Things to do the week of Nov. 18-21, 2024
We've gathered up some things to do across the nation's capital, including museum exhibits, concerts, only-in-DC events and much more. Don't miss our things to do this weekend and things to do this month as well.
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Monday
Pictures of Belonging: Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi and Miné Okubo
The Smithsonian American Art Museum honors three of the most important female American artists of Japanese descent in the years leading up to World War II. Across eight decades, the careers of Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi and Miné Okubo helped shape modern American art. This new exhibit examines the three trailblazers like never before, tracing their artistic evolution before, during and after the internment and displacement of Japanese Americans during World War II.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th & G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004
Fierce Flora: Tales of Survival and Demise
The U.S. Botanic Garden invites you to see the ferocious side of flora and fauna at its special new exhibit. Many plants have evolved defenses against infection, herbivores and their plant competition. The multisensory display will showcase this evolution and also pinpoint how these plants can be both harmful and helpful to humans.
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free Admission
U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20001
The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture
The Smithsonian American Museum’s new exhibit examines sculpture’s role in understanding and constructing race in the United States. Across 82 sculptures created between 1792 and 2023 by 70 different artists, visitors can observe historical and modern works that inspire conversation and reflections on how power, identity and race are intertwined.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th & G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004
Tuesday
The Print Generation
Early in the 20th century, a new generation of Japanese print artists took hold of the entire process of creation, from designing to carving to printing. The new approach, known as “sōsaku hanga”, led to raw and unique works throughout a period of turmoil in Japan. Many of these fascinating pieces will be on display in this new exhibit at the National Museum of Asian Art.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission
National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20560
Twilight Zone: Hidden Wonders of the Ocean
ARTECHOUSE and the Woods Holde Oceanographic Institution have collaborated to highlight an awe-inspiring nightly migration of ocean twilight zone creatures and their intricate connections to the planet’s health, including their contributions to the regulation of the earth’s climate. The groundbreaking exhibition offers a 24-minute cinematic journey with immersive 270-degree projections that span from floor to wall, complemented by six interactive installations and six XR activations.
Discounted tickets
ARTECHOUSE, 1238 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20002
The Second City’s Dance Like There’s Black People Watching
From the creators of Black Side of the Moon and She the People comes a highly anticipated new production at Woolly Mammoth Theatre. The Second City returns with an exclusive new show created just for Woolly Mammoth filled with rising stars, hilarious songs and sketches and razor-sharp satire, all together in a perfect improv package.
Tickets
Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Caribou
For more than 20 years, Dan Snaith (who initially performed as “Manitoba” before changing his moniker to “Caribou”) has captivated listeners with a trailblazing fusion of electronic, dance and pop music through propulsive beats, ambient sounds, bubblegum melodies and reverb-drenched vocals. The Anthem is the ideal concert hall to host Snaith’s signature, dancefloor-packing anthems.
8 p.m. | Tickets
The Anthem, 901 Wharf Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
Wednesday
Samantha Box: Confluences
The National Museum of Women in the Arts presents stunning documentary and studio-based photographs from Bronx-based artist Samantha Box in her first solo exhibition in the nation’s capital. Box’s two major bodies of work will be seen together for the first time, revealing complex conversations around nationality, race, class, gender and sexual orientation.
Hours & Admission
National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
The Other Americans – Final Week
Emmy Award-winning actor, comedian and producer John Leguizamo is the mastermind behind this compelling drama that will make its world debut at Arena Stage. Leguizamo plays Nelson Castro, a Colombian American laundromat owner in Queens who is dealing with a failing business. When his son, Nick, returns from a mental wellness facility after a traumatic incident, Nelson must reckon with his past, protect his family and attempt to preserve the future.
Tickets
Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
SIX
The National Theatre welcomes back a Broadway smash for three weeks only this fall. SIX is a her-story of the six wives of Henry VIII – each tossed brutally aside by the psychotic ruler – filled with euphoric music in a remix of 500 years of historical heartbreak. Critically acclaimed and adored all over the world, DC is privileged to yet again host this magnificent stage spectacle.
Tickets
The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
Thursday
Breaking It Down: Conversations from the Vault
A new exhibit offers a deep dive and new takes on several artists who are essential mainstays of the Phillips Collection, including Georges Braque, Richard Diebenkorn, Arthur Dove, Sam Gilliam, Paul Klee and Georgia O’Keeffe. Visitors can also admire a growing collection of pieces by contemporary masters, including Sean Scully, Sylvia Snowden, Renée Stout and Joyce Wellman.
Hours & Admission
The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
A Christmas Carol
Acclaimed actor Craig Wallace assumes the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in a lavish Victorian-style musical production of Charles Dickens’ timeless classic, the staging of which is a time-honored holiday tradition in the nation’s capital. Scrooge’s riveting journey alongside the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future is a joy even if you’ve experienced it a hundred times before – especially in one of the world’s most historic theaters.
Tickets
Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Macbeth
Verdi’s famous operatic adaptation of Shakespeare’s quintessential tragedy is a moving exploration of corruption and ambition. The Washington National Opera performs the Bard’s historical epic for the first time in 17 years, filled to the brim with passionate music and its unforgettable tale of insatiable greed and the price paid for power.
Tickets
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
One of hip-hop’s greatest groups is coming to the Fillmore Silver Spring to rain down 1,000-word verses and signature singalong choruses. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony emerged from Cleveland, Oh. in the early-1990s, helped to stardom by the late Eazy-E. With songs like “1st of Tha Month” and “Crossroads,” Bone Thugs laid out a distinctive style of spit-fire rhymes and harmonies never heard from a rap group before. Expect a hit-packed set list.
8 p.m. | Tickets
The Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910
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