Kick off your weekend with the Washington Improv Theater. (Photo via Facebook)
This weekend’s agenda includes shopping, shadow dancing, puppy adopting, and more.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 27
IMPROV: Tonight, Washington Improv Theater’s Wintry Mix will feature the debut of Fat American Vampires. The ten-member troupe will perform a ski-lodge themed show. Improv groups Darlene & Joy and iMusical will also perform. (DC Arts Center, 7:30 p.m. $12-15)
SHOPPING: LADIES: Treat yourself to a new pair of jeans, and/or a like-new dress (along with other fashionable clothing) at one of two shopping events on 14th Street. First, Madewell (6-8 p.m. FREE) celebrates their grand opening with cocktails and snacks, plus a pop-up market by The Lemon Bowl. Just a block away, Current Boutique campaigns for your “Best of DC” vote with champagne, snacks, and 20 percent off all purchases. Plus, there will be a styling competition and fashion show that you have the chance to model in. (7-9:30 p.m. FREE)
SONGWRITER SHOWCASE: Discover “new” local music at the The 9: Songwriter Series. The artists aren’t new to the scene, but with nine featured performers, you’re likely to become a fan of a singer/songwriter new to you. (The Black Cat, 8 p.m. $10)
More: Suck Me Shakespeer, Vent, Luce Unplugged
Filson hosts a Canine Happy Hour featuring drinks for man and treats for his best friend.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 28
CANINE HAPPY HOUR: Are you a dog owner? Bring your pooch to Filson for some treats courtesy of Smart Cookie Bakery, plus enjoy drinks for yourself as well. Are you not a dog owner, but still a dog lover? Come for the drinks and to meet some pups in need of a home. The Humane Rescue Alliance adoption truck will be parked outside the store. (Filson, 12-3 p.m. FREE)
SCHOOL: Learn factual facts about beer, or alternative facts about ancient civilizations. Beer 101 will cover the basics of brewing and what malt, hops, water, and yeast each do for a beer’s color, aroma, alcohol content, body, and flavor. Students will receive eight beer samples, appetizers, a logo’d growler, and tour passes to the brewery. (Heavy Seas Alehouse, 12-2 p.m. $25). Meanwhile, students of Fale University will receive knowledge from five comedians that “higher education/Ms Frizzle/Netflix neglected to share.” (Suns Cinema, 8:30 p.m. $7)
FILM FESTIVAL: A ticket to the Rosebud Film Festival Nominee Showcase grants you access to watch any of 20 films made by local filmmakers. Selections include Star Malice Wars, Bar Quixote and A Pointless Pencil. (Rosslyn Spectrum Theatre, 1-8 p.m. $15)
LUNAR NEW YEAR: Celebrate the Year of the Rooster at the second annual Lunar New Year party. Guests will enjoy an open bar, catering from REREN, performances including a traditional lion dance, art activities (supplies limited), and more. Plus, because the event is at Blind Whino, you can explore the local art on display. (Blind Whino, 8 p.m.-12 a.m. $75-95)
More: Nerds! Trivia Night, ComedySportzDC, Fantom Feud
Pilobolus Dance Theater’s Shadowland tour arrives in D.C. (Photo by Ian Douglas, via Facebook)
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29
DANCE PERFORMANCE: Pilobolus’ Shadowland merges moving screens, projected images, and front-of-screen choreography to tell the story of a teenage girl who gets trapped on the other side of a wall. (GW Lisner Auditorium, 2 p.m. $25-45, Saturday performance also available)
THEATER: Hooded: Or Being Black for Dummies is a dark comedy/satire exploring “mistaken identity, incarceration, and being black on a privileged college campus.” Follow Tru, a street savvy Baltimorean, as he teaches Marquis, a book smart prep-schooler, how to be black. The production runs through February 19. (The Atlas Performing Arts Center, 4 p.m. $20-35)
LISTENING PARTY: The latest edition of the worldwide listening party, Classic Album Sundays, features Van Morrison’s second studio album, Astral Weeks. The album will be played in its entirety, on vinyl. (Songbyrd Music House, 3 p.m. $5)
ANTHOLOGY READING: Enter a “vivid kaleidoscope of District life,” as local writers read their fiction, poetry, and essays printed in District Lines: An Anthology of Original Local Work – Volume IV. (Politics & Prose, 5 p.m. FREE)
CHINESE NEW YEAR PARADE: Organizers of the annual Chinese New Year’s Parade say that “this year’s spectacle will be the biggest and best yet.” Chinese dragons, lions, marching bands, beauty queens, and folk dancers, are among the 50 groups of entertainers who will celebrate on H Street NW. The event’s traditional giant firecracker lighting will take place at 3:45 p.m.(Chinatown, 2 p.m.)
More: Kennedy Center Chamber Players, indie rock karaoke , DC Record Fair
