July 2011 Archives

After snagging four Helen Hayes Awards, including Outstanding Musical, Arena Stage revives the show that christened its new Mead Center complex last fall and now becomes its first summer production, lasting all the way into the start of fall. Oklahoma! became the best-selling show in Arena's 60-year history, serving as a fine launch to what turned out to be a fine season at the fine Southwest Waterfront complex. Now to Oct. 2. The Fichandler at Arena Stage, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $76 to $106. Call 202-554-9066 or visit arenastage.org.

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The Red Palace offers the first in a series of cocktail classes with a look at the creation and development of the American martini. But it's not just a dry exercise -- full-size tastings are included. Sunday, July 31, at 8 p.m. Red Palace, 1212 H Street NE. Tickets $25, includes three cocktails. Call 202-399-3201 or visit redpalacedc.com.

Some people refer to her as the Queen of Country, and that's all well and good. In fact, Dolly Parton is one of the savviest songwriters working today -- she was country-pop a decade before country-pop was cool, and turned to bluegrass a couple years before T-Bone Burnett helped revive the genre's popularity. Ultimately, however, gays love Dolly Parton because of her message and her spirit as much as her music. "I think it's because they know that I'm different, too, and it took a long time for me to be accepted," she said about her gay fans on Joy Behar's talk show two years ago. "We should allow people to be who they are, and love them as they are....I always say, 'Well, sure! Why can't they get married? They should suffer like the rest of us, too.'" There won't be any suffering at Wolf Trap, as Dolly takes the stage this Sunday, July 31, at 8 p.m. Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $35 to $60. Call 703-255-1900 or visit wolftrap.org.

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Tickets go on sale Friday, July 29, at 10 a.m. for Mary J. Blige, who will open Silver Spring's newest venue, the Live Nation-owned Fillmore on Sept. 15. The site, at 8656 Colesville Road, once sported a J.C. Penney department store. Now it will be home to a major concert venue. Tickets are $89.50. Visit fillmoresilverspring.com.

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Marvin Hamlisch leads Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell and the NSO at Wolf Trap in a performance of classic showtunes, including South Pacific, Carousel and Hamlisch's own A Chorus Line. Friday, July 29, at 8:15 p.m. Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $20 to $52. Call 703-255-1900 or visit wolftrap.org.

Comprised of former members of the mixed-gender, mixed-sexuality band Hercules and Love Affair, Jessica 6 offers a similarly infectious blend of disco, soul and R&B that appeals to a mixed crowd. Fresh from performing at San Francisco Pride, the trio of transgender vocalists Nomi Ruiz, Andrew Raposo and Morgan Wiley tours in support of its new debut album See The Light. Jessica 6 opens for Xylos, another New York City band making eccentric pop, this time with a strong Kate Bush bent. Wednesday, July 27, at 8:30 p.m. The Red & The Black, 1212 H Street NE. Tickets $8 in advance. Call 202-399-3201 or visit redandblackbar.com.

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Bisexual Australian Sia Furler first came to attention in 2005 for her hauntingly beautiful, pleading ballad "Breathe Me," which dramatically closed out HBO's Six Feet Under. The album that followed was a serious, studied affair. But last year's We Are Born, Sia's third, proved that the once downtempo/chill-out artist with the appealingly elastic warble is a master up-tempo pop tunesmith at heart, clearly weaned on Cyndi Lauper and Madonna. She offered one insanely catchy melody after another, with tunes that make you want to dance and sing along. And now she returns to the 9:30 Club, after a magical, engaging show last May. If you missed that, you get a rare second chance. Danish electro-pop songstress Oh Land opens. Thursday, July 28. Doors at 7 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

There's still time to win a pair of tickets to Sia. Enter by Monday, July 25, at noon.

The Hub Theatre presents the world-premiere production of gay humor writer Marc Acito's Birds of a Feather, an inspiring story about families and the bird-brained behaviors of humans -- and penguins. In fact, the play focuses on the gay penguins at New York's Central Park Zoo that were a media sensation last decade, contrasting them with the reaction to red-tailed hawks that made their home nearby. Shirley Serotsky directs a cast including the appropriately named Dan Crane. To Aug. 7. John Swayze Theatre, the New School of Northern Virginia, 9431 Silver King Ct. Fairfax. Tickets are $25. Call 703-674-3177 or visit thehubtheatre.org.

