As much as Jonathan Larsen’s unprecedented Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Rent impacted popular culture, it also transformed the lives of the actors that embodied a group of young friends trying to forge a life for themselves in New York’s bohemian East Village. 20 years after Rent’s Broadway debut, original cast members Adam Pascal & Anthony Rapp reunite at the Music Center at Strathmore on Friday, April 28, 2017 at 8 p.m. to commemorate this cultural touchstone and 20 years of friendship. The concert of duets and solos will include originals, reimagined Broadway classics, and favorites from Rent. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (301) 581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

Throughout the set, the duo will share stories about their careers, including what it was like working on one of the longest running musicals in Broadway history. Rent has proved a thread throughout their careers that has periodically brought the two back together—prior to the 20^thanniversary concert tour, both reprised their Rent roles during the national tour in 2009.

Tony-nominated Adam Pascal recently returned to Broadway’s Nederlander Theater, where Rent lived for years, in the new musical Disaster! Since his days playing Roger in Rent, Pascal has starred in Aida, Chicago, and Memphis. He is currently playing Shakespeare in the national tour of Something Rotten!

After originating the role of Mark in Rent, Anthony Rapp went on to originate another character in If/Then alongside previous Rent co-star Idina Menzel, which debuted at Washington, D.C.’s National Theatre. He wrote the book Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent, about the demands of life in the theater during his mother’s battle with cancer, which he later adapted into a one-man show. It was recently announced that Rapp will star as “astromycologist” Lt. Stamets in Star Trek: Discovery for CBS All Access, the first series developed specifically for this platform and the first Star Trek series since Star Trek: Enterprise (2005). Stamets is also the first openly gay character conceived for the Star Trek franchise.

The Friends of the National Arboretum Garden Fair and Plant Sale will be taking place on April 28 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and on April 29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the U.S. National Arboretum.

The 27^th annual Garden Fair and Plant Sale, hosted by Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA), has moved to a new central location in the U.S. National Arboretum, which is celebrating its 90^th year.

This year’s event, April 28-29, has been relocated and will now be outside the Administration Building and Visitor Center, adjacent to the National Capitol Columns, Azalea Collection and the Grove of State Trees. Attendees will see more of the Arboretum grounds as they shop for traditional and rare plants from nurseries around the world, including new offerings like Gentiana acaulis hybrids, Beesia deltophylla, Phygelius cultivars and eight different types of Cypripedium orchids.

The Garden Fair and Plant Sale is a weekend designed for gardeners of all levels in the D.C. area searching for their perfect plant, herbs from the Potomac Unit of the National Herb Society or horticulture guidance from expert horticulturists. The 2017 Garden Fair and Plant Sale will also feature food and drink vendors, a performance by the Washington Revels, and a strawberry potting activity for children.

For more information please visit www.fona.org/gardenfair.

What: Join Co-Hosts Barry Dixon and Will Thomas for the Third Annual Rebloom on the Roof cocktail fundraiser at The Hepburn – Grand Apartment Residences. Help us celebrate the power of design to change lives for survivors of domestic violence. Cocktails from DC magazine and lite fare from Casa Luca by renowned DC Chef Fabio Trabocchi. Enjoy an art pop-up show by Capital Artist Collective.

When: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Where: The Hepburn – Grand Apartment Residences, 1901 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009 

Tickets: Tickets are $150.00 via Eventbrite  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/3rd-annual-rebloom-on-the-roof-tickets-33430410257?aff=erelexpmlt

Website: http://www.roomtorebloom.org/

About Room to Rebloom: About Room to Rebloom: Room to Rebloom is a 501c(3) organization centered on the restorative impact of interior design.  Our mission is to design and create healing environments for survivors of domestic violence in the National Capital Area.  Confidence and hope are crucial to women who are starting over, and a home that promotes healing and growth should be available to everyone.

Interior designers recognize the connection of environment to personal well-being, and often participate in projects to redesign shelters for homeless and battered women and families.  However, Room to Rebloom is the only organization in the region whose mission is to serve domestic violence survivors in independent housing.

WHAT:           On May 5th, the award-winning Hay-Adams, located steps from the White House at 800 16th Street, NW, 20006, will host its next Author Series luncheon honoring Sally Bedell Smith to discuss her latest work, Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life.  The Hay-Adams Author Series, where literary crowds honor literary masters, is an on-going event, which hosts outstanding writers in a historic setting, directly overlooking the White House at Top of the Hay. One will enjoy exceptional food, drink and lively conversation.  Tickets are priced at $90 per person (all inclusive), which includes a three-course, prix fixe menu with wine pairings.  The menu, themed around the book, will be created by Vice President & General Manager Hans Bruland and Executive Chef Nicolas Legret.

Additionally, Kramerbooks (http://kramers.com) will be on hand so guests will have the opportunity to purchase a copy of Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life, which Bedell can sign and personalize after the luncheon.  Tickets go on sale April 10, 2017 and will be available online at http://hayadams.com/author-series/washington-dc-author-events or by calling (202) 638-6600.

