Metro Weekly - 04-28-16 - Francesca Zambello

8/17/2019 Metro Weekly - 04-28-16 - Francesca Zambello

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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 SAINTBrünnhilde

COVER PHOTOGRAPHYTodd Franson

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APRIL 28, 2016Volume 22 / Issue 51

NEWS 6

THE BRITISH AREN’T COMING by John Riley

9 DICTIONARY DEFINITION

by Fallon Forbush

SCENE 10 GLAA’S 45TH ANNIVERSARY AWARDS

R ECEPTION AT POLICY R ESTAURANT

photography by Ward Morrison

12 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

FEATURES 16 R ING MASTER

Interview by Doug Rule

OUT ON THE TOWN 22 CUBS, OTTERS AND BEARS. OH M Y !

by John Riley

24

BARD IN THE USA

by Doug Rule

26 SCRAMBLED SHAKESPEARE

by Kate Wingfield

MUSIC 34 ALL SAINTS R ED F LAG

by Gordon Ashenhurst

GAMES 36 R ATCHET & C LANK

by Rhuaridh Marr

NIGHTLIFE 39 UPROAR

photography by Ward Morrison

46 LAST WORD


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The British Aren’t Coming Amid British travel warnings and boycott threats, businesses are experiencing

the consequences of anti-LGBT laws

TO SAY THE CITY OF NATCHEZ IS HIGHLY

dependent on tourism is an understatement. Situatedon the Mississippi River, the port city makes use

of its location, its history and its antebellum archi-tecture to draw in travelers. A substantial number of foreign

tourists, from countries like Germany, Australia and the UnitedKingdom, come to Natchez to stay in the former mansions and

plantations that serve as bed and breakfasts.

Because of that reliance on tourism, Natchez has been par-ticularly welcoming to tourists of all backgrounds, including

LGBT people.“Natchez has always been a city that is more forward and

P H O T O . U A

progressive-thinking than any other region in the state, dating

back to the Civil War,” explains R. Wayne Bryant, director ofsales and marketing, public relations and events at Pilgrimage

Garden Club.That’s why it was so concerning when Mississippi lawmak-

ers passed a purported “religious freedom” bill. As written, it

would allow people to cite personal principles, religious beliefs,or moral objections as justification for refusing service to LGBT

people or others who do not adhere to preferred social or sexualmores. As soon as Gov. Phil Bryant signed the law into effect,

opponents of the law, HB 1523, spoke out against it. Musiciansand artists cancelled planned shows. Several multinational

L G B TNews Now online at MetroWeekly.comCourt refuses to hear case of bakery that turned away gay coupleTed Cruz uses trans bathroom panic to garner votes

by John Riley


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LGBTNews

8

corporations with headquarters or operations in the state

denounced the law. And, following the example of major citieslike Washington, San Francisco and New York, which banned

official government travel, some activists even suggested boy-

cotting the state in order to deal a financial blow.However, by attacking the entire state of Mississippi for the

law’s passage, more progressive environs such as Natchez couldend up as collateral damage.

“Tourism is our main industry. People want to stay in ourprized, beautiful mansions,” explains Bryant. “If we are losing

conventions and we are losing destination weddings of LGBTclients, then everyone is losing.”

Bryant has watched tourism and the event business in

Natchez decline since the law’s passage, even though it does notofficially go into effect until July 1. Pilgrimage Garden Club lost

up to six figures in revenue from cancellations, with people spe-cifically citing concerns over the law. That’s several thousand

dollars in sales taxes that the state will not collect, as well asthe loss of local “heads-on-beds” taxes, which fund the Natchez

Convention and Visitors Bureau’s efforts to market the city as a

place open to business or tourism.“This has all happened within the last two weeks, and clients

have stated that the reason is they do not want to be associatedwith or spend their money in our state because of these ridicu-

lous laws,” Bryant says. One of the groups was a non-LGBTRepublican organization based out of Texas, who cancelled

because many of their members objected to being associatedwith the new religious freedom law.

Adding salt to an ever-increasing wound was a decision by

the British Foreign Office to issue a travel warning for the statesof Mississippi and North Carolina for passing laws deemed to be

anti-LGBT. The guidance warns British LGBT travelers that theUnited States is an “extremely diverse society,” where attitudes

towards homosexuality can vary wildly.“There’s no reason to be afraid to come to Mississippi,

especially the city of Natchez. Of everyone I know who ownsa business in the hospitality industry it this city, vendors whoprovide services for events, I don’t know of any cake baker or

florist or business owner who would turn people down,” Bryantsays in response to the Foreign Office’s actions. “But if this law

remains in effect, and Great Britain has issued a warning againstcoming here, and people heed that warning, then we’re in seri-

ous trouble.”In a press conference in London with Prime Minister David

Cameron, President Barack Obama attempted to assuage the

British people that Mississippi and North Carolina were notnearly as hostile towards LGBT people as they have been made

out to be, even as he called both states’ anti-LGBT laws “wrong”and said they “should be overturned.”

“[Mississippi and North Carolina] are beautiful states andyou are welcome and you should come and enjoy yourselves,”

Obama said. “And I think you’ll be treated with extraordinary

hospitality.”But Cameron defended the Foreign Office’s advice, noting

that it was granted “dispassionately” and “impartially” aboutlaws that could affect British citizens abroad.

“Our view on any of these kinds of things is that we shoulduse law to end discrimination, rather than embed or enhance it,”

the prime minister said. “And that’s something we’re comfort-able saying to countries and friends anywhere in the world.”

John Grady Burns, the owner of Beekman Place Livery in

Natchez, has not noticed any major cancellations at his bed-

and-breakfast. However, he is “flabbergasted” that Mississippi

lawmakers would conform to stereotypes that the state is back-wards when it comes to social issues such as LGBT rights.

“I, of course, intend to discriminate against no one,” saysBurns, who is openly gay. “I just can’t imagine that such

a law would be enacted in this day and time that would

promote discrimination.... Natchez is so progressive andopen-minded when it comes to social issues. Here, they’re

not as hard-nosed as some of the conservatives in North

Mississippi.”In response to Britain’s travel warning, Burns says it’s sad it

has to be done, but is the only fair thing to do to make sure U.K.

citizens abroad are forewarned of potential discrimination orhumiliation should they encounter business owners who don’t

wish to serve them.

“Mississippi has opened the door for discrimination, so theyhave to be prepared,” says Burns. “I have to be prepared. I could

be discriminated against at some point.”But other business owners suggest that Mississippi lawmak-

ers will only learn if devastating economic consequences arevisited upon the Magnolia State.

“I just hate that bill. I hate it with a passion,” Linda Lewis

Raney, owner of The Nests B&B in Oxford, Miss., says. “I hopethere’s a boycott, honestly. I wish anybody that would ever

come to Mississippi would change their minds and advertise itin the newspaper, large and small, businesses and individuals.

It’s just a hateful bill to pass for no good reason.”Raney, who prides herself on running an LGBT-friendly

business, says although she has not personally seen a negativeimpact from the “religious freedom” law, she still thinks it was

unnecessary.

“I’d like to say that our legislatures are solving problems thatdon’t exist, and not solving problems that do exist,” she says. “It

was a huge waste of time while they were in session.”Mary Walker, the British-born co-owner of Across the Pond

Bed and Breakfast in Salisbury, N.C., says she, too, has not seena decrease in business from North Carolina’s anti-LGBT law,

which repealed local civil rights ordinances and mandated

transgender people to use only bathrooms that correspond totheir biological sex at birth. But her business gets booked only

through its reservations page, meaning it’s hard to quantify howmuch potential business she may have lost from others who

didn’t complete the reservations process.“We do not support the bill. We’re hoping it’s going to be

overturned,” Walker says. “Our business is open to everyone,regardless of their sexual orientation or gender.”

Concern over the economic impact of anti-LGBT laws is

not merely limited to businesses in the North Carolina andMississippi. Tennessee was beset with threats of an economic

backlash after legislators attempted to pass a “bathroom bill”similar in scope to the North Carolina law, which would have

forced transgender people into bathrooms that do not con-form with their gender identity. It was for that reason that the

Nashville business community spoke out against the “bathroom

bill,” which ended up being pulled by its sponsor for the remain-der of the session for “further study.”

“The quick knee-jerk reaction was that bill had the poten-tial to affect our business,” says Butch Spyridon, president of

the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp., when asked whyhis organization lobbied so heavily against the bill. “I think

my initial quote was, ‘Anytime our state government starts tointroduce legislation that affects our ability to do business, it’s

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LGBTNews

9

UEER PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS FOUND WAYS TO

bend the rules. The dictionary is just trying to keep up.Last week, Merriam-Webster added the words cisgen-

der, genderqueer and the gender-neutral title Mx. to

its unabridged dictionary.Nikki Lane, a professor at American University’s Departmentof Anthropology, says calling people by their preferred pro-

nouns can be complicated, but it comes down to something verysimple: respect.

