Arts & Entertainment
Rehoboth Beach summer 2022: ‘Let’s choose joy!’
Business owners excited for new season
Your return to Rehoboth Beach for the 2022 spring and summer season should be exciting as we look to move past all the COVID cancellations and restrictions of the past two years.
Everyone in town has been working hard over the past year to make sure this summer is safe and fun. There are new businesses, over-the-top new dance parties, and other less welcome changes, like the loss of the Dolle’s sign on the boardwalk.
Fewer than 1,500 people actually live in or own property in the town of Rehoboth Beach with the right to vote, yet the population swells to over 25,000 in the summer. Rehoboth wasn’t always the gay-friendly town it is today, but the work of CAMP Rehoboth, the LGBTQ community center founded by Murray Archibald and Steve Elkins in 1991, helped changed all that. Now the community is not only welcoming but businesses work hard to attract the LGBTQ community to town. CAMP has new leadership this summer, including Wes Combs as the new president of the board. Executive Director David Mariner recently announced his resignation after three years; the acting director is Lisa Evans.
Combs recently announced CAMP is going through “a strategic planning process to carry the organization into its next chapter. CAMP is delivering critically important and impactful free programming to promote community well-being on all levels; to foster the development of community groups; to develop community space; to promote human and civil rights; to work against prejudice and discrimination; to lessen tensions among the community at large; and to help foster economic growth.”
As you plan your return to Rehoboth, there have been some changes since last year. Aqua Grill reopened in April on Baltimore Avenue with a new menu. It remains the go-to spot for outdoor happy hour after the beach. Then there is The Pines across the street, a great place for dinner and a show. Plan on being at the beach July 16-17 for Hair and Heels weekend at the convention center, sponsored by The Pines, a dance and drag brunch extraordinaire. As if that’s not enough, The Pines’s owners along with Lion Gardner, former chef at the Blue Moon, are hoping to open Drift on Baltimore Avenue by the end of June. Lion has already prepared the menu for Drift and you can sample it many Sundays at The Pines in advance of the much-anticipated opening.
If you haven’t been to Rehoboth since last summer, then you missed the grand opening of Freddie’s Beach Bar on 1st Street. Freddie Lutz is planning exciting things for his first full season at the beach and has already hosted the ageless Pamala Stanley, who left The Pines in the off season.
Another hotly anticipated newcomer is Red, White and Basil, which closed its D.C. location in Adams Morgan and is preparing to open on Route 1 just outside of town. It’s owned by Mark Hunker and Jeff McCracken of Duplex Diner fame; the two also own Jam (best avocado toast in town) and Eden in Rehoboth and recently acquired Coho’s Market & Grill on Rehoboth Avenue.
Also this off-season, the long-awaited Agave Mexican restaurant opened on Route 1 in Rehoboth, an offshoot of the ever-popular Lewes location. The huge bar is gorgeous but arrive early as it’s always packed. The authentic mole sauce can’t be beat.
Ava’s Pizzeria and Wine Bar also opened in the off season at 29 Baltimore Ave. It’s part of a small local chain and a comfy spot for good pizzas, wine, and more. Speaking of wine, the new Unwined wine bar is coming soon to the old Azzurro restaurant spot, which closed for good during the pandemic. The second-floor outdoor deck is one of the best spots in town.
Also new this year is Above the Dunes in the old Greene Turtle space on the boardwalk. Rehoboth has a surprising dearth of outdoor, waterfront dining so the transformation of the old Turtle with its overwhelming number of blaring TVs into the bright, inviting Dunes is a welcome development. The staff here are incredibly friendly and the view is all ocean. The menu includes some healthful alternatives to all the boardwalk grease and fries, including a tuna poke and Korean salmon bowl. Don’t miss it.
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden recently visited their home at the beach and took to the bicycle path. Not sure if they will be able to do what they did in past seasons stopping in at Joe Mack’s Double Dippers on 1st Street, but Joe hopes to see them sometime during the summer. I also know Lori Klein would love to see the first lady back during the 26th season at Lori’s Oy Vey Café in the CAMP courtyard, picking up a sandwich for Joe like she used to. Even if she won’t be there you should not miss Lori’s famous chicken salad.
One of the great old standbys at the beach, celebrating its 23rd birthday, is The Purple Parrot Grill and Biergarten on Rehoboth Avenue. Owners Hugh Fuller and Troy Roberts make everyone feel welcome with consistently good food, entertainment, and a handsome group of friendly bartenders and managers. Fuller said, “The town has an excitement about it that has been building since last year. If the last few months are indicative of what’s ahead it’s going to be a record-breaking summer.” He kidded that if you are part of the excitement, then “don’t complain about the crowds, or traffic, sure to be at the beach.”
