Events/Things To Do

Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith and Executive Producer Edgar Dobie are pleased to announce the presentation of the fourth annual Beth Newburger Schwartz Award to National Public Radio’s Nina Totenberg, with actor and performer Kathleen Turner headlining the 2019 Arena Stage Annual Gala. The Gala will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at the Mead Center for American Theater (1101 Sixth Street, SW).

The evening kicks off with a cocktail reception, followed by a performance and a three-course seated dinner. The performance will feature the presentation of the Beth Newburger Schwartz Award to Nina Totenberg, in recognition of her ground-breaking reporting in the broadcast world and her continual support of the arts. Totenberg was the first radio journalist to receive the 1998 Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcasting from the National Press Foundation. The award was first presented to Arena Stage board chair Newburger Schwartz in 2016, Arlene Kogod in 2017 and Muriel Bowser in 2018, and celebrates a female leader who strives to better the community in which she lives through her own unique strengths and talents.

“It’s a thrill to present the Beth Newburger Schwartz Award to Nina Totenberg in recognition of her superb work as a reporter,” says Smith. “She has been at the forefront of Supreme Court and history-making news for decades. Our decision to present her with the Beth Newburger Schwartz Award was unanimous—her excellent reporting skills and shrewd intellect are at the top of her field.”

“I have spent decades in Washington partaking of the dramatic feast that Arena Stage offers,” Totenberg shares. “Arena has entertained me and made me think; it has taught me about history, science and the human condition and so it is a special honor to receive this award.”

Kathleen Turner is a Golden Globe Award-winning, Academy Award-nominated and Tony Award-nominated actress who has made her mark on both the film and stage scenes. She has appeared at Arena Stage in The Year of Magical Thinking (2016), Mother Courage and Her Children (2014), Red Hot Patriot (2012) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1989). She debuted her first cabaret performance, Finding My Voice, last year, and her new book, Kathleen Turner on Acting was recently published.

All proceeds will benefit all Arena Stage artistic and educational programs.

Event Schedule
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
5:30 p.m. Cocktail reception
6:30 p.m. Award presentation and one night only performance
8:00 p.m. Seated dinner

For additional event details visit arenastage.org/gala

Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith and Executive Producer Edgar Dobie are pleased to announce Lavern Chatman, vice president of business development at EDJ Associates and Arena Board of Trustees member as the chairwoman, and Annie Simonian Totah, Armenian Assembly of America’s Board of Trustees member and recipient of their 2018 Distinguished Humanitarian Award, as the honorary chairwoman of the 2019 Arena Stage Annual Gala. The Gala will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at the Mead Center for American Theater (1101 Sixth Street, SW), and will include the presentation of the fourth annual Beth Newburger Schwartz Award to National Public Radio’s Nina Totenberg. Actor and performer Kathleen Turner will headline the Gala, as well as host an intimate reception the evening before for select event sponsors.

“As a trustee of Arena Stage, I am pleased once again to chair this season’s Gala,” says Chatman. “The evening has garnered a reputation for honoring influential women and we are thrilled to continue this tradition, along with our Honorary Chair Annie Simonian Totah, to recognize the extraordinary journalist Nina Totenberg. Gala guests will also have the opportunity to experience the iconic Kathleen Turner in a special one-night only performance at this year’s event.”

The evening kicks off with a cocktail reception, followed by a performance and a three-course seated dinner. The performance will feature the presentation of the Beth Newburger Schwartz Award to Nina Totenberg, in recognition of her ground-breaking reporting in the broadcast world and her continuous support of the arts. Totenberg was the first radio journalist to receive the 1998 Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcasting from the National Press Foundation. The award was first presented to Arena Stage board chair Beth Newburger Schwartz in 2016, Arlene Kogod in 2017 and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser in 2018, and celebrates a female leader who strives to better the community in which she lives through her own unique strengths and talents.

