Pianist Chu-Fang Huang plays from Gershwin and Ravel while the orchestra, led by Christopher Zimmerman, focuses on lively dance rhythms from Argentina, France and Spain. Saturday, Nov. 21, at 8 p.m. George Mason University Center for the Arts, 4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax. Tickets are $25 to $55. Call 703-563-1990 or visit fairfaxsymphony.org.

University of Maryland School of Music students perform Gaetano Donizetti’s Elixir of Love, a comic story of a simple peasant who buys a supposedly magic potion to woo the beautiful and wealthy girl that he loves. Fully staged, with minimal production and only piano accompaniment, this opera focus attention squarely on these young singers and the characters they create. Performed in Italian with English supertitles. Friday, Nov. 20, and Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 7:30 p.m. Also Sunday, Nov. 22, at 3 p.m. Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center’s Gildenhorn Recital Hall, University of Maryland, University Boulevard and Stadium Drive, College Park. Tickets are $21. Call 301-405-ARTS or visit claricesmithcenter.umd.edu.

When at the vibrant, festive Banana Cafe, do as any visiting Cuban would do -- order up yourself a sub-style Cuban Sandwich, packed with tender, juicy sliced roast pork loin, honey baked ham and swiss cheese. Even better, go for a Cuban Pizza, smothered with ground beef, pork, plantains and mozzarella cheese. The restaurant, owned and operated by artist Jorge Zamorano, prides itself on its authentic Cuban and Puerto Rican cuisine, but it also traverses Tex-Mex and Tapas territory, offering a tangy ceviche, cod fish fritters, quesadillas, nachos, tacos, burritos, and a terrific trio of Empanadas (beef, chicken, seafood). But no matter which way you go with your food, make sure not to miss Banana's Mojito. Cigars notwithstanding, it's as close to Cuban perfection as you'll ever get.

BANANA CAFE & PIANO BAR 500 8th St. SE Washington 202-543-5906 Cost: $$

Pictured: Banana Cafe's Stuffed Plantains | Photography by Todd Franson

Lesbian comic Kate Clinton returns with her timely political humor in a show entitled Yes on K8! Friday, Nov. 20, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $45. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com. Clinton also appears Friday, Nov. 20, at 1 p.m. Lambda Rising Bookstore, 1625 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-462-6969 or visit lambdarising.com.

The famed guitarist and songwriter from folk-rock band Eddie From Ohio and host of XM’s Robbie Schaefer’s Stuck in a Real Tall Tree entertains audiences with an energetic warmth and honesty in his music. Lucy Wainwright Roche is his special guest. Thursday, Nov. 19, at 8 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $18. Call 703-255-1900 or visit wolf-trap.org.

Signature Theatre hosts Signature Sings, a special cabaret series throughout the season to celebrate its 20 years of musical theater. Next up: select songs from Sondheim productions during the company's second five years, including Cabaret, Passion, The Rink, Sunday in the Park with George and A Little Night Music. Opens Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 8:30 p.m. To Sunday, Nov. 22. Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Tickets $33. Call 703-820-9771 or visit signature-theatre.org.

Local film critics Joe Barber and Bill Henry host D.C. Film Society's Coming Attractions Trailer Night, in which the audience gets to watch – and vote on – the preview reels of this season’s potential Hollywood blockbusters. Exactly which film trailers will be screened wasn’t set at press time, but among the possibilities: James Cameron’s Avatar, Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, the latest Twilight flick New Moon, Pedro Almodovar’s Broken Embraces, Disney’s The Princess and the Frog featuring an African-American princess – and too much George Clooney, with at least three Clooney vehicles. Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Tickets are $8. Visit dcfilmsociety.org for more information and updates on the trailers to be shown.

