FILM

A FANTASTIC WOMAN

★★★★

In the funny, suspenseful, intense, and truthful A Fantastic Woman, unassuming waitress Marina finds herself dealing with a nightmare of a situation: Wrapping up her deceased lover’s final affairs and confronting his family and associates all without any legal proof of her relationship to the man. And her predicament is made exponentially harder by the fact that she’s transgender. Portrayed by magnetic trans actress Daniela Vega, Marina must fight as much for her right to exist as for her right to the life she shared with her dead lover, Orlando (Francisco Reyes). Chilean director Sebastián Lelio’s film came in at No. 6 on Metro Weekly‘s list of 2017’s Best Films, and builds organically to a catharsis of anger and honesty that will have audiences cheering for Marina. It also had Oscar voters cheering, winning as Best Foreign Language Film. Area theaters, including Landmark’s West End, 2301 M St. NW. Call 202-534-1907 or visit landmarktheatres.com. (Andre Hereford)

EASTER PARADE

It might not be top of mind when you think of Judy Garland classics, but this 1948 American musical film directed by Charles Walters is cited as the most financially successful for both Garland her co-star Fred Astaire. Easter Parade, with music by Irving Berlin, also features some of the dancing pair’s best-known songs, from “Stepping’ Out with My Baby” to the title track. Part of Landmark’s West End Cinema Capital Classics weekly screening series. Wednesday, March 28, at 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m., 2301 M St. NW. Happy hour from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 to $12.50. Call 202-534-1907 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

HOT BITS QUEER EROTIC FILM AND ARTS FESTIVAL

Now in its second year, this two-evening festival presents a range of erotic indie video, soft to hardcore, as well as performance and visual arts, all documenting aspects of queer desire and sexuality that stray well beyond the mainstream commercial porn and sex industries. A collective of queer artists curated Hot Bits, which received over 113 film submissions from across the U.S., Europe, North Africa, and Central and South America. Saturday, March 31, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, April 1, at 7 p.m. Creative Alliance at the Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave., Baltimore. Tickets are $10 in advance, or $13 at the door, or $18 for a festival pass to both nights. Call 410-276-1651 or visit creativealliance.org.

ISLE OF DOGS

Wes Anderson is noted for the strong visual style of his films, and his latest stop-motion animation looks to only bolster the asssesment. Anderson has dreamed up a near-future, alternate universe, where dogs have reached oversaturation in the fictional Japanese city of Megasaki. Following an outbreak of canine flu, the autocratic mayor sends every dog to Trash Island. There, a pack of five pooches help a young boy who comes in search of his lost dog, Spots. Bryan Cranston, Bill Murray, and Scarlett Johansson lend their voices to a film that looks simultaneously unique, bizarre, and utterly compelling. Opens Friday, March 23. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Rhuaridh Marr)

MILDRED PIERCE

This hybrid of film noir and “the women’s picture” allowed Joan Crawford to reinvent herself as an independent, career-oriented woman suffering in great luxury. “She was a queen at MGM for many years, and then they kicked her out very unceremoniously,” says film critic Nell Minow. “I think a large part of why that is her best performance is that she really was suffering in real life. She really was very humiliated. And that comes across in the role.” The AFI offers another screening of the 1945 classic, which garnered Crawford her one and only Oscar, as part of a series paying tribute to director Michael Curtiz. Saturday, March 24, at 11:30 a.m. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $10 to $13 general admission. Call 301-495-6720 or visit afi.com/Silver.

PACIFIC RIM UPRISING

Set ten years after Guillermo del Toro’s sci-fi monster original, Pacific Rim Uprising has Star Wars‘ John Boyega and Suicide Squad‘s Scott Eastwood as the franchise’s new heroes — and without del Toro at the helm (though he is producing). It looks as stylish and empty as the original. Opens Friday, March 23. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (RM)

RA XTRA: Q-MASON

A selection of short films from the Film and Video Studies program at George Mason University featuring students telling their LGBTQ stories. Rayceen Pendarvis of The Ask Rayceen Show hosts the evening, ending with a director talkback and reception. The lineup of 11 shorts includes: Alisa Posey’s Cope, a narrative electronic music video about the struggles of a high school girl with anxiety and depression, set to new music by the filmmaker; Michael Rose’s Both, a comedy about a young woman out to prove to her ex that she is over their relationship; Haven Houston’s Right Man, Wrong Time, about “one of the best mistakes” one could make, dating someone older than yourself; Hannah Looney’s Gone, a modern twist on Bonnie & Clyde with music by Aylive; Kyle Finnegan’s Cling Wrap, about a boy and his mother, coming to the end of her battle with a terminal illness; and Jordon Jones’ Grace The Ghost, in which a recently heartbroken man is haunted by a not-so-ordinary ghost. Friday, March 30, at 7 p.m. HRC Equality Center, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Tickets are $12, or a VIP Pass for $25 in include the Talkback and Reception plus a complimentary cocktail and popcorn. Visit thedccenter.org.

RAMEN HEADS

A mouthwatering survey of Japan’s culinary history, famous restaurants, and specialty ingredients, filmmaker Koki Shigeno takes a deep dive into the broth of the country’s ramen craze. The focus is on the country’s reigning ramen king Osamu Tomita, who is seen in the runup to his restaurant’s 10th anniversary celebration. Opens Friday, March 23. Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

STAGE

ADULT ENTERTAINMENT

When a group of porn actors push to make a real movie by enlisting a Yale-educated cameraman, his penchant for poetry and academic mumbo-jumbo doesn’t quite square with what they had in mind. Things go south from there. Tony Greenberg, Erik Harrison, Steve Lebens, Ellie Nicoll, Paige O’Malley, and Zoe Walpole star. Joe Banno directs. To March 31. Caos on F, 923 F St. NW. Tickets are $20. Visit theklunch.com.

ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY

Cara Gabriel directs a musical adaptation of Judith Viorst’s book, documenting one day in a boy’s life and the hope for better days ahead. Christian Montgomery leads a cast that also includes Sylvern Groomes Jr., Sophie Schulman, Tiziano D’Affuso, Daniel Westbrook, and Sally Horton as Alexander’s mother. To March 31. Adventure Theatre MTC, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Tickets are $19.50. Call 301-634-2270 or visit adventuretheatre-mtc.org.

