Happy February, DC!
This month is full of celebrations. From Black History Month to Valentine’s Day, there’s a number of entertaining events to add to your Leap Month calendar.
10 Best Things to Do in DC
by Pat Padua
Music
Playboi Carti
February 1
Capital One Arena
The Atlanta rapper claims he spent three months of 2023 in a cave recording “chaotic and crazy” new material. But wherever he makes his music, his distinct mumble is as provocative as ever.
Dance
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
February 7
Kennedy Center
Legendary dancer Alvin Ailey died in 1989, but his legacy lives on in a company that features a blend of new talent and veterans. Among other pieces, they’ll perform the crowd-pleasing 1960 staple Revelations, which uses gospel and blues to express an emotional range that practically defines the human experience.
Music
Hilary Hahn and the National Symphony Orchestra
February 7–9
Kennedy Center
Leaning into what she calls the piece’s “grand gestures,” the renowned violinist will tackle Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s (what else?) Violin Concerto. Gianandrea Noseda and the NSO will then move to the even grander scale of Beethoven’s Third Symphony, a paean to revolution dubbed the “Eroica.”
Books
George Pelecanos
February 9
Politics and Prose (Connecticut Avenue)
The prolific author documents the less celebrated elements of his native DC, a town that seems to both inspire and frustrate him. He reads from his latest hard-boiled book, Owning Up, four novellas tied together by crime and humanity.
Museums
“The Anxious Eye: German Expressionism and Its Legacy”
February 11–May 27
National Gallery of Art
One would think that a century of acclimation to the distortions of German Expressionism would have made the movement’s nightmarish vision more palatable. But the art of masters like Otto Dix, Egon Schiele, and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (above) hasn’t lost the power to startle, and this exhibit–which includes prints, drawings, and other works–falls under an apt title indeed.
Books
Ed Zwick
February 14
Politics and Prose (Connecticut Avenue)
Tom Cruise. Julia Roberts. Denzel Washington. Name a box-office star from the past 40 years and there’s a decent chance writer/director/producer Zwick has worked with them–or discovered them. Here he’ll talk with Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday about his new book, Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions.
Theater
Tempestuous Elements
February 16–March 17
Arena Stage
The subject of this intriguing play is educator Anna Julia Cooper, a noted African American scholar who was born into slavery in 1858. She went on to earn a PhD from the University of Paris and become the principal of DC’s M Street High School (now Dunbar High School) in 1901.
Music
Cat Power Sings Dylan
February 20
Lincoln Theatre
Chan Marshall–who records as Cat Power–has lately been performing concerts that re-create Bob Dylan’s celebrated 1966 “Royal Albert Hall” show (which actually was in Manchester), and now she’s bringing the concept to DC. Which one of you will yell, “Judas”?
Theater
The Lehman Trilogy
February 22–March 24
Harman Hall
If the trials and tribulations of royalty inspired Shakespearean tragedy centuries ago, might today’s dramatic equivalent be found in financial transgressions? Winner of the 2022 Tony Award for Best Play, Stefano Massini’s sprawling work deploys three actors to cover 160 years in the Lehman Brothers saga.
Music
Makaya McCraven
February 23
Strathmore
The mind-expanding drummer and composer falls under the jazz rubric, but he finds the label too constricting. Discover why when he arrives on Rockville Pike with an eight-piece ensemble augmented by a string quartet.
Happy February, DC!
This month is full of celebrations. From Black History Month to Valentine’s Day, there’s a number of entertaining events to add to your Leap Month calendar.
Back to Top
10 Best Things to Do in DC
by Pat Padua
Music
Playboi Carti
February 1
Capital One Arena
The Atlanta rapper claims he spent three months of 2023 in a cave recording “chaotic and crazy” new material. But wherever he makes his music, his distinct mumble is as provocative as ever.
Dance
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
February 7
Kennedy Center
Legendary dancer Alvin Ailey died in 1989, but his legacy lives on in a company that features a blend of new talent and veterans. Among other pieces, they’ll perform the crowd-pleasing 1960 staple Revelations, which uses gospel and blues to express an emotional range that practically defines the human experience.
Music
Hilary Hahn and the National Symphony Orchestra
February 7–9
Kennedy Center
Leaning into what she calls the piece’s “grand gestures,” the renowned violinist will tackle Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s (what else?) Violin Concerto. Gianandrea Noseda and the NSO will then move to the even grander scale of Beethoven’s Third Symphony, a paean to revolution dubbed the “Eroica.”
