Metro Weekly

Out on the Town: D.C. arts & entertainment highlights, June 29-July 5

The School for Lies — Photo: Scott Suchman

FILM

ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN
The NoMa BID offers an outdoor screening series with the quintessential Washington theme: “Power, Politics & Popcorn.” Next up: Alan J. Pakula’s film based on a book by the Washington Post‘s Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, documenting their work in uncovering the Watergate scandal that led to Nixon’s resignation. Robert Redford is Woodward and Dustin Hoffman is Bernstein in the acclaimed political thriller that Rotten Tomatoes sums up as “a taut, solidly acted paean to the benefits of a free press and the dangers of unchecked power.” It’s as timely now in the alternative-facts Trump Era as it’s ever been. The screening starts at sunset on Wednesday, July 5. Grounds open at 7 p.m. NoMa Junction at Storey Park, 1005 1st St. NE. Visit nomabid.org.

COMING TO AMERICA
Eddie Murphy plays an African prince who travels to the U.S. with his aide/sidekick Arsenio Hall in search of romance. In the end, John Landis’ 1988 film was only moderately funny. Yet it was a huge hit at the box office, and 30 years later studio executives seem to think it may still have legs: Paramount Pictures announced in April that it has greenlighted development of a sequel. The film screens at Union Market’s monthly warm weather Drive-In Series. You don’t have to have a car to take it all in — just grab a viewing spot in the free picnic area. Food and beer are available, delivered to you or your car window by the DC Rollergirls. Friday, July 7. Gates at 6 p.m., with the movie starting at sunset — around 8:15 p.m. In the parking lot at Union Market, 1305 5th St. NE. Free for walk-ups or $10 per car. Call 800-680-9095 or visit unionmarketdc.com.

DESPICABLE ME 3
If this third outing can serve up the same mix of likable characters, amusing action, and copious minions that sustained the first two, we’ll be happy. South Park‘s Trey Parker joins the voice cast, led by the returning Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig. Pierre Coffin directs. Opens Friday, June 30. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Rhuaridh Marr)

DIRTY DANCING, GHOSTBUSTERS 2016
The wildly successful 1987 romantic comedy Dirty Dancing, starring the late Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, screening Friday, June 30, and last year’s reboot of ’80s comedy Ghostbusters, Friday, July 7 are the next two films in a series of summer screenings presented by The Golden Triangle BID. Each film starts at sunset — around 9 p.m. — at 912 17th St. NW, between K Street and Connecticut Avenue. Call 202-463-3400 or visit goldentriangledc.com.

DO THE RIGHT THING
Spike Lee’s joint from 1989 is still a bit too hot for some — but at least everyone can keep cool when it screens as part of the summer movie series at U Street’s historic Lincoln Theatre. Do The Right Thing, which introduced the world to both Martin Lawrence and Rosie Perez, has been held up by the AFI, Variety and the New York Times as one of the greatest films of all time. And yet, because of its forthright examination of persistent racial tensions that stoke violence, it’s also one of “The 25 Most Controversial Movies Ever,” says Entertainment Weekly. It’s worth adding that Public Enemy’s “Fight The Power,” the hip-hop classic that was written for the movie as its theme song, also registers every bit as timely and provocative today as back then. Wednesday, July 5. Doors at 7 p.m. 1215 U St. NW. Tickets are $10. Call 202-888-0050 or visit thelincolndc.com.

MOONLIGHT
In advance of its production of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Wig Out, Studio Theatre, in partnership with Reel Affirmations, offers a free screening of this year’s Oscar winner for Best Picture. Barry Jenkins’s coming-of-age drama was based on McCraney’s semi-autobiographical play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue. Saturday, July 1, at 7 p.m., with an after-screening discussion. Studio Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Free. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.

MULHOLLAND DR.
The allure, mystique and danger of Hollywood is the general theme of this surrealistic film noir from 2001. In many ways it can be considered the culmination of filmmaker David Lynch’s oeuvre, revisiting his signature themes of identity, desire and dream logic. A cryptic narrative leaves the film open to different interpretations. A 4K restoration screens as part of a Lynch retrospective. Friday, June 30, and Saturday, July 1, at 9:15 p.m., Sunday, July 2, and Monday, July 3, and Thursday, July 6, at 6:45 p.m. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $13. Call 301-495-6720 or visit afi.com/Silver.

