Opera Provocateur: Timothy Nelson of The In Series

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January 9, 2020

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CONTENTS

SERVING UP STORIES Soupergirl’s Sara Polon launches a new female-centric storytelling series.

By Doug Rule

OPERA PROVOCATEUR

Timothy Nelson has big ideas for the In Series, which he is positioning as a model for the future of opera.

Interview by Doug Rule Photography by Todd Franson

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Volume 26 Issue 34

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NEW YORK GIRL

Awkwafina’s frenetic charm takes center stage on Comedy Central’s Awkwafina is Nora from Queens.

By André Hereford

SPOTLIGHT: RILEY KNOXX p.7 OUT ON THE TOWN p.10 THE FEED: FALSE PROPHET p.19 THE FEED: GOING POSTAL p.19 THE FEED: MURDEROUS INTENT p.20 COMMUNITY: SEEKING SUPPORT p.21 COMMUNITY CALENDAR p.21 FILM: 1917 p.31 NIGHTLIFE: BENT AT THE 9:30 CLUB p.37 NIGHTLIFE LISTINGS p.38 SCENE: NUMBER NINE p.44 LAST WORD p.46 Washington, D.C.’s Best LGBTQ Magazine for 25 Years

Editorial Editor-in-Chief Randy Shulman Art Director Todd Franson Online Editor at metroweekly.com Rhuaridh Marr Senior Editor John Riley Contributing Editors André Hereford, Doug Rule Senior Photographers Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim Contributing Illustrators David Amoroso, Scott G. Brooks Contributing Writers Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield Webmaster David Uy Production Assistant Julian Vankim Sales & Marketing Publisher Randy Shulman National Advertising Representative Rivendell Media Co. 212-242-6863 Distribution Manager Dennis Havrilla Patron Saint Claudio Monteverdi Cover Photography Todd Franson Metro Weekly 1775 I St. NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 202-638-6830 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 no responsibility 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 claims made 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 or advertising in Metro Weekly is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such person or organization.

© 2019 Jansi LLC.

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Spotlight

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ILEY KNOXX ARRIVed in Washington, D.C. at the age of 19, and immediately started performing in various bars and clubs. “I was too young to even get in,” she laughs. “But I lied about my age and they snuck me in.”

The very first place she took the stage was the legendary gay dive, Mr. P’s. She did a Janet Jackson number.

Twenty years later, Jackson is no longer part of the repertoire, but one recording artist has provided a career that turned Knoxx into an internationally-renowned sensation: Beyoncé.

“I'm not a drag queen,” says Knoxx. “I'm literally a Beyoncé impersonator. That's what I do. There's no need for me to do anybody else. Nobody comes to see me do anybody else, they come to see me do Beyoncé. That's what I'm known for. It'd be like going to see Mariah Carey perform a Whitney Houston song.

That's not what they come to see her do.”

On Wednesday, everyone can marvel as the world’s number one Beyoncé impersonator takes the stage at the City Winery for a ninety-minute performance of An Illusion of Queen Bey. “This concert is about is giving people an experience. We're doing over 30 of her songs, with multiple costume changes, lots of dancers, and special effects.”

Queen Bey hasn’t yet seen Knoxx perform in person, but she has granted an audience with her (“It was a very private thing. She's beautiful and wonderful”). Knoxx has, however, personally befriended another superstar — Taylor Swift, who will be honored for her LGBTQ advocacy at L.A.’s GLAAD Media Awards.

Knoxx appeared in Swift’s music video for “You Need To Calm Down,” and subsequently appeared onstage with the artist at the MTV Video Awards.

“I never imagined just being someone in the trans experience that I was allowed to even dream this big,” Knoxx glows. “I'm beyond living my dream at this point. My goal now is to inspire other girls who are transgender to do more than what they are told they can do. Just dream whatever it is, no matter how big or small.... Never put a ceiling on your dreams. I did that as a kid. I put a ceiling on my dreams, because I thought that all I could do as a trans person was never possible because there weren't people respecting trans people the way they do right now.”

Knoxx is “as excited about [Wednesday’s] concert as the first time I ever performed. I take pride in what I do. I love doing it so much. I could almost do it for free. Thank God I don't have to.” —Randy Shulman

Riley Knoxx:

BILLY MALOY

An Illusion of Queen Bey

Riley Knoxx: An Illusion of Queen Bey is Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 8 p.m. at the City Winery DC, 1350 Okie St. NE. Tickets are $25 to $45. Call 202-250-2531 or visit www.citywinery.com.

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Spotlight A CLOCKWORK ORANGE

Malcolm McDowell is magnificent as the Beethoven-loving ringleader of a band of thugs in this powerful satire about the evils and capriciousness of our modern, psychiatric-driven society. With its extreme violence and horrific rape sequence, A Clockwork Orange ranks as one of the most shocking in Stanley Kubrick’s rich cinematic oeuvre. The 1971 film, based on Anthony Burgess’ dystopian crime novel, returns to the big screen as the next entry in the Capital Classics series at Landmark’s West End Cinema. Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m., 2301 M St. NW. Happy hour from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.50.

Call 202-534-1907 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

TANGERINE

Long associated with energy, youth, and happiness, the saturated, bold orange hue has also been the love interest in popular songs. And for the remainder of January, Alexandria’s Del Ray Artisans Gallery presents artworks by its member artists with imaginative and original interpretations of what “tangerine” means. Opening Reception is Friday, Jan. 10. On display to Feb. 2. 2704 Mount Vernon Ave. Alexandria.

Call 703-731-8802 or visit www.thedelrayartisans.org.

ALEXANDER PALEY

Originally from Moldova, the internationally heralded concert pianist Alexander Paley returns for his only annual concert in the D.C. area, showcased as part of the concert series presented by the Washington Conservatory of Music. The program includes Debussy’s 12 Etudes, Scriabin’s Sonata No. 5, and Ravel’s Suite Le Tombeau de Couperin.

Saturday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m. Westmoreland Congregational Church, 1 Westmoreland Circle, Bethesda. Suggested donation of $20. Call 301320-2770 or visit www.washingtonconservatory.org.

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Spotlight THE FOREIGNER

Larry Shue’s 1984 comedy is set at a rural fishing lodge in Georgia, where two guests from England uncover some scandals among residents while also incurring the ire of white supremacists who seek their removal. Sherrionne Brown directs a community cast in a production from Baltimore’s Spotlights Theatre that tackles the xenophobia and racism still present today. To Jan. 12. 817 St. Paul St. Tickets are $18 to $24. Call 410-752-1225 or visit www.spotlighters.org.

MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO

The bisexual iconoclastic singer-songwriter returns for a weekend run of shows in her hometown. Titled an “Exploration Through Geographical Memories,” the concert draws from Ndegeocello’s Ventriloquism, the 2018 Grammynominated set featuring covers of R&B and pop hits from the 1980s and 1990s — everything from Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam’s “I Wonder If I Take You Home” to George Clinton’s “Atomic Dog,” Sade’s “Smooth Operator” to Janet Jackson’s “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun).”

The result is a collection of imaginatively recreated songs often drastically different than their originals. Thursday, Jan. 9, at 10 p.m., and Friday, Jan. 10, through Sunday, Jan. 12, at 8 and 10 p.m. Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $56, plus $12 minimum purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit www.bluesalley.com.

CRACKER & CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN

The two veteran rock acts from California have been performing and touring together for decades, even sharing the same leader, singer/guitarist David Lowery. Lowery helped start the more punk-bent Camper in 1983, then followed with the more country-flavored Cracker in 1991 when Camper disbanded for a decade. Among the longstanding members of the two quintets, perhaps the most notable player after Lowery is Victor Krummenacher, the gay Camper co-founder and bassist who served a short stint last decade as a member of Cracker and also is the rare musician in the camp to have had a solo career.

Saturday, Jan. 18. Doors at 6 p.m. 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-265-0930 or visit www.930.com.

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Out On The Town

XANADU: GLOW-ALONG SCREENING

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Robert Greenwald’s cult musical in which Olivia Newton-John stars as a Greek muse who descends to Earth and indulges in earthly pursuits. As a way of paying tribute, Alamo Drafthouse cinemas will offer glowing screenings, literally. The theaters will supply all manner of glowing accessories, “franchised glitz,” and other props and party favors to help bring the roller disco to life — minus the rink and the skates, but including audience singalongs to the film’s disco hits, including Newton-John’s “Magic” and the title track featuring Electric Light Orchestra.

Xanadu screens as part of Alamo’s “Hindsight Is 20/20” series, with organizers praising the film’s pre-MTV prescience: “Its brilliant colors, early computer animation, and slick editing set the stage for the golden age of music videos.” A dud upon original release, Xanadu is also notable for inspiring the creation of the Golden Raspberry Awards, recognizing the year’s worst films. Monday, Jan. 13, at 7:20 p.m. Alamo Drafthouse - One Loudoun, 20575 Easthampton Plaza, Ashburn, Va. Call 571-293-6808. Also Alamo Drafthouse - Woodbridge, 15200 Potomac Town Place, Ste. 100, Woodbridge, Va. Call 571-2604413. Tickets are $14.30. Visit www.drafthouse.com/northern-virginia.

Compiled by Doug Rule

FILM AN AMERICAN IN PARIS

Ranked No. 9 on the AFI’s Greatest Movie Musicals list, the Oscarwinning 1951 classic returns to theaters across the country for two days this month as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series presented by Fathom Events. Directed by Vincente Minnelli from a script

by Alan Jay Lerner, and featuring extraordinary music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin, An American in Paris stars Leslie Caron and Gene Kelly, who also choreographed the dance numbers — including a climactic 17-minute ballet, which cost almost $500,000 to shoot. Sunday, Jan. 19, at 1 and 4 p.m., and Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. Area theaters including Regal venues at Gallery Place (701 7th St. NW), Potomac Yards Stadium (3575

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Jefferson Davis Highway), and Majestic Stadium (900 Ellsworth Dr., Silver Spring). Tickets are $15.

Visit www.fathomevents.com.

I HAVE A DREAM INDIE FILM SHOWCASE

The Arlington Cinema ’N Drafthouse hosts a special screening of 10 student-created short films, all winners of the Teens Dream Video Contest, and each touching on one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

Presented by Little Known Stories Productions, the program will also screen 16 other powerful short features and documentaries by adult filmmakers addressing hot-button topics, many of which were also key concerns for Martin Luther King, Jr. — from police brutality to teenage pregnancy to immigration. Set to take place on the eve of MLK Jr.’s birthday, the program also features a panel on bullying, plus a film-

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maker Q&A. Sunday, Jan. 19. Doors at 6:30 p.m. 2903 Columbia Pike.

Tickets are $20, with a percentage of proceeds going to Bernie House and the Maryland-based charity’s work helping victims of domestic violence and their families. Call 703-486-2345 or visit www.arlingtondrafthouse.com.

JUST MERCY

A drama about the case of Walter McMillan, a death-row inmate who successfully appealed his conviction with the help of a young defense attorney. Michael B. Jordan is the lawyer in question, Bryan Stevenson, with Jamie Foxx starring as McMillan, who spent six years on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. Brie Larson co-stars, as a colleague of Stevenson’s at the Equal Justice Initiative, in a film co-written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (The Glass Castle) and based on the original bestseller

by Stevenson. Opens Friday, Jan. 10.

Area theaters. Visit www.fandango. com. (Rhuaridh Marr)

SMITHSONIAN THEATER’S OSCARS SPOTLIGHT: DOCUMENTARIES

The Warner Bros. Theater in the National Museum of American History continues to screen 15 documentary features that have been shortlisted for the 92nd annual Academy Awards. Up next in the series: Knock Down the House on Saturday, Jan. 11, at 2:20 p.m., Maiden on Saturday, Jan. 11, at 3:55 p.m., Midnight Family on Sunday, Jan. 12, at 2:20 p.m., and One Child Nation on Sunday, Jan. 12, at 3:55 p.m. 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Tickets are $10 per film, or $75 for a Film Festival Package. Call 202-633-1000 or visit www.si.edu/ theaters.

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THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

Landmark's E Street Cinema presents its monthly run of Richard O’Brien’s camp classic, billed as the longest-running midnight movie in history. Landmark's showings come with a live shadow cast from the Sonic Transducers, meaning it's even more interactive than usual. Friday, Jan 10, and Saturday, Jan. 11, at midnight. Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

TO WONG FOO, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING! JULIE NEWMAR: BRUNCH SCREENING

SERVING UP STORIES

Soupergirl’s Sara Polon launches a new female-centric storytelling series this weekend.

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E'VE HEARD A LOT OF STORIES FROM DUDES. IT'S OUR TURN NOW,” SAYS Sara Polon about her new storytelling series, Bite Your Tongue. “The hashtag is ‘our stories are better than yours,’ so it's kind of this notion that women are supposed to be quiet and dainty and...polite: ‘bite your tongue,’ don't talk like that.”

