Best Music
1. “America’s National Parks: Through the Artist’s Lens, Volume 2,” a Discovery Series presentation of operatic selections paired with photographs of the country’s most beautiful places.
Where: The Barns of Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Info: $35; 877-965-3872; wolftrap.org
2. La Pasion Flamenca performed by Mexico’s Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana company, an evening of Spanish dance with Andalusian folk music, solos, duet and company dances.
Where: Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda
When: 8 p.m. Thursday
Info: $25 to $55; 301-581-5100; Preconcert Valentine’s Dinner, 6 to 7:15 p.m., $69; Reservations: 301-581-5253; strathmore.com.
3. Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: Marin Alsop conducts Wagner’s “Walkure” with guest soloists.
Where: Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda
When: 8 p.m. Feb. 16
Info: $31 to $91; 877-BSO-1444; bso.org
4. New Sounds from Arab Lands: Five performer-composer-improvisers from Syria, Tunisia and Lebanon create new music inspired by their culture and played on Middle Eastern and Western instruments.
Where: Freer Gallery of Art, Meyer Auditorium, 1050 Independence Ave. SW
Info: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Info: Free; 202-633-1000
5. John Eaton: The legendary jazz pianist and vocalist presents “A Salute to the One-Hit Wonders of American Popular Music” following the release of his latest album, “The American Popular Song: The Classical Connection Volume 6, Vernon Duke & Kurt Weill.”
Where: The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Info: $25; 877-965-3872; wolftrap.org
Best Brainfood
1. “Angels, Demons and Savages: A Valentine’s Trilogy”: Choreographed by Christopher K. Morgan, Robert Priore and Lorraine Spiegler, this production demonstrates the parts people play in relationships. The show is divided into a series of vignettes inspired by the works of Jackson Pollock, Jean Dubuffet and Alfonso Ossorio.
Where: Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW
When: 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday
Info: $20; 202-387-2151; phillipscollection.org
2. “56 Up”: From director Michael Apted comes the latest installment of his series (started in 1964) documenting the lives of a group of children as they grow into middle age. Revisit cast members including Bruce Balden, Andrew Brackfield, Peter Davies and others to see how their lives have changed over the past seven years.
Where: Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW
When: Friday
Info: $8 to $11; 202-454-7672
3. Enslaved Women of Darnell’s Chance Tours: Learn about the African-American women who lived at Darnall’s Chance.
Where: Darnall’s Chance House Museum, 12800 Governor Oden Bowie Drive, Upper Marlboro
When: 1 to 3 p.m. Friday
Info: Free; 201-952-8010; pgparks.com
4. “The Skin of Our Teeth”: Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama follows an American family as it endures a multitude of hardships.
Where: American University, 4200 Wisconsin Ave. NW
When: Thursday through Saturday
Info: $10 to $15; 202-885-2587; american.edu
5. Tango-orkesteri Unto: The key ingredients of the Finnish tango are longing and passion. Six virtuosos led by pianist-arranger Timo Alakotila salute the classic Finnish tango repertoire with their freshly nuanced and powerful renditions of works by Unto Mononen and Toivo Karki, the most prominent composers of the genre.
Where: Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, 2700 F St. NW
When: 6 p.m. Feb. 20
Info: Free; 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org
Best Outdoors
1. Adventures in Snow Tubing: If you like to sled, you’ll love snow tubing! Just hop in the tube and hook on to the rope tow that will take you up to the top. With nine tube shoots, designated helpers and its own snow-making and grooming machines, this snow tubing event will be one winter attraction you don’t want to miss!
Where: 13805 Blairs Valley Road, Mercersberg
When: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday
Info: $55; 301-519-8030; thingstododc.com
2. Hanssen Spy Talk: Adults. The infamous spy and traitor Robert Hanssen worked in secrecy all around Washington for years before being discovered. Some of those clandestine affairs were conducted in the woods of Long Branch Nature Center. Celebrate the anniversary of his capture and learn the dramatic story of this notorious spy and his eventual downfall and arrest. For information, call 703-228-6535.
Where: Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S. Carlin Springs Road, Arlington
When: 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday
Info: Registration necessary: 703-228-4747; program No. 622943-O
3. Go Skating at the National Gallery! View magnificent works of sculpture while skating in the open air and enjoying music from the state-of-the-art sound system.
