The Agenda News
March, 2021
A Guide to Places to Go & Things to Do inBethesda, Chevy Chase, Northwest DC & Northern Virginia©® 2020 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
Regional Highlights
Local News: Chevy Chase/Bethesda
Arts & Crafts
Books
Dance
Family
Film
Gardens & Homes
Museums
Music
Opera
Theatre
Television
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Dr. Anthony Fauci - physician, scientist and immunologist - is the subject of a documentary about his life & career on WETA Television on March 28.
See the TELEVISION column.
regional highlights
MARCH is WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, and events of relevant interest are listed in the ARTS, BOOKS, DANCE, FILM, MUSEUMS, THEATRE and TELEVISION columns.
There are exhibitions featuring
"Girls & Young Women" @ The Museum of Women in the Arts
A book discussion @ The National Archives about "The Agitators: Three Friends Who Fought for Abolition and Women’s Rights"
Performances by the Bowen McCauley Dance Co.
A virtual Women's Filmmakers Festival @ American Art Museum
WETA TV Programs including a bio of Flannery O'Connor (pictured)
“WOMEN: A Century of Change” @ The National Geographic
An opera titled "Driving While Black" via UrbanArias about the traumas & triumphs of Black motherhood;
"The Revolutionists" - a play about 3 women during the French Revolution @ The Little Theatre of Alexandria.
Author Flannery O’Connor
By Joe McTyre
The 2021 Health & Fitness Expo will be presented virtually by NBC4 Telemundo 44 on March 19 and 20. The on-air host will be Doreen Gentzler - WRC-TV news anchor & medical reporter. Visit https://www.nbcwashington.com/community/health-and-fitness-expo/
The Smithsonian National Zoo & all Smithsonian galleries and museums are closed temporarily. However, the Zoo Panda Cam, where viewers may see live videos of the new baby panda Xiao Qi Jin - "Little Miracle" - is usually available.
Many admirers have spent hours following the activities of the playful panda. Visit
The Smithsonian’s historic Arts and Industries Building (AIB), which is located next to the Smithsonian Castle on the National Mall, will reopen in November for the first time in nearly two decades. The AIB will host the debut exhibition FUTURES, the Smithsonian’s first major building-wide exploration of the future.
The AIB was America’s first National Museum and presented exhibitions for 120 years after its opening in 1846. AIB closed to the public in 2004, and FUTURES is a first step in the long-term plan to renovate and permanently reopen the landmark space.
FUTURES will "fuse awe-inspiring art, technology, design and history, inviting visitors to dream big and imagine not just one but many possible futures on the horizon."
Visit https://aib.si.edu/
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Little Miracle climbs a tree
for a better look
Interior of the Arts & Industries Building
The annual D.C. Francophonie Cultural Festival will take place with virtual events throughout the month of March. The Festival celebrates the diversity and richness of the French language and Francophone communities around the world through a series of cultural events and outreach programs presented every spring in D.C.
Since 2001, more than 40 embassies and partners, including the Alliance Française de Washington DC and the Smithsonian Associates, have collaborated each year to present an array of experiences all rooted in the Francophone culture. Visit
https://www.francophonie-dc.org/
The Kennedy Center has canceled all live performances through April 25 but is now presenting Digital Stage +. For information about Digital Stage +, visit
https://www.kennedy-center.org/digitalstage/plus/
Washington National Opera productions planned for May and June have been canceled, as have Broadway touring shows scheduled for next summer.
The 43rd annual Kennedy Center Honors and the Mark Twain Prize have been postponed.
Washington Performing Arts (WPA) has expanded its all-online subscription series Home Delivery Plus. The series features paid-admission performances and companion experiences.
Looking ahead, the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival will take place virtually in the Spring of 2021, but with some major changes. The traditional Cherry Blossom Parade has been canceled, and other changes will be made as well due to concerns about the pandemic.
A Blossom Cam will enable the public to see the blossoms on the Tidal Basin and elsewhere. Visit https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/event-updates/
Also looking ahead, there will not be a St. Patrick's Day Parade in D.C. or in Alexandria this year. The parades normally takes place in March.
LOCAL NEWS FEATURING
CHEVY CHASE & BETHESDA
REDEVELOPMENT:
Construction of City Ridge – the new development on the grounds of the historic Fannie Mae campus - continues at 3900 Wisconsin Ave. NW in Cathedral Heights. The property is next to McLean Gardens & south of Tenleytown & has been described as being on "a ridge overlooking D.C."
City Ridge will be “a new urban village" that will include residential, retail and office space. The development will include eight new buildings anchored by the iconic Fannie Mae building, which will have a Wegmans supermarket on the lower level.
Wegmans will be on the back of the renovated building. The store will be the first branch of the upscale grocery chain in DC.
City Ridge will include 652 residential units and a hotel. The campus is adjacent to Glover-Archbold park, which has access to trails and walking paths. The opening date was most recently projected to be winter/spring of 2022.
Fannie Mae relocated to a new building in downtown D.C. in 2018. To read more about City Ridge, visit
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The Chevy Chase Pavilion is promoting the space formerly occupied by a branch of H&M - an apparel chain - as an “Anchor Opportunity.” The space is comprised of three levels, with a street presence on the second level. The Pavilion continues to market the rest of the mall as office space. Incidentally, H&M now has branches in three other locations in the D.C. area.
