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Girl reappearing

Tori Amos celebrates 20th anniversary by revisiting her catalogue

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Tori Amos
Tori Amos

Tori Amos (photo by Danielle Levitt)

Tori Amos is straight but has a strong LGBT fan base. The Bladeā€™s Joey DiGuglielmo is a long-time fan, having worn out a copy of ā€œBoys for Peleā€ in the throes of closeted college-era angst. He talked to her by phone two weeks ago to talk about her new album ā€œGold Dust,ā€ which features orchestral re-workings of 14 of her songs. Itā€™s slated to drop Tuesday in the U.S.

Blade: Hi Tori

Tori Amos: Hi, how are you?

Blade: Iā€™m good. Iā€™m gonna try to cover a lot of ground really quickly so Iā€™m just gonna jump right in. Tell me a little about the relationship you have going with Deutsche Grammophon. This is your second project with them. Are you under contract or are you just doing things on kind of an album-by-album basis?

Amos: Kind of album by album. ā€¦ They came up with the idea of the variations on the masters (last yearā€™s ā€œNight of Huntersā€ album) but when Iā€™d been working with the Metropole Orchestra the year before and they basically said, ā€œWe need recordings of this. This is the 20thĀ anniversary of your work and this is how you do it with an orchestra.ā€ I didnā€™t know, at first, if that made sense, but it seemed to make sense in their German minds. So itā€™s been very organic.

Blade: Iā€™m just wondering how some of these arrangements came about and thinking back to some of those great remixes you had of your stuff back in the late ā€˜90s. Obviously I know remixing is a whole different thing altogether, but in terms of crafting symphonic arrangements or reworkings of your songs ā€” where these songs are very much living in an alternate space from their original studio versions ā€” Iā€™m wondering if any of the same artistic considerations or principles apply as would if youā€™re crafting an alternate version in the form of a remix.

Amos: Wow, thatā€™s a great question. I guess the thing about a remix is you donā€™t have to retain the narrative or even the spirit of the original work in the same way. So the ā€œProfessional Widowā€ remix, for example, became a very different expression of the song from the original. Some of that narrative was there but not the way it was on the (album version). And yet the remix still clearly did its job. But in doing something like this, you donā€™t want to lose the songā€™s story or her narrative in any way, so it was important to really, and sometimes very subtly, make changes. Some of the songs didnā€™t want a makeover. Some of them said, ā€œOnly strings,ā€ or others said, ā€œWeā€™re open to a full orchestra but we donā€™t want to become completely overtaken.ā€ It was almost like you were changing their outfit, but you were not changing their soul. Some were open to a more radical flavor. Like with ā€œFlavor,ā€ for instance, which was originally recorded with loops, it really stepped forward and said, ā€œI want a completely different approach.ā€ Or with ā€œPrecious Things.ā€ It kind of said it thought its narrative could work with a more Prokofiev-inspired approach.

Blade: What was the time frame for this album?

Amos: I was rehearsing (with the Metropole Orhestra) for shows in October, 2010 and then we got back together in early 2011 and began recording some, but then we put it away because we went and did ā€œNight of Huntersā€ with the octet. So that project came first, even though this was the first idea. Then we put the (ā€œGold Dustā€) reels back on, Iā€™d say maybe January 2012 and ā€¦ began editing them together. Overdubs and mixing were finished in July.

Blade: Classical musicians can be notoriously snobby. Did you get any vibe from the Metropole players, even if they never said anything, that they were thinking, ā€œWhy are we doing this ā€” canā€™t somebody bring us some Beethoven or something?ā€ You do all kinds of stuff, obviously, but the grand scheme of things, your songs would be considered in more of the pop idiom than classical.

Amos: It was really a collaboration with them and I think the reason Alex (Burh, the Deutsche Grammophon exec who suggested ā€œNight of Huntersā€) suggested it is because he could tell there was a real conversation happening during the rehearsals (for the 2010 concert). There was definitely an affinity and a back-and-forth-type thing that was going on and I think that was why the decision was made to document and record it. There was a chemistry.

Blade: Youā€™ve done a few theme projects now ā€” a holiday album, some concept albums, a classical album, now orchestral reworkings of your songs. Do you have a private bucket list of stuff you want to eventually do? Iā€™m not even necessarily asking what all those projects might be, but do you think, ā€œWell, before I hang up my hat, I definitely want to do ā€” blank.ā€ Does your artistic mind work that way?

