Metro Weekly

Out on the Town: D.C. arts & entertainment highlights: Week of July 13-19

Your weekly guide to the next arts and entertainment in DC!

Star Wars: Rogue One

FILM

HIDDEN FIGURES
”Women in Film” is the theme of this year’s Georgetown Sunset Cinema series, presented in a grassy park along the banks of the Potomac River. Next up in the series is last year’s Oscar-nominated feel-good drama that focuses on the untold story of three female African-American NASA employees who helped launch astronaut John Glenn into orbit. Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae star. Food vendors include Pinstripes, Old Glory BBQ, Muncheez Food Truck, Ben & Jerry’s, Dog Tag Bakery, Naked Juice and Maracas Ice Pops. Tuesday, July 18, starting at 6:30 p.m., with the screening at around 8:30 p.m. Georgetown Waterfront Park, 3303 Water St. NW. Call 202-298-9222 or visit georgetowndc.com/sunset-cinema.

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY
The Capitol Riverfront Outdoor Film Series screens Disney’s latest Star Wars blockbuster. Apart from a magnificently orchestrated 30-minute climactic battle that pulls out all the stops, 2016’s Rogue One is nowhere near as fun or engaging as the prior year’s Force Awakens. Narratively, it fills a few gaps, and fully and finally explains one key plot point from A New Hope that has plagued super-fans for decades. We now know why, how and who. Thursday, July 20. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. with screening at sundown, approximately 8:30 p.m. Visit capitolriverfront.org.

STAGE

BROKEN GLASS
Theater J teamed up with historians from the U.S. Holocaust Museum for a rare staging of this gripping, psychological drama by Arthur Miller set in Brooklyn during the Kristallnacht in 1938. Images from American newspapers of the era are projected directly onto the set, showing Americans’ reactions to the Holocaust. Aaron Posner directs a stellar cast — Lise Bruneau, Kimberly Gilbert, Gregory Linington, Paul Morella, Michele Osherow and Stephen Patrick Martin — relating Miller’s tale of a woman who suddenly, mysteriously becomes paralyzed from the waist down, and her husband, a self-denying Jew, struggling to understand why and confront his fears, assumptions and anguish. A historian-led discussion after the Sunday matinee on July 9. Extended to July 16. The Aaron and Cecile Goldman Theater, Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 16th St. NW. Call 202-777-3210 or visit theaterj.org.

CABARET
Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall joined forces to create this 1998 Tony Award-winning production of the Kander and Ebb classic featuring a book by Joe Masterhoff. Now to Aug. 6. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $59 to $149. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

2017 Capital Fringe Festival — Photos: Julian P. Vankim

CAPITAL FRINGE FESTIVAL
The 85 productions in this year’s Fringe Festival aren’t curated, with available slots filled on a first-come, first-served basis, but that shouldn’t stop you from taking a plunge. In addition to the 9 LGBTQ participants featured in last week’s Metro Weekly cover feature, other shows with LGBTQ interest include Melissa Kaplan’s Daggers Mackenzie, a one-woman, lesbian, knife-juggling rock opera, and Penny Sterling’s compelling Spy in the House of Men, a one-woman show about a woman who was conceived with a pesky ”Y” chromosome that crashed the party in the prosperous yet hidebound little town of Corning, New York. The festival runs to July 30. The Logan Fringe Arts Space, at 1358 Florida Ave. NE, serves as the central hub, but performances are in various locations. Tickets are $17 per show, plus a one-time purchase of a $7 Fringe button. Multi-show passes range from $60 to $320. Call 866-811-4111 or visit capitalfringe.org.

MAMMA MIA!
The hit musical built around the songs and themes of ABBA and created by the two men of that superstar Swedish pop group, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, stops in the area as part of a farewell North American tour. Tuesday, July 18, and Wednesday, July 19, at 8 p.m. The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $25 to $75. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

MY FAIR LADY
The Lerner and Loewe classic, adapted from Georges Bernard Shaw and Gabriel Pascal’s film Pygmalion. Alan Souza directs a massive cast including Danny Bernardy, Brittany Campbell, Ian Anthony Coleman, Warren Freeman, Chris Genebach, Christina Kidd, Alex Kidder, Julia Klavans, Ashleigh King, Valerie Leonard, Benjamin Lurye, Jimmy Mavrikes, Christopher Mueller and Todd Scofield. To July 23. Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.

