Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: Feb. 24
Parties, concerts, meetings and more through March 1
The Washington National Opera presents ‘Così fan tutte’ at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. (Photo by Richard H. Smith for the Royal Opera House, courtesy Kennedy Center)
TODAY (Friday)
The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) is hosting a community conversation on the National Strategy for Black Gay Youth tonight at 6:30 p.m. with featured guests Frank Walker and Ezra Littleton from Youth Pride Services.
Busboys & Poets will be hosting ASL open mic poetry tonight at 11 p.m. in the Langston Room at its 14th and V streets location (2021 14th St., N.W.). Anyone with sign language knowledge may sign up to recite a poem or sign a song by e-mailing [email protected]. There is a $5 cover.
D.C. Women4Women presents “Tryst,” a monthly professional lesbian happy hour at its new location, Topaz Bar (1733 N St., N.W.) tonight from 7 to 10 p.m.
Fab Lounge (1805 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) presents “Honey, I Shrunk the Queers!” tonight from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. featuring music from the ‘80s and ‘90s. All attendees to this free event must be 21 or older.
Phase 1 of Dupont (1415 22nd St., N.W.) presents “Talkin’ Bout’ Dub,” a queer dubstep night featuring DJ Encryption from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Attendees must be 21 and older and there is a $10 cover.
DJ Chad Jack will be spinning at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) tonight. Cover is $8 before 11 p.m. and $12 after. Attendees must be 21 or older. Doors open at 10 p.m.
Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) is having a military party tonight with DJ Sean Morris on the main floor and DJ Keenan Orr in the 30degrees lounge. Doors open at 10 p.m. and the open vodka bar starts at 11.
Saturday, Feb. 25
SpeakeasyDC is performing as part of Intersections tonight at the Sprenger Theater at Atlas (1333 H St., N.E.) from 7 to 9:30 p.m. SpeakeasyDC will be exploring the impact of queer culture featuring Regie Cabico, Andrew Korfhage, Natalie E. Illum and Sandra Faria.
Irish music ensemble Cherish the Girls plays Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd., Vienna) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 and available online at wolftrap.org.
Tom From Prague brings “Tainted Love: An International ‘80s Dance Party” to Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) tonight from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. There is a $5 cover.
“Several Species: The Pink Floyd Experience” is at Rams Head Live (20 Market Place, Baltimore) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advanced, $25 day of show and can be purchased online at ramsheadlive.com.
Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.) presents Hellmouth Happy Hour where every week an episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” will be screened and drink specials will be offered. This week the episode is “Consequences.”
The Duke D.C. LGBT Network is hosting a networking social at Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) today at noon as the Blue Devils take on Virginia Tech.
Sunday, Feb. 26
Busboys & Poets presents “Mature Voices,” an open mic for performers 55 and older, hosted by Saleem Wayne Waters tonight in the Zinn room of its Hyattsville location (5331 Baltimore Ave., Suite 104) at 6 p.m. There is a $5 cover. For more information, visit busboysandpoets.com.
The Washington Ballet honoring choreographer Twyla Tharp is at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m., in a program showcasing her work spanning two decades. It will include performance of Tharp’s “Nine Sinatra Songs,” “Push Comes to Shove” and “Surfer at the Styx River.” Tickets range from $20 to $125 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org.
The Lodge (21614 National Pike, Boonsboro) presents Saving Grace with the Draghetti Sisters, starring Araya Sparxx, Dannica Lauder and Jayden Elyse with special guest performances by Nicole James and Chi Chi Ray Colby at 6:45 p.m. followed by karaoke from 8 p.m to close. Doors open at 6 p.m. There is no cover.
Monday, Feb. 27
Out singer/songwriter Melissa Ferrick plays Jammi’ Java (227 Maple Ave., E Vienna) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online atjamminjava.com.
Tuesday, Feb. 28
GLAA is having a membership meeting tonight in the second floor community room at the Reeves Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Lace Lounge (2214 Rhode Island Ave., N.E.) presents “Meet the Chef Tuesdays” tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. with Chef Raymond. There will be cooking tips, recipes, food samples and live demonstrations.
The Washington National Opera presents “Così fan tutte” tonight at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) at 7:30 p.m. The show follows two friends as they make a bet about their fiancées fidelity. The opera is performed in Italian with English supertitles. Tickets range from $25 to $300 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org.
Wednesday, Feb. 29
Singer/songwriter Lauryn Hill plays Warner Theatre (513 13th St., N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $55 to $150 and can be purchased online atlivenation.com.
Grammy-winning band Buckwheat Zydeco plays Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd., Vienna) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets are $24 and available online at wolftrap.org.
Busboys & Poets’s monthly book club is meeting tonight at its Shirlington location (4251 S. Campbell Ave., Arlington) at 7 p.m. to discuss the book “The Change I Believe In: Fighting for Progress in the Age of Obama” by Katrina vanden Heuvel. The book will be available for purchased in the Global Exchange store.
The Lambda Bridge Club meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., SE — across from Marine Barracks) for duplicate bridge. No reservations needed; newcomers welcome. Visit lambdabridge.com if you need a partner.
Thursday, March 1
Gregory Lawson of Morgan Stanley Smith will be presenting a seminar in wealth planning for LGBT couples at the MAA Carriage House (1781 Church St., N.W.) tonight starting at 6:30 p.m. with a reception. Space is limited so attendees are asked to RSVP to [email protected].
SAGE Metro D.C. is having a steering committee meeting today at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) at 12:30 p.m. The center is also is hosting a transmen discussion group tonight at 7 p.m.
D.C. Lambda Squares, a local gay square dancing group, is having its annual meeting tonight as well as its weekly club night with mainstream and plus dancing at the National City Christian Church (5 Thomas Circle, N.W.) from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
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.
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