Out on the Town: D.C. arts & entertainment, September 14-20, 2017

BACK TO THE FUTURE
Marty McFly’s DeLorean-powered journey to the ’50s has been entertaining audiences for more than three decades — it was the summer blockbuster of 1985 — and continues to find new fans. The movie, which stars Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, spawned two sequels and inspired a Universal Studios ride, but nothing has stood the test of time like the original. Robert Zemeckis’ time-traveling tale next screens as part of the Date Night outdoor screening series at National Harbor. Thursday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m. On the plaza at 165 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill, Md. Call 877-628-5427 or visit nationalharbor.com.

POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE
As part of its Rosh Hashanah film series “5777: A Year in Review,” celebrating the cinematic contributions of major Jewish artists who passed away in the past year, the Washington Jewish Film Festival screens Mike Nichols’ exceptional adaptation of the late Carrie Fisher’s best-selling confessional novel. Meryl Streep stars as a drug-addled star constantly overshadowed by her celebrity mother, played by Shirley MacLaine. The comedy is unavoidably bittersweet now that we’ve lost both Fisher and her own mother Debbie Reynolds. Sunday, Sept. 17, at 12:30 p.m. The Aaron and Cecile Goldman Theater, Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 16th St. NW. Tickets are $13.50. Call 202-777-3247 or visit wjff.org.

THE HITMAN’S BODYGUARD
★★★
In The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Samuel L. Jackson’s tried and true formula is spiked with a potent hit of Ryan Reynolds, the king of Hollywood nonchalance. The heroes never meet a problem that can’t be solved with a gun, a bigger gun, an explosion, or a pithy comeback, while the film feints at real-world commentary by zeroing in on a recognizably unhinged despot as its main villain. The Hitman’s Bodyguard is no twisty, Bourne-ian take on geopolitics; it’s a straightforward, crowd-pleaser, well-executed by professionals who know what they’re here to do. Now playing. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Andre Hereford)

Read Next

Scream, Queens: Gay Halloween Happenings in the DMV

THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN
The late Debbie Reynolds is recognized for her work in the film adaptation of Meredith Willson’s Broadway hit, screening as part of the Washington Jewish Film Festival’s Rosh Hashanah series “5777: A Year In Review.” Her work as the infamous survivor of the RMS Titanic in Charles Walter’s movie musical is one of her most memorable roles. Saturday, Sept. 16, at 8:30 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 17, at 2:30 p.m. The Aaron and Cecile Goldman Theater, Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 16th St. NW. Tickets are $13.50. Call 202-777-3247 or visit wjff.org.

THE MALTESE FALCON
Capital Classics, the new hump-day film series at Landmark’s recently refurbished West End Cinema, offers a screening of John Huston’s 1941 film noir classic, based on Dashiell Hammett’s novel. Humphrey Bogart plays a detective investigating why a jewel-encrusted avian statute is so desirable and who will take the fall for his partner’s murder. Happy Hour-priced beer and wine are on offer from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m. Landmark’s West End Cinema, 2301 M St. NW. Tickets are $12.50. Call 202-534-1907 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

THE WORDS THAT BUILT AMERICA
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough narrates a new 50-minute documentary by Alexandra Pelosi, focused on the authentic words of America’s founding fathers. The words, as published in the iconic documents on permanent display at the National Archives, are read by more than 100 modern-day American leaders, including all living Presidents and Vice Presidents, Supreme Court justices, Cabinet secretaries, and the leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives, as well as an array of celebrities, media figures, and youngsters. Tuesday, September 19, at 7 p.m. William G. McGowan Theater in the National Archives Museum, Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets NW. Free. Call 202-357-5000 or visit archivesfoundation.org.

Read Next

Keegan’s ‘Woman in Black’ is a London Bog

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
★★★★
A multi-faceted gem of a musical, Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music is realized with utmost skill and elegance in a brilliant new production at Signature Theatre. Director Eric Schaeffer and company strike an enviable balance between sparkle and understatement, reflecting the myriad aspects of longing explored in Sondheim’s uncharacteristically hopeful roundelay of coupling and uncoupling. Despite an arch comedic streak, the story of conflicted husbands and wives and their would-be partners is plainly sincere about the rush of falling in love. A Little Night Music celebrates the part that lust, romance, infatuation, and passion can play in leading to self-discovery. Featuring Holly Twyford and Bobby Smith. To Oct. 8 in Signature’s Max Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Tickets are $40 to $99. Call 703-820-9771 or visit sigtheatre.org. (Andre Hereford)

