FILM

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY

Capital Classics, the hump-day series at Landmark’s recently refurbished West End Cinema, launches its winter season with Stanley Kubrick’s brilliant meditation on man and the mysterious universe. The 1968 visionary saga features Oscar-winning special effects and a thoughtful, spare script by the director and Arthur C. Clarke. Happy Hour-priced beer and wine from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8, 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.

A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS

Releasing just after Halloween and weeks before Thanksgiving, we have a Christmas-themed sequel to 2016’s surprisingly entertaining Bad Moms. Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn return as the rule-breaking moms who refuse to be “perfect,” only this time they’re terrorized by their own mothers (Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines and Susan Sarandon) visiting for the holidays. If it can smooth over some of the cracks of the first film, it could be good, if early, festive fun. Now playing. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Rhuaridh Marr)

AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY

The 20-year-old original James Bond spoof from Mike Myers and co-starring Elizabeth Hurley spawned two blockbuster sequels and a whole bag of quotes. It’s the second in a new monthly series from Virginia’s Alden Theatre, inspired by the Rocky Horror Picture Show, in which “audience participation is required.” There will be a $5 prop bag to help further act out scenes as well as contests — plus free popcorn! Friday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. Old Firehouse, 1440 Chain Bridge Rd. Mclean, Va. Tickets are free. Call 703-790-0123 or visit mcleancenter.org/alden-theatre.

BLADE RUNNER 2049

★★★★★

Blade Runner 2049 is not only one of the most profoundly intelligent, emotionally resonant, viscerally thrilling, and sumptuous looking films of 2017, it is, hands-down, the greatest sequel in the history of cinema. I won’t go so far as to say that the movie surpasses Ridley Scott’s original, a masterpiece of science fiction cinema, but it comes pretty damn close. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, who helmed last year’s similarly dazzling and cerebral Arrival, Blade Runner 2049 magnificently dovetails with the original film, furthering its narrative in ways that are by turns surprising, unpredictable, even rapturous. Throughout the film, Villeneuve pays homage to Scott’s aesthetic and style by including reflections of rippled water on walls and translucent raincoats. Blade Runner 2049 and its predecessor are both, essentially, movies about the search for identity. They’re about what it means to have a soul — and whether or not a soul (as well as love) can exist if its casing has been manufactured from an assembly line. There is plenty of heady stuff in both Blade Runner movies, but the sequel takes things several notches further, the result being a film with a more concrete sense of purpose and far less dreamy ambiguity. Now playing. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Randy Shulman)

IN THIS OUR LIFE

Inspired in part by Feud, Ryan Murphy’s series on FX, the Hill Center’s film and discussion series “Davis & Crawford, A Fabulous Rivalry” alternates between cinematic focuses on Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Hosts New Yorker writer Margaret Talbot and “Movie Mom” film critic Nell Minow picked one off-the-wall selection per diva, including this 1942 drama directed by John Huston, starring Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland as sisters. Sunday, Nov. 5, at 4 p.m. Hill Center, Old Navy Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free, but registration recommended for guaranteed seating.. Call 202-549-4172 or visit HillCenterDC.org.

LBJ

Rob Reiner’s sympathetic portrait of Lyndon Baines Johnson is very much in the mold of Stephen Spielberg’s Lincoln in its portrait of a president leading a governmental charge for racial equality. Woody Harrelson gives what critics have called a dazzling performance as the Senate Majority Leader turned Vice President, who eventually becomes President and endeavors to carry on the civil rights legacy of his assassinated predecessor John F. Kennedy (Jeffrey Donovan). Jennifer Jason Leigh plays devoted wife Lady Bird while Michael Stahl-David is LBJ’s adversary, Attorney General Bobby Kennedy. Opens Friday, Nov. 3. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com.

SUSPICION

Joan Fontaine snagged the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1941 thriller, making her the only person to win an acting Oscar in a Hitchcock-helmed film. The film screens as part of the month-long Joan Fontaine Centennial series at AFI, and finds Fontaine marrying charming playboy Cary Grant and coming to regret it. Suspicion is notorious for not ending the way Hitchcock wanted. Saturday, Nov. 4, and Sunday, Nov. 5, at 11:05 a.m., and Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $13 general admission, or $10 for matinee screenings. Call 301-495-6720 or visit afi.com/Silver.