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Director James Marsh and the Oscar-winning team behind the documentary Man on Wire offer Project Nim, the story of a chimpanzee who became the focus of a landmark experiment in the '70s to see if an ape reared and nurtured like a child could learn to communicate with sign language. It didn't work. Landmark's E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

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Somebody ought to bake a giant Armadillo cake and present it to Keegan Theatre for deciding to close its 2011 season with Robert Harling's Steel Magnolias. The play centers on the camaraderie of six Southern women who talk, gossip, needle and harangue each other -- and that's only half its gay, gay, gay appeal. The script's dialogue, famous one-liners and out-and-out compassion is what really takes the cake. Real-life mother-daughter duo Sheri S. and Laura Herren star. Directed by Mark A. Rhea. Opens Saturday, July 23, at 8 p.m. To Aug. 21. Church Street Theater, 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $35. Call 703-892-0202 or visit keegantheatre.com.

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Long View Gallery's Refresh: New Works by Some of Long View's Best offers new works by Mike Weber, Scott Brooks, Tony Savoie, Michelle Peterson-Albandoz, Anne Marchand, Paula Crawford and others. Opening reception is Thursday, July 28, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. On exhibit through Aug. 28. Long View Gallery, 1234 9th St. NW. Call 202-232-4788 or visit longviewgallery.com.

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Tickets go on sale this Friday, July 22, for Maryland-native Tori Amos's hometown concert at D.A.R. Constitution Hall in December supporting Night of Hunters, a new set due in the fall. Amos describes the album as "a 21st Century song cycle inspired by classic music themes spanning over 400 years." It's all about the hunters and hunted in the game of love. Overly ambitious? Perhaps, but then Amos doesn't do anything unless it's hairy and audacious. "It's got to be big," she famously chirped on her remixed hit "Professional Widow." Tickets go on sale this Friday, July 22, at 10 a.m. for the Dec. 5 concert at D.A.R. Constitution Hall, 1776 D St. NW. Tickets are $46.50.

There is a special pre-sale event on Thursday, July 21 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Click here and use the password LYRICS when ordering.

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Woolly Mammoth reprises its production of Bruce Norris's Clybourne Park, after having won a couple Helen Hayes Awards and this year's Pulitzer Prize. As Metro Weekly critic Kate Wingfield noted in her four-star review last year, the play is an "exceedingly clever, high-octane piece on neighborhood race relations past and present. Even if we have seen many similar scenarios on stage and screen, Norris delivers his version with a sophistication of wit, insight and emotional honesty -- not to mention humor and entertainment -- that takes it head and shoulders above the rest." Opens in a Pay-What-You-Can performance Thursday, July 21, at 8 p.m. To Aug. 14. Woolly Mammoth, 641 D St. NW. Tickets range from $30 to $65. Call 202-393-3939 or visit woollymammoth.net.

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Multi-Grammy-winning '80s hitmaker Pat Benatar, a pioneering woman in rock, is about to go into the studio to record her first album in nearly 20 years. In the interim, she's raised a couple of daughters with husband Neil Giraldo, who's also her producer and collaborator. He'll join her for an intimate evening at the 9:30 Club tonight. To paraphrase a few choice hits, they're sure to hit you with their best shot in the shadows of the night, proving that love really is a battlefield, full of heartbreakers. Tonight, Tuesday, July 19. Doors at 7 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $45. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

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In collaboration with the Embassy of Peru, the National Geographic Society presents screenings today of two Peruvian films, each followed by demonstrations of the dances represented. First up is Mitchell Teplitsky's Soy Andina, which tells the story of two women who explore and affirm their Peruvian identity through dance. One of the women, Cynthia Paniagua, will offer a dance demonstration and sit for a conversation with Teplitsky after the screening. Gabriela Yepes' short film Danzak follows, telling the story of Nina, a young Peruvian girl whose father, a master of the traditional Andean Scissors Dance, is dying of a respiratory ailment. A live demonstration of the scissors dance follows. Sunday, July 17, at 1 p.m. for Soy Andina and at 3:30 p.m. for Danzak. National Geographic Society's Gilbert H. Grosvenor Auditorium, 1600 M St. NW. Tickets are $10 each screening. Call 202-857-7700 or visit nglive.org.

