The Catholic University of America will present a full line-up of arts events this spring. The Department of Drama will stage premiere productions of two original student-written plays, as well as a special engagement of the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, Our Town.
Students from the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music will also have much to offer, including the spring musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, the opera Le Nozze di Figaro, and a one-night-only concert in collaboration with Arena Stage commemorating Leonard Bernstein at 100.
For more information on these and other events, visit nest.cua.edu or read the listings below.
The Department of Drama at The Catholic University of America presents the following events for the upcoming spring semester.
Tickets are $15 for general admission; $10 for senior citizens, military, University alumni, faculty, and staff; and $5 for students. For more information on these events or to purchase tickets, visit drama.cua.edu, email cua-drama@cua.edu, or call the box office at 202-319-4000.
Feb. 16-25
River Like Sin
By Lindsay Adams, M.F.A. Playwriting Candidate. Directed by Shanara Gabrielle.
A dancing river is the last thing keeping this struggling farming community alive. Everything changes when young Wren Walker crosses the river on a dare and discovers the town ghost is an elderly woman whose tears keep the river flowing. As Wren continues to visit, the woman stops weeping and the land begins to dry up. When the crops wither and dust fills their lungs, the townspeople question their faith and grow angry, looking for something, or someone, to blame. Performances will take place in Hartke Theatre, 3801 Harewood Road, Feb. 16, 22, and 24, at 7:30 p.m.; and Feb. 17 and 25, at 2 p.m.
Feb. 17-24
The Knot
By Liz Maestri, M.F.A. Playwriting Candidate. Directed by Kristin Clippard.
Khymi and TJ are getting married, and it’s going to be the most perfect day for the most perfect couple of all time ever. But when they discover that business and fantasy don’t always mix, Khymi and TJ must look at what lies beneath the veneer of flowers, rings, cakes, shoes, alcohol, presents, and nervous breakdowns — to what their union really means. The Knot asks how our ‘Happily Ever Afters’ get packaged and sold in the modern American universe of wedding mania. Performances will take place in Hartke Theatre, 3801 Harewood Road, Feb. 17, 21, and 23, at 7:30 p.m.; and Feb. 18 and 24, at 2 p.m.
April 20-22
Our Town
By Thornton Wilder. Directed by Matt Ripa.
Don’t miss this special-engagement production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama that illuminates the bonds keeping a small community together as its members make their way through everyday life and times of hardship. Our Town challenges us to live our truth because we never know when the final act will arrive. Performances will take place in Hartke Theatre, 3801 Harewood Road, April 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m., and April 22 at 2 p.m.
The Musical Theatre and Vocal Divisions of the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music at The Catholic University of America present the following events for the upcoming spring semester. For more information or to buy tickets, visit music.catholic.edu or call 202-319-5416.
Jan. 26-28
Leonard Bernstein at 100: The Theater Songs of Leonard Bernstein
Presented in collaboration with Arena Stage.
The Catholic University of America and Arena Stage join 12 other local arts organizations to partner with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to participate in the yearlong international centennial celebration of Leonard Bernstein — local, national, and worldwide events that pay tribute to this incomparable artist whose influence and impact on arts and culture in the U.S. and around the world have transcended genres and generations. This 55-minute revue-style show will include pieces from West Side Story, A Party with Comden and Green, Wonderful Town, Peter Pan, The Lark, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and others. Performances will take place at Arena Stage Jan. 26-27 at 8 p.m., and Jan. 28 at 3 p.m. Tickets are required, but can be reserved for free at music.catholic.edu.
Feb. 16-25
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Written by Alex Timbers. Music and Lyrics by Michael Friedman.
An audacious mix of historical fact and fiction, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson redefines America’s controversial seventh president. The show is a comedic, historical rock musical that casts President Jackson as an emo rock star and focuses on populism and the founding of the Democratic Party, the Indian Removal Act, and Jackson’s relationship with his wife Rachel. The New York Times noted, “there is no show in town that more astutely reflects the state of this nation than Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.” Caution: Includes mature language, not recommended for children. Performances will take place Feb. 16-17, and 22-24, at 7:30 p.m.; and Feb. 18 and 25, at 2 p.m. in the Ward Recital Hall. Tickets are $20 for general admission; $10 for seniors, military, and University alumni/faculty/staff; and $5 for students and those under 18.
March 22-25
Le Nozze di Figaro
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Sung in Italian with English supertitles. Based on Pierre Beaumarchais’s play Le Mariage de Figaro.
Poor Susanna and Figaro just want to marry and settle into their own “happily ever after.” Alas, some people have other ideas about their pending nuptials! If they can sort out the disguises, the debt, the long-lost relatives, and manage to keep their philandering boss at bay, they just might make it. Mozart’s effervescent score brilliantly captures both the mirth and the pathos of this very busy day in Seville. Performances will take place in the University’s Hartke Theatre, March 22 and 24, at 7:30 p.m., and March 25 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $40 for premium seating, $25 for general admission; $15 for seniors, military, and University alumni/faculty/staff; and $5 for students and those under 18.
April 26
Special Performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Presented by Washington Performing Arts, with musical direction by Gustavo Dudamel, featuring soprano Juliana Di Giacomo, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano, tenor Michael Konig, and bass-baritone Davone Tines.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic joins forces with a coalition of local choruses — including the Catholic University Chorus — to perform a cornerstone of the canon, Beethoven’s Ninth. The concert will take place at 8 p.m. For more information or to buy tickets, visit washingtonperformingarts.org.
Feb. 28
Composition Division Recital
Ward Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m., free admission.
March 1
Catholic University Chamber Choir
Music direction by Timothy McDonnell.
Father O’Connell Hall, Heritage Hall, 7:30 p.m., free admission.
April 20
University Singers
Conducted by Allan Laino.
Location to be announced, 7:30 p.m., free admission.
April 28
Catholic University Symphony Orchestra Annual Spring Concert
Featuring the School of Music Concerto Competition winner.
Hartke Theatre, 7:30 p.m., free admission.
Washington International Piano Series at Catholic University
Jan. 25: Nikita Fitenko, of Catholic University, and Katerina Zaitseva
Feb. 1: Xun Pan, of Millersville University
March 15: Sophia Pileggi, first-prize winner, The Catholic University of America International Piano Competition
April 5: Francesca Hurst, of Catholic University, and friends
All concerts will take place at 8 p.m. in Ward Recital Hall. Admission is free.