THE BEGUILED
Set during the Civil War, Sofia Coppola’s drama focuses on an all-girls boarding school in rural Mississippi. After a handsome, wounded soldier (Colin Farrell) is rescued and allowed to recuperate, the women of the house start to get increasingly jealous of one another as their attraction for the soldier grows. Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning co-star. Based on the 1971 film of the same name. Opens Friday, June 30. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (RM)

THE BIG SICK
Michael Showalter helms another touching, quirky and original rom-com, following his charming indie, Hello, My Name Is Doris starring Sally Field. Yet with mega-producer Judd Apatow on board, The Big Sick is decidedly not indie. The cross-cultural love story is based on the real-life romance of screenwriters Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon. Nanjiani stars as himself, a Muslim immigrant from Pakistan, and Zoe Kazan plays Emily, an American Christian. Cultural, religious and familial tensions ensue — and come to a head after Emily becomes seriously ill. Opens Friday, June 30. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com.

THE HOUSE
Amy Poehler and Will Ferrell are two parents unsure of how they’ll pay for their daughter’s college tuition. The solution? Start an underground casino in their house! Andrew Jay Cohen’s comedy looks like dumb fun — perfect for summer escapism. Opens Friday, June 30. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (RM)

STAGE

BROKEN GLASS
Theater J teamed up with historians from the U.S. Holocaust Museum for a rare staging of this gripping, psychological drama by Arthur Miller set in Brooklyn during the Kristallnacht in 1938. Images from American newspapers of the era are projected directly onto the set, showing Americans’ reactions to the Holocaust. Aaron Posner directs a stellar cast — Lise Bruneau, Kimberly Gilbert, Gregory Linington, Paul Morella, Michele Osherow and Stephen Patrick Martin — relating Miller’s tale of a woman who suddenly, mysteriously becomes paralyzed from the waist down, and her husband, a self-denying Jew, struggling to understand why and confront his fears, assumptions and anguish. To July 9, with historians-led discussions after the Sunday matinees July 2 and July 9. The Aaron and Cecile Goldman Theater, Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 16th St. NW. Call 202-777-3210 or visit theaterj.org.

DC BLACK THEATRE & ARTS FESTIVAL
Now in its seventh year, this festival showcases local talent in all realms of the performing arts, from contemporary dance to live music. There’s even a film “festival within a festival,” featuring screenings and competitions in six film categories, including shorts, documentaries and music videos. The primary focus, however, is on theatrical works, including monologues and short plays, with competitions for both. An impressive 21 full-length plays will get the lightly staged treatment through this year’s New Works Reading Series, including at least two works by LGBTQ playwrights: Alan Sharpe’s Been There, Done That, and Steve Langley’s AIDS-themed Never Letting Go. And 12 works get full-scale staging, including O’Pharrow Theatre’s production of The Colored Museum, a 1986 satire by two-time Tony-winning writer/director George C. Wolfe (Jelly’s Last Jam) and directed by company founder Adriane N. O’Pharrow. Another notable production is artist/actor/musician Bryce Monroe’s The Lower Frequencies, a series of vignettes inspired by Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man and incorporating spoken-word, hip-hop, soul and jazz. The festival runs through Sunday, July 2, at the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum and the Anacostia Arts Center. Visit dcblacktheatrefestival.com for more information.

DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID
Based on the 1989 animated classic — which is based on the 1837 Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale — the musical version of The Little Mermaid features additional songs by composer Alan Menken, plus a book by Doug Wright. The show makes its way to Wolf Trap after stops at Kansas City’s similarly outdoor Starlight Theatre and Pittsburgh’s Benedum Center, home of the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. Thursday, June 29, through Sunday, July 2, at 8 p.m. Also Saturday, July 1, at 2 p.m. The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $25 to $85. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

How I Learned What I Learned — Photo: Grace Toulotte

HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED
Round House concludes a season that began with Tony Kushner’s magnum opus Angels in America with an autobiographical tour-de-force from another of America’s greatest, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwrights, the late August Wilson (Fences). Co-conceived and directed by Todd Kreidler, How I Learned What I Learned explores Wilson’s days as a struggling young writer in Pittsburgh. Eugene Lee stars in this one-person show. Closes Sunday, July 2. Round House Theatre, 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda. Tickets are $50 to $60. Call 240-644-1100 or visit roundhousetheatre.org.

IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU
A Jewish bride, a Catholic groom, two clashing mothers, and a jilted ex-lover are the combustible ingredients ensuring that anything that can go wrong will in this musical comedy by writer Brian Hargrove and composer Barbara Anselmi. Jon Kretzu directs “the wackiest wedding you will ever attend.” Closes Saturday, July 1. Richmond Triangle Players, 1300 Altamont Ave. Richmond. Tickets are $10 to $35. Call 804-346-8113 or visit rtriangle.org.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock opera about Jesus gets a “sleek, modern” makeover in a Signature Theatre production helmed by Joe Calarco and starring Nicholas Edwards. The cast includes Signature standouts Natascia Diaz as Mary, Sherri L. Edelen as King Herod, and Bobby Smith as Pontius Pilate. Extended to July 9. Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Call 703-820-9771 or visit sigtheatre.org.

