The Agenda News December, 2021

A Guide to Places to Go & Things to Do in
Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Northwest DC & Northern Virginia
©® 2021 Bob Joiner PO Box 71024 Chevy Chase, MD 20813-1024 The Agenda News is updated via Twitter @ TWITTER.COM/BOBSAGENDANEWS For more information, seE About US following the Television columN

contents

The Holiday Model Train Display at The U.S. Botanic Garden

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS:

SPECIAL EVENTS IN D.C.: The U.S. Botanic Garden – on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol - is offering an outdoor holiday display this year, thru January 2 (closed on December 25). The display includes festive decorations, model trains, evergreens, and lights in the outdoor gardens. Model trains circulate through miniature agricultural displays from across the U.S. and around the world - between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. daily. The Conservatory and public restrooms remain closed due to the closure of the U.S. Capitol campus buildings. Visit www.USBG.gov/Holiday The Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building (AIB) reopened for the first time in nearly two decades in celebration of the museum’s 175th Anniversary on November 20. The opening features the goundbreaking ‘FUTURES’ Exhibition, the Smithsonian’s first major building-wide exploration of the future. The exhibition will be on view thru July 6, 2022. FUTURES “fuses awe-inspiring art, technology, design and history, inviting visitors to dream big and imagine not just one but many possible futures on the horizon.” “Since 1846, the Smithsonian’s mission for the ‘increase and diffusion of knowledge’ has led to remarkable leaps—exploring the beginnings of the universe, saving species from extinction, preserving the full diversity of human culture and bringing new methods of digital learning to billions around the globe.” FUTURES unfolds across four unique environments, one in each of AIB’s four monumental halls: Past Futures, Futures that Inspire, Futures that Unite and Futures that Work. Visit https://aib.si.edu/ SPECIAL EVENTS IN MARYLAND Brookside Gardens of Lights in Wheaton, MD – a winter-season tradition - is on display every night thru January 2, 2022, except December 24-25, 2021. More than one million dazzling and colorful LED lights have been handwoven into original works depicting animals, flowers, and other natural elements. The computerized light display matches lights with music, fog bubbles, and more. The Brookside Gardens’ Gift Shop is open during the exhibit. Visit https://www.montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/brookside-gardens/garden-of-lights/ SPECIAL EVENTS IN VIRGINIA George Washington's Mount Vernon will offer Tours by Candlelight on December 3-4, December 10-11 and December 19. Visitors can visit with Mrs. Washington and other 18th-century residents of Mount Vernon in a 45-minute candlelit tour of the Mount Vernon estate, followed by a reception. It’s a unique opportunity to learn about holiday traditions of 18th century Virginia, and to hear stories of Christmases past from costumed character actors portraying Washington’s family, friends, and enslaved or hired staff. Walk through the lantern-lit historic area, stopping at the Slave Quarters, outbuildings, and inside the Mansion. Greet Aladdin, the Christmas camel, in the 12-Acre Field. Learn about 18th-century dining and hospitality in the Greenhouse. Finish the evening with live music, cider, and cookies in the Donald W. Reynolds Museum & Education Center Lobby. Visit https://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/events/mount-vernon-by-candlelight/
The Smithsonian Arts & Industries Building
A Holiday Display at Brookside Gardens in 2017
Illuminations at Mount Vernon

LOCAL NEWS FEATURING CHEVY CHASE & BETHESDA

TRANSITIONS The owners of Friendship Center at 5333 WISCONSIN AVE. on the D.C. side of Friendship Heights have proposed razing the building and replacing it with a new 12-story residential high-rise. The building - opposite Mazza Gallerie - now houses branches of Marshalls, Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW), and Maggiano's Little Italy Restaurant. The existing stores and Maggiano’s would, of course, have to vacate 5333 to make room for the new project. Chevy Chase Pavilion and the adjacent office buildings would not be affected. Nordstrom Rack left 5333 earlier this year and the space is now occupied by Sheyla Vie Collections - see the SHOPPING column below for more information. The proposed new building would include 350 apartments, some of which would be “affordable,” as required by D.C. law, The new building would have neighborhood retail on the avenue level...but no big box stores, offices or large restaurants. The building would feature rooftop gardens and apartment balconies and would aim for the highest level of Leed Certification - indicating little or no negative environmental impact. The new building would be at its tallest on the Wisconsin Avenue side and would “step down” to about nine stories on the east side, where it would abut existing residential town houses. Rezoning would be needed to permit a high-rise on the property. Elsewhere in Friendship Heights, the owners of the Brooks Brothers block - as 5500 WISCONSIN AVE. is popularly known - have had multiple meetings with members of the surrounding community and the Montgomery County Planning Board to get feedback about their plans to redevelop much of the block....with the exception of the Courtyard Marriott Hotel. There has been great interest in the proposed Shared Street for vehicles and pedestrians that would be installed on the northern end of the property, stretching from Wisconsin Avenue to The Hills Plaza. The main purpose of the proposed street would be to ensure that construction of the building would not result in more traffic on South Park Avenue. In addition, some residents have expressed concern that the proposed high-rise residential building might cast shadows on Hubert Humphrey Park. The developer responded with presentation of Shadow Studies, which can be seen at https://www.5500wisconsin.com/uploads/1/8/3/2/18320723/5500_presentation_10-14-21_.pdf Scroll down to the white box labeled “Watch our shadow study presentation.” Also on the 5500 property, Bank of America closed their branch on South Park Avenue permanently on October 26 and removed the furnishings. Meanwhile, the Brooks Brothers store continues business as usual. The Montgomery County Planning Board had a public hearing and voted to accept the Sketch Plan Application to redevelop the 5500 block on November 18. The next step will be submission of a Site Plan for the property to the Planning Board. The Statement of Justification (SOJ) and the entire Sketch Plan application can be seen at https://www.5500wisconsin.com/sketch-plan.html WESTBARD SQUARE As the transformation of Westwood Center into Westbard Square begins in Bethesda, an informative video about the project, including timelines, is available, showing plans for construction of a new Giant food store, realignment of Westbard Avenue, razing of Westwood Center 2 for construction of Kensington Senior Living, new townhomes & apartments and green spaces. See the video at https://westbardsquare.com/redevelopment/ Also visit https://westbardsquare.com/ DINING
 Construction of The Hunter’s Hound restaurant and bar directly opposite Clyde’s on Wisconsin Avenue in The Collection is in advanced stage, and a Fall opening is planned. The owner of the Irish-themed restaurant is based in the New York City area, where he has restaurants named The Hudson Hound - after the nearby Hudson River. The part of The Collection that will house The Hunter’s Hound will also house a branch of Junction Bistro, Bar and Bakery, which is based in Arlington, VA. The new venues will be in a part of The Collection which formerly housed a Ralph Lauren apparel store. That part of the building has been totally redesigned with an entrance facing Clyde’s. The Hunter's Hound will be on the Wisconsin Avenue side of the building. Bethesda Winter Wonderland will take place on December 4 at the Norfolk Avenue Streetery at the corner of Norfolk and St. Elmo Avenues. The event will feature live ice sculpting, live music and more. Bethesda Streetery is a dining concept to create additional restaurant seating outdoors in downtown Bethesda. The “Bethesda Streetery” is set-up as open seating, with all tables placed at least 6’ apart and a limit of four people permitted per table. Restaurant patrons are invited to dine within this open-air area after picking up food and beverages from a local Bethesda restaurant. Tables are cleaned after each use. Visit https://www.bethesda.org/bethesda/winter-wonderland
5333 Wisconsin Avenue
Views of Hubert Humphrey Park

A rendering of Westbard Square
Sheyla Vie Collections

Hunter's Hound under construction

ARTS & CRAFTS:

