Classic '80s rock rolls into National Theatre in July.

Best of Washington's Summer

Rock Your World

Big hair, first-generation Spandex, amped-up musical theatrics—yes, the 1980s provided rock anthems and so-called supergroups that live on, even in Tony-nominated musicals. The Broadway hit “Rock of Ages” steamrolls into the National Theatre (nationaltheatre.org) July 12−24, featuring songs from Foreigner, Whitesnake, Pat Benatar, REO Speedwagon, Styx and the band that never stopped believing, Journey.

Wonder Years

We love exhibits with names that evoke sideshow or kaleidoscopic experiences, and “The Great American Hall of Wonders” (July 15−Jan. 8) at the Smithsonian
American Art Museum (americanart.si.edu) delivers the right amount of historical kitsch and beauty by focusing on our 19th-century preoccupation with invention.

Featuring 150 photographs and illustrations from everyone from John James Audubon to Winslow Homer, you’ll learn about America’s attitude toward natural resources such as buffalo and giant sequoias and which experiments (guns, photography) changed the way we viewed the world. And, yes, there's an appearance from the great Annie Oakley, right.

Free Bard

It’s a no-cost literary tradition not to be missed—the “Shakespeare Free for All” (Aug.18−Sept. 4) from the talented crew at the Shakespeare Theatre Company (shakespearetheatre.org) at Sidney Harman Hall. Director David Muse tackles “Julius Caesar” and its timeless tale of ego and the struggle for the trappings of power.

Beauty in Motion

We love big-time tennis. And we also love big-time tennis played as close to us as a lob serve. The Washington Kastles (washingtonkastles.com), with a roster that includes Serena and Venus Williams, play in the new Kastles Stadium on the Wharf on the Southwest waterfront. Their seven evening matches throughout July include matchups against Anna Kournikova (St. Louis, July 15) among other world-class teams and players.   

Also, don’t miss the Mid-Atlantic Women’s Tennis Championships, July 23–31, at the Tennis Center at College Park. The event features outstanding international players, including 2009 U.S. Open quarter-finalist Melanie Oudin and and six-time Women’s Tennis Association singles titlist Jelena Dokic.

Naturally Smart

We are consistently blown away by the creativity that accompanies the programming and exhibitions at the National Museum of the American Indian (nmai.si.edu), including its latest, “Conversations With the Earth: Indigenous Voices on Climate Change,” July 22−Jan. 2.

The groundbreaking work showcases a Native American perspective on changes to the global environment via video, audio and photographs of tribal communities from the Arctic to South America.

5 More We Love

Annual Paella Festival, July 18−Aug. 1, Jaleo (jaleo.com). José Andrés invites renowned Spanish paella pro Rafael Vidal to town; gastronomic bliss ensues.

Snakes Alive!, July 20−22, S. Dillon Ripley Center (si.edu). Discovery Theater hosts scores of these misunderstood creatures, including boas and pythons.

“Uncle Vanya,” Aug. 4−27, Kennedy Center (kennedy-center.org). Chekhov’s tragicomedy stars Cate Blanchett in a turn as the gorgeous, chaotic Yelena.

Civil War on the Home Front Tours, July 23−24, Oatlands (oatlands.org). The 19th-century mansion unveils what life entailed in Loudoun County, Va., during the epic war.

The Public Memory of 9/11, July 26, National Building Museum (nbm.org). Panelists from 9/11 memorial sites in D.C., New York and Pennsylvania present designs of memorials and discuss the challenges.