Sue Conley, co-founder of Cowgirl Creamery
@ National Harbor
Q:What's your favorite food TV show or host?
A:"John Shields of 'Chesapeake Cooking.' He was a deep appreciation for local foods."
THIS WEEKEND: The exuberant Broadway classic "Ain't Misbehavin'" is coming to town to wow audiences with its musical wit and nonstop energy. A tribute to piano man Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller, the 1978 Tony Award-winning musical revisits the Harlem Renaissance and its unforgettable cultural impact with 30 striking numbers and a whole lotta shaking.
» Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md.; opens Wed., through Aug. 2, $26; 301-924-3400, olneytheatre.org.
Photo courtesy Stan Barouh
THE JACKSON POLLOCK painting hanging on the back wall turns out to be the key to "The Year of Magical Thinking."
What originally looks like typical set dressing for an elegant New York apartment is puzzling at first. After all, Pollock's abstract, paint-splattered canvasses mean something different to each person who sees them.
And there's no doubt about what "The Year of Magical Thinking" means.
The one-woman play, based on the memoir of the same name, is a first-person account by essayist Joan Didion of the sudden deaths of her husband and daughter. Well, perhaps it is less about their deaths and more about the ways we cope with unimaginable grief, the tiny lies that we invent to stave off true mourning.
Continue Reading "The Patterns of Grief: The Year of Magical Thinking" »
IN THE REAL world, Charlie Brown's sadness would come with antidepressants galore and an explanation of his primary trauma, but when his self-esteem issues are exposed on a stage in song, it's so much more fun to watch.
The "Peanuts" gang comes to life in Adventure Theatre's expertly directed and performed production of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown." From the opening lines of the title song to Snoopy's battle against the Red Baron, the cast exudes energy and precision in their portrayal of Charles Schulz's famously moody, lovelorn, quirky and philosophical cartoon-strip gang that could give Broadway a run for its money.
The story recounts just a day in the life of Charlie Brown and his friends that leads to all kinds of escapades from a friendly game of baseball to a musical daydream number by a fantasy-famous Snoopy. This children's theater takes full advantage of the close seating of little guests, with plenty of audience interaction, from dancing with kids to flying Charlie Brown's red kite high above the audience with its long tail in tow.
Continue Reading "Very Good Grief: 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'" »
THIS WEEK: Here's the thing about the plays of Anton Chekhov: He presents you with an impossible, hilarious melodrama and then somehow, as you're laughing, hits you with the human sadness of the situation. He's a master, and "The Seagull" is arguably his best work. In "The Seagull on 16th Street," Theater J weaves concepts of faith into Chekhov's original script. It works, most of the time.
» Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW; through July 19, $21-$55; 202-777-3210. (Dupont Circle)
Photo courtesy The Washington Post
THIS WEEK: Last year, the Source Theatre returned to the D.C. scene with a bang: a festival of short plays and theater events that marked a collaboration among most of D.C.'s artistic directors and stage luminaries.
This year, the festival is back, sans most of the big-name participants. But you can still see 10-minute plays, one acts and a 24-hour play — written, cast, rehearsed and performed within a 24-hour period.
» Source Theatre, 1835 14th St. NW; through July 12, $18; 202-204-7800, sourcedc.org. (U St.-Cardozo)
Photo courtesy Michael Temchine/The Washington Post
THIS WEEK: The best of high culture meets the best of low at the Kennedy Center, where American Idol's Fantasia stars in a musical version of Alice Walker's "The Color Purple." Fantasia plays Celie, a young black woman dealing with racism and sexism at the turn of the century. The score is rich and lovely, influenced by pop, blues and gospel, and the book's powerful story stands up well to adaptation.
» Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW; through Aug. 9, $25-$95; 202-467-4600. (Foggy Bottom)
Photo by Paul Kolnik
THIS WEEKEND: The Rockettes have their kicks. Michael Jackson has his moonwalk. Riverdance, they have their stomping feet. The Irish step dancing troupe Riverdance has been wowing audiences since the early '90s with their infamous lighting-fast leg movement, military uniformity and completely stoic upper bodies. Think Richard Simmons but with his hands in his pockets.
Sure they may not be able to throw it down like American step teams, but the Riverdance troupe still bewilders and amazes its audience with its spot-on precision and sheer speed. Their international success has made the thunderous foot stompers as synonymous with Ireland as four leaf clovers and pints of Guinness.
» Wolf Trap National Park; 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna, VA; Fri., June 26, 8 p.m., Sat., June 27 and Sun., June 28, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; $20-$70; 703-255-1900. wolf-trap.org.
Written by Express' Brian Austin
Photo by Jack Hartin
MONDAY: Can't get tickets to see Helen Mirren live onstage in "Phedre" this September? Beat all those ticket-carrying sheep to the show on Monday when the Shakespeare Theatre Company screens a performance of London's Royal National Theatre's production. The public screening is part of Natty Theo's initiative to broadcast performances of plays from London on cinema screens around the world.
» Harman Hall, 618 F St. NW; Mon., June 29, 7:30 p.m., call theater for prices; 202-547-1122.
Photo courtesy The National Theatre
WEDNESDAY: We're gonna be upfront about this: Joan Didion's "The Year of Magical Thinking" is one of the most depressing books you could ever read, and one of the most engaging. The one-woman play based on the book looks like it will follow the same pattern. The plot concerns Didion's life after the unexpected death of her husband. Plus, her daughter was severely ill at the same time. Yes, you're going to cry.
» Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW; through July 5, $41-$61; 202-332-3300. (Dupont Circle)
Photo courtesy Jame M. Thresher/The Washington Post
THIS WEEKEND: Bolshoi ballet dream-team Alexei Ratmansky and Yuri Burlaka have taken the Russian classic "Le Corsaire" and restaged it for a Bolshoi North American premier. The ballet tells the tale of a young Greek girl and a dashing pirate on a fantastical journey that ends with, as some critics have swooned, one of the most spectacular scenes in ballet.
» Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW; through Sun., June 21, $47-$105; 202-467-4600. (Foggy Bottom-GWU)
Written by Express' Catherine Ahearn
Photo by Damir Yusupov
Addison Road