The Agenda News June, 2022

A Guide to Places to Go & Things to Do in
Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Northwest DC & Northern Virginia
©® 2022 Bob Joiner PO Box 7102A4 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

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REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS:

National Geographic Museum is exhibiting Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience, thru February 6, 2023. The cinematic immersive exhibition takes guests on a journey to one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time. Visitors travel through galleries featuring a 280-degree digital screen and massive, immersive projections. They experience the country’s ancient wonders, and meet ancient Egyptian gods like Ra and Anubis. Visitors can hear National Geographic Explorers who continue to study the mysteries of the tomb "and travel with the legendary pharaoh on his quest for immortality." The exhibit was created in partnership with Paquin Entertainment Group and features innovative video projections and soundscapes.Visit www.nationalgeographic.org
The Smithsonian Arts & Industries Building The Smithsonian Folklife Festival will take place on the National Mall June 22-27 & June 30-July 4. Except when it had to be canceled due to the pandemic, the annual Festival has welcomed participants and visitors from across the U.S. and around the world to the National Mall since 1967. In addition to the events on the Mall, an online Festival Marketplace this year will feature products from Armenia, Colombia, Fiji, Kenya, Mexico, and elsewhere. A schedule of daily events on the Mall will be available by late spring at https://festival.si.edu/schedule Meanwhile, visit https://festival.si.edu/visit
Washington National Cathedral will present a July 4th Musical Celebration on July 4. Cathedral organists Thomas Sheehan and George Fergus, joined by the Washington Symphonic Brass, will perform a program of patriotic music for organ and brass, featuring both familiar favorites and fresh lesser-known music. Visit https://cathedral.org/event/july-4th-musical-celebration/
George Washington's Mount Vernon will present Fireworks over the Potomac, Live Music on the East Lawn and much more on June 24/25. Visitors can: Tour the Mansion Listen to The National Concert Band Watch ice cream-making demonstrations Visit the Reynolds Museum See"General Washington" and more. Guests are encouraged to bring a blanket or small lawn chair to sit on the East Lawn. Visit https://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/events/independence-fireworks/
Fiesta Asia Street Fair, which had been planned for May 21, has been postponed to July 16. The festival will take place along Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 3rd & 6th Streets. The Fair celebrates Asian Heritage with a parade, multi-stage performances, Asian food, unique arts & culture and much more! Visit http://fiestaasia.org/participate/
Heritage days will take place in Montgomery County, Maryland, June 25 & 26. The county-wide festival offers programs, activities and tours appealing to visitors of all ages and interests. Participants can learn about local history, culture and nature, the Civil War and agricultural history, the stories of local railroads and trolleys, African American communities, life along the C&O Canal, astronomy, and much more. Heritage Days also highlights local arts & culture as well as outdoor recreation, including biking, hiking, and walking tours. Many venues offer musical entertainment, activities and crafts for children, and refreshments.Visit Heritagemontgomery.org The 30th Annual Barbecue Battle will take place on Pennsylvania Avenue in D.C. on June 25 & 26. In addition to BBQ, the popular event features Health & Fitness, Music & Entertainment, Family activities, Contests, Offers & Giveaways, and more. Visit https://bbqindc.com/

LOCAL NEWS FEATURING CHEVY CHASE & BETHESDA

Wegmans Food Market will open on July 13 in the new City Ridge development on Wisconsin Avenue - on the southern end of Tenleytown. The market will be located in the historic building that formerly housed Fannie Mae’s headquarters. The Rochester, N.Y.-based retailer’s Tenleytown market will be across Wisconsin Avenue from Sidwell Friends School and will have a massive parking garage. In addition to shopping, City Ridge will have residential and office buildings and many amenities. Metrobuses run often past City Ridge on Wisconsin Avenue, and some able-bodied pedestrians may find the walk from the Tenleytown Metro Subway an option. Upton Place, a mixed-use building, is under construction on Wisconsin Avenue across Upton Street from City Ridge. Upton Place will be comprised of 689 multifamily residences atop some 100,000 square feet of prime retail space and a restored 825-space below-grade parking garage. An office complex was razed to make room for Upton Place.
The Westbard Avenue area of Bethesda is undergoing many changes. Construction of the building which will house the Giant food market in Westbard Square – as Westwood Center will be named - is now above ground, and occupancy is planned for late 2023. Meanwhile, the mixed-use Westwood 2 building that stood at Westbard Avenue & River Road has been razed - as has the multi-family building opposite. The Westwood 2 building will be redeveloped as an assisted living senior housing residence. The senior center will include 112 units, parking and amenities and will be completed before the Giant market is completed. Informative videos showing the developer’s plans can be seen at https://westbardsquare.com/redevelopment/
A rendering of the proposed residential building that would replace the Friendship Center on Wisconsin Avenue in Friendship Heights is shown in the center of the image above. The building would replace Maggiano’s restaurant, Marshall’s and DSW Shoes and would have retail on the street level. As planned, the balconies of individual apartments would be ornamented with live plants. The developer has amended the original plans by "stepping the building down" to make it more interesting visually. The new building will have 180 parking spots and will be accessed via driveways on Wisconsin Avenue, Military Road and Jenifer Street. Although the apartments in the new building would be designed to be rentals, the units could be converted to condominiums at some time the future.
The Heights Food Hall is under construction in the space formerly occupied by a branch of Anthropologie on the Wisconsin Avenue side of Wisconsin Place. The Food Hall will have eight stations offering a wide variety of cuisine, plus a full-service bar and dining on the patio. In addition, a “Speakeasy” is being installed behind the future food hall in space formerly occupied by a branch of PFChang - an Asian-themed restaurant. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Common Plate Hospitality Group The former Mazza Gallerie looks increasingly decrepit. Much of the exterior is boarded up with plywood. Regarding the Chevy Chase Pavilion (CCP), there is virtually no information online about the former mall. The space at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue & Military Road (CCP) is almost empty now, save for a CVS pharmacy, a T-Mobile store and a branch of The Cheesecake Factory. The Heights, as the office building above the CCP is named, is offering thousands of square feet of space for lease.
Foxtrot Market, a company based in Chicago, plans to open a café and market in space at 7262 Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda Row later this year. The space was, until recently, occupied by Mussel Bar & Grille. Foxtrot has several branches in the D.C. area featuring food markets, all-day cafes and fast delivery of sandwiches, tacos, salads, pastries, gifts & more. To read about the Georgetown branch, visit https://foxtrotco.com/stores/washington-dc/georgetown/301 Clyde’s of Reston, which has been at Reston Town Center for many years, closed its doors for good in May. The restaurant’s art and décor were offered at an auction in late May.
 Cesto Osteria, a classic Italian restaurant on Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda, closed on January 29 upon the retirement of Chef Francesco Ricci after 30 years in this area. He arrived from Florence, Italy in 1988 and opened Cesco Osteria in 1997.

