The Washington Ballet revives The Great Gatsby choreographed by its artistic director Septime Webre. Local actors E. Faye Butler and Will Gartshore, plus tap dancer Quynn Johnson and the music band Billy Novick's Blue Syncopators join the ballet for this recreation of the jazz-age splendor immortalized in F. Scott Fitzgerald's story. Wednesday, Nov. 2, through Saturday, Nov. 5, at 8 p.m. Also Saturday, Nov. 5, at 2:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 6, at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $20 to $125. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
October 2011 Archives
David Weissman and Bill Weber's powerful, captivating and carefully crafted We Were Here -- having just screened at Reel Affirmations -- is so much more than simply the first documentary to reflect on the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco. It's also one of the first documentaries about AIDS to focus more narrowly on the community itself, at ground level -- not taking a top-down approach, quoting experts or celebrities. It offers personal accounts of how the disease dramatically changed the lives of regular citizens. The end result is that We Were Here helps widen our understanding of the epidemic's full impact. The story of the fight against AIDS is more complete because of it. At the West End Cinema, 2301 M St. NW. Call 202-419-FILM or visit westendcinema.com.
Born in Alexandria and educated in Bethesda, alternative-rocker Yamagata is touring in support of her third long-player with a title nodding to her roots here -- Chesapeake. Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 7:30 p.m., The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $25. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.
Harry Belafonte's Sing Your Song recounts the life of the entertainer and outspoken activist for global civil rights, from his early years of poverty in Harlem and Jamaica to racism in the Navy during World War II to friendships with Martin Luther King Jr., and the Kennedys. Belafonte wrote the memoir with Michael Shnayerson, and it's has been released along with a companion CD and an HBO documentary. Belafonte will not perform or even read or take questions about his book at Politics and Prose; he'll simply autograph copies of his book and CD. Well, that's gotta be worth something, right? Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 1 p.m. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-364-1919 or visit politics-prose.com.
Former Floetry member Marsha Ambrosius tours in support of her solo debut, Late Nights and Early Evenings, which includes the title song and the single "Hope She Cheats on You (With A Basketball Player)." Revenge never sounded so sweet. Sunday, Oct. 30, at 8 p.m. Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW. Tickets are $80 to $200. Call 202-783-4000 or visit warnertheatre.com.
A new work by Arena Stage's resident playwright Karen Zacarias, the comedy The Book Club Play focuses on a woman who seems to have it all -- an adoring husband, a perfect job and a great book club. But bizarre circumstances put her life under a magnifying glass and force her friends to read between the lines. Life, love and literature may never be the same. To Nov. 6. Arena Stage -- Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $40 to $70. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.
This is your last weekend to see Alan Bennett's play-within-a-play, which follows an imagined meeting between openly gay poet W. H. Auden and closeted composer Benjamin Britten a year before Auden's death. The two wrestle with their desires, their jealousies, the ephemeral connection between creativity and inspiration, and the many reasons their friendship fell apart in this wistful and filthily funny play by the writer of The History Boys. David Muse directs a cast that includes Ted van Griethuysen, Margaret Daly Kay, Randy Harrison, Matt Dewberry and Will Cooke. Closes Sunday, Oct. 30. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.
The Hyman S. and Freda Bernstein Jewish Literary Festival celebrates the year's best in Jewish writing, from emerging and established authors the world over, and covering themes as diverse as politics, sports, film, history and fiction. Among the more notable author discussions remaining at this year's 13th annual festival: Ursula Hegi, who discusses on Saturday, Oct. 29, Children and Fire, the follow up to her previous bestseller, the Oprah Winfrey-selected book Stones from the River; and Avner Cohen (The Worst-Kept Secret: Israel's Bargain with the Bomb) and Ron Rosenbaum (How The End Begins) on the "Israel, Loose Nukes and the End of the World" panel set for Tuesday, Nov. 1, and moderated by journalist Marvin Kalb. The festival runs to Nov. 2. Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. Ticket prices vary; a festival pass costs $94. Call 202-777-3251 or visit washingtondcjcc.org/litfest.
"Boo: A Night of True Stories about Things That Are Scary" features writers recounting true stories about frightful encounters, terrifying moments and spooky predicaments. Stephanie Garibaldi, Brian Leonard, Alexandra Petri and S.M. Shrake are among those who will read at this Halloween-timed event. Saturday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 30, at 4 p.m. Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE. Tickets are $22. Call 202-269-1600 or visit speakeasydc.org. or danceplace.org.
In Reentry, Emily Ackerman and KJ Sanchez offer an unflinching look at the lives of Marines returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Based on interviews with privates and colonels, combat vets and clerks, and one particularly memorable family. Directed by KJ Sanchez. Closes Sunday, Oct. 30. Round House Theatre-Silver Spring, 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $25 to $60. Call 240-644-1100 or visit roundhousetheatre.org.
Yet another noteworthy Swedish electronic-pop band, Little Dragon offers dreamy downtempo music, merging R&B, new wave and experimental pop. The Japanese-born Yukimi Nagano is the quartet's lead singer who first came to fame as a guest singer with the Swedish electronica duo Koop. Now with Little Dragon, she's appeared on tracks with Gorillaz and Raphael Saadiq and is set to work with Big Boi and DJ Shadow. The band's music can be a bit too electronically austere and emotionally cold at times, and Ritual Union starts off stronger than it ends. But the subtle sonics and twists of most tracks are captivating, and Nagano's girlish voice, often embellished with reverb and digital tricks, is always charming. Saturday, Oct. 29. Doors at 7 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.
