SEP 25
YOU ONLY RUN TWICE
No holds are barred in the irreverent songs and sketches of THE HEXAGONERS in their annual political, satirical, musical comedy revue. This long-running original extravaganza skewers the pompous and pokes riotous fun at national as well as local politics and current events. Mirth, melody, wit and hilarity rule in this year's edition of the show. hexagon.org/hexagoners/

OCT 2
ACME BLUES COMPANY
This Contemporary Electric group plays up-tempo blues, slow blues numbers and traditional blues and blues-rock favorites – with fiery licks and a solid beat. Their repertoire includes original material, standards and covers. WAVERLY MILOR handles lead vocals and harmonica, STEVE REMY plays electric guitar and sings. STEVE CRESCENZE adds vocals and electric bass to the mix and CHRIS RUCKMAN is on drums. AcmeBluesCompany.com

OCT 16
SLAVIC SPIRIT!
In striking Cossack uniforms, the SLAVIC MALE CHORUS OF WASHINGTON, DC presents heartfelt interpretations of folk songs and sacred hymns of Eastern Europe. They perform traditional Slavic folk songs, sacred music and ancient monastic chants. Singing in Russian, Serbian, Ukrainian, Slovakian and Old Church Slavonic, they evoke dynamic emotions in selections from the reverential Kol Slavin to the thunderous high spirits of the Travushka/Kalinka medley. slavicmalechorus.org

OCT 23
FESTIVAL ITALIANA!
Join the CANTANTI SINGING ENSEMBLE and the FIERI FOLKLORIC DANCERS as they gather at a friendly Italian café, for an evening of joyous fun. The singing ensemble presents favorites such as Funiculi Funicula, Arrivederci Roma, That’s Amore and Volare. The dancers perform traditional folk dances from various regions of Italy, including the popular Napoletana and Siciliana Tarantellas. donatosoranno.com/cantanti.html italian-american.com/ifafa/fieriDC.htm

OCT 30
A TURN OF THE CENTURY HALLOWEEN
Return in time to a Victorian All Hallow’s Eve, for a demonstration of parlor magic featuring wonders unseen for a hundred years. ERIC HENNING recreates an age when electricity was a miracle, and the telephone a newfangled wonder. With astounding conjuring and elegant elan, he makes the unbelievable occur before your incredulous eyes -- and sometimes in your very own hands! Halloween costumes and Victorian attire encouraged! henningmagic.com

NOV 6
STEP AFRIKA!
Stepping is a dance tradition rooted in African traditions, and popularized recently by young African Americans in the U.S. Intricate kicks, stomps and rhythms pound the floor and mix with spoken words which fill the air. Combining precise foot movements and joyous hand-clapping, these dances resonate with the young black men and women stepping across America. Don’t miss this high-energy, dynamic evening! www.stepafrika.org

NOV 20
LESOLE’S DANCE PROJECT
Exuberance abounds as this highly-charged company performs authentic South African dances marked by humor, lightness, power and ferocity. Featured is the percussive gumboots dance, tensely driven by call-and-response commands echoed in slaps on rubber Wellington boots. The dance was created by miners who worked under deplorable conditions. Other works feature vocal shouts in tribal languages: Sotho, Zulu and Xhosa. lesolesdanceproject.com/home.htm

NOV 27
A CLASSICAL SOLDIER’S MUSICAL JOURNEY
US Army Chorus tenor ANTONIO GIULIANO sings an homage to the legacies of Mario Lanza and Luciano Pavarotti. On the program are songs and opera arias by Scarlatti, Bellini and Liszt, including the famous La donna è mobile from Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto. In a lighter vein are such beloved favorites as Amazing Grace and Danny Boy. Lanza classics will include Because You’re Mine and Be My Love. Neil Weston accompanies at the piano. antoniogiuliano.com/

DEC 4
HOMEGROWN STRING BAND
Before radio and TV, families entertained themselves with homemade music. GEORGIANNE and RICK JACKOFSKY with their daughters, ERICA and ANNALEE, recreate that era, singing to guitar, fiddle, mountain dulcimer, banjo, mandolin and percussive flatfoot dancing. Enjoy Whiskey Road, Salty Dog and The Ballad of Mary Wyatt, and revisit American music, from the rollicking rhythms of old time dance tunes to mournful mountain ballads and blues. homegrownstringband.com

DEC 11
JOY TO THE WORLD!
Join holiday singers from THE BELIEVERS IN CHRIST FELLOWSHIP MINISTRY to ring in the Christmas Season with good tidings and familiar carols. Sing along on some of your favorites, such as O Holy Night, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, Ave Maria, We Three Kings of Orient Are -- and of course Silent Night. CHARLES L. McCOLLOUGH conducts.