BECOMING DR. RUTH

★★★½

Playwright Mark St. Germain illuminates in ways both poignant and unexpected the remarkable true story of consummate survivor Karola Siegel, better known to millions as perky sex therapist and media personality Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Directed by Holly Twyford, the play’s chief vehicle for conveying the reality of this steel-willed mother, educator, sex expert, and ex-paramilitary sniper is the masterful performance of Naomi Jacobson, whose rich approximation captures the famous accent, directness, and undeniable twinkle that’s endeared the good doctor to generations of fans. To March 18. Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW. Tickets are $39 to $69. Call 202-777-3210 or visit theaterj.org. (AH)

BROOKLYN: THE MUSICAL

The title character in Mark Schoenfeld and Barri McPherson’s musical is on a journey to find her father, as told by a group of people suffering out on the streets led by the Street Singer. Briana Taylor is Brooklyn and DeCarlo Raspberry the Street Singer, in a cast also including Taylor Washington, Amana Leigh Corbett, Jonathan Helwig, Ashley K. Nicholas, Topher Williams, and Marika Countouris. The mostly sung-through show is directed by Michael Windsor and choreographed by Patricia “Pep” Targete. To March 31. Ainslie Arts Center in Episcopal High School, 3900 W. Braddock Rd., Alexandria. Tickets are $40. Call 703-933-3000 or visit monumentaltheatre.org.

CHICAGO

★★★½

Somewhere inside Roxie Hart’s first number, “Funny Honey,” during which the brazen, fame-craving floozy introduces her sorry sap of a husband Amos, it dawns that this Roxie is bananas. Portrayed by Maria Rizzo with a bold mix of moxie and murderous rage, she’s Roxie unhinged. And she is amazing. Matched with Michael Innocenti’s portrayal of Amos, who’s a perfectly pathetic patsy, and Kurt Boehm’s solid take on fast-talking flim-flammer Billy Flynn, this Roxie revitalizes the familiar tale of celebrity and corruption. Extended to April 14. Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $45 to $55. Call 202-265-3767, or visit KeeganTheatre.com. (Andre Hereford)

EVERY BRILLIANT THING

Developed with actor Jonny Donohue, Duncan MacMillan’s unusual one-person play pivots on interactions with the audience, collectively examining a child’s reaction to his depressed mother’s attempted suicide, and helping build a list of things worth living for. From the No. 1 item “Ice Cream” to No. #999, “the Alphabet,” Every Brilliant Thing is said to elicit as much laughter as it does tears in creating its catalog of gratitude. Jason Loewith directs Alexander Strain in the Olney Theatre Center production. Extended to April 1. Theatre Lab, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.

GEORGE…DON’T DO THAT! THE MUSIC AND MAGIC OF JOYCE GRENFELL

Catherine Flye celebrates the wit and wisdom of one of Britain’s most beloved comediennes in a devised work that she’s been performing throughout the U.K. since 2003. MetroStage has invited her to perform it here, along with Michael Tolaydo as Narrator and Joe Walsh as music director and pianist. To March 25. MetroStage, 1201 North Royal St., Alexandria. Call 703-548-9044 or visit metrostage.org.

GEORGE ORWELL’S ANIMAL FARM

One of the most famous political novels in history gets new life on stage in an adaptation by Ian Wooldridge and directed by May Adrales for Baltimore Center Stage. The intensely crafted tale of corruption, both timely and timeless, features a cast including Stephanie Weeks, Jonathan Gillard Daly, Melvin Abston, Brendan Titley, Tiffany Rachelle Stewart, and Deborah Staples. To April 1. 700 North Calvert St., Baltimore. Call 410-332-0033 or visit centerstage.org.

HOLD THESE TRUTHS

★★

Inspired by the true story of Gordon Hirabayashi, a young Japanese-American man imprisoned in the 1940s for challenging the constitutionality of his shocking and shameful internment, Jeanne Sakata’s Hold These Truths recounts his experiences through a well-crafted blend of memories, vignettes, and expository. Yet Sakata’s steady dosing of a light, almost too-cute humor all-but ensures the surface here is never meaningfully scratched — leaving the play feeling more like fodder for a high school field trip than a place for deeper, more complex reflection. Ryun Yu brings impressive energy and charisma, yet is in the unenviable position of trying to impart the importance of the story despite Hirabayashi’s aw-shucks demeanor, the sketchy dimensions of the vignettes, and the silly humor. The play is something of a missed opportunity. With such serious subject matter — especially in light of today’s envelope-pushing White House policies — this was a chance to deliver some poignant home truths with pointed emotional realism. To April 8. Kogod Cradle, 1101 Sixth Street, SW. Tickets are $71 to $111. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org. (Kate Wingfield)

THE BECKETT TRIO

Two-time Helen Hayes Award-winner Nanna Ingvarsson relates the stories and struggles of the women in three short plays by Samuel Beckett. The works from Ireland’s “master of minimalism” playwright and Nobel Laureate, staged by Robert McNamara are: Footfalls, focused on a troubled lass perpetually pacing a worn floor ,re-imagining her life; Not I, which reduces one woman’s life to a riveting, obsessional monologue; and Rockaby, a haunting recollection of one woman’s losses, loves, and life as told from a rocking chair. Now to April 8. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $35. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

THE GOSPEL AT COLONUS

WSC Avant Bard revives its Helen Hayes Award-nominated retelling of the Oedipus tale, a synthesis of religious parable, Greek tragedy, and African-American gospel revue. William T. Newman, Jr., also returns as Preacher Oedipus, who recounts for his flock the tragic exile of Oedipus the King, now played by gospel recording artist Kenton Rogers. They’re joined by the joyous sounds of the Women’s Ecumenical Choir of Alexandria’s Ebenezer Baptist Church. To March 25. The Gunston Arts Center, Theatre Two, 2700 South Lang St. Arlington. Tickets are $10 to $35. Call 703-418-4804 or visit wscavantbard.org.

