Arts & Entertainment
Finally, a film for ‘Follies’
Fans of composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim will be “losing their minds” over the latest news from the theatre icon: at long last, a film is being made of his classic 1971 Broadway musical, “Follies.”
At the helm of the new movie will be Dominic Cooke, a four-time Olivier Award-winning and BAFTA nominated theatre, TV and film director and writer. The British filmmaker is known for the quiet drama, “On Chesil Beach,” but he also directed an acclaimed London revival of “Follies” for the National Theatre in 2017. A videotaped performance of that production was screened in film theaters across the UK and US, and it also returned to the West End for an encore run earlier this year.
The show, which includes musical theatre standards such as “Broadway Baby,” “Losing My Mind,” and I’m Still Here,” was written by Sondheim in collaboration with the late James Goldman, who penned the libretto. Centered on former performers of a Ziegfeld-style musical revue of the thirties and forties, it takes place on the night of a reunion party held in the soon-to-be-demolished theatre in which they had their heyday, as they reflect on – and attempt to come to terms with – the choices they have made about their lives and careers in the decades since. In the course of the action, the characters perform songs and dance numbers paying tribute to the American musical theatre of their younger years.
The original 1971 production has the reputation for being a flop, despite being nominated for eleven Tony Awards and winning seven; factually, the show was widely praised by critics and ran for 522 performances, but as the second-most expensive Broadway production ever mounted at that time, it ultimately lost its entire investment. The musical has since had several major revivals, including the recent National Theatre production and a Tony-winning 2011 remount starring Bernadette Peters.
Several attempts have been made in the past to develop a film version, most recently in 2015 when director Rob Marshall was reported to be behind the camera for an adaptation starring Meryl Streep. Observers have often cited the show’s dark anti-nostalgia and its cast of middle-aged or older characters as reasons for the failure of these earlier efforts to reach fruition in an industry concerned with the bottom line.
“Over the years, there have been many attempts to bring Follies to the screen, but not until Dominic Cooke’s brilliant production at the National Theatre of Great Britain did it seem like it could be a real movie. I’m more than delighted, I’m thrilled, that it’s finally going to happen,” Sondheim said in a statement.
No cast or release date have yet been announced for the new film version, which will be produced by David Heyman, Rose Allison, and Rose Garnett.
Sports
Jason Collins dies at 47
First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer
Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.
The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.
Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.
Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.
Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.
The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”
“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”
Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
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