We try to publish this piece each February as space allows. Alexandria has many events that revolve around this day so we think it is fitting you all know why. Presidents Day is an American holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February. Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, the holiday became popularly known as Presidents Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents, past and present. The story of Presidents Day begins in 1800. Following the death of George Washington in 1799, his February 22 birthday became a perennial day of remembrance. At the time, Washington was venerated as the most important figure in American history, and events like the 1832 centennial of his birth and the start of construction of the Washington Monument in 1848 were cause for national celebration. While Washington’s Birthday was an unofficial observance for most of the 1800s, it was not until the late 1870s that it became a federal holiday. Senator Steven Wallace Dorsey of Arkansas was the first to propose the measure, and in 1879 President Rutherford B. Hayes signed it into law. The holiday initially only applied to the District of Columbia, but in 1885 it was expanded to the whole country. At the time, Washington’s Birthday joined four other nationally recognized federal bank holidays—Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving—and was the first to celebrate the life of an individual American. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, signed into law in 1983, was the second. The shift from Washington’s Birthday to Presidents Day began in the late 1960s, when…
By Mark Edelman It’s Valentine’s month, time to take that special someone out for dinner, flowers, chocolates and how about a night of theater? There’s a lot of great work happening on DMV stages. You’re bound to earn points with your main squeeze—or even a first date—by popping for a pair of tickets to one of these fine productions. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY Shakespeare Theatre Company Now thru Feb 7 The terrifying film franchise of the same name spawned this onstage thriller, a shared production between prestigious theaters in Los Angeles, Chicago and now Washington, DC. Be prepared to be scared. Tickets at http://www.shakespearetheatrecompany.org DRACULA… A COMEDY OF TERRORS Now thru Feb 15 Atlas Performing Arts Center Bram Stoker’s vampire tale morphs into outrageous new life as a madcap comedy full of camp, lusty encounters and outre spectacle. Five actors shapeshift thru multiple roles, transforming this tale of Gothic horror into a feast of physical comedy and unhinged seduction, carried off as only the folks at Constellation Theatre can do. Tickets at http://www.constellationtheatre.org BALLOONACY Imagination Stage Now thru Feb 15 The 1956 French cinema classic The Red Ballon inspired this sweetly funny piece of clownery starring Matthew Pauli with accordion accompaniment by Tori Boutin. Gone is the little boy following his red balloon around Paris. Now he’s a befuddled big lunk of a guy, navigating his lonesome apartment just ahead of that interloping scarlet sphere, artfully operated by puppeteer Enzo Leone. At about forty minutes, the show runs just the right amount of time to keep the kiddies engaged—and by that, I mean yelling to the poor guy onstage to watch out for that balloon. If my three year old grandson is any indication, it’s a great way to start a life of theatergoing. Tickets at http://www.imaginationstage.org OCTET Studio…
Photo above by Carol Jean Stalun Photography for Visit Alexandria Just minutes from Washington, D.C. on the Potomac River, Alexandria is a welcoming winter retreat. As you ramble along the red-brick sidewalks with a special someone, many adventures await. Start the day with some self-care at a spa, salon or fitness spot, choose from the many restaurants for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a cocktal and catch the action at one of the city’s cozy sports bars. Plus, don’t miss one of the biggest parades of the year celebrating George Washington’s Birthday and experience special events during Black History Month. On these pages are just a few of the events taking place this month. Full calendar at visitalexandria.com. All Month Celebrating Black History From a self-taught mathematician who mapped out the nation’s capital, to abolitionist sisters who partnered with Frederick Douglass, to the first Black athlete to play in the NBA, African American changemakers have shaped the history of Alexandria, VA, and the United States. Minutes from D.C. and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Alexandria offers tours, markers and more to lead you through sites and stories both harrowing and hopeful. Start exploring Alexandria’s Black history and cultural experiences for a better understanding of today. Enjoy discounts on Alexandria’s museums and more regional attractions with the Attractions Key to the City Pass. https://visitalexandria.com/things-to-do/historic-attractions-and-museums/key-to-the-city/ 6th through 28th Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse Art Exhibit Del Ray Artisans Gallery Colasanto Center 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue Del Ray Artisans presents “Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse” art exhibit celebrating traditions, mythology, and the dynamic symbolism of the horse in the zodiac through diverse interpretations inspired by movements, heritage, and storytelling with an emphasis on cultural respect and authenticity. The gallery is free, open to the public, and accessible. Gallery Hours: Thursday 12-6pm, Friday 12-9pm,…
