Metro Weekly - 02-11-16 - Joel Grey and Alan Cumming

8/20/2019 Metro Weekly - 02-11-16 - Joel Grey and Alan Cumming

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4 FEBRUARY 11, 2016 METROWEEKLY.COM

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFRandy Shulman

ART DIRECTORTodd Franson

MANAGING EDITORRhuaridh Marr

SENIOR EDITORJohn Riley

CONTRIBUTING EDITORDoug Rule

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERSWard Morrison, Julian Vankim

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORSScott G. Brooks, Christopher Cunetto

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSGordon Ashenhurst, Sean Bugg, Connor J. Hogan,

Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield

WEBMASTERDavid Uy

PRODUCTION ASSISTANTJulian Vankim

SALES & MARKETING

PUBLISHERRandy Shulman

NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVERivendell Media Co.

212-242-6863

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Dennis Havrilla

PATRON SAINTThe Emcee

COVER ILLUSTRATIONScott G. Brooks

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FEBRUARY 11, 2016Volume 22 / Issue 40

NEWS 6 THE MARRIED MEN by John Riley

COMMENTARY 9 ILLUSION OF DEMOCRACY

by Sean Bugg

10 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

SCENE 13 45TH ANNUAL SCARLET’S BAKE SALE

AND AUCTION AT THE DC EAGLE

photography by Ward Morrison and

Todd Franson

FEATURES 16 ICONS: JOEL GREY AND ALAN CUMMING

Interviews by Randy Shulman

23 CUPID CUISINE

by Doug Rule

OUT ON THE TOWN 26 MURRAY HILL / B URLESQUE -A-P ADES

I N LOVELAND AT THE BIRCHMERE

by Doug Rule

STAGE 35 GUARDS AT THE T AJ AND

C ITY OF CONVERSATION

by Kate Wingfield

GAMES 37 F IREWATCH

by Rhuaridh Marr

MUSIC 39 CHER ’S 10 BEST ALBUMS

by Gordon Ashenhurst

NIGHTLIFE 43 MARDI GRAS AT TOWN

photography by Ward Morrison

SCENE 50 UPROAR

photography by Ward Morrison

CLUBLIFE 52 DISTRKTC AT THE DC EAGLE

by Doug Rule

54 LAST WORD


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The Married MenGAMMA provides support for gay men who are married to women

Kearsley

IT’S FITTING THAT BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

served as the trigger for Eric Kearsley to come out to his

wife of 28 years.“I had tried to tell her, over and over again, years in

advance, and I’d come up to the brink and just couldn’t do it,”

the North Bethesda resident says. “But that movie triggeredsome honest conversation.... There’s a scene where they meet

up for the first time after a couple of years, and his wife seesthem kissing. And it was the shock of the wife learning. I think

that was the trigger.”Kearsley, 65, had his first same-sex experience at 14, but due

to his conservative, Catholic upbringing, considered his actions

sinful. He attempted to suppress his feelings, but had anony-mous bathhouse encounters while dating women. Eventually,

he met his wife, marrying her in 1977 and embarking on a

T O D D F R A N S O N

monogamous marriage. It lasted 20 years until Kearsley, then inthe Navy, was abroad in Germany, where he visited a bathhouse.

It reignited feelings long since suppressed — and Kearsleywanted to act on them.

Just weeks before seeing Brokeback Mountain, Kearsley’s

son, searching for cufflinks, found some condoms in a dresserdrawer. He asked why his father would need them, since he had

previously had a vasectomy. Kearsley told him that the condomswere old and had just been left around, but secretly wondered if

his son had figured out he was gay. The pressure mounted until

Kearsley felt he couldn’t conceal his orientation any longer. Andso, the “gay cowboy movie” became the impetus for Kearsley to

reveal all to his wife.“She just hugged me,” he recalls. “It was the most amazing

thing. She was just so incredibly accepting. The first thing she

L G B TNews Now online at MetroWeekly.comTransgender Girl Scout enjoys huge cookie sale successNY governor bans insurance coverage for conversion therapy

by John Riley


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LGBTNews

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said to me was, ‘It must have been so hard for you.’ So I thinkthat just says we have a very good relationship.”

Kearsley began attending meetings held by GAMMA, a peersupport group for gay and bisexual men who are married or

involved with women. Although his wife weighed the possibility

of leaving the marriage and separating, she ultimately decidedto stay. The couple will celebrate their 39th anniversary this

year, although they sleep in separate bedrooms and no longer

have a sexual relationship.“It was not all happy times,” Kearsley says. “There was a lotof crying and a lot of deep, honest thought about what it meant.

But when the chips were down, she wanted to support me, andshe understood.”

Part of Kearsley’s coming out process was acknowledging

that he wanted to begin dating men, something to which hiswife agreed. Through his involvement in GAMMA, he began a

relationship with “Ashok,” a 64-year-old father of two who hasalso been married to a woman for 39 years. Kearsley and Ashok’s

relationship is celebrating its ninth year, and Ashok has beenembraced by both Kearsley’s wife and his children. Kearsley

now splits his time between his wife’s house and Ashok’s house,

which is only a couple of miles away.

While Kearsley’s story of finding love at GAMMA is rare,the meetings allow gay and bisexual married men an outlet forairing their feelings and sharing their experiences. Formed in

January 1978 as the Gay and Married Men’s Association, thegroup first met in Bethesda, Md., as a response to the Cinema

Follies fire on Oct. 24, 1977, in which nine men — many of themmarried — were killed. The mainstream press at the time was

shocked when the victims’ identities were revealed, with a

Midwestern minister, a congressional aide, an economist and aformer Marine among the deceased, and several more married

men among the survivors. GAMMA was formed to ensure thatsuch men had a confidential, affirming, and judgement-free

environment to examine their feelings and grapple with the

various facets of their sexual orientation.“GAMMA has a unique position that doesn’t really exist any-

where else,” says Harry Fox, who coordinates local meetings inthe Washington area. “There’s no other place a man who’s been

in a marriage for 20 years can go to, and meet with men whounderstand what he’s been through, his story, and have similar

experiences of their own that they can talk about.”Fox, 58, of North Bethesda, knew he was attracted to men

at 14 — before the American Medical Association and theAmerican Psychological Association had revised their classifica-

tions of homosexuality as a mental disorder. When he broached

his feelings of same-sex attraction with adults at 16, they recom-mended he see a therapist. But Fox was also influenced by his

own internal homophobia and stereotypes of gays as promiscu-ous and incapable of forming lasting relationships.

“I went to Christopher Street and to Fire Island in thelate ’70s,” Fox says. “It was a wild, hedonistic time. And one

of the things that really influenced me was this book called Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (*But Were Afraid to Ask), which had just the most awful chapter on

homosexuality. But at the time, that was on the bestseller list.It painted this depraved lifestyle, and at 14, I said, ‘That’s not

what I want for my life.’ Some of the wildness of the ’70s, inmy mind, confirmed that.”

Fox later met his wife, revealing his attraction to men ontheir second date. They married two years later, in 1992. During

the interceding 22 years, as societal attitudes concerning homo-

sexuality began to change, so, too, did Fox’s own stereotypes

and perceptions of what it meant to be gay. This led to hisdecision to separate from his wife and live as an openly gay

man, although the couple is still legally married. Fox says that just because he came out doesn’t mean his feelings at the time

weren’t legitimate.“I was attracted to her, I was interested in her,” he says. “I

loved her and really cared deeply for her.... She is a very goodperson, a very decent person. We’ve maintained a good friend-

ship.”

Although each GAMMA attendee’s story is different, manyshare common threads. “Jack,” a 66-year-old from College

Park, Md., was born into a very conservative religious family inMissouri and remembers experiencing same-sex attraction as a

teenager. However, he remained closeted, particularly duringhis time in the Navy. After his release from the armed forces,

Jack lived with another man for nearly two years. He fell “deep-

ly in love” and began dating a woman 12 years his junior. Jacktold his soon-to-be-wife that he was attracted to men before

deciding to marry her. He was monogamous until the springof 2014, when he met a 30-year-old man while traveling in the

Midwest, and had a brief fling.“Part of it was exhilaration, because that that’s really who I

was,” he says. “I’ve known at one level, obviously. But it was an‘a-ha’ moment. This is real, this is me.”

Two months later, he told his wife about the infidelity. They

went to couples therapy with an LGBT-friendly therapist, whohelped them reach a mutual conclusion that they should sepa-

rate.“We are now in the process of a consensual and I would say,

even friendly, discussion of how we get to a final divorce settle-ment,” says Jack. “I still love her deeply, and always will. And I

still celebrate the wonderful family we raised together. She will

always be family in that sense.”

Ashok, Eric Kearsley’s partner, acknowledges that peoplecan be skeptical of why gay men choose to stay married.

“What people find difficult to understand is the ongoing

relationship,” Ashok says. “But what they find more difficult tounderstand is an ongoing, continuing relationship with one’s

spouse, even after one has come out.”For those who still don’t understand the contours of a mar-

ried gay man’s relationship, Ashok believes it’s more opaque

than someone being gay or straight. “From a theoretical pointof view, sexuality is fluid, and the notion of coming out as gay is

really a very black-and-white thing. I think the trend is towardaccepting people for who they are, and looking for integrity,

rather than stark definitions.”

