<cal1>Now Through Jan. 1
<cal2>Festival of Lights. Free. Nightly indoor concerts at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. They include Sandra Turley, the Harbor City Music Company Show Chorus and the McDonough High School Chamber Choir: "The Madrigal Lords and Ladies." Bell choirs, flute ensembles, vocal choirs, dance troupes and other forms of holiday entertainment will be presented in the Temple Visitors’ Center’s theater. Open daily until 10 p.m. Lights illuminated at dusk with nightly performances at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. At the Washington D.C. Temple Visitors’ Center at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Temple Grounds, 9900 Stoneybrook Dr. Kensington. Visit www.dctemplelights.lds.org.
<cal1>Now Through Dec. 20.
<cal2>Holiday Food Collection. To benefit the Manna Food Center, a nonprofit food bank providing food to low-income households, food pantries, soup kitchens, group homes, and schools in Montgomery County. Bring non-perishable food to participating stores: Safeway, Chicken Out and PNC Bank, River and Falls Road in Potomac. Visit www.mannafood.org
<cal1>Now Through Dec. 30
<cal2>International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature. Free. Gallery hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Wednesday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information call 301-581-5200 or visit www.strathmore.org.
Michael Bignell & Mikhail Kononov. Free. Explore Bignell’s works in acrylic and Kononov’s works in oil. Gallery hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Wednesday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information call 301-581-5200 or visit www.strathmore.org.
<cal1>Now Through Jan. 9
<cal2>Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Some Saturday 11 a.m. performances. Single ticket prices range from $10-$22, with group rates available. It’s holiday time in Room One and that means drama! Tattletale May keeps picking on Junie B., and things get even worse when Junie B. draws May’s name for Secret Santa. She hatches a plan to give May a lump of coal, while getting an awesome Squeeze-A-Burp for herself. Will Junie B. have a last-minute change of heart and show her true holiday spirit? Just like its heroine, the show has laughs, verve and energy to spare! At Imagination Stage 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda. Imagination Stage offers discount ticket packages with benefits that emphasize the flexibility that parents and grandparents value, as well as significant savings. Details are on the website, www.imaginationstage.org.
<cal1>Now Through Jan. 9
<cal2>Holiday Art Show and Sale. Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The exhibition will feature works by resident artists, instructors and invited artists and will include glass, ceramics, jewelry, photography, painting, and more. In the Popcorn Gallery of Glen Echo Park. Call 301-634-2222 or visit glenechopark.org.
<cal1>Now Through Jan. 1
<cal2>Winter Lights Festival. A 3.5-mile drive through a holiday light show at Seneca Creek Park with more than 350 illuminated displays. (Closed Mondays and Dec. 24). Proceeds from the Festival benefit local charities. Call 301-258-6350 or visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov.
<cal1>Now Through Dec. 12
<cal2>"The Nutcracker." Presented annually since 1974 by the Rockville Civic Ballet, under the direction of Claudia Mangan, the show is a community favorite. Performances are Saturday, Dec. 11 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. At the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theater, Rockville Civic Center Park, 603 Edmonston Drive, Rockville. Tickets are $16/adults; $12/children (12 years and younger), and $12/seniors. Group rates available. For tickets call the box office at 240-314-8690 between 2 and 7 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, or visit www.rockvillemd.gov/arts.
<cal1>Thursday/Dec. 9
<cal2>Slow Blues and Swing Dance. 9 to 11:30 p.m. Admission is $8. Slow blues lesson from 8:15 to 9 p.m.; dancing from 9 to 11:30 p.m. With DJ Mike Marcotte and guests. At the Back Room of Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Call Donna Barker at 301-634-2231 or go to info@CapitalBlues.org or www.CapitalBlues.org.
Celebrate the Arts Night. 6 to 8 p.m. Students from Potomac Elementary will showcase their artwork that was entered in the National PTA Reflections Art Contest. The theme was "Together We Can", and students were challenged to create visual art, photography, dance choreography, film production, and musical composition with that theme in mind.