Chromeo is loftily touted as "the only successful Arab/Jew partnership since the dawn of human culture." The Montreal-based duo of P-Thugg and Dave 1 performed a buzzed-about set with Daryl Hall (all Hall, no Oates) at last year's Bonnaroo Festival. Support comes from disco-poppers Holy Ghost, fresh off supporting LCD Soundsystem on tour (though there was no stop in D.C.). Saturday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $25 to $30. Call 301-960-9999 or visit fillmoresilverspring.com.
Even Lilly has some bad days, but when you have movie-star sunglasses and a purple plastic purse, how bad can it be? From the book by Kevin Henkes Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse was adapted for the Adventure Theater stage by Kevin Kling. Directed by Nick Olcott. Closes Monday, Oct. 31. Adventure Theater, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Tickets are $17. Call 301-634-2261 or visit adventuretheatre.org.
Hurry, the contest ends on Monday, Oct. 31 at noon.
The long-established queer acoustic-leaning folk-pop trio of Nate Borofsky, Doris Muramatsu and Ty Greenstein has become a quartet with the addition of JJ Jones. They've also transplanted from Brooklyn to Atlanta. But even with three girls and a boy, the sound is still sweet and sensitive and most of all harmonious, a bit like a cross between the Indigo Girls and Simon & Garfunkel. They've recently taken to working with raunchy comic Margaret Cho, so you know, they're not that innocent. Thursday, Nov. 3, at 8 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $20. Call 703-255-1900 or visit wolftrap.org.
Happenstance Theater's Halloween inspired Cabaret Macabre features melodramatic music played live and performances by local actors including Mark Jaster, Sabrina Mandell, Esther Williamson and Gwen Grastorf. Think Edward Gorey and Victorian nightmares. To Nov. 12. Round House Theatre-Silver Spring, 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $15. Call 240-644-1100 or visit roundhousetheatre.org.
The E Street Cinema launches its first-ever "Capital Classics" series this Halloween weekend with the 1958 original The Fly, the horror flick about a scientist (David Hedison) who has a horrific accident and becomes part-fly (and the poor fly becomes part human), when he tries using his newly invented teleportation device. Which underscores the obvious: Always spray the lab with RAID before embarking on teleportation. Vincent Price co-stars as the scientist's brother. In the coming weeks, Landmark will show Singin' In The Rain, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Citizen Kane and King Kong. Every Friday and Saturday at midnight, and 11 a.m. on Sundays, through Dec. 18. Landmark's E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Tickets are $11. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com. Current showtimes for all of Landmark's E Street Showings can be found here.
Moby admitted to being a former raver at his concert at the Fillmore Silver Spring on Wednesday, Oct. 26. He said he was even one of those annoying kids with glowsticks.
There were no glowsticks in the packed house that night, but the 46-year-old wasn’t the only former raver present. He wasn’t even the oldest. In fact, the concert was striking in part because of the wide range in ages -- and especially the number of people clearly over 50 who were dancing up a storm to Moby’s bodyrockin’ beats. Let’s call them senior ravers.
This dance-hearty crowd was ready for Moby, who went on more than 30 minutes later than scheduled -- though 8:35 p.m. is still early for this kind of show. He proved well worth the wait. The dance music pioneer brought even his popular sample-driven tunes -- “Natural Blues,” “Porcelain,” “Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad” and “Honey” -- to life with the help of a four-piece backup band: an astonishingly great vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist and drummer. At one point he invited one young hunk from the crowd to show off his keyboard-improvising prowess.
Moby couldn’t make up his mind if he wanted to play bongos, drums or electric guitar -- so in addition to singing, he bounced around and played them all repeatedly. He played them all well, too. In particular, banging out beats on snare drums in unison with his drummer gave new meaning to the term “pounding rhythm.”
Vocalist Inyang Bassey, who first gained notice on Moby’s new album Destroyed, kicked off the concert singing one of Moby’s best songs, 2002’s “In My Heart.” (The focus of the concert was on his hits; Moby and co. performed only a few new tracks.) Bassey proceeded to steal the show time and time again as Moby’s featured singer. His many techno-blues hits were far more powerful live in large part thanks to Bassey.
But far and away the highlight of the concert was her duet with Moby covering Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.” The two, along with the rest of the band, tore through that classic, which lost none of its blues ache or blistering hard rock heat.
The crowd gave Moby and his crew, especially Bassey, a whole lotta love right back.
The Washington Improv Theater presents a rotating lineup of "frightfully funny" skits for its "Scary Funny" Halloween weekend, all concluding with "Die! Die! Die!," a spoof of slasher movies, improvised right on stage. Also playing for select shows: "iSpooksical," an unscripted musical in the key of horror, a spooky sketch comedy called "Brick Penguin" and "Sistine Robot: But Wait, There's Horror," which takes a dark look at the advertising business. Friday, Oct. 28, and Saturday, Oct. 29, at 11 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 30, and Monday, Oct. 31, at 8 p.m. Source, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets are $10 for each show. Call 202-204-7760 or visit washingtonimprovtheater.com.
This year's annual scary cinema series at the American Film Institute's Silver Theatre focuses on the centennial of horror icon Vincent Price with screenings of movies he starred in including Roger Corman's The Raven and an "interactive" screening of The Tingler from 1959. Also on tap are screenings of two silent films from the 1920s with live accompaniment by the three-man Alloy Orchestra: Rupert Julian's The Phantom of the Opera starring Lon Chaney, and the German classic Nosferatu. And what Halloween-themed series would be complete without screenings of Shaun of the Dead? To Oct. 31. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. Call 301-495-6720 or visit afi.com/Silver to see full schedule and times.
