Metro Weekly - 08-13-15 - Dear Evan Hansen

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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 ILLUSTRATORScott G. Brooks

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSSean Bugg, Chris Heller, Connor J. Hogan,

Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield

WEBMASTERDavid Uy

PRODUCTION ASSISTANTJulian Vankim

SALES & MARKETING

PUBLISHERRandy Shulman

BRAND STRATEGY & MARKETINGChristopher Cunetto

Cunetto Creative

NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE

Rivendell Media Co.212-242-6863

DISTRIBUTION MANAGERDennis Havrilla

PATRON SAINTRodgers & Hammerstein

COVER PHOTOGRAPHYdirty sugar photography

METRO WEEKLY1425 K St. NW, Suite 350Washington, DC 20005

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All material appearing in Metro Weekly is protected by federal copyright law and may not be

reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publishers. Metro Weekly assumes noresponsibility for unsolicited materials submitted for publication. All such submissions are subject

to editing and will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.Metro Weekly is supported by many fine advertisers, but we cannot accept responsibility for claims

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such person or organization.

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AUGUST 13, 2015Volume 22 / Issue 15

NEWS 6 DISCOUNTING TRUMP

by John Riley

7 PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

by John Riley

8 GAY MAN E YEING

ORANGE’S COUNCIL SEAT

by John Riley

9 INTRO TO AN INTROVERT

by Sean Bugg

10 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

FEATURES 14 PERFECTLY COMPOSED

Interview by Doug Rule

16 LETTER PERFECT

by Doug Rule

19 NEW PLATEAU

Interview by Doug Rule

OUT ON THE TOWN 22 ABBA THE CONCERT

by Rhuaridh Marr

24 PANCAKES AND BOOZE ART SHOW

by Doug Rule

FILM 28 THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.

by Chris Heller

GAMES 30 R ARE R EPLAY

by Rhuaridh Marr

GEARS 32 BETTER CONNECTED?

by Rhuaridh Marr

NIGHTLIFE 35 DIK BAR

photography by

Ward Morrison

SCENE 42 R OCK HARD SUNDAYS AT

THE HOUSE NIGHTCLUB

photography by Ward Morrison

SCENE 44 OTTER CROSSING AT

THE GREEN LANTERN

photography by Ward Morrison

46 LAST WORD


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Discounting Trump Local activists react to Trump’s post-debate shenanigans, reaching

the same conclusion

Trump

DONALD TRUMP, FRONTRUNNER FOR THERepublican presidential nomination, has yet again

grabbed the spotlight from his fellow competitors.

Following last Thursday’s debate, Trump dispar-aged FOX News host Megyn Kelly for asking him what he felt

were unfair questions, ones designed to attack.“You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood

coming out of her wherever,” Trump said to CNN’s Don Lemonon Friday regarding Kelly’s line of questioning that called the

candidate to task for using words like “pigs,” “dogs” and “slobs”to describe women.

Trump later said he was referring to her nose and ears, not

G A G E S K I D M O R E

to her menstrual cycle, as some have alleged. He then stated

that Kelly should be the one to offer up an apology for Thursdaynight’s conflict.

“I certainly will not apologize for doing good journalism,”Kelly responded on her show. “So I’ll continue doing my job

without fear or favor.”Remarkably, Trump remains strong in the polls. A recent

Morning Consult poll of self-identified Republicans and GOP-leaning independents has him winning 32% of the Republican

primary vote, up 7 points from the group’s last poll. However,

many local LGBT pundits and political figures believe Trump’sverbal onslaught is merely a smokescreen meant to distract

L G B TNews Now online at MetroWeekly.comWalker wouldn’t change transgender “military service” banSouth Carolina church drops Boy Scout troop after gay vote

by John Riley


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LGBTNews

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from serious issues.

“His attempt at inflammatory remarks might work on realityshows, but I’m beginning to wonder if he’s purposely trying to

distract the media, and perhaps voters, from his lack of substance,”says Rea Carey, executive director of the LGBT Task Force. “Like

other smart voters in this country who are women, they’re moreinterested in candidates’ policy stances and what they’re going to

do for the country, than their juvenile and anti-woman remarks.”“I want to say that it’s typical sexist bullshit, but I think it’s

actually typical Trump bullshit,” says Tiffany Joslyn, formerpresident of the Virginia Partisans. “When anyone challengeshim, he takes it personally. He’s like, ‘Poor me. Somebody’s ask-

ing me a hard question.’ He can’t defend his record or explainhimself, because he doesn’t have the record. He’s basically like

an actor, putting on a performance.”Carey also supports Kelly’s line of questioning during the

debate. “She was doing her job as a journalist. And, again, I think

he is trying, for some reason, to distract from a lack of concretepolicy ideas that we would expect all candidates to have. I’ve

found that on a number of occasions, and on that occasion inparticular, just how out of touch and anti-woman he is. It makes

him sound like a man from another century.”

Jessica Pierce, treasurer of the Gertrude Stein DemocraticClub, agrees, calling Kelly’s questions “completely valid,” giventhe style of the debate and the adversarial nature that modera-

tors are almost obliged to have with candidates.

“I don’t think she was stepping out of line, or asking himsomething he couldn’t answer,” Pierce says. “And his response

was completely characteristic of what we see from him in thiscampaign — he is an equal opportunist when it comes to offend-

ing everybody outside of upper-middle-class straight whitemen. So it was not surprising, because Megyn Kelly is a woman.”

Pierce called Trump’s “bleeding” comment “ridiculous” but

also instructive in that he went for a cheap shot. But to Pierce,

the bigger issue may be the reaction Trump got when he triedto dismiss Kelly’s questioning during the debate, joking that

lesbian comic Rosie O’Donnell was the only one he had called a“pig” and a “slob.”

“I think it goes to another element of what is scary about the

GOP candidates,” she says. “It’s not just about them being badon race issues, or about issues of the working class, or on LGBT

issues, or women’s health issues. It’s literally that if you are

anything outside the majority of people who were cheering andchanting back in that moment, then you are not somebody whothey’re interested in representing.”

Other locals said the debate was just a show of Republicansdoubling down on the most hardline of positions, whether on

LGBT rights, women’s rights, opposition to exceptions for abor-

tion, or opposition to government in general.“What struck me the most was how completely off the rails

the RNC has gone with this crop of candidates,” says DanaBeyer, who adds the GOP has appeared to learn nothing from

their 2012 primary debacle. “A lot of this is just bluster and pan-dering to the Tea Party base. They know they need to moderate

their positions on immigration and women for the general elec-

tion, but nobody seems willing to position themselves towardsthe center. It’s surprising, because Republicans are usually so

good at showing restraint.”“The amazing thing about the debate is they didn’t talk

about any substantive issues,” says Earl Fowlkes, president ofthe Gertrude Stein Democratic Club. “When you pull back the

curtain and the biggest issue being discussed is where MegynKelly is bleeding from, it...demonstrates what the Republicans

are so good at — pick some emotional issue to focus on and keep

talking about that, but forget about the real solutions needed toturn things around.” l

METROWEEKLY.COM AUGUST 13, 2015

Pride and Prejudice Response to the Jerusalem Pride parade stabbings bridges ideological divides

within Judaism over LGBT issues

by John Riley

IT WAS A TRAGEDY THAT UNITED ALL SEGMENTS

of the Jewish community, both in Israel and the UnitedStates. When a crazed ideologue attacked attendees of

Jerusalem Pride, disparate communities from across the

ideological spectrum condemned it.On July 30th, Yishai Schlissel, an Orthodox Jewish man,

stabbed six people at Pride, leading to the death of 16-year-oldShira Banki. A number of Jewish leaders expressed outrage

at the attack, from influential rabbis to Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu, who promised to “pursue justice for

those responsible.” The Times of Israel even reported that a

delegation of haredi Orthodox Jews visited an LGBT center

in Tel Aviv to express solidarity with the LGBT community

following the attack.Such strong condemnation is significant, because Israel’s

Jewish community is often divided along ideological lines.