Amos: Yes, it thinks that way. I think right now Iā€™m really focused on the musical, ā€œThe Light Princess.ā€ Nick Hytner is very much a powerful force at the National Theatre in Great Britain and so hopefully the plan or the idea is that the piece will be ready to get put on its feet within, oh I donā€™t know, a year, maybe a little over a year. Thatā€™s what I have on my brain right now. But yeah, I approach things as a conceptualist and there are all kinds of thoughts that have come into my mind. I would love to someday do something where I just stay someplace and perform. I donā€™t know if youā€™d call it an evening in Las Vegas or what, but with a story and dancers. I would love to do something at Caesarā€™s Palace someday. And not just campy, you know, but maybe a bit of camp, but I love the idea of having dancers ā€” not me dancing, I would be playing and singing ā€” but have some dancers onstage and just make it an incredibly entertaining evening. Very much an old-school variety show with great costumes and an old Hollywood feel. Something like from the ā€˜30s or ā€˜40s where you get dressed up and come to a show and have dinner and walk away feeling like youā€™ve had a really glamorous evening.

Blade: Well, I would definitely come see it, that sounds fun. One thing Iā€™ve always really admired about you is that you donā€™t always make things easy on the fans or present the material in such a way that itā€™s easy or accessible for the most casual fan, to say nothing of the material itself. Iā€™m talking about things like those Icon or Playlist anthology CDs where they throw them together for all kinds of artists and make them something thatā€™s meant to be a $7.99 impulse purchase in the checkout lane at Target. You never do things like that. And Iā€™m not even saying itā€™s necessarily a bad thing ā€¦.

Amos: (interjects) ā€¦ It is bad.

Blade: OK, why? Couldnā€™t you argue that it might pique someoneā€™s curiosity and inspire them to then go dig deeper?

Amos: Iā€™m telling you, itā€™s sinning against your art. Thatā€™s what youā€™re doing. Itā€™s lazy.

Blade: Do you have business people approach you with these kinds of ideas?

Amos: Well, you know. There are all kinds of ideas that get spun about. But you have to have it in your head whether itā€™s a good idea or not. How are you going to feel about it in three months, in six months? What kind of statement does it make about you as an artist? And hey, sometimes I understand why they release these anthologies because something like (ā€œGold Dustā€), I mean this takes a LOT of time to do. We started October 2010 so weā€™re talking two years from inception to this. It started with them inviting me to come play a show but it didnā€™t matter if it was one show or 200 shows or if we recorded the arrangements or not, the work still had to be done. The arrangements still had to be made for, like, 20 songs. (Arranger) John Philip Shenale and I were in touch everyday about this for one show, which is all I initially thought it was going to be. Not for one second did I think this would end up being a studio album. They invited me for this before the Alex, the German musicologist, invited me to come start messing with the masters. So that was the genesis and the time frame and doing a project like this with an orchestra is really tricky because people have attachments to the original versions. You really want to retain the soul of the song girl and like I said, some didnā€™t want extreme makeovers. That wasnā€™t really the challenge. Itā€™s not about trying to shock people or try to decide how different you can make it. Thatā€™s almost too easy. Itā€™s easy to shock people that way, to turn something totally on its head. I think whatā€™s much trickier to do is to subtle because subtle changes can also become real banal and lifeless if youā€™re not careful.

Blade: I interviewed Sophie B. Hawkins a few weeks ago, who has a fabulous new album out by the way. I highly recommend it. Iā€™m wondering if you feel any sense of sisterhood or artistic kinship with other women who came along in the ā€˜90s about the same time you did. Youā€™ve managed to continue to forge ahead against the odds, while so many artists from that time have seen their audience dry up or move on. What advice would you give to other women who are highly talented musicians and still feel they have something great to offer?

Amos: It is really tough out there and itā€™s culturally tough because the masses seem to be gravitating to the next people and artists are seen as very disposable. They want to move on to whomever is next instead of growing with them. I have always wanted to grow with the artists and jump on the train with them. I wanted to know what they were experiencing and wanted to be seen as their patron. Thatā€™s how I think of my audience ā€” I very much see them as my patrons, the people who come to my shows. Because without them, I couldnā€™t keep going. Also, philosophically, people seem to be of the mindset often, that itā€™s OK to just take something. I would never go to a wine show and slip a bottle of wine in my bag when the vendor wasnā€™t looking but people have talked themselves into thinking that thatā€™s OK. Meanwhile orchestras are shutting down and you have ā€¦ very accomplished musicians thinking about how theyā€™re going to make a living doing their art. This is what Iā€™m hearing from a lot of musicians. Do I have an answer? No, I donā€™t. I think itā€™s a cultural crisis.