“One of the hardest things for people who are gender non-

conforming in any way is to be able to find and mark that expe-rience in their lives,” says Lane, a cisgender, black lesbian. “For

some people, using pronouns that are neither he nor she speaksmore to how they experience themselves in the world. Really,

what we’re looking at is this way that our language is beingstretched and bent so that people of all genders can feel that

they’re being recognized.”

As a result, identifying outside of the gender binary of mas-

culine and feminine may not be as queer as it used to be, thanksto Merriam-Webster’s new definitions. They are as follows:Cisgender — a person whose gender identity corresponds with

the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth;Genderqueer — a person whose gender identity cannot be

categorized as solely male or female; and Mx. — gender-neutral,used as a title for those who do not identify as being of a particu-

lar gender, or for people who simply don’t want to be identified

by gender.“While plenty of definitions of these words are available

online, Merriam-Webster’s status as a linguistic authority lendslegitimacy,” the Human Rights Campaign said in a blog post.

“The move helps [broaden] public understanding of the increas-

ing diversity of words that people within the LGBTQ commu-

nity use to describe their identities.”

However, Lane cautions that while recognition from institu-tions like a dictionary might feel like a complete win, it is not.

“The presumably heteronormative folks over at Merriam-Webster get to say, ‘Look, we get it.’ But people whose gender

expression is nonconforming, they’re going to continue to beplaced in a position of needing to teach people what the words

mean,” she says. “And it’s great that now they can point to thedictionary and say, ‘Here’s what it means to be cisgender.’ But

they’re still going to have to define cisgender privilege.”

While Merriam-Webster presumably had good intentionswith the inclusion of these new terms, Lane believes it’s not

going to affect heteronormativity unless they’re also paired witha redefinition of man and woman. Gender, according to Lane, is

not connected to biology, but is an inner-sense of what it meansfor someone to be a man or woman. However, none of Merriam-

Webster’s definitions for male, man, woman or female offer

alternative definitions based on gender expression.Still, dictionaries and their definitions have not kept people

from finding or inventing new ways to talk about their experi-ences in the world. Words can take years before they meet

criteria for entry into a dictionary — for example, cisgender hasexisted since the 1990s, according to Merriam-Webster. But

that slow pace of change isn’t reflected in the LGBT communityat large, according to Lane.

“I think that no one in our fast-paced, Internet-driven, con-

temporary culture is going to feel like a dictionary is the onlyplace where they can find out what the meanings of words are,”

Lane says. “Queer communities [don’t] require the dictionary toacknowledge all of the words that they use.” l

METROWEEKLY.COM APRIL 28, 2016

Dictionary Definition Merriam-Webster expands its lexicon to include cisgender, genderqueer and

the gender-neutral title Mx.

By Fallon Forbush

time to rethink that legislation.’ Personally, I would prefer that

our government stick to the critical issues and stay out of moral

issues, if you will.”Spyridon estimates the potential loss of business for

Nashville, had the bill passed, to be about $58 million. Sincethe defeat of the “bathroom bill,” calls for economic boycotts

and threats of cancellations have largely died down, he says.However, the American Counseling Association has indicated

it might pull its 2017 national convention from Nashville should

another bill, this one granting religious exemptions to counsel-ors and therapists, be signed into law.

“We didn’t catch the counselor bill fast enough, it kind ofblew through and passed before we realized it was there,” says

Spyridon. “That’s our fault, no excuse. We would have had aharder lobby against it. But we didn’t see it coming.” He adds

that NCVC has asked Gov. Bill Haslam (R) to veto that mea-

sure, just as it did for the bathroom bill.

Spyridon also takes seriously the prospect that any anti-LGBT legislation could win Tennessee a travel warning

similar to the ones issued for North Carolina and Mississippi.That, he says, would be a drag on business.

“We have built our success on music and Southern hos-pitality. And neither of those things do we take lightly, and

neither of those two things do we need to put in jeopardy,” he

says. “And, certainly, being a friendly and welcoming state isimportant to our messaging. We’d like to stay on the good lists,

and have no desire to be listed on travel warning lists. We’veworked way too hard on every front to elevate, in particular

Nashville’s success, but even on a statewide basis. We want tocontinue that.” l

Q


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

scene

GLAA’s 45thAnniversary AwardsReception at PolicyRestaurant

Thursday, April 21

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WARD MORRISON

scan this tag

with your

smartphonefor bonus scene

pics online!


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SATURDAY, APRIL 30RAINBOW FAMILIES DC holds aday-long FAMILY CONFERENCEAND KIDS CAMP for LGBT fami-lies, with workshops, networkingopportunities and a keynote addressfor parents and fun events for the

kids. 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. GeorgetownDay School Lower/Middle SchoolCampus, 4530 MacArthur Blvd. NW.For more information, visit rainbow-familiesdc.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

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

BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, includ-

ing others interested in Brazilian cul-ture, meets. For location/time, email [email protected].

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

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/ walking/social club welcomes alllevels for exercise in a fun and sup-portive environment, socializingafterward. Meet 9:30 a.m., 23rd & PStreets NW, for a walk; or 10 a.m. forfun run. dcfrontrunners.org.

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

DIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass forLGBT community, family and friends.6:30 p.m., Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, 3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria. All welcome. For moreinfo, visit dignitynova.org.

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

gmail.com.

FRIDAY, APRIL 29GAMMA, a confidential supportgroup for men who are gay, bisexual,questioning and who are married orinvolved with a woman, meets onthe second and fourth Fridays of themonth. GAMMA also offers addition-al meeting times and places for menin Northern Virginia and Maryland.7:30-9:30 p.m. St. Thomas’ ParishEpiscopal Church, 1772 Church St.NW. For more information, visitGAMMAinDC.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.

WEEKLY EVENTS

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

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practicesession at Hains Point, 927 Ohio Dr.SW. 6:30-8 p.m. Visit swimdcac.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. 4-6p.m. 1419 Columbia Road NW. ContactTamara, 202-319-0422, layc-dc.org.

SMYAL’S REC NIGHT providesa social atmosphere for GLBT andquestioning youth, featuring danceparties, vogue nights, movies andgames. More info, [email protected].

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

THURSDAY, APRIL 28Iona Senior Services presents

ESTATE PLANNING FOR THELGBTQ COMMUNITY, a presenta-tion going over various topics relat-ing to end-of-life planning, includ-ing health care power of attorney,advance directive, last will and testa-ment, disposition of bodily remainsand more. 3-5:30 p.m. 4125 AlbemarleSt. NW. For more information, visitiona.org.

The DC ANTI-VIOLENCE PROJECT (DC AVP), the group dedicated tocombating anti-LGBT hate crimes,holds its monthly meeting at The DCCenter. 7-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,Suite 105. For more information, visitthedccenter.org.

The LATINO LGBT TASK FORCE holds its monthly meeting at The DCCenter. 6-7 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,

Suite 105. For more information, con-tact Brant Miller, [email protected] or 202-682-2245.

WEEKLY EVENTS

DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay and lesbian square-dancing group featuresmainstream through advanced squaredancing at the National City ChristianChurch, 5 Thomas Circle NW, 7-9:30p.m. Casual dress. 301-257-0517,dclambdasquares.org.

The DULLES TRIANGLES Northern Virginia social group meets for happyhour at Sheraton in Reston, 11810

Sunrise Valley Drive, second-floor bar, 7-9 p.m. All welcome. dullestri-angles.com.

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

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

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

LGBT community, from alternative social events to volunteer opportunities.

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

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

Questions about the calendar may be directed to the

Metro Weekly office at 202-638-6830 or

the calendar email address.

LGBTCommunityCalendar

SUNDAY, MAY 1ADVENTURING outdoors group takesa moderate 8-mile hike in the BlueRidge Mountains north of ShenandoahNational Park to see spectacular dis-plays of trillium and other wildflow-ers. Bring beverages, lunch, sturdy boots, bug spray, and a few dollars forfees. Must purchase special state per-

mit in advance online for $4. Carpoolfrom East Falls Church Metro StationKiss & Ride lot. Craig, 202-462-0535.adventuring.org.

Join Accelerate Brain Cancer Cureand the National Brain Tumor Society

for its 19TH ANNUAL RACE FORHOPE 5K RUN AND WALK. Otheractivities include a kids’ run andWall of Hope. Featuring special guestappearance by former American Idol winner David Cook. 8:30 a.m.Freedom Plaza, Pennsylvania Ave.NW between 13th and 14th Streets.For more information or to purchasetickets, visit curebraintumors.org.

