The Agenda News
November, 2020
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
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news for metro dc
The Hirshhorn Museum's sculpture garden and the Smithsonian gardens surrounding its administration building - including the Enid A. Haupt Garden - remain open.
The annual National Cherry Blossom Festival will take place 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.
Imagination Stage will present The Snow Queen - an At-Home Theatre Experience, December 12-February 28, 2021. The virtual show was written by Mike Kenny, adapted from the story by Hans Christian Andersen and directed by Janet Stanford. In this adaptation of the famous winter fairy tale, a powerful friendship is put to the test. The show is considered best for ages 5+ Visit https://patrons.imaginationstage.org/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=7958
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The National Gallery of Art
Glen Echo Park Partnership Galleries in Glen Echo, MD is presenting their annual Holiday Art Show & Sale in the Popcorn Gallery and Stone Tower Gallery thru January 3. The show features the Park's resident artists and instructors, plus invited guests, with works in glass, ceramics, photography, painting, jewelry, holiday ornaments and more.
The Park's major resident visual arts organizations are represented, including the Art Glass Center, Glen Echo Glassworks, Glen Echo Pottery, SilverWorks, Photoworks, the Sculpture Studio, the Stone Tower Studio, and the Yellow Barn Studio.
A Show & Sale at Glen Echo Park
Heurich House Museum – the historic “castle” in Dupont Circle in D.C. - will present a Hoptimist Holiday Market ONLINE with DC Brau, November 27-December 11. Hoptimist will combine Heurich House’s annual Christkindlmarkt with DC Brau's annual Holiday Market.
DC Brau is the first brewery to operate inside DC since 1956, when the Heurich Brewery closed.
The combined events will feature hundreds of creations from some of the region's best artisans. Shoppers will find a curated selection of goods from local craft makers based in DC, Virginia, and Maryland, including jewelers, ceramicists, bakers, makers of housewares, and more. Visit
www.instagram.com/p/CE9d1s9BUCH/
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Heurich House Museum
The Kennedy Center has canceled all scheduled live performances through April 25. Also, 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, it’s held in December) and the 23rd annual Mark Twain Prize will now be held June 20, 2021 (it's usually held in October).
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The Kennedy Center
The National Building Museum Shop, which has been called “the best design-focused store in D.C.,” is open for in-person visits every Thursday-Saturday thru December 19. Their wide variety of books, toys, home accessories, and other items is remarkable. As always, the Shop website is open 24/7.
Visit nbmshop.org
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The National Building Museum
Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD has reopened their Visitors Center and Gift Shop, with limitations. However, the conservatory remains closed. The outdoor gardens are open from sunrise to sunset.
The Gardens' traditional winter light display and garden railway exhibit will not take place in 2020 due to health and safety concerns.
A view of The Wharf in
Southwest D.C.
area news
FEATURING CHEVY CHASE AND BETHESDA, MARYLAND
Wisconsin Place has filed a Development Application with the Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission for the potential conversion of up to 13,385 square feet of retail to 5,037 square feet of medical clinic and 8,348 square feet of medical/general office use on 7.97 acres.
Copies of the application are posted in several locations at Wisconsin Place, including one in front of vacant spaces formerly occupied by a branch of Anthropologie and other businesses at 5406 Wisconsin Avenue - near the corner of Wisconsin and Willard Avenues. A health care provider has expressed interest in converting a portion of the vacant retail space in Wisconsin Place into a medical clinic/office use.
Friendship Heights is widely viewed as a de facto medical center, with doctors’ offices and clinics in every major building. The owners of the Chevy Chase Pavilion have also offered vacant retail spaces as potential medical offices.
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A corner of The Shops at Wisconsin Place
Willard Towers is the new name of the rental buildings formerly known as 4701 Willard Avenue – and before that as The Irene. The three high-rise structures were built in 1969 and were most recently updated in 2019….thus the new name.
The apartments come in a range of sizes from studio to 3-bedroom, and rentals range from $1,418 - $3,889 a month. Depending on size, the apartments feature stainless steel, ceramic tiles, wood flooring, oversized closets and enclosed glass sunrooms.
There is 24 Hour concierge service and amenities include a gym, swimming pools and tennis courts. Visit www.trulia.com/c/md/chevy-chase/willard-towers-4701-willard-ave-chevy-chase-md-20815--2018877595
Willard Towers
Voorthuis Opticians plans to open a new branch in Chevy Chase in the low-rise building next to The Barlow Building in November. The space was formerly occupied by Santa Maria Novella.
