Weekend Buzz, Feb. 13, 2025
Happy Galentine's Day today, and Valentine's Day weekend! Much to do – perhaps romantically? – around the area this weekend!
Dining
Valentine’s Day Dinner at Ellie Bird
Founders Row Michelin Star restaurant, Ellie Bird, in Falls Church is offering a special four-course Valentine’s Day dinner on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14. Tickets are $105 per person and the menu offers “housemade breads, creative flavors, and fun luxury items.” For more information and to purchase a ticket, click here.
Valentine's Day Dining in Falls Church
From The Patch:
If you haven't yet reserved a table, here are a few local spots with Valentine's Day menus or specials:
Visual Arts
'Petit Opening' at Idylwood Studios
Check out Falls Church's latest community-oriented studio space – in an "unusual spot." Idylwood Presbyterian has allowed a team of four established Falls Church's visual artists to make the church's former Sunday School classrooms into "an art space for all."
"If you're looking for something to do this Friday, February 14 (aka Valentine’s Day), Idylwood Studios is having a "Petit Opening," the new studios posted to Instagram. "We would love to see you between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. at 7617 Idylwood Road, Falls Church, upstairs..."
With a mission to create a studio as a space "where all of Falls Church can engage with the arts," the venture will be "creating a gallery for emerging artists." Affordable classes will be offered and a Teaching Artist in Residence will be guiding students.
Open studios will include:
For more info contact: IdylwoodStudios@gmail.com.
Museum of Contemporary Art, Arlington
3550 Wilson Blvd., Arlington
Opening on Valentine's Day, Friday, Feb. 14, at MoCA Arlington, Virginia Square! Visit the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington for a new season of exhibitions, featuring:
- Milan Warner: Where growths sleep but cannot dream
- Brandon Morse: Gradually, All at Once
- Joshua Challen Ice: Something to Do With My Hands
- A Passage of Force Through Matter: Current Painting
- Moments: Hardships and Joys We Carry
Plus, join on Saturday, Feb. 22 for Art After Hours to celebrate the opening, meet exhibiting artists and visit resident artist studios. The show runs through Feb. 26.
For more info go here.
Renwick, SAAM, Smithsonian
8th and G Streets, NW.
Pictures of Belonging
Pictures of Belonging: Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi, and Miné Okubo presents an in-depth look at the careers of three trailblazing American women of Japanese descent and asserts their rightful place in American art.
Miki Hayakawa (1899-1953), Hisako Hibi (1907-1991), and Miné Okubo (1912-2001) were three of the most active and critically acclaimed American artists of Japanese descent in the years leading up to World War II. Their careers spanned eight decades and four U.S. states, yet the full extent of their contributions remain underrecognized within twentieth-century American art history.
Pictures of Belonging is an unprecedented examination of these three trailblazing figures. By tracing their artistic development before, during, and after the mass incarceration and displacement of Japanese Americans during World War II, the exhibition offers a nuanced view of how these women continued to explore and experiment with new artistic expression throughout their lives. Created during tumultuous decades in modern U.S. history, their paintings, along with their stories of resilience, remind us of art’s power in the face of adversity and challenge.
Through Aug. 17, 2025. For more info go here.
Theater
Creative Cauldron
127 E. Broad St., Falls Church
Steel Magnolias
Creative Cauldron is moving into their "new home at 127 E. Broad St., Falls Church, starting Feb. 13 with Steel Magnolias!"
Welcome to Truvy's Beauty Salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, a hot spot where six brassy southern women come to laugh, gossip, and share the most intimate details of their lives and loves. This smash hit play, became a smash hit movie that audiences loved. Creative Cauldron has assembled a talented and diverse sisterhood to tell this heartfelt and hilarious story. Steel Magnolias is a lasting testament to the power of sisterhood that continues to charm and beguile audiences everywhere.
Steel Magnolias is sponsored by Mark F. Werblood, Esq. and Serene Feldman Werblood.
Want to see a particular performance for free? CLICK HERE to volunteer for that performance!
Steel Magnolias runs through March 9. For more info go here.
Nova Nightsky Theater
225 E. Broad St, Falls Church
Fool for Love
Thursday, Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 15, 2:00 p.m.
Final weekend! "Fool for Love" by Sam Shepard explores themes of love, obsession, and the complexities of human relationships. The story is set in a seedy motel room on the edge of the Mojave Desert, and revolves around two main characters, Eddie and May, who have a tumultuous and passionate relationship.
Directed by Chris D’Angelo. Stage Managed by Hannah Ruth Blackwell.
For ticket info go here. Special BOGO offers.
Signature Theatre
4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington.
In the Heights
Opening weekend! Show runs February 11 - 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.
Capital One Hall, Tysons
7750 Capital One Tower Rd., Tysons.
Men Are From Mars – Women Are From Venus: LIVE!
Celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Off-Broadway sensation, Men Are From Mars – Women Are From Venus: LIVE! This uproarious show, a seamless blend of theater and stand-up, has been revamped for 2024-2025. Expect a delightful, light-hearted comedy inspired by John Gray's New York Times #1 best-selling book. Eric Coble, the original writer, and director Mindy Cooper are back to inject new life into the script, ensuring its relevance and resonance with today's audiences.
Moving swiftly through a series of vignettes, the show covers everything from dating and marriage to the bedroom. This hysterical show will have couples elbowing each other all evening as they see themselves on stage. Sexy and fast paced, this show is definitely for adults, but will leave audiences laughing and giggling like little kids!
When Mars and Venus collide, the adventures are earth-shatteringly hysterical. It's a great recipe for a date night out: a little storytelling blended with some comedy and a dash of sage wisdom from the book. A delicious evening of entertainment!
This show has one 15 minute intermission.
