Jan
10
Fri
Eric Nuzum – Make Noise: A Creator’s Guide to Podcasting and Great Audio Storytelling @ Politics & Prose at Union Market
Jan 10 @ 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Eric Nuzum – Make Noise: A Creator’s Guide to Podcasting and Great Audio Storytelling — in conversation with Scott Simon — at Politics and Prose at Union Market

Friday, January 10, 2020 – 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

In his comprehensive guide to creating and distributing podcasts, Nuzum, who as former head of NPR podcast development oversaw shows including TED Radio Hour, Invisibilia, Sincerely X, and The Butterfly Effect with Jon Ronson, goes beyond just the basics. Offering practical information, insider’s advice, and tips on the big picture, he identifies core principles, such as thinking like the audience while staying focused on your own message; establishes best practices for interviews and for developing character, story, and voice; shares strategies for refining ideas and developing an audience; and shows how to use audio effectively as a means of expression. Nuzum will be in conversation with Scott Simon, host of NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.

This event is free to attend with no reservation required. Seating is available on a first come, first served basis.

Politics and Prose at Union Market   1270 5th Street NE   Washington   DC    20002

WNO: American Opera Initiative: The New 20-Minute Operas @ Kennedy Center Terrace Theatre
Jan 10 @ 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM

7 p.m. & 9 p.m. Terrace Theater

WNO: American Opera Initiative: The New 20-Minute Operas

Three world premiere short operas will be staged in a concert performance, accompanied by a small chamber orchestra and followed by a Q&A with the artists and creative team. This season’s distinguished mentors include composer Laura Kaminsky, librettist Kelley Rourke, and conductor Anne Manson.

Tickets: $19-35

Diana Ross with the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) @ Kennedy Center
Jan 10 @ 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Under the baton of Emil de Cou, Diana Ross returns to the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) for three performances with her music book of memories showcasing Ms. Ross’ immense talent and a celebrated legacy spanning more than five decades. Performances take place January 9, 10, and 11, at 8 p.m., in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.

Diana Ross is one of the most successful singers of her generation, with a performing arts career that spans more than 50 years. The award-winning singer and actress is known for leading the powerful female group The Supremes, as well as her chart-topping solo career. Ross has received the Guinness World Record for her international success of having more hits than any other female artist on the charts, inductions into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a Kennedy Center Honor, a Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award, and countless other accolades and awards.

Ross has invited local D.C. gospel choir The Joyce Garrett Singers to join her once again onstage for this program. The Joyce Garrett Singers sang with Ross in her last appearance with the NSO and performed at the 2007 Kennedy Center Honors, at which Ross received the prestigious award for lifetime achievement.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets (from $39–$199) are available at the Kennedy Center Box Office, online at kennedy-center.org, and via phone through Instant Charge, (202) 467-4700; toll-free at (800) 444-1324. For all other ticket-related customer service inquires, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.

 

Jan
11
Sat
Bite Your Tongue: The Unhospitable Edition @ Hook Hall
Jan 11 @ 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM

How hard is it for women food entrepreneurs to start and run some of DC’s top bakeries, breweries and food companies? Find out on January 11, at Hook Hall, when eight of the region’s most talented female food creators dish it out at an epic night of storytelling called “Bite Your Tongue.” The event, priced at $20, will be from 7 until 9:30 p.m.

Bite Your Tongue will feature untold stories from the women who fuel DC–stories that are heartbreaking, hilarious and have the added benefit of being 100% true.

“Live storytelling is the best forum to express the insane ups and downs of creating a successful food business…” said Sara Polon, CEO of Soupergirl and a co-founder of Bite Your Tongue. “That’s why we created the Bite Your Tongue series, to use live narrative to let these bad-ass local business women share their successes and failures with a live audience.”

“Bite Your Tongue: The Unhospitable Edition” is the first in the BYT speaker series. The inaugural January 11 event will include a live musical performance from One Lane Bridge. Proceeds from the event will go to N Street Village, a community empowering homeless and low-income women in D.C. to claim their highest quality of life.

The eight entrepreneurs sharing their stories are: 

  • Violeta Edelman, co-founder & co-CEO, Dolcezza Gelato & Coffee, a gelateria using local ingredients to create homemade flavors.
  • Sarah Frimpong, CEO & founder, Wellfound Foods, which manufactures and distributes modern grab-n-go food to quality foodservice buyers and retailers in the DMV.
  • Sarah Gordon, co-founder, Gordy’s Pickle Jar, a pickle manufacturing company based in D.C.
  • Jenna Hunstberger, founder, Whisked! D.C., an award winning online bakery that delivers desserts across the country.
  • Doron Petersan, founder & president of Sticky Fingers Sweets and Eats, an award-winning vegan bakery.
  • Anna Valero, founder, Hook Hall/Kraken Axes. Hook Hall is a traditional tavern and event space, while Kraken Axes are axe throwing bars.
  • Sara Polon, founder, Soupergirl, a soup company cooking plant-based, healthy, delicious soups by hand.
  • Julie Verratti, co-owner, Denizens Brewing Company, a brewery offering fresh craft beer made in Maryland. 

