Brain Food
1. Capilla del Sol: Created in 2004, the ensemble specializes in Latin American Baroque music, using original instruments and vocal techniques.
Where: Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW
When: 6 p.m. March 9
Info: Free; 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org
2. National Symphony Orchestra: Former NSO principal guest conductor Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos returns to conduct Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 with Argentinean pianist Ingrid Fliter, as well as Mozart’s “Serenata Notturna” and Strauss’ “Sinfonia Domestica.”
Where: Concert Hall, Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW
When: 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday
Info: $20 to $85; 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org
3. “Unmoored (Love Letters to New Orleans)”: PearsonWidrig DanceTheater’s 80-minute documentary of dance, spoken word, video and music was created in New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina.
Where: Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE
When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Info: $10 to $15; 202-547-6839; chaw.org
4. 2010 Emerging Voices Playwright Competition: This program was established to encourage the development and production of new works for the stage. The 2010 finalists will be showcased at this program.
Where: The Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Info: Free; 202-328-6000; lovethelincoln.com
5. Orchids: A Cultural Odyssey: This March, go on a journey with the U.S. Botanic Garden to explore the ways orchids have permeated the lives of people around the world. Discover orchids in art, literature, exploration, jewelry, trade and business.
Where: United States Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 11. Look for individual orchid events on Web site.
Info: Free; 202-255-8333; usbg.gov
Family
1. “The New Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley”: Based on the popular children’s series by Jeff Brown. The bulletin board on the wall above Stanley Lambchop’s bed comes loose and falls. Right on top of Stanley! The next morning, he wakes up flat … really, really flat. He can slide under locked doors, roll up like a mat, become a trampoline and even put himself in a big envelope and travel around the world, from Washington, D.C., to France to Honolulu and beyond.
Where: Adventure Theatre, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo
When: Through April 6
Info: 301-634-2270; adventuretheatre.org
2. “Aurelia’s Oratorio”: In “Aurelia’s Oratorio,” the impossible happens before your eyes. Behind the velvet curtain lies a surreal world of surprises, a topsy-turvy time of tricks and transformations. With dancing, puppetry, acrobatics and more, “Aurelia’s Oratorio” is an inventive adventure set to a quirky score of chamber music and Gypsy jazz. Recommended for children 8 and older. Starring Aurelia Thierree.
Where: The Lansburgh Theatre, 450 Seventh St. NW
When: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday
Info: $20 to $30; shakespearetheatre.org
3. Bello is Back! The Big Apple Circus Returns: The playfully elegant Bello — with his gravity-defying hair and trademark tuxedo and white gloves — returns to the one-ring intimacy of the Big Apple Circus. You’ll see a new ringmaster, spectacular Italian acrobats, Russian wizards of the trampoline and trapeze, fiery steeds and much more.
Where: Dulles Town Center, intersection of Routes 7 and 28, Dulles
When: Saturday to March 27; see Web site for dates and times
Info: $15 to $52; 800-922-3772
4. Paper Tales from the Origami Swami: The Magical Swami is storyteller Megan Hicks, who holds children of all ages — and adults — spellbound by her words and enchanted by her paper-folding marvels. She takes her audience to a world of imagination where a simple square of paper becomes an acrobat, a fireman’s hat, a sailboat, a get-well note, a disguise for a spy or a kiss goodbye.
Where: National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
When: 9:30 and 11 a.m. Saturday
Info: Free; 202-783-3372; nationaltheatre.org
5. “Dr. Seuss is on the Loose”: You don’t need an excuse to love Dr. Seuss. Come learn and have fun. You’ll join the Cat in the Hat, Yertle, Gertrude, the Lorax and more.
Where: Meet at Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S. Carlin Springs Road, Arlington
When: 4 to 5 p.m. March 13
Info: Free; registration required at 703-228-4747; program No. 623610-03.
Galleries
1. Deron DeCesare: Drypoints and Other Works on Paper: Gettysburg College-trained artist Deron DeCesare’s works on paper venerate the beauty of the natural world.
Where: Washington Printmakers Gallery at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center,8230 Georgia Ave., 2nd Floor, Silver Spring
When: Through March 28
Info: Free; 301-273-3660; washingtonprintmakers.com
2. Robert Devers: Cult of the Hand: An American artist working primarily in Mexico and Italy, Devers creates paintings, installations and ceramics, finding particular inspiration in the history of maiolica glaze painting — Renaissance-era tin-glazed pottery.
