Identity

As humans, every one of us has a unique blend of characteristics that make up our identities. Join us this Saturday starting at 9:30pm on the Washington, DC area PBS station WETA TV26 & WETA HD and take an in-depth look at the identities of three very different people in a Hollywood film and two Independent Lens documentaries.

 

Top Hat (1935) – Mistaken Identity

Love hurts… especially when your significant other thinks you’re someone else.  The remedy? A nice a suit, a bow-tie, and a little tap dancing to turn that frown upside-down.  Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers top the charts in this musical performance making Top Hat a classic comedy you just can’t miss.  The film follows an American dancer named Jerry Travers (Fred Astaire) as he travels to London to star in a production by Horace Hardwick (Everett Horton).  Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers) is rudely woken one night to the tap dancing of Jerry Travers as he celebrates in the room above.  After confronting him, hate turns to love.  The situation becomes complicated when identities are confused and tensions run high.

Tune in for Top Hat beginning at 9:30pm on Saturday. Repeats Sunday at 11:30am

 

 

Independent Lens: Soul Food Junkies – Cultural Identity

When tradition runs strong, old habits die hard.  In filmmaker Byron Hurt’s culture, indulging in fried pork chips, greasy bacon, and cheese covered scrambled eggs is normal.  In his documentary, Soul Food Junkies, Hurt explores the culinary ceremony, in which eating unhealthy is just part of some African Americans' heritage.  As the son of an overweight father, Hurt hopes to open the eyes of the public to the harsh effects that come with this tradition.  Through interviews with doctors, community members, historians, and soul food cooks, Hurt explores the pros and cons of soul food and how it deeply impacts African American identity. 

Tune in Saturday at 11:00pm for our screening of Independent Lens: Soul Food Junkies.

 

 

Independent Lens: P-Star Rising – The Search for Identity

Making a name for yourself in the hip-hop world is one of the many hardships that comes with a rap career.  For one little girl following her dream, this would not be the case. Her father, Jesse Diaz, was once a rap entrepreneur in search of fame but soon found himself in the shoes of the many other hip-hop artists that fail to make it. Priscilla, Jesse’s nine-year-old daughter, discovers that she is not just an ordinary pre-teen in Harlem but a gifted child with the ability to rap like a pro. Anxious to relive the life he once lost, Jesse becomes invested in Priscilla’s career. Follow the rise and fall of stardom in this docu-drama about family, fame, and obsession.

Join us this Sunday at 12:00am for the Independent Lens documentary P-Star Rising.

 

 

 

With such a plethora of holiday events in our region, it’s quite a task to choose the best ones for your already hectic schedule!  Luckily, this is the season of giving and we’re feeling particularly generous.  Take a peek under your cyber Christmas tree.  Our gift to you? A carefully curated directory of our favorite things to do this December in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia.  Now hurry off and have fun — this special time comes but once a year.  

 

                                               Happy holidays from WETA Around Town!

 

SPARKLES FROM THE STAGE

Theatre’s always magical, but something about the holidays makes the stage shine a little brighter after Thanksgiving.  We covered many here in our recent Holiday Theatre Roundup: 

 

Here are a few more performances you shouldn’t tuck away in your stocking; see one now!

 

          Holiday Guys featuring Marc Kudisch and Jeffry Denman

          December 11-16; Cost: Tickets starting at $41

          Signature Theatre – Arlington, VA

 

          It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play

          December 6-30, Thursday-Sunday; Cost: $25.50 for adults; $21.50 for seniors/students

          Maryland Ensemble Theatre – Frederick, MD

 

          My So-Called Jewish Life: Holiday Time Storytelling

          December 15, 8pm; Cost: $17 in advance $20 at the door

          Sixth & I Historic Synagogue – Washington, DC

 

          Seasonal Disorder by Washington Improv Theater

          December 6-22, 8 & 10pm; Cost: $10 in advance, $15 at the door

          Source – Washington, DC

 

          Rep Stage presents David Sedaris’ Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk

          December 20 – 23; Cost: $15

          The Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center - Columbia, MD

 

           ‘Tis the Season: A concert by the American Youth String Ensemble

          December 7, 7pm; Cost: $15 for adults, $10 for seniors/students

          Vienna Presbyterian Church – Vienna, VA

 

          Yes, Virginia: The Musical produced by Oxon Hill Middle School

          December 6 & 7, 6:30pm; Cost $5

          Oxon Hill Middle School – Fort Washington, MD

 

TWIRLING LIKE A SUGAR PLUM FAIRY

Grace and elegance—don’t we all wish we had more of that, especially as the year comes to a hectic close? Maybe a dancer’s poise will rub off on us. There’s only one way to find out and that means going to a holiday dance performance!