Gerald Clayton Trio. At 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $28 (Stars Price $25.20). A rising star in the jazz world, at the young age of 26, pianist Gerald Clayton has already racked up numerous awards, performed with greats like Kenny Barron, Roy Hargrove and Clark Terry and garnered critical acclaim. DownBeat raves, "In a generation of wunderkinds, Clayton stands out for his nuanced touch, precise articulation and the way he constructs a narrative for his solos." At the Mansion at Strathmore. Call 301-581-5109 or visit www.strathmore.org.
<cal1>Friday/Dec. 10
<cal2>Contra Dance. 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Admission is $9. There is a Contra dance lesson from 7:30 to 8:15 p.m. followed by the called dance to live music from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. Sarah VanNorstrand calls to the Glen Echo Open Band. At the Spanish Ballroom of Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Email: fndcontra@yahoo.com
La Divina Milonga Party. 8:30 p.m. to midnight. Admission is $15. The evening will include a lesson for Argentine Tango beginners and up from 8:30-9 p.m. The lesson is followed by a Dance Party to recorded music from 9 p.m. - Midnight with Teacher and DJ Fabio Bonini, playing Traditional Tango, Milongas, Waltz and Tango Nuevo. The $15 admission includes the lesson and Dance Party. At the Ballroom Annex at Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Phone: 703-798-1071.
<cal1>Dec. 11 and 12
<cal2>"The Nutcracker." Rockville Civic Ballet performs Saturday, Dec. 11 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. At F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 603 Edmonston Drive. Tickets are $16/adults; $12/children (12 and younger) and seniors. Group rates available.
<cal1>Saturday/Dec. 11
<cal2>Family Gingerbread House Workshop. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Make a gingerbread house at Thomas Farm Community Center, 700 Fallsgrove Drive, Rockville. All materials included. Cost: $35 per house. Registration required. Call 240-314-8620.
Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Most hardback books and large paperbacks are $1; regular paperbacks are $.50. All books are donated by the local community for the benefit of the library. At Potomac Library, 10101 Glenolden Drive, Potomac. Call 240-777-0690.
Pancakes with Santa. All-you-can-eat-pancakes with Santa. At Cabin John Volunteer Fire Department, Station 10, 8001 River Road.
Swing Dance. 8 p.m. – midnight. Admission is $15. With the Boilermaker Jazz Band. The beginner lesson with the Jam Cellar crew starts at 8 p.m. and is included with your admission. The dance runs from 9 p.m. until midnight. At the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Email: huh@thejamcellar.com
Bullis School Festival of Light. 6 p.m. Free. This year's theme, "A Holiday to Remember," will celebrate the season with vibrant performances by the school's Upper School jazz, string and concert bands along with choral performances from a variety of ensembles and choirs. At Blair Family Center for the Arts, 10601 Falls Road, Potomac. Call 301-634-3677 or www.bullis.org.
<cal1>Dec. 11-12
<cal2>"Handel’s Messiah." Performed by the National Philharmonic Chorale. Saturday, Dec. 11 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 12 at 3 p.m. The concert will feature the National Philharmonic’s nearly 200 voice all-volunteer Chorale, as well as soloists Audrey Elizabeth Luna (soprano); Yvette Smith (mezzo-soprano); Don Bernardini (tenor); and Christòpheren Nomura (baritone). At the Music Center at Strathmore. Visit nationalphilharmonic.org or call the box office at 301-581-5100. Tickets are $32-$79; kids 7-17 are free.
<cal1>Sunday/Dec. 12
<cal2>19th Century Christmas. 1 to 4 p.m. Join Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park staff and volunteers and the C&O Canal Trust at Lockhouse 22 for an afternoon of 19th Century Christmas along the Canal. Enjoy 19th century holiday music and carols performed by volunteers dressed in mid-1800’s apparel and tour historic Lockhouse 22, featuring 19th-century era furnishings and holiday decorations. The Lockhouse 22/Pennyfield area of the C&O Canal National Historical Park is located at the end of Pennyfield Lock Road off River Road near Potomac. Call the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center at 301-767-3714.
"Jaffa" (Kalat Hayam) Film. 10 a.m. Tickets are $15. A movie set in an Israeli seaside town, about the lives of two families, working at Reuven's garage. In Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles. At Cinema Art Bethesda, 7235 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda. Visit http://CinemaArtBethesda.org or call 301-365-3679.
