Connect with us

Music & Concerts

Alan Cumming offers a cabaret twist with ‘Legal Immigrant’

New show features Broadway staples, diva hits, a Disney medley and more

Published

on

Alan Cumming, gay news, Washington Blade

Alan Cumming says his cabaret show is, ‘mostly me chatting on and singing and at the end I’m joined by lots of other homosexuals and we sing some more. It’s a fun time.’ (Photo by Christopher Boudewyns; courtesy Kennedy Center)

‘Alan Cumming: Legal Immigrant’

Saturday, July 28

The Kennedy Center

$29-99

202-467-4600

Scottish-born, out actor Alan Cumming describes his immigration experience as privileged. He came to the U.S. for an acting gig and his first home was the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverley Hills. In his new cabaret “Legal Immigrant,” playing at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall for one night only on Saturday, he talks and sings about the immigration experience, becoming an American citizen, aging and various other tidbits including his scrotum.

The cabaret’s setlist includes terrific show tunes from Kander & Ebb’s “The Singer,” Stephen Sondheim’s “Old Friends” and “Not A Day Goes By” from “Merrily We Roll Along,” then “Losing My Mind” from “Follies.” He’s also covering songs associated with female greats like Pink, Edith Piaf, Adele, Marlene Dietrich and Peggy Lee, and sings a Disney Princess medley without irony. Also, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington will join him for a few songs.

Cumming calls it “a true old-fashioned cabaret, a smorgasbord of genres, styles and tales; laughter, tears and, of course, provocation.”

A timely piece indeed, Cumming, 53, says the recent vilification of immigrants is disturbing.

“The idea that you’re not going to get health care, education or justice unless you have money is wrong. The idea that immigrants are cast as criminals is upsetting. There’s a lot of racism surrounding it. As a privileged male, I can’t imagine how it is for a trans person or person of color entering the country. America is so big we can’t expect everyone to feel the same. Racism has always been here and some of us foolishly thought it might go away when Obama was elected. But it was in fact just bubbling beneath surface. And Trump gave it license to explode. I believe things will get better again. I think we’re experiencing the last hurrah of old bigoted white people running the country.”

Cumming, who won a Tony Award for playing the master of ceremonies in the Broadway revival of “Cabaret,” loves selecting the music for his own performances.

“I sing whatever I want. Mash up songs together and sing songs you might know but sing them in a different way. I like that a lot.” 

He describes performing at the Kennedy Center as an honor. And adds that it’s the perfect time and D.C. is the perfect place to perform his show. Cumming invites gay choruses from the various city where he plays.

“Most of the show it’s just me and four musicians. All of sudden a hundered people walk on the stage and sing the last couple of songs. There’s big impact. Change of sound. I love it. I’m bringing LGBT people on stage. That’s a potent message.”

Based in New York City, Cumming also has a home in Scotland near where he grew up. He feels very connected to his homeland and wishes he could spend more time there, but he’s usually working, he says.

Aside from his cabaret performances, Cumming is busy filming the second season of TV’s “Instinct.” Cumming stars as openly gay former CIA operative Dr. Dylan Reinhart who is lured back to his old life when the NYPD needs his help to stop a serial killer. It’s the first network drama with a gay leading character.

“You wonder why it took so long? My friends from England are surprised to hear that it’s a first. To find a gay character on a BBC drama wouldn’t be a big deal. I like the way the show’s written. My character’s sexuality isn’t the main focus of the storylines.”

Advertisement
FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM
SIGN UP FOR E-BLAST

Music & Concerts

Red, White, and Beyoncé: Queen Bey takes Cowboy Carter to D.C. for the Fourth of July

The legendary music icon performed on July 4 and 7 to a nearly sold-out Northwest Stadium.

Published

on

Beyoncé performs on July 7. (Washington Blade photo by Joe Reberkenny)

Just in time for Independence Day, Beyoncé lit up Landover’s Commanders Field (formerly FedEx Field) with fireworks and fiery patriotism, bringing her deeply moving and genre-defying “Cowboy Carter” tour to the Washington, D.C. area.