Voorthuis is a family-owned business and has been in operation since 1973. Their on-site optometrists perform eye examinations and contact lens fittings. Voorthuis had a branch in Mazza Gallerie for decades. Visit https://voorthuis.com/
The future site of
Voorthuis Opticians
Sotheby’s International Realty TTR has moved their offices from the Barlow Building on Wisconsin Avenue in Friendship Heights to a building farther down Wisconsin. The company focuses on brokerage and marketing residential luxury real estate.
The new Sotheby's site is across the avenue from Rodman’s Discount Food & Drugs. Rodman's recently opened a small Café, which is accessible from inside the store as well as from the avenue. They offer coffee, tea, and pastries. Visit www.rodmans.com/rodman-s-cafe
An entrance to Rodman's Cafe
Signs advertising “For Lease” have been posted on the former Brooks Brothers & Saks Jandel sites on Wisconsin Avenue in Friendship Heights. H&R Retail, the company which is advertising the properties, also handles the leasing for a property at 5480 Wisconsin Avenue on the lower level of the Highland House building…….next to Eagle Bank.
Nearby on South Park Avenue, Bank of America had not reopened by the end of October. As before, special arrangements have to be made for clients to access their safe deposit boxes. Sylene - the apparel shop for women - has vacated their long-occupied space next door to Bank of America.
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The site which formerly housed a branch of Brooks Brothers & more
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At Mazza Gallerie, Krön Chocolatier, which had been on the lower level for many years, left the Gallerie in late September. They no longer have a storefront location and have discontinued the production of many items. However, they continue to take orders. For more information, visit https://www.krondc.com/
Access to T.J. Maxx from the lower level of Mazza Gallerie was restored in November.
AMC Theatres, like other theatres in D.C., is still closed. The theatres previously brought many potential customers to Mazza Gallery.
The exterior of Saks Men's store has been boarded up, and the store can only be entered from inside Mazza Gallerie
Lord & Taylor continued the process of closing their store in Friendship Heights - as well as elsewhere - in November. In addition to apparel, jewelry, cosmetics and more they are also selling area rugs, plus their fixtures and equipment - as the adjacent sign advertises.
Signs in the store say that more merchandise is arriving daily.
A sign in Lord & Taylor
As construction of a new grocery store proceeds at the former Giant food store site in Friendship Heights, scaffolding has been installed on the Wisconsin Circle side of the property. Parts of the walls facing the Circle and Western Avenue have been removed – at least temporarily. As part of the process, a new entrance to the store will be installed on that corner.
The future grocery store as seen from Wisconsin Circle
Montgomery County Police did an excellent job of stopping a group of individuals who were intent on robbing and looting in Friendship Heights one night in late October. The perps were breaking into unlocked cars and attempting to break into a store. Seven were arrested.
Meanwhile, workers on the D.C. side of Friendship Heights were busily boarding up storefronts on Wisconsin Avenue on October 31, possibly anticipating riots and property damage after the national election.
PLEASE NOTE: None of the aforementioned criminal activity occurred in the residential Village of Friendship Heights - with the possible exception of thefts from autos which had been left unlocked.
Store windows being boarded up on Wisconsin Avenue on October 31.
arts & crafts
The National Gallery of Art closed on November 20 due to the recent spike in coronvirus cases. The closure includes the Sculpture Garden as well as the ground-floor galleries which have been open with limitations. It is expected that all of the venues will remain closed through January.
On November 23, the Smithsonian Institution closed the National Zoo and the seven galleries and museums which it had opened in stages beginning on July 24. The closures will last at least through January.
The Hirshhorn Museum's sculpture garden and the Smithsonian gardens surrounding its administration building - including the Enid A. Haupt Garden - will remain open.
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The Phillips Collection reopened to the public in October, with new safety measures in place in accordance with health guidelines and in response to the covid-19 pandemic.
The museum’s Goh Annex and Sant Building are open Thursdays-Sundays, from 11 am to 6 pm, with tickets available on the Monday prior. All visitors are required to reserve a timed ticket and abide by safety guidelines available at PhillipsCollection.org/visit
In addition, the museum shop is open, but the Phillips House galleries and the café remain closed.
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The Phillips Collection
Riffs and Relations: African American Artists and the European Modernist Tradition will be on view thru January 3, 2021. The exhibition “expands the narrative of modern art in America by exploring the rich and complex history of 20th and 21st-century African American artists and their responses to European modernism.”
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Edward Hopper (born Nyack, NY 1882; died New York, NY 1967) "Le Quai des Grands Augustins" 1909 - Oil on canvas -
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York - Josephine N. Hopper Bequest
The National Museum of Women in the Arts has reopened. The first show of the new season is Paper Routes- Women to Watch, which will be on view thru January 18. The installment is the sixth in NMWA’s Women to Watch exhibition series showcasing contemporary artists working in paper.