ARTS & CRAFTS: nATIONAL gALLERIES

The National Gallery of Art will exhibit The Woman in White: Joanna Hiffernan and James McNeill Whistler, July 3-October 10. Joanna Hiffernan, an Irish immigrant to London, played a critical role in the art and life of American expatriate artist James McNeill Whistler. During the early 1860, Joanna Hiffernan “worked closely with Whistler, primarily as a model, on innovative paintings, prints, and drawings that challenged prevailing cultural norms and established Whistler’s reputation as one of the most influential artists of the late 19th century.” Visit https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2022/woman-in-white.html The National Gallery of Art is exhibiting Afro-Atlantic Histories thru July 17 in the West Building. The exhibition explores the complex histories of the African Diaspora and takes an in-depth look at the historical experiences and cultural formations of Black and African people since the 17th century. More than 130 powerful works of art, including paintings, sculpture, photographs, and time-based media by artists from Africa, Europe, the Americas, and the Caribbean, bring these narratives to life. This exhibition was initially presented as Histórias Afro-Atlânticas in 2018 by the Museu de Arte de São Paulo and the Instituto Tomie Ohtake in Brazil.Visit https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2022/afro-atlantic-histories.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=dc_cvb&utm_campaign=aah&utm_id=220402 The National Gallery of Art is exhibiting American Silence: The Photographs of Robert Adams, thru October 2. For 50 years, Robert Adams (b. 1937) has made “compelling, provocative, and highly influential photographs that show us the wonder and fragility of the American landscape, its inherent beauty, and the inadequacy of our response to it.” The exhibition features some 175 works from the artist’s most important projects and includes pictures of suburban sprawl, strip malls, highways, homes, and stores, as well as rivers, skies, the prairie, and the ocean. Visit https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2022/american-silence-photographs-of-robert-adams.html
Image above: Albrecht Dürer, Georg Mack the Elder, Christ on the Mount of Olives, 1508 and 1580 The National Gallery of Art will exhibit The Renaissance in the North: New Prints and Perspectives, July 3-November 27. The region of northern Europe today known as Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands experienced momentous social, political, and artistic transformation from 1450 through the early 1600s, a time now called the Northern Renaissance. Rare prints by Albrecht Dürer, Hendrick Goltzius, and other influential artists are shown alongside engravings, etchings, and woodcuts by other artists. Visit https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2022/renaissance-north-new-prints-perspectives.html RETURN TO HOME PAGE

