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AUGUST 27, 2015

METROWEEKLY.COM

METROWEEKLY.COM

AUGUST 27, 2015

EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Randy Shulman

AUGUST 27, 2015

Volume 22 / Issue 17

ART DIRECTOR
Todd Franson
MANAGING EDITOR
Rhuaridh Marr
SENIOR EDITOR
John Riley
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Doug Rule
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim
CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR
Scott G. Brooks
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Sean Bugg, Chris Heller, Connor J. Hogan,
Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield
WEBMASTER
David Uy

NEWS
6
Beijing and the
Nonsense News Hour

by Justin Heifetz

Not Entirely Straight

10

Sinners Remorse

10

The Soft Idiocy

of Low Expectations

13

Community Calendar

OPINION

by Rhuaridh Marr

by John Riley

by Sean Bugg

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Julian Vankim

SALES & MARKETING

FEATURE
16
Kristin Chenoweth
Interview by Randy Shulman

PUBLISHER
Randy Shulman
BRAND STRATEGY & MARKETING
Christopher Cunetto
Cunetto Creative

OUT ON THE TOWN

22

Frankie & Betty at Phazefest

NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE

Rivendell Media Co.
212-242-6863

24

Ingenue to Icon
at the Hillwood Museum

by Connor J. Hogan

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
Dennis Havrilla

PATRON SAINT
Glinda
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY
Courtesy of Wolf Trap

METRO WEEKLY
1425 K St. NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20005
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2015 Jansi LLC.

AUGUST 27, 2015

METROWEEKLY.COM

STAGE
28

by Doug Rule

Noah Chiet
by Doug Rule
photography by Julian Vankim

GAMES

31

Volume

NIGHTLIFE

35

DC Eagle

SCENE

43

Freddies Follies Drag Show

46

Last Word

by Rhuaridh Marr

photography by Ward Morrison

photography by Ward Morrison

METROWEEKLY.COM

AUGUST 27, 2015

CCTV Headquarters

Beijing and the Nonsense

News Hour
A view from inside Chinas propaganda machine
by Justin Heifetz

S THE SUPREME COURT STRUCK DOWN BANS

on gay marriage nationwide, I sat some 7,000 miles
away, editing a Chinese story about a scathing report
condemning human rights in the United States.
There was little fanfare in Beijing. No rainbow flags. No
multi-colored lights aimed at Maos visage looming over
Tiananmen. I celebrated vicariously, and in silence.
I was just months into a copy editing post at the headquarters
of China Central Television (CCTV), located in a colossal twotower glass building that defines the skyline. I left D.C. for Beijing
in April, driven to the Chinese capital by an insatiable curiosity
about whether a media system without revenue could work.
CCTVs international channels mouthpieces for the government to espouse Chinese propaganda are not run on advertisements. Money trickles down from the Communist Party, and
in return, the international channels keep the Party pleased.
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AUGUST 27, 2015

METROWEEKLY.COM

But keeping the Party pleased is the tricky part. For all the
buildings windows and a promise of transparency, the glittering representation of state television offered little of the kind.
The post can be especially tough for CCTVs staff of Western
journalists, who havent produced news that makes the government happy. And after that flash of Supreme Court history
transformed gay rights on June 26, the job became tricky for me.
Any news that could be perceived as salacious by Party standards was off-limits. We were told by the managing editor on
duty that after the Supreme Courts ruling, we couldnt produce
gay stories. And anything that put China in a negative light
was, of course, a no-go.
VIRTUALLY PRIVATE

I WORKED AT CCTV under a scattered woman named

JUSTIN HEIFETZ

LGBT

News

Now online at MetroWeekly.com

Rentboy.com headquarters raided by Feds

Gay men reveal Islamic brutality in U.N. testimony

METROWEEKLY.COM

AUGUST 27, 2015

LGBTNews
Integrity. My four Western colleagues would rarely run into
Integrity unless something went horrifically wrong.
Integrity did allow our department one crucial tool: Virtual
Private Networks, or VPNs. These allow computers and mobile
devices in China to access blocked website, from The New York
Times to Facebook and Twitter. After all, it was necessary: How
else would CCTV spread the Partys word across the world
without posting on the same social media platforms its own
government actively blocks?
In fact, CCTV would pay to have its Facebook posts boosted to developing countries in Central and South Asia. That
simply means that people who log on in say, Bangladesh, are
forced to see CCTVs Facebook posts.
For me, VPN access was paramount to keeping abreast with
reality: the opposite of what Integrity had intended. Twitter
allowed me to keep up with Chinas flagrant human rights violations from Black Friday when the country detained hundreds
of human rights lawyers in late July, with many still missing
to the death of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, a prominent Tibetan
religious leader, in a Sichuan prison, just barely more than a
week before. It was through Twitter by which I learned I would
have the right to marry, while sitting at my desk.
The VPN was a tiny keyhole, and we peered through it from
an office building designed to keep its employees caged in the
Partys reality.
Otherwise, CCTV was a suspended action flick. The Chinese
journalists working for new media tended to be young graduates
who majored in English and spent some time abroad - they
focused on anything but the news. Instead, they singled out
what was perceived as fun: a demented attempt at click-bait.

Normally, this meant violent car crashes, newborn panda cubs

and any possible jab at the U.S. from Freddie Gray to CIA torture.
THE NEWS POLICE

I NEVER QUITE understood the breadth of Communist control

over media until Chinas ferry disaster on the Yangtze River
only months ago. On the night of June 1, the Oriental Star capsized and claimed some 400 lives, mostly seniors enjoying a
scenic cruise. The captain survived.
Rumors swirled around the building that Integrity, along
with the Party, feared it was too similar to South Koreas Sewol
disaster in April 2014. They worried that China could look bad
to the rest of the world and that the government could be criticized their biggest fear.
On the new media desk, we were given strict initiatives not
to use the word dead. The hundreds of seniors victim to the
capsized ferry were simply missing, until the ship was later
recovered from the river amid an effort that came four days
later. Integrity told the team that we could only pay attention
to the good work of the Chinese throughout the disaster and
the week. She received the order from the head of the channel
a rough-looking woman with chemically curled hair, named
Shallot, who waged war on a lax dress code and eating inside
the office.
Meanwhile, from down in Jianli, where the Oriental Star had
capsized, a friend at the Associated Press gave me a call, a day
after the disaster. She was unable to access the site because the
police had completely cordoned it off. Only CCTV and its wire
service, Xinhua, were allowed in. CCTV had forced a monopoly

Not Entirely Straight

One in three young Americans arent 100 percent heterosexual

by Rhuaridh Marr

NE-THIRD OF YOUNG AMERICANS AND ONE

fifth of all adults wouldnt describe themselves as
completely heterosexual.
Thats the findings of a new survey by YouGov,
designed to mimic a similar survey conducted in Britain earlier
this month. YouGov used the Kinsey Scale, asking participants
to choose a number between zero and six to best represent their
sexuality zero is exclusively heterosexual, six is exclusively
homosexual.
Of those surveyed, 78 percent of Americans consider themselves totally straight. Curiously, only four percent stated they
were totally gay bisexuality makes up a much larger portion
of American sexuality.
In terms of age, younger people are much more likely to be
sexually fluid than their elders. Of those aged 18 to 29, 29 percent consider themselves some degree of bisexual only two
percent are completely gay or lesbian. Compare that to those
over 65, where a mere seven percent of those asked had some
degree of bisexuality (only two to three percent of those asked
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AUGUST 27, 2015

METROWEEKLY.COM

were gay or lesbian).

While it would seem that older generations are much more
rigid in their sexuality, bisexuality to any degree is also
prevalent in the 30 to 44 age range. Here, a quarter of those
asked considered themselves bisexual to some degree, which
makes sense, given society became more sexually liberal during
the 70s and 80s.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the survey is that even
those who considered themselves completely straight had dabbled in sex with the same gender. For straight women, 15% have
had a same-sex experience. That drops to 8% for straight men
if youve fantasized about making out with a straight person,
women are twice as likely to be successful as men.
Curiously, here in the United States. we seem much less sexually liberal than our relatives across the pond. A similar study in
the UK found that over half of all young Brits (18-24) had some
degree of bisexuality or were gay/lesbian. For the country as a
whole, that number stands at 28 percent, notably higher than
U.S. respondents. l

over the wrecked ship by cooperating with the authorities.

The control over information ran far: My father called me
later that same day to say that CCTV was cited in the Boston
Globe as having exclusive information on the Oriental Star.
Today, we rarely hear about the ferry disaster, as the Party tucks
it neatly into a corner with twisted media coverage. There is no
definitive answer as to why the ferry capsized, only speculation.
There is little information on what happened to the captain who
jumped ship.
And for the Party, CCTVs new media, having spent a week reporting on the brave rescuers at the scene, finished a job well done.
SWEATSHOP FOR WORDS

I RESIGNED FROM the post in early July and spent the next
month resisting Chinese journalists, for the first time, when they
rallied for Party propaganda.
But, for me, the biggest problem at the CCTV propaganda
machine isnt the Partys stiff hand its that rarely anyone
challenges the system, when we know that the system is wrong.
We too often take our freedom for granted stateside, where
our offices arent government-run sweatshops. But whether its
America or China, no one should be scared into silence. It took
the Supreme Courts historic ruling for me to realize that I had
been frightened into complacency, kept quiet by a paycheck and
job security.
But is that a life worth living? l
This article is part of an exclusive ongoing series by Justin Heifetz. The
names in this article are translated literally into English from Chinese.

METROWEEKLY.COM

AUGUST 27, 2015

LGBTNews

Sinners Remorse

Josh Duggar loathes gay marriage and campaigned for family values, despite
molesting his sisters and cheating on his wife
by John Riley

OSH DUGGAR REVEALED HE USED THE ONLINE

hookup website Ashley Madison after hackers stole
and then released customer information. Duggar was
one of 32 million users of the Ashley Madison site who
got caught up in the security breach. The website, whose slogan
is Life is short. Have an affair, was hacked last month under
the threat of releasing account details, unless the sites parent
company shut down. That didnt happen and the details were
released last week, allowing people to input their address to see
if their partners had signed up for an account. Duggar payed the
site $986 between 2012 and 2015.
Gawker reported that Duggars profile had listed some of his
desires as conventional sex, experimenting with sex toys,
one-night stands, open to experimentation, oral sex, and
extended foreplay/teasing. He allegedly said in his profile
that he was seeking a professional/well-groomed, stylish/
classy woman with confidence and an aggressive/take
charge nature.
The eldest child of 19 Kids and Counting stars Michelle and
Jim-Bob Duggar and a former lobbyist for the Family Research

Council, apologized for his infidelity in a statement. His parents,

in posting Joshs statement, said their hearts were broken
upon hearing the news and asked for people to pray for their
family.
I have been the biggest hypocrite ever, Duggar said. While
espousing faith and family values, I have been unfaithful to my
wife.... The last few years, while publicly stating I was fighting
against immorality in our country I was hiding my own personal
failures. As I am learning the hard way, we have the freedom
to choose our actions, but we do not get to choose our consequences.
I deeply regret all the hurt I have caused so many by being
such a bad example, he continued. I humbly ask for your forgiveness. Please pray for my precious wife Anna and our family.
Duggar resigned from his position at the Family Research
Council in May after reports emerged that he had sexually
molested girls as a teenager, including two of his sisters. At the
time, he said he had acted inexcusably and apologized for his
actions. Due in part to the controversy over the revelations, 19
Kids and Counting has since been cancelled. l

GAGE SKIDMORE

OPINION Sean Bugg

Trump, Bush and Huckabee

The Soft Idiocy

of Low Expectations
As our extended election season grows
ever sillier, we all need to consider
how we got here
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T FEELS DISTANT NOW THAT TWO-THIRDS OF

Republicans are in full pearl-clutching mode over the
other one-thirds fervent embrace of Donald Trump, but
it was just weeks ago that basically everyone considered
the candidacy of a golf course and bankruptcy mogul to be a
joke. The Huffington Post even made a big splash by announc-

