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Emmy Awards showcases powerful LGBTQ representation

GLAAD received Governor’s Award

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5 months ago

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The Peacock Theater, formerly known as Nokia Theater and Microsoft Theater, is a music and theater venue in downtown Los Angeles. ( Photo of main stage courtesy of the Peacock Theater)

The 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, held at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday, saw a triumphant celebration of LGBTQ representation, with notable wins and powerful speeches highlighting the community’s contributions to the entertainment industry.

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ makes history

(emmy awards video)

The night’s standout moment came when RuPaul, host of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” accepted the Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Program. With a record-breaking 14 Emmy wins, RuPaul addressed the audience, emphasizing the importance of knowledge and the resistance against anti-drag laws. RuPaul emphasized that attempts to restrict access to knowledge and power are rooted in fear and encouraged people to listen to drag queens, highlighting their valuable perspectives.

“We have released into the wild hundreds of drag queens, and they’re beautiful. If a drag queen wants to read you a story at a library, listen to her, because knowledge is power. And if someone tries to restrict your access to power, they are trying to scare you. So listen to a drag queen,” RuPaul said. 

The win marked the series’ fifth in the Outstanding Competition Program category, solidifying its place in Emmy history. RuPaul also made history with his eighth consecutive Creative Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program, becoming the most awarded host in Emmy history.

Diverse LGBTQ wins

Elton John Live: Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour at Dodger Stadium in 2022 (Disney+ screenshot)

Music legend Elton John also secured his place in history as the newest member of the coveted EGOT club. The accomplished singer-songwriter clinched the prestigious title by winning an Emmy for his extraordinary live concert special, “Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium.”

Elton John’s victory in the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) category marked a remarkable achievement in his illustrious career, spanning over six decades. As an executive producer/performer for the acclaimed concert special, John’s contribution to the world of entertainment has now earned him the esteemed EGOT status.

“Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium” triumphed over formidable contenders, including the Oscars, the Tonys, Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show and Chris Rock: Selective Outrage. The win, although absent of the legendary artist in person, was accepted by other producers involved in the creation of the special.

The term EGOT, coined by Miami Vice actor Philip Michael Thomas, celebrates individuals who have achieved the rare feat of winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award. Elton John’s extensive list of accolades includes five Grammy Awards, including a Grammy Legend Award, two Oscars for iconic songs like “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from the Lion King and “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman, as well as a Tony Award for Best Original Score for “Aida.”

Niecy Nash-Betts secured her first Emmy for Best Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her role in “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.” In a powerful speech, Nash-Betts acknowledged her wife and dedicated the award to Black and Brown women who have faced injustice.

Ayo Edebiri, from “The Bear,” won her first Emmy for Supporting Actress, delivering a heartfelt speech that paid tribute to her parents and celebrated her identity as a Black woman.

(Photo courtesy of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences)

GLAAD’s Governors Award

GLAAD, the LGBTQ media-advocacy organization, received the Television Academy’s 2023 Governors Award for its impactful work in promoting fair, accurate, and diverse representation of the LGBTQ community in the media. President Sarah Kate Ellis emphasized the personal nature of their work, citing the influence of media on societal perceptions.

 “The world urgently needs culture-changing stories about transgender people,” Ellis said. “Visibility creates understanding and opens doors, it’s life-saving. Our community has achieved so much, and yet, we are still being victimized and villainized with cruel and harmful lies. Sharing stories is the antidote.”

As the LGBTQIA+ community continues to make strides in the entertainment industry, these Emmy wins stand as a testament to the power of diverse storytelling and representation.

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Theater

‘Rose: You Are Who You Eat’ an irreverent romp at Woolly Mammoth

Solo performance by John Jarboe offers much to consume

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10 hours ago

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June 16, 2024

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John Jarboe in ‘Rose: You Are Who You Eat’ at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. (Photo by Teresa Castracane)

‘Rose: You Are Who You Eat’
Though June 23
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
641 D St., N.W.
$60-$82
Woollymammoth.net

With “Rose: You Are Who You Eat,” a solo performance by John Jarboe (she/her), now at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, there’s a lot to uncover and consume.  

For much of the show, the appealing Jarboe comes across as a cute cis gay guy playing dress up in a pair of tighty-whities and sparkly go-go boots, but it’s something else and she’s ready to go there. 