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An American rock supergroup formed in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan, A Perfect Circle now includes bassist Matt McJunkins (Ashes Divide), guitarist James Iha (formerly of the Smashing Pumpkins) and session drummer Josh Freese (known for work with Nine Inch Nails and Devo). Tonight, Sunday, July 17, at 8 p.m. D.A.R. Constitution Hall, 1776 D St. NW. Tickets are $69.50. Call 202-628-1776 or visit dar.org/conthall.

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Gore Vidal lampoons the Cold War and humanity's self-destructive preoccupation with world domination in Visit to a Small Planet, a 1956 satire originally written for television and a precursor to alien series such as Mork and Mindy and 3rd Rock from the Sun. It's perfectly fitting that Virginia's The American Century Theater now offers a production of the play, since it's set in nearby Manassass and references the famous Battle of Bull Run. Bruce Rauscher, John Tweel, Steve Lebens, Kelly Cronenberg and Megan Graves are part of the cast. To Aug. 6. American Century Theater -- Gunston Theater II, 2700 South Lang St. Arlington. Tickets are $30 to $35. Call 703-998-4555 or visit americancentury.org.

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Just a few months after stopping at the Verizon Center, rapper Lil Wayne returns to the region to perform at Jiffy Lube Live. He's still got Rick Ross in tow, plus Keri Hilson, Far East Movement and Lloyd. Oh, and it's still called the "I'm Still Music" tour. But it's sure to be anything but still in the arena. Tonight, Saturday, July 16, at 7 p.m. Jiffy Lube Live, 7800 Cellar Door Drive, Bristow, Va. Tickets are $35.75 to $105.75. Call 703-754-6400 or visit livenation.com.

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R&B singer Angela Winbush started her career as a backup singer for Stevie Wonder and then joined in the duo Rene and Angela. She produces all of her own material as well as for others, including the Isley Brothers, Janet Jackson and Stephanie Mills. Saturday and Sunday, July 16 and 17, at 8 and 10 p.m. Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $43, plus $10 minimum purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit bluesalley.com.

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A Jewish Sound of Music of sorts and one of Broadway's cash cows, Fiddler on the Roof was first staged in 1964, as directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins. The original choreography, particularly the bar celebration and the raucous wedding scene, inspires awe to this day. John Preece takes over from Harvey Fierstein's untraditional casting as the tradition-bound Tevye last year. It's Preece's ninth tour with the show -- so his appearance is a return to tradition, you might say. Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $20 to $80. Call 703-255-1900 or visit wolf-trap.org.

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 broke the domestic box office record for a midnight opening. The film took in a whopping $43.5 million, reported Warner Bros., the film's distributor. In addition, the movie "broke the midnight opening record for IMAX theatres, with a $2 million gross on a record number of IMAX screens."

Read Metro Weekly's review of the film here.

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The Second City, Chicago's legendary comedy theater troupe, stops by Virginia's Synetic Theater to regale the audience in some of the best sketches, songs and improvisations from its now impressive 50-year history. Many of the skits were written by Second City alum like Alan Arkin, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Stephen Colbert and Tina Fey. Friday, July 15, and Saturday, July 16, at 7:15 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Synetic Theater -- Crystal City, 1800 South Bell St., Arlington. Tickets are $40. Call 800-494-8497 or visit synetictheater.org.

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Mongtomery County's Unexpected Stage Company lives up to its name with the show that kicks off its second season, David Johnston's Candy and Dorothy. When it ran off-off Broadway in 2006, the New York Times called the comic fantasy "an oddball homage to Frank Capra," while GLAAD bestowed it with a Media Award. The play explores an encounter between Candy Darling, the glamorous, transsexual Andy Warhol superstar, and Dorothy Day, the devout co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement. They meet up in the afterlife, when they must work to save a down-on-her-luck, drug-selling librarian. Unexpected Stage's co-founder Chris Goodrich directs Jean Hudson Miller and Robert Sheire. Opens tonight, Friday, July 15, at 7:30 p.m. Runs through July 31. VisArts, 155 Gibbs St. Rockville. Tickets are $8 to $20. Call 301-337-8290 or visit unexpectedstage.org.