Books
George Pelecanos
February 9
Politics and Prose (Connecticut Avenue)
The prolific author documents the less celebrated elements of his native DC, a town that seems to both inspire and frustrate him. He reads from his latest hard-boiled book, Owning Up, four novellas tied together by crime and humanity.
Museums
“The Anxious Eye: German Expressionism and Its Legacy”
February 11–May 27
National Gallery of Art
One would think that a century of acclimation to the distortions of German Expressionism would have made the movement’s nightmarish vision more palatable. But the art of masters like Otto Dix, Egon Schiele, and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (above) hasn’t lost the power to startle, and this exhibit–which includes prints, drawings, and other works–falls under an apt title indeed.
Books
Ed Zwick
February 14
Politics and Prose (Connecticut Avenue)
Tom Cruise. Julia Roberts. Denzel Washington. Name a box-office star from the past 40 years and there’s a decent chance writer/director/producer Zwick has worked with them–or discovered them. Here he’ll talk with Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday about his new book, Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions.
Theater
Tempestuous Elements
February 16–March 17
Arena Stage
The subject of this intriguing play is educator Anna Julia Cooper, a noted African American scholar who was born into slavery in 1858. She went on to earn a PhD from the University of Paris and become the principal of DC’s M Street High School (now Dunbar High School) in 1901.
Music
Cat Power Sings Dylan
February 20
Lincoln Theatre
Chan Marshall–who records as Cat Power–has lately been performing concerts that re-create Bob Dylan’s celebrated 1966 “Royal Albert Hall” show (which actually was in Manchester), and now she’s bringing the concept to DC. Which one of you will yell, “Judas”?
Theater
The Lehman Trilogy
February 22–March 24
Harman Hall
If the trials and tribulations of royalty inspired Shakespearean tragedy centuries ago, might today’s dramatic equivalent be found in financial transgressions? Winner of the 2022 Tony Award for Best Play, Stefano Massini’s sprawling work deploys three actors to cover 160 years in the Lehman Brothers saga.
Music
Makaya McCraven
February 23
Strathmore
The mind-expanding drummer and composer falls under the jazz rubric, but he finds the label too constricting. Discover why when he arrives on Rockville Pike with an eight-piece ensemble augmented by a string quartet.
Back to Top
Want More Things to Do?
by Briana Thomas
Art and culture:
- Planet Word and MahoganyBooks celebrates the birthday of historic poet Langston Hughes with a poetry gathering (February 1, free, Downtown).
- Karaoke, cocktails, and art are spotlights of this month’s Phillips After 5 gathering (February 1, $20, Dupont).
- View photographer Keisuke Hirai’s *images that capture moments of happiness and the resilience of the human spirit, 10 years following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, at the Japan Information & Culture Center (through March 13, free, Northwest DC).
- Bring a lawn chair or blanket to a movie screening of The Incredibles at National Building Museum (February 3, $15, Penn Quarter).
- Violist Jordan Bak, flutist Adam Sadberry, and harpist Ashley Jackson make a sold-out Phillips Collection debut (February 4, $15 virtual tickets still available).
- DC Artists discuss how art impacts the Civil Rights Movement (February 8, free, Southeast DC).
- Explore Black art and books at NMWA Nights after-hours party (February 21, $25, Northwest DC).
- A new record label launches in DC this month. Check out Outside Time, and music and art by Nate Scheible and Claire Alrich (February 23, $10+, Takoma).
Community and heritage:
- This film showing at AFI Silver Theatre deep-dives into the life of civil rights activist James Baldwin (February 1-4, $13, Silver Spring).
- Potomac Phil makes his Groundhog Day appearance; there’s polka music, and pastries to enjoy (February 2, free, Dupont).
- Walk through the “Ancestral Spaces” of historic site Tudor Place (February 6 through April 21, $10, Georgetown).
- DC Black History Film Festival features screenings of documentaries, films, shorts, and more (February 9-10, free, U Street, Northeast DC).
- Ethiopian-American musician and cultural strategist Meklit Hadero hosts Movement— a show about artistry and migration (February 15, $25, Silver Spring).
- Don’t miss a Black History Month choral tribute to freedom leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (February 18, $25+, Kennedy Center).
