For the past 12 months, we’ve covered the heart and soul of D.C.—from its thriving music scene to its robust theater culture and everything in between. Arts editor @sarahmarloff.bsky.social looks back at the arts coverage that defined 2025:

This year, we told you about shady developers, naughty cops, and bad actors. From Martha’s Vineyard to the Wilson Building, take a look back at the biggest stories of the year:

Trump’s inaugural parade. The dismantling of BLM Plaza. No Kings and Free DC protests. Pride. National Guard deployment. The People Issue. Revisit 2025 through @darrow-m.bsky.social’s lens:

Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme is “clever and relentless,” writes critic Lydia Wei, and Timothée Chalamet delivers “a phenomenal, career-defining performance.” “This is a bona fide movie event,” Wei writes. The review:

Pretty Bitter’s sophomore album, D.C. drill from Jaeychino, and bassist Andrew Musselman’s debut: City Paper’s music writers weigh in on the creme de la creme of this year’s new releases.

Making its U.S. premiere at Signature Theatre, In Clay tells the story of French ceramicist Marie-Berthe Cazin. Jack Miles’ jazz score is “vivid and affecting,” writes critic D.R. Lewis, but does the musical’s story live up to that emotional power?

“Exhilarating and exhausting,” Avatar: Fire and Ash “gives us more of everything that was great about the last one, but with too little that feels new,” writes critic Chris Klimek. The review:

Dante' Pope moved to D.C. as a Hill staffer and found the local jazz closed off to transplants. Twenty years later, he’s touring the world with Dom Flemons and Nashville-based string band Old Crow Medicine Show. Read about his journey in the latest Swing Beat:

After DHCD returned more than $3M in federal assistance meant for affordable housing, councilmembers questioned Director Colleen Green about how it happened. Now they’re demanding more information. Full story:

Paul Feig’s latest thriller is nasty, gruesome, and an hour too long. “The Housemaid plods along, inspiring more of a shrug than the catharsis it dearly craves,” writes critic Alan Zilberman. The review:

Paul Morella’s adaptation of A Christmas Carol, on stage at Olney through Dec. 28, is “a wholehearted embrace of Dickens’ storytelling as storytelling,” writes Allison R. Shely. The review:

D.C. residents will see their gas bill increase by roughly $11.24 per month starting Jan .1. Washington Gas claims their modernization plan is necessary to improve safety and reliability. Critics say its a profit strategy with harmful climate and health risks. Full story:

Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Guys and Dolls is a crowd-pleasing classic, anchored by performances elevate the 1950 musical to something even richer than “a clever romp with a magical score.” Read Douglas Corzine’s review:

A new D.C. Auditor report says that during his time as ANC 8C chair, Salim Adofo used ANC funds on headshots and event photos used in his campaign for D.C. Council. The auditor identified nearly $18K in questionable spending. More on the report and Adofo’s response:

Seven family members. One house. Lots of unspoken rules. Making its U.S. premiere at Round House, Rules for Living puts a trickster spin on the familiar tale of a disastrous family holiday.

Husband-and-wife team Anthony and Candice Shuford are paying tribute to go-go culture with GoGo Puffs breakfast cereal. “Ingredients are cinnamon, brown sugar, and go-go,” Candice says. More on the story behind GoGo Puffs:

The Coil Project revisits Macbeth with just three actors—each taking on a staggering range of roles. “It’s an audacious setup, but also one that invites many questions,” writes critic Lydia Wei. “Namely: Why does Macbeth need to be staged with three actors?”

A new lawsuit alleges Camden Development’s “hugging culture” is to blame for one employee’s sexual assault. The man initiated the alleged assault by first asking for a hug. More on the ongoing case:

This week’s Page Three photo @wcp.bsky.social

The year’s movies were immersive, political, and overwhelming, and they “provided a little tenacity for what still lies ahead,” write critics Chris Klimek and Alan Zilberman. Here are their picks for the best of 2025:

Two D.C. hemp retailers were shut down Thursday, even though they say their products are under the federal THC limit. Store owners tell contributor LJ Dawson they’ve been getting mixed signals from the District—raising questions about the city’s authority to regulate hemp.

Mother’s Baby embraces the quiet, banal horrors of domestic motherhood for a “gripping horror portrait” of an isolated mother struggling to find out what’s happening to her body and her baby. Lydia Wei reviews the latest from Austrian filmmaker Johanna Moder:

The D.C. OIG says DOES Director Unique Morris–Hughes violated spending rules by approving tens of thousands for go-go bands, DJs, speakers, and acrobats for staff events. Read the full story—missing hotel vouchers, a Real Housewives cameo, and inconsistent statements—here:

When indie trio Home Remedies formed in 2022, the bandmates were undergrads at GW. Three years later, they’ve graduated and released solo projects, and they just dropped a new single. On Dec. 13, they reunite at Songbyrd to raise money for the local unhoused community. Read about their journey:

Paula Vogel’s “stirring, compact” memory play is “at once intimate and epic,” writes critic Chris Klimek. “Kate Eastwood Norris is the player most directly responsible for that little miracle.” Read the review:

City Paper’s longtime photography critic, Louis Jacobson, rounds up his seven favorite shows of the year. And maybe it’s just coincidence, Jacobson writes, but this year’s list doesn’t include a single nod to larger museums.

