Metro Weekly

Out on the Town: D.C. arts & entertainment, October 19-25

Call Me By Your Name

FILM

A WOMAN’S FACE
This season’s film screening and discussion series from New Yorker writer Margaret Talbot and “Movie Mom” film critic Nell Minow might just be the best. Inspired in part by Feud, Ryan Murphy’s series on FX, “Davis & Crawford, A Fabulous Rivalry” offers two films starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford apiece — one well-known, and one off-the-wall. The next film in the series is George Cukor’s 1941 drama, which Minow describes to Metro Weekly as “a very, very nutty Joan Crawford film” in which “her face has been badly injured and then she has plastic surgery and it turns her life around.” Sunday, Oct. 22, at 4 p.m. Hill Center, Old Navy Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free, but registration recommended for guaranteed seating. Call 202-549-4172 or visit HillCenterDC.org.

GEOSTORM
An “environmental disaster sci-fi action” that looks more like unintentional comedy, Gerard Butler stars in a film where humanity has developed satellites that can control the planet’s climate. Unsurprisingly, the system fails, producing disastrous global storms. Cue the CGI, the action music, and the cheesy dialogue, as Butler races to shut the satellite down. Not that anyone will actually buy a ticket to learn if they’re successful or not. Opens Friday, Oct. 13. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Rhuaridh Marr)

LIFE IN OCCUPIED PALESTINE
The organization Voices from the Holy Land offers the second in a free, four-part film series sponsored by 15 area churches and volunteer organizations and presented at a progressive Christian church in Gaithersburg. Subtitled Eyewitness Stories & Photos, Anna Baltzer’s 2008 documentary is heralded as “a wonderfully moving introduction to the plight of the Palestinians,” with narration by its director, a Jewish-American granddaughter of Holocaust refugees documenting her work as a volunteer with International Women’s Peace Service in the West Bank. Sunday, Oct. 22, at 2:30 p.m. Christ the Servant Lutheran Church, 901 Centerway Road, Montgomery Village, Maryland. Call 301-977-0285 or visit voicesfromtheholyland.org.

MIDDLEBURG FILM FESTIVAL
Held in a picturesque town in Virginia’s horse and wine country, the Middleburg Film Festival, founded by BET co-founder Sheila C. Johnson, offers a mix of independent features, documentaries and Oscar contenders, including several submissions for Best Foreign Language Film. Highlights in its fifth year include: Luca Guadagnino’s rapturous gay romance Call Me By Your Name, starring Armie Hammer and Timothee Chalamet; a conversation with writer/director Dee Rees and a screening of Mudbound, an epic drama set in post-World War II Jim Crow Mississippi; Todd Haynes’ Wonderstruck, about two star-aligned deaf runaway children separated by generations; Sebastien Lelio’s A Fantastic Woman, Chile’s submission for Best Foreign Language Film starring transgender actress Daniela Vega as a woman vilified by society; and a preview of season two of FX’s American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace. The festival runs Thursday, Oct. 19, through Sunday, Oct. 22. Salamander Resort & Spa and other venues in Middleburg, Va. Passes range from $100 for students to $3,500 for all-access, including film screenings and receptions plus dinner and food events at a local winery. Visit middleburgfilm.org.

REBECCA
The two Angelika theaters in the area celebrate “Hitchcocktober” by screening classics by the “Master of Suspense on Thursday evenings, with a bonus on Halloween of Hitchcock’s horror masterpiece, Psycho. Two decades before we met Norman Bates, however, Hitchcock offered up his first American project, the brilliant psychological drama Rebecca. Laurence Olivier is a brooding, aristocratic widower and Joan Fontaine his young beloved, forced to live forever in the shadow of his first wife in the gothic tale. The 1940 film won the Oscar for Best Picture. Thursday, Oct. 26, at 8 p.m. Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market, 550 Penn St. NE. Also Angelika Film Center – Mosaic, 2911 District Avenue, Fairfax. Tickets are $10. Call 800-680-9095 or visit angelikafilmcenter.com.

THE PHILADELPHIA STORY
Capital Classics, a new hump-day series at Landmark’s recently refurbished West End Cinema, offers one of the greatest romantic comedies ever produced. George Cukor’s 1940 classic stars Katharine Hepburn as the snooty daughter of a wealthy Philadelphia family about to marry for the second time, until her cunning ex-husband, played by Cary Grant, throws a wrench into the works. James Stewart won an Oscar as a tabloid reporter who falls hopelessly in love with Hepburn’s character. Happy Hour-priced beer and wine from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m. Landmark’s West End Cinema, 2301 M St. NW. Tickets are $12.50. Call 202-534-1907 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
Landmark’s E Street Cinema celebrates Halloween by offering a special run of Richard O’Brien’s camp classic, billed as the longest-running midnight movie in history. Landmark’s showings come with a live shadow cast from the Sonic Transducers, meaning it’s even more interactive than usual. Friday, Oct. 27, and Saturday, Oct. 28, at midnight. Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

THE SNOWMAN
You know what’s not threatening? A snowman. They’re fun balls of snow crafted by children, dotted with stones and designed to delight. Unless, of course, they’re the calling card for an increasingly twisted serial killer who’s toying with a detective (Michael Fassbender) determined to catch them. Such is the case in this film, based on Jo Nesbø’s crime novel. Michael Keaton’s Jack Frost this isn’t. Charlotte Gainsbourg, Val Kilmer, Chloe Sevigny, and James D’Arcy also star. Opens Friday, Oct. 20. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (RM)

Are You Now or Have You Ever Been… at MetroStage — Photo: Chris Banks

STAGE

AN ACT OF GOD
Tom Story is the divine one in a comedy by David Javerbaum, based on the Daily Show writer’s book The Last Testament: A Memoir by God. Story shares the stage with Evan Casey and Jamie Smithson as archangels Michael and Gabriel, helping God create an entirely new set of Ten Commandments. To Nov. 26. Signature’s Ark Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave. Arlington. Call 703-820-9771 or visit sigtheatre.org.