Ashok’s relationship with his wife has been based on “totalhonesty” and on the durable bonds that have been forged during

their marriage of nearly four decades.“My wife and I don’t live together,” he says. “But we have

a deep and abiding mutual relationship, which is based onyears and years of shared history, and happiness and joy, as

well as difficulties. And history can’t be wiped out, it has to berespected. And we have been able to maintain a friendship over

the years that has stood us in good stead.”

GAMMA holds monthly meetings in Washington, Vienna, Va.,

Sterling, Va., and Frederick, Md. For more information, visit gam-maindc.org or meetup.com/GAMMAinDC. l

FEBRUARY 11, 2016 METROWEEKLY.COM


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COMMENTARY

Illusion of Democracy Sit back and enjoy the Trump and Friends extravaganza, because you

don’t really have a choice

TUESDAY NIGHT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, THEfirst voters in the nation asked a question that seems

suited for a late-night, weed-fueled, dorm-roomdebate: “If both parties nominate an unelectable can-

didate, how can anyone win an election?”It’s a stupid question fit for what so far has been a pretty stupid

election cycle. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that stupid can beentertaining. Has there been a funnier campaign moment in recent

memory than Ben Carson pulling a Spinal Tap, unable to make his

way to the debate stage? Carson really is an aspirational figure foreveryone, whether you see him as proof that even a smart man can

fail or as an example that if someone as addledas he can do it, anyone can.

Alas, we likely won’t have Carson aroundmuch longer given his last place finish in

New Hampshire — behind even kid’s-table-

debate-champ Carly Fiorina — so we shouldsavor these moments while we can. Especially

because now that Donald Trump has effec-tively branded himself as the Republican

Party, what was once an entertaining side-

show has become nerve-wracking exercise in“what if he really does it?”

The kicker to all this — the ponder-

ous musings over whether Hillary Clinton’s

campaign is dead or alive, whether BernieSanders is a phenomenon or flash in the pan,

or whether John Kasich is a savior or a falsehope — is that it comes from the electorate of two of our small-

est, whitest states, reminding us again that our election systemis objectively insane.

First there’s Iowa, where interested citizens don’t actually

vote but instead gather in gyms and rec rooms to play Red Rover.Then it’s on to New Hampshire, the nation’s gatekeeper to the

White House, where a non-representative slice of America win-nows down the field so their fellow citizens won’t need to bother

learning about so many different candidates.All of which proves, high drama cable news stories aside, we

don’t take voting very seriously in the U.S.Iowa’s a gimme, because the lack of secret ballot voting is

baldly antithetical to what American democracy is supposed to

be. In New Hampshire, a state that takes pride in its irrationaland unwarranted position as kingmaker, we saw a miles-long

line of cars waiting to vote in the only polling place set up for acity of 27,000 people.

Again, that’s in a state that considers itself a model of democ-racy. It only gets worse from there.

I was recently in Australia and watching the U.S. throughthe eyes of their media was a learning experience. For one

thing, they know a lot more about us than we know about them.Basically every Australian I spoke with wanted to know about

Trump, Ted Cruz, the east coast blizzard, and why the NRA wasmisrepresenting Australia’s strict gun laws. Americans would be

hard pressed to name an Australian prime minister or even the

nation’s capital. (Don’t be embarrassed, I didn’t know the capitaleither until I went there. It’s Canberra, by the way.)

In addition to driving on the left and the water spiralingthe wrong way down the sink, Australians do elections differ-

ently than we do. Mainly, they’re requiredto vote. Imagine that: mandating that

citizens in a democracy participate in the

selection of their own government, or paya reasonable fine.

Naturally, this would never happen inAmerica because freedom.

I elicited a lot of “You’re kidding, rightmate?” when explaining that we vote on a

Tuesday, rather than a weekend or holiday,

and that our states are passing laws intend-ed to limit voter participation.

I’m not saying that we should aspire to beAustralia, because no democracy is perfect

and they have their own bundle of problems.I am saying that for a country that envisions

itself a model of democracy for the world,our electoral system is a joke. Just over half of eligible voters

go to the polls for presidential elections; barely a third make it

out for mid-term congressional elections. While white peoplewill very soon make up less than half of our total population, the

whitest of states enjoy disproportionate influence on who therest of us get to vote for.

And in those states where many people of color actuallylive, state legislatures are merrily passing voter ID laws that

suppress their votes, in sometimes darkly comic ways (as in Virginia’s voter ID law, which accepts gun permits but not

college IDs).

Despite all the sound and fury of candidates on the stump, allthe popcorn-passing politicos enjoying the show court side, and

all the times we tell ourselves that this is how our citizens maketheir voices heard — it really isn’t. It’s a deeply broken system

that holds no real hope for change because too many of the pow-erful fear any change would lessen that power.

So just sit back and enjoy the show, because someone else has

already chosen the channel. l

by Sean Bugg

"Iowa and New Hampshire prove,high drama cable news

stories aside,

we don’t take

voting veryseriouslyin the U.S. "


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

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9

a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointmentcall 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. Appointmentneeded. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700.202-638-0750.

PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-affirming social group for ages 11-24.4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road NW.Contact Tamara, 202-319-0422, layc-dc.org.

SMYAL’S REC NIGHT providesa social atmosphere for GLBT and

questioning youth, featuring danceparties, vogue nights, movies andgames. More info, [email protected].

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-6p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155, [email protected].

SATURDAY, FEB. 13ADVENTURING outdoors grouphikes 9 miles along the sometimes

challenging Potomac Heritage Trailfrom Rosslyn to Chain Bridge andreturns via the C& O Canal andKey Bridge. Bring beverages, lunch,winter-worthy boots and $2 trip fee.Meet at 9:30 a.m. inside the RosslynMetro Station. Jerry, 703-920-6871.adventuring.org.

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. 202-567-3155or [email protected].

US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics Anonymous Meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m.,3636 Georgia Ave. NW. The group isindependent of UHU. 202-446-1100.

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIPINSTITUTE for young LBTQ women,13-21, interested in leadership devel-opment. 5-6:30 p.m. SMYAL YouthCenter, 410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3163,[email protected].

FRIDAY, FEB. 12GAY MARRIED MEN’SASSOCIATION (GAMMA) is a con-fidential support group for men whoare gay, bisexual, questioning andwho are married or involved with

a woman, that meets on the secondand fourth Fridays of the month inDupont Circle at 7:30 p.m. GAMMAalso offers additional meeting timesand places for men in Northern Virginia and Maryland. For moreinformation: GAMMAinDC.org.

LGB PSYCHOTHERAPY GROUP foradults in Montgomery County offersa safe space to explore coming outand issues of identity. 10-11:30 a.m.16220 S. Frederick Rd., Suite 512,Gaithersburg, Md. For more informa-tion, visit thedccenter.org.

WOMEN IN THEIR TWENTIES, a

social discussion and activity group forLBT women, meets at The DC Centeron the second and fourth Fridays ofeach month. Group social activity tofollow the meeting. 8-9:30 p.m. 200014th St. NW, Suite 105. For moreinformation, visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707, andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.

THURSDAY, FEB. 11BURGUNDY CRESCENT, a gay vol-unteer organization, volunteers todayfor Food & Friends. To participate, visit burgundycrescent.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). Call 202-291-4707, or visitandromedatransculturalhealth.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)practice session at Takoma AquaticCenter, 300 Van Buren St. NW. 7:30-9p.m. swimdcac.org.

DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay and lesbian square-dancing group featuresmainstream through advanced squaredancing at the National City Christian

Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW, 7-9:30p.m. Casual dress. 301-257-0517,dclambdasquares.org.

The DULLES TRIANGLES Northern Virginia social group meets for happyhour at Sheraton in Reston, 11810Sunrise Valley Drive, second-floor bar, 7-9 p.m. All welcome. dullestri-angles.com.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment

call 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

IDENTITY offers free and confiden-tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg,414 East Diamond Ave., and inTakoma Park, 7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 2-6 p.m.For appointments other hours, callGaithersburg, 301-300-9978, or

Takoma Park, 301-422-2398.


Metro Weekly’s Community Calendar highlights important events in the D.C.-area

LGBT community, from alternative social events to volunteer opportunities.

Event information should be sent by email to [email protected].

Deadline for inclusion is noon of the Friday before Thursday’s publication.

Questions about the calendar may be directed to the

Metro Weekly office at 202-638-6830 or

the calendar email address.

LGBTCommunityCalendarCHRYSALIS arts & culture group visits the Smithsonian Postal Museumto see exhibits on Black History andNew York City. Free; non-memberswelcome. Lunch across the streetin Union Station follows. Meet at 11a.m. inside the 1st Street NE entrancearound the corner from Massachusetts Avenue. Craig, 202-462-0535. [email protected].

The DC Center hosts confidential

FREE HIV TESTING for all thoseinterested. Get tested, know your sta-tus. 4-7 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite105. For more information, visit thedc-center.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707 or andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.

