Arts & Entertainment
D.C. arts briefs: Aug. 10
Tom Nichols at the Center, Queer Queens return to Birchmere and more
Tom Nichols plays the D.C. Center this weekend. (Photo courtesy Nichols)
A little night music
Singer-songwriter Tom Nichols performs Saturday night at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) starting at 8 p.m. Guests are suggested to make a $10 donation upon entry.
During his musical career, Nichols has experimented with a wide range of genres, including classical, folk, rock and pop. The openly gay singer/songwriter has also co-produced an independent musical on film, directed various choirs and has provided aspiring musicians voice and guitar lessons.
Nichols has produced 11 full-length albums, and has performed at impressive venues like Carnegie Hall in New York City and Boston Symphony Hall.
Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at thedccenter.org. For more information on Nichols, visit tomnicholsmusic.com.
Olympics at Nellie’s
Nellie’s Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.) has extended hours during the Olympic games.
Today the bar will open two hours early at 3 p.m.; “Beat the Clock” happy hour will start at 5, featuring $2 bottles of Miller Lite and house vodka drinks from 5-6.
Nellie’s will start screening the Olympics at 11 a.m. on Saturday morning and the Olympic closing ceremony at 4 p.m. on Sunday, with $4 Miller Lite and house vodka drinks and $15 buckets of beer.
For more details, visit nelliessportsbar.com.
A gay ole’ time
Now in their seventh year, the Queer Queens of Qomedy are bringing the laughs to Birchmere Music Hall (3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, Va.) on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
Poppy Champlin, a producer and internationally popular comedian, selects the best lesbian comics from around the country for each performance. Michelle Balan, who has performed with the Queer Queens before, and newcomer Zoe Lewis will be featured in the Birchmere show along with Champlin.
Balan was a finalist on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” and regularly performs at the NY Friars Club. Lewis is a musical comedian, supplementing her jokes with her piano and ukulele skills.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at thebirchmere.org. For more information on the show, visit queerqueensofqomedy.com.
Magic show launched at Helix Lounge
Kimpton’s Hotel Helix (1430 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.) launches a new Friday night magic show series, “THINK: An Evening of Mind Reading and Magic,” featuring magician Josh Norris tonight at 8 p.m.
Norris is a D.C. native, magician and mind reader.
Ticketholders can enjoy an extended Helix Lounge happy hour by arriving early, as well as $4 “Magic Hat” beers and $8 “Magic Martinis.” Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased at joshnorris.com. The show is recommended for ages 18 and older, but guests as young as 13 are welcome to attend.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
a&e features
Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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