FILM

BOY ERASED

The second film this year to tackle conversion therapy — after The Miseducation of Cameron Post — Boy Erased is based on Garrard Conley’s memoir, and stars Lucas Hedges as Jared Earmons, son of a Baptist pastor, who is shipped to a gay conversion therapy program after his parents (Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman) discover his sexuality. Joel Edgerton wrote, directed, and produced the film, and stars as head therapist Victor, who is determined to “cure” Jared. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (RM)

CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF

Based on Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play, the drama earned star Elizabeth Taylor her second Oscar nod as Maggie “the cat,” wife and caretaker of stunted football star Brick Pollitt (a young and exceedingly handsome Paul Newman). Cat on a Hot Tin Roof returns to the big screen in honor of its 60th anniversary as part of the Capital Classics series at Landmark’s West End Cinema. Wednesday, Nov. 14, 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.

DR SEUSS’ THE GRINCH

We’re not sure the world needs a third telling of Dr. Seuss’ classic tale — after the 1966 TV movie and the 2000 Jim Carrey-starring film — but clearly someone at Universal disagreed. Still, the animated film, which features Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of the titular Grinch, looks like good fun. Opens Friday, Nov. 9. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Rhuaridh Marr)

MARIA BY CALLAS

Through never-before-seen footage and performances, Tom Volf’s documentary aims to correct the popular perception that the renowned Greek-American opera singer was a diva offstage as well as on. Through primary sources, including interviews, performances, and her own writings, Maria by Callas reviews many highlights of Callas’ career as well as her life and loves, including her extramarital relationship with Aristotle “Mr. Jackie O.” Onassis. Opens Friday, Nov. 9. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com.

REEL ROCK 13

A collection of 2018’s best climbing and adventure films, taking viewers on a wild ride from the frigid Antarctic to the bedouin canyonlands of the Middle East, and featuring Madaleine Sorkin, Alex Honnold, and Conrad Anker, among others. This 13 iteration of a program and tour founded by filmmakers Josh Lowell and Peter Mortimer in 2006 runs approximately 100 minutes and is presented with a 20-minute intermission. Monday, Nov. 12, through Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $18 to $20. Call 301-495-6720 or visit afi.com/Silver.

SMITHSONIAN VETERANS DAY FILM FESTIVAL

The Smithsonian offers up extraordinary stories about veterans and their families who have all sacrificed for our country and freedoms. Showings include the 1930 classic All Quiet on the Western Front and Michael Cimino’s epic, The Deer Hunter. Saturday, Nov. 10, and Sunday, Nov. 11 in the The Warner Bros. Theater in the National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Also Sunday, Nov. 11 in the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater in the National Air and Space Museum, Independence Ave at 6th St. SW. Tickets are $6 to $10. Call 202-633-1000 or visit si.edu/theaters.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

The E Street Cinema offers a screening of Richard O’Brien’s camp classic, billed as the longest-running midnight movie in history. Landmark’s showing comes with a live shadow cast from the Sonic Transducers, meaning it’s more interactive than usual. Friday, Nov. 9, and Saturday, Nov. 10, at midnight. Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Tickets are $10. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

STAGE

ACTUALLY

What begins as a casual college hookup turns into a Title IX hearing in which both students have everything to lose in Anna Ziegler’s provocative new play about sexual consent and gender and race politics. Jaysen Wright (Wig Out!) and Sylvia Kates star in a Theater J production directed by Johanna Gruenhut and presented in the Arena Stage complex while the company’s home, the Edlavitch DCJCC, undergoes extensive renovations. To Nov. 18. Kogod Cradle in Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Call 202-777-3210 or visit theaterj.org.

AIDA

★★½

Before a note has been sung in Michael J. Bobbitt’s bustling new production of Aida at Constellation Theatre, A.J. Guban’s glossy scenery has set a ripe tone for the pop-musical tour of ancient Egypt. It’s a great-looking set — a neon-lit, three-sided stage evoking a pyramid chamber built inside a ’70s Vegas casino. And it seems just the right platform for an intimate rendering of Elton John and Tim Rice’s Tony-winning show. Shayla S. Simmons — this production’s most compelling element — is acting her heart out as a woman in love and in captivity, surviving knowing she’s one look, gesture, or irresponsible word away from being found out — or worse, executed. To Nov. 18. Source Theatre, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets are $25 to $55. Call 202-204-7741, or visit ConstellationTheatre.org. (Andre Hereford)

ANASTASIA

From the Tony-winning creators of Ragtime comes a dazzling musical taking audiences on a journey from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s. Darko Tresnjak directs the touring production of this show from the composer/lyricist team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens with a book by Terrence McNally. To Nov. 25. Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $49 to $175. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

ANYTHING GOES

Molly Smith puts her stamp on Cole Porter’s most famous show by enlisting two right-hand-men for staging musical classics in the round — choreographer Parker Esse (Oklahoma!) and music director Paul Sportelli (Carousel). Soara-Joye Ross, last seen in D.C. via the national tour of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, makes her Arena debut as showboat sensation Reno Sweeney who sings several American Songbook standards, including “Anything Goes,” “I Get A Kick Out of You,” and “Blow, Gabriel, Blow.” Ross leads a cruise ship-sized cast also including Corbin Bleu as Billy Crocker, Lisa Helmi Johanson as Hope Harcourt, Jimmy Ray Bennett as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, Lisa Tejero as Evangeline Harcourt, and Maria Rizzo as the vampy Erma. Now in previews. To Dec. 23. Fichandler Stage, 1101 6th St. SW. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

AS YOU LIKE IT

A musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic magical comedy with music and lyrics by Shaina Taub. Cara Gabriel and Josh Sticklin direct a large 18-person cast including Jade Jones, Oscar Ceville, Patrick Doneghy, Kourtney Richards, Bianca Lipford, Willie Garner, and Jennifer Hopkins. Choreography by Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi. To Dec. 2. 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $48 to $58. Call 202-265-3767 or visit keegantheatre.com.

BILLY ELLIOT

Matthew Gardiner helms Signature Theatre’s take on the moving musical from writer/lyricist Lee Hall and composer Elton John about an 11-year-old boy who just wants to dance. The production features two Billys and two young ensembles performing in rotation, along with an adult crew featuring Nancy Anderson as Mrs. Wilkinson, Chris Genebach as Billy’s father, Crystal Mosser as his mother, Sean Watkinson as brother Tony, and Catherine Flye as Grandma. In previews. Pride Night is Dec. 14. To Jan. 6. The Ark, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Call 703-820-9771 or visit sigtheatre.org.

CAN’T PAY, WON’T PAY

Touted as “the exact kind of play we need right now,” the ’70s-era Marxist political farce by Italian playwright Dario Foa comedy takes on rising food costs, wage stagnation, de-unionization, police overreach, and political turmoil. Kristen Pilgrim directs. With Francesca Chilcote, Mary Meyers, Colin Connors, Steven Solo, and Aubri O’Connor. Produced by the women-centered Nu Sass Theatre. To Nov. 18. Caos on F, 923 F St. NW. Tickets are $15 to $30, or Pay-What-You-Can on Monday, Nov. 5, and Tuesday, Nov. 13. Visit nusass.com.