BLUE CAMP
The Rainbow Theatre Project, in residency this season at the District of Columbia Arts Center, offers a staged reading of Tim Caggiano and Jack Calvin Hanna’s drama, depicting what soldiers accused of homosexuality experienced in the days leading up to the Vietnam War. Christopher Janson directs a cast including Dwayne Allen, Logan Beveridge, Andrew Flurer, Dan Guy, Ahsley Ivey, Patrick Joy, Michael King and Topher Williams. Saturday, Sept. 16, at 3 p.m., and Monday, Sept. 18, at 7:30 p.m. DCAC, 2438 18th St. NW. Tickets are $15. Call 202-462-7833 or visit dcartscenter.org.

Read Next

‘Conclave’ is a Simmering Papal Thriller

DON JUAN TENORIO
Nando Lopez helped GALA Hispanic Theatre haul in the Helen Hayes Awards last year with his adaptation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s Yerma. He’s back with a world-premiere adaptation of Jose Zorrilla’s tale of “the infamous seducer of all time,” in honor of the Spanish romantic writer’s 200th birthday. Jose Carrasquillo directs an international cast including Iker Lastra and Luz Nicolas (Spain), Manolo Santalla (Cuba), Carlos Castillo (Venezuela) and Ines Dominguez del Corral (Colombia) in a high-voltage, contemporary and True Blood-style adaptation. Performed in Spanish with English surtitles. To Oct. 1. GALA Theatre at Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are $30 to $45. Call 202-234-7174 or visit galatheatre.org.

IN THE HEIGHTS
Round House and Olney team up for a tour-de-force staging of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s original Tony-winning success, featuring a book by Quiara Alegria Hudes. Marcos Santana directs and choreographs the production, which featuress 21 actors and stars two-time Tony nominee Robin de Jesus, who played Sonny in the original Broadway production. Here, he is Usnavi, our guide through a vibrant Washington Heights neighborhood. With Linedy Genao, Rayanne Gonzales, Natascia Diaz, and Michael J. Mainwaring as Sonny. Extended to Oct. 15. Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.

JULIUS CAESAR
Scena Theatre offers a modern interpretation intentionally teasing out the parallels between today’s Washington and ancient Rome. Robert McNamara directs and stars in Shakespeare’s classic tale of Senators Cassius and Brutus’s plot to kill Caesar and prevent him from becoming all-powerful Emperor, and the civil unrest that ensues. David Bryan Jackson, Ian Armstrong, Barry McEvoy, Ron Litman, Amanda Forstrom, Danielle Davy, Robert Sheire, and Kim Curtis also appear. To Sept. 24. Lab Theatre II in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $30 to $45. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

LELA & CO.
The experimental, Helen Hayes Award-winning collective Factory449 offers a showcase for a stellar local actress as Rick Hammerly directs fellow company member Felicia Curry as a girl who gets caught up in sex trafficking, exploring her harrowing battle for survival in an increasingly unjust world. The work, written by up-and-coming British playwright Cordelia Lynn and based on a true story, also features Renaldo McClinton. To Oct. 1. Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Road SE. Tickets are $22. Call 202-631-6291 or visit factory449.com.

NATIVE GARDENS
Arena Stage presents the local premiere of Karen Zacarias’ D.C.-set hot-button comedy, where well-intentioned neighbors become feuding enemies in a clash of class and culture. Blake Robison directs a co-production with Cincinnati’s Guthrie Theater and starring Jacqueline Correa, Dan Domingues, Steve Hendrickson, and Sally Wingert. Opens in previews Friday, Sept. 15, at 8 p.m. Runs to Oct. 22. Kreeger Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $40 to $90. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

THE DEVIL’S MUSIC …BESSIE SMITH
Mosaic Theater Company kicks off its third season with its first musical, a show written by Angelo Parra and directed by Joe Brancato. A hit Off Broadway, The Devil’s Music stars the indomitable Miche Braden, performing 13 songs in character as bisexual blues pioneer Bessie Smith. The concert-style show recreates the boisterous diva’s final performance after she and her band were turned away from a whites-only theater in Memphis in 1937. To Sept. 24. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $20 to $60. Call 202-399-7993 or visit mosaictheater.org.

