February 2011 Archives

There are still tickets available for Glamour, Glitter & Gold, an Oscar-watch gala benefitting The DC Center, Sunday, Feb. 27, at Town Danceboutique, 2009 8th St. NW. The event starts at 7 p.m. and is hosted by Lena Lett and Randy Shulman, who will raffle off several terrific prizes during the commercial breaks. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the evening go to The Center. Those who purchase a $50 VIP ticket will get reserved seating in a roped-off area, catered food and a swag bag filled with movie memorabilia, such as T-shirts and DVDS." Tickets start at $20 general admission. For more information, visit www.thedccenter.org

In the one person show Basra Boy, The Keegan Theatre offers a look at the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and their impact on the streets of Belfast. The world premiere is written by Rosemary Jenkinson, directed by Abigail Isaac and stars Josh Sticklin. Conor McPherson's drama The Weir, meanwhile, is set in a pub in rural Ireland, and focuses on the bar's regulars and a young Dublin woman newly moved to the area. Keegan Theatre's Mark A. Rhea directs the production, starring David Jourdan, Kevin Adams, Susan Marie Rhea, Jon Townson and Mick Tinder. Running in rep through March 12. Church Street Theater, 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 703-892-0202 or visit keegantheatre.com.

The Avalon Theatre offers two feature-length programs of the short films nominated at the upcoming Academy Awards, set for Sunday, Feb. 27 -- a program with the animated shorts, including Pixar's Day & Night and Let's Pollute, a satire on the cultural and economic significance to pollution, plus films from Germany and France; and another with live action, including films from the U.K., Ireland, Belgium and the U.S. Now playing. Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $10.50. Call 202-966-6000 or visit theavalon.org.

Robert Shafer conducts the choir in a concert tribute to 9/11 on its 10th anniversary year. Featured on the program are Haydn's Mass In The Time of War and American composer Joel Puckett's 9/11 tribute This Mourning. TCCW 2011 Young American Artists -- soprano Jennifer Weingartner, mezzo-soprano Alexandra Christoforakis and bass Sean Pflueger -- will be featured as soloists. Puckett will sit for a post-concert conversation with Shafer. This Sunday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. The National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Ave. NW. Tickets are $15 to $45. Call 301-572-6865 or visit thecitychoirofwashington.org.

Irish singer Maura O'Connell got her start as vocalist for the traditional Celtic group De Dannan, but now as a solo artist, she offers contemporary, American country-influenced interpretations of Irish folk songs. Her most recent album, 2009's Grammy-nominated Naked With Friends, was her first all a cappella set, with guest vocalists including Moya Brennan, Jerry Douglas, Alison Krauss, Tim O'Brien, Dolly Parton and Darrell Scott. Saturday, Feb. 26, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $29.50. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

In Video Games Live, members of the National Philharmonic and National Philharmonic Chorale aim to combine the power and emotion of a symphony orchestra with the energy of a rock concert and the technology, fun and interactivity of a video game. The music, drawn from video games such as Mario, Final Fantasy, Warcraft, Interactive Space Invaders, Tomb Raider and many more, will be completely synchronized to amazing, cutting-edge video screen visuals, state-of-the-art lighting and special effects. Saturday, Feb. 26, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $49 to $69. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

Recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Queen of Rockabilly -- and former girlfriend to Elvis Presley -- Wanda Jackson is as feisty as ever, as demonstrated by her latest album, last year's The Party Ain't Over, produced by Jack White. And who says the older set among us has to go to bed early? Just look at this septuagenarian's concert start time. You go, Jackson! Friday, Feb. 25. Doors at 10 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

Kathy Griffin's hit a rough patch of late. She recently lost in her third bid for a Grammy for Best Comedy Album, this time to Lewis Black. Last November, Bravo announced it was canceling her Emmy-winning reality show My Life On The D-List after six seasons. But her heart will go on -- to Broadway, naturally. She'll make her debut there next month for a short run just long enough to be eligible for a Tony nomination. First, she returns to D.C. for some stand-up laughs. Friday, Feb. 25, and Saturday, Feb. 26, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $44.50 to $62. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

