Arts & Entertainment
D.C. arts briefs: Aug. 17
Opera event near Rehoboth, Koz at Wolf Trap and more
Shi-Queeta and the girls at the Howard
Howard Theatre (620 T St., NW) hosts a female celebrity impersonation show dubbed “Salute to the Divas” Tuesday at 8 p.m. It’s the first show of its kind the newly refurbished, reopened Howard has had since the ‘60s.
The show features local drag legend Shi-Queeta-Lee and other celebrity impersonators as they bring divas such as Tina Turner, Cher, Beyonce and Diana Ross to the stage. The cast also takes the audience to the likes of Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
Shi-Queeta-Lee is a D.C.-based female impersonator who has been featured on TV and at many local Pride and nightclub events. She performs regularly at Town and Nellie’s.
The doors open at 6 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 day of the show. For more information, visit thehowardtheatre.com.
Racette giving Rehoboth-area performance
World-renowned opera singer Patricia Racette performs on Saturday night as the feature of the Opera at the Beach show at Cape Henlopen High School Theatre (1270 Road, Lewes, Del.).
One of few lesbian opera singers, this soprano will be enticing the audience with a program of operatic arias, jazz and Broadway standards. She is known for her work at the Metropolitan Opera and Washington National Opera. This is Racette’s first performance in Delaware and it is to benefit Coast Concerts and The Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing at Beebe Medical Center.
Tickets are $50-$75, however nursing students and children under 18 may purchase tickets at half price with identification. For more information, visit operaatthebeach.com.
Gospel’s Winans joins Koz at Wolf Trap
Openly gay jazz saxophonist Dave Koz plays Wolf Trap next week. (Photo courtesy Wolf Trap)
Smooth jazz musician and seven-time Grammy nominee Dave Koz is performing at Wolf Trap in the Filene Center on Wednesday.
This performance is part of a summer tour to promote his Grammy-nominated album “Hello Tomorrow.” The recent album debuted at No.1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and iTunes named it the “Best Smooth Jazz Album of 2010.” For this performance, Koz is joined with Grammy winner BeBe Winans and special guest Average White Band.
Tickets range from $25-$42. For more information, visit wolftrap.org.
a&e features
Gay Men’s Chorus celebrates 45 years at annual gala
‘Sapphire & Sparkle’ Spring Affair held at the Ritz Carlton
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington held the annual Spring Affair gala at the Ritz Carlton Washington, D.C. on Saturday. The theme for this year’s fete was “Sapphire & Sparkle.” The chorus celebrated 45 years in D.C. with musical performances, food, entertainment, and an awards ceremony.
Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington Executive Director Justin Fyala and Artistic Director Thea Kano gave welcoming speeches. Opening remarks were delivered by Spring Affair co-chairs Tracy Barlow and Tomeika Bowden. Uproariously funny comedian Murray Hill performed a stand-up set and served as the emcee.
There were performances by Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington groups Potomac Fever, 17th Street Dance, the Rock Creek Singers, Seasons of Love, and the GenOUT Youth Chorus.
Anjali Murthy, a member of the chorus and a graduate of the GenOUT Youth Chorus, addressed the attendees of the gala.
“The LGBTQ+ community isn’t bound by blood ties: we are brought together by shared experience,” Murthy said. “Being Gen Z, I grew up with Ellen [DeGeneres] telling me through the TV screen that it gets better: that one day, it’ll all be okay. The sentiment isn’t wrong, but it’s passive. What I’ve learned from GMCW is that our future is something we practice together. It exists because people like you continue to show up for it, to believe in the possibilities of what we’re still becoming”
The event concluded with the presentation of the annual Harmony Awards. This year’s awardees included local drag artist and activist Tara Hoot, the human rights organization Rainbow Railroad as well as Rocky Mountain Arts Association Executive Director, Dr. Chipper Dean.
(Washington Blade photos and videos by Michael Key)
Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 16.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
Photos
PHOTOS: Blade Summer Kickoff Party
Ashley Biden accepts award for Beau Biden at annual Rehoboth fundraiser
The 19th annual Blade Foundation Summer Kickoff Party was held on Friday, May 15 at Diego’s in Rehoboth Beach, Del. An award presentation was held for former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden. Ashley Biden accepted the award on her brother’s behalf and gave remarks. Other speakers included Delaware state Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Dr. Robin Brennan and Washington Blade Editor Kevin Naff. The event was a fundraiser for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
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PHOTOS: Blade Summer Kickoff Party
