Strathmore Presents
Blues Alley’s 50th Anniversary
featuring Ángela Winbush, Kindred The Family Soul, Chelsey Green
Saturday, July 18, 2015
8 p.m.

Tickets $48-$88

Music Center at Strathmore
5301 Tuckerman Lane
North Bethesda, MD 20852

For additional information or to purchase tickets, visit www.strathmore.org or call (301) 581-5100

For 50 years, legendary Georgetown club Blues Alley has played a major role in D.C.’s rich music history, hosting stars like Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Ramsey Lewis, Sarah Vaughan, Wynton Marsalis, Gil Scott-Heron, and hundreds more. The local landmark brings R&B, neo soul, and jazz artists Ángela Winbush, Kindred The Family Soul, and Chelsey Green—a cross-section of the genre’s past, present, and future—to Strathmore for its 50^th anniversary celebration on Saturday, July 18, 2015 at 8 p.m. The evening’s lineup is the continuation of a long collaborative relationship between Blues Alley and Strathmore, and includes Strathmore Artist in Residence alumna Chelsey Greene. Strathmore’s pre-show Party on the Patio begins at 6:30 p.m.with food and drink specials for concertgoers provided by Ridgewells Catering. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (301) 581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

This event is supported in part by media sponsor WHUR 96.3FM.

The trio of acts is anchored by ’80s R&B icon and Howard University alumna Ángela Winbush. She counts among her credits solo hits such as the number one “Angel,” as well as songs from her musical duo René & Angela, such as “Save Your Love (For #1)” and “Your Smile.”  Winbush has informed the work of innumerable R&B and hip-hop artists, including The Notorious B.I.G., Foxy Brown, rapper Sylk-E. Fyne, and singer Avant. Winbush and former partner René Moore, of René & Angela, have the distinction of being one of the first R&B acts to prominently incorporate rap in a popular R&B song. Winbush has also established herself as a versatile, multitalented artist, finding success as a songwriter, arranger, producer, and session musician.

Grammy nominated neo soul duo Kindred the Family Soul is comprised of the husband-and-wife team of Fatin Dantzler and Aja Graydon. They rose from the Philadelphia neo soul movement, and were discovered by singer Jill Scott. Rooted in soul and gospel, Kindred incorporates nuanced contemporary sounds into their music, advancing the genre forward while building a core audience appreciative of their devotion to a more mature R&B sound.

Similarly innovative is violinist and Strathmore Artist in Residence alumna, violinist Chelsey Green. The Billboard charting artist fuses traditional classical violin technique with pop, jazz, and R&B genre influences. A doctoral candidate at The University of Maryland College Park, Green is early in a career that has already been met with great success, including a performance on The Late Show with David Letterman as well as engagements at Carnegie Hall, Theater at Madison Square Garden, the BET Honors Dinner, Essence Music Festival, The Howard Theatre, Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival and, of course, Blues Alley and Strathmore. She has shared stages with Stevie Wonder, Maysa, MC Lyte, Chrisette Michele, J.Cole, and Questlove and Black Thought of The Roots.

5 guest DJs

live entertainment

free glass of champagne

Pack your picnic and head to summer camp under the starts. Enjoy a truly Divine summer evening, atDivas Outdoors: Classic Films Under the Stars, watching John Water’s cult classic Hairspray on the Lunar Lawn at Hillwood Estate,Museum & Gardens, Friday, July 24, 2015 at 7 pm.

This high-spirited night begins with picnic spreads across the lawn, all vying for the top spot in the best picnic spread competition. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets, chairs, and creative and delectable picnics inspired by the sophisticated setting at Hillwood.  Additionally, dinner from Hillwood’s café will be available for pre-order. Please note Hillwood’s liquor license does not permit outside alcohol. Therefore, guests are welcome to augment their personal feast with Hillwood’s special signature champagne cocktail, beer, wine, or champagne, all available for purchase onsite.

The evening also includes strolls through the splendid gardens and the opportunity to tour the special exhibition, Ingenue to Icon: 70 Years of Fashion from the Collection of Marjorie Merriweather Post. The first exhibition at Hillwood to present Post’s full range of style, Ingenue to Icon examines how Post’s lifelong passion for objects that were exceptionally beautiful and impeccably constructed extended to her taste for clothing.

Around 8:45 pm John Water’s 1988 Hairspray will begin. The film stars Ricki Lake, as the pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad who lands a coveted role as a regular on The Corny Collins Dance Show. Her moves and her self-confidence make her a teen hero, and she becomes a proud spokesman for the Hefty Hideaway, along with her mother Edna (Divine), Tracy uses her newfound fame to fight racial segregation on the Corny Collins Show. This campy classic is sure to inspire laughter, fun and even dancing across the lawn.

The Dina Merrill Film Program and Divas Outdoors

Hillwood serves as a fitting venue for the presentation of classic films, as they and their stars recall not only a golden age of film, but also a time of grand living that was celebrated by Hillwood founder and Washington social figure Marjorie Merriweather Post. Every Divas Outdoors film had it, theatrical debut around the time that Post resided and entertained at Hillwood. Without fail a gracious host, Post added asplendid wing to the mansion after she purchased the estate in 1955 that, among other types of entertaining, allowed her to screen movies for her guests. In 2010, Dina Merrill Hartley (Dina Merrill), actress, philanthropist, and Post’s youngest daughter, made a gift to support film programs at Hillwood so her mother’s long-standing tradition could be continued.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Currently opening the Anything Goes tour with Florida Georgia Line, ultra-talented Warner Bros. Records’ Frankie Ballard will bring positive vibes and catchy tunes to eager country music fans at Jiffy Lube Live Amphitheater in Bristow, VA on Saturday, July 25. The singer will have fans on their feet with his energetic, guitar-fueled set, including his #1 GOLD smashes, “Sunshine & Whiskey,” “Helluva Life” and his current Top-15-and-climbing hit, “Young & Crazy.”

