a&e features

Sounds of the ‘60s

Midtown Men singer says era’s music had special qualities

Published

12 years ago

June 26, 2014

Joey DiGuglielmo

The Midtown Men (Photo courtesy of the Midtown Men)

NSO Pops: The Midtown Men with Steven Reineke, conductor

Friday and Saturday

8 p.m.

Kennedy Center Concert Hall

2700 F St., N.W.

$20-85

If you loved the smash Broadway musical “Jersey Boys,” the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, you’ll probably also love the Midtown Men, a throwback group comprised of the four original “Jersey Boys” stars who now tour with their own ‘60s revue.

The group, in Washington this weekend for two shows with the National Symphony Orchestra, has played more than 1,000 shows together counting their 2005-2008 stint on the Great White Way.

Now with legal woes behind them — there was a back-and-forth in 2010 between “Jersey Boys” producers and the Men that was eventually settled out of court — the four actor/singers, Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard, J. Robert Spencer and Michael Longoria — have earned raves all over the country for their high-energy show, which the New York Times said has “the air of the Rat Pack, Motown and a nightclub act all rolled into one.”

It started backstage during “Jersey Boys.” Longoria, 33, who originated the role of Joe Pesci while often playing Valli in matinees before taking over the role fully for the last year-and-a-half he was in it, says the cast would often play other early ‘60s music backstage on show nights to help them get in the mood.

“We did it to just kind of feel the world of the ‘60s and the world Frankie Valli lived in,” Longoria, who moved to New York in 1999 when he was 17 to go to New York University, says. “We’d play the Mamas and the Papas, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and before you knew it, we all started singing along together.”

After a hit debut singing at Katie Couric’s 50th birthday party in 2007, invitations started pouring in.

When the guys realized it was more than just a one-off, they started establishing more repertoire and eventually, after three years of “Jersey Boys,” they went their separate ways for about a year, but then reunited and hired an agent and within a month, had a year’s worth of gigs booked as the Midtown Men. That was four years ago.

So is this just Boomer nostalgia in high gear or is it more than that?

Longoria, who croons with ease in a buttery falsetto on songs like “Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” “Sherry,” “Happy Together” and many more (the group rotates its set list regularly), says the songs have lasted because of the uncommonly strong songwriting.

“It was very story driven and has a lot to do with everyday people’s problems,” he says. “It’s guys wearing their hearts on their sleeves. They might be telling you they’re leaving, but it’s done in a very human way. A lot of times in music today, there are so many bells and whistles, the words and melody get lost. But back then, that’s all they had, so they just put it on the table and because of that human element and that human experience, it’s very easy to relate to for an audience.”

Longoria also says the style of much of the singing is well suited to his four-octave range.

“They wrote a lot for guy singers and they don’t really do that much anymore.”

He says the vocal efforts aren’t particularly taxing. He likens it to going to the gym and staying in shape with his voice.

Some of his favorites to sing are “Be My Baby” by Ronnie Spector and “Wouldn’t it Be Nice” by the Beach Boys. Four Seasons hits like “Sherry” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry” are staples of the show.

Longoria says he met Valli many times during the “Jersey Boys” run and says the legendary singer, now 80, was always “very supportive” and even gave Longoria his cell phone number.

“I think he saw himself in me a little bit,” Longoria says. “He was always very nice and kind about giving me advice and stuff like that.”

After graduating from NYU, Longoria worked about six months at the famed Ellen’s Stardust Diner in Times Square before being cast in “Hairspray” with Harvey Fierstein, a show he was with for two years before moving — ironically just across the street — to “Jersey Boys.”

“It was nice because I still got to see my ‘Hairspray’ friends everyday,” he says. “We’d flash each other from the dressing room windows. Girls would show their boobs. Guys would show their asses. If you were lucky, you’d see a dick. It was a fun, young time. Very exciting.”

Longoria came out at age 15 at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and says he can’t imagine living any other way. His boyfriend of five years, a Broadway producer he declines to name, sometimes travels with him.

So is Broadway as gay as everybody tends to think it is?

Longoria says it is, though, “there are lots of annoying straight guys there, too.”

“Hairspray,” he says, was so gay, initially getting cast in the much-straighter “Jersey Boys” provided a tinge of culture shock.

