Political shenanigans aside, DC is a city rich in (often free) entertainment opportunities for residents and visitors alike. Although the inauguration and perhaps Martin Luther King Day will be the main focuses of inauguration weekend, life in DC will continue as usual, and there’s also a myriad of “normal” cultural events on the calendars of many museums and performing arts centers. Below is a sampling of some of these events. I’ve tried to select ones that are free (or not outrageously expensive) and public transportation-accessible. I will continue to update this list through January as new events are announced:
Thursday 15 January
Kennedy Center
Performance: The Limon Dance Company
16-17 January, 8pm
Location: Eisenhower Theater, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW
Marking the 100th anniversary of Limón’s birth, the company presents a program of his seminal works–The Traitor, Psalm, Suite from A Choreographic Offering–as part of Modern Masters, the Center’s celebration of American modern dance. Tickets: $22-65.
Kennedy Center
Concert: National Symphony Orchestra: Ilan Volkov, conductor/Leif Ove Andsnes, piano, plays Rachmaninoff
15-17 January (15 Jan at 7pm, 16 and 17 Jan at 8pm)
Location: Concert Hall, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW
In his NSO debut, Leif Ove Andsnes performs Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3. The New York Times says his “elegant pianism… has plenty of sparkle and vigor.” Ilan Volkov also conducts works by Stravinsky and Crumb. Tickets: $20-80.
Kennedy Center: Millennium Stage
Concert: NSO Youth Fellows
15 January, 6 pm
Location: Millennium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW
This 27-year-old program gives high school musicians the opportunity to study and take master classes with NSO members. Participants perform a variety of classical works. All Millennium Stage performances are free, no tickets required.
National Theater
Performance: West Side Story
15 Dec-17 Jan (16 Jan at 8pm, 17 Jan at 2 and 8pm)
This vibrant, unforgettable, revolutionary musical gets an unprecedented staging during its five-week run at the National Theatre before heading to Broadway. Directed by two-time Tony award-winning librettist Arthur Laurents. Tickets: $46-91.
Friday 16 January
CityDance Ensemble
Dance: Entangled
16 and 17 January, 8pm
Location: The Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th Street NW
CityDance Ensemble, hailed as “Washington’s preeminent modern dance company” (The Washington Times), presents Entangled, an evening of dance unveiling the pulse, rhythm and patterns that drive our interactions and exchanges. Featuring the company premiere of Larry Keigwin’s witty and amorous Mattress Suite, the world premiere of Kate Weare’s fervent Scorched and a collection of other impassioned dances, Entangled illustrates the pushes and pulls that keep us all connected. Age-appropriateness: Recommended for ages 13 and up. Patrons under 5 not permitted. Tickets: $15-55.
Freer-Sackler Museums of Asian Art
Film: Three Women
16 January, 7:00 pm / 18 January, 2:00 pm
Location: Meyer Auditorium, accessible from both the Freer and Sackler museums on the Mall
A dispute over an ancient carpet propels a grandmother, mother, and daughter into realms of mystery and mysticism in Manijeh Hekmat’s film. Minoo, a museum textiles curator, makes off with the carpet, a national treasure, in an effort to save it from an unscrupulous dealer. She loses the precious antique, and her mother as well, to a mission that beckons the elderly lady from the past. The call of the unknown puts Minoo’s daughter on the road to self-discovery, causing Minoo to question who or what she herself needs to find. Description provided by the Gene Siskel Film Center. In Persian with English subtitles. Iran / 2008 / 94 min. Part of the Freer’s thirteenth annual festival of Iranian films. This series is organized by Bo Smith of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, with the support of ILEX Foundatio. Due to high demand for tickets, assigned seating is in effect for this series. Up to two free tickets per person are distributed at the theater beginning one hour before show time.
Goethe-Institut Washington (German Cultural Center)
Film: Matabb – A Palestinian TV Soap Opera
16 January, 8-10pm
Location: Goethe-Institut Washington, 812 Seventh St, NW
The ten-episode series is named Matabb (Speed Bump). The drama, which features local actors, follows the ups and downs in the lives of the staff of a fictitious non-governmental organization. Typical for the genre, its episodes revolve around topics of human interest such as love, pre-marital sex, conflicts at work and, of course, everyday life in the territories. Parts 9-10 will be shown, followed by panelists Dr. Halim Barakat (Ret. Professor, Georgetown University) and Adila Laidi-Hanieh (PhD candidate, Cultural Studies Program, George Mason University). Free with RSVP.
