Cheyenne Jackson - Oct. 22, 2020

Contents

October 22, 2020

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Volume 27 Issue 22

CASTING ASPERSIONS

In Nora Highland, Ryan Spahn bluntly tackles the issue of why LGBTQ actors are often passed over for LGBTQ roles.

By Randy Shulman

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THE EQUILIBRIUM OF CHEYENNE From his powerful role as an LGBTQ pioneer on HBO’s Equal to stealing souls as an evil spirit on Netflix’s Julie & the Phantoms, Cheyenne Jackson has all sides covered.

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Interview by André Hereford Photography by Vince Trupsin

ICONOCLAST

Gay country singer Waylon Payne chronicles a dark period in his life on a haunting and intimate new album.

By Sean Maunier

SPOTLIGHT: “SWEDED” FILM FESTIVAL p.8 THE WITCHES p.9 ARENA’S FANNIE LOU HAMER, SPEAK ON IT! P.10 DEAR MAPEL AT MOSAIC p.11 ALDEN THEATRE’S OBJECTS IN MIRROR p.12 RUFUS WAINWRIGHT LIVESTREAM SERIES p.15 CHAMBER MUSIC AT THE BARNS p.16 DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS CONCERT p.17 ESCHATON AND END TIMES p.18 SAVOR RECIPE: BLOODY VELVET CAKE p.20 SAVOR: COCUSOCIAL SAFE COOKING CLASSES p.23 BOB & EDITH’S DINER 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL p.25 RETROSCENE: AIDSWALK p.26 THE FEED: THE RACE FOR WARD 2 p.31 FILM: FRIENDSGIVING p.51 RETROSCENE: HIGH HEEL RACE p.55 LAST WORD p.61

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Washington, D.C.’s Best LGBTQ Magazine for 26 Years Editorial Editor-in-Chief Randy Shulman Art Director Todd Franson Online Editor at metroweekly.com Rhuaridh Marr Senior Editor John Riley Contributing Editors André Hereford, Doug Rule Senior Photographers Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim Contributing Illustrators David Amoroso, Scott G. Brooks Contributing Writers Craig Bowman, Sean Maunier, Kate Wingfield Webmaster David Uy Production Assistant Julian Vankim Sales & Marketing Publisher Randy Shulman National Advertising Representative Rivendell Media Co. 212-242-6863 Distribution Manager Dennis Havrilla Patron Saint William Dale Jennings Cover Photography Vince Trupsin During the pandemic please send all mail to: Metro Weekly PO Box 11559 - Washington, D.C. 20008 • 202-638-6830 All material appearing in Metro Weekly is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publishers. Metro Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials submitted for publication. All such submissions are subject to editing and will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Metro Weekly is supported by many fine advertisers, but we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers, nor can we accept responsibility for materials provided by advertisers or their agents. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles or advertising in Metro Weekly is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such person or organization.

© 2020 Jansi LLC.

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Spotlight: Stage

Casting Aspersions

Ireland and Rosen

In Nora Highland, Ryan Spahn bluntly tackles the issue of why LGBTQ actors are often passed over for LGBTQ roles. By Randy Shulman

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’M AN ACTOR, AND I'M OPENLY GAY,” says Ryan Spahn. “And because of that, I have received a lot of thinly veiled homophobia in [casting] decision-making. Sometimes it's obvious and sometimes it's not.

“It's such a hard pill to swallow in this business,” the noted New York stage actor continues, “because [a casting director] can't ask somebody their sexuality, but they can subtly — or not-sosubtly — discriminate against actors for their sexuality, and just claim they didn't know because they can't legally ask.” Spahn says this creates a “repetitive result,” in which “actors who are open about their queerness become smaller and smaller within the business with what they're able to play, allowed to play, and celebrated for playing.”

“We, as queer individuals, are not given the kind of opportunities that straight people are.

And so, we may end up looking like not the best choice, which I think is about people just ex-

pecting different things out of queer people that they don't expect out of straight people.”

Spahn set out to address the LGBTQ-casting problem in his smart, scorching play Nora Highland, which had its first reading in June of 2019 at the Pride Plays festival in New York. After the pandemic struck in March 2020 and the Off-Broadway show Spahn was currently in, Mr. Toole, abruptly closed, he found himself looking for new outlets to express his pent-up creativity.

In the spring of 2020, using extreme social distancing measures, he directed an hour-long movie version of Nora, which will have its streaming premiere this Monday at NewFest, New York’s vaunted LGBTQ film festival.

The movie plays out in three distinct portions.

The first and the third veer into humorous territory, but the middle section is the show’s heart, laying out Spahn’s point during a sharp exchange between two friends — one a director (Marin IreOCTOBER 22, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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land) who has finally scored a Broadway break, the other a celebrated actor (Michael Hsu Rosen) who is being denied a gay role because of the fact that he is, in fact, openly gay. Their encounter gradually evolves from casually friendly to bitterly brutal.

“I wanted to explore the three situations I had been privy to,” says Spahn, who, even at 40, retains a certain playful boyishness. Using inventive techniques to visually propel the narrative, Nora Highland feels like it could have been made before the pandemic. The actors are all physically separated, but there’s a carefully planned authenticity to the set-ups. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the remarkable Facetime chat. Filmed in a single, masterful take, it’s a stunning, almost athletic sequence. “We did a lot of rehearsals,” laughs Spahn.

During the pandemic, Spahn and his husband, actor Michael Urie, have given generously of

their time and talents to help raise money for unemployed actors impacted by the now grave New York theater shutdown. Spahn misses his life on the stage, and longs to return one day to performing before an audience.

“This must be what it feels like when a professional ice skater twists their ankle or a pro runner ruins their meniscus,” he says.

“It's a deep loss, it's a deep sadness. And Michael and I as a team have invested heavily in saying yes and being a part of whatever comes our way with regards to the digital theater space, but it’s not the same thing.

“I'm arguably just a working-class actor,” he continues. “Yet Spahn I have the benefit of being with somebody who is at a different place in his career, which helps us as a couple. But all the working-class actors in the city — we're going to lose so many people in the arts because of this.”

Nora Highland will have its World Premiere on Monday, Oct. 26, at New Fest. The stream begins at 8 p.m. and is followed by a Q&A with Spahn. Tickets are $12.

Visit https://newfest.org/event/nora-highland.

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Spotlight: Film

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“Sweded” Film Festival

ONTRARY TO WHAT YOU MIGHT think, this innovative film festival has nothing to do with the Scandinavian country, nor the root vegetable. Instead, the Sweded Festival for Creative Re-Creations is all about “Sweded” films — or “weird, homemade ‘remakes’ of favorite films” — a term derived from 2008 comedy Be Kind, Rewind, in which a VHS rental store is forced to recreate all of its accidentally-erased VHS tapes. A Pittsburgh tradition, the film festival is expanding nationally this year, putting the call out for entries from across the United States.

Prospective filmmakers have just three rules to follow in order to be considered: Keep it short, keep it cheap, and keep it out of control. “Whether they act like Lawrence of Arabia in a sandbox, spit up some split-pea soup from their own bedrooms, or make Peter Pan fly using kitchen utensils, firsttime filmmakers and pros alike can make a ‘Sweded’ film and have moviegoers nationwide marvel at their ingenuity and pure, raw humor,” a press release notes. Brian Mendelsshon, the owner of Pittsburgh’s Row House Cinema where the fes-

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tival got its start, adds, “Movie lovers have spent all spring and summer watching and re-watching their favorite movies and yearning for a creative outlet, so 2020 is the perfect year to bring Sweded films to a national audience. We’re all feeling off-kilter and weird these days, and that’s what Sweded films are all about.”

Past winners have included remakes of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Contact, Jaws, and The Princess Bride — all viewable on YouTube — and successful entries in this year’s festival will be included in a feature-length presentation available online, through virtual cinema and, depending on location, in select independent cinemas. Plus, there’s cash prizes for the best “Sweded” films in each category, and around half of ticket revenues will go to participating theaters, supporting them while the pandemic rages on. Entry to the festival requires a $10 ticket, and registration is open until Nov. 1, with entries accepted through Nov. 15. The feature-length compilation will premiere in early December. For more information, visit http:// rowhouse.online. —Rhuaridh Marr

Spotlight: Film

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The Witches

OBERT ZEMECKIS NEVER MET A mousetrap he didn’t delight in springing. And the innovative director of Who Framed Roger Rabbit ultimately takes full advantage of springing dozens at once in his hyperactive adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches (HHHHH). This is the second time Dahl’s work has been ushered to the screen — the first was in 1990 by master filmmaker Nicholas Roeg, boasting a glamorous, over-the-top Anjelica Huston as a sorceress hellbent on ridding the world of its children by turning them into mice.

Zemeckis follows the same narrative path — and even adheres more fastidiously to Dahl’s book. But the differences lie in the filmmaking.

Whereas Roeg relied on practical effects (courtesy Jim Henson), Zemeckis deploys every bit and byte of modern CGI effect available to produce a joyous, wild whizbang ride.

Indeed, The Witches, premiering on HBO Max, feels custom-made for a theme park. Its set-pieces are fast, furious, and outlandish,

Simon, Hathaway, and Orla O’Rourke

each its own self-encased showstopper. Set in the ’60s, the movie feels uniquely attuned to our times, with its themes fine-tuned by screenwriters Zemeckis, Kenya Barris, and Guillermo del Toro to celebrate comfort in one’s authentic self, as well as take a few light but noticeable swipes at racism.

