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NIGHTLIFE IN WASHINGTON DC

In Washington, the word "nightlife" covers a multitude of scenes. Name your pleasure: Shakespeare? There is not one, but two exceptional Shakespeare venues -- the Folger, with its Elizabethan-style theatre and the Shakespeare, which runs up accolades ("the nation's foremost Shakespeare Theater," says the Wall Street Journal) with each new production. Jazz? Honest, the capital's jazz happenings are among the best in the world, taking place in out-of-the-way clubs on U Street and on high profile stages, like the Kennedy Center's. Serious drama, lighthearted comedy, world-renowned symphonies, homegrown rock bands, karaoke bars, evening baseball games -- D.C. has it all.

For up-to-date schedules of events, from live music and theatre, to children's programs and flower shows, check the Friday "Weekend" section of the Washington Post, or go online, and browse the Post's nightlife information at www.washingtonpost.com. The City Paper, available free at restaurants, bookstores, and other places around town, and online at www.washingtoncitypaper.com, is another excellent source.

Tickets

TICKETplace, Washington's only discount day-of-show ticket outlet, has one location: at 407 7th St. NW (Metro: Gallery Place/MCI Center or Archives/Navy Memorial). Call tel. 202/TIC-KETS (842-5387), for information. You can purchase tickets there or online at www.ticketplace.org. On the day of performance only (except Sun and Mon; see below), you can buy half-price tickets (with select debit and credit cards: Visa, Master Card, American Express, and Discover; cash, personal and traveler's checks are not accepted) to performances with tickets still available at most major Washington-area theatres and concert halls, as well as for performances of the opera, ballet and other events. TICKETplace is open Tuesday through Friday from 11am to 6pm and Saturday from 10am to 5pm; half-price tickets for Sunday and Monday shows are sold on Saturday. Though tickets are half-price, you have to pay a per-ticket service charge of 12% of the full face value of the ticket.

Tickets are available online Tuesday through Friday, between noon and 4pm. Again, the tickets sold are for same-day performances, at half-price, plus the per-ticket service charge, which for online sales, is 17% of the full face value of the ticket. You must pay by credit card, using MasterCard or Visa, then pick up the tickets at the "Will Call" booth of the theatre you're attending; bring your credit card and a photo ID. TICKETplace is a service of the Cultural Alliance of Washington, in partnership with the Kennedy Center, the Washington Post, and Ticketmaster.

You can buy full-price tickets for most performances in town through Ticketmaster (tel. 800/551-7328; www.ticketmaster.com); expect to pay taxes, plus a service charge, order processing fee, and a facility fee (if a particular venue tacks on that charge). Or you can visit one of Ticketmaster's numerous locations throughout the city, including Hecht's Department Store, 12th and G streets NW (Metro: Metro Center); the DC Visitor Center in the Ronald Reagan Building, at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW (Metro: Federal Triangle); and the MCI Center (Metro: Gallery Place); you usually will not have to pay a convenience or order processing fee when you purchase tickets in person. When you pay by credit card at TICKETplace and Ticketmaster, you have to show an ID to prove you are the credit card holder.

Another similar ticket outlet is Tickets.com (formerly Protix). You can order tickets by calling tel. 800/955-5566 or 703/218-6500, or by accessing its website at www.tickets.com.

The Bar Scene

Washington has a thriving and varied bar scene. But just when you think you know all the hot spots, a spate of new ones pop up. Travel the triangle formed by the intersections of Connecticut Avenue, 18th Street, and M Street, in the Dupont Circle neighbourhood, and you'll find the latest bunch. (The triangle is also a nightclub mecca)

If you're in the mood for a sophisticated setting, seek out a bar in one of the nicer hotels, like the Jefferson, the Willard, the Sofitel Lafayette Square, the Ritz-Carlton (either one, in Georgetown or in the West End), or the St. Regis. If you want a convivial atmosphere and decent grub, try establishments that are equal parts restaurant and bar look for Clyde's of Georgetown, Old Ebbitt Grill and Old Glory Barbeque.

Even the diviest of bars puts out some free nibbles to complement your drink -- peanuts or pretzels at the very least. And good-value promotions are increasingly popular at area bars and nightclubs, such as Whitlow's on Wilson in Arlington, where you can chow down on a half-price burger every Monday night. A step above these are certain fine restaurants and hotels around town that set out gourmet food during happy hour, either for free or an astonishingly low price. Here are three that you might like. But be forewarned: when it comes to free food, Washingtonians can be aggressive.