CITIZEN: AN AMERICAN LYRIC

Shirley Jo Finney directs Stephen Sachs’ stage adaptation of Claudia Rankine’s acclaimed book of poetry about the everyday racism endured by African Americans. Presented by the University of Maryland School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, Citizen: An American Lyric is billed as a “searingly provocative meditation on race in America [and] fast-moving, fluid theater at the speed of thought.” Opens Friday, Nov. 9. To Nov. 16. Kogod Theatre in the Clarice, University Boulevard and Stadium Drive. College Park. Tickets are $10 to $25. Call 301-405-ARTS or visit theclarice.umd.edu.

ELF THE MUSICAL

An orphan leaves the North Pole to find his true identity in this musical based on the 2003 Will Ferrell movie and featuring songs by the team of composer Matthew Sklar and lyricist Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer) and a book by Thomas Meehan (Annie) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone). Olney Theatre presents a holiday treat of a production with a powerhouse cast including Patricia Hurley, Kevin McAllister, Nova Y. Payton, and Bobby Smith, plus David Schumpf in the Ferrell role of Buddy. Directed by Michael J. Bobbitt and choreographed by Tara Jeanne Vallee. To Jan. 6. Mainstage, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.

HENRY V

Faction of Fools, D.C.’s commedia dell’arte theater troupe, builds on their success with past spins on Shakespeare to tackle one of the bard’s most theatrical plays, and the company’s first staging of his “history” plays. Paul Reisman helms the production, bringing a little commedia magic, via masks and bits of witty improvisation, to the cavalcade of over 50 characters that appear in Henry V. Closes Sunday, Nov. 11. Gallaudet University’s Elstad Auditorium, 800 Florida Ave. NE. Tickets are $18 to $22. Call 202-651-5000 or visit factionoffools.org.

ILLYRIA, OR WHAT YOU WILL

The freedom to be who you truly are and love whomever you want is the focus of this fresh adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night by Jonelle Walker and Mitchell Hébert. Essentially every element of the LGBTQ community is represented in the cast of characters, in addition to a drag queen and “two women performing masculinity,” according to Hébert, who is directing a production that opens WSC Avant Bard’s new season. Illyria is set in an anything goes Manhattan dive bar in the post-disco early ’80s, as imagined by set designer Jos. B. Musumeci Jr., plus original era-evoking music by Aaron Bliden. The large cast includes Frank Britton, Katie Gallagher, Jenna Rossman, Dani Stoller, Ezra Tozian, and the company’s former head Christopher Henley. To Nov. 18. Gunston Theater Two, 2700 South Lang St. Arlington. Tickets are $40. Call 703-418-4808 or visit avantbard.org.

KING JOHN

He may be king, but unlike his older brother Richard the Lionheart, John has no stirring nickname or truly loyal following, with everyone from the Pope to his own court seeming to think his crown is up for grabs. Aaron Posner directs a rarely staged but timely history play by Shakespeare about a toxic era of secret deals, threats of mass destruction, and shifting loyalties (what a difference 800 years doesn’t always make). Brian Dykstra plays the King in a gender-bending production that also features Kate Eastwood Norris as Philip Faulconbridge, Holly Twyford as Lady Faulconbridge, and Megan Graves as Arthur and Prince Henry. To Dec. 2. Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Tickets are $42 to $79. Call 202-544-7077 or visit folger.edu.

KING OF THE YEE

Desdemona Chiang directs Lauren Yee’s smart and cheeky family comedy about a young playwright who chases “through time, space, and the fourth wall itself” to find her suddenly missing Chinese-American father and chronicle a vanishing piece of American culture. Khanh Doan portrays the playwright, with Stan Egi as her father Larry, in a cast that also features Celeste Den, Joe Ngo, and Tony Aidan Vo. Now to Nov. 11. Baltimore Center Stage, 700 North Calvert St., Baltimore. Tickets are $20 to $74. Call 410-332-0033 or visit centerstage.org.

ROOMS: A ROCK ROMANCE

MetroStage offers a 10th anniversary production of Paul Scott Goodman’s musical, with a book co-written by Miriam Gordon, focused on an ambitious singer-songwriter who meets a reclusive rocker. Together, they aim for stardom in the London and New York punk scenes of the ’70s. Directed by Tom Jones. Closes Sunday, Nov. 11. 1201 North Royal St., Alexandria. Tickets are $55. Call 703-548-9044 or visit metrostage.org.

SING TO ME NOW

Iris Dauterman weaves sardonic humor, poetry, and a deeply contemporary voice to create a comedy about Calliope, the Greek Muse of Epic Poetry, and the value in fighting for beauty while the world is falling apart. Directed by Jenny McConnell Frederick, the Rorschach Theatre production features Ian Armstrong, Tori Boutin, Desiree Chappelle, Erik Harrison, Cam Magee, Chloe Mikala, and Jonathan Del Palmer. To Nov. 18. Lab Theatre II in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $19.99 to $29.99. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

SWEAT

Set in a small Pennsylvania community where a group of machine workers find themselves caught between their union and their employer, Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama bears witness to the 21st century’s faceless global economy and its impact on everything from race relations to interpersonal dynamics and friendships. Vincent M. Lancisi directs a high-caliber cast led by Deborah Hazlett, Dawn Ursula, Kurt Rhoads, and Vaughn Ryan Midder. Now to Nov. 25 at Everyman Theatre, 315 West Fayette St. Baltimore. Tickets are $43 to $65. Call 410-752-2208 or visit everymantheatre.org.

THE AGITATORS

A look at the 45-year friendship and occasional rivalry between two great, rebellious, and flawed American icons: Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. KenYatta Rogers directs Marni Penning as the pioneering women’s suffragist and Ro Boddie as the famed orator and abolitionist in Mat Smart’s play that shows how the two met as young activists in the 1840s and went on to help shape the course of American history. Produced by Mosaic Theatre. To Nov. 24. Lang Theatre in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $50 to $65. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

THE CHANGELING
THE DUCHESS OF MALFI

Brave Spirits Theatre holds up these plays by contemporaries of Shakespeare as “two of the greatest tragedies written for the early modern stage.” A focus on a woman’s determination to marry for love, and the consequences she endures as a result, is at the heart of both plays, revived in repertory by the feminist-focused Alexandria-based company. Thomas Middleton and William Rowley’s The Changeling is a dark play that touches on the manipulation and degradation of women that evokes the #MeToo era. Meanwhile, John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi deals with the efforts of a noblewoman to break free from her family’s constraints on whom she can marry. Presented on alternating weekday evenings and once each on weekends, to Nov. 18, with post-show artist talkbacks set for Nov. 9 for The Changeling and the Nov. 11 matinee of The Duchess of Malfi. The Lab at Convergence, 1819 N. Quaker Lane, Alexandria. Tickets are $20 each. Call 703-998-6260 or visit bravespiritstheatre.com.

THE FALL

Studio Theatre presents seven student activists from the Baxter Theatre Centre at the University of Cape Town in a devised work that grapples with the legacies of race, class, gender, history, and power still standing 24 years after the official end of Apartheid. Written as the statue of imperialist Cecil Rhodes was dismantled on campus. Extended to Nov. 25. The Mead Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Tickets are $20 to $45. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.

THE THEATRE LAB HONORS ACTING CONSERVATORY SHOWCASE

The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts offers final project presentations by its 2018 honors acting students, with works selected and performances directed almost entirely by the students themselves. Presented in two rounds, the performances are at the school’s Woodward Hall, a block north of the Old Patent Office Building. The conservatory is a one-year professional training program with courses taught by some of Washington’s leading theater professionals. First-round performances are Friday, Nov. 16, and Saturday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 p.m. 733 8th St. NW. Free. Call 202-824-0449 or visit theatrelab.org.

