Weekend Buzz: March 27, 2025
We're just about at full-bloom Cherry Blossom time – we're talkin' full-out peduncular elongation! – this weekend! And there's so much fun stuff to do in the area for the next several days. Here's a raft of options!
Local Music
Keith Butler, Jr. and Seysow
Mary Riley Styles Public Library, 120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church. Lower Level Conf. Room. Saturday, March 29, 2-3:00 p.m.
Composer/drummer Keith Butler, Jr, with members of his group Seysow (pronounced "say so"), play at Mary Riley Styles Public Library, March 29 at 2:00 p.m.
In this program, Keith will play excerpts of his Little City Concerts commissioned work, tentatively titled Rest/Imagine: Themes for a Bloodline. Written for Seysow (flute, piano, bass, drums), this piece is a rumination on literacy, Black imagination, and the often unspoken history of families.
Keith will be joined by flutist/vocalist Alex Hamburger and bassist Stephen Arnold. Members of Seysow are mainstays in the DMV jazz/experimental music scene, and have played at venues around the city like The Kennedy Center, the DC Jazz Festival, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Twins Jazz, the Strathmore Music Center, and Blues Alley. Seysow will perform the piece in its entirety on Saturday, April 5 on a Little City Concerts program at the Falls Church Episcopal.
To register for this weekend's show, go here.
The Coozies
Clare & Don's Beach Shack
130 N. Washington St., Falls Church, Saturday, March 29, 5:00 p.m.
Les Arts Florissants: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at 300
George Mason University Center for the Arts, 4373 Mason Pond Dr., Fairfax, Sunday, March 30, 4:00 p.m.
Théotime Langlois de Swarte, violin.
In celebration of the 300th anniversary of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Les Arts Florissants, one of the foremost Baroque music ensembles in the world, reframes the iconic work for the 21st century. The 15-person chamber orchestra, which performs on period instruments, intersperses the movements of the beloved Four Seasons with lesser-known works by Monteverdi, Uccelline, and Geminiani in this “performance to be celebrated” (The New York Times). Inviting questions about the fleeting, cyclical essence of our existence, relationship with nature, and the eternal renewal of earth’s cycles, this program also features “mesmerizing” (The New Yorker) violin star Théotime Langlois de Swarte, “a stunner by any standard” (Strad).
Appropriate for all ages. Tickets: $60, $51, $36; half-price for youth through Grade 12. Run Time: approximately 90 minutes, plus intermission.
For ticket info go here.
Visual Arts
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
Light & Dark: Contrast
Falls Church Arts, 700-B West Broad St., Falls Church
Photographers were invited to submit images that explore light and dark in contrast, whether in black and white or color photography. Exhibition: March 1 – April 6. Juror: Aimee George.
For our story about the People's Choice-winner at the show, see our article below:
Christopher Jones
A Brighter Light: An Alliance Member-Juried Show
Arlington Artists Alliance
2700 Clarendon Blvd. Suite R330, Arlington, Virg., March 20 - 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.
Glenn Kaino: Bridge
Ongoing Exhibit, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and G Streets, NW, D.C. 3rd Floor, Luce Foundation Center.
One of the most memorable images from the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City is the symbolic act of protest by Tommie Smith, winner of the men’s 200-meter race. During the medal ceremony, Smith bowed his head and raised his fist as an assertion of Black solidarity in the fight for human rights. Decades later, artist Glenn Kaino collaborated with Smith to create the monumental sculpture Bridge.
Kaino’s powerful aerial sculpture Bridge is comprised of 200 golden arms hanging from the ceiling of SAAM’s Luce Foundation Center. Each is a casting of the outstretched right arm of Tommie Smith, the American winner of the men’s 200-meter race at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. During the medal ceremony, Smith bowed his head and raised his black-gloved fist in a symbolic act of protest. Coming at a moment of turmoil in the United States, where public unrest flared over the war in Vietnam, racial discrimination and inequality, and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, his gesture was an assertion of Black solidarity in the fight for human rights. Echoed by the American bronze medalist John Carlos, it inspired social causes around the world and irrevocably changed Smith’s own life.
Kaino, a Los Angeles–based conceptual artist, created Bridge (2013-2014) as part of an ongoing collaboration with Smith and as a reflection on the power of the athlete’s gesture about 50 years after it occurred. Nearly 100 feet long, the sculpture reaches both backward and forward, acting as bridge through time and space into the present. It serves as a monument to one person’s action and its aftermath, evoking the ways even small acts can ripple through time and alter the course of history.
For more info go here.
Tour of Women Artists at the National Gallery
To celebrate Women's History Month this March, the National Gallery of Art provides this tour to "explore 10 works by women artists on view in our galleries."
MoCA on the Move at Met Park: Celebrating Spring Family Series
Museum of Contemporary Art, Arlington
Sundays, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Metropolitan Park, National Landing. March 30: Modeling Clay Creatures, with music from Duck Chuck Goose.