MOVIES:
AMC Mazza Gallerie 7 in Chevy Chase has closed permanently. The theatres had been one of the main attractions in the mall. In addition to feature films, they offered special screenings of opera, dance and more.
The theatres were added several years ago during a previous redevelopment of the mall. AMC had closed the historic Uptown Theater in Cleveland Park permanently about a year ago.
Mazza Gallerie now has only a branch of TJ Maxx on the lower level and a beauty salon on the Jenifer Street side of the building.
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SHOPPING:
Construction of the new grocery store that will replace the former Giant in The Collection at Chevy Chase is in its final stage, as the adjacent photo suggests. There is considerable activity inside as well as outside of the building. Trees have been brought onsite for planting in front of the building.
The Lord & Taylor (L&T) store in Chevy Chase closed permanently on February 27. The store was a presence in the area for decades. having been one of the first retailers to open in the community.
The property, including an above-ground garage, is among the largest in Chevy Chase. In addition, a large lot which was owned by the MAZZA family - across Jenifer Street from L&T - has been used as a parking lot for decades. Plans to develop that property were dropped after a major recession decades ago.
The staff at the beauty salon that was formerly at L&T has relocated to the space formerly occupied by Elizabeth Arden Red Door at 5225 Wisconsin Ave in Friendship Heights and is now named MK Spa Salon. Visits are by appointment only.
The Lord & Taylor store at White Flint in Kensington, MD closed on January 3, 2021.
DINING:
The Hunter’s Hound and Junction Bakery & Bistro are preparing to open in the former Ralph Lauren space in The Collection on Wisconsin Avenue in Chevy Chase. The exterior of the space is being updated and will feature a patio for alfresco dining.
The owners of the future Hunter’s Hound own New York-based restaurants Trinity Place and Hudson Hound. The neighborhood-oriented Hunter’s Hound in The Collection will serve modern American cuisine along with craft beer, cocktails and wine in an elevated-but-casual local setting.
Junction Bakery & Bistro features simple American food paired with homemade breads and baked goods. They have a highly-regarded branch in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, Va and another on Capitol Hill.
Logos for Junction &
The Hunter's Hound
Rōti Modern Mediterranean, a fast-casual chain offering traditional Mediterranean flavors and ingredients, will reopen on Willard Avenue on Tuesday, March 2. The restaurant closed temporarily at the start of the pandemic. Potbelly, the adjacent restaurant, reopened earlier.
arts & crafts
The National Gallery of Art (NGA) is closed temporarily due to the pandemic. The Sculpture Garden is open, with limitations, but the Skating Rink remains closed. Visit
https://www.nga.gov/
NGA Online Editions (œ) presents the most current, in-depth information on the Gallery’s collections by the world’s leading art historians along with rich capabilities for exploring that information.
A customized reading environment is intended both to provide scholars with a useful workspace for research and to encourage the study and appreciation of art. Visit https://www.nga.gov/research/online-editions.html/
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The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery remains temporarily closed due to COVID-19. All events and programs are presented virtually. For more information about the gallery's remote programs, explore the “Visit at Home” page of the museum’s website at https://npg.si.edu/
The Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery have moved their public programming online. Registration is required via Eventbrite @ https://www.eventbrite.com/o/smithsonian-american-art-museum-and-renwick-gallery-29134541119
The Kogod Courtyard at
The National Portrait Gallery &
The American Art Museum
The Phillips Collection is closed temporarily but is preparing to reopen - with limitations - on March 6 in celebration of the Collection's centennial year. The celebration will feature an exhibition titled Seeing Differently: The Phillips Collects for a New Century, which will be on display thru September 12.
The exhibition will offer “many fresh perspectives on over 200 major works by artists from the 19th century to the present, including paintings, works on paper, photographs, quilts, sculptures, and film."
Meanwhile, The Collection continues to present digital offerings; all public programs are virtual. Visit https://www.phillipscollection.org/
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The Phillips Collection
The Phillips Collection is presenting a series of 20+ live-streamed performances through May, 2021. The series introduces new artists, return performances, and a series of commissions from some of the brightest voices in new music. Visit https://www.phillipscollection.org/music?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=publicity&utm_content=Music+2021+Announcement+press+release
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The Music Room at The Phillips Collection
The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) is closed thru March 2, 2021.
Mary Ellen Mark: Girlhood will reopen on March 3-July 11, 2021. Mark (1940–2015) “documented people around the world who would otherwise be unknown or forgotten. The exhibition presents some 30 images Mark made throughout her career depicting girls and young women. Her photographs reflect her wondrous and uncanny vision of girlhood.” Visit https://nmwa.org/exhibitions/mary-ellen-mark-girlhood/
Sonya Clark: Tatter, Bristle, and Mend will open at NMWA March 3- July 11, 2021 and is the first survey of textile artist Sonya Clark’s 25-year career. The exhibition includes the artist’s well-known mixed-media sculptures that address race and visibility, explore Blackness, and redress history. Visit
https://nmwa.org/exhibitions/sonya-clark-tatter-bristle-and-mend/
Tashara and Tanesha Reese, Twins Days Festival, Twinsburg, Ohio, 1998 (printed later); Gelatin silver print, 20 x 24 in.; NMWA, Gift of Robert and Kathi Steinke; © Mary Ellen Mark/The Mary Ellen Mark Foundation. Photographer: Lee Stalsworth
Reclamation: Recipes, Remedies, and Rituals, an innovative online exhibition, is being displayed by the NMWA through December 31, 2021. The exhibition “examines food as a creative medium for visual art and a connective tool for exploring intergenerational and intercultural experiences."