“Imagine if Björk did a Christmas special that doubled as a group therapy session.” Critic Stephanie Rudig reviews Estonian clown Julia Masli’s holiday-themed improv show at Woolly Mammoth.

At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds will not run for re-election, opening up another race in 2026. @trsdc.bsky.social has the details: buff.ly/x8AJIaq

The Secret Agent, the new historical Brazilian thriller from writer-director Kleber Mendonça Filho, blends genres to illustrate the toll of years under a dictatorship. Alan Ziberman’s review:

Netflix’s Jay Kelly wants to be a deep character study of an aging A-lister (played by George Clooney). But maybe it falls short because “champagne-problems auteur” Noah Baumbach “hasn’t done an honest day of yearning in his life,” writes critic Chris Klimek. The review:

This week's page three photo @wcp.bsky.social

Devin Denzel Davidson was just 3 when his father, Rare Essence drummer Quentin “Footz” Davidson, was killed. Now, Footz’s legacy shapes Devin Denzel’s new album, The Test of Faith, with an unmistakable go-go feel. More on how he’s carrying go-go forward:

’Tis the season for those cheesy, predictable holiday TV movies that can’t be avoided during the Christmas rush. Grab your hot chocolate, ice skates, and pickleball paddles, columnist Bill Frost has some so-bad-they’re-so-good festive flicks:

A new lawsuit claims Bernstein Management Corporation charged hidden fees across 16 rent-stabilized apartment buildings to increase rates past legal limits. Here’s what we know:

In Accused!, anarchists are on the loose in Late Victorian London and the chaos threatens to sweep up the Ladies Detective Collective. Allison R. Shely reviews the third and final installment of Patricia Milton’s the Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective:

Looking for the perfect gift for a bookworm? Columnist Hannah Grieco put together a guide of standout books from local authors—all available at your neighborhood indie bookstore.

Our music writers are listening to Black Fortune’s latest, Truth or Dare’s debut EP, a reissue from ’90s act Glo-Worm, and new tracks from Crystal Casino Band and Broke Royals. Find it all in this edition of Beats Me:

It’s #GivingTuesday! If Washington City Paper has ever informed, inspired, or connected you, today’s the day to give back. Your contribution keeps D.C. journalism free and thriving:

Daring genre films, hyped up hits, and an absorbing adaptation of Camus’ The Stranger. Alan Zilberman rounds up the best of this year’s AFI European Union Film Showcase, running Dec. 3–21.

The 2025 Giving Guide is here 🎁 In partnership with Spur Local, we’ve rounded up some nonprofits making D.C. better for everyone. Donate or volunteer today:

A former carriage house near H Street NE once served as a “space of resistance, of organizing, of expression” for Black queer artists and activists. In her latest On Places column, Tanya Paperny traces the building’s history from stable to garage to residence:

After a decade of searching, Washington Improv Theater has found a permanent home in NoMa. The 10,700-square foot space will operate year-round and house a 110-seat theater along with seven classrooms. More on the move:

The eagerly awaited, inescapable, and much shorter Wicked: For Good is here. If you like your Wicked with fewer songs, more wearied resignation, and less Bowen Yang, this one’s for you. The review:

The themes of An Enemy of the People—the pursuit of honesty, ostracization from community, and mob mentality—are just as relevant today as they were in 1882. Theater J’s production, closing Nov. 23, "conveys the peculiarity of trying to ascertain the truth in any era." Stephanie Rudig reviews:

Benoit Blanc is back for his toughest case yet in Wake Up Dead Man, but he can’t crack it without an unlikely partner: priest Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor). Critic Alan Zilberman reviews the latest Knives Out mystery:

Mosaic’s A Case for the Existence of God brings two isolated fathers together in small town Idaho. Strong performances and savvy direction anchor the production, but does the play make its case? The review:

Joey Schuman, as Jem Wilde, delivers a delicate take on love, life, and feeling out of place. “Songs have changed my life, and I hope in some way that mine could be a little glitter in somebody else’s.” Live at the Pocket tonight. Read more:

DHCD failed to spend about $1M allocated for its first-time homebuyer assistance program. The agency told applicants earlier this year that the program ran out of money. Fully story:

Local trombonist/composer/Duke Ellington School of the Arts teacher Reginald Cyntje is making jazz cool again. Columnist Michael J. West chats with him about his Nov. 23 gig at Blues Alley, his streaming breakthrough, and the legacy he’s building.

At Washington City Paper, we’re small and scrappy—and we make the most of every dollar from our supporters. Right now, we’re $26,874 away from reaching our year-end goal of $36,260. Donate today: