MOONLIGHT

One of those rare and extraordinary cinematic experiences that pulls you deeply into its narrative, the Golden Globe-winning Moonlight artfully guides viewers towards an emotional payoff without once feeling manipulative or artificial. It is an extraordinary achievement in this cut-and-paste era of cinema, a time when movies fail to ignite so much as a spark of genuine, earned emotion. The ’80s-set story of a young boy who comes to terms with his identity and sexuality in a harsh South Florida neighborhood refuses to lazily cleave to its genre. There isn’t an off performance in the film, which employs a solely African-American cast — come Oscar time, Moonlight could be the one film to give Hollywood a credible reason to break its too-white image without resorting to tokenism. Now playing. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Randy Shulman)

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY

Disney has solemnly sworn to release a Star Wars film every year from now to eternity and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is good but not great. Apart from a magnificently orchestrated 30 minute climactic battle that pulls out all the stops, it’s nowhere near as fun or engaging as last year’s Force Awakens. Narratively, it fills a few gaps, and fully and finally explains one key plot point from A New Hope that has plagued super-fans for decades. We now know why, how and who. Now playing. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (RS)

Read Next

Grindr’s New Feature “Roam” Connects Users Around the Globe

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN
A rollicking satire of 1920s Hollywood, the 1952 classic is always worth seeing — even more so in light of the recent death of Debbie Reynolds. The Library of Congress offers a chance to see Reynold on the big screen in the role that made her a star, as she more than holds her own along Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor. Saturday, Feb. 4, at 7:30 p.m. Packard Campus Theater, 19053 Mount Pony Rd. Culpeper, Va. Free. Call 202-707-9994 or visit loc.gov/avconservation.

THE COMEDIAN
Robert De Niro plays an aging insult comic who serves out a sentence doing community service after accosting an audience member. With Leslie Mann, Edie Falco and Danny DeVito. Opens Friday, Feb. 3. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com.

AS YOU LIKE IT
Rosalind, banished to the Forest of Arden, disguises herself as a rustic shepherd and discovers Orlando in one of Shakespeare’s best comedies. Gaye Taylor Upchurch directs a production starring Lindsay Alexandra Carter, Lorenzo Roberts, Dani Stoller, Michael Glenn, and Tom Story. To March 5. Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Tickets are $35 to $75. Call 202-544-7077 or visit folger.edu.

CAROLINE, OR CHANGE
The largest musical in Round House’s history is part of a season celebrating playwright Tony Kushner. The Tony-nominated musical concerns an African-American maid who works for a Jewish family in Louisiana during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. The 17-person cast includes Nova Y. Payton, Will Gartshore, Felicia Curry, Naomi Jacobson, Dorea Schmidt, and Kara-Tameika Watkins. Matthew Gardner directs. To Feb. 26. Round House Theatre, 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda. Call 240-644-1100 or visit roundhousetheatre.org.

Read Next

Conservative Ad Makes Case for Transgender Rights

GIN GAME
Roz White and Doug Brown take on D.L. Coburn’s play, which the New York Times called a “thoroughly entertaining lesson in the fine art of theatrical finesse.” Thomas W. Jones II directs. In previews, with opening Saturday, Feb. 4, at 8 p.m. To March 12. MetroStage, 1201 North Royal St., Alexandria. Tickets are $55 to $60. Call 800-494-8497 or visit metrostage.org.

HOODED, OR BEING BLACK FOR DUMMIES
Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm’s irreverent play follows a book-smart prep-schooler and a street-savvy drop-out from inner-city Baltimore, as the two spend the night in a holding cell. Serge Seiden directs a world-premiere Mosaic Theater production of the final play in the three-part series Clamorous Encounters: Coming of Age in America, billed as “likely the most urgent and pressing play in Season Two.” To Feb. 19. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $20 to $60. Call 202-399-7993 or visit mosaictheater.org.

I TOO SPEAK OF THE ROSE
Written by gay Mexican playwright Emilio Carballido, Yo También Hablo de la Rosa is set in Mexico City in the 1960s and focuses on teenagers Toña and Polo, who accidentally derail a train while playing hooky from school. Hugo Medrano directs this searing look at poverty and society’s response to it. Performed in Spanish with English surtitles. Opens Saturday, Feb. 4, at 8 p.m. Now to Feb. 26. GALA Theatre at Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Call 202-234-7174 or visit galatheatre.org.

