Arts & Entertainment
Nicki Minaj pulls out of Saudi Arabia festival to support LGBTQ rights, women’s rights
Liam Payne is still scheduled to perform
Nicki Minaj has canceled her appearance at Jeddah World Fest in Saudi Arabia because she says she wants to show her support for LGBTQ rights, freedom of expression and women’s rights.
“After careful reflection I have decided to no longer move forward with my scheduled concert at Jeddah World Fest,ā Minaj said in a statement to the Associated Press.āWhile I want nothing more than to bring my show to fans in Saudi Arabia, after better educating myself on the issues, I believe it is important for me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community and freedom of expression.ā
The alcohol and drug-free festival, which takes place on July 18 at the King Abdullah Sports Stadium in the Red Sea city, also includes Liam Payne and Steve Aoki in the lineup.
The Human Rights Foundation urged Minaj, who recently participated in World Pride in New York City, and Payne to drop out of the festival.
āThe Human Rights Foundation (HRF) considers the Saudi regime to be one of the worldās worst human rights violators and has contacted Minaj, urging her to cancel her performance, refuse the regimeās money, and instead use her global influence to issue a statement demanding the release of the Saudi women activists who are currently in prison. Minaj, who took part in World Pride festivities in her hometown of New York City last month to celebrate LGBTQ rights, will be performing in a country where homosexuality is punishable by imprisonment or death. In April of this year, at least five men were executed by the Saudi regime for admitting to sexual relations with other men after enduring months of torture,ā the statement reads.
President of the Human Rights Foundation Thor Halvorssen praised Minaj for choosing not to perform.
“This is what leadership looks like. We are grateful to Nicki Minaj for her inspiring and thoughtful decision to reject the Saudi regimeās transparent attempt at using her for a public relations stunt,āHalvorssen said in a statement. āThe July 18 festival in Saudi Arabia still shows Liam Payne as a performer. We hope that he follows Nicki Minajās lead. Minajās moral stance differs from celebrity performers like J-Lo and Mariah Carey, who in the past have chosen to line their pockets with millions of dollars and stand with dictatorial governments as opposed to with oppressed communities and imprisoned human rights activists.ā
Payne is still scheduled to perform.
a&e features
Rehoboth authorās new book tackles love, loss, and the allure of P-town
Will Freshwaterās series concludes with āThe Dark Horseā
For those of us who have experienced the allure of Provincetown, thereās no mystery about why author Will Freshwater set his series of three books there.
Itās not just about the scenic, remote location, or the many fine restaurants and spirited bars and nightclubs and theme weekends. Not just the picturesque harbor and its famed magical light. Itās about a shared sense of community unique among LGBTQ destinations.
Freshwater, whose latest book āThe Dark Horseā is out now, lives in Rehoboth Beach, Del., with his husband Stephen Cremen. And although Rehoboth became home after Freshwater retired from a career as a corporate attorney at Verizon in 2021, P-town always beckons. He first visited during the height of the AIDS crisis.
āI donāt think weāll ever experience anything like that again,ā he said. āThe community welcomed anyone who showed up on the ferry looking for love and support; it was a transformative experience.ā
Freshwaterās parents worried that heād never find a ānormal,ā happy life as a gay man, but P-town put those fears to rest.
āI saw people who were plenty happy and living lives that were what they wanted to be,ā he recalls. āI had never been able to hold my boyfriendās hand and walk down the street; young people canāt conceptualize that. It felt like home for me ā¦ it felt welcoming, a warm place where I could be myself.ā
So, naturally, the protagonist in his series of books, John Wells, travels to P-town from D.C. to find himself.
The first book in the Provincetown series, āFavorite Son,ā is a familiar read to any gay man of a certain age who worked on the Hill in the 1990s ā the sting of the closet, the need to be the best at work, and the chance meetings of romantic partners while riding the Metro. The story of John Wells, a senior Hill staffer, takes a turn after tragedy sends him reeling to P-town to heal.
The second book in the series, a prequel titled āThe Dark Horse,ā takes readers back in time when the main characters ā all gay men ā are in their 20s. Freshwater says it wasnāt a conscious decision to write a prequel, but that it evolved out of wanting to show younger readers what life was like for gays at that time.
āWe did stupid stuff and made stupid mistakes and ran away,ā he said. āAs a reader I often want to know what made a character a certain way. I was aware of my audience and in my generation I had the older mentors that shared our history and they died; I wanted readers to see what itās like for these characters to be in their 20s not just their 30s. I wanted to give that perspective to younger readers because I donāt know how theyāre going to experience that if not through books.ā
The new book, āThe Dark Horse,ā finds the characters Danny and Peter/John in domestic life in Boston where Danny runs the family business. Everyone is feeling restless and a bit miserable.