THINGS THAT ARE ROUND

A world premiere dark comedy billed as “Thelma and Louise meets George and Martha on steroids,” referencing Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. As with the imaginative roles and alternate realities assumed by the lead characters in those two celebrated works of fiction, Callie Kimball’s play focuses on “a strange ballet of truth or dare” between a dentist and an aspiring opera singer. To Nov. 18. At Rep Stage, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Md. Tickets are $35 to $40. Call 443-518-1500 or visit www.repstage.org.

WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE

Scena Theatre offers a witty, feminist take on Oscar Wilde’s dark comedy of manners. Written as a battle of the sexes, Woman of No Importance, directed by Robert McNamara, gets updated with an all-female cast and set against the backdrop of 1930s Hollywood. Nanna Ingvarsson, Sara Barker, Jen Bevan, Moriah Whiteman, Karen Elle, Zoe Walpole, Emily Morrison, Melissa Robinson, Ruthie Rado, and Dina Soltan. Now to Dec. 2. Atlas Performing Arts Center’s Lab I, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $25 to $45. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

MUSIC

6LACK

Born in Baltimore 26 years ago, Ricardo Valdez Valentine’s musical moniker, pronounced “black,” includes a numerical nod to his upbringing in Atlanta’s Zone 6. The moody alt-R&B singer/rapper, who snagged two Grammy nods earlier this year for his debut album Free 6lack and first single “Prblms,” certainly is a kindred soul to former tourmate the Weeknd. More recent and notable associations include Khalid and Ty Dolla Sign via the trio’s collaborative, ’90s R&B throwback hit “OMW,” as well as J. Cole, Future, and Offset, all of whom guest on his new, well-thought-out sophomore set East Atlanta Love Letter. Summer Walker and Deante Hitchcock open. Sunday, Nov. 11. Doors at 6:30 p.m. The Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. Tickets are $40 to $129. Call 202-888-0020 or visit theanthemdc.com.

ASCAP PRESENTS: BROADWAY, THE NEXT GENERATION SERIES

Every year, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) offers a weeklong showcase of new and up-and-coming composers at the Kennedy Center. Previous lineups have included recent Tony winners Steven Lutvak (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder) and Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen). Each program features a different composer or composing team, who either perform themselves or recruit others to highlight songs in their repertoire, cabaret-style. This year’s series, offered in free programs at 6 p.m. on the Millennium Stage, spotlights: Sam Carner & Derek Gregor, a duo responsible for the 2013 Off Broadway musical Unlock’d and the forthcoming Island Song, on Tuesday, Nov. 13; Mark Sonnenblick, a 2018 Jonathan Larson Grant recipient whose musical Midnight at the Never Get just had its Off Broadway debut, on Wednesday, Nov. 14; Ronna Siddiqui (One Good Day) performing with six other musicians “Halfghan on a Mission,” a preview of next year’s autobiographical musical comedy Salaam Medina: Tales of a Halfghan, on Thursday, Nov. 15; Laiona Michelle & Mark Fifer, who will perform a sneak preview of their upcoming Nina Simone musical Little Girl Blue, on Friday, Nov. 16; and “A BroaderWay: Celebrating the Voices of Young Women,” an evening of music, poetry, and dance, on Saturday, Nov. 17. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

BALTIMORE CONCERT OPERA: MASCAGNI’S L’AMICO FRITZ

Italian composer Pietro Mascagni’s L’Amico Fritz is decidedly more comical, with a happier ending, than his better known Cavalleria Rusticana, yet is filled with the soaring melodies you’d expect from his verismo style. Baltimore Concert Opera offers a rare concert performance of this opera about a wealthy landowner who makes a bet with a friend that he’ll remain a bachelor forever — until threatened by the charms of a tennant’s daughter. Tenor William Davenport portrays Fritz with soprano Victoria Cannizzo as Suzel, the damsel of his initial distress. Giovanni Reggioli conducts with Justina Lee at the piano in the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion, the new home of the BCO, a decade-old company focused on offering operatic masterpieces with singers and piano in the intimate setting of a gilded 19th-century historic ballroom. Friday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 11, at 3 p.m. Grand Ballroom of the Engineers Club, 11 W. Mount Vernon Pl., Baltimore. Tickets are $27.50 to $71.50. Call 443-445-0226 or visit baltimoreconcertopera.com.

BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT

Under his Gremlins-inspired alias, Rod Thomas has made repeat visits to D.C. to DJ Otter Crossing parties. But the Welsh-born, New York-based Thomas is first and foremost a singer-songwriter, and the 36-year-old returns to play from his own uniformly appealing nu-disco/synth-pop repertoire, from new EP Tough Love, to the recently remastered and reissued debut Make Me Believe in Hope (originally dating to 2012), to 2016’s full-length Choreography, which featured Thomas’ past touring partners Elton John, Jake Shears and Ana Matronic of the Scissor Sisters, and one with Alan Cumming. His current headlining tour includes two local opening acts, the promising up-and-coming, upbeat indie-pop outfit Sub-Radio, with shades of Walk The Moon and Vampire Weekend, and the synth-pop trio Loi Loi. Saturday, Nov. 10. Doors at 6 p.m. Union Stage, 740 Water St. SW. Tickets are $10. Call 877-987-6487 or visit unionstage.com.

BSO: COPLAND’S SYMPHONY NO. 3, PUTS’ MOONLIGHT CONCERTO

Influenced by the Oscar-winning film Moonlight, Kevin Puts’ Second Concerto for Oboe and Strings features Principal Oboe Katherine Needleman. Marin Alsop conducts a program featuring this BSO commission, Mason Bates’ Mothership, and the concert’s centerpiece, Aaron Copland’s Third Symphony, which prominently features his famous “Fanfare for the Common Man” and was written to sum up the American experience of World War II. Thursday, Nov. 15, at 8 p.m., at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore, and Sunday, Nov. 18, at 3 p.m., at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Additionally, Copland’s work is examined in more depth and insight in two, Alsop-led 90-minute Off the Cuff performances, followed by question-and-answer sessions, on Friday, Nov. 16, at 8:15 p.m., at Strathmore, and Saturday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. at the Meyerhoff — the latter ending with Copland’s Cocktail Lounge After-Party featuring Orchester Prazevica plus drink and food specials from Dooby’s and Noona. Tickets are $25 to $90. Call 410-783-8000 or visit bsomusic.org.

CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT: OGRESSE

A quirky, sophisticated and soulful jazz vocalist, the New York Times has heralded this 29-year-old classically trained, Grammy-winning artist as having the best chance of extending the lineage of the Big Three: Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. Salvant returns for the D.C. premiere of an original song cycle arranged and conducted by Darcy James Argue in performance with a 13-piece ensemble. Ogresse is a fairytale-like journey, through song and narrative, of a female ogre who falls in love with a man. Or as Salvant sings, of “a woman [who] lived in the woods on the outskirts of town; her skin was chocolate brown; upon her head she wore a crown of bones.” The Kennedy Center co-commissioned the work and presents it as part of its jazz season as well as the Voices series overseen by Renée Fleming, who calls Salvant “a brilliant programmer of song, truly a curator of art song.” Saturday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Tickets are $40 to $50. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

DANISH STRING QUARTET

Washington Performing Arts presents the return of these masters of traditional classical repertoire, though this time with a focus on folk music from their home turf. Childhood friends, violinists Frederik Øland and Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen and violist Asbjørn Nørgaard, formed the ensemble in 2002, but became the quartet as it’s known today a decade ago when they were joined by Norwegian cellist Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin. Expect everything from moving ballads to energetic jigs akin to their recordings of old Nordic melodies and dances 2014’s Wood Works and 2017’s Last Leaf. Monday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. 600 I St. NW. Tickets are $35. Call 202-408-3100 or visit sixthandi.org.