THE WOLVES

As its contribution to the Women’s Voices Theater Festival, Studio Theatre commissioned this play from Sarah DeLappe following a pack of 16-year-old girls who are the stars of their school’s soccer team. Marti Lyons directs a work about the “contact sport of adolescence” as told from the female perspective. “I wanted to see a portrait of teenage girls as human beings,” DeLappe says. “As complicated, nuanced, very idiosyncratic people who weren’t just girlfriends or sex objects or manic pixie dream girls but who were athletes and daughters and students and scholars and people who were trying actively to figure out who they were in this changing world around them.” Extended to March 18. Studio Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.

TRANSLATIONS

British army engineers arrive in 19th-century rural Ireland to draw new borders and translate local place names into the King’s English in a work dating to 1980 from celebrated Irish playwright Brian Friel (Dancing at Lughnasa). “Born out of a contested cultural moment,” says Studio’s David Muse, “Friel’s classic about language and all of its limits will have particular resonance in this town at this time.” Directed by the company’s Belfast-born Associate Artistic Director Matt Torney and starring Caroline Dubberly, Megan Graves, Martin Giles, Molly Carden, Matthew Aldwin McGee, Jeff Keogh, and Joe Mallon. In previews. Runs to April 22. Metheny Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.

COMMUNITY STAGE

I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE

A celebration of the mating game from gay Tony-winning scribe and lyricist Joe DiPietro (Memphis) and composer Jimmy Roberts, this musical comedy revue takes on the truths and myths behind modern love and relationships, as presented in the form of a series of vignettes. Touted as the second-longest running musical Off Broadway (after The Fantasticks), I Love You… sees a Baltimore community version directed by Fuzz Roark, with Mandee Ferrier Roberts as musical director and a cast of six taking on over 30 characters, all in search of love. Opens Friday, March 23. To April 22. Spotlighters Theatre, 817 St. Paul St., Baltimore. Tickets are $18 to $22. Call 410-752-1225 or visit spotlighters.org.

MOON OVER BUFFALO

Ken Ludwig’s fast-paced screwball comedy circa 1995, a throwback farce, is a valentine to the stage, featuring characters with larger-than-life personalities. Set in 1953 in Buffalo, Charlotte and George Hay are the stars of a floundering touring theater company currently staging repertory productions of Noel Coward’s Private Lives and a “revised, one nostril version” of Cyrano de Bergerac. The Maryland community theater Laurel Mill Playhouse offers a production directed by Larry Simmons. Opens Friday, March 23. Runs to April 15. 508 Main St., Laurel, Md. Tickets are $$15 to $20. Call 301-617-9906 or visit laurelmillplayhouse.org.

MUSIC

AIR SUPPLY

Russell Hitchcock is 68 and Graham Russell is 67, and the two have been the principal members of this Australian soft-rock group for 43 years. Yet based on recent reviews from concerts elsewhere, time and age have done little to slow down Air Supply as a live act. In fact, lead vocalist Hitchcock can still sing “in the distinctive timbre that characterized Air Supply’s music in its heyday,” according to a review last summer in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, whose critic further noted that the duo harmonizes together “as precise as ever.” For the most part, they’re expected to follow in Cher’s footsteps when they hit MGM National Harbor, keeping the show focused on their hits, with only occasional dips into their more recent recorded repertoire. Wednesday, March 28, at 8 p.m. Theater at MGM National Harbor, 7100 Harborview Ave., Oxon Hill, Md. Tickets are $31 to $176. Call 844-346-4664 or visit mgmnationalharbor.com.

AKUA ALLRICH

This young jazz vocalist and composer, a D.C. native and Howard University alum, draws from traditional, modern, and African jazz styles while often singing in the showy, rangy manner of many of today’s leading soul/pop divas — when not channeling her idol Nina Simone. She returns to the Kennedy Center to showcase her intriguing pan-African and pan-African-American musical blend with two performances, the first of which is sold out. Saturday, March 24, at 7 and 9 p.m. Terrace Gallery. Tickets are $26 to $30. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

AMERICAN POPS ORCHESTRA: NEXTGEN COMPETITION

Founded and led by Luke Frazier, this musical organization has offered one star-studded program after another in only its first two seasons. And now it’s aiming to cultivate a new group of stars with the launch of what is planned as an annual vocal competition, NextGen: Finding The Voices of Tomorrow. The focus is on standout singers, both students and recent graduates discovered in first-round auditions held at area colleges including Shenandoah Conservatory, American, Howard, and Catholic universities, and Ohio University. NextGen culminates in an evening at Arena Stage during which the young finalists get the opportunity to perform, accompanied by a live jazz trio, in front of a live audience and a panel of guest judges. The judges will pick two first-place winners, earning a prize of $500 each, and two runners-up, garnering $250 each. All four vocalists are guaranteed a mainstage appearance in the APO’s third season. Friday, March 23, at 8 p.m. Kreeger Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $5 to $20. Call 202-488-3300 or visit theamericanpops.org

AUGUST GREENE

A newly formed supergroup of rapper Common, pianist and composer Robert Glasper, and percussionist and producer Karriem Riggins, this trio performs a blend of jazz, hip-hop, and soul, creating songs that are highly rhythmic yet smooth and suave, nearly trance-inducing, meditative offerings to help cope while pushing through the dark for brighter days. Joining the trio live is Burniss Travis on bass, Samora Pinderhughes on vocals and additional keys, and DJ Dummy. Thursday, March 29, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $39 to $149. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

DEAD MEN’S HOLLOW

A pure Americana sound of tight harmony vocals backed by traditional bluegrass instrumentation is what this Washington band aims for — and achieves, according to a Washington Post review that praised the local band’s “blend of the traditional and the transcendent.” Sadly, after 17 years together, Dead Men’s Hollow plans to disband this summer, and readies a free farewell concert on the Millennium Stage. Thursday, March 29, at 6 p.m. Kennedy Center. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

DREW KID

As part of its annual Artists-in-Residence guidance program, Strathmore presents concerts by the year’s AIR roster of up-and-coming artists, including this young Filipino-American musician who offers his own take on soul and funk that incorporates jazz, even hip-hop elements that Kid has picked up from years of performing with local acts, including the Capital Focus Jazz Band and the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra. A few years ago, the Washington City Paper named Rebirth, an album Kid recorded as leader of the Oooh Child Ensemble, to its Best Local Music of 2015 list. Wednesday, March 28, at 7:30 p.m. The Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Tickets are $17. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

GLEN HANSARD

The Irish singer-songwriter got his start in the group The Frames but is best known for his work with Czech musician Marketa Irglova in duo The Swell Season, which led to his Tony-winning score for Once. Hansard tours in support of his third solo outing, Between Two Shores. Saturday, March 24. Doors at 6:30 p.m. The Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. Tickets are $35 to $75. Call 202-888-0020 or visit theanthemdc.com.