In the bar area only, McCormick & Schmick's, 1652 K St. NW, at the corner of 17th Street NW (tel. 202/861-2233), offers a choice of giant burger, fried calamari, quesadillas, fish tacos, and more, for only $1.95 each. The offer is good Monday through Friday from 3:30 to 6:30pm and Monday through Thursday 10:30 to 11:30pm. Friendly bartenders make you feel at home as they concoct mixed drinks with juice they squeeze right at the bar. (The drinks, however, are not discounted.)

Teaism Penn Quarter, 400 8th St. NW (tel. 202/638-6010), which is near the MCI Center, the FBI Building, the National Gallery, and nightspots, features happy hour Thursday and Friday from 5:30 to 7:30pm, with free hors d'oeuvres like Thai chicken and Indian curries, Asian noodle salads, sticky white rice, green salad -- make a meal of it! Drinks are not discounted, but they are unusual: sakes, Asian beers, gingery margaritas, and the like.

The clubby, mahogany-paneled Town and Country Lounge, in the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave. NW (tel. 202/347-3000), is the setting weeknights from 5:30 to 7:30pm for complimentary cocktail-hour hors d'oeuvres that change from night to night: maybe slices of roast beef on toasts, chicken/beef fajitas, or pastas. Here, you also have the pleasure of watching the personable bartender Sambonn Lek at work, whether mixing drinks, performing magic tricks, or matchmaking. Drinks are regular price.

The Club & Music Scene

If you're looking for a more interactive, tuneful night on the town, Washington offers hip jazz clubs, lively bars, warehouse ballrooms, places where you sit back and listen, places where you can get up and dance, even a roadhouse or two. If you're looking for comic relief, Washington can take care of that, too (the pickings are few but good).

Many nightspots wear multiple hats. For example, the Black Cat is a bar and a dance club, offering food and sometimes poetry readings.

The best nightlife districts are Adams-Morgan; the area around U and 14th streets NW, a still-developing district, where it's best to stay on or close to U Street; north and south of Dupont Circle along Connecticut Avenue; downtown streets near the MCI Center, especially F and G streets, between 7th and 15th streets; and Georgetown. If you don't mind venturing into the suburbs, you should know about Arlington's hot spots. As a rule while club-hopping -- even in Georgetown -- stick to the major thoroughfares and steer clear of deserted side streets.

The best source of information about what's doing at bars and clubs is a fat weekly, City Paper, available free at bookstores, movie theatres, drugstores, and other locations; and online at www.washingtoncitypaper.com. Also check out the monthly On Tap, another fat freebie found mostly in bars, but whose website, www.ontaponline.com, is essential reading for carefree 20-somethings. By the way, Thursday night is "College Night" at nearly every club.

Washington's clubs and bars tend to keep their own hours; it's best to call ahead to make sure the place you're headed is open. A calendar of jazz gigs for the Washington area is posted at www.dcjazz.com, including free performances.

Arlington Row
As unlikely as it seems, one of the hottest spots for Washington nightlife is a stretch of suburban street in Arlington, Virginia. That is a section of Wilson Boulevard in the Clarendon neighbourhood, roughly between Highland and Danville streets. This specific patch of Arlington continues to gain renown as a musical mecca because of the profusion of live music venues that flourish here.

Do note that Arlington is not Adams-Morgan. Adams-Morgan is urban, ethnic, and edgy, full of the requisite black clothes, body piercings, colourful hair, tattoos and bad attitudes. Arlington Row is a lot tamer, attracting, so far anyway, a crowd of all ages, usually dressed for comfort. You don't feel like your presence has to make a statement. Certainly, the clubs are more accessible: Metro stops are nearby, parking is easier, streets are safer, and clubs front the streets with picture windows and aren't as exclusive.

The music is live, it's outstanding (most of the time), and it's here almost nightly. So take the Metro to the Clarendon stop and walk down Wilson, or drive up Wilson from Key Bridge, turn left on Edgewood Road or another side street, and park on the street. Then walk to these spots, all of which serve food.

The smallest of the bunch, Galaxy Hut, 2711 Wilson Blvd. (tel. 703/525-8646; www.galaxyhut.com), is a comfortable bar with far-out art on the walls and a patio in the alley. Look for live alternative rock most nights.

At IOTA, 2832 Wilson Blvd. (tel. 703/522-8340; iotaclubandcafe.com), the best of the area's bands (if either Little Pink or Last Train Home are performing, go), as well as up-and-coming groups take the stage nightly in a setting with minimal decor (cement floor, exposed brick walls, and a wood-beamed ceiling); there's a patio in back. There's live music nightly. If there's a cover, it's usually $8 to $18.

