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4 MAY 5, 2016 METROWEEKLY.COM
EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEFRandy Shulman
ART DIRECTORTodd Franson
MANAGING EDITORRhuaridh Marr
SENIOR EDITORJohn Riley
CONTRIBUTING EDITORDoug Rule
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERSWard Morrison, Julian Vankim
CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORScott G. Brooks
CONTRIBUTING WRITERSGordon Ashenhurst, Sean Bugg, Fallon Forbush,Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield
WEBMASTERDavid Uy
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTJulian Vankim
SALES & MARKETING
PUBLISHERRandy Shulman
NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVERivendell Media Co.
212-242-6863
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
Dennis Havrilla
PATRON SAINTRobert Wonneberger
COVER PHOTOGRAPhy Julian Vankim
COVER MODELCharles Ramsey
METRO WEEKLY1775 I St. NW, Suite 1150Washington, DC 20006
202-638-6830
MetroWeekly.com
All material appearing in Metro Weekly is protected by federal copyright law and may not be
reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publishers. Metro Weekly assumes noresponsibility for unsolicited materials submitted for publication. All such submissions are subject
to editing and will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Metro Weekly is supported by many fine advertisers, but we cannot accept responsibility for claimsmade by advertisers, nor can we accept responsibility for materials provided by advertisers or
their agents. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles oradvertising in Metro Weekly is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of
such person or organization.
© 2016 Jansi LLC.
4
MAY 5, 2016Volume 23 / Issue 1
NEWS 6
SEEKING SAFETY by John Riley
8 COUNSELING CRISIS
by John Riley
10 COMMUNITY CALENDAR
FEATURE 15 V OX POPULI
Interviews by Randy Shulman
Photography by
Julian Vankim
OUT ON THE TOWN 26 DANCING QUEEN
by Doug Rule
30 HUMP
by Randy Shulman
FILM 35 C APTAIN A MERICA: C IVIL W AR
by Rhuaridh Marr
STAGE 37 D ISGRACED
by Kate Wingfield
MUSIC 39 C YNDI LAUPER ’S D ETOUR
by Gordon Ashenhurst
OPERA 41 WNO’S R ING CYCLE
by Kate Wingfield
NIGHTLIFE 47 ZIEGFELD’S / SECRETS Photography by Ward Morrison
54 LAST WORD
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Seeking Safety Local asylum seekers share their stories following the deaths of two LGBT
activists in Bangladesh
MICHAEL NAMELUM HAS A BOUNTY ON HIS
head if he ever returns to Azerbaijan.The 34-year-old’s father and male relatives
have sworn to kill him because he is gay and wasonce engaged to a man in the United States. And it’s not just
an empty threat: the men previously killed an older cousin ofhis who was suspected of being gay when Namelum was just a
child.His father has even targeted his mother and 16-year-old sis-
ter because of his sexual orientation.“My father found out, and he targeted my mother for pro-
ducing a gay child. And he blamed her, as if she knew what I
was, and didn’t tell him. He tried to burn my mom’s hands. Heliterally dragged her to the kitchen, turned the stove on, and lit
her hands on fire. And my sister came to help her, and that was
how they escaped,” Namelum says. “They are hiding in terrorbecause my father could find them at any time. In fact, as we’re
talking right now, they might be getting killed.”Namelum, a human rights activist, had twice been
attacked while in Azerbaijan. Once, in the mid-2000s, he wasblackmailed by a police officer who tried to extort money
from him. That officer ended up raping and torturing him. In2011, Namelum was attacked and gang-raped by three men
for his activism on HIV/AIDS prevention among men who
have sex with men (MSM) and on LGBT rights, including hisinvolvement with a group that supported LGBT Americans
abroad in Azerbaijan.Namelum came to the United States and reunited with a for-
L G B TNews Now online at MetroWeekly.comSaudi Cleric: Homosexuals shouldn’t be punishedRepublicans clash over Eric Fanning’s stalled nomination
by John Riley
D A N I E L F E L A
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8
mer boyfriend — he had previously lived here for a year in 2006
— and the two began talking about getting married. Then, justweeks before their wedding, they broke up, leaving Namelum
in the lurch.At the time, Namelum was based in Dallas with his ex-fiance.
He knew he couldn’t return home because of the threats against
him, so he decided to apply for asylum. But first, he had to getout of Texas — he had been warned that he would be more likely
to have his application rejected coming from an anti-gay state.
So he moved cross-country to live with friends in Washington,D.C., sleeping on their couch for about a year.
Upon moving to D.C., Namelum began forming ties with fel-
low asylum seekers and torture survivors. He became involved
with both Center Global, a program of The DC Center, and theTorture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition (TASSC),
and applied for asylum. Because government regulations pro-hibit asylum seekers from even applying to obtain a work permit
for six months after they initially apply, he was unable to work,having to rely on charity and limited support from groups like
Center Global in the form of gift cards for food and prepaidMetro cards for transportation.
With the help of a pro bono lawyer, Lindsey Wilkes,
Namelum was able to expedite his case, having it heard withinsix months. He calls it a “miracle,” particularly considering that
most asylum seekers can wait years before even being granted ahearing to see if they will be granted asylum.
That’s currently the situation facing Michael Ivanov, a
31-year-old asylum seeker from the Crimea region of Ukraine.Ivanov, who was a scientist in his home country, is currently
in school because he has not yet been scheduled for a hearingregarding his application, due to a massive backlog in processing
applications from those seeking asylum.
Ivanov’s mistreatment began as a child, when he was bullied,harassed and picked on by his classmates and neighbors because
they suspected he was gay. When he was 14 or 15, a classmate
even threw a lit firework into his backpack, but was never pun-ished for it.
Ivanov, who contracted HIV from an untested blood trans-
fusion in 2010, was also denied medical treatment because of
his HIV status. This denial of treatment continued even after a2012 incident that left him seriously injured and hospitalized.
During that incident, Ivanov was contacted by a man namedAndrey, who he began corresponding with for about a month.
They agreed to meet at a local park one evening, but it turnedout to be a set-up: five men wearing surgical masks descended
upon Ivanov and began beating him until he lost consciousness.He was left lying in a puddle of blood until a passerby called an
ambulance. Ivanov received such poor treatment at the hands of
hospital staff that they discharged him even though he still hadbroken bones, severe lacerations, and damage to his right eye.
Unfortunately, such mistreatment of LGBT people is notuncommon in many regions throughout the world. The recent
MAY 5, 2016 METROWEEKLY.COM
Counseling Crisis Mental health professionals balk at Tennessee bill allowing therapists and
counselors to reject LGBT clients
IT’S OUTRAGEOUS,” SAYS DR. GORDON COHEN.
The D.C.-based psychologist is talking about a recentlypassed bill in Tennessee — and his reaction is far from
overstated. As written, it allows therapists and counselorsto refuse treatment to potential clients if their lifestyle or iden-
tity violates the therapist’s “sincerely held principles.”“My partner is originally from Tennessee, and he was so
upset he’s thinking we shouldn’t go back any longer to visit his
family,” says Cohen. “And I’m saying, ‘Well, we’re not going todo that.’ But it really does upset me a lot that Tennessee is doing
this right now.”Supporters of the bill, which was signed into law by Gov.
Bill Haslam (R) last week, have argued that it was essentialto protect the religious liberty of therapists and counselors.
Specifically, they objected to a 2014 change to the AmericanCounseling Association’s (ACA) code of ethics, which instructs
counselors not to turn away clients based solely on a number
of different characteristics such as race or religion, as well assexual orientation and gender identity.
The bill granted the exemption based on a therapist’s “sin-cerely held religious beliefs,” but was later amended to the
much broader — and, critics contend, ill-defined — language of
“sincerely held principles.”“This bill could so easily be expanded to other groups,” says
Joshua Riley, a certified counselor who serves as director ofcommunity relations and external affairs at Whitman-Walker
Health. “Someone could say, ‘Okay, I’m racist, so I’m not goingto see a person of color.’ Or, ‘I’m a pacifist, so I’m not going
to work with someone in the military.’ You name it. There’s a
whole number of places where this bill could go.”Haslam argued that the bill contains two provisions that will
ensure those seeking counseling or treatment will still be able toobtain it. The first provision says that the religious exemption
“shall not apply” when a client is in “imminent danger of harm-ing themselves or others.” The second requires the therapist or
counselor objecting to providing treatment to refer that client orpatient to another counselor or therapist who is willing to work
with them.
Kris Oseth, a psychotherapist and licensed professionalcounselor, says the provisions referenced by Haslam may not
be sufficient.“Just because someone is not in ‘imminent danger’ of
by John Riley
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LGBTNews
9METROWEEKLY.COM MAY 5, 2016
news of two LGBT rights activists who were hacked to death with
machetes in Bangladesh highlights the severity of the threats thatmany LGBT people face abroad, particularly in countries where
homosexuality is criminalized. For many asylum seekers, fleeing
to another country, such as the United States, becomes the onlyviable option if they wish to remain alive.
Daniel Tendai, another asylum seeker, says his involvementwith the LGBT group Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ)
placed him on the government’s radar as a potential threat to its
anti-LGBT stances. But it was an interview that he did while at aU.S. conference, in which he suggested that the United States do
more to help the LGBT community in Zimbabwe, that becamethe turning point.
“I got messages from people telling me that it had goneviral,” says Tendai. “And, to me, that meant that something
could get really bad if I tried to go back home. They would bewaiting for me.”