Jingle Bell Jog 8K. Starts at 9 a.m., at the Rockville Senior Center, 1150 Carnation Drive. See www.mcrrc.org.
Open Door Reading. 2 p.m. Free. Novelist Israel Heller reads from Death In McMurdo, and Kathryn Johnson reads from The Gentleman Poet: A Novel of Love, Danger, and Shakespeare's The Tempest. At The Writer’s Center, 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda. Call 301-654-8664, or visit www.writer.org.
Zydeco Dance. 3:30 to 6 p.m. Admission is $15. Introductory Zydeco dance lesson from 3 to 3:30 p.m.; dancing from 3:30 to 6 p.m. With the band Dikki Du and the Zydeco Krewe. At the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Call Michael Hart at 301-762-6730 or go to www.DancingbytheBayou.com.
Contra and Square Dance. 7 to 10:30 p.m. Admission: $12 nonmembers/$9 FSGW members. There is a lesson is at 7 p.m., followed by dances with Floor Play from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. The evening can include square dances, mixers, waltzes and other couple dances. At the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Contact: fsgw.org.
Tribute to Frankie Valli. 7 p.m. Featuring The Unexpected Boys. At Woodmont Country Club, 1201 Rockville Pike, Rockville. Funds raised will benefit JSSA’s (Jewish Social Service Agency) Employment and Career Services. For tickets, call or email Lesley Schrier at JSSA, 301-610-8342 or lschrier@jssa.org.
Canal Stewards Cleanup Day. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Help the Conservancy clean up and beautify the land and water surrounding Lock 8, and along miles 8 and 9 of the C&O Canal towpath. This monthly clean-up day is open to all ages, and is part of the Canal Steward Program, engaging volunteers in a long-term relationship in which they become the caretakers of a designated site within the C&O Canal National Historical Park. At River Center at Lock 8, 7906 Riverside Dr., Cabin John. Visit www.potomac.org, or contact Deanna Tricarico at tricarico@potomac.org, or 301-608-1188 x204.
<cal1>Monday/Dec. 13
<cal2>Scandinavian Christmas. 7:30 p.m. With Andrea Hoag, Loretta Kelley, and Charlie Pilzer. Tickets are $15/advance; $20/door. At IMT at Saint Mark Presbyterian Church, 10701 Old Georgetown Road, Rockville. Call 301-754-3611 and visit www.imtfolk.org.
<cal1>Tuesday/Dec. 14
<cal2>Joe Jencks and Gathering Time. 8 p.m. Tickets are $18 at the door, $15 in advance at FocusMusic.org. At the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville, 100 Welsh Park Drive, Rockville. Contact David Spitzer at focusrockville@earthlink.net or 301-275-7459.
Day at the J. From 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Featuring seated exercise, a three-course hot lunch, a discussion group and a film, "My Name is Khan," about a Muslim man with Asperger’s syndrome on a quest to recapture the heart of the wife who became estranged from him after Sept. 11. At the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, 6125 Montrose Road, Rockville. Lunch $5. Bus transportation from selected sites $5.
<cal1>Thursday, Dec. 16
<cal2>Open Rehearsals. 2 to 3:30 p.m. Free. Encore Choral for singers 55-plus. Calling all former high school and college choristers, church, synagogue and community choral singers. Be a part of the Encore Chorale conducted by Jeanne Kelly, past conductor of the United States Naval Academy Women’s Glee Club, Georgetown University Concert Choir and Senior Singers’ Chorales of the Levine School of Music. Encore Choral of Washington Conservatory of Music at Glen Echo Park. At the South Arcade, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Bethesda. Call Jeanne Kelly at 301-261-5747 or email Jeanne.kelly@encorecreativity.org.
Slow Blues and Swing Dance. 9 to 11:30 p.m. Admission is $8. Slow blues lesson from 8:15 to 9 p.m.; dancing from 9 to 11:30 p.m. With DJ Mike Marcotte and guests. At the Back Room of Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Call Donna Barker at 301-634-2231 or go to info@CapitalBlues.org or www.CapitalBlues.org.