THE GOLD RUSH

As part of its month-long Silent Cinema Showcase, AFI screens a 1925 Charlie Chaplin classic while the Columbia Orchestra offers live musical accompaniment. The Gold Rush follows Chaplin characteristically stumbling from one crisis to another in familiar comic routines — seeking refuge from a blizzard, being pursued by a disgruntled bear, and somehow escaping death to the audience’s delight. Saturday, Nov. 4, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 5, at 2 p.m. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $20, or $125 for a Silent Cinema All-Access Pass. Call 301-495-6720 or visit afi.com/Silver.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

Landmark’s E Street Cinema offers its monthly run of Richard O’Brien’s camp classic, billed as the longest-running midnight movie in history. Landmark’s showings come with a live shadow cast from the Sonic Transducers, meaning it’s even more interactive than usual. Friday, Nov. 10, and Saturday, Nov. 11, at midnight. Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

THOR: RAGNAROK

Conspicuously absent from 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) returns in his third standalone film to find himself trapped in gladiatorial combat with Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), a battle he must somehow win without his trademark hammer in order to make it back home in time to stop an impending apocalypse, courtesy of Hela (Cate Blanchett), the goddess of death. Hemsworth may have lost his long hair (and he’s all the more handsome for it), but he’s gained Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, and Karl Urban as co-stars in the process. Not a bad trade. Opens Friday, Nov. 3. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (RM)

TWO BLUE LINES

Voices from the Holy Land offers the third in a free, four-part film series sponsored by 15 area churches and volunteer organizations and presented at a progressive Christian church in Gaithersburg. Tom Hayes spent 25 years examining the human and political situation of the Palestinian people to make Two Blue Lines. The 2015 documentary explores the passionate dispute among Israeli citizens about their government’s occupation, deftly splicing together dueling creeds with a result that is electrifying and unlike the far more narrow view American audiences are used to. A moderated discussion follows. Sunday, Nov. 5, at 2:30 p.m. Christ the Servant Lutheran Church, 9801 Centerway Road, Montgomery Village, Maryland. Call 301-977-0285 or visit voicesfromtheholyland.org.

STAGE

A LITTLE PRINCESS SARA CREWE

The married couple of composer Matt Conner and lyricist Stephen Gregory Smith teamed up with book writer Ellen Selby on a new musical adaptation of the children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Presented by Creative Cauldron’s Learning Theater Ensemble and directed by Selby and the fledgling Virginia theater company’s Laura Connors Hull, A Little Princess Sara Crewe takes place at Miss Minchin’s School for Girls, capturing the spirit of the novel and its salute to the power of imagination. Opens Friday, Nov. 3. To Nov. 19. ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South Maple Ave. in Falls Church. Tickets are $20 to $30. Call 703-436-9948 or visit creativecauldron.org.

A SHORT SERIES OF DISAGREEMENTS PRESENTED HERE IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

British comedian/monologist Daniel Kitson has become a mainstay at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and has won plaudits in the U.K. and Australia for “story shows” that are simultaneously funny and thoughtful, absurd and serious, rich with humanity and riddled with frustration. He brings his one-man show to Studio X. Previews start Thursday, Nov. 2. Runs to Nov. 25. Studio Theatre, 1333 14th St. NW. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.

AN ACT OF GOD

Tom Story is the divine one in a comedy by David Javerbaum, based on the Daily Show writer’s book The Last Testament: A Memoir by God. Story shares the stage with Evan Casey and Jamie Smithson as archangels Michael and Gabriel, helping God create an entirely new set of Ten Commandments. To Nov. 26. Signature’s Ark Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave. Arlington. Call 703-820-9771 or visit sigtheatre.org.

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA

★★★

Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra is an interesting animal: not quite historical drama, not quite lover’s tragedy. The already small Folger Theatre goes super-intimate by staging the production in-the-round and the intimacy gives the play personality. In director Robert Richmond’s cozy circle are a real Antony and Cleopatra. They may deliver grand and beautiful language, they may go to war or die by asp, but they are without question, living, breathing people who smirk, cuddle, and lose their tempers. A magnificent Cleopatra, Shirine Babb exudes the necessary countenance in the gorgeous garb of Mariah Hale. Babb is the reason to see this production. The only regret is that the revolving stage is not activated during her death scene so that more of the audience can see her expressive face as she chooses her fate. To Nov. 19. Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Tickets are $35 to $79. Call 202-544-7077 or visit folger.edu. (Kate Wingfield)

ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN…

MetroStage presents Carlyle Brown’s fictionalized glimpse into the mind of Langston Hughes during the communist-purging McCarthy era, when the great poet was called to testify on the Hill about his patriotism and possible Communist ties. Marcus Naylor stars as Hughes and Michael Sharp as Joe McCarthy in this timely play featuring an original blues score by William Knowles. Directed and choreographed by Thomas W. Jones II. Closes Sunday, Nov. 5. MetroStage, 1201 North Royal St., Alexandria. Tickets are $55 to $60. Call 703-548-9044 or visit metrostage.org.

