Metro Weekly

Out on the Town: DC arts and entertainment highlights, July 27-Aug 2

Everything film, stage, music, dance, comedy and more!

Atomic Blonde — Photo: Jonathan Prime

FILM

195 LEWIS
Yuri and Camille are a black, queer and polyamorous couple living in Brooklyn, but Yuri’s new lover and old college friend complicates the situation. Rae Leone Allen and Yaani Supreme’s dramedy, directed by Chanelle Aponte Pearson, is presented as part of Reel Affirmations monthly screening series RA Xtra. Pearson and members of the cast are scheduled to appear for a talkback with catered reception after the screening, hosted by Rayceen Pendarvis of The Ask Rayceen Show. Friday, July 28, at 7:30 p.m. HRC Equality Center, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Tickets are $12, or $25 for VIP seating as well as one complimentary cocktail, beer or wine and popcorn. Call 202-682-2245 or visit thedccenter.org.

ATOMIC BLONDE
Charlize Theron is a femme fatale spy in 1989 Berlin sent to investigate a murder and recover a list of double agents. Theron bought the rights to Antony Johnston’s graphic novel The Coldest City and reportedly trained four to five hours a day to ensure she could convince as a brawling badass. Opens Friday, July 28. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Rhuaridh Marr)

CHECK IT
The Anacostia Arts Center, in conjunction with the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum, presents a free screening of the latest documentary from Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer (HBO’s The Nine Lives of Marion Barry). Profiling a local LGBTQ youth gang with more than 200 members, Check It explores the bonds the youths have formed, their fight for survival, and their attempts to push into the mainstream. In June, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and other prominent politicians helped open Check It Entreprises, a physical store selling homemade clothes by the Check It crew that doubles as a community center. There are two simultaneous screenings on Friday, July 28, at 6:30 p.m., one at Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE. and the other at We Act Radio, 1918 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE. A reception and celebration with Flor and several cast members follows at 8:30 p.m. Check It Enterprises, 1920 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE. Call 202-633-4844 or visit anacostia.si.edu.

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
Though J.K. Rowling penned all seven Harry Potter novels, the 2016 blockbuster was the first film in her wizarding universe that Rowling actually wrote. Fantastic Beasts also serves as the first in a new prequel series to the Potter timeline, following Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), author of a novel on dangerous creatures, who unwittingly unleashes a number of beasts on America’s wizarding and muggle community in the 1920s. It’s the final offering in the summer screenings presented by the Golden Triangle BID. Friday, Aug. 4, starting at sunset — around 9 p.m. 912 17th St. NW, between K Street and Connecticut Avenue. Call 202-463-3400 or visit goldentriangledc.com.

LA LA LAND
Damien Chazelle’s movie musical has already become something of a summer screening sensation. The Oscar-winning work, featuring an infectious score and strong performances by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, will be screened twice next week: First at a free screening Thursday, Aug. 3, at approximately 8:30 p.m. in Canal Park, 2nd and I Streets SE. Visit capitolriverfront.org. That’s followed on Friday, Aug. 4, with Emil de Cou conducting the National Symphony Orchestra as it performs La La Land‘s original score while the movie is projected on screens in-house and on the lawn in the Filene Center, 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna. Tickets are $40 to $60. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

THE IDES OF MARCH
George Clooney co-wrote, directed and starred in this 2011 political drama that screens as part of the NoMa BID’s outdoor series just a few blocks from the Capitol, this year revolving around a quintessential Washington theme: “Power, Politics & Popcorn.” Ryan Gosling plays an idealistic campaign press secretary who tries to get Clooney’s character, Governor Mike Morris, into the White House, but throws a few wrenches in the works, including a dalliance with an intern, played by Evan Rachel Wood. The screening starts at sunset on Wednesday, Aug. 2. Grounds open at 7 p.m. NoMa Junction at Storey Park, 1005 1st St. NE. Visit nomabid.org.

Anne and Emmett — Photo: Chris-Banks

STAGE

ANNE & EMMETT
MetroStage presents a return engagement of Janet Langhart Cohen’s play that imagines a conversation between two famous teenage victims of racial intolerance and hatred, Anne Frank and Emmett Till. Styled as an uplifting tribute, Anne & Emmett, which the Alexandria theater offered in 2015 and has since been performed around the country, is a reminder and a call to action to repair the world, or “tikkun olam” in Hebrew. Opens Friday, July 28. Runs to July 30. MetroStage, 1201 North Royal St., Alexandria. Tickets are $35. Call 703-548-9044 or visit metrostage.org.