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA
After his unprecedented in-the-round staging in Folger’s Elizabethan Theatre of Richard III three years ago, meticulous director Robert Richmond does it again, creating an intimate, immersive entree into Shakespeare’s epic tale of love and war. To Nov. 19. Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Call 202-544-7077 or visit folger.edu.

ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN …
MetroStage presents Carlyle Brown’s fictionalized glimpse into the mind of Langston Hughes during the communist-purging McCarthy era, when the great poet was called to testify on the Hill about his patriotism and possible Communist ties. Marcus Naylor stars as Hughes and Michael Sharp as Joe McCarthy in this timely play featuring an original blues score by William Knowles. Directed and choreographed by Thomas W. Jones II. To Nov. 5. MetroStage, 1201 North Royal St., Alexandria. Tickets are $55 to $60. Call 703-548-9044 or visit metrostage.org.

ASSASSINS
It’s not every year you get to see this lesser-known Tony-winning Stephen Sondheim show, but if you missed the recent Pallas Theatre Collective production, you’re in luck. Virginia’s NextStop Theatre Company offers its own version of the revue-style portrait of attempted presidential murderers, with Bobby Libby as Lincoln’s killer John Wilkes Booth, Mikey Cafarelli as John Hinckley (Reagan), Alex Zavistovich as Samuel Byck (Nixon), Brice Guerriere as Giuseppe Zangara (FDR), Katie McManus as Sarah Jane Moore (Ford), Jaclyn Young as Squeaky Fromme (Ford), and John Sygar as Lee Harvey Oswald (JFK) and the show’s Balladeer. Opens Thursday, Oct. 19. Runs to Nov. 12. NextStop Theatre, 269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon, Va. Tickets are $20 to $60. Call 866-811-4111 or visit nextstoptheatre.org.

CLOUD 9
It transpires that everyone — or almost everyone, anyway — wants to fuck British explorer Harry Bagley (Christian Pedersen), who’s welcomed with open arms into the family at the heart of Caryl Churchill’s mischievously provocative comedy, written in 1979. Churchill was prescient on matters of gender identity and sexual orientation, and the gender-blurring Cloud 9 is every bit as gay-friendly and sex-positive as today’s most enlightened comedies. It’s a struggle to keep things straight, in every sense of the word, in a deliberately confounding work — and the confusion only adds to the excitement. Closes Saturday, Oct. 21. Richmond Triangle Players, 1300 Altamont Ave. Richmond. Tickets are $10 to $30 each. Call 804-346-8113 or visit rtriangle.org.

CLOVER
Ally Theatre Company, focused on presenting works or partnering with organizations acknowledging and confronting systemic oppression in America, concludes its inaugural season with a new full-length play exploring the life of Washington socialite Clover Adams. Laura Rocklyn stars as Clover in a play that she co-wrote with Ally’s artistic director Ty Hallmark. Angela Kay Pirko directs a cast that also features Nick Depinto as Henry Adams and Tamieka Chavis as Lizzie Cameron. To Oct. 28. Caos on F, 923 F St. NW. Tickets are $25. Visit alltheatrecompany.com.

Death of a Salesman —
Photo: Carol-Rosegg

DEATH OF A SALESMAN
★★★★
Craig Wallace gives a passionate, unguarded performance that amplifies Arthur Miller’s tragic story of traveling salesman Willie Loman. Wallace anchors Death of a Salesman with the same authoritative presence and force of will that Willie Loman wields over his devoted wife, Linda (Kimberly Schraf), and sons Biff (Thomas Keegan) and Hap (Danny Gavigan). Director Stephen Rayne rides the intensity of the Loman family’s fraying reality, and the ensemble responds with raw emotion that shrinks the voluminous Ford’s Theatre stage to the size of their cozy kitchen. Closes Sunday, Oct. 22. 511 10th St. NW. Tickets are $25 to $62. Call 800-982-2787 or visit fords.org. (Andre Hereford)

I’LL GET YOU BACK AGAIN
Memories and lessons from the ’60s factor into Sarah Gancher’s high-energy rock-and-roll comedy, focused on a struggling stand-up comedian who decides to sit in for her dead father as bassist for his seminal psychedelic rock band. Round House presents a live music-enriched production directed by Rachel Chavkin, whom the New York Times has called “one of the most gifted [directors] working today.” To Oct. 29. Round House Theatre, 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda. Call 240-644-1100 or visit roundhousetheatre.org.

INTIMATE APPAREL
Dawn Ursula star in this turn-of-the-century tale about a talented African American seamstress and the romance she shares with a Jewish fabric merchant. Lynn Nottage’s play, inspired by a true story, gets a production in Baltimore directed by Tazewell Thompson and featuring Beth Hylton, Drew Kopas, Steve Polites, Bueka Uwemedimo, Jenn Walker, and Jade Wheeler. Now to Nov. 19. Everyman Theatre, 315 West Fayette St. Baltimore. Tickets are $10 to $65. Call 410-752-2208 or visit everymantheatre.org.

LOVE AND INFORMATION
Forum Theatre presents its fifth production by the entertainingly provocative British playwright Caryl Churchill, this one a fast-moving kaleidoscope of over 60 moments featuring more than 100 characters, all trying to make sense of what they know. Michael Dove directs the theatrical puzzle, pieced together by actors Edward Christian, Lilian Oben, Samy El-Noury, Shpend Xani, and Emily Whitworth. Closes Saturday, Oct. 21. Silver Spring Black Box Theatre, 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Call 301-588-8279 or forum-theatre.org.