Featured artists respond to the many uses and cultural associations of paper—from protest signs to packaging, lottery tickets, and wallpaper.
Visit http://nmwa.org/explore/exhibitions/upcoming-exhibitions
Lucha Rodríguez, Knife Drawing XX (detail), 2018; Watercolor on paper, 30 x 22 in.; Courtesy of the
artist; Photo by Paco Vergachette
The Kreeger Museum in Northwest D.C. has reopened with an exhibition titled Traces, which will be on view through January 16. Traces explores how the past evokes shifting memories while suggesting new and present narratives.
The exhibition is curated by Sarah Tanguy, an independent curator and arts writer. Visit www.kreegermuseum.org
A view of Traces,
Photograph by Greg Staley
Foreground: Roxana Alger Geffen, Slumped Coil, 2020 and The Cloak of Unfair Advantage, 2019; Background: Katherine Tzu-Lan Mann, Salamander Room, 2020;
Artechouse, the contemporary art space in Southwest DC, is exhibiting Crystalline, thru January 3. The space has been transformed into a unique expression of Pantone’s Color of the Year 2020: Classic Blue.
Artechouse is also exhibiting Edward Hopper's celebrated Nighthawks Painting Reimagined with cutting-edge technology for "a 21st century audience." The exhibition will remain on view throughout the pandemic.
"Crystalline" by ARTECHOUSE & Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks" Painting Reimagined
Arlington Arts Center is exhibiting Solos 2020, through December 19. The exhibition features works by contemporary artists Tara Gupta, Kim Llerena, Rebecca Rivas-Rogers, Anne Clare Rogers, Constance Simon, and Heidi Zenisek.
The six artists work in a diverse range of media including photography, installation, sculpture, and painting.
Visit https://arlingtonartscenter.org/exhibits/2020/solos-2020/
Rebecca Rivas-Rogers, Working drawing (green tape), 2018. Courtesy of the artist and Arlington Arts Center
books
The National Archives will stream a discussion with Denise Kiernan about her book titled We Gather Together: A Nation Divided, a President in Turmoil, and a Historic Campaign to Embrace Gratitude and Grace on November 24 at 7 p.m. via YouTube. The book tells the story of Sarah Josepha Hale, who in the 19th century campaigned to make real an annual day of thanks.
Hale's “supporting cast of characters” includes Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Sojourner Truth, and Walt Whitman. She also brings to the fore the stories of Indigenous peoples, immigrant communities, women’s rights activists, abolitionists, and others.
She will be joined in conversation with author and historian Karen Abbott. Visit YouTube @
https://youtu.be/WO9SIRuvluM
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The National Archives
*DANCE
Bowen McCauley Dance Company has announced their Silver Anniversary Season - observing COVID-19 social distancing protocol.
The first performance of the new year will be presented with the National Chamber Ensemble at Gunston Arts Center in Arlington, Virginia on February 13, 2021. The Russian Valentine concert highlights the great romantic music of Russia, including Borodin’s String Quartet No.2, featuring some of the most lush and famous melodies of all Russian music, Tchaikovsky’s Overture Fantasy “Romeo and Juliet” as well as his popular Serenade For Strings. The website for the performance is @ http://culturecapital.com/organization/32/gunston-arts-center
The full schedule for the season can be seen @ https://www.bmdc.org/events
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performances which the Kennedy Center had scheduled for February 2-7 have been moved to June 22 -27.
Bowen McCauley Dance Company
The Washington Ballet, led by Julie Kent, artistic director, will present "Clara's Christmas Eve Dream." virtually on Marquee TV in early-to-mid December as part of the company's Create in Place program. The short, seven-minute, artistic film, will be released with narration in English and Spanish.
The Marquee-exclusive world premiere performances will be one of seven virtual offerings, with behind-the-scenes content, interviews, and more. Create in Place will return in Winter 2021 with two new works.
Finally, TWB’s virtual offerings for the 2020/21 season will end with new works from Stanton Welch, Dana Genshaft, and Silas Farley in NEXTsteps, June 2021. Visit https://www.marquee.tv/series/thewashingtonballet
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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Dana Tai Soon Dance Company
Washington Performing Arts (WPA) is launching a new free series of online events titled Fall 2020 Mars Arts DC: Virtual, which spotlights a diverse group of artists with roots in the D.C. area, plus a variety of businesses that enrich the city, in innovative digital formats.
