Arts & Entertainment
Arts briefs: May 18
Casino night for Team D.C., Lambda Legal milestone and much more for D.C. and Baltimore

Nightly events planned at Grand Central
Grand Central Station (1001/1003 N. Charles St.) has a bunch of events coming up this week.
Saturday brings Rich Morel’s “Hot Sauce.” There’s a $10 cover.
Sunday is “Night of Broadway” starring Sue Nami, Jada B, Lola Mein, Anastasia Amor with special guest Aunye Diamond and hosted by Josie Foster from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tickets are $10
Monday and Tuesday will be karaoke with Nikki Cox from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Wednesday is “hump,” an electro-pop, alternative, indie dance night starting at 9 p.m. with DJ Arturo with Ryan Bartz and Travis Rice behind the bar.
Thursday is Ladies Night with DJ Lems.
Men’s Chorus performs at the Patterson
The Baltimore Men’s Chorus presents “Time and Elements” on Saturday at the Creative Alliance at the Patterson (3134 Eastern Ave.) at 8 p.m.
Directed by Tony Bianca and founded 20 years ago, the Chorus is sometimes campy, sometimes crazy, heartfelt and poignant. There will be a silent auction in the lobby and a post-show performance with Amy Willis in the Marquee Lounge.
Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for CA members.
For more information, visit baltimoremenschorus.com. To purchase tickets, visit creativealliance.org.

Carmen Carrera, an alum of ‘Ru Paul’s Drag Race,’ will be at the Hippo for an Equality Maryland event Sunday. (Photo courtesy Logo)
Equality Md. holds wedding expo, drag contest
Equality Maryland is sponsoring two events Sunday in the Baltimore area.
First up is a LGBT wedding show at Sheraton Baltimore North (903 Dulaney Valley Rd., Towson) at 1 p.m. This is Sheraton’s first such event and all brides and grooms-to-be are eligible to win giveaways. There is a $5 admission charge and a portion of admissions will benefit the Trevor Project.
RSVP by calling 410-321-7400 or emailing [email protected].
After the wedding show, Equality Maryland hosts “So You Think You Can Drag” at Club Hippo (1 West Eager St.) starting at 6 p.m. with Carmen Carrera from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” singer Lea Gilmore, Deputy Chief Kaliope Parthemos and SEIU 500 Political Director Mark McLaurin as judges.
Tickets are $25 for attendees over 25 and $15 for attendees under 25 or with a valid college ID. The event is free for performers.
For more information on either event, visit equalitymaryland.org.
Coming out, poz group and others to meet at Center
The GLBT Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland (241 West Chase St.) has a large variety of groups meeting this week.
On Saturday, Sufficient As I Am, a group for youth 24 and younger dealing with issues of sexuality, coming out, relationships, family and more, meets in room 201 at 12:30 p.m.
POZ Men, an LGBT-affirming peer support group for all HIV-positive men, meets on Wednesday in room 202 at 6 p.m.
Women of Color, a social and discussion group, meets on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in room 202.
For more information on these groups and others, visit glccb.org.
Casino night to benefit Team D.C.
Team D.C. presents Casino Night on Saturday at Buffalo Billiards (1330 19th St., N.W.) from 8 p.m. to midnight.
The night will include poker, blackjack and craps with dealers from local LGBT sports teams.
There is a $10 entry fee, which includes chips to play games and enters attendees to win raffle prizes. Proceeds from the night are split among the participating sports clubs.
For more information, visit teamdc.org.
Gay law organization celebrates milestone
Lambda Legal is celebrating Kevin Cathcart’s 20th anniversary as executive director on Tuesday at Studio Theatre (1501 14th St., N.W.) from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Lambda Legal was founded in 1973 as the nation’s first legal organization dedicated to achieving full equality for lesbian and gay people.
The evening will feature cocktails and hors d’oeuvres as the organization celebrates 20 years of historic legal victories.
Tickets range from $150 for individual tickets to $25,000 for district sponsor.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit lambdalegal.org.
Gaithersburg book fest draws 80 authors
The third annual Gaithersburg Book Festival with more than 80 featured bestselling and award-winning authors, is Saturday at the Gaithersburg City Hall Grounds from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Other festival activities include a spotlight on local authors, interactive writing workshops, a Children’s Village, a coffee house featuring performances from poets and singer/songwriters and more.
Admission, parking and handicap-accessible shuttle bus are free. For more information and a complete list of authors and events, visit gaithersburgbookfestival.org.
Local pros offer tips at Chamber event
The Capital Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce present “Best Impressions,” a panel giving the secrets to impress with style at the offices of Ackerman Brown PLLC (1250 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The panel will feature Brad Brenner of District Psychotherapy Consultants, Christopher Schafer of Christopher Schafer Clothier, David Beck of Salon Rouge and Dr. Howard Brooks of Skin Cosmetic Dermatology of Georgetown.
The panel is $25 for members and $45 for non-members.
For more information and to register, visit caglcc.org/MayBML.
Movies
‘Things Like This’ embraces formula and plus-size visibility
Enjoyable queer romcom challenges conventions of the genre