Blade: Isnā€™t it partly short attention spans too?

Amos: Well yes, that and not wanting to grow. I would like to say that eventually people will realize how sad it is and that it will turn itself around but one of the reasons for the short attention spans is these shows where the next crop is waiting in the wings for its 15 minutes. These shows are making a lot of money but they donā€™t care about these singers. All they care about is the next show. Nobody is nurturing these artists.

Blade: A lot of people tape your shows and trade them around. Are you OK with that as long as theyā€™re not trying to profit off them? Say they couldnā€™t make it to the show in Denver and you did this new song ā€” which has always been one of the cool things about you, that your set list changes all the time.

Amos: I donā€™t have a problem with that but please, use good mics! Now obviously, if youā€™re trying to sell it, then I have a problem. I think my community knows how it goes. They know where I stand on stuff like that. Iā€™ve even had people tell me they knew somebody who fell on hard times and couldnā€™t go to one of the shows. OK, but one day when you can, give back. I support the arts. Like visual artists ā€” I go to galleries and support artists all the time.

Blade: I have a somewhat self-indulgent question Iā€™m gonna squeeze in here but maybe it will apply to some other fans too. I play in a church so the challenge really becomes digesting so much new music all the time. What advice would you give to a church pianist or organist where thereā€™s never time to polish anything or let it settle into the brain or fingers before youā€™re onto the stuff for next Sunday?

Amos: I think you should all be revisiting things on some kind of a rotating schedule. So maybe you revisit something, say, three months later and it becomes part of your repertoire and that way you develop a repertoire. I donā€™t think things just have to be performed one time. People will say, ā€œOh, I recognize that, I like that piece.ā€

Blade: I guess the cynic in me thinks theyā€™ll think, ā€œOh, that again ā€” he must have had a busy week.ā€

Amos: Well, OK, I guess some might think that but you canā€™t lie to yourself. The only other thing you can do is carve out more rehearsal time for yourself, but yeah, I can imagine it is tough.

Blade: Are you a keeper by nature? Do you have clothes from old video shoots and, like, all the ā€œDoll Posseā€ wigs and stuff like that?

Amos: Yes, I have all that. And yes, (daughter) Tash dresses up in them all the time.

Blade: How many pianos do you own?

Amos: Well thatā€™s tough to say because I have a deal with Bosendorfer so I can trade them out.

Blade: I canā€™t imagine what your tuning bill must be.

Amos: Well, we have different tuners in different countries. The Bosendorfer at the beach house in Florida, we have this lovely lady who has this twinkle in her eye. And then thereā€™s the one where we record in Cornwall. But Ann has gotten the Florida one where it doesnā€™t need as much because itā€™s not being recorded. Sheā€™s really got it stable right now and itā€™s not being moved, so it tends to hold its tuning pretty well. When weā€™re recording, we tune once a week.

Blade: I love the new album, thanks so much for your time.

Amos: You take care honey, thanks.

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Theater

Out actor Ɓngel Lozado on his new role in ā€˜In the Heightsā€™

Lin-Manuel Mirandaā€™s musical at Signature Theatre through May 4

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Ɓngel Lozado (center in green) as Usnavi and the cast of ā€˜In the Heightsā€™ at Signature Theatre. (Photo by DJ Corey Photo)


ā€˜In the Heightsā€™

Through May 4
Signature Theatre
4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington, VA
Tickets start at $40
Sigtheatre.org

Before his smash hit ā€œHamiltonā€ transformed Broadway, Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote ā€œIn the Heights,ā€ a seminal musical set in an upper Manhattan barrio. Infused with hip-hop, rap, and pop ballads, the romance/dramedy unfolds over a lively few days in the well-known Latin neighborhood, Washington Heights. 

Now playing at Signature Theatre in Arlington, ā€œIn the Heightsā€ features handsome out actor Ɓngel Lozado as the showā€™s protagonist Usnavi de la Vega (named for a U.S. Navy vessel), a young Dominican American bodega owner who figures warmly in the center of the hood and the action. 