The programs are being curated by C. Lorenzo Evans III, a longtime dancer/choreographer who also serves as WPA's Chief Operating Officer and Director of Finance.
Two separate series of free events - the Rhythm & Motion Series and the Dance in DC Series - will showcase dance and music across multiple genres, including hip-hop, Afrobeats, Latinx and South Asian styles, and more—all in high-quality digital productions.
The Rhythm & Motion series began in October and features master artists with local roots: singer/songwriter Jonathan Acosta, dancer/choreographer Kara Jenelle, hip-hop and spoken word artist Yusha Assad, and dancer/choreographer Ronald Ríos.
The Dance in DC series will begin on November 30 and will present DMV dancers in site-specific works recorded at and in partnership with DC businesses anchored in the community.
A second subscription series, titled Home Delivery Plus, will begin in January of 2021 and will be a paid-admission series. Each Home Delivery Plus “package” will center around an all-new performance by a “Headline Artist,” recorded in high-quality audio and video just for WPA—with most performances set in signature DC-area venues.
C. Lorenzo Evans III
family
On November 23, the Smithsonian Institution closed the National Zoo and the seven galleries and museums which it had opened in stages beginning on July 24. The closures will last at least through January.
The Zoo Panda Cam, where viewers may see the new baby panda, is at https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams/panda-cam
Panda family at the National Zoo
in October 2020 - Photo taken by
The Agenda News from the Panda Cam
film
The Architecture & Design Film Festival, offering a program of outstanding new films, is in progress entirely online, thru December 3. Each film program includes introductions by special guests and industry leaders, followed by a feature film and Q&A's with the people involved in making the film.
The film programs will be available to watch anytime during the festival - from anywhere in the U.S. and Canada - on any streaming device. The screenings will include Hollywood's Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story. Visit https://adfilmfest.com/adff/about_adff2020
A scene from Hollywood's Architect:
The Paul R. Williams Story
PostClassical Ensemble, led by Music Director Angel Gil-Ordóñez and Executive Producer Joseph Horowitz, is celebrating composer Bernard Herrmann and poet Walt Whitman with their latest More Than Music film and CD.
The company plans to resume live concerts in the spring of 2021 with an all-Haydn program featuring pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.
Visit https://postclassical.com/
Angel Gil-Ordóñez
AMC Theatres in Mazza Gallerie, like other theatres in D.C., remained closed in October. Fathom Events normally screens Opera, Dance and more when the theatres are available.
Visit www.fathomevents.com
The lobby of AMC Theatres in Mazza Gallerie
gardens & homes
The President Woodrow Wilson House - near Dupont Circle in DC - is marking the centennial of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution with an outdoor exhibit, thru November 30.
The exhibit showcases how women’s service in World War I collectively propelled the American woman’s suffrage campaign to victory in 1920.
Washington National Cathedral has launched an online Garden Tour. It’s now possible to enjoy the beautiful spaces with a musical background and helpful narration. Meanwhile, the gardens are open to the public. See the online Garden Tour at https://allhallowsguild.org/visit-us/cathedral-gardens-virtual-tour/
A view of a Garden at the
Washington National Cathedral
Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens has reopened, but advance reservations are required to visit. The next exhibit is listed as June 2021.
Visit www.hillwoodmuseum.org/
The Mansion at Hillwood
The Kreeger Museum has reopened their Sculpture Garden - with limited capacity and hours. They require that reservations for timed entry be made in advance. See the article about an exhibition at the Kreeger in the "Arts & Crafts" column. Visit www.kreegermuseum.org/
The Garden at the Kreeger Museum
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 www.mountvernon.org/
Mount Vernon will present Winter Glow - an evening of winter lights from 5:30-8:30 p.m. - on November 27-29, December 11-13 and December 26-28. The estate will be illuminated with soft lights and holiday patterns. Visitors can listen to Christmas carolers and visit an 18th-century winter encampment. Visit https://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/events/winter-glow/
Mount Vernon at night
Tudor Place Gardens and Grounds in Georgetown are open Thursday-Sunday, 12-4 p.m. - with online, advanced timed ticketing.
Tudor Place will offer Merry & Bright: Tudor Place Garden at Night December 4-5, 11-12, & 18-19. The 5 ½ acre garden will be illuminated with an array of lights, featuring sparkling garden rooms, twinkling lawns and shimmering tunnels of light.
Hot chocolate and hot cider will be served. Visit https://tudorplace.org/event/merry-bright-tudor-place-garden-at-night/
Tudor Place Garden at Night
Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD has reopened their Visitors Center and Gift Shop, with limitations. However, the conservatory remains closed. The outdoor gardens are open from sunrise to sunset. The traditional winter light display and garden railway exhibit will not take place in 2020 due to health and safety concerns.