ARTS & CRAFTS sMITHSONIAN GALLERIES

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden will showcase a century of art by nearly 50 pathbreaking-women and nonbinary artists in “Put It This Way: (Re)Visions of the Hirshhorn Collection,” beginning July 22. Masterworks will be featured by Alma Thomas, Agnes Martin and Barbara Hepworth Will alongside works by Dana Awartani, Loie Hollowell, Sondra Perry, Deborah Roberts and Kiyan Williams. The exhibition is organized by Hirshhorn Associate Curator Anne Reeve and “will speak to traditionally marginalized artists’ decisive and virtuosic achievements, and investigate a wide array of aesthetic, political and historical concerns.” The image above is by Alma Thomas, Earth Sermon – Beauty, Love And Peace, 1971. Acrylic on canvas. The Martha Jackson Memorial Collection: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, 1980. Photo by Lee Stalsworth. Visit https://hirshhorn.si.edu/upcoming-exhibitions/ The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is exhibiting One with Eternity: Yayooi Kusama thru November 27, as a tribute to the life and practice of the contemporary artist. She studied traditional Nihonga (Japanese-style) painting in Kyoto and moved to New York City in 1958. She exhibited alongside Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, Allan Kaprow and others. Kusama is recognized as "influential to the development of assemblage, environmental art, and performative practices." Image agove: Image above: Infinity Mirrored-Room My Heart is Dancing into the Universe - 2018 Jack HemsVisit https://hirshhorn.si.edu/exhibitions/one-with-eternity-yayoi-kusama-in-the-hirshhorn-collection/ The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is exhibiting Sam Gilliam: Full Circle thru September 4. The exhibition pairs a series of circular paintings (or tondos) created in 2021 with “Rail” (1977), a landmark painting in the Hirshhorn’s permanent collection. Gilliam’s first solo exhibition at the Hirshhorn, it is also the first exhibition in his chosen hometown of Washington, D.C., since 2007. “Full Circle” is organized by Evelyn C. Hankins, the Hirshhorn’s head curator. Visit https://hirshhorn.si.edu/upcoming-exhibitions/ 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. Visithttps://hirshhorn.si.edu/exhibitions/laurie-anderson-the-weather/ The National Museum of African Art is exhibiting Iké Udé: Nollywood Portraits; the closing date has not been announced. Nollywood is Nigeria’s 3-billion-dollar film industry.Visit https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/ike-ude-nollywood-portraits:event-exhib-6554
Maya Angelou* The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery will exhibit I Dream a World: Selections from Brian Lanker’s Portraits of Remarkable Black Women: Part I, July 8-January 29, 2023. The exhibition features more than 25 photographs by the Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer who, in 1989, published the extraordinarily popular book I Dream a World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America. The show represents women who have made significant contributions to the U.S., including Maya Angelou*, Septima Poinsette Clark, Lena Horne, Barbara Jordan, Rosa Parks, Leontyne Price, Wilma Rudolph, and Alice Walker. Part 2 will be on display February 10-August 27, 2023, and will include Althea Gibson, Odetta, Cicely Tyson, and Oprah Winfrey. The exhibition was co-curated by Ann Shumard and Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw. * Photo above: Maya Angelou Artist: Brian Lanker Gelatin silver print 1988 Partial gift of Lynda Lanker, and museum purchase with the generous support of Robert E. Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker, Agnes Gund, Kate Kelly and George Schweitzer, Lyndon J . Barrois and Janine Sherman Barrois, and Mark and Cindy Aron Visit https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/i-dream-world-selections-brian-lankers-portraits-remarkable-black-women-part-i:event-exhib-6608 The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery will exhibit Family Ties: Daguerreotype PortraitsJuly 1, 2022 - June 11, 2023. Within a decade of its introduction in 1839, the daguerreotype—the first commercially viable form of photography—emerged as a highly popular means of documenting family relationships. The portraits in this exhibition reflect the range of familial relationships documented by the camera during the daguerreian era.
The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery is exhibiting Watergate: Portraiture and Intrigue, exploring the 50th anniversary of the 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee offices at the Watergate complex, thru September 5. The exhibition displays 25 objects in various media spanning from fine art to pop culture, including portraits of former President Richard M. Nixon and others involved in the scandal and subsequent investigations. Kate Clarke Lemay was the curator of the exhibition. The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery is exhibiting The Outwin 2022: American Portraiture Today, thru February 26, 2023. Every three years, artists living and working in the U.S. are invited to submit one of their recent portraits to a panel of experts chosen by the museum. Their work is presented in this exhibition before traveling to other cities in the U.S. Artist Alison Elizabeth Taylor is the first-prize winner of the sixth national competition. Visit https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/outwin-2022-american-portraiture-today:event-exhib-6603 The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery will exhibit Powerful Partnerships: Civil War-Era Couples, July 1-May 18, 2025. The exhibition sheds light on the stories and faces of five couples whose work and lives shaped the nation around them during tumultuous times. Featuring photography by the iconic Mathew Brady Studio, the exhibition features Nathaniel and Mary Banks, John and Jessie Frémont, Ulysses and Julia Grant, George and Ellen McClellan, and Charles and Lavinia Stratton (better known to the public as Mr. and Mrs. Tom Thumb).Visit https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/powerful-partnerships-civil-war-era-couples:event-exhib-6607
The Smithsonian American Art Museum will exhibit We Are Made of Stories: Self-Taught Artists in the Robson Family Collection, July 1-March 26, 2023. The exhibition “traces the rise of self-taught artists in the twentieth century and examines how, despite wide-ranging societal, racial, and gender-based obstacles, their creativity and bold self-definition became major forces in American art.” The exhibition showcases forty-three artists, including James Castle, Thornton Dial Sr., William Edmondson, Howard Finster, Bessie Harvey, Sister Gertrude Morgan, the Philadelphia Wireman, Nellie Mae Rowe, Judith Scott, Bill Traylor, and others, whose work was admired and collected by Margaret Z. Robson (1932–2014). The exhibition is organized by Leslie Umberger, curator of folk and self-taught art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. *Image above: Umberger, Leslie. We Are Made of Stories: Self-Taught Artists in the Robson Family Collection. With an introduction by Douglas O. Robson. Washington, DC: Smithsonian American Art Museum in association with Princeton University Press, 2022. Visit https://americanart.si.edu/exhibition/we-are-made-stories-robson?utm_source=si.edu&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=exhibitions The Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum is exhibiting This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World, thru April 2, 2023. The exhibition "highlights the role that artists play in our world to spark essential conversations, stories of resilience, and methods of activism—showing us a more relational and empathetic world. The exhibition acknowledges often-overlooked histories and contributions of women, people of color, and  other marginalized communities." Visit https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/this-present-moment
Detail of a Pair of lions with erotes as riders, early 1st century BCE-mid 1st century CE The Smithsoniasn Arthur M. Sackler Gallery will exhibit Ancient Yemen: Incense, Art, and Trade, for an indefinite period beginning June 25. Fine alabaster statues and metalworks display the masterful skills of artists from ancient Yemen, who blended local ideas and Greek and Roman inspirations into new creations, underscoring the region’s remarkable artistic and cultural cosmopolitanism. Visit https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/ancient-yemen-incense-art-and-trade:event-exhib-6610 The Smithsonian Arthur M. Sackler Gallery is exhibiting Underdogs and Antiheroes: Japanese Prints from the Moskowitz Collection, thru January 29, 2023. The exhibition "focuses on the stories and urban legends of individuals living on the fringes of society in early modern Japan. Key subjects in theater, literature, and visual arts reveal antiheroes and underdogs whose virtues are often embodied by their rejection of societal norms, making them misfits and moral exemplars at the same time." Visit https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/underdogs-and-antiheroes-japanese-prints-moskowitz-collection:event-exhib-6602
The Smithsonian Sackler Gallery is exhibiting Revealing Krishna: Journey to Cambodia's Sacred Mountain, thru September 18. The mountain is in the floodplains of southern Cambodia. The exhibition "showcases a monumental sculpture of the Hindu god Krishna lifting Mount Govardhan to protect his people from a torrential storm sent by an angry god. Visit https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/revealing-krishna-journey-cambodias-sacred-mountain:event-exhib-6594 The Smithsonian Freer Gallery of Art is exhibiting Falcons: The Art of the Hunt, thru July 17, 2022. A selection of paintings and objects from ancient Egypt to China will offer a glimpse into the world of falcons. Image above: A Mounted man hunting birds with a falcon; Mughal dynasty, early 18th century; Color and gold on paper; Gift of Charles Lang Freer Visit https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/falcons-art-hunt:event-exhib-6526 The Smithsonian Freer Gallery of Art is exhibiting Mind Over Matter: Zen in Medieval Japan, thru July 24, highlighting Monastic Zen painting ca. 1200–1600. The paintings in monochrome ink have influenced artists and enthusiasts for centuries, and many of the most accomplished artists of that era were Zen monks credited by later generations as the creators of a unique and remarkable legacy of ink painting. Visit https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/mind-over-matter-zen-medieval-japan:event-exhib-6565

arts & crafts: Independent galleries

The Katzen Arts Center The American University College of Arts & Sciences is presenting the following exhibitions at the Museum in the Katzen Arts Center thru August 7:The Bridge that Carried Us OverVertiginous Matter: Jason HorowitzThe Quest for Tranquil Space: Paintings and PhotogramsCaribbean TransitionsHome-Land: Exploring the American MythVisit https://www.american.edu/cas/museum/upcoming.cfm
Artechouse DC is presenting ASE: AFRO FREQUENCIES thru 2022. The groundbreaking cultural exhibition features designs by Vince Fraser, a London-based Afro-surrealist visual artist. The sensory-filled, immersive exhibition takes visitors on "a journey that celebrates historical and social aspects of the African diaspora and Black culture through the artist’s lens." The visuals "are echoed by pulsating rhythmic drums and stirring spoken words from Philadelphia-based poet Ursula Rucker." Visit https://www.dc.artechouse.com/ The Phillips Collection will exhibit Lou Stovall: The Museum Workshop, July 23-October 9. The exhibition will reexamine the history and legacy of the Dupont Center, an artist’s museum founded in Washington, DC, in 1969. Under the visionary collaboration of curator Walter Hopps and artist Lou Stovall, the Dupont Center advanced a new, innovative model for the museum as a place for exhibition, art-making, and community-building. Visit https://www.phillipscollection.org/event/2022-07-23-lou-stovall-museum-workshop The Phillips Collection is exhibiting Intersections: Marta Pérez García, thru August 28. Originally from Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Peréz García was trained as a printmaker at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University in Philadelphia, where she received an MFA. She was awarded the 2021 Vita Paper Arts Residency at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Hyattsville, Maryland.Visit https://www.phillipscollection.org/event/2022-03-31-intersections-marta-perez-garcia IA&A at Hillyer will exhibit works by Newly Selected Artists, July 2-July 31. The artists and their works encompass “a range of themes and artistic approaches to enhance and broaden viewers’ understanding of contemporary art.” The artists are:Gabrielle Lajoie-Bergeron, a French-Canadian multidisciplinary artist, curator, teacher, and cultural worker living and working in Baltimore. Kate Fitzpatrick, an artist and educator based in Alexandria, VA. &Kristin Adair, a Washington, DC-based documentary filmmaker and multimedia artist. Visit https://athillyer.org/current-exhibitions/upcoming-exhibitions-2/ Arlington Arts Center Spring Exhibitions opened on April 15. SOLOS 2022 features solo exhibitions by Alexander D’Agostino, Kyrae Dawaun, Danni O’Brien, Sharon Shapiro, Marisa Stratton, and Ju Yun. AAC resident artist Stephanie Lane presents Thresholds, her first solo exhibition since joining AAC's studio residency program. Visit www.arlingtonartscenter.org The Kreeger Museum in Northwest D.C. is celebrating International Sculpture Day with Hamiltonian Artists, thru August 27. The Collaborative is a guest artist exhibition program developed to support Washington area artists. Visit https://www.kreegermuseum.org/exhibitions/view/currenthttps://www.kreegermuseum.org/exhibitions/view/current
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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
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/ RETURN TO HOME PAGE