NATIVE GARDENS
Arena Stage presents the local premiere of Karen Zacarias’ D.C.-set hot-button comedy, where well-intentioned neighbors become feuding enemies in a clash of class and culture. Blake Robison directs a co-production with Cincinnati’s Guthrie Theater and starring Jacqueline Correa, Dan Domingues, Steve Hendrickson, and Sally Wingert. Closes Sunday, Oct. 22. Kreeger Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $40 to $90. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

OUR TOWN
The townspeople become Japanese-style puppets in Aaron Posner’s eccentric take on the seminal classic by Thornton Wilder. John Hudson Odom (Angels in America) stars as the guiding Stage Manager in a production faithful to the script and sanctioned by the Wilder Family Estate, featuring just seven actors, who manipulate and animate the puppets. To Nov. 12. Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
Blake Robison directs a production of Lee Hall’s adaptation of the bawdy Oscar-winning film from 1998, both riffing on and celebrating the Bard. Nicholas Carriere stars as Will among a large cast including Avery Glymph, Jefferson A. Russell, Liz Daingerfield, and Naomi Jacobson as Queen Elizabeth. In previews. Opens Thursday, Oct. 26. Runs to Nov. 26. Baltimore Center Stage, 700 North Calvert St., Baltimore. Call 410-332-0033 or visit centerstage.org.

SOTTO VOCE
Love transcends all borders in this 2014 work by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz (Anna in the Tropics). José Carrasquillo directs Theater J’s production of the passionate and lyrical drama about a young Cuban man’s research into the fate of a ship of Jewish refugees that fled Nazi Germany only to be denied entry into both Cuba and the United States. Sotto Voce features actors Brigid Cleary, Andrés C. Talero and Desiree Marie Velez. To Oct. 29. The Aaron and Cecile Goldman Theater, Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 16th St. NW. Tickets are $39 to $69. Call 202-777-3210 or visit theaterj.org.

THE ADVENTURES OF PETER PAN
A high-spirited, dark and acrobatic interpretation of J.M. Barrie, as one would expect from Synetic Theater. Having made its name with the provocative “Silent Shakespeare” series, the multi-Helen Hayes Award-winning Synetic next puts its spin on the fantastical journey of Peter Pan, the Lost Boys and the Darling children battling the delightfully sinister Captain Hook. Paata Tsikurishvili directs and his wife Irina Tsikurishvili choreographs a fitting Halloween-timed production, with dialogue featuring Alex Mills in the title role, Kathy Gordon as Wendy Darling, and Ryan Sellers as Hook. A series of special events have also been planned, including the 11th Annual Vampire’s Ball, featuring open bar, a costume contest and dancing to resident composer and DJ Konstantine Lortkipanidze after the show on Friday, Oct. 27, at 8 p.m. Runs to Nov. 19. Synetic Theater, 1800 South Bell St., Arlington. Call 866-811-4111 or visit synetictheater.org.

THE MISTRESS CYCLE
Matt Conner directs a musical launching a season of plays devoted to women’s stories from Virginia’s Creative Cauldron. Written by Beth Blatt with music by Jenny Giering, The Mistress Cycle tells the story of five “other” women from history, including Anais Nin, famed sexual adventuress of the early 20th century, Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henri II in 16th-century France and Lulu White, a turn-of-the-last century New Orleans Madame. Iyona Blake, Julia Capizzi, Erica Clare, Abby Middleton and Justine “Icy” Moral give these women their due. Now to Oct. 29. ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South Maple Ave. in Falls Church. Tickets are $20 to $30. Call 703-436-9948 or visit creativecauldron.org.

THE WILD PARTY
★★
AND ONE HALF The band is blowing, the hooch is flowing, and the guests are lit. But Constellation Theatre’s production of this Jazz Age musical from 1999 doesn’t lift off to the heights it should, in order to fully convey the dizzying descent and devastating impact when the party comes crashing down. Featuring book, music, and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, and based on the eponymous narrative poem by Joseph Moncure March, The Wild Party presents the romance of Queenie and Burrs as a straightforward drama of lust and angst, infused by an electrifying jazz-influenced score. But that sexual chemistry doesn’t register here between Farrell Parker as Queenie and Jimmy Mavrikes as Burrs. Instead, the fabulous Kari Ginsburg, as the boozy, bedraggled partygoer Kate, projects a maturity of experience that’s mostly missing from the other members of this uniformly young cast. Where Kate has been and where she’s going is of far more compelling interest than whether Queenie will steal away the handsome stranger who accompanies Kate to the party. To Oct. 29. Source Theatre, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets are $25 to $55. Call 202-204-7741, or visit ConstellationTheatre.org. (AH)

The Legwarmers

MUSIC

CAPITAL CITY SYMPHONY: 50TH ANNIVERSARY
The symphony opens its 50th season with special appearances by founding music director Louis Fantasia and long-time music director John Welsh, and its current music director Victoria Gau, who celebrates her 20th season with the ensemble. The concert opens with Wagner’s Prelude to Die Meistersinger, which was the first piece the orchestra performed 50 years ago, and also features Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 led by Welsh, and two works from Gau’s first concert: Bernstein’s Overture to Candide and Liszt’s Preludes. Sunday, Oct. 22, at 5 p.m. Lang Theatre in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $25. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

DC’S DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: DC SWING!
The intimate jazz ensemble of this local LGBTQ music organization performs a swinging set of Big Band Era standards during a special Sunday afternoon event. Cornelius Young conducts the show. Sunday, Oct. 29, at 3 p.m. Second Floor of Mr. Henry’s, 601 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free, with suggested donation. Call 202-546-8412 or visit dcdd.org.

DIZZY GILLESPIE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
NEA Jazz Masters Paquito D’Rivera, Jimmy Heath and Jimmy Owens toast one of their own, along with with the trumpeter’s namesake All-Star Big Band and its director John Lee, in a concert at the Kennedy Center also featuring Terell Stafford, Antonio Hart, Cyrus Chestnut and Steve Davis. Known for his virtuoso style and complex improvisations, Gillespie, who died in 1993, popularized bebop in the ’40s and championed the rhythms of Afro-Cuban, Caribbean and Brazilian music found in jazz today. Saturday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $19 to $69. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

FAIRFAX SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The orchestra’s music director Christopher Zimmerman leads the program “Night of the Musical Tsars,” a double-bill featuring Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Soloist Claire Huangci, the 2009 winner of the International Chopin Competition, joins for the popular Rachmaninoff showpiece. Saturday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m. Concert Hall in George Mason University Center for the Arts, 4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax. Tickets are $39 to $65. Call 888-945-2468 or visit cfa.gmu.edu.