Then there is the iconic Back Porch on Rehoboth Avenue; as locals know, weekend brunch at the cozy bar is one of the town’s most charming and unforgettable bites. Of course, Meghan Kee’s collection of restaurants, including La Fable, Dalmata, Houston White and the new Bramble and Brine at The Buttery in Lewes, continue to wow local foodies.
“The summers are always too short,” Kee said. “With that in mind, I am looking forward to making this season the best I can for our guests and my staff. Seems that our region will be busy, booming, and bustling come Memorial Day. It’s our duty as business owners and residents to give people what they come here for. Creative thinking and strategy got us all through the past two years, let’s choose joy for this third COVID summer.”
The Blue Moon is back offering some of the best fine dining in town along with drag and other entertainment; talented NYC pianist Nate Buccieri is expected to return for the season. Check Blue Moon’s site for updates.
The gay-owned Port 251 offers drag brunch and a friendly bar where Blade Best Bartender nominee Zane Rego holds court. The fabulous Holly Lane remains behind the bar at Cafe Azafran. Check out Goolees Grill for one of the best breakfasts in town. The Coffee Mill is ready and owner Mel Damascena told the Blade, “We are celebrating 30 years serving the local community. We have special events coming up including fundraising events to help community non- profits at both The Coffee Mill and the Mill Creamery right across from Coffee Mill serving local Hopkins’s ice cream.” Damascena also has Brashhh on 1st street, now celebrating nine years in business. Longtime Rehoboth business owner Steve Fallon has the always fun Gidget’s Gadgets on Rehoboth Avenue and now a second place selling vinyl records, Extendedplay. He invites everyone to Rehoboth and says,“if you stroll the streets, appreciate the diversity and embrace the many shops and eateries, your stay will be memorable.”
Back on Baltimore Avenue don’t forget to stop in at mainstays like Elegant Slumming for exquisite jewelry and Philip Morton Gallery for art, and the delicious Frank and Louie’s for sandwiches andItalian specialties. On Wilmington, Yolanda has remodeled Mariachi. Don’t leave the beach without a gift for your pet from Critter Beach on Rehoboth Avenue and then further out on Rehoboth Avenue is Rigby’s Bar and Grill and the popular Diego’s Bar and Nightclub with regular entertainment and a bustling outdoor beach bar.
Remember that Rehoboth is also home to a vibrant community theater and here’s hoping the town commissioners will not force it to leave town. Plan to see a show at the amazing Clear Space Theatre on Baltimore Avenue. This season’s productions include “The Submission,” “9 to 5,” “Grease,” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
Make your plans early as hotels and rentals are all booking fast.
a&e features
Doug Spearman takes his chance
‘Noah’s Arc: The Movie’ debuted on Paramount+ last month
There’s no question that when Patrik-Ian Polk’s series “Noah’s Arc” premiered on Logo 20 years ago, it was a groundbreaking creation. The story of a group of Black gay men and their wonderful friendship. The titular arc was that of the cute main character, Noah (Darryl Stephens), and his close-knit circle of friends, including Chance played by gay actor Doug Spearman. This compelling and loving fraternity may, in fact, be what brought viewers back repeatedly, including a 2008 movie, “Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom,” as well as the 2020 “Noah’s Arc” short, and now, a new full-length feature “Noah’s Arc: The Movie,” debuting on Paramount+ on June 20. In the movie, filled with equal measures of laughs and tears, Chance, who has faced a devastating loss, finds his dependable friends there, ready to support and comfort him at a moment’s notice. I had the pleasure of speaking with Spearman the morning of the streaming premiere of “Noah’s Arc: The Movie.”
WASHINGTON BLADE: Doug, since the early 2000s, when the “Noah’s Arc” series premiered on Logo, you have been playing the character of Chance, including in the latest installment, “Noah’s Arc: The Movie.” What was it about Chance that appealed to you as an actor?
SPEARMAN: When Patrik (-Ian Polk) called me to ask me to play him (Chance), I was at JFK airport in the baggage claim, waiting for a suitcase. He explained what the part was. The thing that stuck out to me was the fact that Chance was in a long-term relationship with another Black man. And, they had a child; they had a 4-year-old daughter named Kenya. I had never seen two Black gay men raise a child on TV before. I thought it was the most revolutionary thing I’d ever seen. I immediately thought I’ve got to do this because that was something nobody had seen. I thought it was incredibly important to take the part.
BLADE: “Noah’s Arc: The Movie” was, once again, written and directed by Patrik-Ian Polk, who you just mentioned, is the creator of the entire franchise. What’s the secret to your long-standing working relationship?
