FILM

ALADDIN

We have a few reservations about Disney’s live-action remake of Aladdin. First, the obvious one: Will Smith must at least match Robin Williams’ incredible performance in the 1992 original — the internet has already torn him to shreds based on just a trailer. Second, Guy Ritchie is directing, and he has a … mixed cinematic legacy, to say the least. (2017’s bomb King Arthur, anyone?) Third, Jafar (Marwan Kenzari) is really hot. We’re shallow, and that makes it much harder to root against him. A whole new world, indeed. (Sorry.) Opens Friday, May 24. Area theaters. Visit www.fandango.com. (Rhuaridh Marr)

ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN

As timely now as ever, Alan J. Pakula’s 1976 film documents the work of Washington Post‘s Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward in uncovering the Watergate scandal that led to Nixon’s resignation. The American Film Institute screens the political thriller, starring Robert Redford as Woodward and Dustin Hoffman as Bernstein, next week as the kickoff to the two-month “The Fourth Estate Film Series” showcasing a handful of Hollywood’s most acclaimed journalism-themed hits — also including Broadcast News, The Front Page, His Girl Friday, and Network. The screening of All The President’s Men, summed up by Rotten Tomatoes as a “taut, solidly acted paean to the benefits of a free press and the dangers of unchecked power,” includes an introduction by Eric Cortellessa, the Washington Monthly digital editor, and a post-screening Q&A with the magazine’s editor-in-chief Paul Glastris along with Woodward himself. Wednesday, May 29, at 7 p.m. 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $13 general admission. Call 301-495-6720 or visit www.afi.com/Silver.

ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE

Directed by Nahnatchka Khan, the creator of Fresh Off The Boat, this romantic comedy features that ABC sitcom’s two lead actors and parents. Ali Wong stars as a celebrity chef whose career is holding up a lot better than her personal life, as a result of her fiance reneging on their engagement and revealing he’s not the marrying kind. Randall Park, meanwhile, plays her character’s ex and longtime friend, and one who still harbors romantic feelings. Yet any hope of rekindling the relationship is delayed, if not dashed altogether, when Wong breaks the news that Keanu Reeves is her new beau, largely on account of his prowess in the bedroom, a la “insane, freaky-ass sex.” Wong and Park co-wrote the script with Michael Golamco (Please Stand By). The title is a nod to the 1996 Mariah Carey hit, twisted to reflect Park’s standing as Wong’s “Maybe,” as opposed to “Baby.” Opens Wednesday, May 29. Area theaters. Visit www.fandango.com.

THE GOONIES

Based on a story written by Steven Spielberg, Richard Donner’s 1985 film follows a band of kids in Oregon on an adventure to unearth the long-lost fortune of legendary 17th-century pirate One-Eyed Willy. A modest hit upon release that has since achieved cult status — and, in 2017, was added to the prestigious ranks of the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress — The Goonies is the next up in the popular Capital Classics series at Landmark’s West End Cinema. Wednesday, May 29, 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 SOUVENIR

Among other expected and heretofore unknown legacies, this coming-of-age drama from critically acclaimed British filmmaker Joanna Hogg (Unrelated, Exhibition) will be remembered as the cinematic launching pad and feature film debut for Honor Swinton Byrne, the 21-year-old daughter of Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton and Scottish playwright John Byrne. The Daily Beast identified Byrne as “Hollywood’s Next Big Thing” in the headline to its review, noting Byrne “delivers a jaw-dropping breakout performance as a young woman infatuated with a toxic older man.” Her character, a shy film student in London, is so infatuated — and so naive — that she continues the relationship with her paramour (played by Tom Burke), defying her mother as well as her concerned friends, as they all recognize signs of heroin addiction. Naturally, Byrne’s real-life mother assumes the same role in The Souvenir, further heightening its appeal. Opens Friday, May 24. Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit www.landmarktheatres.com.

