Family
1. The Power of Chocolate: The National Museum of the American Indian celebrates one of the world’s most beloved foods — chocolate. To the Maya and Aztec peoples, Theobroma cacao, as its Latin name indicates, was a “food of the gods.” These programs present a rare opportunity for museum visitors to explore chocolate’s culture, history and place in contemporary society. Families and young visitors will also have an opportunity to learn hands-on as they investigate the Mayan glyph for “cacao,” see how to make Kuna molas, and try their hands at grinding cacao beans and frothing their own hot chocolate.
Where: National Museum of the American Indian (museumwide)
When: 10:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Info: Free; 202-633-1000; nmai.si.edu
2. “Peter and the Wolf”: The familiar musical story is expanded into a lively theatrical version, with bold movement and original songs. We meet the clever Peter and his friends, the starving Cat and the bickering Duck and Bird. Together they scheme to capture Wolf and make the forest a safer place. But Wolf is a wily trickster and will stop at nothing to capture his prey. There are mad chases, mysterious appearances, high comedy and suspense.
Where: Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda
When: 1:30 and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday
Info: $10 to $21; imaginationstage.org
3. “Mo Willems’ Pigeon Party!”: Squeezing all the fun of the first three Pigeon books into one raucous production, this lively show for children 3 and older is full of fun, feathers, laughter and excitement, featuring original music and audience participation.
Where: Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney
When: 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. and noon Feb. 16
Info: $18; 301-924-3400; olneytheatre.org
4. Youth orchestra: The Daegu Genius Youth Orchestra, a unique institution in South Korea and supported by Daegu Education Office, is composed of professionally trained, handpicked musicians ages 8 to 16 years old, all of whom are potentially superior players in their respective instrument.
Where: Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW
When: 6 p.m. Feb. 17
Info: Free; 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org
5. On the Water: Stories from Maritime America: Marine transportation and waterborne commerce underlie American history like a strong and steady ocean current. Maritime trade established major cities, created connections between people and places, and opened the continent. Visitors to this new permanent exhibition will explore life and work on the nation’s waterways, discovering the stories of whaling crews, fishermen, shipbuilders, merchant mariners, passengers and many others. From 18th-century sailing ships, 19th-century steamboats and fishing craft to today’s mega containerships, the exhibition will reveal America’s maritime connections through objects, documents, audiovisual programs and interactives.
Where: National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, first floor East
When: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (ongoing); open until 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Info: Free; 202-633-1000; americanhistory.si.edu
Galleries
1. Georgia O’ Keeffe: Abstraction: This revealing exhibit brings to the fore the American iconoclast’s lesser-known abstract pieces. The 100-plus paintings, drawings and sculptures come from a 60-year swath of O’Keeffe’s remarkable career, beginning with a radical-for-its-time series of charcoal drawings she made in 1915, when she was in her late 20s. Also includes 14 photos of O’Keeffe by her husband. Alfred Steiglitz.
Where: The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW
When: Through May 9
Info: $12, $10 for students and seniors 62 and older; 202-387-2151; phillipscollection.org
2. Dan Namingha: A Painterly Approach to American Symbolism: Tewa-Hopi painter Namingha has selected 31 of his pieces, made between 1972 and 2009, that straddle the line between representation and abstraction while incorporating elements of American Indian iconography in surprising and challenging ways.
Where: The Federal Reserve Board, 20th and C streets NW
When: Through March 5
Info: Free (reservations required 24 hours in advance); 202-452-3778
3. Framing the West: The Survey Photographs of Timothy H. O’Sullivan: Before his death in 1882, O’Sullivan completed two of the most ambitious geological surveys of the 19th century. His photos — more than 80 of which appear here — betrayed an artistry that was at least the equal of their practical or cartographic value.
Where: The Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F streets NW
When: Through May 9
Info: Free; 202-633-1000; americanart.si.edu
4. Taylor Baldwin: Living Fossil: Baldwin’s sculptures and drawings harass the fiscal and emotional relationships implied by his curious depictions of skulls, chainsaws and other objects loaded with symbolic import.
Where: Conner Contemporary Art, 1358 Florida Ave. NE
When: Through March 6
Info: Free; 202-588-8750; connercontemporary.com
5. Art of the Soul: An Exhibition of the Unspoken Thoughts and Feelings of Women: Twenty celebrated local artists contribute their meditations on the broad topics of female self-esteem, judgment, sexism, AIDS, beauty, domestic violence and abuse.
Where: Busboys and Poets, 486 K St. NW
When: Through March 1
Info: Free; artofthesouldc.info
Gatherings
1. Vanda Felbab-Brown: A fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution, Felbab-Brown discusses and signs “Shooting Up: Counterinsurgency and the War on Drugs.” She argues that the “narcoguerilla” premise — which assumes a symbiotic relationship between drug trafficking and terrorist organizations — that underlies much U.S. policy is mistaken and counterproductive.
Where: Politics & Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Info: Free; 202-364-1919; politics-prose.com
2. Valentine’s Day Party: You’re never too old or young to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Dance to the music of DJ Glowstik and watch the Dance Place Step Team. Shop at the Valentine’s Bazaar and put your name on the Wall of Love.
