Spring Arts Preview 2019 by Metro Weekly

March 14, 2019

CONTENTS

FINE DINING

Third Rail stages an immersive work at the Folger that is as eye-opening as it is delicious. By Randy Shulman

SPRING ARTS PREVIEW Film, Stage, Music, Classical, Museums and Dance By André Hereford, Doug Rule, Randy Shulman, and Rhuaridh Marr

About the Cover: The multimedia design was created exclusively for Metro Weekly by local LGBTQ artist Hannah Chertok. To see more of her creations, visit www. bodiesadapt.com. To watch a time-lapse video of the cover being created, follow our new interactive PDF of the magazine at www.issuu.com/metroweekly.

Volume 25 Issue 44

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR

The Washington National Opera’s lovely, affecting Eugene Onegin offers a rare Russian treat. By Kate Wingfield

SPOTLIGHT: TRAVEL & ADVENTURE SHOW p.7 OUT ON THE TOWN p.10 FINE DINING: THIRD RAIL’S CONFECTION p.12 BRIGHTER DAY: SPENCER DAY p.14 COMMUNITY: PURIM PUNUMS p.17 SPRING ARTS PREVIEW 2019 p.21 FILM p.23 STAGE p.31 POP MUSIC p.39 CLASSICAL & CHORAL p.53 MUSEUMS & GALLERIES p.58 DANCE p.61 STAGE: DADDY LONG LEGS p.68 STAGE: MASTERPIECES OF THE ORAL AND INTANGIBLE p.69 OPERA: EUGENE ONEGIN p.70 NIGHTLIFE p.73 SCENE: FREDITO’S AT FREDDIE’S p.73 LISTINGS p.74 LAST WORD p.78 Real LGBTQ News and Entertainment since 1994 Editorial Editor-in-Chief Randy Shulman Art Director Todd Franson Online Editor at metroweekly.com Rhuaridh Marr Senior Editor John Riley Contributing Editors André Hereford, Doug Rule Senior Photographers Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim Contributing Illustrator Scott G. Brooks Contributing Writers Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Bailey Vogt, Kate Wingfield Webmaster David Uy Production Assistant Julian Vankim Sales & Marketing Publisher Randy Shulman National Advertising Representative Rivendell Media Co. 212-242-6863 Distribution Manager Dennis Havrilla Patron Saint Luke Perry Cover By Hannah Chertok Metro Weekly 1775 I St. NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 202-638-6830 All material appearing in Metro Weekly is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publishers. Metro Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials submitted for publication. All such submissions are subject to editing and will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Metro Weekly is supported by many fine advertisers, but we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers, nor can we accept responsibility for materials provided by advertisers or their agents. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles or advertising in Metro Weekly is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such person or organization.

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

Spotlight

Washington DC Travel & Adventure Show

NDREW MCCARTHY, THE BRAT PACK ACTOR turned award-winning travel writer is just one of several celebrities and travel authorities set to be at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center this weekend. Also appearing on the Travel Theater stage will be 1,000 Places to See Before You Die author Patricia Schultz, Emmy-winning reporter and CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg, and the host of PBS’s Samantha Brown’s Places to Love. Now in its 15th year, the show, presented by Unicomm LLC, brings to D.C. more than 300 exhibitors, travel rep-

resentatives, industry insiders, culture experts, and dance and musical artists. Also on hand: U.S. Department of State agents accepting passport applications and renewals and taking passport photos, and Custom and Border Protection officers providing Global Entry interviews and applications. Saturday, March 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, March 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. At the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Pl. NW. Tickets are $11 for one day or $18 for two days online with promo code DCPR19, or $15 and $22 at the door. Call 202-249-3000 or visit www.travelshows.com/washingtondc. MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

Spotlight LET FREEDOM SING

MORRISON

The latest concert from the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington celebrates African-American music and culture, shared through stories and songs reflecting diverse experiences and shared history. The program mixes tunes from jazz, gospel, R&B and pop, and Broadway, including covers of well-known hits by everyone from Duke Ellington to Prince, Aretha Franklin to Whitney Houston. Saturday, March 16, at 4 and 8 p.m. at the Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. Tickets are $25 to $65. Call 202-888-0050 or visit www.gmcw.org.

SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON

One of the most expensive Westerns made in the mid-20th century, 1949’s She Wore A Yellow Ribbon was the second in a Cavalry trilogy from director John Ford (along with 1948’s Fort Apache and 1950’s Rio Grande). Shot on location in Monument Valley on large areas of the Navajo reservation along the ArizonaUtah border, the John Wayne-starring Technicolor drama, which won Winton Hoch the Oscar for Best Cinematography, returns to the big screen as part of the Capital Classics series at Landmark’s West End Cinema. Wednesday, March 20, 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.

WASHINGTON IMPROV THEATER: FIST 2019

JEFF SALMORE

WIT’s popular, month-long Fighting Improv Smackdown Tournament is an elimination tourney in which audiences vote to decide the teams of improvers deserving to advance to the championship. The 13th Annual FIST features a grand total of 44 matches grouped into six rounds, with two matches every day — and four on Sundays — starting Thursday, March 14. A sampling of the team names competing in the opening weekend: Glass Ceiling, Presidential Pals, Love Language, Roll Tide, Confess!, Sheathes, Roommate Love, Bombo Buntcakes, and Ramen Hood. Runs to final round on April 1. Source, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets start at $15 to $30. Call 202-204-7760 or visit www.witdc.org. 8

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

Out On The Town

MARYLAND LYRIC OPERA: AN EVENING OF MOZART

Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Cosi fan tutte are collectively known as the Da Ponte Operas, the trio of works composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart based on libretti by Lorenzo da Ponte. Excerpts from those three popular operas factor into the latest program from this five-year-old, singer-focused company founded by Brad Clark. Featured soloists include sopranos Youna Jang Hartgraves, Mary Feminear, and Nanyoung Song, mezzo-soprano Caroline Hewitt, tenor Joseph Michael Brent, baritone Jose Sacin, and bass-baritone Adam Cioffari. Louis Salmeno conducts the MDLO Orchestra. Friday, March 15, and Saturday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m. Bethesda United Methodist Church, 8300 Old Georgetown Rd., Md. Tickets are $25 and include post-show coffee and dessert reception. Visit www.mdlo.org.

Compiled by Doug Rule

FILM 2018: A SECOND LOOK

The AFI Silver Theatre returns a selection of last year’s most distinctive films to the big screen in time for awards season. The nearly two dozen films include Film Independent Spirit Award nominee The Rider, the sequels Mission: Impossible - Fallout and Paddington 2, Alice Rohrwacher’s Happy As Lazzaro, a modern-day Italian fairytale blending neo-realism and magical realism that won for Best Screenplay at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, and First Man, the Best Visual Effects Oscar winner about the historic Apollo 11 flight from La La Land director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling, who portrays Neil Armstrong. The series continues to March 21. 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Call 301-4956720 or visit www.afi.com/Silver.

PARIAH

Joshua Vogelsong continues the queer Screen Queen series at the 35-seat, living-room cozy Suns Cinema in Mount Pleasant. The March run celebrates female directors and poignant queer stories, with next up one of Metro Weekly’s “15 LGBTQ Black Films Everyone Should See.” Under the careful eye of writer and director Dee Rees, whose own life inspired the movie, 2011’s Pariah is a character-driven drama that beautifully explores social standards and barriers within black culture. In a sly cinematic move, shots open wider and brighter as Alike (Adepero Oduye) grows into her sexuality and identity. It’s a difficult transition — and relationships are destroyed along the way — but it’s necessary to the message of the movie. And coupled with a stellar bit of acting from the entire cast, Pariah delivers that message with such unrelenting clarity that it’s hard not to be impressed. Monday, March 18, at 8 p.m. 3107 Mount Pleasant St. NW. Tickets are $10. Visit www.sunscinema.com. (Chris Heller)

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

ROADMAP TO APARTHEID

Alice Walker, the author of The Color Purple, narrates a film offering a detailed look at the apartheid analogy commonly used to describe the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Directed by Ana Nogueira, a white South African, and Eron Davidson, a Jewish Israeli, Roadmap to Apartheid explores the rise and fall of apartheid in South Africa in light of how many Palestinians feel they are living today. The work, dating to 2012, is the latest documentary to screen for free as part of Voices from the Holy Land series, now in its fifth year and sponsored by an interfaith coalition of more than 40 area organizations. Thursday, March 21, at 2 p.m. The Residences at Thomas Circle, 1330 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Call 240-912-4976 or visit www.voicesfromtheholyhland.org.

STAGE BLOOD AT THE ROOT

A black student disrupts the status quo at her high school merely by venturing into an area typically

occupied by white students, unintentionally provoking an uptick in hate speech, violence, and chaos. Playwright Dominique Morisseau was inspired by the Jena Six, the black teenagers who were reflexively condemned and excessively charged after a 2006 altercation with a white student turned brutal in their Louisiana small-town. Directed by Raymond O. Caldwell, Theater Alliance’s production features choreography by Tiffany Quinn and an 11-person cast including Molly Shayna Cohen, Billie Krishawn, Emmanuel KyeiBaffour, Deimoni Brewington, Paul Roeckell, and Stephanie Wilson. Blood at the Root is touted as a moving, lyrical, and bold examination of the complexities of race and individual freedoms, as well as the link between justice and identity. To March 24. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Place SE. Tickets are $40 to $50 and half-off during previews. Call 202-241-2539 or visit www.theateralliance.com.

INDECENT

A few months after its debut at

Arena Stage, Baltimore Center Stage offers another chance to see the latest work by Paula Vogel, which tells the story of a group of artists who risked their careers to perform Sholem Asch’s God of Vengeance on Broadway in 1923. The work was deemed “indecent” for tackling taboo themes of censorship, immigration, and anti-Semitism — but especially for depicting romance blooming between two women. Eric Rosen directs a cast that includes Ben Cherry, Susan Lynskey, John Milosich, and Max Wolkowitz. To March 31. 700 North Calvert St., Baltimore. Tickets are $20 to $74. Call 410-332-0033 or visit www.centerstage.org.

BRITTANY DILIBERTO

ONCE

FINE DINING

Third Rail stages an immersive work at the Folger that is as eye-opening as it is delicious.

HIRD RAIL PROJECTS HAS BEEN CREATING SITE-SPECIFIC WORK SINCE 2005,” says Zach Morris, one of the company’s trio of artistic directors. “From the get-go, we were very interested in bringing performance to spaces that wouldn't normally be considered a performance space, and to being able to invite audiences into spaces where they might not otherwise have access.” Which is precisely what Confection, a custom-creation for the Folger Shakespeare Library, achieves. Twice nightly through March 24, a limited audience of 50 are escorted through the Folger’s hallowed library, private reading rooms, and cramped card catalog — areas the public are rarely granted access to. In the process, they become part of an expressive, participatory exploration of the opulent, decadent banquets of 17th century Europe, and the human cost behind the ingredients, namely sacks of sugar that brought brutal suffering to enslaved workers oceans away. Confection, which ties into the Folger’s production of Nell Gwynn and its fascinating exhibit Before ‘Farm to Table’: Early Modern Foodways and Cultures, is nothing short of an experiential wonder. It runs like perfect clockwork, aligning itself in ways you can’t predict (or expect). And it concludes with a climax that elicits a cumulative gasp from the audience, but not for reasons you might be expecting. One of the most striking aspects of the evening is its intimacy, much of it conveyed by the performers in alluring, direct eye-contact. There is no fourth wall here. There is just being present. “I think the company does a really good job choosing skilled performers who can not only execute theater and dance, but can really connect with a person,” says actor Albert Denis, whose show-stopping segment involves a confounding game of musical plates while channeling a Carmen Miranda persona. “The company looks for performers who have empathy to them.” “Actually, this is one of the least complex performances we've ever done,” says Morris, also a co-creator of Then She Fell, the company’s award-winning experience still running in Brooklyn. “Recently, we sent people wandering around the streets of New York, which eventually culminated with you running into the person who you came in with at an exact second on a predestined street corner. So we've had lots of practice at creating invisible machines that are able to afford the audience, hopefully, a seamless experience.” —Randy Shulman Confection runs through March 24 at The Folger, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. There is a maximum of 50 people per performance. Tickets are $40-$60. Call 202-544-7077 or visit www.folger.edu/theatre.

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

One of those quiet, understated shows that will sneak up and surprise you, Once deservedly won a whopping eight Tony Awards in 2012. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova’s romantic folk rock score is what surprises you most about the show, featuring a book by celebrated Irish playwright Enda Walsh and based on John Carney’s small indie film from 2006. The focus is on a man and a woman who make hauntingly beautiful music — which is all the more powerful because their songs express their love for each other in a way that the two, each already in complicated relationships, never fully realize otherwise. Gregory Maheu and Malinda Kathleen Reese lead a large cast of actors playing their own instruments in an Olney Theatre Center production directed and choreographed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge, with music director Christopher Youstra serving as the show’s emcee. Extended to March 17. Mainstage, 2001 OlneySandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit www. olneytheatre.org.

SEPARATE ROOMS

In only its second season, 4615 Theatre Company presents the world premiere of a wistfully haunting comedy from D.C.-based playwright Joe Calarco. Separate Rooms is a sprawling, time-traveling ensemble piece focused on family, friends, friends of friends, and even total strangers gathered to remember HIM, a recently departed man who serves as a guide through his past and present. Alex Mills leads a nine-member cast, directed by 4615’s artistic director Jordan Friend, also including Alani Kravitz, Jenna Berk, Jacob Yeh, Stephen Russell Murray, Vince Eisenson, Melissa Carter, Reginald Richard, and Jen Rabbitt Ring. To March 17. Highwood Theatre, 914 Silver Spring Ave. Tickets are $16.50. Call 301-587-0697 or visit www.4615theatre.com.

THE JEWISH QUEEN LEAR

Mirele Efros is a wealthy widow

and clever businesswoman whose children turn against her, causing a fall of Shakespearean proportions. Wildly successful at the turn of the 20th century and considered a masterpiece of Yiddish theater, Theater J presents Jacob Gordin’s play in a new English translation by Nahma Sandrow. Adam Immerwahr directs a large cast including Tonya Beckman, Valerie Leonard, Alana Dodds Sharp, Charlie Trepany, Christopher Warren, and Frank X. Produced in partnership with the Georgetown University Theater and Performance Studies Program and hosted by Georgetown’s Davis Performing Arts Center. In previews, opens Monday, March 18. To April 7. The Gonda Theatre, Georgetown University’s Davis Performing Arts Center, 3700 O St. NW. Tickets are $30 to $70. Call 202-777-3210 or visit www.theaterj.org.

TOPDOG/UNDERDOG

BRIGHTER DAY

Jazz artist Spencer Day, appearing at Blues Alley next week, spices up his life and his sound.

HEN CHART-TOPPING JAZZ SINGER-SONGWRITER-PIANIST SPENCER DAY genially notes that he’s “in a perennial state of movement,” it’s not hard to believe. He’s referring to his busy touring schedule, but he might just as well be describing his own buzzy energy, which percolates through a wide-ranging conversation and his increasingly wide-ranging music. “I have a way about me that I'm grateful for,” says Day, who first charmed a national audience on the CBS revival of Star Search in the early 2000s, before going on to release a string of records serving up his smooth spin on pop-inflected jazz and blues. He’ll come armed with that approachable personality and a trove of originals, standards, and witty covers, when he hits Blues Alley for two sets on Wednesday, March 20. In Day’s growing experience on the road, the air of wry, and openly gay, romance he conveys has attracted a few fans that some might find surprising. After a recent show in Indianapolis, he was approached by a feisty older redhead, “and she was saying, ‘I so enjoyed that.’” Day recalls. “People told me, ‘Do you know who that was?’ That's Mike Pence’s mother.’ I feel like in those instances, just by living an authentic life unapologetically but still representing the values of a warm and friendly person — and, I think, my Mormon upbringing, even though I'm Buddhist now — I still can bring that with me and relate to people and remind them of how much we [have] in common in our shared humanity.” Lately, Day has been spending time south of the border making new music, including an upcoming standards record. “I work in Mexico a lot these days, which is something I would have never foreseen in my earlier days,” he says. “I'm lucky to work with a non-profit...called Border Angels. Tons of people have starved to death or died from dehydration trying to cross over, so [Border Angels does] water drops and things like that.” Day also pitches in by shining his bright talents onstage for the cause. “One thing that's great about music is you can have it be something that addresses something that is very politically relevant,” he says. “But one thing I consider a gift about being a musician is you have this other way that you can try to reach people, and appeal to their humanity through trying to create something that is beautiful and sounds good.” —André Hereford Spencer Day performs Wednesday, March 20, at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., at Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-337-4141 or visit www.bluesalley.com.

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

WSC Avant Bard presents the tragicomedy about two AfricanAmerican brothers-in-struggle that earned playwright Suzan-Lori Parks a Pulitzer Prize 17 years ago. Jeremy Keith Hunter, a regular at Mosaic Theater, takes on the role of older brother Lincoln, a grifter-gone-straight, while Louis E. Davis, previously seen in Avant Bard’s King Lear, plays the younger brother Booth, seeking to become the greatest con man of all time. DeMone Seraphin directs. In previews. Opening March 19. To April 14. Gunston Arts Center, 2700 South Lang St. Arlington. Tickets are $40. Call 703-418-4804 or visit www.wscavantbard.org.

MUSIC CATHEDRAL CHORAL SOCIETY: RACHMANINOFF LITURGY

Rachmaninoff’s Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, a glorious work for a cappella chorus that ranges from contemplation to celebration, gets performed by the society, led by Steven Fox in his premiere season as music director, along with soloists Fotina Naumenko, soprano, and Marc Day, tenor. Sunday, March 17, at 4 p.m. Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues NW. Tickets are $25 to $81.50. Call 202-537-5510 or visit www.nationalcathedral.org.

CONGRESSIONAL CHORUS: JAZZ HOT!

The local music organization presents its popular annual cabaret featuring 90 singers and dancers celebrating the best in 20th-century jazz, from ragtime to bebop. Saturday, March 23, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, March 24, at 4:30 p.m. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Tickets are $19 to $49. Call 202-347-2635 or visit www. congressionalchorus.org.

DR. LONNIE SMITH TRIO

Perhaps the greatest living legend of the Hammond B-3 organ and also a newly minted NEA Jazz Master, Lonnie Smith brings his trio to Sixth and I Historic Synagogue in a concert presented by Washington Performing Arts. Smith’s style juggles jazz, funk, hip-hop, and soul, and his career spans over 70 albums, including his latest, All In My Mind. Saturday, March 16, at 8 p.m. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. 600 I St. NW. Tickets are $42. Call 202-4083100 or visit www.sixthandi.org.

MAGGIE ROSE

Originally from Potomac, Maryland, this young power-piped singer-songwriter got an early career boost when she was one of CMT’s “Next Women of Country” in 2016. (Not to be confused with the similarly fast-rising, folk/rock star with a similar name, Maggie Rogers.) Rose returns for another hometown showcase of her style, blurring the lines dividing country, pop, and rock, with shades of Aretha Franklin, Grace Potter, and Janis Joplin. The focus will be on Change The Whole Thing, her first full-length in five years, which she recorded live with a large 13-piece band in the studio, with no overdubs. Rolling Stone included the work in its “Best Albums of 2018” list. Them Vibes supports. Saturday, March 16, at 6:30 p.m. U Street

Music Hall, 1115A U St. NW. Tickets are $22. Call 202-588-1880 or visit www.ustreetmusichall.com. Also Thursday, March 21. Doors at 7 p.m. Baltimore Soundstage, 124 Market Place. Tickets are $19.80 to $26.29 plus fees. Call 410-244-0057 or visit www.baltimoresoundstage.com.

MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL ON TOUR

Cécile McLorin Salvant, fresh off her third Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album — in honor of 2018’s The Window — is the special guest star at this 60th anniversary celebration of the longest continuously running jazz festival in the world. Washington Performing Arts co-presents a concert featuring “the leaders of jazz’s future,” headlined by Salvant on vocals, with Bria Skonberg on trumpet, Melissa Aldana on tenor saxophone, Yasushi Nakamura on bass, Jamison Ross on drums, and Music Director Christian Sands on piano. The show will offer renditions of jazz standards along with original compositions. Thursday, March 21, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $38 to $68. Call 301-5815100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

RED BARAAT WITH VIDYA VOX

Jazz artist Sunny Jain conceived of and leads the bhangra-rooted party band Red Baraat, an ensemble

returning to D.C. on their annual Festival of Colors tour. This year’s party, which celebrates spring rites as well as the South Asian Diaspora in America, features an opening set from Vidya Vox, an Indian-born, Los Angeles-based artist fusing the intricacies of Indian music with elements of electronic and hip-hop. Friday, March 15, at 8 p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $25. Call 202-787-1000 or visit www.thehamiltondc.com.

WHITE FORD BRONCO

Cheekily named after O.J. Simpson’s notorious failed getaway car, people just can’t seem to get enough of this local ‘90s-era party band. Playing through that decade’s songbook in all styles of popular music is a five-member ensemble consisting of singer/guitarist Diego Valencia, singer Gretchen Gustafson, guitarists Ken Sigmund and McNasty, and drummer Max Shapiro. White Ford Bronco seems to turn up at a different local venue practically every other week, though it’s always a bit more exciting and noteworthy when booked at the city’s prestige halls, such as the Hamilton. Friday, March 22, at 8 p.m. 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $25. Call 202-787-1000 or visit www.thehamiltondc.com.

WICKED JEZABEL W/SHIRLETA SETTLES

Pauline Anson-Dross’ popular lesbian all-covers party-rock band Wicked Jezabel has been rocking — as well as raising money for various good causes — all over the region for more than a decade now, originally under the name The Outskirts of Town. Wicked Jezabel returns to its main venue these days with a show that “Celebrates Women of Soul” — including special guest star Settles, a soul singer and native Washingtonian. Thursday, March 21, from 8:30 p.m. to midnight. JV’s Restaurant, 6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church. Cover is $15 Call 703241-9504 or visit www.wickedjezabel.com.

COMEDY THE SECOND CITY: IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S ME

Netflix has nothing on the kind of off-the-cuff, in-your-face, interactive entertainment you can only experience at a live improv show. That’s particularly true when in the hands of this legendary sketch comedy group, which the New York Times has called “The Harvard of Comedy” and which counts among its famous alumni Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, and Gilda Radner. It’s Not You, It’s Me is the latest improvised show,

featuring a cast of expert improvisers including Terrence Carey, Sarah Dell’Amico, Ben Larrison, Asia Martin, Olivia Nielsen, and Griffin Wenzler, with music director Stuart Mott. Performances are Wednesday, March 20, through Friday, March 22, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, March 23, at 7 and 10 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $20 to $35. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit www.wolftrap.org.

ART & EXHIBITS BLACK OUT: SILHOUETTES THEN AND NOW

The National Portrait Gallery presents the first major museum exhibition to explore silhouettes. Curated by Asma Naeem, Black Out reveals the complexities of this relatively unstudied artform’s rich historical roots and the contemporary relevance of silhouettes today. Ranging in scale from three inches to nearly 40 feet, the exhibit features mixed-media installations in a presentation of approximately 50 unique objects, dating from 1796 to the present, in particular with the inclusion of large works by four contemporary women artists: Kara Walker, with her panoramic wall murals, Camille Utterback via an interactive digital installation that reacts to visitors’ movements and shadows, Kristi Malakoff’s life-size cutouts of children dancing around a Maypole, and Kumi Yamashita’s intricate, shadowy installations. Also notable is a section illuminating silhouettes previously “blacked out” in historical narratives — those featuring same-sex couples, cooks, activist women, enslaved individuals, and the disabled. To March 24. National Portrait Gallery, 8th and F Streets. NW. Call 202-633-8300 or visit www.npg.si.edu.

CAROLINA MAYORGA: PINK RANCHOS AND OTHER EPHEMERAL ZIP CODES

The Colombian-American artist Mayorga spurred development of this multimedia project after a year of artistic investigation on issues of home and homelessness — colored by the artist’s infatuation with a certain red hue. By applying the pigment to new works of her own as well as others from the permanent collection of the Organization of American States’ Art Museum of the Americas, Mayorga offers her bicultural interpretations of those living in exile, displacement, dislocation, relocation, and eviction. The artist puts a “pink” spin on works by Ignacio Iturria, Eduardo Giusiano, Ricardo Supisiche, Rubens Gerchman, Amelia Peláez, Consuelo Gotay, Dora Ramírez, Roser Muntañola, and Roberto Matta. The exhibition includes a series of public programs, including a “Choza Artist Party” on Thursday,

March 21, from 6 to 8 p.m., during which time artists Maribeth Egan, Heloisa Escudero, and Jessica Kallista will create artwork in the moment, in response to the exhibition. Additional performances and discussions about performance art in Latin America will take place during the run of the exhibition, which is on display to May 19. 1889 F St. NW. Call 202-370-0149 or visit www.AMAmuseum.org.

CATHERINE HESS: A SINGULAR VISION OF OUTER CAPE COD

A plein air painter and creator of monotypes, Hess takes inspiration from the often dramatic and constantly changing light, clouds, winds, and tides on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. In this series of monotypes, presented by the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture, Hess aims to capture the effects of these changing conditions on colors, shapes, and shadows in the marshes, dunes, and shorelines of Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and the gay paradise of Provincetown. On exhibit to March 30. Park View Gallery, 2nd Floor of Arcade Building, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Maryland. Call 301-634-2222 or visit www.glenechopark.org.

FIRST CHEFS: FAME AND FOODWAYS FROM BRITAIN TO THE AMERICAS

The named and unnamed heroes of British and American farms, plantations, kitchens, and markets over the past several centuries are given the spotlight in the latest exhibition at the Folger Shakespeare Library, focused on eating and drinking in the early modern British world. First Chefs identifies five such pioneers by name: chorister-cum-farmer Thomas Tusser, author of a howto agriculture guide that circulated for over two centuries; Robert May, who adapted French recipes for English palates as author of the first cookbook for professional cooks; Hannah Woolley, the first woman to earn a living as a food writer but whose name and cooking advice would go on to be appropriated by male publishers; the plants-obsessed pirate William Hughes, who chronicled the fruits and vegetables of the Caribbean and became the first English writer to describe cacao and chocolate to British audiences; and chef Hercules, one of President George Washington’s slaves, famed for his expertise in early American cooking until he stole his way to freedom. By combining the Folger’s unparalleled collection of food-related manuscripts and books with objects and archaeological finds from Mount Vernon and Jamestown, as well as from other museums and the Library of Congress, the exhibition is able to help shine renewed or recovered light on a vast many others who shaped early modern culi-

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

nary life and culture, both directly and indirectly. To March 31. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Call 202-544-7077 or visit www.folger.edu.

PARENTING: AN ART WITHOUT A MANUAL

The latest theme examined in a year-long exhibition at this quirkiest of museums is that of “what might be humanity’s most essential performance art.” Works by 36 artists, created out of every conceivable medium, express, in some way, their personal experience of parenting or being parented — be it good, bad, horrific, or sublime — alongside revelations from the latest scientific research, global wisdom, and fun. To Sept. 1. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Highway. Baltimore. Tickets are $15.95. Call 410-244-1900 or visit avam.org.

PERFUME & SEDUCTION

The captivating evolution of perfume bottles and accessories from the 18th through the mid-20th centuries is told through the display of nearly 150 pieces, those taken from Hillwood’s collection as well as from Givaudan, the Swiss manufacturer of fragrances and cosmetics. Complementing the exhibition are a “scented suite of workshops.” On display to June 9. Hillwood Estate, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Suggested donation is $18. Call 202-686-5807 or visit www.HillwoodMuseum.org.

RAFAEL LOZANO-HEMMER: PULSE EXHIBITION

In its largest interactive technology exhibition to date, the Hirshhorn Museum gives over its entire second level to a Mexican-Canadian artist known for straddling the line between art, technology, and design. In his D.C. debut, LozanoHemmer fills the museum with immersive environments using fingerprints and heart-rate sensors to create kinetic and audiovisual experiences from visitors’ own biometric data. These intimate “snapshots” of electrical activity are then added to a live archive of prior recordings to create an environment of syncopated rhythms — all in a new way of looking at biometry that represents both anonymity and community. To April 28. Hirshhorn Museum, Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit hirshhorn.si.edu.

SPARKPLUG: LIGHT LIMINAL

Karen Joan Topping, a founding member of the Sparkplug Collective, curates an exhibition of 10 artists who literally and symbolically employ light and darkness, as well as explore themes of communication and empathy, in painting, drawing, sculpture, and photography. On display at the District of Columbia Arts Center will be works

by Tom Greaves, Sarah J. Hull, Shana Kohnstamm, Alanna Reeves, Azadeh Sahraeian, Elizabeth H. Sampson, Alexandra Silverthorne, Sarah Stefana Smith, Madeline A. Stratton, and Steve Wanna. On display to March 24, with a Closing Reception with Artists & Curator Talk set for Sunday, March 17. 2438 18th St. NW. Call 202-462-7833 or visit www.dcartscenter.org.

