From NSO To Go-Go And Beyond

By Lavanya Ramanathan
Friday, September 12, 2008

There is no single place you would ever be able to catch a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra followed by children's rocker Dan Zanes and quirky Oscar-nominated Mexican folk singer Lila Downs, clown/acrobat/slack-wire artist Jamie Adkins and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, all capped off with a night of dancing to the music of go-go hero Chuck Brown.

Right?

Generally, that isn't your average day in Washington. But tomorrow the Kennedy Center's annual Open House Arts Festival brings together that exact melange of talent -- for free. The family-friendly event, marking the performing arts center's anniversary (No. 37, if you're counting), boasts 30 performances, but if you have to pick (and you do), here are a few worth checking out:

· Dan Zanes and Friends. The Grammy-winning children's musician is a former genuine article (frontman for Del Fuegos) who can now fill a venue the size of Strathmore with his diminutive fans. His latest album is "¡Nueva York!," a Spanish-language romp. How international. He performs at 1:45 p.m. on the South Plaza stage, right after the NSO's 12:15 performance in the Concert Hall.

· Jamie Adkins. The onetime San Diego street performer is now a full-fledged circus artist (he was once a member of Montreal's Cirque Éloize). He brings his show "Circus Incognitus," in which he juggles Ping-Pong balls with his mouth and uses two ladders as stilts, among other acts of derring-do, to the Family Theater. Shows at 12:15 and 3:45 p.m.; tickets are passed out for this event 30 minutes prior to showtime in front of the theater.

· Donald Knaack, "junk music" virtuoso. It seems the green movement has given percussionist Knaack a platform: No longer does he use mere junk as his instrument. Now it's " recycled materials." Knaack transforms trash bins and buckets, pans and cans into his own personal drum set. 1:45 and 5:15 p.m. in the Family Theater. Again, tickets are required and passed out 30 minutes before each show.

· Chuck Brown . Washington's own go-go godfather shuts it down with dancing at one of our favorite places at the Kennedy Center: the terrace, which overlooks the Potomac. Just a few weeks after the septuagenarian celebrated his birthday with a show at the 9:30 club (ticket price: $25), he's the headliner for Dancing Under the Stars, which starts at 8:30 p.m. (ticket price: $0). If you don't know how to dance to go-go, don't worry, instructors will be on hand beginning at 8.

Free. The Open House Arts Festival runs noon-8 p.m. Saturday. Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. For a full schedule of Open House events, see Page 43 of today's Weekend section. For details, visit http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/festivals/prelude/openhouse.cfm.

Save the Date

CONCERT: An Acoustic Evening With Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt This outing in some ways revisits the pair's previous tour a few years ago with Guy Clark and Joe Ely -- a songwriters' circle, though only the beloved Lovett and Hiatt will take the stage at the Warner Theatre next month. On this tour, the pair share stories as well as the stage, performing their individual treasured tunes with the intimate charm of two guys hanging out on a front porch in summer. $69.50. (Tickets are available through Ticketmaster; get them in person at the Warner box office in person to save a good chunk of the fees. For details, visit http://www.warnertheatre.com). Oct. 19 at 8 p.m. Warner Theatre, 13th and E streets NW. 202-397-7328.

THE SCENE: A Sun Salutation to Fall For the second year, yogis and yoginis will gather to mark the start of fall on Sept. 21 with the DC Global Mala, a program of yoga education, vegetarian foods, performances of live kirtan music and dance demonstrations. The key event of the day is when participants perform 108 "sun salutations" (a sequence of yoga poses) to mark the fall equinox and U.N. International Peace Day. Tickets are $40 in advance, $45 at the door and $20 for full-time students. Noon-6 p.m. Sept. 21. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. For advance tickets and details, visit http://www.dcglobalmala.com.

The District

Today

THE SCENE: Celebrate 15 Years of the Black Cat Plenty of places in Washington can boast 15 years of existence, but none evokes quite the same love/hate relationship: We love the shows, hate the crowds; love the people who work there, hate ourselves a bit for all the late spent nights there. This week, Black Cat celebrates with a show with Gray Matter, Take It Back, the Shirks and Domino Team. $10. 9 p.m. 1811 14th St. NW. 202-667-7960.

Tomorrow

EXHIBIT: "Close Encounters: Facing the Future" The national BrushFire project is an attempt to spotlight social-activist art during the election season, and locally you can see BrushFire exhibitions at American University and Gallery Plan B beginning tomorrow. The show we'd check out first is the one at AU's Katzen Arts Center, called "Close Encounters." The show, curated by Provisions Library, features works by big-time artists such as Jenny Holzer and Yoko Ono and opens with a reception tomorrow night from 6 to 9 p.m., continuing through Oct. 26. Free. American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-885-1300. Gallery Plan B's reception is 6 to 8 p.m. tomorrow. That show continues through Oct. 5. 1540 14th St. NW. 202-234-2711.

