National Geographic Live Announces Fall 2013 Season Lineup

WASHINGTON — Tickets for National Geographic Live’s fall 2013 season go on sale Aug. 19. The wide-ranging lineup includes theatrical performances, explorer talks, holiday concerts, film screenings, new “Inside the Geographic” tours and even a Scottish whisky tasting. As the Society continues its yearlong 125th anniversary celebration, Nat Geo Live’s offerings reflect the Society’s history of connecting audiences to people and places that inspire us to care about the planet.

“We’re excited to have such a stellar and diverse roster of talent joining us in Washington this fall,” said Gregory McGruder, vice president for Public Programs at National Geographic. “National Geographic Live is proud to continue its tradition of transporting Washingtonians on virtual adventures across the globe, via the powerful words, images and performances presented at these influential events at our headquarters.”

The season opens on Sept. 12 with the world premiere of journalist Jim Lehrer’s one-man show “BELL.” Documenting the life of inventor and second National Geographic Society President Alexander Graham Bell, the plays stars renowned Washington actor Rick Foucheux as Bell. Also new this season is a series of “Inside the Geographic” expert-led tours providing a behind-the-scenes look at National Geographic’s headquarters. Nat Geo Live attendees can also now gain admission to museum exhibitions with a $7 Museum Add-On Pass combined with any ticket purchase. For select evening events, the Museum’s store and exhibits will offer extended hours, remaining open until 15 minutes before the event start time. For daytime audiences, Nat Geo Live’s popular “Tuesdays at Noon” film series will continue this season, offering free films that celebrate a new age of exploration every Tuesday, Oct. 1 through Nov. 19.

All events take place in Grosvenor Auditorium at National Geographic’s Washington headquarters. Tickets may be purchased online at nglive.org/dc, via telephone at (202) 857-7700 or in person at the National Geographic ticket office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tickets must be purchased by Sept. 20 to ensure guaranteed Early Bird Pricing. Free parking is available in the National Geographic underground garage for programs that begin after 6 p.m. The full schedule appears below and at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/events/dc-brochure/.

SEPTEMBER

BELL

SEPT. 12-21 (THURSDAY & FRIDAY, 7:30 P.M., SATURDAY, 2 P.M. & 7:30 P.M.)

This one-man play, written by Jim Lehrer, directed by Jeremy Skidmore and starring Rick Foucheux, reveals the extraordinary life of Alexander Graham Bell. Best known for his invention of the telephone, the play shows many other facets of this daring, disorganized genius. He was a deeply committed family man, teacher of the deaf, holder of 47 patents and National Geographic’s second president.

BIRD WALK ADVENTURE: KENILWORTH AQUATIC GARDENS & NATIONAL ARBORETUM

SEPT. 21, SATURDAY, 9 A.M.-4 P.M.

Join National Geographic author, artist and resident bird expert Jonathan Alderfer on an urban birding adventure. After breakfast at the Society and a private viewing of the exhibition “A New Age of Exploration,” guests travel to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens by coach to observe waterfowl and migratory birds. After a picnic lunch at the National Arboretum, they return to National Geographic for a signed copy of Alderfer’s most recent book, “National Geographic Pocket Guide to the Birds of North America.”

DISCOVERING THE PHOTO ARCHIVES TOUR

SEPT. 26, THURSDAY, 7 P.M.

When someone needs an archival photograph at National Geographic, Bill Bonner is the man to call. He manages the Image Collection photo archive of more than 10 million images, including silver gelatin prints, original paintings and priceless private collections. Join Bonner for a tour of the National Geographic archives and a private viewing of the exhibition “A New Age of Exploration.”

THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD

SEPT. 30, MONDAY, 7:30 P.M.

See the world premiere of the National Geographic Channel special “National Geographic Photographers: The Best Job in the World” and get an insider look at photography at National Geographic through the eyes of photographer Cory Richards as he travels to a remote mountain range in Antarctica to cover a climbing expedition for National Geographic magazine. The film features interviews with several of the Society’s most celebrated photographers. The screening will be followed by a discussion with photographer Mark Thiessen and executive producer Pamela Wells.

OCTOBER

THE LENS OF ADVENTURE

OCT. 2, WEDNESDAY, 7:30 P.M.

Award-winning National Geographic Channel filmmaker Bryan Smith shares gripping moments from his assignments documenting extreme sports in the world’s most challenging environments. He has repeatedly tested the limits while producing films like “The Man Who Could Fly,” about free climber and BASE jumper Dean Potter, and “Alaska Wing Men,” following Alaskan bush pilots on critical missions.

BIRD WALK ADVENTURE: HUNTLEY MEADOWS & DYKE MARSH

OCT. 5, SATURDAY, 9 A.M.-4 P.M.