dance

A scene from "Drumfolk" - Photo by Jacob Andrew Iwinski
Arena Stage is presenting Step Afrika's latest production, titled Drumfolk, thru June 26. The production is inspired by the Stono Rebellion of 1739 and the Negro Act of 1740 in South Carolina. Enslaved Africans were not allowed to assemble or use their drums to signal a rebellion. The State took away the drums, but they could not stop the beat. The immersive production will be the first of three in a collaborative partnership between Step Afrika! and Arena Stage.Visit www.arenastage.org/drumfolk

FAMILY

Imagination Stage in Bethesda, MD is presenting Mr. Popper's Penguins, based on the novel by Richard and Florence Atwater and directed by Nathaniel P. Claridad, thru August 7. The musical play is about Mr. Popper, a painter of modest means who dreams of taking an Antarctic adventure. Soon he has a female companion and 20 baby penguins! To support the family, Mr. Popper and his wife create a must-see traveling vaudeville act full of song and dance. The production, featuring expert puppetry, is considered best for ages 3 - 10.Visit https://imaginationstage.org/on-our-stages/mr-popper-s-penguins/
Heritage days will take place in Montgomery County, Maryland, June 25 & 26. The contywide festival offers programs, activities and tours appealing to visitors of all ages and interests. Participants can learn about local history, culture and nature, the Civil War and agricultural history, the stories of local railroads and trolleys, African American communities, life along the C&O Canal, astronomy, and much more. Heritage Days also highlights local arts & culture as well as outdoor recreation, including biking, hiking, and walking tours. Many venues offer musical entertainment, activities and crafts for children, and refreshments.Visit Heritagemontgomery.org Mount Vernon will have an American Celebration on July 4, Visitors can:Meet George Washington.Watch made-for-daytime fireworks.Observe a moving ceremony in which people from across the world become U.S. citizens.Watch a musical performance by the National Concert Band.Visit https://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/events/an-american-celebration/ Adventure Theatre ATMTC at Glen Echo Park Maryland is presenting Fantastagirl and the Math Monster, directed by Jenny McConnell Fredrick, with Book & Lyrics by Tori Boutin and Music & Lyrics by Madeline Belknap, thru August 21. Fantastagirl is “a second-grade superhero who uses words to save the day when she comes face to face with her worst nightmare: the Math Monster!" Visit https://adventuretheatre-mtc.org/shows/professional-shows-update/ Fiesta Asia Street Fair, which had been planned for May 21, has been postponed to July 16. The festival will take place along Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 3rd & 6th Streets. The Fair celebrates Asian Heritage with a parade, multi-stage performances, Asian food, unique arts & culture and much more! Visit http://fiestaasia.org/participate/
The Puppet Co. at Glen Echo Park Maryland will present Cinderella, using rod puppets to convey the classic tale of rags to riches, July 21-August 28. The story is recommended for ages 5+ and runs for approximately 45 minutes. The Puppet Co. at Glen Echo Park Maryland is presenting Little Red Riding Hood and the 3 Little Pigs, thru July 3. “We all think we know The Big Bad Wolf from the classic fairytales, but what if it’s the same Wolf in both stories? What if there’s been a big mistake? What if the Wolf isn’t so big or so bad?” The show is recommended for ages 4+. Visit www.thepuppetco.org/shows
 The Smithsonian Folklife Festival will take place on the National Mall June 22-27 & June 30-July 4. Except when it had to be canceled due to the pandemic, the annual Festival has welcomed participants and visitors from across the U.S. and around the world to the National Mall since 1967. In addition to the events on the Mall, an online Festival Marketplace this year will feature products from Armenia, Colombia, Fiji, Kenya, Mexico, and elsewhere. A schedule of daily events on the Mall will be available by late spring at https://festival.si.edu/schedule Meanwhile, visit https://festival.si.edu/visit The National Theatre will present Blippi The Musical on June 25. Blippi is a unique character created by Stevin John. In the live show, children learn about the world around them while singing and dancing. Visit https://www.broadwayatthenational.com/show/blippi-the-musical/
Keegan Theatre will present a musical for families titled The Amazing Adventures of Dr. Wonderful (And Her Dog), directed by Elena Velasco, July 5-24. The show, with book and lyrics by Lauren Gunderson and music by Bree Lowdermilk, is about a detective duo who want to know why the moon changes shape in the sky every night. So they head off into space on an amazing journey to gather clues to solve their lunar mystery using the powers of science, curiosity, and teamwork. Visit https://keegantheatre.com/portfolio/the-amazing-adventures-of-dr-wonderful-and-her-dog/ The 30th Annual Barbecue Battle will take place on Pennsylvania Avenue in D.C. on June 25 & 26. In addition to BBQ, the popular event features Health & Fitness, Music & Entertainment, Family activities, Contests, Offers & Giveaways, and more. Visit https://bbqindc.com/ The Georgetown Walking Tour: Off the Beaten Path will take place on June 26. “Join Dwane Starlin to explore the hidden gems, secret spots, and delightful hideaways of Georgetown away from the hustle and bustle of M and Wisconsin.” Visit https://dumbartonhouse.org/events/georgetown-walking-tour-off-the-beaten-path/

