Spotlight – September 7-13: Beach Rats, Wizard of Oz, Don Juan Tenorio and more!
Our highlights from everything arts and entertainment in DC this week!
BEACH RATS
Touted by Variety as a “beautifully rendered study of repressed sexuality in un-hip Brooklyn,” writer/director Eliza Hittman’s award-winning Sundance hit follows an aimless teenager who scours hookup sites for older men when not dating a young neighborhood girl. British newcomer Harris Dickson plays Frankie in this contemporary snapshot of budding queer identity that doubles as a portrait of the outskirts of Brooklyn. Opens Friday, Sept. 8. Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com.
THE WIZARD OF OZ
Victor Fleming’s 1939 adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel has been touted as the most-watched motion picture in history. With Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, and Margaret Hamilton. The timeless score is by Harold Arlen and E.Y. “Yip” Harburg. The film marks the debut of “Capital Classics,” a new hump-day film series at Landmark’s recently refurbished West End Cinema, where Happy Hour-priced beer and wine will be on offer from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m. Landmark’s West End Cinema, 2301 M St. NW. Tickets are $12.50. Call 202-534-1907 or visit landmarktheatres.com.
Iker Lastraas: Don Juan Tenorio
DON JUAN TENORIO
Nando Lopez helped GALA Hispanic Theatre haul in the Helen Hayes Awards last year with his adaptation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s Yerma. He’s back with a world-premiere adaptation of Jose Zorrilla’s tale of “the infamous seducer of all time,” in honor of the Spanish romantic writer’s 200th birthday. Jose Carrasquillo directs an international cast including Iker Lastra and Luz Nicolas (Spain), Manolo Santalla (Cuba), Carlos Castillo (Venezuela) and Ines Dominguez del Corral (Colombia) in a high-voltage, contemporary and True Blood-style adaptation. Performed in Spanish with English surtitles. Opens Friday, Sept. 8, at 8 p.m. To Oct. 1. GALA Theatre at Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are $30 to $45. Call 202-234-7174 or visit galatheatre.org.
AIDA
Francesca Zambello launches the new season with a dazzling new production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida, a co-production with the San Francisco, Seattle and Minnesota opera companies. Performed in Italian with projected English titles, Aida focuses on a young woman enslaved by the Egyptians, who don’t know she’s an Ethiopian princess and daughter to their sworn enemy. The visionary artist known as RETNA created the striking sets and costumes, lending the classic story a unique modern edge with his vibran hieroglyphics and calligraphy. Opens Saturday, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m. To Sept. 23. Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $45 to $300. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
THE HACKING OF THE AMERICAN MIND
While doing researching for his New York Times bestseller Fat Chance: Beating the Odds against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity and Disease, Robert Lustig made a discovery that reaches even beyond the politics of food. From sugar and soda to social media and smartphones, Big Business is deliberately manipulating our behaviors to keep us hooked, to our detriment, and their profit. Thursday, Sept. 14, at 6:30 p.m. Kramerbooks, 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-387-1400 or visit kramers.com.
ADAMS MORGAN DAY
Back in the summer of 1977, residents and businesses in Adams Morgan hosted a block party. It caught on. Big time. And now, four decades later, what became Adams Morgan Day is renowned as D.C.’s longest-running neighborhood celebration, drawing masses to the neighborhood each year. The festival offers almost any activity you can think of — from live musical acts to board games to painting demonstrations. Bedrock Billiards will serve up free pool throughout the day, while local restaurants will tempt passersby with incredible specials. Sunday, Sept. 10, from noon to 6 p.m. Free. Visit adamsmorganday2017.com. (John Riley)
JON LOVITZ
The Saturday Night Live alum returns to the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse, one of his favorite stops to perform stand-up, he told Metro Weekly a few years ago, “because it feels like a mini-theater” and the audience “is very responsive.” Lovitz describes his routine as “just very silly, my opinions on what’s going on in the world and different things. Stuff about race and words you can’t say.” As part of his routine, Lovitz will “sing funny songs” while playing the piano. Just don’t expect a reprise of the Pathological Liar or Hanukkah Harry. “I don’t do any of my characters from Saturday Night Live. I tried doing that, and it never worked.” Thursday, Sept. 7, at 9:45 p.m., Friday, Sept. 8, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 9, at 7 and 10 p.m. Arlington Cinema N’ Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, in Arlington. Tickets are $30. Call 703-486-2345 or visit arlingtondrafthouse.com.
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