NATIONAL GALLERIES

The National Gallery of Art - West Building
The National Gallery of Art is exhibiting James Van Der Zee's Photographs: A Portrait of Harlem, which offers a chronicle of life in New York City's majority Black neighborhood during the 1920s and 1930s and beyond, thru May 30, 2022. Some 40 works by Van Der Zee from the National Gallery’s collection feature his studio portraits, along with his photographs of Harlem nightclubs and storefronts, plus religious, social, political, and athletic community groups. Visit https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2021/james-van-der-zee-photographs-portrait-harlem.html The National Gallery of Art East Building & West Building have reopened. The Gallery is exhibiting Clouds, Ice, and Bounty: The Lee and Juliet Folger Fund Collection of Seventeenth-Century Dutch and Flemish Paintings, thru February 27, 2022. Visit https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2021/dutch-flemish-paintings.html The National Gallery of Art is exhibiting Aquatint: From Its Origins to Goya, thru February 21, 2022. The display is the first American exhibition to survey the medium’s development in France, England, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain and includes some 100 early and exceptional impressions. Visit https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2021/aquatint-origins-goya.html
 The National Gallery of Art is exhibiting The New Woman Behind the Camera, featuring more than 120 international female photographers "who embraced photography as a mode of professional and personal expression from the 1920s to the 1950s." Visit https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2021/new-woman-behind-camera.html The National Gallery of Art is exhibiting sculptures, paintings, drawings, prints, and videos by contemporary American artist Lynda Benglis in the East Building, Mezzanine, thru January 2, 2022. Visit https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2021/lynda-benglis.html The National Museum of Women in the Arts is exhibiting a participatory online exhibition titled RECLAMATION: Recipes, Remedies, and Rituals thru December 31. The evolving exhibition features nine interdisciplinary artists at their own kitchen tables, sharing photographs, videos and personal stories. Visit https://nmwa.org/exhibitions/reclamation-recipes-remedies-rituals/ The National Museum Of Women In The Arts has closed for in-person visits as the museum undergoes a two-year renovation. Visit https://nmwa.org/whats-on/exhibitions/
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James Van Der Zee - Portrait of a Couple, 1924 - gelatin silver print - image/sheet: 25.2 x 20.2 cm (9 15/16 x 7 15/16 in.) - mat: 50.8 x 40.6 cm (20 x 16 in.) - National Gallery of Art, Washington, Robert B. Menschel Fund 2000.83.1 © 1969 Van Der Zee
Jean-Baptiste Le Prince, Les Pecheurs (The Fishermen), 1771, etching and aquatint printed in brown on laid paper, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 1990.134.5


ARTS & CRAFTS: SMITHSONIAN GALLERIES

The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery & American Art Art Museum

 The Smithsonian Portrait Gallery is exhibiting Hung Liu: Portraits of Promised Lands thru May 30, 2022. The exhibition is the first retrospective of portraiture by Hung Liu (1948-2021). The Portrait Gallery is exhibiting Block by Block: Naming Washington thru January 16, 2023. The exhibition features a selection of the people whom Washington city planners deemed important enough to have streets and spaces named after them, including Farragut, Howard, Barton, Al Gore and Malcolm X. Visithttp://npg.si.edu The Portrait Gallery is exhibiting Warranted to Give Satisfaction: Daguerreotypes by Jeremiah Gurney thru February 6, 2022. Jeremiah Gurney (1812–1895) established one of New York City’s first daguerreotype studios in 1840, and his works were considered “nearer to absolute perfection” than those of other daguerreotypists. The Smithsonian American Art Museum is exhibiting Sargent, Whistler, and Venetian Glass: American Artists and the Magic of Murano, which was and is a center for making Venetian Class, thru May 8, 2022. Featuring more than 150 objects, the exhibition "presents a choice selection of glass vessels in conversation with paintings, watercolors, and prints by the many talented American artists who found inspiration in Venice.” Visit https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/sargent-whistler-and-venetian-glass-american-artists-and-magic-murano:event-exhib-6534 The Smithsonian American Art Museum is displaying Welcome Home: A Portrait of East Baltimore, 1975-1980, a survey conceived, led and carried out by women photographers—Elinor Cahn, Joan Clark Netherwood and Linda Rich. They photographed a cross-section of Baltimore residences and businesses, celebrating traditions while also acknowledging many challenges.Visit http://americanart.si.edu The Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum is exhibiting New Glass Now, thru March 6, 2022. The exhibition documents the innovation and dexterity of artists, designers, and architects from around the world working in the challenging material of glass. Visit https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/new-glass-now:event-exhib-6540 The National Museum of African Art is exhibiting Iké Udé: Nollywood Portraits; the closing date has not yet been announced. Nollywood is Nigeria’s 3-billion-dollar film industry, and Iké Udé returned to Lagos, Nigeria, in 2014, after three decades away, to photograph its celebrities. Visit https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/ike-ude-nollywood-portraits:event-exhib-6554 The Hirshhorn is presenting “A Countervailing Theory,” featuring work by Toyin Ojih Odutola (born Ile-Ife in Nigeria in 1985), thru April 3, 2022. The exhibition features her monumental cycle of 40 large-scale, monochromatic drawings that "chronicle a myth that she conceived and is accompanied by conceptual sound artist Peter Adjaye’s cinematic immersive soundscape titled “Ceremonies Within.” Visit https://hirshhorn.si.edu/upcoming-exhibitions The Smithsonian Hirshhorn Gallery exterior has been "wrapped in a curtain” by renowned Swiss artist Nicolas Party, and the wrap will remain in place thru Spring of 2022 while the building’s envelope undergoes critical repairs. The Hirshhorn is presenting artwork by multimedia artist, performer, musician and writer Laurie Anderson, thru July 31, 2022. Laurie Anderson: The Weather has debuted more than 10 new artworks, plus select key works from throughout her career. The Hirshhorn is exhibiting Abigail Deville: Light of Freedom - a 13-foot-tall artwork placed within the Museum’s outdoor Sculpture Garden - thru April 17, 2022. The mixed-media installation "responds to the Black Lives Matter movement within the larger context of America’s long relationship to the idea of liberty itself." Visit https://hirshhorn.si.edu/exhibitions/abigail-deville-light-of-freedom/ The National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery and Sackler Gallery have reopened. Visit https://asia.si.edu/ RETURN TO HOME PAGE


Thomas Moran, A View of Venice, 1891, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service, 1968.120.1



Imitation Lesson; Her Shadowed Influence from "A Countervailing Theory" (2019) © Toyin Ojih Odutola. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York

