Arts & Entertainment
Bounty of books
Gay adoption, ‘My Two Moms’ and a Cher comic among offerings
There are lots of great new books out this spring that will make waiting for summer easier. Lots of books to make you laugh, cry, make you fan yourself and make you want to page through the pictures again and again.
Cher
And speaking of pictures, there are lots of them in “Female Force: Cher” by Marc Shapiro, illustrated by Zach Bassett, cover by Joe Phillips. That’s because this 32-page book is actually a comic book all about Cher’s life, her career, her fashions and her legacy. And because comic books aren’t just for kids anymore, you’ll also find similar comic book-bios on Madonna, Ellen DeGeneres and others.
If the patter of teeny-tiny feet is in your future, then you’ll want to find “Does This Baby Make Me Look Straight? Confessions of a Gay Dad” by Dan Bucatinsky. Seven years ago, Bucatinsky and his partner adopted a baby girl. Shortly after that, they adopted their daughter’s brother. Laugh-out-loud funny, sweet and a little heartbreaking, this book is perfect for anyone who wants or has a young family.
Remember that young man who addressed the Iowa House Judiciary Committee a few months ago when they were discussing civil unions? Well, he has a new book out: “My Two Moms” by Zach Wahls. This is a great book for any (older) kid growing up in a household with same-sex parents because Wahls knows what it’s like to be teased and to feel different. Bonus: this book is also perfect for same-sex parents.
Riding Fury Home
And while we’re on the parenting theme, “Riding Fury Home” by Chana Wilson is the story of Wilson’s mother who, in the 1950s, was given psychiatric treatment and electroshocks in order to “cure” her lesbianism. But Wilson doesn’t stop there; she also writes about 40 years of American attitudes toward sexuality and tolerance. In this contentious political year, this is ultimately a book you can’t miss.
Does it sometimes feel as though you’ll never find someone to love forever? AuthorClyde Phillip Wachsberger felt that way, too, so upon approaching a certain age, he bought a house and set about creating a fabulous garden. But in his book “In the Garden with Charles,” you’ll read about a happily ever after. The beautiful bonus to this book is the author’s artwork that goes along with the garden and the love story.
If you’re a novel lover, then get booked with “Come Back” by Sky Gilbert. This is the story of a Judy Garland who really didn’t die, a Frances Gumm with a PhD, and a gay Canadian playwright who leads Dr. Gumm on an examination of her addictions and her life. This is a quirky book, but if quirk is your style, how can you go wrong?
Quick — think of a gay artist who specializes in erotica. My guess is that Tom of Finland was at the top of your guesses and if you’re a fan, you’ll want to find “Tom of Finland — Life and Work of a Gay Hero” by F. Valentine Hooven III. This big hardcover brings readers an overview of Tom’s art and his life from the beginning to his last years, and it includes not just drawings and the bio, but lots of photos, too.
And finally, if you’re short on time but heavy on heat, look for “Cruising: Gay Erotic Stories,” edited by Shane Allison. This anthology is filled with hot locations, hot scenes, hot activities, and of course hot men. This is the kind of book you’ll want to read with oven mitts, so beware.
It’s also worth a visit every few months to the Bruno Gmunder website (oddly the IUP is spelled slightly different — brunogmuender.com) for the latest in gay travel guides, coffee table erotica books, comics, calendars and more. This is the kind of stuff you used to just happen on at Lambda Rising — there were always unsealed sample copies to leaf through — but now you have to go online to find them. Sadly no D.C. shops keep these books in stock.
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
Theater
National tour of ‘Gatsby’ comes to National Theatre
Out actor Edward Staudenmayer talks playing the show’s gangster
‘The Great Gatsby’
May 12-24
The National Theatre
1321 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
$59-$196
Thenationaldc.com
Often dubbed “The Great American Novel” for its depiction of ambition and self-invention alongside the reversals of success, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” says it all in a fast read.
Set against the excesses and energy of the Roaring Twenties, “The Great Gatsby,” novel and now the same-titled hit Broadway musical with a jazz/pop original score by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen, tells the story of Nick Carraway and his friendship with Jay Gatsby, an enigmatic millionaire intent on reuniting with ex-lover, Daisy Buchanan.