STAGE

FAME

Alan Parker’s Oscar-winning 1980 movie about talented, hyper-emotional, horny New York City high schoolers learning drama, dance, and music cast a perfect mold for theatrical reinvention. Note, however, that the late-’80s stage reinvention barely includes any of the film’s memorable award-winning music. In the end, Fame the Musical‘s creator David De Silva lashed an episodic book by José Fernandez, loosely based on the movie, to a score composed by Steve Margoshes, with lyrics by Jacques Levy. The magnetic energy and appeal harnessed by director-choreographer Luis Salgado and his estimable cast in GALA Hispanic Theatre’s production creates strong connections. The show is performed in both Spanish and English (all supertitled), and the cast slides easily between both tongues, registering a profound and accurate representation of today’s American high school. To June 9. 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are $65. Call 202-234-7174 or visit www.galatheatre.org. (André Hereford)

GOD OF CARNAGE

A playground altercation between two boys brings together two sets of upper-middle-class Brooklyn parents for a meeting to resolve the matter in Yasmina Reza’s Tony-winning play, a shrewd and vicious comedy. Shirley Serotsky directs the Keegan Theatre production starring the company’s artistic director Susan Rhea, Lolita Clayton, Vishwas, and DeJeanette Horne. To May 25. 1742 Church St. NW. Call 202-265-3767 or visit www.keegantheatre.com.

JUBILEE

Arena Stage presents a world-premiere a cappella-infused play written and directed by Tazewell Thompson and featuring spirituals including “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen.” Dianne Adams McDowell serves as music director and vocal arranger for this chronicle of the world-renowned Fisk Jubilee Singers, an African-American troupe who shattered racial barriers as they captivated royalty and commoners alike while travelling the globe. The 13-person cast includes Shaleah Adkisson, Joy Jones, Zonya Love, Sean-Maurice Lynch, and Jaysen Wright. To June 2. Kreeger Theater in the Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $41 to $95. Call 202-488-3300 or visit www.arenastage.org.

LOVE’S LABOR’S LOST

Shakespeare’s spry romantic comedy full of lovers and clowns, foolery and the follies of the heart closes out the season at the Folger Theatre in a production directed by Vivienne Benesch and designed by Lee Savage. Set at the time of the 1932 opening of the Folger Shakespeare Library — and pegged to the Folger’s current exhibition about the library’s founding, A Monument to Shakespeare (see separate entry under Art & Exhibits) — the production features a cast of 15 led by Amelia Pedlow from CBS’s The Good Wife as the Princess of France, Kelsey Rainwater as her witty companion Rosaline, Joshua David Robinson as the King of Navarre, and Zachary Fine as Berowne. To June 9. 201 East Capitol St. SE. Tickets are $42 to $85. Call 202-544-7077 or visit www.folger.edu.

MARY STUART

Jason Loewith directs an Olney Theatre Center production of Friedrich Schiller’s bracing, 19th Century Shakespearean political drama about one of England’s most storied rivalries, that between Mary, Queen of Scots, and Queen Elizabeth I. Catholic Mary is a threat to Protestant Queen Elizabeth’s reign, but her murder isn’t a clear or easy way to eliminate the threat — especially considering the fact that the two are cousins. To June 9. Theatre Lab, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit www.olneytheatre.org.

RICHARD III

Synetic Theater offers its 14th “wordless Shakespeare” production, an athletic, futuristic, cyberpunk adaptation of King Richard III’s Machiavellian rise to power, highlighting the terrifying extremes made possible through the abuse of modern technology. Synetic’s Paata Tsikurishvili directs Alex Mills in the title role, with Irina Tsikurishvili portraying Queen Elizabeth. The cast also includes Matt Stover, Maryam Najafzada, Thomas Beheler, Philip Fletcher, Jordan Clark Halsey, Aaron Kan, Tim Proudkii, Nutsa Tediashvili, Ana Tsikurishvili, and Scean Aaron. To June 16. 1800 South Bell St., Arlington. Call 800-811-4111 or visit www.synetictheater.org.

SOONER/LATER

Mosaic presents a world premiere offering a metaphysical twist on romance, marriage, and parenting, while exploring the pains and pleasures of all three. Developed as part of Locally Grown Mosaic, a series nurturing and commissioning works by local artists, Allyson Currin’s play follows a teenage daughter as she helps her reluctant single mother to reenter the dating scene. Gregg Henry directs Cristina M. Ibarra, Erica Chamblee, and Tony K. Nam. Now to June 16. Sprenger Theatre in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $30 to $60. Call 202-399-7993 or visit www.atlasarts.org.

