With the help of a law school professor, a beauty parlor confident and interactions with classmates, makes her realize that her idea of the perfect husband, is not what she wants.

The Broadway production of Legally Blonde grossed over $1 million and was nominated seven Tony Awards.

Legally Blonde the Musical
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts 
Opera House 
2700 F Street, NW
Washington, DC  20566 (map it)
202-467-4600

Date and Time – Tuesday, December 16 through Sunday, January 11, 2008.

Tickets – $25.00 – $95.00 and are available online.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Foggy Bottom/George Washington University station (23rd and I St.) – Blue and Orange lines, then a 3-block walk.  Take Metro and use the free Kennedy Center shuttle on Saturday. It runs 10:00 a.m. – Midnight.

Parking - limited parking is available at the Kennedy Center for $17.00.

Image – Flickr – poster, ________________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler

These lengthy and historical interviews, the first since Nixon’s resignation in 1974, aired on television and showed Nixon, speaking at length about his presidency and literally taking over the interview, often not allowing Frost to effectively ask questions.

During the interviews, he did admit for the first time, an apology, stating he had “let the American people down” through his part in the Watergate burglary and cover-up.

The Tony Award nominated play, Frost/Nixon, staring Stacy Keech as Nixon, will come alive, 30 years after the actual interviews, on the stage of the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. 

Written by Peter Morgan, who also wrote the films The Last King of Scotland and The Queen, the play traces the story of how Frost was able to arrange, self-finance and sell the interviews, and get the first public apology from the fallen former President.

While the play does not use the word-for-word transcripts of the interviews and edits much of them, the play received phrase in showing how Nixon viewed his own failure and his presidential legacy.

The Ron Howard film version of Frost/Nixon opens in theaters on December 5th.

Frost/Nixon
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Eisenhower Theater
2700 F Street, NW
Washington DC. 20566 (map it)

Date and Time – Tuesday, November 11 through Saturday, November 30, 2008.

Tickets – $25.00 – $80.00 and are available online.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Foggy Bottom/George Washington University station (23rd and I St.) – Blue and Orange lines, then a 3-block walk.  Take Metro and use the free Kennedy Center shuttle on Saturday. It runs 10:00 a.m. – Midnight.

Parking - limited parking is available at the Kennedy Center for $17.00.

Images – Richard and Pat Nixon – public domain 

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Next weekend, enjoy over 30 FREE music, dance and artistic performances at Washington, DC’s premiere center for the arts, The Kennedy Center and their annual Open House.

The range of entertainment of as varied as the number of performers.

Here’s just a sampling of the many free performances:

• The Kennedy Center’s own Suzanne Farrell Ballet. Suzanne Ferrell  who was one of one of George Balanchine’s most celebrated ballerinas.
• Washington’s own, National Symphony Orchestra
• Children’s Musical Album Grammy winners – Dan Zanes and Friends
• Dance under the stars outside on the patio with the Godfather of Go-Go – Chuck Brown
• Folk singer Lila Downs, will perform her Academy Award nominated song "Burn it Blue" form the film Frida.

And if you bring the children, take them to the hands-on NSO Instrument "Petting Zoo", where they can all learn all about the instruments of the symphony orchestra.

Plus, you can wander the center and enjoy it’s great architecture and stunning views of the Potomac River, Georgetown, the Watergate complex  and the National Mall.

Click here for the most updated schedule of performers and performances.

The Kennedy Center 24th Annual Open House
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
2700 F Street, NW
Washington DC. 20566 (map it)

Date and Time – Saturday, September 13, 2008.  Noon – 11:00 p.m.

Tickets – FREE, no tickets required.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Foggy Bottom/George Washington University station (23rd and I St.) – Blue and Orange lines, then a 3-block walk.

Take Metro and use the free Kennedy Center shuttle on Saturday. It runs 10:00 a.m. – Midnight.

Parking - limited parking is available at the Kennedy Center for $15.00, but expect it to be full early.

 Images – from personal collection; ©2008, Jon Rochetti

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Post from: The DC Traveler

For two evenings in September, the NSO will perform music from some of the greatest films of all time. 

The first evening, Classical Hollywood, includes selections from movies that use classical music as parts of their score, including Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien, The Godfather, and Raging Bull.

The second evening, entitled The Golden Age of Film Music, features musical scores written specifically for movies, including Lawrence of Arabia, Gone with the Wind, Spartacus, the Wizard of Oz, and The Magnificent Seven.

Here are two of my favorite soundtracks, the overture and now synonymous theme music from Lawrence of Arabia, and Richard Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The National Symphony Orchestra
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Concert Hall
700 F Street, NW
Washington DC. 20566 (map it)

Date and Time – Thursday and Friday, September 11-12, 2008, 8:00 p.m. 

Tickets - $20.00 – $65.00 and are available online. 

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Foggy Bottom/George Washington University station (23rd and I St.) – Blue and Orange lines, then a 3-block walk.

