Only a few days remain to see “Vermeer and Masters of the Genre Painting: Inspiration and Rivalry” at the National Gallery of Art before the exhibition moves to the Louvre Museum in Paris. (Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)
Friday, Jan. 19
American Opera Initiative Festival at the Kennedy Center: There's more to opera than war horses such as “Carmen” and “The Magic Flute.” The Washington National Opera's American Opera Initiative Festival is focused on the next generation of opera, with premieres of four new works, including a trio of 20-minute operas for those with very short attention spans, over the course of three days. The main attraction is two performances of the hour-long “Proving Up,” from the duo behind the acclaimed 2016 opera “Breaking the Waves.” Through Jan. 21. 7:30 p.m. $19-$49.
'I Never Dreamed It Could Be Like This: Leonard Bernstein at 100' at the Kennedy Center: D.C.-based contemporary dance group Company | E’s “I Never Dreamed It Could Be Like This: Leonard Bernstein at 100” will premiere at the Kennedy Center, exploring the life and work of the composer, conductor and American icon. It’s a crash course in all things Bernstein through dance and spoken word. This performance is part of the local arts community’s year-long celebration of Bernstein’s impact on arts and culture in the United States. Through Jan. 20. 8 p.m. $25.
Bruery store grand opening: This is a day local beer geeks have been waiting for: The Bruery, a California brewery known for its barrel-aged imperial stouts and fruit-forward sour ales, is opening its first shop outside of the Golden State near Union Market. Owner Patrick Rue will be on hand to meet shoppers, and giveaways for early arrivals include T-shirts and gift packs of beers (no purchase required). Can’t take the day off work? Rue will host an after-party at Anxo (300 Florida Ave. NW) beginning at 5 p.m., with rare Bruery beers on tap. 11 a.m. Free.
Xosar at Flash: Instead of relying on a laptop, this California-born, Berlin-based producer-DJ can transform the entire atmosphere of a room with drum machines, samplers and synths. Her techno sound is best characterized as disquietingly experimental — filled with deep bass tones and industrial sounds that reflect her interest in the paranormal and occult. It’s creepy at times, but also enchanting. 8 p.m. $8-$15.
Edgar Allan Poe's 209th Birthday at Westminster Hall and Burying Ground: Every January, a mysterious person in a wide-brimmed black hat and white scarf visits Baltimore’s Westminster Burying Ground after dark, bearing roses and a bottle of cognac to be left on the grave of author Edgar Allan Poe. Poe fans gather at the cemetery in hopes of catching a glimpse and to pay a tribute of their own: On Poe’s 209th birthday, members of Poe Baltimore and the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum will lead a nonalcoholic toast to one of Baltimore’s favorite sons, with a short tribute and remarks, before settling in to see who shows up. 6 p.m. (Gates open at 5:30 p.m.) Free.
Saturday, Jan. 20
Ice Yards at Yards Park: The wintry festival for adults in Yards Park features appropriately frozen games, including shuffleboard and Plinko; ax-throwing; ice carvers; a communal “shotski” shot attempt; bars serving local beers and wintry cocktails; and music by DJs and cover band Down Wilson. 1 to 5 p.m. $10, includes one drink.
Bare's ninth anniversary at Cobalt: The long-running women's dance party at Cobalt celebrates its birthday with special appearances by “The L Word” actress Kate Moennig and musician Camila Grey of Uh Huh Her and Summer Moon, who DJ together as DJ X Names; DJ Citizen Jane; a performance by the DystRucXion Dancers; and all-night drink specials. 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. $40-$75.
Community Day at National Museum of Women in the Arts: In solidarity with the Women's March on the Mall, the National Museum of Women in the Arts opens its doors with hot beverages and free admission, including access to current exhibitions “Hung Liu in Print” and “Magnetic Fields: Expanding American Abstraction.” 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.
Two shows at the Baltimore Museum of Art: In “Front Room,” the MacArthur genius fellow Njideka Akunyili Crosby presents mixed-format pieces detailing her experiences moving to America from Nigeria. For “The Succession of Nature,” local artist Phaan Howng and the environmental group Blue Water Baltimore created a room inspired by toxic waste, which is the museum’s third Commons Collaboration, pairing artists with nonprofit groups to create art. “Front Room,” through March 18. “The Succession of Nature,” through Aug. 31. Free.
The Messthetics at St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church: The District’s most intrepid jazz guitarist started jamming with the rhythm section of Fugazi, and now they have a killer band that sounds immersive and propulsive. Guitarist Anthony Pirog began playing regularly with drummer Brenday Canty, and eventually bassist Joe Lally, giving a guitarist rooted in jazz and free improvisation a golden opportunity to get loud with two of the most telepathic punk musicians of all time. 6 p.m. $10.
Sunday, Jan. 21
Last chance: 'Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting: Inspiration and Rivalry' at the National Gallery of Art: Seen side-by-side with similar works by Gerard ter Borch, Gerrit Dou, Pieter de Hooch, Gabriel Metsu and Frans van Mieris, among others, the genre paintings of Vermeer are newly intriguing. He wasn't an inventor or creator of new forms; rather, he infused existing subject matter with a peculiar, highly personal intensity. The show has proved popular with audiences, perhaps not as crowded as the Vermeer show of the Clinton years, but not always easy to get into without a wait in line. The wait and the rewards — including the discovery of other painters no less individual and daring as Vermeer — are well worth it. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free.
Story District's Top Shelf at the Lincoln Theatre: The amateur storytellers of Story District can make an audience howl with laughter, bring a packed room to hushed silence and leave a crowd hanging on their every word. The organization puts on dozens of shows each year, but if you only make it to one, make it Top Shelf. The eight performers telling their true tales onstage were selected by a panel of judges as the very best of more than 150 stories performed in 2017. (Saturday’s show is sold out, so organizers have added a second edition, on Sunday.) 7:30 p.m. $25-$35.
‘Meet the Real Indiana Jones’ at Bier Baron Tavern: American University professor Justin Jacobs teaches a course on “Indiana Jones in History” and wrote a book on the subject, and he’s condensing all his knowledge for a chat at Bier Baron Tavern in Dupont Circle. It’s part of a “Profs and Pints” series that brings scholars to local bars for a bit of erudition at happy hour. Jacobs will compare the Harrison Ford films with history’s real-life explorers, archaeologists and adventurers — including what Hollywood gets wrong about archaeology. 6 p.m. $10.
— Fritz Hahn, Adele Chapin, Philip Kennicott, Chris Richards, Savannah Stephens and Briana Younger
Read more:
Wine bars are popping up all over D.C. — and they’re refreshingly unpretentious
This cheesy, spicy Buffalo chicken pizza is everything we crave in one beautiful pie