OBLIVION
A wry look at the nature of belief in our current changing times, Carly Mensch’s comedy focuses on a secular Brooklyn couple who become unmoored when their 17-year-old daughter decides to become a Christian. The play, presented by Unexpected Stage, challenges assumptions about parenting, religion and the nature of spirituality. Zach Brewster-Geisz, Jonathan Frye, Ruthie Rado and Mindy Shaw star. Opens in a pay-what-you-wish preview performance Thursday, July 13, at 7:30 p.m. To Aug. 6. The Fireside Room in the River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 6301 River Road in Bethesda. Tickets are $10 to $27.50. Call 301-337-8290 or visit unexpectedstage.org.

Kinsey Sicks — Photo: Maurice Molyneaux

THE KINSEY SICKS: THINGS YOU SHOULDN’T SAY
An all-new show touted as the most personal and political ever from San Francisco’s famous comedic drag troupe. Expect forays into Trumpism, racism, AIDS, giraffes, Bette Midler, oblong vegetables, and so much more from this abundantly clever Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet. Opens Wednesday, July 19, at 7:30 p.m. Runs to July 30. The Aaron and Cecile Goldman Theater, Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 16th St. NW. Call 202-777-3210 or visit theaterj.org.

THE ORIGINALIST
Two years after its world premiere — and a year after its subject died — Arena Stage revives John Strand’s play about one of the biggest enemies to the LGBTQ cause and civil rights in general: Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Helen Hayes Award-winner Edward Gero reprises his critically-acclaimed role. To July 30. In Arena’s Kreeger Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC
Yes, the Opera House is alive with the sound of Rodgers and Hammerstein in this touring production of the blockbuster musical directed by three-time Tony winner Jack O’Brien. Arena regular Nicholas Rodriguez (Oklahoma!, Carousel) is Captain von Trapp and newcomer Charlotte Maltby (daughter of Broadway legend Richard) is Maria, who whips all those Swiss tykes into harmonious shape — and saves them from the Nazis in the process. Closes Sunday, July 16. Kennedy Center. Tickets are $49 to $169. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

WIG OUT!
Playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney, who wrote the work on which the Oscar-winning Moonlight was based, updates an earlier work inspired by African-American drag ball culture and its competitive dance-offs. Kent Gash directs the Studio X production, staged as an underground pageant complete with catwalk, created couture, and a cash bar. Jaysen Wright, Michael Kevin Darnall and Alex Mills lead the 11-person cast. Now to Aug. 6. Studio Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Tickets are $45 to $55. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.

MUSIC

AUDIOTEKA FEST 2017
Over the course of three nights, Adams Morgan’s long-standing Club Heaven and Hell plays host to more than 50 scrappy local bands on three separate stages, a showcase co-sponsored by 7DrumCity and the Greater District Sound Club. Among those slated to play: Bad Robot Jones, Darlingtonia, HyeTension, Lindsay Collette and the Evening Stars, Menage A Garage, Outcalls, Tempercrush, and YoungHands the Band on Friday, July 14; the Anti-Social Collective, Dangerous Curves, Drive TFC, Leisure Burn, Math Rat, Touch the Buffalo, Two Dragons and a Cheetah, and Van Dorn Asylum, on Saturday, July 15; Color Palette, FuzzQueen, Grass Fed, Jenny Hates Techno, Lonely Ocean, Most Savage Gentlemen, Paul Santori’s Random Opponent, Virus 665, and Working Theory Band on Sunday, July 16. Club Heaven and Hell, 2327 18th St. NW. Tickets are $12 per day, or $35 for a Weekend Warrior Pass, including festival t-shirt and poster. Call 202-667-4355 or search for ”Audioteka” on eventbrite.com.