D.C. councilmember and former Whitman-Walker Clinic director Jim Graham, Whitman-Walker employee Joe Izzo and retired Army nurse Maudie Jones are the grand marshals for the 25th annual AIDS Walk Washington, benefiting and produced by Whitman-Walker Health. Justin Goforth will receive this year's Courage Award, while Aisha Karimah will get the Partner for Life Award and NBC 4 will be honored with the Community Service Award. Additionally, 25 people have been chosen as honorees for the event's 25th anniversary. Saturday, Oct. 29, starting at 8:30 a.m. Freedom Plaza, Pennsylvania Avenue and 13 Street NW. Call 202-332-WALK or visit aidswalkwashington.org.
From last year's AIDS Walk:At the end of its concert at the 9:30 Club on Monday night, Oct. 24, the Brazilian dance-rock band CSS gave a Beastie Boys-esque rap-chant, wishing the crowd well and hoping they got their money’s worth.
Did they ever: The lead singer, who goes by the name of Lovefoxx, saw to that all her own. Throughout the show, she both rapped and sung, mostly in fluent English but a few lyrics in her native Portuguese. She accentuated her looks by dressing up and down, including wearing a short-bobbed black wig until the very last number, an affirming punk-rock song about taking pride in how you look no matter what the outside world says. And with that, she revealed her inner-Debbie Harry, uncovering shoulder-length blonde locks.
Lovefoxx also did the splits at the end of several songs, she started to limbo at one point, she bodysurfed, she even jumped down into the crowd and acted like an awestruck concertgoer -- “I know that girl!,” she said, pointing to a fellow band member.
Her energy could not be contained.
No wonder the six-piece band with several queer members has such a die-hard fan base. They’re full-on amusing at every turn, right down to the band’s name: CSS stands for Cansei de Ser Sexy, which is the Portuguese translation of a 2003 quote attributed to Beyonce, saying she’s “tired of being sexy.”
Oh yes, they did.
At the 9:30 Club, for probably its sixth or seventh visit in the past few years -- Lovefoxx has lost count -- the band plowed through its repertoire of tunes with infectious rhythms and cute melodies. Some of the tunes were a bit wild, even weird -- but they never ceased to be entertaining. For one song, they even trotted out a cowbell on a special stand, which one female member proceeded to play in the most dramatic of fashion. All praise the cowbell.
CSS has tapped a local drag queen on its current tour to kick off the party. In D.C., they selected Shea Van Horn, or really his drag alter-ego Summer Camp. Summer Camp told the crowd she wrote the book. No one dared deny.
Sharing the bill with CSS was MEN, led by JD Samson, who used to be in the feminist dance punk trio Le Tigre.
“We should always tour with them for the rest of our lives. We love them,” Lovefoxx effused about MEN. The crowd wasn’t quite as into MEN, but the explicitly feminist and queer trio of two women and one man soldiered on anyway. They won over all of those who can appreciate some liberal politicking -- they gave a shout-out to Occupy DC -- along with good, even great, music and music-playing, with tunes steeped in early ‘80s synth-pop. Samson had as much energy as Lovefoxx, giving a kick-boxer move at a couple turns and constantly air-playing the beat and the guitar riff of her cohorts. And wow, those guitar riffs: Michael O’Neill is a master bassist.
MEN even performed several dance songs in a continuous loop, as if it were a party night at the 9:30 Club with a DJ.
But even without a DJ, it was most definitely a party. Monday night never felt so good.
Fathom Events offers special one-night-only, Halloween-inspired screenings nationwide of this new docu-drama about the legendary British killer, whose famous mass-murder remains unsolved to this day. The film takes audiences on an eerie journey back in time to London in 1888 when the murderer terrorized the impoverished Whitechapel district. Thursday, Oct. 27, at 7:30 p.m. Various area theaters. Visit fathomevents.com for details.
Creator Joel Hodgson and the original cast of the award-winning cult television show MST3K return for more movie riffing in front a live audience. The focus is on the terrible 1976 horror film Rattlers, in which a chauvinist herpetologist teams up with a feminist war photographer to uncover the mystery behind a spate of killer rattlesnake attacks. This should be explosively, stingingly uproarious, and it’s intended to be something of a Halloween party. Thursday, Oct. 27, at 8 p.m. Lisner Auditorium, The George Washington University, 730 21st St. NW. Tickets are $25 to $35. Call 202-994-6800 or visit lisner.org.
JR.'s Bar & Grill just celebrated its 25th anniversary last month, and tonight brings the 25th edition of an event that JR.'s employees started just for fun and a little neighborhood bonding. Now, of course, the 17th Street High Heel Race is one of the city's most popular annual events -- this year's Grand Marshals are Mayor Vincent Gray and D.C. Councilman Jack Evans. Spectators start lining the blocks between JR.'s and Cobalt in the late afternoon -- 17th Street closes to traffic and parking at 6 p.m. So don't expect to be able to see the high-heeled sprinters or even much of the pre-race spectacle unless you stake out a spot hours in advance.
The only way to guarantee a good view? Show up at JR.'s at 6:30 p.m. and sign up as a volunteer Race Marshal, which gets you a shirt and route placement.
Tonight, Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 9 p.m. Starting gate outside Cobalt at corner of 17th and R Streets NW and finish line down by JR.'s.
Reel Affirmations wrapped its 20th festival, and the audience votes for favorite films have been tallied. No surprises here -- in fact, we couldn't agree more, as you'll see by our reviews.
Best Feature: Pariah. The film is tentatively scheduled for a January 2012 theatrical release.
Best Women's Short: Cry Suicide.
Best Men's Short: I Don't Want To Go Back Alone. You can watch the film in its entirety below, but it doesn't yet have subtitles online. Still it is a marvelous work.
Best Documentary: Vito. Reportedly, HBO will broadcast this extraordinary documentary in June 2012.
Best International Program: Mary Lou. With Israeli director Eytan Fox at the helm, how could it fail?
The inaugural First Time Filmmaker award went to Sal Bardo for Requited.
