Out On the Town

UNDER THE SKIN
Longview Gallery is presenting the largest exhibit of work by Scott G. Brooks to date These new paintings and drawings of his wide-eyed progeny are meticulously detailed, heightening the allure of their quirky narratives. Highlighted against a backdrop of social, sexual and psychological themes, the details only reveal themselves after several viewings and close study -- with new meanings developing at every glance. Through June 7. At the Longview Gallery, 1302 Ninth St. NW. Call 202-232-4788.

NOW PLAYING

BABY MAMA
Tina Fey, whose brilliant 30 Rock is the funniest comedy on TV, stars with her former SNL castmate Amy Poehler in this comedy about surrogate motherhood. Break out the cigars -- this one looks like it will be an instant hit! Area theaters.

HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY
John Cho and Kal Penn reprise their roles as the Cheech & Chong for today's generation. When caught smuggling a bong on an international flight, the pair are suspected of being terrorists and try to outrun the authorities. Yes, Neil Patrick Harris is back. Opens Friday. Area theaters.

MADE OF HONOR
Patrick Dempsey plays a man whose best friend -- a girl -- asks him to be her maid of honor at her wedding. Trouble is, he loves her. Can he stop the wedding and will the truest of true love prevail. Gee, we dunno. What do you think? Co-starring Michelle Monaghan. Raged PG-13. 101 minutes. Opens Friday at area theater.

THE LIFE BEFORE HER EYES
Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood star in a drama about the loss of youth, investigating how a single moment in time can define an entire life. Based on Laura Kasischke's novel, the story hinges on a pivotal confrontation: two high school girls held captive by a gunman and forced to make the terrifying choice as to who will live and who will die. Director Vadim Perelman (House of Sand and Fog) explores the reverberations stemming from the collision of past and future, reality and dream. Life can end in an instant -- yet the echoes of possible futures been remain inescapable. At the Landmark E Street Cinemas.

THE VISITOR
Having lost his passion for teaching and writing, 62-two-year-old Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) fills the void by trying to learn to play classical piano. Sent to Manhattan to attend a conference, Walter is surprised to find a young couple has taken up residence in his apartment. Victims of a real-estate scam, Tarek (Haaz Sleiman), a Syrian man, and Zainab (Danai Gurira), his Senegalese girlfriend, have nowhere else to go. Walter reluctantly allows the couple to stay with him. Touched by his kindness, the talented Tarek insists on teaching the aging academic to play the African drum. The instrument's exuberant rhythms revitalize Walter's spirit and open his eyes to a vibrant world of local jazz clubs and Central Park drum circles. When Tarek is arrested as an undocumented citizen and held for deportation, Walter finds himself compelled to help his new friend. Written and directed by Thomas McCarthy (The Station Agent). At the Landmark E Street Cinemas.

THEN SHE FOUND ME
Helen Hunt makes her feature directing debut with the touching story of schoolteacher April Epner (Hunt) and her very unlikely path towards personal fulfillment. Following the separation from her husband (Matthew Broderick) and the death of her adopted mother, April is contacted by her apparent birth mother (Bette Midler), who turns out to be a local talk show host Bernice Graves. As Bernice tries to become the mother to April that she was never able to be, April seems to find solace in the arms of the parent of one of her students (Colin Firth), only to find that the mystery to life's questions cannot be solved by a simple revelation. Adapted from Elinor Lipman's novel of the same name. At the Landmark E Street Cinemas.

YOUNG @ HEART
Prepare to be inspired by a New England senior citizens chorus that has delighted audiences worldwide with their covers of songs by everyone from The Clash to Coldplay. As director Stephen Walker's documentary begins, the retirees, led by their strict musical director, are rehearsing their new show, struggling with a discordant Sonic Youth number and giving new meaning to James Brown's ''I Feel Good.'' What ultimately emerges is a funny and unexpectedly moving testament to friendship, creative inspiration and reaching beyond expectations. At the Landmark E Street Cinemas.

ZOMBIE STRIPPERS
Jenna Jameson and Nightmare on Elm Street's Robert Englund star in writer/director Jay Lee's sexy, bloody and hilarious new take on the zombie film. When a secret government agency lets out a deadly chemo virus causing the reanimation of the dead, the first place to get hit is Rhino's, a hot underground strip club. As one of the strippers gets the virus, she turns into a supernatural, flesh-eating zombie, making her the hit of the club. Do the rest of the girls fight the temptation to be like the star stripper, even if there is no turning back? Also starring Roxy Saint and Ultimate Fighting Champion Tito Ortiz. At the Landmark E Street Cinemas.