Where: National Gallery, Ninth and Constitution avenues Northwest
When: Sunday through Saturday
Info: $7 to $8; 202-216-9397; nga.gov
4. Visit the Big Chair: The chair, a 19.5 foot tall replica of a Duncan Phyfe model chair, wasbuilt in 1959 by the Virginia-based Bassett Furniture company for Curtis Brothers Furniture as a promotional ployafter being conceived as a way to draw customers to the family’s furniture showroom.
Where: V Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE
When: Any day
Info: Free
5. Key Chain Loop: C & O Canal, Key and Chain Bridges, Potomac Heritage Trail: A 9.6-mile loop. See website for directions to Mile 0 for the C & O Canal. From there, continue up and across the Rock Creek bridge to the C & O Canal trail in Georgetown. Follow the trail for 4.2 miles to the Chain Bridge. Cross the Chain Bridge and the next small bridge. After that, Potomac Heritage Trail is immediately on your right. Turn and go under the bridge, heading south. Follow the blue blazes carefully. For hikers and dogs.
Where: McLean
When: Any day
Info: Free; 703-289-2500; localhikes.com
Best Family
1. “Marionetas de la Esquina: Sleeping Beauty Dreams”: Mexico’s Marionetas de la Esquina, a puppet theater company, has entertained children since 1975. For ages 5 and up.
Where: Kennedy Center, Family Theater, 2700 F St. NW
When: Saturday and Sunday
Info: $18; 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org
2. “Little Red and the 3 Pigs”: This tongue-in-cheek version of two children’s favorites uses humorand music to explore our fear of things we don’t understand.
Where: The Puppet Co., 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo
When: Thursday through March 10
Info: $10; 301-634-5380; thepuppetco.org
3. “Scooby-Doo Live! Musical Mysteries”: Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang have been called in to help solve an epic mystery in Washington.A trouble-making ghost is haunting a local theater and Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, Velma and Scooby-Doo are on their way in the Mystery Machine to help solve it!
Where: Warner Theater, 513 13th St. NW
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Info: $25 to $75; 800-551-7328; livenation.com
4. Sneak A Peek: Children 6 and up. Are you curious about what’s behind the scenes? So are scientists! We’ll try out some ways naturalists spy into the secrets of the natural world, from night vision goggles to observation hives. And we’ll explore some of the center’s secret spaces too. Haven’t you always wondered where that little door goes? For more information: 703-228-3403.
Where: Gulf Branch Nature Center, 3608 Military Road, Arlington
When: 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday
Info: $5; Registration necessary: 703-228-4747; program No. 622853-I
5. Winter Snoozers: What to do when the cold weather arrives? Some animals go south while others grow a winter coat, but a few go to bed and snooze the winter away. Find out what animals snooze while we shiver. For ages 3 to 5 years.
Where: Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S. Carlin Springs Road, Arlington
When: 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Friday
Info: Registration necessary: 703-228-4747; program No. 622913-W
Best Gatherings
1. “Proof of Guilt: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery”: In the latest Ian Rutledge mystery by Caroline and Charles Todd, the mother-and-son writing team, the Scotland Yard detective must discover not only why a man was killed and left on a London road, but who he was. As his investigation narrows in on a family of Madeira wine merchants, Rutledge faces opposition from his new supervisor — and possibly worse from parties unknown.
Where: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Info: Free; 202-364-1919; politics-prose.org
2. “The Minotaur”: Rorschach Theatre and Atlanta-based Synchronicity Theatre team up for this world premiere by playwright Anna Ziegler.
Where: Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE
When: Through Sunday
Info: $15 to $30; 202-399-7993; atlasarts.org
3. “L’Amour (love, baby)”: From three of today’s most exciting choreographers come stories about the many aspects of love.”Dangerous Liaisons”is a high stakes game of opulent lust, passion and betrayal. Elaine Kudo’s”Opposites Distract” intertwines ballet and salsa to form a medley love affair. “Under Covers” delves into modern-day love, set to the music of the ’60s and ’70s.
Where: Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW
When: Through Sunday
Info: $43 to $87; 202-547-1122 ; shakespearetheatre.org
4. “Twelfth Night”: Perchance to Dream Theatre sets Shakespeare’s love triangle in an early-’30s circus.