BLOOD ORANGE AT SWEETLIFE BLOCK PARTY
Once known for indie-rock sounds as Lightspeed Champion, the queer-identified black producer Dev Hynes has shifted to alt-R&B and the moniker Blood Orange. Last year, he released the astounding and personal Freetown Sound, a cross between The Weeknd and Frank Ocean which Metro Weekly‘s music critic Sean Maunier put at No. 6 on his year-end list. Hynes is the headliner — and only musical act listed — for the first in a series of free block parties organized by Sweetgreen and replacing the fast-casual food chain’s once-mighty annual music festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Unfortunately, though, the free event — also featuring the group meditation outfit The Big Quiet and food and drink from Sweetgreen and various other hip, local vendors — is already free’d out, as too many people signed up almost as soon as it was announced. However, there is a waitlist. Saturday, July 15, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sweetgreen Dupont Lot, 1919 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Visit sweetlifeblockpartydc.splashthat.com.

CREATIVE CAULDRON CABARET
The 8th annual summer cabaret series at ArtSpace Falls Church runs every weekend through September 23 and features shows by Sandy Bainum, Kathy Halenda, Dani Stoller, Jim Van Slyke, Clifton Walker III, Will Mark Stevenson, and Stephen Gregory Smith. The series continues this weekend with Katie McManus & Jamie Eacker belting big and brassy songs from ”The Broadway,” on Friday, July 14, and Saturday, July 15, at 8 p.m. The next weekend brings Helen Hayes Award winner Iyona Blake with ”People,” on Friday, July 21, and Saturday, July 22, at 8 p.m. ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South Maple Ave. in Falls Church. Tickets are $18 to $20 per show, or $55 for a table for two with wine and $110 for four with wine. Call 703-436-9948 or visit creativecauldron.org.

Gorillaz

GORILLAZ
In 2001, Damon Albarn worked with cartoonist Jamie Hewlett to conceive a cartoonish synth-rock band. The parody of the artificiality of mainstream pop music unexpectedly became a runaway pop icon in its own right, thanks to its catchy, genre-blurring, endlessly listenable music. There’s less of that endlessly listenable music on the group’s fourth album, Humanz, its first in seven years. Still, three of the tracks — ”Ascension,” featuring Vance Staples, ”Andromeda,” featuring DRAM and ”Saturnz Barz,” featuring Popcaan — are an example of Gorillaz at their best, somehow feeling unexpected, bizarre and completely natural all at once. Staples is one of two up-and-coming hip-hop stars who will take the stage when the current tour hits our area on Monday, July 17, at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, the other being Danny Brown. Gates open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $49.25 to $199. Call 800-551-SEAT or visit merriweathermusic.com.

GREENSKY BLUEGRASS
The five-piece, string-based jam band from Kalamazoo, Michigan, tours in support of Shouted, Written Down & Quoted, a passionate, romping set released last fall. The progressive bluegrass group, which alternately styles itself as either a drum-less rock band or a rock-and-roll bluegrass band, is especially known for its fiery live show, and fans who travel the country to see them are referred to as Campers. After an impressive feat of selling out a three-night run at the 9:30 Club in February, the group, led by mandolin player Paul Hoffman and guitarist Dave Bruzza, was tapped as the first to headline Merriweather’s new Chrysalis Stage, across the lawn from the storied, 50-year-old pavilion. Saturday, July 22. Gates at 4:30 p.m. Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia, Md. Tickets are $40. Call 800-551-SEAT or visit merriweathermusic.com.

JANE KRAKOWSKI & TITUSS BURGESS WITH NSO
One of the highest-profile and most original of the offerings at this year’s District of Comedy Festival at the Kennedy Center, the Tony-winning Krakowski and Emmy-nominated Burgess, who star together on The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, sing beloved songs from the stage and screen, accompanied by the NSO Pops. Krakowski’s 30 Rock alum Judah Friedlander is also scheduled to appear. Thursday, July 20, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $29 to $125. Call 202-457-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

LES NUBIANS
Born to a French father and a Cameroonian mother, Paris-born sisters Hélène and Célia Faussart helped shake up hip-hop at the turn of the millennium with their debut album, Princesses Nubiennes. They’re now one of the most successful French-language musical groups in the states. Friday, July 14. Doors at 6:30 p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20.75 to $25.75. Call 202-787-1000 or visit thehamiltondc.com.

