a&e features
Out classical pianist Hough promotes new essay collection
Practicing, recording, concertizing and more considered in pithy book ‘Rough Ideas’
Many classical musicians eschew talking about their personal lives. With little public interest in who’s having sex with whom a la Hollywood, pianists, conductors, violinists and the like can often get along without ever having to get into talking about sex or romance.
The gay British pianist Stephen Hough (pronounced “huff”), however, is not shy about such topics. In his new essay collection “Rough Ideas,” (published Feb. 4 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in the U.S.) he explores the question of the antiquated phrase, “Is he musical?,” as a euphemism for homosexuality in an age when it was “the love that dare not speak its name.”
He darts around all sorts of topics in short essays such as “Gay pianists: can you tell?,” “Can atonal music make you cry?,” “Is New Age thinking bad for musicians?,” “Authentically playing Rachmaninoff” and dozens more.
In 2018, his debut novel “The Final Retreat,” which he says is full of “very raw sexuality,” explored the gay longings of a middle-aged Catholic priest in seclusion.
All that to say, Hough, 58, is not at all stuffy and balks at no topic. He was slated to be here in mid-April to play a Beethoven piano concerto with the National Symphony Orchestra and present his book at Politics & Prose. That, of course, has been canceled but he was still game to carry on with a previously scheduled Blade interview on March 23.
Hunkered down at his home in central London where he lives with Dennis, his partner of 18 years, Hough was friendly and loquacious waiting out COVID-19. His comments have been edited for length.
WASHINGTON BLADE: How are things in London?
STEPHEN HOUGH: Well this is something you couldn’t have imagined really with everything shutting down the way it has. I was in New York with 9-11 and you know, it was an absolute lifesaver for me being together with friends and now, of course, you can’t do that. You can’t seek that human comfort, so that makes ths really very different. … I think when we come back to normality, we will treasure these things so much.
BLADE: How has it been for you?
HOUGH: Well, it’s two-fold. My concert diary for the next few months has been wiped clean. I get on the computer and it’s all gone blank, all the travel that was planned for concerts. There’s one for China, ironically, that’s still on for June, I don’t know whether or not that will still happen. … But there’s a positive side to it too. As a pianist, you spend most of your life alone practicing so that’s been the same. I think I’ve been more calm because I haven’t had to worry about whether this piece is ready, I’ve got to leave for the airport tomorrow … all those concerns are gone, which is really wonderful. Of course it’s only been a week. Maybe ask me again in a month the same question.
BLADE: What’s the mood like in your neighborhood?
HOUGH: Well, it’s never been this quiet even on Christmas morning. There are very few cars around, nobody is on the streets. … It’s something people haven’t felt since the Soviet Russian times and that’s scary.
BLADE: Do you know anyone who’s succumbed?
HOUGH: No but it’s funny — my partner and I were in Taiwan for Christmas and we came back just before the new year and he thinks he may have had a mild for of it, but that was in early January so we just thought it was the flu.
BLADE: Has your practice had more clarity? Are you more focused?
HOUGH: I think it’s been more concentrated and more joyful. I’ve been practicing some Schubert sonatas and I’ve been overwhelmed by how beautiful the music is. I wouldn’t say in a way that I’ve never felt before, but there’s a purity to it, much like the air in our city. Because there are so few cars around, London feels very fresh and it’s spring.
BLADE: I would be tempted to get lazy. Have you?
HOUGH: So far it’s been OK. I have some writing deadlines for three compositions that I took last year. At first I was thinking I’d have to kill myself to get them done, but now I can do them without having to worry too much. When I’m on holiday, I find it very easy to do literally nothing all day except just read, eat, sleep, repeat.
BLADE: How do you generally know how much to agree to professionally?
HOUGH: It’s very difficult to know if yo’ve got that right. I’m very careful about not dong things at the last minute. When you’re 21, 22 and just starting ot, you say yes to everything because you never know who will ask again. But you come to a point where you take stock a bit and realize you need enough time to prepare a piece. Not just to be able to play it from memory, but truly inhabit it, like an actor with a role in a play.