The ever-provocative Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, led by the great Tony Award-winning choreographer Jones, offers a performance of "Fondly Do We Hope…Fervently Do We Pray," its tribute to the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. Thursday, Feb. 24, at 8 p.m., followed by a free post-performance discussion with members of the company. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $22 to $65. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

In partnership with the Crystal City Business Improvement District, the Washington Wine Academy offers a "wine walk" through the interior walkways of Crystal City, with "hydration stations" and a former food court turned tasting lounge. The event includes information about and tastes of nearly 40 wines from around the world. Saturday, Feb. 26, and Sunday, Feb. 27, offered in hourly heats from 2 to 5 p.m. Crystal City Shops and Interior Walkways, 2200 Crystal Drive. Arlington. Tickets are $30. Call 202-306-5533 or visit washingtonwineacademy.org.

The cast of Glee will perform at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, June 9. Tickets for Glee: Live on Stage go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 4 at 10 a.m. American Express Cardmembers can purchase tickets starting a week earlier, Friday, February 25. So go apply for that gold card now. Charge by phone at 800-551-SEAT or click here.

The University of Maryland Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center and its School of Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies presents a conversation with gay Pulitzer/Emmy/Obie/Tony-winning playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner. He'll discuss his works, including Caroline, or Change, Steven Spielberg's Munich and the epic masterpiece Angels in America. A reception and book signing follows the free event. This afternoon, Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 3:30 p.m. Clarice Smith Center's Dekelboum Concert Hall, University of Maryland, University Boulevard and Stadium Drive. College Park. Tickets are free. Call 301-405-ARTS or visit claricesmithcenter.umd.edu.

"Second Lives: The Age-Old Art of Recycling Textiles" highlights the ways people in various cultures ingeniously have repurposed worn but precious fabrics to create beautiful new textile forms. The exhibition launches a year-long exploration at the museum of the ties between textiles and environmentalism. To July 10. The Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. Suggested donaton of $5. Call 202-667-0441 or visit textilemuseum.org.

Richard Whitmore's The Bee Eater: Michelle Rhee Takes on the Nation's Worst School District offers a profile of the rabble-rouser Rhee, fleshing out the public figure with details of her personal life and including an interview with her about what she learned as the embattled former chancellor of D.C. public schools. Sunday, Feb. 20, at 5 p.m. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-364-1919 or visit politics-prose.com.

The all-male company celebrates its 10th anniversary season with a special program featuring signature works performed by former and current members, plus the D.C. premiere of founder Helanius J. Wilkins's "Trigger," a provocative work that raises questions about how economic conditions affect individual choices. Tonight, Saturday, Feb. 19, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 20, at 4 p.m. Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE. Tickets are $22. Call 202-269-1600 or visit danceplace.org.

The Washington Ballet touts Rock & Roll as an edgy program featuring Christopher Bruce's "Rooster," set to the music of the Rolling Stones, Trey McIntyre's autobiographical "High Lonesome," set to the music of Beck, and a revival of "Fluctuating Hemlines" by the ballet's Septime Webre. Final performances tonight, Saturday, Feb. 19, at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 19 and 20, at 2:30 p.m. Sidney Harman Hall, Harman Center for the Arts, 610 F St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $87. Call 202-547-1122 or visit washingtonballet.org.

More than 40 musicians and performers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities are showcased in Drumline Live, honoring the black marching band tradition, with explosive choreographed routines set to bold, high-energy beats and tunes from Top 40 pop and hip-hop, swing, even Gospel. Saturday, Feb. 19, at 8 p.m. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore. Tickets are $20 to $60. Call 410-783-8000 or visit bsomusic.org.