“Israel is a very interesting society, because it’s deeply,deeply polarized between an often times radically secularized

society on the one hand, and a radically religious society onthe other,” says Rabbi Gil Steinlauf of Adas Israel Synagogue in

Washington. “So there’s a Pride parade in Tel Aviv and there’sa pride parade in Jerusalem. The Pride parade in Tel Aviv was

earlier, in June. It’s this huge, incredible thing. It’s something

to see, an incredible celebration for the LGBT community. It’s


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really a celebration for the whole city. You know why? BecauseTel Aviv is really the secular capital for Israel.

“On the other hand, in Jerusalem, there’s a growing numberof ultra-Orthodox Jews, and they’re in a totally insular environ-

ment.... And there’s a cynicism between the two polarities ofthe society,” Steinlauf continues. “So Israel, on the one hand, is

this extraordinary place for progressive values of all types. But

there’s a powerful ultra-Orthodox bloc. Voices of moderation...are the dominant voices here in the United States, but we are a

very small minority in Israel.”Arthur Slepian, founder and executive director of A Wider

Bridge — which seeks to build connections between LGBTIsraelis and LGBT Americans — says that Israel has largely been

ahead of the United States when it comes to passing legal protec-tions for LGBT individuals. But the social mores and degree of

acceptability among more conservative groups within the coun-

AUGUST 13, 2015 METROWEEKLY.COM

K I K A R N E W S

Schlissel

try have not necessarily kept pace with the laws, meaning there

are still segments of the society where homophobia is prevalent.“It has been great to see the country rally around in condem-

nation of this murder,” says Slepian. “But a lot of that condemna-tion is coming from people who, on a daily basis, still promote

prejudice and bigotry towards LGBT people.”To that end, The Jerusalem Post reported that police have

launched an investigation into dozens of posters, distributed bya group called “The Faithful Jewry” in several ultra-Orthodox

neighborhoods that have praised the attack and Banki’s murder.

The posters feature quotes and references to the Old Testamentthat hold up Schlissel as a hero. Police say they are questioning

suspects and plan to make arrests related to the proliferation ofthe posters.

Slepian notes that such a stance — celebrating the death ofa fellow Jew — would be considered extreme and would not be

embraced by many, even within ultra-Orthodox circles. And it

certainly would be rejected by the majority of Israelis.Similarly, Steinlauf says that outside of the ultra-Orthodox

community, there’s a tremendous amount of tolerance and sup-port for LGBT rights within Judaism, both in Israel and the

United States. And that tolerance is fairly widespread because

it’s based on the values of justice and compassion that arecentral to Judaism. Pointing to his own life, Steinlauf notesthat when he came out as gay, even though he is the head of a

Conservative synagogue, he was fully accepted by the members

of his congregation.“I think you’re seeing a much stronger embrace of LGBT

community inside of the Jewish community,” adds Slepian. “It’snot uniform, and there’s still a ways to go, but there has been an

enormous amount of progress.” l

Gay Man Eyeing Orange’sCouncil Seat Former ANC Commissioner David Garber says he’ll seek

the seat held by Vincent Orange

By John Riley

AFTER THE ABSENCE OF AN OPENLY LGBT

member on the D.C. Council for what will have beenalmost two years come November 2016, an out gay

man has announced he will seek the Democraticnomination for one of the Council’s four at-large seats.

David Garber, a former ANC commissioner from Ward 6,officially announced last week that he will be running for the

at-large seat occupied by Councilmember Vincent Orange (D).

Garber’s candidacy is notable because, if elected, he wouldbecome the Council’s only openly gay member, following the

defeats of former Councilmembers Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) inthe Democratic primary, and David Catania (I-At-Large) in the

2014 mayor’s race.In an email announcing his candidacy, Garber said he was

running “because I’ve worked directly with residents in com-

munities across the District as both a citizen advocate and an

elected leader, and this election is an opportunity to become aneven more effective advocate on the issues that matter most to

individuals and families across the District.”Garber’s campaign has also put out an introductory video in

which he rattles off his accomplishments as an ANC commission-er and qualifications for the job, while also taking a jab at Orange,

decrying “corruption” and “backroom deals for personal gain.”

“While I applaud the incumbent for his long tenure in D.C.government, we simply deserve better,” Garber says in the

video. “Councilmember Orange was the first councilmember toever be publicly reprimanded by the D.C. Board of Ethics and

Government Accountability for using his influence to — get this— stop a health inspection of an insect- and rat-infested grocery

store owned by one of his largest campaign contributors. I’m


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LGBTNews


I know, that’s a rather long-term approach. I didn’t say it was

the type of trick I can spin out into a self-help book.Anyway, I don’t bother explaining that I’m shy anymore

because these days I’m an introvert, which is basically shynessfor the Facebook age. The same way that the gluten-free craze

has driven America’s restaurant servers insane with demands forfree bread to go with no-grain entrees, legions of fair weather

introverts are filling your social media feeds with “OMG thislist of 13 Ways the Cast of Maude Reveals Your Inner Introvert

really nails how I feel!”Odds are that’s why you’re reading this right now.I kid, a little. I actually am more introverted than shy — I

enjoy seeing and talking with people I know, and even enjoybeing introduced to new people (as long as I’m not left to die in

a get-to-know you conversation of awkward questions and two-word answers). When you see me at one of those social events I

mentioned, I actually am glad to see you — unless you’re on my

short-list of people I’m never happy to see, in which case youalready know that.

The point is, I’m there because I want to interact with otherseven if doesn’t come as naturally to me as it does to the extro-

verts this town seems to be drowning in. You just won’t see me

again for a few days afterward because I’m going to need sometime to recharge. I need alone time like a socialite needs cocktailparties — it’s what gives me the energy to keep going.

A few weeks ago, I found myself out of town on a vacation

I’d not particularly been looking forward to, but ended up beingexactly what I needed. While the husband and nephew biked

a couple of miles to the beach, I marched myself down to thenearly deserted pool, fired up my Kindle, and read. Seriously,

throw in some beer and an occasional video game break andyou’re basically looking at my idea of heaven.

Naturally, an extrovert showed up and was compelled to

make conversation because staring intently through readingglasses at my screen wasn’t enough of a hint that I was occupied.

Neither were my non-committal answers (I did not leave D.C. tosit by a pool and get drawn into a conversation about tax policy

with a fifty-something white male Floridian, because I knowwhere that was going).

I had two choices. One, head back to the condo to read inair-conditioned quiet while mentally kicking myself for being

chased out of my own inner peace. Or, two, tell the guy I don’t

feel like talking and then lie there distracted from my book by myfeelings of guilt for being rude. I went back to the condo because

I really hate being rude.So, all you extroverts out there, please be sure to pay atten-

tion to all the subtle and not-so-subtle ways our introverted eyesare screaming Leave me alone! Otherwise, I’m just going to have

to learn to live with being rude. l

Intro to anIntrovert

I know you really want to chat, butcan’t you let me read in peace?

by Sean Bugg

I’VE GIVEN UP TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE I’Mshy because it feels pointless when no one believes me.

