From volleyball to soccer, cricket to softball, if you have a favorite outdoor summer field sport, you can probably find it being played somewhere on the Mall.

Here’s Columbia Doubles Volleyball at the Mall for their Heatwave Volleyball tournament. 

Even kickball, that grade school playground favorite has made a comeback!!  Groups such as DC Kickball and Play Nakid host regular league games.

And the most confusing game probably plays on the Mall – cricket.  Most weekends you can sit and watch a game, but  it’s best to read the “laws” (rules) beforehand, so you can more easily follow along.  It’s somewhat like baseball, but very different.  Various area cricket leagues, including The Washington Cricket League, play matches on many weekends.

So while on the National Mall, enjoy not only the monuments, but a game of your favorite sport.

Images - Flickr - from personal collection   ©2009, Jon Rochetti 

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1 places are mentioned in this post!

1. 1742 Church St NW

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I had no idea what to expect from Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Revue presentation of The Oresteia, at the Church Street Theater in Washington, DC this past weekend.  

But when a couple of the actors walked the isles selling cold cans of beers just minutes before the show started, I suspected the show would take the audience for a wild ride.

After briefly chatting with one the actors who casually hopped into the seat next to me, she asked me what I was expecting. I had to admit “I have no idea, but I suspect it will be fun.”

And that it was!! 

The Oresteia is one of the many productions that are part of the Capital Fringe Festival.  And it is a wild ride of high-energy music.

Oresteia is based on the two thousand years ago story by Greek playwright Aeschylus.  It’s the classic Greek tragedy of love and war, murder and revenge and the ultimate betrayal.

And Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Revue took the story and turned it into an 80-minute raucous, intensely energetic rock and roll show. The somewhat loose storyline followed a family’s murderous mother and her family’s reaction fueled by mostly high-energy original music and songs. 

The ten-member troupe was led by the sultry voiced Maria Egler, who’s sexy delivery matched her character’s provocative and “naughty” attitude. She belted out several powerful songs backed by the troupe’s excellent band members.   The voices were for the most part powerful, more suited for an rock arena or Broadway stage than the intimate Church Street Theatre but matched with some intense acting — dramatic at times, silly and whimsical at others, the story was downright bawdy!!  Who knew an ancient Greek tragedy could be so fun.

I’d describe Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Revue (although poorly) as the result of traveling mistral show from perhaps Shakespeare’s era which time-traveled to modern times and starts a post-punk rock band, bringing with them their mandolins and costumes. Part storytellers, part rock opera, all powered by foot tapping music with provocative lyrics and an equally provocative cast backed by excellent musicians.  Many of the cast members have extensive resumes in the DC theater scene, so these are not newbie’s to the theater. And they do know how to keep an audience engaged.    

One of the highlights occurred when the story descends into “hell”, and three of the female cast members appear adorn in neon colored wigs and sexy black leather fetish costumes, a metamorphic change from the modest prairie dresses worn during a scene reminiscent of a 1920s spiritual country music revival.

There were corsets and guitars, bluegrass and guitar solos, accordions and burlesque, powerful tunes and lots of laughs.

So hop onboard and enjoy Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s wild ride.

Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Revue presents The Oresteia
Church Street Theatre
1742 Church Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036  (map it)

Dates & Times – Fridays – Sundays through July 26, 2009.  Fridays and Saturdays shows at 11:00 pm., Sunday performances at 7:00 and 9:00 p.m.

Tickets - $25.00, Seniors and students - $20.00 are available online or at the theatre.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Dupont Circle – Red line, then a 3-block walk.

Parking - Limited free and metered street parking as well as area paid garage parking is available.

Images – top and bottom - Courtesy of Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Revue, others ©2009 Paul Gillis Photography 

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1 places are mentioned in this post!

1. Le Mannequin Pis
   Beligian Cuisine. On Monday nights they offer a fixed price menu ($20.04

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Mannequin Pis is Dutch for little man urinating. It’s the world-famous bronze sculpture landmark located in Brussels, of a small boy urinating into a public fountain’s basin. 

Why it’s famous is up for debate - perhaps a little boy urinated on an invader’s bomb fuse, or maybe on the heads of foreign troops while up in tree, or just a tale about a lost little boy who was eventually found while in the act of peeing.

And with a name like Mannequin Pis, you know the food at this restaurant has to be good.

Opened in 1999, Mannequin Pis in suburban Olney, Maryland has been serving authentic Belgian cuisine in a comfortable setting that makes you feel as if you are inside a small cafe in Brussels.  Located in a small strip mall, surrounded by other small restaurants, this is a jewel in the rough.

