FILM

CABARET

After Chicago, this Weimar Republic-set musical is Kander and Ebb’s most popular. Only a few numbers from the original stage score made the cut in Bob Fosse’s 1972 cinematic take, starring Joel Grey and Liza Minnelli, replaced with new ones written by the composers. Cabaret returns for two nights on the big screen as one of the first offerings in a two-month series at the AFI Silver Theatre titled “The New Hollywood” and focused on the new, disruptive generation of Hollywood filmmakers and stars who emerged between 1969 and 1979 — everyone from Francis Ford Coppola to Jack Nicholson to Steven Spielberg — and revitalized the studio system on their own terms, with baby boomer appeal. Other titles in the series include Easy Rider, The Godfather, Jaws, Taxi Driver, and Alien. Thursday, Aug. 1, at 7:20 p.m. 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $13 general admission. Call 301-495-6720 or visit www.afi.com/Silver.

EAT PRAY LOVE

The 5th annual Georgetown Sunset Cinema carries the theme “Out of Office,” with a five-week run of trip-themed movies as voted on by the public. The series concludes with this Julia Roberts-starring vehicle from Ryan Murphy — yes, that Ryan Murphy — about a recently divorced woman who packs her belongings into storage and begins a year-long, three-country quest to learn about herself through different cultures, based on author Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-selling 2006 memoir. Upon the film’s 2010 release, a Metro Weekly critic wrote that “Roberts is strongest when playing off the rest of the cast, ranging from the wonderful Viola Davis as her best friend to the talented Richard Jenkins as her biggest challenger. But Javier Bardem melts hearts with his sexy charm and his tenderness and vulnerability. He’s clearly the champion of the film.” The screening takes place on the grassy knoll along the banks of the Potomac River, with the panoramic Key Bridge as backdrop. Everyone is encouraged to bring a blanket, food, and water or soft drinks — just no chairs or alcohol. Tuesday, Aug. 6, in Georgetown Waterfront Park, near the intersection of Water Street and Cecil Place NW. The area opens at 6:30 p.m., and the screening starts at sunset, around 8:30 p.m. Call 202-298-9222 or visit www.georgetowndc.com/sunset-cinema.

FAST & FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS & SHAW

Humanity officially jumps the shark with this, the first spin-off of the impossibly long-running and high-earning The Fast and the Furious franchise. We as a planet have collectively allowed these films to make over $5 billion at the box office — it’s time we take a stand and let this (presumably average) Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham-starring action comedy die. But that won’t happen. It’ll earn millions, and before we know it we’ll be suffering through Fast & Furious Presents: Citizen Kane 2: Roadbuds. Opens Friday, Aug. 2. Area theaters. Visit www.fandango.com. (Rhuaridh Marr)

ISLE OF DOGS

The AFI Silver Theatre co-presents a free summer outdoor film series at nearby Sonny’s Green, where patrons can bring blankets and low-rise chairs as well as their own food and beverages. The series continues on Friday, Aug. 2, with Wes Anderson’s stop-motion-animated masterpiece Isle of Dogs, billed as a “BYOD (Bring Your Own Dog) Edition,” albeit one where “dogs must remain on a leash at all times.” The screening begins at sundown, around 8 p.m. Off the parking lot of the Blairs Shopping Center, 1290 East-West Highway. Call 301-495-6720 or visit www.afi.com/Silver.

LOONEY TUNES

Every Saturday and Sunday morning over the next six weeks the AFI Silver Theatre screens a different 45-minute program featuring selections of Warner Bros.’ classic cartoons starring the Looney Tunes gang — Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Porky Pig, Foghorn Leghorn, Sylvester, Tweety, and more. The series continues with Program 2 this Saturday, Aug. 3, and Sunday, Aug. 4, at 11 a.m. 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $5. Call 301-495-6720 or visit www.afi.com/Silver.

MA VIE EN ROSE

Part of the original “25 Gay Films Everyone Should See” list that Metro Weekly assembled a decade ago, the 22-year-old LGBTQ classic was a relatively early entry in the category of coming out films from the trans perspective. Featuring French dialogue and English subtitles, Ma Vie En Rose focuses on a young girl struggling to own her gender identity, as her otherwise loving parents continually fend off embarrassment by pushing her back into her prescribed box. Alain Berliner’s drama has touches of fantasy to help illustrate the degree to which social demands curtail personal liberty and self-expression. Screens as part of the now one-year-old Screen Queen series on Monday, Aug. 5, at 8 p.m. at the cozy Suns Cinema, 3107 Mount Pleasant St. NW. Tickets are $11.49 including service fee. Visit www.sunscinema.com.

