Run and tell that — “Hairspray” is at the Altria this weekend. | Photo by RICtoday

Love live theater, or want to give it a try? Here’s what’s currently on stage in the area — plus three productions to look forward to in February.

“Hairspray” | Closes Sunday, Jan. 29 | Altria Theater, 6 N. Laurel St. | $44+ | You can’t stop the beat of this Broadway in Richmond production. Richmond Family Magazine has an interview with one of the actors.

“Ghost Quartet” | Closes Saturday, Feb. 4 | Firehouse Theatre, 1609 W. Broad St. | $20+ | Delve into the ghost stories of playwright Dave Malloy. Hear from the actors in this Style Weekly piece.

“Uncle Vanya” | Closes Sunday, Feb. 12 | Dominion Energy Center Gottwald Playhouse, 600 E. Grace St. | $22+ | Richmond Shakes presents an up-close, conversational translation of the classic drama.

“Placebo” | Thursday, Feb. 2-Saturday, Feb. 25 | ContrastRVA, 1200 McDonough St. Suite 101 | $39 | Yes, And! Theatrical Company brings an intellectual and emotional exploration of arousal to an intimate venue.

“How Black Mothers Say I Love You” | Friday, Feb. 3-Saturday, Feb. 25 | Robert B. Moss Theatre, 1300 Altamont Ave. | $10+ | Follow the story of Daphne in a story that deals with a buried past, family ghosts, and unconditional love.

“She Persisted, The Musical” | Friday, Feb. 17-Sunday, March 12 | Virginia Rep Center for Arts and Education, 4204 Hermitage Rd. | $21+ | Bring the kids to this time travel adventure through American history. Recommended for ages 5+

POLL

Do you enjoy local theater?

A. Yes, I see a lot of shows
B. I go a few times a year
C. I want to get more into it
D. It’s not for me

ALL RICHMOND'S A STAGE

EVENTS

Click here to have your event featured.

Friday, Jan. 27

Emily Nenni | Friday, Jan. 27 | 7 p.m. | Richmond Music Hall, 623 E. Main St., Richmond | $10 | The Nashville singer-songwriter will perform with Mackenzie Roark and Marie-Claire Evans.
Jazz Night | Friday, Jan. 27 | 7-11 p.m. | Gallery5, 200 W. Marshall St., Richmond | $5-$50 | Snag a VIP table to hear the sounds of The Kelli Strawbridge Trio and DJ Sidewinder.

Saturday, Jan. 28

Free Live Music: Brian “Willie” Williams | Saturday, Jan. 28 | 6:30-9:30 p.m. | Isley Brewing Company, 1715 Summit Ave., Richmond | Free | Grab a brew and enjoy a night of acoustic solo tunes.
“Scheherazade” | Saturday, Jan. 28-Sunday, Jan. 29 | Times vary | Dominion Energy Center Carpenter Theatre, 600 E. Grace St., Richmond | $15-$85 | Make a date to see the sensuous and spectacular performance by the Richmond Symphony.
Afrotease: Venessa’s Shiny New Year | Saturday, Jan. 28 | 8-11 p.m. | Gallery5, 200 W. Marshall St., Richmond | $20-$120 | This burlesque showcase will feature performances by Kayy Lovely and Bebe Demure.

Monday, Jan. 30

“Lovers Lane” | Monday, Jan. 30 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, 1800 Lakeside Ave., Richmond | $0-$16 | See a new installation by Richmond street artist Knitorious M.E.G., known for her yarn bombs.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

TRAVEL

Get jazzed about this upcoming Charleston, SC event 🎷

A man with a saxophone standing against a wall.

Charleston is home to many jazz musicians who played in bandstands of Count Basie, Duke Ellington or Jimmie Lunceford + more.

Did you know that jazz music has significant roots in Charleston, SC?

Along with an interesting story about a Charleston orphanage, jazz was brought to the Lowcountry through enslaved Africans, whose polyrhythms (aka Gullah rhythms) is the defining rhythmic feature of many styles of jazz music.