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Brookside Gardens in the Spring
Dumbarton House in Georgetown, DC is open to the public Thursday-Sunday for self-guided tours. Timed tickets and masks are required. Dumbarton House is owned by The Colonial Dames and is not to be confused with Dumbarton Oaks.
Dumbarton House
The Castle Garden at Heurich House Museum near Dupont Circle in D.C. is now open with limitations. The museum remains closed.
Visit http://heurichhouse.org
Heurich House Museum
The U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory (USBG) remained closed in November, 2020. However, visitors can stroll through Bartholdi Park, which is adjacent to the USBG. In past years, the Conservatory has been the site of USBG's Holiday Greenings display.
Attractive virtual tours of the Conservatory and Park can be seen at https://www.usbg.gov/take-virtual-tour
Visit https://www.usbg.gov/athome
Bartholdi Park, with the USBG
in the background.
*MUSEUMS
On November 23, the Smithsonian Institution closed the National Zoo and the seven galleries and museums which it had opened in stages beginning on July 24. The closures will last at least through January.
The Hirshhorn Museum's sculpture garden and the Smithsonian gardens surrounding its administration building - including the Enid A. Haupt Garden - will remain open.
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The Smithsonian Castle and Enid A. Haupt Garden
The Museum of the Bible reopened in July and is featuring a new exhibition, titled "Light of Hope: The Corrie Ten Boom Story." Visit www.museumofthebible.org/
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Museum of the Bible
The International Spy Museum - pictured at right - is open.
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The International Spy Museum
music & More
The Kennedy Center has canceled all scheduled live performances through April 25. Also, 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, it’s 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 announced plans to expand its all-online subscription series titled Home Delivery Plus on December 11. The series will feature paid-admission performances and companion experiences. The December 11 launch will include a free preview performance by D.C. trio The String Queens.
The expanded series will offer more than a dozen week-long packages of pre-recorded performances in high-quality audio/video with complementary components such as artist interviews, panel discussions, and behind-the-scenes artist footage—all custom-created for this new series.
Streaming dates for virtual programs will feature cellist Alisa Weilerstein; tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain; pianist Sir András Schiff; mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges; jazz trumpeter Sean Jones and tap dancer/vocalist Brinae Ali in an Afrofuturist tribute to Dizzy Gillespie; jazz singer Veronica Swift; an all-star classical trio of pianist Evgeny Kissin, violinist Joshua Bell, cellist Steven Isserlis; and more.
The program will include free-to-the-public artist conversations hosted by jazz trumpet icon Wynton Marsalis.
PBS will stream a special performance of "Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas," on December 15, featuring host Vanessa Williams, Maestro Luke Frazier, and the American Pops Orchestra (APO). Performers will also include Dee Dee Bridgewater, Carmen Ruby Floyd, Morgan James, Norm Lewis, and Nova Y. Payton. Visit
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Host Vanessa Williams and Maestro Luke Frazier of the American Pops Orchestra; Photo by Kevin Parisi
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/
The National Chamber Ensemble, led by Leo Sushansky, will present a Holiday Concert virtually on December 12. The event will feature classical masterpieces and holiday favorites, beginning with Leroy Anderson's classic "Sleigh Ride" and "Chanukkah Festival" in a setting by Daniel Leavitt.
Outstanding Young Artist Award competition winners will join the ensemble, and a Carols Sing-Along will conclude the program. Visit https://www.nationalchamberensemble.org/performances.htm
Washington Bach Consort, led by Dana Marsh, Artistic Director, is presenting nine virtual programs offering some of the finest works in the cantata and oratorio repertory via YouTube and Facebook at select times, thru January 6. The new digital concert experience – titled Bach Interactions – features two resident Bach scholars, Michael Marissen and Daniel R. Melamed, who offer revelations and insights into the music.
Leo Sushansky
Cantate Chamber Singers, led by Victoria Gau, Music Director, is offering a Virtual Series this Fall. There will be a program on December 1 titled Behind-the-Scenes with Choral Composer Ola Gjeilo.
On December 13, A Virtual Community Sing-Along of Holiday will be presented.
Visit https://cantate.org/2020-2021-concert-season/
Capital City Symphony, led by Victoria Gau, Artistic Director, will present a Virtual Event featuring Holiday Music online on December 19. The program will include an array of holiday music. Visit http://www.capitalcitysymphony.org/upcoming-events
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The Choral Arts Society, led by Scott Tucker and Brandon Straub, will present Songs of the Season - a Virtual Event - on December 13. The program will feature a selection of favorite holiday carols and seasonal classics performed by the Choral Arts Chorus and Youth Choir.