Set in a pub in rural Ireland, Conor McPherson's celebrated drama The Weirf ocuses on the bar's regulars and a young Dublin woman newly moved to the area. Keegan Theatre's Mark A. Rhea directs the production, starring David Jourdan, Kevin Adams, Susan Marie Rhea, Jon Townson and Mick Tinder, running in repertory with Basra Boy through March 13. Church Street Theater, 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $35. Call 703-892-0202 or visit keegantheatre.com.

Feel like going on an Oscar Bender? With 10 nominated films at the 2011 Academy Awards, seeing all of them in one day is nigh impossible -- so AMC Theatres has tweaked its five-year-old formula, this year dividing screenings over two Saturdays of all 10 films nominated: 127 Hours, Black Swan, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The Fighter, The King's Speech, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit and Winter's Bone. Back-to-back Saturdays, Feb. 19 and 26. In Washington at the AMC Georgetown Cinema, 3111 K St. NW. A one-day pass goes for $35 and a two-day pass is $60. (You'll spend more on the popcorn.) Call 202-342-6441 or visit amctheatres.com/promos/showcase.

CORRECTED VENUE: We made an error in an earlier post reporting this event. Here is the correct info: Veteran folk singer/songwriter Jonathan Edwards was raised in Northern Virginia and became a regular at local clubs while in college. But after opening gigs for the likes of the Allman Brothers Band and the B.B. King, his career took off. Among his more famous compositions, Sunshine. Tonight, Friday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, Vienna, Va.. Tickets are $24. Call 1-877-965-3872 or visit wolftrap.org.

With praise from Ellen DeGeneres -- "Amy is one of my favorites, I expect to see big things from this girl" -- Amy Schumer has gone from competing on Last Comic Standing to having guest-starring roles on Curb Your Enthusiasm, 30 Rock and MTV and VH-1 shows such as Best Week Ever and I Love The 80s -- not to mention, The Ellen Show. Friday, Feb. 18, and Saturday, Feb. 19, at 9:55 p.m. Arlington Cinema N' Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington. Tickets are $18. Call 703-486-2345 or visit arlingtondrafthouse.com.

The American Film Institute's Silver Theatre presents a new "Sing-A-Long" 35mm print of the popular 1978 musical Grease, with animated subtitles. We're hopelessly devoted to it. Friday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 19, at 7:45 p.m. and 10 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 20, at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m., and Thursday, Feb. 24, at 9:30 p.m. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $11 general admission. Call 301-495-6720 or visit afi.com/Silver.

Folger Library presents a PEN/Faulkner discussion with former National Book Award recipient Jonathan Franzen, reading from his latest bestselling novel, Freedom. Tonight, Friday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m. Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin Aves. NW. Tickets are $22. Call 202-537-2228 or visit nationalcathedral.org.

Fresh from performing with Bob Dylan at the Grammys, the North Carolina folk-rock band, led by brothers Scott on banjo and Seth on guitar, are gaining more and more recognition by the day. Tonight, Friday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. D.A.R. Constitution Hall, 1776 D St. NW. Remaining tickets are $35. Call 202-628-1776 or visit dar.org/conthall.

Washington Color and Light presents major works by the artists associated with the Washington Color School -- Gene Davis, Thomas Downing, Morris Louis, Howard Mehring, Kenneth Noland and Paul Reed -- and their contemporaries, including Rockne Krebs, Anne Truitt, Leon Berkowtiz and Alma Thomas. These works of abstract painting and sculpture from the mid-20th Century to the present are united by an exploration of the language of abstraction, a desire to experiment with materials, and a love of color. Through Sunday, March 6. Corcoran Gallery, 500 17th St. NW. Tickets are $10. Call 202-639-1700 or visit corcoran.org.