SPUNK

An unearthly Guitar Man and Blues Speak Woman interweave three tales based on short stories by the Harlem Renaissance writer Zora Neale Hurston and adapted by Jelly’s Last Jam‘s George C. Wolfe. The Signature Theatre production is directed by Timothy Douglas and stars Jonathan Mosley-Perry and Iyona Blake, with Drew Drake, Marty Lamar, Ines Nassara, and KenYatta Rogers. Mark G. Meadows (Ain’t Misbehavin’) serves as musical director for the show, which is infused with live blues music composed by Chic Street Man. To June 23. The Ark, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Call 703-820-9771 or visit www.sigtheatre.org.

THE CHILDREN

David Muse directs Lucy Kirkwood’s taut and disquieting thriller, a hit in London and New York, about responsibility and reparation, and what one generation owes the next. Jeanne Paulsen and Richard Howard play a married pair of retired nuclear physicists whose peaceful existence in a remote cottage on the British coast is upended by a former colleague, played by Naomi Jacobson, who offers a proposal that threatens more than their marriage. Extended to June 9. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Call 202-332-3300 or visit www.studiotheatre.org.

THE ORESTEIA

Shakespeare Theatre Company’s longtime artistic director Michael Kahn goes out with a big Greek bang as he directs a world-premiere interpretation of Aeschylus’ potent trilogy of epic Greek tragedies. Commissioned by the company and three years in the making, Ellen McLaughlin’s The Oresteia weaves together Aeschylus’ stories with stunning poetry. The production features Kelley Curran, Simone Warren, Kelcey Watson, Josiah Bania, Zoë Sophia Garcia, and Rad Pereira, plus an eight-person Chorus. To June 2. Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. Call 202-547-1122 or visit www.shakespearetheatre.org.

THE WHITE SNAKE

In Mary Zimmerman’s adaptation of the ancient Chinese legend, a snake spirit transforms itself into a woman in order to experience the human world, and in the process falls in love with a pharmacist’s assistant. Allison Arkell Stockman directs a production from her company Constellation Theatre that features live original music from multi-instrumentalist Tom Teasley and dulcimer virtuoso Chao Tian, plus a signature bold acting ensemble led by Eunice Bae, Momo Nakamura, and Jacob Yeh. To May 26. Source Theatre, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets are $19 to $45. Call 202-204-7741 or visit www.constellationtheatre.org.

COMMUNITY AND COLLEGE STAGE

OLIVER!

John Nunemaker directs a community stage production at Kensington Arts Theatre of Lionel Bart’s nearly 60-year-old take on Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, a kind of imaginative, childlike fantasy of what it might be like to live in the netherworld. Paul Rossen serves as music director. Weekends to May 26. 3710 Mitchell St., Kensington, Md. Tickets are $19 to $27. Call 206-888-6642 or visit www.katonline.org.

MUSIC

AKUA ALLRICH: CELEBRATING NANCY WILSON

A D.C. native and Howard University alum, the young jazz vocalist and composer blends traditional, modern, and African jazz styles while singing in the showy manner of many of today’s leading soul/pop divas. Allrich is especially well-regarded for covering Nina Simone, though the focus of her next engagement at Blues Alley, titled “This Mother’s Daughter,” is a tribute to Wilson, the jazz vocal icon who died last December at the age of 81. Sunday, May 26, at 8 and 10 p.m. Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $25, plus $6 fee and $12 minimum purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit www.bluesalley.com.