NSO@WOLF TRAP: THE LEGEND OF ZELDA
Kelly Corcoran conducts the National Symphony Orchestra and the Linked Vocal Ensemble in an exploration of the innovative music and mesmerizing moments from the hit videogame series. Footage from the games will be displayed on giant, high-definition screens in-house and on the lawn at the Filene Center. Fans are encouraged to dress up. Saturday, July 22, at 8:30 p.m. Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $35 to $58. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

ROD STEWART
Before he settles in for a run of the show ”Rod Stewart: The Hits” at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, the star is on a nostalgic tour for those who grew up with his songs. His special guest is Cyndi Lauper, one of music’s biggest and longest-serving LGBTQ allies, who is currently writing songs for her next movie-to-stage project, an adaptation of the 1988 film Working Girl. Wednesday, July 19, at 7:30 p.m. Jiffy Lube Live, 7800 Cellar Door Drive, Bristow, Va. Tickets are $26 to $320. Call 703-754-6400 or visit livenation.com.

SIGNATURE’S SIZZLIN’ SUMMER NIGHTS CABARET SERIES
Signature’s annual cabaret series features mostly musical actors known from productions at the Shirlington complex. Among those scheduled over the next week: Nova Y. Payton with ”Songs I Love” on Friday, July 14, at 7 and 9 p.m., Bob McDonald with ”And The Oscar Goes To …” on Saturday, July 15, at 7 and 9 p.m., the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington with ”Let’s Misbehave!,” on Tuesday, July 18, at 8 p.m., Matthew Schleigh & Jessica Lauren Ball with ”Falling Slowly,” Liam Forde with ”A Jubilee” on Thursday, July 20, at 8 p.m. The Ark at 4200 Campbell Ave., in Arlington. Tickets are $35 per show, or $175 for an All-Access Pass. Call 703-820-9771 or visit sigtheatre.org.

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS
A songwriting collective currently featuring seven members, several of whom are popular in their own right, including alt-country star Neko Case, the Vancouver-based group makes music that is jubilant, melodious, and addictive. Their music is built for speed, strongly echoing sweeping psychedelic rock that has come before, often boasting amusing and nonsensical lyrics. The group tours in support of its new album, Whiteout Conditions, which frontman A.C. Newman describes as something of ”a Krautrock Fifth Dimension.” Thursday, July 20. Doors at 7 p.m. Ram’s Head Live, 20 Market Place, Baltimore. Tickets are $29.50. Call 410-244-1131 or visit ramsheadlive.com.

WOLF TRAP OPERA WITH NSO: PUCCINI’S TOSCA
One of opera’s most popular, suspenseful and unforgettable dramas gets a steamy staging outdoors in the Filene amphitheater. Grant Gershon conducts the National Symphony Orchestra and Louisa Miller directs Wolf Trap Opera soloists, with support from the Washington Chorus and Children’s Chorus of Washington, in the tale of the fiery diva trapped between her rebel lover and the treacherous police chief who will stop at nothing to have her. Friday, July 14, at 8:15 p.m. The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $25 to $75. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

DANCE

PRAKRITI DANCE
The Faces of Goddess Earth visualizes the spiritual cycle from creation to liberation and centers on the earth goddess Garbini. Founded by co-artistic directors Kasi Aysola and Madhvi Venkatesh, Prakriti uses the movement of vocabulary of the Indian classical dance form Bharata Natyam to communicate inspirations from nature, philosophy and human experience, explored through multifaceted presentations interwoven with lyrics, dance and visual design. Saturday, July 22, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, July 23, at 7 p.m. Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE. Tickets are $25 in advance, or $30 at the door. Call 202-269-1600 or visit danceplace.org.