ASSASSINS

It’s not every year you get to see this lesser-known Tony-winning Stephen Sondheim show, but if you missed the recent Pallas Theatre Collective production, you’re in luck. Virginia’s NextStop Theatre Company offers its own version of the revue-style portrait of attempted presidential murderers, with Bobby Libby as Lincoln’s killer John Wilkes Booth, Mikey Cafarelli as John Hinckley (Reagan), Alex Zavistovich as Samuel Byck (Nixon), Brice Guerriere as Giuseppe Zangara (FDR), Katie McManus as Sarah Jane Moore (Ford), Jaclyn Young as Squeaky Fromme (Ford), and John Sygar as Lee Harvey Oswald (JFK) and the show’s Balladeer. To Nov. 12. NextStop Theatre, 269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon, Va. Tickets are $20 to $60. Call 866-811-4111 or visit nextstoptheatre.org.

EMILIE: LA MARQUISE DU CHÂTELET DEFENDS HER LIFE TONIGHT

★★★

Contrary to the title, the Marquise (Sara Barker) does not defend her life, as a scientist might, so much as she narrates it, like an author, in director Rick Hammerly’s droll interpretation of Lauren Gunderson’s spirited drama. It’s the literary side of the actual Émilie du Châtelet, a genius scientist, mathematician and philosopher who, in the early 18th-century, published work that changed the equation describing one of the fundamental laws of physics — challenging Newton and the world’s rules about women in science. Emilie is most searing when relaying the Marquise’s righteous anger that such learned and supposedly wise men as her fellow scientists might be almost incapable of taking her work seriously merely because of her sex. To Nov. 12. Gunston Arts Center, 2700 South Lang Street, Arlington. Tickets are $10 to $35. Call 703-418-4804, or visit avantbard.org. (Andre Hereford)

INTIMATE APPAREL

Dawn Ursula star in this turn-of-the-century tale about a talented African American seamstress and the romance she shares with a Jewish fabric merchant. Lynn Nottage’s play, inspired by a true story, gets a production in Baltimore directed by Tazewell Thompson and featuring Beth Hylton, Drew Kopas, Steve Polites, Bueka Uwemedimo, Jenn Walker, and Jade Wheeler. To Nov. 19. Everyman Theatre, 315 West Fayette St. Baltimore. Tickets are $10 to $65. Call 410-752-2208 or visit everymantheatre.org.

MANIFESTO! A THEATRICAL DADA DIVERSION

The latest devised theater piece from the Helen Hayes Award-winning troupe Happenstance Theater is built on text from actual manifestos — from the Capitalist to the Communist — for a show that the Washington City Paper reviewed as “a delightful romp through the surreal.” Set during wartime at the surrealist Cabaret ReVoltaire owned by Madam Proprietor and operated by Middle-Man and the New Girl, the cast includes Happenstance’s husband-and-wife leaders Mark Jaster and Sabrina Mandell, as well as Gwen Grastorf, Sarah Olmsted Thomas, Alex Vernon and Mark Winch. Now to Nov. 12. Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 West Preston St. Baltimore. Tickets are $15 to $25, except for all Thursdays, which are Pay-What-You-Can performances. Call 410-752-8558 or visit theatreproject.org.

MEAN GIRLS

Tina Fey’s hit film transformed as a musical and the hottest ticket in town — especially since its stop at the National Theatre is a tryout prior to its Broadway debut, set for the spring. Fey has written the show’s book with music by her husband and 30 Rock composer Jeff Richmond and lyrics by Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde). Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon) directs. In previews. Runs to Dec. 3 at The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets are $48 to $128, however, the National will hold a ticket lottery before each show. Individuals may submit their names at the box office to win up to two tickets at $25 each. Twenty lottery seats will be available for each performance, with names drawn 90 minutes prior to the show. Call 202-628-6161 or visit thenationaldc.org.

OUR TOWN

The townspeople become Japanese-style puppets in Aaron Posner’s eccentric take on the seminal classic by Thornton Wilder. John Hudson Odom (Angels in America) stars as the guiding Stage Manager in a production faithful to the script and sanctioned by the Wilder Family Estate, featuring just seven actors, who manipulate and animate the puppets. To Nov. 12. Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.

SAFE AS HOUSES

Pinky Swear Productions worked with playwright Natalie Piegari for over a year to develop a drama exploring the pull of family and nature. Megan Behm directs this play about a patchwork family preparing a suburban house for a violent storm and deciding on whether they should wait it out. A knock at the door complicates things further, as the past comes flooding in. To Nov. 11. Trinidad Theatre at Capital Fringe, 1358 Florida Ave. NE. Tickets are $35. Call 866-811-4111 or visit pinkyswear-productions.com.