METROWEEKLY.COM

AUGUST 27, 2015

11

ing they would only cover Trumps campaign as entertainment,

not politics, because hes a sideshow.
Now here we are at the end of August and Trumps nativist
know-nothingism has a commanding lead in the Republican
race and a commanding presence on the HuffPo politics page.
Im not looking to bash on the Huffington Post since at the
time it seemed like a logical extension of expectations for a
Trump campaign, even if it looks supremely silly in hindsight.
Im looking to bash all of us media, activists, pundits, voters,
non-voters who through disdain, disinterest or disenchantment allow the political system to become a circus.
Another Trump case in point: Being pressed by George
Stephanopoulos to explain how he would actually build a wall
across our southern and get Mexico to pay for it, Trump insisted
it was simply a matter of management. This is, of course,
prime grade bullshit but its part and parcel of what a certain
angry, disenchanted, and racially aggrieved white voter wants
to hear. They expect everyday lies from everyday politicians so
when Trump pretends to tell it like it is he can unleash whoppers that satisfy those followers visceral needs.
And the outbreak of idiocy is contagious. Jeb(!) Bush waded
into the debate over so-called anchor babies, found the water
was too deep and decided to get out by declaring anchor babies
were really only a problem with Asians. Now Republican candidates are falling over themselves to pledge an end to birthright citizenship, one of the historic elements of the American
experiment, because history only matters when it jibes with
their current political beliefs.
Its not limited to immigration. Discussion of LGBT issues
has devolved to specious arguments about cake baking, fear
mongering on religious freedom, and asking which candidates
would attend a gay wedding. Candidates are competing to see
who can get the government furthest into a womans uterus
while pandering to open-carry lunatics who want to see a gun
in every hand and a full clip in every pocket.
On economics what Republicans have considered hallowed home turf ever since Reagan blew up the deficit to
historic proportions Jeb(!) Bush has promised 4% growth,
a pie-in-the-sky economic fantasy that belies nearly every fact
about the U.S. economy over the past 50 years. Naturally, former governor and current charlatan Mike Huckabee thinks its
such a great idea that hes promising 5% growth, because the
best way to counter a fantasy is with a bigger fantasy.
Which brings us back to Trump, the man who took the sideshow of Republican primary politics and turned it into a fullblown circus of contortionist elephants. He pledges to make
America great again, ignoring that much of that past greatness
was built on ideals we reject today (slavery, misogyny, trails of
tears, child labor, just to name a few). He bellows that vague
negotiation, management and strength will make our
country great again and hears himself echoed from his scrambling fellow candidates.
This is the low-rent hucksterism of men trying to sell your
town a monorail, the culmination of substance-free business
theories promulgated through misleading Powerpoint presentations. It is the end result of an electorate with such low
expectations for their political system that idiotic platitudes and
promises seem like the best options.
To paraphrase one of the architects of our current political
climate, you go into an election with the democracy you have,
not the democracy you want. If were going to do better, we
need higher expectations. l
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LGBTCommunityCalendar
DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walk-

Metro Weeklys Community Calendar highlights important events in the D.C.-area

LGBT community, from alternative social events to volunteer opportunities.
Event information should be sent by email to calendar@MetroWeekly.com.
Deadline for inclusion is noon of the Friday before Thursdays publication.
Questions about the calendar may be directed to the
Metro Weekly office at 202-638-6830 or
the calendar email address.

ing/social club welcomes all levels for

exercise in a fun and supportive environment, socializing afterward. Meet
9:30 a.m., 23rd & P Streets NW, for a
walk; or 10 a.m. for fun run. dcfrontrunners.org.

DC SENTINELS basketball team

meets at Turkey Thicket Recreation

Center, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE, 2-4
p.m. For players of all levels, gay or
straight. teamdcbasketball.org.

DIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass for

LGBT community, family and friends.

6:30 p.m., Immanuel Church-on-theHill, 3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria.
All welcome. For more info, visit dignitynova.org.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27 FRIDAY, AUGUST 28

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29

METRO DC PFLAG hosts a Spanish

ADVENTURING outdoors group

hikes moderately strenuous 9 miles
with 1000 feet of elevation gain
between Skyland and Big Meadows
resorts in Shenandoah National
Park. Bring beverages, lunch, sturdy
boots, bug spray and about $20 for
fees, plus money for dinner at Big
Meadows afterwards. Carpool at 9
a.m. from East Falls Church Metro
Kiss & Ride lot. Jay, 415-203-7498.
adventuring.org.

GAY LANGUAGE CLUB discusses

critical languages and foreign languages. 7 p.m. Nellies, 900 U St. NW.
RVSP preferred. brendandarcy@
gmail.com.

CHRYSALIS arts & culture group

SUNDAY, AUGUST 30

language community chat for parents, family members and friends of

the LGBT community on the fourth
Thursday of every month. 6:30-8 p.m.
Empoderate Centro Juvenil, 3055 Mt.
Pleasant St. NW. For more information, contact Jesus Chavez, jchavezmdcpflag@gmail.com.

WEEKLY EVENTS
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)

practice session at Takoma Aquatic

Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW. 7:30-9
p.m. swimdcac.org.

DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay and les-

bian square-dancing group features

mainstream through advanced square
dancing at the National City Christian
Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW, 7-9:30
p.m. Casual dress. 301-257-0517,
dclambdasquares.org.
The DULLES TRIANGLES Northern
Virginia social group meets for happy
hour at Sheraton in Reston, 11810
Sunrise Valley Drive, second-floor
bar, 7-9 p.m. All welcome. dullestriangles.com.

IDENTITY offers free and confiden-

tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg,

414 East Diamond Ave., and in
Takoma Park, 7676 New Hampshire
Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 2-6 p.m.
For appointments other hours, call
Gaithersburg, 301-300-9978, or
Takoma Park, 301-422-2398.

CENTER AGING, the group that supports and advocates for aging LGBT
populations in the D.C. area, hosts its
monthly luncheon at The DC Center.
12-2 p.m. The DC Center, 2000 14th
St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
LGB PSYCHOTHERAPY GROUP for

adults in Montgomery County offers

a safe space to explore coming out
and issues of identity. 10-11:30 a.m.
16220 S. Frederick Rd., Suite 512,
Gaithersburg, Md. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

WOMEN IN THEIR TWENTIES, a

social activity and discussion group
for LBT women, meets on the second
and fourth Fridays of each month.
Group social outing to follow the
meeting. 8-9:30 p.m. 2000 14th St.
NW, Suite 105. For more information,
visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice
session at Hains Point, 927 Ohio Dr.
SW. 6:30-8 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker

Health. At the Elizabeth Taylor

Medical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,
9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max Robinson
Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9
a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment
call 202-745-7000. Visit whitmanwalker.org.

METROHEALTH CENTER offers

METROHEALTH CENTER offers

free, rapid HIV testing. Appointment

needed. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700.
202-638-0750.

US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics

Anonymous Meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m.,

3636 Georgia Ave. NW. The group is
independent of UHU. 202-446-1100.

WOMENS LEADERSHIP
INSTITUTE for young LBTQ women,
13-21, interested in leadership development. 5-6:30 p.m. SMYAL Youth
Center, 410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3163,
catherine.chu@smyal.org.

free, rapid HIV testing. Appointment

needed. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700.
202-638-0750.

PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBTaffirming social group for ages 11-24. 4-6
p.m. 1419 Columbia Road NW. Contact
Tamara, 202-319-0422, layc-dc.org.
SMYALS REC NIGHT provides
a social atmosphere for GLBT and
questioning youth, featuring dance
parties, vogue nights, movies and
games. More info, catherine.chu@
smyal.org.

visits the Walters Art Museum in

Baltimore to see Gold of the Ancient
Americas and other exhibitions.
Free admission; bring a few dollars
for transportation and lunch. Carpool
at 9 a.m. from the Forest Glen Metro
Station Kiss & Ride lot, return by
late afternoon. Craig, 202-462-0535.
craighowell1@verizon.net.
The DC Center offers an LGBTQ
ASL CLASS for those interested in
learning American Sign Language.
2-4 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.
For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

IDENTITY offers free and confidential

HIV testing in Takoma Park, 7676

New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walkins 12-3 p.m. For appointments other
hours, call 301-422-2398.

ADVENTURING outdoors group

hikes moderate 7.5 miles with 1200
feet of elevation gain at spectacular
Crabtree Falls, highest waterfall in
Va., near Charlottesville. Bring beverages, lunch, sturdy boots, bug spray,
sunscreen and about $23 for fees, plus
money for dinner. Carpool at 8:30 a.m.
from East Falls Church Metro Station,
return well after dark. Craig, 202-4620535. adventuring.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS
LGBT-inclusive ALL SOULS
MEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH

WEEKLY EVENTS
ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL
HEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5

p.m., and HIV services (by appointment). 202-291-4707 or andromedatransculturalhealth.org.

BET MISHPACHAH, founded by

members of the LGBT community,
holds Saturday morning Shabbat
services, 10 a.m., followed by Kiddush
luncheon. Services in DCJCC
Community Room, 1529 16th St. NW.
betmish.org.
BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, includ-

ing others interested in Brazilian culture, meets. For location/time, email

braziliangaygroup@yahoo.com.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice

session at Hains Point, 972 Ohio Dr.,
SW. 8:30-10 a.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

celebrates Low Mass at 8:30 a.m., High

Mass at 11 a.m. 2300 Cathedral Ave.
NW. 202-232-4244, allsoulsdc.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice

session at Hains Point, 972 Ohio Dr.,
SW. 9:30-11 a.m. Visit swimdcac.org.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UNITED
CHURCH OF CHRIST welcomes all
to 10:30 a.m. service, 945 G St. NW.
firstuccdc.org or 202-628-4317.

HOPE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

welcomes GLBT community for worship. 10:30 a.m., 6130 Old Telegraph
Road, Alexandria. hopeucc.org.

Join LINCOLN CONGREGATIONAL

TEMPLE UNITED CHURCH OF

CHRIST for an inclusive, loving and

progressive faith community every

Sunday. 11 a.m. 1701 11th Street NW,

METROWEEKLY.COM

AUGUST 27, 2015

13

near R in Shaw/Logan neighborhood.

lincolntemple.org.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY
CHURCH OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA

services at 11 a.m., led by Rev. Onetta

Brooks. Childrens Sunday School, 11
a.m. 10383 Democracy Lane, Fairfax.
703-691-0930, mccnova.com.

NATIONAL CITY CHRISTIAN

CHURCH, inclusive church with

GLBT fellowship, offers gospel worship, 8:30 a.m., and traditional worship, 11 a.m. 5 Thomas Circle NW.
202-232-0323, nationalcitycc.org.

NEW HSV-2 SOCIAL AND

SUPPORT GROUP for gay men living
in the DC metro area. This group will
be meeting once a month. For information on location and time, email to
not.the.only.one.dc@gmail.com.

ST. STEPHEN AND THE

INCARNATION, an interracial,

multi-ethnic Christian Community

offers services in English, 8 a.m. and
10:30 a.m., and in Spanish at 5:15 p.m.
1525 Newton St. NW. 202-232-0900,
saintstephensdc.org.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
CHURCH OF SILVER SPRING

invites LGBTQ families and individuals of all creeds and cultures to join
the church. Services 9:15 and 11:15
a.m. 10309 New Hampshire Ave.
uucss.org.

MONDAY, AUGUST 31
The DC Center hosts a book reading
by gay writer SCOTT WILBANKS,
author of The Lemancholy Life of
Annie Aster. 6-8 p.m. 2000 14th St.
NW, Suite 105. For more information,
visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-

tice session at Hains Point, 927 Ohio

Dr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds

practice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Garrison

Elementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscandals.wordpress.com.

GETEQUAL meets 6:30-8 p.m. at

Quaker House, 2111 Florida Ave. NW.
getequal.wdc@gmail.com.
NOVASALUD offers free HIV test-

ing. 5-7 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite

200, Arlington. Appointments: 703789-4467.

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5

p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for
youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,
410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155 or testing@smyal.org.

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AUGUST 27, 2015

METROWEEKLY.COM

THE DC CENTER hosts Coffee DropIn for the Senior LGBT Community.
10 a.m.-noon. 2000 14th St. NW. 202682-2245, thedccenter.org.
US HELPING US hosts a black gay
mens evening affinity group. 3636
Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.
WASHINGTON WETSKINS Water
Polo Team practices 7-9 p.m. Takoma
Aquatic Center, 300 Van Buren St.
NW. Newcomers with at least basic
swimming ability always welcome.
Tom, 703-299-0504, secretary@
wetskins.org, wetskins.org.
Whitman-Walker Health HIV/
AIDS SUPPORT GROUP for newly
diagnosed individuals, meets 7 p.m.
Registration required. 202-939-7671,
hivsupport@whitman-walker.org.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
WEEKLY EVENTS
ASIANS AND FRIENDS weekly dinner
in Dupont/Logan Circle area, 6:30 p.m.
afwash@aol.com, afwashington.net.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)

practice session at Takoma Aquatic

Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW. 7:30-9
p.m. swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walking/social club serving greater D.C.s

LGBT community and allies hosts an
evening run/walk. dcfrontrunners.org.

THE GAY MENS HEALTH

COLLABORATIVE offers free HIV

testing and STI screening and treatment every Tuesday. 5-6:30 p.m.
Rainbow Tuesday LGBT Clinic,
Alexandria Health Department, 4480
King St. 703-746-4986 or text 571-2149617. james.leslie@inova.org.

