Oct
3
Sat
A Tribute to Lost Laughs @ Warner Theatre
Oct 3 @ 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM

On Saturday, October 3, 2015 at 8:00 p.m., Facing Addiction will host an all-star comedy benefit, “A Tribute to Lost Laughs,” at the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C.  The event will feature Bill Burr, Tom Papa, Nick DiPaolo and Mark Lundholm and will be hosted by Jesse Joyce.  The event will also include special appearances from Maryann Giraldo and family (in honor of the late Greg Giraldo) and Maureen Wittels (in honor of the late Harris Wittels), and is produced along with Rocky Benloulou-Dubin of Rockster Productions Inc. a long time member of the comedy community as a booker and producer.  Tickets are currently on sale, and can be purchased here: livemu.sc/1PyW6WI.

Facing Addiction, a new, national organization that will serve as a voice for the over 85 million Americans impacted by addiction, is hosting “A Tribute to Lost Laughs” the day before their “UNITE to Face Addiction rally, a free event on the National Mall taking place on October 4, 2015. At the rally, Facing Addiction, along with over 500 diverse organizations from around the country, will launch a first-of-its-kind campaign to confront America’s denial about the most urgent health crisis facing our nation today – addiction to alcohol and other drugs.

WHO:             Bill Burr, Tom Papa, Nick DiPaolo, Jesse Joyce, Mark Lundholm and Facing Addiction

WHAT:           Unite to Face Addiction All-Star Comedy Benefit, “A Tribute to Lost Laughs”

WHERE:         Warner Theater

                       513 13th St NW

                       Washington D.C.

WHEN:           Saturday, October 3, 2015 at 8:00 p.m.

HOW:             Tickets are available now at livemu.sc/1PyW6W

Oct
19
Mon
Political Satirist Mark Russell Returns to Ford’s Theatre @ Ford's Theatre
Oct 19 @ 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Just in time for this fall’s political cycle, piano-playing political satirist Mark Russell returns to Ford’s Theatre (511 Tenth Street NW) for one night only, Monday, October 19, 2015, at 7:00 p.m. With material ripped from today’s headlines, Russell’s unique brand of comedy earned him the Mark Twain Award for political comedy and made him a popular favorite on PBS.

Tickets for An Evening with Mark Russell range $20 to $64, and are available to Ford’s Theatre Members and groups (15 or more) on August 3, at 10:00 a.m. Tickets go on sale to the general public on August 17, at 10:00 a.m. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Ford’s Theatre Box Office (511 Tenth Street NW, Washington, DC), through Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787 or online at www.fords.org/event/evening-mark-russell(fees apply). Groups of 15 or more may reserve tickets online at www.fords.org/groups.

 

Oct
30
Fri
Vampire’s Ball @ Synetic Theatre
Oct 30 @ 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Synetic Theater invites you to the 9th annual Vampire’s Ball on Friday, October 30.
This year, The Vampire’s Ball will follow Synetic’s gothic take on Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice in Wonderland. After being treated to a spectacular performance, guests will dance the night away on stage, courtesy of Resident Composer and Halloween DJ Konstantine Lortkipanidze. The event will also include an open bar, light appetizers, and a costume contest with fabulous Synetic prizes!
Tickets range from $60 to $75 and can be purchased online at www.synetictheater.org or via phone at 866-811-4111.
About the Playwright
Lloyd Rose received a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Adaptation for Synetic Theater’s 2014 production of The Island of Dr. Moreau. She has written for The New Yorker, The Washington Post(Theatre Critic: 1989 – 2001), and The Atlantic among others, and has served as a Dramaturg for Round House Theatre, Theater J, and Synetic Theater.
Address: 1800 S. Bell St., Arlington, VA 22202
Metro:  Crystal City (Blue/Yellow Lines)
Tickets: Start at $35
Parking:  Free after 4pm on weekdays, free all day on weekends

 

NMWA Late Nights: Mod Women (and Men) @ National Museum of Women in the Arts
Oct 30 @ 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM

WHAT: NMWA Late Nights: Mod Women (and Men)
Join us for a memorable “Mod-ster” Mash! Experience a retro glam, late-night reception for the opening of the special exhibition Pathmakers: Women in Art, Craft, and Design, Midcentury and Today. Enjoy retro refreshments, vintage cocktails, open bar, dancing and exhibition tours. Come dressed as your favorite “mod-ster” if you dare! There will be a prize for the best costume.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION:
Pathmakers: Women in Art, Craft, and Design, Midcentury and Today illuminates the vital contributions of women to midcentury visual culture and their use of craft materials—especially clay, fiber and metals—to explore concepts of Modernism. Featuring more than 80 works, this exhibition focuses on women working at midcentury, as well as contemporary artists whose work reflects the influence of their predecessors.

Funding for NMWA Late Night: Mod Women (and Men) is made possible by the Bernstein Family Foundation. Pathmakers is organized by the Museum of Arts and Design, New York.

WHERE:
National Museum of Women in the Arts
1250 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20005
202-783-5000
nmwa.org

WHEN:
Friday, October 30, 2015, 8–11:30 p.m

PRICE:
Price: $55 general admission in advance and $65 at the door; $45 members. Reservations recommended. Purchase tickets online at nmwa.org/late-nights.
Please note the event is 21+. IDs will be checked at the door.

Nov
20
Fri
Art Soiree’s ManneqArt Show @ Ritz Carlton
Nov 20 @ 8:00 PM – 11:59 PM
Art comes to life at the Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown this Friday, November 20th as ManneqArt Show presents the extravagant world of wearable art.
Ensembles made of circuit boards, silk flowering vines and glossy magazine pages are the norm in this one of a kind show where innovation reigns. Celebrating the inventive and artistic fashion, ManneqART Show blurs the boundaries of art and fashion bringing to life over 30 incredible creations of designers from around the nation who have taken on the challenge of creating 3-D wearable art pieces from most unconventional materials – metals, paper, spray foam and even melted plastic bags.
Friday, November 20th 2015 | 8pm-12am
The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown 3100 South Street NW, Washington DC
Tickets: $15 early bird $25 day of http://manneqart.eventbrite.com
benefiting ManneqART 501(c)3 nonprofit arts and education organization with a mission to INSPIRE CREATIVITY and REWARD EXCELLENCE in the field of WEARABLE ART. 
Timeline:
8:00pm – Doors Open
8:30pm-10:30pm – Interactive Presentation of 30 unique costumes
10:30pm – Mix & Mingle w/ models & artists
Music by DJ Playin’fields aka Enea Diotaiuti – Music Producer & EDM DJ, who is widely known as a pioneer of Deep House and House Music in the Washington DC area.
Dec
16
Wed
A Broadway Christmas @ GWU's Lisner Auditorium
Dec 16 @ 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Maestro Luke Frazier and the American Pops Orchestra are pleased to announce their inaugural holiday concert, a celebration of the season with a Broadway flair, at the George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium on Wednesday, December 16 at 8:00 PM.  A Broadway Christmas features the American Pops Orchestra with special guests “The First Lady of Musical Theatre,” Elaine Paige, Broadway’s Matt Doyle (The Book of Mormon, Spring Awakening), Great American Songbook Ambassador Julia Goodwin (America’s Got Talent), and a mass choir comprised of singers from around the Washington DC metropolitan area.

A Broadway Christmas will feature sacred and secular Christmas favorites that will put you in the holiday spirit.  Selections include O Holy Night,I’ll Be Home for Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Silent Night, and other musical gifts from the Broadway stage.  Some new musical arrangements and orchestrations of timeless classics have been commissioned for this performance that will delight audiences of all ages.