Tendai has since been living with a friend in Rockville, Md.while he waits for a pending hearing date to review his applica-
tion for asylum. He is receiving help from a pro bono lawyer, but
realizes it may take years before he is officially granted asylum.“I would want to return to Zimbabwe, if and only if the sys-
tem changed. But I cannot go to Zimbabwe right now because ofthe very strict laws [against homosexuality] there,” Tendai says.
“I will not be free and I do not know what would happen to me....I want to live a normal life, where I am free and my rights are
protected, and I can be who I am.”
Despite the obstacles that LGBT asylum seekers face uponarriving in the United States, there can be positive outcomes
for some. Namelum has since obtained a steady job with an
international research institute that focuses on women’s rights,along with private health insurance. He has continued speaking
out on behalf of LGBT rights, lobbying Congress on issues fromthe importance of making the position of Special Envoy for the
Human Rights of LGBTI Persons permanent to speaking up for
immigrant transgender women who have been detained in maledetention centers. He has even met with House Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on two separate occasions.“I am an activist. You guys created a monster,” he says. “I make
speeches, I give interviews. Being an activist gives me strength, itgives me power. It helps me to heal.... I feel empowered to stand
up for people who are currently being tortured and killed, inRussia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran, Uganda, all over Africa.”
Due to how quickly he was able to obtain a hearing on hisasylum status, Namelum is just two months shy of being eligible
to apply for a green card, which will make him, in legal terms, a
lawful permanent resident of the United States.“America has become home for a lot of LGBT people who
came here, and America saved their lives by providing themshelter and a new home,” says Namelum. “D.C. is my home. This
is my country now. And I’m proud to be here, to be alive, andthankful.” l
harming themselves, in thatmoment, on that particular
day, does not mean that theyare not at risk of being a dan-
ger to themselves or others
later on,” she says. “The timethat it takes the counselor
and client to find anothersource of therapy could be
detrimental to someone whois having chronic suicidal ide-
ation, or homicidal ideation,
or psychosis.”While the bill does not spe-
cifically target LGBT people,allowing counselors and thera-
pists to reject clients could endup having an equally negative
impact on that community.“We know from the studies
and the statistics that LGBT
folks experience higher levelsof depression and anxiety,” he
says. “Suicide rates are off thecharts, particularly for young
people and trans-identified people. So LGBT people’s mentalhealth needs are certainly on par with, but sometimes greater
than, the needs of other groups.”
For Cohen, the idea of rejecting a client because of per-sonal views or beliefs is a gross violation of the code of ethics
for anybody in the mental health profession. Each profes-sion’s code of ethics already contains provisions that allow
therapists to refer a client to another clinician if they feeluncomfortable working with that client. As a result, it makes
the exemption bill “completely redundant and unnecessary.”“You wouldn’t want a counselor to work with a transgender
person if they weren’t going to be helpful, or were going to beharmful to them,” Cohen says. “But that clause is already written
into the code of ethics. You already have an out. If there was a
counselor in Tennessee who felt uncomfortable for that reason,they could simply let the client know that. They have that right.
You don’t have to legislate over it with yet another law, whichbasically codifies discrimination.” l
Tennessee State Capitol P H O T O . U A
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SATURDAY, MAY 7CENTER GLOBAL, a group focusingon LGBT rights abroad that workswith LGBT asylum seekers and refu-gees, holds its monthly meetings onthe first Saturday of each month atThe DC Center. 12-2 p.m. 2000 14th
St. NW, Suite 105. For more informa-tion, visit thedccenter.org.
CHRYSALIS arts & culture grouptours world (i.e., non-EuropeanUnion) embassies on annual OpenHouse Weekend. Free. Meet at 9:30a.m. at top of Metro escalators at 20th& Q Streets NW. Craig, 202-462-0535. [email protected].
WEEKLY EVENTS
ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-
ment). 202-291-4707 or andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.
BET MISHPACHAH, founded bymembers of the LGBT community,holds Saturday morning Shabbatservices, 10 a.m., followed by Kiddushluncheon. Services in DCJCCCommunity Room, 1529 16th St. NW. betmish.org.
BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, includ-ing others interested in Brazilian cul-ture, meets. For location/time, email [email protected].
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice
session at Hains Point, 972 Ohio Dr.,SW. 8:30-10 a.m. Visit swimdcac.org.
DC FRONT RUNNERS running/ walking/social club welcomes alllevels for exercise in a fun and sup-portive environment, socializingafterward. Meet 9:30 a.m., 23rd & PStreets NW, for a walk; or 10 a.m. forfun run. dcfrontrunners.org.
DC SENTINELS basketball teammeets at Turkey Thicket RecreationCenter, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE, 2-4p.m. For players of all levels, gay orstraight. teamdcbasketball.org.
FRIDAY, MAY 6GAY DISTRICT, a group for GBTQImen between the ages of 18-35, meetson the first and third Fridays of eachmonth. 8:30-9:30 p.m. 2000 14th St.NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit gaydistrict.org.
LGB PSYCHOTHERAPY GROUP foradults in Montgomery County offersa safe space to explore coming outand issues of identity. 10-11:30 a.m.16220 S. Frederick Rd., Suite 512,Gaithersburg, Md. For more informa-tion, visit thedccenter.org.
The DC Center hosts a meeting of
its TRANS SUPPORT GROUP fortransgender people and those whoidentify outside of the gender binary.7-9 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.For more information, visit thedc-center.org.
The Trevor Project presents its
annual fundraiser, “A NIGHT OUTFOR TREVOR,” at the Kimpton HotelMonaco. 7 p.m. 700 F St. NW. Formore information, visit thetrevorpro- ject.org. For tickets, cities.thetrevor-project.org/event/a-night-out-for-trevor-d-c-2016.
WEEKLY EVENTS
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practicesession at Hains Point, 927 Ohio Dr.SW. 6:30-8 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.
PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-
affirming social group for ages 11-24.4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road NW.Contact Tamara, 202-319-0422,layc-dc.org.
SMYAL’S REC NIGHT providesa social atmosphere for GLBT andquestioning youth, featuring danceparties, vogue nights, movies andgames. More info, [email protected].
SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-6p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155, [email protected].
THURSDAY, MAY 5GAMMA, a confidential supportgroup for men who are gay, bisexual,questioning and who are marriedor involved with a woman, meets inFrederick, Md., on the first Thursdayof every month. GAMMA also offers
additional meetings in Northern Virginia and Washington. 6:30-8:30p.m. Grace United Church of Christ,25 E. 2nd St., Frederick, Md. Formore information or to RSVP, visitGAMMAinDC.org or meetup.com/ GAMMAinDC.
WEEKLY EVENTS
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)practice session at Takoma AquaticCenter, 300 Van Buren St. NW. 7:30-9p.m. swimdcac.org.
DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay and les-
bian square-dancing group featuresmainstream through advanced squaredancing at the National City ChristianChurch, 5 Thomas Circle NW, 7-9:30p.m. Casual dress. 301-257-0517,dclambdasquares.org.
The DULLES TRIANGLES Northern Virginia social group meets for happyhour at Sheraton in Reston, 11810Sunrise Valley Drive, second-floor bar, 7-9 p.m. All welcome. dullestri-angles.com.
SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. 202-567-3155
US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics Anonymous Meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m.,3636 Georgia Ave. NW. The group isindependent of UHU. 202-446-1100.
WOMEN’S LEADERSHIPINSTITUTE for young LBTQ women,13-21, interested in leadership devel-opment. 5-6:30 p.m. SMYAL YouthCenter, 410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3163,[email protected].
Metro Weekly’s 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 [email protected].
Deadline for inclusion is noon of the Friday before Thursday’s publication.
Questions about the calendar may be directed to the
Metro Weekly office at 202-638-6830 or
the calendar email address.
LGBTCommunityCalendarDIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass forLGBT community, family and friends.6:30 p.m., Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, 3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria. All welcome. For more info, visit dig-nitynova.org.
GAY LANGUAGE CLUB discussescritical languages and foreign lan-guages. 7 p.m. Nellie’s, 900 U St. NW.
RVSP preferred. [email protected].
IDENTITY offers free and confidentialHIV testing in Takoma Park, 7676New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 12-3 p.m. For appointments otherhours, call 301-422-2398.
SUNDAY, MAY 8ADVENTURING outdoors group takesa 6.5-mile urban trek from LoganCircle to Tenleytown via ColumbiaHeights and Rock Creek Park, stop-
ping at eight murals along the way.Bring beverages, lunch, sunscreen, bug spray, sensible walking shoes andthe $2 trip fee. Meet at 10 a.m. in frontof Dolcezza Coffee Shop, 1421 14thStreet NW, at P Street. Jay, 415-203-7498. adventuring.org.
BURGUNDY CRESCENT, a gay vol-unteer organization, volunteers todayfor DC Central Kitchen. To partici-pate, visit burgundycrescent.org.
WEEKLY EVENTS
BETHEL CHURCH-DC progressiveand radically inclusive church holdsservices at 11:30 a.m. 2217 Minnesota Ave. SE. 202-248-1895, betheldc.org.
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practicesession at Hains Point, 972 Ohio Dr.,SW. 9:30-11 a.m. Visit swimdcac.org.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UNITEDCHURCH OF CHRIST welcomes allto 10:30 a.m. service, 945 G St. NW.firstuccdc.org or 202-628-4317.
HOPE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRISTwelcomes GLBT community for wor-ship. 10:30 a.m., 6130 Old TelegraphRoad, Alexandria. hopeucc.org.
