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It’s Friday in D.C., and there is plenty to do this week. You can see a choreopoem about being a young, black mother, catch a theater production that takes a hard look at a small Mississippi town, and watch a Saturday Night Live comedian perform stand-up in all his biting, witty glory. Check out the latest in arts news and reviews and ticket sales at the end of this newsletter. —Kayla Randall
FRIDAY
Silence is Violence: Mothering While BlackNarratives of young black mothers in mainstream media and performance art are often fraught with poverty-ridden experiences only to be alleviated by people who are deemed more well-off. The inner strength, courage, and tenacity of young black mothers is rarely celebrated. The Young Playwrights’ Theater is bucking the stereotype by bringing back Silence is Violence: Mothering While Black, a choreopoem that premiered at the Anacostia Playhouse last fall. Derived from oral and written stories, monologues, and poetry from participants of a program run by local nonprofit Sasha Bruce Youthwork, the coming-of-age performance will share authentic tales of what it’s like to be a young black mother. Read more>>> The show runs to June 9 at the Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Road SE. $20. (202) 387-9173. anacostiaartscenter.com. (Christina Sturdivant Sani)
The Washington Performing Arts Gospel Choirs—The Men and Women of the Gospel and The Children of the Gospel—perform together at The Music Center at Strathmore. 8 p.m. at 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. $40–$75.
Jazz clarinetist Anat Cohen performs with her quartet at The Hamilton. 8 p.m. at 600 14th St. NW. $29.75–$64.75.
The Kennedy Center Concert Hall hosts Smart Funny & Black, a comedy series created by performer Amanda Seales, in which people compete in a battle testing their knowledge of black history and culture. 8 p.m. at 2700 F St. NW. $29.
SATURDAY
Byhalia, MississippiByhalia, Mississippi is a love story, but it is also a hate story. Set in a Mississippi town with a tense past, it follows a taboo affair and its explosive aftermath. Laurel, a married white woman, is nine months pregnant. When her baby comes out half black, her affair becomes known. Laurel’s family finds it hard to cope, and Byhalia’s racial animus emerges anew. Read more>>> The show runs to July 7 at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $25–$89. (202) 467-4600. kennedy-center.org. (Tori Nagudi)
Andy Jenkins, a singer-songwriter from Richmond, Virginia, performs at Songbyrd Music House. 8:30 p.m. at 2477 18th St. NW. $5.
German DJ duo Cosmic Gate celebrates 20 years of success at Echostage. 9 p.m. at 2135 Queens Chapel Road NE. $25–$125.
Acoustic blues group The Teskey Brothers performs at U Street Music Hall. 7 p.m. at 1115 U St. NW. $15.
SUNDAY
Michael CheComedian Michael Che and his Saturday Night Live “Weekend Update” co-host Colin Jost have had a controversial tenure at the desk, drawing criticism from the left and right alike for their equal-opportunity attack pattern that lays waste to both sides. Che’s cutting, audacious style has led to his rise as a comedic favorite, and he isn’t slowing down. Read more>>> Michael Che performs at 7:30 p.m. at The Miracle Theatre, 535 8th St. SE. $39.75. (202) 400-3210. themiracletheatre.com. (Will Lennon)
Alt R&B duo Lion Babe performs at Union Stage. 8 p.m. at 740 Water St. SW. $22–$35.
Austin, Texas alt-rock band The Canvas People performs at Pearl Street Warehouse. 7 p.m. at 33 Pearl St. SW. Free.
The Anacostia Arts Center hosts Second Sunday’s Jazz Vinyl Records Listening Event, in which vinyl record collectors can share selections from their collections with fellow jazz lovers. 3 p.m. at 1231 Good Hope Road SE. Free.
MONDAY
In Mid-SentenceThe National Portrait Gallery’s photography exhibition In Mid-Sentence stems from a clever premise—that “photographs are inherently silent, yet may resonate with unheard voices.” The exhibition features a variety of images displaying people speaking. They talk in lecture halls, in smoky bars, on theater stages, and even in a NASA control room. Read more>>> The exhibition is on view to March 2020 at the National Portrait Gallery, 8th and F streets NW. (202) 633-8300. Free. npg.si.edu. (Louis Jacobson)
Colombian pop group Monsieur Periné performs at 9:30 Club. 7 p.m. at 815 V St. NW. $30.
Troop Beverly Hills, the comedy of manners about a Beverly Hills socialite trying to prove her worth, screens at Suns Cinema. 8 p.m. at 3107 Mount Pleasant St. NW. $12.
Pianist and vocalist Amy K. Bormet, whose compositions weave together jazz and chamber music, performs at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. 6 p.m. at 2700 F St. NW. Free.
