“Something for everyone.” It’s a tired tagline, but in the case of this fall’s DMV theater season, it happens to be pretty much true. And a lot of the work is queer, directly or tangentially. Here’s a sliver of what’s already opened and what’s in store. 

Theater J jumps into the new season with “How to Be a Korean Woman” (through Sept. 22), Sun Mee Chomet’s comic and heartfelt telling of searching for her birth family in Seoul, South Korea. edcjcc.org

Woolly Mammoth Theatre opens with “The Comeuppance” (through Oct. 6), the latest work from Tony-winning out playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. 

“On the night of their 20th high school reunion, the self-proclaimed “Multi-Ethnic Reject Group” reconnects while they pregame in Prince George’s County, Md. But amid the flow of reminiscing, an otherworldly presence forces these former classmates to face the past head-on and reckon with an unknowable future.” Woollymammoth.net 

Signature Theatre kicks off with the D.C. premiere of Eboni Booth’s Pulitzer-winning play “Primary Trust” (through Oct. 20). Booth’s contemporary humor-filled tender tale of self-discovery and connection is followed by Signature’s big musical “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” (Oct. 29-Jan. 12), Stephen Sondheim’s classic Roman-set musical comedy staged by Signature’s out artistic director Matthew Gardiner. Sigtheatre.org 

GALA Hispanic Theatre’s season opener, Gustavo Ott’s “The 22+ Weddings of Hugo” (through Sept. 29), is based on a true story. Performed in Spanish with easy-to-follow English surtitles, Ott’s raucous tale seeks to cover the various scenarios immigrants experience through many weddings. The cast features out actors Carlos Castillo as Hugo, a quiet postal clerk, and Victor Salinas who plays Elmar, a gay writer seeking refuge. José Zayas directs.  Galatheatre.org.

Mosaic Theater Company at Atlas Performing Arts Center presents “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill” (through Oct. 6), a play with music about jazz legend/queer icon Billie Holiday starring Roz White. Mosaic’s out artistic director Reginald L. Douglas directs. Mosaictheater.org 

Ford’s Theatre presents “Mister Lincoln” (Sept. 20-Oct. 13), a “witty and revelatory” one-man show starring Scott Bakula (stage and screen actor famous for TV’s “Quantum Leap”). Fords.org  

ExPats Theatre (also housed at Atlas) opens with “Marlene” (Sept. 28 through Oct. 20) featuring Karin Rosnizeck as the legendary Dietrich, a great star who famously defied social and gender conventions while dazzling the world with her glamorous career. Expatstheate.com 

There’s a lot on offer at George Mason University’s Center for Arts this autumn, not least of all “An Evening with Lea Salonga” (Saturday, Sept. 28).

Tony-winning singer and actress Lea Salonga headlines the 2024 ARTS by George! benefit concert, performing songs from a four-decade career on Broadway and in animated movie hits. Born in the Philippines, Salonga originated the lead role of Kim in Miss Saigon, and she was the first Asian cast member to perform the role of Eponine in Les Misérables on Broadway. 

Other promising one-day-only GMU entertainments include Ballet Hispánico (Oct. 5) and Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble (Oct. 19). cfa.gmu.edu

Creative Cauldron in Falls Church presents “Sondheim Tribute Revue” (Oct. 3-27) a celebratory salute to musical giant Stephen Sondheim with eight performers singing 20 titles from the gay composer’s brilliant songbook including “Company,” “Follies,” “Into the Woods,” “A Little Night Music,” “Sweeney Todd,” and the recent Tony Award Winner, “Merrily We Roll Along,” and more. Creativecauldron.org 

Olney Theatre explores what makes a president great with “Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground,” Sept. 27-Oct. 20. And for Disney fans, don’t miss “Frozen,” Oct. 24-Jan. 5. Olneytheatre.org

The Kennedy Center offers laughs and nostalgia with “Clue” (Sept.17 through Oct. 6), a whodunit based on the fan-favorite 1985 Paramount movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game. Next up is “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (Oct. 11 – 20). 

