Image courtesy of Woolly Mammoth

Woolly Mammoth Theater, tucked away in DC’s Penn Quarter, consistently puts together a great night of theater. From our first experience there seeing Nilaja Sun’s moving one-woman play “No Child,” my friends and I have been drawn back time and time again. In fact, we became so enamored that we got season tickets this past year.

Woolly recently announced its 2010-2011 lineup—billed as a “Striptease of Your Subconscious”—and it looks to be quite an adventure. You can read the full description of all six plays here, but know that it starts out with a Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright and then takes on child beauty queens, a modern day Oedipus, and a monologue on Steve Jobs, with a small, hilarious interlude from Chicago’s Second City around the holidays. The season finale is the latest from Robert O’Hara, the recent winner of the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play for “Antebellum,” which was performed at Woolly last year.

If one or more of the shows catches your eye, be sure to check out pricing information on Woolly’s site. Regular seats run around $40 or $50, but the theater also hosts pay-what-you-can shows before the start of each new performance in the subscription series. If you’re ready to take the plunge and commit to at least three shows in the upcoming season, one of their packages is probably a better deal. A special note to our readers under age 35, Woolly offers a $150, five show deal just for you. And at that price, you should definitely swing by Oyamel for dinner beforehand.

Merriweather may not be our favorite venue, but with Spoon joining as an opener, this is sure to be one of the best concerts to hit DC this summer.  The band will undoubtedly highlight several songs from their new album, The Suburbs, set to release Aug. 3.  And frankly, it’s a compliment to DC that we even made the ranks of the show’s other US stops, which include Madison Square Garden and Lollapalooza in Chicago.

Pitchfork released the exciting news today, along with the full tour list, copied below:

Arcade Fire:

06-07 Sherbrooke, Quebec – Granada Theatre
06-08 Sherbrooke, Quebec – Granada Theatre
06-28 Helsinki, Finland – The Senate Square
06-30 Rättvik, Sweden – Dalhalla
07-02 Arendal, Norway – Hove Festival
07-04 Werchter, Belgium – Rock Werchter Festival
07-09 Naas, Ireland – Oxegen Festival
07-12 Quebec City, Quebec – Quebec City Summer Festival
07-13 Ottawa, Ontario – Ottawa Blues Fest
07-31 Montreal, Quebec – Osheaga Festival
08-01 Boston, MA – Bank of America Pavilion
08-02 Philadelphia, PA – The Mann Center *
08-04 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden *
08-06 Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion *
08-08 Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza
08-09 Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
08-11 Atlanta, GA – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre *
08-14 Toronto, Ontario – Olympic Island
08-27 Leeds, England – Leeds Festival
08-28 Reading, England – Reading Festival
08-29 Saint Cloud, France – Rock En Seine
08-31 Berlin, Germany – Tempodrom
09-02 Bologna, Italy – I-Day Festival

* with Spoon

iYule.tv

This time of year, nothing makes us more content than a roaring fire.  The warm heat and flickering flames always seem to bring added interest to a room – whether it’s the scene of a night spent with friends and family – or simply a night spent curled up on the couch.

Of course, living in an urban condo doesn’t usually afford such luxuries.

While we aren’t quite old enough to belong to the generation that grew up watching the vintage Yule Log on TV, we’re still appreciative of the way the old Yule Log was able to bring a tiny bit of coziness to a winter night.  And now, we’re thrilled to have the Yule Log available for download in a multitude of formats to cater to the next, tech-savvy generation.  To check out all the options, including iTunes and HD formats available with true to life soundtrack, visit iYule.tv.

There’s certainly nothing like a real fire, but if you squint your eyes and crank up the heat, it’s not a bad alternative.

A Christmas Carol at Ford's Theater

We’ve always been a bit of a sucker for Charles Dickens, “A Christmas Carol.”  No matter how old we get, there always seems to be a Scrooge in our path, whether it be physical or metaphorical, threatening to dampen our Christmas cheer.  Sometimes that Scrooge can simply be making a dreaded trip to the mall – or enduring endless Christmas commercials that flood the TV airwaves from this week forward.  But there’s nothing like a classic holiday tale – especially one that reminds of us harsher times of the past – to help bring on the holiday spirit and make us thankful for all that we have today.

Today marks the start of this year’s running of A Christmas Carol at the recently renovated Ford’s Theater.  The schedule for performances is as follows:

Runs Nov. 23-Jan. 3:
Noon Monday, Nov. 23
7:30 p.m. Tuesday
Noon and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday
7:30 p.m. Friday
2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday

Tickets range from $41-58 and are available through Ticketmaster.

Image by Flickr User "Ajay77"

Each year, hundreds of long-time residents and tourists alike flock to the National Gallery to enjoy the outdoor Sculpture Garden turned skating rink.  It’s a great way to view the garden during the off-peak winter season and also take in some exercise on your visit to the Gallery and Archives exhibits.