BONNIE & CLYDE
The fledgling, millennial-focused Monumental Theatre offers a run of Frank Wildhorn, Don Black and Ivan Menchell’s musical that relates the love-fueled crime spree of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, which was a national fascination during the Great Depression. The show was a flop, lasting only four weeks on Broadway in 2011, but it still managed to snag two Tony nominations, including one for Wildhorn and Black for Best Original Score. Ryan Maxwell helms the Monumental production, with music direction by Paige Rammelkamp and choreography by Melrose Pyne. Closes Sunday, July 30. Ainslie Arts Center in Episcopal High School, 3900 W. Braddock Rd. Call 703-933-3000 or visit monumentaltheatre.org.

CABARET
Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall joined forces to create this 1998 Tony Award-winning production of the Kander and Ebb classic featuring a book by Joe Masterhoff. To Aug. 6. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $59 to $149. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

CAPITAL FRINGE FESTIVAL
The 85 productions in this year’s Fringe Festival aren’t curated, with available slots filled on a first-come, first-served basis, but that shouldn’t stop you from taking a plunge. Shows with LGBTQ interest include Melissa Kaplan’s Daggers Mackenzie, a one-woman, lesbian, knife-juggling rock opera, and Penny Sterling’s compelling Spy in the House of Men, a one-woman show about a woman who was conceived with a pesky “Y” chromosome and crashed the party in the prosperous yet hidebound little town of Corning, New York. The festival closes Sunday, July 30. The Logan Fringe Arts Space, at 1358 Florida Ave. NE, serves as the central hub, but performances are in various locations. Tickets are $17 per show, plus a one-time purchase of a $7 Fringe button. Call 866-811-4111 or visit capitalfringe.org.

LADY DAY AT EMERSON’S BAR AND GRILL
Lanie Robertson’s play with music focuses on the life of jazz legend Billie Holiday, taking place at a run-down bar in South Philadelphia a few months before Holiday’s death. Tom Flatt directs star Anya Nebel and a live jazz combo with additional accompaniment by LeVar Betts. To Aug. 6. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Place SE. Tickets are $30 to $40. Call 202-241-2539 or visit anacostiaplayhouse.com.

MY FAIR LADY
The Lerner and Loewe classic, adapted from Georges Bernard Shaw and Gabriel Pascal’s film Pygmalion. Alan Souza directs a massive cast including Danny Bernardy, Brittany Campbell, Ian Anthony Coleman, Warren Freeman, Chris Genebach, Christina Kidd, Alex Kidder, Julia Klavans, Ashleigh King, Valerie Leonard, Benjamin Lurye, Jimmy Mavrikes, Christopher Mueller and Todd Scofield. Extended to Aug. 6. Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.

OBLIVION
A wry look at the nature of belief in our current changing times, Carly Mensch’s comedy focuses on a secular Brooklyn couple who become unmoored when their 17-year-old daughter decides to become a Christian. Presented by Unexpected Stage, the play challenges assumptions about parenting, religion and the nature of spirituality. Zach Brewster-Geisz, Jonathan Frye, Ruthie Rado and Mindy Shaw star. To Aug. 6. The Fireside Room in the River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 6301 River Road in Bethesda. Tickets are $10 to $27.50. Call 301-337-8290 or visit unexpectedstage.org.

THE MARK OF CAIN
Was Cain a criminal? That’s the question hovering over this devised theatrical work from Synetic Theater, a neo-surrealist distillation of human history. Paata Tsikurishvili directs a large ensemble of Synetic veterans including Ryan Sellers, Dallas Tolentino, Philip Fletcher, Kathy Gordon and Irina Kavsadze, plus newcomer Megan Khaziran. To Aug. 13. Theater at Crystal City or Vornado/Charles E. Smith], 1800 South Bell St., Arlington. Call 800-494-8497 or visit synetictheater.org.