With a list of over 60 Belgian beers (and not a Miller Lite or Bud anywhere on the menu) you can sample traditional Belgium bistro cuisine along with countless pale, golden, amber, brown and blonde ales.

The signature appetizers are mussels served in 17 different varieties, with garlic fries and six styles of sausages ($8.50 - $10.00), including wild boar and cranberry, Boudin Noir (blood sausage) and venison and blueberry.

If you order the mussels, expect a black pot filled to be served with a full kilo (2.2 lbs.) for $20.00, regardless of the style.  They’ll come out perfectly steamed and flavored.  Some of the unique ingredients in your options include goat cheese, beer, horseradish, pineapple, harissa (a North African red hot red sauce) and coconut milk.  I was dying to try the mussels in Lobster Bisque, but there were simply too many to try. So you should be able to find at least one style you love.

The mussels are served with an order of Pommes Friets (French fries) and served in a classic paper basket. We ordered an extra order of the Garlic Pommes Friets and they were VERY garlicky and amazingly delicious.

It’s probably best to come very hungry as a pot of mussels and just one other appetizer was enough to satisfy two people.

They also have full entree dishes ($18.50 - $27.00) including sea bass, bacon-wrapped trout, Waterzooi – a classic fish and seafood stew, beef stew, and the classic bistro meal, Steak & Friets.

I’m also looking forward to trying one of their three soups, all if which sounded great, including mussel saffron, potato & leek and lobster bisque which is chef’s special ($8.50 - $11.00).

I can’t wait until I get another chance to visit Mannequin Pis. Next time I’ll try to bring a group so we can sample a few of the other styles of mussels and sausages.

Mannequin Pis
18064 Georgia Avenue
Olney, Maryland  20832 (map it)
301-570-4800

Dates & Times – Monday - Thursday 5:00 to 9:30 p.m.,  Friday - Sunday until 10:30 p.m., plus
Sunday brunch served 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Reservations – Highly recommended, especially on weekends. Reservations accepted by phone or online. 

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Shady Grove – Red line, then a 6–mile cab ride.

Parking - Limited metered street parking and area paid garage parking is available.

Images – statue – public domain, all others from personal collection - ©2009, Jon Rochetti 

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The Fringe Festival attempts to expose Washington, DC theater audiences to independent performers from first-time artists who have never ventured beyond their basement, to professional actors regularly seen on DC’s stages putting on high-quality, well-staged theateratrical performances.

Most of the productions are inexpensively produced, using a minimum of sets, costumes and props, yet others may include lavish costumes and live music.

I’ll have my first review of Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Revue production of  The Oresteia on The DC Traveler soon.

But get your button, order some festival tickets and get out and see some fun, imaginative theater.

Performances are presented on different days and times and many are only preformed once or twice.  Some of the performances are definitely not for kids, others are family-friendly, so check the description carefully.

Some of the more provocative performances should include:

• How to Eat an Elephant
• Bare Breasted Women Sword Fighting
• Headscarf and the Angry Bitch
• Live! Girls! Organize

Here’s the link to a complete listing of festival performances.  

And check out the Baldacchino Gypsy Tent Bar at Fort Fringe (607 New York Ave., NW) for a drink,snack and conversation with fellow festival goers before your show.

Capital Fringe Festival 
Various venues around Washington, DC
Washington, DC

Dates and Times – Through July 26, 2009.

Locations – Most performances at presented at five key locations near Mt. Vernon Square, plus seven other area venues.

Tickets – Available for individual performances, most shows $15.00. Advanced tickets available online, by phone at 866-811-4111 or at the Fringe box office at Fort Fringe, 607 New York Ave., NW.  Tickets may also be purchased at the door starting one hour before show time, but are subject to availability.

You’ll also need a to purchase $5.00 Fringe button, which helps support the festivals and offers discounts at area restaurants and other area theater performances.

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The expected four film schedule for presentation over the 2009 summer kicks off with the 1977 Steven Spielberg classic story of extraterrestrial visitors, Close Encounters of the Third Kind on July 20, 2009.

Staring Richard Dreyfess as the telephone lineman who has an unexplainable encounter with a UFO and then becomes increasingly obsessed about reaching Devils Tower in Wyoming while his wife, played by Teri Garr, think he has lost his marbles.

Additional screenings are planned for July 27, August 3, and August 10, 2009, but the schedule has yet to be released.

Bring a blanket and a picnic and stake out your territory early, as space tends to fill early.  And give yourself about 100 feet from the screen so you don’t end up with a stiff neck at the end of the show.