Founded by Luke Frazier and in its inaugural season, The American Pops Orchestra’s mission is to present innovative orchestral programming featuring groundbreaking concepts and artistic partnerships to develop and inspire a new audience for the 21st century. This professional orchestra boasts outstanding musicians from New York and Washington DC. The American Pops will present six original orchestral programs in its opening 2015-2016 season, featuring leading Broadway singers, dancers, and actors.  The orchestra’s October performance of “Stairway to Paradise: A Gershwin Spectacular” was reviewed in DC Metro Theater Arts as presenting “inspired arrangements of beloved Gershwin songs that reinvigorate the material and highlight the skill of his musicians.” More information about the orchestra is available at www.theamericanpops.org.

Marvin Hamlisch put it best when referring to Luke Frazier “So talented, and sensitive to every nuance.” Mr. Frazier’s commitment to re-envisioning pops programming has quickly established him as a dynamic force across the music community where has proven himself among musical heavyweights as both an innately musical conductor and a sensitive pianist.  He has worked with artists Renée Fleming, Kevin Spacey, Denyce Graves, Darren Criss, Lea Solanga, Laura Osnes, Eric Owens, Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera, Rita Moreno, Norm Lewis, Christine Ebersole, and Michael Feinstein, among others.  As a testament to his mission to reimagine pops programming, Mr. Frazier has founded the American Pops Orchestra and the National Broadway Chorus in Washington, DC.  The chorus continues to tour and will appear this season in Washington DC, Indianapolis, and Chicago, and will be featured at the Great American Songbook Foundation Gala, where Mr. Frazier serves on the Board.  Mr. Frazier will return for a second full season as the Principal Pops Conductor of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, where he has conducted 10 programs of his own creation, held at various venues including George Mason’s Center for the Arts, The Shenandoah Valley Music Festival, and the Angelika Film Center. This season he will also make guest appearances with orchestras in New York City, Miami, Indianapolis, Chicago, and West Virginia.  He will also continue to serve as Artist-in-Residence with Washington DC Youth Orchestra. For more information, visit lukefraziermusic.com.

 

TICKETS:

The George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium

730 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC; 3 blocks from Foggy Bottom/GWU Metro

Price:  $35-$65, discount for GW Students

202-994-6800 or http://lisner.gwu.edu/broadway-christmas

Feb
6
Sat
Crafty Bastards Cabin Fever @ Hecht Warehouse at Ivy City
Feb 6 @ 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Why wait for the fall to get Crafty? Washington City Paper is expanding its popular Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair with a second installment this winter. The inaugural Crafty Bastards Cabin Fever will take place on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Hecht Warehouse at Ivy City (1401 New York Ave. NE) in Washington, D.C.

The one-day indoor winter fair will feature handmade products and wares by 100+ select artists and crafters from around the country, including several first-time Crafty Bastards like:

–       Hell Razor for Men of Washington, DC (www.etsy.com/shop/hellrazorformen)

–       Harper Macaw from Washington, DC (https://harpermacaw.com)

–       Raisa Antonia from Hancock, NH (http://www.raisaantonia.com)

–       North End Bag Company from Virginia Beach, VA (http://www.northendbagco.com)

–       Lewis and Pine from Brooklyn, NY (www.lewisandpine.com)

–       West Oak Design from Wyndmoor, PA (www.westoakdesign.com)

In order to make your Cabin Fever shopping experience enjoyable, entry times will be staggered based on ticket type. Tickets can be purchased in advance online via the Washington City Paper website. 

VIP Tickets – $25: Gain exclusive access to Crafty Bastards Cabin Fever for an extra hour of shopping and no lines before the Crafty-loving masses arrive. VIP ticket also includes one bagel, a mimosa, and a Crafty Bastards Cabin Fever tote bag. VIP Entry begins at 10 a.m.

Savvy Shopper Tickets – $15: Enjoy shorter lines and a complimentary Crafty Bastards tote bag with entry starting at 11 a.m.

Early General Admission – $10: Gain access to all vendors beginning at 1 p.m.

Late General Admission – $5: Gain access to all vendors starting at 3 p.m.

Last Call General Admission – $5: Gain access to all vendors starting at 5 p.m.