It’s understandable, because most of those who don’t

believe me speak to me at public events, parties, pridefairs, networking events, and a host of other things that I’ve been

professionally obliged to attend.To me, being able to engage in basic human functions

at a social event in no way negates one’s essential shyness.After all these decades living as a responsible, occasionally

respected adult, the idea of walking into a room full of unfa-miliar people fills my stomach with dread and the fear of

being judged by strangers.

I can share one little trick I’ve learned that can help any shyperson get through social events: Live in the same city for 25

years. At that point, pretty much anywhere you go you’ll see atleast one person you know who can serve as your lifeline.

stepping up to run for an At-Large seat on the Council becauseas District residents, you deserve a councilmember who is

focused on you and your communities.”In the incident referenced by Garber, Orange was accused

of interfering with health inspectors who were trying to closedown the Sam Wang Produce market in Northeast D.C. after

finding signs of rat infestation and other sanitation problems. A

spokesman for Orange issued a statement, but did not directlyaddress Garber’s allegations.

“Councilmember Orange looks forward to addressing hisinsurmountable record of achievement, including providing a

$11.50 per hour minimum wage, sick leave pay, laws prohibiting

discrimination against pregnant workers and transgenders (sic),books for our children, and creating jobs and business opportu-

nities for D.C. residents.”Orange, who has not yet announced whether he will seek re-

election, has previously experienced tight races in his last twocampaigns. He won by only 2% over Republican Patrick Mara

in a 2011 special election and edged challenger Sekou Biddle by

only 3%in the 2012 Democratic primary.Bob Summersgill, treasurer of Garber’s campaign, said Garber

will hold an official campaign kickoff later in September after thecampaign has filed all the appropriate paperwork with the D.C.

Board of Elections and Ethics. l


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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 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].

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15ART THERAPY SUPPORT GROUP meets on the third Saturday of everymonth, starting Aug. 15. exploretherapeutic techniques using artworkand the creative process to explorefeelings and emotional conflicts. Firstcome, first serve, upper limit of 8 peo-ple. Led by Antonio Pineda. 1-3 p.m.The DC Center, 2000 14th St. NW,Suite 105. To sign up, visit thedccen-ter.org/volunteer_event.html.

BURGUNDY CRESCENT, a gay volunteer organization, volunteerstoday for Lost Dog & Cat Rescue

Foundation at Falls Church PetSmart.To participate, visit burgundycres-cent.org.

DC METRO CIRCLE OF FRIENDS hosts an LGBTQ-friendly day-longpicnic inside Rock Creek Park. Bring your own food, drinks and grills.Music, dancing and games provided.12-7 p.m. Rock Creek Park, Picnic Area #6, Beach Drive NW. For moreinformation, visit thedccenter.org.

KHUSH DC SUPPORT GROUP, agroup for South Asian queer peopleand their allies, meets at The DCCenter. 1-3 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,

Suite 105. For more information, visitthedccenter.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, AUGUST 14LGB 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, asocial discussion and activity group forLBT women, meets on the second andfourth Fridays of each month at TheDC Center. Social activity to imme-diately follow meeting. 8-9:30 p.m.2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For moreinformation, visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5

p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707, andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 927 OhioDr. SW. 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, 9a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointmentcall 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 13BURGUNDY 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.

LGBTCommunityCalendarThe DC Center hosts its monthly

LGBT ASYLUM SEEKERS/ASYLEES FORUM for LGBT asylumseekers, refugees, their supporters andhost families. 7-9 p.m. 2000 14th St.NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.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) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 972 OhioDr., 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.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16

WEEKLY EVENTS

LGBT-inclusive ALL SOULSMEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH celebrates Low Mass at 8:30 a.m., High


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Mass 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.

INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUALDEVELOPMENT, God-centered newage church & learning center. SundayServices and Workshops event. 5419

Sherier 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 Sundayworship at 8:30 or 11 a.m. Childcare is

available 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.

NEW HSV-2 SOCIAL ANDSUPPORT GROUP for gay men living

in the DC metro area. This group will be meeting once a month. For infor-mation on location and time, email [email protected].

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

saintstephensdc.org.

UNITARIAN 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 join


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the church. Services 9:15 and 11:15a.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.

MONDAY, AUGUST 17CENTER FAITH, a program forLGBT individuals, their allies andLGBT-affirming faith traditions,holds its monthly meeting at The DCCenter. 6-8 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 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.

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 MaxRobinson 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 [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. 3636Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.

WASHINGTON WETSKINS WaterPolo Team practices 7-9 p.m. Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 Van Buren St.NW. Newcomers with at least basicswimming ability always welcome.Tom, 703-299-0504, [email protected], wetskins.org.

Whitman-Walker Health HIV/AIDS SUPPORT GROUP for newlydiagnosed individuals, meets 7 p.m.Registration required. 202-939-7671,[email protected].

TUESDAY, AUGUST 18CENTER BI, a group of The DCCenter, hosts a monthly roundtablediscussion where people can discuss bisexuality or life as bi individuals in aprivate setting. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th St.NW, Suite 105. For more information,

visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

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

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

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)practice session at Takoma Aquatic

Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW. 7:30-9p.m. swimdcac.org.

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

THE GAY MEN’S HEALTHCOLLABORATIVE offers free HIVtesting and STI screening and treat-ment every Tuesday. 5-6:30 p.m.Rainbow Tuesday LGBT Clinic, Alexandria Health Department, 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 p.m.,Green Lantern, 1335 Green Court NW.thedccenter.org.


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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 orTakoma 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 support

group 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, AUGUST 19

BOOKMEN DC, an informal men’sgay-literature group, discusses “Gay American Autobiography: Writingsfrom Whitman to Sedaris” by DavidBergman, editor 7:30 p.m. DC Center,2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. All arewelcome. bookmendc.blogspot.com

THE TOM DAVOREN SOCIALBRIDGE CLUB meets for SocialBridge. 7:30 p.m. Dignity Center, 7218th St. SE, across from the MarineBarracks. No reservation and partnerneeded. 301-345-1571 for more infor-mation.

WOMAN TO WOMAN: A SUPPORTGROUP FOR HIV-POSITIVEWOMEN WHO LOVE WOMEN meetson the third Wednesday of everymonth at The Women’s Collective.Light refreshments served. 5:30-7 p.m.1331 Rhode Island Ave. NE. For moreinformation, contact June Pollydore,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.

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

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

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holdspractice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. 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 RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-

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

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

Gaithersburg at 301-300-9978.

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

METROHEALTH CENTER offers

free, 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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Perfectly ComBenj Pasek and Justin Paul have been touted as the futureof the American musical, and Dear Evan Hansen proves whyInteview by Doug RulePhotogaphy by dity sugar photogaphy


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osed of the two — “He is a musical genius, I would proclaim to theworld,” Pasek says — while Pasek is more lyrical, focused onwords, concepts and characters. “We develop these songs anddevelop these characters and we do it as a really joint effort,”Pasek says. “We view it very much as a collaboration.”METRO WEEKLY: Let’s start with when you became a songwriting

duo. You met in college, right?

BENJ PASEK: We both went to the University of Michigan for

musical theater. We went there to be actors. For a lot of peoplewho love the theater, when you’re young, acting is your way in.

But halfway through school we realized maybe we’re not cut out

to be performers. It was not exactly working out for us. Aftermany failed attempts to get good roles in our school shows, we

saw the writing on the wall and thought, “Why don’t we writeour own show, and see what we can make of that?”MW: Was there a moment when you realized you were on to some-thing by working together?

PASEK: We just started doing it for fun. We were freshmen incollege when we began tinkering. We were in a practice room at

the School of Music, and we just began to write songs together.