āItās about what happens after the fairy tale,ā Freshwater said.
The book also confronts the issue of unresolved feelings for past boyfriends, which takes the characters back to Provincetown. Thereās a shocking plot twist at the end of the second book, an unexpected ending for the romance genre, that is resolved to satisfaction in the final book.
āYou wonāt know until the final four pages of the book how it resolves,ā he notes.
This is the shortest book in the series and Freshwater says it took just 11 months to complete, compared to six years for the first book and eight years for the second book.
āThereās a great sense of closure and I can always visit these characters but Iām excited to move on and do new things.ā
Indeed, Freshwater is working on several new projects, including a book set in Rehoboth that heās co-writing with a friend, the gay romance author B.J. Irons. Freshwater is writing one character, a Rehoboth local who manages an inn on Baltimore Avenue and wants to ābreak out of his shell.ā Irons is writing the other main character, a developer from Los Angeles who moves to Rehoboth to open a large resort across the street from the inn. The book explores their friendship and business rivalry.
Rehoboth became home for Freshwater and Cremen thanks largely to the pandemic.
āIād been coming here since age 3 because it was the closest beach to Pittsburgh,ā he said. āWhen I was in law school I got introduced to a guy who had a house on the beach between Rehoboth and Dewey so I used to come down a lot in the mid-1990s and became hooked.ā
The couple bought a house in Rehoboth in 2018 and split their time between there and a home in New Jersey.
āWhen the pandemic started, we went to Rehoboth for two weeks thinking it would all blow over quickly and then never went back.ā
The couple began questioning their stressful lifestyle of maintaining two homes and corporate jobs. So they sold the New Jersey house and moved full time to Rehoboth in 2021.
In addition to the new book, Freshwater is writing a childrenās book using the classic āVelvet Rageā as inspiration. It features a puppy with a pink spot on his cheek while all the others in the litter have a black spot. The dog wears a mask to conceal his difference, but when it comes out everyone accepts him.
āIt thematically speaks to not hiding who you are,ā he said.
Freshwater offers sound advice to aspiring writers struggling to find their voice and overcome writerās block.
āIt always starts with an idea or character or theme and then you develop a broad outline and then work your butt off,ā he said. āDecide when youāre going to write and make a commitment that youāre going to do it, like an athlete who commits to practice every day from 3:30-5:30. Donāt wait for inspiration, just commit to writing every day, and then edit, edit, edit until it feels like whatās inside your head.ā
The new book is self published because Freshwater craved creative freedom.
āIām not sure what traditional publishers have to offer anymore,ā he said, ālike YouTube for musicians, if youāve got what you think is a high quality manuscript, put it out there and it will generate a following.ā
Freshwater will read from āThe Dark Horseā at an event on Saturday, March 23, 5-7 p.m. at Top of the Pines (56 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach). His books are available at Amazon and anywhere books are sold.Ā
Movies
Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells want to adopt baby in ‘I Don’t Understand You’
Film premiered at SXSW in Austin
Editor’s note: Jack Morningstar attended SXSW in Austin, Texas.
“I Don’t Understand You” focuses on a couple whose romantic Italian getaway devolves into bloody chaos while they prepare to adopt their first child.Ā
The film, while veering into hilariously gruesome hijinks, tells the story of a gay couple who is willing to kill for a chance at fatherhood. It sheds light on the hurdles that same-sex couples often go through in the adoption process: Financial burdens, time constraints, fraud, and in this case, a rural Italian family.
The film premiered last weekend at SXSW in Austin and stars Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells along with Nunzia Schiano, Morgan Spector and Eleonora Romandini. It was written and directed by Brian Crano and David Craig, who are married. They sourced inspiration from their own adoption struggles and an Italian vacay gone wrong.
āWe were about to leave for Italy when we found out that we had matched with a birth mother and our son would be born in about six weeks,ā said Crano.
According to Craig, the trip was tense and it culminated in their car getting stuck in a ditch on their way to an anniversary dinner.
āWe ended up at an old ladyās house after she rescued us in her Fiat. Her family cooked us a meal and we stayed up drinking with them until 3 a.m., not understanding a word they were saying,ā he said.
Without spoiling anything, the couple in the movie go to absurd lengths to ensure that their adoption goes through. Craig explained that the theme of the movie was “what would you do for your kid.”Ā
“We were three years into our own journey at the time and realized we would literally do anything to make that dream a reality. Itās really a love letter to our son,ā he said.
The film is hard to relegate to a single genre.
āWhen conceiving the story, we saw it as different parts ā romantic comedy, horror movie, murder play ā but I think by bringing in Nick and Andrew that blend actually became much more of an organic mix where the comedy sustained throughout. They elevated it in a more elegant fashion,ā said Craig.