Kids 12 and under are free. Visit www.washingtoncitypaper.com/craftybastards for advanced tickets, a complete gallery of all Crafty Bastard Cabin Fever vendors, and more, including details about complimentary shuttle service from the NoMA metro stop provided by the Hecht Warehouse.

About Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair

Over the past 12 years, hundreds of Crafty Bastards have sold countless pieces of handmade “craftiness” at the Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair. The fair has been selected as one of Washington’s Top 100 Events by BizBash and was voted by Washington City Paper readers as the Best Arts Festival in its annual Best of D.C. poll. For more information about the annual Crafty Bastards Arts and Crafts Fair, please visit www.washingtoncitypaper.com/craftybastards/.

 

#CraftyBastardsCabinFever

Many Beautiful Things Washington Premiere @ National Gallery of Art: East Building Auditorium
Feb 6 @ 2:30 PM – 5:00 PM

On Feb. 6, the director, local filmmaker Laura Waters Hinson, is inviting Washington to discover the true story of a daring young woman at a free screening hosted by the National Gallery of Art.


WHAT:
Many Beautiful Things Washington premiere
Award-winning local filmmaker Laura Waters Hinson in person

WHEN:
Feb. 6, 2:30 p.m. ET

WHERE:
National Gallery of Art: East Building Auditorium
6th and Constitution Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20565


Featuring the voices of Dockery and Davies, Many Beautiful Things takes viewers on the journey of a prodigious, self-taught young female artist who finds herself torn between two desires—to strengthen her flourishing artistic talents or pursue a higher calling to serve marginalized women and children in North Africa.

Through dazzling animation and cinematography featuring original works by Trotter, the film awakens viewers to question the limits of sacrifice and the true meaning of success. Trotter’s history is shared through the eyes of Miriam Rockness, a self-made scholar in her early 70s who has become the world’s leading expert on the artist-turned-missionary after nearly 30 years of research.

The film premieres on Feb. 6 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, with theatrical screenings taking place around the country Feb. 7 – 14. Many Beautiful Things will be available to download and on DVD on International Women’s Day: March 8.

To learn more about the film or screenings around the country, visit ManyBeautifulThings.com.
About Many Beautiful Things
Many Beautiful Things: The Life and Vision of Lilias Trotter is directed by award-winning filmmaker Laura Waters Hinson (As We Forgive) and produced by Hisao Kurosawa, the son of legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, with original music by Sleeping at Last.

About the Director
Directing her fourth documentary, Laura Waters Hinson is a filmmaker based in Washington. She is the founder of Image Bearer Pictures and produced As We Forgive, an inspiring film that discovered hope and forgiveness amid the tragic Rwandan Genocide. The film won the 2008 Student Academy Award for best documentary.

About the Score
Sleeping At Last is the moniker of Chicago singer-songwriter, producer and composer Ryan O’Neal. His music is featured in TV and film such as The Twilight Saga, The Fault in Our Stars (trailer), Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds, Bones and more.

Feb
26
Fri
Leah Crocetto in Recital (WNOpera) @ Kennedy Center
Feb 26 @ 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Washington National Opera (WNO) continues its 60th anniversary season with Leah Crocetto in Recital, featuring the celebrated star of last season’s Dialogues of the Carmelites, on Friday, February 26, 2016 at 7 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Accompanied by acclaimed pianist Mark Markham, Ms. Crocetto will perform art songs by Strauss, Duparc, and Barber, as well as popular opera arias and a few of her favorite jazz standards.

Recognized as a rising star in the next generation of singers, American soprano Leah Crocetto made her WNO last season as Madame Lidoine in Poulenc’s powerful Dialogues of the Carmelites. She represented the United States at the 2011 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, where she was a finalist in the Song Competition. She is a 2010 Grand Finals winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was the First Place Winner, People’s Choice, and the Spanish Prize Winner of the 2009 Jose Iturbi International Music Competition, and winner of the Bel Canto Foundation competition. A former Adler Fellow at San Francisco Opera, Ms. Crocetto has appeared frequently with the company, most recently in the title role of Verdi’s Luisa Miller in Francesca Zambello’s celebrated production.