GRANT-LEE PHILLIPS WITH LAURA TSAGGARIS
The frontman for ’90s-era alt-rock band Grant Lee Buffalo, has been a Americana-steeped folk/rock solo act since the turn of the millennium — as well as a side career in acting, specifically portraying the Town Troubadour on The Gilmore Girls. Phillips often draws on his Native American heritage in song and lyrics, and you also can hear the influence of his move a few years ago to Nashville on the 2016 country-tinged set The Narrows. He’ll be one of the first acts to perform at the Pearl Street Warehouse in the new Wharf development, as part of a concert with serious local appeal via Laura Tsaggaris, the D.C.-based bluesy-rock singer-songwriter who serves as opening act. Tsaggaris is a strong live performer, as evidenced by her 2014 locally recorded set, Live at the Atlas. Friday, Oct. 20. Doors at 7 p.m. 33 Pearl St. SW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-380-9620 or visit pearlstreetwarehouse.com.

GRYFFIN
Under the alias Gryffin, Dan Griffith has been turning ears in recent years via his measured hybrid electronic/acoustic style of music he calls “melodic house,” incorporating real guitar and piano along with the standard synthesizers and processed sonics. Gaining notice for remixes of Maroon 5, Chvrches, and Years & Years, among others, Gryffin is increasingly branching out with original songs — from the rousing, slow-burn “Heading Home” with bisexual Australian singer Josef Salvat, to the Chainsmokers-esque “Whole Heart” featuring singer Bipolar Sunshine and “Feel Good” with fluttery vocalist Daya of the Chainsmokers’ “Don’t Let Me Down.” The live show also includes both live and recorded instrumentation and is touted as a more dynamic and varied show than is the norm among EDM acts. Chicago’s kindred sweet house trio Autograf will open the show with a DJ set. Saturday, Oct. 28. Doors at 11 p.m. 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $22. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

LIL’ KIM
Any week now we should have a new album from Kimberly Denise Jones. In the meantime, the woman known as provocative, pro-LGBTQ rapper Lil’ Kim will preview much of her new material as headliner of a Howard Homecoming Grand Finale event. Presented by Epic League Entertainment, the self-styled “biggest throwback dance party” features additional performances by Olivia Dope, Maya and other “throwback” surprises. Sunday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. The Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. Tickets are $50, plus $10 minimum per person for all tables. Call 202-588-5595 or visit thehowardtheatre.com.

MULTIFLORA MUSIC FESTIVAL
“Search for Sanctuary” is the theme of the inaugural month-long festival by Multiflora Productions, a. D.C.-based presenting organization specializing in genre-bending multicultural music drawn from all corners of the world. The lineup over the next week includes: Combo Chimbita and Los Gaiteros de Sanguashington at the Atlas on Friday, Oct. 20; a Weird World showcase featuring Time Is Fire, Yeni Nostalji, Quattracenta and Lisa Mezzacappa at Safari Lounge on Saturday, Oct. 21; Levon Mikaelian’s Armenian Jazz and Fourth Stream, both at Bossa Bistro on Sunday, Oct. 22; Cissa Paz and Friends at Bossa Bistro on Thursday, Oct. 26; Innov Gnawa at Tropicalia on Friday, Oct. 27; and “Amplify Peace Tour: Saving Syrian Lives” at Tropicalia on Saturday, Oct. 28. Festival runs through Oct. 31. Visit multifloraproductions.com for more information.

NELLIE MCKAY
Several years ago, this longtime straight LGBTQ ally and eccentric jazz/folk/musical theater artist toured performing her original musical revue A Girl Named Bill, about a real-life transgendered jazz musician from the past. She returns with a more “traditional” concert focused on her latest album My Weekly Reader, which is a little lighter than her previous sets — more lilting in a Brazilian jazz kind of way — but every bit as quirky. Saturday, Oct. 28, at 8 p.m. Amp by Strathmore, 11810 Grand Park Ave. North Bethesda. Tickets are $25 to $35. Call 301-581-5100 or visit ampbystrathmore.com.

OPERA LAFAYETTE: AN EVENING OF MONTEVERDI
The local French-focused opera company opens its 23rd season with works by Claudio Monteverdi, including Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda. The company’s artistic director Ryan Brown conducts the show, featuring the debut of three young luminaries of the early music scene: lutenist Thomas Dunford, harpsichordist Jean Rondeau and soprano Lea Désandre. Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Tickets are $25 to $100. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

Pink Martini, China Thomas — Photo: Chris Hornbecker

PINK MARTINI WITH THE NSO
Thomas Lauderdale founded his self-described “little orchestra” on a whim, corralling a few friends to perform together at a fundraiser countering a homophobic ballot measure in Oregon in the mid-’90s. Through the years, the cocktail band has grown and evolved, and has repeatedly performed with large, bona fide orchestras — a natural fit for the gay Lauderdale, an accomplished pianist with strong ties to the Oregon Symphony Orchestra. The band and its lead diva China Forbes reunite with the NSO conducted by Emil de Cou for a series of concerts playing from its varied, multilingual repertoire, ranging from Brazilian jazz to European classical to swinging standards. Thursday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 27, and Saturday, Oct. 28, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $24 to $89. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

THE LEGWARMERS
It’s been 16 years since Gordon Gartrell and Cru Jones started what has long been heralded as D.C.’s “premier ’80s tribute band,” performing the many guilty pleasure hits of the decade. The group has performed at concert halls throughout the region and beyond, Yet its primary base has been Virginia’s State Theatre. The band returns to the restored Art Deco building for two nights during the last weekend in October, when the usual audience participation of dressing the part — think shellacked big hair, lacy ankle socks, stirrup and parachute pants — will be amped up to 11, as both nights feature a Halloween Costume Contest with cash prizes, along with other spooky surprises. Friday, Oct. 27, and Saturday, Oct. 28, at 9:30 p.m. The State Theatre, 220 N. Washington St., Falls Church. Tickets are $18. Call 703-237-0300 or visit thestatetheatre.com.

