Editor’s Picks: Xanadu, Alexander Paley, Home + Remodeling Show, and more!
Our picks of the best arts and entertainment in the D.C. area this week
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
Malcolm McDowell is magnificent as the Beethoven-loving ringleader of a band of thugs in this powerful satire about the evils and capriciousness of our modern, psychiatric-driven society. With its extreme violence and horrific rape sequence, A Clockwork Orange ranks as one of the most shocking in Stanley Kubrick’s rich cinematic oeuvre. The 1971 film, based on Anthony Burgess’ dystopian crime novel, returns to the big screen as the next entry in the Capital Classics series at Landmark’s West End Cinema. Wednesday, Jan. 15, 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 FOREIGNER
Larry Shue’s 1984 comedy is set at a rural fishing lodge in Georgia, where two guests from England uncover some scandals among residents while also incurring the ire of white supremacists who seek their removal. Sherrionne Brown directs a community cast in a production from Baltimore’s Spotlights Theatre that tackles the xenophobia and racism still present today. To Jan. 12. 817 St. Paul St. Tickets are $18 to $24. Call 410-752-1225 or visit www.spotlighters.org.
CRACKER & CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN
The two veteran rock acts from California have been performing and touring together for decades, even sharing the same leader, singer/guitarist David Lowery. Lowery helped start the more punk-bent Camper in 1983, then followed with the more country-flavored Cracker in 1991 when Camper disbanded for a decade. Among the longstanding members of the two quintets, perhaps the most notable player after Lowery is Victor Krummenacher, the gay Camper co-founder and bassist who served a short stint last decade as a member of Cracker and also is the rare musician in the camp to have had a solo career. Saturday, Jan. 18. Doors at 6 p.m. 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-265-0930 or visit www.930.com.
TANGERINE
Long associated with energy, youth, and happiness, the saturated, bold orange hue has also been the love interest in popular songs. And for the remainder of January, Alexandria’s Del Ray Artisans Gallery presents artworks by its member artists with imaginative and original interpretations of what “tangerine” means. Opening Reception is Friday, Jan. 10. On display to Feb. 2. 2704 Mount Vernon Ave. Alexandria. Call 703-731-8802 or visit www.thedelrayartisans.org.
ALEXANDER PALEY
Originally from Moldova, the internationally heralded concert pianist Alexander Paley returns for his only annual concert in the D.C. area, showcased as part of the concert series presented by the Washington Conservatory of Music. The program includes Debussy’s 12 Etudes, Scriabin’s Sonata No. 5, and Ravel’s Suite Le Tombeau de Couperin. Saturday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m. Westmoreland Congregational Church, 1 Westmoreland Circle, Bethesda. Suggested donation of $20. Call 301-320-2770 or visit www.washingtonconservatory.org.
MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO
The bisexual iconoclastic singer-songwriter returns for a weekend run of shows in her hometown. Titled an “Exploration Through Geographical Memories,” the concert draws from Ndegeocello’s Ventriloquism, the 2018 Grammy-nominated set featuring covers of R&B and pop hits from the 1980s and 1990s — everything from Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam’s “I Wonder If I Take You Home” to George Clinton’s “Atomic Dog,” Sade’s “Smooth Operator” to Janet Jackson’s “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun).” The result is a collection of imaginatively recreated songs often drastically different than their originals. Thursday, Jan. 9, at 10 p.m., and Friday, Jan. 10, through Sunday, Jan. 12, at 8 and 10 p.m. Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $56, plus $12 minimum purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit www.bluesalley.com.