Whitlow's on Wilson, 2854 Wilson Blvd. (tel. 703/276-9693; www.whitlows.com), is the biggest spot on the block, spreading throughout four rooms, the first showcasing the music (usually blues, with anything from surfer music to rock thrown in). The place has the appearance of a diner, from Formica table-booths to a soda fountain, and serves retro diner food. (Mon half-price burger nights are a good deal.) The other rooms hold coin-operated pool tables, dartboards, and air hockey. Cover is usually $3 to $5 Thursday through Saturday after 9pm.

Clarendon Grill, 1101 N. Highland St. (tel. 703/524-7455; www.cgrill.com), wins a best decor award for its construction theme: murals of construction workers, building materials displayed under the glass-covered bar, and so forth. Music is a mix of modern rock, jazz, and reggae. Cover is $3 to $5 Wednesday through Saturday.

About a mile south of this stretch of Wilson, you'll find Rhodeside Grill, 1836 Wilson Blvd. (tel. 703/243-0145; www.rhodesidegrill.com), 3 blocks from the Courthouse Metro stop, is a well-liked American restaurant on its first floor. The rec-room-like bar downstairs features excellent live bands playing roots rock, jazz funk, Latin percussion, country rock, reggae -- you name it. Cover averages $5 or more Thursday through Saturday starting at 9:30pm.

The Performing Arts

Washington's performing arts scene has an international reputation. Almost anything on Broadway has either been previewed here or will eventually come here. Better yet, D.C. is home to truly excellent and renowned repertory theatre troupes, and to fine ballet, opera and symphony companies. Rock bands, headliner comedians, and jazz/folk/gospel/R&B/alternative and other musical groups make Washington a must-stop on their tours.

Smaller Theatres
Some of Washington's lesser-known theatres are gaining more recognition all the time. Their productions are consistently professional, and sometimes more contemporary and innovative than those you'll find in the more acclaimed theatres. The Source Theatre Company, 1835 14th St. NW, between S and T streets (tel. 202/462-1073; www.sourcetheatre.com), is Washington's major producer of new plays. Joy Zinoman, the artistic director of the Studio Theatre, 1333 P St. NW, at 14th Street (tel. 202/332-3300; www.studiotheatre.org), showcases interesting contemporary plays and nurtures Washington acting talent; the 2005-2006 lineup marks the theatre's 29th season. The Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (tel. 202/393-3939; www.woollymammoth.net), offers as many as six productions each year, specializing in new, offbeat, and quirky plays. In May of 2005, the Woolly took up residence in its new 265-seat, state-of-the-art facility, at 7th and D streets NW, in downtown Washington, just down the street from the Shakespeare Theatre.

In addition, highly recommended is productions staged at the Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE (tel. 202/544-7077; www.folger.edu). Plays take place in the library's Elizabethan Theatre, which is styled after the inn-yard theatre of Shakespeare's time. The theatre is intimate and charming, the theatre company is remarkably good, and an evening spent here guarantees an absolutely marvelous experience. The Elizabethan Theatre is also the setting for musical performances, lectures, readings and other events.

Finally, there's Ford's Theatre, 511 10th St. NW, between E and F streets (tel. 202/347-4833; www.fordstheatre.org), the actual theatre where, on the evening of April 14, 1865, actor John Wilkes Booth shot President Lincoln. Though popular among Washingtonians for its annual holiday performance of Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Ford's stages generally mediocre presentations, usually intertwined with American history themes.

Indoor Arenas & Outdoor Pavilions
When Madonna, U2, or the Dixie Chicks come to town, they usually play at one of the huge indoor or outdoor arenas. The 20,600-seat MCI Center, 601 F St. NW, where it meets 7th Street (tel. 202/628-3200; www.mcicenter.com), in the centre of downtown, hosts plenty of concerts and also is Washington's premier indoor sports arena (home to the NBA Wizards, the WNBA Mystics, the NHL Capitals, and Georgetown NCAA basketball). Less convenient and smaller is the 10,000-seat Patriot Center at George Mason University, 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax VA (tel. 703/993-3000; www.patriotcenter.com).

The Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge, 7800 Cellar Door Dr., off Wellington Road in Bristow, VA (tel. 703/754-6400 for concert information; www.nissanpavilion.com), has a capacity of 22,500 seats (10,000 under the roof, the remainder on the lawn), is 25 minutes from the Beltway and features major acts varying from classical to country. The action is enhanced by giant video screens inside the pavilion and on the lawn.