THE HIV WORKING GROUP of THE

DC CENTER hosts Packing Party,

where volunteers assemble safe-sex

kits of condoms and lube. 7 p.m.,
Green Lantern, 1335 Green Court NW.
thedccenter.org.

IDENTITY offers free and confidential

HIV testing in Gaithersburg, 414 East
Diamond Ave., and in Takoma Park,
7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411.
Walk-ins 2-6 p.m. For appointments
other hours, call Gaithersburg at
301-300-9978 or Takoma Park at 301422-2398.

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUSLGBT
focused meeting every Tuesday, 7
p.m. St. Georges Episcopal Church,
915 Oakland Ave., Arlington, just
steps from Virginia Square Metro. For
more info. call Dick, 703-521-1999.
Handicapped accessible. Newcomers
welcome. liveandletliveoa@gmail.com.

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5

p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for
youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,
410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155, testing@smyal.org.
SUPPORT GROUP FOR LGBTQ
YOUTH ages 13-21 meets at SMYAL,

FEATURED
PARTNER

410 7th St. SE, 5-6:30 p.m. Cathy

Chu, 202-567-3163, catherine.chu@
smyal.org.

Whitman-Walker Healths GAY

MENS HEALTH AND WELLNESS/
STD CLINIC opens at 6 p.m., 1701

14th St. NW. Patients are seen on

walk-in basis. No-cost screening for
HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. Hepatitis and herpes testing
available for fee. whitman-walker.org.

Catering
to a Community

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 2
BOOKMEN DC, an informal mens gayliterature group, discusses We Think
the World of You by J.R. Ackerley.
7:30 p.,. Cleveland Park Library, 3310
Connecticut Ave. NW. All welcome.
bookmendc.blogspot.com

THE TOM DAVOREN SOCIAL

BRIDGE CLUB meets for Social

Bridge. 7:30 p.m. Dignity Center, 721

8th St. SE, across from the Marine
Barracks. No reservation and partner
needed. 301-345-1571.

WEEKLY EVENTS
AD LIB, a group for freestyle conversation, meets about 6:30-6 p.m.,
Steam, 17th and R Streets NW. All
welcome. For more information, call
Fausto Fernandez, 703-732-5174.
ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL
HEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5

p.m., and HIV services (by appointment). 202-291-4707, andromedatransculturalhealth.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds

practice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Garrison

Elementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscandals.wordpress.com.

JOB CLUB, a weekly support pro-

gram for job entrants and seekers,

meets at The DC Center. 2000 14th
St. NW, Suite 105. 6-7:30 p.m. More
info, www.centercareers.org.

NOVASALUD offers free HIV testing.

11 a.m.-2 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite
200, Arlington. Appointments: 703789-4467.

PRIME TIMERS OF DC, social

club for mature gay men, hosts
weekly happy hour/dinner. 6:30 p.m.,
Windows Bar above Dupont Italian
Kitchen, 1637 17th St. NW. Carl, 703573-8316. l

FEATURED
PARTNER

Dan Snyders TrickBox is about offering a personalized shopping experience

for specialized items

HEN YOU ASK DAN SNYDER WHAT ATTRACTED HIM TO THE LEATHER
and fetish community, he boils it down to one word: curiosity.
Probably the very first experience that piqued my curiosity would have been
my first trip to the DC Eagle, where I actually got to see guys in their gear, says Snyder, owner
of TrickBox, a boutique specializing in sports and fetish gear popular among members of D.C.s
leather, kink and BDSM communities.
That would have been around 1990, sneaking into the city with my fake ID to go to the
bars, says Snyder, who was raised in the Falls Church-Arlington area. I grew up with some
of those images: The Village People, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, those guys who did the leather
thing. And I certainly was excited by those images, that uber-masculinity. And seeing it in the
bar for the first time was stimulation overload, because its just right there in front of you.
After years of personal exploration, Snyder found his niche: sports gear, particularly wrestling singlets. But traditional fetish stores mostly focused on leather harnesses, uniforms and
other clothing, not really catering to that side of the fetish spectrum.
The gear side of things was always interesting to me, and there was enough of a community to support a store focused on wearable gear, Snyder says. Its motivated him to end his
career as a hairstylist and start his own business in 2014. Just like anyone who enjoys shopping, you want to see new, different things. Everything I have here in the store can be ordered
online, but thats not really fun, when you cant touch it, try it on, smell it.
Its that personal touch and human interaction that sets Snyders TrickBox apart from an
online vendor. Using his relationships with members of D.C.s fetish community, including
several local fetish and BDSM clubs, Snyder has been able to promote his store through word
of mouth and social media. Because the community is fairly tight-knit, when satisfied customers have made recommendations to close friends, its helped TrickBox grow its profile and
attract new business.
While some people have urged Snyder to expand his offerings to include custom-tailored
leather gear, he has no plans at the moment to introduce any, as he wouldnt have as much
control over the final product.
It would take me away from what Im trying to do in the first place, Snyder says. What I
am offering is a good experience. The fact that people can come here and try stuff on, and that
I can make them comfortable, drop the dark curtains and painted windows, and just make it a
fun place to come in, check stuff out and ask questions.
TrickBox is located at 2300 Rhode Island Ave. NE and is open from 1 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays,
Thursdays and Fridays, from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. For
more information, call 202-248-1192 or visit trickboxdc.com.
METROWEEKLY.COM

AUGUST 27, 2015

15

Kristin Chenoweth
GUIDED BY FAITH AND A POWERFUL
VOICE, THE BROADWAY SUPERSTAR
HAS LONG BEEN A DARLING OF THE
GAY COMMUNITY
INTERVIEW BY RANDY SHULMAN

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METROWEEKLY.COM

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF WOLF TRAP

EVEAL TO KRISTIN CHENOWETH

that the publication shes doing an
interview with caters to the LGBT
community and you get the following
response:
Yay!
When you respond that Yay! is
better than the alternative the click
of a hangup she replies with an earnest, Anyone who clicks is no good, in
my opinion.
A Broadway powerhouse, the fourfoot-eleven Chenoweth made her Great
White Way debut in 1997 in Kander and
Ebbs Steel Pier. Two years later she won a
Tony for her role as Sally, the sister of the the
titular character in a revival of Youre a Good Man,
Charlie Brown. It was a character that had not existed in
the original 1967 production.
Chenoweths Broadway legend was eternally secured with
her entrance in a floating bubble, as Glinda in Stephen Schwartzs
long-running smash, Wicked. It was a defining moment for
Chenoweths stage career. Until, that is, her recent turn in On the
Twentieth Century, for which she was Tony- and Drama Desknominated, and which ended its limited run in July.
[Chenoweth] uses [her characters] histrionics to create one
of the most virtuosic portraits in song ever on Broadway, wrote
critic Ben Brantley in the New York Times. The vocal vocabulary she deploys here ranges from jazz-baby brass to operatic
silver, often in a single number, and she switches among them
with jaw-dropping ease.
Chenoweth is one of those nimble performers whose career
has successfully traversed every medium. She was a key cast
member in Bryan Fullers innovative Pushing Daisies, a provocative TV series that, like Fullers more recent work, the disturbing, abstract Hannibal, was far ahead of its time. Chenoweth

METROWEEKLY.COM

AUGUST 27, 2015

17

METRO WEEKLY: You were raised in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

Yours was an extremely religious home.

KRISTIN CHENOWETH: It was. It was a very spiritual house, a very

loving house and one Im really proud to say I grew up in. If I

ever judged anybody for anything I was in big trouble. We jut
were taught not to do that in my house and Im thankful to this
day that I had parents like that.
MW: And your church?
CHENOWETH: First Baptist Church of Broken Arrow. Southern
Baptist.
MW: You got your start singing in the church.
CHENOWETH: Yeah, I was probably about seven. There was an
audition for a solo in the choir. It was really for all the adults.
But I auditioned and got this solo. I guess you could say that was
the beginning.
I always feel a little funny saying I got my start in church,
because I view church as a very sacred, special, spiritual place. I
dont really equate it with show business. But I did get a lot of my
early experience singing in church, and when its just you and a
microphone standing in front of people that is an incredible
teaching, learning place for a young singer. When youre singing
about things you actually believe in, its also amazing as well. It
just evolved from there.
MW: How does one go from church choir to show business?
CHENOWETH: I grew up in a home where all kinds of entertainment was watched. A lot of movies a lot of movie musicals.
My mom and dad really enjoyed them, which is interesting.
Theyre not really musical in any way but they love music. They
listened to all kinds of records from the Count Basie Orchestra
to the Carpenters. Of course, we had all the Broadway musicals.
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METROWEEKLY.COM

I wanted to go to Broadway one day even though I didnt know

what it was.
Sound of Music and Wizard of Oz were constants every
year at my house. They used to play around Thanksgiving and
Christmas. And if I missed them, it could be a really bad day.
There werent a lot of things I had to see every year, but those
were the nights I lived for. Then we had this thing called cassette
tapes [Laughs]. I would get Phantom and Les Miz, and I would
just wear them out. I loved Amy Grant and Sandi Patty and Dolly
Parton.
I had an incredibly high soprano as a child and my parents
didnt really know what to do with me. People in church were
saying, This girl has got an incredibly high range. I took piano
lessons and my piano teacher arranged for me to sing for the
vocal department [at a local university] and they said, You have
a little bit of a soprano prodigy here. What do you want to do
with her? My parents gave me a choice do you want to go to
New York or do you want to be a kid in Oklahoma and do choir
and drama and church and try out for plays? I chose that. And
Im really glad I did, because I wanted to be a kid, but deep down
the very, very old soul in me knew I was going to do it for a living.
There was going to be plenty of time to work.
MW: Eventually you ended up on Broadway.
CHENOWETH: I did. I went to Oklahoma City University and got
my undergraduate in dance and voice and then my Masters
Degree in Opera. I was to go to the Opera Conservatory in
Philadelphia after the Masters Degree but I went with my friend
Denny to see what it was like to audition in New York. I auditioned for Animal Crackers and got it. So then I had this decision
to make do I really want to be an opera singer now? Or do I
want to be in theater? I always knew really what my heart was
calling for me to do.
So I went to do the show and got reviewed in the Times and
got an agent. I understand now just how everything fell in place
for me. It doesnt always happen that way, and Im very thankful.
I feel like God was a part of that.
Thats not to say that it has been easy. Ive worked so hard at
what I do and sacrificed a lot, happily so, because Im supposed
to do this. As Betty White says, Were lifers. Were just lifers,
Chenoweth. I wouldnt have it any other way.
MW: What sacrifices did you make?
CHENOWETH: Theres been sacrifice in not getting married and
having a family, but I just was never there. Some people might
look at it as sacrifice in a bad way, but I dont. I actually have
to work hard at having a vacation. I know that sounds a little
pathetic, but its the way Im made. My family is very, very
important to me, so theres some sacrifices in my career, too.
MW: You won a Tony for Youre a Good Man, Charlie Brown, for
a character that wasnt in the original production. Thats sort of
an ironic win, isnt it?
CHENOWETH: I look back now and Im not saying everythings
political, but I dont know how it ever happened. Michael Mayer
had an idea and he wouldnt tell me. I was also offered Annie Get
Your Gun with Bernadette Peters that same season a hit play,
supporting lead and yet I took Charlie Brown not really knowing the role I was going to play.
On the first day of rehearsal, sitting in front of each
our chairs was a hat with our character on it. My hat was
Sally Brown, and Michael said, Youre going to get to
help us invent this. Its a true gift for any artist. Ive gotten a lot of those roles along the way. Im blessed that Ive
gotten to make my mark on these roles, all very different.
MW: One of the roles youre most famous for is Glinda in Wicked.

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF WOLF TRAP

was nominated twice for an Emmy during the shows brief, twoseason stint, winning in 2009.
I dont think it gets better than that show, she glows. I was
just proud to be a part of it.
Shes had recurring roles on Glee, The Good Wife and The
West Wing and most recently appeared in the Disney movie
Descendants. Entertainment Weekly wrote that Chenoweth
stole much of the show as Maleficent.
Chenoweth, who appears in concert at Wolf Trap this Friday,
August 28, hasnt let her deep religious faith stand in the way of
championing LGBT causes. In fact, her upbringing points to the
kind of love and acceptance that should be the logical outgrowth
of any deeply spiritual person. Never the type of person to judge,
she famously came to the defense of Promises, Promises co-star
Sean Hayes when gay writer Ramin Setoodeh complained in
Newsweek that it was a stretch to view the out gay actor in the
role of a straight romantic lead.
This article offends me because I am a human being, a
woman and a Christian, she wrote on Newsweeks website
in 2010. Setoodeh even goes so far as to justify his knee-jerk
homophobic reaction to gay actors by accepting and endorsing
that as viewers, we are molded by a society obsessed with dissecting sexuality, starting with the locker room torture in junior
high school. Really? We want to maintain and proliferate the
same kind of bullying that makes children cry and in some recent
cases have even taken their own lives?
Chenoweths love for the LGBT community has only grown
over time. When asked what message she would convey to gay
fans, she doesnt hesitate for a second.
I love them, she says, a deep warmth in her voice. There
are people out there who care and have their backs people out
there who are people of faith.

