Wed, Jan 6Laugh! Riot!Derek Sheen and Ryan Casey’s monthly alt-comedy showcase Laugh! Riot! comes to an end (at least for now) with one final night at Chop Suey. The terrific Elicia Sanchez is joined by Brent Flyberg, Scott Losse, and other local favorites to provide a properly hilarious temporary send-off. Chop Suey, $5[1]
Wed, Jan 6Red Bull Sound Select: Wye Oak[2]Few bands have totally reinvented themselves as successfully as Baltimore’s Wye Oak. While the duo emerged on the scene as a heralded indie folk duo, the group shifted sonically in 2014 with the synth-heavy dream pop sounds of Shriek. The change resulted in Wye Oak finding a captivating warmth that comes off marvelously in its live shows (the group’s set at last year’s Capitol Hill Block Party was one of the weekend’s highlights). Seattle songstress Maiah Manser and Portland indie rockers Us Lights open for Wye Oak in the first Red Bull Sound Select show of 2016.. Tractor Tavern, $3 with RSVP
Opens Jan 7The Revenant[3]The Revenant is a work of art, but not really in a traditional filmmaking sense. It seems like it belongs in an dark art gallery, not a cineplex. Director Alejandro Iñárritu and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki create a visual masterpiece that demands to be seen on the big screen, that makes the actual plot—a visceral story of a 1820s fur trapper battling the wintry western elements to seek revenge—feel mundane by comparison. Leonardo DiCaprio shines in the lead role, but unless the Academy really values grunting and crawling, this probably won’t be his long-awaited Oscar win (Tom Hardy’s actually better in the film). Also, spoiler alert: despite reports, there is no bear rape. Various theaters, $10–$13.
Jan 8–Jan 31 Disgraced[4]Rule of thumb: If a play is set at a celebratory dinner, things are about to get horrific. Ayad Akhtar’s 2013 Pulitzer Prize–winning drama Disgraced finds corporate lawyer Amir Kapoor and his wife hosting another couple for a meal, but the gathering soon spirals into a tense, visceral, and confrontational conversation, as Kapoor expresses issues with his Muslim heritage. Seattle Repertory Theatre, $17–$70
Sat, Jan 9Jim Woodring: Frank in the 3rd Dimension Book Launch[5]The wonderfully surreal world of cartoonists Jim Woodring’s Frank enters a new realm with Frank in the 3rd Dimension. Woodring created 150 layers per drawing and teamed up with Charles Barnard to make each image 3D with the help of specially designed 3D glasses. While early visitors to Frye Art Museum’s Genius exhibit got a taste of the visual spectacle, the book officially launches at Fantagraphics Bookstore as part of Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack. Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery, Free
References
- ^ Laugh! Riot! (feedproxy.google.com)
- ^ Red Bull Sound Select: Wye Oak (feedproxy.google.com)
- ^ The Revenant (feedproxy.google.com)
- ^ Disgraced (feedproxy.google.com)
- ^ Jim Woodring: Frank in the 3rd Dimension Book Launch (feedproxy.google.com)
