Arts & Entertainment

Calendar for April 23

Published

15 years ago

April 22, 2010

Friday, April 23

Burgundy Crescent volunteers today for “GOING TO THE CHAPEL: Singing for Justice and Joy” at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. To participate, visit burgundycrescent.org.

[Gay] Comedy Show moves to Town Danceboutique, 2009 8th St., N.W., this month. The show is from 8-10 p.m. with your host Shawn Hollenbach. Admission is $10.

EFN Lounge presents “Ru Who?” featuring special guest Mystique from season two of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” The show starts at 9 p.m. at EFN Lounge, 1318 9th St. N.W., with DJ Matt Bailer. Must be 21+ to enter; $5 cover benefits Miss Gay DC Pageants.

Joan Rivers performs at the Avalon Theater, 42 E. Dover St., Easton, MD at 8 p.m. Call 410-822-7299 for tickets, which range $50-100.

Wicked Liquid, featuring Josh Colon from “Real World DC,” performs at Santa Fe Café, in College Park, Md., at 11 p.m.

Whitman-Walker Clinic’s 17th annual spring gala, “Masquerade on the Mall.” The black tie event will be held at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, 1301 Constitution Ave., N.W. from 6:30-11 p.m. Proceeds will benefit HIV/AIDS services at Whitman-Walker. For more information visit wwc.org. See related story on page 24.

Saturday, April 24

Rainbow Families, DC, an organization for LGBT parents and prospective parents, holds its 2010 conference at GDS High School, 4200 Davenport St., N.W., from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit rainbowfamiliesdc.org for information.

Burgundy Crescent volunteers today for the annual Anacostia River Clean-up and Earth Day Celebration. To participate, visit burgundycrescent.org.

Miss Gay DC America 2010 Regional Pageant, hosted by Town Danceboutique located at 2009 8th Street, N.W. Pre-judging of evening gowns at 5:45 p.m. Pageant begins promptly at 6:45 p.m. Directly after the pageant Town will feature DJ Manny Lehman; $10 cover.

Fourth Saturdays at MOVA Lounge are POZ Saturdays. POZ mixers provide a supportive atmosphere for those who are HIV positive and those who want to help eradicate the stigma surrounding HIV. Music will be provided by DJ Eric Evans and DJ Bryan Yamasaki. POZ starts at 9 p.m. MOVA Lounge is located at 1435 P St., N.W.

Fourth Saturday of each month The Green Lantern, 1335 Green Ct., N.W., is the home of électrik with your host Timur Tugberk. électrik features the best in dance, electro, deep and dirty house, trance, and circuit music provided by Dj Moh Ducis. No cover from 10-11 p.m., $5 cover from 11 p.m.-3 a.m.

BLOWOFF at the 9:30 club, 815 V St., N.W., from 11:30 p.m.-3:30 a.m. Tickets $12

SHIFT returns to Cobalt, 1639 R St., N.W., with “April Showers” with DJ MAJR (Mikey Adolphson) providing a mix of electro, indie rock, pop and new wave. 10 p.m.-3 a.m., $5 cover, 21+

Sunday, April 25

Drag Brunch at Nellie’s Sports Bar, 900 U St., N.W., hosted by Shi-Queeta Lee. Every Sunday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $20 brunch buffet, your first mimosa is free.

Monday, April 26

Bears Do Yoga. Classes will begin at 6:15 p.m. in the DC Center activity room, 1810 14th St., N.W., and last for one hour. There is a suggested $5 donation. To RSVP for this class e-mail [email protected].

Join Harvey Fierstein and the cast of “Fiddler on the Roof” at Town Danceboutique, 2009 8th Street, N.W., for an intimate cabaret performance benefitting Broadway Cares. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Food by Joaquin Fajardo. Entry to the performance is $20. 21+

Country Western dance lessons at Remingtons, 639 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E. (half-block west of Eastern Market Metro) from 8:30-9:30 p.m., $5 per person, per lesson.

Tuesday, April 27

Free Workshop on HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data: “HIV/AIDS Surveillance in the District: the 2008 Epidemiologic Report,” presented by Mid-Atlantic Public Health Training Center, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and the Washington Public Health Association. The workshop will take place from 1-3 p.m., in George Washington University’s Rose Hall, 2300 I St., N.W., room 229. The workshop is free, but registration is required. For more information, e-mail [email protected]

Whitman-Walker Clinic’s HIV Mobile Testing will be located at Miriam’s Kitchen, 2401 Virginia Ave., N.W., from 4:30-6 p.m.

Volunteers will be assembling safer sex kits and enjoying drink specials at Motley. 7-10:30 p.m. Motley is the upstairs bar at EFN Lounge, located at 1318 9th St., N.W.

Drag Bingo at Nellie’s Sports Bar, 900 U St., N.W., hosted by Shi-Queeta Lee, every Tuesday starting at 8 p.m. Free to play, lots of cool prizes.

Wednesday, April 28

Center for American Progress Action Fund presents “Understanding and Meeting the Needs of LGBT Elders” from noon-1:30 p.m. Rep. Tammy Baldwin is the keynote speaker; Winnie Stachelberg moderates. Admission is free and seating is first come, first served. Lunch served at 11:30. 1333 H St., N.W., 10th floor. For more information call 202-682-1611.

Each Wednesday at the Green Lantern is POZ Wednesday. POZ mixers provide a supportive atmosphere for those who are HIV positive and those who want to help eradicate the stigma surrounding HIV. Music will be provided by DJ Jason Horswill and DJ ELE. POZ starts at 8 p.m. The Green Lantern is located at 1335 Green Ct., N.W.