Where: The American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW
When: Through March 14
Info: Free; 202-885-1300; american.edu/cas/katzen/museum
3. The Art of Gaman: Arts and Crafts from the Japanese American Internment Camps, 1942-46: “Gaman” is a Japanese word meaning to bear privation with dignity. These 120-plus objects made by Japanese Americans interned after the bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II are a powerful expression of this idea.
Where: Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW
When: Through Jan. 30, 2011
Info: Free; 202-633-7970; americanart.si.edu
4. The Soul of Seoul: Paintings by David Richardson: Marine Lt. Col. David Richardson made this series exploring the diurnal shift in the Seoul, South Korea, landscape while stationed there circa 2007 and ’09.
Where: Chevy Chase Pavilion, 5335 Wisconsin Ave. NW
When: Through March 2010
Info: Free; 202-783-2963; zenithgallery.com
5. Robin Rose: Distortion, Delay & Sustain: Robin Rose is perhaps best known for his encaustic paintings, but this exhibit of repurposed musical equipment is something else entirely, a playful meditation on the semiotic vocabulary of late-20th-century pop music.
Where: Hemphill Fine Arts, 1515 14th St. NW
When: Through March 13
Info: Free; 202-234-5601; hemphillfinearts.com
Gatherings
1. Ballet: The Suzanne Farrell Ballet presents two mixed repertory programs, including Balanchine’s “Haieff Divertimento” and Robbins’ “Afternoon of a Faun.”
Where: Eisenhower Theatre, Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Info: $29 to $84; 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org
2. Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Much acclaimed Grammy-winning South African singing and dancing ensemble.
Where: The Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Info: $18 to $55; 301-581-5100; strathmore.org
3. “How to Buy a Home (in a Buyers Market) Seminar”: Tired of throwing money out the window as rent for that small apartment? Ready to make a substantial investment in your future? Allow a team of experts (mortgage broker, Realtors, closing attorney) to walk you through all the necessary steps for buying your first home.
Where: Intelligent Office, 1425 K St. NW, Suite 359
When: 7:30 to 10 p.m. March 10
Info: $20; thingstododc.com
4. “DCypher”: Dance program featuring new and innovative works by Nikki R. Gambhir, Juliana Calderon, Jason Anderson.
Where: Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE
When: 9:30 p.m. Friday
Info: $15; 202-520-3692; intersectionsdc.tix.com
5. “Family Day: Women’s History Month”: Kick off Women’s History Month with musical performances and hands-on art and stamp activities, and walk the red carpet at a celebrity dress-up and photo station. Jointly presented by the American Art Museum, National Portrait Gallery, National Postal Museum, and Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies.
Where: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F streets NW
When:11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday
Info: Free; 202-633-7970; americanart.si.edu
Movie
“Alice in Wonderland”
Staring Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Sheen, Matt Lucas, Crispin Glover
Director: Tim Burton
Rated PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations and for a smoking caterpillar
Running time: 108 min.
A now 19-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen’s reign of terror.
Music
1. Mariinsky Opera and Orchestra: Artistic Director Valery Gergiev, back from conducting the closing ceremony at the XXI Olympic Winter Games, leads the company in scenes from three Tchaikovsky operas and world-famous soprano Anna Netrebko singing the title role in a scene from “Iolanta,” followed by a full staging of Prokofiev’s “War and Peace.”
Where: Kennedy Center Opera House
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday (“An Evening of Tchaikovsky Operas,” tickets: $29-$150); 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday (“War and Peace,” tickets $45-$195)
Info: 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org
2. Celtic Crossroads: Seven musicians holding Irish and international championships and awards blend Celtic sounds with European gypsy, American bluegrass, classical and jazz for an evening of nonstop energy.
Where: The Barns of Wolf Trap
When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday
Info: $25; 877-965-3872; wolftrap.org
3. Two Guitars, One Journey: Berta Rojas and Quigue Sinesi perform music drawn from the traditions of their homelands, Paraguay and Argentina.
Where: Dumbarton Concerts
When: 8 p.m. Saturday (rescheduled from Feb. 6)
Info: $32 general, $28 students and seniors; 202-965-2000; dumbartonconcerts.org
4. Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel: The insightful pianist presents “Chopin the Storyteller,” an evening of the composer’s Ballades together with Novelettes by his contemporary Robert Schumann.