The 5TH ANNUAL RUNNING OFTHE CHIHUAHUAS to celebrateCinco de Mayo returns to D.C.Proceeds benefit local animal chari-ties. Featuring chihuahua races, foodtrucks, beer stands, dog contests, andlive music. 1-4 p.m. The Wharf, 600Water St. SW. For more information, visit cincodc.com.

WeddingWire, Inc. holds an “ASKTHE NEWLYWEDS” panel and socialevent for couples who are themselvesinterested in planning a wedding.Cocktails, treats and a DJ follow the

panel discussion. Tickets are free, but must RSVP. 2-4 p.m. 2 WisconsinCir., 3rd Floor, Chevy Chase, Md. ToRSVP and for more information, visitgo.weddingwire.com/gayweddings/ events/2016/newlywed-panel.html.

WEEKLY EVENTS

LGBT-inclusive ALL 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.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice

session 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.

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 accessible

from Phelps Place gate. Hearing assis-tance. quakersdc.org.


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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.

LUTHERAN CHURCH OFREFORMATION invites all to Sundayworship 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 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.

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.

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

MONDAY, MAY 2BURGUNDY CRESCENT, a gay volun-teer organization, volunteers today for Volunteer Night, the first Monday ofevery month at The DC Center. To par-ticipate, visit burgundycrescent.org.

The DC Center hosts a VOLUNTEERNIGHT for community membersto lend a hand with various duties,including cleaning, keeping safe-sex

kit inventory, and sorting through book donations. Pizza provided.6:30-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,Suite 105. For more information, visitthedccenter.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-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.

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.

NOVASALUD offers free HIV testing.5-7 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite 200, Arlington. Appointments:

703-789-4467.

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

[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, MAY 3

WEEKLY EVENTS

ASIANS AND FRIENDS weekly dinnerin Dupont/Logan Circle area, 6:30 p.m.

[email protected], afwashington.net.

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

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

THE GAY MEN’S HEALTHCOLLABORATIVE offers free HIVtesting and STI screening and treat-ment every Tuesday. 5-6:30 p.m.Rainbow Tuesday LGBT Clinic,


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HEEPISHLY MENTION TO FRANCESCA

Zambello that you’ve never seen an opera and,with a smile, she’ll issue a simple challenge:

Watch Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle.

In its entirety.All 17 hours of it.“Just try it,” the esteemed, abundantly awarded artistic direc-

tor of the Washington Opera says. “When people say they’ve

never been to an opera, I say ‘If you don’t try it, you don’t knowhow great it is.’ It’s an amazing experience! Amazing ! That

acoustic sound of the orchestra and the voices — incredible.”For those who don’t want to brave The Ring Cycle’s full

running time, an epic, mythic tale spread out over four operas,Zambello recommends The Valkyrie, second in the cycle, as a

standalone. “Its story stands on its own, so you could just see

that.” Performed in German (with surtitles), The Valkyrie’s uni-versal, existential themes and enormous, overwhelming scale

has the power to entrance novices and opera veterans alike. Itboasts one of the most famous pieces of music in opera’s canon

— “Ride of the Valkyries,” made instantly recognizable from itsoveruse by pop culture (everything from the chopper scene in

Apocalypse Now to Elmer Fudd warbling “Kill the Wabbit”). Thetime commitment for The Valkyrie? “Four and a half hours, with

two intermissions.”

Individual operas from The Ring Cycle, which starts a three-week run on Saturday, April 30 at the Kennedy Center, are often

produced as standalones within an opera company’s season. It’srare — and something of a significant cultural event (not to men-

tion herculean undertaking) — when a company mounts all fourof Wagner’s behemoths at once. But that was Zambello’s chal-

lenge to herself. It took a decade to fully realize, as production

costs and schedules are often a determining factor. Yet Zambello

stuck with the project, citing a “deep and passionate love for allthings Ring.”

Raised in a family that valued music and the performing arts,

Zambello was encouraged from an early age to appreciate opera.That encouragement, and the love it engendered, fueled her pas-sion for the subject — as well as her conviction that newcomers,

of any age, shouldn’t be intimidated by opera. Zambello is not —

we repeat, not — an opera snob.“My whole goal is to make it accessible,” she says. “I want to

make opera for everyone.”Zambello loves all styles of opera, though she clearly regards

Wagner’s as a cut above the rest. Unlike the beautiful Italianoperas, with crazy twists and romantic trysts, Wagner’s works

are vigorous and somewhat more serious, focused on, as she puts

it, “exploring the core of what it means to be human” — whethermotivated by power, romance, or a sense of belonging. “We all

know what it is to hunger for something,” she says during anhour-long interview in her Georgetown home. “And we’ve seen

how desire can push people to do things they wouldn’t imaginethemselves capable of.”

And then there’s Wagner’s music, which Zambello considersto be as primal as they come, to the point of being a potential

aphrodisiac.

“It’s just some of the sexiest music ever written,” she says.“This is music to not just be romantic to, it’s music to have sex

to! It’s so powerful. I strongly recommend it!”

METRO WEEKLY: What on earth inspired you to take on the entire Ring Cycle?

FRANCESCA ZAMBELLO: The Ring Cycle is the big chalice in our

As head of The Washington Opera, Francesca Zambello strives to make the artform as accessible andrelevant as possible. Including Wagner’s Ring Cycle.

INTERVIEW BY DOUG R ULE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TODD FRANSON


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You have a chorus, which is usually at the least forty people.And again, it depends on the opera. When we do The Ring Cycle,

there are some nights where there are four hundred people

involved — there are ninety people in the chorus, a hundred peo-

ple in the orchestra, fifty supers, extras, the crew, the wardrobedepartment, and the performers. Sometimes I say I’m trying tofigure out how to land at Heathrow. My job is like psychiatrist,

babysitter, air controller, planner, emotional/figure-out-your-life person.

MW: People come to you for emotional support?

ZAMBELLO: All the time. I guess they think I can help them. I just ask questions. I’m a good question-asker. And I think when

you’re trying to figure out things, it’s good to ask questions.MW: One key difference between operas and musicals is that many

of the great operas are not performed in English.

ZAMBELLO: Right, but we’ve overcome that in some way with the

use of supertitles. Which I think musicals are probably going tostart to use soon. People want total clarity. They want to know

every word that’s being said.MW: Is there an effort to try and accommodate both sides of theargument: opera purists who want the original experience, and

newcomers who are worried about the potential language barrier?

ZAMBELLO: For me it’s to make it as accessible as possible. That’s

why, like this Ring, the way we’ve directed and designed it, is tomake it really feel in-your-face and part of your world. We make

it feel like the Gods are a dysfunctional family you would recog-

nize. Some of the characters live in a trailer park, for example.It’s iconic images that immediately tell you something.MW: An operatic approach can also transform other subject matter.

I’ve seen Showboat as a musical, yet it didn’t have quite the same

impact as your opera version.

ZAMBELLO: That’s what opera does all the time.MW: What would you say to those who may feel intimidated by the

idea of seeing an opera?

ZAMBELLO: I’d say, “Why are you limiting yourself?” That’s like

saying, “I’m going to cook without garlic.” Come on! What’s tobe afraid of? Nowadays, you can get a reasonably priced ticket.Half the time it’s cheaper than going to a baseball game. Or a

rock concert.MW: Or Hamilton.

ZAMBELLO: Forget it. That’s five times as expensive as what we’re

charging.MW: The expense of going to the opera is a consideration for some,

though.

ZAMBELLO: We offer special pricing for the big hits. Next season

we have special pricing for Madama Butterfly, The Marriage of Figaro, The Daughter of the Regiment — like 25 dollars or some-

thing. Really reasonable. That’s important to me.MW: How are you able to lower the ticket prices, especially consid-

ering the production costs of opera?

ZAMBELLO: Well, not every seat is inexpensive. But at WNO, wedo a lot of things like short new operas. We have a series called

the American Opera Initiative, where we do operas that aretwenty minutes-to-an-hour long, in English. To draw people in,

we have special pricing, where we do certain performances thatstar all of our younger artists, that are very reasonably priced.

And we’ve got people coming.

It’s funny about opera, because so many people want every-thing short. And that’s why we started this thing of 20-minute

opera. But once you get into opera, sitting through 17 hours ofThe Ring is like binge-watching House of Cards.MW: It’s odd that a lot of younger people wouldn’t sit through an

Alan Held as Wotan and Catherine Foster as Brunnhilde in The Valkyrie S C O T T S U C H M A N


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entire opera, yet they’ll happily binge-watch Netflix.

ZAMBELLO: But they binge-watch. And I find that a lot of them

love opera. I find that we have a portion of a younger audience

who are drawn by the stories and the emotions. It’s not superfi-cial. A lot of life is superficial. Opera goes deep. It speaks to you.MW: Is there any genre of music you listen to apart from classicaland opera?