The participatory exhibition features nine interdisciplinary artists. RECLAMATION also features content submitted by the public, interwoven with the artists’ work. Visit https://nmwa.org/exhibitions/reclamation-recipes-remedies-rituals/
NMWA will continue to offer virtual programming and exhibitions via NMWA @ Home.
A table set with natural, raw ingredients for a remedy; Photo by Melani N. Douglass for RECLAMATION: Recipes, Remedies and Rituals at National Museum of Women in the Arts.
The American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center is now displaying Spring exhibitions virtually. The exhibits are Peace Corps at 60; “The Long Sixties and the Need for Politically Engaged Art; and Raya Bodnarchuk’s Advice to “Do something you love every day."
Peace Corps at 60: Inside the Volunteer Experience brings the world home through the stories and objects of 30 individuals, representing a sampling of the 240,000 people who have volunteered their service.
The Long Sixties and the Need for Politically Engaged Art features Washington Paintings in the Watkins and Corcoran Legacy Collections, 1957-1982. The exhibition is curated by AU Museum Director and Curator Jack Rasmussen.
Raya Bodnarchuk: This is a True Picture of How it Was exhibits 1,926 works of gouache and ink paintings shown together for the first time and chronicles six years of her life 2013-2019. The exhibition is presented by the Alper Initiative for Washington Art.
The Katzen Arts Center
Target Gallery, the contemporary exhibition space of the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town Alexandria, is exploring The Art of Movement and Performance in a group exhibition on view through March 7. Twenty artists, including twelve from the greater D.C. region, are participating.
Many of the participating artists use physical movement as a form of visual expression, featuring six filmed performance-based works. Others have more conceptual interpretations of movement and explore transcendent topics like growth or the passage of time.
The juror for this exhibition was Eames Armstrong, who is an interdisciplinary artist and arts organizer. Visit http://torpedofactory.org/target
The Kreeger Museum in Northwest D.C. is closed temporarily.
Visit https://www.kreegermuseum.org/visit/COVID-19
Books
The National Archives will stream a discussion via YouTube with Dorothy Wickenden about her book titled The Agitators: Three Friends Who Fought for Abolition and Women’s Rights on March 30 at noon. Dorothy Wickenden tells the fascinating stories of abolition, the Underground Railroad, the early women’s rights movement, and the Civil War from the perspective of three friends and neighbors in mid-19th-century Auburn, NY.
The “agitators,” as they were called, were Harriet Tubman, Martha Wright and Frances Seward. Visit https://youtu.be/FYnEuKDj1xw
dance
Bowen McCauley Dance Co. will present a one-night Virtual Spring Performance from the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater on March 20. The performance was previously planned for March 2020.
The program will include a world premiere, live music, and fabulous dancers. The show will open with a reprise of “Dances of the Yogurt Maker,” Lucy Bowen McCauley and Turkish Composer Erberk Eryilmaz’s first collaboration, which was commissioned by the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra in 2019.
There will also be a world premiere by Lucy set to the music of composer Maurice Ravel featuring a live piano solo by Nikola Paskalov and eight Company dancers. Visit http://www.bmdc.org/events
Dana Tai Soon Dance Company has released a new documentary video about the company titled Passages from the Journey via vimeo. Visit
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Bowen McCauley Dance Co.
Dance Place has announced their Winter/Spring Performances & Events. The company's FORTITUDE Season will celebrate 40 years of creation, education, performance & community.
The company will feature a mix of virtual and physically distant presentations, pending local and federal health and safety regulations. The season will include:
March 4: Keep the Light On Performance Series: A free virtual event co-presented with The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
March 8: S.J. Ewing & Dancers - An in-person event pending local and federal health regulations - featuring TECHNE, a fully immersive 360-degree virtual reality experience of contemporary dance, interactive projections & surround sound.
April 24: Exquisite Frame - A free virtual event to be rebroadcast on April 25 - New works that "push up against ordinary & exquisite."
Visit
https://www.danceplace.org/news/fortitude-winter-spring-2021/
The Washington Ballet winter edition of the company's Create in Place series is streaming newly-commissioned works by the Studio Company Dance and emerging choreographer Helga Paris-Morales, and company dancer and choreographer Andile Ndlovu via Marquee TV.
family
The Smithsonian National Zoo and all Smithsonian galleries and museums are closed due to the pandemic.
The Zoo Panda Cam, where viewers may see live videos of the new baby panda Xiao Qi Jin - "Little Miracle" - is at https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams/panda-cam
Panda family at the National Zoo
The annual D.C. Francophonie Cultural Festival will take place with virtual events throughout the month of March. The Festival celebrates the diversity and richness of the French language and Francophone communities around the world through a series of cultural events and outreach programs presented every spring in D.C.