Kennedy Center: Millennium Stage
Concert: Jonathan Vassar and the Speckled Bird
16 January, 6 pm
Location: Millennium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW
This Virginia-based band crafts music from their roots, country music, and the songwriters of the ’60s and ’70s. All Millennium Stage performances are free, no tickets required.
Politics and Prose
Book signing: William L. Iggiagruk Hensley
16 January, 7pm
Location: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW
Fifty Miles From Tomorrow: Half Inuit, half Lithuanian, Hensley grew up in extreme poverty 50 miles from the International Date Line. His memoir recounts his early struggle to survive and his later work as an Alaska state legislator and community organizer on behalf of Native Alaskans. Instrumental in establishing land rights, he’s now working to protect traditional ways of life. Free, no reservations required.
Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts
Concert: Keith Phares (baritone), Patricia Risley (mezzo-soprano), Kim Pensinger Witman (pianist)
16 January, 8pm
Location: The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna, VA
Metropolitan Opera artists Patricia Risley and Keith Phares are alumni of the Wolf Trap Opera Company. Opera News hails mezzo-soprano Patricia Risley for “her voice… luscious and agile, her characterization both boisterous and tender.” Noted by the press for his dashingly attractive stage presence, commanding vocal authority, and creamy, warm baritone voice, Keith Phares is acclaimed both on the opera and concert stage as one of today’s most versatile artists. Tickets: $35. Wolf Trap is not accessible by subway.
Saturday 17 January
American Indian Museum
Festival: Out of Many: Multi-Cultural Music, Dance, and Storytelling 3-Day Family Festival
17-19 January, 11am-4:30pm
Location: American Indian Museum 1st Level, Potomac & Rasmuson; 3rd Level, Resource Center
Start your inauguration celebration early with music, dance, and storytelling from a variety of cultural traditions, including American Indian, African and African American, Asian and Asian Pacific American, Central and South American, and European American. Stop by the Welcome Center for a printed schedule. Free.
Atlas Performing Arts Center
Performance: Orpheus in the Underworld
17 and 24 January at 8pm, 18 and 25 January at 3pm
Location: Lang Theatre, Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE
Full production of the hilarious satirical operetta by Jacques Offenbach, including the famous Can-Can! Orpheus and Eurydice, married for years, are tired of each other. When Euridyce is kidnapped by her lover Pluto, the god of the underworld, the meddlesome Public Opinion forces Orpheus to go to her “rescue.” Meanwhile, other gods also want a piece of the action. Bacchus sorts things out in the final bacchanale, can-can and all. Tickets: $39.
Anacostia Community Museum
Book signing: OBAMA: The Historic Campaign in Pictures
17 January, 11am-1pm
Location: Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Place, SE
Join Deborah Willis and Kevin Merida, authors of “OBAMA: The Historic Campaign in Pictures,” for a reading, and book sale and signing. Free. Free bus transportation to the Anacostia Community Museum is available from the Smithsonian Castle (1000 Jefferson Dr., SW) departing at 10 AM, 12 Noon, and 2 PM. Bus departs museum at 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 3:30 PM to return to the Castle.
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Concert: La Valse
17 January, 8pm
Location: Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, MD
Ravel’s La Valse and Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances illustrate two different ways of exploring the inner life of dance music, beginning with the collage of a waltz scene that erupts into a full-blown party in Ravel’s La Valse. The French team of award-winning pianist Frank Braley and conductor Stéphane Denéve, two of the fastest rising stars on the classical music scene, make their debuts with the BSO for this performance. Stéphane Denève, conductor. Frank Braley, piano. Tickets $25-80. Free pre-concert lecture from 6-7pm in Room 309 of the Education Center at Strathmore. Registration required (even if you already purchased tickets to the concert itself).
Brass on the Potomac
Concert: Happenings at the Harman Inauguration Concert
17 January, 2pm
Location: Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW
The Shakespeare Theatre Company will be celebrating the inauguration with a performance of patriotic selections performed by Brass on the Potomac. Happenings at the Harman brings the community up close and personal with the performers and performances at the Harman Center for the Arts as well as throughout the metro-DC community. Held on Wednesdays, these conversations and performances feature some of the leading artists and thinkers of the day as they explore the synergy between the performances on the city’s stages and the events that shape the community and world. Free, reservations recommended. Box lunches are available for purchase ($10).