arts & crafts: Independent galleries

The Phillips Collection
The Phillips Collection will exhibit Picasso: Painting the Blue Period, co-organized with the Art Gallery of Ontario, February 26-June 12, 2022. The exhibition will be comprised of artworks from 30 international collections and will feature more than 90 paintings, sculptures, and works on paper by Picasso along with works by French and Spanish artists that he studied before and during the Blue Period. Visit www.phillipscollection.org The Phillips Collection is presenting a Digital Intersections project titled Amalgama Phillips by Daniel Canogar in celebration of the museum’s 100th anniversary, thru January 2, 2022. Visit https://www.phillipscollection.org/event/2021-09-07-digital-intersections-daniel-canogar The Phillips Collection is showcasing the artwork of David Driskell (1931–2020), thru January 9, 2022, offering the first comprehensive examination of the paintings, collages, prints, and drawings by the celebrated American artist, art historian, and educator. It is said that "through his curatorial work, writing, and teaching, he demonstrated that the art of Black people is essential to the story of American art." Visit https://www.phillipscollection.org/event/2021-10-16-exhibition-david-driskell The Phillips Collection is presenting Mosaic by Sanford Biggers thru January 2, 2022. Biggers has produced a new body of work—a three-dimensional quilt, a marble sculpture, and a floor piece made with sand—bringing together old traditions and current multi-media practices. Visit www.phillipscollection.org/exhibitions The Phillips Collection is screening “Miss Alma Thomas” - the first documentary film that explores the incredible life of the Black woman artist - through the lens of curators, art specialists, scholars, and her family – thru January 23, 2022. Award-winning actress Alfre Woodard d provide “the voice” of Miss Thomas. Visit https://www.phillipscollection.org/ Dumbarton Oaks Research Library & Collection is exhibiting Margaret Mee: Portraits of Plants thru January 9. The exhibition presents twenty stunning paintings of Amazonian flora by the artist, explorer, and environmentalist Margaret Mee (1909–1988) in the Dumbarton Oaks Rare Book Collection. Visit https://www.doaks.org/visit/museum/exhibitions/margaret-mee The Kreeger Museum in Northwest D.C. will exhibit works by Guest Artist Hoesy Corona, December-February, 2022 as part of the Museum’s Guest Artist Exhibition Program. Corona “is an uncategorized queer Latinx artist of Mexican descent living and working in the U.S., using a variety of media spanning installation, performance, and video, The Kreeger Museum will exhibit Lou Stovall: On Inventions and Color, January 20-April 16, 2022. Stovall is a master printmaker who has transformed the field of printmaking in DC since the 1960s. Visit www.kreegermuseum.org/ The American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center is displaying their Fall Exhibitions thru December 12. The exhibitions on display are:Successions: Traversing U.S. Colonialism - a solo exhibition by Amber Robles-Gordon. Diane Burko: Seeing Climate Change Reveal: The Art of Reimagining Scientific Discovery, Rebecca Kamen Philip Brookman: In the Light of Memory, 1969-2021 Inside Out: Artists in the Studio In addition, an exhibition is open virtually thru December 12: Anil Revri: Into the Light. Visit https://www.american.edu/cas/museum/upcoming.cfm ARTECHOUSE in Southwest D.C. is exhibiting Life of a Neuron thru November 28. The immersive show uses "decades of neuroscience data and research to explore how the brain shapes the universal human experience.” Visit https://www.artechouse.com/news/artechouse-announces-life-of-neuron/ IA&A at Hillyer has reopened with exhibition of She Says, Her Story: Contemporary Women Artists from Taiwan, thru December 19. The exhibition - curated by Yu-Chuan TSENG - features six female artists with backgrounds that include Aboriginal, Hakka, Taiwanese, and same sex orientation. Visit https://athillyer.org/current-exhibitions/ Arlington Arts Center (AAC) is exhibiting Take a Number: Artists and Bureaucracy and also Olivia Tripp Morrow: Body, Joy, Cage, Scar thru December 18. Visit https://arlingtonartscenter.org/exhibitions/current RETURN TO HOME PAGE





At top, Margaret Mee sketching in the Amazon rainforest, Rio Negro, 1988 - Photograph: South American Pictures, Tony Morriso and below, Neoregelia concentrica, Margaret Mee, 1960, 66 × 48 cm, gouache, signed and dated “Neoregelia concentrica, Dezembro, 1960, Reserva Florestal, Caraguatatuba, São Paulo. Margaret Mee”

books

The National Archives
The Rotunda of the National Archives Building in DC, is open for viewing of the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights with limited capacity from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. The Lawrence F. O'Brien Gallery featuring Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote and the David M. Rubenstein Gallery featuring Records of Rights are open with limited capacity from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Visit https://museum.archives.gov/exhibits RETURN TO HOME PAGE

dance

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® from Miami City Ballet

The Kennedy Center will present George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® from Miami City Ballet in the Opera House, November 24-28. A winter wonderland is inhabited by toy soldiers, waltzing snowflakes and flowers, a Sugarplum Fairy, and a nutcracker who comes to life—and a brave girl named Marie – all dancing to Tchaikovsky’s iconic score and Balanchine’s choreography. The production features 100 dancers, a live orchestra, new designs by Cuban-American artists Ruben and the late Isabel Toledo, and projections by Wendall K. Harrington. Visit https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/ballet/ The Dance Program at the Kennedy Center is listed at https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/dance/ The Washington Ballet led by Artistic Director Julie Kent, is performing The Nutcracker, with choreography by Septime Webre and music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, at the Warner Theatre thru December 26. The celebrated production is set in historic 1882 Georgetown with George Washington, King George III, and other historical figures. Visit https://www.washingtonballet.org/events/the-nutcracker-2021/ Jane Franklin Dance will present IN PLACE, featuring Philip Baraoidan, Lauren DeVera, Carly Johnson, Kelsey Rohr, Amy Scaringe and Brynna Wilder at Theatre on the Run in Arlington, Virginia on December 11 & 12. The mixed-bill performance promises an exciting evening of dance by some of the region’s finest movement artists. Visit www.janefranklin.com
 The Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company is presenting Island - a 27-minute work inspired by the Chinese-American immigrant experience of coming to America through Angel Island in California - thru May 29, 2022. The piece is presented in conjunction with the upcoming National Portrait Gallery exhibition titled Hung Liu: Portraits of Promised Lands. See the ART GALLERIES: SMITHSONIAN column of this edition.Visit http://dtsbdc.org Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO), led by Christopher Zimmerman, FSO Music Director & Conductor,with the Fairfax Ballet, led by Andrea Cook, Artistic Director, will present Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker at the George Mason University Center for the Arts Concert Hall on December 18 & 19. The production will feature a winter wonderland of dancing snowflakes, sugar plum fairies and epic battles between heroic toy soldiers and mischievous mice. Visit https://www.fairfaxsymphony.org/december-18-19-nutcracker RETURN TO HOME PAGE

