Rapper T.I. returns to Washington for the first time in three years this Saturday. Photograph courtesy of the artist’s website.
Thursday, February 16
THEATER: Forum Theatre’s staging of The Language Archive opens tonight. Written by Julia Cho, the comedy is about a talented linguist’s deteriorating personal life. Cho won the 2010 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, an award for women playwrights. Tickets ($25) can be purchased through the theater’s website. The show runs though March 10.
MUSIC: Violinist Benjamin Beilman and pianist Yekwon Sunyoo perform at the Kennedy Center. Beilman won first prize in the 2010 Young Concert Artists International Auditions. The concert will feature works by Mozart, Strauss, Prokofiev, and more. Tickets ($24) can be purchased through the KenCen’s website. 7:30 PM.
FUNDRAISER: Help raise money for Washington’s furry friends during Hudson’s Valentine’s Day Singles Afterparty and Date Auction. Guests can enjoy palm readings, music by DJ Eskay, complimentary appetizers from 7 to 8 PM, $5 cocktails, and a date auction featuring some of the city’s top bachelors and bachelorettes. Proceeds will benefit the Washington Humane Society. Donations ($10 minimum) can be made at the door. 7 to 10 PM.
DRINKS: Express Night Out’s monthly happy hour returns to Policy with several food and drink specials—including $3 Blue Moons and Miller Lights, $4 Bacardi Superior drinks, and half-price appetizers. Admission is free. 5 to 9 PM.
Friday, February 17
FILM: As part of the Iranian Film Festival, the Freer gallery hosts a free screening of Here Without Me. In Bahram Tavakoli’s adaptation of Tennessee Williams’s play The Glass Menagerie, an overbearing mother tries to find a suitor for her disabled daughter. Free. 7 PM.
MUSIC: The Strathmore’s Discover Ellington festival continues with performances by bassist Karine Chapdelaine and pianist Bob Sykes. Tickets can be purchased online for $15 or at the door for $20. 7 PM. The celebration, which runs through February 20, includes live performances, panel discussions, and interactive workshops.
THEATER: If you haven’t already, head to the Artisphere for a showing of WSC Avant Bard’s Les Justes. Based on true events, the 1950 drama follows a group of Russian revolutionaries. “ Les Justes takes an unflinching look at the kind of people who value their principles above all else, for whom the ends justify the means,” says arts writer Missy Frederick. Read the full review here. Tickets ($25 to $35) can be purchased through the theater’s website. 7:30 PM. The play runs through March 11.
Saturday, February 18
KID-FRIENDLY: Bring the whole family to the National Building Museum’s Discover Engineering Family Day. Guests of all ages can build mini suspension bridges, create their own slime, learn about aerodynamics, and much more. The event is free, although a $5 donation is suggested. 10 AM to 4:30 PM.
MUSIC: Rapper T.I. returns to Washington for the first time in three years with a performance at Love Nightclub. The megastar has collaborated with everyone from Kanye West and Jay-Z to Rihanna and Justin Timberlake. Tickets ($30 to $60) can be purchased online here. 9 PM.
Violinist Julia Fischer plays a show at Sixth and I Historic Synagogue. The German performer was named Artist of the Year at the 2007 Gramophone Awards and Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2009 MIDEM Classical Awards. The program will include works by Mozart, Schubert, Debussy, and Saint-Saens. Tickets ($40) can be purchased through Ticketmaster. 8 PM.
Deejay/producer Aeroplane is dropping by U Street Music Hall. The Belgian native will be joined by Cassian and DJ Provoke. You can listen to some of his mixes here. Tickets ($10) can be purchased through Ticketfly. 10 PM.
Sunday, February 19
BEER: Dupont’s Pizzeria Paradiso is serving up more than 20 rotating drafts and casks for its President’s Day Barleywine Bash. Today’s lineup includes Flying Dog’s Horndog on draft, Heavy Seas Bourbon Barrel Aged Below Decks from the beer engine, and JW Lees 2010 Harvest Ale from wooden gravity-fed kegs, to name a few. The bash runs through February 20.
MUSIC: Rock singer Peter Frampton brings his Come Alive! tour to the Warner Theatre. The Grammy Award–winning artist is known for hits such as “Baby, I Love Your Way” and “Show Me the Way.” Tickets ($45 to $99) can be purchased through Live Nation. 8 PM.
KID-FRIENDLY: The Kennedy Center’s production of The Wings of Ikarus Jackson continues through February 23. Adapted from the children’s book Wings, the uplifting story is about a young boy who can fly. Tickets ($18) can be purchased through the KenCen’s website. 1:30 and 4 PM.
