FILM
STAGE
MUSIC
DANCE
COMEDY
READINGS
EXHIBITS
ABOVE & BEYOND

FILM

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Currently mired in boycotts over an apparent gay moment and needless criticism of Emma Watson having breasts and being unashamed of that fact on a Vanity Fair cover, Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast looks to be a splendid, sumptuous and faithful remake. Plus, with the incredibly handsome Dan Stevens as Beast, disappointment will be minimal when he transforms back into the human prince. Everyone prefers animated Beast to his human form, right? Opens Friday, March 17. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Rhuaridh Marr)

FORCES OF NATURE
National Geographic offers a virtual tour through modern-day disasters and Earth’s fiercest powers, from volcanic eruptions on the island of Montserrat and trembling fault lines in Turkey, to storms ripping through the notorious “Tornado Alley” of America’s Midwest. Experience it all in eye-popping enormity on the giant screen. Kevin Bacon narrates the 40-minute documentary, shot in IMAX by George Casey, that also features scientists to help viewers better comprehend these forces and hopefully increase the odds of surviving such events in the future. To April 30. National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th St. NW. Tickets are $7. Call 202-857-7500 or visit ngmuseum.org.

PERSONAL SHOPPER
Fans of Kristen Stewart — or great performances in general, if critical buzz is anything to go by — should take note of Olivier Assayas’ psychological thriller, about a woman who spends time in the home of her dead brother in an attempt to contact him. Reviews have been mixed and the tone apparently shifts between drama and horror, but Stewart continues to prove biting her lip in Twilight wasn’t the extent of her acting abilities. Opens Friday, March 17. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Rhuaridh Marr)

THE SENSE OF AN ENDING
Julian Barnes’ Booker Prize-winning novel isn’t quite as successful on the big screen, based on early reviews of Ritesh Batra’s film about a business owner (Jim Broadbent) who reunites with his first love (Charlotte Rampling) after a letter and a diary force him to confront the past. A.V. Club‘s Mike D’Angelo called it “a pointless game of narrative Keep Away.” Opens Friday, March 17. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com.

TICKLING GIANTS
A former heart surgeon, Bassem Youssef became known as the “Egyptian Jon Stewart” during the Arab Spring when he established Egypt’s first political satire show, using it to creatively protest his government and president abusing his power. Youssef’s show attracted a regular audience of 30 million people during its 2011-2014 run. Written and directed by Sara Taksler, a senior producer at The Daily Show, Tickling Giants will screen locally with an exclusive recorded interview of Bassem by political satirist Samantha Bee. Tuesday, March 21, at 7 p.m. Landmark’s Atlantic Plumbing Cinema, 807 V St. NW. Also Landmark’s Harbor East, 645 S. President St., Baltimore. Tickets are $15. Call 202-534-1964 (Atlantic Plumbing) or 410-244-6636 (Harbor East) or visit landmarktheatres.com.

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STAGE

CHOIR BOY
Tarell McCraney’s drama focuses on the most talented — as well as most flamboyant — chorister at a hallowed African-American, all-boy prep school. A touching tale of bullying, homophobia, love and acceptance, the show’s greatest source of power is in McCraney’s subtle, graceful and evocative style of storytelling. Closes Saturday, March 18. Richmond Triangle Players, 1300 Altamont Ave., Richmond. Tickets are $28 to $30. Call 804-346-8113 or visit rtriangle.org.

ELLA ENCHANTED
Adventure Theatre MTC offers a world-premiere musical, co-commissioned by First Stage from Milwaukee, Wisconsin with funding in part from the National Endowment for the Arts. Ella Enchanted is based on the award-winning book by Gail Carson Levine that also produced the 2004 fantasy rom-com starring Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy. Written by Karen Zacarias with music by Deborah Wicks La Puma, Mary Hall Surface directs the all-ages show. Closes Sunday, March 19. Adventure Theatre MTC, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Call 301-634-2270 or visit adventuretheatre-mtc.org.