FRANK SOLIVAN & DIRTY KITCHEN

Increasingly regarded as one of the genre’s best contemporary bands, the local progressive bluegrass act earned a Grammy nomination for the 2015 album Cold Spell. Solivan and his Dirty Kitchen crew — banjoist Mike Munford, guitarist Chris Luquette, and bassist Jeremy Middleton — offers a hometown show as early promotion for the forthcoming set If You Can’t Stand The Heat. The High and Wides, a self-described “hillbilly string band,” opens. Friday, Nov. 9. Doors at 6:30 p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $17.25 to $39.75. Call 202-787-1000 or visit thehamiltondc.com.

GORGON CITY

Another young British house/pop duo in the dance steps of Disclosure. Kye “Foamo” Gibbon and Matt “RackNRuin” Robson-Scott comprise Gorgon City, whose beats — and bass — are a tad deeper and more rooted in drum’n’bass. The duo tours in support of its sharp sophomore set Escape, bringing in tow special guest Hotel Garuda, the duo Jack Beats, and King Henry. Friday, Nov. 16. Doors at 9 p.m. Echostage, 2135 Queens Chapel Rd. NE. Tickets are $28.50 to $33.50. Call 202-503-2330 or visit echostage.com.

KT TUNSTALL

Underappreciated as she may have become over the past dozen years in the mainstream, this Scottish singer-songwriter — best known for her swaggering, indelible early hits “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” and “Suddenly I See” — has charted new territory in recent years, after moving to Southern California and becoming a composer and songwriter for films including Winter’s Tale, About Ray, and Bad Moms. Tunstall will perform an intimate set to support the latest in a trilogy of upbeat-pop/rock albums each focused around a different aspect of soul/body/mind, launching with 2016’s soul-stirring KIN. Maddie Ross opens. Sunday, Nov. 11. Doors at 6:30 p.m. Union Stage, 740 Water St. SW. Tickets are $35 to $45, or $99 for VIP Meet & Greet. Call 877-987-6487 or visit unionstage.com.

NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC: BERNSTEIN CHORAL CELEBRATION

Stan Engebretson conducts Strathmore’s resident orchestra along with the National Philharmonic Chorale, soloists Danielle Talamantes, soprano, and Brian Cheney, tenor, and the Strathmore Children’s Chorus led by Michael Wu in a program featuring selections from Mass, Candide, and West Side Story. The late, great legend’s exuberance, panache, and joyful celebration of life were at their fullest display in his choral music, infusing his sacred and secular choral works with drama, pathos, and unfailing theatricality. Selections including “Almighty Father” and “Simple Song” from the extravagant Mass, “The Best of All Possible Worlds” and “”Make Our Garden Grow” from the whimsical Candide, and “Tonight” and “One Hand, One Heart” from the passionate West Side Story. Saturday, Nov. 17, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $28 to $76. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

NICOLE ATKINS

A New Jersey-raised singer-songwriter who deserves wider acclaim for her sharp, intriguing folk-colored pop/rock and captivating voice that sounds, as NPR’s Scott Simon put it, like “Patsy Cline, Janis Joplin, and Roy Orbison…all rolled into one.” Atkins plays Wolf Trap’s intimate, indoor Barns venue. Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 8 p.m. 1635 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $22 to $27. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

OLETA ADAMS

Several years ago in Metro Weekly, Maurice Hines sang Adams’ praises, calling her “one of today’s great voices.” She returns for an annual show at Alexandria’s great hall, the Birchmere. Friday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m. 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $45. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

SUSAN WERNER

Trained to be an opera singer, the shy Werner instead found a more fitting musical path as a singer-songwriter, a role that requires her to be “a little more of a comedian or dinner-party host.” An Iowa-born, Chicago-based performer, Werner is good-natured and wholly unpretentious, cracking jokes and laughing easily. The queer artist continues to tour behind last year’s release of An American in Havana, a collection of original songs inspired and colored by her recent travels to Cuba. Opening for Werner at Strathmore’s cabaret venue Amp is local singer-songwriter Lea Morris, an alumni of Strathmore’s Artist-In-Residence program. Friday, Nov. 16, at 8 p.m. 11810 Grand Park Ave. North Bethesda. Tickets are $20 to $30. Call 301-581-5100 or visit ampbystrathmore.com.

WASHINGTON CONCERT OPERA: GOUNOD’S SAPHO

Charles Gounod’s Sapho centers around intense, competing love affairs developing within the context of the ancient Greek Olympics, with a political coup bubbling just beneath the surface. Surprisingly, this one-night-only production, which opens the WCO’s official season, is billed as the first-ever professional version of the opera in the United States. Mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey takes on the title role, leading four emerging artists in their WCO debuts: Addison Marlor as Phaon, Amina Edris as Glycère, Musa Ngqungwana as Pythéas, and Brian Vu as Alcée. Sunday, Nov. 18, at 6 p.m., preceded at 5 p.m. by an informative talk with WCO co-founder and opera scholar Peter Russell. GW Lisner, The George Washington University, 730 21st St. NW. Tickets are $40 to $110. Call 202-994-6851 or visit lisner.gwu.edu.

WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA: SILENT NIGHT

To commemorate the centennial end of the Great War, the WNO offers the Washington premiere of a hopeful work adapted from the 2005 film Joyeux Noël. Featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning music by Kevin Puts and a libretto by Mark Campbell, Silent Night features a cast of WNO family, including Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist alumni, performing in multiple languages (with English surtitles). Directed by Tomer Zvulun with conductor Nicole Paiement. Opens Saturday, Nov. 10. To Nov. 25. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $35 to $199. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

DANCE

CONTRADICTION DANCE THEATRE: LITTLE WHITE LIES

A collection of new works devised and co-created by company members and special guests that explore the little lies and fabrications that shape our thoughts and behaviors. How do we reconcile truth? Lies? Is there one global truth? How do we live with our lies? Some physicalized contemplative, provocative, and evocative responses are said to be found in a program directed and also featuring MissJessica Denson as well as Erica Janko, Kelly King, Shay Turner, and Erin White, with choreographic contributions from Vanessa Williamson Edwards. Friday, Nov. 16, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 17, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 to $25. Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th St. SE. Call 202-547-6839 or visit contradictiondance.com or chaw.org.

D.C. DANCE IMPROVISATION FESTIVAL

Dance Loft on 14 plays host to this day-long annual festival at which dance masters lead workshop sessions for interested participants exploring renowned improvisatory dance styles. Co-presented by Dance ICONS: International Consortium for Advancement in Choreography, the festival kicks off on Saturday, Nov. 10, at 9 a.m. with Juliana Ponguta teaching the avant-garde dance style Contact Improvisation, originally created by Steve Paxton, followed by Candice Scarborough leading a Gaga Masterclass into the healing power of movement, based on the style developed by Ohad Naharin, at 10:45 a.m., Vladimir Angelov of Dance ICONS teaching Improvisational Technologies as created by William Forsythe at 12:30 p.m., and Ken Manheimer leading The Underscore, originally created by Nancy Stark Smith, at 2:15 p.m. In addition to a break for a 30-minute lunch, the day concludes with a complimentary Wine & Cheese reception at 4:30 p.m. 4618 14th St. NW 2nd Floor. Tickets are $20 to $22. Call 202-621-3670 or visit danceloft14.org.

