Arts & Entertainment
Calendar through August 22
Pat Benatar, Will Gartshore among next week’s events
The D.C. Mystics in action. Night OUT with the team is Tuesday. (Photo courtesy Mystics)
Friday, August 16
Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) hosts Bear Happy Hour tonight from 6-11 p.m. There is no cover charge, and admission is limited to guests 21 and over. For details, visit towndc.com.
Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) hosts “Deejay Gauthreaux’s Mother F*ckin’ Birthday Bash” tonight from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. for guests 21 and over. Free rail vodka drinks will be served from 10-11. Admission is $10. For details and to purchase tickets, visit cobaltdc.com.
Whitman-Walker Health provides free HIV testing at The Bachelor’s Mill (1104 8t St., S.E.) at 10 p.m. tonight. For more information, visit whitman-walker.org.
Aqua Bar and Lounge (1818 New York Ave., N.E.) hosts “Club Fuego,” a Latino gay dance party, from 10:30 p.m.-3 a.m. tonight. Admission is $10 and limited to guests 21 and over. For details, visit aquadc.com.
Will Gartshore performs “Dressed Up: A Class-Conscious Cabaret” in the “Sizzlin’ Summer Cabaret Series” at Signature Theatre (4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington, Va.) at 7 p.m. tonight. Gartshore will perform classic hits by Sondheim, The Beatles and Gershwin with pianist Christopher Wingert. Admission is $31.15. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit signature-theatre.org.
Saturday, Aug. 17
Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) hosts a “We Love the ‘90s” party tonight for guests 21 and over. The evening features all ‘90s music and videos upstairs, with a ‘90s drag performance at 10:30 p.m. Doors open at 10. Cover is $8 from 10-11 and $12 after 11. For details, visit towndc.com.
Phase 1 of Dupont (1415 22nd St., N.W.) hosts its weekly “Booty Beach Ladies Dance Party.” The winner of the party’s bikini and board shorts contest will receive cash and prizes. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and admission is $5. Visit phase1dc.com for more information.
The Black Lesbian Support Group meets at the University of D.C. Student Services Building (4200 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) at 3 p.m. today. For more information, visit blsg.com.
Matchbox (1901 14th St., N.W.) hosts a retreat for the D.C. Center’s Youth Working Group from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit thedccenter.org for more information.
D.C. Eagle (639 New York Ave., N.W.) hosts a bar night for the Centaur Motorcycle Club tonight at 9 p.m. For more details, visit dceagle.com or centaurmc.org.
Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer organization, volunteers today for a lost dog and cat rescue foundation at the Falls Church PetSmart (6100 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, Va.) from 11:45 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit burgundycrescent.org for more information.
Sunday, Aug. 18
K&C Productions hosts its weekly “Sizzling Hot Sundays,” an LGBT hip-hop and house music dance party, at Club Muse (717 6th St., N.W.) tonight from 11 p.m.-2 a.m. For details, visit clubmuse.com.
Perry’s (1811 Columbia Rd., N.W.) hosts its weekly Sunday Drag Brunch today from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The cost is $24.95 for an all-you-can-eat buffet. For details, visit perrysadamsmorgan.com.
The Black Fox Lounge (1723) hosts “Tula’s Cabaret,” a classic lip-sync drag show, from 8-11 p.m. tonight. Admission is free. For more information, visit
blackfoxlounge.com.
Special Agent Galactica performs tonight with jazz guitarist, Peter Fields, at L’Enfant Café (2000 18th St., N.W.) at 7 p.m. The show features music from the Golden Age of Jazz, the Blues of Burlesque and some Hollywood classics. Admission is free. For details, visit pinkhairedone.com.
Monday, Aug. 19
The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) hosts coffee drop-in hours this morning from 10 a.m.-noon for the senior LGBT community. Older LGBT adults can come and enjoy complimentary coffee and conversation with other community members. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Casa Ruby, a safe space for members of the Latino transgender community, (2822 Georgia Ave., N.W.) provides Spanish-language career development today from 4-6 p.m. For more information, visit the dccenter.org or casaruby.org.
Tuesday, Aug. 20
Whitman-Walker Health provides free HIV testing at Panam Supermarket (3552 14th St., N.W.) tonight from 7-9 p.m. For more information, visit whitman-walker.org.
Green Lantern (1335 Green Ct., N.W.) hosts its weekly FUK!T Packing Party tonight from 7-9 p.m. For more details, visit thedccenter.org or greenlanterndc.com.
Team D.C. presents “Night OUT at the Mystics vs. the Chicago Sky” tonight at 7 p.m. at the Verizon Center (601 F St., N.W.). Tickets range from $17-300. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit teamdc.org.
Pat Benatar, who has maintained an LGBT following with her ‘80s smash hits and involvement in gay Pride parades, performs tonight with Neil Giraldo of Cheap Trick at Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Rd., Vienna, Va.). Admission is $25-42. For details and to purchase tickets, visit wolftrap.org.
Wednesday, Aug. 21
Whitman-Walker Health provides free HIV testing at Congresswoman Eleanor Norton’s annual job fair today from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Washington Convention Center (801 Mt. Vernon Pl., N.W.). For more information, visit whitman-walker.org.
Us Helping Us (3636 Georgia Ave., N.W.) hosts a support group for black gay men living with HIV tonight from 7-9 p.m. For more details, visit uhupil.org.
Midtown (1219 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) hosts “Mix It Up 2.0,” an LGBT dance party, tonight from 8:30-midnight. All groups of six entering together get a free bottle of champagne. For details, visit midtown-dc.com.
“WAIFs,” an all female stand-up and sketch comedy group, perform tonight at Black Fox Lounge (1723 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) at 8:30 p.m. Admission is $5 and limited to guests 21 and over. For more information, visit blackfoxlounge.com.
The Dupont Drawing Group meets tonight at 7 p.m. at The Church of the Pilgrims (2201 P St., N.W.) to draw from the live model. The session is self-directed with no formal instruction, and no materials are provided. Drawing spots and easels are available on a first-come-first-serve basis, so guests should arrive anytime after 6:45. No reservations are required but a modest fee to pay the model will be collected. For more information, visit paulreuther.com.
Thursday, Aug. 22
Rude Boi Entertainment hosts “Tempted 2 Touch,” a ladies dance party, today at the Fab Lounge (2022 Florida Ave., N.W.). Doors open at 5 p.m. for happy hour until 9, and the club closes at 1 a.m. Admission is $5 all night and limited to guests 21 and over. For details, visit rudeboientertainment.wordpress.com.
Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV) meet tonight from 7-8:30 p.m. at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.). The organization works to reduce violence toward LGBT people through community outreach, education and monitoring legal cases to ensure the dignity of LGBT victims. For more details, visit thedccenter.org.
D.C. Eagle (639 New York Ave., N.W.) hosts a “Beltway Bears Bar Night” this evening at 9 p.m. For details, visit dceagle.com or beltwaybears.com.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
a&e features
Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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