Anne Hathaway is the film’s weakest component. She not only lacks the sheer elegance and poise of Huston, but gives her Grand High Witch a strained accent that feels lifted from the discards of “The Inspector Clouseau Enunciation Handbook.” The otherwise first-rate cast includes Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci, Kristen Chenoweth (in a surprise, delightful part), and Josette Simon as a genuinely chilling sorceress. In a bit of good fortune, the 1990 version is concurrently streaming on Netflix, so you have the rare opportunity to watch the pair back-to-back for a compare and contrast. Start with the remake, and then revel in the simpler — and far less speedy — joys of the original. —Randy Shulman

Robert Zemeckis’s The Witches is streaming exclusively on HBO Max. Visit www.hbomax.com.

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LIZ LAUREN

Spotlight: Stage

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Fannie Lou Hamer, Speak On It!

RENA STAGE OFFERS A FREE FALL treat, just in time for the election of a lifetime, for fans of E. Faye Butler — a group comprised of essentially anyone who has ever seen a performance of the multiple Helen Hayes Award-winning powerhouse. Beginning this weekend, Butler will portray Fannie Lou Hamer, the impassioned freedom fighter who became one of the most powerful female voices of the civil and voting rights movements. She’ll do so from an outdoor stage a few blocks from Arena’s Mead Center in a partnership with the District Wharf and the Southwest B.I.D., where she will perform an abridged version of a new work by Cheryl L. West (Akeelah and the Bee, Pullman Porter Blues).

Directed by Henry Godinez of Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, which commissioned and developed the play along with Seattle Repertory Theatre, Fannie Lou Hamer, Speak on It! features

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Butler

excerpts of Hamer’s famed speeches while also including powerful spirituals and civil rights anthems. Dubbed a “50-minute call to action,” Arena’s abridged version of the work is intended to shine a light on the importance of exercising your right to vote in the 2020 election, with the League of Women Voters onsite to answer questions and provide voter registration information at each performance.

Opens Friday, Oct. 23, and runs to Oct. 30. Performances are at 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 1 and 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and limited to 40 mask-wearing patrons, seated in socially distanced groups of four or less. In addition, Arena will follow heightened cleaning procedures, install sanitizing stations, and conduct temperature checks of all artists, staff, and audience members. Transit Pier Floating Stage at The Wharf, 970 Wharf St. SW. Free but tickets required. Visit www.arenastage.org —Doug Rule

PHOTO COURTESY OF MOSAIC THEATRE COMPANY

Spotlight: Stage

Power and Psalmayene 24 in rehearsal

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Dear Mapel

LL NEXT WEEK, MOSAIC THEATER Company will offer a virtual workshop presentation of a personal new play from Psalmayene 24, the acclaimed D.C. multidisciplinary artist who is also the theater’s playwright-in-residence. Combining live theater performance with multi-camera video production and recorded on film at the D.C. restaurant Baby Wale by videographers Emic Films and VidCo, Dear Mapel breaks out of the confines of Zoom and drops audiences into a rich, theatrical world. Directed by Natsu Onoda Power of Georgetown University, the solo work finds Psalm, accompanied by percussionist Jabari Exum, sharing tales about growing up and coming of age in Brooklyn with a spotlight on his complicated relationship with his father, now deceased, captured through a series of hand-drawn letters, both real and imagined.

“This is the play I’ve been afraid to write and

perform for years, but the time is now,” Psalm says in a press release. “What a gift to be working with this particular dream team of artists as we navigate new forms and experiences for theatrical connection.” Dear Mapel is also the first in a series of new works from area playwrights (others on tap include Ifa Bayeza and Roz White) that Mosaic is supporting and will premiere this season partly in response to this past summer’s activism for greater racial and intersectional equity, and particularly the demands made by the We See You, White American Theatre movement (www.weseeyouwat.com).

Premieres Monday, Oct. 26, at 7:30 p.m., followed by a free post-show celebration and discussion with the creative team. Available for viewing any time and as many times as one likes through Oct. 31. Free, but tickets are required.

Visit www.mosaictheater.org. —DR OCTOBER 22, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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KYLE CORWIN

Spotlight: Stage

Objects in Mirror May Be SPOOKIER Than They Appear

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VER THE SUMMER DANIELLE VAN Hook launched what has become a popular Drive-Thru Drama series at the Alden Theatre in McLean, Va. The socially distanced style of live theater was initially inspired by the old European tradition of actors on pageant wagons traveling from town to town, audience to audience, only flipping that concept so that, as Van Hook, the Alden program director, put it, “the audience drives from actor to actor, and the actors stay put and are able to stay socially distant.”

After many sold-out performances of two plays by Andrew Scott Zimmer, staged in the parking lot of the McLean Community Center, the Alden commissioned the New York theater outfit Recent Cutbacks to develop a new Halloween show. Patrons will drive a set route,

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encountering actors portraying werewolves, witches, zombies, and more along the way, all as they try to help a modern-day Spooky Scientist uncover what happened to physicist Dr. Doris B. Gool, who has been missing ever since she set out in search of an interplanetary alternate mission a century ago.

Van Hook praises Recent Cutbacks for “the way they use foley and props in their staged work. We knew they would be the right partner to imagine what a Halloween-inspired story in this unusual format could look like.” Performances continue this weekend and next, ending Nov. 1. In the parking lot of 1234 Ingleside Ave. in McLean.

Tickets are $20 per vehicle and available in timed intervals from 6 to 8:15 p.m. each night. Call 70379-0123 or visit www.aldentheatre.org. —DR

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PHOTO COURTESY OF RUFUS WAINWRIGHT

Spotlight: Music

Wainwright

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Rufus Wainwright Livestream Series

ERE IT NOT FOR THE PANDEMIC, Rufus Wainwright would have been in the throes of an extensive global tour this fall, likely including a return to the Lincoln Theatre in a concert presented by I.M.P. Productions. Instead, the gay pop star has launched what he’s calling “A Rufus-Retro-Wainwright-Spective,” a multi-month series of livestreams in which the artist perform all nine of his studio albums in stripped-back style over the course of 18 shows, with two shows (plus a Fireside Chat) per album.

Wainwright started the weekly series earlier this month with his self-titled debut from 1998 as well as the first show focused on Poses from 2001. At the current pace, the series will last until February, ending with his superb Unfollow the Rules, released this past summer.

Not to worry if you missed the first three earlier this month: Each show is viewable on demand for one month after the scheduled lives-

treams pertaining to that album.

“What I think will be most interesting with these shows is how my voice has changed since I recorded these songs,” Wainwright says. “My style has been called operatic-pop or baroque pop — if they found a category for it at all — and yes, I do like a big dramatic moment, but I think true quality reveals itself with less, and I think these songs will hold up in this chamber setting.” All livestreams start at 5 p.m. on Fridays. Upcoming shows in the livestream series include “Poses Part 2” on Oct. 30; “Want One Part 1” on Nov. 6, followed by Fireside Chat Q&A #1 about Want One; “Want One Part 2” on Nov. 13; “Want Two Part 1” on Nov. 20, followed by a Fireside Chat Q&A #2 about Want Two; and “Want Two Part 2” on Nov. 27. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 day-of/on-demand per stream, or $70 for a four-stream pass each month that includes the respective chats. Visit https:// rufuswainwright.veeps.com. —DR OCTOBER 22, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF WOLF TRAP

Spotlight: Music

Cho-Liang Lin

Alessio Bax and Lucille Chung

Chamber Music at the Barns

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HIS FALL, WOLF TRAP IS PRESENTing a curated selection of free digital concerts made possible through a new, three-year partnership with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and its co-artistic director Wu Han, who also heads up Wolf Trap’s chamber music series. “The concerts I have selected for Chamber Music at the Barns are drawn from CMS’s digital Front Row series, each one centered on a single, remarkable musician, which profiles them personally through a short documentary and musically through a variety of remarkable performances,” says Han in a statement, adding that the selected concerts “are personal and intimate” and feature “freshly created introductions and interviews combined with high-definition video recordings of great performances from our stages in New York.”

The series continues Sunday, Oct. 25, at 3 p.m., with a program headlined by Alessio Bax and Lucille Chung and featuring the two acclaimed pianists performing Bartók’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion alongside Ian David Rosenbaum and Ayano Kataoka on percussion, plus

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Mozart’s Concerto No. 14 in E-flat major for Piano and String Quintet featuring Bax accompanied by Arnaud Sussmann and Bella Hristova on violin, Paul Neubauer on viola, Sophie Shao on cello, and Joseph Conyers on double bass. It streams until Oct. 30.

From Nov. 15 to 20, Wolf Trap will stream a program from Cho-Liang Lin in which the violinist performs Foss’ “Composer’s Holiday” from Three American Pieces for Violin and Piano and Dvořák’s “Larghetto” from Sonatina in G major for Violin and Piano, both with accompaniment from pianist Jon Kimura, as well as Tchaikovsky’s “Souvenir de Florence” from Sextet for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Two Cellos, accompanied by Erin Keefe also on violin, Paul Neubauer and Hsin-Yun Huang on viola, and Dmitri Atapine and Colin Carr on cello. The season draws to a close on Friday, Dec. 4, with a program featuring soprano Tony Arnold in Three Early Songs by George Crumb and a performance of Brahms’ Quartet No. 3 in C minor featuring Nicolas Dautricourt on violin, Paul Neubauer on viola, and Torleif Thedéen on cello. Visit www. wolftrap.org. —DR

Spotlight: Music

DAN AHN

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Día de los Muertos Concert

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VERY YEAR, THE NEW ORCHESTRA of Washington performs a concert inspired by the annual Mexican holiday in which family and friends gather to remember and celebrate loved ones who have died. But the proceedings in 2020 are set to be more immediate and universal than ever, with the concert’s focus on commemorating the many lives — more than one million worldwide — that have been lost to COVID-19, while also acknowledging the pain of those who remain.