FUEGO FLAMENCO XIV: JOSÉ BARRIOS & CO.: REDITUM

GALA’s 14th annual festival kicks off this year’s two-weekend festival with one of the hottest companies based in the country where the style originated. Spain’s Fundación Conservatorio Flamenco Casa Patas collaborates to present Barrios and Co. in the U.S. premiere of Reditum, Dancing Flamenco, an imaginative, high-spirited work that showcases Barrios’ virtuosity and also features music director and guitarist Isaac Muñoz, singers Caridad Vega and Sara Coréa, and Diego Villegas on saxophone, flute, and harmonica. Thursday, Nov. 8, through Saturday, Nov. 11, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 12, at 2 p.m. The second weekend offers the D.C. premiere of La Sobremesa, a mesmerizing new piece from Spain’s Omayra Amaya Flamenco Dance Co., performed with bailaor Edwin Aparicio, the festival’s gay co-founder and curator, a D.C.-based native of El Salvador who has become a world-renowned champion of contemporary flamenco. Friday, Nov. 16, and Saturday, Nov. 17, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 18, at 2 p.m. The program also includes Flamenco en Familia, free interactive demonstrations for children and families, on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., with special performances of Colores de Flamenco by the Flamenco Aparicio Dance Company Tuesday, Nov. 13, Wednesday, Nov. 14, through Thursday, Nov. 15, at 10:30 a.m. Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are $30 to $48, or $80 for a Flamenco Pass to both productions. Call 202-234-7174 or visit galatheatre.org.

SPECTRUM DANCE THEATER: A RAP ON RACE

An innovative new work that seeks to add to the conversation around race and equity, A Rap on Race features a series of choreographed dance duets juxtaposed with verbal duets — text gleaned from the public conversation held in 1970 between anthropologist Margaret Mead and novelist James Baldwin. Conceived by Tony-nominated choreographer Donald Byrd and Pulitzer-nominated actress/playwright Anna Deavere Smith, the work features an original jazz score by Charles Mingus, plus narration by Julie Briskman as Mead and Byrd as Baldwin. Friday, Nov. 16, at 8 p.m. The Concert Hall in the George Mason University Center for the Arts, 4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax. Tickets are $29 to $48. Call 888-945-2468 or visit cfa.gmu.edu.

COMEDY

BROADWAY SHOW WITH FRANQI FRENCH

In its black box space, D.C.’s Drafthouse Comedy presents this variety show offering stand-up comedy, music, and sketches by a diverse group of local female, minority, and LGBTQ performers — all hosted by a comedian who has shared the stage with DL Hughley, Todd Glass, Fortune Feimster, and Judy Gold, among others. Thursday, Nov. 15, at 8:45 p.m. 1100 13th St. NW. Tickets are $5 online, or $10 at the door. Call 202-750-6411 or visit drafthousecomedy.com.

DEON COLE

After many years as a writer for Conan O’Brien, this comedian got his big acting break in 2014 when he was cast as Charlie Telphy, the borderline-buffoonish coworker and friend of the father on ABC’s Black-ish. What started as a recurring, occasional role has grown in subsequent seasons, such that Cole is now featured as part of the main cast on the show and also its streaming spinoff series Grown-ish. And all because Cole managed to make his character less one-dimensional — to become rather endearing, not simply silly — than originally intended. Naturally, he’s managed to parlay his continued relevance on TV to success on the road doing stand-up. In fact, his run next weekend at the DC Improv is nearly sold out, with tickets remaining only for the shows on Thursday, Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m., and Sun. Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. 1140 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $32, or $42 for VIP preferred seating, plus a two-item minimum. Call 202-296-7008 or visit dcimprov.com.

IMPROBABLE COMEDY: STAND-UP SILVER SPRING

A showcase of talent from right in our own backyard, the latest show from this Maryland-based presenting organization features Blaire Postman, Michael Brown, Tiffany Cain, and Jay Rivas. Saturday, Nov. 10, at 8 and 10:30 p.m. Cissel-Saxon American Legion Post 41, 8110 Fenton St., Silver Spring. Tickets are $10 to $15 in advance, or $15 to $20 at the door. Call 301-588-8937 or visit improbablecomedy.com.

MAZ JOBRANI

The Iranian-American comedian and actor, who rose to fame a dozen years ago as a founding member of the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour, returns to the Kennedy Center a year after taping his first Netflix special in the Concert Hall. If unfamiliar, his stand-up style becomes pretty self-evident just by glancing at the titles to previous tapings, all of which originally aired on Showtime: Brown & Friendly, I Come In Peace, and I’m Not a Terrorist, But I’ve Played One on TV — the latter of which is also the name of his memoir, published in 2015. Friday, Nov. 16, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $29 to $125. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

NATASHA LEGGERO

You’ve no doubt seen this mordant comic actress on TV at some point, whether via her memorable guest turns on primetime shows including Modern Family and Superstore, or as a judge on NBC’s Last Comic Standing and as one of Comedy Central’s leading “roasters” (having mocked everyone from Pamela Anderson to Justin Bieber) — or, at the very least, from the many years she served as a regular panelist on E!’s Chelsea Lately. More recently, Leggero has been seen as one of the stars of Another Period, the zany spoof of celebrity culture and reality TV that she helped create for Comedy Central. Naturally, Leggero dabbles in stand-up comedy, which is what brings her back to the area next weekend. Friday, Nov. 16, 7 and 10 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 17, at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Arlington Cinema N’ Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington. Tickets are $25. Call 703-486-2345 or visit arlingtondrafthouse.com.

THE WIT ROAD SHOW

No two performances are alike when performed by the Washington Improv Theater — D.C.’s answer to those comedy star-making groups such as Chicago’s Second City and L.A.’s Groundlings — especially since they’re spurred on by audience suggestions. Each show features a different mix of the improvised ensembles that comprise WIT, from on-the-spot musical creations a la iMusical, to the clever antics of the all-female-identifying group Hellcat, Love Onion to Nox! Also featured in this Fall 2018 WIT Road Show is You Are Afraid of the Dark, a debut long-form show directed by Katie Ozog of WIT ensemble Madeline presented in four performances this weekend and next. To Nov. 18. District of Columbia Arts Center, 2438 18th St. NW. Tickets are $15 to $18. Call 202-462-7833 or visit witdc.org.

READINGS & LECTURES

BLAIR IMANI: MODERN HERSTORY

A black queer American Muslim activist, the 25-year-old Imani is the founder and executive director of the feminist organization Equality for HER. Subtitled Stories of Women and Nonbinary People Rewriting History, her new primer on social activism features profiles of 70 diverse progressives from the last 60 years engaged in building a more inclusive and just society in all sectors, from politics to academia to pop culture. Kat Blaque, Winnie Harlow, Vilissa Thompson, Serena Williams, and Rihanna are just five of today’s untraditional heroines featured in Modern HERstory, embellished with beautiful illustrations by Monique Le and containing a forward written by Tegan & Sara. Imani will be in conversation with Mia Ives-Rublee, a national organizer for the Women’s March on Washington and coordinator of its disability caucus. Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. Politics & Prose at Union Market, 1270 5th St. NE. Call 202-544-4452 or visit politics-prose.com.