“On ‘Hairspray,’ I never really thought about it,” he says. “It was never like, ‘Oh, there’s all these queens back here,’ you know what I mean? … Harvey Fierstein was just like this big, gay fairy godmother and it just seemed natural. But then being in ‘Jersey Boys, it was a much different experience because I was trying to bring all this machismo to the role and also so many involved were straight, married, had girlfriends. I was the one bringing guys to meet the cast. It was normal and accepting, but it did feel a little different. That specific show just had a lot of straight guys in it.”

Often the Midtown Men perform with a seven-piece rock band, but they eventually had orchestrations charted of their music and shows like this weekend’s with the NSO Pops became possible.

The last few times Longoria has been in Washington, it’s been cold, so he says he’s looking forward to being here in warmer weather. If you’re out this weekend, there’s a chance you could see him at JR.’s or Cobalt. He says he loves checking out the local bar scene, seeing what the drag shows are like and giving out Midtown Men tickets.

“I’ve made some really cool friends in really random places you wouldn’t even think would have a gay bar,” he says.

Will today’s music hold up as well? Will we be going to Adele and Lady Gaga Broadway shows in 40 or 50 years?

Longoria says it’s possible but points out how many of today’s singers — he mentions Adele and the late Amy Winehouse especially — ape ‘60s vibes in their material.

“With Adele, even though the songs are new, so much of the way she sings and the way it’s produced, that’s all ‘60s influences. I think that’s one reason they had so much success is because this time right now is very hot for the ’60s and a lot of people are bringing it back. … It’s also a big trend on Broadway now to bring all this stuff back. There was our show, a Beach Boys musical that flopped but then now there’s the Carole King musical, which I saw and was great. I don’t want it to sound like some negative thing, but it is kind of a cheap way for producers to be like, ‘Oh, you know, this’ll work, everybody loves these songs. Let’s do a show about Carole King, or let’s do a show about Frankie Valli,’ as opposed to something brand new and original. Audiences today don’t always care to see something brand new.”

Up Next

‘Art must lead’

Don't Miss

New local food magazine launches

FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM

a&e features

Summer in the City: Free exhibits, movies, more fill D.C.’s calendar

America 250 celebrations continue

Published

3 hours ago

July 26, 2026

Emma LaPointe

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star in ‘Wicked,’ screening Sept. 12 at Union Market. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures)

From late-night museum visits and outdoor jazz concerts to free movie screenings and America250 exhibitions, Washington’s summer calendar is packed with events that don’t charge admission. Here’s a look at some of the free activities happening across the District through September and beyond.

Museum exhibitions

The Renwick Gallery is presenting State Fairs: Growing American Craft, an exhibition that looks at unique and unconventional crafts from the 19th century to the present. It will run until Sept. 7, and admission is free.

The Arts and Industries Building, located next to the Smithsonian Castle, is presenting the exhibition Voices and Votes: Exploring Democracy Across America. The exhibition features the development of American independence and what that has meant over time, beginning with the Revolutionary War. Admission to the museum is free, and the exhibition runs until Sept. 7.

The National Gallery of Art presents Dear America, an exhibit featuring more than 100 pieces of work, including letters, photographs, and drawings that depict American landscapes and depictions of freedom. The exhibition will run until Sept. 20.

The National Museum of Women in the Arts is exhibiting Burnished: Pueblo Pottery until Sept. 27. The exhibit features pottery from the Southwest, and while most of the pottery belongs to women artists, a few also reflect those who have advocated for women.

Extending past this summer, the exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa will be at the National Museum of the American Latino until July 2028. The exhibition shows how Afro-Cuban music has become a staple in the U.S. Admission is free.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library will feature the exhibition District Vibes / American Pride: How DC Changed American Culture, which will highlight all of the ways D.C. has impacted American life. The exhibit will run until Sept. 27.

At the Folger Shakespeare Library, the exhibit Imagining Shakespeare: Mythmaking and Storytelling in the Regency Era will be on view through Aug. 2. All the portraits on display come from the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery in London.

The United States Botanic Garden will be open until 8 p.m. on Aug. 20 and Sept. 17, as part of America’s State Flowers: An America250 Celebration. The evenings will include live music, mocktails, ice cream, and snacks.

The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden will have extended hours, staying open until 8 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday until Sept. 3.

