Events calendar: Saturday, March 17

By
Robin Eberhardt
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Children’s programs

  • The National Geographic family event, “Adventures in Exploration: Protectors of the Wild” will feature stories from explorers about rainforest conservation, games and a screening of the film “Mission Critical: Orangutans.” 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. $10 for children ages 7 to 12; $15 for adults. National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th St. NW. 202-857-7700.
  •  Tthe Heurich House Museum will open “Kids in the Castle” to families for self-guided, kid-friendly tours, scavenger hunts with prizes and games in the museum’s castle garden. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free; registration recommended. Heurich House Museum, 1307 New Hampshire Ave. NW. 202-429-1894.
  • GALA Hispanic Theatre will present “VolcanO – Tales of El Salvador,” a bilingual play for children ages five to 10 about the Salvadoran folk tales of the cadejos, which are magic dogs of the volcano that protect families. 3 p.m. $10 to $12. GALA Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW. 202-234-7174.

Classes and workshops

  • The College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences at the University of the District of Columbia will host a series of free propagation clinics covering how summer crops become food. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free. The University of the District of Columbia, 4200 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-274-6103.
  • Bring a yoga mat and a towel to the Kennedy Center for a weekly all-levels vinyasa yoga class in the Grand Foyer. 10:15 a.m. Free; registration required. Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Event repeats every Saturday.
  • The U.S. Botanic Garden will hold its weekly “Yoga in the Garden” class that will allow participants to tune into their breath while enjoying the natural beauty of the garden. 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Free. Conservatory Gallery, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333.
  • The National Portrait Gallery will hold a creative writing session targeted for adults, which will take inspiration from the gallery’s special exhibition “The Sweat of Their Face: Portraying American Workers.” 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free, registration required. National Portrait Gallery, 8th and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. This event repeats weekly.
  • March is Orchid Month at Hillwood Estate, which will hold a workshop to teach orchid growers about repotting their flowers. Participants should bring one or two of their orchids from home. 2 to 4 p.m. $25 to $30. Hillwood Estate, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. 202-686-5807. This workshop will repeat on March 16.

Concerts

  • Join the Celtic Consort for a St. Patrick’s Day performance of traditional Irish music, featuring harps, flutes, mandolins and other instruments. 4 to 7 p.m. $25 to $30. Arts Club of Washington, 2017 I St. NW. 202-331-7282.
  • The Macalester Concert Choir will perform a program of traditional and modern Americana, including Jeffrey Van’s extended work “A Procession Winding Around Me.” 7:30 p.m. Free. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 5200 Connecticut Ave. NW. 651-696-6831.
  • Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a performance by The Celtic Tenors, a trio known for their professional, sparkling and good-humored performances, who will play as part of the Dumbarton concert series. 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. $39 to $42. Dumbarton United Methodist Church, 3133 Dumbarton St. NW. 202-965-2000.
  • Professional Choir The Thirteen will perform a seasonal concert titled “Bach Reflections” that will explore the music of Bach, his ancestors and those inspired by him. 7:30 p.m. $25 to $30. St. Columba’s Church, 4201 Albermarle St. NW. Visit TheThirteenChoir.org for tickets.
  • At “Curtain Up! Broadway Musical Magic,” the Congressional Chorus will celebrate nine decades of showtunes, from 1939 classics to songs off the soundtrack of 2017 Tony-winner “Dear Evan Hansen.” 8 p.m. $29 to $45. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. 202-629-3140. This performance will repeat on March 18 at 4:30 p.m.

Discussions and lectures

  • Todd Brethauer, a science education volunteer at the U.S. Botanic Garden, will hold a lecture in conjunction with the Garden’s “Orchid Spectrum” exhibit, discussing Cortes, President Thomas Jefferson and Charles Darwin playing key roles in our enjoyment and understanding of orchids as well as learning about different types of orchids. 10:30 a.m. to noon. Free; pre-registration required. U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory, 100 Maryland Ave SW. 202-225-8333.
  • Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington will discuss their book “The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist: A True Story of Injustice in the American South,” which describes the bad forensics, structural racism and what the authors believe are the institutional failures in how criminal justice is carried out in Mississippi. 3:30 p.m. Free. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364-1919.