The founder of the thriving D.C.-based soup company Soupergirl, Polon wants to help other prominent women in Washington buck gender norms and conditioning by sharing personal experiences in a boldly honest and unflinchingly public way. To kick things off, she recruited a group of friends and colleagues from the local food and beverage industry — high-profile leaders including Violeta Edelman of Dolcezza Gelato & Coffee, Sarah Gordon of Gordy’s Pickle Jar, and Julie Verratti of Denizens Brewing Company. Polon also tapped Story District to co-produce the show in the local organization’s popular storytelling format.

“You'll hear that throughout the night — just the absolutely absurd things that have happened to all of us, in positive ways, in negative ways, just the obstacles that everyone has encountered and overcome,” Polon says. “You could not have possibly anticipated or planned for these types of things.”

Polon says the stories from the all female-identifying group will not be solely gender-specific.

“Don't expect to hear stories of, ‘Oh what a struggle it is to be a woman in this field.’ You're going to hear stories of just challenges of being a business owner and an operator — because these women, they're not focused on the struggle, they're focused on the success. And they're just focused on the drive, and owning and really succeeding at whatever it is they're trying to do. And so it's going to be a really inspiring, and also very funny, evening.”

Polon will do double duty, serving as one of the show’s eight speakers as well as introducing the others in the role of show host. And with Bite Your Tongue, Polon is reconnecting with her professional past and a true lifelong dream. “As a little girl, when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I did not say a soup maker,” she says. “I actually said comedian when I was five years old.” In fact, Polon was pursuing a career in stand-up in 2008 when she decided instead to focus on launching Soupergirl.

The ultimate aim of Bite Your Tongue is to celebrate and support the increasing number of women who make D.C. run. Future shows, all still in the planning stages, are expected to showcase those at the helm in other fields, ranging from politics and law to health care. “We have some real trailblazers here and I want to share their stories,” says Polon. “We're just getting started.” —Doug Rule Bite Your Tongue: The Unhospitable Edition is Saturday, Jan. 11, at 7 p.m., at Hook Hall, 3400 Georgia Ave. NW. Tickets are $20, with proceeds going toward N Street Village. Call 202-629-4339 or visit www.bytongue.com.

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Hollywood was quick on the heels of the global box office smash and Oscar-winning Australian comedy The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, churning out only one year later an essentially American take on the three-queens-on-theroad comedy, remade with a trio of male action stars improbably portraying drag queens en route to Tinseltown. Next weekend, both Virginia Alamo Drafthouse cinemas screen the 1995 film starring Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, and John Leguizamo as part of its “Hindsight Is 20/20” series revisiting a select number of underappreciated films from previous decades. Your appreciation will surely be enhanced by partaking in the accompanying brunch, offered with a themed mimosa. Whether you leave thinking it was “the most fabulous brunch you’ve ever had,” as organizers boast, no doubt you’ll feel a buzz from the bubbly and the film’s warm overall message of community and acceptance. Sunday, Jan. 19, at 11:40 a.m. Alamo Drafthouse - One Loudoun, 20575 Easthampton Plaza, Ashburn, Va. Call 571-2936808. Also Alamo Drafthouse Woodbridge, 15200 Potomac Town Place, Ste. 100, Woodbridge, Va. Call 571-260-4413. Tickets are $10 for the screening only. Visit www. drafthouse.com/northern-virginia.

STAGE A MEASURE OF CRUELTY

In only its third season, Montgomery County’s 4615 Theatre seems more determined than ever on becoming known as the most daring, adventurous and unconventional theater company around. Case in point: A Measure of Cruelty. For starters, the play is set in a real, fully operational bar: Flanagan’s Harp and Fiddle, one of the oldest pubs in Bethesda.

Theatergoers will take seats wherever they choose throughout the sprawling space, where they will be immersed in the action as a bar-owning father and his son, a recently returned war veteran, become entangled in a local tragedy and are forced to confront their demons. Characterized as “nail-bitingly intense,” A Measure of Cruelty

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COMMUNITY STAGE BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS

Neil Simon’s semi-autobiographical play about a Depression-era family trying to laugh through tears next lights the stage of Baltimore’s community Vagabond Theatre. Brighton Beach Memoirs is a moving, entertaining comedy focused on a male teen obsessed with girls, baseball, and the idea of becoming a writer.

Opens Friday, Jan. 10. To Feb. 9.

806 S. Broadway, Baltimore. Tickets are $10 to $20. Call 410-563-9135 or visit www.vagabondplayers.org.

QUADRILLE

IT’S SOMETHING ABOUT COLOR: PAINTINGS BY JOAN BIXLER

A new exhibition at downtown’s Touchstone Gallery features a variety of vibrant, even exuberant artworks

by Joan Bixler, reflecting the Northern Virginia artist’s love of color and her fascination with the interactions of light, shadows, and shapes. In large-scale paintings, Bixler often uses color and forms to create the effects of texture and depth, occasionally accenting or emphasizing things with the application of gold leaf, iridescent paint, or Venetian plaster — all touches that draw from Bixler Studios LLC, her decorative painting company serving commercial clients in the region. Opening Reception is Saturday, Jan. 11, from 2 to 4 p.m. Closing Reception is Feb. 1. Gallery C, 901 New York Ave. NW Call 202-3472787 or visit www.touchstonegallery.com.

is a site-specific work written and directed by Joe Calarco and featuring Scott Ward Abernethy, Nick Torres, and Ethan Miller. The production runs for a limited engagement of four shows. Saturday, Jan. 18 and Jan. 25, and Sunday, Jan. 19 and Jan. 26, at 2 p.m. 4844 Cordell Ave, Bethesda. Tickets are $16.50 to $20, plus a one-item minimum purchase of food or drink from the bar. Call 301-951-0115 or visit www.4615theatre.org.

MY FAIR LADY

The classic musical about a young Cockney lass who becomes a “proper lady” for an older, well-to-do man comes to new life in a Lincoln Center Theater production helmed

by Bartlett Sher. Lerner & Loewe’s My Fair Lady features several gems that have become American

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Songbook standards, including “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “The Rain in Spain,” and “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly.” To Jan. 19. Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $39 to $159. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

PIPELINE

Studio Theatre presents a searing drama written by Dominique Morisseau, focused on the struggles an African-American single mother faces in pursuit of a good education for her teenage son. Awoye Timpo directs. Previews start Wednesday, Jan. 15. Runs to Feb. 7. 14th & P Streets NW. Call 202-332-3300 or visit www.studiotheatre.org.

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Greenbelt Arts Center offers the East Coast premiere of Quadrille: A Romantic Play by San Franciscobased writer Melynda Kiring.

Stephen Foreman directs a community cast bringing to life a “romantic fairy tale,” set in 1835, further described as “featuring romance, secret plots, good food, more secret plots, bad food, heroic duels, and plenty of perfectly prepared corn muffins.” Weekends to Jan. 19. Greenbelt Arts Center, 123 Centerway. Greenbelt, Md. Tickets are $22 to $24. Call 301-441-8770 or visit www.greenbeltartscenter.org.

MUSIC BLUE DOT JAZZ TROUPE

Rooted in the music of New Orleans, this modern rhythmic jazz ensemble mixes in blues, funk, Afro-Cuban, and pop to bring the signature American music genre to life in new and dynamic ways, with the intention of getting audiences moving and dancing. And since this past summer, they’ve been doing it three nights a week, performing live at Kramerbooks’ Afterwords Café, in the back of the venue, where patrons can enjoy late-night food as well as a host of literary-inspired cocktails and over 20 craft beers on tap. Thursdays from 9 to 11 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 p.m. to midnight. 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-387-3825 or visit www.kramers.com.

CIMAFUNK

Hands down the breakout star of last year’s South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, the Cuban artist also made Billboard’s list of the “Top 10 Latin Artists to Watch in 2019.” Cimafunk’s savvy blend of popular music styles from the U.S. and Africa is rooted in strong Cuban rhythms, and together forms the subgenre called Afro-Cuban Funk.

Born Erik Iglesias Rodríguez, the artist’s stage name is rooted in his heritage as a descendant of Cubans of African descent who resisted or escaped slavery — known as cimarrón — while also nodding to the

strong rhythmic music that connects it all. Saturday, Jan. 11. Doors at 10 p.m. Union Stage, 740 Water St. SW. Tickets are $30 to $50. Call 877-987-6487 or visit www.unionstage.com.

DIANA ROSS WITH NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Maestro Emil de Cou helps give 2020 a Supreme boost in its second week with an NSO Pops program featuring Diana Ross. Ross performs from her hit-packed, decades-spanning career accompanied by the orchestra in concerts also featuring as special guest the Joyce Garrett Singers, the D.C. gospel choir that also performed in tribute to the living legend in 2007 at the 2007 Kennedy Center Honors. Through Saturday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m. Concert Hall. Tickets are $39 to $199. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

ELLE VARNER

This young R&B starlet charmed us practically right out of the gate, with her debut studio album Perfectly Imperfect, full of songs about getting drunk but still being responsible (“Refill,” “Oh What A Night”) and loving oneself (“So Fly”). But that was released all the way back in 2012, when Varner was only 22.

She then spent the better part of the last decade fighting her label to release Four Letter Word, only to see that sophomore set eventually shelved by RCA Records before the label dropped her. Last summer, the singer-songwriter resurfaced with Ellevation, which ultimately registers as a natural progression of her style and sound, led by the singles “Pour Me” featuring Wale and the female empowerment anthem “Kinda Love.” The emerging R&B singer-songwriter J Brown, a native of Detroit with familial connections to Motown, opens as Varner’s special guest. Friday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m.

City Winery DC, 1350 Okie St. NE. Tickets are $32 to $44. Call 202-2502531 or visit www.citywinery.com.

PASSPORT TO THE WORLD OF MUSIC 2020

Curated by Lynn Veronneau and Ken Avis of Wammie-winning jazz samba group Veronneau, the annual festival presented by Virginia’s Creative Cauldron celebrates the music and dance of cultures around the world, with performances by artists representing a broad spectrum of genres: folk to Latin, opera to bluegrass. The 2020 series continues with: the Ken & Brad Kolodner Trio, an old-time instrumental bluegrass father-and-son act plus guitarist Luke Chohany, on Friday, Jan. 10, at 7:30 p.m.; The Kennedys, the legendary folk-pop duo of Pete and Maura Kennedy that originated in D.C. but is now based in New York, on Saturday, Jan. 11, at 7:30 p.m., and Raymi,

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begins with performances by six of the finest step squads around, ranging from Dem Raider Boyz of Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Md., to the Cook Hall Step Team from Howard University.

Yet the showcase is on a portion of a new work commissioned by Strathmore that honors the heritage of step and puts the vibrant art form in historical context. Drumfolk reflects on the harsh realities of the American South while celebrating the fortitude of enslaved Africans who practiced percussive traditions such as patting juba, hambone, ring shout, and tap — all antecedents of step. Sunday, Jan. 12, at 5 p.m.

Music Center, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $35 to $75. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

COMEDY JYNX COMEDY NIGHT

THE CURIOUS WORLD OF HIERONYMOUS BOSCH

on piano as Liverman sings from Winterreise, Schubert’s iconic journey through the icy regions of the Self. Sunday, Jan. 12, at 3 p.m. 1635 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $42.

Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit www. wolftrap.org.

The Brookland location of Busboys and Poets plays host to this monthly showcase of women-identifying, non-binary, and LGBTQ comedians produced by Project Thalia founder Angela Hamilton. Each edition of Jynx is intended to be “supportive and empowering,” and fosters an “atmosphere of caring, compassion, and kindness.” The first edition of 2020 is headlined

by Natalie McGill, a comic who has been featured on 2 Dope Queens and in the film American Comic on Amazon Prime. Sofia Javed hosts the show also featuring Pamela Arluk, Ali Cherry, Yasmin Elhady, Anna Huntley, and Lisan Wood.

Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 8 p.m. 625 Monroe St. NE. Call 202-636-7230 or visit www.busboysandpoets.com.

DANCE

WASHINGTON IMPROV THEATER: ROAD SHOW

The latest in the Exhibition On Screen series of documentaries about classic Western art and artists focuses on the strange and fantastical paintings of a Dutch master who straddled the medieval and Renaissance worlds. Filmmaker David Bickerstaff offers a remarkable, cinematic exploration of Bosch’s fascinating life as well as his detailed, bizarre, even unsettling artworks, taking as its jumping-off point Jheronimus Bosch — Visions of Genius, an exhibition organized by a hometown Dutch museum that brought together the artist’s masterpieces from around the world for the one-off display. Sunday, Jan. 12, and Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 10:30 p.m. Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $10 to $15.

Call 202-966-6000 or visit www.theavalon.org. a D.C.-based band, led by Juan Cayrampoma, that performs traditional music from the Andes in South America, on Sunday, Jan. 12, at 7 p.m. The series continues to Feb. 1. ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South Maple Ave. Tickets are $20 to $25, or $70 for tables of two with wine, $140 for tables of four with wine. Call 703-436-9948 or visit www.creativecauldron.org.