BET MISHPACHAH, founded bymembers of the LGBT community,holds Saturday morning Shabbat services, 10 a.m., followed by Kiddushluncheon. Services in DCJCCCommunity Room, 1529 16th St. NW. betmish.org.

BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, includingothers interested in Brazilian culture,meets. For location/time, email [email protected].

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practicesession at Hains Point, 972 Ohio Dr.,SW. 8:30-10 a.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walk-ing/social club welcomes all levels forexercise in a fun and supportive envi-ronment, socializing afterward. Meet9:30 a.m., 23rd & P Streets NW, for awalk; or 10 a.m. for fun run. dcfront-runners.org.

DC SENTINELS basketball teammeets at Turkey Thicket RecreationCenter, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE, 2-4p.m. For players of all levels, gay orstraight. teamdcbasketball.org.

DIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass forLGBT community, family and friends.6:30 p.m., Immanuel Church-on-the-

Hill, 3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria. All welcome. For more info, visit dig-nitynova.org.

GAY LANGUAGE CLUB discussescritical languages and foreign lan-guages. 7 p.m. Nellie’s, 900 U St. NW.RVSP preferred. [email protected].

IDENTITY offers free and confidentialHIV testing in Takoma Park, 7676New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 12-3 p.m. For appointments otherhours, call 301-422-2398.


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SUNDAY, FEB. 14BURGUNDY CRESCENT, a gay vol-unteer organization, volunteers todayfor DC Central Kitchen. To partici-pate, visit burgundycrescent.org.

CHRYSALIS arts & culture grouprides to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond to see exhibition of200 sculptures by Rodin. Tickets $15adults, $12 seniors. Also bring about$12 for transportation, plus money forlunch in museum café. Carpool at 9a.m. from King Street Metro Station,return around 6 p.m. Craig, 202-462-0535. [email protected].

WEEKLY EVENTS

LGBT-inclusiveALL SOULSMEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH celebrates Low Mass at 8:30 a.m., HighMass at 11 a.m. 2300 Cathedral Ave.NW. 202-232-4244, allsoulsdc.org.

BETHEL CHURCH-DC progressiveand radically inclusive church holdsservices at 11:30 a.m. 2217 Minnesota Ave. SE. 202-248-1895, betheldc.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practicesession at Hains Point, 972 Ohio Dr.,SW. 9:30-11 a.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DIGNITYUSA offers Roman CatholicMass for the LGBT community. 6p.m., St. Margaret’s Church, 1820Connecticut Ave. NW. All welcome.Sign interpreted. For more info, visitdignitynova.org.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UNITEDCHURCH OF CHRIST welcomes allto 10:30 a.m. service, 945 G St. NW.firstuccdc.org or 202-628-4317.

FRIENDS MEETING OFWASHINGTON meets for worship,10:30 a.m., 2111 Florida Ave. NW,Quaker House Living Room (next toMeeting House on Decatur Place),2nd floor. Special welcome to lesbiansand gays. Handicapped accessiblefrom Phelps Place gate. Hearingassistance. quakersdc.org.

HOPE UNITED CHURCH OFCHRIST welcomes GLBT commu-

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

HSV-2 SOCIAL AND SUPPORTGROUP for gay men living in the DCmetro area. This group will be meet-ing once a month. For information onlocation and time, visit H2gether.com.

INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUALDEVELOPMENT, God-centered newage church & learning center. SundayServices and Workshops event. 5419Sherier Place NW. isd-dc.org.

Join LINCOLN CONGREGATIONALTEMPLE – UNITED CHURCH OFCHRIST for an inclusive, loving andprogressive faith community everySunday. 11 a.m. 1701 11th Street NW,near R in Shaw/Logan neighborhood.lincolntemple.org.

LUTHERAN CHURCH OFREFORMATION invites all to Sunday

worship at 8:30 or 11 a.m. Childcare isavailable at both services. WelcomingLGBT people for 25 years. 212 EastCapitol St. NE. reformationdc.org.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITYCHURCH OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA services at 11 a.m., led by Rev. OnettaBrooks. Children’s Sunday School, 11a.m. 10383 Democracy Lane, Fairfax.703-691-0930, mccnova.com.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITYCHURCH OF WASHINGTON, D.C. services at 9 a.m. (ASL interpreted)and 11 a.m. Children’s Sunday Schoolat 11 a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW. 202-638-

7373, mccdc.com.

NATIONAL CITY CHRISTIANCHURCH, inclusive church withGLBT fellowship, offers gospel wor-ship, 8:30 a.m., and traditional wor-ship, 11 a.m. 5 Thomas Circle NW.202-232-0323, nationalcitycc.org.

RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH,a Christ-centered, interracial, wel-coming-and-affirming church, offersservice at 10 a.m. 680 I St. SW. 202-554-4330, riversidedc.org.

ST. STEPHEN AND THE

INCARNATION, an “interracial,multi-ethnic Christian Community”offers services in English, 8 a.m. and10:30 a.m., and in Spanish at 5:15 p.m.1525 Newton St. NW. 202-232-0900,saintstephensdc.org.

UNITARIAN CHURCH OFARLINGTON, an LGBTQ welcoming-and-affirming congregation, offersservices at 10 a.m. Virginia RainbowUU Ministry. 4444 Arlington Blvd.uucava.org.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTCHURCH OF SILVER SPRING invites LGBTQ families and individu-

als of all creeds and cultures to jointhe church. Services 9:15 and 11:15 a.m.10309 New Hampshire Ave. uucss.org.

UNIVERSALIST NATIONALMEMORIAL CHURCH, a welcom-ing and inclusive church. GLBTInterweave social/service groupmeets monthly. Services at 11 a.m.,Romanesque sanctuary. 1810 16th St.NW. 202-387-3411, universalist.org.


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MONDAY, FEB. 15ADVENTURING outdoors grouphikes in Shenandoah National Parkto see ice-encrusted waterfalls alongWhiteoak Canyon and Cedar RunTrails. Very strenuous hike is about8 miles long with 2000 feet of eleva-tion gain over sometimes steep andicy trails; suitable for experienced,

aerobically fit hikers only. Bringpoles, sturdy boots, micro spikes,lunch, beverages and about $20 forfees. Harris, 443-415-7856. adventur-ing.org.

CENTER FAITH, a group of LGBTpeople and their allies from variousfaith traditions, holds a monthlymeeting at The DC Center. 7:30-9p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.For more information, visit thedc-center.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 927 OhioDr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holdspractice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. GarrisonElementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscan-dals.wordpress.com.

GETEQUAL meets 6:30-8 p.m. atQuaker House, 2111 Florida Ave. [email protected].

HIV Testing at WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTH. At the ElizabethTaylor Medical Center, 1701 14thSt. NW, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max

Robinson Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave.SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appoint-ment call 202-745-7000. Visit whit-man-walker.org.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY(K.I.) SERVICES, 3333 Duke St., Alexandria, offers free “rapid” HIVtesting and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

703-823-4401.

METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. No appoint-ment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012 14thSt. NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.

NOVASALUD offers free HIV test-ing. 5-7 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite200, Arlington. Appointments: 703-

789-4467.

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155 or test-

[email protected].

THE DC CENTER hosts Coffee Drop-In for the Senior LGBT Community.10 a.m.-noon. 2000 14th St. NW. 202-682-2245, thedccenter.org.

US HELPING US hosts a black gaymen’s evening affinity group. 3636

Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.

WASHINGTON WETSKINS WATERPOLO TEAM practices 7-9 p.m.Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 VanBuren St. NW. Newcomers with atleast basic swimming ability alwayswelcome. Tom, 703-299-0504, [email protected], wetskins.org.

WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTHHIV/AIDS Support Group for newlydiagnosed individuals, meets 7 p.m.Registration required. 202-939-7671,[email protected].

TUESDAY, FEB. 16CENTER BI, a group of The DCCenter, hosts a monthly roundtablediscussion around issues of bisexual-ity. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite105. For more information, visit thedc-center.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707, andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.

ASIANS AND FRIENDS weekly dinnerin Dupont/Logan Circle area, 6:30 [email protected], afwashington.net.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)practice session at Takoma AquaticCenter, 300 Van Buren St. NW. 7:30-9

p.m. swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walk-ing/social club serving greater D.C.’sLGBT community and allies hosts anevening run/walk. dcfrontrunners.org.

THE GAY MEN’S HEALTHCOLLABORATIVE offers free HIVtesting and STI screening and treat-ment every Tuesday. 5-6:30 p.m.Rainbow Tuesday LGBT Clinic, Alexandria Health Department, 4480King St. 703-746-4986 or text 571-214-9617. [email protected].

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment call 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

THE HIV WORKING GROUP of THEDC CENTER hosts “Packing Party,”where volunteers assemble safe-sexkits of condoms and lube. 7-9 p.m.,Green Lantern, 1335 Green Court NW.thedccenter.org.


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13SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE

scene

scan this tag

with your

smartphone

for bonus scene

pics online!