RIO BRAVO

This 1959 Western stars a crooner — Dean Martin — and a teen idol — Ricky Nelson — and its director and producer Howard Hawks highlights this musical bounty by featuring the two stars singing three songs. But the true star of this Western is the ultimate screen cowboy, John Wayne. Rio Bravo returns to the big screen as part of the Capital Classics series at Landmark’s West End Cinema. Wednesday, Aug. 7, 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 $12.50. Call 202-534-1907 or visit www.landmarktheatres.com.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

Landmark’s E Street Cinema presents its monthly run of Richard O’Brien’s camp classic, billed as the longest-running midnight movie in history. Landmark’s showings come with a live shadow cast from the Sonic Transducers, meaning it’s even more interactive than usual. Friday, Aug. 2, and Saturday, Aug. 3, at midnight. 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit www.landmarktheatres.com.

UNION MARKET DRIVE-IN: JAWS

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 thriller about a great white shark introduced the world to the idea of the summer blockbuster, helping transform Hollywood into an industry dependent on summer mega-hits (George Lucas sealed the deal two years later with Star Wars). Jaws earns its scares by rarely and barely showing us the shark. The opening, in which a young swimmer is viciously attacked by an unseen assailant, ranks with Psycho‘s shower scene as one of cinema’s most intense moments — one magnified by the iconic two-note ostinato that won composer John Williams an Oscar for Best Score. You don’t have to drive a car to partake in the experience, as you can just nab a viewing spot in Union Market’s free picnic area. Food and beer are available from market vendors and neighboring merchants. The DC Rollergirls will be on hand to sell and deliver candy. Remaining films to screen on first Fridays this summer include Coco, and The Wiz. Friday, Aug. 2, with screening starting at 8:45 p.m. In the parking lot at Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. Free for walk-ups or $15 per car. Call 800-680-9095 or visit www.unionmarketdc.com. (Randy Shulman)

STAGE

BE MORE CHILL

The story of a socially awkward teenage boy who lands on a pill that makes him cool, or chill, Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz’s Be More Chill generated a lot of buzz after an Off Broadway production last year. But Virginia’s Monumental Theatre Company was able to secure the rights to stage the show using the script from its 2015 debut in New Jersey. Despite its high school setting, the show’s appeal extends to adults. Monumental is even hosting a drinking game for the show’s closing “Late Night” performance on Friday, Aug. 2, at 10 p.m. The Ainslie Arts Center in Episcopal High School, 3900 W. Braddock Rd., Alexandria. Tickets are $25 to $40. Call 703-933-3000 or visit www.monumentaltheatre.org.

DEAR EVAN HANSEN

If you missed it when it started its life at Arena Stage four years ago, the Tony Award-winning masterpiece from the hit stage and screen songwriting team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul returns to the area as part of its first national tour. Michael Greif directs the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary tale, featuring a book by Steven Levenson, about the power and overpowering effects of social media and social standing. Opens Tuesday, Aug. 6. To Sept. 8. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $79 to $175. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

LEGALLY BLONDE

Dupont Circle’s Keegan Theatre closes out its 22nd season with the stage adaptation of the hit movie, based on Amanda Brown’s novel about effervescent Elle Woods and her journey to Harvard. Ricky Drummond helms Keegan’s production of the show, featuring music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Neil Benjamin, aided by music director Walter “Bobby” McCoy and choreographer Ashleigh King. Previews begin Saturday, Aug. 3. To Sept. 1. Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $52 to $62. Call 202-265-3767 or visit www.keegantheatre.com.

LOVE SEX & MARRIAGE: THE STAGE PLAY

Darrin is a rising music superstar being encouraged, even compelled, to stay in the closet by management at his homophobic music label — ultimately forcing him to choose between doing what he loves (music) and who he loves (his boyfriend Ken). Tre Floyd originally developed Love Sex & Marriage as a web series through his new media production company Elevating Voices, LLC. With a mission of giving “a voice to black LGBT characters through authentic and innovative stories,” Elevating Voices aims to show the diversity of the black gay experience as well as to bridge the gap between gay and straight African-American audiences. Currently on a short, multi-city national tour, the show stops in the D.C. area for two performances only. Friday, Aug. 2, at 6:30 and 9 p.m. Silver Spring Black Box Theatre, 8641 Colesville Road. Tickets are $30 to $50. Visit www.trefloyd.com.

