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A busy weekend across Northern Virginia and Washington brings ballet to Tysons, Broadway favorites to Fairfax, major theatrical productions throughout the region and a 100th-anniversary reading of “The Great Gatsby” at the Library of Congress.
Nature and wildlife
Master Naturalist Amy Bolton will lead “Inviting Nature In: Creating Outdoor Spaces That Support Wildlife” at the Mary Riley Styles Public Library, 120 N. Virginia Ave. in Falls Church.
The adults-only program runs from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 12, in the Upper Level Conference Room. Bolton will explain how native plants and four-season habitats can support birds, butterflies, mammals and other wildlife, even in small yards. Registration closes when the event begins. Fifteen seats remained as of April 9.
Dance and music
BalletNova will present “Don Quixote” at Capital One Hall, 7750 Capital One Tower Road in Tysons. Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, April 12, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 13.
Inspired by the classic novel, the ballet follows Don Quixote and his loyal squire, Sancho Panza, as they search for Dulcinea and encounter romance, comedy and colorful characters along the way.
George Mason University’s University Chorale will turn to Disney and Broadway for its 2025 Chorale Broadway Showcase. Performances begin at 8 p.m. Friday, April 11, and 2 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at the Center for the Arts, 4373 Mason Pond Drive in Fairfax.
The program combines Disney melodies with Broadway-style ballads and showstoppers. Tickets cost $20 for the general public, $15 for seniors and $5 for students.
Melissa Etheridge brings her Spring Tour 2025 to the Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW in Washington, at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 12.
Etheridge broke through with her self-titled 1988 debut album, which reached No. 22 on the Billboard 200 and earned her a Grammy nomination for “Bring Me Some Water.” Her second album, “Brave and Crazy,” brought two more nominations, while “Ain’t It Heavy,” from her third album, “Never Enough,” won her first Grammy Award.
The Warner Theatre permits bags measuring no more than 12 by 6 by 12 inches and does not allow backpacks. Balcony seating requires stairs, and the theater has no elevators.
Theater across the region
“In the Heights,” the Tony Award-winning musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes, continues at Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave. in Arlington, through May 4.
Set in New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood, the musical follows residents confronting gentrification, chasing dreams and wondering who holds a life-changing lottery ticket. Its score blends Latin rhythms and hip-hop in songs including “96,000,” “Paciencia y Fe,” “Carnaval del Barrio” and the title number.
The final performances of Priyanka Shetty’s “#CHARLOTTESVILLE” run through April 13 at the Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW in Washington.
Written and performed by Shetty and directed by Yury Urnov, the work examines the deadly events surrounding the Aug. 11-12, 2017, “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville. It draws from interviews with more than 100 local residents, civil-trial transcripts and news reports while exploring white supremacy, race, identity and nationalism from Shetty’s perspective as an immigrant from India.
The Little Theatre of Alexandria is staging Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” through April 19 at 600 Wolfe St. in Alexandria. Joey Pierce directs the production, which relocates the comedy’s romantic intrigue and deception to modern-day New Orleans.
Performances begin at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. The production runs about two hours, including an intermission, and is open to all ages. Every attendee must have a ticket. Reserved seats cost $26.
“Annie” returns to the National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in Washington, from April 11 through 20. Directed by Jenn Thompson, the production features the book and score by Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin.
The musical runs approximately two hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission. Children younger than 4 will not be admitted.
Sharyn Rothstein’s “Bad Books” continues through April 27 at Round House Theatre, 4545 East-West Highway in Bethesda.
The play begins when the mother of a troubled teenager confronts a librarian about a controversial book her child received. Their conversation escalates, setting off a series of consequences that probe political division, parental responsibility and first impressions.
Ryan Rilette directs Kate Eastwood Norris and Holly Twyford in the production, which is staged in the round as part of the Bonnie Hammerschlag National Capital New Play Festival. It is also a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere, with partner productions at Florida Studio Theatre, Curious Theatre Company and Williamston Theatre.
Readings and literary events
Mason Exhibitions Arlington will host “Imagining Joy with James Baldwin” from noon to 3 p.m. Friday, April 11, at 3601 Fairfax Drive.
Visitors can explore the exhibition “Nothing Personal: A Collaboration in Black and White” over coffee, tea and a light breakfast from noon to 1 p.m. A Kritikos reading-group session devoted to Baldwin follows from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Kritikos uses books, art, music, essays, podcasts and documentaries to support continuing discussions about anti-Black racism, racial justice and compassionate social change. The event is open to all, and attendees are asked to RSVP.
MetroStage will honor playwright Athol Fugard with a reading of “The Island” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, at the Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St. in Alexandria. The closest parking garage is at 111 S. Pitt St., about 2½ blocks away.
Fugard, who died in February, devised the play with John Kani and Winston Ntshona. Set on South Africa’s Robben Island in the early 1970s, it follows political prisoners John and Winston as they endure forced labor and prepare to perform “Antigone” for other inmates.
MetroStage previously produced the work in 1990 and 2015. Producing Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin said the reading recognizes Fugard’s contribution during and after apartheid, as well as MetroStage’s history of producing his plays over three decades.
The Library of Congress will mark exactly 100 years since the publication of “The Great Gatsby” with a complete public reading Thursday, April 10.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Room LJ 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building on Capitol Hill. Audiences may attend in person or watch a livestream on YouTube. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel entered the public domain in 2021.
Visual arts
“We Dwell in Between,” an exhibition by Marie B. Gauthiez, remains on view through June 29 at the Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art, 11805 Freedom Drive in Reston.
Gauthiez uses the house as a metaphor for the subconscious, creating relief paintings inspired by walls marked by age and change. Mixed-media drawings, grid paintings, brick-sized fragments and an immersive plaster installation explore identity, preservation, reconstruction and the mapping of the self.
The French American multidisciplinary artist earned an MFA in studio art from American University in 2024 and teaches at the Washington Studio School. She co-curated “Holding Hands, Holding Space” at the Katzen Arts Center and participated in the National Gallery of Art’s 2023 Art Night program. She is scheduled to begin a residency at Ragdale in Illinois in December 2025.
Pamela Huffman’s solo exhibition, “In the Absence of Nurture… Nature,” continues through June 15 at Rare Bird Coffee Roasters in downtown Falls Church. The show features work by the local mixed-media and acrylic artist.
“A Brighter Light,” a member-juried Arlington Artists Alliance exhibition, runs through May 4 at Alliance Gallery, 2700 Clarendon Blvd., Suite R330, in Arlington.
Through color, shadow and texture, participating artists explore hope, clarity, renewal, optimism and the ways light can shift perspective during uncertain periods.
Sports and live podcasting
A Washington Spirit watch party begins at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at Solace Outpost, 444 W. Broad St. Supporters can gather at the venue to watch and cheer on the team.
Casey Wilson and Danielle Schneider bring a live edition of their “Bitch Sesh” podcast to the Warner Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 13.
The 18-and-older show, part of the “You’ve Got a Friend in Me Tour,” will feature discussion of the “Real Housewives” franchise and pop culture, along with reenactments, video clips and audience questions.
The theater’s bag limit of 12 by 6 by 12 inches also applies to this performance, and backpacks are prohibited. Balcony seats are accessible only by stairs because the venue has no elevators.