FICKLE: A FANCY FRENCH FARCE
Disguises, mistaken identities, palace intrigues and an improbable romance are in store in a world-premiere modern take on Pierre de Marivaux’s 18th-century French comedy The Double Inconstancy. Adapted by rising American playwright Meg Miroshnik, the delightful comic romp stars Tonya Beckman, Chris Dinolfo, Mark Jaster, Alyssa Wilmoth Keegan, Marcus Kyd, Kathryn Tkel, and Andy Reinhardt. Olney Theatre’s Artistic Associate Eleanor Holdridge directs. To April 2. Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road in Maryland. Tickets are $45 to $65. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.

INTELLIGENCE
Inspired by the frenzy that followed when covert operative Valerie Plame’s cover was blown in post-9/11 America and the run-up to war, Intelligence is a fictionalized political thriller by Jacqueline E. Lawton. Daniella Topol directs a world premiere starring Hannah Yelland as Plame. To April 9. In the Kogod Cradle at Arena Stage, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $51 to $66. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

KING CHARLES III
Three years after giving us Cock, British playwright Mike Bartlett returns with his latest theatrical effort. An Olivier-winning play that nods to Shakespeare, King Charles II explores how Prince Charles might rule were he to finally ascend to the British throne. The New York Times called it “an intellectually and emotionally gripping study of the strangely enduring anachronism that is the British monarchy.” Directed by David Muse. Closes Saturday, March 18. Sidney Harman Hall, Harman Center for the Arts, 610 F St. NW. Call 202-547-1122 or visit shakespearetheatre.org.

MARX IN SOHO
Mary Myers is Karl Marx in a typically gender-bending production from Nu Sass of Howard Zinn’s one-man play. Dating to 1999, Marx in Soho offers a sympathetic portrayal of the 19th-century philosopher and his communist ideals. Angela Kay Pirko directs the show, performed in an intimate space of 30 seats, and in an immersive, open way with a goal of developing a connection with audiences beyond the typical. To April 2. Caos on F, 923 F St. NW. Tickets are $30. Visit nusass.com.

MRS. MILLER DOES HER THING
Emmy and Tony-winner Debra Monk stars in a comedy by Pulitzer-winning playwright James Lapine about Elva Miller, a songstress whose off-key singing found fame in the ’60s. Think of her as pop music’s Florence Foster Jenkins. To March 26. Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Call 703-820-9771 or visit signature-theatre.org.

NO SISTERS
The latest re-imagining of Chekhov from famed local writer/director Aaron Posner, No Sisters is set in the same theater as its Russian progenitor Three Sisters, and Studio Theatre presents the works in rep. The conceit is that, while the original plays out downstairs, the unseen half of the cast is performing the new work upstairs. Posner’s comedy explores sibling rivalry from the point of view of the members of the household you don’t see. Nancy Robinette, Kimberly Gilbert and Daven Ralston lead the cast. Now in previews. Runs to April 23. Studio Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.

PARADE
The complexities of social relationships in the early-20th Century South is the backdrop of writer Alfred Uhry’s story focused on the trial and lynching of a Jewish man wrongly accused of murder. Jake Null will lead the band in composer/lyricist Jason Robert Brown’s rich, intricate score in the latest Tony Award-winning musical to get the Keegan Theatre touch. Christina A. Coakley (Cabaret) and Susan Marie Rhea (Hair) co-direct a large cast led by Michael Innocenti as Leo Frank and Eleanor J. Todd as his wife Lucille Frank in a tragic, touching musical that explores themes that are sadly as relevant as ever. To April 8. Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $45 to $55. Call 202-265-3768 or visit keegantheatre.com.

RAGTIME
Based on the sprawling novel by E.L. Doctorow, with book, music and lyrics by Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, the Tony-winning musical Ragtime depicts three families striving for the American dream at the turn of the 20th century. It’s an epic musical, made all the more so by the all-star D.C. cast that director Peter Flynn (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) managed to assemble, led by Kevin McAllister, Tracy Lynn Olivera, Nova Y. Payton and Jonathan Atkinson. Talk about an American dream. To May 20. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. Call 800-982-2787 or visit fords.org.

THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES
A fresh, musical spin on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale, Creative Cauldron presents a Learning Theater Production adapted and directed by Denise Perrino and Ellen Selby, with music by Matt Conner and lyrics by Stephen Gregory Smith. Watch as a fashion-conscious emperor spends a fortune on the most fabulous robe ever seen in a hilarious tale illuminating how pride and vanity can make a leader a glorious buffoon. Opens Friday, March 17, at 7:30 p.m. To April 9. ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South Maple Ave. in Falls Church. Tickets are $16. Call 703-436-9948 or visit creativecauldron.org.

THE GOSPEL AT COLONUS
Jennifer L. Nelson directs Lee Breuer’s modern adaptation of the Sophocles tale about the last days of Oedipus, with a score by Bob Telson. William T. Newman Jr. plays Preacher Oedipus in this soaring, poetic celebration of transcendence and the fragility of life, which won the Obie for Best Musical in 1984 and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Best Drama in 1985. Performed with the Women’s Ecumenical Choir of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va. To March 26. Gunston Arts Center, 2700 South Lang St. Arlington. Tickets are $30 to $35. Call 703-418-4804 or visit wscavantbard.org.

THE SELECT (THE SUN ALSO RISES)
John Collins directs New York’s Elevator Repair Service adaptation of the classic novel by Ernest Hemingway about a group of American and British expatriates who travel to Spain for the Running of the Bulls. Shakespeare Theatre Company hosts the acclaimed theater ensemble a decade after they came to fame with their spin on F. Scott Fitzgerald with Gatz. The Select is a streamlined edit of Hemingway that stays true to the writer’s distinct style. To April 2. Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th St. NW. Call 202-547-1122 or visit shakespearetheatre.org.

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
Synetic Theater continues its “Wordless Shakespeare” work, transporting the Bard’s “Battle of the Sexes” romantic comedy from Italy to Hollywood. The Taming of the Shrew is led by Synetic founders, the husband-and-wife team of Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili, and features Irina in the lead role, opposite Ryan Sellers as Petruchio. Choreography for the show comes from Zana Gankhuyag, who also portrays Gremio. Alex Mills is Grumio, Petruchio’s servant. Closes Sunday, March 19. Theater at Crystal City, 1800 South Bell St., Arlington. Tickets are $20 to $60. Call 800-494-8497 or visit synetictheater.org.

THE WHITE SNAKE
A magical adaptation by Mary Zimmerman, The White Snake is brought to fantastical life in grand spectacle in Baltimore Center Stage’s newly renovated Head Theater. Based on an ancient Chinese fable, it tells the story of two animal spirits who take on human form as a beautiful woman (Aime Donna Kelly) and her sly servant. Natsu Onoda Power directs the production starring Aime Donna Kelly, Eileen Rivera and Joe Ngo and featuring an ensemble of actors and four actor-musicians led by music director Jeff Song. To March 26. Baltimore Center Stage, 700 North Calvert St. Tickets are $20 to $69. Call 410-332-0033 or visit centerstage.org.

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MUSIC

A GREAT BIG WORLD
Ian Axel and Chad King’s music as pop duo A Great Big World is catchy and inspiring in a ’70s-esque sentimental kind of way. It’s something you no doubt already know from prominent placement on TV, including Glee (“This Is The New Year”) as well as The Voice (“Say Something,” which became a collaboration with Christina Aguilera). The duo also scored an early viral hit with LGBT-affirming “Everyone Is Gay.” They return for an unplugged concert previewing new music. Saturday, March 18, at 8 p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $15 to $85. Call 202-787-1000 or visit thehamiltondc.com.

CAMERON CARPENTER
Showy gay organ star will fill the Music Center with the rich sounds from the International Touring Organ, his custom-made monumental digital organ, and a program of Bach, Wagner and Gershwin. Washington Performing Arts presents the recital. Thursday, March 23, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $50 to $65. Call 301-581-5100 or visit washingtonperformingarts.org.

