Arts & Society

Georgetowner • September 12, 2013

The 15th annual Greater Washington Heart Ball filled the National Building Museum Feb. 23 with the region’s most prominent physicians, corporate, health care and community leaders — along with music of the Persuasions and a live performance of Christopher Janney’s “HeartBeat” as well as a younger “Heart After Dark” party. Also honored was the U.S. military through the “Heart Heroes” program. Ball chair was Matt Voorhees, CEO and co-founder of Anybill. One item in the lively live auction included a 1986 Rolls Royce Silver Spur, valued at $30,000. Proceeds benefitted the American Heart Association. Heart disease remains the No. 1 killer of people in the United States; it kills more people annually than the next five causes of death combined. [gallery ids="101177,142729,142723,142717,142740,142710,142745,142750,142704,142755,142735" nav="thumbs"]

Nico Dodd •

We are lucky that lovers of the performing arts have so many venues to choose from, especially for outdoor concerts. Wolf Trap, in Vienna, Va, is special for its breadth of programming and sincerity of space. This year, the Wolf Trap Foundation has a new President and CEO. Arvind Manocha has spent the majority of his career with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl.

One of Wolf Trap’s distinguishing characteristics is that “it’s in the company of one,” Manocha said. “There is one national park for the performing arts. There are a lot of great national parks in this country obviously, hundreds if not thousands, but only one that was created expressly to celebrate and nurture the performing arts.”

Manocha grew up in northeast Ohio and graduated with honors from Cornell University. He went on to study literature at Cambridge University in England, where he was a Marshall scholar.

As an arts institution, Wolf Trap creates its season from every musical genre. At The Barns, a week of programming can include artists who play music as varied as zydeco to jazz to folk. Round that out with National Symphony Orchestra, the Wolf Trap Opera Company and musical theater productions, and persons have about any choice they could think of.

“To have a commitment to embracing music across a spectrum was, I think, very forward- minded of Mrs. Shouse and how this place was set up, and very much reflects the reality of how people consume music now,” said Manocha, reflecting upon the legacy of Wolf Trap founder Catherine Filene Shouse.

Manocha has a soft spot for design. In Los Angeles, he was a member of the advisory board of the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design and has served on multiple national design juries for the American Institute of Architects.

“I love architecture,” Manocha said. “You can go to a lot of soulless arenas that are designed to be hockey rinks that now have music in them, and patrons know that. They can tell when it’s not really intended for what it’s being used. When you come here, and you’re in a perfectly naturally beautiful spot with this amazing facility, it’s very clear that this was designed to be enjoyed as a concert venue.”

Driving up to the Filene Center, the wooden amphitheater rises from behind a hill. It has a striking presence on a clear winter’s day — or summer one, for that matter.

“It’s kind of monumental,” said Manocha, who succeeds another kind of Wolf Trap monument, Terre Jones.
Jones, who served as president and CEO of Wolf Trap for 17 years, is now president emeritus. He and his wife Polly moved to Santa Fe, N.M.

For such a multifaceted arts operation, a change of leadership could be a difficult change. Wolf Trap’s board chairman John Lee IV is happy with how things have progressed.

“I couldn’t think of anything to do over again,” said Lee, who has been on the board for four years and lives with his wife at the Watergate Apartments. “The whole thing’s been very seamless. The former CEO, Terre Jones, gave us a year’s notice. So, the transition of his leaving and Arvind’s coming in was as smooth as can be.”

The feeling is mutual for the crosscountry transplant. Manocha only arrived in Washington on Dec. 30, and his first day was Jan. 2.

“John is a great partner and turning into a great friend actually,” Manocha said. “He’s a wonderful person, who’s making this transition really smooth.”

In terms of the upcoming summer’s programming, Manocha is most excited for Colombian superstar Juanes.

“He is an unbelievable performer,” Manocha said. “He is one of the most important Latin artists of today. We also have the Wolf Trap debut of Josh Groban, who’s coming later in the summer.”

The photo here with Lee and Manocha were taken on a on a cold, breezy Wednesday. A few were taken in the seats of the amphitheater, and a few, not pictured, were taken on the Filene Center’s stage, the second largest in the country.

Admiring the architecture of the Filene Center from the stage, Lee commented about Manocha’s personal box up in the balcony.
“There’ll be time for that,” Manocha. “On a warmer day.” ?

