Happy November, DC!
If you’re looking to plan ahead for this month’s cultural events, we’ve got you covered. Music stars Doja Cat, Rod Wave, and many others are heading to town for live shows, and major artists such as Simone Leigh and Mark Rothko present works at area art galleries. Also, a ton of holiday experiences are opening for the season. Here’s a preview of what to expect:
10 Best Things to Do in DC
by Pat Padua
Museums
Simone Leigh
November 3–March 3
Hirshhorn Museum
The Chicago-born sculptor follows her triumphant installation at last year’s Venice Biennale with this survey that spans 20 years of challenging work. The exhibit includes part of “Sovereignty,” the Biennale piece, which features a thatched structure echoing the 1931 Colonial Exposition in Paris–and questions the very idea of an international art fair.
Circus
Air Play
November 11
Strathmore
What if clowns could fly? Seth Bloom and Christina Gelsone, seasoned clowns who met at a circus in Afghanistan, worked with kinetic sculptor Daniel Wurtzel to develop this soaring performance in the air.
Books
Emily Wilson’s Translation of The Iliad
November 11
Politics and Prose (Connecticut Avenue)
When was the last time classical Greek poetry went viral? Wilson’s new translation of The Iliad set off an unusual social-media controversy, so whether you think she honors the spirit of Homer or distorts ancient literature through a modern lens, this event is sure to spark spirited debate in scholarly households.
Music
Bouncing Off the Walls: Music and Architecture
November 16
Kennedy Center
Guest-curated by Washington Post critic Philip Kennicott, this intriguing event–put on by the adventurous local PostClassical Ensemble–offers pieces composed by Beethoven, Haydn, Anton Webern, and others, all of which have some connection to architecture.
Music
Michael Tilson Thomas and the National Symphony Orchestra
November 16 and 18
Kennedy Center
Despite being diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in 2021, the renowned conductor seems as busy as ever. Thomas returns to the Kennedy Center to conduct a piece by African American composer Olly Wilson, Arnold Schoenberg’s orchestration of Brahms’s Piano Quartet, and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 12, featuring the NSO debut of pianist Orion Weiss.
Museums
“Whistler: Streetscapes, Urban Change”
November 18–May 4
Freer Gallery of Art
The museum’s collection of work by James McNeill Whistler is so vast that this new exhibit includes pieces that have never been shown to the public. Whistler’s images of streetscapes in old European cities–many of the buildings captured just before they were torn down to make way for new structures–resonate in this time of rapid urban change.
Film/Music
Kishi Bashi
November 19
Lincoln Theatre
Georgia-based musician Kaoru Ishibashi, who performs as Kishi Bashi, has created a hybrid “song-film,” which will screen here, followed by a live performance. Its title, Omoiyari, is a Japanese word that loosely translates to “compassion,” and the project examines the camps where Japanese Americans were imprisoned during World War II.
Museums
“Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper”
November 19–March 31
National Gallery of Art
Best known for his monumental meditations on canvas, Rothko also made almost 1,000 works on paper, some as towering as his defining abstractions. The NGA will exhibit more than 100 of these rarely seen pieces, from figurative watercolors to the luminous rectangles that are his signature.
Music
Doja Cat and Ice Spice
November 27
Capital One Arena
Doja Cat, born Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, is a Los Angeles rapper of Zulu descent who may be the only VMA award winner to have spent part of her childhood in jazz legend Alice Coltrane’s ecumenical ashram. With Bronx rapper Ice Spice, she’ll lead Gallery Place in a more danceable enlightenment.
Dance
Dorrance Dance: Nutcracker Suite
November 30–December 2
Kennedy Center
That pitter-patter you hear may not be Santa’s reindeer landing on the roof but the sound of sugarplum fairies tap-dancing. In 1960, Duke Ellington released a jazz version of the Tchaikovsky staple, and the New York tap company Dorrance Dance is using it as the basis for this unusual take–a “rhythmaturgical evocation” whose 60-word title is too long to fit in this space or under the tree.
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Want More Things to Do?
by Briana Thomas
Art and culture:
- Approximately 100 images by American photographer Dorothea Lange are on display in a new exhibition exploring the artist’s iconic portraits (Sun through March 31, 2024, free, National Gallery of Art).
- Emmy-award winning actor Henry Winkler discusses his memoir at Sixth & I (November 7, $12+, Northwest DC).
- Read a book, sip a cocktail, or do both at The Ven at Embassy Row with best-selling authors (November 8, free, Northwest DC).
- Sit in on a conversation with Anacostia Community Museum curator Rachel Seidman about Black women environmental activists (November 9, free, Anacostia).
- “Indigenous Futures” is the theme of this month’s National Gallery Nights after-hours party (November 9, free, but lottery closes Thurs, National Gallery of Art).
- View artist Georges Adéagbo’s mixed-media “Create to Free Yourselves” installation at National Museum of African Art (opens November 18, free, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art).
- Black trans activist and writer Raquel Willis chats about her new memoir The Risk It Takes to Bloom at Politics and Prose (November 21, free, Northwest DC).
