Arts & Entertainment

Calendar: events through Dec. 27

Parties, concerts, exhibits and more for the coming week

Published

13 years ago

December 20, 2012

TODAY (Friday)

Ford’s Theatre (511 10^th St., NW) hosts Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” tonight at 7:30 p.m. It runs with performances planned throughout the rest of December. The musical was originally conceived by Michael Baron and acclaimed Washington actor Edward Gero leads the show as Scrooge. Tickets are $55-$100. For more information, visit fordstheatre.org.

Touchstone Gallery (901 New York Ave., NW) presents “Course Corrections” by Gale Wallar and “The Best of Touchstone” with artwork from 40 artists. Wallar’s pieces explore places we may not know. The annual holiday show features several artists whose artwork is affordable and great for gifts. The show runs until Dec. 30. For more information, visit touchstonegallery.com.

“Zoolights” is on display at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park (3001 Connecticut Ave., NW). The show includes around 500,000 environmentally friendly LED lights that make animal silhouettes, musical light displays and new garden scene light sculpture. Admission is free, but parking costs $9 for members and $16 for non-members. For details, visit nationalzoo.si.edu.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre (641 D St., NW) presents “The Pajama Men: In the Middle of No One,” the highest rated comedy routine at the Edinburgh Fringe festival, tonight at 7. Tickets are $55. For more information, visit woollymammoth.net.

The Black Cat (1811 14^th St., NW) holds its “Dr. Who Happy Hour” tonight at 7 p.m. on its backstage. There will be one episode of “Dr. Who” along with drink specials. For more information, 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. Later the drag show will start at 10:30 p.m. and the GoGo boys come out at 11. Cover is $5 before 11 and $10 after. There are $3 drinks until 11. 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.

The Black Cat (1811 14^th St., NW) screens “Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance” tonight on its backstage at 9:30. This event is free. For details, visit blackcatdc.com.

Saturday, Dec. 22

Town (2009 8^th St., N.W.) opens its doors at 10 tonight and the drag show begins at 10:30. Cover is $8 before 11 p.m. and $12 after. There are $3 drinks before 11. For details, visit towndc.com.

Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer organization, is helping in food preparation and packing groceries for Food and Friends (219 Riggs Road, NE) this morning at 8 and again at 9:45. For more information, visit burgundycrescent.org.

Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, NW) holds its “Tainted Love: ‘80s Dance Party” tonight starting at 10 p.m. Cover is $5. For more information, visit greenlanterndc.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. 23

The National Symphony Orchestra gets into the holiday spirit by performing Handel’s “Messiah” today at 1 p.m. at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., NW). Tickets are $10 to $85. For more information, visit kennedy-center.org.

Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) holds its weekly Martini Sundays and Homowood Karaoke. Karaoke starts at 10 p.m. and there is no charge for admission. For details, visit cobaltdc.com.

Monday, Dec. 24

Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, NW) has its normal hours and drink specials this evening from 4 p.m.-2 a.m. but there will not be “Bears Do Yoga” and karaoke. Admission is free. For more information, visit greenlanterndc.com.

Tuesday, Dec. 25

The Kennedy Center (2700 F St., NW) brings the annual traditon from Millennium Stage, “All-Star Christmas Day Jazz Jam” with Chuck Redd, Rober Redd, Lenny Robinson, Tom Williams, James King and Delores Williams. This event is free. For details, visit kennedy-center.org.

The Black Cat (1811 14th St., NW) hosts “James Brown Death-Mas Holiday Bash” tonight at 9. The party is to commemorate the death of the “hardest working man in show business” who died on Christmas in 2006. For more information, visit blackcatdc.com.

Wednesday, Dec. 26

Whitman-Walker Health (1701 14th St., NW) holds its gay men over 50 support group this evening at 6:30 p.m. The group is for gay men entering a new phase of life. Registration is required to attend. For more information, visit whitman-walker.org.

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.

Lambda Bridge Club meets tonight at 7:30 pm at the Dignity Center (721 8^th St., SE). Newcomers are welcome and no reservations are needed. For more information, visit lambdabridge.com.

Thursday, Dec. 27

Whitman-Walker Health offers HIV testing at Miriam’s Kitchen (2401 Virginia Ave, NW) today from 4-6 p.m. For more information, visit whitman-walker.org.

