Events/Things To Do

What if the Beatles had reunited 10 years after their break-up? This revamped production of LET IT BE: A CELEBRATION OF THE MUSIC OF THE BEATLES answers that question, and brings you the show that you never got to see. While the first half of the theatrical performance is comprised of favorites from the Beatles career, the all new second half imagines a world in which the Beatles re-united. 

LET IT BE: A CELEBRATION OF THE MUSIC OF THE BEATLES comes to Washington, D.C.’s National Theatre on Saturday, April 14, 2018. Tickets for the 8:00pm performance on that day sold out within hours after going on sale. Due to popular demand, a second performance has been added on April 14 at 3:00pm. 

Tickets may be purchased at TheNationalDC.com, in person at the National Theatre Box Office (Monday thru Friday from Noon to 6pm), or by calling 800-514-3849. The National Theatre is located at 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in downtown Washington, D.C.

Relive the past from Ed Sullivan to Abbey Road, with favorite hits including “Hard Day’s Night,” “Day Tripper,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Twist and Shout,” “Get Back,” “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” “Strawberry Fields,” and then imagine the reunion that never was.

The end of the Beatles era was not thought to be in sight when the group played their last show on the roof of the Apple Offices in 1969. Imagine what would have been if The Beatles had continued their journey. Travel back to what would have been John Lennon’s 40th Birthday – October 9, 1980. For one night, the Fab Four reunite on stage after a decade apart performing hits like “Back in the USSR,” “Live and Let Die,” “Got to Get You Into My Life,” “My Sweet Lord,” “Hey Jude,” and many more they had never before performed live, along with other classics.

Seen by more than two million people worldwide, LET IT BE: A CELEBRATION OF THE MUSIC OF THE BEATLES made its North American debut in 2015 across the U.S. and Canada. Audiences can now enjoy the new, revamped “part two,” based on the Broadway show praised as “by far the best Beatles show yet” by the New York Times.

The original production established itself as one of the West End’s most popular shows when it opened in London in 2012. Showcasing the music of the world’s most successful rock’n’roll band, it charted The Beatles meteoric rise from their humble beginnings in Liverpool’s Cavern Club, through the height of Beatlemania, to their later studio masterpieces.

Praise for LET IT BE:

• “The Beatles are back sending theatre audiences dancing into the aisles” — Reuters, New York
• “Winning over an Empire full of Liverpudlians (including, last night, John Lennon’s sister Julia) is no mean feat. But one that Let It Be happily achieves” — Liverpool Echo
• “Fab for all the family” — The Times of London
• “Pure Beatles magic back on stage” — The Public Reviews, Liverpool
• “Does everything and more to recreate that magic era” — Manchester’s Finest, Manchester

America’s Promise Alliance, the nation’s largest network dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth, will honor six exceptional leaders with its Promise of America and Promise Hero Awards on April 18.  The awards will be presented by General Colin Powell and Alma Powell, the founding chair and chair of America’s Promise, at the fourth annual Promise Night Gala which will be held at the Newseum in Washington, DC.

The Promise of America award, the organization’s highest honor, recognizes extraordinary individuals who have made an exceptional difference in the lives of young people and, through their work, have demonstrated the power of the Five Promises – caring adults, safe places, a healthy and safe start, an effective education, and opportunities to serve – to change the odds, transform lives, and build positive futures.

“Our honorees are extraordinary leaders, working diligently to make the promise of America real for every child,” said Alma J. Powell, chair, America’s Promise. “As we enter our third decade of work on behalf of young people in this country, these individuals remind us of the impact we can have if we use our time, talents and influence to make life better for the next generation.”

“Promise Night is an opportunity for us to celebrate the successes of our honorees while being inspired by their community and national impact,” said John Gomperts, president & CEO of America’s Promise. “Their commitment to the advancement of young people is essential to keeping youth on the path to adult success. America’s Promise is proud to recognize such a dedicated group.”