New performances from the chorus will be combined with videos and recordings from past holiday concerts for a unique holiday concert.
The Choral Arts Society, conducted by Scott Tucket and Brandon Straub, will present A Family Christmas - a Virtual Event - on December 19. The event will feature Santa, Frosty, and Rudolph, plus other special guests. The event is considered "perfect for children ages 5 and up."
Scott Tucker
Choralis will perform A Classic Brass Christmas at Home in December. The virtual concert will feature recordings and videos from Classic Brass concerts. Todd Fickley, Maestra Gretchen Kuhrmann and members of the Classical Brass will host the concert. Visit https://choralis.org/events/
Maestra Gretchen Kuhrmann by Don Lassell
Dumbarton Concerts will stream A Celtic Christmas, with Linn Barnes, guitar and lute / Allison Hampton, Celtic harp Joseph Cunliffe, pipes, flutes, and recorders and Steve Bloom, percussion, on December 6. Robert Aubry Davis will narrate Dylan Thomas's beloved poem A Child’s Christmas in Wales as the Celtic Consort brings to life a broad range of traditional Christmas songs and dances.
Dumbarton Onstage will stream Helicon: Winter Solstice Concert on December 12. The musicians will be Ken Kolodner, hammered dulcimer, fiddle / Robin Bullock, piano, guitar, cittern, and mandolin / Chris Norman, wooden flutes, tin whistle, small pipes and piano and Charm City Junction.
The event will feature Celtic dance rhythms fused with Irish, Scottish, French-Canadian, Appalachian, and bluegrass music. Baltimore-based Charm City Junction will bring rambunctious old-time sounds, while champion step dancer Jonathan Srour will "get your feet tapping."
Historic Dumbarton Church in
Georgetown
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art will present a free virtual program led by curatorial research fellow Kerry Roeder - with classical pianist Brian Ganz - on November 19.
They will explore the deep links between the American expatriate artist James McNeill Whistler and the French composer Claude Debussy, who was known in the late nineteenth century as “the Whistler of music.”
After the premiere of the virtual program, the museum will host a brief reception with Ms. Roeder and Mr. Ganz at which viewers and listeners can meet the presenters and ask questions. Visit
https://asia.si.edu/events-overview/performances/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D148637933
Washington Revels will present Winter Solstice Revels Online/Virtually on December 20. The concert will be the highlight of a “Season of Reveling” and will feature traditional Revels singalongs, performances by virtual choruses of Adults,Teens and Children, and the Washington Revels Brass.
Mark Jaster, Sabrina Mandell, and their friends at Happenstance Theater will offer a special 2020 mummers play, and dancers from Foggy Bottom Morris and Rock Creek Morris will bring the haunting Abbots Bromley Horn Dance to life.
Tickets are required; post-event access is included with your purchase. For information about this and other events in the season of revels, visit revelsdc.org/season/
The Washington Chorus (TWC), led by Artistic Director Eugene Rogers, will livestream A Candlelight Christmas from Strathmore on December 18-20. Visit https://thewashingtonchorus.org/
The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC will stream their annual Holiday Show December 5-20. The virtual show will feature some of their best hits from annual holiday extravaganzas over the years, plus many never-before-seen virtual performances, some all-new dance numbers from 17th Street Dance, new music from all of their vocal ensembles and the GenOUT Youth Chorus, plus a virtual holiday sing-a-long and much more! Visit https://www.gmcw.org/the-holiday-show/
Young Concert Artists (YCA), led by President Daniel Kellogg, announced three winners of the 2020 auditions in early November. At the final auditions, the jury selected mezzo-soprano Megan Moore, pianist Zhu Wang, and bass-baritone William Socolof. Visit
https://yca.org/announcing-2020-winners/
YCA has published their 60th anniversary brochure, with information about their upcoming season, at www.flipsnack.com/youngconcertartists/21series_final_web2/full-view.html?dm_i=4X68,BQ4QMXMI,17VVC,1
YCA President Daniel Kellogg
The National Philharmonic’s 2020-2021 season began in October with a 250th birthday bash for Beethoven, streamed from Strathmore. Every two weeks thru May, 2021, audiences can tune in on Sundays at 2pm via the Philharmonic’s website to watch a live concert with musicians playing in a socially-distanced setting.
The performances will rotate between orchestra and chamber concerts. The orchestra concerts will be held at Strathmore and will be led by Music Director & Conductor Piotr Gajewski, while the chamber concerts will take place at AMP by Strathmore and will be led by newly-appointed Concertmaster Laura Colgate.
