Arts & Entertainment
Traveling with M-I-C-K-E-Y
Former competitive figure skater found home with Disney on Ice
Joshua Flores as Mowgli from ‘The Jungle Book’ in Disney on Ice, which opens at the Patriot Center next week. (Photo courtesy Disney on Ice)
When he was 10 years old, Joshua Flores laced up a pair of ice skates for the first time and knew skating was something he wanted to do for a long time.
“I always loved the music that came with figure skating as well as the movement and gracefulness,” he says. “I loved to jump and spin. I remember being little and pretending to skate with my socks on, on the living room floor when I first saw figure skating on TV.”
Almost two decades later, the out and proud young man continues to live his dream as part of the Disney on Ice tour.
“I competed in figure skating until I was 18 and then when it was over, I wanted to find something that would still let me do what I loved,” he says. “My coach suggested I send in a videotape to Disney on Ice and see what happens, and I filmed me doing all my tricks and a week later they called me.”
That was 10 years ago, and Flores has traveled the globe as he skates in productions all over the world. It’s more than the Rockford, Ill., resident ever imagined.
“I’ve been to Japan, Australia, Europe, South America … it’s hard to keep track of all the places I have been,” he says. “The traveling is awesome because I get to experience cultures around the world, and I’m a huge food person. I love tasting food from everywhere.”
Currently, Flores skates as “The Jungle Book’s” Mowgli in a Disney on Ice production entitled, “Let’s Celebrate!” but he’s also seen time playing John Darling from “Peter Pan,” a turtle in “Finding Nemo” and a student in “High School Musical.”
“At first, it was difficult to get used to skating with a mask or in costume, but you get used to it and learn more about your skills,” he says. “I love the rush of adrenaline when I skate out and see a huge audience screaming with smiles and laughter. I always like performing to a crowd.”
The best thing that’s come from being with Disney on Ice, he says, it that he met his boyfriend (Nicholas Kelly, also a skater in the show) five years ago and they’ve been able to travel the world together.
“We work together and are around each other 24/7 because of our jobs, and we learn so much about each other, nothing can really break us apart,” Flores says. “Touring the world together is amazing and I am very lucky, definitely.”
Being gay has never been a problem for Flores in his dealings with Disney or the other skaters. There are a number of ice skaters working for the company who are part of the LGBT community.
“We have a huge, diverse group with people from around the world so everyone gets used to each other, and I’ve never experienced any problems on tour,” he says. “We’re one big happy family.”
Flores calls Lady Gaga one of his role models because she is a constant reminder to him that you can be completely different in so many ways. “You should love yourself for who you are and enjoy and love life,” he says.
“Let’s Celebrate,” which plays the Patriot Center from Oct. 23-27 and the Baltimore Arena from Oct. 30-Nov. 3, features 50 Disney characters paying tribute to different holidays around the world.
“It’s kind of like walking into Disneyland and seeing all the characters on the ice right at the opening of the show,” Flores says. “We have a Tea Party with the Mad Hatter, Mickey and Minnie are there of course, and we all help to clean up the party with Fantasia Mickey. It’s so much fun.”
Flores is on the road 10-11 months each year, and while he misses his family, they understand that he’s doing something he loves.
When he finally does hang up the skates, Flores hopes to stay with the company and explore the wardrobe- and character development-side of productions.
“There are people who have been here almost 20 years, and I’m going to stick with it until my body gives out — to the very last piece of the music,” he says.
Tickets for Disney on Ice range from $20-$75 and can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets via charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000; via ticketmaster.com; and at the Patriot Center box office.
Photos
PHOTOS: ‘ICE Out For Good’ Sunday protests
Northern Virginia demonstrations among nationwide protest
“ICE Out For Good” demonstrations were held in the Northern Virginia municipalities of Haymarket, Annandale and Arlington, among others, on Sunday, Jan. 12.
Nearly 1,200 similar actions were scheduled nationwide over the weekend, according to a statement from organizers.
Demonstrations in D.C. against ICE included a protest march on Friday and a march around the White House on Saturday.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Theater
Ford’s ‘First Look’ festival showcases three new productions
A chance to enjoy historical dramas for free before they’re completed
The Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions: A First Look – 2026
Jan. 16 & 17
Ford’s Theatre
511 Tenth St., N.W.
FREE
Fords.org
When Ford’s Theatre debuted its new plays festival, “A First Look,” in 2023, it was unclear whether people would come for the staged readings.