Film

Wolf Trap will present a Sing-A-Long Sound of Music in the Filene Center on July 16. The classic Julie Andrews film will be screened, complete with on-screen lyrics so everyone can sing along to “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” and more! A preshow costume contest will invite audience members in costume on stage to show off their outfits. To see highlights of the summer season at Wolf Trap, visit https://www.wolftrap.org/calendar.aspx?venue=filene+centerwww.wolftrap.org/ Wolf Trap will present Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince™ in Concert in the Filene Center on July 22 & 23. Based on the sixth installment of J.K. Rowling’s classic saga, the film tells the tale of Harry’s obsession with a mysterious potions book. The full feature film will be projected in HD onto screens in-house and on the lawn and accompanied by the music of a live symphony orchestra. To see highlights of the summer season at Wolf Trap, visit https://www.wolftrap.org/calendar.aspx?venue=filene+centerwww.wolftrap.org/
 Wolf Trap will present the National Symphony Orchestra, led by Emil de Cou, performing John Williams's score for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in the Filene Center on July 29. The Oscar®-nominated score from the film will be performed live as the full feature film is projected in HD onto screens in-house.To see highlights of the summer season at Wolf Trap, visit https://www.wolftrap.org/calendar.aspx?venue=filene+centerwww.wolftrap.org/ To see highlights of the summer season at Wolf Trap, visit https://www.wolftrap.org/calendar.aspx?venue=filene+centerwww.wolftrap.org/ National Geographic Museum is exhibiting Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience, thru February 6, 2023. The cinematic immersive exhibition "takes guests on a journey to one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time." Visitors travel through galleries featuring a 280-degree digital screen and massive, immersive projections. They experience the country’s ancient wonders, and meet ancient Egyptian gods like Ra and Anubis. Visitors can hear presentations by National Geographic Explorers who continue to study the mysteries of the tomb "and travel with the legendary pharaoh on his quest for immortality." The exhibit was created in partnership with Paquin Entertainment Group and features innovative video projections and soundscapes.Visit www.nationalgeographic.org

gardens - homes

A view of the new exhibit at USGB The United States Botanic Garden (USBG) is displaying a new exhibit about agriculture titled Cultivate: Growing Food in a Changing World - thru December, 2023. Saharah Moon Chapotin, USBG executive director, commented that "We hope this exhibit inspires visitors to become more engaged in agriculture and food and builds a better understanding of how the future of agriculture is interconnected with our planet’s sustainability.” Also, a new gift store is located in the Conservatory’s West Gallery, The store is open on weekends, and will expand to more days later in the spring.Visit www.USBG.gov

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens (Pictured above) is exhibiting The Luxury of Clay: Porcelain Past and Present, thru June 26, featuring the finest examples of vases, teapots, figurines, dishes, and more collected by Marjorie Merriweather Post. Over 125 objects are displayed and trace the remarkable development of porcelain, from its origins in 9th-century China to its discovery in Europe in the early 18th century, leading to contemporary artistic interpretations. Visit https://hillwoodmuseum.org/exhibitions/luxury-clay-porcelain-past-and-present Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is exhibiting Grace of Monaco: Princess in Dior thru January 8, 2023. Grace Kelly (1929-1982) was a leading American actor who earned an Academy Award and became a style icon for her understated glamour. Her relationship with Dior began in 1954. Leaving Hollywood to marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956, she was thenceforth Princess Grace of Monaco. The exhibition will explore the longstanding collaboration between her and Marc Bohan, artistic director at Christian Dior, through clothing, accessories, photos, and more on special loan from the Palace of Monaco. The exhibition, which features 86 pieces from Kelly’s collection, originated at the Musée Dior in Granville, France, and offers insights into Bohan’s muse in the 1960s and 1970s. Visit https://hillwoodmuseum.org/exhibitions/grace-monaco-princess-dior
Heurich House
The Heurich House Museum near Dupont Circle in D.C. reopened for tours in March. The house was built in 1892-4 for German-American immigrant Christian Heurich (1842-1945), whose brewery was the largest in DC and a household name. It is the city's best-preserved example of Richardsonian Romanesque residential architecture and one of the most landmarked interiors in DC. Visit http://heurichhouse.org