THE NIGHTHAWKS

The Institute of Musical Traditions, which works to promote and preserve folk music traditions, presents an intimate evening of acoustic blues with the Nighthawks. The concert is offered as an early toast to the upcoming 50th anniversary of the blues and roots band, which was formed in D.C. in 1972. Singer Mark Wenner leads the Nighthawks, accompanied by lead guitarist Paul Bell, bass guitarist Johnny Castle, and drummer Mark Stutso.

Monday, Jan. 13, at 7:30 p.m. St. Mark Presbyterian Church, 10701 Old Georgetown Road, Rockville.

Tickets are $15 to $20. Call 301-7543611 or visit www.imtfolk.org.

URBANARIAS: GLORY DENIED

The nationally recognized local contemporary American opera company presents a brand-new staging of an opera based on the gripping true story of Col. Floyd “Jim” Thompson, an American

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POW during the Vietnam War. Glory Denied, with music and libretto by Tom Cipullo, was adapted from Tom Philpott’s book of the same name, which focused on the marriage and family back home that became the real victim of the Viet Cong’s capture and prolonged confinement of Thompson. Thursday, Jan. 16, through Saturday, Jan. 18, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 19, at 2 p.m. Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Call 202-265-3767 or visit www.urbanarias.org.

WHO’S BAD: THE ULTIMATE TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL JACKSON

Founded over a decade ago in North Carolina, Vamsi Tadepalli’s band didn’t explode in popularity until after the King of Pop’s death in 2009. Ever since, this infectious tribute production has regularly offered fans a treat, putting on a show recreating Jackson’s precise synchronized dance routines, in full regalia, from glitzy jackets to glittery gloves. Saturday, Jan. 11. Doors at 7 p.m. Baltimore Soundstage, 124 Market Place. Tickets are $18. Call 410-244-0057 or visit www.baltimoresoundstage.com.

WILL LIVERMAN, KEN NODA

A Wolf Trap Opera alum, baritone singer Liverman returns for a recital as part of the Chamber Music series at the Barns at Wolf Trap. Ken Noda will accompany

JANUARY 9, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

KANKOURAN WEST AFRICAN DANCE COMPANY

For over 35 years, KanKouran has offered an annual presentation celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, and showcasing the influences that African dance and culture has had on contemporary dance styles.

Led by the company’s co-founder and artistic director Assane Konte, the concert features the senior and junior companies of KanKouran as well as the children’s company and the community class. Saturday, Jan. 18, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 19, at 4 p.m. Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE. Tickets are $15 to $30. Call 202-2691600 or visit www.danceplace.org.

STEP AFRIKA!: STEP XPLOSION, DRUMFOLK

Strathmore welcomes back the professional dance troupe founded by C. Brian Wiliams and focused on stepping, the high-energy, percussive style of dance that originated with African-American fraternities and sororities. This year’s program

D.C.’s leading troupe for longform improv offers its annual “wintry mix” of vignettes featuring different ensembles, with each plot developed on-the-fly, spurred by a single audience suggestion. Each show is different, but all offer a grab bag of spontaneous comedy and longform improv, including the all-female-identifying group Hellcat, the slyly named all-African-American group Lena Dunham, the improvising playwrights of iMusical, and the improvised rockers in Heavy Rotation. To Feb. 2. District of Columbia Arts Center (DCAC), 2438 18th St. NW. Tickets are $15 to $18. Call 202-462-7833 or visit www.witdc.org.

READINGS & DISCUSSIONS ADRIAN SHANKER: BODIES AND BARRIERS: QUEER ACTIVISTS ON HEALTH Adrian Shanker, an activist and organizer for LGBTQ health equity

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who also serves as executive director of the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown, Penn., comes to D.C. for a free talk about the new anthology he edited.

Bodies & Barriers: Queer Activists on Health features a collection of essays by 26 activists shining a light on the myriad and pervasive health issues that queer people confront throughout their lives. Sunday, Jan. 19, at 5 p.m. The Potter’s House, 1658 Columbia Road NW. Call 202-232-5483 or visit www.pottershousedc.org.

WILLIAM ROSENAU: TONIGHT WE BOMBED THE U.S. CAPITOL

THE HOME + REMODELING SHOW

Kevin O’Connor, host of PBS’s pioneering home improvement show This Old House and the offshoot Ask This Old House, returns as headliner of next weekend’s home show at the Dulles Expo Center. One of several annual home-focused showcases produced by Marketplace Events, the Home + Remodeling Show presents more than 250 corporate vendors with the latest products and services in remodeling, renovation, décor, and redesign.

O’Connor will lead three one-hour discussions, “Insights and Behind the Scenes of This Old House,” from the event’s Main Stage, on Friday, Jan. 17, at 2 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 18, at noon and 2 p.m. The Main Stage will also play host to local experts offering advice on specific topics including “The Secret to Designing a Home Remodel on a Budget” with Ted Daniels of Daniels Design & Remodeling, “Remodeling for All Budgets” with Dawn Parker, Nan Kinsely, and Ford Hal of NVS Kitchen & Bath, “Ideas to Maximizing Your Outdoor Living Space” with Joseph Colao & JR Peter of Colao & Peter, and “Landscape Lighting: How to Paint the Night with Light” with Patrick Harders of Enlightened Lights. Additionally, at the main entrance will be a display by the Beekeeper’s Cottage promising “a glorious variety of modern urban farmhouse home decor accessories and furnishings,” ranging from handcrafted soy candles, to goat milk soaps and lotions, to hip bracelets and earrings from their Crown Jewels Collection. Show hours are Friday, Jan. 17, and Saturday, Jan. 18, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 19, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center, Virginia. Tickets are $9 to $12 per day, or free on Friday, Jan. 17, for those who travel by Metro using SmarTrip or Transit Link cards. Call 703-378-0910 or visit www.homeandremodelingshow.com.

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The newest book from William Rosenau, an accomplished researcher affiliated with several think tanks in Washington, promises “a shocking, never-before-told story from American history.” Subtitled The Explosive Story of M19, America’s First Female Terrorist Group, the focus is on the hidden history of a domestic terrorist group — six radical, well-educated women who decided to rail against the rise in conservatism with the Reagan revolution through daring and disruptive practices, organizing prison breakouts, murderous armed robberies, even a bombing campaign that wreaked havoc on D.C. With access to declassified FBI documents as well as original photos, Rosenau exposes this fascinating historical footnote and provides insight into how homegrown extremism can take root. Thursday, Jan. 16, at noon. National Archives, Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets NW. NW. Free, with reservations recommended; first-come, first-seated. Call 202357-5000 or visit www.archivesfoundation.org.

ART & EXHIBITS ARTY QUEERS: D.C.’S LGBTQ+ ART MARKET

The DC Center for the LGBT Community offers the chance for local LGBTQ and queer-identified artists to showcase and sell their works on the second Saturday of every month, including Jan. 11, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Prospective art buyers can expect to see original artworks in a range of media, including painting, pottery, photography, jewelry, glasswork, textiles, and clothing. Perfect time to pick up a few extra-special gifts!

The DC Center, 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. Call 202-682-2245 or visit www.thedccenter.org.

BOUKE DE VRIES: WAR AND PIECES

A contemporary response to a tradition dating to the 17th century of creating scenic or architectural centerpieces crafted out of sugar and porcelain, this Dutch artist alters course by depicting an epic

battle. The remarkable ceramic centerpiece features seven sculptural vignettes, using thousands of white porcelain fragments, plus sugar and even pieces of plastic toys, all set up on Hillwood’s grand dining table.

To April 5. Hillwood Estate, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Suggested donation is $18. Call 202-686-5807 or visit www.HillwoodMuseum.org.

JUDY CHICAGO: THE END-A MEDITATION ON DEATH AND EXTINCTION

Through nearly 40 works of painted porcelain and glass, as well as two large sculptures, famed artist and feminist icon Judy Chicago reflects on her own mortality while appealing for compassion and justice for all earthly creatures affected by human greed. The National Museum of Women in the Arts is the first venue to feature this new series, executed in the bold graphic style that has become Chicago’s hallmark — stark images as a visceral antidote to a culture that prizes youth and beauty, and often ignores the suffering of other creatures.

Grouped into three sections, The End features works that personify the five stages of grief, ruminates about the artist’s own demise, and offers a visual catalog of species endangered by the action, or inaction, of humans. To Jan. 20. 1250 New York Ave NW. Admission is $10. Call 202-783-5000 or visit www.nmwa.org.

RECLAIMED REUSED REPURPOSED: SUSTAINABLE ART FOR THE PLANET

The first in a series of exhibitions addressing climate change at Dupont Circle’s Studio Gallery highlights artists who have been getting creative in their use of materials — finding ways to reuse byproducts and waste from the manufacturing industry. As curated by Molly Ruppert, the exhibition features Jessica Beels, Robin Bell, Julia Bloom, Gloria Chapa, Pat Goslee, Liz Lescault, and Erwin Timmers. Now to Jan. 25. 2108 R St. NW. Call 202-232-8734 or visit www.studiogallerydc.com.

ABOVE & BEYOND PRETTY BOI DRAG: 4TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY

Former DC King Pretty Rik E and co-producer Lexie Starre have helped keep alive the art of drag kings in D.C. with this regular series of shows, taking place over brunch or during nighttime parties, and featuring nearly two dozen local performers. The 4th anniversary party promises to be the biggest show yet. Sunday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. Union Stage, 740 Water St. SW. Tickets are $25 to $35. Call 877-987-6487 or visit www.unionstage.com. l

theFeed

FALSE PROPHET

Pete Buttigieg claps back after Trump says he’s ‘pretending’ to be Christian. By Rhuaridh Marr

D

EMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE PETE Buttigieg has issued a swift rebuttal after Donald Trump claimed Buttigieg was “trying to pretend” to be Christian.

The thrice-married Trump — who has been accused of adultery and sexual assault — made the comments at the launch of the Evangelicals for Trump Coalition in Miami on Friday, Jan. 3.

Trump used his speech in front of 7,000 “supporters of faith” to attack the Democratic candidates for president, telling the crowd that God is “on our side,” the New York Times reports.

“We can’t let one of our radical left friends come in here because everything we’ve done will be gone in short order,” he said. “They can take it away pretty quickly.”

Once again breaking out the Alfred E. Neuman nickname — an attempt to compare Buttigieg to the Mad Magazine character — Trump claimed Buttigieg had only become religious “two weeks ago.”

“The extreme left is trying to replace religion with government and replace God with socialism,” Trump said. “And I see Alfred E. Neuman comes out and he’s trying to pretend he’s very religious. Alfred E. Neuman you know who that is, right?”

He added: “Now all of a sudden he’s become extremely religious, this happened about two weeks ago.”

Buttigieg initially responded by tweeting, “God does not belong to a political party.” But he expanded further at a town hall in New Hampshire on Saturday, after a reporter asked him to respond to Trump’s comments, needling Trump’s inconsistent political history in the process.

“I’m not sure why the president’s taken an interest in

my faith journey, but certainly I would be happy to discuss it with him,” Buttigieg said. “I just don’t know where that’s coming from, you know.”

He continued: “Certainly, it has been a complex journey for me, as it is for a lot of people, but I’m pretty sure I’ve been a believer longer than he’s been a Republican.”

GLAAD called Trump’s claims about Buttigieg’s faith “simply false” in a press release.

“Saying [Pete Buttigieg] is only pretending to be religious reinforces the toxic notion that LGBTQ people can’t be religious,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis tweeted.

“Like me, Buttigieg is one of millions of devout LGBTQ people. He lives out his faith, something [Donald Trump] could learn from.”

Buttigieg has spoken openly and frequently about his faith and religious journey on the campaign trail. Last year, he said his marriage to husband Chasten had moved him “closer to God” during a speech before the LGBTQ Victory Fund’s Champagne Brunch.

“You may be religious and you may not,” he added. “But if you are, and you are also queer, and you have come through the other side of a period of wishing that you weren’t, then you know that message, the idea that there is something wrong with you, is a message that puts you at war, not only with yourself, but with your Maker.

“And, speaking only for myself, I can tell you that if being gay was a choice, it was a choice made far, far above my pay grade,” Buttigieg said. “And that’s the thing I wish the Mike Pences of the world would understand, that if you’ve got a problem with who I am, your problem is not with me. Your quarrel, sir, is with my Creator.” l

GOING POSTAL

Man charged with sending fake anthrax to New York gay bar that tried to ban him. By John Riley

A

CANADIAN CITIZEN WHO WAS KICKED OUT of a gay bar in New York City has been charged with mailing fake anthrax to the establishment after employees threatened to ban him.

Ameen Keshvajee, 57, faces federal charges of sending a threat through the mail and conveying a hoax. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison.

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Keshvajee, a regular patron of Nowhere bar, a gay bar in Manhattan’s

East Village neighborhood, began sending email messages to an employee at the bar.

In February 2019, the employee informed Keshvajee if he kept sending him messages at his private account, he would be banned from the bar. Keshvajee stopped coming to the bar, but began sending threatening emails to the employee, even indicating that he wished for the employee’s death.

