Happy Funtime Friend Service

You might even say there’s a whole festival of Shakespeare going on in town (and really there is in case you haven’t noticed).  And the Library of Congress Pickford Theatre is in on the act, showing some of the best adaptations of Shakespeare on film. This Friday is the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Macbeth with Ian McKellan (Gandalf), Judi Dench (before she was a Dame), and Ian McDiarmid.  Filmed for television, the production received rave reviews.

On Tuesday, 24 July, the rarely seen or produced Two Gentlemen of Verona will be screened.  One of Shakespeare’s earliest works, the play has  only been produced twice on film.  This production by the BBC is from 1983.

Other films in the series include The Dresser with Albert Finney and Comedy of Errors.  The series concludes at the end of the month with Jean Luc Godard’s King Lear.

As always, call 202.707.5677 up to 7 days in advance to reserve seats.  But it’s almost always worth showing up even if you don’t have reservations as unclaimed seats are released 10 minutes before showtime (and that’s a reminder to be on time if you have a reservation).

Our favorite DJ Lil e is hosting “A Little Respect” on the main stage at the Black Cat featuring the music and side projects of Erasure and the Pet Shop Boys on Friday, July 20th.  That’s the night before I leave for India, so it’s my intention to be fully packed and dancing my heart out.  Come by, support Lil e, and say hi.  Doors open at 10-ish, party gets hopping around 11, it’s always fun until the very end. Tickets are $10 and now the Black Cat is now smoke-free which makes me happy, happy, happy.  Grab a group and come on out.

One of our dear friends (and admin of this very blog) has been booked for her first professional comedy gig (that means she’s getting actual cash money to tell jokes), so come out next Friday (July 14) to the Laugh Riot Bethesda Hyatt (7400 Wisconsin Avenue) at 7 p.m. $10 + a 2 drink minimum. There are plenty of great restaurants in the Bethesda corridor plus the Landmark movie theaters - make a night of it.

Our friends over at Speak Easy DC are holding their monthly story telling night at the Source Theatre this month (meet beforehand at Bar Pilar).  The theme is Eureka Moments & Epiphanies.   They are still in the  midst of their fundraising efforts - I believe they need about another $8K to meet the goal for the matching grant and every dollar spent at events counts, so get out and listen to some good stories.  Plus there aren’t many organized storytelling events like this left, and it’s important to preserve good storytelling.  I think I’m going to take the next class they offer.

Single tickets for David Beckham’s appearance with the LA Galaxy against the DC United finally went on sale at Ticketmaster.  They’re selling quickly, so if you want to see Mr. Beckham, who has apparently returned to form, be sure to get them soon or risk paying outrageous scalper fees.  7 p.m. on August 9th at RFK.  Metro is Stadium Armory and definitely the way to go.  This will be my first DC United game, and I’m looking forward to it.