The show is still going strong over a decade later. I have friends
whove said to me, I wish I could have seen it with Idina Menzel
and Kristen Chenoweth. Have you ever considered a second go
at it?
CHENOWETH: I hear that a lot. I dont know how Idina feels about
it, but you know when something is so special and natural that
youre scared to go back to it? You could never recreate it. Thats
the way I feel about Wicked. Plus Im in my forties and it would
be a little awkward for me to play well, it depends on how far
back the audience is. [Laughs.]
MW: The success of that show has just been extraordinary.
CHENOWETH: I think part of the reason why is because Stephen
Schwartz wrote the perfect song for the perfect moment for the
perfect relationship [For Good]. The moment that Elphaba
and Glinda sing together, which is about the themes of life,
which is about true friendship, love and actually forgiveness,
that was my favorite moment moment of the show, and I still
love the song so much its beautiful, the words are perfect, and
perfectly tied to each character and the moment is incredibly
special. When youre talking about a relationship, it doesnt get
better than that moment.
MW: Youve worked in every field at this point. Do you have a
preference?
CHENOWETH: I like concert work, because I love the aspect of a
live audience and I get to sing songs that maybe I wouldnt normally get to do. I love a live audience in any way, in any venue. I
also love, love, love character work. On television, for example,
with Pushing Daisies and Glee and even GCB, Ive played incredibly fun, complicated women. I enjoy that.
Theres been some movies that very few people have seen
that Ive been in that Ive been so proud of. As Dolly Parton says,
Im proud of my children, just some more than others. But, you

know, it would be weird of me not to say that the live audiences.

I do best under pressure. I know that about myself.
MW: Pushing Daisies was such a unique, wonderful show nobody
had ever seen anything quite like it but it only lasted 22 episodes.
Is it tough when youre working on something that you know is so
special but have no control of its fate?
CHENOWETH: Its incredibly frustrating. With Pushing Daisies, we
had a change of regime at the time at the network and it was an
expensive show to do and we were a cult hit. We were one of
the best reviewed shows, ever. We also had a writers strike in
the middle of it so we lost our momentum and that was a real
bummer. I dont think it gets better than that show. I think it
was unique and like you said, nobody had ever seen it. I was just
proud to be a part of it. It was a heartbreaker to see it get interrupted for six months by a writers strike. A lot of shows lost
their momentum.
MW: What about the converse? Take Bewitched. Everybody
actors, crew puts effort into a high-profile film and then it just
bombs.
CHENOWETH: Heartbreaker, heartbreaker. One doesnt know
why things dont work. It seems like a no-brainer, right? Nicole
Kidman and Will Ferrell were so fantastic. Bewitched should
have worked but it didnt.
Then you have a movie like RV, where it wasnt really
critically acclaimed but it made so much money. I dont get it.
Theres no formula, no rules anymore. All I can do is say I like
that character, Im going to go for it. You just never know. If
were being completely truthful, Wicked was not reviewed that
well, so what are you going to do? You just continue to go on and
do your work.
MW: The bigger risk is Broadway. Weve seen examples of shows
open and close within a week. Again, youre investing your all

I always feel a little funny saying I got my start in

church, because I VIEW CHURCH AS A VERY
SACRED, SPECIAL, SPIRITUAL PLACE. I
DONT REALLY EQUATE IT WITH
SHOW BUSINESS.

METROWEEKLY.COM

AUGUST 27, 2015

19

America has not

put our priority
on the arts and
that bothers me.
I would like to
see that changed.
AS A WHOLE, I
THINK WE CAN
DO BETER
IN OUR
COUNTRY.

into it. How do you cope

with something that
closes prematurely?
CHENOWETH: I go
through a mourning process. Im
still going through
it with On the
Twentieth Century
and that was
a hit. I get sad. I
miss the people.
You become family
and I have to allow
myself to mourn it.
I go through it with
every show. Whether
its a hit or a bomb, I
go through it every single
time. Theres nothing like
theater on Broadway when
youve been so invested and
then it opens, you know, its not
being received.
Steel Pier my first Broadway musical I remember looking
up in the balcony and seeing empty seats and not understanding
how a Kander and Ebb musical wasnt selling out. But thats part
of our business. I think I loved those shows even more because
there was something a little quirky, a little off about them. They
have my heart. I still pop in the cast album of Steel Pier and I say
How did this not win best score? The music is beautiful but
again, it didnt work and dont know why. Id love to see that one
re-tooled and brought back to life.
MW: Your education in the arts was so important. Yet America
seems less and less invested in arts education. What are your feelings on the topic?
CHENOWETH: Those that do invest, invest all the way, and those
people have my heart. But America as a whole, we have not
put our priority on the arts and that bothers me. If you look at
Europe in any way, shape or form, if you look at China, if you
look at anywhere, even Latin America, music is culture. Our
culture is sports and I love sports, no one is a bigger basketball
fan than me. But our schools get cut down in the arts program.
I would like to see that changed. As a whole, I think we can do
better in our country.
MW: Why do you think it is that we dont place enough emphasis
on arts education?
CHENOWETH: Because the truth is we have lots of fish to fry and
the main ones are medical care and economy. Im certainly not
a politician, but I can tell you that when a kid gets up and sings,
or has an art class, or wants to play an instrument and feels good
about themselves, that even if they dont ever become a flautist
or a singer or an actor or anything artistic, it stays with them.
I believe it makes us better people and opens up our minds to
creativity in a way we never thought possible.
And I also believe it can instill self-esteem not overconfidence, but self-esteem in a kid, and that goes into our adult
life, especially when its missing at home, for example. Arts
shouldnt be discarded and pulled from our public schools. They
should be celebrated and have as much emphasis put on them
as math. But that is a very strong statement from me and I know
not everyone agrees.
MW: Youre a confirmed gay icon. Was there ever a point, given
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METROWEEKLY.COM

your religious upbringing, that you had to become comfortable

with gay people or was there an evolution for you?
CHENOWETH: When I was a little girl I had a friend named Jackie
Bell in third grade who was my buddy. We walked to school
together and it was the first time I ever heard the word dyke.
I didnt know what it meant. And I remember there was a guy
across the street named Kevin that was my brothers age five
years older and people called him a homo, and I didnt
understand. I went home and I asked my mom about it and
she said, First of all, youre not allowed to say those words.
Secondly, this is what they mean, and some people judge it and
think that its wrong. And thats not for us to decide. Our job is
to love.
Actually my high school boyfriend turned out to be gay. Or I
should say, he always was gay. He helped me pick out my prom
dress. He was my best friend ever. He was amazing. I just saw how
his life changed when he did come out in college how he was
tortured and had to leave basically college and go and be away and
find a place that accepted him, which made me really sad.
MW: Youve been an outspoken advocate for the LGBT community
and our rights, to the point where youve written editorials defending us when you felt necessary.
CHENOWETH: I immediately always felt drawn to not just people
who are gay, but people who are quote-unquote different. I think
it was maybe because I was so little and I have this interesting
voice, so I got teased a lot. I never really got upset by it. I just
laughed. But I had friends in all groups and I just never understood the pointing of the finger.
I once asked my grandma how it could be possible that gay
people would go to hell, I dont understand why people say that,
and she said, I personally always thought that that was not correct. This is a woman who is in heaven now, by the way, sittin
by Jesus, tellin them what to do, Im sure. And she said, I read
the Bible, I eat fish, I take the meat that serves me well, but I
dont choke on a bone.
Ive been judged for my beliefs and for my activism. If you
had told me growing up that I would have been in this position,
I would have never believed you. I just find it natural. I do get a
little heated with people because I dont really want to be judged
for my opinions on my belief, especially by my own. Because I
dont judge them.
So thats where I stand on it all. There have been a lot of
Christians whove really understood where Im coming from and
accepted me, but I dont want to paint a picture that were all
the same. I think there are over 200 sects of Muslim communities and not all of them are going to blow up planes. So there are
those out there that love and accept and Im proud to be friends
with a lot of those people.
And then there are those who are not and I understand thats
their belief and their way. Theyre going to go exactly by what
theyve been taught their whole lives, so I dont judge them.
Ive said it in many interviews but if it was a sin to be 411,
what would I do? Im not tall. Thats the way God put me
together. I could wear heels, but Im still 411. I believe God
puts people together the way He wants them to be. Its how we
choose to live our life that He looks at, I believe. If youre talking
about promiscuity and things like that, thats a different subject.
But when youre put together a certain way, thats not a mistake.
And thats how I feel.
Kristin Chenoweth appears Friday, August 28 at The Filene
Center at Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $28 to
$60. Call 1-877-WOLFTRAP (965-3872) or visit wolftrap.org. l

METROWEEKLY.COM

AUGUST 27, 2015

21

AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

Compiled by Doug Rule

SPOTLIGHT
14TH ANNUAL
PAGE TO STAGE FESTIVAL

FRANKIE AND BETTY

Now in its 14th year, this three-day

event offers free readings and open
rehearsals of plays and musicals being
developed by more than 50 area theater companies as a preview of the
upcoming theater season. Saturday,
Sept. 5, through Monday, Sept. 7.
Kennedy Center. Free, but limited
seating available. Call 202-467-4600
or visit kennedy-center.org for more
details and specific performance
times.

ALESSIA CARA
(L-R) Jessie Strick, Rachel Bauchman and Judy Bad

Amped Up
Frankie & Betty is ready to show off its electric new sound at Phazefest

ERE KIND OF KNOWN IN D.C. FOR HAVING REALLY FUN SHOWS,

Jessie Strick says about her queer-identified, comedy-steeped musical act
Frankie & Betty. We have a really good stage presence I think a really
funny banter, and we interact with the audience.
Frankie & Betty is particularly known to patrons of Phase 1, the historic lesbian bar
on Capitol Hill where Strick first met singer and guitarist Rachel Bauchman four years
ago. The two local part-time musicians became quick friends and eventual bandmates,
another musical group nurtured through the venues popular monthly open-mike night.
As Frankie & Betty the two also became regulars at the annual queer music festival
launched at Phase 1 nearly a decade ago, a constant sell-out sensation in that small space.
This years incarnation, renamed Phazefest and not affiliated with the bar, wont have
that problem, as the concerts will take place at the 9:30 Club on Sept. 4 and the Black Cat
on Sept. 5, both roomy venues.
Its a particularly opportune time for a bigger show with a larger audience: A few
months ago drummer Judy Bad signed on to give Frankie & Betty a fuller, richer sound
as a trio. Were electric now, Strick says. Rachel switched to bass. Im on lead guitar....
Were going to be able to rock out up there. Its going to feel really good and sound really
good.
The band is often asked about its name. Frankie, it turns out, is the nickname
Bauchman had given her guitar, while Betty is Stricks guitar, as named by her wife. As
for Bad, Strick isnt sure her drum has a nickname yet.
Soon were going to get an ampersand sticker to put on her bass drum, she explains.
Shes the amp between us, pulling us together. Doug Rule
Frankie & Betty performs as part of Phazefest on Friday, Sept. 4. Doors at 8 p.m. 9:30
Club, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $15. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

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METROWEEKLY.COM

The 9:30 Club presents a concert at

U Street Music Hall by this pop newcomer, a 19-year-old Canadian who
has drawn comparisons to Lorde and
especially Rihanna. Alessia Cara is following in the Barbados-born superstars musical path, which started with
Def Jam Recordings a decade ago. The
storied hip-hop/R&B label plans to
release Caras debut album Four Pink
Walls, featuring strong single Here,
the same day of her D.C. concert.
Friday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m. U Street
Music Hall, 1115A U St. NW. Tickets
are $15. Call 202-588-1880 or visit
ustreetmusichall.com.

BHTS PRIDE DAYS

AT KINGS DOMINION

Some people go to Kings Dominion to

ride roller coasters and bumper cars.
Others go to eat cotton candy or funnel
cake. On Saturday, Sept. 5, members
and allies of the LGBT community
can do all that all day, plus dance too.
DJ Rometti will offer a four outdoor
dance party right on the parks main
International Street. The event is the
biggest fundraiser for charity Brother,
Help Thyself Inc., raising upwards of
$25,000 annually. Saturday, Sept. 5,
starting at 10:30 a.m. with exclusive
one-hour access for BHT guests to the
Soak City waterpark, and ending with
the dance party from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.,
at Kings Dominion, 16000 Theme
Park Way. Doswell, Va. Tickets are
$37, with promo code PRIDEDAY.
Call 202-347-2246 or visit brotherhelpthyself.net.

GRANDMA

Lily Tomlin stars as a self-described

misanthrope, particularly embittered
after a breakup with her girlfriend,
in Paul Weitzs new acerbic comedy. You can imagine how overjoyed
she is when her 18-year-old grand-

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AUGUST 27, 2015

23

History
in
Taffeta
Marjorie Merriweather Post wore a lot of hats
throughout her life and a lot of dresses

daughter, played by Julie Garner,

shows up pleading for help as well as
companionship on the most unlikely
of cinematic roadtrips, an abortion
adventure. Laverne Cox, Marcia Gay
Harden, Judy Greer, Elizabeth Pena
and Sam Elliott are among the films
cast of characters to help ensure that
funny things happen on the way to the
clinic. Opens this Friday, Aug. 28. Area
theaters. Visit fandango.com.

KATRINA AT 10: RESILIENT NEW

ORLEANS SPECIAL GATHERING

Popular D.C. chef/owner David Guas

hosts a special gathering to reflect on
Hurricane Katrina and celebrate his
native New Orleans this weekend at
the original Courthouse location of his
cafe Bayou Bakery. The band Laissez
Foure will perform as New Orleansinspired food and drink is served, and
there will also be an open-mike session
for anyone to share Katrina stories. In
addition, $10 from every copy of Guass
new cookbook Damgoodsweet will be
donated to Roots of Music, a nonprofit
supporting free music education for
teenagers in New Orleans. Saturday,

24

AUGUST 27, 2015

Aug. 29, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Bayou

Bakery, 1515 N. Courthouse Road,
Arlington. Call 703-243-2410 or visit
bayoubakeryva.com.

MARYLAND
RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL

As summer sadly nears its end,

thoughts naturally turn to jousting,
feasting, crafts, theater, music and
merriment. Ah yes, its time once
again for Maryland Renaissance
Festival, one of the worlds largest festivals recreating a 600-year-old era in
jolly old England. Set in a woodsy park
outside of Annapolis, Md., patrons are
encouraged to dress up in period costume. (They can even rent such duds.)
But they shouldnt bring weapons, real
or toy, or pets, as they tend to eat the
turkey legs, which in this context are
also weapons. Opens this Saturday,
Aug. 29. Weekends through Oct.
25. Maryland Renaissance Festival,
Crownsville Road, Crownsville, Md.
Tickets are $19 to $24 for a single-day
adult ticket, $34 to $98 for multi-day
passes, or $130 for a season pass good
for all 19 days. Call 800-296-7304 or
visit rennfest.com.

METROWEEKLY.COM

COURTESY HILLWOOD ESTATE, MUSEUM AND GARDENS

VERY YEAR AROUND THIS TIME, WERE BOMbarded with new trends, as hot styles trickle down from
New York Fashion Week, or the latest issue of Vogue.
Were told we need to have florals for spring and faux fur for
winter. There is one thing, however, the fashion industry cant
take away: a personal aesthetic. And thats something Marjorie
Merriweather Post always had.
The cereal heiresss former home, The Hillwood Estate, is
celebrating her aesthetic with Ingnue to Icon, an exhibit showcasing Posts taste, and how it changed with the years. What
I like about this collection, says Angie Dodson, Hillwoods
Co-chair of Exhibits, is that it really is a window into history,
but a very personal history.
In a tiny house behind Posts mansion, sumptuous silk and taffeta dresses are proudly displayed in chronological order. From
ruffles to raised waists, Posts wardrobe was not just a collection
of clothes, but a cavalcade of costumes she donned to project an
image. Wedged between two evening dresses, a simple tan plaid
suit dress stands out in the collection. This was a piece worn by
Post when she fought for the right for women to vote.
Across the room, a formal white silk gown faces the suffragette uniform, reminding the visitor of the lavish parties she
hosted throughout the years.
And all of these dresses were tailored specifically for the
female entrepreneur. When Marjorie really liked a dress, says

Dodson, she tended to make duplicates of it in different fabrics. Connor J. Hogan

Ingenue to Icon is on exhibit at the Hillwood
Museum, 4155 Linnean Ave NW, through December
31st. Open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to
5 a.m. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10
for students, and children under 6 are free. For more
information, visit Hillwoodmuseum.org.

NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL

For the second year, the Library of

Congress takes over the Washington
Convention Center the Saturday of
Labor Day weekend for this free celebration of writers and readers that
runs all day and into the evening. A
select few highlights, in addition to
the core presentations from more
than 175 authors, at the 15th annual
National Book Festival: a Youth Poetry
Slam presented by Split This Rock,
a Graphic Novels pavilion featuring
artists including Lalo Alcaraz, Stephan
Pastis and Trina Robbins, and a Books
to Movies discussion with authors
moderated by the Washington Posts
Ann Hornaday and including a sneak
peek at Genius, the forthcoming movie
starring Colin Firth based on Max
Perkins: Editor of Genius by A. Scott
Berg, who will attend. Saturday, Sept.
5, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Walter E.
Convention Convention Center, 801
Mt. Vernon Pl. Call 202-249-3000 or
visit loc.gov/bookfest for more details
and a full schedule.

THE CIRCUS LIFE FESTIVAL

An outgrowth of the local weekly podcast co-produced by Justin Trawick,

the areas hardest-working indie-folk/
pop artist, and recording engineer
Sean Russell, this years second annual
festival moves to the 9:30 Club from
its Northern Virginia roots. Alex Vans
and the Hide Away, a local power-pop
band, headlines the show, with additional performers including: Mundy,
the new-wave/soul group that performed at Capital Prides Friday night
party at Arena Stage this year, Trawick
with his Wammie-winning Americana
group the Common Good, the Deeply
Concerned, which features members
of Virginia Coalition, Jimi Haha of
Jimmies Chicken Shack and indie-pop
artist Margot MacDonald. Friday, Aug.
28. Doors at 8 p.m. 9:30 Club, 815 V
St. NW. Tickets are $15. Call 202-2650930 or visit 930.com.

FILM
AMY

HHHHH
A new documentary about the late
singer Amy Winehouse, Amy interrogates the tragic side of performance
and public identity. Directed by Asif
Kapadia, a filmmaker known for the
2010 biography Senna, the movie earnestly charts Winehouses rise from
early adolescence in Londons suburbs
to the crushing pressure of worldwide
acclaim, accompanied by the drug
addictions that ultimately killed her
at age 27. Amy isnt a hagiography,
very far from it, but it never hesitates
to laud Winehouses talent. The triumph of Amy is Winehouses wit and
charm away from the microphone.
Shes shown to be whip-smart, a wily
thinker with little patience for nonsense. Again and again, Kapadia uses
Winehouses own words to frame the
irony of her career. Winehouse died
four years ago. Kapadias documentary is one of the first major attempts
to define her legacy. Opening Friday,
Aug. 28, at Angelika Pop-Up at Union
Market, 550 Penn St. NE, Unit E. Call
800-680-9095 or visit angelikapopup.
com. (Chris Heller)

STAGE
HITMAN: AGENT 47

Hitching yet another carriage to the

reboot train, this film restarts a proposed franchise from 2007, based on
the hit series of video games. This
time, Rupert Friend stars as the genetically engineered Agent 47, an unstoppable killing machine, with Zachary
Quinto as the man trying to end his
rampage. Aleksander Bach directs.
Opens Friday, Aug. 21. Area theaters.
Visit fandango.com.

SCREEN GIANTS SUMMER SERIES

The Washington Jewish Film Festival

offers a special summer screening
series of four inimitable classics from
top Jewish directors: Billy Wilders
The Apartment starring Jack Lemmon
and Shirley MacLaine, Sidney Lumets
Dog Day Afternoon starring Al Pacino,
Elaine Mays A New Leaf with Walter
Matthau, and Mel Brookss hilarious spoof Young Frankenstein starring Gene Wilder. Series runs to Aug.
30. The Aaron and Cecile Goldman
Theater at Washington, D.C.s Jewish
Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW.
Tickets are $13 for two films, or $25
for a Screen Giants Pass to all four
films. Call 202-518-9400 or visit washingtondcjcc.org.

ONE IN THE CHAMBER

Forum Theatre offers a co-production

of Marja-Lewis Ryans fictionalized
account exploring the impact that
accidental gun deaths have on families, inspired by a 2013 New York Times
article titled Children and Guns, the
Hidden Toll. Michael Piazza directs
Liz Osborn, Adrienne Nelson, Dwight
Tolar, Noah Chiet, Danielle Bourgeois
and Grace Doughy in One In The
Chamber at CulturalDCs Flashpoint.
Weekends to Sept. 6. Mead Theatre
Lab at Flashpoint, 916 G St. NW.
Tickets are $25. Call 202-315-1310 or
visit flashpointdc.org.

THE FIX

Signature Theatre opens its 20152016 season with a revival of John

Dempsey and Dana P. Rowes insideWashington musical satire. It comes
17 years after the company staged the
shows U.S. premiere and after presenting its composers other works,
from Brother Russia to The Witches
of Eastwick. Mark Evans, Lawrence
Redmond, Christine Sherrill and
Bobby Smith lead the cast for this
scandalous, rock-laced show with the
tagline Whatever it takes to win,
about a woman who strives to make
her son president after her husband,
a popular presidential candidate, dies

in his mistresss arms. To Sept. 20.

Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell
Ave., Arlington. Call 703-820-9771 or
visit signature-theatre.org.

THE IMPORTANCE OF
BEING EARNEST

Scena Theater remounts its hilarious,

gender-bending 2011 production of
the Oscar Wilde classic satire. Scenas
Robert McNamara directs a cast
including Nanna Ingvarsson, Brian
Hemmingsen as Lady Bracknell
Danielle Davy, Bob Sheire, Graham
Pilato, David Bryan Jackson, Ellie
Nicoll, Amie Cazel and Mary Suib. To
Sept. 13. Atlas Performing Arts Center,
1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $10 to $45.
Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

MUSIC
BOHEMIAN CAVERNS JAZZ
ORCHESTRA

Every Monday night the 17-piece

jazz orchestra performs a variety of
music from the big band repertoire
including pieces by Duke Ellington,
Count Basie, Billy Strayhorn and
Maria Schneider, plus originals from
band members, at its namesake venue.
Founded by baritone saxophonist
Brad Linde and club owner Omrao

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AUGUST 27, 2015

25

Brown, featuring some of D.C.s best

jazz musicians, including Linde and
trumpeter Joe Herrera, who codirect. Performances at 8 p.m. and 10
p.m. every Monday night. Bohemian
Caverns, 2001 11th St. NW. Tickets
are $10. Call 202-299-0800 or visit
bohemiancaverns.com.

FRANK SINATRA, JR.

WITH WOLF TRAP ORCHESTRA

Sinatra Sings Sinatra The

Centennial Celebration is a multimedia experience honoring the Sinatra
legacy. Photos and videos will be
projected as Junior toasts his luck
winning the lineage lottery by sharing family stories and singing classic
songs popularized by Ol Blue Eyes
with accompaniment by the Wolf Trap
Orchestra. Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 8
p.m. The Filene Center at Wolf Trap,
1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are
$25 to $55. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or
visit wolftrap.org.

INDIGO LOVE &

THE RENAISSANCE TRIO

Sassy: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan

is a tribute to the great jazz vocalist, dubbed the Divine One, who
got her start in 1942 winning the
famed Amateur Night at the Apollo
Theater. Singer Indigo Love performs
a scripted show about the classy and
sophisticated artist and enhanced
with photography, costumes and the
Zezeh Brazil Dance Troupe. Sunday,
Aug. 30, at 11:30 a.m. for a brunch
buffet and 7:30 p.m. Bethesda Blues

& Jazz Supper Club, 7719 Wisconsin

Ave. Tickets are $27.50 to $39.50 for
brunch, or $25. Call 240-330-4500 or
visit bethesdabluesjazz.com.

MJ DAY 2015: MICHAEL

JACKSON DANCE PARTY

In the six years since the King of

Pops passing, Dominic Redd aka DJ
Dredd has offered an annual dance
party tribute, covering most of the
hits, remixes, rare cuts and videos by
pops biggest Thriller dont stop
till you get enough. Assisting Dredd
in putting on the extravaganza this
year is Jahsonic, host Grap Luva and a
video mix by Os Cool. Saturday, Aug.
29. Doors at 8 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815
V St. NW. Tickets are $15. Call 202265-0930 or visit 930.com.

NATIONAL SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRAS
LABOR DAY CONCERT

Steven Reineke once again leads the

orchestra in this annual tradition on
the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. This
years program features vocalist Kate
Davis and the Soldiers Chorus of the
United States Army Field Band. Sunday,
Sept. 6, at 8 p.m. U.S. Capitol Building,
West Lawn. (Or Kennedy Centers
Concert Hall, in case of inclement
weather.) Free. Call 202-467-4600 or
visit kennedy-center.org/nso.