It was during a four-month 2025 run in Seoul, South Korea, that out actor Edward Staudenmayer first played the show’s heavy, Meyer Wolfsheim, a gangster who helped Gatsby make his murkily acquired fortune. As Meyer, Staudenmayer opens the second act with, appropriately enough, “Shady.”
Now three months into a year-long North American tour, the show is poised to enjoy a brief run at Washington’s National Theatre (5/12-5/24).
While putting on his eyeliner prior to a recent Wednesday matinee at Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre, the upstate New York-based actor shared about Gatsby and a life in theater.
WASHINGTON BLADE: Despite your good looks and terrific voice, you’re rarely the leading the man. How is that?
EDWARD STAUDENMAYER: I’m definitely a character man. I’ve been painting lines on my face to play old men since I was in high school. I was the youngest freshman in college playing old Uncle Sorin [in Chekhov’s “The Seagull”].
There have been many villains. Some darker than others. Meyer Wolfsheim is a very bad guy, but he doesn’t haunt me once I’m offstage. I play a lot of pickleball.
BLADE: Is it true that like so many of Fitzgerald’s characters, Wolfsheim is famously based on someone the writer encountered in life.
STAUDENMEYER: That’s true, Wolfsheim is pretty much a direct portrayal of real-life mobster and 1919 World Series fixer [Arnold Rothstein].
BLADE: When did the 1925 novel first surface on your radar?
STAUDENMAYER: Like many of us, I was assigned “The Great Gatsby” in high school. It was short, and filled with sex and illicit activities. I thought it was great. Definitely wasn’t a Judy Blume novel.
Interestingly, the book wasn’t originally a huge a success for Fitzgerald, but because it was about war and having the girl at home, they gave it to GIs leaving for WWII. After returning, a lot of those guys went on the GI Bill and became English teachers. They assigned the book to their students.
BLADE The idea that the book’s first-person narrator, Nick Carraway, is gay and enamored with Jay Gatsby is long discussed among readers and scholars. Does the musical touch on that?
STAUDENMAYER: Yes, there’s conjecture about Jay and Nick, and it’s implied in our show. It’s also implied about Jordan Baker, Jay’s fleeting romantic interest. Ultimately, she’s a confirmed bachelor, and a professional golfer who only wears pants.
Our performers are really good. Josh Grasso who plays Nick is fantastic. I’ve had to stop watching him in his last scene; it’s not good for Meyer Wolfsheim to take his curtain call crying. Our Gatsby, Jake David Smith, is good too. He’s gorgeous like Superman and sings like an angel.
BLADE: Do you ever imagine backstory for your characters whose sexuality is undefined?
STAUDENMAYER: I do, but not with Wolfsheim. I don’t see it. I’m trying to be as butch as possible with this ruthless killer.
BLADE: Have you had to do that in your career?
STAUDENMAYER: For a long time, I wore a mask to hide my gayness. I worked hard on being believable, that I was into the girl or that I was a tough guy.
It’s a different world now, and it’s so refreshing to be around the younger actors today; they’re remarkably open and comfortable.
BLADE: What was your coming of age like?
STAUDENMAYER: I played high school football in Palm Springs [he chuckles, alluding to the arid gay mecca], and I was pretty good too. But much to the chagrin of my parents and coaches, I quit the team to act in our senior year play. My super butch dad played semi-pro football and he was an ex-cop. I’m named after him. While I didn’t become my dad, I’ve played him often on stage. He was a true Gaston [the bumptious rival in “Beauty and the Beast”]. And like Gaston, he used antlers in all his interior decorating.
BLADE: Did he live to see your success in theater?
STAUDENMAYER: He did. Life was challenging growing up but the last 10 years of his life we couldn’t get off the phone with each other [his voice catches with emotion]. He accepted me entirely, and we became very close.
BLADE: Looking ahead, is there a part you’d especially like to play?
STAUDENMAYER: Like all baritones I’d love to play Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd.” I’ve come close but it hasn’t happened yet. There’s still time.
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