For tickets and more information click here.

“With a trio of radio hits — ‘Helluva Life,’ ‘Sunshine and Whiskey’ and current single

‘Young and Crazy’ — at his disposal and an entertainer’s sensibility, the singer-guitarist came off like a headliner in the making.” – ROLLING STONE COUNTRY

Talented singer-guitarist Frankie Ballard, who Rolling Stone hails as “required listening,” is on the rise with his current album SUNSHINE & WHISKEY (Warner Bros. Records) delivering consecutive #1, GOLD-certified smashes “Helluva Life” and “Sunshine & Whiskey” and debuting Top 5 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart upon release. Moving to Nashville in 2009 from Battle Creek, MI, to pursue music, Ballard drew on his working class values, performing every chance he could, honing his guitar and songwriting skills to create a unique blend of blues-infused, country rock. He steadily built a loyal fan base and took the time to grow as an artist and an individual. All of these experiences culminated in selling over 1.5 million tracks to date. A road warrior, Ballard has previously opened for Taylor Swift, Jake Owen, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney and longtime idol Bob Seger.

For more information on Ballard, a list of tour dates and more, visit FrankieBallard.com.

Ballard’s SUNSHINE & WHISKEY is now available on iTunes.

WHEN:           Saturday, July 25
Show starts at 7PM

WHERE:         Jiffy Lube Live Amphitheater

7800 Cellar Door Dr,

Bristow, VA 20136

The March on Washington for Gun Control will present a Benefit reading of a Newtown documentary theater piece 26 Pebbles by Eric Ulloa on August 24 at 8:00 p.m. at Arena Stage at the Mead Center of American Theater directed by Molly Smith. This is a stirring new play that explores the power of community in the face of the tragedy in Newtown, CT and proceeds will benefit Everytown for Gun Safety and the Newtown Action Alliance.

“To bring 26 Pebbles to our nation’s capital, is an exciting step in further allowing the messages of this play to resonate, bringing it right to the front door of where change is made daily. Opinions are easy to ignore, but this play presents the facts from the very people who lived within this tragedy, its aftermath and the messages of hope they inspire. Hopefully these stories continue to ripple out and eventually make their way through the Capital’s iron dome and into some practical solutions.” – Eric Ulloa

Nicholas Rodriguez (Oklahoma) will join already announced actors:  Edward Gero (The Originalist), Naomi Jacobson (Mary T. and Lizzie K.), Dorea Schmidt (Fiddler on the Roof), Lise Bruneau (Legacy of Light), Hannah Willman (My Fair Lady), and Joshua Morgan (Fiddler on the Roof) reading stage directions.  Susan White will stage manage.

Funds from the reading will support Everytown for Gun Safety and the Newtown Action Alliance.  Everytown for Gun Safety is the largest gun violence prevention organization in the United States with more than three million supporters, including moms, mayors, survivors, and everyday Americans who are fighting for public safety measures that respect the Second Amendment and help save lives.  At the core of Everytown are Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a grassroots movement of American mothers founded the day after the Sandy Hook tragedy.  Learn more at www.everytown.org and follow at @Everytown

The Newtown Action Alliance is an action-based grassroots organization that was formed spontaneously by Newtown residents after the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary.

The original steering committee for The March on Washington for Gun Control described the organization in December 2012 as follows: “We are a non-partisan group of concerned citizens who have gathered together to create a March on Washington for Gun Control. We have coalesced around a common cause. For us, the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a turning point and we believe now is the moment to act. When we stand together, we stand a chance.”

Wolf Trap announces the addition of Lenny Kravitz to the Summer 2015 season.  The Grammy-winning chart-topper will make his Wolf Trap debut September 1. Tickets go on sale to the general public on July 10. Visit WolfTrap.org for more information.

Beginning in 1989 with his first album, Kravitz has made an indelible mark on pop culture with hits including “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” “American Woman,” “Again” and “Fly Away.” An international style icon and trendsetter, he has sold more than 40 million albums, won four consecutive Grammys for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, and earned praise for his edgy music videos and elaborate stage performances.

Kravitz is currently on a sold-out European tour running through July. The announcement of new U.S. tour dates (see www.lennykravitz.com/tour for full routing) follows the recently released video for his latest single, “The Pleasure and the Pain” via RollingStone.com. His tenth studio album, Strut, was released in September 2014 and looks back on the 1970’s metropolis of funky after-hours grooves and soulful hooks. Named one of Rolling Stone’s Top Albums of 2014, the album includes such titles as “New York City,” “I Never Want to Let You Down” and “She’s a Beast.”

With the addition of Kravitz, Wolf Trap’s Summer 2015 season at the Filene Center features 73 acts and 40 Wolf Trap debuts, including ‘80s icons Culture Club (August 10), Grammy-winning country stars Little Big Town (August 15), acclaimed Cuban cultural export Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club(August 29), and multiplatinum pop star Kelly Clarkson with Pentatonix  (September 12-13).

Wolf Trap’s Summer 2015 season has been met with unprecedented positive response, with 15 performances already sold out, and many more in “Limited Availability” status. Patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance for best availability.

TICKETING INFORMATION: Tickets for the Lenny Kravitz, September 1 at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center, range from $40 to $75. Wolf Trap members (donors of $75 and up) have access to pre-sales; join by July 8 for pre-sale access. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10:00 a.m. Friday, July 10. Tickets may be purchased online at WolfTrap.org, by phone at 877.WOLFTRAP, and in person at Wolf Trap’s Box Office, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, Virginia.