CHER
The gay icon and “Goddess of Pop” makes her residency debut this weekend at MGM’s East Coast complex. She’ll perform from her extensive repertoire with a Bob Mackie-designed costume change for practically every song. Upcoming performances, all at 8 p.m., are Friday, March 17, Sunday, March 19, Monday, March 20, Thursday, March 23, Saturday, March 25, and Sunday, March 26. Theater at MGM National Harbor, 7100 Oxon Hill Rd. Tickets are few and far between, but range in price from $109 to $686. Oxon Hill, Md. Call 301-971-5000 or visit mgmnationalharbor.com.

D.C.’S DIFFERENT DRUMMERS
“Glitter and be Gay!” is theme of the Capitol Pride Symphonic Band’s spring concert, exploring the contributions of LGBT+ composers, from Leonard Bernstein to Jennifer Higdon, Aaron Copland to Steven Reineke, Cole Porter to Elton John. Saturday, March 25, at 7 p.m. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Tickets are $50. Call 202-347-2635 or visit dcdd.org.

ETHAN FOOTE
Bassist Ethan Foote is part of Strathmore’s 2017 class of Artists in Residence who, in addition to mentoring sessions, are granted solo concerts in the Maryland venue’s Mansion to showcase their talent. Foote will demonstrate his abilities in musical genres ranging from classical to jazz to folk — including highlights from his 2015 solo debut Fields Burning, which weaved together folk-rock with romantic and mystical leanings. Wednesday, March 22, at 7:30 p.m. The Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Tickets are $17. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

FOXYGEN
Sam France and Jonathan Rado, the duo behind Foxygen, are clearly influenced by the Rolling Stones and David Bowie, with a sound that merges glam-rock with folk. Foxygen tours in support of Hang, a weird and wonderful set veering from rock to jazz and showtunes to polka/circus fare, often in the same song, such as the appropriately named “America,” or “Up A Hill.” Wednesday, March 22. Doors at 7 p.m. 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

JOHN EATON: HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD
The Washington piano legend returns to the Barns for a cabaret subtitled A Celebration of the Great Movie Songs and Themes. Sunday, March 19, at 2 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $25 to $27. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

JOSE JAMES
Love In A Time of Madness is the latest from the sultry neo-soul artist who drew inspiration from Frank Ocean and John Legend for the set, which ends with James singing a duet with Oleta Adams. Saturday, March 18. Doors at 7 p.m. U Street Music Hall, 1115A U St. NW. Tickets are $22.25. Call 202-588-1880 or visit ustreetmusichall.com.

MILLENNIUM STAGE 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Scythian, a four-piece seamlessly blending kicked-up Celtic, folk and old-time music, and Big Sam’s Funky Nation, an urban funk group, lead a free, two-hour celebration of the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Sunday, March 19, at 6 p.m. Grand Foyer. Tickets are free. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

NATIONAL CHAMBER ENSEMBLE
Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette will read Vivaldi’s sonnets in a program also featuring spectacular multimedia images of both Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Piazzolla’s sensual Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. Saturday, March 25, at 7:30 p.m. Rosslyn Spectrum Theater, 1611 North Kent St. in Arlington. Tickets are $17 to $33. Call 703-276-6701 or visit nationalchamberensemble.org.

NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC: BRAHMS’S REQUIEM
Music Director Piotr Gajewski leads the symphony, the National Philharmonic Chorale and soprano Danielle Talamantes and baritone Nmon Ford in one of the most important choral works of the Romantic era. Also on the bill is Baltimore-based Jonathan Leshnoff’s oratorio Zohar, based on the writings from the Jewish mystical Kabbalah. Saturday, March 18, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $23 to $66. Call 301-581-5100 or visit nationalphilharmonic.org.

