January 2011 Archives

Pop-folk musician Dar Williams, whose music has always defied gender and genre, has taken it a step further by teaming with Ibis for a "crossover concert" at Artisphere, to be recorded live for CD. D.C.-based Ibis includes members from various local orchestras, including the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and the National Symphony. The concert features new arrangements of the New Yorker's songs as well as classical and traditional vocal music, plus works by Gershwin and William Grant Still. Sunday, Jan. 30, at 7:30 p.m. Artisphere's Spectrum Theatre, 1611 N. Kent St. Arlington. Tickets are $35. Call 703-875-1100 or visit artisphere.com.

Read our interview with Dar Williams here.

For a taste of what's happening in improv comedy in those far funnier, far edgier coastal cities, keep an eye out for The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre TourCo, which stops by the basement stage-space of the Shakespeare Theatre Company's Harman Hall. Like the funniest extroverts at the party, the crews (which hail from New York and Los Angeles and tend to change personnel) riff on D.C. and audience-members alike -- don't worry, it's volunteer-only -- with group-house abandon and some very well-honed improv skills. Consider it a great warm-up for a night on the town. Tonight, Saturday, Jan. 29, at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Also Feb. 25-26, March 25-26 and Nov. 11-12. Sidney Harman Hall Forum, Harman Center for the Arts, 610 F St. NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-547-1122 or visit shakespearetheatre.org.

Suzanne Westenhoefer was the first openly gay comedian to appear on television, from appearances on David Letterman, HBO and Bravo. These days she maintains a near-constant schedule of stand-up performances at mainstream comedy clubs across the country, including an annual stop at The Birchmere. Saturday, Jan. 29, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $45. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

Local DJ Joshua spins for Gay/Bash! A Queer Night of Rock and Pop Gems, a party featuring gay-popular pop throughout the years -- or at least, the DJ's idea of gay gems. If he'll take requests, hopefully somebody will chime in with "Tainted Love" -- or "Bohemian Rhapsody." And despite Cyndi Lauper's obvious "True Colors," we'd argue for "She Bop" instead. What other straight pop star would sing about a gay pornography magazine -- all as part of an ode to masturbation? Talk about a firework. Friday, Jan. 28. Doors at 9:30 p.m. Black Cat Backstage, 1811 14th St. NW. Tickets are $5. Call 202-667-4490 or visit blackcatdc.com.

Put On The Gloves Fashion Show is a benefit for the Trevor Project and its suicide prevention work. The event also benefits the Capital Queer Prom. Handled by fashion producer Elaine Mensah, the show will feature donated clothes by local and national designers. Pop singer Mya will donate her time by closing out the night with a mini-concert of hits as well as some new material from her forthcoming album. And Fox 5 anchor Will Thomas will co-host the event with stylist and author Phillip Bloch. Tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 27, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Town Danceboutique, 2009 8th St. NW. Tickets are $50. Visit putonthegloves.org.

In "Tango Inferno: The Fire Within," The Tango Fire Company of Buenos Aires, Argentina's most acclaimed dance company, performs to traditional tango music played by live musicians, creating what a Canadian newspaper called "a five-alarm blaze." Tuesday, Jan. 25, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Remaining tickets are $30 to $55. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

Hot: Living Through the Next Fifty Years on Earth documents innovative responses from various regions around the world already struggling with climate change-driven problems like flooding and drought, such as Bangladesh and the Sahel. These ideas could be considered for replication elsewhere, including the United States. Tonight, Monday, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-364-1919 or visit politics-prose.com.

The Washington Performing Arts Society presents Russian pianist Sofya Gulyakin her Kennedy Center debut in a program that includes Schubert, Chopin, Franck and Ravel. It's part of WPAS's Hayes Piano Series. Saturday, Jan. 22, at 2 p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Tickets are $38. Call 202-467-4600 or visit wpas.org.