Other Kennedy Center treats include “An Evening with David Sedaris” (Oct. 15).  The gay humorist is slated to share his inimitable brand of satire and hilarious observations, and then it’s out sound healing artist Davin Youngs with “The Reset” (Oct. 28), his take on a “sound bath” including improvisational singing, looping devices, and healing instruments. Kennedy-center.org 

Fall is the best time at the beach, so plan a weekend in Rehoboth and visit the phenomenal Clear Space Theatre. “Venus in Fur” runs Sept. 19-29 followed by “Sweeney Todd” Oct. 11-27; and “Shrek” runs Nov. 8-10. Clearspacetheatre.org

Fall cabaret will be in full swing at the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., as soloists share heart-warming stories and songs about their travel adventures (Oct. 19 at 2, 5, and 8 p.m.). And, of course, no holiday season is complete without the Chorus’s annual holiday celebration set for Dec. 7, 14, and 15. Gmcw.org

Folger Theatre presents Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” (Oct. 1-Nov. 10) staged by inspiring out director Raymond O. Caldwell. A large, versatile cast features Cole Taylor and Caro Rayes Rivera as the star-crossed lovers, and a host of familiar local faces including Luz Nicolas, Deirdra LaWan Starnes, and out actor Fran Tapia as Lady Capulet. folger.edu

Studio Theatre serves up “Summer, 1976,” (opening Nov. 13), a memory play by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Auburn (“Proof”).  Directed by Vivienne Benesch, the two-hander features longtime D.C. favorites Kate Eastwood Norris and out actor Holly Twyford playing disparate women whose unlikely friendship and ensuing connection changes the course of their lives. Studiotheatre.org 

And on Wednesday, Dec. 4, Strathmore in North Bethesda presents “A Swingin’ Little Christmas,” a fun takeoff on kitschy, classic ‘50s and ‘60s holiday specials, featuring out TV star Jane Lynch (“Glee,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) alongside Kate Flannery (“The Office”), Tim Davis (“Glee’s” vocal arranger), and The Tony Guerrero Quintet. Strathmore.org

Move over, Brat Summer. The fall dining scene in D.C. is Hot to Go. From a powerful, historically inspired Afro-Caribbean restaurant in a luxe hotel to a funky music record-inspired bar, below is a non-comprehensive list of restaurants and bars that have opened or are planning to open over the next several months.

Dōgon

Famed chef Kwame Onwauche makes his celebrated return to Washington, D.C. with the opening of Dōgon near the Southwest Waterfront. In 2017, Onwauche, just in his mid-20s, ran Shaw Bijou; and then later Kith and Kin on the Wharf. Now, Dōgon is an ambitious project inside the equally ambitious Salamander Hotel, linking the storied history of freed Black man Benjamin Banneker who surveyed the Nation’s Capital, with Onwauche’s Afro-Cuban background and connection to the West African Dōgon people. Art and symbolism imbue the royal-purple space serving dishes like an “H Street Chicken” with jollof rice. Dōgon will be Onwuachi’s second restaurant opening in a year, following the acclaimed Tatiana in New York. Dōgon officially opened on Sept. 9, to honor the date in history when D.C. was formally named in 1791.

Press Club

In Dupont Circle, the genre-bending Press Club bar is for the musically inclined. The bar takes inspiration from the A&B sides of a record, offering two complementary experiences: The “Track List” menu — an eight to 12 cocktail menu that rotates biannually featuring the team’s favorite spirits and techniques; and the steeper and more experiential “Play List” menu — a bi-monthly rotating four cocktail flights highlighting more seasonal ingredients, presented tableside with the supplemental bites. The space comes courtesy of celebrated D.C. bar vet Will Patton and NYC-based Devin Kennedy.

a.kitchen+bar

James Beard Foundation Award-winning restaurateur Ellen Yin’s High Street Hospitality Group brings its Philadelphia restaurant to Foggy Bottom this fall. Grounded in Chesapeake fare, the menu is based on Americana-seasonal small plates, alongside a focus on natural and organic wine.

Minetta Tavern

Union Market welcomes yet another big-name splash in the form of Minetta Tavern. New York-based Keith McNally, who already runs nearby Pastis with Stephen Starr (no stranger to D.C. himself), is behind the program. This D.C. version will have a similar menu to the Manhattan staple, known for its extensive classic cocktail list and Parisian steakhouse inspiration.