The acclaimed local vocal ensemble Choral Arts joins to perform Brahms’ Requiem at this year’s “Day of the Dead” concert, presented virtually on Halloween, with video footage and photography from last year’s concert at the Mexican Cultural Institute — including solos by soprano Laura Choi Stuart and baritone Brian Mextorf — mixed in with new performances from the Music Center at Strathmore, all captured through “extreme social distancing” practices. Specif-

ically, the NOW wind players will be stationed at a shielded distance from the Choral Arts choristers, who will perform in the house facing the stage and Scott Tucker, the group’s conductor and artistic director.

“Johannes Brahms composed this requiem in German instead of traditional Latin, and ventured outside of the liturgy for new texts,” NOW’s Artistic Director Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez says. “Composed while Brahms grieved the deaths of multiple friends and loved ones, the music and text embrace death as a part of our shared destiny. This spirit is inherent in the Mexican tradition of Día de los Muertos: a spirit of celebrating, not mourning, the lives of those that are lost.” The livestream will also incorporate photos of ofrendas, elaborate altars created using personal effects and assorted memorabilia in tribute to the deceased, from the Mexican Cultural Institute. Saturday, Oct. 31, at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15. Visit www.choralarts.org. —DR OCTOBER 22, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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PHOTO COURTESY OF ESCHATON

Spotlight: Nightlife

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Eschaton and End Times

SCHATON HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS “an online nightclub and theater experience: Think The Box in New York meets Studio 54 meets Sleep No More — but all via Zoom.” Ticketed guests, with or without their webcam turned on, are invited to wander around the maze of “rooms” in this virtual nightclub in a choose-your-own-adventure kind of way, discovering and interacting with performers doing expected as well as unexpected things. “There’s the room where a man in a rat costume reads quietly in a corner, stopping occasionally to stare at the audience,” wrote The Verge in a review last summer. So think along those lines.

The hour-long showcase, offered Saturday nights at 10 p.m., has proven to be a popular draw during the pandemic, with many performances selling out in advance, and only one currently available,

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this Saturday, Oct. 24, at 10 p.m.

The success has also inspired themed offshoots, such as End Times, a haunted Halloween offering in which “your worst nightmare comes to Eschaton for two nights only” the last weekend in October, and starring Slenderman the Blair Witch Shinigami with a special guest appearance by Freddy “the Janitor” Krueger.

Friday, Oct. 30, at 5 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 31, at 10 p.m. Tickets are $15 for the regular Eschaton and $30 to $40 for the hour-long End Times plus after party. A $50 VIP ticket adds “secret VIP rooms hidden in the shadows” plus a Backstage Pass to the afterparty, while a $150 VIP Trick and Treat package also throws in delivery of a custom package of curated goods. Visit www.tickettailor.com/events/eschaton. —DR

OCTOBER 22, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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Savor

Bloody Velvet Cake

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Recipe and Photography by Craig Bowman

ALLOWEEN LENDS ITSELF TO CREativity in the kitchen. This Bloody Velvet Cake comes together quickly and is a lot of fun to make, especially if you have kids in the house. There are a variety of versions online with the first one credited to “Say It With Cake” on Pinterest. My take is quicker and easier.

Ingredients CAKE

3 1/2 cups plus 3 Tbsp of cake flour (or 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour) 2 cups regular granulated sugar 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 20

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1 3/4 cups buttermilk 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil 3 large eggs 1 tsp white vinegar A full 1-oz bottle of liquid red food coloring FROSTING

2 8-oz packages of softened cream cheese (room temp) 1 cup softened butter (room temp, not melted) 1 Tbsp real vanilla extract 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar BLOODY GANACHE

12 oz white chocolate chips 4 Tbsp heavy cream Oil-based red food dye

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Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Butter & dust with flour the bottom and sides of 2 or 3 9-inch cake pans.

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In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

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With mixer on low, slowly add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture.

Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth (2 minutes). Add food coloring and beat until mixed evenly.

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Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake 22 to 25 minutes if using 3 pans, or 26-28 minutes if using two.

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For frosting, beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Slowly mix in powdered sugar.

In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vinegar.

Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to fully cool.

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Spread frosting evenly between cake layers and on top. For the sides, first spread a thin layer of frosting to cover the cake and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Spread remaining frosting on sides. Refrigerate another 20 minutes.

Melt chocolate chips with heavy cream in a heavy-bottomed pan slowly over low heat, stirring continuously. Add food dye and stir well.

Pour over cake in a splattered blood pattern. Insert a large knife.

Questions? Text to Craig at 202-217-0996 or email Savor@metroweekly.com.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF COCUSOCIAL

Savor

Making Sushi

CocuSocial Safe Cooking Classes

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VEN IF YOU’RE PROUD OF YOUR prowess in the kitchen and the skills you may have acquired in the wake of COVID-19, it’s quite possible you’ve grown tired of doing it all alone — or taken to wondering whether you could learn more from experts, or while in the company of others. Perhaps you could corral a few friends, your significant other, or a prospective partner to do it with you? You could make it a date through CocuSocial, a platform for a wide variety of “social cooking and tasting classes,” often offered in nontraditional settings — whether socially distanced in person or virtually in your home. And all at prices comparable to a meal at your favorite restaurant — for two, in the case of in-person classes. Among the options for upcoming online classes (most of them priced between $19 and $36 each), are lessons in “Bun Cha: Vietanmese Meat Balls with Vermicelli Noodles,” “Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Classic Sides,” “Make Your Own Ramen,” “Bar Food Favorites,” “The Art of Bread Baking: No Yeast Rustic Loaves,” and “Intro to French Pastry.”

Among the upcoming in-person classes (priced at $59 to $99 each, with the average going for under $69), you can learn how to make cream puffs and eclairs, hand-roll sushi, and the basics of Indian cuisine, mostly in suburban locations of Virginia and Maryland. At such in-person offerings during the pandemic, chefs must wear PPE at all times, and guests must wear masks when not seated at their tables, food is served using disposable plates, cups, and utensils, and not shared among groups.

CocuSocial has also introduced Master Series, a live virtual experience allowing you to cook along, and ask questions in real time, with world-renowned chefs for under $40. This Sunday, Oct. 25, at 5 p.m., comes a session on making fresh cavatelli pasta from scratch with Neal Fraser, known from Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay and as the Cat Cora-defeating victor on Iron Chef America. In December, Anita Lo, a Michelin-starred chef and another Iron Chef winner, will teach how to master authentic, scratch-made Asian dumplings. Visit www.cocusocial.com. —Doug Rule OCTOBER 22, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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UNDER A BUSHEL PHOTOGRAPHY

Savor

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Bob & Edith’s Diner 50th Anniversary Special

OW UNTIL THE END OF 2020, BOB & Edith’s Diner, the famous Northern Virginia chain, is offering a special to end its yearlong 50th anniversary with a bang of a deal for burger lovers. An order of two signature B&E double cheeseburgers topped with bacon and egg, a side of French fries, and two slices of pie would normally run between $32 and $35 depending on the type of pie.

Right now it’s $19.69, marking the year when Robert and Edith Bolton started the business with the purchase of Gray’s Donut Dinette in Arlington, a boutique counter spot they would later retrofit to operate as a family-run diner that employed their four children.

More than two decades later, Greg Bolton and his wife Victoria took over the original diner, running it with the assistance of their children Tammy and Chris. In recent years, the family has focused on expanding the business locally, with five Northern Virginia locations as of August and the opening of an outpost on Lee Highway in North Arlington. Known for their signature blue

retro formica diner tables and metal bar stools, the tiled diners appeal to all manner of locals at all hours of the day — although during the pandemic, only two remain open 24/7, the original at 2310 Columbia Pike, and the Crystal City/National Landing spot at 539 23rd St. (Meanwhile, for proper social distancing, tables at all locations have been moved and spaced out, no seating is allowed at the counter, and takeout and delivery options have been expanded.)

As improbable as it sounds, a current priority of the business is to continue that expansion far and wide. “Even a Pandemic Can’t Slow Down Expansion for Iconic Bob & Edith’s Diner,” read the headline to a September article in RestaurantNews.com, noting that Bob & Edith’s has recently teamed up with the same national franchise development firm that turned Five Guys into a major national chain. The 50th anniversary burger-fries-and-pie special (“No substitutions please!”) is available during operating hours at all locations now through Dec. 31. Visit www.bobandedithsdiner.com. —DR OCTOBER 22, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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RetroScene

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Whitman-Walker’s AIDSWalk and Walk to End HIV, 2004-2019 Photography by Ward Morrison For more #RetroScene follow us on Instagram at @MetroWeekly

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theFeed

Downs

Fernández

Pinto

COURTESY OF THE CANDIDATES

Bolton

The Race for Ward 2

In a special Metro Weekly forum, Ward 2 Council candidates make their pitch to LGBTQ voters. By John Riley

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N A YEAR WHEN THE PRESIDENTIAL election is consuming much of the oxygen when it comes to political coverage, local races can easily be overshadowed. City government isn’t the “sexiest” beat to cover, especially compared to the polarizing debates over hot-button cultural issues that frequently receive attention on a national stage. But the decisions made by Councilmembers affect District voters’ daily lives in multiple ways, both seen and unseen. Yet due to the District’s heavy Democratic tilt, most elected officials only have to worry about surviving the Democratic primary relatively unscathed.

This year is different — at least for voters in the city’s Second Ward, which stretches from Georgetown in the west through the Dupont and Logan Circle neighborhoods and downtown D.C. to Chinatown and Judiciary Square in the east.

Due to the resignation of former Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans over ethical issues, voters were given an option to select a temporary replacement in a June special election. Current Councilmember Brooke Pinto, a political newcomer, emerged victorious in both the special election, as well as in the Democratic Party primary, where she beat several more well-known OCTOBER 22, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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theFeed challengers, including a number of ANC commissioners and even Evans himself.