MUSEUMS: Smithsonian

The Smithsonian National Postal Museum is exhibiting "Baseball: America's Home Run" thru January 5, 2025. The exhibition features historic objects loaned from renowned private collections, showcasing a treasure trove of historically significant game-worn uniforms, jackets, hats, game-used bats and memorabilia from America’s pastime. Visit https://postalmuseum.si.edu/baseball
The National Museum of the American Indian is exhibiting Preston Singletarh: Raven and the Box of Delights thru January 29, 2023. Singletary (Tlingit American) tells the story of Raven, the creator of the world and giver of the stars & moon. Image above: Preston Singletary - Cast lead crystal, kiln-cast glass; steel base. Courtesy of the artist.) Visit https://americanindian.si.edu/ The National Air & Space Museum on the National Mall was closed for six months of renovation starting March 28, 2022. Visit www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/ The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is exhibiting Genome: Unlocking Life's Code until Summer of this year. The exhibition "shows how our expanding knowledge of genomes informs everything from personalized medicine to how we think about our human ancestors.” Visit http://naturalhistory.si.edu/genome
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History opened a new exhibit titled Dave's Dream in May. “Dave’s Dream” is a modified 1969 Ford LTD known as a “lowrider” and named for David Jaramillo of Chimayo, New Mexico. Dave began customizing his car in the 1970s. Lowriding is a family and community activity with parades, trophies, and other events celebrating cars and paying homage to their power and beauty. Visit https://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/daves-dream The Smithsonian National Museum of American History is featuring women inventors, who represent all segments of American society, but whose stories are often overlooked or undervalued. Visit https://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/picturing-women-inventors?utm_source=siedu&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=exhibitions The Smithsonian National Museum of American History is displaying an exhibition titled Discovery and Revelation: Religion, Science, and Making Sense of Things. The focus is on the interaction of religious ideas and communities with the scientific and technological advances that have shaped every generation from the Puritans to the digital age. The exhibition provides a view of Americans as "a spiritually seeking, scientifically experimenting, and endlessly curious people." Visit https://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/discovery-and-revelation
The Smithsonian Arts & Industries Building (pictured above) reopened in November, 2021 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 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 PLEASE NOTE: A complete list of Smithsonian museum days and hours of operation is available at si.edu/visit/hours RETURN TO HOME PAGE INDEPENDENT MUSEUMS:
National Geographic Museum is exhibiting Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience, thru February 6, 2023. The cinematic immersive exhibition takes guests on a journey to one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time. Visitors travel through galleries featuring a 280-degree digital screen and massive, immersive projections. They experience the country’s ancient wonders, and meet ancient Egyptian gods like Ra and Anubis. Visitors can hear from National Geographic Explorers who continue to study the mysteries of Tut's tomb "and travel with the legendary pharaoh on his quest for immortality." The exhibit was created in partnership with Paquin Entertainment Group.Visit www.nationalgeographic.org
Dumbarton Oaks Research Library & Museum opened an installation titled A Beautiful Dichotomy on April 12. The installation features a selection of Peruvian Pre-Columbian ceramics from a Washington DC private collection. The collection is a promised gift to Dumbarton Oaks that "will not only enhance the museum holdings but will belatedly fulfill Robert Bliss’s desire to acquire the finest examples of ceramics from Peru." Visit https://www.doaks.org/visit/museum/exhibitions/a-beautiful-dichotomy
 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 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 International Spy Museum is open with new safety measures in place. Advance ticket purchase is recommended. Visit https://www.spymuseum.org/
The National Building Museum and the Folger Shakespeare Library, in association with the University of South Carolina, will partner in July to present a Summer Block Party at the Museum called The Playhouse. The Playhouse will be installed in the Museum’s Great Hall. During the day, experiences related to theater will be presented at The Playhouse. At night, The Playhouse will be transformed into a stage to present Folger Theatre’s production of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Victor Malana Maog, July 12 – August 28. Visitors will enter via an immersive installation based on Joanna Robson’s A Knavish Lad, a double-concertina artists’ book from the Folger collection that visually narrates every scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. For more about the National Building Museum, visit https://www.nbm.org
The National Building Museum is displaying a major new exhibition, Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition, thru September 26, 2022. The exhibition’s North American debut at the Museum takes place on the third anniversary of the 2019 fire that ravaged the UNESCO World Heritage site. To navigate the exhibition, each visitor will use a HistoPad™, an augmented reality touch-screen tablet developed by Histovery. The hand-held device creates immersive and interactive reconstructions, visually transporting visitors back in time. Vinyl replicas of the cathedral’s flooring, stained-glass transfers on the Museum’s historic windows, audio of Notre Dame’s organs and tolling bells, as well as a projection of the cathedral’s famed rose window complete the multi-sensory experience.Visit https://www.nbm.org The National Building Museum is exhibiting What's Already There: Sustainable Architecture from Brussels until August 29. Presented by Brussels International and Urban.brussels, the exhibition explores six examples of sustainability-informed architecture. Structures ranging from private residences, to office buildings, to educational centers are presented to the public in three different ways. The exhibition was curated by Pauline Lefebvre and Thomas Vilquin, Université libre de Bruxelles. Visit https://www.nbm.org/exhibition/whats-already-there-sustainable-architecture-from-brussels/ The George Washington Museum & Textile Museum is presenting two new exhibitions thru August 27: At the Water's Edge: D.C. and the Potomac features historical maps, prints and documents and explores the complicated relationship between the capital city and the Potomac River, including its “Eastern Branch,” the Anacostia. The Language of Maps features printed maps for navigation, military strategy, urban planning and more. Drawing from the Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection, this exhibition brings together maps from the 17th to the 20th centuries, each with its own symbolic language and story. Visit http://museum.gwu.edu/

music in d.c.

The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden The National Gallery of Art outdoor Sculpture Garden presents musical performances ranging from jazz to Afro-Cuban and bluegrass every Friday through July 22. Registration is free and opens at noon one week before each concert. Visit https://www.nga.gov/calendar/jazz.html Chevy Chase Concerts will present the Katonah Presbyterian Handbell Choir on July 25 at The Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church at One Chevy Chase Circle, NW in D.C. They are based at Presbyterian Church of Katonah, New York. Visit https://www.chevychasepc.org/concerts Visit https://www.chevychasepc.org/concerts Return to Home Page

MUSIC IN VIRGINIA

Gil Shaham Wolf Trap will present Gil Shaham, violin, with the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ruth Reinhardt, playing music by Tchaikovsky in the Filene Centeron August 5. To see highlights of the summer season at Wolf Trap, visit https://www.wolftrap.org/calendar.aspx?venue=filene+centerwww.wolftrap.org/ Clarendon United Methodist Church in Arlington, VA will present the Fauré Requiem on June 28.- Visit https://www.clarendonumc.org/ RETURN TO HOME PAGE

MUSIC IN MARYLAND

The Music Center at Strathmore The Music Center at Strathmore will present their Live from the Lawn series, featuring a new 3-concert companion series just for kids, this summer on: July 6: Live from the Lawn: Dupont Brass - A soulful local brass ensemble.July 13: Live from the Lawn: Jake Blount The award-winning banjoist performs folk and bluegrass.July 14: Cool concerts for Kids: Elena Monk Park - Children's music from across the globeJuly 20: Live from the Lawn: Charm City Junction - Boot-stomping fusion of bluegrass and Irish roots. July 27: Live from the Lawn - Elijah Balbed & The Jogo Project - The intersection of Jazz and Go-GoJuly 28: Cool concerts for kids: Pierce Freelon: Black to the Future - soul, jazz, and hip-hop for the whole familyAugust 3: Live from the Lawn - The Bobby Thompson Band - Rock n’ roll with folk-blues roots.August 10: Live from the Lawn - Ladama - Music from across the Americas.August 11: Cool Concerts for Kids - Sonia De Los Santos & The Okee Dokee Brothers August 17: Live from the Lawn - Ukefest - Ukulele all-stars from around the globe.August 24: Live from the Lawn - Shayna Steele - Singing sensation performs originals & classics with soulVisit https://www.strathmore.org/what-s-on/summer-programs

opera

The Filene Center at Wolf Trap Wolf Trap will present Weber's Der Freischütz (The Marksman) in The Barns at Wolftrap on June 24 & 26. The first great German romantic opera, Der Freischütz is a mix of folklore, romance, and the ageless struggle between good and evil. To see highlights of the summer season at Wolf Trap, visit https://www.wolftrap.org/calendar.aspx?venue=filene+centerwww.wolftrap.org/
 Wolf Trap Opera and the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Roberto Kalb, will perform Verdi's La Traviata in the Filene Center on July 15. Verdi’s masterful opera “about forbidden love and the sacrifice of a beautiful courtesan for the young aristocrat she loves plays out against the hypocritical world of upper-class, opulent Parisian society.” To see highlights of the summer season at Wolf Trap, visit https://www.wolftrap.org/calendar.aspx?venue=filene+centerwww.wolftrap.org/

