Metro Weekly

Out On the Town: D.C. arts and entertainment highlights — June 27-July 3

Everything arts and entertainment in the D.C. area this week!

Yesterday: Himesh Patel and Ed Sheeran

FILM

BEFORE STONEWALL

An early, groundbreaking LGBTQ-themed documentary, Greta Schiller’s 1984 film, narrated by Rita Mae Brown, charts the evolution of LGBTQ life and culture in America from the early 1900s to the early ’80s, when the modern LGBTQ movement was still emerging. Before Stonewall: The Making of a Gay and Lesbian Community features eye-opening historical footage and illuminating interviews with some brave, openly LGBTQ pioneers, from Harry Hay, Frank Kameny, and Barbara Gittings, to Audre Lorde, Richard Bruce Nugent, and Allen Ginsberg. A salute to pride and to the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, the run, ending on the 4th of July, kicks off with a special screening and introduction by Montgomery County Councilmember Evan Glass on Thursday, June 27, at 7 p.m. 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $13 general admission. Call 301-495-6720 or visit www.afi.com/Silver.

DO THE RIGHT THING

Spike Lee’s joint from 1989 is still a bit too hot for some — but at least everyone can keep cool when it screens for a one-week-only run at the AFI Silver Theatre as a toast to its 30th anniversary with a new 4K restoration and exclusive behind-the-scenes pre-show montage. Do The Right Thing, which introduced the world to both Martin Lawrence and Rosie Perez, has been lauded by the AFI as well as Variety and the New York Times as one of the greatest films of all time. And yet, because of its forthright examination of persistent racial tensions that stoke violence, it’s also one of “The 25 Most Controversial Movies Ever,” writes Entertainment Weekly. It’s worth adding that Public Enemy’s “Fight The Power,” the hip-hop classic that was written for the movie as its theme song, also registers every bit as timely and provocative today as back then. Opens Friday, June 28. 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. Tickets are $13. Call 301-495-6720 or visit www.afi.com/Silver.

MIDSOMMAR

Hereditary writer-director Ari Aster’s new horror film is drenched in color, light, and sunshine — all of it belying the dark underbelly that toils just below the surface. A young woman (Florence Pugh) joins her boyfriend (Jack Reynor) on a trip to Sweden, where they encounter a beautiful small town that reveals itself to have cult-like tendencies. Naturally, from there, it’s a steep, sun-soaked descent into hell. Opens Wednesday, July 3. Area theaters. Visit www.fandango.com. (Rhuaridh Marr)

ROCKETMAN

Rocketman isn’t a straight-laced biopic. It’s best described as a musical fantasy biopic drama — a mouthful that only begins to scratch the surface of its enjoyable take on Elton John’s early years, his first break into music, and then his descent into drug-and-alcohol-fuelled hedonism. And it does it all while being a sung-through, choreographed, honest-to-goodness musical. Director Dexter Fletcher’s film is a constant visual splendor, held together by Taron Egerton’s incredible performance. Egerton makes Elton’s songs his own, and in turn produces a characterization that, while injected with perhaps a touch too much square-jawed machismo, brings to life a charismatic, deeply flawed, sympathetic man who has it all but deep down yearns only to be loved. In a world of straight-laced biopics, Rocketman tries for something different, and it thoroughly succeeds. Now playing. Area theaters. Visit www.fandango.com. (RM)

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN

The Capital Classics series at Landmark’s West End Cinema presents one of the greatest Hollywood musicals ever made. Set during the early days of talkies and a rollicking satire of the era in Hollywood, Singin’ In The Rain traces the seismic transition from silence to speech in film, as matinee idol Gene Kelly and his partner Donald O’Connor search for a solution to a dud film and a shrill co-star. Debbie Reynolds saves the day in this all-singing, all-dancing visual spectacle from 1952 that deservedly made Reynolds a star. Wednesday, July 10, at 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m. 2301 M St. NW. Happy hour from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.50. Call 202-534-1907 or visit www.landmarktheatres.com.

THE NEVERENDING STORY

Upon release 35 years ago, this West German fantasy film registered as the most expensive film produced outside the U.S. or the Soviet Union. Adapted from the novel by Michael Ende, The Neverending Story follows a boy’s reading of a magical book about a young warrior tasked with stopping a dark force called The Nothing. The first English-language film from director Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot), who also co-wrote the script, returns to screens on the eve of Independence Day as the next in the Capital Classics series at Landmark’s West End Cinema. Wednesday, July 3, at 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m. 2301 M St. NW. Happy hour from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.50. Call 202-534-1907 or visit www.landmarktheatres.com.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

Landmark’s E Street Cinema presents its monthly run of Richard O’Brien’s camp classic, billed as the longest-running midnight movie in history. Landmark’s showings come with a live shadow cast from the Sonic Transducers, meaning it’s even more interactive than usual. Friday, July 12, and Saturday, July 13, at midnight. 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit www.landmarktheatres.com.