FAMILY

Eran Bugge and Company in Paul Taylor's Company B.Photo by Paul B. Goode.
Jane Franklin Dance - Barrier - Photo by Gail Bingham
Craig Wallace as Scrooge in the 2019 Ford’s Theatre production of A Christmas Carol, directed by Michael Baron. Photo by Carol Rosegg.
FAMILY IN D.C. Kennedy Center programs & performances considered suitable for FAMILIES are listed in full at https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/young-audiences/ The Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show DC - an International trade exhibition for the food and beverage industry - will take place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center , December 4 & 5. There will be cooking demos, book signings with top Celebrity Chefs, samples from local restaurants in the Grand Tasting Pavilion, local brew from the Beer, Wine and Spirits Garden, new home cooking techniques, a pop-up cooking school, award-winning chefs and more from the James Beard Cooking Stage. Visit https://10times.com/cooking-show-dc Ford's Theatre is presenting A Christmas Carol, the classic holiday show, thru December 27. Charles Dickens's Yuletide story is directed by José Carrasquillo in a reimagined production based on Michael Wilson's Radio Play adaptation. The show is recommended for ages 5 and older. Visit https://www.fords.org/performances/current-and-upcoming/a-christmas-carol/ The Children's Museum on Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown D.C. is open with limitations. For updates, visit https://nationalchildrensmuseum.org/a-healthy-visit/ All Hallows Guild at Washington National Cathedral will have their Annual Holiday Greenery Sale in-person at the St. Albans Christmas House Tour Boutique outside of St. Albans School’s Lane - Johnson building (at Senior Circle) on Friday, December 3 from 9 am until 5 pm. They will sell fresh wreaths, swags, amaryllis, paper whites and rosemary trees, plus a select group of Herb Cottage Gift items. Visit https://allhallowsguild.org/event/holiday-greenery-sale-2/ The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Rink opened - with limitations - in November and will remain open thru March 6, 2022 (weather permitting) except when it rains or in extreme temperatures and on December 25 and January 1. For general information and announcements about ice rink openings and closings, call (202) 216-9397 Visit https://www.nga.gov/visit/ice-rink.html Tenleytown in Northwest D.C. is having their annual WinterFest, now thru December 4, featuring Restaurant Specials, a Scavenger Hunt, a winter Pop-Up Market and Classic Tenley WinterFest Merchandise. All proceeds will benefit programs in support of the Tenleytown community and local small businesses. Visit http://www.tenleywinterfest.org/winterfeast/ The Wharf in Southwest D.C. has several events planned for upcoming weeks, including:
November 28: Lighting of the MenorahDecember 4: The District’s Holiday Boat ParadeVisit https://www.wharfdc.com/upcoming-events/
 FAMILY IN MARYLAND Adventure Theatre & ATMTC Academy is presenting Winterfest, directed by Cara Gabriel, at Glen Echo Park, thru January 2. The three shows presented are Uri & Ora Light the Menorah by Robyn Shrater Seemann; Connection by Diego Maramba & Michelle Bowen and Cranky Penguin by Keegan Patterson.Visit https://adventuretheatre-mtc.org/in-person-productions-2021-2022-season/ Imagination Stage in Bethesda will present Corduroy, based on books by Don Freeman and directed by Kathryn Chase Bryer, December 11-January 23, 2022. It’s the story of a young girl who wants the “perfectly imperfect teddy bear” she's seen in a department store and the teddy bear, who wants to find his missing button and become worthy of going to a real home. Visit https://imaginationstage.org/on-our-stages/corduroy/ The Puppet Co. at Glen Echo Park is presenting Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, based on the book by Eric Kimmel, thru January 2. It’s the story of Hershel, who “just wants to celebrate Hanukkah with the community, but the Queen and King of the Goblins have forbidden the lighting of the candles. The Puppet Co at Glen Echo Park is presenting The Nutcracker, thru January 2. The show “brings to life Tchaikovsky’s musical adaptation of the tale by E. T. A. Hoffman. Visit https://www.thepuppetco.org/shows Brookside Gardens’ Garden of Lights in Wheaton, MD – a winter-season tradition - is on display every night thru January 2, 2022, except December 24-25. More than one million dazzling and colorful LED lights are handwoven into original works depicting animals, flowers, and other natural elements. Visit https://www.montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/brookside-gardens/garden-of-lights/ Bethesda Winter Wonderland will take place on December 4 at the Norfolk Avenue Streetery at the corner of Norfolk and St. Elmo Avenues. The event will feature live ice sculpting, live music and more. Visit https://www.bethesda.org/bethesda/winter-wonderland The British Players will present The Wizard of Oz - a British Pantomime - at the Kensington, Maryland Town Hall on December 3-January 8, 2022. “Emma Houldershaw and Samantha Cartwright have taken L Frank Baum’s classic tale and created a traditional British pantomime that is true to the original, but is fresh, lively and lots of fun!" Visit https://britishplayers.org/2020-2021-season/ FAMILY IN VIRGINIA Little Theatre of Alexandria will present A Christmas Carol, written by Charles Dickens, adapted by Donna Ferragut and directed by Carol Jean Clark, December 3-18. The classic tale features Scrooge, a miserly Victorian humbug who travels with ghostly guides through Christmas past, present, and future to find the true meaning of the holidays. Visit http://thelittletheatre.com/performances/ Synetic Theatre in Crystal City will present Cinderella, November 29-December 26. "Led by an all-female team of Syneticons, this innovative take on the classic fairytale is a perfect fit for audiences of all ages." Visit https://synetictheater.org/2021-2022-season/ George Washington's Mount Vernon will offer Tours by Candlelight on December 3-4, December 10-11 and December 19. Visitors can visit with Mrs. Washington and other 18th-century residents of Mount Vernon in a 45-minute candlelit tour of the Mount Vernon estate, followed by a reception. Visit https://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/events/mount-vernon-by-candlelight/ RETURN TO HOME PAGE




Images for Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins & The Nutcracker Courtesy of The Puppet Co.
"Corduroy" at Imagination Stage


Film


The Avalon Theatre on Connecticut Avenue NW in Chevy Chase, D.C. reopened in June. Visit https://www.theavalon.org/about/ RETURN TO HOME PAGE

gardens - homes

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is exhibiting Roaring Twenties: The Life and Style of Marjorie Merriweather Post thru January 9, 2022. The exhibition explores the Jazz Age fashion, decorative art, jewelry, and design that made Post one of the most influential women of the 1920s. Advance reservations are required. Visit https://www.hillwoodmuseum.org/exhibitions/roaring-twenties-life-and-style-marjorie-merriweather-post Hillwood is exhibiting Contemporary American artist Kristine Mays's life-size, three-dimensional dancing wire sculptures throughout the gardens during a special exhibition titled Rich Soil thru January 9, 2022. Advance reservations are required. Visit https://www.hillwoodmuseum.org/exhibitions/kristine-mays-rich-soil St. Albans School's Christmas House Tour & Holiday Boutiques will take place on December 3 & 4. The tour will feature four homes in historic Georgetown festively decorated for the season. Visit https://www.stachristmashousetour.org/ Historic Tudor Place in Georgetown will have Lantern Light Tours on select evenings in December. Visitors can explore the Historic House by candlelight to learn about celebrations of winters past. Then, they can see the lantern-lit gardens on guided-tours while hearing about the Peter family’s Christmas traditions. Note: Capacity is limited and pre-registration is required. Visit https://tudorplace.org/calendar/ The Heurich House Museum’s Christkindlmarkt will take place in the museum’s Castle Garden, December 3-5. Shoppers will stroll through a festive German-style market featuring dozens of local craftspeople and artisans who will sell their goods during this celebratory event. The market will highlight the historic revival of the Chr. Heurich Brewing Co.’s Senate Beer-, with tastings, a mini outdoor exhibit, and newly-released merchandise. The museum’s historic house will be closed for tours. Visit www.heurichhouse.org/ckm Brookside Gardens of Lights in Wheaton, MD – a winter-season tradition - is on display every night, thru January 2, 2022, except December 24-25, 2021. More than a million dazzling and colorful LED lights are handwoven into original works depicting animals, flowers, and other natural elements. Music accompanies the display. The Brookside Gardens Gift Shop is open during the exhibit. Tickets are only available for purchase in advance on Eventbrite.com. Visit https://www.montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/brookside-gardens/garden-of-lights/ The U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol remains closed but, the outdoor gardens are open. Visit https://www.usbg.gov/ RETURN TO HOME PAGE
St. Albans School
The Heurich House Museum

