Washington is alive with entertainment choices. The city's crowning glory, as far as venues are concerned, is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which hosts touring productions as diverse as the Metropolitan Opera, Willie Nelson and American Ballet Theater. This national treasure is actually five facilities in one modern building beside the Potomac River at New Hampshire Avenue and Rock Creek Parkway Northwest. Phone 202-467-4600 or toll-free 800-444-1324. The center publishes a bimonthly newsletter listing all performances and prices—including free daily performances at the 6 pm Millennium Stage—available at the box office, the Washington Visitors Information Center or on its Web site. http://www.kennedy-center.org.
Washington, D.C., is often the last stop before Broadway for many top-flight plays and musicals. Classical music fans will enjoy the National Symphony Orchestra, and opera lovers—if they can get the much-sought-after tickets—will discover why the Washington Opera has become world famous. This city is a magnet, too, for headline entertainers. Other important venues include the D.A.R. Constitution Hall (phone 202-628-4780), the Lincoln Theater (phone 202-328-6000), the National Theater (phone 202-628-6161) and the Warner Theater (phone 202-783-4000).