It was fun to develop songs thinking from characters’ perspec-

tives. We decided to string some of these songs together andmake a song cycle our sophomore year. People were receptive. Ithink before we even knew what was happening we had begun

a collaboration.MW: Did either of you write songs growing up?

JUSTIN PAUL: I didn’t, no. But in addition to being a performer, I

always wanted to be in the pit orchestra, playing piano or per-cussion. I always saw myself being involved on the musical side

of things in musical theater, I just always figured it would beinterpreting and teaching and working out other peoples’ music.

I hadn’t really planned on it being my own music.MW: Were your families musically oriented?

PAUL: I grew up in a pretty musical household. Neither of myparents are professional musicians, but they’re very, very musi-

cal. My dad and my mom both would sit down and play thepiano. I grew up playing a lot of music in church, and singingwith my parents. I started taking piano lessons when I was

seven. So they were always very encouraging and they knew thatI had a love for it and a knack for it.

PASEK: My mom created a bunch of kids’ albums where shewould document whatever we were doing growing up and she

would turn those moments into songs. She had a children’s

music group in our local area in Philadelphia. So I grew up justwitnessing my mom — who’s a psychologist, not a professional

musician — turning life moments into song. That’s essentiallywhat we do every day, when we try to create theater. Watching

her interpret things that were happening in the world, or in my

world as a kid, and setting them to music — I think that reallysparked an interest in writing and creating and interpreting lifemoments into song lyrics.

MW: How would you say the gay/straight dynamic of your partner-

ship impacts your work?

PASEK: Beyond just being gay and straight, I think that we come

from very different family environments and different ways ofgrowing up. I think that that’s been hugely advantageous for

us as a collaborative partnership. We approach the world fromreally different perspectives — on what we see and how we

view lots of situations. I think that we’re able to explore human

behavior in a way that sparks a debate and where we questionthings, and we talk internally about why would somebody do

something, or what would be the motivation behind that. We

BENJ PASEK AND JUSTIN PAUL ARE BOTH

just 30 years old, but the songwriting duo have

long been touted as the future of the American

musical. Specifically, “the heirs to Rodgers andHammerstein,” as Vanity Fair put it in 2012.

That was after Pasek and Paul made a splash Off-Broadwaywith the musical Dogfight, based on the 1991 cult film star-

ring River Phoenix and Lili Taylor.The following year, the pair earned Tony nomina-

tions for Best Musical and Best Original Score for theirBroadway debut with an adaptation of A Christmas

Story, The Musical. Pasek and Paul have since branchedout into film and television, composing songs for NBC’sSmash and films, including the forthcoming La La

Land , starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling.Right now, the duo are generating significant buzz

in Washington. Arena Stage is debuting Pasek andPaul’s newest work Dear Evan Hansen, featuring a

book by Steven Levenson, in a world premiere pro-duction. “It’s a show that has come completely from

our own heads,” Pasek explains, “and so it’s riskier

than other things that we’ve tried in the past.”The work is informed by the different lives and

experiences of its creators — the gay, Jewish Pasekfrom Philadelphia, and the straight, Christian

Paul from Connecticut. Paul is the more musical

Pasek (L) and Paul


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end up having really interesting discussions about the world,

about human behavior. And I think it leads to hopefully a more

interesting result in what we choose to write about and how wechoose to write about different topics.MW: Justin, you mentioned you grew up singing in church. Did you

come from a very religious or conservative background?PAUL: I don’t know if I would say conservative background, butmy father is a minister and I come from a long line of folks with

a church background — my father, my father’s father, my mom’s

father.MW: Which denomination?

PAUL: It’s Christian, but it’s non-denominational. The churchesthat I grew up in were more urban environments. A lot of gospel

music, that sort of thing. It was always a very fun and vibrantexperience.

MW: Do you remember the first person in your life you knew as gay?

PAUL: I think it was probably in middle school and high school,

the theater teacher of mine. I grew up in a fairly progressivetown in Connecticut, so it was not really a big deal or big reveal

in any certain way. And then, being in theater your whole life,you’re sort of accustomed to that and you find yourself in that

world very early on, so it’s a very natural, very ordinary part oflife. The wonderful thing about being in theater is that you’re

exposed to so many different types of people.MW: Benj, was coming out difficult for you?

PASEK: I grew up in a pretty liberal environment on the East

Coast, with a very liberal Jewish family. So it wasn’t as big of adeal as I imagine it would be for other people who grew up in

different circumstances. I do think, though, that the world haschanged in a huge way since I was in high school. I remember

feeling like I was the only gay kid in my school. I definitely didn’tfeel like I could be completely out and proud. And I see kids now

who are part of the Gay-Straight Alliances at their schools — it is

very, very different from when I was a kid, and my experience isvery, very different from I think a generation older than me. It’s

been pretty amazing to see it continue and progress. Being gayand being open about your sexuality is less and less of an issue.

That’s pretty phenomenal.MW: Have you ever written a gay character?

PASEK: I don’t think we have. I do think that the feeling of being

an outsider, or feeling like you aren’t a part of a norm, is a threadthroughout a lot of our work. Especially with Dogfight, a musical

about a girl who is perceived not to be attractive. And about aguy who asks her out as a joke. One of the reasons it relates to a

lot of women but also a lot of gay men is because that’s how a lotof gay men feel — a sense of worthlessness. Or a sense that they

aren’t enough. In Dear Evan Hansen, the character is not gay butthe sense of being lonely, the sense of feeling like an outsider,

or feeling like you’re not a part of the world, or that the world

doesn’t want you to be a part of it, is a theme that, being a gaywriter, I relate to.MW: The premise of Dear Evan Hansen could serve as an elaboratemetaphor for coming out.

PASEK: In a way it is. Our character is not written to be gay, butI do think that the struggle of coming out is the same as a lot

of struggles that human beings have, which is exposing truths,

being truthful. And we all are on a journey. I think gay men haveit harder than a lot of other people because the world tells you

that you aren’t good enough. I think a lot of minorities have this.There’s the bit in the show about Evan feeling on the outside,

always looking in. And anyone who feels that way, and feels thatthey are not part of the world, it seems to resonate, because I

think a lot of us feel that way — that we are outsiders.MW: I understand the idea for Dear Evan Hansen originates froman experience of yours in high school.

PASEK: There was a student who was sort of anonymous. Hedied of a drug overdose, and it was sort of unclear whether it

was intentional or not. After he passed away the student bodybecame very, very close to him. Everybody sort of claimed him

as their best friend after he died, and began to write their collegeessays about him, and began to talk about how amazing he was

and how important he was in their lives.

When Justin and I met in college, and we began to writemusicals, this moment from my high school days continued to

be fascinating. We talked about exploring it in a musical. Since

Dear Evan Hansen is a smart, complicated and thor-

oughly affecting show. And it’s presented by ArenaStage in a smart, complicated and thoroughly cap-

tivating world premiere production, featuring a stellar castled by Ben Platt of Pitch Perfect fame.