YESTERDAY

What if you were the only person in the world who could remember the music of The Beatles? That’s the premise of Danny Boyle’s new film, which stars British actor Himesh Patel as a struggling musician who wakes up one day to find no one else has ever heard of “Yesterday,” “Hey Jude,” or “A Hard Day’s Night.” Naturally, he starts performing their music as his own, quickly becoming the world’s most famous singer-songwriter, and with predictably troublesome consequences. Kate McKinnon, Lily James, and Ed Sheeran (who suggests “Hey Dude” might be a better title) co-star. Opens Friday, June 28. Area theaters. Visit www.fandango.com. (RM)

Pointless Theatre: Forest Treas — Photo: C. Stanley

STAGE

A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2

Holly Twyford, Craig Wallace, and Nancy Robinette lead a powerhouse cast in this clever and sharp “sequel” to the Ibsen classic, circa 1879 from contemporary playwright Lucas Hnath (currently represented on Broadway with Hillary and Clinton). Nicole A. Watson directs a Round House Theatre production staged at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s secondary house while the Bethesda company’s venue undergoes a dramatic renovation. To June 30. Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th St. NW. Call 202-547-1122 or visit www.roundhousetheatre.org.

A MISANTHROPE

Matt Minnicino’s new contemporary distillation of Molière’s classic comedy The Misanthrope is the last show of WSC Avant Bard’s 29th season. Where the 17th-century original skewered the hypocrisy of the French aristocracy, A Misanthrope is set in the present, and further characterized per official publicity materials as “a send-up of trendy suck-ups and phonies during a booze-fueled pool party with the wealthy and wanna-be famous.” The 90-minute intermission-less production is overseen by Megan Behm, directing a sizable 10-member cast including Sara Barker, Elliott Kashner, Thais Menendez, Tendo Nsubuga, and Hannah Sweet. To June 30. Gunston Arts Center Theatre Two, 2700 South Lang St. Arlington. Tickets are $40. Call 703-418-4804 or visit www.wscavantbard.org.

A PEOPLE’S HISTORY

Mike Daisey is kicking off the Capital Fringe festival a few days early and in spectacular style. Rather than perform just one show as part of his new partnership with Fringe, the provocative stage monologist, known to Woolly Mammoth audiences for 2016’s The Trump Card and 2011’s The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, will be performing 18 full-length monologues, nearly one per show during the production’s 21-date run. The arguments he’s making about American history — and particularly what the average American wasn’t taught and doesn’t know on the subject — amount to a 30-hour production. Daisey’s work tells a tale of two American histories, taking its title from Howard Zinn’s decades-old but still eye-opening account A People’s History of the United States. The other source? The U.S. History textbook his teacher at his rural Maine high school taught from 25 years ago. Flipping back and forth between the two helps Daisey, according to the promotional material, “confront the legacy of our nation, our complicity, our responsibility, and the future.” Opens Friday, July 5. Runs to July 28. The Cradle in Arena Stage’s Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $35 for each theatergoer’s first performance, $20 for any subsequent performance. Fringe Festival passes not applicable to this production. Call 202-488-3300 or visit www.arenastage.org.

BYHALIA, MISSISSIPPI

Playwright Evan Linder’s uncompromising exploration of race, family, and betrayal in the American South comes to D.C. in a new Kennedy Center production after an award-winning run in Chicago in 2016. The heartfelt comedy focuses on a young white couple in love — who get the surprise of their lives and become the talk of their small southern town when their first child is born biracial. Jack Falahee and Caroline Neff play the lovebirds in a cast also featuring Aimé Donna Kelly, Blake Morris, and Cecelia Wingate. Kimberly Senior directs. To July 7. Terrace Theater. Tickets are $25 to $89. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

CAPITAL FRINGE FESTIVAL

Southwest D.C. once again serves as the hub for this year’s Capital Fringe, with seven stages set up at venues throughout the neighborhood, including Arena Stage and several area churches — all within easy walking distance of one another. Although festival organizers have curated a few professional shows it will officially present, including the first-out-the-gate Mike Daisey’s A People’s History (see separate entry), most Fringe shows are selected through an unjuried, open-invitation process — first-come, first-staged — with works largely created and produced by new or relatively inexperienced theatermakers. The festival kicks off on Tuesday, July 9, with nearly 20 shows running in staggered repertory to July 28. Tickets are $20 per show, and multi-show passes range from $72 to $500. Call 866-811-4111 or visit www.capitalfringe.org. Pick up our July 11 issue for a full rundown of every show on offer this year.

FOREST TREÁS

Pointless Theatre presents a newly commissioned work devised by company member Navid Azeez and inspired by the Beltway Sniper from 2002, in which a neighborhood on the outskirts of the city decides to put cameras everywhere and live-stream what transpires. What could possibly go wrong? Directed by Kelly Colburn, Forest Treás — pronounced as “Triage” — examines the unforeseen effects of the Information Age on a community in violent crisis. The setting has been described as “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood meets Dogville, with live video-streaming as a form of post-modern puppetry.” To June 30. Dance Loft on 14 Theater, 4618 14th St. NW 2nd Floor. Tickets are $15 to $32. Call 202-733-6321 or visit www.pointlesstheatre.com.

GREASE

Go for a drive up to Columbia if you’d like to go back in time — all the way back to the 1950s — for Toby’s Dinner Theatre’s production of Grease, the hit musical circa 1971 by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical-writing duo set the show in a mid-20th century American high school — one where even cool kids can’t resist breaking out into the sing-along fun of such hit staples as “Summer Nights,” “You’re The One That I Want,” and “Hopelessly Devoted to You.” Mark Minnick directs and choreographs a that stars Matt Hirsh as Danny and Nicki Elledge as Sandy. To July 28. 5900 Symphony Woods Rd. Columbia, Md. Tickets are $47.50 to $63, including buffet-style dinner and coffee and tea. Call 301-596-6161 or visit www.tobysdinnertheatre.com.