MY FAIR LADY
The Lerner and Loewe classic, adapted from Georges Bernard Shaw and Gabriel Pascal’s film Pygmalion. Alan Souza directs a massive cast including Danny Bernardy, Brittany Campbell, Ian Anthony Coleman, Warren Freeman, Chris Genebach, Christina Kidd, Alex Kidder, Julia Klavans, Ashleigh King, Valerie Leonard, Benjamin Lurye, Jimmy Mavrikes, Christopher Mueller and Todd Scofield. To July 23. Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.

SOURCE FESTIVAL
CulturalDC presents its annual festival dedicated to up-and-coming works, with this year’s festival designed as a toast to its first decade. Source reprises six “Best-Of” 10-Minute Plays as well as the full-length, LGBTQ-themed A Perfect Arrangement, Topher Payne’s 2017 Lambda Literary Award nominee. The dramedy enjoyed an Off Broadway run in 2015, two years after debuting at Source. The festival also features three full-length play readings, six new 10-Minute Plays and two “artistic blind dates.” Closes Sunday, July 2. Source, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20 for each show or $75 for a five-play pass. Call 202-204-7760 or visit sourcefestival.org.

STILL LIFE WITH ROCKET
Mollye Maxner blends theater, dance and art installation for her new immersive theatrical experience that veers from the norm. For one thing, during brief moments of the show, the audience is asked to stand or move, as if they were walking through a gallery or museum. For another, audience entry will be staggered in 10-minute time slots in groups of six-to-eight people. (Patrons are also asked to arrive at least 10 minutes early.) Theater Alliance presents this work exploring themes of female aggression, interracial adoption and the power of memory. Annie Houston leads the cast as the matriarch whose approaching death threatens to tear her family apart. To July 2. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Place SE. Tickets are $30 to $40. Call 202-241-2539 or visit theateralliance.com.

THE RETURN
Mosaic presents the second play in its 2017 Voices From a Changing Middle East Festival, marking the 50th year since the Six Day War and the start of the Occupation. Palestinian-American playwright and performer Hanna Eady co-wrote the unsettling mystery The Return with Edward Mast. John Vreeke directs a U.S. premiere starring Ahmad Kamal and Alyssa Wilmoth Keegan as two mysterious former lovers who reunite to untangle the trauma and thwarted intimacy of their interconnected history. Closes Sunday, July 2. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $20 to $60. Call 202-399-7993 or visit mosaictheater.org.

School For Lies — Photo: Tony Powell

THE SCHOOL FOR LIES
Michael Kahn helms David Ives’ adaptation of Molière’s Le Misanthrope, in an update of the aristocratic, ruthless French satire. Gregory Wooddell plays Frank, whose barbed truth-telling wreaks havoc in a world of pompous suitors and extravagant ladies, until rumors ricochet and alternative facts become reality. To July 9. Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th St. NW. Call 202-547-1122 or visit shakespearetheatre.org.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC
Yes, the Opera House is alive with the sound of Rodgers and Hammerstein in this touring production of the blockbuster musical directed by three-time Tony winner Jack O’Brien. Arena regular Nicholas Rodriguez (Oklahoma!, Carousel) is Captain von Trapp and newcomer Charlotte Maltby (daughter of Broadway legend Richard) is Maria, who whips all those Swiss tykes into harmonious shape — and saves them from the Nazis in the process. To July 16. Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $49 to $169. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND UNAFRAID
In the early 1970s, a quiet bed and breakfast becomes one of the few spots where victims of domestic violence can seek refuge in Sarah Treem’s play. Marie Sproul directs Sheri S. Herren as BNB owner Agnes, with Kaylynn Creighton her college-bound daughter and Jenna Berk a runaway Mary Anne. To July 8. Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $35 to $45. Call 202-265-3768 or visit keegantheatre.com.

MUSIC

A CAPITOL FOURTH: JOHN STAMOS, BEACH BOYS, FOUR TOPS
It’s not something you’ll want to do every year — there’s far too many tourists — but everyone should experience the National Symphony Orchestra’s A Capitol Fourth concert at least once, or even twice. Jack Everly leads the NSO in a performance of American favorites and classical masterworks, while several military bands will add to the patriotic spirit, a celebration of the country’s 241st birthday. (Damn, we’re getting old.) The 37th annual show, broadcast on PBS, features John Stamos doubling as show host and drummer with the Beach Boys — with Mark McGrath adding vocal harmonies. Also performing, The Four Tops and Sam Moore, the Blues Brothers, led by actor Dan Aykroyd and accompanied by the Sacred Hearts band, gospel great Yolanda Adams, country stars Trace Adkins and Kellie Pickler, The Voice Season 12 winner Chris Blue, and Broadway starlet Laura Osnes. Disney Channel star Sofia Carson kicks off the festivities with the national anthem, and the NSO concludes it with Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture as the soundtrack to what organizers tout as “the biggest, most distinctive fireworks display in the nation.” Tuesday, July 4, at 8 p.m. West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building. Free. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org/nso for more information.

