Wednesday, April 24th
Community event
The Shaw neighborhood’s annual celebration (formerly A Taste of Shaw) of the best food and drink its restaurants and bars have to offer is back! Join in for a night of stellar cuisine, cocktails, and beers from this year’s Host Committee of chefs, restaurateurs, mixologists, brewers and bakers. Enjoy unlimited sips and noshes throughout the evening plus live entertainment by Christylez Bacon and Bee Boisseau. Tickets include unlimited tastings, beer, wine, soft drinks, complimentary valet parking and a gift bag. 7:00 p.m. at the Howard Theatre, 620 T Street NW. Tickets $80 -100. https://eatdrinkshaw2019.eventbrite.com
Performance event
Broadway Center Stage: The Who’s Tommy. Based on the iconic 1969 rock concept album, The Who’s Tommy is an exhilarating story of hope, healing, and the human spirit. 8 p.m. at the Kennedy Center’ Eisenhower Theater, 2700 F Street NW. Tickets: $69–199. http://www/kennedy-center.org
Screening event
The World of Poldark: Late 18th-century England is the backdrop for the British series Poldark on PBS. Ross Poldark is the dashing hero caught up in the social, political and economic changes swirling around him. Find out what the series, set in rugged Cornwall, gets right about the period. 6:45 p.m. at S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr SW. Tickets $30-$45. https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/world-of-poldark?utm_source=SIMag&utm_medium=SIMagListing&utm_campaign=APR19-SIMag-Poldark&promo=241487
Thursday, April 25th
Craft event
The 37th annual Smithsonian Craft Show features 120 hand-picked artisans who will exhibit hand-crafted basketry, furniture, paper, leather, ceramics, jewelry, mixed media, wood, wearable art, glass, and more. The Friend’s Night Out is an opportunity to meet America’s finest artists and designers and shop for unique handcrafted pieces. Serious collectors and casual visitors will find one-of-a-kind works of art in all price ranges. 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW. Tickets $20. https://smithsoniancraftshow.org/
Foodie event
How To Set the Italian Table: Pull up a chair as food writer Elizabeth Minchilli and cookbook author Domenica Marchetti serve up a lively discussion about what goes into an Italian meal. They consider the country’s many food-focused traditions, as well as the way they are celebrated every day at the table. 6:45 p.m. at S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr SW. Tickets $30-$45. https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/how-to-set-italian-table?utm_source=SIMag&utm_medium=SIMagListing&utm_campaign=APR19-SIMag-ItalianTable&promo=241487
Discussion event
Mary McDonnell’s Class Act: From Dances with Wolves to “Major Crimes”: The two-time Oscar-nominated actress known for portraying powerful and complex female characters discusses her life and career in films, theatre and television. 6:45 p.m. at S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr SW. Tickets $20-$30. https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/mary-mcdonnells-class-act-from-dances-with-wolves-to-major-crimes?utm_source=SIMag&utm_medium=SIMagListing&utm_campaign=APR19-SIMag-MaryMcDonnell&promo=241487
Friday, April 26th
Music event
Duke Ellington School of the Arts will host “Jazz City.” This event celebrates Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington’s 120th birthday to include a VIP reception and live performances by award-winning special guest artists Cyrus Chestnut, Marcus Johnson, and the Duke Ellington School of the Arts Jazz Orchestra. There will also be a presentation of the 2019 Daryl Libow Social Justice and Davey Yarborough Excellence in Jazz Awards, and “Duke’s After Party and Jam Session” immediately following the concert. 6:30 p.m. at Duke Ellington School of the Arts, 3500 R Street NW. Tickets $25 http://www.ellingtonschool.org/box-office
Community event
The 16th annual Georgetown French Market is a D.C. tradition that marks the arrival of spring. Each year, neighborhood boutiques, antique stores, restaurants, salons and galleries display their discounted wares in an inviting open-air market, evoking the outdoor markets of Paris. Neighborhood restaurants will also offer specials and French fare, including sweet and savory crepes, grilled merguez sausages, pastries and macarons. The Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID) announces that the popular festival weekend—perfect for shoppers, foodies and families—will return Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 and continue for a third day on Sunday, April 28! The FREE event will be located along Wisconsin Avenue between O Street and Reservoir Road in the Book Hill section of Georgetown. https://www.georgetownfrenchmarketdc.com/
Performance event
2018–2019 Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Fellow Rulan Tangen’s work explores movement as an evolving language of intertribalism rooted in diverse indigenous cosmologies, in functional ritual for transformation and healing, animating decolonization process, integrating concurrent universes of ancient futurities in the moment of now, and expressing energetic connection with all relations—human and beyond. 6 p.m. at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, 2700 F Street NW. Tickets Free.