However, given the emergence of political talent that had been stifled or shied away from running during Evans’s nearly three decades in office, this year provides the rare competitive general election for a ward seat. Pinto faces a challenge from openly gay ANC Commissioner Randy Downs, as well as scientist Martín Miguel Fernández, and journalist Peter Bolton.

Given Ward 2’s large LGBTQ community — which provided a significant amount of Evans’ political support throughout his career — Metro Weekly decided to ask the candidates seeking to represent the ward several questions about their stances on various LGBTQ-related issues and gauge their level of commitment to the LGBTQ community going forward. Here are their responses:

Recently the Council has discussed redirecting Metropolitan Police Department funds to community-based organizations that would take the place of police in certain situations. What LGBTQ-specific initiatives or service organizations do you believe deserve some of that reallocated funding, and why?

Peter Bolton: Casa Ruby, because transsexual individuals face a particular threat of violence.

The Wanda Alston Foundation and SMYAL, because LGBTQI+ services have been chronically underfunded in this city.

Randy Downs: We should reallocate resources from police to underfunded, highly-needed services that are backed by evidence showing their effectiveness in reducing violence and crime.

Peter Bolton These include: mental health, social work, and 33 crisis intervention services, violence interrupOriginally from California tion programs, and homelessness street outCurrently employed as a journalist reach services to help people apply for housing Running as: Statehood-Green Party and needed documentation.

With LGBTQ individuals disproportionately Randy Downs represented among those experiencing home34 lessness, and a whopping 40% of youth in D.C. Originally from Missouri who are experiencing homelessness identifying Currently employed as the Operations Manager as LGBTQ, it is critical to ensure LGBTQ service at the Sierra Club providers are well resourced. SMYAL, the WanRunning as: Independent da Alston House, Casa Ruby, the DC Center, and other organizations that focus on the safety of our community should have increased funding Martín Miguel Fernández because they are uniquely situated to meet the 29 housing, health, and other critical needs of the Originally from Peru LGBTQ community. Similarly, harm reduction Currently employed as a scientist services like those provided at HIPS must also Running as: Independent receive funding.

I believe housing is the foundation of wellbeBrooke Pinto ing. Taking a “housing first” approach to meet28 ing people’s needs allows all other aspects of Originally from Connecticut life to improve. As an Advisory Neighborhood Currently employed as Ward 2 Councilmember Commissioner in Dupont Circle, I advocated for affordable housing for LGBTQ seniors, and I Running as: Democrat

The Candidates

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theFeed believe resources should continue to be allocated to housing for the senior and overall LGBTQ population. Together with critical government agencies and LGBTQ service providers, I believe we can better meet the needs of our diverse LGBTQ residents.

Martín Miguel Fernández: I fully support re-investing MPD's bloated budget in social workers and other community-based initiatives. As far as LGBTQ-related reallocations go, I would propose a few things: 1. Boosting funding for grant programs focusing on the LGBTQ community, which could be run through MOCA and the Office of LGBTQ Affairs. These grants would help fund community organizations doing critical work, as well as LGBTQ businesses that are essential to maintaining safe social spaces and neighborhood character and history.

2. Increasing investment in LGBTQ-focused health and mental health treatment services to ensure that care is available to all who need it. LGBTQ people are exponentially more likely to experience a mental health condition, especially transgender people, and LGBTQ youth are often subjected to bullying and other traumatic experiences. We must expand funding to these programs and make them tele-health accessible during the pandemic in order to address the troubling prevalence of substance abuse, homelessness, and suicide in the community. Lastly, we need to improve our data collection approaches to better assess disparities in the LGBTQ community.

3. Expanding LGBTQ transitional housing for youth, and affordable housing for seniors.

We must protect our most vulnerable, and guarantee housing and free and accessible health care and mental health care for LGBTQ youth. Additionally, we should be leveraging tools like the Housing Production Trust Fund to expand affordable housing options for seniors, as we are experiencing a housing crisis that has worsened with the pandemic.

4. Establishing cash assistance programs for excluded workers. Though a large majority of excluded workers are undocumented

immigrants, sex workers have also been excluded from receiving unemployment or federal stimulus. We need to ensure that all residents are able to stay safe and receive income during the pandemic.

Brooke Pinto: When we look at where to reallocate funding into community-based organizations and services, it is important to not overlook our thriving LGBTQ+ community — a community that has faced discrimination in this city and around the country for far too long. Quality and accessible health services are an area that is absolutely necessary in order to provide a community that is welcome to all and free of prejudice. Too often, our LGBTQ+ community is denied access to safe, accessible, and quality health care. I am committed to ensuring that our public health system is one that works for all individuals, especially our most vulnerable communities. As the Ward 2 Councilmember, I have seen firsthand how our healthcare system is leaving our LGBTQ+ community behind. LGBTQ+ youth are three times as likely to seriously contemplate suicide than heterosexual youth. I am committed to increasing funding to address LGBTQ+ health disparities so that healthcare is accessible and affordable for everyone.

However, we must go further. I am also in support of forming a task force comprised of D.C. agencies and community organizations that directly serve the transgender community to develop solutions to transgender health disparities. Partnerships between the government and private organizations is key to improving our outcomes. Successful partnerships, such as collaborations between DCPS and Metro TeenAIDS, should be expanded to provide students with STD testing, and comprehensive sex-positive education that includes gender identity and sexual orientation in the curriculum.

I am also committed to addressing our enforcement of harassment — both verbal and physical — that our LGTBQ+ community continues to experience and empower the Office of Human Rights to investigate, intervene, and pursue these cases.

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theFeed Decriminalization of sex work is an issue that is important to the transgender community, given that many members who aren't able to find employment elsewhere often resort to survival sex. What is your position on decriminalization, and how would it work in practice?

Bolton: I support decriminalizing, and even legalizing, sex work in the Distict. In terms of how it would work in practice, I believe the District should look to other countries that have successfully pioneered decriminalization, particularly Germany where sex workers are unionized taxpayers, like in any legal form of work.

housing that so many sex workers face.

Pinto: I have researched this issue extensively and attended the 16-hour hearing on sex work last year. It is very important to ensure that our neighbors are not prosecuted for engaging in activity that they are trafficked into or that they feel left to do given a lack of other employment opportunities. My first priority is to increase access to benefits and employment and housing opportunities to our trans population.

I do support the partial decriminalization of sex work; that is to say, I support decriminalizing selling sex. Sex workers should never feel afraid to report abuse for fear they will be arrested. I also believe there should be wrap-around services for those who wish to leave the sex industry and for those who are victims of trafficking.

Why should people care about elect-

Downs: In October 2019, I was proud to be involved in a town hall about sex work as an effort ing an openly LGBTQ member to the to open a dialogue and provide information on Council, given the LGBTQ community the impact of sex work decriminalization in DC. appears to have fared well under an As outlined in my policy platform, I support legislation decriminalizing sex work, an issue entirely-straight Council? What issues/ that disproportionately affects LGBTQ individu- perspectives would you specifically als and particularly transgender individuals, and bring that would actually make a diftheir future ability to obtain jobs, housing, and other basic needs. We need to lower barriers so ference to the LGBTQ community? it is easier, not more difficult, for people to find employment and housing, and that includes de- Downs: The District has the most LGBTQ resicriminalizing sex work. dents per capita, yet has zero LGBTQ representation on the Council. Additionally, Ward 2 is the Fernández: I support the Community Safe- hub of DC’s LGBTQ community yet has never ty and Health Amendment Act of 2019, which had a Councilmember who openly identifies as would have decriminalized consensual sex LGBTQ. The District is a proud progressive city, work between adults, and had substantial com- but I believe that without representation on the munity support. Decriminalizing sex work Council, critical issues for the LGBTQ commuwould create a safer environment for both par- nity are forgotten and our community’s priorities and hopefully end the harassment of many ties can be left on the chopping block. marginalized individuals at the hands of MPD. For instance, in the fiscal year 2020 budget, the Decriminalization would also [provide] ac- Council didn’t include major budget priorities cess to health and allows sex workers to seek for the LGBTQ community. For example, fundhelp when they are victims of a crime, without ing [that] the community felt was critical was left fear of reprisal. Decriminalization is also an out of the budget for D.C. agencies, including the important step towards ending stigma around Office of Human Rights and the Office of LGBTQ sex work, and would help address the issue of Affairs. Less funding for these offices meant few34

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theFeed er resources for LGBTQ residents who experienced hate crimes and were seeking justice and fewer resources to connect LGBTQ residents to needed services and programs.

I helped co-found the ANC LGBTQ Rainbow Caucus, an organization of the highest level LGBTQ officials in the city, to demand the Council fund these priorities that were forgotten in the budget process. As Councilmember, I will be a leader in ensuring the needs of the LGBTQ community are not traded away.

I alluded to many of the issues to be dealt with in my previous responses, but I think the most pressing are: expanding funding for LGBTQ community organizations and businesses; improving and augmenting transitional housing for LGBTQ youth; decriminalizing sex work; preserving and expanding affordable housing options for LGBTQ seniors; and addressing health disparities through accessible mental health services, cultural competency training and health data collection and interventions.

Why would you make a better advocate for Ward 2's LGBTQ community than a person who is actually LGBTQ? What issues do you believe need to be dealt with concerning the LGBTQ community?