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Chris Colfer, Lea Michele and Cory Monteith will all be graduating Glee next year. We're sorry to see him (them) go. Extra had this interview to share with the openly-gay Colfer.

Glee star and newly anointed Emmy nominee Chris Colfer talked with Extra's Jerry Penacoli about his character, the colorful Kurt Hummel, leaving the show after next season, how he’d like Kurt to go out – and what's next.

Colfer said he was "surprised that there was an announcement made" by co-creator Ryan Murphy about the cast shake up, which also includes the ousting of co-stars Lea Michele and Cory Monteith, but Colfer understands.

"I think we all knew something like this was coming. Ryan's been very honest from the beginning, saying that that the kids were going to eventually grow up and leave, because that's what happens, kids grow up and leave. We can't be in high school forever."

The actor added, "Do I want to leave the show? Absolutely not. This is home for me. But I understand that there's time for a conclusion."

What direction would he like Kurt to take when he leaves? "I would love to see him walking off to the sunset with an internship at Vogue. That's where he's headed. That's what I would like."

The Glee actor is also hoping he might be asked back for a few episodes. "I'm hoping I can be like Farrah Fawcett, a la Charlie's Angels, and come back in the fifth episode. Or I can be like Batgirl in the Batman series, where there's a symbol in the opening credits and you know they're in it."

Even though it may be bittersweet, Colfer is excited about the upcoming Season 3. "I guess they're going to have to pull out all of the stops because it's our last one. I think they're going with a more comedic route with Kurt this season, which I'm very looking forward to, so I don't have to cry in every scene."

And he is also looking forward to the future. "I really want to do something scary. I want to play something scary, like someone mentally disturbed," adding, laughing, "That wouldn't be much of a stretch."

What about the rumors that are surfacing on a spin-off series he says, "I just heard rumors. I’m definitely not attached to anything officially or anything like that. So we'll see."

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Local residents eager to check out The Fillmore Silver Spring can now get a sneak peek inside the venue. The official Preview Center, located on Ellsworth Drive in Downtown Silver Spring, opened July 14 and educates visitors on the historical legacy of The Fillmore, the construction of The Fillmore Silver Spring project and the amenities that guests can expect at the new venue.

“We wanted to give the community an opportunity to learn about The Fillmore history and about our local venue,” said Stephanie Steele, General Manager of The Fillmore Silver Spring. “We’re so excited to be a part of the community here, and the Preview Center not only provides a location to educate but also gives us a chance to meet and talk to local residents.”

Visitors to the Preview Center will have the chance to view literature about the original venues in San Francisco, learn about Fillmore founder Bill Graham, view time-lapse photos of construction and talk to The Fillmore Silver Spring team about all the offerings that will be available at the venue; concerts, special events, community opportunities, and enhanced VIP services.

The Fillmore Silver Spring Preview Center opened at 921 Ellsworth Drive on July 14 at Noon and will remain open until The Fillmore Silver Spring opens mid September. The Preview Center will have the same operating hours as Art Spring and will be open Tuesday through Sunday.

As part of House of Blues Entertainment, The Fillmore Silver Spring’s parent company Live Nation will manage the live music concert bookings and plans to book over 150 shows a year at the new venue.

The Fillmore Silver Spring will be the first venue with its historical namesake to be developed from the ground up. The 23,000 square foot, 2000 capacity music venue will offer leading industry technology in audio, lighting and video as well as share fiber-optic connectivity to American Film Institute’s Silver Theatre located across the street.

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Keith Alan Baker directs Pop!, a madcap musical murder mystery that peeks into Andy Warhol's infamous Factory, as written by Maggie-Kate Coleman with music composed by Anna K. Jacobs. The musical takes as its jumping-off point the real-life, non-fatal shooting of Warhol in 1968. At that time, his famous Pop Art studio and hangout was at its peak, and competition within his artistic collective for each member's 15-minutes-of-fame was in full effect. Studio Theatre's 2ndStage presents only the second production of the show, after its premiere a couple years ago at the Yale Repertory Theatre. Tom Story stars. Now to Aug. 7. Studio Theatre's 2ndStage, 14th & P Streets NW. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.

