Weekend entertainment guide: Top picks around town

Alicia Lozano, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – Happy Friday everyone! For your weekend delight, we have ballroom dancing, retro flicks and even some jazz.

“Discover Ellington” at the Strathmore Music Center with a three-day celebration of the jazz musician’s life and work.

On Friday, bassist Karine Chapdelaine and pianist Bob Sykes take on the Duke Ellington-Jimmy Blanton improvisations note for note. The performance starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $39 to $79. Saturday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., sit in on a panel discussion about Ellington’s legacy. This event is free, but RSVP is required. Later, the Grammy-winning Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra puts a different spin on Ellington’s big band sound. Tickets are $29 to $69. Sunday at 4 p.m., the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra performs Ellington’s three “sacred concerts.” Tickets are $27 to $53. Call 301-581-5100 for more information.

It’s not always easy getting all gussied up on a Friday night after a long week of work. If you’re looking for something low key and even a little retro, swing by E Street Cinema for a midnight screening of the 80s classic “Say Anything.” Also playing at midnight is Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece “Rear Window.” If only the two were playing back-to-back.

And speaking of retro, a new “The

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