Kennedy Center: Millennium Stage
Performance: Striking Viking Story Pirates
17 January, 6 pm
Location: Millennium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW
Described as “Monty Python meets Schoolhouse Rock,” this group adapts and performs stories written by children to create a performance acted by adults. In celebration of the upcoming presidential inauguration, the company will select five election-themed stories. All Millennium Stage performances are free, no tickets required.
National Postal Museum
Festival: Inauguration Celebration Family Festival
17 January, 11am-1pm
Location: Postal Museum Atrium
Have a ball on inauguration weekend with presidential activities for the family. Become “stamp collector in chief” and design a presidential stamp. Free.
Politics and Prose
Book signing: Gus Russo & Stephen Molton
17 January, 6pm
Location: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW
Brothers In Arms: The authors contend that two sets of brothers—the Kennedys and the Castros—were responsible for one of the 20th century’s abiding traumas. They claim that Bobby Kennedy advocated murdering Fidel Castro, whose ties to Oswald, Kennedy’s assassin, had been covered up for various reasons. Free, no reservations required.
National League of American Pen Women
Music and Book Launch: Happy Birthday Mr. Lincoln: An Inaugural Celebration
17 January, 7pm
Location: Pen Arts Building, 1300 17th St. NW
Third-in-a-series of pre-Lincoln Bicentennial celebration event will spotlight the launch of the book “Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln: A Commemorative Collage.” The NLAPW will present scholarship awards to the Southern University Systems and DC’s School Without Walls, Sumner Museum and Martha’s Table program as part of its ongoing community outreach. Michael Ralph, Ph.D. of Southern University System, Louisiana, will read portions of Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address. Pianist Grace Reid will play several pieces from the League’s newly published Lincoln legacy book while others read poetry and provide a choral performance.
Theater J
Performance: DAI (Enough)
17 Jan at 7:30pm, 18 Jan at 2:30 and 7:30pm
Location: Studio Theatre, Milton Theatre Space, 1501 14th Street NW
Israeli-American comic chameleon Iris Bahr (of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) leads us into the colorful world of a Tel Aviv café only minutes before a terrible calamity. A CNN reporter is drawn into the dramas of a broad cross section of both Israeli society and new visitors from afar, as a rich cacophony of dialects and viewpoints are channeled through Bahr’s remarkable ability to bring humor to even the most tension-filled surroundings. Winner of the 2008 Lucille Lortel Off-Broadway Award for Outstanding Solo Show. Tickets $40-45.
Tudor Place Historic House and Garden
Tour: DC’s Other Historic Hill
17 Jan at 10am-4pm, 18 Jan at noon-4pm, 19-21 January at 10am-4pm
Location: Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW
Tour the historic mansion and examine a collection of “unusual” presidential objects from George and Martha Washington on display for the inaugural week. Tours on the hour - last tour begins at 3:00 pm. Entrance fee to house and grounds: $8.
Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts
Concert: Carlene Carter
17 January, 7:30pm
Location: The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna, VA
Carter performs contemporary country tunes from her 2008 release, Stronger, a poignant ode to her parents June Carter and Johnny Cash. Few people can boast of a more talented musical lineage than Carlene Carter. Her grandmother Maybelle was part of the legendary Carter Family bluegrass group, her father Carl Smith was a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, and her mother June spent a lifetime in music, touring with and eventually marrying country superstar Johnny Cash. Tickets: $25. Wolf Trap is not accessible by subway.
Sunday 18 January
Busboys and Poets
Poetry: Sunday Kind of Love
18 January, 3:30pm
Location: Busboys and Poets coffeehouse, 14th and V St., NW
Will feature readings from Poetic Voices Without Borders 2, edited by Robert L. Giron. The voices are passionate and enlightening while echoing a desire in their own way to transform, to change, to transcend borders, be they personal, cultural or national, in a poetic manner as if to say that within literature there isn’t a border for the human spirit, for it is that energy that keeps us going. Readers include Karren LeLonde Aleinier, Christopher Conlon, Patricia Gray, Sydney March, Yvette Neisser Moreno, and Joseph Ross. Followed by open mic. Free.
