Metro Weekly

Editor’s Picks: A Kid Like Jake, Temptations musical, Ian McKellen documentary & more!

Our picks of the best in arts and entertainment in D.C. this week!

A Kid Like Jake

A KID LIKE JAKE

Jim Parsons and Claire Danes star as parents of a preschooler exhibiting gender-nonconforming behavior. Four-year-old Jake is a very minor character in the film, which is more about the parents, broader family, and social dynamics. Octavia Spencer plays the lesbian head of Jake’s school. Opens Friday, June 15. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com.

Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations — Photo: Joel Dockendorf

AIN’T TOO PROUD

A new musical about The Temptations, a group that churned out 42 Top 10 hits, including 14 No. 1’s. Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys) directs and Sergio Trujillo (Memphis the Musical) choreographs a production featuring classics everyone knows — from “My Girl” to “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” to “Just My Imagination.” Opens Tuesday, June 19. Runs to July 22. Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $59 to $159. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

Joan Armatrading — Photo: Joel Anderson

JOAN ARMATRADING

The acclaimed out British folk/rock singer-songwriter returns for a run of shows as part of a six-city U.S. tour at the new D.C. outpost of venerable New York institution City Winery, located just off New York Avenue in Northeast’s Ivy City neighborhood. Select dates Saturday, June 16, through Thursday, June 21, at 8 p.m. City Winery DC, 1350 Okie St. NE. Tickets are $75 to $125. Call 202-250-2531 or visit citywinery.com.

THE REMAINS

A comedy about the tragedy of loving starring Maulik Pancholy (30 Rock, Weeds) as one half of a gay couple celebrating a 10th anniversary and revealing the truth of their seemingly perfect relationship. David Muse directs a world premiere by Ken Urban. Extended to June 24. Studio Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.

Ciaran Lavery — Photo: Kathrin Baumbach

CIARAN LAVERY

As moody, dramatic, and hauntingly beautiful as you’d expect from a folk-inflected pop singer-songwriter from Ireland. Lavery’s new album Sweet Decay runs the full, sweeping gamut of emotion, from the joyfully rousing opener “Everything Is Made To Last” to the dying embers of the sorrowful title track that closes the set. It’s a captivating journey thanks to a stirring musical sensibility and Lavery’s sensitive tenor croon. Thursday, June 21, at 7:30 p.m. Jammin Java, 227 Maple Ave. E. Vienna. Tickets are $12 in advance, or $15 at the door. Call 703-255-3747 or visit jamminjava.com.

Peter Lovenheim

PETER LOVENHEIM: THE ATTACHMENT EFFECT

The New York-based journalist set out on a journey to understand a 50-year theory from psychology that has gained renewed popularity for its effectiveness in shining a light on who we love and how. Subtitled Exploring The Powerful Ways Our Earliest Bond Shapes Our Relationships and Lives, the book — equal parts journalistic inquiry, memoir, and psychological guide — features interviews with researchers, professors, counselors, and other experts plus informative anecdotes from individuals and couples. Thursday, June 21, at 6:30 p.m. Kramerbooks, 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-387-1400 or visit kramers.com.

Ian McKellen

MCKELLEN: PLAYING THE PART

The story of legendary and knighted actor Sir Ian McKellen, who came out a remarkable 30 years ago this year. Joe A. Stephenson’s documentary traces his journey from West End theater star to Hollywood’s Magneto and Gandalf. Stephenson was granted access to private photo albums, never-before-seen archive material, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, and the 79-year-old himself, who regaled the director with details and reflections on his life during a reported 14-hour interview. Tuesday, June 19, at 7 p.m. Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Tickets are $15. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com. Also Saturday, June 23, at 5 p.m. at the Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Tickets are $20. Call 202-544-7077 or visit folger.edu.