HSV-2 SOCIAL AND SUPPORTGROUP for gay men living in the DCmetro area. This group will be meet-ing once a month. For information onlocation and time, visit H2gether.com.
Join LINCOLN CONGREGATIONALTEMPLE – UNITED CHURCH OFCHRIST for an inclusive, loving andprogressive faith community everySunday. 11 a.m. 1701 11th Street NW,near R in Shaw/Logan neighborhood.lincolntemple.org.
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METROPOLITAN COMMUNITYCHURCH OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA services at 11 a.m., led by Rev. EmmaChattin. Children’s Sunday School, 11a.m. 10383 Democracy Lane, Fairfax.703-691-0930, mccnova.com.
NATIONAL CITY CHRISTIANCHURCH, inclusive church withGLBT fellowship, offers gospel wor-ship, 8:30 a.m., and traditional wor-
ship, 11 a.m. 5 Thomas Circle NW.202-232-0323, nationalcitycc.org.
ST. STEPHEN AND THEINCARNATION, an “interracial,multi-ethnic Christian Community”offers services in English, 8 a.m. and10:30 a.m., and in Spanish at 5:15 p.m.1525 Newton St. NW. 202-232-0900,saintstephensdc.org.
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTCHURCH OF SILVER SPRING invites LGBTQ families and individu-als of all creeds and cultures to jointhe church. Services 9:15 and 11:15
a.m. 10309 New Hampshire Ave.uucss.org.
MONDAY, MAY 9
WEEKLY EVENTS
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 927 OhioDr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.
DC SCANDALS RUGBY holdspractice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. GarrisonElementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscan-dals.wordpress.com.
GETEQUAL meets 6:30-8 p.m. atQuaker House, 2111 Florida Ave. [email protected].
HIV Testing at WHITMAN-WALKERHEALTH. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointmentcall 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.
NOVASALUD offers free HIV testing.5-7 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite 200, Arlington. Appointments: 703-789-
4467.
SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155 or test-
THE DC CENTER hosts Coffee Drop-In for the Senior LGBT Community.10 a.m.-noon. 2000 14th St. NW. 202-682-2245, thedccenter.org.
US HELPING US hosts a black gaymen’s evening affinity group. 3636
Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.
WASHINGTON WETSKINS WATERPOLO TEAM practices 7-9 p.m.Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 VanBuren St. NW. Newcomers with atleast basic swimming ability alwayswelcome. Tom, 703-299-0504, [email protected], wetskins.org.
WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTHHIV/AIDS Support Group for newlydiagnosed individuals, meets 7 p.m.
Registration required. 202-939-7671,[email protected].
TUESDAY, MAY 10The DC Center holds a meeting of its
COMING OUT DISCUSSION GROUPfor those navigating issues associatedwith coming out and personal identity.7-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite105. For more information, visit thedc-center.org.
The DC Center hosts a meeting of its
TRANS SUPPORT GROUP for trans-
gender people and those who identifyoutside of the gender binary. 7-9 p.m.2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For moreinformation, visit thedccenter.org.
WEEKLY EVENTS
ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707, andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.
ASIANS AND FRIENDS weekly dinnerin Dupont/Logan Circle area, 6:30 [email protected], afwashington.net.
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)practice session at Takoma AquaticCenter, 300 Van Buren St. NW. 7:30-9p.m. swimdcac.org.
DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walk-ing/social club serving greater D.C.’sLGBT community and allies hosts anevening run/walk. dcfrontrunners.org.
THE GAY MEN’S HEALTHCOLLABORATIVE offers free HIVtesting and STI screening and treat-ment every Tuesday. 5-6:30 p.m.Rainbow Tuesday LGBT Clinic, Alexandria Health Department, 4480
King St. 703-746-4986 or text 571-214-9617. [email protected].
HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment call 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.
THE HIV WORKING GROUP of THEDC CENTER hosts “Packing Party,”where volunteers assemble safe-sexkits of condoms and lube. 7 p.m.,Green Lantern, 1335 Green Court NW.thedccenter.org.
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KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY(K.I.) SERVICES, at 3333 Duke St., Alexandria, offers free “rapid” HIVtesting and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.703-823-4401.
METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. Appointmentneeded. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700.202-638-0750.
OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS—LGBT focused meeting everyTuesday, 7 p.m. St. George’sEpiscopal Church, 915 Oakland Ave., Arlington, just steps from VirginiaSquare Metro. For more info. callDick, 703-521-1999. Handicappedaccessible. Newcomers [email protected].
SUPPORT GROUP FOR LGBTQ YOUTH ages 13-21 meets at SMYAL,410 7th St. SE, 5-6:30 p.m. CathyChu, 202-567-3163, [email protected].
US HELPING US hosts a supportgroup for black gay men 40 andolder. 7-9 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave.NW. 202-446-1100.
Whitman-Walker Health’s GAYMEN’S HEALTH AND WELLNESS/STD CLINIC opens at 6 p.m., 170114th St. NW. Patients are seen onwalk-in basis. No-cost screening forHIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chla-mydia. Hepatitis and herpes testingavailable for fee. whitman-walker.org.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11BIG GAY BOOK GROUP meet todiscuss, “What Belongs to You” byGarth Greenwell. 7 p.m. 1155 F Street,NW, Suite 200, near Metro Centerin Downtown Washington, DC.For more information, [email protected] or biggaybook-group.com. Newcomers are alwayswelcome.
RAINBOW RESPONSE, a coalitiondedicated to combating LGBTQintimate partner violence, holds itsmonthly meeting at The DC Centeron the second Wednesday of everymonth. 6-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,
Suite 105. For more information, visitrainbowresponse.org.
THE LAMBDA BRIDGE CLUB meets for Duplicate Bridge. 7:30 p.m.Dignity Center, 721 8th St SE (acrossfrom Marine Barracks). No reserva-tions needed. All welcome. 202-841-0279 if you need a partner.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington presents the second session
of BECOMING A TRANS* ALLY, afour-part series looking at the trans-gender community. The topic for thenight is “Gender Justice,” presented
by Bri Sanders, Camden Hargrove andKathleen Campisano, of the NationalLGBTQ Task Force. 7-8:30 p.m. 4444 Arlington Blvd., Arlington, Va. Formore information, visit hrc.org orpofev.org.
WEEKLY EVENTS
AD LIB, a group for freestyle con- versation, meets about 6:30-6 p.m.,
Steam, 17th and R NW. All welcome.For more information, call FaustoFernandez, 703-732-5174.
ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707, andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 927 OhioDr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.
DC SCANDALS RUGBY holdspractice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Garrison
Elementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscan-dals.wordpress.com.
HISTORIC CHRIST CHURCH offers Wednesday worship 7:15 a.m.and 12:05 p.m. All welcome. 118 N.Washington St., Alexandria. 703-549-1450, historicchristchurch.org.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment call 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.
IDENTITY offers free and confiden-tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg, 414East Diamond Ave. Walk-ins 2-7 p.m.For appointments other hours, callGaithersburg at 301-300-9978.
JOB CLUB, a weekly support pro-gram for job entrants and seekers,meets at The DC Center. 6-7:30 p.m.2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more
info, www.centercareers.org.
METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. No appoint-ment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012 14thSt. NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.
NOVASALUD offers free HIV testing.11 a.m.-2 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite200, Arlington. Appointments: 703-789-4467.
PRIME TIMERS OF DC, socialclub for mature gay men, hostsweekly happy hour/dinner. 6:30 p.m.,Windows Bar above Dupont ItalianKitchen, 1637 17th St. NW. Carl, 703-573-8316.l
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As the Gay Men’s Chorus
of Washington turns 35,its members reflect on
a life well sung
Paul Negron - Baritone
V OX POPULIInterviews by Randy Shulman
Photography by Julian P. Vankim
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A
GE IS JUST A NUMBER. AND WHEN THAT NUM-
ber is affixed to an entity, the larger that numbergrows, either one of two things happen.
The entity becomes stale, set in its ways, lifeless,a dinosaur lumbering, with fatalistic inevitability, toward the
tar pits.
Or....The entity evolves. It grows. Flourishes. It puts faith in
its own time-honored traditions while forging new ones. Itbecomes a necessity that extends beyond the reaches of its own
community.It becomes iconic.
After 35 years, it’s safe to say that the Gay Men’s Chorus of
Washington is a local artistic and cultural icon. And yet, thisis a humble organization, warm, welcoming, sociable, fueled
by camaraderie and love. It’s an entity whose embrace of thearts is driven by a sense of purpose — though one with a nota-
bly flamboyant joie de vivre. The GMCW is a gay organizationdetermined to change minds, open hearts, elicit smiles, soothe
troubled souls, foster tolerance over hate — all through thepower of song.
Two hundred voices strong, with an active membership that
ranges in age from early 20s to late 70s, GMCW is the LGBTcommunity’s national cultural emissary. There are other incred-
ible gay men’s choruses out there, sure. But they’re not based inthe heart of Washington. They weren’t gathered, at a moment’s
notice, voices rising, on the steps of the Supreme Court the daymarriage equality became law of the land. They weren’t sing-
ing with Josh Groban and Heather Headley at the inauguration
of the country’s first African-American president on a frigid
January day. And they weren’t recently in Cuba, building bridges
with song, showing the residents of a closed-off Communistsociety that in order to be truly proud, one must be fully out.
These other choruses might be good — great, even — but theyare not iconic. And they are not ours.
