John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

This 35-year-old theater complex strives to be not just the hub of Washington's cultural and entertainment scene, but a performing arts theater for the nation. It is constantly evolving, and right now that evolution involves an immense expansion, which will add two buildings to the 8-acre plaza in front of the center, and better connect the center to the rest of the city. The center lies between the Potomac River and a crisscross of major roadways, which makes it sound like it's easily accessible when, in fact, its location has tended to isolate it from the rest of town. You'll continue to notice construction underway as the expansion proceeds, but bit by bit, the grand new Kennedy Center is taking shape. Its performances, meanwhile, continue uninterrupted.These are top-rated performances by the best ballet, opera, jazz, modern dance, musical, and theater companies in the world. The best costs the most, and you are likely to pay more for a ticket here than at any other theater in D.C. -- from $14 for a children's play to more than $290 for a box seat on a Saturday night at the opera, although most ticket prices run in the $50 to $75 range.The Kennedy Center is committed to being a theater for the people, and toward that end, it continues to stage its free concert series, known as "Millennium Stage," which features daily performances by area musicians and sometimes national artists each evening at 6pm in the center's Grand Foyer. (You can check out broadcasts of the nightly performances on the Internet at www.kennedy-center.org/millennium.) The Friday "Weekend" section of the Washington Post lists the free performances scheduled for the coming week.The Kennedy Center is actually made up of six different national theaters: the Opera House, the Concert Hall, the Terrace Theater, the Eisenhower Theater, the Theater Lab, and, as of December 2005, the Family Theater, which occupies the renovated space of what was once the home of the American Film Institute (AFI) Film Theater (now located in Silver Spring, MD).Highlights of the Kennedy Center's 2005-2006 season are: Washington National Opera (www.dc-opera.org) performances of Wagner's Das Rheingold and Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, with artistic director Placido Domingo (tickets often sell out before the season begins); National Symphony Orchestra concerts, under the direction of Leonard Slatkin, presented in the Concert Hall from September to June;Performances by the New York City Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre, and the Kirov Ballet; Broadway musicals Mame, Wicked, and the new Little Women; A Country Music Festival, in partnership with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, with honorary co-chairs Emmylou Harris and Vince Gill;The Royal Shakespeare Company's production of The Canterbury Tales, Parts I and II; KC Jazz Club performances by Diane Reeves, Diane Schuur, and Terence Blanchard;The debut of the new Family Theater, with the premiere of Whoopi Goldberg's play for children, Alice; andContinuing performances of the comedy whodunit, Shear Madness, now in its 18th year at the Kennedy Center. Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

Price

50% discounts are offered (for select performances) to students, seniors 65 and over, people with permanent disabilities, enlisted military personnel, and persons with fixed low incomes (tel. 202/416-8340 for details)

Credit Cards Accepted

visa,mastercard,amex

Directions

Metro: Foggy Bottom (though it's a fairly short walk, there's a free shuttle between the station and the Kennedy Center, departing every 15 min. 9:45am-midnight, Mon-Sat, noon-midnight Sun). Bus: 80 from Metro Center

Area

At New Hampshire Avenue NW and Rock Creek Pkwy

Parking

Garage parking $15

Hours

M-F 10a-5p, Sa-Su 10a-1p

Information by Frommers