THE BAND’S VISIT

Last year’s Tony-winning musical, scooping up a near-record 10 statues, celebrates the deeply human ways music, longing, and laughter connects us all. Featuring Grammy-winning music and lyrics by David Yazbek and a book by Itamar Moses, The Band’s Visit, based on the 2007 Israeli film of the same name, is a joyously offbeat story set in a town that’s way off the beaten path, where a band of musicians pop up out of the blue. The cast of performers in the touring production is led by Israeli actor Sasson Gabay, reprising his role from the film as well as the Broadway production (as Tony Shalhoub’s replacement), and also includes Chilina Kennedy, best known from her turn in the title role of the Broadway hit Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. To Aug. 4. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $45 to $149. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

THE CAT IN THE HAT

A rainy day is turned into a miraculous, mayhem-filled adventure in an adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic imported from across the pond, via the National Theatre of Great Britain. The theater for young audiences production out at Adventure Theatre-MTC in Glen Echo Park is directed by Adam Immerwahr, who has become known for works that are far more serious and adult in his day job as the artistic director of Theater J. Surely The Cat in the Hat is a nice change of pace, maybe even allowing him, to paraphrase from the late Mr. Geisel’s book, “good fun that is funny.” To Aug. 18. 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Call 301-634-2270 or visit www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org.

THE FEW

A drama from playwright Samuel D. Hunter (A Bright New Boise) set in an Idaho town where residents are struggling to connect, relate, and make sense of it all. Baakari Wilder (Broadway’s Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk) plays a man returning after a few years away, Dawn Thomas Reidy plays his friend and former lover, and Andrew Flurer a newcomer who complicates his future in a changed town. Audrey Cefaly, Ira Joe Fisher, Michael Grenham, and Zach Brewster-Geisz also lend their voiceover talents to this production from Maryland’s Unexpected Stage, a company that director Christopher Goodrich founded 10 years ago with his wife Rachel Stroud-Goodrich. To Aug. 4. Fireside Room in the River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation building, 6301 River Rd., Bethesda. Tickets are $10 to $29.50. Call 301-337-8290 or visit www.unexpectedstage.org.

TIGER STYLE!

Described as an outrageous and cutting satire of Asian-American identity, Mike Lew’s latest work closes out the current season at Olney Theatre Center in a production helmed by Helen Hayes Award-winning director Natsu Onoda Power. Regina Aquino and Sean Sekino will star as third-generation Chinese-Americans, affluent Millennial siblings who face something of a late-adolescent identity crisis that leads them to try their hand at living in the motherland. Eileen Rivera as their mother and Michael Glenn as the show’s sole non-Asian actor playing a host of characters complete the cast. To Aug. 18. Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit www.olneytheatre.org.

TREASURE ISLAND

Virginia’s Synetic closes out its season with a high seas adventure full of pirates. The original adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel of the same name is the latest caper from a physical theater-focused company that’s made its name producing wordless variations on classics, particularly those by Shakespeare. Synetic’s impressive crew of athletic actors will bring to life the coming-of-age tale focused on the orphan Jane Hawkins and a ruthless band of buccaneers on a wild hunt for buried treasure. To Aug. 18. 1800 South Bell St., Arlington. Tickets are $35 to $60. Call 800-811-4111 or visit www.synetictheater.org.

MUSIC

1964: THE TRIBUTE

A four-piece band with a self-titled PBS special to its credit and acclaim from Rolling Stone as “the best Beatles tribute ever,” the popular 1964: The Tribute returns for another area show channeling the vibe of the Fab Four’s early ’60s concerts, from the instruments to clothing to onstage banter. Sunday, Aug. 4, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $35. Call 703-549-7500 or visit www.birchmere.com.

ABBA – THE CONCERT

“The best ABBA tribute band in the world,” touts the Official ABBA Fan Club. Featuring two original members of the Swedish pop group’s rhythm section, “ABBA – The Concert” is about as close as we may ever get to a performance by the actual band — not counting the digital avatars, dubbed “abbatars,” that have been developed and expected to make their debut “performing” in a TV special later this year. Sunday, Aug. 4. Gates at 6:30 p.m. The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna. Tickets are $30 to $60. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

CHERISH THE LADIES

Formed over thirty years ago as a means to showcase the brightest female musicians in the male-dominated Irish-American folk scene, this group took its name from a traditional Irish jig. Joanie Madden, on flute and tin whistle, leads the group of multi-instrumentalists including Mary Coogan, Mirella Murray, Grainne Murphy, Deirdre Connolly, and Kathleen Boyle, and accompanied by step dancers. Sunday, Aug. 4, at 3 and 7 p.m. Amp by Strathmore, 11810 Grand Park Ave. North Bethesda. Tickets are $25 to $35. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.ampbystrathmore.com.

CHOPTEETH AFROFUNK BIG BAND

The Washington Post called this 13-piece band “a storming powerhouse of big-band African funk…smart, tight and relentlessly driving.” The Afrobeat-driven group has won 13 Washington Area Music Association Awards, including Artist of the Year in 2008 and as best World Music Group the last nine years in a row. Chopteeth performs regularly throughout the region. Friday, Aug. 9. Doors at 6:30 p.m. Amp by Strathmore, 11810 Grand Park Ave. North Bethesda. Tickets are $22 to $29. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.ampbystrathmore.com.

