Weekend Buzz: April 9, 2025
So much to do around town this weekend! Check out BalletNova's Don Quixote at Capital One Hall. Don't miss the final weekend of the timely #CHARLOTTESVILLE at the Keegan. Celebrate the 100th anniversary of The Great Gatsby with a full-reading of Fitzgerald's classic American novel at the Library of Congress. Also, discerning theater-goers simply must take in the hilarious podcasting superstars, Bitch Sesh, at the Warner Theatre. Enjoy!
Local Wildlife Education
Inviting Nature In: Creating Outdoor Spaces That Support Wildlife
Mary Riley Styles Public Library, 120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church. Saturday, April 12, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Upper Level Conference Room. Adults (18+). Registration for this event will close April 12 at 11:00 a.m. As of April 9, fifteen seats are remaining.
No matter the size of your yard, you can create an inviting space that supports wildlife year-round. Each of us can play an important role in supporting native plants and animals in the face of challenges like habitat loss, declining biodiversity and climate change.
Join Master Naturalist Amy Bolton to discuss how to incorporate the basic needs for wildlife into your outdoor space. Learn how choosing a few strategic plants can attract a host of birds, butterflies, and mammals. Be surprised at the biodiversity you can support by planting native plants and creating a four season habitat.
To register, go here.
Local Dance
BalletNova Presents Don Quixote
Capital One Hall, 7750 Capital One Tower Rd., Tysons, Va. Saturday, April 12, 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, April 13, 2:00 p.m.
Step into a vibrant world of adventure and romance with BalletNova's Don Quixote. Based on the classic novel, this dazzling production follows the whimsical journey of the eccentric, Don Quixote, and his loyal squire, Sancho Panza, as they set off on their quest to find the elusive Dulcinea. Along their journey to revive chivalry and protect the innocent, they encounter a cast of colorful characters, captivating love stories, and humorous misadventures.
Featuring stunning choreography, exquisite costumes, and a spirited score, Don Quixote brings to life the themes of love, imagination, and the pursuit of ideals. Whether you're a ballet enthusiast or a newcomer to the art form, this production of passion, humor and breathtaking dance promises to leave you uplifted and inspired. Join us for an unforgettable journey!’
For more info go here.
Local Music
Dewberry School of Music: Chorale Broadway Showcase 2025 ~ A Choral Tribute to Disney Magic
George Mason University Center for the Arts, 4373 Mason Pond Dr., Fairfax, Va. Friday, April 11, 8:00 p.m. And, Saturday, April 12, 2:00 p.m.
Join the University Chorale for our annual Broadway Showcase. Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Disney classics and the vibrant spirit of Broadway. This concert features everything from heartwarming ballads to exhilarating showstoppers. Experience the magic of timeless Disney melodies, reimagined with the dynamic energy of Broadway, as our University Chorale delivers a performance that promises to entertain audiences of all ages.
Tickets: $20: General Public, $15: Seniors, $5: Students.
For more info go here.
Melissa Etheridge: Spring Tour 2025
The Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW, D.C. Saturday, April 12, 8:00 p.m. Only bags 12x6x12 and under allowed in. No Backpacks. All balcony seats require climbing stairs. There are no elevators in the Theatre.
Rock singer-songwriter, musician and guitarist – and now Lesbian musical icon – Melissa Lou Etheridge is known for her "raspy renditions of songs with soul-baring, passionate lyrics." In 1988, when her eponymous debut album was released, it became an underground sensation, peaking at No. 22 on the Billboard 200. With its lead single, "Bring Me Some Water," the album garnered Etheridge her first Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female the following year. Etheridge's second album, Brave and Crazy, appeared in 1989 and earned her two more Grammy nominations. In 1992, she released her third album, Never Enough, and its lead single, "Ain't It Heavy," won Etheridge her first Grammy Award.
For more info go here.
Local Theater
In the Heights
Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Through May 4.
The joyous Tony Award-winning triumph by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) and Quiara Alegría Hudes (Daphne’s Dive).
Lights up on Washington Heights, NYC where the streets are full of music, and everybody’s got a dream. With the neighborhood on the brink of gentrification, and a life-changing winning lottery ticket somewhere in their midst, the vibrant inhabitants share hope, loss and love as they plan their futures while cherishing their home.
Latin rhythms and hip-hop lyrics infuse “96,000,” “Paciencia y Fe,” “Carnaval del Barrio” and the title song as this breathtaking celebration of community and culture energetically bursts off the stage with Signature’s trademark immersive style.
“When this musical erupts in one of its expressions of collective joy, the energy it gives off could light up the George Washington Bridge for a year or two.” -- The New York Times
For more info go here.
#CHARLOTTESVILLE
Last Weekend! Through April 13, Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St., NW, D.C.