K.D. LANG

The pioneering lesbian country/folk artist from the Great White North returns for a 25th Anniversary Tour celebrating her breakthrough album Ingénue, which featured her biggest pop hit “Constant Craving.” The album will be performed live in its entirety, along with other classic songs from her 30-year repertoire. The Grigoryan Brothers, billed as Australia’s finest guitar duo, open. Sunday, March 25, at 7:30 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $48 to $98. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

MIKE + THE MECHANICS

Mike Rutherford initially formed his group as a side project while waiting out the hiatuses from his main gig as a founding member of Genesis. The Mechanics scored a string of hits in its first few years — “All I Need Is A Miracle,” “Living Years” — and has remained an off-again/on-again act ever since, with Let Me Fly, the band’s 8th album featuring all-new material — most of it even decent to good — released just last year. Interestingly, only Rutherford remains from the original lineup, and in 2010 he introduced an entirely new incarnation with two new vocalists, Andrew Roachford and Tim Howar, plus guitarist Anthony Drennan, keyboardist Luke Juby, and drummer Gary Wallis. It’s those six that carry on the torch today. Tuesday, March 27, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $45. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

NATIONAL CHAMBER ENSEMBLE

Brahms’ dramatic String Sextet No. 2 and Mendelssohn’s vigorous Octet in E-Flat Major are considered two of the greatest Romantic works featuring the lush sounds of strings. They’re also the focus of the Spring “Strings Fever” concert from this Arlington-based group founded over a decade ago by a strings man himself, violinist Leonid Sushansky. A reception follows the performance. Saturday, March 24, at 7:30 p.m. Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, 4444 Arlington Blvd. Tickets are $18 to $36. Call 703-276-6701 or visit nationalchamberensemble.org.

NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: VERDI’S REQUIEM

No one brings out all the sweeping drama and passionate intensity of Verdi’s great masterpiece quite like Gianandrea Noseda, a critic in The Guardian noted, saying the NSO’s Music Director “has Verdi in his system…electric from start to finish.” The Requiem is an oratorio, an opera, and a religious work all at once, and to give it full force, the NSO is joined by the Washington Chorus, the Choral Arts Society of Washington, and soloists from Washington National Opera’s Don Carlo — namely, Eric Owens, Russell Thomas, Leah Crocetto, and Veronica Simeoni. Thursday, March 22, at 7 p.m., and Friday, March 23, and Saturday, March 24, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $15 to $109. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

NEW POLITICS

The Danish punk-pop trio featuring David Boyd on lead vocals and guitar, Soren Hansen on bass, and Lluis Vecchio on drums, whips punk, pop, and dance-rock into a frenzy that certainly isn’t anything novel. For example, all throughout Lost In Translation, the band’s fourth set released last year, you hear echoes of other Nordic rock acts, from Sweden’s The Sounds to fellow Danes The Raveonettes, as well as Neon Trees, Mika, and that ultimate touchstone Queen, the latter most prominently on quirky single “One Of Us.” It’s the type of boisterous jam you can’t deny or resist, or dismiss. And with tunes this catchy, who needs novel? Opening for New Politics are Brooklyn’s grunge/punk act Dreamers and L.A.’s indie-rock band The Wrecks. Monday, March 26, at 7:30 p.m. Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $25. Call 301-960-9999 or visit fillmoresilverspring.com.

OF MONTREAL

Despite its name, Of Montreal was founded and is led by singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Kevin Barnes, who is based in the indie-rock hotbed of Athens, Ga. Barnes named his five-piece after a woman he once dated from Montreal. The odd name hasn’t stopped the eccentric ensemble, whose music is all over the psychedelic rock map, from gaining a devoted following. Of Montreal tours in support of its 15th studio set, White Is Relic/Irrealis Mood, a six-track EP of songs inspired by the extended dance remixes that first emerged in the 1980s — and the result is as strange and baffling as that inspirational source. Mega Bog opens. Sunday, March 25. Doors at 7 p.m. 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

RED BARAAT WITH ZESHAN B, WOMEN’S RAGA MASSIVE

Jazz artist Sunny Jain conceived of and leads the bhangra-rooted party band Red Baraat, an ensemble returning to D.C. on their annual Festival of Colors tour. This year’s party, which celebrates spring rites as well as the South Asian Diaspora in America, also features as opening acts Zeshan B on Friday, March 23, and Women’s Raga Massive on Saturday, March 24, both starting at 8 p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $25. Call 202-787-1000 or visit thehamiltondc.com.

RENÉ MARIE: EXPERIMENT IN TRUTH

This local Grammy-nominated vocalist swings with verve and sings with the spirit of Eartha Kitt, as well as jazz’s pioneering leading ladies, from Ella Fitzgerald to Dinah Washington. Unlike many of her jazz contemporaries, however, Marie isn’t just putting her spin on other songwriters’ songs, or American Songbook standards. In fact, Marie garnered a nod from the Grammys in 2016 for Sound of Red, a Best Jazz Vocal Album contender featuring mostly originals. And Marie draws inspiration from folk in tackling social issues via her songwriting, as evidenced on two of her better known originals: the homelessness-themed “This Is Not A Protest Song” and “Three Nooses Hanging,” about racial tensions in Louisiana. Marie next performs on the University of Maryland campus as presented by the Clarice at a nearby, affiliated venue, the hybrid campus/community arts venue MilkBoy ArtHouse that also features a cafe and craft bar. Thursday, March 29, at 7 and 9 p.m. 7416 Baltimore Ave., College Park, Md. Tickets are $10 to $30. Call 240-623-1423 or visit milkboyarthouse.com.