GREY GARDENS

Journey deep into the wild and wonderful walls of Grey Gardens, where it all began for the legendary mother-daughter duo, and follow along as they become the Edies, Big and Little. To July 13. Richmond Triangle Players, The Robert B. Moss Theatre, 1300 Altamont Ave. Richmond. Call 804-346-8113 or visit www.rtriangle.org.

The Object is of No Importance: Gwen Ida — Photo: Tony Hitchcock Photography

GWEN & IDA: THE OBJECT IS OF NO IMPORTANCE

Nu Sass Productions and Uncle Funsy team up to produce the world-premiere of a play about two of history’s forgotten heroines written by D.C.’s David S. Kessler. Not one to hold back, Ida has opinions about what happened to neglected painter Gwen John, who becomes her case in point when she asks Jack for a break. Lynn Sharp Spears directs Aubri O’Connor, Rebecca Ellis, and Matty Griffith in the production. To June 29. Caos on F, 923 F St. NW. Tickets are $20. visit www.nusass.com.

HELLO, DOLLY

Tony-winning Broadway legend Betty Buckley (the original Grizabella in Cats) stars as Dolly Levi, following in the formidable footsteps of Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters (and way before them, Carol Channing and Barbra Streisand). The touring production of Jerry Herman’s masterpiece, per Jerry Zaks’ swell Tony-winning revival, now settles in for a month-long run at the Kennedy Center. Also starring Lewis J. Stadlen. To July 7. Opera House. Tickets are $49 to $159. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

MATILDA THE MUSICAL

Adapted by Dennis Kelly from Roald Dahl’s book of the same name, the Olivier- and Tony-winning show, with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, centers on a precocious young girl discovering her magical powers while also coming to the realization that ours is a cruel world full of dastardly people. If only she could think of some way to change things…. You’re apt to like this show even more if you see it with kids — or at least kids at heart. Although in the hands of director Peter Flynn, fresh from his wry and whimsical Into The Woods at Ford’s Theatre, adults should find some joy, if not magic, here. The sharp local cast is worth noting too, including Felicia Curry, Rayanne Gonzales, Tracy Lynn Olivera, Michael Mainwaring, and Tom Story as — what else? — a villain in drag. Olney Theatre Center production Now to July 21. Mainstage, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit www.olneytheatre.org.

PANTHEON

Celebrated local devised company Happenstance Theater explores ancient Greek mythology with its latest original work, with guest artist Craig Jaster generating a live musical score. The company’s founders Mark Jaster and Sabrina Mandell are joined by Gwen Grastorf, Sarah Olmsted Thomas, Alex Vernon, and Craig Jaster as performers who regularly invoke the Muses, offer Sacrifice, suffer Hubris, consult Oracles, and meet Fate as they portray an array of mortals and gods whose flaws reflect their own. To July 1. Joe’s Movement Emporium, 3309 Bunker Hill Road, Mount Rainier, Md. Tickets are $17 to $23. Call 301-699-1819 or visit www.joesmovement.org.

RIPCORD

Megan Thrift directs Keegan Theatre’s latest, a production of David Lindsay-Abaire’s dramatic comedy about a seemingly harmless bet between two old women that quickly escalates into a dangerous game of one-upmanship. The setting is a sunny room on an upper floor in a senior living facility, which the cantankerous Abby (Deb Gottesman) had to herself before the arrival of the infuriatingly chipper Marilyn (Claire Schoovoner), setting the stage for the bet. Jared Shamberger, Kari Ginsburg, Oscar Ceville, and Robert Bowen Smith round out the cast. To July 6. Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Call 202-265-3767 or visit www.keegantheatre.com.

THE CAT IN THE HAT

A rainy day is turned into a miraculous, mayhem-filled adventure in an adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic imported from across the pond, via the National Theatre of Great Britain. The theater for young audiences production out at Adventure Theatre-MTC in Glen Echo Park is directed by Adam Immerwahr, who has become known for works that are far more serious and adult in his day job as the artistic director of Theater J. Surely The Cat in the Hat is a nice change of pace, maybe even allowing him, to paraphrase from the late Mr. Geisel’s book, “good fun that is funny.” Now to Aug. 18. 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Call 301-634-2270 or visit www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org.

THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI

Both entertaining and provocative, Bertolt Brecht’s play is a powerful parable to Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in Germany, while also eliciting comparisons to those today seizing more power and control over us. Presented by Scena Theatre, the tale focuses on the meteoric rise of a small-time gangster in 1930s Chicago who ruthlessly disposes of his competitors to enrich himself and gain power. To July 14. Lab Theatre II in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $25 to $45. Call 202-399-7993 or visit www.atlasarts.org.

TWISTED MELODIES

A powerful one-man show — written and performed by Kelvin Roston, Jr. — based on the life of ’70s soul singer Donny Hathaway, which imagines the troubled and brilliant musician’s last day on Earth. Derrick Sanders directs the production for Mosaic Theater Company of DC in collaboration with Baltimore Center Stage, Chicago’s Congo Square Theatre, and New York’s Apollo Theater. To July 21. Lang Theatre in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $20 to $68. Call 202-399-7993 or visit www.atlasarts.org.