WHO:             Sally Bedell Smith is an American historian and author specializing in biographies of American political, cultural, and business leaders, as well as members of the British Royal Family. She has been a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and is the current editor-in-chief of National Journal Daily.

In her latest book, Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life, Smith returns to the British royal family to delve into the life of Prince Charles. This eye-opening biography is the first authoritative treatment of Charles’s life that sheds light on the death of Diana, his marriage to Camilla, and his preparations to take the throne one day. With keen insight and the discovery of unexpected new details, Smith lays bare the contradictions of a man who is more complicated, tragic, and compelling than we knew, until now.

Sally Bedell Smith was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. She received her B.A. from Wheaton College and her M.S. from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Mrs. Smith currently resides in Washington D.C. with her husband, Stephen G. Smith.

WHEN:          The luncheon will be held on Top of The Hay on Friday, May 5th, 2017, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. (doors open at 11:30 a.m.).

WHERE:       The Hay-Adams is located at 800 16^th Street, NW, Washington DC, 20006, across Lafayette Square from the White House. The historic Hay-Adams offers guests Washington’s most prestigious address with views overlooking the White House, Lafayette Square and St. John’s Church, the “Church of the Presidents.”  The hotel is just minutes from the Smithsonian, the Museums, the Washington Monument, the National Mall, as well as convenient to Metro stations and the convention center.  For reservations or more information call (202) 638-6600 or visit their website atwww.hayadams.com.

The Willard InterContinental, one of Washington, D.C.’s most historic hotels, celebrates the 143rd Kentucky Derby at its 31st Annual Bonnets and Bow Ties Party on Saturday, May 6, from 4pm to 7pm. Known as one of Washington’s most exclusive Derby-centric parties, Bonnets and Bow Ties brings a taste of Churchill Downs to Pennsylvania Avenue. The all-inclusive admission features an afternoon of complete derby coverage, mint juleps, unlimited beer and wine, Southern-style bites, casino-style gaming, live jazz, and prizes for “Best Derby Bonnet,” “Fanciest Bow Tie,” and “High Roller” casino winner.

A long-standing tradition at the hotel, Bonnets and Bow Ties celebrates “The Run for the Roses” in the legendary Willard Room. New to the event this year is the addition of The Paddock, a specialty area where Jim Hewes, a renowned bartender at The Willard for over 30 years, will be distilling the history of bourbon and the mint julep, a traditional beverage served at the Kentucky Derby and the hotel’s signature drink.

Guests to the event will also be able to enjoy a Southern-inspired menu curated by Executive Chef Peter Laufer and Pastry Chef Jason Jimenez. Dishes include a pimento cheese and benedict dip station, stone-ground grits with choice of bourbon cheddar cheese, sautéed shrimp, or bourbon-braised short ribs, a slider station, as well as a variety of appetizers such as hot brown turkey sandwiches, Louisville’s most famous dish. Desserts offered will include dark chocolate pecan derby tarts, mint julep anglaise shooters, whiskey vanilla bean crème brûlée and hummingbird cake bites.

Donning one’s derby best, attendees to Bonnets and Bow Ties have the chance to win dinner for four at Café du Parc for “Best Derby Bonnet” and “Fanciest Bow Tie.” Guests can also try their hand at the event’s various casino games such as Texas hold’em, roulette, blackjack and craps, and have the chance to win a $200 gift certificate to the Round Robin Bar.

Lastly, after Bonnets and Bow Ties, “The Race to the 200th Cup” begins. Upon selling 200 mint juleps in the Round Robin Bar, The Willard will release 100 limited edition commemorative Round Robin Bar Mint Julep cups. Handcrafted from the highest quality pewter by Woodbury Pewter, this cup pays tribute to the famous drink and its historical significance to The Willard as the mint julep was first introduced to Washington by Kentucky Statesman Henry Clay in the hotel’s bar in the 1840s. The lucky purchaser of the 200th mint julep will receive the first commemorative cup. Each cup will have its respective number engraved at the bottom. The Round Robin Bar’s Commemorative Mint Julep Cup will be available for purchase with The Bicentennial Mint Julep, a specialty julep made with Makers Mark 46, in the Round Robin Bar for $50.

All-inclusive tickets to The Willard’s Bonnets and Bow Ties Kentucky Derby Party are now available and can be purchased online at www.washington.intercontinental.com/special-offers for $89 through April 21 and $99 any day after. Tickets are nonrefundable.

Stay “In the Know” regarding the Willard InterContinental’s Bonnets and Bow Ties Party by following the hotel on Facebook (WillardInterContinental), Twitter (@WillardHotel) and Instagram (Willard_InterContinentalDC).

Disco Dance Party

7 p.m. -12:30 a.m. (Great Hall)
Gloria Gaynor Live: Disco Dance Party
The Library of Congress opens the doors of the Thomas Jefferson Building for LOC Disco Night, a celebration of the Library’s collections and the music of Gloria Gaynor, with an once-in-a-lifetime disco dance party in the historic Great Hall. Guests will have the opportunity to explore the Main Reading Room, meet curators, view special treasure displays, explore the Library’s exhibitions, and dance the night away. Gloria Gaynor and her band will kick off the evening with a live performance. Appearances by DJ Mike Simonetti and DJ Adrian Loving.