COMEDY

THE KENNEDY CENTER’S DISTRICT OF COMEDY FESTIVAL
The Kennedy Center presents a second year of the comedy festival, once again led by a month-long run of a Second City show. Among the one-night-only highlights over the course of the three-day main festival: A free Stand-up Showcase with rising comics from around the country as organized by D.C.’s Underground Comedy, on Thursday, June 20, at 6 p.m.; Jane Krakowski and Tituss Burgess with the NSO Pops, on Thursday, June 20, at 8 p.m.; an interview with civil rights activist and organizer DeRay McKesson conducted by actor Michael Ian Black, on Thursday, July 20, at 8:30 p.m.; Puddles Pity Party on Friday, July 21, at 7 and 10 p.m.; The Daily Show Correspondents Stand-Up Tour featuring Roy Wood Jr., Ronny Chieng and Gina Yashere, on Friday, July 21, at 8 p.m., the Improvised Shakespeare Co. on Saturday, July 22, at 5 and 9:30 p.m., Aparna Nancherla & Friends on Saturday, July 22, at 6 p.m., and Louie Anderson on Saturday, July 22, at 7 p.m. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

THE SECOND CITY: …DIVIDED WE STAND
The Kennedy Center welcomes back famed comedy troupe The Second City for an update to last year’s popular Almost Accurate Guide to America. The comedians — Angela Alise, Ryan Asher, Tyler Davis, Katie Kershaw, Chucho Perez and Ross Taylor — have cooked up a new irreverent, mocking look at America, from the red states to the blue states to our orange head of state. The run is the first offering in the second annual District of Comedy Festival (see separate entry). To Aug. 13. Kennedy Center Theater Lab. Tickets are $49 to $69. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

WASHINGTON IMPROV THEATER: SUMMER SCHOOL
No two performances are alike when performed by the Washington Improv Theater, D.C.’s answer to comedy star-making groups such as Chicago’s Second City and L.A.’s Groundlings. Over the next month, the organization offers a run of summer school-themed shows featuring a different mix of WIT improvising ensembles, including Bottom Shelf, Man Feelings and Jive Turkey, plus a cast of performers known as the Stovetron in ”Rainy Day S’mores on the Stove.” Opens Thursday, July 13, at 7:30 p.m. Runs to Aug. 6. Source, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets are $12 in advance, or $15 at the door. Call 202-204-7770 or visit witdc.org.

EXHIBITS

ARTECHOUSE: XYZT: ABSTRACT LANDSCAPES
An internationally traveling exhibition by French digital artists and ”multimedia choreographers” Adrien Mondot and Claire Bardainne launches what a first-of-its-kind interactive digital art museum in D.C. Founded by Sandro Kereselidze and Tatiana Pastukhova of event producer Art Soiree, ArTecHouse, near the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Southwest D.C., is dedicated to showcasing work at the intersection of art and technology. First up is XYZT, an immersive, multisensory, multi-space exhibit featuring, through 10 digital landscapes, experiences from walking on floors that react to movement, to manipulating light particles within a giant digital cube, to blowing into glass boxes and witnessing virtual letters assemble and disassemble as if by magic. Viewed in 45-minute timed-entry sessions daily through Sept. 4. ArTecHouse, 1238 Maryland Ave. SW. Tickets for 45-minute, timed-entry sessions are $15 for daytime or $25 for evening admission. Visit artechouse.com.

GARY ANTHES: SILENT LIGHT
Works by three artists are on display at Dupont’s Studio Gallery, including abstract works by Thierry Guillemin and Suzanne Goldberg. Yet it’s photographs by Anthes from New York’s Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital and the Ansonia Copper Brass factory that are likely to have the most lasting impression. The hospital and factory are now silent and abandoned and revealed by pale light streaming through broken windows and missing doors. The evocative photographs are meant as a tribute ”to the brave patients and dedicated staff at the hospital, and to the tireless metal workers,” the artist says in a statement. Closes Saturday, July 15. Studio Gallery, 2108 R St. NW. Call 202-232-8734 or visit studiogallerydc.com.

RELIGION IN EARLY AMERICA
Themes of religious diversity, freedom and growth from the colonial era through the 1840s is the focus of this one-year exhibition. Objects come from the Smithsonian’s permanent collection as well as others on loan and represent the diverse range of Christian, Native American and African traditions as well as Mormonism, Islam and Judaism that wove through American life in this era. On display through June 3, 2018. National Museum of American History, 14th St. and Constitution Ave. NW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit americanhistory.si.edu.