Where: The Shop at Fort Fringe, 607 New York Ave. NW
When: Through Sunday
Info: $10 to $15; 866-811-4111; capfringe.org
5. Christylez Bacon, Nistha Raj, and Wytold: The trio fuses traditional elements of hip-hop such as human beatbox, rhyming and storytelling with Indian classical and post-Western classical music.
Where: Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW
When: 6 p.m. Monday
Info: Free; 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org
Best Theater
1. “The Convert”: OBIE Award-winning playwright Danai Gurira returns to Woolly with her play set in 1895 amid the colonial scramble for Southern Africa. The play follows Jekesai, a young girl who escapes village life and a forced marriage arrangement. However, as anti-colonial sentiments rise to a boiling point, Jekesai must choose between her new European God and the spirits of her ancestors.
Where: Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW
When: Through March 10
Info: $40 to $67.50; 202-393-3939; woollymammoth.net
2. “La Casa de los Espirtus/The House of the Spirits”: Based on Isabel Allende’s best-selling novel, this epic story of the Trueba family traces the post-colonial social and political upheavals of an unspecified Latin American country. This tale of magical realism that speaks to passion, human rights and reconcilation.
Where: GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW
When: Through March 10
Info: 202-234-7174; galatheatre.org
3. “Sexo, Pudor y Lagrimas” (“Sex, Shame and Tears”): This humorous, passionate play by Mexican playwright Antonio Serrano takes a provocative look at infidelity and its consequences, separations and reconciliations, and all that emerges in the desperate search for love.
Where: Teatro de la Luna, Gunston Arts Center, 3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive, Arlington
When: Through March 9
Info: $25 to $35; 703-548-3092; teatrodelaluna.org
4. “Canterbury”: Always proud to present unabashed puppet shows for D.C. audiences, the Pointless Theatre Company opens its 2012-2013 season with an original adaptation of Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales.” Told through the eyes of erratic and animated medieval drunkard, the tales combine messages of love, sex, honor and religion told from various socio-economic points of view.
Where: Flashpoint, 916 G St. NW
When: Through March 9
Info: $15 to $20; 202-315-1305; culturaldc.org
5. “LEO: An anti-gravity show”: “LEO” is a surreal work that challenges the senses and tests perceptions of reality. The newest creation of the innovative Berlin-based production company Circle of Eleven, LEO leaves audiences wondering which way is up and which way is down.
Where: Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington
When: Friday and Saturday
Info: $25 to $30; 703-875-1100; artisphere.org
Best Galleries
1. Faking It: Manipulated Photography Before Photoshop: Fictionalizing photography didn’t come in with desktop publishing — it just became much easier to pull off. This thrilling exhibition of analog photo-manipulation was organized by New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and features 200 examples from the likes of Gustave Le Gray, Weegee and Richard Avedon of images mussed with in-camera or in the darkroom circa 1840-1980.
Where: National Gallery of Art, West Building, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW
When: Sunday through May 5
Info: Free; 202-737-4215; nga.gov
2. Adaptation: A trio of site-specific works: Victoria Greising turns donated clothes into webbed structures. Lisa Kellner’s installations are constructed from hundreds of sewn and painted silk pods. Caitlin Masley’s hanging foam-core pieces force the viewer to consider how they violate received notions of “personal” space.
Where: Project 4 Gallery, 1353 U St. NW, Suite 302
When: Friday through March 9
Info: Free; 202-232-4340; project4gallery.com
3. On Common Ground: Dominican Republic and Haiti: A survey of contemporary work by the emerging artist of Hispaniola, the island shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Where: Art Museum of the Americas, 201 18th St. NW
When: Through May 26
Info: Free; 202-458-6016; museum.oas.org
4. Mason Saltarrelli: Golden Cacti: New York artist Mason Saltarrelli inaugurates Randall Scott’s new permanent D.C. exhibition space with this bold assemblage of paintings-on-paper that consider the way religious and tribal iconography continues to influence modern ways of seeing and thinking.
Where: Randall Scott Projects, 1326 H St. NE, second floor
When: Through March 9
Info: Free; 202-417-4872; randallscottprojects.com
5. The Soul of the City: This collection of street photography from the collective InstantDC reveals familiar elements of D.C. from unfamiliar and revelatory angles.
Where: The Gallery at Vivid Solutions, 2208 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE
When: Through Feb. 22
Info: Free; 202-758-0339; vividsolutionsdc.com/gallery