Where: George Mason University Center for the Arts
When: 7 p.m. Sunday
Info: $19 to $38; 703-993-2787; gmu.edu/cfa
Outdoors
1. Take a walk along the C & O Canal: Until the summer months allow you to ride in one of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal’s mule-driven boats, you can stroll along the canal and visit any of its the six visitors’ centers. The two closest to Washington, D.C., are in Great Falls, Va., and Georgetown. These visitor centers have displays and interpretive exhibits on the history of the C & O Canal.
Where: Canal runs along Potomac River west from Rock Creek; see Web site for details
When: Open during daylight hours, check visitors’ center for hours
Info: Free; nps.gov/nr/travel
2. “Conifers: Where in the World Did That Come From?”: Talk and tour. Some gardeners see the more outlandish conifers and wonder where they could possibly have come from. They might be surprised to learn that some of them are from their own backyard. Take a tour of the Gotelli Collection of Dwarf and Slow-Growing Conifers with the arboretum’s conifer expert who will focus on the origins of these plants and emphasize those that are native to North America.
Where: The National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NW, auditorium and grounds
When: 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday
Info: $10 to $12; 202-245-2726; registration required; usna.gov
3. “Night Hike at Fort C. F. Smith Park”: Go for an early spring evening hike through forest and meadow. You will look and listen for nocturnal animals and learn how they prepare for spring. Bring a flashlight and be ready to walk quietly through the woods. Children 4 and older may attend but must be accompanied by an adult.
Where: Meet at Fort C. F. Smith Park, 2411 N. 24th St., Arlington
When: 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. March 12
Info: $5; registration necessary at 703-228-4747; program 654410-01
4. “Village in the City: Mount Pleasant Heritage Trail”: Discover a neighborhood celebrated for its cultural diversity and charming streets. With its main street, town square and distinct boundaries, Mount Pleasant still feels like the village it once was. As the city grew around it after the Civil War, Mount Pleasant evolved into a fashionable streetcar suburb, sprouting businesses, churches and elegant apartment buildings. Later it became a working-class urban neighborhood, a haven for immigrants fleeing political turmoil, and the heart of D.C.’s Latino community.
Where: The trail features 17 poster-sized signs. Find the first sign at 16th and Harvard streets.
When: Ongoing
Info: Free; 202-661-7581; culturaltourismdc.org
5. Milkhouse Ford Hike: Join a park ranger for this 1.5-mile hike to the Milkhouse Ford and discover the diverse natural and cultural resources that surround this historic water crossing in Rock Creek Park. Children ages 7 and older. Boots are recommended.
Where: Rock Creek Park, 5200 Glover Road NW
When: 2 p.m. March 14
Info: Free; 202-895-6070; nps.gov
Theater
1. “The Light in the Piazza”: While touring Florence, Italy, with her mother, Clara meets the handsome Fabrizio. As their tender romance blossoms, Clara’s mother struggles to conceal a family secret that may put an end to both her own and Clara’s happiness. With book by Craig Lucas and music by Adam Guettel, this musical won six Tony Awards.
Where: Arena Stage, 1800 S. Bell St., Crystal City
When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday; 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; through April 11.
Info: $25 to $74; 202-488-3300; arenastage.org
2. “Some Girl(s)”: D.C.’s newest professional theater, No Rules Theatre Company, opens its inaugural season with Neil LaBute’s dark and dramatic comedy about the ugly and truthful sides of relationships. Joshua Morgan directs.
Where: H Street Playhouse, 1365 H St. NE
When: 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday; through March 21
Info: $25; 866-811-4111; hstreetplayhouse.com
3. “Andy Warhol: Good for the Jews?”: Josh Kornbluth addresses the pop art painter and his commission to create paintings of 10 Jewish notables.
Where: Theater J, Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW
When: 8 p.m. Saturday; thereafter 3 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday; 8 p.m. Saturday; through March 21
Info: $38 to $55; 800-494-8497; washingtondcjcc.org
4. “Orpheus Descending”: Tennessee Williams’ play about a young musician who wanders into a conventional small town and takes a job at a store run by a middle-aged woman named Lady. She becomes entranced by him and by the promise of a new life that he seems to offer.
Where: George Mason University, TheatreSpace on George Mason’s campus, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax
When: 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Info: $12; 703-993-888; gmu.edu
5. “In the Red and Brown Water”: Tarell Alvin McCraney’s coming-of-age tale focuses on a young girl from a poor family who must decide whether to give up an athletic scholarship when her mother falls ill.
Where: The Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW
When: 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday; 7 p.m. Sunday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; through Sunday
Info: $49 to $63; 202-332-7267; studiotheatre.org
