Best Music 1. Washington National Opera: Puccini’s tragic “Madama Butterfly” opens with a double cast featuring American sopranos Ana Maria Martinez and Catherine Naglestad as Cio-Cio-San and Russian tenor Alexy Dolbov and Italian-Brazilian tenor Thiago Arancam as Lt. Pinkerton. WNO General Director Placido Domingo and WNO’s new Music Director Philippe Auguin conduct.
Where: Kennedy Center Opera House
When: Saturday to March 19
Info: $25 to $300, 202-295-2400, 800-US-OPERA or dc-opera.org
2. Music of Imperial China: First U.S. tour of the Anhui Traditional Orchestra from “China’s Appalachia,” the Yangtze River Basin, performing songs and compositions to celebrate spring, rarely heard outside mainland China. Directed by Zhu Xiaogu, composer and conductor of the Shanghai Opera House.
Where: Kennedy Center Concert Hall
When: 8 p.m. Sunday
Info: $30 to $50; 202-467-4600, 800- 444-1324 or kennedy-center.org
3. Cypress String Quartet: “Inspired By America,” a multimedia portrait of the American spirit through music representing the words of author Jacob Needleman.
Where: The Barns at Wolf Trap
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Info: $35; 800-WOLFTRAP (965-3872) or wolftrap.org
4. The Preludes: Dumbarton Concerts presents Adam Neiman and Andrius Zlabys, prize-winning pianists, interweaving Chopin and Bach preludes in pairings by key.
Where: Historic Dumbarton Church
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Info: $33, 202-965-2000 or dumbartonconcerts.org
5. Drumline LIVE: Percussionists, musicians and dancers bring an energetic halftime show to the stage. Where: George Mason University Center for the Arts
When: 7 p.m. Sunday
Info: $23 to $46, youth through grade 12 half price; 888-845-2468 or cfa.gmu.edu
Best Galleries
1. Blinky Palermo: Retrospective: The German postwar abstract painter’s influence is deeply felt in the output of subsequent generations of American artists, but his work is rarely shown in North America. That changes with the opening of his first U.S. retrospective.
Where: Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Independence Avenue SW
When: Through May 15
Info: Free, 202-633-4674; hmsg.si.edu
2. In Unison — 20 Washington, DC Artists: This weekend is your last chance to check out this bold assemblage of monoprints by D.C. artists. Each print represents the best of five monoprints that the 20 participants were individually commissioned to create, as selected by Sam Gilliam in concert with a panel of gallery owners and academics.
Where: Kreeger Museum, 2401 Foxhall Road NW
When: Through Saturday
Info: $10; $7 for students and seniors; 202-338-3552; kreegermuseum.org
3. Beyond Home Remedy: Women, Medicine and Science: This may stretch the boundaries of an art exhibit, but it certainly engages the imagination. Examining the “medicinal” creations of various prominent women of Elizabethan England, this exhibit of manuscripts and illustrations offers visitors recipes for plague water, snail elixir, violet syrup, and other archaic drug therapies.
Where: Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE
When: Through May 14
Info: Free, 202-544-4600; folger.edu
4. Linn Meyers: A Very Particular Moment: Myers spent two weeks inside the Katzen’s third-floor gallery drawing this repetitive geometric pattern by hand. It recalls the pioneering work of conceptual artist Sol LeWitt.
Where: The American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW
When: Through March 13
Info: Free, 202-885-1300; american.edu/cas/katzen/museum
5. A True North Britain: The Furniture of John Shearer, 1790-1820: Closing this weekend is this fun look Shearer’s bizarre handmade, two-century-old furniture painstakingly filigreed with political propaganda of his time.
Where: Daughters of the American Revolution Museum, 1776 D St. NW
Where: Through Saturday
Info: Free; dar.org/museum/default.cfm
Best Brainfood
1. “World Wide Mind”: Michael Chorost’s vision is the ultimate in connectedness: Insert new DNA into neurons via viruses, implant nanowires, and one brain can be wirelessly linked to others. Techno-miracle, or nightmare? As he outlines a possible cyborg future, Chorost describes the very human functions of the mind and its dreams.
Where: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Info: Free; 202-364-1919; politics-prose.org
2. A Star is Born: The National Building Museum partners with the American Film Institute’s Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in presenting the film series Hollywood Modern: Film Design of the 1930s, a monthlong festival highlighting modern design through classic films of the 1930s. The series complements the museum’s exhibition Designing Tomorrow: America’s World’s Fairs of the 1930s.