Fundraising event
The Dupont Circle Village is holding its 11th annual major fundraiser, dubbed a SOLAR-bration. The fascinating new venue will allow plenty of room for SOLAR-brants to dance to 50s and 60s Oldie Goldies, enjoy wine/sparkling water with heavy hors d’oeuvres, as well as to bid in the annual silent auction on new opportunities to travel, shop, eat and go to the theatre. Gala proceeds from the stellar event will benefit the Village’s volunteer services offered at no charge to its members and provide for low-income member participation. 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the American Geophysical Union Headquarters, 2000 Florida Avenue, NW. Tickets $125. https://dcv.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=4002&club_id=161481&item_id=970328
Cocktail event
Calling all Gangsters & Flapper gals, City Tavern Club is hosting a Prohibition Night. Dress to impress, as there will be prizes for the best Roaring 20’s outfits! Entertainment by Karla Chisholm with a “Taste of the Twenties Menu.” 8:00 p.m. to Midnight at City Tavern Club, 3206 M St NW. Tickets $65. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/prohibition-night-tickets-59840877676
Saturday, April 27th
Music event
Music with the Angels presents Miguel E. Saavedra, guitarist. 7:30 p.m. at the Church of the Holy City, 1611 16th Street, NW. Free, Donations to the Performer and to the Church’s Organ Fund warmly appreciated. http://www.churchoftheholycitydc.org
Mars Urban Arts Initiative 2018/19 ensembles-in-residence VeVe & the Rebels and DuPont Brass come together for a double bill that showcases some of the most vibrant performing and teaching artists in D.C. Truly a musical representation of what it means to call D.C. home, these two bands work closely with Washington Performing Arts’ educational and community programs throughout the season to empower the voices and stories of students and our community. The original Afro-folk songs of VeVe & tha Rebels tell the complex story of discovery and identity through purpose-driven music making. DuPont Brass delights with an unabashedly soulful mash-up of styles to uplift the spirit. 8 p.m. at Sixth & I Synagogue, 600 I St NW. Tickets $25. https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1761013?utm_medium=bks
Renée Fleming VOICES: Patina Miller. Patina Miller’s star power transcends the divide between Hollywood and Broadway. On stage, she won the Tony Award® for Best Actress in a Musical for Pippin. On screen, she has wowed with recurring roles in The Hunger Games and TV’s Madam Secretary. 7:30 p.m. at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, 2700 F Street NW. Tickets: $49–79. http://www.kennedy-center.org
The Georgetown Chorale will present the magnificent but rarely performed Sacred Service (Avodath Hakodesh) by Ernest Bloch, in concert. Cantor Asa Fradkin of Congregation Beth El of Montgomery County will be the soloist. The concert will benefit Yachad, a local non-profit organization that works to bring communities together by preserving affordable homes and revitalizing neighborhoods. 8 p.m. at the Church of the Epiphany at Metro Center, 1317 G Street, NW. Tickets $25. http://www.georgetownchorale.org.
Shopping event
Christ Church Georgetown Annual Art Show and Sale. 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Christ Church Georgetown, 31st and O Streets, NW. Free.
