Teka Thomas
@ Tattoo
Q:How do you keep your life clean?
A:"Low alcohol intake. I never smoke and I've never done drugs."
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
THIS WEEK: Folks will call it the "Dark Continent" no more if the National Museum of African Art has anything to say about it. The exhibition "Artful Animals" looks to correct misunderstandings and educate museum-goers about Africa and contemporary African life. Although the exhibit's aim may be serious, expect entertaining displays of animal sculptures and figures, particularly fun for children.
» National Museum of African Art, 950 Independence Ave. SW; through Feb. 21, free; 202-633-4600, africa.si.edu. (Smithsonian)
Photo courtesy National Museum of African Art
SUNDAY: Still tired from Fourth of July festivities? There is no better way to cure your patriotic hangover than the sultry sound of Gladys Knight. Though she will be sans Pips, expect a full range of Gladys Knight classics, from her 60s hits up to her more current solo career.
The Motown star, also known as the Empress of Soul, has seen much success in her post-Pip career. From music to philanthropy and even owning a small chain of Chicken and Waffle shops, Mrs. Knight is still as much of a soul figure now as she was during her Motown years.
» Wolf Trap National Park; 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna; Sun., July 5, 8 p.m., $25-$45; 703-255-1868.
Written by Express' Brian Austin
Photo courtesy Wolf Trap
MONDAY: Vandaveer is taking over the music scene with leading man Mark Charles Heidinger's plan, "Divide and Conquer," also the title of the band's upcoming album. The sophomore record ("Grace and Speed" was released on Gypsy Eyes in 2007) boasts of polished vignettes that wander into a quieter, more melodic sound that has fans flocking.
» Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW; Mon., July 6, 8 pm, $12; 202-667-4490, blackcatdc.com. (U St.-Cardozo)
Photo courtesy Shervin Lainez
SATURDAY: Jimmy Smits hosts a night spent on the nation's front lawn at this year's Capitol Fourth celebration, the climax of which is, of course, a sky full of fireworks. Grab a spot on the Mall, and prepare to get cozy with many, many of your fellow citizens as acts including Aretha Franklin, Natasha Bedingfield, the cast of "Jersey Boys" and others entertain.
» The National Mall between the U.S. Capitol & the Lincoln Memorial; Sat., July 4, 8-9:30 p.m., free; 202-619-7222. (Smithsonian)
Photo courtesy City of Alexandria
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORERS-in-Residence Dereck and Beverly Joubert have spent nearly three decades researching and documenting the lives of lions and leopards in Africa, and their colorful photographs and videos are on display at the National Geographic Museum in "Lions and Leopards: The Work of Dereck & Beverly Joubert." The couple were in D.C. recently, and chatted about their work and passion for conservation in Africa.
» EXPRESS: What drew you to working in Botswana?
» BEVERLY: We're from South Africa, and 28 years ago we left and went to Botswana for an adventure. We fell in love with the wilderness of Botswana and decided that was where we wanted to live and work.
» DERECK: I think we both had the desire to leave the city and go out and do something extraordinary. We had a passion not only for each other, but for life, for nature, to do things outdoors.
» EXPRESS: What about working with wildlife and the environment is so fulfilling?
» DERECK: We use our work as conversation, as a way to talk to people about the things we care deeply about. Right now, we're giving the majority of stress to big cats, and the books, films, everything we do at the moment is about getting the message out that big cats are endangered.
» BEVERLY: Our workplace changes, so we never get bored like in an office. We move from one area to the next, and each area is different — one is a desert, one a semi-desert, one a delta. So we are constantly stimulated by landscape changes, and the animals interact in a different way in each area. And the more we have climactic change, the more we are going to see the animals forced into situations that perhaps no one has seen before.
Continue Reading "Where the Wild Things Are: Dereck and Beverly Joubert" »
WHAT DOES A chef do when he's left a restaurant and cooks so much that he fills his house with sauces and jams? For Stefano Frigerio, who used to be in the kitchen at Mio and the now-closed Maestro, the answer was to start the Copper Pot Food Company and sell his products at area farmers markets.
"Basically, after I left Mio, I was at home with my kids with nothing to do," he says. "We would go to farmers markets to buy food and keep myself busy, and my sons loved it."
As a result of those visits to the market, Frigerio acquired lots of fruits and vegetables and started using them in sauces and jams.
"I use local farms, mostly from farmers markets," he says. "There's a stand in Dupont Circle where we go for our shopping, and because we developed a relationship with them, they know we use their stuff and they call when fruits and vegetables are ready, and we come pick them up."
Continue Reading "Condiments to the Chef: Copper Pot Food Company" »
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'" »
PETER MURPHY'S GRAVELY resonant voice and gauntly androgynous appearance made him an iconic presence in the influential goth bands Bauhaus and Love & Rockets, earning him the nickname the Godfather of Goth.
In recent years, however, he seemed intent on overturning any expectations raised by his gloomy reputation. While he rarely tours America as a headliner, he has launched the Secret Cover Tour, playing more intimate venues and highlighting material from his upcoming solo album.
In between new songs, he runs through old hits like "Cuts You Up" and the evergreen "Bela Lugosi's Dead," fan favorites like "Marlene Dietrich's Favourite Poem" and "Deep Ocean, Vast Sea."
Continue Reading "Vibrant Godfather of Goth: Peter Murphy" »
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