SHEN YUN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Through all-original music, this symphony seeks to rekindle worldwide interest in China’s 5,000 year-old culture and civilization. The result is a blending of the spirit, beauty, and distinctiveness of Chinese music with the precision, power, and grandeur of the Western symphony orchestra. Sunday, Oct. 22, at 3 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $35 to $105. Call 301-493-9283 or visit nationalphilharmonic.org.

SON LITTLE
A native of Philadelphia, Aaron Livingston records original R&B music strongly evocative of his heroes Stevie Wonder and Jimi Hendrix. Little tours in support of his new album New Magic, paired with a similarly old-school soul in Ala.Ni, a British singer whom NPR music critics have touted as one of 2017’s Best New Artists, on account of You & I. That debut channels the pop and American Songbook standards written nearly a century ago — nodding to her great uncle, a popular cabaret singer between the World Wars. Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 8 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $20. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

SUSAN WERNER
Trained to be an opera singer, the shy Werner instead found a more fitting musical path as a singer-songwriter, a role that requires her to be “a little more of a comedian or dinner-party host.” An Iowa-born, Chicago-based performer, Werner is good-natured and wholly unpretentious, cracking jokes and laughing easily. The queer artist offers a release show for her new concept EP, An American in Havana, a collection of original songs inspired and colored by her recent travels to Cuba. Veteran Cuban percussionist Mayra Casales will join Werner in concert as she does on the album. Friday, Oct. 27, at 7:30 p.m. Jammin Java, 227 Maple Ave. E. Vienna. Tickets are $20, or $22 for Premier Plus reserved seats. Call 703-255-3747 or visit jamminjava.com.

URBANARIAS: SHINING BROW
Daron Aric Hagen’s new 85-minute opera, with a libretto by Paul Muldoon, relates the early career of celebrity architect Frank Lloyd Wright, his adulterous affair with Mamah Cheney, and the consequences of his enormous self-regard. Robert Wood conducts and Grant Preisser directs this Usonian-steeped production from short opera company UrbanArias, featuring Sidney Outlaw as Wright, Miriam Khalil as Cheney, Rebecca Ringle as Wright’s wife, Ben Wager as Cheney’s husband, and Robert Baker as Louis Sullivan. Remaining shows are Friday, Oct. 20, and Saturday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $39 to $42. Call 202-399-7993 or visit urbanarias.org.

DANCE

CLANCYWORKS, COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY COLLABORATION
The Coppin State University Repertory Dance Ensemble and ClancyWorks Dance Company team up for a collaborative performance drawing on their work with dancers and choreographers from Baltimore County and Baltimore City High Schools, part of an effort to test art’s ability to bridge gaps between communities. Friday, Oct. 20, and Saturday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 22, at 5 p.m. Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 West Preston St. Baltimore. Tickets are $15. Call 410-752-8558 or visit theatreproject.org.

CONTRADICTION DANCE
The words of justice-and-healing-focused poet Miki Devivo thread through Forgiveness: Love More Wildly, a dance theater performance that, together with the audience, unpacks the stages of forgiveness with scenes taken from life, history, and an imagined future interwoven with original dance and music. Co-directed by Contradiction’s artistic director Kelly King and Marcus Ky of Taffety Punk Theatre, the work features an original score by performer Miss Jessica Denson as well as the choreographic collaboration between King and veteran company member Erica Chamblee. Saturday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 22, at 4 p.m. Lab Theatre II in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $15 to $20. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

DEMO BY DAMIAN WOETZEL: JEROME ROBBINS
Jerome Robbins: American Dance Genius is a lecture and demonstration-style performance hosted by the former New York City Ballet principal and featuring a stellar cast celebrating the launch of the centennial of the legendary choreographer behind works including the musicals The King and I, West Side Story and Gypsy, and the ballets Fancy Free and Dances at a Gathering, among others. The cast features dancers associated with NYC Ballet, including principal dancers Tiler Peck, Tyler Angle, Amar Ramasar and Daniel Ulbricht, and soloists Joseph Gordon and Unity Phelan, associate music director and conductor for the musical Hamilton Kurt Crowley, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Kate Davis, and special guest Heather Watts. Friday, Oct. 20, and Saturday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Tickets are $49 to $59. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

MARIINSKY BALLET: LA BAYADERE
Nearly a decade after a sold-out run at the Kennedy Center, the famed Russian company reprises its production of La Bayadere as part of a celebration of choreographer Marius Petipa’s 200th anniversary. Artistic director Valery Gergiev leads the ballet company and conductor Gavriel Heine the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra in Petipa’s enchanting journey to a fabled past radiating with colorful characters, vibrant sets and costumes, and virtuosic moments. Remaining performances are Thursday, Oct. 19, and Friday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 21, at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 22, at 1:30 p.m. Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $39 to $150. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

Suzanne Westenhoefer —
Photo: Ellie Perez

COMEDY

SECOND CITY: WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU CLEMENS
The celebrated improv troupe returns to the Kennedy Center, this time with a tribute to the legendary American comedian and writer born Samuel Clemens but better known as Mark Twain. When Life Gives You Clemens is a show of relatable humor and satire, riffing on the past, the present, and where the Twain shall meet. Amy Thompson, Katie Kershaw, Alison Banowsky, E.J. Cameron, Mark Campbell and Saurabh Pande perform with accompaniment from music director Anthony Sanders. Part of the KenCen’s Mark Twain Prize 20th Anniversary Celebration. Thursday, Oct. 19, and Friday, Oct. 20, at 7 and 9 p.m. Kennedy Center Family Theater. Tickets are $39 to $55. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

