The annual visit of the Mariinsky Theater’s traveling opera troupe from St. Petersburg came a little early this year. The themes that unite the Kennedy Center double-bill of Verdi’s Otello and Tchaikovsky’s Queen of Spades are self-destructive obsessions and tenor heroes who become villains. Who better to perform The Queen of Spades than the Mariinsky Theater, which hosted the world premiere of The Queen of Spades on December 19, 1890? The opera is thoroughly Russian,…

>> The Metro board voted 5-1 to approve officially the largest increase in fares in Metro history. [NBC4] >> Two D.C. developers, William C. Smith Cos. and the Jair Lynch Cos., have been chosen to lead the Sursum Corda redevelopment project. [WaPo] >> An MPD mountain bike officer was taken to the hospital Thursday after being struck by a stolen car in the 4200 block of Ord St. NE. [WJLA] >> Queen of Sheba…

To say D.C. is not known for its fashion sense is an understatement. The people in our fine city get slammed again and again for their inability to dress themselves in anything other than career wear. Luckily this holiday shopping season offers a little incentive in the form of trunk shows for those of us who’d like to look better and help us score some spiffy new duds. As gifts, of course. Trunk shows are…

It’s December, which means that much of the classical music concert schedule is devoted to some holiday that apparently occurs near the end of the month. Consult our Holiday Concert Agenda and our Handel’s Messiah Agenda, if that is the sort of thing that interests you. Let’s try to keep the regular agenda free of that stuff. There is plenty to talk about without it. VOICES: >> The annual residency of the Kirov Opera, the…

Katharine Hepburn, one of the most iconic actresses of the 20th century, is the latest person to be featured in the National Portrait Gallery’s “One Life” gallery. Kate: A Centennial Celebration, which opened today, presents a multi-media approach to Hepburn’s life — photographs, video clips, her four Best Actress Oscar statuettes, a Brooks Brothers red turtleneck sweater, and a studio contract are all on display. The four statuettes, which Hepburn won for Morning Glory, Guess…

There’s something inherently likable about about Spencer Krug. Just ask Wolf Parade bandmate Dan Boeckner who snidely referred to him as the guy that everybody likes. Although that was a clear barb, Boeckner has a point. Dante DeCaro, another fellow Wolf Parade member likes him enough to continue touring with Krug (under the moniker of opener Johnny & The Moon). Fellow Canadians Carey Mercer (Frog Eyes) and Dan Bejar (Destroyer) like him enough to work…

>> Veterinarians at the National Zoo have euthanized Ume, an 8-year-old male cheetah, due a to the animal’s ill-health. [AP] >> Little Richard is even more wolf-faced crazy than you ever imagined. [BrightestYoungThings] >> D.C. Sports blogger Jamie Mottram is heading to Yahoo! Sports. [Mr. Irrelevant] >> Queen of Sheba gets a decision … No, wait. [14th & You] >> The U.S. attorney’s investigation into the shooting of 14-year-old DeOnté Rawlings by off-duty police…

>> President Bush is set to announce plans to reduce the American troop presence in Iraq by around 30,000 by next summer — which is the same, pre-surge level it was about nine months ago. [AP via WTOP] >> D.C. firefighters put out a fire in the parking garage at Union Station this morning. [AP via WTOP] >> The 2007 American League of Lobbyists Hoops for Hope Charity Game is tonight at GW’s Smith Center,…

>> Little children don’t like President Bush. [YouTube, embedding sadly turned off] >> Director Ridley Scott set off a bomb at Eastern Market yesterday, but Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio were not there, so stop asking us about it. [Reliable Source] >> A U.S. Park Police officer reportedly shot and wounded a driver on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway near Riverdale this afternoon. [WaPo] >> The FBI has launched a new Web site, BankBandits.com, in an…

FRIDAY: >> In case you missed Chapel Hill’s The Old Ceremony (pictured) last time they were in town, they’ll be at the Rock and Roll Hotel tonight with Junior League, Unwed Sailor and John Pringle. We’ve raved in the past about lead singer Django Haskins’ Nick Cave-meets-Ben Folds stage presence, and since then we’ve picked up their 2006 release Our One Mistake. If you can’t make the show, we highly suggest giving them a listen…