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE

Blake Robison directs a production of Lee Hall’s adaptation of the bawdy Oscar-winning film from 1998, both riffing on and celebrating the Bard. Nicholas Carriere stars as Will among a large cast including Avery Glymph, Jefferson A. Russell, Liz Daingerfield, and Naomi Jacobson as Queen Elizabeth. To Nov. 26. Baltimore Center Stage, 700 North Calvert St., Baltimore. Call 410-332-0033 or visit centerstage.org.

THE BOOK OF MORMON

Written by South Park‘s Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the riotously funny, audacious musical, which won a whopping nine Tony Awards, is both cutting edge in shocking substance yet traditional in style. The Book of Mormon may weave in unexpected and provocative plot twists and scenes as well as convey extremely modern sensibilities about life, culture and organized religion. Yet it still hews to the standard musical mold, from repeated musical lines and lyrics, to boisterous sing-along group anthems, to sharp group choreography, including a tap number. To Nov. 19. Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $59 to $250. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

THE PAJAMA GAME

In an unusual twist, artistic director Molly Smith turns over directing reins for this season’s Golden Age Musical to Alan Paul, who has proven his mettle with musicals at Shakespeare Theatre Company. Choreographer Parker Esse joins to try to rouse interest in this classic battle-of-the-sexes. In previews. To Dec. 24. Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

VICUNA & AN EPILOGUE

Mosaic Theater Company presents the Trump-inspired satire by Jon Robin Baitz (Other Desert Cities), the gay playwright assaulted by a Trump supporter after the inauguration. The work has been updated to include rumination on the assault. Now to Nov. 26. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Call 202-399-7993 or visit mosaictheater.org.

MUSIC

ALCINA

The Washington National Opera presents its first-ever staging of Handel’s masterful baroque opera, with world-class vocal talents led by Angela Meade as the sorceress skilled in the art of seduction, who falls prey to the enchantment of love in the land of illusion. In Italian with English supertitles. Performances begin Saturday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. To Nov. 19. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $69 to $195. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

ATTACCA QUARTET

This string quartet may be young, but the Washington Post has already praised them for coming “very close to epitomizing the string quartet ideal: four strikingly individual players with the ability to speak eloquently in one voice.” In a return to the acoustically rich Barns at Wolf Trap, Attacca performs a program featuring Haydn, Beethoven, and Ippolito. Sunday, Nov. 5, at 3 p.m. 1635 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $40. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

BELA FLECK & ABIGAIL WASHBURN

The legendary banjo virtuoso, who has been nominated in more categories than anyone in Grammy history, returns to the area for another concert with his wife, also a well-regarded banjo player and vocalist. Fleck and Washburn continue to tour in support of their self-titled 2016 Grammy-winning album. Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $49.50. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

COLD SPECKS W/LA TIMPA, BE STEADWELL

There’s a folky quality to the music Ladan Hussein makes under the alias Cold Specks, a style that has been dubbed “doom-soul.” The Somali-Canadian female artist tours with Nigerian-Canadian “dream-pop” musician LA Timpa, who produced several tracks on Cold Specks’ new album Fool’s Paradise, and also “queer-pop” artist Be Steadwell. In addition to using a loop pedal for vocal layering, Steadwell sings, raps and beatboxes in her intriguing, memorable compositions, including the sweet love letter to her D.C. hometown, “Not Gonna Move to New York.” Friday, Nov. 3. Doors at 8 p.m. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. Tickets are $13 in advance, or $15 at the door. Call 202-667-4490 or visit blackcatdc.com.

CYNTHIA ERIVO

As part of her Voices series, Renee Fleming presents a British powerhouse, known from her Tony-winning turn as Celie in the 2015 Broadway revival of The Color Purple. More recently, she captivated on TV via her rendition of “The Impossible Dream” at the recent Kennedy Center Honors and dueting with John Legend in “God Only Knows” earlier this year at the Grammy Awards. Saturday, Nov. 4, at 2 and 7 p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Tickets are $49 to $69. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

DC DIFFERENT DRUMMERS FALL CONCERT

“Once Upon A Time…” is the title of this year’s fall concert by the Capitol Pride Symphonic Band, performing music inspired by great works of literature. The program includes pieces of different eras and styles. Saturday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-269-4868 or visit dcdd.org.

JACQUES BREL: SONGS FROM HIS WORLD

Steven Scott Mazzola directs this In Series cabaret of songs by the Belgian master of modern “chanson,” featuring a cast of four singers accompanied by music director Reenie Codelka. Bryon Jones, Fleta Hylton, Simon Charette, and Brian J. Shaw will sing various Brel classics, including “Ne Me Quitte Pas,” “Amsterdam,” and “Marieke,” many of which became global hits through renditions by Frank Sinatra, Nina Simone and Ray Charles, among others. In French with English supertitles. Performances start Saturday, Nov. 4, at 8 p.m. Weekends to Nov. 19. Source Theatre, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $43. Call 202-204-7741 or visit inseries.org.

JAZZMEIA HORN

A jazz vocalist originally from Dallas, Horn is quickly emerging as one of the genre’s best new talents, winning prestigious titles in the process, including the 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and the 2015 Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition. After a headlining concert at the Kennedy Center last winter, Horn returns to the area for two shows at Georgetown’s celebrated jazz haven. Monday, Nov. 13, at 8 and 10 p.m. Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $25, plus $12 minimum purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit bluesalley.com.

JOSHUA BELL

A recital by one of classical music’s most popular violinists, who performs with accompaniment by Alessio Bax on piano. Sunday, Nov. 5, at 4 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $90 to $125. Call 301-493-9283 or visit nationalphilharmonic.org.

KISHI BASHI W/TALL TALL TREES
“Sometimes my music is pretty nonsensical, and that’s probably because I’m just attracted to the sounds of the words,” K. Ishibashi told Metro Weekly a few years back, referring to the music of his playfully eponymous orchestral-rock act Kishi Bashi. The Japanese-American singing violinist is frequently whimsical, making kaleidoscopic music just the right side of silly — and focused on fun. A collaborator with Regina Spektor, Sondre Lerche and Of Montreal, the musician has long made music in the style of Electric Light Orchestra — and that’s never been more true than on last year’s Sonderlust, featuring the play-on-words single “Can’t Let Go, Juno.” Kishi Bashi again returns to Sixth & I with Mike Savio, the masterful fiddler touted as “a pioneer in the world of experimental and psychedelic banjo music” — and his output as Tall Tall Trees lives up to that billing. Savio performs in Kishi Bashi as well as an opening act. Monday, Nov. 6, at 8 p.m. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. 600 I St. NW. Tickets are $22 in advance, or $25 day of. Call 202-408-3100 or visit sixthandi.org.

NEW YORK FESTIVAL OF SONG: PASSION OF LEONARD BERNSTEIN

Leonard Bernstein, who is known to have had male lovers throughout his life, composed “To What You Said,” a gay manifesto featuring writing by Walt Whitman, as part of his Songfest: A Cycle of American Poems for Six Singers and Orchestra. The work will be performed as part of a new all-Bernstein program by Steven Blier and Michael Barrett, both Bernstein protégés and co-artistic directors of the New York Festival of Song. The pianists will be joined by percussionists Barry Centanni and Taylor Goodson in an informative tribute to the legendary composer’s genius in writing for the human voice and featuring six up-and-coming vocalists: soprano Chelsea Shephard, mezzo-sopranos Annie Rosen and Lucia Bradford, tenor Miles Mykkanen, baritone Justin Austin and bass Adrian Rosas. The concert in the Kennedy Center’s newly renovated Terrace Theater opens the 27th season of Vocal Arts DC, an organization touted as the only one of its kind solely devoted to presenting classical voice recitals, burnishing D.C.’s designation as the choral capital of America. Sunday, Nov. 5, at 2 p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Tickets are $50. Call 202-467-4600 or visit vocalartsdc.org.

THE DAVE KLINE BAND, VERONNEAU

At its more intimate cabaret space, Strathmore offers a showcase of two local acts creating original exciting music from around the globe. Both the Dave Kline Band, a fiddle-fueled bluesy rock act drawing inspiration from the U.K., Colombia, Haiti and Senegal, and the globally inspired jazz band led by Canadian vocalist Lynn Veronneau, perform a double bill to celebrate the release of new albums. Saturday, Nov. 11, at 8 p.m. Amp by Strathmore, 11810 Grand Park Ave. North Bethesda. Tickets are $25 to $35. Call 301-581-5100 or visit ampbystrathmore.com.

WASHINGTON JEWISH MUSIC FESTIVAL

Tararam, known as “Israel’s Stomp,” kicks off the 11-day festival on Thursday, Nov. 2, at 7:30 p.m. Among other highlights this year, all of which take place at the Edlavitch DCJCC unless otherwise noted: Renowned cellist Amit Peled in “Journey with my Jewishness,” and the “Bimah to Broadway to Beltway” cabaret featuring three of the area’s leading female cantors, both on Sunday, Nov. 5; Yasmin Levy & the Klezmatics on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at the Music Center at Strathmore; and a Closing Night concert by Nomadica featuring some of Toronto’s finest musicians and focused on celebrating and fusing the music of Arabs, Roma, and Jews, on Sunday, Nov. 12. Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 16th St. NW. Tickets are $8 to $35, or $75 for a Festival Pass. Call 202-777-3250 or visit wjmf.org.

