If you thought the past two years were a drag, oh, honey, have a seat. Because the other, arguably better kind of drag is about to be running this town. And running all over and under it.

You could argue the local queens already do all of that, of course, with hostesses like Tara Hoot at Crazy Aunt Helen’s, or Logan Stone at the Loyalty Books Drag Queen Story Hour. We see you, boos. And don’t sleep on Riley Knoxx, the best Queen Bey impersonator anywhere — and City Winery DC ain’t anywhere but here, right in our backyard.

Of course, it’s not all drag, all the time. There is certainly plenty on offer that is free and clear of the “As Seen On Ru TV” onslaught juggernaut — Trixie & Katya, Shangela, DeLa & Jinx, even a whole cast of them performing in the holiday spectacle at MGM National Harbor.

There’s also an influx of former Saturday Night Live cast members, new and old, plus the return of David Sedaris, Paula Poundstone, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Heather McDonald, Alton Brown, and ALOK. Miss Richfield 1981, too!

Editor’s Note: This column has been modified slightly from the magazine edition.

THE ALDEN

McLean Community Center
1234 Ingleside Ave.
McLean, Va.
703-790-0123
www.aldentheatre.org

•  Laurie Hernandez and Shaquem Griffin: Tackling Body Image and Flipping Mental Health Challenges — Hernandez, a gold and silver medalist in gymnastics at the 2016 Rio Olympics, discusses her work in addressing an eating disorder and depression in a frank conversation with Shaquem Griffin, the NFL’s first-ever one-handed player who works to help people overcome adversity and persevere. Female sports columnist Christine Brennan moderates (10/15)
•  McLean Pet Fest — A day of pet tricks, tips, and demonstrations led by a variety of exhibitors, a pet photo booth, and naturally a Pet Parade for your furry babies to strut their stuff (10/16, McLean Central Park, 1468 Dolley Madison Blvd.)
•  Performing Arts Documentaries — Performing Arts Director Sarah Schallern Treff leads a viewing and discussion of two short films from the Documentary Now! TV series, Original Cast Album: Company and Original Cast Album: Co-Op (10/27)
•  Festival of Frights and Trunk or Treat — A night of live music, games, food, contests, candy, and costumes (10/29, Old Firehouse Center)
•  Foreign Language Movie: The Dead Lands — A screening of the 2014 film from New Zealand (11/3)
•  McLean Antique Show & Sale — “It’s Back & Better Than Ever!” (11/12-13)
•  Performing Arts Documentaries — Arlo Guthrie: Alice’s Restaurant 50th Anniversary Concert (11/17)
•  George Emilio Sanchez: In the Court of the Conqueror — A solo performance and second installment in the “Performing the Constitution” series, revolving around the landmark Supreme Court rulings pertaining to Native Nations in the U.S., interlaced with Sanchez’s experiences growing up in an Ecuadorian immigrant household navigating generational trauma and indigenous identity (11/19)
•  McLean Holiday Arts & Crafts Festival — A three-day show with approximately 80 talented, juried, regional artisans selling pottery, glass, jewelry, holiday decor, mixed-media art, fashion accessories, wood, fine art, and artisanal foods, managed by the Northern Virginia Handcrafters Guild (12/2-4)
•  Light Up McLean: Holiday House Decorating Contest (12/19-1/1/23)
•  Frosty — The Barter Players explore the life of the magical snowman in a show that reveals the real magic of the season is love (12/19)
•  Paddington Gets in a Jam — A fun-filled family comedy starring everyone’s favorite accident-prone bear, from Jonathan Rockefeller Productions, also known for his much more adult-oriented That Golden Girls Show: A Puppet Parody (2/25/23)

THE ANTHEM

901 Wharf St. SW.
202-888-0020
www.theanthemdc.com

•  Let’s Skate DC Health & Fitness Expo — “You don’t have to roller skate to enjoy this music-filled experience,” reads the descriptive text about this health and wellness-focused event. It’s not every day, or even every year, that you can roller skate in the Anthem, so why wouldn’t you? (10/8)
•  A Prairie Home Companion: American Revival with Garrison Keillor — The former public radio juggernaut returns with its retired host. Guests include Billy Collins, Heather Masse, Richard Dworsky, Rob Fisher, Pat Donohue, Fred Newman, Ellie Dehn, and Tim Russell, plus all the news in recent years from the Lake (10/21)

ATLAS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

1333 H St. NE
202-399-7993
www.atlasarts.org

•  Miss Richfield 1981: Cancel Cultured Pearls, billed as an “all-new extravaganza [exploring] ways to live in our new politically correct cancel culture,” told through original songs, videos, audience interaction, and “occasional dance moves” from the quirky Provincetown drag doyenne. A fundraiser for DC’s Different Drummers (11/12)