SUZANNE WESTENHOEFER
The small-town Pennsylvania native started as a standup comedian in 1990, and not long after dared to came out — years before Rosie O’Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres. In fact, Westenhoefer is credited as the first openly lesbian comic with an HBO special, and also the first on television overall, when she appeared on an episode of Sally Jesse Raphael entitled “Breaking the Lesbian Stereotype …Lesbians Who Don’t Look Like Lesbians.” The 56-year-old comic returns for a regular show at the Birchmere. Friday, Oct. 27, at 7:30 p.m. 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $45. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

THE BENTZEN BALL COMEDY FESTIVAL
Lesbian comedian Tig Notaro (Amazon’s One Mississippi) curates this annual four-day event, presented by Brightest Young Things, that kicks off at the Lincoln Theatre on Thursday, Oct. 26, with a show featuring Notaro and friends including Seaton Smith. Other highlights of the weekend include: On Friday, Oct. 27, “You’re The Expert Live w/Chris Duffy”, at National Geographic’s Grosvenor Auditorium; on Saturday, Oct. 28, Colin Quinn with Haywood Turnipseed Jr, at the Lincoln, Andrea Gibson and Amber Tamblyn at the Kennedy Center, Story District’s “Going Commando” program of “stories about roughing it” at Grosvenor, and Jenny Slate, Max Silvestri, and Gabe Liedman in the “Big Terrific” at the Lincoln; and on Sunday, Oct. 29, the closing program “Al Franken: Giant of the Senate & Ira Glass: Giant of the Radio,” at the Lincoln. Visit brightestyoungthings.com/bentzen-ball for tickets and more information.

Jill Fannon: Paradise

 

EXHIBITS

AARON LACRATE: JUST A KID FROM HIGHLANDTOWN
The man behind the New York-based fashion brand and record label Milkcrate gets his first solo exhibition in his hometown of Baltimore. Creative Alliance presents works by the visual artist and fashion designer, ranging from vintage flyers and photographs, to t-shirts and clothing from his Milkcrate Athletics brand, to customized skate decks. The exhibition features an immersive recreation of LaCrate’s initial basement shop, which also points to his work and influence as a DJ and producer in helping popularize what is known as Baltimore Club music. It also includes a mural painting celebrating skateboard culture in ’80s-era Highlandtown — and referencing LaCrate’s recent work through his Bodymore Skateboard Co., helping young black men in the city of Baltimore find stability through skating. Now to Nov. 25. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave., Baltimore. Call 410-276-1651 or visit creativealliance.org.

MIAMI IS NICE
The Golden Girls inspired this group art show and event series organized by the artist-run gallery SpaceCamp in Baltimore’s Station North, the area that also houses the city’s revitalized Eagle. Zachary Z. Handler served as lead curator of the exhibition, which also serves as the venue for his wedding to fellow Baltimore artist and performer Nick Horan — and decorative remnants from their wedding will remain in the gallery for the duration of the show as an art installation. Other artists with works on display include: Jackie Cassidy, Felice Cleveland, Samuel Draxler, Alissa Eberle, Alice Gadzinski, Labomamo, Ryan Lauderdale, Anya Mizani, April Pink, Sidney Pink, Danya Smith and Tiffany Smith. A portion of all artwork sales will go to SAGE Advocacy and Services for LGBT Elders and the Trans Women of Color Collective. Runs to Oct. 28. SpaceCamp, 16 West North Ave. Baltimore. Visit miamiisnice.com.

ROBERT RISKO: MARK TWAIN PRIZE EXHIBIT
A showcase of work by one of today’s most celebrated caricaturist, who has created the caricatures for the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor since 2002. Risko started his career following in the footsteps of his mentor Andy Warhol, moving to New York from Pittsburgh and drawing iconic celebrity portraits in his inimitable graphic style for Warhol’s trendy downtown magazine Interview. In 1983, at age 25, Annie Leibovitz, Keith Haring and art director Bea Feitler chose him to define the look of the relaunched Vanity Fair, and he’s been a regular contributor to the magazine ever since. To Oct. 27. Kennedy Center Hall of Nations. Free. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

SALVATORE PIRRONE: STRING ROOM INSTALLATION
CulturalDC has transformed a 40-foot shipping container, retrofitting it as the mobile gallery Space4: Visual Arts, which will showcase works by local visual artists on a rotating basis. First up is an immersive exhibit by Pirrone, a local sculptor, designer and educator, who has used yarn donated by Ward 6 residents to create an intimate environment where people of all ages and abilities can dismantle the piece, one string at a time, exposing a new, unexpected physical environment beneath the surface. Saturday, Oct. 21, from 6 to 8 p.m. Through Nov. 21. Yards Park at the Capitol Riverfront, 301 Water St. SE. Call 202-315-1321 or visit culturaldc.org.

SPECTACULAR GEMS FROM THE MERRIWEATHER POST COLLECTION
Marjorie Merriweather Post had one of the most remarkable collections of jewelry of the 20th century. For its latest exhibition, her former estate displays and shares stories about more than 50 exquisite accessories from the late cereal heiress and the historic gems that went into making them. Leading designers Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Harry Winston and Verdura are represented in the collection, which includes pieces on loan from other museums and private collections. Through Jan. 7. Hillwood Estate, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Suggested donation is $18. Call 202-686-5807 or visit HillwoodMuseum.org.