Community event
The 16th annual Georgetown French Market is a D.C. tradition that marks the arrival of spring. The Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID) announces that the popular festival weekend—perfect for shoppers, foodies and families—will return Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 and continue for a third day on Sunday, April 28! The FREE event will be located along Wisconsin Avenue between O Street and Reservoir Road in the Book Hill section of Georgetown. https://www.georgetownfrenchmarketdc.com/
Discussion event
Celebrating Avenue Q: The show that proved that being a puppet is no barrier to being a Broadway star marks the end of its more than 6,000 New York performances in May. Before the final curtain falls, join two of Avenue Q’s non-puppet original cast members, Rick Lyon and Jennifer Barnhart for some behind-the-scenes insights on the development, history and impact of the Tony-winning musical, and its groundbreaking use of puppetry on stage. 7 p.m. at the S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr SW. Tickets $30-$45. https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/celebrating-avenue-q?utm_source=SIMag&utm_medium=SIMagListing&utm_campaign=APR19-SIMag-AvenueQ&promo=241487
Fundraising event
Northwest Neighbors Village invites you to attend its 10th Anniversary celebration: Voices from the Community. Featured speaker will be Pulitzer Prize winning Washington Post Cartoonist, Tom Toles. This will be followed by a performance from his band, Midnight Swim. 7:00 – 10:30 p.m. at Chevy Chase Town Hall, 5908 Connecticut Ave. Tickets: $100. https://www.auctria.com/ev?site=0026cf7c-3c9a-4289-a029-4824ddfa1d07
5k event
Each year the Junior League of Washington hosts a 5k race for Bright Beginnings. Bright Beginnings is a nonprofit organization that was established by the Junior League in 1990. It offers early education programs for homeless infants and toddlers in Washington D.C. Bright Beginnings offers full-day, year-round, developmentally-appropriate early childhood education services for infants and children up to the age of five years old at no cost to the families. It offers health and wellness programs, parenting classes, and extended care for parents who work nontraditional hours or are in school. This organization is life changing for families facing hardship and times of transition. Strollers and dogs welcome! 8:00 a.m. at Anacostia Park, 1900 Anacostia Dr. SE. https://potomac.enmotive.com/events/register/2019-bright-beginnings-inc-5k
Sunday, April 28th
Community event
The 16th annual Georgetown French Market is a D.C. tradition that marks the arrival of spring. The Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID) announces that the popular festival weekend—perfect for shoppers, foodies and families—will return Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 and continue for a third day on Sunday, April 28! The FREE event will be located along Wisconsin Avenue between O Street and Reservoir Road in the Book Hill section of Georgetown. https://www.georgetownfrenchmarketdc.com/
Musical event
Blockbuster soloists Itzhak Perlman and Evgeny Kissin (in one of two appearances this season) unite for an evening of chamber music on a grand scale. The eminence of the performers is matched by the prominence of the repertoire, including timeless favorites of the violin repertoire by Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms. 4 p.m. at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, 2700 F Street NW. Tickets $50-200. http://www.kennedy-center.org
Award-winning organist Nathan Laube will play a concert at Saint Ann Catholic Church in honor of the church’s 150th anniversary. Saint Ann’s organ has been played by world-renowned organists John Scott, Thomas Murray, Jane Parker-Smith and Ken Cowan, and is considered one of Washington DC’s finest organs. Laube’s recital career spans four continents, with appearances at the Vienna Konzerthaus, Berlin Cathedral, the Dortmund Konzerthaus and more. 3 p.m. at St. Ann Catholic Church, 4001 Wisconsin Avenue NW. Free. https://stanndc.org/events/150th-parish-anniversary-organ-concert-recitals-with-paris-notre-dame-organists-1
Discussion event