Since 2001, more than 40 embassies and partners (including the Alliance Française de Washington DC and the Smithsonian Associates) have collaborated each year to present an array of experiences all rooted in the Francophone culture -- from Africa, to the Americas, to the Middle East -- through concerts, cuisine, films, literary salons, and lectures for all ages. Visit https://www.francophonie-dc.org/
Imagination Stage in Bethesda, MD, is presenting Spy Academy & The Lost Treasure of Atlantis, virtually, thru May 23. Participants – called spy cadets – help a “madcap team of expert spies” find the lost treasure of Atlantis. It’s “a creative and immersive theatrical experience” and “a live virtual event perfect for ages 5 – 10.”
Visit https://imaginationstage.org/
The Wharf on the D.C. Waterfront in Southwest DC is open and is offering distanced indoor dining, heated outdoor dining, delivery, and takeout. Also, shops, hotels, the parking garage, parks and piers are open.
Masks are required. In addition, visitors must maintain physical distance and call ahead for reservations. Visit
https://www.wharfdc.com/
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A view of The Wharf
FILM
The Smithsonian American Art Museum will present a Virtual Women Filmmakers Festival in recognition of Women's History Month, March 1-21. The festival will celebrate filmmakers creating groundbreaking work and addressing issues like climate change, political activism, and global pandemics.
On-demand video screenings and virtual artists talks will highlight the work of three trailblazing women filmmakers: Cecilia Vicuña, Coco Fusco and Mariam Ghani.
A still from Cecilia Vicuña, Semiya (Seed Song), 2015. Colchagua, Chile. Video still by Christian Chierego. Courtesy the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul, and London.
The annual Environmental Film Festival will take place virtually March 18-28. The Festival in the Nation’s Capital is the world’s premier showcase of environmentally themed films.
Traditionally, each March 100+ films are presented to audiences throughout D.C. at museums, embassies, libraries, universities and local theaters. The festival includes discussions about the films. The D.C. location offers the unique opportunity for films and filmmakers to reach national and international lawmakers and decision-makers.
The Festival will present the East Coast premiere of The Falconer, a story of empowerment through nature that profiles the work of D.C. native Rodney Stotts, one of very few Black Master Falconers in the U.S.
Directed by D.C. native Annie Kaempfer, the film follows Stotts as he strives to provide his community’s underserved youth and endangered raptors with a safe haven for mutual healing and growth through the art and the sport of Falconry.
Visit http://dceff.org
Falconer Rodney Stotts
Cinema Art Bethesda will stream the French film, Two of Us (Deux) beginning on March 16. The stream will be available to purchase until March 21. The film is 95 minutes long and in French with English subtitles. It was released in 2019 and was the winner of 9 awards including the Grand Jury Prize at the 2020 Angers European First Film Festival and the Best cinematography Debut at the 2020 Camerimage awards.
The film was nominated for 20 awards including the 2021 Golden Globe Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language award and 2021 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards for Best Foreign Language film. It has also been shortlisted for an Academy Award.
There will be a $8.00 charge to view the film. To access the film click on the link: https://watch.eventive.org/twoofus/play/60242d8115098407f3edcf9d
gardens & homes
The traditional Washington National Cathedral Flower Mart, which is All Hallows Guild's largest fundraiser, will not take place in May this year due to COVID-19 precautions. The Mart had been held since 1939.
On a happier note, the Gardens and Grounds remain open - or may be visited online – and are among the very few public gardens that have remained open throughout the pandemic. Visit https://allhallowsguild.org/
In addition, the Cathedral has launched an online Garden Tour. It’s now possible to enjoy the beautiful spaces with a musical background and helpful narration. See the online Garden Tour at https://allhallowsguild.org/visit-us/cathedral-gardens-virtual-tour/
The entrance to the Bishop's Garden at the
Washington National Cathedral
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The Mansion at Hillwood
George Washington's Mount Vernon now offers tours of the first floor of the mansion. A timed ticket is required. In addition, guests can visit museum exhibits, the gardens and grounds of the estate.
Visit https://www.mountvernon.org/the-estate-gardens/the-mansion/
The Blue Room at Mount Vernon
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Brookside Gardens in the Spring
Dumbarton House in Georgetown, DC offers self-guided tours Friday through Sunday. Tours must be booked online or by phone. Reservations are required. Dumbarton House is owned by The Colonial Dames and is not to be confused with Dumbarton Oaks. For information about Dumbarton House, visit
Dumbarton House
Heurich House Museum and gardens near Dupont Circle in D.C. are closed temporarily.
Visit http://heurichhouse.org
Heurich House Museum
The U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG), the Global Genome Initiative for Gardens (GGI-Gardens), and Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) have announced 14 grants to botanic gardens and arboreta in nine countries to collect and conserve plant diversity. The Awards Program supports activities to preserve Earth’s genomic biodiversity of plants through sampling of living collections maintained at botanic gardens around the world.
The awardees will collect genome-quality plant tissue samples from their living plant collections and preserve them in a network of publicly accessible biorepositories.
To read more, visit https://www.bgci.org/our-work/services-for-botanic-gardens/global-botanic-garden-fund/
A Desert Botanical Garden
The U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory (USBG) on Capitol Hill remains closed. The gated outdoor gardens are also closed.
Virtual tours of the Conservatory and Park can be seen at https://www.usbg.gov/take-virtual-tour
Bartholdi Park, with the USBG
in the background.
