Entertainment

Recalling Defining Moments at Fairfax High School

Former teacher there returns for class’s 50-year reunion.

In the foreword to her book, “One Moment,” Joan Williamson Higgs writes, “The moments that define us are almost never predictable or expected. We go through life thinking we are immune to its inevitable tragedies and its heartbreaking surprises.”

Fall Fun Abounds in Vienna

Festive events, the arts, and family activities keep the season busy.

The Vienna-Oakton Connection offers a snapshot of fall fun around the area. Look for our holiday fun guide in November, with details of the Church Street Holiday Stroll, breakfast or lunch with Santa, holiday bazaars, and the Wolf Trap Sing-a-long. In the meantime, grab a sweater, swish your shoes in falling leaves and enjoy the crisp, sunny air. And don’t forget school fall festivals and book sales, as well as The Barns of Wolf Trap, which presents performances almost daily. Over at Waters Field, there are VYI football games all day and under the lights … and the football fun is free. The Vienna Farmers’ Market, in the church parking lot across the street from Waters Field, is open through the end of October.

McLean Theatre Company Launches New Season

The 2013-14 season opens with the exclusive concert performance of “The Last Five Years.”

he award winning McLean High School Theatre Company (MTC) introduces 2013-14 season—beginning with an exclusive concert performance of Jason Robert Brown’s “The Last Five Years,” Sept. 28, the family-favorite, “Annie,” the hilarious satire “Bald Soprano” as the Virginia High School League (VHSL) competition entry, the modern American classic “To Kill a Mockingbird” and Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” Performances appear in the Burks Auditorium or Black Box Theater and are led by Artistic Director Amy Poe. Advance tickets are available at www.mcleandrama.com or directly at www.brownpapertickets.org.

McLean Orchestra Begins ‘A Season of Festivity’

The McLean Orchestra has announced its 42nd season, A Season of Festivity. Embarking on Maestra Miriam Burns' second season as music director and conductor, the McLean Orchestra will offer five classical concerts with an illustrious array of soloists, including pianists, jazz vocalists, bagpipers, organists, dancers and more.

The Ultimate Guide to MPAartfest

Q&A on MPAartfest, to be held on Sunday, Oct. 6, at the McLean Central Park.

What and Where What: McLean Project for the Arts presents the 7th annual MPAartfest Where: McLean Central Park at the corner of Rt 123 and Old Dominion Drive When: Sunday, Oct. 6, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., rain or shine Info: www.mpaart.org/artfest.php

Chimney Installed at Runnymede

Structure will serve as local habitat for bird species.

Visitors to Runnymede Park over the past few weeks might have noticed a new feature in the median of the parking lot, a freestanding chimney.

NatureFest Returns to Runnymede

Annual festival will take place Sunday, Oct. 6.

The Town of Herndon Parks and Recreation Department and the Friends of Runnymede Park will team up to host this year’s NatureFest Sunday, Oct. 6. The annual event gives local residents a chance to explore the plants and animals that live in the 58-acre park.

Fall Comes to Reston

Multicultural Festival, Reston Home Tour highlight fall events.

This fall, several new features will come to two of Reston’s signature events. The Reston Multicultural Festival, which will take place at Lake Anne Saturday, Sept. 28, will begin with the annual naturalization ceremony.

Great Falls Studios Join Amadeus Orchestra in Season Debut

Continuing a strong history of collaboration among community groups, Great Falls Studios (GFS) artists will be exhibiting their art at the Amadeus Orchestra’s season debut on Sunday, Sept. 29 at St. Luke Church, 7001 Georgetown Pike, McLean.

Christian Morrow of Great Falls in 'Miss Firecracker'

Christian Morrow of Great Falls has been selected to play Mac Sam for the University of Mary Washington production of “The Miss Firecracker Contest.” Morrow is the son of Hugh and Anne Morrow of Great Falls and is a 2011 graduate of Langley High School.

Country Fair, Spooktacular Return

Annual festivals highlight fall fun in Great Falls.

Fall brings several annual traditions to Great Falls, events that help local residents to celebrate the season in style. On Saturday, Oct. 5, St. Francis Episcopal Church will host their annual country fair.

Author Explores Consequences of Mental Illness

B.W. DeCaro released first novel, “Grown Men Don’t Cry.”

When it came to writing his first novel, Great Falls resident B.W. DeCaro knew he wanted to delve into some serious topics. With his first novel, “Grown Men Don’t Cry,” he’s done exactly that, creating a story in which two men must deal with mental illness in themselves and the ones they love.

Review: ‘Come Blow Your Horn’

The American Century Theater dazzles with Neil Simon classic.

It’s been more than half a century since Neil Simon’s “Come Blow Your Horn” made its Broadway debut, launching one of the most successful playwriting careers in the history of the American stage. Filled with what would become Simon’s trademark wisecracking repartee, the autobiographical portrait of a young man leaving home to experience the swinging single lifestyle of the ’60s is performed to perfection by The American Century Theater at Gunston Arts Center Theatre Two in Arlington.

Review: A Stitch in Time

Powerful “Gee’s Bend” debuts at MetroStage.

It’s officially known as Boykin, Ala., with a population of 275. But the former slave plantation on the banks of the Alabama River gained prominence as Gee’s Bend, an isolated African American community known for the role its folk art quilts played in the struggle for Civil Rights.

Review: Mean Girls

"The Children’s Hour” at Port City Playhouse.

In 1809, a girls’ boarding school opened in Edinburgh, Scotland, closing a few months later amid rumors involving two of its teachers. The decades-long lawsuit that followed was the inspiration for playwright Lillian Hellman, who more than a century later penned the critically acclaimed “The Children’s Hour,” now playing at Port City Playhouse.

The Connection