WIZARD OF HIP
MetroStage presents a 25th Anniversary revival of a show by the company’s associate artistic director, Thomas W. Jones II. A nonstop comic journey following Afro Jo, an African-American everyman in search of the ultimate state of “hip,” the show stars Jones, backed by the Lady Doo Wops, Kanysha Williams and Jasmine Eileen Coles. Closes Sunday, Sept. 17. MetroStage, 1201 North Royal St., Alexandria. Tickets are $55 to $60. Call 703-548-9044 or visit metrostage.org.

AMERICAN POPS ORCHESTRA: ARETHA FRANKLIN TRIBUTE
“Respect: The Music of Aretha Franklin” is the focus of a concert conducted by Luke Frazier and featuring soloists including Michelle Williams, of Destiny’s Child fame. Kelly Crandall d’Amboise directs this tribute to the Queen of Soul at the American Pops’ new home in Arena Stage, where Williams will be joined by local Helen Hayes Award-winning powerhouse Nova Payton (Signature’s Hairspray), Moya Angela (America’s Got Talent), Ariana DeBose (Broadway’s Hamilton), and jazz artist Bria Skonberg. Saturday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m. Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $20 to $120. Call 202-488-3300 or visit theamericanpops.org.

ARCADE FIRE
Arcade Fire’s Infinite Content Tour arrives in support of fifth album, Everything Now. As always, the group draw from an eclectic range of styles, this time pulling together bits of disco, reggae and punk, and they do find some success with a handful of fun moments scattered throughout — “Everything Now,” “Electric Blue,” “Creature Comfort,” and the unexpected detour into country on the reprise “Infinite_Content.” Raw cynicism can make for good songwriting material, but Arcade Fire is trying to somehow be sincere and wry and jaded all at the same time and they don’t quite pull it off. Instead, the album looks and sounds like what it is — a wildly popular indie band, who once won the Grammy for Best Album, attempting to level outsider criticism of the mass culture industry. Saturday, Sept. 16 at the Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW. Call 202-628-3200 or visit livenation.com. (Sean Maunier)

CHRIS URQUIAGA
A native of Silver Spring, the budding Latin pop singer-songwriter recently signed to Akon’s KonLive Distribution record label, which helped nurture the career of Lady Gaga. Having just completed his term as a 2017 Artist in Residence at Strathmore, Urquiaga performs a free concert at the Kennedy Center as part of its free Millennium Stage programming. Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 6 p.m. Kennedy Center. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

DADDY YANKEE
“Despacito” with singer Luis Fonsi was already the year’s biggest hit in Latin America before Justin Bieber got involved and added his vocals, making it the biggest hit in the world. Wolf Trap scored quite the coup with its spring decision to present the Puerto Rican star singer/rapper Daddy Yankee, also responsible for the decade-old monster “Gasolina” that ignited the reggaeton craze. Sunday, Sept. 17, at 8 p.m. The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $45 to $250. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

FRENSHIP
L.A.’s James Sunderland and Brett Hite comprise a fledgling dance music production duo just ready to be discovered by fans of ’80s-influenced emotive, melodic electro-pop — particularly of the Swedish variety, from Robyn to Miike Snow and Galantis. One listen to the happy/sad vibe of “Capsize,” also featuring singer-songwriter Emily Warren, and you’ll be see what we mean, but there’s also the trop-house gem “Knives,” the Toto-channeling “1000 Nights,” the Tears for Fears-esqu “Nowhere” — pretty much every track released so far by the duo is a kind of aural candy. And what better place to discover them than at the intimate DC9, when they’ll perform an early show with an opening set from fellow electro-pop R&B-styled singer-songwriter William Bolton. Afterwards, stay for the free Wig & Disco dance party, a blend of ’70s disco samples with house beats of today, led by two of D.C.’s best underground house DJs, Sean Morris and Bill Spieler. Friday, Sept. 15. Doors at 6:30 p.m. DC9, 1940 9th St. NW. Tickets are $15; free Wig & Disco party starts at 10:30 p.m. Call 202-483-5000 or dcnine.com.

MUTEMATH, ROMES
An electro-experimental alt-rock band from New Orleans, led by keyboardist and vocalist Paul Meany, Mutemath tours in support of Play Dead, its fifth studio album released earlier this month. But as appealing as the trio’s music is, it’s opening act Romes that makes the outing to Silver Spring all the more worthwhile. An up-and-coming alt-pop act that Alternative Press listed as “17 Artists to Watch in 2017,” Romes tours a month in advance of its forthcoming debut. Friday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m. Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $22 to $58. Call 301-960-9999 or visit fillmoresilverspring.com.

NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: SELMA
Ava DuVernay’s Oscar-nominated 2014 drama, chronicling Martin Luther King Jr.’s movement secure equal voting rights, screens as Ryan McAdams conducts the NSO in a performance of the score by Jason Moran. The Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz joins, accompanying on piano, in this concert, part of the JFKC: A Centennial Celebration of John F. Kennedy. Friday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $24 to $89. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

NELL ROBINSON & JIM NUNALLY BAND
Described as “beloved Bay Area bluegrass stars” by the San Jose Mercury News, the band, alternately called alt-roots and “folkbilly,” offers two intimate area concerts of new material and favorites from Baby Let’s Take the Long Way Home. Flutist and vocalist Robinson and guitarist, banjoist, and vocalist Nunally fell in love several years ago after working on several projects. They now lead a band that includes Jim Kerwin on bass fiddle and Jon Arkin on percussion. Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 7:30 p.m. The O Street Museum, the Mansion on O Street. 2020 O St. NW. Tickets are $25. Also Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 10 p.m. Gypsy Sally’s Vinyl Lounge, 3401 K St. NW. Free. Call 202-496-2020 or visit nellandjim.com.

STEPHEN GREGORY SMITH
The closing cabaret in Creative Cauldron’s Summer series comes from the lyricist who has created one musical after another for the Virginia company in recent years alongside composer Matt Conner, his husband and a fellow local musical theater performer. In this intimate cabaret, Smith looks back on the last 30 years of his career, from humble beginnings as a child actor in Pennsylvania to regular work at Creative Cauldron, Signature Theatre and beyond. Smith will perform some of his own songs at the cabaret, where tables have been filling up fast. Friday, Sept. 22, and Saturday, 23, at 8 p.m. ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South Maple Ave. in Falls Church. Tickets are $22 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.

WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA: AIDA
Francesca Zambello launches the new season with a dazzling new production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida, a co-production with the San Francisco, Seattle and Minnesota opera companies. Performed in Italian with projected English titles, Aida focuses on a young woman enslaved by the Egyptians, who don’t know she’s an Ethiopian princess and daughter to their sworn enemy. The visionary artist known as RETNA created the striking sets and costumes, lending the classic story a unique modern edge with his vibrant hieroglyphics and calligraphy. To Sept. 23. Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $45 to $300. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

DC DANCE SUMMIT
Performances, workshops, master classes, panel discussions, dinner buffets, dance parties, and networking are on tap at this inaugural, weekend-long summit that should serve as a big boost to the local dance community. Hosted by Dance Loft on 14 in partnership with Dance Metro DC, the DC Dance Summit opens Friday, Sept. 15, with an Introductions forum at which dance presenters, directors, choreographers, dancers, and participants are encouraged to detail their plans, needs, and opportunities for the year as well as brainstorm new ideas and collaborations. Among the performers, speakers or attendees expected include representatives from the Kennedy Center, Saint Mary’s College of Maryland, National Endowment for the Arts, Joy of Motion, Joe’s Movement Emporium, International Association of Blacks in Dance, StepAfrika!, the Atlas, Dance Place, Choreographic Institute, Deviated Theatre, and BalletNova. Runs to Sept. 17. Dance Loft on 14 Theater, 4618 14th St. NW 2nd Floor. Tickets are $10 for a single evening pass, $40 for a day pass, or $75 for a full-weekend pass. Call 202-621-3670 or visit danceloft14.org.

LIGHT SWITCH DANCE THEATRE: IMPORTANCE OF TOUCH
The resident dance group of Capitol Hill Arts Workshop celebrates its fifth anniversary with a party and site-specific performance work by Sandra C. Atkinson, in collaboration with LSDT performers, exploring the notion of human connection through touch in an age of technology. The Importance of Touch investigates whether we as a society are more comfortable with artificial touch technology rather than actual human touch, playing with reaction, intention and connection through movement and music. Saturday, Sept. 23, at 4 p.m. Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th St. SE. Tickets are $15. Call 202-547-6839 or visit chaw.org.

BROKEN DIAMOND COMEDY: LGBTQ: THIS IS NOT A JOKE
Every third Thursday of the month, the comedy troupe presents comics giving 15-minute sets on a serious topic or cause. The next round of Broken Diamond Comedy is a queer-themed event with performers sharing their own personal struggles or actions in the LGBTQ realm, and with half of proceeds and other audience donations all benefitting SMYAL. Thursday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m. Drafthouse Comedy, 1100 13th St. NW. Tickets are $10. Call 202-750-6411 or visit drafthousecomedy.com.