During the summer, there's quality entertainment almost nightly at the Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., just off Route 29 in Columbia, MD (tel. 410/715-5550; www.merriweathermusic.com), about a 40-minute drive from downtown D.C. There's reserved seating in the open-air pavilion (overhead protection provided in case of rain) and general-admission seating on the lawn (no refunds for rain) to see such performers as Neil Young, Counting Crows, Diana Krall, The Killers, The Cure, or No Doubt. If you choose the lawn seating, bring blankets and picnic fare (beverages must be bought on the premises).

A popular summer setting for music is also the closest to D.C. and easiest to get to: Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts, 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna, VA (tel. 703/255-1860; www.wolftrap.org). The country's only national park devoted to the performing arts, Wolf Trap, 30 minutes by car from downtown D.C., offers performances by the National Symphony Orchestra (it's their summer home), and has hosted Lucinda Williams, Shawn Colvin, Lyle Lovett, The Temptations, Ani DiFranco, and many others. Performances take place in the 7,000-seat Filene Center, about half of which is under the open sky. You can also buy cheaper lawn seats on the hill, which is sometimes the nicest way to go. If you do, arrive early (the lawn opens 90 min. before the performance) and bring a blanket and a picnic dinner -- it's a tradition. Wolf Trap also hosts a number of very popular festivals. The park features a daylong Irish music festival in May; the Louisiana Swamp Romp Cajun Festival and a weekend of jazz and blues in June; and the International Children's Festival each September.

The Carter Barron Amphitheater, 16th Street and Colorado Avenue NW (tel. 202/426-0486; www.nps.gov), way out 16th Street, is in Rock Creek Park, close to the Maryland border. This is the area's smallest outdoor venue, with 4,250 seats. Summer performances include a range of gospel, blues, and classical entertainment. The shows are usually free, but tickets are required. You can always count on Shakespeare: The Shakespeare Theatre Free For All takes place at the Carter Barron usually for 2 weeks in June, Tuesday through Sunday evenings; the free tickets are available the day of performance only, on a first-come, first-served basis (call tel. 202/334-4790 for details).

Smaller Auditoriums
A handful of auditoriums in Washington are really fine places to catch a performance. The smallest, most clublike auditorium is the 350-seat Barns of Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Rd., Vienna, VA (tel. 703/938-2404), which is just up the road from Wolf Trap Farm Park . From late fall until May, the schedule features jazz, pop, country, folk, bluegrass and chamber musicians. This is the summer home of the Wolf Trap Opera Company, which is the only entertainment booked here May through September.

DAR Constitution Hall, on 18th Street NW, between C and D streets (tel. 202/628-4780; www.dar.org), is housed within a beautiful turn-of-the-20th-century Beaux Arts building and seats 3,746. Its excellent acoustics have supported an eclectic group of performers: Sting, the Buena Vista Social Club, John Hiatt, the Count Basie Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Lil Bow Wow, Ray Charles, Trisha Yearwood, The Strokes and the O Brother Where Art Thou? tour.

In the heart of happening U Street, the Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW (tel. 202/328-6000; www.thelincolntheatre.org), was once a movie theatre, vaudeville house and nightclub featuring black stars like Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway. The theatre closed in the 1970s and reopened in 1994 after a renovation restored it to its former elegance. Today the theatre books jazz, R&B, gospel, and comedy acts, and events like the D.C. Film Festival.

At the 1,500-seat Lisner Auditorium, on the campus of George Washington University, 21st and H streets NW (tel. 202/994-6800; www.lisner.org), you always feel close to the stage. Bookings sometimes include musical groups like Siouxsie and the Banshees, comedians like "Weird Al" Yankovic, and children's entertainers like Raffi, but are mostly cultural shows -- everything from a Pakistani rock group to the Washington Revels' annual romp at Christmas.

The Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW, between E and F streets (tel. 202/783-4000; www.warnertheatre.com), opened in 1924 as the Earle Theatre (a movie/vaudeville palace) and was restored to its original, neoclassical-style appearance in 1992 at a cost of $10 million. It's worth coming by just to see its ornately detailed interior. The 2,000-seat auditorium offers year-round entertainment, alternating dance performances (from Baryshnikov to the Washington Ballet's Christmas performance of The Nutcracker) and Broadway/off-Broadway shows (Grease) with headliner entertainment (Hanson, Bob Dylan).This venue also features big-name comedians from time to time.


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