A D.C.-based indie-rock band formed in 1993, The Dismemberment Plan actually dismembered a decade later, in 2003, with a final show at the 9:30 Club. They re-membered briefly in 2007 for two benefit shows to help a local musician. And now the band, named after a phrase from Groundhog Day, have re-membered again, this time for an open-ended term, initially to tour in support of Barsuk Records' re-issuing of the 1999 album Emergency & I. Saturday, Jan. 22, and Sunday, Jan. 23. Doors at 7 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

Christoph Escenbach conducts the NSO and guest pianist Tzimon Barto in Gershwin's Piano Concerto, plus a few pieces from Bernstein. Then, actor Richard Dreyfuss reads texts from President Kennedy's speeches and writings as the orchestra performs Peter Lieberson's Remembering JFK (An American Elegy), a piece commissioned by the NSO. Saturday, Jan. 22, at 8 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 23, at 1:30 p.m., and Monday, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m. An AfterWords discussion with Eschenbach, Dreyfuss, Barto and others follows the Sunday performance. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $20 to $85. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

A gripping drama from Tel Aviv's Cameri Theatre, Return to Haifa follows a young soldier torn between his Palestinian birth parents who fled Haifa during the 1948 war and the Jewish Holocaust survivors who raised him. Adapted by Boaz Gaon from the novella by Ghassan Kanafani and directed by Sinai Peter and performed in Hebrew with English surtitles. Part of the series "Voices from a Changing Middle East: Portraits of Home." To Jan. 30. The Aaron & Cecile Goldman Theater, Washington, D.C.'s Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. Tickets are $42 to $60. Call 800-494-TIXS or visit theaterj.org.

The In Series's latest "pocket opera" powerhouse double-bill of passion, betrayal and revenge, features Ernesto Lecuona's Cuban zarzuela masterpiece Maria la O and Ruggiero Leoncavallo's tragic anti-hero clown Pagliacci. Joe Banno directs. Tonight, Saturday, Jan. 22, at 8 p.m. Source, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets $39. Call 202-204-7760 or visit inseries.org.

What if Mr. Darcy was just Darcy? That question is essentially answered in The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister, a pre-Victorian era lesbian love story, showing tonight, Friday, Jan. 21, at 7 and 9:15 p.m. at the DC JCC as part of the Reel Affirmations Xtra series. Based on the true diaries of Anne Lister, a wealthy landowner in the early 1800s, the story captures the spirit of a woman who steadfastly refuses to wed any suitor in defiance of her family, though she does give her heart to a woman who eventually betrays her by marrying a man. The real diaries that Anne wrote in code wouldn't be deciphered until the 1930s, but their story of forbidden love is one that can be found in countless films over the years. In fact, there's little that distinguishes this story from many others -- other than the fact Anne was living as a semi-out lesbian in the early part of the 19th century. Maxine Peake is wonderful as Anne, making sure the character is strong and filled with moxie, giving her a hard exterior for all areas of life except romance. Jane English's script captures the timeless nature of finding love and becomes a tale of inspiration and admiration for a woman who refused to live by the rules in a man’s world. Tonight, Friday, Jan. 21, at 7 and 9:15 p.m. The Aaron & Cecile Goldman Theater, Washington, D.C.'s Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. Tickets are $12. Call 800-494-TIXS or click here.

Winner of Best Drama at the 2010 Capital Fringe Festival, Genesis returns for an eight-show engagement at the Warehouse at an opportune time, as it echoes Jared Loughner's recent shooting rampage in Arizona. Local playwright Evan Crump tells a story about a mental patient who believes himself a fallen angel, raising tough questions about religion and what Crump suggests is society's willful ignorance about the mentally ill. John C. Bailey directs a cast featuring Derek Jones, Bruce Alan Rauscher, Julie Roundtree and Andrew Wassenich. To Jan. 30. Warehouse, 645 New York Ave. NW. Tickets are $15. Call 202-213-2474 or visit cityartisticpartnerships.org.

"Symmetries" features photographs from Ernesto Santalla's collage series, uniquely documenting Washington's record-breaking snows of 2010. Santalla trudged through the inhibitive landscape, camera in hand, capturing monotonous images from the storm, that he's evolved into kaleidoscopic photographs almost like inkblots. Opening reception tonight, Thursday, Jan. 20, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. On display through Feb. 13. Long View Gallery, 1234 9th St. NW. Call 202-232-4788 or visit longviewgallery.com.