According to the New York Daily News, one email, dated Feb. 25, Keshvajee allegedly wrote: “DIE OF AIDS, you leftie, hypocrite, democrat-voting FUCKS!!!!! I sincerely

JANUARY 9, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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theFeed hope [the employee’s partner] gives it to you, you fucking disgrace to the planet! I will be there to pee on your individual coffins!”

Two days later, he then allegedly wrote an email stating: “I miss my little spot. You fuck.”

On Dec. 9, 2019, Keshvajee allegedly mailed an envelope to the bar addressed to the employee in question.

The envelope included a white powdery substance and bore the message: “It’s called anthrax. Enjoy.”

Upon opening the envelope, the employee called 911.

Officers responded to the scene, secured the area, and confiscated the envelope and the letter. The City of New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Public Health Laboratory later concluded that the materials did not contain anthrax.

Postal Service investigators were able to connect Keshvajee to the threat by confirming he’d used his credit card to buy the stamp on the envelope, prosecutors say.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said that Keshvajee’s arrest “makes clear that we will not tolerate anthrax threats” and that Keshvajee would have to pay for his alleged “threatening actions.”

“Even though there was no actual anthrax in the note allegedly mailed by Keshavjee, that doesn’t minimize the consequences of the crime,” FBI Assistant Director William Sweeney, Jr., said in a statement. “Hoax threats not only intimidate the victims they are intended for, they require extensive law enforcement resources that could be better used elsewhere. For anyone out there who might be contemplating a hoax of this nature, just remember Keshavjee now faces up to 10 years in prison for his alleged actions.”

Keshvajee has since been released on $20,000 bail and been ordered to stay away from the bar or have contact with any of its employees as he awaits trial. He has thus far declined to comment publicly on the charges against him. l

MURDEROUS INTENT

Gay Michigan hairstylist killed and mutilated after meeting up with Grindr contact. By John Riley

A

MICHIGAN MAN HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH murdering a 25-year-old gay man whom he allegedly lured using the dating app Grindr.

Mark Latunski, 50, was arraigned last week on one count of open murder and one count of mutilation of a human body in relation to the death of Kevin Bacon, a hairstylist and psychology student at the University of Michigan-Flint.

Latunski could face up to life in prison if found guilty.

Latunski did not appear in the courtroom, but was arraigned via video. When asked if his name was Mark Latunski, he said that his name was “Edgar Thomas Hill” and that Mark Latunski was his nephew. He was appointed a public defender, and will be held without bond while he awaits trial.

Michelle Myers, Bacon’s friend and roommate, told The Flint Journal-MLive that Bacon told her he was meeting a man from a dating app around 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve. At 6:12 p.m., he texted, saying he was going to be out for a while, and wasn’t sure when he’d return, but was having fun.

Karl Bacon, Kevin’s dad, told MLive his son was supposed to come over for breakfast around 9 a.m. on Christmas Day, but never showed up. He became concerned and called police around 5 p.m.

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Karl Bacon said he met with police in Swartz Creek, Mich., and later found his son’s car in the parking lot of a plaza near a Family Dollar store.

Inside the car, police found Kevin Bacon’s phone and wallet. They also found Kevin Bacon’s clothes in a bag in the backseat of his car, with only his car keys missing.

Police led to Latunski’s home on Dec. 28 after Facebook posts were relayed to the Clayton Township Police Department, Karl Bacon told MLive. There, they found Bacon’s body, hanging naked from the ceiling, and arrested Latunski.

According to police, Latunski confessed to stabbing Bacon in the back with a knife and then slitting his throat before hanging his body from the rafters on the ceiling.

He also admitted to cutting off Bacon’s testicles and eating them, reports Lansing NBC affiliate WILX. Latunski is next scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday morning for a preliminary examination to determine competency, and a pretrial hearing on Jan. 14.

Latunski was previously charged with kidnapping in 2013 for allegedly taking two of his four children from his ex-wife. Those charges were dismissed after several competency hearings. l

Community FRIDAY, January 10

an appointment, call 202-8498029. www.metrohealthdc.org.

GAMMA is a confidential, vol-

WOMEN IN THEIR TWENTIES (AND THIRTIES), a social

discussion and activity group for queer women, meets at The DC Center on the second and fourth Friday of each month.

Group social activity to follow the meeting. 8-9:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www. thedccenter.org.

Weekly Events ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH

offers free HIV testing and HIV services (by appointment). 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Decatur Center, 1400 Decatur St. NW. To arrange an appointment, call 202-291-4707, or visit www.andromedatransculturalhealth.org.

BET MISHPACHAH, founded

by members of the LGBT community, holds Friday evening Shabbat services in the DC Jewish Community Center’s Community Room. 8 p.m. 1529 16th St. NW. For more information, visit www.betmish.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB holds

a practice session at Howard University. 6:30-8 p.m. Burr Gymnasium, 2400 6th St. NW. For more information, visit www.swimdcac.org.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-

Walker Health. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at 1525 14th St. NW. For an appointment, call 202-7457000 or visit www.whitman-walker.org.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY (K.I.) SERVICES, 20 S. Quaker Lane, Suite 210, Alexandria, Va., offers $30 “rapid” HIV testing and counseling by appointment only. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Must schedule special appointment if seeking testing after 2 p.m. Call 703823-4401. www.kiservices.org.

METROHEALTH CENTER

offers free, rapid HIV testing.

Appointment needed. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700. To arrange

PROJECT STRIPES hosts

LGBT-affirming social group for ages 11-24. 4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road NW. Contact Tamara, 202-319-0422, www. layc-dc.org.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HIPS

untary, peer-support group for men who are gay, bisexual, questioning and who are now or who have been in a relationship with a woman. 7:30-9:30 p.m. Luther Place Memorial Church, 1226 Vermont Ave NW. GAMMA meetings are also held in Vienna, Va., and in Frederick, Md. For more information, visit www.gammaindc.org.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 11 CENTER GLOBAL, a group that

SEEKING SUPPORT

HIPS holds volunteer orientation for supporting sex workers and other vulnerable populations.

A

T HIPS, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PROGRAMS THAT are unfunded, so we rely on volunteers to make sure those programs keep operating,” says Alexandra Bradley, the mobile services outreach manager for HIPS, the D.C.-based sex worker advocacy organization.

Among HIPS’s offerings is an overnight outreach program that seeks to engage sex workers, drug users, people experiencing housing insecurity, and a fair number of LGBTQ people — particularly transgender clients — by promoting safe sex, clean needles, and counseling. Mobile outreach volunteers can offer clients safer sex supplies, naloxone to prevent drug overdoses, and micro-counseling services to check on the status of sex workers and teach them how to better protect themselves on the streets.

“We just want to make sure that they are being heard, supported, and are safe,” says Bradley.

Volunteers can help with HIPS’s 24-hour hotline, offering assistance or advice to those in need, as well as assist with data entry for its records and fundraising and advocacy, such as talking about the importance of a bill, now before the D.C. Council, that would decriminalize sex work in the District.

Two volunteer training orientations are offered each year, and involve in-depth, day-long events that provide the equivalent of 40 hours of training on an expedited basis. The next orientation is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 11.

“Anybody with lived experiences is best suited to serve our clients, because they know what it means to be in one of those marginalized communities that we serve,” notes Bradley. “So if you are a person who is a sex worker, or has been, if you are a person who has struggled with drug use, if you are a person who is LGBTQ+, has experienced homelessness or housing insecurity, those are the folks who have the best idea of how to serve our clients.

“Those who have experience with counseling or direct service work will have an easier time,” Bradley adds “But we will welcome anybody who has an open mind and can embrace a harm-reduction approach.” —John Riley HIPS’s Winter 2020 Volunteer Orientation will be held on Saturday, Jan. 11, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 906 H St NE. Those interested in volunteering should fill out an application beforehand by visiting www.bit.ly/hipsmetro. Visit www.hips.org or email outreach@hips.org.

advocates for LGBTIQ rights and fights against anti-LGBTIQ laws in more than 80 countries, holds its monthly meeting at The DC Center. 12-1:30 p.m.

2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.

For more information, visit www.thedccenter.org.

The DC Center hosts a monthly meeting of UNIVERSAL PRIDE, a group to support and empower LGBTQIA people with disabilities, offer perspectives on dating and relationships, and create greater access in public spaces for LGBTQIA PWDs. 1-2:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, contact Andy Arias, andyarias09@gmail.com.

Weekly Events DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a

practice session at Montgomery College Aquatics Club. 8:3010 a.m. 7600 Takoma Ave., Takoma, Md. For more information, visit www.swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/ walking/social club welcomes runners of all ability levels for exercise in a fun and supportive environment, with socializing afterwards. Route distance will be 3-6 miles. Walkers meet at 9:30 a.m. and runners at 10 a.m. at 23rd & P Streets NW. For more information, visit www. dcfrontrunners.org.

SUNDAY, January 12 LAMBDA SCI-FI holds a

monthly meeting and social for LGBTQ sci-fi, fantasy, and horror fans. Bring snacks or non-alcoholic beverages to share. Meeting starts at 1:30 p.m. Social from 2-4:30 p.m.

For location and more details, visit www.lambdascifi.org.

Weekly Events BETHEL CHURCH-DC pro-

gressive and radically inclusive church holds services at 11:30 a.m.

2217 Minnesota Ave. SE. 202248-1895, www.betheldc.org.

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DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a

practice session at Wilson Aquatic Center. 9:30-11 a.m. 4551 Fort Dr. NW. For more information, visit www.swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/

walking/social club welcomes runners of all ability levels for exercise in a fun and supportive environment, with socializing afterwards.

Route distances vary. For meeting places and more information, visit www.dcfrontrunners.org.

FAIRLINGTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH is an open, inclusive church. All welcome, including the LGBTQ community. Member of the Reconciling Ministries Network. Services at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. 3900 King Street, Alexandria, Va. 703-6718557. For more info, visit www. fairlingtonumc.org.

FRIENDS MEETING OF WASHINGTON meets for worship, 10:30 a.m., 2111 Florida Ave. NW, Quaker House Living Room (next to Meeting House on Decatur Place), 2nd floor. Special welcome to lesbians and gays. Handicapped accessible from Phelps Place gate.

Hearing assistance. Visit www. quakersdc.org.

INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT, God-centered

new age church & learning center.

Sunday Services and Workshops event. 5419 Sherier Place NW. Visit www.isd-dc.org.

LUTHERAN CHURCH OF REFORMATION invites all to

Sunday worship at 8:30 or 11 a.m.

Childcare is available at both services. Welcoming LGBT people for 25 years. 212 East Capitol St. NE. Visit www.reformationdc.org.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH OF WASHINGTON, D.C.

services at 9 a.m. (ASL interpreted) and 11 a.m. Children's Sunday School at 11 a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW. For more info, call 202-638-7373 or visit www.mccdc.com.

RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH,

a Christ-centered, interracial, welcoming-and-affirming church, offers service at 10 a.m. 680 I St. SW. For more info, call 202-5544330 or visit www.riversidedc.org.

UNITARIAN CHURCH OF ARLINGTON, an LGBTQ welcom-

ing-and-affirming congregation, offers services at 10 a.m. Virginia Rainbow UU Ministry. 4444 Arlington Blvd. For more info, visit www.uucava.org.

UNIVERSALIST NATIONAL MEMORIAL CHURCH, a welcom-

ing and inclusive church. GLBT Interweave social/service group meets monthly. Services at 11 a.m.,

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Romanesque sanctuary. 1810 16th St. NW. For more info, call 202-3873411 or visit www.universalist.org.

MONDAY, January 13 The YOUTH WORKING GROUP of The DC Center holds a monthly meeting focusing on upcoming projects and initiatives aimed at positively impacting the lives of D.C. area LGBTQ youth. 6-7:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.

For more information, visit www. thedccenter.org/youth.

Weekly Events DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a practice

session at Dunbar Aquatic Center.

7:30-9 p.m. 101 N St. NW. For more information, visit www.swimdcac.org.

DC’S DIFFERENT DRUMMERS

welcomes musicians of all abilities to join its Monday night rehearsals. The group hosts marching/color guard, concert, and jazz ensembles, with performances year round. Please contact Membership@DCDD.org to inquire about joining one of the ensembles or visit www.DCDD.org.

The DC Center hosts COFFEE

DROP-IN FOR THE SENIOR LGBT COMMUNITY. 10 a.m.-noon. 2000

14th St. NW. For more information, call 202-682-2245 or visit www. thedccenter.org.

US HELPING US hosts a black

gay men’s evening affinity group for GBT black men. Light refreshments provided. 7-9 p.m. 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.

Visit www.ushelpingus.org.

WASHINGTON WETSKINS WATER POLO TEAM practices 7-9

p.m. Newcomers with at least basic swimming ability always welcome.

Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW. For more information, contact Tom, 703-299-0504 or secretary@wetskins.org, or visit www.wetskins.org.