CREATIVE CAULDRON’S SUMMER CABARET SERIES

The 10th annual summer cabaret series at ArtSpace Falls Church continues with Katie McManus in “My So-Called (Mid)Life,” a swing through showtunes, pop, and jazz standards accompanied by Elisa Rosman, on Friday, Aug. 2, a tribute to Nat King Cole from acclaimed local jazz pianist/vocalist Mark G. Meadows with fellow vocalist Danielle Wertz, on Saturday, Aug. 3, Erin Granfield in “If The Dress Fits,” an evening of song addressing sartorial and other quintessential questions, on Friday, Aug. 9, and performer/lyricist Stephen Gregory Smith, leading “Game On: A Game Night Cabaret,” on Saturday, Aug. 10. All shows at 8 p.m. Series runs to Sept. 14. 410 South Maple Ave. in Falls Church. Tickets are $18 to $22 per show, or $60 for a table for two with wine and $120 for four with wine. Call 703-436-9948 or visit www.creativecauldron.org.

JAZZ IN THE GARDEN: SON DEL CARIBE, THE BAILSMEN

A summertime staple, the National Gallery of Art offers free outdoor concerts immediately after work every Friday through late August. Bands offering a range of jazz styles, from swing to Latin to ska, perform amidst the museum’s collection of large-scale sculptural works while patrons enjoy food and drinks, including beer, wine, and sangria, as sold by the Pavilion Café. New menu items for 2019 include the popular vegetarian Teriyaki Impossible Burger, a Bahn Mi Turkey Burger with ginger soy aioli, and more traditional sandwiches of pulled pork and beef brisket, all available at grill stations throughout the Sculpture Garden. The series continues with Cincinnati’s eclectic pan-Caribbean, pan-American Latin dance outfit Son Del Caribe on Aug. 2, and New York’s Django Reinhardt-inspired gypsy jazz band The Bailsmen on Aug. 9. Evenings from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Sculpture Garden, between 7th and 9th Streets NW. Call 202-289-3360 or visit www.nga.gov.

JUSTIN TRAWICK

“It’s the first record that I’ve done that I feel really represents me as a musician and us as a band,” Justin Trawick told Metro Weekly last year after the release of the Americana-focused EP Riverwash, featuring his band The Common Good. The Northern Virginia-based singer-songwriter is less rock-oriented now than when he made music his full-time pursuit over a decade ago, but however different in sound, the songs on Riverwash are every bit as personal as his prior output. “The best part about this job is that you’re writing things that come from the heart, and oftentimes you’re connecting with people based on the emotions that you’ve conveyed in a song. If you write something that people identify with, that’s when you make a fan forever. That’s what I’m trying to do.” Trawick performs a “Free Late Night in the Loft” this Saturday, Aug. 3, at 10:30 p.m. Loft Bar in the Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Free. Call 202-787-1000 or visit www.thehamiltondc.com.

SARAH MCLACHLAN WITH THE NSO POPS

Over the past decade this pet-rescuing Canadian crooner has been offering dramatically reimagined versions of her quiet-storm ballads in concerts with various American orchestras. The acclaimed singer-songwriter, also celebrated as the founder of the legendary Lilith Fair and Vancouver’s Sarah McLachlan School of Music, returns to the symphonic well next weekend with Sean O’Loughlin conducting the National Symphony Orchestra outside in the summer heat. Saturday, Aug. 3. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $40 to $90. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit www.wolftrap.org.

SCOTT BRADLEE’S POSTMODERN JUKEBOX

A rotating musical collective founded by the arranger and pianist Bradlee in 2009, PMJ became a YouTube sensation through amusing reworkings of recent pop and rock songs, sung in the style of vintage swing and jazz. Also including original tunes, this “traveling band of throwback minstrels” returns to the area on the “Welcome to the Twenties 2.0 Tour,” a year-long run of shows to help prepare fans for a new decade of music, chiefly by channeling the musical style birthed in the 1920s — namely, jazz. As Bradlee puts it in the tour’s promotional materials: “Get ready for the most sensational ’20s party this side of The Great Gatsby.” Friday, Aug. 2, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $29 to $69, or $119 for VIP Package with premium seating and tour poster, $169 for VIP Package also including post-show Meet & Greet. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

SIGNATURE THEATRE’S SUMMER CABARET SERIES

Signature presents a cabaret series with seven different shows, most of them featuring musical actors known from productions at the Shirlington complex. The lineup concludes with Awa Sal Secka (Blackbeard, Jesus Christ Superstar) and Christian Douglas (United States Army Chorus) in “Two’s Company,” “a cabaret toast to dynamic duos,” on Thursday, Aug. 1, at 8 p.m.; Wesley Taylor, the gay star of Cabaret four years ago, in the personal romp through his life and career “Finally, A Show About Me,” on Friday, Aug. 2, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 3, at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Joel Coleman, the lead vocalist of the Platters (“Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,” “Only You”), and his “No Boundaries” mix of songs that share “the soundtrack of his life,” on Sunday, Aug. 4, at 2 p.m. The Ark at 4200 Campbell Ave., in Arlington. Tickets are $38 per show, or $175 for an All-Access pass. Call 703-820-9771 or visit www.sigtheatre.org.

