What’s on Washington

Photo: Courtesy of Signature Theatre

CAMILE CLAUDEL Turn-of-the-century French sculptor Camille Claudel was a groundbreaking artist and a revolutionary free-thinker. But, her entire life was determined by the men around her, from her passionate and tumultuous love affair with Auguste Rodin to her unsupportive brother to the gender-based censorship of her work. Signature’s MAX Theatre transforms into famed sculptor Rodin’s studio to bring their creative and lovers’ duel to life in a stunning and gorgeous new musical of an irrepressible visionary who broke the mold. This world premier musical is at Arlington’s Signature Theatre from March 24 to April. sigtheatre.org.

SPLIT THIS ROCK POETRY FESTIVAL Every two years, Split This Rock Poetry Festival calls poets, writers, educators, activists and scholars together for three days of readings, workshops, panel discussions, youth programming, open mics, activism and a book fair. Featuring some of the most socially significant and artistically vibrant poets today, the Festival offers opportunities to build connections and community and celebrate the many ways poetry can be a practice for social change. The festival is from March 26 to 28 at GWU’s Marvin Center. splitthisrock.org. Photo: Kelsey Hunter Ayres

BRIAN FALLON Brian Fallon and the Howling Weather are Lincoln Theater, 1215 U St. NW, on March 13, 8 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and seating is not assigned. Best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and main lyricist of The Gaslight Anthem, Brian Fallon combines the working class sensibilities of Springsteen and Tom Petty with the sounds of The Clash. His third album, Local Honey, is scheduled for release on March 27. $35. thelincolndc.com.

AGE OLD CITIES: A VIRTUAL JOURNEY FROM PALMYRA TO MOSUL Through Oct. 25, journey to three cities in the Middle East—Palmyra and Aleppo in Syria and Mosul in Iraq—in this virtual exhibition organized by the Arab World Institute, Paris, and created in collaboration with UNESCO. These cities, among the oldest uninterrupted human settlements in the world, have recently been devastated by war. To preserve these sites for future generations, Age Old Cities offers large-scale projections and digital reconstructions of iconic monuments and ancient structures rising from ruins to their former glory. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. asia.si.edu.

Irish punk band The Murder Capital

THE MURDER CAPITAL On the title track of their debut album, “For Everything:” The Irish punk band Murder Capital scream: “I am a blissless star, corroded through the core / The very many know I’m dodging holes / There’s nothing left in store, for I am a weightless diver, terrified and free / The possibility of symphony within my tragedy, seen.” The song combines heaviness, the bleakness and the rage with a surprising amount of tenderness. Their new record, “When I Have Fears,” has been called “a purple bruise on the hard knee of the so-called post-punk resurgence.” The Murder Capital is at the DC9 Club, 1940 Ninth St. NW, on Monday, March 16, 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 to $13. dc9.club.

ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL From March 12 to 22, DC hosts the largest environmental film festival in the world with more than 100 films. Collaborating with over 110 partners, including museums, embassies, universities and theaters, the Environmental Film Festival is the city’s leading green cultural event. The full schedule will be announced shortly. Many screenings are free. dceff.org.

ABOVE: In ADAPTATION: Kentucky, scientist and National Geographic Explorer Alizé Carrère travels to western Kentucky to meet Angie Yu, a Chinese American woman who is turning the Mississippi River’s invasive Asian carp problem into an environmental and economic triumph.

Jules Coignet, View of Bozen with a Painter, 1837, oil on paper, mounted on canvas, National Gallery of Art, DC, Gift of Mrs. John Jay Ide in memory of Mr. and Mrs. William Henry Donner

Courtesy of the National Cherry Blossom Festival

SAKURA MATURI JAPANESE STREET FAIR The Sakura Maturi Japanese Street Fair is the largest oneday celebration of Japanese culture in the US. This year enjoy four stages of performances and demonstrations, cultural exhibitors, food vendors, cooking demos and a children’s corner. Held the same day as the Cherry Blossom Parade, April 4, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Pennsylvania Avenue between Third and Seventh Streets NW, it features 30 cumulative hours of programming and welcomes more than 80 cultural groups, arts vendors and food booths. Admission is $10; children 12 and under, free. nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.