THE ORIGINALIST
Two years after its world premiere — and a year after its subject died — Arena Stage revives John Strand’s play about one of the biggest enemies to the LGBTQ cause and civil rights in general: Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Helen Hayes Award-winner Edward Gero reprises his critically-acclaimed role. Closes Sunday, July 30. Kreeger Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

THURGOOD
George Stevens, Jr. wrote this play about the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, portrayed by Brian Anthony Wilson. Walter Dallas directs Brian Anthony Wilson in a one-man show that explores the long journey toward justice that began with Brown v. Board of Education. To Aug. 20. Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab at Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.

Wig Out! — Photo: Teresa-Wood

WIG OUT!
Playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney, who wrote the work on which the Oscar-winning Moonlight was based, updates an earlier work inspired by African-American drag ball culture and its competitive dance-offs. Kent Gash directs the Studio X production, staged as an underground pageant complete with catwalk, created couture, and a cash bar. Jaysen Wright, Michael Kevin Darnall and Alex Mills lead the 11-person cast. Now extended to August 20. Studio Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Tickets are $45 to $55. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.

MUSIC

ARETHA FRANKLIN
The Queen of Soul returns to Wolf Trap for a performance drawing from her rich repertoire — and maybe, just maybe, her rich hat collection. Saturday, July 29, at 8 p.m. The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $40 to $135. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

BLONDIE & GARBAGE
Debbie Harry and Shirley Manson will lead their respective punk-inspired rock bands in a special double-bill concert under the stars, in a pairing that’s almost too good to be true. Deap Vally opens the show. Thursday, Aug. 3., at 7:30 p.m. The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $35 to $85. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

CREATIVE CAULDRON CABARET
The summer cabaret series at ArtSpace Falls Church runs every weekend through September 23 and features shows by Dani Stoller, Jim Van Slyke, Clifton Walker III, Will Mark Stevenson, and Stephen Gregory Smith. The series continues with two different shows by Sandy Bainum — “Still Ever Blondeward,” a tribute to a bevy of blondes, from Marilyn Monroe to Barbara Cook to Doris Day, on Friday, July 28, and “Simply,” her award-winning cabaret show, on Saturday, July 29, at 8 p.m. The next weekend offers “Somewhere Over The Rose,” Kathy Halenda’s tribute to two of the most iconic divas in the gay pantheon, Judy Garland and Bette Midler, on Friday, Aug. 4, and Saturday, Aug. 5, at 8 p.m. ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South Maple Ave. in Falls Church. Tickets are $18 to $20 per show, or $55 for a table for two with wine and $110 for four with wine. Call 703-436-9948 or visit creativecauldron.org.

FEMINA
The world music trio from Patagonia blends reggae, Latin and hip-hop influences into original world music compositions, characterized by the women’s sharp three-part harmony. They’re also known for their on-stage chemistry and theatrical live performances, which will be on display in a local concert as part of Strathmore’s free Live from the Lawn series. Wednesday, Aug. 2, at 7 p.m. Gudelsky Gazebo at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Tickets are free. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE
Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard have become one of this decade’s most successful country acts. Not bad for a partnership that only started in Nashville seven years ago. The duo returns to Jiffy Lube Live with rapper Nelly and up-and-coming country act Chris Lane. Saturday, Aug. 5, at 7 p.m. 7800 Cellar Door Drive, Bristow, Va. Tickets are $70 to $486. Call 703-754-6400 or visit livenation.com.

NSO@WOLF TRAP: CARMINA BURANA
Wolf Trap’s amphitheater will ring with the sounds of Carl Orff’s epic masterwork, performed by the National Symphony and conducted by Joann Falletta. Joining them will be three soloists and a stage full of choral groups, including two of D.C.’s biggest and best, the Choral Arts Society of Washington and the Washington Chorus. The Children’s Chorus of Washington, the Capitol Hill Chorale, the Fairfax Choral Society, the George Mason University Heritage Signature Chorale, and the Reston Chorale will augment the vocal firepower. The evening starts with another dramatic classic, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, otherwise known as the “Emperor Concerto,” performed by Seong-Jin Cho, the 2015 Chopin Competition winner. Friday, July 28, at 8:15 p.m. Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $20 to $58. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

 

QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT
It’s not every week you have the chance to see both Blondie and Queen in concert. Adam Lambert returns to front the legendary band in a reprise tour presented by Live Nation, with original members Brian May and Roger Taylor powering through all of Queen’s biggest hits. They will rock you for sure. Monday, July 31. Doors at 7 p.m. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. Tickets are $40 to $685.80. Call 202-628-3200 or visit verizoncenter.com.