We’ll be in the park every Sunday this spring with live music, light snacks, and hands-on art making activities for the whole family. Expect a diversity of activities and happenings! Held on the “central green” at Metropolitan Park in National Landing. Free.
Dance
The Folklore Society of Greater Washington
Saturday, March 29, 10:00 a.m. and Sunday, March 30, 6:00 p.m.
An ultra-challenging urban dance weekend featuring mind-bending figures, non-gendered calling, and phenomenal music. Two days of workshops, dancing, community, fun and food in the fabulous open air, covered Bumper Car Pavilion and throughout Glen Echo Park.
Callers: Lisa Greenleaf and River Rainbowface. Live Dance: Free Raisins (Audrey Jaber, Amy Engelsberg, Jeff Kaufman) and Bowrider (Kelsey Wells, Alex Sturbaum, Brian Lindsay). Presenter: Folklore Society of Greater Washington. Location: Bumper Car Pavilion. Email: office@fsgw.org.
For more info go here.
Local Theater
Snow White/Blancanieve
March 21 - April 6, Creative Cauldron, 127 East Broad St., Falls Church
The Learning Theater takes an irreverent look at one of the most popular Grimm tales of all time. In this bilingual adaptation featuring the music of Conner and Smith, Snow White meets all of your favorite characters: the Magic Mirror, the Evil Queen, the little miners who come to her aid, and a few other zany members of the kingdom that will have you rolling in the aisles. Adults: $20. Students: $18.
For more info go here.
Auditions for Aspiring Young Actors
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Are your kids aspiring thesbians? Encourage them to audition for "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," at Lubber Run Ampitheater, 300 N. Park Dr., Arlington, March 25, 26, and 27, 7:30 - 10:00 p.m.
"We're seeking dynamic actors for this small but mighty cast. Don't miss your chance to be a part of this beloved show. SIGN UP TODAY! Character descriptions, audition form, and sign-up links are live at" here.
2 Across
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Through April 5. Providence Players of Fairfax, 2855 Annandale Rd., Fairfax.
Two strangers, a man and a woman, board a San Francisco BART train at 4:30 a.m. They’re alone in the car, both are doing the New York Times crossword. She’s an organized, sensible psychologist. He’s a free-spirited, unemployed ad exec. She's a crossword pro. He always quits. When he tosses his puzzle away, she urges him not to give up, explaining, “Crosswords are a metaphor for life, those who finish, succeed, those who don’t, fail.” This starts an eighty-minute ride filled with hilarious, witty, and romantic banter. As the train ride ends, it’s obvious each has solved more than a crossword together.
By Jerry Mayer. Directed by Barbara Gertzog.
For more info go here.
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.
hang
Last Weekend! ~ Through March 30 ~ 1st Stage, Tysons, 1524 Spring Hill Rd. Suite LL, Tysons, Virg.
One crime. One room. Three people. A woman’s unspeakable decision as the criminal’s fate hangs in the balance. Set in a haunting world where every word is a revelation and every silence speaks volumes, this electrifying production will take you on a journey through the complexities of justice and human nature. This 2015 hit from London’s Royal Court is provocative, touching, and darkly humorous.
Written by Debbie Tucker Green. Directed by Deidra LaWan Starnes. Sensitive Content.
For more info go here or call the Box Office at 703-854-1856.
It’s a Motherf**king Pleasure
Last Weekend, Final Show! ~ Sunday, March 30, 2:00 p.m. Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D St. NW, D.C.
This March we support “Disability rights… and wrongs”!
PR firm “Rize” faces accusations of ableism, unleashing a whirlwind of spin, changing narratives, and PC-culture. Enter Ross, a Blind influencer with his star on the rise, who is ready to profit off the guilt of non-disabled, anxious people. Will Rize and Ross come out on top, or will they get derailed by the shitstorm?
Multi-award winning and disability-led theatre company FlawBored delivers a meta-theatrical satire on the monetization of identity politics, the guilt of non-disabled people, and what it costs to do the right thing.
“Witty, hilarious and absurd” (Disability Arts Online) and a ‘fully’ accessible show (well.. we tried!)
Written and Performed by Flawbored. Presented in association with Studio Theatre & Arts Emerson.
All performances will be audio-described, relaxed and have captioning available. Run Time: 60 minutes.
For more info go here.
A Room in the Castle
Through April 6. Folger Theatre, 201 E. Capitol St., SE, D.C.
How does a woman survive the court of Denmark? How does anyone? A Room in the Castle finds Ophelia, her handmaid, and Queen Gertrude on the other end of a wild prince’s antics and realizing just how dangerous life in this castle has become. A universal thriller that explores how we help one another through harrowing times, what mothering a potential madman means, and what responsibilities generations have to each other, A Room in the Castle rebrands the stories of the women of Shakespeare’s Hamlet into a hilarious and heart-rending drama with music and defiant hope for the future.