Live performances

On Aug. 7, the postgame Nationals concert series will continue with Jordan Davis performing. To see the concert, guests just need to buy tickets to the Nationals game.

Jazz in the Garden will run each Friday until Aug. 14. The event has free admission, but those interested have to enter a lottery due to the high demand for the event.

From May to October, Capital Harvest Market occurs every Wednesday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The market features fresh foods, crafts, and recipes for unique dishes. A full list of vendors is available on Capital Harvest’s website.

Live! Concert Series on the Plaza will feature live performances at Woodrow Wilson Plaza until Sept. 25. The performances run Monday to Friday from 12-1 p.m. Admission is free to the performances.

DowntownDC Live! at Anthem Row is running until July 30, with free performances every Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The final performance will feature HUE and a vintage flea market hosted by Get Flee Marketplace.

Located in Adams Morgan, AdMo Vibe will present live performances every Thursday at 6 p.m. in Kalorama Park. Guests are encouraged to check out Adams Morgan before and after shows, and it is an event for all ages.

Other events

Union Market is hosting drive-in movies on Aug. 8, featuring “Monsters, Inc.”, and Sept. 12, featuring “Wicked.” On Aug. 8, the parking lot will open at 7:30 p.m., with the movie starting at 8:25 p.m. On Sept. 12, the parking lot will open at 6:35 p.m., and the movie will start at 7:30 p.m.

Sunset Cinema at the Wharf will also be available one day a month. On Aug. 12, “10 Things I Hate About You” will premiere, and on Aug. 26, “Project Hail Mary.” No tickets are necessary.

The Library of Congress will also show movies. On Aug. 6, guests are invited to watch “Apollo 13.” The movie will be shown at 8 p.m., with additional live performances beginning at 7 p.m.

For fans of Asian media, the Okaton convention will be at Walter E. Washington Convention Center from July 31-Aug. 2. Festivities will include cosplay contests, skits, live music, and panel discussions.

Washington Spirit’s season also begins in August. The Spirit is Washington’s National Women’s League, with matchups occurring between the San Diego Wave, the North Carolina Courage, the Orlando Pride, and the Bay FC.

a&e features

Summer in D.C. brings sports, Restaurant Week, festivals, and more

Published

4 days ago

July 23, 2026

Evan Caplan

Washington Spirit CEO Kim Stone hosts Pride Night OUT on Sunday, Aug. 23. (Photo courtesy of Washington Spirit)

Summer in D.C. just hits different. Congress is out, school is out, the sun is out, thighs are out. With the skies clearing from Canadian smoke, here are a few ways to stay entertained.

Dining

Summer restaurant week: The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) is once again hosting Summer Restaurant Week, Aug. 18-24. This weeklong dining experience showcases the dynamic dining scene of the DMV, including 2026 RAMMY Award-winning favorites (the annual D.C. food awards show that took place June 29). Participating restaurants will offer three-course brunch and lunch selections for $25 or $35 per person, and three-course dinners for $40, $55 and $65 per person.

New Restaurants: A handful of new spots have opened, so the summer is a great time to check them out:

Oribu: A new Mediterranean-Japanese restaurant in the Grand Hyatt hotel, which just underwent a remodeling effort. The sleek restaurant brings upscale charm, with dishes like Wagyu beef tartare with potato pavé and caviar.
The Oak Room: A snazzy old-school American grill has just opened in Georgetown, alongside its sister upstairs supper club (Bernadette’s) restaurant, in the old El Centro space.
Uchi: This showy Japanese sushi-forward chain has landed in Dupont with a chef’s tasting menu of favorites like fatty tuna.
Kathmandu: Recalling the capital of Nepal, this warm, buzzy subterranean restaurant right in the heart of U Street brings spice, flair, and rare ingredients to its dishes (see: buffalo burgers) and drinks.

Sports

Washington Spirit Pride Night OUT: On Sunday, Aug. 23, head to Audi Field for a massive, high-energy game following the exciting month of World Cup. The designated Pride Night OUT game promises boisterous crowds plus pre- and post-game community engagements.
Washington Tennis Open – Now called the Mubadala DC Open, this annual tournament is only combined mens’ and womens’ 500-level tennis tournament in the world. The open is one of D.C.’s longest-standing sports traditions, and will take place at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center July 25-Aug. 2. Naomi Osaka, Venus Williams, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, and others are expected to play.