Where: Dance Place, 3225 Eighth St. NE
When: 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday
Info: $10 to $15; 202-269-1600; danceplace.org
3. The Opposite of a Train: The eclectic trio has played together in diverse settings, including new-music ensembles, jazz groups and a traditional Cuban/noise rock band.
Where: Millennium Theater, Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW
When: 6 p.m. Monday
Info: Free; 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org
4. “suicide.chat.room”: Taffety Punk blends suicide-related notes taken from online message boards and the stories of real and fictional suicides for this world-premiere dance performance.
Where: Flashpoint, 916 G St. NW
When: Through Saturday
Info: 202-261-6612; flashpointdc.org
5. “The Atheist”: Keegan Theatre’s production of Ronan Noone’s one-man show, which tells the story of a callous American reporter for a Kansas newspaper who discovers dirt on a congressman, controls the story, and in turn destroys the politician’s career and life. Brash, hysterical and in your face, this one-hander looks at one man’s answer to the question “To what lengths would you go to be famous?”
Where: Church Street Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW
When: 8 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday; matinees Feb. 20 and 27
Info: $25 to $30; 703-892-0202; keegantheatre.com
Music
1. Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra: Alexei Kornienko conducts the globe-touring orchestra celebrating its 32nd year. Like many European ensembles, the orchestra does not have a permanent principal conductor but invites distinguished maestros from Russia and around the world. Pianist Alexander Sinchuk performs Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.” Other works on the program are Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Tsar Saltan Suite” and his “Scheherazade” symphonic suite for orchestra.
Where: George Mason University Center for the Arts
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Info: $28 to $56; 703-993-2787; gmu.edu/cfa
2. Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet: The Discovery Series presents the ensemble of flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon lauded as “a concert not to be forgotten” by The Washington Post. The program includes works by Karl Pliss, Gunther Schuller, Paul Hindemith, Gyorgy Ligeti and more.
Where: The Barns of Wolf Trap
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Info: $35; 877-965-3872; wolftrap.org
3. Kronos Quartet and Wu Man, pipa: “Yin Yu Tang: A Chinese Home” is a commissioned staged work by the Kronos Quartet that takes the audience inside China’s musical spirit. The subject is a 300-year-old Chinese house moved piece by piece from the Huang Village in China to the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts.
Where: Kay Theatre, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Info: $42; 301-405-2787; claricesmithmusiccenter.umd.edu.
4. NSO Pops: “And the Winner Is …” showcases music from Academy Award-winning film scores. Bill Conti, Emmy winner and frequent music director of Academy Award ceremonies, conducts.
Where: Kennedy Center Concert Hall
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Info: $29 to $85; 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org
5. Angels and Devils: The Post-Classical Ensemble, pianist Mykola Suk and the Georgetown University Chamber Singers perform works by Liszt in the culminating event of a three-day Interpreting Liszt Conference.
Where: Gaston Hall, Georgetown University
When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13
Info: $25 general, $5 student; 202-687-2787; performingarts.georgetown.edu.
Theater
1. “Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”: Stephen Sondheim’s musical masterpiece, full of soaring melodies, a story of romantic melodrama, obsession and revenge. When Sweeney Todd returns to London after years of wrongful imprisonment, he vows to take revenge on the man who destroyed his life. A classic Gothic story of one man’s descent into madness.
Where: Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington
When: Through April 8
Info: $52 to $76; 703-573-7328; signature-theatre.org
2. “Grease”: Taylor Hicks appears as Teen Angel in this all-American musical, which takes place in the 1950s at Rydell High School, where Danny Zuko and his gang romance their Pink Ladies.
Where: National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday; through Feb. 21
Info: $36.50 to $96.50; 800-447-7400; nationaltheatre.org
3. “The Glass Menagerie”: Tennessee Williams’ delicate yet profound story of love, loss, yearning, illusion and escape continues to fascinate audiences six decades after its premiere. You will remember the Wingfields and the Gentleman Caller long after the lights have come down.
Where: The Rep Stage, The Horowitz Center’s Studio Theatre, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia
When: Through Feb. 28
Info: $12 to $27; 410-772-4000; repstage.org
4. “The Gdirl from Gdansk”: Keegan Theatre’s production of Liam Heylin’s new play tells the story of two brothers trying to survive beyond the shadow of their past in a changing Ireland. It is also a story of love — between a young Polish immigrant and one of these brothers, and between the boys’ mother and a local man, discovering love as wounded adults.
Where: Church Street Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW
When: 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday; through March 3
Info: $25 to $30; 703-892-0202; keegantheatre.com
5. “Barack Stars: The Wrath of Rahm”: Chicago produced a president, a string of corrupt governors and a failed 2016 Olympics bid; so who better to make fun of all of it than The Second City — celebrating its 50th anniversary this year? In “Barack Stars,” Chicago’s favorite son is given his satiric due, with an economy on the ropes and maybe just a touch of swine flu for good measure. Perfecting the art of comedy revue with sketches, songs and a little improvisation, The Second City storms the Capital City to tackle partisanship, the politics of race, a terrifyingly tiny Rahm Emanuel and a host of other headline-grabbing personalities.
Where: Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D St. NW
When: Through Feb. 21; see Web site for dates and times
Info: $45; 202-393-3939; woollymammoth.net
