Perhaps the most famous theater in Washington, although not necessarily for its performances, is
Ford’s Theater at 511 10th Street, NW (tel: (202) 347 4833; website:
www.fordstheater.org). It is the theater where John Wilkes Booth fatally shot Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It is now a venue for musicals, multicultural and family plays and is also open from 0900-1700 for free self-guided tours and historic talks are given every 15 minutes past the hour except between 1200 and 1400.
The city offers a multitude
of other choices for theatergoers. The
John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, at 2700 F Street, NW (tel: (202) 467 4600; website:
www.kennedy-center.org), has six theaters and is home to the
Washington Ballet (tel: (202) 362 3606; website:
www.washington/ballet.org),
Washington National Opera (tel: (202) 295 2400; website:
www.dc-opera.org), and the
Washington Performing Arts Society (tel: (202) 833 9800; website:
www.wpas.org). Tickets for many performances are hard to come by and are therefore rarely discounted. However, it is worth ringing the theater box office on the day to check the situation.
The main outlet for discounted, day-of-show tickets is
Ticketplace, 407 Seventh Street, NW (between D and E Streets) (tel: (202) 842 5387; website:
www.cultural-alliance.org/tickets), which is open Tuesday to Friday 1100-1800, and Saturday 1000-1700. Tickets for individual performances can also be purchased from
Ticketmaster (tel: (202) 432 7328
or 1 800 551 7328; website:
www.ticketmaster.com). During the summer, there are regular free outdoor concerts throughout the city, for example in Georgetown, near the Washington Monument and by the US Capitol.
The Washington Post (website:
www.washingtonpost.com) lists the most up-to-date information.
Music: The Washington Opera (tel: (202) 295 2400
or 1 800 876 7372; website:
www.dc-opera.org) has its home at the prestigious
John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (see above) and has the great tenor Placido Domingo as its artistic director. The
National Symphony Orchestra (tel: (202) 467 4600
or 1 800 444 1324; website:
www.kennedy-center.org/nso) is an artistic affiliate of the Kennedy Center with a regular concert season. As the capital’s orchestra, it performs at presidential inaugurations and leads the Independence Day and Memorial Day celebrations.
Theater: The National Theater, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (tel: (202) 628 6161
or 1 800 447 7400; website:
www.nationaltheater.org), one of America’s oldest continuously operating theaters, puts on pre-Broadway shows or Broadway hits that are on tour. As a tribute to Abraham Lincoln, the plays and musicals at
Ford’s Theater at 511 10th Street, NW (tel: (202) 347 4833; website:
www.fordstheater.org) highlight the diversity of American life.
The Shakespeare Theater, 450 Seventh Street, NW (tel: (202) 547 1122
or 1 877 487 8849; website:
www.shakespearedc.org), presents mainly the works of Shakespeare, as its name suggests, but other classics as well.
Alternative works are performed at
The Studio Theater, 1501 14th Street NW (tel: (202) 332 3300; website:
www.studiotheater.org), as well as by the
Woolly Mammoth Theater Company, 641 D Street NW (tel: (202) 393 3939; website:
www.woollymammoth.net), and at either
Theater J in the Cecile Goldman Theater of the
DC Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th Street, NW (tel: 1 800 494 8497; website:
www.washingtondcjcc.org/center-for-arts/theater-j) or the
AFI Theater in the Kennedy Center. Touring Broadway shows and family entertainment, including comedy, dance and music concerts can be seen at the
Warner Theater, 513 13th Street NW (tel: (202) 783 4000; website:
www.warnertheater.com).
Dance: The Washington Ballet (tel: (202) 362 3606; website:
www.washingtonballet.org), performing both at the
John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and at the
Warner Theater (see
Theater above), has a vast repertoire of both classical and contemporary performances. International dance companies frequently give performances in Washington, DC, both at the Kennedy Center and at the
Smithsonian Institution (see
Key Attractions).
Film: There are several cinemas around the city, mainly showing mainstream films, such as
AMC Union Station at 50 Massachusetts Avenue, NE (tel: (202) 842 3757; website:
www.amctheaters.com),
Cineplex Odeon Dupont Circle 5 at 1350 19th Street, NW (tel: (202) 872 9555),
AMC Mazza Gallerie 7 at 5300 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (tel: (202) 537 9553), and
Cineplex Odeon at 4000 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (tel: (202) 244 0880). In addition, there are several places specializing in alternative works, such as the
American Film Institute at the new
American Film Institute Silver Theater and Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, Maryland (tel: (301) 495 6720; website:
www.afi.com/silver), which features an eclectic mix of international and American films.
Because it is the US capital, Washington, DC has been the setting for comedies, thrillers and political dramas. One of the best known has to be
All the President’s Men directed by Alan J Pakula in 1976. Oliver Stone’s 1995 film
Nixon, Ivan Reigman’s
Dave (1993), Rob Reiner’s
The American President (1995) and Clint Eastwood’s
Absolute Power (1996) were also filmed here. Action films set in the city include
A Clear and Present Danger (1994),
In the Line of Fire (1993),
Independence Day (1996) and
Minority Report (2002). Even the horror film
The Exorcist (1973) was set in Georgetown and some scenes for
Hannibal (2001) were filmed around Union Station.
Minority Report with Tom Cruise was shot here in 2002. The comedies
Head of State with Chris Rock and Bernie Mac, and
Legally Blonde 2 with Reese Witherspoon were filmed here in 2003 as well as
The Recruit, with Al Pacino. In 2005, DC was the backdrop for
The Wedding Crashers with Owen Wilson and Christopher Walken,
XXX2: State of the Union with Ice Cube and Samuel L Jackson, as well as Matt Damon and George Clooney in
Syriana and
Breach (2007), the true story of Robert Hanssen, FBI agent turned spy,
Literary Notes: Washington, DC pops up in many novels, as befits the capital of a nation. It regularly appears in the novels of John Grisham, such as
The Pelican Brief (1992), as well as the thrillers of Tom Clancy, most made into films, such as
Clear and Present Danger (1985) and
Patriot Games (1987). Washington, DC is home to the author Gore Vidal, who has set many of his novels here, but specifically chronicled the history of America from the Revolution through to the present day in five novels -
Washington, DC (1967),
Burr (1974),
1876 (1976),
Lincoln (1984) and
Empire (1987). Another DC-based author is David Baldacci whose Supreme Court drama
The Simple Truth (1999) was a favorite of Bill Clinton. The Washington, DC reporters who exposed the Watergate break-in possibly changed the course of history. Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward’s dogged investigations in
All the President’s Men eventually led to the indictment of President Richard Nixon in 1974.
Monica’s Story (1999), by Andrew Morton, focuses on the President Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal.
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