A Capitol Fourth

MUSIC

A CAPITOL FOURTH

Everyone, or at least all those who call the nation’s capital home, should experience the National Symphony Orchestra’s A Capitol Fourth concert — held on Thursday, July 4, from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building — at least once in their lifetimes. The lineup makes a strong argument in favor of doing so this year — most notably for fans of singer-songwriter Carole King, who will perform along with the Broadway cast of the King-centric musical Beautifulstar ring Vanessa Carlton. John Stamos returns to host the 39th annual show, which kicks off at 8 p.m. and will be simulcast on PBS. Scheduled performers include Lindsey Stirling, Keala Settle, Vanessa Williams, Lee Brice, Colbie Caillat, Yolanda Adams, Laine Hardy, Angelica Hale, Maelyn Jarmon, and the cast of Sesame Street. And then there’s the NSO, led by Jack Everly, in a performance of American favorites and classical masterworks — culminating a few minutes after 9 p.m. with Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and the soundtrack to what organizers tout as “the biggest, most distinctive fireworks display in the nation.” Free. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org/nso for more information.

ANGIE STONE

One of the best singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1990s neo-soul movement, Angie Stone has a penchant for mid-tempo balladry, balancing modern hip-hop’s breezy beats with old-school soul humidity. After forays into other realms of the entertainment industry — including playing herself in the final two seasons of TV One’s R&B Divas: Atlanta — Stone has fully returned to music and touring in 2019. Full Circle, her ninth studio set and first in four years, is expected next month — a week after her debut at City Winery DC, in fact. Friday, July 5. Doors at 8:45 p.m. 1350 Okie St. NE. Tickets are $55 to $65. Call 202-250-2531 or visit www.citywinery.com.

CHRIS URQUIAGA

A former Strathmore Artist-in-Residence, Urquiaga has made a gradual move away from classical compositions and into pop. Last summer, he served as music director for Signature Theatre’s cabaret “Everything Elvis” and also performed at the venerable Blues Alley. He’s released two pop albums — I’m Here and Complete — and calls his style of music a blend of pop with R&B and Latin influences, owing to his Brazilian and Peruvian heritage. Currently working on his third Latin pop album, Urquiaga is likely to give a sneak peek into some of his newer material at a concert at DC9 at the end of the month that features two other D.C.-based artists as opening acts. There’s the gritty rock/folk quintet Rock Creek Kings, which was formed by songwriters Evan Sharess, Jonah Belser, and Erich Collins and also features jazz saxophonist Christopher Lawrence and bassist Evan St. John. And there’s also Anjali Taneja, a jazzy/R&B artist of Indian descent who is in at least one sense following in Urquiaga’s footsteps: She’s a current Artist-in-Residence at Strathmore. Sunday, June 30. Doors at 7:30 p.m. 1940 9th St. NW. Tickets are $10. Call 202-483-5000 or www.dcnine.com.

EN VOGUE

From the start, the Bay Area-formed girl group’s sound was fresh. Often playful and sassy, it drew from its early hip-hop era — think 1992’s “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)” — and was always confident and empowering, courtesy of the group’s signature sound of tight vocal harmonies initially inspired by doo-wop (1992’s “Giving Him Something He Can Feel”). And unlike most other girl groups, En Vogue has always been about collaboration and teamwork. There has never been one member known as lead singer, and every member alternates between lead and backing vocal duties. (Just try to imagine Diana Ross or Beyonce agreeing to that.) Originally a quartet, En Vogue has been a trio the last few years, with Cindy Braggs, fellow founder Terry Ellis, and Rhona Bennett, who first joined the group in 2003. The trio returns to the area at the end of the month, or exactly four years after a Capital Pride performance that may have taken place during a steady downpour, yet no one’s spirits were dampened. The ladies definitely gave their all to make sure of that — and fans certainly felt it. Friday, June 28, and Saturday, June 29, at 8 p.m. Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, 7719 Wisconsin Ave. Tickets are $79.50 to $94.50, plus $20 minimum purchase per person. Call 240-330-4500 or visit www.bethesdabluesjazz.com.

ERIC ROBERSON

Also known as Erro by family and fans, Philadelphia’s indie-soul singer-songwriter returns to the city of his alma mater, Howard University. He tours in advance of forthcoming new album LNS, which stands for Late Night Session, as well as in support of his 2017 trilogy of EPs Earth, Wind & Fire, paying homage to the ’70s group by way of all-original songs. Saturday, June 28, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $59. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

JACKSON BROWNE

With hit songs from 30 and 40 years ago, including “Rock Me on the Water,” “The Pretender,” “Running On Empty,” and “Somebody’s Baby,” Jackson Browne helped pioneer a style of passionate, heartfelt rock that artfully expresses political and personal views. Coming in at No. 37 in Rolling Stone‘s 2015 ranking of the “100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time,” Browne returns to Wolf Trap as an early birthday present to America. Wednesday, July 3. Gates open at 8 p.m. The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $45. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit www.wolftrap.org.

JAZZ IN THE GARDEN: HENDRIK MEURKENS QUARTET, JOGO PROJECT

A summertime staple for 19 seasons, the National Gallery of Art offers free outdoor concerts immediately after work every Friday through late August. Bands offering a range of jazz styles, from swing to Latin to ska, perform amidst the museum’s collection of large-scale sculptural works while patrons enjoy food and drinks, including beer, wine, and sangria, as sold by the Pavilion Café. New menu items for 2019 include the popular vegetarian Teriyaki Impossible Burger, a Bahn Mi Turkey Burger with ginger soy aioli, and more traditional sandwiches of pulled pork and beef brisket, all available at grill stations throughout the Sculpture Garden. The series continues with the New York-based Hendrik Meurkens Quartet, named after the legendary German-born jazz harmonica player, on June 28, and D.C.’s JoGo Project, formed in 2014 by saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed and member of the Chuck Brown Band until the Godfather of Go-Go’s death in 2012, on July 5. Evenings from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Sculpture Garden, between 7th and 9th Streets NW. Call 202-289-3360 or visit www.nga.gov.

