WHAT'S HAPPENING

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Children and Teens

"THE THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF" -- 10 and 11:30 a.m. today and tomorrow. The Puppet Co. performs the children's classic on a revolving stage. The 40-minute show is recommended for children in prekindergarten through fourth grade. Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. $10, group rates available. 301-320-6668 or http://www.thepuppetco.org.

"MISS NELSON IS MISSING!" -- 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. weekends, Sunday through Jan. 4; additional performances near Thanksgiving and Christmas. A musical production of the children's book, recommended for age 4 and older. $10 performances this Sunday only. Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda. $10-$21; group rates available. 301-280-1660 or http://www.imaginationstage.org.

"HARRY THE DIRTY DOG" -- 1 p.m. Saturday. ArtsPower performs a musical adaptation of the children's book. BlackRock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Dr., Germantown. $12. 301-528-2260 or http://www.blackrockcenter.org.

Christmas

"SCROOGE, THE MUSICAL" -- 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, through Dec. 7. Potomac Theatre Company performs the musical, based on Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol." Bullis School, Blair Family Center for the Arts, 10601 Falls Road, Potomac. $20; seniors, students and children, $18. 301-299-8571 or http://www.potomactheatreco.org.

"LIGHT UP WASHINGTONIAN" -- 6-9 p.m. Saturday. A tree-lighting ceremony at 7 p.m., followed by photos with Santa Claus until 9 p.m. Free horse-drawn carriage rides, 6-8 p.m., Washingtonian Center, 231 Rio Blvd., Gaithersburg. Free; photos available for a fee. 703-449-4300.

Dancing

CONTRA DANCING -- 7:30-11:30 p.m. tomorrow. Friday Night Dancers host a contra lesson, followed by contra, square and waltz dancing to music by the Metro Gnomes. Beginners welcome. Glen Echo Park, Spanish Ballroom, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. $9. 301-634-2222 or fndcontra@yahoo.com.

BALLROOM DANCING -- 8-11:15 p.m. Saturday. A one-hour introductory rumba and fox trot lesson, followed by general ballroom dancing to a deejay. Beginners welcome, no partner necessary. Now and Then Dance Studio, 10111 Darnestown Rd., Rockville. $10. 301-424-0007 or http://www.nowandthendancestudios.com.

SWING DANCING -- 8 p.m.-midnight Saturday. A beginning swing lesson, followed by dancing to music by the Tom Cunningham Orchestra. Glen Echo Park, Spanish Ballroom, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. $15. 301-634-2222 or http://www.tomcunningham.com.

CONTRA AND SQUARE DANCING -- 7-10:30 p.m. Sunday. Folklore Society of Greater Washington hosts New England-style dances to music by the Contraptions. All dances are taught, and no partner is necessary. Glen Echo Park, Spanish Ballroom, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. $12; society members, $9. 301-634-2222 or http://www.fsgw.org.

Exhibitions

"ANOTHER LEVEL" -- by appointment, Tuesdays-Saturdays through Dec. 20.; reception, 7 p.m. Saturday; also open during Bethesda Art Walk, 6-9 p.m. Dec. 12. John Aquilino exhibits his urban landscape paintings. Gallery Neptune, 5001 Wilson Lane, Bethesda. Free. 301-718-0809 or http://www.galleryneptune.com.

INTERNATIONAL MULTIMEDIA EXHIBIT -- 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays, through Jan. 4. Egyptian artist Munir Eltobgi, Brazilian painter Miriam Rylands and Russian artist Gala Spivak exhibit their works. Bohrer Park Activity Center, 506 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg. Free. 301-258-6394 or http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

WATERCOLOR EXHIBIT -- 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, through Dec. 6. Paintings by Baltimore Watercolor Society members. Brookside Gardens visitors center, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton. Free. 301-962-1400 or http://www.brooksidegardens.org.

ABSTRACT AND DIGITAL EXHIBIT -- 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1-4 p.m. Sundays, through Dec. 2. Florence Gang and Marianne Giguere exhibit their abstract acrylic paintings, and Joann Clayton-Townsend exhibits her paintings and digital prints. Glenview Mansion, 603 Edmonston Dr., Rockville. Free. 240-314-5004.

"PERCEPTIVE IMAGERY" -- 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, through Jan. 24. Audrey Salkind exhibits her recent abstract works. Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Visions Exhibition Space, 5701 Marinelli Rd., North Bethesda. Free. 301-565-3805 or http://www.audreysabstractart.com.

