a&e features
New Harvey Milk-inspired piece bows at Strathmore
Chenoweth joins Lippa in weekend performances
Kristin Chenoweth and Andrew Lippa combine forces this weekend in twin tales of iconoclasm. (Photo by Matthew Murphy; courtesy Bucklesweet Media)
‘I Am Anne Hutchinson/I Am Harvey Milk’
Saturday, April 23 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 24 at 4 p.m.
Music Center at Strathmore
5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, Md.
$39-149
Andrew Lippa feels like the luckiest man in the world.
It’s all Lippa all the time this weekend at the Strathmore as the world premiere of his “concept” opera “I Am Anne Hutchinson/I Am Harvey Milk” is held. He wrote the music and book and will star in the piece alongside Kristin Chenoweth.
It’s a lavish production. Noah Himmelstein will direct more than 200 performers including Colin Wheeler, the National Philharmonic and the Alexandria Harmonizers to dramatize the lives of “two reluctant prophets who stood up for equality and changed the world.”
“It’s not enough to write all the words and all the music, I also have to play the leading role,” he says. “The delight I have that I get to play in the sandbox in this way, to be in it and of it, I feel like the luckiest person in the world.”
The genesis of the play — at least half of it — dates back to 2011 when Lippa was asked by the music director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (Tim Seelig) to write a five-minute piece about his thoughts and observations about Harvey Milk.
“There was a co-commission with six other choruses and they were planning on doing a whole concert in 2013,” Lippa says. “I told them I wanted to write a 60-minute piece, not just five minutes, and after much discussion, they came back and asked me to write the whole thing.”
Of course, the noted librettist had quite the resume at the time. He wrote the Tony-nominated music and lyrics for the Broadway musical “The Addams Family,” wrote the music and lyrics for the acclaimed “Big Fish,” and won the 2000 Drama Desk Award for best music for “The Wild Party.”
He also wrote original music for the 1999 revival of “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” (including “My New Philosophy” for Tony Award-winner Chenoweth), which led to friendship.
Part choral work, part theater piece, “I Am Harvey Milk” weaves the story of Harvey Milk’s life, from boyhood to his rise as the first openly gay man to hold public office in California to his assassination.
“I fashioned the whole thing and we performed it for three concerts in June of 2013,” Lippa says. “What was remarkable about the timing is that June 26 was our first performance and it was the day that the Supreme Court struck down Proposition 8 and that night we premiered Harvey Milk two blocks away from where Harvey and (San Francisco Mayor) George Moscone had been gunned down.”
Although he can’t pinpoint the exact time he learned about Milk, Lippa guesses he was in college. He says it’s important that others discover his story.
“One of the things I feel as a middle-aged gay man, as opposed to being a young gay man, is that at 51, it’s my responsibility to further the story of one our gay heroes,” he says. “As I got older, I had a very strong awareness of Harvey Milk and his story was very important to me.”
Lippa played Harvey Milk in that production, which included 300 singers, three principals and a 27-piece orchestra in front of 1,600 screaming San Franciscans for three nights in a row.
“I thought once it was done, that would be it, but it didn’t go that way,” he says. “I kept getting requests to do it, and producers in New York called, and we did it at Lincoln Center in 2014 with me and Kristin and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s.”
The one request Lippa constantly faced was from people asking if there was a way to make the one-hour piece a full-length production, a notion he wrestled with.
“I constructed it in such a way that it was the right length and right pieces and it just didn’t want to get any longer. To me, this was just an hour-long work,” he says.
But then, Lippa came across the story of 17th-century Puritan activist Anne Hutchinson and inspiration hit.
“I realized that here was this other person in American history who I could connect to Harvey Milk in a very unexpected way,” he says. “She wasn’t talking about gay rights or any rights frankly. She just wanted the right to peacefully assemble in her home and teach other women stories from the Bible.”
Hutchinson was accused of heresy and banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Lippa saw the obvious link with Milk.
