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The increasingly early onset of Christmas-themed music and films may annoy those wanting to postpone the holiday season and just enjoy November, but if you’re one of those who just can’t wait, Washington Stage Guild provides the perfect fix: It’s a Wonderful Life interpreted as a 1940s radio broadcast. The cast (playing a group of voice actors and an inventive sound-effects man) and an impressive pile of props come together to tell the story of George Bailey and his discovery of self-worth. Read more >>> The play runs Nov. 12 to Dec. 6 at Washington Stage Guild, 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW. $40–$50. (202) 582-0050. stageguild.org. (Freddy Rodriguez)
EAT THIS
Wicked Bloom will serve brews and barbecue Saturday for its “Schwine & Schmoke” event. The bar is partnering with Union Craft brewery to offer six beers and a whole smoked hog from noon to 4 p.m. There will also be sides like spicy collard greens, coleslaw, and potato salad. Tickets, $45.30, get you seven beer tokens (each redeemable for a half pour) and plenty of food. Tickets are available here. Wicked Bloom, 1540 North Capitol St. NW. (202) 750-6375. wickedbloomdc.com. (Jessica Sidman)
OH AND ALSO
Friday: Chilean-American author Isabel Allende reads from her new novel, The Japanese Lover, which takes place in both present day San Francisco and post-World War II Poland, at Politics & Prose. 7 p.m. at 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free.
Friday: Two new art exhibitions open down the street from one another in Anacostia. At Honfleur Gallery, see “Las Virgincitas,” a collection of paintings by Dariana Arias of women around the world depicted as the Virgin Mary. At Vivid Solutions Gallery, check out “La Vie en Rose,” a new video installation by performance artist Carolina Mayorga. 6 p.m. at 1231 and 1241 Good Hope Road SE. Free.
Friday: Pericles, Shakespeare’s tale of a prince who is washed out to sea and chased by a wicked king, opens tonight at the Folger Elizabethan Theatre. 8 p.m. at 201 East Capitol St. SE. $35–$75.
Saturday: Of the operas that appeal to non-opera fans, few are more enticing than La Bohème. Puccini’s timeless tale of how romantic it is to be young and broke in the city (until suddenly you’re old, sick, and broke and it sucks) is immediately relatable for anyone who’s lived in a shitty group house well past the point in life at which you thought you’d have your own place and a real job. As a crowd-pleaser, La Bohème is a sure bet for opera companies, and the Virginia Opera is no exception: It was the first opera the group ever staged, and this is the seventh production of it they’ve mounted. Read more >>> The opera runs Nov. 14 to Nov. 15 at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax. $48–$90. (866) 673-7282. vaopera.org. (Mike Paarlberg)
Saturday: Eccentric singer-songwriter David Mayfield performs an intimate show at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue with rock and soul performer Sean McConnell. 7 p.m. at 600 I St. NW. $12–$15.
Saturday: The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington presents The S* Show, its tribute to the music of Barbra Streisand, Stephen Sondheim, and Frank Sinatra, at Atlas Performing Arts Center. 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. at 1333 H St. NE. $20–$35.
Saturday: Enjoy the bluegrass and rock sounds of Yonder Mountain String Band when the group takes the stage for an early show at 9:30 Club. 5 p.m. at 815 V St. NW. $27.50.
Sunday: In 1975, Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés established Irakere, a big-band group he’d formed two years earlier, as the official vehicle to express all his musical ideas. Now, in a program entitled “Chucho Valdés: Irakere 40,” Chucho’s current group, The Afro-Cuban Messengers, will perform both Irakere favorites and newer songs. Early iterations of Irakere featured trumpeter Arturo Sandoval and alto saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera, who became big name jazz acts in the States, so audiences can expect a similarly brassy showcase this time around. Read more >>> Chucho Valdes performs at 7 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. $28–$58. (301) 581-5199. strathmore.org. (Steve Kiviat)
Sunday: Celebrate the reign of the Notorious RBG, otherwise known as Supreme Court Justine Ruth Bader Ginsberg, at Kramerbooks with one of the authors of the biography of the same name, Irin Carmon. 6:30 p.m. at 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free.
Sunday: Tropicalia hosts Afghan musician Faiz Qaderi for a performance with special guests Mahroof Sharif and Saleiman Azizi. Admission fees include a dinner of traditional Afghan food. 6 p.m. at 2001 14th St. NW. $50.
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