Theater:
- Watch a flashback film at Miracle Theatre on Groundhog Day (February 2, $8, Capitol Hill).
- Keegan Theatre takes on a revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Merrily We Roll Along musical (February 3 through March 3, $60, Dupont).
- Follow The Sensational Sea Mink-ettes as the all-Black-women cast prepares for a big homecoming performance (February 4 through March 3, pay-what-you-will tickets available, Penn Quarter).
- Signature Theatre presents the world premiere of Private Jones—an inspiring musical set in World War I (February 6 through March 10, $40+, Arlington).
- See a gender-swapped adaptation of Broadway comedy Lend Me A Soprano at Olney Theatre Center (February 7 through March 10, $25+, Olney).
- Experience the Shakespeare romance of Romeo & Juliet portrayed by Synetic Theater (February 9 through March 24, $35, Arlington).
- Ain’t Too Proud narrates the legacy and music of Motown’s The Temptations (February 13-18, $45+, Kennedy Center).
Shows and performance:
- Magician Justin Willman takes his Netflix special on tour (February 3, $35+, Tysons).
- Comedian Matteo Lane performs a stand-up show at Kennedy Center (February 4, February 10, $39+, Kennedy Center).
- Acclaimed Broadway actress Stephanie J. Block performs at Wolf Trap (February 9, $67+, Vienna).
- Local theater collective Story District wants to know if you’re a Sucker for Love (February 10, $39, U Street).
- Have A Date With John Waters for Valentine’s Day (February 14, $44+, Baltimore).
- The Washington Ballet blends jazz with dance to pay homage to icons such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, Lena Horne, and many more (February 14-18, $30+, Kennedy Center).
- The first three shows of all-star comedian Hasan Minhaj’s stand-up are sold out, but one more show was just added to The Anthem lineup (February 17, $53+, Wharf).
- Laugh with comedian Michael Blackson at Warner Theatre (February 23, $102+, Downtown).
- DC entertainers Benny and Jasmine Burton host Young, Black and Funny at Union Stage (February 29, $20+, Wharf).
Music:
- A.J.—the son of ’70s rock singer Jim Croce—takes his father’s legendary music on tour (February 8, $38+, Warner Theatre).
- Major salsa artist Marc Anthony brings his Historia Tour to DC (February 9, $59+, Capital One Arena).
- Greensky Bluegrass teams up with Molly Tuttle and Melt for a two-day show at The Anthem (February 9-10, $45+, Wharf).
- Dance to Afrobeats at Reggae Fest (February 10, $20+, Howard Theatre).
- DC9 Nightclub features local punk quintet Loud Boyz for their 20th birthday celebration (February 12, $20, U Street Corridor).
- Award-winning songwriter Kevin Ross celebrates Valentine’s Day at The Birchmere (February 14, $65, Alexandria).
- Tony Sands sings Frank Sinatra tunes at The Hamilton (February 14, $15+, Downtown).
- Vocalist and poet Jamila Woods sings self-love melodies at Howard Theatre (February 16, $27+, Howard Theatre).
- Go-go group Rare Essence play an all-ages concert (February 17, free, limited tickets available at the door, virtual, Kennedy Center).
- Brittany Howard arrives in DC to promote her new album What Now (February 20-21, $56, Shaw).
- King George, Calvin Richardson, and several others headline Capital City Blues Festival (February 23, $108+, Downtown).
- More than 20 acts are on the Initialize lineup produced by rave party promoters Hast du Feuer (February 23, $30, Northeast DC).
- Expect to hear a mix of folk, rock, and reggae at Sara Curruchich’s Hill Center concert (February 23, $20+, Capitol Hill).
- Avant-garde pop artist Tkay Maidza makes a tour stop in DC (February 27, $22+, Howard Theatre).
- Mexican artist BRATTY rocks a Leap Day concert at Songbyrd (February 29, $18+, Northeast DC).
Things to do with kids:
- Younger audiences can see folktale The Girl Who Became Legend come to life on the Kennedy Center stage (February 2-11, $20, Kennedy Center).
- A bilingual Cinderella musical entertains kids at Imagination Stage (February 15 through April 7, $12+, Bethesda).
An earlier version of this post did not include Keisuke Hirai’s images were photographed 10 years after the earthquake. We regret the error.
A version of this article appears in the January 2024 issue of Washingtonian.