Each of the 15 concerts will be accompanied by talks contextualizing the music, interspersed throughout each one-hour virtual stream. The performances will be available entirely online and for free.
Visit https://nationalphilharmonic.org/
Maestro Piotr Gajewski
The Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Association, led by Ulysses S. James, broadcasts concerts virtually at 3 pm on select Sundays.
Visit wmpamusic.org
The Folger Consort plans to perform a virtual concert in December titled Elbe - A German Christmas: Music of Praetorius, Bach, and Telemann. Visit https://www.folger.edu/subscribe-consort
Washington National Cathedral will present on online Christmas Day Organ Recital on December 25. Cathedral organists Thomas Sheehan and George Fergus will perform festive Christmas music on the Cathedral's Great Organ. Visit https://cathedral.org/event/christmas-day-organ-recital-4/
Ulysses S. James
New Dominion Chorale (NDC), led by Thomas Beveridge, Artistic Director, has rescheduled concerts that were planned for the months of October and December of 2020. 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 Hylton Performing Arts Center on George Mason University's Science and Technology Campus in Manassas, Virginia has announced their 2020-2021 season, including "Hylton at Home” Digital Programming and more, plus a return to performances inside Merchant Hall in 2021. Hylton at Home features livestreamed and pre-recorded digital concerts, behind-the-scenes conversations with artists and more.
Visit HyltonCenter.org/preview
Hylton Performing Arts Center
The Thirteen, conducted by Matthew Robertson, Artistic Director, will live-stream An Evening of Readings and Carols: A Candlelit Christmas on December 20. They will sing carols from King’s College’s trove of music for their Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.
The concert will be paired with poetry featuring the Christmas story by acclaimed poets including Maya Angelou and Margaret Gooding, Special guests will be Bill Bukowski, Doreen Gentzler, and Denyce Graves. Visit www.thethirteenchoir.org/aneveningofreadingsandcarols
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The Thirteen
Wolf Trap streams a wide selection of performances, some of which can be seen free, while others require tickets. To see the full list of offerings, including some in 2021, visit https://www.wolftrap.org/calendar.aspx
Wolf Trap
*OPERA
Classical WETA 90.9 FM Radio broadcasts opera on Saturdays at 1 p.m. Broadcasts are scheduled on:
November 28: Gioachino Rossini's Il turco in Italia - from La Scala
Visit www.classicalweta.org
Washington National Opera productions planned for the Kennedy Center in May and June have been canceled, as have Broadway touring shows scheduled for next summer.
Washington Concert Opera's next live performance will be Maometto II, now planned for March 14, 2021.
Virginia Opera, which performs at the Center for the Arts at George Mason University and other locations in The Commonwealth, has announced plans to present La Voix Humaine|Gianni Schicchi on February 13 & 14, 2021. They will present The Marriage of Figaro, March 20 & 21. Visit https://vaopera.org/venues/fairfax/
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Vera Danchenko-Stern, the esteemed pianist and vocal coach who is the founder and artistic director of the Russian Chamber Art Society, presents Russian Tea Time With Vera, a Sunday-afternoon series of streamed performances featuring live commentary by the performers and other special guests.
The access fee for each event is $15 per household, and can be purchased at: https://gumroad.com/l/eOBdj
After the premiere, the video will be available for 12 days. If you begin watching and stop, you have 72 hours to finish.
The series will continue on:
Vera Danchenko-Stern
theatre
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 bring you videos from the STARchives!” and they suggest that audiences check back every Friday for the latest release online! Visit https://www.constellationtheatre.org/starchives
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 performed at the National Building Museum, July 13-August 29, 2021. Visit https://www.folger.edu/folger-theatre
Ford's Theatre has canceled the traditional in-person performances of A Christmas Carol that normally take place in December. However, they have partnered with WAMU 88.5 FM to present a one-hour radio play adaptation of Charles Dickens’s classic tale at noon on December 25 featuring acclaimed Washington actor Craig Wallace as Ebenezer Scrooge.
The radio play will also be made available to the public on December 14, via the Ford’s Theatre website at www.fords.org/carol-radio
Craig Wallace as Scrooge - Photo by Carol Rosegg
The Little Theatre of Alexandria will present Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, as adapted and directed by Michael J. Baker Jr., December 4-19. The beloved characters of Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, and a number of other intriguing characters will all be there.
Seven “actual” actors will portray all of the traditional roles and even a few new ones.