The group also gave its inaugural Keith Clark & Barry Becker Filmmaker Award to Michele Josue & Liam McNill to assist with the completion of their documentary Matthew Shepard Is A Friend of Mine. You can read Metro Weekly's reviews of all the films in this year's Reel Affirmations here.Glow presents a DJ night with electronica artist Moby, touring in support of his latest set Destroyed, released last May. But don't worry if you're behind the times: Moby pulls from his repertoire and other dance classics when he spins. Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $30. Call 301-960-9999 or visit fillmoresilverspring.com.
The Beijing Dance Theater, China's three-year-old contemporary troupe, fuses ballet and modern dance with traditional dance. It's making its Kennedy Center debut with Haze, performed on a modified stage where the dancers fight to stay afoot amidst a smog cloud, a metaphor linking pollution with spiritual confusion. Wednesday, Oct. 26, and Thursday, Oct. 27, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $22 to $60. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
Celebrated gay stage director and choreographer Bill T. Jones (Fela!, Spring Awakening), among other hats, sits down for a wide-ranging discussion about his life and work for a Dean's Lecture at the University of Maryland on the set of the school's production of Rent. Recipient of four Tony Awards, a MacArthur "Genius" Award and the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors, Jones is also noted for his outspokenness on matters of being black, gay and HIV-positive in America. This should be a fascinating chat, with Leigh Smiley of Maryland's School of Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies. Best of all, it's free. Monday, Oct. 24, at 5:30 p.m. Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center's Ina and Jack Kay Theatre, University of Maryland, University Boulevard and Stadium Drive. College Park. Tickets are free. Call 301-405-ARTS or visit claricesmithcenter.umd.edu.
Reel Affirmations winds up its 20th Film Festival at Lisner Auditorium with several extremely strong films, including The Wise Kids (Five Triangles, Critic's Pick) at 1 p.m., Pariah (Five Triangles, Critic's Pick) at 5 p.m. and Loose Cannons, the closing night film which also garnered Five Triangles and a Critic's Pick from Sean Bugg. Loose Cannons shows at 7:15 p.m. and is followed by a closing night party.
Also showing Wish Me Away (Four Triangles) at 11 a.m. and Jitters (Three Triangles) at 3 p.m.
You could really make a full day of it, to be honest, and come away with an amazing day of queer cinema.
Reviews of all this year's Reel Affirmations films are archived at Metro Weekly here. We would be remiss to call out a thank you to all our critics -- Tom Avila, Sean Bugg, Kerry Eleveld, Chris Heller, Chris Geidner, Will O'Bryan, Jonathan Padget, Tim Plant, Doug Rule and Kate Wingfield. And a special acknowledgement to David Uy, whose online guide to the festival was, in short, a work of programming genius.
Alexandria's Birchmere offers a night of lesbian cabaret and comedy this Saturday, Oct. 22. The stunning lesbian performer Suede, who got her start in D.C. and Baltimore but has long made Cape Cod her home, provides the cabaret, applying her rich, moving contralto voice to mostly jazz standards, with some pop and blues thrown in for good measure. Meanwhile, Vickie Shaw, a Texas-raised spitfire who you've no doubt seen on Comedy Central (if not an Olivia Cruise) provides the laughs. They're together on one bill for a knockout of a night. Saturday, Oct. 22, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $29.50. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.
The headliner at the 9:30 Club this Monday, Oct. 24, is enough of a draw all its own -- CSS, which stands for Cansei de Ser Sexy, or Portuguese for "tired of being sexy," makes upbeat, electro-pop dance music in the Scissor Sisters mold, led by an Ana Matronic-esque sassy singer named Lovefoxxx.
But we're most excited to see the Brooklyn-based queer band and performance collective MEN, which returns to D.C. after storming the recent PhaseFest. MEN started as an all-female duo, but it has since become a co-ed group of three core members, including JD Samson, formerly of the feminist punk trio Le Tigre (and former girlfriend to Australian singer Sia). The group focuses on the "radical potential of dance music," chiefly through provocative, political lyrics. The music, on the other hand, is less radical and far better than you might expect. MEN's work on debut Talk About Body is polished, and the bass is as seriously developed and stunning as the best of house music -- courtesy of the man in this house, bassist Michael O'Neill. Monday, Oct. 24. Doors at 7 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.
Three-time All-American wrestler Hudson Taylor, founder of LGBT-affirming Athlete Ally, is the special guest at Team DC's 2011 Champions Awards, recognizing the stars of the local LGBT sports community. This year's honorees include Martin Espinoza of Stonewall Kickball, Chris Cormier and Brandon Waggoner of the DC Gay Flag Football League and Phil Piga and Tony Watkins of Anywhere Goes. Town Danceboutique will be honored for its community support. Saturday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m. Human Rights Campaign, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Tickets are $40, including a buffet and dessert bar, plus an open bar co-sponsored by Nellie's Sports Bar. Visit teamdc.org for more information.
Maryland Secretary of Public Safety Gary Maynard and members of the Mt. Airy Volunteer Fire Company and local State Police will appear as special guests of HorseNet Horse Rescue's annual fall festival and open house. The real stars of the event, though, are the horses, mules and ponies, about 50 in all, and all rescued from abusive or neglectful situations and currently being rehabilitated. Attendees of the event can tour the all-volunteer farm and meet, treat and greet -- that is, groom -- the lovely equines. There will also be pony rides and pumpkin decorating for children, and a silent auction and "fat suit sumo wrestling" for adults. An all-around great day for a great cause. Saturday, Oct. 22, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. HorseNet Horse Rescue, 14001 Mattie Haines Rd. Mt. Airy, Md. Call 301-637-2478 or visit hnhr.org.
