Washington, D.C.’s Top 10 : Theaters – Top 10 Entertainment Venues

Ford’s Theater

The
tragedy of Lincoln’s assassination here in 1865 kept this theater
closed for over 100 years, but now it is the home of a vibrant theater
company as well as being a museum and historic landmark. Top-notch
performers and directors stage exciting plays here .

Arena Stage

Internationally
renowned as a pioneering theater, for over five decades Arena has
produced plenty of high quality drama. Currently at

1800 Bell Street, Crystal City, Arlington, VA, Arena

is scheduled to reopen in 2010 at the SW address as the Mead Center for American Theater.

• 1101 6th St SW

Shakespeare Theatre

Top
actors, directors, designers, and lighting experts are involved in
every dazzling production here. Although specializing in Shakespeare,
the company also mounts works by other playwrights .

• 450 7th St NW

National Theatre

A
wonderful venue for touring shows, the National Theatre opened in 1835.
Since then every US president has attended at least one of its
performances. Many Broadway hits have staged their premiere here,
including Showboat and West Side Story.

• 1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Kennedy Center

From
Shakespeare to Sondheim, from gripping drama and opera to light-hearted
comedies and musicals, the many theater productions at this landmark
arts center are almost always critically acclaimed. There are a variety
of performance spaces catering to different styles, seating from just a
few hundred people to more than 2,000 .

Wooly Mammoth Theater Company

Widely acknowledged as Washington’s most daring theater company, Wooly Mammoth stages new and innovative productions.

• 641 D St NW

Folger Theater

Visitors
get a unique experience in the Elizabethan Theatre, which strongly
suggests the setting in which Shakespeare’s works were originally
performed. Works of the Bard and his near contemporaries are featured,
and performances of medieval and baroque music fill the schedule.

Gala Hispanic Theater

The
recipient of a huge number of awards, this theater mounts works in
Spanish with simultaneous English translation. Brilliant productions of
works from the classical to the absurd attract a diverse audience.

• 3333 14th St NW

Studio Theater

Off-Broadway
hits, classics, and experimental fare make up the season at this
performance landmark. Two theater spaces are available for the
engrossing and often splendid productions here.

• 1601 14th St NW

Harman Center for the Arts

The
Harman Center is a modern 21st-century performing arts center and an
expanded stage for the Shakespeare Theater Company. It offers great
theater, ballet, and musical performances.

• 610 F St NW

Verizon Center

The home of D.C.’s basketball and hockey teams has many attractions beyond the games .

Warner Theater

You’ll find Broadway shows, comedians, and concerts here.

• 13th & E Sts NW

Carter Barron Amphitheater

Best known for the Shakespeare Free For All.

• 4850 Colorado Ave NW

Coolidge Auditorium

The home of the library’s music series.

• Library of Congress, 10 1st St SE

Lisner Auditorium

This university theater features everything from world music to orchestras.

• 21st and H Sts NW

Nationals Park

Home to the Nationals Baseball team, this new park is the city’s latest highlight.

• 1500 S Capitol St SE

DAR Constitution Hall

The largest concert hall in D.C.

• 1776 D St NW

• Dis. access

Lincoln Theater

An intimate setting for jazz, soul, and gospel music.

• 1215 U St NW

Wolf Trap

An open-air venue for big names in entertainment.

• 1551 Trap Rd, Vienna, VA

• Metro West Falls Church

Nissan Pavilion

Rock stars perform at this open-air arena.

• 7800 Cellar Door Drive, Bristow, VA

• Rte I-66 to exit 44