 

Diana Ross with the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) @ Kennedy Center
Jan 11 @ 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Under the baton of Emil de Cou, Diana Ross returns to the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) for three performances with her music book of memories showcasing Ms. Ross’ immense talent and a celebrated legacy spanning more than five decades. Performances take place January 9, 10, and 11, at 8 p.m., in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.

Diana Ross is one of the most successful singers of her generation, with a performing arts career that spans more than 50 years. The award-winning singer and actress is known for leading the powerful female group The Supremes, as well as her chart-topping solo career. Ross has received the Guinness World Record for her international success of having more hits than any other female artist on the charts, inductions into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a Kennedy Center Honor, a Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award, and countless other accolades and awards.

Ross has invited local D.C. gospel choir The Joyce Garrett Singers to join her once again onstage for this program. The Joyce Garrett Singers sang with Ross in her last appearance with the NSO and performed at the 2007 Kennedy Center Honors, at which Ross received the prestigious award for lifetime achievement.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets (from $39–$199) are available at the Kennedy Center Box Office, online at kennedy-center.org, and via phone through Instant Charge, (202) 467-4700; toll-free at (800) 444-1324. For all other ticket-related customer service inquires, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.

 

Jan
12
Sun
STEP AFRIKA! STEP XPLOSION @ Strathmore
Jan 12 @ 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

STEP AFRIKA!
STEP XPLOSION
Sunday, January 12, 2020
5PM
Tickets: $35–$75
Strathmore is proud to welcome back Step Afrika!, the first professional organization dedicated to the African American tradition of stepping. This performance begins with a showcase of the region’s finest step squads featuring lightning-fast footwork, percussive chants, and incredible synchronicity. In addition to Step Xplosion, Step Afrika! will showcase a portion of their new work, Drumfolk, commissioned by Strathmore. Drumfolk honors the heritage of step and places the evolution of this vibrant art form in its historical context. Tracing step’s roots to the African American percussive traditions of patting juba, hambone, ring shout, and tap, Drumfolk reflects on the harsh realities of the American South and celebrates the fortitude of the slaves who practiced these transcendent musical forms.

Jan
13
Mon
AOC: Fighter, Phenom, Changemaker Book Singing @ Solid State Books
Jan 13 @ 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Prachi Gupta will be discussing her first book AOC: Fighter, Phenom, Changemaker at Solid State Books, 600 H Street Northeast Washington, DC, 20002, Monday, January 13 at 7:00pm. The event is free and open to the public and books will be available for purchase and signing.

AOC: Fighter, Phenom, Changemaker is among the first biographies of one of the most talked-about women in politics and is written by Prachi Gupta, a freelance journalist who previously worked at Jezebel, covered the 2016 election for Cosmopolitan.com, and has interviewed figures like Hillary Clinton, Ivanka Trump, and Michelle Obama. It’s an inspiring holiday gift that shares Ocasio-Cortez’s remarkable life story and a clear and compelling look at who she is, what she stands for, and the movement that she’s energized. Booklist called AOC a “beautiful tribute to a contemporary firebrand,” praised Gupta’s reporting, and recommended the book for both adult and YA readers.