ORQUESTA BUENA
VISTA SOCIAL CLUB

Nearly two decades after helping spark the Latin Jazz revival
through the Ry Cooder-led Grammywinning album and Wim Wenders
Oscar-nominated documentary, both
named Buena Vista Social Club
this Afro-Cuban dance band offers a
final tour to say goodbye. Appearing
on the groups Adios Tour: superbly
expressive singer Omara Portuondo,
singer/guitarist Eliades Ochoa, trumpeter Manuel Guajiro Mirabal, laud
player Barbarito Torres and musical
director/trombonist Jesus Aguaje
Ramos, who also played with the Afro
Cuban All Stars. The opening act is the
Afro-Cuban rumba-focused Pedrito
Martinez Group. Saturday, Aug. 29,
at 8 p.m. The Filene Center at Wolf
Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets
are $25 to $50. Call 877-WOLFTRAP
or visit wolftrap.org.

GALLERIES
CHAMBER MUSIC: THE LIFE AND
LEGACY OF
ELIZABETH SPRAGUE COOLIDGE

In honor of the 150th anniversary of

her birth, the Library of Congress
presents a new exhibition about the
woman who supported establishment of the institutions first music
venue, the intimate, finely tuned
Coolidge Auditorium that required an
act of Congress but finally opened in
1925. An accomplished pianist and
avid composer, Elizabeth Sprague
Coolidges passion was chamber
music and her mission was to make
it more widely available and accessible by sponsoring concert tours
around the world and commissioning
new works. The exhibit features 40
items, most drawn from the Coolidge
Foundation Collection at the Library,
which holds the worlds largest music
collection. Now to Jan. 23. Performing
Arts Reading Room Gallery in The
Library of Congresss James Madison
Memorial Building, 101 Independence
Ave. SE. Call 202-707-8000 or visit
loc.gov/exhibits.

ELAINE DE KOONING: PORTRAITS

John F. Kennedy, poets Frank OHara

and Allen Ginsberg, critic Harold
Rosenberg, choreographer Merce
Cunningham, and painters Willem
de Kooning and Fairfield Porter are
among the friends and family members represented in a National Portrait
Gallery retrospective of this abstract
expressionist painters work. Most of
de Koonings paintings hang in private
collection and have rarely been seen
by the public before. Through Jan.
10. National Portrait Gallery, 8th and
F Streets. NW. Call 202-633-8300 or
visit npg.si.edu.

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LITTLE BLACK BOOKS: ARCHIVES

OF AMERICAN ART

An exhibition that would be harder

and less interesting to pull off in
todays mobile-based culture, Little
Black Books: Address Books from the
Archives of American Art features a
handful of personal address books of
influential American artists. Pocket volumes of scrawled names and numbers
on display come from artists including
Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Joseph
Cornell and Ad Reinhardt. Through
Nov. 1. Smithsonians Archives of
American Art, 8th and F Streets. NW.
Call 202-633-7940 or visit aaa.si.edu.

MAKE SOME NOISE: STUDENTS

AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT

Pegged to the 50th anniversary of the

March on Washington and just one of
several exhibitions at the Newseum
marking the occasion, Make Some
Noise: Students and the Civil Rights
Movement explores the new generation of student leaders that emerged
in the 1960s to fight segregation and
fight for civil rights. John Lewis, now
a U.S. representative from Georgia,
and Julian Bond, a former chair of the
NAACP, are among the leaders highlighted here. Through 2015. Newseum,
555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets
are $21.95 for general admission. Call
888-NEWSEUM or visit newseum.org.

MODERN SCULPTURE: DIALOGUES

IN THREE DIMENSIONS

While its galleries are closed for renovation and expansion, the National
Gallery of Art has set up throughout its
East Building a special installation of
modern sculpture from its renowned
holdings. And three times a week, the
gallery offers a new 60-minute guided
tour highlighting these works, allowing patrons to engage with each other
in open-ended discussions about, in
addition to the guide pointing out connections between, the works on view,
from Alexander Calders monumental
mobile Untitled from 1976 to Andy
Goldsworthys decade-old Roof. The
relationship between I.M. Peis East
Building and John Russell Pops West
Building is also examined. Tuesdays,
Thursdays, and Sundays, at 1:30 p.m.
National Gallery of Art East Building
Information Desk, 3rd Street at
Constitution Avenue NW. Call 202737-4215 or visit nga.gov.

MONSTER FISH: IN SEARCH OF

THE LAST RIVER GIANTS

Based on the popular National

Geographic Wild series, this interactive exhibit includes clips from the
series, life-size fish sculptures and several family-friendly activities designed
to educate visitors about the massive
fish that Dr. Zeb Hogan, the aquatic ecologist who is the host of the
Monster Fish series, has spent decades
exploring. Through Oct. 11. National
Geographic Museum, 1145 17th St.
NW. Tickets are $11. Call 202-857-7588
or visit ngmuseum.org.

ONCE THERE WERE BILLIONS

Once There Were Billions: Vanished

Birds of North America documents
those species of birds weve lost on
this continent over the past two centuries, from the puffin-like great auck to
the Carolina parakeet to the heath hen
to the passenger pigeon, not to be confused with the commonplace carrier
pigeon. Through October. National
Museum of Natural History, 10th
Street and Constitution Avenue NW.
Call 202-633-1000 or visit mnh.si.edu.

ONE LIFE: DOLORES HUERTA

The National Portrait Gallery offers

its first exhibition devoted to a Latino
figure. Dolores Heurta co-founded the
National Farm Workers Association
with Cesar Chavez in 1962 and fought
for the passage of the California
Agricultural Labor Relations Act of
1975. Taina Caragol curated an exhibition that vividly traces the 13 years
between those two actions. Through
May 15. National Portrait Gallery, 8th
and F Streets. NW. Call 202-633-8300
or visit npg.si.edu.

THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964: A

LONG STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM

The Library of Congress commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Civil

Rights Act with a yearlong exhibition highlighting legal and legisla-

tive victories and shedding light on

the individuals who shaped the civil
rights movement. Through Sept. 12.
The Library of Congresss Thomas
Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE.
Call 202-707-8000 or visit loc.gov/
exhibits.

THE VISIONARY EXPERIENCE:

SAINT FRANCIS TO FINSTER

Baltimores quirky Visionary Art

Museum offers its 20th annual exhibition, this one championing lifes
grand Eureka! moments, held in
common by Earths most dynamic
and intuitive evolutionaries, from
inventors, scientists, Americas founding fathers, dreamers and saints. The
show was co-curated by filmmaker
and publisher Jodi Wille and AVAM
founder and director Rebecca Alban
Hoffberger. Closes this Sunday, Aug.
30. American Visionary Art Museum,
800 Key Highway. Baltimore. Tickets
are $15.95. Call 410-244-1900 or visit
avam.org.

UNDER A SUMMER SUN

Del Ray Artisans offers this summer-themed art exhibit as part of

its Gallery Without Walls program
and presented at the Vola Lawson
Animal Shelter. Participating artists donate 40 percent of each sale
to be shared equally by the nonprofit
arts group and the Animal Welfare
League of Alexandria. Through Sept.
27. Vola Lawson Animal Shelter, 4101
Eisenhower Ave., Alexandria.

VANESSA BELLS
HOGARTH PRESS DESIGNS

Virginia Woolfs younger sister was

one of Englands most famous postimpressionist painters. Vanessa
Bell helped start what became the
Bloomsbury Group of writers, artists
and intellectuals in London between
World Wars. But she also designed
many of the book covers for Hogarth
Press, simple arts-and-crafts designs,
with recurrent geometries and lowercase lettering, and featured in this
exhibition. Through Nov. 13. National
Museum of Women in the Arts. 1250
New York Ave NW. Admission is $10.
Call 202-783-5000 or visit nmwa.org.

WINDOW TO WASHINGTON

Window to Washington: The Kiplinger

Collection at HSW is an exhibition at
Washingtons Carnegie Library that
traces the development of the nations
capital from a sleepy Southern town
to a modern metropolis, as documented through the works of artists.
The Historical Society of Washington,
D.C., exhibition was made possible by
a donation from the Kiplinger family.
Its also an early step in a reorganization effort by the society, which
has struggled to revive ever since
its short-lived effort a decade ago to
run a City Museum of Washington
proved too ambitious. Open Tuesdays

through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Historical Society of Washington,
D.C., at the Carnegie Library, 801 K St.
NW. Call 202-393-1420 or visit dchistory.org.

ABOVE AND BEYOND

LA-TI-DO

Regie Cabico and Don Mike Mendozas

La-Ti-Do variety show is neither karaoke nor simply cabaret. In addition
to higher-quality singing than most
impromptu karaoke, Cabico and cohost Mendoza also select storytellers
who offer spoken-word poetry and
comedy. Now held at James Hobans
on Dupont Circle, the shows in August
feature accompanist Alex Tang, affiliated with the Gay Mens Chorus of
Washington, Hilary Morrow and other
DC Actors for Animals performers
who have either rescued or fostered an
animal. Next Monday, Aug. 31, Capitol
Canines will offer two rescues available for adoption. Monday nights at 8
p.m. James Hobans Irish Restaurant
& Bar, 1 Dupont Circle NW. Tickets
are $15, or only $7 if you eat dinner at
the restaurant beforehand. Call 202223-8440 or visit latidodc.wix.com/
latidodc. l

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27

Noahs

c
r

Newly out at 17, Noah Chiet has found success

in the local theater scene
By Doug Ruale
Photography by Julian Vankim

Im glad Ive come out while Im still in high school,

Noah Chiet says. Because I feel like, to the kid whos still very
nervous about it, who doesnt feel comfortable, they can be like,
Hey look, that kid is class president. People can relate to him.
Certainly people like Chiet: The Class of 2016 at Quince
Orchard High School in Gaithersburg has elected Chiet to serve
as its president for three years running. The 17-year-old came
out this spring, during the end of his junior year.
There are a lot of gay people in my grade, he says. Were
fortunate to live in an area where people really dont think
twice about it. But the real key to success is having a good
support network, Chiet is quick to add after noting he hasnt
encountered bullying or outward discrimination. I have such
an amazingly supportive family, he says. His mother responded with a shrug And? when he came out to her last summer. He told other family members one by one during a family

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trip last fall. Youve just got to focus on whos supporting you
and surround yourself with people that love and support you
and keep your eye on the prize.
The ultimate prize for Chiet is a future career as a professional actor. Next fall he intends to begin studying the craft at
Pittsburghs Carnegie Mellon University perhaps or New York
University. Im applying to colleges now, Chiet says. And
the identity essays hes writing for his applications convey the
fact that acting is fundamental for him. Acting has honestly
given me my identity, he says. Its given me a network of
adult friends as well as young friends. And its just given me
an outlet to express myself. I know its a cliche, but its what I
was born to do.
The baby of a family that includes a 26-year-old brother and
a 24-year-old sister, Chiet started acting at age 10, appearing in
community theater in Rockville. But within a couple of years
Chiet had moved on to performing on professional stages around
D.C. In 2010 he played a pivotal part in a production of Falsettos
that gained him the kind of notice actors dream about praise
from critics as well as leaders in the theater community. In a
Metro Weekly review of the show, Tom Avila offered huge
applause for Chiet, saying he displays a brilliant comic timing.
Of course Chiet appreciates the irony of making his professional debut in what was a big gay way, long before he was out or
even questioning. Falsettos is James Lapine and William Finns
1992 musical about a man who divorces his wife and comes out
as gay. Chiet, who at the time was in seventh grade, portrayed
the couples son, who is struggling to cope.
I knew I was gay in my freshman year, he explains. Up
until that point I honestly didnt have a clue. I think I was just
so immersed in the whole arts world and focused on acting. [But]

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I get into high school and obviously things start to change. Your
hormones are raging.
Another admirer of Chiets work in Falsettos was Mark
Ramont, at the time the artistic director of Fords Theatre.
Ramont helped Chiet secure work in the theaters big-budget
world-premiere musical Liberty Smith as well as its annual
holiday production of A Christmas Carol. Chiet was part of the
ensemble, playing bit parts in both shows. In the years since,
hes appeared in both musicals and plays at companies including
Signature Theatre, Theater J and Olney Theatre.
I kind of became known as the local child actor, the only
kid in the shows, he says. In addition to having older siblings,
Im constantly working with adults working with them and
absorbing how they worked. I learned so much and I really
matured.
Chiet is currently appearing in One in the Chamber. First
staged to wide acclaim last year in L.A., the play, written by
Marja-Lewis Ryan, is a grim story...about a boy who accidentally shoots his younger brother, says Chiet. The play centers
on a social workers interviews with the family of this boy, Adam,
which will help decide his fate. I get to come in in the last 15
minutes of the show, Chiet says, who plays Adam and gets to
upend misconceptions. [Theres] this idea of this crazy kind of
depressed kid, but hes actually this eloquent, well-spoken kid
who is just damaged.
Theres definitely a lot of layers to the character, he adds.
Its not your typical child role. l
Noah Chiet appears in One in the Chamber, running weekends
to Sept. 6, at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint, 916 G St. NW.
Tickets are $25. Call 202-315-1310 or visit flashpointdc.org.

games

Speaks Volumes
Combined with its stellar stealthpuzzle gameplay, Volume is an
engrossing, enjoyable experience
by RHUARIDH MARR

TS SOMEWHAT TELLING THAT IN THIS GENERAtion of gaming we seldom look to large studios for innovation. In a time of yearly updates and well-worn franchises,
its often smaller, more creative studios and indie developers that are producing the most interesting and unique titles for
gamers to enjoy.
Mike Bithell is one such success story. The British games
developer released his debut effort, Thomas Was Alone, as a
free browser game. Reception was sufficiently positive that he
transformed his geometric platformer into a full-fledged release,
which ultimately sold over a million copies and won an award
from the British equivalent of the Academy Awards. It took
simple, square shapes, assigned them distinct personalities, and
wrapped that in an enjoyable, challenging experience.
Many were curious to see what Bithells sophomore release
would be. As it transpires, Volume (HHHHH) isnt something
utterly unique. Instead, it takes inspiration from several games
and genres. It especially owes a great deal of its existence to
Metal Gear Solid in particular, the stealth-action series VR
Missions, which strip away the extensive world-building in
favor of simple, clean, isometric aesthetics and streamlined
stealth sequences.

