ruin the lives of two groups of people that were perceived as a threat to a legislature full of white men.
Prepared to be shocked, that’s all you need to know.
You’ll also want to read the story inside “The Many Passions of Michael Hardwick: Sex and the Supreme Court in the Age of AIDS” by Martin Padgett (W.W. Norton & Company, $31.99), which sounds like a novel, but it’s not. It’s the story of one man’s fight for a basic right as the AIDS crisis swirls in and out of American gay life and law. Hint: this book isn’t just old history, and it’s not just for gay men.
Maybe you’re ready for some fun and who doesn’t like a movie? You know you do, so you’ll want “Sick and Dirty: Hollywood’s Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness” by Michael Koresky (Bloomsbury, $29.99). It’s a great look at the Hays Code and what it allowed audiences to see, but it’s also about the classics that sneaked beneath the code. There are actors, of course, in here, but also directors, writers, and other Hollywood characters you may recognize. Grab the popcorn and settle in.
If you have kids in your life, they’ll want to know more about Pride and you’ll want to look for “Pride: Celebrations & Festivals” by Eric Huang, illustrated by Amy Phelps (Quarto, $14.99), a story of inclusion that ends in a nice fat section of history and explanation, great for kids ages seven-to-fourteen. Also find “Are You a Friend of Dorothy? The True Story of an Imaginary Woman and the Real People She Helped Shape” by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Levi Hastings (Simon & Schuster, $19.99), a lively book about a not-often-told secret for kids ages six-to-ten; and “Papa’s Coming Home” by Chasten Buttigieg, illustrated by Dan Taylor (Philomel, $19.99), a sweet family tale for kids ages three-to-five.
Finally, here’s a tween book that you can enjoy, too: “Queer Heroes” by Arabelle Sicardi, illustrated by Sarah Tanat-Jones (Wide Eyed, $14.99), a series of quick-to-read biographies of people you should know about.
Want more Pride books? Then ask your favorite bookseller or librarian for more, because there are so many more things to read. Really, the possibilities are almost endless, so march on in.
Music & Concerts
Indigo Girls coming to Capital One Hall
Stars take center stage alongside Fairfax Symphony

Capital One Center will host “The Indigo Girls with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra” on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20 at 8 p.m. at Capital One Hall.
The Grammy Award-winning folk and pop stars will take center stage alongside the Fairfax Symphony, conducted by Jason Seber. The concerts feature orchestrations of iconic hits such as “Power of Two,” “Get Out The Map,” “Least Complicated,” “Ghost,” “Kid Fears,” “Galileo,” “Closer to Fine,” and many more.
Tickets are available on Ticketmaster or in person at Capital One Hall the nights of the concerts.