Based in Hoboken, N.J., Yo La Tengo, the long-lasting indie-rock band with an extensive catalogue and a devoted fan base will perform a set that includes a first half to be determined by the spin of a wheel, with possible selections grouped together in categories such as "songs that begin with the letter s." Friday, Jan. 21. Doors at 8 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

Hailed by the New York Times as "perfect masters of improvisation," Chicago City Limits relies on the audience for inspiration in America Idles, a new show poking fun at our fame-obsessed culture. Thursday, Jan. 20, and Friday, Jan. 21, at 8 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $24. Call 703-255-1900 or visit wolf-trap.org.

Country star Chely Wright returns for a second area performance since she came out and energized last year's Capital Pride -- which happened right after she became the first major country artist to come out as gay, a milestone in a genre known for its conservatism, in both artists and fans. But if anyone can win 'em over, it's the charming, beautiful Kansas-born Wright. Friday, Jan. 21, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $25. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

The B-52s, the frolicking foursome from Athens, Ga., with three gay members -- Keith Strickland, Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson -- are as festive and fun as ever. "Keep doing what you're doing, cause it's what we like," they rightly sing on new track "Ultravoilet," from 2008's phenomenal release Funplex. Tonight, Wednesday, Jan. 19. Doors at 7 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $45. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

The American Ballet Theatre performs a premiere by Alexei Ratmansky, "The Bright Stream," as well as a mixed-repertory program part of a Center-wide celebration of the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's inauguration. The Kennedy tribute performances run through Thursday, Jan. 20, at 7:30 p.m. "The Bright Stream" is Friday, Jan. 21, and Saturday, Jan. 22, at 7:30 p.m. Also Saturday, Jan. 22, and Sunday, Jan. 23, at 1:30 p.m. Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $25 to $99. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

The Sinfonia's annual chamber concert features Gut, Wind and Wire, a trio made up of three founding and current members of the Baltimore Consort, in a performance of Renaissance, Elizabethan and Celtic music. Ronn McFarlane, Mark Cudek and Mindy Rosenfeld met while students at Baltimore's prestigious Peabody Conservatory in the late '70s and gave their group a cheeky name that represents the materials used to produce sounds of their respective instruments, including bass viol, percussion, guitar, lute, flute and whistle. Saturday, Jan. 15, at 8 p.m. Montgomery College's Cultural Arts Center, 7995 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. Tickets are $30. Call 301-362-6525 or visit bachsinfonia.org.

Violinist Chee-Yun returns to perform Walton's Violin Concerto, in a program with Bernstein's Overture to Candide and Dvorak's Symphony No. 9. Saturday, Jan. 15, at 8 p.m. George Mason University Center for the Arts, 4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax. Also Sunday, Jan. 16, at 3 p.m. Hylton Performing Arts Center, 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, Va. Tickets are $25 to $55. Call 703-563-1990 or visit fairfaxsymphony.org.

The Washington Stage Guild presents the first U.S. production in decades of Magic, British essayist and mystery writer G.K. Chesterton's witty fairy-tale of a comedy. The play focuses on an aristocratic family reunion where a hired magician challenges the limits of deception in ways that call both faith and reason into question. Chesterton's friend George Bernard Shaw urged him to write Magic, which inspired Ingmar Bergman's film The Magician. Alan Wade directs a cast including Nick Depinto in the title role. Through Jan. 30. The Undercroft Theatre of Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church, 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Tickets are $40 to $50. Call 240-582-0050 or visit stageguild.org.

Yes, he's like that all the time -- or at least, the high-pitched comedian Goldthwait has been doing standup since he was still in high school in Syracuse, N.Y., in the late '70s. He starred in several Police Academy films, not to mention Shakes the Clown (which he wrote and directed). He even opened for Nirvana, of all things, on what would be the Seattle band's final North American tour. Now, he stops for a local performance at the Arlington Drafthouse. Friday, Jan. 14, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 15, at 7:30 and 9:55 p.m. Arlington Cinema N' Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington. Tickets are $23. Call 703-486-2345 or visit arlingtondrafthouse.com.