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The drag queens of Freddie's Beach Bar in Arlington present Survivor Freddie's, a fundraiser for the Atlantic States Gay Rodeo Association (ASGRA). The queens raising the least tips after each performance will be considered "voted off" the stage, Survivor-style. How cruel -- and cool. Two Atlantic Stampede belt buckles will also be raffled off, along with a surprise raffle later in the evening. Sunday, July 17, at 9 p.m. Freddie's Beach Bar, 555 South 23rd St., Arlington. Call 703-685-0555 or visit freddiesbeachbar.com.

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The Hub Theatre presents the world-premiere production of gay humor writer Marc Acito's Birds of a Feather, an inspiring story about families and the bird-brained behaviors of humans -- and also, penguins. In fact, the play focuses on the gay penguins at New York's Central Park Zoo that were a media sensation last decade. Shirley Serotsky directs a cast including Matt Dewberry and Dan Crane. Opens Friday, July 15, at 8 p.m. To Aug. 7. John Swayze Theatre, the New School of Northern Virginia, 9431 Silver King Ct., Fairfax. Tickets are $25. Call 703-674-3177 or visit thehubtheatre.org.

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The Virgin Mobile FreeFest Presented by Kyocera was announced today by Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, who delivered the message via a video posted on Virgin Mobile Live's Facebook page. The free, Billboard award-winning festival, known for breaking from traditional music events, will feature two Main Stages and a Dance Forest. Scheduled to perform on the Main Stages are The Black Keys, Deadmau5 (pictured), Cee Lo Green, TV on the Radio, Patti Smith, Empire of the Sun, Cut Copy, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Okkervil River, Big Sean, Two Door Cinema Club, Alberta Cross, and Bombay Bicycle Club. The Dance Forest will feature James Murphy, Calvin Harris, Ghostland Observatory, !!!, Porter Robinson, Eclectic Method, and Teddybears. This year's festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 10, at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.

"It's so much fun to be a part of this," Seth Hurwitz, chairman of I.M.P. and Virgin Mobile FreeFest producer said in a statement to the press. "As a promoter, I enjoy watching 40,000 people walking around, having a blast, feeling very lucky they got a free ticket...it's my favorite day of the year. There are a lot of bands vying to play this festival, but, because we give all the tickets away, we get to choose based on nothing but who we think are the most happening. I suppose it's a bratty approach, but we just want people to see this festival as the list of the absolute coolest bands and stories of the moment."

"This free festival represents everything our brand stands for," said Ron Faris, director of Brand Marketing for Virgin Mobile USA. "We’re very proud of our deeply engaged fans who donate their time and money to youth homelessness through this concert. During the last two FreeFests, nearly $300,000 has been raised, and volunteers have given more than 55,000 hours of their time to the cause. This festival is dedicated to them. Giving away free tickets to our most loyal fans on our Virgin Mobile Live Facebook page is an absolute pleasure." The Virgin Mobile youth homelessness initiative is the focus of The RE*Generation project, the pro-social effort by Virgin Mobile USA dedicated to raising awareness of the plight of at-risk and homeless youth.

Tickets to the 2011 Virgin Mobile FreeFest will go "On Free" to the public at 10 a.m. (EDT) Friday, July 15, via Virgin Mobile LIVE on facebook.com/virginmobilelive. Fans must first "like" Virgin Mobile Live before they are eligible to secure free tickets. Virgin Mobile customers and Virgin Mobile Festival ticket holders from the past five years will be invited via text and email to a private "free-sale" (much like a pre-sale, except free) to be held at 10 a.m. (EDT) Thursday, July 14, also at facebook.com/virginmobilelive.

During the last two years, Virgin Mobile FreeFest’s tens of thousands of tickets were scooped up in just minutes. Replacing the VIP ticket this year will be a limited number of FreeFest Premium Ticket Packages, which include admission to the festival, a FreeFest T-shirt and poster, a souvenir cup that comes with discounts on drinks, and early admission to the grounds. These limited special packages will be available via merriweathermusic.com or ticketfly.com. In keeping with the "free" mantra, Ticketfly is waiving all service charges on free tickets when fans pick up their FreeFest tickets at Merriweather or the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., or print their tickets at home.

Celebrating its 15th anniversary, the young Aspen Santa Fe Ballet kicks off Wolf Trap's three-part Summer Dance Series with a world premiere Wolf Trap commission from sought-after choreographer Jorma Elo. Tuesday, July 12, at 8:30 p.m. Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $4 lawn, $40 seated. Call 703-255-1900 or visit wolf-trap.org.