DISH & TELL: ROSE PREVITE, CHRIS BRADY, ANDREW DANA

Three of the hottest restaurateurs in D.C. at the moment will share their “Recipes for Success” in a discussion with Daniel Pink. The featured guests are Rose Previte of the trendy U Street-area restaurants Compass Rose and Maydan — the latter, the second-best restaurant in the country right now, per Bon Appetit — and Chris Brady and Andrew Dana of Timber Pizza in Petworth — “Pizzeria of the Year,” a la Bon Appetit in 2017 — and Call Your Mother, the overwhelmingly popular new deli/bagelry in Park View with lines down the block daily for their New York-style rolls. Despite relative overnight success across the board, none of the three had planned or expected to become restaurateurs or food entrepreneurs, with Previte focusing on public policy/governmental affairs, and Brady and Dana working in corporate sales for a tech company. And yet, they opted to pursue their dreams anyway. Thursday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. at Sixth & I, 600 I St. NW. Tickets are $12 in advance, or $15 day of. Call 202-408-3100 or visit sixthandi.org.

FRED PLOTKIN: LOVING LENNY: LEONARD BERNSTEIN AT 100

A popular Smithsonian music lecturer as well as opera and Italy expert, Plotkin offers a talk highlighted by music recordings, film clips, photographs, and his own memories as an occasional colleague of Bernstein’s to explore the dimensions of his musical contributions, from On The Waterfront to West Side Story, Candide to Mass. Plotkin will also touch on Bernstein’s unparalleled impact on American culture and society through his many roles as “an American Renaissance Man” — as composer, conductor, concert pianist, Broadway tunesmith, educator, and humanitarian, to cite his more prominent roles. Thursday, Nov. 15, at 6:45 p.m. S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. Tickets are $45, or $30 for Smithsonian Associates. Call 202-633-3030 or visit smithsonianassociates.org.

JOAN MORGAN: SHE BEGAT THIS: 20 YEARS OF THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL

Feminist author and journalist Morgan offers an expansive, in-depth, and heartfelt analysis of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and its enduring pop culture legacy 20 years after its release. Hill’s solo debut has been held up as an inspiration to most of today’s leading pop/hip-hop ladies, from Beyoncé to Nicki Minaj to Janelle Monáe, as well as deemed by NPR as second only to Joni Mitchell’s Blue as the greatest album from a woman. Kierna Mayo and Demetria Lucas will join Morgan as special guests for a special Kennedy Center Book Talk and Signing, followed by an Afterparty with DJ Beverly Bond of Black Girls Rock! Thursday, Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m. Terrace Theater. Tickets are $35. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

MICHELLE OBAMA: BECOMING: AN INTIMATE CONVERSATION

An evening (or two) at Capital One Arena is as far from an intimate conversation as it can get. Of course, the intimacy is in the details — that is, in what the former First Lady will say on (and possibly inspire through) her book tour. Obama will recount and reflect on personal moments from her extraordinary journey, as a means to inspire her fans and followers to follow suit. Or, as she puts it, “I hope that this tour will inspire others to reflect upon and share their own stories…so that together, we can better recognize that each of us, in our own way, is in a constant process of becoming.” Saturday, Nov. 17, and Sunday, Nov. 25, at 8 p.m. 601 F St. NW. Remaining tickets are $500 to $850 including a copy of the book; VIP Meet & Greet packages range from $995 to $3,000. Call 202-628-3200 or visit capitalonearena.com.

THE ATLANTIC’S POLITICS TEAM: WHAT DO THE MIDTERMS MEAN?

If you were hoping for a little reprieve from politics and political analysis in the week following the elections, well, you do realize you’re in Washington, don’t you? In fact, waiting a full week for a postmortem will strike some as too little, too late. Yet hearing from The Atlantic‘s political hive mind should prove worth the wait. The magazine’s staff writers McKay Coppins, Vann R. Newkirk III, and Elaina Plott, and editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, are planning to convene and take stock of the election results with a look to 2020 on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. 600 I St. NW. Tickets are $15 in advance, or $18 day of. Call 202-408-3100 or visit sixthandi.org.

ART & EXHIBITS

ATHENAEUM INVITATIONAL: THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES

Artists, both those specially invited and others who answered a call for submissions, created themed-based works in this fourth annual exhibition presented by Alexandria’s historic museum. The exhibition brings a modern context to the idea of a curiosity collection enveloped in a gallery-sized cabinet. On display to Nov. 11. The Athenaeum, 201 Prince St., Alexandria. Call 703-548-0035 or visit nvfaa.org.

BRIAN HITSELBERGER: OTHER WAYS OF TELLING

An incident of hate speech in this multidisciplinary artist’s own home as well as other anti-gay activities in his base of Athens, Ga. spurred creation of this series of paintings, drawings, and installations. “Counterspell,” the largest installation in the collection, combines small works by seven other LGBTQ-identified artists along with elements of Hitselberger’s creation to form a wall that acts as a spiritual protection against hate speech and homophobia. Montgomery College’s Department of Visual and Performing Arts presents the series as the first in a Soapbox Series at the Open Gallery on its Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus. To Nov. 9, with an Artist Talk on Nov. 12. Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center, 930 King St., Silver Spring. Free. Call 301-362-6525 or visit cms.montgomerycollege.edu.

CONNECTING THREADS

Alexandria’s Del Ray Artisans Gallery offers a display of members’ artwork featuring fiber and textiles as a major component in construction and/or as a part of the subject matter, conveying some sort of message, emotion, or meaning beyond the literal definition of the materials. Artists showcase the ways they manipulate fiber in ways both traditional — such as knitting and crocheting — and nontraditional via mixed-media. Now to Nov. 25. 2704 Mount Vernon Ave. Call 703-731-8802 or visit thedelrayartisans.org.

DEFINING THE ART OF CHANGE (IN THE AGE OF TRUMP)

More than 100 provocative works of art reflecting on the current state of American politics — as you can imagine, many of them explicitly anti-Trump — are on display at the Center for Contemporary Political Art, a downtown venue founded by former Washington Post foreign correspondent Charles Krause. The Center is the first research institute and nonprofit gallery in the U.S. “devoted to the study, patronage, and strategic use of political fine art” — including the kinds of work museums and commercial galleries are likely to shy away from for fear of offending donors or wealthy collectors. There’s Kevin Champeny’s “Defiance”, for instance, a mosaic portrait of Trump comprised of hundreds of tiny plastic hands with middle fingers up, or Bryan McGinnis’ “Taking a Hard Stance,” a collection of hand-carved wooden dildos plastered with photos of administration officials and covered by condoms. Other striking works in the juried exhibition include George Kennedy’s “Freedom of Speech,” a crude update on a Norman Rockwell illustration showing a Trump supporter flipping off a black man while the president sits back grinning, and Patricia Isaza’s sculptural work that uses real straw for the president’s hair. Now to Nov. 14, with a “Free Open Mic: The Art of Literary Protest” featuring poets Sarah Browning, Katherine E. Young, and Tara Campbell, on Friday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m. Mather Studios Building, 916 G St. NW. Visit politicsartus.org.

LAURA BERMAN: CHROMATIC SPACE

Inspired by “the vast landscape of nothingness” that is the very middle of Kansas, the unique monoprints of this artist and professor at the Kansas City Art Institute reflect the slow and dramatic connections between enormous spaces on and beyond our earth. Everything is related and nothing is identical in iterative prints of patterns and bold colors, also informed by the artist’s hometown of Barcelona, Spain. Now to Nov. 25. Long View Gallery, 1234 9th St. NW. Call 202-232-4788 or visit longviewgallery.com.

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, the work presents 360-degrees of abstracted historical narrative using Bradford’s 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.