NOW PLAYING

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE

DEATH OF A SALESMAN

Anyone lucky enough to see Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and A View from the Bridge consecutively (and thanks to Arena's Arthur Miller Festival, you can) immediately will notice this seminal contemporary playwright's unblinking fascination with middle-aged men imploding like dying stars. The plots may be different, the characters diverse, but each play nevertheless offers a man discovering, with catastrophic personal consequences, that he is completely at odds with his world. Without anchors of self-knowledge, these men have nowhere to go but down and as they begin to unravel, Miller explores their effect on everyone within emotional grabbing distance -- the wives, the friends, even the on-lookers, but most especially the children on the cusp of emancipation. And thus Miller's genius: although these plays are ostensibly about two deeply traditional men from the 1950s, they are so rich with the dynamic of families and the universal agony of just ''getting it wrong,'' they remain edgy, current and extremely riveting. Despite the strengths of Salesman, View, it must be said, is the better of the two productions. With a reconfigured ensemble, director Daniel Aukin creates a phenomenal piece of high-tension drama. It is a story executed with unprecedented unity and shared vision. Everyone is on board and it is a stunning ride. Closes Sunday, May 18. Arena Stage, 1800 S. Bell St., Crystal City. Tickets are $47 to $66. Call 202-488-3300 or visit www.arenastage.org. (Kate Wingfield)

THE HAPPY TIME

Kander and Ebb's The Happy Time. Sentimental. Melancholy. Filled with the kind of songs you associate with those movie musicals from the 1950s you watch from the sofa on a rainy Sunday. And there is not one, but an entire battalion of singing, dancing children. It's wonderful. This is a show that doesn't see the stage very often which makes Signature Theatre's production all the more enjoyable. Like uncovering a great Thai restaurant in an off-the-beaten path neighborhood or an honest-to-goodness independent bookstore, The Happy Time is an unexpected treasure. To June 1. At Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Tickets are $45 to $69. Call 703-820-9771 or visit www.sig-online.org. (Tom Avila)

THE HISTORY BOYS

Alan Bennett's Tony Award-winning play features a large cast of young men -- eight principles and four ensemble players -- and four adults. In a cast this large, the potential for a weak link is great. In Studio Theatre's production, director Joy Zinoman has assembled a cast that holds tight and carries the play forward with no signs of stopping or weakness. Set in the early 1980s at a British prep school, The History Boys follows eight young men as they prepare for their Oxbridge entrance exams. Their General Studies teacher, Hector (Floyd King), dreads these exams more than the boys themselves do, decrying them as ''the enemy of education.'' Thoroughly unimpressed is the headmaster (James Slaughter), who cares less about the boys and more about his own reputation. Determined to take credit for their successes, Felix hires Irwin (Simon Kendall) to groom the boys for their exams. For Irwin it's not about fact, it's about being interesting. Caught between the two teachers are the boys, all looking for acceptance and trying to figure out their place in the world. The History Boys is filled with so much tension, it's impossible that it's not going to break. When it does, Zinoman's restraint avoids melodrama which makes it all the more powerful. Closes Sunday, May 18. At the Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Tickets are $39-$57. Call 202-332-3300 or visit www.studiotheatre.org. (Tim Plant)

1409 PLAYBILL CAFÉ
1409 14th St. NW Washington 202-635-3055 Cost: $$ Serving harried theatre goers and local barflies with the same aplomb, this 10-year-old Logan Circle stalwart is the perfect answer, whether hearty bar fare or a multi-course dinner are on your personal menu. Sumptuous artichoke dip, generous nachos and Playbill's signature ''Naomi's Fries'' star on the appetizer menu while nearly every entreé offering will have you yelling ''encore!'' -- and loosening your belt a notch. Vegetarian options on this mostly traditional American-fare menu abound, while regular dinner specials expand the offerings with flavors from more exotic locals. And be sure to ask about the restaurant's monthly international wine and multi-course dinner special featuring recipes, ingredients and wines unique to that month's featured country or region.

18TH AND U DUPLEX DINER

2004 18th St. NW
 Washington 
202-265-9599 Cost: $$ Perched on the border of the Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle neighborhoods, Duplex Diner has long served as a lively and casual gathering spot for D.C.'s gay movers and shakers. The dining room is as social as the bar, with much table hopping and hobnobbing. The food is classic American comfort -- a generous meatloaf, a terrific mac and cheese, unbeatable pork chops, a savory rib eye and a new wedge salad comprised of iceberg lettuce, thick chunks of bacon and bathed in blue cheese dressing -- that adds to the at-home-with-friends feel.

ALBERTO'S
2010 P St. NW 2438 18th St. NW Washington 202-986-2121 Cost: $ Quality can be found at any price. On the low-end of the financial spectrum, Alberto's definitely delivers quality. Alberto De Souza, who owns the two-outlet Alberto's with his wife, Jillian, combines his Chicago-trained sensibility and French influences -- by way of serving as Sofitel Washington's executive chef -- in a stone oven. The result? ''Go Bears!,'' if you go Chicago style, or c'est magnifique! for a, say, thin crust with goat cheese and capers. By the pie, it's the perfect rustic dinner in, or the soothing nightcap slice as you stumble home. Free delivery around Dupont and Adams Morgan.

