Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: events through Dec. 27
Parties, concerts, exhibits and more for the coming week
TODAY (Friday)
Ford’s Theatre (511 10th 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 14th 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 8th 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 8th 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 8th 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 14th 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 8th 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 14th 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 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.
Lambda Bridge Club meets tonight at 7:30 pm at the Dignity Center (721 8th 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.
Blog #1: I was excited about my trip even though Gate 1 Travel notified me there was a change in the itinerary. France decided to close the Burgundy canal for long overdue repairs, so we would be traveling on the C. du Rhone au Rhin. I boarded my Air France flight arriving in Paris on time. Contrary to what I was told to expect, customs went really smoothly.
Day 1: Because customs went quickly, I waited 45 minutes for my pre-arranged driver, to take me to the Gare de Lyon, where I boarded my fast-train to Lyon. A two-hour trip. In Lyon it was a long walk to the hotel, The Radisson Blu, but only because I exited the station on the wrong side. Finally got there, checked into a room on the 36th floor with a spectacular view of Lyon. Then took a stroll around the area, a short nap, and finally it was time for dinner and to meet the rest of the traveling party. There would only be 13 of us in the group. Five of us from D.C./Rehoboth, and eight others. I met our guide Patricia, who is from Portugal, and spoke fluent French and English. She is charming, and clearly very knowledgeable. She worked with Gate 1 for many years. We stayed at the hotel for our welcome dinner. It was a great meal, and over drinks, each of us was asked to introduce ourselves to the group. Aside from the five of us, there were three women traveling alone, one gentleman alone, and two couples. They were from New Jersey, New York, Florida, Houston, and Nebraska. I was sitting across from the woman from Nebraska. Conversation at dinner was pleasant but I quickly realized one person was apparently a MAGA. Wonder if you can guess where she was from, lol. But we also found if we didn’t talk politics, which we agreed not to do, things were fine. After dinner we all headed to our rooms for a good night’s sleep.
DAY 2: We woke to beautiful weather. I headed to the included breakfast at the hotel, which was really very good. After breakfast we boarded a bus for a tour of Lyon. We had a full-size bus for just the 13 of us. Our guide for the half day tour, was Vincent, and he is charming and young, and told us his fiancé lives in Lyon. He was incredibly knowledgeable. We began at the Basilica, which is being repaired on the outside, but the inside is, wow! Incredible stained glass, and there was a service going on in one of the smaller side chapels which I l listened to for a bit. The Basilica is high on the hill and the views of Lyon are spectacular from there. Then we headed to the old city and walked around for an hour, ending up at the smaller cathedral. Directly in front of it they had set up a great market, mostly food, which would be there for a week. Lyon is a foodie paradise, with, we were told, a restaurant, or at least coffee shop, for every 250 people. We then had a choice of staying in town, or going back to the hotel on the bus, which I did. The afternoon and evening were free time to do as we pleased. I headed to the Les Halles du Lyon Paul Bocuse, named after the famous chef, to take a look around. It is a large market with small restaurants connected to most of the stalls. It was charming. I then headed to the huge three-story mall across from our hotel and walked around for an hour. Then caught up on some emails, and writing, and met my friends, Paul and Martin, John and Dan, for dinner at 6. We went to a really nice Bistro, which John had found, two tram stops away from the hotel, and enjoyed some drinks and a relaxed dinner. The owner of the place found us a waitress who spoke great English, which made ordering really easy. After a two-hour great meal, we headed back to the hotel. Riding a tram in Lyon is easy, you just need to use your credit card. It is an honor system. Back at the hotel I headed to my room and packed, our luggage had to be outside the door by 8:00 am the next morning. I set my alarm for 6:30 so I had time to eat at the buffet breakfast. Then it was on the bus to head to our barge.
Baltimore
This John Waters interview has been edited for readability — but perhaps not human decency
Pope of Trash dishes on Trump, plane etiquette, last meal, and more
By WESLEY CASE | At 80 years old, John Waters is still the ideal dinner guest — incisively sharp, quick-witted and funny as hell.
The chic Baltimore native proved it again and again in a recent Zoom interview, calling from his summer home in Provincetown, Mass.
The occasion was the Blu-ray releases of two of his movies — the 1977 dark comedy “Desperate Living” and his enduring 1988 musical “Hairspray” — on June 23 by the Criterion Collection, which publishes restorations of films it deems culturally important. The Criterion stamp of approval has become the gold standard among cinephiles.
“It’s like getting an award,” said Waters, who wrote and directed both films.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
The Washington Blade held the seventh annual Pride on the Pier at The Wharf DC on Saturday, June 13.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
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