Arts & Entertainment
Live ‘Netflix Is a Joke’ Fest to include LGBTQ comedy night
Netflix is getting ready to step off your screens and onto a live stage, and it’s bringing a host of your favorite LGBTQ talent with it.
Don’t panic – Netflix isn’t going off the air. The company announced on Monday that it will present the first ever Netflix Is a Joke Fest, a live comedy festival inspired by the streaming giant’s popular YouTube channel, in Los Angeles this spring.
It’s the first time Netflix has ventured into the business of live events, and, in keeping with the content provider’s brand, it looks like the watchword is variety. There’s something for everyone in the line-up, which will perform from April 27 – May 3 across twenty different venues in LA, including iconic spots like the Hollywood Bowl, the Greek Theatre, and the Hollywood Palladium. Among the big names scheduled to participate are stars like Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, David Letterman, Amy Schumer, and Chelsea Handler; even “Grace and Frankie” stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin will be on hand, to host a special evening of all-female comics.
Another of the fest’s event’s that will be of particular interest to LGBTQ comedy fans is Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration, a stand-up showcase featuring a massive list of out and proud queer performers.
Alan Carr, Hannah Gadsby, Margaret Cho, Rosie O’Donnell, Sandra Bernhard, and Wanda Sykes are scheduled as the evening’s headliners, but there’s also a slew of additional talent on hand: Bianca Del Rio, Fortune Feimster, Gina Yashere, Guy Branum, James Adomian, Joel Kim Booster, Judy Gold, Lea DeLaria, Mae Martin, Marsha Warfield, Matteo Lane, Patti Harrison, Rhea Butcher, Sam Jay, Scott Thompson, Solomon Georgio, and Trixie Mattel – all of these be featured, with Demi Lovato, Graham Norton, and Ruby Rose included among the presenters.
On top of all that, the evening will also include a visit from the cast of a groundbreaking LGBTQ fan-favorite TV show, as “Schitt’s Creek: The Farewell Tour” brings the Rose family themselves (or at least, the beloved comedic giants who play them) onstage to “present a live and interactive evening that gives fans an insider’s look into the making of the series.”
According to Netflix, the evening of queer comedy will be “an unforgettable and unprecedented stand-up event… With special celebrity guests and surprise musical performances, you’re not gonna wanna miss this once in a lifetime show.”
Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration is set to happen on May 1 at the Greek Theatre in LA – but don’t let your FOMO get the best of you if you can’t be there. The show is scheduled to be taped and will presumably be available for streaming on the network at a later date.
The Netflix Is a Joke Fest itself runs April 27 – May 3, with tickets going on sale March 6.
Celebrity News
Madonna announces release date for new album
‘Confessions II’ marks return to the dance floor
Pop icon Madonna on Wednesday announced that her 15th studio album will be released on July 3.
Titled “Confessions II,” the new album is a sequel to 2005’s “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” an Abba and disco-infused hit.
The new album reunites Madonna with producer Stuart Price, who also helmed the original “Confessions” album. It’s her first album of new material since 2019’s “Madame X.”
“We must dance, celebrate, and pray with our bodies,” Madonna said in a press release. “These are things that we’ve been doing for thousands of years — they really are spiritual practices. After all, the dance floor is a ritualistic space. It’s a place where you connect — with your wounds, with your fragility. To rave is an art. It’s about pushing your limits and connecting to a community of like-minded people,” continued the statement. “Sound, light, and vibration reshape our perceptions. Pulling us into a trance-like state. The repetition of the bass, we don’t just hear it but we feel it. Altering our consciousness and dissolving ego and time.”
Denali (@denalifoxx) of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” performed at Pitchers DC on April 9 for the Thirst Trap Thursday drag show. Other performers included Cake Pop!, Brooke N Hymen, Stacy Monique-Max and Silver Ware Sidora.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
In an act of artistic defiance, Baltimore Center Stage stays focused on DEI
‘Maybe it’s a triple-down’
By LESLIE GRAY STREETER | I’m always tickled when people complain about artists “going political.” The inherent nature of art, of creation and free expression, is political. This becomes obvious when entire governments try to threaten it out of existence, like in 2025, when the brand-new presidential administration demanded organizations halt so-called diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming or risk federal funding.
Baltimore Center Stage’s response? A resounding and hearty “Nah.” A year later, they’re still doubling down on diversity.
“Maybe it’s a triple-down,” said Ken-Matt Martin, the theater’s producing director, chuckling.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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Comings & Goings
Minimal version of ‘Streetcar Named Desire’ heading to Dupont Underground
