Community Calendar

The Rotunda Welcomes Back Popular Family-Friendly Concert Series this May
3rd Annual Rotunda Rocks Begins Friday, May 2 and Runs Every Friday through Friday, October 3

Grab a blanket or dust off your favorite portable chair and head on over to Hampden this spring for the return of the popular family-friendly concert series, the 3rd Annual Rotunda Rocks. This FREE weekly concert series, presented by MCB Real Estate, features live music on the Plaza and a street festival atmosphere with delicious local food and drinks, fun games and local vendors and will take place Fridays, 6-9 p.m. beginning May 2 and running until October 3. (711 West 40th Street). Whether you like rock n ’roll, folk, bluegrass, Indie, Latin, Celtic or reggae music, there is something for everyone and the event is open to the public. Pets are welcome and a portion of proceeds from beverage sales benefits the Maryland SPCA. For more information, log onto Rotunda Rocks | The Rotunda (rotundabaltimore.com) or call 410-662-0104.

Brian Lenair, Washington, DC’s saxophone phenomenon, is a gifted musician who treats his instrument as an extension of himself. Under the tutelage and influence of masters, like Grover Washington, Jr. and Stanley Turrentine, Brian has more than twenty-five successful years in the music industry. Lenair was the frontman for the legendary group, Spur of the Moment, and sideman for several national recording greats, such as Angela Winbush, Jean Carne, and Will Downing (featured on his latest single – “Going Up Yonder”). Lenair has garnered acclaim in the Smooth Jazz world, with five nationally produced music CDs and two Top 15 Billboard Singles. In 2023, he was a recipient of the Joseph R. Biden Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Service and a 2024 finalist in the 36th Annual Washington Area Music Awards (Wammies).

By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes… In one of Shakespeare’s most haunting tragedies, Macbeth plunges audiences into a dark world of ambition, prophecy, and betrayal. When three mysterious witches foretell that Macbeth will become king, a deadly chain of events is set in motion, blurring the line between destiny and choice.

Set against a foreboding backdrop of war and witchcraft, Macbeth explores the corrupting power of unchecked ambition and the psychological unraveling of a man consumed by power. Is Macbeth a pawn of fate or the author of his own downfall? This timeless classic continues to captivate with its powerful language, unforgettable characters, and eerie supernatural elements. ESPtheatre is proud to present this must-see for fans of dramatic theater, classic literature, and suspenseful storytelling as our next main stage production.

Performances run January 9th through February 3rd at News Spire Arts and the ESP Loft. Tickets available now!
Friday, January 9th - 7:30pm at New Spire Arts
Saturday, January 10th - 7:30pm at New Spire Arts
Sunday, January 11th - 3:00pm at New Spire Arts
Friday, January 23rd - 7:30pm at New Spire Arts
Saturday, January 24th - 7:30pm at New Spire Arts
Sunday, January 25th - 3:00pm at New Spire Arts
Saturday, January 31st - 3:00pm at the ESP Loft
Sunday, February 1st - 3:00pm at the ESP Loft
Monday, February 2nd - 7:30pm at the ESP Loft
Tuesday, February 3rd - 7:30pm at the ESP Loft

How can we break the cycle that compels immigrants and their children to leave homes and families in search of security? From East, Like the Sun follows two generations in two families (and one 19th century ghost) searching for the mother lode - whether it’s gold, or a stable way of life.
Playwright Karen Li, previously produced by Rapid Lemon as part of Variations on Change in 2022, is a Baltimore-based multidisciplinary artist whose other plays have been produced by Strand Theater, Theaterlab, and La Jolla Playhouse. Jalice Ortiz-Corral (Honey Bee Baby, Variations on Courage, Variations on The End) directs.
Performed live on stage at Strand Theater, 5426 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD 21214. Tickets are general admission, $25. A special discounted "Industry Night" performance is just $15, on Monday, January 12. We'll have a talkback with the playwright following the performance on Friday, January 23, and a special "Masked Matinee" on January 18th - audience members will be required to wear masks for that performance.

Vagabond Players presents THE SHARK IS BROKEN
Jan. 9 – Feb. 1, 2026

Vagabond Players continues their historic 110th Season— and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the iconic film JAWS—with the Baltimore premiere of THE SHARK IS BROKEN, written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon and directed by Vagabond veteran Stephen Deininger.

Fresh off acclaimed runs in London’s West End and on Broadway, this behind-the-scenes look at one of the most iconic films ever made is as hilarious as it is heartfelt. Return to the waters where it all began: three actors, two fragile egos, and one very uncooperative shark. This could be the biggest disaster in recent Hollywood history, helmed by a director that no one thinks can
pull it off. In between swilling Tab and tanning on deck, Roy Scheider runs interference between neurotic Richard Dreyfus and the acid drunk wit of Robert Shaw as they navigate endless filming delays and screwups on a rickety lobster boat.

Starring returning Vagabond Players actors, Doug Krehbel, Andy Belt and Matthew Lindsay Payne, THE SHARK IS BROKEN offers a delicious insider’s look at the bickering, brawling and back stabbing among a trio of soon-to-be legendary actors who just happen to be making a monster movie that will change the course of cinema history. Frustrations, petty rivalries and no-so-secret vices all come to the surface in a comedy that also contains a deeper story of fathers and sons, their mortality, and the legacy they leave.

THE SHARK IS BROKEN runs January 9 – February 1, 2026, with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. And check out a special “Thursdays on Broadway” performance January 29 at 8 p.m. when all tickets are just $12.

For tickets, cast and show info visit www.vagabondplayers.org. Special discounts and group rates are available online.

Roll for initiative! Oh Crit performs improv comedy fused with Dungeons & Dragons! Join them as they embark on an adventure of twists and turns, bizarre characters, and occasional epic failure… All with the help from YOU and the whim of an unforgiving 20-sided die!

At all Oh Crit! performances, we will be collecting food donations on behalf of the Frederick Community Fridge.

Join MET for a night of music and a night of bingo! Your favorite performers will sing you a song. If it’s on your bingo card mark it!

Each general admission ticket includes:
• Admittance to the event
• One bingo card
• One bingo dot marker
• One raffle ticket

The holidays already are here and your shopping isn’t finished? Or even started? What to give special friends who say they don’t need anything? Church Hill Theatre has an easy and thoughtful suggestion. Consider a 2026 Season Package—with 5 tickets for the price of 4. You get to choose the plays and the dates.

The coming 2026 season opens in March with a Tennessee Williams classic, The Glass Menagerie, and closes in December with A Christmas Carol. In between, there is a great choice of musicals, comedies and more. Consider Between the Lines, an April musical featuring our talented teens, the major June production of Chicago, or the September musical Something’s Afoot, a spoof of British mystery stories. And who could pass on the spooky November show, The Transylvanian Clockworks?

This special $100 package will make a memorable gift and support a cherished local institution. And if you have been very good all through the year, consider treating yourself to an entire season of outstanding shows. This package is available through the CHT office, at 410-556-6003 or online at churchhilltheatre.org.

Join the Human Growth Foundation (HGF) for a FREE Skeletal Dysplasia Family Day—an inspiring morning of expert insights, community connection, and support, plus a special National Aquarium experience for registered attendees! Don't miss this opportunity to learn, connect, and create lasting memories. We can't wait to see you there!

Join the Human Growth Foundation (HGF) for a FREE Skeletal Dysplasia Family Day—an inspiring morning of expert insights, community connection, and support, plus a special National Aquarium experience for registered attendees! Don't miss this opportunity to learn, connect, and create lasting memories. We can't wait to see you there!