WETA Television Channel 26 will present a Metropolitan Opera Performances at 1 p.m. on 90.9 FM Radio on Saturday June 25: Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro from Opéra de Paris NOTE: The Metropolitan Opera’s radio broadcast season concludes in June. Visit http://wetaclassical.org

theatre in dc

Photo of Six by Joan Marcus Broadway at The National will present the new musical titled SIX by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss July 5-September 4. The musical depicts the SIX wives of Henry VIII as they “take the mic to remix five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an exuberant celebration of 21st-century girl power! The female cast is backed by an all-female band, “The Ladies in Waiting.” SIX is co-directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage, featuring choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille. Visit https://www.thenationaldc.com/
Photo of Cornelius Smith Jr. by Tony Powell Arena Stage will present the world-premiere musical American Prophet in the Kreeger Theater July 15-August 28. The musical, starring Cornelius Smith Jr., is “powered by the speeches and writings of Frederick Douglass, coupled with new melodies and an original script by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Marcus Hummon and Randolph-Wright. "Douglass rises as a fierce abolitionist, distinguished orator and one of history’s first freedom fighters." Visit www.arenastage.org/americanprophet
A scene from "Drumfolk" @ Arena Stage Photo by Jacob Andrew Iwinski Arena Stage is presenting Step Afrika's latest production, titled Drumfolk, thru June 26. The production is inspired by the Stono Rebellion of 1739 and the Negro Act of 1740 in South Carolina. Enslaved Africans were not allowed to assemble or use their drums to signal a rebellion. The State took away the drums, but they could not stop the beat. The immersive production will be the first of three in a collaborative partnership between Step Afrika! and Arena Stage. Visit www.arenastage.org/drumfolk Scena Theatre is presenting four short black comedy plays by the master of the absurd, Samuel Beckett, at the District of Columbia Arts Center on 18th Street NW thru July 16. With the production, Scena returns to its modernist roots of staging great works by the masters of literature and theatre. The four plays, directed by Scena’s Artistic Director Robert McNamara, are: Act Without Words I and II, Rough for Theatre I, and Eh Joe. The cast is comprised of Kim Curtis, Lee Ordeman, John Healy, Buck O'Leary, Ron Litman and Stacy Whittle. U/S: Ellie Nicoll and David Johnson. Visit www.scenatheater.org/ The Kennedy Center is presenting the Tony Award-winning musical Jersey Boys in the Eisenhower Theater thru June 26. It's the inside story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and how they went from the streets of New Jersey to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Visit https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/theater/2021-2022/jersey-boys/ The Kennedy Center is presenting Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird in the Opera House, thru July 10. Academy Award-winner Aaron Sorkin adapted Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning materwork for the stage. Emmy Award®-winning actor Richard Thomas plays the role of Atticus Finch in this retelling of the classic tale. Visit https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/theater/2021-2022/to-kill-a-mockingbird/ The Kennedy Center will present the Broadway musical The Band's Visit in the Eisenhower Theater, July 6-17. The story is set in a remote town, where a band of lost musicians "arrives out of the blue and brings the town to life in unexpected and tantalizing ways." The show is recommended for age 10 and up. Visit https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/theater/2021-2022/bands-visit/
 The Kennedy Center will present Blue Man Group in the Eisenhower Theater, July 19-31. The group features “signature drumming, colorful moments of creativity, and quirky comedy with pulsing, original music, custom-made instruments, surprise audience interaction, and hilarious absurdity.” The show is considered appropriate for all ages. Visit https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/theater/2021-2022/blue-man-group/
Keegan Theatre will present a musical for families titled The Amazing Adventures of Dr. Wonderful (And Her Dog), directed by Elena Velasco,_July 5-24. The show, with book and lyrics by Lauren Gunderson and music by Bree Lowdermilk, is about a detective duo who want to know why the moon changes shape in the sky every night. So they head off into space on an amazing journey to gather clues to solve their lunar mystery using the powers of science, curiosity, and teamwork. Visit https://keegantheatre.com/portfolio/the-amazing-adventures-of-dr-wonderful-and-her-dog/ Keegan Theatre is presenting the regional premiere of Lee Hall's play titled Shakespeare in Love, as adapted from a screenplay by Marc Norman & Tom Stoppard, thru July 16. It's the story of young Will Shakespeare, who overcame writer’s block when he found his muse – Viola." Despite "mistaken identity, ruthless scheming, and backstage theatrics, Will’s love for Viola quickly blossoms and inspires him to write his greatest masterpiece." Visit https://keegantheatre.com/portfolio/shakespeare-in-love/
Keegan Theatre will present the regional premiere of Paul Slade Smith’s comedy titled The Outsider August 27-September 24. The play has been called by Broadway World “an insightful, witty satire about modern American politics that will appeal to a vast audience." Visit http://keegantheatre.com/ Theater J is presenting FIRES IN THE MIRROR: Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and Other Identities, thru July 3. The groundbreaking documentaty play was conceived, written, and originally performed by Anna Deavere Smith and co-directed by Adam Immerwahr and January LaVoy. The setting is August 1991, when “simmering tensions in the racially polarized neighborhood of Crown Heights erupted into riots after a Black child was killed by a car in the Chabad-Lubavitcher Rebbe’s motorcade and a white Jewish scholar was slain in retaliation.” “The play uses verbatim testimony from individuals throughout the diverse community, creating a nuanced portrait of a shared but divided geography.” Visit https://theaterj.org/2021-2022-season/fires-in-the-mirror-21-22/ Studio Theatre is presenting Katori Hall's play titled The Hot Wing King, directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, thru July 31. The play won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The setting is in Memphis in August when it's time to crown the new Hot Wing King. Visit https://www.studiotheatre.org/plays/play-detail/2021-2022-the-hot-wing-king
Shakespeare Theatre Company is presenting Lolita Chakrabarti's play Red Velvet, directed by Jade King Carroll, in the Michael R. Klein Theatre, thru July 17. The setting is London’s Theatre Royal in 1833, when history is made as Ira Aldridge becomes the first Black actor to take the stage as Shakespeare’s Othello. At that time, a bill promoting the abolition of slavery was sending “shockwaves through Parliament,” and onlookers wondered how London would react to Aldridge’s groundbreaking performance? Visit https://www.shakespearetheatre.org/events/red-velvet-21-22/ Shakespeare Theatre Company will present Potted Potter – The Unauthorized Harry Experience - a Parody by Dan and Jeff - in Sidney Harman Hall, June 29-July 17. Written by Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner, who are two-time Olivier Award-nominated actors, the parody is considered “perfect for ages six to Dumbledore (who is very old indeed).” Playing to sold out houses all over the world, the parody takes on the ultimate challenge of condensing all seven Harry Potter books into seventy hilarious minutes. Visit https://www.shakespearetheatre.org/events/potted-potter-22/ The National Building Museum and the Folger Shakespeare Library, in association with the University of South Carolina, will partner in July to present a Summer Block Party at the Museum called The Playhouse. The Playhouse will be installed in the Museum’s Great Hall. During the day, experiences related to theater will be presented at The Playhouse. At night, The Playhouse will be transformed into a stage to present Folger Theatre’s production of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Victor Malana Maog, July 12-August 28. Visitors will enter the Block Party via an immersive installation based on Joanna Robson’s A Knavish Lad, a double-concertina artists’ book from the Folger collection that visually narrates every scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. For more about the National Building Museum, visithttps://www.nbm.org RETURN TO HOME PAGE