I WANNA F*CKING TEAR YOU APART
“A fat girl and gay guy against the world” have their friendship tested by a new friend. Nicole Spiezio, Tommy Heleringer and Anna O’Donoghue star in Morgan Gould’s world premiere drama. In previews. Opens Sunday, Feb. 5. To Feb. 19. Studio Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.

Read Next

Star Trek Discovery’s Wilson Cruz Keeps Making Television History

LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC
Arlene Hutton’s charming World War II-era play focuses on a fated couple who meet on a train carrying F. Scott Fitzgerald’s coffin across the country. To Feb. 19. Produced by the Washington Stage Guild. Undercroft Theatre of Mount Vernon United Methodist Church, 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Call 240-582-0050 or visit stageguild.org.

LIZZIE THE MUSICAL
Yes, that Lizzie, the little Borden girl who was tried for brutally murdering her parents with an axe in Massachusetts in 1892 though later acquitted. Pinky Swear Productions revives the tale in a riot grrrl-steeped show created by Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer, Tim Maner, and Alan Stevens Hewitt. A feminist tale of sex, rage and murder that shows how little agency women had in Borden’s time. Closes Sunday, Feb. 5. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Place SE. Tickets are $35. Call 202-241-2539 or visit pinkyswear-productions.com.

MACK, BETH
Helen Hayes-nominated playwright Chris Stezin offers a spin on Shakespeare’s ultimate power couple, retooled for the cyber age. Matt Ripa directs this modern twist on the classic tale of greed and unbridled ambition. Featuring Jennifer J. Hopkins and Andrew Kelleras as a high-achieving couple in a present-day tech business. To Feb. 11. Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $45 to $45. Call 202-265-3768 or visit keegantheatre.com.

RATTLESNAKE
The Castleton, a Northern Virginia estate founded by Lorin Maazel, presents a one-man show written by and starring John Hardy that relates the devastating story of a West Texas man who goes to great lengths to achieve fatherhood. Katy Brown directs. Saturday, Feb. 11, at 4 p.m. Castleton Theatre House, 664 Castleton View Rd. Tickets are $20 to $40. Call 703-489-8704 or visit castletonfestival.org.

ROE
Originally commissioned by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, playwright Lisa Loomer’s drama focuses on the two women at the heart of the landmark 1973 case that legalized abortion: Sarah Weddington, the young, brilliant attorney who argued the case, and Norma McCorvey, the complex, single woman seeking an end to an unwanted pregnancy. Bill Rauch directs a large cast including Jim Abele, Sarah Jane Agnew, Kenya Alexander, Mark Bedard, Zoe Bishop, Sara Bruner, Catherine Castellanos, Gina Daniels, Pamela Dunlap, Richard Elmore, Susan Lynskey, and Amy Newman. To Feb. 19. Kreeger Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

SOMEONE IS GOING TO COME
Scena Theatre presents an emotionally powerful drama featuring two-time Helen Hayes Award winner Nanna Ingvarsson, David Bryan Jackson, and Joseph Carlson. Robert McNamara directs Jon Fosse’s poetic play about passion, paranoia and jealousy, as a strange couple moves into an isolated, run-down house to be left alone, never fully believing they’ll get their wish. Closes Sunday, Feb. 5. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $20 to $35, or $10 in previews. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

SWEENEY TODD
The brilliant E. Faye Butler plays Mrs. Lovett and David Benoit takes on the role of the Demon Barber in Olney Theatre’s production of the chilling Sondheim classic. He slits their throats, she makes meat pies out of them. Jason Loewith directs. In previews. Opens Saturday, Feb. 4. To March 5. Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.

