Bowie Playhouse (Bowie, MD)

The Magrath sisters - Lenny, Meg and Babe - face a day of reckoning in Crimes of the Heart, the Pulitzer-Prize winning Southern comedy by Beth Henley. Babe has shot her husband but is now out on bail. Meg escaped the family home in Hazelehurst, Mississippi, but is back after a failed singing career on the West coast, and Lenny is celebrating her 30th birthday by sticking a candle in a cookie and making desperate wishes. Meanwhile Grandpa, who raised the girls after their mother's sensational suicide, is laid up in the hospital, possibly forever. The darkly comic family drama ran for more than 500 performances on Broadway and was adapted into a movie with Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange and Sissy Spacek. Learn more...

Cultural Arts Center at Silver Spring (Silver Spring, MD)

The Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater brings a hot night of Flamenco Passion to the stage at the Cultural Arts Center for a special Valentine's weekend performance. Stoke those romantic fires with your special someone or experience an exciting evening of dance with friends and family, as this acclaimed ensemble demonstrates the best of Spanish dancing, folkloric suites, and fiery Flamenco drama. The Chicago Tribune lauded the group's "exciting, sensual, and breathtaking ensemble dancing," which makes Flamenco Passion the perfect way to kick-off the holiday. Learn more...

BlackRock Center for the Arts (Germantown, MD)

Together more than 20 years, the Merling Trio features three top talents: violinist Renata Artman Knific, cellist Bruce Uchimura and pianist Susan Wiersma Uchimura. The group has performed across the country and around the world, including at New York's Carnegie Hall and with orchestras such as the English Chamber Orchestra, the Honolulu Symphony and the South Carolina Philharmonic. For this engagement at the BlackRock Center, the trio -- acclaimed for both their individual precision and terrific ability to blend -- will perform works by Beethoven, Brahms and Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla. Learn more...

Embassy of Austria (Washington, DC)

Known for its gorgeous Alpine countryside, its intellectual and artistic pursuits -- and of course, its pastries -- Austria is also historically and currently home to an active music scene. This embassy event, co-sponsored by Professionals in the City, celebrates that movement with a screening of Vinyl: Tales from the Vienna Underground, a documentary exposing that city's cutting-edge experimental and electronic music scene. That's followed by a live set by The Happy Kids, an Austrian indie band featuring Boy (Al Bird) on fuzz organ and girl (Ana Threat) on surf guitar. Guests will also enjoy a dinner buffet of the country's favorite dishes -- with apple strudel for dessert -- along with an open bar of Austrian wine and other non-alcoholic beverages. Learn more...

Medieval Times - Baltimore (Hanover, MD)

A short distance from the capitol sits Medieval Times' stately Baltimore Castle, where you can gather with family and friends for an 11th century feast and live jousting tournament. Eat a delicious four-course meal of chicken, potatoes and more (vegetarian options available), using your hands, just like they did in medieval times. While you're enjoying your food, you'll be cheering for one of six noble knights who take to the arena on horseback, competing in jousts, hand-to-hand combat and displays of horsemanship as part of an exciting story set in medieval Spain. And the fun doesn't stop there. Medieval Times also features an excellent bar, dance floor, Hall of Arms displaying medieval artifacts and a medieval torture museum. Knighting ceremonies are also performed pre-show. Learn more...

Urban Evolution (Alexandria, VA)

Urban Evolution gym presents a special Valentine's event that really gets physical. This unique session of paired gymnastics focuses on acrobatic balancing and stretches for teams of two. For instance, learn to fly together with one partner acting as the base by lying on the floor and balancing the other partner on his or her feet and "flying" the person back and forth. Build trust, challenge your balancing skills and improve your strength and coordination while moving in tandem in a cross-disciplinary workout that draws on yoga, gymnastics and strength training. After getting your heart pumping, enjoy champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries. You're welcome to attend as a couple, with a friend, or on your own. Learn more...