Festivals

Afro Plus Fest: This huge, three-day Afro-Caribbean Hip-Hop Festival brings together headliners Davido, Alkaline, and Wizkid, plus Tems and Ayra Starr. The event moves from RFK to the Northwest Stadium Complex for three days, Sept. 4-6.
Capital Fringe Festival: Running from July 11-21, this massive celebration features dozens of live theater, comedy, dance, and boundary-pushing nighttime performances across multiple DC neighborhoods.
The National Book Festival returns, with headliners like Cynthia Erivo, and Martin Scorsese. The one-day festival, Saturday, Aug. 22, brings together bookworms and word nerds under the theme “America 250: It’s Your Story.” There are talks, workshops, musical sessions and more.
All Things Go: A three-day festival Sept. 25-27 at Merriweather Post Pavilion featuring Mitski, Hayley Williams, Brandi Carlile, MUNA, Zara Larsson, Ethel Cain, and many, many more artists. There are single-day and three-day tickets. Featuring and highlighting female artists, the festival has turned into a must-see for many LGBTQ audience members.
Fuchsia Fest: The inaugural Fuchsia Fest is a new multi-day celebration created to celebrate LGBTQ community and expression, bringing together a mix of community gatherings, entertainment, and nightlife. The event takes place Sept. 18-20 and is hosted by Capital Pride.

Art and Music

United We Dance: A high-energy rave with house, techno, bass, and festival music, on Aug. 1 at the 9:30 Club.
The Fray. On Aug. 14, this American rock band famous for How To Save A Life is at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Kesha: Kesha’s high-energy The Freedom Tour comes to the D.C. area on Aug. 14 at Jiffy Lube Live.
ALOK: On Sept. 3 at Lincoln Theater, ALOK (they/them) performs. The poet, comedian, and actor is putting on a new comedy show.
2charm, the emerging Australian electronic club-pop duo popular with the queer community, which blends hyperpop and dance music, comes to the Atlantis.
Sapphic Dance Party: a vibrant, inclusive nightlife and social event designed specifically for queer women, lesbians, bisexuals, trans individuals, and nonbinary folks, at Atlantis on Aug. 21.
Jazz in the Garden: The most quintessential of D.C. activities returns Friday evenings through Aug. 14. This season’s theme, “American Sounds,” is a nod to the nation’s 250th anniversary. Tunes themes range from Appalachian and Americana to Creole jazz, Hill Country blues, contemporary jazz, and more. Tickets are available through a lottery system a week before each event.

a&e features

Tickets on sale for chef Patrick O’Connell’s book launch event

Sept. 18 kickoff to feature José Andrés, Tom Sietsema

Published

6 days ago

July 21, 2026

Kevin Naff

Acclaimed chef Patrick O’Connell is preparing to publish his new memoir, “Main, Middle & Gay” in September and he’s launching the book with an event on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. at Lisner Auditorium featuring Chef José Andrés and former Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema.

Tickets for the event go on sale Tuesday, July 21 at Ticketmaster; prices start at $55.

O’Connell, who’s gay, is the pioneering Michelin-starred chef and longtime proprietor of the Inn at Little Washington. He spoke with the Blade about the September event and the launch of his first memoir.

“I’ve known [Andrés and Sietsema] for more than 25 years and I have great respect for them,” O’Connell said. “I felt that it would allow us to add a different dimension rather than just have an interviewer. The chemistry will be fun and lively and unpredictable and exciting. I think we’re all different personalities and we’ll compliment each other.”

O’Connell has published cookbooks but this is his first memoir. The event will feature a short film that will highlight his work and the Inn.

“What I hope to do with the event is bring the book to life visually,” he said. “So we’re producing a short film that will be part of it. Most of the audience will not have read the book so it’ll give them a visual flavor of the book. It parallels the evolution of American cuisine over 50 years. It’s a rare perspective to be in the trenches for that long.”

The book’s title refers to the location of the garage on the corner of Main, Middle, and Gay streets in Washington, Va., where he launched his restaurant that became an international culinary destination.

The Blade will publish the rest of its wide-ranging interview with O’Connell in September in conjunction with the book’s release.