TUESDAY
Rightfully Hers: American Women and the VoteA century ago, after decades of protesting and marching, women’s suffrage activists were on the brink of securing a woman’s right to vote. Today, the history of their efforts and the resulting 19th Amendment are on view at the National Archives in its latest exhibition, Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote. Along with displaying the original 19th Amendment, which prohibits the government from denying the right to vote on the basis of sex, the exhibition highlights communications between suffragist leaders, legislator debates on the amendment, and documents from groups both supporting and opposing the women’s suffrage movement. Read more>>> The exhibition is on view to January 3, 2021 at the National Archives, 701 Constitution Ave. NW. Free. (202) 357-5061. museum.archives.gov.(Ella Feldman)
Story District presents Kryptonite, a night of locals telling true stories, this time focused on moments of weakness, at Black Cat. 7:30 p.m. at 1811 14th St. NW. $20.
Indie pop artist Lucette performs with singer-songwriter Luke James Shaffer at City Winery. 8 p.m. at 1350 Okie St. NE. $15–$18.
Kansas City, Missouri rapper Tech N9ne performs at The Fillmore Silver Spring. 8 p.m. at 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. $29.50.
WEDNESDAY
FalsettosThe plot of Falsettos, the musical combining two one-acts by William Finn and James Lapine, reads like a neurotic soap opera: A man leaves his wife and child for another man, his wife then gets remarried to his shrink, he and the new boyfriend break up, then make up, and then the boyfriend dies of AIDS. This isn’t the cheery fare theatergoers might expect from a Broadway musical, but Falsettos is a musical for the more discerning viewer, one who feels comfortable ugly-crying in public. Read more>>> The musical runs to June 23 at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $49–$139. (202) 467-4600. kennedy-center.org. (Caroline Jones)
Journalist Amanda Little speaks at Politics and Prose at Union Market about her book The Fate of Food, which aims to answer the question: How will we sustainably feed a future population of nearly 10 billion people? 7 p.m. at 1270 5th St. NE. Free.
The AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center screens Babylon, the 1980 drama that follows a young dancehall DJ pursuing musical ambitions and fighting racism and xenophobia in South London. 9:15 p.m. at 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. $8–$13.
The National Portrait Gallery displays an oil on panel portrait of Leah Chase, the legendary New Orleans chef who died earlier this month. 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 8th and F streets NW. Free.
THURSDAY
ShlohmoWhen Shlohmo emerged at the turn of the decade, the Los Angeles producer, born Henry Laufer, fit nicely among the city’s so-called beat scene. A loose collective of crate-diggers and sampler-smiths, the beat scenesters pushed the outer limits of instrumental hip-hop: No beat was too wonky, too wobbly, or too weird. This was music overloaded with ideas and references, meant for the weed smoke-heavy rooms of now-defunct club night Low End Theory. Read more>>> Shlohmo performs at 10 p.m. at U Street Music Hall, 1115 U St. NW. $15–$25. (202) 588-1889. ustreetmusichall.com. (Chris Kelly)
Washington Performing Arts presents the 5th annual Politics & Art: District Vox, a showcase concert of local singers, vocal ensembles, bands, spoken word artists, and actors. This edition will feature local Latinx artists sharing stories and poetry at the John A. Wilson Building. 5:30 p.m. at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free.
Writer Dan Albert discusses his book Are We There Yet?, a meditation on car culture and its tight grip on the Unites States, at Solid State Books. 7 p.m. at 600 H St. NE. Free.
Palestinian musician Huda Asfour leads a bi-monthly improvisational jam session at Bossa Bistro. 8 p.m. at 2463 18th St. NW. $5.
NEWS & REVIEWS YOU CAN USE
News: Could legislation solve noise conflicts between music venues and irritated residents?
News: At Holiday Market, a new mural remembers Maurice Scott.
News: The National Air and Space Museum and Nationals Park celebrate the moon landing with new spacesuit statue.
Film: Dark Phoenix is the disappointing end of an X-Men era.
Music: Jordon Dixon‘s On! is a medley of joyful noise.
OFFICE OF FUTURE PLANNING
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. for contemporary R&B singer Mabel, performing at Union Stage on Aug. 14. 8:30 p.m. at 740 Water St. SW. $16–$30.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. for hip-hop and R&B artists Tyler, The Creator, Jaden Smith, and GoldLink, performing at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Sept. 21. 7 p.m. at 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. $29.50–$69.50.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. for Bryce Avary‘s solo rock project The Rocket Summer, performing at Union Stage on Sept. 24. 8 p.m. at 740 Water St. SW. $18–$35.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. for Chicago rock sextet Wilco, performing at The Anthem on Oct. 15. 7:30 p.m. at 901 Wharf St. SW. $75.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. for indie pop star Bon Iver, performing at The Anthem on Oct. 17. 7:30 p.m. at 901 Wharf St. SW. $55–$75.
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