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Be a Culture Vulture
By M. Franco Salvoza
Washingtonpost.com Staff
Thursday, December 18, 1997
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Leave the noisy bacchanalia of New Year's Eve for those suckers on TV. Let them stand around in jammed crowds picking confetti out of their hair and watching that red ball slowly descend the needle at Times Square. After all, New Year's Eve is a time to celebrate. It's a new year – why not usher in a clean, fresh start with a touch of class, of culture, of elegance?
The always classy Kennedy Center is a good place to start. The center will continue with its diverse December 1997 schedule: The Washington Opera's "L'Elisir de Amore" in the intimate Eisenhower Theatre; the gospel musical "Black Nativity"
in the Terrace Theatre, the long-running comedy "Shear Madness" in the Theater Lab, and Broadway musical
"Smokey Joe's Café" in the Opera House.
Ticket stubs to any of these shows (prices for these events are in the $30 to $50 range, with prices as high as $225 for orchestra seats to "L'Elisir de Amore") get you an invitation to the Concert Hall for dancing and a champagne toast later in the evening. The National Symphony Orchestra, directed by Murry Sidlin, will follow up last year's success by playing waltz music to lead dancers from the newly renovated Hall to spin under the sparkling chandeliers of the Grand Foyer.
Tickets can be purchased solely for this event for $25 ahead of time, $45 at the door. At the Kennedy Center's free Millennium Stage, the three-piece ensemble Sydney's Salon Orchestra plays holiday music at 6 p.m. and dance tunes at 11.
A short drive away to the suburbs, the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra and the Virginia Opera will combine for a classy New Year's celebration at the George Mason University Center for the Arts. They'll play Broadway classics and versions of "Carmen" and "The Blue Danube." Champagne and swing dancing in the lobby will follow up the performance. Tickets cost $75 and it's all for a good cause. Proceeds benefit the educational programs of each group.
Though typically not a good night for theater, some will pull back the curtains and shine their spotlights to celebrate New Year's. Downtown, The Shakespeare Theatre follows up a regular evening performance of "Richard III" with a champagne countdown, while the Washington Stage Guild kicks off a month-long run of Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina."
At Ford's Theatre you can take in the classic "A Christmas Carol"; at the Studio Theatre an audience will catch the comedy "Miss Margarida's Way." The Arena Stage will continue business-as-usual with performances of the presidential production "House Arrest: First Edition" and Chekov's
comedy "Uncle Vanya." In Maryland's suburban Olney, theater lovers can catch a performance of "Peter Pan," the story of the original boy-who-never-grew-up, to add a touch of immaturity to their high-brow entertainment. Call for ticket prices and times.
Most museums, such as the Corcoran and the Smithsonian, will keep normal business hours during the day for regular exhibits. For example, check out "Star Wars: The Magic and Myth" during the day at Air and Space to get you in that feel-good, rah-rah mood. During the day, the National Museum of American History will wrap up their week-long Holiday Celebration, a festival of performing arts and crafts from around the nation, on the 31st.
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