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.

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Photos

PHOTOS: Denali at Pitchers

‘Drag Race’ alum performs at Thirst Trap

Published

7 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Michael Key

Denali performs at the Thirst Trap Thursday drag show at Pitchers DC on April 9. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Denali (@denalifoxx) of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” performed at Pitchers DC on April 9 for the Thirst Trap Thursday drag show. Other performers included Cake Pop!, Brooke N Hymen, Stacy Monique-Max and Silver Ware Sidora.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

Arts & Entertainment

In an act of artistic defiance, Baltimore Center Stage stays focused on DEI

‘Maybe it’s a triple-down’

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

Baltimore Banner

Last year, Baltimore Center Stage refused to give up its DEI focus in the face of losing federal funding. They've tripled down. (Photo by Ulysses Muñoz of the Baltimore Banner)

By LESLIE GRAY STREETER | I’m always tickled when people complain about artists “going political.” The inherent nature of art, of creation and free expression, is political. This becomes obvious when entire governments try to threaten it out of existence, like in 2025, when the brand-new presidential administration demanded organizations halt so-called diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming or risk federal funding.

Baltimore Center Stage’s response? A resounding and hearty “Nah.” A year later, they’re still doubling down on diversity.

“Maybe it’s a triple-down,” said Ken-Matt Martin, the theater’s producing director, chuckling.

The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.

Books

Susan Lucci on love, loss, and ‘All My Children’

New book chronicles life of iconic soap star

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

Terri Schlichenmeyer

(Book cover image courtesy of Blackstone Publishing)

‘La Lucci’
By Susan Lucci with Laura Morton
c.2026, Blackstone Publishing
$29.99/196 pages

They’re among the world’s greatest love stories.

You know them well: Marc Antony and Cleopatra. Abelard and Heloise. Phoebe and Langley. Cliff and Nina. Jesse and Angie, Opal and Palmer, Palmer and Daisy, Tad and Dixie. Now read “La Lucci” by Susan Lucci, with Laura Morton, and you might also think of Susan and Helmut.

When she was a very small girl, Susan Lucci loved to perform. Also when she was young, she learned that words have power. She vowed to use them for good for the rest of her life.

Her parents, she says, were supportive and her family, loving. Because of her Italian heritage, she was “ethnic looking” but Lucci’s mother was careful to point out dark-haired beauties on TV and elsewhere, giving Lucci a foundation of confidence.

That’s just one of the things for which Lucci says she’s grateful. In fact, she says, “Prayers of gratitude are how I begin and end each day.”

She is particularly grateful for becoming a mother to her two adult children, and to the doctors who saved her son’s life when he was a newborn.

Lucci writes about gratitude for her long career. She was a keystone character on TV’s “All My Children,” and she learned a lot from older actors on the show, and from Agnes Nixon, the creator of it. She says she still keeps in touch with many of her former costars.

She is thankful for her mother’s caretakers, who stepped in when dementia struck. Grateful for more doctors, who did heart-saving work when Lucci had a clogged artery. Grateful for friends, opportunities, life, grandchildren, and a career that continues.

And she’s grateful for the love she shared with her husband, Helmut Huber, who died nearly four years ago. Grateful for the chance to grieve, to heal, and to continue.

And yet, she says of her husband: “He was never timid, but I know he was afraid at the end, and that kills me down to my soul.”

“It’s been 15 years since Erica Kane and I parted ways,” says author Susan Lucci (with Laura Morton), and she says that people still approach her to confirm or deny rumors of the show’s resurrection. There’s still no answer to that here (sorry, fans), but what you’ll find inside “La Lucci” is still exceptionally generous.

If this book were just filled with stories, you’d like it just fine. If it was only about Lucci’s faith and her gratitude – words that happen to appear very frequently here – you’d still like reading it. But Lucci tells her stories of family, children and “All My Children,” while also offering help to couples who’ve endured miscarriage, women who’ve had heart problems, and widow(ers) who are spinning and need the kindness of someone who’s lived loss, too.

These are the other things you’ll find in “La Lucci,” in a voice you’ll hear in your head, if you spent your lunch hours glued to the TV back in the day. It’s a comfortable, fun read for fans. It’s a story you’ll love.

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