BALTIMORE SPEAKERS SERIES

Meyerhoff Hall
1212 Cathedral St.
410-783-8000
www.baltimorespeakers.org

• Loretta Lynch — The former U.S. Attorney General, appointed by President Obama in 2015, will kick off the 2022-23 series of seven speakers presented by Stevenson University (10/11)
•  John Brennan — The senior national security and intelligence analyst for NBC News and MSNBC and former American intelligence officer who served as director of the CIA during Obama’s second term (11/1)
•  Maria Ressa — The 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Winner for her work exposing abuses of power as co-founder and executive editor of Rappler.com, a major news portal in the Philippines (11/15)
•  Erik Larson — An award-winning master of narrative nonfiction whose vividly written books include The Splendid and the Vile, The Devil in the White City, and In the Garden of Beasts (1/24/23)
•  Scott Kelly — The first American astronaut to complete a record-breaking year-long mission aboard the International Space Station (2/28/23)
•  Tom Friedman — The three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times foreign affairs columnist and author (3/21/23)
•  Anthony Ray Hinton — One of the longest-serving death row prisoners in Alabama history, exonerated after 30 years, is now a powerful advocate for criminal justice reform (4/18/23)

THE BIRCHMERE

3701 Mount Vernon Ave.
Alexandria, Va.
703-549-7500
www.birchmere.com

•  Raven’s Night 2022 — The annual all hallow’s “esoteric evening of belly dance & entertainment” with the 2022 theme, “Join Us in the Underworld” (11/2)
•  Paula Poundstone — Comic returns for her annual pre-holiday run of shows (11/11-12)
•  A John Waters Christmas — The eyes say it all in the image of Baltimore’s Pope of Trash to promote his annual holiday show, as raunchy, as shocking, as wild and wonderful as they come (12/18)

BLACK CAT

1811 14th St. NW
202-667-4490
www.blackcatdc.com

• TrueAnon Presents: The Year of the Smile :) w/Yung Chomsky — A “Live Investigation” from hosts Brace Belden and Liz Franczak of the American politics podcast amusingly described as “a blind grope through the sphincter of today into the wet dirt of tomorrow,” which will not be recorded, but will feature live music by Chomsky (11/4)
• Mortified Live Podcast (11/6)

CAPITAL ONE HALL

7750 Capital One Tower Rd.
Tysons, Va.
703-343-7651
www.capitalonehall.com

• Daniel Howell — The sarcastic, self-deprecating, and over-sharing young comedian is out on his End Of The World Tour 2022 performing his epic solo show “We’re All Doomed!” (10/22)
•  Scott Barnes Masterclass — Axel Makeup Academy presents a live demonstration by this makeup artist to the stars known for creating the “JLo Glow” (11/7)
•  Alton Brown Live — “Beyond The Eats – The Holiday Variant” is a new culinary variety show from the Food Network and Netflix star who promises “more cooking, more comedy, more music, and more potentially dangerous science stuff with a sprinkle of seasonal spices” (11/18)
•  Rob Schneider — “I Have Issues Tour” from the Saturday Night Live alum and Deuce Bigalow schmuck (12/2)
•  Eddie B — Teachers Only Comedy Tour from the former teacher turned standup comedian whose schtick is providing an “uncensored, raw, and hysterically realistic portrayal of a teacher’s hectic life” (12/17)

CITY WINERY DC

1350 Okie St. NE
202-250-2531
www.citywinery.com

•  Vic Dibitetto & Eric D’Alessandro — Funny How? Tour (10/7)
•  Reality Gays Live! w/Mattie and Poodle — Double It Tour! (10/12)
• The Moth (10/17)
•  Riley Knoxx — An Illusion of Queen Bey (11/30)

CRAZY AUNT HELEN’S

713 8th St. SE
202-750-8140
www.crazyaunthelens.com

•  Disco Funk Brunch w/Tara Hoot, DJ Phil Reese (9/25, 10/9, 10/23)
•  Bingo and a Show w/Tara Hoot and Friends — Tara Hoot’s Broadway is the show theme this round that also features Shelita Ramen and Vagenesis, plus “wacky prizes! fun songs!” (9/25)
•  Paige Turner: Tucking Myself In — “An All-Live Sung Slumber Party” starring a queen from New York City (10/8)
•  Tula’s Cabaret — “A Classic Drag Show” (10/9)
•  Jessica Kirson (10/15-16)
•  Scooby Dooby DIE DIE DIE — Pinky Swear and Twinsies (10/20-21, 10/23)
•  This Is Cabaret (10/22)
•  Hallowscream Cabaret — With Barbara Papendorp (10/28)
•  Paige Turner: Drag Me To Christmas (11/26)