ANDRÉ WATTS WITH THE BSO

One of the most celebrated living pianists, a graduate of Baltimore’s Peabody Institute, André Watts returns as a guest soloist with the BSO to play Beethoven’s mighty last Piano Concerto No. 5, posthumously referred to as the “Emperor” Concerto on account of its majestic tone and heroic gestures. Watts will also perform Brahms’ exhilarating, youthful Piano Quartet in G Minor. Thursday, May 30, at 8 p.m. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore. Also Sunday, June 2, at 3 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Additionally, Beethoven’s work is examined in more depth and insight in two, Alsop-led 90-minute Off the Cuff performances also featuring Watts, followed by question-and-answer sessions, on Friday, May 31, at 8:15 p.m., at Strathmore, and Saturday, June 1, at 7 p.m., at the Meyerhoff — the latter ending with Beethoven’s Beer Hall After-Party with live music, food specials, and $6 drink specials. Tickets are $25 to $90. Call 410-783-8000 or visit www.bsomusic.org.

BETTY WHO

Just a few years ago, Betty Who was more of a question than a name. Two albums and the runaway success of an EP later — not to mention sidework such as singing the theme song for the Queer Eye reboot on Netflix — the L.A.-based Sydney native has made that question mark vanish. Jessica Anne Newham, better known by her stage name, has become known for her dreamy, often highly personal brand of not-quite-dance pop. She has become so well-known, in fact, at least among gays and in D.C., Who has achieved the rather rare feat, as a solo artist, of securing a three-night consecutive run at the 9:30 Club. And proving her commitment to the LGBTQ cause, the repeat Capital Pride performer will donate $1 from every ticket sold to the Trevor Project via PLUS1. The concert comes in support of this year’s Betty, her third album and first as an independent artist, which finds her sounding a little more energetic and self-assured than she has in the past. And her vocals are deployed across a greater range of moods and subjects. Also, the interplay of confidence on the one hand and vulnerability on the other is a constantly recurring lyrical theme on Betty, the great strength of which is the range of emotional complexity it packs into a collection of distinct, well-crafted, and instantly memorable songs. Tickets remain only for the third and final show. Thursday, May 30. Doors at 7 p.m. 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $26. Call 202-265-0930 or visit www.930.com. (Sean Maunier)

CARLOS HENRIQUEZ NONET: GROOVING WITH DIZZY

Washington Performing Arts presents a high-energy tribute to the towering Latin jazz trumpet legend and bebop pioneer “Dizzy” Gillespie from a longtime Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra veteran. The bassist/composer and bandleader Henriquez’s own music regularly draws from ’60s-era hard bop, Afro-Cuban salsa, and classical music in a manner similar to what can be heard across Gillespie’s wide-ranging songbook, veering from “A Night in Tunisia” to “Manteca,” “Salt Peanuts” to “Tin Tin Deo.” Saturday, June 1, at 8 p.m. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. 600 I St. NW. Tickets are $35. Call 202-408-3100 or visit www.sixthandi.org.

CUB SPORT

Singer-songwriter Tim Nelson leads the moody alt-pop group from Australia also including his husband, keyboardist Sam Netterfield, along with keyboardist/guitarist Zoe Davis and drummer Dan Puusaari. The group has picked up steam since the release of 2017’s impressive Bats, with its atmospheric yet soulful slow-burn songs in the mold of queer forebears George Michael and Frank Ocean. Nelson touches on coming out and commitment in honest, heartfelt lyrics throughout that set as well as this year’s self-titled followup, which also finds a slightly expanded sound palette to incorporate more soul and R&B influence on the electronica base in a way that occasionally echoes The Weeknd (albeit less dark and dramatic). Union Stage co-presents a return for the Aussies to Adams Morgan’s intimate, basement space Songbyrd Music House with a concert featuring an opening set of original, 1960s-channeling psychedelic pop/rock tunes by Richmond native Andrew Carter, released under the moniker Minor Poet. Wednesday, May 29. Doors at 7 p.m. 2477 18th St. NW. Tickets are $13 to $15. Call 202-450-2917 or visit www.songbyrddc.com.