TUESDAY, January 14 The DC Center holds a roundtable discussion as part of its COMING OUT DISCUSSION GROUP on the second Tuesday and fourth Thursday of each month. This group is for those navigating issues associated with coming out and personal identity. 7-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www.thedccenter.org.

The DC Center is seeking volunteers to cook and serve a monthly meal for LGBTQ homeless youth at the WANDA ALSTON HOUSE on the second Tuesday of each month.

7-8 p.m. For address and more information, contact the support desk at The DC Center at supportdesk@thedccenter.org.

The DC Center’s TRANS SUPPORT GROUP provides a space to talk for transgender people and those who identify outside of the gender binary. 7-9 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www.thedccenter.org.

Weekly Events

Weekly Events

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/

walking/social club welcomes runners of all ability levels for exercise in a fun and supportive environment, with socializing afterwards.

Route distances vary. For meeting places and more information, visit www.dcfrontrunners.org.

THE GAY MEN'S 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. 703746-4986 or text 571-214-9617. www.inova.org/gmhc

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS

holds an LGBT-focused meeting every Tuesday, 7 p.m. at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 915 Oakland Ave., Arlington, just steps from Virginia Square Metro. Handicapped accessible.

Newcomers welcome. For more info, call Dick, 703-521-1999 or email liveandletliveoa@gmail.com.

Support group for LGBTQ youth ages 13-24 meets at SMYAL. 4-7 p.m. 410 7th St. SE. For more information, contact Dana White, 202567-3156, or visit www.smyal.org.

Whitman-Walker Health holds its weekly GAY MEN’S HEALTH AND WELLNESS/STD CLINIC. Patients are seen on a walk-in basis. No-cost screening for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. Hepatitis and herpes testing available for a fee.

Testing starts at 6 p.m, but should arrive early to ensure a spot. 1525 14th St. NW. For more information, visit www.whitman-walker.org.

WEDNESDAY, January 15 BOOKMEN DC, an informal men’s

gay-literature group, discusses Arthur Rimbaud’s groundbreaking poetry collection, Illuminations, in John Ashberry’s translation, at The DC Center. All are welcome to attend. 7:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. Visit www.bookmendc. blogspot.com.

DC LAMBDA SQUARES, the

LGBTQ line-dancing group, hosts a class for new dancers on Wednesdays. Students will be taught and learn the basics of modern Western square dance. Cost is $90. 7:30-9:30 p.m. Calvary Baptist Church, 755 8th St. NW. For more information, call 202-930-1058 or visit www.dclambdasquares.org.

AD LIB, a group for freestyle con-

versation, meets about 6-6:30 p.m., Steam, 17th and R NW. All welcome. For more information, call Fausto Fernandez, 703-732-5174. holds a practice session at Dunbar Aquatic Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 101 N St. NW. For more information, visit www.swimdcac.org.

FREEDOM FROM SMOKING, a

group for LGBT people looking to quit cigarettes and tobacco use, holds a weekly support meeting at The DC Center. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www.thedccenter.org.

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, www.historicchristchurch.org.

JOB CLUB, a weekly support program for job entrants and seekers, meets at The DC Center. 6-7:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.

For more info, email centercareers@thedccenter.org or visit www.thedccenter.org/careers.

WASHINGTON WETSKINS WATER POLO TEAM practices 7-9

p.m. Newcomers with at least basic swimming ability always welcome.

Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW. For more information, contact Tom, 703-299-0504 or secretary@wetskins.org, or visit www.wetskins.org.

THURSDAY, January 16 AGLA BOOK CLUB meets at

Federico’s Ristorante Italiano to discuss Oklahomo: Pee, Peeping, Police, Pistols, Puritans, Pedophiles, and a Witch, by C.T. Madrigal.

Everyone welcome. 7:30-9 p.m. 519 23rd St. S., Arlington, Va. Please RSVP in advance by emailing info@agla.org.

Join other LGBTQ military, national security, and DoD workers for the monthly DOD PRIDE HAPPY HOUR at Freddie’s Beach Bar. 5-8 p.m. 555 23rd St. S., Arlington, Va. For more information, visit www. facebook.com/DoDPrideEvents.

The DC Center holds a meeting of its POLY DISCUSSION GROUP, for people interested in polyamory, non-monogamy or other nontraditional relationships. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. Visit www. thedccenter.org. l For more events, visit metroweekly. com/community/calendar.

JANUARY 9, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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Opera Provocateur Timothy Nelson has big ideas for the In Series, which he is positioning as a model for the future of opera.

Interview by Doug Rule Photography by Todd Franson

T

HE SIGN CAUGHT TIMOTHY NELSON’S EYE A FEW days after he and husband Jeffrey had moved to D.C. “We repent of our racist past,” read the placard outside the Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church. “I thought that was so powerful, and having just moved back to America from the Netherlands, which would never admit its own racism, was really striking for me,” he says.

Not long after, Nelson found himself in the church to see a production put on by the Washington Stage Guild, which performs in the venue’s Undercroft Theatre. “When I was leaving, the person giving me a tour said, ‘We're looking for a minister of music.’ So it all sort of happened serendipitously.”

His work as the church’s music minister provides Nelson a space to “unwind and recharge.” Although it is a paid position, it’s the closest thing to a downtime activity or hobby — outside of the gym — for Nelson, who is now in his second year as the artistic director of the In Series, the forward-thinking, theatrical-leaning opera company.

“Of course, this is Methodist, so it's a really interesting time to be in the church,” Nelson says, referring to the recent decision by the denomination’s parent body to split into two groups along the issue of same-sex marriage. “Mount Vernon, they're a very gay church, and a very young church,” Nelson says. “It's a church with an amazing story, because it was billed as the national church for the racist wing of the Methodist Church.” That was during the Civil War and the previous schism among Methodist churches over slavery. The Mount Vernon church stands as an example of hope and progress when it comes to dealing with thorny and complicated social and historical issues. “I love being part of a community that's dealing with the legacy of its past,” Nelson says. “I hope to collaborate with them on a project next year that is about looking at reconstruction

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and what happened after the Civil War, in the same way we collaborated with Foundry [United Methodist Church] this season.”

The In Series partnership with Foundry to stage L’enfance du Christ was a “community project that engages the community in the making of an opera, and then has a follow-through action at the end of it.” It follows last season’s production of the zarzuela La Paloma at the Wall at GALA Hispanic Theatre, in which “we had youths from the Latin American Youth Center in Columbia Heights build the set and design, and we told their stories of immigration. We also provided resources [to help facilitate] the audience to become involved in different immigration relief efforts following it.... There's no question that it's the sort of work we need to be doing, and that the key to our relevancy and success as an organization is partnerships and collaborations with disparate organizations in the community. It makes us stronger, and it makes our work more meaningful.”

“It's still very fresh — it's still scary every morning when I get out of bed,” Nelson says about leading the In Series, where he succeeded Carla Hübner, who founded the organization 38 years ago. Nelson has big ideas for the small opera and cabaret company, and can take at least some comfort in the fact that 2019 ended with a boost. “In our holiday appeal this year, we raised double what I expected, and most of those are small donations, which is flooring me.” The group has also attracted new subscribers as a result of the partnerships with Foundry and the Latin American Youth Center, plus another with the IranianAmerican Community Center.

Nelson is also heartened by the relationship that has developed with Hübner, whom he considers a mentor. Last September, she threw him a 40th birthday party that he also saw as a ceremonial “passing of the torch.”

“Carla always had her birthday as a fundraiser for the organization,” he says. “We held it at her apartment building, and she hosted a birthday party for me as a fundraiser. It was actually quite sweet.”

METRO WEEKLY: Let’s start with the current In Series production

Le Cabaret de Carmen, which I understand has almost sold-out its D.C. run.

TIMOTHY NELSON: Yeah, we’ve added a couple of extra performances. Then we're taking the show to Baltimore in February.

Le Cabaret de Carmen has just turned out to be popular for a number of reasons. D.C. has one of the most thriving tango scenes in the country, so the tango community has really stepped-up and been engaged. I think that's had a lot to do with the success.

MW: I can’t recall having heard that D.C. has a thriving tango scene before now.

NELSON: I don't know the reason why, but D.C. has a huge tango community. And not just traditional tango, but it has one of the nation's leading queer tango groups. And they partnered with us on this because the piece is dealing with a lot of expanded gender and also violence against trans women. So we've been able to reach a subset of the tango community.

MW: Elaborate more on the queer elements you’ve introduced in this adaptation of Bizet’s famously provocative opera.

NELSON: We tightrope a thin line, but we play with the idea that Carmen's gender is not identified, and that she very well could be a trans woman. It's influenced by the films of Almodóvar, particularly Bad Education. That really informs Jose's backstory because in the original opera, we know he left home under some nefarious circumstances, and he feels rejected, but this really 26

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defines homophobia as the cause behind that. The whole piece sort of plays with nonconforming gender personas, especially with the acting roles that we've added to it.

MW: Is that something you’ve seen done in previous versions of Carmen?

NELSON: No, never. It wasn't even the intention when we started working on it. As we created the piece and wrote it together, it just happened organically. So the piece is now very much men dancing with men, women kissing women, a gender-fluid emcee or host of the evening. Which also connects with tango in a really interesting way because tango, of course, started as a dance in these predominantly all-male immigrant communities in Buenos Aires, so it was really a dance between two men originally.

MW: That’s something else I didn't know.

NELSON: I didn't make the connection until we started working with our bandoneon player. The bandoneon is the principal instrument in tango orchestra — tango is traditionally a very male and misogynistic world — and this is a nurse from Georgetown who decided she wanted to learn the bandoneon.

She moved to Buenos Aires for a year and lived in this world, and is now one of the top bandoneon players in the country, and lives here in D.C. She helped give the piece a historical context, and made us understand how tango can be woven in, in a more integrated way.

A lot of the outreach we're doing with this piece [revolves around] providing dance lessons before the shows and allowing the audience to dance on the stage with the orchestra playing real tangos. We try to make it a full evening of exploring tango, as a theatrical experience. We have a queer night [Friday, Jan. 10; sold out] when we'll do a queer tango lesson before the performance. Then the next night we have a Beginner Tango Lesson for people who don't know how to tango. There's also an Advanced Tango Lesson [Friday, Jan. 17) for people who are experienced tango dancers, and want to come dance. They'll all go on stage with the players before the show starts.

MW: Beyond its twists on gender and sexuality, this Carmen sounds like a rare, intimate, and intense adaptation.

NELSON: For me, it’s the most gripping that opera can be. The audience is on stage at tables with the performers, so it feels very voyeuristic. Sometimes it's incredibly raw. We had to add a parental advisory because it's quite strong. Sometimes it's very funny. The Toreador is done as a sort of bad lounge singer who does a whole comedy routine, and then all of a sudden you're into scenes of great violence. In 80 minutes, it's like being punched in the gut.

Peter Brook, the English director in the '80s, did a very famous production called The Tragedy of Carmen that was for four singers, two actors, and an orchestra of, I think, 14. It was the first time anyone had the audacity to take one of these great warhorses and strip them bare. He returned to the rawness of the original novel that it's based on, where Jose kills five people, and he's really a serial killer, and it's much darker. That toured the world for about a decade. It sort of changed the face of opera.

What we did was take that score and that approach, and write an entirely new concept and new dialog, and set it inside a sort of underbelly Latin nightclub that is also a sex trafficking place and a place for various gendered pairings.

MW: Hence the warning.

NELSON: Yeah, exactly. It's strong. I have to say, I've watched it now in rehearsals for quite a long time, and I wrote the piece — there are still moments when I have to look away.

MW: What's next after Carmen?

NELSON: We do a festival of all living women composers, many

of whom are local. That will be one weekend in March. It's a gala concert, two different operas, and then two late-night cabarets. Then we end the season in April with a circus version of Rigoletto at the Atlas.

MW: This seems like a good time for a brief description of the In Series for those who are new or unfamiliar.

NELSON: Last year, we did a rebranding [with the] tagline, "Opera that speaks, and theater that sings," which kind of says it all to me. Music, of course, allows an emotional connection that words can't provide, and so we are able to go deeper than spoken theater, but the way we value dramatic integrity also allows us to go stronger than opera normally does.

MW: That speaks to the fundamental core of the organization. How would you say that translates into actual In Series shows?

NELSON: They're so varied. Just look at this season. We did a ver-

the reviews that they were changed. That it was transformative.

For me, that's the most meaningful feedback I could get. It made it all worth it to know that people had an experience that made them feel and think differently about how we offer hospitality to strangers.

MW: It humanized the issue of immigration.

