Here now, the Newseum
Fourteen galleries, 15 theaters, two broadcast studios, a 4-D “time-travel experience” and journalism history all in one. It’s the long-awaited Newseum at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, a glass-sheathed temple to transparency and the First Amendment. Activities on opening day, April 11, include live broadcast of a portion of ABC’s “Good Morning America” — and a waiver on the admission price. See Museums.
Mom always liked them the best
At least she liked them in the ’60s, and there’s no reason to stop. The Smothers Brothers, Tom and Dick, take over the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis for three nights — April 14, 15 and 16 — with a spotlight on Tom’s prowess with the yo-yo. See Comedy.
Experiencing the library
It’s been in the works for years, and on April 12, it will see its grand inauguration as the Library of Congress unveils The Library of Congress Experience in the venerable Jefferson Building. It’s a new way to access library collections through interactive technology, offering a “hands-on” approach to cultural treasures that otherwise might not be engaged. Imagine, for example, turning the pages of the Gutenberg Bible; now you can, virtually. Music, entertainment and other festivities kick off at 11 a.m., with the formal opening — for the first time in nearly 20 years — of the three bronze doors into the Great Hall. The newly enhanced exhibits open at noon, just as the Cherry Blossom Parade winds up. See Museums.
Now for something completely different …
The Warner Theatre cautions: mature audiences. Margaret Cho’s stand-up material is sexually explicit, politically risky and intensely personal, and if she weren’t Korean-American herself, it would be called ethnically insensitive. With all that, she is one of the hottest comedians onstage today; Warner management had to tack an extra performance onto her stint on April 10 and 11. That’s the Beautiful Tour with guests Liam Sullivan and Kelly. See Comedy.
Coloratura de force
Washington Concert Opera specializes in works that, for whatever reason, are rarely heard. On April 13 at Lisner Auditorium, it brings back Gioachino Rossini’s “Bianca e Falliero,” a long-neglected vehicle for florid coloratura singing that gives mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux — in the so-called trouser role of Falliero — plenty of room to show off. It’s on the boards for one performance only, at 6 p.m. April 13. See Classical Music.
Passing it on
Coyaba Dance Theater was founded in 1997 with a mission: to widen appreciation for traditional and contemporary West African dance and, by extension, to make sure a new generation absorbs the heritage. On April 12 at THEARC in Southeast, Coyaba pursues this goal with an Intergenerational Showcase that will join the professional company with children of all ages in a family concert. See Dance and Children.
Here’s looking at you
When Edward Steichen was chief photographer for Vanity Fair from 1923 to 1936, he made incisive portraits of most of the celebrities of the day, from Charlie Chaplin to FDR. He not only changed the way people thought of his subjects but fixed the look of an entire era. See his portraits at the National Portrait Gallery beginning April 11 and running through Sept. 1. See Museums.
Classics with a twist
Choreographer Yuri Petukhov brings the St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre to George Mason University Center for the Arts for two nights — and two entirely different ballets. On April 11, try out Petukhov’s own “Carmen,” set to the Bizet score but with a modern-dance flavor; on April 12, go back to Petipa and Tchaikovsky for the classic “Swan Lake” in the old Russian tradition. See Dance.
Regards to old Broadway
Fans of the classic musical will have a busy week ahead, running first to the Olney Theatre Center, where the Revolutionary 1776 opens on April 9; then to the Atlas Performing Arts Center, where The Washington Savoyards go for the impossible dream in Man of La Mancha beginning April 11; and at last to the Warner Theatre on April 15, where Tracy Turnblad has her turn in Hairspray. So much theater, so little time. See Theater.
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