The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden is open, with limitations, but The Skating Rink remains closed. Visit https://www.nga.gov/collection/sculpture-garden.html
A view of the
National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden
MUSEUMS
The Museum of the Bible in Southwest D.C. is exhibiting, with limitations, Stations of the Cross, thru May 2, 2021. The exhibition is displayed on fourteen stages and is said to "offer a profound platform for meditation, education, and prayer.” Visit
Visit www.museumofthebible.org/
A work by Gib Singleton (1935–2014) in the Stations of the Cross exhibition
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.
You can also read more about the historic efforts to pass the 19th amendment in the August issue of National Geographic magazine, which is online at
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The National Geographic headquarters in D.C. is now closed
The Smithsonian Institution has closed the National Zoo, and all galleries and museums temporarily. However, the Smithsonian Gardens, including the Enid A. Haupt Garden, are open.
A Springtime view of the Smithsonian Castle and the
Enid A. Haupt Garden
The International Spy Museum offers virtual visits at https://www.spymuseum.org/host-an-event/virtual-opportunities/
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The International Spy Museum
music & More
The Kennedy Center has canceled all scheduled live performances through April 25, but is now presenting Digital Stage +. For information about Digital Stage +, visit
https://www.kennedy-center.org/digitalstage/plus/
Washington National Opera productions planned for May and June have been canceled, as have Broadway touring shows scheduled for next summer.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performances which were planned for February 2-7 have been moved to June 22 -27.
The 43rd annual Kennedy Center Honors will be held March 7, 2021 (normally, they're held in December) and the 23rd annual Mark Twain Prize will now be held June 20, 2021 (it's usually held in October).
Washington Performing Arts (WPA) has expanded its all-online subscription series titled Home Delivery Plus. The series features paid-admission performances and companion experiences.
Choralis, led by Artistic Director Maestra Gretchen Kuhrmann, will present Johannes Brahms's German Requiem - a Virtual Sing-Along - on March 28. Maestra Kuhrmann will also provide historical background and discuss the intricacies of each movement. Visit https://ci.ovationtix.com/32425/performance/10605848?performanceId=10605848
PostClassical Ensemble, led by Music Director Angel Gil-Ordóñez, has released a new film titled Aaron Copland - American Populist in their More Than Music series. "The film includes a remarkable re-enactment of Copland’s 1953 grilling by U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy and chief counsel Roy Cohn before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations – with one of DC’s foremost stage actors, Edward Gero, playing the controversial Wisconsin senator.
The film also features clips from the classic 1939 documentary film The City, with a newly recorded soundtrack by the PostClassical Ensemble conducted by Angel Gil-Ordóñez. The film will be available until March 5. Visit https://www.postclassical.com/
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Angel Gil-Ordóñez
Photo by Andrew Chung
The Phillips Collection is marking the 80th anniversary year of the Collection’s acclaimed concert series, by presenting 20+ live-streamed performances through May, 2021. The series introduces new artists, return performances, and a series of commissions from some of the brightest voices in new music, including Benjamin Attahir, Nathalie Joachim, Outi Tarkiainen, inti figgis-vizueta, and Marcos Balter. Visit https://www.phillipscollection.org/music?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=publicity&utm_content=Music+2021+Announcement+press+release
The Phillips Collection Music Room
Alexandria Symphony Orchestra (ASO), led by James Ross, Music Director, presents live music in outdoor venues around Alexandria with small ensembles and limited, socially-distanced audiences. If conditions permit, indoor venues may be opened in Spring 2021.
Visit: https://alexsym.org/
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James Ross
The National Chamber Ensemble, with violinist Leonid Sushansky, cellist Steven Honigberg and pianist Carlos Cesar Rodriguez, will perform "Hungarian Delicacies," featuring the music of Hungarian composers Bela Bartok, Ernst von Dohnanyi, Franz Liszt and more, in March. A video link to watch the performance will be available on March 27. Visit https://www.nationalchamberensemble.org/performances.htm
Leo Sushansky, Steven Honigberg and
Carlos Cesar Rodriguez
Dumbarton Concerts will stream a concert by The Westerlies titled Wherein Lies the Good on March 19. The self-described “accidental brass quartet” explores their catalogue of musical influences, bringing together jazz, roots, and classical chamber music. Visit https://www.dumbartonconcerts.org/concerts-and-tickets
The Westerlies
Young Concert Artists (YCA), led by President Daniel Kellogg, has reserved dates at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater for the spring, and they will make an announcement soon whether they can present a spring concert season for 2021 in DC. Visit https://yca.org/concerts/
YCA President Daniel Kellogg
The National Philharmonic streams concerts every two weeks thru May, 2021. Audiences can tune in on Sundays at 2pm via the Philharmonic’s website to enjoy a live concert with musicians playing in a socially-distanced setting.
The performances rotate between orchestra and chamber concerts. The orchestra concerts are held at Strathmore and are led by Music Director & Conductor Piotr Gajewski, while the chamber concerts take place at AMP by Strathmore and will be led by newly-appointed Concertmaster Laura Colgate.
Each of the 15 concerts is accompanied by talks contextualizing the music, interspersed throughout each one-hour virtual stream. The performances are available entirely online and for free.
