Although I spent my birthday month of September in the DMV, I managed to get around fairly often. This past week focused on music, beginning with attending the Met’s Live in HD 20th anniversary broadcast on Saturday the 19th. The following Saturday, I invited my eldest sister, Debra, to join me for the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) performance at Washington’s National Theatre.
The September 26th matinee was one of three performances scheduled for DTH in D.C. on their 2026-27 tour schedule. The program opened with Return, featuring songs by R&B masters James Brown and Aretha Franklin, followed by Donizetti Variations, a ballet set to composer Gaetano Donizetti’s opera, Don Sebastian.
DTH’s featured work was the 1982 reimagined Caribbean setting of the ballet, Firebird, with an orchestral score by Igor Stravinsky, choreography by John Taras, and sets and costumes by Geoffrey Holder.
It was a stunning performance. I captured the feature image above just as the final note ended and the audience rose to its feet in enthusiastic applause. (I don’t normally take pictures while artists are performing to avoid creating a distraction.)
After the ballet, Debra suggested we have dinner at the nearby Waldorf Astoria. We entered the Bazaar Meat by José Andrés restaurant before dinner hour, so we got excellent seats on the upper floor overlooking the hotel lobby and food court.
I admit that my budget doesn’t allow for such indulgences frequently, so I try to expand my palate when they do occur. This time, I tried the Baby Peaches and Burrata and the Grilled Ora King Salmon with Meyer lemon emulsion and a surprisingly tasty-to-me marinated salmon roe. I also ordered Tarta de Queso (a Basque-style cheesecake with strawberries) to go.
Sitting in the hotel court with its glass roof was an experience in itself. Coincidentally, I had only seen its upper-floor view just nine days earlier when I visited the building’s Clock Tower. I made several attempts to photograph the tower exterior from the court and have shared them below.
Speaking of pictures, I have selected several from the day and placed them below. The rest that I’m sharing are available at https://singin1.click/piwigo/index.php?/category/Seein-the-DMV-Dance-Theatre-Harlem-Firebird-Bazaar-Meat-092626