NELSON: Yes. And it connected with the holy family as a migrant family, seeing violence and in need of hospitality, and that created a space that people could think of immigration in a different way. It was tied to Foundry's social justice ministry, so after the performances, audiences went right into an action fair where they could learn how to participate in going to appointments with ICE agents to make sure that everyone's accounted for when they leave, and how they can be part of finding housing for immigrants — [it] was this other thing that happened on

“Some of my most successful shows from my early days were just well-done shows, but they weren’t about anything. IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO LEARN THAT I WASN’T HAPPY UNLESS I WAS DOING SHOWS THAT I HAD A SPIRITUAL AND EMOTIONAL CONNECTION TO.” sion of Butterfly with a prepared piano. Then we did a version of The Tempest from the enslaved black perspective with the music of Billie Holiday. Then we went to a staged oratorio in a church, moving all around. And now we're doing this really dark, immersive cabaret thing. Then we're going to go to a circus Rigoletto.

It's just sort of all over the place. It's really important to me that we're nomadic and we choose spaces that fit the productions.

When we do a circus, it's going to feel like a circus. When we do a cabaret Carmen, it's going to feel like you're under a highway in a really seedy bar.

MW: Being nomadic too, that goes hand-in-hand with the idea of establishing strong partnerships and deepening ties to the community.

NELSON: Precisely. In a city like D.C., if you're committed to being nomadic, you have a big problem. And unless you can form partnerships with institutions where it's mutually beneficial to produce art in their spaces, there's no way to do it.

MW: I know you’re especially proud of this season’s partnership with Foundry United Methodist Church for the staging Berlioz’s grand oratorio L'enfance du Christ. How did that go?

NELSON: That was the hardest thing I've ever done, and maybe the most rewarding at the same time. It was site-specific and immersive, in the sense that the audience moved with the performers around the entire space. It was very much a community project, so there were a lot of moving pieces. That was hard to coordinate.

We've done really well in terms of the press this year. Butterfly was maybe our most praised show ever, and Stormy Weather was a big success. With L'enfance, the comments weren't just that it was good or that it was well-done, but people said and wrote in

the other end of the production that made the whole thing tie together beautifully.

MW: Is Carla Hübner still involved?

NELSON: Carla is listed in all of our materials as Founder Emerita. On a contract basis, we bring her in as an advisor for the history of the organization, help with the fundraising, and then she's sort of become a personal mentor to me. When I have fundamental, philosophical questions about programing, about what we're doing as an organization, she and I meet for tea and have long conversations, where she does her beautiful abuela routine and calms me down.

MW: You didn't know her before taking this job, did you?

NELSON: No, I didn't know her at all. She's amazing for many, many reasons, but what I most admire is she and I are very different in the way we approach programing and making art. She trusts me, and she respects me. She'll give me her opinion, but then if I go a different direction, she always supports me, which rarely happens with a founder.

MW: Have you gotten any sort of concrete feedback from her about how she thinks the In Series has changed?

NELSON: Only in a sense of an acknowledgement that my priorities are different than hers. Oftentimes, she'll express, and rightly so, skepticism about some of my more far-fetched ideas. That skepticism helps me to think about how I'm going to accomplish those ideas.

This group asked me to be on a panel about successful transitions, where I said, "I don't know what made Carla and my transition successful except that I was compassionate to the fact that this was her baby and she was giving it to me. And that's huge, and I need to respect that for a very long time."

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MW: I imagine that works to keep you from doing some things you

might have pursued in another organization.

NELSON: Not in terms of programming, but in terms of messaging. It's probably stopped me from being as much an enfant terrible as my gut wants me to be, and that's probably for the best.

MW: You don't want to ruffle too many feathers all at once.

NELSON: Right. I came of age in Baltimore, which is close, but a very different place. And it’s taken me time to learn D.C.'s audiences, and it has been a valuable lesson in realizing in what ways they're a really great audience, in terms of how educated they are and how willing they are to build in a context to their experience with the art. But it's also a very conservative town. Aesthetically.

MW: And your general approach is not exactly conservative.

NELSON: It is very much not conservative.

MW: Do you feel like you’re making progress with the organization?

And is it shaping up as you hoped or expected?

NELSON: Unquestionably, it's much harder than I thought it

NELSON: Yup. I am the uber-privileged of the uber-privileged in

the opera world.

MW: How much does that fact impact the push for greater diversity in opera?

NELSON: It’s ongoing and evolving, the understanding of how one works as a white, male artist in a way that is making space for other perspectives and other stories, and how one learns to step out of the way when it's necessary, and how one deals with privilege. Privilege, of course, in most cases isn't a choice, but is a fact. I'm still wrestling with this. I haven't figured out how, but I feel bound and obliged to make my work about providing, in whatever small way, some remedy for the extraordinary amount of privilege I have.

MW: Where were you born?

NELSON: West Virginia. I grew up in Southwest Virginia, but my mom's from Baltimore, and I would spend summers there. Then I went for my undergrad in Baltimore, and lived there for about

“I believe with all my being in the potential of opera to make the world better. I hate what most opera production is, the triviality of it. IT IS ELITIST, IT IS REMOVED FROM THE IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS THAT NEED TO BE HAPPENING.” would be. I had this company of my own years ago — Baltimore’s American Opera Theater — and I left it and went to Europe, and I missed it every day for a decade and a half. I sort of naively felt coming back that this would be my dream job. It is my dream job, but that doesn't mean it's a dream. Right now, we're doing a lot of art with too few resources and people. We're building, we're changing, we're doing a huge cultural shift, and we're really growing the organization, and that's hard. I feel a little bit like I'm learning as I go in some aspects of that, and that's scary. We do six shows a year with a full-time staff of three, which is insane. The fact that we've done them well is amazing, but it's not sustainable.

We need to figure out how to grow the administrative infrastructure so that we're all not burning the candle at both ends, and that we're able to do our best work because we have the freedom to be creative and the space to think of new ideas.

MW: How much have you planned next season?

NELSON: The season's already planned. And it’ll mark a huge shift for us as an organization in terms of what we focus on.

MW: Can you offer a hint about what we can expect?

NELSON: Our entire next season is going to be focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion, with full representation of artists of color not only in our cast, but also in our creative teams, our staff, in our board. Part of that will come from starting a new program that I can't announce yet, but we'll be the first in the country to have such a program. And because it’s a first, it’s scary. No one's done it before. We're still trying to figure it out.

MW: It seems important here to state the obvious, the fact that you’re a white man.

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a decade. I studied composition at Peabody. I wanted to be a composer from the time I was eight.

MW: Did you sing or have any desire to perform?

NELSON: I was a gay boy — I played Winthrop Paroo in The Music Man in the sixth grade, but I wasn't a particularly good actor. Classical music and especially composing is a very solitary way of working. It provided a refuge for what it was to grow up as an effeminate gay boy in rural Appalachia. I think that's probably why, at such a young age, I knew classical music was a safe space for me. It was something I could do that no one else could do, and it kept me safe from the schoolyard bullies. It was a way for me to take pride in myself when I couldn't dribble a basketball, or was afraid to take my shirt off in PE and things like that.

It gave me a space where I felt I had control. It was some place that I could turn at the end of a school day to find solace.

MW: When did you come out?

NELSON: My senior year of high school.

MW: What gave you the courage to come out at that age, in that time, and in West Virginia?

NELSON: Well, I fell out. My parents found something that I hadn't intended them to find.

MW: How did they react?

NELSON: It's very strange. I'm very blessed to have the picturesque, nuclear family, and my parents have always been 100-percent supportive of this strange little being that did music.

They're both scientists. There's not a musical bone in anyone's body.

When I came out, they took it really hard, and they rejected

me and kicked me out of the house. Within days, they were devastated by what they had done. I was living on my own. I thought, "This is great," so I didn't move back in. Our relationship was repaired within weeks, and they have always been beyond supportive since then.

MW: Where did you go?

NELSON: I had a girlfriend — but not a girlfriend, a friend — whose mother let me move in with them.

MW: How did you go from the Peabody in Baltimore to the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam?

NELSON: Oh, there’s always a man involved! At Peabody, I met my first husband. He was a baroque violinist, and we went to our master's program — Indiana University in Bloomington, the one school that had a degree both in Opera Stage Direction and in Baroque Violin — for two years. Then he wanted to move to Europe, and rightly so, because there's not enough work in America to be a baroque violinist. I thought that that's what I wanted too. I thought I wanted the big, flashy European career. We moved first to Barcelona, and then we moved to Brussels. Then finally, we settled in Amsterdam, where I got a job running the National YoungArts program. Things happen. Thirteen years later, we split up.

I had, for a long time, been feeling called to come back to America. America felt like home. I realized I didn't want that big career. I actually wanted a company where I could do honest work. So I was just waiting for the right job. I made a lot of failed efforts to get the wrong jobs, and then this one came around.

MW: Before the move, you first lived in London for two years.

NELSON: Where I met a boy! I was doing a production for English Touring Opera and I met my now-husband, who’s Singaporean, but he studied in the U.K. and was an anesthesiologist in London.

I convinced him to move to America, where he has to start his medical training all over again from scratch — he must really love me.

MW: The U.S. doesn't accept British credentials?

NELSON: America's the only country that won't accept it. It'll take him two years to do tests that allow him not to have to do medical school again, but then he'll have to do residency again, so it'll be six years before he's accredited again.

MW: How long have you been together?

NELSON: Three years, and we got married one year ago.

MW: Is he a fan of opera?

NELSON: Yes. We were at a party and we were introduced to each other because the person knew we both liked opera. It turns out we have very different tastes in opera, or we did then. I've sort of brought him over to the dark side, and he is the most loyal. He

comes to every rehearsal, he comes to every performance. He's one of the most essential members of the In Series family.

MW: Do you consider yourself a whole-hearted opera aficionado today?

NELSON: That's a tricky question. I like to say that I hate opera, but what I really mean is I believe with all my being in the poten-

tial of opera to make the world better. I hate what most opera production is, the triviality of it. It is elitist, it is removed from the important conversations that need to be happening, when it could be the tool for open spaces for those conversations. I very rarely go to the opera. I almost never stay for the entire performance, because it hurts me to see opera fail so bad at what it should be doing.

MW: What makes an opera “fail”?

NELSON: I'm talking about the artistic quality. I'm talking about JANUARY 9, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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valuing the things that aren't important over a chance to really connect with an audience member and change their lives.

MW: Can you elaborate?

NELSON: Oh, you're going to get me in trouble. Let me think. If I found a tremendously powerful, moving artist of color who could actually sing Verdi's Otello, I would recognize that as an opportunity in the age of Black Lives Matter to have a real conversation with a piece that is about race. To not design a production for that artist that talks about those issues, I find to be offensive.

In opera, it's still all right to do — I'm not going to name the company, but a local company — [Bizet’s] The Pearl Fishers and have a bunch of white people dressed up as some fettishized, Western idea of what a Hindu looks like, but with projections of the Buddha. That would not be permitted in any other art form.

In opera, it goes without comment.

Because I love opera, and because I think it has the potential to fix these problems, to see it so willfully ignore its role in being a solution, or part of the solution, I find it really hard to bear.

MW: You have such passion and drive for involving and engaging the community in your work. Do you know where that came from?

NELSON: When I got into directing opera, I wanted to make shows. Somewhere along the line, I got exposed to the work of Peter Sellars. And by chance, I met him, and he became my mentor. What I learned from him is this principle that art which is unconcerned with justice is vulgar, it's obscene. That's a guiding principle in my work that came from him directly.

MW: When did you pick that up, in college?

NELSON: It was after I'd finished my undergrad. I went out to Santa Fe Opera, and he was doing an opera there. It's hard to describe. He's one of these guru people that when you meet him,

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your life can be changed, and mine was. At least my artistic life — the sort of waking up moment, that realizing your art can mean more. It doesn't have to be just about putting on a show. It can be about making your community better.

MW: There are limits and exceptions to such a principle.

NELSON: Absolutely. One of the tough things about being an artist is, when there is a blight on the community, either a tragedy or a trauma or even just chronic poverty, you think, "And I'm here making art." That's something artists wrestle with every day. Everyone has to come to their own conclusion on that. For me, personally, I needed something more concrete than, "I know art makes the world better." I needed to be able to see a direct line between the issues I tackle with my art and what's going on outside the theater doors. That's not right, nor should it be, for everyone.

Also, some of my most successful shows, even to this day, were the ones I did in the early days. But to me, they're the most meaningless. They were well-done shows, but they weren't about anything. It took me a while to learn that I wasn't happy unless I was doing shows that I had a spiritual and emotional connection to.

Now I have a platform to do work that I've wanted to do for almost two decades. L'enfance du Christ was something I wanted to do when the Darfur crisis hit the public consciousness, and I just didn't have the resources to do it then. Having those opportunities now and seeing the impact they have just encourages one to go further. l Le Cabaret de Carmen runs weekends to Jan. 19 at the Source, 1835 14th St. NW. Many shows are sold out, with remaining tickets $21 to $46. Call 202-204-7760 or visit www.inseries.org.