The National Philharmonic & Chorale
The Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Association, led by Ulysses S. James, broadcasts concerts virtually from The Lyseum in Old Town Alexandria at 3 pm on select Sundays on the WMPA YouTube Channel. Upcoming concerts will be on:
March 14 Philharmonia da Camera, Hai Jin, piano /
Henry Stubbs, cello / Tiberiu Baicoianu, clarinet
March 21 West Shore Piano Trio: Jay Dewire, piano /
Heather Haughn, violin / Diana Flesner, cello
March 28 Beau Soir Ensemble: Ruth Wicker, Viola /
Carole Bean, Flute / Michelle Myers Lundy, harp
April 4 Laura Ibrahim, viola/Steve Bertino, piano
Ulysses S. James
New Dominion Chorale (NDC), led by Thomas Beveridge, Artistic Director, has rescheduled concerts that were planned for October & December. The concerts will now become the first two concerts of NDC’s 2021/22 season.
NDC’s performance of Mendelssohn’s powerful oratorio Elijah is planned for April 25, 2021. Visit www.newdominion.org/
Thomas Beveridge
The 50th Anniversary Season of Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church Concerts will begin on March 21 with a virtual Bach Marathon. Some ten different organists will perform works by Bach in 1/2 hour segmentst. Some of the outstanding artists will perform on the Church’s wonderful tracker organ, while others will perform on their home instruments.
The organists performing will be: JULIE VIDRICK EVANS, MARVIN MILLS, ALAIN TRUCHE, JOY-LEILANI GARBUTT,
DIANE HEATH, BENJAMINE LaPRAIRIE, SAMANTHA SCHEFF,
JOHN NOTHAFT, YERI SO, KARL ROBSON.
Visit https://www.chevychasepc.org/concerts
Congressional Chorus will mark Women's History Month by streaming the premiere This is Her Story: Celebrating Black Women in Music via YouTube on March 13. Performed by the Chorus and a host of collaborators, this virtual concert will pay homage to some of the greatest Black women composers, arrangers and performers from various generations of music.
The program will range from classical, jazz, folk, and gospel selections, and will include guest artists such as Afro Blue from Howard University, Brandie Sutton from the Metropolitan Opera, Dr. Leah Claiborne from the University of the District Of Columbia, and an all-Black female band accompanying the chorus. The stream is free but donations are encouraged. Visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUMGZXM-g4c2rrvHIXKGkBw
The British Players will present Let's All Go to the Music Hall online on March 27 via The British Players YouTube Channel. Co-Directed and Co-Produced by Nicola Hoag & Missi Tessier, the array of artists will include a Cheeky Chappie, a Red Hot Mama, an acrobat, and a full complement of singers and entertainers with new versions of audience favorites from a treasure trove of material from Music Halls past.
The suggested donation is $25. Visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJW-CL5bCH6XCi288XRl6KQ
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The Hylton Performing Arts Center on George Mason University's Science and Technology Campus in Manassas, Virginia announced updates for their spring 2021 programming in a video in January.
Executive Director Rick Davis and Director of Programming Adrienne Bryant Godwin confirmed a diverse combination of free and paid digital content through Hylton at Home with a possibility of bringing back small, socially-distanced audiences for select performances inside the Hylton Center’s Merchant Hall.
The announcement can be seen via
Hylton Performing Arts Center
Wolf Trap's Front Row Series will stream a concert from The Barns featuring Arnaud Sussmann, violin, March 12-19. The program will include Johann Sebastian Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major, BWV 1049 (1720), and Ernest Chausson’s Concerto in D major for Violin, Piano, and String Quartet, Op. 21 (1889-91). A native of Strasbourg, France, Mr. Sussmann is based in New York City. Visit https://www.wolftrap.org/calendar/performance/2021barns/0312show21.aspx#datetime=03122021T193000
To see the full list of offerings streamed at Wolf Trap, visit https://www.wolftrap.org/calendar.aspx
Arnaud Sussmann
opera
Maryland Opera, led by Artistic Director James Harp, plans to live-stream concerts from private homes via the company’s Facebook page on:
March 20: Spring Awakening, featuring arias from Werther, Eugene Onegin, violin pieces including “Spring” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, and Broadway selections. The performers will be Rochelle Bard, soprano, Dane Suarez, tenor and José Cueto, violin.
April 17: Opera Oldies, featuring selections from operas set in antiquity including Aida, Nabucco, and Samson et Dalila. The performers will be soprano Helena A. Brown, tenor Matthew Vickers, and mezzo-soprano Kate Jackman.
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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 @
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A scene from
Hansel & Gretel
Classical WETA 90.9 FM Radio broadcasts Metropolitan Opera concerts on Saturdays at 1 p.m. Broadcasts are scheduled on:
March 6: Georges Bizet’s Carmen
Visit https://weta.org/fm
Washington National Opera (WNO) productions planned for the Kennedy Center in May and June have been canceled, as have Broadway touring shows scheduled for next summer.
WNO is streaming a video titled Come Hope, which is the first installment in a series titled Monuments of Hope. The initiative takes its title from an aria in Fidelio, an opera that celebrates the triumph of the human spirit. Mezzo J’Nai Bridges and bass-baritone Ryan McKinny perform in front of D.C.’s most iconic monuments—representing our collective memories and shared hope for a more perfect future. Visit https://www.kennedy-center.org/wno/home/
Washington Concert Opera's next live performance at Lisner Auditorium will be Vincenzo Bellini’s I Puritani on May 23, 2021. A performance that had been planned for March 14 has been canceled.