In "Take a Deep Breath," Jane Franklin Dance company performs pieces including "Branch," "Same Place at the Same Time" and "Leroy," with musical accompaniment. Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 6 p.m. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Tickets are FREE. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

The Washington Ballet touts Rock & Roll as an edgy program featuring Christopher Bruce's "Rooster," set to the music of the Rolling Stones, Trey McIntyre's autobiographical "High Lonesome," set to the music of Beck, and a revival of "Fluctuating Hemlines" by the ballet's Septime Webre. Wednesday, Feb. 16, through Saturday, Feb. 19, at 8 p.m. Also Saturday, Feb. 19, at 2:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 20, at 1 p.m. Sidney Harman Hall, Harman Center for the Arts, 610 F St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $87. Call 202-547-1122 or visit washingtonballet.org.

The incomparable tapper Savion Glover, with his company of musicians and dancers, arrives at Strathmore with "SoLo iN TiME," blending the sensuous, style of flamenco with the explosive, percussive force of tap. Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $25 to $48. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

Blake Robison adapts Bethesda writer Alice McDermott's National Book Award-winning novel Charming Billy in this world premiere production, offering a masterful look at how a community can pin its dreams to one man, and how good intentions can be as destructive as the truth they were meant to hide. The cast includes Julie Ann Elliot, Molly Cahill Govern, Mitchell Hebert, Kathryn Kelley, Amy McWilliams and David Whalen. To Feb. 20. Round House Theatre, 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda. Tickets are $25 to $60. Call 240-644-1100 or visit roundhousetheatre.org.

Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame a few years back, Indiana rocker John Mellencamp has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He's touring in support of last year's No Better Than This, his second produced by noted roots legend T-Bone Burnett. Mellencamp will perform a two-hour-plus concert in three acts: A stripped-down acoustic set with his band, a solo acoustic set, and then a fully amped rock set to go out with a bang. Tonight, Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. D.A.R. Constitution Hall, 1776 D St. NW. Remaining tickets are $75 to $128.50. Call 202-628-1776 or visit dar.org/conthall.

Well known to some from NBC's The West Wing, Anna Deavere Smith is a triple threat actress/playwright/author. But she's also a storyteller and historian, capturing and recording ideas and passions and those small elements of people's lives that might otherwise go unremembered, unnoticed. In her one-woman show Let Me Down Easy, Deavere Smith brings 20 different individuals to the stage, moving in and out of other people's lives like a vaudeville quick-change artist. Let Me Down Easy finds its center as a meditation of the state and nature of health care, but quickly blossoms into something much more far reaching. It raises questions about life, disease and our inherent discomfort with the idea and inescapability of death. Ultimately, Deavere Smith's cast of characters will do everything but let you down. Closes this Sunday, Feb. 13. Kreeger Theatre at the Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $70 to $85. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

The Shakespeare Theatre offers a simulcast screening of Fela!, last year's rousing Tony Award-winning musical, which recently transferred from Broadway to London's West End. The musical blends dance, theater and music as it tells the story and struggle of Nigerian activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Kuti is the pioneering legend of Afrobeat, the celebratory, hypnotic musical style blending jazz, funk and African rhythm and harmonies. Director/choreographer Bill T. Jones won the Tony for his imaginative staging of the show, which ultimately is as much of a concert as anything. One of the most inspiring concerts imaginable, in fact. Sunday, February 13, 2011 at 2 p.m. Sidney Harman Hall, Harman Center for the Arts, 610 F St. NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-547-1122 or visit shakespearetheatre.org.

The Gay Men's Chorus will serenade Mike Almy and other LGBT servicemembers in a tribute to the long-overdue end of Don't Ask, Don't Tell on Saturday, Feb. 12. "We're going to share stories about gays in the military dating back to the Civil War, [and] songs that relate throughout our country's history, artistic director Jeff Buhrman told Metro Weekly last week about the USO-style show Let's Hear It For The Boys. And several chorus members who have served will share their stories as well as sing. Saturday, Feb. 12, at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. at The Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Tickets are $35. Call 202-293-1548 or visit gmcw.org.

Kareem J. Mortimer's tough and touching drama, set in Brazil, Children of Godfocuses on two young men struggling to come out. The film screens as part of Reel Affirmations's monthly RX Xtra program. Friday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. 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 visit reelaffirmations.org.