“Years ago, LGBT choruses were thought of as either maud-
lin or silly,” says Robert Agnello, a 46-year-old baritone who hassung with the chorus for 14 years. “But the quality in all LGBT
choruses has raised in the last decade. The movement has trulymatured. And we are enjoying amazing music as a result. GMCW
has led this effort, especially being here, at the political forefront,in D.C.”
We wanted to celebrate 35 years of the Gay Men’s Chorus
by turning our eyes and ears to its membership, to the men whogive it voice (and the woman who so capably shapes that voice).
Thirty-six members participated in an open photo call at theWonder Bread Factory last Sunday afternoon, a few hours prior
to rehearsing for this Sunday’s 35th Anniversary concert at theKennedy Center, featuring an appearance by Gallim Dance. We
also asked the membership to talk about their time in the chorusand what it means to them. We found that even as individuals
their voices are as one, evoking a perfect unifying sentiment,
beautifully summed up by Cliff Gilbert, 56, who has performedwith the chorus since 2008.
“When people think of the chorus,” says Gilbert, “I hope theythink about equality, justice and freedom for all minority groups
in our backyard, and also worldwide. I want people to think weare a progressive group rich with diverse values, race, religious
beliefs and, surprisingly, political affiliations.”
Music to our ears.
(L-R) Tim Gillham - Tenor 1, Jack Reiffer - Tenor 1, Thomas Schmitt - Baritone 1 and Bob Klein - support section leader / house manager
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METRO WEEKLY: What prompt-ed you join the Gay Men’s
Chorus of Washington?
MIKE ALLEN (34, 6 YEARS,BASS): I saw the chorus givean amazingly powerful per-
formance at Church of theEpiphany back in 2010. Right
then and there I said, “I have to
sing with this group!”
PATRICK NELSON (48, 7 YEARS,BARITONE): I was not a mem-ber, but I was dating a memberwho passed away. While I had
a few friends in GMCW at
the time, I was overwhelmed
at how many of the guys thatI didn’t know reached out to
me to make sure I was doing
okay after Derek’s death. Theyinvited me to their homes, to
dinner, to a rehearsal. About a
year later, a member who had
become a close friend told me it
was time to audition.
TODD PAUL (50, 22 YEARS,BASS): I’ve always loved per-forming and doing theater,
so when a friend who was a
member of the chorus’ fun-
draising arm said he had thefeeling it would be a perfect fit,
I thought, “What the heck? I’ll
audition.” I got in and 21 yearslater, it still means as much to
me as it did then.
PAUL NEGRON (35, 2 YEARS,BARITONE): I moved to D.C. in2013, and I was initially looking
to make new friends and get
back to one of my loves, singing.
Joining the chorus has been
such an amazing experience.
I’ve made some of the best
friends I’ve ever had in my life— and I get to perform in some
of the best venues in the city.
BEN HARRIS : I was looking fora chorus where I could sing
both contemporary and clas-
sical choral music in a settingwhere I felt comfortable being
who I was.
LUCAS REGNER (25, 1 YEAR,TENOR 2): Many members willsay “community.” For me, it
wasn’t that at all — communitywas a fun by-product. I really
wanted to learn more about
music. About the songs thateveryone seems to know, but
people like myself never heard
of. And I wanted to learn howto read music. Yes, you can pass
the audition without knowing
how to read music. And yes, I
now spend double the time try-ing to learn it.
MATTHEW WILLIAMSON (32, 2 YEARS, TENOR 2): I saw GMCWperform at Lisner a few years ago
and I was intrigued — I wanted
to be a part of a group that show-
cased my talents and allowedme to be comfortable in my own
skin. In February 2014, I wenton a date with a guy who told me
he was auditioning. He sent me
the info. He did not make it in,
but a week later I auditioned and
got in. We stopped dating a shorttime after.
MW: The chorus is known for itssignature baubles. What’s your
favorite bauble?
JOSH WILLETT (26, 2 YEARS,BASS): Every new member has
a buddy to chaperone them to
make sure they are comfortable.For your first concert, your
buddy gives you a bauble. Even
though I know it’s somethingevery new member receives, my
first one was still very heart-
warming.
LUCAS REGNER: Oh man, Iknow the baubles are an impor-
tant part — I just haven’t quite
gotten it. For my first perfor-
mance, I remade my Swedish
military tag into a bauble, think-
ing it would suffice. Luckily, a
member had a spare bauble toloan me.
BEN HARRIS (35, 1 YEAR,BARITONE): My favorite is asimple heart shape that really
resonates with me. That bauble
reminds me that putting loveinto everything we do doesn’t
have to be difficult.
JOHN-PAUL HAYWORTH (37, 11 YEARS, BASS): I have a lot ofbaubles — I tend to buy them in
bulk or at auctions. I love beingable to share them with my
(L-R) Jim Orrell - Baritone, Guy Bosworth - Tenor 2, Dan Kaufman - Bass and Jayson Scirratt - Tenor 2
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chorus brothers. I often neversee them again, but the point is
the camaraderie of sharing.
MATT HOLLAND (42, 7 YEARS,TENOR 1): A large, rhinestone-covered Decepticon bauble
from the Transformers cartoon.I’m a little bit evil, and I’m okay
with that.
CHARLES BUTLER (63, 35 YEARS, TENOR 1): A seahorsebauble given to me by my wife.
The seahorse is the only malewho gives birth, so it’s become a
sort of totem for our household,
as my wife is transgender.
PATRICK NELSON: The year I joined there were several of
us that went shopping for a
bauble. We all decided to buymatching sparkly snowflakes.
Seven years later, I buy one for
my buddies and they buy the
same one for theirs. It’s become
a tradition in my “family line”
of buddies.
JAY BALL (57, 15 YEARS, TENOR2): My favorite bauble is a rela-
tively simple sunburst. I boughtit at a sales booth run by a les-
bian couple at a Gay Rodeo in
Oklahoma City.
THEA KANO (50, 12 YEARS,ARTISTIC DIRECTOR): MySwarovski crystal stilettos.One of our very talented for-
mer members, Soo Park, cre-
ated them.
JIM WILLIAMS (58, 22 YEARS,TENOR 1): A Star Trek com-municator bauble. Because I’ma nerd.
DONALD MCARTHUR (79, 10
YEARS, TENOR 2): My baublewas on sale at CVS for three
bucks but looks like a million
dollars.
D’ARCEE NEAL (30, 4 YEARS,BARITONE): I have an oversized,lopsided crystal heart bauble
that I love, because it symbol-
izes how I felt about the chorus.
I came to D.C. without a job,
without friends, struggling, andin the chorus I found an instant
family. As a gay disabled person
of color, I also feel so conspicu-ous whenever we’re performing
like I’m the only one there. The
bauble reminds me that every-
one here is loved.
MW: The chorus has performedat several historic occasions.What was the most memorable
for you?
CHRISTOPHER GRIEDER(52, 26 YEARS, BARITONE): The “We Are One” perfor-
mance for President Obama’sInauguration in 2009. It was
a 15-degree day and Heather
Headley and Josh Groban sang
in front of a wall separatingus. It slid away to reveal us as
we joined them in singing. The
thousands of people gathered,
as well as those watching, andthe president being right there,
made for a once-in-a-lifetime
experience.
JIM WILLIAMS: When we sangat President Obama’s inaugural
concert, I glanced briefly at theObamas while we were singing.
Mrs. Obama was busy with the
girls, getting their coats off, andnone of them were paying any
attention to us. I didn’t care
in the least. It was still a great
honor to be there!
DAN KAUFMAN (50, 26 YEARS,BASS): We were backstageat the “We Are One” concert
when the music started for our
number with Josh Groban and
Heather Headley, and I started
to panic. The stage manager
yelled “GO!” and a hundred of
us ran, single file, up the narrowscaffold stairs. About a half-sec-
ond before the rolling wall was
pulled back to reveal us, the last
member got in place. There wasno time to be nervous by then.
JIM GRUSCHUS (50, 21 YEARS,BASS): At Obama’s inaugura-tion it was cold — very cold. We
gave Ms. Headley some of the
chemical hand-warmer packets
organizers were giving out.
She thanked us profusely and
stuffed them right into her bra.
BRIAN DAY (42, 11 YEARS, TENOR1): I was there singing with
(L-R) Jim Tavenner - Tenor 2, Michael Gottlieb - Baritone, Paul Negron - Baritone and Charles Ramsey - Baritone
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my chorus brothers when theSupreme Court announced
Marriage Equality for all. I had
never been so proud, not to be
just a gay — and married — man,
but also to be a part of GMCW
and to put into song the many
feelings and emotions manyof us had on that historic day.
Sometimes we, as humans, are
better at expressing ourselves in
song than any other medium.
CHARLES BUTLER: The antici-pation of the Supreme Courtdecision on the steps of the
SCOTUS was palpable. We
arrived early, it was very hot,
and we sang more than a dozentimes, “Make Them Hear You.”
Very few hecklers were there,
though one soul just stood there
with a sign — a silent witnessto a differing opinion. We sang,
it seemed, every 10 minutes for
two hours until an aide brought
word of the decision.
D’ARCEE NEAL: At the SupremeCourt, as we moved to the stepsto sing, I got yelled at and spit
on by a few of the protesters
screaming in my face. I liter-ally had to stop for a moment
as these people stood around
me screaming that I should
burn in Hell or die. I thought,
“Is this what my parents went
through during the Civil Rights
movement?” It was a surrealmoment.