45th Annual Scarlet’sBake Sale & Auction

at The DC Eagle

Sunday, February 7

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WARD MORRISON

AND TODD FRANSON


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IDENTITY offers free and confiden-tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg,414 East Diamond Ave., and inTakoma Park, 7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 2-6 p.m.For appointments other hours, callGaithersburg at 301-300-9978 or

Takoma Park at 301-422-2398.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY(K.I.) SERVICES, at 3333 Duke St., Alexandria, offers free “rapid” HIVtesting and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.703-823-4401.


OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS—LGBT focused meeting everyTuesday, 7 p.m. St. George’sEpiscopal Church, 915 Oakland Ave., Arlington, just steps from VirginiaSquare Metro. For more info. callDick, 703-521-1999. Handicappedaccessible. Newcomers [email protected].

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155, [email protected].

SUPPORT GROUP FOR LGBTQ YOUTH ages 13-21 meets at SMYAL,410 7th St. SE, 5-6:30 p.m. CathyChu, 202-567-3163, [email protected].

US HELPING US hosts a supportgroup for black gay men 40 and older.

7-9 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.

Whitman-Walker Health’s GAYMEN’S HEALTH AND WELLNESS/STD CLINIC opens at 6 p.m., 170114th St. NW. Patients are seen onwalk-in basis. No-cost screening forHIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chla-mydia. Hepatitis and herpes testingavailable for fee. whitman-walker.org.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 17BOOKMEN DC, an informal men’s

gay-literature group, observesBlack History Month by discuss-ing “Silverchest,” Carl Phillips’ 2013poetry collection. 7:30 p.m. DC Center,2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. All wel-come. bookmendc.blogspot.com.

GAY MARRIED MEN’SASSOCIATION (GAMMA) VA is aconfidential support group for menwho are gay, bisexual, questioningand who are married or involved witha woman. The Virginia chapter meetson the third Wednesday of eachmonth. 6:30-8:30 p.m. at a privateresidence in Sterling, Va. For moreinformation, visit GAMMAinDC.org.

THE TOM DAVOREN SOCIALBRIDGE CLUB meets for SocialBridge. 7:30 p.m. Dignity Center,721 8th St SE (across from MarineBarracks). No reservations and part-ner needed. All welcome. 301-345-1571for more information.

WOMAN TO WOMAN: A SUPPORTGROUP FOR HIV-POSITIVEWOMEN WHO LOVE WOMEN,meets on the third Wednesday of eachmonth at The Women’s Collective.Light refreshments served. 5:30-7 p.m.1331 Rhode Island Ave. NE. For moreinformation, 202-483-7003.

WEEKLY EVENTS

AD LIB, a group for freestyle conversation, meets about 6:30-6 p.m.,Steam, 17th and R NW. All welcome.For more information, call FaustoFernandez, 703-732-5174.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 927 Ohio

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

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holdspractice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. GarrisonElementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscan-dals.wordpress.com.

HISTORIC CHRIST CHURCH offers Wednesday worship 7:15 a.m.and 12:05 p.m. All welcome. 118 N.Washington St., Alexandria. 703-549-1450, historicchristchurch.org.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max Robinson

Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment call 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

IDENTITY offers free and confiden-tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg, 414East Diamond Ave. Walk-ins 2-7 p.m.For appointments other hours, callGaithersburg at 301-300-9978.

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

info, www.centercareers.org.

METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. No appoint-ment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012 14thSt. NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.

NOVASALUD offers free HIV testing.11 a.m.-2 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite200, Arlington. Appointments: 703-789-4467.

PRIME TIMERS OF DC, socialclub for mature gay men, hostsweekly happy hour/dinner. 6:30 p.m.,Windows Bar above Dupont ItalianKitchen, 1637 17th St. NW. Carl, 703-573-8316.l


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JOEL GREY AND ALAN CUMMING HAVE A SUR-prising amount in common.

Both are part of the LGBT community, thoughGrey is a more recent addition, having publicly come

out last January.Both own small dogs — Grey, a Chihauhua named

Nicky and Cumming, a Chihuahua-Rat Terrier mix named Jerry.

Both have written memoirs. Cumming’s — Not My Father’sSon — was published in 2014 while Grey’s — Master of Ceremonies

— reaches Amazon in a few weeks.Both have found success on television. Grey has enjoyed

almost 60 years of television appearances, including guest arcson both Alias and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, while Cumming

has brought to life, with brilliant, vivid nuance, the Emmy-

nominated role of Eli Gold on CBS hit The Good Wife.Both have had astonishing stage careers. Grey originated the

ICONSrole of The Wizard of Oz in Wicked and Amos Hart in Chicago,while Cumming has played in everything from Hamlet to Bent toThe Threepenny Opera. But their Broadway link lies with Kanderand Ebb’s classic Cabaret: Each won a Tony Award for playing

The Emcee. Grey originated the showy — and show-stopping —part in the original Broadway production in the ’60s (and later

in the 1972 film, for which he took home an Oscar). Years later,

in 1998, Cumming won a Tony for darker, more sexualized takeon the part.

And both are coming to our city: Cumming, 51, will be atStrathmore on Valentine’s Day — Sunday, Feb. 14 — with his

critically heralded cabaret, Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs,while the 83-year-old Grey will settle into the Historic Sixth &

I Synagogue on Feb. 23, for an in-depth conversation about his

book, his life, and his remarkable career.Could you wish for a more perfect pairing?

Masterful LifeHis performance immortalized in the 1972 film

version, Joel Grey became an instant icon as The

Emcee in Cabaret. But that’s only part of the story.

METRO WEEKLY: Let’s start with your memoir, Master of

Ceremonies, which comes out February 16. Do you feel celebritiesare obligated to write their memoirs?

JOEL GREY: I don’t, I don’t. But it has been in the back of my mind for the longest time. I guess I got so much from reading

memoirs — so many things that helped me understand myself— that it was just like a plan. I didn’t know when I was going to

do it or what, but I had a bag full of thrown away notes — this

and that, just random — that I thought might be things I wouldwant to talk about in a memoir. And then, when I read Andre

Agassi’s memoir, I was so taken with it, with his struggles [withaddiction] and his success, that I thought, “Yeah, that feels right

to me.”MW: How difficult was it to sit down and conjure up memories from

your life?

GREY: How about difficult with a capital “D.” It’s a challenge butI’ve always been interested in the examined life, as just a part of

who I am. So this is a real extension and compilation of all thosethoughts.MW: Obviously the title plays off the role you made iconic. What isit like to be so closely identified with a specific part?

GREY: It’s all good. There was nothing bad about it, except the

struggle to get the part in the movie. That was against quite afew odds.MW: Wait, there was even a question of you reprising your

Broadway performance on film?

GREY: Oh, yeah. Bob Fosse was hellbent on not using me. Helooked at every other possibility. The producers were, luckily

for me, always in my corner. There’s a scene in the book whereit’s six weeks from shooting and he goes into the producers and

says, “Well, gentlemen, the moment is finally here. It’s either

Joel Grey or me.” And the producers said, “Then it’s Joel Grey.”Now that has almost never happened to an actor and a director

because the director in the film is always the top dog.MW: Why was he opposed to you?

GREY: Maybe he wanted to do it himself or God knows what,because he’s such a complicated, gifted genius. Nobody ever got

an answer out of that. There were no whys.MW: After so many years, what was it that finally sparked you tocome out publicly last year?

GREY: Well, my friends and family have known about me forever.As far as I was concerned I was out, but when [LGBT rights]

turned out to be such a conversation and such a legal and impor-tant movement, and I was writing a book and telling the truth

about myself, it just seemed right. Also, I liked the idea thatperhaps my story might be of some solace and/or inspiration to

young people.MW: Were there challenges for you coming out?

GREY: Yeah, but I didn’t even know what they were except that

I had been forced by society to keep it quiet for so many years.

Interviews by Randy Shulman // Illustration by Scott G. Brooks


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It was just impossible. It was not a discussion. I thought it’s not

like that. And now I also wanted to stand in solidarity with thegay community.

MW: Do you feel that the community has embraced you?GREY: I do. I went to a Human Rights Campaign event last year

and was totally comfortable.MW: Donald Trump has implied that he would install Supreme

Court Justices that would overturn gay marriage.

GREY: That’s pretty good. He just campaigned himself darker

than he usually does.MW: Well, he has to appeal to Evangelicals.

GREY: I guess so. Hi, Nick! My puppy just came in.MW: What kind of puppy?

GREY: A long-haired chihuahua. He’s a great little creature.

MW: As somebody who has watched society for awhile —

GREY: A long while.

MW: — did you ever imagine we would see marriage equality andsuch strides in transgender rights?

GREY: No. It had caused me so much pain in my childhood that

I couldn’t imagine. I was watching guys being rounded up andsent off to jail for being in a bar. And plainclothesmen, what was

that called when they would come on to gay guys and then takethem to jail? Entrapment. Those are things that were heavily

influencing to a young person. Also, you couldn’t have a career ifyou were known to be gay. There were no out gay people when I

was starting out. There was no other way [but to be in the closet].MW: You got married, you had children.

GREY: That was always a part of my plan, too. I always knew that

somehow I wanted to be a dad and a husband and live that life.