Kathleen Turner is a Golden Globe Award-winning, Academy Award-nominated and Tony Award-nominated actress who has made her mark on both the film and stage scenes. She has appeared at Arena Stage in The Year of Magical Thinking (2016), Mother Courage and Her Children (2014), Red Hot Patriot (2012) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1989). She debuted her first cabaret performance, Finding My Voice, last year, and her new book, Kathleen Turner on Acting was recently published.

All proceeds will benefit all Arena Stage artistic and educational programs.

Event Schedule
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
5:30 p.m. Cocktail reception
6:30 p.m. Award presentation and one night only performance
8:00 p.m. Seated dinner

Event sponsors of $15,000 or more are invited to attend an intimate reception with Kathleen Turner on Monday, May 20.

For additional event details visit arenastage.org/gala.

Lavern Chatman (Gala Chair) A tireless advocate, staunch supporter, dedicated community leader, and firm believer in giving back to others, Ms. Chatman has been involved with philanthropic efforts in the Washington, D.C. region for more than two decades. Ms. Chatman is currently vice president of business development at EDJ, a leading national professional and technical services consulting firm, responsible for guiding EDJ across all markets, further strengthening their growing portfolio of Federal, private, and nonprofit clients. Prior to joining EDJ, Ms. Chatman served in senior leadership positions in marketing and business/fund development for non-profit and community organizations. She worked for decades as an advocate and promoter for minority and small businesses, developing strategic partnerships, fostering community engagement and advancing diversity and inclusionary initiatives. Ms. Chatman was also a former candidate for the United States Congress 8^th District of Virginia. Ms. Chatman served as the pulse of the Northern Virginia Urban League (NOVAUL) for almost a decade, first as a volunteer, then as a member of the board of directors, serving as the president and CEO of NOVAUL from 2003 to 2011, leaving a legacy of excellence and empowerment for generations to come. Under Ms. Chatman’s leadership, NOVAUL became one of the preeminent organizations in Northern Virginia, addressing issues of youth empowerment, financial literacy, affordable housing, closing the education achievement gap, and social justice. While there are myriad highlights from her tenure at the NOVAUL, one of her lasting contributions was her steadfast development of the Freedom House Museum. Out of commitment to her community and a dedication to its history, Ms. Chatman spearheaded a development campaign for this two-year project, raising over $400,000 to build, design and create a permanent memorial that tells the story of the domestic slave trade in Alexandria, VA. Today, this historic memorial is the headquarters of NOVAUL. Her efforts have been recognized on the local and national level with a series of awards, including the 2009 National Urban League Woman of Power Award for distinguished leadership. Ms. Chatman has served on the board of directors for Archbishop Carroll High School, Washington, D.C.; The Campagna Center, Alexandria, VA; Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce; INOVA Alexandria Hospital; The Community Foundation of Northern Virginia; and WETA Public Broadcasting; and chaired the Diversity Council for AARP Virginia. In 2008 Ms. Chatman convened over thirty-two grass roots organizations to form the Nova Coalition to lead voter education and empowerment efforts throughout Northern Virginia and promote civic engagement on nonpartisan issues in the community. Ms. Chatman served on The National League of Cities, Council on Youth, Education & Families, the World Bank’s D.C. Community Outreach Grants Committee, and the Cardinals Circle for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C, and is the immediate past president of the Arlington chapter of Links, Incorporated and an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Annie Simonian Totah (Honorary Gala Chair) For more than 40 years, Annie Simonian Totah has been recognized for her effective leadership, philanthropy and untiring commitment on behalf of many important political, cultural, and academic, health, women- and children- related and religious causes. Her many contributions and accomplishments have helped organizations and communities on the local, national, and international level. Ms. Totah is often spotted at the District’s many charitable functions, likely because she is involved in so many of them. She and her late husband Sami have been instrumental in donating and expanding the Magen David Sephardic Congregation. Ms. Totah is a major donor, mover and shaker in the nationwide Armenian Community. Through her fundraising and advocacy efforts, she has helped raise, in the last two decades, more than $3 billion in foreign aid for Armenia, her ancestral homeland. She is a breast cancer survivor and a supporter of Sibley Hospital. Through the Totahs’ generosity of $1.0 million, the Sibley Hospital has dedicated the Executive Wing of the Hospital in the name of the Sami & Annie Totah Family Foundation. A major donor and supporter of the Democratic Party, Ms. Totah has hosted in her beautiful home several fundraisers for Democratic candidates on the county, state, gubernatorial, federal and presidential levels. Ms. Totah’s fame and success have not been only in her charitable giving but in her ability to mastermind and produce spectacular and unique events for dozens and dozens of charitable causes. She donates, networks, elevates the cause of the organization and raises millions of dollars for organizations and events such as Israel Bonds Ambassadors’ Gala, Sibley Hospital Gala, Susan G. Komen Honoring the Promise Gala, Best Buddies with Anthony Kennedy Shriver, Washington Performing Arts Society, and the list goes on. Ms. Totah serves on the boards of many non-profit organizations including the Armenian Assembly of American, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Marshall Legacy Institute, Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, Magen David Sephardic Congregation, Washington Performing Arts Society, Washington Ballet, National Rehabilitation Hospital, Sibley Hospital, CARE Humanitarian Organization, Young Concert Artists, Youth Orchestra of the Americas, Heifitz International Music Institute, Post Classical Ensemble, Hope of Light Foundation, Phillips Collection, Strathmore Hall Foundation, and more. She is the recipient of many honors and awards, including the Medal of Appreciation from the President of the Republic of Armenia, the Armenian Assembly of America’s Distinguished Humanitarian Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, Sibley Memorial Hospital’s Shining Star Award, and the Medal of Appreciation from the President of Nagorno Karabagh Republic, among others.