Pinto: Issues around inclusion and equity are the reason I became a lawyer and the reason I have committed to a career of public service. I am honored to have the support of so many in the thriving Ward 2 LGBTQ+ community. From ANC Commissioners to Democratic leaders to some who ran against me in the primary, I am proud to have been endorsed by a number of our LGBTQ+ leaders. D.C., and more specifically Ward 2, has been home to the most thriving LGBTQ+ community in our entire nation, and far too often they have been overlooked. With the possibility of a Supreme Court stacked in the favor of conservatives, the right to marry very well might be on the line. It is so important that we stand up for our LGBTQ+ neighbors and make sure that they are not left behind, not counted out, not taken for granted, but instead made a part of the solution and listened to. Allyship and ardent representation is not just about being a member of the group, but being creative and effective enough to accomplish our shared goal of job and housing opportunities, equal justice under law, freedom from discrimination, and access to healthcare.

As the Ward 2 Councilmember, I have met with the LGBTQ+ community, heard their concerns, and translated that into legislative action.

Every day, I strive to be the best possible ally I can be, and I am always open to feedback on how I can improve. Our campaign is supported by a broad coalition of union workers, progressive organizations, community activists, and elected officials — many of whom are LGBTQ+. I am eager to continue my work on the Council to prevent LGBTQ+ discrimination and hate crimes,

Bolton: Just because a person is from a historically marginalized group does not mean that they will represent that group’s interests. The first woman prime minister of the UK, Margaret Thatcher, did a huge amount of damage to gender equality in spite of herself being a woman. Likewise, some of the most vicious homophobes have found to have themselves been closeted — examples include the infamous case of George Rekers of the so-called Family Research Council. My policies include increased funding for services for the LGBTQI+ community. See full platform on family and sexuality issues here: http://dcstatehoodgreenparty. org/candidates/peter-bolton/peters-platform/ family-and-sexuality-issues.

Fernández: I myself am not a member of the LGBTQ community, but will do everything in my power to be the best ally possible. As an underrepresented minority myself and a medical anthropologist, I will approach the problems facing our communities with a mindful, sensitive, and intersectional lens. Additionally, I have longstanding relationships with LGBTQ peers and colleagues through my work as a musician in D.C.'s dance music scene, and my stepbrother is a gay, Black man who grew up in D.C. 36

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theFeed increase funding for LGBTQ+ youth and seniors who need housing, and investing in the health and wellness of our LGBTQ+ residents. Now more than ever, we need someone on the Council who can bring a broad coalition of stakeholders to the table and get things done. I am ready to continue this fight and would be honored to have your support.

How would you restore the broken trust between Ward 2 voters and city officials, particularly in light of the scandal surrounding former Councilmember Evans? Why should voters believe you will be able to avoid any ethical lapses or conflicts of interest?

Bolton: My work as a journalist has focused on ethical issues in public policy and international affairs. I have written about ethical considerations surrounding issues including healthcare, foreign policy, big tech and the global offshore tax haven system. I have a master's degree in ethics, peace and global Affairs from American University and an undergraduate degree in philosophy, politics and economics, in which my research focused on applied ethics.

Downs: My entire candidacy is focusing on ethical and bold leadership for Ward 2 on the DC Council. Ward 2 residents are recovering from an unacceptable violation of their trust due to the ethics violations of our Councilmembers.

My campaign is centered around residents’ voices, not special interests. I’m proud to have a campaign run with public financing from the DC Fair Elections Program. This means I do not accept any donations that exceed $50 and all donations come from individuals — not corporations, not PACs. My opponent, current Councilmember Brooke Pinto, declined to participate in this program.

Seventy-nine percent of my donors reside here in the District, whereas 63% of Councilmember Pinto’s money comes from out-of-state. This is a

stark difference in how we run our campaigns and who our connections are.

When in office, I will maintain my policy of always listening to D.C. residents and being transparent to them. I will not have an outside job when I’m on the Council, allowing me to fully focus on the needs of Ward 2 residents and avoid conflicts of interest. I will not have a constituent services fund, as I believe these have been an often-abused use of taxpayer dollars. I will also work to institute rank choice voting in D.C., to ensure that those elected to office truly represent the will of the voters.

Fernández: Ward 2 voters are tentative not only because of the legacy of Jack Evans, but also because his interim replacement has been riddled with problematic discoveries since taking office just four months ago. Whoever wins on November 3 will have a long way to go in repairing trust with voters, and repairing Ward 2's reputation within the District.

As a participant in D.C.'s Fair Elections Program, I have sworn to not accept money from PACS, corporate donors or special interests.

Moreover, I have direct expertise in evaluating conflicts of interest in the realm of science and technology, and pledge to avoid any interactions with lobbyists. Voters should have trust in me because I am not motivated by political careerism and my campaign has been powered by the donations of working class District residents.

They are the only voices I am beholden to.

Pinto: Restoring trust and transparency to the office of the Ward 2 Councilmember has been central to our mission. When Ward 2 voters went to the polls in the primary and the special election [in June], they were voting for a fresh start and a new perspective. From the beginning of my campaign, I have valued trust, ethics, and transparency. We have aimed to do so by leading by example: posting our campaign finance reporting on our website; only accepting contributions from individuals; refusing to establish a constituent services fund which can be ripe for abuse; and having community meetings at many different times of the day and each OCTOBER 22, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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theFeed day of the week to reach as many neighbors as possible by phone, email, online, and in person. I have been so encouraged by the outpouring of engagement from thousands of our neighbors who are grateful to have a chance to engage directly and share their concerns. Our neighbors are our best partners in solving our great challenges.

We are committed to running a clean campaign and an office of integrity, honesty, and positive inclusion — focused on the issues that matter most to Ward 2 residents and how to solve them, not petty politics. Ward 2 voters don’t want negative, far-fetched political mudslinging. They want action. I am proud to have served as Councilmember for the past four months, and I am proud to have delivered meaningful policy change to my constituents in this short time. I am eager to continue my work to serve all of the residents of Ward 2. As the first woman to ever hold this seat, I am so proud of the hundreds of young women who have reached out telling me they have been motivated to get involved in our community after seeing our election. I will continue to focus on what matters to Ward 2 residents: fairness, equality, and justice. That is what got me into public service, and that is what drives me every day. I am running to continue to serve Ward 2 and represent my constituents with their best interest at heart, unapologetically, and pragmatically.

What politician, living or dead, do you admire most, and why?

Bolton: Former Swedish prime minister Olof Palme, because he built the closest thing to socialism in a western liberal democracy and also for his support for Third World colonization movements and decolonization efforts.

Downs: Former Senator Claire McCaskill, from my home state of Missouri, is the politician I admire most. She’s proven herself to be effective and get things done while being fair and balanced. She’s steeped in reality and as a Democrat, she had to be incredibly savvy to be effective in a red state. She was able to bring people together and successfully represent a diverse constituency. I’ve learned a lot from Senator McCaskill about listening to diverse interests and working together to find common ground even when opinions differ.

Fernández: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. As a working-class Latinx progressive who is also challenging establishment power and monied interests, I have deep admiration and solidarity for AOC. Her ability to organize everyday people, inspire young progressives, and unabashedly speak truth to power is incredible. Lastly, Latinx people have not had many figureheads in elected office, and despite Latinx residents comprising 12% of D.C.'s population, there has never been a Latinx member of the D.C. Council. AOC's win against structural barriers and stature as a Latina in elected office has been an enormous inspiration to me.

Pinto: Hillary Clinton. Secretary Clinton has worked her entire life to fight for the underdog.

She studied, she prepared, she worked — often with little fanfare or recognition. During her presidential election, she was torn down, undermined, and experienced unprecedented personal and vicious attacks. But she kept fighting. I am so inspired by her example of being the most prepared, most measured, and not getting distracted by unsubstantiated attacks. I am so grateful to her service to our country and to her inspiration to young women and girls across the world.

The Ward 2 general election is on Nov. 3, 2020. For more information on voting options, visit the D.C. Board of Elections website at www.dcboe.org.

For more information on Peter Bolton’s campaign, visit www.BoltonforWard2.org.

For more information on Randy Downs’s campaign, visit www.randyforward2.com.

For more information on Martín Miguel Fernández’s campaign, visit www.martinforward2.com.

For more information on Brooke Pinto’s campaign, visit www.brookepintoforward2.com.

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The Equilibrium of

CHEYENNE From his powerful role as an LGBTQ pioneer on HBO’s Equal to stealing souls as an evil spirit on Netflix’s Julie & the Phantoms, Cheyenne Jackson has all sides covered.

Interview by André Hereford • Photography by Vince Trupsin

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HEYENNE JACKSON ENTERS the video chat a minute early, as handsome as ever, a California Republic ball cap tipped over his brow. “Reppin' my state,” he says, flashing a smile. Beaming in from the comfortable confines of his 4-year old twins’ playroom, Jackson is at home with his husband, actor Jason Landau, as well as “two kids, and a dog, 20 fish, and a grandma that lives with us.” Of their bubble life, he says, “It's a day-by-day thing.

Just trying to keep it together, keep it positive.”

Adding to the positivity, the actor and singer is grateful, at this precarious moment for working people everywhere, to have a busy schedule of filming on his plate. Currently, the Jackson-Landau family’s tight bubble extends to the strictly regulated set of Call Me Kat, the upcoming FOX series Jackson is shooting opposite Mayim Bialik. “It's honestly my dream,” he says of the sitcom. Having ventured from starring on Broadway to starring in American Horror Story, with dozens of film, TV and stage roles, albums, and live concerts under his belt, Jackson is embracing the upbeat turn. “It's what I've been wanting to do, a multi-cam, something light. After doing American Horror Story, I wanted to shift gears for a bit. And this is the sweetest, most delicious project.”

