Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: Nov. 8
Parties, concerts, exhibits and more for the week ahead
Shane and Tom, the central figures in the film ‘Bridegroom,’ which will be screened Thursday at HRC. (Still courtesy Mozark Productions)
Friday, Nov. 8
Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) hosts Bear Happy Hour tonight from 6-11 p.m. There is no cover charge and admission is limited to guests 21 and over. For more information, visit towndc.com.
Green Lantern (1335 Green Ct., N.W.) hosts “JOCK” tonight from 9 p.m.-3 a.m. with DJ Jake Marx. Dress code is sports gear or just a jock. Dress code strictly enforced. There is an open bar from 9-10 p.m. Cover is $10. For details, visit greenlantendc.com.
Nellie’s Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.) hosts “Kickoff” featuring DJ Matt Bailer tonight from 10 p.m.-closing. For more information, visit nelliessportsbar.com.
Bachelor’s Mill (1104 8th St., S.E.) holds a happy hour from 5-7:30 p.m. tonight with all drinks half price. Hip music begins at 11 p.m. Enjoy pool, video games, and cards. Admission is $5 after 9 p.m. Must be 21 and over. For more details, visit bachelorsmill.com.
Saturday, Nov. 9
Singer and actress Melissa Errico performs “A Passion for Broadway” with Broadway songs focusing on Stephen Sondheim and more, at The Barns at Wolf Trap (1635 Trap Rd., Vienna, Va.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $40-$42. For details, visit wolftrap.org.
Stonewall Kickball hosts its “Fall 2013 All Stars Game” at Stead Park (1625 P St.,) today from 2-4 p.m. Cobalt and JR.’s division will be playing. For details, email [email protected].
Team D.C. presents its fall casino night at Buffalo Billards (1330 19th St., N.W.) tonight from 8 p.m.-midnight in support of local LGBT sports clubs. Play poker, blackjack and craps to win raffle prizes. The LGBT sports teams will be running the tables including D.C. Aquatics, D.C. Strokes Rowing Club, Capitol Area Rainbowlers and more. There is no cover charge. $10 is worth $100 in chips and $20 is worth $250 in chips. For more details, visit teamdc.org.
Sunday, Nov. 10
Temple Emanuel (10101 Connecticut Ave., Kensington, Md.) hosts its “Brotherhood Brunch with Guest Speaker Professor Ethan Hutt” this morning at 9:15 a.m. Hutt is an assistant professor at University of Maryland who recently published an article on educational malpractice. Admission is $7 for non-Brotherhood members and $5 for Brotherhood members. RSVP at [email protected] or call 301-942-2000.
Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer organization, volunteers for D.C. Central Kitchen (425 2nd St., N.W.) today from 9 a.m.-noon. Volunteers will cook alongside chefs who are graduates of D.C. Central Kitchen’s job training program. To volunteer, RSVP at [email protected]. For more information, visit burgundycrescent.org.
Arlington Philharmonic presents a free concert for its season opener featuring soloist Jeffrey Work, principal trumpet of the Oregon Symphony, today at 3 p.m. at the Washington-Lee Auditorium (1301 N. Stafford St., Arlington, Va.). For details, visit arlingtonphilharmonic.org.
The Choral Arts Society of Washington presents the East Coast premiere of Steven Stucky’s “Take Him, Earth,” an orchestral commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination, today at 4 p.m. at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.). Tickets range from $23-$68. For more details, visit kennedy-center.org.
The D.C. Center celebrates the life of Joe Rio from the Center Careers program at DC9 (1940 9th St., N.W.) today from 2-4 p.m. Rio assisted individuals to find jobs and careers, facilitated weekly “Job Club” and “Masterminds” groups at the D.C. Center and the Spanish language Career Development at Casa Ruby for the D.C. Center. To RSVP, email larryd2156. For more details, visit thedccenter.org.
Church of the Holy City (1611 16th Street, N.W.) hosts its “Music with the Angels” concert series today at 3:30 p.m. featuring cellist Natalie Spehar and violinist Zachary Wu performing works by Fiorillo, Ravel and more. Tickets are $10 for adults; $5 for children and seniors. Visit churchoftheholycitydc.org for details.
Monday, Nov. 11
The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) hosts coffee drop-in hours this morning from 10 a.m.-noon for the senior LGBT community. Older LGBT adults can come and enjoy complimentary coffee and conversation with other community members. For more information, visit thedccenter.org
Us Helping Us (3636 Georgia Ave., N.W.) holds a support group for gay black men to discuss topics that affect them today, share perspectives and have meaningful conversations. For details, visit uhupil.org.