Films

  • The National Geographic Museum will screen “Jerusalem 3-D,” which features aerial footage of the ancient city of Jerusalem. Noon, 1, 2 and 3 p.m. $7. Grosvenor Auditorium, 1600 M St. NW. 202-857-7700. The film will be shown Saturdays and Sundays until August.
  • Attend the American premiere of “City of the Sun,” a portrait of Chiatura, a nearly-deserted city in the country of Georgia that was once a center of manganese production. 2 p.m. Free. National Gallery of Art, 6th and Constitution avenues NW. 202-737-4215.
  • “Five Seasons: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf” will explore the landscapes that have inspired the Dutch designer who was commissioned to work on the New York City Highline. 4:30 p.m. Free. National Gallery of Art, 6th and Constitution avenues NW. 202-737-4215. This film will be screened again on March 21 at noon.

Performances

  • Choreographer Dana Tai Soon Burgess will explore the historical concept of “exotic” in a dance salon inspired by the “Portraits of the World: Switzerland” exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. 2 and 4 p.m. National Portrait Gallery, 8th and F streets NW. 202-633-8300.
  • Keegan Theatre will present the legendary musical “Chicago,” featuring Maria Rizzo as Roxy Hart and Jessica Bennett as Velma Kelly. 7:30 p.m. $55 for general admission tickets. Andrew Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. 202-265-3767. The show will be running until April 7.
  • Forum Theatre will present the new play “Nat Turner in Jerusalem,” which imagines the last night of the infamous leader of the 1831 slave uprising in a jail cell in Jerusalem, Va. 8 p.m. $18. Silver Spring Black Box, 8641 Colesville Rd. Silver Spring. 301-588-8279. The show will continue until April 7.
  • The Congressional Chorus will present “Curtain up! Broadway Musical Magic” that will include bold, brassy song and dance celebrating ten decades of Broadway brilliance. 8 p.m. $19 to $45. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. 202-629-3140. The show will repeat on March 18 at 4:30 p.m.
  • Spilling Ink will premiere “Srishti Layankari,” a dance theater project capturing the creative and destructive forces of the Hindu goddess Durga. Drawing from the imaginative vocabularies and delicate nuances of classical South Indian dance forms Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, the work creates a vast canvas soaked in religious fervor and spiritual energy, where the performers dance as the gods and for the gods. 8 p.m. $15 to $30. Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE. The show will repeat on March 18 at 4 p.m.

Special events

  • The Ford’s Theatre Society and the Abraham Lincoln Institute will hold a full-day symposium focused on the life, career and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln, including talks by noted authors and historians Anna Gibson Holloway, William C. Harris, Richard Carwardine, Stanley Harrold and Walter Stahr. Free; pre-registration suggested. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. Fords.org.
  • The Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church will host a Jewish renewal happening and pot luck lunch. Rabbi Mark Novak will weave together song, chant, meditation, stor, and Torah into a joyous gathering of in-sight and celebration. Free. 10 a.m. Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church, 4108 Military Road NW.
  • Marie Reed Elementary School will hold a Willy Wonka Fundraiser described as a “Scrumpdiddlyumptious” event to support education and celebrate community activism while the classic film “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” plays. 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ticket required for admission. Mellow Mushroom, 2436 18th St. NW. Contact [email protected] for more information.

Tours

  • Horticulturist Drew Asbury will give Hillwood visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the estate’s greenhouse for “Orchid Month.” 11 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 1:30 p.m. Free for members and children under 6. $5 for children 6 to 18, $10 for students, $15 for seniors and $18 for adults. Hillwood Estate, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. 202-686-5807. Sessions offered on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until March 31.
  • Blacksmith Samuel Yellin will lead a “Forged in Fire” tour of Washington National Cathedral, with a close look at the building’s ironwork. Recommended for ages 10 and older. 2 to 3 p.m. $18 to $22. Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-537-6200. This event will repeat on March 22.

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