 

DANCE

THE MARTIAL ARTISTS AND ACROBATS OF TIANJIN

A thrilling, mesmerizing display of superior skills in acrobatics, circus acts, illusions and martial arts is on the bill, as more than 100 performers from China take the stage, accompanied by traditional Chinese music. Friday, Nov. 3, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 4, at 2 and 8 p.m. George Mason University Center for the Arts, 4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax. Tickets are $30 to $50. Call 888-945-2468 or visit cfa.gmu.edu.

COMEDY

PAUL MOONEY & MARSHA WARFIELD: TRIBUTE TO DICK GREGORY

Last year, Mooney performed with Gregory, one of the first black comedians to gain popularity with predominantly white audiences. Now Mooney, known for frequent appearances on Chappelle’s Show as well as helping to discover Robin Williams and Sandra Bernhard, among others, returns to the Howard Theatre, this time for a tribute to Gregory, who died this past August. Mooney is joined by Warfield, best known as the tough-talking, no-nonsense bailiff Roz Russell on NBC’s ’80s sitcom Night Court, who only recently came out as a lesbian. The two comedians have Richard Pryor in common: Mooney used to be a writer for the late comic genius while Warfield was an ensemble member on the The Richard Pryor Show. Saturday, Nov. 4, at 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. The Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. Tickets are $49.50 to $89.50, plus $10 minimum per person at all tables. Call 202-588-5595 or visit thehowardtheatre.com.

PAULA POUNDSTONE

The longtime standup comic, self-proclaimed “virginish” and “asexual,” is the funniest panelist on NPR’s reliably funny weekend news quiz show Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! Poundstone returns for another weekend run of shows at the Birchmere. But hurry: Tickets are already sold out for the Saturday date. Friday, Nov. 10, through Sunday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $49.50. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADE

Like the funniest extroverts at the party, the improv troupe Upright Citizens Brigade riffs on D.C. and audience-members alike. The brigade has many famous alumni, including Amy Poehler and Ed Helms. Sunday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. 600 I St. NW. Tickets are $20 in advance, or $25 day-of show. Call 202-408-3100 or visit sixthandi.org.

READINGS & DISCUSSIONS

DAN ARIELY

The world-renowned economist explores the fundamental irrationality of personal finance in Dollars and Sense: How We Misthink Money and How to Spend Smarter. Partnering with humorist and writer Jeff Kreisler, the Duke University professor examines the complexity of how money makes us feel and how financial psychology drives our actions whether we realize it or not. Thursday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. 600 I St. NW. Tickets are $22 in advance, or $25 day of. Call 202-408-3100 or visit sixthandi.org.

EXHIBITS

AMERICAN DEMOCRACY: A GREAT LEAP OF FAITH

In late June, the Smithsonian’s American History museum opened this display of prominent artifacts highlighting the history of citizen participation, debate and compromise from the nation’s formation to today. The American experiment is still alive, if not altogether well at the moment, but it has endured rough times before and this exhibition highlights the various ways in which leading figures have strived to make the country “a more perfect union.” Objects include Thomas Jefferson’s portable desk he used to draft the Declaration of Independence, the inkstand Abraham Lincoln used to draft the Emancipation Proclamation, and the table on which Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote the Declaration of Sentiments. Ongoing. National Museum of American History, 14th St. and Constitution Ave. NW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit americanhistory.si.edu.

ARTECHOUSE: SPIRIT OF AUTUMN

Founded earlier this year by Sandro Kereselidze and Tatiana Pastukhova of event production company Art Soiree, the digital art museum, near the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Southwest D.C., is dedicated to showcasing work at the intersection of art and technology. Its latest immersive, interactive installation offers a dreamlike escape into a Fall playground using a state-of-the-art projection system with wall graphics powered by A-Blok and floor projections by Noirflux. In the evening, the projected autumn landscape changes with the setting sun, ushering in the nighttime. Now to Nov. 5. ArTecHouse in the Portals, 1238 Maryland Ave. SW. Tickets for 60-minute, timed-entry sessions are $8 daytime admission, $20 for evening (drinks sold separately). Visit artechouse.com.