Embassy Suites DC - Convention Center (Washington, DC)

The Wine Tasting Association presents its spring tasting at the Embassy Suites DC. This is a walk-around event featuring hundreds of wines from around the world poured by the wine makers or reps for guests to sample. There are two levels of wines available for tasting: the Grand Tasting has a range of over 150 select wines for tasting. The VIP tasting includes over 70 premium wines that are more expensive than those at the Grand Tasting. All the wines can be ordered at the event at special discount prices. Learn more...

Embassy of France (Washington, DC)

Start Valentine's Day weekend off with a celebration hosted by the culture known for romance -- the French. This chic rendezvous at the Embassy of France is perfect for singles, couples or even groups of friends looking for a fun way to start off the holiday. You'll stroll up to La Maison Française and be greeted by a luxurious affair with a mouthwatering buffet, open bars serving endless champagne and special Grand Marnier cocktails, and a live jazz band to create the perfect atmosphere. Relax in the intimate Roche Bobois lounges and sip all the Moët and Chandon Impérial Rosé Champagne your heart desires. Participate in a silent auction and take photos in front of famous Parisian landscapes. Enjoy a selection of savory French cheeses and hors d'oeuvres, a dinner buffet of grilled salmon, bouillabaisse and Chicken Marsala, and a dessert buffet with authentic French pastries and crêpes. And when you've filled up on delectable treats, there's a chance to work it all off on the dance floor, with Aaron Myers and the Black Fox Jazz Ensemble followed by DJ dance mixes. Learn more...

Any AMC theatre nationwide (Anytown, KS)

If you're looking to win the office pool on February 26th this year, you won't want to miss any of the best picture nominees. And, with this exclusive, all-in-one ticket package you'll be able to enjoy a full movie-going experience with each theatre visit. The package includes two Show Snacks drink vouchers, a Show Snacks popcorn voucher and two AMC Gold Experience movie tickets. Plus, they can be used at any AMC theatres, AMC Loews, AMC Showplace, Cineplex Odeon, Magic Johnson and Star theatres, excluding Canadian Theatres. And, tickets do not expire. Learn more...

Christian Community Presbyterian Church (Bowie, MD)

The Chesapeake Chorale brings back its extremely popular Chorale Cabaret concert. Join the Chorale in Dodds Hall at the Christian Community Presbyterian Church for a variety of Broadway hits including choral medleys from Chicago and Wicked. Chorale members will also perform some of your own favorite selections from the stage in solos and small ensembles. After the performance, enjoy the finishing touch of dessert and coffee. The Chorale is a group of 50 singers led by Artistic Director Jesse Parker. Learn more...

Bowie Playhouse (Bowie, MD)

Bowie Community Theatre presents the play Art, by provocative playwright by Yasmina Reza (God of Carnage). This brilliantly witty and captivating comedy tells the story of three men whose 15-year friendship is tested when one of them buys an expensive modern painting that triggers differing opinions. As the argument moves even deeper, this insightful drama explores the extent to which our identities are shaped by our social circle. Art picked up a Tony Award for Best Play in 1998. Learn more...

Hart Auditorium (Washington, DC)

The Georgetown Gilbert & Sullivan Society presents Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. This comedic, existentialist romp focuses on the misadventures and confused musings of two minor characters in William Shakespeare's Hamlet named Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The two are shown in the moments between their brief appearances in the play. As the main characters meet their fates onstage, the two courtiers try to reconcile their "everything will work out" attitude with the growing realization that sometimes fortune has another ending in mind. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead won the Tony Award for Best Play in 1968. Learn more...

Atlas Performing Arts Center (Washington, DC)

This fun tribute to early 20th century Broadway will be a blast from the past for musical aficionados and casual fans alike. Discover musical treasures from hit African American musicals like Shuffle Along (1920) and operettas like The Vagabond King (1925). Enjoy toe-tapping tunes of Eubie Blake, Jimmy Johnson and "Fats" Waller, and the lush melodies of Victor Herbert and Rudolf Friml, as the players see the racial and social boundaries of the time disappear through their love of music. This performance is part of Intersections: A New America Arts Festival. Learn more...

