This weekend, celebrate the motherly figures in your life with musical events throughout the region, including performances at Agecroft Hall & Gardens, the Altria Theater, and the Dominion Energy Center. If reading is more Mom’s speed, try the Black Book Expo at the Pine Camp Arts Center, or check out a host of other festivities below. Enjoy!
That’s Chicago
The acclaimed musical “Chicago” rolls into town May 9-11, bringing the Bob Fosse (and Ann Reinking) moves and all that jazz — not to a noisy hall where there’s a nightly brawl, but to the Altria Theater as part of the Broadway in Richmond series. In Roaring ’20s Chicago, chorus girl Roxie Hart and vaudeville entertainer Velma Kelly each face trial for murder, but lawyer Billy Flynn employs the old razzle-dazzle to make them such media celebrities that legalities can’t touch them. Turns out, it’s all showbiz. That’s why, after half a century since its Broadway premiere and a quarter century of revivals and touring, the show still packs a wallop. Tickets are $53 to $116.
—Harry Kollatz Jr., Senior Writer
A Timeless Love
Don’t miss the world premiere of “Loving v. Virginia,” a brand-new production from the Virginia Opera and the Richmond Symphony. The show is an immersive, operatic depiction of the true story of Mildred and Richard Loving, a young interracial couple whose 1958 marriage spurred a landmark Supreme Court decision for civil rights. Attendees can join the show’s conductor, director, set designer and other staff members 45 minutes prior to each performance for an enlightening preshow lecture. Showtimes are Friday, May 9, and Saturday, May 10, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 11, at 2:30 p.m. Tickets start at $23.
—Kelsey Robinson, Associate Editor
Reading With Purpose
Dive into a thoughtful read this weekend at the Black Book Expo: A Conscious Literary Festival, presented by Elegba Folklore Society at the Pine Camp Cultural Arts and Community Center May 10-11. Check out performances by Desirée Roots and Elegba’s dancers and drummers, storytelling by Kemi Abifarin, a talk by author Anthony T. Browder (pictured above), and more events throughout the weekend. Plus, meet writers, hear about their work and get a book signed. While the event — which runs from 3 to 7 p.m. both days — is free, a $10 donation is suggested.
—Mark Newton, News Editor
Garden Mums
Celebrate Mom with two free events at 16th-century English Tudor manor Agecroft Hall & Gardens. In honor of Mother’s Day on May 11, the site will offer free garden admission from noon to 5 p.m. Plan a picnic and enjoy frozen custard, baked goods and cold-pressed juices available for purchase. From 6 to 7:30 p.m. on the front lawn, the Richmond Concert Band will provide a free “Songs Without Words”-themed performance. Attendees are invited to hum along to recognizable tunes from TV, movies and radio, including classic songs and game show themes. —Nicole Cohen, Arts & Entertainment Editor
Other Suggestions
- Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo perform at the Altria Theater May 6 with pop-rock group The Vindys.
- Folk rock musicians The Avett Brothers kick off Virginia Credit Union Live at Richmond Raceway May 8.
- If you missed Richmond Ballet’s sold-out premiere of “Moving Art One” at the refurbished Leslie Cheek Theater at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, tickets for “Moving Art Two” are still available (though going fast) for May 8-18.
- The Church Hill Spring Fest & Market returns for the second year to Libby Hill Park May 10.
- Brown’s Island will be Fighting Gravity when the multigenre band plays the venue May 10.
More Motherly Love
- Score last-minute Mother’s Day gifts during the Market Day With RVA Makers Market at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen May 10.
- A Sweet Confession hosts an RVA Mother’s Day Cake and Sip workshop at Buna Kurs Ethiopian Cafe May 10.
- The Virginia Cliffe Inn in Glen Allen presents a Mother’s Day Tea & Brunch May 10-11.
- The Glass Ceiling offers no-experience-needed Mother’s Day Weekend Glass Fusing Classes May 10-11.
- Head to the Museum District for a Mother’s Day House and Garden Tour May 11.
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.