XANADU: GLOW-ALONG SCREENING
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Robert Greenwald’s cult musical in which Olivia Newton-John stars as a Greek muse who descends to Earth and indulges in earthly pursuits. As a way of paying tribute, Alamo Drafthouse cinemas will offer glowing screenings, literally. The theaters will supply all manner of glowing accessories, “franchised glitz,” and other props and party favors to help bring the roller disco to life — minus the rink and the skates, but including audience sing-alongs to the film’s disco hits, including Newton-John’s “Magic” and the title track featuring Electric Light Orchestra. Xanadu screens as part of Alamo’s “Hindsight Is 20/20” series, with organizers praising the film’s pre-MTV prescience: “Its brilliant colors, early computer animation, and slick editing set the stage for the golden age of music videos.” A dud upon original release, Xanadu is also notable for inspiring the creation of the Golden Raspberry Awards, recognizing the year’s worst films. Monday, Jan. 13, at 7:20 p.m. Alamo Drafthouse – One Loudoun, 20575 Easthampton Plaza, Ashburn, Va. Call 571-293-6808. Also Alamo Drafthouse – Woodbridge, 15200 Potomac Town Place, Ste. 100, Woodbridge, Va. Call 571-260-4413. Tickets are $14.30. Visit www.drafthouse.com/northern-virginia.
THE CURIOUS WORLD OF HIERONYMUS BOSCH
The latest in the Exhibition On Screen series of documentaries about classic Western art and artists focuses on the strange and fantastical paintings of a Dutch master who straddled the medieval and Renaissance worlds. Filmmaker David Bickerstaff offers a remarkable, cinematic exploration of Bosch’s fascinating life as well as his detailed, bizarre, even unsettling artworks, taking as its jumping-off point Jheronimus Bosch — Visions of Genius, an exhibition organized by a hometown Dutch museum that brought together the artist’s masterpieces from around the world for the one-off display. Sunday, Jan. 12, and Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 10:30 p.m. Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $10 to $15. Call 202-966-6000 or visit www.theavalon.org.
IT’S SOMETHING ABOUT COLOR: PAINTINGS BY JOAN BIXLER
A new exhibition at downtown’s Touchstone Gallery features a variety of vibrant, even exuberant artworks by Joan Bixler, reflecting the Northern Virginia artist’s love of color and her fascination with the interactions of light, shadows, and shapes. In large-scale paintings, Bixler often uses color and forms to create the effects of texture and depth, occasionally accenting or emphasizing things with the application of gold leaf, iridescent paint, or Venetian plaster — all touches that draw from Bixler Studios LLC, her decorative painting company serving commercial clients in the region. Opening Reception is Saturday, Jan. 11, from 2 to 4 p.m. Closing Reception is Feb. 1. Gallery C, 901 New York Ave. NW Call 202-347-2787 or visit www.touchstonegallery.com.
THE HOME + REMODELING SHOW
Kevin O’Connor, host of PBS’s pioneering home improvement show This Old House and the offshoot Ask This Old House, returns as headliner of next weekend’s home show at the Dulles Expo Center. One of several annual home-focused showcases produced by Marketplace Events, the Home + Remodeling Show presents more than 250 corporate vendors with the latest products and services in remodeling, renovation, décor, and redesign. O’Connor will lead three one-hour discussions, “Insights and Behind the Scenes of This Old House,” from the event’s Main Stage, on Friday, Jan. 17, at 2 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 18, at noon and 2 p.m. The Main Stage will also play host to local experts offering advice on specific topics including “The Secret to Designing a Home Remodel on a Budget” with Ted Daniels of Daniels Design & Remodeling, “Remodeling for All Budgets” with Dawn Parker, Nan Kinsely, and Ford Hal of NVS Kitchen & Bath, “Ideas to Maximizing Your Outdoor Living Space” with Joseph Colao & JR Peter of Colao & Peter, and “Landscape Lighting: How to Paint the Night with Light” with Patrick Harders of Enlightened Lights. Additionally, at the main entrance will be a display by the Beekeeper’s Cottage promising “a glorious variety of modern urban farmhouse home decor accessories and furnishings,” ranging from handcrafted soy candles, to goat milk soaps and lotions, to hip bracelets and earrings from their Crown Jewels Collection. Show hours are Friday, Jan. 17, and Saturday, Jan. 18, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 19, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center, Virginia. Tickets are $9 to $12 per day, or free on Friday, Jan. 17, for those who travel by Metro using SmarTrip or Transit Link cards. Call 703-378-0910 or visit www.homeandremodelingshow.com.
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