Drag The Halls Cabaret at Creative Cauldron Brings Holiday Cheer

On December 21, the holidays sparkled like never before at Creative Cauldron, where they hosted “Drag The Halls,” a new installment in their annual Holiday Cabaret Series. A packed audience enjoyed special table seating options, donned their gay apparel, and enjoyed special performances by Tula, Cara Linda, Evita Peroxide, and Regina Jozet — four incredibly talented performers, most of whom are local to the region.

Funds from the evening benefited the Juan Febles Fund, which honors the late Juan Febles and his surviving partner, Melbourne Jenkins. Jenkins, who was in attendance, offered a heartfelt thanks to patrons and the Cauldron during the first portion of the show, emphasizing the importance of the venue’s “Artes Para Todos” programs and art workshops, camps, classes and complimentary performances for underserved children, particularly those attending Title One Schools.

Our own News-Press Editor-in-Chief, Nick Benton, was one of the sponsors of the incredible night of holiday cheer. Be sure to check out our photos from the evening on the News-Press website at www.fcnp.com.

ARTfactory Hosts Annual Off The Wall High School Art Exhibit & Competition

The ARTfactory is pleased to present the 20th Annual Off the Wall High School Art Exhibit & Competition. Each year area high school students are invited to share their talent by participating in the juried high school art exhibit and competition, presented by the ARTfactory. The competition encourages student expression and creativity in a professional setting.

Off The Wall includes student work in the following categories: Art & Technology, Painting/Drawing, Poetry, Wearable Art, and Photography. Each category is adjudicated by a professional in the field. This year’s exhibition features 45 student artists with a total of 36 hanging works of art, viewable December 15 through January 30 at ARTfactory (9419 Battle St., Manassas, VA). Awards will be presented at an open house at ARTfactory on January 6 from 2:00 p.m. — 4:00 p.m.. Wearable art will be judged on site after other categories have been announced. To attend, RSVP at bit.ly/FCNP1223af.

Passport to World of Music Returns to Creative Cauldron for 14th Year

Creative Cauldron’s popular annual “Passport to the World of Music Festival,” featuring some of the most talented and diverse musicians in the D.C. area and beyond, will launch on January 6 and run through February 3, 2024.

The “Passport to the World of Music Festival” is curated by Wammy Award-winning artists Ken Avis and Lynn Veronneau and features musical styles and genres from folk, latin, jazz, blues, along with global musical traditions. Each weekend has its own theme, a festival within a festival.

The 2023 Passport to the World of Music Festival schedule of performances includes the following:
Week One: Passport Favorites (January 6-7):

The Kennedys. DC’s legendary folk-pop duo featuring Pete & Maura Kennedy, returning from New York City for one special show.

Rami. Juan Cayrampoma and his band bring the haunting sounds and mystic power of the Andes using traditional zamponas, moscenos, quenas and tarkas with contemporary drums and guitars.

Ken & Brad Kolodner. This renowned, dynamic father-son team weave together a captivating soundscape on hammered dulcimer and clawhammer banjo blurring the lines of old-time, bluegrass and American roots music.

Week Two: American Classics (January 12-14):

“Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll” A Tribute to Chuck Berry. An all-star band led by Kenny Pirog, celebrate the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll Chuck Berry.

Newmyer Flyer Presents: A Tribute to The Everly Brothers. One of the most important vocal duos in rock history. With more than 20 top ten hits, you’re in for a fabulous night in the company of some of DC’s finest including David Kitchen, Willie Barry, Ruthie Logsdon, Jess Elliott Myrhe, Bill Starks, Andy Rutherford, Louie Newmyer, and Tom Fridrich.

Shenandoah Run. This eight member ensemble presents traditional and contemporary folk music, along with a wide selection of Americana from the acoustic ‘60s and ‘70s in a manner that delights a diverse mix of music lovers of all ages.

The Other Side of Nat King Cole. Award-winning jazz and soul vocalist Alison Crockett highlights some of Cole’s songs with her unique arrangements and interpretations, featuring some of the area’s finest jazz musicians.

Week Three: Guitar Fest Weekend (January 19-21)

Nate Najar & Daniela Soledade “Love & Bossa Nova.” Florida based duo Daniela Soledade and Nate Najar, create an enchanting soundscape of irresistible Brazilian rhythms. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Soledade’s family roots are steeped in Bossa Nova’s inception.

Telemasters of the Anacostia Delta. Two Masters of the Telecaster performing the music of Danny Gatton, Roy Buchanan and other legends of DC guitar history. Get ready for a guitar jamboree covering the gamut of music from the 1950s and on (country, blues, rock, and jazz).

“Guitar Alchemy” With Ken Avis & Friends. Four solo musicians perform an in-the-round concert, exploring the more exotic instruments of the guitar family.

The Guitar Renegades. A brand new project featuring the area’s most exciting jazz guitar soloists performing as a quintet: Cristian Perez (Project Locrea), Jan Knutson (The Great Guitars), and Connor Holdridge (Hot Club of Baltimore).