ZAMBELLO: I like country western, like Iris DeMent or JohnPrine.

MW: The two worlds never meet, do they? You would never hear a

bluegrass singer in an opera.

ZAMBELLO: No, no. I’ve thought about it, but I haven’t brought

them together yet. But next year we’re doing a jazz opera called

Champion. It’s about a boxer Emile Griffith and his Hispanic

lover. All idioms work in opera.MW: Do you prefer directing operas or musicals?

ZAMBELLO: I like directing anything, if I like the material. Youhave to love the material. The material has to grab you. Because

if it doesn’t speak to you, you can’t help the performers find their

way in it.

MW: Is there an opera that you have no interest in directing?ZAMBELLO: There are operas that I’ve directed that I don’t needto direct again, put it that way.MW: Care to name any?

ZAMBELLO: No, because we might be doing them in three years!

So I’ll get somebody else to do it. Opera lovers can be very

divided. There are some who love Italian opera, some who loveGerman opera, some who love French opera. I like them all. And

there are a lot of people who like them all too.MW: What about American opera?

ZAMBELLO: Oh, I love American operas. I love contemporaryoperas. I practically love that more than anything else. They

resonate more. This year we did Appomattox, which was a newPhilip Glass opera about the end of the Civil War and the Civil

Rights movement. I was very proud that we did it. Next year,

we have several great new contemporary operas coming. Oneis called Dead Man Walking , based on the film and the book.

Another one is The Dictator’s Wife, which is a kind of satireabout a dictator’s wife and how she takes over a country.

The standard operas, as we call them — Puccini, Verdi — theydon’t change. How you interpret them changes. Doing new

operas — that’s what speaks to me. I love new music, and the

challenge of creating new work.MW: During the summer you serve as artistic director of the

Glimmerglass Festival in New York. How does that compare to your work with WNO?

ZAMBELLO: It’s different and the same. It’s a summer festival,

and so you’re trying to get people to come for several days tosee several operas — to really experience a festival. And we do a

musical every year — but we cast opera singers. We do it with-

out amplification. This year we’re doing Sweeney Todd . We alsodo a youth opera for kids. We do concerts, a lot of them in new

music that mixes styles. We do lectures — interesting speakerson really stimulating, intellectual topics. You can have a very

broad experience.At WNO, mostly, you’re providing entertainment. They go

to work, they see a show, they go home. But when you go to a

festival, people journey there, they’re there for a couple of days,and they really get into it. So that’s what makes it different by its

nature. It’s a very small, intimate theater — only 1,000 seats —in a beautiful setting in rural,

central New York. Dairy coun-try. So you hear this amazing

music, go out and have a greatpicnic. Hang out. Go hear a

concert after you’ve heard an

opera. It’s that kind of experi-ence. I love being there, and I

love programming there.MW: Was it intimidating to take

over from Placido Domingo ashead of the WNO three years ago?

ZAMBELLO: No. I wanted to

focus on different things as acompany, and so I felt I had a

path. I wanted more Americanwork, more American artists, more new music. Some different

kinds of theatrical approaches. Build the young artist program.I had a viewpoint on it, which we’ve been executing. Which

has been great. I love Placido, and I love what he left us, a greatlegacy.

MW: Have you had any challenges as a woman in this field and line

of work?

ZAMBELLO: Oh, my whole life, sure. There’s hardly any womenstill doing this job. It’s terrible! There are very few women whoare general directors on this level. Very few. There’s still incred-

ible sexism.MW: What about the presentation of women in opera?

ZAMBELLO: That’s tricky. A lot of women are characterized as

victims. You don’t always have to buy into it. You can workaround it, or reconceive it. When it’s appropriate, I do that. And

when it’s not, I don’t. I always think, tell the story. That’s my job. What’s the plot? How do I make it clear? How do I make

the characters clear? If you like the characters, if you know thecharacters, you can tell the story. If you don’t, don’t bother, you’ll

screw up.MW: Has your identity as a lesbian informed your work?

ZAMBELLO: I don’t think it informs my work. I think being a

woman informs my work more. I think my work is political,often, but not about a sexual choice so much as more about

socially responsible issues. Like this year, Appomattox, civilrights. We did another piece, Lost in the Stars, again about apart-

heid. The Ring certainly has a feminist streak. It also has a streakabout ecology and the environment. I think that political and

social thinking is definitely part of what I think about. And what

I try to imbue in the pieces that I direct.MW: Opera has a wealth of gay-friendly work to be explored.

ZAMBELLO: There are hundreds of gay-themed operas. BenjaminBritten, famous British composer — all his works, Billy Budd ,

Peter Grimes. There’s been an opera about Harvey Milk.

“Is Hamilton an opera? It’s sungall the way through like opera.It might end up being classified asan opera a hundred years from now,who knows?”


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Brokeback Mountain, even. And opera queens are a major partof an opera audience.

MW: Was coming out challenging for you?

ZAMBELLO: To some degree, but I think that’s my age. I can’t saythat the ’70s and the ’80s were the most welcoming time. I lived

in New York City and San Francisco — those were welcomingcities, but there were still a lot of issues around it. A lot. Very

political, very charged. You know, AIDS, fear, prejudice. It wasn’tlike coming out for me personally was traumatic — my fam-

ily was accepting. It was more

about the world that we livedin. When I think that in my life-

time, I’ve become legally mar-ried to a woman, it’s a miracle.MW: Something you couldn’thave imagined when you were

coming out.

ZAMBELLO: When I was 22, no.

My best friend, who’s gay — we

both got married around thesame time. He reminded me

that when we were that age,we did a show together. And at

the party after, everybody wasdancing. There were gay cou-

ples — it was a theater party.

But I said, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could marry the peoplewho we love?” That would have been 1980, I guess. I wasn’t out

at work, and I worked in the arts.MW: When did you come out at work?

ZAMBELLO: Maybe in the ‘80s. Like out out, no — just discreet. Iwas always discreet. I think I still am. I mean, I’ve never not said,

if somebody asks me, “Are you gay?” I’ve never lied, or anythinglike that. But I don’t think I’ve ever been wearing a badge.

I don’t think that younger people can understand it. Like with

the Supreme Court ruling last summer — I remember hearing it,

I was in a room with a lot of performers who were a lot younger.And I just started weeping. One of them said, “Why are you cry-ing so much.” And I said, “You didn’t experience prejudice.” For

the most part. If you’re in Mississippi, it’s a problem.Time just moves so quickly. Laws move so quickly. For

people in their twenties and thirties, to understand what people

in their fifties even went through is very hard. And obviously, ofcourse, women suffered from AIDS, but they didn’t suffer like

gay men did, it’s true. I lived in San Francisco in the ’80s, andI worked at the opera house. And the rampant fear — “I’m not

touching him, he’s gay,” those kinds of things — was everywhere.That was every day. And of course people died. Friends died. A

lot of friends died.MW: And a lot of younger people probably don’t even know a lot of

the details of that. Including the fact that lesbians were often help-

ing gay men afflicted with AIDS.

ZAMBELLO: All the time. I don’t think that story is told that much.

I really don’t. It was awful. And of course things like HarveyMilk are documented. And the world of the Castro. But when I

look back, I think, “Oh my god, I really lived through that. Andlived right near there.” It happened so fast. Everything was

changing so quickly. People were dropping like flies.

For everybody of that generation, to be in your twenties, todeal with so much death — only a war would have made you deal

with that before, friends dying, all of that. I had a really goodfriend, she’s gay and her twin brother was gay. He died. It was

a different time.

MW: It’s certainly the stuff from which operas are made.

ZAMBELLO: There have been plenty of operas about AIDS.

And plenty of plays. Terrence McNally’s career was launched

because of that.MW: Is that part of the future of opera? Keeping these issues alive

and relevant in our culture?

ZAMBELLO: I think we have to keep making it socially relevant,

because in its roots, that’s what it was. The composers who werewriting in the 18th and 19th centuries were speaking to their

public about ideas, social action. I think we have to turn back tothat more. We are, in a way, turning back to it.MW: How do you switch off from work?

ZAMBELLO: I love nature. Walking, hiking, being outdoors.

Anything outdoors, I’m happy. Also I’m a stepmother. Beingwith a kid is extremely liberating, because you don’t think about

yourself, you just think about them. He’s seven-and-a-half, sohe’s a full-time event. Being with him and his friends, I find

it very uplifting. Hard work, but uplifting. Kids make you see

everything in a different way. They make you let go of a lot of

your selfish stress.MW: What book are you currently reading?

ZAMBELLO: Gianni Riotta’s Prince of the Clouds, a novel, I’ve been

enjoying it. I also read a lot of history books. I just read a hugebook on the French Revolution. For me, history is really the

thing I enjoy the most. The other guilty pleasure I have is read-

ing cookbooks. History and cookbooks are like my porn.MW: Do you read for recipes, or just for pleasure?

