While King Hedley II’s 2001 Broadway run received mixed reviews, subsequent versions have impressed some prior doubters. Arena Stage’s production, directed by Timothy Douglas, tells the story of a 1980s ex-con with a scarred face and a haunting past who returns to a rundown Pittsburgh rowhouse with dreams of opening a business. Played by Bowman Wright, last seen at Arena as Martin Luther King Jr. in The Mountaintop, Hedley struggles in a gun-filled environment where he faces social oppression in interactions with his girlfriend, a fellow conman, and a Bible-quoting, newspaper-hoarding neighbor named Stool Pigeon. Read more >>> The play runs Feb. 6 to March 8 at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. $40–$90. (202) 488-3300. arenastage.org. (Steve Kiviat)
EAT THIS
In the mood for both Korean street food and a groundbreaking portrayal of an Asian-American family on network television? Head to Bul in Adams Morgan tonight from 7 to 9:30 p.m. for a screening party for ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat, loosely based on celebrity chef Eddie Huang’s memoir. Tickets ($20) include a drink and invitation to a panel discussion with the director of the University of Maryland’s Asian American Studies Program, Janelle Wong, plus NPR’s Kat Chow and DC APA Film Executive Director Christian Oh. Bul’s regular menu will be available, so grab some bibimbap or hangover soup with fish cakes. Bul, 2431 18th Street NW. (202) 733-3921. buldc.com. (James Constant)
OH AND ALSO
Go-go act Familiar Faces plays two shows at Georgetown’s Blues Alley. 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. at 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. $20.
New Orleans-based folk singer Andrew Duhon incorporates stories into the songs he’ll perform at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. 6 p.m. at 2700 F St. NW. Free.
Comedian Nick Thune, who’s appeared on the Tonight Show, Chelsea Lately, and @Midnight, performs a series of stories and sketches with his friends and collaborators Ben Kronberg and Kate Berlant at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. 8 p.m. at 600 I St. NW. $18.
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