Week Four: DC Women in Music (January 26-28):

Iona “Celtic Traditions.” One of the leading Celtic music groups in the region. Founded by lead singer, bouzouki, guitar and bodhrán player Barbara Ryan and Bernard Argent, and featuring percussive dancer and singer Marsha Searle, the band performs a unique, acoustic weave of the traditional music of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany, the Isle of Man, Asturies and Galicia, and their transplants in America.

Wicked Sycamore. An all-female trio of multi-instrumentalists and songwriters, grounded in traditional roots, Americana, and bluegrass music. Intricate vocal harmonies, thoughtful arrangement, and instrumental prowess are the bedrock for their eclectic, touching and fun musical explorations.

Seven Voices: A Tribute to Patsy Cline. A rare team of talented DMV artists to pay tribute to the First Lady of Country with classic renditions of Cline’s songs, and reimagined versions featuring new instrumentation and creative arrangements played by internationally-touring, award-winning musicians: Jess Eliot Myhre (Bumper Jacksons), Maureen Andary (Sweater Set), Be Steadwell, Nicole Saphos, Dave Chappell, and Ele Rubenstein.

Week Five: Passport to the World Fest — Finale Weekend (February 3-4):

Sean Healy’s Celtic Experience. It’s always a party when champion fiddler, and singer Sean Heely is at the Cauldron with his band. One of the most creatively versatile and captivating Celtic artists of his generation, Sean is a U.S National Scottish Fiddle Champion as well as an award-winning Irish Fiddler, singer, and harpist in the folk and Gaelic traditions of Scotland and Ireland.

Veronneau’s Passport to the World Fest Closing Party. Award-winning Quebecoise vocalist Lynn Veronneau and British guitarist Ken Avis close out the Passport festival with multi-lingual, original and classics from the world of jazz, bossa nova, chanson, swing and blues.

For more information about the series, and to purchase tickets, visit creativecauldron.org or call the box office at 703-436-9948.

Burt Solomon Hosts Two Local Book Talks For New Murder Mystery Book

This month, local author Burt Solomon will hold two book talks celebrating his latest book, “The Murder of Andrew Johnson.” The third in a trilogy of historical murder mysteries featuring John Hay as the detective at different stages of his life, “The Murder of Andrew Johnson” is a coming-of-age story for Hay, recently married and a new dad.

The first book talk will be held January 11 at 7:00 p.m. at One More Page Books (2200 N. Westmoreland St., Arlington, VA). To attend, register for free at bit.ly/FCNP1223op. On January 21 at 2:00 p.m., Solomon will hold a second book talk at Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). To attend, register for free at bit.ly/FCNP1223aj.

Andrew Johnson was called The Great Commoner, appealing to the masses, loathing the establishment and anyone he deemed elitist. Once Johnson made an enemy, you became his enemy for life. He saw insults where none were intended and personal loyalty meant everything… and his devoted fans would follow him into the depths of Hell. He was also the first U.S. President to be impeached.

Time, however, waits for no man — and even the famous (or infamous) must leave this world eventually. But when a man has as many enemies as the Devil, what death could really be a natural one? From political opponents to most of his own family, the suspects are endless… and the truth, not really wanted. John Hay, a lawyer, sometimes governmental bureaucrat, and now journeyman investigative reporter, is set on finding that truth — and it may wind up killing him.

Solomon is a contributing editor for The Atlantic and National Journal, where he has covered the White House and many other aspects of Washington life. In 1991 he won the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency. He is also the author of the acclaimed “Where They Ain’t,” a history of baseball in the 1890s. Solomon, his wife, and their two children live inside the Beltway.

Notable Exhibitions on Display at GMU Arlington and Fairfax Campuses

Mason Exhibitions presents two returning exhibitions, Faces of Resilience at Mason Exhibitions Arlington and DISRUPT AND RESIST at Gillespie Gallery on the Fairfax campus.

Faces of Resilience features works by 14 previously or currently incarcerated artists who participate in year-round art workshops at SCI Phoenix, Southeast Pennsylvania’s maximum-security prison for men located 33 miles outside of Philadelphia, supplemented by the works of three professional artists. The exhibition aims to humanize each of the artists’ experiences leading up to and during their incarceration, and to consider alternative paths beyond the existing carceral system. Although many of the artworks employ portraiture, each artist had the freedom to incorporate various art media and subject matter to bring meaning to their lives through art.

DISRUPT AND RESIST: A Love Letter to the Disability Community on What Showing Up for Each Other Can Be showcases works of ten contemporary disabled designers and artists. The exhibit engages in disability advocacy through creative resistance and anti-ableist disruption, and aims to amplify the ways disabled artists show up for themselves and each other, shining a light on the joy of their lived experiences, and exploring accessibility, disability justice, radical joy, belonging, and inclusivity. Standing as a celebration of the unique beauty of each individual proudly identifying as disabled and neurodivergent, the exhibit demonstrates the use of art and activism as powerful tools for empowerment and transformation, and presents a diverse range of media, including video, photography, sculpture, and sound design.

Faces of Resilience will be on view at Mason Exhibitions Arlington (3601 Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA), Thursdays — Saturdays from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., January 6 through March 30. DISRUPT AND RESIST will be on view at the Gillespie Gallery on Fairfax Campus, Mondays — Fridays from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., January 16 through March 30.

For more information, previous event recordings and other resources, visit masonexhibitions.org.