NO DISRESPECT to the classic, but if the thought of sitting through yet another Shakespeare remix makes you rue the English language, then step outside the usual at the Ganymede Arts GLBT Fall Arts Festival. Back for its second year with a lineup of everything from play readings to dance concerts, the festival runs from Sept. 26 through Oct. 5th. It's everything but ordinary fun.
Soak up some glamour while dining with headliners Holly Woodlawn — who is apparently "the first true transvestite of the Stonewall era" — and Justin Bond, aka Kiki of Kiki and Herb, at the opening-night gala.
Or maybe loosen your corsets for a night of comedy hosted by local comedian Matt Henry. Or just check out a show because, hey, it's not "Hamlet."
Either way, your inner diva will be proud. Go to ganymedearts.org for a complete schedule, venues and prices.
OF COURSE I'LL HAVE things to say about John McCain — and Cindy McCain, who I find to be a Barbie doll hooker, you know," says Sandra Bernhard. "But I'll find a fun way to say it."
So, that's a relief. Bernhard's wit has not been dulled by two decades, motherhood or the broken Seventh Seal: Prince covering — gasp — Radiohead.
It was the (in)famous finale of her 1990 film "Without You I'm Nothing" that saw Bernhard strip down to pasties and an American flag G-string while gyrating to Prince's then-controversial "Little Red Corvette." It was both brutally satirical and weirdly poignant, a nod to the symbiotic audience-performer relationship, and a dream of an America where Prince delivers the national anthem. The updated stage version returns to Theater J this week.
The Old Glory G-string will not make its Washington debut. "No pun intended, but this is already a stripped-down show," says Bernhard. "I do work out a lot, and I'm in good shape," but the expense of makeup artists, costumers and detailed staging is prohibitive.
ARKANSAS GOVERNOR Mike Huckabee never really had a chance in the presidential primaries. But maybe that was just a warm-up.
Tonight, he'll compete in the Funniest Celebrity In Washington Contest at The Improv. His folksy humor was always a strong point in his stump speeches, so this might remembered as the night he abandoned politics for a more secure career: stand-up comedy.
I mean, really, which carries more glory: being the funniest celebrity in Washington or shaking hands and kissing babies on the campaign trail? I think we all know where Mike Huckabee would rather be.
» The Improv, 1140 Connecticut Ave. NW; 7 p.m., $200; 202-296-7008. (Farragut North)
Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
GETTING MARRIED? You and everyone else on the planet, and you're all competing for florists and planners and caterers and venues and how will you ever manage to plan this wedding? WHY DID YOU EVER GET ENGAGED IN THE FIRST PLACE?
No, wait, wait. You're very happy to be getting married. You just wish this wedding thing was a little easier. Well, there are people who claim to be able to make things easier. Weddzilla.com is a site that offers to plan your wedding, and as a gesture of good faith they are assembling a collection of wedding vendors all in one place to simultaneously help you out and launch their Web site. It's tonight, and you can go to their site to register and read about the businesses that will be attending.
» Clarendon Ballroom, 3185 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; Wed., Aug 27, 7 p.m., free; 301-770-8738. (Clarendon)
Photo by The Washington Post
ALL SUMMER, the National Park Service has kept the Washington Monument open till 10 p.m., allowing people to see the city at night from 500 feet in the air.
You can get tickets earlier in the day from the Monument Lodge, then return at night to see Washington laid out at your feet and all lit up like a postcard. The extended hours end on Labor Day.
What are you waiting for? It's free. It's a great spot for a date — but make sure to ascertain whether your inamorato has acrophobia first. Otherwise, well, you might look back and laugh on your fifth anniversary, but no promises on that.
» Washington Monument, 15th Street and Constitution Avenue NW; through Monday, free, 202-426-6841. (Smithsonian)
Photo by Jill Karnicki/The Washington Post
DO YOU LIKE watching people risk their lives doing daredevil tricks involving wheeled wooden boards? Of course! Gawking at dangerous antics is an integral part of our character -- at least bear-baiting is no longer a spectator sport. Anyway, if you want to watch the best skateboarders and BMXers, you won't do better than Tony Hawk's Boom Boom Huckjam, an event that will be absolutely covered in T-Mobile logos. You'll see the man himself, surrounded by skateboarding luminaries like Kevin Staab and Neil Hendrix. Of course, if you can't make it, you can watch your neighborhood skate rats, who might be even more entertaining.
» Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge, 7800 Cellar Door Drive, Bristow; Wed., Aug 6, 5 p.m., $25; 800-551-7328.
Photo courtesy T-Mobile
ADMIT IT. You always wanted to be an archaeologist, ever since you saw "Raiders of the Lost Ark." But now you have children and a job and you think you'll never get a chance to run away from bow-and-arrow wielding native tribes protecting their cultural history.
Well, you might be right about that. But you can take part in the everyday work archaeologists do at the Tidewater Archaeology Weekend, a kid-friendly event where you learn exactly what it is Indiana Jones was supposed to be doing when he was stealing gold idols and wasting Nazi guards.
» Historic St. Mary's City, 18751 Hogaboom Lane, St. Mary's City, Md.; Sat. and Sun., July 26-27, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., $6-$10; 240-895-4990.
Photo by The Washington Post
FRENCH CHARM is all about tasteful tipsiness, isn't it? Maybe not.
Either way, the French embassy is having a classy summer champagne tasting, which will not, under any circumstances, devolve into a drunken karaoke sing-along of "La Marseillaise."
» Embassy of France, 4101 Reservoir Rd. NW; 6:30 p.m., $79; 301-841-7609.
Photo by Rebecca D'Angelo/The Washington Post
TRIVIA HAS SPREAD like a very chic plague across Washington. It's like a California wildfire, appealing to the geek in every one of us.
Go forth, children, and show off your ridiculous knowledge about Broadway musicals and the Titanic! Go forth and be counted among the winners at useless trivia!
The Wonderland Ballroom has one of the best trivia nights around, where D.C.'s wonkiest gather every Monday in hope of winning prizes (bar-tab discounts) and eternal glory.
» Wonderland Ballroom, 1101 Kenyon St, NW; Mon., July 21, 7:30 p.m., free; 202.232.5263. (Columbia Heights)
Photo by The Washington Post
LAST MONTH, I decided to take $10 to a handful of D.C. record stores and report back with my findings and purchases. The experiment was a success. I bought considerably more music and had a lot more fun browsing than I would have spending the same amount on a single album on iTunes.
This month, I ventured outside the city limits to see whether a recession-minded music lover could fare as well in the suburbs, with visits to Orpheus Records, CD Cellar, CDepot and Joe's Record Paradise.
Continue Reading "Spin the Black (& Silver) Circles, Pt. 2: Record Shopping Outside of D.C." »
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