Movies

Mission Unstoppable

V

Sam Mendes’s lean, suspenseful World War I drama 1917 pulsates with urgency and purpose. By André Hereford

IRTUOSITY MEANS MAKING THE HARD PARTS LOOK EASY, AND, HOWever difficult it might have been for director Sam Mendes and the cast and crew of 1917 (HHHHH) to create the illusion that this riveting World War I story was captured in a single, continuous take, the film plays out with a seamless fluidity that belies their tremendous effort. Following two intrepid British Army soldiers — Lance Corporal Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Lance Corporal Schofield (George MacKay) — dispatched on a virtual suicide mission across enemy lines, the movie marches, runs, and battles forward relentlessly into danger.

Legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins (Blade Runner 2049) sends the camera hurtling alongside Blake and Schofield through trenches and sub-trenches, plunging into a rushing river, and across cratered fields, burned and barren. Usually the view is limited to what the men on the ground can see and hear for themselves, although occasionally the camera rises above the foot soldiers to fully survey their peril on the battlefield. Schofield, a decorated soldier who appears to have seen the worst of war, might want to turn back, but Blake remains determined to carry out their orders, assigned to them by General Erinmore (Colin Firth) — reach the 2nd Division and prevent the unit’s commander from leading his men, including Blake’s brother, into a deadly ambush.

To complete their mission, they’ll need to cross No Man’s Land, the razor wirestrewn void that lies between the Allies and the German front line. They’ll need to pass under the dark of night through the devastated remains of the formerly occupied French village Écouste-Saint-Mein. And nearly every step of the way they’ll be reminded that certain death awaits thousands of soldiers fighting the Great War,

and any man should count himself lucky to come out alive.

As with many fine war films, 1917 delivers a profound anti-war message in its careful depiction of the hell that is combat. Harnessing its two likable leads to a straightforward quest narrative, the movie leans on vivid production design to evoke a literal fiery hellscape of rats and mud and rotting corpses, and charred crevices that might once have been farmland but now serve as mass graves. Considering the risk of such apocalyptic circumstances, the film suggests, beware of any leader who too lightly sends young patriots to die. The script, by Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns, brings that message to the fore in the form of a warning delivered by an upstanding captain who crosses the soldiers’ path. This Captain Smith is portrayed, in a brief, impactful turn, by Mark Strong, and he’s one of several seasoned Army officers played by famous faces, from Fleabag’s Andrew Scott to Benedict Cumberbatch.

However, it’s up to young guns MacKay, so great opposite Viggo Mortensen in Captain Fantastic, and Chapman, perhaps best known as Tommen Baratheon on Game of Thrones, to keep these characters — and the film — on the move. Beyond

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enacting Blake and Schofield’s grueling physical campaign, progressing virtually in real time, Chapman’s and MacKay’s performances provide the emotion that will keep audiences teetering on the edge of suspense. Blake’s heedless resolve to reach the 2nd and save his brother complements Schofield’s extraordinary will to survive.

They might, alternately, be motivated by duty or decency, impulse or strategy, yet, always behind their eyes, you can sense the fear. And you can see how they set terror aside, both for each other and for the lives of the 1,600 men of the 2nd. They’re a First World War Frodo and Sam, armed with a map, flashlights, their rifles, and a couple of grenades.

They also have the guile and courage to slip through their share of traps, and engineer last-minute escapes worthy of Indiana Jones.

And they’re lifted up throughout by composer Thomas Newman’s elegiac score. At times, the pockmarked fields of battle and half-destroyed buildings — shot on location in England and Scotland, and at Shepperton Studios — seem to vanish from view, and there’s nothing but bombs exploding in midair, the billowing music, and the fear on their faces as they run for their lives.

This is art to give pause to any viewer with a conscience, with a finger on the trigger, or the power to choose when and where wars get fought. l 1917 is rated R, and opens in theaters everywhere on Friday, January 10. Visit www.fandango.com.

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Television

New York Girl

Awkwafina’s frenetic charm takes center stage on Comedy Central’s Awkwafina is Nora from Queens. By André Hereford

S

INCE UNDERGROUND HIP-HOP AND COMEDY STAR AWKWAFINA found the mainstream spotlight with breakout film roles in Ocean’s 8 and Crazy, Rich Asians, she hasn’t let go. The actress and rapper earned well-deserved raves and a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her performance leading the dynamic indie feature The Farewell, and now brings her whirlwind comic energy to series television playing the slacker lead in Comedy Central’s single-camera sitcom Awkwafina is Nora from Queens (HHHHH).

Awkwafina actually is a Nora from Queens — born Nora Lum, but playing “Nora Lin” on the show. The series, co-created by Awkwafina and Fresh Off the Boat and American Dad! writer-producer Teresa Hsiao, allows ample room for its star to expand on her hyper-verbal public persona with autobiographical detail. Like Awkwafina, Nora on the show is half-Chinese, half-Korean, was raised by her single dad Wally (BD Wong), and considers her Grandma (Lori Tan Chinn) to be her best friend. Nora is also a 27-year old stay-at-home, video-gaming slob with hoarder tendencies, facts which might or might not diverge from Awkwafina’s pre-stardom reality, but feel authentic in the context of Wally and Grandma’s mild frustration that Nora hasn’t yet set a true course for her adult life.

In episode one (of the five that Comedy Central gave critics to preview), dad Wally nonchalantly compares Nora’s stalled liftoff to her cousin Edmund’s skyrocketing career in tech: “He just bought an apartment complex.” As the oft-mentioned specter of all the 21st-century success the world promises Nora — but that she has no idea how to achieve — Cousin Edmund is a sharply effective device both in the abstract and in person, played with hilariously condescending calm by Saturday Night Live’s Bowen Yang. One in a cast of performers who bring real New York, queer-friendly flavor to the

show (including Laverne Cox as the voice of God), Yang makes a fine comic foil for Awkwafina, and there isn’t enough of him 2in the series’ first few episodes.

Focusing entirely on Nora’s adventures in making some dough and finding her own apartment, episodes one and two don’t advance ‘B’ or ‘C’ plots, or meaningful development of the other characters.

Wally, Grandma, Edmund, and Nora’s friends and foes comment on her story, interact, assist, or impede her progress, and generally spread that ha-ha funny, Big Apple flavor around the background, while Nora stumbles towards finding herself. She takes on a variety of gigs from rideshare driver to online cam girl, with the writing and direction leaving Awkwafina plenty of leeway to riff and roll through setups, punchlines, and adlibs. A stoner Lucy sans Ethel, Nora gives all the wacky we can take, until these single-track scripts finally start to show compelling interest in characters other than her — which, in turn, makes her more interesting too.

In fact, the show and star really hit their stride in episode three, when Nora turns her good-humored intensity towards doing everything she can to emulate her new boss, realtor Nancy Hong (Deborah S. Craig). Dead-set on selling the handful

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of unsellable properties in her portfolio, Nancy seems somehow both a mess and completely in control, a perfectly oddball mentor to really jumpstart Nora’s journey — as well as inspire some amazingly bad copycat hair choices. This show’s hair and wig team stays busy, especially in episode four, where Nora picks up another, equally oddball mentor in a focus group scam artist played by comedian Michelle Buteau. Nora also picks up a

quick girl-on-girl kiss, not that the show ever makes any big deal of the character’s casually mentioned bisexuality.

Nora from Queens does finally make a big deal about exploring the lives of Nora’s family members in a strong episode five, well-acted by Wong, as Wally confronts his loneliness and the sense of guilt he feels for his daughter’s arrested development. The dramatic turn steers Wally into a fruitful comic subplot, joining a support group for single parents, where he’s not the only one who’s too ashamed to admit that his problem child is actually a twenty-something grownup.

That growing up is hard to do isn’t the most original hook to hang a show on, but Awkwafina is Nora from Queens derives its spark of originality from the singular voice and delivery of its star, and from a quirky depiction of her real-life experience. Although the series takes half of its first season to add momentum to the stories of those around her, we can hope that from this promising juncture the latter half of the season will play out Nora’s adventures and family foibles in a way that lends dimension to every aspect of her crazy world. l

Awkwafina is Nora from Queens premieres Thursday, Jan. 22, at 10:30 p.m. on Comedy Central.

It airs at 10:30 p.m. weekly on Thursdays. Visit www.comedycentral.com.

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NightLife Photography by Ward Morrison

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Scene

Bent at 9:30 Club - Saturday, January 4 - Photography by Ward Morrison See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene

DrinksDragDJsEtc...

Friday, January 10 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-3am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports DC EAGLE Meaty Fridays Happy Hour 5-9pm • Free Hot Dogs all night and Pizza at 7:30pm • $2 off all drinks until 9pm • $5 Cover starts at 7pm, $10 after 9pm • Birds of Prey Drag Show at 10:30pm • DJ Moka follows the drag show • Open until 3am FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Karaoke, 9pm-close

GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3 Rail and Domestic • $5 Svedka, all flavors all night long • Alpha and Omega Productions and Matt Black Productions presents GLO: Underwear Dance Party, 10pm-close • Featuring DJs Ultra and Phoenix • $5 Cover (includes clothes check) • $5 Fireball NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Open 3pm • Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Weekend Kickoff Dance Party, with Nellie’s DJs spinning bubbly pop music all night NUMBER NINE Open 5pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover • Friday Night

Destinations A LEAGUE OF HER OWN 2317 18th St. NW 202-733-2568 www.facebook.com/alohodc

Piano with Chris, 7:30pm • Friday Night Videos, 9:30pm • Rotating DJs PITCHERS Open 5pm-3am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 2am SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers TRADE Doors open 5pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $5 • Otter Happy Hour with guest DJs, 5-11pm

Saturday, January 11 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 2pm-3am • Video Games • Live televised sports AVALON SATURDAYS @Soundcheck 1420 K St. NW KINETIC Dance Party, 10pm-close • Featuring DJ Rodolfo Bravat • $20 Cover, $25 VIP • Drag Show, 10:30-11:30pm, hosted by Ba’Naka and a rotating cast of drag

FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR 555 23rd St. S. Arlington, Va. 703-685-0555 www.freddiesbeachbar.com

AVALON SATURDAYS Soundcheck 1420 K St. NW 202-789-5429 www.facebook.com/ AvalonSaturdaysDC 38

ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS Men of Secrets, 9pm • Guest dancers • Rotating DJs • Kristina Kelly’s Diva Fev-ah Drag Show • Doors at 9pm, Shows at 11:45pm • Music by DJ Jeff Eletto • Cover 21+

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GREEN LANTERN 1335 Green Ct. NW 202-347-4533 www.greenlanterndc.com

queens • $4 Absolut Drinks, 10pm-midnight • 21+ DC EAGLE Open at 5pm • Happy Hour until 9pm • LOBO (Lights Out, Barks Out): The Rawrling ’20s — Furries, Pups, Gear • Coat/ Clothes check open • $5 in advance, $10 at door • Serving until 3am FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Saturday Breakfast Buffet, 10am-3pm • $14.99 with one glass of champagne or coffee, soda or juice • Additional champagne $2 per glass • Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Freddie’s Follies Drag Show, hosted by Miss Destiny B. Childs, 8-10pm • Karaoke, 10pm-close GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $5 Bacardi, all flavors, all night long • Freeballers

Party, 10pm-close • Music

by DJs BacK2bACk • Clothes check available • $5 Fireball, $5 Margaritas, $8 Long Islands NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Drag Brunch, hosted

by Chanel Devereaux, 10:30am-12:30pm and 1-3pm • Tickets on sale at nelliessportsbar.com • House Rail Drinks, Zing Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer and Mimosas, $4, 11am-3am • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Guest DJs playing pop music all night NUMBER NINE Doors open 2pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut and $5 Bulleit Bourbon, 9pm-close • Pop Tarts, featuring VJs BacK2bACk, 10pm PITCHERS Open Noon-3am • Video Games • Foosball • Live

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR 900 U St. NW 202-332-6355 www.nelliessportsbar.com NUMBER NINE 1435 P St. NW 202-986-0999 www.numberninedc.com PITCHERS 2317 18th St. NW 202-733-2568 www.pitchersbardc.com

televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 2am SHAW’S TAVERN Brunch with $16 Bottomless Mimosas, 10am-3pm • Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Noche Latina, 11pm-2am • Food and Drink specials TRADE Doors open 2pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 2-10pm • Beer and wine only $5 ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS Men of Secrets upstairs, 9pm-close • Fully nude male dancers • Ladies of

Illusion Drag Show with host Ella Fitzgerald in Ziegfeld’s • Doors open at 9pm, Show at 11:45pm • Music by DJs Keith Hoffman and Don T. • Cover 21+

Sunday, January 12 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 2pm-12am • $4 Smirnoff and Domestic Cans • Video Games • Live televised sports DC EAGLE Open at Noon • Happy Hour until 9pm • Food served 5-8pm, $10 a plate • Cigar Sundays and Cruisy Sundays • $3 off all Whiskeys & Bourbons,

SHAW’S TAVERN 520 Florida Ave. NW 202-518-4092 www.shawstavern.com TRADE 1410 14th St. NW 202-986-1094 www.tradebardc.com ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS 1824 Half St. SW 202-863-0670 www.ziegfelds.com

