Photo by Vileinist.MOVIE: Before there was Black Swan, there was the 1947 film The Red Shoes, a “story within a story” presenting both the drama on stage and behind the scenes of a ballet production (minus the horror). Read Ian Buckwalter’s full review, then see it tonight at 6:30 p.m. — or on Thursday at 6:45 p.m. — at AFI Silver Theater (8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring). $11.
>> Watch a free screening of the Oscar nominated Documentary Feature Waste Land tonight at the National Archives’ William G. McGowan Theater. Tickets are distributed at the Special Events entrance on Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets NW an hour before the show. 7 p.m. Free.
FOOD & DRINK: Head to the The Big Hunt (1345 Connecticut Avenue NW) for a mid-Atlantic beer tasting. Drink beers from Victory, Port City and Williamsburg breweries while Bill DeBaun of DCBeer.com and DCist’s John Fleury talk about the beers and different styles. (Please note: DCist is not a sponsor of this event.) 6-8 p.m. $20.
TALK: Learn the history and the process of creating Steinway pianos at The Story of Steinway & Sons, a presentation by Steinway artist Robert Wyatt that will incorporate “film clips, archival recordings, live piano performance” and more at the National Museum of the American Indian (Rasmuson Theater, 4th Street and Independence Avenue SW).
>> The Historical Society of Washington (801 K Street NW) celebrates the opening of its “Choosing to Participate” exhibit with a reception and talk on religious freedom and democracy. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Free.
MUSIC: Futurebirds, who hail from Georgia, bring their alt-country tunes to the Black Cat Backstage (1811 14th Street NW) tonight. Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray will also perform. 9 p.m. $10.
>> Americana / Blues / Southern Rock band Homegoing and Rum and Kidney Men, which derives its name from a forgotten term for “musicians who play at feasts, fairs, and weddings, and subsist on the remnants and remains of victuals,” perform tonight at the Red Palace (1210 H Street NE). 8:30 p.m. $8.