A durable part that Lozado has wanted to play for some time, itā€™s proved the perfect vehicle to showcase his talents in a story that rings true to his heart.  

WASHINGTON BLADE: Timing is very important to you.

ƁNGEL LOZADO: During rehearsal at Signature, our director James VĆ”squez said ā€œIn the Heightsā€ finds you at a time when you need it. And that definitely resonates with me.

In the past I was up for Usnavi several times and then I was standby in the part for two weeks at the Muny in St. Louis but never called to go on.

And then, I lost my grandmother in January and was cast at Signature. In the show, the neighborhood loses their abuela [played by Rayanne Gonzales], I feel like I was meant to play the part at this moment. Iā€™m a firm believer in the timing of it all. 

BLADE: Youā€™ve trained vocally at Florida State University, debuted on Broadway in ā€œBad Cinderella,ā€ sang in ā€œJesus Christ Superstar Live (NBC),ā€ and sung in many other musicals, but Iā€™m guessing this is different? 

LOZADO: Rapping is the most challenging part of the role. Iā€™m trained in musical theater. I can sustain eight shows a week, but this is different. Rapping is more taxing. Itā€™s challenging. With rap itā€™s clipped and the throat gets tighter. 

BLADE: Like so much of Manhattan,Washington Heightshas changed a lot since 2008 when the show is set. 

LOZADO: I currently live in Washington Heights and itā€™s very gentrified. Rents are high. I donā€™t think it was their intention to do a period piece but ā€œIn the Heightsā€ is a period piece. 

BLADE: And you grew up in Orlando, Fla., where before discovering theater, you were heavily into baseball.

LOZADO: Iā€™m Puerto Rican, and baseball is a big part of our culture. My parents put me on a team at five, and I played first base through mid-high school. That was going to be a career. Went from one crazy career to another. When I got to high school, I was struggling with my queerness being in the sports world ā€” struggled with my identity and the space I was in, I lost my love for baseball.  

BLADE: How did you find your way to theater?

LOZADO:  Through high school choir. It was a hard switch, but one that I couldnā€™t resist. 

BLADE: Youā€™ve been openly queer in the business. Has that ever been a problem?

LOZADO: I donā€™t know if itā€™s problematic or not. As actors, we donā€™t get behind the closed doors of casting. I do know that Iā€™ve gotten to play lots of roles regionally that are straight men and that hasnā€™t been a problem. 

Then again, Iā€™ve cosplayed as a straight man most of my life. It makes me laugh when people see me offstage, theyā€™re like, ā€œWow, you were really convincing as straight on stage.ā€ Iā€™ll take that compliment because that means Iā€™m acting. 

BLADE: Tell me about other roles youā€™ve played

LOZADO:  Latin roles: Usnavi, Bernardo in ā€œWest Side Story,ā€ Emilio Estefan in ā€œOn Your Feet!ā€ and Che in ā€œEvita.ā€And while I was thrilled to play those great parts, at the same time, I had friends getting auditions that werenā€™t specific to them being white, Black, or whatever. I worked with people who are more seasoned in the industry who had done 12 productions of ā€œEvita.ā€ I didnā€™t want to do that. I love representing my culture but Iā€™d also like to do parts that have nothing to do with that. Dream roles include Sondheimā€™s ā€œSunday in the Park with George.ā€

BLADE: And how about a new work? Would you like creating a role on Broadway? 

LOZADO: Oh yes, thatā€™s the big dream. 

BLADE: Do you think ā€œIn the Heightsā€ might appeal to both Latin and queer audiences? 

LOSADO: Yes.To see a people show themselves in a way thatā€™s different from the stereotypes, telling our story in our own way, and not allowing the headlines define who we are, but to stand up in our joy. 

ā€œIn the Heightsā€ holds up the Latin community and, for me, thatā€™s a parallel to the queer community, celebrating itself, especially in the upcoming time of WorldPride DC 2025 events (May 23-June 8). 

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Nightlife

9:30 Club, other venues unveil blockbuster WorldPride plans

Betty Who, Bob the Drag Queen, Janelle MonƔe to perform

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Janelle MonƔe is scheduled to perform at The Anthem during WorldPride. (Photo by Jordan A. Grobe; courtesy I.M.P.)

