From casual to fine dining, Richmond offers plenty of places to curb your cravings, but Sunday’s Dinner With Friends offers a culinary experience with benefits, featuring cuisine from top-notch chefs in the community. Additional events to sink your teeth into this week include a shadow play, a Lego exhibit and a Richmond Shakespeare play about Shakespeare himself. Enjoy!
A Show for the Ages
After years of preparation, Iranian American Hamid Rahmanian isn’t letting anything stop him from presenting the shadow play “Song of the North” this Friday, Feb. 2, at the Alice Jepson Theatre at University of Richmond’s Modlin Center for the Arts. The blend of puppetry and live theater, based on a 10th-century Persian poem, faced a setback last October when the crew’s equipment trailer was stolen and many of the intricate puppets and set pieces were lost or in total disrepair. With financial help from crowdfunding, Rahmanian was able to get the show back on the road prior to the Richmond performance this week. The spectacle begins at 7:30 p.m., and tickets start at $10.
—Kevin Johnson, Lifestyle Editor
Brick Building
I wasn’t a Lego kid. I received my first set, a Harry Potter-themed advent calendar, as a gift in 2019. But, like many adults who discovered Lego during the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been bitten by the brick bug in a big way. Come out and see my Lego amusement park and plenty of cool builds from other members of the Richmond Virginia Lego User Group (the official name for a club of adult enthusiasts) during the third annual RVA Brick Day, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Guzman Community Center in the West End. In addition to the exhibits, there’s a brick pit play area for kids and a raffle featuring signed copies of an RVA skyline set designed by member and “Lego Masters” season four contestant Ben Edlavitch. Admission is free.
—Mindy Kinsey, Editorial Director
Food for Good
You know what I love even more than a multicourse feast prepared by a trio of powerhouse chefs? A multicourse feast prepared by a trio of powerhouse chefs that benefits a local cause. On Feb. 4, pals Brittanny Anderson of Brenner Pass, Laine Myers of Oro and Leah Branch of The Roosevelt will join forces for Dinner With Friends. The squad of epicures will present five dishes that explore the regions they know best — the Alps, Italy and the South — for a fundraising soiree benefiting Commonwealth Autism and the nonprofit’s new Career Readiness and Employment program through Good Foods Grocery. The event is hosted at Brenner Pass, and tickets are $180.
—Eileen Mellon, Food Editor
Meet Shakespeare
You may be familiar with William Shakespeare’s works, but how well do you know the man himself? A new Richmond Shakespeare production is focusing on that very subject. Liz Duffy Adams’ “Born With Teeth” is set in the late 16th century and follows the collaborative relationship between two dynamos of the theater: Shakespeare and Christopher “Kit” Marlowe. Adams was inspired to write the play upon discovering that the Renaissance-era playwrights may have worked together to create the trilogy “Henry VI.” The production continues through Feb. 11 at the Dominion Energy Center’s Libby S. Gottwald Playhouse. Tickets are $20 to $45.
—Nicole Cohen, Arts & Entertainment Editor
Other Suggestions
- Carron Lee Penn discusses his 2017 compilation of sermons published in his novel, “Revelation: Unleashed,” at Henrico County’s Libbie Mill Area Library on Jan. 29.
- Israeli band Shufuni performs at the Weinstein JCC for an evening of Healing Harmony on Jan. 31.
- Anne’s Visual Art Studio gallery presents “Got Game?,” a mixed-media group exhibition curated by Helene Ruiz, opening during First Friday on Feb. 2 and continuing through April 12.
- The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts celebrates the Lunar New Year with ChinaFest on Feb. 3.
- “GLOW” offers a unique way to explore the Science Museum of Virginia, with glow-in-the-dark activities and live demonstrations on Feb. 3.
- Actress and social media personality Tabitha Brown stops at The National for her “I Did a New Thing” book tour with two appearances at 3 and 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 4.
River City Roundup is Richmond magazine’s weekly compilation of the best things to see, do and experience in the region, compiled by our editors. Get each week’s installment directly in your inbox every Monday by subscribing to our e-newsletter.
