Arts & Entertainment
Shop local this holiday season
Give a gift that shows how much you love D.C.
If you procrastinated your shopping and Amazon can’t deliver until February, your local D.C.-area retailers are here to save the holiday. Be sure to shop local this season. Below are a few of our favorite local gift ideas.
SPRING IN DC TEA TOWEL. 20″x28″ in 100% cotton. Comes with a hanging hook. $14. Available at nakeddecor.com
HOUSE OF KITTY CATS ON CAPITOL HILL TOTE BAG. 15 1/2″ x 16,” 100% cotton with pocket inside. $24.95. Available at nakeddecor.com
MARIE ANTOINETTE KITTY and FRENCHIE TEA TOWEL/OVEN MITT. Each sold separately. Tea Towel- 20″ x 28″. 100% Cotton. Hanging hook. $14.00 each. Oven Mitt- 12″. Cotton Fiber Insulation. $15.00 each. Available at nakeddecor.com
BORN TO BE QUEEN POTHOLDER & OVEN MITT. Each sold separately. Oven mitt — 12 inches. Cotton fiber insulation. $15 each. 8-inch square potholder, cotton fiber insulation, $10 each. Available at nakeddecor.com
MAKE IT A SUITE NEW YEAR: Start 2023 by creating memories and experiencing the excitement of live action performances from NBA Washington Wizards Basketball, NHL Washington Capitals Hockey, NCAA Georgetown Hoyas Men’s Basketball and world-class concerts, family shows, and other events.
Capital One Arena’s private suites offer diverse business development opportunities and make a memorable night out with family and friends. As suite inventory is limited, now is the perfect time to secure one for the New Year.
Explore suite opportunities at capitalonearenasuites.com.
FRESHFARM DUPONT CIRCLE Sunday Market has a wide array of locally
grown produce and locally produced products for everyone. It is open each Sunday from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Visit freshfarm.org/markets/dupont-circle for more information.
PACERS APPAREL COLLECTION. For the runners and athletes on your list, D.C.’s Pacers offers a new 202 line called “Athlete Sizing.” Athlete Sizing ranges from 1-8 and was built to adapt to more body types than a traditional linear size chart. Shop your favorite 2:02 pieces and refer to the size chart on the product page to find your perfect fit. To order, visit runpacers.com.
SIX-PACK OF WINE from D.C.’s Cork. Cork’s Mixed Case offers six bottles of classic wines you can send to the oenophile in your life. Cost is $125 for a six-pack of three reds and three whites. Visit corkdc.com to place your order.
THEATER LOVERS: D.C.’s theater scene has rebounded from the pandemic and boasts so many options. The Kennedy Center, Studio Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre, and others offer subscriptions and ticket bundles for 2023 shows. Visit their websites for options.
BUILD A BOX: Choose from a selection of local gift ideas and build your own personalized D.C. gift box, from tote bags to booze. Visit shopmadeindc.com to get started.
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.
Gay D.C. police lieutenant arrested on child porn charges
Demonstrators disrupt OMB director hearing over PEPFAR
HIV/AIDS group NMAC is ‘destabilized’ and in financial crisis: sources
Madonna announces release date for new album
Senegalese court issues first conviction under new anti-LGBTQ law
An effort to increase the number of psychiatrists of color
Comings & Goings
Trump budget targets ‘gender extremism’
Minimal version of ‘Streetcar Named Desire’ heading to Dupont Underground