SARAH J. HULL: COUNTERPOINT
Using silk thread, cotton ground fabric and fundamental hand embroidery stitches, each of Hull’s small art pieces in this series is an exploration of a simple meditative theme, as well as an evolving meditative complexity. Counterpoint is presented in the small gallery within the main gallery of the District of Columbia Arts Center that is dedicated to presenting miniature and smaller works often overlooked for exhibition. Artist Talk and Closing Reception is Sunday, July 16, at 5 p.m. Nano Gallery in DCAC, 2438 18th St. NW. Tickets are $15 to $20. Call 202-462-7833 or visit dcartscenter.org.

SAYA BEHNAM: SAFFRON AND TEA
Mixed-media paintings with colors derived from dried saffron, hibiscus, borage tea, henna, and coffee is the focus of this exhibition organized through the Bethesda Urban Partnership, Inc. Born in Tehran, Iran, the visual artist Behnam currently lives and works in her studio in Northern Virginia. On display to Aug. 5, with a public reception Friday, July 14, from 6 to 8 p.m. Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Suite E, Bethesda. Call 301-215-7990 or visit bethesda.org/bethesda/gallery-b.

SPECTACULAR GEMS FROM THE MERRIWEATHER POST COLLECTION
Marjorie Merriweather Post had one of the most remarkable collections of jewelry of the 20th century. For its latest exhibition, her former estate displays and shares stories about more than 50 exquisite accessories from the late cereal heiress and the historic gems that went into making them. Leading designers Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Harry Winston and Verdura are represented in the collection, which includes pieces on loan from other museums and private collections. Opens Saturday, June 10. Runs through Jan. 1, 2018. Hillwood Estate, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Suggested donation is $18. Call 202-686-5807 or visit HillwoodMuseum.org.

TWO-FISTED PATTY LUPONE
The Baltimore Eagle presents an exhibit of erotic imagery in the mezzanine of its second-floor Eagle Leathers shop, subtitled Immortalizing the Male Figure in Art. Included in the show is regular Metro Weekly contributor Scott G. Brooks, as well as works by Nathanael Absher, Dale Alward, Grant Arnold Anderson, Russ Bloomquist, Scott Chapman, Damien Cheeks, Eric D’Alessandro, Tim Goeke, Jasjyot Singh Hans, Dorian Holliday, Doug Johnson, Jimmy Malone, Dave Marquardt and Ryan Thibeault. Opening reception is Thursday, June 15, from 7 to 9 p.m. Runs to July 23. The Gallery at Baltimore Eagle, 2022 N. Charles St. Call 410-200-9858 or visit thebaltimoreeagle.com.

YUMMM! THE HISTORY, FANTASY AND FUTURE OF FOOD
One of the quirkiest museums around celebrates its 21st birthday with a playful visual feast featuring works by 34 artists focused on humankind’s relationship with food. Food-centric paintings, sculptures, embroideries, installations, and films are part of this exploration of the serious creative vision needed to reinvent how a planet of an estimated 9.6 billion people will eat in the year 2050. Runs to Sept. 3, 2017. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Highway. Baltimore. Tickets are $15.95. Call 410-244-1900 or visit avam.org.

FOOD & DRINK

CAFE DU PARC: BASTILLE DAY CREPES AND COCKTAILS
The bistro in the Willard InterContinental hotel, two blocks from the White House, offers a toast to the French national holiday that might be a little sweeter than the average. In addition to the menu’s traditional French offerings, there will be a crepes station overseen by pastry chef Jason Jimenez, plus a Grey Goose bar with speciality cocktails on the Terrace and a roaming violinist. Friday, July 14, from 5 to 8 p.m. Cafe du Parc, 1401 Penn. Ave. NW. Call 202-942-7000 or visit cafeduparc.com.

LE DIPLOMATE: 4TH ANNUAL BASTILLE DAY CELEBRATION
Ten days after America’s Independence, D.C.’s hippest French restaurant offers a day-long celebration of La Fete Nationale including mime performances, children’s face painting and activities, live accordion music, streetside ice cream cart, new artisanal breads at the Boulangerie Table, all-day cafe service and St. Germain Elderflower frozen cocktails. And of course, the pièce de résistance, Le Diplomate’s celebrated French fare and special Bastille Day brunch and lunch menus. Friday, July 14, starting at 10:30 a.m. 1601 14th St. NW. Call 202-332-3333 or visit lediplomatedc.com.