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE

Lead singer Florence Welch emerged sylph-like in a white diaphanous gown when she took the stage at the Anthem on the first leg of her band’s High as Hope Tour last fall. Wielding a songbook of gorgeously melodic, midtempo power-pop built to propel Welch’s soaring vocals, the band materialized a sort of sing-along, clap-along church with Florence as the twirling preacher woman channeling the evening’s “healing, juicy, feminine energy.” There were no pauses for costume changes, or grand effects. Welch’s powerful voice was the effect the audience wanted to experience. Fans at the front bestowed gifts upon her — she bestowed her own with a performance that was as piercing during the encore as on the first song. Florence stirred lyrics into a beckoning, while the Machine supplied a steady drumbeat and lush arrangements leaning on harp and strings. They return at the top of June for a show under the stars, kicking off with a set of mid-tempo, sultry, alt-R&B tunes from the queer-identified black music producer/songwriter Dev Hynes (Solange Knowles, Sky Ferreira) performed under his moniker Blood Orange. Monday, June 3. Gates at 6 p.m. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Md. Tickets are $109.50 to $375, or $39.50 for lawn seats. Call 800-551-SEAT or visit www.merriweathermusic.com. (AH)

NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT

Now in its 30th year, this concert on the U.S. Capitol grounds, airing live on PBS, features the National Symphony Orchestra led by Jack Everly performing patriotic classics. Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds) and Gary Sinise (CSI: New York) co-host for the 14th year, and Colin Powell also returns for a special tribute to our men and women in uniform. Other featured performers this year include Sam Elliott — performing in tribute to the 7th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion — Patti LaBelle, Alison Krauss, Christopher Jackson, Dennis Haysbert, Justin Moore, and Gavin DeGraw. Sunday, May 26, at 8 p.m. U.S. Capitol Building, West Lawn. Free. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.pbs.org/memorialdayconcert.

NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC: ODES TO FREEDOM

Piotr Gajewski, who was mentored by Leonard Bernstein, leads Strathmore’s resident orchestra in the last of two programs linking the late, legendary 20th-century American composer to his 18th-century German forebear. Arguably the greatest work for full symphony in the history of Western music, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor “Choral” features a towering “Ode to Joy” that in concert will be paired with Bernstein’s magical and joyful Chichester Psalms for a grand season closing concert. Featured soloists include Esther Heideman, soprano, Shirin Eskandani, mezzo-soprano, Colin Eaton, tenor, Kevin Short, baritone, and Enzo Baldanza, boy soprano. Saturday, June 1, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $29 to $88. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

PASSION PIT

Out frontman Michael Angelakos leads his electro-pop band in a 10th Anniversary concert marking the release of its breakthrough album Manners. The Beaches open. Saturday, May 25. Doors at 6:30 p.m. The Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. Tickets are $40 to $75. Call 202-888-0020 or visit www.theanthemdc.com.

THE AVETT BROTHERS

This popular folk/bluegrass ensemble led by sibling lead vocalists and multi-instrumentalists Scott and Seth Avett returns to Wolf Trap for what is billed as “a multi-night Americana rock retreat” that Rolling Stone has described as a hodgepodge with “echoes of old-timey string bands, singalong folk revivalists, boozy Americana roots rockers and big-box singer-songwriter softies.” The Avett brothers are a mainstay over the course of the three-night run along with their bandmates bassist Bob Crawford and cellist Joe Kwon, touring members drummer Mike Marsh and pianist Bonnie Avett-Rini, plus musical act Paleface. Rodney Crowell joins the group on Thursday, May 23, Thao & the Get Down Stay Down is up Friday, May 24, and the Felice Brothers are guests on Saturday, May 25. All performances are at 7:30 p.m. The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $45 to $60, with few remaining, mostly for the first night, as of press time. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit www.wolftrap.org.

THE CHUCK BROWN BAND

The godfather of go-go may have died in 2012, but his namesake band with its signature D.C. sound keeps go-going. The jazz festival staple and powerhouse ensemble of danceable funk and soul grooves next performs at the Hamilton in a concert featuring an opening set from the Let It Flow Band, another homegrown go-go band. Sunday, May 26. Doors at 6:30 p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $24.75 to $29.75. Call 202-787-1000 or visit www.thehamiltondc.com.

THE SELDOM SCENE

Formed nearly 50 years ago in Bethesda, the Seldom Scene was instrumental in launching the progressive bluegrass movement and is still considered one of the genre’s leading purveyors. Naturally, it remains especially popular in its hometown region.