Where: AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring
When: 12:45 to 2 p.m. Saturday
Info: $7 to $11; 202-272-2448; nbm.org
3. Michael Beschloss: The presidential historian, author of “The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler’s Germany, 1941-1945” and “Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America, 1789-1989,” concludes the special Sunday Forum series reflecting on the role of religion in the life of Abraham Lincoln, all to mark the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s swearing-in as president.
Where: St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square, 1525 H St. NW
When: 10 a.m. Sunday
Info: Free; 202-347-8766; stjohns-dc.org
4. “The Admission”: Motti Lerner’s daring, politically charged play tells of Giora, a battle-wounded professor entangled in memories, war-time secrets and love for the daughter of his father’s Arab friend.
Where: Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW
When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday
Info: $10; 202-777-3210; theater.org
Best Gatherings
1. Intersections: A New America Arts Festival: The festival brings together artists and audiences of all races, ages and cultures to experience and celebrate the dynamic artistic and cultural crossroads that help define America today. Presenting three weekends of music, dance, theater, film, literary and visual arts that feature the best of Washington-area artists, Intersections celebrates differences and discovers commonalities among individuals.
Where: Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE
When: Friday to March 13
Info: 202-399-7993; atlasarts.org
2. D.C. Youth Poetry Slam Team Final Grand Slam Competition: From the first of three preliminary bouts for the competition, the top five poets move on to semifinals and the first-place winner will earn a guaranteed spot in the Grand Slam Finals competition to determine which five poets make up the 2011 D.C. Youth Slam Team. The Youth Slam Team is open to all D.C. poets ages 13 to 19. E-mail jtucker@teachingforchange.org to sign up in advance or for more info.
Where: Langston Room, Busboys and Poets, 14th and V streets NW
When: 5 p.m. Saturday
Info: $5; 202-387-7638; busboysandpoets.com
3. Open rehearsal of “An Ideal Husband”: Shakespeare Theatre Company gives a behind-the-scenes look of its next production with a rehearsal of this Oscar Wilde classic, which deals with blackmail, political corruption and public and private honor in late-19th-century England.
Where: Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW
When: 2 and 4 p.m. Sunday
Info: Free; 202-547-1122; shakespearetheatre.org
4. EyeWonder – Photography from the Bank of America Collection: By selecting offbeat subjects, shooting intense close-ups, or manipulating focus and color, the artists featured in this exhibit have created dreamy and often haunting photographic images. As part of the Modern or Postmodern eras, these artists have understood that photographs offer only an illusion of reality and that the medium is as subjective a means of expression as other visual art forms, music or literature.
Where: National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW
When: 10 to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday; through May 22
Info: Free to $10; 202-783-5000; nmwa.org
Best Theater
1.”Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”: This traditional biblical parable is told in a most untraditional manner, with Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music and Tim Rice’s lyrics telling the tale. The favorite of Jacob’s 12 sons, Joseph is sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt and rises to become the Pharaoh’s right-hand man. An irrepressible story and score combine to make this show a theatrical experience to remember. A family-friendly show.
Where: Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney
When: Through March 20
Info: $26 to $54; 301-9245-3400; olneytheatere.org
2.”The Glass Menagerie Project”: Georgetown Theater and Performance Studies Program and Arena Stage present this re-envisioning of “The Glass Menagerie,” the autobiographical play about the St. Louis family that made Williams’ name famous. The play will be surrounded by events designed to discover how Williams arrived at his final masterpiece. See Web site for related events.
Where: Davis Performing Arts Center, Georgetown University, 108 Davis Performing Arts Center NW
When: 8 p.m. Thursday to March 27, March 17 to 19, 23 and 24; 2 p.m. Sunday, March 20, March 26; thereafter at Arena Stage (June 9-July 3)
Info: $10 to $18; 202-687-3838; performingarts.georgetown.edu
3. “”Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”: Come have a drink with Martha and George and watch them skewer one another and lay bare the problems of their marriage in this most famous of Edward Albee’s plays. A Steppenwolf Theater production.
Where: Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW
When: Friday to April 10
Info: 202-488-3300; arenastage.org
4. “At Home at the Zoo”: An expansion of Edward Albee’s first play, “Zoo Story,” this play now has a first act, in which Peter’s wife is introduced and their marriage is examined before Peter goes off to the zoo where he meets the manic and destructive Jerry.
Where: Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW
When: Friday to April 24
Info: 202-488-3300; arenastage.org
Best Outdoors
1.African-Americans in the Civil War: Black Americans fought for the freedom of a people they did not know, while fighting racism from their own countrymen. The program includes a tour of the Korean War Veterans Memorial and details about black soldiers in the war.