Busboys and Poets
Film: Focus In! Cinema for a Conscious Community
18 January, 8pm
Location: Langston Room, Busboys and Poets coffeehouse, 14th and V St., NW
Films by local, national, and international filmmakers. Each segment offers a focus dedicated to social justice, peace, and community value. Free and open to the public.
Kennedy Center
Concert: Kennedy Center Chamber Players perform Dvorák, Britten, and Brahms
18 Jan, 2pm
Location: Terrace Theater: John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW
The program includes Dvorák’s Terzetto in C major for Two Violins and Viola; Britten’s Phantasy Quartet for Oboe, Violin, Viola, and Cello; and Brahms’s String Sextet No. 2 in G major. Approximately two hours. Tickets: $35.
Kennedy Center: Millennium Stage
Concert: N’dambi
18 January, 6 pm
Location: Millennium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW
The new face of Stax Records graces the stage to perform soul, funk and jazz. All Millennium Stage performances are free, no tickets required.
Library of Congress
Concert: Mendelssohn on the Mall: Weiss-Kaplin-Newman Trio
18 January, 3pm
Location: National Academy of Sciences, 500 Fifth Street, NW
Sextet for piano and strings, op. 87 (with Amadi Hummings,viola; Sel Kardan, viola; Kurt Muroki, bass). A series of performances, lectures, and displays in commemoration of Felix Mendelssohn’s 200th birth anniversary. Presented by the Library of Congress, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Gallery of Art, and the Smithsonian Institution, under the gracious patronage of His Excellency Dr. Klaus Scharioth, Ambassador of Germany to the United States. All concerts are free, but tickets are required for the Library of Congress through Ticketmaster.
Library of Congress
Concert: Mendelssohn on the Mall: National Gallery Orchestra
18 January, 6:30pm
Location: National Gallery of Art (national Mall)
Concert: Kenneth Slowik, guest conductor “Italian” Symphony, op. 90. A series of performances, lectures, and displays in commemoration of Felix Mendelssohn’s 200th birth anniversary. Presented by the Library of Congress, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Gallery of Art, and the Smithsonian Institution, under the gracious patronage of His Excellency Dr. Klaus Scharioth, Ambassador of Germany to the United States. All concerts are free, but tickets are required for the Library of Congress through Ticketmaster.
Phillips Collection
Concert: Amit Peled, cello
18 January, 4 pm
Location: 1600 21st St., NW (Dupont Circle)
Included in museum admission ($10 on weekends, pay-as-you-like Tue-Fri, closed on Mon)
Politics and Prose
Book signing: Calvin Goddard Zon, Editor
18 January, 5pm
Location: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW
The Good Fight That Didn’t End: During the Civil War, Henry Perkins Goddard served the Union while also penning bulletins to the Norwich Bulletin. His great-grandson has edited his letters, journals, and newspaper writings, which chronicle a divided nation during the war and Reconstruction and recount Goddard’s encounters with prominent public figures. Free, no reservations required.
Sixth and I Historic Synagogue
Film: Visions of Race in America
18 January at 4pm
Location: Sixth and I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW
Award-winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns explores race through a selection of clips from his films and a panel discussion. The veteran filmmaker produced and directed highly-acclaimed documentaries including “The Civil War,” “Baseball,” “Jazz,” and “The War.” $6, RSVP.
Monday 19 January
Kennedy Center: Millennium Stage
Concert: Let Freedom Ring
19 January, 4 pm
Location: Concert Hall at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW
A Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration in the Concert Hall. The Kennedy Center and Georgetown University host a musical celebration, featuring Aretha Franklin, Nuttin’ but Stringz, and the Let Freedom Ring Choir, with Mistress of Ceremonies Andrea Roane. Marian Wright Edelman, the president and founder of the Children’s Defense Fund, will be recognized with the 2009 John Thompson “Legacy of a Dream” award. Free tickets required. Beginning at 4 p.m. on January 19, 2009, tickets will be distributed one per person in line in front of the Concert Hall.
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Debate: First Inaugural Debate Series
19 January, 9am-4pm
Location: Natural History Museum, Baird Auditorium (national Mall)
Six college debate teams, in three 75-minute debates, argue the priorities of the new Obama administration, including energy and climate change, health care and the economy, and foreign policy. Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Inauguration Day. Presented by the National Museum of African American History and Culture in cooperation with the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The museum has not yet been constructed. Events and exhibitions are currently held at other museums around the Mall. Free.