LIVINGSTON TAYLOR

He’s the fourth of five in a family where pretty much everyone has worked as a musician or singer at some point and in some fashion — although none of them as famously as the second-born James. As it happens, James and Livingston work and perform together every now and then, and the two-years-older Taylor has even had a few hits with songs written by Liv, including “I Can Dream of You” and “Boatman.” A longtime professor at Berklee College of Music, Livingston celebrated his 50th year in the music business in 2017 in part by releasing Safe Home, which includes both original tunes as well as covers of showtunes and standards, including “Over The Rainbow,” (an update of his original 1973 cover of the classic) “Penny Lane,” “People Will Say We’re In Love” from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, and “Try To Remember” from The Fantasticks — any of which would sound great performed live. Friday, June 28. Doors at 6:30 p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $24.75 to $49.75. Call 202-787-1000 or visit www.thehamiltondc.com.

NEWMYER FLYER’S LAUREL CANYON

A wide array of talented pop/folk vocalists from around the area are brought together to perform songs from the first golden age of California-based singer-songwriters circa the late 1960s to the early 1970s — including standards by the Mamas & Papas, Buffalo Springfield, Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the Beach Boys, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, the Doors, Jackson Browne, the Byrds, and Frank Zappa. The concert will offer tributes to those legendary acts from the Kennedys, Margot Macdonald, Luke Brindley, Sara Curtin & Maureen Andary of the Sweater Set, Flo Anito, Timmie Metz, and Colin Sidley. Also featured: Dave Ylvisaker, Dave Egelhofer, Tom Helf, Mike Mills, Brian Goddard, Buddy Griffin, Matt Spielman, and Elizabeth Lademan & Arch Alcantara. Saturday, June 29, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $29.50. Call 703-549-7500 or visit www.birchmere.com.

Nick Murphy — Photo: Willy Lukatis

NICK MURPHY

When he first emerged on the international pop scene nearly a decade ago, Australian singer-songwriter Nick Murphy adopted the moniker Chet Faker in slightly cheeky homage to jazz musician Chet Baker. Yet in recent years Murphy dropped, or set aside, that alias, no doubt to disabuse people of any notion that this is a tribute act, or that his music is half-serious shtick — or some kind of fakery. On the contrary, the 2017 EP Missing Link and this year’s full-length Run Fast Sleep Naked — both released under — are noteworthy sets of eclectic tunes in a signature hybrid style you might call atmospheric electronic-folk. Murphy’s music is a sludgy hodgepodge of electro-pop, rock, and hip-hop, an intriguing blend that sounds better than it reads. The New York-based electronic duo Beacon opens. Wednesday, July 10. Doors at 7 p.m. 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $36, including a $1 donation to PLUS1. Call 202-265-0930 or visit www.930.com.

NSO POPS: 50 YEARS OVER THE RAINBOW: A JUDY GARLAND CELEBRATION

Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke leads the National Symphony Orchestra in a program marking the loss, 50 years ago this month, of Judy Garland. He’ll do so by recreating the gay icon’s legendary, comeback concert at Carnegie Hall in 1961 that featured her signature standards (“Over The Rainbow,” “The Trolley Song,” “Puttin’ On The Ritz” among them) and that, recorded and released as a double album, earned Garland the designation of being the first woman to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. (And yes, it’s the same concert and live album that Rufus Wainwright re-created and recorded a dozen years ago, with his own Grammy to show for it.) Young Broadway sensations Laura Osnes (BandstandRodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella) and Capathia Jenkins (NewsiesCaroline, or Change), and Pink Martini frequent guest vocalist Jimmie Herrod join the NSO to celebrate the music, life, and legacy of Garland. Friday, June 28, and Saturday, June 29, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $24 to $99. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

NSO POPS: HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE IN CONCERT

Steven Reineke leads the National Symphony Orchestra in a production of the first score in the J.K. Rowling franchise that was not written by the ubiquitous John Williams, due to his unavailability. Instead, director Mike Newell hired Scottish composer Patrick Doyle to soundtrack 2005’s Goblet of Fire, the fourth in the eight-film series, which will be shown on a giant HD screen inside the Filene Center as well as on screens on the Wolf Trap lawn, all while the NSO performs. Meanwhile, Harry Potter fans are encouraged to dress as their favorite wizarding-inspired character. Friday, July 5, and Saturday, July 6, at 8:30 p.m. 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $35 to $60. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit www.wolftrap.org.