PICTURES OF THE YEAR: 75 YEARS OF THE WORLD’S BEST PHOTOGRAPHY

The Newseum celebrates one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious photojournalism competitions with a show featuring just a sampling of the more than 40,000 award-winning images in the archives of Pictures of the Year International. Tracing the evolution of photojournalism from World War II to today, the images on display depict the people and events that have defined the times, capturing war and peace, disaster and triumph, and the social and cultural shifts that have shaped the past 75 years. Founded in 1944 at the University of Missouri, POYi recognizes excellence in photojournalism as well as multimedia and visual editing. To Jan. 20. Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets are $22.95 for general admission. Call 888-NEWSEUM or visit newseum.org.

PORTRAITS OF THE WORLD: SWITZERLAND

Once a year, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery plans to showcase one portrait created by a foreign artist in an exhibition designed around that work, via a series intended to highlight the global context of American portraiture. The inaugural exhibition focuses on “Femme en Extase (Woman in Ecstasy),” a portrait of Italian dancer Giulia Leonardi by Swiss painter Ferdinand Hodler, complemented by a selection of works from the gallery’s collection featuring American dancers, notably Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Ted Shawn, and Ruth St. Denis. To Nov. 12. 8th and F Streets. NW. Call 202-633-8300 or visit npg.si.edu.

REMEMBERING VIETNAM: 12 CRITICAL EPISODES IN THE VIETNAM WAR

The National Archives offers a framework for understanding the decisions that led to the Vietnam War, its consequences and legacy. More than 40 years since its end, the complexity of the conflict is still being unraveled — in part by historians pouring over newly declassified documents, some of which factor into this exhibition of more than 80 original records. To Jan. 6, 2019. Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery, Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets NW. NW. Call 202-357-5000 or visit archivesfoundation.org.

RODARTE

The American luxury fashion house is featured in the first fashion exhibition organized by the National Museum of Women in the Arts, a showcase of the Los Angeles-based label’s conceptual blend of high couture, modern femininity, craftsmanship, and California influences. Rodarte has drawn critical acclaim from both the art and fashion worlds since its founding in 2005 by sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy — who also become the first designers recognized with their own show at the museum. Jill D’Alessandro of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco guest curated the display, featuring highlights from the company’s most pivotal collections in its first 13 years — all told, almost 100 complete looks, presented as they were shown on the runway. Opens Friday, Nov. 9. On view to Feb. 10. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave NW. Admission is $10. Call 202-783-5000 or visit nmwa.org.

FOOD & DRINK

DC COCKTAIL WEEK

Ostensibly a showcase of the area’s mixologists and finer watering holes, this annual promotion is also geared toward chefs and dining establishments — not surprising, given it’s a product of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington. Cocktail Week can offer a more flexible and cheaper way for a first-time diner to get to know an establishment than through RAMW’s signature Restaurant Week promotion. Rather than commit to a relatively pricey, multi-course, multi-hour experience at one establishment, you can pretty easily bar hop among a few venues during Cocktail Week, which this year begins Monday, Nov. 12. For instance, you could try a Cosmopom — a pomegranate Cosmopolitan — paired with an appetizer of Hush Puppies at Georgetown’s America Eats Tavern, the newest restaurant from José Andrés, for just $9, and then take a stroll down to the Washington Harbor to try the Negroni Spritzer with Founding Spirits Arroyo’s Never Bitter Amaro at Farmers Fishers Bakers, which is pairing the libation with its Margarita Pizza for $15. A few additional pairing highlights from the 60-plus participating venues: a Gimlet featuring spice-infused Citadelle gin and a punch of Amaro at Penn Quarter’s top-notch Karma Modern Indian, paired with the classic tandoor oven-cooked Chicken Tikka for $16; a Civic Sunset, made with Republic Restoratives vodka, lemon, rosemary simple syrup, and a Meritage float, that is paired at City Winery in Ivy City with an Amuse Bouche of bleu cheese mousse in phyllo and roasted apples for $14; the Carajillo, made with espresso, Licor 43, dark rum, and syrup, and paired with the Sweet Potato and Queso Fresco Croqueta for $8 at the Colada Shop just off 14th Street NW; and Dogfish Head Roasted Peanut Vodka mixed with a port reduction, grenadine, amaretto, and egg white, paired at Shaw’s playfully upscale Unconventional Diner with “Foie Gras PB&J,” or liver with grape jelly, port reduction, pomegranate, and dehydrated peanut butter “snow” on toast, for $22. Runs to Nov. 18. Visit dccocktailweek.com for more information.

DC WINE WALK

Sample a variety of wines and “taste the best that D.C. has to offer” in this first-ever event that also aims to introduce you to fellow residents and new bars around the city, among them Anxo Cidery & Pintxos Bar, Ministry DC, City Winery Washington D.C., La Jambe, Tyber Creek Wine Bar & Kitchen, Kingfisher DC, and Slate Wine Bar. In addition to at least two 1 oz. wine samples at each venue, food will be available for purchase and snacks are allowed during the walk itself. Presented by DC Fray, a social sports and special events company. Check-in location will be confirmed after purchase. Saturday, Nov. 17, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 and include a Wine Walk Brochure Guide and a shatterproof, eco-friendly Tossware wine glass. Call 202-290-1969 or visit dcfray.com.

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 Hubert’s Lemonade, Ice Cream Jubilee, Hot Little Biscuit, Buttercream Bake Shop, Republic Restoratives, La Vache “microcreamery,” the deli Call Your Mother, Sweet Sticks pudding, Crude bitters and sodas, Chick’nCone, Colada Shop, Maryland ChickAn, Ramen Burger, Shouk, True Chesapeake Oyster Co, and Undercover Quinoa Co. The Emporiyum launches with a preview party Friday, Nov. 9, starting at 6 p.m. The Emporiyum is Saturday, Nov. 10, and Sunday, Nov. 11. Dock5 at Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. General admission per day is $25 for admission at 11 a.m., $20 at 12:30 p.m., or $15 at 1:30 p.m., or $40 for VIP access at 10 a.m. with special bites and sips, and a gift bag; the Friday party is $50, or $80 with an All Access Weekend Pass. Call 800-680-9095 or visit theemporiyum.com.

TABERNA DEL ALABARDERO: PAELLA FESTIVAL

All this month, D.C.’s oldest traditional Spanish restaurant honors its homeland’s national dish by serving it up at lunch and dinner every day for $28 an entree, with four different varieties — Paella Valenciana with chicken and beans, Paella de Verduras, or vegetables, Paella con Pollo y Chistorra, or chicken and chorizo, and Paella con Bacalao y Pimiento del Piquillo, or cod and peppers. Additional festival highlights include: a Paella Buffet every Tuesday with a choice of one tapa and an unlimited selection of three paellas for $30; a Paella-Making Demo every Thursday in the dining room by Taberna’s chef Carlos Gomez; and a Paella Cooking Class, priced at $90 and led by Gomez, set for Friday, Nov. 16. Festival runs to Nov. 30. 1776 I St. NW. Call 202-429-2200 or visit alabardero.com.

NIGHTLIFE HIGHLIGHTS

FLASH: CHUS & CEBALLOS

Less than a week after another round of the exceedingly popular gay party Flashy Sundays, the intimate, sharply designed nightclub in the same block as Uproar plays host once again to the transporting sounds of Chus Esteban and Pablo Ceballos. Together, the two comprise one of the world’s best progressive house acts. Truth be told, there’s something particularly magical — even tribal — in the air whenever the gay-popular straight Spaniards play the club. The duo draws a notably mixed gay/straight crowd as musically enthusiastic, engaged and distinct as they come, and that good energy and vibe often seems to further fuel duo’s fire. Saturday, Nov. 17, at 10 p.m. 645 Florida Ave. NW. Tickets are $$20 to $25. Call 202-827-8791 or visit flashdc.com.