So I made that choice. I paid the price of not having it all forhaving that.MW: Certainly there were some good results from that part of your

life.

GREY: I have wonderful children. I adored my wife and we had24 years. Somebody might say that, “Well you were always

bisexual.” But I don’t know any of that. All I know is followingone’s heart and belief is the only thing to do.MW: How do you feel about the current Oscar controversy, thismove toward the Oscars trying to become more diverse?

GREY: It’s an Old Boy’s Club, the Academy, and it needs to bechallenged and freshened.

MW: I recently re-watched Alias — I’d forgotten you were “the

other Mr. Sloan.”

GREY: That’s me!MW: You were also in a story arc in Buffy , another huge show.

GREY: I was! I got to have a tail. It was good. Teenagers would

stop me on the street to look.MW: What do you think of the way television has changed — par-

ticularly the way we’re watching it, by means sometimes other

than our sets?

GREY: Well, I haven’t watched anything — and I really do meananything — for almost two years while I’ve been writing. I’ve justnot been able to take in anything on television or radio actually.

And no music for the first time in my life. Everything needed tobe turned off, all the other outside stimuli.

MW: It sounds like a monkhood.

GREY: Except I was living in those pages.MW: Coincidentally, we’re also interviewing Alan Cumming forthis issue, who, like you, played The Emcee in the Broadway pro-

duction of Cabaret. What did you think of that production?GREY: The whole concept of that production was so far from

what we originally did in the ’60s. Sam Mendes saw Cabaret in avery contemporary way, and it was shocking in a very different

way from ours. It was more explicit. They had a different notionabout presenting it and it was certainly very valid and I thought

he was terrific.MW: Was there any emotion attached to watching another actor

play a role that you created?

GREY: Not really, because great roles are always played byany number of actors. To be in good company is all you really

hope for.

Master of Ceremonies (Flatiron Books) will be available at Amazon.com and other booksellers on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Joel Grey will appear in conversation with Leon Wieseltier, acontributing editor at The Atlantic , on Tuesday, Feb. 23, at Sixth

& I Synagogue, 600 I St. NW, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $16 (or $30,including a purchase of his book). A signing will follow the talk. l

The Good Scot Alan Cumming has a way of turning whatever

he plays into a cultural icon

METRO WEEKLY: Growing up in Scotland, were you aware of your

same-sex attractions?

ALAN CUMMING: It wasn’t an inkling. I always felt as though I was

bisexual, and since I was sexually active, I had relationships withboth sexes.MW: What was it like growing up at a time when being gay wasn’t

just frowned upon, it was a crime?

CUMMING: I was probably too young and I lived in too remotean area to be really aware of those things. I mean, I was aware

it wasn’t totally socially acceptable, but I don’t know, for some

reason I never really worried about that. I’ve never felt shameful

about my sexuality at all. I just let it happen, acted on it when Iwanted to and had the chance to, and just found my own way.MW: In the LGBT movement, bisexuality sometimes gets thrown

under the bus. A lot of gay people say “Well, bisexual men are gayswho haven’t made up their minds.”

CUMMING: I think that’s a little bit of an old wive’s attitude, to be

honest. I don’t really believe people still think that — people whoknow people who are bisexual or who know anything about the

issues — but I do feel that it’s something that people are scaredof or certainly ignorant of. We like boxes, we like to be labelled,

we like to wear a uniform, and so anyone who questions that andsays they feel a bit different, people find it harder to understand.

I think it’s an interesting allegory for how we think as a society,

“I was watching guys being rounded up and sent off to jail for being in a bar. And plainclothesmen would come on to gay guys and then take them to jail.

Those are things that were heavily influencing to a young person.”


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really. There’s two political parties in this country, and people

would like us to be only two sexualities. I think both the politicalsituation in this country and our attitudes toward sexuality need

to diversify a bit.MW: I also think bisexuals by and large are not a very vocal group.

CUMMING: I think people are vocal when they need to have legalrights and civil rights given to them. And that’s why I think it’s

been amazing the last few years about how the transgender com-

munity has blossomed and people have changed their attitudestowards them. Their place in the world is changing. I think if

you’re a bisexual, you have the same rights as a gay person, thesame rights as a straight person, so in a funny sort of way it’s

only about an attitude. It’s more bisexual visibility and bisexualunderstanding. It’s a bigger picture. It’s about people seeing the

grey instead of just black and white.MW: I think it largely depends on who you choose to marry. Youmarried a man.

CUMMING: I did marry a woman a long time ago.MW: The point is, to a certain extent, we’re defined by which gender

we choose to visibly spend our lives with.

CUMMING: Everyone is, don’t you think?

MW: Yes, but if a bisexual person chooses to spend their life with awoman, they automatically get rights and presumably don’t incur

the wrath of homophobic conservatives. But if they choose to spend

their life with a man, they’re a target.

CUMMING: But if a bisexual were vocal about their sexuality, they

would be on the radar.MW:

That’s true. How do you feel about the speed with which ouradvances in marriage equality came?

CUMMING: Well, I’m very happy that our president and our

Supreme Court made this monumental decision. But I don’t see

it as a speedy change. It’s taken decades and decades of peoplefighting for our rights to come to this point, although the mar-

riage equality movement was a relatively new one in the politi-cal sphere. And it’s not over yet. There’s still lots of things need

to be changed. You can still be fired for being gay and lose yourhouse for being gay in some states. There’s still work to do, but

obviously it’s been a very successful time for equality — which isa funny sentence. So I don’t really see it as a speedy thing at all.

MW: When I say speedy, I mean it feels like it all happened very

quickly once the dominoes started to fall.

CUMMING: Oh, yes, exactly. But also it didn’t come from nowhere.The groundwork had done by many people for a very long time.I love that the word equality is sort of a relatively new political

concept, when actually it’s just about being equal. It’s funny thatwe think about it as a privilege rather than a right.

MW: Scotland legalized marriage last year. How did you feel when

you heard that?

CUMMING: I’m very proud of the way Scotland is right now, politi-

cally and socially.MW: Do you miss life there?

CUMMING: No. I have an apartment in Edinburgh and I go backand forth a lot. I miss the sensibility sometimes. I miss the sense

of humor. It’s like anywhere, when you go back to where you’re

from, you realize you have a commonality with the people.

But I go back enough that I feel connected to it. I still feel veryScottish, even though I’ve been in America for a long time.MW: Speaking of, you do an American accent incredibly well.

Anybody who watched you on The Good Wife , and didn’t know

you were Scottish, wouldn’t have a clue.

CUMMING: It’s just my job. I find it amazing that people are so

amazed by that. I guess there are some people do it badly, but

I trained as an actor at a time when it wasn’t really fashionableto use your own voice, and certainly you cannot have a Scottish

accent on the British stage. So I spent years of drama schoollearning to do pronunciations — I was trained to use my ear for

accents. I rarely do parts where I use my own voice. Over theyears, I’ve done lots and lots of films as an American, but I guess

it’s just because The Good Wife is on TV, it becomes much moreof a thing for people. It’s just like another facet of the characterfor me.MW: You’re bringing your show here. Tell me a bit about it.

CUMMING: The show is called Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs,

and I premiered it June last year at the Cafe Carlyle in New York. It’s a cabaret — a collection of songs I’ve chosen that I

enjoy singing. I call them sappy songs because I connect to themin an emotional way. Some of them are well-known songs. And

it’s a true cabaret. I’m telling stories about my life, I’m talking

about some of the stuff that happened to me over the last while.It’s a smorgasbord — I tell funny stories, I tell quite touching

things and I sing all these songs.

It’s a very intimate evening, where I’m trying to be as authen-tic as I can and connect to the audience and doing that by tellingthem things about my life, probably more than they actually

want to hear. It’s a whole evening that is a celebration of authen-

ticity, really.MW: You career has spanned every facet of entertainment. Is there

something you prefer over the other?

CUMMING: I like them all. But if you had a machine gun to my

head, I would probably choose the cabaret show I’m doing rightnow. The connection I get with an audience, the immediacy of

that, the intensity of that, is really a fantastic thing. That’s why Iwanted to become an actor, is to kind of connect and communi-

cate with people.MW: Speaking of a cabaret....

CUMMING: Yes, I know.MW: What Joel Grey did with the role of The Emcee was iconic,and because it was immortalized on film, did you have any doubts

about stepping into it?

CUMMING: When you play a big Shakespearean character, for

example — Hamlet’s a big touchstone in an actor’s career — you

are obviously going to be compared to any previous ones fromthe past. At that time, I had just done a Hamlet that was very

interesting and unusual to some people. I came to Cabaret inLondon immediately after that, but I really didn’t want to do a

musical. I was a little snobby about it. I said, “If I was going todo it, I wanted to do it in a very authentic, gritty way.” I worked

with Sam Mendes on the show and we both wanted to do the

“I’ve never felt shameful about my sexuality at all.I just let it happen, acted on it when I wanted to and

had the chance to, and just found my own way.”


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S T E V E V A C C A R I E L L O


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production authentically, a little more like a Weimar cabaretclub for real. So I did it and I did it my way.