SERENADE! 9TH ANNUAL CHORAL FESTIVAL

Co-presented by Classical Movements Inc., the Kennedy Center offers a free festival of choral music featuring nine professional ensembles from around the world. The concerts this year reflect on the far-reaching cultural effects of migration, exile, and refuge per the Kennedy Center’s year-long, multi-venue series, “The Human Journey: Music, Migration & Identity.” The festival presents two Millennium Stage concerts: the first with France’s Barbara Furtuna, a mostly a cappella, Corsican polyphonic male quartet, and the Crystal Children’s Choir from San Francisco, especially known for performing Chinese folk songs and newly commissioned works, on Saturday, July 6; and the second with Germany’s Calmus, a 20-year-old organization carrying on the rich choral tradition of Bach’s and Mendelssohn’s hometown of Leipzig, Ecuador’s Choir Cedemusica, a children’s choir presenting Ecuadorian culture through indigenous wardrobes and songs, and Canada’s Toronto Beaches Children’s and Youth Chorus, focused on the stories and music of the First Nations of Canada, on Sunday, July 7. The festival closes with a Grand Finale Concert on Monday, July 8, in the Concert Hall featuring all five previously cited ensembles, plus Mexico’s Túumben Paax Female Vocal Sextet, performing pre-Hispanic music and modern arrangements of traditional folk song as well as contemporary pieces, Chicago’s Anima-Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus, the four-time Grammy-winning leader in the field of North American youth choruses, and the Mongolian/Iranian ensemble Sedaa, which includes two traditional Mongolian singers and two traditional Iranian instrumentalists performing music connecting the “genuinely exotic world between the Orient and Mongolian steppe.” Each ensemble will perform individually and then join for the Serenade! mass choir led by Doreen Rao and the world-premiere performance of Refuge, a work by soprano and composer Patrice Michaels. All shows at 6 p.m. Kennedy Center. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

START MAKING SENSE W/SEEPEOPLES

Jon Braun leads this New York-based seven-piece band that pays tribute to David Byrne by faithfully recreating the music of Talking Heads including the hits “Once In A Lifetime,” “Burning Down the House,” and “Psycho Killer,” as well as other songs the band never performed live — and of course never will, given the “bad blood” between Byrne and the others. The “anti-genre indie pranksters” known as SeepeopleS and led by songwriter/producer Will Bradford open. Saturday, June 29. Doors at 6:30 p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $18 to $25.50. Call 202-787-1000 or visit www.thehamiltondc.com.

DANCE

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE: SWAN LAKE

New York’s ABT returns to Wolf Trap with the quintessential classic ballet, a romantic fable of ill-fated passion, dreamlike transformation, and ultimate forgiveness, set to Tchaikovsky. In addition to the awe-inspiring sight of seeing the corps de ballet moving in magical unison as swans — per artistic director Kevin McKenzie’s take on the classic choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov — each performance in the Filene Center features a different duo of principal dancers as the lovers Princess Odette and Prince Siegried: Hee Seo and Cory Stearns on Thursday, July 11, Misty Copeland and Herman Cornejo on Friday, July 12, and Devon Teuscher and Aran Bell on Saturday, July 13. All performances at 8:30 p.m. 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $25 to $80. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit www.wolftrap.org.

COMEDY

THE SECOND CITY: AMERICA; IT’S COMPLICATED

The legendary comedic troupe from Chicago returns to the Kennedy Center for another all-new, made-for-Washington politically minded show mixing sketch comedy, improv, satire, and original music. Mary Catherine Curran, Cody Dove, Jillian Ebanks, Jordan Savusa, Adam Schreck, and Holly Walker are the featured players for America; It’s Complicated. To Aug. 11. Theater Lab. Tickets are $49 to $59. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

READINGS & DISCUSSIONS

STORY DISTRICT: OUT/SPOKEN

Out/Spoken: True Stories through an LGBTQ+ Lens is the full title to the 9th annual LGBTQ storytelling showcase from Story District, this year falling a month after pride and over the July 4th weekend. Among the featured speakers this year: veteran Charles McCaffrey, who will share his experiences of serving in the military back when gays and lesbians had to suppress their identities and emotions, from new romance to personal loss; young activist Charlotte Clymer, who famously fought back against anti-trans discrimination at Cuba Libre just last summer; and local comedian Chelsea Shorte, recounting a police encounter during which she had to quickly decide whether “acting feminine” would better help and protect her. Rayceen Pendarvis returns to host the show, directed by writer and filmmaker Phill Branch of Howard University. Saturday, July 6. Doors at 8 p.m. 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-265-0930 or visit outspoken.splashthat.com.

Queens of Egypt: National Geographic

ART & EXHIBITS

AMERICAN DEMOCRACY: A GREAT LEAP OF FAITH

A display of prominent artifacts highlighting the history of citizen participation, debate and compromise from the nation’s formation to today. The American experiment is still alive, if not altogether well at the moment, but it has endured rough times before. This exhibition, at the Smithsonian’s American History Museum, highlights the various ways in which leading figures have strived to make the country “a more perfect union.” Objects include Thomas Jefferson’s portable desk he used to draft the Declaration of Independence, the inkstand Abraham Lincoln used to draft the Emancipation Proclamation, and the table on which Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote the Declaration of Sentiments. Ongoing. 14th St. and Constitution Ave. NW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit www.americanhistory.si.edu.

AMERICANS

This long-term exhibit showcasing nearly 350 objects and images — from a Tomahawk missile to baking powder cans — demonstrating that Native words, images, and products are everywhere in American life. And non-native citizens have always been fascinated, conflicted, and profoundly shaped by their relationship to American Indians. On display through 2022. Independence Avenue at 4th Street SW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit nmai.si.edu.

DC ART BOOK FAIR #3

More than 40 artists and small presses will be on hand to sell their (largely paper-based) works — including books, ‘zines, comics, prints, art, and creative knickknacks — at this third annual curated fair hosted at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Organized by the DC Art Book Collective, participants were chosen by a panel of judges And because the fair takes place as part of July’s Free Community Day, admission to the museum is also free that day. Sunday, July 7, from noon to 5 p.m. The Great Hall at 1250 New York Ave NW. Call 202-783-5000 or visit www.nmwa.org.