KENNEDY CENTER

202-467-4600
www.kennedy-center.org

•  Extraordinary Cinema: Songs My Brothers Taught Me (10/9, Millennium Stage North)
•  David Sedaris — The preeminent contemporary satirist and humor writer returns in light of the publication of his latest bestselling book, Happy-Go-Lucky (10/14, Concert Hall)
•  DaPaperBoy Presents: Slice of Pie — An independent short film showcase featuring local and national talent on the big screen, including the titular comedy following Zeke Sanders’ wild ride out west in pursuit of his leading actor for his upcoming movie Broken Paradise (10/15, Justice Forum)
•  Extraordinary Cinema: Parallel Mothers — Penélope Cruz stars in the recent Pedro Almodovar drama about two mothers who create a very close link that eventually changes their lives in a decisive way (10/16, Millennium Stage North)
• “Weird Al” Yankovic — America’s foremost song parodist returns on his fantastically named “The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour.” It sold out almost immediately (10/19, Concert Hall)
•  ALOK — The internationally acclaimed writer, performer, and public speaker, whose books include Femme in Public, Beyond the Gender Binary, and Your Wound/My Garden, will drop by for a talk/lecture (10/28, Terrace Theater)
•  Extraordinary Cinema: North By Northwest — Hitchcock at his finest (10/30, Millennium Stage North)
•  Heather McDonald — A live show of stand-up from the comic who got her start on Chelsea Handler’s Chelsea Lately show and is now the No. 1 female podcaster in comedy with her show Juicy Scoop (11/19, Terrace Theater)

LOYALTY BOOKS

827 Upshur St. NW
202-726-0380
www.loyaltybookstores.com

•  Neil Cochrane — The Story of the Hundred Promises: A Novel, is a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast centering queer and trans characters by a Portland, Oregon-based queer trans author and artist, who will be in conversation wih Charlie Jane Anders (10/12, Crowdcast)
•  Melissa Urban — The Book of Boundaries: Set the Limits That Will Set You Free (10/13, Zoom)

MGM NATIONAL HARBOR

7100 Harborview Ave.
Oxon Hill, Md.
301-971-5000
www.mgmnationalharbor.com

•  The Price is Right Live (10/8-9)
•  Marlon Wayans (10/15)
•  RuPaul’s Drag Race: Night of the Living Drag — Watch as Drag Race alum are summoned back from the dead as flesh-craving drag zombies in this Halloween-themed show (10/28)
•  Chico Bean — A recurring cast member on MTV’s improv comedy show Wild ‘N Out (11/4)

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS

202-783-5000
www.nmwa.org

•  Past, Present, Future: Dianne Smith — “NWA xChange” discussion with artist known for provocative imagery and minimalist abstracts, sculptures, and installations challenging the viewer to see and consider pure color, movement, and organic shapes. (10/11, Online)
•  Art and the Ecstatic — A “Fresh Talk” conversation with women artists discussing their work documenting the divine (10/23, Online)

SIXTH & I HISTORIC SYNAGOGUE

600 I St. NW
202-408-3100
www.sixthandi.org

•  Temple Grandin — A quarter of a century after her memoir Thinking in Pictures forever changed how the world understood autism, Grandi now looks at the way our brains are wired in Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions (10/11)
•  Iliza Shlesinger — All Things Aside: Absolutely Correct Opinions shares a collection of hilarious and insightful essays about the exasperating issues of everyday life. In conversation with Jake Tapper (10/12)
•  Ben Bowlin, Matthew Frederick, and Noel Brown — Inspired by their podcast, the new book Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know reviews popular conspiracy theories, from chemtrails to surveillance to the Tuskegee experiment, to discern fact from fiction (10/13)
•  Orhan Pamuk — Nights of Plague is a novel that reads as part-detective story, part-historical epic as it works to chronicle a plague ravaging a fictional island in the Ottoman Empire (10/19)
•  Phil Rosenthal — Somebody Feed Phil the Book presents over 60 of the most requested recipes from acclaimed international chefs and local legends, sharing never-before-heard stories from every episode of the first four seasons of the Netflix series Somebody Feed Phil. In conversation with Jeffrey Goldberg (10/20)
•  Alex Budak — Becoming a Changemaker: An Actionable, Inclusive Guide to Leading Positive Change at any Level from the social entrepreneur and UC Berkeley faculty member, who will lead an interactive workshop based on the book (10/24)
•  Kevin Nealon — I Exaggerate: My Brushes with Fame shares original, full-color caricatures and funny, endearing personal essays about Nealon’s famous friends (10/24)
•  Jon Meacham — And There Was Light is the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer’s latest, chronicling the life of Abraham Lincoln, charting how, and why, he confronted secession, threats to democracy, and the tragedy of slavery to expand the possibilities of America. In conversation with Clint Smith (10/27)
•  Claire Saffitz — What’s For Dessert: Simple Recipes for Dessert People features 100 recipes for all dessert people (11/9)
•  Sarah Millican — An already sold-out stop on British comedian on her sixth international tour, Bobby Dazzler, slang for the purest compliment you could give someone (11/13)