The group returns almost-home for a CD Release Show at the Birchmere. Friday, May 24, at 7:30 p.m. 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $29.50. Call 703-549-7500 or visit www.birchmere.com.

WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA: TOSCA

Ethan McSweeny directs a production of Giacomo Puccini’s striking, suspenseful drama, a sumptuous tale of ill-fated love that amazes and captivates new and longtime opera lovers alike. Keri Alkema takes on the title role opposite Riccardo Massi as her rebellious lover Cavaradossi (except for the Sunday matinees on May 12 and May 19, when Latonia Moore and Robert Watson substitute) in a WNO production of the work set in 18th century Rome and featuring elegant sets depicting grand Roman scenes provided by Seattle Opera. Speranza Scappucci serves as conductor. To May 25. Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $35 to $300. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

WNO DOMINGO-CAFRITZ YOUNG ARTISTS: COMIC MASTERPIECES

A “lively night of comic chaos” — that is, works from beloved operatic comedies — is on the bill when aspiring opera stars from the Washington National Opera’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program take the stage at the Kennedy Center. The WNO Orchestra will accompany the singers as they perform the complete first act and closing fugue of Giuseppe Verdi’s final masterpiece Falstaff, among other comic gems. Friday, May 24, at 7:30 p.m. Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $15 to $35. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

YOUSSOU NDOUR

A giant of world music makes his eagerly anticipated debut at Strathmore’s Music Center. The Grammy-winning Senegalese singer, percussionist, and humanitarian is especially known to American audiences from his featured work on the ’80s albums Graceland by Paul Simon and So by Peter Gabriel. NDOUR will perform original compositions featuring his high-energy band Super Étoile described as “both characteristically Senegalese and outward-looking, an exciting synthesis of musical languages.” Wednesday, May 29, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $38 to $87. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

DANCE

PRAKRITI DANCE: THROUGH FISH EYES

Through Fish Eyes is a unique performance combining art and science and utilizing the classical Indian dance form Bharata Natyam to create awareness about the world’s dwindling marine ecosystems. The ocean comes to life to tell tales of how man and nature previously co-existed in harmony and exploring if the relationship, and the ocean, can be renewed and repaired. A commission of the National Academies Keck Futures Initiative, the work was conceived by Prakriti Dance co-artistic directors Kasi Aysola and Madhvi Venkatesh and features choreography by Aysola and music by Ramya Kapadia and Anjna Swaminathan. Saturday, May 25, at 7:30 p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Tickets are $35. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

COMEDY

JYNX COMEDY NIGHT

The Brookland location of Busboys and Poets plays host to this monthly showcase of women-identifying, non-binary, and LGBTQ comedians produced by Project Thalia founder Angela Hamilton. Each edition of this “Comedy with a Purpose” event is intended to provide “uplifting humor” and “empowered vibes,” with the May edition a belated Mother’s Day-themed affair. “Celebrate The Mamas” in the lineup including: Katie Dunn, Su Z Official, Katie McKelvie, Jenn Del Pozzo, Gina Brown, Claire Vaidyanathan, and Sofia Javed. There will also be a raffle for gifts and prizes. Wednesday, May 29, at 8 p.m. Busboys and Poets – Brookland, 625 Monroe St. NE. Call 202-636-7230 or visit www.busboysandpoets.com.

ART & EXHIBITS

AMERICAN DEMOCRACY: A GREAT LEAP OF FAITH

A display of prominent artifacts highlighting the history of citizen participation, debate and compromise from the nation’s formation to today. The American experiment is still alive, if not altogether well at the moment, but it has endured rough times before. This exhibition, at the Smithsonian’s American History Museum, highlights the various ways in which leading figures have strived to make the country “a more perfect union.” Objects include Thomas Jefferson’s portable desk he used to draft the Declaration of Independence, the inkstand Abraham Lincoln used to draft the Emancipation Proclamation, and the table on which Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote the Declaration of Sentiments. Ongoing. 14th St. and Constitution Ave. NW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit www.americanhistory.si.edu.