The musical, by the songwriting team of Benj Pasekand Justin Paul with book writer Steven Levenson, isn’t an

instant smash — you have to get past a slightly dishearten-ing, disturbing, somewhat creepy part. Which just so hap-

pens to be all of Act I. We meet Evan Hansen as a painfully

shy, insecure, unhappy kid. Before you know it, he’s becomeconfident, agreeable — as well as a habitual liar and an elab-

orate fabricator, overstating his relationship with classmateand occasional bully Connor Murphy (Mike Faist) after

Connor commits suicide. Evan says the two were “secretfriends” — though not gay, he stresses — initially to help

assuage the Murphy family’s grief over the fact that no one

seemed to know their son.The lie leads to a work of fiction, a series of letters sup-

posedly between the secret friends. Perversely, the more

Letter PerfectArena Stage’s Dear Evan Hansen is a smart,

complicated, thoroughly affecting show

B Y DOUG R ULE

“Our chaacter is not writtento be gay, but I do think thatTHE STRUGGLE OF COMINGOUT IS THE SAME AS A LOTOF STRUGGLES THAT HUMAN

BEINGS HAVE, which isexposing truths.” — Benj Pasek


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then, we’ve brought up a lot of other themes that we wanted totalk about — there’s a sort of need to connect, the need to be a

part of a community, the need to be a part of something larger

than yourself, especially in this digital, isolated age that we nowfind ourselves in. We began to explore how we could take those

themes and turn it into a musical. And that’s when the amazingSteven Levenson came into the picture and helped us churn our

ideas into an actual plot.MW: The character of Evan Hansen is a risky, unusual protagonist.

PAUL: It’s definitely an unusual one in that he’s riddled withissues and anxieties, and with lots of self-esteem issues and a lot

of other things. But I think that’s what makes him very accessible

and identifiable and relatable. Hopefully everyone can go andsee the show and see a little bit of Evan in themselves, and feel

like they can connect with him, or at least connect with the situ-ations that he finds himself in — he doesn’t know the right thing

to say to people, or how to fit into a conversation, or how to behimself and not try to create or embellish a story about himself

that is better than what he thinks his real life is. It’s a different

sort of character and maybe not your typical musical theaterleading man, but that’s definitely what we were hoping to write

— a contemporary and relevant and accessible character.PASEK: Traditionally, in Musical Theater 101, you learn to try to

write a protagonist that people like, and that you go and you rootfor them to achieve whatever they want on their journey. That’s

the thing you’re always looking for in a musical. With both Dear Evan Hansen and with Dogfight, we have protagonists who do

things that are really morally questionable. It’s our jobs as writ-

ers to try to get the audience to identify with them and to supportwhy they’re doing what they’re doing. We wanted to try to create

characters that were more complex — and more nuanced — than

maybe more traditional musical theater characters. With both ofthose shows, we view them as experiments, and we’ll let critics

and audiences be the judge of whether or not we have succeeded

or failed. But it’s definitely been an exciting challenge to producecharacters that are more complicated.MW: How did Ben Platt come into the picture?

PASEK: Ben Platt actually auditioned for Dogfight back in 2011

or 2012. He would have been I guess 17 at that time. And wesaw this insanely talented kid come in and blow us away with

his acting, blow us away with his singing. He was a little bit tooyoung for the role that he was auditioning for, but he stuck in our

minds. And when we were developing Dear Evan Hansen, when

we were beginning to think about who could accurately portraythis character, Ben was somebody who kept coming up for us.

We were lucky enough to see him in The Book of Mormon right atthe time when we were beginning to cast our first reading, so we

invited him to be our first Evan Hansen, the very first time thatwe heard any of the material out loud. And within half an hour of

that first day, we kind of looked at each other — we couldn’t even

believe how fantastic he was and how much he brought to therole. The nuances in the performance that he was already creat-

ing within a half hour of seeing the material for the first time. Weknew that we had found the guy to be Evan Hansen.

MW: Dear Evan Hansen may have been spurred from personalexperience, but the work isn’t based in reality, right?

PASEK: I don’t think that any art is 100-percent factual, youknow? I think that everything that you create, especially with

something that’s not a documentary or an autobiography, it

doesn’t really matter what the facts are. It matters what thetruth is. I don’t know that the actual events that will ever take

place in the real world will fit into a two-and-a-half hour story

Evan embellishes, the more things improve for him socially — and the same goes for the Murphys,

including daughter Zoe (a charming Laura Dreyfuss), who eventually falls for Evan. Soon enough,

everyone in school is following Evan’s lead, posting comments to an online tribute to Connor inwhich they embellish their feelings about the sullen Goth loner. Everyone wants to fit in and feel a

part of something, even if it’s all predicated on a lie. That online tribute is projected onto a transparent scrim on stage by designer Peter Nigrini, who

at other times projects images drawn from various social media sites and apps. It’s often difficult todecipher the details or get the full effect of what we’re seeing. It’s an ingenuous addition to David

Korins’s already elaborate set: a reflection of today’s exhausting, over-stimulating media culture.Pasek and Paul incorporate clear influences from the pop music of today, occasionally coloring

outside the musical theater lines, though never in a gaudy or jarring manner. The musical ends with

a wallop, stacked with the most emotionally stirring numbers, starting with “Words Fail,” a heavy-

hearted song that comes afterEvan finally confesses to his

deceit. Evan’s largely absent

mother stirs up new emotionswhile lifting her son’s spirits —and the audience’s — with “So

Big/So Small.” The number

is actress Rachel Bay Jones’sone true chance to shine as a

singer — and shine she does,making you wish the mother

could have been more presentthroughout.

Platt keeps you sympathet-ic to his character even when

up to his neck in deceit and

denial. The actor fully immers-es himself in his role and con-

jures up challenging emotionsat will. He may be just 21, but

Platt already knows how to bethe kind of actor people can’t

stop watching.

Dear Evan Hansen runs to

Aug. 23rd in the KreegerTheater at Arena Stage, 1101

6th St. SW. Tickets are $40 to$90. Call 202-488-3300 or visit

arenastage.org. l

M

A R G O T S C H U L M A N


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with songs. It’s our job just to identify what it is from the real

world that people can connect to and to translate that into an art

form. Something we’re proud of with Dear Evan Hansen is thatpeople seem to be leaving the theater every night moved, seeing

elements of themselves on stage. And we definitely hear lots ofsniffles in the audience during the last 15 minutes of the show.

MW: The show really does pack an emotional punch in its last 15minutes.

PASEK: [ Laughs. ] It’s not that we want to make everybody cry.

But I get emotional when I watch the show still. And it was emo-tional to write those things. It gets to that emotional truth, even

in me, that are hard to acknowledge, that sometimes I can feelalone or sometimes I can feel like I’m not worthy. I think that

that’s a huge part of the psychology of growing up gay, that youquestion your own sense of self-worth. And whether or not you

are worthy of love and whether or not anyone will really love youfor who you really are.

MW: What are your thoughts on the state of musical theater andits future?

PASEK: The state of the American musical is in pretty great shape.

I mean the new musical Hamilton is being received enormously,incredibly well right now on Broadway. And I think that it, along

with shows like Next to Normal and Spring Awakening — showsthat have pushed the sort of boundaries of what musicals could

be — all contribute to audiences being receptive and open to

new kinds of stories being told through musical theater, and themusical theater form. We hope that Dear Evan Hansen can be a

part of that and we’re excited to continue to create works thatsort of challenge and push boundaries and represent different

types of characters on stage, and different types of stories. Weview ourselves very much as a part of a generation that is trying

to do that.MW: Dear Evan Hansen could become your second show to make it

to Broadway. You managed to snag a Tony nomination your first

time around, with A Christmas Story, The Musical. What brought you to that production?

PASEK: We found out that they were looking for writers on that,so we basically auditioned to get the part — we wrote some

songs on spec and submitted them. And our songs were chosen.They said, “Here’s the deal: Right now it’s March, and we have

a production that goes into rehearsal at the end of September.

So we need you guys to write the show now and fast.” And wethought, oh my gosh, what did we get ourselves into? Maybe the

reason that we were chosen is because we were the only ones

foolish enough to actually take on the assignment. I think whenwe signed on, we knew it had a production in Seattle at the 5th

Avenue Theatre. We just thought, wow, to have a show in atheater of that size and that prestigious, that’s huge and that’s

everything. And that was the endgame on that.