Volume also derives its story from Robin Hood, the classic
folktale of an English outlaw who robbed from the rich and
shared the wealth with the poor. In Volumes universe, we find
ourselves in England in the middle of the 21st century. England
has become its own nation state, separate from its Scottish and
Welsh neighbors. It is a corporatocracy, ruled by the CEO of
the countrys largest weapons and defence manufacturer, Guy
Gisborne (based on Sir Guy of Gisbourne in the original Hood
tales). English society has been strictly divided into three distinct classes: an elite ruling class, the working populace, and
those who protect the interests of the elite. Stature is defined by
birth if youre born into the poor working class, youll remain
there. Slavery is rife, corruption is a way of life, violence is a constant threat, surveillance is mandatory. Travel is severely limited
and international neighbors leave Gisborne alone thanks to carefully arranged and monitored trade deals.
Enter our protagonist, Robert Locksley (Robin of Loxley, in
Hoods tale), a disaffected youth born into the semi-privileged
Protect class. He despises Gisbornes controls on society and
longs for freedom. After breaking into an old training center for
Gisbornes troops, which used virtual reality and holographic
projections to simulate combat zones (think Star Treks holodeck),
Locksley hacks an old computer AI system, erasing its memory and
programming it to help him livestream Gisbornes downfall.
Yes, Volume is essentially one giant Twitch stream. Locksley
and Alan, the AI program, recreate the interiors of strategically
important buildings Gisbornes offices, the homes of his staff,
the checkpoints at travel zones, military prisons etc. which
Locksley then navigates to show his viewers across England the
best way to steal data, valuables and weapons from the ruling
elite. Its Robin Hood in the digital age, except Locksley is using
an entire, disaffected underclass to help him break into these
METROWEEKLY.COM

AUGUST 27, 2015

31

places, rather than do so himself.

Whats perhaps most impressive is that Volume tells this story
through very limited interaction. Text documents are interspersed among levels, revealing snippets of information from the
creation of Gisborne Industries in 2014 through to Gisbornes
ultimate rule of the country forty years later. Clips from newspaper articles, excerpts from webchats, emails between colleagues,
group chats and more reveal in non-chronological order the tensions and influences that led to the current system, including a
growing English nationalism and a civil war between city states
that ultimately allowed Gisborne to take control.
Above all of this are the exchanges between Locksley, Alan
and, eventually, Gisborne himself. Theyre voiced by Charlie
McDonnell (a successful English YouTuber and filmmaker),
Danny Wallace (who won the award for Thomas Was Alone)
and Andy Serkis (Gollum in Lord of the Rings and many other
motion capture roles). Wallace turns in another incredible performance as Alan, a self-aware AI who initially resists Locksleys
efforts against his creators, then helps him, then eventually helps
Locksley come to terms with the gravity of his actions. Serkis is
dominating and stern as Gisborne when he eventually cuts into
Locksleys feed. McDonnell is perhaps the lone standout who
feels not miscast, but misdirected. His Locksley is too calm,
too robotic at times while the script has some great dialogue,
there were moments when I wanted Locksley to at least match
the emotion of his digital companion, rather than sound like a
mildly apathetic teen.
In play, Volume quickly finds its footing as another stellar
entry by Bithell. He clearly knows how to shape a game anyone who played Thomas Was Alone will be familiar with the
32

AUGUST 27, 2015

METROWEEKLY.COM

steady drip feed of new gameplay additions and the gentle slope
of its difficulty curve. Fans of modern stealth games might be
disappointed, though. Volume is unashamedly old-school in its
interpretation of stealth. Enemies have visible cones of vision,
letting the player clearly see when Locksley will be discovered.
Shadows are obvious, items are highlighted, objectives are
clearly marked, checkpoints are frequent to help with mistakes.
Instead, Volume is more puzzle game than stealth game. Each
of its 100 core levels is a puzzle Locksley must enter, collect a
certain number of gems (Alans representation of whatever data/
valuables are stored at the real world location) and exit without
being shot or hacked to death by guards. How you do that is up
to you, for the most part. Volume provides the tools, but many
levels have several ways to achieve your objective.
Locksley has a standard arsenal of moves and gadgets at
his disposal. Combat, at least in a traditional sense, is not on
the agenda. He doesnt wish his viewers to harm others that
would defeat the point of rebelling against Gisbornes violent
regime. Instead, players can utilize a variety of distracting, concealing and incapacitating weaponry. Two rely on audio cues,
drawing an enemys attention, useful for sneaking past a rather
stubborn-placed guard. Some help shield Locksley from prying
eyes making him temporarily invisible, masking his footsteps
from pressure plates, or providing an ephemeral disguise. Others
allow Locksley to stop a guard in their tracks, whether distracting them with something shiny, knocking them out with a trip
wire, or stunning them with the Blackjack projectile, my personal favorite. Every gadget has a respawn time, so players cant
spam invisibility or projectiles it requires extra thought and
planning, which only adds to the tension of certain encounters.

Of course, when all else fails Locksley has a classic staple of

stealth games: a simple whistle to gain a guards attention.
Where Volume really excels is in utilizing the mixture of
gadgetry and enemies at its disposal over its 100 levels. Though
it constantly introduces new obstacles guards with further
vision or 360-degree sight, or perhaps electrocuting floor panels
and alarm-activating lasers it also mixes up what gadgets (if
any) youll be given to accomplish your objective. It never settles
into a familiar pattern. As players crouch around low walls, hack
into obstructing gates, or find keys to unlock new pathways,
theyll be tasked with finding new and smarter ways to avoid the
gaze and gunfire of Gisbornes henchmen.
If theres one criticism, its in Volumes checkpoint system.
Checkpoints are frequent, which in some scenarios can be a lifesaver. Narrowly avoiding simulated death only to run through
a checkpoint can be a huge relief, but all too often its entirely
possible to abuse Volumes checkpoints for gain. At certain
points, rather than sneak or use gadgets players can simply run
past guards, attracting their attention, en route to a checkpoint.
Youll almost certainly die unless theres a locker, floor panel or
dark shadow to hide in, but it doesnt matter. If you cross that
checkpoint and immediately die, youll respawn there and the
guards will have returned to their normal patrols. Volume isnt
a difficult game; it can be head scratching at times, but it never
frustrates. That only makes its checkpoints all the more apparent
as a definite weak spot in an otherwise stellar puzzle experience.
Competent players will easily finish Volumes story in a few
hours. Each level lasts at most four or five minutes, but thankfully replayability is high. Players can try out differing methods
of attack, or even choose what gadgetry to use some levels
offer multiple options. Each level is also timed, with a par score

to aspire to, though I easily beat it on a majority of levels. What

wont be easy to beat are the online leaderboards. Already, players are racking up incredible times on levels I spent one or two
minutes blankly staring at before figuring it out.
If thats not enough, Volume also includes a full level editor. Players can create their own challenges for themselves, or
upload them for other gamers to enjoy. Again, there are already
a lot of levels to choose from though quality is understandably
highly variable. To aid in finding the best submissions, Bithell
and co. will highlight staff picks on a regular basis. Once the
initial 100 levels have been exhausted, theres a lot of reasons for
players to keep coming back to Volume on a regular basis.
Volume aims high with its narrative. Locksley is an intriguing
protagonist, its world and lore are fascinating to uncover, and
the interaction between Alan pragmatic, inquisitive and reasoned and Locksley passionate, disillusioned, self-assured
in his actions constantly shines. If I had a complaint, its that I
wished there was more to its story. More text documents to find,
more voice work, more of the near future England it depicts.
Speaking of which, its graphics may adhere towards the simple
end of the spectrum, but theyre never anything less than lovely
to look at, mixing colors and shapes into an indelible experience.
Its all sweetened by David Housdens wonderful score.
Combined with its stellar stealth-puzzle gameplay, Volume
is an engrossing, enjoyable experience. Its brevity and initial
simplicity melt away to reveal a game that, while perhaps not as
unique as Thomas Was Alone, is just as fresh and satisfying and
certainly as deserving of your time. l
Volume is available on PC and PS4, with a PS Vita release
expected soon.

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NIGHT

LIFE
LISTINGS
THURS., 08.27.15

9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports Expanded
craft beer selection
Music videos featuring
DJ Wess
ANNIES/ANNIES
UPSTAIRS
4@4 Happy Hour, 4-7pm
$4 Small Plates, $4 Stella
Artois, $4 House Wines,
$4 Stolichnaya Cocktails,
$4 Manhattans and Vodka
Martinis
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: $6 Call
Martini, $3 Miller Lite,
$4 Rail, $5 Call, 4-9pm
$3 Rail Drinks, 10pmmidnight, $5 Red Bull,
Gatorade and Frozen
Virgin Drinks Locker
Room Thursday Nights
DJs Sean Morris and
MadScience Ripped Hot
Body Contest at midnight,
hosted by Sasha J. Adams
and BaNaka $200 Cash
Prize Doors open 10pm,
18+ $5 Cover under 21
and free with college ID
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
dcnine.com
DC EAGLE
Hot Jock Night men in
jocks drink free rail and
domestic, 8-10pm

GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm
Ladies Drink Free Power
Hour, 4-5pm Shirtless
Thursday, 10-11pm DJs
BacK2bACk

FREDDIES BEACH BAR

Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm

METROWEEKLY.COM

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AUGUST 27, 2015

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scene
DC Eagle
Saturday, August 22
scan this tag
with your
smartphone
for bonus scene
pics online!