MUSEUMS

The National Building Museum
The National Building Museum is exhibiting The Wall/El Muro: What Is a Border Wall? The year-long exhibition “deploys photography, video, artifacts, and immersive exhibition design to help visitors understand and think about the role of design, architecture, planning, and engineering in the realm of national security and geopolitics." Visit https://www.nbm.org/exhibition/the-wall/ The National Building Museum is exhibiting The Towers of the World Trade Center: 51 Years of Photographs by Camilo José Vergara, thru March 6. The exhibition is dedicated to "those who perished, those who responded, and those who are rebuilding after September 11, 2001." Visit https://www.nbm.org/exhibition/towers-of-the-wtc/ The George Washington University Museum & Textile Museum is exhibiting Handmade: Textiles in South Asia, thru April 10, 2022 andFrom the Grounds Up: Building GW, thru February 6, Visit: https://museum.gwu.edu/exhibitions Dumbarton House in Georgetown is displaying :Power in Preservation - A celebration of the role that women have played in the field of preservation.History's Keepers - The role of the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America (NSCDA) in inspiring a spirit of patriotism. The XChange - highlights the role of women in creating and preserving Dumbarton House. Visit https://dumbartonhouse.org/category/collections/ The National Museum of American History is featuring women inventors, who represent all segments of American society, but whose stories are often overlooked or undervalued. Presented in bold wall murals, with text in English and Spanish, the exhibition illustrates the creativity of women inventors while inspiring young people (especially girls) to see themselves as future inventors. Visit https://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/picturing-women-inventors?utm_source=siedu&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=exhibitions The National Museum of African American History and Culture is exhibiting Make Good the Promises: Reconstruction and Its Legacies, thru August 21, 2022. The exhibition explores the Reconstruction era through an African American lens, as may be seen thru 175 objects, 200 photographs, 15 audio, video, and interactive programs, and a companion book. Visit https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/make-good-promises-reconstruction-and-its-legacies:event-exhib-6538
 The National Museum of Natural History is exhibiting Unsettled Nature: Artists Reflect on the Age of Humans thru March 2022. Seven contemporary artists challenge viewers to think about the changes we make to our planet. Visit https://naturalhistory.si.edu/exhibits/unsettled-nature-artists-reflect-age-humans The National Museum of Natural History is exhibiting Critical Distance, thru Spring 2022. Critical Distance is "a free, augmented-reality experience emphasizing the intrinsic connection between people, orcas, and the ocean. Visit https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/critical-distance:event-exhib-6559 The National Air & Space Museum on the National Mall will close for six months of renovation starting March 28, 2022. Visit www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/ The Museum of the Bible in Southwest D.C. is exhibiting Magna Carta: Justice. Liberty thru January 2, 2022. "The role of the Bible and the English Church is traced from the creation of the Magna Carta in the thirteenth century to the present day." Visit https://www.museumofthebible.org/ Planet Word, which is an immersive language museum located in the historic Franklin School Building on 13th Street N.W. in downtown D.C., is now open. The voice-activated museum (the world’s first!) and interactive galleries and exhibits bring words and language to life in all sorts of entertaining ways for visitors of all ages. Visit https://planetwordmuseum.org/ The Smithsonian Arts & Industries Building reopened in November with an exhibition titled Futures, which will remain on view thru July 6, 2022. The exhibition celebrates the Smithsonian's 175th anniversary. Visit https://aib.si.edu/
 The International Spy Museum is open with new safety measures in place including capacity limitations, social distancing guidelines, mask requirements, and enhanced cleaning protocols. Advance ticket purchase is recommended. Visit https://www.spymuseum.org/ The National Geographic Museum, museum store, and campus are temporarily closed, but you can visit the highly-regarded exhibition titled “WOMEN: A Century of Change” virtually. The exhibition celebrates the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage by exploring images from National Geographic's historic archives that depict women from around the world. Visithttps://www.nationalgeographic.org/events/visit/women-vr/
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Unidentified African American soldier in Union uniform with wife and two daughters. Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540
The Franklin Building, which houses Planet Word

music in d.c.

The Kennedy Center Concert Hall
SELECT EVENTS AT THE KENNEDY CENTER - For a complete list, see https://www.kennedy-center.org/ PostClassical Ensemble, conducted by Music Director Angel Gil-Ordóñez & produced by Joseph Horowitz, will perform Mahler Fourth: A Wicked New Look, featuring David Taylor, bass trombone, at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater on January 19. The concert, which is said to “presage the emergence of jazz, will explore the larger topic of Jewish inflection on Mahler’s music via a klezmer set, a Mahler song, and readings of some astounding reviews of Mahler the “Jewish” composer and conductor.” Visit http://postclassical.com/ Young Concert Artists will present William Socolof, bass-baritone, with Gracie Francis, piano, in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater on December 1. The Alexander Kasza-Kasser Concert will feature works by Ibert, Robert Owens, Schubert, Leaha Maria Villareal, Debussy, Joel Engel, Mahler, & Matthew Aucoin. Visit https://yca.org/dcconcerts/ Washington Performing Arts will present Hayes Piano Artist Tiffany Poon in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater on December 12. The 24-year-old Hong Kong–born pianist will devote her recital to works by Clara and Robert Schumann. Visit https://www.washingtonperformingarts.org/seasontickets/2021-22-season/tiffany-poon-piano/ Choral Arts Symphonic Chorus, led by Scott Tucker, will present A Family Christmas at the kennedy Center Concert Hall on December 18 & 24. The one-hour family concert will feature holiday classics and Christmas favorites. Santa, Frosty, and Rudolph will be there! Visit https://choralarts.org/
 Choral Arts will present Christmas Music: A Christmas Concert on December 20 & 24 in the Kennedy Centger Concert Hall. The concert, led by Scott Tucker and Brandon Straub, will feature soprano soloist Esther Heideman. Visit https://choralarts.org/ The Kennedy Center will present the 41st Annual Holiday Concert & Gala on December 20. The Christmas Music Concert led by Scott Tucker and Brandon Straub, with the Choral Arts Chorus and Orchestra in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, will feature soprano Esther Heideman. with the Symphonic Chorus, Youth Choir and Choral Arts Orchestra. The special event will include a Reception and Silent Auction Gourmet Dinner and Dancing until midnight on the Roof Terrace Visit https://choralarts.org/gala/#toggle-id-2 The Washington Chorus, led by Dr. Eugene Rogers, Artistic Director, has announced their 2021-22 Season. The season will begin with performances of A Candlelight Christmas at The Music Center at Strathmore on December 16, 17 & 23 and at The Kennedy Center Concert Hall on December 19, 21 & 23. Visit www.thewashingtonchorus.org CONCERTS AT CHURCHES & OTHER VENUES: Washington Men's Camerata will perform Christmas with the Camerata, featuring perennial holiday classics, along with new and inventive arrangements of favorite songs of the season, on December 4 @ Fairlington United Methodist Church in Alexandria, VADecember 5 @ St. Columba’s Episcopal Church in Tenleytown, D.C.December 12 @ Church of the Epiphany in D.C.Visit https://camerata.com/concerts/ Virginia Bronze, directed by Brian Seemann, will present a holiday concert titled Our Favorite Things live and in-person at National United Methodist Church in D.C. on December 12. The concerts will feature favorite carols, traditional tunes and holiday pop. (Note that the concert will also be performed at Our Savior's Way Lutheran Church in Ashburn, VA on December 11.) Visit https://www.vabronze.org/events.html St. John's Georgetown will present a Voces8 Holiday Concert on December 12, The series will present Advent Lessons and Carols on December 19. The concerts will feature long-time (and always sold-out) favorites VOCES8 and Chanticleer, Visit https://stjohnsgeorgetown.org/ Folger Consort, the early music ensemble-in-residence at the Folger Shakespeare Library, led by Artistic co-Directors Robert Eisenstein and Christopher Kendall, will host seven holiday-themed in-person concerts December 10-18 at St. Mark’s Church on Capitol Hill. The Consort will be joined by multi-instrumentalists Dan Meyers (winds) and Mary Springfels (bowed and plucked strings), and celebrated soprano Emily Noël. Visit www.folger.edu/consort The Thirteen, the peerless choral group led by Matthew Robertson, will perform A Cathedral Christmas with Marvin Mills, organ, in December. They will sing carols for the holiday season from the English Cathedral tradition, from 16th century roots through to a new work written for The Thirteen by Indian composer Juhi Bansal. The performances will be at Episcopal High School Chapel in Alexandria, VA on December 17; St. Paul's at K Street NW in DC on December 18 and at Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, MD on Dec. 19. Visit https://www.thethirteenchoir.org/concerts The King's Singers will perform at Washington National Cathedral on December 17. The six-member ensemble's performance "will draw from their latest album, with selections ranging from plainchant and ancient carols reimagined to festive favorites in the group's close-harmony style. Visit https://cathedral.org/event/christmas-with-the-kings-singers/ Choralis will present A Classic Brass Christmas at National City Christian Church in D.C. on December 5. This annual favorite features a candlelight processional, sing-alongs and both old and new music from around the world. Visit https://choralis.org/events-2/
 The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington (GMCW) will present The Holiday Show on December 4, 11, & 12 at the Lincoln Theatre. Tap-dancing elves and drag queens will add to the hugely popular Holiday Show wtih GMCW ensembles; Potomac Fever, Rock Creek Singers, Seasons of Love and GenOUT Youth Chorus. Visit https://gmcw.org/ Capital City Symphony, conducted by Artistic Director & Conductor Victoria Gau, will perform Our Favorite Things, A Holiday Concert featuring The String Queens – with the orchestra - on December 12 at Atlas Performing Arts Center. The String Queens have been featured in famed performance venues across four continents. Visit http://www.capitalcitysymphony.org/upcoming-events Folger Consort, with soprano and medieval winds and strings, will perform A Medieval Christmas at St. Mark's Church on Capitol Hill - and on-demand - on December 10-18. The program will feature Carols in English from the Middle Ages as well as Medieval Latin carols from throughout Europe performed in unique arrangements for historical instruments. Visit https://www.folger.edu/events/a-medieval-christmas Dumbarton Concerts in Georgetown, D.C. will present: Helicon: Winter Solstice in a live in-person on December 11. The concert will feature the capital area’s finest traditional musicians with a mix of Celtic dance rhythms fused with Irish, Scottish, French Canadian, Appalachian, and bluegrass music. A Celtic Christmas live in-person on December 12 featuring Allison Hampton, harp, Linn Barnes, guitar & lute, Joseph Cunliffe, flutes & recorders and Steve Bloom, percussion, with Robert Aubry Davis, narrator. Visit https://www.dumbartonconcerts.org/concerts-and-tickets The Phillips Collection has returned to live concerts in the Music Room, but with very limited in-person seating capacity, in line with DC government guidance. All of the concerts will be on Sundays, except for the January 20, concert, which will be on a Thursday. To see the full schedule, visit Visit www.phillipscollection.org/music 21st Century Consort will perform a concert titled Color Wheel at St. Mark's Episcopal Church on Capital Hill on December 4. Visit http://21stcenturyconsort.org/index.php/in_season RETURN TO HOME PAGE