- Rare Greek and Roman books that inspired the literatures of Shakespeare will be on view to the public in “Will’s World: European Literature in Shakespeare’s Time” (November 27 – December 29, free, National Gallery of Art).
Theater:
- Folger Theatre’s revival of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale is the first production at the company’s home theater in nearly four years (Sun through December 17, $20+, Southeast DC).
- This bilingual play narrates a story of international translation and Public Obscenities (November 13 through December 23, $46+, Penn Quarter).
- Ford’s Theatre’s seasonal classic A Christmas Carol returns this month (November 17 through December 31, $49+, Ford’s Theatre).
- Swept Away brings the Avett Brothers’ album Mignonette to life at Arena Stage (November 25 through December 30, $66+, Southwest).
Shows and performance:
- Superstar comedian and actor Adam Sandler leads a hilarious show at Capital One Arena (November 9, $72+, Capital One Arena).
- Michelle Wolf’s first DC show is sold out, but luckily there’s a second show for fans to snag a ticket (November 11, $29+, Lincoln Theatre).
- Guitarist José González hosts a film screening, conversation, and music performance for fans (November 13, $45+, Lincoln Theatre).
- Have an evening of music and conversation with Valerie June, Rachael Davis, Thao, and Yasmin Williams (November 15, $39+, Northwest DC).
- Emmy-winning actor Brett Goldstein is promising fans his stand-up show will be “The Second Best Night of Your Life” (November 16-18, $65+, DAR Constitution Hall and Warner Theatre).
- Laugh out loud with Sabrina Wu at DC Improv (November 17-19, $22, Downtown).
- Star-crossed lovers take the Kennedy Center stage in the Washington National Opera’s Romeo and Juliet (Sat through November 18, $45+, Kennedy Center).
- French guitarist Stephane Wrembel plays a unique traditional jazz sound at Strathmore (November 17, $28+, Bethesda).
- Sultry dancing, poetry, and music take the stage at The Sweet Spot Burlesque (November 19, $40, Howard Theatre).
Music:
- Electronic musician TALsounds releases a new album at Rhizome (Fri, $20+, Northwest DC).
- ’90s band Codeine plays at Black Cat (November 10, $25, Northwest DC).
- DC’s favorite hip-hop star Wale performs a homecoming show at the Kennedy Center (November 10, $55+, Kennedy Center).
- Hip-hop artist Rod Wave rhymes melancholy raps at Capital One Arena (November 12, $95+, Capital One Arena).
- Rising-star rapper Sexxy Red plans to crank up the energy at Fillmore Silver Spring; this show is sold out, but there’s resale tickets available (November 17, $65+, Silver Spring).
- Rapper Armand Hammer is live at Union Stage (November 18, $20+, Wharf).
- Bully’s rescheduled indie-rock show is this month at Black Cat (November 18, $20+, Northwest DC).
- Earl Sweatshirt and the Alchemist perform hits from their recent collaboration album (November 20, $60+, Silver Spring).
- Audiences can rock their hips at Lil Uzi Vert’s sold out DC show; resale tickets are available (November 21, $77+, Wharf).
- Contemporary artist Liz Phair celebrates 30 years of her iconic album Exile in Guyville; singer Blondshell will be there, too (November 25, $55+, Wharf).
- Virginia jazz and hip-hop group Butcher Brown perform funky tunes at The Atlantis (November 25, $22, U Street corridor).
- Rapper Benny The Butcher is throwing a birthday concert in DC (November 26, $35+, Howard Theatre).
- Lil Tjay brings his “Beat the Odds Tour” to Echostage (November 30, $51+, Northeast DC).
Holiday:
- Shop local goods and treats at the Downtown Holiday Market (November 17 through December 23, free, Downtown).
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is the TV theme of this year’s ICE! attraction at National Harbor (November 19 through December 31, $25+, National Harbor).
- Hillwood Museum is “Making Spirits Bright” this season with a special exhibition inspired by Christmas trees, “Glass: Art. Beauty. Design.” (November 21 through January 14, 2024, $18, Northwest DC).
- Zoo Lights brings dazzling decor to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo (select nights November 24 through December 30, $6, National Zoo).
- Enchant returns to DC with a giant light maze, dazzling outdoor decor, and a new light maze (November 24 through December 31, $32 for adults, $24 for juniors, Nationals Park).
- Journey through a family-friendly wonderland at LuminoCity Winter Light Festival (November 24 through January 15, 2024, $35+, Gaithersburg).
- Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Twas the Night Before holiday show rediscovers the magic of the season with acrobats and height-defying stunts (November 24 through December 3, $61+, Baltimore).
Things to do with kids:
- The Sculpture Garden Ice Rink reopens at National Gallery of Art (November 20, through March 3, 2024, $12 for adults, $10 for children under 12, National Gallery of Art).
- Kiddos will love this play adaptation of TV show Bluey (November 21-26, $29+, Kennedy Center).
- Don’t miss the circus while it’s in town (November 24-26, $23+, Baltimore).
A version of this article appears in the November 2023 issue of Washingtonian.