WATCH ON THE RHINE
Marsha Mason (The Goodbye Girl) stars in Lillian Hellman’s thriller about a man deeply involved in anti-fascist movements prior to WWII. Jackie Maxwell directs. Now in previews. To March 5. Fichandler Stage in the Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

ALYSON CAMBRIDGE
After a decade of performances on many leading opera and concert stages, the sultry, sophisticated jazz/cabaret artist makes her debut at the Barns. The Washington Post touted Cambridge, now touring in support of the 2016 set of covers Until Now, as “radiant, vocally assured, dramatically subtle and compelling and artistically imaginative.” Saturday, Feb. 11, at 8 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $25 to $35. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

ESCORT
Escort is a full-fledged disco orchestra in which up to 17 musicians and singers perform original, funky, old-school dance music, co-written and produced by Eugene Cho and Dan Balis. “A lot of the house records were sampling old disco records,” Cho says. “We started to think, ‘Why don’t we make our own records that are in that spirit?'” Parisian-born Adeline Michele eventually signed on as the band’s lead singer, carrying out “the strong disco tradition of the diva. Adeline is definitely up there as an amazing diva.” Both live and on record — especially on the band’s most recent set, 2015’s Animal Nature — Michele has the voice and the charisma to play the role. Friday, Feb. 3. Doors at 7 p.m. U Street Music Hall, 1115A U St. NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-588-1880 or visit ustreetmusichall.com.

FAIRFAX SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Christopher Zimmerman helps the FSO kick off the new year and the beginning of its 60th anniversary celebration with a concert focused on Beethoven’s “Triple” Concerto, featuring National Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Nurit Bar-Josef, cellist Amit Peled, and pianist Alon Goldstein. Also on the bill for this season concert is Corigliano’s “Elegy” for Orchestra and Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No. 5. Saturday, Feb. 11, at 8 p.m. George Mason University Center for the Arts, 4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax. Tickets are $39 to $65. Call 888-945-2468 or visit fairfaxsymphony.org.

GMCW’S GENOUT CHORUS
“Youth Invasion” is the aptly named first full-fledged concert featuring the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington’s youth chorus, joined by the Arlington Children’s Chorus. Affirmative songs on the program include “I Am What I Am,” “Beautiful,” “Be Like the Bird,” and “Shut Up and Dance.” Saturday, Feb. 11, at 8 p.m. Lang Theatre in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $20 to $35. Call 202-399-7993 or visit gmcw.org.

JAZZMEIA HORN
Originally from Dallas, the jazz vocalist is quickly emerging as one of the genre’s best new talents, winning prestigious titles in the process, including the 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and the 2015 Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition. The Kennedy Center welcomes back Horn to headline a concert in the KC Jazz Club, after which she will sign CDs in the States Gallery. Friday, Feb. 10, at 7 and 9 p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace Gallery. Tickets are $35. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ
The star of Arena Stage’s Carousel heads to Signature Theatre for a one-man revue as part of their popular annual Cabaret Series. A triple-threat performer who, among other plaudits, has earned a GLAAD Media Award (for a recurring role on ABC’s One Life to Live) and a Helen Hayes Award (Oklahoma!), Rodriguez will share his love of ’70s music, from disco to folk and Bossa Nova to Broadway. Tickets remain only for the performance Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m. Ark Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Tickets $35 to $350. Call 703-820-9771 or visit signature-theatre.org.

PRESSENDA CHAMBER PLAYERS
The Washington Conservatory’s Ensemble-in-Residence perform celebrated chamber works by Johannes Brahms (the Piano Quintet in F Minor) and Joseph Haydn (String Quartet in C Major). Pressenda features Aaron Berofsky and Kathy Judd on violin, Amadi Azikiwe on viola, Tobias Werner on cello and Victor Asuncion on piano. Saturday, Feb. 4, at 8 p.m. Congregational Church, 1 Westmoreland Circle. Bethesda. Tickets are free, donations welcome. Call 301-320-2770 or visit washingtonconservatory.org.

RHETT MILLER
The frontman and main songwriter beyond the alt-country quartet the Old 97’s stops for a show in support of his latest solo album, his seventh, 2015’s The Traveler. Joe Purdy opens. Friday, Feb. 3. Doors at 6:30 p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $39.75. Call 202-787-1000 or visit thehamiltondc.com.