In her stellar 2015-2016 season, Leah Crocetto makes two major debuts: her long-awaited Metropolitan Opera debut as Liù in Turandot, and her role debut as Semiramide in Rossini’s seldom-heard opera of the same name, with Opéra National de Bordeaux. Additional highlights of the season include Anna in Maometto II with the Canadian Opera Company and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Santa Fe Opera.

Last season, in addition to her debut at WNO, Ms. Crocetto performed Desdemona in Otello with English National Opera, Mimì in La bohème with San Francisco Opera, and Elisabetta di Valois in a new production of Don Carlo (a co-production with WNO) at Opera Philadelphia.

Equally at home as a soloist, a collaborator with some of the finest singers in the world, a jazz pianist, or a vocal coach, pianist Mark Markham and his interpretations have been praised by the public and press alike. Since 1995, Mr. Markham has been the recital partner of Jessye Norman, giving nearly 300 performances in over 25 countries, including recitals in Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, London’s Royal Festival Hall, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Salzburg Festival, Bunka Kaikan in Tokyo, Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv, the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus in Greece, and at the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize presentation to President Jimmy Carter in Oslo. In 1990, Mr. Markham was invited to join the faculty of the Peabody Conservatory, where he served for ten years as vocal coach and professor of vocal repertoire and accompanying. He relocated to Europe for a decade, living in the South of France while maintaining a busy international schedule as a solo artist and collaborative partner with Ms. Norman, before returning to the United States in 2011. In addition to performances around the world, he maintains a vocal coaching studio in New York City and Baltimore.

Washington National Opera’s 2015-2016 season continues with the company premiere of Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson’s Lost in the Stars, February 12-20 in the Eisenhower Theater, and concludes with its first complete presentation of Wagner’s extraordinary four-part Ring Cycle, with a world-class cast under the direction of Francesca Zambello and featuring the WNO Orchestra conducted by WNO Music Director Philippe Auguin, April 30 to May 22, 2016. WNO’s 2016-2017 season will be announced in the coming weeks.

TICKET INFORMATION:

All tickets to Leah Crocetto in Recital are $45 and are available online, in person at the Kennedy Center Box Office, and by calling (202) 467-4600 or (800) 444-1324.

Feb
28
Sun
Commissary’s 5th Annual Oscar Party @ Commissary
Feb 28 @ 4:00 PM – 11:59 PM

Commissary will host the fifth annual Oscar’s viewing party on Sunday, February 28, 2016 from 4:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. The viewing party will kick-off with the Red Carpet viewing from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., featuring passed hors d’oeuvres while the red carpet arrivals show on a full wall projector before the 8:00 p.m. awards. The entire evening features a limited open bar and endless flowing champagne, as well as a dinner buffet with more than a dozen Oscar-themed savory and sweet offerings.

An Oscar ticket will include event entry with viewing from all three bar TVs and two full wall projectors, and unlimited food offerings throughout the evening inspired by each nominated movie.

There are only 80 tickets available for this event. Tickets will not be sold at the door and can be purchased only by going to Commissarydc.com at the online ticket site (full ticket options & details below).

Full ticket details are included below, and the full press release is attached.

Ticket Type

Red Carpet (4:00 – 8:00 p.m.) – $35 (including tax & gratuity) or $25 (without alcohol)

Oscar Inspired Open Bar Offerings

Passed Oscar Themed Hors d’oeuvres

Popcorn Bar

Endless champagne

 

Main Event (8:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.) – $65 (including tax & gratuity) or $55 (without alcohol)

Oscar Inspired Open Bar Offerings

Passed Oscar Themed Hors d’oeuvres

Popcorn Bar

Endless champagne

Various Food Stations featuring Oscar Inspired Dinner & Dessert Items

 

All Access VIP (4:00 p.m. – Close)

Red Carpet & Main Event Ticket – $90 (including tax & gratuity)

Includes Reserved Premium Seating