Grammy Award® winner Michael Bolton joins the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) for a one-night-only performance this spring, led by NSO Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke. The concert takes place on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, at 8 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.

From “When a Man Loves a Woman” to “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” and more, Michael Bolton’s time, love, and tenderness has created the soundtrack of our lives. Join the Grammy Award®-winner with the NSO for an evening of timeless hits and a musical journey through pop, rock, soul, standards, and even classical, specially arranged for symphony orchestra.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets ($29-$119) are available at the Kennedy Center Box Office, online at kennedy-center.org, and via phone (202) 467-4600; toll-free at (800) 444-1324. For all other ticket-related customer service inquires, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.

DC Statehood Film Festival on May 24th @Carnegie Institution

We have extended the date to submit your short DC Statehood film until May 19^th!  If you need technical assistance please reach out to my office at 202-727-9110 for assistance.  If you have an idea and the people to create the idea, we can assist you with the equipment and the technical part of producing your short DC Statehood film.

Get creative while working towards one of our most important causes:  DC Statehood.  Involve the kids, the pets, and show the world your talent by producing a short (under 5 minutes) film on DC Statehood to be judged and shown at the Carnegie Institution on May 24^th, 2019.

Remember, you still have time to produce your short film on #DCStatehood to compete in the first DC Statehood Short Film Festival.

What:                   1^st DC Statehood Short Film Festival

When:                  May 24, 2019 @ 5:30PM

Where:               Carnegie Institution

                              1530 P Street NW, Washington DC 20005

Whether as “Saved By The Bell’s” resident high school jock or waltzing into our hearts on “Dancing With the Stars, Mario Lopez is an iconic pop cultural superstar spanning Decades of excitement. He’ll be visiting Decades Nightclub, beloved retro-to-modern paradise on Friday night, May 24th from 10pm-3am. Decades is located at 1219 Connecticut Avenue, NW and you must be 21+ to enter. VIP Guest List https://decadesdc.com/events/

Washington Monthly will host a screening of “All the President’s Men” and the legendary reporter featured in the film, Bob Woodward. The movie will be followed by a conversation with Woodward about his Watergate coverage, parallels to the Trump administration and other insights.

The event, in partnership with American Film Institute’s Silver Theatre, is set for Wednesday, May 29, beginning at 7 p.m.