SAN FERMIN

Named after the famous annual “Running of the Bulls” festival in Pamplona, Spain, the nine-piece New York band creates eclectic, eccentric — and sometimes just plain weird — chamber pop (or “Baroque pop”) similar to that of hipster-darlings Vampire Weekend, as well as Antony and the Johnsons. Founded and led by composer Ellis Ludwig-Leone, the diverse group features two lead vocalists, Charlene Kaye and Allen Tate, plus trumpet player John Brandon, saxophonist Stephen Chen, violinist Rebekah Durham, drummer Michael Hanf, and guitarists Tyler McDiarmid and Aki Ishiguro. San Fermin tours in support of its third album Belong, which has only gotten better with additional listens since its release last year. Friday, March 30, at 8 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $25 in advance, or $30 day-of. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

THE SOUL REBELS BRASS BAND FEAT. GZA & TALIB KWELI

An eight-piece brass band from New Orleans, the Soul Rebels draw from jazz, funk, rock, soul, and increasingly hip-hop to create an original musical blend that sounds just perfect when performed at boisterous, party-like live shows. In the past decade, the Soul Rebels have become a higher-profile act due to touring and supporting artists as varied as Green Day and Bruno Mars, Metallica and Trombone Shorty, plus an increasing number of rappers, including the socially conscious Kweli and Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA. It was two years ago at Michigan’s Electric Forest Festival that the two hip-hop artists first collaborated on stage with the band — consisting of founding members and percussionists Lumar LeBlanc and Derrick Moss, with trumpet players Julian Gosin and Marcus Hubbard, trombonists Corey Peyton and Paul Robertson, saxophonist Erion Williams, and sousaphonist Manuel Perkins Jr. All Good presents what is sure to be a rousing local show. Thursday, March 29. Doors at 7 p.m. 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

WOMXN FUCK SHIT UP DC FEST

Inspired by a same-named concert on the West Coast, Adams Morgan’s Songbyrd Music House presents a multi-act, female-focused show with acts from D.C. and the East Coast. The lineup of mostly musicians, with a few comedians and other artists mixed in, includes: The Coolots, Julia Weldon, Wasi, Sheila, Boomscat, the Txlips Band, Michi, Santa Librada, Katie Hargrove, More AM Than FM, Militia Vox, Juxt, DJ KB, McWavey, Jacq Jill, and Alex DB. Yet the festival, sponsored by Tagg Magazine, isn’t just a local performers showcase and celebration, to use the organizers language, “the incomparable badass-ness of womxn in music and art.” It’s also a benefit for Casa Ruby LGBT Community Center, which will receive festival proceeds. Saturday, March 24, from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. 2477 18th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $25. Call 202-450-2917 or visit songbyrddc.com.

DANCE

CHRISTOPHER K. MORGAN & ARTISTS: DANCE PLACE DEBUT

Contemporary dance company performs a wide-ranging, mixed-repertory program for its debut as a Dance Place Resident Company, with the first evening including a post-show After Party reception honoring the group’s namesake leader and his new role as Dance Place’s artistic director. Morgan’s solo work Unpredictable Repeat Hesitation opens the program putting the audience in charge of the score — and of Morgan’s dancing. The program also includes: the world premiere of Tiffanie Carson’s B.U.G. – [Backlight. Uplight. Glare.], set to an original score played live by Wytold; Adriane Fang’s powerhouse duet Conflict Resolution, staged on Morgan and guest performer Alex Springer; and Morgan’s Inconstancy, a lighthearted look at relationships and the notion of greener pastures just beyond them, with an original score by David Schulman. Saturday, March 24, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, March 25, at 7 p.m. Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE. Tickets are $25 in advance, or $30 at the door, or $75 for the Saturday “Toast Christopher!” After Party. Call 202-269-1600 or visit danceplace.org.

MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP

A Kennedy Center co-commission based on a tragic, ancient Azerbaijani tale akin to Romeo and Juliet, Layla and Majnun centers on a young man’s zealous feelings for his lover, and how his perceived madness turns their would-be union into scandal, misfortune, and eternal longing. The dancers from this acclaimed gay-led contemporary troupe perform with singers and musicians from virtuosic pan-Asian group the Silkroad Ensemble, backdropped by a set from painter Howard Hodgkin. Thursday, March 22, and Friday, March 23, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, March 24, at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Opera House. Tickets are $29 to $99. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

NEW YORK CITY BALLET: MIXED REPERTORY, ALL-ROBBINS CENTENNIAL

The acclaimed company brings two distinct programs for this year’s annual visit to the Kennedy Center, and accompanied throughout the run by the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. First comes Works by Balanchine, Martins & Peck, featuring three classic works by the company’s George Balanchine, including Divertimento No. 15, a work for 16 dancers set to Mozart’s score that Balanchine considered the finest ever written. The first program also features Peter Martins’ Zakouski, plus a new work from Resident Choreographer and Soloist Justin Peck, Pulcinella Variations. Tuesday, March 27, through Thursday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. Opera House.

The second program is an all-Robbins affair, celebrating the centennial of Jerome Robbins, the company’s co-founding choreographer and still one of its most influential dance-makers. The evening nods as well to the centennial of Leonard Bernstein, chiefly through the frequent collaborators’ first-ever work together, the ballet Fancy Free, which would go on to inspire the musical On The Town. Robbins’ postmodern dance elements set to Philip Glass and his quartet of frolicsome divertissements to Verdi’s The Four Seasons round out the program. Friday, March 30, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 31, at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 1, at 1:30 p.m. Opera House. Tickets are $29 to $99. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

COMEDY

IMPROBABLE COMEDY: COMEDY AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

A show that President Trump doesn’t want you to see, the Maryland presenter Improbable Comedy has recruited a lineup of immigrants and first-generation comics for its latest show, Comedy As A Second Language. Performers on tap are: He Huang, Jepherson Guevara, Rubi Nicholas, Pedro Gonzalez, and Sriya Sarkar. Saturday, March 24, at 8 p.m. The Highwood Theatre, 914 Silver Spring Ave., Maryland. Tickets are $20 in advance, or $25 at the door. Call 301-351-2096 or visit improbabecomedy.com.