AKUA ALLRICH
The DowntownDC BID offers free live concerts over lunch every Thursday through July, including one, co-presented with Capital Fringe, of the D.C. native and Howard University alum. Young jazz vocalist and composer Allrich blends traditional, modern and African jazz styles while often singing in the showy, rangy manner of many of today’s leading soul/pop divas — when not channeling her idol Nina Simone. Thursday, July 6, at noon. Franklin Park, 1332 I St. NW. Free. Visit downtowndc.org.

ALL THINGS GO FALL CLASSIC
After a year at Yards Park, All Things Go announced last week that the annual indie-pop festival will return to its smaller, original venue, Union Market. But make no mistake, the Fall Classic is bigger than ever, expanding in its fourth year from a single Saturday outing with eight or so bands to a full, three-day weekend featuring 26 acts. The New York-based nu-disco/electro-pop duo and festival mainstay The Knocks help kick things off Friday, Oct. 6, along with headliner Galantis, the sharp Swedish electronic/dance duo. Rising Atlanta rapper Young Thug leads a hip-hop-heavy nine-act bill the next day, also including Norwegian alt-R&B producer Cashmere Cat. If you can only go for one day, though, it should be Sunday, Oct. 8, when the festival showcases three top-draw acts: Foster The People, Bleachers and Betty Who. Single-day tickets — currently available per day for $64 general admission or $150 for VIP — will soon be hard to come by, at least for Sunday. A three-day pass costs $154, or $250 for VIP including quick entry, premium viewing areas, a dedicated cash bar, and festival swag. Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. Call 888-512-7469 or visit allthingsgofallclassic.com.

ART GARFUNKEL
The legendary folk artist’s “In Close-Up” tour features standards from the Simon & Garfunkel repertoire, selections from his own solo work, plus cuts from his favorite songwriters, an eclectic mix that includes Jimmy Webb, Randy Newman and George Gershwin. He’s also expected to share stories from his forthcoming autobiography, What Is It All But Luminous: Notes from an Underground Man, due in September. Saturday, July 8, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $39 to $99. Call 202-457-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

ERIC FELTEN JAZZ ORCHESTRA
Some of the Washington area’s finest musicians perform in this ensemble, led by its namesake trombonist and singer, whose voice has been compared to Michael Buble and Harry Connick Jr. The focus of its two upcoming shows is “The Big Band Sound of WWII.” Monday, July 3, at 8 and 10 p.m. Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $27.50, plus $5 fee and $12 minimum purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit bluesalley.com.

Idina Menzel

IDINA MENZEL
As if this Broadway belter and longtime, prominent fundraiser for LGBTQ causes needs any introduction. Fans of Menzel’s work in everything from Rent to Wicked to Disney’s Frozen need no persuading to get their tickets. Sunday, July 9, at 8 p.m. Theater at MGM National Harbor, 7100 Harborview Ave., Oxon Hill, Md. Tickets, which include a copy of her latest studio album, idina., are $66.36 to $136.37. Call 800-745-3000 or visit mgmnationalharbor.com.

NATALIE MERCHANT
The former lead singer of folk/rock act 10,000 Maniacs offers an evening focused on her “3 Decades of Song.” It will naturally showcase her solo output, starting with 1995’s Tigerlily and hits “Carnival,” “Wonder” and “Jealousy.” Thursday, July 6, at 8 p.m. The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $30 to $75. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

NSO@WOLF TRAP: HARRY POTTER IN CONCERT
As the film is projected on giant, high-definition screens, Emil de Cou will conduct the National Symphony Orchestra in a live performance of John Williams’ score to 2001’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Also, fans are encouraged to dress in their favorite wizarding-inspired character. Friday, July 7, and Saturday, July 8, at 8:30 p.m. The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $35 to $58. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

OCEANS QUARTET
Vocalist Lisa Moscatiello and composer/arranger Jennifer Cutting lead this local act, touted as “where ancient ballads meet cutting-edge electronics and where the bagpipes meet the Beatles.” Virginia’s Alden Theatre invites Oceans Quartet to perform as part of its free Summer Sundays concert series. Sunday, July 2, at 5 p.m. The gazebo of the McLean Central Park, 1468 Dolley Madison Blvd. Free. Call 703-790-0123 or visit aldentheatre.org.