Where: Meet at the Korean War Veterans Memorial
When: 5 to 5:30 p.m. and 6 to 6:30 p.m. Friday
Info: 202-286-1624; nps.gov/nama
2. Celebrate Black History Month in Alexandria: Old Town Alexandria is a quaint historic town just on the other side of the Potomac River from D.C. While there, visit Alexandria’s Black History Museum to see the exhibit “Style and Identity: Black Alexandria in the 1970s, Portraits by Horace Day.” This show of 32 paintings features Alexandria street scenes and portraits of black Alexandrians as well as individuals from other Virginia communities. Described as an American scene or regional painter, Day created this body of work at a time when the media still promoted stereotypical, demeaning images of black Americans. Where: Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe St.
When: 1- a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays through May 7
Info: $2; 703-746-4356;
3. “Catoctin Mountain Park-Charcoal Trail”: Trail outlining turn-of-the-century charcoaling process. One half-mile round trip. Easy, well-maintained trail. This short and easy stroll through a wooded, interpretive trail allows you to feel what it would have been like to work in the mountains around the turn of the century. As you hike you’ll see mostly reproduction artifacts, including a logging sled and a collier’s hut. A good introduction to hiking for youngsters.
Where: See Web site for directions.
When: Fall, spring, summer
Info: Ranger Contact: Catoctin Mountain National Park Service: 301-663-9388
4. Visit the Zoo’s Asia Trail and see a series of exhibits that opened in 2006, home to six Asian species: sloth bears, fishing cats, red pandas, clouded leopards, Asian small-clawed otters,
A Japanese giant salamander and giant pandas.
Where: The National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW
When: 10 to 4:30 p.m. daily
Info: Free; nationalzoo.si.edu
5. Discover Georgia Avenue: A busy commercial street that intersects several historic neighborhoods along its five-mile route to the District line. This corridor’s past is steeped in Civil War history and ripe with black American heritage. Its present is just as engaging with its stimulating blend of cultures, colorful shops, and the ultimate D.C. annual parade. See Fort Stevens, the only Civil War fort in Washington to see military action, and Battleground National Cemetery, the burial ground for Union soldiers who lost their lives in the Battle of Fort Stevens, in July 1864. Head over to the National Museum of Health and Medicine, where you’ll see the bullet that killed President Lincoln, among other artifacts relating to Civil War-era medicine.
Where: Georgia Avenue, see Web site for directions.
When: Any day; self-guided tour
Info: Free; Culturaltourismdc.org
Best Family
1.Tom Crowl and His Sassy Friends: Ventriloquist Tom Crowl shares the stage with his rambunctious pals. “Dangerous” Dudley Duck lives life on the edge, blurting out everything that pops into his head. Clair Voy Ant, the French Psychic Insect, sees all, knows all, and tells all, like it or not! Raoul the Monkey and Percival the Pirate complete the crazy cast.
Where: National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
When: 9:30 and 11 a.m. Saturday
Info: Free; nationaltheatre.org
2. The Magic Paintbrush: Follow the footsteps of an orphan in China who has a dream of being an artist. His wish is granted when a mysterious old man presents him with a unique gift — a magic paintbrush. The brush begins an enchanting journey that tests the boundaries of humility and humanity using a blend of music, dance, gymnastics, Chinese theater traditions, and physical storytelling. Ages 4 and older.
Where: Synetic Family Theater, 4041 Campbell Ave., Arlington
When: Through April 3
Info: $10 to $12; 800-494-8497; classika.org
3. Old Fashioned Toys and Games: Learn how to make toys and play games from the 19th century.
Where: Sully Historic Site, 3601 Sully Road, Chantilly
When: 1 to 4 p.m. Friday
Info: $5 to $10; 703-437-1794; fairfaxcounty.gov/parks
4. Get Ready for Wood Frogs: For children 5 and older. Get ready for the earliest amphibians of the year. After the year’s first warm rain, you’ll hear them making a racket in the pond. Where do they all come from?
Where: Gulf Branch Nature Center, 3608 Military Road, Arlington
When: 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday
Info: $3; Registration necessary: 703-228-4747; Program #622850-C
5. Mirandy and Brother Wind: The junior cake walk happens soon and Mirandy needs a dancing partner. Who can high step and kick the best? Why, Brother Wind! But how can Mirandy capture him? Come see Mirandy learn about freedom and kindness.
Where: Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE
When: Friday to March 13
Info: $15; 301-634-2270; 202-399-7993; atlasarts.org