And then like four years later it came to Broadway. And itwas only then that everyone started asking me if I tried to do it

differently from Joel on purpose — and I didn’t. I really hadn’tthought about him in the gestation of that character. He wasn’t

on my mind at all. I’d seen the movie — it was obviously an iconic

performance. But there’s quite a lot of roles you can potentiallydo in your life that are made iconic by other people, yet you

have a chance to do it your way. I approached it like I was doing Hamlet. I said, “There’s other people who had done it before me

and done it in the way people were used to,” and I was just going

to do it my way. That’s all you can do.MW: In the process, you yourself ended up becoming iconic in the

role.

CUMMING: Yes. If you go back to the Hamlet model again, there’s

been many iconic Hamlets. Cabaret is such a brilliant show andThe Emcee is such a fascinating character, there’s many, many

different ways you could do it. And I see on social media peopleare doing the show — and they’ll look like me, they’ve got the

kind of harness thing on. And I think, “Wow, just do it your own way, that was just one way I chose. You could do it however you

like.” It’s not even a real character. It’s just basically a symbol — a

pied piper if you like — and you can do whatever you like withthat part. And so, in a funny way the fact that I became iconic

playing it and Joel was iconic, is a testament to that show and thebrilliant writing of Kander and Ebb. I’m sure in ten years time

we’ll get another production of it and another actor will do theirown iconic version of it.

MW: Would you do a film remake if they offered it?

CUMMING: I think it’s past now. I’ve done it a few times and Idon’t want it to be the thing that I keep returning to. If they do it

in another 16 years I’ll be 66. I’m gonna play Fräulein Schneiderthen.MW: So, we have to get to The Good Wife obviously. Eli Gold isalmost an iconic character in himself. What is it like being part of

such a remarkable show?

CUMMING: It’s really great. It’s been an amazing thing for me on

many levels. First of all, to play this character — and, it’s funny,

he is kind of iconic. He’s this tightly wound symbol of modernAmerica. He’s the dichotomy of modern America — he’s trying

to do good, but he’s being ruthless in order to get it. I feel luckyto be on a show like this.

I think what’s interesting about the show is that it’s very mor-ally ambivalent — it doesn’t tell you what to think about things.

It offers up sometimes very opposing views on certain issues and

lets you make up your mind and also you see the characters thatyou know you are supposed to root for sometimes do things that

are very horrifying and really appall you, and vice versa. So I lovethat moral ambivalence. I think that’s what makes it so unusual.MW: How has being on a series this long impacted your life?

CUMMING: It’s been great — The last six years I’ve been at home. I

live in New York, and it shoots from here. I’ve been able to havea more of a stable life. And while films take less time to make, it

seems like I was always on a plane and away. So it’s been verynice to have some stability in my life in that way.

Also, until Eli, I never really played a person who was like amiddle-aged man in a suit. I’ve always played more crazy people.

I rarely would play someone who was completely based in real-

ity. So that’s been a great thing. It’s changed the perception ofme as an actor as well. Although, I think Eli is a bit insane and

histrionic.MW: Are you ever surprised by the direction they take him in?

CUMMING: Oh, yeah, often — especially this season. It’s been a

big year for him. Huge betrayal. Lots of things have happenedthat have given me much more to play, a lot more colors to his

personality. And I think it’s interesting for the audience to seehim in a vulnerable situation and not be always on top. I’m trying

to do this without spoiling the story to you — but there’s been arecent huge revelation. I love the way they’re bringing back ele-

ments of storylines from years ago. It’s been a great season.MW: Why the big changes?

CUMMING: I was considering leaving the show. I felt like I was ina rut. I was doing the same thing again and again, as much as I

enjoyed it. They came through with a new storyline for Eli, and

I’m very glad I stayed.MW: Is there something more personal about playing a gay or

bisexual character for you?

CUMMING: The sexuality doesn’t matter. Every character I ever

got, I just play them who I think they are. Sometimes their sto-ries I connect with on a more personal level. It’s not necessarily

to do with sexuality for me. I think it’s more about the content

of the story.MW: You’ve worked with GLAAD, The Trevor Project, HRC. Do

you feel that being an out celebrity makes you automatically partof the social activism machine?

CUMMING: I do those things willingly. Sometimes it can be tax-ing just having to do many — in a funny sort of way, a lot of the

events and a lot of the things I do, I sort of think “I’m fightingfor something, and if we get it, I won’t have to do this any more.”

I get tired of constantly talking about my sexuality. If I were

straight, I wouldn’t be talking about being straight all the time.And I think it’s partly to do with the fact that there’s inequality

in that area, partly because there’s curiosity about it and it stillexists. So I’m much more bored of that than I am of trying to help

people less fortunate than myself.MW: True, if you were a straight actor we wouldn’t be discussing

your sexuality at all.

CUMMING: Thank you. I hope you put that in your article.

Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs is Sunday, February 14, 2016 at8 p.m. in the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane in

North Bethesda. Tickets are $35 to $85. Call 301-581-5100 or visitstrathmore.org. l

“I’m very happy that our president and our SupremeCourt made this monumental decision. But I don’t seeit as a speedy change. It’s taken decades and decadesof people fighting for our rights to come to this point.”


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merely unthinking. Among other Valentine’s drink offerings to come

this weekend at Masseria, for example, is an after-dinner cocktail

mixing Pig Nose’s Blended Scotch Whisky with a double espressoand vanilla syrup. “It’s a cocktail to keep you up, not put you to bed,”

says bar manager Julien-Pierre Bourgon.If you’ve yet to settle on a venue for your Valentine’s Day — or

you’re looking for somewhere new to surprise that certain someone

— we’ve culled twelve of the best places in D.C. to celebrate this

weekend.

MasseriaMaryland native Nicholas Stefanelli has worked for two of D.C.’s

most famed Italian chefs, Roberto Donna and Fabio Trabocchi. He

served as chef at downtown’s Bibiana before opening his dining des-

tination last summer, in a former produce warehouse in the Union

Market area. For Valentine’s Day, Masseria features a $78 four-

course or $90 five-course tasting menu per person both Saturday,

Feb. 13, and Sunday, Feb. 14. The centerpiece is a roasted veal ten-

IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY, VALENTINE’S DAY

and New Year’s Eve are the two biggest nights,” says Nicholas

Stefanelli, owner/chef of Masseria near Union Market. “It’s abig night for us production-wise, making it special.”

Valentine’s Day represents an opportunity for restaurants of alltypes to pull out the stops — and set the right mood.

Some restaurants can inspire love through their attractive setting

alone, from the longstanding Iron Gate near Dupont Circle to new-

comer Pennsylvania 6 downtown. It’s also the case with Stefanelli’s

Masseria, a rustic-chic refuge tastefully walled-off down an indus-

trial street from Union Market.Naturally, one key focus of the holiday is on serving up romance

enhancers. That’s why you’ll find oysters and other seafood on most

Valentine’s menus, often offered in multiple courses, as well as

chocolate and even artichokes. (What you won’t find, by and large,

are prix-fixe menus conducive to vegetarians.) And then there are

the libations, often whiskey- or vodka-based — sometimes referred

to as “him” and “her” cocktails, respectively, by the hidebound or

Cupid CuisineWe suggest 12 area restaurants to help create a memorable experience on Valentine’s Day

by Doug Rule

Masseria Jaleo

,


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the downtown Penn Quarter location that sparked the whole small

plates trend in D.C. 23 years ago. But if ever you needed a reason to

eat in the suburbs, Jose Andres’ team offers it this Sunday, when, for

$36, the large Crystal City location will also hand-carve tableside a

side of the prized 48-month cured ham Iberico de bellota — made

from free-range Spanish pigs fed only acorns. The fact that you canalso stop at the area’s only all-Spanish wine shop on the way out is

gravy. 2250 Crystal Dr. Arlington. Call 703-413-8181 or visit jaleo.com.

Freddie’s Beach Bar

Speaking of Crystal City, Freddie’s will offer a Wine & Dine specialbefore 9 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, offering a half-priced bottle of

wine with purchase of an entree special, including the Surf & Turf of

lobster tail and two beef medallions — a steal at only $21. A la carte

desserts are priced at $5 and include Decadent Chocolate Cake and

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries. 555 South 23rd St., Arlington. Call703-685-0555 or visit freddiesbeachbar.com.

L’Enfant CafeFor Valentine’s Day, the lively, intimate French bistro in Adams

Morgan offers a three-course dinner for $75 per couple — which

includes a complimentary glass of champagne with dessert. The

menu includes a choice of lobster bisque or a L’Enfant maison salad

to start, and braised short rib, rack of lamb or wild mushroom raviolias a main course. The shared dessert, over bubbly, is warm apple tart

and chocolate-covered strawberries. 2000 18th St. NW. Call 202-319-

1800 or lenfantcafe.com.