TODD G. FRANSON

A few memorable photos that you may remember from covers of this very magazine — Jim Graham as Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra, say, or the infamous Leather Kewpie for MAL — will be on display as part of the latest exhibition at the DC Center for the LGBT Community, all from Franson, Metro Weekly’s central portrait photographer for most of the past 23 years as well as the magazine’s longest-serving Art Director. Yet the focus is on artworks the professional photographer and graphic designer has created for other projects and pursuits, all of which are available for sale. The exhibition goes as far back as Franson’s days as a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, with four stylized gloves from the series Wear & Tear: Inspired by Irving Penn, newly reborn and printed on aluminum. A more recent passion of Franson’s has been capturing artistic shots of foliage, blooms, and landscapes at the National Arboretum. And then there are the dazzling and quirky photographs that come closest to conveying Franson’s personal sensibility — perhaps none more so than Dancing Bear, a vividly colored image of a bustling amusement park at dusk foregrounded by a giantsized teddy bear wearing a propeller beanie. Ongoing. The Center Arts Gallery, 2000 14th St. NW. Call 202-682-2245 or visit www. thedccenter.org.

ABOVE & BEYOND LA-TI-DO: THE ASIANS ARE AWESOME SHOW

Regie Cabico and Don Mike Mendoza’s La-Ti-Do variety show features higher-quality singing than most karaoke, often from local musical theater actors performing on their night off, and also includes spoken-word poetry and comedy. Last December, Mendoza and “honorary co-founder” Russwin Francisco hosted an alternative spin on the usual format by featuring performances from other local talented Americans of Asian descent. It was such a hit, it’s now a monthly feature. Monday, March 25, at 8 p.m. Le Mirch, 1736 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-629-3577 or visit latidodc.wix.com/latido. l

Community THURSDAY, March 14

The DC Center’s QUEER BOOK CLUB meets to discuss Bury Me When I’m Dead, part of the Charlie Mack Motown Mystery series by Cheryl Head. Wine and snacks will be provided. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www.thedccenter.org.

Weekly Events AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION offers free

walk-in HIV testing by appointment from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-5 p.m. at its Blair Underwood Wellness Center, 2141 K St. NW, and its AHF Healthcare Center, 4302 St. Barnabas Rd., Suite B, Temple Hills, Md., and from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at its Benning Road location, 1647 Benning Rd. NE, Suite 300. For more information, visit www. hivcare.org.

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH

offers free HIV testing and HIV services (by appointment). 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Decatur Center, 1400 Decatur St. NW. To arrange an appointment, call 202-291-4707, or visit www.andromedatransculturalhealth.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB practice session at Takoma Aquatic Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 300 Van Buren St. NW. For more information, visit www.swimdcac.org. DC FRONT RUNNERS run-

ning/walking/social club welcomes runners of all ability levels for exercise in a fun and supportive environment, with socializing afterward. Route distances vary. For meeting places and more information, visit www.dcfrontrunners.org.

DC LAMBDA SQUARES, D.C.’s gay and lesbian square-dancing group, features mainstream through advanced square dancing at the National City Christian Church. Please dress

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds

practice. The team is always looking for new members. All welcome. 7-9 p.m. Harry Thomas Recreation Center, 1743 Lincoln Rd. NE. For more information, visit www. scandalsrfc.org or dcscandals@ gmail.com.

THE COVEN DC

Center Latinx will hold a bilingual RESUME WRITING WORKSHOP. Bring your resume or laptop and get your resume revamped. The event is strongly encouraged for students and youth and will also focus on marketing language skills to future employers. Free and open to all. 6:30-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, contact Danny Mendoza, 202682-2245 or danny.mendoza@ thedccenter.org.

casually. 7-9:30 p.m. 5 Thomas Circle NW. For more info, call 202-930-1058 or visit www. dclambdasquares.org.

THE DULLES TRIANGLES

PURIM PUNUMS

Queen Esther’s embrace of her Jewish identity mirrors the journey of self-acceptance for LGBTQ people.

ET READY TO BREAK OUT YOUR BEST MASKS AND costumes for a night of frivolity and feasting. “There are ritual aspects to Purim, but the biggest tradition is that we generally dress up and hold a party,” says Ariel Weinstein, the manager of GLOE, the Kurlander Program for GLBTQ Outreach and Engagement at the Edlavitch Jewish Community Center of Washington, D.C. Purim, which commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from an extermination plot, is based on the Biblical story of Queen Esther, the wife of King Ahasuerus of Persia, who hid her Jewish identity from her husband until it became necessary to “out” herself in order to save her people. “Part of the story of Purim has to do with the fact that Esther had been hiding her Jewish identity, but she came forward to be an activist and voice for the people,” explains Weinstein. “She used her power and influence with the Royal Court and the king to make it known that the Jews were being treated unfairly.” In commemoration of Esther’s bravery, revelers celebrate by dressing up in colorful, ornate costumes and masks. The celebration also involves the exchange of various baked sweets known as hamantaschen. For GLOE’s Purim party, which will be held at Mission Dupont on Saturday, Mar. 23, organizers will have appetizers and snacks on hand while revelers may buy drinks from the bar. Weinstein says there will also be some Purim-themed drag performances throughout the night. Tickets are $10, and can be purchased online prior to the event. If any tickets remain after online sales close, they will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis for $15 at the door. Weinstein says the story of Esther often has particular resonance with people who are LGBTQ, because it mirrors the coming out process. “So much of the story of Purim has to do with identity — the times you conceal parts of your identity, and the times you talk about it openly and with pride,” he says. “So the story of Esther begins when she wasn’t open about her identity, but she is able to come to a place where she accepts and is able to celebrate herself. That’s what we celebrate at Purim, and why it’s special to be putting this on as members of the LGBT Jewish community.” —John Riley GLOE’s Purim Party is Saturday, Mar. 23, from 7-10 p.m. at Mission Dupont, 1606 20th St. NW. All are welcome to attend. To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit edcjcc.org.

Northern Virginia social group meets for happy hour at Sheraton in Reston. All welcome. 7-9 p.m. 11810 Sunrise Valley Drive, second-floor bar. For more information, visit www.dullestriangles.com.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-

Walker Health. 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2:30-5 p.m. at 1525 14th St. NW, and 9 a.m-12 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. at the Max Robinson Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE. For an appointment, call 202-745-7000 or visit www.whitman-walker.org.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY (K.I.) SERVICES, 20 S. Quaker Lane,

Suite 210, Alexandria, Va., offers $30 “rapid” HIV testing and counseling by appointment only. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Must schedule special appointment if seeking testing after 2 p.m. Call 703-823-4401.

METROHEALTH CENTER

offers free, rapid HIV testing. Appointment needed. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700. To arrange an appointment, call 202-849-8029.

STI TESTING at Whitman-

Walker Health. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2-3 p.m. at both 1525 14th St. NW and the Max Robinson Center, 2301 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE. Testing is intended for those without symptoms. For an appointment call 202-745-7000 or visit www. whitman-walker.org.

US HELPING US hosts a

Narcotics Anonymous Meeting. The group is independent of UHU. 6:30-7:30 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. For more information, call 202-446-1100.

FRIDAY, March 15 GAY DISTRICT, a group for

GBTQQI men between the ages of 18-35, meets on the first and third Fridays of each month. 8:30-9:30 p.m. The DC Center. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

For more information, visit www. gaydistrict.org.

Weekly Events

The DC Center hosts an LGBTQ GAME NIGHT where participants can play board and card games and socialize with other people from across the LGBTQ spectrum. All welcome. 7-9 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. Visit www.thedccenter.org.

practice session at Montgomery College Aquatics Club. 8:30-10 a.m. 7600 Takoma Ave., Takoma, Md. For more information, visit www. swimdcac.org.

Weekly Events BET MISHPACHAH, founded by

members of the LGBT community, holds Friday evening Shabbat services in the DC Jewish Community Center’s Community Room. 8 p.m. 1529 16th St. NW. For more information, visit www.betmish.org.

walking/social club welcomes runners of all ability levels for exercise in a fun and supportive environment, with socializing afterward. Route distance will be 3-6 miles. Walkers meet at 9:30 a.m. and runners at 10 a.m. at 23rd & P Streets NW. For more information, visit www.dcfrontrunners.org.

DIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass for

tice session at Howard University. 6:30-8 p.m. Burr Gymnasium, 2400 6th St. NW. For more information, visit www.swimdcac.org.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker

SUNDAY, March 17

Health. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at 1525 14th St. NW. For an appointment, call 202-745-7000 or visit www.whitman-walker.org.

SMYAL’S REC NIGHT provides a

social atmosphere for LGBT and questioning youth, featuring dance parties, vogue nights, movies and games. 4-7 p.m. For more info, email rebecca.york@smyal.org.

SATURDAY, March 16 ADVENTURING outdoors group

Volunteers are needed to help prepare CASA RUBY’S MONTHLY DINNER. Held on the third Sunday of each month, in conjunction with The DC Center and Food Rescue DC, the event provides a hot meal to those housed at Casa Ruby. Homemade or store bought meals welcome. 7-8 p.m. Casa Ruby Shelter, 1216 Kennedy St. NW. For more information, contact lamar@ thedccenter.org, jon@thedccenter. org, or visit www.casaruby.org.

hikes 8.5 moderate miles with 1700 feet of elevation gain to scenic overlook in Shenandoah National Park. Bring beverages, lunch, sturdy boots, and about $16 for fees. Carpool at 8:30 a.m. from East Falls Church Metro Kiss & Ride lot. For more info, contact Peter, 202-302-9606.

Weekly Events

KHUSH DC, a support group for

practice session at Wilson Aquatic Center. 9:30-11 a.m. 4551 Fort Dr. NW. For more information, visit www.swimdcac.org.

LGBTQ South Asians, hosts a meeting at The DC Center. 1:30-3 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www. facebook.com/khushdc. The DC Center hosts a monthly LGBT ASYLEES SUPPORT MEETING AND DINNER for LGBT refugees and asylum seekers. 5-7 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www. thedccenter.org. The DC Center hosts a meeting of its LGBTQ PEOPLE OF COLOR SUPPORT GROUP, facilitated by Dakia Davis. 1-3 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www.thedccenter.org.

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/

LGBT community, family and friends. 6:30 p.m., Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Hill, 3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria. All welcome. For more information, visit www.dignitynova.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a prac-

DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a

BETHEL CHURCH-DC progressive and radically inclusive church holds services at 11:30 a.m. 2217 Minnesota Ave. SE. 202-248-1895, www.betheldc.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/

walking/social club welcomes runners of all ability levels for exercise in a fun and supportive environment, with socializing afterward. Route distances vary. For meeting places and more information, visit www.dcfrontrunners.org.

FAIRLINGTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH is an open, inclusive church. All welcome, including the LGBTQ community. Member of the Reconciling Ministries Network. Services at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. 3900 King Street, Alexandria, Va. 703-6718557. For more info, visit www. fairlingtonumc.org.

FRIENDS MEETING OF WASHINGTON meets for worship, 10:30 a.m., 2111 Florida Ave. NW, Quaker House Living Room (next to Meeting House on Decatur Place), 2nd floor. Special welcome to lesbians and gays. Handicapped accessible from Phelps Place gate. Hearing assistance. Visit www. quakersdc.org.

HSV-2 SOCIAL AND SUPPORT GROUP for gay men living in the

DC metro area. This group will be meeting once a month. For information on location and time, visit www.H2gether.com.

INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT, God-centered

new age church & learning center. Sunday Services and Workshops event. 5419 Sherier Place NW. Visit www.isd-dc.org.

LUTHERAN CHURCH OF REFORMATION invites all to

Sunday worship at 8:30 or 11 a.m. Childcare is available at both services. Welcoming LGBT people for 25 years. 212 East Capitol St. NE. Visit www.reformationdc.org.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH OF WASHINGTON, D.C.

2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www.thedccenter.org.

TUESDAY, March 19 CENTER BI, a group of The DC

Center, hosts a monthly roundtable discussion around issues of bisexuality. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. Visit www.thedccenter.org.

DC LATINX PRIDE will hold a

meeting at The DC Center to plan for the 2019 celebration of Latinx Pride later this year. 6:30-9:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www.thedccenter.org.

THE HEALTH WORKING GROUP

of The DC Center hosts a “Packing Party,” where volunteers assemble safe-sex kits of condoms and lube. 7-9 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www.thedccenter.org.

WEDNESDAY, March 20 Weekly Events AD LIB, a group for freestyle con-

services at 9 a.m. (ASL interpreted) and 11 a.m. Children's Sunday School at 11 a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW. For more info, call 202-638-7373 or visit www.mccdc.com.

versation, meets about 6-6:30 p.m., Steam, 17th and R NW. All welcome. For more information, call Fausto Fernandez, 703-732-5174.

RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH,

holds a practice session at Dunbar Aquatic Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 101 N St. NW. For more information, visit www.swimdcac.org.

a Christ-centered, interracial, welcoming-and-affirming church, offers service at 10 a.m. 680 I St. SW. For more info, call 202-5544330 or visit www.riversidedc.org.

UNIVERSALIST NATIONAL MEMORIAL CHURCH, a welcom-

ing and inclusive church. GLBT Interweave social/service group meets monthly. Services at 11 a.m., Romanesque sanctuary. 1810 16th St. NW. For more info, call 202-3873411 or visit www.universalist.org.

MONDAY, March 18 The Latino GLBT History Project and Create Your History will hold a series of IMAGE AND JOB COUNSELING SESSIONS focusing on helping LGBTQ+ youth who are experiencing homelessness. Sessions include resume writing and reviews, and free haircuts provided by Fancy Nancy DC (first come first served). 6-8 p.m. The Emergence Community Arts Collective, 733 Euclid St. NW. For more information, visit www.latinoglbthistory.org. The Metro D.C. chapter of PFLAG, a support group for parents, family members and allies of the LGBTQ community, holds its monthly meeting at The DC Center. 7-9 p.m.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)

FREEDOM FROM SMOKING, a

group for LGBT people looking to quit cigarettes and tobacco use, holds a weekly support meeting at The DC Center. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www.thedccenter.org.

JOB CLUB, a weekly support pro-

gram for job entrants and seekers, meets at The DC Center. 6-7:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more info, visit www.centercareers.org.

STI TESTING at Whitman-Walker

Health. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at both 1525 14th St. NW and the Max Robinson Center, 2301 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE. Testing is intended for those without symptoms. For an appointment call 202-745-7000 or visit www.whitman-walker.org.

WASHINGTON WETSKINS WATER POLO TEAM practices 7-9 p.m. Newcomers with at least basic swimming ability always welcome. Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW. For more information, contact Tom, 703-299-0504 or secretary@wetskins.org, or visit www.wetskins.org. l

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

By Doug Rule, André Hereford, Randy Shulman, and Rhuaridh Marr

Film.....23 Stage.....31 Pop, Rock, Folk, Blues & Jazz.....39 Classical & Choral.....53 Museums & Galleries.....58 Dance.....61 Spring Arts Cover designed and created exclusively for Metro Weekly by Hannah Chertok - www.bodiesadapt.com MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

WALT DISNEY

Spring Arts Preview

FILM

Dumbo

By Rhuaridh Marr

WO THINGS SEEM TO BE DEFINING THE FILMS OF 2019: A DESIRE for escapism, and a trend towards darker and scarier subject matter. That’s not particularly surprising given the current state of the world, and Hollywood is more than happy to offer a season of films designed to whisk us away to the edge of the solar system (Ad Astra, Aniara) or transport us to alternate realities (Pokémon Detective Pikachu, Artemis Fowl) or outright scare the crap out of us (Child’s Play, Midsommar, and a bunch of other horror films). It’s also a huge year for Disney. No less than three live action adaptations of the company’s animated classics will hit theaters by August — Dumbo, Aladdin, and The Lion King. And that’s in addition to a fourth Toy Story that absolutely no one asked for, but we’re getting anyway. Once again, superhero films are driving much of the popcorn fare, with two new X-Men films, a rebooted Hellboy, and a terrifying twist on the Superman origin story in Brightburn. But while they’re all set to offer superpowered thrills, the biggest — and presumably best — superhero action takes place in April. Specifically, the end of April. That’s when Avengers: Endgame hits theaters.

MARCH US — Jordan Peele collected both critical

acclaim and an Academy Award for his satirical 2017 horror Get Out. Can lightning strike twice with this darker, psychological horror, about a husband and wife (Winston Duke and Lupita Nyong'o) who take their family to a beach house only to find themselves being terrorized

by a group of doppelgängers known as “The Tethered”? According to Rotten Tomatoes, yes. Peele’s sophomore effort currently has a perfect 100% score, with critics lavishing praise on every aspect of Us, particularly Nyong’o and Duke’s performances. (3/22) THE DIRT — If Bohemian Rhapsody felt

a little too tame, Netflix has something

that might interest you. Based on the bestselling book about “the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band,” The Dirt follows the sex, drugs and car crashes of glam metal band Mötley Crüe. Helmed by frequent Jackass director Jeff Tremaine, don’t expect the film to skimp on Crüe’s more extreme moments — including vehicular manslaughter and an overdose that led to one member being declared legally dead for two minutes. (3/22) DUMBO — Just accept that you’re going

to bawl your eyes out and pack tissues accordingly. Tim Burton’s live-action remake of Disney’s beautiful, weepy hour-long animated classic offers a starry cast (Eva Green, Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito), rich CGI, and a powerful message about animal abuse and the often cruel treatment of animals in circuses. Initial reactions from critics suggest Burton remains as polarizing a filmmaker as ever, but the trailer alone was enough to soften even the hardest of hearts so here’s hoping Dumbo sustains its emotional heft for more than double the original’s runtime. (3/29)

APRIL SHAZAM! — Another Captain Marvel from

the other comics powerhouse. Shazam (originally known as Captain Marvel until a 2011 rebrand) takes center stage in the

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

latest cinematic effort from DC Comics, albeit in a smaller-scale standalone affair than the excellent Wonder Woman and the okay Aquaman. Teenager Billy Batson (Asher Angel) gains the power to transform into adult superhero Shazam (Zachary Levi), which comes in handy when Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) gains similar powers and — unsurprisingly — uses them for nefarious purposes. It looks to be a lighter, breezier effort than other Justice League films — a curiosity, given director David F. Sandberg made his name on low-budget horrors. (4/5) PET SEMATARY — Stephen King’s 1983

novel about a cemetery with the power to reanimate the dead (with predictably horrific consequences) gets a second film treatment after 1989’s quirky but mediocre adaptation. John Lithgow, Jason Clarke and Amy Semeitz star as adults who really should know better when they start burying dead pets and people to bring them back to life. (4/5) TEEN SPIRIT — A Cinderella story by way

of American Idol. We presume that was the pitch for this musical drama, which stars Elle Fanning as Violet, a shy teenager who tries to leave her isolated life by entering an incredibly competitive singing competition. Actor Max Minghella (The Handmaid’s Tale) wrote the screenplay and steps behind the camera for the first time, but the end result seems far from cinematic nirvana, if early reviews are anything to go by. (4/5) THE HAUNTING OF SHARON TATE — This

is a bizarre one. Fifty years ago, members of the Manson Family cult murdered five people at now-disgraced director Roman Polanski’s home. Among them was his wife and rising actress Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant with their child. Those grisly, shocking murders have been transformed into a schlocky, jump-scare horror starring Hillary Duff as Tate — whose sister apparently branded the project “classless” — and Mean Girls star Jonathan Bennett as celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring. What’s more, it’s not the only film this year that involves the Tate murders — Margot Robbie offers a very different take on Tate in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in July. (4/5) THE BEST OF ENEMIES — The pretty

incredible true-life tale of Ann Atwater, a civil rights activist, and C.P. Ellis, a Ku Klux Klan leader, who battled one another for ten years over various issues until, 24

in 1971, they agreed to co-chair a series of meetings to tackle desegregation in the schools of Durham, North Carolina. What followed was a surprising friendship, which ultimately led to Ellis quitting the Klan. Based on Osha Gray Davidson’s novel, writer-director Robin Bissell’s film stars Taraji P. Henson as Atwater and Sam Rockwell as Ellis. And if everything clicks, don’t be surprised to see this pop up again come awards season. (4/5) SAUVAGE

— Camille Vidal-Naquet’s film about a 22-year-old male sex worker who wanders through life is being heaped with praise — particularly for Felix Maritaud’s central performance as Leo, who secretly yearns for love amidst the fleeting connections he makes with those willing to pay for his time. By most accounts a vibrant, erotic, and explicit film, a Hollywood Reporter critic also branded Sauvage “uncompromising and yet strangely romantic.” (4/10) HELLBOY — Stranger Things’ David

Harbour steps into the role as the titular half-demon who battles dark forces on behalf of the government in this reboot. This time around, its Nimue, Queen of Blood — a powerful sorceress played by Milla Jovovich — who seeks to destroy mankind. Hellboy offers a darker take on the well-trodden superhero tale, and it remains to be seen if new director Neil Marshall and writer Andrew Cosby can produce the balance between horror and humor that typifies both the Hellboy comics and Guillermo del Toro’s 2004 and 2008 films. (4/12) HER SMELL — Elisabeth Moss (The

Handmaid’s Tale) is Becky, lead singer of ’90s punk trio Something She, a group used to selling out stadiums but now relegated to smaller venues. Alex Ross Perry’s film charts Becky’s downfall into chaos and excess, until she’s forced to get herself back on the wagon and start finding her creativity again. Cara Delevingne and Dan Stevens costar, but its Moss’ phenomenal lead performance that seemingly makes Her Smell a must-see. (4/12) MARY MAGDALENE — No, this isn’t one

of those films from a Christian-focused production company. It’s more Noah than God’s Not Dead, with Rooney Mara as the titular biblical character who follows Jesus Christ (Joaquin Phoenix — make your own jokes about the appropriateness of that casting) through to the Resurrection. Unfortunately, Garth Davis’

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

film has received a lukewarm response from critics, who’ve complained about its pacing, character development, and, oddly, lack of focus on Mary. (4/12) WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY — Molly

Shannon is Emily Dickinson, famed poet and notorious recluse. Or, is she? Madeleine Olnek’s film is based on research into Dickinson’s own letters, which suggested the writer was not only good-humored and enjoyed company, but was also having an affair with her brother’s wife, Susan Gilbert (Susan Ziegler). Critics are praising the film’s warmth and humor, and particularly Shannon’s portrayal of Dickinson. (4/12) THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA — If you’re not

well-versed in Latin American folklore, La Llorona — or “The Weeping Woman” — is the ghost of a woman who drowned her children and now spends her time crying for them and trying to steal other lost children. Anna Garcia (Linda Cardellini) is a social worker in the ’70s who discovers that La Llorona has attached itself to her family — which doesn’t sound great for Anna’s kids, given Michael Chaves’ film is a supernatural horror and not a comedy. (4/19) SOMEONE GREAT — When Jenny (Gina

Rodriguez) is dumped by her boyfriend prior to a move to San Francisco, she has one outrageous last adventure in New York with her two best friends (DeWanda Wise and Brittany Snow). This looks like an inoffensive and entirely by-the-books rom-com — and it’s on Netflix, so it’s basically perfect hangover material. (4/19) LITTLE WOODS — Ollie (Tessa Thompson)

and Deb (Lily James) are two women facing the harsh realities of life in a deadend rural town in what’s being billed as a modern western, exploring why good people do bad things in times of need. Nia DaCosta’s film is being showered with praise not only for the numerous hot-button issues it touches on, including drug and opioid addiction and America’s spiralling healthcare crisis, but also for Thompson and James’ performances, DaCosta’s script and direction, and the emotional heft of its life-on-the-margins drama. (4/19) AVENGERS: ENDGAME — This is it. The

culmination of eleven years, 21 films, hundreds of characters, billions of dollars worth of destruction to various locations around the world, and a truly gal-

axy-spanning narrative. No other film this year has as much riding on its shoulders as Avengers: Endgame. Not only must it tie up the dramatic, emotional events of last year’s Infinity War, it must also set the template for the next decade of Marvel films. That’s no mean feat, but if there’s any studio that can pull it off, it’s Marvel. With a cast list longer than your arm and a budget bigger than some countries’ GDP, expect directors Anthony and Joe Russo to throw everything at the wall — and for most of it to stick. Anything less would be a disservice to Marvel’s efforts, and to the fans who’ve poured billions into Disney’s bank account along the way. (4/25)

TOLKIEN — Just when you thought we’d

WHITE CROW — It seems, frankly, auda-

trailer that launched a thousand memes due to its confusing array of “real-life” Pokémon, no one really seems to know what to make of this oddity, based on a 2016 video game about Pokémon franchise staple Pikachu solving a series of mysteries. Ryan Reynolds voices our titular detective, and Justice Smith (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) is his partner. The film at least seems somewhat selfaware, so hopefully it’s not as nightmarish to watch as its character design would suggest. (5/10)

cious to even try and release a film alongside Endgame, but Ralph Fiennes’ biopic about Soviet dancer and choreographer Rudolf Nureyev’s defection to the west should offer a quieter counterpoint to the deafening roar of Marvel’s effort. (4/25) JEREMIAH TERMINATOR LEROY — JT

LeRoy does not exist. He is a literary persona, created by author Laura Albert in the ’90s to sell “semi-autobiographical” tales of a teenage boy’s experiences with poverty, drugs, and abuse. Perhaps even more audacious than that, Albert hired someone to appear in public as JT — her sister-in-law Savannah Knoop, who adopted full male drag to assume the persona, spending six years living JT’s life at events and book signings. Justin Kelly’s film, adapted from Knoop’s book detailing her experience, features Laura Dern as Albert and Kristen Stewart as Knoop, with the film tackling gender identity, fluidity, and the power of alternate personas. (4/26)

MAY LONG SHOT — Charlize Theron is

Charlotte, one of the most powerful women on earth, U.S. Secretary of State, and now presidential candidate (shades of 2016, anyone?). Seth Rogen is Fred, a somewhat douchey journalist who realizes Charlotte was his babysitter as a child. Jonathan Levine’s rom-com could have easily gone off the rails trying to convince us that Charlotte would risk her campaign by falling for Fred, but early reviews suggest quite the opposite — it’s not only timely, given the number of Democratic women running for the White House, but also apparently a warm, funny crowd-pleaser. (5/3)

exhausted ourselves of Tolkien-related material, here comes another film to mooch off the author’s legacy. This time it’s a biopic, with Nicholas Hoult starring as J.R.R. Tolkien, whose fantasy writings would go on to inspire millions of readers and billions of dollars in box office receipts. There’s a fairly starry cast, including Lily Collins, Derek Jacobi, and Colm Meaney, but the film will apparently also include fantasy elements, showing Tolkien’s imagination at work. Will producers just edit in The Lord of the Rings footage? (5/10) POKÉMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU — With a

ALL IS TRUE — Kenneth Branagh directs

and stars in a film about the final days of playwright William Shakespeare. Judy Dench and Ian McKellen also star, and critics have praised the film’s aesthetics and cast. One for Anglophiles and Shakespeare fans — though anyone seeking a more comedic take on Will’s life should seek out Upstart Crow, penned by Ben Elton, who also wrote the script for All Is True. (5/10) POMS — Following on from last year’s

Book Club, about a group of older women who rediscover the joys of life after reading Fifty Shades of Grey, writer-director Bill Holderman and writer Erin Simms return to a similar well with a comedy about a group of women in a retirement community who start a cheerleading squad. Diane Keaton stars here as well, alongside Jacki Weaver, Pam Grier, Rhea Perlman, and Celia Weston. (5/10) ANIARA — What if a ship carrying people

from a doomed Earth to life on Mars is knocked off course? That’s the premise of this Swedish film, which sees the crew and passengers of the ANIARA sent drifting out of the solar system on a seemingly endless voyage. What follows is a slow descent into existential crises, anarchy,