JEN KIRKMAN
If you don’t remember Jen Kirkman from regular stints on Chelsea Lately or Comedy Central’s @midnight, maybe you caught her hilarious, inebriated narrations on Comedy Central’s Drunk History. Now you can catch the standup comic Entertainment Weekly essentially called the female Louis CK — and whose 2016 memoir had the brilliant title I Know What I’m Doing (and Other Lies I Tell Myself) — on her “All New Material, Girl” Tour. Local up-and-coming comedienne Paris Sashay serves as opening act. Sunday, Sept. 24, at 8 p.m. The Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. Tickets are $22.50 to $40, plus $10 minimum per person for all tables. Call 202-588-5595 or visit thehowardtheatre.com.

MAKE UP PARTY: ANIMALS
All creatures, great and small, is the theme around which comedians, improvisers, storytellers or songwriters must create a five-minute work in a competition for a $250 prize. “Whoever makes the audience laugh like hyenas walks away with the prize,” organizers assert. Up to 12 teams from one to eight people will perform at this event, the third organized by the DC Improv and presented at the art space under Dupont Circle. Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 8 p.m. Dupont Underground, 1500 19th St. NW. Tickets are $15. Visit dupontunderground.org.

UNIFIED SCENE THEATER: THE YOUTUBE SHOW TAKEOVER
Prompted by suggestions from the audience, artists in this upstart improv company will search and play some wild clips found on YouTube in real time that will serve as inspiration for on-the-fly scenes. Think of it as a live version of a YouTube clip, featuring performers Reaves McElveen, Jamal Newman, Shawn Westfall and others, plus VJ Brian Duss. Friday, Sept. 22, at 8:30 p.m. Unified Scene Theater, 80 T St. NW. Tickets are $15. Visit unifiedscenetheater.com.

A FASHION DESIGNER AND HIS IDEAL CLIENT
Marjorie Merriweather Post was a premier client of Oldric Royce from the 1940s until her death in 1973. A Prague native who fled the Nazis in 1939, Royce’s life is documented in a biography written by Howard Kurtz, a George Mason University theater professor who will offer a lecture at Post’s estate, where he serves as associate curator of costumes and textiles. Friday, Sept. 15, at 12:45 p.m. Hillwood Estate, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Suggested donation is $18. Call 202-686-5807 or visit HillwoodMuseum.org.

SANDRA GUTIERREZ: THE NEW SOUTHERN-LATINO TABLE
The next Cooking Up History discussion and demo at the Smithsonian’s American History museum focuses on the author of The New Southern-Latino Table: Recipes That Bring Together the Bold and Beloved Flavors of Latin America and the American South. Born in Philadelphia, raised in Guatemala and a longtime resident of North Carolina, Sandra Gutierrez will discuss migration, activism and the culinary movements in the Nuevo South in this discussion co-sponsored with the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Note, however, that cooking demos don’t end in public food tastings at the museum. If you’re hungry, you’ll have to settle for the cafeteria. Saturday, Sept. 16, at 2 p.m. National Museum of American History, 14th St. and Constitution Ave. NW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit americanhistory.si.edu.

AMERICAN VISIONARY: JFK’S LIFE AND TIMES
The Smithsonian American Art Museum presents the first event in a national, year-long centennial celebration organized by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. One of the most exhaustively researched collections of Kennedy photos ever assembled, the exhibit brings together images, culled from the former president’s library, foundation, family archives, private collections and Getty Images, that capture the dramatic scope of Kennedy’s life and work. Because his administration coincided with a golden age of photojournalism in America, no single politician was photographed more than Kennedy was over the span of two decades since his first run for Congress as a decorated war hero in 1946. The exhibition is based on the forthcoming book JFK: A Vision for America, also featuring speeches and essays by historians and co-edited by his nephew Stephen Kennedy Smith and Douglas Brinkley. Closes Sunday, Sept. 17. Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and F Streets NW. Free. Call 202-633-1000 or visit americanart.si.edu.

