Renaiss
Each Renaissance Hotel will participate in the “Global Day of Discovery,” inspiring more than 30,000 hotel guests to leave their hotel rooms and discover unforgettable moments through unexpected experiences created at the hotels including exclusive RLife LIVE events on site or unique offsite discoveries created by hotel NAVIGATORS.
The initiative is part of Renaissance Hotels “Summer of Discovery,” created to provoke today’s lifestyle-oriented business traveler to explore a hotel or destination’s hidden gems. The seasonal program features a calendar of exciting experiences taking place at Renaissance Hotels throughout the world through September. http://www.marriott.com/
Opening remarks by Khaled Hosseini, UNHCR Goodwill Envoy, international best-selling author of The Kite Runner andA Thousand Splendid Suns about his new novel And The Mountains Echoed
Grammy-nominated Cheick Hamala Diabate will perform traditional Malian music in a special World Refugee Day performance.
With an appearance by Youssouf Keita, a.k.a. “Supernova”, Malian rapper
There will be a post-performance book sale and signing of Khaled’s new book And The Mountains Echoed.
On World Refugee Day, Cheick Diabate will release his newest album, Anka Ben Mali Denou. Both the album and his Kennedy Center performance will include a song that calls for peace in Mali.
Free and open to the public. Seating is first come first served.
Join in for an evening of cocktails and music with an opening song by rising star from the X Factor, Diamond White.
Music by Cheick Hamala Diabate and featuring Khaled Hosseini and other special guests
8:30 – 9:30 pm Cocktails
9:30 pm Concert
Where: Eighteenth Street Lounge
1212 18th Street NW, Washington, DC
Please reserve your tickets as soon as possible!
$20 General admission
concert and appetizers
$95 VIP
includes a signed copy of Khaled Hosseini’s new book, champagne, access to VIP area, appetizers and concert
All proceeds will be donated to USA for UNHCR.
Every year on June 21, streets, town squares, and riversides across the country in France are filled with an outpouring of rhythm and sound in the annual Fête de la Musique. Inspired by this much-anticipated tradition, the Alliance Française and Malmaison will play host to DC audiences for their own journey across musical worlds.
This year’s celebration will take place right along the Potomac, with a grande fête that will transform Malmaison and the surrounding area into a haven where musicians, music enthusiasts, artists, food lovers, families, neighbors and strangers alike collide for an all-day musical experience.
Local and visiting performers will perform and animate this DC edition of a phenomenon that began in France and has now spread to hundreds of countries around the world.
Admission is free until midnight and a portion of food, beverage and additional proceeds will be donated to a local charity.
Participating artists (current as of May 30)
El Buffon
Location : Malmaison // 3401 Water St, NW
Pricing : Noon-Midnight: Free. After midnight: $5-$10.
Info: www.francedc.org
On Saturday, June 29, 2013, Roots of Development will transform DC’s award-winning Shakespeare Theatre into a celebration of Haitian Carnival, complete with delectable Haitian hors d’ouevres, island cocktails, and Caribbean music spun by DJ Vasco. Sunny Hostin, CNN legal analyst and ABC anchor, will host the event, which will include a performance by DJA RARA, a twelve member traditional Haitian Rara band from New York City. His Excellency Ambassador Paul G. Altidor will receive the Max Pulgar-Vidal award for his dedication to Haiti since the 2010 earthquake.
Tickets can be purchased for $250 (VIP Couple) $150 (VIP Individual) $75 (General Public) and $50 (Students) atstore.rootsofdevelopment.org.
Guests with VIP tickets are invited to join us at our 6:30 PM VIP reception and mingle with our host, Sunny Hostin, , as well as other notable VIP’s including; the Honorable Congressman John Conyers, Jr. of Michigan’s 13th District; Jose Andres, internationally recognized chef and philanthropist; Charles A. Forbin, Consul General of Haiti (NY); Wendy Rieger of NBC- Washington, Nedjy Jn Charles, Mrs. Haiti International 2013, Michael DeGraff, MIT Professor of Linguistics; Reverend Marcia L. Dyson, author, social activist and political strategist; and Joel Danies, Deputy Haiti Special Coordinator (U.S. State Department).
