Arts & Entertainment

Calendar: events through Dec. 20

Parties, concerts, support groups and more for the coming week

Published

14 years ago

December 13, 2012

Descendants, Jude Nagel, Gallery B, gay news, Washington Blade, art

‘Descendants,’ a work by the late Jude Nagel, is on display at Gallery B in Bethesda, one of the galleries participating in the Bethesda Art Walk. (Photo courtesy of Valerie Hillman)

TODAY (Friday)

Whitman-Walker Health offers HIV testing at Anacostia Metro Station today from 1-4 p.m. For more information, visit whitman-walker.org.

Special Agent Galactica returns with her Happy Hour Show full of jazz, blues, cabaret, standards and comedy tonight at 6 at the Black Fox Lounge (1732 Connecticut Ave., NW). This week Galactica is excited to welcome New York singer, actor and writer Michael Vitaly Sazonov as a special guest. Admission is free. For more information, visit pinkhairedone.com.

The Bethesda Art Walk takes place in several downtown Bethesda art galleries starting this evening at 6 p.m. Galleries including Artworks (7740 Old Georgetown Rd.), Consider It Done (7806 Old Georgetown Rd.) and Gallery B (7700 Wisconsin Ave.) invite participates to view their diverse exhibitions. For more information, visit bethesda.org.

The Black Cat (1811 14^th St., N.W.) hosts “Dr. Who Happy Hour” tonight at 7. There will be one episode of “Dr. Who” and drink specials. Admission is free. For details, visit blackcatdc.com.

Phase 1 (528 8^th St. SE) has its weekly dance party with DJ Jay Von Teese tonight starting at 7:30. Cover is $10. For more information, visit phase1dc.com.

Town (2009 8^th St., N.W.) hosts Bear Happy Hour tonight from 6-11 p.m. This event is for people 21 and older. There is no cover charge. For details, visit towndc.com.

The Bachelor’s Mill (1104 8^th St., S.E.) is having its happy hour tonight starting at 5 p.m. All drinks are half off until 7:30 p.m. After 9 p.m., admission is $10. The dance floor opens at 11 with DJ Tim-Nice and DJ Cameron. For details, visit thebachelorsmill.com.

Saturday, Dec. 15

Chantry chorus performs “Palestrina Christmas” along with other selections tonight at 8 at St. Bernadette’s (70 University Blvd. East, Silver Spring). Tickets are $30. For more information, visit chantrydc.com.

Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer organization, volunteers today for the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation at Falls Church PetSmart (6100 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, Va.) starting at 11:45 a.m. For more information, visit burgundycrescent.org.

The MLK Library of the D.C. Public Library (901 G St., NW) is in need of volunteers to help shelve and reorganize books from 9:30 a.m. to noon. For more information, visit burgundycrescent.org.

Bachelor’s Mill (1104 8^th St., S.E.) opens at 5:30 this evening with a pool, video gaming systems and card tournaments. The dance floors open at 11 p.m. Admission is free until 9 p.m. and it is $10 after. For more information, visit thebachelorsmill.com.

The Black Cat (1811 14^th St., N.W.) hosts “Hellmouth Happy Hour” where attendees watch one episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” with drink specials. Cover is free and doors open at 7 p.m. For more information, visit blackcatdc.com.

Sunday, Dec. 16

The Holy Advent, an integration of seasonal vocal and instrumental music, performs several holiday selections this afternoon at 3:30 at the Church of the Holy City (1611 16^th St., NW). This event is free with a reception right afterward. For more information, visit churchoftheholycitydc.org.

Monday, Dec. 17

Whitman-Walker Health (1701 14th St., NW) holds its HIV+ Newly Diagnosed Support Group tonight at 7. It is a confidential support group for anyone recently diagnosed with HIV and the group welcomes all genders and sexual orientations. For details, visit whitman-walker.org.

Tuesday, Dec. 18

Whitman-Walker (1701 14^th St., NW) holds its group Starting Over for Women tonight at 7. The group is for women whose long-term relationship with another woman. Registration is required. For more information, visit whitman-walker.org.

Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) hosts its Safer Sex Kit-packing program tonight from 7-10:30. The packing program is looking for more volunteers to help produce the kits because they say they are barely keeping up with demand. Admission is free and volunteers can just show up. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W) presents its Flashback dance night with DJ Jason Royce starting at 10 p.m. There is no cover charge. For more details, visit cobaltdc.com.