During the Festival of Houses and Gardens (March 15-April 16), Historic Charleston Foundation’s Festival Music Series will feature the Plantation Singers + Charleston-based saxophonist Jonathan Kammer — giving visitors a chance to explore the musical heritage of Charleston.*

SEE MORE EVENTS + SNAG TIX

NEWS NOTES

Weather

48º | Sunny | 4% chance of rain

Edu

The RPS School Board will host its second budget work session on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. The first opportunity to provide public comment will be at the public hearing on Monday, Feb. 6. Both of those meetings will be livestreamed in English and Spanish. 💸

Development

Henrico County’s Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution to create a community development authority — also known as a CDA — to finance the upcoming GreenCity project. The redevelopment, which will feature a new arena, would start with the 93 acres around the former Best Products campus. (Richmond BizSense)

Sports

VCU Men’s Basketball put on quite a show in its 72-52 win over George Mason on Wednesday. The win came at home in front of a sellout crowd. The Rams — who are now 7-1 in conference play — face St. Bonaventure at the Siegel Center tomorrow at 6 p.m. 🏀

History

A new exhibit opens at the Virginia War Memorial today. “50 Years Beyond: The Vietnam Veteran Experience” features work by photographer Laura Hatcher and videographer Pamela Vines, who traveled Virginia to document veteran experiences.

Festival

The RVA Environmental Film Festival will return the weekend of March 10-12. It’ll kick off with a screening of the documentary “Wildcat” at the Science Museum’s Dome theater. The rest of the fest will take place at The Byrd Theatre and venues around Richmond. 🎥

Eat

Mark your calendar — Saturday, Feb. 4 is Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. Gelati Celesti locations are celebrating by offering a free Country Style Donut with their ice cream to customers who show up in their pajamas. In Northside, Ruby Scoops is offering breakfast-inspired scoops, cereal shakes, and limited edition swag. 🍦

Kids

Registration will open on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 9 a.m. for the ArtVenture Summer Camp at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond. Members registration has already started. Young artists ages 5-14 can experiment with different mediums including clay, paints, and fibers — or try something new like learning character design or metalworking. 🎨

Trending

Richmond, meet Petunia. Participants in the Metro Richmond Zoo poll chose that name for the zoo’s new baby pygmy hippo. A statement from the zoo called Petunia “confident, brave, and spunky.” (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Number

$60,040. That’s the average salary for an electrician in the US. Woodfin is currently hiring a Residential Electrician. Interested? See details + apply.💡 *

Finance

Refinance rates are skyrocketing. But home equity rates remain relatively low — which means that now is a great time to borrow against your home. Calculate your payment.*

Traffic

What we’re buying for our cars: Dash cams. The REDTIGER Dual Dash Camera captures both the front and rear of your car and can be a lifesaver when it comes to contesting traffic violations and recording evidence of collisions. Plus, it connects to your mobile device. 🚦*

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

asked

Reliving the best of Richmond

We’re patiently waiting for the return of outdoor festivals when winter ends. | Photo by RICtoday

It’s almost Groundhog Day — when we find out how long we have to keep doing this “winter” thing. But many of you might also be wondering what it would be like to be stuck in a time loop reliving the same day over again. We have Bill Murray’s 1993 movie of the same name to thank for that.

This concept got us thinking — if we could live any day in Richmond over again, what would it be?

Robin here. I’m still narrowing down my ideal day, but last year’s Folk Festival Saturday is an early contender. The weather was great, plus I’d need a few do-overs to see all the bands.

In honor of the holiday, tell us what local day you wouldn’t mind having again. You could be featured in a future article.

ONE FINE DAY

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Robin.

Editor’s pick: If you’ve heard of any other local ice cream shops doing specials for Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, let me know. I might pull together a list in anticipation of the big day. 🍦

Missed our last newsletter? See how many of these iconic Richmond signs you recognize.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Robin Schwartzkopf, Josh Kranzberg, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Peter Baldassare | Advertise with us.

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