Arts & Entertainment
High notes for ‘Show Boat’
Opera singer Cambridge returns for fourth appearance with WNO
‘Show Boat’
Opens Saturday, runs through May 26
Washington National Opera
Kennedy Center Opera House
(2700 F Street, NW)
$25-$270
kennedy-center.org
Soprano Alyson Cambridge says she’s thrilled to bring ‘Show Boat’ to her native Washington. (Photo by Enrique Vega; courtesy Bucklesweet Media)
D.C.-area native Alyson Cambridge starts a triumphant homecoming this weekend.
The former Arlington, Va., resident — she grew up here — has made a splash in the opera world with debuts at the Metropolitan Opera and other top-level houses in major productions. She opens Saturday in the classic musical “Show Boat,” the Kern/Hammerstein masterpiece that will feature more than 100 singers, actors and dancers on the Kennedy Center Opera House Stage to tell the story of a troupe of riverboat performers as they make their way through the decades. It features classic songs such as “Ol’ Man River” and “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man.”
Cambridge stars as Julie. It will be a busy month for the performer. She’ll also sing the National Anthem at the Washington Nationals game on May 11. And on May 18, the production will be broadcast live to Nationals Park for WNO’s annual “Opera in the Outfield” event. Cambridge opened the show in Chicago last year and says during a lengthy phone chat from her home in Manhattan, she’s excited about bringing it to D.C. (Cambridge’s comments have been edited for length.)
BLADE: You still have family here?
CAMBRIDGE: Yes, my parents still live in the same house I grew up in and my brother and sister-in-law live in Falls Church with my niece who’s 1 so yeah, it’s been great spending time with my niece.
BLADE: How is the art/theater/music vibe different in New York versus Washington?
CAMBRIDGE: New York is a completely different world. I’ve been there almost 11 years so it feels like home now and I’m used to a fast-paced life where I’m constantly being surrounded by artists, singers, actors and dancers all the time. The person behind the counter at Starbucks is an aspiring acturess. It’s just in the culture that there’s this assumption that you have some ties to the arts. You just feel that vibe all the time here.
BLADE: How was the Chicago run?
CAMBRIDGE: Really wonderful. It was the first time for many of us coming to this show .. and my first time doing a musical like this on such a grand scale. About half the cast is new for D.C. and it’s been wonderful welcoming so many newcomers to this production. I can truly say, there’s not a weak link in the cast, everybody is just so strong. … I hope D.C. embraces the show as much as Chicago did. We were completely sold out there and it was the toughest ticket in town to get.
BLADE: Most of your professional work has been in opera. Are the lines blurring between the opera world and musical theater and if so, is that a good thing?
CAMBRIDGE: I’ve seen a lot of change just within the last four years or so. I did “Porgy & Bess” in Washington in 2005 and came back in 2010 and the reception was very different. It’s considered a show in the more operatic vein and was really written for classically trained voices. Even just a few years ago, people warned me, ‘Oh, be careful — if you start with that, people won’t see you as a truly legit opera singer,’ but I think what we’re doing is really opening up these musical worlds to different audiences and I think it’s the perfect blend.
BLADE: Whatever raw talent you were blest with, as you discovered it and what your strengths were, did that line up pretty naturally with your musical interests as a teen or did you have to learn to appreciate opera, which can be an acquired taste?
CAMBRIDGE: Oh, back in the ‘90s I listened to pop singers and wanted to be a pop singer. I’d be blasting Christina Aguilera out of my car on campus but I discovered I could imitate any voice I heard and had a really finely tuned ear. My mom would have classical music on and I could imitate the opera singers and we had a neighbor say once, ‘You know, that’s not half bad.’ … This led to voice lessons … where I was eventually told I had natural ability in this genre. But yes, it took awhile for me to really embrace what my voice was meant to do. But yeah, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Tiffany, I loved all that too and even went through a rap phase.
BLADE: Does it feel really competitive and cut throat as your career unfolds or is there a level you get to where you don’t feel like the next soprano is just waiting in the wings snapping at your heels?
CAMBRIDGE: I think everybody has their own unique path. Mine was pretty fast. I literally went from Curtis to the Metropolitan Opera’s young artist program by the time I was 23 and had my Met debut at 24, but I have certainly leanred you’re always a work in progress and I think it’s a misconception that you don’t have to keep learning. … It’s very much about always coming out and bringing your A game.
BLADE: What is your tessitura?
CAMBRIDGE: I’m a full lyric soprano.
BLADE: Is that the highest one? I can never remember.
CAMBRIDGE: No, a coloratura is the highest and the lightest … It’s a fuller sound with more meat to it. … The role of Julie, is really a mezzo role. It’s quite low but it suits me quite well.