PHAZEFEST
The Coolots headline the reprise of this queer music festival, birthed a decade ago at Phase 1. With that longstanding lesbian bar having closed, the 9:30 Club has become an even bigger and better venue to showcase acts, this year including Homosuperior, Olivia & The Mates, Be Steadwell, Heather Mae and Kellyn Marie Goler. The DC Kings, the drag organization also part of the history of Phase 1, regroups just for this festival, which ends with a dance party featuring popular local DJ Tezrah. Saturday, July 1. Doors at 8 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $15. Call 202-265-0930 or visit phazefest.com.

SERENADE! WASHINGTON D.C. CHORAL FESTIVAL
Classical Movements showcases choirs from around the world in free performances at prestigious venues throughout the region through this annual festival. The organization has partnered with the Kennedy Center for an expanded week-long iteration to celebrate the 100th birthday of President John F. Kennedy and his artistic and cultural legacy. Select youth and adult choirs from the U.S., Canada, and countries that have benefited from the Peace Corps, an entity that Kennedy established, perform collaborative concerts of newly commissioned works and participate in shared workshops as well as in community outreach projects. Different choirs perform every night at 6 p.m. on the Millennium Stage, and also at eight venues throughout the region, including Virginia’s Castleton Festival and Baltimore’s Patterson Park, both on Sunday, July 2. On July 3, at 6 p.m., Serenade culminates in a mass finale in the Concert Hall, where Joshua Habermann of the Dallas Symphony Chorus and Santa Fe Desert Chorale will conduct 12 ensembles, including Spain’s Escolania de Montserrat, Latvian Voices, China’s Shanghai No. 3 Girls High School Concert Band, Maine’s Pihcintu, a Refugee Girls Chorus, and Le Cantanti di Chicago. Tickets are free, but reserved seats are required for the finale, distributed two per person on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning at 4:30 p.m. Call 202-467-4600 or visit classicalmovements.com.

SIGNATURE’S SIZZLIN’ SUMMER NIGHTS CABARET SERIES
Signature’s annual cabaret series features regulars known from Signature productions including Will Gartshore, Nova Y. Payton, Kevin McAllister, Roz White, and Sam Ludwig, plus the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and UrbanArias. Also in this year’s lineup: Liam Forde (Studio’s Hand to God), David Landstrom (Signature’s Jesus Christ Superstar), Matthew Schleigh and Jessica Lauren Ball (Signature’s La Cage Aux Folles), Robbie Schaefer of indie band Eddie from Ohio, Bob McDonald and a team of four mothers-to-be: Erin Driscoll, Jamie Eacker, Bayla Whitten and Rachel Zampelli. Meanwhile, Driscoll once again kicks things off with her sixth solo cabaret, “Everything Changes,” on Wednesday, July 5, at 8 p.m. The series runs to Saturday, July 22, concluding with the popular series finale “Revenge of the Understudies.” The Ark at 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Tickets are $35 per show, or $175 for an All-Access Pass. Call 703-820-9771 or visit sigtheatre.org.

THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART
Soft-spoken singer and guitarist Kip Berman named his indie-pop band after an unpublished children’s story of the same title that a friend of his wrote. They stop in D.C. two months before the scheduled release of their fourth album, The Echo of Pleasure. It’s a safe bet the set will be full of the kind of melodic, atmospheric tunes drenched in reverb as previous output from the shoegaze-stylized group. Saturday, July 1. Doors at 7 p.m. Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE. Tickets are $17 in advance or $19 day-of show. Call 202-388-ROCK or visit rockandrollhoteldc.com.

VIVIAN GREEN
Hard to believe, but it’s been 15 years since Green broke out with her debut album Love Story and especially its hit R&B and dance single “Emotional Rollercoaster.” The song still speaks to so many people. The chanteuse returns to Virginia’s great dinner-and-a-show palace. Friday, June 30, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $45. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

WOLF TRAP OPERA’S ARIA JUKEBOX
Soloists from Wolf Trap Opera Company’s 2017 Filene Young Artists program perform popular opera tunes, accompanied by company director Kim Pensinger Witman on piano. Each of the 15 singers list four arias in their jukebox and will perform the selection with the most votes from the audience. The result is a one-of-a-kind concert encompassing a surprising range of styles and composers. Tickets include a wine and cheese reception. Sunday, July 9, at 3 p.m., with free reception and aria voting starting at 2 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $32 to $48. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

DANCE

SILK ROAD DANCE COMPANY
Shahnameh: Adventures from the Persian Book of Kings is brought to life with vivid choreography and ornate costumes in a performance geared toward children. And after the performance, Silk Road will offer a free workshop that will demonstrate how, through dances with scarves and veils, they were able to conjure up the two most memorable characters from the ancient fantastical tale, the evil dragon and the magical Simurgh bird. Saturday, July 8, at 10:30 a.m. Theatre-In-The-Woods at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $8. Call 703-255-1900 or visit wolftrap.org.