BODY LANGUAGE: QUEER ACTIVISTS FROM POST-YUGOSLAVIA
A Bosnian refugee, Alma Selimovic was granted political asylum in the U.S. in 2009 on account of the violence and threats she faced as a prominent LGBTQ activist in her homeland. Earlier this year, the visual artist did a two-month residency at Berlin’s Institute fur Alles Mogliche, where she interviewed and created digital drawings of other people from Eastern Europe who are queer, trans and/or gender neutral. Now that she’s back, she’s curated an exhibition of paintings, photographs, and video installations by seven queer artists and activists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia: Kristofer Andric, Azra Causevic, Ranka Delic, Nedziba Idrizovic, Damir Prljaca, Anita Prsa, and Alex Spyke. Through Oct. 7. Otis Street Art Project, 3706 Otis St. Mt. Rainier, Md. Call 202-550-4634 or visit otisstreetarts.wixsite.com.

ILYA AND EMILIA KABAKOV: THE UTOPIAN PROJECTS
The Hirshhorn offers the first historical survey of these acclaimed Russian artists, including more than 20 of the Kabakovs’ maquettes, or whimsical models, for projects realized and unrealized, including monuments, allegorical narratives, architectural structures and commissioned outdoor works. The intricate creations, spanning from 1985 through the present day, offer a view into their surreal world in miniature. The works frequently reference Soviet-era architecture and prisoners, with allusions to escape, whether by ship, angel or mythic tale. On display through March 4, 2018. Hirshhorn Museum, Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit hirshhorn.si.edu. JUDY CHICAGO: VISUAL ARCHIVE, THE DINNER PARTY EXHIBITION As part of its 30th anniversary celebration, the National Museum of Women in the Arts honors the iconic artist through establishment of a new archive and opening of a new exhibition. The archive, in the Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center, documents the artist’s work through photographs, slides, negatives, and printed ephemera spanning the 1960s through the present. As such, it captures fleeting performance pieces such as her pyrotechnics and dry ice works as well as exhibitions of drawings, paintings, sculpture and installations, including The Dinner Party. Meanwhile, the creation of that monumental and radical installation is the focus of a temporary exhibition. Opens Sunday, Sept. 17. On display through Jan. 5. 1250 New York Ave NW. Admission is $10. Call 202-783-5000 or visit nmwa.org.

HIRSHHORN’S CONCERT FOR YOKO ONO
Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, Gang Gang Dance’s Lizzi Bougatsos and Moor Mother aka Camae Ayewa will offer a one-night-only concert celebrating the experimental sound and performance art of the Japanese-American who came to fame (and infamy) as the last lover of John Lennon. The three groundbreaking female musicians will perform, on the Hirshhorn’s outdoor plaza, their own works alongside some of Ono’s most memorable pieces. Concluding with rare screenings of early avant-garde films and featuring a cash bar, the event is the culmination of the summer-long series Yoko Ono: Four Works for Washington and the World, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the artist’s Wish Tree for Washington, D.C. Sunday, Sept. 17, from 7 to 10 p.m. Hirshhorn Museum, Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-633-1000 or visit hirshhorn.si.edu.

LISA ALLEN: DISSENT
Protests of Trump’s inauguration and first six months are seen in photographs and screen prints, showing the various forms of dissent that have taken hold and a firsthand look at democracy in action. Through Sept. 23. Studio Gallery, 2108 R St. NW. Call 202-232-8734 or visit studiogallerydc.com.

SUSAN STACKS: THE SANGUINE SUNRISE
Cosmic drawings in pencil and pen are Stacks’ focus work, intricate and ritualistic, with gold beams, cloud-like swirls of dots and graphite spirals overlapping elegantly. Stacks’ practice is ultimately meditative — an intellectual exercise in moving across the page — and her varied influences range from Netflix recommendations to Olbers’ paradox, algorithms to mapping, Buddha warriors to particle physics. Opens Thursday, Sept. 14. Vernissage, or opening reception, with live music by Terraplane, is Saturday, Sept. 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. On display through Oct. 29. Adah Rose Gallery, 3766 Howard Ave. Kensington, Md. Call 301-922-0162 or visit adahrosegallery.com.

WASHINGTONIA COLLECTIONS
The Newseum is serviing as temporary home to the Historical Society of Washington and Washingtonia Collections, while its permanent home, the historic Carnegie Library, undergoes renovations to provide museum-quality space for the Society on the second floor above an Apple store. The Washingtonia Collections feature maps and prints, rare letters, photographs and drawings documenting the history of Washington, D.C. Opens Tuesday, Sept. 19. Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets are free for the Historical Society only. Call 202-249-3955 or visit dchistory.org.

WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA PRESENTS RETNA
The Kennedy Center hosts an exhibit of this graphic and street artist whose work informs the sets and costumes of the forthcoming production of Aida. Inspired by L.A.’s mural culture, the artist known simply as RETNA fuses fine art with graffiti and the traditional with the contemporary and has worked on advertising campaigns for Louis Vuittion and Nike, in addition to exhibiting at galleries around the world. On exhibit through Sept. 24. Hall of Nations. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

WONDER WOMEN!
From the Guerrilla Girls righting the wrongs of the art world, to painter Edna Reindel’s tough WWII riveters, to vintage feminist comic books, this exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts features images of the powerful woman, real and fictional. The wide-ranging selection, including artist correspondence, sketches, ephemera, photographs, posters, rare books, museum archival material and artists’ books, draws from the special collections and artists’ archives of the museum’s Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center. Through Nov. 17. 1250 New York Ave NW. Admission is $10. Call 202-783-5000 or visit nmwa.org.

BREWS, BOOZE & BITES: AN AMERICAN HISTORY FOOD FESTIVAL
Tudor Place, the grand neoclassical mansion in Georgetown that was one of America’s first National Historic Landmarks, hosts second annual toast to the region’s historic and revived alcohol and culinary traditions. Tours, traditional lawn games and live music from D.C.’s Prohibition-era jazz band the Foggy Bottom Whomp-Stompers are also on tap at the event featuring local bakers, brewers, chefs, confectioners and distillers, including: Reservoir Distillery, Catoctin Creek Distilling, Mad Fox Brewing, Moorenko’s Ice Cream, Pastries by Randolph, Republic Restoratives, Right Proper Brewing, Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling, Bold Rock Hard Cider, Denizens Brewing, Georgetown Olive Oil, War Shore Oyster Company and more raw oysters and vegetarian sushi provided by Whole Foods. Saturday, Sept. 16, from 1 to 4 p.m., with an Outdoor Edibles Tour starting at 1 p.m., and a Follow the Bacon house tour at 2:30 p.m. Tudor Place Historic House and Garden, 1644 31st St. NW. Tickets are $35, or $30 for Tudor Place members, and include a free souvenir tasting glass. Call 202-965-0400 or visit tudorplace.org.

JOE’S SEAFOOD: PIE IT FORWARD
Throughout September, downtown’s swanky high-end eatery will donate $1 from every slice of its Mostly Raspberry Pie to Fight for Children, a non-profit dedicated to improving the quality of early childhood education. Blackberries and blueberries are the supporting fruits in a pie that is served, naturally, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. To Sept. 30. Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, 750 15th St. NW. Call 202-489-0140 or visit joes.net.

NATIONAL ARCHIVES: CULINARY COCKTAILS
Most of the time Derek Brown is known as the owner of the Columbia Room and the trio of Shaw restaurants that has become the site of the overly popular Miracle on 7th Street- and Game of Thrones-themed pop-ups. But he’s also the Chief Spirits Advisor for the National Archives Foundation, where he leads regular “History Happy Hour” discussions and tastings. Next up comes a focus on the evolving world of culinary cocktails, or those specifically paired with food. Brown’s guests include James Beard Award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein, John Lermayer of Sweet Liberty, Lynnette Marrero of Speed Rack, and Johnny Spero of Columbia Room and the forthcoming Reverie. Saturday, Sept. 23, at 2:30 p.m. National Archives Museum, Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets NW. NW. Tickets are $60, or $50 for Foundation members. Call 202-357-5000 or visit archivesfoundation.org/history-happy-hour.

NATIONAL GALLERY’S GARDEN CAFE: WEEKEND BRUNCH
For a boozy brunch a little more high culture than the average, the National Gallery of Art offers a special brunch buffet all month for $30. The selections are impressive: from Buttermilk Pancakes to Baked Frittata with bacon lardon, caramelized onions and gruyere, Summer BBQ Short Ribs with kimchi glaze to Roasted Free-Range Airline Chicken with shaved fennel and salsa verde, Baby Kale Salad to Seasonal Freshly Cut Fruit. Not to mention Carrot Cake, Lemon Bar and assorted Freshly Baked Cookies for dessert, and a full coffee menu. Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. National Gallery of Art’s West Garden Court, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call 202-842-6716 or visit nga.gov.

TEAISM UNION MARKET: MATSUKAWAYA
Teaism is currently sharing its booth in the trendy culinary haven next to Gallaudet University with this Japanese sweets company. Matsukawaya specializes in raw “wagashi,” or sweets made of fruits with mochi rice, and usually served with matcha tea. Through September. Teaism Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. Call 202-409-1285 or visit teaism.com.