Courtesy of The Kennedy Center
Tiffany Poon Washington Performing Arts


Image at top, Voces8 and below, Advent Lessons and Carols at St. John's Georgetown
Folger Consort - December 2019 - Photography by Brittany Diliberto - Bee Two Sweet-104 (1)
The Thirteen
The King's Singers by Frances Marshall
Choralis
The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington
The String Queens Capital City Symphony

MUSIC IN VIRGINIA

James Ross - Music Director Alexandria Symphony Orchestra
Alexandria Symphony Orchestra (ASO) will present a Winter Recital on December 8 at The Lyceum in Alexandria. The concert will feature classical and holiday music from musicians Daniel Frazelle (clarinet), Meredith Riley (violin) and Sophia Kim Cook (piano). Visit https://alexsym.org/performance/winter-recital/ ASO, led by James Ross, will present Home for the Holidays, featuring works by Handel, Tchaikovsky, Ellington, Anderson and Bach on December 17 at Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall & Arts Center and on December 19 at George Washington Masonic Memorial. The orchestra will be joined by dancers from BalletNova Center for Dance. Visit https://alexsym.org/performance/home-for-the-holidays/ Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic, conducted by Ulysses S. James, will perform two concerts on December 12 featuring works by Adolphus Hailstork, Rain Worthington, Emilie Mayer and John Williams. The afternoon concert will take place at Annandale United Methodist Church in Annandale. The evening concert will take place at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Theater in Alexandria, VA. Visit https://www.wmpamusic.org/concert-schedule.html The National Philharmonic, conducted by Stan Engebretson, with the National Philharmonic Chorale, will perform Handel's Messiah at Capital One Hall in Tysons, Virginia on December 23 The soloists will be Suzanne Karpov, Soprano, Magnalena Wor, Mezzo Soprano, Matthew Smith, Tenor and Brandon Hendrickson, Baritone. Visit https://nationalphilharmonic.org/event/messiah-capitalone/ The program will also be performed at Strathmore in North Bethesda, MD on December 18-19. Visit https://nationalphilharmonic.org/event/messiah/ National Chamber Ensemble, led by Leo Sushansky, will perform a Holiday Cheer concert on December 18 at Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, bringing the finest classical and contemporary masterpieces and holiday favorites together for the whole family. Star soprano Sharon Christman and Piano Young Artist Competition winners will join the ensemble to perform, and a Carols Sing-Along will conclude the program. Visit https://www.nationalchamberensemble.org/performances.htm The New Dominion Chorale, with Natalie Conte, soprano & Elizabeth Bishop, mezzo-soprano will celebrate Beethoven's 251st Birthday with a concert at Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall & Arts center in Alexandria on December 12. Visit https://newdominion.wildapricot.org/Calendar/
 • The Thirteen, the peerless choral group led by Matthew Robertson, will perform A Cathedral Christmas with Marvin Mills, organ, in December. They will sing carols for the holiday season from the English Cathedral tradition, from 16th century roots through to a new work written for The Thirteen by Indian composer Juhi Bansal. • The performances will be at • Episcopal High School Chapel in Alexandria, VA on December 17; • St. Paul's at K Street NW in DC on December 18 and at • Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, MD on Dec. 19. Visit https://www.thethirteenchoir.org/concerts Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO), led by Christopher Zimmerman, FSO Music Director & Conductor,with the Fairfax Ballet, led by Andrea Cook, Artistic Director, will present Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker at the George Mason University Center for the Arts Concert Hall on December 18 & 19. The production will feature a winter wonderland of dancing snowflakes, sugar plum fairies and epic battles between heroic toy soldiers and mischievous mice. Visit https://www.fairfaxsymphony.org/december-18-19-nutcracker Washington Men's Camerata will perform Christmas with the Camerata, featuring perennial holiday classics, along with new and inventive arrangements of favorite songs of the season, on December 4 @ Fairlington United Methodist Church in Alexandria, VADecember 5 @ St. Columba’s Episcopal Church in Tenleytown, D.C.December 12 @ Church of the Epiphany in D.C.Visit https://camerata.com/concerts/
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Alexandria Symphony Orchestra Recital
A dancer from BalletNova Center for Dance
Ulysses S. James Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic
The Thirteen

MUSIC IN MARYLAND

The Music Center at Strathmore The National Philharmonic at Strathmore, conducted by Stan Engebretson, with the National Philharmonic Chorale, will perform Handel's Messiah, December 18-19. The soloists will be Suzanne Karpov, Soprano, Magnalena Wor, Mezzo Soprano, Matthew Smith, Tenor and Brandon Hendrickson, Baritone. Visit https://nationalphilharmonic.org/event/messiah/ The program will also be performed at Capital One Hall in Tysons, Virginia on December 23. Visit https://nationalphilharmonic.org/event/messiah-capitalone/ Washington Bach Consort, led by Dana Marsh, Artistic Director, will present The Christmas Story: Bach's Christmas Oratorio at the Music Center at Strathmore on December 11. The soloists will be Laura Choi Studart, soprano, Robin Bier, alto, James Reese, tenor & Evangelist and Enrico Lagasa, bass-baritone. Visit https://bachconsort.org/upcoming-concerts/ Additional concerts at Strathmore will include: December 4/5: Mannheim Steamroller Christmas - a multimedia holiday traditionDecember 6/7: Sarah Brightman - A Christmas Symphony Visit https://www.strathmore.org/what-s-on/ The Washington Chorus, led by Dr. Eugene Rogers, Artistic Director, will perform A Candlelight Christmas at The Music Center at Strathmore on December 16 & 17 and at The Kennedy Center Concert Hall on December 19, 21 & 23. Visit www.thewashingtonchorus.org The Washington Conservatory of Music in Bethesda, MD will present The Pressenda Chamber Players performing an All-Baroque Concert with strings and harpsichord at The Conservatory on December 4. Visit https://www.washingtonconservatory.org/concerts/ The Thirteen, the peerless choral group led by Matthew Robertson, will perform A Cathedral Christmas with Marvin Mills, organ, in December. They will sing carols for the holiday season from the English Cathedral tradition, from 16th century roots through to a new work written for The Thirteen by Indian composer Juhi Bansal. The performances will be at Episcopal High School Chapel in Alexandria, VA on December 17; St. Paul's at K Street NW in DC on December 18 & at Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, MD on Dec. 19. Visit https://www.thethirteenchoir.org/concerts Cantate Concert Choir, led by Maestra Victoria Gau, will perform Songs of Winter and Hope at Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church in Bethesda on December 5. The Choir's debut will feature holiday music by John Rutter, Elaine Hagenberg, Carlos Simon, Ola Gjeilo, and Rosephanye Powell, complemented by additional music for string quartet and piano. Visit https://cantate.org/movingforward/ The Christmas Revels will offer eight in-person performances from December 10-12 & 17-19 in Glen Echo Park's historic Spanish Ballroom in Glen Echo, MD, plus an on-demand viewing option available from December 21-January 6. The Washington Revels Jubilee Voices, who have presented African American music, dance, and history at local heritage sites for more than 10 years, are featured throughout the production, and founding Voices member Greg McGruder portrays Hiram Rhodes Revels, the first African American U.S. Senator and a central figure in the show. Visit https://revelsdc.org/ The Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club at 7719 Wisconsin Avenue has reopened. Visit https://www.bethesdabluesjazz.com/ RETURN TO HOME PAGE