This year’s A Taste of Dupont, an annual benefit for the Historic Dupont Circle Main Street, allows participants to create their own progressive dinner by redeeming individual $5 tasting tickets at any one of dozens of participating restaurants, including Annie's Paramount Steakhouse, Beacon Bar & Grill, Bread and Brew, Café Dupont, Eola, Hank's Oyster Bar, Level One, Pesce, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Scion, SoHO Tea & Coffee, The Front Page, Twist Dupont and Urbana. Many restaurants will offer specialty paired and priced cocktails, beer or wine with chefs’ creations. Tuesday, Nov. 17, from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $5 a tasting, or five tastings for $20. Visit DupontCircle.biz.

ASCAP’s Michael Kerker conducts an interview with the multi-award-winning NSO Principal Pops Conductor Marvin Hamlisch. The night also includes highlights from Hamlisch’s many award-winning scores for stage and screen, including A Chorus Line, The Sting, Sophie’s Choice and The Way We Were, performed by Liz Callaway, Kevin Early and Karen Ziemba. Monday, Nov. 16, at 7:30 p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Tickets are $18. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

Known for its kitschy attire, humorous music videos and off-the-wall live shows, this weird and wonderful band is joining the “play a classic album in its entirety” bandwagon. But why stop at just one album? Devo will perform Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! on Sunday night, and then Monday the band runs through Freedom of Choice, in preparation for the re-release of both sets. Sunday, Nov. 15, and Monday, Nov. 16. Doors at 7 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $45 each night. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

D.C.-based gay photographer Betto Ortiz unveils his new exhibit at Evolve Urban Arts Project. “Exotic Textures” features large, abstract photographs with the three-dimensional texture of mixed-media matting focused on the nuances of color, shape and texture. Through this Sunday, Nov. 15. Pierce School Lofts, 1375 Maryland Ave. NE. Call 202-489-8160 or visit evolvedc.com.

Us Helping Us presents awards for outstanding work in the fight against HIV/AIDS in their annual fundraiser, A Passion for Living. A nationally recognized advocate for HIV prevention services, D.C.-born James “Juicy” Coleman earns the organization’s Founders Award, in honor of his many years as the organization’s Maryland community specialist and program director for transgender health empowerment. Also being honored are Unity of Washington, D.C.; Barbara Chinn; Brian Watson and Alan Sharpe. Saturday, Nov. 14, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Penthouse at SunTrust Bank, 1445 New York Ave. NW. Tickets are $125, business attire required. Call 202-446-1100 or visit uhupil.org.

An exceptional Portuguese singer/songwriter and guitarist of Cape Verdean descent, Sara Tavares’s gentle, sensual music reflects the cosmopolitan spirit of her native Lisbon. Saturday, Nov. 14, at 8 p.m. Lisner Auditorium, The George Washington University, 730 21st St. NW. Tickets are $35. Call 202-994-6800 or visit lisner.org.

Famed Chinese pianist Lang Lang joins conductor Andrew Litton to perform a one-night-only program including Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Friday, Nov. 13, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $30 to $125. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

Billed by Variety as “the finest cabaret performer of her generation,” Amanda McBroom's song "The Rose" became a No. 1 international sensation for Bette Midler in 1979, and its success helped launch McBroom's own career as a performer and songwriter, including appearances on Broadway in Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music and Mame. She’s touring in support of Chanson, a tribute to one of her inspirations, '60s balladeer Jacques Brel. Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $25. Call 703-255-1900 or visit wolf-trap.org.

Sixteen area museums take part in Museum Shop Around at Strathmore, a four-day shopping festival at Strathmore, now in its 20th year, with museum-quality decorative arts, handcrafted jewelry, apparel, glassware, toys, books, CDs, stationary and other unique gift items. This year, items include: Degas’s ballerinas printed on umbrellas and purses from the Kennedy Center Gift Shops; a stuffed animal of Bo, the Obama family dog, and Which Puppy?, a children’s book on presidential pets, from the National Archives Shop; and decks of cards decorated with high-heeled shoes and red-spike-heel doorstops from the Museum Shop at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The Audubon Sanctuary, Hillwood Museum and Shakespeare Theatre Company are among other museums offering gifts. Warm drinks and light fare will be available in the Holiday Bistro Café. Thursday, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13, and Saturday, Nov. 14, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Also Sunday, Nov. 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Mansion at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $8 each day. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