SUMMER SPIRIT FESTIVAL
Billed as a “one-stop shop for a soulful good time,” this year’s Summer Spirit Festival is once again a two-day affair, with R&B veteran Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds headlining Day One, Saturday, Aug. 5, and Bell Biv Devoe on Day Two, Sunday, Aug. 6. Fantasia, De La Soul, Common, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Ro James, EU featuring Sugar Bear, Moonchild, and Wisdom Speeks are also part of the Saturday lineup, with SWV, the Internet, Jazmine Sullivan, En Vogue, DJ Kool, Trouble Funk, and Tish Hyman on Sunday. Performances begin at 2 p.m. both days. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Md. Tickets are $97 to $1,170. Call 800-551-SEAT or visit merriweathermusic.com.

Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh — Photo: Stephen Baranovics

DANCE

DAKSHINA DANCE COMPANY
Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh returns to Dance Place for another summer program featuring works by the late pioneering choreographer Anna Sokolow. The production includes Frida, Sokolow’s tribute to her friendship with Frida Kahlo and love of Mexico and Mexican culture, and Homenaje a David Alfaro Siqueiros, her sculptural interpretation of artwork by the Mexican muralist incorporating projections of his paintings as well as spoken text. Saturday, July 29, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, July 30, at 7 p.m. Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE. Tickets are $25 in advance, or $30 at the door. Call 202-269-1600 or visit danceplace.org.

NATIONAL DANCE DAY
Once again the Kennedy Center plays host to National Dance Day, launched in 2010 by Nigel Lythgoe, best known from TV’s So You Think You Can Dance. WUSA 9 anchor Andrea Roane emcees this year’s free, 10-hour-long celebration featuring performers including dance fitness group Kazaxe, the Howard University Step Team, renowned contemporary dance company Bowen McCauley Dance, the Dance Institute of Washington, the Fairfax Chinese Dance Troupe, Open Circle Theatre, Abada Capoeira DC, D.C. hip-hop crew Culture Shock, and the all-female Afro-Brazilian group Batala Washington. So You Think You Can Dance contestant Tony Bellissimo will lead patrons in this year’s National Dance Day routine, and Broadway choreographer/director Adam Shankman (Hairspray, Step Up) will also participate in the D.C. festivities. Saturday, July 29, from 2 to 8 p.m. Kennedy Center. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

COMEDY

THE SECOND CITY: …DIVIDED WE STAND
The Kennedy Center welcomes back famed comedy troupe The Second City for an update to last year’s popular Almost Accurate Guide to America. The comedians — Angela Alise, Ryan Asher, Tyler Davis, Katie Kershaw, Chucho Perez and Ross Taylor — have cooked up a new irreverent, mocking look at America, from the red states to the blue states to our orange head of state. To Aug. 13. Kennedy Center Theater Lab. Tickets are $49 to $69. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

WASHINGTON IMPROV THEATER: SUMMER SCHOOL
No two performances are alike when performed by the Washington Improv Theater, D.C.’s answer to comedy star-making groups such as Chicago’s Second City and L.A.’s Groundlings. Over the next month, the organization offers a run of summer school-themed shows featuring a different mix of WIT improvising ensembles, including Bottom Shelf, Man Feelings and Jive Turkey, plus a cast of performers known as the Stovetron in “Rainy Day S’mores on the Stove.” To Aug. 6. Source, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets are $12 in advance, or $15 at the door. Call 202-204-7770 or visit witdc.org.

READINGS AND LECTURES

DAN ZAK, DENISE KIERNAN: OUR NUCLEAR FIXATION
In Almighty, the Washington Post reporter reexamines America’s love-hate relationship with the nuclear bomb, from the race to beat the Nazis, to the solemn 70th anniversary of Hiroshima, to renewed desire in today’s political realm for greater nuclear weaponry. Zak will discuss his book, written as a historical adventure, courtroom drama and moral thriller, as well as the prospects of nuclear war and world peace with a fellow journalist and best-selling author whose titles include The Girls of Atomic City. Tuesday, Aug. 1, at 6:30 p.m. Kramerbooks, 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-387-1400 or visit kramers.com.