NEEDLES AND OPIUM
As part of a spotlight on innovative, international directors, the Kennedy Center presents world-renowned Canadian Robert Lepage and his multidisciplinary performance company Ex Machina, revisiting a highly visual work from 1991 that is as much magic as it is theater. Focused on themes of creativity, love, addiction and withdrawal, Needles and Opium is told in a series of vignettes, triggered by the art of French poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau and American jazz legend Miles Davis. Olivier Normand and Wellesley Robertson III star, with all the action set in a cube suspended in midair. Thursday, March 16, and Friday, March 17, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, March 18, at 2 and 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $19 to $59. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

NSO POPS: 100 YEARS OF ELLA & COMPANY
Sophisticated Ladies features Steven Reineke leading the NSO with singers Sy Smith, Capathia Jenkins and Montego Glover. They pay tribute to the First Lady of Song, as well as her artistic contemporaries Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington. Friday, March 24, and Saturday, March 25, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $24 to $99. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

NOUVELLE VAGUE
French musician Marc Collin transforms familiar punk, post-punk and New Wave songs into bossa nova style tunes with his band Nouvelle Vague — whether sung in English, Portuguese or French, that’s a whole lot of new wave. The group includes singers Élodie Frégé, Mélanie Pain and Liset Alea, the latter of whom also serves as opening act. Tuesday, March 21, at 8 p.m. The Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. Tickets are $30 to $50. Call 202-588-5595 or visit thehowardtheatre.com.

O’MALLEY’S MARCH
Former Maryland Governor and Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley continues his non-political gig: leading a seven-piece Celtic rock band playing bodhran and tin whistle, in addition to singing and playing guitar. Next show is a St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Bethesda. Friday, March 17, at 8 p.m. Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, 7719 Wisconsin Ave. Tickets are $25, plus $10 minimum purchase per person. Call 240-330-4500 or visit bethesdabluesjazz.com.

RAHSAAN PATTERSON
Rahsaan Patterson turned to music soon after he left the popular ’80s-era music-steeped show Kids Incorporated, where he starred as “The Kid.” In the three decades since, Patterson has written hits for Brandy and Tevin Campbell, sang background vocals for artists including fellow Kids veteran Martika, and released several solo albums, including 2011’s Bleuphoria. And he’s been open about his sexuality from the start. “I’ve seen [gay people and gay culture] become much more embraced in popular culture over the years, which is a great thing,” Patterson told Metro Weekly a few years ago. “But in the black community, it hasn’t been as embraced. On the pop side I’ve seen it become embraced, but not as much so in the R&B realm, commercially speaking.” With Nao Yoshioka. Friday, March 24, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $55. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

THE MAGNETIC FIELDS
Stephin Merritt, the gay lead singer and songwriter for the archly retro folk-pop act Magnetic Fields, is the type of person who can write interesting, coherent songs about seemingly anything — and create rhymes out of whole cloth to boot. His latest work is 50 Song Memoir, a whopping five-disc album full of songs, one per year of Merritt’s life and loosely autobiographical. Along with six other musicians, Merritt will perform songs 1-25 the first night and Songs 26-50 the next. The stage show, directed by theater veteran Jose Zayas, includes artifacts both musical, including vintage computers and reel-to-reel tape decks, and decorative, from shag carpeting to tiki torches. Saturday, March 18, and Sunday, March 19. Doors at 6:30 p.m. Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. Tickets are $40 to $55 for each night, with two-night passes sold out. Call 202-328-6000 or visit thelincolndc.com.

SOFI TUKKER
Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern comprise the up-and-coming Brazilian-inspired New York synth-pop duo. The band earned a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording with its playful, deep bassline groove first single “Drinkee.” There’s plenty more where that came from on the EP Soft Animals, as well as new, lightly punk-influenced single “Greed. LP Giobbi opens. Friday, March 24. Doors at 7 p.m. U Street Music Hall, 1115A U St. NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-588-1880 or visit ustreetmusichall.com.