The Box could be really interesting if it weren't such a boring, garbled mess. At first The Box is a Sociology 101 experiment -- a $1 million gift is proffered to a couple if they are willing to push a button that will cause the death of a stranger -- but it’s actually a sci-fi cautionary tale of humankind’s destructive and selfish nature. Norma (Cameron Diaz) and Arthur (James Marsden) are having a bad run of luck, so when a mysterious man (Frank Langella), makes them the million buck offer, Norma pushes the button. Director Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko) takes his sweet time setting up the film, and then more time revealing each clue. But rather than a glimpse into the real story behind the button, each new piece of information seems to taunt rather than clarify. As compelling as Diaz can be, she should not under any circumstance attempt a Southern accent again. Marsden is a little more reliable as Arthur. There are all sorts of references to texts that theoretically support the film, including Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit, the Bible, and sociological concepts like the Altruism Theory. While it can lead to a good 24 hours of conversation about what Kelly was trying to do, at the end one question is going to prevail: “Does this film deserve so much time spent on deciphering it?” The answer is no. Area theaters. TWO STARS

Reviewed by Tim Plant

THE BOX: Movie Trailer

As one of the most oft-told holiday stories, Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol hardly needs any summary. Director Robert Zemeckis resurrects his animation style from The Polar Express to give Dickens’s cautionary tale another visit. Fortunately this time Zemeckis manages to avoid the dead-eye issue that plagued his last holiday treat. Taking a page from an Eddie Murphy movie, Jim Carrey takes on the Scrooge role, as well as all three of the visiting ghosts. Since one is a flaming candle, one a portly jolly tub of man, and one a skeleton, it’s tough to tell it’s Carry behind all of the make-up and animation. Actually, all of the make-up and animation make it tough to tell what he is doing at all. The heart of Zemeckis’s film, which he also wrote, is dark and dreary. Even with the animation, it’s quite adult. It’s this more grown-up nature that makes the film enjoyable and the moments of whimsy feel out of place. Zemeckis doesn’t walk the line between the two extremes with any finesse and it’s one of the few – albeit it big – faults with the film. Where Zemeckis shines is in the visuals. Between snow falling and Scrooge flying, there’s a whole lot of eye candy packed into this stocking. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. FOUR STARS

Reviewed by Tim Plant

DJ/club promoter Jason Royce, with Brian Lempin and George Takounakis, present Split, D.C.’s first-ever regular gay bowling event, launching this Wednesday at Gallery Place’s Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge. Modeled after similar events at Lucky Strikes in New York and California, Split makes use of the bowling alley’s full-bar service and food menu, 14 lanes, multi-screen video system including seven projection screens, billiards and more. The event will feature a rotating DJ lineup, starting with DJ Wess. Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 8 p.m. to midnight. Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge, 701 7th St. NW, 2nd Floor. Cover is $3. Call 202-347-1021 or visit splitwednesdays.com.

Works Progress Administration is a genre-spanning supergroup of eight members. Among them: Glen Phillips, vocalist for the ‘90s pop outfit Toad The Wet Sprocket; Sean Watkins, of the pop-bluegrass group Nickel Creek; and fiddler Luke Bulla of the Nashville-based bluegrass group the Jerry Douglas Band. The band embraces an experimental, communal, workshop-like approach to songwriting and performance. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 8 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $20. Call 703-255-1900 or visit wolf-trap.org.

The incomparable Dee Dee Bridgewater has won a Tony Award (The Wiz), Grammy awards, and France’s Victoire de la Musique, among others. In “Lady Day: A Tribute to Billie Holiday,” Bridgewater incarnates the legendary Holiday, recreating Lady Day’s take on such classics as “God Bless the Child,” “Lady Sings the Blues,” “All of Me,” “When You’re Smiling,” “I Can’t Get Started” and more. Friday, Nov. 6, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $28 to $72. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.