Politics and Prose
Book signing: Mark Green and Michele Jolin
19 January, 7pm
Location: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW
Change For America: Sixty contributors participated in drawing up an extensive plan for the 44th President, based on four core values: democracy, security through diplomacy, opportunity, and a greener world. The results have been edited by Green and Jolin. Free, no reservations required.
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Concert: Celebration of Change: From Emancipation to Presidency
19 January, 7 pm
Location: Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW
The latest production by Positive Vibrations Youth Steel Orchestra. Premiering on the eve of President-elect Obama’s historic inauguration, this multi-faceted performance combines music, dance, poetry and mime to tell the story of the struggles and triumphs of the African American people that brought us to this monumental point in history. Relive the events that brought us to the election of the first African American president as they are woven into a tapestry of music and the arts. Presented by Cultural Academy for Excellence. Tickets: $25.
US Botanical Gardens
Lunchtime Tour of the Conservatory
19 January, noon-1pm
Manila folders, Channel No. 5, vanilla, and fossil fuels have in common? The answer is that they all come from plants on permanent display in the USBG Conservatory. Take a lunchtime tour with a knowledgeable guide who will connect the exotic plant world to everyday life. You might see bananas and coffee ripening on the tree, watch the Venus flytrap catch a meal, or learn about the next big breakthrough in medicinal plant research. Feel free to bring a brown bag lunch to eat on a bench in the Garden Court. Free, no pre-registration required.
Tuesday 20 January
Kennedy Center: Millennium Stage
Concert: Alex Hassan
20 January, 6 pm
Location: Millennium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW
This musician, one of the leading authorities on novelty piano, immerses audiences in the musical styles and arrangements of the ’20s and ’30s. All Millennium Stage performances are free, no tickets required.
Wednesday 21 January
American Art Museum
Tour: Behind the Scenes
21 January, 3pm
Location: Lunder Conservation Center, Smithsonian American Art Museum (National Portrait Gallery)
Learn how museum conservators use science, art history, and skilled hands to preserve objects from our collections in the Lunder Conservation Center. Group size is limited; meet at the Luce Foundation Center Information Desk by 3 p.m. Program repeats weekly except on December 10, 24, and 31.
Lunder Conservation Center, Third Floor Mezzanine
American Art Museum
Lecture: Future of New Art Technologies
21 January, 6pm
Location: McEvoy Auditorium, Lower Level, American Art Museum (National Portrait Gallery)
How do you conserve an mp3? New technologies, such as televisions, videos, DVDs and mp3s are used by many artists in multimedia installations, but they are among the greatest challenges facing the field of conservation. Dr. Glenn Wharton, media conservator at MoMA and a research scholar at New York Universitys Conservation Center and Museum Studies programs, will discuss how MoMAs conservation program for time-based media is on the cutting edge of new research and developments in the field.
Kennedy Center: Millennium Stage
Concert: Chicha Libre
21 January, 6 pm
Location: Millennium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW
This group combines Colombian accordion-driven cumbias with the distinctive sounds of Andean melodies, the psychedelic sounds of surf guitars, farfisa organs, and moog synthesizers. All Millennium Stage performances are free, no tickets required.
Politics and Prose
Book signing: Nikki Grimes and Bryan Collier
21 January, 10:30am
Location: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW
Barack Obama: Son Of Promise, Child Of Hope: From Coretta Scott King Award-winner Nikki Grimes, this is a poetic story of hope as embodied in our new president, and is beautifully illustrated by Bryan Collier, also a Coretta Scott King Award-winner. This updated edition includes Obama’s election. Free, no reservations required.
Politics and Prose
Book signing: Evan Thomas
21 January, 7pm
Location: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW
A Long Time Coming: Evan Thomas and others from Newsweek will deliver their much respected quadrennial report on the Presidential election. These journalists are permitted unusual access to the candidate and campaign with the understanding that the report will appear after the election. Free, no reservations required.
Thursday 22 January
American Art Museum
Film: Selected Short Works
22 January, 6pm
Location: McEvoy Auditorium, Lower Level, American Art Museum (National Portrait Gallery)
A selection of short works from SAAMs collection, including Running Outburst (1975) by Charlemagne Palestine; Three Transitions (1973) by Peter Campus; Swamp (1971) by Nancy Holt and Robert Smithson; Technolog y/Transformation: Wonder Woman (1978-79) by Dara Birnbaum; Beach Boys/Geto Boys (2004) by Cory Arcangel; Female Sensibility (1973) by Lynda Benglis; and Walking Forward-Running Past (1971) by John Baldessari. Total running time 60 minutes. Free.
