The Washington Times

GET OUT: The Week’s Pocket Picks by Samantha Sault

April 26, 2013

Pick of the Pack: Cruise to St. Michaels Wine Fest

Does the idea of a weekend on the water float your boat? On Sunday, the Chesapeake Bay tour company Watermark invites you aboard the Lady Sarah for a cruise across the bay to the St. Michaels WineFest. Board the 65-foot, climate-controlled yacht at the City Dock in Annapolis, and enjoy breakfast and conversation with a wine expert on your two-hour cruise. When you arrive, you’ll have five hours to enjoy tastings of wines from around the world, as well as chef demonstrations, jazz performances, art exhibits and more in the quaint Eastern Shore town before returning to Annapolis in time for dinner. If you can’t get the image of the Costa Concordia sinking in the Mediterranean Sea out of your mind, find alternative transportation to the festival, which runs through the weekend and will benefit the victims and heroes of the Boston Marathon tragedy. Sunday. Departs the City Dock in downtown Annapolis at 10 a.m. 800/569-9622. Web: cruisesonthebay.com.

Theater: Other Desert Cities

If the word “dysfunctional” does not apply to your family, consider yourself lucky. If it does — or if you’re simply in the mood for some sharp, contemporary theater — you may appreciate the Arena Stage’s new production “Other Desert Cities,” which opens Friday. Written by American playwright and screenwriter Jon Robin Baitz, “Cities” follows Brooke Wyeth, who returns to her parents’ home in Palm Springs for the first time in six years for Christmas. Drama ensues when she shows them the manuscript for her tell-all memoir, which includes a shocking family secret. The play was a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for drama, and the off-Broadway premiere at the Lincoln Center Theatre was nominated for numerous Tony Awards in 2012, including best play, and received rave reviews for being both a witty and touching portrayal of relatable family drama. Through May 26 at the Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. 202/488-3300. Web: arenastage.org.

Concert: Washington Jewish Music Festival

Jewish music has a long history covering many genres, from traditional Shabbat prayer songs to Matisyahu, the reggae star whose lyrics are based on Hasidic teachings. This week, get a taste of a wide variety of contemporary Jewish music from bluegrass and jazz to gospel and show tunes during the 14th Washington Jewish Music Festival. The festival opens Sunday at the Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring with a concert by Israeli pop vocalist Noa, who will perform songs from her recent album “The Israeli Songbook.” On Thursday, Arlington’s Artisphere will showcase an eclectic mix of Judeo-Spanish sounds by Sarah Aroeste and Yiddish punk by Daniel Kahn. Other festival highlights include a family concert at Dupont Circle’s Stead Park, a Broadway sing-along featuring tunes by Jewish composers like George Gershwin and Stephen Sondheim, and a performance by the Maccabeats, the a capella group made famous by YouTube. Through May 11 at the Washington DC Jewish Community Center, 1529 Q St. NW, and other venues. 202/518-9400. Web: wjmf.org.

Gala: A Night Out with the Millennium Network

Even if you didn’t get a coveted ticket to the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner or any of the star-studded parties this weekend, you still have your chance to rub elbows with politicos and celebrities. On Monday evening, join former President Bill Clinton, “Call Me Maybe” singer Carly Rae Jepsen, and others for the Clinton Foundation’s “Night Out With the Millennium Network.” The event provides an opportunity for young professionals to get involved in the Clinton Foundation’s work — and whatever your politics, there’s no doubt that the former president is using his name for good by funding HIV/AIDS research and treatment, assisting small business owners in underserved communities across the United States, and providing disaster relief in Haiti alongside President George H.W. Bush, to name a few of the organization’s missions. Other headliners at the event include the president’s daughter Chelsea Clinton, vocalist Taylor Carson and actor Josh Gad. Monday at the Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. 202/787-1000. Web: clintonfoundation.org.

Theater: Gilgamesh

One of the earliest known works of literature, “The Epic of Gilgamesh” tells the story of Gilgamesh, the despotic king of Uruk, and his quest for immortality. Following the death of his friend Enkidu at the hands of the gods, the warrior king embarks on a long, dangerous journey to learn the secret of eternal life. The mythological Gilgamesh was a demigod worshipped for his superhuman strength — but the real-life king, who reigned around 2700 B.C., built impressive walls to protect his people in what is now southern Iraq. The epic poem students learn in school today is based on dozens of stories about the king, some of which were written on clay tablets that date back to 2000 B.C. This week, the Constellation Theatre Company will debut a theatrical adaptation of the poem with poetry by Pulitzer Prize winner Yusuf Komunyakaa, an African-American poet who has written about his own epic journey as a soldier in Vietnam. The show opens Thursday at the U Street Corridor’s Source Theatre with pay-what-you-can previews. Through June 2 at the Source Theatre, 1834 14th St. NW. 202/204-7741. Web: constellationtheatre.org.

© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC and Samantha Sault