Arts & Entertainment

Arts news in brief: Feb. 17

Storytelling groups shares gay experiences, ballet troupe plans Patrick Swayze tribute and more

Published

14 years ago

February 16, 2012

Juliette Ebner

Regie Cabico is one of the performers in SpeakeasyDC’s ‘Born This Way.’ (Photo by Alexander Morozov)

Storytelling group returns with gay-themed show

SpeakeasyDC presents “Born This Way” on Feb. 23 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. in the Paul Sprenger Theatre at Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St., N.E.) during the Intersections Festival.

This is the third time SpeakeasyDC, a performance group that specializes in first-person autobiographical storytelling, has participated in the festival and will feature storytellers Kevin Boggs, Regie Cabico, Sandra Faria, Andrew Korfhage and Natalie E. Illum describing their personal stories of same-sex love, lust and self-discovery.

Tickets to the show are $20 for general admission and $12 for students. They can be purchased online at intersectionsdc.org.

For more information, visit speakeasydc.org.

Whitman-Walker plans Healthier Hookups discussion

Whitman-Walker Health is having a series of Community Conversations this year and the next Conversation is “Healthier Hookups” on Thursday at the Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center (1701 14^th St., N.W.) at 7:30 p.m.

The conversation will feature a panel of speakers discussing topics such as how social media tools have made the search for a one night stand more efficient and impersonal, how to keep healthy during the encounters and more.

For more information and a complete list of the series conversations, visitwhitman-walker.org.

Gay ballet creators unveil Patrick Swayze tribute piece

The Complexions Contemporary Ballet perform ‘Mercy,’ a tribute to late actor Patrick Swayze. (Photo by Sharen Bradford; courtesy GMU)

Complexions Contemporary Ballet, founded by former Alvin Ailey dancers Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, performs at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts (Braddock Rd. and Rt. 123, Fairfax) on Friday at 8 p.m.

The program will begin with Rhoden and Richardson’s 2009 work “Mercy,” a piece dedicated to the memory of actor Patrick Swayze. After intermission, there will be a series of duets by Rhoden and the show will conclude with his work “Rise” performed to the music of U2.

There will also be a pre-performance, sponsored by the Friends of the Center for the Arts, 45 minutes prior to the show. Rhoden and Richardson, both gay, are former partners but continue to enjoy a thriving creative partnership.

Tickets to the show range from $21 to $42 and can be purchased online at cfa.gmu.edu or by phone at 888-945-2468.

Mitchell plays Ellington tribute

Tony Award-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell performs as part of the Duke Ellington festival at the Music Center at Strathmore (5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda) on Friday at 8 p.m.

Mitchell, who recently appeared on the series “Glee” as one of Rachel’s dads, will be singing sections from Duke Ellington’s musicals “Sophisticate Ladies,” “Play On” and the Ellington’s unfinished musical, “Queenie Pie.” He will also perform favorites such as “Satin Doll” and “A Train.”

Tickets range from $39 to $79 and can be purchased online at Strathmore.org.

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Sports

Jason Collins dies at 47

First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer

Published

1 day ago

May 12, 2026

Michael K. Lavers

Jason Collins (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

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.”

Photos

PHOTOS: ‘Studio 69’

Glitterati Productions hold party at Bunker

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

Michael Key

'Studio 69' was held at Bunker on Friday. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

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.

Published

3 days ago

May 11, 2026

Staff reports

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