<cal1>Friday/Dec. 17
<cal2>Super Fiesta Latina Party. 8:15 to midnight. Cost is $15. The evening will include a lesson from 8:15 - 9 p.m. for Salsa beginners and up. The lesson is followed by dancing from 9 p.m. - midnight with teacher and DJ Fabio Bonini playing the best of Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Cha-Cha, Reggaeton. At the Ballroom Annex at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Phone 703-798-1071.
Contra Dance. 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Admission is $9. There is a Contra dance lesson from 7:30 to 8:15 p.m. followed by the called dance to live music from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. This week Michael Barraclough calls to the Morrison Brothers with Jim Morrison on fiddle, Owen Morrison on guitars, and Will Morrison on percussion. At the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Email: fndcontra@yahoo.com
<cal1>Saturday/Dec. 18
<cal2>Swing Dance. 8 p.m. to midnight. Cost is $15. With the Tom Cunningham Orchestra. Beginning swing lesson at 8 p.m. is followed by the band from 9 p.m. to midnight. At the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Visit tomcunningham.com.
<cal1>Sunday/Dec. 19
<cal2>Winter Concert. 3 p.m. Rockville Concert Band performs at F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 603 Edmonston Drive. A $5 donation is suggested.
Holiday Concert. 7:30 p.m. Rockville Chorus performs at F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 603 Edmonston Drive. A $5 donation is suggested.
Chevy Chase Christmas Concert. 4 p.m. Free. The annual tradition of the singing and ringing choirs of Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church is sure to enhance your Christmas spirit with a candlelight processional as well as presentations by each of the choirs and audience carol singing. At the Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church, One Chevy Chase Circle, NW, Washington, D.C. Call 202-363-2202.
Contra and Square Dance. 7 to 10:30 p.m. Cost is $12/nonmembers; $9 FSGW members. The evening can include square dances, mixers, waltzes and other couple dances. All Contras and Square dances are taught, no partner is necessary. There is a lesson is at 7 p.m., followed by dances with the Morrison Brothers from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. At the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Contact: fsgw.org
Waltz Dance. 3:30 to 6 p.m. Admission is $10. Introductory waltz workshop from 2:45 to 3:30 p.m.; dancing from 3:30 to 6 p.m. With the band Terpsichore, which will provide a lively mix of folk waltzes with a few other couple dances, including Hambo, Schottische, Swing, Tango, and Polka. At the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Call Joan Koury at 202-238-0230 or Glen Echo Park at 301-634-2222, go to www.WaltzTimeDances.org or e-mail info@WaltzTimeDances.org.
<cal1>Dec. 20
<cal2>Day @ the Ring. 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Featuring seated exercise, a three-course hot lunch and live music by classical guitarist Charles Mokotoff. Ring House, 1801 E. Jefferson St., Rockville. Lunch $5. Bus transportation from selected sites $5.
<cal1>Tuesday/Dec. 21
<cal2>A Candlelight Christmas. 7:30 p.m. With the splendor of brass, organ, percussion, and the 200-voice Washington Chorus, this beloved holiday event features Christmas classics, sing-alongs, and the glorious candlelight processional. Music Director Julian Wachner. Tickets are $15. At the Music Center at Strathmore. Pick your seats online: www.thewashingtonchorus.org
<cal1>Thursday, Dec. 23
<cal2>Slow Blues and Swing Dance. 9 to 11:30 p.m. Admission is $8. Slow blues lesson from 8:15 to 9 p.m.; dancing from 9 to 11:30 p.m. With DJ Mike Marcotte and guests. At the Back Room of Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Call Donna Barker at 301-634-2231 or go to info@CapitalBlues.org or www.CapitalBlues.org.
<cal1>Saturday/Jan. 1
<cal2>Salute to Vienna. 2 p.m. Featuring The Strauss Symphony of America led by European maestro Guido Mancusi, Hungarian soprano Anita Lukács, Hungarian tenor Zsolt Vadász European, dancers from the National Moravian-Silesian Ballet of and lastly, and famous operetta excerpts by "Waltz King" Johann Strauss Jr. Tickets are $49. At 5301 Tuckerman Lane in North Bethesda, MD, or 301-581-5100. Visit strathmore.org.