STRATHMORE’S LIVE FROM THE LAWN: THE JOSANNE FRANCIS SEPTET

Born and raised in the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, Josanne Francis is an internationally known steelpan performer and music educator. She’s also an alumni of Strathmore’s Artist in Residence program, and returns with her band to perform on the lawn outside of the Strathmore mansion as part of the venue’s free weekly summer series. Wednesday, Aug. 7, starting at 7 p.m. Gudelsky Gazebo, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Tickets are free. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

SUMMER SPIRIT FESTIVAL

Previously billed as a “one-stop shop for a soulful good time,” this year’s festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion scales down from two days to one. Anthony Hamilton headlines a lineup featuring other, somewhat underrated R&B/soul acts, among them Jhené Aiko, Raphael Saadiq, and PJ Morton. Returning for another consecutive year are local go-go acts BackYard Band featuring Anwan Glover and Sirius & Company featuring Ms. Kim & Scooby. More homegrown go-go is represented via Be’la Dona feat. Sugar Bear, while two up-and-coming acts round out the bill, the Drake-supported, ’90s-R&B-channeling duo DVSN and the 23-year-old falsetto crooner Kyle Dion. Saturday, Aug. 3, starting at 2:30 p.m. 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Md. Tickets are $60 to $250. Call 800-551-SEAT or visit www.merriweathermusic.com.

THE FAINT

The Nebraska electronic act The Faint, Saddle Creek labelmates of Conor Oberst, helped set the pace for the now-common dance-rock sound, per its dancefloor-ready album Danse Macabre from 2001. The band returned this year with its seventh studio set Egowerk, which lead singer Todd Fink says in official promotional materials is about the “toxic battleground” that is today’s Internet: “Social media is turning well-meaning people into self-important cruel monsters.” Ritual Howls and Closeness open. Saturday, Aug. 3. Doors at 8 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-265-0930 or visit www.930.com.

WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL PIANO FESTIVAL

Now in its 11th year, this weeklong festival — Washington’s first and only piano festival — attracts young aspiring concert pianists from all over the world for its intensive educational programs guided by host organization the Catholic University of America — and also for the lure of significant public performance opportunities, including the rare chance to play the Kennedy Center. The performance schedule at Catholic’s Ward Recital Hall (620 Michigan Ave. NE) includes the 6th Piano Competition Final Round, on Friday, Aug. 2, at 6:30 p.m., and a Recital and Award Ceremony featuring the Winners of the 6th Piano Competition, on Saturday, Aug. 3, at 6:30 p.m. The week concludes with three free showcases: the Closing Concert of the 2019 WIPF Participants, on Monday, Aug. 5, at 10 a.m., at Catholic University, framed by two Selected WIPF Participants’ Concerts, on Sunday, Aug. 4, and Monday, Aug. 5, at 6 p.m., at the Kennedy Center. Tickets are $10 to $20 each for the non-free concerts at CUA. Call 202-290-5267 or visit www.washingtonpianofest.com.

WHITE FORD BRONCO

“D.C.’s all ’90s party band,” cheekily named after O.J. Simpson’s notorious failed getaway car, is a five-member ensemble consisting of singer/guitarist Diego Valencia, singer Gretchen Gustafson, guitarists Ken Sigmund and McNasty, and drummer Max Shapiro. White Ford Bronco sings through that decade’s songbook in all styles of popular music. Saturday, Aug. 10. Doors at 8 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-265-0930 or visit www.930.com.

COMEDY

THE SECOND CITY: AMERICA; IT’S COMPLICATED

The legendary comedic troupe from Chicago returns to the Kennedy Center for another all-new, made-for-Washington politically minded show mixing sketch comedy, improv, satire, and original music. Mary Catherine Curran, Cody Dove, Jillian Ebanks, Jordan Savusa, Adam Schreck, and Holly Walker are the featured players for America; It’s Complicated. To Aug. 11. Theater Lab. Tickets are $49 to $59. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

VINCE EBERT: SEXY SCIENCE

Nearly two decades after launching an improbable career as a comedian with a satirical science bent, this German star, who has a degree in physics, brings the English-language show he debuted at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe festival to the Kennedy Center. The show riffs on everything from skeptical thinking to fake news to “the secret of German cars,” while also posing the question: “Do strippers in the southern hemisphere turn around the pole in the opposite direction?” Saturday, Aug. 10, at 6 p.m. Terrace Theater. Tickets are free, distributed two per person in line in the States Gallery at approximately 5 p.m. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