READINGS

BILL PRESS: FROM THE LEFT: A LIFE IN THE CROSSFIRE

He grew up in a blue-collar, Catholic family in small-town Delaware. He was even originally planning to become a priest, for God’s sake. Yet Bill Press bucked tradition to become a respected liberal journalist, a sparring partner of Pat Buchanan on CNN, and an overall champion of progressive politics — a transformation he documents in his new memoir. Press will sign copies of the book as part of a release party at the Hill Center, where he moderates Talk of the Hill discussions. Tuesday, March 27, at 7 p.m. Old Navy Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free, with complimentary refreshments. Call 202-549-4172 or visit HillCenterDC.org.

CASS SUNSTEIN W/BENJAMIN WITTES: CAN IT HAPPEN HERE?

Benjamin Wittes of the Brookings Institution will lead a conversation with the acclaimed legal scholar, Harvard Professor, and New York Times best-selling author and focused on Sunstein’s latest book, a thought-provoking collection of essays, from some of the nation’s leading thinkers, assessing the state and security of American democracy in the era of Trump. Thursday, March 29, at 6 p.m. Kramerbooks, 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets, including one book, are $25. Call 202-387-1400 or visit kramers.com.

CHASING CHERRY BLOSSOMS: ELIZA SCIDMORE

The first female writer, photographer, and board member at National Geographic also led the effort to bring the now-iconic cherry blossoms from Japan to the National Mall. The heroine is the subject of the first book in a new discussion series called From The Archive. National Geographic photo archivist Sara Manco shares Scidmore’s trailblazing story through archival images, while local stage actress Anne Stone brings the story to life through dramatic readings of her books. Thursday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. National Geographic Society’s Gilbert H. Grosvenor Auditorium, 1600 M St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-857-7700 or visit events.nationalgeographic.org/dc.

EXHIBITS

ART14: MARIE RINGWALD: BUILDING / MATERIAL

The Spring exhibition in the seasonal art series at the Coldwell Banker Dupont/Logan office focuses on sculptures created by a Mid City Artist who was a longtime professor at the former Corcoran College of Art + Design. Inspired by everyday, simply made structures, chiefly those designed for working in or storage use — warehouses, barns, Quonset Huts — Ringwald’s sculptures are made using the same materials as those buildings — wood, rubber, glass, and sheet metal — and are sometimes based on specific buildings. On exhibit through May. 1617 14th St. NW. Call 202-387-6180 or visit newsfrommarieringwald.weebly.com.

CEZANNE PORTRAITS

The first exhibition devoted to the often-neglected portraits from the famed post-impressionist. Some 60 works, on loan from collections around the world, are on display, showing Cézanne’s unique vision in the genre and exploring the unconventional aspects of his portraiture and the role his portraits play in the development of his radical style and method. The National Gallery is the sole American venue for the traveling exhibition. Opens Sunday, March 25. On view through July 1. West Building, 6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call or visit nga.gov.

DAVID FEBLAND: STORIES RED AND BLUE

Issues of privacy, conflict, and isolation in contemporary urban life are underlying themes in this American/British artist’s paintings, which draw upon his experiences and observations over a wide range of geographical locations. FeBland has a colorist’s eye and a strong sense of formal compositional structure. Opening Reception is Friday, March 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. Artist Talk is Saturday, March 24, from 3 to 4 p.m. On view through April 21. Susan Calloway Fine Arts, 1643 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Call 202-965-4601 or visit callowayart.com.

IN BLOOM: A PHOTOGRAPHIC CELEBRATION OF THE CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

The Blind Whino SW Arts Club, the repurposed art/event space formerly the Friendship Baptist Church, hosts a free showcase of the incredible work of local photographers in covering the beauty of the cherry blossoms and vibrant festival displays last year. The exhibition originates from an open call for submissions organized and judged by engaged members of IGDC, the Washington Instagram community. Opening Reception is Saturday, March 24, from 12 to 5 p.m. Hours are Wednesdays from 5 to 8 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 12 to 5 p.m. On display to April 29. Blind Whino, 700 Delaware Ave. SW. Free. Call 202-554-0103 or visit swartsclub.org.

MARK BRADFORD: PICKETT’S CHARGE

Referred to as the most significant living American painter by the Hirshhorn, this gay African-American artist certainly works on a scale commensurate with that kind of stature. Take, for example, his huge, 400-foot installation created for his debut at the Smithsonian’s modern art museum as well as in D.C. A timely, commissioned “cyclorama” of eight large, site-specific collages, Bradford was inspired by Paul Philippoteaux’s same-named masterpiece depicting the loss of the Confederate Army at the Battle of Gettysburg. Covering the curved walls of the Hirshhorn’s third level inner circle, Bradford’s Pickett’s Charge presents 360-degrees of abstracted historical narrative using his signature practice of collage juxtaposed with reproductions of the 19th-century original in a way that intentionally disrupts, messes up, and confuses. The end result is a work that invites reconsideration of how narratives about American history have been shaped and contested. To Nov. 12. Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit hirshhorn.si.edu.

PARALLEL LIVES

Transcultural humanity is on display in this exhibition curated by Brigitte Reyes. Antonius Bui, Amy Lin, Nekisha Durrett, Muriel Hasbun, and Jeff Huntington are five artists bridging diverse cultures and aesthetic traditions and embracing and exploring their place in the world through their represented artworks. Now to April 15. The Athenaeum, 201 Prince St., Alexandria. Call 703-548-0035 or visit nvfaa.org.

SAKURA YUME/CHERRY BLOSSOM DREAM

ArTecHouse celebrates spring and the cherry blossoms in a manner befitting the innovative, experiential gallery — through immersive, interactive, large-scale installations revolving around elements of Japanese culture and tradition. Guests experience a moonlit, floating environment where larger-than-life koi fish and colorful cherry blossom petals react to their presence, along with a narrow, lantern-lit “street” that responds to footsteps. ArTecHouse has added an optional immersive dining component, in which a sit-down bento-box meal is enjoyed while interactive table projections and sound elements perpetually change. The Bloom dinners are only at 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. To May 16. ArTecHouse, 1238 Maryland Ave. SW. Tickets for 45-minute, timed-entry sessions are $8 for daytime or $15 for evening admission, and $85 including dinner. Visit artechouse.com.