“I can’t happen without my parents, my gay life can’t happen without my gay heroes, my music can’t happen without Stephen Sondheim and Gershwin and Beethoven and Bach, and Harvey Milk wasn’t possible without Anne Hutchinson,” Lippa says. “Even though 350 years divide them, she was the first woman to stand up in 1637 and say, ‘No, it has to be different.’ She was punished for it terribly, as was Harvey Milk. There’s the link.”
Lippa went about writing her story and thus “I Am Anne Hutchinson/I Am Harvey Milk” — which is one production, not two separate entities — was born.
He had Chenoweth in mind as he wrote.
“As soon as I discovered Anne’s story, I called her and told her about it and she said (in his best Chenoweth impression), ‘I’d do anything you write for me,’” Lippa says. “We have had a great creative back and forth going on 20 years now and she’s not only performing it, but I actually wrote it for her to do.”
Chenoweth told the Blade in a January interview she connects with Hutchinson whom she was “basically persecuted for being a thinking Christian woman.”
“In some ways, I can relate,” Chenoweth said. “Andrew has been a huge part of my history and I’ve been somewhat of a muse for him. What can I say? I fall in love with his music every time he plays, so I’m honored he’s written yet another thing for me.”
The show will be fully staged, with costumes, projections and plenty of actors and dancers, but because it’s in the music hall, there are no sets.
“It’s epic storytelling but not a concert version. It’s the first time we have ever done it, and Strathmore has been incredible working with us letting us do what we want to do,” Lippa says. “We will have 200 people on stage and we will find out if that is the size it should be. We may take it to opera houses or if not, scale it down and go to theaters. This piece will tell us what it is.”
The performances will benefit both Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and the National Women’s History Museum.
a&e features
Memorial for groundbreaking bisexual activist set for May 2
Loraine Hutchins remembered as a ‘force of nature’
The Montgomery County Pride Center will host a celebration honoring the life and legacy of Loraine Hutchins, Ph.D., on May 2. People are invited to attend the onsite memorial or a livestream event. The on-site event will begin at 10 a.m. with a meet-and-greet mixer before moving into a memorial service around the theme “Loraine a Force of Nature!” at 11 a.m., a panel talk at 12 p.m., break out sessions for artists, academics, and activists to build on her legacy at 1 p.m. and a closing reception at 2 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to register for the on-site memorial gathering or the livestreamed memorial. The goal of this event is also to collect stories and memories of Loraine. Attendees and others can share their stories at padlet.com.
An obituary for Hutchins was published in the Bladelast Nov. 24, where people can learn more about her activism in the bisexual community. A private service for friends and family was held in December but this memorial service is open to all.
Alongside her groundbreaking work organizing for U.S. bisexual rights and liberation including co-editing “Bi Any Other Name: BIsexual People Speak Out” (1991), she also integrated faith into her sexual education and advocacy work. Her 2001 doctoral dissertation, “Erotic Rites: A Cultural Analysis of Contemporary U.S. Sacred Sexuality Traditions and Trends,” offered a pointed queer and feminist analysis to sex-neutral and sex-positive spiritual traditions in the United States. Her thesis was also groundbreaking in exploring the intersections between sex workers and those in caregiving professionals, including spiritual ones.
In an oral history interview conducted by Michelle Mueller back in August 2023, Hutchins described herself as a “priestess without a congregation.” While she has occasionally had a sense of community and feels part of a group of loving people, she admitted that “I don’t feel like we have the shape or the purpose that we need.”
“I’ve often experienced being the Cassandra in the room, the Cassandra in the community. Somebody who’s kind of way out there ahead, thinking through the strategic action points that my community hasn’t gotten to yet, and getting a lot of resistance and hostile responses from people who are frightened by dissent and conflict and not ready for the changes we have to make to survive,” she said.