There’s a strange feeling of irony about a spring movie season stacked with queer romcoms – a genre that has felt conspicuously absent on the big screen since the disappointing reception met by the much-hyped “Bros” in 2022 – at a time when pushback against LGBTQ visibility is stronger than it’s been for 40 years.
Sure, part of the reason is the extended timeline required for filmmaking, which tells us, logically, that the numerous queer love stories hitting theaters this year – including the latest, the Manhattan-set indie “Things Like This,” which opened in limited theaters last weekend – began production long before the rapid cultural shift that has taken place in America since a certain convicted fraudster’s return to the White House.
That does not, however, make them any less welcome; on the contrary, they’re a refreshing assertion of queer existence that serves to counter-balance the hateful, politicized rhetoric that continues to bombard our community every day. In fact, the word “refreshing” is an apt description of “Things Like This,” which not only celebrates the validity – and joy – of queer love but does so in a story that disregards “Hollywood” convention in favor of a more authentic form of inclusion than we’re ever likely to see in a mainstream film
Written, starring, and directed by Max Talisman and set against the vibrant backdrop of New York City, it’s the story of two gay men named Zack – Zack #1 (Talisman) is a plus-sized hopeful fantasy author with a plus-sized personality and a promising-but-unpublished first novel, and Zack #2 (Joey Pollari) an aspiring talent agent dead-ended as an assistant to his exploitative “queen-bee” boss (Cara Buono) – who meet at an event and are immediately attracted to each other. Though Zack #2 is resigned to his unsatisfying relationship with longtime partner Eric (Taylor Trensch), he impulsively agrees to a date the following night, beginning an on-again/off-again entanglement that causes both Zacks to re-examine the trajectories of their respective lives – and a lot of other heavy baggage – even as their tentative and unlikely romance feels more and more like the workings of fate.
Like most romcoms, it relies heavily on familiar tropes – adjusted for queerness, of course – and tends to balance its witty banter and starry-eyed sentiment with heart-tugging setbacks and crossed-wire conflicts, just to raise the stakes. The Zacks’ attempts at getting together are a series of “meet-cutes” that could almost be described as fractal, yet each of them seems to go painfully awry – mostly due to the very insecurities and self-doubts which make them perfect for each other. The main obstacle to their couplehood, however, doesn’t spring from these mishaps; it’s their own struggles with self-worth that stand in the way, somehow making theirs more of a quintessentially queer love story than the fact that both of them are men.
All that introspection – relatable as it may be – can be a downer without active energy to stir things up, but fortunately for “Things Like This,” there are the inevitable BFFs and extended circle of friends and family that can help to get the fun back on track. Each Zack has his own support team backing him up, from a feisty “work wife” (Jackie Cruz, “Orange is the New Black”) to a straight best friend (Charlie Tahan, “Ozark”) to a wise and loving grandma (veteran scene-stealer Barbara Barrie, “Breaking Away” and countless vintage TV shows) – that fuels the story throughout, providing the necessary catalysts to prod its two neurotic protagonists into taking action when they can’t quite get there themselves.
To be sure, Talisman’s movie – his feature film debut as a writer and director – doesn’t escape the usual pitfalls of the romcom genre. There’s an overall sense of “wish fulfillment fantasy” that makes some of its biggest moments seem a bit too good to be true, and there are probably two or three complications too many as it approaches its presumed happy ending; in addition, while it helps to drive the inner conflict for Zack #2’s character arc, throwing a homophobic and unsupportive dad (Eric Roberts) into the mix feels a bit tired, though it’s hard to deny that such family relationships continue to create dysfunction for queer people no matter how many times they’re called out in the movies – which means that it’s still necessary, regrettably, to include them in our stories.
And in truth, “calling out” toxic tropes – the ones that reflect society’s negative assumptions and perpetuate them through imitation – is part of Talisman’s agenda in “Things Like This,” which devotes its very first scene to shutting down any objections from “fat shamers” who might decry the movie’s “opposites attract” scenario as unbelievable. Indeed, he has revealed in interviews that he developed the movie for himself because of the scarcity of meaningful roles for plus-sized actors, and his desire to erase such conventional prejudices extends in every direction within his big-hearted final product.
Even so, there’s no chip-on-the-shoulder attitude to sour the movie’s spirit; what helps us get over its sometimes excessive flourishes of idealized positivity is that it’s genuinely funny. The dialogue is loaded with zingers that keep the mood light, and even the tensest scenes are laced with humor, none of which feels forced. For this, kudos go to Talisman’s screenplay, of course, but also to the acting – including his own. He’s eminently likable onscreen, with wisecracks that land every time and an underlying good cheer that makes his appeal even more visible; crucially, his chemistry with Pollari – who also manages to maintain a lightness of being at his core no matter how far his Zack descends into uncertainty – isn’t just convincing; it’s enviable.
Cruz is the movie’s “ace in the hole” MVP as Zack #2’s under-appreciated but fiercely loyal bestie, and Buono’s hilariously icy turn as his “boss from hell” makes for some of the film’s most memorable scenes. Likewise, Tahan, along with Margaret Berkowitz and Danny Chavarriaga, flesh out Zack #1’s friend group with a real sense of camaraderie that should be recognizable to anyone who’s ever been part of an eclectic crew of misfits. Trensch’s comedic “ickiness” as Zack #2’s soon-to-be-ex makes his scenes a standout; and besides bigger-name “ringers” Roberts and Barrie (whose single scene is the emotional climax of the movie), there’s also a spotlight-grabbing turn by Diane Salinger (iconic as Francophile dreamer Simone in “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure”) as the owner of a queer bar where the Zacks go on one of their dates.
With all that enthusiasm and a momentum driven by a sense of DIY empowerment, it’s hard to be anything but appreciative of “Things Like This,” no matter how much some of us might cringe at its more unbelievable romcom devices. After all, it’s as much a “feel-good” movie as it is a love story, and the fact that we actually do feel good when the final credits role is more than enough to earn it our hearty recommendation.