A Cape Cod-based lesbian singer who got her start in D.C. and Baltimore, Suede has spent decades wowing crowds with her rich contralto voice and playful, charismatic stage presence. She also occasionally plays the trumpet, guitar and piano in her performances of jazz standards, along with some pop and a lot of blues. A regular performer at gay events across the country and as a regular guest with the now-defunct Lesbian & Gay Chorus of Washington, Suede returns to our region to perform at Annapolis's Rams Head. Saturday, Jan. 15, at 8 p.m. Rams Head On Stage, 33 West St., Annapolis. Tickets are $28.50. Call 410-268-4545 or visit ramsheadonstage.com.

Despite its name, the celebrated American folk band has no connection to the Buckeye State. Instead, all members are natives of Northern Virginia, and its songs are influenced by their deep Virginia roots. And the band is so popular in these parts, the Birchmere has booked it all weekend. Friday, Jan. 14, through Sunday, Jan. 16, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $39.50. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

Marin Alsop conducts the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in a multi-media recreation of physicist and author Brian Greene's book for children Icarus at the Edge of Time, set to music by American composer and Baltimore native Philip Glass. Scott Simon narrates the cautionary tale with mythological roots depicting a young boy's accidental adventure to a black hole. Also on the program is Mark-Anthony Turnage's Ceres and John Williams Star Wars Suite. Friday, Jan. 14, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 16, at 3 p.m. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore. Also Saturday, Jan. 15, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $14 to $88. Call 410-783-8000 or visit bsomusic.org.

Vivid interpreters of the classics in the chamber repertoire, advocates for new music and dedicated teachers and mentors to a generation of young musicians, The Peabody Trio offers a program of Mendelssohn and Brahms, Schnittke and Gubaidulina. Friday, Jan. 14, at 8 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $35. Call 703-255-1900 or visit wolf-trap.org.

Beyond the Horizon, Eugene O'Neill's 1920 romantic tragedy and first to earn him a Pulitzer Prize is considered a turning point in the development of American drama. This spare, beautiful, achingly emotional story of a star-crossed love triangle still resonates. Kathleen Akerley directs a cast including Felipe Cabezas, Joe Cronin, Jane Petkofsky, Eli Sibley and Chuck Young. Opening night is Friday, Jan. 14, at 8 p.m. To Feb. 12. Gunston Theater II, 2700 South Lang St. Arlington. Tickets are $30 to $35. Call 703-998-4555 or visit americancentury.org.

Oklahoma born guitarist Tuck Andress met singer Patti Cathcart, a native of San Francisco, at an audition in Las Vegas in 1980. The husband-and-wife jazz duo -- Tuck & Patti -- has been performing together ever since. Thursday, Jan. 13, through Sunday, Jan. 16, at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $27.50, plus $10 minimum purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit bluesalley.com.

Kirill Karabits conducts the NSO and violinist Sergey Khachatryan in a performance including Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 2, plus Silvestrov's Elegy for Strings and Sibelius's Symphony No. 1. Thursday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m., and Friday, Jan. 14, and Saturday, Jan. 15, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $20 to $85. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

The Lincoln Center Theater touring production of Rodger & Hammerstein's South Pacific -- now doing shore leave at the Kennedy Center -- has waded waist deep into capital "R" Romance of both the big Broadway musical and the World War II era in which South Pacific is set. A vivid, picture postcard of a musical, South Pacific has not only spawned a vast progeny of musical earworms and familiar tunes, including "Some Enchanted Evening," "Bali Ha'i," "There is Nothing Like a Dame" and "Younger Than Springtime," but it hails from that school of musical theater where, if you're going to do it, you're going to sing about it. To Jan. 16. Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $39 to $150. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

Read Tom Avila's full review here.

