Arts & Entertainment

Kennedy Center unveils new season

Several gay entertainers among roster for upcoming shows

Published

14 years ago

March 8, 2012

The Kennedy Center

This week Kennedy Center President Michael Kaiser announced the Center’s 2012-2013 season, a rich celebration of the arts with an international flair.

Some of the highlights include Nordic Cool 2013, a festival of the Scandinavian arts and cuisine, a holiday performance of “Hansel and Gretel” with performers from the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, and Election Night Jam, a non-partisan evening of jazz music and dancing with the incoming results broadcast on a large screen (no word yet on which network the revelers will be watching).

The Theater Season includes touring production of “The Book of Mormon,” “Anything Goes,” “War Horse” and “Jekyll & Hyde” starring “American Idol” Constantine Maroulis, as well as the sixth season of Barbara Cook’s Spotlight series with cabaret performances by such Broadway stalwarts as Donna Murphy, Terri White (“Follies”), Judy Kuhn, Adam Pascal and Maureen McGovern. “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane joins the NSO Pops for “The Songs of Sammy Cahn,” and the Pops series also includes “The Wizard and I: the Music of Stephen Schwartz” with “Wicked” alumni Julia Murney and Jennifer Laura Thompson.

In addition, the 2012-2013 season combines returning favorites (Opera in the Outfield, A Jazz New Year’s Eve and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre) with new and unconventional programming such as the regional premiere of John Adams’ City Noir, the Kennedy Center debut of the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, a new production of “Show Boat,” the Songs of Conscience concerts exploring the socially conscious music of Bob Marley and Woody Guthrie, and the inauguration of Beyond the Score, a multi-media exploration of key symphonic works.

Other programming of special interest to the LGBT community include the return of openly lesbian opera singer Patricia Racette in the title role of “Manon Lescaut,” the Fats Waller Dance Party featuring Meshell Ndegeocello at the new Supersized Jazz Club, and performances by openly gay artists such as jazz great Fred Hersch and classical pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet.

Complete information on the Kennedy Center’s 2012-2013 season can be found at kennedy-center.org.

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Bars & Parties

Queer Magic dance party planned

Tarot, dancing, drag and more at Black Cat event

Published

1 day ago

June 5, 2026

Michael Key

Celebrate the start of Pride month at the Queer Magic Dance Party at the Black Cat on Saturday, June 6. Doors open at 9 p.m.

There will be pole performances and demonstrations, a free photo booth with glitter bar, a queer vendor market, tarot readings by Skye Marinda Tarot, a drag performance by Sapphica, and dancing to a blend of smooth R&B, Afrobeats, hip-hop and pop by Slammer & Saba. Tickets are $20 at the door or $15 (plus fees) in advance, purchased here.

Out & About

NLGJA-DC Pride happy hour at Trade

Local queer journalists celebrate Pride

Published

1 day ago

June 5, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

(Washington Blade file photo by Daniel Truitt)

Local queer journalists will celebrate Pride this weekend at the annual NLGJA-DC Pride Happy Hour event at Trade (1410 14th St., N.W.) on Saturday, June 6, 3-5 p.m. Admission is free.

Out & About

DC Front Runners Pride Run 5K set for Saturday

Annual event held at historic Congressional Cemetery

Published

1 day ago

June 5, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

The 14th annual DC Front Runners' Pride 5K run/walk is set for Saturday. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The 14th annual DC Front Runners’ Pride 5K run/walk is set for Saturday, June 6 at historic Congressional Cemetery. The race starts and ends at the cemetery (1801 E St., S.E.) and passes through scenic D.C., along the Anacostia River trail and the fields at RFK campus. Registration ends Friday at 11:59 p.m.

Runners can pick up their race packets on Saturday from 7-8:30 a.m. at Congressional Cemetery; the race begins at 9 a.m.

The fee to run the 5K in person is $65 ($35 for those under age 20). Proceeds benefit local LGBTQ nonprofits, including Thrive DC, Wanda Alston Foundation, Blade Foundation, Ainsley’s Angels, SMYAL, and Team DC. Visit DCFrontRunners.org for more information.