ZAMBELLO: No, just thumbing through. Often to go to sleep, tocalm down, I’ll read one. Seriously. I was reading a book about

barbecuing last night. It’s hard when you come home fromrehearsing The Ring Cycle — I’m like, “Oh my God! I’ve got to

calm down!” l

The Washington National Opera presents all four operas in The

Ring Cycle three times — one each week for three weeks, makingthree complete cycles, starting Saturday, April 30, and running to

May 22, at the Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $75 to$525 per opera. For specific performance dates and more informa-

tion, call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

Each performance is preceded by a free lecture offering insights

into that particular opera.

For more information on the Glimmerglass Festival, which runsthroughout July and August in Cooperstown, N.Y., call 607-547-

2255 or visit glimmerglass.org.

“[The Ring Cycle has] some of thesexiest music ever written. This ismusic to not just be romantic to,


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APRIL 28 - MAY 5, 2016

22

Compiled by Doug Rule


Cubs, Otters and Bears. Oh My!Gay Day at the Zoo brings the District’s gay community together for an animal-inspired fundraiser

Y OU’LL KNOW THEM BY THEIR T-SHIRTS.

Last year, the National Zoo was beset by a sea of redas members of the LGBT community congregated and

took over the park. Every stand, every exhibit, every walkwaywas filled with a smattering of red T-shirts as people posed for

selfies and made their way along the zoo’s many winding trails.

This year, organizers of the fourth annual “Gay Day at theZoo” are hoping you’ll see green. Bright green.

Organizers are selling the Kermit-hued “Gay Day” T-shirts,complete with an affectionate pair of cartoon pandas, for $15 each,

with proceeds directly benefitting The DC Center. Prospectivezoo-goers can order their T-shirts online beforehand and pick

them up at The DC Center on Saturday, May 30, or on Sunday atthe zoo’s main entrance on Connecticut Avenue NW.

The social gathering and fundraising event is the brainchild

of Jacob Pring, a local party promoter who was, at the time,volunteering for The DC Center. After the first year was so suc-

cessful, the LGBT community center made it a permanent fix-ture — this year, they’re expecting almost 1,000 people to attend.

“It is simply a relaxed, fun day to be at the zoo and be with

other members of the LGBT community,” says David Mariner,executive director of The DC Center. “It’s just a great opportu-

nity to be out, enjoy the day, and to be visible in the community.”As part of Gay Day, various DC Center groups will organize

“meet-ups” with their members, starting with Center Aging at 11

a.m., followed by Rainbow Families DC and 495 Bears at noon,Center Bi at 1:30 p.m., and members of GenderQueer DC, Gay

District, Women in Their Twenties and Center Global congre-gating at 2 p.m.

“It’s a great opportunity to connect with some of the groupsthat meet at the DC Center,” says Mariner. “So if you’re not

familiar with the groups that meet here, you can get to knowsome of those folks.” — John Riley

Gay Day at the Zoo will take place on Sunday, May 1 from 11 a.m.to 5 p.m. at the Smithsonian National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave.

NW. Admission is free of charge. For more information, or to pur-chase Gay Day at the Zoo T-shirts, visit thedccenter.org.


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BOB BOILEN

Your Song Changed My Life...35 Beloved Artists on Their Journey andthe Music That Inspired It is an oralhistory written by the arbiter of popmusic. The host and creator of NPR’s All Songs Considered podcast and TinyDesk Concerts, one-time musician BobBoilen was in the band that first playedthe original 9:30 Club 35 years ago.He’ll be in conversation at Sixth and Iwith Carrie Brownstein, co-creator of Portlandia and a former featured gueston All Songs Considered . Monday,May 2, at 7:30 p.m. Sixth & I HistoricSynagogue. 600 I St. NW. Tickets are$35 for one ticket, one book, or $50for two tickets and one book. Call 202-408-3100 or visit sixthandi.org.

C O U R T E S Y O F F O L G E R S H A K E S P E A R E L I B R A R Y

DISGRACED Arena Stage offers a production of Avad Akhtar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning incen-diary examination of one’s self andone’s beliefs — of American identity andSouth Asian culture. Timothy Douglasdirects Felicia Curry, Joe Isenberg,Nehal Joshi, Samip Raval and Ivy Vahanian. To May 29. Kreeger Theaterin the Mead Center for AmericanTheater, 1101 6th St. SW. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

ESTELLE”I’ve felt so much love and acceptance,it’s overwhelming,” Estelle told MetroWeekly in 2012. ”[And] gay people,it’s a whole different level.” The lovehas only grown stronger since then,especially after her guest-starring turn

as a duet partner with Jussie Smolletton Fox’s Empire, performing her hit“Conqueror.” The Grammy-winningBritish soul singer continues to tourin support of her latest release True Romance. Special guest Familiar Faces.Thursday, May 5, at 8 p.m. BethesdaBlues & Jazz Supper Club, 7719Wisconsin Ave. Tickets are $55 to $75.Call 240-330-4500 or visit bethesdab-luesjazz.com.

NATIONAL SYMPHONYORCHESTRA WITH STORM LARGE,HUDSON SHADPink Martini vocalist Storm Large willsing a concert version of Bertolt Brechtand Kurt Weill’s delightful work The

Seven Deadly Sins, about a transgres-

SPOTLIGHT

BEN CARVER: NEW ORLEANSLocal photographer/filmmaker BenCarver spent three months walking theneighborhoods of New Orleans to cap-ture the city as it exists 10 years afterHurricane Katrina. White Room DChosts two showings of selections fromthe 600-plus images that comprise thecollection. Showings Saturday, April30, and Monday, May 2, from 6 p.m. to10 p.m. White Room DC, 1240 9th St.NW. Visit whiteroomdc.com.

Bard in the USA America’s Shakespeare at the Folger documents

the Bard’s New World connection

ILIKE SHAKESPEARE, BUT I’M NOT PASSIONATE ABOUT

Shakespeare, to be perfectly honest,” Georgianna Ziegler laughs.It’s a surprising admission, coming from the head of reference

and associate librarian at the Folger Shakespeare Library, who is alsoa past president of the Shakespeare Association of America. Ziegler

even taught the Bard at the University of Pennsylvania. “I’ve taught alot of other things besides Shakespeare,” she says. “My personal inter-

est tends to be women writers, early modern women. I’m interested in

Shakespeare and women, and I’ve done some work on that.”

Passionate or not, Ziegler is enthusiastic about thenew exhibition she has curated at the Folger, focused

on Shakespeare in America. “Shakespeare entered this

country very early, coming in with the English immi-grants to the New World,” Ziegler says. “To be taxt or

not to be taxt, that is the question,” is how Americancolonists spun one popular phrase from Hamlet. French

political scientist Alexis de Tocqueville famously wroteabout seeing copies of Shakespeare alongside copies of

the Bible in log cabins on his tour of the U.S.“Shakespeare’s language, like the language of the

Bible, became part of the currency of American English,”

Ziegler says. “And was used all through, from earlytimes to the present.” Although English immigrants may

have been the ones to seed Shakespeare, the America’sShakespeare exhibition includes examples showing the

language of the world’s most famous playwright/poetsprouting among other immigrant and ethnic groups,

including Italian, Jewish and African-American. It also

documents Shakespeare’s influence on several notableAmerican works, from Leonard Bernstein’s musicalWest Side Story to Measure for Measure, a 2014 poem byRowan Ricardo Phillips. Shakespeare has even inspired

American advertising copywriters.“I think Shakespeare was often used to sell things

because of the idea of class,” Ziegler says. “It broughta cachet to whatever you were selling. We have a good

example of that with a Coke ad. It shows that Coca-

Cola is American, but it’s also classy.” And the culturalexchange wasn’t just one-way. In the early 17th cen-

tury, pamphlets reported on a shipwreck off the coast of Virginia. “It’s pretty obvious that he knew these reports

about the New World, and that that influenced himwhen he wrote The Tempest,” Ziegler says.

The exhibition doesn’t include anything related to

Ziegler’s personal interest, or to LGBT matters. “It is an

important issue in this country, but I just didn’t deal withissues of gender and sexuality,” Ziegler says. But sheagrees that it could prove interesting fodder for another

exhibition, one “beginning with the whole idea of boysperforming as women on Shakespeare’s stage, and then

you just kind of take it from there.” —Doug Rule

America’s Shakespeare runs through July 24 in the Great Hall in

Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Free. Call

202-544-7077 or visit folger.edu.