COMEDY

ALEX MOFFAT
Eric Trump, Anderson Cooper, Joe Scarborough and Al Franken are just a few of the celebrity impressions Moffat has already performed since making his fall debut as a cast member of Saturday Night Live. The 35-year-old Chicago native stops through the area for a run of shows. Expect plenty of impressions. Friday, June 30, at 7:30 and 10 p.m., and Saturday, July 1, at 7 and 10 p.m. Arlington Cinema N’ Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington. Tickets are $20. Call 703-486-2345 or visit arlingtondrafthouse.com.

SECOND CITY: …DIVIDED WE STAND
The Kennedy Center welcomes back famed comedy troupe The Second City for an update to last year’s popular Almost Accurate Guide to America. The comedians — Angela Alise, Ryan Asher, Tyler Davis, Katie Kershaw, Chucho Perez and Ross Taylor — have cooked up a new irreverent, mocking look at America, from the red states to the blue states to our orange head of state. The run is the first offering in July’s second annual District of Comedy Festival. To Aug. 13. Kennedy Center Theater Lab. Tickets are $49 to $69. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

READINGS

DAVID COLE: RULES FOR RESISTANCE
Subtitled Advice from around the Globe for the Age of Trump, this primer from the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union draws on the experience and collective wisdom of people who have lived under autocratic leaders — with a particular focus on Vladimir Putin. The book includes essays from Masha Gessen, Ai Weiwei, George Soros and Nadya Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot, among others, and summarizes common themes, from the selective application of the law and use of libel laws to attack critics, to the gutting of nonpartisan institutions and other democracy protecting entities, including the free press. Sunday, July 9, at 3 p.m. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-364-1919 or visit politics-prose.com.

ROGER D. STONE: THE LIVES OF DILLON RIPLEY
Ripley was, as this book’s subtitle spells out, Natural Scientist, Wartime Spy and Pioneering Leader of the Smithsonian Institution. At the helm from 1964 to 1985, Ripley helped expand the Smithsonian, which is now the world’s largest museum, education and research complex. Stone, a former Time correspondent, includes his personal recollections and also draws on interviews with Ripley and family documents. Saturday, July 8, at 1 p.m. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-364-1919 or visit politics-prose.com.

EXHIBITS

AI WEIWEI: TRACE
China’s most famous and provocative international artist returns to the Hirshhorn with his newest project, centered on the themes of freedom and expression. The massive installation spans 700 feet around the entirety of the museum’s second-floor galleries and features 176 portraits, each made of thousands of plastic LEGO bricks, of individuals whom he considers activists, prisoners of conscience or advocates of free speech. An accompanying graphic wallpaper spans the gallery’s entire outer wall, transforming symbols of surveillance equipment into an intricate design. The seriousness of the subject contrasts with the playfulness of the material, creating a dichotomy that characterizes the artist’s philosophy. Now to Jan. 1, 2018. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit hirshhorn.si.edu.

GARY ANTHES: SILENT LIGHT
Works by three artists are on display at Dupont’s Studio Gallery, including abstract works by Thierry Guillemin and Suzanne Goldberg. Yet it’s photographs by Anthes from New York’s Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital and the Ansonia Copper Brass factory that are likely to have the most lasting impression. The hospital and factory are now silent and abandoned and revealed by pale light streaming through broken windows and missing doors. The evocative photographs are meant as a tribute “to the brave patients and dedicated staff at the hospital, and to the tireless metal workers,” the artist says in a statement. First Friday reception is July 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. Runs to July 15. Studio Gallery, 2108 R St. NW. Call 202-232-8734 or visit studiogallerydc.com.

HIVE
Based in Chicago, the architecture firm Studio Gang designed this year’s summer installation in the Great Hall. Soaring to the uppermost reaches of the museum, Hive is built entirely of 2,700 wound paper tubes, a construction material that is recyclable, lightweight and renewable. Varying in size, the tubes are interlocked to create three dynamic, domed chambers, each offering different sound, light, scale and human interaction. Opens Tuesday, July 4. A Spotlight on Design talk with Studio Gang’s founding principal Jeanne Gang is Thursday, July 6, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. On display through Sept. 4. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets, including admission to all other museum exhibitions, are $13 to $16, and $20 for the Spotlight on Design talk. Call 202-272-2448 or visit nbm.org.

LOGAN FRINGE ARTS SPACE: HOME
Works from regional, national and international artists exploring the making of and search for the concept of “home” — and the need to preserve space for those less fortunate or otherwise displaced. Sheldon Scott curated this exhibition featuring video, painting, sculpture and performance works from artists Madison Bolls, Anne Bouie, Anne-Sophie Coiffet, Kyrae Cowan, Jacqueline Hoysted, Ashley Ja’nae, Tsedaye Makonnen, Helina Metaferia, Britt Sankofa and Stephanie Williams. Opening reception is Thursday, June 29, at 7 p.m. On display through July 30. Logan Fringe Arts Space, 1358 Florida Ave. NE. Tickets are $20 to $25. Call 202-737-7230 or visit capitalfringe.org.