Due to artist illness, tonight's Chely Wright / Lucy Wainwright Roche show has been rescheduled for Thursday, Nov. 3. All Oct. 20 tickets will be honored. If you cannot attend the new date, refunds are available at place of purchase through Nov. 10. For more information, visit birchmere.com.
It's Vamp Night at Reel Affirmations, with two vampire films showing back-to-back at the West End. The first is the lesbian-oriented German We Are the Night (Three Triangles) and the second is Bite Marks (One Triangle), which features former porn stars valiantly attempting to act. Also showing, Sweet Revenge from la Suite Noir (Four Triangles) at 5 p.m. at the West End and Three at the Goethe-Institut at 7 p.m.
Check out our home page for an updated schedule or click here for reviews of all the upcoming showings. Reel Affirmations runs through Saturday, Oct. 22.
A special partnership between Dance/MetroDC, Washington Performing Arts Society and the Shakespeare Theatre Company, the popular Velocity DC Dance Festival returns for a third year and expands to four days of world-class dance, performed in three programs. Among the companies featured are Daniel Burkholder/The PlayGround, Coyaba Dance Theater, Flamenco Aparicio, Jane Franklin Dance, Next Reflex Dance Collective, Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh, EDGEWORKS and The Washington Ballet. Thursday, Oct. 20, through Saturday, Oct. 22, at 8 p.m. Also Saturday, Oct. 22, and Sunday, Oct. 23, at 2 p.m. Sidney Harman Hall, Harman Center for the Arts, 610 F St. NW. Tickets are $18. Call 202-778-1190 or visit velocitydc.org.
Pictured: The Washington Ballet in Edwaard Liang's Wunderland. Photo by Carol Pratt.
Reel Affirmations hits mid-week with all three of today's showings at the conveniently located West End. The first screening is at 5 p.m. with the strongly reviewed This is What Love in Action Looks Like (Four Triangles). The screening is only $5, so it's a bargain to boot. It's followed by Anything You Want (Four Triangles) at 7 p.m. and Rosa Morena (Three Triangles) at 5 p.m.
Check out our home page for an updated schedule or click here for reviews of all the upcoming showings. Reel Affirmations runs through Saturday, Oct. 22.
A novelist and a translator and assistant professor at Oberlin College, Kazim Ali will focus a discussion at the DC Center on his poetry, reading selections from his books The Far Mosque and The Fortieth Day. He'll also share reflections on his recent trip to Palestine and Israel. The discussion is sponsored by the Asian American Literary Review, the DC Center for the LGBT Community, Interfaith Peace-Builders and Split This Rock. Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. The DC Center for the LGBT Community, 1318 U St. NW. Call 202-682-2245 or visit thedccenter.org.
Popular local folk troubadour Tom Goss performs with Jeffrey Johnson, aka drag queen Super Agent Galactica. The duo's show is billed as "Under the Covers with Tom Goss and Jeffrey Johnson." The question is, will they perform under the wigs too? Friday, Oct. 21, and Saturday, Oct. 22, at 8 p.m. Black Fox Lounge, 1723 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $15. Visit blackfoxlounge.com.
Oklahoma's Hanson brothers are still around, 14 years after their one and only true pop hit. Chances are, it's a little ditty you still hear in your head sometimes: "MMMBop." Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m. The State Theatre, 220 North Washington St., Falls Church. Tickets are $35 at the door. Call 703-237-0300 or visit thestatetheatre.com.
All three of today's showings are at the conveniently located West End, so why not end your workday by starting your RA viewing day at 5 p.m. with Photos of Angie and Bullied (which got Four Triangles from our critics), and then follow it up with the Critic Picked Women's Shorts program (an especially strong collection of films) at 7 p.m., capping the evening off at 9 p.m. with the Men's Shorts, another Four Triangle winner).
Check out our home page for an updated schedule or click here for reviews of all the upcoming showings. Reel Affirmations runs through Saturday, Oct. 22.
Not only does the Australian duo An Horse sound like a punkier version of Tegan & Sara. Lesbian singer and guitarist Kate Cooper and drummer Damon Cox are shadowing the Canadian town lesbian duo. The duo first gained attention as Tegan & Sara's opening act three years ago, and is now touring in support of album Walls, produced by Howard Redekopp, long associated with, well, you-know-who. An Horse opens for Kevin Devine, who has previously opened for Bob Mould. Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m. Red Palace, 1212 H Street NE. Tickets are $14 day of show. Call 202-399-3201 or visit redpalacedc.com.
In the parking lot of a mega craft store in Idaho, someone is summoning the Rapture. John Vreeke directs Samuel D. Hunter's A Bright New Boise, a heartbreakingly funny reckoning between a father and a son that will "shatter your preconceptions about the sacred, the profane and the secret lives of big-box retailers." Kimberly Gilbert, Michael Willis, Michael Russotto and Joshua Morgan are among the cast. To Nov. 6. Woolly Mammoth, 641 D St. NW. Tickets range from $35 to $67.50. Call 202-393-3939 or visit woollymammoth.net.
Today's offerings include the Critic Picked Mary Lou (from acclaimed Israeli filmmaker Eytan Fox), the documentary Our Lips Are Sealed, So Hard to Forget and A Few Days of Respite.
Check out our home page for an updated schedule or click here to peruse upcoming showings.
Natascia Diaz, Eleasha Gamble and Bobby Smith -- three of Signature Theatre's favorite performers, and among the very best in town -- salute movie melodies, from Breakfast at Tiffany's to the Sondheim-composed Dick Tracy to The Wizard of Oz. Tuesday, Oct. 18, through Saturday, Oct. 22, at 8:30 p.m. Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Tickets are $35. Call 703-820-9771 or visit signature-theatre.org.