RINDE ECKERT
As part of her Voices recital series, Renee Fleming presents the Kennedy Center debut of a Grammy-winning, boundary pushing singer. Inspired by the “jongleur” minstrel tradition, “RIN: Tales from the Life of a Troubadour” finds Eckert accompanying himself in song and story using a whole slew of instruments, including piano, guitar, accordion, ukulele, banjo, even flute, chime, and all manner of percussion. Friday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m. Kennedy Center Family Theater. Tickets are $29. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

TROMBONE CONCERTO
Soloist Craig Mulcahy, the NSO Principal Trombone, offers the orchestra’s first performances of Christopher Rouse’s Trombone Concerto, which won the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Music. NSO Music Director Christoph Eschenbach leads a program also featuring Beethoven’s lighthearted Symphony No. 8 in F Major and Tchaikovsky’s moving Serenade for Strings in C Major. Thursday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 4, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $15 to $99. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

UTE LEMPER
The popular post-war German cabaret artist has made honoring Jewish composers a central focus of her work for 30 years, after leading a Decca series focused on composers whose music was banned by the Nazis. Two years ago, Lemper performed at the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, and last year debuted “Songs for Eternity” in Mantova, Italy, in recognition of the “Holocaust of Rome.” Lemper reprises the concert in cooperation with the German Embassy. Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. 600 I St. NW. Tickets are $25 in advance, or $30 day-of show. Call 202-408-3100 or visit sixthandi.org.

VIRGINIA OPERA: DER FREISCHUTZ
Drawing from German folk legend, Carl Maria Von Weber’s compelling and emotional piece is the first of the country’s great Romantic operas. A supernatural tale of young love and the struggle between good and evil, the Virginia Opera offers a production performed in English with supertitles. Saturday, Feb. 4, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 5, at 2 p.m. George Mason University Center for the Arts, 4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax. Tickets are $54 to $110. Call 888-945-2468 or visit gmu.edu/cfa.

WICKED JEZABEL
Pauline Anson-Dross’ popular lesbian all-covers party-rock band Wicked Jezabel has been rocking — as well as raising money for various good causes — all over the region for a decade now, originally under the name The Outskirts of Town. Next up, is a “Be My Wicked Valentine” show. Friday, Feb. 10, at 9:30 p.m. JV’s Restaurant, 6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church. Tickets are $12 to $15. Call 703-241-9504 or visit jvsrestaurant.com.

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
The celebrated dance company returns to the Kennedy Center for its annual week of performances. This year’s program features a new work by company member Hope Boykin, whose r-Evolution, Dream is a large ensemble work inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr., with music by Ali Jackson and narration recorded by Tony winner Leslie Odom, Jr. (Hamilton). Kyle Abraham’s Untitled America is a haunting three-part work shining a light on the impact of the prison system on African-American families. Ailey Artistic Director Robert Battle, Rennie Harris, Ronald K. Brown, Christopher Wheeldon, Mauro Bigonzetti, Johan Inger and Billy Wilson are also represented in the seven mixed-repertory programs, all of which conclude with Revelations, the masterpiece by Ailey, who died of AIDS-related complications in 1989. Tuesday, Feb. 7, to Sunday, Feb. 12. Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $39 to $125. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

MARIINSKY BALLET
Alexei Ratmansky’s charming, contemporary take on the classic Russian fairy tale The Little Humpbacked Horse, set to a modernist score by Rodion Shchedrin, is a showcase of personality, humor and creativity. Remaining performances Thursday, Feb. 2, through Saturday, Feb. 4, at 7:30 p.m. Also Saturday, Feb. 4, and Sunday, Feb. 5, at 1:30 p.m. Opera House. Tickets are $49 to $150. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADE
Like the funniest extroverts at the party, the improv troupe Upright Citizens Brigade, which hails from New York and Los Angeles, riffs on D.C. and audience-members alike. The brigade has many famous alumni, including Amy Poehler and Ed Helms. Sunday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. 600 I St. NW. Tickets are $20 in advance, or $25 day-of show. Call 202-408-3100 or visit sixthandi.org.

WASHINGTON IMPROV THEATER: ROAD SHOW!
D.C.’s leading company for longform improv offers a “Wintry Mix,” a series of vignettes featuring different ensembles, with each plot developed on-the-fly, spurred by a single audience suggestion. Weekends to Feb. 26. District of Columbia Arts Center (DCAC), 2438 18th St. NW. Tickets are $12 in advance, or $15 at the door. Call 202-462-7833 or visit witdc.org.