Friday, May 23
“Center Aging Monthly Luncheon and Yoga” will be at 12 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. For more details, email [email protected].
Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity and/or expression. For more details, email [email protected].
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at DIK Bar. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, May 24
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ community, including Allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Black Lesbian Mixer will be at 11 a.m. on Zoom. This is a support group dedicated to the joys of being a Black lesbian. For more details, email [email protected].
Sunday, May 25
“The Queen’s Table: A Women’s Empowerment Brunch” will be at 11 a.m. at Zooz. This event will celebrate queer women’s strength. For more details visit Eventbrite.
Monday, May 26
“Center Aging Monday Coffee and Conversation” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected].
Tuesday, May 27
Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary. Whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know you’re not 100 percent cis — this is your group. For more details, visit genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.
Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This support group is a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing so. For more details, visit the group’s Facebook.
Wednesday, May 28
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Thursday, May 29
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. To be fairer with who is receiving boxes, the program is moving to a lottery system. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga with Charles M. will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breathwork, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s website.
Photos
PHOTOS: Helen Hayes Awards
Gay Men’s Chorus, local drag artists have featured performance at ceremony

The 41st Helen Hayes Awards were held at The Anthem on Monday, May 19. Felicia Curry and Mike Millan served as the hosts.
A performance featuring members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and local drag artists was held at the end of the first act of the program to celebrate WorldPride 2025.
The annual awards ceremony honors achievement in D.C.-area theater productions and is produced by Theatre Washington.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

