TOM MEYER: NARRATIVE VISIONS

The president of Clyde’s Restaurant Group, a Culinary Institute of America alum, has cooked up something wholly unexpected with his latest project. And it’s one that has esseone that has nothing to do with food. In his spare time, Meyer has been studiously brushing up on his strokes and blobs as he steps closer attempting creating a personal universe of ghosts, devils, aliens, and demons flirting with everyday objects, animated trees, and an array of animals. All of that is on display in the self-taught painter’s first exhibition of his artwork at a gallery in Georgetown. Now to April 7. Addison/Ripley Fine Art, 1670 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Call 202-338-5180 or visit addisonripleyfineart.com.

UNSEEN: OUR PAST IN A NEW LIGHT

Works by Ken Gonzales-Day and Titus Kaphar are featured in the first contemporary exhibition of the National Portrait Gallery’s 50th anniversary season, and a provocative one at that. Nearly 60 works highlight how people of color — from Native Americans to African Americans, Asian Americans to Latino Americans — are missing in historical portraiture. Still worse, their contributions to the nation’s past were rendered equally invisible. Kaphar sets out to right those slights by recreating well-known paintings and including those traditionally left out, through his series of 17 paintings plus one sculpture. Gonzales-Day, meanwhile, explores how ideas of racial difference, otherness, and national identity have taken shape historically and visually through nearly 40 photographs, including works from his “Erased Lynchings” series focused on the American West as well as his “Profiled” series. The bilingual English/Spanish exhibition opens Friday, March 23. On view to Jan. 6, 2019. 8th and F Streets. NW. Call 202-633-8300 or visit npg.si.edu.

VIEWFINDERS: 8 PHOTOGRAPHERS

With its latest exhibition, Hill Center Galleries shines the light on eight photographers, each getting their own display. Karen Cohen presents her Surreality, Jane Mann continues with Layers II, Bruce McNeil explores In The Land of Eden, Mike Mitchell shows us Four Seasons in the C&O Canal National Historical Park, Rindy O’Brien offers his timely series Anticipating Spring, Larry O’Reilly reveals Contemporary Still Lifes, Monica Servaites focuses Downside Up, and Richard Paul Weiblinger offers Unique Visions.Through April 29. Hill Center in the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Call 202-549-4172 or visit HillCenterDC.org.

DRAG FUN

SHAW’S TAVERN: DINNER-N-DRAG, SERVED!

Sometimes you’re dragging and you just can’t make it to brunch. And sometimes you want a regular, more traditional kind of meal — you know, at night, over wine. Well, these days, you can have just that with one of D.C.’s leading ladies of drag. Every Sunday night at Shaw’s Tavern, Kristina Kelly hosts a show over supper with half-priced bottles of wine and different dinner specials each week. Seating at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. 520 Florida Ave. NW. Reservations required via shawsdinnerdragshow@gmail.com. Call 202-518-4092 or visit shawstavern.com.

PRETTY BOI DRAG: PRETTYBOIDECADES

Founded two years ago by former DC King Pretty Rik E, this troupe of drag kings offers a tribute to “boi” bands and pop stars from the ’50s on into today, plus a whole lot of the rock, funk, disco, R&B, and hip-hop that came in between. Sunday, March 25, from 2 to 5 p.m. Bier Baron Tavern, 1523 22nd St. NW. Tickets are $20 online, or $25 at the door. Call 202-293-1887 or visit prettyboidrag.com.

ABOVE AND BEYOND

BIG APPLE CIRCUS AT NATIONAL HARBOR

National Harbor is celebrating its 10th anniversary by hosting the Big Apple Circus, now in its 40th year of presenting shows in a one-ring, intimate, and artistic style, including a full lineup of global artists and acts — but never exotic or wild animals, only rescue dogs, horses and ponies. From Nik Wallenda and the Flying Wallendas’ seven-person pyramid on the high wire to daredevil roller skating, a flying trapeze act to a master juggler, contortionist Elayne Kramer to comedian Grandma the Clown, the nearly two-hour show, directed by Mark Lonergan, has a little something for everyone. To April 1. Intersection of Waterfront Street and St. George Boulevard, National Harbor, Md. Tickets are $27.50, or $109 for VIP Ringside. Call 855-258-0718 or visit BigAppleCircus.com.

RUTH AT THEATER J’S 2018 ANNUAL BENEFIT

Theater J welcomes the real-life inspiration and subject of its latest play Becoming Dr. Ruth, the one and only Dr. Ruth Westheimer. The groundbreaking sex therapist will reflect on her life and career as a trailblazing broadcast personality offering a refreshing — and still rather rare — sex-positive outlook in the mainstream, in a conversation with Georgetown University professor and best-selling author Deborah Tannen (You Just Don’t Understand). The evening will also honor prominent D.C. trial lawyer Hank Schlosberg for his 15 years helping to guide Theater J, including 11 years on the Theater J Council. Sunday, March 25, at 6 p.m. Washington Hebrew Congregation, 3935 Macomb St. NW. Tickets are $300, including a meal sponsored by Provisions Catering. Call 202-777-3210 or visit theaterj.org.

HILLWOOD’S FABERGE EGG FAMILY FESTIVAL

The former estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post hosts an annual two-day festival in which guests can take part in a traditional Russian egg-rolling game, decorate their own Fabergé-inspired egg, take in performances from the Samovar Russian Folk Music Ensemble and Kalinka Dance Ensemble, and hear stories of Russian Easter traditions in a fun family play produced by Happenstance Theater. All that in addition to admiring all of the finer things Post collected, including many exquisite Russian imperial eggs and other fanciful Fabergé creations. You can also take a tour of Hillwood’s working greenhouse most days in March, also known as Orchid Month. Saturday, March 24, and Sunday, March 25, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hillwood Estate, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Suggested donation is $18. Call 202-686-5807 or visit HillwoodMuseum.org.