BLADE: What feedback have you heard so far on “Rough Ideas”?
HOUGH: We’ve had some very nice responses from both people who are musicians and people who have no knowledge of music at all, so it’s very gratifying when that comes back. … This is a book you can give your grandmother, unlike my novel, which was quite different and came out the year before about a priest who’s being blackmailed by a male prostitute.
BLADE: Wow, sounds scandalous.
HOUGH: It’s very scandalous. …. My partner said, “You can’t publish this under your name,” but I said, “No, I’m going to own this book.” It was a topic I’d been wanting to explore — how do you continue to bring comfort to people if you’re a priest and you’ve completely lost your faith?
BLADE: Are you still a practicing Catholic?
HOUGH: I go to Mass but I don’t take communion. I just don’t feel I’m part of it enough to feel good about that, but it’s still a very central part of my life. The teachings — it’s not just about the rich and powerful, but also the widow and the orphan — there’s a wisdom there that very much makes sense to me.
BLADE: How musically sophisticated are Catholics today vs. historically?
HOUGH: I think it’s a very small number. We think about Catholic culture being so great but it was only in the big cathedrals where you might have a Mozart or a Palestrina. In the small parish churches, the music has never been that particularly distinguished. I think the Anglican church has had more of a musical life. There are lots of great cultural things in Catholicism but they were not always very spread out.
BLADE: How did you wind up being a British Catholic?
HOUGH: I converted when I was about 18. I’d grown up in a more evangelical background but I got very bored with those services. … I went to a Mass and there was something about it that appealed to me very deeply. I even explored becoming a priest a few times although I don’t think they’d take me anymore.
BLADE: Whom do you see as the audience for “Rough Ideas”?
HOUGH: Well I hope everyone really, but certainly everyone who has any interest in music and the piano. There’s a lot of stuff in there I think will be helpful and interesting to piano students.
BLADE: Did your views evolve at all as you got them down on paper?
HOUGH: Yes, but I can’t remember now which ones that would be true of. One of the longest essay in there, which was published in a different form in another book of gay essays is about what it means to be Catholic and gay. … I think that one forced me to think though some tough issues.
BLADE: Why, as you touch on in the book, are young people in Asia so much more into classical concerts than elsewhere?
HOUGH: I think it must have to do with parents with the encouragement that kids get at home. Sometimes even being forced into lessons. I think it’s linked to why Asian kids so often do so well at school and university. It’s that support they have. You to to Korea or Taiwan or China and half the audience is under the age of 25. It’s incredible and wonderful. I have a couple of students at Juiliard and it’s interesting to see the lists of the people who get through and the people who don’t. I would say we’re talking 70-80 percent Asian. There’s something very touching about these countries where 200 years ago you wouldn’t have heard a note of Beethoven when he was writing, now they’re playing Beethoven better than the cultures in which it was written.
BLADE: Do you feel things are being dumbed down in the West overall?
HOUGH: Well yes, I think it’s happening everywhere … but I think there’s room for all kinds of music. I’m very uncomfortable with snobbishness in classical music.
BLADE: Yes, but it feels like it’s encroaching on space previously inhabited by the classical arts. You never just see a classical pianist on the Grammy Awards like you used to. If you do, they put Lang Lang with Metallica for some ridiculous stunt casting novelty thing. The Kennedy Center Honors will have one token honoree each year from the fine arts and the rest have become these middling, ’70s popular acts. Doesn’t stuff like this bother you? Again, not saying there’s anything wrong with the popular acts, but they’re encroaching on serious artists.
HOUGH: Well yes, it would be nice if these organizations would support and encourage the classical arts a bit more. I think the Grammys could do more to put some focus on the classical categories without losing anything of what they are.
BLADE: What do you think of the classical crossover acts?
HOUGH: Well, some are better than others.
BLADE: But what does it say about us that the public has such a voracious appetite for this junk while the serious acts will sell just a fraction of what they sell?
