Summer Preview: Arts & Entertainment

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ASSUME WASHINGTON survives the pandemic, and that summer's hottest activity won't be customizing surgical masks with a BeDazzler. Also, assume that by "summer," we don't mean "the season that ostensibly starts June 21 because some solstice says it does," but the one starting, like, next week. If we make it that far, there's a lot to keep us busy.

» 1) FRINGE BINGE: D.C. has its share of avant-garde theater, but this city definitely is into the classics. Luckily, every summer we get a dose of just-plain-weird with the Capital Fringe Festival. Our advice: Read descriptions carefully — in our experience, plays set in swimming pools are never a good idea, but it's hard to go wrong with monologues. You really just never know whether you'll see something sublime or life-ruining. The good news: Most of these plays are very short, so if you get a bad one, you haven't lost much.

» Various locations; July 9-26, $15; 866-811-4111; Capfringe.org. F.Z.

» 2) TOTALLY AWESOME: This area is replete with outdoor film festivals in the summer, but our favorite is "I Love the '80s." Everyone knows the greatest movies of all time were made in that fruitful decade, and a lineup of the very best will be playing in Gateway Park every Friday night this summer.

» Gateway Park, 1300 Lee Hwy., Arlington; Fridays through Sept. 4, free; 703-247-9290, Rosslynva.org. (Rosslyn) F.Z.

» 3) DANCING QUEEN: Tired of summer blockbusters already? As usual, the AFI Silver Theater will be hosting a slew of retrospectives. Starting next week, you can see two tributes devoted to stars who passed away recently. Our favorite is a batch of Cyd Charisse films, which include some of the greatest Hollywood musicals from the 1950s ("Singin' in the Rain," "Brigadoon"). If that's not macho enough for you, try the Charlton Heston marathon and revisit "Ben Hur," "Planet of the Apes" or "Soylent Green." (It's people!)

» AFI Silver, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring; throughout the summer, $6-$10; 301-495-6720. (Silver Spring) F.Z.

» 4) TRAGIC BUT MAGIC: When essayist and novelist Joan Didion's husband died and her daughter was in a coma (that's the family, above, in 1976), she channeled her pain into a sharp, sad memoir, "The Year of Magical Thinking." The book was transformed into a one-woman show, and Studio Theatre's Joy Zinoman is directing acclaimed D.C. actress Helen Hedman in the role of Didion. Bring at least five handkerchiefs to stanch your inevitable tears.

» Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW; June 17-July 5, $41-$61; 202-332-3300, Studiotheatre.org. (Dupont Circle) F.Z.

» 5) THE WORLD AS SHE KNOWLES IT: Calling all the single ladies, and the taken ladies. And, hey, why not the gents, too? There's nothing exclusive about Beyonce -- hers is the sort of music we can all get down to. Witness this larger-than-life pop icon and her alter ego, Sasha Fierce, do their thing with that intriguing metal glove when her "I AM ..." tour hits Verizon Center. Expect hot moves, big ballads and even bigger hair.

» Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW; June 24, 7:30 p.m., $20.75-$125.75; 202-397-7328, Verizoncenter.com. (Gallery Place). K.E.

» 6) BYRNE NOTICE: The Talking Heads were one of the few bands that escaped the '80s without being inextricably tied to the decade. Sure, the group's punk rock-ish sound peaked in popularity when leg warmers ruled, but its contribution to music outlasted such fleeting trends. It's unsurprising, then, that frontman David Byrne is still alive and kicking on the music scene. You'll find him onstage at Wolf Trap this June in support of his collaboration with Talking Heads producer Brian Eno, "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today." And if the audience is really lucky, maybe it'll get his solo take on a few of his band's songs.

» Filene Center, Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna; June 6, 8 p.m., $25-$45; 703-255-1900, Wolf-trap.org. K.E.