But this season’s unusually warm temperatures are starting to have an effect on holiday activities around town, including the delayed opening of the skating rink.

Originally scheduled for Nov. 14-15th, the Gallery has announced that the opening has been pushed back to Nov. 20-21st.  But with temperatures expected to stay near 60 degrees for the next week, it seems probable that the rink won’t open until the Thanksgiving holiday or after.  Updates will be posted on the gallery’s site – or interested groups can contact the staff at (202) 216-9397 or by e-mail at ngaicerink@guestservices.com.

The Warehouse Theater, located between K and L on 7th Street by the Convention Center, will still house a concert space and jazz club (incorporating Warehouse Next Door), but the main entrance will move around the corner giving The Passenger the entrance on 7th Street.

We’re thrilled with the new addition, which seems like it might go a long way in bridging the gap between other bars and restaurants in Penn Quarter and along 14th Street.  With Againn having recently opened on 11th Street and The Space located just a bit North on N Street, the Passenger will hopefully have a natural niche market in the high-rise tenants that abound on nearby Mass. Ave.

Also apparently in the works by the brothers Brown?  The Columbia Room, set to open in early 2010.

Now Playing

The 2006 Tony Award-winning Best Musical, Jersey Boys, has hit the stage in D.C. and we’ve heard some rave reviews.

The musical chronicles the life of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons as the four blue-collar kids from Jersey worked their way up to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  This is the first time the show has visited DC and from the looks of the video gallery online, the cast (including Matt Bailey and Joseph Leo Bwarie) gives quite an impressive vocal performance.

The show is running now, through Dec. 12.  Tickets start at $50.

Tickets

Venue:
National Theatre
1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW (Between 13th and 14th Streets)
Washington DC 20004

Running Time:
2 hours and 35 minutes including one 15 minute intermission.

This week’s highlight comes from The New York Times, which gives us exciting insight into an upcoming episode of Iron Chef in which Mrs. Obama will play a pivotal role. No, she won’t be a guest judge, but instead the First Lady will be plugging the White House garden and her personal and professional efforts to help reduce childhood obesity through healthy eating.

For this special episode, White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford will team up with Bobby Flay to compete against a second team formed by Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse.  Challengers on the show will have to choose their special ingredient from the White House garden, but beyond that, producers are keeping mum.

We can’t wait to watch the episode when it airs on Jan. 3.

The New York Times, “From Michelle Obama, a Crusade for Healthy Children”

With the White House serving as a picturesque backdrop, 56 small trees representing each state and territory will surround the National Christmas tree to create the “Christmas Pathway of Peace.”

Tickets to the lighting ceremony will be distributed in an online lottery beginning tonight (Wed. a.m.) at 12:01am through midnight on Friday.  But don’t worry – the tickets won’t be given out on a first come, first serve basis at 12:01am – ticket holders will instead be selected at random after the application period closes.  Good luck to everyone!

More information

Poplar Forest

It’s still a few weeks off, but now is the time to make preparations to attend the first-ever Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival hosted by the lovely staff at Poplar Forest, Jefferson’s second Virginia home.

The festival will be held on Nov. 21 and will feature eleven Virginia wineries as well as crafters, food vendors and entertainment throughout the day. “Thomas Jefferson” will even be on hand to mingle with guests and offer a little bit of background on Jefferson’s own adventures in wine-making.

Located about 3.5 hours southeast of Washington in Lynchburg – we think Poplar Forest’s festival is best attended as part of a romantic weekend retreat in the Virginia foothills.  The festival will kick off at noon on Saturday and run until 5pm.  Local accommodations are available through Poplar Forest at Craddock Terry in downtown Lynchburg as well as at the Carriage House B&B in nearby Daniels Hill.

The Deets:
Poplar Forest’s Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival
Saturday, Nov. 21st
Noon – 5pm

Accommodations:

The Craddock-Terry Hotel: Just two years old, this incredible restored warehouse turned boutique hotel is located on the riverfront in downtown Lynchburg.  If you’re hoping to see more than just the festival, this is the spot for you.  There are two restaurants attached to the hotel, including a micro-brewery.  Package includes two tasting tickets to the Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival and two nights at the Craddock-Terry Hotel, starting at $140/night with two night minimum stay. Contact the Craddock-Terry at (434) 455-1500 or go directly to the website at www.craddockterryhotel.com.

Carriage House B&B:  Located in historic Daniels Hill, this 1878 Italianate mansion has been authentically restored to its original grandeur.  The B&B offers the same two package with complimentary tickets to the festival at a rate of $190 per night.  Call 434.846.1388 or visit www.TheCarriageHouseInnBandB.com for reservations.