The fire happened just before 2 a.m. in a two-story house on the 3800 block of 45th聽Street, just behind American University.

The fire started on the second floor; a man was there and taken to a hospital, where he later died.

The fire is out and no other homes nor the university were affected. The fire is under investigation.

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D.C. Police were first called to a shooting in the 4700 of Benning Road SE聽just before 1聽a.m.

Two men were shot, as well as some nearby cars.

Both聽men were taken to a hospital but their conditions were not immediately known.

Then, just before 1:30 a.m.聽there was a stabbing during an armed robbery on the 4200 block of East Capitol Street NE.

A man was taken to a hospital for his injuries, but聽his condition was not immediately known.

And then around 3:40 a.m., another聽shooting was reported. This time in the 4200聽block of 4th Street SE.

Police say a man was approached by a聽suspect before being shot. He was taken to a hospital with nonlife threatening injuries.

The map below shows where the crimes occurred and their proximity to one another.

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WASHINGTON 鈥� Get ready to 鈥済leek鈥� out, D.C.聽—聽one of your favorite McKinley High School glee club members is making his return to the nation鈥檚 capital.

Actor and singer Darren Criss, best known for his role as Blaine Anderson on Fox鈥檚 hit musical comedy-drama 鈥淕lee,鈥� is making an appearance this weekend at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra in 鈥淏roadway Today.鈥�

鈥淭his is not something I typically get to do, I think there鈥檚 sort of this misunderstanding that I鈥檓 a Broadway guy- I鈥檓 a Broadway fan, but I鈥檝e never gotten the opportunity to do something like this,鈥� says Criss. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 somewhere between very exciting and very intimidating.鈥�

Criss will be joined by Broadway vet Betsy Wolfe, who will accompany Criss on Broadway hits from 鈥淭he Last Five Years,鈥� 鈥淭he Book of Mormon,鈥� 鈥淥nce鈥� and much more.

鈥淚 think it鈥檒l be an interesting contrast because she (Wolfe) does have this amazing, beautiful Broadway voice. We鈥檙e doing a few duets together, and I come from this different vocality, so it鈥檚 us meeting somewhere in the middle with these songs. 鈥�

Criss says he鈥檚 used to doing shows featuring lots of pop, rock and contemporary music, and says he doesn鈥檛 have the traditional Broadway pipes of theatre stars.

鈥淲hen you hear a lot of these songs, if you get to see them in a show on Broadway, the pit is not nearly as huge as a 70-80 piece orchestra. So getting to hear everything with such a huge wall of sound is going to be pretty breathtaking.鈥�

He says attendees will know some of the songs, but not all. The show puts a spotlight on Broadway hits of today, and showcases some classics starting from the 1970s. Composers include Jason Robert Brown, Alan Menken and Stephan Schwartz, to name a few.

Steven Reineke, who recently conducted a show with Kendrick Lamar, will lead the NSO Pops.

鈥淭he whole process has been really fun, Steven is a really fun guy,鈥� says Criss. 鈥淗e was really cool about us putting this program together.鈥�

Criss added that his friend and actor Jeremy Jordan (Broadway fans will know him from the musical 鈥湶葺絠es,鈥� and most recently the movie musical version of 鈥淭he Last Five Years鈥�) was originally scheduled to perform, but had conflicts with his TV schedule.

鈥淚 was so thrilled to be filling in, but the songs that Jeremy is so great at is different from what I can do.鈥�

He added that Reineke was very receptive toward Criss suggesting songs or suggesting things that he might be able to do. 鈥淏etween myself, Betsy and Steven, we鈥檝e all been able to put together a show that compliments all of us.鈥�

And 鈥淕lee鈥� fans, you won鈥檛 be disappointed.

鈥淭here鈥檚 an orchestration of something that is completely based off the 鈥楪lee鈥� version that we did,鈥� says Criss.

Criss made his return to Broadway last year in the lead role of Hedwig in 鈥淗edwig and the Angry Inch.鈥� But many will always remember him as the high school glee club member, Blaine, singing hits and show tunes every week.

鈥�(The show) obviously opened up so many incredible doors for me, and I will be forever grateful, says Criss. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something that was and continues to be and will always be so much bigger than myself.鈥�

Criss was attending college when the show first came on the air and become a hit.