MIKE KELLEY: MEMORY WARE FLAT #27
Potomac’s Glenstone Museum loans a major wall sculpture for display at Strathmore, continuing a partnership that has brought works by Martin Honert, Lee Bontecou and Keith Haring to the Music Center. Part of the late Kelley’s series of 100 two- and three-dimensional works that imitate and subvert the folk-art tradition of preserving small, personally meaningful objects in mosaic-like decorations, Flat #27 is a large-scale, abstract assemblage of thousands of illegible political buttons and beads fixed with grout onto a wood panel and hung on the wall like a painting. On view through April 2018. Lockheed Martin Lobby, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

PARALLAX GAP
The Smithsonian American Art Museum tapped the design practice FreelandBuck to create an immersive, ceiling-suspended structure in the Renwick Gallery, exploring the notion of craft in the field of architecture. The installation combines the practices of drawing, fabrication and architectural design in an innovative overlap of disciplines, embracing both Western and Eastern concepts of perspective. The resulting structure, consisting of hanging, overlapping synthetic fabric and depictions of nine iconic American ceilings, is meant to be a visual puzzle that reveals itself to visitors as they move throughout the room — creating a sense of parallax, where the distance and depth of the ceilings appear to vary when viewed from different lines of sight. Opens Saturday, July 1. On display through Feb. 11, 2018. Renwick Gallery’s Bette Rubenstein Grand Salon, 1661 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. Call 202-633-1000 or visit americanart.si.edu/renwick.

QUEER INTERIORS
Through an initiative commissioning installations and public programs related to its broad Imagining Home exhibit, the Baltimore Museum of Art brings together video and film artist Rahne Alexander and interdisciplinary artist/organizer Jaimes Mayhew with Chase Brexton Health Care’s LGBT Health Resource Center. Queer Interiors features a larger-than-life bed and furnishings, personal artifacts and a multimedia wall display known as the Baltimore LGBTQI+ Home Movie Quilt, which pays homage to Baltimore album quilts and the AIDS Memorial Quilt by presenting a growing, crowd-sourced portrait of the city’s queer communities. Through Aug. 31. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. Baltimore. Call 443-573-1700 or visit artbma.org.

FOOD AND DRINK

CITY TAP PENN QUARTER: BEERBQ BATTLE
Now in its fourth year, this competition pits City Tap against three area breweries — 3 Stars, Evolution and Hardywood Park — to see which outfit produces the best barbecue as voted on by guests. Tuesday, July 4, from noon to 5 p.m. at 901 9th Street NW. Tickets are $20 including coleslaw and potato salad, paired with $5 select draft beers from participating breweries. Call 202-644-9433 or visit pennquarter.citytap.com.

MASON & ROOK ROOFTOP: AMERICAN-THEMED POP-UP
Radiator, the floor level restaurant at Kimpton’s Logan Circle hotel, formerly the Helix, is taking over the scenic rooftop with a patriotic pop-up. Chef Jonathan Dearden offers a full menu of hot dogs, from kosher to veggie to masa corn, which can be washed down with concoctions from bartender Sarah Rosner including a red, white and blue sangria (made with white wine, cherries and blueberries), and frozen whiskey Cokes. Throughout July, including Tuesday, July 4, starting at 5 p.m. 1430 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Call 202-742-3100 or visit masonandrook.com.

TEN TIGERS PARLOUR
Tim Ma (Shaw’s Kyirisan) is out, Erik Bruner-Yang (H Street’s Maketto) is in at the former Chez Billy space. When it opened last year in the former Chez Billy space, Ma was brought on as a consultant to shape a menu with creative spins on Chinese street food — housemade dumplings, steamed buns and noodles and rice bowls. That’s mostly still true under Bruner-Yang, it’s just that the portions are now small, appetizer/snack-sized, and only offered in the evening, starting with happy hour at 5 p.m. The change was at the behest of owners the Hilton brothers, who wanted to bring their Petworth outpost more in line with other, bar-focused venues in the family (such as soul/Southern-styled Marvin and Mexican-themed El Rey, both in U Street). Obviously, that puts more of a focus on Ten Tigers’ interesting cocktail menu with pan-Asian accents– from The Iron Wine, made with the Thai whisky Mekhong plus honey, bitters and orange zest, to Tiger #9 — a mix of Chinese spirit baijiu, vermouth, lemon juice and Creme de Cassis — to the lychee/vodka combo Seven Stars. Sounds like an adventure worth imbibing. 3813 Georgia Ave. NW. Call 202-506-2080 or visit tentigersdc.com.