BEACON BAR & GRILL
1615 Rhode Island Ave. NW Washington 202-872-1126 Cost: $$ If some may consider the Human Rights Campaign building at 17th and Rhode Island a sort of heart of the gay community, perhaps the Beacon Bar & Grill across the street is its stomach. Really, nothing says gay venue like a great happy-hour bar menu -- $5 apiece for mini burgers, crab quesadillas and plenty more. Then there's the elaborate Sunday buffet brunch, with unlimited mimosas, champagne or Bloody Marys; the Saturday night prix fixe wine dinners; or Tuesday's three-course pasta dinners. From bar fare to eggs benedict, Beacon Bar & Grill hits every appetite. Sneak up to the rooftop Beacon Sky-Bar, when open, for one the best views around.

FREDDIE'S BEACH BAR & RESTAURANT
555 South 23rd St. Crystal City 703-685-0555 Cost: $$ Perched atop Crystal City's restaurant row for over seven years, Freddie's Beach Bar has never been the wallflower on the strip. With his signature color purple, neon and beach ephemera dripping from every surface, proprietor Freddie Lutz has created a beachside oasis that'll warm you up and take you to the shore no matter what the weather. And like all top-notch island resorts there's no lack of entertainment -- from Freddie's Follies drag shows to karaoke there's always something to keep the lively, friendly crowd on their toes, just as the menu offerings are sure to keep them in their seats. Freddie's extensive beach menu features an array of hearty appetizers, burgers, and entreés. The crab cakes are some of the best we've had and the buffalo chicken sandwich is mouth-watering. And don't miss the Sunday brunch buffet, offering everything from eggs benedict to General Tso's chicken.

FOUR SISTERS (HUONG QUE)
6769 Wilson Blvd. Falls Church 703-538-6717 Cost: $$$ Currently anchoring one corner of the bustling Eden Center in Falls Church, Four Sisters draws regular crowds for its huge menu of Vietnamese favorites. The friendly staff, largely family, are quick to explain what (and how) to eat. Don't miss the egg rolls (cha gio) to start. Solid entree choices include the caramelized claypot fish or beef wrapped in grape leaves. Everything is served with generous amounts of the fresh herbs that distinguish Vietnamese cuisine. You may want to call ahead -- the restaurant plans to soon move just past the Beltway in Merrifield.

JACK'S RESTAURANT & BAR
1527 17th St. NW Washington 202-332-6767 $$ The location has proven hit or miss, but Jack's seems to be making a hit. With a mix of European flair and American simplicity -- peppered with a dash of Turkish exoticism -- Jack's is drawing festive crowds to both the bar and bistro. Half-price bottles of wine/champagne on Tuesdays and Thursdays don't hurt, especially when paired with fare that ranges from burgers to pork loin al balsamico. Bon vivants will certainly appreciate the ambitious cocktail menu and Jack's unique birthday celebrations.

KRAMERBOOKS & AFTERWORDS CAFE
1517 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington Cost: $$ For decades, Afterwords Cafe has whipped up a flavor more akin to Greenwich Village than the capital. Whether it's a weekday breakfast of blueberry pancakes or a tower of late-night, signature ''Sharezies'' -- maybe crab cakes, mussels and mushroom crostini? -- Afterwords gives D.C. a taste of the bohemian bistro that nearly never sleeps, even if the Metro does. Don't make a mistake of missing the rockin' beer and wine list, to be enjoyed on the patio or in the cozy, wooden bar.

M STREET BAR & GRILL
2033 M St. NW Washington 202-530-3621 Cost: $$ Sundays at the M Street Bar & Grill are becoming an institution, where table-service brunch and endless mimosas/Bloody Marys are the rule. Yvonne Johnson's jazz accompaniment is the perfect aural digestif with brunch or Thursday dinner. All menus offer solidly American fare with hints of the Middle East and soul cooking at the edges. The two-course dinner for two for $40 makes for a great date -- especially so considering the rooms and suites of the St. Gregory Hotel fill the floors above the restaurant, for those wishing to add their own spice.

SIMPLY HOME
1410 U St. NW Washington 202-232-2522 Cost: $$ Simply Home can make anything look good. Try the restaurant's ''Squid Ink Spaghetti.'' It might not sound too thrilling, but upon delivery, the seafood and green curry meets pasta offering is a work of art, and surprisingly delicious. There are also more familiar dishes for the less adventurous, including appetizers and a variety of Pad Thai entrees. There's a lot to gain from trying something new like Indian Roti Beef or the Burmese Kao Soi Noodles. You can also take a piece of Simply Home's elegant decor home, as the restaurant includes a gift shop selling everything from candles to the elegant, curved glasses the restaurant uses to serve drinks to patrons.

THAI TANIC
1326-A 14th St. NW Washington 202-588-1795 Cost: $$ From its narrow, yet cozy, perch in the ever-improving Logan Circle neighborhood, Thai Tanic offers some of the city's best moderately priced Thai food. The curries and spicy dishes are as hot as they should be -- but not so hot that you can't taste the food underneath the spices. First timers should try the panang or pad thai; heat seekers hit the beef nam tok and drunken noodles. The intimate tables are good for casual dates -- wrap up the evening with sticky rice and mango.