Jackson’s definitely found a sweet spot of late on TV, essaying a diverse run of roles on Will & Grace, Watchmen, and even as himself on an episode of The Morning Show. And the triple threat has really been able to flex his talents as a singing villain in musical family fare like Disney’s Descendants 3 and Netflix’s Julie and the Phantoms, both led by legendary director-choreographer Kenny Ortega. Adapted from a Brazilian series, Julie and the Phantoms conjures a teen drama-meets-High School Musical fantasy out of a high schooler fronting a band with a trio of dead twink rocker ghosts. Newcomer lead Madison Reyes is a huge find, the show features a cute gay romance, and Jackson’s otherworldly bad guy Caleb Covington gets, hands-down, the series’ best song and production number, “The Other Side of Hollywood.”

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Jackson’s Broadway chops also played a significant part in the actor being considered for a non-singing role, as LGBTQ pioneer Dale Jennings in HBO’s new docuseries Equal. “Cheyenne was top of the list to play Dale Jennings,” says director Stephen Kijak of casting Jackson as the oft-unsung Mattachine Society co-founder.

“He’s such a classic guy, a very 1950s type, a fabulous vintage. And he fit right into the slightly theatrical and stylized vibe of the show.”

Narrated by Billy Porter, the series casts LGBTQ-identified actors in pithy historical bios of LGTBQ trailblazers like Jennings and Harry Hay (Anthony Rapp), and Del Martin (Shannon Purser) and Phyllis Lyon (Heather Matarazzo), co-founders of the Daughters of Bilitis. “[The show’s style] is kind of like a dream,” says Jackson. “Everything is very non-linear.

There's definitely projections. And what that allowed us to do is to really focus on certain images that the director thought was important.

One was us climbing those stairs to where the Mattachine Society used to have their meetings.

Those were the actual stairs, and we were by the actual house in Silver Lake, where they used to have their meetings. It was really cool, and it was really powerful.”

METRO WEEKLY: Starting with Julie and the Phantoms. I don't usually watch family programming.

But I watched it and I loved the songs. The kids are all super-talented. I really could talk to you just about “The Other Side of Hollywood” this whole time, because that's a great song. Why do bad guys always have the best songs?

CHEYENNE JACKSON: I think because it's just more fun. In the past couple years — especially in the family-centered entertainment world with Disney and Descendants, and now Julie and the Phantoms — I've kind of found this sweet spot of playing these villains, and I get to use a lot of my Broadway stuff and my theatricality. In normal dramas, you can't really go that big. So it's just more fun to be bad. And I never think that the bad guys I play are bad. I understand why they're making the decisions they make.

MW: I was just reading Julie director Kenny Orte-

ga choreographed “Material Girl.” I knew about a lot that he’s done, but I didn't know that.

JACKSON: Exactly. I'm glad I didn't know his whole IMDB list prior to me working with him because I would've been too starstruck. He's just done everything. And he has a story for everybody. He's been in this business forever, and he's worked with everyone, he’s not jaded.

He has this force. He's almost like a child, and I say that in the most respectful way. He's unafraid to be emotional, and to create a fun set where everybody feels safe, and everybody feels like you can't fail, and you feel free to create. Because he works with a lot of younger performers, I really watch how that works with their energy, and what they're bringing to the set. It's pretty amazing. I watch him bring these performances out of these young people that I think otherwise, if they were working with somebody who was a little more task-mastery or heady, they would be more in their heads.

A year ago, maybe a year and a half, he said, "Listen, I got this new show on Netflix, and I got this great juicy part. You'd be playing a 1930s movie star magician ghost who flies and kind of is the impresario of the afterlife." And I was like, "Hold up, you had me at flies." And he's like, "Oh, and you're going to sing. You're going to sing great, big songs." I said, "Send me the music."

And then the first song they sent was “Other Side of Hollywood,” by Doug Rockwell and Tova Litvin. And it was so strong. I just said, “No. Nobody else can sing this song but me. I don't want to let anybody else sing this.”

That was the first reason I said yes. And then secondly, because I want to be able to do things that my kids can watch. And they watch The Descendants. They don't watch “TV” TV yet. But they watch movies and things. And they love

The Descendants, they love that their daddy is Hades with blue hair, and dancing and singing.

And now there's another character that they can see. And it's just fun. It's fun to be able to share that with them, and have them know when I go to work, and when I go on an airplane and I'm doing something, this is what I've created, and now we all share it together.

MW: Tell me a little bit about shooting the show.

First of all, did you ever even meet Madison Reyes?

Because you two have no screen time together.

JACKSON: Yeah, we did meet. So, the kids had a — Kids. They're young adults. But to me, they're kids. They had like a six-week kind of bootcamp thing, where they were here in Los Angeles, and they were at these studios actually playing the instruments, actually singing. And Madison was there, and her dad. So we met. And then when I went out to Vancouver, I was there for maybe two weeks shooting my stuff, and she was up there. We were all staying at the same place, and I got to see a lot of their stuff. It's so fun. You never know how things like that are going to land.

But Netflix is a juggernaut, and it's great to be on something like that.

MW: Could you see yourself performing those songs in another context? Like in your own concerts, or something?

JACKSON: Oh, I never thought about that. That's a good idea. “Other Side of Hollywood” is so bombastic that I would never want to try to recreate what we did, just because there were 100 dancers and I was flying on a green screen. But it could be cool to do it in a different direction, or have kind of a different spin on it.

MW: Well, the song is open to many interpretations, I think. “The Other Side of Hollywood,” lots of other sides to think about.

JACKSON: That's right, that's right. And we all

“I understand being conservative, and I understand you have your view. But you want to go backwards?

No, this is where we are as a society now.

WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, AND WE'RE NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM ANYBODY." OCTOBER 22, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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know all the different sides. I've been on both sides of it.

MW: Even for a family show, Julie and the Phantoms is pretty chaste. I don't think there was even any kissing. But it does really commit to the gay romance between Owen Joyner’s Alex and Booboo Stewart’s Willie, which surprised me. What did you think of that?

JACKSON: I thought it was super cool. I thought it was actually pretty progressive that it was just part of the script, it was just part of the story. And the way that the queer characters were portrayed was very matter-of-fact. Just a cute boy on skates and just a cute blonde drummer who liked each other. That is progressive because it's not commenting on it. It's not making their relationship a part of the plot that's like, "Oh. I hope their families accept them." And it's not fraught in pain. It's just the normal adolescence, and the normal young love. I thought it was really cool.

If I, as a queer kid growing up in northern Idaho, had seen something like that on TV, it would have made a huge difference for me to be able to see myself represented in that way, and just such a sense of normalcy and sameness. And that's all any of us really want to do: just see ourselves in others so we feel like we're okay. I'm hoping if season two happens, that they get some kind of duet, because I think queer kids across the world need that. And also, Booboo is a great singer. So, it would be cool to do.

MW: Thinking about a young person who might be watching the show and seeing that romance, what was something like that for you, where you first remember seeing an experience that you knew connected with you, even if you didn't have the words for it?

JACKSON: I remember liking certain shows and not understanding why. Dukes of Hazzard. I loved The Dukes of Hazzard, and I loved Bo and Luke equally. My brother loved Magnum P.I., and so, I would just watch it with him, and then I just really loved Magnum P.I. [Laughs.] So, I think a lot of my early viewing was just that I was realizing, "Oh, wait. I really like these men. There's something about this that makes me feel something."

And this is as a young, maybe, 10, 11-year-old.

Do you remember Little House on the Prairie?

Almanzo? He was Laura's husband, blonde. He was another one of my crushes. I think those are the first times that I was watching something and there was definitely a palpable, "Huh." And, "I feel like I'm supposed to be looking at Daisy in Dukes of Hazzard, but I'm looking at the brothers." And then, I guess I was in my early 20s, late teens, I can't remember, when Will & Grace first came on. But Will & Grace was so life-changing, to see mainstream leads on a network sitcom explore all facets of gay life. It was just so exciting.

And it was so fresh and risky, and funny.

MW: And then, a couple seasons ago, you were on it.

JACKSON: Blew my mind, André. A show that you grew up watching, and that also meant so much to you, and all the cast looks the same, and the set looks the same. It was so surreal to walk on, and then there's Karen and there's Jack. I had done a play in New York with Sean Hayes, so we were already friends. But yeah, it was amazing. That actually happened again recently, because I'm on the reboot of Saved By The Bell that comes out in a couple months. That's another show — just that cheesy, silly show growing up that was always on — now to be back and to be with all the same people that you watched as a kid, but then now here you are in the hallways. It was surreal, man.

MW: Getting to Equal, it's a show that offers some sort of education for anybody, whether they know the history, or think they know it. I thought the narration was accurate saying that when you think about the Mattachine Society, you generally think of Harry Hay, and not Dale Jennings. What did you know about Dale Jennings and his role in Mattachine?

JACKSON: I didn't know anything. And I think that was one of the reasons why I thought, "Wait a minute. Here's me, who is..." I was 44 when we shot this, and didn't know this. And I know my fair amount of gay history, but I think what's important, and why I think Equal is an exciting project to be a part of, is that there are so many people that we know, people of note, names that we know, in gay culture, that have all made substantial changes for us along the way.

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“I had never met gay people. My mind was so blown. It was like when Dorothy opens the door to Oz and everything is in Technicolor. I TRULY FELT LIKE, "OH MY GOD, THESE ARE MY PEOPLE. THIS IS MY TRIBE. THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR.” But then there are all of these folks that people don't know their names, that had a significant impact. That was interesting to research, to find out that. It's still just so amazing that in 1952 and 1953 that it was just a completely different world. To be able to step into those shoes for a brief time, and say those words, and also look at the footage, and try to put yourself back in what that must have felt like, was really emotional and powerful. Everybody involved had a sense of reverence. Because it's just important to know our pioneers. There's a reason why, in Julie and the Phantoms, there can be this wonderful little queer romance, and people don't bat an eye. All of that is on the backs of all the people before.