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

cults, suicides, and orgies — including same-sex pairings. The film looks incredibly ambitious, though early reviews are split on the effectiveness of the finished product. (5/17) ALADDIN — We have a few reservations

about Disney’s live-action remake of Aladdin. First the obvious one: Will Smith must at least match Robin Williams’ incredible performance in the 1992 original — the internet has already torn him to shreds based on just a trailer. Second, Guy Ritchie is directing, and he has a... mixed cinematic legacy, to say the least (2017 bomb King Arthur, anyone?). Third, Jafar (Marwan Kenzari) is really hot. We’re shallow, and that makes it much harder to root against him. A whole new world indeed. (Sorry.) (5/24) BRIGHTBURN — What if a child from

another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister? That’s the pitch in this Elizabeth Banks-starring horror, which twists the Superman origin story into something truly awful. Guardians of the Galaxy writer-director James Gunn is producing, and his brothers Mark and Brian penned the script. This could be dark, terrifying fun. (5/24) AD ASTRA — Brad Pitt is an astronaut

who travels to the edge of the solar system to uncover the mystery of why his father (Tommy Lee Jones) vanished while searching for extraterrestrial life on Neptune. Ruth Negga and Donald Sutherland also star, but its release date could be subject to change — there’s no trailer as of yet, and in December last year writer-director James Gray, deep in post-production, was reportedly “hoping” they would make May. (5/24) ROCKETMAN — Elton John’s life gets

dramatized in a musical featuring Taron Egerton as the multi-million selling gay singer-songwriter. The film showcases a number of moments from Elton’s life, from his first start in the music industry to his burgeoning exploration of his sexuality (though here’s hoping the latter is a little more fleshed out than the relatively tame Bohemian Rhapsody...). Egerton will also do all of his own singing — take that, Rami Malek. (5/31) GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS — Fun

fact: This is the 35th film in the Godzilla franchise. A direct sequel to 2014’s

Godzilla, everyone’s favorite large lizard faces-off against equally large monsters Mothra, Rodan, and three-headed King Ghidorah. If giant CGI battles are your thing, you know where to be at the end of May. (5/31) MA — A psychological horror featur-

ing Octavia Spencer as Ma, a loner who befriends, cares for, and then starts to terrorize a group of teenagers? We’re sold. Tate Taylor (The Help, which also starred Spencer) directs, and Juliette Lewis, Missi Pyle, and Luke Evans star as the various adults oblivious to Ma’s schemes. (5/31)

SHAFT — “More Shaft than you can han-

dle” is the tagline and, tittering aside, Warner Bros. isn’t lying. A sequel to 2000’s Shaft, it stars Jessie Usher as John Shaft Jr., a cybersecurity expert who enlists his estranged father, John Shaft II (Samuel L. Jackson), to help him track down his missing friend. And for good measure, the original John Shaft (Richard Roundtree) tags along to help. That really is a lot of Shaft. Black-ish creator Kenya Barris co-wrote the script, so we’re expecting to enjoy every minute of this Shaft. (6/14) TOY STORY 4 — Toy Story 3 was a perfect

tries to right the wrongs of 2006’s The Last Stand, which somewhat botched its introduction of Phoenix. After 2014’s Days of Future Past erased the events of Last Stand (it’s confusing, but bear with us), producers are trying again, with Sophie Turner’s Jean Grey set to transform into the powerful and dangerous Phoenix after a mission to space sees her hit with a solar flare. The usual cast — including James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence — are all here, and Oscar-nominated producer (The Martian) and writer Simon Kinberg steps behind the camera for his directorial debut. (6/7)

coda to a trilogy of films that demonstrated a masterful dedication to filmmaking, voice-acting, and all-ages scripting. It was an emotional sucker punch of childhood-evoking nostalgia, and a tear-jerking reminder that animation can produce feelings both equal to and beyond that of live action. Did Disney and Pixar really need to make a fourth one? Is it truly because they found a story worth telling beyond the original three, or is it just to print even more money for the company? We’ll find out in June, but here’s something worth noting: Tim Allen said last year that the story was “so emotional” he struggled to record the last scene, and Tom Hanks called the ending a “moment in history.” We’re taking that to mean “bring every tissue you own, and some more for good measure.” (6/21)

LATE NIGHT — A cutthroat late night talk

CHILD’S PLAY — Everyone’s favorite socio-

JUNE DARK PHOENIX — The latest X-Men film

show host (Emma Thompson) teams up with her new — and only — female writer (Mindy Kaling) to try and save her show, after it’s threatened with cancellation. Kaling wrote the script and it’s helmed by Transparent director Nisha Ganatra, which suggests a compelling comedy-drama, but if anything Late Night only reminds us that there are currently just two female late night hosts (Samantha Bee and Busy Phillips), and both are on cable networks. (6/7) MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL — Tessa

Thompson and Chris Hemsworth replace Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as the mysterious Agents who keep earth safe from extraterrestrial threats and the population oblivious to the aliens living and working among us. Not quite a spin-off, not quite a sequel, regardless this looks like good popcorn fun, and Thompson and Hemsworth proved their chemistry working together in Thor: Ragnarok. (6/14) 28

path toy returns in a genius bit of scheduling that puts the horrific doll alongside Toy Story in theaters. A remake of the 1988 film of the same name, Aubrey Plaza stars as the unwitting mother who buys her son (Gabriel Bateman) a Chucky doll, with predictably murderous consequences. (6/21) 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. (6/28)

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

JULY SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME — Tom

Holland slips back into the Spidey suit for his second solo outing as the famed web-slinger. Unfortunately, it somewhat spoils Avengers: Endgame, as this takes place after that film. Given Spidey vanished into nothingness in Infinity War, we’re guessing he makes a miraculous recovery.... (7/5) THE LION KING — Arguably Disney’s most

popular animated classic, if not its best, The Lion King finally gets the live action treatment (by way of bucketloads of CGI). The world has already gone crazy for the trailer, which featured an impossibly fuzzy and cute Simba (Donald Glover) being held aloft the other animals. Expect this to be one of the biggest films of the year — possibly of all time, depending on how well it makes the jump from two to three dimensions. (7/19) ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD —

Quentin Tarantino offers a slightly different take on the Manson Family murders to April’s The Haunting of Sharon Tate. Set against the backdrop of the murders, television actor Rick (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double and best friend Cliff (Brad Pitt) embark on an odyssey to break into the film industry. There’s also a starry ensemble, including Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate, Al Pacino, Damian Lewis, Dakota Fanning, and Bruce Dern. Tarantino’s mystery drama also marks the last film appearance of Luke Perry, who died on March 4. (7/26) SKIN — The true-life story of Bryon

Widner, a white supremacist who cofounded a violent white power group in Indiana, but who ultimately abandoned his racist past after marrying and having children. Widner’s story, including his lengthy and painful process to have his racist facial tattoos removed, was captured in 2011 documentary Erasing Hate, but is here given the dramatic treatment by Oscar-winning writer-director Guy Nattiv. Jamie Bell, in a phenomenal example of good makeup and effects, portrays Widner, alongside Vera Farmiga, Danielle Macdonald, Bill Camp, and Mike Colter. (7/26)

AUGUST FAST & FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS & SHAW — Humanity officially jumps the

shark with this, the first spin-off of the impossibly long-running and high-earning The Fast and the Furious franchise. We as a planet have collectively allowed these films to make over $5 billion at the box office — it’s time we take a stand and let this (presumably average) Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham-starring action comedy die. But that won’t happen. It’ll earn millions, and before we know it we’ll be suffering through Fast & Furious Presents: Citizen Kane 2: Roadbuds. (8/2) THE NEW MUTANTS — This would seem to

be the year of darker and scarier superhero films. Following on from Hellboy and Brightburn, The New Mutants — the thirteenth X-Men film — follows five mutants locked up in a secret facility as they come to terms with their powers, escape their past sins, and fight for their lives. As a contrast to more jovial Marvel Comics adaptations like Shazam!, the film’s trailer is really quite something. (8/2)

MIDSOMMAR — Hereditary writer-di-

rector 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. (8/9) SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK —

Not even children are safe from horror this year, as Guillermo del Toro adapts Alvin Schwartz series of scary children’s books. Not that the teasers aired during the Super Bowl suggest the final film will be even remotely appropriate for children (though, given the books’ perennial status on many “most banned” lists, perhaps even they weren’t entirely suitable...). Still, if you read them as a child, this should be a suitably chilling trip down memory lane. (8/9) WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE

— Bernadette Fox hates people, hates leaving the house, and hates the other parents at her daughter’s school (basically, she’s all of us). But that makes it all the

more bizarre when she suddenly disappears. Cate Blanchett stars as Bernadette in Richard Linklater’s mystery comedy, based on Maria Semple’s bestselling novel, alongside Kristin Wiig, Judy Greer, Laurence Fishburne, and Emma Nelson as Bree, Bernadette’s daughter, who wants nothing more than to find her mother. (8/9) ANGEL HAS FALLEN — Secret Service agent

Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) just can’t catch a break. First, he had to defend the president (Aaron Eckhart) against an attack on the White House in Olympus Has Fallen, then against a massive attack on world leaders in London Has Fallen, and now he’s being framed for an assassination attempt against the new president (Morgan Freeman). And as long as the [Name] Has Fallen films continue to print money for Lionsgate, he won’t be getting an easy retirement any time soon. (8/23) l For more Spring Arts Film listings, please visit www.metroweekly.com or follow our new interactive version of the print edition at www.issuu.com/metroweekly.

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

JULIETA CERVANTES

Spring Arts Preview

Betty Buckley in Hello, Dolly! at the Kennedy Center

STAGE

ARENA STAGE

Compiled by Randy Shulman

FTER 33 YEARS, THE SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY’S Michael Kahn is going out with a big Greek bang, helming a huge, and very likely mind-blowing, production of The Oresteia. But that’s not the only highlight of the spring theater season. Ford’s has just opened a breathtaking production of everyone’s favorite fractured fairy tale musical Into the Woods, and Constellation is presenting what will certainly be a stunning take on Mary Zimmerman’s The White Snake. The Kennedy Center, meanwhile, will become a huge gay audience magnet, with massive musical productions of Disney’s Aladdin, Hello, Dolly! starring the amazing Betty Buckley, The Band’s Visit, Dear Evan Hansen, and William Finn’s gay masterpiece, Falsettos. GALA, meanwhile, will get jubilant with an all-Spanish version of Fame, the Musical. And Signature’s Eric D. Schaeffer is inviting us all for a stay at his Grand Hotel. That’s one reservation — among many others — we’ll be more than happy to make. ADVENTURE THEATRE MTC

7300 MacArthur Blvd Glen Echo, Md. 301-634-2270 www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org WINNIE THE POOH — Pooh and Piglet have to find the Heffalump, watch Rabbit scheme to rid the forest of Kanga’s dread-

ed bathtub, and help Eeyore search for his tail. Based on the A.A. Milne classic (3/29-5/26) • THE CAT IN THE HAT — A rainy day is turned into a miraculous, mayhem-filled adventure in this adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic. Directed by Theater J’s Adam Immerwahr (6/218/18)

1101 Sixth St. SW 202-488-3300 www.arenastage.org JQA — Aaron Posner imagines key confrontations between John Quincy Adams and a few of America’s most dynamic figures, including George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Frederick Douglass, and Abraham Lincoln (Now-4/14, Kogod) • JUNK — A junk bond trader prepares a hostile takeover of a family-owned manufacturing company in this bracing new work from playwright Ayad Akhtar (4/5-5/5, Fichandler) • JUBILEE — A World Premiere written and directed by Tazewell Thompson and featuring such spirituals as “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” (4/26-6/2, Kreeger) BALTIMORE CENTER STAGE

700 N. Calvert St. Baltimore, Md. 410-332-0033 www.centerstage.org INDECENT — Produced in conjunction with Arena Stage (Now-3/31) • HOW TO CATCH CREATION (5/2-5/26)

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

CONSTELLATION THEATRE

1835 14th St. NW 202-204-7741 www.constellationtheatre.org THE WHITE SNAKE — In Mary Zimmerman’s adaptation of an ancient Chinese folktale, a snake spirit transforms itself into a woman in order to experience the human world and falls in love with a pharmacist’s assistant. Directed by Allison Arkell Stockman (4/25-5/26) EVERYMAN THEATRE

315 West Fayette St. Baltimore, Md. 410-752-2208 www.everymantheatre.org DINNER WITH FRIENDS — A dinner party goes south as two couples find themselves grappling with questions of loyalty, individuality, and commitment. Donald Margulies’ funny, sharply observed Pulitzer Prize-winning drama is celebrating its 20th anniversary (Now-4/14) FOLGER THEATRE

201 East Capitol St. SE 202-544-7077 www.folger.edu LOVE’S LABOR’S LOST — Shakespeare’s

spry comedy is full of lovers and clowns, foolery and the follies of the heart (4/306/9)

FORD'S THEATRE

511 Tenth St. NW 202-347-4833 www.fords.org INTO THE WOODS — This year’s musical is Stephen Sondheim’s imaginative remix of beloved fairy tales — everything from Little Red Ridinghood to Cinderella to Rapunzel — creating a dark, fantastic cautionary tale about getting what you wish for. It’s one of Sondheim's most unforgettable scores, and the setting is ripe for creative, thrilling design, which Ford’s reportedly has taken to the very hilt of eye-popping. Peter Flynn directs (Now-5/22) GALA HISPANIC THEATRE

3333 14th St. NW 202-234-7174 www.galatheatre.org FAME, THE MUSICAL — A diverse group of ambitious, young hopefuls dream of stardom while attending a prestigious high school for the performing arts (5/9-6/9)

KEEGAN THEATRE

1742 Church St. NW 202-265-3767 www.keegantheatre.com HANDS ON A HARDBODY — In this

new musical from Doug Wright, Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green, ten Texans struggle to keep at least one hand on a brand-new truck in order to win it. Directed by Mark Rhea (Now-4/6) • GOD OF CARNAGE — A playground altercation between two boys brings together two sets of Brooklyn parents for a meeting to resolve the matter. Things turn ugly (5/45/25) • RIPCORD (6/15-7/6) • LEGALLY BLONDE (8/3-8/25) KENNEDY CENTER

202-467-4600 www.kennedy-center.org BROADWAY CENTER STAGE: THE WHO’S TOMMY — The world’s most famous rock opera (4/25-4/28) • HELLO, DOLLY! —

Broadway legend Betty Buckley stars in this Tony-winning revival, directed by Jerry Zaks (6/4-7/7, Opera House) • BYHALIA, MISSISSIPPI — A new Kennedy Center production of playwright Evan Linder’s uncompromising exploration of race, family, and betrayal in the American South (6/11-6/30, Terrace) • FALSETTOS — William Finn and James Lapine’s groundbreaking musical revolves around the life of a charming, intelligent, neurotic gay man named Marvin and his family (6/11-6/23, Eisenhower) • THE BAND’S VISIT — A critically acclaimed new musical that celebrates the deeply human ways music, longing, and laughter connect us all (7/9-8/4, Eisenhower) • DISNEY’S ALADDIN — Pure Mouse House spectacle and magic, flying carpet and all (7/18-9/7, Opera House) • DEAR EVAN HANSEN — If you missed it when it started its life at Arena, you can now see the Tony Award-winning masterpiece in the Eisenhower (8/6-9/8) MONUMENTAL THEATRE CO.

www.monumentaltheatre.org DADDY LONG LEGS — A two person musical, set in the 19th Century, tells of a love that grows between two people by way of handwritten letters (Now-3/13) • BE MORE CHILL — A high school loser goes to great lengths to gain self-confidence in this musical (7/11-7/29)

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

MOSAIC THEATER

Atlas Arts Center 1333 H St. NE 202-399-7993 www.mosaictheater.org NATIVE SON — Richard Wright's iconic novel about oppression, freedom, and justice comes to life in a ground-breaking adaptation (3/27-4/28) • THE SHOOTING GALLERY — Aaron Davidman’s one-man show on one of the most incendiary topics of our day: guns (4/7-4/27) • SOONER/ LATER — An exploration of romance, marriage, and parenting by Allison Currin (5/15-6/16) • TWISTED MELODIES — A powerful one-man show, based on the life of '70s soul singer Donny Hathaway, imagines the troubled and brilliant musician's last day on Earth (6/19-7/21) NATIONAL THEATRE

1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW 202-628-6161 www.thenationaldc.org A BRONX TALE (3/26-3/31) • JIM STEINMAN’S BAT OUT OF HELL — Paradise by the dashboard lights, indeed (5/75/26) OLNEY THEATRE CENTER

2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd. Olney, Md. 301-924-3400 www.olneytheatre.org COMEDY OF TENORS — Ken Ludwig’s latest door-slamming farce is set on the eve of a big concert in 1936 Paris (4/105/12, Mainstage) • MARY STUART — Jason Loewith directs the bracing Friedrich Schiller drama (5/8-6/9, Theatre Lab) • MATILDA — Based on the book by Roald Dahl, a young girl discovers her magical powers in this enchanting musical (6/217/21, Mainstage) POINTLESS THEATRE

Dance Loft on 14th 4618 14th St. NW 202-733-6321 www.pointlesstheatre.com FOREST TREÁS — A Beltway Sniper crisis looms over the residents of Forest Treàs, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. A decision is made to put cameras everywhere and live-stream the neighborhood. What could go wrong? (5/31-6/30)

REP STAGE

10901 Little Patuxent Parkway Columbia, Md. 443-518-1500 www.repstage.org THE 39 STEPS — Patrick Barlow’s fastpaced spoof of Hitchcock’s 1935 classic thriller. A cast of four portray a multitude of characters in a madcap evening (5/25/19) RICHMOND TRIANGLE PLAYERS

1300 Altamont Ave. Richmond 804-346-8113 www.rtriangle.org ACT OF GOD — A divine comedy by David Javerbaum (Now-3/23) • SEVEN HOMELESS MAMMOTHS WANDER NEW ENGLAND — A college dean faces the

looming termination of her university’s shabby little natural history museum while contending with her much younger girlfriend and ex (4/10-5/4) • 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 (6/12-7/13)

ROUND HOUSE THEATRE

4545 East-West Highway Bethesda, Md. 240-644-1100 www.roundhousetheatre.org OSLO — In 1993, a husband-and-wife team of Norwegian bureaucrats assemble a motley band of would-be diplomats from the Middle East to negotiate peace between Israelis and Palestinians (4/245/19) • A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2 — Holly Twyford, Craig Wallace, and Nancy Robinette lead a powerhouse cast in this “sequel” to the Ibsen classic (6/6-6/30) SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY

450 7th St. NW 202-547-1122 www.shakespearetheatre.org VANITY FAIR — A new adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's novel by Kate Hamill (Now-3/31, Lansburgh) • THE ORESTEIA — Michael Kahn goes out with a big Greek bang, directing Ellen McLaughlin’s adaptation of Aeschylus’s potent trilogy (4/30-6/2, Harman)

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

SIGNATURE THEATRE

4200 Campbell Ave. Arlington, Va. 703-820-9771 www.sigtheatre.org

MASTERPIECES OF THE ORAL AND INTANGIBLE HERITAGE OF HUMANITY —

Three women are trapped in a ravaged museum during a catastrophic hundred years war tasked with restoring a damaged Rembrandt painting. Holly Twyford stars (Now-4/7, Ark) • GRAND HOTEL — Eric D. Schaeffer directs this intricate and magnificent musical set in a lavish hotel in 1928 Berlin (4/2-5/12, Max) • SPUNK — Based on three short stories of Zora Neale Hurston and adapted by Jelly’s Last Jam writer George C. Wolfe (4/30-6/23, Ark) • BLACKBEARD — The World Premiere of a high seas musical adventure by the authors of The Witches of Eastwick and The Fix, commissioned by Signature (6/11-7/7, Max) STUDIO THEATRE

1501 14th St. NW 202-332-3300 www.studiotheatre.org ADMISSIONS — A  no-holds-barred look at privilege, power, and the perils of whiteness from Joshua Harmon (Bad Jews)

(Now-3/24) • QUEEN OF BASEL — A bold and Spanish-infused take on Strindberg’s Miss Julie (Now-4/7) • THE CHILDREN — David Muse directs a taut and disquieting thriller about what one generation owes the next (5/1-6/2) SYNETIC THEATER

1800 South Bell St. Crystal City, Va. 800-494-8497 www.synetictheater.org A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM — Synetic's Teen Company is a training program dedicated to developing the next generation of performers. They take on Shakespeare's most beloved work. (4/4-14) • RICHARD III — The latest entry in the company’s Wordless Shakespeare series (5/15-6/16) • TREASURE ISLAND — The company works its magic on Robert Louis Stevenson’s adventure classic (7/17-8/18) THEATRE ALLIANCE

2020 Shannon Pl. SE 202-241-2539 www.theateralliance.com BLOOD AT THE ROOT — When a black student disrupts the status quo at her high school by occupying space typically

reserved for white students, her community erupts in hate speech, violence, and chaos (Now-3/24) • KLYTMNESTRA: AN EPIC SLAM POEM — Dane Figueroa Edidi’s dynamic one-woman slam poem is a saga of strong women, the men who seek to destroy them, and the dangerous extremes this kind of society can reach if left unchecked (5/19-6/16) THEATRE J

1529 16th St. NW 202-777-3210 www.theaterj.org THE JEWISH QUEEN LEAR — Penned in

1898, Jacob Gordin’s story of power and pride revolves around a wealthy widow who wants to find a good wife for her son. A masterpiece of Yiddish theater with a new English translation. Directed by Adam Immerwahr (Now4/7, Georgetown’s Davis Performing Arts Center)

WASHINGTON STAGE GUILD

900 Massachusetts Ave. NW 240-582-0050 www.stageguild.org RESOLVING HEDDA — Playwright Jon Klein reimagines Ibsen’s notorious schemer Hedda Gabler in this inventive

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

work in which a major literary character refuses to succumb to her written fate (3/21-4/15) WOOLLY MAMMOTH

641 D St. NW 202-393-3939 www.woollymammoth.net WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME

— In 1988, a young woman tries to earn enough money to go to college by entering speech competitions about the U.S. Constitution in American Legion halls all across the country (4/1-29) • DESCRIBE THE NIGHT — Seven lost souls are connected across decades by history, fiction, lies, and blood when a centuries old Russian diary is unearthed (5/27-6/3) l For more Spring Arts Stage listings, please visit www.metroweekly.com or follow our new interactive version of the print edition at www.issuu.com/metroweekly.

Spring Arts Preview 9:30 CLUB

815 V St. NW 202-265-0930 www.930.com TEENAGE FANCLUB W/THE LOVE LANGUAGE (3/16) • JONATHAN MCREYNOLDS W/ ANTHONY BROWN, JASON NELSON (3/17) • JUNGLE W/HOUSES (3/21) • RAILROAD EARTH — A Two Night Pass is avail-

able for bluegrass-influenced New Jersey band shows presented by All Good (3/22-23) • NILS FRAHM (3/24) • MAGGIE ROGERS W/MELANIE FAYE — Two nights on bluesy folk dynamo’s Heard It In A Past Life World Tour, both already sold out (3/25-26) • LIL MOSEY W/POLO G — Trillectro presents (3/27) • FAILURE AND SWERVEDRIVER W/CRIMINAL HYGIENE (3/28) • BIG WILD W/ROBOTAKI, MILD MINDS — Two concerts on rising produc-

er/vocalist Jackson Stell’s Superdream Tour as exotic indie-electronica act with accompanying vocalists (3/29) • BOOGIE T.RIO W/MERSIV, VAMPA (3/30) • LET’S EAT GRANDMA — A comma would save Nana (4/10) • GETTER (4/2) • PATTY GRIFFIN W/ RUSTON KELLY — Veteran queer folk singer-songwriter with opener aka Mr. Kacey Musgraves (4/3) • EMILY KING (4/4) • THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS W/JON STICKLEY TRIO — A promising bluegrass

Jennifer Hudson at Wolf Trap

Music: Pop, Rock, Folk, Blues & Jazz Compiled by Doug Rule

E’RE HERE, WE’RE QUEER — AND DARN NEAR EVERYWHERE this Spring, represented in the lineups at a majority of area concert venues: From Adam Lambert performing with Queen at Capital One to Laura Jane Grace at Rock and Roll Hotel, Rob Halford and Judas Priest at The Anthem to Tituss Burgess at the Kennedy Center, Amy Ray at the Birchmere to Cub Sport at Songbyrd, Brandi Carlile at Merriweather to Mary Gauthier at City Winery. Nowhere are there more out performers or inclusive acts on the bill than at Comet Ping Pong, while Jammin Java is the place to go to catch a whole bevy of lesbian performers. Of course, not everyone can be gay, and there’s plenty of wider appeal here, there, and everywhere this spring — not least the many divas, new and old, coming to the 9:30 Club, The Lincoln, MGM, Blues Alley, and Wolf Trap. And all the gay Whos in Whoville know exactly where to be come May....

concert presented by All Good to kick off the weekend (4/5) • BEATS ANTIQUE W/AXEL THESLEFF (4/6) • SWMRS W/ THE REGRETTES, BEACH GOONS — $1 per ticket goes to the SWMRS Fund and its support for climate, racial, economic and gender justice (4/7) • CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG — The daughter of Serge and momma Jane Birkin (4/8) • JAI WOLF (4/10) • ELLA VOS W/CLARA MAE (4/11) • TURKUAZ W/AQUEOUS — Another weekend-kickoff bluegrass-smoking concert (4/12) • DROELOE W/FYTCH, DUSKUS, TAILS — U Street Music Hall presents (4/13) • BAD SUNS W/CARLIE HANSON — 2019 Mystic Truth Tour (4/15) • FOALS W/PREOCCUPATIONS, OMNI (4/16, 4/18) • THE CLAYPOOL LENNON DELIRIUM W/ UNI (4/17) • LÉON (4/19) • LOTUS — Two bluegrass-smoking weekend evenings (4/19-20) • TOM ODELL W/LUCIE SILVAS (4/20) • RYAN BINGHAM W/ AMERICANS (4/21) • RIVAL SONS (4/22) • JON HOPKINS (4/24) • BLUE OCTOBER — The King Tour (4/25) • THE MOUNTAIN GOATS W/SHANA CLEVELAND (4/26) • ANDREA GIBSON W/MEGAN FALLEY (4/30) • PARACHUTE W/BILLY RAFFOUL (5/1) • MISSIO W/BLACKILLAC, SWELLS — Rad Drugz Tour (5/2) • THE STRUMBELLAS — Rattlesnake US Tour 2019 (5/3) • DELTA RAE (5/4) • HIGHER BROTHERS (5/4) •

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

SON VOLT (5/5) • THE DANDY WARHOLS W/COSMONAUTS, THE VACANT LOTS (5/6) • WALLOWS W/JOY AGAIN (5/7) • FKJ (5/8) • EX HEX W/THE MESSTHETICS, CLEAR CHANNEL — D.C. grrrl power (5/10) • ZARA LARSSON W/ASTRID S — Newest Swedish pop starlet (5/11) • BEAR’S DEN — London-based Springsteen- and

Fleetwood-influenced rock duo (5/12) • ARCHITECTS W/THY ART IS MURDER, WHILE SHE SLEEPS — Holy Hell North America (5/14) • LANY — Two nights on the World Tour 2019, both sold out (5/1516) • JIM JAMES W/AMO AMO — Uniform Distortion (5/17) • LIZZO W/TAYLA PARX — Gotta blame it on her juice, she’s out here making news, two sold out nights, gettin’ loose (5/19-20) • SUPERORGANISM (5/21) • CHROMATICS W/DESIRE, IN MIRRORS — $1 from every Double Exposure Tour ticket goes to support teachers and classroom resources (5/22) • CLOZEE — U Street Music Hall presents (5/25) • BETTY WHO — The most popular of the new crop of gay-popular divas, selling out two nights and going for three; $1 per ticket supports the Trevor Project (5/28-30) • LOCAL NATIVES — $1 per ticket supports gender-based violence intervention and prevention programs on the Spiral Choir Tour 2019 (6/3-4) • JAWBOX W/LAPÊCHE (6/28); W/THE PAUSES (6/29) THE ALDEN

1234 Ingleside Ave. McLean, Va. 703-790-0123 www.aldentheatre.org NEW YORK GILBERT AND SULLIVAN PLAYERS: “I’VE GOT A LITTLE TWIST” —

A cabaret revealing the timelessness of the comic opera masters through rewritten lyrics to G&S tunes, G&S numbers mashed-up with modern-day examples, and some untouched G&S classics (5/4) • “ALL THE WAY LIVE!” W/PAIGE HERNANDEZ AND BAYE HARRELL — B Fly Entertainment founder Hernandez teams up with fellow hip-hop artist for an interactive show featuring on-the-spot collaborations that “remix” everything from the alphabet to folktales (5/11) AMP BY STRATHMORE

11810 Grand Park Ave. North Bethesda, Md. 301-581-5100 www.ampbystrathmore.com LOSTON HARRIS — A cabaret with this singing jazz pianist (3/15) • ROCHELLE RICE (3/22) • BSO MUSIC BOX — “Classical for kids” (3/23, 5/11) • THE PORTLAND CELLO PROJECT — Performing their take 42

on Radiohead’s OK Computer (3/24) • TINSLEY ELLIS & COCO MONTOYA — Blues rock titans (3/26) • ANTONIO SÁNCHEZ & MIGRATION — Jazz drum machine (4/4) • GINA CHAVEZ — The Latin pop artist first leads an afternoon “Kids Pajama Jam party,” then a traditional evening concert for their parents and other adult fans (4/7) • KYLE RIABKO — “Bacharach Reimagined” (4/11) • CAROLINA EYCK (4/12) • OFFICIAL BLUES BROTHERS REVUE — “Aykroyd & Belushi approved” (4/13) • JEREMY SCHONFELD — Singersongwriter and theatrical showman performs the intimate, one-man show “Storyteller,” exploring his songwriting and show-making process (4/27) • CRAIG CHEE & SARAH MAISEL (5/1) • DAVINA & THE VAGABONDS (6/7) • DARRELL SCOTT — Country singer-songwriter (6/13) • AMY HELM (6/27) THE ANTHEM