"Bayou Soul" is the descriptor for Louisiana singer-songwriter Marc Broussard's music, a gumbo of funk, swampy blues, R&B, even church hymns. If you've ever watched the NBC series Medium, you've at least heard a snippet of his song "Home," used for the show's theme. Broussard, the son of acclaimed Louisiana guitarist Ted, stops at the 9:30 Club in support of his latest album on Atlantic Records. Friday, July 15. Doors at 8 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

Reel Affirmations offers a free screening of My Trip Down the Pink Carpet, based on the memoirs of gay comedian Leslie Jordan, who has haunted Hollywood for decades now. The film is a recreation of Jordan's popular one-man stage show. Tuesday, July 12, at 7 p.m. Renaissance Washington, DC Dupont Circle Hotel, 1143 New Hampshire Ave. NW. Free. Visit reelaffirmations.org.

The Washington, D.C./Philadelphia Exchange features two companies and two visions representing two cities. Works in the program were choreographed by the companies' artistic directors: Malcolm Shute of D.C.'s Human Landscape Dance and Anne-Marie Mulgrew of Philadelphia's Mulgrew and Dancers Company. Tonight, Saturday, July 9, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, July 10, at 7 p.m. Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE. Tickets are $22. Call 202-269-1600 or visit danceplace.org.

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The woman-owned and operated company Run Rabbit Run Theatre presents All for the Union in Confederate Virginia!, a true-to-life play about three young women in Virginia who fought the Confederacy in their own way, writing an underground newspaper for Union soldiers. Playwright and historian Meredith Bean McMath's play was the basis for the film Waterford's War. Opens tonight, Saturday, July 9, at 8 p.m. Weekends to July 24. Tickets are $15. The Old Stone School Theatre, 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro, Va. Tickets are $15. Visit RRRtheatre.org.

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Dcypher Dance, Joy of Motion Dance Center's resident adult hip hop company, presents "Ascension: Phase 5," a high-energy concert of new works with choreography by Porche Anthony, Jared Jenkins, Neil Schwartz and more, plus special guest artists. Tonight, Saturday, July 9, at 8 p.m. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $18 to $25 at the door. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org or joyofmotion.org.

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A popular and critically lauded female artist in her native Australia, Kasey Chambers performed at the Birchmere a few years back with her husband Shane Nicholson, in support of their joint country album Rattlin' Bones. Now she tours solo in support of last year's country set Little Bird. Saturday, July 9, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $29.50. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

Watch her video for the wonderful, catchy "Nothing at All" here.

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Here's a look at Beyonce's video, just out:

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Sadly, Zookeeper is not the screen adaptation of D.C. author Alex MacLennan's book of the same name. Instead it's about talking animals and their zookeeper, played by Kevin James, who's convinced the only way to land a woman is to quit his job. This provokes the zoo animals to converse with James, giving him dating advice so he'll stay at his job. Sounds like a project that would be beneath even Eddie Murphy... oh, wait. Eddie already did the Doolittle thingy. Opens today, July 8. Nationwide. Visit fandango.com.

Four best friends from Baltimore County teamed up to make wild, eccentric, challenging rock music -- or as they call it "sonic free form electronic horror gospel hip hop soul pop madness" -- and the surprise of it all is, they succeeded beyond anyone's wildest dreams. Animal Collective is just about the most popular act going in the indie/hipster music scene, and the foursome return for a hometown show at the venue that's the namesake of its last critically acclaimed album. Saturday, July 9. Doors at 6:30 p.m. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Md. Tickets are $30 t0 $45. Call 800-551-SEAT or visit merriweathermusic.com.

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Emil de Cou conducts Debbie Gravitte (Jerome Robbins' Broadway), Christiane Noll (Jekyll & Hyde) and Jan Horvath (Phantom of the Opera) along with the National Symphony Orchestra as part of the pop-focused NSO@Wolf Trap summer series. On the program are selected Broadway showstoppers from Gypsy, The Music Man, A Chorus Line, My Fair Lady, Wicked and more. Saturday, July 9, at 8:15 p.m. Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $20 to $52. Call 703-255-1900 or visit wolf-trap.org.

Emil de Cou photographed in July 2005 for Metro Weekly by Todd Franson.