Photography by
Ward Morrison

JR.S
All You Can Drink for $15,
5-8pm $3 Rail Vodka
Highballs, $2 JR.s drafts,
8pm-close Throwback
Thursday featuring rock/
pop retro hits
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Beat the Clock Happy Hour
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) Buckets of
Beer $15 Drag Bingo
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm No Cover
TOWN PATIO
Open 6pm No Cover
$4 Drinks and $3 Draughts,
6-9pm
ZIEGFELDS SECRETS
All male, nude dancers
Shirtless Thursday DJ
Tim-e in Secrets 9pm
Cover 21+
FRI., 08.28.15

9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink,
5-9pm Friday Night

Videos with resident DJ

Shea Van Horn VJ
Expanded craft beer selection No Cover
ANNIES
4@4 Happy Hour, 4-7pm
$4 Small Plates, $4 Stella
Artois, $4 House Wines,
$4 Stolichnaya Cocktails,
$4 Manhattans and Vodka
Martinis Upstairs open,
5-11pm
COBALT/30 DEGREES
All You Can Drink Happy
Hour $15 Rail and
Domestic, $21 Call
& Imports, 6-9pm
Guys Night Out Free
Belvedere Vodka, 11pmMidnight, $6 Belvedere
Vodka Drinks all night
DJ MadScience presents Karls Back2Skool
Jamboree DJ Keenan
Orr downstairs $10
cover 10pm-1am, $5 after
1am 21+
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
dcnine.com

DC EAGLE
Free Happy Hour Buffet,
6-10pm $4 Rail, $3
Domestic, $10 Bucket of
Stella
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm $5
Smirnoff, all flavors, all
night long Daddy Boom,
10pm Drink specials
all night
JR.S
Happy Hour: 2-for-1,
4-9pm $2 Skyy Highballs
and $2 Drafts, 10pmmidnight Retro Friday
$5 Coronas, $8 Vodka Red
Bulls, 9pm-close
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
DJ Matt Bailey Videos,
Dancing Beat the Clock
Happy Hour $2 (5-6pm),
$3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
NUMBER NINE
Open 5pm Happy Hour:
2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
No Cover

TOWN
DC Bear Crue Happy
Hour, 6-11pm $3 Rail,
$3 Draft, $3 Bud Bottles
Free Pizza, 7pm No
cover before 9:30pm
21+ Drag Show starts at
10:30pm Hosted by Lena
Lett and featuring Miss
Tatianna, Shi-QueetaLee, Epiphany B. Lee
and BaNaka DJ Wess
upstairs, DJs BacK2bACk
downstairs GoGo Boys
after 11pm Doors open
at 10pm For those 21
and over, $10 For those
18-20, $15 18+
TOWN PATIO
Open 6pm No Cover
before 10pm Cover after
10pm (entry through Town)
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers,
hosted by LaTroya Nicole
Ladies of Ziegfelds,
9pm Hosted by Miss
Destiny B. Childs DJ
Darryl Strickland in Secrets
VJ Tre in Ziegfelds
Cover 21+

SAT., 08.29.15

9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 3-9pm $5 Absolut
& Titos, $3 Miller Lite
after 9pm Expanded
craft beer selection No
Cover Music videos
featuring various DJs
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Drag Yourself to Brunch at
Level One, 11am-2pm and
2-4pm Featuring Kristina
Kelly and the Ladies of
Illusion Bottomless
Mimosas and Bloody
Marys Happy Hour: $3
Miller Lite, $4 Rail, $5
Call, 4-9pm AFTERGLOW
Dance Party, featurign
DJ Tom from Prague
DJ Team Eletrox & Milko
in the lounge $3 PBR,
$5 Rail Cocktails, $8 Red
Bull & Vodka, $4 Fireball
Doors open 10pm $5
Cover 18+
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 4-6pm
dcnine.com

METROWEEKLY.COM

DC EAGLE
Potomac MC Full Moon
Night $2 Draughts and
Jello Shots at Club Bar,
10pm-close
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Drag Queen Broadway
Brunch, 10am-3pm
Starring Freddies
Broadway Babes Crazy
Hour, 4-7pm Freddies
Follies Drag Show,
8-10pm, hosted by Miss
Destiny B. Childs No
Cover
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm $5
Bacardi, all flavors, all
night long
JR.S
$4 Coors, $5 Vodka
Highballs, $7 Vodka Red
Bulls
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Guest DJs Zing Zang
Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer,
House Rail Drinks and
Mimosas, $4, 11am-5pm
Buckets of Beer, $15

AUGUST 27, 2015

37

NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 3-9pm No Cover
TOWN
CTRL DC Dance Party,
11pm-close Music and
video downstairs by DJ
Wess Peaches performs
in the Drag Show Drag
Show starts at 10:30pm
Hosted by Lena Lett and
featuring Miss Tatianna,
Shi-Queeta-Lee, Epiphany
B. Lee and BaNaka
Doors open 10pm Cover
$12 21+
TOWN PATIO
Open 2pm No Cover
before 9:30pm Cover
after 10pm (entry through
Town)
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Men of Secrets, 9pm
Guest dancers Ladies
of Illusion with host
Ella Fitzgerald, 9pm
DJ Steve Henderson in
Secrets DJ Don T. in
Ziegfelds Doors open
8pm Cover 21+

SUN., 08.30.15

9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 3-9pm Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports Expanded
craft beer selection No
Cover
COBALT/30 DEGREES
$4 Stoli, Stoli flavors
and Miller Lite all day
Homowood Karaoke,
10pm-close No Cover
21+
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 2-6pm
dcnine.com
DC EAGLE
Doors open noon $7
Buffet with $2 Bud and
Bud Light Draughts
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Champagne Brunch Buffet,
10am-3pm Crazy Hour,
4-7pm Karaoke, 8pm1am
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm

38

AUGUST 27, 2015

METROWEEKLY.COM

Mamas Trailer Park

Karaoke, 9:30pm-close
JR.S
Sunday Funday Liquid
Brunch Doors open at
1pm $2 Coors Lights and
$3 Skyy (all flavors), all
day and night
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Drag Brunch, hosted by
Shi-Queeta-Lee, 11am3pm $20 Brunch Buffet
House Rail Drinks, Zing
Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie
Beer and Mimosas, $4,
11am-close Buckets of
Beer, $15
NUMBER NINE
Pop Goes the World with
Wes Della Volla at 9:30pm
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on
any drink, 3-9pm No
Cover
ROCK HARD SUNDAYS
@THE HOUSE
NIGHTCLUB
3530 Georgia Ave. NW
Diverse group of all male,
all nude dancers Doors
open 7pm Shows at 8
and 10pm $5 Domestic

Beer, $6 Imports Happy

Hour 7-8pm $10 cover
Table Reservations,
call 202-487-6646 rockharddc.com
TOWN PATIO
Open 2pm No Cover
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers
Decades of Dance DJ
Tim-e in Secrets Doors
8pm Cover 21+
MON., 08.31.15

9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports Expanded
craft beer selection No
Cover
ANNIES
4@4 Happy Hour, 4-7pm
$4 Small Plates, $4 Stella
Artois, $4 House Wines,
$4 Stolichnaya Cocktails,
$4 Manhattans and Vodka
Martinis
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: $2 Rail, $3
Miller Lite, $5 Call, 4-9pm

RuPauls Drag Race

Viewing and Drag Show
hosted by Kristina Kelly
Doors open at 10pm, show
starts at 11pm $3 Skyy
Cocktails, $8 Skyy and Red
Bull No Cover, 18+
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
dcnine.com
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour all night long
Michaels Open Mic
Night Karaoke, 9:30pmclose
JR.S
Happy Hour: 2-for-1,
4-9pm Showtunes Songs
& Singalongs, 9pm-close
DJ James $3 Draft
Pints, 8pm-midnight
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Beat the Clock Happy Hour
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) Buckets of
Beer $15 Texas Holdem
Poker, 8pm Dart Boards

NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm No Cover
TUES., 09.01.15

9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports Expanded
craft beer selection No
Cover
ANNIES
4@4 Happy Hour, 4-7pm
$4 Stella Artois, $4 House
Wines, $4 Stolichnaya
Cocktails, $4 Manhattans
and Vodka Martinis
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: $2 Rail, $3
Miller Lite, $5 Call, 4-9pm
SIN Industry Night
Half-price Cocktails, 10pmclose
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
dcnine.com
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm

GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour all night long,
4pm-close
JR.S
Birdie La Cage Show,
10:30pm Underground
(Indie Pop/Alt/Brit Rock),
9pm-close DJ Wes
Della Volla 2-for-1, 5pmmidnight
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Beat the Clock Happy Hour
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) Buckets of
Beer $15 Karaoke and
Drag Bingo
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm No Cover
Safe Word: A Gay Spelling
Bee, 8-11pm Prizes to
the top three spellers
After 9pm, $3 Absolut,
Bulleit & Stella
TOWN PATIO
Open 6pm No Cover
Yappy Hour: Happy Hour
for Dogs and their best
friends $4 Drinks and
$4 Draughts

WED., 09.02.15

9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports Expanded
craft beer selection No
Cover
ANNIES
4@4 Happy Hour, 4-7pm
$4 Stella Artois, $4 House
Wines, $4 Stolichnaya
Cocktails, $4 Manhattans
and Vodka Martinis
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: $2 Rail,
$3 Miller Lite, $5 Call,
4-9pm Wednesday
Night Karaoke downstairs,
10pm Hosted by Miss
India Larelle Houston
$4 Stoli and Stoli Flavors
and Miller Lite No Cover
21+
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
dcnine.com
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm $6

METROWEEKLY.COM

Burgers Drag Bingo

Night, hosted by Ms.
Regina Jozet Adams, 8pm
Bingo prizes Karaoke,
10pm-1am
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour all night long,
4pm-close The Boys of
HUMP upstairs, 9pm
JR.S
Buy 1, Get 1 Free, 4-9pm
Trivia with MC Jay Ray,
8pm The Feud: Drag
Trivia, hosted by BaNaka,
10-11pm, with a $200
prize $2 JR.s Drafts and
$4 Vodka ($2 with College
ID or JR.s Team Shirt)
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
SmartAss Trivia Night,
8pm and 9pm Prizes
include bar tabs and tickets to shows at the 9:30
Club $15 Buckets of
Beer for SmartAss Teams
only Bring a new team
members and each get a
free $10 Dinner
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm No Cover

AUGUST 27, 2015

39

TOWN PATIO
Open 6pm No Cover
Half-Price Hump Day
half-price drinks all day
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers
Shirtless Night, 10-11pm,
12-12:30am Military
Night, no cover with
military ID DJ Don T. in
Secrets 9pm Cover
21+
THURS., 09.03.15

9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports Expanded
craft beer selection
Music videos featuring
DJ Wess
ANNIES/ANNIES
UPSTAIRS
4@4 Happy Hour, 4-7pm
$4 Small Plates, $4 Stella
Artois, $4 House Wines,
$4 Stolichnaya Cocktails,
$4 Manhattans and Vodka
Martinis

40

AUGUST 27, 2015

METROWEEKLY.COM

COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: $6 Call
Martini, $3 Miller Lite,
$4 Rail, $5 Call, 4-9pm
$3 Rail Drinks, 10pmmidnight, $5 Red Bull,
Gatorade and Frozen Virgin
Drinks all night Locker
Room Thursday Nights
DJs Sean Morris and
MadScience Ripped Hot
Body Contest at midnight,
hosted by Sasha J. Adams
and BaNaka $200 Cash
Prize Doors open 10pm,
18+ $5 Cover under 21
and free with college ID
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
dcnine.com
DC EAGLE
Hot Jock Night men in
jocks drink free rail and
domestic, 8-10pm MidAtlantic Kennel Korps on
Club Bar $2 Draughts
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Christopher Peterson
Live, 8pm $10 Cover
Karaoke after the show

GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm
Ladies Drink Free Power
Hour, 4-5pm Shirtless
Thursday, 10-11pm DJs
BacK2bACk
JR.S
All You Can Drink for $15,
5-8pm $3 Rail Vodka
Highballs, $2 JR.s drafts,
8pm-close Throwback
Thursday featuring rock/
pop retro hits
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Beat the Clock Happy Hour
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) Buckets of
Beer $15 Drag Bingo
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm No Cover
TOWN PATIO
Open 6pm No Cover
$4 Drinks and $3 Draughts,
6-9pm
ZIEGFELDS SECRETS
All male, nude dancers
Shirtless Thursday DJ
Tim-e in Secrets 9pm
Cover 21+ l

METROWEEKLY.COM

AUGUST 27, 2015

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scene
Freddies Beach Bar
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Theres no tasteful way to celebrate Caitlyn Jenner

or respect transgender people this way.

VINCENT VILLANO, director of communications at the National Center for Transgender Equality, speaking with Huffington Post.
Villano was commenting on an announcement by NYC retailer Spirit Halloween, who plans to
carry a Caitlyn Jenner Halloween costume this year.

The Islamic State and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community are
targeting the younger generation to
spread their ideologies.
Malaysian Prime Minister NAJIB RAZAK, speaking at a seminar in Bangi, Malaysia. These groups, are hiding behind the
facade of human rights to approve their acts which deviate from Islamic teaching, Razak added, after rejecting the
U.N.s Universal Declaration of Human Rights from an Islamic viewpoint.

The constitution isnt the star in Super Mario Brothers. It doesnt make you invincible so
you can do whatever the fuck you want.
JOHN OLIVER, speaking on Last Week Tonight With John Oliver about those who use the constitution to defend
their right to discriminate against LGBT people.

Im Pakistani, Im British, Im Muslim, Im gay,

and Im a drag queen...
people say these things shouldnt fit together but here I am this is me.

ASIF QUARAISHI, speaking with Thomson Reuters Foundation. Quaraishi is one of the subjects of Muslim Drag Queens, a controversial documentary that aired in Britain this week. British police have offered protection to
Quaraishi and his family amid fears of a backlash against the film.

Im not saying that change is out of the question,

Im just saying that if there is to be change it should be change thats owned by the people.

Australian Prime Minister TONY ABBOTT, speaking on radio station 2UE. Abbott opposes same-sex marriage and is resisting a
vote in parliament, but would support a referendum on the matter. Most polls suggest that a majority
of Australians and Australian politicians support same-sex marriage.
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AUGUST 27, 2015

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AUGUST 27, 2015

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