RasikaBoth locations of James Beard Award-winning chef Vikram

Sunderam’s Indian food showplace will be serving a four-course Valentine’s Day menu for $85 per person, or $125 with wine pair-

ings. And both will also be serving a cocktail all weekend inspired

by romance novels — Indigo, a blend of lemon juice, hibiscus liqueur

and Botanist gin garnished with an orchid leaf. Among the stand-

outs of the prix-fixe menus, which are slightly different at each

location: Karwari Oysters, or bay oysters with tamarind and chut-

ney, Truffle Samosas with cumin, filo and date tamarind chutney,Lobster Caldine with cilantro, green chilies and coriander seeds and

Duck Moilee with ginger, green chilies and coconut milk. A dessert

sampler includes Chocolate Bread Pudding, Saffron Rasmalai and

Strawberry Kulfi. Penn Quarter, 633 D St. NW and West End, 1190

New Hampshire Ave. NW. Call 202-466-2500 or visit rasikarestau-

rant.com.

M Street Bar & GrillAnother restaurant in the West End is celebrating Valentine’s Day

every day until Thursday, Feb. 18. In addition to happy hour all night

long, lunch specials under $10 and live local musicians for Sunday

brunch, M Street offers a two-course dinner including a complimen-

tary glass of champagne for $36.95 per person. The entree is a Surf

& Turf featuring a petite filet mignon with jumbo lump crab cake,

mashed potatoes, asparagus and Bearnaise sauce, while dessert is a

raspberry truffle chocolate cake, a decadent heart-shaped chocolatelayer cake with chocolate ganache. St. Gregory Hotel, 2033 M St.

NW. Call 202-530-3621 or visit mstreetdc.com.

B TooFormer Top Chef contestant Bart Vandaele’s attractive and playful

ode to Belgian cuisine on 14th Street is a reliable source for musselsand frites year-round. But, on Valentine’s Day, the restaurant’s focus

is on other sea creatures. A special a la carte menu includes options

such as yellowfin tuna terrine ($17) or Maine lobster risotto ($23)

to start, pan fried dorade royale filet ($30) or a smoked sturgeon

linguine ($35) as a “Maine,” and either a rose cake heart for two

($18) or chocolate tart ($10) for dessert. 1324 14th St. NW. Call 202-

627-2800 or visit btoo.com. l

derloin for two, accompanied by a celery root puree and a medley

of roasted winter root vegetables. Also on the menu is Stefanelli’s

exquisite take on Cacio e Pepe, a simple yet sophisticated pepper-

flecked dish featuring hand-rolled tubular pasta and cheese, an off-

menu dish that is more than worthy of the special occasion. 1340 4th

St. NE. Call 202-608-1330 or visit masseria-dc.com.

Hank’s Oyster BarAll three locations of Jamie Leeds’ seafood-themed bistro empire

will offer a-la-carte specials over Valentine’s Day as well as signature

dishes — from namesake oysters to New England clam chowderto the lobster roll with Old Bay fries. But only the original Dupont

Circle location offers a three-course special that’s one of the bestdeals in town at $40. Choices include a starter of oysters three ways

(raw, grilled and fried), clams linguine, a broiled hake filet or a

chocolate mole filet mignon as a main, and goat cheese panna cotta

or chocolate trifle for dessert. 1624 Q St. NW. Call 202-462-4265 or

visit hanksoysterbar.com.

Iron GateOne of the most romantic dining spots in the city — including a fire

pit-warmed patio open in winter, weather-permitting — is also a

food lover’s haven, courtesy of the small plates expertise of execu-

tive chef Anthony Chittum. Valentine’s Day brings a $135 five-course

tasting menu in the dining room, but you can save money and still

have the beet-cured swordfish ($16) or bison hanger steak ($22) in

the carriageway and garden as part of a special a-la-carte menu that

also includes four Sweet Jesus Oysters for $12. 1734 N St. NW. Call 202-524-5202 or visit irongaterestaurantdc.com.

Pennsylvania 6One of the newest restaurants in town, Pennsylvania 6 is an open,

sumptuously appointed space that is sure to inspire warm senti-

ments any day of the week, but especially on Valentine’s Day. A

selection of three Kumamoto Oysters on the Half Shell, shuckedat the contemporary American restaurant’s centrally located raw

oyster bar, is the first of a special $85 four-course dinner that also

includes wild striped bass, braised short rib and butter-poached

lobster, and a trio of chocolate desserts, including the restaurant’s

upscale version of a Kit Kat Bar. You’re all but assured you won’t

leave hungry or unhappy. 1350 I St. NW. Call 202-796-1600 or visit

pennsylvania6dc.com.

Beacon Bar & GrillSaturday, Feb. 13, and Sunday, Feb. 14, Beacon offers a “Sparkling

Celebration” Champagne Brunch and Champagne Dinner, both

with “freely flowing champagne.” Brunch runs $28.95 to $37.95,

while the four-course dinner is priced from $36.95 to $49.95 per

person. The dinner menu includes choices such as lobster bisque

and smoked salmon blini as an appetizer and grilled beef tenderloin,mushroom asiago chicken and roasted rockfish as an entree. Dessert

is strawberry mousse served in a chocolate tulip. Beacon Hotel, 1615

Rhode Island Ave. NW. Call 202-872-1126 or visit bbgwdc.com.

Commissary EatWell DC’s Commissary offers a Valentine’s Day three-course

package running $38 per person, or $54 with a bottle of wine.Charbroiled oysters and a radicchio and kale salad are the starter

options, while the entree is a grilled ribeye for two or red snapper

and vegetable papillote. Finish it off with a “Chocolate Surprise

for 2”: Flourless chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream, raspberries and

salted caramel. 1443 P St. NW. Call 202-299-0018 or visit commis-

sarydc.com.

JaleoA $65 Valentine’s Day tasting menu offering eight courses, includ-

ing a glass of cava, is available at all three area Jaleos, including


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FEBRUARY 11 - 18, 2016Compiled by Doug Rule

O R L A N D O M A R R A

King of the HillMurray Hill brings drag appeal to Birchmere’s

Burlesque-A-Pades

IBRING A QUEER ELEMENT TO THE SHOW,” SAYS MURRAY HILL,drag king host of the variety show Burlesque-A-Pades In Loveland . “I

make it part of the show, through my material but also by interactingwith people in the audience.”

A transgender comedian and performer, Hill was one of the first drag kings

to gain visibility. Roughly two decades

ago, Hill — who keeps his real identity asecret — transitioned from photographer

and visual artist to drag entertainer. “I

noticed there were all these drag queenseverywhere, but few drag kings in New

York at that point, and it wasn’t aboutcomedy,” he says. “I wanted to bring that

same camp sensibility that drag queenshad into drag king performances.”

Though Hill’s resulting look and sen-

sibility is chiefly inspired by loungelizards from ’70s-era Las Vegas — “Mr.

Showbiz” is his nickname — there’salso some undeniable familial influence

at play. “I recently looked at some oldpictures, and Murray looks a lot like my

uncle and my grandfather,” Hill says.“Short, chubby Italian guys that like to

joke around a lot.”

Though Hill has had cameos in cultfilms and on cable TV — including John

Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus, HBO’s Bored to Death and STARZ’s Gravity — his

main work has been on stage, performingimprov and emceeing touring shows for

neo-burlesque stars, including Dita VonTeese and Angie Pontani.

After brief hiatus, Hill is eager to rejoin

Potani and the “amazing burlesque danc-ers” in Burlesque-A-Pades, playing the

“schmuck” in the Valentine’s Day varietyshow. It will also feature burlesque art-

ists Maine Attraction, Perle Noire andCherie Nuit, tap-dancer Helen Pontani,

and musical duo Sunny Sighed & Bal’d

Lightening.“The Birchmere is actually one of my

favorite venues,” Hill says, noting that

“the crowd is always up for it.” But it’snot just the crowd that gets him going: It’sPotani herself.

“She’s my showbiz partner in crime,”

Hill says. “She’s the best in burlesque.She has great costumes, and she throws it

down.” —Doug Rule

Burlesque-A-Pades In Loveland is Sunday, Feb. 14, at 7:30 p.m. at The Birchmere, 3701

Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Ticketsare $29.50. Call 703-549-7500 or visit

birchmere.com.l


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LAURA JANE GRACE AND THEDEVOURING MOTHERSFour years after coming out as trans-gender, the lead singer of the hard-hitting heavy metal band Against Meis currently on tour with a new punkside project. The show is billed asoffering “an evening of existentialdread, fiending and gender dysphoriain the brilliance of life’s headlights.”Dave Dondero opens. Sunday, Feb. 14,at 8 p.m. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue.

600 I St. NW. Tickets are $20 inadvance, or $23 day-of show. Call 202-408-3100 or visit sixthandi.org.

MESHELL NDEGEOCELLOThe Iconoclastic bisexual musiciantours in support of her mesmerizing,groove-driven 2014 set Comet, Cometo Me. Over the past few decadesNdegeocello has charted a heraldedcareer also notable for its genre-defy-ing variety: from a start in D.C.’s go-goscene, to breakthrough neo-soul/ hip-hop recordings on the Madonna-founded label Maverick Records, tocollaborations with the Indigo Girls,the Rolling Stones and quirky British

dance duo Basement Jaxx. Thursday,Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m. The Hamilton,600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $37 to$46.50. Call 202-787-1000 or visit the-hamiltondc.com.