Blair Family Center for the Arts (Potomac, MD)

The Potomac Theatre Company presents a classic Agatha Christie mystery. Adapted from Christie's novel Death on the Nile, which was also a 1978 film starring Bette Davis, Mia Farrow and Angela Lansbury, Murder on the Nile is the story of a murder aboard a luxury steamer as it travels up the Nile River. Having thrown over his former lover Jacqueline, Simon Mostyn has recently married rich Kay Ridgeway. They're on their honeymoon on the ship, along with a cast of characters that includes Kay's maid, her guardian (Canon Pennefather), a German doctor, a mean rich old woman and her niece. a young socialist, and Simon's ex, Jacqueline. Enraged with jealousy, Jacqueline shoots at Simon and wounds him in the knee, and a few moments later, Kay is found dead in her bunk. Suspicion hangs tense in the air as each member of the group is revealed to have skeletons in the closet. It's Canon Pennefather who puts the pieces together and finally reveals the murderer as the boat reaches its destination. Learn more...

Round House Theatre - Bethesda (Bethesda, MD)

The contemporary Broadway hit Next Fall receives its DC area premiere at Round House Theatre. The Tony Award-nominated play finds New York couple Adam -- an older neurotic atheist -- and Luke -- a devoutly religious struggling actor -- going about their lives, until a tragic accident disrupts their five-year relationship's relative tranquility. Now Adam must turn to Luke's family and friends for support and answers. Written by Geoffrey Nauffts, Next Fall exposes the fundamental truth that we love people both because of -- and in spite of -- who they are. The play debuted off-Broadway in 2009 before enjoying a 2010 Broadway run. Tom Story, Chris Dinolfo, Dawn Ursula, Alexander Strain, Kathryn Kelley and Kevin Cutts star for director Mark Ramont. Learn more...

Arlington Cinema 'N' Drafthouse (Arlington, VA)

Settle into an oversized comfortable chair, order tableside service from a full restaurant menu and enjoy the comedy stylings of Duncan Trussell at Arlington Cinema 'N' Drafthouse, voted the Best Thing to Do on Friday Night by theWashingtonian. Trussell has appeared on MADtv, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Roots 3, and written and appeared in sketches for Fuel TV's Stupidface, Showtime's La La Land, Comedy Central's Nick Swardson's Pretend Time, and both seasons of HBO's Funny or Die Presents. He's currently working with Comedy Central to develop a comedy science pilot called Thunderbrain, which he will host. Learn more...

Historic Dumbarton Church (Washington, DC)

The breath-taking candlelit sanctuary of the historic Dumbarton Church is the magical setting for the sounds of Nordic Voices, Norway's innovative a cappella vocal ensemble. This world-famous six-member group's repertoire ranges from ancient works to new, contemporary pieces. This performance, in fact, spans five centuries of sacred music. In the first half of this concert, they'll sing sixteenth-century European lamentations from de Victoria, Palestrina and others, while the second half, Consolation, offers compositions from their countrymen Kværno, Sløgedal and more. Learn more...

Washington DCJCC (Washington, DC)

Enoch (Luke Grimes, Brothers & Sisters) is a star pitcher who has parlayed his talent into the opportunity for a college scholarship -- the ticket out of the titular small town. But while he's dominant on the mound, his debilitating stutter hampers his social status. His only friend is Wheels, who is wheelchair-bound with cerebral palsy. Will Enoch's desire to leave for college and his burgeoning relationship with a local girl hamper his lifelong friendship with Wheels? Based upon a true story, War Eagle, Arkansas is sweet story of friendship and loyalty, and also features veteran actors Brian Dennehy, Mare Winningham and Mary Kay Place. Learn more...

The Kennedy Center - Concert Hall (Washington, DC)

Herbert Blomstedt conducts the National Symphony Orchestra in an exciting program at the historic Kennedy Center's Concert Hall. Conductor Laureate of the San Francisco Symphony, Blomstedt has conducted orchestras the world over and has an extensive recorded discography. For this performance, he will help further the NSO's ongoing exploration of the genius of Beethoven by the leading the orchestra through a rendition of the legendary composer's breathtaking and endlessly memorable Fourth Symphony. Richard Strauss' heroic Ein Heldenleben rounds out the program. Learn more...