Screen on the Green
Between 4th & 7th Streets and Madison & Jefferson Aves., NW, on the National Mall 
Washington, DC

Dates & Times – Mondays – July 20, 27, August 3 and 10, 2009 at  8:00 p.m. (or sunset)

Admission - FREE

Nearest Metro Subway Station - Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter – yellow and Green lines, or Federal Center SW – Blue and Orange line, then a 4-block walk, or use the DC Circulator bus.

Parking - Limited metered street parking and area paid garage parking is available.

Images - Flickr – Screen on the Green

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1 places are mentioned in this post!

1. Anacostia Museum
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Over 50 photos document segregated baseball in the Washington, DC area, in the exhibit Separate and Unequaled: Black Baseball in the District of Columbia at the Anacostia Community Museum in Washington, DC.

Documenting segregated baseball between the periods from post-Civil War to the 1950s, the exhibit features photos of players such as the legendary catcher Josh Gibson and first baseman “Buck” Leonard, both stars of the Negro Leagues most popular team, the Homestead Grays.

The exhibit also highlights local baseball teams at the amateur, collegiate and semi-pro level that played in the District.

During the 1930s and 1940s, the Homestead Grays, who’s home town was in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, adopted Washington, DC as its “home away from home”.  They played numerous “home” games at the Washington Senators ball field, Griffith Stadium, located at Georgia Avenue and W Street, NW.  At that time, seating was segregated when the Senators played.

With hall of famers Gibson, Leonard and centerfielder James “Cool Papa” Bell, the Grays won 9 consecutive Negro National League championships between 1937 to 1945.  The level of play was, by many observers, at or above the level of its white counterpart leagues. Some ball players built huge fan bases, such as Grays outfielder, Cool Papa Bell. It was stated of him, now famously, that he was so fast “he can turn off the light and be in bed before the room gets dark!” 

During the period before Jackie Robinson broke the race barrier, baseball was played in the District by African-American school aged boys and athletes at ballparks, public parks, sandlots and white-owned ball fields across the city. Some of these ball players went on to the play with some of the Negro Leagues’ top teams. 

The Negro Leagues top players included Satchel Paige, Hank Aaron, “Mr. Cub” Ernie Banks, Roy Campanella, Willie Mays, and Jackie Robinson, all who eventually made it to the formerly all-white Major League.

Local teams such as the Washington Mutuals, the Washington Potomacs and the Washington Alerts often played at Griffith Stadium and on the White Lot located where is now The Ellipse, across from the White House.

Separate and Unequaled: Black Baseball in the District of Columbia
Anacostia Community Museum
1901 Fort Place, SE
Washington, DC  20560  (map it)
202-633-4844

Dates & Times – Museum hours - Daily – 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Check with the museum for exhibition hours and possible special events that may result in the exhibition not being open.

Admission – FREE

Nearest Metro Subway Station - Congress Heights Station - Green line, then a 5-minute cab ride.

Parking – Free lot parking is available.

Images – Grays – public domain, Flickr - from personal collection   ©2009, Jon Rochetti 

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3 places are mentioned in this post!

1. President's Guest House
2. Hilton Washington
   The Hilton Washington hosted the 2006 White House Correspondents'
3. White House
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This is the second part of a two-part piece on the many
presidential assassination attempts within Washington, DC.

Click here for Part 1.
 

Harry S. Truman at Blair House  – 1950
Desiring independence for Puerto Rico, two pro-independence nationalists, Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo, learned that an independence uprising and coup in Puerto Rico had failed and decided to kill President Truman.  

At that time, the White House was undergoing major renovations and the President and his family were residing at nearby Blair House.

The attack occurred when the two assassins simultaneously approached Blair House from different directions on Pennsylvania Avenue, and started shooting guards. The assault took the guards by surprise, but the seven Secret Service and White House Police, along with nearby Capitol Police joined in the gun battle. 

Sleeping in his second-floor bedroom, President Truman was awoken by the gun fire. Investigating the noise, he opened the window, a mere 30 feet from one of the shooters, before Secret Service agents instructed him to leave the window.

The gun battle lasted under a minute and left one shooter dead and the other wounded and in custody. One officer was among the dead and two others were wounded. 

The surviving assassin, Collazo, who was wounded in the chest, was found guilty of murder, attempted assassination, and assault with intent to kill. 

He was sentenced to death and Truman later commuted his sentence to life in prison, denying Collazo martyrdom.  In 1979, President Carter pardoned Collazo and he was released.  In 1994, Collazo died in Puerto Rico.

