Arts & Entertainment
Taste of New York
D.C. gay restaurateurs bring Manhattan-style drag shows to their cafe
āSpeakeasyā at LāEnfant CafĆ© & Bar
Beginning Jan. 14
2000 18thĀ Street, NW
lenfantcafe.com
For LāEnfant CafĆ© & Bar co-owners Christopher Lynch and Jim Ball, boredom is the mother of invention.
After working all weekend, says Ball, he and Lynch sometimes like to go out on Sunday nights. Increasingly they became uninterested in what was offered so they decided to do something themselves. Together theyāve come up with āSpeakeasyā at LāEnfant, a bimonthly supper club and cabaret featuring well-known, downtown New York drag artists.
The likable duo ā who long ago switched from being boyfriends to business partners/friends ā is recreating a vibe they once knew in Manhattan, where they lived prior to opening LāEnfant in Adams Morgan in 2003. Theyāre modeling āSpeakeasyā on Bar dāO, the storied West Village lounge where legendary performance artist and drag diva Joey Arias headlined a cabaret of talented drag performers throughout most of the ā90s and early 2000s.
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Initially Lynch and Ball aspired to find a āJoey Arias typeā for āSpeakeasy.ā But then reconsidered and thought why not go for the real thing? In September, the canny partners contacted Arias via Facebook and pitched their plan. To their delight, Arias agreed.
So far, thereāve been two āSpeakeasyā test pilots at LāEnfant: In late November, Arias and fellow Bar dāO alumnae Flotilla DeBarge and Sade Pendarvis performed two Sunday night shows of soulful song and hilarious banter for sold-out houses. Outrageous, smart, spontaneous and a tad messy, the evening was a success by all counts.
Then in mid-December, DeBarge (whose vitae includes Broadway and film work) returned with a solo holiday show. āSpeakeasyāsā regular bimonthly Sunday night schedule kicks off Jan. 14 with both a 7 p.m. dinner show, and a 10:30 cocktail late show. Reservations are required (go toĀ lenfantcafe.com). In addition to Arias and DeBarge, Lady Bunny of āWigstockā fame is slated for upcoming appearances.
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Ariasā signature look is black lingerie and Betty Page bangs. Heās widely known for channeling Billie Holiday. His credits include a six-year stint asĀ the Mistress of Seduction in āCirque du Soleil’s Zumanityā in Las Vegas, and thisĀ April he brings his well-received New York show āArias with a Twistā to D.C.ās Woolly Mammoth Theatre.Ā Ā Rarely does Arias do small āSpeakeasyā sort of gigs anymore.Ā But what keeps him interested in coming back, āis the idea of trying new material and experimenting with something new: Looks, jokes, new tunes and to see what works.Ā Itās important to remember where you started and keep your chops up.ā
Arias adds, āI’m also interested in [including] D.C. talent. But [they] have to sing live and be witty … not nasty! It’s not a drag show. āSpeakeasyā is a real cabaret with first class service and entertainment. No one does this anymore.ā
Flotilla DeBarge is equally smitten with āSpeakeasyā: āI take a little getting used to. Iām big and brash ā a mix of early Bette Midler, Tyler Perryās Medea and some Louise Jefferson. So far D.C. audiences seem to be embracing me, my humor, my whole persona. Iām very grateful to them and [LāEnfant owners] for giving me free reign with what I do.ā
āSpeakeasyā isnāt the first time Lynch and Ball have filled idle hours with fun at their intimate venue. When faced with dull Saturday afternoons a year ago, they perked things up with āLa Boumā (which in French means āteenage house partyā). Once a week, they close the blinds and serve a boozy brunch with loud music and entertainment. As very hands-on hosts, Ball successfully plays the comic to Lynchās straight man. They appear to enjoy themselves immensely and work hard to ensure that their customers do the same.
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As restaurateurs, Lynch and Ball agree that a lot of what they do is theatrical. They liken opening their cafĆ©ās doors to raising the curtain. When customers arrive, the owners and staff are on. For them, launching a cabaret at LāEnfant is a natural extension of serving food and drink.
āāLa Boumā is fully booked through April. People love it. Judging from early response, it looks like it will be the same with āSpeakeasyā,ā says Lynch. āWe think itās going to be explosive.ā
The 2024 New York City Pride Parade wound through the streets of Manhattan and past the historic Stonewall Inn on Sunday, June 30.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
The fourth annual Fredericksburg Pride march and festival was held at Riverfront Park in Fredericksburg, Va. on Saturday, June 29. The event began with a march around downtown Fredericksburg beginning and ending in the park.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Covering Fredericksburg Pride for @WashBlade . City Council member @WillMackintosh speaking: pic.twitter.com/tDdVD2IVsM
— Michael Patrick Key (@MichaelKeyWB) June 29, 2024
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