The D.C. Center (1318 U St., NW) holds its “Freedom from Smoking Class” for members of the community who are trying to quit smoking this evening starting 6:30. The class is an adaptation of the American Lung Association’s group clinic that has helped thousands of smokers, however it has been modified to be more relevant to the LGBT community and people living with HIV/AIDS. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

Banana Café (500 8^th St., SE) has its open mic night from 7 p.m. to closing. Admission is free and there are $3 mojitos after 7:30 pm. For more information, visit bananacafedc.com.

Wednesday, Dec. 19

Tom Davoren Social Bridge Club meets tonight at 7:30 at the Dignity Center (721 8^th St., SE) for social bridge. A partner is not needed. Visit lambdabridge.com for more information.

Bookmen D.C., an informal men’s gay-literature group, meets tonight at 7:30 to discuss selections from “50 Gay & Lesbian Books Everyone Must Read” at the American Foreign Service Association (2101 E St. NW). For more information, visit bookmendc.blogspot.com.

Whitman-Walker Health (1701 14^th St., NW) holds its HIV+ Newly Diagnosed Support Group tonight at 7. It is a confidential support group for anyone recently diagnosed with HIV and the group welcomes all genders and sexual orientations. For details, visit whitman-walker.org.

Thursday, Dec. 20

A “Holy Spirits Pan-Christian LGBT Christmas Party” hosted by Dignity Washington Young Adults is tonight from 7-10 p.m. at Nellie’s (900 U Street, NW). All LGBT Christians (any denomination) in their 20s and 30s are invited. Find the Young Adults group on Facebook. The page for this event is here.

Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W) is hosting its weekly Best Package Contest tonight at 9 p.m. There is a $3 cover and there are $2 vodka drinks. Participants in the contest can win $200 in cash prizes. The event is hosted by Lena Lett and music by DJ Chord, DJ Madscience, and DJ Sean Morris. For details, visit cobaltdc.com.

a&e features

Television loses a legend, longtime ‘Will & Grace’ director James Burrows

Iconic hitmaker leaves behind a legacy of telling LGBTQ stories

Published

20 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Christian Cintron

James Burrows (Photo by kathclick/Bigstock)

You don’t have to be a pretentious film major to name 10 movie directors. But naming television directors is not that simple. They’re the unsung heroes of your favorite shows, and the late James Burrows was the television director. He passed on June 19, but his DNA runs through television history.

He directed over 1200 episodes of television and over 50 pilots. He co-created “Cheers” and directed many episodes of long-running series like “Friends,” “Taxi,” “Frasier,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and “Two and a Half Men.” You also may remember him from playing a heightened version of himself on the Lisa Kudrow comedy “The Comeback.”

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A post shared by James Burrows (@therealjamesburrows)

He has left an indelible mark on the LGBTQ community. As recently as last year, he directed the series run of “Mid-Century Modern” starring Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, and Linda Lavin. He was also a longtime director of “Will & Grace” and directed every episode of the series revival. He even directed the unaired “Absolutely Fabulous” pilot with Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Johnston, and Zosia Mamet.

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A post shared by James Burrows (@therealjamesburrows)

Not to mention he’s worked with queer icons throughout history, including Betty White and Stockard Channing on their single-season series, and Jennifer Coolidge in “2 Broke Girls.”

He started his career on shows like “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Rhoda,” “Laverne & Shirley,” and the first four seasons of “Taxi.”

He continued to work steadily and directed successful pilots that went to series for “Roc,” “3rd Rock From the Sun,” “Dharma & Greg,” and “Wings.” He directed multiple episodes of “Friends,” “Caroline in the City,” and “Frasier.”

This magic continued into the 2000s with him directing the pilots for “Two and a Half Men,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and multiple episodes of “Mike & Molly,” and the entire return series of “Will & Grace.”

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What was the secret to his success? He’d enact the “fun clause” in his contract. In his words, “Life is too short to deal with obnoxious leads,” he shared. “So as long as the writing is good and the cast is fun, I’m going to enjoy the experience.”

He had the magic touch, having multiple pilots turned into long-running series. He was nominated for an Emmy 24 times in 26 years and worked consistently until a year before his death.

The secret was the way he brought the cast together. He describes, “it was my job to mold them into an ensemble, and they did round into a group of people who loved each other.”

This earned him 11 Emmy Awards and five Directors Guild of America Awards, including being awarded the inaugural DGA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Television Direction.

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In a 2003 interview by the Television Academy, he was asked how he wants to be remembered, and he said, “That every night forever you can tune in somewhere, and there’ll be a show I did.”

He’s survived by his wife, Debbie, four daughters, seven grandchildren, and the countless people whose careers he launched and the countless viewers he inspired with his television legacy.