SPILL: A QUEER READING AND PERFORMANCE
Veteran local producer Danielle Evennou (Mothertongue) co-hosts this showcase of fellow queer word artists with Temim Fruchter and Gowri Koneswaran and featuring Fatimah Asghar, Oliver Baez Bendorf, Wo Chan, Franny Choi, Alain Ginsberg, Taylor Johnson, Rachel McKibbens, Cameron Awkward-Rich, Michelle Tea, Tyler Vile, and Kathi Wolfe. Thursday, Feb. 9. Doors at 7:30 p.m. Black Cat Backstage, 1811 14th St. NW. Free. Call 202-667-4490 or visit blackcatdc.com.

STORY DISTRICT: SUCKER FOR LOVE
Local storytelling organization formerly known as SpeakEasyDC offers its ninth LGBT-inclusive Valentine’s Day-themed event with “true tales about loves found, lost and imagined.” Unlike other storytelling organizations, Story District is focused on congenial camaraderie not competition — no judged “Story Slams” here. Those presenting this year are Scott Hollingsworth, Sakina Zaidi, Adrian Villalobos, Knecole Blake, Matt Johnson, Ritija Gupta, Tony Dahlman, and Amy Hoang Wrona. Laura Feiveson and Nupe Mehta co-host a show co-directed by Mike Baireuther and Story District’s Director of Education Stephanie Garibaldi. Saturday, Feb. 11, at 8 p.m. Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-328-6000 or visit storydistrict.com.

TRAYVON MARTIN’S PARENTS
Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin is a new memoir timed with the fifth anniversary of the murder of an unarmed black teenager by George Zimmerman in the gated community of Sanford, Florida. The shooting became a catalyst for a growing nationwide campaign for justice. Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin offer the inside story of their son’s life, struggles and death as well as their tireless campaign for justice even as Zimmerman walked free. Thursday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. 600 I St. NW. Tickets are $15, or $35 with one book, $45 with two tickets and one book. Call 202-408-3100 or visit sixthandi.org.

BOEING MILESTONES OF FLIGHT HALL
The National Air and Space Museum’s central exhibition space reopened July 1 after a major two-year renovation sponsored by Boeing, or the museum’s 40th anniversary to the day. John Glenn’s Mercury “Friendship 7,” Charles Lindbergh’s “Spirit of St. Louis,” the Gemini IV capsule, and SpaceShipOne are among the museum’s most iconic artifacts that are once again on view, but in a new streamlined way along with digital enhancements meant to give a deeper understanding of how spaceflight and aviation have affected all Americans’ lives. New to the hall is the Apollo Lunar Module and the studio model of the Starship Enterprise from the original Star Trek series, among other additions. Now open. National Air and Space Museum, Independence Ave at 6th St. SW. Call 202-633-2214 or visit airandspace.si.edu.

JEFF SHENG: FEARLESS PROJECT
An exhibition and photography series focused on over 200 LGBT student athletes in the U.S. and Canada taken over the last decade by American artist Jeff Sheng. Fearless Project is presented in conjunction with the Washington National Opera and its upcoming production of Champion. Opening Talk with the artist is Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 6 p.m., in the Israeli Lounge. Exhibition is on view through March 18 in the Kennedy Center Hall of Nations. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

PERVERSION THERAPY
Through paintings, performance objects and multimedia installations, Perversion Therapy is intended as a celebration of queer bliss and domestic deviance in direct response to the anti-LGBT history and attitudes espoused by the president-elect and members of his cabinet — specifically, conversion therapy. The exhibit features works by interdisciplinary artists Eames Armstrong and John Moletress. Closes Saturday, Feb. 4. Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint, 916 G St. NW. Tickets are $15 to $30. Call 202-733-6321 or visit culturaldc.org.

THE ENIGMATIC EDGAR A. POE IN BALTIMORE & BEYOND
Selections from the Susan Jaffe Tane Collection offers rare materials from what is arguably the finest private Poe collection in the world, giving viewers a chance to see him at work and up close. See The Raven in Poe’s own handwriting and first editions of his writings in books, newspapers and magazines from the 1800s. Closes Sunday, Feb. 5. George Peabody Library, 17 E. Mt. Vernon Place, Baltimore. Call 410-234-4943 or visit peabodyevents.library.jhu.edu.

