Baritone Matthew Worth as Oprhée and soprano Sara Jakubiak as Eurydice in the Virginia Opera’s production of Orphée. Photograph by David A. Beloff.

This weekend offers the opportunity to see a rarely staged work by a seminal contemporary American composer. Philip Glass’s beguiling opera Orphée is currently in the repertory of the Virginia Opera, and conductor Steven Jarvi leads two performances at George Mason’s Center for the Arts—tonight and February 12—with baritone Matthew Worth as Orphée, soprano Sara Jakubiak as Eurydice, soprano Heather Buck as La Princesse, and tenor Jeffrey Lentz as Heurtebise. Sam Helfrich directs.

Glass’s opera is the latest in a long line of musical works depicting the Orpheus myth, though the composer’s inspiration is actually a film: Jean Cocteau’s 1950 classic Orphée. The opera’s libretto is a slightly condensed version of Cocteau’s script, which portrays Orphée as a poet in post–World War II Paris, a popular artist adored by the public but despised by the younger crowd of Left Bank, avant-garde writers. What sets Cocteau’s film (and Glass’s opera) apart from any number of Orpheus stories is that Orphée’s great love is not Eurydice (as is the case in Greek mythology), but La Princesse, or Death. When Eurydice dies, Orphée journeys to the Underworld, ostensibly to bring his wife back, but really to seek out the Princess. Only through her, Orphée believes, will he create a lasting work of art; his pursuit of her is both a longing for death and a quest for immortality.

The Max Levine Ensemble appear at Black Cat tonight. Photograph courtesy of the band’s Flickr page.

Thursday, February 9

When he’s not busy throwing underground punk shows at houses around the city, David “Spoonboy” Combs plays with his own band, the Max Levine Ensemble. One of the rare DC bands to stick around, they play hard-hitting pop punk driven by Combs’s nasally voice. Tonight they move out of the basements to Black Cat’s backstage, where they’re regulars.

Doors at 8 PM at Black Cat, $8.

All Things Go’s concert series, All Things Gold, can always be relied on to promote catchy bands and acts you’ve never heard of. Tonight, they’ll bring Minneapolis-based DJ Gigamesh to U Street Music Hall—his dancey remixes regularly top sites like Hype Machine. Opening is Summer Camp, a duo that fans of Cults or Best Coast will appreciate.

Doors at 9 PM at U Street Music Hall, $13.

Violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and pianist Brian Ganz come to Washington this weekend. Photograph of Salerno-Sonnenberg by Christian Steiner; photograph of Ganz courtesy of the artist’s website.

Be sure to check out our Valentine's Day guides for couples and singles. Some events start this weekend.

Thursday, February 9

MUSIC: Violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg joins the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. The concert will feature Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9. Tickets ($20 to $85) can be purchased through the KenCen’s website. 7 PM. The show runs through February 11.

FILM: The Smithsonian American Art Museum hosts a free screening of Modern Times in the Kogod Courtyard. In the 1936 comedy, Charlie Chaplin falls in love with an orphan girl. Food and beverages will be available for purchase in the Courtyard Cafe. 7 to 8:30 PM.

THEATER: Synetic Theater’s new work, Genesis Reboot, opens tonight. Written and directed by Ben Cunis, the show takes a fresh look at the creation story. A limited number of $10 tickets are available for this performance only through the box office; regular-price tickets ($45 to $55) can be purchased through the theater’s website. 8 PM. The show runs though March 4.

Catch a preview of WSC Avant Bard’s Les Justes tonight at the Artisphere. Based on true events, the 1950 drama follows a group of Russian revolutionaries. Tickets for tonight’s performance are pay what you can; tickets for future showings ($25 to $35) can be purchased through the theater’s website. 7:30 PM. The play runs through March 11.

Reggae stars Toots and the Maytals play the 9:30 Club on March 19. Image courtesy of the artist’s website.

Jamaican reggae favorites Toots and the Maytals will be playing at the 9:30 Club on Monday, March 19. They are known for their “unique fusion of gospel, ska, soul, reggae, and rock,” according to NPR. Tickets ($26) are on sale now through Ticketfly.

As our own Sophie Gilbert noted yesterday, Madonna will play her first performance in the Washington area since 2004 on Sunday, September 23. She comes to the Verizon Center to promote her upcoming album, MDNA. Tickets ($48 to $358) go on sale Monday, February 13, at 10 AM through Ticketmaster.