New Roots for Medicinal Plants: Medicinal plants have a long history across civilizations, and are garnering attention as the influences of herbalism and natural medicine move into the mainstream. Join Niraj Ray, founder of Cultivate the City, on the rooftop of its urban farm and learn how to utilize a diversity of these plants for both food and medical purposes. 2 p.m. at H St Farms at W.S. Jenks & Sons, 910 Bladensburg Rd NE. Tickets $30-$45. https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/new-roots-for-medicinal-plants?utm_source=SIMag&utm_medium=SIMagListing&utm_campaign=APR19-SIMag-MedicinalPlants&promo=241487
5k event
Celebrate Spring with the Tenley Tiger Run 5K, Tiger Mile and Cub Fun Run. Join in again if you’ve run before or join in for the first time for a healthy activity shared with family, friends and neighbors in Tenleytown and across the D.C. area. Team registrations are also available! 9:00 a.m. at Wilson High School, 3950 Chesapeake St NW. Registration $35. https://tenleytigerrun.com/register
Monday, April 29th
Musical event
The U.S. Army Blues, part of the United States Army Band Pershing’s Own, is the premier jazz ensemble of the United States Army. Comprised of exceptional jazz musicians from across the nation, the Army Blues strive to fulfill their mission through public concerts, educational outreach, and the preservation of the tradition of America’s unique art form: jazz. 6 p.m. at th Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater, 2700 F Street NW. Free general admission tickets-up to two per person—will be distributed in the Hall of Nations, beginning at 5 p.m.
Hailed as a “Celtic guitar god” by Baltimore City Paper and “one of the best folk instrumentalists in the business” by Sing Out! Magazine, Robin Bullock is one of the preeminent acoustic music masters of our time. 7:30 p.m. at Saint Mark Presbyterian Church, 10701 Old Georgetown Rd. Tickets $20. http://www.imtfolk.org
Tuesday, April 30th
Performance event
Experience & learn about the classical Japanese theater of Noh with Kinue Oshima, the first female Noh actor from the Kita School, and her brother Teruhisa Oshima who is also an acclaimed Kita School Noh actor. A full costume performance of “Hashitomi,” a Noh play based on the character Yugao (Moonflower) from The Tale of Genji, combined with demonstrations will provide both insight and enjoyment. The program will include a music & dance excerpt from “Tadanori” and a lecture about the various performance elements of Noh. 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Japan Information and Culture Center at the Embassy of Japan, 1150 18th Street NW. Free. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-blossoming-spirits-noh-lecture-performance-registration-59787066726?ref=emma3825a72z1518c272
Book event
Francisco Cantú’s The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border was named a Top 10 Book of 2018 by NPR and the Washington Post, was shortlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Excellence, and was a finalist for the National Book Critic Circle’s John Leonard Prize. In the book he recounts the complexity of being a child of a Mexican immigrant and serving with U.S. Border Patrol. He witnesses the harsh conditions in which asylum-seekers navigate the border and is deeply affected by the role of the border in his own life and family origins. 7 p.m. at the Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library, 3160 16th St NW. Free.
Musical event
The indie folk icon, a.k.a. singer-songwriter Sam Beam, celebrates a 15th-anniversary re-release of Iron & Wine’s acclaimed best-selling album Our Endless Numbered Days. The record will be performed in its entirety with the NSO in new arrangements by composer David Campbell, who also conducts. 8 p.m. at the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall, 2700 F Street NW. Tickets: $39-89. Http://www.kennedy-center.org
Discussion event
The CIA and the Presidents: An Ever-Changing Relationship: The sprawling Central Intelligence Agency has thousands of eyes and ears, but only one client: the president of the United States. The CIA’s chief historian David Robarge discusses the agency’s changing role throughout administrations, and how presidents’ experience with intelligence and their foreign policy agendas have affected that relationship. 6:45 p.m. at S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr SW. Tickets $30-$45. https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/cia-and-presidents-ever-changing-relationship?utm_source=SIMag&utm_medium=SIMagListing&utm_campaign=APR19-SIMag-CIAandPresidents&promo=241487