Rosedale

Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj of Knightsbridge Restaurant Group will open Rosedale in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Northwest, named for an estate in Cleveland Park. This classic Americana spot will have a rotating seasonal menu and daily specials from the kitchen’s rotisserie oven.

Bar Betsie

The three gay owners (Ralph Brabham, Drew Porterfield, and JP Sabatier) of Logan Circle cocktail favorite Jane Jane, known for its throwback vibe and sassy needlepoints, will open Bar Betsie in Union Market this winter. Named in honor of Sabatier’s mother, it will have a more relaxed atmosphere than Jane Jane, with more beer and wine options, as well as a larger menu of finger-food snacks.  

Trini Vybez

In Columbia Heights, Natalia Kalloo opens Caribbean restaurant Trini Vybez. Kalloo originally began selling spices native to Trinidad and Tobago in local markets and online, and then grew the business into a food truck serving Trinidadian street food. The new brick and mortar concept will offer more expansive cuisine native to Trinidad and Tobago on the upper floor, and provide for a more modern concept, Soca Cafe and Wine Bar, on its lower level. It will focus on delicacies like oxtail sliders with Trinidad’s traditional hops bread, plus pepper roti for those who like to enjoy a bit of spice.

Modan

Modan, meaning ‘modern’ in Japanese, is a sleek 7,000-square-foot restaurant with a bar, sushi counter, private Omakase counter, and outdoor patio in McLean. Executive Chef Micheole “Chico” Dator (coming straight from his role as Executive Sushi Chef at Nobu DC) distinguishes this concept with its proprietary in-house dry aging for beef and fish, alongside broader Southeast Asian elements.

Also coming this fall is Chefs for Equality, one of the largest and most significant food benefit events of the season. Chefs for Equality advances the fight for LGBTQ+ equality through the work of the HRC Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. On Oct. 21, it brings together 150 of the region’s top chefs, pastry chefs, and mixologists for an evening of food, cocktails, and music. The event features 40+ tasting stations and 20 cocktail stations headed by renowned chefs and mixologists from the Greater D.C. area, as well as 13 personal chef tables. Live and silent auctions are also held.

Just because the temperatures are cooling down doesn’t mean your social life has to — D.C. is rife with fun events and below is a list of a few you should absolutely check out.

Club XCX will be on Friday, Sept. 13 at 10 p.m. at the Howard Theatre. Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased on Howard Theatre’s website. 

“Head Above the Water” – Art, Awareness & Music Festival will be on Friday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. at National Landing Water Park. Guests can dive into a vibrant celebration at Head Above the Water, an enchanting interactive art and music festival honoring National Preparedness Month. The event is hosted by Artbae LLC and sponsored by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council, and The Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and aims to raise awareness about water conservation, flood risk mitigation, and environmental justice. Admission is free and more details are available on Eventbrite. 

SMYAL will host its 40th Anniversary Fall Brunch on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Marriott Marquis. This event includes a cocktail reception featuring a silent auction, a three-course brunch, and a chance to hear from some of our community’s most inspiring leaders. Each year, the Fall Brunch brings together LGBTQ and allied community members, friends, and families in support of the inspirational youth SMYAL works with each day. Tickets are available on SMYAL’s website. 

Art on the Rocks will be on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. at Hotel Heron. This event challenges local mixologists and chefs to each create the most artistic cocktail and appetizer pairing, inspired by art. Tickets start at $70 and can be purchased on Eventbrite. 

Art in the Garden will be on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m at 3rd St. NE. At this event, guests can immerse themselves in a vibrant world of creativity and beauty where art and nature collide in the most magical way. Tickets are available on Eventbrite. 

DC Art All Night will begin on Friday Sept. 27 in eight wards. It will bring visual and performing arts, including painting, photography, sculpture, crafts, fashion, music, literary arts, dance, theater, film, and poetry, to indoor and outdoor public and private spaces, including local businesses and restaurants. This event is free and more details are available on the event website.

Law Roach: How to Build a Fashion Icon will be on Monday, Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. at the Howard Theatre. Tickets start at $45 and can be purchased on the Howard website. 

Gimme Gimme Disco: A Dance Party Inspired by ABBA will be on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 10 p.m. at 9:30 Club. Tickets are $35 are available on 9:30 Club’s website. 

Marc Rebillet – We Outside will be on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 10 p.m. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased on 9:30 Club’s website.