MW: The fact that all of the LGBTQ trailblazers on the show are portrayed by actors and performers who identify as LGBTQ is a good hook. But it's also really, profoundly significant.

JACKSON: It is a hook, for sure. Just like in [the recent remake of ] Boys in the Band. However, I don't even think that could have happened five years ago. Things have really, really, really moved along in this last five years or so. It's a cool thing.

I wish that I could've had more time with other people on it, with Sara [Gilbert] and Jai [Rodriguez]. But it's just the way it's shot. We were in the middle of the night, and some were just stealing a shot here, and they did it very quickly.

But how cool. How cool that the entire cast [is LGBTQ]. I don't think it can be overstated. It's pretty significant.

MW: Does it also occur to you that some future version of Equal might include the Cheyenne Jackson story?

JACKSON: Oh. That's a heady thought. It's funny you say that. As an actor, and just as a human, I try to really just stay in the moment and stay grateful, and remember who I am, where I've 46

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come from, and that none of it really means anything. But there are moments where you go, "Holy crap." For instance, I did a quick little guest spot on The Morning Show this year. I don't know if you watched that, with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. It's a great show.

I got a call that said, "Would you like to play this singer in this party scene?" And I was kind of like, "No, not really. Thank you, I've done that before, and I don't really want to just be a jazz singer in a scene." And they said, "Well, you'd be playing yourself." And I was like, "Wait, what?"

No false modesty here, I just could not wrap my head around that fact. Do you know what I'm saying? It's pretty amazing. So, I was like, "Uh, fuck yeah, I'll play myself in a scene that Jennifer Aniston is doing in her apartment." And she says, "Ladies and gentlemen — Cheyenne Jackson."

I mean, to this queer kid in northern Idaho, in a little Republican town, right next to the Aryan Nation compound, who just wanted to get out and get away from these people and start his life, to get to a place where I'm playing myself in a scene. It's just there are so many moments that have happened this last two years, like Will & Grace, coming on that where I have to just sit in an attitude of gratitude because I could never have imagined it, really.

MW: There are two great quotes in Equal. One was Barbara Gittings, who talks about trying to find your people, searching for your queer self. Did you start looking in Idaho?

JACKSON: I did start looking in Idaho, and it was really tough. I come from a very, very poor background, no running water, outhouse, super Christian, very, very bucolic way of life. And at an early age, I realized I could sing. And I had a teacher in eighth grade that really fostered that in me. "I think this is your thing." Mr. Caldwell

was my mentor, the first one to believe in me, and the first one to really single me out for my talent.

And then, I did two plays in high school. Bye Bye Birdie and Li’l Abner, like everybody does.

When I graduated high school, I heard of this thing in Coeur d'Alene called the Coeur d'Alene Summer Theater, The Carousel Players. It was a professional summer stock theater that everybody went to, and it was a big giant hall — Boswell Hall — that held 2,000 people. And I went and auditioned, and I got in for the summer. I had never met gay people. I had never met people of color. My mind was so blown. It was like when Dorothy opens the door to Oz and everything is in Technicolor. I truly felt like, "Oh my god, these are my people. This is my tribe. This is what I've been looking for. I've been looking for weirdos, outcasts, people like me, who don't feel seen, but have something to say." And it was amazing. It was a great summer. We did Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and I think I slept with five of the seven brothers. Because I had to make sure. [Laughs.]

That was the first time I found my tribe. My tribe was theater, and all of the theater kids.

That's what set me on my path to eventually moving to New York at 27, and being on Broadway, and pursuing my dreams. But I think had I not started, gone to my first play, and been in my first play, I don't know what my path would have been.

MW: This leads us to the other quote, saying that before Daughters of Bilitis, before these movements, “It felt like every person for themselves.”

Was there any point in your career, getting to Broadway, before being out or even since, that it felt like every person for themselves. That it felt like a lonely step to be taking?

JACKSON: Yeah, for sure. I'm 45, and I came out

at 19. And didn't move to New York until I was 27, and had already had long-term relationships with men and lived with men, and was a grownup in a sense. I had some professional success in Seattle, but nobody knew me in New York. I moved to New York and I hit right away. I got in a show and I made a name for myself within a couple of years. I was the lead in a Broadway show.

So I had decisions to make about who I was going to be publicly. I was playing Elvis in All Shook Up on Broadway, and I am as out as they come.

I just am open with that. I've never been with a woman. I just have always known who I am. I've always known what I liked. And it's very black and white for me, it's very simple. I'm not confused. I never felt like, "I don't know." I just always knew.

That carried over into my professional life. I made the decision during All Shook Up, because The New York Times did a big profile on me. And I knew that that was going to come up. Because the part I was playing was highly sexualized and super-studly, and there was a poster billboard of my face in Times Square, and I definitely knew this was my moment, and if I was going to come out or not, this was going to be that moment. And it was suggested to me at the time, from my older team, that, "Maybe let's just not. Don't say either way. Just kind of..." And I was like, "What do you mean? Use non-specific pronouns, and try to remember?" I had a long-term boyfriend, and I was like, "If I get this out of the way..." In my mind, it was just like, I want to get it out, and be myself, and then I don't have to ever worry about slipping up, or putting on some weird façade like they had to do in the '50s, with Tab Hunter and Rock Hudson.

So, I just came out in The New York Times in my first big show, and then I never had to talk

“[Voting] is so important. This year, it's palpable.

I feel like it's going to be a blue fucking wave. I feel it in my bones. I hope I'm right. People are galvanized.

THIS HAS BEEN THE ROUGHEST FOUR YEARS FOR ALL OF US.” OCTOBER 22, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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about it again. So, to answer your question, up until that point, it definitely did feel a little dicey. There weren't a lot of out people. Neil Patrick Harris and Jim Parsons hadn't come out yet, and we were all kind of around the same time. I don't know if I would categorize it as every man for himself, but it wasn't the feeling like it is now, where there's definitely more of an inclusivity that is more innate, and people are just more awake. And thank God for that.

MW: This progression hasn't changed the fact that our rights are still endangered, all the time. As recently as last week, Supreme Court Justices wrote that they don't agree with the 2015 marriage equality decision. And so, have you voted? And how important do you think voting is?

JACKSON: It’s so important. This year, it's palpable. I feel like it's going to be a wave. I feel like it's going to be a blue fucking wave. I feel it in my bones. I hope I'm right. People are galvanized, and this has been the roughest four years for all of us.

It's really just unthinkable, because once something is established in society, Roe v. Wade, or, for 48

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us, gay marriage, you just don't think anything's going to fuck with it. And then to even imagine that, "Wait a minute, what?" I understand being conservative, and I understand you have your view. But you want to go backwards? Like, "No, this is where we are as a society now. We're moving forward, and we don't all have to agree, we don't all have to think the exact same way, but we're not taking anything away from anybody."

It's a scary time, and it's a sobering time. And so, yes, Jay and I voted last week. We had our plan, and we made sure, and we checked, and we got the little email, and all of that.

MW: Do you know any gay Trump supporters?

JACKSON: Not personally.

MW: And what would you say to them?

JACKSON: Listen, I've had to draw some hard lines with folks. I understand. I come from a very, very Christian family. And my brother's an Evangelical pastor. And most of my family is very conservative, and they're Christian. So, there are things that we, as a family, just can't discuss. It's just too emotional, and it doesn't help. There are just certain subjects, unfortunately, that have to

be off-limits. But we love each other, and we respect each other.

There have been some friendships and some other things, other relationships that Jay and I have had with folks, folks that have been deep in QAnon, or deep into things, where we've had to draw some lines. I'm sorry. [Trump] is such a polarizing figure in the world. So, if I do have any gay friends that support him, they haven't told me. Because I think if they tell me, they know how I'm going to feel about it.

MW: I actually haven't met any person who says that they believe in QAnon. But we see that Georgia might elect somebody who says they believe that, which is nuts.

JACKSON: It's the upside-down, man. This is the upside-down.

MW: All right. So here's your goofy AHS question.

JACKSON: Bring it.

MW: Because Hotel is my second-favorite, after Asylum. And I've watched them all except for Apocalypse. Do you have a favorite?

JACKSON: Asylum was the scariest, in my opinion. My favorite, I think, actually was Freak Show. Because it was something so creepy and I loved Jessica's Elsa Mars character so much.

It was the first time I really, really dug into the show, and it was before I was on the show. So, Freak Show is my favorite.

In terms of ones that I've been on, Hotel because it was my first, and because I got to be married to Lady Gaga. It was just so outrageous.

Everything about the set and this cast, and just the sex, and the gore, and the spectacle of it all.

I just had never seen anything like it. And then there's Sarah in the corner with crimped hair, and smoking, and crying. And then there's Kathy Bates. And it was wild. Absolutely wild.

MW: What are you working on right now?

JACKSON: I'm doing a new show. It's called Call Me Kat. And it's my first lead in a network sitcom.

It's based on a BBC show called Miranda, and it's about a 39-year-old single woman. Mayim Bialik is playing her, and Jim Parsons and Mayim are producing. And it's so fucking sweet, and so funny. The writing is incredible. Leslie Jordan is on it. Swoosie Kurtz, Julian Gant, Kyla Pratt. Really,

really funny, diverse, good comedians.

I am opposite Mayim. I play her college crush.

And so, we are opposite. We are “Will they or won't they?” We have 13 episodes, and I think it's going to be a mid-season show. And Mayim, she's got all the colors in the crayon box. This is a great role for her. People are going to just fall right in love with her, like I did.

MW: Is there a studio audience?

JACKSON: No, not the first season. Just because of COVID and such. It's a full-on lockdown, masks up until action, then we take our masks off and we do the scene, and then we put them on. There’s testing every single day. It's the new normal.

MW: When did you resume production? Was there a point where you started and stopped, or how did it go?