EXHIBITS IN FREDERICK -- 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 1-4 p.m. Sundays, through Nov. 30. Gary Schlappal exhibits his ceramics, and Rulei Bu exhibits his landscape paintings. Handicapped accessible. Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Free. 301-698-0656 or http://www.delaplaine.org.

SCULPTURE AND PLEIN AIR ART SHOW -- 10 a.m.-5 p.m. today and tomorrow, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Donna Baron exhibits her experimental media and plein air artwork, and Paul Pincus exhibits his sculptures. Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Rd., Gaithersburg. Free. 301-258-6394 or http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/artsbarn.

"BIG BLUE MARBLE" -- 1-5 p.m. Monday and Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Fridays, weekends by appointment, through Dec. 9. Chief NASA photographer Bill Ingalls exhibits photographs that display Earth's beauty, including macro images and landscapes, and photographs from his travels to Russia and Kazakhstan. A juried show of works by local camera club members will also be on display. Call before visiting to ensure staff will be available. Washington School of Photography, 4850 Rugby Ave., Bethesda. Free. 301-654-1998 or http://www.wsp-photo.com.

"PHOTOGRAPHIC MOMENTS" -- 10 a.m.-6 p.m. today-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. An exhibit of historical and Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs by photojournalists from The Washington Post and other media. VisArts at Rockville, 155 Gibbs St., Rockville. Free. 301-315-8200 or http://www.visartscenter.org.

"A FEW OF MY FAVORITE SCENES" -- 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, Sundays by appointment, through Dec. 4. Lou Janesko exhibits his watercolor, oil and acrylic landscape paintings and studies. Orchard Gallery, 7917 Norfolk Ave., Bethesda. Free. 240-497-1911 or http://www.orchardartgallery.com.

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT -- 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, through Jan. 3; reception and book-signing, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. A group photography exhibit that explores architecture, Cuba, Tibet, Venice and other subjects. Fraser Gallery, 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. Free. 301-718-9651 or http://www.thefrasergallery.com.

PHOTO, SILK PAINTING AND COLLAGE EXHIBIT IN THE DISTRICT -- Noon-6 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays, through Nov. 30; silk painting demonstration, 2-4 p.m. Nov. 30. Former Chevy Chase resident Holly Foss displays her Eastern Shore photographs, former Bethesda resident Bobbie Salthouse displays her silk and canvas paintings and Montgomery College professor Patricia Zannie displays her collages. Foundry Gallery, 1314 18th St. NW. Free. 202-463-0203 or http://www.foundrygallery.org.

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITS -- Noon-6 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, through Dec. 6. Joan Rosenstein displays his abstract, kaleidoscope-like photographs of architectural elements, and French photographer Lucien Clergue displays his works. Waverly Street, 4600 East West Hwy., Bethesda. Free. 301-951-9441 or http://www.waverlystreetgallery.com.

"LANDSCAPE ON THE CHESAPEAKE" -- Noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; reception, 5-7 p.m. Saturday. Twenty artists exhibit paintings of the Chesapeake Bay's Tilghman Island, all from workshops taught by Walter Bartman. Yellow Barn Gallery, Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Free. 301-204-6700 or http://www.yellowbarnstudio.com.

PORTRAIT EXHIBIT -- 1-8 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays, through Nov. 30. Photographer Emily Whiting exhibits her portraits. Glen Echo Park, Photoworks Gallery, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Free. 301-229-7930 or http://www.glenechophotoworks.org.

Music

LAURA LOVE -- 7:30 p.m. today. The folk/funk singer performs. BlackRock Center for the Arts, Studio Theater, 12901 Town Commons Dr., Germantown. $30; in advance, $25. 301-528-2260 or http://www.blackrockcenter.org.

NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC CHORALE -- 8 p.m. Saturday. The chorale performs Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" and Igor Stravinsky's "Symphony of Psalms." Free pre-concert lecture at 7 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. $29-$79; 17 and younger, free; children's tickets must be requested in person or by phone. 301-581-5100 or http://www.strathmore.org.

Theater

"ALTAR BOYZ" -- Times vary through Jan. 3. Marc Kessler and Ken Davenport's lighthearted musical about a Christian boy band struggling to make it big on a U.S. concert tour. Bethesda Theatre, 7719 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. $25-$75. 301-657-7827 or http://www.bethesdatheatre.com.