By Lauren M. Gunderson. Directed by Kaja Dunn. Co-produced with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Tickets: $20 - $84. Approximately 85 minutes with no intermission.
For more info go here.
Your Name Means Dream
Through April 6. Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW, D.C.
Internationally acclaimed playwright José Rivera directs his profoundly intimate tragicomedy that asks what it means to be human as we embrace the technology of our future – and it embraces us.
Aislin needs constant support in her later years, and her care is placed in the hands of an AI robot-caregiver – designed to look and sound human – named Stacy. The unexpected relationship that blossoms between them sparks questions of what it means to have a soul, what defines humanity – and what happens when those definitions begin to shift.
Blending magical realism with science fiction, Rivera’s Your Name Means Dream marries the tension of a thriller with the emotional rewards of a quest. Aislin’s body may be aging, but her mind cannot help but actively seek connection and grow an appetite for true friendship. Stacy’s body was designed to fulfill the role of a caregiver but fails to qualify as being alive. The relationship these women find in each other is both surprising and moving, taking us on a journey that challenges us to know the Other as we attempt to discover more about ourselves.
Starring Naomi Jacobson and Sara Koviak.
For more info go here.
#CHARLOTTESVILLE
World Premiere! March 22 - 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"
Opens this weekend! ~ Runs: March 29-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.
Testosterone
March 15 – April 6. Ages: 18+ (Adults only). Atlas Performing Arts, 1333 H St. NE, D.C.
Testosterone takes the Grimm Brothers' "The Story of a Boy Who Went Forth to Learn Fear" and turns it on its head with hilarious results. This sharp social satire explores the clash between two brothers: Ingo, the "good son" living a life of comfortable security, and Raul, the "bad son" embracing the chaotic "bad neighborhood." Their confrontation exposes the absurdities of toxic masculinity and the pitfalls of privileged do-gooding, shaking everyone's moral compass.
Ingo resides in a high-tech security fortress to protect his own family from the "bad neighborhood", a barbaric dog-eat-dog world that is rampant with crime, gang wars, and violence. It's the home of his fearless brother Raul and when their worlds collide, chaos erupts, turning everyone's lives upside down, shaking their concepts of love, courage, and justice to the core, and blowing up their moral categories. It's a "dark parable,” disguised as comedy with strong farcical elements—translation by Neil Blackadder and directed by Karin Rosnizeck.
Ages: 18+ (Adults Only). Content Warning: Regularly occurring use of swearing or coarse language, Regularly occurring sexual content, Regularly occurring use of prop weapons, and intense references/depictions of violence.
Run-Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.
For ticket info go here.
National Cherry Blossom Festival
Bloomaroo Spring Festival at The Wharf
March 29, The Wharf D.C., 760 Maine Ave. SW, D.C.
Celebrate Spring at the "Home of the Cherry Blossoms" with Bloomaroo, The Wharf's free Spring Festival on Saturday, March 29 from 4-8:00 p.m.! With fireworks!
Bloomaroo has a full lineup of music, activities and experiences throughout the day:
🌸 Listen to live music on District Pier, Transit Pier, Market Pier, M Street Landing, and The Grove stages.
🌸 Visit the face painters on Recreation Pier.
🌸 Experience Japan in The Grove with Nen Daiko drummers and a haiku station.
🌸 Sip on cherry blossom-themed cocktails from the Blossom Bars and Wharf restaurants.
🌸 Kids can decorate a koi kite, create cherry blossom crafts and get a balloon animal.
🌸 Watch a dazzling blossom fireworks finale over the Washington Channel.
🌸 Picture yourself in a MINI of Alexandria MINI Cooper at District Pier.
🌸 Get your own blossoms from the Calluna Flower Truck near Easy Company.
🌸 Spin the wheel to win with DC Lottery near Hank’s Oyster Bar.
2025 Festival Schedule
🌸 Activites & Fireworks:
4pm-8pm — Listen to live music on multiple stages.
4pm-8pm — Activities throughout The Wharf include koi kite decorating, a haiku creation station, face painting, Blossom Bars, and more!
8pm — A Blossom Fireworks Finale
🌸 Performance Lineup:
Dance along to some of DC’s favorite bands all day long on our Piers. Please note, the lineup is subject to change.
Headline Stage on District Pier
🌸 Starlight Anthem
🌸 Yani the Band
🌸 3AM Tokyo
Transit Pier Stage
🌸 Pink PaLiSh
🌸 Perfekt Blend
M Street Landing Stage
🌸 Pebble to Pearl
🌸 Jimi Smooth & HitTime
The Grove Stage
🌸 Nen Daiko
🌸 Umami House Band
🌸 DJ Les Talusan
Market Pier Stage
🌸 Too Much Talent Band
🌸 DJ TEE NICE
For more info go here.
By Christopher Jones
Member discussion