What will it sound like to have a woman sing "Enter Sandman" or "One"? Misstallica -- All-Girl Tribute to Metallica is your chance to find out. Disciples Of Sabbath - D.C.'s Black Sabbath Experience open. Tonight, Friday, Feb. 11, at 9 p.m. The State Theatre, 220 North Washington St., Falls Church. Tickets are $10 in advance. Call 703-237-0300 or visit thestatetheatre.com.

A blues-fired R&B singer with a countrified bent and a gospel and jazz background, New Yorker by way of Georgia Lizz Wright sometimes powers her smoky contralto to its full-throttle peak or its highest height, but the point is never to showboat. Wright will knock you out with lyrical power, stun you with beautiful, elegantly crafted melodies, shock you with vocal subtlety. Tonight, Friday, Feb. 11, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $35. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

If You Loved Me You'd Think This Was Cute features searing black-and-white illustrations from Nick Galifianakis, best known as the cartoonist sidekick to syndicated advice columnist Carolyn Hax. He's also the cousin of actor Zach Galifianakis, who writes an introduction to this collection of more than 200 cartoon panels. Friday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-364-1919 or visit politics-prose.com.

On Sunday afternoon, Feb. 13, following the 2 p.m. matinee of Tarell Alvin McCraney's stunning Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet, the Studio Theatre, in partnership with Metro Weekly, is presenting a special post-show discussion entitled "Sweet Stories: Gay Youth and our LGBT Community." The panel discussion will be moderated by Metro Weekly's Sean Bugg and will feature members of the Marcus cast, as well as participants from Us Helping Us, SMYAL and The Trevor Project. Studio is offering special rates to the event, and groups will also save significantly over the single-ticket prices. Call Lauren Reynolds at 202-232-7267 and mention Us Helping Us to receive the discount for tickets. For more details, please click here.

Kareem J. Mortimer's tough and touching drama, set in Brazil, Children of Godfocuses on two young men struggling to come out. The film screens as part of Reel Affirmations's monthly RX Xtra program. Friday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. 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 visit reelaffirmations.org.

After performing last year in the wonderful revival of the rock musical Chess, Euan Morton returns to Signature, this time to perform his amusingly titled one-man cabaret “Where I Have Been (All Your Lives)?” Morton will sing standards (“When Your Life Was Low,” “La Vie en Rose”), plus selections from his upcoming solo set. Thursday, Feb. 10, at 8:30 p.m., and Friday, Feb. 11, at 7:30 p.m. Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Tickets $35. Call 703-820-9771 or visit signature-theatre.org.

Gianandrea Noseda makes his NSO debut conducting renowned pianist Radu Lupu in a performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3. Also on the program is Smetana's Overture to The Kiss and Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony. Thursday, Feb. 10, through Saturday, Feb. 12, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $20 to $85. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

Given recent shows elsewhere, she might start this show late. But that Lauryn Hill -- that's Ms. Lauryn Hill now, she insists -- is set to appear on stage in our area at all is something to savor. It's been 13 years since The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and in the meantime she's retreated to have four children (making five total) with her husband, the fourth son of Bob Marley. She's finally gearing up for a comeback, and is said to be working on recording new material. Hopefully it won't take another 13 years. Thursday, Feb. 10. Doors at 9:30 p.m. Rams Head Live!, 20 Market Place, Baltimore. Tickets are $65. Call 410-244-1131 or visit ramsheadlive.com.

Linkin Park, the tuneful nu-metal/rap rock band, stops in D.C. on its world tour supporting last year's A Thousand Suns, a middling concept album about war, nuclear war in particular. Is it 1988 again already? Thursday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. Tickets are $42.50 to $72.50. Call 202-628-3200 or visit verizoncenter.com.