HOUGH: I think when you’re a kid, you need to be encouraged and hsown the way a bit and that’s something that’s happening less today in education. We have to find a way to educate people and bring them into this world and let them know this is great music worth making the effort for. On one hand, it doesn’t bother me. I’ve got friends who have no interest in music just as I have no interest in sports. We shouldn’t make people do things or suggest there’s anything wrong with them. … But it’s OK to entice people a bit to enjoy, say, a fine wine when they’ve been drinking something that’s really cheap and nasty. Some of it is about changing the palate. Some of that happens as we mature. Your tastes are usually different at 40 than they were at 20 but we typically need a bit of encouragement for things that are more difficult and classical music can sometimes be difficult. You might have to sit there for an hour vs. listening to a three-minute pop song.
a&e features
Mr. Henry’s celebrates 60 years of proud inclusivity
Capitol Hill staple remains ‘a caring community’
America’s 250th isn’t the only milestone birthday D.C. is celebrating this year.
Beloved D.C. restaurant Mr. Henry’s, that Capitol Hill staple, celebrates its Diamond Jubilee all year long. Named for its original owner Henry Yaffe, the restaurant opened on a warm day 60 years ago in the summer of 1966 and has never looked back.
Yaffe took over what was then a country western restaurant, renovated the interior to his liking, and created an institution. Yet Yaffe had another goal. As a gay man, “he created Mr. Henry’s to be a place where everyone felt welcome — not easy in 1966 — and he succeeded,” says current owner Mary Quillian.
“Mr. Henry’s has long been a place the LGBTQ community has supported because they felt and still feel welcomed,” says Quillian. Even in the current administration, “the gay community and the diversity-minded community continue to come.”
Since then, Mr. Henry’s has changed hands, opened and closed its second floor, welcomed famed musical acts, and played host to politicians, date nights, breakups, and birthdays. But it still feels like home (and has a note in the National Trust for Historic Preservation) at 601 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E.
Its wood-paneled, Victorian-inspired art-filled décor in the downstairs dining room and bar serves American pub fare for lunch and dinner daily, with brunch on weekends (and a dog-friendly patio). Upstairs, Mr. Henry’s hosts live jazz performances and special events most nights, continuing a musical tradition that has defined the venue for decades. That upstairs bar has played host to names like Roberta Flack and Woody Allen.
Musician Kevin Cordt said that, “Mr. Henry’s has been a part of my life for more than 30 years. I started as a customer, then became a bartender and server, and now I have the good fortune to play trumpet at one of the best live music venues in Washington, D.C.”
Aaron Myers, executive director of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, is also a supporter. “Not many cities can sport venues that have consistently served the community in the space of culture for more than 50 years, let alone can brag as the birthplace of culture defining talent.”
From the start, Yaffe promoted a rare yet celebrated combination of locals’ bar and soulful nightlife venue. Mr. Henry’s has attracted a diverse crowd at a time when such spaces were – and perhaps still are – uncommon, a diversity that is credited with helping protect the pub during the 1968 D.C. riots.
Longtime customer Evelyn Branic said, “Mr. Henry’s has been my ‘Cheers’ hangout since my wife and I moved to the Hill in 1987. I’ve experienced many iconic moments meeting politicians, reporters, civic activists, and neighbors engaging in spirited conversations. Whether political, LGBTQ, historians, neighbors, or out-of-towners, everyone could find a special place to be greeted as a friend.”
Its welcoming tables come dabbed with a bit of tea: In 1971, in a moment that has since become part of Capitol Hill lore, Yaffe lost the pub in a poker game to Larry Quillian. The Quillian family, recognizing the special role Mr. Henry’s played in the neighborhood, took over ownership, and committed to preserving its spirit. Today, Larry’s daughter Mary owns the bar, having given it a bit of a facelift for the bar’s 50th birthday, bringing in new tables and some fresh menu items.
For example, the menu has some of those dishes that regulars would riot if they disappeared. The Reuben and the hamburgers, the chili and in-house roasted turkey have never departed the menu. Dishes do evolve, says Quillen: they added wings about two decades ago.