SPARKLE QUEER OPEN MIC
The first Sunday of every month the 14th and V location of Busboys & Poets hosts a reading series featuring LGBTQ-identified poets. Sparkle is yet another local showcase created by Regie Cabico, the slam poet responsible for Capturing Fire, the annual LGBTQ spoken word and poetry festival presented by the DC Center, as well as the regular cabaret/comedy/poetry variety show La-Ti-Do. He hosts Sparkle with fellow poet Danielle Evennou. Sunday, Aug. 6, at 8 p.m. Langston Room, 2021 14th St. NW. Cover is $5. Call 202-387-POET or visit busboysandpoets.com.

EXHIBITS

COLORED PENCIL SOCIETY’S INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION
A selection of the world’s most amazing colored pencil works are featured at this 25th Annual event juried by Joann Moser, the former senior curator of graphic arts at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The exhibition highlights the versatility of this surprisingly vibrant, distinct medium. Lest you doubt it, see the Texas-based artist Jesse Lane, whose attractive features and muscular physique are brought to vivid, photographic-caliber life through stunningly realized self-portraiture. To Aug. 6. The Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Free. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

CONTEMPORARY URBAN LIFE
Susan Calloway Fine Arts presents a group show featuring artists whose works try to reconcile the dichotomy between intimacy and isolation that city life encompasses. Featuring works in a range of media by Rogers Naylor, Steven S. Walker, Leslie Nolan, John Sandy, Charles Ross, and Lindsay Mullen. To Aug. 5. Susan Calloway Fine Arts, 1643 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Call 202-965-4601 or visit callowayart.com.

LOGAN FRINGE ARTS SPACE: HOME
Works from regional, national and international artists exploring the making of and search for the concept of “home” — and the need to preserve space for those less fortunate or otherwise displaced. Sheldon Scott curated this exhibition featuring video, painting, sculpture and performance works from artists Madison Bolls, Anne Bouie, Anne-Sophie Coiffet, Kyrae Cowan, Jacqueline Hoysted, Ashley Ja’nae, Tsedaye Makonnen, Helina Metaferia, Britt Sankofa and Stephanie Williams. Through July 30. Logan Fringe Arts Space, 1358 Florida Ave. NE. Tickets are $20 to $25. Call 202-737-7230 or visit capitalfringe.org.

MATT HOLLIS
In “Florilegia,” hundreds of artificial flower petals are layered to create bold floral hieroglyphic symbols and abstract-organic shapes. Otis Street Arts Project presents a retrospective collection of the local artist’s past and present works, including these fantastical, botanically inspired sculptures, reminding the viewer of the allure of nature. The show is a farewell local exhibit for Hollis, who is moving to Los Angeles. On display through Aug. 5 at the Otis Street Arts Project, 3706 Otis St., Mount Rainier, Md. Opening reception is Saturday, July 8, from 5 to 8 p.m. Call 202-550-4634 or visit otisstreetarts.org.

QUEER INTERIORS
Through an initiative commissioning installations and public programs related to its broad Imagining Home exhibit, the Baltimore Museum of Art brings together video and film artist Rahne Alexander and interdisciplinary artist/organizer Jaimes Mayhew with Chase Brexton Health Care’s LGBT Health Resource Center. Queer Interiors features a larger-than-life bed and furnishings, personal artifacts and a multimedia wall display known as the Baltimore LGBTQI+ Home Movie Quilt, which pays homage to Baltimore album quilts and the AIDS Memorial Quilt by presenting a growing, crowd-sourced portrait of the city’s queer communities. Through Aug. 31. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. Baltimore. Call 443-573-1700 or visit artbma.org.

SAYA BEHNAM: SAFFRON AND TEA
Mixed-media paintings with colors derived from dried saffron, hibiscus, borage tea, henna, and coffee is the focus of this exhibition organized through the Bethesda Urban Partnership, Inc. Born in Tehran, Iran, the visual artist Behnam currently lives and works in her studio in Northern Virginia. On display to Aug. 5. Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Suite E, Bethesda. Call 301-215-7990 or visit bethesda.org/bethesda/gallery-b.