Cultural Arts Center at Silver Spring (Silver Spring, MD)

The Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater brings a hot night of Flamenco Passion to the stage at the Cultural Arts Center for a special Valentine's weekend performance. Stoke those romantic fires with your special someone or experience an exciting evening of dance with friends and family, as this acclaimed ensemble demonstrates the best of Spanish dancing, folkloric suites, and fiery Flamenco drama. The Chicago Tribune lauded the group's "exciting, sensual, and breathtaking ensemble dancing," which makes Flamenco Passion the perfect way to kick-off the holiday. Learn more...

Synetic Theater at Crystal City (Arlington, VA)

In this farcical new play created by Synetic Theater company member Ben Cunis, an Angel builds a new Tree of Life and sets out with a Demon on an experiment to discover what would happen if things had gone differently between Adam and Eve. So the Garden of Eden comes alive in different ways, the fall of main gets a round of applause and Cain and Abel share a prison cell in this comic new twist on the story of creation. Learn more...

The Kennedy Center - Terrace Theater (Washington, DC)

Appealing Argentinean cellist Sol Gabetta comes to the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater for a performance accompanied by acclaimed Italian pianist Alessio Bax. A Sony classical artist who's already released several successful CDs, Gabetta was the winner of the 2010 Gramophone Young Artist Award, as well as the Credit Suisse Young Artist Award. She's played with a number of prestigious international orchestras, as has Bax. Their program includes a pair of sonatas for cello and piano by Shostakovich and Mendelssohn, along with works by Schumann and Servais. Learn more...

Any AMC theatre nationwide (Anytown, KS)

If you're looking to win the office pool on February 26th this year, you won't want to miss any of the best picture nominees. And, with this exclusive, all-in-one ticket package you'll be able to enjoy a full movie-going experience with each theatre visit. The package includes two Show Snacks drink vouchers, a Show Snacks popcorn voucher and two AMC Gold Experience movie tickets. Plus, they can be used at any AMC theatres, AMC Loews, AMC Showplace, Cineplex Odeon, Magic Johnson and Star theatres, excluding Canadian Theatres. And, tickets do not expire. Learn more...

Source Theatre (Washington, DC)

Constellation Theatre Company presents Blood Wedding, a tragedy by Spanish dramatist Federico García Lorca. Written in the 1930s, the play takes place on the wedding day of an unnamed bride and groom. The Bride's ex-lover Leonardo turns up before the ceremony to confess that he still loves her, forcing her to choose between himself and her husband-to-be. Her fateful choice leads inevitably to tragedy as the conflict between personal desires and societal expectations plays itself out. The play incorporates song, chant, poetry, music, and rhythm, and its action and sets are highly symbolic. This is a play that must be seen rather than merely read in order to experience the full impact of its tragic beauty and stylized drama. Learn more...

The Kennedy Center - Eisenhower Theater (Washington, DC)

In celebration of Valentine's Day, The Washington Ballet performs a romantic program featuring beautiful dancing and the classic music of Frank Sinatra, choreographed by the great Twyla Tharp. Showcasing works from two decades of Tharp's prodigious career, this program shows off The Washington Ballet dancers at their best. In her classic Nine Sinatra Songs, the music of Frank Sinatra leads the dancers on an erotic investigation of ballroom dancing. Tharp's Surfer at the River Styx reveals another dimension of her imagination, a powerful sextet matched by the power of its original score by Donald Knaack. The program is rounded out by Tharp's best known "crossover ballet," Push Comes to Shove. Learn more...