The Thirteen
The Washington Chorus
Victoria Vau, Director Cantate Concert Choir

Classical WETA 90.9 FM Radio broadcasts operas each Saturday at 1 p.m. Visit https://weta.org/ The Washington National Opera (WNO) Marian Anderson Vocal Award will feature Frederick Ballentine in Recital in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater on December 7, with pianist Kunal Lahiry. Tenor Frederick Ballentine, is a 2018 graduate of the WNO Cafritz Young Artist program and has debuted on stages such as the Metropolitan Opera, the Glimmerglass Festival, LA Opera, Seattle Opera, and more. Visit https://www.kennedy-center.org/wno/home/2021-2022/anderson-award-ballentine/ Bel Cantanti Opera, led by Dr. Katerina Souvorova, is streaming E. Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel via VIMEO. Filled with magic, it’s "a delightful way to introduce kids to opera". The production can be seen in High def 1080 video @ https://player.vimeo.com/external/511998355.hd.mp4?s=bdba2e72cec840c711e8c6d274caff5736eae3bd&profile_id=175 RETURN TO HOME PAGE

theatre in dc

Frederick Ballentine Washington National Opera
The Kennedy Center will present The Improvised Shakespeare Company in the Theater Lab, December 7-19. The show Is “based on one audience suggestion (a title for a play that has yet to be written) The company then creates a fully improvised masterpiece right before your very eyes!” The Kennedy Center will present Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations in the Opera House, December 15-January 16. The new musical is about “the greatest R&B group of all time,” displaying their signature dance moves and harmonies.
 The Kennedy Center will present Beautiful – The Carole King Musical in the Eisenhower Theater, December 14-January 2. The show tells the “the inspiring true story of Carole King’s remarkable rise to stardom—from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history.”
Visit https://www.kennedy-center.org/ Theater J is presenting Tuesdays with Morrie, based on the memoir by Mitch Albon and directed by Jenna Place, thru December 5. It’s the story of a hard-driving sportswriter, and his former college professor, who reunite as Morrie faces his own mortality as an ALS patient. Visit https://theaterj.org/2021-2022-season-shows/ Studio Theatre will present Flight, by Vox Motus, December 16-March 6, 2022, telling the story of two children who set off on an epic journey across Europe—orphaned brothers on a desperate odyssey to freedom and safety. There are no live actors in the production; audience members will arrive at staggered times and view the play from individual booths with headphones. Visit https://www.studiotheatre.org/ Image: Athens cityscape depicted in Flight. Photo: Beth Chalmers. Studio Theatre will present Suzan Lor-Parks' play White Noise, directed by Reginald L. Douglas, in the Milton Theatre, January 12-February 20, 2022. The play explores race and identity and puts "wokeness" to the test. Visit https://www.studiotheatre.org/plays/play-detail/2021-2022/white-noise Keegan Theatre will present Matthew J. Keenan’s An Irish Carol, directed by Mark A. Rhea, December 10-31. An homage to Charles Dickens’s classic tale, the play is set in a modern Dublin pub and follows one evening in the life of a wealthy pub owner who has lost touch with his own humanity. Visit www.keegantheatre.com Arena Stage is presenting American playwright August Wilson's Seven Guitars, directed by Tazewell Thompson, on the Fichandler Stage, thru December 26. Set in 1948, the play focuses on seven friends “whose lives are irrevocably changed when their old friend and blues singer Floyd Barton reappears with a chance of a lifetime.” Visit www.arenastage.org The National Theatre is presenting DR. SEUSS’S HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL thru December 5. The production opens the 2021/2022 Broadway at The National Season as the first live performance in the venue since March of 2020. The National Theatre will present the musical comedy Tootsie, December 7-12. Based on the classic movie of the same title, the show “tells the story of Michael Dorsey, a talented but difficult actor who struggles to find work until one show-stopping act of desperation lands him the role of a lifetime."
The National Theatre will present the musical Pretty Woman, which was inspired by the classic movie of the same name, December 28-January 2, 2022. Based on one of Hollywood’s most beloved romantic stories of all time, the show stars Broadway superstar and Tony Award®-nominee Adam Pascal with Olivia Valli as the charming and charismatic Vivian Ward. Visit http://BroadwayAtTheNational.com The Shakespeare Theatre Company as extended the world premiere of the Broadway-bound musical Once Upon a One More Time, written by Jon Hartmere, inspired by music performed and recorded by Britney Spears, and directed and choreographed by Keone and Mar Madrit, at Sidney Harman Hall, thru January 9. It’s the tale of “a rogue fairy godmother who leads four classic fairytale princesses to smash the glass slipper and reclaim their own happily ever after.” Visit https://www.shakespearetheatre.org/events/once-upon-a-one-more-time-21-22/ Shakespeare Theatre Company will present Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Our Town, directed by Associate Artistic Director Alan Paul, and starring artists who call the DC-area home, February 17-March 20 at Sidney Harman Hall. Set in turn-of-the-century Grover’s Corners, “occurrences of everyday life reveal universal truths about community and love, life and death.” Visit https://www.shakespearetheatre.org/events/our-town-21-22/ Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is presenting A Strange Loop, with book, music, and lyrics by Michael R. Jackson, direction by Stephen Brackett and choreography by Raja Feather Kelly, thru January 2, 2022. The 2020 Pulitzer-Prize winner is about a "Black, queer writer writing his original musical....about a Black queer writer writing his original musical." Visit https://www.woollymammoth.net/current-season/21-22-season/ Washington Stage Guild is presenting live performances of Athol Fugard's My Children! My Africa! in the Undercroft Theatre, thru December 5. The play is set in an Eastern Cape Karoo town in South Africa in 1984, where a devoted teacher seeks to provide a future for his prize pupil by forming a debate team with a bright student from the local white school. The teacher is challenged by the generational divide and the political violence brewing outside the classroom." Visit https://stageguild.org/performances/ Ford's Theatre is presenting Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, the classic holiday show, thru December 27. Craig Wallace has returned to play the role of Ebenezer Scrooge as he encounters ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Visit https://www.fords.org/performances/current-and-upcoming/a-christmas-carol/ Ford's Theatre will present The Mountaintop, directed by Nicole A. Watson, January 21-February 13, with KenYatta Rogers as Dr. King and Shannon Dorsey as a mysterious stranger, Camae, who visits him the night before his assassination in 1968. "When Camae arrives with some surprising news, Dr. King is forced to confront his destiny and his legacy to his people.” Visit https://www.fords.org/performances/current-and-upcoming/the-mountaintop/ RETURN TO HOME PAGE
The Carol King Musical
A scene from "An Irish Carol" @ Keegan Theatre
Theater J
Photo for Seven Guitars courtesy of Arena Stage
Photo: Beth Chalmers. Athens Copyright Mihaila Bodlovic Studio Theatre
A Scene From The 2016 Production Of "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" at The National Theatre
Shakespeare Theatre Company
A Strange Loop Woolly Mammoth Theatre Co. Image by Justine Swindell
Stars of Once Upon a One More Time from left - Briga Heelan, Justin Guarini, John Glover, Emily Skinner and Aisha Jackson at The Shakespeare Theatre

Craig Wallace as Scrooge in the 2019 Ford’s Theatre production of A Christmas Carol, directed by Michael Baron. Photo by Carol Rosegg.