CHIPPER DEAN (40, 4 YEARS,BASS): We’ve sung our NationalAnthem countless times in
our lives, but it took on a new,
personal meaning to sing it atSCOTUS in 2013 when DOMA
was overturned and again in
2015 when marriage equality
was affirmed. We sang laterthat evening in 2015 on the
Town Patio and inside, where
patrons joined us to sing the
Anthem and listened quietly,some crying, as we sang “Make
Them Hear You.”
MIKE FILA (31, 4 YEARS, BASS):I hadn’t directly participated in
any historic event for the LGBT
community until the decisionon marriage equality. Singing
with the chorus on the steps of
the Supreme Court was sucha galvanizing experience. I
felt so connected to the LGBT
community and so proud to be
there with people I love, sing-
ing about something deeply
personal. It made me feel a part
of something so much biggerthan myself.
JAMI RODGERS (36, 3 YEARS,TENOR 2): Singing on the stepsof the Supreme Court was
definitely a memorable experi-
ence. This was really my firstmoment witnessing how our
message of equality and the
power of music can impact a
perfect stranger. So many inthe crowd showed so much
emotion in anticipation of the
ruling. I remember that it was
difficult to sing with a lump inmy throat, being overcome by
the joy of the moment.
DON GRIESHEIMER (58, 16 YEARS, TENOR 2): My heartpumps faster and fills with
pride each time I set foot on theinfield at National Stadium to
sing the national anthem.
TODD PAUL: In June of 1998,GMCW went on a performance
tour of Scandinavia. We sang in
Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen,
the hall in Oslo where MLK
received his Nobel Peace Prize,and in Stockholm, Sweden. The
experience of seeing how we
were received was amazing!
KEVIN MORRIS (39, 2 YEARS,BARITONE): I was part of thegroup that went to Cuba last
year. It’s hard to articulate justhow life changing that experi-
ence was. To be invited by
[Fidel Castro’s niece] Mariela
Castro to promote LGBTQ
equality in a communist coun-try is very surreal. But meeting
the people of Havana, many ofthem elderly, who, with tears in
their eyes, said things like, “I’ve
been waiting 60 years for you”
had a lasting, profound impact.
PATRICK NELSON: Cuba was anunbelievable experience. We
sang for the Ambassador andfor Mariela Castro. We sang
at a senior center and a com-
munity center in the barrios of
(L-R) Timothy Allmond - Tenor 1, Kyle Holland - Tenor 2, Jim Madigan - Tenor 2 and David Jonas - Tenor 2
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Havana. But the most intense
experience was sitting at the
very first concert where a youth
chorus opened the show withthe Cuban Anthem then tran-
sitioned into the Star Spangled
Banner. What we were doing
became very real.
CHASE MAGGIANO (32, 3 YEARS, EXECUTIVE DIREC-
TOR): I was fortunate to be inCuba with GMCW the same
week that diplomatic relations
were being restored. We were
embraced not only because
we were gay — though that
certainly was part of it — but
because we were American. Itmay have been the first time
that GMCW’s identity was not
LGBT-focused first.
JAY BALL: The most memorablemoment I recall was at the
2002 Kennedy Center Honors
when we sang “That’s What
Friends Are For” with Dionne
Warwick and Burt Bacharachto Elizabeth Taylor. At the end
of the song, Ms. Taylor stood
when she barely could and blew
kisses to the stage. Though
there were many luminaries
there, including the President
and First Lady, there was no
doubt who was the “star” thatnight.
JERRY BLACKMON (37, 6 YEARS, TENOR 1): Everythingthe chorus does is historic,
honestly. We perform regularly
in Lincoln Theatre in the heartof “black Broadway.” We sing
on the same stage where Ella
Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington
performed. We’re part of the
pantheon of the District.
STU GOLDSTONE (42, 15 YEARS,BARITONE): We’ve had theprivilege of performing atmany high-profile events, such
as Obama’s inauguration, the
(L-R) Larry Cohen - Baritone, Matt Graf - Baritone, D’Arcee Neal - Baritone and Ethan Chiang - Bass
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Kennedy Center Honors, and so
on. But to me the most impor-
tant times are when we sing to
honor our own fallen members.Performing for Thom Gibb’s
memorial in 2011, for Michael
Baker in 2010, for Peter Fox in
2012, for Bob Wonneberger in
2002. These are more special to
me than those “historic” events.
MW: Recall your most memo-rable role or performance.
STU GOLDSTONE: Two monthsafter I joined the chorus, I was
cast as Dorothy in our all-male
production of The Wizard of Oz .I had been pretty quiet up until
that point, so when the cast was
announced, I think a lot of cho-
rus members were like, “Who?”
JOHN KNAPP (55, 2 YEARS,
BASS): Singing the opening soloin “Bare Necessities” backed bya line of bears. It was my sec-
ond concert with GMCW.
JOSH WILLETT: The Pride 2015concert. In March 2015, myolder brother unexpectedly
passed away. He loved music,
and loved to rap. As a way to
honor him, I decided to audi-
tion for a rap solo to “Glory”
by Common and John Legend.
Before every performance, Iwould think about my brother
and perform the song as if hewere the one performing.
CLIFF GILBERT (56, 8 YEARS,BARITONE): When ChristopherPeterson was doing a spot-on
imitation of Judy Garland anddid some on stage improvisa-
tion as he was losing his voice.
He was so accurate, it was if I
had a chance to perform “Get
Happy” with Judy.
D’ARCEE NEAL: Playing the
role of Ursula, the Sea Witchin our “When You Wish” con-
cert. When it was announced,
I disregarded even audition-
ing because the role called for
drag makeup, a giant dress,
heels. And I thought with my
wheelchair and my disability I
wouldn’t be able to do it. But Itried out and when I won the
role, it really exposed me to a
different side of performance
that I’ll never forget.
MATT HOLLAND: For me, it was
probably when I sang “If YouWere Gay” from Avenue Q at
the Kennedy Center a few years
ago. There I am, in my big solo
debut at the Kennedy Center,
with one hand inside a puppet,
and the other making jerk-off
motions with its puppet hand.That’s high-class entertainment
right there, folks!
JERRY BLACKMON: Grease. I’venever experienced a show as
chaotic as that one. Injuries,
ambulances called, seat of thepants management. It wastotally thrilling. Thing of the
past now. I’ve helped to profes-
sionalize the management side
of productions.
JAMI RODGERS: My first con-cert was the 2013 holiday show.My mother had just passed
away and Christmas was her
favorite holiday. I invited my
father, his two sisters, and my
sister and her husband. As we
fanned out into the Lincoln
Theatre’s aisles to sing “OCome All Ye Faithful” while
holding candles, I felt her pres-ence and imagined how proud
she must be that I was affirming
who I was and doing something
I love in making music.
MATTHEW WILLIAMSON: Our recent Holiday show
“ReWrapped.” I didn’t sing
with the full chorus, but I had five dance numbers. I was
dressed as “Rudolph” in high
heels, kissed a guy in another
number, and in just my boxers
for the opening. My mom wasin the second row for one of
those shows. Just eight weeks
prior, we weren’t speaking due
to differences with my sexual-
ity. Having her there meant
everything.
JIM GRUSCHUS: Charlie Brown. Metro Weekly wrote a great
review.
DARRYL WALLER (54, 1 YEAR,TENOR 1): Being from a conser-
vative area, I remember duringthe Spring concert, “When You
Wish,” the duet between two
members and they were to kiss
at the end of the selection. I
thought, “This is the place for
me.” It gave me permission to
be who I really am.
PAUL NEGRON: I was honoredto be part of our cabaret show
this year, “The S* Show.”
I’m singing “That’s Life,”
(L-R) Rob Finn - Bass, Walker Green - Tenor 2,W. Eric Balthrop - Bass Upper and Ralph Alston - Baritone
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which epitomizes some of the
struggles and ups and downsI’ve gone through in my life. I
endured a rather rocky coming
out process that involved get-ting kicked out of my fraternity
for being gay. Getting to tell my
story and then sing this song
in front of my parents at theKennedy Center was a dream.
ROB FINN (39, 2 YEARS, BASS): Singing “True Colors” to an
audience of hundreds of senior
citizens, mostly women, at a
huge senior center in Havana,
Cuba, last summer was anexperience I will cherish for the
rest of my life. The love com-ing from that crowd, knowing
we are Americans, knowing
we are gay, was overwhelm-
ing. They remembered a time
before the blockade. They sangand danced for and with us, too.
Unforgettable.
MW: The Gay Men’s Chorus has performed with some huge guest
stars. Do you have a backstage
anecdote to share?
TOM BOEKE (56, 10 YEARS,TENOR 1): I remember singingat the Kennedy Center for Jerry
Herman, and during rehearsal,
we were lined up behind theamazing Broadway talent in
front of us. When it came time
for us to start singing at theend of the number, the wall of
sound coming at them made all
of them turn around and just
look at us in amazement. We
could tell they were all think-
ing “WOW!” That was pretty
special.
MARIO SENGCO (44, 3 YEARS,TENOR 1): Singing with Laura
Benanti was a gift. Not only isshe a great talent, what made
it special was her personal
connection to the chorus. Her[late] uncle, Bob Wonneberger,
was a founding member. From
the moment she stepped out to
greet us, we knew how she felt
about GMCW — there was an
immediate connection with her.
It also made [artistic director]
Jeff Buhrman’s departure evenmore poignant for me. It was
one of the best performances.
THEA KANO: When I told LauraBenanti that I had seen her 6
times front row center in Gypsy
on Broadway — I could read
her thought bubble as “great,another stalker.”