Dayglow: World’s Largest Paint Party first appeared in 2006 on college campuses across Florida. The aptly named colorfest will stop by the RFK Stadium Grounds on Saturday, April 14, and will feature deejays, aerial acts, fire shows, and the cannon-fired (and innuendo-laden) “paint blast.” As of 10 AM today, February 8, tickets ($56.25) are on sale through Ticketmaster.

Fatboy Slim comes to the 9:30 Club on Friday, March 23. He released his last album, Here Lies Love, a collaboration with David Byrne, in 2010. Tickets ($45) are on sale now through Ticketfly.

Singer-songwriter Meklit Hadero. Photograph by Rus Anson.

Wednesday, February 8

Singer-songwriter Meklit Hadero performs at the Artisphere tonight. “Hadero’s sound is a unique blend of jazz, Ethiopia, the San Francisco art scene, and visceral poetry; it paints pictures in your head as you listen,” says NPR. Tickets can be purchased online for $15 or at the door for $18. 8 PM.

MUSIC: Indie pop group Veronica Falls are dropping by the Black Cat. Their self-titled debut was released in September of last year; listen to some of their songs here. The London natives will be joined by Brilliant Colors. Tickets ($10) can be purchased online. Doors open at 8 PM.

WINE: The Capital Wine Festival returns to the Fairfax with a Heitz Wine Cellars dinner. The four-course spread includes pan-seared crabcake, wild mushroom risotto, mint-glazed lamb chops, and black cherry crème brûlée. Each course will be paired with a Heitz wine. Tickets ($125) can be purchased through the event’s website. 7 PM.

SHOPPING: The Crystal Couture Show and Sale returns with discounted offerings from more than 30 boutiques. In addition to savings up to 50 percent, shoppers can enjoy fashion shows, complimentary drinks, hair and makeup consultations, music by DJ Neekola, and more. The sale runs through February 11.

Photograph by Flickr user Karen Blue.

If, like us, you were slightly disappointed that Madonna didn’t do anything more outré or controversial at the Super Bowl on Sunday, console yourself—never one to shy away from free publicity, this morning the artist announced she’ll be coming to Washington’s Verizon Center September 23. It’s the first local gig in more than eight years for Madonna, who hasn’t performed here since her Re-Invention tour stopped at what was then the MCI Center in 2004.

So what can we expect from Madge on the heels of her new album, MDNA? Who knows? On her last world outing, the Sticky & Sweet Tour, Madonna divided her show into four acts: Pimp, Old School, Gypsy, and Rave, alternately sitting in an M-shaped throne surrounded by dancers in bondage wear, skipping rope, and (shudder) even playing the guitar. She also caused controversy (naturally) by including a video montage that compared John McCain to Hitler and Barack Obama to Gandhi, and dedicating a performance of “Like a Virgin” to Pope Benedict XVI.

But despite (because of?) a few headlines, the Sticky & Sweet tour grossed upward of $400 million, the highest amount ever for a solo artist, and it’s safe to assume her new one will probably sell out fairly quickly (especially if Bruce Springsteen’s Verizon Center show is anything to go by). Tickets go on sale February 13 at 10 AM through Ticketmaster, so we recommend you stay by a computer Monday morning if you’re dying to see the Queen of Pop.

David Selby and Craig Wallace star in Necessary Sacrifices. Photograph by T. Charles Erickson.

Tuesday, February 7

THEATER: If you haven’t already, head to Ford’s Theatre for a showing of Necessary Sacrifices. Richard Hellesen’s drama chronicles two documented meetings between Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. “The spirited conversations in which they engage evoke a fly-on-the-wall quality, giving the audience the sense of truly eavesdropping on history as it’s being made,” says arts writer Jane Horwitz. Read the full review here. Tickets ($25 to $50) can be purchased through the theater’s website. 7:30 PM. The play runs through February 18.

MUSIC: Self-proclaimed “death gospel” singer Adam Arcuragi and the Lupine Chorale Society are dropping by the Iota Club and Cafe. “With his poetic preaching and rousing choruses, Arcuragi crafts songs of community, with music that binds,” says NPR. Arcuragi will be joined by Jukebox Serenade. Tickets ($12) can be purchased at the door. 8:30 PM.

The Levine School of Music’s Virginia Big Band give a free performance at the Kennedy Center. The jazz ensemble have performed at the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival and Taste of Arlington. 6 PM.

COMEDY: The Washington DC Comedy Writers Group presents a comedy showcase at the Riot Act. The performance will feature a fake psychic reading, standup acts from local comedians, a series of short films, improv, and more. Tickets ($10) can be purchased through the theater’s website. 8:30 PM.