READINGS

CHARLES KING: GODS OF THE UPPER AIR

King, a professor of international affairs and government at Georgetown University, offers a group portrait of the pioneers of cultural anthropology in his newest work Gods of the Upper Air: How a Circle of Renegade Anthropologists Reinvented Race, Sex, and Gender in the 20th Century. The book traces the shift from seeing human behavior in terms of biology to viewing it as a product of culture and learning, chronicling the groundbreaking experiments of Columbia University anthropologist Franz Boas as well as the work of his students, including Margaret Mead and Zora Neale Hurston. He offers a reading and signing the day before the book is officially published by Doubleday. Monday, Aug. 5, at 7 p.m. Politics and Prose at the Wharf, 70 District Square SW. Call 202-488-3867 or visit www.politics-prose.com.

KELLI FERRELL: KOOKING WITH KELLI

A TV personality as well as co-founder and owner with her husband of the Louisiana/Maryland-style diner Nana’s Chicken-N-Waffles outside of Atlanta, Ferrell offers two area combination book signings and cooking demos. Subtitled Kollection of Family Recipes from Nana’s Chicken-N-Waffles, Ferrell’s newly published cookbook instructs readers how to make soul-satisfying southern dishes, including Honey Fried Chicken, Shrimp and Grits, and Southern Sweet Potato Pie, most requiring short preparation and cook time. Friday, Aug. 2, from 6 to 8 p.m. Williams-Sonoma Tysons Galleria, 1833 International Dr., McLean, Va. Call 703-917-0005. Also Saturday, Aug. 3, from 3 to 5 p.m. Williams-Sonoma Columbia Mall, 10300 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Maryland. Call 410-884-0324. Visit www.williams-sonoma.com.

STEVEN GREENHOUSE

The award-winning journalist who spent nearly 20 years covering labor and the workplace for the New York Times traces today’s blight of wage stagnation, income inequality, gender-pay gaps, and a host of other social and political problems directly to the long decline of worker power. Yet in Beaten Down, Worked Up: the Past, Present, and Future of American Labor, Greenhouse sees glimmers of hope for the future via documenting the concrete ways workers today are organizing and reclaiming their collective power, from hotel housekeepers to G.M. laborers to Uber drivers. Thursday, Aug. 8, at 7 p.m. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-364-1919 or visit www.politics-prose.com.

ART & EXHIBITS

AMERICA IS…

Touchstone Gallery presents its third national juried exhibition — after 2016’s Art as Politics and 2017’s Art of Engagement — exploring national identity and values during a time of divisive politics and great social change. Four jurors from across the nation — Rachel Adams of Omaha’s Bernis Center for Contemporary Arts, Taylor Bythewood-Porter of the California African American Museum, Jen Mergel of the Association of Art Museum Curators, and Jennifer M. Williams of New Orleans Museum of Art — helped select the works on display from nearly 50 artists, ranging form paintings and photographs to multimedia pieces to life-sized scale sculpture installations. LGBTQ discrimination is among the themes represented in the exhibition alongside political corruption, racism and xenophobia, police violence, climate change, women’s rights, drug addiction, and digital distractions, among others. Opening Reception, featuring hors d’oeuvres by Occasions Caterers and gourmet frozen desserts by Moorenko’s Ice Cream, and where cash prizes will be awarded to four of the participating artists, is Friday, Aug. 2, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. On display to Aug. 29. 901 New York Ave. NW Call 202-347-2787 or visit www.touchstonegallery.com.

BLACK AND WHITE AT GALLERY CLARENDON

The latest group show from members of Clarendon’s Overlook Gallery offers a twist on the traditional “colorless” approach to art. While no color is apparent in the works in Black and White, no black paint was used, either. Instead, a mixture of other colors was created as a replacement. “This dynamic expression made us examine everyday scenes in a unique way,” according to painter and teacher Jane Coonce, who conceived of the exhibit. Other new member artworks, in a range of media including sculpture, metalwork, ceramics, and photography, are on display in the main gallery of Gallery Clarendon, a pop-up art space where professional artists work, exhibit, and teach classes open to the public. To Aug. 4. An Arlington Artists Alliance Gallery, 2800 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington. Call 571-312-7813 or visit www.galleryclarendon.org.

CONTRAST

Maryland’s visual arts gallery Pyramid Atlantic presents an inky and dark-hued show featuring the diverse artworks of three contemporary printmakers working in the intaglio style, which is the opposite of a relief print and most commonly seen today via paper or plastic currency, passports, and postage stamps. To develop his intaglio prints, New York’s Curt Belshe starts by taking photographs of figures that he then digitally sculpts in 3D software before exposing the images to light-sensitive plates and creating etchings. Meanwhile, Jake Muirhead prints from hand-drawn etching into copper plates and his fellow Maryland-based artist Jenny Freestone works in a mix of styles including drypoint, etching, and gravure. When considered collectively, the prints on display from the three artists have “a velvety and mysterious quality.” To Aug. 18. 4318 Gallatin St., Hyattsville, Md. Call 301-608-9101 or visit www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org.