JOHN WILMERDING COMMUNITY CELEBRATION OF AMERICAN ART

The expanding and ever-changing story of American art, and the art of storytelling in general, is the focus of activities this weekend at the National Gallery of Art. Most notably, D.C.-based multidisciplinary artist Holly Bass will invite museum visitors to share personal stories to be turned into a collective American narrative. Bass will unveil this community-driven performance piece with an original “Story Chorus” featuring select visitors and performed with live musical accompaniment. She’ll also create a literary score composed of personal vignettes from local residents. Named after the Gallery’s retired curator and deputy director who was also one of the nation’s leading American art scholars, the Wilmerding weekend also offers museumgoers opportunities to draw, write, and tell stories together drawing inspiration from works of art, including Jacob Lawrence’s painting Sidewalk Drawings. Painter David Ibata and playwright Mary Hall Surface will demonstrate such creative storytelling techniques, while gallery educators will be on hand for pop-up talks on various works of art centered on the storytelling theme. Saturday, March 24, and Sunday, March 25, from noon to 5 p.m. East Building, 3rd Street at Constitution Avenue NW. Call 202-737-4215 or visit nga.gov/community.

Preceding the two-day community celebration is a day-long Wilmerding Symposium on Friday, March 23, geared especially toward artists and art scholars. The highlight is a conversation, led by gallery curator Molly Donovan, with contemporary artists Janine Antoni, Byron Kim, and Glenn Ligon, exploring their respective works in Bodies of Work as well as that permanent installation’s overarching themes. The symposium will also feature a presentation by artist Holly Bass on “Audience Engagement and the Changing Role of Arts Professionals,” two scholarly examinations on the American realist painter George Bellows, a look at migrant workers in post-Depression Era America and captured in “Dorothea Lange’s Photographs,” the discussion “Frederick Douglass, ‘The Greek Slave,’ and the Politics of Sculptural Reproduction,” and a discussion about “Women in White” by gallery curator Nancy Anderson, focused on the complete reinstallation of a West Building gallery featuring monochrome female portraits. Friday, March 23, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. East Building Auditorium, 3rd Street at Constitution Avenue NW. Call 202-737-4215 or visit nga.gov/community.

NATIONAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

The Tidal Basin should be ringed in pink-hued blossoms next week and weekend, per the National Park Service’s prediction of when the cherry trees will reach peak bloom (March 27-31). The annual four-week festival officially kicks off this weekend with the Opening Ceremony concert, pushed back a day so as not to interfere with the March for Our Lives. This year’s concert features musical performances by Japanese pop stars T.M.Revolution (also a Japanimation composer) and Akiko Yano (also a renowned jazz artist), D.C.-based Japanese drumming group Miyako Taiko, and the 6821 Quintet, a group of world-class musicians, part of the Potomac Music-Lab Project and named for the mileage distance between Tokyo and D.C., which will premier a specially composed piece. An additional performance comes from the Shodo Girls from Fukuoka Prefectural Yahata Chuo High School, who won the 10th Annual “Shodo Performance Koshien” competition as both the sharpest dancers and most innovative calligraphy artists — based on the large, dynamic work of calligraphy they created on the spot, during the dance. Sunday, March 25, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW. Free, but advanced tickets required.

Other activities to come over the next week include: A Celebration of Japanese Culture in the Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, featuring taiko drummers and other Japanese musicians and dancers, plus face painting, cherry blossom-themed crafts, a scavenger hunt, a hands-on workshop with 2018 Official Festival Artist Maggie O’Neill, and the chance to make individual tatebanko, or Japanese paper dioramas, on Saturday, March 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; The Opening Reception for the blossoms-focused In Bloom photography exhibition on Saturday, March 24, from 5 to 7 p.m. (see separate entry); The large group event One Giant Meditation on Sunday, March 25, at 9:30 a.m., at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW; The Sakura Taiko Takeover at the Tidal Basin, a Japanese drumming extravaganza doubling in size this year. Sunday, March 25, from 12 to 6 p.m.; The inaugural Festival Doubles Tennis Tournament, where tennis players of all skill levels will face off in women’s, men’s, and mixed doubles events, with prizes awarded victors. Saturday, March 24, and Sunday, March 25, starting at 9 a.m. East Potomac Tennis Center, 1090 Ohio Dr. SW; The Japanese Jazz Series with one-night-only performances by Akiko Yano, Eri Yamamoto Trio, the Yoko Miwa Trio, and Senri Oe, Monday, March 26, through Thursday, March 29, at 8 and 10 p.m. Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW; The Chasing Cherry Blossoms discussion, highlighting the advocacy of National Geographic’s pioneering female photojournalist Eliza Scidmore in pushing for the Japanese donation of cherry trees, on Thursday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. (see separate entry); And the eighth annual Blossom Kite Festival on Saturday, March 31, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Grounds of the Washington Monument near 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.

POSTSECRET: THE SHOW

Over a dozen years ago, Frank Warren launched what is referred to as an ongoing community art project, one centered on postcards submitted anonymously from people all over the world revealing never-before-shared personal secrets — admissions by turns silly and shocking, hopeful and painful. In addition to the well-trafficked PostSecret blog, the project has expanded to include six best-selling books plus a recent exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum focused on it. Now comes an interactive theatrical production developed by Warren with director TJ Dawe and producers Kahlil Ashanti and Justin Sudds, with Ashanti, Ming Hudson, and Nicolle Nattrass leading the live presentation with accompaniment from guitarist Mario Vaira performing his original compositions. Projected images and videos enhance the narrative focused on the emotional stories behind a sampling of shared confessions. Styled as a kind of communal bonding experience, the show also represents, according to organizers, “a breakthrough in audience-sourced storytelling that reaches beyond the confines of the stage.” Saturday, March 24. Doors at 6:30 p.m. Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. Tickets are $35. Call 202-888-0050 or visit thelincolndc.com.

TWO TRANS WOMEN WALK INTO A BAR

OutWrite co-presents “an evening of conversation, performance, and drinking,” plus a live recording of the Trans Specific Partnership with the podcast’s co-hosts, artists and activists Joanna Cifredo and Rebecca Kling. Special guests from the trans community are also expected. Thursday, March 29, at 7 p.m. Ten Tigers Parlour, 3813 Georgia Ave. NW. Free, but a suggested $5 to $10 donation. Call 202-506-2080 or visit tentigersdc.com.