CONCERT: Opera in the Outfield It has arrived: The Washington National Opera gives the masses a peek at its season opener at the Kennedy Center, "La Traviata," which will be simulcast free of charge at Nationals Park -- complete with the baseball-style concessions (beer, half-smokes). The opera will be sung in Italian with English supertitles on the screen. Shorts, bug spray, a Bud and Verdi: It's a very strange but exciting combination, indeed. 7 p.m. The park opens at 5:30; get there early for good seats (the event has a capacity of 30,000, so it's highly unlikely you'll fail to get in). Nationals Park, 1500 South Capitol St. SE. (Metro: Navy Yard Station.) Visit http://www.wnosimulcast.org or call 202-295-2400. For a layman's guide to opera, see today's cover story in the Weekend section.

Monday

ON STAGE: Juliet, O, Juliet . . . Taffety Punk's All-Female "Romeo and Juliet" We admire a good contrarian outing, and Taffety Punk's latest play hits the mark: Just as Shakespeare Theatre Company takes on "R&J" with an all-male cast harking back to the traditions of Shakespeare's day, this small troupe presents the tale entirely with women. Director Lise Bruneau has called the fight scenes a highlight (it would not be wise to yell, "Girl fight!"). "The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedie of Romeo and Juliet" opens Monday. $10 (pay-what-you-can previews are Monday and Thursday). 7:30 p.m. Monday. Various times through Oct. 4. Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. 202-261-6612. (For the scoop on Shakespeare Theatre's all-male take, see Page 42 of today's Weekend section.)

Maryland

Today

EXHIBIT: Bethesda Art Walk Visit the galleries of downtown, check out the Trawick Prize finalists at Heineman Myers, Fraser Gallery's latest works by realist painter David FeBland and other shows tonight when the monthly art walk is led by a guide. Free. Tours begin at 6:30 p.m.; meet at Bethesda Metro Center at Old Georgetown Road and Wisconsin Avenue. (Galleries are open from 6-9 p.m.) For a map of the Art Walk galleries, visit http://www.bethesda.org/arts/artswalk.htm or call 301-215-6660.

Tomorrow

FESTIVALS: The Silver Spring Jazz Festival, Featuring the Mingus Big Band As always, Silver Spring's commercial corridor will fill with crowds for this festival, a day-long show billed as the city's "biggest event of the year." The event features a mix of local performers, including vocalist Gail Shipp (who performs with the Wes Biles Quartet) and Brazilian-jazz-inspired band Samambaia, as well as the national headliner, New York's Mingus Big Band, which celebrates the repertoire of the late jazz visionary Charles Mingus. Free. 2-10:30 p.m. tomorrow. Lee Building, 8601 Georgia Ave. (at Colesville Road), Silver Spring. (Note that some streets will be closed, so a good option is to take Metro to the Silver Spring station.) 301-565-7300 or for details, visit http://www.silverspringdowntown.com/event/silver-spring-jazz-festival2.

Wednesday

ON STAGE: "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents" Premiering next week at Round House Theatre is rising local playwright Karen Zacarías's adaptation of Julia Alvarez's magical-realist novel. The story follows four sisters who arrive in the United States with their family after fleeing the Dominican Republic under dictatorial leader Rafael Trujillo. Now New York women, the once-privileged sisters slip ever further from the Dominican girls they were, much to the disappointment of their parents. The play includes nudity and isn't intended for children. The opening performance, at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, is pay-what-you-can (purchase tickets at the box office only); tickets go on sale at 6:30 the night of the show. Various times through Oct. 12. Round House Theatre, 4545 East West Hwy., Bethesda. 240-644-1100.

Northern Virginia

Today

ON STAGE: "Peace" Callie Kimball's comedy, produced by Washington Shakespeare Company, is inspired by Aristophanes' satire of the same title and follows a landowner who finds Mount Olympus ravaged by War. $25-$35. Thursdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m., also Saturdays-Sundays at 2 p.m. Through Sept. 28. Clark Street Playhouse, 601 S. Clark St., Arlington. 703-418-4808, Ext. 8, or 800-494-8497 or http://www.washingtonshakespeare.org.

Tomorrow

FESTIVALS: Alexandria Festival of the Arts Back for another year is this outdoor event which, over two days, will feature more than $15 million in art displayed on King Street. The juried art show, with local and national artists, includes everything from jewelry to sculpture to paintings. Free admission. Tomorrow, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. King Street between Washington Street and the Potomac River, Alexandria. For a list of participating artists, visit http://www.artfestival.com/events/visitorsShow/28/1.

Sunday

THE SCENE: Watch Redskins Games on the Big Screen The season is underway, which means Arlington Cinema 'N' Drafthouse has resumed the weekly screenings of games on its big screen (bigger, we assure you, than your flat screen). Viewing is free (this weekend, it's the Redskins vs. the New Orleans Saints) and you get to spare yourself the indignity of making dip from Cheez Whiz. Free. 1 p.m.; doors at noon. Arlington Cinema 'N' Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington. 703-486-2345.