Washington National Opera: The Magic Flute

C – I’m not a huge opera fan, but there are some favorites I’ll always return to. Mozart’s The Magic Flute is one of them. I took my Mom to the 2014 Mother’s Day matinee a few weeks ago at the Kennedy Center – an odd choice for Mother’s Day, yes, but something she enjoyed none-the-less. (That Queen – not the best example of motherly love!) We’ve seen this one before – in Vienna, Austria, during the 200th anniversary year of the death of Mozart. (Google it. It was a while ago.) Anyway, my reason for bringing it up is that once you go to a Mozart production in Vienna, you can’t really go back. It doesn’t get much better than that. But the Washington National Opera had an interesting take on it. The set was filled with digital projections as backgrounds, and the overall look was different and quite modern.  The production was in English, which was kind of nice for a change, and a few, well-placed modern references made it into the show. There was a nod to Twitter I thought quite clever given Papageno’s occupation.

The Magic Flute is closed now, but the Washington National Opera has a whole new season kicking off this summer. I’m looking forward to Puccini’s La bohème.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
2700 F Street, NW Washington, DC 20566
Tickets and Information: 800-444-1324 or 202-467-4600

 

Coffee Klatch

Photo from Swings website

K – DC doesn’t lack for coffee places – you can find a Starbucks or Caribou Coffee almost on every corner. Although there seems to be an artisan coffee movement happening lately there have always been some great spots to have a good cappuccino, espresso or just a plain cup of coffee.

There is Filter,Peregrine Espresso, Peets and my favorite – M.E. Swings – which seems to be going by just “Swings Coffee”.  Swings that has been around since 1916 is a cute little, European-looking cafe, which isn’t part of a huge chain but local.

According to Swings website the little cafe, originally The M.E. Swing Co., was established in Washington, D.C. by M.E. Swing and his son, Edward Swing, in 1916. Father and son found a ready market for the premium Arabica beans which were imported from Africa, Latin America, and the Far East. In 1920, the company opened its now historic Mesco Coffee Roasters building at 1013 E Street.

Everytime I’ve gone there has been a line but service is quick and friendly and the coffee is strong and yummy. After getting my coffee I’ve usually hung out at one of the tables with a friend to catch up – I’ve been lucky enough to always find a space when I go. But if you can’t find a table, now that the weather is nice, it’s easy to walk over to Lafayette park or to an outdoor bench and sit enjoy your delicious caffeine with a friend.

Swings Coffee

1702 G Street NW

Washington DC

 

 

 

EU Open House 2014

C – One of my favorite annual events took place this past weekend. Once again, EU Embassies threw their doors open to the public for EU Open House. This is the third time I’ve attended this event and I think I finally have it cracked. Here are some tips for next year:

1. Plan to arrive at your first embassy by 9:45. The event starts at 10 and people start lining up early.
2. Go to either the Embassy of France or the British Embassy first. Understand that it’s one or the other. Both draw long lines. We chose the UK and were able to sail through the residence in great comfort. By the time we left, the line was at least 45 minutes to tour the residence.
3. Drive or take the shuttle to Massachusetts Avenue and you can hit several Embassies in one go. We got through the UK, Italy and Denmark, but you can also walk to Finland, which is a must see.
4. Understand that, really, you can only do 4 embassies before you get tired and cranky.
5. Do Sweden last. It’s so off the beaten path that it’s not that crowded. Plus, they have a nice setup there: free snacks from IKEA, a charming seating area and live music. The rooftop is worth the trip.

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Until next year!

EU Open House
Every May on the weekend closest to Europe Day

Bobby McKey’s – National Harbor

C – I was a last minute substitute for Bobby McKey’s but I’m fine with that. I love being able to just pick up and go out. My friend bought tickets – yes, tickets are recommended – to this dueling piano bar and then offered to drive everyone which, I’m not ashamed to say, totally sealed the deal.

It’s been a while since I’ve been to National Harbor and they’ve really built it up. Traffic to get in was nightmarish. It appears there’s only one way in and out, and the throngs of pedestrians made it difficult for cars to stream through. We started at Bond 45 for lovely but rushed dinner. Yes, this is the same Bond 45 that exists on 45th Street in Manhattan. The food was just as good, but the atmosphere wasn’t quite the same.

 

We were rushed because we had to get to Bobby McKey’s by 8 so they wouldn’t give our table away. We were a group of 11 and, wouldn’t you know it, they sat three people at the front of our table. They ordered a ginormous beer tube which blocked my view most of the night, however, part of the show was really watching these guys go through three of them.

Bobby McKey’s reminds me of 20 years ago. One of the hot places to go when I was living in Orlando was Howl at the Moon at Church Street Station. A very similar concept, but it seemed like they were on their best behavior at BMK’s. One thing that struck me was the remarkable amount of bachelorette parties taking place. This tipped the male/female ratio significantly. There were also birthdays, anniversaries and odd combinations of one or more of these celebratory categories.

The guys playing requests were very talented, although I can imagine they’re probably playing the same songs over and over again night after night: anything by Elton John, Billy Joel, the obligatory Motley Crüe “Home Sweet Home,” etc. We tried to throw them some curve balls by requesting Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” and Def Leppard’s “Pour some Sugar on Me.” They didn’t miss a beat. Particularly with Sugar. They had to bring in reinforcements to make it work, but it worked.

Bobby McKey’s isn’t for everyone. It’s crowded, noisy and slightly raucous. But you might just end up having a great time if you check your attitude at the door. No judgement allowed here.

BTW, I saw no dueling. No dueling whatsoever. Just sayin’.

Bobby McKey’s
Dueling Piano Bar
National Harbor, MD
301-602-2209