The Performing Arts

Washington's performing arts scene has an international reputation. Almost anything on Broadway has either been previewed here or will eventually come here. Better yet, D.C. is home to truly excellent and renowned repertory theater troupes, and to fine ballet, opera, and symphony companies. Rock bands, headliner comedians, and jazz/folk/gospel/R&B/alternative and other musical groups make Washington a must-stop on their tours.

Smaller Theatres

Some of Washington's lesser-known theaters are gaining more recognition all the time. Their productions are consistently professional, and sometimes more contemporary and innovative than those you'll find in the more acclaimed theaters. These more intimate theaters have their own strong followings, which explains the fact that at least two, the Studio Theater and the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, have recently revamped and expanded their performance spaces.

Studio Theatre, 1333 P St. NW, at 14th Street (tel. 202/332-3300; www.studiotheatre.org), since its founding in 1978, has grown in leaps and bounds into a four-theater complex, revitalizing this downtown neighborhood in the process. Artistic director Joy Zinoman showcases interesting contemporary plays and nurtures Washington acting talent; the 2007-08 lineup marks the theater's 30th season. The Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (tel. 202/393-3939; www.woollymammoth.net) offers as many as six productions each year, specializing in new, offbeat, and quirky plays (Sarah Ruhl's Dead Man's Cell Phone was one such production staged in summer 2007). In May of 2005, the Woolly took up residence in its new 265-seat, state-of-the-art facility, 641 D St. NW, at 7th St. NW, in the heart of the Penn Quarter.

In addition, I highly recommend productions staged at the Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE (tel. 202/544-7077; www.folger.edu), which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2007. Plays take place in the library's Elizabethan Theatre, which is styled after the inn-yard theater of Shakespeare's time. The theater is intimate and charming, the theater company is remarkably good, and an evening spent here guarantees an absolutely marvelous experience. The 2007-08 season brings to the stage Shakespeare's As You Like It, Macbeth, and R. B. Sheridan's 18th-century comedy, A School for Scandal. The Elizabethan Theatre is also the setting for musical performances, lectures, readings, and other events.

Indoor Arenas and Outdoor Pavilions

When John Mayer, U2, or the Dixie Chicks come to town, they usually play at one of the huge indoor or outdoor arenas. The 20,600-seat Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW, where it meets 7th Street (tel. 202/628-3200; www.verizoncenter.com), in the center of downtown, hosts plenty of concerts and also is Washington's premier indoor sports arena (home to the NBA Wizards, the WNBA Mystics, the NHL Capitals, and Georgetown NCAA basketball). Less convenient and smaller is the 10,000-seat Patriot Center at George Mason University, 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax, VA (tel. 703/993-3000; www.patriotcenter.com).

During the summer, there's quality entertainment almost nightly at the Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., just off Route 29 in Columbia, Maryland (tel. 410/715-5550 for general information, 800/551-SEAT for tickets; www.merriweathermusic.com), about a 40-minute drive from downtown D.C. There's reserved seating in the open-air pavilion (overhead protection provided in case of rain) and general-admission seating on the lawn (no refunds for rain) to see such performers as Neil Young, Counting Crows, Diana Krall, The Killers, The Cure, or No Doubt. If you choose the lawn seating, bring blankets and picnic fare (beverages must be bought on the premises).

My favorite summer setting for music is also the closest to D.C. and easiest to get to: Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts, 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna, VA (tel. 703/255-1900 for general information, 703/255-1868 for tickets; www.wolftrap.org). The country's only national park devoted to the performing arts, Wolf Trap, 30 minutes by car from downtown D.C., offers performances by the National Symphony Orchestra (it's their summer home), and has hosted Lucinda Williams, Shawn Colvin, Lyle Lovett, The Temptations, Ani DiFranco, and many others. Performances take place in the 7,000-seat Filene Center, about half of which is under the open sky. You can also buy cheaper lawn seats on the hill, which is sometimes the nicest way to go. If you do, arrive early (the lawn opens 90 min. before the performance) and bring a blanket and a picnic dinner -- it's a tradition. Wolf Trap also hosts a number of very popular festivals, including a daylong Irish music festival in May; the Louisiana Swamp Romp Cajun Festival and a weekend of jazz and blues in June; and the International Children's Festival each September.

The Carter Barron Amphitheater, 16th Street and Colorado Avenue NW (tel. 202/426-0486), way out 16th Street, is in Rock Creek Park, close to the Maryland border. This is the area's smallest outdoor venue, with 4,250 seats. Summer performances include a range of gospel, blues, and classical entertainment. The shows are usually free, but tickets are required. You can always count on Shakespeare: The Shakespeare Theatre Free For All takes place at the Carter Barron usually for 2 weeks in late May/early June, Tuesday through Sunday evenings; the free tickets are available the day of performance only, on a first-come, first-served basis (call tel. 202/334-4790 for details). The 2007 Free For All featured Love's Labours Lost.

Smaller Auditoriums

A handful of auditoriums in Washington are really fine places to catch a performance.

DAR Constitution Hall, on 18th Street NW, between C and D streets (tel. 202/628-4780; www.dar.org), is housed within a beautiful turn-of-the-20th-century Beaux Arts building and seats 3,746. Its excellent acoustics have supported an eclectic group of performers: Sting, the Buena Vista Social Club, John Hiatt, the Count Basie Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Lil' Bow Wow, Ray Charles, Trisha Yearwood, The Strokes, and the "O Brother Where Art Thou?" tour.

In the heart of happening U Street, the Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW (tel. 202/328-6000; www.lovethelincoln.com), was once a movie theater, vaudeville house, and nightclub featuring black stars like Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway. The theater closed in the 1970s and reopened in 1994 after a renovation restored it to its former elegance. Today the theater books jazz, R&B, gospel, and comedy acts, and events like the D.C. Film Festival.

The Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW, between E and F streets (tel. 202/783-4000; www.warnertheatre.com), opened in 1924 as the Earle Theatre (a movie/vaudeville palace) and was restored to its original, neoclassical-style appearance in 1992 at a cost of $10 million. It's worth coming by just to see its ornately detailed interior. The 2,000-seat auditorium offers year-round entertainment, alternating dance performances, like the Washington Ballet's Christmas performance of The Nutcracker, with comedy acts, like those of Steven Wright or Damon Wayans, with headliner entertainment (John Prine, Bob Dylan).