Hollaback Transgender Support Group meets from 6:30-8 p.m. in the DC Center activity room. The DC Center is located at 1810 14th St., N.W., convenient to the U Street/Cardozo Metro and on the 14th Street bus lines.

Thursday, April 29

Edie Beale Returns to Washington, D.C. to Perform Live at Cobalt, 1639 R St., N.W., at 7:30 p.m. “Edie Beale LIVE at Reno Sweeney” recreates the nightclub performance of Ms. Beale, of Grey Gardens fame, in New York City in 1978; Ganymeade’s artistic director, Jeffrey Johnson plays Beale.

Photos

PHOTOS: Silver Pride

Rayceen Pendarvis serves as emcee

Published

3 hours ago

May 25, 2025

Michael Key

Rayceen Pendarvis was the emcee of Silver Pride 2025. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The 2025 Silver Pride Resource Fair and Tea Dance was held at the Eaton Hotel on Wednesday, May 21.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

Out & About

Queer film festival comes to D.C.

DC/DOX to showcase LGBTQ documentaries made by LGBTQ filmmakers

Published

4 hours ago

May 25, 2025

Tinashe Chingarande

DC/DOX film festival will take place in D.C. on June 12.

DC/DOX will host a film festival beginning on Thursday, June 12, at the Regal Gallery Place, Eaton Cinema, and the U.S. Navy Memorial Burke Theatre.

This festival will premier LGBTQ documentaries made by LGBTQ filmmakers. Each screening will be followed by in-person Q&As with the filmmakers.

For more details, visit dcdoxfest.com

Movies

Gay director on revealing the authentic Pee-wee Herman

New HBO doc positions Reubens as ‘groundbreaking’ performance artist

Published

4 hours ago

May 25, 2025

Susan Hornik

The HBO Original two-part documentary ‘PEE-WEE AS HIMSELF,’ directed by Matt Wolf), debuts Friday, May 23 (8 p.m.-11:20 p.m. ET/PT) with both parts airing back-to-back on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. (Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.)

In the new HBO two-part documentary, “Pee-wee as Himself,” director Matt Wolf gives viewers a never-before-seen look into the personal life of Paul Reubens, the comedic actor behind the much loved television persona, Pee-wee Herman.

Filmed before Reubens passed away in 2023 from cancer, Wolf and his creative team created the riveting documentary, interspersing several interviews, more than 1,000 hours of archival footage, and tens of thousands of personal photos.

Determined to set the record straight about what really happened, Reubens discussed his diverse influences, growing up in the circus town of Sarasota, Fla., and his avant-garde theater training at the California Institute of the Arts.

Ruebens joined the Groundlings improv group, where he created the charismatic Pee-wee Herman. He played the quirky character during the Saturday morning show, “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” and in numerous movies, like “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” and “Big Top Pee-wee.” He also brought Pee-wee to Broadway, with “The Pee-wee Herman Show.”

To get an enigma such as Reubens to open up was no easy task for Wolf.

“I felt determined to get Paul to open up and to be his authentic self,” acknowledged Wolf at a recent press conference. “And I was being tested and I wanted to meet my match in a way so I didn’t feel frustrated or exhausted, I felt determined but I also, it was thrilling to go this deep. I’ve never been able, or I don’t know if I ever will, go this deep with another human being to interview them in an intimate way for over 40 hours.”

Wolf described the collaborative interview experience as a dream, “like we were in a bubble where time didn’t matter.” he also felt a deep connection to the material, having come of age watching “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to put words to it at the time, but I think it was my first encounter with art that I felt emotionally involved in,” noted Wolf.

“He continued: “I recognize that that show created a space for a certain kind of radical acceptance where creativity thrives. And as a gay filmmaker, I also recognize things like Pee-wee Herman marrying a bowl of fruit salad at a slumber party or dancing in high heels to the song, ‘Fever.’ That stuff spoke to me. So that was my connection to it.”

During the documentary, Reubens comes out as a gay man.

“Paul went into this process wanting to come out,” said Wolf. “That was a decision he had made. He was aware that I was a gay filmmaker and had made portraits of other gay artists. That was the work of mine he was attracted to, as I understood. And I wanted, as a younger person, to support him in that process, but he also was intensely sensitive that the film would overly emphasize that; or, focused entirely from the lens of sexuality when looking at his story.”

Their complicated dynamic had an aspect of “push and pull” between them.

“I think that generational difference was both a source of connection and affinity and tension. And I do think that the level to which Paul discusses his relationships and intimacy and vulnerability and the poignant decision he made to go back into the closet. I do have to believe to some extent he shared that because of our connection.”

Wolf hopes that the “Pee-wee as Himself” positions Reubens as one of the most “groundbreaking” performance artists of his generation who in a singular way broke through into mainstream pop culture.

“I know he transformed me. He transformed how I see the world and where I went as a creative person. And it’s so clear that I am not alone in that feeling. For me, it was fairly abstract. I couldn’t necessarily put words to it. I think people who grew up on Pee-wee or were big fans of Pee-wee, seeing the film, I hope, will help them tap into intangible and specific ways how transformative his work was for them. It really is a gift to revisit early seminal experiences you had and to see how they reverberate in you.”

He added: “So, to me, this isn’t so much about saying Paul Reubens is a genius. I mean, that’s overly idealizing and I don’t like hero worship. It’s more about understanding why many of us have connected to his work and understanding where he lives within a legacy of performance art, television, and also, broader pop culture.”