ANACOSTIA RIVER EXPLORERS: EDUCATIONAL BOAT TOURS
Funded through the District’s disposable bag fee, this program of the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment offers free, guided motorboat and canoe tours exploring the history, wildlife, environmental threats and efforts to improve the Anacostia River. Full, two-hour (or partial, one-hour) tours, of 12 to 20 people at a time, are offered by the Anacostia Watershed Society and Anacostia Riverkeeper. Call 202-535-2600 for more information, and visit anacostiariverkeeper.org for a schedule of upcoming tours.

DC BIG FLEA ANTIQUES MARKET
Renowned as the Mid-Atlantic’s largest antique flea market, the massive showcase includes booths offering unique, quality antiques for home and office. This is not the flea market of yore, but one where you can find sophisticated, sleek and sturdy furniture and designs, from fine antiques to vintage clothing and handbags to mid-century modern artworks. Saturday, Sept. 16, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 17, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dulles Expo Center, 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly, Va. Admission is $10 and valid for both days. Call 757-430-4735 or visit thebigfleamarket.com.

FORD’S THEATRE’S HISTORY ON FOOT
A local actor offers the guided tour Investigation: Detective McDevitt, portraying Detective James McDevitt, a D.C. police officer patrolling a half-block from Ford’s Theatre the night President Lincoln was shot. Written by Richard Hellesen and directed by Mark Ramont, the 1.6-mile walking tour revisits and reexamines the sites and clues from the investigation into the assassination. Tours are offered approximately three evenings a week at 6:45 p.m. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. Tickets are $17. Call 202-397-7328 or visit fords.org.

MARYLAND RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL
In the year 1527, Henry VII’s “love for Anne Boleyn pushes him to ask for an annulment of marriage from Queen, Katherine of Aragon.” And Carolyn Spedden, artistic director of the annual festival, now in its 41st year, tells Metro Weekly that “of all the storylines we do with Henry VIII, Boleyn tends to be the most popular.” Yet there’s a little something for everyone at RennFest, which Spedden calls “a very inclusive, welcoming event. Everybody should feel comfortable coming through the gates.” That’s true whether your primary motive is to take in the performances — over 200 professionals engaged in everything from jousting to comedic sword-fighting to reenactments to parodies of Shakespeare — or to shop for early holiday gifts from “the amazing artisans here with their handmade wares.” Or simply to eat a turkey leg, steak on a stake or cheesecake on a stick. Weekends to Oct. 22. 1821 Crownsville Road, Annapolis, Md. Tickets are $17 to $25 for a single-day adult ticket. Call 800-296-7304 or visit rennfest.com.

MUCHO KLUNCHO TALENT SHOW
The Klunch presents a three-plus hour parade of wild and wacky artists demonstrating many bizarre skills and talents. Among other things on display, you’ll see acts who can belch a song, speed-stack cups, do handstands in skirts, and dress themselves or their pets in funny costumes. Hosts for the event are Hot Todd Lincoln, Shortstaxx, Lucrezia Blozia, Kate Debelack, Kittie Glitter, and Lobsterboy. Saturday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. Logan Fringe Arts Space, 1358 Florida Ave. NE. Tickets are $35 to $75. Call 866-811-4111 or visit theklunch.com.

TALES FROM THE ROUND WORLD: THE LOG OF SALTY PEARL
Formed two years ago, Tales From The Round World, which incorporates circus, sideshow and burlesque into more traditional scripted productions, naturally sprang from the zany mind of Chris Griffin, aka Lucrezia Blozia. Griffin and his ragtag group of writers and performers offer a second charity-benefiting live radio play following July’s Calls to the Alien Crime Hotline. This time out, the focus is on bawdy, buccaneering stories of pirates and high jinx on the high seas aboard the ship the Salty Pearl, with chances for audience participation. Writers include Griffin, Christian Crowley, Countess Von Dreck, Kerri Sheehan, Matt Basset, Pamela Leahigh, Rebecca Rose Vassy, and Rufus Drawlings, and the performers on board are Aaron Spaace, Annie Bawdy Wansom, Baron Atomy, Delilah Dentata, Diva Darling, Fanny Tittington, and Blozia. The evening benefits Mote Marine Research Lab, which is working to restore the ocean’s coral reefs. Thursday, Sept. 21. Doors at 7:30 p.m. Bier Baron Tavern, 1523 22nd St. NW. Tickets are $12 in advance, or $15 at the door. Call 202-293-1887 or visit facebook.com/butthecircus.