A slew of good films today, including the critic's picked Tomboy, the documentary Vito, the always-popular shorts collection Best of the Fest (if all they showed were the hilarious Gayby and the masterful coming-of-age romance I Don't Want to Go Back Alone, it would be worth the price of admission) and the World Premiere of the horror thriller, Into the Lion's Den, which was the only feature we were unable to review.
Check out our home page for an updated schedule or click here to peruse upcoming showings.
This Rhode Island quintet blends folk, blues and country -- you know, all styles of music you'd hear outdoors, where the deer and the antelope roam and get bitten by a certain arachnid. Sunday, Oct. 16. Doors at 7 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $45. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.
Duran Duran, Brit-pop's Fashionable Fab Four (lead guitarist Andy Taylor left the original Fab Five once and for all a few years ago) have come up short in valiant efforts to recreate '80s success in the U.S. Not even working with one mega-producer (Timbaland, on 2007's Red Carpet Massacre) after another (Mark Ronson, on last year's All You Need Is Now) has done the trick. But they've still got a rabidly devoted fan base, and really, isn't that all one needs? It's certainly enough to fill Constitution Hall. Sunday, Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m. D.A.R. Constitution Hall, 1776 D St. NW. Tickets are $68 to $148. Call 202-628-1776 or visit dar.org/conthall.
Adaptation is a funny thing. What worked so shamelessly and wonderfully for adaptor David Ives in the Shakespeare Theatre Company's production of The Liar two seasons ago feels like way too much of a good thing in his latest re-invention of Jean-François Regnard's The Heir Apparent. A barely faithful take on this 18th-century comedy of a young and impecunious nephew trying to wheedle a fortune out of a thoroughly crotchety old uncle, there is far more here to make the wit-challenged guffaw on their gum than there is for those in need of the wry and dry. It's Ives's frantic dependence on SNL-style modern reference as well as his hideous nods to vaudeville that grate most. Closes Sunday, Oct. 23. Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th St. NW. Tickets are $35 to $95. Call 202-547-1122 or visit shakespearetheatre.org.
Rebecca Luker is as corny as Kansas in August. Well, at least that’s what she’s singing at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall this weekend. What she really is, though, is as charming as Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music.
Performing with the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington Chorus, Luker proves she’s as good an interpreter of tunes from the “Golden Age” of Broadway musicals as any soprano before her, including Barbara Cook. Luker’s version of “A Wonderful Guy” from South Pacific is every bit as convincing as Cook’s definitive version. Luker is one of three soloists at the NSO Pops tribute this weekend to Rodgers and Hammerstein, one of the greatest duos in Broadway history. Tenor Aaron Lazar also shines throughout the night, and baritone Rod Gilfry has a moment or two. Steven Reineke, the NSO’s new Principal Pops Conductor, is an enthusiastic presence on the podium, and his energy is infectious.
The gay Reineke's move to launch his inaugural season with some of the best, most indelible showtunes ever written should not go unnoticed by local theater queens. And hearing a full orchestra, several times the size of a regular theater orchestra, along with a full chorus take on Broadway tunes is, in so many words, an enchanting evening. The vocals come sweeping down the plain in the chorus’s opening number, a wonderfully realized, transfixing interpretation of the theme to Oklahoma! It's all uphill from there, ending with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s commercial pinnacle, The Sound of Music.
Which brings us back to Luker, who is nearly always smiling and swaying along, even when she isn't performing, regaling the crowd with her pristine soprano and clear diction. She chuckled as the chorus men took to whistling at various points, most gloriously in “There is Nothing Like a Dame.” And she repeatedly bobbed her head along as the orchestra launched into the night’s many jaunty refrains. Luker, who earned critical acclaim years ago starring as Maria in The Sound of Music, clearly loves this songbook. Just as clearly, it loves her right back.
Remaining performance tonight, Oct. 15, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $20 to $85. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
Metro Weekly's cadre of critics awarded a whopping six Critic's Picks on this busy day of film showings for the Reel Affirmations gay and lesbian film festival. We Were Here, An Ordinary Family, I Am, Romeos, Kink Crusaders and Bashment all received the honor. The day's showings also include The Sleeping Beauty of East Finchley, Gone, Three Veils, Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same, The Green, Hollywood to Dollywood, Gigola, August and One Night Stand.
And don't forget -- tomorrow is the annual Women's and Filmmakers' Brunch, long a popular tradition of the festival's. Brunch is followed by Hannah and the Hasbian. Tickets for the brunch and film are $40.
You can purchase tickets to all these movies at reelaffirmations.org. We also include purchase links following each of our reviews at metroweekly.com -- just click the Buy Tickets link in the upper info portion of each screen.
True Colors LGBT champion Cyndi Lauper returns to the 9:30 Club for another roots-oriented concert after last year's blues fest. This time, the focus is on New Orleans-style jazz with Dr. John. Tuesday, Oct. 18. Doors at 7 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $45. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.
Director Nick Olcott offers an English adaptation of Donizetti's comic opera L'Elisir d'Amore for an InSeries' mini-opera production. Olcott sets his version in a D.C. high school in the 1950s, with a math nerd trying to win the affections of a girl over a 'bad boy. Frank Conlon conducts and accompanies on piano a chamber ensemble and cast of singers including Pablo Henrich Lobo, Laura Wehrmeyer, Fabiola Echazabal, Jase Parker and Jarrod Lee. Opens tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 15, at 8 p.m. An OUT at In Series performance is Friday, Oct. 28, at 8 p.m. To Oct. 29. GALA Theatre at Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are $40. Call 202-204-7763 or visit inseries.org.