SUPERFIERCE: ART OF RESISTANCE
According to statistics from the National Endowment for the Arts, while approximately 51 percent of visual artists are women, less than 5 percent are represented in major museums around the world. Maggie O’Neill started the organization SuperFierce as a support system to help connect, inspire, mentor and exhibit fellow female artists. Its 2017 exhibition features over 30 female artists, selected by a panel of local visual art experts, and including, among others, Behnaz Babazadeh, Kimberly Cunningham, Lana Gomez, Linda Hesh, Akemi Maegawa, Anne Marchand, Cara Peterson, Caitlyn Price, Amber Robles-Gordon, and Antonia Tricarico. A Haute Halloween Party is Oct. 27. On display to Nov. 4. Blind Whino, 700 Delaware Ave. SW. Call 202-554-0103 or visit superfierce.org.

SUSAN STACKS: THE SANGUINE SUNRISE
Cosmic drawings in pencil and pen are Stacks’ focus work, intricate and ritualistic, with gold beams, cloud-like swirls of dots and graphite spirals overlapping elegantly. Stacks’ practice is ultimately meditative — an intellectual exercise in moving across the page — and her varied influences range from Netflix recommendations to Olbers’ paradox, algorithms to mapping, Buddha warriors to particle physics. Through Oct. 29. Adah Rose Gallery, 3766 Howard Ave. Kensington, Md. Call 301-922-0162 or visit adahrosegallery.com.

FOOD & DRINK

HANK’S PASTA BAR: SPARKLE SATURDAYS
Every third Saturday, the non-seafood-focused Hank’s in Alexandria offers a drag brunch led by Summer Knight and her girls. Jug O’ Mimosas and Bloody Mary’s will be ever-flowing. Two seatings, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 21. Hank’s Pasta Bar, 600 Montgomery St., Alexandria. Tickets are $25 per person, excluding drinks. Call 571-312-4117 or visit hankspastabar.com.

ROCK THE CORE CIDER FEST
Drink The District’s annual festival devoted to hard cider moves this year from Southeast’s Yards Park to a spot in Northeast’s Edgewood neighborhood, a few blocks west of the Rhode Island Metro. More than 100 varieties of cider, as well as craft beer selections, will be available to taste. Attendees can enjoy unlimited drinks, a live DJ, social games, local artisan market and access to food trucks. Friday, Oct. 27, from 7 to 10 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 28, from 1 to 4 p.m. or 6 to 9 p.m.. The parking lot at 600 Rhode Island Ave. NE. Tickets are $50 each session, or $75 for a Cider Lovers Package including a 12-pack of curated ciders to go. Call 202-618-3663 or visit drinkthedistrict.com.

SMITHSONIAN FOOD HISTORY WEEKEND
Authors Ruth Reichl, Joan Nathan, Calvin Trillin, and Jessica B. Harris, broadcaster Simon Majumdar, Top Chef contestant Chef Sheldon Simeon, TV personality Duff Goldman, Pulitzer Prize-winning Los Angeles Times critic Jonathan Gold, and Francis Lam of NPR’s The Splendid Table are among those attending an event organized by the Smithsonian Museum of American History. The third annual Food History Weekend is focused on exploring how food has been both a bridge and a barrier to cultural connection in America. It launches with a Black Tie Gala featuring food, drinks, and presentation of the 3rd Annual Julia Child Award to restaurateur Danny Meyer of New York’s Union Square Cafe and Shake Shack, on Thursday, Oct. 26. The next day offers a free, day-long symposium about the migration of people and food throughout American history, followed by an evening “Dine Out” program at select local restaurants featuring a special dish or drink inspired by Child. A festival of free activities around the museum, including demos, book signings and film screenings, is Saturday, Oct. 28, ending with an After Hours event toasting the history of American brewing, featuring The Answer Brewpub, Harlem Brewing Co., Highland Brewing Co., and Weeping Radish Brewery. National Museum of American History, 1400 Constitution Ave. NW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit americanhistory.si.edu for more information.

TAQUERIA DEL BARRIO: DRAG BRUNCH
Petworth’s Mexican eatery from the DC Empanadas crew presents another round of its last-Saturday-of-the-month drag brunch. Desiree Dik hosts a show featuring queens Shaunda Leer and Whitney GucciGoo, who perform while guests enjoy French toast, chilaquiles and Taqueria’s signature tacos, among other dishes, all washed down with mimosas, Bloody Marys and Absolut vodka cocktails. Two seatings Saturday, Oct. 28, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. 821 Upshur St. NW. Tickets are $25 and include one brunch entree or three tacos and one brunch cocktail. Call 202-723-0200 or visit taqueriadelbarrio.com.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD IS FEMALE: DC BOMBESQUAD
Union Market hosts a third event in its October series co-presented by the community collaborative Pineapple DC celebrating “Female Innovators in Food.” Kerry Diamond and Claudia Wu of Cherry Bombe, a national podcast and publishing company focused on women in the food business, lead a locally focused panel including Ann Yang of Misfit Juicery, Krystal Mack of BLK/Sugar, Amanda McClements of Salt & Sundry, and Suzanne Simon of Chaia. Bites and beverages will be provided by Righteous Cheese, Ramona, Puddin’, District Baking Co., Craft Kombucha, Toli Moli, and Gordy’s Pickle Jar. Tuesday, Oct. 24, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. Tickets are $30, or $67 with a signed Cherry Bombe: The Cookbook. Call 800-680-9095 or visit unionmarketdc.com.

Peach Pit at DC9 — Photo: Ward Morrison

NIGHTLIFE

GAY/BASH: HALLOWEEN
Josh Vogelsong started his monthly alternative drag-focused party more than six years ago at the Black Cat. It wasn’t until it moved to Trade last year that it became what he always envisioned it could be. “It’s what I’ve always wanted: People show up in looks; everybody comes dressed up,” Vogelsong says. “Everybody gets crazy during the show. You can just spray beer on the crowd, and they’d cheer and love it. It’s wild.” No doubt, the Halloween edition will be wilder still, with performances by DJ the Barber Streisand, local drag acts Jaxknife Complex, Salvadora Dali and Jane Saw, and Pulp from Rhode Island — and of course Vogelsong’s bitchin’ babe alter-ego Donna Slash, mistress of ceremonies. Saturday, Oct. 21, at 11:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. Trade, 1410 14th St. NW. Call 202-986-1094 or visit facebook.com/gaybashdc.