All proceeds will benefit Roots of Development, a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was established in 2007 to help impoverished communities on the island of La Gonave, Haiti, acquire the financial resources and organizational skills they need to manage their own development.
In 2010, after only being open for 2 months, famed French bakery PAUL created a new Bastille Day tradition on Pennsylvania Ave. Throngs of patrons showed up – even dressed in chef’s outfits and as French Maids in stilettos! – to “quick-walk” laps around the US Navy Memorial Plaza for a July 14th “Bastille Day Baguette Relay Race”. The winning team won $25 gift cards to PAUL, and all had a great time!
This year, PAUL has partnered with the Alliance Française and expanded its Bastille Day Festivities! The public is invited to join in the fun and participate in our 3rd Annual Baguette Relay Race on Sunday July 14th at 2pm (Kids Race) and2:30am (Adult Race). And then stay a little longer, to participate in special children’s activities organized by the Alliance Française.
Verdi’s La traviata will be performed by the Wolf Trap Opera Company for one night only, Friday, July 19 at 8:15 pm at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. Grant Gershon conducts the National Symphony Orchestra and José María Condemi directs this new, fully-staged production; both artists are making their Wolf Trap debuts. Gershon is the Music Director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale and Resident Conductor of LA Opera; Condemi is the Artistic Director of Opera Santa Barbara and is well-known for his directorial accomplishments at some of the most well-respected opera houses in North America, including San Francisco Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago. Joining in the production is the Washington Chorus, under the direction of Julian Wachner.
This new production features site specific video projections of original scenic designs created by Aaron Rhyne. Costumes and sets will be by Anka Lupes, and lighting will be designed by returning artist Mark Stanley. The production will be set in the Roaring Twenties, and will be sung in Italian with English supertitles.
La traviata was last produced at Wolf Trap in 1976, in a performance that featured renowned soprano Beverly Sills in the title role. During this time, established professionals sang the leading roles in Wolf Trap Opera Company productions and young artists sang in the chorus. Since 1985, all leading roles have been performed by the Filene Young Artists, an elite group of young singers who are chosen through a highly-selective annual nationwide audition tour.
This year’s production was made possible in part through generous philanthropic support from Wolf Trap Foundation Board member Daniel D’Aniello and his wife, Gayle, as well as through the generosity of other loyal Wolf Trap Opera Company supporters.
“After nearly four decades, we are delighted to bring this treasured opera back to the Filene Center with generous support for our internationally renowned young opera program,” said Arvind Manocha, President and CEO, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.
For this production, the lead role of Violetta is played by returning Filene Young Artist, soprano Corinne Winters. Earlier this year, London’s Sunday Times named her “The best ENO Violetta in decades and worth the ticket price alone.” A native of Frederick, Maryland, Winters received training from the Academy of Vocal Arts, the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Gerdine Young Artist Program, and the Peabody Conservatory. Her recent roles include Violetta (La traviata, Opera Hong Kong, English National Opera, Opera Lyra Ottawa) and Vendulka (The Kiss, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis). Last summer she sang the role of Anne Truelove in WTOC’s production of The Rake’s Progress.
Benjamin Bliss, tenor, will perform the role of Alfredo Germont. Bliss hails from Prairie Village, Kansas and received training from Chapman University and the Los Angeles Opera Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program. His recent roles include Aguilar (Dulce Rosa, LA Opera), Male Chorus (The Rape of Lucretia, LA Opera YAP), and Barbargio (I due Foscari, LA Opera).
Nicholas Pallesen, baritone, will sing the role of Giorgio Germont. Pallesen is from Riverside, California. He received training from Juilliard Opera Center, Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Gerdine Young Artist Program, and the University of Florida. His recent roles include Rigoletto (Rigoletto, Shreveport Opera), Pluto (Orpheus, New York City Opera), and Robert Storch (Intermezzo, New York City Opera).
