“SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras” will take over the Kennedy Center and other venues all week. (Photo by David D’Agostino)
New clothes, connections between global cultures, and a darker take on The Little Mermaid are among the gems in this week’s event lineup.
MONDAY, MARCH 27
STRIKING SOUNDS: Advertisements for the inaugural “SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras” have been ubiquitous at bus stops and Metro stations for the last month. Finally, the hype will become reality this week, as four acclaimed orchestras and numerous singers and performers will take the stage at the Kennedy Center and several other venues to highlight “themes of nature, America, creation and creativity, and choral influences.” The full slate of events is here. (Kennedy Center and elsewhere; All Week Long; FREE to $25)
MAD FOR SCIENCE: Remember when believing in the virtues of science was commonplace, not a radical act of subversion? Those were good times. But now they’re gone, and in their place, experts in the field will gather in Columbia Heights for a Science Town Hall to ponder existential and practical questions about how to extend the future of our planet. Bonus: According to the Facebook event, “If you don’t like what you hear, you can drown your sorrows in something delicious.” (The Pinch; 7 to 10 p.m.; FREE)
RECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES: The best way to understand how someone else thinks is to grasp what makes them think that way. That’s the ethos behind social scientist Gish Jen’s The Girl at the Baggage Claim, in which Jen draws on her background as a child of Chinese immigrants to clarify differences in Western and Asian philosophies on politics, art, business, and more. At a book talk, Jen will try to bring people together. (Politics & Prose; 7 to 8 p.m.; FREE)
More: Vinton Cerf; Washington English Center Trivia Night; March Literary Trivia at Petworth Citizen; Deaf Women of Color ASL Trivia Night; Improv Wars; Busboys & Poets Open Mic Poetry
TUESDAY, MARCH 28
Enjoy lots and lots of gin at Hank’s Oyster Bar this week. (Photo by Mr.TinDC)
NEW THREADS: Every closet needs to be refreshed once in a while. DC EcoWomen is hosting a Spring Clothing Swap to help that process along. Women can bring washed, gently used clothes to exchange with other women’s washed, gently used clothes. (Sorry, men. No closet refresh for you this time — though EcoWomen hosts co-ed events at other times during the year.) (The Potter’s House; 6 to 8 p.m.; FREE with donations accepted)
COMING OF AGE: New Yorker staff writer Elif Batuman’s new book The Idiot begins with main character Selin’s first day at Harvard. So…it seems a little far-fetched that she’s an idiot. Or is “idiot” referring to her naivete about the harsh realities of the adult world? Or is someone else an idiot? This question will presumably be answering during Batuman’s book talk. If not…someone should make sure to ask. (Politics & Prose; 7 to 8 p.m.; FREE
GIN UP: Hank’s Oyster Bar is hosting an event called Ginlandia from March 28 to April 1. There will be, um, gin: 35 unique flavors at the bar, gin flights all night long, and a cocktail menu filled with…gin. (Hank’s Oyster Bar; 5 to 11 p.m.; FREE entry)
LIVE MIX: “Can I Kick It?” On Tuesday night, the answer is yes, at least in Adams Morgan, with a screening of the Jean Claude Van Damme martial arts classic Double Impact soundtracked live by a mix from DJ 2-Tone Jones of “hip-hop, funk, soul and cinema soundbites.” (Songbyrd Cafe; 6-10 p.m.; FREE)
LITTLE MERMAID FOR BIGGER KIDS: John Neumaier’s ballet adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fable, playing March 28 to April 2, doesn’t bear much resemblance to the beloved Disney movie of the same name. No Sebastian singing “Under the Sea” (sorry, Lin-Manuel); no colorful creatures or witty banter; maybe not even a happy ending. Still, this more adult take on the material seems to hew closer to Andersen’s original intentions — and, at the very least, will drive a stake into at least a few childhood memories. (Kennedy Center; 7:30 p.m.; $29-125)
More: Whiskey and Cheese; Bianca Bosker; The Global Soul: Imagining the Cosmpolitan
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29
D.C. high school students will tackle the music of Prince at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday. (Photo by Victoria Pickering)
GREATER STILL: The urban news and information website Greater Greater Washington is turning nine years old this week, which means it’s not so far away from the terrible teens. While it’s still a cute young thing, celebrate with drinks, snacks and conversation and a trivia contest with prizes. (Sudhouse; 6:30 to 9 p.m.; FREE with donations welcome)
UPHILL BATTLE: Women have made great gains in the news media, but there’s still a ton of work to do in the march toward greater inclusion and diversity both in front of and behind the scenes. Linda Kramer Jenning, an independent journalist and former Washington editor for Glamour, has plenty to say on this issue, particularly in light of a presidential administration that, well, isn’t so fond of female reporters. (Women’s National Democratic Club; 6 to 7:30 p.m.; $25)
CRAFTING A LEGACY: Presidents are remembered for what they did while in office, of course, but also for how they drive the narrative about their administrations once they’ve left. Author and George Washington University professor Jodi Kanter has written a book that examines presidential libraries for the stories they tell about their namesakes. If nothing else, her book signing will prompt some anxious musing about what Donald Trump’s library will look like — a single video screen blaring Fox News at deafening volume, perhaps? (William McGowan Theater at the National Archives; 12 to 1 p.m.; FREE)
NOTHING COMPARES 2 U: Each year, the DC-CAPITAL STARS Talent Competition sends its finalists — college-bound students from area public and charter schools — for a competitive championship at the Kennedy Center. This year, they’re tackling the music of Prince, presumably working around some lyrics that might send their parents into a tizzy. (Kennedy Center; 7 to 8:40 p.m.; $35-45)
More: Therapy is Not a Dirty Word
THURSDAY, MARCH 30
Haitian rapper and singer Wyclef Jean will perform at this week’s Park Thursday. (Photo by Matthew Straubmuller)
BEHIND THE SCENES: The Phillips Collection’s exhibition on French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec has been open since early February. But on Thursday, curator Renee Maurer steps out to discuss Toulouse-Lautrec’s litographs and answer questions about the finer points of the exhibit. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words; other times, it’s nice to hear some words before deciding a picture’s worth. (Phillips Collection; 6:30 p.m.; FREE with $12 admission)
WHERE DID HE GO?: Jim Thompson was the most famous American in Thailand — a spy and an art collector with refined taste and valuable intel. Then one day in March 1967, he went on a short walk — and disappeared. Where did he go? Why were so many intelligence agencies involved in investigating the case? At a Spy Museum event on Thursday, the truth is (maybe) out there. (International Spy Museum; 6:30 to 8 p.m.; $10)
THROWDOWN: Wyclef Jean — the Haitian rapper and singer perhaps best known to American audiences for never really knowing that Shakira could dance like this — is hosting Park Thursday this week. (The Park; 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.; FREE entry until 10 p.m.)
SMARTER THAN THOU: You’re the Expert is a touring live show featuring up-and-coming comedians — and, because the laws of 2017 demand it, it’s also a podcast. Here in D.C., host Chris Duffy will be joined comedians Maeve Higgins, Aparna Nancherla, and Hari Kondabolu as they try to guess what a professor does all day. (National Geographic Museum; 6 p.m.; $25)
TUNNEL BENEATH: The historic mansion Tudor Place has all kinds of history within its walls, including family ties to George Washington. But most people don’t know that it has also history underneath its walls. A tour of its tunnels and trapdoors will reveal even more trivia. (Tudor Place; 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.; $30)
More: DC Bilingual School’s First Annual Gala; The Death of Expertise