INSPIRED BODIES

Brookland’s community-based Bluebird Sky Yoga Studio is currently celebrating all bodies and resilience with a show featuring works by local artists who self-identify with a disability, including curators Alice Gardner-Bates and Metro Weekly contributor Hannah Chertock. The artworks in the multimedia exhibit were either inspired or influenced by physical or mental disability, chronic illness, or pain. Now to Oct. 31. Opening Night reception with selected artists is Saturday, Sept. 21. Bluebird Sky Yoga, 3101 12th St. NE. Call 202-248-2218 or visit www.inspiredbodies.wordpress.com.

ONE VOICE

The Kimpton Carlyle Hotel Dupont Circle is celebrating Capital Pride with a summer-long art exhibition in its lobby featuring local LGBTQ artists and allies. Curated by Julie Ratner and Golie Miamee of Artworx Consultants, One Voice includes works by Tom Hill, Maggie O’Neill, Wayson Jones, and Rose Jaffe, in addition to several permanent works by world-renowned mixed-media artist Michele Oka Doner and Michael Crossett’s piece “Community,” which was commissioned for Kimpton in partnership with Shop Made in DC. Through Sept. 2. 1731 New Hampshire Ave. NW. Suggested donation of $5 per person that will benefit Kimpton brand partner the Trevor Project. Call 202-234-3200 or visit www.carlylehoteldc.com.

QUEENS OF EGYPT

A new exhibition at the National Geographic Museum puts a rare spotlight on the queens of ancient Egypt, including Hatshepsut, Nefertari, Nefertiti, and Cleopatra VII. The life and leadership of these legendary figures, whose rule ranged from the New Kingdom (1539-1514 B.C.) to the Ptolemaic dynasty (51-30 B.C.), is told with the help of more than 300 ancient Egyptian artifacts, including monumental statues, sparkling jewelry, and impressive sarcophagi — plus the use of advanced virtual reality technology providing a 3D flythrough tour of one of the most well-preserved tombs in the Valley of the Queens, that of Queen Nefertari. Many of the objects on display come courtesy of the Museo Egizio of Turin, Italy, one of the international cultural partners in the exhibition. And much of the research is based on the work of renowned Egyptologist and National Geographic Explorer Kara Cooney, author of the companion book When Women Ruled The World: Six Queens of Egypt, published by National Geographic Books last fall. To Sept. 2. The museum is located at 1145 17th St. NW. Tickets are $10 to $15. Call 202-857-7588 or visit www.ngmuseum.org.

RISE UP: STONEWALL AND THE LGBTQ RIGHTS MOVEMENT

A groundbreaking exhibition commemorating what happened at New York’s Stonewall Inn 50 years ago this month, when patrons stood up and pushed back for the first time against the widespread police raids and anti-gay harrassment of the era. As seen through artifacts, images, and historic print publications, the Newseum’s Rise Up spotlights the Stonewall uprising as the key spark helping ignite the modern LGBTQ movement. Yet the exhibit also puts things in proper perspective by examining other pivotal moments of history, including the 1978 assassination of Harvey Milk, one of the country’s first openly gay elected officials; the creation of the rainbow flag as a powerful symbol to represent the community; the pioneering advocacy of early movement leaders, none more so than hometown hero Frank Kameny; the impact of the AIDS crisis; and the more recent cultural progress in terms of military representation and marriage equality. The role of the news media and popular culture in general is also naturally touched on in an exhibition hosted by the Newseum’s Freedom Forum Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for a free press and the First Amendment. And in particular, freedoms granted by the First Amendment are touted as having emboldened activists fighting discriminatory practices against LGBTQ Americans in housing, employment, and public accommodations. To Dec. 31. 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets are $22.95 for general admission. Call 292-6100 or visit www.newseum.org.

SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM: SAAM ARCADE

The Smithsonian American Art Museum was one of the first museums in the U.S. to acquire video games as part of its permanent collection, recognizing the compelling performance space, activated by artists and players alike, whose interaction can create a unique artistic as well as educational experience. At its annual SAAM Arcade, participants get the chance to play games, from the analog (card games, pinball machines) to digital classics (Donkey Kong and Pac-Man, available on their original devices). But the centerpiece is the “Indie Showcase” in the museum’s Kogod Courtyard, a display of independent games created by both student and professional developers. With a theme of “Breaking Barriers,” the 5th annual event puts the spotlight on indie games that recognize the diversity of gaming audiences, makers, players, characters, and cultures, encouraging the industry to break barriers and celebrate underrepresented segments with the gaming community. On Saturday, Aug. 3, at 6 p.m., Tanya DePass, founder of the nonprofit I Need Diverse Games, joins for a keynote presentation expanding on the theme and titled “Barriers are Meant to be Destroyed, Not Just Broken.” The Arcade is open Saturday, Aug. 3, and Sunday, Aug. 4, from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. 8th and F Sts. NW. Free. Call 202-633-1000 or visit americanart.si.edu.