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As part of the Capital Fringe Festival, the Studio Theatre plays host to a live stage version of the classic TV game show Match Game, with contestants selected from the audience to match answers to hilarious questions with a panel of six local celebrities at each game. Among those on tap: Arch Campbell, gay porn stars Spencer Reed and Phillip Aubrey, singer-songwriter Tom Goss, Councilmember David Catania and Miss Pixies Furnishings and Whatnots' Pixie Windsor. We'll let you guess who's the Charles Nelson Reilly and Brett Somers of this group... All ticket and auction proceeds support the DC Film Alliance, Food & Friends and the Washington Literacy Council, which is a pretty nice trifecta if you think about it. Saturday, July 9, at 9:30 p.m., Friday, July 15, at 10 p.m., Sunday, July 17, at 3 p.m., Saturday, July 23, at 9 p.m., and Sunday, July 24, at 6:30 p.m. Studio Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Tickets are $17 Call 202-332-3300 or visit MatchGameDC.com.

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Not to be confused with the amazing Fox TV show, the Capital Fringe Festival -- an assortment of offbeat theater, music and art -- is bigger than ever, with 140 performing arts groups and 800 individual performances over 18 days. Approximately 70 percent of the revenue from ticket sales goes to performing arts groups in the festival. The festival, now in its sixth year, runs through July 24 at various venues in D.C., but the core is based at Fort Fringe, 607 New York Ave. NW. Tickets are $17 for each show, plus a one-time purchase of a $7 Fringe button. Think of it as a service fee. Call 866-811-4111 or visit capitalfringe.org for full schedule and tickets.

For its monthly film series, Reel Affirmations presents Gun Hill Road, starring Esai Morales (NYPD Blues) and Judy Reyes (Scrubs) as parents whose already troubled relationship is further threatened by their teenage son's budding sexuality. Morales' machismo character, fresh from prison, risks losing his family and freedom if he can't come to terms with reality in this gritty, intricate film, the first from writer/director Rashaad Ernesto Green. Tonight, Thursday, July 7, at 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. Landmark's E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Tickets are $12. Call 202-452-7672 or visit reelaffirmations.org.

Best known for his work in the sketch comedy group Kids In The Hall and for his turn on the NBC series NewsRadio, the irreverent Canadian comic Dave Foley arrives in Arlington for two nights of standup, Friday, July 15, and Saturday, July 16. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. and 9:55 p.m. each night. Arlington Cinema N' Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington. Tickets are $30. Call 703-486-2345 or visit arlingtondrafthouse.com.

Daniel Patrick Singh's company presents the U.S. premiere of Anna Sokolow's Homenaje a David Alfaro Siquieros, an interdisciplinary piece incorporating slides from Siqueiros' paintings, poems by Pablo Neruda, Rafael Alberti, Paul Eluard and Rodolfo Mier Tonche, and a rich musical score by Silvestre Revueltas, Carlos Chavez and Rafael Elizondo. Also on the bill: Sokolow's Frida Mixed repertory and Dakshina's own signature work Vasanth. Friday, July 8, and Saturday, July 9, at 8 p.m. GALA Theatre at Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-234-7174 or visit galatheatre.org.

To win tickets to this performance, click here and enter by noon on Thursday, July 7.

The Grammy-winning, genre-busting bluegrass/folk ensemble Bela Fleck and the Flecktones is the headline act here, but we're even more excited by one of two opening acts. The Carolina Chocolate Drops is a veritable black bluegrass band, a young North Carolina string trio that aims to carry the torch for a dying musical sub-genre still hampered by minstrel-show connotations. The band's bawdy cover of Blu Cantrell's 2001 R&B hit "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)" is a jaw-dropper -- and its lively full set, Genuine Negro Jig, was one of last year's best releases in any genre -- and the deserving winner of the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album. Thursday, July 7, at 7 p.m. Rams Head Live!, 20 Market Place, Baltimore. Tickets are $45. Call 410-244-1131 or visit ramsheadlive.com. Also Sunday, July 10, at 7 p.m. Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $25 to $40. Call 703-255-1900 or visit wolf-trap.org.