The Oscar-winning movie stars Robert Redford as Woodward and Dustin Hoffman as Bernstein; it dramatizes the Washington Post’s investigation into the Watergate scandal that led to President Richard Nixon’s resignation, and that earned Woodward and Bernstein a Pulitzer Prize.

Woodward’s latest book, “Fear: Trump in the White House,” was an international best-seller. He’ll discuss his half-century experience covering Washington and multiple presidents with Washington Monthly Editor-in-Chief Paul Glastris. He will also take questions from the audience.

The Monthly’s Fourth Estate Film Series is a program of classic and contemporary movies about journalists and journalism, featuring in-person discussions with leading reporters, media experts, and film industry luminaries. All events take place at the AFI Silver Theatre at 8633 Colesville Road in Silver Spring, Md.

Other films in the series include “Broadcast News” and “The Front Page.” Further details are available at http://bit.ly/WMAFI2019.

Join FGIDC for a deep dive into the Beauty Industry. 

Guests will enjoy Glow shots, light refreshments and a panel discussion with local and national beauty entrepreneurs!

Gift Cards by South Block and beauty samples provided.

HOSTED BY IVY WILD

PANELIST

Natasha Estep, Manager at Blue Mercury

Mary Schulman, CEO/Co-Founder PYT Beauty®️

Tracey Garcia, Celebrity Makeup Artist

Funlayo Alabi, CEO and Co-founder of Shea Radiance

CapitalBop returns to the DC Jazz Festival on June 8 with present::futures, the most talent-packed single show in this DIY organization’s history. Six of the most forward-thinking acts in music will appear across two stages, surrounded by visual art and pop-up vendors selling homemade food and drink.

For 2019, CapitalBop has opted to compress its usual run of concerts at the DC JazzFest into one jam-packed, evening-long celebration of musical innovation, with live painting, food, drink and more.

More information available at presentfutures.eventbrite.com

Headlining the festival are separate bands led by West Coast singer/songwriter/emcee Georgia Anne Muldrow and New York-based drummer/bandleader Justin Brown. Muldrow is a prolific performer with an uncommonly deep catalogue, including multiple collaborations with rap legend Madlib, and she has recently broken into the mainstream with the release of her most recent album, Overload.

Brown, a giant of modern jazz who plays with Thundercat, Ambrose Akinmusire, Esperanza Spalding and others, is one of the most important emerging artists in music today. His debut album as a leader, NYEUSI, has turned heads and drawn attention from music writers and fans all over the world.

Miles Okazaki, one of the most distinctive young guitarists alive, gained a new level of attention last year when he released WORK, a six-disc album featuring his interpretations of every song in Thelonious Monk’s catalogue.

Saxophonist Brent Birckhead, a D.C. native now living in New York, is riding the momentum of his acclaimed debut release, BIRCKHEAD. Composer, clarinetist and vocalist Angel Bat Dawid also released her debut album this year, The Oracle, and has earned praise from such press outlets as Pitchfork and Rolling Stone. Other deep-thinking DMV mainstays, including Jamal Moore’s Organix Trio and DJ John Murph, will round out the evening’s lineup.

The event takes place at the Sandlot Southwest, an open, outdoor space located just south of Audi Stadium at Buzzard Point, at 1800 Half St. SW. Doors open at 6:30, directly preceded by an hour-long meet-and-greet for package and VIP ticket-holders. Tickets are $18 early advance (before May 27), $25 advance and $30 at the door; students get $5 off the price of their admission. Special ticket packages are available for $40, and VIP-level reserved seating for donors starts at $100. The show is all-ages.

5:30 PM: VIP meet-and-greet

6:30 PM: Doors

7:15 PM: Angel Bat Dawid (stage 2)

7:30 PM: Brent Birckhead (stage 1)

8:15: Miles Okazaki (stage 2)

9:15 PM: Justin Brown’s Nyeusi (stage 1)

10:15 PM: Jamal Moore’s Organix Trio (stage 2)

11:00 PM: Georgia Anne Muldrow (stage 1)