KIRK SOBELL (33, 2 YEARS,BARITONE): Laura Benanti. Shewas so warm, high-spirited, and
supportive of the chorus. She
wasn’t just a guest star, she was
family. Plus, she made a vagina
joke on stage at the Kennedy
Center. Pretty badass, if youask me.
ROMM GATONGAY (39, 2 YEARS,
BASS): Maiya Sykes, who wasa contestant on The Voice and
is now a powerhouse singer
with Postmodern Jukebox. Shesang John Legend’s portion of
“Glory” while I rapped a verse.
She was so gracious and friend-
ly. At the end of our last perfor-
mance, she grabbed my hand
and encouraged me to take a
bow. That is just one example
of the kind of encouragementthat I get from this wonderful
organization.
CHARLES BUTLER: Seventhanniversary concert at the
Kennedy Center. Maureen
Forrester, a Canadian opera
singer, was our guest soloist.She was standing in the hall-
way, and I commented on her
dress. Her response was “I wassewn into this costume, I can’t
sit down or it would split wide
open.” She was regal and funny
and charming and put everyone
at ease.
DAN KAUFMAN: When werehearsed with Barbara Cook,
we were told in no uncertain
terms that we were to clear the
hall after our numbers with herso that she could rehearse with
her pianist. We were just about
to leave the stage when we sawher whisper to Jeff, our direc-
tor at the time. He then said
that, if we wanted to, we could
sit quietly in the audience while
she rehearsed. We wanted to —
and did!
CHRISTOPHER GRIEDER: Aninstrumentalist who traveled
with Ellen Greene had just
(L-R) Yoshi Nishio - Bass 2, Robert T. Boaz - Baritone, John Knapp - Bass 2 and Brett Kessler - Baritone
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come backstage after a truly
horrendous sound check beforeour show with her. He said, and
I quote, “Does anyone have a
gun?” Ellen is famous for beingdifficult and, boy, did she show
that on stage for the sound
check. I don’t think anyone
who performed with her backthen would deny the level of
insanity.
RUSS CAPPS (50, 17 YEARS,BASS): Well, Ellen Greene wasa complete trainwreck and
quite possibly certifiably insane,
but you didn’t hear thatfrom me.
MW: Talk about why the Gay Men’s Chorus is so relevant to
our LGBT culture.
BRIAN DAY: We are able toreach audiences who otherwise
may not have had much inter-
action with the LGBT commu-
nity. We sing everywhere, from
homeless shelters and public
libraries to retirement com-
munities. The outreach we doto help educate others on LGBT
issues is tremendous. Not to
mention our GenOUT Chorus,made up entirely of high
school-aged children. I love that
about GMCW.
ROBERT AGNELLO (46, 14 YEARS, BARITONE): The fightisn’t over. We have marriageand adoption, but no laws
against discrimination in
employment, housing, com-
merce. Our voice still needs to
be heard not only for us, but
for civil rights, women’s rights,
disabled rights, workers’ rights.
With every concert we makethe weak stronger, the hard
softer, and the stranger ourfriend.
DON GRIESHEIMER: Thoughprogress can be seen through-
out the United States, thereare still those who live in areas
where to be visible is to risk life
and limb. It’s those residents
and their neighbors that we
need to show our love through
song.
ROBERT BOAZ (45, 19 YEARS,BARITONE): We hear aboutLGBT discrimination every day.
Maybe not always here in D.C.,
although hate crimes continueto be committed on our broth-
ers and sisters here. In other
parts of the U.S. and in othercountries, LGBT people are
still experiencing discrimina-
tion and hate. GMCW will be
relevant until those things stop.
Even then, there will always be
a reason to sing.
JERRY BLACKMON: GMCWreaches people through music,
which is one of the most pow-
erful, resonant and deepestways to move a person. The
songs the chorus sings impact
people at a guttural level. Wespeak to souls and move the
spirit. There aren’t many other
groups quite so influential.
SAM LEE (32, 2 YEARS, BASS): We sing for those whose voice
has been silenced. The voices
we lost to suicide and violenceagainst them. No amount of
social progress will bring back
that silenced voice, so it’s our
mission to make sure they areheard. That’s why “Make Them
Hear You” is our anthem.
TOM BOEKE: There are still somany people that need to hear
our strong and proud voice
for equality. You can see oureffect in the faces of the young
GenOUT singers who see a
brighter future for themselves.
You can see it in the faces of
fans at a Nats Game after the
National Anthem, who likely
have never been to one of our
concerts, but always remark“That was amazing” as we walk
off the field.
CHRISTOPHER GRIEDER: It isan affinity group that presents
the gay experience to people
who wouldn’t otherwise knowof it. It brings awareness of gay
people to communities which
don’t have a gay community. It
reinforces to the gay commu-
nity that we do things worthy of
pride, worthy of acknowledge-
(L-R) Lucas Regnér - Tenor 2, Jim Williams - Tenor 1, Romm Gatongay - Bass and Shawn Morris - Baritone 2
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ment, and supportive of morethan just gay people. It has a
place even if the world fully
integrates.
DAN KAUFMAN: We still havestories to tell, we still have
fights to fight. I can’t tell youhow many guys have used their
participation in the chorus as a
catalyst and conduit for coming
out to their families. Political
gains are one thing, and they’re
awesome. But we will always be
coming out, always be needing totell our stories, always growing.
SHAWN MORRIS (40, 1 YEAR,
BARITONE): Not only is it superimportant to the community we
serve, but also to the gay men
that need it. There are men in
the chorus that will tell youthat in one way or another the
chorus saved their life, or at
the very least, changed it. I’m
one of those. The chorus has
been a real life changer for me,
and most probably a life saver
as well.
ROB FINN: The story of ourcommunity’s progress is still
being written. Battles are still
being fought. It would be tragic
to become complacent now,
and even more tragic to forgetour history. So many struggled
and sacrificed so much to
achieve this tremendous prog-
ress. We owe it to them to keep
telling their stories and to make
sure that nobody forgets where
we’ve come from.
THEA KANO: We have madetremendous progress, but there
are still so many people who
need and want to hear us. Each
time we go beyond the Beltwaywe are reminded of that. Until
all minds are open to equalityfor all, our work will not be
done.
JJ VERA (25, 2 YEARS, TENOR2): To say that there has beentremendous progress is an
understatement, but at the same
time, to say the work is done ishardly true. There are millions
of people that need to hear our
message, and we’re getting tothem one by one. Our audience
is slowly growing, but to touch
the soul of even one person has
always been the goal.
LUCAS REGNER: I daresay thata majority of people in the cho-rus, and people who see our
shows, weren’t born and raised
in D.C. So the 23-year-old grad
who just moved to D.C. from
Alabama might find messages
of love and acceptance in our
show that the governor failedto communicate to him back
home. We’re here for him.
JAMI RODGERS: As long asthere is bias, hatred, and
inequality, we will continue
the push to change hearts and
minds through our music.For every divisive law that is
passed, child that is bullied, or
demeaning joke that is told, we
will raise our voices in song to
counteract hatred. In the end,
we could all use a little more
love in the world.
KEN WOODHOUSE (35, 2 YEARS,TENOR 2): As Thea alwaystells us before a performance,
“Never miss an opportunity to
make an impact. Someone in
our audience needs to hear youtoday.”
JIM GRUSCHUS: We’re ambas-sadors of gay fabulousness.
Society needs us.
The Gay Men’s Chorus of
Washington’s 35th AnniversaryConcert, featuring guests Gallim
Dance and the New York City
Master Chorale, is Sunday,
May 8 at 8 p.m. at the Kennedy
Center Concert Hall. Tickets are$25 to $81. Call 202-467-4600 or
visit kennedy-center.org. l
(L-R) Jay Michal - Tenor 2, Praddy Banerjee - Tenor 2, Todd Paul - Bass and Matt Holland - Tenor 1
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MAY 5 - 12, 2016Compiled by Doug Rule
D E A N A L E X A N D E R
gay Freddie Mercury, by two noted gay choreogra-
phers — Liang and Trey McIntyre.
“I’m really happy and humbled to be a part of thesame program as Trey, and I have a lot of respect for
his work,” Liang says. “My piece is not as pyrotech-nic. It’s a more intimate look at dance.” Liang’s work
includes a few of Bowie’s songs threaded together byan original composition from Gabriel Gaffney Smith
featuring electric violin and electric cello, performed
live by Machiko Ozawa.McIntyre’s Mercury Half-Life is “epic, operatic
in scale,” says its choreographer. “It’s an incredibly
athletic, very high-energy piece.” This will be the firstperformance of the ballet since McIntyre shut downhis celebrated dance company a few years ago.
“It is some of the most exacting choreography I’veever made,” he says. It’s also the first of his works to
incorporate tap dancing, which is “the only reason I
went to a ballet class in the first place.... There’s beenthis tap that’s been wanting to get out of me my entire
life and it finally had a place to exist.” Mercury Half-Life was inspired by contrasts,
including the fact that Queen’s songs are “rockanthems that can move sports arenas” — and yet
Mercury was gay and flamboyant. “Those two things,
especially in the time period, didn’t seem congruentto me,” McIntyre says. The title is inspired by the
fact that Mercury’s life was cut short from AIDS-related complications. “It’s particularly poignant
with Freddie Mercury, how that music still resonatestoday.” And yet, he adds, “There could have been so
much more.” – Doug Rule
Bowie & Queen opens Thursday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m.,
and is performed this weekend and next at the KennedyCenter Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $32.25 to $130.