JACKSON: No. We were getting ready to start, and then COVID came, and we stopped. We've been back for two weeks. And before that, I did some Saved By The Bell. So, I've been working for about a month, back on lot, on set. And it's just a whole new world.

MW: What's your perspective, then, on something like what happened at SNL with the musical guest having to be cut because you can't just go running around the night before.

JACKSON: Yeah, listen, we're all in this together.

And our director, Beth McCarthy-Miller, she's like, "Well, at the end of the day, you guys, what you do out in the world affects all of us, what we're doing here. We all have to take care of each other.” We all just want to work and provide for our families, and create some art and bring some much needed joy into the world right now. So, if you can't follow basic COVID guidelines right now, that's ridiculous to me. This is the deal. And we are lucky and privileged enough to be working right now when so many people are struggling. And that is not lost on me. So, I take it very seriously. We all should.

Julie and the Phantoms is available for streaming on Netflix. Visit www.netflix.com.

Equal is available for streaming on HBO Max. Visit www.hbomax.com.

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SABAN FILMS

Movies

Pumpkin Spice

Friendsgiving’s impromptu holiday house party looks like some kind of paradise in these woolly, wary times. By André Hereford

N

ICOL PAONE’S ENGAGING ENSEMble comedy Friendsgiving (HHHHH) jumps off to a scintillating start, with movie star Molly (Malin Akerman) talking dirty to g-string-clad boyfriend Jeff (former Atlantis star Jack Donnelly). The couple’s light B&D stands in glaring contrast to Molly’s best friend Abby (Kat Dennings) moping and drinking her way through a supermarket. It’s a sunny Thanksgiving in Hollywood, and the ladies had planned a two-person pity party, bonding over their first T-Day since Molly’s husband left her, and Abby’s girlfriend dumped her.

But then fuckboi Jeff showed up, followed by Molly’s randy, Swedish mom, Helen (Jane Seymour). Friends Lauren (Aisha Tyler) and Dan

(Deon Cole) make plans to stop by with their two kids, and soon the pity party balloons into a full house of friends, relatives, and frenemies. An ex pops in, truths pour out, shrooms go down, and writer-director Paone keeps the party buzzing with good vibes and juicy drama. The jokes aim for broad targets — Hollywood himbos, bimbos, assholes, and Botox-addicts — and nail some of them. The sharper riffs, though, are repeated asides cataloging the ultra-specific subtypes of L.A. lesbians invited to the party on Abby’s behalf.

The bits that don’t work — like a brief appearance by comedians Wanda Sykes, Margaret Cho, and Fortune Feimster as Abby’s “fairy gaymothers” — at least are populated by likable, funny continues on page 53 OCTOBER 22, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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JAMES MINCHIN

Music

Iconoclast

Gay country singer Waylon Payne chronicles a dark period in his life on a haunting and intimate new album. By Sean Maunier

B

ETTER KNOWN UP TO THIS POINT for his live performances and writing credits on other albums, Waylon Payne’s most recent album makes a strong case that he deserves to be better known. Blue Eyes, the Harlot, the Queer, the Pusher, and Me (HHHHH) is a frank and up-front record that leaves about as little to the imagination as its verbose title. Payne combines deeply personal reflections with an intimate sound that draws on the best of classic, acoustically-driven country.

With a drawl in his voice that is distinct and magnetic, Payne is instantly recognizable for his vocals, but his other great strength is his gift for thoughtful and incisive storytelling. Blue Eyes tells a series of stories presented in four “acts.”

Although told chronologically, the album is far more than a straightforward narrative of events.

Payne lays out his experiences as a kind of emo52

OCTOBER 22, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

tional journey told in vignettes, beginning with the iconoclastic “Sins of the Father,” a powerful opener that sees him reckon head-on with the scars and destructive lessons of his upbringing.

The feeling of aimlessness that pervades the first part of the album peaks with the sixth track, “Shiver,” chronicling a trip to Las Vegas and an encounter with an escort that went sideways and left him feeling worse than when he went into it. It’s a heavy downer of a song that nevertheless stands out as one of the most arresting and memorable tracks.

After the stark, shrugging resignation of “Born to Lose,” his tone begins to turn around into a more hopeful sense of forward momentum. By “Back from the Grave,” a decidedly upbeat track full of warm, twangy electric and steel guitars, we find him in a better place, having woken up from whatever. On the following track, “After the

the Storm,” crooning, “I Storm,” he hammers the hated most men, when I point home with a matter-of-fact recounting of didn’t love ’em.”

As heavy as his mathe large and small trauterial gets, Payne’s honmas that have colored his esty and warmth make life and shaped his sense his songwriting a joy to of self, but that he is glad to put behind him. get lost in. Far from being cheaply sentimental, Payne is far from the Blue Eyes, the Harlot, the only country singer to Queer, the Pusher, and bare his soul in this way, Me exits on a high note, but the way he tells his having told a story that stories, touching on is fraught with hardship abandonment, drug use, and ends up with some sobriety, and attachhard-won good feelings. ment, is uniquely his Waylon Payne proves own. Openly gay since college, those experiences thread their way himself a master of classic country, bringing in into his songwriting in ways that are both sub- all the intimacy, warmth, grit, and honesty of the tle and more overt. He puts it bluntly on “After genre at its best.

Blue Eyes, the Harlot, the Queer, the Pusher, and Me is available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music. continued from page 51

folks. And the characters who aren’t that funny or likable, as with party guest Claire (Chelsea Peretti), a New Age shaman — sorry, “shawoman” — at least don’t take up too much of our time.

The movie could have spent even more time with Seymour’s hot-to-trot Helen. Barely hampered by an unconvincing blonde wig, Seymour adds a welcome dash of salt to her portrayal of the sort of mother who’d rather be mistaken for her daughter’s sister. Who knew Dr. Quinn was so deft with a winking punchline?

Well, first-time feature director Paone knew.

Inspired, according to press notes, by her own Thanksgiving post-breakup with “a Hollywood power lesbian,” the filmmaker (also an actress) shapes this landscape with an insider’s sense of La-la Land. The humor is well-paced, while the film maintains a heartfelt interest in the shifting dynamics of Molly and Abby’s friendship. Lifelong pals, they’ve processed their respective

breakups miles differently, and Molly also has an infant son that she’s now raising as a single mom. Akerman and Dennings ensure that Molly and Abby are the chosen family around which this assortment of eccentrics revolves.

Not really stretching her 2 Broke Girls brand of deadpan sarcasm, Dennings turns in the movie’s most grounded, affecting performance.

Akerman, sly at underplaying the comedy opposite Lisa Kudrow on HBO’s sublime The Comeback, similarly finds a low-key register as Friendsgiving’s frazzled but never overwhelmed hostess. Neither Molly nor the film fret much, or enough, over serving up mouth-watering plates of food. Yet, the party’s warm fellowship might still open veins of nostalgia, and perhaps a bit of post-COVID cringing. The running gag of a Thanksgiving dinner party where guests keep popping up unexpectedly is its own form of comedy for viewers watching in the socially distant present.

Friendsgiving is available in theaters, on demand, and digital starting Friday, October 23.

OCTOBER 22, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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RetroScene

17th Street High Heel Race, 1996-2019 Photography by Todd Franson and Ward Morrison

For more #RetroScene follow us on Instagram at @MetroWeekly

Number 9 presents an Exclusive Metro Weekly High Heel Race Photo Rewind, featuring more than 500 photos from past races on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Hosted by KC B.yoncé. Reserve at www.numberninedc.com

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LastWord.

People say the queerest things

“My marriage might depend on what is about to happen

”

in the Senate with regard to this justice.

—Former Mayor PETE BUTTIGIEG, speaking on Fox News about the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.

Buttigieg warned that Barrett, who has a history of anti-LGBTQ sentiments, could impact his marriage to husband Chasten, noting that her potential confirmation raised “all kinds of interesting questions on the future of the American judiciary.”

“It’s exhausting being in the closet.

”

There was so much time and energy put into harboring that secret.

—Olympic skier and actor GUS KENWORTHY, in an episode of A&F Conversations speaking to U.S. Women’s Soccer star Megan Rapinoe about the mental toll of hiding his sexuality prior to coming out in 2015. “I struggled with depression and at moments in my life, thoughts of suicide,” he said. “I think for a lot of my career and my coming up in the sport, my mental health was kind of put on the back burner.”

“

I was met with the same hostile energy from the commanding sergeant, who harassed me, trivialized my injuries, and

cracked jokes with his subordinates while I bled onto the floor.”

—Philadelphia transgender woman KENDALL STEPHENS, who was beaten by a mob inside her home earlier this year, telling the Human Rights Campaign that police officers were “belligerent and unsympathetic,” downplayed her injuries, and refused to arrest a woman who allegedly assaulted Stephens despite her remaining at the scene of the attack.

“I have always considered myself to be bisexual.

Even though I’ve never had a wife, I could just as easily have a wife as a husband.”

—Tiger King star CAROLE BASKIN, in an interview with PinkNews. “It was during the ’80s that I discovered that through dealing with the LGBT+ community that...I had just as equal feelings for women as I did for men,” Baskin said, adding that she was “always very male-oriented in the things I did” prior to realizing her bisexuality.

“ I wasn’t just a woman working in law enforcement. I was a gay woman.

That made me a target. A threat.”

—CHARMAINE MCGUFFEY, a 30-year law enforcement veteran, in a new ad proudly embracing her sexuality in her campaign for sheriff of Hamilton County, Ohio. “From notes on the bathroom door to abuse at the very top, I’ve taken on bullies like him my entire career,” she says. “I stood up to homophobia and sexism, I’ve torn down barriers that were designed to keep people like me from ever getting a fair shot.”

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