BAYOU BAKERY POP-UP SHOP IN UNION MARKET
In addition to his two permanent restaurants in D.C.’s Hill Center and Arlington, celebrity chef David Guas offers a Mardi Gras-themed pop-up in Union Market now until Fat Tuesday. The focus, naturally, is on “BB” King Cake, the classic ring-shaped brioche-style cake piped with signature Creole Cream Cheese filling. Bayou Bakery serves the cakes in a gift box with carnival beads, a traditional plastic baby hidden inside, and a postcard sharing the treat’s history. Also on offer are “Graslines,” a buttery sugar praline cookie topped with purple, green and gold sugar-flecked sprinkles, and “GrasNola,” gluten-free crunchy oats sweetened with honey and tossed in burnt-brown butter. Now through Feb. 28. Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery Opens Pop-Up Shop in Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. Call 800-680-9095 or visit unionmarketdc.com.

DC RESTAURANT WEEK
D.C.’s Winter Restaurant Week is now in full swing until Sunday, Feb. 5, when 250 restaurants offer at least three courses for $22 at lunch or $35 at dinner. Visit rwdmv.com for a full list of participating restaurants, to book reservations, and enter for prizes including tickets, gift cards and cookbooks.

AWKWARD SEX …AND THE CITY
Comedians from New York relive their most awkward sex/dating/relationship moments on stage at this raunchy storytelling event, which returns to D.C. at the Black Cat. Gay comedian and Towleroad columnist Bobby Hankinson will add his awkward gay tales on an otherwise Nasty Women Tour featuring Jen Keefe, Anita Flores and Karolena Theresa, with host Natalie Wall. Friday, Feb. 10. Doors at 8 p.m. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. Tickets are $15. Call 202-667-4490 or visit blackcatdc.com.

JASON MORAN, JOAN JONAS
As part of the innovative, cross-discipline series “Jason +,” the popular pianist and Kennedy Center jazz adviser collaborates with performance and video artist Joan Jonas for Reanimation, a multimedia piece inspired by the 1968 novel Under The Glacier by Icelandic author Halldor Laxness. Saturday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m. Kennedy Center Family Theater. Tickets are $26. Call 467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

LILLIAN HELLMAN FESTIVAL FREE PROGRAMMING
Leading up to its production of Watch on the Rhine, Arena Stage offers free programming designed to explore and celebrate iconic playwright, author and political activist Lillian Hellman. Still to come: a one-night-only staging directed by Amelia Powell of Another Part of the Forest, a biting prequel to The Little Foxes, on Friday, Feb. 3, at 8 p.m.; a community-wide reading of Pentimento, in which members of the public are invited to read anywhere from a few sentences to a few pages from Hellman’s 1973 memoir, on Saturday, Feb. 4, from 1 to 4 p.m.; and a panel discussion, “Hellman: The Radical,” on Sunday, Feb. 5, at 5 p.m. The Kogod Cradle in the Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Free but reservations are required. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

PRETTY BOI DRAG BRUNCH
Reviving the art of drag kings in D.C., Pretty Boi Drag, co-founded by former DC King Pretty Rik E, now offers a monthly all-inclusive brunch experience with live music from hip-hop DJ Tezrah, in addition to drag performances. Sunday, Feb. 5, from noon to 3 p.m. Acre 121, 1400 Irving St. NW. Tickets, including an entree and bottomless mimosas, are $40. Call 202-431-4704 or visit prettyboidrag.com.

VENUS DEMARS
Billed as “An Evening with Trans Icon Venus DeMars,” the GallAerie, an intimate, independent art gallery/performance space in Mount Pleasant, presents a concert of music and poetry headlined by an acoustic set from a trans pioneer known for her work with All The Pretty Horses. Recently, she also supported Against Me! and that band’s trans lead singer Laura Jane Grace. DeMars’ wife, Lynette Reini-Grandell, and spoken-word artist friends Rachel Simon and Jane Ormerod will also read from their works. Thursday, Feb. 9, at 8 p.m. The GallAerie, 1644 Newton St. NW. Tickets are free but required due to limited space. Visit facebook.com/events/659664364205807.