Expert recommendations of the top dance, theater, and classical music performances.
THIS ARTICLE IS FROM
|
Kennedy Center
"Alighting the red-carpeted stairs, passing the bust of John F. Kennedy, is theater before the show even begins."—Karen Sommer Shalett, editor-in-chief, DC magazine. The National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington National Opera, and the Washington Ballet perform here; international visitors include Pavarotti, Baryshnikov, and the Bolshoi Ballet. Millennium Stage holds avant-garde productions, often ethnically thematic, and always free of charge; rooftop terrace offers stunning Potomac views and pre- or post-show dining. 2700 F St., NW; tel. +1 800 444 1324 or tel. +1 202 467 4600. www.kennedy-center.org
Strathmore
This venue offers classical entertainment—including the National Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra—in a suburban Maryland mansion setting; some warm-weather outdoor performances. 5301 Tuckerman Lane, Bethesda, MD; tel. +1 301 581 5200. www.strathmore.org
Wolf Trap
"Virginia's version of Tanglewood, where the music seems to rise up over the sloping, green hills."—Andrea Sachs, travel staff writer, Washington Post. In suburban Virginia; has its own opera company and hosts the National Symphony Orchestra. Warm-weather outdoor venue schedules pop and jazz performers; lawn seating from $10. Bring your own picnic, or purchase one on-site. 1645 Trap Rd., Vienna, VA; tel. +1 703 255 1900. www.wolftrap.org
Warner Theatre
"It's got that old D.C. feel, acts such as Etta James bring you back to a different time; all the seats are good."—Gabriel Einsohn, Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum. Stages traditional favorites, including the usually annual Washington Ballet's Nutcracker. Visiting Broadway musicals, big-name musical acts including Eartha Kitt and comedians such as George Lopez and Steven Wright. 513 13th St., NW; tel. +1 202 783 4000. www.warnertheatre.com
National Theatre
The venerable theater stages large national traveling productions, including Rent, Avenue Q, and Spamalot, in tastefully decorated interior. 1321 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; tel. +1 202 628 6161. www.nationaltheatre.org
Arena Stage
For great regional American productions, this home-grown theater with two stages, one of them a theater-in-the-round, is located in a vibrant, developing neighborhood in southwest D.C. "Worth seeking out."—Frommer's. 1101 Sixth Street, SW; tel. +1 202 488 3300. www.arena-stage.org
Studio Theatre
Here's the place for drama with a contemporary edge, such as Dan Studney's Reefer Madness: The Musical, an outlandish musical comedy. The setting is in Washington's once-downtrodden-now-hot neighborhood on 14th Street, near Logan Circle. 1501 14th St., NW; tel. +1 202 332 1187. www.studiotheatre.org
The Folger Shakespeare Library's Elizabethan Theatre on Capitol Hill
Experience Shakespeare, Molière, and contemporary artists in its period-inspired, wood-bedecked playhouse. Museum houses the world's largest collection of Shakespeare materials—including books, manuscripts, art, and artifacts. "The Elizabethan Garden features...herbs referenced in [Shakespeare's] works and sculptures inspired by eight of his greatest plays."—Andrea Sachs. 201 East Capitol St., SE; tel. +1 202 544 4600. www.folger.edu
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Housing the United States' Shakespeare company in a clean-lined, simple interior; a good mix of traditional and non-traditional directions of the master's plays; summer Shakespeare in the Park annually early June. "Check out their art collections, poetry readings, and films."—Robert Rouse, D.C. Chamber of Commerce. 450 7th St., NW; tel. +1 202 547 1122. www.shakespearetheatre.org
