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.

The Bloody Mary at Cafe Saint-Ex. Photograph by Flickr user Jenn Larsen.

In this town, plenty of people have roots in either New York or Boston (or a seething hatred of at least one of those cities’ football teams). But even if you don’t belong to one of those camps, you’ll likely be watching the big game this Sunday. We’ve rounded up some great area bars offering special Super Bowl deals on drinks and food to ensure that no matter what the final score is, you (and your wallet) will come out a winner.

Did we forget your favorite spot? Let us know by leaving a comment.

Washington

Blue Banana will open two hours before kickoff and serve $12 Yuengling and Miller Lite pitchers and other $15 pitchers, in addition to specialty cocktail discounts. The regular food menu will be bolstered by the PORC Mobile food truck, offering sloppy joes, mac and cheese, and other barbecue and tailgating favorites. Leave the kids at home; this party is open only to those 21 and over.

Hudson Restaurant and Lounge will have food specials such as apricot spicy wings, bacon-crusted fish sticks, and lobster or short rib sliders for $5. To help you wash them down, during each quarter of the game the restaurant will offer a different one of its new specialty cocktails for $6, plus happy hour drink prices all day.

Give her a rock that won’t fit on her finger with a trip to jaw-dropping Luray Caverns. Photograph by Flickr user david_jones.

You can spend any day of the year having dinner and a movie, but it’s the creative ideas that can make this Valentine’s Day one to remember. We rounded up some of our favorite spots to visit to commemorate this February 14.

Walk With the Animals

Take a walk on the wild side on February 11, when the National Zoo hosts its fourth annual “Woo at the Zoo,” which gives visitors the opportunity to educate themselves on the way animals court and cavort, in addition to enjoying refreshments, a cash bar, and the chance to decorate a dessert for that special someone. The discussions will be held in the Visitor Center at 4:30, 6:30, and 8:30 PM. Tickets ($11 for members, $22 for nonmembers) must be obtained for one discussion. Buy in person or online.

3001 Connecticut Ave., NW. Call 202-633-3040 for more information.

President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address in the House chamber at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 25, 2011. Official White House photograph by Lawrence Jackson.

The State of the Union may not be as big as the Super Bowl, but for many of this city’s politicos, it’s a close second. Whether you have to watch the speech for work or you just want to play a drinking game, we have a lot of options for the event, which begins at 9 tonight.

The Center for Global Development’s annual State of the Union bingo and viewing party will begin at Commissary at 8 PM. Although the guest list has reached capacity, interested parties can join the waiting list here.

The official Obama for America watch party, hosted in Shaw by Surafel Shiferaw, will run from 8 to 10:30 PM. For more information or to RSVP, click here.

The Women’s National Democratic Club party will offer pre-address cocktails (cash bar), discussion, and networking beginning at 7:30 at its offices (1526 New Hampshire Ave., NW). For more information or to RSVP, click here.

If you don’t want to plan ahead, several bars welcome drop-ins to watch the big event on their TVs.

Bullfeathers will show the address with sound, although no food or drink specials will be offered.

Busboys and Poets in Shirlington will host a viewing party and panel discussion, run by the Arlington Democrats, beginning at 8 PM and including as-yet-undetermined drink specials.

Capitol Lounge will broadcast the address with sound and will offer its regular Tuesday specials: $1 off all drinks and 25 cent wings while they last.

Lounge 201 will offer special $4 red and blue martinis during the address, which will play on the many flat-screen TVs with full audio.

Union Pub will offer State of the Union–themed specialty cocktails in addition to the regular Tuesday specials: $12 Bud Light pitchers, $4 small-batch bourbons, and $5 Vintage 50 microbrews. Union will also play the address with sound on its 18 flat-screen TVs and one 5-foot projection screen.

Ventnor Sports Cafe will host its seventh annual watch party, featuring $1 Jell-O shots and no cover.

A table set up by Simply Chic Events, a participating vendor in this year’s Unveiled bridal showcase. Photograph by Rodney Bailey.