鈥淚t was a hit show before I was on it, so I had a very outsider perspective when it was on TV and all over the place. I remember just thinking, 鈥榳hat, this a huge deal.鈥欌��

He says since 鈥淕lee鈥� he鈥檚 been associated with Broadway and musical theatre, something he never thought or planned on before the show.

鈥淥nce you do something people always assume you鈥檝e done that. So regardless if you鈥檙e a journalist now or any type of news media 鈥� if you were a cook for 20 years no one is going to know. They鈥檙e just going to know that.鈥�

Overall, Criss says he鈥檚 grateful for his time on 鈥淕lee鈥� and is happy to be associated with the show.

鈥淟ife has been a collection of unexpected routes that are all connected to passions I had growing up and the desires that I had.鈥�

Though Criss credits 鈥淕lee鈥� for launching his career, he actually cites YouTube for getting it all started.

鈥淥ne of the first things that kind of launched me in this world, and ultimately got me my audition for 鈥楪lee鈥� was writing musicals and putting things on YouTube.鈥�

He says if it weren鈥檛 for that, he might have never been on 鈥淕lee.鈥�

鈥淚f it鈥檚 all hard work and hoping that something comes along, that something came along a lot sooner than I could have ever, ever dreamed of or anticipated.鈥�

Looking back on his favorite moment on the 鈥淕lee鈥� set (it鈥檚 too hard to pin point just one moment) he recalls 鈥�骋濒别别鈥檚鈥� version of 鈥淕rease,鈥� when he got to play the role of 鈥淭een Angel.鈥�

鈥淐oming down those stairs and seeing my friends doing the backup vocals for that was just a funny, hilarious moment of 鈥榳hat am I doing here?鈥� 鈥� It鈥檚 so mind-numbingly wild, those years of my life. One of these days I鈥檓 going to have to sit down and focus on the key memories, but for now it鈥檚 the jumble of 鈥榳ow that was really fun.鈥欌��

With 鈥淕lee鈥� in his past, Criss has enjoyed disappearing a little bit to work on personal projects now that he has the time, which he says is ultimately more valuable than any job or paycheck.

鈥淚鈥檓 enjoying having the time, and writing my next thing. We鈥檒l see what it is.鈥�

Don鈥檛 worry Darren, we won鈥檛 stop believin鈥� in you.

鈥淣SO Pops: Broadway Today鈥� with Darren Criss and Betsy Wolfe is at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Visit for more information.聽聽

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It happened just after 7 a.m. at the intersection of Alabama Avenue and Naylor Road in Southeast, when an SUV collided with the ambulance.

The person in the SUV was taken to the hospital with non-lifethreatening injuries.

The ambulance crew and person they were transporting were all taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Police blocked off the area as they investigated.

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WASHINGTON 鈥� The DMV just got a little closer to paradise, and trust me 鈥� you鈥檒l want to take a bite.

As 草莓传媒鈥檚 resident 鈥淗awaiian鈥� (I was raised on the Big Island of Hawai`i, but am not of Hawaiian descent), I know a thing or two about the food and culture of the islands 鈥� the pu-pus, the plate lunches, the poke. So you can only imagine my excitement when I found out the D.C. area was getting its first Hawaiian-style restaurant.

For diners in the know, is not exactly new. It began聽as a food truck in 2010, started by “owner/chef/dishwasher” — so聽says her business card — Mikala Brennan, who was born and raised on the island of Oahu. Brennan鈥檚 mom arrived in the islands in the 1960s as a Pan American stewardess, met Brennan鈥檚 dad on the beach and the rest is history.

After launching her first restaurant in San Diego, California, Brennan was recruited by Marriott International鈥檚 corporate headquarters in Maryland. Her department was laid off shortly after the Sept. 11聽attacks, so Brennan turned to consulting, a business she鈥檚 been in for about 12 years.

Around 2010, Brennan debated getting back into the restaurant business, just as the economy was getting back on its feet from the recession. At the same time, the food truck trend was taking off around the country, and that concept appealed to Brennan as a cost-effective alternative to opening a brick-and-mortar establishment.

Brennan鈥檚 mom reminded her of her Hawai`i roots and pressed her to pursue a Hawaiian idea. Coincidently, there were no Hawaiian restaurants in the area, so the Hula Girl food truck was born.