The Kennedy Center - Concert Hall (Washington, DC)

Christoph Eschenbach conducts the National Symphony Orchestra in a concert at the Kennedy Center. The NSO will be joined by Avery Fisher Prize-winning violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, called "a breathtakingly daring and original artist" by the Washington Post, for a performance of Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1, one of the most exciting concertos of the 20th century. The program also includes a performance of Bruckner's Ninth Symphony. Learn more...

Folger Theatre (Washington, DC)

This lively, plot-driven comedy filled with strong women characters, gambling addictions, clever banter, romantic mismatches and more comes from an unlikely source -- Susanna Centlivre's Restoration Era play, first performed in 1706. The Gaming Table chronicles the goings-on at the gambling house of rakish widow Lady Reveller, where three independent-minded women -- one of them a politically-involved scientist -- play high-stakes games of cards, while their hopeful mates try to win their hearts. Eleanor Holdridge directs, and leads an all-female design team for this production, part of Folger's celebration of 1000 years of women writers. Learn more...

Any AMC theatre nationwide (Anytown, KS)

If you're looking to win the office pool on February 26th this year, you won't want to miss any of the best picture nominees. And, with this exclusive, all-in-one ticket package you'll be able to enjoy a full movie-going experience with each theatre visit. The package includes two Show Snacks drink vouchers, a Show Snacks popcorn voucher and two AMC Gold Experience movie tickets. Plus, they can be used at any AMC theatres, AMC Loews, AMC Showplace, Cineplex Odeon, Magic Johnson and Star theatres, excluding Canadian Theatres. And, tickets do not expire. Learn more...

The Kennedy Center - Eisenhower Theater (Washington, DC)

In celebration of Valentine's Day, The Washington Ballet performs a romantic program featuring beautiful dancing and the classic music of Frank Sinatra, choreographed by the great Twyla Tharp. Showcasing works from two decades of Tharp's prodigious career, this program shows off The Washington Ballet dancers at their best. In her classic Nine Sinatra Songs, the music of Frank Sinatra leads the dancers on an erotic investigation of ballroom dancing. Tharp's Surfer at the River Styx reveals another dimension of her imagination, a powerful sextet matched by the power of its original score by Donald Knaack. The program is rounded out by Tharp's best known "crossover ballet," Push Comes to Shove. Learn more...

Riot Act Comedy Theater (Washington, DC)

Stand-up comic Joe Clair headlines Washington's Riot Act Comedy Theater. The high-energy comedian has been seen on HBO's Def Comedy Jam and BET's Comic View and Rap City, as well as in the movies Train Ride and High Frequency. He hosted the BET series Madd Sports. A DC native, Joe now lives in Los Angeles, and headlines top comedy clubs and colleges across the nation. Learn more...

The Kennedy Center - Concert Hall (Washington, DC)

Christoph Eschenbach conducts the National Symphony Orchestra in a concert at the Kennedy Center. The NSO will be joined by Avery Fisher Prize-winning violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, called "a breathtakingly daring and original artist" by the Washington Post, for a performance of Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1, one of the most exciting concertos of the 20th century. The program also includes a performance of Bruckner's Ninth Symphony. Learn more...

Washington DCJCC (Washington, DC)

Washington DCJCC hosts a screening of George Kachadorian's documentary Shooting Beauty as part of the REELAbilities Disabilities Film Festival. This fascinating film tells the story of fashion photographer Courtney Bent's work at a center for people living with significant disabilities, where she has inspired many people and discovered a new world of art and beauty. The program also includes a screening of the short film Crooked Beauty, which takes a look at the career of psych ward patient turned artist and activist Jacks Ashley McNamara. Learn more...

The Kennedy Center - Concert Hall (Washington, DC)

Christoph Eschenbach conducts the National Symphony Orchestra in a concert at the Kennedy Center. The NSO will be joined by Avery Fisher Prize-winning violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, called "a breathtakingly daring and original artist" by the Washington Post, for a performance of Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1, one of the most exciting concertos of the 20th century. The program also includes a performance of Bruckner's Ninth Symphony. Learn more...