901 Wharf St. SW. 202-265-0930 www.theanthemdc.com ERYKAH BADU — The far-out neo-soul diva returns for a second concert on the Wharf (3/16) • MEEK MILL W/LIL DURK, KASH DOLL, MELII — The Motivation Tour from Philadelphia-born rapper and former Nicki Minaj paramour (3/21) • JAWBREAKER W/WAR ON WOMEN, POHGOH — A night of classic punk (3/28) • GARY CLARK JR. — The popular young rock-and-soul shredder (3/30) •

star of Dear Evan Hansen and of the Pitch Perfect films showcases his new dramatic pop songs (5/11) • POD TOURS AMERICA (5/19) • DAVID GRAY (5/30) • SNARKY PUPPY W/JOSÉ JAMES (6/14) • JON BATISTE & STAY HUMAN W/BRASS-AHOLICS — The jazzy jam band and house

band for the Late Show with Stephen Colbert (6/15) • BILLIE EILISH W/DENZEL CURRY — Already sold-out concert from dark-pop teen wunderkind in the Lorde mold supporting the album When We All Fall Asleep (6/20) • HILLSONG UNITED — USA Tour 2019 with special guests Amanda Lindsey Cook + Mack Brock (6/29) • BEN FOLDS & VIOLENT FEMMES — The oddest co-headlining concert of many seasons, featuring a veteran punk band long driven to “rock harder than any other acoustic act on the planet” and a quirky genre-bending artist you could say pops harder than any other artistic advisor for the National Symphony (7/30) • ROB THOMAS W/ABBY ANDERSON — A solo show from the lead singer of dramatic rock band Matchbox Twenty (7/12) • RŰFŰS DU SOL — Mesmerizing progressive house band from Down Under (8/8) • BRYAN FERRY — The incredibly stylish new wave legend behind Roxy Music and more recently big room jazz band leader (8/13) • JENNY LEWIS (9/5) • PETER FRAMPTON — Finale: The Farewell Tour with Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening (9/11))

MEGHAN TRAINOR W/MAX, JAKE MILLER

BETHESDA BLUES & JAZZ SUPPER CLUB

KODAK BLACK W/RODDY RICCH, CALBOY, SNIPER GANG (4/24) • SNOW PATROL W/ WE ARE SCIENTISTS, RYAN MCMULLAN —

JON WILLIAMS & JAMAR DUKES WITH THE BRENCORE ALLSTARS BAND — A Tribute

— IHeartRadio’s Blossom Bash this year is headlined by the former Capital Pride headliner who’s all about that bass (4/5) • TREY ANASTASIO — An already-soldout Ghosts of the Forest concert from Phish-head with guests Jon Fishman, Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson, Tony Markellis, and Ray Paczowski (4/6) • KENNY CHESNEY W/DAVID LEE MURPHY, CAROLINE JONES — Country superstar performs two nights on his Songs for the Saints Tour (4/18-19) •

The Irish alt-rock band forever known for its indelible hit love song “Chasing Cars” (4/26) • KALI UCHIS & JORJA SMITH — A double-bill of new-school R&B from two Millennial starlets, the Northern Virginia-reared Uchis and the JamaicanEnglish Smith (4/28) • MAREN MORRIS W/RAELYNN — Girl The World Tour 2019 from critically acclaimed rising country starlet (5/2) • LIL PUMP W/LIL SKIES (5/8) • BEN PLATT — The Tony-winning

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7719 Wisconsin Ave. 240-330-4500 www.bethesdabluesjazz.com K-CI — A solo outing from the member of the hit-making R&B bands of brothers K-Ci & JoJo and Jodeci (3/24) • CASSANDRA WILSON — The iconoclastic jazz singer-songwriter with a Southern soul sensibility (3/29) • THE EMOTIONS — The Chicago sisters trio based in gospel but known for crossover R&B hits plus the indelible, Grammy-winning No. 1 pop hit from 1977 “Best of My Love” (3/31) • to the Music of Marvin Gaye & Donny Hathaway (4/5) • MARANDA CURTIS — Second Sunday Praise (4/14) • LUTHER RE-LIVES — William “Smooth” Wardlaw embodies the sound and style of the late Vandross and performs as the leader of a band in tribute to The Velvet Voice (4/20) • HEY NINETEEN: A TRIBUTE TO STEELY DAN (4/27)

THE BIRCHMERE

3701 Mount Vernon Ave. Alexandria , Va. 703-549-7500 www.birchmere.com THE FOUR BITCHIN’ BABES — Christine Lavin, Sally Fingerett, Debi Smith, and Deirdre Flint are the fabulous folk four (3/23) • JIM BRICKMAN — “Share The Love” Tour (3/24) • THE RIPPINGTONS FT. RUSS FREEMAN (3/25) • ROBERT EARL KEEN — Americana veteran and inductee into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame (3/26) • DAVID ARCHULETA — Spring Tour 2019 from the American Idol runner-up (3/27) • BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY (3/28) • MO’FIRE — Featuring In Gratitude and Motown & More (3/29) • HARMONY SWEEPSTAKES A CAPPELLA FESTIVAL 2019 (3/30) • ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL W/THE NATIONAL RESERVE (3/31) • BRIAN CULBERTSON (4/1, 4/3) • ROBIN TROWER (4/2) • MARTY STUART & HIS FABULOUS SUPERLATIVES (4/4) • DON MCLEAN — The music hasn’t died for this “American Pie” hitmaker (4/5) • BODEANS (4/6) • KEIKO MATSUI (4/7) • TAB BENOIT (4/9) • LIZZ WRIGHT — A return of the great underrated neosoul artist with ties to D.C. (4/11) • AVERAGE WHITE BAND (4/12-13) • SGGL & THE SHERPAS — Speidel, Goodrich, Goggin, and Lille (4/14) • THE CHURCH — Starfish 30th Anniversary Tour (4/18) • THE DRAMATICS FT. L.J. REYNOLDS (4/19) • MARTIN BARRE — Celebrating 50 years of Jethro Tull along with Dee Palmer and Clive Bunker (4/22) • KRIS

KRISTOFFERSON & THE STRANGERS — Live In Concert (4/25-26) • CLEVE FRANCIS (4/27) • INCOGNITO — With special guest TBA (4/29-30) • DELBERT MCCLINTON (5/2) • NAJEE (5/3) • DAVID ALLAN COE (5/4) • TERRY REID AND THE COSMIC AMERICAN DERELICTS (5/6) • MAC MCANALLY (5/10) • GARY TAYLOR — A Mother’s Day Celebration (5/11) • GORDON LIGHTFOOT — 80 Years Strong Tour (5/13) • DAMIEN ESCOBAR

— Elements of Love Tour (5/14-15) •

3RD ANNUAL DESPERADO’S WAX MUSEUM REUNION — Featuring NRQ and Skip Castro Band (5/17) • MACEO PARKER (5/18) • JONATHAN BUTLER (5/19) • STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES — The pro-

lific anti-death penalty and progressive country-rock rabble-rouser (5/20) • THE NILS LOFGREN BAND (5/21-22) • AMY RAY BAND — One-half of the pioneering lesbian folk duo the Indigo Girls, touring in support of her new country-rock album Holler (5/23) • THE SELDOM SCENE — CD Release Show from star local blue44

grass band (5/24) • WALTER BEASLEY — Affable smooth jazz saxophonist (5/26) • PAUL THORN — “Ain’t Love Strange” 20th Anniversary Tour (5/31) • MARC COHN — Still “Walking on Memphis” (6/1) • THE MUSICAL BOX — “A Genesis Extravaganza,” offering an unprecedented musical feast of 1970-1977 favorites & rarities (6/2) HOWIE DAY — Pop hitmaker behind “Collide” and “She Says” from turn of the millennium (8/3) • LILA DOWNS — The Mexican alt-folk/rock diva (8/13) • THE WAIFS W/WALLIS BIRD (8/15) BLACK CAT

1811 14th St. NW 202-667-4490 www.blackcatdc.com DAMAGED CITY FEST 2019 — 7th annual festival celebrating hardcore punk features L.A.’s Despise You, Japan’s Low Vision & Milk making their U.S. debut, Ohio’s Inmates, New York’s Hank Wood & the Hammerheads, New Jersey rockers Screaming Females, Colombia’s Raw Brigade, Sweden’s Rotten Mind, Italy’s Impulso, and the U.K.’s The Wound, among many others in a 24-act lineup (4/12-13) • BLACK LIPS W/QUINTRON AND MISS PUSSYCAT (4/16) • ACID

MOTHERS TEMPLE W/YAMANTAKA, SONIC TITAN (4/24) • GIRLPOOL W/HATCHIE —

Captivating hard-to-classify dreamy lo-fi indie-rock (4/28) • CAMP COPE (4/29) • LAURA STEVENSON — A wholly unique rendering of Americana, intelligent, literate, crafted from elements of folk, country, and straightforward rock ‘n’ roll (5/3) BLACKROCK CENTER FOR THE ARTS

12901 Town Commons Dr. Germantown, Md. 301-528-2260 www.blackrockcenter.org

THE RAT PACK OF OPERA — Expanding the perception of what a 21st-century “tenor” can be via a modern cabaret featuring a mix of opera, pop, and American Songbook standards (3/16) • MISSY RAINES TRIO — An all-acoustic ensemble led by smoky and seductive alto singer also “one of the most decorated and highly sought-after upright bassists in bluegrass,” per NPR (3/21) • LAUREN MITCHELL — A blues singer evoking Aretha and Etta, and even Sam and Ray (3/22, Studio Theater) • LONESOME RIVER BAND — Led by Sammy Shelor, five-time International Bluegrass Music Association’s Banjo Player of the Year (3/23) • CARMEN LUNDY (4/5) • MARK G. MEADOWS: THE MUSIC OF NAT KING COLE

— Local jazz pianist performs with his

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

quintet a tribute to Cole, a de-facto encore of cabaret developed and premiered at Signature Theatre (4/13) • ATZILUT: A CONCERT FOR PEACE — A 10-member high-energy Middle Eastern ensemble performing both Hebrew and Arabic music, making a powerful statement for peace through shared music (4/14) • CARY COOPER — Texas singer-songwriter with simple, quirky songs that draw you in with strong pop melodies (4/18) • TULA’S CABARET — An evening of classic and ribald lip-sync and good old-fashioned drag entertainment (4/28) BLUES ALLEY

1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW 703-549-7500 www.bluesalley.com SPENCER DAY — Gay jazz singer-songwriter, a one-time Star Search finalist (3/20) • KEVIN EUBANKS — Jazz guitarist and former band leader from NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno plays a weekend run of shows (3/21-24) • BCJO FT. JIHYE LEE — Celebrating Washington Women in Jazz (3/25) • AVISHAI COHEN QUARTET — Award-winning trumpeter (3/26) • DAYME AROCENA — Acclaimed Cuban vocalist (3/27) • LEE RITENOUR — Legendary guitarist (3/28-31) • YOKO MIWA TRIO — Presented by Embassy of Japan (4/1) • YVETTE SPEARS — “Voices from the Jazz Botique” (4/2) • STEVE SMITH & VITAL INFORMATION NYC EDITION

— Legendary drummer performs with Baron Browne, Mark Soskin & Vinny Valentino (4/3) • BUSTER WILLIAMS SOMETHING MORE — Prodigious bassist leads a group with Lenny White, Steve Wilson, and George Colligan; joined by pianist Renee Rosnes and drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts (4/4-7) • RINA YAMAZAKI TRIO — Pianist presented by Embassy of Japan (4/8) • DELVON LAMARR ORGAN TRIO (4/9) • TESA SOUTER — “Album Release Party” (4/10) • MONTY ALEXANDER — Legendary Jamaican Pianist (4/11-14) • YUKO MABUCHI TRIO (4/15) • DEJA GRUV — An 11-member jazzy soul ensemble (4/16) MARY WILSON — Legendary former member of The Supremes (5/9-10) CAPITAL ONE ARENA

601 F St. NW 202-628-3200 www.capitalonearena.com ARIANA GRANDE — Sweetener World Tour (3/25) • MUSE W/SWMRS — Simulation Theory World Tour, with the Scottish rock band performing in the round (4/2) • ARIANA GRANDE W/NORMANI & SOCIAL

HOUSE — Yes, you’re seeing double, as the donut-licking pipsqueak pop star will kick off the spring and summer seasons at Capital One with two headlining dates scheduled three months apart (6/21) • NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK — Mixtape Tour 2019 features very special guests, all contemporaneous late-’80s/early-’90s hitmakers, Salt-N-Pepa, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, and Naughty By Nature (6/25) • HUGH JACKMAN — World Tour 2019: The Man. The Music. The Show. The Stadium. The City. The Summer. (7/1) • JEFF LYNNE’S ELO — A blast, nay, a bolt from the past and the wayback machine, the Electric Light Orchestra (7/11) • BACKSTREET BOYS — Another blast from wayback, and they’re Backstreet’s back, all right! (7/12) • JOHN MAYER (7/23) • QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT — The Rhapsody Tour for all those newfound or rekindled fans post-Bohemian Rhapsody (7/30) • SHAWN MENDES W/ALESSIA CARA — A night of good, pure young pop (8/13) CITY WINERY

1350 Okie St. NE 202-250-2531 www.citywinery.com BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA W/AMY BLACK (3/24) • MARY GAUTHIER W/JAIMEE HARRIS — Lesbian singer-songwriter from New Orleans (3/24) • JIMMY VIVINO & BOB MARGOLIN — “Just 2 Guitars and 200 Stories” (3/25) • MICHELLE D. BENNETT: A TRIBUTE TO NINA SIMONE — Briclyn Ent. presents (3/25) • EMMANUEL WITHERS

— A “Neo-Classic” style of soul (3/26) •

MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER: A TRIBUTE TO WEATHER REPORT (3/27) • IVY LEAGUE: BEST IN CLASS (3/28) • PHAZE II — A

homegrown smooth an funky jazz ensemble (3/28) • THE YARDBIRDS W/JANN KLOSE — Legendary “British Invasion” rock act(3/29) • THE BILLY PRICE CHARM CITY RHYTHM BAND (3/29) • GOT MY OWN SOUND BAND (3/30) • TONY TERRY — A soul/new jack swing singer from D.C. (4/1) • VYBE BAND (4/2) • LEVI KREIS W/SPECIAL GUEST NOVA PAYTON — Gay singer-songwriter drops back into town for a concert also featuring one of D.C.’s finest stage divas (4/3) • DOUG STONE (4/4) • 19TH ANNUAL DOWNTOWN SEDER — Featuring David Broza, Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, Betty, Jill Sobule, and Judy Gold (4/7) • CECE PENISTON — Finally, it’s happened to this ’90s-hitmaking Capital Pride veteran performer (4/21) • JOAN OSBORNE — Singing the songs of Bob Dylan (4/27) • LISSIE — The Piano Retrospective Tour from this indie-folk/pop artist who can channel 46

the voice of Stevie Nicks without even trying (5/6) • RICHARD MARX — A popular attraction, right there waiting for you to see (6/9) COMET PING PONG

5037 Connecticut Ave. NW 202-364-0404 www.cometpingpong.com PRINCESS W/MUNDY, HONEY — A Chicago-

born performance art duo exploring queerness and the concept of masculinity, with local support (3/17) • KING CONGO

AND THE PINK MONKEY BIRDS W/THE EDWIGES, DJ BABY ALCATRAZ — Happy

60th Birthday, Kid Congo Powers! (3/22) • HOMOSUPERIOR W/HEXGIRLFRIENDS, WIPEOUT — The D.C. queer punk band fronted by Josh Vogelsong/Donna Slash celebrates its album release with two opening acts from Baltimore (3/29) • EMILY REO, FOXES IN FICTION — A night of experimental pop imported from New York (4/24) • KLAUS JOHANN GROBE W/ VINYL WILLIAMS, THE GALAXY ELECTRIC — Swiss electronic/dance group with opening sets from harmonious popper out of California and psychedelic pop retro-futurists from Brooklyn (5/12) DC9

1940 9th St. NW 202-483-5000 www.dcnine.com MAX FROST W/UPSAHL — Rising young electronic-pop hitmaker, touring Gold Rush, his major-label full-length debut executive produced by Fitz (of the Tantrums) (3/26) • BIT BRIGADE W/ DOUBLE FERRARI — A bit like seeing the NSO playing live to accompany a movie screening, Bit Brigade rocks out to full NES soundtracks as the game is played live on stage; this round the game in question is Mega Man III (4/2) • OKILY DOKILY W/BEAR GHOST — “The world’s only Nedal band,” a Simpsons-inspired group hailing from Phoenix whose lyrics are mostly direct quotes from Ned Flanders (4/17) • DIANE COFFEE — The gender- and genre-bending alter ego of Shaun Fleming, former drummer for Foxygen, touring in support of Internet Arms, billed as “a swan dive into a lush, digital glam wonderland” (5/10) EAGLEBANK ARENA

George Mason University 4400 University Drive Fairfax, Va. 703-993-3000 www.eaglebankarena.com 2CELLOS W/JON MCLAUGHLIN — Let

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

There Be Cello 2019 Tour, presented by the Birchmere (4/2) • WHY DON’T WE — 8 Letters Tour from three-year-old boy band (4/4) • SONA NIGAM AND NEHA KAKKAR — Klose To My Life Tour with two musical stars from the Indian subcontinent (4/5) • FEEL THE K-POP: 1ST MUSIC FESTIVAL — C&U Entertainment presents “the moment you’ve all been waiting for,” a roster of K-Poppers including Huh Gak, Skull, Haha, WheeSung, Ailee, and Kim Jong Kook (4/6) • ARIJIT SINGH — Indian musician will perform with “World Musicians” (4/20) FILLMORE SILVER SPRING

8656 Colesville Rd. Silver Spring, Va. 301-960-999 www.fillmoresilverspring.com MARTINA MCBRIDE — Rock and Roll for Children Foundation’s 2019 Charity Concert (3/23) • DMX — 20 Year Anniversary Tour for It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot from the still-standing hardcore rap star (4/7) • LIFEHOUSE W/THE GET RIGHT BAND — Singer Jason Wade is an avowed Christian, yet despite spiritual overtones to many songs, he protests his is not a Christian band (4/13) • JACK & JACK — Omaha-bred, L.A.-based pop duo comprised of two lifelong best friends named Jack (4/23) • SANTIGOLD — Critical-darling alt-dance starlet from Philly returns with 10 Years Golder Tour (5/6) • SMINO — Zero Fatigue & OTW present the Hoopti Tour of this St. Louisbased rapper/producer (5/7) • HUNTER HAYES W/LEVI HUMMON — Another country cutie — make that two of ‘em — courtesy of radio station WMZQ (5/9) • MESHUGGAH W/THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER — The Noise presents (5/12) • WILD CHILD — A BIG100 Throwback Bash featuring a band touted as “the closest thing to a real 1960s Doors concert,” with a Jim Morrison-styled lead singer Dave Brock who several years ago toured with original members of the Doors (6/14) THE HAMILTON

600 14th St. NW 202-787-1000 www.thehamiltondc.com RED BARAAT W/VIDYA VOX — Festival of Colors party headlined by bhangra/jazz party band from Brooklyn (3/15) • SOL ROOTS — Free Late Night Music in The Loft (3/15) • BARRY & THE COMBUSTIBLES — Free Late Night Music in The Loft (3/16) • KAT EDMONSON (3/21) • WHITE FORD BRONCO — Everyone’s favorite ’90s party band (3/22) • 40 DOLLAR FINE —

Free Late Night Music in The Loft (3/22) • BOMBINO W/DEAD MESSENGERS (3/23) • SOUL GRAVITY — Free Late Night Music in The Loft (3/23) • MARC BROUSSARD W/ DREW ANGUS (3/28) • THE ENGLISHTOWN PROJECT (3/29) • THE SPEAKERS OF THE HOUSE — Free Late Night Music in the Loft (3/29) • CARSIE BLANTON (4/4) • NICK LOWE W/DAWN LANDES — Quality Rock & Roll Revue starring Los Straightjackets (4/7) • YACHT ROCK REVUE (4/11-12) • GOLDEN GATE WINGMEN (4/14) • JUSTICEAID FEAT. LOS LOBOS — A benefit for the Immigrant Defense Project (4/16) • BRASS AGAINST (4/17) • GIANT PANDA GUERILLA DUB SQUAD W/BARIKA — All Good presents (4/18) • 76 DEGREES WEST (4/19) • WILLIE NILE W/BENCOOLEN (4/20) • BRUCE IN THE USA (4/27) • LISA LOEB (4/28) • DELLA MAE (5/1) • JOE PUG (5/2) • THE WILD FEATHERS (5/3) • ELI “PAPERBOY” REED (5/4) • DARK STAR ORCHESTRA — Recreating the Grateful Dead experience (5/13-14) • ABBARAMA (5/16) • CHRIS SMITHER (5/17) • RED MOLLY (5/19) • POPA CHUBBY (5/24) • CHUCK BROWN BAND W/LET IT FLOW BAND — The father of go-go may be gone but his namesake band is still very much a go-going entity (5/26) • VANESSA COLLIER (5/31) • JOHN

MCEUEN & THE STRING WIZARDS — Will the Circle be Unbroken (6/1) • ANAT COHEN QUARTET (6/7) • HAILU MERGIA (6/9) • EILEN JEWELL (6/13) • JUSTIN TRAWICK AND THE COMMON GOOD — Free Late Night Music in the Loft (7/6) • START MAKING SENSE: A TRIBUTE TO TALKING HEADS (6/29) • JIMMIE VAUGHAN (7/20) • LEE CHILD & NAKED BLUE (7/26) • JOHN MAYALL (8/22) THE HOWARD THEATRE

620 T St. NW 202-588-5595 www.thehowardtheatre.com METHOD MAN & REDMAN — Presented by the Hip Hop Digest Show (4/18) • THE LOX — Yonkers-based rap trio that formed over two decades as part of the Bad Boy camp (5/4) • JACOB COLLIER — Ambitious British singer/multi-instrumentalist/production wunderkind (5/16) JAMMIN JAVA

227 Maple Ave. E. Vienna, Va. 703-255-3747 www.jamminjava.com ERIN MCKEOWN — The quirky, savvy queer singer-songwriter takes a break from recent forays into stage musical-writing

for a rare local live show (3/31) • LOLO & GARRISON STARR — The Tennessee Queens Tour 2019, with Queen Starr yet another talented lesbian worth getting to know (5/9) • BLUE WATER HIGHWAY (5/10) • BBMAK — Back Here Tour 2019 (5/11) • MINDY SMITH — A sensitive and understated country chanteuse drops by for a solo acoustic tour celebrating the 15th anniversary of her album One Moment More through stories and song (5/31) JIFFY LUBE LIVE

7800 Cellar Door Drive Bristow, Va. 703-754-6400 www.livenation.com THE WHO — Moving On! (5/11) • WMZQ

FEST, 2019 COUNTRY MEGATICKET CONCERTS: CHRIS YOUNG W/CHRIS JANSON — Raised on Country Tour (5/18); LUKE BRYAN W/COLE SWINDELL, JON LANGSTON — Sunset Repeat Tour 2019 (6/1); THOMAS RHETT W/DUSTIN LYNCH, RUSSELL DICKERSON, RHETT ATKINS

— Very Hot Summer Tour 2019 (6/15);

DIERKS BENTLEY W/JON PARDI, TENILLE TOWNES — Burning Man 2019 (7/13); FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE W/DAN + SHAY, MORGAN WALLEN, CANAAN SMITH — Can’t

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

Say I Ain’t Country Tour (8/3); BRAD

PAISLEY W/CHRIS LANE, RILEY GREEN (8/10); RASCAL FLATTS — Also featuring special guests (8/24); JASON ALDEAN W/ KANE BROWN, CARLY PEARCE, DEE JAY SILVER (9/7) • BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (5/25) • DEAD & COMPANY (6/26) • KIDZ BOP WORLD TOUR 2019 (7/14) • DAVE MATTHEWS BAND (7/20) • IRON MAIDEN — Legacy of the Beast Tour 2019 (7/24) • HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH — Group Therapy Tour (7/27) • NELLY, TLC, AND FLO RIDA (7/30) • KORN & ALICE IN CHAINS (7/31) • KISS — The BIG Concert:

End of the Road World Tour (8/11) • ALICE COOPER & HALESTORM (8/13) • SANTANA — Supernatural Now (8/14) • BREAKING BENJAMIN (8/22) • ZAC BROWN BAND — The Owl Tour (8/25) KENNEDY CENTER

2700 F St. NW 202-467-4600 www.kennedy-center.org JAMIE BARTON — Grammy-nominated mezzo-soprano performs as part of the Renée Fleming VOICES series accompanied by pianist Kathleen Kelly (3/23) •

DIRECT CURRENT: BON IVER & TU DANCE

— Kicking off the Kennedy Center’s second-annual two-week celebration of contemporary culture and interdisciplinary creations is an evening-length performance featuring new music from Justin Vernon of indie-folk band Bon Iver (3/25, Concert Hall); Other Direct Current programs include: KC JAZZ CLUB: MARY HALVORSON — Avant-garde guitarist performs with her quintet the rich and wayward sounds from her cutting-edge new album Code Girl (3/28, Terrace Gallery); KC JAZZ CLUB: TYSHAWN SOREY — Multi-instrumentalist, a recent winner of a MacArthur Fellowship, showcases his revolutionary rhythms (3/29, Terrace Gallery); KC JAZZ CLUB: AMIR ELSAFFAR AND TWO RIVERS ENSEMBLE — Iraqi American trumpeter and his group weave together Middle Eastern musical languages with jazz (3/30, Terrace Gallery); I’M WITH HER W/VERONA QUARTET — A female folk supergroup featuring Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, and Sara Watkins performs with accompaniment on select numbers from noted string quartet (3/31, Concert Hall); HENRY THREADGILL — Pulitzer-winning composer and saxophonist/flautist performs his avant-garde musical innovations with his ensemble (4/5, Family Theater); VIJAY IYER SEXTET — MacArthur Awardwinning keyboardist/composer performs with his ensemble selections from Far 48

From Over, named among 2017’s best jazz recordings by several leading publications (4/6, Family Theater); and DU YUN W/OK MISS — This “indie pop diva” per the New York Times takes the stage with her own experimental band for excerpts from her musical Dim Sum Warriors (4/6, Terrace Gallery) • THEO BLECKMANN — Renée Fleming VOICES presents Grammy-nominated German vocalist and contemporary composer who fuses jazz, classical, and rock (4/4, Terrace Gallery) • NSO POPS: AN EVENING W/CYNTHIA ERIVO: LEGENDARY WOMEN’S VOICES (4/5, Concert Hall) • QUEEN LATIFAH —

One of hip-hop’s pioneer feminists makes her Kennedy Center performance debut (4/14, Concert Hal) • NSO POPS: IRON & WINE — Singer-songwriter Sam Beam celebrates a 15th-anniversary re-release of his band’s album Our Endless Numbered Days by performing the work in its entirety in new symphonic arrangements by composer/conductor David Campbell (4/30, Concert Hall) • NSO POPS: LESLIE ODOM JR. — Hamilton’s original Tony-winning Aaron Burr makes his debut with the NSO, under the direction of Steven Reineke, with a program combining Broadway and jazz classics (5/1-3, Concert Hall) • NSO POPS: 50 YEARS OVER THE RAINBOW: A JUDY GARLAND CELEBRATION — Broadway

ingenues Laura Osnes (Bonnie and Clyde, Cinderella) and Capathia Jenkins (Newsies) and Pink Martini vocalist Jimmie Herrod join the NSO to remember the immortal music and extraordinary cultural impact of that patron diva of gays, star of The Wizard of Oz and A Star Is Born, among many other movie musicals; conducted by Steven Reineke (6/2829, Concert Hall) • TITUSS BURGESS — A routine comedic scene-stealer on Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and NBC’s 30 Rock, Burgess will showcase his celebrated high tenor and stellar singing chops in a concert likely to reference his work in musicals, from Broadway’s The Little Mermaid and Guys and Dolls to regional productions of The Wiz and Jesus Christ Superstar; music direction by James Sampliner (7/27, Concert Hall) LINCOLN THEATRE