Call 202-467-4600 or visit washingtonballet.org.
winning powerhouse. Friday, May 6,at 8 p.m. GW Lisner, The GeorgeWashington University, 730 21st St.NW. Tickets are $35 to $65. Call 202-994-6851 or visit lisner.org.
CITYDANCE’S DREAMSCAPECityDance presents its annual galaperformance co-produced with RastaThomas, in which Thomas and danc-ers with the CityDance Conservatoryand students from its Dream pro-gram appear alongside guest art-ists: Matthew Golding of the RoyalBallet, Anna Tsygankova of the DutchNational Ballet, Pete Walker of AspenSanta Fe Ballet, Anna Gerberich of the
Joffrey Ballet, Cartier Williams DanceTheatre, Gallim Dance and more.Saturday, May 7, at 8 p.m. LincolnTheatre, 1215 U St. NW. Tickets are$25 to $38. Call 202-328-6000 or visitcitydance.net.
JANINE BRITOTouted as a rising star on the SanFrancisco scene, this lesbian comicoffers “a sarcastic, snarky smart bombof comedy funk straight from the ‘80s.”Thursday, May 12, at 9 p.m., Friday,May 13, at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., andSaturday, May 14, at 7 p.m. DrafthouseComedy, 1100 13th St. NW. Tickets are$25. Call 202-750-6411 or visit draft-
housecomedy.com.
THE BODY OF AN AMERICANTheater J presents the regional pre-miere of Dan O’Brien’s breathtak-ingly provocative drama, based on atrue story, about the friendship thatdevelops between a playwright and aphotographer and traverses Rwanda, Afghanistan and the Canadian Arctic.Jose Carrasquillo directs a productionfeaturing Eric Hissom and ThomasKeegan. Pride Night is Thursday,May 12, at 7:30 p.m. Runs to May22. The Aaron and Cecile GoldmanTheater, Washington, D.C.’s JewishCommunity Center, 1529 16th St. NW.Call 202-777-3210 or visit theaterj.org.
SPOTLIGHTAMERICAN POPS ORCHESTRAWITH ERIK ALTEMUS,NOVA PEYTONLocal musical theater perform-ers Nicholas Rodriguez and HayleyTravers are guests for “Make SomeoneHappy,” a concert featuring showtunes and pop songs from the 1960s.Mark Frazier closes out the inaugu-ral season of this local orchestra withheadliners Erik Altemus, best knownfor playing Lewis in the recent reviv-al of Pippin on Broadway, and NovaPeyton, the local Helen Hayes Award-
DancingQueenThe Washington Balletpresents works inspiredby Freddie Mercury andDavid Bowie
WHEN YOU HEAR THIS MUSIC,” CHOREOGRAPHEREdwaard Liang says, “you start tapping your pen, you start
patting your leg, you start swaying a little bit.”The power of David Bowie’s music to inspire movement is reflected
in a new ballet, which Liang debuted last fall at the Ballet Met inColumbus, Oh. “The storyline is really about what the song ‘Dancing in
the Streets’ is saying,” Liang says. “About how infectious dance is, and just different scenarios of dancing in the streets.”
Initially proposed by Septime Webre, Washington Ballet’s outgoing
artistic director, Liang’s work will be performed by the company thisweekend and next at the Kennedy Center. Dancing In The Streets is
part of a program celebrating the bisexual Bowie as well as the all-out
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story inspired by the real-life discov-ery of Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter by folklorist John Lomax. SandraHolloway directs this MetroStageproduction featuring Roz White as Alberta “Pearl” Johnson and TeresaCastracane as Susannah Mullally. ToMay 29. MetroStage, 1201 North RoyalSt., Alexandria. Tickets are $55. Call800-494-8497 or visit metrostage.org.
BROUHAHA
Local theater company HappenstanceTheater presents another run of itsdevised clown-esque piece focusedon an ensemble of eccentrics on theprecipice at the end of the world.Happenstance co-founders and mar-ried team Sabrina Mandell and MarkJaster direct and perform among thecast. ”What we actually do, nobodyis doing...and it’s hard to describe,”Mandell told Metro Weekly two yearsago. Each devised theater show is builtfrom scratch by the entire ensemble,working as a collective from scriptstart to finished performance. OpensThursday, May 5, at 8 p.m. To May 22.Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 West
Preston St. Baltimore. Tickets are $22.Call 410-752-8558 or visit happen-stancetheater.com.
CAROLINE, OR CHANGE Virginia’s fledgling theater companyCreative Cauldron presents a produc-tion of Tony Kushner and JeanineTesori’s coming-of-age musical set inracially and politically charged 1960sLouisiana. Now in previews. OpeningNight is Saturday, May 7, at 8 p.m. ToMay 29. ArtSpace Falls Church, 410South Maple Ave. in Falls Church.Tickets are $26, or $50 for openingnight. Call 703-436-9948 or visit cre-ativecauldron.org.
CHRONICLE OFA DEATH FORETOLDGabriel Garcia Marquez’s novella isthe source for another stage adapta-tion, though this time as a straightplay, unlike the 1995 Tony-nominatedmusical. Jose Zayas directs GALATheatre’s production of the tale abouta murderous mission of revenge by a band of brothers in Colombia, adapt-ed by Jorge Triana and performed inSpanish with English surtitles. Closesthis Sunday, May 8. GALA Theatreat Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW.Tickets are $20 to $42. Call 202-234-7174 or visit galatheatre.org.
DETROIT ‘67Center Stage offers a production ofDominique Morisseau’s sharp-eyeddrama about racial and generationaldifferences during the riots of theMotown era. Kamilah Forbes directsthis co-production with DetroitPublic Theatre and offered at TowsonUniversity, while Center Stage reno- vates its downtown Baltimore venue.Closes this Sunday, May 8. Mainstageat Towson University’s Center for the Arts, 1 Fine Arts Dr., Towson, Md.Tickets are $10 to $59. Call 410-986-4000 or visit centerstage.org.
MAY 5, 2016 METROWEEKLY.COM
THE CHORAL ARTS SOCIETY WITHRENEE FLEMING, NORM LEWISScott Tucker helps the full 190-mem- ber-strong Choral Arts Society ofWashington celebrate the Americanmusical — specifically the outputof Rodgers and Hammerstein, with“Some Enchanted Evening.” ReneeFleming, American opera superstardubbed “the people’s diva,” and NormLewis, the Tony-nominated Broadway baritone ( The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess )
join to sing through the hits. Sunday,May 15, at 8 p.m. Kennedy CenterConcert Hall. Tickets are $25 to $94.Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
FILM
HOLLYWOOD ON TRIALThis season’s “Seeing Red Film Series” atthe Hill Center, with hosts New Yorkerstaff writer Margaret Talbot and moviecritic Nell Minow, continues with 1947’s Body and Soul, a classic parable of temp-tation, corruption and redemption set inthe gritty world of boxing and inspired by the real-life story of fighter BarneyRoss. Left-wing actor John Garfield starsalong with the soon-to-be blacklisted Anne Revere, who plays Ross’ mother.This is the rare pre-1960s film treat-ing an African-American character,played by Canada Lee, with dignity andrespect. The film is also noted for itsnoir cinematography by James WongHowe and Oscar-nominated screenplay by Abraham Polonsky. Sunday, May 8,at 4 p.m. Hill Center, Old Navy Hospital,921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free. Call 202-549-4172 or visit HillCenterDC.org.
THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITYMatthew Brown directs Dev Patelstarring as the real-life SrinivasaRamanjuan, a poor Indian math-ematician who pioneered theories atCambridge University during WorldWar I. Jeremy Irons, Stephen Fry,Jeremy Northam and Toby Jones alsostar in this British biopic based onRobert Kanigel’s 1991 book of the samename. Opens Friday, May 6. Area the-aters. Visit fandango.com.
STAGE
110 IN THE SHADEMarcia Milgrom Dodge directs and
choreographs a new production ofthis old-fashioned musical, set dur-ing a sweltering Texas summer in themid-1950s and featuring a lively scorefrom the creators of The Fantasticks. The focus is on a self-proclaimed rain-maker who promises to reverse for-tunes in the drought-stricken town,to say nothing of its leading spinster,played by Tracy Lynn Olivera. To May14. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW.Tickets are $28 to $69. Call 800-982-2787 or visit fordstheatre.org.
BLACK PEARL SINGS!Over 20 American folk and spiritu-al songs factor into Frank Higgins’
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Trinidad Theatre, 1358 Florida Ave.NE. Tickets are $20 to $25. Call 202-733-6321 or visit pointlesstheatre.com.
JOURNEY TO THE WESTConstellation Theatre Company’s
Allison Arkell Stockman directs thefanciful global tale adapted by MaryZimmerman from an ancient Chinesenovel about a Buddhist monk whotravels in search of sacred scriptures,meeting a monkey, a pig, a river mon-ster and a monk along the way. TomTeasley returns to Constellation toprovide his percussive-based worldmusic style of live accompaniment.To May 22. Source Theatre, 1835 14thSt. NW. Tickets are $35 to $45. Call202-204-7741 or visit constellation-theatre.org.
EMPEROR’S NIGHTINGALE Adventure Theatre MTC presents are-imagining of the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale about an aim-less prince who ultimately becomesking. Natsu Onoda Power directs
Damon Chua’s adaptation. To May30. Adventure Theatre MTC, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Ticketsare $19. Call 301-634-2270 or visitadventuretheatre-mtc.org.