Tuesday, Nov. 12
Us Helping Us is having a town hall meeting tonight at 7 p.m. to discuss implementation of the Affordable Care Act at its headquarters (3636 Georgia Ave., N.W.). The meeting will discuss the impact the act will have on the LGBT community and provide an overview of the D.C. Health Exchange. On-site enrollment will also be offered. The event is free and open to the public. Visit uhupil.org for details.
D.C. Bi Women hosts its monthly meeting in the upstairs room of Dupont Italian Kitchen (1637 17th St., N.W.) from 7-9 p.m. tonight. For more details, visit thedccenter.org.
SMYAL (410 7th St., S.E.) hosts a “Rap Group” today from 5-6:30 p.m. Discuss stressful issues like school, bullying, getting into college or finding a job in this support group. For more details, visit smyal.org.
Wednesday, Nov. 13
Big Gay Book Group meets tonight at 1155 F St., N.W. Suite 200 at 7 p.m. to discuss “Mary Ann in Autumn” by Armistead Maupin, a story about Mary Ann Singleton’s homecoming to San Francisco after spending 20 years pursuing a television career in New York City. For details, email [email protected].
The Lambda Bridge Club meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., S.E.) for duplicate bridge. No reservations required and new comers welcome. If you need a partner, call 703-407-6540.
SMYAL (410 7th St., S.E.) provides free and confidential HIV testing drop-in hours today from 3-5 p.m. For more information, visit smyal.org.
Thursday, Nov. 14
Human Rights Campaign hosts a free screening of the documentary “Bridegroom” this evening at 6 p.m. at its headquarters (1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.) as part of its “Equality Talks” speaker series. Shane Bitney Crone, the film’s producer, will speak. “Bridegroom,” directed by Linda Bloodworth Thomason, tells the story of two men in a committed relationship and what happens after an accident cuts short their lives together. The film explores how a partner can be legally shut out without having proper protections in place. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the event. View the trailer at bridegroommovie.com. Details on the event are at hrc.org/bridegroom.
Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer organization, volunteers for Food and Friends (219 Riggs Rd., N.E.) tonight from 6-8 p.m. Volunteers will chop vegetables and pack groceries. To volunteer, email [email protected]. For more details, visit burgundycrescent.org.
Rude Boi Entertainment hosts “Tempted 2 Touch,” a ladies dance party, at the Fab Lounge (2022 Florida Ave., N.W.) tonight. Doors open at 10 p.m. Drink specials $5 and vodka shots $3 all night. No cover charge. Admission limited to guests 21 and over. For more details, visit rudeboientertainment.wordpress.com.
The D.C. Center and Professionals in the City host speed dating for women in their 20s and 30s at Finn and Porter located inside the Embassy Suites Hotel (900 10th St., N.W.) tonight from 7-9 p.m. Dating is approximately one hour. After enjoy a mixer with fellow speed daters. Cash bar. Check in is at 7 p.m. and dating begins at 7:20 p.m. Complimentary valet parking offered to anyone who purchases two drinks or other items from the bar or restaurant. Cost is $30. For details, visit thedccenter.org.
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant Pandora Boxx performs her standup comedy show at Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) tonight at 9 p.m. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. Admission is $5. For more information, visit cobaltdc.com.
Movies
‘Hedda’ brings queer visibility to Golden Globes
Tessa Thompson up for Best Actress for new take on Ibsen classic
The 83rd annual Golden Globes awards are set for Sunday (CBS, 8 p.m. EST). One of the many bright spots this awards season is “Hedda,” a unique LGBTQ version of the classic Henrik Ibsen story, “Hedda Gabler,” starring powerhouses Nina Hoss, Tessa Thompson and Imogen Poots. A modern reinterpretation of a timeless story, the film and its cast have already received several nominations this awards season, including a Globes nod for Best Actress for Thompson.
Writer/director Nia DaCosta was fascinated by Ibsen’s play and the enigmatic character of the deeply complex Hedda, who in the original, is stuck in a marriage she doesn’t want, and still is drawn to her former lover, Eilert.
But in DaCosta’s adaptation, there’s a fundamental difference: Eilert is being played by Hoss, and is now named Eileen.