GREEN LANTERN: FREEBALLERS

“The first Green Lantern party that does not include underwear!” trumpets the cheeky tagline to this new party celebrating freedom of movement below the belt — all while leaving a little to the imagination. Keeping things covered but not confined; imprinted rather than exposed; outlined as opposed to out. Do you catch our drift? (Hopefully so, since we can’t come right out with it.) You can reveal your religion, in other words, as long as you remain a man of the cloth. This fun, freeballing fiesta, which is quite likely to turn into a battle of the bulges, features the DJ duo BacK2bACk and promoter/bartender Matt Strother. Saturday, Nov. 10, starting at 10 p.m. 1335 Green Ct. NW. Call 202-347-4533 or visit facebook.com/GreenLanternDC.

LA FANTASY: SWIMSUIT PARTY PART II

A swimsuit is always acceptable on a packed, sweaty dance floor no matter the season — and of course in Miami anywhere, anytime. For its next party, La Fantasy Productions toasts the city and its upcoming Circuit Festival, the for-profit successor to the storied White Party dance for charity, set for Thanksgiving weekend. DJs Anne Louise from Brazil and Jesus Montanez from Mexico will provide the beats to soundtrack the pretend pool/beach party at the downtown club L8 Lounge. Friday, Nov. 16, starting at 10 p.m. 727 15th St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-506-7006 or visit lafantasyproductions.com.

PEACH PIT VS. SHADY PINES: 80’S/90’S DANCE PARTY

A special, expanded edition of Matt Bailer’s popular Peach Pit, the party named after the diner in the ’90s-hit show Beverly Hills, 90210. Yet rather than its usual DC9 perch, the party moves to U Hall for a Veterans Day blowout with a broadened focus including pop music from the ’80s — in a nod to that decade’s beloved gay-favorite sitcom The Golden Girls, set in the fictitious Miami retirement community of Shady Pines. Sunday, Nov. 11, starting at 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 in advance or $10 at the door. Call 202-588-1880 or visit ustreetmusichall.com.

PITCHERS: FLASHBACK

Originally launched in the mid-’90s at Cobalt as a retro-themed party on Tuesdays, longtime DJ and promoter Jason Royce has revived Flashback at Pitchers, the new LGBTQ nightclub with an even newer dance floor. The move to Adams Morgan also comes with other changes, including a switch to Thursdays and covering a wider time frame, with hits going well past the disco of 1975, all the way up to the dance-pop of 2005. Royce is also now joined in the “Party Like It’s 1999” cause by fellow veteran Darryl Strickland. Thursdays starting at 10 p.m. 2317 18th St. NW. Call 202-733-2568 or visit pitchersdc.com.

WASHINGTON RENEGADES’ RUCK THE RUNWAY 2: THE RUCKENING

Members of the gay-inclusive amateur rugby team, founded 20 years ago, will ditch their cleats for heels at this second annual drag affair, aided and abetted by show hosts Kristina Kelly and Ba’Naka. Friday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m. 1639 R St. NW. Call 202-232-4416 or visit cobaltdc.com.

ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS: FREAKY FRIDAYS

The veteran Daryl Wilson Promotions offers another freaky deaky bonanza on both levels of Southwest’s large LGBTQ nightclub and entertainment complex starting at 10 p.m. Entertainment for the evening will come via 20 all-nude male dancers — including The Kandyman — house DJ Sedrick and hip-hop DJ Tim Nice, plus a special drag show with Capri Bloomingdale, Jasmine Blue, and Tuesday Snow, at 11:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9. 1024 Half St. SW. Call 202-863-0607 or visit darylwilsondc.com.

ABOVE & BEYOND

HOUSE OF GARCON: LOVE SEX PLAY BALL

Whitney and Shannon Garcon formed the collective from which they took their last name a decade ago, making it part of the network of houses providing support and guidance for members, who in turn compete at fabulous, fierce balls (as seen in Paris Is Burning, Wig Out, or Pose). This weekend comes the Love Sex Play ball presented as a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the International House of Garcon and the Comme des Garcons Community. Icon Vjuan Allure will serve as Head DJ and Icon Jack Mizrahi as Head Commentator at the ball, hosted at Echostage. The theme of New York’s Met Gala 2017 — naturally, it was the fashions of Comme des Garçons designer Rei Kawakubo — is the guiding force for the event’s grand prize, “OTA – Perfect 10’s,” which will garner $5,000 to the winner showing “face, body, and realness but all in good taste.” There are five other Mini Grand Prize categories, all garnering $1,000 apiece, including “Best Dressed with an Understudy,” “Team Runway Era Duo,” and “Performance as a House.” Trophies will be awarded in categories ranging from “Transman Realness: ROTC” to “FF Sex Siren-Succubus” to “BQ Thug Realness: Platinum Cover.” The ball will also pay tribute to eight Special Honorees: “Iconic BQID (Butch Queen in Drag) Runway” Christian Balenciaga, House of Miyake-Mugler founders David and Raleigh Miyake-Mugle, the “Iconic Faces” of Michael Princess and Stewart Ebony, local ballroom and LGBTQ activist Rayceen Pendarvis, community activist Michael Roberson, and “Legendary American Runway” Derrick 007. Sunday, Nov. 11, starting at 6 p.m. Echostage, 2135 Queens Chapel Rd. NE. Tickets are $35 plus fees. Call 202-503-2330 or visit echostage.com or lovesexplay.thegarcons.com.

LA-TI-DO: GREAT COMPOSERS FEAT. TOM FLATT & CHERIE WARD

Regie Cabico and Don Mike Mendoza’s variety show features higher-quality singing than most karaoke, often from local musical theater actors performing on their night off, and also includes spoken-word poetry and comedy. Held at Bistro Bistro in Dupont Circle, the next La-Ti-Do is an annual celebration of songs by great composers, this year featuring composer Flatt and poet Ward, with a spotlight on singer-songwriter Chris Urquiaga. Frank Britton and Lawrence O. Grey, Jr. are guest hosts for this program with guest performers including Carlos Castillo, Julia Capizzi, Natalie Jensen, Elizabeth Weiss, and Stephanie Wilson. Pianist Paige Rammelkamp accompanies the performers along with a small jazz band. Monday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m. 1727 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $15, or $10 if you eat dinner at the restaurant beforehand. Call 202-328-1640 or visit latidoproductions.com.

STRATHMORE’S MUSEUM SHOP AROUND HOLIDAY MARKET

The annual Museum Shop Around is one of the best and most convenient places in town for finding unique, artsy holiday gift ideas. Next weekend, 17 museums and art organizations will be represented at the event selling memorabilia and merchandise, including the Audubon Naturalist Society, the Jewish Museum of Maryland, Montgomery History, the National Geographic Museum, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Phillips Collection, and the Supreme Court Historical Society. Each museum is given its own space, often its own room, in Strathmore’s historic Mansion. That’s enough for most shops to display as much as 40 percent of their normal inventory. The Mansion also offers a café with food and drink available throughout the event, including hot apple cider. Opens Thursday, Nov. 8, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 11, starting at 10 a.m. each day. 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Free, but suggested donation is $10. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.