The free Kennedy Center shuttle also runs every 15 minutes form the Metro (Mon.-Fri., 9:45 a.m.- Midnight, Sat. 10:00 a.m.-Midnight, and Sun. Noon-Midnight.

Parking - Limited parking is available at the Kennedy Center for $16.00.

Image – NSO and Oz

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Post from: The DC Traveler

On June 6th, you can see them perform free at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage 11th Anniversary.   

Here’s one of their signature tunes – Birdland.

And another unique interpretation – Twilight Zone.

Manhattan Transfer
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Millennium Stage – Grand Foyer
2700 F Street, NW
Washington DC. 20566 (map it) Date and Time – Friday, June 6, 2008, 6:00 p.m.

Tickets - FREE – No tickets are required.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Foggy Bottom/George Washington University station (23rd and I St.) – Blue and Orange lines, then a 3-block walk.

Take the Kennedy Center’s free shuttle (runs every 15 minutes) from the Metro station. Shuttle hours  – Monday-Friday from 9:45 a.m.-Midnight, Saturdays 10:00 a.m.-Midnight, and from Noon-Midnight on Sundays.

Parking - limited parking is available at the Kennedy Center for $16.00.

Images – Flickr – group, subway sign

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Romantic pas de deux, modern dance by Twila Tharp, ballet to Spanish folk music, and the dancing of the first U.S. created ballet by George Balanchine using music by Tchaikovsky, illustrates the range of the diverse dance troupes.

Each performance includes a mixed repertory from three ballet companies from around the U.S., including Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet, Salt Lake City’s Ballet West and DC’s own, The Washington Ballet.

The schedule includes:

• June 10 & 11 at 7:30 p.m.
  Ballet West–Serenade – Choreography by Balanchine with music by Tchaikovsky
  Pennsylvania Ballet–In the Night by Robbins and Chopin
  Houston Ballet–Velocity by Welch and Torke

• June 12 at 7:30 p.m. & June 14 at 1:30 & 7:30 p.m.
  Pacific Northwest Ballet–Jardí Tancat by Duato and del Mar Bonet
  Kansas City Ballet–The Still Point by Bolender and Debussy
  The Washington Ballet–Nine Sinatra Songs by Twila Tharp and music from Sanatra and other artists  
• June 13 at 7:30 p.m. & June 15 at 1:30 p.m.
  Boston Ballet–Brake the Eyes  by Elo and Mozart
  The Joffrey Ballet–Lilac Garden by Tudor and Chausson
  Oregon Ballet Theatre–RUSH by Wheeldon and Martinu

Ballet Across America
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
2700 F Street, NW
Washington DC. 20566 (map it)

Dates and Times – Tuesday – Sunday, June 10-15, 2008 – 9 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Tickets – $29.00 – $85.00 and are available online or by phone at 800-444-1324. 

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Foggy Bottom/George Washington University station (23rd and I St.) – Blue and Orange lines. Walk the 3-blocks to the Kennedy Center.

Or ride the free Kennedy Center shuttle. It runs every 15 minutes Monday – Friday from 9:45 a.m.- Midnight, Saturdays 10:00 a.m.- Midnight, and from Noon – Midnight on Sundays.

Parking - Limited parking is available at the Kennedy Center for $16.00.

Images – Flickr – shoes, dancer in pink, Pas de deux,   

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Performers range from upcoming local artists to world-recognized groups from around the world, and everything in between.

But with so many great shows, how can you attend every one?

Now, it’s easy, and you can do it from the comfort of your own computer.

The Kennedy Center puts all of the concerts online to watch live and many are archived to watch later.  Some of the archived performances date back to 1999.

All you need is to download the free version of RealPlayer.

This month, here’s a few of the free Kennedy Center performances you can attend online:

• Stravinsky’s “The Soldier’s Tale” performed by the The Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra.
• Son Jarocho style of traditional Mexican dance and music from Veracruz.
• Harp music from the American Harp Society.
• Anja Bukovec, the noted Slovenian classical violinist.
• Classic Broadway songs and scenes from the University of Maryland Musical Theatre program.
• Bluegrass with Monroe Crossing.

• World folk music from The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Showcase.
• A Cappella standards from the “Kings of A Cappella,” The Persuasions and A Cappella gospel with the The Paschall Brothers.

Here’s the complete schedule of free performances in May.

Millennium Stage Free Performances
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts – Grand Foyer
2700 F Street, NW
Washington DC. 20566 (map it)

Date and Time – Nightly at 6:00 p.m.

Tickets - FREE to attend, FREE to watch live online.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Foggy Bottom/George Washington University station (23rd and I Streets) – Blue and Orange lines, then a 3-block walk.

Take the free Kennedy Center shuttle from the Metro station – runs every 15 minutes Monday-Friday from 9:45 a.m.- Midnight, Saturdays 10:00 a.m.- Midnight, and Noon-Midnight on Sundays.

Parking - limited parking is available at the Kennedy Center for $16.00.