MASON & ROOK ROOFTOP: AMERICAN-THEMED POP-UP
Radiator, formerly the Helix, the floor-level restaurant at Kimpton’s Logan Circle hotel, is taking over the scenic rooftop with a patriotic pop-up. Chef Jonathan Dearden offers a full menu of hot dogs, from kosher to veggie to masa corn, which can be washed down with concoctions from bartender Sarah Rosner including a red, white and blue sangria (made with white wine, cherries and blueberries), and frozen whiskey Cokes. Throughout July. 1430 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Call 202-742-3100 or visit masonandrook.com.

NIGHTLIFE

DEEP SUGAR DC: DJS ULTRA NATE & LISA MOODY
Though still more widely known as a singer, with a roster of club hits, including ”Free,” Ultra Nate has become highly regarded in club circles as a preeminent DJ. She brings the deep/soul house party she throws with Lisa Moody to D.C., featuring an opening set from Wayne Davis. Saturday, July 15, at 10:30 p.m., at U Street Music Hall, 1115A U St. NW. Tickets are $10. Call 202-588-1880 or visit ustreetmusichall.com.

GAY/BASH!
Local drag act Donna Slash, aka the ”Hairsprayed Heavy Metal Horror” otherwise known as Joshua Vogelsong, presents this monthly queer drag-focused dance party. Additional performances at the next installment include Jasmine Tea, Jaxknife Complex, Salvadora Dali and Jane Saw, with tunes by DJ The Barber Streisand. Saturday, July 15. Doors at 10 p.m. Trade, 1410 14th St. NW. Free. Call 202-667-4490 or visit tradebardc.com.

TEMPTATION: NEON WITH DJ TWIN
Kurt Graves, aka DJ TWiN, offers the next iteration of his themed dance party Temptation with a black light party. Attendees are encouraged to dress all aglow. Saturday, July 22, starting at 10 p.m. Town Danceboutique, 2009 8th St. NW. Cover is $12. Call 202-234-TOWN or visit towndc.com.

ABOVE & BEYOND

ARTSCAPE
Billed as the nation’s largest free arts festival, Artscape attracts more than 350,000 people to Baltimore neighborhoods Bolton Hill and Station North to take in fine/textile art in every medium — from visual to fashion to sculpture, with more than 150 artists represented. There are also multiple stages offering performances of live music from regional and nationally known acts. Maryland restaurants and bars also participate in an event co-produced by the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts and the Baltimore Festival of the Arts. This year’s theme is ”Camp Artscape: Adventure Awaits.” Friday, July 21, through Sunday, July 23. Mount Royal Avenue and Cathedral Street, Baltimore. Free. Call 410-752-8632 or visit artscape.org.

FOUND FOOTAGE FESTIVAL: CHERISHED GEMS
Comedy writers Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher, whose credits include Late Show with David Letterman, The Colbert Report and The Onion, return for another round of a festival that features found videos and live comedy drawn from garage sales, thrift stores, warehouses, and dumpsters around the country — including curiously produced industrial training videos and cheesy exercise tapes. Friday, July 28, at 8 p.m. Arlington Cinema N’ Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington. Tickets are $13. Call 703-486-2345 or visit arlingtondrafthouse.com.

FORD’S THEATRE’S HISTORY ON FOOT
A local actor offers the guided tour Investigation: Detective McDevitt, portraying Detective James McDevitt, a D.C. police officer patrolling a half-block from Ford’s Theatre the night President Lincoln was shot. Written by Richard Hellesen and directed by Mark Ramont, the 1.6-mile walking tour revisits and reexamines the sites and clues from the investigation into the assassination. Tours are offered approximately three evenings a week at 6:45 p.m. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. Tickets are $17. Call 202-397-7328 or visit fords.org.

WAR ON THE CATWALK
Five of the 14 contestants from the recently wrapped season of RuPaul Drag Race arrive for another large-scale dragapalooza presented by Murray & Peter Productions. The extremely gifted Trixie Mattel hosts Season 9 winner Sasha Velour, along with Trinity Taylor, Aja, Eureka and Farrah Moan. Sunday, July 16, at 8 p.m. at the Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW. Call 800-551-7328 or visit dragfans.com.

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