With the Filene Center entering the final stretch of its summer season, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts is starting to warm up for the fall.
Last week, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, the nonprofit that supports and programs the national park, announced an initial lineup for The Barns, its indoor venue, that includes an Oscar-winning songwriter, a heralded improv comedy troupe, and other musical and comedy acts.
“We are proud to present this dynamic lineup for The Barns at Wolf Trap,” Wolf Trap Foundation president and CEO Arvind Manocha said in a press release. “…Wolf Trap continues to be committed to bringing a diverse range of artists to our stages that you can’t see anywhere else in the region.”
Located at 1635 Trap Road in two restored, 18th-century barns, The Barns at Wolf Trap seats 382 people and typically hosts performances between October and May.
The 2024-2025 season will kick off on Oct. 18 and 19 with theatrical actor and singer Norm Lewis, whose notable roles include the title character in “Phantom of the Opera” and Inspector Javert in “Les Miserables.” It will close on April 23 with another musical theater figure — “Jersey Boys” Tony Award winner John Lloyd Young.
Guitarist T Bone Burnett, who wrote music for movies like “O Brother Where Art Thou?” and “The Hunger Games” and won an Oscar for the song “The Weary Kind” from “Crazy Heart,” will stop by The Barns on Oct. 28 and 29 as part of his first concert tour in nearly 20 years.
Other highlights include rock musicians Jim Messina (Oct. 22), who also visited The Barns last season, and Graham Nash (Oct. 23, 25 and 26); the Chicago-based comedy group The Second City (Feb. 19-22, 2025), which is celebrating its 65th anniversary; and the fifth and final Chamber Music at The Barns season curated by artistic advisor Wu Han.
Tickets for all of the announced shows will go on sale to the public on Friday (Aug. 16) at 10 a.m. More performances will be unveiled throughout the fall, Wolf Trap Foundation says.
More from Wolf Trap’s press release on the upcoming season, which can be viewed in full on the park’s website:
November welcomes the reimagined Broadway sounds of Third Reprise (Nov 1); folk music sensation Over The Rhine (Nov 2); indie musician Jess Williamson (Nov 6); vocal pop artists The Doo Wop Project (Nov 7); a vibrant performance of Mariachi Herencia de México (Nov 8); legendary South African sounds of the Abdullah Ibrahim Trio (Nov 13); the return of Brazilian jazz pianist Eliane Elias (Nov 21); Newmyer Flyer Presents The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds and The Beatles’ Revolver (Nov 22 + 23); and DC Anthem Singers Shine featuring Bob McDonald, Caleb Green, and D.C. Washington (Nov 24).
The Barns at Wolf Trap will host two holiday shows this season with a night of soulful melodies during the Blind Boys of Alabama’s Christmas Show (Dec 5) and a WWII Tiki Xmas Canteen by Cherry Poppin’ Daddies (Dec 6).
The new year will open with two performances of Nashville Emerging Artists Night (Jan 31 + Feb 1), featuring Randall Fowler, Jimmy Woods, Emily Brooke, Tristan McIntosh, Emily Ortego, and Landon Wall with percussionist Jack Dracht. February sees Kayhan Kalhor, Wu Man, and Sandeep Das in DoosTrio (Feb 6); NPR’s own Ari Shapiro (Feb 7) host a cabaret night of songs and stories; the 65th Anniversary Show of The Second City (Feb 19–22); and the island sounds of Masters of Hawaiian Music (Feb 27).
In March, audiences can enjoy Todo Tango with the Pan American Symphony Orchestra (Mar 8); the melodic sounds of International Guitar Night (Mar 12 + 13); Irish Masters of the DC Area’s (Mar 14 + 15) Celtic celebration; and the 36th Annual Evening of Comedy (Mar 21 + 22).