For more info go here.
Theatre on the Run, Dominion Stage
3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive, Arlington.
The City of Conversation
Last weekend! Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, at 8:00 p.m., through Feb. 15.
By Anthony Giardina. Directed by Jessie Roberts.
In 1979, Washington D.C. was a place where people actually talked to each other... where adversaries fought it out on the Senate floor and then smoothed it out over drinks and hors d'oeuvres. But it was all about to change.
In this play spanning 30 years and six presidential administrations, Hester Ferris throws Georgetown dinner parties that can change the course of Washington’s politics. But when her beloved son suddenly turns up with an ambitious Reaganite girlfriend and a shocking new conservative world view, Hester must choose between preserving her family and defending the causes she's spent her whole life fighting for.
From the prolific pen of novelist, essayist, and playwright Anthony Giardina comes a play about politics in family, and families in politics. A searing new drama, The City of Conversation delves into the ever-changing tapestry of U.S. Government and the people who shape it off the senate floor.
Use the online coupon code "HESTER5" and save $5 off the general admission door rate.
For ticket info go here.
Woolly Mammoth Theatre
GUAC
Final weekend! Through Feb. 16.
If grief is just another form of love, what you do with it next is what counts. This winter, meet the Olivers in GUAC !
Fearless, funny, and pulling zero punches, GUAC is a tour-de-force theatrical experience about a father turned activist, Manuel Oliver. Seven years after losing his son Joaquin “Guac” Oliver in the Parkland shooting, Oliver harnesses the unbreakable power of a father’s love into an equally passionate force for change. A story about the many firsts and lasts that define us, GUAC is a joyful celebration of a life cut short and an activist rallying call for a better future.
All tickets are $30. Special Benefit Price available at all performances $60 = 50% donation to Change the Ref. Limited Special: Each Sunday is Pay What You Will for GUAC!
The run time of GUAC is 100 minutes with no intermission.
For ticket info go here.
Live Comedy
State Theatre
220 N. Washington St., Falls Church
$5 Comedy Night
Saturday, Feb. 15, Doors open 7:00 p.m. Showtime: 8:30 p.m.
$5 Comedy Night is back inside at the State Theatre! Featuring the DMV's best comedians.
You must be 18 or over to enter unless accompanied by your parent. Valid ID required. Save some money! There's only a $1 fee when you buy your ticket in person at the box office.
For more info go here.
Dance
Center for the Arts, George Mason University
Concert Hall. 4373 Mason Pond Dr., Fairfax
West Coast Street Dance Fundamentals and Q&A with Versa-Style Street Dance Company
Friday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m.
In this collaborative workshop with Lion’s Den DMV, a Filipina-founded organization dedicated to inclusion and positive wellness through dance/movement/fitness programming, Mason Artist-in-Residence Versa-Style Street Dance Company teaches fundamentals of street dance forms originating in California, including Popping and Krump. The workshop will explore the foundation of each respective style, including understanding the rhythm and timing of movements in relation to each style of music, the foundational grooves and vocabulary, and combining these fundamentals to develop a foundation for choreography and/or freestyle. The cultural and historical context for which each style was developed will be discussed to give students a deeper understanding of these street dance forms. The Q&A will be moderated by Lion's Den DMV founder Lauren DeVera.
- 45 minutes - Popping w/Precise (Versa-Style/Soulbotics Krew)
- 45 minutes - Krump w/BeastBoi (Versa-Style/The Beast Camp)
- Panel/Q&A
The Mason Artist-in-Residence program is supported in part by the Wendy Frieman and David Johnson Fund and the City of Fairfax Nonprofit Grant Program.
For more info go here.
Glen Echo Park
7300 MacArthur Blvd.
Feb. 14, Balboa Lesson with Dabe and Janelle: 8:30 - 9:00 p.m. Social Dance: 9 - 11:30 p.m.
Dabe and Janelle’s popular monthly Balboa dance series continues! You’ll find this casual and friendly atmosphere is a great way to be introduced to this smooth style that’s perfect for dancing to fast music, but also great for playing with slower tempos. New and experienced dancers alike are welcome.
Presenter: Gottaswing. Location: Ballroom Back Room. Admission: $12. Now accepting credit card payments. Cash discount! Pay cash/check, only $10. Email: Debra@gottaswing.com.
Live Music
Busboys and Poets
14th and V Sts. NW
Just Love: A Dinner Salon with Jazz & Poetry inspired by James Baldwin
Friday, Feb. 14, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
The Baldwin100, the Cheuse Center and Busboys and Poets present: Just Love: A Dinner Salon with Jazz & Poetry inspired by James Baldwin to celebrate Baldwin100.
The night will open with Martheaus Perkins, who will read his poem dedicated to Baldwin. Then we will have Zeina Azzam and E. Ethelbert Miller perform poems, and chat about love, Baldwin, and their own creativity. The evening’s headliner is Lena Seikaly and her quartet.
Presented by Mason Exhibitions Arlington.
RSVP and find more info here.
Romantic, Revealing Winter Sports
The Wharf DC
760 Maine Ave. SW
Cupid’s Undie Run
Union Stage. Sat., Feb. 15, 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Pants off and party on for a cause! On Saturday February 15, run a mile(ish) around The Wharf and help find a cure for Neurofibromatosis (NF) in the Cupid's Undie Run. Then top off the day with an epic dance party at Union Stage.
Registration is open for our 2025 events! Every February, thousands of undie runners in cities across the U.S. come together, whether it be in-person or virtually, to support those affected by NF, a group of genetic conditions that cause tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body.
Cupid’s Undie Run kicks off with drinking and dancing, then we jog it out with a mile(ish) run and cap it off with an epic dance party!
To register go here.
By Christopher Jones
Member discussion