NIGHTLIFE

WE THE PARTY PEOPLE AT AMERICAN HISTORY MUSEUM
Local promoter Brightest Young Things hosts an “exclusive tourist-free, all-access, party-time takeover” of the National Museum of American History. The primary occasion is to celebrate America’s birthday, but it also doubles as a party honoring the the JFK centennial. Megan James, the vocalist of the Canadian electronic duo Purity Ring, plays DJ for the event which includes open bar on Skyy Vodka, Wild Turkey Bourbon and Appleton Estate Rum cocktails compliments of Cafe Saint-Ex and lite bites from restaurants including Awkpie, Sospeso, Highline RXR and Franklin Hall. There will also be short TED-style talks courtesy of the Washington Post, including Claire Jerry on “JFK: A New Speaker for a New Generation,” Shannon Perich, “JFK Through the Lens of Richard Avedon,” Peter Manseau, “Fear of a Catholic President,” and Steve Olikara, “Passing the Torch to a New Generation of Americans.” And on the outdoor terrace, there will be a face painter, caricature artist, a scavenger hunt and roaming performers — plus, of course, a photobooth and Instagram printer. In addition, the gift shop will be open. Saturday, July 1, from 7 to 11 p.m. National Museum of American History, 14th St. and Constitution Ave. NW. Tickets are $45 to $65. Call 202-633-1000 or visit eventbrite.com.

ABOVE & BEYOND

JULY 4TH AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
The home of America’s founding documents will be open extended hours, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., the entire week of July 4th through July 6th, but the museum offers special programming on America’s birthday. The day commences at 10 a.m. with a Declaration of Independence Reading Ceremony hosted by Allison Seymour of Fox 5 News and featuring remarks by Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero and Laura W. Murphy, a civil liberties leader and descendant of Declaration signer Philip Livingston, reenactors portraying historical characters, and performances by Caleb Green and the Fife and Drum Corps and the presentation of colors by the Continental Color Guard. All of that is followed by the National Independence Day Parade at 11:45 a.m., plus a day full of hands-on activities and reenactors in the Boeing Learning Center. Other activities scheduled for the week are “Global Spirits: American Cocktails” on Thursday, June 29 (see separate entry), and a reading of Frederick Douglass’ essay “The Meaning of July 4th for the Negro” on Monday, July 3, at 1 p.m. The schedule for live music on the Archives steps includes: the United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps on Friday, June 30, at 12 p.m., Batala Washington Saturday, July 1, at 1 p.m., the Singing Capital Chorus Sunday, July 2, at 12 p.m., GottaSwing Monday, July 3, at 5 p.m., and Brass Connection Tuesday, July 4, at 9 and 11 a.m. Also there will be free tastings of American Heritage-company chocolate near the Archives Store Saturday, July 1, and Sunday, July 2, until 4 p.m. Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets NW. NW. Call 202-357-5000 or visit archivesjuly4.org.

FORD’S THEATRE’S HISTORY ON FOOT
A local actor offers the guided tour Investigation: Detective McDevitt, portraying Detective James McDevitt, a D.C. police officer patrolling a half-block from Ford’s Theatre the night President Lincoln was shot. Written by Richard Hellesen and directed by Mark Ramont, the 1.6-mile walking tour revisits and reexamines the sites and clues from the investigation into the assassination. Tours are offered approximately three evenings a week at 6:45 p.m. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. Tickets are $17. Call 202-397-7328 or visit fords.org.

SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL
For its 50th anniversary, the annual festival on the mall explores American identity and creativity. Highlights include a view into the ever-evolving field of “Circus Arts” via daily performances in a Big Top tent, a circus school in the Arts and Industries Building and hands-on activities for visitors; the more politically charged “On The Move” program, in which hip-hop artists, muralists and poetry slam artists, among others, will discuss themes of immigration and migration from new and diverse perspectives, and a series of evening concerts and dance parties starting at 5:30 p.m. with performers including BeauSoleil, Los Texmaniacs, the Chuck Brown Band and Los Pleneros de la 21. Runs through Sunday, July 9. The National Mall, between 7th and 12th Streets NW. Call 202-633-1000 or festival.si.edu for event details and schedule.

SPARKLE QUEER OPEN MIC
The first Sunday of every month the 14th and V location of Busboys & Poets hosts a reading series featuring LGBTQ-identified poets. Sparkle is yet another local showcase created by Regie Cabico, the slam poet also responsible for Capturing Fire, the annual LGBTQ spoken word and poetry festival presented by the DC Center, as well as the regular cabaret/comedy/poetry variety show La-Ti-Do. He hosts Sparkle with fellow poet Danielle Evennou. Sunday, July 2, at 8 p.m. Langston Room, 2021 14th St. NW. Cover is $5. Call 202-387-POET or visit busboysandpoets.com.

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