2018 Promise of America Honorees

• Katherine and David Bradley are co-founders of the CityBridge Foundation, a private family foundation based in Washington, D.C. In 2000, CityBridge began investigating successful practices for combating entrenched, multigenerational poverty—all with the intention of launching a new, signature program in Washington, D.C. CityBridge Education, a nonprofit enterprise dedicated to advancing equity and opportunity for all children, was launched out of CityBridge Foundation as an education incubator that seeks out the teachers, leaders, and school teams with the ideas and the drive to create new, better models of school in Washington, D.C.
• Dr. Michael Lomax is president and CEO of UNCF, the nation’s largest private provider of scholarships and other educational support to African American students and a leading advocate of college readiness: students’ need for an education, from pre-school through high school, that prepares them for college success. Under his leadership, UNCF has raised more than $2.5 billion and helped more than 92,000 students earn college degrees and launch careers.
• Sondra Samuels is the president & CEO of Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ), a collaborative of over 40 partner non-profits and schools. Along with parents, students, partners, and staff, Ms. Samuels is leading a revolutionary culture shift in North Minneapolis that is focused on ending multigenerational poverty through education and family stability. The NAZ collaborative is working toward a single goal—to prepare low-income North Minneapolis children to graduate from high school college and career-ready.
• Jeff Weiner is the CEO of LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network with more than 546 million users in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. Under his leadership, LinkedIn for Good has reached more than 1 million underserved youth, veterans, refugees, employees and nonprofits, connecting them to greater economic opportunities. Most recently, they’ve introduced LinkedIn Coaches, their signature program to connect underserved young adults and other underrepresented communities to the mentors, networks, and jobs they need to succeed.

2018 Promise Hero Honoree

In addition, this year America’s Promise will also recognize one individual who has made a sustained commitment and unheralded contributions to young people.

• Dr. Wintley Phipps is founder and CEO of US Dream Academy, an organization dedicated to helping  the nation’s children reach for their dreams through academic, social, and values enrichment; empowering young people most at risk of incarceration to believe in themselves and to succeed.  In addition to his role with the US Dream Academy, Dr. Phipps is a world-renowned vocal artist, education activist, motivational speaker, pastor.  For his work at the U.S. Dream Academy he has received numerous service awards, among them: The Excellence in Mentoring for Program Leadership Award from MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnerships; the Oprah Winfrey Angel Network Use Your Life Award; and Philanthropist of the Year Award from The National Center for Black Philanthropy, Inc.

Last year’s Promise of America Award recipients included Kenneth I. Chenault, former chairman and CEO of American Express Company; Common, hip-hop artist, actor, and founder of the Common Ground Foundation; Arne Duncan, managing partner of Emerson Collective; Bryan Stevenson, executive director of Equal Justice Initiative; and Dorothy Stoneman, founder of YouthBuild.

In 2017, the Promise Hero Award was given to singer and songwriter Andra Day, and New England Patriot Malcolm Mitchell.

The title sponsor for the 2018 Promise Night Gala is the Ford Foundation. This year’s platinum sponsor is Salesforce. Gold sponsors include Kenneth and Kathryn Chenault, College Board, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, Say Yes to Education, State Farm and the Walton Family Foundation.

Washington D.C. philanthropists, lung cancer survivors, scientists and friends will gather and boogie to the hits of disco at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium Friday, April 20, for LUNGevity Foundation’s 7^th Annual Musical Celebration of Hope Gala, Follow the Call of the Disco Ball.

The disco-themed gala benefiting LUNGevity, the nation’s leading lung cancer-focused nonprofit, will celebrate the extraordinary progress in lung cancer research and the improved quality of life patients are now experiencing due to earlier detection and new treatments for lung cancer.

For the first time, the annual event will be chaired by two lung cancer survivors, former ABC7 Anchor Greta Kreuz and King Automotive owner, Larry Aschenbach. Longtime LUNGevity supporter and NBC4 Chief Meteorologist Doug Kammerer will return as the emcee for the evening recognizing individuals and organizations who have demonstrated remarkable leadership in the fight against lung cancer.

Dr. Richard Pazdur, director of the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence and 2015’s Face of Hope Recipient, will present the 2018 Face of Hope Award to Dr. Philip Bonomi, Alice Pirie Wirtz Professor of Medical Oncology at Rush University Medical Center, for his work to improve outcomes in lung cancer and how people live with the disease.

The  2018 Hope Award for Corporate Leadership will be presented to Foundation Medicine for their demonstrated exceptional commitment to the health and well-being of lung cancer communities in the United States and globally.

LUNGevity will also recognize the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs with the 2018 Public Service Face of Hope Award for their progress in improving access to high-quality care for veterans living with and at risk of lung cancer.