Former Broadway Dreamgirl, and Helen Hayes Award-winner for her role in Studio Theatre's Caroline…or Change, the timeless, and locally legendary, Julia Nixon appears as part of Signature Theatre's Cabaret in the Ark series. The Sarah Vaughan-inspired singer performs standards including "The Impossible Dream," "Look to the Rainbow" and "I Did It My Way" plus some R&B tunes, even a little jazz. Highly recommended. Now through Saturday, Jan. 15, at 8:30 p.m. Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Tickets $34. Call 703-820-9771, or click here.

Beyond the Story: National Geographic Unpublished showcases nearly 50 never-before-seen photographs taken by 15 of National Geographic's best photographers over the course of last year, photos left on the "editing room floor." Topics range from Asia's disappearing glaciers to contemporary South Africa to the fight to save the Jordan River to the struggles of women in Afghanistan. Four of the exhibition's photographers -- Lynsey Addario, Jim Richardson, Fritz Hoffmann and Lynn Johnson -- will discuss their work at a special National Geographic Live event tonight, Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 7:30 p.m. Exhibition runs through June 12. National Geographic Society, 1145 17th St. NW. Tickets are $18 for the National Geographic Live event at the Society's Grosvenor Auditorium, 1600 M St. NW. Call 202-857-7700 or visit nglive.org.

Pictured: Afghan women police train with automatic weapons. Photograph by Lynsey Addario.

Gay playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney's "Brother/Sister Plays" -- The Brothers Size, In The Red and Brown Water and Marcus; Or the Secret of Sweet -- exist in an arresting world that is equal parts gritty reality and poetic mythology. J. Mal McCree plays Marcus, who risks alienating his loved ones as he comes to terms with his homosexuality. Timothy Douglas directs. Now to Feb. 13. Studio Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Tickets are $50 to $57. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.

Marc Bamuthi Joseph, artistic director of HBO's documentary "Brave New Voices" series presents solo works, including the break/s and new material from the upcoming red, black and GREEN: a blues. Saturday, Jan. 8, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 9, at 4 p.m. Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE. Tickets are $22. Call 202-269-1600 or visit danceplace.org.

One of the world's most esteemed collegiate choruses, The Yale Glee Club celebrates its 150th season with a gala concert at Strathmore. The program will feature exciting new works composed for the Glee Club in recent years by leading and emerging composers, classics of the a cappella repertoire, folks songs, spirituals and traditional college songs, as well as a guest appearance by renowned D.C.-based jazz pianist John Eaton along with the Whiffenpoofs of Yale and Whim'n Rhythm of Yale. Friday, Jan. 7, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $20. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

Now that Glee has helped revive interest in the '80s arena rockers, Virginia's State Theatre invites tribute band Frontiers to conjure up that bygone era when Journey reigned. They just won't stop believin'. Friday, Jan. 7, at 9 p.m. The State Theatre, 220 North Washington St., Falls Church. Tickets are $12. Call 703-237-0300 or visit thestatetheatre.com.

The Washington Stage Guild presents the first U.S. production in decades of British essayist and mystery writer G.K. Chesterton's witty fairy-tale of a comedy Magic. The play focuses on an aristocratic family reunion where a hired magician challenges the limits of deception in ways that call both faith and reason into question. Chesterton's friend George Bernard Shaw urged him to write Magic, which inspired Ingmar Bergman's film The Magician. Alan Wade directs a cast including Nick Depinto in the title role. Opens Thursday, Jan. 6, at 7:30 p.m. Through Jan. 30. The Undercroft Theatre of Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church, 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Tickets are $40 to $50. Call 240-582-0050 or visit stageguild.org.

The Black Cat offers a free series this week, with a double-feature cult film and specialty drink special each night. "Drink Away The Shame" kicks it off, with a screening of Showgirls and Troll and $3 "shots of shame," Sunday, Jan. 2. Next is a Kung Fu night, with Drunken Master and $3 Grasshoppers, Monday, Jan. 3. Then it's a John Hughes double-billing, with The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles and $5 mimosas on Tuesday, Jan. 4. The series ends with "Keep It Classy: A Black and White Double Feature" with $5 Tanqueray & Tonics, Wednesday, Jan. 5. Black Cat Backstage, 1811 14th St. NW. Tickets are free. Call 202-667-4490 or visit blackcatdc.com.