1215 U St. NW 202-328-6000 www.thelincolndc.com MEOW MEOW + THOMAS LAUDERDALE —

Post-post-modern diva and “The Queen of Chanson,” per the Berliner Zeitung, will perform a cabaret accompanied by the founder and leader of Pink Martini,

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

Thomas M. Lauderdale (3/25) • BILLY IDOL & STEVE STEVENS — “Turned On, Tuned In, and Unplugged,” presented by SiriusXM (4/1) • JESS GLYNNE W/ ABIR — The queer, flame-haired British chanteuse with the soul-stirring and affirming songs first turned ears working with Clean Bandit; on the first Friday in April, there’s no place fans would “Rather Be” (4/5) • JEFF TWEEDY W/JAMES ELKINGTON — Wilco singer and guitarist tours in support of new solo album Warm (4/10) • SPIRITUALIZED (4/16) • CITIZEN COPE — Blue-eyed soul/rock singer-songwriter (4/17) • IMOGEN HEAP W/GUY SIGSWORTH — An experimental electronic artist and “Hide and Seek” hitmaker who is both headliner and part of the opening act on her current tour, where she’ll perform with Sigsworth to revive their one-time project Frou Frou (5/3-4) • JOHNNYSWIM — Donna Summer is the proud mother and mother-in-law to this folk/soul duo of married songwriters Amanda Sudano and Abner Ramirez (5/15) • JOSH RITTER & THE ROYAL CITY BAND W/PENNY & SPARROW — Idahoreared Americana artist, one of the “100 Greatest Living Songwriters” by Paste magazine (5/17) • YANN TIERSEN (5/24) • APOCALYPTICA — “Plays Metallica By Four Cellos Tour” (5/28) • GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF WASHINGTON: STONEWALL 50 (6/1-2) • GLEN HANSARD — This Wild Willing Tour (6/3) • DIDO — Even if

you’re a Day One fan of this underrated quiet-storm British chanteuse, her brandnew album makes for a moving, stunning reintroduction and reappreciation (6/21) MERRIWEATHER POST PAVILION

10475 Little Patuxent Parkway Columbia, Md. 800-551-SEAT www.merriweathermusic.com M3 ROCK FESTIVAL — Long live ’80s hair metal, at least the first weekend every May at Merriweather. This year’s lineup includes Dokken, XYZ, Kip Winger, Whitesnake, Extreme, Warrant, Skid Row, Vince Neil, Kix, Autograph, Bang Tango, Danger Danger, Firehouse, Heavens Edge, Kingdom Come, L.A. Guns, Quiet Riot, Steven Adler, Tora Tora, Vain, Vixen, and more (5/3-5) • FLORENCE + THE MACHINE W/BLOOD ORANGE (6/3) • BRANDI CARLILE W/LUCIUS (6/14) • WILLIE NELSON & FAMILY + ALISON KRAUSS W/ LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL

— Talk about a pairing in classic country/ Americana heaven (6/19) • JASON ISBELL

AND THE 400 UNIT + FATHER JOHN MISTY W/JADE BIRD (6/21) • LORD HURON W/

BULLY — The hipster-favorite cinemat-

ic pop act will perform in the smaller Chrysalis Stage across the lawn (7/23) •

311 & DIRTY HEADS W/THE INTERRUPTERS (7/27) • HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH W/ BARENAKED LADIES — Group Therapy Tour (8/8) • TRAIN + GOO GOO DOLLS W/ ALLEN STONE (8/9) • CHRIS STAPLETON W/MARGO PRICE, THE MARCUS KING BAND (8/11) • HEART W/JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, ELLE KING — Love Alive Tour (8/13) • THE SMASHING PUMPKINS + NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS W/AFI (8/17) • BECK + CAGE THE ELEPHANT W/SPOON, SUNFLOWER BEAN — The Night Running Tour (8/22) • PENTATONIX — The World Tour with

special guest Rachel Platten (8/26) MGM NATIONAL HARBOR

The Theater 7100 Harborview Ave. Oxon Hill, Md. 844-346-4664 www.mgmnationalharbor.com GLADYS KNIGHT (3/23) • MARIAH CAREY (3/31) • CHICAGO (4/6) • STRAIGHT NO CHASER — Professional a cappella ensemble (4/28) • THE TEMPTATIONS & THE FOUR TOPS (5/3) • AIR SUPPLY (6/21) • AEROSMITH — Deuces Are Wild: East Coast Run (8/8, 8/10, 8/13) PEARL STREET WAREHOUSE

33 Pearl St. SW 202-380-9620 www.pearlstreetwarehouse.com THE JACOB JOLLIFF BAND — Known from Yonder Mountain String Band (3/21) • THE NIGHTHAWKS (3/22) • LULA WILES — Free Show, presented by Smithsonian Folkways (3/26) • MIKE AND THE MOONPIES W/WHISKEY REVIVAL (3/27) • NAH W/THE DUSKWHALES, SKAII (3/29) • CHOPTEETH — The area’s singular Afrofunk ensemble (3/30) • LILLY HIATT W/KAREN JONAS (3/31) • THE REVELERS (4/4) • VACATION MANOR W/BRISTON MARONEY (4/5) • FUNKY MIRACLE W/ CRUSH FUNK BRASS — Free New Orleans Funk & Soul Night (4/6) • JOURNEYMAN — Eric Clapton Tribute (4/7) • FEELFREE,

ROOTS OF A REBELLION W/SHAMANS OF SOUND (4/11) • THE BREVET, THE UNLIKELY CANDIDATES (4/12) • CRIS JACOBS BAND W/JUSTIN TRAWICK AND THE COMMON GOOD (4/13) • ANA POPOVIC W/MARY-ELAINE JENKINS (4/16) • THE WIL GRAVATT BAND — Free Show, Shiner Honky Tonk Night (4/18) • TOMMY CASTRO & THE PAINKILLERS — Killin’

• DREW GIBSON W/EMILY HENRY (4/26) • NO SECOND TROY W/THE RESERVES (4/27) • SATSANG W/CONOR & THE WILD HUNT (5/1) • VIRGINIA COALITION (VACO) (5/2-3) • THE YAWPERS (5/4) • ETANA (5/5) • ELVANA — “The World’s Finest Elvis Fronted Tribute to Nirvana” (5/7) • DRIFTWOOD (5/9) • MARCO BENEVENTO (5/10) • CHUCK PROPHET (5/14) • BLAC RABBIT (5/15) • MOLLY TUTTLE (5/17) • STONE DRIVER W/THE SPLIT SECONDS, BLACK DOG PROWL (5/18) • NOW I PLAY ALONG TOO: IN-THE-ROUND TOUR —

Featuring Bradley Rhodes, Steve Everett, Brent Shuttleworth, and David Borne (5/19) • MARTY O’REILLY & THE OLD SOUL ORCHESTRA (5/24) • THE SURREAL MCCOYS W/THE GLENMONT POPES (5/31) • DYLAN LEBLANC — The Renegade Tour (6/14) • LOWDOWN BRASS BAND — Free Funk and Soul Night (7/18) ROCK AND ROLL HOTEL

1353 H St. NE 202-388-ROCK www.rockandrollhoteldc.com DILLY DALLY W/CHASTITY (3/22) • ALL THEM WITCHES W/PLAGUE VENDOR (3/23) • PRISMS W/MODERN COLOR, NO SUN (3/26) • DREAMCAST (4/13) • DURAND JONES & THE INDICATORS (4/16) • LAURA JANE GRACE & THE DEVOURING MOTHERS W/MERCY UNION, CONTROL TOP — The

trans leader of punk act Against Me! takes a stab at a solo outing (4/23) • STRONG WATER (4/25) • PICTURE THIS (4/27) • HEALTH (4/28) • JULIA JACKLIN W/BLACK BELT EAGLE SCOUT — Personal, introspective folk, with queer Native woman as opening act; moved from DC9 to accommodate demand (4/30) • THE MURLOCS (5/2) • HOT SNAKES W/MANNEQUIN PUSSY (5/3) • SHY GIRLS W/EEVEE (5/4) • PEDRO THE LION W/JOHN VANDERSLICE (5/8) • FEEDER (5/10) • IDLES W/FONTAINES D.C. (5/11-12) • THANK YOU SCIENTIST

W/KINDO, IN THE PRESENCE OF WOLVES (5/15) • MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND (5/16) • NICK WATERHOUSE W/THE MATTSON 2 (5/17) • TV GIRL (5/21) • LADY LAMB W/KATIE VON SCHLEICHER, ALEX SCHAAF (5/22) • THE GIMMICKS W/CIVIC DUTY (5/24) • SICK OF IT ALL W/SLAPSHOT, LA ARMADA (6/6) • CRAIG FINN & THE UPTOWN CONTROLLERS (6/15) • OCEAN ALLEY (6/22) • THE MINUS 5 (6/25) • BLACK DOG PROWL W/CURSE WORDS, BRICKWALL MONTY (6/29) • RONE & TRAIN (7/6) • BOAYT (7/12)

It Live Record Release Tour (4/19) • KRANTZ — Free! Rock N Roll Night (4/25) 50

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

SIXTH & I HISTORIC SYNAGOGUE

600 I St. NW 202-408-3100 www.sixthandi.org

DR. LONNIE SMITH TRIO — The NEA

Jazz Master is a living legend of the Hammond B-3 organ (3/16) • ANOUSHKA SHANKAR, SITAR (3/23) • CHUCHO VALDÉS — Towering virtuoso pianist performs solo in an intimate program (4/6) • DREAMERS’ CIRCUS — Danish acoustic trio performs original compositions mixing Scandinavian folk with elements from classical and other world traditions (4/10) • VEVE & THA REBELS W/DUPONT BRASS — A showcase of some of the most vibrant performing and teaching artists in D.C. (4/27) • BETH HART — “The ultimate female rock star” per Blues Magazine offers a raw and unplugged career-spanning set (4/29) • PHILHARMONIX — A rip-roaring, seriously swinging chamber ensemble comprised of seven members of the Berlin and Vienna philharmonic orchestras (5/4) • JAMESTOWN REVIVAL W/CORDOVAS — A back country folk duo sometimes called “Southern and Garfunkel” (5/11) • ST. LUCIA — The sharp synth-pop band led by Jean-Philip Grobler performs from an intimate and acoustic set drawn from its upcoming EP Acoustic Vol. 1 (5/20) • CARLOS HENRIQUEZ OCTET — A tribute to John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie by Bronx-born bassist and longtime Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra veteran along with his ace octet (6/1) SONGBYRD MUSIC HOUSE

2477 18th St. NW 202-7450-2917 www.songbyrddc.com

LIL TRACY W/LIL RAVEN AND BUKU BANDZ — Goth Cowboy Tour (3/16) • NICKY WOOD W/PACMAN SLIM AND INSOMNEA (3/17) • TEN FÉ W/STRAY FOSSA — Mesmerizing dreamy pop (3/17) • TENDER (3/18) • THE ABBEY ELMORE BAND (3/18) • J.S. ONDARA W/CAT CLYDE

— A Verve Forecast jazz artist (3/19) • PANGAEA (3/19) • DREW BECKMAN &

THE BOUNDARY BOYS W/FRIENDS OF FRIENDS (3/20) • SOPHIE AUSTER W/BIRD STREETS AND ABOUT YOU — Fantasy folk-

pop with a hint of cabaret flair, reminiscent of Sara Bareilles or Lana Del Rey (3/20) • WIFIGAWD, THE KHAN, SYBYR W/

LIL XELLY, RUDY CASH, CHANEL CHACHI, SOUNDS BY FILLET MIGNON (3/21) • FRENCH FOR RABBITS W/OPIN, DISTANT CREATURES (3/23) • YOKE LORE W/ CAPE FRANCIS, SAMUEL PROFFITT (3/24, 3/27) • SLAUGHTER BEACH, DOG W/THE

SIDEKICKS, MAX GOWAN (3/25) • WINE LIPS W/CORAL BENDERS, NEWSCASTER (3/25) • CERAMIC ANIMAL, SPENDTIME PALACE (3/27, Dangerous Pies) • THE BERRIES W/THE REMEMBERABLES (3/27) • CAMILO SEPTIMO W/NAVEGANTES —

Ones to Watch co-presents this showcase (3/28) • M4TR + THE INVISIBLES — Two D.C. rock bands, one supporting last year’s timely album Rock to Resist By, the other a female-fronted group that’s “a guaranteed good time that will get you grooving” (3/29) • SASHA SLOAN W/ LAUREN AQUILINA (3/29) • THE LOVING PAUPERS W/VIC RUGGIERO — Record Release Party (3/29) • &MORE W/ALIREZA (3/30) • TXLIPS W/HEDERA AND 1 IDENTITY BAND (3/30) • • COMPS (4/3) • OLD SEA BRIGADE W/JON BRYANT AND LURAY (4/3) • ROBERT ELLIS: TEXAS PIANO MAN W/IAN O’NEIL (OF DEER TICK) (4/4) • PRATEEK KUHAD W/GEORGE ADAMSON (4/5) •

AARON LEE TASJAN W/ROREY CARROLL — Karma for Cheap Tour (4/7) • ADDED COLOR, BLACK DOG PROWL W/UNSULLIED (4/9) • ALLEGRA, FINE W/EMPEROR PLUM (4/9) • PETRA GLYNT W/ERRHEAD (4/10) • KIEFER W/DJ HARRISON (4/13) • MORMOR (4/16) • ANIMAL YEARS (4/17) • ANN MARIE — Rising, silky-voiced R&B

artist, co-presented by LiveNation (4/18)

• SPEAKING SUNS W/BABBLING APRIL (4/19) • BAYONNE W/PALM DAZE — Any day now, you’ll become hooked on the powerful melodies and pristine arrangements of the piano-steeped synth-pop songs by Bayonne, too (4/20) • THE PALMS (4/21) • MADDIE MAE W/KATE HOHMAN, SCOTT STUBBS (4/22) • VALLEY MAKER W/TOMBERLIN (4/22) • MEG BAIRD & MARY LATTIMORE W/DANIEL BACHMAN (4/25) • AK — LiveNation co-presents a

concert by 18-year-old New Jersey rapper whose become a viral sensation in under a year (4/26) • LOLO ZOUAI W/JEAN DEAUX — High Highs to Low Lows Tour (4/27) • THE SUPERCHARGERS W/VENRAY, WAKING LILY (4/27) • FAUX FEROCIOUS (4/29) • THE MEDIUM (4/30) • THE

BRIGHT LIGHT SOCIAL HOUR W/WALKER LUKENS (5/1) • BOOGIE W/KB DEVAUGHN, BOBBY SESSIONS — Everything’s For Sale Tour (5/2) • MOGLI (5/3) • STEVE GUNN W/GUN OUTFIT (5/4) • ALICIA WITT (5/9) • ADULT MOM W/GOBBIN JR, LONG NECK (5/10) • DELICATE STEVE W/FASCINATOR (5/11) • JU’NI’US MEYVANT (5/13) • DIZZY WRIGHT — LiveNation co-presents (5/15) • ORIGAMI GHOSTS W/YESSIROV, JIM SHORTS (5/15) • ROO PANES (5/17) • PILE W/CHEW, MOCK IDENTITY (5/19) • MICKEY FACTZ W/THE HOODIES (5/22)

• DANIEL DONATO (5/25) • CUB SPORT — A gay couple-led electro-pop group from Down Under return to D.C. in a concert co-presented by previous host venue Union Stage (5/29) • ONA (6/1) • TEEN DAZE — Performing music from new set Bioluminescence (6/2) • GRAPETOOTH W/JAMES SWANBERG (6/8) • SPIRIT ADRIFT W/HIGH COMMAND (6/13) • CHLOE MORIONDO — A Rabbit Hearted Summer (7/26) STRATHMORE

Music Center 5301 Tuckerman Lane North Bethesda, Md. 301-581-5100 www.strathmore.org MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL ON TOUR —

Featuring a new generation of jazz leaders, including Cécile McLorin Salvant, Bria Skonberg, Melissa Aldana, Christian Sands, Yasushi Nakamura & Jamison Ross (3/21) • AIR: ELIOT SEPPA, BASS — Part of a series of concerts showcasing the up-and-coming artists selected for this year’s Strathmore Artists-inResidence guidance program (3/27, The Mansion) • MICHAEL MILES, BANJO — “From Senegal to Seeger: Stories of the American Banjo” (4/4, The Mansion) •

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

MS. LISA FISCHER & GRAND BATON — “An Evening of Classic Rock!” (4/6) • KRISTIN CHENOWETH — Everyone’s favorite

Oklahoma-born soprano and Tony- and Emmy-winning star of stage and screen, from Wicked to American Gods (4/8) • AIR: CALISTA GARCIA, SINGER-SONGWRITER — Part of a series of concerts show-

casing the up-and-coming artists selected for this year’s Strathmore Artistsin-Residence guidance program (4/10, 4/24, Mansion) • CAETANO VELOSO W/ MORENO, ZECA, AND TOM VELOSO — The Grammy-winning Brazilian cultural force’s latest project teams him up with his sons, performing an intimate, acoustic concert based on their new joint album Ofertório (4/15) • CAPITAL JAZZ (4/18, 5/2, Mansion) • ALAN CUMMING (4/24) • MATTHEW MORRISON W/SHOSHANA BEAN — Annual Gala Performance (5/4) • AIR: SEÁN HEELY, CELTIC FIDDLE — Part of a series of concerts showcasing the up-and-coming artists selected for this year’s Strathmore Artists-in-Residence guidance program (5/8, 5/22, Mansion) • CHICK COREA & BÉLA FLECK — A genre-busting pairing of piano and banjo mixing jazz, pop, bluegrass, rock, flamenco, and gospel (5/10) • YOUSSOU NDOUR - Grammy-winning Senegalese singer-songwriter and “African rock’s great global star” (New York Times) makes his Strathmore debut with his high-energy band Super Étoile (5/29) • AIR: TREY SORRELLS, JAZZ SAXOPHONIST — Part of a series of concerts showcasing the up-and-coming artists selected for this year’s Strathmore Artists-in-Residence guidance program (6/12, 6/26, Mansion) • EL GRAN FESTIVAL DE MUSICA CUBANA — Former members of the famed Buena Vista Social Club perform what is sure to be an electrifying concert, including director Juan de Marcos González, Eliades Ochoa y Cuarteto Patria, Barbarito Torres y su Grupo, Jesús “Aguaje” Ramos y su Orquesta, plus the legendary Los Van Van, with special guest (and former Social Club member) Ibrahim Ferrer, Jr. (6/29) U STREET MUSIC HALL

1115A U St. NW 202-588-1880 www.ustreetmusichall.com MAGGIE ROSE W/THEM VIBES — Rising

folk rock singer/songwriter originally from Potomac, presented by 9:30 (3/16) • WILL EASTMAN W/KEN LAZEE, OZKER — U Hall’s owner celebrates both the club’s 9th anniversary as well as the release of his strong new instrumental house artist 52

album Breathe with a party featuring sets from him and two of the club’s regular DJs (3/16) • IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE — 9:30 presents (3/18) • TOKEN W/KUR — Between Somewhere Tour (3/19) • MANSIONAIR W/BEACON — 9:30 presents a concert by rising alt-pop act (3/20) • THE COMET IS COMING — 9:30 presents (3/21) • GOLDEN FEATURES — Nu Androids presents another show in celebration of U Hall’s 9th anniversary (3/21) • VHS COLLECTION W/FUTURE GENERATIONS

— 9:30 presents a sold-out show from hip retro-tipped synth-pop acts (3/22) • HAYWYRE W/JNTHN STEIN, K+LAB — Discover/Form Tour, part of the 9th anniversary week lineup (3/22) • THE BAR BROTHERS W/LA FORCE — Presented by the 9:30 Club (3/23) • VALENTINO KHAN — Part of the 9th anniversary week celebration (3/23) • LENNON STELLA W/VALLEY — 9:30 presents (3/24) • THE WORLD OF DRUM & BASS — 3D Productions & Badvss Entertainment presents this 9th-anniversary party featuring Drumsound & Simon “Bassline” Smith, TC, DJ SS, High Roll, + Secret Headliner, and Slant, hosted by MC Digga Bruck Shot & Kinetiks MC (3/24) • SHING02 & THE CHEE-HOOS: A TRIBUTE TO NUJABES W/SUBSTANTIAL (3/26) • SUMMER WALKER W/MAYA B, JANIYAH — 9:30 presents two nights at

U Hall, the first of which is sold out (3/27, 3/31) • OM UNIT, MORESOUNDS

W/RUDE OPERATOR, BHOP & DVINE MC, KINETIKS MC — Resonate presents (3/27) • BLACK COFFEE W/NEKO BERG (3/28) • CONAN GRAY W/GIRL IN RED (3/29) • BLAQK AUDIO W/SILENT RIVAL — Things

We Love Tour presented by 9:30 (4/3) • CRYWOLF (4/4) • VICTOR RUIZ W/J SWINK — A star DJ on São Paulo’s carioca electronic music scene (4/4) • ¿TÉO? — 9:30 presents (4/5) • ENAMOUR RINZEN (4/5) • HAELOS — Sharp moody synth-pop, presented by 9:30 (4/6) • JEREMY LOOPS W/HOLLOW COVES — 9:30 presents (4/7) • ALEC BENJAMIN — Two nights presented by 9:30 Club (4/8-9) • STRAND OF OAKS W/TYLER RAMSEY — 9:30 presents (4/11) • EMALKAY W/THE WIDDLER, BUKEZ FINEZT — Badvss presents (4/11) • FOREIGN AIR W/HONORS — 9:30 presents a concert by this great rising synthrock band with strong D.C. roots (4/12) • MARVEL YEARS W/THEBUSINESS (4/13) • TERROR JR — 9:30 presents (4/15) • THE WILD REEDS W/VALLEY QUEEN (4/16) • TELEKINESIS W/SONTALK (4/17) • LITTLE PEOPLE W/MARLEY CARROLL — Landloper Tour 2019 (4/17) • ESCORT — 9:30 presents this sharp neo-disco orchestra from New York (4/18) • CHARLESTHEFIRST

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

— Badvss presents (4/18) • TENNYSON W/SAM BEKT — 9:30 presents (4/19) • DILLINJA — 3D Productions presents (4/19) • AGAINST THE CURRENT W/ CHAPEL & ARMORS — 9:30 presents Past Lives World Tour 2019 (4/20) • TORO Y MOI — DJ set (4/20) • ANNA OF THE NORTH (4/21) • FAMILY OF THE YEAR W/ LYDIA (4/24) • CRUMB W/CORRIDOR, SHORMEY — 9:30 presents (4/25) • MANILA KILLA (4/26) • CASSANDRA POPE W/CLARE DUNN, HANNAH ELLIS — CMT Next Women of Country show presented by 9:30 (4/27) • ONRA W/DEVIN MORRISON (4/27) • U.S. GIRLS — Queer alt-indie/political pop artist heralded by The New Yorker returns for an intimate concert presented by the 9:30 Club (4/28) • FOXING & NOW, NOW W/DADDY ISSUES — 9:30 presents (5/1) • HELLOGOODBYE W/HALA — 9:30 presents (5/2) • HOLY GHOST! — 9:30 presents neo-New Wave duo from New York (5/3) • BEA MILLER — Nice to Meet U Tour presented by 9:30 (5/4) • FLEETMAC WOOD — Gold Dust Disco (5/4) • TR/ST (5/5) • ANOMALIE W/ROB ARAUJO (5/9) • THE DREAM SYNDICATE W/STEPHEN MCCARTHY (5/10) • MR TWIN SISTER W/SATEEN (5/11) • THE TWILIGHT SAD W/KATHRYN JOSEPH (5/12) • YUNGBLUD — Don’t Wanna Be A Loner Tour (5/13) • L'IMPÉRATRICE (5/15) • FILTHY FRIENDS W/DRESSY BESSY (5/20) • CLOZEE (5/25) • ROLLING BLACKOUTS W/COASTAL FEVER, RVG (5/29) • OMAR APOLLO W/MK.GEE (5/30) • WEYES BLOOD (5/31) • JOHN ‘OO’ FLEMING — Synthesis presents (6/1) • LEWIS CAPALDI (6/3) • THE MAGICIAN (6/8) UNION STAGE

740 Water St. SW. 877-987-6487 www.unionstage.com ALEX-PALOOZA — A concert to benefit Alex Cabellon in his cancer fight featuring the D.C.-area bands The Speaks, Wandering Lies, and Casual War, plus local DJ Accurit (3/22) • THE RIVERBREAKS W/

SUSPECT CLASS, THE BEANSTALK LIBRARY (3/23) • MATADOR! SOUL SOUNDS W/ BACKBEAT UNDERGROUND — All Good

presents a jazzy funk concert from headlining act loosely based on the team-aspect of Spanish bullfighting, with opening set from local instrumental group (3/24) • CHOKER — Help Yourself Tour (3/26) • WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS W/JIM AND SAM — Mission Bell North American Tour from dramatic young folk artist (3/27) • THE ANTLERS W/TIM MISLOCK — Hospice 10-Year Anniversary Acoustic Show

Pop Music continues on page 66

Spring Arts Preview

Joshua Bell, appearing at Strathmore

Classical & Choral Music

POPS ORCHESTRA — It’s as bizarre as it

Compiled by Doug Rule

HIS SPRING, TWO LEADING AREA ORCHESTRAS WILL PUT THEIR own spin on Verdi’s Requiem. The National Philharmonic is also one of two orchestras offering Beethoven’s 9th choral symphony. But if you prefer the German master’s heroic 5th, the National Symphony is giving you multiple chances to hear it — with a traditional run in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall in April and then a reprise in July, under the stars at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center. Among the usual slate of anniversary-pegged programs, the most notable come from the D.C. Different Drummers and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, both of which will be playing tribute to the 50th anniversary of Stonewall. But perhaps the most notable development this classical season is the many and varied efforts to shake up conventions and broaden the genre’s appeal — from the increasing number of crossover collaborations with pop artists and even hip-hop stars such as Nas, who will perform with the NSO this summer, to more headlining concerts with younger, intentionally genre-blurring acts, such as Black Violin (coming to Strathmore) and yMusic (coming to the Clarice). And lest you think going to the opera, above all, is an intimidatingly serious affair, UrbanArias is quick to dissuade and disarm you. Opera Improv, anyone? AMERICAN POPS ORCHESTRA

Arena Stage 1101 6th St. SW www.theamericanpops.org

HERE AND NOW: THE MUSIC OF LUTHER VANDROSS — A revue featuring Vandross’

biggest hits, presented in partnership with Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) and the Howard University Musical Theatre program (4/7, THEARC) • MUSIC & MINDFULNESS SERIES II: YOGA WITH THE AMERICAN

sounds, a 70-minute yoga practice led by Michael Peterson and accompanied by members of the orchestra performing songs from some of the greatest crooners (4/13, Dupont Underground) • I AM WHAT I AM — Closing out the season with a tribute to musical theater legend Jerry Herman featuring classics that have become American Songbook standards from Hello, Dolly!, La Cage aux Folles, Mack and Mabel, and more (5/18) ATLAS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

202-399-7993 www.atlasarts.org

CAPITAL CITY SYMPHONY W/BEATRICE CHEN: MYTHICAL MELODIES — The 2018

winner of the Johansen International Competition joins to perform Béla Bartók’s Viola Concerto as part of the symphony’s Great Masters, Young Stars Series; program also includes Scott Pender’s Oedipus the King and Alan Hovhaness’ Meditation on Orpheus (3/17) • JAZZY ORCHESTRA — Free Cafe Concert featuring musicians from the Capital City Symphony revealing their

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

jazzier side by performing selections from Claude Bolling’s Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio (4/5) • CAPITAL CITY SYMPHONY: SONGS OF THE UNIVERSE — Gustav Holst’s The Planets with video projections from NASA plus works by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo inspired by the northern lights and his homeland are featured in a season-concluding program (5/5) BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall 1212 Cathedral St. Baltimore, Md. 410-783-8000 www.bsomusic.org

SUPERPOPS: CIRQUE GOES HOLLYWOOD W/TROUPE VERTIGO — Jack Everly leads

the BSO in a program of Hollywood hits as acrobats, aerialists, and jugglers perform dazzling feats all around and above them (4/4, Strathmore; 4/5-7) • PORGY AND BESS — Back by popular demand, an Alsop-led semi-staged production of Gershwin’s jazzy folk opera featuring the Morgan State University Choir and vocal soloists (4/11, Strathmore; 4/1214) • LESLIE ODOM, JR. — The Tonyand Grammy-winning Aaron Burr from Hamilton comes to Baltimore for a onenight-only concert of Broadway and classic hits accompanied by the Everly-led BSO (4/26) • BSO PULSE: RHIANNON GIDDENS — Grammy-winning folk artist and Nashville actress joins in a multi-part genre-crossing concert with members of the BSO led by Nicholas Hersh (5/16) • BRAHMS VIOLIN CONCERTO FT. JONATHAN CARNEY — The BSO Concertmaster takes

center stage in a program led by Peter Oundjian also featuring Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11, perhaps the most poignant and powerful of the Russian’s 15 symphonies (5/18, Strathmore; 5/19) • ANDRÉ WATTS: BEETHOVEN'S EMPEROR — Revered pianist plays the last and mighty piano concerto from Beethoven as well as the exhilarating, youthful Piano Quartet in G Minor from Brahms (5/30; 6/2, Strathmore) THE CHORAL ARTS SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON

202-244-3669 www.choralarts.org

INTO THE LIGHT W/THE NEW ORCHESTRA OF WASHINGTON — A world of immer-

sive soundscapes and projections making use of the shimmering acoustics of the venue with a program including Steve Reich’s Different Trains, a choral and double-string quartet arrangement of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings, and a new 54

piece by artistic director Scott Tucker; featuring the Choral Arts Chamber Singers & Youth Choir, NOW with the Aeolus Quartet and production designer JD Madsen (4/5-6, Dupont Underground) • GABRIEL FAURÉ: REQUIEM — A transcendent work performed alongside Psalm settings by Florent Schmitt and Lili Boulanger (5/19, Kennedy Center Concert Hall) THE CITY CHOIR OF WASHINGTON

202-495-1613 www.thecitychoirofwashington.org BAROQUE AND BEYOND — Artistic Director Robert Shafer concludes the 12th season with one of the most popular choral works ever written, Mozart’s immortal Requiem, as part of a program exploring the baroque influences that shaped the masterpiece, including Handel’s Messiah and Schütz’s Magnificat (Uppsala) (5/19, National Presbyterian Church) THE CLARICE

Gildenhorn Recital Hall University of Maryland College Park, Md. 301-405-ARTS www.theclarice.umd.edu LEFT BANK QUARTET: POLISH REVIVAL FROM BEYOND THE BORDER — A pro-

gram of works by two Polish composers, Grażyna Bacewicz and Mieczyslaw Weinberg, plus Beethoven’s String Quartet in E-flat Major, presented as part of the Year of Immigration multidisciplinary series (3/31) • TOMEKA REID STRINGTET — A Maryland alumna, known for nimble improvisations with classical cello that makes her equally in demand in classical and jazz contexts, performs with seven string players and drummer in a unique improvisatory ensemble (4/5, MilkBoy) • YMUSIC — Hailed by an NPR critic as “one of the groups that has really helped to shape the future of classical music,” this New York sextet flourishes along the lines separating pop and classical music (4/18, MilkBoy) CONGRESSIONAL CHORUS

202-629-3140 www.congressionalchorus.org JAZZ HOT!: SYNCOPATED, SOPHISTICATED & SASSY — Artistic Director David

Simmons leads the organization’s 90 singers accompanied by a seven-piece Chamber Ensemble plus a bevy of dancers to perform an eclectic line-up of iconic jazz numbers, everything from ragtime to swing, bebop to bossa nova, hard bop to cool (3/23-24, Church of the Epiphany,

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

1317 G St. NW) • AMERICAN YOUTH CHORUS: MAY CONCERT (5/21, Miracle Theatre) • LET JUSTICE ROLL...: FROM

MONTGOMERY TO SELMA TO BIRMINGHAM

— The chorus and chamber ensemble perform a program of groundbreaking musical works shedding light on the nation’s racial inequality and celebrating those who have worked to bring justice, freedom, and hope (6/1, National City Christian Church) • CIVIL RIGHTS CONCERT TOUR (7/3-7) D.C.'S DIFFERENT DRUMMERS

202-403-3669 www.dcdd.org

CAPITOL PRIDE SYMPHONIC BAND: PRIDE IN CONCERT — A concert of works, as

written or newly arranged, inspired by the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, each of which are said to represent a particular color of the Pride rainbow flag; the Capital Pride Alliance will be the concert’s master of ceremonies (4/6, Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW) • MARCHING BAND: CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL PARADE (4/13) • DC SWING: THE ROYAL EXTRAVAGANZA — The organization’s jazz ensemble performs works with a “Kingly” twist (4/14, Jammin’ Java, 227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna) FAIRFAX SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

GMU Center for the Arts Concert Hall Fairfax, Va. 703-993-2787 www.fairfaxsymphony.org VERDI REQUIEM — Music Director Christopher Zimmerman closes out the season with a performance of one of the greatest musical masterpieces ever composed (5/11) FOLGER CONSORT

Folger Elizabethan Theatre 201 East Capitol St. SE 202-544-7077 www.folger.edu TASTES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN W/ PIFFARO, THE RENAISSANCE BAND —

Folger’s celebrated early music ensemble performs Renaissance music of 16th century Spain and Italy in a program presented in conjunction with the latest Folger exhibition and institution-wide project Before ‘Farm to Table’: Early Modern Foodways and Cultures (3/29-31) GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF WASHINGTON, D.C.

202-293-1548 gmcw.org

LET FREEDOM SING —

A musical celebration of gay African-American cul-

ture through stories and songs reflecting diverse experiences and shared history (3/16, Lincoln Theatre) • SMALL ENSEMBLES EXTRAVAGANZA — GMCW’s GenOUT Chorus is joined by the company’s select adult groups Potomac Fever and Rock Creek Singers for a showcase of music from the world of pop and Broadway (4/6, UDC Theater of the Arts, 4200 Connecticut Ave. NW) • SPRING AFFAIR 2019: LEGENDS OF OLYMPUS W/ GUEST HOST JACKIE HOFFMAN — The

annual black-tie gala fundraiser featuring cocktails, live and silent auctions, dinner, and entertainment (5/11, The RitzCarlton, 1150 22nd St. NW) • STONEWALL 50 — The world premiere of one-act musical Quiet No More, commissioned by GALA Choruses as part of a program toasting the LGBTQ Movement and including reflections from GMCW members young and old as a kickoff Pride event (6/1-2, Lincoln) GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Concert Hall Fairfax, Va. 888-945-2468 www.cfa.gmu.edu

VIRGINIA OPERA: MADAMA BUTTERFLY

— The season ends with Puccini’s magnificent tragic masterpiece revealing the depth of human emotion through lyrical duets and heartbreaking arias (3/23-24) • VOCAL POPS CONCERT — Performances by Mason a cappella groups under the direction of Stan Engebretson (4/7, deLaski Performing Arts Building) THE IN SERIES

202-204-7763 www.inseries.org LA PALOMA - AT THE WALL — The most

famous and beloved Spanish zarzuela is given new life in a bold reimagining set on the Tijuana side of the border between Mexico and the U.S.; Nick Olcott directs a work from writer Anna Deeny Morales and composer Ulises Eliseo with Mexican folk dance choreography by Alejandro Gongora and featuring Corazon Folklorico DC (3/23-31, GALA) • INNOVĀTIŌ: THE TALE OF SERSE — Handel’s vibrant, revolutionary Italianlanguage opera is performed by soloists along with the In Series’ new in-house orchestra, performing on period instruments under the direction of Artistic Director Timothy Nelson, who adapted the work with a new English narration crafted from the poetry of Rumi (6/1-9, Atlas Performing Arts Center) 56

KENNEDY CENTER

202-467-4600 kennedy-center.org BENJAMIN

BEILMAN IN RECITAL — Charismatic young violinist returns for a Fortas Chamber Music Concert of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Frederic Rzewski, the latter, Demons, was specially composed for Beilman, accompanied by pianist Orion Weiss (3/21, Terrace Theater) • SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY W/ MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS: BEETHOVEN’S “EROICA” SYMPHONY — Michael Tilson

Thomas makes his momentous final appearance in D.C. as the symphony’s outgoing music director by performing Beethoven’s Third Symphony (3/23, Concert Hall) • 2019 JOHN PHILIP SOUSA BAND FESTIVAL — Music Celebrations International presents a tribute to “the March King” featuring the Niceville High School Wind Ensemble from Florida and the Pitman Wind Ensemble from California (3/24, Concert Hall) • CHRISTINA & MICHELLE NAUGHTON, PIANOS — Washington Performing Arts pres-

ents Wisconsin-native twin sisters exploring lesser-known works of four-hand and two-piano repertoire by five of the genre’s towering giants: Schubert, Poulenc, Schoenfield, Debussy, and Rachmaninoff (3/24, Terrace Theater) • MORGENSTERN TRIO — A Fortas Chamber Music Concert pairing a delightful 20th century work with a Mendelssohn trio and a lighthearted favorite by Schubert (3/26, Terrace Theater) • DIRECT CURRENT: WHERE WE LOST OUR SHADOWS — The U.S. premiere of Pulitzer-winning composer Du Yun and Palestinian videographer Khaled Jarrar, a multimedia work for orchestra and soloists, with Qawwali raga and texts by Palestinian poet Ghassan Zaqtan, depicting the timeless struggle of human migration and its many effects (3/31, Terrace Theater) • DIRECT CURRENT: BROOKLYN YOUTH CHORUS: LOVESTATE

— A diverse choir of teenagers performs commissions (4/1) • DIRECT CURRENT & KC JUKEBOX: CHANTICLEER — The all-male a cappella ensemble performs music by Robert Shaw, Kurt Weill, Steven Stucky, Ned Rorem, Queen’s Freddie Mercury, and Kennedy Center Composer in Residence Mason Bates, who presents the “Orchestra of Voices” as part of his new music series (4/2, Family Theater) • DIRECT CURRENT: CAROLINE SHAW AND FRIENDS — Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and member of vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth, joined by some musician friends for intimate performance (4/5, Terrace Gallery) • ZLATOMIR FUNG,

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

CELLO — A Young Concert Artists con-

cert featuring a 19-year-old American cellist who’s already racked up numerous awards and performed as a soloist with several American symphonies, accompanied by pianist Tengku Irfan (4/9, Terrace Theater) • LAWRENCE BROWNLEE, TENOR IN RECITAL — Vocal Arts DC presents world-renowned singer accompanied by pianist Myra Huang (4/11) • DÉNES VÁRJON, PIANO — Washington Performing Arts presents Hungarian pianist and onetime protégé of András Schiff and Alfred Brendel and regular collaborator with Joshua Bell and Steven Isserlis (4/13, Terrace Theater) • THE KENNEDY CENTER CHAMBER PLAYERS: WORKS OF LOEFFLER, SHOSTAKOVICH & BRAHMS — Ensemble of NSO musicians

perform a varied program of music (4/14, Terrace Theater) • WORLD PROJECTS

CORPORATION: 2019 WASHINGTON, D.C. INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL 2019 —

A middle school band and a high school wind ensemble from California and another wind ensemble from Montana have been afforded the opportunity to participate in this year’s festival (4/21, Concert Hall) • OPERA LAFAYETTE: ALESSANDRO STRADELLA’S LA SUSANNA — The 24th season of the internationally acclaimed D.C.-based French-language opera-focused company closes with a well-timed co-production with Heartbeat Opera, focused on the Bible’s iconic story of sexual harassment and the perversion of justice, adapted with a female narrator and female savior (4/21-22, Terrace Theater) • YEVGENY KUTIK, VIOLIN: MUSIC FROM THE SUITCASE — Washington Performing Arts presents a performance of Russian miniature works drawn from the sheet music this Belarusian-American’s family emigrated with in 1990; accompanied by Anna Polonsky (4/23, Terrace Theater) • ITZHAK PERLMAN, VIOLIN & EVGENY KISSIN, PIANO — Blockbuster soloists unite for a grand evening of chamber music presented by Washington Performing Arts featuring favorites of the violin repertoire by Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms (4/28, Concert Hall) NATIONAL CHAMBER ENSEMBLE

Gunston Arts Center 2700 S. Lang St. Arlington, Va. 703-276-6701 www.nationalchamberensemble.org THE VIENNESE CLASSICS — Founding Artistic Director Leonid Sushansky leads a program featuring works by giants of the Classical Era, including Haydn’s

Piano Trio No. 39 in G Major “Gypsy,” Mozart’s Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 32 in B Flat Major, and Beethoven’s Piano Trio Op. 70 “Ghost” (3/23) • THE CONTEMPORARIES — The season finale features great contemporary music of our time, including the premiere of Alexander Goldstein’s Crossover Piano Trio and Igor Stravinsky’s The Suite Italienne, based on scenes from his ballet Pulcinella and performed with choreographed movement from members of Bowen McCauley Dance (5/4) NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC

The Music Center 5301 Tuckerman Lane North Bethesda, Md. 301-493-9283 www.nationalphilharmonic.org SOUNDS OF NEW ORLEANS: A TRIBUTE TO LOUIS ARMSTRONG — Virtuosic jazz

trumpeter Byron Stripling’s electrifying and heartfelt tribute to Armstrong is billed as one of today’s most popular orchestral pops program; Stripling next performs from the Satchmo songbook with Strathmore’s resident orchestra led by Piotr Gajewski (3/30) • BERNSTEIN & BEETHOVEN PART I — Inspired by W.H. Auden’s Pulitzer-winning poet The Age of Anxiety, Bernstein’s dramatic Symphony No. 2 is paired with Beethoven’s equally charged Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, which unfolds a personal narrative about the triumph of the human spirit; pianist Michael Brown joins (5/11) • BERNSTEIN & BEETHOVEN PART II — Arguably the greatest symphony in the history of Western music, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor “Choral” with the towering “Ode to Joy” is matched with Bernstein’s magical and joyful Chichester Psalms; a grand season closing concert featuring the orchestra, the chorale, and soloists Esther Heideman, soprano, Shirin Eskandani, mezzo-soprano, Colin Eaton, tenor, and Kevin Short, baritone (6/1) NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Kennedy Center Concert Hall 202-467-4600 www.kennedy-center.org

DIRECT CURRENT: PHILIP GLASS'S ITAIPÚ & LERA AUERBACH'S ARCTICA — Music

inspired by the natural world, concluding with the soaring Glass work featuring the Choral Arts Society of Washington on Thursday and an Auerbach world premiere on Saturday (3/28-30) • DEBUSSY'S LA MER & RAVEL’S SHÉHÉRAZADE — A colorful all-French program led by Yan Pascal Tortelier, including Debussy’s

beloved sea-inspired tone poem and Ravel’s enchanting song cycle inspired by The Arabian Nights featuring mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke (4/11-13) • BEETHOVEN’S FIFTH SYMPHONY — NSO Music Director Gianandrea Noseda brings fresh perspective to the revolutionary, astounding masterpiece; program also includes Schoenberg’s Chamber Symphony No. 2 and Brahms’ Variations on a Theme of Joseph Haydn (4/18-20) • SEONG-JIN CHO PLAYS RAVEL’S PIANO CONCERTO — Noseda presents a lively program with young piano virtuoso playing Ravel and the NSO performing Franck’s The Accursed Huntsman and Saint-Saëns’ stunning “Organ” Symphony (4/25-27) • BERLIOZ’S SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE — Edward Gardner returns to conduct Berlioz as well as Wagner’s Overture to The Flying Dutchman, plus Sibelius’ iconic Violin Concerto featuring Renaud Capuçon (5/9-11) • UNEXPECTED ITALY (1): LISZT & ROSSINI — Vocal soloists join the NSO to perform Rossini’s dramatic Stabat Mater as part of a remarkable program led by Noseda also featuring Liszt’s Dante Symphony (5/16-17) • UNEXPECTED ITALY (II): RHAPSODY ON A THEME OF PAGANINI — Noseda continues the Kennedy Center’s celebration of his home country with a program of works by Respighi, Casella, and one of Rachmaninoff’s best-known works featuring pianist Francesco Piemontesi (5/30-6/1) • DVOŘÁK’S NINTH SYMPHONY — A Noseda-led program of folk-inspired pieces including Berio’s Folk Songs featuring mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili and Copland’s cowboy ballet Billy the Kid, as well as the Dvořák masterpiece (6/6-9) NEW ORCHESTRA OF WASHINGTON

240-235-5088 www.neworchestraofwashington.org NOWFEST 2019 CONCERT AND GALA —

A special evening honoring this year’s ArtsMatter Award recipient Neeta Helms, founder and CEO of Classical Movements (3/30, Organization of American States) • RE(NEW)AL W/SANDBOX PERCUSSION — New York-based percussion quartet joins NOW for a season closing concert featuring the titular percussion concerto from Viet Cuong along with John Luther Adams’ Three Canticles of the Birds (5/4, Church of the Epiphany) • FAMILY CONCERT (6/1, Temple Emanuel, Kensington, Md.)

THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION

Music Room 1600 21th St. NW 202-974-6832 www.phillipscollection.org ANDREAS STAIER — Internationally renowned fortepianist (and harpsichordist) debuts with works by C.P.E. Bach, Haydn, and Mozart (3/24) • LEADING

INTERNATIONAL COMPOSER: TANIA LEÓN

— Cuban-born composer, conductor, and educator gets celebrated via a concert featuring University of Maryland School of Music faculty and students (3/28) • CAROLIN WIDMANN, VIOLIN & GLORIA CHIEN, PIANO — Duo makes their D.C. debut with Beethoven, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Jörg Widmann (3/31) • CASTALIAN QUARTET — Exciting young ensemble, first prize winners of the Lyon International Chamber Music Competition in 2015, makes its U.S. debut with Haydn, Britten, and Schubert (4/7) • DANIEL HOPE, VIOLIN & VANESSA PEREZ, PIANO — Works by Enescu, Bach, Mendelssohn, Bartók, Ravel, and Walton from the youngest-ever member of the Beaux Arts Trio and a chamber music partner to Joshua Bell and cellist Jan Vogler, respectively (4/14) • QUATUOR DANEL — A rare chance to hear the full cycle of extraordinary string quartets by the Polish-born Jewish composer Mieczysław Weinberg, a lifelong friend of Shostakovich, spread out across five programs: Weinberg’s String Quartets Nos. 1-3 (4/28); performing Weinberg’s String Quartets Nos. 4-6 (5/5); String Quartets Nos. 7-10 (5/5); String Quartets Nos. 11-13 (5/12); String Quartets Nos. 14-17 (5/12) STRATHMORE

The Music Center 5301 Tuckerman Lane North Bethesda, Md. 301-581-5100 www.strathmore.org ZOLTÁN MÁGA — Hungary’s preeminent violin virtuoso and classical crossover artist who has worked with Kristin Chenoweth, Babyface, and Michael Bublé performs a diverse program accompanied by his exceptional orchestra, the Budapest Gypsy Virtuosi (4/7) • BLACK VIOLIN — Classical-crossover duo of string superstars, known for distinctive multi-genre sound described as “classical boom,” perform on the Impossible Tour with special guest at this performance the MCYO Philharmonic Orchestra (4/9-10) • CAROLINA EYCK, THEREMIN (4/11, The Mansion) • LE TERRIBLE ORCHESTRE DE Classical & Choral continues on page 67

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

Spring Arts Preview

The Wall by Grisela San Martin, part of “The Warmth of Other Suns: Stories of Global Displacement” at The Phillips Collection

Museums and Galleries AMERICAN VISIONARY ART MUSEUM

Compiled by Doug Rule

MONG THIS SEASON’S MANY EXHIBITIONS IN D.C., none are bigger than the Newseum’s Rise Up retrospective of LGBTQ rights and developments in the 50 years since Stonewall. Beyond that, those in the LGBTQ community are relatively spoiled for choice this Spring, from the forthcoming display of LGBTQ-related items at the Smithsonian’s American History museum, to the artistic explorations of gender on display in the group show Transcendence at the International Arts & Artists’ contemporary arts center once known as Hillyer Art Space. Naturally, there will be flowers in bloom at the U.S. Botanic Gardens as well as in the Kogod Courtyard in the Old Patent Office Building, where the annual Smithsonian orchid show is currently on display. And as a complement to the natural beauty to come in the Tidal Basin, the immersive interactive gallery ArTecHouse in Southwest presents a showcase of cherry blossom-inspired digital art. Also set to bloom this season: The Apple Store in downtown’s historic Carnegie Library, coupled with the DC History Center on the venue’s renovated second floor.

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

800 Key Highway Baltimore, Md. 410-244-1900 www.avam.org

PARENTING: AN ART WITHOUT A MANUAL

— Works by 36 artists, created out of every conceivable medium, express, in some way, their personal experience of parenting or being parented — be it good, bad, horrific, or sublime — alongside revelations from the latest scientific research, global wisdom, and fun (Now-9/1) THE DC HISTORY CENTER AT THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY

The Historic Carnegie Library 801 K St. NW, 2nd Floor 202-249-3955 www.dchistory.org After months of delays, the historic Carnegie Library across the street from the Washington Convention Center is finally set to reopen following extensive

renovation this spring — as early as next month. In partnership with the Global Flagship Apple Store, the Library will also house the nonprofit Historical Society of Washington, D.C., including its Kiplinger Research Library plus a museum with several new galleries. THE BIG PICTURE:

10/6) • THE PEACOCK ROOM IN BLUE AND WHITE — The Whistler-designed room is filled with blue-and-white Chinese porcelain in the Kangxi style (Opens 5/18)

HIRSHHORN MUSEUM & SCULPTURE GARDEN

HILLWOOD MUSEUM & GARDENS

ENRICO DAVID: GRADATIONS OF SLOW RELEASE — Italian-born, London-based

from a collection of over 3,600 black-andwhite panoramic images that captured milestones in D.C. history but that very few people have previously seen; several of the 50 images on display will be “blown up so large that you’ll feel like you’re a part of them” (Opening Spring)

MID-CENTURY MASTER: THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF ALFRED EISENSTAEDT

PANORAMIC IMAGES OF WASHINGTON, D.C. — The opening exhibition draws

DEL RAY ARTISANS

Nicholas A. Colasanto Center 2704 Mt. Vernon Ave. Alexandria, Va. 703-838-4827 www.delrayartisans.org FOR THE ARTIST — Featuring works in various media that the gallery’s member artists have always wanted to create, challenged by curators Jeff Lodge and Jenny Nicholson to reach into that wish list and create the special piece they’ve dreamed of doing (Now-3/31) • (NO) COMFORT ZONE — Exhibit reflecting people, places, and things that are in and out of the artists’ comfort zone (4/5-4/28) • RE-CONNECTING THREADS — A Gallery Without Walls program in which member artists’ artwork is on display at the Veterinary Clinics of America Alexandria Animal Hospital (Now-6/2, 2660 Duke St.) • SACRED FEMININE — Honoring the essence of female energy in all its forms (5/3-6/2) FREER|SACKLER SMITHSONIAN’S MUSEUMS OF ASIAN ART

1050 Independence Ave. SW 202-633-1000 www.asia.si.edu

EMPRESSES OF CHINA’S FORBIDDEN CITY, 1644-1912 — A compelling tale of

opulence and influence in the lives of Qing dynasty empresses in a first-ever, in-depth exhibition of royal portraits, paintings depicting court life, religious seals and symbols, plus costumes, jewelry, tableware, and furniture (3/30-6/23) • THE WAY OF THE KAMI — Highlighting the rich artistic culture of Shinto, one of Japan’s main belief systems (5/11-11/11) • WHISTLER IN WATERCOLOR — Museum founder Charles Lang Freer amassed the world’s largest collection of watercolors by James McNeill Whistler, 50 examples of which are part of the collection (5/18-

4155 Linnean Ave. NW 202-686-5807 www.hillwoodmuseum.org

— Nearly 50 photographs and ephemera from the Life Magazine artist known for capturing larger-than-life personalities, including Hillwood founder Marjorie Merriweather Post (6/8-1/12/20) • PERFUME & SEDUCTION — Fine examples of perfume bottles, gold boxes, porcelain objects, and other 18th-century luxury items used in the bathing and dressing ritual la toilette, a part of court society introduced by King Louis XIV (Now6/19) IA&A AT HILLYER

9 Hillyer Court NW 202-338-0325 www.athillyer.org TRANSCENDENCE — A show juried by Antonius-Tín Bui of artists who blur the boundaries of genres, mediums, and visualities, with works that challenge the traditional binaries and patriarchal notions of gender in the Western world; represented artists include Marion Colomer, Hillary Rochon, and Sarah Stefana Smith from D.C., Ash Cheshire and John Thomas Paradiso from Maryland, and Your Rouge Photography from Virginia (Now-3/31) • MICHAEL GAVISH: CRYSTAL ARCHITECTURE

— Originally a chemist studying crystals under a microscope, now an artist creating large, handmade prints of cityscapes in the manner of crystals, exhibiting prints deconstructing her new hometown of D.C. (Now-3/31) • SPENCER DORMITZER: PONDER… ER ING OR, I AM THE ASTEROID (Now-3/31) • HALCYON ARTS LAB / COHORT 2 — A group show featuring the Halcyon Arts Lab Fellows (4/5-28) • HEIDI ZENISEK (4/5-28) • BRYANNA MILLIS (4/528) • PIETRO RUFFO (5/3-6/30) • ERIC UHLIR (5/3-26) • MARCEL ARTES DEOLAZO (5/3-6/2) • TYRA MITCHELL (June) • COMMON HUMANITY (June) • JANA BRIKE (7/5-28) • MADELINE A. STRATTON (7/528) • NANCY SAUSSER (7/5-28) • FLESH + BONE III — 3rd Biannual Juried Exhibition

of Contemporary Figurative Works (8/29/1) • CHRISTOPHER KOJZAR (8/2-9/1) • EMILY FUSSNER (8/2-9/1) • ZOFIE KING (9/6-29)

700 Independence Ave. SW 202-633-1000 www.hirshhorn.si.edu

artist working in a variety of media to develop a dynamic and unique vision of the human form and the ever-shifting sense of being, as showcased in this exhibition feature 20 years of output (4/16-9/2) • RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA: WHO’S

AFRAID OF RED, YELLOW, AND GREEN?