"PETER PAN" -- Times and days vary, through Jan. 4. A production of the Broadway musical, based on J.M. Barrie's classic story. Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd., Olney. $25-$48; discounts available for groups, seniors and students. 301-924-3400 or http://www.olneytheatre.org.

"THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER" -- 7:30 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday. A student production of the 1930s comedy in which New York City radio personality Sheridan Whiteside is invited to dinner at the Stanley house, where he slips and injures his hip. The witty but manipulative city slicker must then stay at the Stanleys' small-town Ohio home until he recovers. Richard Montgomery High School, 250 Richard Montgomery Dr., Rockville. $10; students, $5; tickets available only at the door. 301-996-8475.

"A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM" -- 7:30 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday. Students perform the Shakespeare comedy. Magruder High School, 5939 Muncaster Mill Rd., Derwood. $10; students, $8. 301-840-4600 or http://www.magruderdrama.org.

"SUMMER BRAVE" -- 7:30 p.m. tomorrow-Saturday. Students perform William Inge's romantic comedy. A revision of the playwright's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Picnic," which explores the concepts of time, attraction and fate. Paint Branch High School, 14121 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville. $7; students, $5. 301-989-5600.

"PRIDE AND PREJUDICE" -- 7:30 p.m. tomorrow-Saturday. Students perform a theater production of Jane Austen's classic novel. Montgomery Blair High School, 51 E. University Blvd., Silver Spring. $7; students, $4. 301-649-2800.

"THE SISTERS ROSENSWEIG" -- 8 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Montgomery Playhouse performs Wendy Wasserstein's Broadway play about three Jewish sisters from Brooklyn who, during a London reunion, must come to terms with their identities. Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Rd., Gaithersburg. $14; Gaithersburg residents, $12. 301-258-6394 or http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/artsbarn.

"THIRD" -- 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 30, 2 p.m. Nov. 30. A production of Wendy Wasserstein's last play, which studies politics, red states and blue states, and the importance of looking beyond categorizations. Silver Spring Stage, 10145 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. $13-$18. 301-593-6036 or http://www.ssstage.org.

"THE MISSILES OF OCTOBER" -- 8 p.m. Saturday. Heritage Theatre Company performs a drama based on Robert F. Kennedy's book "Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis." Randolph Road Theatre, 4010 Randolph Rd., Silver Spring. $32; seniors, $28; students, $20; $5 discount with donation of a non-perishable food. 301-770-9080 or http://www.theheritagetheatre.org.

Miscellaneous

PHOTOGRAPHY LUNCHTIME LECTURE SERIES -- noon-1 p.m. today-tomorrow. A FotoWeek D.C. lecture series, featuring photojournalist-environmentalist Colin Finlay today, and travel-documentary photographer Alison Wright tomorrow. Lunch will be provided; registration is required at pam_huling@discovery.com. Discovery Communications Headquarters, One Discovery Place, Silver Spring. Free. 240-662-2000.

STAND-UP COMEDY IN BETHESDA -- 8-10 p.m. Saturday. Comedians Mike Shader and Big Al Goodwin perform. $25 cash-prize joke contest for non-comedian audience members after the show. Hyatt Laugh Riot, Hyatt Regency Hotel, 7400 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. $10. 301-657-1234 or http://www.standupcomedytogo.com.

STAND-UP COMEDY IN WHEATON -- 8:30 p.m. tomorrow. Comedian Andy Kindler performs. Montgomery Cinema 'N' Drafthouse, 11006 Veirs Mill Rd., Wheaton. $18. http://www.montgomerydrafthouse.com.

GLOBAL WILDLIFE SAFARI RIDE -- 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting. Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo hosts a one-hour, 25-acre ride in an Army surplus vehicle to see ostriches, emus, African zebras, North American bison, Asian and African antelopes, European deer, Eurasian wild sheep, South American llamas and unusual breeds of cattle, donkeys and goats. Feeding and photography permitted. Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo, 13019 Catoctin Furnace Rd., Thurmont. Zoo admission, $14.95; 12 and younger, $9.95. Safari ride, an additional $15; 12 and younger, $10. 301-271-3180, 301-271-4922 or http://www.cwpzoo.com.

-- Compiled by SARAH MARSTON

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