Thursday, January 19

MUSIC: Pianist Ingrid Fliter joins the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. The program will feature works by Glanert, Schumann, and Mozart. Tickets ($20 to $85) can be purchased through the KenCen’s website. 7 PM. The show runs through January 21.

THEATER: If you haven’t already, catch a showing of Time Stands Still at Studio Theatre. Written by Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies, the drama follows an injured photojournalist’s struggle with returning home from Iraq. “The naturalistic drama of  Time Stands Still can be absorbing, and as an example of contemporary drama, the first act is impressively rendered,” says arts editor Sophie Gilbert. Read the full review here. Tickets ($35 to $69) can be purchased through the theater’s website. 8 PM. The play runs through February 12.

PARTY: Public is celebrating the launch of its new music series, Public Rocks, with a concert by ’90s cover band White Ford Bronco. Drink specials, including $4 Star Hill Beer and $7 Ketel One Oranje cocktails, will be available. Tickets ($5) can be purchased at the door. 9 to 11 PM.

Violinist Leila Josefowicz performs at the Kennedy Center Thursday. Photograph by J. Henry Fair.

Thursday, January 12

FILM: The Alliance Française of Washington will host of screening of L’Illusionniste (The Illusionist) at Letelier Theatre. The film won Best Animated Feature at the 2011 César Awards and the Best Animated Film at the 2010 New York Film Critics Circle. The movie will be shown in French with English subtitles. Tickets ($9) can be reserved through the event’s Web site. 7 PM.

MUSIC: Jammin Java’s Mid-Atlantic Band Battle returns with more than 25 bands. Tonight’s performers include Classified Frequency, Adam in America, Shoot the Radio, Buster Brown and the Get Down, the Greater the Risk, Madrone, and TheRuinCity. Tickets ($10) can be purchased through the club’s Web site. 7:30 PM.

Violinist Leila Josefowicz joins the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. Josefowicz, who made her Carnegie Hall debut at 17, will perform Mackey’s Beautiful Passing. Tickets ($20 to $85) can be purchased through the KenCen’s Web site. 7 PM. The show runs through January 14.

HAPPY HOUR: Brightest Young Things and the Kennedy Center are gearing up for the upcoming production of La Cage aux Folles with a free happy hour at Lost Society. Enjoy drink specials, ticket giveaways, a “kissing photo booth,” music by DJ Cale, and more. Guests must RSVP through Eventbrite. 6 PM to 9 PM.

KID-FRIENDLY: Young adult author Christopher Paul Curtis will sign copies of his new novel, The Mighty Miss Malone, at Politics and Prose. Curtis won a Newbery Award for The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963. Free. 10:30 AM.

Pulitzer Prize nominee Donna Britt. Photograph courtesy of the author’s Web site.

Wednesday, January 11

MUSIC: Bassist and producer Antone “Chooky” Caldwell is performing at Blues Alley tonight. The Grammy nominee has provided musical support for Mariah Carey,will.i.am, Snoop Dogg, and the Pussycat Dolls, to name a few. Tickets ($20) can be purchased through the club’s Web site. 8 and 10 PM. 

BEER: Old Town’s RedRocks Pizza is whipping up a seven-course Allagash beer dinner. The spread features a charcuterie plate, wood-roasted sea scallop salad, wood-fired eggplant Parmesan, gulf shrimp, lamb meatballs, a cheese pairing, and panna cotta. Each course will be paired with an Allagash brew. Tickets ($50) can be reserved by calling 703-717-9873. 6:30 to 9:30 PM. 

BOOKS: Former Washington Post columnist Donna Britt will sign copies of her new memoir, Brothers (and Me), at Politics and Prose. The journalist was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1990. Free. 7 PM. 

Strategist and president of Genuine Insights Gina Rudan will discuss her new self-help book, Practical Genius, at the Downtown Barnes and Noble. A signing will follow. Free. 6:30 PM.

COMEDY: Funnyman Todd Rexx brings his standup routine to the Riot Act. The Maryland native has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, HBO’s Def Comedy Jam All-Stars, VH1’s Baggin’, and more. Tickets ($15) can be purchased through the club’s Web site. 8:30 PM.