Announcements

Set amid the glittering elegance of Paris, Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow is a sparkling romantic comedy of love, pride, and mistaken intentions. When a wealthy young widow and her former love are reunited, romance collides with diplomacy as an entire nation’s fortune, and perhaps two hearts, hang in the balance. Plot Synopsis: At the Pontevedrian Embassy in Paris, the charming and immensely wealthy widow Hanna Glawari becomes the center of attention. Her late husband’s fortune is vital to the struggling nation of Pontevedro, and the embassy fears financial disaster if Hanna marries a foreigner and takes her wealth abroad. Baron Zeta therefore sets his sights on Count Danilo Danilovitsch, a handsome Pontevedrian diplomat and notorious bachelor, as the ideal husband. There is only one complication: Hanna and Danilo were once deeply in love, but pride, family expectations, and old wounds drove them apart. As Hanna and Danilo are drawn together once more, neither is willing to admit that their feelings have never disappeared. Their spirited battle of wit and jealousy unfolds against a glamorous world of embassy receptions, Parisian nightlife, dancing, and romantic intrigue. After misunderstandings and carefully guarded emotions finally give way to the truth, Hanna reveals that her fortune need not stand between them. Danilo at last declares his love, not for her wealth, but for Hanna herself, bringing Lehár’s beloved operetta to a joyous and romantic conclusion.

Doors open at 6:45 pm — bring your photo ID. 

In groups, we’ll be competing to the death (just kidding…I mean for fun prizes) with all kinds of NYTimes puzzles. Think you’re a wordle whiz? A connections connoisseur? A spelling bee bravado? Come prove it! Our trivia evening will be on Tuesday 10/27 at 6pm. Bring yourself, bring a friend, bring a whole team! Your ticket to our trivia night includes a copy of the new book – Connections!

My grassroots community resilience group, SW Strong! like many many others is FED UP with the wanton death and destruction around the world. We say STOP the Forever Wars. Let’s all do more to Work for Peace. Support a peace organization of your choice. Push elected officials to step up for conflict resolution, diplomacy and PEACE.

We are asking people to take a moment and write a postcard with a message for Peace. Send to Postcards for World Peace c/o Ben Curran 355 I Street SW S-424 Washington DC 20024. Cards will be displayed in a giant Peace sign on World Peace Day September 21st, 2027.

Alexandria, Virginia – October 1, 2026 – Body Imperium, an Old Town Alexandria strength-training studio, has announced that it is rebranding as Imperium Strength and Longevity, known simply as Imperium.

The new name reflects the studio’s evolution from its Pilates origins into Alexandria’s only strength-training facility powered by ARX® (Adaptive Resistance Exercise) technology. The evolution of the business closely follows founder Victoria Azor’s personal experience building strength and longevity.

Olney, MD — September 29, 2026 — Olney Theatre Center, Maryland’s largest regional theatre, produces Boublil and Schönberg’s Les Misérables in the Roberts Mainstage (October 30, 2026 – January 31, 2027) in celebration of the musical’s 40th anniversary. This continues Olney Theatre’s tradition of providing popular musicals with multi-generational appeal to local audiences and visitors over the holiday season. This year, Tony Award-nominated director Stephen Brackett returns to direct the production, having last directed Cinco Paul’s critically acclaimed A.D. 16 at Olney in 2022. Trent Saunders, who garnered critical acclaim for his performance in the Broadway company of Dead Outlaw, stars as Jean Valjean, opposite Kevin S. McAllister, a veteran of multiple Broadway and Olney musicals, who recently directed Ford’s Theater’s heralded production of Come From Away. Christopher Youstra, Olney’s Associate Artistic Director of Music Theatre, again serves as Music Director, and William Carlos Angulo is the choreographer.

Tickets are available to the public from $57 – $118 and can be purchased at olneytheatre.org/lesmiz or by calling the box office at 301-924-3400. 

Gather with us to celebrate family—both living and dead—and honor the cycle of life. Enjoy activities for all ages, including dance performances by Grupo los Tecuanes, making paper marigolds to be placed on a Catrina, and making papel picado (perforated paper decorations) with David Amorozo. Learn how pan de muerto (bread of the dead) is made with demonstrations by Neil Vargas, Jr. Interact with the iconic skeleton fashionista La Catrina as she roams the festival. Visitors are invited to leave photos and mementos of their loved ones on the ofrenda (altar) or commemorate them by writing their names on a butterfly to attach to the memorial arch.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

When I moved back to Northern Virginia after several years in New York, most of my old friends had moved away. I found myself rebuilding a social circle from scratch.

I had plenty of people I could connect with online, but that wasn’t translating into anyone to grab a beer with after work, play trivia with, or text when I wanted to get out of the house. Making new friends as an adult required far more deliberate effort than I remembered.