— An exhibition of real-time and foodbased contemporary Thai artist transforming the Hirshhorn’s galleries into a communal dining space where visitors will be served curry and invited to share a meal together, complemented by a largescale mural be drawn on the walls during the run of the show referencing protests against Thai government policies (5/177/24) • RAFAEL LOZANO-HEMMER: PULSE — In its largest interactive technology exhibition to date, the museum’s entire Second Level is filled with immersive environments using heart-rate sensors to create kinetic and audiovisual experiences from visitors’ own biometric data, as developed by this Mexican-Canadian artist (Now-4/28) LONG VIEW GALLERY

1234 9th St. NW 202-232-4788 www.longviewgallerydc.com REFRESH IX — Featuring new work by gallery favorites Sondra N. Arkin, Eve Stockton, Cheryl Wassenaar, Lola, Kaori Takamura, Michael Crossett, Georgia Nassikas & Ryan McCoy (Now-4/7) • MICHELLE PETERSON-ALBANDOZ — Chicago-based lesbian artist returns to Long View with more large, hanging-wood sculptures made from reclaimed wood, often found in dumpsters and back alleys (4/11-5/26) NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM

401 F St. NW 202-272-2448 www.nbm.org

ANIMALS, COLLECTED — Imagined as

a cabinet of curiosities, a selection of architectural objects depicting animals, both real and mythological, as decorative elements drawn from the museum’s permanent collection but many never before displayed (4/20-Spring 2020) • THE LAWN — In partnership with the LAB at Rockwell Group, this year’s sixth annual Summer Block Party will be an immer-

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

sive installation taking up the entirety of the Great Hall, offering interactive experiences for all ages; further details TBA (7/4-9/2) • EVICTED — A groundbreaking exhibition exploring the causes and impacts of eviction through an immersive experience with unique design elements and striking graphics (Now-5/19) NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART

3rd St. & Constitution Ave. NW 202-737-4215 www.nga.gov TINTORETTO: ARTIST OF RENAISSANCE VENICE — A major exhibition of the

Venetian master in honor of the 500th anniversary of his birth (3/24-7/7) • DRAWING IN TINTORETTO’S VENICE — The first exhibition to focus specifically on the artist’s work as a draftsman, providing new ideas about his evolution, the dating and function of the so-called sculpture drawings, and his place in the Venetian tradition (3/24-6/9) • VENETIAN PRINTS IN THE TIME OF TINTORETTO — Some 40 prints from the second half of the 16th century, ranging from exquisite Parmigianino etchings to the spectacular woodcuts of Scolari (3/24-6/9) • THE AMERICAN PRE-RAPHAELITES: RADICAL REALISTS — In celebration of the 200th

anniversary of the birth of John Ruskin, the most influential art critic of the Victorian era, a presentation of more than 90 paintings, watercolors, and drawings created by artists profoundly influenced by Ruskin’s call for a revolutionary change in the practice of art (4/14-7/21) NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY

1400 Constitution Ave. NW 202-633-1000 www.americanhistory.si.edu ARTIFACT WALL: IN THE SPIRIT OF STONEWALL — The Smithsonian muse-

um focused on the nation’s rich and diverse history will display objects from its LGBTQ collections in the long, central glass-fronted cases, or Artifact Walls, to mark the 50th anniversary of the milestone that launched the modern LGBTQ civil rights movement (Opens 6/28) • ARTIFACT WALL: MY COMPUTING DEVICES

— Another central glass-fronted display will display a range of mechanical and electronic objects from the museum’s collections, along with a selfie station complete with a mirror to capture and reflect on one’s personal computing experience (Opens Summer) • EVERYDAY LUXURY:

SILK QUILTS FROM THE NATIONAL

COLLECTION — A rare showing from the

museum’s collection of late-19th century “parlor throws,” textiles made to be seen, not used, that tell a little-known story about American industry, art, fads, and marketing (Opens 7/30)

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

and organizations often overlooked in the complex narrative of women’s suffrage in the U.S. (3/29-1/5/20) • IN MIDSENTENCE — A selection of photographs from the museum’s collection depicting moments of communication, whether intimate confessions, public speeches, exchanged jokes, political confrontations, lectures, and more (5/3-3/29/20)

10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW 202-633-1000 www.mnh.si.edu

DAVID H. KOCH HALL OF FOSSILS: DEEP TIME — The epic story of how Earth’s

distant past is connected to the present and informs the future as seen in a new, 31,000-square-foot space; a major thrust of the exhibition, named in honor of a large donation by the notorious conservative political donor, explores how human actions are driving Earth’s rapidly changing climate, prompting visitors to think about their own impact on the planet (Opening June 8) NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN

4th St. & Independence Ave. SW 202-633-1000 www.nmai.si.edu SECTION 14: THE OTHER PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA — Exposing a land battle at

the core of the conflict between Western expansion and Indigenous peoples, in a one-square-mile tract in today’s gay desert mecca (Now-1/20) • THE REDRESS PROJECT — In commemoration of Women’s History Month, an outdoor art installation by Jaime Black of empty red dresses centered on the issue of missing or murdered indigenous women (Now3/31) NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS

1250 New York Ave. NW 202-783-5000 www.nmwa.org URSULA VON RYDINGSVARD: THE CONTOUR OF FEELING — Monumental

sculptures made from wood and other organic materials, including leather, silk, and hair, that evoke the grandeur and power of nature; the German artist’s first solo exhibition in D.C., organized by Philadelphia’s Fabric Workshop and Museum (3/22-7/28) • MORE IS MORE: MULTIPLES — Three-dimensional art objects produced in series of identical editions by Cindy Sherman, Mickalene Thomas, Barbara Kruger, Helen Marten, and Jiha Moon, among others, inviting inquiry into the temptation of retail and the allure of fine art (5/3-9/15)

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8th & F Streets NW 202-633-8300 www.npg.si.edu

VOTES FOR WOMEN: A PORTRAIT OF PERSISTENCE — Revealing the women

NEWSEUM

555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW 202-292-6100 www.newseum.org RISE UP: STONEWALL AND THE LGBTQ RIGHTS MOVEMENT — Exploring what

happened at New York’s Stonewall Inn a half-century ago and how it sparked the civil rights fight of our time, told through artifacts, images, and historic print publications (Now-12/31) • SERIOUSLY FUNNY: FROM THE DESK OF “THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART — Exploring the

impact the satirical news program had on American politics and the press through four presidential campaigns, two wars, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks (Opens 6/21) THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION

1600 21st St. NW 202-387-2151 www.phillipscollection.org THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS: STORIES OF GLOBAL DISPLACEMENT — Historical

and contemporary works by approximately 100 artists posing urgent questions around the experiences and perceptions of migration and the current refugee crisis (6/22-9/22) • MOVING FORWARD, LOOKING BACK: A COLLECTION STILL IN THE MAKING — Revealing aspects of the

Phillips’ history through photographs, exhibition announcements, letters and more drawn from the archives (Now12/31) l For more Spring Arts Museum & Gallery listings, please visit www.metroweekly. com or follow our new interactive version of the print edition at www.issuu.com/ metroweekly.

Dance Africa 2019 at Dance Place

Dance Compiled by André Hereford

S THE SEASON THAT SETS HEARTS AND HORMONES RACING, spring is an ideal time to indulge in the freedom and spirit of dance, whether sitting back to watch thrilling modern, or thrilling to the beat of Contra-Tiempo’s latest Urban-Latin interactive performance. Whatever your speed, there’s plenty to see throughout the DMV, both from beloved local artists and students, and the hottest talents from around the world. Enjoy the much-heralded returns of the acclaimed Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company and the American Ballet Theatre, or witness the area debut of vaunted Middle Eastern ensemble Caracalla Dance Theatre. Take your pick from a trove of Tchaikovsky ballets, or tip out for your fill of tap, bhangra, or tango. Step right up — the dance awaits. ATLAS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

1333 H St. NE 202-399-7993 www.atlasarts.org

CAPITAL MOVEMENT PROJECT — The 14th

edition of the Capital Movement Project follows the theme Dance in the Face of..., showcasing styles from tap, jazz, and hip hop to modern and contemporary, in programs that explore overcoming fear and hate by embracing love and hope (3/15-16)

BALTIMORE THEATRE PROJECT

45 West Preston St. Baltimore, MD 410-752-8558 www.theatreproject.org THE COLLECTIVE — In the new evening-length work If/Then, the 17-member, Baltimore-based company of “movers and shakers” examines the social and political impact of personal and life choices, joined for certain performances by special guest artists, including Candace

Scarborough, EMpowered Dance Center, and Camille V. Weanquoi (3/22-23) • VINCENT E. THOMAS/VTDANCE — In The Company of...Moving Dialogues aims to surprise and entice audiences with new works and collaborations featuring guest performers Runqiao Du, LindaDenise Fisher-Harrell, Love the Poet, Michael Sakamoto and more (3/30-31) • HAPPENSTANCE THEATRE — Employing a ‘40s aesthetic and live musical score, the Happenstance quintet, and guest Craig Jaster, delve into ancient Greek mythology with Pantheon (4/4-14) • 10 HAIRY LEGS — The all-male modern repertory company celebrates Gay Pride, and continues its mission “to advance the understanding of the male role in dance,” by serving up a program that includes works Brian, Friends of Dorothy, and Andy Warhol’s Bleu Movie (6/20-21) BOWEN MCCAULEY DANCE COMPANY

703-910-5175 www.bmdc.org

10TH ANNUAL MOVE ME FESTIVAL —

Over 20 local artists and dance groups, including Prio Bangla, Inc, Encore Stage and Studio, Old Dominion Cloggers, Joy of Motion Dance Center, and The Arlingtones, and more gather for an afternoon of performances and workshops

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

JONATHAN HSU

Spring Arts Preview

(3/16, Kenmore Middle School) • BMDC

PRESENTED WITH NATIONAL CHAMBER ENSEMBLE (5/4, Gunston Arts Center) • BMDC SPRING PERFORMANCE (5/17-18,

The Kennedy Center)

BY THE PEOPLE FESTIVAL

202-796-4240 www.halcyonhouse.org/by-the-people The 2nd annual installment of this international arts and dialogue festival that focuses on the themes of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness will be curated by Jessica Stafford Davis, founder of online multicultural arts platform The Agora Culture. Events to be announced (6/15-23, Various Venues) CHAMBER DANCE PROJECT

Sidney Harman Hall 610 F St. NW 202-499-2297 www.chamberdance.org NEW WORKS + — World premieres of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Rondo Ma Non Troppo and the literary takeoff Prufrock, co-conceived and directed by company Artistic Director Diane Coburn Bruning and theatre director Matt Torney, highlight a program also featuring Coburn Bruning’s works Songs by Cole and Journey, plus the Washington premiere of Spanish choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo’s evocative duet Extremely Close, set to a score by Philip Glass (6/20-22) CHRISTOPHER K. MORGAN & ARTISTS

Dance Place 3225 8th St. NE www.christopherkmorgan.com

SEASON PERFORMANCE AT DANCE PLACE

— A powerful evening of mixed repertory, featuring works choreographed by Morgan and other artists in which the contemporary company’s “athletic, expressive dancers embody his sinuous and precise movement vocabulary” (4/27-28) CITYDANCE

301-581-5204 www.citydance.net CITYDANCE DREAM GALA

— Annual show-stopping event that brings together renowned dancers and companies from around the world in a performance benefiting CityDance’s DREAM tuition-free dance program for students from underserved D.C. neighborhoods (5/11, Lincoln Theatre)

THE CLARICE

Dance Theatre University of Maryland College Park, MD 301-405-ARTS www.theclarice.umd.edu SECOND SEASON: SHARED GRADUATE DANCE CONCERT — An eclectic collec-

tion of works featuring provocative choreography by MFA in Dance students (3/29-30) • NEXTLOOK: TARIK O’MEALLY — Performed to a haunting musical score, Night Light offers an investigation of what our innermost monsters represent (4/4-5, Joe’s Movement Emporium, Mt. Rainier, MD) • DYNAMIC DANCE TEAM: RIP THE FLOOR 2019 — Annual hip-hop dance competition/ showcase (4/6, Dekelboum Concert Hall) • DANCENORTH/LUCY GUERIN INC. — Part of the Year of Immigration series, Attractor combines influences from both Indonesian folk ritual idioms and western metal bands for a cross-cultural collaboration between companies Dancenorth and Lucy Guerin, and Indonesian music duo Senyawa (5/4, Kay Theatre) • UMOVES: UNDERGRADUATE DANCE CONCERT (5/10-12) DANCE PLACE

3225 8th St. NE 202-269-1600 www.danceplace.org CONTRA-TIEMPO — Led by Artistic Director Ana Maria Alvarez, the L.A.based company invites audiences to participate in Alvarez’s newest “UrbanLatin” dance theatre work with sound by d. Sabela grimes and songs by Las Cafeteras (3/15-16) • DC CASINEROS SOCIAL — A late-night dance party for those eager to try out popular Cuban dance moves (3/22-23) • ANANYA DANCE THEATRE — Choreographer Ananya Chatterjea’s Shaatranga: At the Edge of New Worlds explores relationships among global south communities linked by ancient Indian Ocean trade routes (3/30-31) • FARAFINA KAN — Local drum and dance outfit, praised by the Post for their “tight ensemble work and fierce energy,” offers a performance to transport cultural enthusiasts to West Africa (4/6-7) • KISTA TUCKER INSIGHTS — KTI presents a concert featuring Tucker’s distinctive new works, The Factory Project, reflecting the story of a community within the confines of a factory, and Pitted Post, WY, which elicits the essence of rural Wyoming (4/13-14) • HEART STÜCK BERNIE & DANCETHOS — Inaugural Dance Place Artist-in-Residence Sarah Beth

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

Oppenheim premieres new works combining the heart and soul of DancEthos and her own company Heart Stück Bernie (5/4-5) • NEXTGENERATION SHOWCASE — Dance Place’s Kids on the Move students perform African, ballet, tap, hip-hop, step, and more (5/11) • NEW RELEASES CHOREOGRAPHERS SHOWCASE — Annually curated showcase featuring some of the best new works by established and emerging choreographers, including 2018 New Releases Commission recipient Jamal Abrams (5/18) • DANCEAFRICA, DC 2019 — The 32nd annual festival celebrating the dance, music, and spirit of the African Diaspora, with Mama Sylvia Soumah as Griot, myriad African dance companies, a master class series, free outdoor activities, and an African Marketplace (5/286/2) • DANCE EXCHANGE — Science meets modern dance in A Sense of Wonder, an evening of mixed repertory by Elizabeth Johnson, Cassie Meador, and Keith Thompson (6/22-23) • GLOBAL CURRENT: US/RUSSIA — In partnership with Art Omi, this evening of two duets presents collaborations between American and Russian modern dance artists Stephanie Miracle and Anna Shchkleina in Paper Piece, and Gabrielle Revlock & Aleksandr Frolov in Show No Show • DC CASINEROS SOCIAL (7/5-6) • EMERGING TAP DANCE CHOREOGRAPHERS’ SHOWCASE — Special guests Capital Tap and District Tap lace up their shoes to debut emerging choreographers’ new works in this showcase highlighting the art of tap dance in its contemporary form (7/1314) • JOHN SCOTT DANCE & GUESTS — Ireland’s John Scott Dance marks the centennial celebration of dance legend Merce Cunningham with two remounted repertory works from Cunningham’s early period, Totem Ancestor and Night Wandering, alongside choreography by Scott (7/27-28) • ENERGIZERS CREATIVE ARTS CAMP CONCERT 2018 (8/1-2) DANCE LOFT ON 14

4618 14th St. NW 2nd Floor 202-621-3670 www.danceloft.org PASS THE PEACE & DANCE URBAN SHOWCASE — Annual performance pre-

sented by BMore Houseful showcasing the best and upcoming soloists, dance crews, dance companies and schools that support Urban dance culture (4/28)

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Concert Hall 4373 Mason Pond Drive Fairfax, VA 888-945-2468 www.cfa.gmu.edu

2019 MASON DANCE COMPANY GALA CONCERT — The Mason

Dance School’s season-crowning event features works by guest choreographers Nacho Duato, currently artistic director of the Berlin State Ballet, Andonis Foniadakis, who has collaborated with many ballet companies worldwide as both dancer and choreographer, and Lucinda Childs, an American postmodern dancer/choreographer and actress (3/29-30) • RUSSIAN NATIONAL BALLET — Dancing the choreography of ballet master Marius Petipa, under the direction of Elena Radchenko, the famed company performs Giselle one night, and Sleeping Beauty, set to Tchaikovsky’s score, the next (4/6-7) • SPRING NEW DANCES — Presenting the next generation of contemporary choreographers (4/11-13, Harris Theatre) • PARSONS DANCE — The internationally celebrated, New York-based modern ensemble founded by David Parsons and Howell Binkley continues to spread the joy of dance (4/20) GW LISNER

730 21st St. NW 202-994-6800 www.lisner.gwu.edu BHANGRA BLOWOUT 26 — In its 26th year, this intercollegiate

bhangra dance competition features eight teams vying for the championship (4/6) • RHYTHMAYA ANNUAL DANCE SHOWCASE: DISNEY MEETS DANCE — Over 250 students join the Rhythmaya Dance Company for a journey bridging east and west via the unique influences of Indian music, culture, and costumes, and the magic of Disney (4/7) HYLTON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Merchant Hall 10960 George Mason Circle Manassas, VA 703-993-7759 www.hyltoncenter.org

RUSSIAN NATIONAL BALLET — Dancing under the direction of

Elena Radchenko, the famed company performs Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet Swan Lake (4/5) • ASAPH DANCE ENSEMBLE — The company ushers in New Beginnings with original choreography “that will awaken your heart and inspire your life!” (4/14) • VIRGINIA NATIONAL BALLET — Taking on both Bizet’s Carmen and The Eagles, the VNA presents Life in the Fast Lane, a program featuring a dance tribute to the “Hotel California” hitmakers, followed by a one-act ballet spin through Bizet’s classic opera (4/28) • THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA BALLET — The NVB imported Russian sets for this lush, family-friendly performance of Coppelia (5/5) JANE FRANKLIN DANCE

Theatre on the Run 3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive Arlington, VA 703-933-1111 www.janefranklin.com EYESOAR — A program highlighting landscapes near the ensemble’s Theatre on the Run homebase in a non-gentrified Arlington neighborhood (4/27, 5/4) • COMPLETE DOGNESS — 64

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

Spring Arts Preview Incorporating spoken word, movement, and music, the focus is on new puppy Barky and his ability to learn new tricks (4/27, 5/4) • SOAR — A performance of EyeSoar, preceded by a reception and silent auction, and followed by fun at nearby New District Brewing Company (5/11) JOY OF MOTION DANCE CENTER

Jack Guidone Theater 5207 Wisconsin Ave. NW 202-399-6763 www.joyofmotion.org

CLASSICAL REPERTORY DANCE ENSEMBLE

— 2019 Spring Concert with a diverse program of new and re-staged classical and contemporary ballet works (3/2324) • SPILLING INK AND SHARANYA — Performance of transcend•dance features solo classical Indian dance works exhibiting unique characteristics of personal connections and relationships (3/30-31) KENNEDY CENTER

2700 F Street, NW 202-467-4600 www.kennedy-center.org AKIKO KITAMURA — In Cross Transit, international choreographer and dancer Akiko Kitamura transforms into movement the history of folk culture in Cambodia as captured by photographer Kim Hak (3/19, Terrace Theater) • BON IVER AND TU DANCE — New evening-length performance Come Through features new music from Justin Vernon, of indie folk band Bon Iver, and new choreography from TU Dance (3/25, Concert Hall) • BILL T. JONES/ARNIE ZANE COMPANY — Choreographed by Artistic Director and Kennedy Center Honoree Bill T. Jones and Associate Artistic Director Janet Wong, the company makes its return to Kennedy Center in Analogy, three separate evening-length works that delve into the voice of the marginalized in our society, exploring identity, migration, survival, and family (3/28-30, Eisenhower Theater) • DEMO: NOW BY DAMIAN WOETZEL — The former New York City Ballet Principal Dancer turned director, choreographer, producer, and president of The Juilliard School curates and hosts a program featuring a world premiere by acclaimed choreographer John Heginbotham, among other new works (3/29-30, Terrace) • PHANTOM LIMB COMPANY — Created in collaboration with butoh dancer Dai Matsuoka, Falling Out addresses the Fukushima nuclear disaster, exploring our changing relationship to nature over time (4/4-5,

Terrace) • SHEN YUN — An epic production of classical Chinese dance immersing viewers in stories reaching back to the most distant past (4/17-21, Opera House) • LUCKY PLUSH — Lucky Plush Productions makes its Kennedy Center debut with Rooming House, a surprisingly humorous dance/theater “whodunit” that marries intimate conversations among friends with the tragic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice (5/2-4, Terrace) • PAN AMERICAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA — Under the direction of Maestro Sergio Alessandro Buslje, PASO presents its signature tango show Eternal Tango, featuring 30 musicians, Latin Grammy-winner Rodolfo Zanetti on bandoneon, two pairs of international tango dancers, and introducing direct from Buenos Aires, Pablo Estigarribia on piano (5/12, Terrace) THE MEYERHOFF

1212 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 410-783-8000 www.bsomusic.org

202-362-3606 www.washingtonballet.org BEERBALLET&BUBBLY — The Jeté Society hosts one of the Ballet’s popular behindthe-scenes series, which allows patrons to see a working rehearsal of an upcoming production followed by a cocktail reception (3/29, England Studio) • THREE WORLD PREMIERES — An evening of new, never-been-seen ballets by choreographers Dana Genshaft, Trey McIntyre, and Ethan Stiefel (4/3-7, Sidney Harman Hall) • SE SPRING PERFORMANCE — This year’s program begins with Class Concert, a TWSB faculty collaboration featuring choreography by Xiomara Reyes to music by Johann Strauss, and closes with the ballet Don Quixote staged by Reyes and Rinat Imaev (5/17-18, THEARC) • NW SPRING PERFORMANCE — An encore performance of Class Concert, followed by Don Quixote (5/18-19, THEARC) WEINBERG CENTER FOR THE ARTS

CIRQUE GOES HOLLYWOOD — Troupe

Vertigo brings Hollywood flair and extraordinary athletic artistry to the Pops stage, with the group’s acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, and more teaming up with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to dazzle with a program set to the music of Hollywood’s hottest hits (4/4-7) PUBLICK PLAYHOUSE

5445 Landover Rd. Cheverly, Md. 301-277-1710 www.pgparks.com

20 W. Patrick St. Frederick, Md. 301-600-2828 www.weinbergcenter.org

THE GOLDEN DRAGON ACROBATS —

Regarded as the premiere Chinese acrobatic touring company featuring awe-inspiring movement, traditional dance, spectacular costumes, ancient and contemporary music, and an overall theatricality of breathtaking skill and spellbinding beauty (3/28) WOLF TRAP

WORLD DANCE SHOWCASE — Annual

event celebrating the diversity of the D.C. area will feature colorful costumes and authentic music (3/30) • DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE — The DBDT returns with a new program of modern, jazz, and spiritual dance by celebrated choreographers planned especially for the “Sassy Seniors” of the Publick Playhouse (4/25-28) STRATHMORE

THE WASHINGTON BALLET

Music Center 5301 Tuckerman Lane North Bethesda, Md. 301-581-5100 www.strathmore.org PILOBOLUS — Internationally renowned dance company Pilobolus invites audiences to engage with childlike wonder at a show featuring classic and brand-new repertory, ranging from the silly to the surreal to the sublime (7/9)

Filene Center 1551 Trap Road Vienna, Va. 703-255-1900 www.wolftrap.org CARACALLA DANCE THEATRE — The

renowned ensemble from the Middle East makes its Wolf Trap debut with the grand musical and balletic trilogy One Thousand and One Night Nights, taking audiences on a majestic journey to a far away and magical land, featuring music from Rimsky-Korsakov’s acclaimed Scheherazade and Ravel's timeless Boléro (6/12) • AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE — ABT performs the quintessential ballet Swan Lake, featuring the corps de ballet moving in magical unison as the majestic, glimmering swans (7/11-13) l For more Spring Arts Dance listings, please visit www.metroweekly.com or follow our new interactive version of the print edition at www.issuu.com/metroweekly.

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

Pop Music continued from page 52

from sharp Brooklyn folk-pop act (3/28, The Miracle Theatre) • BIG TIMBER, GRASSFED — Bluejacket Brewery presents a night of free bluegrass (3/28) • THE BACHELOR BOYS BAND (4/1) • ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC — A free music open mic hosted by Rachel Levitin (4/3) • DON’T STOP OR WE’LL DIE W/THE SLOPPY BOYS (4/3) • WE ARE THE 9 — The 9 Songwriter Series featuring a rotating roster of local acts organized and led by Justin Trawick (4/4) • SUNSQUABI W/DEFUNK — Instinct Tour 2019 presented by All Good (4/5) • ON THE BUS — “The longest-running premier Grateful Dead tribute band in the Washington, D.C. area” (4/6) • PHOAM — All Good presents a Tribute to Phish after Phish leader Anastasio’s concert at the Anthem (4/6) • CITY OF THE SUN — A concert co-presented by Songbyrd (4/7) • NEYLA PEKAREK — Former member of the bluegrass-pop hitmakers the Lumineers (4/8) • SOMO — The Phases Tour (4/9) • ROY BLAIR’S CAT HEAVEN — USA Tour (4/11) • COM TRUISE W/JACK GRACE, GINLA — Co-presented by Songbyrd (4/12) • OLIVIA O’BRIEN W/KEVIN GEORGE (4/13) • RECORD STORE DAY FEST FT. MASTA ACE & MARCO POLO — Records & Rarities presents a multi-artist show of local acts also including Diamon D, Uncommon NASA & Kount Fif, and Empuls w/DJ Oso Fresh (4/13) • WOMXN FUCK SHIT UP: DC 2019 — “A Smash the Patriarchy Kinda Music Festival” (4/20) • WHITE FORD BRONCO — Everyone’s favorite ’90s-pop-playing party band (4/26) • SEV’S REUNION, JIMMIE’S CHICKEN SHACK W/MATT WALLER — Impact Collective

presents the Gotta Bring It Back 2019 concert featuring veteran area hip-hop and alt-rock acts, plus an inventive multigenre looping artist, all as a benefit for Meant 2 Live Foundation (4/27) • KINGS KALEIDOSCOPE W/WORDSPLAYED — Zeal Tour (5/2) • KT TUNSTALL W/MADDIE ROSS — The underrated Scottish folk/ electronic popster known for the hit “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” rides back to D.C. for a rescheduled date (5/11) WARNER THEATRE

513 13th St. NW 202-397-SEAT www.warnertheatre.com BRIT FLOYD — “World’s Greatest Pink Floyd Show” celebrating more than 45 years of The Dark Side of the Moon (3/25) • 2019 EXPERIENCE HENDRIX TOUR: THE ALL-STAR CONCERT EVENT OF THE YEAR

— Featuring a who’s who of the elec66

tric guitar, including Billy Cox of Band of Gypsys, Joe Satriani, Dave Mustaine from Megadeth, Dweezil Zappa, Chris Layton from Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble, and Kenny Aronoff, plus special guests Taj Mahal, Ernie Isley, David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas from Los Lobos, and Ana Popovic (3/26) • DREAM THEATER — Distance Over Time Tour (4/15) • JOAN BAEZ — Fare Thee Well Tour 2019, presented by the Birchmere (4/26) • JESSIE JAMES DECKER (5/17) • LIVE ON MARS: A TRIBUTE TO DAVID BOWIE (6/9) • ELECTRIC HOT TUNA W/ DAVE MASON — Celebrating 50 years (8/25) • KING CRIMSON — English progressive rock band now celebrating 51 years together (9/12) WEINBERG CENTER FOR THE ARTS

20 W. Patrick St. Frederick, Md. 301-600-2828 www.weinbergcenter.org RANKY TANKY — South Carolina ensemble mixes low country traditions of Gullah culture with jazz, gospel, funk, and R&B (3/24) • LUCIA MICARELLI — Eclectic musical journey bound together with emotional vulnerability and technical violin wizardry (3/30) • BANDA MAGDA — A global romp through South American rhythms, jazz improvisation, and songs in six languages (4/4) • THE

GATLIN BROTHERS & LEE GREENWOOD (3/31) • THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND —

Southern rock boogie and blues from veteran fiddler extraordinaire (4/28) • CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE: THE BEATLES: ABBEY ROAD (5/3) • EILEEN IVERS — Hailed as one of the great innovators and pioneers in the Celtic and World music genres (5/4) • JUDY COLLINS — An Evening with Grammy-winning legend performing classics including “Send in the Clowns” and “Both Sides Now” (5/11) • NEIL BERG’S 50 YEARS OF ROCK N’ ROLL — A tribute to five decades of musical legends from veterans of Broadway rock musicals as well as bona fide rock singers (6/22) WOLF TRAP

Filene Center 1645 Trap Road 800-WOLFTRAP www.wolftrap.org THE AVETT BROTHERS — New old-fashioned folk (5/23) • SAMMY HAGAR’S FULL CIRCLE JAM TOUR W/NIGHT RANGER

— Featuring Michael Anthony, Vic Johnson, and Jason Bonham (5/31) • BOBBY BROWN & BELL BIV DEVOE W/SWV

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

— On stage together on The RBRM - 4 The Love of It Tour (6/2) • RODRIGO Y GABRIELA — Mettavolution Tour (6/7) • LAKE STREET DIVE, THE WOOD BROTHERS (6/8) • JOHNNY MATHIS (6/15) • ROCK OF AGES — Broadway jukebox musical celebrates its 10th anniversary tour (6/18-19) • TRAMPLED BY TURTLES, DEER TICK (6/20) • CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE: PINK FLOYD’S THE WALL (6/22) •

BUDDY GUY, KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD BAND W/SAMANTHA FISH (6/23) • PAT BENATAR & NEIL GIRALDO + MELISSA ETHERIDGE W/LIZ PHAIR (6/25) • DIANA ROSS — She’s still got the chops and the

charm, and she’ll always be Supreme (6/27) • RAIN — A Tribute to the Beatles (6/28) • DISPATCH W/ANDERSON EAST (6/29) • EARTH, WIND & FIRE (7/2) • JACKSON BROWNE (7/3) • JOSH GROBAN — Swooning for that voice (7/7) • NAS W/ THE NSO (7/14) • “WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC W/THE NSO (7/16) • TEDESCHI TRUCKS

BAND W/BLACKBERRY SMOKE, SHOVELS & ROPE (7/17) • SHERYL CROW (7/18) • JOJO SIWA (7/19) • SOJA + SUBLIME WITH ROME W/COMMON KINGS (7/20) • REBA MCENTIRE — One of the best country legends, ever (7/28) • STEVE MILLER BAND + MARTY STUART AND HIS FABULOUS SUPERLATIVES (7/31) • LYLE LOVETT & HIS LARGE BAND W/MAVIS STAPLES (8/1) • SARAH MCLACHLAN W/THE NSO (8/3) • ABBA THE CONCERT (8/4) • RINGO STARR & HIS ALL-STARR BAND (8/1011) • STRAY CATS — 40th Anniversary Tour (8/13) • JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA WITH WYNTON MARSALIS (8/16) • MARK KNOPFLER — Down the Road Wherever Tour (8/18) • BEN HARPER & THE INNOCENT CRIMINALS + TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE

— A double bill of rootsy Americana/ folk of the highest caliber that’ll likely be more than twice as nice — well worth the price (8/22) • THE BEACH BOYS — One of the original legacy rock acts (8/25) • STING (8/26-28) • JENNIFER HUDSON W/ THE NSO (9/5) • THE PIANO GUYS (9/6) • KACEY MUSGRAVES — In less than a year, or even a month, she’s become a bona fide star, the kind whose concerts sell out in mere days (9/7) l For more Spring Arts Music listings, please visit www.metroweekly.com or follow our new interactive version of the print edition at www.issuu.com/ metroweekly.

