The Barns at Wolf Trap have reopened, which means the beloved venue will be hosting acts in the dedicated indoor spaces all fall and winter long. While that’s good news for concert-goers on its own, the Barns also underwent some major renovations in the lead up to this year, the 50th anniversary of Wolf Trap and the 40th anniversary of the Barns. New and familiar acts, plus new and familiar venue–it all adds up to a pretty fun way to get back out there during this (final?) downward COVID curve (vaccination or a negative COVID test, and a mask on your face, will be required).
The 382-seat theater is a return to an intimate experience, rather than the outdoor concerts we’ve come to depend on.
“It’s really about you and that artist and what feels like a few of your closest friends sitting in a room together. It’s exhilarating,” Arvind Manocha, president and CEO of Wolf Trap, says.
So, first thing. We were assured the offerings will be as diverse as Wolf Trap has ever been. Among the many national headliners, up-and-comers and cult-favorite acts, which should you see?
“We’re fairly encyclopedic in our approach and that’s very much by design. You know, we want people to feel like, whether it be at the Filene Center or at the Barns, that there’s something that is very close to their heart,” Manocha says. “It’s our nation’s only national park for the arts, and the parks are owned by all people, so I feel like there should not be a moment where somebody feels like, there’s nothing for them. They own Wolf Trap, all Americans do, like we own all of our national parks. The Barns is an extension of that philosophy.”
Big name performers will show off new sides of themselves in the close space. 5th Dimension will make their debut, and indie darlings like Damien Jurado are penciled in after a long COVID delay.
“I’m excited to see Meow Meow,” Sara Beesley, vice president, program, and production, says, describing the artist as an international cabaret phenomenon. “She’s likely to be the first artist to crowd-surf during the show.” Beesley also points to world-music great Kayhan Kalhor and Latin Grammy Award winner Nella as some of her favorites from the season.
For those of you looking for a more refined experience, classical is also back in a big way.
“The chamber music offerings this season are going to be exquisite,” Lee Anne Myslewski, vice president and head of Wolf Trap’s opera program, says.
Perhaps the most dynamic, and regionally rooted, classical show will be a new work, co-commissioned by Wolf Trap and performed by local opera company UrbanArias, which is meant to reflect on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on its 100th anniversary.
You’ll be seeing great performances after a long time off, but you’ll also be getting an improved experience from the venue itself. It breaks down to three main improvements. For one, Wolf Trap remade the backstage. That puts performers in a better mood, but it also allows for greater room for more advanced stage effects and complex productions, particularly for musicals. More critically for many attendees, the bar and kitchen have been expanded and upgraded, allowing for Wolf Trap’s locally focused menu to come into its own.
“It will allow for greater variety of food and drink,“ Manocha says. “Our staff had previously done an amazing job of pulling a rabbit out of a hat.”
Additionally, the pre-performance space has also been upgraded. For those who don’t know, the Barns are almost as visually distinctive as the iconic outdoor Filene Center, three-hundred year old structures transported from New England. The new atrium has been built to hold up to the elegance of these structures while doubling the space.
“We have many more people spending much more time, coming to the concerts an hour and half to two hours in advance, so they can really enjoy a full evening,” Manocha says. Of course, when the lights come on, the night ultimately hinges the performance facilitated by the venue.
“Nobody in that theater is very far from the stage, and when there’s a magical moment happening, it could just be one or two musicians on stage,” Manocha says. “At the Barns, I think that exhilaration comes from an incredible sense of connection.”
Photo taken pre-COVID. Masks are required at the Barns.
Feature image courtesy Wolf Trap
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