An Award-Winning Weekend Is on Tap
Don’t despair. With high winds and morning showers on Friday causing closures at several schools and the National Gallery of Art among others, the rest of the weekend will be a winner with temperatures in the low 50s and now rain in the forecast. And there is plenty to fill your weekend from the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in Old Town to the Oscar telecast on Sunday night.
Red Line trains single track between Dupont Circle and Judiciary Square this weekend with trains operating every 28 minutes. On the Blue Line, the Braddock Road station will be closed with shuttle buses running between King Street Braddock Road and National Airport and an express shuttle from King Street to Pentagon City. Trains will run every 16 minutes between Franconia-Springfield and King Street and every 12-16 minutes between National Airport and Largo Town Center. On Sunday from opening until about 2 p.m., buses will replace Blue and Silver Line trains between Addison Road and Largo Town center for an emergency response exercise. Silver Line trains will run on a regular schedule the rest of the weekend. Yellow Line trains will operate every 12-15 minutes between Huntington and King Street ONLY. Green and Orange Lines will operate on regular weekend schedules.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
It is a few weeks early, but the 37th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade through the heard of Old Town Alexandria features pipe and drum bands, Irish dancers, reenactors, miniature cars and floats from local businesses. Arrive early to check out the class car show from 10 a.m.-noon on Pitt Street and a dog show, which includes the “Best Human/Canine Look-Alike” at “Most St. Paddy’s Spirit” costumes contests, at 10:30 a.m. on Market Square in front of City Hall.
March 3 at 12:15 p.m. along King Street in Old Town Alexandria. Admission is FREE!
Batmobile
Fans of both comic books and the cinema will love the new display of the Batmobile at the National Museum of American History. This particular vehicle comes from the 1989 Warner Brothers film entitled Batman, directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as the caped crusader. Burton’s Batmobile was designed by Anton Furst. It was originally built on the chassis of a Chevrolet Impala and inspired by Salt Flat Racers and Corvette Stingrays of the 1950s, creating an Art Deco vibe that permeated the film. Batman was one of the first true successes of the superhero genre that rules box offices today.
Indefinitely from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at the National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Atlas Intersections Festival
The annual Atlas Intersections Festival combines theatre, dance, poetry, music, film, writing, sculpture, photography and arts of all kinds into three weekends’ worth of shows. Discover how art, culture and connection happen on H Street. New this year: a workshop series and an expanded full-day Youth Summit on March 10. This weekend features a free Family Fun Day from on Saturday from 10 a.m.-noon in the lobby with the Culture Queen, who uses music, movement and storytelling to teach children to celebrate black history and love themselves. Other highlights include the New Millennium Howard Players performing The Intruders, about gentrification hitting a decaying urban block and the silent battle that ensues, at 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday; the Furia Flamenca Dance Company performing Flamenco, Passion and Soul on Friday at 8 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday; and Theatre for the Very Young performing Inside Out on Friday at 2 p.m., Saturday at 9:30 a.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m. See the entire schedule online.
March 2-4 and March 10-11 at various times at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are free-$30 with most around $20.
Don Carlo
The Washington National Opera presents Giuseppe Verdi’s masterpiece Don Carlo for the first time in 20 years this month at the Kennedy Center starting on Saturday. The titular character is the son of the King of Spain, heartbroken that Elisabeth of Valois has been married to his father to appease relations with France. With the Grand Inquisition occurring, the King is led to believe that Elisabeth and Carlo are carrying on an affair. What unfolds is a battle between father and son that raises issues of loyalty and love.
March 3, 5 and 17 at 7 p.m., March 8, 14 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. and March 11 at 2 p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $45-$300.
Jim Gaffigan
Jim Gaffigan, the comedian, actor, producer and Dad is Fat memoirist will perform four standup shows over two days as part of his Fixer Upper Tour. The co-creator of the TV Land series The Jim Gaffigan Show has been nominated for three Grammys for best comedy album, including one for his 2012 special Mr. Universe, recorded at the Warner Theatre.
March 3 at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. and March 4 at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. at The Theatre at MGM National Harbor, 101 MGM National Ave., Oxen Hill. Tickets are $73-$483.
Sally Mann: A Thousand Crossings
This new exhibit at the National Gallery of Art is one of the most anticipated of the spring season. In Sally Mann: A Thousand Crossings, some 115 photographs, portraits, landscapes and figurative studies will offer both a sweeping overview of Mann’s artistic achievement and a focused exploration on the continuing influence of the American South.
March 4-May 28 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday at the National Gallery of Art, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
And the Winner Is…Oscar Party
Watch the Oscars with some of the DMV’s biggest film buffs at the D.C. Film Society’s 26th annual And the Winner Is…Oscar Party. Try to beat the crowd at the annual “predict the winners” contest and bid on signed movie posters, DVD and film passes during the silent auction. Critics Tim Gordon and Travis Hopson of WETA’s Around Town serve as hosts.
March 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Arlington Cinema and Draft House, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington. Tickets are $20 online or at the door.
Instrumental Ladies of Jazz Month
To celebrate Women’s History Month, the weekly D.C. Jazz Jam at the Brixton is hosting Instrumental Ladies of Jazz Month with female musicians and bands throughout March. Trombonist Shannon Gunn, the leader of the all-woman big band Shannon Gunn and the Bullettes, kick off the month as the jam’s featured artist. Other performers include an all-star all-female house band on March 11, Josanne Francis on March 18 and Jen Krupa on March 25.
March 4 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Brixton, 901 U St. NW. Admission is FREE! Food and drinks sold separately.