$5 Chivas Regal, $15 bottomless Bud/Bud Light, $20 Bottomless Premium Drafts FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Fabulous Sunday Champagne Brunch, 10am-3pm • $24.99 with four glasses of champagne or mimosas, 1 Bloody Mary, or coffee, soda or juice • Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Piano Bar, hosted by John Flynn, 6-8:30pm • Karaoke, 9pm-close GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • Karaoke with Kevin downstairs, 9:30pm-close NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Drag Brunch, hosted

by Chanel Devereaux, 10:30am-12:30pm and 1-3pm • Tickets on sale at nelliessportsbar.com • House Rail Drinks, Zing Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer and Mimosas, $4, 11am-1am • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Guest DJs NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut and $5 Bulleit Bourbon, 9pm-close • Multiple TVs showing movies, shows, sports • Expanded craft beer selection • Pop Goes the World with Wes Della Volla at 9:30pm • No Cover PITCHERS Open Noon-2am • $4 Smirnoff, includes flavored, $4 Coors Light or $4 Miller Lites, 2-9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live

televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm SHAW’S TAVERN Brunch with $16 Bottomless Mimosas, 10am-3pm • Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Dinner and Drag with Miss Kristina Kelly, 8pm • No Cover • For reservations, email shawsdinnerdragshow@gmail.com TRADE Doors open 2pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 2-10pm • Beer and wine only $5

Monday, January 13 DC EAGLE Manic Mondays • Happy Hour until 9pm, $2 off all drinks • Free Pool play • $2 Bud & Bud Lights, $15 bottomless premium drafts FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Singles Night • Half-Priced Pasta Dishes • Karaoke, 9pm GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3 rail cocktails and domestic beers all night long • Singing with the Sisters: Open Mic Karaoke

Night with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, 9:30pm-close

FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Taco Tuesday • Karaoke, 9pm

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Half-Priced Burgers • Paint Nite, 7pm • PokerFace Poker, 8pm • Dart Boards • Ping Pong Madness, featuring 2 PingPong Tables

GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3 rail cocktails and domestic beers all night long • Tito’s Tuesday: $5 Tito’s Vodka all night

NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Shaw ‘Nuff Trivia, 7:30pm TRADE Doors open 5pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $5

Tuesday, January 14 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports DC EAGLE 2-4-1 Tuesdays • All Drinks, Buy one, Get one free • First Drink Free for Guys in Jockstraps

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer $15 • Drag Bingo with Sasha Adams and Brooklyn Heights, 7-9pm • Karaoke, 9pm-close NUMBER NINE Open at 5pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover PITCHERS Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 11pm SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Half-Priced Burgers and Pizzas, 5-10pm TRADE Doors open 5pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $5

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Wednesday, January 15 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports DC EAGLE Happy Hour until 9pm • Karaoke by D&K Sounds from 9pm-1am • $4 Rails, Wines & Domestic Drafts FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • $6 Burgers • Beach Blanket Drag Bingo Night, hosted

by Ms. Regina Jozet Adams, 8pm • Bingo prizes • Karaoke, 10pm-1am GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4pm-9pm • Bear Yoga with Greg Leo, 6:30-7:30pm • $10 per class • $3 rail cocktails

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and domestic beers all night long • Karaoke, 9pm NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR SmartAss Trivia Night, 8-10pm • Prizes include bar tabs and tickets to shows at the 9:30 Club • Absolutely Snatched Drag Show, hosted by Brooklyn Heights, 9pm • $3 Bud Light, $5 Absolut, $15 Buckets of Beer NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover PITCHERS Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 11pm

SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Piano Bar and Karaoke, 8pm TRADE Doors open 5pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $5

Thursday, January 16 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-2am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports

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DC EAGLE $4 Rail and Domestics for guys in L.U.R.E. (Leather, Uniform, Rubber, Etc.) • Lights Dimmed at 8pm • Former Mr. MAL, Centaur MC and Mr. and Ms. DC Eagle Bar Night, 10pm-1am • DJ Scott Howard, 9pm-2am • $5 suggested donation FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Karaoke, 9pm-close GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • Shirtless Thursday, 10-11pm • Men in Underwear Drink Free, 12-12:30am • DJs BacK2bACk NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • $15 Buckets

of Bud Products all night • Sports Leagues Night NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover • ThurSlay, featuring DJ Jack Rayburn, 10pm PITCHERS Open 5pm-2am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 11pm • Thirst Trap Thursdays, hosted by Venus Valhalla, 11pm-12:30am • Featuring a Rotating Cast of Drag Performers • Dancing until 1:30am SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas

and Select Appetizers • Half-Priced Bottles of Wine, 5pm-close TRADE Doors open 5pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $5 ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS All male, nude dancers, 9pm-close • “New Meat” Open Dancers Audition • Music by DJ Don T. • Cover 21+

Friday, January 17 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-3am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything

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until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports DC EAGLE Birds of Prey Drag Show, hosted by Boomer Banks and Brooklyn Heights, 10:30pm • $10 Cover • Hummer Gear Party in the Annex, 10pm-4am • DJs Erik Grüber, Ultra, and Phoenix Rise • $25 Cover, $40 gets Weekend Pass to Friday and Saturday Night Parties • Tickets available via hummer-dc.brownpapertickets.com • Furball DC MAL 2020 (See separate listing) • Shuttle available from Hyatt Regency MAL Host Hotel • 21+ FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Karaoke, 9pm-close FURBALL @DC Eagle Fetish and Gear Edition, 11:30pm-5am • Leather and Fetish Wear encouraged • Music by DJ Dan De Leon • Hot Furry Dancers • Clothes Check available $15 Tickets in Advance, $30 at the door • Shuttle available from Hyatt Regency MAL Host Hotel • 21+ GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3 Rail and Domestic • $5 Svedka, all flavors all night long • Rough House: Leather Edition — Hands On, Lights Off, 10pm-close • Music by DJs offAxis (Only Friends, BOS) and Lemz upstairs • Music

by Sean Morris and The Barber Streisand down-

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stairs • GoGo Dancers • $5 Cover before 10pm, $10 after 10pm (includes clothes check) MAL WEEKEND @ HYATT REGENCY ON CAPITOL HILL 400 New Jersey Ave. NW Super Heroes Meet Up in Yellowstone/ Everglades Room, 5-7pm • Rubber Cocktail Party in Congressional A/B, 7-9pm • Highwaymen TNT presents Impact: Sauvage in Regency B, 10pm-3am • Music by DJ TWiN NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Open 3pm • Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Weekend Kickoff Dance Party, with Nellie’s DJs spinning bubbly pop music all night NUMBER NINE Open 5pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover • Friday Night Piano with Chris, 7:30pm • Friday Night Videos, 9:30pm • Rotating DJs PITCHERS Open 5pm-3am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 2am SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers

TRADE Doors open 5pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $5 • Otter Happy Hour with guest DJs, 5-11pm UPROAR Bear Happy Hour: Leather Bear Party, 5pm-close • Free Appetizers • Drink Specials, 5-10pm • $5 Rail Cocktails, $5 32-oz. Draft Pitchers of Bud Light and Shock Top • No Cover ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS Men of Secrets, 9pm • Guest dancers • Rotating DJs • Kristina Kelly’s Diva Fev-ah Drag Show • Doors at 9pm, Shows at 11:45pm • Music by DJ Jeff Eletto • Cover 21+

Saturday, January 18 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 2pm-3am • Video Games • Live televised sports AVALON SATURDAYS @Soundcheck 1420 K St. NW LGBTQ Dance Party, 10pm-4am • $15 Cover at the Door, $20 VIP • Drag Show, 10:30-11:30pm, hosted by Ba’Naka and a rotating cast of drag queens • $4 Absolut Drinks, 10pm-midnight • 21+

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DC EAGLE Open at 5pm • Happy Hour until 9pm • BRÜT MAL Weekend, 10pm-6am • DJs Dan Darlington and Morabito • $40 Tickets available at tickets. hedonicproductions.com • Empire MC and Excelsior MC on the Club Bar • Hummer Gear Party in the Annex, 10pm-4am • DJs Erik Grüber, Ultra, and Phoenix Rise • $25 Cover, $40 gets Weekend Pass to Friday and Saturday Night Parties • Tickets available via hummer-dc.brownpapertickets.com FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Saturday Breakfast Buffet, 10am-3pm • $14.99 with one glass of champagne or coffee, soda or juice • Additional champagne $2 per glass • Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Freddie’s Follies Drag Show, hosted by Miss Destiny B. Childs, 8-10pm • Karaoke, 10pm-close GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $5 Bacardi, all flavors, all night long • The Bear Cave: Retro to Electro, 9pm-close • Music by DJ Popperz • No Cover MAL WEEKEND @ HYATT REGENCY ON CAPITOL HILL 400 New Jersey Ave. NW Puppy Park XII in Regency B/C/D, 11am-1pm • Onyx Fashion Show and Fundraiser in Congressional A/B, 1:30-6:30pm • Leather Cocktails in the Regency Ballroom, 7-9pm

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Drag Brunch, hosted

by Chanel Devereaux, 10:30am-12:30pm and 1-3pm • Tickets on sale at nelliessportsbar.com • House Rail Drinks, Zing Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer and Mimosas, $4, 11am-3am • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Guest DJs playing pop music all night NUMBER NINE Doors open 2pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut and $5 Bulleit Bourbon, 9pm-close • THIRSTY, feautring VJ Chord Bezerra, 9:30pm PEACH PIT @DC9 1940 9th St. NW Nineties hits, 10:30-3am • DJ Matt Bailer • $5 before midnight, $8 after • 21+ PITCHERS Open Noon-3am • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 2am SHAW’S TAVERN Brunch with $16 Bottomless Mimosas, 10am-3pm • Homme Brunch, Second Floor, 12pm • Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Noche Latina, 11pm-2am • Food and Drink specials

TRADE Doors open 2pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 2-10pm • Beer and wine only $5 • Gay Bash: The Alt Dance Party and Home for Unconventional Drag in the Nation’s Capital, 10pm • Hosted by Donna Slash • Featuring JaxKnife Complex, Salvadora Dali, Jane Saw, and special guests • Music by The Barber Streisand ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS Men of Secrets upstairs, 9pm-close • Fully nude male dancers • Ladies of Illusion Drag Show with host Ella Fitzgerald in Ziegfeld’s • Doors open at 9pm, Show at 11:45pm • Music by DJs Keith Hoffman and Don T. • Cover 21+

Sunday, January 19 9:30 CLUB 815 V St. NW REACTION: The Official MAL Weekend Closing Dance, 8pm-2am • Shuttle available from Hyatt from 7pm-1:30pm l For more specials not featured in print, visit www.metroweekly.com/ nightlife/drink_specials.

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Scene

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Number Nine - Friday, January 3 - Photography by Ward Morrison See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene

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LastWord.

People say the queerest things

“Attitudes change, but only because brave people like Ellen jump into the fire to make them change. ” — KATE MCKINNON, in an emotional speech presenting Ellen DeGeneres with the Carol Burnett Award at the Golden Globes. “In 1997, when Ellen’s sitcom was in the height of its popularity, I was in my mother’s basement lifting weights in front of the mirror and thinking, ‘Am I gay?’ And I was, and I still am,” McKinnon said. “But that’s a very scary thing to suddenly know about yourself.... And the only thing that made it less scary was seeing Ellen on TV.”

“At the end of the show, every time [Carol Burnett] pulled her ear I knew she was saying, ‘It’s okay, I’m gay, too.’”

— ELLEN DEGENERES, in her speech accepting the Carol Burnett Award at the Golden Globes. DeGeneres paid tribute to her TV idols, including Burnett, Lucille Ball, and Mary Tyler Moore, saying, “All I’ve ever wanted to do was make people feel good and laugh, and there’s no greater feeling than when someone tells me I’ve made their day better.”

“I’m known as Ken but inside I’ve always felt like Barbie.”

— RODDY ALVES, formerly known as the human Ken doll, coming out as transgender in an interview with Sunday People. Alves became notorious after spending $600,000 on cosmetic surgeries to look like Barbie’s plastic male companion. “It feels ­amazing to finally tell the world I’m a girl,” she said. “I finally feel like the real me.”

“I wish the worse for him, I want him to feel the pain and sufferance I have felt.

He has destroyed a part of my life.”

— A victim statement, read out in court during the trial of Reynhard Sinaga, Britain’s “most prolific rapist,” who was sentenced this week to a minimum of 30 years in prison for raping and sexually assaulting 48 men. Sinaga lured men to his apartment, drugged them with chemsex drug GHB, and assaulted them while they were unconscious. Police believe there are as many as 190 victims, based on videos of the attacks found on Sinaga’s phones.

“Maybe if Australia weren’t banning and deporting preachers of the Gospel, they wouldn’t be under the judgment of God.” — Anti-gay Christian pastor STEVEN ANDERSON, whose views are so extreme he has been banned from 33 countries worldwide, claiming that the fires ravaging Australia are punishment from God for preventing him from entering the country.

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JANUARY 9, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

JANUARY 9, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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