“That name change adds this element of queerness to the story as well,” said DaCosta at a recent Golden Globes press event. “And although some people read the original play as Hedda being queer, which I find interesting, which I didn’t necessarily…it was a side effect in my movie that everyone was queer once I changed Eilert to a woman.”
She added: “But it still, for me, stayed true to the original because I was staying true to all the themes and the feelings and the sort of muckiness that I love so much about the original work.”
Thompson, who is bisexual, enjoyed playing this new version of Hedda, noting that the queer love storyline gave the film “a whole lot of knockoff effects.”
“But I think more than that, I think fundamentally something that it does is give Hedda a real foil. Another woman who’s in the world who’s making very different choices. And I think this is a film that wants to explore that piece more than Ibsen’s.”
DaCosta making it a queer story “made that kind of jump off the page and get under my skin in a way that felt really immediate,” Thompson acknowledged.
“It wants to explore sort of pathways to personhood and gaining sort of agency over one’s life. In the original piece, you have Hedda saying, ‘for once, I want to be in control of a man’s destiny,’” said Thompson.
“And I think in our piece, you see a woman struggling with trying to be in control of her own. And I thought that sort of mind, what is in the original material, but made it just, for me, make sense as a modern woman now.”
It is because of Hedda’s jealousy and envy of Eileen and her new girlfriend (Poots) that we see the character make impulsive moves.
“I think to a modern sensibility, the idea of a woman being quite jealous of another woman and acting out on that is really something that there’s not a lot of patience or grace for that in the world that we live in now,” said Thompson.
“Which I appreciate. But I do think there is something really generative. What I discovered with playing Hedda is, if it’s not left unchecked, there’s something very generative about feelings like envy and jealousy, because they point us in the direction of self. They help us understand the kind of lives that we want to live.”
Hoss actually played Hedda on stage in Berlin for several years previously.
“When I read the script, I was so surprised and mesmerized by what this decision did that there’s an Eileen instead of an Ejlert Lovborg,” said Hoss. “I was so drawn to this woman immediately.”
The deep love that is still there between Hedda and Eileen was immediately evident, as soon as the characters meet onscreen.
“If she is able to have this emotion with Eileen’s eyes, I think she isn’t yet because she doesn’t want to be vulnerable,” said Hoss. “So she doesn’t allow herself to feel that because then she could get hurt. And that’s something Eileen never got through to. So that’s the deep sadness within Eileen that she couldn’t make her feel the love, but at least these two when they meet, you feel like, ‘Oh my God, it’s not yet done with those two.’’’
Onscreen and offscreen, Thompson and Hoss loved working with each other.
“She did such great, strong choices…I looked at her transforming, which was somewhat mesmerizing, and she was really dangerous,” Hoss enthused. “It’s like when she was Hedda, I was a little bit like, but on the other hand, of course, fascinated. And that’s the thing that these humans have that are slightly dangerous. They’re also very fascinating.”
Hoss said that’s what drew Eileen to Hedda.
“I think both women want to change each other, but actually how they are is what attracts them to each other. And they’re very complimentary in that sense. So they would make up a great couple, I would believe. But the way they are right now, they’re just not good for each other. So in a way, that’s what we were talking about. I think we thought, ‘well, the background story must have been something like a chaotic, wonderful, just exploring for the first time, being in love, being out of society, doing something slightly dangerous, hidden, and then not so hidden because they would enter the Bohemian world where it was kind of okay to be queer and to celebrate yourself and to explore it.’”
But up to a certain point, because Eileen started working and was really after, ‘This is what I want to do. I want to publish, I want to become someone in the academic world,’” noted Hoss.
Poots has had her hands full playing Eileen’s love interest as she also starred in the complicated drama, “The Chronology of Water” (based on the memoir by Lydia Yuknavitch and directed by queer actress Kristen Stewart).
“Because the character in ‘Hedda’ is the only person in that triptych of women who’s acting on her impulses, despite the fact she’s incredibly, seemingly fragile, she’s the only one who has the ability to move through cowardice,” Poots acknowledged. “And that’s an interesting thing.”
Arts & Entertainment
2026 Most Eligible LGBTQ Singles nominations
We are looking for the most eligible LGBTQ singles in the Washington, D.C. region.
Are you or a friend looking to find a little love in 2026? We are looking for the most eligible LGBTQ singles in the Washington, D.C. region. Nominate you or your friends until January 23rd using the form below or by clicking HERE.
Our most eligible singles will be announced online in February. View our 2025 singles HERE.
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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