DC Public Libraries
Book Signing: “Black History: Recapturing My Heritage” by Gail Milissa Grant
22 January, 6:30pm
Location: Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave., NW
Book talk on “Black History: Recapturing My Heritage” by Gail Milissa Grant, author of At the Elbows of My Elders: One Family’s Journey Toward Civil Rights in the 1st floor auditorium of the Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library. The author will recount the battles fought by her father an African-American lawyer and Civil Rights activist in St. Louis and describe the challenges she faced growing up and navigating her way through institutions marked by racial prejudice. Free, no reservations required. For more information, call 202-282-3080
Kennedy Center
Concert: National Symphony Orchestra: Emmanuel Krivine, conductor/Yundi Li, piano, plays Ravel
22-24 Jan (22 Jan at 7pm, 23 and 24 Jan at 8pm)
Location: Concert Hall: John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW
Yundi Li performs Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major conducted by Emmanuel Krivine. Also on the program: Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique. 101 minutes. Tickets: $20-80.
Kennedy Center: Millennium Stage
Concert: The Fourth Stream
22 January, 6 pm
Location: Millennium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW
This acoustic jazz quartet features original and cutting-edge arrangements of tunes by Joni Mitchell, Dianne Reeves, Abbey Lincoln, and Tom Waits. All Millennium Stage performances are free, no tickets required.
Politics and Prose
Book signing: Barry Werth
22 January, 7pm
Location: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW
Banquet At Delmonico’s: This rich social and intellectual history focuses on Herbert Spencer, the English philosopher and early advocate of Social Darwinism. Popular with prominent American figures such as Andrew Carnegie and Henry Ward Beecher, Spencer was honored with a lavish dinner when he visited the United States in 1882. Free, no reservations required.
Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts
Concert: Celtic Crossroads
22 January, 8pm
Location: The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna, VA
An explosion of youthful energy and dazzling musicianship, this group fuses traditional bluegrass, gypsy, and jazz with the exciting percussion of Irish dance. Tickets: $25. Wolf Trap is not accessible by subway.
Friday 23 January
Freer-Sackler Museums of Asian Art
Film: Head Wind
23 January, 7:00 pm / 25 January, 2:00 pm
Location: Meyer Auditorium, accessible from both the Freer and Sackler museums on the Mall
This film by Mohammad Rasoulof is a candid, searing look inside the Islamic Republic and its losing battle for control over the flow of information that enters the country from the outside world. In what at first seems like an investigation into the government’s effort to deny people access to Hollywood films, the documentary unfolds to reveal that at the heart of this struggle beats the desire of the Iranian people for self-determination and open access to information. This remarkable film touches on one of the major post-revolution issues by examining Iran’s underground satellite, Internet, and DVD culture. Description adapted from the Tribeca Film Festival. In Persian with English subtitles. Iran / 2008 / 65 min. Part of the Freer’s thirteenth annual festival of Iranian films. Due to high demand for tickets, assigned seating is in effect for this series. Up to two free tickets per person are distributed at the theater beginning one hour before show time.
Kennedy Center: Millennium Stage
Concert: NSO Prelude
23 January, 6 pm
Location: Millennium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW
Members of the National Symphony Orchestra perform classical works. All Millennium Stage performances are free, no tickets required.
Politics and Prose
Book Signing: Jayne Anne Phillips
23 January, 7pm
Location: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW
Lark & Termite: A look at the 1950s through the experiences of a complicated West Virginia family, Phillips’s new novel centers on the young adult Lark, her brother Termite, who can’t walk or talk, and Termite’s father, a corporal stationed in Korea, whose perspective on the incipient conflict adds a powerful counterpoint to the events at home. Free, no reservations required.
Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts
Performance: Chicago City Limits: MySpace or Yours?
23 and 24 January, 7:30pm
Location: The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna, VA
Billing themselves as a “dot comedy without a computer,” CCL delivers high-energy improv and side-splitting laughter over this two-day engagement.. Tickets: $22. Wolf trap is not accessible by subway.