“I Donāt Understand You”was produced by Pinky Promise, a women-led production company with the mission to elevate diverse voices in their storytelling. Kara Durrett, Pinky Promiseās current president was a champion of this script from the beginning. Founder Jessamine Burgum recounts that when Durrett was onboarding, she said āIf you donāt get [“I Donāt Understand You”] I donāt know if this is going to work.ā
It ultimately became one of the first projects Burgum and Durrett collaborated on.Ā
Kroll and Rannellsā chemistry carried the film.
āThere was a desire to work with each of them because they had both separately been in such amazing comedian teams ā like Andrew with Josh Gad and Nick with John Mulaney. Nick and Andrewās characters are in almost every scene of the movie together, so they needed to be adept to basically doing a shared performance. There was no one more well-positioned to do this as naturally as possible,ā said Crano.
Their characters are easy to root for, yet also deeply flawed.
āA big thing we wanted to do with this movie, and with all of our work in telling stories, is avoid telling a cliched gay trauma film. Weāve never ascribed to the idea that there is a subcategory to film that is LGBTQ, rather ā movies are for everyone. We want to make a movie where gay characters are flawed, not for being gay, but because of who they are. They can be villains, but they are our protagonists,ā said Craig.
Out & About
Celebrate spring with these D.C.-area events
Galas, Cherry Weekend, Pride, and more on tap
Temperatures outside are starting to rise and the sun is shining again. Hereās a list of upcoming D.C. events that can make enjoying the good weather even that much more thrilling.
Cherry Weekend Washington begins on Thursday, April 4. The Cherry weekend is a spectacular and joyous event held over four days featuring 16 world renowned DJs, nine different events and four fun daytime parties.
3rd Friday Night Open Mic will take place on Thursday, March 15 at 9 p.m. at the Bus Boys and Poets location in Brookland. This event will be hosted by Mariah Barber (they/she), a queer storyteller, consultant, spoken word artist, and activist who has been creating social justice-oriented art for the last 15 years. Tickets start at $5 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.Ā
RuPaulās Drag Race Season 15 winner Sasha Colby will bring her Sasha Colby: Stripped Tour to the Howard Theatre on Wednesday, March 27 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased on the Howard Theatreās website.Ā
Decades DC returns with Throwback Thursdays on Thursday, March 14 at 10 p.m. This event will have an open air rooftop and the first drink is on the house. Entry is free until midnight and more details are available on Eventbrite.Ā
Skin and Wellness Center will host Equinox Celebration on Tuesday, March 19 at 7 p.m. at 929 W. Broad St. This event will involve movement, breath work, meditation and community connection to celebrate the spring equinox and embrace energies of rebirth, fertility, creativity, balance, and expansive growth for mind, body, and spirit. Tickets cost $28.52 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.Ā
Models Inc. will host The Front Row! Fashion Show on Saturday, March 30 at 7 p.m. at the Silver Spring Black Box Theatre. This is the ultimate destination for designers seeking to showcase their talent and brand. This exclusive event provides a platform to promote artistry and visions, featuring various artists, creatives, fashion enthusiasts, models, stylists, and visionaries. Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.Ā
Spring Bling Adult Prom will be on Friday, April 26 at 8 p.m. at Graces Event Center. Guests are encouraged to wear their favorite spring colors and show up for a night of dancing, food and fun.Tickets cost $92.55 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
TSR Productions will host Spring Salsa Bash on Saturday, March 23 at 8 p.m. at The Salsa Room Tysons. This event will feature Hermanos Galvan and Orquesta live in concert playing the best salsa, bachata, and merengue. There will also be top DJs playing the best in Latin trap, urbana, reggaetton. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.Ā
We Will Survive Cancer will host Spring Fling Cocktail & Dance Party on Saturday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m. at Whino. This event will be hosted by DJ Steve. Tickets cost $25 and all proceeds are donated to cancer patients. More details are on Eventbrite.
Chase Brexton Health Care hosts its 2024 Gala at the Baltimore Museum of Art, with the theme centered around the NEW Roaring ā20s on Saturday, March 30. Details at chasebrexton.org.Ā
CAMP Rehobothās annual Womenās FEST is scheduled for April 25-28. Lea DeLaria will headline with Crys Matthews opening. Visit camprehoboth.org for details.
Trans Pride Washington, D.C. is scheduled for Saturday, May 18. The full day of conference activities will take place at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. Visit transpridewashingtondc.org for details.
The Bladeās 17th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach is scheduled for Friday, May 17; details to be announced soon.
D.C.ās 49th annual Pride celebration kicks off May 31-June 9, culminating with the parade and festival. Visit capitalpride.org for details. The annual Pride on the Pier with fireworks celebration is slated for Saturday, June 8, 2-9 p.m. at the Wharf. Visit prideonthepierdc.com for details.
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