VINCENT BROWN: CITY UNDER SIEGE
In his first ever solo exhibition, this D.C.-based photographer/videographer, currently an assistant producer at UDC-TV, shares images captured over the past two years focused on the city’s less fortunate. As the cost of the living has skyrocketed in D.C., so too has the rate of homelessness — and through Brown’s images, you can see some of the individuals who’ve gotten the short end of the stick. Now to Aug. 5, with an East of the River Panel Discussion set for July 13, from 6 to 9 p.m. Vivid Solutions Gallery in the Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Road SE. Call 202-631-6291 or visit vividsolutionsgallery.com.

YVES SAINT LAURENT: THE PERFECTION OF STYLE
Virginia’s leading art museum plays host to a traveling exhibition of one of history’s most radical and influential fashion designers. Drawn from the archives of the Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent and other private collections, the exhibition features 100 examples of haute couture and ready-to-wear garments, plus accessories, photographs, drawings, film and video, showcasing Saint Laurent’s artistic genius, process and sources of inspiration. The “Paper Doll Couture House,” which launched Saint Laurent’s career as a teenager in 1953, is among the artifacts on display for the first time in the U.S. In the ensuing decades the designer, first at the House of Dior and later via his own label, is credited with helping advance women’s wear beyond the dress to include jackets and pantsuits. Garments from when he officially retired via his final runway collection in 2002 are also on display. Now to Aug. 27. Altria Group and New Market Galleries, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 North Boulevard. Richmond, Va. Tickets are $10 to $22. Call 804-340-1405 or visit vmfa.museum.

FOOD & DRINK

HANK’S: TIKI ON THE HILL
The regular menu at Hank’s Oyster Bar is a celebration of the cuisine and culture of Maine. But sometimes you need to shake things up, and nothing screams fun and frivolity like the tiki culture of Hawaii, which Hank’s toasts with an all-afternoon party. Themed food specials, fresh and fruity boozy beverages, snow cones, and kitschy tropical decor — think flamingos — are on tap, as is “a slew of surprises.” Saturday, July 29, from 3 p.m. to midnight. Hank’s on the Hill, 633 Pennsylvania Ave SE. Call 202-733-1971 or visit hanksoysterbar.com.

MASON & ROOK ROOFTOP: AMERICAN-THEMED POP-UP
Radiator, formerly the Helix, the floor-level restaurant at Kimpton’s Logan Circle hotel, is taking over the scenic rooftop with a patriotic pop-up. Chef Jonathan Dearden offers a full menu of hot dogs, from kosher to veggie to masa corn, which can be washed down with concoctions from bartender Sarah Rosner including a red, white and blue sangria (made with white wine, cherries and blueberries), and frozen whiskey Cokes. Throughout July. 1430 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Call 202-742-3100 or visit masonandrook.com.

TAQUERIA DEL BARRIO: DRAG BRUNCH
Petworth’s new Mexican eatery from the DC Empanadas crew presents another round of its last-Saturday-of-the-month drag brunch. Desiree Dik hosts a show featuring queens Shaunda Leer and Whitney GucciGoo, who perform while guests enjoy French toast, chilaquiles and Taqueria’s signature tacos, among other dishes, all washed down with mimosas, Bloody Marys and Absolut vodka cocktails. Two seatings Saturday, July 29, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. 821 Upshur St. NW. Tickets are $25 and include one brunch entree or three tacos and one brunch cocktail. Call 202-723-0200 or visit taqueriadelbarrio.com.

TEN TIGERS PARLOUR
Tim Ma (Shaw’s Kyirisan) is out, Erik Bruner-Yang (H Street’s Maketto) is in at the former Chez Billy space. When it opened last year in the former Chez Billy space, Ma was brought on as a consultant to shape a menu with creative spins on Chinese street food — housemade dumplings, steamed buns and noodles and rice bowls. That’s mostly still true under Bruner-Yang, it’s just that the portions are now small, appetizer/snack-sized, and only offered in the evening, starting with happy hour at 5 p.m. The change was at the behest of owners the Hilton brothers, who wanted to bring their Petworth outpost more in line with other, bar-focused venues in the family (such as soul/Southern-styled Marvin and Mexican-themed El Rey, both in U Street). Obviously, that puts more of a focus on Ten Tigers’ interesting cocktail menu with pan-Asian accents– from The Iron Wine, made with the Thai whisky Mekhong plus honey, bitters and orange zest, to Tiger #9 — a mix of Chinese spirit baijiu, vermouth, lemon juice and Creme de Cassis — to the lychee/vodka combo Seven Stars. Sounds like an adventure worth imbibing. 3813 Georgia Ave. NW. Call 202-506-2080 or visit tentigersdc.com.