“For somebody who’s bisexual in an out political way and who’s been a spokesperson for the polyamory movement in an out political way, it’s very exposing. And it’s very important to me to be able to try to explain and help other people understand the connection between spirituality and sexuality,” she explained citing how even as a graduate student she was “exploring how to feel erotic and spiritual, and not feel them in conflict with each other in my own spiritual contemplative life and my own sensual body awareness of being alive in the world.”
“Every religion has a sense of sacred sexuality. It’s just they put a lot of boundaries and regulations on it, and if we have a spiritual practice that is totally affirming of women’s priesthood and of gay people, queer people’s ability to minister to everyone and to be ministered to be everyone, what does that do to the gender of God, or our understanding of how we practice our spirituality and our sexuality in community and privately?”
“There’s no easy answer,” she concludes, and she continued to grapple with these questions throughout her life, co-editing another seminal text, “Sexuality, Religion and the Sacred: Bisexual, Pansexual, and Polysexual Perspectives,” published in 2012. Her work blending spiritual and queer liberation remains groundbreaking to this day.
Rev. Eric Eldritch, a local community organizer and ordained Pagan minister with Circle Sanctuary who has worked for decades with the DC Center’s Center Faith to organize the Pride Interfaith Service, is eager to highlight this element of her legacy at the memorial service next month.
a&e features
Queery: Meet artist, performer John Levengood
Modern creative talks nightlife, coming out, and his personal queer heroes
John Levengood (he/him) describes himself as a modern creative with a wide‑ranging toolkit. He blends music, technology, civic duty, and a sharp sense of wit into a cohesive artistic identity. Known primarily as a recording artist and performer, he’s also a self‑taught music producer and software engineer who embodies a generation of creators who build their own lanes rather than wait for one to appear.
Levengood, 32, who is single and identifies as gay and queer, is best known as a recording artist who has performed at Pride festivals across the country, including the main stages of World Pride DC, Central Arkansas Pride, and Charlotte Pride.
“Locally in the DMV, I’m known for turning heads at nightlife venues with my eye-catching sense of style. When I go out, I don’t try to blend in. I hope I inspire people to be themselves and have the courage to stand out,” he says.
He’s also known for hosting karaoke at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va., on Thursday nights. “I like to create a space where people feel comfortable expressing themselves, building community, and showcasing their talents.”
He also creates social media content from my performances and do interviews at LGBTQ+ bars and theatres in the DMV. Follow the Arlington resident @johnlevengood.
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
I have been fully out of the closet since 2019. My parents were the hardest people to tell because my family has always been my rock and at the time I couldn’t imagine a world without them. Their reactions were extremely positive and supportive so I had nothing to fear all along.
I remember sitting on the couch with my mom, dad, and sister in our hotel room in New Orleans during our winter vacation and being so nervous to tell them. After I finally mustered up the nerve and made the proclamation, I realized my dad had already fallen asleep on the couch. My mom promised to tell him when he woke up.
Who’s your LGBTQ hero?
My LGBTQ heroes are Harvey Milk for paving the way for gays in politics and Elton John for being a pioneer for the fabulous and authentic. My local heroes in the DMV are Howard Hicks, manager of Green Lantern, and Tony Rivenbark, manager of Freddie’s Beach Bar. Both of them are essential to creating spaces where I’ve felt welcome and safe since moving to the DMV.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Trade tops the list for me because of the dance floor and outdoor space. It’s so nice to get a break from the music every once and a while to be able to have a conversation.
We live in challenging times. How do you cope?
I’m still figuring this out. What is working right now is writing music and spending time with family and friends. I’ve also been spending less time on social media going to the gym at least three times a week.
What streaming show are you binging?
After “Traitors” Season 4 ended, I was in a bit of a show hole, but “Stumble” has me in a laughing loop right now. The writing is so witty.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
At 18, I wish I would have known how liberating it is to come out of the closet. It would have been nice to know some winning lottery numbers as well.
What are your friends messaging about in your most recent group chat?