         

          Kwanzaa Celebration with Dance Place

          December 14 & 15, 8pm; Cost: $22 general admission

          Dance Place – Washington, DC

 

          Step Afrika! Magical, Musical Holiday Step Show

          December 12-23; Cost: $35 for adults, $20 for seniors/students

          Atlas Performing Arts Center – Washington, DC

 

          The Nutcracker by Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore School of the Arts,                   Maryland Institute College of Art & Modell Lyric

          December 21 & 22, 2 & 7:30pm; Cost: Starting at $28

          Modell Lyric – Baltimore, MD

 

MUSICAL MERRIMENT

With carols and orchestral celebrations, ‘tis the season of music!  We’ve narrowed down the list of holiday concerts galore.  And, yes, there’s something about the holidays that makes us feel lyrical.

 

          Florence: Christmas Music of the Trecento

          December 14 – 23, Cost: $50

          Folger Shakespeare Library – Washington, DC

 

          Holiday Pops Celebration with BSO SuperPops

          December 12 – December 16; Cost: Tickets start at $17

          The Music Center at Strathmore – N. Bethesda, MD

          and Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall – Baltimore, MD

 

          Joy of Christmas Concert by the Cathedral Choral Society

          December 15 & 16; Cost: $25

          Washington National Cathedral – Washington, DC

 

          Mount Vernon Flutes Holiday Music

          December 9, 2pm; Cost: Free

          Athenaeum - Alexandria, VA

 

          National Chamber Ensemble Annual Holiday Concert

          December 16, 4:30pm; Cost: $28 for adults, $15 for students

          Rosslyn Spectrum Theatre at Artisphere – Arlington, VA

 

          Take 5! A Cool Yule with the Brad Linde Quartet plus Brass

          December 20, 5-7pm; Cost: Free

          Smithsonian American Art Museum – Washington, DC

 

          Washington Symphonic Brass presents Holiday Concert

          December 18, 7:30pm; Cost: Tickets between $28-48

          The Music Center at Strathmore – Bethesda, Maryland

 

          World Holiday Celebrations by Children’s Chorus of Washington

          December 15 & 16, 4pm; Cost: $25 for adults, $10 for children

          National City Christian Church – Washington, DC

 

STIRRING SIGHTS

Glitter, lights, and numerous other decorations put the winter holidays in the running for the most beautiful time of year.  Honor the spirit of the season (and the visual arts) by strolling out to one of these shows:

 

          Holiday Ornament Emporium

          December 7 – 23; Cost: Free with admission

          Montpelier Mansion - Laurel, MD

 

          ICE!™ Featuring Dreamworks’ Shrek the Halls

          Through January 6; Cost: Starting at $22.99, discount for Military, Seniors and Kids

          The Gaylord Hotel – National Harbor, MD

 

          Joys of the Season All-media Exhibition

          Through January 20; Cost: Free

          Torpedo Factory Art Center – Alexandria, VA

 

STRICTLY G-RATED

The holidays can be fun for the whole family.  Here are a few events that are sure to delight the young and young at heart. 

 

          Baktun 13: A Guatemalan Cultural Festival

          December 15 & 16, 10am-5pm; Cost: Free

          National Museum of the American Indian – Washington, DC

 

          Drumming with Dishes – The Holiday Edition

          December 11-16; Cost: $8

          Atlas Performing Arts Center – Washington, DC

 

          Holiday Films at AFI Silver: It’s a Wonderful Life, The Muppet Christmas Carol, A Christmas     Story, The Nutcracker, Miracle on 34th Street, Holiday Affair, etc.

          Starting December 7; $11.50 for general admission, $7 per child

          AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center – Silver Spring, MD

 

          Israeli-style Family Chanukah Celebration

          December 8, 6:30-8:30pm; Cost: $7 per person, $20 max. per family

          JCC of Greater Washington - Rockville, MD

 

          Kwanzaa: A Musical Celebration

          December 28, 10am; Cost: Free

          Anacostia Community Museum – Washington, DC

 

          Kwanzaa Celebration: And a Child Shall Lead Them

          December 29, 12-4pm; Cost: $5

          Reginald F. Lewis Museum – Baltimore, MD

 

          Oh Tannenbaum! Christmas Festival

          December 8-9; Cost: Free

          Goethe-Institut – Washington, DC

 

And for more holiday cheer around Washington, watch our WETA Guide to Christmas online or on air!