THE ACA-CHALLENGE
“No one will be lowering Fat Amy from the ceiling,” the Aca-Challenge’s Scipio Garling told Metro Weekly last year. Yet fans of Fat Amy from the Pitch Perfect movie franchise — as well as NBC’s The Sing-Off and Fox’s Glee — are sure to be entertained at the fourth annual competition, where a mix of both collegiate and adult professional groups compete for a $1,000 grand prize, with second place garnering $500 and $250 for third. (All groups walk away with at least $100 and a professional photo shoot just for participating.) Presented by Garling’s Alexandria Harmonizers and its 14-member contemporary a cappella group TBD, the 2017 Aca-Challenge features competitive performances from New York’s Backtrack, Blackout NYC, Faux Paz of the University of Maryland, Polaeris, BlueTones of James Madison University, and the Originals from Carnegie Mellon University. A panel of judges and the audience, voting via text, will select the top three “most entertaining” acts. Baltimore’s All Natural, last year’s winner, will also perform. Saturday, March 25. Doors at 7 p.m. Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $40. Call 202-328-6000 or visit thelincolndc.com.

THE EXPERIENTIAL ORCHESTRA
As part of his new Halcyon Stage performance series, Septime Webre presents a “Stravinsky Dance Party” at Union Market. Audience members are invited to dance and offer their own impromptu choreography as the Experiential Orchestra, an ensemble of 77 musicians from New York and D.C., performs the Russian composer’s famously riot-inducing ballet Rite of Spring. A curated DJ set from Will Eastman, blending electronica and classical styles in what is billed as a “classical music rave,” follows. Suggested attire: “Revolutionary.” Saturday, March 18. Doors at 8 p.m. Dock 5 at Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. Tickets are $40. Call 202-298-5956 or visit halcyonhouse.org/stage.

THE INSERIES: DON PASQUALE
Donizetti’s comic opera about an aging star gets updated with a new English adaptation by Bari Biern. Elizabeth Pringle helms the production starring Terry Eberhardt as the Don, Suzanne Lane as Norina, Raymond Ghattas as Malatesta, and David Wolff as Ernesto, plus an ensemble chorus. Stanley Thurston provides musical direction. Saturday, March 18, at 8 p.m., Sunday, March 19, at 2:30 p.m., Friday, March 24, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, March 26, at 2:30 p.m. GALA Theatre at Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are $25 to $46. Call 202-204-7803 or visit inseries.org.

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DANCE

CHANDINI DARBY AND KYOKO RUCH
Chandini Darby’s Stances and Stanzas is a warrior’s poem honoring black poets past and present while giving a call to action for all to speak out as well as speak up for poets. Meanwhile, Kyoko Ruch’s Girl on Girl demonstrates the unnecessary obstacles that women face from birth in our patriarchal society and how it drives women to seek their identity and claim authority by minimizing other women. Darby and Ruch will perform the works in a joint program honoring them as the 2017 Presentation Choreographic Grant Recipients of Dance Metro DC and Dance Place, selected by an independent panel of D.C. dance professionals. Saturday, March 18, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, March 19, at 7 p.m. Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE. Tickets are $25 in advance, or $30 at the door. Call 202-269-1600 or visit danceplace.org.

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COMEDY

THE SECOND CITY
We’re All In This Room Together is the latest show from the legendary sketch comedy group that the New York Times has called “The Harvard of Comedy.” Wednesday, March 22, and Thursday, March 23, at 8 p.m., Sunday, March 25, at 7 and 10 p.m., and Sunday, March 26, at 8 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $27 to $32. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

WASHINGTON IMPROV THEATER: FIST 2017
The Fighting Improv Smackdown Tournament is an elimination tournament in which audiences vote to decide which team of improvers advance to the championship. Starts Thursday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m. Runs to final round on April 15. Source, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets start at $12 to $25. Call 202-204-7760 or visit witdc.org.

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READINGS

WASHINGTON JEWISH LITERARY FESTIVAL
Remaining highlights for this year’s festival, with the theme of “Unexpected Journeys”: A discussion with three authors focused on “Unpacking Parenthood: Memoir, Mindfulness and Managing the Meltdowns,” on Thursday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m.; a closing Selected Shorts program on Sunday, March 19, at 3 p.m. featuring short stories written by established and emerging writers focused on the festival theme and performed by Tony-winning actor James Naughton, Helen Hayes-winning actress Holly Twyford and Broadway and Ugly Betty star Michael Urie; and an additional off-site program Sunday, March 19 — set for 10:30 a.m. at Washington Hebrew Congregation, 3935 Macomb St. NW — featuring Maya Benton discussing Roman Vishniac Rediscovered and images from the International Center of Photography depicting Eastern European Jewish life pre- and post-Holocaust and in post-war America. The Aaron and Cecile Goldman Theater, Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 16th St. NW. Call 202-777-3210 or visit edcjcc.org.