The event will begin at 7 p.m. with a cocktail reception followed by dinner, awards presentations, and dancing.

 For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.lungevity.org/hopegala

Wine Spectator’s Grand Tour Washington D.C. is an unforgettable wine tasting experience that features more than 200 of the world’s finest wineries pouring their best bottles. Sample exceptional wines and discover new favorites—all while in the nation’s capital.  

Who:

Meet and mingle with top winemakers and estate owners from the world’s best wine-growing regions.

Where:

Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW 

When:

Friday, April 20, 2018, from 7-10 PM; VIP ticketholders admitted at 6 PM

Program Highlights:

• All wines have been rated 90 points or higher by Wine Spectator.
• Enjoy a delicious buffet to complement your wine.
• All attendees will receive a souvenir Riedel^TM tasting glass.

Cost:

General admission tickets are $225, while VIP tickets are $325. Purchase here. 

A portion of net proceeds from the event benefits the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation, which supports scholarships and grants to students pursuing careers in the wine industry.

An impressive collection by world-renowned artist Romero Britto will be on exhibition and available for acquisition at Wentworth Gallery in    The exhibition presents Saturday, April 21^st  2018 with a live Artist Appearance at both Wentworth Gallery Metro DC locations:  Westfield Montgomery Mall  from Noon-3pm and an evening event at Tysons Galleria from 6:00 pm-9:00 pm.   The galleries will host this public exhibition, which is complimentary and RSVPs are strongly suggested.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Video Bio for All Platforms:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/zyixy1uuvdsksl2/BrittoLife1.mov?dl=0

With an iconic style that The New York Times described, “exudes warmth, optimism and love,”, Romero Britto is an international artist that uses vibrant, bold and colorful patterns to reflect his optimistic view of the world around him. His playful themes and hard‐edged compositions, combined with his unique talent, unshakable resolve and belief in his art, have granted him worldwide recognition, with exhibition in galleries and museums in over 100 countries and counting. The artist’s pop sensibility has leant itself to collaborations with global brands such as Audi, Bentley, Coca‐Cola, Walt Disney, Evian, Hublot, and Mattel, to name a few. Britto’s work evokes happiness and hope using a visual language all its own and is, simply, relatable to all.

Romero Britto was born in Recife, Brazil in 1963. Self-taught at an early age, he painted on surfaces such as newspapers. In 1983, he traveled to Paris where he was introduced to the work of Matisse and Picasso. He combined influences from cubism with pop, to create a vibrant, iconic style that The New York Times describes, “exudes warmth, optimism and love.”

In 1988, Britto moved to Miami and emerged as an international artist. In the following year, he was selected alongside Andy Warhol and Keith Haring for Absolut Vodka’s “Absolut Art” campaign. Britto’s pop sensibility has since leant itself to many collaborations with such brands as Audi, Bentley, Disney, Technomarine, Evian and FIFA, for whom he created an official poster for the 2010 World Cup.

pop art

päp ˌärt/

noun

noun: pop art

art based on modern popular culture and the mass media, especially as a critical or ironic

comment on traditional fine art values.

Photo Caption:  In Love     Sculpture

 Britto considers the role of an artist to be an agent of positive change. He serves as a benefactor, donating time, art and resources to over 250 charitable organizations and several boards such as Best Buddies International, and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. He was recently named a founding inaugural benefactor of Harvard’s “International Negotiation Program,” by Dr. Daniel Shapiro, in his quest for peaceful conflict resolution.

Britto has also spoken at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and at countless schools and institutions. In early 2011 the President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, invited Britto to create the logo for Rede Cegonha, a project to reach over 61 million pre-and post-natal mothers and babies.

WHEN:   Saturday, April 21^st  , 2018

12:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Westfield Montgomery Mall

7101 Democracy Blvd.

Bethesda, Maryland

For more information about this event, contact Ms. Holly Hendrickson via e-mail atmontgomery@wentworthgallery.com.  To reach the gallery directly, or to RSVP, call 301.365.3270

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Wentworth Gallery @ Tysons Galleria

1807 U. International Drive

McLean, Virginia 22102

The Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (WTEF)is hosting its annual Tennis Ball on Saturday, April 21 at the Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. to support underserved DC youth becoming champions on and off the court.