In 2026, the restaurant is hosting monthly ticketed “decades” parties, celebrating each of the 10-year periods the restaurant’s been open, plus there were specials in June for Pride. The official 60th anniversary gala takes place Aug. 29, featuring performers, beverages, timeless favorite foods, swag – and the unveiling of a new cocktail.
Inclusive, eccentric, eclectic, Mr. Henry’s is looking forward to maintaining its centrality to diverse crowds in Capitol Hill. Battling inflation, rising menu prices, changing tastes, and thin margins, Quillian says that Mr. Henry’s has — and will always be — “a caring community for so many different folks. And THAT is why I am committed to keeping us going. Society needs places like Mr. Henry’s, now more than ever.”
a&e features
Television loses a legend, longtime ‘Will & Grace’ director James Burrows
Iconic hitmaker leaves behind a legacy of telling LGBTQ stories
You don’t have to be a pretentious film major to name 10 movie directors. But naming television directors is not that simple. They’re the unsung heroes of your favorite shows, and the late James Burrows was the television director. He passed on June 19, but his DNA runs through television history.
He directed over 1200 episodes of television and over 50 pilots. He co-created “Cheers” and directed many episodes of long-running series like “Friends,” “Taxi,” “Frasier,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and “Two and a Half Men.” You also may remember him from playing a heightened version of himself on the Lisa Kudrow comedy “The Comeback.”
He has left an indelible mark on the LGBTQ community. As recently as last year, he directed the series run of “Mid-Century Modern” starring Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, and Linda Lavin. He was also a longtime director of “Will & Grace” and directed every episode of the series revival. He even directed the unaired “Absolutely Fabulous” pilot with Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Johnston, and Zosia Mamet.
Not to mention he’s worked with queer icons throughout history, including Betty White and Stockard Channing on their single-season series, and Jennifer Coolidge in “2 Broke Girls.”
He started his career on shows like “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Rhoda,” “Laverne & Shirley,” and the first four seasons of “Taxi.”
He continued to work steadily and directed successful pilots that went to series for “Roc,” “3rd Rock From the Sun,” “Dharma & Greg,” and “Wings.” He directed multiple episodes of “Friends,” “Caroline in the City,” and “Frasier.”
This magic continued into the 2000s with him directing the pilots for “Two and a Half Men,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and multiple episodes of “Mike & Molly,” and the entire return series of “Will & Grace.”
What was the secret to his success? He’d enact the “fun clause” in his contract. In his words, “Life is too short to deal with obnoxious leads,” he shared. “So as long as the writing is good and the cast is fun, I’m going to enjoy the experience.”
He had the magic touch, having multiple pilots turned into long-running series. He was nominated for an Emmy 24 times in 26 years and worked consistently until a year before his death.
The secret was the way he brought the cast together. He describes, “it was my job to mold them into an ensemble, and they did round into a group of people who loved each other.”
This earned him 11 Emmy Awards and five Directors Guild of America Awards, including being awarded the inaugural DGA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Television Direction.
In a 2003 interview by the Television Academy, he was asked how he wants to be remembered, and he said, “That every night forever you can tune in somewhere, and there’ll be a show I did.”
He’s survived by his wife, Debbie, four daughters, seven grandchildren, and the countless people whose careers he launched and the countless viewers he inspired with his television legacy.
a&e features
D.C. prepares to party as Pride celebrations kick off Saturday
Bars, clubs have busy lineups; Pride on the Pier returns
Capital Pride’s date change isn’t slowing down the festivities. Back in December, the Capital Pride Alliance shifted the calendar for Pride celebrations in the nation’s capital from the second weekend of June to two weeks later to the weekend of June 20-21 to not conflict with President Trump’s birthday and 250th anniversary of America celebrations, with the aim that “our community can gather safely and without unnecessary barriers… We are protecting our space and preserving Pride as a powerful act of visibility, solidarity, and resistance.”