In 2013, the food truck, nicknamed 鈥淢arg,鈥� reached its peak success, and Brennan returned to thinking up plans for a restaurant. She took a brief break from the truck to plan the concept and look at spaces, finally settling on a location in Northern Virginia鈥檚 Shirlington neighborhood.

When it came to decorating her new restaurant, Brennan decided to keep with Marg鈥檚 1960s vibe. It was her way of paying tribute to her mom and the Hawai`i with which she fell in love.

鈥�(I wanted to) bring in elements of Hawai`i but not to overly theme, because I think a lot of people sometimes associate tiki with Hawaiian,鈥� says Brennan, who brought in elements of the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaiian quilts from Kauai and artwork from Maui.

When it came to creating the restaurant鈥檚 menu, Brennan used feedback from her Cleveland Park 聽as well as best sellers from her food truck. She was also inspired by the state鈥檚 tried-and-true local favorites, such as poke, Kahuku shrimp and Spam musubi.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not a fusion restaurant; I鈥檓 not trying to be fusion. I really just want to serve the things that are authentically Hawaiian,鈥� Brennan says.

After having dined at Hula Girl on more than one occasion, I am happy to report it’s a spot where I can count on a good Hawaiian-style plate lunch, miles from home.

The authentic poke reminds me of the kind I’ve eaten time and again from聽my local Foodland grocery store.聽Even the chicken katsu with a scoop of sticky rice and mac salad didn’t let me down.

If you have a sweet tooth, be sure to save room for dessert. Brennan perfected a malasada recipe that聽impressed my taste buds, trained on Leonard’s Bakery and Big Island Tex Drive-In.

In addition to her experience in consulting, Brennan has a background in mixology, which came in handy when she went to work on Hula Girl鈥檚 extensive cocktail list. (Hint: If you like a good island cocktail, Hula Girl is the place to go.)

鈥淚t鈥檚 trying to take the Asian ingredients and the influences that we do have in Hawai`i, and kind of meld them into the cocktail menu while still maintaining homage to Mai Tais and Blue Hawai`is, and make sure we have a place for those things,鈥� she says.

She also brought in local beer favorites from Maui Brewing Company and Kona Brewing Company, and included a few D.C.-area beers to round out her tap line.

Looking for something outside the bar? The restaurant serves 鈥淎loha鈥� canned juices 鈥� just like you鈥檒l find in Hawai`i 鈥� and the local favorite POG juice (passion, orange and guava).

In the end, Brennan wanted the restaurant to be a comfortable spot for people to meet and feel the Aloha Spirit. She also wanted to pay tribute to her mom 鈥� the original inspiration for her truck 鈥� who passed away in 2013.

鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 a way to bring my mom here and have her be present,鈥� she says.

And she is present. At the bar, Brennan has a special stool made of koa wood from the Big Island that reads, 鈥淢ust be fun to sit here.鈥� It was made for her mom.

鈥淪he was a spark plug; she was a lot of fun, and she sure liked to sit and hang out at the bar and talk story,鈥� Brennan says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 my homage to her, and to bring that into the restaurant was a very important design feature for me.鈥�

From the food to the d茅cor, it鈥檚 quite obvious Brennan鈥檚 mom would be proud to sit down with some 鈥渙no kine grindz鈥� and talk story with the locals of D.C. And trust me: you鈥檒l want to as well.

Hula Girl Bar and Grill, located at 4044 Campbell Ave., Arlington, is open for lunch and dinner every day.

Interested in giving Hawaiian a try? Here’s what you should order:聽

Ahi Tuna Poke:聽Hawaii’s answer to sushi, poke is a raw fish salad. At Hula Girl, Brennan prepares hers with green onion, sesame, shoyu and chili water.

Chicken Katsu: This panko-crusted chicken platter is a favorite among locals.

Kalua Pork and Cabbage: A classic Hawaiian dish roasted in banana leaves. Order the pork with a side of “mac,” or macaroni salad, to round out the plate lunch special.

Hula Girl Teriyaki Plate: You can’t go wrong with chicken teriyaki, a popular favorite for a casual lunch.

Malasadas: Make sure you save room for dessert. These Hawaiian favorites are like little deep-fried doughnuts, tossed in sugar.

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