This premiere event will kick off with a VIP Round Robin Tennis Tournament at WTEF’s East Capitol Campus, 200 Stoddert Place, SE and will culminate with an elegant evening of silent and live auctions, dinner and an awards program. This gala supports WTEF’s academic and athletic enrichment programs for youth in need in the District.

Willis Thomas Jr., a founding father of WTEF and the first African-American tennis talent from the DC area, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for his life’s work of coaching and mentoring WTEF scholars and building tennis programs in the community. Donald Dell, co-founder of the Washington Tournament now known as the Citi Open, will also receive the Champion of Tennis Award. As the Washington Tournament celebrates its 50^thedition this year, the WTEF honors Dell for his contributions to tennis, and his foresight of giving the tournament’s charter to the Foundation to help DC-area children learn to love tennis while excelling in school.

This year’s gala is generously presented by Citi.

WHAT:          2018 Tennis Ball

WHEN:          April 21, 2018; 6 -10 p.m.

WHERE:       Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. – 1150 22^ndSt. NW

WHO:           Willis Thomas, Jr.

Donald Dell

Washington, DC families, businesses, and volunteers dedicated to the fight for the health of all moms and babies take part in this year’s March for Babies, March of Dimes biggest annual fundraising event.

 Dave Velazquez, CEO Pepco Holdings is serving as the March for Babies Chair

 Stacey Stewart, President, March of Dimes

What: March for Babies is a day for everyone. Together we hope for a day when all moms and babies are healthy. We remember those babies we lost. We celebrate every baby. Music will be provided along with a light breakfast and lunch.

When: SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2018

Participants arrive for registration starting at 8:00am; walk starts at 9:00am.

Where: NATIONALS STADIUM

1500 SOUTH CAPITAL STREET, SE; WASHINGTON, DC 20003

PARKING AVAILABLE IN STADIUM PARKING LOTS B AND C

For more information, visit marchforbabies.org

Why: Now, more than ever, moms and babies need a champion. The March for Babies community bands together to fight for the health of all moms and babies.

Get going on your spring cleaning, DC! This Earth Day, VIDA Fitness and DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) are inviting Washingtonians to experiment with the new Swedish-inspired, environmentally conscious fitness trend: Plogging – a fitness combination of jogging while picking up litter that offers a variation of body movements by adding bending, squatting and stretching to the main action of running.

On Sunday, April 22 at 10:00 a.m., Washingtonians may gather together to lessen their carbon footprint and engage in the latest fitness craze. Earth Day’s 2.5 mile Plogging will begin at Raymond Recreation Center at 3725 10^th Street, NW and then hit four additional public park and playground locations at: 11^th & Monroe Park, Powell Recreation Center, Girard Street Park and Harrison Playground.  This event is free and open to the public.  The Raymond Recreation Center is accessible by the green and yellow lines at Georgia Avenue-Petworth Metro Station.

Named after the Swedish term ‘plocka upp,’ Americans have begun integrating the trend into their regular workout routine: grabbing an empty trash bag and cleaning up their surroundings during their outdoor runs. The plogging event is the latest opportunity VIDA Fitness is spearheading to encourage locals to get #FitDC and make DC the number one fittest city in the country again.

For three consecutive years, D.C. earned the #1 ranking in the annual American Fitness Index Data Report published by the American College of Sports and Medicine (ACSM), but forfeited the top spot to Minneapolis in 2017. VIDA Fitness and DPR are determined to take back the title in 2018 by engaging Washingtonians with a variety of fitness programs and expos.

Plogging After Party

As Ploggers finish their District tour with full trash bags in hand, the celebration will continue at VIDA Fitness’ U Street location at 1612 U Street, NW, where participants can enjoy complimentary water and taco bowls from neighborhood favorite Takorean.

WHAT:  Inaugural VIDA Fitness/DPR Citywide 2.5 Mile Earth Day Plogging Event

WHEN:  Sunday, April 22 at 10:00 a.m. (Earth Day). 

WHERE: (Locations in chronological order)        

• Start: Raymond Recreation Center (Metro access: Petworth/GA Ave. Green Line)
• 11^th & Monroe Park
• Powell Recreation center
• Girard Street Park
• Harrison Playground
• End/Celebration: VIDA Fitness, U Street

LINKS: RSVP here!