<cal1>Saturday/Jan. 8
<cal2>New Year’s Ball. 11:30 a.m. Sponsored by the Eminence Dance Studio. A fun-filled family extravaganza at the Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center at Montgomery College, 51 Mannake street, Rockville. Tickets can be ordered by calling 202-465-6465 or e-mailing
eminencedance@netzero.net.
<cal1>Thursday/Jan. 13
<cal2>Open Rehearsals. 2 to 3:30 p.m. Free. Encore Choral for singers 55-plus. Calling all former high school and college choristers, church, synagogue and community choral singers. Be a part of the Encore Chorale conducted by Jeanne Kelly, past conductor of the United States Naval Academy Women’s Glee Club, Georgetown University Concert Choir and Senior Singers’ Chorales of the Levine School of Music. Encore Choral of Washington Conservatory of Music at Glen Echo Park. At the South Arcade, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Bethesda. Call Jeanne Kelly at 301-261-5747 or email Jeanne.kelly@encorecreativity.org.
<cal1> Saturday/Jan. 22
<cal2>Pianist Brian Ganz. 8 p.m. The recital, which begins the series "Brian Ganz and the Strathmore Chopin Project," marks the start of his ambitious endeavor to perform the 250 works of Chopin over the next decade. Visit nationalphilharmonic.org or call the Strathmore ticket office at 301-581-5100. Tickets are $34-$44; kids 7-17 are free. At the Music Center at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike in North Bethesda.
Shir Ami- Song of Our People. At 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $28 (Stars price $25.20). Explore the rich mid-20th century musical heritage of the Jewish people. From Rimsky-Korsakov to Jewish composers who perished in the holocaust to musicians who emigrated after the holocaust and became cultural leaders, this moving performance recovers and rejuvenates music from this tumultuous period of history. At the Mansion at Strathmore. Call 301-581-5109 or visit www.strathmore.org.
<cal1>Monday/Jan. 24
<cal2>James Hill in Concert. 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15/advance; $20/door; $10/students. At IMT at Saint Mark Presbyterian Church, 10701 Old Georgetown Road, Rockville. Call 301-754-3611 and visit www.imtfolk.org
<cal1> Friday/ Feb. 4
<cal2> Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and the Seldom Scene. At 8 p.m. Tickets are $25–$42 (Stars price $22.50–$37.80). With a career that spans five decades, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has influenced a generation of country rockers with hits like "Mr. Bojangles," "Dance little Jean" and "Fishin’ in the Dark." Opening are bluegrass favorites, The Seldom Scene who pull up some chairs and start telling stories with their brilliant arrangements of tunes by Duane Allman, John Fogerty, Merle Haggard, Steve Earle and Bob Dylan. At the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Visit www.strathmore.org or call 301-581-5100.
<cal1>Feb. 6 to March 13
<cal2>Perseus Bayou. Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Some Saturday 11 a.m. performances. Single ticket prices range from $10-$22, with group rates available. This award-winning musical sets the classic Greek myth of Perseus and his quest for the snake-headed Medusa in post-Civil War Louisiana. To save the bayou from the evil Polydectes, Percy must journey to the edge of the human world with the help of a conjure woman, Miss Athena, a spirit-cat, Panther Hermes, and a tomboy named Andromeda. Percy's coming-of-age is vividly told in this epic and magical theatrical work. Imagination Stage is delighted to welcome back Mary Hall Surface, whose The Hundred Dresses and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice played here in prior seasons. At Imagination Stage 4908 Auburn Avenue, Bethesda, MD. Imagination Stage offers discount ticket packages with benefits that emphasize the flexibility that parents and grandparents value, as well as significant savings. Details are on the website, www.imaginationstage.org.
<cal1>Tuesday/ Feb. 15
<cal2> Duo Recital. At 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $28 (Stars price $25.20). This intimate duo recital in the Mansion pairs the critically acclaimed superstar cellist Alisa Weilerstein with singer/composer/pianist Gabriel Kahane, whose music "absorbs everything from nineteen twenties neoclassicism to bluegrass and modern indie pop" (The New Yorker), in a program featuring Bach’s Suite No. 5 and solo works by Kahane.