I don’t want to say A Christmas Story is the little show thatcould, because it’s based on a huge property and it’s a big show in

terms of its scope and size, but it did continue to keep surprisingus. We never imagined it would take us beyond 5th Avenue to be

on tour, and then into New York and onto Broadway and then tothe Tony Awards.

It was definitely a surprise on that April morning when we

were watching in our bathrobes and saw that we were going toget to go to the Tony Awards that year for a show that had long

closed on Broadway. It closed at the end of December, becauseit couldn’t really run past the holiday season.MW: And it continues to have legs, with productions every seasonaround the country.

PASEK: Yeah, it was on tour last year, it’ll be on tour again this

year, probably the next couple of years. And also it has produc-tions — everything from big, original theaters, to schools and

community theaters throughout the country. And that is a reallyspecial gift — to know the thing that we wrote has now gone out

to the world and is having a life of its own and being producedaround the country. And with any luck, it’ll be produced in per-

petuity.MW: Do you consider Rodgers and Hammerstein to be inspirations

on your work?

PASEK: Definitely Rodgers and Hammerstein, but also morecontemporary musical composers like Stephen Schwartz,

Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, Jeff Marx and RobertLopez. Those are more like direct mentors. Obviously Stephen

Sondheim has been a huge influence on us. We’re firm believ-ers of looking in the past to solve the problems of the future.

Sometimes when we don’t know what lyrics to write, or what a

good song might be, you don’t just look at contemporary musical

theater. The Sherman Brothers, who did a lot of the Disney films, Mary Poppins and all that, were such fantastic creative writers.Sometimes the solution to a problem exists in one of their songs

that was written in 1960, you know? Frank Loesser — just a tonof people throughout musical theater history. And I think we’re

very, very influenced by modern writers as well. I think we’re asinfluenced by Stephen Sondheim as we are by Taylor Swift and

John Mayer and Stevie Wonder and Billy Joel and Elton John.

A lot of these writers who are in more of the pop vein tend tobe people who care about the story, and care about narrative. I

think there’s a spectrum of pop writers, and those who are morein the sort of narrative vein are people that we really look to to

try to blend modern music with storytelling. And all of thosefolks have been really influential to us.

We’re really trying to write things that feel like they’re mov-

ing the story forward but that they’re also accessible and thatthey feel like, they’re a mix between what you would hear on the

radio and what you would hear on a traditional Broadway stage.And just trying to meet in the middle.

Dear Evan Hansen runs to Aug. 23 in the Kreeger Theater at

Arena Stage, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $40 to $90. Call 202-488- 3300 or visit arenastage.org.

Dogfight opens Saturday, Aug. 22, at 8 p.m., at the Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $35 to $45. Call 703-892-0202 or

visit keegantheatre.com. l

“I don’t know that theactual events that will evertake place in the real worldwill fit into a two-and-a-halfhour stoy with songs. IT’S

OUR OB TO TRANSLATETHAT INTO AN ARTFORM.” — Benj Pasek


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W

E REALLY DIDN’T HAVEany idea it was going to be

what it was,” Ben Platt saysof the Pitch Perfect franchise.

“And so it was very pleasantand a lucky surprise that the first film I worked

on became such a phenomenon.”

In the three years since the 21-year-old Plattcame to fame as the nerdy-cute Benji Applebaum,

the Los Angeles native has gone on to star on stageas Elder Cunningham in The Book of Mormon. While

hopeful that his Treblemaker character will return for Pitch Perfect 3, scheduled for release in summer of

2017, Platt’s focus for the near future is on his

acclaimed work in the title role of Dear Evan Hansen. “I don’t know

exactly what the plan

Pitch Pefect was his breakthrough, but it’sDear Evan Hansen that will make Ben Platt a star

by Doug Rule // Photogaphy by Joan Marcus

Ne

Paea


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is,” he says, about the musical’s future, “but we’re very hopefulthat it’ll move forward somewhere. And wherever that place is,

I’ll be there.”

METRO WEEKLY: How much do you identify with the character of

Evan Hansen?

BEN PLATT: I can certainly relate to the feeling of wanting to be

part of something and to be sort of accepted. I think everybodykind of has that in them. I would consider myself a little bit more

socially sufficient in terms of my ability to speak to people. I hadto base his social awkwardness more on people I’ve encoun-

tered in my life, the way that I may feel in certain situations, and

how I might manifest my anxiety were I not better at keepingit squelched, because I do have my fair share of anxiety. I come

from a big Jewish family and we all have our neuroses and our

anxieties. And I’ve definitely had experiences in the past having

to deal with that in terms of therapy and that sort of thing.MW: You definitely are immersing yourself in the role, showing awide range of emotions. Is it exhausting?

PLATT: Yes, it’s certainly draining. And I do have to give all ofmyself during those two hours. But it’s really a joy to feel like

you’re using everything at your disposal and all the tools in your

box. I’ve had a lot of experience in the preceding years playingcharacters that are very marginalized and specific. Of course,

I’ve loved all the projects that I’ve been able to work on, but indoing them for so long it can get exhausting because you’re using

the same facilities over and over again. Whereas with Evan,while it may be draining night to night, it’s just incredibly fulfill-

ing. I can experience the full range of emotions, use all the partsof my voice, use my whole body, and live a whole story.

tive, and that you really feel like you know this kid, helps you tostay with him.

MW: Is it correct that you’ve been acting for more than half your life?

PLATT: I started working professionally when I was nine yearsold — mostly musical theater, and a bit of straight theater. And

on camera starting with Pitch Perfect when I was 18. Yeah, Ireally can’t remember a time before I wanted to be on stage.MW: Do you come from a family of actors and singers?

PLATT: My father is a producer, so he’s in the business. All of

my siblings and I grew up doing musical theater programs — interms of after-school stuff and being in the school musicals.

We’re a very Jewish family, so we would sing a lot in synagogue,

and at any bar mitzvah or wedding we always do a song together.We’re definitely a musical family, but I’m sort of the only one

that’s pursued it, a professional life. I’ve been studying voicewith a teacher since I was 11 or 12.

MW: So we’re not going to be seeing other Platts to come?

PLATT: Well, my older brother Jonah is in the business. He does

a little bit of musical theater, but he’s primarily a comedian

MW: Evan is not necessarily likable, and yet you manage to some-how keep us on your side.

PLATT: That was definitely the danger and the fear of the creative

team. He makes a lot of morally ambiguous choices, and thisis the hero of the story. And he’s not always doing necessarily

what’s right. I think the reason it’s so successful is because theymake sure that you are fully aware of what Evan is thinking at all

times and what his intentions are in every moment. I feel like ifthere was ever a moment where you feel like you couldn’t really

see inside him, you may not necessarily stay with him or stay onhis side. So the fact that it’s written so fully from Evan’s perspec-


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and writer. My two sisters, one of them is a teacher and one of

them is a head programmer for a Jewish summer camp. And myyounger brother is in high school, so we’ll see.

MW: Is there anything specifically you hope to achieve in your

career?

PLATT: In terms of theater, I would like to originate a role on

Broadway — hopefully one day this role, or any role. And justsort of establishing myself further into the theater community

has always been my biggest dream. In terms of on camera, Iwould love to start to play characters with a little more breadth

and range, like the ones that I’ve been fortunate enough to play

on stage, so I can have a bit more experience with fully craftinga person on camera. Because I feel like so far, I’ve had the oppor-

tunity to play more caricature-like people on camera — sidekick-y, sort of off-center kind of guys. I think that the only way for

me to feel as comfortable on camera as I do on stage would be to

start to play characters that are a little more fully realized.