HOT!

The Focus Gallery of the Arlington Artists Alliance presents a group show featuring member artistic interpretations on the topical — and tropical — theme of summertime heat and humidity. The “sizzling artistry” — per the words of the organizers — will be on display in the air-conditioned comfort of the gallery, which is located in the Crystal City Shops. Also on display: Our National Mall in Color, a show featuring vivid depictions of national landmarks from watercolorist Tony Neville, the gallery’s featured artist of the month. Opening Reception and Meet the Artists night is Friday, July 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibition will be on display through July 26. Gallery Underground, 2100 Crystal Drive. Call 571-483-0652 or visit www.galleryunderground.org.

ILLEGAL TO BE YOU: GAY HISTORY BEYOND STONEWALL

The National Museum of American History celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots with a yearlong display of artifacts from the Smithsonian’s LGBTQ collections, intended to examine the complexity of LGBTQ history both before and after Stonewall. Among the objects, buttons and graphics in the special exhibit — some of which date to the 19th century — are items of clothing belonging to Matthew Shepard, protest signs from gay rights activist Frank kameny, the first transgender pride flag, and even lesbian tennis pro Billy Jean King’s tennis dress. Now to Spring 2020. Exhibit is located on the second-floor of the National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is free. Call 202-633-1000 or visit www.americanhistory.si.edu.

LGBTQ+ ART SHOW

Housed in the former Palmer Ford building along with the original Vigilante Coffee, Maryland’s Studio SoHy — short for South Hyattsville — readies its next exhibition: a group show curated by KAY with a focus on works by 13 local LGBTQ artists as diverse as they are and the community is. Closes June 30. 4327 Gallatin St., Hyattsville, Md. Visit www.studiosohy.com.

ONE VOICE

The Kimpton Carlyle Hotel Dupont Circle is celebrating Capital Pride with a summer-long art exhibition in its lobby featuring local LGBTQ artists and allies. Curated by Julie Ratner and Golie Miamee of Artworx Consultants, One Voice includes works by Tom Hill, Maggie O’Neill, Wayson Jones, and Rose Jaffe, in addition to several permanent works by world-renowned mixed-media artist Michele Oka Doner and Michael Crossett’s piece “Community,” which was commissioned for Kimpton in partnership with Shop Made in DC. Through Sept. 2. 1731 New Hampshire Ave. NW. Suggested donation of $5 per person that will benefit Kimpton brand partner the Trevor Project. Call 202-234-3200 or visit www.carlylehoteldc.com.

QUEENS OF EGYPT

A new exhibition at the National Geographic Museum puts a rare spotlight on the queens of ancient Egypt, including Hatshepsut, Nefertari, Nefertiti, and Cleopatra VII. The life and leadership of these legendary figures, whose rule ranged from the New Kingdom (1539-1514 B.C.) to the Ptolemaic dynasty (51-30 B.C.), is told with the help of more than 300 ancient Egyptian artifacts, including monumental statues, sparkling jewelry, and impressive sarcophagi — plus the use of advanced virtual reality technology providing a 3D flythrough tour of one of the most well-preserved tombs in the Valley of the Queens, that of Queen Nefertari. Many of the objects on display come courtesy of the Museo Egizio of Turin, Italy, one of the international cultural partners in the exhibition. And much of the research is based on the work of renowned Egyptologist and National Geographic Explorer Kara Cooney, author of the companion book When Women Ruled The World: Six Queens of Egypt, published by National Geographic Books last fall. To Sept. 2. The museum is located at 1145 17th St. NW. Tickets are $10 to $15. Call 202-857-7588 or visit www.ngmuseum.org.

QUEER AS GERMAN FOLK: CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF TRANSATLANTIC RAINBOW FRIENDSHIP

The Goethe-Institut Washington and the DC Center for the LGBT Community have teamed up for a joint, two-part exploratory exhibition featuring a hands-on deconstructed archive that visitors can browse at their own pace and according to their own interests. The archive includes materials drawn from the Schwules Museum Berlin as well as D.C.-based archives and partner resources such as the Rainbow History Project, Whitman-Walker Health, local photographer Elvert Barnes, and the DC Public Library. The similarities and differences in the push for LGBTQ equality in both capitals will be highlighted. To Aug. 23. Goethe-Institut/German Cultural Center, 1990 K St. NW. Ste. 03. Also The DC Center, 2000 14th St. NW. Ste. 105. Free. Visit www.goethe.de/washington and www.thedccenter.org.

REFIK ANADOL: INFINITE SPACE

D.C.’s technology-focused art gallery ArTecHouse presents the first major retrospective of Refik Anadol, a thoroughly 21st-century-focused artist who uses data and computerized networks to create radical visualizations of our digitized memories, expanding the possibilities of architecture, narrative, and the movement. Through site-specific, parametric data sculptures and immersive installations, the L.A.-based Turkish artist helps rethink the physical world, our relationship to time and space, and the creative potential where humans and machines interact. The exhibition’s title derives from an infamous, internationally touring immersive installation featuring three infinity boxes and a selection of multimedia works spanning Anadol’s career. To Sept. 2. 1238 Maryland Ave. SW. Tickets are $13 to $20, with “after hours” sessions featuring a bar with exhibition-related Augmented Reality cocktails. visit www.artechouse.com.