The performance culminates with the Washington premiere of a new sonata created by Kahane for cello, piano and voice which draws on the poetry of the great 20th century Polish poet Zbigniew Herbert. At the Mansion at Strathmore. Call 301-581-5109 or visit www.strathmore.org.
<cal1> Tuesday/ March 8
<cal2> Cirque Mechanics: Boom Town. 8 p.m. Tickets are $25–$45 (Stars price $22.50–$40.50). Join the acrobats of Cirque Mechanics as they time-travel to the 1865 mining town of rosebud, where an unlikely discovery sets off a hilarious series of events full of the lore and adventure of the old West. Treat the whole family to an evening The New York Times calls "exceptional, evocative, eye-catching, ear-catching, and engrossingly entertaining." At the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Visit www.strathmore.org or call 301-581-5100.
<cal1>April 9 to May 29
<cal2> George & Martha: Tons of Fun! Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Some Saturday 11 a.m. performances. Single ticket prices range from $10-$22, with group rates available. The two endearing hippos from the James Marshall picture books stomp onto stage in this warm and funny musical adaptation. George and Martha are best friends. They play music together and share meals, presents, picnics, and exciting adventures like flying a balloon. Sometimes they have differences as all friends do. But it cannot last. Like all good friends, George and Martha just can’t stay angry for long! This simple story says much about our relationships at any age. Geared for our youngest theatre-goers but enjoyable for all, this new musical by Joan Cushing sparkles with clever lyrics and laughter. At Imagination Stage 4908 Auburn Avenue, Bethesda, MD. Imagination Stage offers discount ticket packages with benefits that emphasize the flexibility that parents and grandparents value, as well as significant savings. Details are on the website, www.imaginationstage.org.
<cal1>April 16 to May 21
<cal2> The Day John Henry Came to School. Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Some Saturday 11 a.m. performances. Single ticket prices range from $10-$22, with group rates available. Johnny is a typical 5th grader, way into video games and not especially motivated at school. Imagine his surprise one night when there’s a loud knock at the door and his ancestor John Henry bursts into his bedroom, wielding a 12 lb. hammer and insisting that he will visit Johnny’s class the next day for "Show & Tell." At first unimpressed by John Henry’s tragic tale about his race with the steam engine, the children in Johnny’s class come to appreciate the importance of his ultimate sacrifice. The award-winning playwright of Lost & Foundling has created another witty and insightful contemporary comedy. At Imagination Stage in the Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Theatre. At Imagination Stage 4908 Auburn Avenue, Bethesda, MD. Imagination Stage offers discount ticket packages with benefits that emphasize the flexibility that parents and grandparents value, as well as significant savings. Details are on the website, www.imaginationstage.org.
<cal1> Thursday/ May 12, 2011
<cal2> Piano Recital. 7:30 p.m. Tickets $28 (Stars Price $25.20). This artist channels the 19th century composer and pianist Clara Wieck Schumann (wife of Robert Schumann), recreating an 1871 concert by Clara. Performing on Strathmore’s 1850s Broadwood piano, Sharon Joshua deftly intersperses works by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Bach and Chopin with engaging readings from Clara’s diaries and letters. A Gerald M. Woofter Memorial Concert Program. At the Mansion at Strathmore. Call 301-581-5109 or visit www.strathmore.org.
<cal1>July 22 to Aug. 14, 2011
<cal2> The Wind in the Willows. Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Some Saturday 11 a.m. performances. Single ticket prices range from $10-$22, with group rates available. This musical retelling of the classic is faithful to the novel and features the beloved characters Mr. Toad, Mole, Ratty and Mr. Badger. It is early in the twentieth century and Mr. Toad falls hard for the charms of the motor car. His reckless driving results in his being thrown into prison, but, dressed as a laundry lady, he manages to escape. But will Mr. Toad be able to expel the Wild Wood squatters from Toad Hall and reclaim his home? Prepare to be enchanted by this irresistible mix of adventure and camaraderie. At Imagination Stage 4908 Auburn Avenue, Bethesda, MD. Imagination Stage offers discount ticket packages with benefits that emphasize the flexibility that parents and grandparents value, as well as significant savings. Details are on the website, www.imaginationstage.org.