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sive young woman tempted by thegentlemen of the vocal quartet. Largemakes her NSO classical subscriptiondebut with the program, led by young American conductor James Gaffigan,and also including Rodgers’ CarouselWaltz , Dvorak’s American Suite, andRavel’s La valse. Thursday, April 28, at7 p.m., and Saturday, April 30, at 8 p.m.Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Ticketsare $15 to $89. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

RE-BALL!: RAISE/RAZE IN THEDUPONT UNDERGROUNDThe long-shuttered, former streetcarstation — and one-time food court — below Dupont Circle reopens aftertwo decades. This site-specific instal-lation features the 650,000 translu-cent plastic balls from last summer’sBeach exhibit at the National BuildingMuseum. The New York architectureand design studio Hou de Sousa hasassembled them into a fully recon-figurable block system — like sand ina giant sandbox — that visitors areencouraged to refashion into their ownobjects and spaces. Opens Saturday,

April 30. Runs to June 1. The DupontUnderground, Dupont Circle NW. Admission by reservation only, withpriority given to those who donate$25 to the Indiegogo campaign OpenThese Doors. Due to the interactivenature of the installation, small groupsonly. Visit dupontunderground.org.

SUEDECapitol Hill Arts Workshop presents areturn concert by the lesbian cabaretartist. Suede has spent decades wow-ing crowds with her rich contralto voice and playful, charismatic stagepresence. She also occasionally playsthe trumpet, guitar and piano in her

performances of jazz standards, alongwith some pop and a lot of blues.Thursday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m. AtlasPerforming Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE.Tickets are $30 to $50. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

THE INSERIES: COSI FAN TUTTEGOES HOLLYWOODIn Cosi Fan Tutte Goes Hollywood , NickOlcott offers a funny English retell-ing of Mozart/DaPonte’s masterpiece,turning it into a tale about two sistersfrom Sandusky, Ohio, who venture toHollywood in search of movie star-dom and escorted by their fiancés, a vaudeville duo. Shirley Serotsky directs

this InSeries production with maestroStanley Thurston and a cast includingMelissa Chavez, Samuel Keeler, SashaOlinick, Erin Passmore, Sean Pfluegerand Randa Rouweyha. Remaining per-formances are Saturday, April 30, at8 p.m., and Sunday, May 1, at 4 p.m.Lang Theater in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are$22 to $45. Call 202-399-7993 or visitatlasarts.org.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURESHOW AT THE EAGLEThe DC Eagle is getting into the busi-ness of screening films. The leatherand fetish complex plans to screen

T E R E S A W O O D


Scrambled ShakespeareReduced Shakespeare offers a mild, blunt, family-friendly play

ANONSTOP CROWD-PLEASER FOR SHAKESPEARE-LOVERS, THE REDUCED

Shakespeare Company’s William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged) ( HHHHH ) is a vaudevillian mashup of the Bard’s greatest hits and one-liners. Think

one part The Carol Burnett Show, one part children’s theater, and a dash of The Three Stooges(circa Joe), and you’ve got the idea.

The hook here is a pretend first-ever play of the Bard’s in which everyone from Hamlet

to Puck appear in a jumble of a plot that — as will be obvious — draws from many of his later

classics. The result of course is contained chaos. The fun for Shakespeare fans is in follow-ing the references of coauthors and actors Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, as they grafttogether myriad plots, people and well-known lines into their own madcap play. With the two

of them, and third man Teddy Spencer, playing all the characters in a whirlwind of cheesyprops, it’s fast and furious entertainment.

Will you find it clever and funny? Well, that’s a matter of sensibilities. Suffice to say thatif you carry a tote with a pithy saying on it and believe your cat knows what you are thinking,

then this is likely right up your alley. If you are of a cynical bent and prefer your humor in the

form of an acerbic bloodletting, you will find this heavier going.But take it for what it is — broad entertainment for a narrow audience — and it will likely

please more people than it bores. Tichenor sets the tone, writing it big and bold, thoroughlyenjoying himself and at the same time suggesting everyone is in on the joke. As for Martin,

although he may not have the prettiest voice for Shakespeare, he certainly has the fluidity.More importantly for this accessible adventure, he manages to suggest a guy who was grill-

ing hamburgers a minute ago before deciding to join the dramatic fray. Rounding out the trio,

Spencer savors his campier moments and occasionally offers a glimpse of the kind of gravitashe no doubt brings to his “real” Shakespeare. But whatever the nuances, these three are richly

in synch and revel equally in the speed, antics and word play of the show. Just as importantly,they play to the audience, inviting everyone to bask in the atmosphere of grownups having fun.

Still, in the tradition of educated parody, this is pretty mild stuff and it makes for a ratherblunt, family-friendly, object (and a few gay references are, in this day and age and metropoli-

tan area, family-friendly). Unless they start putting on a better midnight show, this is strictlyfor “She Who Must Be Obeyed.” — Kate Wingfield

William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged) runs to May 8 at Folger Theatre.Tickets are $35 to $75. Call 202-544-7077 or visit folger.edu.


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The Rocky Horror Picture Show thelast Saturday in April, when local per-formers The Sonic Transducers shad-owcast the iconic cult film with propsand lighting effects — just as they’vedone the second weekend of everymonth for more than seven years atLandmark’s E Street Cinema. Patronsare encouraged to dress up in costume— and not just the usual leather orgear. Saturday, April 30, at midnight,preceded by social hour starting at

10 p.m. The Exile in DC Eagle, 3701Benning Rd. NE. Tickets are $10, or$15 for guaranteed seating, $40 for a VIP Frank N Furter Package includingpremium seating, a prop goodie bag,and wristband for open bar. Call 202-347-6025 or visit dceagle.com.

FILM

FEMALE TROUBLEIt doesn’t get much trashier or camp-ier than this, and if it’s not a per-fect fit for the Cine-Insomnia seriesof cult-popular midnight movies atLandmark’s E Street Cinema, then I

don’t know what is. The “sublime-ly sordid saga” of Dawn Davenport(Divine), the 1974 Female Trouble is considered by some to be JohnWaters’s Citizen Kane. Friday, April29, and Saturday, April 30, at mid-night. Landmark’s E Street Cinema,555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

KEANUWhile Key & Peele may have ended,fans can look forward to more fromKeegan-Michael Key and JordanPeele in Keanu. Here, Rell (Peele)adopts a kitten, Keanu, after a painful breakup, only for him to be stolen. Rell

and Clarence (Key) then set out to findhim, posing as drug dealers to infil-trate a notorious gang, while tryingto prevent their suburban identitiesfrom being discovered. It’s an absurdpremise, but if anyone can make amovie about finding a kitten hilari-ous, this duo can. Opens Friday, April29. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com.(Rhuaridh Marr)


MOTHER’S DAYHere’s a starry cast, with Julia Roberts,Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, JasonSudeikis, Timothy Olyphant andMargo Martindale, among others.They’re starring in another of thoseholiday ensemble films from GarryMarshall ( Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve, etc.) we all know and loathe love.Mothers and daughters clash, haveproblems, and worry about their liveswhile surrounded by cliches. Opens

Friday, April 29. Area theaters. Visitfandango.com. (RM)

RATCHET & CLANKCall us crazy, but we’re totally on board with Sony adapting their hitPlayStation game series into a featureanimated film. The titular duo hasalways enjoyed some of the funniest,prettiest cutscenes in gaming, withrich characters, intriguing lore, andplenty of opportunity for expansioninto a full-length product. It retells theevents of the first game in the series,as Ratchet, a Lombax mechanic, andhis robot friend Clank set out to savethe galaxy from destruction. Expect

absurd weapons and beautiful anima-tion. Opens Friday, April 29. Area the-aters. Visit fandango.com. (RM)

THE MEDDLERSusan Sarandon is an aging widowwho moves to Los Angeles with herdaughter (Rose Byrne), only to end upmeddling incessantly in her life. Thefilm was conceived by writer/direc-tor Lorene Scafaria as a love letter toher mother, and Sarandon is drawingpraise for her performance as Marnie.Opens Friday, April 29. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (RM)

STAGE110 IN THE SHADEMarcia Milgrom Dodge directs andchoreographs a new production ofthis old-fashioned musical, set dur-ing a sweltering Texas summer in themid-1950s and featuring a lively scorefrom the creators of The Fantasticks. The focus is on a self-proclaimed rain-maker who promises to reverse for-tunes in the drought-stricken town,to say nothing of its leading spinster,


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presents this one-woman show byLeila Buck, an interactive explora-tion of what it means to be Americanin this probing portrait of a youngwoman’s Lebanese grandmother.Performances are Saturday, April 30,at 8 p.m., Sunday, May 1, at 2 p.m.and 8 p.m. Kogod Cradle in the MeadCenter for American Theater, 1101 6thSt. SW. Tickets are $60. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

HUGO BALL: A SUPERSPECTACULAR DADAADVENTURE A one-of-a-kind performance loosely based on the life of one of the found-ers of the Dada anti-art movement.Pointless Theatre Company’s latestexperimental, multi-disciplinary pup-pet theater piece explores art, loveand faith — and contains “puppetsexuality, profanity and violence.” ToMay 14. Logan Fringe Arts Space’sTrinidad Theatre, 1358 Florida Ave.NE. Tickets are $20 to $25. Call 202-733-6321 or visit pointlesstheatre.com.