An unflinching tour-de-force performance by Priyanka Shetty, #CHARLOTTESVILLE chronicles the tragic events of August 11th and 12th, 2017, when white supremacists gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia for the “Unite the Right” rally on the pretext of expressing outrage against the removal of the Confederate monument of Robert E. Lee, leading to a violent clash with counter-protesters. Shetty’s #CHARLOTTESVILLE unpacks the complex issues surrounding race and identity in modern-day America from her own perspective as an immigrant from India, while drawing parallels to the rise of nationalism and racial division in other parts of the world. Constructed verbatim from interviews with over 100 local residents, court transcripts from the civil trial, and news reports in the style of Anna Deavere Smith and the Tectonic Theater Project, #CHARLOTTESVILLE is an urgent and personal exploration of how a town and the nation grapple with white supremacy.
Directed by Yury Urnov. Playwright and Performer: Priyanka Shetty.
For more info go here.
Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing"
Through April 19. The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe St., Alexandria.
Written by William Shakespeare. Produced by Margaret Chapman and Christine Tankersly. Directed by Joey Pierce.
Set against the jazzy streets and festive vibes of modern-day New Orleans, William Shakespeare’s timeless Rom-Com comes to life. “There is a merry war” between the sharp-tongued Beatrice and Benedick, whose playful banter masks their growing affection for each other while their friends conspire to bring them together. Meanwhile, the earnest Claudio and Hero’s romance is put to the test by a series of deceptions. With vibrant characters, clever plot twists, and a delightful mix of love and laughter, this romantic comedy promises an exhilarating ride from start to finish. Get ready for a fantastical romp filled with clever quips, spirited antics, and a heartwarming finale!
Estimated time: two hours with an intermission. All ages. All must have a ticket to attend. Thursdays – Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. Sunday Matinees at 2:00 p.m. (Please note our new matinee time.) Tickets: $26, Reserved Seating.
For ticket info go here.
Annie
The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, D.C. April 11 - 20.
Back by Popular Demand! Holding onto hope when times are tough can take an awful lot of determination, and sometimes, an awful lot of determination comes in a surprisingly small package. Little Orphan Annie has reminded generations of theatergoers that sunshine is always right around the corner, and now the best-loved musical of all time is set to return in a new production – just as you remember it and just when we need it most.
Annie, directed by Jenn Thompson, features the iconic book and score, written by Tony Award®-winners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin. This celebration of family, optimism and the American spirit remains the ultimate cure for all the hard knocks life throws your way.
Children under age 4 will not be admitted. The show runs approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes including one intermission.
Bad Books
Roundhouse Theatre, 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda, Md. Now through April 27.
By: Sharyn Rothstein
Directed by: Ryan Rilette
Featuring: Kate Eastwood Norris and Holly Twyford
A National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere
When a troubled teen is given a controversial book, his mother visits the local library to discuss “appropriate” reading material with the librarian. However, their reasonable discussion quickly turns into a heated confrontation, sparking a dramatic chain reaction of unexpected consequences. With both heartbreak and humor, Sharyn Rothstein offers compassion and empathy as an antidote to the deep debates that divide us. Staged in the round, this brilliant world premiere challenges us to see past our political divisions and first impressions, and asks us what it truly means to care for our children. Part of the Bonnie Hammerschlag National Capital New Play Festival.
Bad Books is produced at Round House Theatre as part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. Other Partner Theaters are Florida Studio Theatre (Sarasota, Florida), Curious Theatre Company (Denver, Colorado), and Williamston Theatre (Williamston, Michigan). For more information, please visit nnpn.org.
For more info go here.
Literary Readings
Imagining Joy with James Baldwin
Mason Exhibitions, Arlington, 3601 Fairfax Dr. Friday, April 11, 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Join us on Friday, April 11, 12 - 3:00 p.m. at Mason Exhibitions Arlington to "imagine joy" with James Baldwin in the current art exhibition, Nothing Personal: A Collaboration in Black and White.
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. – Enjoy coffee, tea, light breakfast and experience a one-of-its-kind art exhibit.
1:00 - 2:30 p.m. – Meet others and participate in a reading group with Kritikos. Theme of this semester is The Power of Imagining, and this session will highlight the influential James Baldwin.
About Kritikos
Members of the community (near and far) are called to meet online each semester for a 90-minute session once a week with a goal of long-term commitment to relationship building, awareness, reimagining, transformation, and action, around anti-racist practices, racial justice, and the creation of conversations as well as systems of compassion and healing. We continue to focus on anti-Black racism and its effects on society.
Grounded in the knowledge that it is not a question of whether we are racist, but rather, how racism is expressed and experienced in ourselves, our lives, our behaviors, and our institutions, we explore books, music, art, essays, podcasts, and documentaries that allow us to critically question and consider our roles as artists, thinkers, citizens, and creatives in a society founded on racist values and practices. All are welcome.
For more info go here. And be sure to RSVP.
A Tribute to Athol Fugard with a Reading of "The Island"
The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St., Alexandria, Va. Wedneday, April 16, 7:00 p.m. The Closest Parking Garage is at 111 S. Pitt St. (2½ blocks from The Lyceum).