Church Street Theater (Washington, DC)

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Neil Simon provides a peek behind the scenes of TV's golden age in his 1993 hit comedy Laughter on the 23rd Floor. The show, which is based on Simon's own time spent on the writing staff of Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows, enjoyed both Broadway and West End runs. It depicts a harried staff frantically scrambling to top each other with gags while vying for the attention of star madman, Max Prince. A skillful mix of nostalgia, laughter, classic Catskills humor, colorful characters and more, Laughter on the 23rd Floor remains an enduring classic from a master of the form. This production, directed by Colin Smith, marks the Keegan Theatre's first foray into staging Simon. Learn more...

JCC of Greater Washington (Rockville, MD)

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington welcomes pianist Charlie Albright to the stage. A 2009 Young Concert Artist and 2010 Gilmore Young Artist winner, Albright has been praised by The New York Times for his "jaw-dropping technique ... intelligently wrought interpretation," and "virtuosity meshed with a distinctive musicality." Having completed his Bachelor's degree as a Pre-Med and Economics double major at Harvard in 2011, he is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance at the New England Conservatory. Albright was recently named the Harvard University Leverett Artist-in-Residence for 2012, a position once held by cellist Yo-Yo Ma. The concert will include works by Schubert, Beethoven and Chopin. Learn more...

H Street Playhouse (Washington, DC)

Celebrate the Washington Savoyards 40th anniversary season with a unique show that features terrific artists and music who will showcase the company's repertoire. The program will features music and songs from Gilbert and Sullivan, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and with more show-stoppers from Broadway and the world of opera. The show is produced and directed by artistic director N. Thomas Pedersen, with musical direction by William Yanesh and will star Jane Lang with Marilyn Moore, Jean Cantrell, John Dellaporta, Annie Gill, Kristina Harkness-Granado, Liz Isbell, Stacey Mastrian, Rob Ritter, Guillaume Tourniaire and David Williams. Learn more...

Round House Theatre - Bethesda (Bethesda, MD)

The contemporary Broadway hit Next Fall receives its DC area premiere at Round House Theatre. The Tony Award-nominated play finds New York couple Adam -- an older neurotic atheist -- and Luke -- a devoutly religious struggling actor -- going about their lives, until a tragic accident disrupts their five-year relationship's relative tranquility. Now Adam must turn to Luke's family and friends for support and answers. Written by Geoffrey Nauffts, Next Fall exposes the fundamental truth that we love people both because of -- and in spite of -- who they are. The play debuted off-Broadway in 2009 before enjoying a 2010 Broadway run. Tom Story, Chris Dinolfo, Dawn Ursula, Alexander Strain, Kathryn Kelley and Kevin Cutts star for director Mark Ramont. Learn more...

The Undercroft Theatre (Washington, DC)

The Washington Stage Guild presents Husbands and Lovers, from Hungarian playwright rom Ferenc Molnar, author of such Stage Guild hits as The Guardsman, The Play's The Thing, and A Tale of The Wolf. With witty dialogue reminiscent of Oscar Wilde, Molnar presents comic scenes illustrating the many ways men and women can drive each other crazy. Molnar's wicked blend of realism and romanticism, cynicism and sentimentality perfectly captures the feelings inspired by romantic relationships. Learn more...

Music Center at Strathmore (North Bethesda, MD)

Guest instrumentalists and vocalists join Maestro Piotr Gajewski and the National Philharmonic for this all-Bach program featuring four of the six Brandenburg Concertos. Few musical works are as beloved and as often performed as these, and they display the lighter side of Bach's extraordinary genius. Each of the celebrated concertos highlights a different instrumental combination. For example, the Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 features soloists on flute, violin, oboe and trumpet with strings and basso continuo. Concerto No. 4 features Bach's unusual combination of a violin and a pair of flutes and offers a range of effects from brilliant virtuosity to compelling sweetness. In 1723, Bach composed his towering masterpiece, the joyous and dramatic Magnificat for soloists, chorus and orchestra. First performed on Christmas, the celebratory work conveys Mary's great joy and profound humility in response to the news that she had been chosen to give birth to the Messiah. Learn more...