JOURNEY TO THE WEST

Constellation Theatre Company’s Allison Arkell Stockman directs thefanciful global tale adapted by MaryZimmerman from an ancient Chinesenovel about a Buddhist monk who trav-els in search of sacred scriptures, meet-ing a monkey, a pig, a river monster anda monk along the way. Tom Teasleyreturns to Constellation to provide hispercussive-based world music style of

band of brothers in Colombia, adapt-ed by Jorge Triana and performedin Spanish with English surtitles.To May 8. GALA Theatre at TivoliSquare, 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are$20 to $42. Call 202-234-7174 or visitgalatheatre.org.

DETROIT ‘67Center Stage offers a production ofDominique Morisseau’s sharp-eyeddrama about racial and generational

differences during the riots of theMotown era. Kamilah Forbes directsthis co-production with DetroitPublic Theatre and offered at TowsonUniversity, while Center Stage reno- vates its downtown Baltimore venue.To May 8. Mainstage at TowsonUniversity’s Center for the Arts, 1 Fine Arts Dr., Towson, Md. Tickets are$10 to $59. Call 410-986-4000 or visitcenterstage.org.

EMPEROR’S NIGHTINGALE Adventure Theatre MTC presents are-imagining of the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale about an aim-less prince who ultimately becomes

king. Natsu Onoda Power directsDamon Chua’s adaptation. To May30. Adventure Theatre MTC, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Ticketsare $19. Call 301-634-2270 or visitadventuretheatre-mtc.org.

HKEELEE (TALK TO ME) As part of its Voices from a ChangingMiddle East Festival, Mosaic Theater

played by Tracy Lynn Olivera. To May14. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW.Tickets are $28 to $69. Call 800-982-2787 or visit fordstheatre.org.

ALL THE WAYRobert Schenkkan’s 2014 Tony-winning drama examines the red,white and blue-blooded leadership of

President Lyndon B. Johnson. Now inpreviews. To May 8. Fichandler Stagein the Mead Center for American

Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are$40 to $70. Call 202-488-3300 or visitarenastage.org.

BLACK PEARL SINGS!Over 20 American folk and spiritu-al songs factor into Frank Higgins’story inspired by the real-life discov-ery of Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter by folklorist John Lomax. SandraHolloway directs this MetroStageproduction featuring Roz White as Alberta “Pearl” Johnson and TeresaCastracane as Susannah Mullally. ToMay 29. MetroStage, 1201 North RoyalSt., Alexandria. Tickets are $55. Call800-494-8497 or visit metrostage.org.

CHRONICLE OF A DEATHFORETOLDGabriel Garcia Marquez’s novella isthe source for another stage adapta-tion, though this time as a straightplay, unlike the 1995 Tony-nominatedmusical. Jose Zayas directs GALATheatre’s production of the tale abouta murderous mission of revenge by a


live accompaniment. To May 22. SourceTheatre, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets are$35 to $45. Call 202-204-7741 or visitconstellationtheatre.org.

MOMENTDirector Ethan McSweeny makes hisStudio debut with Deirdre Kinahan’sIrish tale about a family reunion andlong-simmering sibling resentment.With a cast of eight, including DearbhlaMolloy, Emily Landham, Peter

Albrink, Caroline Bootle Pendergast,and Ciaran Byrne. Extended to April30. Studio Theatre, 14th & P StreetsNW. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studio-theatre.org.

PROOF Alex Levy directs actors Katrina Clark,Ray Ficca, Sam Ludwig and Liz Osbornin Virginia’s 1st Stage production ofDavid Auburn’s 2001 Pulitzer Prizewinner. To May 8. 1st Stage, 1524Spring Hill Rd. Tysons, Va. Tickets are$30, or $200 for 2016 1st Stage benefitperformance on Friday, May 6, whichincludes food and drink and starts at 6p.m. Call 703-854-1856 or visit 1ststag-

etysons.org.

THE BODY OF AN AMERICANTheater J presents the regional pre-miere of Dan O’Brien’s breathtak-ingly provocative drama, based on atrue story, about the friendship thatdevelops between a playwright and aphotographer and traverses Rwanda, Afghanistan and the Canadian Arctic.


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Jose Carrasquillo directs a productionfeaturing Eric Hissom and ThomasKeegan. Now in previews. OpensTuesday, May 3, at 7:30 p.m. PrideNight is Thursday, May 12, at 7:30 p.m.Runs to May 22. The Aaron and CecileGoldman Theater, Washington, D.C.’sJewish Community Center, 1529 16thSt. NW. Call 202-777-3210 or visittheaterj.org.

THE ELECTRIC BABY

Known for ambitious stagingsof eccentric or out-there tales,Rorschach Theatre presents StefanieZadravec’s lyrical play exploringthe theme of loss with humor andfolklore. Reviewing another produc-tion, a critic for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was both “charmed” and“enthralled” by “its delicacy and itsstrength.” Randy Baker directs a pro-duction featuring William Aitken, J.Shawn Durham, Jennifer J. Hopkins,Cam Magee, Kiernan McGowan andSarah Taurchini. Now to May 15. AtlasPerforming Arts Center, 1333 H St.NE. Tickets are $15 to $30. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

THE MYSTERY OF LOVE & SEXSignature Theatre offers this playfrom Bathsheba Doran, a writer bet-ter known for his work on premiumcable, from HBO’s Boardwalk Empireand Showtime’s Masters of Sex. The Mystery of Love & Sex is an unex-pected story of an evolving friendship between a man and a woman, whoaren’t quite straight and aren’t quite inlove with each other — but they con-sider romance anyway, for the sake ofthe parents. Pride Night is set for April29. Runs to May 8. Signature Theatre,4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Call703-820-9771 or visit signature-the-

atre.org.

THE NETHERWoolly Mammoth Theatre Companypresents Jennifer Haley’s moderncrime drama, exploring themes ofdesire, technology and morality ina futuristic Earth wasteland. ShanaCooper directs a cast led by EdwardGero, in his Woolly debut, support-ed by Woolly company membersGabriela Fernandez-Coffey and TimGetman. To May 1. Woolly Mammoth,


641 D St. NW. Call 202-393-3939 or visit woollymammoth.net.

TRANSMISSION A three-year-old D.C.-based play-writing collective, and one of this year’s Helen Hayes Award winnersas Outstanding Emerging TheatreCompany, the Welders offers its latestproduction, an immersive, participa-tory “performance play” written andperformed by Gwydion Suilebhan.

Devised for a small audience of 20people, all seated in 1930s armchairsclustered around period radios,Transmission focuses on the viral evo-lution of culture, from the radio age tothe present day. Touted as part-jazz,part-science lecture and part-”ritualinvocation”, the show investigateswhat it means to be inundated in ouralways-connected, always-sharing cul-ture, which demands skepticism andinquisitiveness. Opens in previewsThursday, April 28, and Friday, April29, at 8 p.m. Runs to May 28. AtlasPerforming Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE.Tickets are $15 to $30. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

COMMUNITY STAGE

THE LION IN WINTERBaltimore’s Vagabond Players offersthis story of the battle for the royalcrown from James Goldman. SteveGoldklang directs Eric C. Stein as KingHenry II and Cherie Weinert as hisestranged Queen Eleanor of Aquitainein this witty political drama. Weekendsto May 5. Vagabond Theatre, 806 S.Broadway, Baltimore. Tickets are $10to $20. Call 410-563-9135 or visit vaga- bondplayers.org.

MUSIC

ARTURO SANDOVAL A protégé of the legendary jazz mas-ter Dizzy Gillespie, the Cuban-bornSandoval was granted political asylumin the U.S. decades ago. He’s reveredas one of the world’s best jazz trum-peters and flugelhorn players, as wellas a renowned pianist and composer.Thursday, May 5, through Sunday,May 8, at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Blues


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GEORGETOWN CHORALELive at 10th and G presents VaughanWilliams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, blend-ing the poetry of Walt Whitman witha cry for peace, is the centerpiece of aspring concert that also includes clas-sic choral works by Handel and Parry

and features soprano Laura Choi. Saturday, April 30, at 3 p.m. Live! at10th and G, 945 G ST. NW. TIcketsare $25 in advance, or $30 at the door,which includes post-concert dessertreception with wine and beer. Call

202-628-4317 or visit facebook.com/ liveat10thandg.