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EXHIBITS

ART14 SPRING 2017 SHOW: MATT CORRADO, KELLY TOWLES
Recent works by two Washington artists are featured as part of an ongoing series at Coldwell Banker Dupont/Logan office, organized by realtor Ericka S. Black. Local creative collective BL_NK WORLD curates a show featuring more than 20 original paintings. Opens with a reception Thursday, March 16, at 6:30 p.m. On display through May 31. Coldwell Banker, 1617 14th St. NW. Call 202-387-6180 or visit facebook.com/ErickaSBlackRealtor/.

CARL VAN VECHTEN: HARLEM HEROES
Many central figures in the Harlem Renaissance were captured by photographer Carl Van Vechten, some when they were young and on the cusp of achieving international fame, from James Baldwin and Langston Hughes to Bessie Smith and Ella Fitzgerald. There are 39 images spanning over 30 years, all drawn from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s permanent collection, but never before presented as a set since they were acquired in 1983. Closes Sunday, March 19. Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and F Streets NW. Free. Call 202-633-1000 or visit americanart.si.edu.

ISAMU NOGUCHI: ARCHAIC/MODERN
One of the most innovative American sculptors of the 20th century is the focus of a full-scale exhibition exploring how both the ancient world and the space age shaped his works, 74 of which are on display. Noguchi saw himself as equal parts artist and engineer, and the exhibition devotes special attention to his patented designs as well as iconic artworks, including monolithic basalt sculptures, fountains and floating Akari ceiling lights. Closes Sunday, March 19. Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and F Streets NW. Free. Call 202-633-1000 or visit americanart.si.edu.

JEFF SHENG: FEARLESS PROJECT
An exhibition and photography series focused on over 200 LGBT student athletes in the U.S. and Canada taken over the last decade by American artist Jeff Sheng. Fearless Project is presented in conjunction with the Washington National Opera and its upcoming production of Champion. Closes Saturday, March 18. Kennedy Center Hall of Nations. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

REFRESH VII
Long View Gallery presents its seventh annual exhibition featuring new works by gallery favorites, this year including Mike Weber, Ryan McCoy, Cheryl Wassenaar, Lori Katz, Colin Winterbottom and J. Jordan Bruns. The gallery will also premiere pieces by Baltimore artists Jessie and Katey. Closes Sunday, March 19. Long View Gallery, 1234 9th St. NW. Call 202-232-4788 or visit longviewgallery.com.

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ABOVE & BEYOND

LA-TI-DO
Started by Regie Cabico and DonMike Mendoza and now held every other Monday, La-Ti-Do is a variety show chiefly focused on music and singing, enlisting professionals from the theater or opera worlds performing on their night off, but also including spoken-word poets, storytellers and comedians. Some of the performers at the next round, which is dedicated to songs from the 1990s: Christopher Richardson, Kari Ginsburg, Michelle Moses-Eisenstein, Michael Santos Sandoval, Joseph Benitez, Claire Coyle Casey Garner and poet Drew Anderson. Also participating is organizational partner DC Opera on Tap and Arlington’s Dominion Stage. Pianist Taylor Rambo provides accompaniment and Mendoza and Cabico co-host. Monday, March 20, at 8 p.m. Bistro Bistro, 1727 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $15, or only $10 if you eat dinner at the restaurant beforehand. Call 202-328-1640 or visit latidodc.wix.com/latidodc.

POTTERCON D.C.
The official annual D.C. event for Harry Potter fans includes a live sorting ceremony, trivia and a Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions Costume Contest. Sunday, March 26, at 2 p.m. Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $18. Call 301-960-9999 or visit PotterConUSA.com.