By F. Lennox Campello Much has been written about the phenomenon of art fairs as the new salons of the 21st century, as magnets where galleries congregate and collectors and curators, and celebrities, and the illuminati go to see and buy art. Furthermore, anecdotal figures from the major fairs seem to confirm that a lot of artwork is being sold by galleries at the fairs. My own experience in doing art fairs for the last 20 years confirms this fact – I have my own positive empirical evidence. Here in the DMV, we’ve had our own taste of a major “Miami style art fair” with artDC in 2007 – and that fair was a major failure, as that basic fair model didn’t work in the Greater Washington area, which historically has a well-documented degree of apathy when it comes to actually buying art or getting the main stream press interested… or the immense reluctance that suburbanites have in driving to DC over the weekend to parking-challenged areas. Subsequently to that epic art fair failure, the (e)merge art fair – a hotel variation of the “art fair inside a huge building/tent” model, where the fair is held in a hotel (in this case the Capitol Skyline Hotel) – has had more success – but it also ended. And now the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities has been furiously planning a weeklong event that they’re calling “Art Week DC” which will (according to them) include a major art fair. And thus… an idea that I have been mulling in my head for years now keeps bugging me. There’s another “world” out there of fine art fairs that, because of the curious highbrow attitude of the “high art” cabal, never really gets any attention from the art media, etc. These are…
By Ron Powers In 1973, the Scottish folk rock band Stealers Wheel struck gold with the release of “Stuck In the Middle With You”. The song reached number 8 on the UK charts and soon became an international hit reaching number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The band didn’t expect the song’s huge success and were surprised when the single sold over one million copies. Interestingly, it was written as a parody of Bob Dylan’s style and has been mistaken as a song by the folk legend since its release. From its snappy rhythm to its cozy and catchy melody, “Stuck In the Middle With You” offers a laid back vibe that keeps toes tapping from start to finish. Things get started with a smoothly played acoustic guitar riff by Gerry Rafferty. Soon the bippity bop of Tony Williams’ bass line joins Rafferty and is followed by the drums and a second acoustic guitar rhythm by Joe Egan. Next, we hear the rough yet smooth vocal delivery of Rafferty singing about feeling out of place and disoriented at a music industry party. By now the boys have their listener’s heads bobbing to a rhythmic cocktail reminiscent of “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” by The Beatles. By the time the first verse comes to a close, it’s easy to understand why “Stuck In the Middle With You” is considered one of the best songs from the 1970s. Leading into the chorus, Rafferty sings the words “Clowns to the left of me / Jokers to the right” and then delivers the iconic chorus lines “Here I am / Stuck in the middle with you”. Subtle vocal harmonies are also sprinkled in to give the central hook just a touch more pep. Additionally, a simple scat guitar rhythm alternates between down beats and offbeats…
Wow! Who knew that Valentine’s Day had a whole boat load of history? We are guessing that some of this information may come as a surprise to many of our readers as well. Knowing what we know now might make us pay more attention to the content of the cards we pick out this year! – Old Town Crier Lupercalia survived the initial rise of Christianity but was outlawed—as it was deemed “un-Christian”—at the end of the 5th century, when Pope Gelasius declared February 14 was St. Valentine’s Day. It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love. During the Middle Ages, a common belief across France and England held that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that Valentine’s Day should be an occasion for romance. The English poet Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to record St. Valentine’s Day as a day of romantic celebration in his 1375 poem “Parliament of Fowls,” writing, “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.” Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine’s did not begin to appear until after 1400. The oldest known valentine still in existence today is a poem Charles, Duke of Orleans, wrote to his wife in 1415 while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois. Valentine’s Day Traditions Throughout History In addition to the United States, Valentine’s Day is celebrated…
By Miriam R. Kramer “I-I missed something once before, I won’t…. I can’t let that happen again.” — Carrie Mathison, Homeland, Season 1: Pilot, speaking of September 11, 2001. As political espionage thrillers go, the series Homeland cannot be beaten. It debuted on Showtime in October 2011 only to end in February 2020 after eight seasons. In November it came to Netflix, immediately gaining a fervid new audience. I recently viewed it again to see if its mixture of the nerve-wracking crosshairs of espionage and national political imperatives stood up, or if the series even represented any of the USA’s deliriously worsening domestic and foreign political landscapes. It prefigures them. All hail Homeland’s writing, directing, and the terrific acting from Clair Danes as CIA agent Carrie Mathison and Mandy Patinkin in CIA and security roles. Their chemistry and energy fuel Homeland’s greatness. This show pulses to the neurotic, workaholic beat thrumming through foreign policy in Washington, DC’s government institutions. An imbalanced, brilliant CIA agent and improbable heroine, Carrie Mathison works with her equally passionate boss, Saul Berenson. Each will sacrifice almost anything to complete their missions. Berenson is a CIA higher-up, a man obsessed with his job. He successfully uses his status as an outsider to maintain a clearer view of his surroundings. As a Jew, he grew up in a small, WASP, Indiana town without much religious identity. Carrie and Saul are symbiotic, a team in which each sees the other as family. Neither can easily maintain an outside romantic relationship, and both mostly eschew the idea of children—they are married to the games they play for organizations protecting the United States. They expect much from each other. In the pilot episode Carrie sneaks into a Middle Eastern prison to bargain for information with a prisoner about to die. He provides her with…
