Brain Food
1. Monuments at Night Photo Safari: Led by professional architectural photographer E. David Luria, this safari kicks off with an orientation on nighttime photography techniques and how to photograph monuments and memorials without using a flash.
Where: Various locations, Downtown Washington, D.C.
When: 7:15 to 10 p.m. Friday
Info: $64; reservations are required; meet at the 17th Street entrance to the World War II Memorial 30 minutes before sunset; sturdy tripod required; 202-537-0937; [emailprotected]
2. The Great Debaters: Jeff Porro, the original researcher of the story, will discuss the film “The Great Debaters” and the real people involved during a reception following the film.
Where: The Corner Store, 900 South Carolina Ave. SE
When: 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday
Info: donation requested, 202-544-5807
3. The Vocabulary Experience: Improve your vocabulary in this class. Discover 14 master words that are key to understanding more than 14,000 words. Bring a dictionary and notebook to class.
Where: First Class Inc. Lifelong Learning Center, 1726 20th St. NW
When: 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday
Info: $35 to $45; 202-797-5102; www.takeaclass.org
4. Dr. Seuss for President: Coinciding with the historic 2008 Presidential election, Dr. Seuss throws his “hat” into the ring by releasing the first-ever political print editions to the public.
Where: P&C Art Gallery, 212 King St., Alexandria
When: 6:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday
Info: 703-549-2525; www.pcart.com
5. Metro Area Tour of Solar Homes: Fifty homes on the tour will display a mixture of solar passive and solar powered designs including photovoltaic systems, solar hot-water systems, radiant heat, efficient appliances and energy-saving building construction techniques.
Where: Various locations, D.C. metro area
When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday
Info: free, tickets available online at solartour.org
Galleries
1. ‘Leo Villareal: New Work’: New York artist Leo Villareal’s installation at the National Gallery of Art won’t open for a few weeks yet, but you can check out two other digital light sculptures at Conner Contemporary right now. “Diamond Matrix, Death Star” and “Horizon 2” use LED technology to bold kinetic ends.
Where: Conner Contemporary Art; 1358-60 Florida Ave. NE
When: Through Nov. 9
Info: free; 202-588-8750; www.connercontemporary.com
2. ‘Three Lenses / Trois Objectifs’: A trio of celebrated Parisian fine art and fashion photographers — Jean Francoise Rauzier, Jean Noel L’Harmeroult, and Cyril Anguelidis — bring their “lens-based media art,” which combines traditional photography with a digital process known as Digigraphie, to American shores.
Where: Honfleur Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Road SE
When: Through Nov. 7
Info: free; 202-580-5972; www.honfleurgallery.com
3. ‘Coming to the Edge: Recent Prints by Ellen Verdon Winkler’: Ellen Verdon Winkler’s bicycle tours of District neighborhoods north of Dupont Circle inspired this series of four prints, applying whimsical flourishes to the city’s architecture and intended for a book that will include verse counterparts to each of these playful images.
Where: Washington Printmakers’ Gallery, 1732 Connecticut Ave. NW
When: Through Oct. 26
Info: free; 202-332-7757; washingtonprintmakers.com
4. ‘Lino Tagliapietra in Retrospect: A Modern Renaissance in Glass’: Master glass blower and studio glass pioneer Lino Tagliapietra gets his first thorough career overview exhibition.
Where: Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW
When: Through Jan. 11, 2009
Info: free; 202-633-7970; www.americanart.si.edu
5. ‘Jim Henson’s Fantastic Legacy’: Roughly 100 original drawings, storyboards, and cartoons, along with props, short videos, memorabilia, and — of course — puppets, comprise this tribute to Muppets creator Jim Henson, who died in 1990.
Where: Smithsonian International Gallery, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW
When: Closing Sunday
Info: free; www.si.edu/ripley
Movie
‘Religulous’
Critic’s grade: Three stars out of four
Rating: R Running time: 101 min.
Bill Maher is preaching to the choir with this documentary that dissects organized religion, but he’s doing it in his laceratingly funny, typically sardonic way. The comic has touched on this topic often in his standup act and on his HBO talk show “Real Time With Bill Maher,” but here he goes on a full, focused attack, and pretty much no one emerges unscathed (except those who practice Eastern religions, for some reason). – AP
Music
1. Enrique Iglesias: Latin pop superstar Enrique Iglesias wraps up his 15-city tour with Aventura. The show will bring a mix of pop, ballads and Aventura’s romantic sound.
Where: Patriot Center, George Mason University, Fairfax
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Info: $58 to $88; 202-397-7328; www.ticketmaster.com
2. National Symphony Orchestra: Conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya leads the musicians in Beethoven’s Overture to “The Consecration of the House,” the Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 performed by pianist Hélène Grimaud.
Where: Kennedy Center Concert Hall
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday at 8 p.m.
Info: $20 to $80; 202-467-4600; 800-444-1324; www.kennedy-center.org
3. National Philharmonic: A celebration of the orchestra’s Strathmore residency revisits the Strathmore Overture by Makris and Beethoven’s “Choral” Symphony No. 8 with guest vocalists. Violinist Mariusz Patyra performs Violin Concert No. 2 by Wieniawski; Piotr Gajewski conducts.
Where: Music Center at Strathmore
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday
Info: 301-581-5100; www.strathmore.org
4. Staind: Post-grunge rockers Staind brings its tour with Papa Roach to the D.C. area.
Where: Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia
When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday
Info: $25 to $40; 202-397-7328; www.ticketmaster.com
5. Barbara Cook’s Spotlight: Tony winner Betty Buckley and pianist Kenny Werner perform songs from their CD “Quintessence,” Broadway and the Great American Songbook.
Where: Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Info: $65; 202-467-4600; 800-444-1324; www.kennedy-center.org.
Theatre
1. ‘The Way of the World’: William Congreve’s famous comedy of manners, where sex, money and power are the issues of the day and where fops, fools, gossip and wit fill Restoration drawing rooms. Michael Kahn directs this clever drama about courtship in which the lovers Millament and Mirabell want to create a “marriage of true minds” but are hindered by Millament’s jealous guardian.
Where: The Shakespeare Theatre, Lansburgh Theater, 450 Seventh St. NW
When: Through Nov. 16; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday; 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Through Nov. 16.
Info: $20 to $67.50; 202-547-1122; www.shakespearetheatre.org
2. ‘Broadway: Three Generations’: A celebration of three generations of Broadway songwriters in concert versions of “Girl Crazy,” “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Side Show.” Featuring Shirley Jones.
Where: Eisenhower Theatre, Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW
When: Oct. 2-5
Info: www.kennedy-center.org
3. ‘Anyone Can Whistle’: Signature Theatre presents Sondheim’s unconventional fantasy, full of wit and satire of politics, science and religion.
Where: Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, Alexandria
When: 8 p.m. Oct. 6
Info: www.signature-theatre.org
4. ‘Quintessence’: Betty Buckley: Tony-award winner Betty Buckley celebrates her 18-year-long collaboration with pianist Kenny Werner.
Where: Terrace Theatre, Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW
When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 3 and 4
Info: www.kennedy-center.org
5. ‘Second Line’: Two African-American college students find their love tested by the social upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s.
Where: Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE
When: Oct. 2-26
Info: www.atlasarts.org
— Compiled by Emily Cary, Chris Klimek, Barbara Mackay and Jacque Bland