Reel Affirmations 20 is in full swing and tonight's collection of films is particularly strong. It starts at 5 p.m. at the Globe Theatre with Au Pair, Kansas, which got a Metro Weekly Critic's Pick and a rating of four triangles (out of five). Four More Years, at the Atlas Center for the Performing Arts at 7 p.m., was also awarded four triangles, as was The Night Watch, playing at 7:15 p.m. at the Globe. Going Down in La La Land is at the Atlas at 9 p.m. and Jamie and Jessie Are Not Together plays at 9:15 p.m. at the Globe. Read our reviews in this week's issue or online at metroweekly.com.
A classic chamber group, The Ahn Trio isn't afraid to have fun or be funny. It's most recent album was amusingly title Lullaby for My Favorite Insomniac, and it kicks off Wolf Trap's annual Discovery Series in a celebration of Founder's Day with a new Wolf Trap co-commission, "BraziliAHN and Other Landscapes." Friday, Oct. 14, at 8 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $40. Call 703-255-1900 or visit wolftrap.org.
The gay-owned Vitruvian Gallery, located near Eastern Market and focused on male figurative art, officially opens this weekend with an exhibit of over 20 male figurative paintings by local artist Rob Vander Zee. Opening reception is Saturday, Oct. 15, from 6 to 9 p.m. On exhibit through Nov. 19. Vitruvian Gallery, 734 7th St. SE. Call 202-241-2563 or visit vitruviangallery.com.
Steven Reineke conducts the NSO Pops in the program "Some Enchanted Evening: The Music of Rodgers & Hammerstein," featuring soprano Rebecca Luker (Broadway's Mary Poppins), tenor Aaron Lazar (Broadway's A Little Night Music, Oklahoma) and baritone Rod Gilfry (South Pacific national tour). Scheduled tunes include "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "Shall We Dance?" Thursday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m., and Friday, Oct. 14, and Saturday, Oct. 15, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $20 to $85. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
Landmark's E Street Cinema presents the D.C. premiere of The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence, sequel to one of the most controversial horror films ever made, about a mad scientist who pieces people together ass to mouth, creating one long "human centipede." The first film had its merits, believe it or not -- including a grim ending that pulled no punches. However it wasn't as gory as you'd expect. So director Tom Six has upped the ante apparently, creating a film that even die-hard horror fans are reportedly repulsed by. (Barbed-wire rape anyone?) Its appeal is hard to fathom. Screens tonight, Saturday, Oct. 8, at midnight. Landmark's E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com.
Busboys & Poets offers a special screening of the 1996 film I Shot Andy Warhol, about the life of the anti-male lesbian Valerie Solaris (Lily Taylor), who shot the gay pop-art icon, played by Jared Harris. Martha Plimpton and Stephen Dorff (as transsexual Candy Darling) also star. Screened as part of the monthly "Focus-In! Cinema for a Conscious Community." Sunday, Oct. 9, at 6 p.m. Busboys & Poets, 2021 14th St. NW. Call 202-387-POET or visit busboysandpoets.com.
Alan Bennett's play-within-a-play, The Habit of Art, follows an imagined meeting between openly gay poet W. H. Auden and closeted composer Benjamin Britten a year before Auden's death. The two wrestle with their desires, their jealousies, the ephemeral connection between creativity and inspiration, and the many reasons their friendship fell apart in this wistful and filthily funny play by the writer of The History Boys. David Muse directs a cast that includes Ted van Griethuysen, Margaret Daly Kay, Randy Harrison, Matt Dewberry and Will Cooke. Extended through Oct. 23. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.
Read Jonathan Padget's review here.
In Richard Greenberg's Take Me Out, Darren Lemming, the star center fielder of the world champion New York Empires, comes out as gay and trouble ensues. Matthew Randall directs this production from Dominion Stage, everyone's favorite gay-friendly community theater in Virginia. Jivon Lee Jackson as Lemming in the show, which includes strong language, full-frontal male nudity and sexual situations. Opens tonight, Friday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m. To Oct. 23. Dominion Stage -- Gunston Arts Center, 2700 South Lang St. Arlington. Tickets are $20 at the door. Call 571-DS-SHOWS or visit dominionstage.org.
Amy Ray and Emily Saliers -- better known as The Indigo Girls -- have been at it for well more than two decades now, but the popular Grammy-winning gay icons are only now making their debut at Strathmore. And the venue's acoustically rich Music Center sounds like the perfect fit for the duo, its tight harmonies in particular -- call it "Closer to Fine," if you'd like. Atlanta's five-man pop/folk band the Shadowboxers open. Sunday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Remaining tickets are $45 to $55. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.
Liz Prescott is the featured performer at this month's open mike night at the Center, D.C.'s LGBT community center. A semi-finalist in the first national queer poetry slam Capturing Fire, Prescott is a familiar face around D.C. Mike Brazell hosts the evening, at which audience members are also welcome to read from their work. Friday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m. The Center, 1318 U St. NW. Tickets are $10. Call 202-682-2245 or visit thedccenter.org.
Henry Rollins is a D.C.-native punk rocker, a spoken word artist, a frequent TV show host, and, last but not least, a vigorous LGBT ally. But wait, there's more. He's also a photographer -- and an adventure photographer at that. Rollins will appear next week as part of National Geographic's "Music on … Photography Series," discussing some of his full-color images taken in some of the world's toughest, most depressing corners and published in the new book Occupants. Tonight, Friday, Oct. 7, at 7:30 p.m. National Geographic Society's Gilbert H. Grosvenor Auditorium, 1600 M St. NW. Tickets are $40. Call 202-857-7700 or visit nglive.org.
Arlington's Artisphere turns a year old this weekend with a celebration featuring original art, music and off-beat arts activities. The arts complex commissioned local artist and cinematographer Brian Stansfield to create Orbit, a site-specific video work, with original scores created by local musicians and sound artists. The evening's events also include a performance of Brandon Wetherbee's live variety show with interviews and more. Saturday, Oct 8, at 8 p.m. Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd. Arlington. Tickets are $15, or $30 VIP. Call 703-875-1100 or visit artisphere.com.