Blair House
1651 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC‎ 20006 (map it)

Ronald Reagan at the Washington Hilton Hotel – 1981

After delivering an address to an AFL-CIO conference, President Reagan exited the Washington Hilton Hotel on T Street, NW using the VIP entrance.

Moments later, six shots rang out, fired from John Hinckley, Jr’s. 22 caliber pistol.  The handgun was loaded with exploding bullets, but none exploded upon impact.

President Ronald Reagan was struck by a slug in the chest that ricocheted off the Presidential limousine. Hinckley, who had an obsession with actress Jodi Foster, was attempting to impress her by his actions.  

White House Press Secretary James Brady, DC police officer Thomas Delahanty, and Timothy McCarthy, a Secret Service agent were all wounded in the attack.

Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was committed to Saint Elizabeth Hospital.  He has been under institutional psychiatric care since his conviction, but has more recently been periodically allowed to leave on unsupervised releases to visit his family.

Washington Hilton Hotel
1919 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20009 (map it)

Bill Clinton at the White House – 1994

On September 12, 1994, at 2:00 a.m., Frank E. Corder, crashed a stolen Cessna 150L single engine plane into the south lawn of White House.  The plane slid into the White House but caused little damage, other than killing Corder.  At that time, President Clinton was not at the White House.

Just a month and a half later, Francisco M. Duran, standing on Pennsylvania Avenue, pulled an assault rifle form under his coat and He pointed it between the bars of the White House fence. He started  shooting at a group of men on the White House lawn, thinking one of them was President Clinton.

He was able to fire 29 rounds before he was tackled by a 34-year old tourist visiting from San Antonio, just as a nearby Secret Service Officer was aiming his pistol at the assailant’s back. Two other passer-bys jumped on Duran and held him until he was handcuffed by White House security personnel.

Strangely, the tourist worked for a security firm and was visiting Washington, DC to attend a conference on violence in the workplace.

This time, President Clinton was in the White House watching a college football game on TV, in a room on the opposite side of the building.  One bullet did penetrate the West Wing press briefing room as well as the north face of the building.

George W. Bush at the White House – 2001

In February of 2001, Robert Pickett, standing outside the White House fence, fired several shots in the direction of the White House. A ten-minute stand-off with police ensued, ending in Pickett being shot. 

According to reports, the shots probably wouldn’t have struck the White House.

Pickett was hospitalized and later convicted,being sentenced to a  three year prison term for the shooting.  The court gave him a light sentence due to inconclusive evidence that Pickett was attempting to kill President Bush.

White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC  20500 (map it)

There were three other earlier attempts on American Presidents.
Check yesterday’s post for the first half of list. 

Images – Flickr - White House & Blair House, Reagan shooting – public domain

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3 places are mentioned in this post!

1. United States Capitol
2. Fords Theatre
3. 4 Massachusetts Ave NE

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Sadly, since the dawn of history, assassination has been a swift way to overthrow a government or change the political or ideological direction of a nation.

And since the early days of America, the President of the United States has been a target of assassins, seditionists, revolutionaries, ideologues and the occasional nutcase. 

And the most common place for an attempt on the President’s life is in Washington, DC.

Two attempts in Washington DC to assassinate the President ultimately succeeded. The first was Abraham Lincoln’s assassination at Ford’s Theatre in 1865, and James A. Garfield’s sixteen years later, in 1881 was the second.

But six other assassination attempts occurred in DC, some quickly foiled, others that resulted in multiple injuries or deaths.

Here’s a rundown of the attempts and the places in the District where each attempt took place.

Andrew Jackson at The Capitol - 1835
The first Presidential assassination attempt in Washington, DC occurred in 1835, on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building. President Andrew Jackson was leaving the funeral and following the casket of South Carolina congressman Warren Davis.

Walking side-by-side with the Secretary of the Treasury, Levi Woodberry, a house painter named Richard Lawrence stepped from behind a pillar and when the President approached within a dozen feet of Lawrence, he drew and fired the first of two flintlock pistols he was brandishing. The first pistol, aimed at Jackson’s back, misfired.

Noticing the assassin, Jackson and others rushed at Lawrence and at at point blank range, Lawrence fired his second pistol, which luckily also misfired.

Jackson, who was carrying a cane, struck Lawrence repeatedly until  others could subdue and disarm him. 

Lawrence was arrested and at trial, expressed that he believed himself to be the King of America and England.  He was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a local mental institution, the Government Hospital for the Insane in Southeast Washington, DC.  He remained there until he died in 1861, forgotten by the public.

