Arts & Entertainment
LGBT out front at Fringe
Gay musicals, operas, cabaret and more prominent in theater festival
Tia Nina has a Fringe show slated for Sunday. (Photo courtesy Fringe Festival)
The Capital Fringe Festival will continue this week and through July 28. The festival features live performances and shows by local actors whose work is promoted by Capital Fringe, a local performing arts non-profit organization.
The festival features a number of performances that address gay themes. “La Voce to Me,” a gay recreation of “The Little Mermaid” by Jeremy Pace, will be performed on Sunday at 5:15 at the Goethe Institut (812 7th St., N.W.).
Also on Sunday is “Pitchin’ the Tent: Tia Nina Live at Baldacchino,” showcasing the gender-bending feminist rock band Tia Nina. All of the group’s songs are original, complemented with gritty dancing. The performance is at 3 p.m. at Fort Fringe (607 New York Ave., N.W.).
“Songs From an Unmade Bed” is a musical theater and opera performance directed by Josh Redford that reveals a gay man’s experiences living in New York. The show is at 2:45 p.m. at Fort Fringe on Sunday (607 New York Ave., N.W.).
“The Burlesque of Broadway,” by Lola Rose, is a burlesque show with sexy dance numbers to Broadway classics on Friday at 10 p.m. at Fort Fringe (607 New York Ave., N.W.). The show features homoerotic themes and gender-ambiguous costumes.
General admission to each performance is $17. For more details and to purchase tickets, visit capitalfringe.org.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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