On the heels of WorldPride last year, the city shows no sign of slowing down. Instead, restaurants, bars, clubs, and neighborhoods are taking the opportunity to be even more visible. The Blade has put together a (non-comprehensive) list of parties, activations, and activities across town:
Pride on the Pier returns on Saturday, June 13 to the Wharf on the Southwest waterfront. The event, sponsored and hosted by the Washington Blade, is free and runs from 4-9 p.m. There will be vendors, DJs, and drag performances all day. VIP tickets are $25 and come with air conditioned party room, private bathrooms, and free cocktail. More details at prideonthepierdc.com.
Capital Pride Official Opening Party: RIOT! is the official opening dance party of Capital Pride, taking place Friday June 19, 9 PM-3AM. The 2026 edition headlining performer is Myki Meeks, a finalist of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 18; Bob The Drag Queen will perform a special set. DMV-area DJs and performers include: Bambi, Baphomette, Bumper, Cake Pop!, Connor, DJ Ed Bailey, DJ Diyanna Monet, Evry Pleasure, Jakknife Complex, Mari Con Carne, Pussy Noir, WessTheDJ. Trade owner Ed Bailey is producing the event.
Kinetic Presents brings the heat across the entirety of Pride weekend as well. It again is partnering with Capital Pride Alliance to produce four events over four days this Pride, including the Official Main Event on Saturday (the Friday official event is at Echostage). Kinetic’s parties are splayed across various D.C. venues, with special performances, massive productions, shirtless dancers, play zones, dance-forward audio and visuals, and international DJ talent. Thursday, June 18 at 10 PM at District Eagle is Lust, with music by Dan Slater and TOMI. Friday, June 19 at 10 PM is UNCUT XXL Heavy Load, at A.i. Warehouse in Union Market District, with music by Alex Acosta, Felipe Lira & Mitch Ferrino; the party is a “high-octane night of muscular house and tribal rhythms.” Saturday, June 20 at 10 PM brings that official main event, Kinetic Toy Land, at Echostage, with music by GSP & Matt Suave. Alaska Thunderfuck headlines. Sunday evening June 21 at 10 PM closes with discoVERS at SAX. A portion of tickets supports the DC LGBTQ+ community through Capital Pride Alliance.
9:30 Club always comes in clutch for the LGBTQ community. Already in June, it produced Kitty Kat Ball on June 7, and Kiesza performed on June 8. On June 20 at 10 PM, the famed Mixtape party hits the stage, care of gay DJs Shea van Horn and Matt Bailer, who have spun together for coming up on two decades. Mixtape has been held at several venues across the city over those years, and now settled on 9:30 Club for Pride. On June 25 at 7 PM, Big Freedia – the bounce artist from New Orleans – hits the 9:30 Club scene for the eighth time, as part of the Big Freedom Tour.
Crush: New this year from the 14th Street bar is the Pride Pop-Up, sitting pretty in the parking lot at 1820 14th St., N.W., at the corner of Swann Street by the start of the Pride Parade route. Hours are Friday from 2-10 PM and Saturday from 12-10 PM. Friday evening features Grizzly Bear Happy Hour, a DJ will set up shop on Saturday, and for those needing another layer, there’s a Crush merch store. Co-owner Mark Rutstein “has always wanted to throw a party in that parking lot, so he did,” said co-owner Stephen Rutgers. Note that Crush (the bar) will have a cover on Friday and Saturday.
Kiki: Over at Kiki, there’s a full slate of Pride-themed programming all week. Tuesday, June 16 at 9 PM brings karaoke; Wednesday, June 17 at 7:30 PM is trivia; Thursday June 18 at 9PM is “Night of 1000 Tatianna’s Drag Show”, and Friday June 19 at 9 PM brings the Juneteenth Serve Drag Show. Saturday, June 20 at 10 PM, post-parade, is a Pride Dance Party with DJ Lemz. Sunday daytime at 5 PM is the Father Figures Daddy Issues Special Drag Show; and after the festival at 8 PM, DJ Tezrah hits the tapes.