Gang of Four, the definitive punk-funk/post-punk band, has returned 30 years after storming the airwaves and inspiring everyone from R.E.M. to Red Hot Chili Peppers to Franz Ferdinand to The Rapture. Last month, the British band released the critically acclaimed Content, and now it tours in support. Wednesday, Feb. 9 at the Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Doors at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

D.C.-based filmmakers Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer's 2010 documentary Out In The Silence focuses on a popular young jock brutally bullied at his small-town high school after coming out as gay. His mother invited filmmaker and native son Wilson to come and tell the tale, revealing the challenges still facing gay people in 21st century America. Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 8 p.m., followed by a discussion with the filmmakers. Artisphere's Dome Theatre, 1101 Wilson Blvd. Arlington. Tickets are $6. Call 703-875-1100 or visit artisphere.com.

Exciting and innovative, the Alexandria Kleztet has been combining traditional Eastern European Jewish music with diverse influences for more than a decade. The free concert at the University of Maryland will include new arrangements of traditional melodies and original songs by members of the band. Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 5:30 p.m. Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center's Joseph and Alma Gildenhorn Recital Hall, University of Maryland, University Boulevard and Stadium Drive. College Park. Tickets are free. Call 301-405-ARTS or visit claricesmithcenter.umd.edu.

Philip Goodwin stars in Tynan, a one-man show, from Richard Nelson and Colin Chambers, about the great theater critic Kenneth Tynan, based on his diaries edited by John Lahr. Tynan dishes dirt and critical cruelties on theater celebrities of his day, including Vivien Leigh, Orson Welles, Laurence Olivier and C.S. Lewis. Paul Mullins directs. Extended to Feb. 13. Studio Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Tickets are $50 to $57. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.

The Washington Psychotronic Film Society, dedicated to independent, experimental, low-budget, off-the-beaten-path filmmaking, presents a weekly Tuesday night screening series. This Tuesday offers the 1986 film by Dennis Yu Wan-Kwong, about a 400-year-old demonic cat, set to either become immortal or lose its ninth and final life. "A dying adversary and his goofball apprentice are humanity's only hope," reads the PR material. Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 8 p.m. The Passenger, 1021 7th St. NW. Screenings are free but donations are suggested. Call 202-462-3356 or visit wpfs.org.

Under the artistic direction of founder Mary Lane, Unevenlane offers stories connecting with emotions to create richly layered dances full of curious intersections, angles, and meaning. Performances include "Three Steps," "What RU Missing" and the world premiere of "DANCE." Saturday, Feb. 5, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 6, at 4 p.m. Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE. Tickets are $22. Call 202-269-1600 or visit danceplace.org.

Maryland-based playwright Heather McDonald's Pulitzer Prize-nominated An Almost Holy Picture follows one man's odyssey from Massachusetts to New Mexico, from despair to triumph, heeding a mysterious voice (God?) heard as a child. Tony Tsedneas directs. Opens tonight, Saturday, Feb. 5, at 8 p.m. Runs through Feb. 20. Rep Stage, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Md. Tickets are $20 to $24. Call 443-518-1500 or visit repstage.org.

Originally written by French comic genius and cinema legend Jacques Tati as a love letter from father to daughter, The Illusionist has been adapted by Oscar-nominated director Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Belleville) into his distinctive hand-drawn animated style. The story revolves around an aging magician and a teenage girl, whose paths become intertwined. The film is up for an Oscar this year, and if there is any justice, it will beat its CGI competition, Toy Story 3 and How to Train Your Dragon (not that they're bad films, but come on -- Chomet works are akin to masterpieces). Opens today, Friday, Feb. 4 at Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema, 7235 Woodmont Ave. Call 301-652-7273 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

The SITI Company presents Radio Macbeth, which tells the story of Orson Welles and his company of actors (Mercury Theatre on the Air) rehearsing for a radio broadcast of Macbeth. As the rehearsal unfolds, the actors become possessed by the play and its spirits of ambition, violence, fortune and fate. Today, Friday, Feb. 4, and Saturday, Feb. 5, at 8 p.m. Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center's Ina and Jack Kay Theatre, University of Maryland, University Boulevard and Stadium Drive. College Park. Tickets are $35. Call 301-405-ARTS or visit claricesmithcenter.umd.edu.