HUGO BALL: A SUPERSPECTACULAR DADA ADVENTURE A one-of-a-kind performance loosely based on the life of one of the found-ers of the Dada anti-art movement.Pointless Theatre Company’s latestexperimental, multi-disciplinary pup-pet theater piece explores art, loveand faith — and contains “puppetsexuality, profanity and violence.” ToMay 14. Logan Fringe Arts Space’s
PHAETONTaffety Punk Theater Company,whose tagline is “We Will Rock You”and styles itself as a theatrical rock band, presents Michael Milligan’sretelling of the classic Greek myth,
exploring the failure of society to liveup to the promise of its visionariesand the repercussions of that failure.Marcus Kyd directs a large cast featur-ing company members Dan Crane andHelen Hayes Award-winner KimberlyGilbert and James Flanagan in thetitle role, with choreography by KellyKing. Opens Saturday, May 7, at 7:30p.m. To May 28. Capitol Hill ArtsWorkshop, 545 7th St. SE. Tickets are$15. Call 202-547-6839 or visit taf-fetypunk.com.
MAY 5, 2016 METROWEEKLY.COM
THE ELECTRIC BABYKnown for ambitious stagings ofeccentric or out-there tales, RorschachTheatre presents Stefanie Zadravec’slyrical play exploring the theme of losswith humor and folklore. Reviewinganother production, a critic for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was both“charmed” and “enthralled” by “itsdelicacy and its strength.” Randy Bakerdirects a production featuring William Aitken, J. Shawn Durham, Jennifer
J. Hopkins, Cam Magee, KiernanMcGowan and Sarah Taurchini. ToMay 15. Atlas Performing Arts Center,1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $15 to $30.Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.
THE MYSTERY OF LOVE & SEXSignature Theatre offers this playfrom Bathsheba Doran, a writer bet-ter known for his work on premiumcable, from HBO’s Boardwalk Empireand Showtime’s Masters of Sex. The Mystery of Love & Sex is an unex-pected story of an evolving friendship between a man and a woman, whoaren’t quite straight and aren’t quitein love with each other — but they
consider romance anyway, for the sakeof the parents. Closes Sunday, May8. Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Call 703-820-9771 or visit signature-theatre.org.
TRANSMISSION A three-year-old D.C.-based play-writing collective, and one of this year’s Helen Hayes Award winnersas Outstanding Emerging TheatreCompany, the Welders offers its latestproduction, an immersive, participa-tory “performance play” written andperformed by Gwydion Suilebhan.Devised for a small audience of 20people, all seated in 1930s armchairs
clustered around period radios,Transmission focuses on the viral evo-lution of culture, from the radio age tothe present day. Touted as part-jazz,part-science lecture and part-”ritualinvocation”, the show investigateswhat it means to be inundated in ouralways-connected, always-sharingculture, which demands skepticismand inquisitiveness. To May 28. AtlasPerforming Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE.Tickets are $15 to $30. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S LONGLOST FIRST PLAY (ABRIDGED)The Reduced Shakespeare Company
returns to Folger Theatre with thisworld premiere written and directed by two of the world’s most famousShakespearean comedians, AustinTichenor and Reed Martin, who throwthemselves into a funny, punny physicalfrenzy. Joining Tichenor and Martin toperform the work as a comedic trio isTeddy Spencer. Closes Sunday, May 8.Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE.Tickets are $35 to $75. Call 202-544-7077 or visit folger.edu.
HIPSTER PORNFor those of you who miss the good old days where we enjoyed our porn in theatrical settings —albeit ones plagued by perpetually masturbating strangers wearing beige raincoats — Dan Savagepresents the 2016 Hump! Film festival ( ). A sex-positive, rough-around-the-edges assort-ment of homemade pornongraphy — gay, straight, fetish, you name it — Hump! is less erotic thanit is avant garde. Think of watching people pound, probe, lick and stick each other, but to hippermusic. While it’s definitely not soft-core, it’s also far from erotic. And yet it seems less designed totitillate and more intent on breaking down sexual barriers. The 22 short films on display are some-times funny, frequently bizarre, occasionally clever, with the quality varying considerably. Thereare a few standouts buried deep within the festival. Film Bonoir, riffing off a famous skit in the’70s classic The Groove Tube, uses semi-erect penises, googly button eyes, and adorable little felthats to uproarious effect, even though the filmmaker clearly runs out of ideas before the — ahem— climax. Then there’s Let’s Try to Fuck, a dead-on parody of 1950s educational films. It’s balls-out
hilarious. Level Up is a clumsy parody of video games that salvages itself with a full-blown orgy,emphasis on the word blown. The strangest film of the bunch is The Collector, in which a veryunusual man shows off his even more unusual assortment of semen-filled jars culled from varioussources. Whether or not he’s seeking mail-in donations is never quite made clear. Hump! playsFriday, May 6th and Saturday, May 7th at the Black Cat Main Stage, 1811 14th St. NW at 7 and 9:30p.m. each night. Tickets are $20. Visit blackcatdc.com or call 202-667-4490. For more info on thefestival, visit humpfilmfest.com. — Randy Shulman
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MUSIC
ARTURO SANDOVAL A protégé of the legendary jazz mas-ter Dizzy Gillespie, the Cuban-bornSandoval was granted political asy-lum in the U.S. decades ago. He’srevered as one of the world’s best jazz trumpeters and flugelhorn play-ers, as well as a renowned pianist andcomposer. Thursday, May 5, through
Sunday, May 8, at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW.Tickets are $50 to $55, plus $10 mini-mum purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit bluesalley.com.
CAPITAL CITY SYMPHONY“Great Masters, Young Stars” fea-tures Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F Major and Brahms’ Violin Concertoin D Major, the latter performed withLara Boschkor, the winner of theJohansen International Competition.Sunday, May 8, at 5 p.m. AtlasPerforming Arts Center, 1333 H St.NE. Tickets are $15 to $25. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.
CANTATE CHAMBER SINGERSLive at 10th and G presents the thirdconcert of the season by this local
ensemble. “Patterns and Lines” is amultimedia composition celebratingthe work of world-traveling photog-raphers Judy and Wayne Guenther,with poetry by Roberto Ifill and music by Andrew Earle Simpson. Also on the bill are works by Samuel Barber andJohn Corigliano. Saturday, May 14,at 7:30 p.m. Live! at 10th and G, 945G ST. NW. Tickets are $35, or $45 forpremium seating. Call 202-628-4317or visit facebook.com/liveat10thandg.
CHOPTEETHThe Washington Post has called this12-piece band “a storming pow-erhouse of big-band African funk...smart, tight and relentlessly driv-ing.” Chopteeth has already won anumber of Washington Area Music Association Awards — otherwiseknown as Wammies, including the Artist of the Year accolade in 2008. And now the Afrobeat-driven groupreturns to Strathmore’s cabaret venue.Saturday, May 14, at 8 p.m. Amp byStrathmore, 11810 Grand Park Ave.North Bethesda. Tickets are $20 to$30. Call 301-581-5100 or visit amp- bystrathmore.com.
GAY MEN’S CHORUS OFWASHINGTON WITHGALLIM DANCEEverybody’s favorite local chorusgroup celebrates 35 years of singingfor equality with a retrospective con-cert at the Kennedy Center. The firsthalf of the evening offers Carl Orff’sspringtime masterpiece Carmina Burana. Thea Kano will lead thechorus and additional singers fromthe New York City Master Choralein a performance of the work, andacclaimed Brooklyn-based companyGallim Dance will make its KennedyCenter debut with a new work as part
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of the program. Sunday, May 8, at 8p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall.Tickets are $25 to $81. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
ITZHAK PERLMAN ANDEMANUEL AXWashington Performing Arts presentsa concert by two celebrated states-men of classical music, touring in sup-port of a new Deutsche Grammophonrecording of Faure and Strauss violin
sonatas. This is the rescheduled datefor the concert, originally scheduledin September but postponed due toPerlman’s emergency gallbladdersurgery. Tuesday, May 10, at 7 p.m.Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Ticketsare $55 to $135. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
THE RE-LIVES: A TRIBUTETO LUTHER VANDROSSWilliam “Smooth” Wardlaw, said to be the spitting image and sound of theman known as “The Velvet Voice,” willlead this tribute performance to thelate R&B superstar. Friday, May 6, at 8p.m. Amp by Strathmore, 11810 Grand
Park Ave. North Bethesda. Tickets are$25 to $35. Call 301-581-5100 or visitampbystrathmore.com.
X AMBASSADORS After opening for Muse at the VerizonCenter in January, the upstate New York quartet returns to town to offeranother round of its emotional, blue-sy, syncopated chants (“Renegades,”“Hang On,” “Nervous”) that you’ve nodoubt heard in commercials. Maybe you’ve seen images of the band’s leadsinger Sam Harris, whose as easy onthe eyes — bald and bearded — ashis voice is on the ears. Los Angeles- based dance-pop provocateur Robert
DeLong opens along with SaraHartman. Thursday, May 12, at 7 p.m.Echostage, 2135 Queens Chapel Rd.NE. Tickets are $35. Call 202-503-2330or visit echostage.com.
COMEDY
JULIA SCOTTI ANDKEVIN MEANEY A night of “Out-standing comedy”featuring transgender comedian JuliaScotti and Kevin Meaney, a stand-up comic and actor from both TVand Broadway — rescheduled after
Snowzilla postponed the debut at Amp by Strathmore. Friday, May 13, at 8p.m. Amp by Strathmore, 11810 GrandPark Ave. North Bethesda. Tickets are$20 to $30. Call 301-581-5100 or visitampbystrathmore.com.
WILL DURST, BOB NELSON,MAUREEN LANGANWolf Trap closes out the winter sea-son in the