MW: Do you aspire to be a singer or a recording artist?

PLATT: I don’t think that anything gives me quite the sort of ful-

fillment that being a character does. Certainly on the side I’ve

done a few solo cabaret type of things, where I’ve sung. Andmaybe one day I’ll find that I want to record some sort of album,

but I don’t think that I’ll ever be just a singer. I really like to usethat part of myself in tandem with acting.

MW: And it must be great to be in a strong cast like the one you’rein now.

PLATT: Oh, it’s like a dream. First of all, just having such a

small group, it’s really special because we all get to reallybond. And working with people like Rachel Bay Jones and

Michael Park and Jennifer Laura Thompson, who are veter-ans and are so well-respected and so talented and so experi-

enced, it’s really special. l

“With Evan, while it may be draining nightto night, I can experience the full range ofemotions, use all the parts of my voice, use my

whole body, and LIVE A WHOLE STORY.”


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AUGUST 13 - 20, 2015Compiled by Doug Rule

R O N E L K M A N

ABBA FabABBA The Concert is the closest we’ll get to

seeing the Swedish supergroup on stage again

W

hether you like it or not, everyone has heard‘Dancing Queen’ at least once,” says Christian

Fast.

The lead guitarist for ABBA The Concert, an ABBA trib-ute act, has no reason to doubt that fact. ABBA is the second-

highest selling pop group of all time, behind only The Beatles.The Swedish group’s songs have inspired a musical, a film

based on said musical, and kept ’70s discos thriving acrossthe globe. And all this from just eight studio albums released

over the band’s short ten-year career. The reason for theirenduring success?

“It’s pop evergreen,” says Fast. “Benny Andersson is soadvanced harmonically, he’s very innovative when it comes

to creating melodies. You can hear it’s all well-crafted song-

writing. If you redress the songs today with modern produc-tion, they would still stand the test of time.”

That enduring quality of ABBA’s music is replicated in thesuccess ABBA The Concert have enjoyed with their tribute

act. Fast was one of the group’s founding members in 1996,and since then, they’ve played to crowds in over thirty coun-

tries and regularly sell out venues such as the Hollywood

Bowl and Wolf Trap, where they’ll perform this weekend.“We benefit from them not being around anymore,” Fast

acknowledges, noting that the real ABBA completed justthree tours — only one of which visited the U.S. — and have

refused to reunite since their split in 1982. But the concert’ssuccess hasn’t come simply because of a dearth of official

ABBA performances. “We get good reviews and word ofmouth. Most people who come to our concerts want to

remember the ’70s, and now they’re bringing their kids.This is the closest thing they can get to ABBA. We have funon stage. It’s not just a couple of mannequins playing. It’s

the real deal.”After twenty years of non-stop ABBA, Fast has under-

standably tired of a couple of songs. “One song, ‘Ring Ring,’I’ve had it with that,” he acknowledges with a laugh. But Fast

keeps his love for the biggest hits alive with his burgeoning

songwriting career — he’s penned tracks for Australian artistTina Arena, South Korean boy band EXO, and has enjoyed

five million record sales in Japan from artists using histracks. That second career, the “gravy on top” of performing

as ABBA, allows him to continue to appreciate their music.

Perhaps appropriately, Fast’s favorite track is one fromnear the end of ABBA’s career, which signalled that the

group’s personal troubles were insurmountable.“I would say ‘When All Is Said and Done’,” he says. “I

really love that song. It’s a nice moment in our concerts.”— Rhuaridh Marr

ABBA The Concert plays Sunday, Aug. 16, at 8 p.m. at The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets

are $25 to $42. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.


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SPOTLIGHT

LITTLE BLACK BOOKS: ARCHIVESOF AMERICAN ART An exhibition that would be hard-er and less interesting to pull off intoday’s mobile-based culture, “LittleBlack Books: Address Books fromthe Archives of American Art” fea-tures a handful of personal address books of influential American artists.

Pocket volumes of scrawled namesand numbers on display come fromartists including Jackson Pollock,Lee Krasner, Joseph Cornell and Ad Reinhardt. Now through Nov. 1.Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art, 8th and F Streets. NW. Call 202-633-7940 or visit aaa.si.edu.

LOCAL BREWS LOCAL GROOVESBilled as “the Ultimate Craft Beer andMusic Festival,” Fillmore Silver Springhosts this DC Beer Week event whereover 50 beers from more than 18 local breweries will be sampled while local bands and DJs perform on stage. TheWashington City Paper presents this

event featuring music by Kristen andthe Noise, the Blatant Eighties, JimiSmooth & Hittime, the Regal Beagles,Ozker, Lancedontdance and Billy Doll.Saturday, Aug. 15, at 4 p.m. FillmoreSilver Spring, 8656 Colesville Road,Silver Spring. Tickets are $10 to $30,or $60 for VIP including early entryfor exclusive tastings. Call 301-960-9999 or visit fillmoresilverspring.com.

ONCE

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Once is one of those quiet, under-stated shows that will sneak up andsurprise you. Featuring a book by cel-ebrated Irish playwright Enda Walsh,Once focuses on a man, Guy (StuartWard), who is about to give up onhis music until a mysterious woman,Girl (Dani De Waal), enters the pic-ture and becomes his muse. Soon thepair are making hauntingly beautifulmusic together, which is all the morepowerful because it expresses theirlove for each other in a way that theynever fully realize otherwise. Music becomes the couple’s primary outletfor conveying their feelings towardone another. And several of GlenHansard and Marketa Irglova’s dra-matic folk-inflected rock songs herewould be chart-toppers if there wereany justice in the pop music world

— or at least if this were an earlierera when musicals had that kind ofmainstream sway. Every actor in Once plays an instrument, and the ensemble becomes the show’s orchestra, sittingon the edge of Bob Crowley’s set tug-ging on strings when not part of thecentral action. The effect is as sub-tly smart and seamless as everythingelse about this show, including StevenHoggett’s graceful choreography.Closes this Sunday, Aug. 16. KennedyCenter Eisenhower Theater. Ticketsare $65 to $160. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org. (Doug Rule)

P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F T H E P A N C A K E S & B O O Z E A R T S H O W

AUGUST 13, 2015 METROWEEKLY.COM

Griddle ArtPancakes and Booze Art Show showcases over 50 emerging local artists

alongside syrupy treats and alcohol

E

VER WANTED TO GRAB A DRINK OR LISTEN TO HOUSE MUSIC WHILEperusing some art? What about scarf pancakes? This weekend, at the Pancakes and

Booze Art Show, you can do just that while enjoying the art of dozens of indie artists.

Just make sure you don’t spill maple syrup on the artwork.Tom Kirlin held the first Pancakes and Booze Art Show in 2009 at his unoccupied pho-

tography studio in Los Angeles, Calif. “I had all this space and great walls for hanging art,”he says. But he didn’t want it to be just a regular “art space.” He wanted it to bring people

together. And that’s where the pancakes come in. “When I was in college, the only place that was open after a night of drinking was IHOP,”

Kirlin says. “I always had this silly idea to make a pancake restaurant with a full bar. So with

the Art Show, I just merged the two ideas together.”Six years later, the Pancakes and Booze Art Show has been to over twenty cities and fea-

tured thousands of artists from across the country. “We attract a lot of young artists,” Kirlinsays. “Or artists that might not have ever shown their work before. The gallery system is so

hard to get into — it’s so snobby. Our show is non-pretentious, and it’s a cool way to exhibitthese young artist’s work.”