A deliriously stylish, searingly erotic thriller from Korea, The Housemaid explores what happens to an innocent girl in the employ of a rich and powerful family. Sang-soo Im directs. In Korean with English subtitles. Opens today, Feb. 4 at Landmark's E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

A D.C.-based dance/electronica band, Ra Ra Rasputin makes its debut at Strathmore as part of the venue's Friday Night Eclectic party, where you can take in art and live music while imbibing cocktails. Friday, Feb. 4, at 8 p.m. The Mansion at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $12. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

D.C.-based Todd Wright has been the touring guitarist for such national acts as the Pat McGee Band, Better Than Ezra and Lucy Woodward, and his band GetawayCar's song "Superstar" was the soundtrack for the 2003 Pontiac Vibe. Cal Everett, a D.C.-based rock artist, has spent the last few years touring the country in Still Surfin', a Beach Boys cover band. Ah, good vibrations. Thursday, Feb. 3, at 8 p.m. Jammin' Java, 227 Maple Ave. E. Vienna. Tickets are $12. Call 703-255-3747 or visit jamminjava.com.

Michael Krajewski conducts the NSO Pops in Disney in Concert, an evening of musical selections from Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, The Lion King and more. Thursday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 4 and Saturday, Feb. 5, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $20 to $85. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

The American Film Institute's Silver Theatre presents the first in a three-part series this year exploring the works of Alfred Hitchcock. "Part I: The British Hitchcock" focuses on his British pictures, including The Skin Game, the original The Man Who Knew Too Much, The 39 Steps, Sabotage and The Lady Vanishes. Pianist and composer Andrew Simpson, a professor at Catholic University of America, will offer live accompaniment for the screenings of The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog later this month, while the eclectic instrumentalists in Alloy Orchestra will accompany the original 1929 silent version of Blackmail in late March. The series opens with the sound version of Blackmail, released in 1929 as the first British talkie, on Friday, Feb. 4, at 7:20 p.m. (The film's original silent version screens in late March.) The series runs to March 31. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $11 general admission. Call 301-495-6720 or visit afi.com/Silver.

Some of the national gay community's most talented and dynamic writers appear for a queer reading at the 2011 Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference. Under the heading 3 Dollar Bill, roughly 30 writers will read from their work, including Francisco Aragon, Ilse Bendorf, Monica Carter, Cynn Chadwick, Sela Chavez, Danielle Evennou, Reginald Harris, Saeed Jones, Eileen Myles, Achy Obejas, Jason Schneiderman, Joseph Shapiro, Justin Torres and Dan Vera. Thursday, Feb. 3, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Human Rights Campaign Equality Forum, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, visit ilsebendorf.com.

The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington hosts a monthly piano bar and open-mike night at Dupont's Black Fox Lounge. Singers of all levels are welcome to perform solos, duets or even sing-a-long with members of the chorus. The series is meant as an homage to D.C.'s former gay bar Friends and its brilliant pianist Carl Barnwell. Thursday, Feb. 3, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Black Fox Lounge, 1723 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-483-1723 or visit blackfoxlounge.com.

The popular Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre returns to perform several mixed repertory programs, including Ailey's signature piece Revelations, celebrating its 50th anniversary next season. Opens tonight, Tuesday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. Also Wednesday, Feb. 2, through Satuday, Feb. 5, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 5, and Sunday, Feb. 6, at 1:30 p.m. Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $30 to $99. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

Before Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant had formed a short-lived group called the Band of Joy. He's now revived the name, this time with famed singer-songwriter Patty Griffin, singer-guitarist Buddy Miller (from Plant's Grammy-winning Raising Sand project with Alison Krauss), plus Darrell Scott, Byron House and Marco Giovino. Sounds like a stairway to rock heaven. Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 8 p.m. At DAR Constitution Hall. Tickets are $64.25. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.