THE LIFE OF ANIMALS IN JAPANESE ART

This major exhibition at the National Gallery of Art covers 17 centuries of animal-inspired art — from the 5th century to the present — and across a wide variety of media, everything from sculpture to painting, ceramics to textiles, metalwork to woodblock print. In total, the exhibit includes more than 300 works spread across 18,000 square feet. Artists represented include Sesson Shūkei, Katshushika Hokusai, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Kusama Yayoi, Issey Miyake, Nara Yoshitomo, and Murakami Takashi. To Aug. 18, with the exhibit staying open until 8 p.m. every night to recover hours lost during the partial government shutdown and inclement weather, but also to showcase a rotating group of light-sensitive objects. Concourse Galleries in the East Building, 3rd Street at Constitution Avenue NW. Call 202-737-4215 or visit www.nga.gov.

FOOD & DRINK

FIREFLY: LEGALLY BLONDE-INSPIRED OFFERINGS

With the fictitious Elle Woods ensconced in Dupont Circle for the month of August per Keegan Theatre’s production of Legally Blonde, the neighborhood’s hip and cozy American bistro Firefly is getting in on the act. For starters, ticket-holders will get 20-percent-off lunch, dinner, or happy hour (excluding wine), and the promotion is good for one visit anytime during the run of the show — it’s “not limited to the date of the show printed on the ticket.” Additionally, the bar will offer a special rotating “Drink Pink” flight of cocktails — three 3oz pours for $22 — with names including the “Bend and Snap,” “Gemini Vegetarians,” and “Valley-dictorian.” Opened in 2003, Firefly was one of D.C.’s first trend-setting hotel restaurants and is part of the Kimpton boutique chain alongside the Kimpton Hotel Madera. 1310 New Hampshire Ave. NW. Call 202-861-1310 or visit www.firefly-dc.com.

PEPINO POP-UP AT COTTON & REED

Cotton & Reed, the rum distillery and tasting room in the Union Market District, plays host to a special culinary pop-up over the next month from Christian Irabién, the Mexican-born, D.C.-based chef who spent years working with José Andres and his Mexican outpost Oyamel. Pepino is designed as a preview of Amparo (www.amparofondita.com), Irabién’s forthcoming contemporary Mexican restaurant that is set to open this fall as part of the new Latin marketplace La Cosecha. The pop-up features six special ceviches (priced at $7 to $16 each). Meanwhile, Cotton & Reed complements Irabién’s menu with “Prickled Pink,” a specially concocted slushie consisting of white rum, mezcal, prickly pear, and lime ($12). To Aug. 18. Pepino is open from noon to 8 p.m. on weekends and 4 to 10 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays. 1330 5th St. NE. Call 202-544-2805 or visit www.facebook.com/cotton.and.reed.

THE GRAHAM GEORGETOWN: SUNSET CINEMA SERIES COCKTAILS

In conjunction with Georgetown’s Sunset Cinema series, this nearby luxury boutique hotel features a different specialty cocktail available for $14 each Tuesday and inspired by the screening later that evening. On Tuesday, Aug. 6, in advance of the concluding film in the series Eat Pray Love, you can order at the hotel’s open-air rooftop bar the cocktail “You’re wishin’ too much, baby,” a slight twist on a Sex on the Beach with grapefruit-flavored vodka and peach schnapps plus cranberry and orange juices. Named after Alexander Graham Bell, the famous Scottish-born American inventor who was also a Georgetown resident, the Graham Georgetown is located near the historic C&O Canal on a quiet side street running south from M Street NW down to the Washington Harbor. In addition to fun, sophisticated alcoholic beverages, the Graham Rooftop, which opens at 4 p.m. weekdays, offers sweeping views of Georgetown, the federal city, and beyond. 1075 Thomas Jefferson St. NW. Call 202-337-0900 or visit www.thegrahamgeorgetown.com.

ABOVE AND BEYOND

FORD’S THEATRE’S HISTORY ON FOOT

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

THE ASK RAYCEEN SHOW

For the latest edition of his monthly show, Rayceen Pendarvis hosts a program featuring singer Nia Simmons, burlesque artist BeBe Bardot, and a segment recognizing the Team Rayceen volunteers. The evening begins with music by DJ Rosie along with vendors, artwork displays, a cash bar, and free catered food (while it lasts). Wednesday, August 7. Doors at 6 p.m. HRC Equality Center, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Free. Visit www.AskRayceen.com.