It is the early 1970s. John and Winston are two political prisoners in apartheid South Africa. The setting is Robben Island, off the coast but within sight of their homeland. An iconic play Athol Fugard devised with John Kani and Winston Ntshona, that MetroStage produced in both 1990 and 2015.
Since Mr. Fugard died this past February, MetroStage is honored to pay tribute to his body of work and present a reading of this extraordinary play. By depicting the labor required of the political prisoners, their bond, and their commitment to telling the classic story of “Antigone” for their fellow prisoners, Fugard has created a dramatic, and historic masterpiece. As MetroStage director Thomas W. Jones II described in a 2015 interview, the play depicts “themes of solidarity, endurance, perseverance (that) are timeless,” and a “celebration of human dignity and freedom in the face of insurmountable oppression.”
"This reflects a very important part of MetroStage’s history since we produced many of Mr. Fugard’s plays over the last 30 years. We are proud to pay tribute to his work and the tremendous contribution he made during the years of apartheid and beyond with a reading of The Island, featuring two of MetroStage’s favorite actors who've performed in his plays for MetroStage productions." ~ Carolyn Griffin, Producing Artistic Director.
For more info go here.
"The Great Gatsby" at 100: A Public Reading
Library of Congress (Thomas Jefferson Bldg., LJ 119), Thursday, April 10, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
On the exact 100th anniversary of the publication date of “The Great Gatsby,” the Library of Congress is producing a full reading of the novel, live-streamed from our Thomas Jefferson building on Capitol Hill. Be an old sport and join us in-person or online to experience this classic American novel which entered the public domain in 2021. This event will also be live-streamed on YouTube External.
Local Visual Arts
Marie B. Gauthiez: We Dwell in Between
Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art, 11805 Freedom Dr., Reston, Va. Now through June 29.
Gauthiez uses the house as a metaphor for the subconscious. The surfaces of her relief paintings are inspired by walls that show evolution, wear, and tear. Each wall is a chapter of a story with surfaces marking distinctive moments in time. Her mixed media drawings, grid paintings, brick-sized wall fragments, and an immersive plaster wall installation demonstrate the possibility of the medium escaping their containers and pushing against contained surfaces or fixed boarders. These elements, while transient and somewhat elusive, are held together by color, shape, form, and texture. Her work honors what came before and shares new layers.
Marie B. Gauthiez (she/her) is a multi-disciplinary French-American artist who makes work about mapping of the self, reconstruction, preservation, and identity. Marie received her MFA in Studio Art from American University in 2024. She is a faculty member at the Washington Studio School in Washington, D.C. Recently, Marie co-curated an MFA invitational exhibition called Holding Hands, Holding Space at the Katzen Center (Washington, D.C). Marie participated in Art Night “Homegrown” at the National Gallery of Art in 2023. She was awarded the Interlude Residency Support Grant, the Van Swearingen Merit Award, the Catharina Baart Biddle Award, and the Carol Bird Ravenal Art Travel Award. Marie will head to Illinois in December, 2025 for a residency at Ragdale.
For more info go here.
Pamela Huffman's "In the Absence of Nurture… Nature"
Be sure to visit Rare Bird Coffee Roasters in downtown Falls Church to see Pamela Huffman's solo exhibition: "In the Absence of Nurture… Nature,' now through June 15.
See our recent article about the show here:
Christopher Jones
A Brighter Light: An Alliance Member-Juried Show
Arlington Artists Alliance, 2700 Clarendon Blvd. Suite R330, Arlington, Now through May 4.
Alliance Gallery is pleased to present A Brighter Light, an Arlington Artists Alliance member-juried show exploring themes of hope, clarity, renewal, and optimism. The exhibition seeks to present light in a new way through artists’ use of color, shadow, and texture to convey emotions of optimism during times of uncertainty or darkness. How can light change our perspective? A Brighter Light aims to celebrate resilience and beauty in everyday life.
For more info go here.
Local Sports
Washington Spirit Watch Party
Solace Outpost, 444 W. Broad St. Saturday, April 12, 5:00 p.m.
"Join us as we show our support to The Washington Spirit!"
For more info go here.
Podcasting Superstars
Bitch Sesh: The You've Got a Friend in Me Tour
The Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW, D.C. Sunday, April 13, 7:30 p.m.
Casey Wilson (Happy Endings) and Danielle Schneider (The Hotwives of Orlando, Hacks) bring you a live version of their hilarious podcast, Bitch Sesh. They'll deep dive into all things Real Housewives, unpack pertinent pop culture goings on, and continue to process (and hopefully accept) Julia Roberts' wig in Mother's Day. One day at a time. Join them for dramatic reenactments, audience questions, hilarious clips, and more!
You won't want to miss this very important, nay – life altering, evening.
Important Event Info: Only bags 12x6x12 & under allowed in. No backpacks. All balcony seats require climbing stairs. Theater has no elevators. Ages: 18+.
For more info go here.
By Christopher Jones
Member discussion