Images – folk dancer, Kennedy Center

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Linda’s mother started her singing at the age of 5 and she later studied classical dance and ballet in college in Arizona. Her stunning good looks, along with her singing and dance talent, helped her become a contestant in the Miss American pageant. She later went on to win the Miss World-USA competition in 1972, at the age of 21.  She then toured with Bob Hope’s USO tour and sang in Las Vegas.

Her big break came when she was cast on a new television pilot, the Adventures of Wonder Woman.  With super strength, bullet deflecting bracelets, a lasso of truth, and a skimpy outfit that highlighted her curves, Wonder Woman fought crime in America during the early days of WW-II.  She always looked great and never lost a fight, or her tiara, battling super-criminals and Nazis.  Yet despite fairly strong ratings, the show only lasted three seasons on ABC-TV (1975-77). 

Fast forward 30 years. Recently she spent 8-weeks playing the role of jail-matron, Mama Morton, the jailer of Roxie Hart, on stage in the play Chicago in London.

She’ll be performing her cabaret show An Intimate Evening with Lynda Carter, at the Kennedy Center for just one night.  The show includes a wide range of pop and Broadway hits such as “Put The Blame On Mame”, “As Time Goes By” and the popular Peggy Lee tune, “Fever”.  

Linda is now a DC area resident, living in suburban Potomac, MD with her lawyer husband and two children.

An Intimate Evening with Lynda Carter
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
2700 F Street, NW
Washington DC. 20566 (map it)

Date and Time – Saturday, May 10, 2008, 7:30 p.m., in the Terrace Theater

Tickets - $50.00, $60.00 and $75.00 and are available online.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Foggy Bottom/George Washington University station (23rd and I St.) – Blue and Orange lines, then a 3-block walk.

There is also a free Kennedy Center shuttle that runs every 15 minutes Monday – Friday from 9:45 a.m.- Midnight, Saturdays 10:00 a.m.- Midnight, and from Noon – Midnight on Sundays.

Parking - limited parking is available at the Kennedy Center for $16.00.

Image – Flickr – doll

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Post from: The DC Traveler

It’s the 5th Annual Congressional Blues Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.  And the lottery for FREE tickets starts tomorrow morning.

This year’s free concert includes performances by:

• The Robert Cray Band,
• Elvin Bishop – “Fooled Around and Fell In Love”,
• Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion,
• Beverly “Guitar” Watkins, and more.

5th Annual Congressional Blues Festival
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts – South Plaza
2700 F Street, NW
Washington DC. 20566 (map it)

Date and Time – Wednesday, April 23, 2008, 6:00 – 11:00 p.m.

Tickets - The performances are free, but tickets are required. Obtain tickets through an online lottery system starting Monday, March 10th at 8:00 a.m. Tickets include complementary food and drinks as well, complements of the U.S. Congress. 

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Foggy Bottom/George Washington University station (23rd and I St.) – Blue and Orange lines, then a 3-block walk.

There is also a free Kennedy Center shuttle bus that available daily every 15 minutes on Monday – Friday from 9:45 a.m. until Midnight, Saturdays 10:00 a.m. until Midnight, and from Noon until Midnight on Sundays.

Parking - limited parking is available at the Kennedy Center for $16.00. Area garages and street parking is also available.

Images – Flickr – guitar, Robert Cray, Elvin Bishop
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Post from: The DC Traveler

George Balanchine is considered one of the greatest choreographers in ballet history.  He first rose to ballet fame, as the choreographer for Ballet Russe and then moved to the the competing company, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Choreographing ballets for prima ballerinas such as Maria Tallcheif and Nathlie Krassovska, he created some the the world’s most famous ballets. He later formed a new ballet company, Ballet Society, which eventually became The New York City Ballet.

Along with the Balanchine’s ballets, pieces from three other New York City Ballet choreographers, Jerome Robbins, Peter Martins, and Christopher Wheeldon, are to be included in the program.

Two notable dances include Balanchine’s Agon, which is an abstract ballet for eight female and four male dancers.  The music, composed by Igor Stravinsky, suggests 17th century French court dances.

The second piece is another Blanchine classic, Serenade, that tells the story of dance lessons set to Tschaikovsky score. It’s a signature NYCB piece and the first original ballet Balanchine created in America, debuting in 1934. 

I’ve seen the New York City Ballet several times over the past 15 years and they always put on a fantastic performance.

New York City Ballet – Balanchine to Robbins
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
2700 F Street, NW
Washington DC. 20566 (map it)

Date and Time – Thursday – Sunday Feb. 27 – March 2, 2008, 7:30 p.m., also Sat. and Sun at 1:30.

Tickets - $29.00 – $99.00 and are available online.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Foggy Bottom/George Washington University station (23rd and I St.) – Blue and Orange lines, then a 3-block walk.

From the Metro you can walk or take the free Kennedy Center shuttle that runs every 15 minutes Monday – Friday from 9:45 a.m.- Midnight, Saturdays 10:00 a.m.- Midnight, and from Noon – Midnight on Sundays.

Parking - limited parking is available at the Kennedy Center for $16.00.

Images – Courtesy of New York City Ballet – © Paul Kolnik 

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Post from: The DC Traveler