By Mark Edelman Happy New Year! Between some big hits that continue their DMV engagements into 2026 and new titles opening this month, there’s plenty to celebrate on local stages as the calendar turns. Check out some of the brand new and vintage plays and musicals onstage to start the year off right. GUYS AND DOLLS Shakespeare Theatre Company Now thru Jan 8 Frank Loesser wrote one of the greatest scores in American musical theater history—winsome (“I’ve Never Been in Love Before”), funny (“Sue Me”) and rollicking (“Sit Down You’re Working the Boat”) in one fell swoop. WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello and a brilliant cast make this G&D DC’s theatrical must-see of the season. Doll Hayley Podschun is letter perfect as Adelaide and Julie Benko’s Sarah Brown makes you want to sign up for Salvation Army service; the guys are pretty great, too (is it just me or is Jacob Dickey, who plays Sky Masterson, a dead ringer, looks and talent-wise, for Broadway heart throb Jonathan Groff?) Joshua Bergasse’s choreography doesn’t miss a step; and Connstance Hoffman’s splashy costumes and Walter Spangler’s nifty set make this an impressive achievement for STC. Tickets at http://www.shakespearetheatrecompany.org. FROSTY THE SNOWMAN Adventure Theatre MTC Now thru Jan 11 Whether or not there’s snow on the Potomac. Adventure MTC welcomes that most famous frozen fellow for wintertime romp chock-full of chuckles and comic antics. Follow Frosty as he slips and slides into the hearts of kids and adults alike through his uproarious antics. Tickets at http://www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Signature Theatre Now thru Jan 25 Doug Sills—probably the handsomest Tevye you’re ever gonna see—leads a fine company in this Broadway classic. Standouts Rosie Jo Neddy as Chava and her on-stage beau Ariel Neydavoud as Perchik are just two out of tons…
Pictured above: Carrie Garland and Alexandria-based artist Rich Moore By F. Lennox Campello After restaurants, according to the US Chamber of Commerce, an art gallery is the “second most likely to fail business in the Unites States. And running an art gallery is not an easy task – as Washington Post former and legendary Arts editor John Pancake once told me, it is a “heroic act.” In fact, opening and running an independent, fine arts gallery ethically and properly is an act of love and passion for the arts. And once open and running, cracking the code and getting people to actually buy a piece of original artwork is a very difficult process, and unfortunately for the galleries and for artists, they only control a small part of it. The most difficult part is getting people to actually know that there are galleries, and openings, etc. Getting the potential buyer to the gallery, or aware of the gallery or artist, is the key, and of course the most difficult part. There are parts of the world where you haggle the price of everything and every time! And to add insult to injury, there are apparently only two things in American culture that people seem very adept at haggling for: cars and art. I once walked to a line of taxis in Bahrain and asked the first cabbie on the line how much to take me to the Souk (market place area of the city). I had been advised that it should be about 20 dinars. “100 dinars”, he responded dragging deeply from his cigarette. After 10 minutes or so of animated haggling, we settled for 20 dinars. The next day, I wanted to go back to the market place, and seeing my cabbie again on the line, I walked…
From the origins of “Auld Lang Syne” to traditional foods, find out more about the history of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. What does “Auld Lang Syne” mean? Why do we sing the song at midnight on New Year’s Eve? “Auld Lang Syne,” the title of a Scottish folk song that many English speakers sing at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, roughly translates to “days gone by.” The poet Robert Burns is credited with transcribing, adapting and partially rewriting it in the late 18th century. Its lyrics, which rhetorically ask whether “auld acquaintance” should “be forgot,” have been interpreted as a call to remember friends and experiences from the past. Though sung on New Year’s Eve since the mid-19th century, it became firmly cemented as a holiday standard when Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians played it during a radio broadcast from New York’s Roosevelt Hotel at midnight on December 31, 1929. The band went on to perform the hit every year until 1976, and loudspeakers continue to blast their rendition after the annual ball drop in Times Square. Who were the first to make resolutions for the new year? People have been pledging to change their ways in the new year—whether by getting in shape, quitting a bad habit or learning a skill—for an estimated 4,000 years now. The tradition is thought to have first caught on among the ancient Babylonians, who made promises in order to earn the favor of the gods and start the year off on the right foot. (They would reportedly vow to pay off debts and return borrowed farm equipment.) The age-old custom of breaking one’s newly formed resolutions within several months—a fate that befalls the majority of would-be reformers, according to statistics—probably originated shortly thereafter. When was the first New Year’s Eve…
View More