Jane Jane: Right along the parade route, gay-owned Jane Jane has transformed its space into a “No Kings, Yas Queens” activation in a direct response to the America 250th commemorations happening downtown, from the colorful window installation, to merch (including a custom bandana and tank) to disco wig installations. Events include industry night on Mondays, donations to LGBTQ charities, and to-go cocktails during the Pride Parade.
Shaw’s Tavern: Gay-owned Shaw’s Tavern on Florida Avenue celebrates Pride week with a full lineup of themed events, entertainment, and specials, including Pride trivia on Monday, June 15 at 7:30 PM, bingo on Tuesday, June 16 at 8 PM, a cabaret on Thursday, June 18 at 9 PM, Juneteenth Drag Brunch on Friday, June 19 at 12:30 PM, and both a pre-parade brunch (10 AM-4 PM) and post-parade party (5-9 PM) on Saturday, June 20. Sunday, June 21 at 7 PM brings Mama’s Sunday Supper & Drag Pride Show in the evening for anyone who is still awake.
Trade: This classic has a weekend of events, starting on Thursday, with Tiburon Pride Edition, a Latin Dance party in the Shark Tank. On Friday, the bar opens early (at 2 PM), with all-day happy hour and the Jx&Evry Show. On Saturday, the bar opens at noon, offering a prime parade viewing spot from its windows. There will be the CLASH drag show hosted by Tatianna and Crimsyn, and Sweet Spot party that night. On Sunday, the bar opens for normal hours at 2 PM, with DJs Adam K, Alex Love, and WESSTHEDJ.
Pitchers: The multi-level bar in Adams Morgan is hosting a Pride-themed show on Thursday, June 18 at 10 PM, with drawstring bag giveaways – the only kind of bag that will be allowed into the bar during Pride weekend. The show features drag queen Kyle Sonique Love.
Barrel House Cafe and Bar: Also by the parade route on 14th Street, Barrel House Cafe takes advantage of its large patio to have a slate of events during Pride week, including Schism, a drag and burlesque show on June 18 at 10 PM, as well as an all-day Pride party coinciding on parade day.
Bunker: Bunker again plays host to a series of afters. Friday night (Saturday 3:30 AM) is Unhinged, and Saturday night (Sunday 3:30AM) is Unholy. The regular Saturday night party (10 PM) brings in Venetian and Tiara Missou. All parties have cover charges.
District Eagle: Beyond the Kinetic party on Friday, June 19 brings Gear Night at 10 PM; Saturday, June 20 at 10 PM is LOBO presents PRISM, and Sunday, June 21 is Sundaze wit Papi at 6 PM.
African Art Museum: On Thursday, June 18 at 5 PM, this Smithsonian museum is hosting a free event with artists and curators celebrating its exhibit, “Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art,” “based on years of close collaboration and dialogue with African visual art practitioners who claim belonging in the LGBTQ+ community, however they define those terms,” according to the museum.
KNEAD Hospitality & Design: The gay-owned KNEAD restaurant group (including spots like Gatsby, Mi Vida, Succotash The Grill) is featuring the GLITTERATI cocktail, made with Tito’s, St-Germain Elderflower, Butterfly Flower, ginger, and yes, glitter. A portion of proceeds from every Glitterati cocktail sold will benefit The Trevor Project. The cocktail will be sold throughout June.
The Fountain Inn is partnering with Rhodium spirits (Rhode Island’s first LGBTQ+ owned distillery) all month, making cocktails like gimlets and espresso martinis featuring Rhodium’s liquors. Proceeds benefit SMYAL, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQ+ youth.
Hard Rock Cafe: Hard Rock DC is taking part in the chain’s annual “LOVE OUT LOUD” campaign, with Pride merch, specials on June 20, and a donation to The Trevor Project.
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Gay librarian to discuss new novel at Green Lantern
Calendar: July 10-16
Gay Fla. Democrat Elijah Manley sees opportunity in Trump’s second term
Ron Singer, owner of popular Mount Vernon gay bar Leon’s, dies
In Trump’s divided America, Michael Weinstein’s AHF responds
Turkish authorities refuse to allow gay cruise to dock in country
When a church fears the rainbow
PHOTOS: Crush Dance Bar