One such artist is Jae Martin Cox. A native of New York City, Martin learned his art on thestreets. “I was a pretty unknown graffitist,” he admits. Now, his work combines the bright col-

ors of graffiti and the block shapes of abstract style to create a new genre he calls “graffstract.”

Says the Philadelphia-based artist, “Graffiti is always evolving. I want to capture that feelingof motion and put it down on canvas.”

Pancakes and Booze gives artists like Cox the opportunity to not only showcase their greatwork, but to hang out with a diverse group of artists. “It’s so open,” he says. “No one is seg-

regated. No one is better than anyone else. Once you’re there, you’re just having fun.” Kirlinagrees. “Some people come for the art, some for the music, and some just for the pancakes,”

he says. “Regardless, you’re going to have a good time.” — Connor J. Hogan

The Pancake and Booze Art Show will be held on Thursday, August 20th at 7 p.m. at Penn

Social, 801 E St NW. Tickets are $5. Visit pancakesandbooze.com for more information.


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original score by Helen Hayes Award-winning composer and world musicpercussionist Tom Teasley. Based onThe Arabian Nights, the film has itsheroic prince riding a magical flyinghorse into wondrous adventures andfalling in love with Princess Peri Banu— though he must defeat an army ofdemons to win her heart. Teasley willaccompany the screening in a pre-sentation that Constellation hopes tomake an annual offering of its theater

season.Thursday, Aug. 13 and Friday, Aug. 14,at 8 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 15, at 3p.m. and 8 p.m. Source Theatre, 183514th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $45.Call 202-204-7741 or visit constella-tiontheatre.org.

UKEFEST 2015Grammy Award-winning folk musi-cians Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer,partners in music and life, present theseventh annual UkeFest at Strathmorefeaturing several events, all devotedto the signature Hawaiian instrument— the ukulele. The festival includes:a Uke and Guitar Summit for estab-

lished or aspiring string musiciansfeaturing jam sessions, concerts andmusic workshops, on Saturday, Aug.15, at 9 a.m.; and the free capstoneevent, the UkeFest itself, featuringperformances by Fink and Marxer,James Hill & Anne Janelle, JeffPeterson and Del Rey, on Wednesday, Aug. 19, at 7 p.m. Strathmore, 5301

SUMMER HUMMER IV: FOREPLAY About four years ago, theatreWashing-ton, which serves the region’s thrivingtheater community and organizes theannual Helen Hayes Awards, startedthe Taking Care of Our Own initia-tive to support theater artists in timesof financial need. Its annual SummerHummer has become a key way ofshowing support, raising upwards of$25,000 for the cause. You’ll see someskin, burlesque and other ribald antics

at this year’s Summer Hummer, host-ed at Signature Theatre and directed by the company’s Eric Schaeffer andMatthew Gardiner. Nova Payton,Nicholas Rodriguez, Tracy LynnOlivera, Sherri L. Edelen and CarolynCole perform along with stripteases by the Jockstrap Boys and ForeplayPasties. featuring some 60 local per-formers. Monday, Aug. 17, at 7:30 p.m.and 9:30 p.m., at Signature Theatre,4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington.Tickets are $35, or $100 for VIPreserved seating. Call 202-337-4572 or visit theatrewashington.org.

TOM TEASLEY: THE

ADVENTURES OF PRINCEACHMEDConstellation Theatre Company offersfour screenings of Lotte Reiniger’s1926 visually spectacular film The Adventures of Prince Achmed — thefirst full-length animated film to boot— here enhanced with live music, an

SILENCE! THE MUSICAL

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Perhaps you’ve heard the buzz aboutJon Kaplan and Alan Kaplan’s musi-cal, with a book by Hunter Bell. Yes,this is that show, “the unauthorizedparody” of the 24-year-old cinemat-ic classic The Silence of the Lambs. Silence! strips away the film’s focuson horror, replacing it with nutty, off-kilter, sexualized humor. Featuringlewd sight gags, uproariously per-

verse rounds of dialogue and glee-fully vulgar songs, it’s about as wildand whacked out as a professionalshow ever gets. Alan Paul directs this90-minute, intermission-less show atStudio Theatre, set in the company’sintimate upper-level Stage 4 spacewith a full bar. Laura Jordan earnsthe biggest applause for her dead-pan work in the tricky role of ClariceStarling, the aspiring FBI agent and“West Virginia hick” with a comi-cally exaggerated lisp. And Tom Storymanages to make Buffalo Bill a moremulti-dimensional character than thefilm’s one-note transgressive trans-sexual. And then there’s the ensemble

adorned with white ears and hoofs,gamboling around the stage and intothe crowd. These little lambs willmake you laugh and smile, and thenlaugh some more. Extended to Aug.23. Studio Theatre, 14th & P StreetsNW. Tickets are $40 to $45. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.(Doug Rule)


Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda.No tickets required for UkeFest, theSummit costs $370. Call 301-581-5100or visit strathmore.org.

ZAC BROWN BAND WITH THEAVETT BROTHERS An eight-piece band from Georgiastraddling the Southern rock/countrydivide, the Zac Brown Band is led byits namesake vocalist/guitarist but alsoincludes Jimmy De Martini, who dou-

bles as a violinist/fiddler, John DriskellHopkins, a bassist/ukulele player, andtwo percussionists, Chris Fryar andDaniel de los Reyes. Live Nation pres-ents the band’s Jekyll + Hyde Tourat Nationals Park. It features anoth-er Southern band straddling a sonicdivide, North Carolina-based the Avett Brothers, who merge bluegrassand rock. Friday, Aug. 14, at 7 p.m.Nationals Park, 1500 South Capitol St.NE. Tickets are $51.50 to $108.50. Call202-675-6287 or visit livenation.com.

FILM

AMY

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A new documentary about the latesinger Amy Winehouse, Amy inter-rogates the tragic side of performanceand public identity. Directed by AsifKapadia, a filmmaker known for the2010 biography Senna, the movie ear-nestly charts Winehouse’s rise from


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director of Arena Stage. Monday, Aug. 24, at 8 p.m. Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW.Tickets are $20. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

JULIUS CAESARFounded shortly after World WarII, the National Players has helpedlaunch the careers of many youngstage and performance artists, oftengiving them their debut in profession-

al work out of college. This nationaltouring company offers two shows onthe Historic Stage at its home base ofOlney Theatre, including a productionnext month of Charles Dickens’s ATale of Two Cities. But first up is theBard’s masterful, timeless examina-tion of conspiracy and assassination,and the political fallout that results.Colin Hovde directs this JuliusCaesar. Closes this Sunday, Aug. 16.Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md.Tickets are $15. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.

OLIVER! Adventure Theatre MTC offers a pro-

duction at Bethesda’s Round HouseTheatre of Lionel Bart’s bittersweetclassic musical, based on the Dickensnovel, about the porridge-demand-ing orphan. Joseph Ritsch directs acast including local knockouts RickHammerly and Felicia Curry. Closesthis Sunday, Aug. 16. Round HouseTheatre, 4545 East-West Highway,Bethesda. Tickets are $50 to $60. Call240-644-1100 or visit adventurethe-atre-mtc.org.

PSYCHO BEACH PARTYThe Richmond Triangle Playersoffer the perfect summer stage show,Charles Busch’s campy ode to the

original surfer flicks — imagine Gidget crossed with Mommie Dearest. Penny Ayn Maas directs. Closes this Sunday, Aug. 15. Richmond Triangle Players,1300 Altamont Ave.

Documents

Metro Weekly - 08-13-15 - Dear Evan Hansen