And the Award Goes to…
Watch the Oscars and route for your favorite movies at And the Award Goes to…, an Oscar viewing party in the W Hotel’s fancy Living Room bar. The party starts with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine and features both movie-inspired cocktails and champagne-and-popcorn pairings.
March 4 at 7:30 p.m. at the Living Room in the W Hotel, 515 15th St. NW. Admission is FREE! Food and drinks priced separately.
Bill Murray, Jan Vogler & Friends: New Worlds
In Bill Murray, Jan Vogler & Friends: New Worlds, legends of the stage and screen come together for a night of songs, poetry and prose at the Kennedy Center. Bill Murray, recipient of the 2017 Mark Twin Prize for American Humor, is one of the funniest men alive. He will be joined by renowned cellist Jan Vogler, violinist Mira Wang and pianist Vanessa Perez as he sings and narrates classic compositions that will take the audience into new worlds.
March 4 at 8 p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $49-$199.
Ongoing Events
1968: Civil Rights at 50 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 2 at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Admission is $21.21 for adults, $16.96 for seniors 65 and older, and $12.71 for children ages 7-18 in advance or $24.95, $19.95 and $14.95, respectively, at the door.
Americans from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through 2022 at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Admission is FREE!
The Artistic Table from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday through June 10 at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for college students, $5 for children 6-18 and free for children younger than 6. Adults and seniors get $3 off weekdays and $1 on weekend if purchased online.
Beautiful Blooms: Flowering Plants on Stamps from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through July 14 at the National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Admission is FREE!
Becoming Dr. Ruth at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays (except Feb. 23), 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Sundays and Thursdays and noon Wednesdays through March 18 at the Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 16th St. NW. Tickets are $39-$69, except Feb. 24 and 25 for the $30 previews.
Brand New: Art and Commodity in the 1980s from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through May 13 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Admission is FREE!
Day to Night: In the Field with Stephen Wilkes from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. through Apr. 22 at the National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th St. NW. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students, seniors 62 or older and military, $10 for children ages 5-12 and FREE for kids younger than 5.
Drawn to Purpose: American Women Illustrators and Cartoonists from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through Oct. 20 at the Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Admission is FREE!
Encountering the Buddha: Art and Practice across Asia from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Nov. 29, 2020 at the Freer|Sackler Galleries, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Familiar at 8 p.m. Friday through Saturday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday through March 11 at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW. Tickets are $20-$105.
The First Lady of Song: Ella Fitzgerald at 100 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Apr. 2 at the National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
The Great Society at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays with occasional noon matinees on Wednesdays through March 11 at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. Tickets are $50-$99.
LAST CHANCE! Hamlet 8 p.m. Friday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Sunday through March 4 at Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. Tickets are $44-$118.
Heavenly Earth: Images of Saint Francis at La Verna from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. daily through July 8 at the National Gallery of Art, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Hold These Truths at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays through Apr. 8 at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. Tickets are $91-$111.
Hung Liu in Print from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday through July 8 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 65 and older or students and free for children 18 and younger.
LAST CHANCE! Ilya and Emilia Kabakov: The Utopian Projects from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through March 4 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
In Her Words: Women’s Duty and Service in World War I from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through May 8 at the National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Admission is FREE!
In the Tower: Anne Truitt from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Apr. 1 at the National Gallery of Art East Building, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Making Room: Housing for a Changing American from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Sept. 16 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for seniors 60 or older, students, and children ages 3-17.
The Marines and Tet: The Battle That Changed the Vietnam War from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through July 8 at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Admission is $21.21 for adults, $16.96 for seniors 65 and older, and $12.71 for children ages 7-18 in advance or $24.95, $19.95 and $14.95, respectively, at the door.
Mark Bradford: Pickett’s Charge from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Nov. 12 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Independence Avenue SW. Admission is FREE!
Marlene Dietrich: Dressed for the Image from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Apr. 15 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Michel Sittow: Estonian Painter at the Courts of Renaissance Europe from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays through May 13 at the National Gallery of Art, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Mural from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and 11 a.m-6 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 28 at the National Gallery of Art East Building, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Noura at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday through March 11 at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Lansburgh Theatre, 450 Seventh St. NW. Tickets are $44-$92.
Outliers and American Vanguard Art from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays through May 13 at the National Gallery of Art, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
LAST CHANCE! Parallel Universe from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. for anyone and 5:30 p.m.-11 p.m. daily for those 21 and older through March 4 at Artechouse, 1238 Maryland Ave. SW. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students, seniors 65 and older and military with ID, and $8 for children 12 and younger.
Portraits of the World: Switzerland from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Nov. 12 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
The Prince and the Shah: Royal Portraits from Qajar Iran from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Aug. 5 at the Freer|Sackler Galleries, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Recent Acquisitions from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Nov. 4 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Remembering Vietnam from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Jan. 6, at the National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Secrets of the Lacquer Buddha from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through June 10 at the Freer|Sackler Galleries, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Subodh Gupta: Terminal from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through 2020 at the Freer|Sackler Galleries, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
The Sweat of Their Face: Portraying American Workers from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Sept. 3 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Tamayo: The New York Years from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through March 18 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Ten Americans: After Paul Klee from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon-6:30 p.m. Sundays through May 6 at The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students and visitors 62 and older and children 18 and younger are FREE!
Tomb of Christ from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily through Aug. 15 at the National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th St. NW. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors/students/military and $10 for children 5-12.
What Absence Is Made Of from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through the summer of 2019 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Independence Avenue Sw. Admission is FREE!
The Wolves at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7 p.m. Sundays through March 18 at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20-$106.
Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.