Writer and poet Kimberly Dark aims her new solo show Good Fortune to be "as spontaneous and individualized as a tarot card reading." For the show, Dark has created her own "tarot deck" of 45 large-size art images, each corresponding to a story or poem of hers, built on broad themes of love, sex, politics and power. At the performance, one audience member chooses cards from the deck, forming the show's "readings" for that evening. Saturday, Oct. 8, at 8 p.m. The Center, 1318 U St. NW. Tickets are $10. Call 202-682-2245 or visit thedccenter.org.
Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness?: What It Means to Be Black Now is a provocative new book from the mono-named journalist and author tackling what it means to be black in America in the age of Obama. Washington Post editorial writer Jonathan Capehart will be a special panelist at an author's discussion at Busboys & Poets. Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 6:30 p.m. Busboys & Poets, 2021 14th St. NW. Call 202-387-POET or visit busboysandpoets.com.
Ballet Costumes Exhibition offers a Kennedy Center salute to the 10th anniversary of its resident company the Suzanne Farrell Ballet. The exhibit offers a glimpse of some of the ballet costuming during the company's first decade. To Oct. 30 in the Kennedy Center Hall of States. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
Henry Rollins is a D.C.-native punk rocker, a spoken word artist, a frequent TV show host, and, last but not least, a vigorous LGBT ally. But wait, there's more. He's also a photographer, and an adventure photographer at that. Rollins will appear on Friday as part of National Geographic's bMusic on … Photography Series, discussing some of his full-color images taken in some of the world's toughest, most depressing corners and published in the new book Occupants. Friday, Oct. 7, at 7:30 p.m. National Geographic Society's Gilbert H. Grosvenor Auditorium, 1600 M St. NW. Tickets are $40. Call 202-857-7700 or visit nglive.org.
Pictured: Crawling Man in Bangkok, Thailand (2008). Photography by Henry Rollins.We're giving away a handful of Frankmusik's new CD, Do It in the AM." Enter below. More contests at metroweekly.com/win.
The Center, D.C.'s LGBT community center, and Tongue in Your Ear present a multi-part series led by Regie Cabico of HBO's Def Poetry Jam and designed to help queer-identified men with writing and editing poetry. The workshops will examine works of poets with ties to D.C., including Essex Hemphill and Michael Lally, as well as spoken-word artists. Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 6 and Oct. 13. The Center, 1318 U St. NW. Tickets are $25 for all four sessions. Call 202-682-2245 or visit thedccenter.org.
Mikey Cafarelli and Paul Scanlan play D.C. interns in Two Guys…Become Interns, a funny and touching new musical revue from Mark Walter Braswell that "reveal[s] the truth about interning." Accompaniment by Jason Solounias. Mondays, Oct. 3 and Oct. 10 at 9 p.m. Black Fox Lounge, 1723 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $20, or $10 for current interns. Visit blackfoxlounge.com.
Amy Ray and Emily Saliers -- aka The Indigo Girls -- have been at it for well more than two decades now, but the popular Grammy-winning gay icons are only now making their debut at Strathmore. And the venue's acoustically rich Music Center sounds like the perfect fit for the duo, and its tight harmonies in particular -- call it "Closer to Fine," if you'd like. Atlanta's five-man pop/folk band the Shadowboxers open. Sunday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Remaining tickets are $45 to $55. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.
Win tickets to this (and other great shows) at metroweekly.com/win.
We're giving away a pair of tickets to Owl City, appearing in November at the 9:30 Club. Enter all our current contests at metroweekly.com/win.
Leave It on the Floor is a musical film about a black gay boy who discovers the Los Angeles ball scene after being thrown out of his parents' house. DC Black Pride presents the area premiere of the film Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 7:30 p.m. Landmark's E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Tickets are $15 Call 202-452-7672 or visit dcblackpride.org.
Walking the line between comedy and tragedy is tricky. How can filmmakers draw out the appropriate emotions from their audiences? When do those triggers inspire us to laugh or cry? Or, for that matter, do both?
50/50 strikes a delicate balance between the two, straddling and steadying itself with a brand of empathetic humor that does something rarely seen in sardonic film: It encourages.
Loosely based on screenwriter Will Reiser's own cancer struggles as a 20-something, 50/50follows Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a Seattle public radio producer after he's diagnosed with a malignant tumor on his spine. And there's a lot to follow.
There are plenty of reasons to see 50/50. The character actors on display -- including Anjelica Huston and the always-excellent Philip Baker Hall -- shine through a movie that's a tad star-heavy. Gordon-Levitt and Kendrick share an incredibly unethical, but nonetheless charming repartee of sweet flirtation. Rogen does his cursing, weed-smoking best. Still, if you need a single reason to see 50/50, let it be this: It's an honestly funny take about how people react to cancer.
Read the full review here.
The Phillips Collection's new exhibition Degas's Dancers at the Barre: Point and Counterpoint traces impressionist master Edgar Degas's devotion to ballet as represented in his art from the 1870s to 1900. The exhibition features works from some of the world's finest collections. And it will also be the focus of the museum's "Phillips After 5" October cocktail event, presented in conjunction with the Washington Ballet. The ballet's Septime Webre will offer his perspective on the Phillips's exhibition in a discussion, while company members will offer a ballet-basics class and trainees of the Washington School of Ballet will offer a demonstration during the event. The exhibit remains on display through Jan. 8, 2012. "Phillips After 5" with the Washington Ballet is Thursday, Oct. 6, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. Tickets to the exhibition are $12. Call 202-387-2151 or visit phillipscollection.org.