TRUE TO NATURE: OPEN-AIR PAINTING IN EUROPE, 1780–1870 An integral part of art education in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries, painting en plein air was a core practice for avant-garde artists in Europe. Artists such as Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, John Constable, Simon Denis, and André Giroux—made sometimes arduous journeys to paint their landscapes in person at breathtaking sites, ranging from the Baltic coast and Swiss Alps to the streets of Paris and ruins of Rome. This exhibition of some 100 oil sketches made outdoors across Europe during that time includes several recently discovered works. True to Nature is at the National Gallery of Art through May 3. nga.gov.

IN SERIES’ RIGOLETTO Verdi’s darkly unforgettable and tuneful opera comes to life as an immersive circus production. The horror and visceral drama of this immortal opera which remains as beloved and shocking today as it did at its premiere. Conductor Victoria Gau of Captial City Symphony leads a brilliant new orchestration for circus ensemble and a vibrant young cast in this new version of Verdi’s opera which promises to delight and overwhelm audiences who step right up to the GREATEST OPERA-SHOW ON EARTH. Rigoletto is on stage at The Atlas, 1333 H St. NE, from April 11 to 19. inseries.org. P h o t o : T a m z i n B . S m i t h

Photo: Wojciech Wandzel

THE KRONOS QUARTET On March 13, 8 p.m., San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet with the Choral Arts Chamber Singers performs Sun Rings at GW’s Lisner Auditorium. On the heels of its second Grammy Award, the quartet travels not just beyond standard musical genres, but into outer space itself in the first-ever DC performance of Sun Rings. This ten-movement suite, composed by Terry Riley, was commissioned by NASA to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Voyager Planetary Mission launches. Sun Rings weaves together string quartet, choir and the sounds of space. $30 to $50. kronosquartet.org.

IRELAND AT THE WHARF On March 14, 1 to 6 p.m., celebrate the rich culture and tradition of the Emerald Isle with bagpipers, live music, Irish dancers and the Guinness beer garden on District Pier. Jig along to live music from Poor Man’s Gambit, 19th Street Band and festival headliner Scythian. New this year: enjoy special samplings from Roe & Co. Irish Whiskey and Bailey’s Irish Cream. Entrance to the festival is free; food and drinks sold on site. All ages are welcome; must be 21+ to consume alcohol. Sláinte! wharfdc.com.

Image: Charles Chaisson

AUGUST WILSON’S SEVEN GUITARS The 1940s Pittsburgh is the backdrop for August Wilson’s fifth cycle play and the second production in the August Wilson Festival. Seven lives are interconnected when old friend and blues singer Floyd Barton vows to turn his life around after a surprise windfall leaves him hopeful for a second chance. Infused with deep and soaring blues rhythms, this play pits the desire for a better future against the harsh realities ultimately leading to heartbreaking and inescapable circumstances. Seven Guitars is at Arena Stage from April 3 to May 3. arenastage.org.

Photo: DC United / Xavi Dussaq

DC UNITED SEASON OPENS DC United season begins on Feb. 29, 1 p.m., at Audi Field in SW in a match against the Colorado Rapids. Other home games this spring are March 7 vs. Inter Miami CF; April 3 vs. New York City FC; April 15 vs. Toronto FC; April 26 vs. New York Red Bulls; May 9 vs. Houston Dynamo; May 16 vs. Orlando City SC; and May 30 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Ticket prices are $35, up. dcunited.com.

HOPFEST 2020 The DC brewing community invites hop-lovers to its sixth annual HopFest on March 14, 1 to 5 p.m. at DC Brau Brewing Company, 3178 Bladensburg Rd. NE. HopFest 2020 is the only DC beer festival by local brewers, for local brewers. Tickets for this 21+ event are $50 which includes a DC Brewers’ Guild tasting glass and unlimited pours. HopFest 2020 benefi ts the District of Columbia Brewers’ Guild, an 501(c)(6) organization that exists to unify the DC brewing community by honoring the city’s brewing heritage, fostering community development and pride, educating consumers, promoting shared business interests and encouraging sustainable growth. Jump quickly. Hopfest sells out. dcbg.org.