Alison Schafer •

Two weeks before show time, the Environmental Film Festival’s office on 31st Street NW is a place of quiet chaos. The festival begins March 12, and its small staff is working on details, logistics, and last-minute decisions. The festival’s staff is only ten people, but the numbers they generate are big: 190 films, 75 different venues, 111 world premiers and thousands of patrons.

Late on a recent Wednesday afternoon, questions flew around the office. “Do you know when he’s flying in?” asked Peter O’Brien, the festival’s executive director, about a presenter. “And how about the launch party,” Chris Head asked Georgina Horsey, “When do we send out the invitations? Now?” Someone else asked about the social media push. Will the launch party invitation go on Facebook, Twitter or just email?

The theme of this year’s festival are rivers in human lives. One film, Lost Rivers, is about the hidden veins of water underneath major cities. Another traces the Rhine from its source in Switzerland through Europe to the North Sea. Where the Yellowstone Goes will answer that question, and another film looks at the perils facing the mighty Amazon.

For Washingtonians, the festival offers a look at the city’s own rivers. For those who spend time on the Potomac, Potomac: A River Runs Through Us highlights Washingtonians’ ties to the river that is the source of our drinking water. Festival-goers can explore the Anacostia via a series of stories from and about people that river.

Back on 31st Street, however, are the people who make the films run on time. Without them and their long days, the river of films, events, and presentations would dry up. Right now, the planning is in full swing. “What if we run out of food for the party?” someone asks. Meanwhile, Helen Strong, who does PR for the festival, wonders aloud if she can get Lisa Jackson, the former head of the EPA, to do a quick TV interview after a film. “My mind is blown by the amount of work the people in this room do,” says Rana Koll-Mandel, pecking away at her computer.

There is reason for so much concern. Last year, they did run out of food at the launch party. “We had enough planned,” explains Peter O’Brien, “but someone didn’t show up with it.” It all worked out fine–they had plenty of wine at the party, and plenty of films at the festival.

Robert Devaney •

Elizabeth Webster, staffer for At-large Councilman Vincent Orange, helps to look after business development in D.C., including persuading film crews to shoot here. So, her going to Los Angeles during Academy Awards week just seemed to be part of the job. The difference is that she believes so strongly in bringing more production work to D.C. that she funded the trip herself; no taxpayer money involved.

Sporting a Sue Wong wardrobe, Webster and friends made the scene at several parties throughout the weekend, all revolving around the Feb. 24 awards ceremony in the Dolby Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. She met with actresses, celebrities and other notables, chatting up D.C. as a great film locale and staying out during Oscars night until 4:30 a.m., Pacific time. Webster was back in D.C. Tuesday morning for an all-day District Council hearing.
[gallery ids="101175,142700,142661,142694,142668,142689,142676,142683" nav="thumbs"]

Nico Dodd •

The line was almost around the corner at the Hamilton Sunday night. At least one man was clamoring for a ticket to get into the Feb. 17 sold-out event, “The Bayou: Last Call.” For a night, the 14th Street venue was transformed into the Bayou, a beloved spot under the Whitehurst Freeway that hosted jazz and rock greats from Count Basie to U2 from 1953 to 1999.

The event was a benefit for the non-profit production of the documentary, “The Bayou: DC’s Killer Joint” [which premiered on Jan. 31 at AMC Loews Georgetown] (https://georgetowner.com/articles/2013/feb/04/bayou-documentary-premieres-georgetowns-amc-loews/). DJ Cerphe Colwell served as master of ceremonies for the evening.

Pianist John Eaton opened the night with two songs, followed by performances by a rotating group of musicians from a long list of bands which played on the Bayou’s stage, including the Cherry People, Cherry Smash, the Nighthawks, Tahoka, Orphan, the Nowhere Men, the Langley High Jazz Lab, Face Dancer, the Boyz, Diamond Alley, Wizzard, Razz, Downtown, Grande Hotel, Sinbad, King Dazzle, Bucyrus Erie, the Texas Chainsaw Horns, Witness, Jetz, the Hubcaps, the Michael Fath Group, Smashbox Symphony, Odyssey, Switched At Birth, the Nathez Trace Band, Trapezoid, the Paul Reed Smith Band and the Grimes Bros.