» 7) HEAD OF THE CROWD: The days of the Deadhead are behind us, but that doesn't mean the diehard fan is dead, too. If there is one thing that defines Wilco, it's the band's ever-loving, ever-loyal swath of supporters nationwide. That, and the group's totally irresistible brand of mellow alt-rock that keeps us coming back time after time, album after album. Speaking of which, a brand-new record, "Wilco (The Album)," comes out June 30, making this concert pretty timely.

» Filene Center, Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna; July 8, 8 p.m., $32-$38; 703-255-1900, Wolf-trap.org. K.E.

» 8) IN LIVING COLOR: The color (and a few rare black-and-white) photographs William Eggleston shot over the span of his five-decade career encapsulated his ability to find magic in everyday life. In Democratic Camera: Photographs and Video 1961--2008, the Corcoran will showcase more than 125 of his images, many of which will make you say things like, "I never knew a tricycle could be so nuanced and captivating," or, "That complimentary airline beverage is shimmering like a diamond."

» Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th St. NW; June 20-Sept. 20, $10-$14; 202-639-1700, Corcoran.org (Farragut West) K.E.

» 9) BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE: Artomatic started 10 years ago when a bunch of renegade artists took over an old building downtown and turned it into their personal museum. Since then, this constantly expanding enterprise has seized bigger spaces and recruited more local artists and volunteers to pull the thing off. Visual arts (that's Cecily Corcoran's "Stuck in Traffic," above), music, theater, lectures and workshops abound; there are even kids' programs on Saturdays.

» 55 M St. SE (at the corner of Half Street); Wednesday through Sunday May 29-July 5, free (but donations are gladly accepted); Artomatic.org. (Navy Yard) K.E.

» MORE THEATER:
» "King Lear": Shakespeare Theatre says there'll be nudity. Yikes! June 16-July 19. Shakespearedc.org
» "Dead City": This adaptation of "Ulysses" hits the Rorschach July 16-Aug. 16. Rorschachtheatre.com
» "A Midsummer Night's Dream": Dance theater company Synetic continues its "Silent Shakespeare" series May 28-June 14. Synetictheater.org

» MORE FILM:
» "Night at the Museum 2: Night at the Smithsonian": Be super-reflexive and see it at the Smithsonian IMAX Theater! 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW; May 22-June 11, $12.50; Si.edu/imax. (Smithsonian)
» Silverdocs: The documentary fest returns to the AFI Silver. June 15-22, tix on sale May 28; Silverdocs.com.
» Crystal Screen: Superheroes: See Spiderman, Batman and other men (plus some women). 18th and Bell streets; Monday nights May 4-Sept. 21, sundown, free; Crystalcity.org. (Crystal City)

» MORE ART:
» Artscape: Head to Baltimore for this massive, free public art festival. Mount Royal Avenue and Cathedral Street, Baltimore; July 17-19, Artscape.org.
» One Life: Thomas Paine: This exhibit honors our most radical Founding Father. National Portrait Gallery, 8th and F streets NW; Aug. 7-Nov. 29, free; 202-633-8300, Npg.si.edu. (Gallery Place)
» Judith Leyster: A celebration of the Dutch artist on her 400th birthday. National Gallery of Art, 600 Constitution Ave. NW; June 21-Nov. 29, free; 202-737-4215, Nga.gov. (Smithsonian)

» MORE MUSIC:
» Peaches: Mentally prepare for what this naughty artist teaches. 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW; June 17, 10 p.m., $20; 202-265-0930, 930.com. (U St.-Cardozo)
» No Doubt: Everyone's favorite Gwen Stefani-fronted '90s ska band is back. Nissan Pavilion, 7800 Cellar Door Drive, Bristow; June 16, 7 p.m., $10-$80; 703-754-6400, Nissanpaviliononline.com.
» Snoop Dogg: He and Slightly Stoopid are on their Blazed and Confused Tour. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia, Md.; Aug. 5, time/price TBA; 410-715-5550, Merriweathermusic.com.

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Written by Express' Karmah Elmusa and Fiona Zublin