The hospital was later renamed Saint Elizabeth Hospital, which became the future home of John Hinkley, Jr., as well as other  would-be presidential assassins. The hospital is still in operation today.

U.S. Capitol Building
East Capitol Street, NE and 1st Street, NE 
Washington, DC 20002 (map it)

Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre – 1865
Just as the Civil War was ending, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre on 10th Street.  While attending a play, Lincoln and his wife was shot by John Wilkes Booth, a loyal Confederate, snuck into the Presidential box and shot Lincoln in the head. 

For details of Lincoln’s assassination, check out a previous post I wrote with many of the details. 

Ford’s Theatre
511 Tenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004 (map it)

James Garfield at the B&P Railroad Station – 1881
Just four months after taking office, President James A. Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau, at a Washington railroad station. Guiteau, a disgruntled attorney, wanted a consular post after writing a campaign speech for Ulysses S. Grant for the 1880 presidential campaign. But John Garfield won the primary and became the Republican candidate.

Guiteau change a few words and the title of his speech and sent it to Garfield’s campaign staff.  It was only delivered once or twice and incorrectly mentioned several of Grant’s accomplishments as being Garfield’s.  Yet Guiteau thought his efforts and speech was the main reason Garfield won the Presidency.

He thought his efforts deserved him a U.S. ambassadorship, but his continual requests were denied, until he was finally bared from the White House.

After several weeks stalking the President and practicing with a pistol, he waited for the President to leave on vacation from the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station. When the President arrived, Guiteau shot twice, the second bullet shot hitting Garfield in the back.

Two and a half months later, Garfield died of complications and infection, due mostly to poor medical treatment.

Guiteau was immediately arrested at the scene. During his high-profile trial and after being convicted and waiting to be executed, he was held at the Government Hospital for the Insane. 

During the trial, he claimed “The doctors killed Garfield, I just shot him”. Guiteau was executed by hanging the following year.

Baltimore & Potomac Railroad Station* 
4 Massachusetts Avenue, NE
Washington, DC (map it)

* The B&P station no longer exists, Union Station is now on the old grounds.

There were five other attempts on four other Presidents.
Check back tomorrow for the rest of the list. 

 Images - B&P station – National Gallery of Art, Lincoln, Garfield & Jackson – public domain

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Well…it’s official. After 40 years, on July 12th, Nathan’s is closing their doors.

Here’s a link with the details and a few photos.

It’s time for “Last Call.”  And it’s a sad last call.

Nathans
3150 M Street at Wisconsin Avenue, NW 
Washington, D.C. 20007 (map it)

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Four days later, on July 20th, 1969, man placed his first footprint on the surface of the moon.  An estimated 500 million people around the world, including myself, watched the grainy live black and white broadcasts sent back to earth as astronauts Aldrin and Armstrong walked around the lunar surface.

There was only one excursion on the surface during the mission , during which time the two astronauts collected about 50 pounds of lunar rock and soil samples and planted an American flag ion the surface during their 2½  hour excursion.

The mission was considered so risky, that President Richard Nixon had one of his staff speechwriters draft a speech in the event that Aldrin and Armstrong became marooned on the moon’s surface and could not be rescued.

During July, the National Air and Space Museum is commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the NASA Moon Landing, a defining moment in history and space exploration with multiple anniversary-related programs.

The schedule includes:

• Astronaut appearances
• Book signings
• The opening of the art exhibit of 40 paintings by Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean. Thursday, July 16 at 10:00 a.m.
• Gallery talks and Q&A sessions with museum curators – every Wednesday in July
• Hands-on family activities - Thursday, July 16; 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

The highlight of the anniversary is the annual lecture by former astronaut John Glenn.  He was the 5th human in space aboard Gemini 6 “Friendship 7″ and became the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. He later flew on space shuttle Discovery in 1998 during a 9-day mission.  (update - sold out!)

40th Anniversary of the NASA Moon Landing
National Air and Space Museum
Seventh And Independence Avenue, NW
Washington, DC  20560  (map it)

Dates & Times – Museum hours - Daily 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. with Extended Summer Hours through Sept. 7th, until 7:30 p.m.  Apollo 11 events through July 22, 2009.

Tickets – Museum admission and all events are free.

Nearest Metro Subway Station - L’Enfant Plaza – Blue, Orange, Yellow and Green lines and Smithsonian – Blue and Orange lines, then a 3-4-block walk from either, or use the DC Circulator bus.

Parking - Limited metered street parking and area paid garage parking is available.

Images – courtesy of NASA
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