DEL RAY ARTISANS: UNDER $100

Members present artworks priced at $100 or less that can go home at the time of purchase in this annual exhibition — with new works on display all month long. Opening reception is Friday, Nov. 3, from 7 to 9 p.m. Runs through Nov. 26. Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Ave. Alexandria. Call 703-731-8802 or visit thedelrayartisans.org.

LEONARD BERNSTEIN AT 100

The Grammy Museum has organized a traveling exhibition commemorating the great, late bisexual American composer and conductor, premiering it at the Kennedy Center as one kickoff to a year-long centennial celebration. Touted as the most comprehensive retrospective of Bernstein’s life and career, the exhibition contains over 150 artifacts, including photographs, personal items, papers, scores, correspondence, costumes, furniture, and films. Displayed items include one of Bernstein’s batons, his first piano, his New York Philharmonic podium and a program from his 1943 debut with the orchestra, and the desk from which he composed West Side Story along with handwritten score sheets for that iconic musical’s “America,” “Tonight” and “Maria.” There are also interactive displays, allowing visitors access into his creative mind and legacy — from a listening bar to explore some of his most noted works, to a vocal booth offering a chance to sing the lead in West Side Story, to a feature allowing one to virtually step into Bernstein’s conducting shoes and lead a symphony. Closes Sunday, Nov. 5. Kennedy Center Terrace Gallery. Free. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

PAINTING SHAKESPEARE

An exploration into how Shakespeare’s words have inspired visual artists, as seen in pictures, oil sketches and paintings from the Folger’s collection. Why is there visual art in a library? Because collectors Henry and Emily Folger understood that it takes more than books and manuscripts alone to understand Shakespeare and his era. On exhibit through Feb. 17. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Call 202-544-7077 or visit folger.edu.

SUPERFIERCE: ART OF RESISTANCE

According to statistics from the National Endowment for the Arts, while approximately 51 percent of visual artists are women, less than 5 percent are represented in major museums around the world. Maggie O’Neill started the organization SuperFierce as a support system to help connect, inspire, mentor and exhibit fellow female artists. Its 2017 exhibition features over 30 female artists, selected by a panel of local visual art experts, and including, among others, Behnaz Babazadeh, Kimberly Cunningham, Lana Gomez, Linda Hesh, Akemi Maegawa, Anne Marchand, Cara Peterson, Caitlyn Price, Amber Robles-Gordon, and Antonia Tricarico. Closes Saturday, Nov. 4. Blind Whino, 700 Delaware Ave. SW. Call 202-554-0103 or visit superfierce.org.

SUPERSIZED: DISH UP

The Ceramic Guild stuffs the Scope Gallery with pottery big and tall, all with a focus on eating and dining and the Thanksgiving holiday. Expect all manner of serving platters, bowls and gravy boats. In conjunction with the Art League’s Tabletop show. Opens Monday, Oct. 30. To Nov. 26. Scope Gallery in Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 North Union St. Alexandria. Free. Call 703-838-4565 or visit torpedofactory.org.

THE ARTIST’S PROCESS: LANDSCAPE PAINTERS

Sketches and studies created by members of the Washington Society of Landscape Painters will be on display in an exhibition focused on the process of painting in the field and trying to capture the essence and important aspects of what might be included in the final work. A number of the final pieces will be exhibited alongside the rough and quick sketches. Opening reception is Sunday, Nov. 5, at 4 p.m. On display through Jan. 7. The Athenaeum, 201 Prince St., Alexandria. Call 703-548-0035 or visit nvfaa.org.

VERMEER AND THE MASTERS OF GENRE PAINTING

A landmark exhibition examining the artistic exchanges among Johannes Vermeer and his contemporaries in the 17th century, when they reached the height of their technical ability and mastery of depictions of daily life. Quiet scenes unfolding in private households and featuring elegant ladies and gentlemen were among the most striking aspects of Dutch painting of this Golden Age, a time of innovation and prosperity. In conjunction with the National Gallery of Ireland and the Louvre in Paris, the exhibition features 70 works by Vermeer, Gerard ter Borch, Gerrit Dou, Pieter de Hooch, Gabriël Metsu, Frans van Mieris, Caspar Netscher and Jan Steen. Now to Jan. 21. West Building of National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Call 202-842-6716 or visit nga.gov.

FOOD & DRINK

CALLE CINCO: GET YOUR TAPAS ON

Learn how to make modern Spanish tapas with chef George Rodriguez in an intimate restaurant part located in the intimate nook formerly known as Conosci. This Sunday afternoon demonstration is part of a cooking series at Michael Schlow restaurants also including “Thanksgiving Riggsby Style” with chef Jay Caputo a week later. The tapas class, focused on Barcelona-style hot and cold tapas, pinchos, tortilla Espagnola and churros, is Sunday, Nov. 5, from 3 to 6 p.m. 465 K St. NW. Tickets are $50, including food and non-alcoholic beverages. Call 202-629-4662 or visit bit.ly/SchlowRGClasses.