STONEWALL AT 50: LGBTQ+ ACTIVISM IN THE UNITED STATES

The Library of Congress celebrates “LGBTQ+ Pride Month” with a new display commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. Drawing from the papers of early LGBTQ rights pioneers Lilli Vincenz and Franklin Kameny, the exhibit puts that turning point in the LGBTQ movement in context with materials representing activism from the time periods before — those from the education-focused homophile movement of the 1950s — and after, or the more radical gay liberation movement. The display also includes flyers and ephemera from the very first pride event, the Christopher Street Liberation Day in 1970. On display through July 11. The Great Hall in the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Call 202-707-8000 or visit www.loc.gov/events.

WOMEN CELEBRATING WOMEN

Bethesda’s Triangle Art Studios honors the women’s suffrage movement and the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution with an exhibition and open house featuring studio artists Jill Newman, Maruja Quezada, Barbara Siegel, and Clare Winslow. Through June. Cheval Condominium, 7711 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda. Call 301-215-6660 or visit www.bethesda.org.

Chocolate Lounge: Black Burlesque Revue — Photo: Stereo Vision

ABOVE AND BEYOND

DAVID DIMITRI: THE ONE-MAN CIRCUS

With his latest feat, this veteran of Cirque du Soleil and the Big Apple Circus and an acrobat and high-wire dancer that the New York Times has called the “Lord of the Wire,” isn’t just a circus act — he’s the whole darn show. Performed in an intimate, one-of-a-kind tent, L’homme Cirque is a one-man show featuring what Dimitri refers to as “unique magic” as he balances dramatic feats, such as high-wire flips or a human cannon launch, with humor, poetry, and accordion serenades. Strathmore welcomes Dimitri to help christen the Bernard Family Foundation Pavilion, the new addition to the Music Center. To July 7. 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $20 to $33, or $75 for Opening Night VIP Reception and Meet & Greet. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

DC BLACK THEATRE & ARTS FESTIVAL

Now in its 9th year, this festival showcases local talent in practically all realms of the arts, performative as well as visual. This year’s event offers several live painting demonstrations from local mural and street artists. It also presents another film “festival within a festival,” featuring screenings and competitions in six film categories, including shorts, documentaries, and music videos. The primary focus, however, remains on theatrical works, including monologues and one-act plays, with competitions for both, plus the New Works Reading Series offering lightly staged readings, and full-length plays presented in the grouped categories: traditional, urban, and gospel stage plays. The festival runs through Friday, July 5, at venues including the Anacostia Playhouse (2020 Shannon Pl. SE.), THE ARC (1801 Mississippi Ave. SE), and the Anacostia Arts Center (1231 Good Hope Rd. SE). Visit www.dcblacktheatrefestival.com for more information.

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 www.fords.org.

SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL

Partly as a result of the prolonged government shutdown, organizers of this annual festival scaled things back from the usual two-week to-do and concentrated things over one weekend with concerts highlighting the “social power of music.” The 53rd annual event kicks off at noon on Saturday, June 29, with an all-afternoon D.C. Music Preservation Pop-Up co-sponsored by DC Public Library Punk & Go-Go Archives and featuring hands-on activities, demonstrations, and performances, especially focused on the art and appreciation of D.C.’s homegrown go-go sound. There will also be a Local Record Label Market showcasing D.C.’s independent labels, including Crooked Beat, Dischord, and Electric Cowbell records plus Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. After a two-hour DC Bluegrass Union Jam comes the evening-length program “The Fierce Urgency of Now: Modern Troubadours, Poets, and Wordsmiths” featuring Ruby Ibarra, Quetzal ft. Alice Bag and La Marisoul, and Kokayi ft. Jenna Camille. Sunday, June 30, kicks off at 10:30 a.m. with the four-hour celebration “Smithsonian Folkways Family Concert Honoring the Legacy of Pete Seeger” in honor of what would have been the folk legend’s 100th birthday and featuring performances by The Bright Siders, Sonia De Los Santos, Dan & Claudia Zanes, and children’s music singer Elizabeth Mitchell and her group You Are My Flower. There’s also the afternoon Baltics Song & Dance program, several 10-minute Community Sing sessions led by Nolan Williams, Jr., and then, at 5 p.m., concluding with “Hip-Hop: People, Places, and Things,” a performance and discussion with hip-hop legend and storyteller Grandmaster Flash. This year’s festival takes place on the National Mall, with Jefferson Drive closed to traffic between 7th and 12th Streets S.W. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, but there won’t be a Festival Marketplace. Call 202-633-1000 or www.festival.si.edu for event details and schedule.

THE CHOCOLATE LOUNGE BURLESQUE SHOW

Burlesque and the art of striptease will be represented at this year’s DC Black Theatre & Arts Festival (see separate entry) through a revue featuring local burlesque artist GiGi Holliday and performers of color from D.C. and Baltimore, all accompanied by a live band. “We are celebrating the history of the past, creating history in the present, and ensuring that black burlesque has a future,” says Holliday in an official release. “These performers are pulling out all the stops to delight you, mesmerize you, and most of all, entertain you with black girl magic and black boy joy.” Thursday, June 27, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, June 29, at 9 p.m. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. Tickets are $15. Call 202-889-5901 or visit www.dcblacktheatrefestival.com/chocolate-lounge.

Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism

These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!