Editor’s Picks: Dissonance Dance, RA Xtra: Man Made, Born Yesterday and more!
Our picks of the best arts and entertainment in D.C. this week!
DISSONANCE DANCE THEATRE
Founded and led by gay choreographer Shawn Short, “D.C.’s only African-American-managed contemporary ballet company” opens its 12th season with “Fall Forward,” a mixed-bill program of new works presented as a showcase for students from the company’s pre-professional dance training arm, The Ngoma School. “Fall Forward” offers three world-premiere dance pieces including The Winds of Time, a work intended to honor and give a “homegoing” to Aretha Franklin choreographed by Alvin Mayes, head of the undergraduate dance program at the University of Maryland, College Park. That ensemble modern-dance piece, soundtracked by music from the German techno producer Senking, will be bookended by two choreographic works from Short: Rise, a fast-paced dance set to music by neofolk French artist Woodkid that shows the range of emotion three men face in the midst of uncertainty, fear, pain, and hope; and The Happy Hour, a tutu ballet set to music recorded by the Kronos Quartet that sheds light on life’s jovial moments of self-expression, play, and friend interaction. Saturday, Sept. 29, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 30, at 5 p.m. The Dance Theatre in The Clarice, 8270 Alumni Dr., College Park. Tickets are $25 to $30. Call 301-405-ARTS or visit theclarice.umd.edu.
RA XTRA: MAN MADE
T Cooper’s documentary profiles four contestants at Trans FitCon, the world’s only transgender bodybuilding competition. The movie delves headfirst into the heart of transgender male culture, revealing unexpected truths about gender, masculinity, humanity and love. Part of Reel Affirmations’ monthly screening series, RA Xtra. Friday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. at the HRC Equality Center, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Tickets are $12, or $25 for VIP seating as well as one complimentary cocktail, beer or wine and popcorn. Call 202-682-2245 or visit thedccenter.org.
BORN YESTERDAY
Garson Kanin’s sharp-edged screwball comedy may be 70 years old, but it resonates all too well with the Washington of today. The story focuses on an opportunistic tycoon seeking to game the Washington system — but the plans are sabotaged by his girlfriend and her alliance with an idealistic reporter pushing back to end corruption. Aaron Posner directs Edward Gero and Kimberly Gilbert in a lavish production bolstered by Daniel Lee Conway’s set, a glamorous two-level hotel suite with striking architectural details. To Oct. 21. Ford’s, 511 10th St. NW. Tickets are $17 to $64. Call 800-982-2787 or visit fords.org.
THE EVENTS
In the wake of a mass shooting, a lone survivor yearns to find the compassion, understanding, and peace she needs to overcome her trauma — but thoughts and visions of the shooter haunt her every step. David Greig’s The Events is another socially conscious, thought-provoking work presented by Theater Alliance, featuring Regina Aquino as the survivor and Josh Adams as the shooter. Colin Hovde directs. To Oct. 7. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Place SE. Tickets are $35 to $40. Call 202-241-2539 or visit theateralliance.com.
CHRISTOPHER JACKSON
Although more expansive in nature, covering opera and classical artists as well as those from theater and cabaret/pop, Renee Fleming’s VOICES showcase at the Kennedy Center is proving to be a suitable replacement for the much-beloved Spotlight series curated by the late-Broadway legend Barbara Cook. Case in point is this cabaret featuring the original, Tony-nominated George Washington in Hamilton. Jackson has also composed music for everyone from LL Cool J and will.i.am to Sesame Street, earning him an Emmy. “Christopher Jackson is the rare kind of actor/singer whose powerful voice and presence are compelling in any medium,” says Fleming, summing up her adoration for the “creative dynamo.” Saturday, Sept. 29, at 7:30 p.m. Terrace Theater. Tickets are $79 to $150. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
CULTURE SHOCK DC: THE ENLIGHTENMENT
A mixed-bill evening choreographed and performed by members of this eclectic company, which features 150 dancers across five troupes and uses hip-hop and urban dance, spoken-word, and live music to inspire positive change in the community. Saturday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 30, 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.
THE BIRD: FLOCKTOBERFEST
The poultry-themed Shaw eatery toasts the German-inspired drinking season with a patio party featuring games and activities. Naturally the focus of the party is on German-style food offerings and a variety of beer options, including those from the event’s partners, 3 Stars Brewing and Atlas Brew Works. Saturday, Sept. 29, starting at 2 p.m. The patio on the corner of 11th and O Streets NW. Tickets are $10, including one free beer and complimentary small bites. Call 202-518-3609 or visit thebirddc.com.
NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC: ON THE WATERFRONT
Elia Kazan’s iconic Oscar-winning film plays in remastered high-definition while Leonard Bernstein’s only work composed specifically for film is rendered live. Bernstein acolyte Piotr Gajewski conducts Strathmore’s resident orchestra. The evening opens with a performance of the Star-Spangled Banner conducted by Eliot Pfanstiehl, founder of the Strathmore Hall Foundation. Saturday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m. Prior to the performance, there will be a display of behind-the-scenes images from filming, as well as other books and memorabilia about Bernstein and the cast on the Promenade Level, courtesy Second Story Books. There’s also a pre-concert lecture with associate conductor Victoria Gau at 6:45 p.m., and a panel discussion and Q&A with film experts Linda DeLibero and David Sterritt, at 7 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $35 to $80. Call 301-581-5100 or visit nationalphilharmonic.org.
BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: STAR WARS
Jack Everly conducts the BSO in a live performance of John Williams’ score to 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope, which will screen overhead as the orchestra plays. The space epic introduced the world to Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Obi-Wan “Ben” Kenobi, R2D2, Chewbacca, and Darth Vader. The Oscar-winning soundtrack is as highly regarded as the film, ranking at the top of the American Film Institute’s list of best film scores. Friday, Sept. 28, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 29, and Sunday, Sept. 30, at 3 p.m. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore. Tickets are $35 to $85. Call 410-783-8000 or visit bsomusic.org.
WILFRIED ZEISLER: THE FIRM OF FABERGÉ
Hillwood’s chief curator explores the history of the House of Fabergé and the success of its creations among Russian imperial clientele and later American collectors, such as Hillwood Estate founder Marjorie Merriweather Post. Zeisler’s lecture, “The Firm of Fabergé: Business, Clients, and Collectors,” is the first of five discussions in October, part of a lecture series in conjunction with the venue’s current temporary exhibition, Fabergé Rediscovered (see “Museums & Galleries”). Wednesday, Oct. 3, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Tickets are $20 for one lecture, or $100 for the full series. Call 202-686-5807 or visit HillwoodMuseum.org.
SMITHSONIAN’S CRAFT2WEAR SHOW
Now in its 12th year, this “show and sale of wearable art” features masters of American handicrafts — more than 60 — selected by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee, as well as leaders from notable design schools. Having raised over $12 million in its first 11 years for the Smithsonian’s museums, research facilities and traveling exhibits, the focus of Craft2Wear is on purchasable, one-of-a-kind clothing, jewelry and accessories. This year’s festival debuts “Pepper,” a robot guide to the many individually designed pieces for sale. It opens with a cocktail reception featuring hors d’oeuvres, sweets, an informal fashion show, and a first chance to see and buy designs on Thursday, Oct. 4, from 6 to 9 p.m. Festival runs Friday, Oct. 5, and Saturday, Oct. 6, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $13 per day in advance or $15 at the door, or $50 for Opening Night with one-day return, by advance purchase only. Call 202-272-2448 or visit smithsoniancraft2wear.org.
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