EMPORIYUM

Union Market is a haven for foodies year-round, but one weekend every November it becomes a veritable foodie’s paradise. In addition to the regular merchants and food stalls inside the Market proper, over 100 artisans, producers, chefs and restaurants from around the Mid-Atlantic also set up booths behind the market to sample and peddle their latest wares and fares. It’s a good assortment of tasty edibles and thoughtful gifts, for friends and family — and yourself. A sampling of the more intriguing vendors on hand this year include: South Mountain Creamery, Zesty Z Spreads & Condiments, Brother Floyd’s Righteous Pickles, the Local Oyster from Baltimore, Tibetan dumplings from D.C.’s Dorjee Momo, “liquor-infused ice cream” from Tipsy Scoop, dog treats from What The Cluck, New York’s Sfoglini Pasta Shop, and Bella Rouge Barbeque. The Emporiyum launches with a 5 Year Birthday Party on Friday, Nov. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. The Emporiyum is Saturday, Nov. 11, and Sunday, Nov. 12. Dock5 at Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. General admission is $15 for admission after 1:30 p.m., $25 for access at 11 a.m. with a complimentary tote bag, or $40 for VIP access at 10 a.m. plus special bites and sips, and a gift bag; the Friday Birthday party is $40, or $80 with an All Access Weekend Pass. Call 800-680-9095 or visit theemporiyum.com.

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 brunch buffet for $30. Inspired by the current exhibit, Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting (see separate listing), the selections include: Egg Pancakes with sage-infused maple syrup, Smoked-Fish Platter with whitefish, pickled herring and egg salad, Roasted Free-Range Frenched Chicken with parsley and watercress puree, and White Asparagus Salad with roasted marble potato, diced egg, pickled turnip, crispy bacon and parsley. There’s also a Dutch Cheese Sampler, Vermeer-Inspired Weekly Rotating Soup, and Seasonal Freshly Cut Fruit. Not to mention Macaroon & Vanilla Pudding, St. Nicholas Slices, Wheat Bread & Hagelslag, Bitter Cookie, and a full coffee menu. Oh, and $6 mimosas. 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.

NIGHTLIFE

BEST OF BURLESQUE(ER): DOWN AND DIRTY HOLIGAY BLUES

An entirely queer cast aims to get you in the holiday spirit way too early in an annual production of sizzle and sass, sultry burlesque and antic drag. Salem Sirene, Carlita Caliente, Freddy Boi Jonesy, Tempete La Coeur, and Glam Gamz perform during a show hosted by Dutch Oven and Betty O’Hellno, with “Stage Kitten” Lexie Starre. Friday, Nov. 3. Doors at 9 p.m. Black Cat Backstage, 1811 14th St. NW. Tickets are $15 day-of-show. Call 202-667-4490 or visit blackcatdc.com.

DEEP DONNA

Now that he’s retired the monthly Otter Crossing party at the Green Lantern, party promoter David Brown is channeling his energy in a different gay direction — from celebrating the hirsute body to celebrating the inner soul, and the ultimate disco diva. Yes, the name is a reference to Donna Summer, and her legacy will be explored in the discofied sounds of underground DJs Juana and Strikestone — performing “heavy disco, b-sides, lost tracks, and deep cuts” — plus “live disco vocal performances” by local theater actors Danie Harrow and Shayna Blass. Saturday, Nov. 4, starting at 9:30 p.m. Black Cat Back Bar, 1811 14th St. NW. Tickets are $5. Call 202-667-4490 or visit blackcatdc.com.

ABOVE & BEYOND

THE ASK RAYCEEN SHOW

The sixth season concludes with Rayceen Pendarvis hosting the “Sexy AF Season Finale,” an evening of burlesque, live music, demos and more. Performers include Pussy Noir, Private Tails, Billy Winn and Pretty Boi Drag. In addition there will be prize bags for “sexiest outfit, best sexy message t-shirt, sexiest body, and best twerking.” Music by DJ Honey. Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 6 p.m. HRC Equality Center, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Call 800-777-4723 or visit AskRayceen.com.

THE DC BIG FLEA & ANTIQUES MARKET

Billed as the Mid-Atlantic’s largest antique flea market, it includes booths offering unique, quality antiques for home and office. This is not the flea market of yore, according to promoters, 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, Nov. 4, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 5, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dulles Expo Center, 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly, Va. Admission is $10 for both days. Call 757-961-3988 or visit thebigfleamarket.com.

-30-