Barber's Best Bets

Here’s the lowdown on the best of what’s ahead on screen, on stage and on the club and concert scene.
CLUBS & CONCERTS
» Wolf Trap winds down its outdoor season with a stage version of “Disney’s High School Musical” series of cable movies. The show’s run continues through Sept. 6, with matinees on Saturday and Sunday.
» The Birchmere in Alexandria welcomes neo-country rockers Rhonda Vincent & the Rage on Thursday, and soul and jazz singer Maysa for three nights, starting Friday.
» Blues and jazz pianist and vocal Mose Allison visits Blues Alley in Georgetown for his annual Labor Day weekend shows from Thursday through Sept. 6.
» The DC Improv welcomes stand-up Allan Havey for four nights, Thursday through the 6th.
» 1980’s dance club kings, The Pet Shop Boys, take the Constitution Hall stage on Thursday.
» And the Wallflowers are at the 9:30 Club that night, as well.
» Merriweather Post Pavilion welcomes the Counting Crows on Saturday and the band Kings of Leon on Sept. 8.
» The Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis plays host to ‘60’s rock icons Hot Tuna on Thursday, tunesmith Pat McGee on Friday and singer/songwriter Marty Stuart on Sunday. Pianist David Benoit headlines on Sept. 7 and Eric Burdon and the Animals (“House of the Rising Sun,” “I'm Crying,” “Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood” and “We've Gotta Get Out of This Place.”) rock the Tavern on Sept. 9.

MOVIES
Opening Sept. 4
» “All About Steve” stars Sandra Bullock as a perpetually optimistic woman with no boyfriend who mistakes an attractive bachelor’s (Bradley Cooper of “The Hangover”) kindness towards her as romantic interest and pursues him — relentlessly.
» “Gamer” stars Gerard Butler (“The Ugly Truth,” “300”) Michael C. Hall (“Dexter,” “Six Feet Under”) and rapper/actor Ludacris (“Crash”) as players who can actually fight each other within a new kind of video game.
» “Extract” is the new film from “King of the Hill” creator Mike Judge, about the owner of a struggling spice company (Jason Bateman) who takes a friend’s (Ben Affleck) unconventional advice about improving his marriage — with humorously difficult results.
Reviews of these films will appear in Thursday’s Go! secton of the News & Messenger.
THEATER
» Signature Theatre in Arlington has opened its 20th season with a tart little gem of a show, “Dirty Blonde.” A tribute to and celebration of the life and career of actress and sex symbol Mae West, Signature’s production is first-rate.
Tony Award nominee Emily Skinner portrays West at various times in her life from her 20’s through her 80’s. She also plays Jo, a lonely, timid woman who’s a devoted fan of the actress.
Two of Washington stage’s best actors, Hugh Nees and J. Fred Shiffman, star with Skinner. Nees plays Charlie, another West fan who meets Jo when both are visiting the star’s grave, as well as numerous figures in her personal and professional lives. Shiffman portrays several men, straight and gay, who aided West’s rise from supporting dancer in Vaudeville to the highest paid female star on Broadway and in Hollywood.
The play’s script combines biography, romantic comedy, music and memoir not only to tell West’s life story, but also to give audiences insight into the relentless honesty with which she approached all of life, including her own. All the while it moves back and forth through eras, situations and sub-plots with grace and ease.
Skinner, Nees and Shiffman work together flawlessly. Skinner’s West retains the fearlessness and sensuality that made her a figure of fame and scorn, no matter what age she’s portraying. Her moments as Jo are funny and touching, presenting a woman who admires the diva’s lively courage, but can’t seem to find just a bit of the same for herself.
Both Nees and Shiffman do excellent jobs of making their characters stand out as individuals. Subtle touches, like a dead-on accent or a look or just the way each stands when he takes on one role or another makes each scene rich with color and emotion.
Presenting the bitter and the sweet of both its famous central figure as well as the supporting characters gives “Dirty Blonde” a grit that balances its humor and show business glitz. Individually and together Skinner, Nees and Shiffman are terrific, creating a stage full of fascinating people through sheer talent and skill.
Running only an hour and forty-five minutes with no intermission, “Dirty Blonde” is a bracing, bawdy and engaging entertainment. Whether you’re a West aficionado or just looking for a good time at the theater, you should “come up” to Signature “and see it sometime” — soon.
Take note: While Dirty Blonde isn’t obscene, it does contain adult content and is best for patrons ages 16 and up. Running through Oct.4, it gets four stars from me.
» Speaking of Signature, Sept. 10 sees the opening of its tribute to the award-winning composing team of John Kander and Fred Ebb.
“First You Dream: The Music of Kander & Ebb” presents the music of the men who created “Cabaret,” “Chicago” and “Curtains,” among other musicals.
This revue presents many of their most memorable songs with a cast of six Broadway actor/singers and a 19-piece orchestra. “First You Dream” runs through Sept. 27.
» Round House Theatre in Bethesda presents Oscar Wilde’s tale of immortality and self-deception, “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” starting Sept. 9. The classic drama runs to Oct. 4.
» Studio Theatre in Washington presents Harold Pinter’s “Moonlight” to kick off its new season.
This emotionally gripping tale of a mother’s struggle to reconcile her sons with their dying father and the memory that haunts them all mixes humor with its pathos for an unforgettable evening of theater by the late Nobel Prize winner. It continues through Oct. 18.
» Finally, closing this week is the one-man show, “A Passion for Justice: Clarence Darrow.” The Olney Theatre Center presentation ends Sunday, the 6th.

Read entertainment editor Joe Barber’s reviews and reports throughout the week at insidenova.com and every Thursday in the News & Messenger’s Go! section. You can also catch him on the radio on WTOP-FM.