Photo: Courtesy of the Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House

WOODLAWN NEEDLEWORK SHOW Woodlawn Mansion was the fi rst family home of Eleanor “Nelly” Custis, George and Martha Washington’s granddaughter and one of America’s fi rst “celebrity” craft people. The annual needlework show and sale honors this legacy as a premier showcase of the needle arts, promoting emerging needlework artists and raising the needed funds to preserve this historic site. Visit the show and sale daily in March, except Tuesdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A general admission ticket is $15; $6 for K through 12; and free for fi ve and under. woodlawnpopeleighey.org.

INHERIT THE WINDBAG In the summer of 1968, liberal Gore Vidal and conservative William F. Buckley met for a series of debates that rocked America and defi ned the genre of punditry. Now, for one evening only, Vidal and Buckley meet in the Dismal Beyond, also known as the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, CA, to reprise their infamous debate. What ensues is a battle for history itself, in a noholds-barred sesquipedalian brawl and satirical battle of wits, assisted by an ever-revolving cast of characters from Aaron Burr to Ayn Rand. This world premier play is on stage at the Atlas from March 11 to 29. atlasarts.org.

John Lescault (left ) and Paul Morella (right) Photo: Iwan Bagus

Photo: Courtesy of the Washington Nationals Baseball Club

NATIONALS SEASON OPENS The 2019 World Champion Washington Nationals Home Opener is on April 2, 1:05 p.m. against the Mets which is followed by a day games against the Mets on the weekend. April game series are against the Marlins, Cubs and Dodgers. Single game tickets are on sale now. Friday night fireworks this year are April 17, May 1, June 19, July 3 and Aug. 14. mlb.com/nationals.

Photo: Stan Barouh

A RIGHT TO THE CITY: BRANDI T. SUMMERS On March 21, 2 to 4 p.m., Brandi Summers talks about “Black in Place: The Spatial Aesthetics of Race in a Post-Chocolate City.” The book documents DC’s shift to a “post-chocolate” cosmopolitan metropolis by charting H Street’s economic and racial developments. In doing so, Summers offers a theoretical framework for understanding how blackness is aestheticized and deployed to organize landscapes and raise capital. This program is part of a series of author talks in connection with the exhibition, A Right To The City. It was developed in partnership with American University, Metropolitan Policy Center. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu.

Sting as Jackie White and the cast perform “We’ve Got Nowt Else” in The Last Ship. Photo: Matthew Murphy

PEARSONWIDRIG DANCE THEATER On March 28 and 29, Pearsonwidrig Dance Theater premieres two solos and remount “Take Me With You,” which won the Dance Metro DC Award for Outstanding Overall Production in 2013. In exploring impending loss in the midst of longing for the Beloved, it asks unanswerable questions with disarming humor. And then there’s the blue floating shark. The premiers are The Sky is Falling and Heathens and Havens. $15 to 30. Dance Place is at 3225 Eighth St. NE. danceplace.org.

THE LAST SHIP The Last Ship, inspired by Sting’s 1991 album “The Soul Cages” and his own childhood experiences, tells the story of a community amid the demise of the shipbuilding industry in Tyne and Wear with the closure of the Swan Hunter shipyard. When a sailor named Gideon Fletcher returns home after seventeen years at sea, tensions between past and future flare in both his family and his town. Staring as shipyard foreman Jackie White, Sting will perform at every show. Best for ages 12, up. $49 to $154. The Last Ship is on stage at the Nation, March 27 to April 5. thenationaldc.com.

KRS-ONE Rap legend and stop-the-violence activist KRS-One is at the Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW, on March 13, 9 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Lawrence “Kris” Parker better known as KRS-One, rose to prominence as part of the hip hop music group Boogie Down Productions, which he formed with DJ Scott La Rock in the mid-1980s. He is best known for top hits: “Sound of da Police”, “Love’s gonna get’cha” and “My Philosophy.” Tickets are $25 in advance: $30 day-of. howard.theatredc.org.