Anthropomorphic animals, Technicolor costumes, falling down dark holes—it could be a gritty, hallucinogenic avant-garde film or a restaging of a beloved children’s story. This month, it’s the latter: Things get curiouser and curiouser as Septime Webre’s ALICE (in wonderland) returns to the Kennedy Center, drawing inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s memorable characters, illogical landscapes, and unpredictable series of events. Webre’s wild, experimental choreography pairs masterfully with the otherworldly costumes of Liz Vandal and a lively score by Matthew Pierce. Read more >>> The ballet runs May 6 to May 17 at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $25–$135. (202) 467-4600. kennedy-center.org. (Emily Walz)
EAT THIS
Not only are big plates the new small plates, but big drinks are becoming the new small drinks. The Gibson launches a new summer cocktail menu today with 26 drinks including a $45 cocktail for four called “Mine’s Bigger Than Yours.” The mega-libation is made with Old Overholt rye whiskey, simple syrup, bitters, and lemon zest. Any drink on the patio menu can also be made into a punch for three to five people for $42. The Gibson, 2009 14th St. NW. (202) 232-2156. thegibsondc.com. (Jessica Sidman)
OH AND ALSO
Friday: Brian Selznick, the children’s author most notably of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, delivers the 2015 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture at MLK Library. His topic: queerness in children’s literature. 7 p.m. at 901 G St. NW. Free; reservations required.
Friday: Experimental pop act Pree celebrates the release of its lastest album, Rima, with a performance at the Black Cat featuring Heavy Breathing and Young Rapids. Read our review of Rima. 9 p.m. at 1811 14th St. NW. $10.
Friday: Nigerian hip-hop performer Wizkid takes the stage at Bliss Nightclub. 10 p.m. at 2122 24th Place NE. $40–$60.
Friday: Head to Comet Ping Pong for pizza and a show from Japanese rock band Acid Mothers Temple, Texas quintet ST 37, and Vermont-based punk band Rough Francis. 10 p.m. at 5037 Connecticut Ave. NW. $12.
Saturday: Residents of Katakhali, a rural village on a remote island far off the southern coast of Bangladesh, have struggled against the impacts of climate change over the last decades. D.C.-based artist Monica Jahan Bose, whose family comes from Katakhali, started her multimedia “Storytelling with Saris” project to merge art with climate activism, leading art and writing workshops with 12 local women to help document their lives on a changing island. The resulting art objects—large-scale prints on sari fabric, journal entries, and a video of the process—are part of a travelling exhibition, “Climate and Actions,” in which visitors are encouraged to think about and address their roles in climate change. Read more >>> The exhibition is on view May 8 to June 6 at the Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Road SE. Free. (202) 631-6291. anacostiaartscenter.com. (Anya van Wagtendonk)
Saturday: Take a trip to Europe without leaving the borders of the District at the annual EU Embassy Open House. Sample beer and chocolate at the Embassy of Belgium, play with Legos at the Embassy of Denmark, or participate in a scavenger hunt at the different locations. 10 a.m. at various locations. Free.
Sunday: Jacqueline Kennedy began socializing with artist Andy Warhol after her husband’s assassination in 1963. Warhol had made portraits of her following JFK’s death; eventually, the pair became chummy, and Warhol welcomed the widowed first lady and her family for weekend stays at his home in the Hamptons. There, Kennedy welcomed filmmaker Jonas Mekas to teach her children and their cousins the basics of filmmaking. Mekas later turned the footage into a short documentary, This Side of Paradise, which screens this weekend at the National Gallery of Art. Read more >>> The film shows at 4 p.m. at the National Gallery of Art West Building Auditorium, 6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. (202) 737-4215. nga.gov. (Caroline Jones)
Sunday: The Hill Center continues its world music series, Dounouya, with a performance by traditional Ethiopian group the Feedel Band. Before the show, the band discusses its music with Brendan Canty of Fugazi and local promoter Jim Thomson. 4 p.m. at 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. $12–$15.
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