We are planning our next trip to New York City. If you can believe it, I visited NYC for the first time in 2025 for Pride and I’ve been back every quarter since. Growing up in the country, I was subconsciously primed to be scared of the city. But my mind has been blown. I can’t wait to go back.
Why Washington?
It’s the closest metropolitan area to my family, but not too close. I love the museums, the diversity, the history, and the proximity to the beach and mountains. It’s also nice to live in a city with public transportation.
Aging RFK Stadium has come down, but the RFK grounds are still getting lit up. Welcome back to the stage Project GLOW, D.C.’s homegrown electronic festival, on May 30-31. Back for its fifth year on these musically inclined acres, Project GLOW returns with an even more diverse lineup, and one that continues to celebrate LGBTQ antecedents, attendees, and acts.
Project GLOW 2026 headliners include house and techno star Mau P, progressive house legend Eric Prydz, hard-techno favorite Sara Landry, and bass acts Excision b2b Sullivan King, among the lineup of trance, bass, house, techno, dubstep, and others for the fifth anniversary year.
President & CEO Pete Kalamoutsos — born and raised in D.C. — founded Club GLOW in 1999. In 2020, GLOW entered into a partnership with global entertainment company Insomniac Events to produce live events like Project GLOW, which kicked off in 2022.
As in past years, Project GLOW not only makes space, but is intentionally inclusive of the LGBTQ community, one of its most dedicated fan bases. The festival’s LGBTQ-focused Secret Garden stage blooms again — a more intimate dance area that stands on the strength of DJs and musicians who draw from the LGBTQ community. D.C.’s LGBTQ nightlife mastermind Ed Bailey is the creative mind behind Secret Garden again. He joined Project GLOW in 2023.
“Kalamoustos says that “he’s proud of his partnership with Ed Bailey, along with Capital Pride and [nightlife producer] Jake Resnikow. It’s amazing to collaborate with Bailey at the Secret Garden stage, especially after the curated lineup we worked on at Pride last year.”
The Secret Garden will be a bit different from other stages: Eternal (“At the Eternal stage, time stands still. Lose yourself in the dance of past, present, and future, surrendering to the eternal rhythm of the universe”) and Pulse (“Feel the rhythm of the beat pulse through your veins as the heartbeat of the crowd synchronizes into one. Here, every moment vibrates with life as it guides you through a new dimension of euphoria”). The Secret Garden stage is in the round, surrounded by 16 shipping containers. The containers play canvas to muralists from around the world, who are coming in to paint them in a vibrant garden-style vibe. “We gave this stage some extra love with this layout,” K says, “ we finally cracked the code.”
K says that this will be the biggest lineup yet for the Secret Garden, featuring Nicole Moudaber b2b Chasewest, Riordan b2b Bullet Tooth, Ranger Trucco, Cassian, Eli & Fur, Cosmic Gate and Hayla. The stage is also the largest yet, featuring an expanded dance floor and 360-degree viewing.
Across all stages, K says that his goal for the fifth anniversary is “More art and fan interactive experience, more like a festival, strive to be like a Tomorrowland, as budget grows to add more experience.” Last year’s Project GLOW alone drew 40,000 attendees over two days.
K, however, was not satisfied with one festival this spring. GLOW recently announced a “pop-up” one-day event. Teaming up with Black Book Records, GLOW is set to throw a first-of-its-kind dance-music takeover of Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., headlined by electronic music star Chris Lake. Set for April 18, this euphoric block party will feature bass and vibes blocks from the White House. Organizers expect as many as 10,000 fans to attend. Beyond music, there will be food, activations, and plenty of other activities taking place around 6th St and Pennsylvania Ave NW – a location familiar to many in the LGBTQ community, as this sits squarely inside the blocks of the Capital Pride party that takes place in DC every June.
Over the past two decades, Club GLOW has produced thousands of events, from club nights to large-scale festivals including Project GLOW, Moonrise Festival, and more. Club GLOW also operates Echostage.
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