Free, tickets available, visit www.loc.gov/concerts/disco for more information.

BRABO Tasting Room is flexing its happy hour ‘mussels’ with a spring patio party on Sunday, May 7 from 3:30-6:30 p.m. Newly-appointed Executive Chef Sebastien Rondier invites all Old Town Alexandrians to the restaurant’s picturesque courtyard for an al fresco happy hour featuring a one-day-only menu created for the special afternoon! While listening to lively music, ticket holders will have the opportunity to meet new friends and neighbors, and enjoy as many oysters, mussels, frites, and refreshments as they desire.

Patio sips will include microbrews from Port City Brewing  and 21st Amendment Brewery as well as a variety of international and domestic rosé wines from BRABO Tasting Room’s new “Around the World in Eight Rosés” menu. For those looking for a more low-key Sunday, house-made ginger beer and nitro draft coffee will be available on tap.

French-born Chef Sebastien, turned Alexandrian resident, will greet guests throughout the party and share stories from his globetrotting career. Each guest will receive a special invitation card to try the new happy hour ceviche. Chef Sebastien’s patio-party menu reflects BRABO Tasting Room’s casual and neighborly atmosphere. It includes the following:

Hors d’oeuvres

• Virginia oysters in a mint and cucumber gin gelee
• Mini veal burgers
• Cerdonia Farms crispy pork belly with local ramps and a blackberry & pepper reduction
• Freshly-shucked oysters on the half shell

Mussels

• Port Town – mussels with Port City beer, whole grain mustard butter, and herbs
• Harissa – mussels with harissa broth, grilled scallions, sautéed red onions, and red bell peppers
• Salumi – mussels with salumi broth, herb butter, roasted tomatoes, and serrano chips

Frites

• Espelette pepper frites
• Parmesan and truffle frites
• Garlic and parsley frites

Tickets for the BRABO Tasting Room patio party are $50 each, all inclusive of food and beverage, and available at https://brabopatioparty.eventbrite.com.

A Taste of Lettuce features:

Reception

• Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, Alaska King Crab, Shrimp Cocktail, Lobster Roll Bites on Brioche, Beef Tenderloin Sliders| Chef Chris Morvis
• Summer House Santa Monica, Ahi Tuna Tostadas with watermelon and thai chili; Real Cali Roll with king crab, avocado and cucumber| Chef Matt Delano

First Course

Wildfire, Wildfire Chopped Salad with avocado, bacon, blue cheese, chicken and citrus vinaigrette

Second Course

• RPM Italian, Strozzapretti Cacio E Pepe with pecorino, black pepper, parmesan brodo; Cavatelli Bolognese with a short rib ragu; Main Lobster Ravioli with spinach pasta and chili flakes

Main Course

• RPM Italian, Whole Roasted Branzino with salsa verde; Pork Arrosti with roasted heirloom carrots and pea greens; Chicken Parmesan baked in the wood oven

Dessert

• Mon Ami Gabi, Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart with chocolate ganache and vanilla chantilly

WHEN: Monday, May 8, 2017 at 6:30 pm

WHERE: RPM Italian DC – 650 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20001

COST: $85/per person, plus tax (gratuity not included)

The Trust for the National Mall will celebrate its tenth anniversary as an official partner of the National Park Service with a benefit gala, the BALL for THE MALL.

WHAT:            CNN’s Wolf Blitzer will serve as the Master of Ceremonies for the program, which will include a celebration of accomplishments to date and a look ahead to continued progress. The event will honor businessman and philanthropist, David M. Rubenstein, with the “History, Heroes, & Hope Award” for his dedication and continued support in restoring and improving the National Mall and visitor experience. Award-winning author and historian Douglas Brinkley will present Rubenstein with the honor. The benefit gala will also include a VIP reception, seated dinner with guest speakers and live music and entertainment. Ticket information at nationalmall.org/ballforthemall.

WHO:              Honoree:             David M. Rubenstein, Co-CEO & Co-Founder of the Carlyle Group

Emcee:                 Wolf Blitzer, CNN’s lead political anchor

Speakers:            Douglas Brinkley, Author & Historian

Catherine Townsend, President & CEO of the Trust for the National Mall

Chip Akridge, Chairman, Trust for the National Mall

WHEN:            May 11, 2017

6:30 P.M.

WHERE:           On the grounds of the National Mall

Madison Drive at Twelfth Street

Celebrating ten years of partnership with the National Park Service, the Trust for the National Mall is dedicated to sustainably restoring, improving and preserving the National Mall for present and future generations. Stretching from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, the beloved but well-worn National Mall hosts 36 million visits each year but requires more than $840 million in deferred maintenance and needed upgrades. This public-private partnership is a model for bringing critical resources to the National Mall, home to the enduring symbols of our democracy.