The Thirteen will livestream Bach’s St. John Passion, conducted by Matthew Robertson and staged by Timothy Nelson, on March 27. The all-star professional ensemble has been known for reimagining the potential of vocal music since its founding in 2012,
The Passion was originally written for the composer’s first Good Friday services in Leipzig, and it became a staple of the choral-orchestral repertoire. The part of Evangelist will be sung by Matthew Hill, and the part of Jesus will be sung by Jonathan Woody. Visit https://www.thethirteenchoir.org/passiontransfigured
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The Thirteen
UrbanArias, the opera company, will premiere the film version of Susan Kander & Roberta Gumbel’s opera titled “Driving While Black” on April 23. The production, directed and choreographed by Du’Bois A’Keen, will star soprano Karen Slack, with Creative Director Camry A’Keen and Conductor Robert Wood, who founded UrbanArias.
The solo chamber opera is about the tales, traumas, and triumphs of Black motherhood. The film will incorporate elements of modern dance, music video production, and intimate storytelling to bring the audience into the mind of the Mother.
Premiering online, the film will be available to stream at UrbanArias.org for $15 allowing viewers unlimited access through Fall 2021. Visit http://www.urbanarias.org/performances/driving-while-black/
Karen Slack
THEATRE
Arena Stage is screening online memorable films and stories that reveal "the fears, anxieties and hopes for the future and the work that is still to be done."
Visit
https://www.arenastage.org/tickets/arena-stage-films/
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Arena Stage
Constellation Theatre, which in normal times performs at Source in the U Street Corridor, is releasing never-before-seen footage from past Constellation shows so that viewers can enjoy epic larger-than-life virtual theatre from the comfort of home.
They’re “digging into the vault to offer videos from the STARchives!” and they suggest that audiences check back every Friday for the latest release online. Visit https://www.constellationtheatre.org/starchives
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Folger Theatre has announced their 2020/21 Season, which will begin with William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Robert Richmond, and will be performed at the National Building Museum, July 13-August 29, 2021. Visit https://www.folger.edu/folger-theatre
Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site is closed to the public but virtual programming continues. Ford’s Theatre Society released its free, on-demand video version of the popular stage play One Destiny by Richard Hellesen, directed by Mark Ramont in February. The play is available for streaming through June 13, 2021 with event registration on the Ford’s Theatre website.
The 40-minute video production revisits the events of April 14, 1865, with a cast of historical characters who were present, including Ford’s Theatre co-owner Harry Ford and stage actor Harry Hawk. who are portrayed by actors Michael Bunce and Stephen F. Schmidt.
As they reconstruct the sequence of events, "they grapple with the question: Could John Wilkes Booth have been stopped from assassinating President Abraham Lincoln?" Visit https://www.fords.org/visit/one-destiny
Note the trailer for One Destiny directly below here.
To read more about the theatre itself, Visit
Actors Michael Bunce and Stephen F. Schmidt - Photo credit: Gary Erskine.
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Little Theatre of Alexandria is presenting Lauren Gundersen’s play The Revolutionists on stage thru March 20. It’s an “irreverent, girl-powered comedy about four beautiful, sassy women who lose their heads during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror.
The women are playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen Marie Antoinette, and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle.
They hang out, murder Marat, and try to beat back the extremist insanity in 1793 Paris.” Visit thelittletheatre.com/performances
Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia is presenting SigWorks: A Monday Night New Play Reading Series completely online. The series provides an opportunity for local playwrights, actors, directors, and patrons to explore new plays.
Each reading includes a post-show Q&A with the playwright and Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner.
The readings are free and are made available on Signature Theatre’s YouTube Channel. Visit https://www.youtube.com/user/sigtheatre
Signature Theatre’s 2021 Signature Features season will include five fully-staged plays and musicals, made exclusively for the screen and professionally filmed on set in HD - following multiple safety protocols. Subscriptions for all five shows are on sale now for $200.
The shows will be available to stream on demand in HD on Marquee TV, an on-demand streaming platform dedicated to global arts and culture.
The announced shows, under the leadership of Managing Director Maggie Boland and Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner, will include:
Simply Sondheim directed by Matthew Gardiner
The Jam: Only Child by Daniel J. Watts
Midnight at The Never Get by Mark Sonnenblick
After Midnight: Celebrating the Duke Ellington Years - Directed/choreographed by Jared Grimes
Detroit ’67 by Dominique Morisseau
Visit https://www.sigtheatre.org/Subscribe
Emily Skinner and Solea Pfeiffer in Simply Sondheim at Signature Theatre. Photo by Christopher Mueller.
Studio Theatre, led by Artistic Director David Muse, is presenting the world premiere of Ike Holter's audio play I Hate It Here now live on the theatre's website.
Written during and about the pandemic, the play explores a world on the brink through a series of vignettes.
The production is available to stream for free through March 7, 2021 at www.studiotheatre.org/
Studio Theatre will present their 2020-2021 season - titled Studio in the Moment - entirely digitally. The productions will be on:
Studio Theatre at night
Rorschach Theatre is presenting "a visceral piece of immersive storytelling" titled "Distance Frequencies" through Summer 2021. Each month participants receive a map, a box of artifacts, and instructions to travel to a new curated location in the DC area. The ongoing story will culminate in a full production of a site-specific show in the summer of 2021.
