Entertainment

The Boss Never Says: ‘Stop Clowning Around’

From pharmacy technician to clown.

Clown alley of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey has a vacancy. Across the entire United States, the odds of being chosen are 308 million to 1. Narrow it to Estill Springs, Tenn. and the odds become 2100 to 1. Chris Sullivan, pharmacy technician, beat both odds and is the newest and youngest clown in the alley.

Music, Murder and Pie-Making

Fairfax High presents “Sweeney Todd.”

Combine murder, revenge, pies and music, and the result is Fairfax High’s upcoming play, “Sweeney Todd.” The musical thriller takes place in Victorian London during the Industrial Revolution and will be performed over two weekends.

Rollicking Musical Comes to Life

Paul VI presents ‘Hello, Dolly!’

The romance of 1880s New York will come to life on stage when Paul VI presents its Cappies play, “Hello Dolly!” It features a cast and crew of 70, plus a full orchestra. The curtain rises Friday-Saturday, April 20-21, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 22, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15, adults; $10, students and senior citizens; at the door or at www.paulvi.net.

“Be Careful! The Sharks Will Eat You”

A riveting saga of survival at MetroStage.

He was just 4 years old when his father hurriedly whisked him away one dark, moonless night into the unknown. For Jay Alvarez, the journey was profound and one he shares in a riveting performance of “Be Careful! The Sharks Will Eat You,” a one-man show written and performed by Alvarez chronicling his family's flight from Fidel Castro's Cuba in 1964.

Alexandria Calendar April 11

E-mail announcements to the Gazette, gazette@connectionnewspapers.com. Photos and artwork are encouraged. Deadline is Thursday at noon for the following week's paper. Call Steve Hibbard at 703-778-9412 with questions.

Potomac Fine Arts April 11

Month of April 'Variety Art' Exhibit. Bernie Wilder, a Potomac-based artist who began donating to Child Welfare Services' Adopt a Social Worker program a decade ago, is presenting "Variety Art." To benefit the county’s Child Welfare Services “Adopt A Social Worker” Program. The exhibit features 24 pieces of art from seven artists. The artists represented are Wilder, a Potomac resident and oil painter; Rockville resident Marla Rudnik, a metal sculptor and jewelry maker; Rockville resident Shelley Bain, an acrylic painter; Potomac resident Valen Brown, an acrylic painter; District of Columbia resident Lou Kaplan, an oil painter; Potomac resident Ruja Shemer, a watercolor painter; and Rockville resident Nadia Azumi, a silk painter. At Amici Miei Ristorante, 1093 Seven Locks Road in the Potomac Woods Plaza in Potomac. The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 4:30 to 9 p.m.

Potomac Calendar April 11

To have community events listed free in The Potomac Almanac, send e-mail to almanac@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is Thursday at noon for the following week’s paper. Photos and artwork encouraged. Call 703-778-9412.

WWE at Arlington National Cemetery

WWE Executive Vice President of Creative Stephanie McMahon and WWE Superstar Kofi Kingston participated in a wreath-laying ceremony on March 22 at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. After the ceremony, they were joined by WWE Superstar Mick Foley and WWE Divas The Bella Twins to pay a special visit to wounded military personnel at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Arlington Calendar April 11

Know of something missing from our community entertainment Calendar? Send it to The Arlington Connection, e-mail it to arlington@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is 2 p.m. the Thursday before publication. Call Steve Hibbard at 703-778-9412 with any questions. Photos are welcome.

Thornton Wilder’s “The Matchmaker” at O’Connell

The drama students at Bishop D.J. O’Connell are far into rehearsals and set design for the upcoming performances of “The Matchmaker.” The play opens on Friday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m. Additional shows will be held on Saturday, April 21 and Sunday afternoon. Elizabeth Milam directs the play.

Founder’s Day

Join Reston Historic Trust and the Reston Museum at Founder’s Day on Saturday, April 14 at Lake Anne Plaza to celebrate Reston’s 48th and founder Robert E. Simon, Jr.’s 98th birthday

New at Lake Anne

Installation and performance combine action and form.

Reston Community Center, the Initiative for Public Art – Reston, Friends of Lake Anne and the Reston Museum are co-presenting Out of Place, a site-situated installation and contemporary dance performance conceived by architect Ronit Eisenbach and dance artist Sharon Mansur, inspired by the history of the planned community of 1960s New Town of Reston and the sculpture and architecture of Lake Anne Plaza. The dance performance will take place on Saturday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m. at Lake Anne Plaza.

Alegria Opens at Church Street

Patrick and Julie Bazin’s Mexican restaurant features small plates, specialty tacos and tequila.

There aren’t many restaurants that have patrons waiting outside for the restaurant’s door to open for the first time to the public. It’s even rarer when the restaurant advertised no opening date until the day prior to opening. But nothing is surprising when the restaurant is the eagerly-awaited Alegria, the Mexican taco and small-plate margarita café owned and run by Vienna’s own Patrick and Julie Bazin. On April 5, Alegria welcomed its first customers, opening five minutes early from its scheduled time.

Roller Coaster Mystery Ride

McLean Community Players present ‘Deathtrap.’

"Deathtrap," by Ira Leven, has been fascinating audiences more than 30 years, since it debuted on Broadway. "Experiencing 'Deathtrap' is like your first visit to a circus, a thrilling delight with every twist and surprise," said veteran McLean Community Players’ director Jerry Bonnes.

Impeccably Styled Show

McLean High’s production of "A View from the Bridge."

It feels just a bit claustrophobic sitting in McLean High School’s small Black Box theatre for the McLean Theatre Company’s production of "A View from the Bridge." The simple set with the round dining room table and the worn armchair feels almost too real, as though there are actually people living here. So when the actors enter, the audience is pulled headlong into the searing family drama of the Carbones, Italian Americans in 1950s Redhook whose lives are forever changed by the arrival of a pair of illegal immigrants to their home.

The Connection