Spring Arts Preview Classical & Choral continued from page 57

BELLEVILLE: THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE CINE-CONCERT — Canadian composer

Benoît Charest leads his orchestra in a live performance of his Oscar-nominated score, steeped in the Roaring ’20s Parisian jazz scene, as Sylvain Chomet’s hit 2003 animated French feature is projected on the big screen (4/18) • JOSHUA BELL, VIOLIN, STEVEN ISSERLIS, CELLO & JEREMY DENK, PIANO — A trio of A-list perform-

ers team up again after their critically acclaimed album For The Love of Brahms, expanding the repertoire to four masters of the past two centuries, in a concert presented by Washington Performing Arts (5/1) URBANARIAS

www.urbanarias.org OPERA IMPROV W/JIVE TURKEY — Local,

innovative opera company presents a show mashing up the sung improv skills of its soloists accompanied by founder Robert Wood on piano, with the spoken improv prowess of local improv troupe Jive Turkey for audience-directed skits (4/7, Busboys & Poets in Shirlington) • OPERA IMPROV: DEAR GOD — A whimsical song cycle set to texts of children’s bedtime prayers, plus another round of improv games from UrbanArias soloists and Jive Turkey (5/19, Busboys & Poets in Shirlington) WASHINGTON BACH CONSORT

202-429-2121 www.bachconsort.org

SOUNDS OF SPRING — Consort’s new

Artistic Director Dana Marsh leads a spring-inspired program featuring music for flute and harpsichord by Bach and his contemporary Georg Philipp Telemann and featuring soloists Colin St-Martin and Leon Schelhase (4/5, Live! at 10th and G) THE WASHINGTON CHORUS

202-342-6221 www.thewashingtonchorus.org DURUFLÉ’S REQUIEM & MACMILLAN’S CANTOS SAGRADOS — Two deeply mov-

ing choral works from the 20th century give voice to the full range of the human experience (6/9, National Presbyterian Church) WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN PHILHARMONIC

703-799-8229 www.wmpamusic.org

SEASONAL SPOTLIGHT ON WOMEN COMPOSERS: FLORENCE PRICE & THEA

MUSGRAVE — Although the percentage of

works by women composers performed by the largest American orchestras is in the low single digits, this progressive-minded organization, under Music Director Ulysses S. James, is intentionally bucking the trend, with a whopping 14 of 16 works on its current season docket composed by women, such as this all-female program, including Price’s Symphony No. 3 in C Minor and Musgrave’s Song of the Enchanter, plus Elinor Remick Warren’s Symphony in One Movement (4/13, Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW; 4/14, George Washington Masonic National Memorial, 101 Callahan Dr., Alexandria) WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA

Kennedy Center Opera House 202-295-2400 www.dc-opera.org FAUST — A deal with the devil goes awry in Gounod’s captivating French-language tragedy in three acts, in a production originated at Houston Grand Opera and directed by Garnett Bruce, with conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson (3/16-30)• 2019 WNO OPERA GALA CONCERT FT. CHRISTINE GOERKE, SOLOMAN HOWARD & MORE — A

grand finale to the WNO season with Grammy-winning Goerke, talented bass Howard, and more (5/18) WOLF TRAP

1551 & 1635 Trap Road Vienna, Va. 877-WOLFTRAP www.wolftrap.org THE CALIDORE STRING QUARTET W/ PUHO POHJONEN — Pianist Pohjonen

joins fellow accomplished young artists for another Chamber Music at the Barns debut with a program of masterworks by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven (4/7, Barns) • WU HAN W/GLORIA CHIEN AND GILLES VONSATTEL — The Chamber Music season closes with a concert of astounding piano virtuosity led by artistic advisor Han and culminating with Stravinsky’s riotous The Rite of Spring, per a special four-hand arrangement developed by the composer himself (4/26, Barns) • NATIONAL ORCHESTRAL INSTITUTE PHILHARMONIC & WOLF TRAP OPERA: PORGY AND BESS: A CONCERT OF SONGS — Hear the symphony, led by John

Morris Russell, give Gershwin’s magnificently melodious music maximum sonic power, and hear “Summertime” in the almost-summertime, performed by the Heritage Signature Chorale and soloists Alyson Cambridge, soprano, and Joshua

Conyers, baritone (6/1, Filene Center) • STEVEN BLIER: 25TH ANNIVERSARY — The out leader of the New York Festival of Song will be joined by fellow pianist Joseph Li and Wolf Trap Opera soloists for a recital celebrating his work and legacy (6/1-2, Barns) • WOLF TRAP OPERA:

MERLIN’S ISLAND, ULLMANN’S THE EMPEROR OF ATLANTIS — A light-hearted

parody inspired by 18th century French vaudeville and a daring German satire about unstoppable power and humanity’s resilience in a program directed by Richard Gammon and conducted by Geoffrey McDonald (6/22, 6/26, 6/28, 6/30, Barns) • NSO FEAT. “WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC — The Strings Attached Tour, “a rock and comedy symphonic experience” featuring the legendary musical satirist’s original band, costumes, and props, augmented for the first time by background singers and a full symphony (7/16, Filene) • WOLF TRAP OPERA: STRAUSS’S ARIADNE AUF NAXOS — A new production of this soaring opera featuring slapstick comedy and beautiful music directed by Tara Faircloth and conductor Emily Senturia (7/19, 7/21, 7/24, 7/27, Barns) • NSO: TCHAIKOVSKY & BEETHOVEN — Music Director Gianandrea Noseda makes his Wolf Trap debut in a program of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s thrilling Violin Concerto featuring soloist Ning Feng (7/26, Filene) • NSO: DISNEY PIXAR’S COCO IN CONCERT — Emil du Cou conducts as the animated film is projected on big screens (7/27, Filene) • NSO: E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL IN CONCERT — The Spielberg classic is projected overhead as Emil du Cou leads a live performance of John Williams’ Oscar-winning score (8/2, Filene) • NSO FEAT. SARAH MCLACHLAN — The Canadian chanteuse and founder of the all-women Lilith Fair Tour performs her unforgettable pop balladry, embellished and enhanced with symphonic accompaniment (8/3, Filene) • NSO FEAT. JENNIFER HUDSON — The power-piped American Idol finalist and The Voice celebrity judge/coach with a Grammy and an Oscar to her credit performs her signature soul-pop music with rich symphonic accompaniment led by Thomas Wilkins (9/5, Filene) l For more Spring Arts Classical & Choral listings, please visit www.metroweekly. com or follow our new interactive version of the print edition at www.issuu.com/ metroweekly.

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

RJ PAVEL

Stage

Love Letters

Monumental’s Daddy Long Legs offers a refreshing taste of the modern in its old-fashioned fairy tale. By André Hereford

EFYING MOST EXPECTATIONS OF AN AWKWARD RETURN TO THE outdated era of fairy tales about bright young women being groomed for marriage by rich, adoring, older men, John Caird and Paul Gordon’s Daddy Long Legs (HHHHH) presents its protagonist Jerusha Abbott as a thoroughly modern woman of the early 20th-century. Caird and Gordon’s two-person musical, which premiered in 2009, sidesteps the skeevy vibe of the classic ’50s film version starring Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron, who was 32 years Astaire’s junior. In this streamlined adaptation of Jean Webster’s 1912 novel, Jerusha (Caroline Wolfson), the oldest orphan at the John Grier Home in 1908, and Jervis Pendleton (Kurt Boehm), the wealthy benefactor who anonymously funds her college education, are depicted, to some degree, as generational peers. Jerusha’s growth as a person stays centered, as opposed to her sponsor’s amorous interest in her. That balancing of the scales more rigorously reflects Webster’s progressive intent, which, in turn, is reflected well in Monumental Theatre’s production of the epistolary tale, staged by Michael Windsor. Still, the play is not without its problems, as is also the case for the production. Where the play’s concerned, one major stumbling block is Jerusha’s pet name for the man whom she glimpses one day walking out of the John Grier Home. He’s a trustee of the orphanage, who, having read some of her essays, decides to invest in her development as a writer. He’ll pay for her education at a fine New England women’s college, as well as her personal expenses, and in return wants not thanks but merely the acknowledgement of a monthly letter from her addressing him as “John Smith.” But, recalling him only as the tall, spindly silhouette in headlights she glimpsed that day, she fondly dubs him “Daddy Long Legs.” Jerusha excitedly recites her letters to Daddy, her greetings progressing from ‘Dear’ to ‘Dearest,’ and it’s hard in the #MeToo era not to cringe. At best, the Daddy-and-me dynamic affords orphaned Jerusha a much-desired father figure, though a stern one, who ensures she feels seen and heard and that she ultimately can cultivate a comfortable life for herself. On the other hand, a teenager singing her love for “Dearest Daddy” stirs 68

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up connotations of inappropriate relationships and less consenting versions of daddy’s little girl. The D-word’s been sexually charged since long before Marilyn Monroe shimmied around a stripper pole clad in a tight cable-knit cooing “My Heart Belongs to Daddy.” Jerusha’s innocent young heart belongs to a Daddy who’s not only distant and silent, never responding to her letters, but who’s oftentimes dictatorial in his attempts to hold her to his nine-year plan for her further education. Yet, she defies him constantly, and always speaks, or writes, her mind. Caird’s script, Windsor’s direction, and Wolfson’s appealing turn emphasize Jerusha’s attractiveness not as a sex object, but as a caring, thoughtful, funny, and open-minded individual. She wins over her silent sponsor through the wit and directness of her writing, conveyed concisely via Gordon’s lyrics and soaring melodies in songs like “Things I Didn’t Know,” a tender ode to owning her ignorance as the launching point for improving herself. Wolfson wins over the audience by supplying Jerusha’s sparkling voice and personality, aided by first-act staging that, for the most part, parks Jervis on his side of the stage, while she ranges around Jessica Cancino’s letters-strewn set. Drawn out of his silence, Jervis gradually takes on a more active role in the story, and Boehm nicely illuminates the guardian angel’s transition from aloof to smitten. While his vocal performance might

be limited in its musicality, he and Wolfson duet well together, and their spoken timing is impressive as they sometimes recite in tandem different words and snippets from Jerusha and Jervis’ volleying correspondence. What’s more impressive is that Jerusha still has so much to say that’s relevant to what it means to be modern today. She cares about education and voting and human rights and a

woman being able to have the same agency, opportunities, and independence as any man. Progressive for a woman of her day, she recognizes her worth as a person irrespective of whatever choice she’ll make about whom to marry, or if she’ll marry. In her words, the secret to happiness begins with learning. There’s never a wrong time for that message, and Monumental’s production delivers it soundly. l

C STANLEY

Daddy Long Legs runs through March 30 at Ainslie Arts Center, Episcopal High School campus, 3900 W. Braddock Rd., Alexandria. Tickets are $40. Visit www.monumentaltheatre.org.

Disaster-piece Theatre Details and meaning get muddled in the post-catastrophe thinkpiece Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible. By André Hereford

ANY MORE QUESTIONS ARE RAISED THAN GET ANSWERED IN Heather McDonald’s curiously vague drama, Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity (HHHHH). And Nadia Tass’ staging inside Signature’s Ark theater space doesn’t reckon well enough with the story’s uncertainties to keep them from constantly distracting from what’s playing out both onstage and off. The stage itself — a spectacular shambles of debris and toppled artifacts designed by James Kronzer, and lit, perhaps a bit harshly, by Sherrice Mojgani — does its job laying the foundations of McDonald’s tale, set after 100 years of war have devastated the nation. A host of natural disasters, including lethal storms, floods, and winds, have ravaged what remains. What actually remains is the question, among a preponderance of other pressing queries. Addressing a lecture to an audience in this dilapidated Museum of Art and Antiquities, we find Layla (Holly Twyford), an expert in the restoration and conservation of art, and she has questions too. She wonders, as anyone might, what things are worth saving when practically everything that once was beautiful and beloved has been destroyed. The question takes on more than just philosophical significance when Layla is rudely conscripted into restoring a painting, possibly a Rembrandt, under orders of the oppressive ruling regime. She receives her orders from Mitra (Felicia Curry), a soldier of the regime, who can’t answer for Layla why Mitra’s superiors believe this piece of art should be saved. And although they spar verbally, even physically, nothing that Mitra says or does reveals what principles might govern this movement for which she fights and sacri-

fices. For that matter, who’s behind this movement, and who’s fighting (and losing) this 100-year war? Layla and Mitra argue from ill-defined yet somehow opposing sides, and, strangely, neither flinches the first time they, and the audience, hear gunfire just outside the building. A furtive nurse, Nadia (Yesenia Iglesias), who tends to Layla’s wounds, also doesn’t flinch or seem concerned that armed soldiers might at any moment bust through the door. Later, when shots are fired somewhere in the near distance, all the women show fear. What might have been different that time remains unclear, as do the identities of who’s firing the weapons, and who’s getting shot. In the casting and costumes, the play emphasizes a dichotomy of black versus white, and even has Mitra telling Layla, “You think me other.” But, essentially, Layla and Mitra embody a conflict without context, which is vexing, since maybe people are being slaughtered in some other wing of the museum. The violence inside the room with Layla, Mitra, and Nadia also takes a toll. So, in the midst of such chaos, and lacking any apparent financial motive, why does this regime care about saving a Rembrandt, or a pair of rhinos who’ve taken up residence somewhere in the museum since escaping the zoo? Questions accumulate like the debris scattered onstage, and it starts to seem that the playwright and production aren’t being just playfully withholding, but in fact haven’t worked out what’s going on outside the museum. The disastrous circumstances are merely a template for the thought game McDonald is playing. The players in the game acquit themselves fine, with Iglesias grasping most firmly some mission statement for her determined Nadia. In a moment of bitter humor, Nadia is called out for being “a terrible nurse.” But she’s a winning character just for having answered at least one question: What am I doing here? l

Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity runs through April 7 at Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington. Tickets are $40 to $103. Call 703-820-9771, or visit www.sigtheatre.org. MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

SCOTT SUCHMAN

Opera

Love Thy Neighbor The Washington National Opera’s lovely, affecting Eugene Onegin offers a rare Russian treat. By Kate Wingfield

T HAS TAKEN MORE THAN TWO DECADES FOR THE WASHINGTON National Opera to stage Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin (HHHHH), and as such there will many so happy to see it, they won’t care what the critics say. For those who are slightly less obsessive, suffice to say this production is a subtle gem — lovely, even with a few flaws. The story itself is a simple one: the self-important Onegin spurns the love of a young country girl, finds life does not go according to plan, and lives to regret his arrogant choices. With very little plot contrivance, this is truly and deeply about the mood and the music, and WNO’s production most certainly gets this right. Though the sets and lighting feel a tad bland at first — especially in the opening scene, with its flattening absence of color, stark trees and thick carpet of autumnal leaves — as the story progresses both become increasingly captivating. It all stays minimalist, but it serves to gradually focus the mind and senses where they belong: on the increments of story and emotion and, of course, the music. We may not be witnessing a festival of Russian-themed knick-knacks and furniture, but at least we won’t be wondering what came on loan from the embassy. And if the lighting starts unobtrusively, it emerges as one of the most beautiful aspects of this production. A stunning example is a scene in which a lovely, hazy sun rises on the body of a man who, just moments ago, had been singing heartbrokenly at the thought of missing another day. Simple, understated, deeply affecting. The WNO orchestra is incredibly alive and vibrant under the hand of conductor Robert Trevino. Everything works magnificently, from the dark intensity of the strings to the magical whimsy of the harp. There is grandeur in this emotional despair and a gratifying clarity, and the orchestra captures it all. To be utterly frank, there are a few times when the orchestra delivers when the voices can’t. Less consistently wonderful are a couple of directorial choices. If Peter McClintock 70

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maintains an austere feel and choreography that matches the immensity of the music, he allows this Onegin to be too wooden early on when we need to see some dimension. Whether one believes that Onegin finally acknowledges his character flaws versus suffering a very Russian form of FOMO, we must believe there is a living, breathing man here. Without an instant, definable sense of him, there is no credible basis to imagine how he could be gripped by emotion, be it noble or otherwise. Also problematic is a very slow first scene in which there is a bit too much of everything — the women overplay the chatting and chores in the garden and there is too much fussy movement and simpering when the new male neighbors arrive. Luckily, this gives way to a far stronger vision later. Baritone Igor Golovatenko sings the role of Onegin with absolutely gorgeous tone and expression, to the point where it is almost at odds with his buttoned-down demeanor. When he rejects the love of the young Tatiana, he offers little more than an imperious silhouette and it’s the same when he flirts with his friend Lensky’s girlfriend, Olga, forcing a life-changing duel. This is a selfish and blinkered man and we need a bit more swagger and personality to make sense of his behaviors and to believe, finally, that he can suffer. The decision to give Golovatenko a brief bare-chested “Putin” moment (as

SCOTT SUCHMAN

he changes clothes on stage), distracts more than it adds. As Tatiana, Anna Nechaeva is convincing as the young women who grows feverishly infatuated with her new neighbor. Indeed, it is her long scene during the night where she writes a letter declaring her love that — in retrospect — brings such poignancy to later events. It is also rather provocative, in a 21st century kind of way, to note how Tchaikovsky dwells on her powerful song of joy, dread, and excitement only to virtually ignore her story until the opera’s end. She has landed on her feet, but we learn nothing of the intervening years except the intriguing knowledge that she has carried a nonsensical torch. In counterpoint to her strong acting, her voice is — at least in earlier scenes — not quite enough for the orchestra, though she comes into her own later and offers some sweetly melancholy sound. As Lensky, tenor Alexey Dolgov sings his best in his aria before the duel, but the blue, pre-dawn light is as much a part of the moment’s power. As Olga, Tatiana’s frivolous sister, Lindsay Ammann is rather cliched in her acting, but she has quite an exciting mezzo-soprano. Rounding out the cast, Victoria Livengood slightly overdoes the old nurse Filippyevna, but sings with texture and expression,

while Elena Zaremba carries Tatiana’s mother Madame Larina with much poise. Almost stealing the show is Eric Halfvarson as Gremin, Tatiana’s older husband, singing his song of late-life love with a sonorously velvet, yet commanding voice. Even with its uneven moments, Eugene Onegin is a rare Russian treat. l

Eugene Onegin runs through Friday, March 29, at the Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $45 to $300. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

NightLife Photography by Ward Morrison

MARCH 14, 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ METROWEEKLY

Scene

FreDito’s at Freddie’s Beach Bar - Thursday, February 28 - Photography by Ward Morrison See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene

DrinksDragDJsEtc... Thursday, March 14 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-2am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Karaoke, 9pm GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • Shirtless Thursday, 10-11pm • Men in Underwear Drink Free, 12-12:30am • DJs BacK2bACk

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • $15 Buckets of Beer all night • Sports Leagues Night NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover PITCHERS Open 5pm-2am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 11pm • Visit pitchersbardc.com

SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Half-Priced Bottles of Wine, 5pm-close TRADE Doors open 5pm • Huge Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass served in a huge glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $4 ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS All male, nude dancers • Open Dancers Audition • Urban House Music by DJ Tim-e • 9pm • Cover 21+

Destinations A LEAGUE OF HER OWN 2317 18th St. NW 202-733-2568 www.facebook.com/alohodc AVALON SATURDAYS Soundcheck 1420 K St. NW 202-789-5429 www.facebook.com/ AvalonSaturdaysDC 74

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

Friday, March 15 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-3am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Karaoke, 9pm GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3 Rail and Domestic • $5 Svedka, all flavors all night long • Rough House: Hands On, Lights Off, 10pm-close • Featuring DJ Lemz • $5 Cover (includes clothes check)

FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR 555 23rd St. S. Arlington, Va. 703-685-0555 www.freddiesbeachbar.com GREEN LANTERN 1335 Green Ct. NW 202-347-4533 www.greenlanterndc.com

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Open 3pm • Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Weekend Kickoff Dance Party, with Nellie’s DJs spinning bubbly pop music all night NUMBER NINE Open 5pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover • Friday Night Piano with Chris, 7:30pm • Rotating DJs, 9:30pm PITCHERS Open 5pm-3am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 2am • Visit pitchersbardc.com

SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Comedy Show, Second Floor, 7:30pm • The 19th Street Band, 9pm • No Cover TRADE Doors open 5pm • Huge Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass served in a huge glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $4 • Otter Happy Hour with guest DJs, 5-11pm ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS Men of Secrets, 9pm • Guest dancers • Rotating DJs • Kristina Kelly’s Diva Fev-ah Drag Show • Doors at 9pm, Shows at 11:30pm and 1:45am • DJ Don T. in Ziegfeld’s • Cover 21+

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR 900 U St. NW 202-332-6355 www.nelliessportsbar.com NUMBER NINE 1435 P St. NW 202-986-0999 www.numberninedc.com PITCHERS 2317 18th St. NW 202-733-2568 www.pitchersbardc.com

Saturday, March 16 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 2pm-3am • Video Games • Live televised sports AVALON SATURDAYS @Soundcheck 1420 K St. NW St. Patty’s Day Weekend Dance Party, 10pm-close • Featuring DJ Kris Sutton • Open Bar, 11pm-midnight • General admission $15 FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Saturday Breakfast Buffet, 10am-3pm • $14.99 with one glass of champagne or coffee, soda or juice • Additional champagne $2 per glass • AGLA Monthly Brunch, 11am • Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Freddie’s Follies Drag Show, hosted by Miss Destiny B. Childs, 8-10pm • Karaoke, 10pm-close

GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $5 Bacardi, all flavors, all night long • The Bear Cave: Retro to Electro, 9pm-close • Featuring DJ Popperz • No Cover NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Drag Brunch, hosted by Chanel Devereaux, 10:30am-12:30pm and 1-3pm • Tickets on sale at nelliessportsbar.com • House Rail Drinks, Zing Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer and Mimosas, $4, 11am-3am • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Guest DJs NUMBER NINE Doors open 2pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut and $5 Bulleit Bourbon, 9pm-close • THIRSTY, featuring DJ Chord Bezerra, 9:30pm

SHAW’S TAVERN 520 Florida Ave. NW 202-518-4092 www.shawstavern.com TRADE 1410 14th St. NW 202-986-1094 www.tradebardc.com ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS 1824 Half St. SW 202-863-0670 www.ziegfelds.com MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

PITCHERS Open Noon-3am • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 2am • Visit pitchersbardc.com SHAW’S TAVERN Brunch with $15 Bottomless Mimosas, 10am-3pm • Homme Brunch, 12pm, Second Floor • Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • HalfPriced Pizzas and Select Appetizers TRADE Doors open 2pm • Huge Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass served in a huge glass for the same price, 2-10pm • Beer and wine only $4 ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS Men of Secrets, 9pm-4am • Guest dancers • Ladies of Illusion Drag Show with host Ella Fitzgerald • Doors at 9pm, Shows at 11:30pm and 1:45am • DJ Don T. in Ziegfeld’s • DJ Steve Henderson in Secrets • Cover 21+

Sunday, March 17 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 2pm-12am • $4 Smirnoff and Domestic Cans • Video Games • Live televised sports FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Ella’s Sunday Drag Brunch, 10am-3pm • $24.99 with four glasses of champagne or mimosas, 1 Bloody Mary, or coffee, soda or juice • Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Karaoke, 9pm-close GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • Karaoke with Kevin downstairs, 9:30pm-close NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Drag Brunch, hosted by Chanel Devereaux, 10:30am-12:30pm and 1-3pm • Tickets on sale at nelliessportsbar.com • House Rail Drinks, Zing Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer and Mimosas, $4, 11am-1am • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Guest DJs

NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut and $5 Bulleit Bourbon, 9pm-close • Multiple TVs showing movies, shows, sports • Expanded craft beer selection • Pop Goes the World with Wes Della Volla at 9:30pm • No Cover PITCHERS Open Noon-2am • $4 Smirnoff, includes flavored, $4 Coors Light or $4 Miller Lites, 2-9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Visit pitchersbardc.com SHAW’S TAVERN St. Patrick’s Day Drink Specials All Day • DJ Jill, 3-8pm • Irish Step Dancers, 4pm • Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Dinner-n-Drag with Miss Kristina Kelly, 8pm • For reservations, email shawsdinnerdragshow@ gmail.com

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

TRADE Doors open 2pm • Huge Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass served in a huge glass for the same price, 2-10pm • Beer and wine only $4

Monday, March 18 FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Singles Night • Half-Priced Pasta Dishes • Karaoke, 9pm GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3 rail cocktails and domestic beers all night long • Singing with the Sisters: Open Mic Karaoke Night with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, 9:30pm-close NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Half-Priced Burgers • Paint Nite, 7pm • PokerFace Poker, 8pm • Dart Boards • Ping Pong Madness, featuring 2 PingPong Tables

NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Shaw ’Nuff Trivia, with Jeremy, 7:30pm TRADE Doors open 5pm • Huge Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass served in a huge glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $4

Tuesday, March 19 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Taco Tuesday • Karaoke, 9pm GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3 rail cocktails and domestic beers all night long

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer $15 • Drag Bingo with Sasha Adams and Brooklyn Heights, 7-9pm • Karaoke, 9pm-close NUMBER NINE Open at 5pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover PITCHERS Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 11pm • Visit pitchersbardc.com SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Half-Priced Burgers and Pizzas, 5-10pm • Paint Nite, Second Floor, 7:30pm TRADE Doors open 5pm • Huge Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass served in a huge glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $4 • Sissy That Tuesday: A monthly Cabaret hosted by Pussy Noir with special guests, 8pm • Music by WesstheDJ

Wednesday, March 20 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • $6 Burgers • Beach Blanket Drag Bingo Night, hosted by Ms. Regina Jozet Adams, 8pm • Bingo prizes • Karaoke, 10pm-1am GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4pm-9pm • Bear Yoga with Greg Leo, 6:30-7:30pm • $10 per class • $3 rail cocktails and domestic beers all night long

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR SmartAss Trivia Night, 8-10pm • Prizes include bar tabs and tickets to shows at the 9:30 Club • $15 Buckets of Beer for SmartAss Teams only • Absolutely Snatched Drag Show, hosted by Brooklyn Heights, 9pm • Tickets available at nelliessportsbar.com NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover PITCHERS Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 11pm • Visit pitchersbardc.com

SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Cocu Social: Pasta-Making Class, Second Floor, 6:30pm • Piano Bar with Jill, 8pm TRADE Doors open 5pm • Huge Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass served in a huge glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $4

Thursday, March 21 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-2am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Karaoke, 9pm GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • Shirtless Thursday, 10-11pm • Men in Underwear Drink Free, 12-12:30am • DJs BacK2bACk

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

LastWord. People say the queerest things

“How could he allow himself to become the cheerleader of the porn star presidency?” — Presidential hopeful PETE BUTTIGIEG, speaking about Vice President Mike Pence during a Democratic Presidential Town Hall at SXSW. Buttigieg said that his view of religion is about “protecting the stranger and the prisoner and the poor person,” while Pence’s is about “sexuality and a certain view of rectitude.” He added: “Is it that he stopped believing in Scripture when he started believing in Donald Trump?”

“This policy effectively forces transgender service members into conversion therapy as a condition of service. ” — SHANNON MINTER, Legal Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, in a post on Twitter after the Trump administration announced new military guidelines that will deny entry to or discharge transgender soldiers. The guidelines mandate that soldiers facing discharge must be counseled and given the option to present as their birth sex, not their gender identity. “It is a cruel hoax that adds insult to injury,” Minter wrote.

“I personally never supported any kind of conversion therapy, I never advocated for conversion therapy.” — Presidential hopeful Rep. TULSI GABBARD, speaking during a CNN town hall debate about claims that she supported gay cure therapy when she was younger. “I was raised in a very socially conservative home, my father is Catholic and was a leading voice against gay marriage in Hawaii,” she said. “I was very young, but these were the beliefs and values I grew up around.”

“I first came out to my parents and my family three years ago. The consensus seemed to be that this is not a path that I should follow.” — JEREMIAH LLOYD HARMON, speaking during his audition for American Idol. Harmon, the gay son of a pastor in Catonsville, Maryland, currently works as a janitor in his father’s church, but wowed judges with the original song “Almost Heaven,” about whether gay people can go to heaven. “There’s times when I do feel alone,” he said. “The hardest part for me is seeing how difficult it is for my family. I’m hopeful that it’s an experience where we can learn to grow together.”

“Gays are the scum of the earth.” — A comment by BENETT BRESSMAN, former campaign staffer for Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, one of a number of racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic comments posted by Bressman in an online forum while working for Ricketts. Bressman said he had thrown eggs at an LGBTQ rally, and has fantasized about throwing grenades at Pride parades. Ricketts said in a statement that he was “shocked and horrified” at Bressman’s comments.

MARCH 14, 2019 • METROWEEKLY