Jarboe is a cannibal. Not in the usual sense. She learned from a well-meaning aunt that while still in the womb, she ate her twin, and that’s what made Jarboe the way she is (a reference to gender queerness).

Despite the aunt’s awkward delivery of family dish, the prenatal news struck a chord with Jarboe: the vanishing twin who would have been named Rose, became increasingly connected to her own identity. Along with the inevitable jokes about eating her sister’s spaghetti thin hair and tasty eyeballs, there’s meaty matter unfolding onstage. 

Not entirely unexpected, Jarboe also harbors mommy issues. Mom, here referred to as “Mother” for the sake of anonymity, is a buttoned-down tax accountant who the more perturbed she becomes the wider her forced smile grows. And while Jarboe needs to have that long overdue talk with Mother, something always seems to get in the way; invariably it’s tax season.

Assisted by some primary source props (a baby book, notes, a string of pearls filched from Mother’s jewelry box), Jarboe further digs into gender expression and identity. Her performance career began in her child bedroom closet with a flashlight and makeshift costume, an obsession to which her parents initially subscribed, later not as much. 

Among the 75-minute-long show’s highlights are five or so songs, rock numbers and redolent ballads composed by Jarboe, Emily Bate, Daniel de Jesús, Pax Ressler and Be Steadwell. 

It’s definitely a solo show conceived and delightfully performed by Jarboe; however, she’s supported by a terrific four-person band (costumed in what appeared from Row D to be rosebush inspired jumpsuits) including Mel Regn, Yifan Huang, Daniel de Jesús, and music director Emily Bate. Bate is a singer, composer and performer who runs a queer and trans community chorus in Philadelphia called Trust Your Moves, an experiment in collective singing designed around liberation and co-creation.

As Jarboe moves into her 30s, she celebrates and incorporates her lost twin as part of herself with a new intensity. She writes letters, yearning for even the most tepid reply. Her obsession with Mother remains a thing too.

Dressed in a sylphlike rosy red gown (by costume designer Rebecca Kanach) Jarboe uses call-and-response (with the audience standing in for Mother) in search of some resolution. It’s beautifully done. 

With various kinds of backing coming from CulturalDC, the Washington Blade, Capital Pride, the Bearded Ladies Cabaret and other New York-based groups, there’s nothing itinerant cabaret looking about “Rose.” Directed by MK Tuomanen, it’s an elevated, visually engaging production. 

For instance, set and video designer Christopher Ash’s projections shown on both a serviceable scrim and later a wondrously huge toile curtain, beautifully feature photos from an ostensibly idyllic Midwestern childhood. We see a young Jarboe not only enjoying hockey, fishing, and hunting, but also pulling off a strikingly girly, cheesecake pose.  

At the top of the show, there’s live video of Jarboe’s outsized mouth devouring wings fished from a bucket of fried chicken. Hints of cannibalism? 

“Rose: You Are Who You Eat” is an irreverent romp, deeply personal yet relatable. It’s an evening of poignantly performed moments, off the cuff laughs, and some awkward/sexy audience interaction. 

As a performer, Jarboe lays herself bare, exposing strengths (rich melodious voice, presence, ingenuity) and weaknesses (garrulity and more than a few un-landed jokes) in equal turns. 

Hers is a world that invites audiences to just let go and go with it. Jarboe’s intrepid journey melds the familiar and the startling. In short, it’s a trip worth taking. 

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Photos

PHOTOS: Capital Pride Festival and Concert

Keke Palmer, Billy Porter among entertainers

Published

2 days ago

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June 14, 2024

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Billy Porter performs at the 2024 Capital Pride Festival on Sunday. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The 2024 Capital Pride Festival and Concert was held along Pennsylvania Avenue in Northwest D.C. on Sunday, June 9. Performers included Sapphira Cristál, Keke Palmer, Ava Max, Billy Porter and Exposé.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

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Out & About

Get ready for Baltimore Pride

Events scheduled throughout weekend

Published

2 days ago

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June 14, 2024

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Baltimore Pride Parade (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Baltimore Pride begins this weekend on Friday, June 14 in the heart of the city.

There will be a variety of events, the main ones being Mt. Vernon Pride on June 14 at 2 p.m. on the 200 Block of W. Read St., the Parade and Block Party on Saturday, June 15 at 3 p.m. on N. Charles St., and Pride in the Park on Sunday, June 15 at 3 p.m. at Druid Hill Park.

For more event details, visit Baltimore Pride’s website. 

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