ITZHAK PERLMANAND EMANUEL AXWashington Performing Arts presentsa concert by two celebrated states-men of classical music, touring in sup-port of a new Deutsche Grammophonrecording of Faure and Strauss violinsonatas. This is the rescheduled datefor the concert, originally scheduledin September but postponed due toPerlman’s emergency gallbladdersurgery. Tuesday, May 10, at 7 p.m.Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Ticketsare $55 to $135. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

JOHN EATON A regular at the Barns at Wolf Trap,this local jazz veteran and pianistoffers one of his “Jazz Masters”themed educational concerts, thistime at McLean’s Alden theatre. Thefocus is on the work of jazz masterHoagy Carmichael. Saturday, April 30,

CAPITAL CITY SYMPHONY“Great Masters, Young Stars” fea-tures Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F Major and Brahms’ Violin Concertoin D Major, the latter performed withLara Boschkor, the winner of theJohansen International Competition.Sunday, May 8, at 5 p.m. AtlasPerforming Arts Center, 1333 H St.NE. Tickets are $15 to $25. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

CHRISTOPHER HOULIHAN

National Symphony Orchestra pres-ents this gifted young Americanorganist who will take to theRubenstein Family Organ to play arecital of Bach, Franck, Bach, Alain,and Vierne. Wednesday, May 4, at 8p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall.Tickets are $15. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

FAIRFAX SYMPHONY WITHAWADAGIN PRATTPeabody Conservatory graduate, oneof Ebony Magazine’s “50 Leaders ofTomorrow,” will perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in a program led by FSO artistic director Christopher

Zimmerman and headlined by theGerman giant’s Symphony No. 3,known as “Eroica.” Also on the bill isthe East Coast premiere of Bresnick’sThe Way It Goes. Saturday, April 30,at 8 p.m. George Mason UniversityCenter for the Arts, 4373 Mason PondDrive, Fairfax. Tickets are $34 to $58.Call 888-945-2468 or visit fairfaxsym-phony.org.

Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW.Tickets are $50 to $55, plus $10 mini-mum purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit bluesalley.com.

BALTIMORE SYMPHONYORCHESTRADariusz Skoraczewski performsTchaikovsky’s cheerful and demand-ing cello showpiece, Variations ona Rococo Theme, as part of a pro-gram led by Andrey Boreyko thatalso features Prokofiev’s triumphant

Symphony No. 5 — a work about “thegreatness of the human spirit” writ-ten in the midst of World War II. Also includes Victoria Borisova-Ollas’The Kingdom of Silence. Friday, April29, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, May 1, at3 p.m. Joseph Meyerhoff SymphonyHall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore. Also Saturday, April 30, at 8 p.m.Music Center at Strathmore, 5301Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda.Tickets are $10 to $99. Call 410-783-8000 or visit bsomusic.org.

BEN FOLDS WITH YMUSICSix months after his performance withthe National Symphony Orchestra,

extraordinary classical crossover art-ist Ben Folds returns to the KennedyCenter Concert Hall, this time withthe extraordinary contemporary clas-sical ensemble yMusic. The focuswill be on his stellar 2015 solo album So There. Tuesday, May 5, at 8 p.m.Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Ticketsare $25 to $55. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.


at 1 p.m. Alden Theatre at the McLeanCommunity Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave., Mclean, Va. Tickets are $12. Call703-790-0123 or visit www.mclean-center.org/alden-theatre.

MIAMI HORROR Although named after the city, thisindie-electronica band hails from Australia and now calls Los Angeleshome. The resulting music is a melt-ing pot reflecting all three locales: Aslightly hazy, sunny, trippy, uptempo

sound. After debuting in its space last year, U Street Music Hall presents thefour-piece at the 9:30 Club in supportof their eclectic new record All Possible Futures — though three months laterthan originally intended, yet another victim of January’s Snowzilla. Friday, April 29. Doors at 10 p.m. 9:30 Club,815 V St. NW. Tickets are $20. Call202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

MURRAY PERAHIAWashington Performing Arts presentsa concert by this Grammy-winningclassical pianist, described by the Los Angeles Times as “one of the mostsatisfying, illuminating and all-around

impressive pianists of any genera-tion.” Murray Perahia will performa program of sonatas by Mozart andBeethoven and several intermezzos by Brahms. Sunday, May 1, at 4 p.m.Music Center at Strathmore, 5301Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda.Tickets are $45 to $100. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.


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X AMBASSADORS After opening for Muse at the VerizonCenter in January, the upstate New York quartet returns to town to offeranother round of its emotional, blue-sy, syncopated chants (“Renegades,”“Hang On,” “Nervous”) that you’ve nodoubt heard in commercials. Maybe you’ve seen images of the band’s leadsinger Sam Harris, whose as easy onthe eyes — bald and bearded — ashis voice is on the ears. Los Angeles- based dance-pop provocateur Robert

DeLong opens along with SaraHartman. Thursday, May 12, at 7 p.m.Echostage, 2135 Queens Chapel Rd.NE. Tickets are $35. Call 202-503-2330 or visit echostage.com.

YUNAMalaysia’s first international pop starhas been making the rounds of areaconcert venues, hitting roughly one a year in recent years, from GW Lisnerto Rams Head on Stage. Now the 9:30Club presents the most intimate venue yet for this 29-year-old artist, whoseengaging voice, similar to Feist andLorde, is matched by a melodicallyrich blend of pop, folk and R&B and

songs you feel you’ve heard before —and often, you have, accompanyingperformances on So You Think YouCan Dance, for example. Atlanta-bredhip-hop/house artist Bosco opens.Friday, April 29, at 7 p.m. U StreetMusic Hall, 1115A U St. NW. Ticketsare $25. Call 202-588-1880 or visitustreetmusichall.com.

THE WASHINGTON CHORUSThe Rubenstein Family Organ atthe Kennedy Center will sound fora “Parisian Spring” program featur-ing French organist Thierry Escaich,accompanying the chorus led bymusic director Julian Wachner andthe Washington National CathedralChoir of Boys and Girls. The pro-gram showcases glorious gems ofthe French repertoire, includingthe sumptuous Requiem by MauriceDurufle, considered one of the great

choral masterworks, Louis Vierne’s Kyrie and Gabriel Faure’s Cantiquede Jean Racine. Also on the bill isWachner’s At the Lighting of the Lamps, written in the French cho-ral style. Sunday, May 1, at 5 p.m.Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Ticketsare $18 to $72. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

WILD BELLE“Nobody move, nobody get hurt,”Natalie Bergman sings in a slow,reggae-inflected drawl on “ThrownDown Your Guns,” drawn from newalbum Dreamland by Bergman andher multi-instrumentalist brother

Elliot. Wild Belle’s first single “Keep You” was featured in the original Pitch Perfect in 2013. Since then the band,whose music is as psychedelic as it issoulful and thoroughly steeped in theCaribbean, has worked with Diplo andMajor Lazer. Sunday, May 1. Doors at

7:30 p.m. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW.Tickets are $15. Call 202-667-4490 or visit blackcatdc.com.

NATIONAL CHAMBER ENSEMBLE Allison Silbe rberg, Mayor of Alexandria, guest hosts a Mother’sDay Concert, “All About Dvorak,”featuring music by one of the mostenchanting composers of all time,including “Songs My Mother TaughtMe” and his Piano Quintet in A Major.Saturday, May 7, at 7:30 p.m. RosslynSpectrum Theater, 1611 North KentSt., “LL” Level. Arlington. Tickets are$33. Call [703-276-6701 or visit nation-alchamberensemble.org.

OPERA LAFAYETTE“Opera and the French Revolution”is a fully staged program, directed byMirenka Cechova, with three dramat-ic scenes from classical Greek trag-edies set by Martini, Cherubini andSacchini and staged during the revo-

lution. Friday, April 29, at 7:30 p.m.GW Lisner, The George WashingtonUniversity, 730 21st St. NW. Ticketsare $30 to $50. Call 202-994-6851 or visit lisner.org.

THE RE-LIVES: A TRIBUTE TOLUTHER VANDROSSWilliam “Smooth” Wardlaw, said to be the spitting image and sound of theman known as “The Velvet Voice,”will lead this tribute performance tothe late R&B superstar. Friday, May6, at 8 p.m. Amp by Strathmore, 11810Grand Park Ave. North Bethesda.Tickets are $25 to $35. Call 301-581-5100 or visit ampbystrathmore.com.


DANCE

CITYDANCE’S DREAMSCAPECityDance presents its annual galaperformance co-produced with RastaThomas, in which Thomas and danc-ers with the CityDance Conservatoryand students from its Dream pro-gram appear alongside guest art-ists: Matthew Golding of the RoyalBallet, Anna Tsygankova of the DutchNational Ballet, Pete Walker of Aspen

Santa F

Metro Weekly - 04-28-16 - Francesca Zambello

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