DC HER HRC 2016 DJ BATTLE,WITH WICKED JEZABELThe Human Rights Campaign andBooz Allen Hamilton present the 2016Her HRC DJ battle in which four ofthe area’s best female DJs will dukeit out during a night at Town. Popularlesbian all-covers party-rock bandWicked Jezabel will start the eveningas featured musical guest, followed byhour-long sets from, in order: DJ CheParlay, DJ Adotnet, last year’s win-

ner DJ Jacq Jill and DJ Jai Syncere.Sunday, Feb. 14, starting at 7 p.m.Town Danceboutique, 2009 8th St.NW. Tickets start at $20. Call 202-234-TOWN or visit towndc.com.

GMCW’S ROCK CREEK SINGERS,POTOMAC FEVERThe Atlas presents a special concertshowcasing the Gay Men’s Chorusof Washington’s two select vocalensembles, the 14-voice close-harmo-ny a cappella group Potomac Feverand the 34-singer eclectic chamberensemble Rock Creek Singers. “TheWay We Were” program offers a sen-timental trip down memory lane and

revisits some of the ensembles’ bestsongs. Friday, Feb. 12, at 8 p.m., andSaturday, Feb. 13, at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.Lang Theatre in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are$20 to $39. Call 202-399-7993 or visitatlasarts.org.

SPOTLIGHT

ADAM DEVINEGW Lisner hosts a night of standupfrom the chubby-faced actor AdamDevine who you’ll recognize if you’vewatched any TV over the past few years, from his start as the nanny in Modern Family to Workaholics, to saynothing of his starring role in the Pitch Perfect movie franchise. Saturday,

Feb. 13, at 8 p.m. GW Lisner, TheGeorge Washington University, 73021st St. NW. Tickets are $35. Call 202-994-6851 or visit lisner.org.

BEYONCEJust as she did three years agowhen she was the headlining act atthe Super Bowl halftime show, Beyannounced another stadium tourimmediately after her appearanceas part of Coldplay’s San Franciscolove fest last Sunday. The FormationWorld Tour won’t hit D.C. and willonly make it to our region towardthe end of the U.S. leg — and on theFriday of Capital Pride Weekend at

that. But hey, we’ll take it! Tickets onsale Tuesday, Feb. 16, for Friday, June10. M&T Stadium, 1101 Russell St.,Baltimore. Call 410-261-7283 or visitlivenation.com.


SEEING NATURE: LANDSCAPEMASTERWORKSMicrosoft co-founder Paul G. Allenhas organized an exhibition with sev-eral museums to display the 39 mas-terpieces from his family’s collectionexploring the evolution of Europeanand American landscape art. Spanningfive centuries, the exhibition featuresworks, among others, by Jan Brueghel,Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne, GustavKlimt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Edward

Hopper and David Hockney. Now toMay 8. The Phillips Collection, 160021st St. NW. Tickets $12. Call 202-387-2151 x247 or visit phillipscollection.org.

STORY DISTRICTLocal storytelling organization for-merly known as SpeakEasyDCoffers its eighth “Sucker for Love,”a Valentine’s Day-themed event with“true tales about loves found, lost andimagined.” Unlike other storytellingorganizations, Story District is focusedon congenial camaraderie not competi-tion — no judged “Story Slams” here.Those presenting this year are Amanda

Sapir, Annie Lipsitz, Cait Reilly, KeithMellnick, Laura Feiveson, MichaelCotter, Morgan Givens, Nupur Mehtaand Sarah Weber. Mike Baireutherhosts this show that he co-directedwith Stephanie Garibaldi. Saturday,Feb. 13, at 6 p.m. Lincoln Theatre, 1215U St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-328-6000 or visit thelincolndc.com.


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It’s not. It’s captivating, absorbing,all-encompassing. It’s the way mov-ies used to be made, an instant-bornclassic, with Blanchett and Mara giv-ing the kinds of performances thatOscars are made for. Now playing. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com.(Randy Shulman)

HOW TO BE SINGLE A modern rom-com adapted froma novel by former Sex and the City

writer Liz Tuccillo, Christian Ditterdirects this movie focused on fourwomen with vastly different ideasabout love and relationships — a setupfor Rebel Wilson to steal the wholeshebang. Opens Friday, Feb. 12. Areatheaters. Visit fandango.com.

JERUSALEM 3DBenedict Cumberbatch narrates a filmoffering the first-ever large formataerial footage of the Old City andthroughout the Holy Land — includingsites ranging from the Western Wallto the Dome of the Rock to the Sea ofGalilee. This 3D film also offers eye-opening personal stories and remark-

able historical perspective. ShowtimesSaturdays and Sundays to March 31.National Geographic Museum, 114517th St. NW. Tickets are $7. Call 202-857-7588 or visit ngmuseum.org.

D.C. and Virginia artists among 12self-identified women working in across-section of media — from videoto 3D photography to installation.To Feb. 28. Studio 2 of the TorpedoFactory Art Center, 105 North UnionSt. Alexandria. Free. Call 703-838-4565 or visit torpedofactory.org.

FILM

CAROLHHHHH

Carol, the sixth feature from ToddHaynes, has the feel of a career pin-nacle, as though every other film inhis canon was building to this master-piece. Based on the novel The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith, the movieis the lesbian equivalent of Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain. But Carol isarguably more emotionally satisfyingthan Lee’s film, in part because ofthe way Highsmith, herself a clos-eted lesbian, crafted the story of a young shopgirl (Rooney Mara) whofalls in love with an older woman(Cate Blanchett) and embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Despite thelack of a suspense-driven narrative, iteffortlessly evokes the spirit of AlfredHitchcock; Carol could be a distantcousin to Vertigo. And, unlike so manyfilms these days, Carol takes its time,with Haynes resolutely refusing tohurry things along. Some in the audi-ence might find the approach dull.

SUTTON FOSTER WITH THEBALTIMORE SYMPHONYORCHESTRAThough known for her work on TV( Bunheads, Younger ), Sutton Fosterhas won more accolades for her workon stage, including winning two Tony Awards, for revivals of Thoroughly Modern Millie and Anything Goes. After an incredible performance withthe National Symphony Orchestra two years ago, Foster now finds accompa-

niment in the Baltimore SymphonyOrchestra as she perform selectionsfrom her Broadway career and otherpop and jazz standards. And her hotYounger co-star Nico Tortorella iseven set to join her for one song, “Fitas a Fiddle.” Thursday, Feb. 18, at 8p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Also Friday, Feb. 19, Saturday, Feb.20, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 21, at3 p.m. Joseph Meyerhoff SymphonyHall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore.Tickets are $38 to $104. Call 410-783-8000 or visit bsomusic.org.

TRENDING:

CONTEMPORARY ART NOW!Women’s Caucus for Art partners withthe Target Gallery in Alexandria forthis new exhibition featuring womenwho are leading the direction of con-temporary art. Sarah West, BlytheKing and Sarah Boyts Yoder are three


OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTFILMS 2015: ANIMATED,LIVE ACTIONOnce again Landmark Theatres, inpartnership with ShortsHD, offers twofeature-length programs of the shortfilms nominated at the upcoming Academy Awards: a program with theanimated shorts, featuring films fromChile, Russia, the U.K. and two fromthe U.S., including Pixar Animation’s Sanjay’s Super Team; and a program of

live action shorts, including films fromGermany, Ireland and the U.S., plustwo set in the West Bank and Kosovo.Now playing. Landmark’s E StreetCinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672. Also Bethesda Row Cinema, 7235Woodmont Ave. Call 301-652-7273. Visit landmarktheatres.com.

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTFILMS 2015: DOCSIn addition to the animated and actionprograms, Landmark Theatres this year also presents a feature-lengthprogram of documentary shorts. Allfive Oscar-nominated films will screen,including the Liberian Body Team 12

set in the height of the Ebola out- break, Chau, Beyond the Lines about an Agent Orange-disabled child and aspir-ing artist in Vietnam and The Price of Forgiveness, focused on a rare survivorof “honor killings” in Pakistan. Amongtwo American documentaries is Last


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A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAMNaturally, envelope-pushing companyWSC Avant Bard offers the quirki-er of the two concurrently runninglocal productions of this winsomeShakespeare classic. Indonesian-inspired shadow puppets — designed by Alex Vernon — are the focal pointof this production, directed by RandyBaker of Rorschach Theatre, and areaccompanied by an “actor-generatedpercussion orchestra.” Daven Ralson

is Puck and Zach Brewster-Geisz isBottom in this wild reimagining of thefamous tale of fairies. Closes Sunday,Feb. 14. Gunston Arts Center, 2700South Lang St. Arlington. Tickets are$20. Call 703-418-4808 or visit wsca- vantbard.org.

AGENTS OF AZEROTHDaring theater company theWashington Rogues offers a pro-duction, courtesy of CulturalDC, ofJennifer Lane’s provocative play thatpivots from the data point, revealed byEdward Snowden, that the NSA andCIA have spent vast time and resourc-es investigating World of Warcraft.

Megan Behm and

Documents

Metro Weekly - 02-11-16 - Joel Grey and Alan Cumming