MONDAY, JANUARY 6
COMEDY Ease into the first full work week of 2020 with The Comedy Shuffle at the Bier Baron. On the surface, this is an open mic night where anyone can sign up for a 3-5 minute slot. But there’s more: an experienced comic will also be on stage, poised to interrupt and add to the comic value of the jokes that fall flat. The Comedy Shuffle runs every Monday night. Free, 8 PM.
THEATER Hear a staged reading of a new play at Keegan Theatre and stick around afterwards for a post-show discussion as part of Keegan’s Boiler Room Series. This month’s selection, To Saints and Stars, is set on the first manned mission to Mars, with themes of friendship, science, and faith. Free, 7:30 PM.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 7
BOOKS Work on abating your anxiety with guidance from author/therapist Kathleen Smith, whose new book Everything Isn’t Terrible will help you find calm in the most stressful of times and situations. Smith will speak about how we can all achieve a less anxious lifestyle at East City Bookshop. Free, 6:30 PM.
MUSIC Signature Theatre highlights the music of Frank Sinatra with the songs that Ol’ Blue Eyes used to croon. Hear his classic tunes “The Way You Look Tonight,” “My Way,” and “Fly Me To the Moon.” Through January 18. $38.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8
FILM The 2019 film Lost Holiday follows a Christmas trip home for a young woman whose unpleasant run-in with an ex leads her and her pal to score some drugs, then to try to solve the kidnapping of a socialite. The whole story is set in DC, which makes sense since the writers/directors Michael and Thomas Matthews grew up locally with parents Chris Matthews (Hardball) and Kathleen Matthews (former WJLA reporter). The film will screen on Wednesday at the Avalon; Michael and Thomas Matthews will host a Q&A afterwards. $13, 8 PM.
MUSIC The National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington Chorus will perform video game music at the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall. The program will include the music of World of Warcraft, Diablo, and more, performed with a backdrop of in-game videos and concept art. Get hands-on in the lobby before and after the show (and at intermission!) with arcade games such as Street Fighter 2 and Donkey Kong. $29-$89, 8 PM.
