Arts & Entertainment
Academy Museum reveals long-awaited opening date in surprise Oscar-night announcement
In all the excitement over Oscar night’s landmark win by “Parasite” for Best Picture, one of the ceremony’s other most notable moments might have been overlooked in post-show hubbub.
History was also made during the Academy Awards presentation in Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre on Sunday when Tom Hanks announced to the audience – and to millions of broadcast viewers around the world – that the long-awaited Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will be opening its doors in 2020.
Hanks, who made the announcement in his capacity as museum trustee and co-chair, alongside co-chair Annette Bening and chair Bob Iger, of the Academy Museum campaign, started with comments about LA’s abundance of museums (“We even have a museum dedicated to selfies. I’m not sure why, but there it is.”).
He went on to add, “But there has never been a museum dedicated to the art and science of motion pictures, but it is being born, this labor of love,” before joking that he had spent the day “laying drywall” side by side with fellow Oscar nominees Scarlett Johansson and Brad Pitt.
“Brad Pitt was working on the roof with his shirt off, as was Colin Jost,” said Hanks, referring to the SNL cast member who is currently dating Johansson, “and, dude, that was no contest.”
After those kerfuffle-causing remarks, the actor went on to announce that the Academy Museum will open its doors to the public on Monday, December 14, 2020.
Following the live announcement, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued a statement, in which Academy Museum Director Bill Kramer said:
“We cannot wait to welcome the whole world to the Academy Museum. When our doors open on December 14, our thrilling combination of exhibitions, screenings, and public and educational programs will create unparalleled experiences for movie lovers everywhere.”
Academy CEO Dawn Hudson added:
“The dream of this museum will finally become a reality — a gathering place for filmmakers and movie fans from around the world, where we can share the Oscars legacy and further fulfill the Academy’s mission to connect the world through cinema.”
Adding his own comments, Ron Meyer, chair of the Academy Museum Board of Trustees and Vice Chairman of NBCUniversal, said:
“This is a museum that only the Academy could create: exciting and illuminating; historic and contemporary. We look forward to sharing the global reach of cinema.”
Major construction has been already been completed on the Academy Museum’s structure, designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano in a revitalization of the iconic Saban Building, located on at Wilshire and Fairfax on Los Angeles’s Miracle Mile. The Museum had previously announced that it has reached 95% of its $388 million pre-opening campaign, and that installation of four floors of immersive, innovative exhibitions is now beginning.
According to the statement:
“The Academy Museum will be the world’s premier institution dedicated to the art and science of movies. Located on Wilshire and Fairfax in Los Angeles, the Museum will be simultaneously immersive, experimental, educational, and entertaining. More than a museum, this dynamic film center will offer unparalleled experiences and insights into movies and moviemaking.”
You can find out more about what the Academy Museum has in store for us at their website.
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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