Saturday 24 January
Dance Place
Dance: A Light Conversation on Commitment & Transference
24 Jan at 8pm, 25 Jan at 4pm.
Location: Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE
A philosophical voyage performed by two mature and established artists, A Light Conversation on Commitment & Transference offers an up-close and personal view of creators/performers Wally Cardona (NYC) and Rahel Vonmoos (London) in their first collaboration. Choreographed & Performed by Cardona and Vonmoos, the piece is performed with audiences placed on three sides of the performance space. Wally Cardona has been labeled as “one of the most adventurous choreographers of his generation, a master of passionate abstract dances” by Brooklyn Magazine. Tickets: $22.
Kennedy Center: Millennium Stage
Concert: Duke Ellington School for the Arts Jazz Orchestra
24 January, 6 pm
Location: Millennium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW
This orchestra performs a concert of Benny Golson compositions in honor of the musician’s 80th birthday. All Millennium Stage performances are free, no tickets required.
National Museum of African Art
Performance: African in Motion: Lesole Dance Company
24 January, 2pm
Location: African Art Museum Lecture Hall, sublevel 2 (national Mall)
The company highlights the unique qualities of modern and Afro-fusion style dance and educates audiences about the history and movement of popular South African dances. Free, no reservations required.
National Postal Museum
Workshop: Stamp Collecting A-Z Workshop
24 January: 10:30am-noon
Location: National Postal Museum
Learn the basics of philately and create your own stamp collection with guidance from Postal Museum experts. Beginning and intermediate collectors will enjoy opportunities learn new skills, meet other collectors, and view the Alphabetilately: an Alphabet of Philately exhibition. Registration recommended. Ages 10 and up. Free, registration required.
Politics and Prose
Film: The City
24 January, 1pm
Location: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW
The City: A screening, with Angel Gil-Ordonez, Joseph Horowitz, and Joseph McCartin. The 1939 film, a collaboration between the composer Aaron Copland and the filmmaker/photographers Ralph Steiner and Willard Van Dyke, depicts the decline of the American community from the 19th-century rural ideal to the grimmer 1930s reality. The new DVD version features Copland’s original soundtrack newly recorded by the Post-Classical Ensemble. Free, no reservations required.
Politics and Prose
Book signing: Gwen Ifill
24 January, 6pm
Location: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW
The Breakthrough: Ifill argues that the outlook among new African American leaders is producing a significant change in the nation. Standing on the shoulders of the Civil Rights generation, the new leaders include the President-elect and others, such as Mayor Corey Booker, Alabama Congressman Arthur Davis, and Governor Deval Patrick. Free, no reservations required.
Yoga Day USA
24 January
Location: Various locations
The annual promotion organized by the Yoga Alliance opens studio doors across the country for free and nearly free workshops. The following studios are participating in the Maryland-Virginia area: Little River Yoga, Grace Yoga, Fort Monroe Fitness Center, Anahata Yoga Center, Ananda Shala, Silver Spring Moishe Center.
Sunday 25 January
Kennedy Center: Millennium Stage
Concert: Silk Road Dance Company
25 January, 6 pm
Location: Millennium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW
In traditional costumes, this award-winning dance company performs the dynamic folklore of Egypt, the Arabian Gulf, and North Africa. All Millennium Stage performances are free, no tickets required.
Library of Congress
Concert: Mendelssohn on the Mall: Fine Arts Quartet
25 January, 6:30pm
Location: National Gallery of Art (national Mall)
String Quartets, op. 12 and op. 44, no. 1. A series of performances, lectures, and displays in commemoration of Felix Mendelssohn’s 200th birth anniversary. Presented by the Library of Congress, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Gallery of Art, and the Smithsonian Institution, under the gracious patronage of His Excellency Dr. Klaus Scharioth, Ambassador of Germany to the United States. All concerts are free, but tickets are required for the Library of Congress through Ticketmaster.
Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts
Concert: International Guitar Night
25 January, 7:30pm
Location: The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna, VA
A diverse celebration of the acoustic guitar with intriguing performances by world-renowned artists Pierre Bensusan, Benjamin Verdery, Cecilia Zabala, and Brian Gore. Tickets: $24. Wolf Trap is not accessible by subway.
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- Ball game: DC Sports (28 Dec)
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- MLK Events Around Town (18 Dec)
- Plan Ahead: Sites Requiring Reservations (11 Dec)
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