PEACH PIT’S 8TH ANNIVERSARY AT DC9
Named after the diner on Beverly Hills 90210, Matt Bailer started Peach Pit eight years ago at Dahlek, the former Eritrean restaurant that also birthed his former party Mixtape with Shea Van Horn. Before it was even a year old, Bailer moved the party to be a few doors down from Nellie’s. “I love what it has turned into at DC9,” Bailer told Metro Weekly a few years ago. “It’s this kind of sweaty mosh pit of guys and girls, straights and gays, black people and white people, old people and young people — all just dancing and singing at the top of their lungs.” Peach Pit is very strictly ’90s — as the evening’s DJ, Bailer only plays and takes requests for tracks released between Jan. 1, 1990, and Dec. 31, 1999. Saturday, Oct. 21, starting at 10:30 p.m. DC9, 1940 9th St. NW. Cover is $5, or $8 after midnight. Call 202-483-5000 or visit dcnine.com.

ABOVE & BEYOND

ALICE WATERS
The woman who helped launch the local organic food movement via her storied restaurant Chez Panisse tells her remarkable story in the new memoir Coming to My Senses: The Making of a Counterculture Cook. Through anecdotes, letters, photos, and recipes, Waters lays out how she came to fame as one of the modern era’s most decorated chefs, recipient of three James Beard Awards and even the French Legion of Honor. Waters will appear for a signing only — no reading or discussion. Saturday, Oct. 28, at 11 a.m. Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. Call 800-680-9095 or visit politics-prose.com.

BOO AT THE ZOO/NIGHT OF THE LIVING ZOO
The National Zoo welcomes two Halloween-themed events over the next week, including the 19th annual Boo at the Zoo, a trick-or-treat outing in the park featuring decorated trails, after-hours access to select animal houses and exhibits, animal demonstrations, keeper chats, pumpkin-carving demonstrations, “scary-oke” for kids, and 40 treat stations — including craft beer and coffee sweets for the adults. Friday, Oct. 20, through Sunday, Oct. 22, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. A week later, Friends of the National Zoo offers a second Halloween to-do, the adults-only Night of the Living Zoo featuring performance artists, particularly those working in the odd and eerie realms, a costume contest, a DJ dance party, and of course craft beer and food truck fare. Friday, Oct. 27, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. General admission is $30 for Boo at the Zoo, $90 for Night of the Living Zoo. Call 202-633-4800 or visit nationalzoo.si.edu.

DC DESIGN HOUSE
A benefit for Children’s National Health System, the 10th annual event highlights the talents of the D.C. area’s top decorators, with 23 beautifully designed spaces, four boutiques, plus special events throughout the month — with a daily onsite cafe by Relish Catering. This year’s house was built in 2009 and sits on two acres, a four-story, nearly 28,000 square-foot Potomac manse with nine bedrooms, nine full bathrooms, lower-level ballroom, a cinema, two-story library flanked by two offices, multiple kitchens, a pool, pool house with apartment and covered terrace — and all of it can be yours at the listing price of merely $10.28 million dollars. Runs to Oct. 29. 9004 Congressional Court, Potomac. Tickets are $35 to $60. Visit dcdesignhouse.com for more information.

DC’S DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: DCDD DOES DRAG VIII
“The Greatest Show on Earth” is the theme for this year’s annual drag benefit by local LGBTQ community marching band D.C.’s Different Drummers. Drag queen Sylvanna Duvel serves as emcee. Sunday, Oct. 22. Doors at 7 p.m. Town Danceboutique, 2009 8th St. NW. A donation of $10 is recommended. Call 202-403-3669 or visit dcdd.org.

FORD’S THEATRE’S HISTORY ON FOOT
A local actor offers the guided tour Investigation: Detective McDevitt, portraying Detective James McDevitt, a D.C. police officer patrolling a half-block from Ford’s Theatre the night President Lincoln was shot. Written by Richard Hellesen and directed by Mark Ramont, the 2-hour, 1.6-mile walking tour revisits and reexamines the sites and clues from the investigation into the assassination. One remaining tour for 2017 on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 10:15 a.m. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. Tickets are $17. Call 202-397-7328 or visit fords.org.

LA-TI-DO: ANNUAL SPOOK-TACULAR, RUSSELL SILBER
Regie Cabico and Don Mike Mendoza’s variety show features higher-quality singing than most karaoke, often from local musical theater actors performing on their night off, and also includes spoken-word poetry and comedy. Next up is the annual Halloween show, with spooky — or at least surprise — guest performers along with featured singer Silber, a company member of Pallas Theatre Collective. Mendoza and Anya Randall Nebel host, and Taylor Rambo offers accompaniment. Monday, Oct. 23, at 8 p.m. Bistro Bistro, 1727 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $15, or $10 if you eat dinner at the restaurant beforehand. Call 202-328-1640 or visit latidodc.wix.com/latido.

RAVEN’S NIGHT
Local married couple Belladonna and drag king extraordinaire Ken Vegas co-produce this wide-ranging show, rooted in Bella’s primary work as a “tribal fusion bellydance” performer and teacher, as well as her background as a medieval re-enactor. In many ways, Raven’s Night is the sort of event you’re only going to experience around Halloween — not least for its name, an homage to Baltimore’s master of macabre, Edgar Allan Poe. Bella hosts the 6th Annual cabaret, concert and carnival event with the theme “The Ghosts of La Belle Epoque.” Saturday, Oct. 21, starting at 5 p.m. with a carnival, followed by a concert at 6:30 p.m., and the cabaret at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $25. Call 703-549-7500 or visit ravensnight.com.

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