Theatre in Virginia

Little Theatre of Alexandria will present A Christmas Carol, written by Charles Dickens, adapted by Donna Ferragut and directed by Carol Jean Clark, December 3-18. The classic tale, with special effects, Victorian carols, and, of course, Tiny Tim, features Scrooge, a miserly Victorian humbug who travels with ghostly guides through Christmas past, present, and future to find the true meaning of the holidays. Visit http://thelittletheatre.com/performances/ Signature Theatre is presenting RENT – Jonathan Larson’s iconic rock musical – directed by Matthew Gardiner, Artistic Director, thru January 2, 2022. The musical is set at the end of the millennium “as a group of bohemians in the East Village of New York City struggle with gentrification, love, loss and legacies amidst the HIV/AIDS crisis.” Visit https://www.sigtheatre.org/events/202122/rent/ NextStop Theatre Company will present Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some) December 3-19. “Instead of performing Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday classic for the umpteenth time, three actors decide to perform every Christmas story ever told—add a sprinkling of Christmas traditions from around the world, seasonal icons from ancient times to topical pop-culture, and every carol ever sung. A madcap romp through the holiday season!” Visit https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/34310 Avant Bard Theatre will present August Wilson's play titled How I Learned What I Learned, directed by DeMone Seraphin and starring William T. Newman,at Gunston Arts Center Theatre 2 in Arlington, VA on select days, December 1-19. The show is Wilson's autobiographical one-man play in which he “takes us on a journey through his days as a young poet: his first few jobs, a stint in jail, the support of his lifelong friends, and his encounters with racism, music, and love as a struggling writer in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. Visit https://www.avantbard.org/coming-soon/ Synetic Theatre in Crystal City will present Cinderella, November 29-December 26. "Led by an all-female team of Syneticons, this innovative take on the classic fairytale is a perfect fit for audiences of all ages." Visit https://synetictheater.org/2021-2022-season/ RETURN TO HOME PAGE
Round House Theatre

Theatre in Maryland

Round House Theatre in Bethesda is presenting the regional premiere of Lauren Yee’s The Great Leap, directed by Jennifer Chang, thru December 5. The play is set in 1989, when the University of San Francisco basketball team is headed to China for a “friendship” game just before the Tiananmen Square uprising. Visit https://www.roundhousetheatre.org/On-Stage/Explore/The-Great-Leap
The British Players will present The Wizard of Oz - a British Pantomime - at the Kensington, Maryland Town Hall on December 3-January 8, 2022. “Emma Houldershaw and Samantha Cartwright have taken L Frank Baum’s classic tale and created a traditional British pantomime that is true to the original, but is fresh, lively and lots of fun! Visit https://britishplayers.org/2020-2021-season/ RETURN TO HOME PAGE
Little Theatre of Alexandria



Tyler Collins
Synetic Theatre
Round House Theatre
The British Players

public television WETA channel 26

Visit www.weta.org Each month, The Agenda News suggests Public Television Programs that will be broadcast - mostly in the evening - on WETA, WETA UK & WETA WORLD Channel 26. Several programs are suggested for viewing below.
November 28 @ 7:00 GREAT PERFORMANCES: ANDREA BOCELLI LIVE IN NEW YORK'S CENTRAL PARK — An encore broadcast of the 2011 concert, starring the renowned tenor as he performs a free concert on Central Park’s Great Lawn with the New York Philharmonic, conducted by music director Alan Gilbert. Journalist Paula Zahn host.
December 1 @ 8:00 IL VOLO – TRIBUTE TO ENNIO MORRICONE — The Italian operatic vocal trio is in the beautiful city of Verona as they pay tribute to the legendary Italian film composer. Filmed in 2021 at the Arena Di Verona, the program showcases arrangements from the Oscar-winning Morricone and favorites from Il Volo’s albums.
December 6 @ 8:00 CELTIC WOMAN: POSTCARDS FROM IRELAND — The Grammy-nominated ensemble go on a musical journey through stunning land and seascapes around Ireland. The new special is filled with songs from the group’s latest album.
December 7 @ 10:00 CELEBRATING PBS NEWSHOUR — A new special highlights the history and accomplishments of WETA’s groundbreaking public media news operation PBS NewsHour, which produces one of the most trusted news programs in America. Anchored by Managing Editor Judy Woodruff.
December 8 @ 9:30 NATURE: MY GARDEN OF A THOUSAND BEES — "Martin Dohrn, a wildlife cameraman, spends his time during the pandemic lockdown filming the bees in his urban garden and discovers the many diverse species & personalities that exist in this insect family."
December 14 @ 8:00 LIDIA CELEBRATES AMERICA: OVERCOMING THE ODDS - "Chef Lidia Bastianich travels from big cities to small pockets of rural America, both in person and virtually, to share the inspiring stories of a diverse group of resilient Americans who have overcome extraordinary odds in their own lives and found purpose in serving their communities."
December 14 @ 9:00 THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING — a new work re-imagining Tchaikovsky’s holiday favorite, The Nutcracker. Based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s 1816 book, featuring "Alan Cumming recounting the origin story of how a prince is put into a nutcracker. Unlike the ballet, we also learn what happens when the young girl grows up, having saved the prince, and what they are doing today."
December 23 @ 10:00 MARY BERRY’S COUNTRY HOUSE AT CHRISTMAS — Visit Harewood House in Yorkshire — one of Britain’s most beautiful stately homes — with famed cookbook author and television personality Mary Berry to meet its army of skilled staff and dedicated volunteers as they prepare the house for Christmas.
December 24 @ 8:30 SONGS OF THE SEASON, "A WETA ARTS SPECIAL EDITION showcasing the talent and diversity of the D.C.-area choral community. Sixteen choirs — from children’s choruses to the American Military Spouses Choir — offer joyful and heartwarming performances that celebrate the season."
December 28 @ 8:00 IN THEIR OWN WORDS: ANGELA MERKEL — Merkel’s meteoric rise from pastor’s daughter to Time Person of the Year. As a young woman emerging from male-dominated sphere of German politics to become the first female Chancellor of Germany.
December 29 @ 10:00 CLIMATE CHANGE: THE FACTS — Scientists explore the impact of climate change and what could happen if global warming exceeds 1.5 degrees. How the latest innovations and technology are posing potential solutions and what individuals can do to prevent further damage. Sir David Attenborough hosts.
Nina Bennett
Andrea Bocelli
Il Volo - Image_credit Simone Cecchetti
Celtic Woman
The PBS NewsHour Team
Andrena cineraria (Ashy mining bee) on dandelion covered in pollenCredit: Courtesy of © Martin Dohrn
Lidia Bastianich and artisans Credit: Courtesy of Tavola Productions
Host Alan Cumming
“Queen of Cakes” Mary Berry and master baker Paul Hollywood - Credit: Courtesy of LOVE PRODUCTIONS 2014
Angela Merkel
Sir David Attenborough
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