Ethan McSweeney directs The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare's compelling look at human nature and the insidious nature of power, justice and revenge. The Shakespeare Theatre Company stages it for the first time in more than a decade. To July 24. Sidney Harman Hall, Harman Center for the Arts, 610 F St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $98. Call 202-547-1122 or visit shakespearetheatre.org.

The 2009 Tony-winning musical and winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Next to Normal is a tour de force examination of contemporary life. For its first national tour, the show -- which D.C.'s Arena Stage helped retool before it first went to Broadway -- features a cast that includes Alice Ripley, reprising her Tony-winning role as the original Diana, a manic-depressive mother whose illness and medical complications threaten to tear apart her family. Director Michael Greif oversaw this show, with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey. Tom Kitt deservedly won the Tony for best score: It's music at its most all-encompassing and powerful. To July 10. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $35 to $125. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

Source Theatre's annual theater festival presents both theater and dance as well as music, visual art, film and spoken word. The 2011 festival includes 18 ten-minute plays, three full-length productions and four "artistic blind dates," in which artists from different creative disciplines paired to create new pieces integrating the best of their talents. There will also be a one-night-only talent show. The festival runs through Sunday, July 3. Source, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets are $10 to $20 per show. Call 866-811-4111 or visit sourcedc.org for more details.

Close to Home: Photographers and Their Families presents photographs made during the past three decades by both established and emerging artists turning the lenses on their own families to document personal histories and record intimate moments. Through July 24. Smithsonian American Art Museum's McEvoy Auditorium, Lower Level, 8th and F Streets NW. Free. Call 202-633-1000 or visit americanart.si.edu.

Photo by Virginia Beahan: Christina and Gram on Thanksgiving, New Hampshire, 2004. Smithsonian American Art Museum

In addition to his role in the latest Transformers blockbuster opening this week, actor-director John Turturro offers Passione: A Musical Adventure, a documentary celebrating the passionate music of Naples, Italy. Journalist Federico Vaccalabre, cinematographer Marco Pontecorvo and editor Simona Paggi assisted the Italian-American Turturro in telling the stories of the capricious Italian port city through songs by Neapolitan artists. The songs offer emotional postcards of a city and culture influenced by the Greeks, Arabs, French, Spanish, Normans and Americans in addition to its Italian baseline. Now playing at the West End Cinema, 2301 M St. NW. Call 202-419-FILM or visit westendcinema.com.

Scena Theatre presents the regional premiere of Finnish rising star Sofi Oksanen's latest play, Purge, an emotionally powerful fable of war, passion and a woman's journey to redemption when nearly all hope is gone, set in post-Soviet Estonia. The cast includes Kerry Waters, Eric Lucas, Lee Ordeman and Stas Wronka. Directed by Robert McNamara. Closes this Sunday, July 3. The H Street Playhouse, 1365 H St. NE. Tickets are $16 to $40. Call 703-683-2824 or visit scenatheater.org.

The popular ABBA jukebox musical Mamma Mia reportedly has more productions playing internationally than any other musical. Catherine Johnson's sunny tale set on a Greek island paradise returns to Wolf Trap after last year's successful run. Through Sunday, July 3. Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $20 to $80. Call 703-255-1900 or visit wolf-trap.org.

The Raspberry Brothers, a trio of Brooklyn comedians, return to the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse to offer commentary, Mystery Science Theater-style, during a screening of the '80s Arnold Schwarzenegger blockbuster The Terminator. Expect lots of jokes at the expense of the adulterous former California governor. Saturday, July 2, at 9:55 p.m. Arlington Cinema N' Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington. Tickets are $15. Call 703-486-2345 or visit arlingtondrafthouse.com.

David Cale's one-man show The History of Kisses focuses on seaside shanties, or work songs that sailors sing to help distract them from their arduous and monotonous work. In this world-premiere production, Cale portrays characters who revolve around a writer working to finish a collection of tales of seaside romance while staying at an oceanfront motel. Through Sunday, July 3. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.

D.C.'s most-visible straight-club DJ, Will Eastman, of Bliss and Blisspop dance parties fame, has teamed with Brian Billion for this popular event of "guilty pleasures and underground classics" -- Ace of Base to Happy Mondays, Bell Biv Devoe to Oasis. And, of course, hollering at a certain TLC song. It returns to the 9:30 Club just two months after the last show. Tonight, Friday, July 1. Doors at 9 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $15. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.