ABOVE & BEYOND

FORD’S MUSEUM NIGHT FOR 35 AND UNDER
All young professionals between 21 and 35 are invited to explore the Ford’s Theatre and Museum and the historical complex’s patron saint, Abraham Lincoln, as part of an exclusive after-hours event. Thursday, Aug. 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. Ford’s Theatre lobby, 511 10th St. NW. Tickets are $20 and include two drink vouchers. Call 202-347-4833 or visit fords.org.

FOUND FOOTAGE FESTIVAL: CHERISHED GEMS
Comedy writers Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher, whose credits include Late Show with David Letterman, The Colbert Report and The Onion, return for another round of a festival that features found videos and live comedy drawn from garage sales, thrift stores, warehouses, and dumpsters around the country — including curiously produced industrial training videos and cheesy exercise tapes. Friday, July 28, at 8 p.m. Arlington Cinema N’ Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington. Tickets are $13. Call 703-486-2345 or visit arlingtondrafthouse.com.

PRIDE SPLASH AND RIDE
Now in its fifth year, Splash & Ride offers LGBTQ attendees reduced price admission and access to all theme park and water park rides at Six Flags America — from one of the area’s premiere coasters, Superman (now with an optional VR component), to the Vortex/Riptide water slide, which plunges riders into 360-degree whirlpools. There’s also a Happy Hour from 6 to 8 p.m. exclusively for Pride Splash & Ride ticket holders, with local drag queens performing, followed by an exclusive dance party with D.C.-area DJs that lasts until midnight. Those not in a dancing mood are guaranteed extended access to the waterslides, whirlpools and lazy river. Saturday, Aug. 12, from 10:30 a.m. to midnight. Two shuttles will depart Nellie’s Sports Bar at 12:15 p.m. and 2 p.m. for return later that night. Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor, 13710 Central Ave, Upper Marlboro, Md. Tickets, with proceeds benefiting the Capital Pride Alliance, NOVA Pride and Baltimore Pride, are $42 in advance or $54 day of. Visit pridesplash.org. (John Riley)

TASTE OF STUDIO
For the third year in a row, The Studio Theatre, which helped to spark the 14th Street renaissance opens its doors for an open house celebration. The full slate of activities in the complex includes art installations, live music, faculty workshops, tours of the in-house production shops, sneak peeks of Studio’s summer show Wig Out! as well as shows from the 2017-2018 season and other new plays in development, plus programming from community partners including Black Broadway on U: A Transmedia Project, Reel Affirmations, and the New Millennium Howard Players. It all culminates in a community focused panel discussion moderated by the Washington Post. Although the main event is free and open to all, tickets are required to sample the wares of many of D.C.’s best venues for food and drink, a roster that includes 3 Stars Brewing Company, Bantam King, B Too, Birch & Barley, Declaration Pizza, La Tomate Italian Bistro, Peregrine Espresso, Rice, and Sudhouse. Saturday, Aug. 5, from 12 to 8 p.m. Studio Theatre, 14th Street NW. Tickets are $3 per a la carte item or $100 for an all-access pass. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org/taste.

THE ASK RAYCEEN SHOW: POETRY SLAM COMPETITION
Rayceen Pendarvis offers a preview of the annual OutWrite festival through interviews with participants as well as his monthly variety show’s annual poetry slam competition, where DCHomos will award a $100 cash prize to the winner. Also on tap is live music by singer Quineice and guest DJ Kryptk, plus burlesque by GiGi Holliday. Wednesday, Aug. 2, at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2, from 6 to 9 p.m. HRC Equality Center, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Free. Call 202-505-4548 or visit AskRayceen.com.

Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism

These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!