Tour two Alexandria parks that are home to hundreds of species of birds with National Geographic author, artist and resident bird expert Jonathan Alderfer. After breakfast at the Society and a private viewing of the exhibition “A New Age of Exploration,” guests travel to Huntley Meadows and Dyke Marsh by coach. After a picnic lunch and learning Alderfer’s tips for spotting the area’s best birds, guests return to National Geographic for a signed copy of Alderfer’s most recent book, “National Geographic Pocket Guide to the Birds of North America.”

WILDEST AFRICA

OCT. 15, TUESDAY, 7:30 P.M.

Leading wildlife photojournalist Michael “Nick” Nichols reports on the struggle to preserve Africa’s wild animals. Nichols, National Geographic’s Editor-at-Large for photography, has been working with African elephants for more than 20 years. He also talks about his coverage of the Serengeti lions from the August 2013 National Geographic, which took him two years to document. Nichols shares new video, audio, anecdotes and photographs captured with cutting-edge technology.

BEYOND THE YELLOW BORDER TOUR

OCT. 16, WEDNESDAY, 7 P.M.

Mark Collins Jenkins, former National Geographic Society archivist/historian and author of “National Geographic 125 Years,” takes an in-depth look at the history of the Society in the Museum’s exhibition, “A New Age of Exploration.” Cocktails and light fare are included.

A PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY

OCT. 17, THURSDAY, 7 P.M.

Meet seven extraordinary photographers whose work has influenced global change, as showcased in the October 2013 special issue of National Geographic magazine. The evening features David Guttenfelder with a look at North Korea’s closed society; portrait artist Martin Schoeller with a photo essay on how our growing diversity is changing the face of America; photojournalist Marcus Bleasdale with a report on conflict minerals; wildlife photographer Joel Sartore with a look at zoos’ role in the fight against extinction; camera obscura photographer Abelardo Morell melting boundaries between landscape and dreamscape; photojournalist James Estrin on the future of photography; and James Balog, whose Extreme Ice Survey is documenting the global loss of glacial ice.

CURATING WOMEN OF VISION TOUR

OCT. 29, TUESDAY, 7 P.M.

How does Senior Photo Editor Elizabeth Krist choose from among thousands of National Geographic photos to create an exhibition showcasing the work of 11 groundbreaking female photographers? Learn about the work that goes into curating the new “Women of Vision” exhibition debuting in the National Geographic Museum’s 17th Street Gallery on Oct. 10. Cocktails and light fare are included.

NOVEMBER

THE SCIENCE OF EVERYTHING

NOV. 4, MONDAY, 7:30 P.M.

Join David Pogue, New York Times tech columnist, Missing Manual publisher and Emmy-winning CBS News correspondent, for an evening of discovery about the machines, gadgets, processes and systems we all take for granted. What makes a curve ball curve? What turns grain into beer? Pogue wrote the introduction for the National Geographic book “The Science of Everything” that answers these and other pressing questions, explaining the science behind the everyday in an illuminating, entertaining way.

THE HISTORIC HUBBARD HALL TOUR

NOV. 6, WEDNESDAY, 7 P.M.

As an archivist for National Geographic, Renee Braden’s job is to keep a record of the Society’s stories and continuing history. Start the evening with a private viewing of “A New Age of Exploration.” Then join Braden for a private tour of Hubbard Hall, the first headquarters of the National Geographic Society. Normally closed to the public, the building links local history to National Geographic’s international legacy. The evening ends with cocktails and light fare in the Society’s historic Board Room.

ON THE TRAIL OF GENGHIS KHAN

NOV. 7, THURSDAY, 7:30 P.M.

In 2004, explorer Tim Cope set out to travel 6,000 miles by horse from Mongolia to Hungary, retracing the route taken by Genghis Khan. As described in his new book “On the Trail of Genghis Khan,” Cope spent more than three years in the saddle traveling across a kaleidoscope of countries.

KIDS EURO FESTIVAL

NOV. 9, SATURDAY, 10 A.M. FREE, RESERVATION REQUIRED

Presented by European Union members and local arts organizations, the Kids Euro Festival celebrates joy, imagination and friendship with free performances across the city from Oct. 16 to Nov. 13. Join us for a family film screening (for details, visit www.nglive.org) and visit the Museum exhibitions.

WORLDS APART

NOV. 12, TUESDAY, 7:30 P.M.

After graduating from Oxford University, Emily Ainsworth joined a Mexican circus as a dancer, gaining insight into a world of magic, masquerade and skill. Since then, this National Geographic Young Explorer has established herself as an anthropologist/photographer documenting those who defy social norms. Ainsworth shares her adventures, from living with Mongolian nomads to exploring hidden corners of Rio de Janeiro.

UNTAMED ANTARCTICA

NOV. 15, FRIDAY, 7:30 P.M.