The tour, which takes the global icon across nine cities in support of her chart-topping and Grammy-winning country album Cowboy Carter,” landed in Prince George’s County, Maryland, over the Fourth of July weekend. From the moment Beyoncé stepped on stage, it was clear this was more than just a concert — it was a reclamation.

Drawing from classic Americana, sharp political commentary, and a reimagined vision of country music, the show served as a powerful reminder of how Black Americans — especially Black women — have long been overlooked in spaces they helped create. “Cowboy Carter” released in March 2024, is the second act in Beyoncé’s genre-traversing trilogy. With it, she became the first Black woman to win a Grammy for Best Country Album and also took home the coveted Album of the Year.

The record examines the Black American experience through the lens of country music, grappling with the tension between the mythology of the American Dream and the lived realities of those historically excluded from it. That theme comes alive in the show’s opening number, “American Requiem,” where Beyoncé sings:

“Said I wouldn’t saddle up, but
If that ain’t country, tell me, what is?
Plant my bare feet on solid ground for years
They don’t, don’t know how hard I had to fight for this
When I sing my song…”

Throughout the performance, Beyoncé incorporated arresting visuals: Black cowboys on horseback, vintage American iconography, and Fox News clips criticizing her genre shift — all woven together with voiceovers from country legends like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. The result was a multimedia masterclass in storytelling and subversion.

The “Cowboy Carter” tour has been a social media sensation for weeks, with fans scrambling for tickets, curating elaborate “cowboy couture” outfits, and tailgating under the summer sun. At Commanders Field, thousands waited in long lines for exclusive merch and even longer ones to enter the stadium — a pilgrimage that, for many, felt more like attending church than a concert.

One group out in full force for the concert was Black queer men — some rocking “denim on denim on denim on denim,” while others opted for more polished Cowboy Couture looks. The celebration of Black identity within Americana was ever-present, making the concert feel like the world’s biggest gay country-western club.

A standout moment of the night was the appearance of Beyoncé’s 13-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. Commanding the stage with poise and power, she matched the intensity and choreography of her mother and the professional dancers — a remarkable feat for someone her age and a clear sign that the Carter legacy continues to shine.

It’s been nearly two decades since Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child parted ways, and since then, she’s more than lived up to her title as the voice of a generation. With Cowboy Carter,” she’s not just making music — she’s rewriting history and reclaiming the space Black artists have always deserved in the country canon.

Continue Reading

Music & Concerts

Berkshire Choral to commemorate Matthew Shepard’s life

Concert held at Washington National Cathedral

Published

on

Craig Hella Johnson’s fusion oratorio ‘Considering Matthew Shepard’ will be performed at the Washington National Cathedral. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Berkshire Choral International will present a concert performance of composer Craig Hella Johnson’s fusion oratorio “Considering Matthew Shepard” on Friday, July 11, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. at the Washington National Cathedral. 

The program will be guest conducted by Dr. Jeffrey Benson, a native of the DMV who currently serves as Director of Choral Activities at San José State University. The concert is a partial benefit for the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Notably, Matthew’s remains are interred at the National Cathedral and his parents, Dennis and Judy, will give opening remarks at the performance.

Tickets are $20 – $65, and 50% of ticket proceeds will be donated to the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Tickets are only available online at berkshirechoral.org

Continue Reading

Music & Concerts

Indigo Girls coming to Capital One Hall

Stars take center stage alongside Fairfax Symphony

Published

on

The Indigo Girls are back in the area next week. (Photo courtesy of Vanguard Records)

Capital One Center will host “The Indigo Girls with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra” on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20 at 8 p.m. at Capital One Hall. 

The Grammy Award-winning folk and pop stars will take center stage alongside the Fairfax Symphony, conducted by Jason Seber. The concerts feature orchestrations of iconic hits such as “Power of Two,” “Get Out The Map,” “Least Complicated,” “Ghost,” “Kid Fears,” “Galileo,” “Closer to Fine,” and many more.

Tickets are available on Ticketmaster or in person at Capital One Hall the nights of the concerts. 

Continue Reading

Popular