IN PEAK BLOOM: SEASONAL CELEBRATION

ArTecHouse celebrates spring and women in the arts and sciences with its annual cherry blossom-inspired exhibition featuring five interactive and immersive digital art installations inspired by the beautiful yet fleeting blossoms and all from women artists or women-led collectives. The Main Gallery features Hana Fubuki, Akiko Yamashita’s immersive installation developed with Sachiko Yamashita and Mikitype combining the woodblock print techniques of traditional Ukiyo-e art with 3D animations and interactive technology bringing the landscape to life. Secondary galleries are set up with Lisa Park’s Blooming, powered by biometric sensors, Scenocosme’s Akousmaflore an interactive small garden composed of living musical plants that react to gentle contact by producing specific sounds, and Design Foundry’s Enchanted Garden (2019), composed of a mix of natural and recycled artistic mediums to serve as a respite. And as ever, the Mezzanine Bar becomes an AR Cocktail Bar with II Sakaba, serving blossom-inspired, AR-enhanced cocktails and mocktails. To May 27. ArTecHouse, 1238 Maryland Ave. SW. Tickets range from $8 to $20. visit www.artechouse.com.

KALEIDOSCOPES: SPECTRUM

The Brewster Kaleidoscope Society returns to the Mansion at Strathmore with another juried exhibition showcasing the enchantment as well as the diversity of kaleidoscopes. Artists from around the world display custom-made kaleidoscopes or kaleidoscope-inspired works, varying in size from standalone sculptures to handheld and exquisite pieces of jewelry — but all of them employing “the magic of mirrors” to create a continually changing and endless display of two- and three-dimensional images. Through May 26. 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

LIS ZADRAVEC: FROM THE ARTIST’S HAND

Zadravec’s colored pencil portraits capture both the human expressions of her subjects as well as their momentary spirit, rending texture and light with precision while maintaining a whisper of the pencil stroke to remind viewers of the artist’s hand. To May 26. Invitational Gallery, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

MASH UP: PYRAMID’S ANNUAL MEMBERS’ EXHIBITION

An unconventional spin on Pyramid Atlantic’s annual juried show, Mash Up is completely uncurated, allowing member artists to exhibit works of their choice provided they abide by the only restriction: that they are not larger than 30 inches on any side. Over 80 artists, or about one third of the organization’s membership, responded, and the resulting show lives up to its title, offering a blend of styles, mediums, and price points, with all works “hung riotously” throughout the gallery. Prizes and bragging rights will be granted to works deemed “Founder’s Choice,” “Craftsmanship,” and “The Popular Vote.” To May 26. 4318 Gallatin St., Hyattsville, Md. Call 301-608-9101 or visit www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org.

MICHELLE PETERSON-ALBANDOZ: NEW WORK

One of the most popular artists regularly presented by LGBTQ-run Long View Gallery, this Chicago-based lesbian artist creates large, hanging-wood sculptures made from reclaimed wood, often found in dumpsters and back alleys in revitalizing urban neighborhoods. To May 26. 1234 9th St. NW. Call 202-232-4788 or visit longviewgallery.com.

SECTION 14: THE OTHER PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

Before it became a gay desert mecca and a resort for the rich and famous, Palm Springs was a desert outpost — as well as home to the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation. The National Museum of the American Indian shines a light on a land battle in Palm Springs, yet another in a long string of conflicts between western expansion and Indigenous peoples’ rights. The focus is on Section 14, a one-square-mile tract in downtown Palm Springs that forms the heart of the reservation. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians created the exhibition, which was organized by the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum. On display through Jan. 2020. National Museum of the American Indian, Independence Avenue at 4th Street SW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit www.nmai.si.edu.