“Before the pandemic if you announced the reading of a play, 12 people might show up,” says José Carrasquillo, director of artistic programming at Ford’s Theatre. “Since then, we’ve experienced comparatively massive turnout. Maybe because it’s cheap, or because of the very newness of the works.”
This year’s fourth edition showcases readings of three pieces currently in varied stages of development. The free, two-day festival offers audiences a chance to encounter historical dramas long before they’re completed and fully produced. None are finished, nor have they been read publicly. And befitting the venue’s provenance, the works are steeped in history.
The festival kicks off with “Springs” by playwright Jeanne Sakata and directed by Jessica Kubzansky. Commissioned by The Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions, it’s the both epic and personal story of Sakata’s Japanese American family including her grandfather’s experience in an internment camp.
“Sakata’s immigrant grandfather was an exceptionally skilled farmer who helped to stave off starvation in the camp. Still, he never gave up on the idea that he belonged in America. It’s very much a story of today,” says Carrasquillo.
Unlike “Springs,” the festival’s two other works weren’t commissioned by Ford’s. But they both fit the history brief and likely will benefit from the exposure and workshopping.
“Providence Spring,” by California based playwright Richard Helesen and directed by Holly Twyford, portrays Clara Barton (played by local favorite Erin Weaver) as a hero beyond the Red Cross whose then-radical initiatives included cataloguing the Civil War dead, many pulled from mass graves.
Directed by Reginald L. Douglas, “Young John Lewis: Prodigy of Protest” explores a slice from the life of the legendary civil rights activist and longtime congressman. With book and lyrics by Psalmayene 24 and music by Kokayi this collaboratively staged reading between Ford’s and Mosaic Theater is slated to premiere fully produced at Mosaic as a 90-minute musical in the spring of 2026.
“When I was hired at Ford’s in 2018, we began discussing hiring writers who do historical drama,” says Carrasquillo. “Our intention was resolute, but we didn’t do it right away. It took getting through the pandemic to revisit the idea.”
At the same time, the racial reckoning spurred Ford’s to hire playwrights of color to tell stories that had previously been forgotten or ignored.
For Carrasquillo, who is gay, the impulse to commission was crystalized when he saw the film “Hidden Figures,” a true story about “three brilliant African-American women — at NASA during the Space Race, overcoming racial and gender discrimination to make crucial contributions to America’s spaceflight success.” He says, “the film floored me. How many stories like this are there that we don’t know about?”
One of the festival’s happiest experiences, he adds, was the commission of playwright Chess Jakobs’s “The American Five” and its subsequent success. It’s the story of Martin Luther King Jr. and his inner circle, including Bayard Rustin (MLK’s brilliant, unsung gay adviser) leading up to the 1963 March on Washington. The play later premiered fully produced in Ford’s 2025 season.
Increasingly, the readings at Ford’s have become popular with both artists and audiences.
At Ford’s, Carrasquillo wears many hats. In addition to selecting plays and organizing workshops, he serves as an in-house dramaturg for some of the nascent works. But he’s not alone. Also helming the festival are senior artistic advisor Sheldon Epps, and The Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions advisor Sydné Mahone.
Because the plays are in development, comments from directors, dramaturgs, and the audience are considered and may become part of the playwrights’ rewrites and changes. If and when the play resurfaces fully produced, audience members might find their suggestion in the completed work.
Is this year’s festival queer influenced? Yes, both by those involved and the topics explored.
Carrasquillo explains, “While Sakata’s “Springs” is primarily about immigration, its message is relevant to the queer community. Civil rights are being taken away from us. We need this playwright’s story to know what has happened and what can happen to any of us.
“Many of Ford’s legacy commissions underscore the importance of civil rights in our country and that’s important to all of us. Queer and not queer.”
Bars & Parties
Mid-Atlantic Leather kicks off this week
Parties, contests, vendor expo and more planned for annual gathering
The Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend will begin on Thursday, Jan 15.
This is an annual three-day event in Washington, D.C., for the leather, kink, and LGBTQ+ communities, featuring parties, vendors, and contests.
There will be an opening night event hosted the evening of Thursday, Jan. 15. Full package and three-day pass pickup will take place at 5:30 p.m. at Hyatt Capitol B. There will also be “Kinetic Dance Party” at 10 p.m. at District Eagle.
For more details, visit MAL’s website.
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