BLADE: Do you have a gay best friend in New York? Your world must be teeming with gay energy.
CAMBRIDGE: It’s all over the map. I’m surrounded by gay people, trans people, bi — everything. It’s really all across the map. But yeah, I’m going to the wedding of one of my college best friends this summer in New York. She was straight all through college but she’s marrying a woman and she’s never been happier.
Books
‘Dogs of Venice’ looks at love lost and rediscovered
A solo holiday trip to Italy takes unexpected turn
‘The Dogs of Venice’
By Steven Crowley
c.2025, G.P. Putnam & Sons
$20/65 pages
One person.
Two, 12, 20, you can still feel alone in a crowded room if it’s a place you don’t want to be. People say, though, that that’s no way to do the holidays; you’re supposed to Make Merry, even when your heart’s not in it. You’re supposed to feel happy, no matter what – even when, as in “The Dogs of Venice” by Steven Rowley, the Christmas tinsel seems tarnished.
Right up until the plane door closed, Paul held hope that Darren would decide to come on the vacation they’d planned for and saved for, for months.
Alas, Darren was a no-show, which was not really a surprise. Three weeks before the departure, he’d announced that their marriage wasn’t working for him anymore, and that he wanted a divorce. Paul had said he was going on the vacation anyhow. Why waste a perfectly good flight, or an already-booked B&B? He was going to Venice.
Darren just rolled his eyes.
Was that a metaphor for their entire marriage? Darren had always accused Paul of wanting too much. He indicated now that he felt stifled. Still, Darren’s unhappiness hit Paul broadside and so there was Paul, alone in a romantic Italian city, fighting with an espresso machine in a loft owned by someone who looked like a frozen-food spokeswoman.
He couldn’t speak or understand Italian very well. He didn’t know his way around, and he got lost often. But he felt anchored by a dog.
The dog – he liked to call it his dog – was a random stray, like so many others wandering around Venice unleashed, but this dog’s confidence and insouciant manner inspired Paul. If a dog could be like that, well, why couldn’t he?
He knew he wasn’t unlovable but solo holidays stunk and he hated his situation. Maybe the dog had a lesson to teach him: could you live a wonderful life without someone to watch out for, pet, and care for you?
Pick up “The Dogs of Venice,” and you might think to yourself that it won’t take long to read. At under 100 pages, you’d be right – which just gives you time to turn around and read it again. Because you’ll want to.
In the same way that you poke your tongue at a sore tooth, author Steven Rowley makes you want to remember what it’s like to be the victim of a dead romance. You can do it here safely because you simply know that Paul is too nice for it to last too long. No spoilers, though, except to say that this novel is about love – gone, resurrected, misdirected – and it unfolds in exactly the way you hope it will. All in a neat evening’s worth of reading. Perfect.
One thing to note: the Christmas setting is incidental and could just as well be any season, which means that this book is timely, no matter when you want it. So grab “The Dogs of Venice,” enjoy it twice with your book group, with your love, or read it alone.
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a&e features
Local, last-minute holiday gift ideas
Celebrate the season while supporting area businesses
The DowntownDC Holiday Market is bustling. Union Station is decked out with its annual Christmas tree. Washingtonians have wrapped their houses and apartment balconies with festive lights and holiday decorations. The holiday season is here. And with stockings to fill and empty space under the tree, Washington’s local shops and artists have plenty to offer.
Show your LGBTQ and D.C. pride with the Washington Blade’s annual holiday gift guide.
