The best things to do in Washington, D.C. this week: July 13-17

A frantic custody battle becomes the engine for a musical that balances broad comedy with the emotional fallout of a family coming apart. Based on the 1993 film and Anne Fine's novel, Mrs. Doubtfire follows struggling actor Daniel Hillard, who disguises himself as the Scottish nanny Euphegenia Doubtfire after losing custody of his children, turning an elaborate deception into an unlikely second chance at staying close to his family. The stage adaptation keeps the quick costume changes, comic misunderstandings, and larger than life central performance that made the story memorable while giving its characters room to linger on the messier realities beneath the laughs. Songs expand the story beyond familiar scenes, tracing the shifting relationships between parents, children, and the persona Daniel creates, until the disguise begins revealing more about him than it hides.

TLC’s rise from Atlanta newcomers to one of the defining acts of the 1990s gets a theatrical retelling in CrazySexyCool: The TLC Musical, a stage production built around the group’s music, style and enduring chemistry. Written and directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah, the show follows Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas as they navigate ambition, creative tensions and the pressures of pop stardom. The production brings TLC’s catalogue to the stage with songs including “Waterfalls,” “Creep,” “Unpretty” and “No Scrubs,” paired with choreography by Chloe O. Davis. Performed at Arena Stage’s Kreeger Theater, the musical looks beyond the headlines to explore the friendship and resilience behind a group that reshaped the sound and image of popular music.

A talking sandworm, a haunted house, and a demon with a flair for chaos: Beetlejuice the musical brings Tim Burton’s cult classic to the stage with a riot of color and attitude. The production leans into its macabre roots, filling the theater with jaw-dropping set pieces and visual gags that feel ripped from a fever dream. Lydia Deetz, the goth teenager at the heart of the story, navigates grief and the afterlife with a sharp wit that cuts through the supernatural mayhem. The score swings from gleefully unhinged ensemble numbers to moments of genuine tenderness, all while the titular demon gleefully breaks the fourth wall. It’s a show that revels in the absurd, but never loses sight of the messy, complicated bonds that tie families together—even when half the cast is already dead.

The U.S. Botanic Garden’s Summer Evening Hours turn one of Washington’s most formal green spaces into something noticeably softer around the edges. Held on select third Thursdays from June through September 2026, the Conservatory stays open until 8 p.m., giving visitors extra time to wander the glasshouse collection as daylight fades. The timing is the real draw here, with golden hour light filtering through palms, orchids, and desert plants that usually sit under the sharper glare of daytime visits. Live music begins at 5 p.m., adding a steady soundtrack as guests drift between climate zones inside the Conservatory rather than following a fixed route or schedule. Each month features a different local performer, ranging from funk driven sets by Fuzzy Goldmine in June to soul, indie, and jazz influenced acts later in the season. Food and drink vendors such as Vintage Views and Here’s The Scoop add a casual, walk around dining element with lemonade, mocktails, and ice cream available throughout the evening. The result is less a structured event and more an open ended invitation to linger, where the usual museum pacing gives way to slow movement and conversation under humid glass ceilings. Admission remains free, which keeps the focus on atmosphere and access rather than programming spectacle or ticketed experiences.

Thousands of secondhand books spill across Woodrow Wilson Plaza during Capital Book Fest, turning a downtown lunch break into a leisurely literary hunt. Held on the third Thursday of the month, the open-air sale is stocked by Carpe Librum, a local bookstore that supports the nonprofit Turning the Page, with shelves of gently used books joined by CDs, DVDs, and vinyl priced at $7 or less. The selection ranges from children's stories and contemporary bestsellers to vintage hardbacks, rewarding both casual browsers and determined collectors willing to dig a little deeper. The appeal lies as much in the surprise of the search as the bargains themselves, with every visit offering a different mix of titles. Set against one of downtown's busiest public spaces, the market brings together book lovers, commuters, and curious passersby in an easygoing celebration of reading and reuse.

At Bonne Vie Café & Bistro, Thursday nights settle into a slow-burn jazz ritual in the second-floor lounge, where live sets drift through a space designed more like a Parisian salon than a traditional club. The music is framed by the venue’s French café identity, so martinis and a compact dinner menu sit in close proximity to the bandstand, folding sound into the rhythms of dining rather than separating it from them. Rather than a concert format, the evening moves in long, unhurried stretches, with musicians shaping familiar jazz standards and contemporary touches around the room’s low-lit, conversational hum. Set within a historic flatiron building at the intersection of Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, and U Street, the space shifts as the night progresses, from early seating to lingering tables that stay long after the first sets have passed.

Curious George’s world becomes a hands-on playground of puzzles, experiments and discoveries in Curious George: Let’s Get Curious!, an interactive exhibit that turns the beloved monkey’s adventures into early STEM challenges. Designed for young learners and their families, the experience invites visitors to explore familiar scenes from George’s world while testing ideas through play. Kids can move George through an apartment building with pulleys, experiment with light and shadows, sort and count produce at a neighborhood stand, build structures at a construction site and investigate physics through a mini golf course. The journey even reaches space with a climb aboard George’s rocket. Created around curiosity and problem solving, the exhibit brings math, science and engineering concepts to life through tactile experiences inspired by the classic character.

Georgetown Waterfront Park becomes a storybook setting for a summer morning gathering built around songs, reading, and shared discovery. Song and Story Time in the Park invites preschoolers and their caregivers to settle beneath the trees for a free outdoor program hosted by Friends of the Georgetown Waterfront Park. The relaxed format brings young children together through the simple pleasures of music and storytelling, using the park's lawn as a backdrop for a community experience that feels closer to a neighborhood ritual than a formal performance. Held on select Thursdays in July, the series creates a gentle pause in the week, giving families a chance to spend time outdoors while introducing children to the rhythms of books, songs, and group participation.

Held in the courtyard of Dirty Habit in downtown Washington, D.C., After Dark at the Tiki Affair transforms a mid-century inspired outdoor space into a late-night mix of live music and tropical drink culture. The setting is intimate but energetic, with DJs and live bands rotating through a program that shifts from RnB and pop sets to steel drum performances as the series unfolds across the summer. The courtyard itself is the focal point, dressed in foliage and anchored by a bar that leans into playful, tropical cocktails, including seasonal pours served in whole pineapples. Rather than a staged concert feel, the event moves like a casual gathering that slowly builds as the evening progresses, with guests drifting between music, conversation, and the bar. Running on a monthly cadence, it captures a recurring nightlife rhythm rather than a one-off occasion, returning to the same space as it changes character from week to week.

Monday nights at the Tiffany Gallery swap the usual hush of museum halls for the quiet rhythm of breath and movement. Here, gentle yoga unfolds beneath luminous stained glass, with experienced instructors leading a practice that welcomes both newcomers and seasoned yogis. The session moves at a thoughtful pace, inviting participants to find balance and presence among works of art. The gallery’s atmosphere shapes the experience, with shifting light and intricate details offering a backdrop that feels both grounding and inspiring. This is not a fitness class transplanted into a museum but a mindful encounter with art and body, shaped by the space itself. Donations support the Museum’s broader mission, making each stretch and pose part of something larger than the hour spent on the mat.