FOOD & DINING

SUNDAY SUPPER BENEFIT AT UNION MARKET

Eight of the nation’s best chefs and culinary experts — half of them women — will prepare a Latin-inspired family-style feast for this annual event, a communal dining outing that helps boost women’s roles in the culinary field. Created and hosted by Union Market’s parent company Edens, Sunday Supper has become the primary fundraiser for the James Beard Foundation-run Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, a multifaceted initiative — originally spearheaded by Edens’ CEO Jodie W. McLean — that strives to boost the number and presence of women leaders in the food industry. This year’s 8th event will feature culinary creations from four women: chefs Mary Sue Milliken of Border Grill Restaurants (Los Angeles, Las Vegas), Daniela Moreira of Timber Pizza and Call Your Mother (D.C.), and Johanna Hellrigl of Bird’s Eye Coffee Bar & Eatery (D.C.), and acclaimed public TV host/cookbook author Pati Jinich of Pati’s Mexican Table. The event will also include dishes that will serve as a kind of preview of culinary attractions on tap when Union Market’s Latin American offshoot La Cosecha opens next month with: chefs Juan Manuel Barrientos of El Cielo (Miami, Bogota), Sebastian Quiroga of vegan-oriented Ali Pacha (Bolivia), Christian Irabien of Amparo Fondita (formerly of Oyamel), and Frederico Tishler of White Envelope Arepa + Ceviche Bar (Baltimore). The dinner program will be paired with wines curated by Latin wine shop Grand Cata, while a Cocktail Reception will offer specialty drinks from District Fishwife, Chaia, Colada Shop, Pervuian Brothers, La Casita, and Buffalo & Bergen. It all ends, naturally, on a sweet note or three, via a Dessert Reception with selections from Pluma, Buttercream Bakeshop, Kith & Kim, Arcay Chocolates, Dolcezza, and Ice Cream Jubilee. Sunday, June 2, starting at 5 p.m. Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. Tickets are $275 per person. Visit www.unionmarketdc.com/sundaysupper.

ABOVE AND BEYOND

ALL THE FEELS: A MENTAL HEALTH VARIETY SHOW

Before May’s Mental Health Awareness Month closes out, Union Stage will host a first-of-its-kind evening offering comedy, music, slam poetry, and storytelling, all of it providing perspectives on mental health and addiction issues. Produced by Ali Cherry of Comedy in Coffee Shops and Kim Levone of Improbable Comedy, the evening features 10 local performers sharing their stories, ranging from humorous to poignant to candid, about managing depression and bipolar disorder, recovering from substance abuse, and grieving a child’s suicide, to cite three specific issues. The lineup includes comedian Pete Bergen, storyteller Helen Bryant, storyteller Mikael Johnson, poet Eryca Kasse, storyteller Stephen Marks, comedian Frederick McKinnon, comedian Marshall Mulkey, storyteller Joani Peacock, poet Krista Stanzione, and musician Gabrielle Zwi. Wednesday, May 29. Doors at 6:30 p.m. 740 Water St. SW. Tickets are $25. Call 877-987-6487 or visit www.unionstage.com.

FLIP FLOP REVERSE CABARET

Award-winning, millennial-focused, LGBTQ-run professional theater troupe Monumental presents its fifth annual fundraiser next weekend at a new venue: Pitchers. Helmed by the company’s Jimmy Mavrikes and Michael Windsor, the cabaret features a variety of local talent, this year led by stage actress Dani Stoller as host, all of whom are encouraged to explore and experiment with performing in a range of genres and styles — from pop to Broadway — with a focus on singing “songs they never get to sing.” The lineup includes Rachel Barlaam, Solomon Parker, Christian Montgomery, Nigel Rowe, Kanysha Williams, Kylie Smith, and Jyline Carranza, plus additional performance and guitar accompaniment throughout from Harrison Smith. Warren Freeman oversees the show’s music direction while David Singleton handles choreography. Saturday, June 1, at 7:30 p.m. 2317 18th St. NW. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. Call 202-733-2568 or visit www.monumentaltheate.org.

LIVE FROM HERE WITH CHRIS THILE

Chris Thile, the progressive bluegrass musician who is also a member of Nickel Creek and Punch Brothers, replaced the retiring Garrison Keillor in the fall of 2016 as host of this popular public radio variety show, formerly and famously known as A Prairie Home Companion. The show definitely has a more youthful energy to it under the direction of the 38-year-old Thile, but otherwise it’s still as folksy and familiar as ever. Guster, Adia Victoria, Matt Braunger, and Madison Cunningham are special guests for this year’s live taping from the Filene Center stage at Wolf Trap. Saturday, June 1, at 5:45 p.m. The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $45 to $125, or $30 lawn seats. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit www.wolftrap.org.