Editor’s Picks: 17th Street High Heel Race, Jake Shears, Illyria, Kandace Springs, more
Our picks of the best arts and entertainment in D.C. this week!
PLAYTIME
Philip Kennicott, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post art and architecture critic, presents a Sunday cinema series in which the built environment is the star. The three-film Reel Architecture series at the Hill Center continues with the fanciful 1967 French film from comic genius Jacques Tati, whose trenchcoat-wearing persona, Mr. Hulot, never utters a word. Tati constructed his own “city” within Paris, complete with a power plant, something that kept him in debt for years. The ability to watch this remarkable comedy on the big screen is rare and should not be missed. Sunday, Oct. 28, Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free, but registration required due to limited space. Call 202-549-4172 or visit HillCenterDC.org.
17TH STREET HIGH HEEL RACE
What started just for fun and a little neighborhood bonding three decades ago by a couple of JR.’s employees has now become one of the city’s most popular annual events — and as of this year, has even been co-opted by the city as an official “Mayor Muriel Bowser presents” affair. Spectators start assembling in the blocks between Cobalt and JR.’s, or R Street to P Street, as early as the late afternoon, so get there early and stake out a spot if you want to see the high-heeled sprinters and the pre-race “parade.” The 32nd Annual event, set for Tuesday, Oct. 30, begins with the “Parade” at 7 p.m. The race starts promptly at 9 p.m. Visit facebook.com/17thStreetHighHeelRace.
ILLYRIA, OR WHAT YOU WILL
The freedom to be who you truly are and love whomever you want is the focus of this fresh adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night by Jonelle Walker and Mitchell Hébert. Illyria is set in an anything goes Manhattan dive bar in the post-disco early ’80s. The cast includes Frank Britton, Katie Gallagher, Jenna Rossman, and Christopher Henley. At Avant Bard, Gunston Theater Two, 2700 South Lang St. Arlington, to Nov. 18. Tickets are $40. Call 703-418-4808 or visit avantbard.org.
JOSÉ ANDRÉS: WE FED AN ISLAND BOOK SIGNING, DISCUSSION
In his latest book, the star D.C. chef/restaurateur documents how he, his team, and a group of chefs fed hundreds of thousands of starving, homeless people in Hurricane Maria-ravaged Puerto Rico. Andrés offers another local discussion and book signing, this time a full-store event at the new Busboys & Poets across the street from the original Mount Vernon Triangle area location. Books will be available for purchase as will a food and drink from the venue’s full menu. Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 6 p.m. 450 K St. NW. Call 202-789-2227 or visit busboysandpoets.com.
KANDACE SPRINGS
A Nashville-based jazz/soul artist with a smoky voice and expressive mastery on the piano tours in support of Indigo. Springs was guided in making her new album with a question connecting past to present: “What would Nina Simone do if she had the technology of today?” The result is songs mixing classical composition with quiet-storm R&B, lilting jazz with earthen grooves, and a kind of neo-soul that deserves wider attention and acclaim. Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $35. Call 202-787-1000 or visit thehamiltondc.com.
JAKE SHEARS
During his time with Scissor Sisters, Jake Shears became a master at packaging a chaotic mix of influences into songs that were incredibly catchy, usually campy, and often overtly, unapologetically queer. His self-titled solo debut does draw on a lot of familiar energy and camp. Make no mistake though: Jake Shears is much more than a Scissor Sisters redux. Going solo gives Shears more room to draw on personal themes — including love to his adopted home of New Orleans, where he moved after his 2015 split from his long-term partner. Next week, Shears returns to the 9:30 Club for a Halloween night concert complete with an Annie-themed costume contest, the winner of which earns two tickets to every concert at the club through the remainder of 2018. Opening for Shears are SSION and DJ Sammy Jo. Wednesday, Oct. 31. Doors at 7 p.m. 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com. (Sean Maunier)
MARIA BAMFORD
An incredibly funny lady whose specialty is self-deprecating humor about the serious personal issues of depression and anxiety, Bamford was the star of the unfortunately cancelled Netflix series Lady Dynamite, which was loosely based on her life. Bamford headlines a special stand-up show at Frederick’s Weinberg Center for the Arts with comedians from the area performing for the Safe Ride Foundation, working to fight drunk driving in Maryland’s Frederick County. Saturday, Oct. 27, at 8 p.m., with a pre-show party featuring refreshments, tastings, and giveaways, at 7 p.m. Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St. Frederick, Md. Tickets are $$39 to $59. Call 301-600-2828 or visit weinbergcenter.org.
GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC
Earlier this year, R&B revolutionary George Clinton announced plans to retire from the business in 2019. But not until the 77-year-old completes a tour with his funk/soul group as part of an ongoing effort to ensure the post-retirement continuation of his P-Funk collective, which includes friends as well as offspring of Clinton’s and other original members of Parliament and Funkadelic. Clinton and company tour in support of Parliament’s first new recording in 38 years, Medicaid Fraud Dogg. Although it almost assuredly won’t be the dazzling, extravagant live show that the ensemble once made its stock-in-trade, the upcoming stop in D.C. on Halloween night should be enough of a spectacle to make you momentarily forget about the spooky shenanigans outside. Wednesday, Oct. 31, at 8 p.m. The Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. Tickets are $55 to $95, plus $10 minimum per person for all tables. Call 202-588-5595 or visit thehowardtheatre.com.
DANA TAI SOON BURGESS COMPANY: SILHOUETTES
The Smithsonian’s first choreographer-in-residence at the National Portrait Gallery through 2022, Dana Tai Soon Burgess presents a new work inspired by the special exhibition Black Out: Silhouettes Then and Now — the first major museum exhibition to explore the art form of cut-paper profiles in terms of their historical roots and contemporary presence. Silhouettes examines the light and dark aspects of the self through a suite of seven dances, each inspired by a silhouette from the exhibition. The emotionally poignant, 30-minute work features eight dancers from Burgess’ company plus video work by designer Kelly Colburn. Saturday, Oct. 27, and Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 6:30 p.m., with post-performance discussions between Burgess and exhibition curator Asma Naeem on Oct. 27 and museum director Kim Sajet on Oct. 30. McEvoy Auditorium, 8th and F Streets. NW. Call 202-633-8300 or visit npg.si.edu.
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