STORY DISTRICT

202-630-9828
www.storydistrict.org

•  It’s a Wonderful Life (12/17, Union Stage)
•  Stories in the Key of Life (1/10/23, Union Stage)
•  Worst Date Ever (2/14/23, Howard Theatre)

STRATHMORE

5301 Tuckerman Lane
North Bethesda
301-581-5100
www.strathmore.org

• Ira Glass & Jad Abumrad — “An Evening With” two audio storytellers, hosts of iconic public radio programs This American Life and Radiolab, respectively (10/8, Music Center)
•  Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood — The Scared Scriptless Tour from the Whose Line is it Anyway? comedy improv stars take their show on the road (10/16, Music Center)
•  Museum Shop Holiday Market — The 32nd annual market offers an early, one-stop shop for holiday gifts from some of the area’s best museum gift shops, this year including the Audubon Naturalist Society’s Wooden Nature Shop, Hillwood Museum & Gardens, The Phillips Collection, Supreme Court Historical Society, International Spy Museum, and Lincoln’s Cottage (11/10-12, Mansion)

UNION STAGE

740 Water St. SW
877-987-6487
www.unionstage.com

• David Cross — The comedian drops by for “An Evening With” show (10/24)
•  Beth Stelling — Petty Betty Tour (11/12, Miracle Theatre)
•  Melissa Villaseñor — Whoops… Tour! from the comedian known for her recent stint on Saturday Night Live and who is now free to hit the comedy circuit again (11/14, Miracle)

WARNER THEATRE

513 13th St. NW
202-397-SEAT
www.warnertheatre.com

•  MasterChef Junior Live! — Featuring contestants from Season 8 (10/7)
•  Masters of Illusion Live — A touring show based on the hit CW series, complete with fast-paced sleight of hand experts, escape artists, comedy magicians, and illusionists (10/12)
•  Drama Queens Live On Tour (10/18)
•  Disney Junior Live On Tour: Costume Palooza (10/22)
•  Nimesh Patel (11/5)
•  The Illusionists — Magic of the Holidays (11/9)
•  JB Smoove — The Physical Therapy Tour (11/10)
•  Shangela — A new stage show on the Fully Lit Tour from this RuPaul’s Drag Race alum and co-host of HBO’s Emmy-nominated reality series We’re Here (1/20/23)
•  Dita Von Teese — GLAMONATRIX from the woman some call the Queen of Burlesque who was once married to Marilyn Manson (2/2/23)

WEINBERG CENTER FOR THE ARTS

20 W. Patrick St.
Frederick, Md.
301-600-2828
www.weinbergcenter.org

• 72 Film Fest — Frederick’s annual 72-hour film competition returns for Year 17 with students, amateurs, and pro teams challenged in one weekend to write, direct, edit, and turn in a short film based on a particular theme (10/7-8)
•  Frankenstein — The 1931 classic film on the big screen, courtesy of Wonder Book Classic Film Series (10/13)
•  The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari — A Silent Film Series screening of the 1920 gem accompanied by the mighty Wurlitzer (10/28)
•  Murder She Said — Wonder Book Classic Film Series screening of the 1961 classic (11/3)
•  The Mark of Zorro — A Silent Film Series screening (11/19)
•  The Daughter of Dawn — Silent Film Series (11/19)
•  Jon Meacham — Presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author in a Frederick Speaker Series discussion (11/20)
•  Lightwire Theater: A Very Electric Christmas (11/25)
•  Special Film Event: It’s A Wonderful Life (11/26)
•  A Christmas Carol — “A live theatrical play for both the young and young-at-heart,” produced by the Maryland Ensemble Theatre’s Fun Company (12/15-18)
•  A Christmas Carol — The 1951 film screened through the Wonder Book Classic Film Series (12/22)
•  Eric Byrd Trio performs A Charlie Brown Christmas — A live performance of the Vince Guaraldi jazz score as the heartwarming animated cartoon screens overhead (12/23)

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