On the heels of the announcements of Cynthia Erivo and Doechii headlining free weekend events during WorldPride June 7-8, legendary live music venue 9:30 Club and its partner locations have launched bombshell show announcements of their own, featuring D.C. fan favorites, dynamic combinations, and new artists in honor of WorldPride in Washington, D.C. The lineup features Betty Who, Bob the Drag Queen, Janelle MonƔe, and many more.

I.M.P. Concerts, an independent concert promotion and production company, which operates the 9:30 Club, the Anthem, Lincoln Theatre, Merriweather Post Pavilion, and its newest venue, The Atlantis, has developed a weeklong WorldPride lineup that extends across its portfolio of venues.

Jen Hass, the 9:30 Club booking director, and Guillaume DesnoĆ«, the creative director, told the Blade that, ā€œas soon as we found out WorldPride was coming to D.C., we decided to go beyond normal programming. We wanted something really special for all of our venues,ā€ they said. ā€œWe always incorporate Pride into our events, but WorldPride is another level, and we want to step it up.ā€

During prior yearsā€™ Pride celebrations, the 9:30 Club has hosted events and parties, including the long-running Mixtape party. This year, the shows are much more ambitious.

The week kicks off on May 31 with Snow Wife playing at The Atlantis. Then, on Thursday June 5, are two huge shows, each featuring two stars that have been central to the LGBTQ cultural experience. For a seated show at the Lincoln Theatre, Sibling Rivalry Live with Bob the Drag Queen & MonĆ©t X Change will perform, featuring their signature banter, commentary, stories, and sisterly arguments. The event is a live engagement based on their podcast of the same name. MonĆ©t X Change was Miss Congeniality on ā€œRuPaulā€™s Drag Raceā€ season 10 and winner of AS4, and Bob The Drag Queen was winner of season 8.

On the same night, at The Anthem, legendary performer and icon Grace Jones will be joined onstage by Janelle MonƔe for a unique twosome.

On Friday night June 6, MIXTAPE is back for WorldPride Weekend, bringing the LGBTQ community together for a night of music and dancing. As usual, DJs Matt Bailer and Shea Van Horn will play a mix of house, indie dance, nu-disco, electropop, and throwbacks.

On Saturday, June 7, hometown favorite and perennial Pride stalwart Betty Who will perform a late-night set at the 9:30 Club.

ā€œIt feels like a very important time to be hitting the road, creating spaces for joy,ā€ said Betty Who. ā€œD.C. has such a special energy, and my history with the 9:30 Club is long and beloved. Iā€™m really looking forward to returning home to a venue I have so many beautiful memories in to create some new ones.ā€

Hass notes that ā€œitā€™s special to have Betty Who at 9:30 Club. Sheā€™s always been an incredible performer over the years. Sheā€™s played at both The Anthem and 9:30 Club before. Having her back is exciting because itā€™s full circle and shows how much she means to the queer community in DC.ā€

Earlier that same evening, Perfume Genius will be onstage at 9:30 Club as well.

Finally, after a week-plus-long series of shows, the list features a concluding spectacular: the Closing Drag Show, ā€œan energetic night of drag and dance,ā€ featuring contestants from ā€œRuPaulā€™s Drag Raceā€ (the full lineup of participating Queens has not yet been released).

9:30 Club is an official WorldPride partner, having been in talks with the organizing committee for several months, all with the same goal: ā€œto make WorldPride incredible in D.C.,ā€ say Hass and DesnoĆ«. Plus, $1 from each ticket will be donated to the Capital Pride Alliance in conjunction with WorldPride DC 2025.

Hass and DesnoĆ« also noted that it was important to them to bring in various types of acts and performances, across all of their venues. ā€œIn many ways, WorldPride is special. Our list of shows is part of what we do all the time. We pay attention to and are part of the community. The 9:30 Club and IMP represent diversity, acceptance, safe space, and joyā€

In addition to the published list of shows, additional acts will be announced in coming weeks.

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Out & About

Celebrate Trans Day of Vision in D.C.

Potluck picnic and rally to be held at Malcolm X Park

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Trans rights supporters will gather Sunday at Malcolm X Park. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The DC Center for the LGBT Community will celebrate Trans Day of Vision with a potluck picnic and rally on Sunday, March 30 at 1 p.m. at Malcolm X Park.

At this event, attendees will gather in community and solidarity and share their vision and what liberation means to them as the D.C. queer community loudly proclaims that visibility and polite requests for acceptance are not enough.

Visit the DC Centerā€™s website to RSVP.Ā 

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