The set list included covers of Santana’s “Smooth” and, of course, the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic, “Born On The Bayou.”

With 600 persons attending, the place was standing room only. The concert was live streamed online for those not lucky enough to get a ticket—Henry Greene, who was looking for a ticket outside before the show, found his way in. The atmosphere was jovial, filled with long hair, leather jackets and folks puffing on e-cigarettes. There were many Washington music veterans like Pete Papageorge, who’s had a residency at Kelly’s Irish Times for more than 25 years. The space was donated by the Hamilton in support of the event.

“The Bayou: DC’s Killer Joint” will be shown on Maryland Public Television on Feb. 25, 9 p.m. Visit the Bayou documentary’s [website](http://www.mtitv.com/BayouBlog/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BayouDocumentry) pages for more information.

Performance photos above are courtesy of photographer [David Blackwell](http://www.nationscapitol.com/). [gallery ids="101170,142482,142476,142469,142462,142456,142495,142449,142500,142443,142505,142435,142511,142488" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner •

The Hip-Hop Inaugural Ball II, hosted by La La Anthony and Terrence J, honored and celebrated the hip-hop community’s role in the 2012 presidential election on Jan. 20 at the Harman Center for the Arts. Artists and entertainers Wayne Brady, Rosario Dawson, John Legend, 2 Chainz, MC Lyte, Doug E. Fresh, Swizz Beatz, Marsha Ambrosius, along with many others, were in attendance. [gallery ids="101140,140657,140642,140653,140648" nav="thumbs"]

Mary Bird •

For Washington antique lovers, the New Year launches with the Washington Winter Show (WWS) founded in 2009 by former Trustees of the Washington Antiques Show to raise funds for local charities serving needy children and families in our area. The 2012 beneficiaries are Fight for Children, The Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys, Starlight Children’s Foundation, THEARC and the St. John’s Community Services. The Jan. 5-8 events at the Katzen Arts Center at American University kicked off with a preview night party of “Celebrating the White House,” this year’s theme with Caroline Kennedy serving as Honorary Chair. The Loan Exhibit showcased “Treasures of the First Families” curated by Leslie Jones. Forty-five leading US and European exhibitors displayed period furnishings and decorative arts, vintage jewelry, porcelains, ceramics, silver and architectural garden accents. When former White House Florist Nancy Clarke was unable to present her program, former White House Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier saved the day as well as charming his scheduled audience the following day. He told wonderful insider tales of accommodating a series of quite determined First Ladies and signed copies of his five books chronicling a stellar career. WWS included appraisals, guided walks by Frank Babb Randolph, John Peters Irelan and Andrew Law as well as appraisals and jazz by the Levine School of Music Faculty Jazz Band. [gallery ids="100460,115657,115628,115479,115599,115570,115541,115496,115489" nav="thumbs"]

Mary Bird •

On Nov. 14, the National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) honored living legends at the Second de Pizan Honors Gala in the Amphitheater of the Ronald Reagan Building. Named in honor of Christine de Pizan, the first Western woman to write about women’s history in 1405, this year’s honorees were legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz; renowned poet, author and playwright Dr. Maya Angelou; former U.S. Senator and former President of the Red Cross Elizabeth Hanford Dole, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Rhodes in recognition of his promotion of women’s rights. Joan Bradley Wages, CEO and President of NWHM, hailed the honorees as leaders “who represent the best in their respective areas in today’s world.”

Mary Bird •

At the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s star studded Harman Center for the Arts Annual Gala on Oct. 15, F. Murray Abraham received the prestigious Will Award honoring his significant con- tribution to classical theatre in America. Tributes were read from Kevin Spacey and Abraham’s “Amadeus” co-star Tom Hulce. Jerry Stiller brought down the house calling the actor’s tirade to upgrade his room a “better performance in a London hotel than in ‘Amadeus.’ ” After the program that included performances by the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Bill Irwin and Ted Van Griethuysen in a scene from King Lear and a surprise appearance by Christine Ebersole, guests joined in a “cel- ebration parade” to the National Building Museum for dinner and dancing at a Gala After Hours. [gallery ids="101039,136292,136287,136282,136264,136277,136270" nav="thumbs"]