Few had seen it, and no one had ever set foot on it. Those factors made Bertha’s Tower, a 2,000-foot spire in Antarctica’s remote Wohlthat Mountain Range, irresistible to a small team of accomplished climbers led by veteran Mike Libecki. The team battled extreme cold, furious winds and fickle weather in an epic, 10-day climb to the summit. Join Libecki and photographer Cory Richards for a firsthand account of this first ascent at the bottom of the world.

TIGERS FOREVER

NOV. 19, TUESDAY, 7:30 P.M.

NOV. 20, WEDNESDAY, 10 A.M. (STUDENT MATINEE)

Celebrate the beauty and survival of two of the planet’s iconic felines: the tiger and the cougar. Award-winning wildlife photographer Steve Winter’s body of work in India, Indonesia and Thailand represents 10 years of close encounters with tigers. Hear his stories of the people on the front lines of tiger conservation and see intimate photos of these majestic big cats. In addition, Winter will report on North America’s elusive and nocturnal cougar, from a story in the December 2013 National Geographic.

GETTING THE STORY: 125 YEARS OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC WRITING

NOV. 21, THURSDAY, 7:30 P.M.

Discover the challenges and thrills behind crafting the world’s best known magazine from its renowned writers and editors. David Quammen, winner of a National Magazine Award for the magazine, has traveled savannas and swamps from the Serengeti to the Congo in pursuit of the story. Journalist and MacArthur Fellow Alma Guillermoprieto has written about unholy saints in Mexico and women wrestlers in Bolivia. Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and National Geographic Fellow Paul Salopek — currently undertaking a seven-year walk across the world — joins from the Middle East. Cynthia Gorney, who has covered human rights stories such as the culture of child brides, will moderate a conversation with editors Oliver Payne and Barbara Paulsen along with these three celebrated writers.

THE WHISKIES OF SCOTLAND: A GEOGRAPHIC APPRECIATION

NOV. 22, FRIDAY, 7 P.M.

Celebrate Geography Awareness Week with award-winning Scotch whisky expert Richard Crawford, who explains how whiskies reflect the soil, water and agriculture of their places of origin. Complementary light fare is included in the ticket price.

DECEMBER

WHAT MAKES ANGRY BIRDS SOAR?

DEC. 4, WEDNESDAY, 7:30 P.M.

Rovio’s Peter Vesterbacka, creator of the Angry Birds franchise, explains the Angry Birds phenomenon and what drives the company’s partnership with National Geographic. Physicist Rhett Allain, author of National Geographic’s “Angry Birds Furious Forces!: The Physics at Play in the World’s Most Popular Game” explores physics through the Angry Birds lens.

MOYA BRENNAN: AN IRISH CHRISTMAS

DEC. 7, SATURDAY, 3 P.M. & 7 P.M.

Enjoy seasonal music from the Emerald Isle with Moya Brennan. As lead singer of the Grammy Award-winning group Clannad, Brennan helped introduce Celtic music to a worldwide audience with a mix of traditional melodies and new-age pop. Drawing on a rich selection of classic Irish songs and carols as well as her own solo material, Brennan and her band share the spirit of the season. Enjoy mulled wine and holiday treats available for purchase at the NGS Café.

ALEX HONNOLD, MARK SYNNOTT & JIMMY CHIN: CLIMBING OMAN

DEC. 9, MONDAY, 7:30 P.M.

Join climbers Alex Honnold, Mark Synnott and Jimmy Chin on their latest adventure, scaling the rugged seaside cliffs of Oman. For a January 2014 National Geographic story, the two headed for the remote Musandam Peninsula. They grappled with sheer limestone cliffs and perfected their deep-water solo climbing followed by high diving off the rock face into the ocean below.

RISK! FAIL! EXPLORE!

DEC. 10, TUESDAY, 7:30 P.M.

Get a fascinating perspective on failure from frontline scientists and explorers whose work involves taking calculated risks. Inspired by the article “Failure Is an Option” in the September 2013 National Geographic, a panel examines how risk and failure are indispensable to scientific progress. Participants include virologist Victoria Jensen, who studies dangerous viruses; toxinologist and National Geographic Emerging Explorer Zoltan Takacs, who travels the world in search of venomous snakes to develop drugs; archaeologist and National Geographic Fellow Sarah Parcak, who uses satellite technology to locate hidden Egyptian antiquities; extreme filmmaker and kayaker Trip Jennings, who has paddled white water to explore rivers around the world and made a first descent of the dangerous lower Congo River; and climber Peter Athans, known as “Mr. Everest” for his numerous successful ascents of that mountain.

BEYOND THE YELLOW BORDER TOUR

DEC. 11, WEDNESDAY, 7 P.M.

Mark Collins Jenkins, former National Geographic archivist and historian provides an in-depth look at the Society’s history in the exhibition “A New Age of Exploration.” Cocktails and light fare are included.

About National Geographic Live

National Geographic Live is the live events division of the National Geographic Society, responsible for multimedia presentations, performances and film screenings for the general public, school audiences and sponsoring organizations around the world. For more information, visit nglive.org.