Dancing in My Cockroach Killers — Photo: Stan Weinstein

DANCING IN MY COCKROACH KILLERS

GALA Theatre concludes its 42nd season with the D.C. premiere of playwright Magdalena Gómez’s sassy bilingual musical featuring music and musical direction by Desmar Guevara. Conceived and directed by Rosalba Rolón and a co-production with Rolón’s Pregones Theater/PRTT of New York, Dancing In My Cockroach Killers is a rollicking show with characters inspired by family, friends, and Latino icons as varied as Lolita Lebrón, Joe Cuba, and Iris Chacón. To July 1. Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are $30 to $45. Call 202-234-7174 or visit galatheatre.org.

Firefly

FIREFLY MUSIC FESTIVAL

Delaware’s Firefly becomes more of a draw with each passing year. Spread out over a scenic, woodsy 100 acres at Dover Downs, Firefly offers non-musical diversions, including camping spaces, a pathway with nighttime video and light displays, food trucks and bars — this year including Eminem’s “Mom’s Spaghetti” and Shake Shack — and a pop-up brewery from Delaware’s own Dogfish. But the chief focus is on catching many of music’s latest and greatest. Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, and Chromeo are headliners this year. Other notable acts in the lineup include, per day: Hippie Sabotage, Chicano Batman, and Everything Everything joining Chromeo on Thursday, June 14; Foster The People, Logic, Big Gigantic, Jimmy Eat World, and Lizzo joining Arctic Monkeys on Friday, June 14; Lil Wayne, Martin Garrix, Portugal. The Man, Vance Joy, and Middle Kids joining Eminem and the Killers on Saturday, June 15; and Odesza, Sza, Alt-J, MGMT, Kamasi Washington, Betty Who, Alice Merton, and Morgxn joining Lamar on closing day Sunday, June 17. The Woodlands of Dover International Speedway, 1131 N. Dupont Highway, Dover, Del. Passes start at $129 for a single day or $349 for a four-day pass. Call 855-281-4898 or visit fireflyfestival.com.

2018 Bethesda Painting Awards — Carloyn Case: Afternoon Delight

BETHESDA PAINTING AWARDS 2018

Carolyn Case of Cockeysville, Md., was selected as Best in Show in this 14th annual juried competition produced by the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District. Case, a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art, received $10,000 for the honor, while Khanh Le of D.C. took second place, earning $2,000, and Caleb Kortokrax of Baltimore won third and $1,000. Through June, Bethesda’s Gallery B features an exhibition with paintings by all three winners along with the competition’s five other finalists — Baltimore’s Emma Childs, who won the Young Artist Award and $1,000, Kim Abraham of Alexandria, Sarah Boyts Yoder of Charlottesville, Leigh Anne Chambers of Courtland, Va., and Stephen Towns of Baltimore. Through June 30. 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Suite E. Call 301-215-6660 or visit bethesda.org.

Sweatcon Rally

SWEATCON RALLY

Flipping the script on a bar crawl, SweatCon puts the focus on sweating with fitness studios rather than drinking via neighborhood bars. The focus is on sampling from the multitude of classes out there and helping ralliers find the right fitness style for them. Started three years ago in Boston by the Zagat-inspired fitness review organization Sweat Concierge, SweatCon now expands to D.C. with 15 boutique studios around the city participating, including Corepower Yoga, Solidcore, Orangetheory, Barre3, Zengo Cycle, and Cyclebar. Ralliers choose from three 30-minute classes that they’ll take back-to-back-to-back at three studios grouped per neighborhoods (Dupont Circle, 14th Street, Shaw, Downtown, NoMa)on Saturday, June 16, from 1 to 4 p.m. The rally kicks off with a check-in party that includes complimentary event apparel and swag bag with goodies from sponsors including Reebok, Sweetgreen, Jrink, Glamsquad, and Vita Coco, at 11 a.m. 880P Rooftop, 880 P St. NW. Tickets are $75 and remain only for sessions at studios on 14th Street and Downtown; a Waitlist is available for sessions in Shaw and Dupont Circle. Visit sweatconrally.com.

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