To embrace the holiday buzz: The Blanco Nwèl cocktail from Alchy Cocktails. This Caribbean eggnog is one of Alchy Cocktail’s seasonal holiday cocktails. The flavor profile is similar to coquito, a traditional Puerto Rican Christmas drink with a coconut base. As a queer and Caribbean-owned business, Alchy Cocktails has been based out of Washington since 2021. Blanco Nwèl is available in both cocktail ($24) and mocktail ($12) online and at a variety of holiday markets, including the Tingey Plaza Holiday Market, the Flea Market at Eastern Market, Union Station’s Main Hall Holiday Market, and more. ($24)
A spicy bite: Gordy’s Cajun Okra from Salt and Sundry. These spicy, tangy pickles pull on Southern Cajun-style flavors, packing a punch with paprika, cayenne, and more. Gordy’s is an LGBTQ-owned and Washington-based brand, making this gift an opportunity to support a local LGBTQ business straight from the jar. This pantry staple is available on Salt & Sundry’s website and at its locations in Union Market, Logan Circle, and its Georgetown holiday pop-up store. ($14)
To celebrate Washington pride: The DC Landmark Tote Bag from The Neighborgoods. Native Washingtonians, visitors, friends and family alike will find something to love about this Washington-themed tote bag. Food trucks, the 9:30 Club, the Metro logo and pandas from the National Zoo are just some of the city’s landmarks depicted across the tote in a red, white, and blue color palette. The tote is a part of the DC Landmarks collection, which donates 10 percent of its sales to the American Civil Liberties Union. The Neighborgoods itself is a local, woman-owned business built out of a passion for screen-printing in 2013. The 100 percent cotton canvas tote is for sale online or at the DowntownDC Holiday Market. ($22)
To give friends and family their flowers: The Flowers Bandana from All Very Goods. This 100 percent cotton bandana was designed in Washington and hand printed in India. Its uniqueness comes in being covered with the faces of Black women, representing a “love letter to all women but especially Black women,” according to All Very Goods. The Black woman-owned and operated business, based out of Northwest Washington, has a mission to celebrate diversity and representation through its products. The bandana intends to give Black women their “flowers.” The Flowers bandana is available for purchase online. ($24)
To unlock culinary creativity: The Curious Chef Gift Collection from Each Peach Market. This customizable collection of kitchen oddities — ranging from tinned fish to chili oil — is a quirky gift for the most inventive chefs. The collection is available in a Standard Santa, Extra Goodies and Super Holiday Size for up to $165. The Washington-based market, founded in 2013, permits customers to make the collection special by specifying what unique ingredients are packaged, including products made by local or LGBTQ brands. Each Peach Market offers assembly and pick up in-person at its Mount Pleasant shop and also offers local delivery and nationwide shipping via its website. ($85)
To give a touch of sweetness: The DC Landmark Chocolate Covered Oreo Holiday Cookies from Capital Candy Jar. Wrapped in a festive red bow, this box of nine cookies embraces love for Washington and the holiday season in one. Among the dark and milk chocolate covered cookies are images of the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial and festive hollies. The treat, packaged in a Hill East facility just a few blocks from the Capitol, is available for purchase online and at the DowntownDC Holiday Market. ($23.95)
To celebrate queer gaming: Thirsty Sword Lesbians from Labyrinth Games & Puzzles. This roleplaying game embraces lesbian culture by unlocking a world of swords, romance, and battle. Ideal for group settings, the book presents a system of world building and character identities that are best brought to life by creative minds. Labyrinth, which has been a local Washington business for more than 15 years, celebrates non-digital fun through games and puzzles that connect the community. This gift is offered online and at Labyrinth’s Capitol Hill location. ($29.99)
To make a bold statement: The “Resist” T-shirt from Propper Topper. This locally screen-printed black tee features the Washington flag designed within a raised fist, symbolizing both Washington pride, and political resistance. The shirt is made exclusively by Propper Topper, a local Washington business that evolved from a hat shop to a gift store since opening in 1990. The tri-blend unisex shirt is available both for pickup at Propper Topper’s Cathedral Heights location and shipping via the online site. ($32)
To keep it c(g)lassy: The Glass Ball earrings from Blue Moon Aquarius. Gifting can rarely go wrong when it comes to a new pair of earrings. The unique statement earrings — made of polymer clay, glass, and 18k gold plating over surgical steel — are hand cut, sanded and assembled in Washington, meaning each set is unique. Blue Moon Aquarius, a local brand, is known for its small batch jewelry and home decor designed with clay materials. Available in oxblood, hunter green, lavender, and bluestone color palettes, these earrings are available for purchase on Blue Moon Aquarius’ website and at the DowntownDC Holiday Market. ($48)
To elevate a holiday tea or charcuterie party: The Honey Flight: Tea Lover’s Selection from BannerBee. This local honey company presents the ideal gift to make cozying up with a cup of tea slightly more special. The Honey Flight contains three types of raw wildflower honey infused with fair trade Ugandan vanilla bean, chai spices, and locally sourced lemon thyme herb. The gift is also an opportunity to uplift a family company based in the Mid-Atlantic that offers all-natural, sustainable products. The flight is available online, at the DowntownDC Holiday Market or at the Arlington Courthouse and Dupont Farmers’ Markets. ($36)
For Baltimore shoppers: If you’re in Charm City, don’t miss Balston Mercantile, opened by a gay couple in June. Their gorgeous shop in the Hampden neighborhood offers an array of unique, upscale finds, from barware and artwork to cookbooks and home decor and more. (849 W. 36th St.)
Impulse Group DC held “10’s Across the Board: A Celebration of 10 Years” at Bravo Bravo (1001 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) on Sunday, Dec. 14. Impulse Group DC is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) and affinity group of AIDS Healthcare Foundation dedicated “to engaging, supporting, and connecting gay men” through culturally relevant health and advocacy work.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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