Damp January at The Royal @ Royal
Jan 13 @ 8:00 PM – Jan 14 @ 1:00 AM
For those trying to get healthy in the New Year without cutting booze cold-turkey, the Royal is hosting a low-ABV cocktail pop-up called “Damp January” on Monday, January 13 from 8pm to 1am. Eschewing “Dry January” for something a bit more moderate, the LeDroit Park cocktail bar will spotlight locally-made aperitifs, liqueurs and vermouths in sessionable $8 cocktails from guest bartender Morgan Barron (of Don Ciccio & Figli’s Bar Sirenis and Barmini) and Royal’s bar managers Jake Kenny and Alonzo Freeman, as part of its monthly “Royal Knights” takeover series.
Barron can be found behind the bar of esteemed cocktail destination Barmini during the week, but on weekends she creates drinks for Don Ciccio & Figli’s Bar Sirenis. This Monday, she showcases Italian-inspired aperitivi in unique tipples, such as a bitter shandy made with iron amaro, a buzzy matcha and espresso liqueur concoction, and an Amalfi-inspired spritz which subs Don Ciccio’s Ambrosia in for traditional Aperol. Here are her cocktails below:
“THE REAL SLIM SHANDY”
Don Ciccio Ferra Kina, Kumquat, Orgeat, Rye, Atlas Brew Works Stout
“CONCERTO IN E MINOR”
Don Ciccio Concerto, Matcha, Dr. Bird Jamaican Rum, Oatmilk
“LIVING IN AMERICA, EYE TO EYE”
Don Ciccio Luna, Juniper Tincture, Pinot Noir Vermouth
“AMALFI FIZZ”
Don Ciccio Ambrosia, Turmeric Cream, Egg White, Ginger Beer
On behalf of the Royal, Jake Kenny and Alonzo Freeman get creative by combining Don Ciccio’s mandarin cello with house fermented tepache; using fennel liqueur in a dry, vegetal martini; and pairing oloroso sherry with roasted fruits for an indulgent frothy sip:
“SUMMER IN JANUARY”
Don Ciccio Mandarinetto, housemade Tepache, Bitters
“SEE YOU ON MT. OLYMPUS”
Fig & Chocolate-infused Lustau Oloroso Sherry, Don Ciccio Ambrosia, Spiced Orange Bitters
“TRINITÁ MARTINI”
Don Ciccio Finocchietto, Sombra Mezcal, Lustau Blanc Vermouth, Salt
“NIGHTSHIFT”
Lustau Oloroso Sherry, Don Ciccio Concerto, Roasted Pineapple, Cane Sugar, Egg, Bitters
Royal will also have zero-proof cocktails for teetotalers, and for those who need a palate cleaner between cocktails, Royal will also offer $3 canned brews from beer sponsor Atlas Brew Works.
And the kitchen will be open until 1am for hungry diners, with Chef Cable Smith serving up fun late-night eats.
This is part of Royal’s “Royal Knights” event series, where on the second Monday of each month, they focus on a new batch of craft spirits, lesser-known liqueurs, and the creative people who make them, hosting guest-bartenders from around the country and introducing guests to creative new brands in the booze industry.
Royal’s monthly “Royal Knights” industry nights are free and open to the public, running from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. on the second Monday of every month. Details for subsequent “Royal Knights” nights will be announced closer to each event. For more information, please visit www.theroyaldc.com or call 202-332-7777.
WHO: Royal
Barmen Jake Kenny and Alonzo Freeman
                  Guest Bartender Morgan Barron of Don Ciccio & Figli and Barmini
WHEN:     Monday, January 13, 2020
             8 p.m. – 1 a.m.
WHERE:    Royal
501 Florida Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Jan
15
Wed
Strathmore Presents Artist in Residence AYO (pop vocalist) @ Mansion at Strathmore
Jan 15 @ 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM

Strathmore Presents
Artist in Residence

AYO (pop vocalist)
Wednesdays, January 15 & 29, 2020
7:30 pm
Sponsored by Mrs. Patricia Haywood Moore and Dr. Roscoe M. Moore, Jr.

Tickets $19

Mansion at Strathmore
10701 Rockville Pike
North Bethesda, MD 20852

 

Atlanta-born, Nigerian-raised Howard University graduate and pop powerhouse AYO hopes her music can provide a message of empowerment and liberation. Her versatile style ranges from pop to hip-hop to soul, but the core of her work is always emotional vulnerability, love, and self-actualization. Her performances in the Mansion at Strathmore are on Wednesdays, January 15 and 29, 2020 at 7:30PM, kicking off the Artist in Residence class of 2020 concerts. AYO’s performances are generously sponsored by Mrs. Patricia Haywood Moore and Dr. Roscoe M. Moore, Jr. Tickets and more information are available at www.strathmore.org or by calling (301) 581-5100.

AYO’s forthcoming EP release explores the intricacies of being a black woman in America, heralding a message of love, freedom, and self-discovery. She employs a soulful blend of smooth vocals and poignant lyrics to illustrate her struggles with identity and acceptance. Over the course of her accomplished career, AYO has been featured in NPR’s Christmas special, made the top eight contestants on BET’s Sunday Best, and performed at the Kennedy Center for the 2015 DC Jazz Festival. She was also a soloist for the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2016. Most recently, AYO portrays a young Ella Fitzgerald in the newly released HBO documentary, The Apollo.

AYO earned a bachelor’s degree from Howard University in Jazz Studies and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Jazz Performance. She credits her time in Howard University’s Jazz Studies program for giving her a solid foundation of music theory and technique from which she could expand and explore. Since graduating, the accomplished singer-songwriter has worked with artists such as Common, Chance the Rapper, and Andra Day.

Jan
16
Thu
Young Concert Artists present Do-Hyun Kim, piano @ Kennedy Center Terrace Theatre
Jan 16 @ 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM

7:30 p.m. Terrace Theater

Young Concert Artists present Do-Hyun Kim, piano

Pianist Do-Hyun Kim displays incredible depth of artistry on a debut program of music he grew up listening to, culminating with Chopin’s Op. 25 Etudes.

Tickets: $20-$45