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Sharing the stage

Gay partners both have roles in touring ‘Beauty’

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Matt Kopec, left, and David Baur. The actors and real-life partners say working together has not been problematic for their relationship and they actually prefer it. (Photo courtesy Center Stage Marketing)

‘Beauty and the Beast’
Through June 24
National Theatre
1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
800-447-7400

To hear young actor David Baur expound on the bliss of touring with the Disney musical “Beauty and the Beast” (now at National Theatre), you might think he is playing the lead or one of the more featured roles. In fact, he’s a member of the ensemble who’s best remembered as the tumbling carpet.

Still, he loves the part, and so much more. There’s the memorable score by Alan Menken (music) and Howard Ashman and Tim Rice (lyrics), a supportive cast and crew, and traveling from city to city. And, as any actor will tell you, it’s always great to be working, but it gets even better — Baur’s fiancé, actor Matt Kopec, is in the show too. Also an ensemble member, Kopec plays a townsperson, assorted enchanted objects (knife, pepper pot and gargoyle), and has a short featured bit as creepy Monsieur d’Arque, director of the local insane asylum.

The upbeat couple got together during their freshman year at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, where they both studied theater. Since graduating in 2009, Baur and Kopec (who both turn 26 later this month) have worked in theater professionally without interruption and also managed jobs in the same shows more often than not, which is no easy thing to pull off.

“We’ve been with ‘Beauty and the Beast’ for a while. I joined the show in January 2011,” Baur says. “And Matt joined six months later in July. Just before I left to go on tour, Matt and I exchanged rings. We wore them on our right hands. And then last Thanksgiving on the beach in Fort Lauderdale, when we talked seriously about marriage for the first time, we moved the rings to our left hands. When we actually do marry we’ll upgrade our bands. I’m thinking something from Tiffany’s.”

But is all this working and living together too much togetherness? “No,” Kopec says. “We built up to it. Although we didn’t live together in college, we spent a lot of time together in class during the day and performing at night. At school, we played arch enemies Bernardo and Riff opposite each other in ‘West Side Story.’ We learned how to separate our professional and personal lives early on.”

“Just after college, we worked for nine months together performing on cruise ships,” adds Baur. “After living on top of each other as roommates in the tight confines of our tiny room on the ship, we consider hotel rooms on the road are a luxury. If it were up to us, we’d always work together.”

“Beauty and the Beast” premiered on Broadway in 1994 and ran through 2007. It’s based on the same- titled 1991 Disney hit film that was adapted from the traditional fairy tale about beautiful Belle’s happily-ever-after romance with the kindly Prince/Beast. Baur and Kopec especially enjoy the show’s several rousing song and dance numbers. A former competitive gymnast, Baur brings tumbling skills to his role. Kopec describes himself as a singer/actor/dancer (in that order) and is taking advantage of the run to hone his dancing skills.

Baur rates the musical as his second favorite animated Disney feature just behind “Aladdin,” mainly because he had a crush on that film’s cutely drawn title character.

The upbeat couple plans to marry later this year in a quiet civil ceremony in New York. And sometime next year they’d like to include family and friends in a big celebration back in Ohio where their parents live just 30 minutes apart. “Plans are all a little tentative right now,” Baur says. “We’ll do it our own way and don’t feel any reason to rush. We know it will work out.”

For Baur and Kopec, the fairy tale tour will soon draw to a close. Their contracts ends in July after a three-week run in Toronto and neither actor plans to renew. Instead, they will return to New York and pursue more acting opportunities. Both realize they may not be cast in the same show again for years, or maybe never. But for now, they’re enjoying sharing the same stage.

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Books

Celebrate Pride month by reading these books

History, pop culture, and more

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(Photo courtesy of Terri Schlichenmeyer)

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.

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Music & Concerts

Indigo Girls coming to Capital One Hall

Stars take center stage alongside Fairfax Symphony

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The Indigo Girls are back in the area next week. (Photo courtesy of Vanguard Records)

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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Calendar

Calendar: June 13-19

LGBTQ events in the days to come

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Friday, June 13

“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 2 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s new location at 1827 Wiltberger St., N.W. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected]

Women in Their Twenties and Thirties will be at 8 p.m. at Wundergarten. An update will be posted the night of the event on where to find WiTT’s table. There’ll be a Pride flag to help people find the group. For more details, join WiTT’s closed Facebook group

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Pride Month Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach bar and Restaurant. 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, June 14

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Pride Month Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & 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.

Rainbow History Project will host “Behind the Scenes With the Senior Curator of ‘Pickets, Protests and Parades’” at 7:30p.m. at Freedom Plaza. This behind-the-scenes experience offers a rare glimpse into the creative process behind this groundbreaking showcase of DC’s LGBTQ+ history. Learn about the bold design decisions that shaped the Quote Wall and Hero Cubes and the powerful stories that almost made the cut. Tickets cost $82 and can be purchased on Eventbrite

Monday, June 16

“Center Aging Monday Coffee Klatch” 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]

Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary. Whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more information, visit their website at www.genderqueerdc.org or check us out on Facebook

Tuesday, June 17

Bi+ Roundtable and Discussion will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting. Check out Facebook or Meetup for more information.

Wednesday, June 18

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.

“Legends Live Loud: A Queer Karaoke Experience” will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This will be a dynamic, Center-wide karaoke event celebrating the brilliance and cultural impact of some of our most colorful queer icons. The Center will honor legends through music, pop culture, dance, and inextinguishable liberation. For more details and to sign up, visit the DC Center’s website

Thursday, June 19

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Book Club” at 7:30 p.m. at Federico Ristorante Italiano. This book club is co-hosted by EQUALITY NoVa and is another opportunity to engage in a fun and rewarding activity. The group doesn’t discriminate when it comes to genres it reads – from classic literature to best selling novels to biographies to histories to gay fiction. For more details, visit Eventbrite

Cultivating Change Foundation will host “Cultivating Pride Happy Hour” at 5:30 p.m. at Dacha Beer Garden. This Pride month, the organization is inviting LGBTQ+ people and allies in food and agriculture to come together in communities nationwide. These informal gatherings are a chance to connect, celebrate, and build community, whether it’s over coffee, a cocktail, or a conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite

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