News & Politics

Where & When Weekend

Our best picks for the weekend.

Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday 

Thursday, Feb. 22: Several local plays are ending their run on Friday; why not catch them right before they head out of town? The Passion of the Crawford (at the Studio Theatre), Orson's Shadow (at the Round House Theatre), and Into the Woods (at the Signature Theatre) will all be finishing up this weekend; you can read our reviews of those shows over in our Theater Reviews section.

Friday, Feb. 23: If you’re in the mood for some zany and colorful theater, check out the Georgetown production of Swimmy and Other Stories playing tonight and through the weekend at the Devine Studio Theatre on Georgetown’s campus (37th & O Streets, NW). An adaptation of collected children’s stories by author Leo Leoni, the play features such wacky elements as cardio belly-dancing characters, inflatable props, underwater video footage, and even live animals. 8 pm. Adults $12 , children $7. Call (202) 687-ARTS for more information.

Only $10 for a night with one of the city’s best bands at one of the city’s best venues? Yes, indeed. Middle Distance Runner takes over the 9:30 Club this evening to play its captivating and high-energy pop rock. With Dance Party. Doors open at 10 pm. And yes, the low, low price of $10 is for real.

If you’re a true chocolate lover, Valentine’s Day was just a stop along the way. Next up is the Ritz-Carlton’s (1150 22nd St. NW) Friday-night chocolate buffet. Starting at 7 pm and continuing for three hours, the Lobby Lounge offers up a complete buffet of chocolate treats. If you can’t make it this Friday, no worries—the event continues every Friday until March 30. $35 a person, with admission on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information call (202) 974-5566.

Saturday, Feb. 24: Saturday evening offers up a bevy of international options. French, Austrian, even (gasp) French-Canadian!—DC has it all. Start off the night upstairs at DC9 with the dance-party stylings of the DJs at Nouveau Riche. Okay—they’re not exactly French, but their name is close enough. And they certainly know how to get a dance party going on the floor. There’s no cover—and free Sparks—if you show up between 9 and 10 pm. After 10, the cover is $8.

Over at the Smithsonian, they’re transforming the S. Dillon Ripley Center (1100 Jefferson Dr., SW) into a swank techno club straight out of the streets of Montreal for Montreal Underground. Some of Montreal’s best DJs will be using the underground concourse to highlight emerging forms of electronic music. Translation? It’s going to be a crazy nightclub with dancing all night long. And to mark the 250th anniversary of the British, French, and Indian War, you can take in private viewings of of the painting exhibit “Clash of Empires: The British, French, and Indian Wars for North America, 1754-1763” in the International Gallery nearby. $30 for nonmembers; $25 for members of the Resident Associate Program. 9 pm to 1 am. Call (202) 357-3030 for more information.

If a glamorous Austrian affair is more your style, there’s the Viennese Ball at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (250 New York Avenue, NW). Sponsored by the International Club of DC, the ball requires white or black tie dress and will feature the European Orchestra of Washington. Know how to waltz? Here’s hoping you’ll have picked it up by the end of the night. (Or you could watch The Sound of Music 34 times or so before the event.) Tickets are $89-$140, and the evening starts at 8 pm. For more information and to order tickets, visit the International Club’s web site.

Sunday, Feb. 25: Want to catch the Oscars? Check out our complete Oscars events guide over here.

You may not be a celebrity, but the folks over at PR at Partners can help make you feel like one with one of their frequent Pretty Parties. They bring in a make-up expert and plenty of beauty products, ply you with champagne and chocolate, and let you ask all those burning beauty questions you've wanted to know the answers to for ages.  The event is free; email bonnie-love@prscene.com to be added to the list. The Pretty Party starts at 2 pm at  2033 K Street NW. Call (202) 862-3870 for more information.

Glamour and glitz not really your thing? Well, you’re in luck, because the polar opposite of the Oscars is taking place SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY! Yup, it’s time for Monster Jam Monster Truck Racing—dirt, dragways, and ridiculously enormous trucks crushing other vehicles. If that doesn’t sound like a good time, you’re clearly a lost cause. The truck races take place at 2 pm Sunday in Baltimore at the 1st Mariner Arena (201 W. Baltimore St.). Tickets are $20-$25. Call (410) 547-7328 to order and for more information.