Based on the novel La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas, fils, La traviata (“The Woman Gone Astray”) tells a story of passion, second chances, and heartbreak. Violetta Valéry, a fashionable courtesan recovering from a recent illness, allows herself to love the ardent young Alfredo Germont, leaving her former life to live with him in the country. His father, the upstanding Giorgio Germont, knows that allowing Alfredo to continue in a relationship with a woman of Violetta’s previous reputation would ruin his entire family. Tragedy ensues as Violetta makes a sacrifice for her lover’s family, even as she succumbs to her illness.
A Pre-Performance Discussion by Lee Anne Myslewski, Director, Artistic Administration, Wolf Trap Opera & Classical Programming, will be offered one hour before performance time on the Old Farmhouse Lawn, which is located to the left of the main gate/box office area for the Filene Center.
NEW PRODUCTION
La traviata
Music by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave
Friday, July 19 at 8:15 pm
Wolf Trap Opera Company and National Symphony Orchestra
Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
Creative Team
Conductor – Grant Gershon*
Director – José Maria Condemi*
Projections Design – Aaron Rhyne*
Costume & Scenic Design – Anka Lupes*
Lighting Design – Mark Stanley
Cast
Violetta Valéry – Corinne Winters
Alfredo Germont – Benjamin Bliss*
Giorgio Germont – Nicholas Pallesen*
with
Annina – Courtney Johnson
Flora Bervoix – Alexandra Rodrick
Gastone – Miles Mykkanen*
Giuseppe – Brandon Russell*
Baron Douphol – Harry Greenleaf*
Marquis d’Obigny – Brian Vu
Doctor Grenville – Nicholas Brownlee*
and
The Washington Chorus, Julian Wachner, Director
WHAT: Introducing the Smithsonian’s premier 21+ after-hours event series—a unique mix of culture, art, history, and science, including music, a cash bar, and special access to Smithsonian exhibits,
collections, and experts.
WHEN: Kick-off event: Yuri’s Night at the Smithsonian
Thursday, July 25, 8 to 11 p.m.
WHERE: Smithsonian’s S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW
When Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the earth in 1961, he gave his nation a reason to celebrate its pioneering role in the space race. Fifty years later, Gagarin’s achievement began to be celebrated by fans of space exploration, science and good old-fashioned partying in the first of the now-annual global events known as Yuri’s Night.
Yuri’s Night at the Smithsonian marks the 52nd anniversary of that historic blastoff—as well as the 44th anniversary of the first moon landing. Grab a specialty cocktail and get in on the conversation about the future as you chat spaceships, tech and science with the folks from SpaceUp DC. Be a citizen scientist with the Science Cheerleaders and collect microbe samples for the International Space Station. Show off your geek chic or lunar luxe for a costume contest with prizes from ThinkGeek. Get an inside look at a space shuttle orbiter in amazing 360-degree GigaPan images by photographer John Brack.
In the vacuum of space, sway to the sounds of the Silent Disco with music spun by DJ Collective OneLoveMassive. VIP ticket-holders can sample the Cuban dishes that Kennedy Space Center staffer Ivette Jones prepares for astronauts on launch days. As the sun goes down and the stars come out, surround yourself with a mix of space facts and fun at a stellar evening you won’t want to miss.
Capital Flair cash bar and food vendors. Must be over 21; valid ID required.
General Admission $15 in advance, $20 at the door. VIP admission tickets $25, includes special talk & tastings; limited availability. For tickets and further information the public may call 202-633-3030 or visit www.SMITHSONIANat8.com
Admission includes:
- Founding Membership and 1-year subscription to the Friends of the Heurich House
- Commemorative glass
- Drinks & Hors d’ouerves
Meet & drink with:
- The owners of DC Brau
- The creators of the Heurich’s Lager recipe
- Christian Heurich’s granddaughter