Theatre in virginia

Synetic Theater in Arlington, Virginia will present A Midsummer Night's Dream June 30-July 24 in the celebrated wordless adaptation by Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili. “This playful adaptation of Shakespeare’s timeless comedy feature’s Synetic’s trademark wordless storytelling. This fantastical, darkly playful game of love, mistaken identity, and the supernatural was honored with nine Helen Hayes Award Nominations when it was first produced in 2010. Visit https://synetictheater.secure.force.com/ticket/#/events/a0S5Y00000dIlmyUAC Synetic Theater will present Greatest Hits – Wordless Shakespeare Edition, directed by Irina Tsikurishvili, July 7-31. In the unique presentation, six actors take the audience through two decades of innovative storytelling in less than 90 minutes - all without saying a word. "It's a roller coaster ride of action, comedy, drama, romance, and revenge all told through Synetic’s iconic blend of movement, dance, and pantomime." Visit https://synetictheater.org/event_pages/best-of-the-bard/ Signature Theatre’s schedule for Summer 2022 will feature:June 24: Signature Theatre & Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Filene Center, led by Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner, with music direction by Jon Kalbfleisch, will present Broadway in the Park. Two of Broadway’s Tony-Award winning leading ladies, Kelli O’Hara (The King and I) and Adrienne Warren (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical), with favorite Signature Theatre artists, will perform songs from West Side Story, The Wiz, Gypsy, Funny Girl and more.
June 30-July 2: The We Shall Someday Concert, with book by Harrison David Rivers, music & additional lyrics by Ted Shen, and direction by Kelli Foster Warder, will be performed in Signature’s ARK Theatre. The timely new musical chronicles three generations of a Southern Black family as they trace the effects of racism, activism and legacy from the Civil Rights Movement to the present.
July 5 – 17: Hotter Than July: Stevie Wonder in Signature’s ARK Theatre was inspired by Stevie’s 1980 platinum album Hotter than July. The sizzling cabaret “sets the ARK ablaze with songs from the album along with some of Stevie’s other hits." August 16-October 9: the color purple - the musical adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of human fortitude, redemption and love. Directed by Timothy Douglas
August 30-October 16 – No Place to Go, written by Ethan Lipton & directed by Matthew Gardiner in Signature’s ARK Theatre. Bobby Smith (pictured above by Christopher Mueller) stars in a musical ode to the unemployed, backed by a jazz band. Visit https://www.sigtheatre.org/events/202223/no-place-to-go/ NextStop Theatre Company has delayed the planned presentation of The Legend of Georgia McBride until the Fall.
Nina Bennett
The Little Theatre of Alexandria will present Something Rotten, directed by Frank D. Shutts II, with book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell and music & lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, July 23-August 13. The Tony-award nominated musical farce is set in 1595 and follows the Bottom brothers, Nick and Nigel, “who struggle to find success in the theatrical world as they compete with the wild popularity of their rock star contemporary, William Shakespeare." The show "features large song and dance numbers and a wacky cast of over-the-top characters.” The Little Theatre of Alexandria is presenting Craig Lucas's Prelude to a Kiss, directed by Maggie Mumford, thru June 25. The romantic comedy is about a couple "who fall in love despite the woman’s pessimistic outlook on life. Shortly after their wedding, a supernatural event tests the strength of their love and commitment to each other." Visit https://thelittletheatre.com/ RETURN TO HOME PAGE

Theatre in Maryland

Rockville Musical Theatre will present Once Upon a Mattress, July 1-17. The musical comedy, with music by Mary Rodgers and lyrics by Marshall Barer, opened off-Broadway in 1959, and then moved to Broadway. The play was written as a humorous adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of 1835 titled "The Princess and the Pea." Visit https://www.r-m-t.org/current-season
Keith Powell Unexpected Stage Company is presenting Sophisticated New Ones by Keith Powell, directed by Dawn Thomas Reidy, thru July 3 in the Fireside Room, at the River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation building on River Road in Bethesda. The play is set in Philadelphia and “explores the intersection of identity, belonging, and antique furniture, as a family grapples with living within a country they no longer recognize. Set in 2007 during Barack Obama’s political rise, the play asks the question: What do we lose in the face of progress?” The production will be offered virtually as well as live. Visit www.unexpectedstage.org Round House Theatre in Bethesda is presenting the regional premiere of Jocelyn Bioh’s romantic comedy titled Nollywood Dreams, directed by Raymond O. Caldwell, thru July 3. Set in the ‘90s in Lagos, Nigeria, it’s about a young girl with big dreams who spends every spare minute imagining her big break. “When she lands an audition with the hottest director in Nigeria’s booming film industry, she finds herself at odds with his former leading lady—and relishing the charms of Nollywood's biggest dreamboat.” Visit https://www.roundhousetheatre.org/On-Stage/Explore/Nollywood-Dreams RETURN TO HOME PAGE

public television WETA channel 26

Visit www.weta.org Each month, The Agenda News suggests Public TV Programs that will be broadcast - mostly in the evening - on WETA, WETA UK & WETA WORLD Channel 26. Programs suggested for June are:
June 27 @ 9:00 KEN BURNS PRESENTS HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT: YOUTH MENTAL ILLNESS, A FILM BY ERIK EWERS AND CHRISTOPHER LOREN EWERS — A WETA co-production explores America’s mental health crisis through the eyes of more than 20 young people and the providers, advocates, family, and friends who support them. Part 1 of 2. Photo below: Kee Dunning - A licensed clinical mental-health therapist in Billings, Montana. Photo courtesy of Christopher Loren Ewers

about us

This publication disclaims all legal responsibility for errors, omissions, and/or typos in The Agenda News ©® 2022 Bob Joiner. Contents of the publication, including text, artwork, format and design, may not be reproduced in whole or in part. Info. published here and/or at websites listed here or provided by telephone contacts provided here is not endorsed or guaranteed. Ads are not accepted. The publication is unrelated to or supported by any government entity or private business. Subscribers are notified of monthly updates. The Agenda News is updated via Twitter @ twitter.com/BobsAgendaNewsSubscriptions can be canceled by writing to: PO Box 71024 Chevy Chase, MD 20813-1024 RETURN TO HOME PAGE