“Chapters” were sent to audiences beginning in October, 2020. However, additional participants can join at any time and will be sent any missed chapters. The final piece – a full site-specific production – will run for 4 weeks in the summer of 2021. Visit https://rorschachtheatre.thundertix.com/events/176287
The Shakespeare Theatre Company is now streaming All the Devils Are Here - How Shakespeare Invented the Villain, written and performed by Patrick Page. The one-man show explores how William Shakespeare created the treacherous characters we all love to hate, including Macbeth. Iago. Claudius.
The production runs approximately 80 minutes. The streaming link is available for 72 hours after purchase. Visit https://www.shakespearetheatre.org/events/all-the-devils-are-here-how-shakespeare-invented-the-villain/
Patrick Page
Synetic Theatre offers SYNETIC STREAMING - a new on-demand digital web and app suite which lets viewers stream singular Synetic-curated content right to TVs or Laptop Sites.
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Washington Stage Guild will stream George Bernard Shaw's The Devil's Disciple on YouTube, March 17-21. The classic play, directed by Laura Giannarelli, is set during the American Revolutionary War and has a cast of 10 actors, pictured below, left to right:
Upper row, Jamie Smithson, Stan Kang, Helen Hedman
Middle row, Joy Jones, Matthew Castleman, Billie Krishawn
Bottom row, Frank Britton, Steven Carpenter, Scott McCormick.
Visit https://stageguild.org/
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The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington will stream Genderosity - a glam rock spectacle celebrating self expression - March 13-28. The show will feature over-the-top costumes, dance numbers, and more, celebrating the phenomenal spectrum of gender expression.
The songs will include “Dancing Queen,” “Vogue,” “Born This Way,” “Changes,” “Home,” & “My Strongest Suit.” Visit https://www.gmcw.org/genderosity/
Public Television
WETA Channel 26
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. Note that March is Women's History Month and
WETA will present several relevant programs, which are among those in the listing below.
March 1 @ 11:30 - RICK STEVES: HUNGER AND HOPE: LESSONS FROM ETHIOPIA AND GUATEMALA — Rick journeys through Ethiopia & Guatemala to explore innovative
solutions to the hunger and poverty crisis.
March 11 @ 8:00 MISS MARPLE: THE MOVING FINGER — A nasty case of poison-pen letters brings Miss Marple to the East Anglian village of Lymston. Joan Hickson stars as the
spinster sleuth in this classic BBC production adapted from Agatha Christie's crime novels.
Joan Hickson as Miss Marple
March 13 @ 11:00 THE BUDDHA — A documentary about the
Indian sage who lived two and a half millennia ago. Created by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin, and narrated by Richard Gere, the documentary tells the story of the life of the Buddha.
March 18 @ 8:00 MIDSOMER MURDERS, SERIES 17: A VINTAGE MURDER — DCI John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) and DS
Charlie Nelson (Gwilym Lee) probe cases of murder
and mystery in a quaint English community.
March 22 @ 9:30 BEYOND THE CANVAS, SEASON 1 — The best arts and culture reporting from PBS NewsHour’s CANVAS
arts series. Each episode focuses on a specific theme,
showcasing artist profiles and NewsHour’s first-person
narrative segments to explore the concept. NewsHour
senior national correspondent Amna Nawaz hosts.
Amna Nawaz
Courteys of PBS NewsHour
March 23 @ 8:00 FLANNERY: AMERICAN MASTERS — The life of author Flannery O’Connor, featuring never-before-seen archival footage, newly discovered journals and interviews with Mary Karr, Tommy Lee Jones, Hilton Als and more.
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Flannery O’Connor
Joe McTyre - Emory
March 24 @ 10:00 FAST-FORWARD — A documentary featuring parents & children who are "aged" with the help of make-up artists. Their family dynamics are examined. Rosario Dawson narrates.
Cast member Carol Causieestko is transformed into a vision of her
85 year old self
March 26 @ 9:00 - Twyla Moves: American Masters - The
legendary choreographer's career & creative process, with original interviews, first-hand glimpses of her at work, and rare archival footage of select performances from her more
than 160 choreographed works.
Twyla Tharp
Credit: Courtesy of Marc von Borstel
March 28 @ 7:00 FAUCI: THE VIRUS HUNTER - A documentary spotlights the life & career of physician-scientist and immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci, from his childhood in Brooklyn to becoming Director of the National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health and chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden.
The documentary includes interviews with Fauci’s colleagues and friends, along with archival footage and photos. His advisory role to seven U.S. presidents is noted and especially his work during the COVID-19 pandemic and his role in fighting against HIV/AIDS, SARS, influenza viruses, Zika, & Ebola.
March 28 @ 8:00 GREAT PERFORMANCES: MOVIES FOR GROWNUPS AWARDS WITH AARP THE MAGAZINE — A special honoring the best films and performances of 2020 that resonate with older viewers, and celebrate Career Achievement Award-winner George Clooney. Celebrating movies that matter, the Awards champion movies for grownups, by grownups.
George Clooney
March 31 @ 8:00 EXTINCTION: THE FACTS — With 1 million species under threat, Sir David Attenborough explores extinction and how this crisis has consequences for us all, even putting us at greater risk of pandemic diseases.
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