The production "combines animation, 3D, and virtual reality to totally bemuse and confuse the audience goer." Tickets will be available in early November. Visit http://thelittletheatre.com/performances/#season
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 will be made available on Signature Theatre’s YouTube Channel (@sigtheatre)
For more information about the series, visit https://www.sigtheatre.org/
Associate Artistic Director
Matthew Gardiner
The first audio play of the new season was released in October and is an adaption of the fast-talking political drama Kings by Sarah Burgess. Originally produced on stage in Studio’s 2018-2019 season, Kings “takes audiences from Vail, Colorado to Disney World and even a suburban Chili’s for a look at the inside-the-Beltway wheeling and dealing that fuels life on Capitol Hill.
The audio play reunites director Marti Lyons with returning cast members Laura C. Harris and Kelly McCrann, and includes Studio veterans Gina Daniels and Rick Foucheux.”
To listen to the audio play, visit www.studiotheatre.org/
Studio Theatre at night
Keegan Theatre plans to present live, virtual theatre programming, streamed from the Keegan stage in real time, November 12-29. The fully-produced repertory includes the world premiere of TRANS AM, a one-woman rock musical by Lisa Stephen Friday featuring music by NYC glam rock band Lisa Jackson & Girl Friday.
The program also includes FROM GUMBO TO MUMBO, an award-winning piece by Drew Anderson and Dwayne Lawson-Brown that combines hip hop, poetry, and theatre to produce “a truly unique experience for audiences.”
Visit www.keegantheatre.com
Washington Stage Guild, led by associate artistic director Steven Carpenter, will stream George Bernard Shaw's Don Juan in Hell online, November 25-29. Don Juan in Hell is the famous dream sequence from Shaw's play Man and Superman.
The cast includes Nathan Whitmer as Don Juan, and Emelie Faith Thompson, as Dona Ana, Bill Largess will play her father, The Statue, and Morgan Duncan will play The Devil. The play will be streamed on Stage Guild's YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/325awwU
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Washington Stage Guild will stream live George Bernard Shaw's Don Juan in Hell - The Ultimate Talk Show - directed by Steven Carpenter, November 25-29. It's Shaw's dream sequence from his play Man & Superman in which characters dream that they are figures from the opera Don Giovanni.
The characters debate love, life, marriage and much more. The production will feature Nathan Whitmer as Don Juan, Emelie Faith Thompson as Dona Ana, Bill Largess as The Statue and Morgan Duncan as The Devil.
Visit https://stageguild.org/
Nathan Whitmer, Emelie Faith Thompson, Bill Largess,
Morgan Duncan
PlayCo and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, in association with American Repertory Theater at Harvard University, the Guthrie Theater, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival, will perform and broadcast live the world premiere of Amir Nizar Zuabi’s play titled This Is Who I Am, directed by Evren Odcikin, December 5-January 3. It’s the story of an estranged father and son - separated by continents - who reunite over Zoom. The cast is Ramsey Faragallah (Dad) and Yousof Sultani (Son). Visit woollymammoth.net
Public Television
WETA Channel 26
November is Native American Heritage Month, and more than 40 relevant productions are available on the WETA World channel. The programs are listed at weta.org/NativeAmerican
In addition, 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.
Upcoming program suggestions are:
November 24 @ 8:00 - Season 6 of Finding Your Roots hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
November 25 @ 9:00 NOVA: SAVING NOTRE DAME — Since the cathedral in Paris caught fire in April 2019, researchers have been using cutting-edge technology to piece together what happened and to make plans to restore the cathedral.
A view of Notre Dame in 2014 - Courtesy of
Joseph Sinnott
November 27 @ 9:00 GREAT PERFORMANCES:
LEA SALONGA IN CONCERT from the Sydney Opera
House with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, featuring selections from Salonga's Broadway career, plus hits from the movie blockbusters Aladdin and Mulan.
Lea Salonga - Courtesy of Raymund Isaac
November 28 @ 8:00 KEN BURNS: HERE & THERE — A special film about the distinguished documentarian, with those who admire his passion as an artist and who share that passion as
colleagues and storytellers themselves.
Ken Burns - Courtesy of
Lisa Berg
November 29 @ 9:00 MASTERPIECE: 50 FABULOUS YEARS! — Celebrate the iconic series that introduced generations of PBS viewers to the delights of British drama.
A scene from Victoria - Courtesy of ITV plc (ITV Global Entertainment Ltd)
November 30 @ 8:00 MY MUSIC: DOLLY PARTON: I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU - A celebration of the singer-songwriter’s career from her early days to her success as a crossover pop superstar.
Dolly Parton - Courtesy of
MPI