Temple Bound
The Academy finds a new temporary home
It’s been more than a month now since the Academy of Washington’s weekly events came to a halt when Club 55, the venue that hosted them for the past 13 years, closed due to baseball stadium construction in Southeast D.C. While Club 55 is still in negotiations for a new location, the Academy, one of Washington’s premier social organizations specializing in drag and gay events, has found a new home to pick up where they left off — at the Almas Temple, in downtown D.C.
”I’m ready,” say Carl Rizzi, a.k.a ”Mame Dennis,” president of the Academy. Rizzi said that events at Almas Temple will kick off with the ”Black & White Ball” on Sunday, Dec. 3; the ”Zodiac Finals” on Dec. 10; the ”Turn-A-Bout” on Jan. 7; and ”Mr. & Miss Gaye USA” on Jan. 21.
”I have made temporary arrangements with Almas Temple to use their upstairs ballroom for our smaller functions and the downstairs larger ballroom for ‘Zodiac Finals,”’ says Rizzi. ”They worked out accommodations that we were able to live with for a short duration. So we are off and running.”
It won’t be the first time Almas Temple has partnered up with the Academy.
”We’ve done our big shows at the Almas Temple,” says Rizzi. ”The people there are friendly with us. They approached us with doing our regular shows there, and that is what is going to happen in December.
”I’ll be glad to get started.”
For more information and updates visit www.thewashingtonacademy.com Almas Temple is located at 1315 K St. NW.
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