SPEARMAN: [Laughs] the whole team, all of us, are like a band of brothers. We fight like brothers, we come together like brothers, we hash things out, we talk, because we’re all very different from our characters. I think the challenge of playing these guys and then uplifting these men, playing a part, especially something written by Patrik, is like solving a math equation. There’s always a challenge that’s enjoyable for me as an actor: to try to find out what it is that Patrik wants, and then how do I do it.
BLADE: I think you do a very good job of it.
SPEARMAN: Thank you very much
BLADE: In the years between “Jumping the Broom” and the new full-length movie, many changes have occurred, and the story addresses some of them, including gay widowhood, which is something that the aging community is now confronting, as well as mental health issues. Please say a few words about how you approached those subjects in the new movie.
SPEARMAN: I had a lot of loss in my life, right before we started shooting. Two months before we started shooting the first series, my mother died. I was going through the grief process through that whole first season. Since then, I’ve lost a lot of people in my life. In fact, when we started shooting the second season, the second week we were shooting, my ex died of a heart attack. I was having to fold that into what I was doing with my life on the set and off the set. You’ve got to show up and you’ve got to do your work. The first two seasons of “Noah’s Arc” are always tinged with the memory of grief. So, when I had to deal with the death that Chance faces (in the new movie), which is a significant death in his life, it wasn’t that hard to reach back, especially the scene in the graveyard. It was something that I unfortunately could pull from personal experience.
BLADE: Shifting gears, the movie features delightful cast surprises, including Jasmine Guy and TS Madison. Did you have a chance to interact with either or both when they were on set?
SPEARMAN: No, I didn’t have any scenes with Jasmine, and I missed her. I wish I had gotten to see her because I actually got to direct Jasmine for a CBS promo shoot for “Queen,” back in the early ‘90s. I had a huge crush on her when she was on “A Different World.” So, I really would have liked to reconnect. But TS and I got to see each other every day because I was in all her scenes. It was extraordinary being around somebody like that. That is one outspoken woman!
BLADE: Even though Beyoncé never makes an appearance in the movie, there’s a lot of talk about her. Would you say you are a Beyoncé fan?
SPEARMAN: Yes! I’m breathing! Yes, I’m a Beyoncé fan. I actually got the chance to meet her. I knew her mom. Her mom was extraordinary to me. She is in the second movie I directed. She also gave us a wedding gown to use in the very first scene of the movie. That family is extraordinarily important to me. Not only just to be a fan, but to be somebody who’s gotten to know them and work with them and see how hard they work. I don’t think anybody works as hard as Tina or Beyoncé.
BLADE: There was a recent news item about gay actor Benito Skinner of the Amazon Prime series “Overcompensating” being told not to bother auditioning for straight roles. As an out actor yourself, how important do you think it is for queer characters to be portrayed by queer actors, and vice versa?
SPEARMAN: Being queer is a multifaceted identity. There’s no one kind of queer person. I think finding the best actor that’s your first circle of casting. I think one of the joys about being an actor is that you get to play different parts. I play straight guys all the time. Dads and husbands and things like that. I think a lot of people are told not to do it. In fact, I wouldn’t be Chance if the actor who was originally cast as Chance hadn’t been pulled out of the series by his agents because they didn’t want him to play a gay character.
BLADE: That’s amazing! Thank you for sharing that. Without giving away too much, the ending of the movie is a little ambiguous, even ending with a question mark. If there was a “Noah’s Arc: The Movie” sequel, would you come back for that?
SPEARMAN: Yeah! A lot of it would depend on what Chance’s journey is going to be like. Patrik and I have conversations like that all the time. He’s very interested and supportive of input. I hope I would be, as we all would be, part of the creative growth with these characters. They live in Patrik’s head, and he writes them, but we’re the ones who have to flesh them out. It’s a conversation, it’s always a conversation.
BLADE: You are currently performing in Molière’s “The Imaginary Invalid” as part of the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane. What has this experience been like for you?
SPEARMAN: It’s extraordinary! I started on stage when I was seven. There’s nothing like working with a live audience and having that immediacy. I’m working with an extraordinarily talented cast in a really great play, and I have some of the best scene partners I could ever want.
BLADE: Are there any upcoming film or TV projects you’d like to mention?
SPEARMAN: I’m still a writer, and I’m still a director, and I’ve still got scripts that I would like to make. I have a little something that’s a cross between “Treme” and “Bridgerton” that I want to do. I’m always trying to figure out what the next thing is.
Photos
PHOTOS: Montgomery County Pride in the Plaza
LGBTQ celebration held in downtown Silver Spring
Montgomery County Pride in the Plaza was held on Sunday, June 29 at Veterans Plaza in Silver Spring, Md.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The fifth annual Fredericksburg Pride march and festival was held on Saturday, June 28. A march through the streets of downtown Fredericksburg, Va. was followed by a festival at Riverfront Park.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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